I think your decklist currently has 100 cards, not including Yisan. There are 10 enchantments under "Enchantments (9)". Really cool deck list though, I'm going to try it out soon cause I love comboing off when tiny green dorks.
The deck has been performing amazing. It kills everyone most games but I've had trouble against a new deck my friend made recently: sidisi, undead vizier. In one vs one he does this- turn 2, creature removal. turn 3: boardwipe. turn 4: boardwipe. turn 5: boardwipe. Then turn 6 is a boardwipe or he casts a big eldrazi or something similarly nasty. Yisan recovers well against boardwipes but not when they repeatedly hit every turn. For that kind of deck I need to attack his mana (in fact, that's usually the only thing there is to target) and I put in expedition map to find the strip mine (cabal coffers is a beast in that deck) but I'm also considering making room for winter orb and tangle wire. We'll see.
What do you think about Traverse the Ulvenwald ? Without Delirium it's sub-par but at worse it cycles for a Forest for only G. With Delirium it either fetch Gaea's Cradle or any creature.
I never paid attention if the deck could have Delirium or not, but i suspect it can't, because most cards are creatures, there is only 4 fetchlands, and there is few instant/sorc. If i'm wrong the card is amazing though.
I think you're right about the delirium. I suspect it would be rare that this card would fetch anything other than a forest.
I've been playing Yisan on and off since November and I really feel he is the best mono green general at the moment. Unfortunately there aren't really multiplayer EDH tournaments around where I can test him, but I've gone 2-1 and 3-0 with him regularly at FNM against competitive decks.
I see you're running Concordant Crossroads but I'd definitely recommend Lightning Greaves as well. It's really not so much for protecting Yisan (though that works) as being a haste enabler for dorks without the scary downside of Concordant. It's worth it for shortening and cheapening the Temur Sabertooth loops alone (any dork that taps for 3 or more goes infinite with Greaves or Concordant), and even aside from that it can do a lot more.
I have a strong preference for Whisperwood Elemental over Soul Of New Phyrexia. I found typically if there isn't a wrath happening I'm not bringing out Soul and indestructible is rarely relevant otherwise, plus even in this deck with it's crazy mana the activation cost is a little steep at times. Additionally I'm fond of Loaming Shaman as both a response to graveyard-based combo and as a kind of Elixir of Immortality effect to set us up post wrath for tutoring the creatures we want out with Yisan again.
Lion's Eye Diamond is an interesting card on your list for sure, and definitely one work looking into, though the downside is huge here with the refills in storm builds. I'd probably put in Lotus Petal and Elvish Spirit Guide ahead of that for reasons of caution. I strongly recommend Mox Diamond and Chrome Mox, though: the card disadvantage is small when it pushes your deck further towards a reliable turn two Yisan and more frequent turn one Yisan (such bliss).
How have you been finding the Kamahl/Devoted Druid combo? It's one I'm considering trying out.
Umbral Mantle is one of the easiest combo pieces in Yisan so I strongly recommend running it.
I'm coming around to running Regal Force as the only seven drop. I've played with both Avenger and Hornet Queen in that slot and so far their uses have been very niche and the extra bodies on the field for Craterhoof just unnecessary.
I've been playing Yisan on and off since November and I really feel he is the best mono green general at the moment. Unfortunately there aren't really multiplayer EDH tournaments around where I can test him, but I've gone 2-1 and 3-0 with him regularly at FNM against competitive decks.
Cool. I've had similar results as well.
I see you're running Concordant Crossroads but I'd definitely recommend Lightning Greaves as well. It's really not so much for protecting Yisan (though that works) as being a haste enabler for dorks without the scary downside of Concordant. It's worth it for shortening and cheapening the Temur Sabertooth loops alone (any dork that taps for 3 or more goes infinite with Greaves or Concordant), and even aside from that it can do a lot more.
I've had greaves in before and it worked well, so I'll definitely consider that.
I have a strong preference for Whisperwood Elemental over Soul Of New Phyrexia. I found typically if there isn't a wrath happening I'm not bringing out Soul and indestructible is rarely relevant otherwise, plus even in this deck with it's crazy mana the activation cost is a little steep at times. Additionally I'm fond of Loaming Shaman as both a response to graveyard-based combo and as a kind of Elixir of Immortality effect to set us up post wrath for tutoring the creatures we want out with Yisan again.
