MTG Salvation

A few weeks ago at the Modern Masters launch I came away with a Doubling Season, but I don't have a deck to use it in since I don't like to play with creature tokens and don't own any planeswalkers. I want to put it to use, and I have a rough idea of how I'd like to use it but need some help sketching it out.

What I'd like to do is combine Doubling Season with cards like Corpsejack Menace and Necropolis Regent to either bash face or use cards like Disciple of Bolas to mass effect. I'm also thinking that some of the hydras would be good inclusions.

Aside from that I don't know how to proceed. Any suggestions on commanders, synergies, strategies would be greatly appreciated.

Ghave, Guru of Spores is your new best friend. There are a bunch of Ghave decks, from combo decks to more token swarm strategies. All of them involve a lot of synergies, though. It sounds like you don't want to go with the more token-centric strategy, but there are plenty of Ghave interactions that are more counter-centric as well.

Search the forums for Ghave decks. Ghave, like Doubling Season itself, is one of those cards that seems to combo or synergize with EVERYTHING. If that sounds like it would be up your alley, he may be the general for you.

Another general that would be good with the counter-centric strategy is Kresh the Bloodbraided. Kresh also avoids the whole token thing if that's important to you.

Finally, I think one of the writers on SCG had a proliferate-themed Vorosh, the Hunter deck, and all of the cards you listed would fit well in that sort of deck.

EDIT: Skullbriar, the Walking Grave seems right up your alley, too.

If you're doing counters I would recommend either Varolz or Skullbriar.

Forgotten Ancient is silly good for this.

I recommend Skullbriar for sure. Mad style points for that and he can become a 2-turn clock in almost no time at all.

I made a BUG +1/+1 counters deck that includes Master Biomancer, Prime Speaker Zegana, Fathom Mage, Doubling Season, Corpsejack Menace, Rite of Replication, Renegade Krasis, Ooze Flux, Protean Hydra, Golgari Grave-Troll, Varolz, the Scar-Striped, Vorosh the Hunter, more hydras, with The Mimeoplasm as the Commander. Works like a dream, very aggressive with a very low curve, the curve stops at 6 with 3 6-drops: Zegana, Necropolis Regent, and Vorosh.

Doubling season is too slow for Skullbriar.

I would say Kraj or Mimeoplasim.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'm leaning heavily towards Skullbrair, probably with Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord as back up. Are there any staples for Skullbrair type decks I should be aware of?

I second going with Ghave. He can use your +1/+1 counters in stupid ways. It opens you up to some boardwipe options, a well as Cathars' Crusade, amoung other cards.

In any case, I built a similar deck to this, but I went with a Modular sub-theme. The problem with a +1/+1 counter deck is how fragile it is. One boardwipe can undo several turns of counter-gathering. The modular sub-theme allows you to move your counters around a little easier, as long as you have some small indestructable artifact creatures, like Darksteel Myr around. Also, I used Mycosynth Lattice and Liqimetal Coating to turn non-artifact creatures (like Ghave) or Predator Ooze) into artifact creatures, allowing me to keep my counters on the battlefield instead of starting from scratch (also, white and green are great at destroying/exiling artifacts - it's fun to Return to Dust a Planeswalker).

Bonus points for this deck - you get to build an artifact deck without using Blue. Stylish!

Another thing you'll want is Trample - You're going to have gigantic, easily chump-blocked creatures.

So when I sat down to draft the Skullbrair list, it became clear to me that the deck was going to be too linear and lack enough punch to keep up in my playgroup. Instead, I went with a BUG deck along the lines of what Budgeteer suggested. Simic has so much good stuff to offer in this area that I couldn't pass it up. Here is a link to the final decklist: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=10438869#post10438869

Thanks again!

I'd say you should go with Varolz, the Scar-Striped voltron nothing beats adding 26 +1+1 counters for the low cost of one mana

Regardless of the general, the new M14 Hydras all are serviceable and help boost the counter theme. Definitely consider heading to prerelease this weekend end and hope to crack some good stuff to boost the deck.

Kind of surprised you left out Cytoplast Manipulator and Simic Manipulator as those are all amazing. Coming from experience Not even The Mimeoplasm made your maindeck.....

Feral Hydra is pretty bad.......