Seems to me the best giant and giant-related cards are as follows:
Blind-Spot Giant: He's big and cheap, and his drawback is workable if you have a giant deck. Elvish Handservant: Gives you a much needed one-drop that works well with all the giants you are running. Also puts you in green, which gives you the cheapest playable changeling (Woodland Changeling and mana accel/fixing) Crush Underfoot and Giant's Ire: Giant-based burn, so they pump the handservant and are fetchable with the harbinger, if you choose to run it. Thundercloud Shaman: Beefy giant + Mass removal = good. Kithkin Greatheart: This and Jotun Grunt are the only reasons I see to run white in a giant deck. Maybe Mirror Entity. White may be skipped over because of this. The grunt is great anti-goyf tech, but if you are in G/R, you have your own goyfs. Handservant seems to be a better early drop than this. Stinkdrinker Daredevil: Makes everything cheaper, which I hear is good.
So basically, go G/R with Handservant, Goyf, and Woodland Changeling, or R/W with Mirror Entity, Jotun Grunt, and Kithkin Greatheart.
ah, the coldsnap giants! they seem like good inclusions. the grunt would give a two drop instead of kithkin greatheart...which isnt terrible anyways, but a turn 2 giant before a turn 3 blindspot giant would help. the owl keeper is perfect if the deck wants to play a wrath version, to help stall until you can clear the board. Ill test them out after, but so far games have been going decent with turn 2 greatheart, turn 3 stinkdrinker, turn 4 brion, with 2 mana left for incinerate or even better, crush underfoot. allowing you to kill almost anything thats going to be on the board, plus gain 4 life. then you can gain another 4 life with brion as a blocker next turn if they attack.
Seems to me the best giant and giant-related cards are as follows:
Blind-Spot Giant: He's big and cheap, and his drawback is workable if you have a giant deck. Elvish Handservant: Gives you a much needed one-drop that works well with all the giants you are running. Also puts you in green, which gives you the cheapest playable changeling (Woodland Changeling and mana accel/fixing) Crush Underfoot and Giant's Ire: Giant-based burn, so they pump the handservant and are fetchable with the harbinger, if you choose to run it. Thundercloud Shaman: Beefy giant + Mass removal = good. Kithkin Greatheart: This and Jotun Grunt are the only reasons I see to run white in a giant deck. Maybe Mirror Entity. White may be skipped over because of this. The grunt is great anti-goyf tech, but if you are in G/R, you have your own goyfs. Handservant seems to be a better early drop than this. Stinkdrinker Daredevil: Makes everything cheaper, which I hear is good.
So basically, go G/R with Handservant, Goyf, and Woodland Changeling, or R/W with Mirror Entity, Jotun Grunt, and Kithkin Greatheart.
I can see why the Goyf would fit, but: 1) they are expensive ($$$-wise), and 2) many ppl run him, so its a Goyf-splash-X-thing, not original imo (I know a Giant deck isn't either, but they look like one of the tribes to be underplayed, outside of casual/multiplayer. That why I'm trying to use them)
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yah, i dont feel like dishing out a ton of cash for a playset of tarmogoyfs either. whats cool about giants is none of the cards are expensive to get or trade for. the highest being brion stoutarm, for $4. not that im a budget player, mind you. I just didnt buy as much future sight as i normally buy, so only ended up with 1 tarmogoyf.
the fun is playing around with the overlooked, underplayed tribe. faeries, and goblins and elves are everywhere and giants gives a chance to play something different, and something you have to work with a lot. instead of just throwing in the best goblin cards, or the best kithkin cards.
yah, i dont feel like dishing out a ton of cash for a playset of tarmogoyfs either. whats cool about giants is none of the cards are expensive to get or trade for. the highest being brion stoutarm, for $4. not that im a budget player, mind you. I just didnt buy as much future sight as i normally buy, so only ended up with 1 tarmogoyf.
the fun is playing around with the overlooked, underplayed tribe. faeries, and goblins and elves are everywhere and giants gives a chance to play something different, and something you have to work with a lot. instead of just throwing in the best goblin cards, or the best kithkin cards.
