I believe these changed really add more consistency to the deck. Worldly Tutor and Primal Command have been in and out of the Deck, However I have been wanting more tutors to help enable the combo or access silver bullets. Primal Command can also Function as a Mwvolni Acid Moss. Worldly Tutor is essentially a way to ensure a 4 drop that is crippling or fetch a Burning Tree Emmissary. This is all pre-Radha. At a point I was worried about the Card Disadvantage but I'm not to worried. Bonus Points for Casting Worldly Tutor and activating a Domri.
Chandra, Pyromaster is essentially a Domri #2. I will miss Karn but Chandra, Pyromaster fills the needs of the deck in a much better fashion. I'm not quite sure why I haven't considered her before. These eyes can be blind sometimes.
Brutalizer Exarch is pretty much fantastic. He Tucks and/or Tutors. He's also splinter Twin Compatible. I can Tuck, Tuck, and then tutor. I know some of you might be yelling Win more but it does come up!
The best card I believe I'm adding that is very Radha specific is Triumph of Ferocity. Although it's not aggressive it is a "Phyrexian Arena". It takes advantage of Radha being bigger than mana dorks in the early stages of the game. Combine it with other creatures and even a Wolfir Silverheart things get gravy. I also think that this accomplishes the role much better than Garruk Primal Hunter could.
Lignify is going back in the deck but without his buddy Treefolk Harbinger. Radha Struggle with the endgame creatures that are titanic. Plus its good vs Reanimator and anything that can't be burned out.
@Kriggy: Yes that is true. But why can't this be accomplished with a HellRider/Wolfir Silverheart. Wolfir Silverheart is fetchable with a Green Sun's Zenith. Did he bounce my Radha with Jace and I played a non creature spell the last turn? How do I ensure I have access to Thundermaw that turn and cast it.
@ninjajinx I would only run Magus of the moon and that's a maybe. See above for my counter argument. What do you suggest that I replace for the magi first of all?
You have to remember that those cards that I've suggested are the same crap that Ever's been using on his Radha whenever he and I are battling like crazy. Despite it's been a while since we've last faced with him using Radha, those cards are force to be reckon with.
No other version Radha came close on giving me a hard time other than Ever's Radha.
Heck, Ever's reasoning for running Archwing are those pesky sweepers. Even I find it amazing that in a race against damage, casting 4 per turn just for the dragon to return is really annoying and painful... for the opponent.
Even as lowly as Stonewright which is really a hidden gem for Radha.
Briarhorn, lol, I remember getting smacked by him and Ever didn't bother with the Evoke cost.
Your arguments nonexistent, I tried to explain my counter argument to you but you responded to me with fanboy-ism. You might as well have told me that "your mom goes to college". You have the perspective of perhaps a couple of matchup's. I believe the main strength of my build is it's ability to win VS any deck. However I maintain the aggressive mid-game that Radha excels at without playing the chaff. It's totally alright to argue with me about a point, but please explain your thought process out.
On the subject of Manadorks (1cc)
The reason I don't play manadorks is because it literally takes away from the strengths of playing Radha over Marath. A consistent Mid-Game. If I played mana dorks obviously it leads to playing Marath or another G/x deck. I'm not arguing whether or not which deck is better. However what I am discussing is the cards that benefit Radha as an overall archetype. In what scenario does playing a manadork turn one benefit radha? The only situation is when Radha gets countered/destroyed, which in fact is a good thing. Replay her, playing manadorks takes away the benefit from the General Rule. I want to gain maximum advantage from playing Radha as my general. I already include cultivate/kodama's reach as a way to rebuild if Radha is disrupted. Don't be fooled thinking that the staples of the format belong in every deck.
Why No LD
Radha excels at the mid game. Turns 3,4,5 you dominate the board and your opponent has to have a tuned deck in order to simply compete. A common assumption is that Land Destruction keeps your opponent back so you can lengthen the mid game. However that simply doesn't apply in practice. When you play a LD spell your opponent still gets Mana to work with on his turn. This is another turn to potentially stabilize. I acknowledge that a timely Ruination has the ability to completely wreck an UNPREPARED opponent. However I'm Radha and theirs a stereotype out their on what it potentially contains (LD, MOON effects) which automatically causes an opponent to fetch for basics. My opponent is able to react with fetch's and get the appropriate basics. Signets are the most common form of acceleration in non-green decks and they automatically fight off a blood moon.
This doesn't even factor in how terrible Goblin Settler, Goblin Ruin-blaster and Avalanche Riders are in top deck mode. I believe that pairing Land destruction with Green's ramp is not the most effective list. Sure that deck can win, but when it loses it doesn't even put up a fight.
I'd rather spend the mid game making dudes, destroying specific creatures and utilizing the power behind green's late game (Tooth and Nail+ Crater Hoof). By doing so I can transition still win when the game goes long by ensuring the minimal cards I draw are dead.
Marath Matchup
I do appreciate the advise about the manabase. The deck is fully capable of disrupting the manabase with a wasteland + eternal witness. I will take that into consideration as I plan out my turns. Although Phyrexian Revoker/Pithing Needle are not the best tools for the job their roles are universal and help all matchup's.
I'm very interested in hearing what cards make the 99 ok-ish? However I do appreciate you taking some time to post some suggestions. What cards seem ok-ish? Feel Free to post. Below I try to explain my thought process about some of your suggestions. Feel Free to counter argue/agree.