Thus far, I don't like either the whisperwood or the soul of new phyrexia. My main complaint about whisperwood is the casting cost--seedborn muse is a powerhouse and I never want to use the 5cmc slot for anything else. And I never seem able to do the yisan-untap trick to put two 5cmc creatures into play. As for soul, this might be a meta thing but it has not been able to protect me from boardwipes--time and time again my creatures are getting exiled, sacrificed ( damn you all is dust, grrrr), put on the bottom of my library, or -X-X until end of turn. I always respond to boardwipes by putting regal force into play and filling my hand, so I quickly fill the battlefield once it's empty. So I'm not sure what to do- I wish there was a 6cmc green creature that could bounce creatures until the next end step.
Lion's Eye Diamond is an interesting card on your list for sure, and definitely one work looking into, though the downside is huge here with the refills in storm builds. I'd probably put in Lotus Petal and Elvish Spirit Guide ahead of that for reasons of caution. I strongly recommend Mox Diamond and Chrome Mox, though: the card disadvantage is small when it pushes your deck further towards a reliable turn two Yisan and more frequent turn one Yisan (such bliss).
LED has been amazing. It's a free yisan activation, which is always worth more than whatever is in my hand. You're right about moxes, those are good too.
How have you been finding the Kamahl/Devoted Druid combo? It's one I'm considering trying out.
Others rave about the synergy between those two but I never seem to get that going.
Umbral Mantle is one of the easiest combo pieces in Yisan so I strongly recommend running it.
I had it in before and it was usually a dead draw for me.
I'm coming around to running Regal Force as the only seven drop. I've played with both Avenger and Hornet Queen in that slot and so far their uses have been very niche and the extra bodies on the field for Craterhoof just unnecessary.
Regal force has been a house and I tinkered around with hornet queen and avenger of zendikar but I always wanted the regal more.
Hi again rockondon,
I thought you might find this interesting. There's currently an online, multiplayer tournament running on https://www.reddit.com/r/CompetitiveEDH.
All of them are 2-1 in games won. Decent performance by the Yisan players, especially because no Yisan deck lost more than one game that day
Yep, i'm one of them. The game I lost was because there was another Yisan in the pod and he had a faster start than me (he had Gaea's Cradle and i did not) so I had to put a Phyrexian Revoker in play naming Yisan, otherwise we'd lose on the next turn, and it scraped my game. Then the control player took over and stabilized.
You know you're having a tough game when you have to pithing needle your own general.
With all the snow-lands, any thought of using Extraplanar Lense? Is there too great of a risk of 2 for 1 at your competitive tables?
I've considered it and I'm on the fence about it. I'd guess the mana boost it provides is marginal, and might not be worth the risk. But who knows, maybe it's worth a try.
I have made some recent changes.
-1 soul of phyrexia (this never protects me from boardwipes so I gave up on it)
-1 elvish visionary (I never tutor for this)
-1 sakura tribe elder (I always prefer quirion ranger or sylvan safekeeper in the cmc 1 slot)
+1 whisperwood elemental (I don't like this card, but it's the only defense I have against boardwipes)
+1 winter orb
+1 tangle wire
The biggest problem I've faced are decks that spend the first few turns ramping and casting boardwipes. So I figured the winter orb and tangle wire can slow them down.
It's weird, Soul of New Phyrexia was useful a lot of times for me. Just after you go to verse 5 for Seedborn Muse, but can't win the game just yet, you are still vulnerable to boardwipes if you don't run him, and that's the moment he's relevant. Kamahl is probably superior but requires more mana to be effective, while Soul is useful with "only" 8 mana (3 for fetch him, 5 to activate him) and the fact that he's usable from the grave was surpringly appreciated when i had Fauna Shaman on the board.
Even when I did have the mana to use the soul of new phyrexia in response to a boardwipe, which was rare, it never protected my creatures. I guess it's just my meta but my creatures are always exiled, tucked, sacrificed, or -x-x until end of turn regardless of whether or not they're indestructible.
