Oh, I've given reports on Whisperwood before. I consider it to be an essential tool. It's hate against sweepers while also being a pseudo planewalker. I put it in almost all my creature-based Devotion decks. I'll stick with 1 Chalice for now. To me, in theory, Chalice can be good on turn 2 or 3, but not so great after, and it does prevent me from casting a lot of cards if I set it to 1 in this deck, especially since I'm running Oath. Oath is also an absolute essential card for Devotion decks, and I consider it much better than Mul-Daya, so I wouldn't remove it to replace with Mul-Daya. I've said before, basically if you're running less than 3 Oaths in your Devotion deck you're doing something wrong. The card adds so much consistency and smoothness.
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The more I play with this the more I think aspect is an absolute bomb with tramplers, devotion and xenagos. turn 3 ghalta's icing on the cake.
The idea of Aspect of Hydra with Ghalta is really intriguing...great idea. You could also play Garruk, Primal Hunter as an additional “reward for high power. A “power matters” deck with Aspect of the Hydra could be very powerful.
Between that, cards like Avatar of the Resolute, Managorger Hydra (early drops with Trample) and Xenagod (you may not even need Xenagod; but it couldn’t hurt ) you have the makings of a deck that is very “Devotion”. I like it!
I mean...there will be times when you attack and Aspect of Hydra will essentially act as a 1-mana “deal the opponent 8 damage”.
I have been fiddling around with it; and I think Courser of Kruphix may be superior to Carven Caryatid in the Superfriends list (The Jund one that is). It is much more controlling/interactive and thus plays more turns...I’ve tended in many deck to prefer Caryatdid due to the speed of the card (Courser in my opinion is a slower card that only really excels in Grindy decks like Value-town, etc.). Decks that can milk the never-ending incremental value Courser provides are where it is a back-breaking card).
I know many on here have a higher opinion of Courser than me; but having said that, I do think he may be the right fit for Jund Superfriends exactly because of its speed. If Courser stays on a board for 3+ turns he begins to accrue more value every turn after that. In a deck that wants to “go off” by turn four I don’t like Courser...but this deck tends to win later (by overwhelming the opponent). The life gain is also nice (as my early turns can take a toll on my life without an Oath of Nissa. I’ll let you know how it goes.
P.S. I know it’s really a 4-color deck; but I call it Jund cuz white is only in the board and only on Walkers)
And Rendroc...you are right. I used to play 3 Oath of Nissa and sometimes even 2 (as the legendary nature to me felt like it was a waste to play more)...but now that I’m playing a list with a full set again...I want 5!
Courser gets much better the more ways you have to manipulate the top card to get another look for a land. I play him in decks where I have cantrips. Every search is another potential card draw spell with a Courser on the battlefield. I should probably start keeping track of how many cards I draw on average with Courser.
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Yep. That's a big reason I played him in my Nissa, Steward of Elements decks...and Machado took it one step further with the use of Mul Daya Chanelers...I like the looks of your Temur deck too that continues that arch. Nissa, Steward of Elements goes from really good to absolutely incredible when you can accurately utilize her 0 ability. Being able to see the top of the deck breaks that card...as she can fix the top, put a HUGE card directly into play, give you an additional land any turn you'd like (including Nykthos) AND/OR can just 10 the opponent in the face! The combination of Courser, Nissa SOE, and Mul-Daya Chanelers is brilliant. I tried to do it with Vizier of the Menagerie; but Mul-Daya Chanelers is a better idea. Vizier could possibly be a 1-of to allow for even more manipulation (can just keep casting each creature that hits); but the other two are superior just by being 3-drops. Cool idea.
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Courser has already led to some beneficial interactions:
1. Courser helps make Chandra, Torch of Defiance's +1 more useable (As you can see the card you are going to exile/play)
2. Same for Ob Nixilis Reignited (you can decide if you want to draw the card off the top).
3. Has help for early Genesis Hydra's...if you're Hydra would only be X=3 but there is a Courser on top of the deck, it is worth it...etc.
These may be small, but when this is added to the life gain, long-term card draw, etc. Courser likely is superior to Caryatid. I will make sure there is not a major slow down in deck velocity/explosiveness to be sure.
