I like the Wolf subtheme and you ca get that going even further by adding Xenograft. It makes everything Wolf. Also, since Riku is apparently hungry like the wolf, add more cards that blink creatures, thus make it easier to copy them. Cards like Deadeye Navigator and Conjurer's Closet are great additions. You can also bounce them and then recast them - there's tons of U cards that can accomplish this. You may also add Clone Legion to up the copying value. You can also copy an opponent's creature board state for extra lols. Master of the Hunt was probably overlooked due to creating tokens with the 'banding with' ability and banding can be a pain. However, banding is quite broken if you block in a band. The blocking player chooses how damage is distributed. Also, even if a band can be blocked by a single creature, again, you choose how the damage is distributed. What's broken about choosing how damage is distributed and not the attacking player when you block with a band is that you'll be able to have all of your wolves survive. That, and you're pumping them up with the lords. So it's 2GG per token but it won't necessarily be a 1/1 wolf. Oh, and banding is not obligatory. So that's another thing to keep in mind. Remember also that changelings are wolves, too. Don't hurt their feelings; not just Mutavault wants in. There's also plenty of other cards that copy cards or make tokens.
Riftsweeper shouldn't be a maybe. Riftsweeper saves things from exile and it's one of a handful of cards that do so. I also suggest filling what's left with ramp and facilitation. Riku also loves copying spells. With mana dorks and some ramp, you can get quite the advantage. Imagine being able to consistently copy Sylvan Scrying or Tempt with Discovery - especially in a tricolored deck. You can also add more cards that copy tokens like Parallel Lives and Primal Vigor.
That's just what's at the top of my mind. If I think up anything else I'll throw you some suggestions!
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I agree, Riftsweeper should definitely be included. We talked in the other forum post about running a lot of tutors to get the wolf out, so if it gets exiled, we should be able to tutor riftsweeper to bring it back.
Also, while I know it isn't perfectly on theme, Archaeomancer should probably get a slot in the deck. If you chord of calling for it first, then you get chord back and the possibility of looping tutors or other instants and sorceries if you bring in DEN or other blink effects.
You're right about Riftsweeper, I'll move it mainboard. And Xenograft is a perfect addition (I like that it can "accidentally" go infinite with Turntimber Ranger). I also like Clone Legion, so I'll add it, and the Parallel Lives and Primal Vigor suggestions are in. I've added some of your other suggestions to the maybe board for further consideration. Thank you for the suggestions, I think the deck is coming along well!
On another note, I'm trying to avoid cards like Deadeye Navigator, cards that really centralize a game and could potentially make things unfun for certain play groups. I do have competitive decks for that, and DEN is one of my favotire cards. For this deck, it's not that I don't want it to be competitive, but I want it to focus more on synergy and less on the typical staples that some people just get overwhelmed or annoyed by, like DEN. For more about the focus of the deck, you can read the thread here. Essentially, I don't want anything that's worth grabbing out of my deck with Bribery unless it fits in with the wolf theme.
Finally, I think you are correct that the bones are there, and I need to fill what's left with ramp and support. What is the best ramp, protection, removal, card draw, etc. for RUG? I don't typically play these colors (I'm more of an Esper guy myself), so what would you recommend as the foundation of the deck?
Since it's casual, then just ramp into a mana base that allows what you want your typical Timmy power plays are gonna be. You want the mother of all wolf packs. Go for that. Kodama's Reach, Cultivate, Sylvan Scrying, Tempt with Discovery, Sword of the Animist, Thawing Glaciers, to just name a few. You may want to steer clear of too many counterspells if you're having a more fun experience in mind. If you're running Riku you may still want to consider other cards that blink or cards that bounce in order to take advantage of Riku's ability. To me, the deck deck feels more G than any other color, with R being second. If you wanna go full fun and stay close to the flavor, add in all the cards that make it go full blown Wolf tribal. You can also add all possible mana dorks to get more value. You run blue so there are a lot of cards for you to use for drawing or group-hug drawing. There aren't many lords for wolf creatures but there are cards that generically pump your creatures. I would go for those. Oh, and clones go great with Riku; you gain 2 copies of whatever you wanted to copy.
Now, I know you included most of these already, but to get an idea of how to abuse Riku's abilities (both of them) here are some cards that I think would go well, given the theme:
Something awesome I do in every deck I have that runs Progenitor Mimic and Infinite Reflection is to enchant the Progenitor Mimic with Infinite Reflection. That means that every upkeep, each non-token creature produces a token that's a copy of the enchanted Progenitor Mimic. Epic. So imagine this scenario:
You have Progenitor Mimic enter the battlefield as a copy of Timberpack Wolf. So you got already a bunch of other miscellaneous creatures and mana dorks. For the sake or argument, you have 5 other creatures, Timberpack Wolf and the Progenitor Mimic which is a copy of the Timberpack Wolf. If you enchant Progenitor Mimic with Infinite Reflection, then you currently have 7 8/8 creatures. Next upkeep you're gonna have 14 15/15 creatures. Gotta love the GU hijinks! So the wolf pack epic beatdown is very possible in those colors and in a more casual environment.