Thanks, I was thinking that too. I wanna play both the expected (faeries, elementals, or elves) and unexpected (treefolk or giants). I'm no budget player (at least most of the time), but there are limits to my spending
Instead of wrathing with Pyroclasm, the idea is a 4th turn Thundercloud, wrathing without loosing any aggro purpose. But to assure that, you need to have at least 1 another "giant" into play by that turn.
I've tried to deal against ***/Damnation with Deathrender, since then you can drop a monster after the wrath effect.
And the only way i can see by now to draw is Giant's Ire.
Instead of wrathing with Pyroclasm, the idea is a 4th turn Thundercloud, wrathing without loosing any aggro purpose. But to assure that, you need to have at least 1 another "giant" into play by that turn.
Not sure about Mirror Entity on this deck, its there more because its also a giant than for its ability, since all Giant are already beef enough, but as stated before, i must guarantee a Thundercloud Shaman pyroclasming. Maybe Fire-Belly Changeling could take its spot, since it comes earlier.
I've tried to deal against ***/Damnation with Deathrender, since then you can drop a monster after the wrath effect.
And the only way i can see by now to draw is Giant's Ire.
Well, that's an idea though.
Wow. This looks very good. A little polishing and it will replace my giant deck. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
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look, giant won't be good as a tribal because like treefolks
they almost receive no bonus out of being a bunch.
same goes for treefolks IMO, other than timber protector
and harbringer+doran combines there is no actual decent
tribal bonus you would like to build a tribal around.
also notice you have a smaller pool, you don't have
a "reveal a giant/treefolk card" ass an additional
Mana cost for a cool creature nor a giant/treefolk
champion....i really think they arn't built for tribal
if you still wanna try i'd go for a less creature approach.
if ur runing favor the mighty, desolation giant pretty much
sais "I win" :D...erm, ***s and if ur playing the the red
changeling champion guy, calciderm would be sweet.
your creature base looks similar to mine, but ive got blind spot giants, and no owl keepers. and ive got harbingers, with only 1 sovereign, and arbiter. i dont like tarfire in the deck though. nothing in the deck takes advantage of the tribal. so its just going to help opposing goyfs...i would either switch it for shock, if you really want the one mana 2 damage instant, or better, crush underfoot, or even crib swap.
The list looks good. creature base is pretty much what im running. How is the mana tithe? seems a little wierd in the deck. but aside from that it looks solid.
on another note, im thinking of testing it without the goblins and going with artifact acceleration instead. the goblins are awesome to power out the giants, but a mind stone and totem would basically make them cost 2 less as well. i wanted to try wrath of god in the deck. and the goblin would die to the wrath. it also dies when you play the thundercloud shaman..so i have been playing games where the shaman has just been sitting in my hand because i had the goblin out. just seems counterproductive to be running both...
The list looks good. creature base is pretty much what im running. How is the mana tithe? seems a little wierd in the deck. but aside from that it looks solid.
on another note, im thinking of testing it without the goblins and going with artifact acceleration instead. the goblins are awesome to power out the giants, but a mind stone and totem would basically make them cost 2 less as well. i wanted to try wrath of god in the deck. and the goblin would die to the wrath. it also dies when you play the thundercloud shaman..so i have been playing games where the shaman has just been sitting in my hand because i had the goblin out. just seems counterproductive to be running both...
I am not running it atm. I wanna get the deck right before buying the cards (The last set I got cards from was Guildpact [one Fat Pack and one Booster box, plus pre-release leftovers]).
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your creature base looks similar to mine, but ive got blind spot giants, and no owl keepers. and ive got harbingers, with only 1 sovereign, and arbiter. i dont like tarfire in the deck though. nothing in the deck takes advantage of the tribal. so its just going to help opposing goyfs...i would either switch it for shock, if you really want the one mana 2 damage instant, or better, crush underfoot, or even crib swap.