And you're right, I meant the sakura tribe scout. I never tutor for it and I'm happy with the extra land dropping that azusa gives me.
It's weird, Soul of New Phyrexia was useful a lot of times for me. Just after you go to verse 5 for Seedborn Muse, but can't win the game just yet, you are still vulnerable to boardwipes if you don't run him, and that's the moment he's relevant. Kamahl is probably superior but requires more mana to be effective, while Soul is useful with "only" 8 mana (3 for fetch him, 5 to activate him) and the fact that he's usable from the grave was surpringly appreciated when i had Fauna Shaman on the board.
but how can you not win if you get seedborn muse? i never thought about it so i never viewed how i play/win/loose after muse. but i guess i allways won until now when coming till that point.
i must say so that yeva, that cmc6guy fetching a cmc3or lower (combopiece most of the time) and Squall Line are my preferenced ways to win at instant speed. sakura-tribe scout is for me usefull at that combo because it can cheat in glacial chasm
Just in case anyone who comes along here (and is new to the deck like me) and doesn't know what he's talking about when referring to the "cmc6guy" it's Woodland Bellower. What is the combo piece you fetch for and what does the combo do?
Modern - Pyro Prison
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Considering we can generate a stupid amount of mana once we get going, is anyone open to dropping the snow forests to 22 and throwing in a Dark Depths?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern - Pyro Prison
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
So the new set is out, and there are some really awesome green cards that should definitely find their way here. The one that I'm most interested in is Manglehorn. Artifact mana dominates the cEDH scene and being able to give artifact mana summoning sickness is awesome, nevermind the fact that it shuts down somemanarocks completely. There are two other cards that have caught my eye, but I'm interested to hear what others think: Prowling Serpopard and Champion of Rhonas. My current Yisan is more casual (it's built to maximize Primal Surge for the lolz when I give it to newer players), but it does have the competitive lines and mana available if it needs to upgrade its playstyle, so I think the Champion being able to slam a Void Winnower pretty early would be useful, especially with all the untap creatures we have i.e. Wirewood Symbiote and its friends.
Champion of Rhonas is almost strictly inferior to Elvish Piper, which is already not great
Manglehorn seems like a fine inclusion. However, Reclamation Sage had Elves synergy (Wirewood Symbiote and Priest of Titania mainly), so I think it's a pretty close call between the two. I don't think it's necessary to run both however. I'd say the faster the meta, the better Manglehorn becomes. If games get grindy, repeatedly bouncing Reclamation Sage is pretty powerful.
Modern - Pyro Prison
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Modern - Pyro Prison
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
@Vegita
I don't think that Protean Hulk makes the list actually. With no reliable way to sac him and control his trigger, he's an expensive liability or wrath-deterrence. Even then, there are better cards at the 6 CMC slot in my opinion.
I agree. Originally when it was unbanned, I tried it out online but it ended up being a dead draw most of the time. I am considering using that new card Ramunap Excavator. Perhaps set out a double 3 verse counter to fetch for Ramunap and Azusa, Lost but Seeking. That synergy would work well with sylvan safekeeper.
Other than that, I don't think HoD or any of the unbannings really change our game plan. Hopefully the set after that has some nice green cards for us.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern - Pyro Prison
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Double 3 verse on Azusa + Excavator seems like a fine alternate line of victory if you happen to naturally draw Wasteland/Strip Mine.
That was the main idea. I already have both wasteland and strip mine in my Yisan deck and I was thinking of biting the bullet and buying a Crucible of Worlds but I think this guy will do just fine. If I happen to play in a meta that has a lot of board wipes, I can regroup, recast yisan with the tax, double fetch on three for Azusa and Excavator and start smashing their lands to protect myself from it happening again.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern - Pyro Prison
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
In my time playing this deck I've noticed it's always best to have at least two creatures for every CMC. At 5 I am always going to grab Seedborn, but what if it's in my hand and my timing doesn't allow me to double grab a 6cmc. It's always good to float options in this deck and ANYTHING that slows a turn for an opponent is crucial. Also my secret tech card for the deck is Nature's Chosen
@ColdRay
Yup, that's right. The addition of the verse counter is part of the cost of activating the ability. By stacking the triggers the way ColdRAy indicated, the two abilities will resolve and will both see the addition of two verse counters simultaneously, allowing you to find two creatures at the same CMC.
Question for everyone here: what lines do you find yourself going for most frequently? Is it the Craterhoof Behemoth beatdown plan or is finding the creature based infinite mana combo lines the ones that are most effective?
The deck has been performing amazing. It kills everyone most games but I've had trouble against a new deck my friend made recently: sidisi, undead vizier. In one vs one he does this- turn 2, creature removal. turn 3: boardwipe. turn 4: boardwipe. turn 5: boardwipe. Then turn 6 is a boardwipe or he casts a big eldrazi or something similarly nasty. Yisan recovers well against boardwipes but not when they repeatedly hit every turn. For that kind of deck I need to attack his mana (in fact, that's usually the only thing there is to target) and I put in expedition map to find the strip mine (cabal coffers is a beast in that deck) but I'm also considering making room for winter orb and tangle wire. We'll see.
My G Yisan, the Bard of Death G deck.
My BUGWR Hermit druid BUGWR deck.
My G Yisan, the Bard of Death G deck.
My BUGWR Hermit druid BUGWR deck.
Happy to see a busy thread on Yisan here!
I've been playing Yisan on and off since November and I really feel he is the best mono green general at the moment. Unfortunately there aren't really multiplayer EDH tournaments around where I can test him, but I've gone 2-1 and 3-0 with him regularly at FNM against competitive decks.
I see you're running Concordant Crossroads but I'd definitely recommend Lightning Greaves as well. It's really not so much for protecting Yisan (though that works) as being a haste enabler for dorks without the scary downside of Concordant. It's worth it for shortening and cheapening the Temur Sabertooth loops alone (any dork that taps for 3 or more goes infinite with Greaves or Concordant), and even aside from that it can do a lot more.
I have a strong preference for Whisperwood Elemental over Soul Of New Phyrexia. I found typically if there isn't a wrath happening I'm not bringing out Soul and indestructible is rarely relevant otherwise, plus even in this deck with it's crazy mana the activation cost is a little steep at times. Additionally I'm fond of Loaming Shaman as both a response to graveyard-based combo and as a kind of Elixir of Immortality effect to set us up post wrath for tutoring the creatures we want out with Yisan again.
Lion's Eye Diamond is an interesting card on your list for sure, and definitely one work looking into, though the downside is huge here with the refills in storm builds. I'd probably put in Lotus Petal and Elvish Spirit Guide ahead of that for reasons of caution. I strongly recommend Mox Diamond and Chrome Mox, though: the card disadvantage is small when it pushes your deck further towards a reliable turn two Yisan and more frequent turn one Yisan (such bliss).
How have you been finding the Kamahl/Devoted Druid combo? It's one I'm considering trying out.
Umbral Mantle is one of the easiest combo pieces in Yisan so I strongly recommend running it.
I'm coming around to running Regal Force as the only seven drop. I've played with both Avenger and Hornet Queen in that slot and so far their uses have been very niche and the extra bodies on the field for Craterhoof just unnecessary.
UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU's prison: blue is the new orange is the new black.
Mizzix Of The Izmagnus : wheels on fire... rolling down the road...
BSidisi, Undead VizierB: Bis zum Erbrechen
GTitiania, Protector Of ArgothG: Protecting Argoth, by blowing it up!
GYisan, The Wanderer BardG: Gradus Ad Elfball.
Duel EDH: Yisan & Titania.
In Progress: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV duel; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Doomsday.
Cool. I've had similar results as well.
I've had greaves in before and it worked well, so I'll definitely consider that.
Thus far, I don't like either the whisperwood or the soul of new phyrexia. My main complaint about whisperwood is the casting cost--seedborn muse is a powerhouse and I never want to use the 5cmc slot for anything else. And I never seem able to do the yisan-untap trick to put two 5cmc creatures into play. As for soul, this might be a meta thing but it has not been able to protect me from boardwipes--time and time again my creatures are getting exiled, sacrificed ( damn you all is dust, grrrr), put on the bottom of my library, or -X-X until end of turn. I always respond to boardwipes by putting regal force into play and filling my hand, so I quickly fill the battlefield once it's empty. So I'm not sure what to do- I wish there was a 6cmc green creature that could bounce creatures until the next end step.
LED has been amazing. It's a free yisan activation, which is always worth more than whatever is in my hand. You're right about moxes, those are good too.
Others rave about the synergy between those two but I never seem to get that going.
I had it in before and it was usually a dead draw for me.
Regal force has been a house and I tinkered around with hornet queen and avenger of zendikar but I always wanted the regal more.
My G Yisan, the Bard of Death G deck.
My BUGWR Hermit druid BUGWR deck.
G Azusa, Wherever I May Roam
UG Rashmi Simic Power
WB Kambal Life Gain Kills
URG Maelstrom Wanderer Howdy
I have made some recent changes.
-1 soul of phyrexia (this never protects me from boardwipes so I gave up on it)
-1 elvish visionary (I never tutor for this)
-1 sakura tribe elder (I always prefer quirion ranger or sylvan safekeeper in the cmc 1 slot)
+1 whisperwood elemental (I don't like this card, but it's the only defense I have against boardwipes)
+1 winter orb
+1 tangle wire
The biggest problem I've faced are decks that spend the first few turns ramping and casting boardwipes. So I figured the winter orb and tangle wire can slow them down.
My G Yisan, the Bard of Death G deck.
My BUGWR Hermit druid BUGWR deck.
And you're right, I meant the sakura tribe scout. I never tutor for it and I'm happy with the extra land dropping that azusa gives me.
My G Yisan, the Bard of Death G deck.
My BUGWR Hermit druid BUGWR deck.
Just in case anyone who comes along here (and is new to the deck like me) and doesn't know what he's talking about when referring to the "cmc6guy" it's Woodland Bellower. What is the combo piece you fetch for and what does the combo do?
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
UB Dralnu, Lich Lord
RBW [Primer]-Kaalia of the Vast
BUG [Primer]-Tasigur, the Golden Fang
GWU [Primer]-Arcades, the Strategist
WUB Primer-Aminatou, the Fateshifter
UBR Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
I agree. I do think Manglehorn is a good card but anytime that I would be fetching a 3cmc creature, 99% of the time I am going for Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Eternal Witness, Reclamation Sage, or Selvala, Heart of the Wilds.
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
I don't think that Protean Hulk makes the list actually. With no reliable way to sac him and control his trigger, he's an expensive liability or wrath-deterrence. Even then, there are better cards at the 6 CMC slot in my opinion.
UB Dralnu, Lich Lord
RBW [Primer]-Kaalia of the Vast
BUG [Primer]-Tasigur, the Golden Fang
GWU [Primer]-Arcades, the Strategist
WUB Primer-Aminatou, the Fateshifter
UBR Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Other than that, I don't think HoD or any of the unbannings really change our game plan. Hopefully the set after that has some nice green cards for us.
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
That was the main idea. I already have both wasteland and strip mine in my Yisan deck and I was thinking of biting the bullet and buying a Crucible of Worlds but I think this guy will do just fine. If I happen to play in a meta that has a lot of board wipes, I can regroup, recast yisan with the tax, double fetch on three for Azusa and Excavator and start smashing their lands to protect myself from it happening again.
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Yup, that's right. The addition of the verse counter is part of the cost of activating the ability. By stacking the triggers the way ColdRAy indicated, the two abilities will resolve and will both see the addition of two verse counters simultaneously, allowing you to find two creatures at the same CMC.
UB Dralnu, Lich Lord
RBW [Primer]-Kaalia of the Vast
BUG [Primer]-Tasigur, the Golden Fang
GWU [Primer]-Arcades, the Strategist
WUB Primer-Aminatou, the Fateshifter
UBR Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Lignify, Dryad arbor and in some lists Tilling treefolk. Oh, and basic forests, of course;)
UB Dralnu, Lich Lord
RBW [Primer]-Kaalia of the Vast
BUG [Primer]-Tasigur, the Golden Fang
GWU [Primer]-Arcades, the Strategist
WUB Primer-Aminatou, the Fateshifter
UBR Nicol Bolas, the Ravager