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Thanks for the suggestions Demented Kirby! I have added a lot of your ideas to the main deck or maybeboard.
I think what I really need now are some ways to stay alive long enough to make my large token army. This deck is casual-leaning, but that doesn't mean I don't want to this deck to be able to win sometimes against more finely-tuned decks. So I need cards that can stop faster decks, like Krosan Grip and Beast Within, and I need cards that can protect my guys, like Simic Charm and Withstand Death. What are the best protection and disruption in RUG? I don't have a lot of room for these kinds of cards, so I really just want the most efficient ones. Suggestions?
Also, I think I want just a little bit more ramp, this deck is looking extremely mana-hungry. I was thinking Chromatic Lantern, Simic Signet, Gruul Signet, and Izzet Signet to round out the ramp. Any better suggestions? Should I add even more?
I like the "raised by wolves" idea, I think Wren's Run Packmaster should be in to give your pups deathtouch. It also acts as a kennel and gives your creature mass more effect as either chumps or punishing attackers. I'm surprise you don't run many trample enablers (Nylea or Surrak for instsance), you've definitely got the damage output worked out. Also have you thought about Craterhoof Behemoth as a winner or double your fun by using him as a Riku fork?
Thanks Serberus! I've got Wren's Run Packmaster in my maybe board, and the thing that's keeping me from being sure about it is the requirement to champion an Elf. I don't think I run enough Elves to be able to do that consistently (I count only 5 Elves total: the Changelings, Turntimber Ranger, and Adaptive Automaton if I want to name Elves). It's the same reason I have Wolf-Skull Shaman in the maybeboard, just not enough Elves or Shamans.
You're right about the trample enablers, I currently don't have many ways to push through damage. I think I was hoping to be able to swarm around blockers, but there's always the chance I can't do that. Surrak Dragonclaw is probably the best option, since he also protects my gameplan from counterspells. I was also thinking about the RUG Archetypes (Aggression, Imagination, and Endurance) as ways to push through damage and disrupt other decks, but they don't really mesh with the theme very well. If only Garruk, the Veil-Cursed was the correct colors, he is both on theme and can push through lethal damage with his -3. If I run a finisher like that, I'll probably just run 1 and fetch it with a creature tutor if the game gets stale. Surrak Dragonclaw seems best for that purpose, since he can't be countered. Can anyone think of a finisher that is on theme like Garruk, the Veil-Cursed?
As far as the archetypes, I would probably only consider the red one. The other two are rather pricy (Mana) and not really on theme for the deck. As far as hexproof, your board will probably need to be wrathed anyway so it is less relevant. For flying, it doesn't make a lot of thematic sense.
For finishers, Surrak and Craterhoof are probably our best bets. And, since we plan to run a lot of the creature tutors, we don't really need multiples.
Speaking of tutors, you might even consider possibly running some of the blue instant and sorcery tutors to fetch the creature tutors. I know that tutoring for tutors feels dirty, but I think this deck can excuse it. If anyone complains just growl at them like a wolf and say something about the pack desiring it. Become the wolves.
To protect your creatures you can use things like Wrap in Vigor.
More than simply wanting to protect your creatures, you can just counter the mass removal (except for Supreme Verdict which is uncounterable).
You shouldn't focus so much on what spells to play based on your colors and simply search in Gatherer for what you're looking to do and simply filter it by color (remembering also to include artifacts and colorless).
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As far as the archetypes, I would probably only consider the red one. The other two are rather pricy (Mana) and not really on theme for the deck. As far as hexproof, your board will probably need to be wrathed anyway so it is less relevant. For flying, it doesn't make a lot of thematic sense.
For finishers, Surrak and Craterhoof are probably our best bets. And, since we plan to run a lot of the creature tutors, we don't really need multiples.
Speaking of tutors, you might even consider possibly running some of the blue instant and sorcery tutors to fetch the creature tutors. I know that tutoring for tutors feels dirty, but I think this deck can excuse it. If anyone complains just growl at them like a wolf and say something about the pack desiring it. Become the wolves.
Ha, awesome. Ok, Mystical Tutor and Surrak Dragonclaw are in, and I went ahead and added the ramp I mentioned before. I like that I can make Surrak the commander in a heavy control meta if I want. I didn't see any other blue tutors I'd want (maybe Personal Tutor?) I think all that's left are the disruption cards and crafting a mana base, and then we're good to go!
