Before the deck list I would like to include my particular play style and afterwards I will describe a number of deck decisions I have made. Feel free to make suggestions on deck choices, but please try to fit it into my way of playing. Thanks!
I play with a small group of friends and very occasionally go to the LGS to play/trade. In both instances, the deck normally runs quite well, although it has some problems with interaction, particularly with swarms and flying creatures. The biggest problem with deck building for me is that I really dislike running tutors, particularly at low mana. I do not mind tutors that cost a lot but generally win the game (Tooth and Nail) or that have some sort of thought process or randomness involved (Birthing Pod, Guided Passage). I have an ever increasing hatred of Deadeye Navigator as well, don't bother suggesting it.
Particular problems I have with the deck as it is include the under representation of red and the inability to deal with masses of creatures. As for card choices, I tried to include some number of good morph creatures, because Animar + Morph creatures = Awesome. And Cloudstone Curio + Animar + Two morph creatures = even more awesome. Some of my choices there may be wrong, or at least not great.
I run a Riptide Shapeshifter. I've gotten a lot of strange looks about that in the past, but looking at my deck list, and my play style, it works reasonably. It's expensive, less so with Animar out, and it dumps the creature right onto the battlefield. With my deck built the way it is, I can use this to search for 20 different creatures (not all of them are ever amazing choices, but still exist). He also has some synergy with Feldon of the Third Path.
Anyway, looking forward to hearing some suggestions, and thanks ahead of time!
I too run an Animar deck, though I don't think mine is near as competitive...
A thought though: Perhaps make use of a few more creature that abuse +1/+1 counters? Fathom Mage is fantastic. Novijen Sages is another really good card. Give // Take + Animar is enough to include. Shrieking Drake is snap broken with Animar.
If you have a hard time dealing with masses of creatures, then Chain Reaction will definitely help you out. Pandemonium can do some really sick things when Animar is stacked. even Blasphemous Act is worth noting.
Chain Reaction does seem a good possibility. I played with Fathom Mage for a time when I first made the deck, but found it relatively under powered. I might give it another try, now that the deck is a bit more stable. Novijen Sages also seems pretty awesome. I'll see about finding places for them. Shrieking Drake could be pretty awesome, but I think I would try out Quickling instead. Even though it can't target itself, it has flash to potentially save a dude from death, which could be useful for me. The deck isn't intended to make Animar gigantic and attack with him, not specifically anyway, it's more intended to accumulate value with or without him, and I think Quickling does a bit better at that.
The critter curve might be way off. Just a BoP and no other critter ramp? I don't think signets are that useful to Animar, or is GSZ and Birthing Pod. I also dont get the point of hatred towards Dead-eye Navigator when you are using Palinchron.
The critter curve might be way off. Just a BoP and no other critter ramp? I don't think signets are that useful to Animar, or is GSZ and Birthing Pod. I also dont get the point of hatred towards Dead-eye Navigator when you are using Palinchron.
You're right that signets might not be my best choice, but they produce more than just green mana, like most mana dorks do for less than that. GSZ and Birthing Pod could stand to be replaced, they could become some ramp stuff, but I would prefer things like wood elves, or I suppose sakura tribe elder would do as well. Unfortunately, that would reduce my turn one ramp stuff by one, as GSZ can grab dryad arbor T1, which is usually nice.
Palinchron is similar to omniscience, basically just giving me infinite mana, dead eye is much more abusive than infinite mana usually is. Also dead-eye + infinite mana is even more insulting.
The critter curve might be way off. Just a BoP and no other critter ramp? I don't think signets are that useful to Animar, or is GSZ and Birthing Pod. I also dont get the point of hatred towards Dead-eye Navigator when you are using Palinchron.
You're right that signets might not be my best choice, but they produce more than just green mana, like most mana dorks do for less than that. GSZ and Birthing Pod could stand to be replaced, they could become some ramp stuff, but I would prefer things like wood elves, or I suppose sakura tribe elder would do as well. Unfortunately, that would reduce my turn one ramp stuff by one, as GSZ can grab dryad arbor T1, which is usually nice.
Palinchron is similar to omniscience, basically just giving me infinite mana, dead eye is much more abusive than infinite mana usually is. Also dead-eye + infinite mana is even more insulting.
I don't really understand your point is with Dead-eye Navigator and "infinite mana", so I'd leave you to that. To me, it is practically the same "insulting" way Animar wins (efficiently). Lands that produce colorless might not also be advisable. You need colored mana to get Animar out and overwhelm with speed; at the very least turn 3 seeing you have no 1 drop ramp.
The critter curve might be way off. Just a BoP and no other critter ramp? I don't think signets are that useful to Animar, or is GSZ and Birthing Pod. I also dont get the point of hatred towards Dead-eye Navigator when you are using Palinchron.
You're right that signets might not be my best choice, but they produce more than just green mana, like most mana dorks do for less than that. GSZ and Birthing Pod could stand to be replaced, they could become some ramp stuff, but I would prefer things like wood elves, or I suppose sakura tribe elder would do as well. Unfortunately, that would reduce my turn one ramp stuff by one, as GSZ can grab dryad arbor T1, which is usually nice.
Palinchron is similar to omniscience, basically just giving me infinite mana, dead eye is much more abusive than infinite mana usually is. Also dead-eye + infinite mana is even more insulting.
I don't really understand your point is with Dead-eye Navigator and "infinite mana", so I'd leave you to that. To me, it is practically the same "insulting" way Animar wins (efficiently). Lands that produce colorless might not also be advisable. You need colored mana to get Animar out and overwhelm with speed; at the very least turn 3 seeing you have no 1 drop ramp.
Well, I already run birds of paradise, but that sakura-tribe scout seems pretty awesome. Might give it a try. Elvish Mystic and his ilk do not reliably help me cast Animar T2, and are very vulnerable to any form of removal, so I took them out(when I played them before).
If you really want a turn 2 Animar, you could also try things like Exploration or Burgeoning in addition to your bops. Their usefulness is pretty dependent on your opening hand, but very explosive if things come together.
I'm not specifically interested in a t2 animar, but if I'm going to run a fragile t1 dork, it had better help me cast animar t2. It's not a matter of that being what I want, but it is my standard for one mana dorks. Also, exploration is on the list, and burgeoning seems like maybe it had a place if I can find another.
Would like to share with you my decklist that I ran with during a big year end EDH "tournament" on our place for dual commander. This is almost the exact same list I use for multiplayer, I replace Primeval Titan with Myojin of Seeing Winds and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre with Duplicant.
I play with a small group of friends and very occasionally go to the LGS to play/trade. In both instances, the deck normally runs quite well, although it has some problems with interaction, particularly with swarms and flying creatures. The biggest problem with deck building for me is that I really dislike running tutors, particularly at low mana. I do not mind tutors that cost a lot but generally win the game (Tooth and Nail) or that have some sort of thought process or randomness involved (Birthing Pod, Guided Passage). I have an ever increasing hatred of Deadeye Navigator as well, don't bother suggesting it.
1x Animar, Soul of Elements
Lands:
3x Forest
5x Island
3x Mountain
1x Alchemist's Refuge
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Arcane Lighthouse
1x Thespian's Stage
1x Vesuva
1x Homeward Path
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Temple of the False God
1x Llanowar Reborn
1x Mosswort Bridge
1x Dryad Arbor
1x Forgotten Cave
1x Lonely Sandbar
1x Tranquil Thicket
1x Breeding Pool
1x Stomping Ground
1x Steam Vents
1x Hinterland Harbor
1x Sulfur Falls
1x Rootbound Crag
1x Temple of Epiphany
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Command Tower
1x Opal Palace
1x Mana Confluence
Creatures:
1x Birds of Paradise
1x Nephalia Smuggler
1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
1x Den Protector
1x Rattleclaw Mystic
1x Phantasmal Image
1x Willbender
1x Wood Elves
1x Eternal Witness
1x Courser of Kruphix
1x Trygon Predator
1x Feldon of the Third Path
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Forgotten Ancient
1x Huntmaster of the Fells
1x Mystic Snake
1x Kheru Spellsnatcher
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Seedborn Muse
1x Acidic Slime
1x Mercurial Chemister
1x Prophet of Kruphix
1x Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1x Mischievous Quanar
1x Chromeshell Crab
1x Riptide Shapeshifter
1x Zealous Conscripts
1x Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1x Soul of the Harvest
1x Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
1x Progenitor Mimic
1x Prime Speaker Zegana
1x Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
1x Draining Whelk
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Avenger of Zendikar
1x Palinchron
1x Terastodon
1x Craterhoof Behemoth
1x Maelstrom Wanderer
1x Jin-Gitaxis, Core Augur
1x Brainstorm
1x Unravel the Æther
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Harrow
1x Voidslime
1x Momentous Fall
1x Plasm Capture
Sorceries:
1x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Farseek
1x Guided Passage
1x Soul's Majesty
1x Tooth and Nail
Artifacts:
1x Sol Ring
1x Simic Signet
1x Gruul Signet
1x Izzet Signet
1x Cloudstone Curio
1x Chromatic Lantern
Other:
1x Exploration
1x Hardened Scales
1x Song of the Dryads
1x Domri Rade
1x Dack Fayden
1x Sarkhan Unbroken
Particular problems I have with the deck as it is include the under representation of red and the inability to deal with masses of creatures. As for card choices, I tried to include some number of good morph creatures, because Animar + Morph creatures = Awesome. And Cloudstone Curio + Animar + Two morph creatures = even more awesome. Some of my choices there may be wrong, or at least not great.
I run a Riptide Shapeshifter. I've gotten a lot of strange looks about that in the past, but looking at my deck list, and my play style, it works reasonably. It's expensive, less so with Animar out, and it dumps the creature right onto the battlefield. With my deck built the way it is, I can use this to search for 20 different creatures (not all of them are ever amazing choices, but still exist). He also has some synergy with Feldon of the Third Path.
Anyway, looking forward to hearing some suggestions, and thanks ahead of time!
Edits:
4/21/15
-1 Birthing Pod
-1 Bloodbraid Elf
+1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
+1 Wood Elves
I too run an Animar deck, though I don't think mine is near as competitive...
A thought though: Perhaps make use of a few more creature that abuse +1/+1 counters? Fathom Mage is fantastic. Novijen Sages is another really good card. Give // Take + Animar is enough to include. Shrieking Drake is snap broken with Animar.
If you have a hard time dealing with masses of creatures, then Chain Reaction will definitely help you out. Pandemonium can do some really sick things when Animar is stacked. even Blasphemous Act is worth noting.
Hope this helps...
| B Erebos, God of VampiresB | GYeva SmashG | RBosh ArtifactsR | GURAnimar +1 BeatsGUR | RBVial's Secret Hot SauceRB | UBRNekusar, Draw if you DareUBR | RGBDarigaaz'z DragonsRGB | GBSlimeFEETGB | UBOn-Hit LazavUB | URBrudiclad's Artificer InventionsUR | GUBMuldrotha's ElementalsGUB | WUGKestia's EnchantmentsWUG | GUTatyova - Draw, Land, Go!GU | WGArahbo's EquipmentWG | BUWVarina's ZOMBIE HORDESBUW | WLyra's Angelic SalvationW | WBChurch of TeysaWB | UAzami...WizardsU
You're right that signets might not be my best choice, but they produce more than just green mana, like most mana dorks do for less than that. GSZ and Birthing Pod could stand to be replaced, they could become some ramp stuff, but I would prefer things like wood elves, or I suppose sakura tribe elder would do as well. Unfortunately, that would reduce my turn one ramp stuff by one, as GSZ can grab dryad arbor T1, which is usually nice.
Palinchron is similar to omniscience, basically just giving me infinite mana, dead eye is much more abusive than infinite mana usually is. Also dead-eye + infinite mana is even more insulting.
| Omnath | Zada | Alesha | Scion |
| Mazirek | Animar |
Modern
UR Storm RU
UBRG Dredge GRBU
Standard
UR Thermo-Thing RU
I don't really understand your point is with Dead-eye Navigator and "infinite mana", so I'd leave you to that. To me, it is practically the same "insulting" way Animar wins (efficiently). Lands that produce colorless might not also be advisable. You need colored mana to get Animar out and overwhelm with speed; at the very least turn 3 seeing you have no 1 drop ramp.
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Arbor Elf
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Krosan Wayfarer
1 Tinder Wall
1 Wild Cantor
1 Sakura-Tribe Scout
1 Orcish Lumberjack
1 Bloom tender
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Wall of Roots
1 Sylvan Ranger (not exactly ramp but filters lands)
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Wood Elves
Just trying to help dude.
Well, I already run birds of paradise, but that sakura-tribe scout seems pretty awesome. Might give it a try. Elvish Mystic and his ilk do not reliably help me cast Animar T2, and are very vulnerable to any form of removal, so I took them out(when I played them before).
- Birthing Pod
- Bloodbraid Elf
+ Sakura-Tribe Elder
+ Wood Elves
Would like to share with you my decklist that I ran with during a big year end EDH "tournament" on our place for dual commander. This is almost the exact same list I use for multiplayer, I replace Primeval Titan with Myojin of Seeing Winds and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre with Duplicant.
http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=8863&d=250544&f=EDH