For this deck, Decimate is amazing. Finding a creature and land target is a non-issue. Even finding an artifact target is trivial because of how common place mana rocks are.
The enchantment target is the most difficult target, but when there isn't one you can always target your god!
Easy 2 for 1s or 3 for 1s are so good I'd even play Hull Breach.
Also having removal that has the option of targeting lands is very important in a land where cards like Maze of Ith exists.
Lastly, I don't think there is such a thing as too much card draw. I play as much as I can fit. Shamanic Revelation is awkward in xenagod decks because you're not going super wide. But cards you run like Greater Good and Momentous Fall are all-stars. I go so far as to play even the "mediocre" equivalents because I want to refill if no one kills my guy.
Oh, and Green Sun's Zenith is not expensive and will improve every base green deck you will ever make. Card is busted in half. (actually it went up from $5 to 8 now. Still worth getting imo)
EDIT: I forgot. Get a Joraga Treespeaker. I don't call this thing "green sol ring" for nothing.
For this deck, Decimate is amazing. Finding a creature and land target is a non-issue. Even finding an artifact target is trivial because of how common place mana rocks are.
The enchantment target is the most difficult target, but when there isn't one you can always target your god!
Easy 2 for 1s or 3 for 1s are so good I'd even play Hull Breach.
Also having removal that has the option of targeting lands is very important in a land where cards like Maze of Ith exists.
Lastly, I don't think there is such a thing as too much card draw. I play as much as I can fit. Shamanic Revelation is awkward in xenagod decks because you're not going super wide. But cards you run like Greater Good and Momentous Fall are all-stars. I go so far as to play even the "mediocre" equivalents because I want to refill if no one kills my guy.
Oh, and Green Sun's Zenith is not expensive and will improve every base green deck you will ever make. Card is busted in half. (actually it went up from $5 to 8 now. Still worth getting imo)
EDIT: I forgot. Get a Joraga Treespeaker. I don't call this thing "green sol ring" for nothing.
Thanks for commenting! Having Xenagod as a way out of two modes on Decimate is awesome, did not even think of that. I've been thinking of swapping out Destructive Revelry for Hull Breach since its really an upgrade. I've also thought about adding my foil copy of Spring Cleaning. While I don't have any top-deck manipulation, having a chance to destroy all opposing enchantments seems amusing and there are enough high costed cards in the deck to make it work. Come to think of it, Might Makes Right and Guild Feud seem really fun here.
I'm with you on the draw mentality. Aggro has been my go-to style since I started playing and I'd argue that card draw is more important for that archetype than any other. Shamanic Revelation is in there for both card draw and life gain. I've played against other Xenagod decks before and one of the things I've noticed is that, either for lack of deckbuilding skill or hindsight, most of the versions I've played against can't handle the heat that comes with playing it. Xenagod is by no means a tier 1 general, but not all players see a giant beater as, "Hey there's a giant creature on the field, sweet! He should totally smack that into one of my opponents" and go from calm to panic. It's quite a fun reaction to witness and I've often been a victim myself! While I haven't yet tested this deck, I am hoping that Shamanic Revelation will perform to my expectations. If not, I'll just swap it for Harmonize, or Soul's Majesty even though it requires a target. I like to have a mix of steady and burst draws in most of my decks. As for other draw options, Elemental Bond is definitely going in once I can snag a copy from a friend. I've also thought about Hunter's Insight and to a lesser extent Hunter's Prowess. I've used them both, but I believe being cheaper and faster puts Hunter's Insight leagues ahead of Hunter's Prowess, especially in a deck with trample enablers and some of the beaters already having inherent trample. Thoughts?
I used to play GSZ in all of my green decks, but I quickly realized that if I have a tutor in my deck it's going to be used to pull out a game winner instead of an answer (which, imho, if you're playing anything but combo tutors are more fun to use to find answers to threats rather than threats themseves). A great suggestion don't get me wrong, but I know how I play and the inclusion of a creature tutor in green is a very slippery slope for me and I'll soon include cards like Craterhoof Behemoth/Avenger of Zendikar and go nuts. If I do decide to include Woodland Bellower and Fierce Empath, I'll probably have to restrain myself from abusing them. Again, good suggestion.
Joraga Treespeaker, a green sol ring? Definitely getting a copy in a future card order, thank you.
Also it's good to keep testing to make sure that your ratio of ramp, beats, and draw are where you want it to be.
I was considering running Hunter's Insight over prowess. They both have the disadvantage to me that it's more vulnerable to 2 for 1s because you have to cast these before damage, not after. I like testing the waters by attacking the person MOST likely to have removal and open mana when I have one of these cards. If the guy doesn't get shot (Most people will shoot a 16/16 trampler for the sake of not taking hideous amounts of damage) then I'm more likely to pull off my draw attempt.
Lastly, if you want indiscriminate enchantment sweeping in green, Reverent Silence beats everything else. I mean, yeah, everyone else gains 6 life, but you hit so hard that the 6 is not going to feel like much at all. Free spells are great.
EDIT: Oh, I finished up my explanation for every single card choice I play in my version. It may explain some of my inclusions a little more effectively.
I don't understand Shamanic Revelation in this deck. That's more of a token deck type of card.
In its place, I'd recommend Garruk, Primal Hunter (never a dead card, if you have no creatures to use its card draw, it can make some and if you do have a creature out you can be drawing a bunch of cards), Domri Rade (can draw creatures and Doubles as removal) or even just Harmonize (never dead).
Also, anytime I see a Xenagos deck, I look for my new favorite creature: Savage Ventmaw. He's one of many dragons in my build and he likes to spew Mana which is great for all of the extra combat spells I pack.
I don't understand Shamanic Revelation in this deck. That's more of a token deck type of card.
In its place, I'd recommend Garruk, Primal Hunter (never a dead card, if you have no creatures to use its card draw, it can make some and if you do have a creature out you can be drawing a bunch of cards), Domri Rade (can draw creatures and Doubles as removal) or even just Harmonize (never dead).
Also, anytime I see a Xenagos deck, I look for my new favorite creature: Savage Ventmaw. He's one of many dragons in my build and he likes to spew Mana which is great for all of the extra combat spells I pack.
Revelation is in the deck because, as I've played against a few Xenagod builds before, they gain immediate attention and I figured that a bit of life gain would go a long way, even if it's only 12 life from Xenagod and a few beaters. Maybe it's just me, but I don't even see Revelation as much of a token card either unless you happen to have a way to ensure Ferocious is active, maybe something like Trostani, Selesnya's Voice that wants life gain and fat tokens. I'm always interested in other options, though.