I'm excited to sleeve this deck up and make a huge wolf pack, should be fun to play and play against.
I wanted some all-purpose removal, so I added some catch-all spells. I'll mainly use them to avoid getting run over by combo decks or shut out by pillowfort decks. After making these additions, I had to make some cuts to make room for lands. So, I've moved these cards to the maybe board:
The one-turn copiers don't seem like they'd pull their weight in this deck, since I don't have very many ETB effects. Basically, it just gives Riku a chance to copy my creatures a second or third time, but that's really mana intensive, and I don't want to count on having 5 extra mana every turn. Instead, I've added Crystal Shard and Erratic Portal to just allow me to recast my creatures whenever I want, and Riku can copy them then. Those cards have the added benefit of protecting my creatures from removal and playing defense when necessary.
Feed the Pack, while incredibly on point and great with all of my token support, just doesn't do enough. I just have so few non-token creatures worth sacrificing to the 6-mana enchantment. Same with Howl of the Night Pack; by the time I complete the mana base, I doubt I'll have very many Forests, so I don't think it will be worth it to pay 7 mana for what will probably only be 2 to 4 tokens. If I wasn't in three colors, it would probably be an auto-include. Konda's Banner can only be equipped to two creatures in the deck, so it's not very reliable, and surprisingly, I'm only running 8 actual Wolf creatures and 3 Changelings, so Door of Destinies will rarely trigger and I think it can be cut too.
Now obviously 29 lands isn't enough, so we need to make some additional cuts. I'm thinking that 6 more lands should be sufficient, given the 10 ramp cards (including Scorned Villager). So which 6 cards would you cut to make room for land?
I have no qualms about simply recommending Shapesharer to the chopping block without giving more reason that the fact of a lacking amount of shapeshifters. 1 free slot.
Wolfcaller's Howl depends on a number of opponents with a certain amount of cards in hand. The most this enchantment could give you on a good turn is 1 token. I feel that it's not as efficient as it should be. Should you have this deck produce card drawing in a grouphug fashion, then this card would be worth including. 1 free slot.
You don't have a lot of graveyard interaction so Kessig Cagebreakers needs something for it to be more synergistic. That's why Feed the Pack goes so great with the deck. Also, Eternal Witness getting cloned or recurred gets you those creatures back anyways. Evolutionary Leap is also great with this. So, if you're not willing to take as much advantage as possible from Kessig Cagebreakers then for me that's a candidate for the chopping block. Also, controlling how your creatures die helps another card you have, Predator's Howl. Having it pull off morbid while copying it with Riku gives you 6 Wolf tokens. 1 free slot.
The deck is consistent enough without having to depend too much on single creatures to warrant include 4 creature tutor spells. Sure, Riku means that you could potentially tutor for 2 each time, but I don't think it's all that necessary since this is not a combo deck; it's a synergy deck. You could do without Worldly Tutor because you gain nothing from copying it. 1 free slot.
Temur Charm seems nice because your deck is Temur-colored but I don't really find it all that alluring in this deck. You have ways to significantly pump your creatures and give them trample. It doesn't matter if all your opponents have is chump blockers. The other 2 choices for this deck seem pretty wasted: it'll just be an expensive Mana Leak. 1 free slot.
With Riku, I'd prefer to see ramp sorceries than mana rocks. It's harder to get rid of lands (especially in more casual pods) than artifacts. Artifact hate is not frowned upon in EDH as much as land hate. You'd do well with switching out those rocks for ramping spells. Removing Gruul Signet, Izzet Signet, and Simic Signet gives you 3 free slots. Depending on how much basic lands you're gonna put in the deck (or shocklands, duals, etc.) you can easily add Farseek which grabs duals and shocklands and add Explosive Vegetation. For 3GUR you get to search your library for 4 basic lands and put them into play tapped - nothing to scoff at. Now that's ramping. With those two ramping spells, the extra space becomes a free slot. 1 free slot.
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The deck is consistent enough without having to depend too much on single creatures to warrant include 4 creature tutor spells. Sure, Riku means that you could potentially tutor for 2 each time, but I don't think it's all that necessary since this is not a combo deck; it's a synergy deck. You could do without Worldly Tutor because you gain nothing from copying it. 1 free slot.
If you go and check out the thread mentioned in the OP, this deck idea started as 'lets see if we can make Timberpack Wolf work in EDH. So, if anything, four might be too few creature tutors if we still want to make that the goal.
However, if the goal is shifting more towards just wolf tribal, you could cut the timberpack wolf and most or all of the tutors opening up room for another wolf or two and some more clones and ramp.
