I build budget decks of around $50 or less, so I never really use Planeswalker cards. The good ones usually don't fit in the budget. I got in my head to remedy that, so I started looking at the Chandra and Nissa from the Kaladesh Planeswalker decks, since those were the only Planeswalkers I had more than one of. I was thinking about using one or the other, and started thinking that they both wanted a similar sort of deck so why not just build around both.
These two Planeswalkers really aren't up to my standard, so I decided I wasn't going to spend any money on this deck and just use cards I had on hand. Both Planeswalkers cost 6 mana, so we're looking at a tall mana curve, and IMO both want creatures on the board. Nissa can't protect herself, both Planeswalkers tend towards beatdown support, and both ultimates work best with a few creatures on your side.
The idea is to focus the deck around both Chandra and Nissa, the rest of the deck supports them. I have 22 creatures in the deck and don't really want to go much lower. I need to ramp up to 6 mana, but don't want to sacrifice any board presence so I went with Gruul Turf and Servant of the Conduit. The other creatures are just the best of what I had available. I don't have any answers for non-creatures, but this is a casual deck and a janky one by my standards so I'm not too concerned there.
If you want to ramp up to 6 mana without losing board presence, there's always the classic Sakura-Tribe Elder.
Sakura-Tribe Elder doesn't do both at the same time. It chump blocks once and then it's gone. Servant of the Conduit is bears. Also, I find the important thing with this deck is simply getting to six mana, not so much getting to six ahead of schedule. I want to play Chandra and Nissa, but I want to play them with creatures on my side of the board. I can be patient, I just need consistency to actually have six mana. The Gruul Turfs do this perfectly, without costing a card.
By that logic, Servant of the Conduit also can't do both at the same time. It can either block or it can help you get to 6 mana. A 2/2 isn't going to survive blocking more than once. So you can save it for mana or trade it off early and not get the mana. Servant can only tap for mana twice, which is worse than putting a land in play (which taps for mana every turn).
A creature like Gyre Sage can both tap for mana and keep blocking for you, protecting your planeswalkers. Maybe that's what you're looking for. A bear is pretty bad though for more than chumping. In Constructed, most things attacking you will be better than a bear.
Also, I find the important thing with this deck is simply getting to six mana, not so much getting to six ahead of schedule.
Putting an extra land in play or having a dork tap for 1 mana both get to 6 at the same schedule.
These two Planeswalkers really aren't up to my standard, so I decided I wasn't going to spend any money on this deck and just use cards I had on hand. Both Planeswalkers cost 6 mana, so we're looking at a tall mana curve, and IMO both want creatures on the board. Nissa can't protect herself, both Planeswalkers tend towards beatdown support, and both ultimates work best with a few creatures on your side.
Here is the deck:
Planeswalker(+tutors)
Creatures
Removal
Lands
The idea is to focus the deck around both Chandra and Nissa, the rest of the deck supports them. I have 22 creatures in the deck and don't really want to go much lower. I need to ramp up to 6 mana, but don't want to sacrifice any board presence so I went with Gruul Turf and Servant of the Conduit. The other creatures are just the best of what I had available. I don't have any answers for non-creatures, but this is a casual deck and a janky one by my standards so I'm not too concerned there.
Sakura-Tribe Elder doesn't do both at the same time. It chump blocks once and then it's gone. Servant of the Conduit is bears. Also, I find the important thing with this deck is simply getting to six mana, not so much getting to six ahead of schedule. I want to play Chandra and Nissa, but I want to play them with creatures on my side of the board. I can be patient, I just need consistency to actually have six mana. The Gruul Turfs do this perfectly, without costing a card.
By that logic, Servant of the Conduit also can't do both at the same time. It can either block or it can help you get to 6 mana. A 2/2 isn't going to survive blocking more than once. So you can save it for mana or trade it off early and not get the mana. Servant can only tap for mana twice, which is worse than putting a land in play (which taps for mana every turn).
A creature like Gyre Sage can both tap for mana and keep blocking for you, protecting your planeswalkers. Maybe that's what you're looking for. A bear is pretty bad though for more than chumping. In Constructed, most things attacking you will be better than a bear.
Putting an extra land in play or having a dork tap for 1 mana both get to 6 at the same schedule.