When I designed the original 2-player monogreen deck, I felt compelled to include Panglacial Wurm because it introduced an interesting interaction for the shared library mechanic. However, green has very bad removal and supporting a 9/5 without making it an autowin was a tall order. It ultimately was too much of a strain to support and had to go. That deck would later be almost entirely overhauled and ended up at a great place.
When I removed it from that deck I promised myself I would design a deck specifically to support it. I ended up with a 2-player GW ramp deck. The deck was interesting for what it did, though I no longer have the exact list. The strongest card in it was probably Seedcradle Witch, which would be bonkers insane when paired with any mana-producing creature. The deck also was the only ever iteration of a deck to include Oust, which I'd like to try again some time since it's white's version of Metamophose in 2-player and made those combo shenanigans easier to put together.
Anyway, after putting this deck together, I'd been playing live FNM for a while and I'd been mulling over the idea of a multiplayer deck. I don't remember whether I expanded the mill deck first or not, but this deck plays far more Magic-like than the mill deck, making it easier for people to get the hang of the dynamics.
In the expanding, I added a lot of different card types that I don't normally use. Hallowed Burial and Austere Command introduced the first legitimate board wipes to any of my stacks. Hallowed Burial in particular keeps Panglacial Wurm active. Cards that get out of hand like Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage and Rhys the Redeemed have more opposing players to answer them. Vow of Duty and Vow of Wildness help add to the big bruisers theme. I've also been more willing to include 2-for-1s a bit more and have been happy with the inclusion of Divine Deflection.
I should note at this point that the starting life totals that I use are 20 which tend to drop in large chunks.
He's the deck presently:
The core mechanic is Panglacial Wurm, which requires a lot of mana and a search effect. It conveniently lets you turn your excess land search effects into a 9/5 when you reach 8-9 mana which plays quite well. I want to make sure to include removal that helps reinforce the use of Panglaical Wurm's ability. I'm waiting for a white Griptide that puts the creature on the bottom. Having Mistveil Plains gives you some control.
(One of the common power plays in the 2-player version was to Sylvan Scrying for Ghost Quarter and then Ghost Quarter your own land later on to get an EOT Panglacial Wurm.)
I find it pleasing that Vow of Duty and Vow of Wildness grow creatures into range of Selesnya Charm and Radiant's Judgment.
Mul Daya Channelers is a subgame I really like and this deck plays it very well. There's a decent number of cards with cycling in the deck and with shuffle effects combined with these, people can have a time fighting over who gets or who doesn't get certain cards. This also broadcasts upcoming board wipes and also beats down or ramps for its controller. It just does a lot of cool things.
It plays well that there are many lands that upgrade into spells and spells that can substitute as mana. There are lands with cycling, lands that have hideaway, lands that turn into creatures. Creatures that can cycle for lands, creatures that upgrade when you get a bunch of mana, creatures that use all of your mana forever. Getting stuck with several expensive cards in your hand shouldn't be a problem encountered much.
Bloom Tender is the weaker of the three mana-creatures. It does tap for two, but you have to have multiple permanents to do so which can be hard after a board wipe. Werebear at least is a 4/4 when you don't need the mana and Joraga Treespeaker becomes a midsized wall. Bloom Tender just offers no late-game utility and is still just as vulnerable to board wipes, possibly moreso.
Awe Strike is out of place somewhat. I still need to find a copy of Pariah, so it will probably replace Awe Strike at that point. What I do like is that it offers a degree of flexibility in keeping a player alive, helping group blocks, and fogging a large creature attacking you for two turns. Celestial Flare would be difficult to cast, but might be worth considering here.
Angelsong is somewhat of a filler. I feel like I want a couple of cards to help stop alpha strikes to allow a reversal to happen. I imagine it being conditionally useful and political. If this didn't have cycling, it wouldn't be in the deck though since it's almost always bad except on very specific board states. It could be that it's still just bad anyway.
Auriok Bladewarden is a holdover from the 2-player deck. It doesn't do much and essentially requires you to combo it with something, at which point it still doesn't do much and is also vulnerable to 2-for-1s. Not exactly sure what I want to replace it with, but it's a nagging thorn to look at. I do very much like the card, but it's not doing anything relevant here.
Seeker of Skybreak isn't quite doing it for me. The idea is that it helps you untap a big creature to block with or to untap mana producers to make more mana. Sometimes you can use it to help an opponent that's being attacked, but if you have a 2/1, it's probably you. There aren't any tappers that this helps deal with either and many of the good creatures have vigilance anyway. I wouldn't be sad to see this go.
Apex Hawks is a mana sink, yes, but isn't ever spectacular at all. It has evasion though, which there is now not much of and can be very useful when dealing with groundling tokens, but it's never efficient and is never spectacular at any CMC except in top deck mode after a board wipe. It's a worse version of Voidstone Gargoyle. Would consider replacing it with Celestial Archon.
