Intro
I've been playing with this deck for a long time now, it was a friend of mine and he left with me. It started as Big elementals and as evolved to a more stream line deck that runs what I think are the more efficient elementals along side some strong support.
Early game is mostly about trying to get lands and colors out, prioritization of colors is a little dependant on lands but goes something like . The need for green is all about ramping in to ramp, but the ability to envoke some of the elementals is important, destroying an early sol ring or other early game threats.
Mid game is about getting into the meat of the deck and playing horde of notions. The pressure of Horde of notions equipped with a sword is real, but he also acts as a value engine recurring either ramp or utility.
Late game, if everyone is still around going for a combo isn't a bad idea. If one or two players have been taken out then going full aggro and swinging can wrap the game up nicely.
I decided to go with Winding Canyons as the Alchemist's Refuge was color intensive and I will prolly try to work Sunhome Back in. I dont know how i feel about the Rubblehulk change but Mimic Vat didnt last long
Nice list, I like how you push the elemental theme.
I can only recommend to push the equipment subtheme a little more. Sunforger is etremely versatile in 5c and let's you cast half your instants anyway and if you accommodate your countersuite a little bit (Counterflux, Render Silent, Double Negative) you can even counter stuff with it.
I also highly recommend Godo, Bandit Warlord. It's an amazing tutor for all those swords and since Horde has vigilance it can go for second round of combat with Godo
In my experience Maelstrom Wanderer is by far the strongest target for Hordes reanimation so I included Entomb among other tutors to find it more reliably (also cascading is fun :D) and I tried to minimize bad cascades. That's why I only run two counterspells and I also tried to choose my boardwipes in a way that they work well with the randomness of cascade: Cyclonic Rift: You can overload it EoT and attack for the win, if you cascade into it you still have some benefit. Austere Command is imo one of the best wraths in this format, not only because it's able to hit three different permanent types but also because you usually can choose the options in a way that you lose much less than your opponents. That's also why it makes a good cascade. Blasphemous Act: I like this one a lot. While it's cmc is technically so high that Wanderer doesn't even cascade into, there's often the type of situation where you can cast it for R and then have all your mana open to build up your board again before anyone else and since the commander has haste it can attack into an empty board. Oh and since it's damage based something with a SoFaI or SoWaP on it can survive through it.
One last thing: In a deck that has access to W I wouldn't play Terminate over Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares.
I hope you find something from this wall of text usefull.
I like sunforger a lot and i like the counterspell applications but I worry about the counterspells cost out side of sunforger the counter magic I have is either cheap and saves me while i combo or strong and tucks a general. But its a worthy consideration and I really do love Sunforger.
I had an entomb in the deck and then a built a Karador Deck and it went into that.
Austere command would probably replace Wrath of God the lack of can't regenerate worries me and its 6 cmc but the versatility is strong Ill consider it.
Terminate has been in the deck so long I hadn't considered taking it out but your right in goes Path to Exile
I ran Magmatic Force and I remember having trouble hitting all the red tho this was before I had fixed the mana base so ill have to try him again
I love Bane of Progress but I'm worried I run to many artifacts and enchantments
Bane of Progress got me excited too but similar to you I run 17 artifacts/enchantments which makes this a bit problematic. I definitely want it in my Animar deck though...
I'm not too shure about baleful force. At 8cmc there's already Maeltrom Wanderer which is hugely superior imo. And the triple cost worries me, especially since black is the most minor color in my build. Also at 8cmc, I think a card should have some immediate impact on the board.
On a different note: Another card I love in my build is Krosan Verge. Sometimes it's a bit slow some of course but it's technically a ramp spell on a land and it gives you access to up to to 4 colors a once!!
I was wondering if you have any problems with removing artifacts. I looked through your list and the only thing I saw was some bounce elementals, Aura Shards and Ingot Chewer. Have you had to deal with something like Torpor Orb or are you typically able to play around it.
For Krosan Verge, I would drop ashes. I used to play with it, but found it to be under performing, especially with few non-elementals you have.
Private Mod Note
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Currently Playing: R8whackR WUBGAtraxa Stax-Superfriends *Under Construction*WUBG
You seem to have a plethora of mana acceleration. Have you thought about dropping some of them? I count upwards of 14 non-land mana generators or land fetchers. You might be able to trim a few.
If you find yourself running 'dry' often, you might up the card draw suite. I can't accurately judge that just from a look- you've too many interactions between tutors, Equipment, and 'Blink' Effects.
So recently I have also been working on a Horde elemental deck and wanted your opinions on a few cards you're running. How have Tornado Elemental, Rubblehulk, and Magmaw been working out? Is there a certain reason you're running them? I had Rubblehulk in my list but most of the time he just sat there waiting to be bloodrushed. Love the list by the way!