Garruk, Primal Hunter looks great, however I'm worried that the +3 to devotion may be detrimental to Xenagod's health. If it does, I may replace most of the mana creatures with rocks instead. I haven't played the deck in a real game, though, so Garruk could be a possibility.
Domri Rade isn't too expensive, but I like what he does. I had thought about retooling the deck before I bust it out at my LGS this weekend, adding more of a fight theme including a lot of the fight cards in my old Polukranos deck. Gruul has some nice fight options, too. I just don't know if I'll really need spot creature removal if I'm going to be trampling over them anyway.
Savage Ventmaw would be great in the deck, giving Hellkite Charger a bit of fuel while also not going infinite, and also feeds into Savage Beating. I know it goes infinite with Aggravated Assault, but infinite really isn't my thing. Doesn't mean I can't include the dragon though.
If you have a Xenagod thread I'd love to look at the card choices you have to compare!
I don't understand Shamanic Revelation in this deck. That's more of a token deck type of card.
In its place, I'd recommend Garruk, Primal Hunter (never a dead card, if you have no creatures to use its card draw, it can make some and if you do have a creature out you can be drawing a bunch of cards), Domri Rade (can draw creatures and Doubles as removal) or even just Harmonize (never dead).
Also, anytime I see a Xenagos deck, I look for my new favorite creature: Savage Ventmaw. He's one of many dragons in my build and he likes to spew Mana which is great for all of the extra combat spells I pack.
Revelation is in the deck because, as I've played against a few Xenagod builds before, they gain immediate attention and I figured that a bit of life gain would go a long way, even if it's only 12 life from Xenagod and a few beaters. Maybe it's just me, but I don't even see Revelation as much of a token card either unless you happen to have a way to ensure Ferocious is active, maybe something like Trostani, Selesnya's Voice that wants life gain and fat tokens. I'm always interested in other options, though.
Garruk, Primal Hunter looks great, however I'm worried that the +3 to devotion may be detrimental to Xenagod's health. If it does, I may replace most of the mana creatures with rocks instead. I haven't played the deck in a real game, though, so Garruk could be a possibility.
Domri Rade isn't too expensive, but I like what he does. I had thought about retooling the deck before I bust it out at my LGS this weekend, adding more of a fight theme including a lot of the fight cards in my old Polukranos deck. Gruul has some nice fight options, too. I just don't know if I'll really need spot creature removal if I'm going to be trampling over them anyway.
Savage Ventmaw would be great in the deck, giving Hellkite Charger a bit of fuel while also not going infinite, and also feeds into Savage Beating. I know it goes infinite with Aggravated Assault, but infinite really isn't my thing. Doesn't mean I can't include the dragon though.
If you have a Xenagod thread I'd love to look at the card choices you have to compare!
I haven't made a Xenagod deck thread yet, but I was thinking about it. If I do, I'll link you.
As far as Shamanic goes, I think it's a token card because it draws its share of cards when you have a swarm in front of you. The lifegain is a bonus, but not something I actively seek. I think the only lifegain in my deck is Wurmcoil Engine.
I love Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. He's easily my favorite planeswalker card, but I don't like him in this deck. He fits perfectly into my Muzzio artifact deck where he typically avoids my permanents when he wipes, but in Xenagos he could really hurt us while trying to deal with problems.
Of the cards you mentioned, I think the Hydra is pretty great. Especially if you run some sort of sac engine (like High Market) so you can get rid of it on command. His trample ability is a big plus in this deck as well.
Have you thought about Fling, I think it could be pretty strong as a finisher at the end of a game or if you deal 20 to somebody and "fling" the body for another 20.
Have you thought about Fling, I think it could be pretty strong as a finisher at the end of a game or if you deal 20 to somebody and "fling" the body for another 20.
I had thought about Fling as an option, I may end up replacing Grab the Reins with it, mostly because I can't forsee when stealing an opponents creature and saccing it would be more effective than just saccing my own big beater.
I'd actually rather run Might Makes Right over Gruul Sarkhan, mostly because the effect is repeatable and it's a great budget option if all I'm using him for is his -2. Good tech, though.
EDIT: After a little more thought, I've made some changes to the deck with cards that I own before I bring it out for the first run:
- Phytotitan + Hunter's Insight
The giant plant would work best in a sacrificed based deck. I was including it mostly for the interaction with Greater Good, but Hunter's Insight should work fine. While not as reliable as Harmonize, it can draw me more cards and at instant speed.
- Witherscale Wurm + Savage Ventmaw
A small dragon subtheme is growing into the deck which is exciting! Witherscale was just a card I wanted to try out, but Savage Ventmaw has natural evasion and it refunds itself with a haste enabler. Free beats are good.
- Krosan Drover + Life's Legacy
Happened to have a Drover lying around. Life's Legacy is another card draw option that relies on creatures, and it has to die. But it can draw a lot for very little. If you can't tell by now, Harmonize bores me. It's a great card, so if you have one and don't care just include it.
- Unravel the Aether + Deglamer
I have a foil Deglamer, and I can't figure out how to make the AE symbol, swapping just because.
Keep in mind that there is a big intervening "if" clause on MMR. That means that if you don't have the biggest creature by the time the beginning of combat happens, it won't even go on the stack. So Xenagod cannot help here.
Secondly, if you have a tie with someone, this card will not work.
Keep in mind that there is a big intervening "if" clause on MMR. That means that if you don't have the biggest creature by the time the beginning of combat happens, it won't even go on the stack. So Xenagod cannot help here.
Secondly, if you have a tie with someone, this card will not work.
I was under the impression that you could resolve Xenagos' trigger first and then resolve MMR?
Keep in mind that there is a big intervening "if" clause on MMR. That means that if you don't have the biggest creature by the time the beginning of combat happens, it won't even go on the stack. So Xenagod cannot help here.
Secondly, if you have a tie with someone, this card will not work.
I was under the impression that you could resolve Xenagos' trigger first and then resolve MMR?
You would be correct if there was no intervening "if" clause.
Keep in mind that there is a big intervening "if" clause on MMR. That means that if you don't have the biggest creature by the time the beginning of combat happens, it won't even go on the stack. So Xenagod cannot help here.
Secondly, if you have a tie with someone, this card will not work.
I was under the impression that you could resolve Xenagos' trigger first and then resolve MMR?
You would be correct if there was no intervening "if" clause.
"The ability will trigger only if you control each creature on the battlefield with the greatest power as the beginning of combat step begins. If another player controls a creature with the greatest power or tied for the greatest power at that time, the ability won’t trigger at all."
