I think you're really going to want 2 mindcensors in the main. With Jund neutered I think there will be a fair bit of pod running around.
I also don't know if its right to cut Lingering souls, this deck can abuse it so well with Wilt-Leaf and gavony. It is also a big help against affinity and infect. I expect infect's numbers to rise a bit as well.
Can you name one creature which costs 4 mana, doesn't have an ETB effect or haste and is widely played in standard?
The only one I can think of is Olivia, who is better than the Biomancer, but that doesn't make the Biomancer terrible. I think people have been conditioned to think that if a large creature doesn't have an ETB effect it is a massive pile. And while this is somewhat true, I think there are exceptions to the rule. If a significant # of the decks in the format have no single card answer to the 4 drop I don't think it is unreasonable to play the creature.
As with Olivia, if you untap with the Biomancer you should be able to get enough value in that 1 turn to make it worthwhile.
I'm not saying the Biomancer is format busting, but it could very easily see play. And I think the main reason why is the toughness of 4.
I think of this guy as one of the most powerful, efficiently costed creatures without an ETB effect currently in standard (GoST is probably #1). I really think it will be enough for him to see some play. Especially because he dodges a lot of the commonly played removal like searing spear and ultimate price. And at least if he gets Orzhov charmed they have to take 4.
The best part of the Biomancer is that it has some junk in the trunk, so it fits perfectly on a curve that would evolve experiment one/cloudfin raptor on turn 4. If you can sneak one creature in with the extra counters after that you have gotten fair value out of it.
If E1 turns out to be bad it opens up the manabase to cards like nighthawk and other things. I'm really hoping there's one more playable 3/4 CMC Simic creature that hasn't been spoiled yet to really push this deck over the top.
In testing I'll try both ultimate price and tragic slip. Simic charm is also good against the hasty big rakdos creatures because you can time walk them if they tap out. This should allow you to push through the necessary extra damage.
It's very likely that the rancors in my list are wrong and should either be Primal Hunters or tragic slips. I will keep this in mind going forward.
The reason I like experiment one is he grow's reasonably to 3/3 and can lead to a turn 4 kill in many different scenarios. He is also wrath resistant, so with E1, Geist, Troll, Avenger, Vorapede the deck is fairly wrath proof. Even dreg mangler provides some value after he dies.
This deck really doesn't like azorious charm so simic charm will be maxed at at 4. It could really use another counter spell (where are you mana leak!) but for now it will have to do without.
I do agree that more 3 drop would help him reliably grow more, so for now I will add 2 Wolfir Avengers. I think the BB in nighthawk's casting cost is too prohibitive to the mana base. The big creatures such as Thragtusk, Deadbridge or Silverheart are all interchangeable. Right now I listed Corpsejack and Vorapede because I think their interaction with evolve and the guildmage will be favorable, but they can easily be swapped out.
I had cyclonic rift in as a way to clear a clogged board and swing for the win. I will switch it to dimir charm and see how it tests. Similarly, I think ultimate price and tragic slip are interchangeable and should be a meta call based on how much zombies/mono red you're expecting to see.
I think the deck is strong enough against control without maindeck discard so I will keep it in the board.
I really don't know what to do with the mana base so any help would be appreciated. It seems low on U/B sources but I really don't want to sacrifice the pure green sources. Maybe evolving wilds could work but I think the tempo loss would hurt this deck a lot.
With this curve you can goldfish a turn 4 kill (god hand) and turn 5-6 is very reasonable.
I really like cloudfin raptor but have G and U available on turn 1 is really not possible. If you really want to abuse evolve and the guildmage I think straight UG is better.
This deck could also use some # of Garruk's but I'm not sure what cards to replace.
I urge anyone interested in a Naya build to try out my list below, it is quite fast and beats face very well. You can mess around with the mana base because I'm not exactly sure on the right numbers yet.
IMO due to the haste Hero of Oxid Ridge is much better than Bladehold. Turn 3 Vengevine Turn 4 Oxid Ridge can be devastating. Viridian Emissary may also warrant a slot but I am unsure right now.
Deck shouldn't run Jace. And losing Thoughtseize and Tidehollow isn't exactly fantastic either. But I see what you're getting at. If you fishbowl the original list, you'll see its going for a disruptive RDW sort of win. I'm thinking extended will end up with a Time Sieve Tezzerator deck featuring Tezzy 2.0, maybe Tezz 1.0. Time will tell. *bad pun is bad*
grand architect and/or masticore might also work in a pure artifact deck
I also don't know if its right to cut Lingering souls, this deck can abuse it so well with Wilt-Leaf and gavony. It is also a big help against affinity and infect. I expect infect's numbers to rise a bit as well.
The only one I can think of is Olivia, who is better than the Biomancer, but that doesn't make the Biomancer terrible. I think people have been conditioned to think that if a large creature doesn't have an ETB effect it is a massive pile. And while this is somewhat true, I think there are exceptions to the rule. If a significant # of the decks in the format have no single card answer to the 4 drop I don't think it is unreasonable to play the creature.
As with Olivia, if you untap with the Biomancer you should be able to get enough value in that 1 turn to make it worthwhile.