** Added Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh just to have a way to dome the opponent quickly (7 damage is a lot). Discard/Exile two is also very powerful, and the +2 is hilarious against some decks in Modern **
* Arch of Orazca has been really interesting. I really feel like it could be exploited by Devotion (with the ability to untap lands, putting multiple permanents on the field, etc.) It has definitely been added to my "viable Devotion Utility Lands" box. *
I think Arch is too slow, I think you want to be proactive, and get card advantage that way. Arch doesn't seem like it fits in any deck very well, maybe if there was some kind of Devotion control, but that seems silly.
I like Sylvan Caryatid more now that I thought about it again. I don't like card that don't add value if they are removed, but removal isn't an issue you here, so you will definitely get value. Plus 3 toughness can do a surprising amount of blocking in Modern.
I was thinking your manabase was a bit high, but you are playing a lot of mana dorks. It looks fun with all those Hydras. The deck looks like a nightmare for control.
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Since the Discussion always seems to come back to involve that specific slot I have one question:
What IS the best 3 Drop for each Devotion Archetype and why?
The 3 Mana slot seems to be the most varied and least agreed on looking back at the Lists that have been posted here in the last few Pages.
We've had a strong Case for Nissa, Voice of Zendikar and Kitchen Finks (and in the same vein some Arguments against Courser of Kruphix) but the rest like Mul Daya Channelers don't seem to have an actual analysis as far as strengths/weaknesses in comparison to others go
The best 3-drop is heavily dependent on both your specific build and anticipated metagame. Courser of Kruphix is good in long games, small-critter aggro, and Burn. Finks is not as good in long games, but even better against aggro and Burn, plus combines well with Nissa VoZ. Nissa VoZ is good with overrun effects, has some long-game grind ability, and can throw chump blockers out nonstop while thwarting Liliana otV's edicts. Channelers can be an absolute powerhouse with good scrying. Caryatid is a lot like Courser, but more durable, reliable, and better in the short run but gives no long run card advantage. Selkie and Jadelight are solid for the big-mana variants, like Wave decks.
There is no universally best choice, but within archetypes they're usually self-explanatory.
Since the Discussion always seems to come back to involve that specific slot I have one question:
What IS the best 3 Drop for each Devotion Archetype and why?
The 3 Mana slot seems to be the most varied and least agreed on looking back at the Lists that have been posted here in the last few Pages.
We've had a strong Case for Nissa, Voice of Zendikar and Kitchen Finks (and in the same vein some Arguments against Courser of Kruphix) but the rest like Mul Daya Channelers don't seem to have an actual analysis as far as strengths/weaknesses in comparison to others go
This is one of the largest discussions in Green Devotion. I have found the following:
1. Nissa, Voice of Zendikar - This is the "best" overall three drop for most Devotion decks due to its synergy with overrun and ability to generate multiple creatures and "pumps". The ability to keep spitting out creatures and build up your team are two very useful abilities in nearly all Devotion decks (as a majority of them focus on overrun via Garruk Wildspeaker and/or Craterhoof. If you are focused on this, I would start with Nissa. There are some cards in Devotion, however, that care about creatures particularly in card draw (things like Kiora, Master of the Depths, Garruk, Caller of Beasts, Collected Company etc.) where you would prefer a creature in the 3-drop slot to a walker.
2. Courser of Kruphix - If you are planning on grinding a little bit, Courser is the best option. It accrues continued advantage via "land draw" and its life gain really adds up. Also, the four toughness can be extremely helpful vs. early aggression. The recent use of Coursers "look at the top of your libary" ability has shown an additional way to take advantage of Courser. Cards like Nissa, Steward of Elements, Mul-Daya Chaneler's, Vizier of the Menagerie, Coiling Oracle and numerous other cards can benefit greatly being being able to see and manipulate the top of the deck. In these decks, the added synergy pushes Courser over the top.
3. Tireless Tracker - This card is a house. On average, it will draw more cards than any of the other three drops...and gets quite large while doing so. I think this should be played in more lists than it currently is. Any deck with +1/+1 counter synergy and or landfall synergies should also play Tracker. In a "vacuum" Tireless Tracker competes for the best single 3-drop option we have as it can win games itself (often getting to 5+ power efficiently while also building card advantage. The downside here, however, is that Tracker only adds one-Devotion to your count. This can be an issue in some lines of play.
4. Carven Caryatid - Carven Caryatid is an "explosive" 3-drop option. Combo decks, Wave decks, and other decks that want card velocity (i.e. to draw cards as quickly as possible) will want to play this. The five toughness makes it another great answer to aggro as well (being able to block and live through creatures all the way to 4-power (Obstinate Baloth, Though-Knot Seer, etc.) which can be extremely important. Superfriends decks may want to play this due to the high toughness (to protect the walkers from a majority of creatures in Modern) as well as the ability to quickly draw into Walkers (that want to activate each turn so the early they are drawn the better). Decks extremely focused to Overrun, however, will not want to use this (given the "Defender" nature of the creature).
5. Jadelight Ranger- This is new to Devotion via RIX; but looks to be extremely powerful. Being either a 4/3, 3/2 draw 1 scry 1, or a 2/1 scry 2 are all good options We haven't been able to extensively test yet; but it is very likely this may be powerful enough (and perhaps even surpass many of the other 3-drops. The explore mechanic also further allows for synergies with land drops (as she draws up to two lands of the top) and/or +1/+1 counters.
6. Kitchen Finks - This is a great card that often comes out of the sideboard; but absolutely can be played main. The "sticky" ability of Kitchen finks is what makes it great. In a deck that counts symbols on counters; those permanents that are difficult to remove make sure you always have the highest Devotion count possible. The life gain is a great incidental value and makes Finks just as strong against aggro decks (if not stronger in some cases) despite only having 2 toughness (and 1 upon return). The real power in a main deck comes in synergy with Nissa, Voice of Zendikar (or any +1/+1 counter effect). Putting a +1/+1 counter on Kitchen Finks will "blow up" the -1/-1 counter (or effectively cancel it out) allowing him to persist once again.
7. Wistful Selkie - Selkie is the most explosive of the 3-drop options. It draws a card and adds 3-devotion at the same time. With Nykthos in play, it becomes effectively "free" (assuming the Nykthos can be triggered). This is a great card for multiple combo versions (and particularly good in Genesis Wave decks. At 2/2 it is not the best body of the 3-drops; which makes it less viable for most decks that are wanting to grind a little bit. It can, however, lead to very powerful early turns with Nykthos (and especially with Burning-Tree Emissary). If you want to play the most explosive version of Devotion; you will want BTE and Selkie. There can be some constaints on mana when playing Selkie as well. Nykthos does not tap for green mana by itself, so often you will not want to play any non-green lands outside of Nykthos simply so you don't run into the turns where you don't have three green mana on turn two to cast it.
8. Mul Daya Channelers - this is a recent addition to the 3-drop pantheon. A 3-drop that taps for two mana or can be a 5/5 are both powerful options. It has not seen much play historically due to the lack of ability to have the "type" of Channeler you want when you want it; but with multiple recent cards allowing us to manipulate the top of our deck (Nissa Steward of Elements, etc.) along with fetch lands, oath, etc...those building the decks well will often be able to have the ability they are looking for "on demand". This does require a little "build around" but can is worth it when you can.
9. Eternal Witness - This is a well known powerful 3-drop in the history of magic, not just Devotion. Eternal Witness is the 3-drop of choice for any deck running multiple copies of Primal Command as together they create a "soft lock". Any deck that wants to buy back something from the graveyard will want at least one copy. Decks playing Pact, Chord, Command, etc. will normally want at least one copy of Witness just for the value and benefit of essentially "tutoring back" a spell from the graveyard. It is rare to see more than 1-2 copies in most decks, but some Wave decks want 3-4 (to buy back the Wave and do it again after untapping a Nykthos) and some Command decks want 3-4 copies to create and maintain the "soft lock"....so Witness will show up in a majority of Devotion decks with at least one copy; but can also go as high as a full set if "Plan A" involves recurring an important spell (such as Genesis Wave or Primal Command).
I'm sure I'm missing one or two others off the top of my head. I will update as I remember them.
Only one I you missed that I can think of is Ewit.
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Which Garruks deck? Always good to post your deck in a spoiler each time if you can.
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I don't count Witness as a 3-drop. There are very few times you really want to play this on turn 2 or even turn 3.
I think Tracker is an amazing card, but the problem is that it's sort of slow. It provides no real early defense, and takes a ton of land drops and mana to really show it's strength. It basically needs Titan or something similar to make it truly ridiculous, and Titan is usually enough on its own. Its finisher potential is also hurt a lot by the presence of Fatal Push. Generally, this is a card which functions best in opposition to control decks with Wrath effects: it gets in early and thus avoids a lot of countermagic, it creates a position for long-term card advantage which can be exploited, it leaves those cards available for when you want them, and after the Wrath you can drop a replacement to scoop up the benefit of the original, creating a big threat as you draw cards to come back in the game. Is this better than Nissa VoZ threatening to cast Sphinx's Revelation for X=4+ on turn 5? Probably not, but it is arguable, especially if you have lots of ways to get to extra lands. The synergy with Courser and Titan is real.
