I have a Tana, the Bloodsower + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Naya tokens (mostly Saprolings, but other tokens too) partner deck that I feel has been lacking in the draw department, so I began looking into some options.
At this point for draw I am running: Mentor of the Meek, Shamanic Revelation, Skullclamp, and . . . that's about it! I have Ohran Viper to get a card each turn when deals damage to opponent, but it hasn't seemed that impactful for me the times I've played it, and is rather slow one-card-each-turn kind of thing whereas my games go much better when I can draw multiple cards per turn. So, I'm actually going to take him out as one of the slots to fit in more "raw power" draw.
Unfortunately, the more powerful draw options favor having big creatures high in power on the field and not little 1/1 or 2/2 dudes, such as Garruk, Primal Hunter, Greater Good, Soul's Majesty, and Momentous Fall. I've only a single creature in the deck with power greater than 2 and any tokens I make are and nearly always remain 1/1s (unless pumped at instant speed) to ensure they go nearly unblocked with Sidar, so none of these will do.
I saw Soul of the Harvest, but it only triggers on non-token creatures, of which I don't have many because this is a token deck and my commander pair is meant to be the main creature generating engine.
I saw Regal Force, which seems alright for having a swarm of dudes on the field, but I don't have a way to bounce or otherwise re-trigger the ETB ability and I think it's a bit expensive at 7CC - this deck flies fairly low to the ground with only a single card above 5CC in the entire deck, and that single card is meant as a win-con.
Slate of Ancestry seems good, but a bit clunky to get off the ground - 8 mana for the first activation - and really only suits the deck if I have a few dudes already, because paying 4 mana to draw 2-3 cards is better than nothing, but still not that efficient in terms of some other stuff. I have the same feeling with Mind's Eye at 5CC, but I feel that would be a bigger target for someone else to blow up.
I thought about Outpost Siege and other "impulse" draw-type cards, but most of the deck is better played at the right opportunity and not right away, so I'm not very fond of those kinds of draw for this deck.
Fecundity doesn't seem to do it for me either since most of the time, my own creatures are going unblockable (so won't die to combat damage) and my board wipes are the type to actually spare my creatures, not kill them (like Retribution of the Meek, Dusk // Dawn, etc.), so I feel my opponents would draw more with this than me.
Before I started the agonizing process of cutting cards to fit some of the cards directly above, I wanted to get some feedback or advice on draw for this kind of situation/deck. Are there some options out there I missed? Have any of these or other draw stuff worked out well for others in token decks that aren't of the elfball variety? Thanks for the advice!
Skullclamp? I feel like I must be missing something as it has not yet been mentioned but this is an all-star in token decks. I use it in my Samut Toekns deck and it's practically Necropotence in terms of CA.
Also Combos with Fecundity.
Edit: Reading is pro, I missed you mentioning skull clamp, ignore the top half of my post.
Regardless, Fecundity still functions well with skullclamp.
And I run Sylvan Library alongside Abundance in my Naya deck, if you can get them both out you're overwhelmed by carddraw.
EDH Pantheon UBRG Yidris, Eye of the Storm WBR Kaalia, Herald of Apocalypse UBG Damia, Sage of Nightmare WBG Karador, the Bridge Between WU Grand Warden Augustin IV RG Omnath, Locus of Awakening BG Nath Addict UR Niv Mizzet, Brain Aflame B Kokusho, the Mourning Star U Memnarch is All
Wow, these are some amazing suggestions I've never heard of or seen in previous card searches, so thanks! I guess I should've mentioned earlier that I'm not that fond of tutors. In fact, my entire playgroup shies away from them since we all like to see decks play out in different ways (don't want to see all the same exact cards every time we play a deck) and it leaves room for spontaneity and a level of "chance" within the game. We don't think they're bad for the format or anything, just prefer not to use them if not entirely necessary.
I didn't really think of the synergy of Fecundity with Skullclamp, but there are some GY shenanigans in my playgroup, so I feel opponents would still be able to take more advantage of it over me.
I've decided to pick up a Sylvan Library. I should've a long time ago. I've actually seen a friend doing the Abundance + Sylvan Library combo, and it's really nice (Abundance I feel is one of those cards that isn't played much at all in my playgroup that can be amazing - while not actual CA itself, it really helps filter your deck at any stage of the game), so I'll add that since I'm going with S Library anyway.
Overwhelming Instinct and Symbiotic Deployment seem like amazing tech with a deck like this - the two main things I'm doing is making creatures, and then attacking with them (preferably unblocked with Sidar out). Once Tana gets in for one combat, I have enough creatures to keep activating Overwhelming Instinct until a board wipe or other mass removal, so this could net me a small handful of cards, I feel, easily before someone decides to deal with it. I like Symbiotic Deployment because, as I interpret it (correct me if I'm wrong, please!), I can tap the two saprolings I just made from a Tana combat connection to activate the ability, so it acts as a draw step replacement by attacking with Tana (which I'm trying to do every turn anyway), paying a mana and tapping the two saps she just made - at the worst. At the best, I can tap a handful of my tokens I may already have on board and pay a few mana to draw a few cards. Seems very tempting for skipping my draw step. Overwhelming Instinct definitely, and I'm very much considering (seeing what I can cut) to try out Symbiotic Deployment.
How easy is it for you to get tokens pumped to at least 3 power? I started using Mouth in Gahiji tokens because he can reliably make my 1/1s into 3/1s. The card gave me something to do in the early game besides ramp which the deck was lacking and it gave me an option to use in the late game while it was just sitting in the graveyard. I Usually net 4-5 cards off of it. The most it's ever gotten me was 30 or so.
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At this point for draw I am running: Mentor of the Meek, Shamanic Revelation, Skullclamp, and . . . that's about it! I have Ohran Viper to get a card each turn when deals damage to opponent, but it hasn't seemed that impactful for me the times I've played it, and is rather slow one-card-each-turn kind of thing whereas my games go much better when I can draw multiple cards per turn. So, I'm actually going to take him out as one of the slots to fit in more "raw power" draw.
Unfortunately, the more powerful draw options favor having big creatures high in power on the field and not little 1/1 or 2/2 dudes, such as Garruk, Primal Hunter, Greater Good, Soul's Majesty, and Momentous Fall. I've only a single creature in the deck with power greater than 2 and any tokens I make are and nearly always remain 1/1s (unless pumped at instant speed) to ensure they go nearly unblocked with Sidar, so none of these will do.
I saw Soul of the Harvest, but it only triggers on non-token creatures, of which I don't have many because this is a token deck and my commander pair is meant to be the main creature generating engine.
I saw Regal Force, which seems alright for having a swarm of dudes on the field, but I don't have a way to bounce or otherwise re-trigger the ETB ability and I think it's a bit expensive at 7CC - this deck flies fairly low to the ground with only a single card above 5CC in the entire deck, and that single card is meant as a win-con.
Slate of Ancestry seems good, but a bit clunky to get off the ground - 8 mana for the first activation - and really only suits the deck if I have a few dudes already, because paying 4 mana to draw 2-3 cards is better than nothing, but still not that efficient in terms of some other stuff. I have the same feeling with Mind's Eye at 5CC, but I feel that would be a bigger target for someone else to blow up.
I thought about Outpost Siege and other "impulse" draw-type cards, but most of the deck is better played at the right opportunity and not right away, so I'm not very fond of those kinds of draw for this deck.
Fecundity doesn't seem to do it for me either since most of the time, my own creatures are going unblockable (so won't die to combat damage) and my board wipes are the type to actually spare my creatures, not kill them (like Retribution of the Meek, Dusk // Dawn, etc.), so I feel my opponents would draw more with this than me.
I'm now considering Sylvan Library, but don't own one yet, and Harmonize. Other than that, I'm just finding the non-exiling "impulse" kind of stuff that I would consider such as Faithless looting, Tormenting Voice / Wild Guess, and Cathartic Reunion. I'm just not seeing anything in white for draw.
Before I started the agonizing process of cutting cards to fit some of the cards directly above, I wanted to get some feedback or advice on draw for this kind of situation/deck. Are there some options out there I missed? Have any of these or other draw stuff worked out well for others in token decks that aren't of the elfball variety? Thanks for the advice!
Current EDH
UThassa, God of the Sea devotion control
WRGTana, the Bloodsower & Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa partners weenie tokens
UUnesh, Criosphinx Sovereign Sphinx tribal
WUTaigam, Ojutai Master tokens on the rebound spellslinger
GRhonas the Indomitable green creature beats
UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ETB tribal
Retired EDH
WURGKynaios and Tiro of Meletis group hug
URThe Locust God draw swarm
UTalrand, Sky Summoner funsies blue spells
WBObzedat, Ghost Council life gain/drain
UBR- Scourge of Nephalia -RBU | WBR- From Above and Below -RBW | CRC- Dark Arts and Artifice -CRC | BBB- Fear and Revulsion -BBB
BUB- A New Era in Unlife -BUB | (G/W)(G/W)(G/W)- Honor and Horn -(G/W)(G/W)(G/W) | URW- Still the Mind and Quiet the Heart -WRU
Also Combos with Fecundity.
Edit: Reading is pro, I missed you mentioning skull clamp, ignore the top half of my post.
Regardless, Fecundity still functions well with skullclamp.
And I run Sylvan Library alongside Abundance in my Naya deck, if you can get them both out you're overwhelmed by carddraw.
UBRG Yidris, Eye of the Storm
WBR Kaalia, Herald of Apocalypse
UBG Damia, Sage of Nightmare
WBG Karador, the Bridge Between
WU Grand Warden Augustin IV
RG Omnath, Locus of Awakening
BG Nath Addict
UR Niv Mizzet, Brain Aflame
B Kokusho, the Mourning Star
U Memnarch is All
Doesn't work with Sidar, but in my tokens deck I have Elemental Bond to combo with anthems.
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
I didn't really think of the synergy of Fecundity with Skullclamp, but there are some GY shenanigans in my playgroup, so I feel opponents would still be able to take more advantage of it over me.
I've decided to pick up a Sylvan Library. I should've a long time ago. I've actually seen a friend doing the Abundance + Sylvan Library combo, and it's really nice (Abundance I feel is one of those cards that isn't played much at all in my playgroup that can be amazing - while not actual CA itself, it really helps filter your deck at any stage of the game), so I'll add that since I'm going with S Library anyway.
Overwhelming Instinct and Symbiotic Deployment seem like amazing tech with a deck like this - the two main things I'm doing is making creatures, and then attacking with them (preferably unblocked with Sidar out). Once Tana gets in for one combat, I have enough creatures to keep activating Overwhelming Instinct until a board wipe or other mass removal, so this could net me a small handful of cards, I feel, easily before someone decides to deal with it. I like Symbiotic Deployment because, as I interpret it (correct me if I'm wrong, please!), I can tap the two saprolings I just made from a Tana combat connection to activate the ability, so it acts as a draw step replacement by attacking with Tana (which I'm trying to do every turn anyway), paying a mana and tapping the two saps she just made - at the worst. At the best, I can tap a handful of my tokens I may already have on board and pay a few mana to draw a few cards. Seems very tempting for skipping my draw step. Overwhelming Instinct definitely, and I'm very much considering (seeing what I can cut) to try out Symbiotic Deployment.
This stuff is great!
Current EDH
UThassa, God of the Sea devotion control
WRGTana, the Bloodsower & Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa partners weenie tokens
UUnesh, Criosphinx Sovereign Sphinx tribal
WUTaigam, Ojutai Master tokens on the rebound spellslinger
GRhonas the Indomitable green creature beats
UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ETB tribal
Retired EDH
WURGKynaios and Tiro of Meletis group hug
URThe Locust God draw swarm
UTalrand, Sky Summoner funsies blue spells
WBObzedat, Ghost Council life gain/drain