This deck is...mean. It used to be built around powering out big guys but it's evolved into something that may not be able to fight the insane T3/4 combo decks but on any non-competitive table is absolutely nuts. Turn 4 wins are very much possible, turn 6 seems to be the most common benchmark.
So would this deck be something for you? Only if you want to unleash an arms race at your LGS. Or if you have some high rollers who think their awesome Maelstrom Wanderer decks are unbeatable and need to be shown some more power. I'm not sure what can be done to make this deck even faster at this point, but I might have looked over a few things.
See the thing is, not only is the deck fast, it's also consistent and resilient. Typical combo elves decks tend to fold to a wrath + gy exile combo, or a well placed counterspell on their Glimpse. Not this deck. While it uses an elves base, it also makes use of some of the best non-elves around for this particular strategy to work. The result is a green-based combo deck that can win from various angles while being able to plough through some pretty powerful hate.
This consistency is in no small part thanks to it's commander. Selvala, Explorer Returned is often considered to be a grouphuggy card and while true that you give your opponents cards, it's a tiny price to pay for the advantages you gain from it. The lifegain isn't important, but it's still welcomed. The mana however...on average you tap for 3, but mostly you should just hope for 2. That + the card draw ensures you can keep going unless your opponents band together to keep removing her.
Currently, the only weakness this deck sometimes runs into is not having a white source early enough. It's not common, but still a point to consider.
Aetherflux Reservoir is quite easy to get kills with. At times the deck almost plays storm-like and the combination of high-mana-producing cards allow you to easily cast 15 or so spells in a turn. At that point, you probably win.
There's also the classic Tooth and Nail into Avenger of Zendikar and Craterhoof Behemoth. Funny enough this is a rare win as I often get the T&N before I even have 5 lands, so I usually pick up cards more suitable to the situation on hand at that point.
It's also not uncommon to land the Myojin of Life's Web with a fistful of creatures on hand. This usually leads to a blowout the very next turn, though it's no guarantee.
Finally, the deck has been known to respond to a wrath with Concordant Crossroads, Shaman of Forgotten Ways, Karametra's Acolyte and some other stuff to get enough mana and power on the table and just win out of nothing. The Shaman on its own is very good at putting enemies low enough for just one Avacyn swing or something to kill them, if I'm not using it as a mana booster.
Due to it's various angles of attack, it's hard to anticipate on the deck. Artifact hate is surprisingly strong against it, but at that point you still run afoul of the various creatures just overpowering you. Likewise, creature hate doesn't tend to stay on the board for too long. This doesn't mean it's invincible. As noted above, actually high-end competitive decks are likely to steamroll this list. It can trade punches with them, but will lose out more often than not. So if you choose to rebuild this deck or make your own take on it, make sure your meta is ready for this list without overpowering it, or you won't have a lot of fun with it.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Huh, I never even knew of Quest for Renewal. Time to check my LGS's junk box.
The monuments aren't bad but they occupy the 3-mana-spot. At that point I'm casting Selvalas and Archdruids, which do more for me. The Medallions are more likely.
Rishkar is on the sidelines for now. There's not THAT much stuff that wants to tap for mana but doesn't and I wouldn't know what to cut for him.
Arbor Elf is in here not because he untaps multiple lands but because he allows T2 Selvala. This is infinitely more important than untapping the big lands in the late game which should win me the game just by 1 tap already. If I would want that effect, I'd probably look at Garruk Wildspeaker first.
Thanks for the tip on the Quest though, no clue how I never heard of that card before.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Huh, I never even knew of Quest for Renewal. Time to check my LGS's junk box.
The monuments aren't bad but they occupy the 3-mana-spot. At that point I'm casting Selvalas and Archdruids, which do more for me. The Medallions are more likely.
Rishkar is on the sidelines for now. There's not THAT much stuff that wants to tap for mana but doesn't and I wouldn't know what to cut for him.