Also, Leatherback Baloth was not mentioned. There's not much to say here: if your opponent isn't packing Fatal Push or Dismember, this is a huge blocker and a serious threat all on its own. Then again, that's all it is: no card advantage to speak of. Also, in a deck that runs several colorless lands, GGG can be significantly harder than 1GG.
Finally, Nissa, Steward of Elements is surprisingly good. Cast for X=1, it can immediately go to 3 loyalty while setting up your next several turns. Shortly after that, she can effectively provide a free card every turn since we mostly play Creatures and Lands, which is a huge advantage in grindier matches. Her Ultimate comes online as early as turn 5 and, while not always instantly lethal, can often take the game. She synergizes extremely well with cards like Courser, Vizier, and Channelers. While doing the least to directly provide offense and defense, this is arguably the most powerful 3-drop in grindier matches.
One of the interesting things is that many of our 3-drops are incredibly synergistic. One day, I expect to see a deck that looks not for the card that goes in the 3-drop slot, but the set of 3-drops that win the most games. I tinkered briefly with a list that included Courser, Nissa SoE, Channelers, and Tracker, plus some other relevant synergies like Titan and Vizier. I think there is untapped potential here.
Thanks @Curdbros and @lord_darkview because this is exactly what I was hoping for. A Comprehensive 3 Drop Compendium (that's pretty much Primer ready )
One of the interesting things is that many of our 3-drops are incredibly synergistic. One day, I expect to see a deck that looks not for the card that goes in the 3-drop slot, but the set of 3-drops that win the most games. I tinkered briefly with a list that included Courser, Nissa SoE, Channelers, and Tracker, plus some other relevant synergies like Titan and Vizier. I think there is untapped potential here.
This is the reason why I asked that question. We have so many good cards available to us that we can pump out quickly (3-Drop on Turn2, 2 3-Drops on Turn3) that there has to be, like you said, untapped potential. Also if you want to play with Courser or other cards that give your opponent free information about your Hand you might as well go all the way with it and play as many available synergies as possible to work around that disadvantage akin to your list
I haven't tested it much, but it wasn't bad at all in the virtual space. The deck played pretty well against control decks, but it wasn't as good defensively, and combo or Tron could still outpace it (it lacks the punch that you get from a Pact-Craterhoof build, or the "oops, I win" of a Druid-Vizier build). The mixture of Courser, Vizier, and Nissa SoE turned into a massive card advantage engine and the ability to easily manage the state of Channelers. Titan, Tracker, and Courser netted lots of mana, life, big threats, and full hands. It's also chock full of finishers with Titan, Kessig, Garruk, Nissa, Channelers, Tracker, and Ballista all able to fill that role. Many of these are also effectively mana sinks.
I've been taking a variant of this through some leagues, and so far I've really enjoyed it. Only lost to Burn and Boggles so far. I Beat another Burn player on a mull to 4 thanks to almighty Courser, then lost to the other one on a mull to 5. Boggles did their thing, but I don't think they are worth devoting slots to anyways.
So far I really like Hadana's Climb, but 2 copies has sometimes felt like too much. Being able to jump a guy (and) pump has won multiple games though. I do like the interaction it has with Ballista. So not really sure if I want to shave a copy or not.
Garruk Relentless was based off something Rendroc said, as a way to tutor what I want. So far I've only seen him once and I was already winning, so no definitive answer yet. Other considerations are Nissa, Vital Force and Steward of Elements.
My favorite thing to do is tap Nykthos for a bunch of mana, use it to draw with Arch, then have Garruk untap both and do it again, using left over mana to cast more stuff.
Red should be burn, Goblins, Dragons, draw/discard, and Standard-unplayable 5CMC cards with insane, lengthy effects that take 10 minutes to figure out what they do and another 20 to actually make their effects work on the field.
Climb + Ballista is a really awesome combo I hadn't thought of. I feel like with that + hydras, there is definitely room here for Climb to excel.
Relentless is best considered with all his modes: weak token generation, weak creature removal, and a decent tutor or sub-par overrun. We have better options for any one of these things, but we don't have anything that quite does all of them. I'm running 3 in my Pact build, and I'm pretty happy with it. I've had games where Nissa VoZ and Garruk WS, Relentless, and VC were all active at once. I tend to win those games.
I was thinking if B/G Walkers could be a thing too, because the new Vraska is very strong, and Apex Predator is decent. I'm not a fan of Wall of Roots in that deck. You're not playing Chord and there's not reason to play it over birds, besides the fat butt, but I still don't think that's worth it. Prime Time seems strange in that deck too.
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The idea of Aspect of Hydra with Ghalta is really intriguing...great idea. You could also play Garruk, Primal Hunter as an additional “reward for high power. A “power matters” deck with Aspect of the Hydra could be very powerful.
Between that, cards like Avatar of the Resolute, Managorger Hydra (early drops with Trample) and Xenagod (you may not even need Xenagod; but it couldn’t hurt
I mean...there will be times when you attack and Aspect of Hydra will essentially act as a 1-mana “deal the opponent 8 damage”.
I know many on here have a higher opinion of Courser than me; but having said that, I do think he may be the right fit for Jund Superfriends exactly because of its speed. If Courser stays on a board for 3+ turns he begins to accrue more value every turn after that. In a deck that wants to “go off” by turn four I don’t like Courser...but this deck tends to win later (by overwhelming the opponent). The life gain is also nice (as my early turns can take a toll on my life without an Oath of Nissa. I’ll let you know how it goes.
P.S. I know it’s really a 4-color deck; but I call it Jund cuz white is only in the board and only on Walkers)
And Rendroc...you are right. I used to play 3 Oath of Nissa and sometimes even 2 (as the legendary nature to me felt like it was a waste to play more)...but now that I’m playing a list with a full set again...I want 5!
MODERN: Pure Pili-ness GU // Red Devotion RR // Green Devotion Variants GRWUG // U/G Emerge CGU // Lots and Lots of Brews BGRUWC
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Courser has already led to some beneficial interactions:
1. Courser helps make Chandra, Torch of Defiance's +1 more useable (As you can see the card you are going to exile/play)
2. Same for Ob Nixilis Reignited (you can decide if you want to draw the card off the top).
3. Has help for early Genesis Hydra's...if you're Hydra would only be X=3 but there is a Courser on top of the deck, it is worth it...etc.
These may be small, but when this is added to the life gain, long-term card draw, etc. Courser likely is superior to Caryatid. I will make sure there is not a major slow down in deck velocity/explosiveness to be sure.
Current Devoted Friends (Jund)
4x Arbor Elf
3x Birds of Paradise
3x Sylvan Caryatid
3x Courser of Kruphix
4x Genesis Hydra
Enchantment (8)
4x Utopia Sprawl
4x Oath of Nissa
Planeswalker (14)
3x Garruk Wildspeaker
2x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1x Xenagos, the Reveler
1x Nissa, Vital Force
2x Ob Nixilis Reignited
2x Vraska, Relic Seeker
1x Chandra, Flamecaller
1x Karn Liberated
1x Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
6x Green Fetch
6x Forest
2x Stomping Ground
2x Overgrown Tomb
4x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Arch of Orazca
1x Huatli, Warrior Poet
1x Chandra, Flamecaller
1x Arlinn Kord
3x Chalice of the Void
2x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Engineered Explosives
2x Fulminator Mage
2x Abrade
2x Walking Ballista
** Added Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh just to have a way to dome the opponent quickly (7 damage is a lot). Discard/Exile two is also very powerful, and the +2 is hilarious against some decks in Modern **
* Arch of Orazca has been really interesting. I really feel like it could be exploited by Devotion (with the ability to untap lands, putting multiple permanents on the field, etc.) It has definitely been added to my "viable Devotion Utility Lands" box. *
I like Sylvan Caryatid more now that I thought about it again. I don't like card that don't add value if they are removed, but removal isn't an issue you here, so you will definitely get value. Plus 3 toughness can do a surprising amount of blocking in Modern.
I was thinking your manabase was a bit high, but you are playing a lot of mana dorks. It looks fun with all those Hydras. The deck looks like a nightmare for control.
MODERN: Pure Pili-ness GU // Red Devotion RR // Green Devotion Variants GRWUG // U/G Emerge CGU // Lots and Lots of Brews BGRUWC
What IS the best 3 Drop for each Devotion Archetype and why?
The 3 Mana slot seems to be the most varied and least agreed on looking back at the Lists that have been posted here in the last few Pages.
We've had a strong Case for Nissa, Voice of Zendikar and Kitchen Finks (and in the same vein some Arguments against Courser of Kruphix) but the rest like Mul Daya Channelers don't seem to have an actual analysis as far as strengths/weaknesses in comparison to others go
There is no universally best choice, but within archetypes they're usually self-explanatory.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
This is one of the largest discussions in Green Devotion. I have found the following:
1. Nissa, Voice of Zendikar - This is the "best" overall three drop for most Devotion decks due to its synergy with overrun and ability to generate multiple creatures and "pumps". The ability to keep spitting out creatures and build up your team are two very useful abilities in nearly all Devotion decks (as a majority of them focus on overrun via Garruk Wildspeaker and/or Craterhoof. If you are focused on this, I would start with Nissa. There are some cards in Devotion, however, that care about creatures particularly in card draw (things like Kiora, Master of the Depths, Garruk, Caller of Beasts, Collected Company etc.) where you would prefer a creature in the 3-drop slot to a walker.
2. Courser of Kruphix - If you are planning on grinding a little bit, Courser is the best option. It accrues continued advantage via "land draw" and its life gain really adds up. Also, the four toughness can be extremely helpful vs. early aggression. The recent use of Coursers "look at the top of your libary" ability has shown an additional way to take advantage of Courser. Cards like Nissa, Steward of Elements, Mul-Daya Chaneler's, Vizier of the Menagerie, Coiling Oracle and numerous other cards can benefit greatly being being able to see and manipulate the top of the deck. In these decks, the added synergy pushes Courser over the top.
3. Tireless Tracker - This card is a house. On average, it will draw more cards than any of the other three drops...and gets quite large while doing so. I think this should be played in more lists than it currently is. Any deck with +1/+1 counter synergy and or landfall synergies should also play Tracker. In a "vacuum" Tireless Tracker competes for the best single 3-drop option we have as it can win games itself (often getting to 5+ power efficiently while also building card advantage. The downside here, however, is that Tracker only adds one-Devotion to your count. This can be an issue in some lines of play.
4. Carven Caryatid - Carven Caryatid is an "explosive" 3-drop option. Combo decks, Wave decks, and other decks that want card velocity (i.e. to draw cards as quickly as possible) will want to play this. The five toughness makes it another great answer to aggro as well (being able to block and live through creatures all the way to 4-power (Obstinate Baloth, Though-Knot Seer, etc.) which can be extremely important. Superfriends decks may want to play this due to the high toughness (to protect the walkers from a majority of creatures in Modern) as well as the ability to quickly draw into Walkers (that want to activate each turn so the early they are drawn the better). Decks extremely focused to Overrun, however, will not want to use this (given the "Defender" nature of the creature).
5. Jadelight Ranger- This is new to Devotion via RIX; but looks to be extremely powerful. Being either a 4/3, 3/2 draw 1 scry 1, or a 2/1 scry 2 are all good options
6. Kitchen Finks - This is a great card that often comes out of the sideboard; but absolutely can be played main. The "sticky" ability of Kitchen finks is what makes it great. In a deck that counts symbols on counters; those permanents that are difficult to remove make sure you always have the highest Devotion count possible. The life gain is a great incidental value and makes Finks just as strong against aggro decks (if not stronger in some cases) despite only having 2 toughness (and 1 upon return). The real power in a main deck comes in synergy with Nissa, Voice of Zendikar (or any +1/+1 counter effect). Putting a +1/+1 counter on Kitchen Finks will "blow up" the -1/-1 counter (or effectively cancel it out) allowing him to persist once again.
7. Wistful Selkie - Selkie is the most explosive of the 3-drop options. It draws a card and adds 3-devotion at the same time. With Nykthos in play, it becomes effectively "free" (assuming the Nykthos can be triggered). This is a great card for multiple combo versions (and particularly good in Genesis Wave decks. At 2/2 it is not the best body of the 3-drops; which makes it less viable for most decks that are wanting to grind a little bit. It can, however, lead to very powerful early turns with Nykthos (and especially with Burning-Tree Emissary). If you want to play the most explosive version of Devotion; you will want BTE and Selkie. There can be some constaints on mana when playing Selkie as well. Nykthos does not tap for green mana by itself, so often you will not want to play any non-green lands outside of Nykthos simply so you don't run into the turns where you don't have three green mana on turn two to cast it.
8. Mul Daya Channelers - this is a recent addition to the 3-drop pantheon. A 3-drop that taps for two mana or can be a 5/5 are both powerful options. It has not seen much play historically due to the lack of ability to have the "type" of Channeler you want when you want it; but with multiple recent cards allowing us to manipulate the top of our deck (Nissa Steward of Elements, etc.) along with fetch lands, oath, etc...those building the decks well will often be able to have the ability they are looking for "on demand". This does require a little "build around" but can is worth it when you can.
9. Eternal Witness - This is a well known powerful 3-drop in the history of magic, not just Devotion. Eternal Witness is the 3-drop of choice for any deck running multiple copies of Primal Command as together they create a "soft lock". Any deck that wants to buy back something from the graveyard will want at least one copy. Decks playing Pact, Chord, Command, etc. will normally want at least one copy of Witness just for the value and benefit of essentially "tutoring back" a spell from the graveyard. It is rare to see more than 1-2 copies in most decks, but some Wave decks want 3-4 (to buy back the Wave and do it again after untapping a Nykthos) and some Command decks want 3-4 copies to create and maintain the "soft lock"....so Witness will show up in a majority of Devotion decks with at least one copy; but can also go as high as a full set if "Plan A" involves recurring an important spell (such as Genesis Wave or Primal Command).
I'm sure I'm missing one or two others off the top of my head. I will update as I remember them.
MODERN: Pure Pili-ness GU // Red Devotion RR // Green Devotion Variants GRWUG // U/G Emerge CGU // Lots and Lots of Brews BGRUWC
Thank you! Added it.
MODERN: Pure Pili-ness GU // Red Devotion RR // Green Devotion Variants GRWUG // U/G Emerge CGU // Lots and Lots of Brews BGRUWC
I don't count Witness as a 3-drop. There are very few times you really want to play this on turn 2 or even turn 3.
I think Tracker is an amazing card, but the problem is that it's sort of slow. It provides no real early defense, and takes a ton of land drops and mana to really show it's strength. It basically needs Titan or something similar to make it truly ridiculous, and Titan is usually enough on its own. Its finisher potential is also hurt a lot by the presence of Fatal Push. Generally, this is a card which functions best in opposition to control decks with Wrath effects: it gets in early and thus avoids a lot of countermagic, it creates a position for long-term card advantage which can be exploited, it leaves those cards available for when you want them, and after the Wrath you can drop a replacement to scoop up the benefit of the original, creating a big threat as you draw cards to come back in the game. Is this better than Nissa VoZ threatening to cast Sphinx's Revelation for X=4+ on turn 5? Probably not, but it is arguable, especially if you have lots of ways to get to extra lands. The synergy with Courser and Titan is real.
Also, Leatherback Baloth was not mentioned. There's not much to say here: if your opponent isn't packing Fatal Push or Dismember, this is a huge blocker and a serious threat all on its own. Then again, that's all it is: no card advantage to speak of. Also, in a deck that runs several colorless lands, GGG can be significantly harder than 1GG.
Finally, Nissa, Steward of Elements is surprisingly good. Cast for X=1, it can immediately go to 3 loyalty while setting up your next several turns. Shortly after that, she can effectively provide a free card every turn since we mostly play Creatures and Lands, which is a huge advantage in grindier matches. Her Ultimate comes online as early as turn 5 and, while not always instantly lethal, can often take the game. She synergizes extremely well with cards like Courser, Vizier, and Channelers. While doing the least to directly provide offense and defense, this is arguably the most powerful 3-drop in grindier matches.
One of the interesting things is that many of our 3-drops are incredibly synergistic. One day, I expect to see a deck that looks not for the card that goes in the 3-drop slot, but the set of 3-drops that win the most games. I tinkered briefly with a list that included Courser, Nissa SoE, Channelers, and Tracker, plus some other relevant synergies like Titan and Vizier. I think there is untapped potential here.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
This is the reason why I asked that question. We have so many good cards available to us that we can pump out quickly (3-Drop on Turn2, 2 3-Drops on Turn3) that there has to be, like you said, untapped potential. Also if you want to play with Courser or other cards that give your opponent free information about your Hand you might as well go all the way with it and play as many available synergies as possible to work around that disadvantage akin to your list
5 Forest
2 Breeding Pool
2 Stomping Ground
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Kessig Wolf Run
3 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
4 Arbor Elf
3 Birds of Paradise
3 Courser of Kruphix
3 Mul Daya Channelers
3 Tireless Tracker
2 Vizier of the Menagerie
2 Primeval Titan
3 Walking Ballista
3 Oath of Nissa
4 Utopia Sprawl
3 Nissa, Steward of Elements
3 Garruk, Wildspeaker
2 Primal Command
I haven't tested it much, but it wasn't bad at all in the virtual space. The deck played pretty well against control decks, but it wasn't as good defensively, and combo or Tron could still outpace it (it lacks the punch that you get from a Pact-Craterhoof build, or the "oops, I win" of a Druid-Vizier build). The mixture of Courser, Vizier, and Nissa SoE turned into a massive card advantage engine and the ability to easily manage the state of Channelers. Titan, Tracker, and Courser netted lots of mana, life, big threats, and full hands. It's also chock full of finishers with Titan, Kessig, Garruk, Nissa, Channelers, Tracker, and Ballista all able to fill that role. Many of these are also effectively mana sinks.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
I've been taking a variant of this through some leagues, and so far I've really enjoyed it. Only lost to Burn and Boggles so far. I Beat another Burn player on a mull to 4 thanks to almighty Courser, then lost to the other one on a mull to 5. Boggles did their thing, but I don't think they are worth devoting slots to anyways.
4 Walking Ballista
4 Arbor Elf
2 Birds of Paradise
2 Genesis Hydra
2 Courser of Kruphix
3 Tireless Tracker
2 Acidic Slime
1 Hornet Queen
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
Planeswalkers (9)
3 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
1 Garruk Relentless
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Kiora, Master of the Depths
3 Oath of Nissa
4 Utopia Sprawl
2 Hadana's Climb
Lands (21)
1 Arch of Orazca
3 Breeding Pool
6 Forest
4 Verdant Catacomb
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Echoing Truth
2 Negate
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Creeping Corrosion
3 Crumble to Dust
2 Obstinate Baloth
75 Cards Total
So far I really like Hadana's Climb, but 2 copies has sometimes felt like too much. Being able to jump a guy (and) pump has won multiple games though. I do like the interaction it has with Ballista. So not really sure if I want to shave a copy or not.
Garruk Relentless was based off something Rendroc said, as a way to tutor what I want. So far I've only seen him once and I was already winning, so no definitive answer yet. Other considerations are Nissa, Vital Force and Steward of Elements.
My favorite thing to do is tap Nykthos for a bunch of mana, use it to draw with Arch, then have Garruk untap both and do it again, using left over mana to cast more stuff.
the Janky thing i made that was inspired by the against the odds video,
my 7-1 list, tweaked since last posting couple pages back,
2 garruk, primal hunter
3 garruk relentless
3 garruk wildspeaker
3 courser of kruphix
2 eternal witness
1 ruric thar, the unbowed
1 magus of the moon
1 Arashi, the Sky Asunder
3 wall of roots
4 arbor elf
3 primal command
4 utopia sprawl
23 land
Original list I posted,
2 garruk, caller of beasts
3 garruk relentless
3 garruk wildspeaker
3 courser of kruphix
3 eternal witness
1 ruric thar, the unbowed
1 rhonas the indominatable
1 worldspine wurm
4 arbor elf
3 primal command
3 rampant growth
4 utopia sprawl
23 land
Climb + Ballista is a really awesome combo I hadn't thought of. I feel like with that + hydras, there is definitely room here for Climb to excel.
Relentless is best considered with all his modes: weak token generation, weak creature removal, and a decent tutor or sub-par overrun. We have better options for any one of these things, but we don't have anything that quite does all of them. I'm running 3 in my Pact build, and I'm pretty happy with it. I've had games where Nissa VoZ and Garruk WS, Relentless, and VC were all active at once. I tend to win those games.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
I was thinking if B/G Walkers could be a thing too, because the new Vraska is very strong, and Apex Predator is decent. I'm not a fan of Wall of Roots in that deck. You're not playing Chord and there's not reason to play it over birds, besides the fat butt, but I still don't think that's worth it. Prime Time seems strange in that deck too.
MODERN: Pure Pili-ness GU // Red Devotion RR // Green Devotion Variants GRWUG // U/G Emerge CGU // Lots and Lots of Brews BGRUWC