MTG Salvation

I'm currently working on a list that I'm building for a friend that I'm trying to introduce to the format. Her request was for a RUG list that was focused around Primal Surge. I figured that Maelstrom Wanderer would be the perfect Commander for this type of deck.

The goal is to focus on creatures that have ETB effects that can make up for the lack of instants and sorceries. Currently, Primal Surge is the only card in the deck that Maelstrom Wanderer cannot Cascade into.

I'm trying to keep the list on a relative budget since I will be acquiring these cards for her. There are a few cards in the list that are a little more expensive than I would like, but I feel they are too good with the deck not to include. (Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Venser, Shaper Savant)

Suggestions for changes would be great! Also, I know the inclusion of Laboratory Maniac is a little odd, but she specifically wanted the Win-Con of being able to mill yourself and win with Primal Surge. It seems dicey for my tastes, but it's not my deck.

I will reorganize the deck list into something easier to read. Currently on my lunch break.


Deck Changes

If you want an etb creature (all permanent) deck, you might consider Animar, Soul of Elements instead, as it makes your creatures cheaper over time. Allows for easy comboing with cards like great whale, cloudstone curio or even just strong interactions with crystal shard. Anything that lets you return etb creatures to your hand and reuse them is worth consideration.

That said, Maelstrom Wanderer is an excellent choice too. While you don't get the cost reduction, the double cascade and haste tends to be insanely powerful, while also being quite fun (like a slot machine :)). It looks to me like this list is going in the right direction. There is plenty of ramp, paired with plenty of effective threats.

Thanks for the input! Animar was in the running, but she preferred the Wanderer. Great suggestion with Crystal Shard, I totally forgot that was a card.

Needs more scroll rack! But no seriously it looks pretty good to me

needs birthing pod definitely

You may need some graveyard hate, but that just depends on how much your playgroup loves their graveyards.

Fauna shaman is almost a must in a heavy-creature deck, although doing so you may want to have more graveyard recursion (to get back what you pitched) or things that get better when in the graveyard (like wonder or genesis).

Mystic snake is usually a dead cascade, just remember that.

Sylvan ranger also isn't technically a ramp spell. It just gets you a card, but it must be a basic land. You may as well run elvish visionary over it, though I would just run something else over it.

I wouldn't run kiki jiki but that's entirely because it's way too good, and it + zealous conscripts is an auto win. You should ask your playgroup if they're ok with him. Also venser is cool but I don't think he's so good that he's an auto-include, so for budget list I think he's okay to cut.

Thanks for the tips. My playgroup is pretty much anything goes. Everything from 2 card instawins like exquisite blood + sanguine bond, omniscience + enter the infinite and generally other bonkers things like Grand arbiter stax. I wanted to give my friend some powerful inclusions so she can hold her own and not get entirely frustrated by the format. Of course, I intend to introduce her to players with more casual decks first.

I think cascade is the wrong mechanic to use with Primal Surge as it can lead to accidentally casting Laboratory Maniac at the wrong time. It may not be an issue in your meta, but in mine, its fatal. Someone else mentioned Animar is much stronger for surge shenanigans, also Mimeoplasm, gives you access to B, Liliana Vess and Rune-Scared Demon.

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