Kavu Primarch is similar to Apex Hawks, but at least it's a 7/7 almost all of the time. If you're under early pressure or mana light, it's a fairly easy to cast 3/3 which isn't terrible. I would at least consider Nylea's Emissary here, though am not sure if that would be an actual improvement. Trample is surely good for getting past 1/1 tokens, but Pacifism and detain make it more of a 2-for-1 material. Though it does handle the board wipes well.
Selesnya Guildmage is just too weak too much of the time. It's at its strongest on the play on turn 2 and then beating down with activation mana up, then transitioning into 4-mana chump forever mode. However, none of this is ever efficient and there are almost always better things to do with your mana. If these modes were each less, I'm sure the card would play fine here. As it is, I think Jade Mage would be superior to this card almost all of the time.
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage is actually probably too strong. It comes in at a weird angle and makes 3/3s for 4 mana, sometimes 8/8s. Rhys is faaaar easier to deal with and taps, so you can interact with it. It's too small to get hit by some removal spells and it's never in combat. It's certainly possible to deal with it, but the problem is that it HAS to be dealt with and is awkward to do so. It provides the same amount of pressure to every player that doesn't have a board wipe in hand and is the only card in the deck that provides this level of pressure without being a pure combat-card.
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Posted Dec 6, 2017• Scattered Groves replaces Temple Garden
• Ash Barrens replaces Safewright Quest
• Jade Mage replaces Selesnya Guildmage
The +1/+1 mode just isn't as good when the core creatures are growing to be more spread out. Repeatable 1/1 chump blockers is the most appealing part of this and doubling at 6 and 9 being achievable makes this a good swap.
• Gnarlwood Dryad replaces Death-Hood Cobra
With multiplayer, this is attacking less, so having to hold up mana for deathtouch makes the snake pretty bad, even if it can block fliers. This one turns into a threat when drawn late to help end games.
• Deathcap Cultivator replaces Avacyn's Pilgrim
This solves the problem of bad mana dorks. In smaller settings, 1/1 bodies can be made relevant fairly easily. This setting needs more longevity when flooding out late. Deathtouch is natural even if this change prevents the deck from moonlighting as a commander deck.
• Clear Shot replaces Dromoka's Command
This is a questionable change, but it makes it harder for this to 2-for-1 combat tricks, allows it to BE a combat trick, and allows deathtouch creatures to damage big creatures without dying. The blow out scenario is also lessened with awkward interactions with removing aura-based removal in combat.
• Choking Restraints replaces Contagion Glasp
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats. Instead of being expensive and targeting utility creatures, it's cheap, and stops big creatures before being a mana sink to deal with creatures with abilities late.
• Provoke replaces Detainment Spell
Doesn't answer threats as easily, but allows social play and deals with utility creatures with no card cost.
• Blessed Alliance replaces Martial Law
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats but does untap creatures tapped down by tappers. Detain is awkward and was ultimately just a 1 for 1.
• Faith Unbroken replaces Vow of Duty
This has better gameplay as the vow typically clogged the board and didn't answer utility creatures. This cleans up utility creatures decently, especially those that accrue value over time.
• Elder of Laurels replaces Seedcradle Witch
This is less-dependent on the ability to ward off early plays and is less of an oppressive ability.
• Unstable Obelisk replaces Selesnya Keyrune
This is more tension and ramp-desiring / pay off. This may be less useful midgame though. This is one of the few remaining ways of getting an aura off your big threat.
• Become Immense replaces Beast Within
This targets combat rather than being efficient, flexible removal. This slot no longer destroys auras and doesn't leave behind a 3/3 token to be dealt with.
• Prepare // Fight replaces Test of Faith
Untap combat trick has more play to it than a flash aura that eats deathtouchers.
• Ainok Bond-Kin replaces Phyrexian Revoker
Early game 2/1s are just bad now and utility creatures are less important than in 1v1
• Heliod's Emissary replaces Wiltleaf Cavaliers
Aggro needs a bit more assist than beefy vigilance. This is now a mana sink and adds to delirium
• Benevolent Offering replaces Briarhorn
Testing out flying tokens and life gain. Might be too much of a liability, but Briarhorn was always too much of a blow out.
• Dragonscale General replaces Auriok Bladewarden
Trying something new.
• Sentinel of the Eternal Watch replaces Coalition Honor Guard
Flagbearers are significantly more awkward in multiplayer where they prevent opponents from killing each other's creatures.
• Conifer Strider replaces Acidic Slime
• Domesticated Hydra replaces Kavu Primarch
Golgari Decoy is now on the watch list because there are very few things it can actually interact against in a satisfying way compared to before. I think there are fewer permanent buffs it can acquire but it still may have enough buffs for it to be usable.