To make Timberpack Wolf work, you need more than just one creature. Timberpack Wolf is basically the only specific creature you need. All other creatures become Timberpack Wolf with Infinite Reflection. Since so many copy and clone cards are in the deck that can work fine on their own or become broken with other cards besides Timberpack Wolf, I think it can be included. I just don't feel that 5 tutors just for Timberpack Wolf are necessary when RUG doesn't have the colors necessary for tutoring enchantments. Having a bunch of creatures in play and then Infinite Reflection on Timberpack Wolf could eventually happen and, assuming no one wraths or bounces everything, is one hell of an "oh snap!" moment.
On that note, the deck needs some more flash enablers so that you can pull of combos at the end of opponents turn (and cast creatures) so you can attack the next turn. Suggestions:
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I couldn't bring myself to cut Kessig Cagebreakers because I don't think they'll need much help; my creatures will be dying anyway. I've added the following cards based on your suggestions:
Shared Animosity seems like the weakest pump spell in the deck and can't be copied like a creature lord can. I think I would be disappointed drawing it usually. Wolfbriar Elemental is the weakest token-producer, since I can only spend green mana to make tokens and copying him won't do anything at all. Finally, Wolf Pack is an awesome card, but when I just need to make one last cut, I think that its just not strong enough for its cost (8 mana and $45). Cutting it will allow me to do other things for 8 mana, like copying a 6-mana spell with Riku.
So that's the deck! For the lands, I'm thinking this:
35 lands still seems like too few, but the curve of this deck is surprisingly low (at least by casual EDH standards), with only 6 cards with a CMC over 5. It's still a mana-hungry deck, though, so I might consider adding a few more lands if I consistently find myself unable to grow my wolf pack due to mana constraints. I've updated the OP. Still welcoming suggestions!
On the mana base, remember that though your spells are cheap, Riku will almost always want them to cost 2 more. So you have to have that in mind. Otherwise, what's the point, right?
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On the mana base, remember that though your spells are cheap, Riku will almost always want them to cost 2 more. So you have to have that in mind. Otherwise, what's the point, right?
Virtually every permanent in this deck is green, and most are double green, so I think Nykthos can really help with the ramp. Aditionally, several of my land tutors search for basics or shocks, so I'm pretty sure Jungle Basin will have enough Forests to bounce (thankfully it doesn't require a basic Forest). I goldfished about 50 hands and first few turns, and I was more disappointed in Muddle the Mixture than I thought I would be. Double blue is hard to hit reliably on turn 2 or 3, and I often didn't want to tutor for a 2-drop anyway (for example, if I already had Timberpack Wolf out when I drew MtM). I could see keeping it in if I also add Phantasmal Image, but otherwise I think I can do without it. I replaced Surrak Dragonclaw with Skarrg, the Rage Pits; it's not universal trample, but it serves a similar purpose, and it adds to the land count. The 5-slot is also incredibly crowded, which is extra bad considering I'll most likely want to be playing Riku when I first get to 5 mana. Surrak can't be copied profitably either, so he doesn't have much synergy with the deck overall. Even without Surrak, I still have 7 cards that either have evasion or grant evasion, all of which can be fetched with the creature or land tutors I'm running. Turns out the big finisher just really isn't needed; Kessig Wolf Run or Somberwald Alpha can get the job done just as well. Finally, I can't believe I didn't include Cavern of Souls in my first draft!
I'm also considering cutting Steely Resolve; so many of my enablers are targeted, so giving all of my wolves shroud really hampered my board development sometimes. I think I'd have to play it in real games to see its power, since obviously my wolf pack is not under fire when I'm goldfishing. In early testing, though, shroud has ended up being a significant drawback.
EDIT: Finally got the decklist working. For another way to look at this list that might be easier to read, you can go here.
Thanks for all of the input so far!
1 Riku of Two Reflections
Wolves, Werewolves, and Wolf Tokens - 20
1 Adaptive Automaton
1 Bestial Menace
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Fable of Wolf and Owl
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Immerwolf
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 Predator's Howl
1 Pyreheart Wolf
1 Raised by Wolves
1 Scorned Villager
1 Somberwald Alpha
1 Taurean Mauler
1 Timberpack Wolf
1 Turntimber Ranger
1 Witchstalker
1 Wolfir Avenger
1 Wolfir Silverheart
Clones and Other Copiers - 12
1 Cackling Counterpart
1 Clone Legion
1 Doubling Season
1 Followed Footsteps
1 Infinite Reflection
1 Parallel Evolution
1 Parallel Lives
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Primal Vigor
1 Progenitor Mimic
1 Rite of Replication
1 Spitting Image
1 Beast Within
1 Capsize
1 Chaos Warp
1 Krosan Grip
1 Song of the Dryads
Ramp - 9
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Cultivate
1 Emerald Medallion
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 Farseek
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Tempt with Discovery
1 Urban Evolution
Tutors - 5
1 Chord of Calling
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Primal Command
1 Summoner's Pact
Other - 11
1 Alpha Status
1 Coat of Arms
1 Crystal Shard
1 Distant Melody
1 Erratic Portal
1 Eternal Witness
1 Evolutionary Leap
1 Obelisk of Urd
1 Riftsweeper
1 Steely Resolve
1 Xenograft
Lands - 37
1 Alchemist's Refuge
1 Breeding Pool
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
6 Forest
1 Frontier Bivouac
1 Gruul Turf
1 Homeward Path
3 Island
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Jungle Basin
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain
1 Mutavault
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vivid Crag
1 Vivid Creek
1 Vivid Grove
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Yavimaya Hollow
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
Riftsweeper shouldn't be a maybe. Riftsweeper saves things from exile and it's one of a handful of cards that do so. I also suggest filling what's left with ramp and facilitation. Riku also loves copying spells. With mana dorks and some ramp, you can get quite the advantage. Imagine being able to consistently copy Sylvan Scrying or Tempt with Discovery - especially in a tricolored deck. You can also add more cards that copy tokens like Parallel Lives and Primal Vigor.