Question: How's Aether Vial? Every-time I asked someone how that card's performance in any deck, they told me it doesn't do well.
Aether Vial is always a mixed bag. Your running the card for it's mid game value. After turns 3-4 topdecking a vial isn't the best draw. Think of it as a Reusable Dark Ritual. Radha surprisingly is a mana hungry deck. When I lose games, I'm generally not out of cards but unable to cast the spells in my hand. This was added to fix that while providing another way to sneak the combo in vs hard control decks where you have the luxury of letting vial tick up. It is neat that you can Vial in Zealous Conscripts and untap Vial to then put Kiki-Jiki into play. Although it's not the strongest card I will continue to eye it as it's inclusion in the deck is relatively new (under 3 months). The games I with an early vial have always been in my favor. Vial's power level sky rockets when you have an active survival/fauna shaman or you draw an Imperial Recruiter.
The reason these cards are not in the deck are simply due to power level reasons. Cliffrunner Behemoth and Rubblebelt Raiders do not match up to the power level of Hellrider/Flametongue Kavu. Although at first glance it may appear that I'm lacking aggressive 4 drops. However time has proven again and again that dropping a planeswalker and making a dude not only supports Cradle, Hoof, But is an aggressive start that does not over-commit against a wrath effect.
For the longest Time my deck had a Dragon. In theory Stormbreath Dragon is synergistic with Radha's Mana, and Thundermaw Hellkite a potential silver bullet against bitterblossom. However these creatures do not matter with a life total of 30, they might appear that they are working but even Radha and one of these dragons are not enough to even close out a game. Hellrider has larger impact on an opponents life total and is a 4 drop that synergies with tokens! I've even tried Urabrask the hidden and he suffers from the same flaws.
In EDH you have to go big. That's why Wolfir Silverheart is surprisingly the strongest 5cc beater. At least Wolfir Silverheart Provides +4/+4 on the turn he has summoning sickness and then threatens to swing for 8 more damage. In addition Zealous Conscripts finishes the 5cc Beater package. She not only has utility, is a combo piece, It threatens an opposing creature. If i steal a 2/2 I still do the same amount of damage to an opponent as a Thundermaw Hellkite AND i threaten a next OOPS I win.
Bloodbraid Elf
I'm glad you brought that up. As a classic staple in most GR lists you really have to understand that playing 4 mana for an irrelevant creature and getting a random spell is not what it's chalked up to be. At first glance you might compare Bloodbraid Elf to Hellrider, however one is a mini Craterhoof Behemoth while the other might get you a irrelevant spell. This is not constructed where I can include creatures with haste or multiple 3 mana planeswalkers. Usually I'll hit a utility spell that isn't useful at this point in the game. This is magnified when Casting Bloodbraid Elf turn 3.
Scroll up and take a quick glance through my 4 drops. All of them have a much greater impact on the game. They also all do what I want. If I cast Flametongue Kavu you better believe I wanna kill a mana dork or general. If I play Solemn you better believe It's a good turn to be able to tap out and accelerate. Another Minor Point is that not only is it not effective with birthing pod, but out of the entire deck list It will never be tutored for. Not once. Not in any situation.
Stonewright, Briarhorn
Stonewright is another in theory card. The only redeeming quality he has is that he dies to skullclamp. Usually if Radha lives I'm pumping out a 4 drop. Attacking with Radha on turn 3 is situational and depends on the hand. If I didn't run Simian Spirit Guide or Elvish Spirit Guide then perhaps, But Goblin Guide and Stonewright don't offer enough damage or board presence to justify their inclusion. Briarhorn is neat but Kessig Wolf Run has been printed. If my opponent does play an opposing blocker, at that point I should transition my game plan using Radha's mana rather than trying to make a pump spell work. In singleton Briarhorn is way to situational and does not offer enough to justify it's inclusion.
Blood Moon Magus of the Moon Tangle Wire
All of the above are usually staples in most deck lists that contain mountains. What I'm going to say might not resonate right away. Competent Pilots don't lose to Blood Moon Effects any more. Even against Oloro where in theory it will be the most useful tool, the fact that I played a spell that does nothing to the board is exactly what he hopes I do. The problem is Timing. My General is Radha, which means that I'll be playing Magus of the Moon the next turn. 2 2/2's equate 0 pressure and are solved by a timely wrath. At least if I played a planeswalker I'd have a reusable source of card advantage. It also turns off Kessig and Cradle which are powerhouse lands.
As you might have noticed that all of the 4cc Land Destruction dudes have all left the deck! I've even cut goblin ruinblaster! I get the hype behind Tanglewire, but if my opponent lets me have a 3 power creature and resolve Tanglewire I've already won. The problem with these cards are their timing/effect. Out of all three of these I think I would play Stranglehold.
Price of Progress, Arc-Slogger, Char
If anyone is still reading my post I have not considered price of progress. I will promptly add it to the original list in place of Gyre Sage. I believe that the effect can close out a game (100x better of a way to interact with an opponents non-basics). The mere fact that I can redirect the damage to a planeswalker in a close match is WIN. Thanks for the suggestion Ikarou
Char is Burst Lightning But playable Turn 1. I'll take that flexibility against a deck with mana dorks any day! As in for the argument more burn is better, Find room :)!
