Pump: Bloodrush, Equipments, Double Damage, Lifelink
Protection: Artifacts & Enchantments to protect Ruric from spot removal
Ramp: Artifacts & Creature based
Mass Land D: drop this early with Ruric out, and GG
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
I love this general. I built my deck, but I am doing an ogre theme.
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First off, take out all the mass land d you have in here. Ruric doesn't combo with mass land d at all. If you were running Kaalia of the Vast, well I can see that. Also, imagine this: suppose you blow up all lands, but in response, someone kills Ruric. Congratulations, you have now stalled the game and EDH is already a format that is slow. Plus, everyone else is pissed at you for blowing up their lands and will gang up on you, and prob not want to play magic with you again.
Secondly, I would run ONLY creatures (unless for someone reason, you want to take 6 damage). That being said, you will be lacking in mass removal. However, I would run any and all creatures in your color that can serve as removal. For example: Duplicant, Steel Hellkite, Ulamog the Infinite Gyre (because when you cast him), Inferno Titan (repeatedly kills weenies), Gruul Ragebeast. If you want ramp, there are creatures that can do this: Solemn Simulacrum, Farhaven Elf, Wood Elves (which can help you find the dual/shockland), Yavimaya Dryad, and the list continues. Card draw is also important, so I would run Ohran Viper
Thirdly, if you do not run ANY noncreature spells, these guys will be VERY good to run: Nullstone Gargoyle, Heartwood Storyteller, and Drumhunter (your general will probably always be out there, so this is a free card every turn). I considered Thorn of Amethyst, but taxing people by only 1 mana isn't very effective. If you are only running creatures, then these guys are worth considering: Primordial Sage, Somberwald Sage, and Soul of the Harvest.
Finally, you need to make sure each creature that you run is a valid threat ON ITS OWN. What I mean by that is, assume that you have just lands and that creature on the battlefield and ask yourself the question: is this a creature my opponent will want to get rid of immediately, or gives me some benefit/gets rid of a threat when it enters the battlefield? If the answer is no, take that creature out. So, I would remove these creatures: Sylvan Safekeeper (setting yourself back a land is not worth it. Just run more threats. Also, the only 1/1s that can be threatening in EDH is Scute Mob and Dragonmaster Outcast. Other good 1/1s are utility guys, like Elvish Piper), Keldon Firebombers (again, take out the mass land d), Azusa (this creature is only good if you build an entire deck around it. Consider Oracle of Mul-Daya, which is very good on its own), Godo (if you decide to not run any creatures), Dragon Mage (giving your opponents cards is BAD).
Thanks for the feedback! Sorry for the long post, i took some time to better walk through my deck with this. I tried to address everyone's direct comments carefully and clearly.
I would recommend removing some of the smaller bloodrush creatures like wasteland viper. They're not worth running in EDH, not enough power.
Wasteland Viper was included because gives my general deathtouch, as a form of spot removal. I was trying to lean away from non-creature based spot removal so this was my thought. Do you have a suggestion for a similar creature based removal in it's place? I purposefully omitted the other bloodrush guys who didn't provide any form of combat evasion or benefit other than +x/+x.
Id run more creature oriented cards to really abuse your general's ability
What did you have in mind?
Maybe i should be a bit more clear about the way this deck plays. It's not balls to the walls only creatures in the effort to over extend in the same way that Edric does. Yes this deck is more aggro related but at the same time, i use non-creatures to best support my general. I'll explain more in the response to the next post below.
First off, take out all the mass land d you have in here. Ruric doesn't combo with mass land d at all. If you were running Kaalia of the Vast, well I can see that. Also, imagine this: suppose you blow up all lands, but in response, someone kills Ruric. Congratulations, you have now stalled the game and EDH is already a format that is slow. Plus, everyone else is pissed at you for blowing up their lands and will gang up on you, and prob not want to play magic with you again.
Thanks for the feedback! I think I need to spell out a bit more of deck strategy so that you understand a bit better why i included 30 non creature spells in a deck that sounds like it should run 59 creatures.
Firstly, It sounds like you just generally don't play/like/handle Mass land D very much and that's understandable. It's a pretty hard-core cut throat strategy and it has the potential to backfire, it has the potential to alter game state dramatically. And i'm not sure about your playgroup but in mine, Mass land D is a perfectly viable strategy and people play it often (and we enjoy playing magic together with it), decks are built to cope with it as best they can. And in Ruric Thar, it's a complete house. Sure he's not built to cope with it as obviously as Kaalia does, but an early 4-5 turn Wildfire with Ruric on the board will totally gimp your opponents. They will be burning themselves just to try and get back into board state. Also, Fact: Keldon Firebombers is one of the best cards ever printed!
Now with respect to dealing with removal on Ruric in response to a mass land d spell? well that's why we are including the protection package in the deck. Asceticism, City of Solitude, Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots, Sylvan Safekeeper (i wasn't sure if you were trolling below, this guy is completely bonkers in a creature deck. and when you are playing life from the loam, blowing lands doesn't matter one bit). Whispersilk Cloak solves 2 of Ruric's biggest issues, protection and unblockable.
Secondly, I would run ONLY creatures (unless for someone reason, you want to take 6 damage). That being said, you will be lacking in mass removal. However, I would run any and all creatures in your color that can serve as removal. For example: Duplicant, Steel Hellkite, Ulamog the Infinite Gyre (because when you cast him), Inferno Titan (repeatedly kills weenies), Gruul Ragebeast. If you want ramp, there are creatures that can do this: Solemn Simulacrum, Farhaven Elf, Wood Elves (which can help you find the dual/shockland), Yavimaya Dryad, and the list continues. Card draw is also important, so I would run Ohran Viper
I know Ruric on the surface looks like you should only be running creatures, it feels natural in response to his ability, and it's a perfectly viable strategy; however if you accept the fact that either: you drop non-creature spells before playing him (saving him for opportunity in board state) or you accept the fact that you will take some direct damage, you'll find how much help there is for him in non-creatures.
Do you see how he interacts with lifelink? It's beyond insane how much Lifelink turns his ability around. All of a sudden i can cast non-creature spells without any hindrance. In fact his interaction with lifelink is a huge crux of this build. there are only 3 cards available to Gruul that provide lifelink: Basilisk Collar, Loxodon Warhammer, and Batterskull. That's why I run Godo, Bandit Warlord & Hoarding Dragon (not to mention they fetch my other valuable equipments).
On the subject of spot removal guys i agree, it's important to favor those over non-creature based versions. Duplicant, Gruul Ragebeast, and Inferno Titan i do like. I mostly prefer Flameblast Dragon over Steel Hellkite (not because i think it's better, but because i always find Steel Hellkite a bit tougher to remove with. But i could see an argument for running it).
For Ramp, i have the elf-land-fetching-dorks on my list for sub-ins for Cultivate & Kodama's Reach, it's quite possible they could make it in.
On the subject of card draw; i massively favor Knollspine Dragon over Ohran Viper, but there are arguments for going for a small (earlier) creature. What about Hystrodon? Ultimately however, Greater Good is by far and away the most powerful card draw card available to you in gruul. I would pay 6 life in a HEARTBEAT for the amount of cards you draw off of it. You could argue that if i'm going to spend that slot on a non-creature card draw spell, maybe Momentous Fall is a better choice because it could gain back the lost life with Ruric in play, but the only reason i'm not running it currently is because it's a 1 trick pony. Leave Greater Good on the field and i will run away with card advantage quickly.
Thirdly, if you do not run ANY noncreature spells, these guys will be VERY good to run: Nullstone Gargoyle, Heartwood Storyteller, and Drumhunter (your general will probably always be out there, so this is a free card every turn). I considered Thorn of Amethyst, but taxing people by only 1 mana isn't very effective. If you are only running creatures, then these guys are worth considering: Primordial Sage, Somberwald Sage, and Soul of the Harvest.
Heartwood Storyteller is a really interest card even if you do play non-creature spells. It's all about timing, late game this guy would be pretty solid in my build (when i stop playing non-creature spells). good suggestion. Nullstone Gargoyle is cute trick also a worthy inclusion in my build. (it's ok to hold onto your cards and not play them creature or not). I'll have to think about maybe sideboarding it for now. Of all the mana dorks out there, I think Drumhunter is pretty solid in a deck like this. Good suggestion. I'll have to ponder on these ideas about what to cut.