Arbor Elf is in here not because he untaps multiple lands but because he allows T2 Selvala. This is infinitely more important than untapping the big lands in the late game which should win me the game just by 1 tap already. If I would want that effect, I'd probably look at Garruk Wildspeaker first.
Thanks for the tip on the Quest though, no clue how I never heard of that card before.
Yeah, the Quests generally sucked, which is why you might not have heard of them. Some were fun, others were very niche, but only a few(if none beyond Renewal) mattered beyond Standard for their time. Running Renewal in my Sisay deck was hilarious, being able to tutor during everyone's turn. :3
Elvish Spirit Guide, Lotus Petal, and Gemstone Caverns are easy includes that improve your chances of turn-1 or turn-2 Selvala. When piloting Selvala, I find that my hand tends to fill up with land after repeated Parley activations, so Spirit Guide and Lotus Petal maintain their value even in the late game.
Since you have a Gaea's Cradle, Crop Rotation is an easy add that fuels further degeneracy, and otherwise will help shore up hands that are lacking white mana.
Speaking of which, Winding Canyons and/or Yeva, Nature's Herald let you make the most of your active Seedborn Muse effects. Your board state can go from zero to lethal in one trip around the table.
I would strongly consider Mirror Entity: It let's you go beatdown a la Craterhoof Behemoth, counts as an elf, and also provides another means of going infinite with Wirewood Symbiote + Selvala/Archdruid/Priest/Acolyte.
Finally, Lightning Greaves gives you another haste enabler. It usually pays for itself when you cast Selvala.
I like the idea of Karametra's Acolyte; I may have to steal that for my Selvala deck!
Let's also not forget Harrow as a land ramp as well. It may be more limited than Crop Rotation by fetching basics, but it's instant speed AND nets you two untapped lands, which can be relevant. If you need to grab your duals instead, Farseek isn't to be ignored either. Or run both.
I do have two of the three of Petal/Guide/Caverns but I usually find myself strapped for spots for those. I'm really not sure what to remove and I feel like my land count is already on the bare minimum.
Crop Rotation is a consideration but oddly enough, getting Cradle/Nykthos online generally isn't as vital as one'd think. Sure, they help, but I tend to get my wins without them anyway.
The untap rituals I should look at. The question again becomes what to remove though, that's always a big issue.
I've found Orrery to already be on the very slow side. Canyons and Yeva might very well have that issue as well. It's hard to gauge their effectiveness without Seedborn and I'm not a fan of including cards just cause they work well with one card in the deck.
Funny thing about Mirror Entity; that was literally the last card I cut. I had it in for much the same reasons.
Greaves probably should go in. I do have 2 copies laying about so...at least thats no issue.
Harrow and Farseek...well Harrow's a no as that one sits in the 3 mana slot and if it gets countered...eesh. Farseek/Nature's Lore have both been in the deck and got cut for 'too slow', funny enough...
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
I do have two of the three of Petal/Guide/Caverns but I usually find myself strapped for spots for those. I'm really not sure what to remove and I feel like my land count is already on the bare minimum.
Crop Rotation is a consideration but oddly enough, getting Cradle/Nykthos online generally isn't as vital as one'd think. Sure, they help, but I tend to get my wins without them anyway.
The untap rituals I should look at. The question again becomes what to remove though, that's always a big issue.
I've found Orrery to already be on the very slow side. Canyons and Yeva might very well have that issue as well. It's hard to gauge their effectiveness without Seedborn and I'm not a fan of including cards just cause they work well with one card in the deck.
Funny thing about Mirror Entity; that was literally the last card I cut. I had it in for much the same reasons.
Greaves probably should go in. I do have 2 copies laying about so...at least thats no issue.
Harrow and Farseek...well Harrow's a no as that one sits in the 3 mana slot and if it gets countered...eesh. Farseek/Nature's Lore have both been in the deck and got cut for 'too slow', funny enough...