I forgot to mention the Cycling lands! If you're running Life From the Loam, you should at least consider them, and Realms Uncharted. A nifty card advantage engine, at very little cost.
@esoteric117: I can't comment on the others, but Rubblehulk, Silverblade Paladin, and Wrecking Ogre added a whole new level too my list. By themselves they enable quick general kills. I don't think I cast Rubblehulk EVER if I can bloodrush it instead. Giving Horde of Notions the extra damage to end the game is just so much better.
Tornado elemental has saved my ass not only as a flyer wipe but as a body that gets through for swords. The deck combos and Magmaw works as a sac outlet and or win con. Rubblehulk wins games.
I had both Buried alive and entomb in the deck I might put entomb back in cuz its instant speed but buried alive would either win games or they have gy hate and it sucks
Intro
I've been playing with this deck for a long time now, it was a friend of mine and he left with me. It started as Big elementals and as evolved to a more stream line deck that runs what I think are the more efficient elementals along side some strong support.
Deck List
1 Horde of Notions
Creatures
1 Flamekin Harbinger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Offalsnout
3 Wispmare
3 Eternal Witness
3 Fulminator Mage
3 Fertilid
3 Incandescent Soulstoker
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Slithermuse
5 Shriekmaw
5 Ingot Chewer
5 Reveillark
5 Mulldrifter
5 Roil Elemental
5 Titania, Protector of Argoth
6 Deadeye Navigator
6 Soul of the Harvest
7 Avenger of Zendikar
7 Tornado Elemental
8 Maelstrom Wanderer
Enchantments
1 Exploration
2 Survival of the Fittest
2 Sylvan Library
3 Aura Shards
3 Phyrexian Arena
5 Mirari's Wake
Artifacts
1 Sol Ring
3 Coalition Relic
3 Chromatic Lantern
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
3 Phyrexian Altar
4 Birthing Pod
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
Instants
1 Path to Exile
1 Stubborn Denial
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Deprive
2 Delay
2 Wear // Tear
2 Counterspell
2 Arcane Denial
2 Eladamri's Call
3 Krosan Grip
3 Crib Swap
3 Hinder
Sorceries
2 Farseek
2 Nature's Lore
2 Life from the Loam
2 Demonic Tutor
3 Fabricate
3 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Skyshroud Claim
4 Wrath of God
4 Damnation
4 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
5 Time Warp
Lands
1 Mana Confluence
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Winding Canyons
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Yavimaya Coast
1 Flooded Grove
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Flooded Strand
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Fetid Heath
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
1 Steam Vents
1 Shivan Reef
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Command Tower
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Murmuring Bosk
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
3 Forest
2 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains
2 Swamp
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Mystic Gate
1 Breeding Pool
Game Play
Early game is mostly about trying to get lands and colors out, prioritization of colors is a little dependant on lands but goes something like . The need for green is all about ramping in to ramp, but the ability to envoke some of the elementals is important, destroying an early sol ring or other early game threats.
Mid game is about getting into the meat of the deck and playing horde of notions. The pressure of Horde of notions equipped with a sword is real, but he also acts as a value engine recurring either ramp or utility.
Late game, if everyone is still around going for a combo isn't a bad idea. If one or two players have been taken out then going full aggro and swinging can wrap the game up nicely.
Combos
Horde of Notions[/card ]+ Phyrexian Arena + Avenger of Zendikar
Deadeye Navigator + Eternal Witness + Time Warp
Horde of Notions
Gemstone Cavern > Sol ring
Winding Canyons > Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
Spell Crumple > Undermine
Slithermuse > Mystic Snake
Cinder Elemental > Forgotten Ancient
Sylvan Library > Seething Pathblazer
Venser, the Sojourner > Diabolic Intent
Rubblehulk > Mimic Vat
I decided to go with Winding Canyons as the Alchemist's Refuge was color intensive and I will prolly try to work Sunhome Back in. I dont know how i feel about the Rubblehulk change but Mimic Vat didnt last long
Horde of Notions
I was wondering does anyone have experience with Tunnel Ignus, it seems cool early game but bad late...
Horde of Notions
Deadeye Navigator > Mimic Vat
Sword of Feast and Famine > Champions Helm
Gilded Lotus > Behemoth Sledge
Mana Reflection > Cinder elemental
Horde of Notions
Stoneforge Mystic>Animar, Soul of the Elements Its painful but Animar just is not as good and even for flavor I must bow to the power of Stonefoge Mystic
Dust Elemental > Forgotten Ancient trying out Dusty as a way to reuse the Etb and protect my gen.
Horde of Notions
Marsh Flats > underground river
Horde of Notions
I can only recommend to push the equipment subtheme a little more. Sunforger is etremely versatile in 5c and let's you cast half your instants anyway and if you accommodate your countersuite a little bit (Counterflux, Render Silent, Double Negative) you can even counter stuff with it.
I also highly recommend Godo, Bandit Warlord. It's an amazing tutor for all those swords and since Horde has vigilance it can go for second round of combat with Godo
In my experience Maelstrom Wanderer is by far the strongest target for Hordes reanimation so I included Entomb among other tutors to find it more reliably (also cascading is fun :D) and I tried to minimize bad cascades. That's why I only run two counterspells and I also tried to choose my boardwipes in a way that they work well with the randomness of cascade:
Cyclonic Rift: You can overload it EoT and attack for the win, if you cascade into it you still have some benefit.
Austere Command is imo one of the best wraths in this format, not only because it's able to hit three different permanent types but also because you usually can choose the options in a way that you lose much less than your opponents. That's also why it makes a good cascade.
Blasphemous Act: I like this one a lot. While it's cmc is technically so high that Wanderer doesn't even cascade into, there's often the type of situation where you can cast it for R and then have all your mana open to build up your board again before anyone else and since the commander has haste it can attack into an empty board. Oh and since it's damage based something with a SoFaI or SoWaP on it can survive through it.
One last thing: In a deck that has access to W I wouldn't play Terminate over Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares.
I hope you find something from this wall of text usefull.
GWKarametra - The MistveiledGW
GWR Marath - The Egg-laying Wool-Milk-Pig GWR
RBGrenzo - Restrained RakdosRB
UWRGBHorde of NotionsUWRGB
Retired: Karador, Ghost Chieftain | Rafiq of the Many | Animar, Soul of Elements | Maelstrom Wanderer
I like sunforger a lot and i like the counterspell applications but I worry about the counterspells cost out side of sunforger the counter magic I have is either cheap and saves me while i combo or strong and tucks a general. But its a worthy consideration and I really do love Sunforger.
I had an entomb in the deck and then a built a Karador Deck and it went into that.
I need to get my hands on a Cyclonic Rift
Austere command would probably replace Wrath of God the lack of can't regenerate worries me and its 6 cmc but the versatility is strong Ill consider it.
Terminate has been in the deck so long I hadn't considered taking it out but your right in goes Path to Exile
what are your thoughts on Baleful Force?
Horde of Notions
Watch for Bane of Progress coming, man!
I love Bane of Progress but I'm worried I run to many artifacts and enchantments
Horde of Notions
Bane of Progress got me excited too but similar to you I run 17 artifacts/enchantments which makes this a bit problematic. I definitely want it in my Animar deck though...
I'm not too shure about baleful force. At 8cmc there's already Maeltrom Wanderer which is hugely superior imo. And the triple cost worries me, especially since black is the most minor color in my build. Also at 8cmc, I think a card should have some immediate impact on the board.
On a different note: Another card I love in my build is Krosan Verge. Sometimes it's a bit slow some of course but it's technically a ramp spell on a land and it gives you access to up to to 4 colors a once!!
GWKarametra - The MistveiledGW
GWR Marath - The Egg-laying Wool-Milk-Pig GWR
RBGrenzo - Restrained RakdosRB
UWRGBHorde of NotionsUWRGB
Retired: Karador, Ghost Chieftain | Rafiq of the Many | Animar, Soul of Elements | Maelstrom Wanderer
Krosan Verge is good what should I drop for it?
Horde of Notions
For Krosan Verge, I would drop ashes. I used to play with it, but found it to be under performing, especially with few non-elementals you have.
R8whackR
WUBGAtraxa Stax-Superfriends *Under Construction*WUBG
ya I've been debating dropping ashes, I like it cuz it has won me games but you're probably right
Horde of Notions
Vault of the Archangel might be a worthy inclusion; Horde of Notions and other Tramplers love deathtouch.
You seem to have a plethora of mana acceleration. Have you thought about dropping some of them? I count upwards of 14 non-land mana generators or land fetchers. You might be able to trim a few.
If you find yourself running 'dry' often, you might up the card draw suite. I can't accurately judge that just from a look- you've too many interactions between tutors, Equipment, and 'Blink' Effects.
No Bojuka Bog?
Good luck and have fun!
My Trades
@esoteric117: I can't comment on the others, but Rubblehulk, Silverblade Paladin, and Wrecking Ogre added a whole new level too my list. By themselves they enable quick general kills. I don't think I cast Rubblehulk EVER if I can bloodrush it instead. Giving Horde of Notions the extra damage to end the game is just so much better.
My Trades
I had both Buried alive and entomb in the deck I might put entomb back in cuz its instant speed but buried alive would either win games or they have gy hate and it sucks
Horde of Notions
any thoughts on Thoughtseize
Horde of Notions
Horde of Notions
Horde of Notions