MTG Salvation

I wanted to make a deck that was completely the opposite of my normal style (combo control), so I decided to go with Ruric Thar as he would be the most punishing to my normal style. I have hit a wall though as the deck feels like it has very little in the way of a strategy other than play fatty and hope it survives. I was wondering if I could get some help in making this deck more competitive?
Side notes: I am deathly afraid of board wipes, especially Cyclonic Rift. Is there any cards that I could add to combat them or strategies I should employ to overcome them (remember, I never play aggro)? Also, what do I do against a resolved Humility or Torpor Orb? Those cards ruin this deck. Thanks.




Change Log:
5/8

-Rubblehulk
-Ulvenwald Tracker
-Brutalizer Exarch
-Garruk's Packleader
-Craterhoof Behemoth

+Wurmcoil Engine
+Solemn Simulacrum
+Goblin Welder
+Godo, Bandit Warlord
+Kamahl, Fist of Krosa

5/12

-Mountain

+Winding Canyons

Quote from Damnosus

I am deathly afraid of board wipes, especially Cyclonic Rift. Is there any cards that I could add to combat them or strategies I should employ to overcome them (remember, I never play aggro)? Also, what do I do against a resolved Humility or Torpor Orb? Those cards ruin this deck. Thanks.

First, the easier question. Against Humility and Torpor Orb you need more enchantment/artifact removal that is not creature-based. My favorites would be Decimate, Hull Breach and Stomp and Howl.

I really have no answer how to stop Cyclonic Rift unless you run something like Guttural Response, Pyroblast or Red Elemental Blast, but this might be too narrow. You just have to bite the bullet, I guess.

Thanks Samarkand. I think I will be ok against Humility-I do have Krosan Grip, and Ulamog takes care of it.

I could run something like Spore Frog to face off against Cyclonic Rift, however, I think the easier thing to do would be to just kill the blue player asap.

I'm not sure if Rift hits this deck as hard as you are afraid of. It may hurt your tempo pretty bad, but with dudes like Craterhoof and Deadwood Treefolk you could get something positive out of it. If you're still worried you can use a Greater Good or something like that to have options once someone miracles rift.

Is this the proper deck for something like Greater Good? I have never played with it, and the only times that I have seen it played were in decks that had heavy recursion packages.

I am planning on adding a "Cards by Function" section when I have time, so stay tuned.

i think any deck with high-power dudes can run greater good.

You have fatties. Why not have those fatties hit harder and faster?:

- Fireshrieker (this on Ruric, and you go to town).
- Mage Slayer (underestimated R/G equipment that can do a serious amount of damage. Ruric will punish you for playing it, but the results outrace the initial pain).
- Kamahl, Fist of Krosa (repeatable Overrun is always good, and with you ramping with Green, he will be online almost always).

Hope I helped! This was my inner Gruul in conflict with my inner Dimir ;P.

Totally forgot about Kamahl!!! He is a perfect anti Wrath critter. As for the equipment, I will have to see if they fill any gaps.

That being said what could I remove for Greater Good and Kamahl, Fist of Krosa? Removing stuff is so much harder then adding things.

Gratuitousnes Violence and Furnace of Rath combined with Ruric Thar make it really hard for a players to cast anything.

Oh I thought I had Furnace in there. Hmm...ok then what could I remove for Furnace of Rath, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, and Greater Good?

Why aren't you playing Birthing Pod? That card is sick! You should be playing Zealous Conscripts if you are running Kiki-Jiki. You go infinite and swing for GAME!!!

Signal the Clans has a toolbox effect that tutors for a possible answer to a threat or part of a combo piece. It's versatile.

Karn Liberated is always nice for control.

I didn't see any Solemn Simulacrum.

Tooth and Nail is boss. It fetches for your infinite combo, Kiki-Jiki and Conscripts.

Blood Moon is solid against multi-colored decks. It can buy you time to cast fatties.

City of Solitude rocks. Stops instant speed spells after it lands ensuring you'll get to have Ruric for at least a turn.

Chaos Warp is awesome for tucking generals.

Reverberate. Fork. Toolbox cards. Counters counterspells, etc. R/g are lacking in diverse abilities. They are pretty straightforward in their design so whatever they are lacking you might be able to glean it off another opponent.

Sylvan Library. Goes in every green deck.

Beast Within can answer almost anything. Who cares about a 3/3 with 40 life?

Defense of the Heart. See Tooth and Nail

Quote from delirium sphinx

Why aren't you playing Birthing Pod? That card is sick! You should be playing Zealous Conscripts if you are running Kiki-Jiki. You go infinite and swing for GAME!!!