Arc-Slogger is Not Bad at all. He was in my list for a very long time. He's honestly the hardest card to find words for on my I removed him from the deck-list. A combination of not mattering in most match-ups and Radha excelling against match-ups he's good summarizes it neatly.
I hope I explained my thinking well enough through text. I look forward to suggestions to cut and to add!
I'm glad that's by far the only issue with the deck. I was hoping a fresh eyes on the internet would do some good, but not a single suggestion :/.
I'm currently considering Brutalizer Exarch over Bane of progress due to the increased amount of artifacts since the deck list's original inception. In addition he can help set up the combo with Kiki-jiki while acting as a pod trigger from acidic slime. The other weak card in the deck list is gyre sage. Not because she's bad but she messes up the momentum you get from having Radha as your general. She not only forces you into a wrath able board state, she takes away from having Radha as the general.
Although the community on mtg salvation has changed greatly over the years once in awhile I feel a desire to post an update of my current project. I'm not going to post my godo list atm. Today you have the opportunity to look at my Radha deck-list. Radha's power comes from being able to adapt and play a multitude of roles depending on your opening hand. One game you can be extremely aggressive, others you can grind out a win with your superior card selection. Other games you'll just win with the combo win. Let me state that scapeshift is not the primary combo (Scapeshift is sooo 2010). I'm open to suggestions but as you'll find out that the deck-list is extremely tight!
Plan A Combo: Kiki-jiki/Splinter Twin Targeting Zealous Conscripts (Tooth and Nail = WIN, No Pestermite Needed)
Plan B HOOOF: Play Craterhoof Behemoth and Yell HOOOOF as loudly as possible.
Some Synergies to be aware of:
Birthing Pod + 4cc creatures makes birthing pod into Zealous Conscripts to untap pod and if you by chance have another 4cc creature you auto win.
Survival + Squee
Goblin Rabble Master + Deck. Seriously this guy is a powerhouse, he makes a dude the turn he comes out. Combine with Hellrider, Cradle or even a skull-clamp for pure win. He also makes dudes for craterhoof and he only makes OTHER goblins attack. Thank you wizards.
Burning Tree Shaman + Nykthos: God's are terrible. I want to love the Mono Red god, even the RG one but they are way too slow and do nothing. Radha is a high impact deck. Burning Tree shaman is everything you want manamorphose to be. Combine with Kikijiki or Nykthos to net mana. Leads to epic plays and really makes the deck explode.
Master of the Wild Hunt + Wolfir Silverheart
Zealous Conscripts Untaps Cradle.
Simian Spirit Guide + Elvish Spirit Guide: Unless your casting Radha Turn 1 you should be casting these fellows or discarding them to Faithless Looting or Fauna Shaman/Survival. Remember Craterhoof wins.
Tricks with Radha's RR
Expedition Map
Sensei's Divining Top
Ancient Grudge
Punishing Fire/Bolt/Burst Lightning
Survival Activation w/Fire-lit Thicket
Nykthos
Krosan Tusker
Inferno Titan Pump
Kessig
Yavimaya Elder Activation
Realms Uncharted
Barbarian Ring/Forgotten Cave Activation
Chord of Calling
Matchups: Know that I'm not giving percentages just my general opinion of the more common match-ups. Know that any competent pilot can win with any pile. Never underestimate your opponent unless he's playing Grenzo.
Grenzo get's put in his place vs Radha. Seriously Proceed to laugh as you play higher impact spells for the entire match
Marath is seriously radha with white. Hope you have a pithing needle/revoker and win as fast as possible. Not a favorable match-up because in a creature mirror having Jitte as a general has some benefits.
Reanimator: Stingscourger, If they reanimate Grizzy you probably lose no matter what. You do have Threaten effects to swing the game in your favor. Play aggressive and hope they don't OOPS win. Seriously Grizzy should be banned.
Azami Style Combo: Your the aggro deck. Get access to cavern of souls and the match up becomes easier. You'll realize why Mindclaw Shaman is in the deck when you proceed to cast whatever bombtastic spell in their hand.
Iname: Your not winning unless you can seriously steal a match. Not only does he have all the tools to keep you back, he has a combo win that you can't really disrupt. Obviously play the match but know that Evergreen does not care about anything you play. You need your heavy hitters to win here (Asceticism, Birthing Pod, Survival). Hope you top deck them and they don't start in your opener.
Azusa: This might as well be the Monogreen Mirror. Race to the HOOF. You have burn spells to disrupt Tatomas but his end game is better. The longer you can keep him mid game where you excel the better. Stingscourger rocks vs eldrazi potentially giving you another turn to combo. Suprisingly Threaten effects on eldrazi don't matter. Wolfir Silverheart Rocks.
Oloro- Their deck can contain anything. Mostly it's either pure control or reanimator. If it's control play your walkers and grind it out.
Animar: Your removal is very live against him. If your not playing against jester you probably should win most matches. I'm sure Jester could probably win more games than the average player.
Rafiq.bant.dec- Prepare for an intense game. Whoever mess's up first loses. Keep a removal heavy hand.