Sure, you don't need Cradle to win, but it certainly helps. Wish I had one
I do not play the mana doublers or Harvest Season, so these are the slots that I use for the untap effects. It is really a tradeoff for speed at the cost of resiliency -- Wraths are a bit more effective against a Mobilize build, but you get some disgustingly explosive plays (occasional turn-2 and turn-3 kills if you draw into Paradox Engine). Your OP makes it sound like you want the deck to be faster, but still maintain the various angles of attack, so that is how I am gearing my feedback.
If you are looking for things to cut, these are my suggestions:
Oracle of Mul Daya -- Solid card, and I note the subtle synergy with your commander, but there is also some tension here because your commander prefers a low land count. To me, this is an easy cut for Crop Rotation, which gains more value based on my next suggestion:
Blighted Woodland -- A five-mana Explosive Vegetation is a slow value play, not really what this deck wants. The appeal of this card is the low opportunity cost since it only takes a land slot, but then you could say the same of Winding Canyons, which has a much higher ceiling. It doesn't look like you have many ways to spend your Seedborn Muse mana, so a second Orrery effect could effectively mean double-digits of mana every round. Canyons also gives you another worthwhile Crop Rotation target, and is fine on its own as for your dudes if you need to play around removal.
Elvish Harbinger -- I recently cut this from my list. The card is fine, but never really superb. In the majority of cases, I was better served by Summoner's Pact, Congregation at Dawn, or one of the aforementioned tutors.
Planar Bridge -- This finds Paradox Engine, but man, that's a huge investment. I'd rather one of the aforementioned tutor effects, or if you need Paradox Engine #2, Enlightened Tutor (which I probably need to add to my deck...)
You make some very good points. I'll have to pick up a few cards left and right and tinker with the slots, thank you
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Quest for Renewal seems like it should be good in this deck but isnt. Iv play tested Selvala Retapped allot and it iv never once found a use for Quest besides activating selvala on my opponents turn which isnt really that good for us since anything meaningfull we want to do is at sourcery speed and now we just gave apponents cards ON THEIR TURN. **** that. All our win cons are at sourcery speed. WHen your comboing off its all done at sourcery speed so id rather havee this spot be used on cards like TO ARMS! that can be utilized on our turn and draw an extra card to keep the combo going.
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This deck is...mean. It used to be built around powering out big guys but it's evolved into something that may not be able to fight the insane T3/4 combo decks but on any non-competitive table is absolutely nuts. Turn 4 wins are very much possible, turn 6 seems to be the most common benchmark.
So would this deck be something for you? Only if you want to unleash an arms race at your LGS. Or if you have some high rollers who think their awesome Maelstrom Wanderer decks are unbeatable and need to be shown some more power. I'm not sure what can be done to make this deck even faster at this point, but I might have looked over a few things.
See the thing is, not only is the deck fast, it's also consistent and resilient. Typical combo elves decks tend to fold to a wrath + gy exile combo, or a well placed counterspell on their Glimpse. Not this deck. While it uses an elves base, it also makes use of some of the best non-elves around for this particular strategy to work. The result is a green-based combo deck that can win from various angles while being able to plough through some pretty powerful hate.
This consistency is in no small part thanks to it's commander. Selvala, Explorer Returned is often considered to be a grouphuggy card and while true that you give your opponents cards, it's a tiny price to pay for the advantages you gain from it. The lifegain isn't important, but it's still welcomed. The mana however...on average you tap for 3, but mostly you should just hope for 2. That + the card draw ensures you can keep going unless your opponents band together to keep removing her.
Currently, the only weakness this deck sometimes runs into is not having a white source early enough. It's not common, but still a point to consider.