Finally, you need to make sure each creature that you run is a valid threat ON ITS OWN. What I mean by that is, assume that you have just lands and that creature on the battlefield and ask yourself the question: is this a creature my opponent will want to get rid of immediately, or gives me some benefit/gets rid of a threat when it enters the battlefield? If the answer is no, take that creature out. So, I would remove these creatures: Sylvan Safekeeper (setting yourself back a land is not worth it. Just run more threats. Also, the only 1/1s that can be threatening in EDH is Scute Mob and Dragonmaster Outcast. Other good 1/1s are utility guys, like Elvish Piper), Keldon Firebombers (again, take out the mass land d), Azusa (this creature is only good if you build an entire deck around it. Consider Oracle of Mul-Daya, which is very good on its own), Godo (if you decide to not run any creatures), Dragon Mage (giving your opponents cards is BAD).
Just for the sake of argument, I don't think i've ever seen a deck that runs Scute Mob or Dragonmaster Outcast, let alone one where they are threatening, they are on-par in my book with Birds of Paradise. Serra Ascendant is by far and away the nastiest scariest 1/1 in this format.
Lastly, here's a bit more explanation on the other non-creature spells i'm running. The minimum criteria for a non-creature spell in this deck is: "Can this card be dropped before Ruric early game?" If not, "Am i ok with spending 6 life for this card?" and then again if i'm not ok with it "Am i OK with keeping this card in my hand until i am ready to cast it?"
Bear Umbra - More mana per turn = more dropping of creatures. Also goes infinite with Hellkite Charger (one of the few infinite combos i'm cool with), also protects Ruric from a destroy effect. Gratuitous Violence & Furnace of Rath - This should be pretty obvious, casting non-creature spells becomes VERY costly very quickly for my opponents (i'll stop casting my own while this is online, or ensure i have a source of lifelink on Ruric first).
[CARD]
Fires of Yavimaya[/CARD] - this is coming out in exchange for Anger. Skull Clamp - at first this is a knee-jerk reaction for me with all green decks, but there's a good chance this won't be relevant. It's on the chopping block in favor of creature-based card draw. Mindslaver - force opponents to cast all their spells? Seems good to me. Domri Rade - Pretty awesome in a creature based deck, all of his abilities are extreemly relevant. Lurking Predators - Kind of a must in a creature deck. Only improves with a higher creature count. Similar argument for Birthing Pod however i'm considering cutting this one. Tooth and Nail - this is really bad in a creature deck.
Mana Rocks - Self explanatory, cast before Ruric, also help recover from MLD.
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
I've been excited to build a deck with this guy at its head. Of course, a green general that wants me to build a ton of creatures is hard to resist. Here are the creature choices I went with broken down by use:
Just some suggestions for various roles if you're looking to build your deck more creature heavy. Honestly, I think there's enough removal/draw/ramp to go exclusively creatures.
I've been excited to build a deck with this guy at its head. Of course, a green general that wants me to build a ton of creatures is hard to resist. Here are the creature choices I went with broken down by use:
snip...
Just some suggestions for various roles if you're looking to build your deck more creature heavy. Honestly, I think there's enough removal/draw/ramp to go exclusively creatures.
you are correct, exclusively creatures is viable. the focus of my non-creature package is protection, MLD, & Lifelink.
Grafted Exoskeleton - good suggestion. Upon dropping this and equipping him, i can see people absolutely not casting any spells. Could be a really good finisher, what to cut? Gratuitous Violence / Furnace of Wrath - Already in the deck Torpor Orb - This card shuts down a lot of my creature based triggers. Unfortunately a creature heavy deck built around Ruric is going to rely a lot on ETB mechanics. I can see playing this card once you have a really narly board state with Ruric, Exo, and GV out. This is actually a pretty rude lock. hmmm something worth considering
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
Wasteland Viper was included because gives my general deathtouch, as a form of spot removal. I was trying to lean away from non-creature based spot removal so this was my thought. Do you have a suggestion for a similar creature based removal in it's place? I purposefully omitted the other bloodrush guys who didn't provide any form of combat evasion or benefit other than +x/+x.
Looking through my edh, I realized that creature based removal in green-red is more difficult than it seemed. I still don't think wasteland viper is the right choice though. I also noticed you're not running Borborygmos Enraged. Why not have the leader of the gruul himself?
I like where you're going with the punisher theme. I could see taking out some top-end damage from dragons and sub in a few punisher cards, as you've mentioned. Zo-Zu really hurts after some MLD... This definitely has some potential. Over-all i'm really liking the damage-over-time theme this deck is putting out. I will strongly consider this.
Looking through my edh, I realized that creature based removal in green-red is more difficult than it seemed. I still don't think wasteland viper is the right choice though. I also noticed you're not running Borborygmos Enraged. Why not have the leader of the gruul himself?
There's good instant speed non-creature red removal like Chaos Warp and Aftershock, but i was trying to stick on theme with creature mechanics, which like you said, doesn't leave you with much. There's a creature recursion package in this deck and Bloodrush dumps my guys to the yard, i feel like it could work. I want to give it a try, but if i find it a dead draw, i'll cut it out.
Borby 2.0 is cool but you need a high land count to really make him work well. Sure it combo's well with Life from the Loam / Crucible of Worlds but it's still a little on the slow side and i don't really want to keep my hand full of lands to make him useful. Bogardan Hellkite hits faster, Balefire Dragon puts the hurt on many creatures, and Flameblast is a fireball on the stick. I just think you need to build around Borby 2.0 to make full use of him.
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
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Main features:
Pump: Bloodrush, Equipments, Double Damage, Lifelink
Protection: Artifacts & Enchantments to protect Ruric from spot removal
Ramp: Artifacts & Creature based
Mass Land D: drop this early with Ruric out, and GG
1 Asceticism
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Whispersilk Cloak
1 Bear Umbra
1 Gratuitous Violence
1 Furnace of Rath
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Batterskull
1 City of Solitude
Tutor & Draw
1 Greater Good
1 Domri Rade
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Lurking Predators
Ramp
1 Life from the Loam
1 Sol Ring
1 Gruul Signet
1 Gilded Lotus
Mass Land Destruction
1 Wildfire
1 Destructive Force
1 Tectonic Break
Other
1 Mindslaver
Protection & Buff
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
1 Nullstone Gargoyle
1 Urabrask, the Hidden
1 Anger
1 Rubblehulk
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
1 Wasteland Viper
1 Skarrg Goliath
1 Wrecking Ogre
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
1 Fierce Empath
1 Knollspine Dragon
1 Heartwood Storyteller
1 Mwonvuli Beast Tracker
1 Hoarding Dragon
Removal
1 Acidic Slime
1 Sylvan Primordial
1 Gruul Ragebeast
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Flameblast Dragon
1 Balefire Dragon
Ramp & Mana
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Sakura Tribe Elder
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Ondu Giant
1 Farhaven Elf
Recursion
1 Paleoloth
1 Eternal Witness
1 Genesis
1 Deadwood Treefolk
Mass Land Destruction
1 Keldon Firebombers
1 Raging Ravine
1 Contested Cliffs
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1 Madblind Mountain
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinacle
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Stomping Ground
1 Gruul Turf
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Mountain Valley
1 Winding Canyons
1 Dryad Arbor
10 Forest
10 Mountain
Cards i'm considering:
1 Boartusk Leige
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
1 Dragon Tyrant
1 Utvara Hellkite
1 Nature's Will
1 Burtalizer Exarch
1 Tejuru Preserver
1 Deus of Calamity
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
Ideas? Thoughts? Criticisms? Please lets brainstorm how to push Ruric to his full potential!
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
Special thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the avatar and Inkfox Aesthetics for the sig.
Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
BRGProssh, the Chump-Block DragonBRG
BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
Secondly, I would run ONLY creatures (unless for someone reason, you want to take 6 damage). That being said, you will be lacking in mass removal. However, I would run any and all creatures in your color that can serve as removal. For example: Duplicant, Steel Hellkite, Ulamog the Infinite Gyre (because when you cast him), Inferno Titan (repeatedly kills weenies), Gruul Ragebeast. If you want ramp, there are creatures that can do this: Solemn Simulacrum, Farhaven Elf, Wood Elves (which can help you find the dual/shockland), Yavimaya Dryad, and the list continues. Card draw is also important, so I would run Ohran Viper
Thirdly, if you do not run ANY noncreature spells, these guys will be VERY good to run: Nullstone Gargoyle, Heartwood Storyteller, and Drumhunter (your general will probably always be out there, so this is a free card every turn). I considered Thorn of Amethyst, but taxing people by only 1 mana isn't very effective. If you are only running creatures, then these guys are worth considering: Primordial Sage, Somberwald Sage, and Soul of the Harvest.
Finally, you need to make sure each creature that you run is a valid threat ON ITS OWN. What I mean by that is, assume that you have just lands and that creature on the battlefield and ask yourself the question: is this a creature my opponent will want to get rid of immediately, or gives me some benefit/gets rid of a threat when it enters the battlefield? If the answer is no, take that creature out. So, I would remove these creatures: Sylvan Safekeeper (setting yourself back a land is not worth it. Just run more threats. Also, the only 1/1s that can be threatening in EDH is Scute Mob and Dragonmaster Outcast. Other good 1/1s are utility guys, like Elvish Piper), Keldon Firebombers (again, take out the mass land d), Azusa (this creature is only good if you build an entire deck around it. Consider Oracle of Mul-Daya, which is very good on its own), Godo (if you decide to not run any creatures), Dragon Mage (giving your opponents cards is BAD).
Wasteland Viper was included because gives my general deathtouch, as a form of spot removal. I was trying to lean away from non-creature based spot removal so this was my thought. Do you have a suggestion for a similar creature based removal in it's place? I purposefully omitted the other bloodrush guys who didn't provide any form of combat evasion or benefit other than +x/+x.
Excellent idea! this deck needs as much recursion as possible available to in Gruul.
What did you have in mind?
Maybe i should be a bit more clear about the way this deck plays. It's not balls to the walls only creatures in the effort to over extend in the same way that Edric does. Yes this deck is more aggro related but at the same time, i use non-creatures to best support my general. I'll explain more in the response to the next post below.
Thanks for the feedback! I think I need to spell out a bit more of deck strategy so that you understand a bit better why i included 30 non creature spells in a deck that sounds like it should run 59 creatures.
Firstly, It sounds like you just generally don't play/like/handle Mass land D very much and that's understandable. It's a pretty hard-core cut throat strategy and it has the potential to backfire, it has the potential to alter game state dramatically. And i'm not sure about your playgroup but in mine, Mass land D is a perfectly viable strategy and people play it often (and we enjoy playing magic together with it), decks are built to cope with it as best they can. And in Ruric Thar, it's a complete house. Sure he's not built to cope with it as obviously as Kaalia does, but an early 4-5 turn Wildfire with Ruric on the board will totally gimp your opponents. They will be burning themselves just to try and get back into board state. Also, Fact: Keldon Firebombers is one of the best cards ever printed!
Now with respect to dealing with removal on Ruric in response to a mass land d spell? well that's why we are including the protection package in the deck. Asceticism, City of Solitude, Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots, Sylvan Safekeeper (i wasn't sure if you were trolling below, this guy is completely bonkers in a creature deck. and when you are playing life from the loam, blowing lands doesn't matter one bit). Whispersilk Cloak solves 2 of Ruric's biggest issues, protection and unblockable.
I know Ruric on the surface looks like you should only be running creatures, it feels natural in response to his ability, and it's a perfectly viable strategy; however if you accept the fact that either: you drop non-creature spells before playing him (saving him for opportunity in board state) or you accept the fact that you will take some direct damage, you'll find how much help there is for him in non-creatures.
Do you see how he interacts with lifelink? It's beyond insane how much Lifelink turns his ability around. All of a sudden i can cast non-creature spells without any hindrance. In fact his interaction with lifelink is a huge crux of this build. there are only 3 cards available to Gruul that provide lifelink: Basilisk Collar, Loxodon Warhammer, and Batterskull. That's why I run Godo, Bandit Warlord & Hoarding Dragon (not to mention they fetch my other valuable equipments).
On the subject of spot removal guys i agree, it's important to favor those over non-creature based versions. Duplicant, Gruul Ragebeast, and Inferno Titan i do like. I mostly prefer Flameblast Dragon over Steel Hellkite (not because i think it's better, but because i always find Steel Hellkite a bit tougher to remove with. But i could see an argument for running it).
For Ramp, i have the elf-land-fetching-dorks on my list for sub-ins for Cultivate & Kodama's Reach, it's quite possible they could make it in.
On the subject of card draw; i massively favor Knollspine Dragon over Ohran Viper, but there are arguments for going for a small (earlier) creature. What about Hystrodon? Ultimately however, Greater Good is by far and away the most powerful card draw card available to you in gruul. I would pay 6 life in a HEARTBEAT for the amount of cards you draw off of it. You could argue that if i'm going to spend that slot on a non-creature card draw spell, maybe Momentous Fall is a better choice because it could gain back the lost life with Ruric in play, but the only reason i'm not running it currently is because it's a 1 trick pony. Leave Greater Good on the field and i will run away with card advantage quickly.
Heartwood Storyteller is a really interest card even if you do play non-creature spells. It's all about timing, late game this guy would be pretty solid in my build (when i stop playing non-creature spells). good suggestion. Nullstone Gargoyle is cute trick also a worthy inclusion in my build. (it's ok to hold onto your cards and not play them creature or not). I'll have to think about maybe sideboarding it for now. Of all the mana dorks out there, I think Drumhunter is pretty solid in a deck like this. Good suggestion. I'll have to ponder on these ideas about what to cut.
Just for the sake of argument, I don't think i've ever seen a deck that runs Scute Mob or Dragonmaster Outcast, let alone one where they are threatening, they are on-par in my book with Birds of Paradise. Serra Ascendant is by far and away the nastiest scariest 1/1 in this format.
Just a quick note on these last few suggestions again:
Sylvan Safekeeper - one of the best protections for mono-green creatures printed in magic. With Life from the Loam or Crucible of Worlds OR multiple-land dropping effects, the land sac becomes completely negligible.
Keldon Firebombers - one of the best MLD in red ever printed. And leaves just enough land at your disposal to get back into the game. Make sure Ruric Thar is protected before using this guy.
Azusa, Lost but Seeking - Agree here. In this case, Oracle of Mul Daya is a much better card, i will be making the adjustment.
Godo, Bandit Warlord - He's a must because Stoneforge Mystic, Stonehewer Giant, Steelshaper's Gift, and Steelshaper Apprentice are printed in the wrong color.
Dragon Mage - Agree with you again on this one, he's been cut from the list.
Lastly, here's a bit more explanation on the other non-creature spells i'm running. The minimum criteria for a non-creature spell in this deck is: "Can this card be dropped before Ruric early game?" If not, "Am i ok with spending 6 life for this card?" and then again if i'm not ok with it "Am i OK with keeping this card in my hand until i am ready to cast it?"
Bear Umbra - More mana per turn = more dropping of creatures. Also goes infinite with Hellkite Charger (one of the few infinite combos i'm cool with), also protects Ruric from a destroy effect.
Gratuitous Violence & Furnace of Rath - This should be pretty obvious, casting non-creature spells becomes VERY costly very quickly for my opponents (i'll stop casting my own while this is online, or ensure i have a source of lifelink on Ruric first).
[CARD]
Fires of Yavimaya[/CARD] - this is coming out in exchange for Anger.
Skull Clamp - at first this is a knee-jerk reaction for me with all green decks, but there's a good chance this won't be relevant. It's on the chopping block in favor of creature-based card draw.
Mindslaver - force opponents to cast all their spells? Seems good to me.
Domri Rade - Pretty awesome in a creature based deck, all of his abilities are extreemly relevant.
Lurking Predators - Kind of a must in a creature deck. Only improves with a higher creature count. Similar argument for Birthing Pod however i'm considering cutting this one.
Tooth and Nail - this is really bad in a creature deck.
Mana Rocks - Self explanatory, cast before Ruric, also help recover from MLD.
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
1 Regal Force
1 Domri Rade
1 Heartwood Storyteller
1 Roaring Primadox
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Knollspine Dragon
Creature Removal
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Kumano, Master Yamabushi
1 Gruul Ragebeast
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Inferno Titan
1 Duplicant
Noncreature Removal
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Acidic Slime
1 Sylvan Primordial
1 Terastodon
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Nullstone Gargoyle
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Eternal Witness
1 Genesis
1 Deadwood Treefolk
1 Artisan of Kozilek
Ramp
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Wood Elves
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Yavimaya Dryad
1 Dawntreader Elk
Fetch/Dig
1 Goblin Matron
1 Valley Rannet
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Fierce Empath
1 Gamekeeper
1 Clone Shell
Graveyard Hate
1 Loaming Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Vigor
1 Rubblehulk
1 Wrecking Ogre
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
1 Wolfir Silverheart
Haste Enabler
1 Anger
1 Urabrask the Hidden
Shenanigans
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Lightning Crafter
1 Skirk Prospector
Sweep Protection
1 Caller of the Claw
1 Tajuru Preserver
Everything Else
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Yeva, Nature's Herald
1 Molten Primordial
Just some suggestions for various roles if you're looking to build your deck more creature heavy. Honestly, I think there's enough removal/draw/ramp to go exclusively creatures.
RRRAshling, the PilgrimRRR
UUUThadda Adel, AcquisitorUUU
Mono Red's Strengths and Mono White's Strengths
you are correct, exclusively creatures is viable. the focus of my non-creature package is protection, MLD, & Lifelink.
Grafted Exoskeleton - good suggestion. Upon dropping this and equipping him, i can see people absolutely not casting any spells. Could be a really good finisher, what to cut?
Gratuitous Violence / Furnace of Wrath - Already in the deck
Torpor Orb - This card shuts down a lot of my creature based triggers. Unfortunately a creature heavy deck built around Ruric is going to rely a lot on ETB mechanics. I can see playing this card once you have a really narly board state with Ruric, Exo, and GV out. This is actually a pretty rude lock. hmmm something worth considering
Can you elaborate your reasoning to include Spitebellows?
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
Great deck idea - thanks for posting it!
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
Burning-Tree Shaman
Zo-Zu The Punisher
Manabarbs
Yeah, they hurt you. But they're going to hurt the rest of the table first, and more often.
Looking through my edh, I realized that creature based removal in green-red is more difficult than it seemed. I still don't think wasteland viper is the right choice though. I also noticed you're not running Borborygmos Enraged. Why not have the leader of the gruul himself?
Special thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the avatar and Inkfox Aesthetics for the sig.
Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
BRGProssh, the Chump-Block DragonBRG
BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
I do really like Genesis Wave in this deck, i would strongly consider this card. Suggestion on what to take out?
I like where you're going with the punisher theme. I could see taking out some top-end damage from dragons and sub in a few punisher cards, as you've mentioned. Zo-Zu really hurts after some MLD... This definitely has some potential. Over-all i'm really liking the damage-over-time theme this deck is putting out. I will strongly consider this.
There's good instant speed non-creature red removal like Chaos Warp and Aftershock, but i was trying to stick on theme with creature mechanics, which like you said, doesn't leave you with much. There's a creature recursion package in this deck and Bloodrush dumps my guys to the yard, i feel like it could work. I want to give it a try, but if i find it a dead draw, i'll cut it out.
Borby 2.0 is cool but you need a high land count to really make him work well. Sure it combo's well with Life from the Loam / Crucible of Worlds but it's still a little on the slow side and i don't really want to keep my hand full of lands to make him useful. Bogardan Hellkite hits faster, Balefire Dragon puts the hurt on many creatures, and Flameblast is a fireball on the stick. I just think you need to build around Borby 2.0 to make full use of him.
Keep the suggestions coming!
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed