Once again I deliberate putting together my Elemental Tribal Horde of Notions deck. There have been some interesting elemental ETB creatures in recent sets so this decklist will explore some of the more potent ones. Hoping this build will be someone competitive for my meta....
All my decks try to adhere to these guidelines:
1) Be able to win.
2) Be mostly true to a flavor and a theme.
3) Be good against one or multiple opponents.
5) Be fun to pilot or to play against and interactive.
6) Have multiple paths to victory.
7) Have lots of cool interactions and synergy.
8) Play out differently every game to keep it fun over a long time.
9) Be streamlined and fast to play without excessive upkeep, time-consuming play or overcomplicated boardstates.
10) Integrate the Commanders abilities into the strategy at least a little, but be able to win without ever playing the commander.
The number in front of the card will denote CMC of the creature/spell.
Alright. Approaching the end of my deckbuilding journey here, and as always I now come to the hardest part: What do I cut? Currently at 111 cards
- Cards being considered are:
- Aethersnipe - while it's evoke, ETB, and elemental, it just costs too much for hardcast for its effect.
- Blade of Selves - I'm not convinced....if it sac'd the creature at end of combat instead of exile, it would be better....guess it's just too multiplayer dependant.
- Mayael's Aria - does this do enough? If it sticks for several turns, it becomes a fairly big threat. However, it a multiplayer meta, someone will likely deal with it before that happens....
- Cloud Cover - I want to make this card work....but I think it just gives to much control regarding it's impact to the opponent. It's a deterrent and something to be worked around, but doesn't necessarily generate card advantage...
- Mass Polymorph - to chaotic? I think it's fairly thematic for elementals....I just don't know how good it'll be with only 26 elementals in the yard.
- Hull Breach - maybe....I do have Wispmare and Ingot Chewer as well, so I may have enough A&E control without it...
Yikes....that's only 6 considerations....got 5 to go.
Wake and Wrath could probably be cheaper/better wrath effects like Austere Command and Supreme Verdict. Fireherd and Rite don't feel like they do enough for how much they cost while Aria and mass polymorph seem better in lists that can go wide. Also if I were you I would consider Animar, Soul of Elements and Maelstrom Wanderer, arguably 2 of the best creatures in the tribe. Off the top of my head though a card that did alot of work for me was Birthing Pod. There are good elementals at every cmc and several with great etb and ltb abilities. Hope that helps!
Alrighty....deck is live and is performing decently. It's very mana intensive and often I find myself ramping for the sake of ramping for the first 5-7 turns. However, if I make it that far, Hordes engine turns online and I am able to pressure with many heavy threats.
I think I need to focus this angle more - drop off some of the smaller Elementals and pick up heavier ones like Regal Force and Wolf of Devil's Breach. Gotta make sure my ramp is consistent though or I'll be stuck with too much fat in my hand.
Torrent Elemental has been a really solid experience so far. Hoofprints of the Stag has also been a sweet rattlesnake card. Not sure if Windfall is the right way to go here....thought it was a good way at getting some creatures into my graveyard without losing card advantage, but I think it helps my opponents more.
I think I really need better ways to tutor my library and put elementals into my graveyard.
Once again I deliberate putting together my Elemental Tribal Horde of Notions deck. There have been some interesting elemental ETB creatures in recent sets so this decklist will explore some of the more potent ones. Hoping this build will be someone competitive for my meta....
All my decks try to adhere to these guidelines:
1) Be able to win.
2) Be mostly true to a flavor and a theme.
3) Be good against one or multiple opponents.
5) Be fun to pilot or to play against and interactive.
6) Have multiple paths to victory.
7) Have lots of cool interactions and synergy.
8) Play out differently every game to keep it fun over a long time.
9) Be streamlined and fast to play without excessive upkeep, time-consuming play or overcomplicated boardstates.
10) Integrate the Commanders abilities into the strategy at least a little, but be able to win without ever playing the commander.
The number in front of the card will denote CMC of the creature/spell.