That's what you mean, and that is very disappointing!
Sarkhan Vol doesn't have an "if" wording and he's a haste enabler, he's looking pretty good right about now....All kidding aside your points are valid, I was just dropping suggestions. Been wanting to build a Gruul deck for a while and I would probably decide on Xenagod.
Sarkhan Vol doesn't have an "if" wording and he's a haste enabler, he's looking pretty good right about now....All kidding aside your points are valid, I was just dropping suggestions. Been wanting to build a Gruul deck for a while and I would probably decide on Xenagod.
Go for it! While building the deck it was laughable how simple, yet effective it could be by just having Xenagod as your commander and throwing down a fatty. It is easy to build on the cheap, and even creatures like Terra Stomper, Pelakka Wurm, and Shivan Dragon can still win you same games in the right meta. My favorite part of the deck so far is being able to look forward to all of the big beaters and dragons that come out in every set, which means the deck will always be changing and fresh to play. I'm half tempted to write up a separate budget beaters section in the OP.
And when you optimize it a little more, people start hating you out even when their decks have the answers to stall you.
I played three games with my version and basically got hated out all three times. No one wants to die horribly in a quick fashion.
And they got reminded of it on the third game when I killed two people on turn five by swinging with a 12/12 Managorger Hydra then casting Chandra's Ignition for 25 damage with blue players tapped out. I didn't see any of my draw and I got hated out by the remaining two players. Hitting draw is essential for keeping yourself gassed. This deck is far more likely to win in multiplayer if it resolves one of its big draw spells.
And when you optimize it a little more, people start hating you out even when their decks have the answers to stall you.
I played three games with my version and basically got hated out all three times. No one wants to die horribly in a quick fashion.
And they got reminded of it on the third game when I killed two people on turn five by swinging with a 12/12 Managorger Hydra then casting Chandra's Ignition for 25 damage with blue players tapped out. I didn't see any of my draw and I got hated out by the remaining two players. Hitting draw is essential for keeping yourself gassed. This deck is far more likely to win in multiplayer if it resolves one of its big draw spells.
Thansk for the insight. I finally got to play a game with it, but only one game as the pod switch demanded another deck but MAN was thing fun to pilot. I made the following changes right before the game:
Only Revelation got to see play, but it was extremely effective. I scryed to put Wurmcoil Engine on top to draw 6 and gain 6 life which was significant at the time, because the turn before I played Atarka, World Render and bashed someone for 24 and drew hate immediately. All of my draws were relevant, but that was probably due to luck. The game ended with the Marchesa player casting Obliterate after asking everyone's hand size. The Marath player responded with 1, Oblierate was cast, and it was met with a windmill'd Boros Charm which got a roar of awesome from the table. It was a beautiful and hilarious sight to behold.
All of you were right about Shamanic Revelation, as it would not have helped as much in that game. Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, and especially Nissa's Pilgrimage were all stars in the deck as expected, having any of these on turn three just pushes the deck right along. I really want to include Shaman of Forgotten Ways and Joraga Treespeaker in the deck now, with one of them most likely replacing Coalition Relic. However, I'm not sure if having more devotion on the board is going to hinder the game plan if Xenagod is active, so perhaps swapping to rocks like Worn Powerstone would be a better choice?
I had both Polukranos, World Eater and Impact Resonance in my hand for the longest time, and Resonance always seemed like a better choice. I ended up pitching both Polukranos and Nessian Wilds Ravager during a clean up step, because everything else just seemed more relevant at the time. Both are good creature kill options, but Resonance and Chandra's Ignition should wipe the field, and I feel like there are other choices out there that are better suited toward what's currently in the deck. With that being said, I'm also making the following changes today:
- Asceticism + Guild Feud
I'm removing Asceticism for a couple of reasons. Archetype of Endurance is already in the deck and, as a creature, can beat down when needed. Also removing hexproof from your opponent's creatures is really good and it doesn't require an activation like Arcane Lighthouse (which is still a really good card). I also have Yavimaya Hollow which can regenerate a creature, as well as other cards in the deck to help defend against kill spells and board wipes. Speaking of boardwipes, after playing a couple more games with other decks I realized my LGS is very okay with playing mass land destruction. I say, bring it on! With it being stuck in my head, Obliterate is something I may see again. It doesn't hit enchantments, so I'm including an old favorite with Guild Feud. Obviously, cards that can give you free stuff are great, especially when you can bypass high CMC costs. Most of the beaters in the deck are big to begin with, so we should win most of the fights. I can't wait to flip Worldspine Wurm off of this thing.
Another card like Guild Feud that I have been looking at is Lurking Predators. While it wouldn't help against Obliterate or other board wipes (creature comes in, dies anyway), free creatures are always awesome. However, I think I'd rather just include another beater in it's place.
- Polukranos, World Eater + Inferno Titan
Another way to easily get rid of smaller tokens. As plushpenguin put it in another thread, Inferno Titan has the potential to deal 18 damage to the face on the turn it comes down. For 6 mana that's one heck of a deal, and Firebreathing is never bad in this deck.
- Savageborn Hydra + Nature's Claim
I wanted another answer in the deck. Also with the inclusion of Guild Feud, Savageborn Hydra becomes less promising.
Primal rage could be another way to give all your creatures trample.
Primal Rage is a great budget option for the deck, there's also Rancor and Dragon Fangs for your single target needs.
Recently receiving more cards, I've made some additional changes to the deck that should prove useful against some of the MLD I've seen at my LGS as well as a few other upgrades to the deck:
-Coalition Relic + Awakening Zone
-Avatar of Fury + Greater Gargadon
Mass Land Destruction comes in many forms, but I am using Obliterate as the benchmark for my card choices. While Coalition Relic allows the potential to play Xenagod on turn 4, Awakening Zone does not get wiped out from Obliterate and it provides chumps that can block or be sacced to Evolutionary Leap for gas. Greater Gargadon comes in for Avatar of Fury. Both of these creatures can bypass their printed CMC by jumping through some hoops, but Greater Gargodon's sac ability allows it to come in directly after an Obliterate or other board wipe. The ability to sac lands also made me include the below:
Temur Battle Rage is something I've had my eye on since it was released, and I think it has some real potential in this deck for some surprise kills. Fatal Frenzy should work the same way, and it is way less expensive than Berserk.
I'll have the chance to test out these changes this weekend. Hope to have some results for you all soon!
