MTG Salvation

It's been forever since I updated my Ghave, Guru of Spores deck. It's been on ice, working on other decks, but with the release of Khans of Tarkir, and all the wedge awesomeness, I couldn't resist. Before, I was determined to avoid infinite combos. This is no longer the case, but the deck won't revolve around them - the combo pieces all have relevance on their own. More like a way to end an overlong game. So here it is.



Some things I really like (Garruk, Primal Hunter and Grave Pact, mainly) got the axe due to restrictive mana costs. I'm on the fence with Primal Vigor. I don't think I strictly need it, but maybe? Anyways, comments and suggestions are definitely wanted here.

July 1, 2017 edit :
- Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
- Sheoldred, Whispering One
- Yavimaya Dryad
- Utter End
+ Walking Ballista
+ Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
+ Rishkar, Peema Renegade
+ Winding Constrictor

I once played Primal Vigor only to see the next player peel Entreat the Angels off the top and cast it for its miracle cost. This was pretty early in the game and he almost won off of it.

Anyways, I used it before I got Doubling Season as a budget option. It is surprising how many tokens other decks actually produce. Zombies, goblins, angels, soldiers. Especially zombies. I never really noticed until my own card was doubling them. It is good redundancy to an infinite combo, but since that isn't your focus, I'd go ahead and cut it.

Archangel of Thune and Spike Feeder fit this theme nicely. Archangel's life gain trigger is achievable from Blood Artist, Falkenrath Noble, Scavenging Ooze (BTW, add the Ooze for on-theme graveyard hate) or angel attacks. The combo gets broken up frequently enough that I don't feel bad running it either since each card is so on-theme.

Finally, I've found Chord of Calling to be just excellent in this setting. You're making tokens for big convokes and have access to creature based infinite combos like Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Triskelion that can be used during your opponent's turn. It doesn't come up much, but a satisfying secondary use is to get back a tucked Ghave, Guru of Spores (even right after an Oblation or something tucks it).

Love Ghave. One of my favorite commanders. I think Mycoloth should be in your 99. He gets crazy with doubling season.

Lots of things I want to try... anyone used these in a Ghave deck with any kind of results?

Smothering Abomination
Zulaport Cutthroat
From Beyond
Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Garruk, Apex Predator
Liliana, Heretical Healer
Hangarback Walker
Catacomb Sifter
Mer-Ek Nightblade
Herald of Anafenza
Abzan Battle Priest
Abzan Falconer
Hooded Hydra
Sidisi, Undead Vizier

Hangarback, Zulaport Cutthroat, and Catacomb Sifter seem like auto-includes, right? Large Elspeth seems like one too (she was waaay outta my price range when I last edited this thread) . Hooded Hydra seems like a pretty good value here... the Outlast guys are kinda interesting for combat tricks, and the ability to give themselves counters can be handy... of those, I prefer the Herald since he churns out tokens whenever he Outlasts. Smothering Abomination could be Fecundity for me only, and on legs, also, having a sac outlet that draws me cards seems really strong. Garruk too, but the list is already really top heavy. Sidisi is a huge value, a Demonic Intent on legs. Liliana seems tailor-made for this list as well.

I've played combo Ghave for about 2 years, and the cards I have used from that list are:


Zulaport Cutthroat
Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Sidisi, Undead Vizier

Zulaport just seems to be a better Blood Artist in this deck, since no one usually had more creatures than I did. I unsleeved Falkenrath Noble for him and haven't looked back: He's cheaper and stronger (hits multiple people at a time) in a deck that typically has more creatures than anyone else. The fact that Blood Artist/Falkenrath Noble can trigger off other people's creatures dying has never swung a game for me, not once in two years, lol.

Big Elspeth was actually a pet card for my deck, and she's typically on the chopping block but somehow manages to stay in. The plus is great, the minus is amazing when your Commander can set the P/T of opponent's creatures to 4 and the ultimate is extremely relevant in non-combo Ghave. I'd say you have nothing to lose in adding her and would recommend removing Elspeth Tirel for her, straight up (lifegain seems unnecessary when you could, y'know, win earlier).

Sidisi is one of my many tutors. I run Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Tutor, Diabolic Intent, Enlightened Tutor (I run Earthcraft, not to mention the Altars), Chord of Calling, Natural Order, Green Sun's Zenith, Worldly Tutor, Eladamri's Call and Birthing Pod. I found Rune-Scarred Demon to be too high in cost to warrant running, but Sidisi is borderline cheap enough and has actually done some work for me since I run Karmic Guide, Saffi Eriksdotter, Reveillark and Mikaeus the Unhallowed (my first game with that card in the deck, I Podded into her and the card advantage was real).

As for Catacomb Sifter, he seems good if you originally found room for Reaper of the Wilds, since, again, you will typically have the most creatures unless a Rhys the Redeemed deck is playing first with a godhand. I'm also not really sold on Hangarback Walker, but it could probably be better than Twilight Drover in your decklist (I cut Drover a long time ago for being way too slow), but I'm mostly on the fence about him since I only run Cathars' Crusade, Ghave and Mikaeus, Unhallowed to put counters on my own guys. If I ran Mikaeus, Lunarch, Abzan Ascendancy, etc., then I'd see no reason to *not* run Hangarback.

Smothering Abomination seems like one of the best out of that list (I missed him somehow), but I wouldn't cut Fecundity for him. I'd cut Grave Titan for Smothering Abomination before I'd cut Fecundity.

Wow, thanks for the feedback and the analysis. So, you would cut the Noble and not run the Cutthroat in addition to him? That seems like a good plan, I guess the Noble is a sentimental favorite of mine since I actually won a game with him once due to his flying ability plus Blade of the Bloodchief. I don't run Earthcraft, I guess it's just that while I used to be anti-combo, and I'm not anymore, since I obviously run a few, they're mostly just a way to close out games that have hit a stalemate. If I have Zombie Mike on board and Triskelion in hand, and the game is interesting and dynamic, I'll hold on to Triskelion unless I know one of the other players is playing a degenerate "win now" combo (none of the players in my metagame do that, though).

I never found room for Reaper of the Wilds, though it seemed a good addition. I like Catacomb Sifter more because he brings a buddy with him that can ramp you... and as you know, Ghave is incredibly mana hungry. Hangarback for Twilight Drover might be a really good swap, I guess I just like that the Drover fits both themes, but any time I've used him, you're right, he's slow.. and eats up so much mana every turn.

I am on the fence with Sidisi, but leaning towards it since it's a sac outlet AND a tutor....I suppose cutting Brainspoil for it makes sense.

Cutting Elspeth Tirel is probably something I'm not going to do yet, her ability to wipe the board is just too useful to me too many times... since I'll always come out ahead on tokens and can usually leverage that into a win. I really do want big Elspeth though. Maybe I'll cut Beacon of Unrest since it's just kind of durdling there.

So, right now, the adds I want to make are :

• Zulaport Cutthroat
  
• Smothering Abomination
  
• Catacomb Sifter
  
• Elspeth, Sun's Champion
  
• Sidisi, Undead Vizier
  
• Diabolic Intent
  
• Hangarback Walker

And the cuts I'm looking at are

• Twilight Drover
  
• Falkenrath Noble
  
• Brainspoil
  
• Beacon of Unrest
  
• Abzan Ascendancy

(not enough ways to abuse it)

I've updated the list with BFZ and Commander 2015. It's 98 cards, one open slot and one for a particular planeswalker from OGW. On the cutting block currently :
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad - just feels... slow.
Phyrexian Arena - may not be needed with the addition of Smothering Abomination.
Thinking about swapping out the painlands for the battle lands just because I can search them up with the "search a forest" cards, as well as Farseek.

Cards I'm considering right now :
Martial Coup - Could be a good token producer that leaves me with a board after a wrath, and the deck ramps hard as it is.
Secure the Wastes - cheaper , faster Coup without the Wrath.
Garruk, Apex Predator - token producer, win-con, life gain, control... the list is already top heavy but he might warrant inclusion.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor - better tokens than his other self.
Falkenrath Noble - removed him for Zulaport, but maybe a 3rd effect like this is needed?
Mycoloth - seems slow but powerful, has been recommended to me. Still not dropped 5$ on one though.
Phyrexian Reclamation - removed it for various other things, but this is solid utility.

It's been a while since I played Magic, but I've been trying to keep up with things that might be good for my version of Ghave. Anyone have any feedback on any of these?
Walking Ballista
Rishkar, Peema Renegade
Winding Constrictor
Aetherworks Marvel
Animation Module
Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
Orzhov Advokist

Winding Constrictor is a solid 2 drop with legs that can help lower the avg. cmc of your deck while filling a needed role. And Reyhan essentially gives modular to your team which is as busted as it sounds in a +1+1 counters deck like Ghave. Those are the only 2 on the list I've used personally.