Ursa Major *PRIMER*

Commander / EDH Mono-Green

NV_1980

Creature (33)

• 1x Ancient Bronze Dragon
• 1x Apex Devastator
• 1x Archetype of Endurance
• 1x Augur of Autumn
• 1x Beast Whisperer
• 1x Defiler of Vigor
• 1x Elder Gargaroth
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Garruk's Packleader
• 1x Karametra's Acolyte
• 1x Kodama of the East Tree
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Lotus Cobra
• 1x Ohran Frostfang
• 1x Old Gnawbone
• 1x Prowling Serpopard
• 1x Questing Beast
• 1x Reclamation Sage
• 1x Rhonas the Indomitable
• 1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1x Saryth, the Viper's Fang
• 1x Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• 1x Silverback Elder
• 1x Soul of the Harvest
• 1x Surrak and Goreclaw
• 1x Surrak, the Hunt Caller
• 1x Ulvenwald Tracker
• 1x Vigor
• 1x Whisperer of the Wilds
• 1x Yeva, Nature's Herald
• 1x Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus

Land (35)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Bonders' Enclave
• 23x Forest
• 1x Homeward Path
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x War Room
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Yavimaya Hollow

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Finale of Devastation
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Nature's Lore
• 1x Rampant Growth
• 1x Rishkar's Expertise
• 1x Shamanic Revelation
• 1x Three Visits

Artifact (7)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Emerald Medallion
• 1x Jeweled Lotus
• 1x Nyx Lotus
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x The Great Henge

Commander (1)

Enchantment (10)

• 1x Asceticism
• 1x Concordant Crossroads
• 1x Exploration
• 1x Garruk's Uprising
• 1x Growing Rites of Itlimoc  ^Flip
• 1x Mirri's Guile
• 1x Primeval Bounty
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Tribute to the World Tree
• 1x Unnatural Growth

Instant (6)

• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Heroic Intervention
• 1x Krosan Grip
• 1x Naturalize
• 1x Veil of Summer
• 1x Worldly Tutor

---

Welcome to Ursa Major {G}!

Hi there! Welcome to the primer of my mono-green, battlecruiser deck, commanded by Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma. The high forests of Qal Sisma hide a terrible secret. Once, only the dragons living amongst their mountainous, tree-filled expanses reached sizes big enough to challenge any foolhardy hunters to the limit. That changed when a she-bear of stupendous dimensions chose them as her new home. Where she came from, and how she became what she now is, no one knows. One thing is clear though, she is respected by her peers; large creatures of every shape were attracted by her presence, by her ferocity and her power. A realm of sorts was established, one without borders, where all manner of powerful beasts lived separately but in mutual respect, … in some undefined way as a banded force as well. Now, their ire is fixed upon you, the one who is disturbing their peace and threatening their de facto leader, … their queen, if you will. Within moments, a sea of claws, scales, tough hide and teeth is going to be unleashed upon you. I would recommend you brace yourself, for the waves to come! I play this deck in casual formats. It’s not meant to be used in a competitive fashion, but of course I welcome anyone to try! Feel free to comment on anything you (dis)like throughout this primer; I hope you will enjoy it!

Why Goreclaw?

This monster provides all of my strong creatures with some major perks. First off, she makes them cheaper to cast by a significant amount. That’s a major boon, considering green is already pretty good at ramping quickly. Her second ability is not to sneeze at either; a power/toughness boost plus trample to all my attacking creatures with power 4 or greater (which includes herself!). Finally, at CMC4 she is great value for mana and is therefore also relatively easy to recast.

Strengths and Weaknesses

I use the following ten parameters to determine the strength of the deck. For each, I allocate a score of 5 (very good), 4 (good), 3 (mediocre), 2 (bad) or 1 (very bad); when totalized this score represents the power rating of the deck (maximum score is 50 points).

• Mana: indicates the availability of mana sources within the deck.
• Ramp: indicates the speed at which mana sources within the deck can be made available.
• Card Advantage: indicates availability of filter- and draw resources represented within the deck.
• Overall speed: indicates the deck’s potential for pace, based on resource availability and mana curve.
• Combo: indicates the measure of combo-orientation of the deck.
• Army: indicates the deck’s creature-army strength.
• Commander: indicates how much the deck is commander-oriented/dependent (less dependency is better).
• Interaction: indicates how much this deck can mess with opponents’ board states and turn-phases.
• Resilience: indicates whether the deck can prevent and take punches.
• Spellpower: indicates the availability and strength of high-impact spells.

---

Mana: 5

This deck is pretty good at generating additional mana (next to the mana coming from lands). Conjuring sources for this, come in two major forms; creatures and rocks. Six creatures can be tapped for mana directly. Then there’s one creature that generates based on landfall and one that ensures that creatures dealing damage generate treasure tokens. This ensemble of generating power is augmented by five rocks and one artifact that cheapens green spell casting.

Ramp: 4

Quite a few ramping resources have been made available, amongst which are two creatures (of which one is single-use and one can be used multiple times), an enchantment that allows me to play extra lands each turn and five ramp-sorceries.

Card Advantage: 5

In terms of card advantage, I really wanted this deck to excel, so a lot of it has been included. One creature cascades many of its brethren onto the field, nine creatures, enchantments and sorceries provide conditional draw, three filter mechanisms allow for scrying and drawing, one creature allows for recurrence, four creatures and spells have been added for top-decking and one tutor allows me to search creatures.

Overall speed: 5

Though its average CMC is not exactly low, plenty of additional mana sources, ramp and a vast arsenal of draw (not to mention Goreclaw’s ability to cheapen casting) still allows this deck to take flight in a hurry.

Combo: 1

In essence, this build doesn’t contain any combos.

Army: 5

Significant power resides within this deck’s very large army of thirty two creatures. In terms of combat potential, I chose some because of abilities that would have a significant impact on my state of the battlefield (nine creatures), whereas others were chosen because they are powerful beaters by themselves (seven). The remainder of creatures mostly have a utility, card-draw or ramping purpose.

Commander: 5

There’s a significant casting benefit to having Goreclaw around, as she cheapens a lot of my more powerful stuff. Yet this deck contains so many resources that not having her around is in no way a true loss.

Interaction: 2

As with most mono-green decks, this one is not meant for vast options of interaction. Of course it still sports some spells/abilities to destroy certain permanents (seven).

Resilience: 4

Aside from the deck’s vast army (which comprises many high-toughness creatures), five cards have been put in place to guarantee their summoning (by making spells impervious to counters) or make them stay around even longer by equipping them with hexproof. Another six cards I added to grant my critters vast power/toughness bonuses or abilities that make it hard to block them, so that they survive their scraps with opposing creatures a bit easier.

Spellpower: 3

Seven of the deck’s creatures significantly impact my state of the board as they grant abilities/bonuses to all my other creatures. The deck also features a few high-impact draw spells as well as a very powerful combat booster (intended as a finisher).

---

Total power score: 39

Amongst my single-color decks, this one is rated as one of the fastest, strongest decks in my arsenal. It contains plenty of resources, uses many multi-functional creatures to dominate the battlefield and is relatively simple to use. It’s not easy to deal with and houses many a threat against a multitude of different opponents.

General strategy

How to win with this deck? Easy. Ramp a lot. Draw a lot. Cast a lot of angry, large beasts onto the battlefield and have them overrun the opposition until there’s nothing left but some bones and scraps of clothing. My most important adversaries, will be opponents that are either good at inhibiting my attacks, creating pillow forts, focus on creature removal or have a knack for summoning large numbers of flyers. Hence, my special attention goes out to decks comprised of mono-black or featuring cards from explicitly the Azorius-, Bant-, Orzhov-, Selesnya- and Witch-Maw guilds.

Starting hand

At least three cards in the starting hand ought to be lands (or two lands and a Arcane Signet, Emerald Medallion, Mirri's Guile, Sensei's Divining Top or Sol Ring). This is a must; I’m not going to start a game without this hand (even if I have to mulligan down to three cards). The ideal hand would also contain some additional ramp and/or low-cost draw options.

Early game

First things first; getting my casting resources in order. The resources with which I like to start out games, would be any cards mentioned within the ‘Starting hand’ section, as well as mana sources like Elvish Mystic, Fyndhorn Elves, Llanowar Elves, Selvala, Heart of the Wilds and Whisperer of the Wilds. In case of ramp, options like Augur of Autumn, Exploration, Nature's Lore, Rampant Growth, Sakura-Tribe Elder and Three Visits are preferred starters of choice. Lastly, the first card-advantage resources I prefer, would be cards like Beast Whisperer, Garruk's Uprising, Sylvan Library and Tribute to the World Tree. If I can get it in an early stage, I also want to get Concordant Crossroads onto the field early, for the speed advantage. Same goes for Growing Rites of Itlimoc  , as its transformed state provides lots of mana in one go and is therefore very useful to have from an early stage onwards too.

Mid game

With resources in place, I can get my first ground-pounders onto the field. My preference goes out to first cast creatures that have a large impact on the board-state in that they influence the abilities of all my other creatures. This would include cards like Defiler of Vigor, Ohran Frostfang, Prowling Serpopard, Questing Beast and Silverback Elder. I should also have enough mana by now to get some stronger resources online. When it comes to mana, this would include cards like The Great Henge, Karametra's Acolyte and Nyx Lotus. More expensive card-advantage stuff, in the form of Elder Gargaroth, Kodama of the East Tree and Soul of the Harvest could also come in handy at this stage. Lastly, boosters that help out my critters in a grand way should be used. Amongst the most effective in my arsenal, include cards like Asceticism, Unnatural Growth and Vigor.

End Game

While my creatures are pounding you into the ground with some (or all) of the aforementioned resources mentioned, I’ll be looking for the means to close out the game. A great way to do that quickly, is by using a mass-draw spell like Rishkar's Expertise or Shamanic Revelation. Summoning the Apex Devastator can also be very effective as this almost guarantees the entrance of five strong creatures in a single go. Then there’s cards that bring welcome strength seemingly out of nowhere. Most notably Finale of Devastation.

Card Choices - mainboard

Lands

My reliable sources of mana, and some utility:

• Ancient Tomb: helps to get some important cards onto the battlefield a little earlier, at the cost of some life.
• Bonders' Enclave: a perfect utility land for a deck that specializes in its precondition.
• Misty Rainforest/Verdant Catacombs/Windswept Heath/Wooded Foothills: great land filters.
• Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx: staple land in a single-color, permanent-rich deck, in which it is easy to reach high levels of devotion to the deck’s color.
• Oran-Rief, the Vastwood: sometimes a little boost makes all the difference.
• Reliquary Tower: having an unlimited hand-size never hurts.
• War Room: for a small sacrifice, this land allows me some extra draw.
• Yavimaya Hollow: low-cost resource that can keep expensive-to-summon creatures alive.

Mana

The cards I use to accelerate mana-availability:

• Arcane Signet: a simple rock with no downsides that provides colored mana.
• Augur of Autumn: top-decking for lands, and potentially for creatures.
• Cultivate/Kodama's Reach: fetching two (tapped) lands at a time.
• Elvish Mystic/Fyndhorn Elves/Llanowar Elves: my cheapest mana-elves.
• Emerald Medallion: cheapens every green spell in this deck by 1.
• Exploration: grants a massive acceleration advantage to my side at the lowest cost.
• Growing Rites of Itlimoc  : why use Gaea's Cradle when I can just create one for much less?
• Jeweled Lotus: Hi commander! Want a fast-track to the battlefield?
• Karametra's Acolyte: my permanents worshipping at the altar of green results in lots of mana.
• Lotus Cobra: when you’re close to the ground, it’s easier to get at the mana that’s in it.
• Nature's Lore/Three Visits: two ways to fetch an (untapped!) forest from my library.
• Nyx Lotus: there’s green devotion aplenty to fuel this baby.
• Old Gnawbone: every creature in my army becomes a great treasure generator.
• Rampant Growth/Sakura-Tribe Elder: gets me a basic from my deck.
• Selvala, Heart of the Wilds: she draws on the strength of Qal Sisma’s inhabitants, for both energy and inspiration.
• Sol Ring: maybe the best CMC1 artifact ever thought up by WoTC.
• The Great Henge: an ancient rock, linked to the strongest of Goreclaw’s disciples, that provides energy, inspiration and life.
• Whisperer of the Wilds: combined with most of my beaters, this critter makes copious amounts of green mana.