So, that said, here's a list:
1 Wirewood Symbiote
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Boreal Druid
1 Arbor Elf
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Saffi Eriksdotter
1 Priest of Titania
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Devoted Druid
1 Elvish Visionary
1 Wood Elves
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
1 Eternal Witness
1 Shaman of Forgotten Ways
1 Elvish Archdruid
1 Elvish Harbinger
1 Karametra's Acolyte
1 Vizier of the Menagerie
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Thalia's Lancers
1 Dragonlord Dromoka
1 Soul of the Harvest
1 Primordial Sage
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Regal Force
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Myojin of Life's Web
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Genesis Wave
1 Harvest Season
1 Shamanic Revelation
1 Rishkar's Expertise
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Praetor's Counsel
Instants:
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Benefactor's Draught
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Chord of Calling
Enchantments:
1 Concordant Crossroads
1 Aura Shards
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Mana Reflection
1 Zendikar Resurgent
Artifacts:
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Cloudstone Curio
1 Thousand-Year Elixir
1 Umbral Mantle
1 Staff of Domination
1 Aetherflux Reservoir
1 Vedalken Orrery
1 Sword of the Paruns
1 Paradox Engine
1 Planar Bridge
1 Akroma's Memorial
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Canopy Vista
1 Scattered Groves
1 Command Tower
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Brushland
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Blighted Woodland
1 Gavony Township
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Gaea's Cradle
9 Forest
10 Plains
So, how does the deck win? Well, there is a variety of combinations available.
Priest of Titania, Selvala, Heart of the Wilds, Elvish Archdruid and Karametra's Acolyte are all highly libable to go infinite with Umbral Mantle/Sword of the Paruns/Sword of Domination. Once that happens, Selvala, Explorer Returned can pull up my deck and from there on I can win the game.
Cloudstone Curio + Thousand-Year Elixir/Concordant Crossroads/Akroma's Memorial is another way in which I can easily go infinite. With the right pieces in play, the deck will draw itself at this point as well.
Aetherflux Reservoir is quite easy to get kills with. At times the deck almost plays storm-like and the combination of high-mana-producing cards allow you to easily cast 15 or so spells in a turn. At that point, you probably win.
There's also the classic Tooth and Nail into Avenger of Zendikar and Craterhoof Behemoth. Funny enough this is a rare win as I often get the T&N before I even have 5 lands, so I usually pick up cards more suitable to the situation on hand at that point.
It's also not uncommon to land the Myojin of Life's Web with a fistful of creatures on hand. This usually leads to a blowout the very next turn, though it's no guarantee.
Finally, the deck has been known to respond to a wrath with Concordant Crossroads, Shaman of Forgotten Ways, Karametra's Acolyte and some other stuff to get enough mana and power on the table and just win out of nothing. The Shaman on its own is very good at putting enemies low enough for just one Avacyn swing or something to kill them, if I'm not using it as a mana booster.
Due to it's various angles of attack, it's hard to anticipate on the deck. Artifact hate is surprisingly strong against it, but at that point you still run afoul of the various creatures just overpowering you. Likewise, creature hate doesn't tend to stay on the board for too long. This doesn't mean it's invincible. As noted above, actually high-end competitive decks are likely to steamroll this list. It can trade punches with them, but will lose out more often than not. So if you choose to rebuild this deck or make your own take on it, make sure your meta is ready for this list without overpowering it, or you won't have a lot of fun with it.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
One of the monuments would also not hurt.
Rishkar, Peema Renegade would also not be a bad choice, particularly early game before you get your mana dork swarm online.
Argothian Elder is more useful than something like Arbor Elf.
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
The monuments aren't bad but they occupy the 3-mana-spot. At that point I'm casting Selvalas and Archdruids, which do more for me. The Medallions are more likely.
Rishkar is on the sidelines for now. There's not THAT much stuff that wants to tap for mana but doesn't and I wouldn't know what to cut for him.
Arbor Elf is in here not because he untaps multiple lands but because he allows T2 Selvala. This is infinitely more important than untapping the big lands in the late game which should win me the game just by 1 tap already. If I would want that effect, I'd probably look at Garruk Wildspeaker first.