Signal the Clans has a toolbox effect that tutors for a possible answer to a threat or part of a combo piece. It's versatile.

Karn Liberated is always nice for control.

I didn't see any Solemn Simulacrum.

Tooth and Nail is boss. It fetches for your infinite combo, Kiki-Jiki and Conscripts.

Blood Moon is solid against multi-colored decks. It can buy you time to cast fatties.

City of Solitude rocks. Stops instant speed spells after it lands ensuring you'll get to have Ruric for at least a turn.

Chaos Warp is awesome for tucking generals.

Reverberate. Fork. Toolbox cards. Counters counterspells, etc. R/g are lacking in diverse abilities. They are pretty straightforward in their design so whatever they are lacking you might be able to glean it off another opponent.

Sylvan Library. Goes in every green deck.

Beast Within can answer almost anything. Who cares about a 3/3 with 40 life?

Defense of the Heart. See Tooth and Nail

A lot of your suggestions are not creatures which means that they are not synergistic with Ruric. Admittedly, he won't be on the field all the time, but I would hate to not be able to play something due to worrying about damage. Thus, most of the stuff needs to be critters.

As for Zealous Conscripts, I am trying to stay away from infinite combos (it is how I usually win), thus, I am going to avoid it for now.

You are not going to have Ruric the whole time. Birthing Pod at least sets up a lot of your creature base.

What about Goblin Welder, Solemn Simulacrum and/or Wurmcoil Engine, Mindslaver. That's a good mix of cards. Gives you some control and/or an army of wurms...

Mindclaw Shaman Just plain fun.

Avalanche Riders Control tempo.

Blood Braid Elf Free stuff is cool.

Magus of the Moon Creature version of Blood Moon.

Magus of the Library Super good.

Godo, Bandit Warlord Gets around casting an equipment to swing for more brutal damage and make triggers happen.
I like these cards.

Quote from delirium sphinx

You are not going to have Ruric the whole time. Birthing Pod at least sets up a lot of your creature base.

What about Goblin Welder, Solemn Simulacrum and/or Wurmcoil Engine, Mindslaver. That's a good mix of cards. Gives you some control and/or an army of wurms...

Mindclaw Shaman Just plain fun.

Avalanche Riders Control tempo.

Blood Braid Elf Free stuff is cool.

Magus of the Moon Creature version of Blood Moon.

Magus of the Library Super good.

Godo, Bandit Warlord Gets around casting an equipment to swing for more brutal damage and make triggers happen.
I like these cards.

Ok cool, but what from the list above should be removed for these things? Adding cards without subtracting doesn't help very much.

Also Solemn Simulacrum in a heavily green deck? Aren't there way better ramp cards out there?

Ok so I am going to slowly make changes, asking for advice along the way. I really really like the idea of running Godo: I have a fair number of equipment and currently no way to search for them. I was thinking of swapping Brutalizer Exarch for Godo as they are both the same CMC (meaning I won't be raising an already high average), and I already have a bunch of ways of dealing with non-creature permanents as well as searching for my own creatures. Plus Godo is a better attacker. Thoughts?

Godo, Bandit Warlord is an awesome card. You get great board pressence with him and with Conjuror's Closet in play-he's a beast.

Solemn Simulacrum is awesome because he has 2 triggers(one that advances the board and the other that cantrips). He is both an artifact and a creature giving him exposure to more card interactions and versatility. He is one of the best toolbox/support creatures in the biz. He is amazing to pod into and to pod away...He is broken with Goblin Welder and Wurmcoil Engine. It's not an infinite loop and can completely change the game in a turn or 2.

You have Survival of the Fittest!!!!! You can pitch whatever to find the above and just mad ramp, draw cards and produce multiple 3/3 DT/LLers. Once it's online no more mana is required to activate the loop, leaving your mana open to do other things.

Get rid of Rubblehulk, Ulvenwald Tracker and Garruk's Packleader. Those are your weakest creature cards. I almost want to say Masked Admirers should come out for Godo.

Ok I am warming up to the Welder package. I am making changes now: the OP will have a log.

How much do you want to stop the blue player? Choke, Curse of Marit Lage, and Boil would do it. Price of Glory is a 'kinder' way of slowing down the blue player that works well with your general.

But as mentioned above, Rift could actually be your friend, resetting some of your ETB effects.

Rift indeed is my friend so long as I am not getting Alpha struck.

Just added Winding Canyons. Not sure why it wasn't in there in the first place.