5 Horde of Notions
//Planeswalker (1)
5 Venser, the Sojourner
//Elementals (28)
1 Flamekin Harbinger
1 Embodiment of Spring
2 Smokebraider
2 Brighthearth Banneret
3 Incandescent Soulstoke
3 Mirror Entity
3 Flickerwisp
3 Fertilid
3 Wispmare
4 Briarhorn
4 Nevermaker
5 Reveillark
5 Ingot Chewer
5 Shriekmaw
5 Mulldrifter
5 Wolf of Devil's Breach
5 Torrent Elemental
6 Spitebellows
6 Bane of Progress
6 Greenwarden of Murasa
6 Rubblehulk
6 Roil Elemental
6 Soul of the Harvest
7 Regal Force
7 Tornado Elemental
7 Omnath, Locus of Rage
8 Magmatic Force
8 Maelstrom Wanderer
1x Tempt with Vengeance
2 Hoofprints of the Stag
4 Rite of Replication
5 Zendikar's Roil
//Ramp (9)
2 Farseek
3 Darksteel Ingot
3 Commander's Sphere
3 Chromatic Lantern
3 Cultivate
3 Kodama's Reach
4 Explosive Vegetation
5 Prismatic Geoscope
5 Perilous Forays
//Card Advantage (8)
2 Evolutionary Leap
3 Hunter's Insight
3 Elemental Bond
3 Windfall
5 Torrent of Souls
5 Soul's Majesty
5 Maelstrom Nexus
5 Shamanic Revelation
//Control Spells (11)
2 Terminate
3 Aura Shards
3 Crib Swap
3 Bant Charm
3 Putrefy
3 Mortify
4 Utter End
5 Fracturing Gust
5 Evacuation
5 Hallowed Burial
9 Blasphemous Act
3 Ghostway
4 Panharmonicon
3 Eerie Interlude
//Land (35)
0 Primal Beyond
0 Command Tower
0 Exotic Orchard
0 Terramorphic Expanse
0 Evolving Wilds
0 Ash Barrens
0 Myriad Landscape
0 Seaside Citadel
0 Opulent Palace
0 Arcane Sanctum
0 Mystic Monastery
0 Crumbling Necropolis
0 Canopy Vista
0 Cinder Glade
0 Prairie Stream
0 Smoldering Marsh
0 Sunken Hollow
0 Flamekin Village
0 Rogue's Passage
0 Temple of the False God
3 Island
3 Mountain
3 Swamp
3 Plains
3 Forest
Currently at 100 cards in decklist
4 Slithermuse
5 Skullmulcher
2 Nameless Inversion
3 Congregation at Dawn
2 Cyclonic Rift
NTBY:
4 Greater Good
6 Aethersnipe
5 Conjurer's Closet
8 Din of the Fireherd
2 Revoke Existence
6 Vengeful Rebirth
3 Abzan Ascendancy
1 Condemn
2 Mana Leak
3 Aura Barbs
3x Blue Sun's Zenith
2 Life's Legacy
1 Expedition Map
3 Cancel
Aug 1 2016 Update:
Swamp >> Rogue's Passage
Island >> Flamekin Village
Thicket Elemental >> Greenwarden of Murasa
Prison Term >> Nevermaker
Wild Ricochet >> Eerie Interlude
Unravel the Aether >> Putrefy
Krosan Grip >> Mortify
Sphere of the Suns >> Darksteel Ingot
Prismatic Omen >> Commander's Sphere
Momentous Fall >> Venser, the Sojourner
Ready // Willing >> Briarhorn
Rampant Growth >> Farseek
Oct 2 2016:
Baleful Force >> Maelstrom Wanderer
Tyrant of Discord >> Embodiment of Spring
Shapesharer >> Panharmonicon
Paraselene >> Soul of the Harvest
Nov 11 2016:
Rite of the Raging Storm >> Hoofprints of the Stag
Fellwar Stone >> Chromatic Lantern
Overwhelming Stampede >> Prismatic Geoscope
Grove of the Guardian >> Exotic Orchard
Frost Lynx >> Windfall
Tragic Arrogance >> Evacuation
Volcanic Offering >> Blasphemous Act
Plains >> Myriad Landscape
Mountain >> Kodama's Reach
Forest >> Ash Barrens
Dec 19 2016:
Elemental Mastery >> Wolf of Devil's Breach
Zendikar Resurgent >> Regal Force
| B Erebos, God of VampiresB | GYeva SmashG | RBosh ArtifactsR | GURAnimar +1 BeatsGUR | RBVial's Secret Hot SauceRB | UBRNekusar, Draw if you DareUBR | RGBDarigaaz'z DragonsRGB | GBSlimeFEETGB | UBOn-Hit LazavUB | URBrudiclad's Artificer InventionsUR | GUBMuldrotha's ElementalsGUB | WUGKestia's EnchantmentsWUG | GUTatyova - Draw, Land, Go!GU | WGArahbo's EquipmentWG | BUWVarina's ZOMBIE HORDESBUW | WLyra's Angelic SalvationW | WBChurch of TeysaWB | UAzami...WizardsU
- Cards being considered are:
- Aethersnipe - while it's evoke, ETB, and elemental, it just costs too much for hardcast for its effect.
- Blade of Selves - I'm not convinced....if it sac'd the creature at end of combat instead of exile, it would be better....guess it's just too multiplayer dependant.
- Mayael's Aria - does this do enough? If it sticks for several turns, it becomes a fairly big threat. However, it a multiplayer meta, someone will likely deal with it before that happens....
- Cloud Cover - I want to make this card work....but I think it just gives to much control regarding it's impact to the opponent. It's a deterrent and something to be worked around, but doesn't necessarily generate card advantage...
- Mass Polymorph - to chaotic? I think it's fairly thematic for elementals....I just don't know how good it'll be with only 26 elementals in the yard.
- Hull Breach - maybe....I do have Wispmare and Ingot Chewer as well, so I may have enough A&E control without it...
Yikes....that's only 6 considerations....got 5 to go.
Comments? Suggestions?
| B Erebos, God of VampiresB | GYeva SmashG | RBosh ArtifactsR | GURAnimar +1 BeatsGUR | RBVial's Secret Hot SauceRB | UBRNekusar, Draw if you DareUBR | RGBDarigaaz'z DragonsRGB | GBSlimeFEETGB | UBOn-Hit LazavUB | URBrudiclad's Artificer InventionsUR | GUBMuldrotha's ElementalsGUB | WUGKestia's EnchantmentsWUG | GUTatyova - Draw, Land, Go!GU | WGArahbo's EquipmentWG | BUWVarina's ZOMBIE HORDESBUW | WLyra's Angelic SalvationW | WBChurch of TeysaWB | UAzami...WizardsU
| B Erebos, God of VampiresB | GYeva SmashG | RBosh ArtifactsR | GURAnimar +1 BeatsGUR | RBVial's Secret Hot SauceRB | UBRNekusar, Draw if you DareUBR | RGBDarigaaz'z DragonsRGB | GBSlimeFEETGB | UBOn-Hit LazavUB | URBrudiclad's Artificer InventionsUR | GUBMuldrotha's ElementalsGUB | WUGKestia's EnchantmentsWUG | GUTatyova - Draw, Land, Go!GU | WGArahbo's EquipmentWG | BUWVarina's ZOMBIE HORDESBUW | WLyra's Angelic SalvationW | WBChurch of TeysaWB | UAzami...WizardsU
Wake and Wrath could probably be cheaper/better wrath effects like Austere Command and Supreme Verdict. Fireherd and Rite don't feel like they do enough for how much they cost while Aria and mass polymorph seem better in lists that can go wide. Also if I were you I would consider Animar, Soul of Elements and Maelstrom Wanderer, arguably 2 of the best creatures in the tribe. Off the top of my head though a card that did alot of work for me was Birthing Pod. There are good elementals at every cmc and several with great etb and ltb abilities. Hope that helps!
Alrighty....deck is live and is performing decently. It's very mana intensive and often I find myself ramping for the sake of ramping for the first 5-7 turns. However, if I make it that far, Hordes engine turns online and I am able to pressure with many heavy threats.
I think I need to focus this angle more - drop off some of the smaller Elementals and pick up heavier ones like Regal Force and Wolf of Devil's Breach. Gotta make sure my ramp is consistent though or I'll be stuck with too much fat in my hand.
Torrent Elemental has been a really solid experience so far. Hoofprints of the Stag has also been a sweet rattlesnake card. Not sure if Windfall is the right way to go here....thought it was a good way at getting some creatures into my graveyard without losing card advantage, but I think it helps my opponents more.
I think I really need better ways to tutor my library and put elementals into my graveyard.
Comments? Thoughts?
EDIT: Picked up Regal Force and Wolf of Devil's Breach. Is Regal Force worth running with only 11 other green creatures?
| B Erebos, God of VampiresB | GYeva SmashG | RBosh ArtifactsR | GURAnimar +1 BeatsGUR | RBVial's Secret Hot SauceRB | UBRNekusar, Draw if you DareUBR | RGBDarigaaz'z DragonsRGB | GBSlimeFEETGB | UBOn-Hit LazavUB | URBrudiclad's Artificer InventionsUR | GUBMuldrotha's ElementalsGUB | WUGKestia's EnchantmentsWUG | GUTatyova - Draw, Land, Go!GU | WGArahbo's EquipmentWG | BUWVarina's ZOMBIE HORDESBUW | WLyra's Angelic SalvationW | WBChurch of TeysaWB | UAzami...WizardsU