Hydras, Auras, Zoo, what?

Commander / EDH* Aggro FNM Mono-Green Primer Tribal Zoo

K4m4r0

Hydra (19)

• 1x Genesis Hydra
• 1x Honored Hydra
• 1x Hooded Hydra
• 1x Hungering Hydra
• 1x Hydra Broodmaster
• 1x Hydra Omnivore
• 1x Kalonian Hydra
• 1x Khalni Hydra
• 1x Lifeblood Hydra
• 1x Managorger Hydra
• 1x Mistcutter Hydra
• 1x Oran-Rief Hydra
• 1x Phyrexian Hydra
• 1x Primordial Hydra
• 1x Protean Hydra
• 1x Ulvenwald Hydra
• 1x Vastwood Hydra
• 1x Voracious Hydra
• 1x Whiptongue Hydra

Support (9)

• 1x Genesis Wave
• 1x Herald's Horn
• 1x Heroic Intervention
• 1x Rhonas's Monument
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Triumph of the Hordes
• 1x Unbound Flourishing
• 1x Vigor
• 1x Wild Defiance

Dork (4)

• 1x Boreal Druid
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Llanowar Elves

Aura (11)

• 1x Alpha Authority
• 1x Bear Umbra
• 1x Blanchwood Armor
• 1x Carapace
• 1x Druid's Call
• 1x Gaea's Embrace
• 1x Rancor
• 1x Savage Silhouette
• 1x Serpent Skin
• 1x Spider Umbra
• 1x Trollhide

Land (31)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Arcane Lighthouse
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 23x Forest
• 1x Gaea's Cradle
• 1x Heart of Yavimaya
• 1x Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Yavimaya Hollow

Ramp (7)

• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Nature's Lore
• 1x Nissa's Pilgrimage
• 1x Rampant Growth
• 1x Search for Tomorrow
• 1x Skyshroud Claim

Rock (2)

• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Thran Dynamo

Commander (1)

Injection (11)

• 1x Aspect of Hydra
• 1x Blossoming Defense
• 1x Giant Growth
• 1x Groundswell
• 1x Might of Old Krosa
• 1x Mortal's Resolve
• 1x Predator's Strike
• 1x Primal Bellow
• 1x Vines of Vastwood
• 1x Withstand Death
• 1x Woodcutter's Grit

Equipment (5)

• 1x Basilisk Collar
• 1x Darksteel Plate
• 1x Nim Deathmantle
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Umbral Mantle

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Maybeboard

Other (5)

• 1x Burst of Strength
• 1x Hammer of Nazahn
• 1x Hunger of the Howlpack
• 1x Shield of Kaldra
• 1x Stony Strength

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„Wait, there are Elves, too? That’s it, I‘m out!“ Welcome to Gargos, Vicious Watcher and his little zoo of Hydras and Elves, Steroids and large Forests. We also had a Bear once, but he left for other adventures.

How to play

Our goal is to play Gargos, Vicious Watcher as fast as possible. Then play Auras and Instants on him to buff him and have him fight opponent's creatures to clear the path for our other Hydras.

Unlimited Power - or why Regeneration is important

One if the key strategies is to deal damage with Gargos, Vicious Watcher 3rd ability, then regenerate him, deal damage again. Even if Regeneration taps Gargos, Vicious Watcher , he still can fight other creatures whenever a spell targets a creature you control.

Just remember, regeneration has to be used before he suffers lethal damage, otherwise he will be destroyed.

Regeneration Rules:

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 12, 2019—Core Set 2020)
Regenerate
To replace a permanent’s destruction with an alternate sequence of events. See rule 701.14, “Regenerate.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (July 12, 2019—Core Set 2020)
701.14. Regenerate
701.14a If the effect of a resolving spell or ability regenerates a permanent, it creates a replacement effect that protects the permanent the next time it would be destroyed this turn. In this case, “Regenerate [permanent]” means “The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.”
701.14b If the effect of a static ability regenerates a permanent, it replaces destruction with an alternate effect each time that permanent would be destroyed. In this case, “Regenerate [permanent]” means “Instead remove all damage marked on [permanent] and tap it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.”
701.14c Neither activating an ability that creates a regeneration shield nor casting a spell that creates a regeneration shield is the same as regenerating a permanent. Effects that say that a permanent can’t be regenerated don’t preclude such abilities from being activated or such spells from being cast; rather, they cause regeneration shields to not be applied.

Fight key-word Rules:

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 12, 2019—Core Set 2020)
Fight
When two creatures fight, each deals damage equal to its power to the other. See rule 701.12, “Fight.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (July 12, 2019—Core Set 2020)
701.12. Fight
701.12a A spell or ability may instruct a creature to fight another creature or it may instruct two creatures to fight each other. Each of those creatures deals damage equal to its power to the other creature.
701.12b If a creature instructed to fight is no longer on the battlefield or is no longer a creature, no damage is dealt. If a creature is an illegal target for a resolving spell or ability that instructs it to fight, no damage is dealt.
701.12c If a creature fights itself, it deals damage to itself equal to twice its power.
701.12d The damage dealt when a creature fights isn’t combat damage.

Some cards explained

Since regenerating a creature includes tapping that creature, use Umbral Mantle tu untap it.

Choose Hydras for Cavern of Souls and Herald's Horn to benefit from their bonuses.

Wincons other than stomping: Genesis Wave With a lot of Mana will probably call the game in our favour. Triumph of the Hordes with some creatures will give an opponent 10 Poison Counters to have him loose the game.

"becomes the target of a spell", Gargos 3rd ability

When a Hydra is targeted by a spell, Gargos‘ ability triggers first. So if Gargos is the target of a +X/+X spell, then he won’t benefit from it when he fights another creature, but afterwards.

Gargos’s triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered

See: Gargos on Gatherer

Only Spells are triggering our main ability, so cards like Heart of Yavimaya , Rhonas's Monument or equipping creatures (sadly) won't trigger the ability.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 12, 2019—Core Set 2020)

Spell
    A card on the stack. Also a copy (of either a card or another spell) on the stack. See rule 112, “Spells.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (July 12, 2019—Core Set 2020)

    112. Spells
        112.1. A spell is a card on the stack. As the first step of being cast (see rule 601, “Casting Spells”), the card becomes a spell and is moved to the top of the stack from the zone it was in, which is usually its owner’s hand. (See rule 405, “Stack.”) A spell remains on the stack as a spell until it resolves (see rule 608, “Resolving Spells and Abilities”), is countered (see rule 701.5), or otherwise leaves the stack. For more information, see section 6, “Spells, Abilities, and Effects.”
            112.1a A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it has no card associated with it. See rule 706.10.
            112.1b Some effects allow a player to cast a copy of a card; if the player does, that copy is a spell as well. See rule 706.12.
        112.2. A spell’s owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it, unless it’s a copy. In that case, the owner of the spell is the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A spell’s controller is, by default, the player who put it on the stack. Every spell has a controller.
        112.3. A noncopy spell’s characteristics are the same as those printed on its card, as modified by any continuous effects. See rule 613, “Interaction of Continuous Effects.”
        112.4. If an effect changes any characteristics of a permanent spell, the effect continues to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves. See rule 400.7.

        Example: If an effect changes a black creature spell to white, the creature is white when it enters the battlefield and remains white for the duration of the effect changing its color.

My group doesn't run Sol Ring , therefore it's not in the list. I'm sure, you can fit it in.

If you like the deck and the theme, I would be thankful for a +1. Also all comments and suggestions are more than welcome!

Top Ranked	Achieved #33 position overall 4 years ago Achieved #21 position in Commander / EDH 4 years ago Achieved #3 position in Commander / EDH Primer 4 years ago
Date added	4 years
Last updated	4 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	8 - 0 Mythic Rares 28 - 0 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 23 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.81
Tokens	Honored Hydra 6/6 W, Hydra */* G, Morph 2/2 C, Snake 1/1 G, Squirrel 1/1 G
Folders	hydra