Welcome to my latest take on a Ghave, Guru of Spores led deck, which is the current Commander of a deck that has gone through many iterations and various other generals in order to let me experiment with different playstyles and a place where I could try out new cards. The initial idea was to use this process to work towards a more optimized deck, but along the way I realized that I didn’t really enjoy the combo-esque lists that Ghave generally helms. So with Allegiance around the corner, I felt it was time for another overhaul and give it a direction I would enjoy, something which the new set did provide with the printing of the new Teysa.
This current build is a token style Teysa Karlov deck, using either an aristocrat inspired drain strategy to win or turn it into an angel token beat down with the help of Divine Visitation. I kept from going full Orzhov and simply keep using gave for the added support in green, while also helping in the token production department. Since this isn’t an optimized build, I have included some back up ways to take a win, though I kept the support for them limited so not to make it the go-to strategy.
With it continuing off my previous list, there are still some remnants present of that deck that may or may not deserve a home in this version and I do like to experiment with certain effects, so this isn't exactly an optimized build. Though the plan is to make the deck more focused once I decide which parts I'd like to keep in the deck.
With the upcoming release of Allegiances, I decided to give Ghave the much needed overhaul in order to make it more fun for me to play. I didn’t like the pile of combos build that it was turning into and the spoiler season gave me enough new goodies to take this in a new direction. It’s still very much a work in progress as I tweak the list and decide on which remnants of my old deck I want to keep around. As always suggestions for the new deck are welcome.
Teysa made me also want to revisit playing Ghave as she is super synergistic with most of what Ghave wants to be doing. I would think streamlinig the deck to make it a more evenly balanced between tokens and death-triggers would be the most ideal way to sidestep the most extreme hate for anyone avenue the opponent can attack. Teysa seems really good as a commander but insanely busted as one of the 99; being able to double protean hulk triggers being just one of the most egregious. The factthat her other ability also gives the saproling tokens much better value is a strict upgrade. Let meknow if you want to brainstrom, as I love decks that are efficient value engines, and I havent seen potential like this in a very long, long time.
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The deck can definitely be streamlined a lot compared to what I currently run, I’m just more on a budget and this has been a deck that has gone through various different builds over time, as I used it to just experiment with cards. That said, the Teysa direction it is taking now definitely is a fun one and might warrant me digging a little deeper into it.
I have made two changes to the deck so far, I overlooked Protean Hulk as an inclusion so that went in replacing Rishkar, Peema Renegade, as was less impressed with it in this build. Imperious Oligarch was also taken out, as Tithe Taker just has more to offer.
Things to improve are probably more tutors to help get Teysa out more reliably, since she is quite a key piece. Additionally, adding a Grave Pact package could help as well, I just deal with enough reanimation in my meta that I am slightly avoiding this myself.
Emmara was a remnant of my previous Ghave build and I decided to cut her and her support package from the deck. Instead I feel that aside from getting out Teysa, it’s key to get out some of the enchantments (card draw ones in particular). Since I’m not able to invest more into proper tutors fort he deck at this moment, I looked at finding alternatives and ended up deciding to play around with Lost Auramancers as something to try. Hex Parasite and Vampire Hexmage act as enablers, but work also as removal so this doesn’t make them entirely dead cards without the Auramancers.
The deck is quite taxing on life points so I brought in Fumigate as an alternative sweeper to help bits with that. Martial Coup does feel more versatile, but I’ve mostly played it for the sweeping effect and in that I get more out of Fumigate.
Switched out Essence Warden for Suture Priest as another little test. Suture Priest can add some more incidental damage but might also draw more removal. So will have to see how this affects things.
Hydra Omnivore just didn’t pull weight for me, so replaced it with Corpse Augur for more drawing power. And since I had a slot to spare I sleeved up Brindle Shoat as an additional token dropper.
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Welcome to my latest take on a Ghave, Guru of Spores led deck, which is the current Commander of a deck that has gone through many iterations and various other generals in order to let me experiment with different playstyles and a place where I could try out new cards. The initial idea was to use this process to work towards a more optimized deck, but along the way I realized that I didn’t really enjoy the combo-esque lists that Ghave generally helms. So with Allegiance around the corner, I felt it was time for another overhaul and give it a direction I would enjoy, something which the new set did provide with the printing of the new Teysa.
This current build is a token style Teysa Karlov deck, using either an aristocrat inspired drain strategy to win or turn it into an angel token beat down with the help of Divine Visitation. I kept from going full Orzhov and simply keep using gave for the added support in green, while also helping in the token production department. Since this isn’t an optimized build, I have included some back up ways to take a win, though I kept the support for them limited so not to make it the go-to strategy.
1x Ghave, Guru of Spores
Creature (33)
1x Avacyn's Pilgrim
1x Blood Artist
1x Brindle Shoat
1x Caller of the Claw
1x Carrier Thrall
1x Carrion Feeder
1x Corpse Augur
1x Darien, King of Kjeldor
1x Doomed Traveler
1x Elves of Deep Shadow
1x Eternal Witness
1x Hallowed Spiritkeeper
1x Hex Parasite
1x Hunted Witness
1x Juniper Order Ranger
1x Knight of Autumn
1x Kokusho, the Evening Star
1x Lost Auramancers
1x Mentor of the Meek
1x Orzhov Enforcer
1x Pitiless Plunderer
1x Poison-Tip Archer
1x Priest of Forgotten Gods
1x Protean Hulk
1x Requiem Angel
1x Suture Priest
1x Teysa Karlov
1x Tithe Taker
1x Vampire Hexmage
1x Vindictive Vampire
1x Viscera Seer
1x Yavimaya Elder
1x Zulaport Cutthroat
1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Land (36)
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Brushland
1x Canopy Vista
1x Caves of Koilos
1x Command Tower
4x Forest
1x Godless Shrine
1x Guildmages' Forum
1x High Market
1x Holdout Settlement
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Krosan Verge
1x Llanowar Wastes
1x Murmuring Bosk
1x Overgrown Tomb
5x Plains
1x Rogue's Passage
1x Sandsteppe Citadel
1x Scattered Groves
1x Sunpetal Grove
1x Survivors' Encampment
6x Swamp
1x Temple Garden
1x Woodland Cemetery
Instant (7)
1x Anguished Unmaking
1x Assassin's Trophy
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x March of the Multitudes
1x Rally the Ancestors
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Tainted Strike
1x Anointed Procession
1x Cryptolith Rite
1x Divine Visitation
1x Necropotence
1x Parallel Lives
1x Phyrexian Arena
1x Phyrexian Reclamation
1x Smothering Tithe
1x Vampiric Rites
Artifact (6)
1x Animation Module
1x Ashnod's Altar
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Skullclamp
1x Sol Ring
1x Swiftfoot Boots
Sorcery (7)
1x Alliance of Arms
1x Diabolic Intent
1x Farseek
1x Fumigate
1x Life // Death
1x Nature's Lore
1x Victimize
- Emmara, Soul of the Accord
- Essence Warden
- Hydra Omnivore
- Martial Coup
- Paradise Mantle
- Quest for Renewal
- Springleaf Drum
+ Brindle Shoat
+ Corpse Augur
+ Fumigate
+ Hex Parasite
+ Lost Auramancers
+ Suture Priest
+ Vampire Hexmage
Jan 31st, 2019
- Imperious Oligarch
- Rishkar, Peema Renegade
+ Protean Hulk
+ Tithe Taker
Blue: teaching Magic players manners since 1995Shops: Teaching blue players manners since 2009
I have made two changes to the deck so far, I overlooked Protean Hulk as an inclusion so that went in replacing Rishkar, Peema Renegade, as was less impressed with it in this build. Imperious Oligarch was also taken out, as Tithe Taker just has more to offer.
Things to improve are probably more tutors to help get Teysa out more reliably, since she is quite a key piece. Additionally, adding a Grave Pact package could help as well, I just deal with enough reanimation in my meta that I am slightly avoiding this myself.
The deck is quite taxing on life points so I brought in Fumigate as an alternative sweeper to help bits with that. Martial Coup does feel more versatile, but I’ve mostly played it for the sweeping effect and in that I get more out of Fumigate.
Switched out Essence Warden for Suture Priest as another little test. Suture Priest can add some more incidental damage but might also draw more removal. So will have to see how this affects things.
Hydra Omnivore just didn’t pull weight for me, so replaced it with Corpse Augur for more drawing power. And since I had a slot to spare I sleeved up Brindle Shoat as an additional token dropper.