I'm not saying the Biomancer is format busting, but it could very easily see play. And I think the main reason why is the toughness of 4.
4x Cloudfin Raptor
4x Strangleroot Geist
4x Zameck Guildmage
4x Wolfir Avenger
3x Master Biomancer
2x Wolfir Silverheart
3x Garruk Primal Hunter
4x Simic Charm
3x Rancor
2x Cyclonic Rift
4x Breeding Pool
4x Hinterland Harbor
4x Simic Guildgate
8x Forest
3x Island
Something like that
4x Breeding Pool
4x Overgrown Tomb
3x Watery Grave
4x Hinterland Harbor
4x Woodland Cemetary
3x Forest
2x Drowned Catacomb
If E1 turns out to be bad it opens up the manabase to cards like nighthawk and other things. I'm really hoping there's one more playable 3/4 CMC Simic creature that hasn't been spoiled yet to really push this deck over the top.
In testing I'll try both ultimate price and tragic slip. Simic charm is also good against the hasty big rakdos creatures because you can time walk them if they tap out. This should allow you to push through the necessary extra damage.
It's very likely that the rancors in my list are wrong and should either be Primal Hunters or tragic slips. I will keep this in mind going forward.
This deck really doesn't like azorious charm so simic charm will be maxed at at 4. It could really use another counter spell (where are you mana leak!) but for now it will have to do without.
I do agree that more 3 drop would help him reliably grow more, so for now I will add 2 Wolfir Avengers. I think the BB in nighthawk's casting cost is too prohibitive to the mana base. The big creatures such as Thragtusk, Deadbridge or Silverheart are all interchangeable. Right now I listed Corpsejack and Vorapede because I think their interaction with evolve and the guildmage will be favorable, but they can easily be swapped out.
I had cyclonic rift in as a way to clear a clogged board and swing for the win. I will switch it to dimir charm and see how it tests. Similarly, I think ultimate price and tragic slip are interchangeable and should be a meta call based on how much zombies/mono red you're expecting to see.
Right now I'll leave the list as below
4x Experiment One
4x Zameck Guildmage
4x Strangleroot Geist
4x Dreg Mangler
4x Lotleth Troll
2x Wolfir Avenger
2x Corpsejack Menace
1x Vorapede
4x Simic Charm
2x Dimir Charm
3x Ultimate Price
3x Rancor
4x Breeding Pool
4x Overgrown Tomb
3x Watery Grabe
4x Hinterland Harbor
4x Woodland Cemetary
4x Forest
I think the deck is strong enough against control without maindeck discard so I will keep it in the board.
I really don't know what to do with the mana base so any help would be appreciated. It seems low on U/B sources but I really don't want to sacrifice the pure green sources. Maybe evolving wilds could work but I think the tempo loss would hurt this deck a lot.
4 Lotleth Troll
4 Zameck Guildmage
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Dreg Mangler
2 Corpsejack Menace
2 Vorapede
4 Ultimate Price
3 Rancor
2 Cyclonic Rift
4 Breeding Pool
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Woodland Cemetary
3 Cavern of Souls
4 Forest
With this curve you can goldfish a turn 4 kill (god hand) and turn 5-6 is very reasonable.
I really like cloudfin raptor but have G and U available on turn 1 is really not possible. If you really want to abuse evolve and the guildmage I think straight UG is better.
This deck could also use some # of Garruk's but I'm not sure what cards to replace.
Leave the zombies and tokens for an aggro build.
4 Restoration Angel
4 Geralf's Messenger
3 Alms Beast
4 Orzhov Charm
3 Mutilate
4 Duress
3 Orzhov Keyrune
3 Ultimate Price
3 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
4 Isolated Chapel
2 Plains
12 Swamp
3 Orzhov Guildgate
It seems to be missing something vs control, it may be worthwhile to splash red for Rakdos' Return. The mana base will definitely need some tweaking.
Thoughts anyone?
IMO due to the haste Hero of Oxid Ridge is much better than Bladehold. Turn 3 Vengevine Turn 4 Oxid Ridge can be devastating. Viridian Emissary may also warrant a slot but I am unsure right now.
grand architect and/or masticore might also work in a pure artifact deck
UBW Artifacts
4x Memnite
4x Ornithopter
4x Steel Overseer
3x Masticore
4x Pithing Needle Beater
4x Tezzeret
4x Tempered Steel
4x Mox Opal
4x Grand Architect
4x Doom Blade
21x Land
You could also throw in mr I win(SSS) post rotation for keiga or meloku and if you want more counters voidslime becomes available.
Im gonna try a list off the top of my head... don't be to critical
2x Simic Sky Swallower
2x Keiga the Tide Star
2x Tidesprout Tyrant
3x Simic Signet
3x Dimir Signet
2x Crime/Punishment
4x Putrefy
4x Remand
4x Mana Leak
4x Compulsive Research
4x Sensei's Diving Top
2x Zombify
2x Persecute
4x Urza's Mine
4x Urza's Tower
4x Urza's Powerplant
4x Breeding Pool
4x Watery Grave
1x Island
1x Underground River
1x Llanowar Wastes
The only thing i cant fit in right now is repeal, which would help a lot.