That's just what's at the top of my mind. If I think up anything else I'll throw you some suggestions!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
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Also, while I know it isn't perfectly on theme, Archaeomancer should probably get a slot in the deck. If you chord of calling for it first, then you get chord back and the possibility of looping tutors or other instants and sorceries if you bring in DEN or other blink effects.
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens!! / Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund Dragons! / Muzzio, Visionary Architect / Brago, King Eternal / Daretti, Scrap Savant / Narset, Enlightened Master / Alesha, Who Smiles at Death / Bruna, Light of Alabaster / Marchesa, the Black Rose / Iroas, God of Victory / Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury / Omnath, Locus of rage / Titania, Protector of Argoth / Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Modern
Elves / Titanshift / Merfolk
You're right about Riftsweeper, I'll move it mainboard. And Xenograft is a perfect addition (I like that it can "accidentally" go infinite with Turntimber Ranger). I also like Clone Legion, so I'll add it, and the Parallel Lives and Primal Vigor suggestions are in. I've added some of your other suggestions to the maybe board for further consideration. Thank you for the suggestions, I think the deck is coming along well!
On another note, I'm trying to avoid cards like Deadeye Navigator, cards that really centralize a game and could potentially make things unfun for certain play groups. I do have competitive decks for that, and DEN is one of my favotire cards. For this deck, it's not that I don't want it to be competitive, but I want it to focus more on synergy and less on the typical staples that some people just get overwhelmed or annoyed by, like DEN. For more about the focus of the deck, you can read the thread here. Essentially, I don't want anything that's worth grabbing out of my deck with Bribery unless it fits in with the wolf theme.
Finally, I think you are correct that the bones are there, and I need to fill what's left with ramp and support. What is the best ramp, protection, removal, card draw, etc. for RUG? I don't typically play these colors (I'm more of an Esper guy myself), so what would you recommend as the foundation of the deck?
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
Now, I know you included most of these already, but to get an idea of how to abuse Riku's abilities (both of them) here are some cards that I think would go well, given the theme:
- Bestial Menace
- Fable of Wolf and Owl
- Feed the Pack
- Feral Ridgewolf
- Howl of the Night Pack
- Mayor of Avabruck
- Huntmaster of the Fells
- Immerwolf
- Kessig Cagebreakers
- Master of the Hunt
- Master of the Wild Hunt
- Scorned Villager
- Predator's Howl
- Pyreheart Wolf
- Raised by Wolves
- Sword of Body and Mind
- Timberpack Wolf
- Turntimber Ranger
- Wolf Pack
- Wolf-Skull Shaman
- Wolfbriar Elemental
- Wolfir Avenger
- Wolfir Silverheart
- Wren's Run Packmaster
- Adaptive Automaton
- Alpha Status
- Brass Herald
- Chameleon Colossus
- Coat of Arms
- Door of Destinies
- Konda's Banner
- Obelisk of Urd
- Roar of the Crowd
- Shared Animosity
- Steely Resolve
- Tribal Unity
- Unnatural Selection
- Xenograft
- Parallel Lives
- Primal Vigor
- Doubling Season
- Progenitor Mimic
- Flameshadow Conjuring
- Splinter Twin
- Infinite Reflection
- Clone Legion
- Rite of Replication
- Spitting Image
- Mirror Mockery
- Mutavault
- Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
I suggest you work from there up.Something awesome I do in every deck I have that runs Progenitor Mimic and Infinite Reflection is to enchant the Progenitor Mimic with Infinite Reflection. That means that every upkeep, each non-token creature produces a token that's a copy of the enchanted Progenitor Mimic. Epic. So imagine this scenario:
You have Progenitor Mimic enter the battlefield as a copy of Timberpack Wolf. So you got already a bunch of other miscellaneous creatures and mana dorks. For the sake or argument, you have 5 other creatures, Timberpack Wolf and the Progenitor Mimic which is a copy of the Timberpack Wolf. If you enchant Progenitor Mimic with Infinite Reflection, then you currently have 7 8/8 creatures. Next upkeep you're gonna have 14 15/15 creatures. Gotta love the GU hijinks! So the wolf pack epic beatdown is very possible in those colors and in a more casual environment.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
I think what I really need now are some ways to stay alive long enough to make my large token army. This deck is casual-leaning, but that doesn't mean I don't want to this deck to be able to win sometimes against more finely-tuned decks. So I need cards that can stop faster decks, like Krosan Grip and Beast Within, and I need cards that can protect my guys, like Simic Charm and Withstand Death. What are the best protection and disruption in RUG? I don't have a lot of room for these kinds of cards, so I really just want the most efficient ones. Suggestions?