I posted my list as a treat for some of the fans of EDH out their that can truly appreciate a 99! For those of you out their that are interested in my playgroup atm it contains the following: Azusa, Zurgo Helmsmasher, Captain Sissay, Niv-Mizzet, Azami, Kalia, Oloro
Patch
-Karn
-Aether Vial
-Pithing Needle
-Price of Progress
-Bane of Progress
-Garruk Primal Hunter
Bbearz can you contribute to the discussion? I'm trying to bring up a point, and see what the community thinks. I'm entitled to my own opinions and only want the french ban list to continue to evolve. At this point in french, and it has been for awhile, re-animator has been king. It manages to be consistent even in a singleton format. I want to knock it down a peg, Because at least with whatever else is being reanimated you have time. Hell Jin-Q at least gives you time before making you discard your hand. Iona gives you a trigger to respond to. Griselbrand, combined with any decent deck list will thort your response (Usually with a free spell that is drawn IN RESPONSE).
Reanimator cannot be directly hated with sideboard hate, since they don't exist. Therefor spells have to be selected that have general purposes that can also be used to hate against a re animator strategy. Scavening Ooze is accessible with the green tutors that go along with it. Shred Memory/Bojuka Bog are both tools in black that can be safely played without being a dead card in other matchups. The list evolves further with Stingscourger, Lignify, Beast Within and the common forms of disruption. However this entire strategy fails with Griselbrand. You want to Beast Within my Griselbrand? Draw 7. Respond if I want. Even if I don't your still going to have to exile him or face him next turn. Oh Your going to swords my griselbrand? I'll draw 7. Damn nothing. Draw 7. Find a line of play into FoW, even drawing 7 again if I find a mystical tutor. After spending my life as a resource to protect Griselbrand I'm know going to swing and lock you down with WHATEVER. If the StP resolves for some reason I have 14 cards, and you just spent resources dealing with Griselbrand GG.
I'm very disappointed to see Griselbrand still legal. Hopefully everyone gets butt hurt about losing to a broken card and the RC bans it.
Just as I was getting excited by the spoilers too.
I don't know where you're getting the idea that Griselbrand is broken. If anything, I'd say that Oloro is more of a problem than Griselbrand as he has nearly pushed damage-based aggro decks out of the format on his own.
That is to say, if Oloro is fine, Griselbrand is fine.
I think hes posted before and had his point refuted. He's just a troll. Don't bother spending time with him.
I'm very disappointed to see Griselbrand still legal. Hopefully everyone gets butt hurt about losing to a broken card and the RC bans it.
Just as I was getting excited by the spoilers too.
I don't know where you're getting the idea that Griselbrand is broken. If anything, I'd say that Oloro is more of a problem than Griselbrand as he has nearly pushed damage-based aggro decks out of the format on his own.
That is to say, if Oloro is fine, Griselbrand is fine.
I think hes posted before and had his point refuted. He's just a troll. Don't bother spending time with him.
I don't know about banning it.
But from the many matches I did against Oloro Reanimator, Griselbrand just turns the game around on it's own
Sure, Iona, Shield of Emeria or Ashen Rider are very backbreaking. But nothing is as demoralizing as watching the only answer you have get helplessly countered by Force of Will after Griselbrand draws 28 cards. Then you have to deal with a 7/7 lifelink card drawer with counter/reanimation backup.
I think that without him, Oloro Reanimator would be much less powerful because they have to carefully choose which creature to reanimate depending on the situation rather than getting Griselbrand almost all of the time.
arvinsim, that is exactly my point I'm trying to bring up. If everyone for once would stop theory crafting and play some actual games vs re animator (1/3 of matches online) they'd realize the pure utility provided by his existence. Their are hundreds of re animator options, and he's the best every time. Most EDH players don't even have to experience him because the wizards supported ban list.
Flaming warning. Please do not take the bait here we need to stop on both sides. -ISB
I know I complained earlier of P. Titan, but I have bigger issues. As a long time supporter of 1v1 EDH I've taken a dabble into the online scene. One apparent strategy that steamrolls is reanimator. With it's nut's draws faster and more efficient then nearly all archetypes. I know your all saying but Hunter, deal. Well I have dealt with reanimator. However, Griselbrand takes the cake. Griselbrand in a blue shell makes it impossible to deal with. You can't come close to pointing to him with your finger let alone a spell. Their are tools in all colors that can deal with reanimater's game plan, but none of them can deal with a Grizzy with a decent list. You guys in Europe must be quite lucky that no ones ruined the party consecutively with reanimator. I can tolerate a lot of shennnigans but Griselbrand must be gone. You've done a decent job addressing the imperial seal issue, and the list so far. Make this change for the health of the format, because reanimator will always exist, but IT CANNOT EXIST WITH GRIZZY.
Don't choose your commander based on your budget. Duel commander decks posted on the forum don't evolve in one day. They are products of months and months of tweaking. The best way to get into duel commander is the same as multiplayer. Choose a commander that resonates with you that you can get behind. Use whatever budget you have and blow it on the manabase (exclude original duels and fetches). Use the awosome lands such as guild gates or if your lucky enough a shard land. It's nice to go on a spree and pick up "essentials" but over time you'll be surprised what you cut. I'm telling ya that if your deck is meant to be the motivation to further patch it will grow. Every time you go to your local card shop pick up a few cards on your hit list. Remember that your edh deck will be your project for years!
#1 pick a non five color general
#2 spend prelimary budget on manabase
#3 Patch every trip to the card shop
The best advice is to choose a deck that you know well. Remember you only have 50 minutes to complete a match. Know your options and your decision trees will be much easier to work with. Keep a good hand. It is better to have 5 cards that can curve out that a terrible 6-7. Do not be afraid to put all non lands back. Even if you want a certain card. Your deck should be designed to work together no matter what you draw. My final piece of advise is to know a meta knowledge of the format. This will come with experience. Know how most decks will win and how they attempt to stop you from wining.GL
griselbrand is arguable but p.titan isnt really degenerate in 1v1 games.
also reading the reasons why l.retainers was banned, you could argue that the same can be said about oath of druids
LOL
P. Titan needs to be banned. End of Discussion
Prime Titan is easily just as game warping as Protean Hulk and fetches the dd combo. And what the ban of strip mine is supposedly lowers his power level. Not a chance.
Notable Exclusion: Nether Traitor. I would highly suggest relooking at this guy. He not only has haste and evasion but triggers with dreadnought and death's shadow.
Golgari Charm? Protection and notable modes.
If your trying to play cards like deathmark, this guy exists: Slithery Stalker
Lemonbuster their is no need to call out Jester in the manner in which you did. No reason at all, obviously jester has put real work into the deck and to say otherwise is disrespect. Putting togeither any primer is time consuming. you can disagree but back it up by actual cuts in a decklist. Animar most likely has room to evolve and their could be a chance your suggested changes are correct. However either way If you test 1v1 edh regularly then post results from testing and help evolve the deck to the next level. Post your suggested changes and start again from their.
Patch
-Karn
-Aether Vial
-Pithing Needle
-Price of Progress
-Bane of Progress
-Garruk Primal Hunter
+ Chandra, Pyromaster
+ Triumph of Ferocity
+ Worldly Tutor
+ Primal Command
+ Brutalizer Exarch
+ Lignify
I believe these changed really add more consistency to the deck. Worldly Tutor and Primal Command have been in and out of the Deck, However I have been wanting more tutors to help enable the combo or access silver bullets. Primal Command can also Function as a Mwvolni Acid Moss. Worldly Tutor is essentially a way to ensure a 4 drop that is crippling or fetch a Burning Tree Emmissary. This is all pre-Radha. At a point I was worried about the Card Disadvantage but I'm not to worried. Bonus Points for Casting Worldly Tutor and activating a Domri.
Chandra, Pyromaster is essentially a Domri #2. I will miss Karn but Chandra, Pyromaster fills the needs of the deck in a much better fashion. I'm not quite sure why I haven't considered her before. These eyes can be blind sometimes.
Brutalizer Exarch is pretty much fantastic. He Tucks and/or Tutors. He's also splinter Twin Compatible. I can Tuck, Tuck, and then tutor. I know some of you might be yelling Win more but it does come up!
The best card I believe I'm adding that is very Radha specific is Triumph of Ferocity. Although it's not aggressive it is a "Phyrexian Arena". It takes advantage of Radha being bigger than mana dorks in the early stages of the game. Combine it with other creatures and even a Wolfir Silverheart things get gravy. I also think that this accomplishes the role much better than Garruk Primal Hunter could.
Lignify is going back in the deck but without his buddy Treefolk Harbinger. Radha Struggle with the endgame creatures that are titanic. Plus its good vs Reanimator and anything that can't be burned out.
@Kriggy: Yes that is true. But why can't this be accomplished with a HellRider/Wolfir Silverheart. Wolfir Silverheart is fetchable with a Green Sun's Zenith. Did he bounce my Radha with Jace and I played a non creature spell the last turn? How do I ensure I have access to Thundermaw that turn and cast it.
@ninjajinx I would only run Magus of the moon and that's a maybe. See above for my counter argument. What do you suggest that I replace for the magi first of all?
Your arguments nonexistent, I tried to explain my counter argument to you but you responded to me with fanboy-ism. You might as well have told me that "your mom goes to college". You have the perspective of perhaps a couple of matchup's. I believe the main strength of my build is it's ability to win VS any deck. However I maintain the aggressive mid-game that Radha excels at without playing the chaff. It's totally alright to argue with me about a point, but please explain your thought process out.
On the subject of Manadorks (1cc)
The reason I don't play manadorks is because it literally takes away from the strengths of playing Radha over Marath. A consistent Mid-Game. If I played mana dorks obviously it leads to playing Marath or another G/x deck. I'm not arguing whether or not which deck is better. However what I am discussing is the cards that benefit Radha as an overall archetype. In what scenario does playing a manadork turn one benefit radha? The only situation is when Radha gets countered/destroyed, which in fact is a good thing. Replay her, playing manadorks takes away the benefit from the General Rule. I want to gain maximum advantage from playing Radha as my general. I already include cultivate/kodama's reach as a way to rebuild if Radha is disrupted. Don't be fooled thinking that the staples of the format belong in every deck.