Thanks for the tip on the Quest though, no clue how I never heard of that card before.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Yeah, the Quests generally sucked, which is why you might not have heard of them. Some were fun, others were very niche, but only a few(if none beyond Renewal) mattered beyond Standard for their time. Running Renewal in my Sisay deck was hilarious, being able to tutor during everyone's turn. :3
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
Since you have a Gaea's Cradle, Crop Rotation is an easy add that fuels further degeneracy, and otherwise will help shore up hands that are lacking white mana.
In the same vein as Benefactor's Draught, Mobilize, Vitalize, and To Arms! are typically green Dark Rituals that cantrip. Pretty nuts, and help you power out Seedborn Muse or activate Quest for Renewal a lot earlier.
Speaking of which, Winding Canyons and/or Yeva, Nature's Herald let you make the most of your active Seedborn Muse effects. Your board state can go from zero to lethal in one trip around the table.
I would strongly consider Mirror Entity: It let's you go beatdown a la Craterhoof Behemoth, counts as an elf, and also provides another means of going infinite with Wirewood Symbiote + Selvala/Archdruid/Priest/Acolyte.
Finally, Lightning Greaves gives you another haste enabler. It usually pays for itself when you cast Selvala.
I like the idea of Karametra's Acolyte; I may have to steal that for my Selvala deck!
Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
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EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
Crop Rotation is a consideration but oddly enough, getting Cradle/Nykthos online generally isn't as vital as one'd think. Sure, they help, but I tend to get my wins without them anyway.
The untap rituals I should look at. The question again becomes what to remove though, that's always a big issue.
I've found Orrery to already be on the very slow side. Canyons and Yeva might very well have that issue as well. It's hard to gauge their effectiveness without Seedborn and I'm not a fan of including cards just cause they work well with one card in the deck.
Funny thing about Mirror Entity; that was literally the last card I cut. I had it in for much the same reasons.
Greaves probably should go in. I do have 2 copies laying about so...at least thats no issue.
Harrow and Farseek...well Harrow's a no as that one sits in the 3 mana slot and if it gets countered...eesh. Farseek/Nature's Lore have both been in the deck and got cut for 'too slow', funny enough...
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
I do not play the mana doublers or Harvest Season, so these are the slots that I use for the untap effects. It is really a tradeoff for speed at the cost of resiliency -- Wraths are a bit more effective against a Mobilize build, but you get some disgustingly explosive plays (occasional turn-2 and turn-3 kills if you draw into Paradox Engine). Your OP makes it sound like you want the deck to be faster, but still maintain the various angles of attack, so that is how I am gearing my feedback.
If you are looking for things to cut, these are my suggestions:
Oracle of Mul Daya -- Solid card, and I note the subtle synergy with your commander, but there is also some tension here because your commander prefers a low land count. To me, this is an easy cut for Crop Rotation, which gains more value based on my next suggestion:
Blighted Woodland -- A five-mana Explosive Vegetation is a slow value play, not really what this deck wants. The appeal of this card is the low opportunity cost since it only takes a land slot, but then you could say the same of Winding Canyons, which has a much higher ceiling. It doesn't look like you have many ways to spend your Seedborn Muse mana, so a second Orrery effect could effectively mean double-digits of mana every round. Canyons also gives you another worthwhile Crop Rotation target, and is fine on its own as for your dudes if you need to play around removal.
Gavony Township -- really only a backup plan, and pretty slow one at that. Where is your Wirewood Lodge?
Thalia's Lancers -- is pretty demanding for a narrow tutor effect. The major upside over something like Survival of the Fittest or Fauna Shaman is that it can grab Cradle... but then, you're also adding Crop Rotation, right?
Elvish Harbinger -- I recently cut this from my list. The card is fine, but never really superb. In the majority of cases, I was better served by Summoner's Pact, Congregation at Dawn, or one of the aforementioned tutors.
Planar Bridge -- This finds Paradox Engine, but man, that's a huge investment. I'd rather one of the aforementioned tutor effects, or if you need Paradox Engine #2, Enlightened Tutor (which I probably need to add to my deck...)
Hope you find this useful!
Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
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Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.