Also, I think I want just a little bit more ramp, this deck is looking extremely mana-hungry. I was thinking Chromatic Lantern, Simic Signet, Gruul Signet, and Izzet Signet to round out the ramp. Any better suggestions? Should I add even more?
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
(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
You're right about the trample enablers, I currently don't have many ways to push through damage. I think I was hoping to be able to swarm around blockers, but there's always the chance I can't do that. Surrak Dragonclaw is probably the best option, since he also protects my gameplan from counterspells. I was also thinking about the RUG Archetypes (Aggression, Imagination, and Endurance) as ways to push through damage and disrupt other decks, but they don't really mesh with the theme very well. If only Garruk, the Veil-Cursed was the correct colors, he is both on theme and can push through lethal damage with his -3. If I run a finisher like that, I'll probably just run 1 and fetch it with a creature tutor if the game gets stale. Surrak Dragonclaw seems best for that purpose, since he can't be countered. Can anyone think of a finisher that is on theme like Garruk, the Veil-Cursed?
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
For finishers, Surrak and Craterhoof are probably our best bets. And, since we plan to run a lot of the creature tutors, we don't really need multiples.
Speaking of tutors, you might even consider possibly running some of the blue instant and sorcery tutors to fetch the creature tutors. I know that tutoring for tutors feels dirty, but I think this deck can excuse it. If anyone complains just growl at them like a wolf and say something about the pack desiring it. Become the wolves.
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens!! / Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund Dragons! / Muzzio, Visionary Architect / Brago, King Eternal / Daretti, Scrap Savant / Narset, Enlightened Master / Alesha, Who Smiles at Death / Bruna, Light of Alabaster / Marchesa, the Black Rose / Iroas, God of Victory / Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury / Omnath, Locus of rage / Titania, Protector of Argoth / Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Modern
Elves / Titanshift / Merfolk
More than simply wanting to protect your creatures, you can just counter the mass removal (except for Supreme Verdict which is uncounterable).
You shouldn't focus so much on what spells to play based on your colors and simply search in Gatherer for what you're looking to do and simply filter it by color (remembering also to include artifacts and colorless).
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Ha, awesome. Ok, Mystical Tutor and Surrak Dragonclaw are in, and I went ahead and added the ramp I mentioned before. I like that I can make Surrak the commander in a heavy control meta if I want. I didn't see any other blue tutors I'd want (maybe Personal Tutor?) I think all that's left are the disruption cards and crafting a mana base, and then we're good to go!
I'm excited to sleeve this deck up and make a huge wolf pack, should be fun to play and play against.
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens!! / Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund Dragons! / Muzzio, Visionary Architect / Brago, King Eternal / Daretti, Scrap Savant / Narset, Enlightened Master / Alesha, Who Smiles at Death / Bruna, Light of Alabaster / Marchesa, the Black Rose / Iroas, God of Victory / Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury / Omnath, Locus of rage / Titania, Protector of Argoth / Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Modern
Elves / Titanshift / Merfolk
- Beast Within
- Cackling Counterpart
- Capsize
- Chaos Warp
- Crystal Shard
- Emerald Medallion
- Erratic Portal
- Eternal Witness
- Krosan Grip
- Followed Footsteps
- Parallel Evolution
- Phyrexian Metamorph
- Primal Command
- Song of the Dryads
- Temur Charm
- Yavimaya Hollow
I wanted some all-purpose removal, so I added some catch-all spells. I'll mainly use them to avoid getting run over by combo decks or shut out by pillowfort decks. After making these additions, I had to make some cuts to make room for lands. So, I've moved these cards to the maybe board:- Door of Destinies
- Feed the Pack
- Flameshadow Conjuring
- Howl of the Night Pack
- Konda's Banner
- Mimic Vat
- Mirror Mockery
- Splinter Twin
- Sword of the Animist
- Unnatural Selection
The one-turn copiers don't seem like they'd pull their weight in this deck, since I don't have very many ETB effects. Basically, it just gives Riku a chance to copy my creatures a second or third time, but that's really mana intensive, and I don't want to count on having 5 extra mana every turn. Instead, I've added Crystal Shard and Erratic Portal to just allow me to recast my creatures whenever I want, and Riku can copy them then. Those cards have the added benefit of protecting my creatures from removal and playing defense when necessary.Feed the Pack, while incredibly on point and great with all of my token support, just doesn't do enough. I just have so few non-token creatures worth sacrificing to the 6-mana enchantment. Same with Howl of the Night Pack; by the time I complete the mana base, I doubt I'll have very many Forests, so I don't think it will be worth it to pay 7 mana for what will probably only be 2 to 4 tokens. If I wasn't in three colors, it would probably be an auto-include. Konda's Banner can only be equipped to two creatures in the deck, so it's not very reliable, and surprisingly, I'm only running 8 actual Wolf creatures and 3 Changelings, so Door of Destinies will rarely trigger and I think it can be cut too.
After those changes, that leaves us with this:
1 Riku of Two Reflections
Wolves, Werewolves, and Wolf Tokens - 24
1 Adaptive Automaton
1 Bestial Menace
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Fable of Wolf and Owl
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Immerwolf
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 Predator's Howl
1 Pyreheart Wolf
1 Raised by Wolves
1 Scorned Villager
1 Shapesharer
1 Somberwald Alpha
1 Taurean Mauler
1 Timberpack Wolf
1 Turntimber Ranger
1 Witchstalker
1 Wolf Pack
1 Wolfbriar Elemental
1 Wolfcaller's Howl
1 Wolfir Avenger
1 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Cackling Counterpart
1 Clone Legion
1 Doubling Season
1 Followed Footsteps
1 Infinite Reflection
1 Parallel Evolution
1 Parallel Lives
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Primal Vigor
1 Progenitor Mimic
1 Rite of Replication
1 Spitting Image
More Power - 4
1 Alpha Status
1 Coat of Arms
1 Obelisk of Urd
1 Shared Animosity
Disruption - 6
1 Beast Within
1 Capsize
1 Chaos Warp
1 Krosan Grip
1 Song of the Dryads
1 Temur Charm
Ramp - 9
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Cultivate
1 Emerald Medallion
1 Gruul Signet
1 Izzet Signet
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Simic Signet
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Tempt with Discovery
1 Chord of Calling
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Primal Command
1 Summoner's Pact
1 Worldly Tutor
Other - 8
1 Crystal Shard
1 Distant Melody
1 Erratic Portal
1 Eternal Witness
1 Riftsweeper
1 Steely Resolve
1 Surrak Dragonclaw
1 Xenograft
Land - 29
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Mutavault
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Yavimaya Hollow
25 TBD Lands
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
Wolfcaller's Howl depends on a number of opponents with a certain amount of cards in hand. The most this enchantment could give you on a good turn is 1 token. I feel that it's not as efficient as it should be. Should you have this deck produce card drawing in a grouphug fashion, then this card would be worth including. 1 free slot.
You don't have a lot of graveyard interaction so Kessig Cagebreakers needs something for it to be more synergistic. That's why Feed the Pack goes so great with the deck. Also, Eternal Witness getting cloned or recurred gets you those creatures back anyways. Evolutionary Leap is also great with this. So, if you're not willing to take as much advantage as possible from Kessig Cagebreakers then for me that's a candidate for the chopping block. Also, controlling how your creatures die helps another card you have, Predator's Howl. Having it pull off morbid while copying it with Riku gives you 6 Wolf tokens. 1 free slot.
The deck is consistent enough without having to depend too much on single creatures to warrant include 4 creature tutor spells. Sure, Riku means that you could potentially tutor for 2 each time, but I don't think it's all that necessary since this is not a combo deck; it's a synergy deck. You could do without Worldly Tutor because you gain nothing from copying it. 1 free slot.
Temur Charm seems nice because your deck is Temur-colored but I don't really find it all that alluring in this deck. You have ways to significantly pump your creatures and give them trample. It doesn't matter if all your opponents have is chump blockers. The other 2 choices for this deck seem pretty wasted: it'll just be an expensive Mana Leak. 1 free slot.
With Riku, I'd prefer to see ramp sorceries than mana rocks. It's harder to get rid of lands (especially in more casual pods) than artifacts. Artifact hate is not frowned upon in EDH as much as land hate. You'd do well with switching out those rocks for ramping spells. Removing Gruul Signet, Izzet Signet, and Simic Signet gives you 3 free slots. Depending on how much basic lands you're gonna put in the deck (or shocklands, duals, etc.) you can easily add Farseek which grabs duals and shocklands and add Explosive Vegetation. For 3GUR you get to search your library for 4 basic lands and put them into play tapped - nothing to scoff at. Now that's ramping. With those two ramping spells, the extra space becomes a free slot. 1 free slot.