I WISH berserk wasn't so expensive, because I would consider run that card. The red version at 3 mana is a big difference and a lot harder for me to justify. That being said, Temur Battle Rage is basically a 2 mana berserk in this deck. It might actually be better than running an extra combat card. However, the 50% extra damage I get from an extra combat compared to this is actually extremely relevant. With an 8/8, that 50% difference is the difference between one-shotting someone at 40 life and simply leaving them at 8.
I actually played a game where someone wiped all lands and I pulled out the win. As it turns out, drawing 12 with a Reliquary Tower out and having mana dorks helps you recover quite fast!
The draw is so powerful that if they let you have it you are far more likely to win the game.
Oh yeah. Also one-shotting people who deserve it with Malignus or double-strike Scourge of the Throne is fun. Makes everyone else paranoid as all hell about you though. This deck is very not-political. The only politics you can really do in the deck is "If you leave me alone I won't attack you and take off half your health (or more) in one swing"
I also keep failing to draw card draw or anti-interaction cards when I need them.
I got quite a few tests in with this deck over the weekend. I took 3 out of the 5 multiplayer games against some old college friends, 2 of those wins being Xenagod. While I did not get to play with everything, I'm going to review some cards that were outstanding, and some that were definitely lackluster.
The Good Joraga Treespeaker
plushpenguin your assessment of a "green sol ring" was spot on! This thing did some serious work, especially so after Warp World, The Great Aurora, and Armageddon. I didn't get a chance to turn 3 Xenagod, but the deck is mana hungry and every little bit helps.
Chameleon Colossus
Took out two players in one turn with a well timed Fling. The ceiling for this guy is huge, way bigger than I initially imagined. Being Pro Black is extremely releveant against some decks, too. I may give Heroes' Bane a spin to see if I can get similar results. No natural evasion, but there are ways to grant it.
Soul of New Phyrexia
Soul by itself is wonderful, granting so much protection, having inherent trample, and more importantly blanking destructive removal. Being able to do it from the yard WAS a factor.
Savage Ventmaw
Gets the assist with the Chameleon Colossus kills, that 6 extra mana every turn is just bonkers even if you aren't playing into an infinite combo.
Spearbreaker Behemoth
While it doesn't grant it to all permanents, being able to blank removal for 1 was extremely valuable.
Terastodon + Woodfall Primus
They did exactly what they were designed to do, kill artifacts and enchantments and even a Cabal Coffers or two. Terastodon can also target your own lands, getting free cards with a fielded Elemental Bond or Garruk's Packleader (which did happen, and it was awesome). Woodfall Primus was just a beautiful suicide charger even without Xenagod.
Evolutionary Leap
While it isn't nuts, it did some work by refilling my hand with more gas when faced with removal.
Awakening Zone
However, this card single handledly fixes some of the issues the deck has with MLD. I am contemplating including Life From the Loam for the same reason.
Nissa's Revelation
My assumption of this card was correct, and it is absolutely backbreaking if it resolves. Getting a simultaneous "what the hell is THAT card?" from my friends was also a plus! The best part about the card is that it is not dependent on a fielded creature, and with such a high creature density in the deck I don't see this being a dead draw often. Yes it costs 7 but it does some serious work.
Temur Battle Rage
A factor in every single game, absolutely shredding life totals if not outright killing someone. People were holding up counterspells just for this card, and that's a great feeling.
The Bad Gyre Sage
What I did not consider is that Gyre Sage does not tap for mana by itself. The only thing it was good for was for an Evolutionary Leap activation.
Terravore
More like terrible... At some points I couldn't even play Teravore without it dying upon ETB. I imagine it would work wonders post MLD, but by itself it's just not that good.
Guild Feud
Wasn't really what I was expecting it to be. Definitely a pet card, but I would have rather just drew another beater every time.
Overall, the deck was quite explosive, competetive enough, and most importantly fun! There are some definite changes I would like to make, beginning with...
-Terravore + Life From the Loam
It costs 0 to recover from MLD and it has the potential to help thin the deck out by bringing back some fetchlands.
-Guild Feud + Terra Stomper
Terra Stomper is a perfect creature for this deck. P/T higher than CMC? Check. Evasion? Check. Uncounterable? Sure, why not?!
Lastly to end this small test review, two other cards came to my attention while playing the deck. One, Not of This World as protection. Depending on what creatures you pick for your Xenagod build, this could be free even before you attack. I did slide this in during one game for fun, and it worked. A nice budget option! Two, Miren, the Moaning Well as a way to gain an absurd amount of life. This ability tacked on a land seems awesome, I may pick up a copy. And since it has been brought up quite a few times in plushpenguin's thread, Managorger Hydra is something I may test in the future. Early game it is going to hit like a truck. Late game, maybe not so much?
I got to play a few more games with the deck today, and it appears that the people playing MLD have either moved into the unrestricted pods or have just stopped running it, though I won't count it out just yet. My LGS will also be hosting an EDH league beginning next weekend, though I don't know by what rules so I'm not sure what to expect. I've been lazy with my updates so some of these changes were made previously but were never brought to light.
-Harbinger of the Hunt +Arcbond
This was in an attempt to lower the curve of the deck and be able to take out bigger tokens for less mana. Arcbond saw one major play today, hitting everything for 40 off of a large Realm Seekers. It dropped the table, but I would have lost the next turn. The other players loved it, so it felt like a win to me!
-Warstorm Surge +Asceticism
Moving Asceticism back into the deck was a good decision, making cards like Temur Battle Rage and Soul's Fire more reliable. Getting the extra ETB damage sounded great in theory, but I prefer the extra protection.
-Evolutionary Leap +World at War
Even with some of the token producers in the deck, Evolutionary Leap wasn't all that great or bad. It was just a new card I had wanted to play with. World at War comes back in for another additional combat phase enabler.
-Birds of Paradise +Shaman of Forgotten Ways
Easy swap that I've wanted to make. The ceiling for Shaman is much higher than Birds of Paradise, even without the Biorhythm ability. Somberwald Sage did some heavy lifting today, so I hope that the Shaman shows similar results.
-Wurmcoil Engine +Vexing Shusher
Wurmcoil may come back in another time, but with playing more instant/sorcery spells in the deck Vexing Shusher should prove useful to force a Temur Battle Rage or Fling effect through.
-Archetype of Aggression +Brawn
This swap was made in the even that if (when) there is a board wipe or MLD like Obliterate, there would still be a passive trample enabler active.
-Terastodon +Siege Behemoth
While removal of noncreature permanents is still important, I believe getting through to your opponents is even more important. This also lowers the curve a bit.
-Impact Resonance +Grab the Reins
Grab did see some play today, allowing me to make an amazing play that I'l share below! With Arcbond in the deck and being able to deal damage to players, I felt that Impact Resonance was outclassed.
I did get to make an awesome play today with a combination of cards, and it brought over some people to the table who didn't know what EDH was about. I'm hoping this play and others like it will help spark interest in the format for the locals around here. So here it is:
This did a total of 48 damage to the defending player and chunking another player for 24. Even though I didn't win that round, the explosiveness of the deck is real.
To finish off this update, I also purchased a copy of Thunderfoot Baloth, Managorger Hydra, and Drumhunter. I'll be testing these here and there before I make any final decisions.
I'm interested to see how Shaman of the Forgotten Ways does. It seems like it has great early and late game potential. Right now, I'd have to cut Markov Blademaster and I like the potential for an early threat, so I'm hesitant.
5 Xenagos, God of Revels
Creatures
1 Joraga Treespeaker
2 Vexing Shusher
3 Feldon of the Third Path
3 Fierce Empath
3 Shaman of Forgotten Ways
3 Somberwald Sage
4 Flametongue Kavu
4 Wickerbough Elder
4 Drumhunter
4 Brawn
4 Spellbreaker Behemoth
4 Chameleon Colossus
4 Nylea, God of the Hunt
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
5 Malignus
5 Vorapede
6 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
6 Inferno Titan
6 Hydra Omnivore
6 Rapacious One
6 Realm Seekers
6 Soul of New Phyrexia
6 Savage Ventmaw
6 Hellkite Charger
6 Hellkite Tyrant
7 Siege Behemoth
7 Giant Adephage
7 Spearbreaker Behemoth
7 Atarka, World Render
8 Archetype of Endurance
8 Woodfall Primus
8 Akroma, Angel of Fury
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Sol Ring
2 Talisman of Impulse
2 Strionic Resonator
Enchantments
3 Awakening Zone
4 Greater Good
5 Asceticism
Sorceries
2 Explore
2 Life From the Loam
2 Life's Legacy
3 Cultivate
3 Kodama's Reach
4 Bramblecrush
4 Decimate
4 Seize the Day
5 Hunter's Prowess
5 World at war
5 Chandra's Ignition
5 Creeping Renaissance
9 Blasphemous Act
Instants
2 Deglamer
2 Temur Battle Rage
2 Fling
2 Constant Mists
3 Soul's Fire
3 Beast Within
3 Chaos Warp
4 Momentous Fall
4 Grab the Reins
5 Savage Beating
0 Mosswort Bridge
0 Spinerock Knoll
0 Jund Panorama
0 Temple of the False God
0 Kessig Wolf Run
0 Ghost Quarter
0 Command Tower
0 Naya Panorama
0 Wooded Foothills
0 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
0 Rootbound Crag
0 Winding Canyons
0 Yavimaya Hollow
0 Reliquary Tower
0 Temple of Abandon
0 Gruul Turf
9 Mountain
12 Forest
My current version of this deck, feedback is appreciated.
The enchantment target is the most difficult target, but when there isn't one you can always target your god!
Easy 2 for 1s or 3 for 1s are so good I'd even play Hull Breach.
Also having removal that has the option of targeting lands is very important in a land where cards like Maze of Ith exists.
Lastly, I don't think there is such a thing as too much card draw. I play as much as I can fit.
Shamanic Revelation is awkward in xenagod decks because you're not going super wide. But cards you run like Greater Good and Momentous Fall are all-stars. I go so far as to play even the "mediocre" equivalents because I want to refill if no one kills my guy.
Oh, and Green Sun's Zenith is not expensive and will improve every base green deck you will ever make. Card is busted in half. (actually it went up from $5 to 8 now. Still worth getting imo)
EDIT: I forgot. Get a Joraga Treespeaker. I don't call this thing "green sol ring" for nothing.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
Thanks for commenting! Having Xenagod as a way out of two modes on Decimate is awesome, did not even think of that. I've been thinking of swapping out Destructive Revelry for Hull Breach since its really an upgrade. I've also thought about adding my foil copy of Spring Cleaning. While I don't have any top-deck manipulation, having a chance to destroy all opposing enchantments seems amusing and there are enough high costed cards in the deck to make it work. Come to think of it, Might Makes Right and Guild Feud seem really fun here.
I'm with you on the draw mentality. Aggro has been my go-to style since I started playing and I'd argue that card draw is more important for that archetype than any other. Shamanic Revelation is in there for both card draw and life gain. I've played against other Xenagod decks before and one of the things I've noticed is that, either for lack of deckbuilding skill or hindsight, most of the versions I've played against can't handle the heat that comes with playing it. Xenagod is by no means a tier 1 general, but not all players see a giant beater as, "Hey there's a giant creature on the field, sweet! He should totally smack that into one of my opponents" and go from calm to panic. It's quite a fun reaction to witness and I've often been a victim myself! While I haven't yet tested this deck, I am hoping that Shamanic Revelation will perform to my expectations. If not, I'll just swap it for Harmonize, or Soul's Majesty even though it requires a target. I like to have a mix of steady and burst draws in most of my decks. As for other draw options, Elemental Bond is definitely going in once I can snag a copy from a friend. I've also thought about Hunter's Insight and to a lesser extent Hunter's Prowess. I've used them both, but I believe being cheaper and faster puts Hunter's Insight leagues ahead of Hunter's Prowess, especially in a deck with trample enablers and some of the beaters already having inherent trample. Thoughts?
I used to play GSZ in all of my green decks, but I quickly realized that if I have a tutor in my deck it's going to be used to pull out a game winner instead of an answer (which, imho, if you're playing anything but combo tutors are more fun to use to find answers to threats rather than threats themseves). A great suggestion don't get me wrong, but I know how I play and the inclusion of a creature tutor in green is a very slippery slope for me and I'll soon include cards like Craterhoof Behemoth/Avenger of Zendikar and go nuts. If I do decide to include Woodland Bellower and Fierce Empath, I'll probably have to restrain myself from abusing them. Again, good suggestion.
Joraga Treespeaker, a green sol ring? Definitely getting a copy in a future card order, thank you.
I was considering running Hunter's Insight over prowess. They both have the disadvantage to me that it's more vulnerable to 2 for 1s because you have to cast these before damage, not after. I like testing the waters by attacking the person MOST likely to have removal and open mana when I have one of these cards. If the guy doesn't get shot (Most people will shoot a 16/16 trampler for the sake of not taking hideous amounts of damage) then I'm more likely to pull off my draw attempt.
Lastly, if you want indiscriminate enchantment sweeping in green, Reverent Silence beats everything else. I mean, yeah, everyone else gains 6 life, but you hit so hard that the 6 is not going to feel like much at all. Free spells are great.
EDIT: Oh, I finished up my explanation for every single card choice I play in my version. It may explain some of my inclusions a little more effectively.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
In its place, I'd recommend Garruk, Primal Hunter (never a dead card, if you have no creatures to use its card draw, it can make some and if you do have a creature out you can be drawing a bunch of cards), Domri Rade (can draw creatures and Doubles as removal) or even just Harmonize (never dead).
Also, anytime I see a Xenagos deck, I look for my new favorite creature: Savage Ventmaw. He's one of many dragons in my build and he likes to spew Mana which is great for all of the extra combat spells I pack.
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR
Revelation is in the deck because, as I've played against a few Xenagod builds before, they gain immediate attention and I figured that a bit of life gain would go a long way, even if it's only 12 life from Xenagod and a few beaters. Maybe it's just me, but I don't even see Revelation as much of a token card either unless you happen to have a way to ensure Ferocious is active, maybe something like Trostani, Selesnya's Voice that wants life gain and fat tokens. I'm always interested in other options, though.
Garruk, Primal Hunter looks great, however I'm worried that the +3 to devotion may be detrimental to Xenagod's health. If it does, I may replace most of the mana creatures with rocks instead. I haven't played the deck in a real game, though, so Garruk could be a possibility.
Domri Rade isn't too expensive, but I like what he does. I had thought about retooling the deck before I bust it out at my LGS this weekend, adding more of a fight theme including a lot of the fight cards in my old Polukranos deck. Gruul has some nice fight options, too. I just don't know if I'll really need spot creature removal if I'm going to be trampling over them anyway.
Harmonize is an easy include, but I was looking for something more with my card draw. Are there any other options for card draw that also gain life that you know of?
EDIT: Doing a quick gatherer search, Lifeblood Hydra, Nissa's Revelation, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon (not as reliable), and Fruit of the First Tree are some options. Thoughts?
Savage Ventmaw would be great in the deck, giving Hellkite Charger a bit of fuel while also not going infinite, and also feeds into Savage Beating. I know it goes infinite with Aggravated Assault, but infinite really isn't my thing. Doesn't mean I can't include the dragon though.
If you have a Xenagod thread I'd love to look at the card choices you have to compare!
I haven't made a Xenagod deck thread yet, but I was thinking about it. If I do, I'll link you.
As far as Shamanic goes, I think it's a token card because it draws its share of cards when you have a swarm in front of you. The lifegain is a bonus, but not something I actively seek. I think the only lifegain in my deck is Wurmcoil Engine.
I love Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. He's easily my favorite planeswalker card, but I don't like him in this deck. He fits perfectly into my Muzzio artifact deck where he typically avoids my permanents when he wipes, but in Xenagos he could really hurt us while trying to deal with problems.
Of the cards you mentioned, I think the Hydra is pretty great. Especially if you run some sort of sac engine (like High Market) so you can get rid of it on command. His trample ability is a big plus in this deck as well.
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR
XGGG is super harsh as far as a mana cost goes.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
What about the -2 on Sarkhan, the not quite unbroken? Works with your Greater Good/Evolutionary Leap/Momentous Fall tech.
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
The casting cost is pretty harsh, I'm leaning more towards Nissa's Revelation as it's cheaper and more reliable.
I had thought about Fling as an option, I may end up replacing Grab the Reins with it, mostly because I can't forsee when stealing an opponents creature and saccing it would be more effective than just saccing my own big beater.
I'd actually rather run Might Makes Right over Gruul Sarkhan, mostly because the effect is repeatable and it's a great budget option if all I'm using him for is his -2. Good tech, though.
EDIT: After a little more thought, I've made some changes to the deck with cards that I own before I bring it out for the first run:
- Grab the Reins + Fling
Cheaper CMC for what I want to do. Easy swap.
- Phytotitan + Hunter's Insight
The giant plant would work best in a sacrificed based deck. I was including it mostly for the interaction with Greater Good, but Hunter's Insight should work fine. While not as reliable as Harmonize, it can draw me more cards and at instant speed.
- Witherscale Wurm + Savage Ventmaw
A small dragon subtheme is growing into the deck which is exciting! Witherscale was just a card I wanted to try out, but Savage Ventmaw has natural evasion and it refunds itself with a haste enabler. Free beats are good.
- Krosan Drover + Life's Legacy
Happened to have a Drover lying around. Life's Legacy is another card draw option that relies on creatures, and it has to die. But it can draw a lot for very little. If you can't tell by now, Harmonize bores me. It's a great card, so if you have one and don't care just include it.
- Unravel the Aether + Deglamer
I have a foil Deglamer, and I can't figure out how to make the AE symbol, swapping just because.
Secondly, if you have a tie with someone, this card will not work.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
I was under the impression that you could resolve Xenagos' trigger first and then resolve MMR?
You would be correct if there was no intervening "if" clause.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
"The ability will trigger only if you control each creature on the battlefield with the greatest power as the beginning of combat step begins. If another player controls a creature with the greatest power or tied for the greatest power at that time, the ability won’t trigger at all."
That's what you mean, and that is very disappointing!
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
Go for it! While building the deck it was laughable how simple, yet effective it could be by just having Xenagod as your commander and throwing down a fatty. It is easy to build on the cheap, and even creatures like Terra Stomper, Pelakka Wurm, and Shivan Dragon can still win you same games in the right meta. My favorite part of the deck so far is being able to look forward to all of the big beaters and dragons that come out in every set, which means the deck will always be changing and fresh to play. I'm half tempted to write up a separate budget beaters section in the OP.
I played three games with my version and basically got hated out all three times. No one wants to die horribly in a quick fashion.
And they got reminded of it on the third game when I killed two people on turn five by swinging with a 12/12 Managorger Hydra then casting Chandra's Ignition for 25 damage with blue players tapped out. I didn't see any of my draw and I got hated out by the remaining two players. Hitting draw is essential for keeping yourself gassed. This deck is far more likely to win in multiplayer if it resolves one of its big draw spells.
I acquired my Wheel of Fortune but not my price of glory, but I didn't draw any of my anti-interaction cards anyway.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
Thansk for the insight. I finally got to play a game with it, but only one game as the pod switch demanded another deck but MAN was thing fun to pilot. I made the following changes right before the game:
- Burning Anger + Chandra's Ignition
- Life's Legacy + Elemental Bond
- Shamanic Revelation + Nissa's Revelation
Only Revelation got to see play, but it was extremely effective. I scryed to put Wurmcoil Engine on top to draw 6 and gain 6 life which was significant at the time, because the turn before I played Atarka, World Render and bashed someone for 24 and drew hate immediately. All of my draws were relevant, but that was probably due to luck. The game ended with the Marchesa player casting Obliterate after asking everyone's hand size. The Marath player responded with 1, Oblierate was cast, and it was met with a windmill'd Boros Charm which got a roar of awesome from the table. It was a beautiful and hilarious sight to behold.
All of you were right about Shamanic Revelation, as it would not have helped as much in that game. Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, and especially Nissa's Pilgrimage were all stars in the deck as expected, having any of these on turn three just pushes the deck right along. I really want to include Shaman of Forgotten Ways and Joraga Treespeaker in the deck now, with one of them most likely replacing Coalition Relic. However, I'm not sure if having more devotion on the board is going to hinder the game plan if Xenagod is active, so perhaps swapping to rocks like Worn Powerstone would be a better choice?
I had both Polukranos, World Eater and Impact Resonance in my hand for the longest time, and Resonance always seemed like a better choice. I ended up pitching both Polukranos and Nessian Wilds Ravager during a clean up step, because everything else just seemed more relevant at the time. Both are good creature kill options, but Resonance and Chandra's Ignition should wipe the field, and I feel like there are other choices out there that are better suited toward what's currently in the deck. With that being said, I'm also making the following changes today:
- Nessian Wilds Ravager + Giant Adephage
Giant Adephage fits better into the deck having inherent trample while also triggering Elemental Bond, Garruk's Packleader, Paleoloth, and Warstorm Surge with it's token copy. Another upside of the tokens is that it leaves behind blockers, which should help with defense and also gives bodies for Breath of Fury and Evolutionary Leap.
- Asceticism + Guild Feud
I'm removing Asceticism for a couple of reasons. Archetype of Endurance is already in the deck and, as a creature, can beat down when needed. Also removing hexproof from your opponent's creatures is really good and it doesn't require an activation like Arcane Lighthouse (which is still a really good card). I also have Yavimaya Hollow which can regenerate a creature, as well as other cards in the deck to help defend against kill spells and board wipes. Speaking of boardwipes, after playing a couple more games with other decks I realized my LGS is very okay with playing mass land destruction. I say, bring it on! With it being stuck in my head, Obliterate is something I may see again. It doesn't hit enchantments, so I'm including an old favorite with Guild Feud. Obviously, cards that can give you free stuff are great, especially when you can bypass high CMC costs. Most of the beaters in the deck are big to begin with, so we should win most of the fights. I can't wait to flip Worldspine Wurm off of this thing.
Another card like Guild Feud that I have been looking at is Lurking Predators. While it wouldn't help against Obliterate or other board wipes (creature comes in, dies anyway), free creatures are always awesome. However, I think I'd rather just include another beater in it's place.
- Polukranos, World Eater + Inferno Titan
Another way to easily get rid of smaller tokens. As plushpenguin put it in another thread, Inferno Titan has the potential to deal 18 damage to the face on the turn it comes down. For 6 mana that's one heck of a deal, and Firebreathing is never bad in this deck.
- Savageborn Hydra + Nature's Claim
I wanted another answer in the deck. Also with the inclusion of Guild Feud, Savageborn Hydra becomes less promising.
Here's my list, if you were still interested in comparing. I just threw it on here today, so it still needs some break downs.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/multiplayer-commander-decklists/622656-xenagos-god-of-revels
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR
Thank you sir, I'll check it out and attempt to give you some positive feedback!
Primal Rage is a great budget option for the deck, there's also Rancor and Dragon Fangs for your single target needs.
Recently receiving more cards, I've made some additional changes to the deck that should prove useful against some of the MLD I've seen at my LGS as well as a few other upgrades to the deck:
-Coalition Relic + Awakening Zone
-Avatar of Fury + Greater Gargadon
Mass Land Destruction comes in many forms, but I am using Obliterate as the benchmark for my card choices. While Coalition Relic allows the potential to play Xenagod on turn 4, Awakening Zone does not get wiped out from Obliterate and it provides chumps that can block or be sacced to Evolutionary Leap for gas. Greater Gargadon comes in for Avatar of Fury. Both of these creatures can bypass their printed CMC by jumping through some hoops, but Greater Gargodon's sac ability allows it to come in directly after an Obliterate or other board wipe. The ability to sac lands also made me include the below:
-Ghoultree + Terravore
-Rogue's Passage + Wooded Foothills
-Rugged Highlands + Naya Panorama
-Kazandu Refuge + Jund Panorama
Anyone who's playing more than one color probably has some sort of fetchlands, from Scalding Tarn to Terramorphic Expanse. I'd like to test Terravore in comparison to something like Managorger Hydra which scales very well in multiplayer games, if only for it's interaction with MLD. In this list it also has the added benefit of being best friends with Borborygmos Enraged. I've also added some fetchlands I've had lying around to make it a worthwhile inclusion.
Upgrades:
-Deglamer + Hull Breach
-Destructive Revelry + Decimate
-Tormod's Crypt + Relic of Progenitus
-Highland Weald + Jungle Basin
-Yavimaya Elder + Joraga Treespeaker (as a test)
New things I'm trying out:
-Nature's Claim + Temur Battle Rage
-Breath of Fury + Fatal Frenzy
Temur Battle Rage is something I've had my eye on since it was released, and I think it has some real potential in this deck for some surprise kills. Fatal Frenzy should work the same way, and it is way less expensive than Berserk.
I'll have the chance to test out these changes this weekend. Hope to have some results for you all soon!
I actually played a game where someone wiped all lands and I pulled out the win. As it turns out, drawing 12 with a Reliquary Tower out and having mana dorks helps you recover quite fast!
The draw is so powerful that if they let you have it you are far more likely to win the game.
Oh yeah. Also one-shotting people who deserve it with Malignus or double-strike Scourge of the Throne is fun. Makes everyone else paranoid as all hell about you though. This deck is very not-political. The only politics you can really do in the deck is "If you leave me alone I won't attack you and take off half your health (or more) in one swing"
I also keep failing to draw card draw or anti-interaction cards when I need them.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
The Good
Joraga Treespeaker
plushpenguin your assessment of a "green sol ring" was spot on! This thing did some serious work, especially so after Warp World, The Great Aurora, and Armageddon. I didn't get a chance to turn 3 Xenagod, but the deck is mana hungry and every little bit helps.
Chameleon Colossus
Took out two players in one turn with a well timed Fling. The ceiling for this guy is huge, way bigger than I initially imagined. Being Pro Black is extremely releveant against some decks, too. I may give Heroes' Bane a spin to see if I can get similar results. No natural evasion, but there are ways to grant it.
Rapacious One
Got to swing into both activations of Seize the Day and drop a free Wurmcoil Engine.
Soul of New Phyrexia
Soul by itself is wonderful, granting so much protection, having inherent trample, and more importantly blanking destructive removal. Being able to do it from the yard WAS a factor.
Savage Ventmaw
Gets the assist with the Chameleon Colossus kills, that 6 extra mana every turn is just bonkers even if you aren't playing into an infinite combo.
Spearbreaker Behemoth
While it doesn't grant it to all permanents, being able to blank removal for 1 was extremely valuable.
Terastodon + Woodfall Primus
They did exactly what they were designed to do, kill artifacts and enchantments and even a Cabal Coffers or two. Terastodon can also target your own lands, getting free cards with a fielded Elemental Bond or Garruk's Packleader (which did happen, and it was awesome). Woodfall Primus was just a beautiful suicide charger even without Xenagod.
Evolutionary Leap
While it isn't nuts, it did some work by refilling my hand with more gas when faced with removal.
Awakening Zone
However, this card single handledly fixes some of the issues the deck has with MLD. I am contemplating including Life From the Loam for the same reason.
Nissa's Revelation
My assumption of this card was correct, and it is absolutely backbreaking if it resolves. Getting a simultaneous "what the hell is THAT card?" from my friends was also a plus! The best part about the card is that it is not dependent on a fielded creature, and with such a high creature density in the deck I don't see this being a dead draw often. Yes it costs 7 but it does some serious work.
Creeping Renaissance
So so good, for creatures and for lands.
Temur Battle Rage
A factor in every single game, absolutely shredding life totals if not outright killing someone. People were holding up counterspells just for this card, and that's a great feeling.
The Bad
Gyre Sage
What I did not consider is that Gyre Sage does not tap for mana by itself. The only thing it was good for was for an Evolutionary Leap activation.
Terravore
More like terrible... At some points I couldn't even play Teravore without it dying upon ETB. I imagine it would work wonders post MLD, but by itself it's just not that good.
Guild Feud
Wasn't really what I was expecting it to be. Definitely a pet card, but I would have rather just drew another beater every time.
Overall, the deck was quite explosive, competetive enough, and most importantly fun! There are some definite changes I would like to make, beginning with...
-Terravore + Life From the Loam
It costs 0 to recover from MLD and it has the potential to help thin the deck out by bringing back some fetchlands.
-Guild Feud + Terra Stomper
Terra Stomper is a perfect creature for this deck. P/T higher than CMC? Check. Evasion? Check. Uncounterable? Sure, why not?!
-Gyre Sage + Birds of Paradise
Mostly because I don't own anything better. I'd rather have Shaman of Forgotten Ways, but I don't own one yet.
Lastly to end this small test review, two other cards came to my attention while playing the deck. One, Not of This World as protection. Depending on what creatures you pick for your Xenagod build, this could be free even before you attack. I did slide this in during one game for fun, and it worked. A nice budget option! Two, Miren, the Moaning Well as a way to gain an absurd amount of life. This ability tacked on a land seems awesome, I may pick up a copy. And since it has been brought up quite a few times in plushpenguin's thread, Managorger Hydra is something I may test in the future. Early game it is going to hit like a truck. Late game, maybe not so much?
-Harbinger of the Hunt +Arcbond
This was in an attempt to lower the curve of the deck and be able to take out bigger tokens for less mana. Arcbond saw one major play today, hitting everything for 40 off of a large Realm Seekers. It dropped the table, but I would have lost the next turn. The other players loved it, so it felt like a win to me!
-Warstorm Surge +Asceticism
Moving Asceticism back into the deck was a good decision, making cards like Temur Battle Rage and Soul's Fire more reliable. Getting the extra ETB damage sounded great in theory, but I prefer the extra protection.
-Evolutionary Leap +World at War
Even with some of the token producers in the deck, Evolutionary Leap wasn't all that great or bad. It was just a new card I had wanted to play with. World at War comes back in for another additional combat phase enabler.
-Birds of Paradise +Shaman of Forgotten Ways
Easy swap that I've wanted to make. The ceiling for Shaman is much higher than Birds of Paradise, even without the Biorhythm ability. Somberwald Sage did some heavy lifting today, so I hope that the Shaman shows similar results.
-Wurmcoil Engine +Vexing Shusher
Wurmcoil may come back in another time, but with playing more instant/sorcery spells in the deck Vexing Shusher should prove useful to force a Temur Battle Rage or Fling effect through.
-Archetype of Aggression +Brawn
This swap was made in the even that if (when) there is a board wipe or MLD like Obliterate, there would still be a passive trample enabler active.
-Forest +Spinerock Knoll
Mosswort Bridge is one of the many great lands in the deck, so adding a similar version seemed logical.
-Terastodon +Siege Behemoth
While removal of noncreature permanents is still important, I believe getting through to your opponents is even more important. This also lowers the curve a bit.
-Impact Resonance +Grab the Reins
Grab did see some play today, allowing me to make an amazing play that I'l share below! With Arcbond in the deck and being able to deal damage to players, I felt that Impact Resonance was outclassed.
-Greater Gargadon +Heroes' Bane
Doing a test to see if Heroes' Bane will show similar results to Chameleon Colossus.
I did get to make an awesome play today with a combination of cards, and it brought over some people to the table who didn't know what EDH was about. I'm hoping this play and others like it will help spark interest in the format for the locals around here. So here it is:
Cast Grab the Reins, first mode, threatening an opponent's Atarka, World Render.
Entered combat phase, targetting Atarka with Xenagos, God of Revels.
Declare attacks, showing 24 damage (12 double strike) to the owner of Atarka. before combat damage was dealt, revealed Soul's Fire off of Mosswort Bridge.
With Soul's Fire on the stack, casted Fatal Frenzy targetting Atarka.
This did a total of 48 damage to the defending player and chunking another player for 24. Even though I didn't win that round, the explosiveness of the deck is real.
To finish off this update, I also purchased a copy of Thunderfoot Baloth, Managorger Hydra, and Drumhunter. I'll be testing these here and there before I make any final decisions.
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR