Agree absolutely with Beast Whisperer. Also triggers on cast, not ETB, which IMO makes it better than Soul of the Harvest. Also seen others recommend Dark-Dweller Oracle in order to give extra value to some of the early creatures that serve little purpose later in the game.
Spellseeker looks fantastic in Animar - Cyclonic Rift as well! Excellent.
If you want to run something like Sarkhan's Unsealing, you'd be better off running Pandemonium or Warstorm Surge that triggers off EVERYTHING you play. Much of Animar in the first few turns is casting low cc creatures to ramp up to an explosive single turn that wipes the table, or at least puts you far ahead. If you're getting a Sarkhan's Unsealing trigger off Craterhoof Behemoth, you don't need it.
I'd really, really fight internally about any noncreature card going into Animar that doesn't win you the game or come very close to it (or can be cast turn 1, like Chrome Mox or Hardened Scales).
Vivian is ok: her -3 is versatile. But you would spend 5 mana that Animar does not help reduce in any way on a removal spell, essentially. Plus, she would only use that every other turn because of her loyalty. I run Reclamation Sage and Bane of Progress (because it's hilarious and completely shuts down so many decks). Tetrahedral's suggestions are excellent as well.
May be situationally better than Duplicant since it hits anything.
BUT, more importantly, GORECLAW, Terror of Qal Sisma. Holy crap this is cool but probably still not worth a slot in the deck:
Goreclaw (G3)
Legendary Bear 4/3
Creature spells I cast with power 4 or greater cost (2) less to cast
Whenever Goreclaw attacks, each creature I control with power 4 or greater gets +1/+1 and gains trample until end of turn.
So, it hits itself with the buff. The cost reduction and buff hit things like Temur Sabertooth, Combat Celebrant, Urabrask, Maelstrom Wanderer, Purphoros, and Xenagos. The buff also hits Animar itself when its power is 4 or greater, and things like Forgotten Ancient, Champion of Lamb, (whatever else increases in size).
I always read these lists and consider that metas can be so different. In my meta, many people run combos. So disruption is very common. That may not be the case in your meta.
So I look through your list and just see so many copy creatures. Are they that useful you need 5 of them?
Also, in my playtesting I've found Somberwald Sage to be incredibly lackluster. You have 12 noncreature spells that Somberwald would do nothing for, and quite a few multicolor creatures. Might be a good cut.
Question/suggestion. Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir is awesome with a cool ability (and here is a great use of Somberwald Sage - ha!). But you don't run lands like Winding Canyons and Alchemist's Refuge or Seedborn Muse which are typically all used in conjunction with Tef. Do you find often that Tef is hard to cast or sits in your hand and you wish he was something else?
Highly recommend cutting anything for Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. Excellent spot removal of ANYTHING x 2, and the trigger is on cast so it can't be prevented except by stifle-type things.
Do like that Hadana's Climb, when flipped, gives Animar evasion and a buff. Could be good commander death. I just really struggle to include non creatures in Animar.
Wanted to make a case for the inclusion of Etali, Primal Storm. So it triggers on attack, not on connecting any damage which I think is important (and one of the reasons I don't include in my Animar build cards like Trygon Predator).
In a multiplayer commander game it can potentially net you several free cards from your opponent's decks. This can disrupt top deck manipulation (you get your opponent's Sensei's Divining Top!) in addition to some free creatures and non creatures. But notice that Etali says "cast," so if you cast your opponent's creatures for free, Animar is still getting counters.
Etali also casts from YOUR top deck. So the chance of casting a big fat fatty of your own is high. And, of course, it's a "may" trigger. Thoughts?
With Rashmi, Eternities Crafter, Panharmonicon, and Selvala, Heart of the Wilds I'm fairly happy with the new releases. I'd say there's usually at least 1 card a set that is somewhat considered as an inclusion. But with Conspiracy and Kaladesh there are the previously mentioned auto-includes. Making cuts in a deck so endlessly tweaked for years is tough.
I haven't seen anything else in Kaladesh I'd force into Animar. May have missed something though.
Much appreciated, Skyrian. I may or may not have been sneaking counters onto my newly awakened lands over the last few weeks when the interaction came up.
Someone mentioned a G/B version of this. I think for that Drana is a MUST. I could see a very powerful version of this deck with B either splashed for Drana or built around entirely.
I'm still a fan of the purely GW version. You lose out on counterspells, but make up for it in synergy. Ondu Rising is a gem with the Awaken mechanic and Hardened Scales on the field.