There you go, 6 free slots. Hope that helps!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
If you go and check out the thread mentioned in the OP, this deck idea started as 'lets see if we can make Timberpack Wolf work in EDH. So, if anything, four might be too few creature tutors if we still want to make that the goal.
However, if the goal is shifting more towards just wolf tribal, you could cut the timberpack wolf and most or all of the tutors opening up room for another wolf or two and some more clones and ramp.
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens!! / Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund Dragons! / Muzzio, Visionary Architect / Brago, King Eternal / Daretti, Scrap Savant / Narset, Enlightened Master / Alesha, Who Smiles at Death / Bruna, Light of Alabaster / Marchesa, the Black Rose / Iroas, God of Victory / Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury / Omnath, Locus of rage / Titania, Protector of Argoth / Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Modern
Elves / Titanshift / Merfolk
On that note, the deck needs some more flash enablers so that you can pull of combos at the end of opponents turn (and cast creatures) so you can attack the next turn. Suggestions:
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
- Shapesharer
- Temur Charm
- Gruul Signet
- Simic Signet
- Izzet Signet
- Worldly Tutor
- Wolfcaller's Howl
I couldn't bring myself to cut Kessig Cagebreakers because I don't think they'll need much help; my creatures will be dying anyway. I've added the following cards based on your suggestions:- Farseek
- Explosive Vegetation
- Evolutionary Leap
- Urban Evolution
- Alchemist's Refuge
I like the idea of spell ramp to synergize with Riku, and Evolutionary Leap is great to turn a spare token into an actual creature card.I'll update the OP later, I'm on my phone right now. That nets us 3 cuts, so just 3 more to go!
EDIT: Ok, OP is updated.
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
- Shared Animosity
- Wolfbriar Elemental
- Wolf Pack
Shared Animosity seems like the weakest pump spell in the deck and can't be copied like a creature lord can. I think I would be disappointed drawing it usually. Wolfbriar Elemental is the weakest token-producer, since I can only spend green mana to make tokens and copying him won't do anything at all. Finally, Wolf Pack is an awesome card, but when I just need to make one last cut, I think that its just not strong enough for its cost (8 mana and $45). Cutting it will allow me to do other things for 8 mana, like copying a 6-mana spell with Riku.So that's the deck! For the lands, I'm thinking this:
1 Breeding Pool
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
8 Forest
1 Frontier Bivouac
1 Gruul Turf
1 Homeward Path
3 Island
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain
1 Mutavault
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vivid Crag
1 Vivid Creek
1 Vivid Grove
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Yavimaya Hollow
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
I concur with your cuts. They seem legit. Though, if you want to abuse Wolfbriar Elemental, Chromatic Lantern is the way to go.
I think it seems OK for now. It may still warrant testing in order to fine tune it. You've gone beyond the theory and must now venture into practice.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Surrak Dragonclaw
2 Forest
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1 Jungle Basin
1 Cavern of Souls
Virtually every permanent in this deck is green, and most are double green, so I think Nykthos can really help with the ramp. Aditionally, several of my land tutors search for basics or shocks, so I'm pretty sure Jungle Basin will have enough Forests to bounce (thankfully it doesn't require a basic Forest). I goldfished about 50 hands and first few turns, and I was more disappointed in Muddle the Mixture than I thought I would be. Double blue is hard to hit reliably on turn 2 or 3, and I often didn't want to tutor for a 2-drop anyway (for example, if I already had Timberpack Wolf out when I drew MtM). I could see keeping it in if I also add Phantasmal Image, but otherwise I think I can do without it. I replaced Surrak Dragonclaw with Skarrg, the Rage Pits; it's not universal trample, but it serves a similar purpose, and it adds to the land count. The 5-slot is also incredibly crowded, which is extra bad considering I'll most likely want to be playing Riku when I first get to 5 mana. Surrak can't be copied profitably either, so he doesn't have much synergy with the deck overall. Even without Surrak, I still have 7 cards that either have evasion or grant evasion, all of which can be fetched with the creature or land tutors I'm running. Turns out the big finisher just really isn't needed; Kessig Wolf Run or Somberwald Alpha can get the job done just as well. Finally, I can't believe I didn't include Cavern of Souls in my first draft!
I'm also considering cutting Steely Resolve; so many of my enablers are targeted, so giving all of my wolves shroud really hampered my board development sometimes. I think I'd have to play it in real games to see its power, since obviously my wolf pack is not under fire when I'm goldfishing. In early testing, though, shroud has ended up being a significant drawback.
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort