Hey guys, new user here. So I've been playing Magic for only a couple years now. Started somewhere in Theros. Throughout my time, I've grown to really enjoy a deck with good flavor or theme , along with being a good functioning deck. Well lately I've been trying to build a deck that has a nice Nature flavor. Not exactly elves or tree-folk, I've gone the route of Elementals. So im trying to build a nice Elemental Commander deck. When I started magic, I was introduced through dual color decks. Then when we played Khans, We learned Wedges and it simply felt like more colors means more options and sometimes more power. As ive played more and more ive learned how dual and mono tend to run more fluently , but wedge does give you some more option and variety. So Ive been trying to boil this deck down into 3 different things.
1- Tribal
-So this deck is going to be Elemental Tribal. This is my first tribal deck and also my first Commander deck, so im trying my best to locate tribal cards and support. I've managed to find a lot of good ones and hopefully all the good ones out there, though im working on a budget. Any good ideas?
2-Function
-Trying to make a 3 color Commander deck feels very intimidating. Though , it being tribal does seem like itll help fluency. I want to make sure this deck is cool and flavorful, but doesn't run like trash. Green is Natures color and also has Land ramp , so putting a good amount of land search cards in this deck seems like a good idea. Getting the mana right seems like rule one. Any notes for a newbie?
3- Flavor
-So this is the biggest part i've been teetering on and im just curious on the MTG community's thoughts. The question is , which 3 color combo makes the most natural and flavorful combo? In your opinion. Especially elementals. Ive personally boiled it down to Temur. Temur (Red, Blue, and Green) Has the colors that all embody nature (Though blue is a bit Anti-Natural , blue also at times embodies the ocean and its creatures.) The Temur clan itself is very connected to the land with its whispering shamans and simply living off of it. Also Temur was the clan to embody the most elementals. And as another note, Temur commanders include Animar, which is a Elemental , and the Soul of the Elements!!
I like the idea of Temur because its the 3 colors outside of white or black. I like to say its the true colors of nature. It dosent agree with black because , even though nature is ferocious and dark , Black pollutes the land and sky's and manipulates/Goes against natures order(Zombies).Black is also selfish and Greedy. Temur dosent agree with white either because , even though nature does form and trust in Unity and Growth,White constricts and rules, binding living beings to its laws and own moral orders and codes. Kings and tyrants.
I think there's so many factors in the Temur color wedge flavor that makes it the king of nature. But at the same time there is Naya. Naya worships nature and its beings , dosent create rules and laws , and also has a Elemental Commander. On the other side is Jund, which embodies the rage and chain of nature. Though Jund commanders dont really click with a elemental deck , and Jund is full of Tyranny.
What are your guys opinions on 3 color Nature and which is the most intune with natrue?
Also if you guys have any suggestions or helpful tips for this commander deck im building , itd help alot. I currently do have a Temur Elemental Tribal in progress. Im trying to divide it into 40 creatures, 38 lands , and 22 spells. But im having alot of trouble with deciding which creatures are best , how to make the mana work (The deck has ALOT less blue in comparison with Green and Red..Should I try to ratio the lands to match each color? Or should I just keep each mana color even with land. Ratio obviously sounds smarter but I did realize my commander will be using blue every time...) And the last issue being, is 22 spells enough? Hard to pick only 22 with such good colors.
Also Im very into Gruul colors and style of play right now. Big fast combat. So White sounds like a better companion color for gruul due to combat tricks and its aggro nature. But ive carried blue with me every since Ive started , and maybe I could use blue tricks like tapping and board clearing to open up for my big gruul combat. Not sure, blue seems alittle out of place with Green and Red but maybe it works? I do enjoy Simic but im "Eh" About Izzet. I feel like if I found a place for some Izzet tricks in the deck id like it more. Also I LOVE selesnya but I HATE boros. So even draw on both sides...
What do you guys think?
Sorry if this whole post turned into a maze of rambling and thought, I appreciate any help I get. Thanks guys.
Marath, Will of the Wild imo is the best elemental commander. She creates tribal relevant creatures, naya gives access to powerful cards like Naya charm and you get strong combo finishers.
For a tribal deck, definitely, for a super jank combo deck, debatable. For elemental tribal I would go with Horde of Notions or Omnath, Locus of Rage, but if you are sticking to Naya or Temur then Marath seems best.
Marath, Will of the Wild imo is the best elemental commander. She creates tribal relevant creatures, naya gives access to powerful cards like Naya charm and you get strong combo finishers.
Marath's female? I didn't know. I've been assuming Marath was male because of the huge antlers.
Marath is an elusive, powerful beast who roams the untamed regions of his shaman-ruled world.
So, yeah, male.
Anyway, I'm voting for Animar. Besides more elemental tokens existing in blue (though Marath makes them himself), there's also which color (besides red and green) offers the most utility to an elemental deck:
Animar also reduces costs. But Marath goes infinite more easily; basically you go infinite with Cathars' Crusade and Workhorse or (keeping it tribal) Mana Echoes.
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I believe Temur is the way to go if you want to truly represent all of nature. White has some things going for it, but Temur gives you the core of green plantlife, red earth, and blue water. I don't know about you, but nature isn't nature to me without water.
Similarly I believe the most powerful non-Horde of Notions elementals are in Temur, of which I prefer Maelstrom Wanderer over Animar, Soul of Elements as the wanderer shows off a bit more of the raw chaos of nature while Animar is more focused and typically more hated by a table.
Base on generals available in both factions, I think Naya would have smoother nature flavors, but Temur has more elemental feel. Naya emphasizes on cohesiveness, Temur is more wild.
1. There are a heap of great elemental cards. It's an enormous tribe, big enough that you have the luxury of picking and choosing between good tribe members instead of scraping for the dregs. I would suggest starting with your choice of commander. Here, too, you have options. Marath, Will of the Wild; Horde of Notions; Animar, Soul of Elements; Omnath, Locus of Mana; Omnath, Locus of Rage; and Maelstrom Wanderer are all powerhouse elemental commanders. Decide which one appeals to you. Then choose your creatures on that basis.
2. Agreed on land ramp. Green's land ramp spells come in two main flavors: Spells that fetch basics, and spells that fetch forests. Normally I prefer to fetch forests, because that allows me to fetch shocks and duals, but you say you're on a budget, so you may be better off with basics. My go-to green land ramp spells:
Search for Tomorrow (suspend it on turn 1, and it gives you mana starting on turn 3)
Sakura-Tribe Elder (can be used as a chump blocker and sacrifice for the land at instant speed; also easy to recur from the graveyard)
Nature's Lore (the land comes in untapped!)
Cultivate, Kodama's Reach (ramp for one and ensure you hit the next land drop)
Skyshroud Claim (the lands come in untapped)
Hour of Promise (if you have nonbasic utility lands that make your deck sing)
3. Naya is better for a "nature" theme, but Temur is better for an "elemental" theme. The two are different in Magic; elementals can embody abstract concepts as well as physical forces, and are much more common in blue than in white.
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1- Tribal
-So this deck is going to be Elemental Tribal. This is my first tribal deck and also my first Commander deck, so im trying my best to locate tribal cards and support. I've managed to find a lot of good ones and hopefully all the good ones out there, though im working on a budget. Any good ideas?
2-Function
-Trying to make a 3 color Commander deck feels very intimidating. Though , it being tribal does seem like itll help fluency. I want to make sure this deck is cool and flavorful, but doesn't run like trash. Green is Natures color and also has Land ramp , so putting a good amount of land search cards in this deck seems like a good idea. Getting the mana right seems like rule one. Any notes for a newbie?
3- Flavor
-So this is the biggest part i've been teetering on and im just curious on the MTG community's thoughts. The question is , which 3 color combo makes the most natural and flavorful combo? In your opinion. Especially elementals. Ive personally boiled it down to Temur. Temur (Red, Blue, and Green) Has the colors that all embody nature (Though blue is a bit Anti-Natural , blue also at times embodies the ocean and its creatures.) The Temur clan itself is very connected to the land with its whispering shamans and simply living off of it. Also Temur was the clan to embody the most elementals. And as another note, Temur commanders include Animar, which is a Elemental , and the Soul of the Elements!!
I like the idea of Temur because its the 3 colors outside of white or black. I like to say its the true colors of nature. It dosent agree with black because , even though nature is ferocious and dark , Black pollutes the land and sky's and manipulates/Goes against natures order(Zombies).Black is also selfish and Greedy. Temur dosent agree with white either because , even though nature does form and trust in Unity and Growth,White constricts and rules, binding living beings to its laws and own moral orders and codes. Kings and tyrants.
I think there's so many factors in the Temur color wedge flavor that makes it the king of nature. But at the same time there is Naya. Naya worships nature and its beings , dosent create rules and laws , and also has a Elemental Commander. On the other side is Jund, which embodies the rage and chain of nature. Though Jund commanders dont really click with a elemental deck , and Jund is full of Tyranny.
What are your guys opinions on 3 color Nature and which is the most intune with natrue?
Also if you guys have any suggestions or helpful tips for this commander deck im building , itd help alot. I currently do have a Temur Elemental Tribal in progress. Im trying to divide it into 40 creatures, 38 lands , and 22 spells. But im having alot of trouble with deciding which creatures are best , how to make the mana work (The deck has ALOT less blue in comparison with Green and Red..Should I try to ratio the lands to match each color? Or should I just keep each mana color even with land. Ratio obviously sounds smarter but I did realize my commander will be using blue every time...) And the last issue being, is 22 spells enough? Hard to pick only 22 with such good colors.
Also Im very into Gruul colors and style of play right now. Big fast combat. So White sounds like a better companion color for gruul due to combat tricks and its aggro nature. But ive carried blue with me every since Ive started , and maybe I could use blue tricks like tapping and board clearing to open up for my big gruul combat. Not sure, blue seems alittle out of place with Green and Red but maybe it works? I do enjoy Simic but im "Eh" About Izzet. I feel like if I found a place for some Izzet tricks in the deck id like it more. Also I LOVE selesnya but I HATE boros. So even draw on both sides...
What do you guys think?
Sorry if this whole post turned into a maze of rambling and thought, I appreciate any help I get. Thanks guys.
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Marath's female? I didn't know. I've been assuming Marath was male because of the huge antlers.
Actually, now that I think about it...
So, yeah, male.
Anyway, I'm voting for Animar. Besides more elemental tokens existing in blue (though Marath makes them himself), there's also which color (besides red and green) offers the most utility to an elemental deck:
Blue: Aethersnipe, Ameboid Changeling, Bloodwater Entity, Brine Elemental, Crackleburr, Guile, Hydromorph Guardian, Mulldrifter, Nevermaker, Quicksilver Elemental, Roil Elemental, Slithermuse, Tidal Force, Tideforce Elemental, Time Elemental, Void Stalker
White: Dust Elemental, Flickerwisp, Heartmender, Hoofprints of the Stag, Mirror Entity, Reveillark, Shinewend, Spitemare, Squall Drifter, Wispmare, Woeleecher
You can also use Supreme Exemplar in blue (and Changeling Hero in white, and both Naya and Temur have Changeling Berserker, Changeling Titan, and Nova Chaser) as a type of blinking ability, or to save your creature from a wrath.
Animar also reduces costs. But Marath goes infinite more easily; basically you go infinite with Cathars' Crusade and Workhorse or (keeping it tribal) Mana Echoes.
(And of course, creature decks in general like Murkfiend Liege as Seedborn Muse #2.)
So, if you want tokens, Marath. If you want just a fun tribal deck, Animar. But be aware that Animar, you can also combo out.
Actually, now that I think about it, you also get Shamanic Revelation #4 in Temur.
On phasing:
Similarly I believe the most powerful non-Horde of Notions elementals are in Temur, of which I prefer Maelstrom Wanderer over Animar, Soul of Elements as the wanderer shows off a bit more of the raw chaos of nature while Animar is more focused and typically more hated by a table.
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This.
It comes down to whether you want Reveillark, Flickerwisp, Purity, and Marath, Will of the Wild vs. Mulldrifter, Master of Waves, Guile, Roil Elemental, Slithermuse, Aethersnipe, and Animar, Soul of Elements. Blue also has some good Awaken spells.
2. Agreed on land ramp. Green's land ramp spells come in two main flavors: Spells that fetch basics, and spells that fetch forests. Normally I prefer to fetch forests, because that allows me to fetch shocks and duals, but you say you're on a budget, so you may be better off with basics. My go-to green land ramp spells:
Search for Tomorrow (suspend it on turn 1, and it gives you mana starting on turn 3)
Sakura-Tribe Elder (can be used as a chump blocker and sacrifice for the land at instant speed; also easy to recur from the graveyard)
Nature's Lore (the land comes in untapped!)
Cultivate, Kodama's Reach (ramp for one and ensure you hit the next land drop)
Skyshroud Claim (the lands come in untapped)
Hour of Promise (if you have nonbasic utility lands that make your deck sing)
3. Naya is better for a "nature" theme, but Temur is better for an "elemental" theme. The two are different in Magic; elementals can embody abstract concepts as well as physical forces, and are much more common in blue than in white.