Maybe its just because I spend all my time brewing Goat Decks, but I slapped together a Crested Sunmare deck and played it a bunch on MTGO and I genuinely feel there is something here. The card is strong with the right framework. Currently I'm having issues with Path to Exile and other hard removal, but most just path. I'm looking for any and all suggestions to improve this deck. Here is the current decklist:
The main goal of the deck is to have just enough life gain triggers to always hit a Sunmare trigger at the end of each end step but without SO much life gain that we don't have any other engines or cards in the deck.
We have a few ways to gain life and all of them can happen on either our turn or the enemy turn. I feel our lifegain triggers have been spot on and I'm not very concerned about that.
What Has Been An Issue For The Deck?
This is where I need your help. We've had trouble with hard combo decks (like AdNauseum) and we have trouble with certain forms of control. 3 Cavern of Souls really help but any Control that has white in it causes us issue because they will assuredly be running Path.
I'm looking for any and all suggestions to help improve the deck. I'll try all of the suggestions over the next week.
Thanks!
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I know this is an aside, and I doubly regret this comes as the first comment, but . . . do you post your "goat tribal" decks anywhere here on mtgsalvation (including your latest list)? I bought most, if not all the cards for some of your past brews. I just want to know where you are at now, and if you update anywhere. Thanks. And, good luck with the horse deck, too!
I generally post them on reddit. I posted awhile back with an earlier build and it got no response on the forums so I kinda just didn't continue posting here, but thats likely my own fault. I put more effort onto other sites so I obviously get more response there. I'll be sure to get into posting on here as soon as I do my next update!
The deck is always changing but we are currently onto a B/W version I call Torment of Goatfire. However, after reviewing the rules for clone mechanics, I might be revisiting the Azorius build very soon. Here is a link to all my most recent goat versions, not all are 100% up to date and remember, I experiment so these are never final always just what I've tried last.
Well as for this horse deck, goatboy.. You could play Soul Warden to make sure when you play any creature you gain a life. The opponent will often help you out with the lifegain also since playing dudes is fairly common.
As for protecting Madam Caballo..You have Vines of the Vastwood. And probably some kind of totem armor to give hexproof. Not sure there though.
I've tried running 2 Soul Warden and 2 Essence Warden over the 4 Scavenging Ooze and I feel like they all work. But ooze can become a threat on its own and can hate on many decks in the format, which is why I settled on it. I've put Auriok Champion in the sideboard as a replacement for those removed Wardens. But I may re-explore having them in the deck.
I like Vines, thats a good idea. I was thinking that or Blossoming Defense. It just sucks to have to hit a card in that doesn't help the combo but I may have to accept that. Totem armor also seems awesome, i'll have to investigate some cheap totem armor options but it wont save my horse lord from path =(
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Ah good call. And it lets us swing in. On second thought though, maybe we should just use Brave the elements so we can swing for lethal and also not be chumped?
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Your problem is that you wanna rely way too much on the sunmare.
Im with you with how strong that card is. 1 mana cheaper than Armada Wurm & brings more than 1 wurm.
You undoubtly need more finishers. Ajanis Pridemate for example + soul attendants is classical & works.
Against Combo, Gideon of the trials might help. If you still want protection for the horse, there is that 2 mana white Kamigawa legend that grants protection. Cant recall da name. Or Spellskite ? Nhyx vleese rham grants life & is almost a goat d:)
Add some thragtusk? If you do think that opponent is playing path to exile, you can always eldritch evolution into thragtusk. I do think kitchen finks should be included as well. They will attract the path to exile.
Thagtusk feels like a no brainer here. Kitchen Finks would also be good. I got a lot to work with now and need to see how I can get everything together! Thanks for all the advice.
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You could also try Sun Droplet to work with Painlands. That will ensure you gain life and get a horse token every turn, even at opponent's turn. Alternatively you can play some instant flicker cards like Eerie Interlude in the deck instead of protection spells. It also makes life gain cards like Kitchen Finks, Thragtusk etc. better in the long run.
Good suggestion. I use to use Sun Droplet but I didn't run painlands. Those would alleviate the main issue I had with that card. Interlude also looks like a fantastic defensive card. Thanks for the suggestions!
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I found Kitchen Finks + Eldritch Evolution to be very strong in testing a Naya Kiki-Evo deck list. Finks is conveniently 3cmc + 2 (for Evo) = 5 (Crested Sunmare) and the persist will re-trigger life on EtB, giving you a 5/5 token the same turn.
Both Birds + Talisman will help get Finks out a turn earlier, so the curve is smooth.
I know I'm kind of necro-posting in a month-old thread but I am interested in using the Sunmare in a modern deck with a lot of the ideas I've seen here and seen elsewhere. I am building on a budget (first time building modern!) and need to cut some stuff out and maybe change some stuff around to fit my playstyle. Do you think something like Serra Ascendant would do well in a deck where you gain life a lot and could benefit from a creature with flying and lifelink? And on that note, does the Sungrace Pegasus count as a horse for the Crested Sunmare's ability, and would therefore be a 1/2 Flying Lifelink that's indestructible?
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Scavenging Ooze
4 Courser of Kruphix
2 Eternal Witness
4 Crested Sunmare
4 Path to Exile
2 Eldritch Evolution
Artifacts (6)
4 Pristine Talisman
2 Well of Lost Dreams
Enchantments (4)
3 Evolutionary Leap
1 Privileged Position
3 Cavern of Souls
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
4 Plains
6 Forest
What Does the Deck Do?
The main combo of the deck is to land a Turn 1Noble Hierarch or Birds of Paradise, Turn 2Pristine Talisman, and then a turn 3 Crested Sunmare. This rush combo is a gamble because you'll lose to removal but thats what I need help with.
The main goal of the deck is to have just enough life gain triggers to always hit a Sunmare trigger at the end of each end step but without SO much life gain that we don't have any other engines or cards in the deck.
We have a few ways to gain life and all of them can happen on either our turn or the enemy turn. I feel our lifegain triggers have been spot on and I'm not very concerned about that.
What Has Been An Issue For The Deck?
This is where I need your help. We've had trouble with hard combo decks (like AdNauseum) and we have trouble with certain forms of control. 3 Cavern of Souls really help but any Control that has white in it causes us issue because they will assuredly be running Path.
I'm looking for any and all suggestions to help improve the deck. I'll try all of the suggestions over the next week.
Thanks!
The deck is always changing but we are currently onto a B/W version I call Torment of Goatfire. However, after reviewing the rules for clone mechanics, I might be revisiting the Azorius build very soon. Here is a link to all my most recent goat versions, not all are 100% up to date and remember, I experiment so these are never final always just what I've tried last.
Torment of Goatfire: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/696452#paper
Its most recent reddit update: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/6mukos/modern_goats_update_7_hour_of_goatestation_orzhov/
Azorius Flash Goats: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/695439#paper
Classic Azorius Goats: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/692140#paper
Burn Goats: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/687651#paper
Vial Goats: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/685547#paper
Control Goats (U/W): https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/684168#paper
And my oldest, my last version of mono white goats which I took to the MTGO PTQ: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/676739#paper
If you have questions about how any of them function, don't hesitate to ask! Thanks for being a fan and liking the goats!
As for protecting Madam Caballo..You have Vines of the Vastwood. And probably some kind of totem armor to give hexproof. Not sure there though.
I like Vines, thats a good idea. I was thinking that or Blossoming Defense. It just sucks to have to hit a card in that doesn't help the combo but I may have to accept that. Totem armor also seems awesome, i'll have to investigate some cheap totem armor options but it wont save my horse lord from path =(
Im with you with how strong that card is. 1 mana cheaper than Armada Wurm & brings more than 1 wurm.
You undoubtly need more finishers. Ajanis Pridemate for example + soul attendants is classical & works.
Against Combo, Gideon of the trials might help. If you still want protection for the horse, there is that 2 mana white Kamigawa legend that grants protection. Cant recall da name. Or Spellskite ? Nhyx vleese rham grants life & is almost a goat d:)
Both Birds + Talisman will help get Finks out a turn earlier, so the curve is smooth.