In the same way, I think Wall of Resurgence could be a good card in this deck with the "target land gets 3 +1/+1 counters and becomes a hasty threat" part of the card. Plus a 0/6 blocker is nothing to scoff at. 3/9 for W2 is nice, but Hardened Scales makes it even nicer.
As for NewNissa, I'm not sure. She's great obviously but her counters aren't worth anything if you have no creatures to put them on. I also run Collected Company in mine since all my creatures are 3 cost or less. Collected Company with a Hardened Scales on the field into TWO Avatars is gorgeous.
Haven't play tested Dark-Dweller yet.
Perhaps I just hate artifacts too much...?
If you want to run something like Sarkhan's Unsealing, you'd be better off running Pandemonium or Warstorm Surge that triggers off EVERYTHING you play. Much of Animar in the first few turns is casting low cc creatures to ramp up to an explosive single turn that wipes the table, or at least puts you far ahead. If you're getting a Sarkhan's Unsealing trigger off Craterhoof Behemoth, you don't need it.
I'd really, really fight internally about any noncreature card going into Animar that doesn't win you the game or come very close to it (or can be cast turn 1, like Chrome Mox or Hardened Scales).
Vivian is ok: her -3 is versatile. But you would spend 5 mana that Animar does not help reduce in any way on a removal spell, essentially. Plus, she would only use that every other turn because of her loyalty. I run Reclamation Sage and Bane of Progress (because it's hilarious and completely shuts down so many decks). Tetrahedral's suggestions are excellent as well.
Meteor Golem (7)
Artifact Creature - Golem 3/3
"When [this card] enters the battlefield, destroy target nonland permanent an opponent controls"
May be situationally better than Duplicant since it hits anything.
BUT, more importantly, GORECLAW, Terror of Qal Sisma. Holy crap this is cool but probably still not worth a slot in the deck:
Goreclaw (G3)
Legendary Bear 4/3
Creature spells I cast with power 4 or greater cost (2) less to cast
Whenever Goreclaw attacks, each creature I control with power 4 or greater gets +1/+1 and gains trample until end of turn.
So, it hits itself with the buff. The cost reduction and buff hit things like Temur Sabertooth, Combat Celebrant, Urabrask, Maelstrom Wanderer, Purphoros, and Xenagos. The buff also hits Animar itself when its power is 4 or greater, and things like Forgotten Ancient, Champion of Lamb, (whatever else increases in size).
So I look through your list and just see so many copy creatures. Are they that useful you need 5 of them?
Also, in my playtesting I've found Somberwald Sage to be incredibly lackluster. You have 12 noncreature spells that Somberwald would do nothing for, and quite a few multicolor creatures. Might be a good cut.
Question/suggestion. Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir is awesome with a cool ability (and here is a great use of Somberwald Sage - ha!). But you don't run lands like Winding Canyons and Alchemist's Refuge or Seedborn Muse which are typically all used in conjunction with Tef. Do you find often that Tef is hard to cast or sits in your hand and you wish he was something else?
Highly recommend cutting anything for Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. Excellent spot removal of ANYTHING x 2, and the trigger is on cast so it can't be prevented except by stifle-type things.
Wanted to make a case for the inclusion of Etali, Primal Storm. So it triggers on attack, not on connecting any damage which I think is important (and one of the reasons I don't include in my Animar build cards like Trygon Predator).
In a multiplayer commander game it can potentially net you several free cards from your opponent's decks. This can disrupt top deck manipulation (you get your opponent's Sensei's Divining Top!) in addition to some free creatures and non creatures. But notice that Etali says "cast," so if you cast your opponent's creatures for free, Animar is still getting counters.
Etali also casts from YOUR top deck. So the chance of casting a big fat fatty of your own is high. And, of course, it's a "may" trigger. Thoughts?
I haven't seen anything else in Kaladesh I'd force into Animar. May have missed something though.
I'm still a fan of the purely GW version. You lose out on counterspells, but make up for it in synergy. Ondu Rising is a gem with the Awaken mechanic and Hardened Scales on the field.
In the same way, I think Wall of Resurgence could be a good card in this deck with the "target land gets 3 +1/+1 counters and becomes a hasty threat" part of the card. Plus a 0/6 blocker is nothing to scoff at. 3/9 for W2 is nice, but Hardened Scales makes it even nicer.
As for NewNissa, I'm not sure. She's great obviously but her counters aren't worth anything if you have no creatures to put them on. I also run Collected Company in mine since all my creatures are 3 cost or less. Collected Company with a Hardened Scales on the field into TWO Avatars is gorgeous.