MTG Salvation

NOTE: Last updated 2018-06-04, and I don't update unless someone needs to see the most recent version. If you want me to update with the current decklist, send me a PM.

Hello!

Everyone in my group has been making these ridiculous big mana ramp decks. I suppose it's only to be expected if combos, stax, and land destruction are tacitly discouraged. So I decided to try my hand at making one.

Some assorted notes:

• My group plays with no general damage and no French ban list. We play with either 40 starting life (free for all or Star) or 60 starting life (Two Headed Giant, be it 2v2 or 2v2v2).
• My group frowns upon infinite combos, land destruction, and locks.
• I'm a budget player who plays with other budget players, so I'm not interested in buying expensive cards for this deck. I try to keep most cards under two dollars, with only a few in the five dollar range (or more, if it's something I've opened).
• I'm only interested in black-bordered, modern frame cards.
• Numbers in the decklist denote mana cost.

Thank you for your comments and criticisms!

So, what's the general game plan here? Karametra is awesome, she gets super ramp going in a nuts way, but to what end? Are you aiming to turn sideways? That's what it seems like based on the list. I could be wrong though. It'd be easier to make recommendations if I knew, but I'll weigh in anyway:

To my mind, you don't really have the elf base to support Joraga Treespeaker. I'm generally not a fan of dorks anyway, but that's me.
Wickerbough Elder is cool. But you could go for Reclamation Sage for one cheaper or Manglehorn to really slow artifacr decks down.
I'd maybe consider cutting Yisan, the Wanderer Bard as he won't trigger Karametra.
Emeria Angel is a pretty weak landfall effect.
I'd consider cutting Colossus of Akros as it's an enormous mana investment to get running. 20/20's are cool and all but you could put that mana to better use.

From your maybeboard, here's what I'd consider:
Sylvan Safekeeper
Archetype of Endurance
Krosan Grip
Praetor's Counsel
Command Tower
Reliquary Tower

I feel like there's not a lot of advice to give here, but these are what I'd suggest. You could go in a lot of directions with Karametra - I almost feel like she'd be a great enchantress, but she'd almost make a really good ETB value deck too. That seems to be the direction you're heading in, and that can be a LOT of fun, and a tough deck to beat too. The nissa deck in my sig is that way inclined, you may find some value going through the list if that's what you're looking for. Most of the deck was built on a shoestring too - there are some more expensive cards there, but most of those I saved for or pulled.

Good luck!

A few thoughts:

• you have a LOT of ways to destroy enchantments and artifacts, but not a single board wipe that I see. Fumigate? Rout? Martial Coup is great in Karametra because you can make X like 15.
• don't play a signet in a Karametra deck
• Whitemane Lion is B U S T E D in Karametra. (There are other similar cards too.)
• Colossus sucks
• Constant Mists is sick.

- I agree with any of those sweepers. Martial Coup could feasibly replace White Sun's Zenith. You still get tokens, but you get board control too. And Karametra survives it.
- I see the value in the signet to get Kara online, but otherwise agree. You'll be ramping like crazy so it is pretty redundant.
- Whitemane Lion is busted. There are some other great options too - Stonecloaker is about as versatile as bounce gets, Dust Elemental is a versatile beater, Invasive Species is cheap to buy and cast, I'd recommend any or all.
- Constant Mists is ridiculous, and so easy to use here - you can mitigate the land loss with Tilling Treefolk or Splendid Reclamation.

Better late reply than never:

Yeah, this is literally just "ramp a lot, play big stuff, turn big stuff sideways" deck. That's the entire point. Everyone in my group seems to be making "big ramp" decks, so this deck's goal is to RAMP MORE, and to play BIGGER STUFF, and choose TRULY OBSCENE VALUES FOR X. I know there are probably better builds out there (Enchantress is indeed quite popular), but for now it's ramp to the endgame.

- I'm actually a real big fan of Joraga Treespeaker, even on its own. Drop it turn one, it pays for its first level turn two, and you play Karametra (or any other CMC 5 general) turn three. Otherwise, it's a flexible Greenweaver Druid. I'd cut my other mana dorks before cutting it.
- Reclamation Sage is definitely going in once I find a copy. My usual places don't have a copy, oddly enough. Same with a lot of the other stuff in the maybeboard.
- Yisan's definitely weaker as one of the 99 compared to as a general. Definitely strong if he lasts long enough to pull out stuff like Dauntless Escort but that's rarely going to happen. I at least want to try him with Sylvan Safekeeper before cutting him.
- Emeria Angel: agreed. Last week it was handy making flying chump blockers against two flyer-heavy decks, but I'd rather be putting down more threats than playing defensively.
- Colossus of Akros: It is indeed a huge investment, but I've noticed a lot of decks I play against have very few ways of dealing with it. Maybe it's a local meta thing. Again, will probably come out eventually, but I want to play with it a bit more.

- Board wipes: Yeah, a weakness of mine is going all or nothing with certain card types. Either I go heavy control, or I'm heavy aggro and ignore board wipes in favour of direct removal. But it's also something I do during deck testing: I start out heavy on threats and light on answers, and slowly cut bad threats for answers that I know work. I'll put in a few of those (definitely Martial Coup, because LUDICROUS VALUES OF X) eventually.
- Probably gonna cut the signet for Ranger's Path or even just Rampant Growth. I kinda wanna try Recross the Paths, but even I have to admit it's too 'cute' and not actually good.
- Whitemane Lion has been nuts, yeah. Definitely keeping Stonecloaker in too, because graveyard hate has become really necessary in my meta. I'm a bit more on the fence with Fleetfoot Panther, and I might actually cut Kor Skyfisher. I've discovered that while it's sweet to have one of the self bounce creatures in your hand, you never ever want to have more.
- Constant Mists is the kind of effect I loathe playing against, so I won't include it. Don't worry, I'm well aware of how busted it is.

Thanks for your posts!