1x Panglacial Wurm
Creatures (37)
1x Dawntreader Elk
1x Joraga Treespeaker
1x Werebear
1x Deathcap Cultivator
1x Topplegeist
1x Obsessive Skinner
1x Gnarlwood Dryad
1x Ambush Viper
1x Rhys the Redeemed
1x Jade Mage
1x Chronomaton
1x Caravan Escort
1x Ainok Bond-Kin
1x Knight of Cliffhaven
1x Knight of the Skyward Eye
1x Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
1x Serrated Biskelion
1x Sickleslicer
1x Citadel Castellan
1x Skyhunter Skirmisher
1x Elder of Laurels
1x Mul Daya Channelers
1x Wolfir Avenger
1x Dawnglare Invoker
1x Feral Hydra
1x Golgari Decoy
1x Conifer Strider
1x Benevolent Offering
1x Dragonscale General
1x Domesticated Hydra
1x Hundred-Handed One
1x Heliod's Emissary
1x Wildheart Invoker
1x Voidstone Gargoyle
1x Pale Recluse
1x Krosan Tusker
1x Sentinel of the Eternal Watch
1x Expedition Map
1x Unstable Obelisk
1x Brittle Effigy
1x Banishing Light
1x Faith Unbroken
1x Vow of Wildness
1x Choking Restraints
1x Prison Term
1x Faith's Fetters
1x Lignify
1x Provoke
1x Lace with Moonglove
1x Prepare // Fight
1x Become Immense
1x Clear Shot
1x Blessed Alliance
1x Divine Verdict
1x Divine Deflection
1x Banishment Decree
1x Evolution Charm
1x Martial's Anthem
1x Primal Command
1x Austere Command
1x Hallowed Burial
Lands (38)
1x Canopy Vista
1x Scattered Groves
1x Sunpetal Grove
1x Stirring Wildwood
1x Razorverge Thicket
1x Selesnya Sanctuary
1x Saltcrusted Steppe
1x Krosan Verge
1x Grasslands
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Terramorphic Expanse
1x Ash Barrens
7x Forest
1x Mosswort Bridge
1x Treetop Village
1x Llanowar Reborn
1x Tranquil Thicket
7x Plains
1x Windbrisk Heights
1x Forbidding Watchtower
1x Sejiri Steppe
1x Secluded Steppe
1x Mistveil Plains
1x Grove of the Guardian
1x Nantuko Monastery
1x Ghost Quarter
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Posted Jun 15, 2016•Dromoka's Command replaces Selesnya Charm
•Divine Verdict replaces Radiant's Judgment
These cards ended up sandbagging without good targets and ultimately could only get used against the big top end threats. This generally meant that the midrange 4/4s would rule the game. The change opens up more removal options to the midranged threats.
•Death-Hood Cobra replaces Seeker of Skybreak
•Lace with Moonglove replaces Vines of Vastwood
Dromoka's Command hates on smaller creatures and rewards larger ones, so these changes are there to remove some of the cards that scale with large creatures and provide a bit more strength to the small ones. Lace With Moonglove in particular is excellent at making a random 1/1 relevant.
•Citadel Castellan replaces Qasali Pridemage
With the inclusion of Dromoka's Command, I'm looking to prune some of the enchantment hate as it is a buff to threats, particularly the biggest ones. I want to cut Acidic Slime as well, but not just yet.
•Sickleslicer replaces Oracle of Nectars
This is a better mana sink and is more relevant later. The life was only really meaningful in the 2-player version where it could easily be oppressive.
•Skyhunter Skirmisher replaces Apex Hawks
While the Hawks are a natural mana sink, the double striker scales better with buffs, both own and other. This is a test, but may be reverted if the Vow enchantments prove to be too aggressive on it.
•Obsessive Skinner replaces Gigantomancer
Gigantomancer was a poor payoff for top end. It's very likely that Obsessive Skinner is too strong. Either way, with both of these top end cards becoming efficient cheap spells, I need to be mindful of including more mana sinks or just more large top end creatures.
•Avacyn's Pilgrim replaces Bloomtender (Needed Bloomtender for another deck)
•Canopy Vista replaces Sapseep Forest
•Topplegeist replaces Angelsong
•Banishment Decree replaces Awe Strike
Angelsong was a cute idea as a political tool and a way to punish someone for going all in on a kill but could also be cycled if need be, which was a cute interaction with Mul Daya Channelers. However, this was generally a trap card and just bad. Awe Strike was much the same way, though in a world with more deathtouch, damage prevention spells could theoretically be more potent. I'll have to keep an eye on Test of Faith which will likely help protect big creatures from deathtouch far more than it will be used in a double block something like Terrifying Presence would be a more welcome deathtouch-relevant combat trick since it lets the smaller creature eat the bigger one. Banishment Decree now introduces Mind Control into the deck and is particularly relevant given that it can steal removal auras or large threats.