Toxic Relationship: Hapatra EDH [PRIMER]

Commander / EDH Daedalus19876

SCORE: 707 | 807 COMMENTS | 121318 VIEWS | IN 301 FOLDERS


Total Primer Rewrite! —Oct. 6, 2021

Heya, Hapatra fans! It's been a while.

I rewrote the whole primer to explain the changes in the cEDH version, and the modern combos the deck runs. The deck is much staxier now, but still is performing VERY well in testing. Combo lines have been slimmed down, and I've added much more interaction and prison pieces.

I also added Scurry Oak wincon lines, which synergize with both Ivy Lane Denizen (for infinite squirrels) and Yawgmoth, Thran Physician (as a source of infinite toughness for Yawgmoth loops, since it'll always get +1 counters when Snakes enter).

I'm considering tinkering with the landbase a bit more to incorporate more basics, to ensure that Earthcraft is less dead. Stay tuned!

I'd love thoughts on both the deck changes and the primer!

OptimalGreen says... #1

I was wondering why Collector Ouphe over Null Rod ? Is it because you don't have Null Rod or is it because the Ouphe can die to -1/-1 counters or be sacrificed when you no longer want it unlike the rod?

June 12, 2019 5:40 a.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #2

OptimalGreen: It’s partially the reasons you said (plus I like having creatures I can safely put a -1 counter on to get extra snakes in a pinch), but it’s primarily because this deck is REALLY good at tutoring for creatures but less good at tutoring for non-creature things. Plus I can reanimate it if it gets blown up!

...I may end up running both though.

June 12, 2019 9:23 a.m.

MtgSalt says... #3

you ever thought about Thornbite Staff instead of Viridian Longbow ?

June 13, 2019 11:49 a.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #4

Whitehamma: I have considered it, yeah. The main issue is the 2-cost for pinging, despite the "reusability". It's also almost twice as much to cast and equip :(

June 13, 2019 12:05 p.m.

MtgSalt says... #5

Daedalus19876 yea I got you, in cedh its iffy. I just cant think of anything to change its a bad ass deck. I'll try to think of something though.

June 13, 2019 12:27 p.m.

TallKanz211 says... #6

so is this build geared for 1 v 1 or multiplayer?

June 14, 2019 9:30 p.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #7

I GOT MY HANDS ON MY FOIL YAWGMOTH, THIS IS NOT A DRILL

TallKanz211: Either is fine, though it tends to go a little better in multiplayer.

June 17, 2019 3:08 p.m.

OptimalGreen says... #8

Why Prismatic Vista over Karn's Bastion?

June 20, 2019 8:58 p.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #9

OptimalGreen: I've been realizing that I never actually use proliferate effectively. I virtually always have something better to do with 5 mana, that doesn't require a specific setup to happen. I also wanted more color-fixing, especially the ability to grab basics (to work more effectively with Earthcraft ).

June 23, 2019 3:26 p.m.

OptimalGreen says... #10

Ah okay. Yeah I don't use proliferate much either actually now that I think about it so I understand the change now.

June 23, 2019 8:42 p.m.

WUBRG97 says... #11

Hi Daedalus19876 It seems that the deck has a decent amount of sacrificing and Aristocrats effects. Has the new card Moldervine Reclamation been given any consideration?

July 3, 2019 2:39 p.m.

skeletonkey8 says... #12

Hmmmm what about Berserk , Creature removal and quick pump to close out the game?

July 11, 2019 4:19 a.m.

BackFlipBoi says... #13

Have you considered Blowfly Infestation ? I have built hapatra numerous times now, and am currently rebuilding because yawgmoth is just too good. Essentially, you can set up the same combo as yawgmoth’s combo, for one mans less.You can also draw all the cards in your deck with Fecundity to finish the combo I believe it is a good backup if yawgmoth can’t be used, but I do believe that yawgmoth generates more value through the card draw ability.

July 18, 2019 8:35 p.m.

OptimalGreen says... #14

Gonna run Arcane Signet?

July 23, 2019 12:40 a.m.

jumbonasty says... #15

Do you think this deck is more competitive than your Yawgmoth deck? I only ask because I'm thinking about building one or the other for competitive purposes.

July 24, 2019 6:28 a.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #16

BackFlipBoi: Yes, and it eventually got cut unfortunately after about a year. The combo was... too limited, required too much setup. Moreover, when it went wrong, it would sometimes kill my own board. It was still a 3-card combo, since you need a way to profit off of the creature deaths/-1 placement, and the deck's running better 3-card combos.

Odysseus_97: I'm not convinced that I can use that effect well enough, to be honest.

skeletonkey8: Seems conditional, and I don't have much that's big enough to justify it as pump?

OptimalGreen: Oh, we are DEFINITELY running Arcane Signet. Every deck I own is :3 the bigger thing is that this deck should probably be running Fellwar Stone too...

jumbonasty: I assume we already talked on my FB page, but yes, slightly. They feel different to pilot: this is a combo deck first (aggressively tutoring to find them), whereas Yawgmoth is more a control/value deck that draws until it hits a combo.

July 24, 2019 7:23 p.m.

Poly_raptor says... #17

would you consider Growing Rites of Itlimoc  Flip which does the same thing as the cradle?

You could maybe cut Carpet of Flowers for it as the carpet of flowers might be a dead card if no ones running a lot of blue. Where as this will just give you solid mana if your deck reliably makes a lot of creatures.

Also maybe Doubling Season doubles the -1-1 counters and doubles the snakes? And also quadruples the scarabs if you get the nest out. Because it’ll double the initial amount of tokens made but also double the counters adding more tokens that’ll get doubled again.

July 25, 2019 2:54 a.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #18

Poly_raptor: Honestly, I ran Growing Rites then cut it for actual Cradle; it's so much less consistent and even in the best case can't flip until EOT.

Carpet of Flowers is bonkers, I refuse to leave home without it XD even with 1 Island on the battlefield, it's better than BOP.

I considered Doubling Season , but even beyond the high $$$ cost, it shuts down several of my combos, and I'd rather run Parallel Lives to double my snakes (and even that was pretty bad when I tested it; it's too conditional).

July 25, 2019 3:14 a.m.

OptimalGreen says... #19

Doubling Season is a bad card in Hapatra and a beginner's trap. Just because she produces tokens doesn't mean it's good in her when it can also kill her with stuff like Soul Snuffers

July 25, 2019 7:47 a.m.

FLATSO99 says... #20

Congrats on getting to 500 +1s!

July 25, 2019 9:16 a.m.

lifemtg says... #21

As said above Fellwar Stone , and also Protean Hulk puts combo pieces on the field, although eight mana is a hefty price. I was also wondering is it worth it to invest in a all foil deck. It looks nice and all but is it worth it for the hefty price it usually brings? There are so many cases of foils going down everyday, and some go up but

July 25, 2019 12:12 p.m.

Dysnomia1 says... #22

Hmm, I could have sworn that this deck once featured a Protean Hulk . If so, what's your reasoning behind removing it? With your available sac and reanimation shenanigans, I'd figure it'd be an autoinclude.

July 27, 2019 7:01 a.m.

Dysnomia1 says... #23

My bad, I can't read it seems. Found the reason.

July 27, 2019 8:30 p.m.

Nic44 says... #24

Great deck - and I love the Samuel L. Jackson clip, freaking hilarious. Anyway... I am wondering why the lack of mana dorks (besides Deathrite Shaman , that is)? I would think Arbor Elf , Birds of Paradise , Elves of Deep Shadow and the three green Mana producing dweebs would all be better than signets and other two mana rocks like Fellwar Stone since turn two is Hapatra's turn...why not play a dork on turn 1 to give you more of an acceleration while staying on tempo? Forgive me if the answer is glaring, I'm sure you have played this deck plenty and I have not, I am just curious is all.

July 29, 2019 9:39 p.m.

OptimalGreen says... #25

It's because DRS is graveyard hate as well as the fact that it can survive a Soul Snuffers and Black Sun's Zenith for 1 whereas other manadorks can not so rocks are better in this deck.

July 30, 2019 11:40 a.m.