Draw, Scry and Tutor

The mechanisms that provide me with card advantage:

• Apex Devastator: has the potential to summon five permanents in total; one of my favorite creatures to tutor for.
• Beast Whisperer: excellent draw enabler in my creature-heavy deck.
• Garruk's Uprising: draw upon creature ETB.
• Elder Gargaroth: aside from some creature token generation and life-gain, this beast allows for draw whenever it attacks/blocks.
• Finale of Devastation: not just a superb creature-tutor, but a stupendously strong finisher as well.
• Garruk's Packleader: every moderately strong creature entering the BF on my side, counts as another draw opportunity.
• Kodama of the East Tree: summoning doesn’t have to be expensive.
• Mirri's Guile: gives options on what to draw every turn.
• Ohran Frostfang: not just deathtouch for all my attacking beasties, but draw upon damage as well!
• Rishkar's Expertise: draw a potentially humongous amount of cards and maybe even cast something for free!
• Sensei's Divining Top: filtering and draw in a neat little package.
• Shamanic Revelation: dependent on how well I am doing with army-building, this card has the potential to lead to a phenomenal draw.
• Soul of the Harvest: draw on another creature’s ETB.
• Sylvan Library: additional draw at the cost of some life; great in a pinch, especially since I am allowed to look at what I draw first.
• Worldly Tutor: superb, cheap-to-use tutors for any creature in my deck.

Disruption

The way in which I say ‘No!’ to my opponents:

• Archetype of Endurance: no hexproof for you! Just for me!
• Asceticism: not just protection from spells, but resurrection at a small fee!
• Beast Within: excellent multi-purpose removal for negligibe disadvantage.
• Heroic Intervention: the ultimate protection for my beastly army.
• Krosan Grip: wipes out an enchantment/artifact without a chance for the opponent to counter.
• Naturalize: anti-artifact/enchantment spell.
• Prowling Serpopard: my summoning spells will not be countered.
• Reclamation Sage: destroy a hostile artifact/enchantment upon ETB.
• Ulvenwald Tracker: removal of annoying creatures that don’t want to attack/block me.
• Veil of Summer: blue and black are my natural (or maybe unnatural) enemies, this counters (almost) all their efforts for a turn!

Goreclaw’s horde

From the forests of Qal Sisma … :

• Ancient Bronze Dragon: what if it got strong? Like, ... terrifyingly strong?
• Defiler of Vigor: helps me to keep casting when I run out of Symbol, and provides tremendous boosts to my creatures!
• Questing Beast: very strong, single combatant that empowers all of the horde to damage with impunity.
• Rhonas the Indomitable: with Goreclaw around, this deity is a powerful combatant!
• Silverback Elder: permanent, non-creature spells beware, an old gorilla is coming to destroy you! Or … maybe not. Lifegain is fun too. Or top-decking for land for that matter.
• Surrak, the Hunt Caller: this legendary warrior hastens the newest addition to my army, to immediately join in the fight to defend Goreclaw’s interests.
• Vigor: block me! Attack me! I dare you!
• Yeva, Nature's Herald: the Elf that allows me to flash in my army.

Utility

Miscellaneous spells and items that increase my strategic opportunities:

• Concordant Crossroads: haste is such a precious commodity to green creatures, that it’s worth to pay the price that all other creatures gain it too.
• Eternal Witness: it lives again!
• Primeval Bounty: such a fantastic, multi-purpose powerhouse that provides a multitude of useful tokens and bonuses.
• Unnatural Growth: during my turns, spellpower flows into the veins of my creatures; empowering them to extraordinary lengths.

Thank you for reading!

I appreciate the time you took to read my primer. Hopefully it was entertaining and useful to you. If so, feel free to leave a +1 and/or feedback of any kind in the comments below. Thanks again!

Date added	1 year
Last updated	4 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	18 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 10 - 0 Uncommons 10 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.54
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Treasure
Folders	fun decks