Why No LD
Radha excels at the mid game. Turns 3,4,5 you dominate the board and your opponent has to have a tuned deck in order to simply compete. A common assumption is that Land Destruction keeps your opponent back so you can lengthen the mid game. However that simply doesn't apply in practice. When you play a LD spell your opponent still gets Mana to work with on his turn. This is another turn to potentially stabilize. I acknowledge that a timely Ruination has the ability to completely wreck an UNPREPARED opponent. However I'm Radha and theirs a stereotype out their on what it potentially contains (LD, MOON effects) which automatically causes an opponent to fetch for basics. My opponent is able to react with fetch's and get the appropriate basics. Signets are the most common form of acceleration in non-green decks and they automatically fight off a blood moon.
This doesn't even factor in how terrible Goblin Settler, Goblin Ruin-blaster and Avalanche Riders are in top deck mode. I believe that pairing Land destruction with Green's ramp is not the most effective list. Sure that deck can win, but when it loses it doesn't even put up a fight.
I'd rather spend the mid game making dudes, destroying specific creatures and utilizing the power behind green's late game (Tooth and Nail+ Crater Hoof). By doing so I can transition still win when the game goes long by ensuring the minimal cards I draw are dead.
Marath Matchup
I do appreciate the advise about the manabase. The deck is fully capable of disrupting the manabase with a wasteland + eternal witness. I will take that into consideration as I plan out my turns. Although Phyrexian Revoker/Pithing Needle are not the best tools for the job their roles are universal and help all matchup's.
Question: How's Aether Vial? Every-time I asked someone how that card's performance in any deck, they told me it doesn't do well.
Aether Vial is always a mixed bag. Your running the card for it's mid game value. After turns 3-4 topdecking a vial isn't the best draw. Think of it as a Reusable Dark Ritual. Radha surprisingly is a mana hungry deck. When I lose games, I'm generally not out of cards but unable to cast the spells in my hand. This was added to fix that while providing another way to sneak the combo in vs hard control decks where you have the luxury of letting vial tick up. It is neat that you can Vial in Zealous Conscripts and untap Vial to then put Kiki-Jiki into play. Although it's not the strongest card I will continue to eye it as it's inclusion in the deck is relatively new (under 3 months). The games I with an early vial have always been in my favor. Vial's power level sky rockets when you have an active survival/fauna shaman or you draw an Imperial Recruiter.
Cliffrunner Behemoth,Rubblebelt Raiders, Archwing Dragon, Thundermaw Hellkite, Stormbreath Dragon and Friends
The reason these cards are not in the deck are simply due to power level reasons. Cliffrunner Behemoth and Rubblebelt Raiders do not match up to the power level of Hellrider/Flametongue Kavu. Although at first glance it may appear that I'm lacking aggressive 4 drops. However time has proven again and again that dropping a planeswalker and making a dude not only supports Cradle, Hoof, But is an aggressive start that does not over-commit against a wrath effect.
For the longest Time my deck had a Dragon. In theory Stormbreath Dragon is synergistic with Radha's Mana, and Thundermaw Hellkite a potential silver bullet against bitterblossom. However these creatures do not matter with a life total of 30, they might appear that they are working but even Radha and one of these dragons are not enough to even close out a game. Hellrider has larger impact on an opponents life total and is a 4 drop that synergies with tokens! I've even tried Urabrask the hidden and he suffers from the same flaws.
In EDH you have to go big. That's why Wolfir Silverheart is surprisingly the strongest 5cc beater. At least Wolfir Silverheart Provides +4/+4 on the turn he has summoning sickness and then threatens to swing for 8 more damage. In addition Zealous Conscripts finishes the 5cc Beater package. She not only has utility, is a combo piece, It threatens an opposing creature. If i steal a 2/2 I still do the same amount of damage to an opponent as a Thundermaw Hellkite AND i threaten a next OOPS I win.
Bloodbraid Elf
I'm glad you brought that up. As a classic staple in most GR lists you really have to understand that playing 4 mana for an irrelevant creature and getting a random spell is not what it's chalked up to be. At first glance you might compare Bloodbraid Elf to Hellrider, however one is a mini Craterhoof Behemoth while the other might get you a irrelevant spell. This is not constructed where I can include creatures with haste or multiple 3 mana planeswalkers. Usually I'll hit a utility spell that isn't useful at this point in the game. This is magnified when Casting Bloodbraid Elf turn 3.
Scroll up and take a quick glance through my 4 drops. All of them have a much greater impact on the game. They also all do what I want. If I cast Flametongue Kavu you better believe I wanna kill a mana dork or general. If I play Solemn you better believe It's a good turn to be able to tap out and accelerate. Another Minor Point is that not only is it not effective with birthing pod, but out of the entire deck list It will never be tutored for. Not once. Not in any situation.
Stonewright, Briarhorn
Stonewright is another in theory card. The only redeeming quality he has is that he dies to skullclamp. Usually if Radha lives I'm pumping out a 4 drop. Attacking with Radha on turn 3 is situational and depends on the hand. If I didn't run Simian Spirit Guide or Elvish Spirit Guide then perhaps, But Goblin Guide and Stonewright don't offer enough damage or board presence to justify their inclusion. Briarhorn is neat but Kessig Wolf Run has been printed. If my opponent does play an opposing blocker, at that point I should transition my game plan using Radha's mana rather than trying to make a pump spell work. In singleton Briarhorn is way to situational and does not offer enough to justify it's inclusion.
Blood Moon Magus of the Moon Tangle Wire
All of the above are usually staples in most deck lists that contain mountains. What I'm going to say might not resonate right away. Competent Pilots don't lose to Blood Moon Effects any more. Even against Oloro where in theory it will be the most useful tool, the fact that I played a spell that does nothing to the board is exactly what he hopes I do. The problem is Timing. My General is Radha, which means that I'll be playing Magus of the Moon the next turn. 2 2/2's equate 0 pressure and are solved by a timely wrath. At least if I played a planeswalker I'd have a reusable source of card advantage. It also turns off Kessig and Cradle which are powerhouse lands.
As you might have noticed that all of the 4cc Land Destruction dudes have all left the deck! I've even cut goblin ruinblaster! I get the hype behind Tanglewire, but if my opponent lets me have a 3 power creature and resolve Tanglewire I've already won. The problem with these cards are their timing/effect. Out of all three of these I think I would play Stranglehold.
Price of Progress, Arc-Slogger, Char
If anyone is still reading my post I have not considered price of progress. I will promptly add it to the original list in place of Gyre Sage. I believe that the effect can close out a game (100x better of a way to interact with an opponents non-basics). The mere fact that I can redirect the damage to a planeswalker in a close match is WIN. Thanks for the suggestion Ikarou
Char is Burst Lightning But playable Turn 1. I'll take that flexibility against a deck with mana dorks any day! As in for the argument more burn is better, Find room :)!
Arc-Slogger is Not Bad at all. He was in my list for a very long time. He's honestly the hardest card to find words for on my I removed him from the deck-list. A combination of not mattering in most match-ups and Radha excelling against match-ups he's good summarizes it neatly.
I hope I explained my thinking well enough through text. I look forward to suggestions to cut and to add!
I'm currently considering Brutalizer Exarch over Bane of progress due to the increased amount of artifacts since the deck list's original inception. In addition he can help set up the combo with Kiki-jiki while acting as a pod trigger from acidic slime. The other weak card in the deck list is gyre sage. Not because she's bad but she messes up the momentum you get from having Radha as your general. She not only forces you into a wrath able board state, she takes away from having Radha as the general.
Pretend Sensei's Divining Top is a Mirri's Guile btw.
So essentially I have a Free Slot, not including an suggestions!
Radha In all of her Glory
4 Forest
2 Mountain
1 Taiga
1 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 City of Brass
1 Karplusan Forest
1 Command Tower
1 Stomping Ground
1 Mana Confluence
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Mossfire Valley
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Raging Ravine
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Treetop Village
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Wasteland
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Creatures 32
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Stingscourger
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Burning-Tree Emissary
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Elvish Spirit Guide
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Fierce Empath
1 Imperial Recruiter
1 Eternal Witness
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Hellrider
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Kiki-jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Mindclaw Shaman
1 Acidic Slime
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Inferno Titan
1 Primeval Titan (If multiplayer Ban-list promptly replace with a Sol Ring)
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Sylvan Library
1 Lignify
1 Triumph of Ferocity
1 Splinter Twin
1 Asceticism
1 Mirri's Guile (Sensei's Divining Top)
Artifacts (4)
1 Skullclamp
1 Expedition Map
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Birthing Pod
Planeswalker (5)
1 Domri Rade
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Sarkhan Vol
1 Xenagos, the Reveler
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
Instant (9)
1 Crop Rotation
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Burst Lightning
1 Punishing Fire
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Beast Within
1 Realms Uncharted
1 Chord of Calling
Sorcery (8)
1 Faithless Looting
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Life from the Loam
1 Cultivate
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Primal Command
1 Tooth and Nail
Plan A Combo: Kiki-jiki/Splinter Twin Targeting Zealous Conscripts (Tooth and Nail = WIN, No Pestermite Needed)
Plan B HOOOF: Play Craterhoof Behemoth and Yell HOOOOF as loudly as possible.
Some Synergies to be aware of:
Birthing Pod + 4cc creatures makes birthing pod into Zealous Conscripts to untap pod and if you by chance have another 4cc creature you auto win.
Survival + Squee
Goblin Rabble Master + Deck. Seriously this guy is a powerhouse, he makes a dude the turn he comes out. Combine with Hellrider, Cradle or even a skull-clamp for pure win. He also makes dudes for craterhoof and he only makes OTHER goblins attack. Thank you wizards.
Burning Tree Shaman + Nykthos: God's are terrible. I want to love the Mono Red god, even the RG one but they are way too slow and do nothing. Radha is a high impact deck. Burning Tree shaman is everything you want manamorphose to be. Combine with Kikijiki or Nykthos to net mana. Leads to epic plays and really makes the deck explode.
Master of the Wild Hunt + Wolfir Silverheart
Zealous Conscripts Untaps Cradle.
Simian Spirit Guide + Elvish Spirit Guide: Unless your casting Radha Turn 1 you should be casting these fellows or discarding them to Faithless Looting or Fauna Shaman/Survival. Remember Craterhoof wins.
Tricks with Radha's RR
Expedition Map
Sensei's Divining Top
Ancient Grudge
Punishing Fire/Bolt/Burst Lightning
Survival Activation w/Fire-lit Thicket
Nykthos
Krosan Tusker
Inferno Titan Pump
Kessig
Yavimaya Elder Activation
Realms Uncharted
Barbarian Ring/Forgotten Cave Activation
Chord of Calling
Matchups: Know that I'm not giving percentages just my general opinion of the more common match-ups. Know that any competent pilot can win with any pile. Never underestimate your opponent unless he's playing Grenzo.
Grenzo get's put in his place vs Radha. Seriously Proceed to laugh as you play higher impact spells for the entire match
Marath is seriously radha with white. Hope you have a pithing needle/revoker and win as fast as possible. Not a favorable match-up because in a creature mirror having Jitte as a general has some benefits.
Reanimator: Stingscourger, If they reanimate Grizzy you probably lose no matter what. You do have Threaten effects to swing the game in your favor. Play aggressive and hope they don't OOPS win. Seriously Grizzy should be banned.
Azami Style Combo: Your the aggro deck. Get access to cavern of souls and the match up becomes easier. You'll realize why Mindclaw Shaman is in the deck when you proceed to cast whatever bombtastic spell in their hand.
Iname: Your not winning unless you can seriously steal a match. Not only does he have all the tools to keep you back, he has a combo win that you can't really disrupt. Obviously play the match but know that Evergreen does not care about anything you play. You need your heavy hitters to win here (Asceticism, Birthing Pod, Survival). Hope you top deck them and they don't start in your opener.
Azusa: This might as well be the Monogreen Mirror. Race to the HOOF. You have burn spells to disrupt Tatomas but his end game is better. The longer you can keep him mid game where you excel the better. Stingscourger rocks vs eldrazi potentially giving you another turn to combo. Suprisingly Threaten effects on eldrazi don't matter. Wolfir Silverheart Rocks.
Oloro- Their deck can contain anything. Mostly it's either pure control or reanimator. If it's control play your walkers and grind it out.
Animar: Your removal is very live against him. If your not playing against jester you probably should win most matches. I'm sure Jester could probably win more games than the average player.
Rafiq.bant.dec- Prepare for an intense game. Whoever mess's up first loses. Keep a removal heavy hand.
I posted my list as a treat for some of the fans of EDH out their that can truly appreciate a 99! For those of you out their that are interested in my playgroup atm it contains the following: Azusa, Zurgo Helmsmasher, Captain Sissay, Niv-Mizzet, Azami, Kalia, Oloro
Patch
-Karn
-Aether Vial
-Pithing Needle
-Price of Progress
-Bane of Progress
-Garruk Primal Hunter
+ Lignify
+ Chandra Pyromaster
+ Triumph of Ferocity
+ Worldly Tutor
+ Primal Command
+ Brutalizer Exarch
#Another Awesome Deck-list by yours Truly
Reanimator cannot be directly hated with sideboard hate, since they don't exist. Therefor spells have to be selected that have general purposes that can also be used to hate against a re animator strategy. Scavening Ooze is accessible with the green tutors that go along with it. Shred Memory/Bojuka Bog are both tools in black that can be safely played without being a dead card in other matchups. The list evolves further with Stingscourger, Lignify, Beast Within and the common forms of disruption. However this entire strategy fails with Griselbrand. You want to Beast Within my Griselbrand? Draw 7. Respond if I want. Even if I don't your still going to have to exile him or face him next turn. Oh Your going to swords my griselbrand? I'll draw 7. Damn nothing. Draw 7. Find a line of play into FoW, even drawing 7 again if I find a mystical tutor. After spending my life as a resource to protect Griselbrand I'm know going to swing and lock you down with WHATEVER. If the StP resolves for some reason I have 14 cards, and you just spent resources dealing with Griselbrand GG.
Learn to respect your elders kid.
arvinsim, that is exactly my point I'm trying to bring up. If everyone for once would stop theory crafting and play some actual games vs re animator (1/3 of matches online) they'd realize the pure utility provided by his existence. Their are hundreds of re animator options, and he's the best every time. Most EDH players don't even have to experience him because the wizards supported ban list.
Flaming warning. Please do not take the bait here we need to stop on both sides. -ISB
Just as I was getting excited by the spoilers too.
Griselbrand
I know I complained earlier of P. Titan, but I have bigger issues. As a long time supporter of 1v1 EDH I've taken a dabble into the online scene. One apparent strategy that steamrolls is reanimator. With it's nut's draws faster and more efficient then nearly all archetypes. I know your all saying but Hunter, deal. Well I have dealt with reanimator. However, Griselbrand takes the cake. Griselbrand in a blue shell makes it impossible to deal with. You can't come close to pointing to him with your finger let alone a spell. Their are tools in all colors that can deal with reanimater's game plan, but none of them can deal with a Grizzy with a decent list. You guys in Europe must be quite lucky that no ones ruined the party consecutively with reanimator. I can tolerate a lot of shennnigans but Griselbrand must be gone. You've done a decent job addressing the imperial seal issue, and the list so far. Make this change for the health of the format, because reanimator will always exist, but IT CANNOT EXIST WITH GRIZZY.
#1 pick a non five color general
#2 spend prelimary budget on manabase
#3 Patch every trip to the card shop
LOL
P. Titan needs to be banned. End of Discussion
Prime Titan is easily just as game warping as Protean Hulk and fetches the dd combo. And what the ban of strip mine is supposedly lowers his power level. Not a chance.
Golgari Charm? Protection and notable modes.
If your trying to play cards like deathmark, this guy exists: Slithery Stalker
Later