Hi FBI_Boy
I agree with you about Tarfire, indeed after some playtest, i realized that Giant's Ire and Crush Underfoot are not good choices, when you have Sudden Shock, Incinerate. Ire only targets player and Underfoot only targets creatures, not enough they are not cost wise except when you have Stinkdrinker into play (not always). I'm making tests with Springleaf Drum (doing ok by now, look how i used it: 1st) mana, springleaf 2nd)mana, Jotun Grunt, and in foe's turn, when about to cast goy, i've tapped jotun to drum to use Mana Tithe and counter goyf), you can also use drum as mana accell, or even to pay the upkeep cost of Owl Keeper.
About the creatures: Giant Harbinger is too costy, doesn't deserve a spot, as well as Blind-Spot Giant, you almost lost a turn playing it. Jotun Owl Keeper is a great answer to wrath effects, it's like a Griffin Guide Giant, also a good answer to wrath effects is Deathrender, because when they know you're using Mana Tithe, they only wrath by 5th or 6th turn. I want just to say that wrath effects are the worst problem to giant's deck.
That's some ideas to consider.
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"Now i lay you, down to rest, you'll never be more than second best" (Megadeth)
I like the harbinger. if u manage to get it, plus the stinkdrinker goblin, then he costs 3 and gives you a 4/3. drawing him later in the game is good as well, since he will bring along a friend to the top of your library. and i woudlnt discount oblivion ring just because its 3 mana. remember its not JUST creatures that it gets rid of. its any non land permanent. Its an answer to a lot of things, and that makes it valuable.
Colfenor's Urn+3giants=one sided ***
The thunderclouds also ***
As far as the side board goes I am thinking more anti control cards although I didn't play during Time Spiral block so I am unsure as to what to include. I am not sure about running 4 Brion's Either...maybe 2 of him and 2Arbiter of Knollridge would be better.
hah I made giant decks at both the release tournements I went to. My main weakness was I didnt get much removal either day...
but i would make this deck g/w/r for birds of paradise and elvish handservant. this gives you some 1 drops.
shapeshifters love Stinkdrinker Daredevil.
you need giant's ire and crush underfoot. They work really well with giants.
Ire is nice, but crush is just inefficient imho. You are unlikely to have a great number of giants out at once (and you don't need to) particularly not early game. Other burn spells are better i my opinion although I am not sure which would be the right fit for this deck. I trying shock just because it is so cheap and useful against a fairly wide variety of creatures. I admit to not having tested crush very much though, I really should.
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"But then are we most in order when we are most out of order."-Jack Cade
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die."
- H.P. Lovecraft
Ire is nice, but crush is just inefficient imho. You are unlikely to have a great number of giants out at once (and you don't need to) particularly not early game. Other burn spells are better i my opinion although I am not sure which would be the right fit for this deck. I trying shock just because it is so cheap and useful against a fairly wide variety of creatures. I admit to not having tested crush very much though, I really should.
How about your read crush first. It says that you deal damage equal to the giant's power, not the number of giants.
Hero hammer: it's the button that looks like a pile of cards next to some white card, between the cards and mana tags buttons.
I say that my sealed deck I played at the sneak peek was pretty funny. Had 2 stinkdrinker daredevils, harbinger, red changeling champion dude, and sunrise sovereign (who is a pirate giant!!!!). I say play all of those except the red changeling guy, 4 ofs.
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With all, put the same thing except with / in front of what type of tags they are (like [/card]) to close them.
Card: [card]
Hybrid: :symub: = order doesn't matter
Blind-Spot Giant: He's big and cheap, and his drawback is workable if you have a giant deck.
Elvish Handservant: Gives you a much needed one-drop that works well with all the giants you are running. Also puts you in green, which gives you the cheapest playable changeling (Woodland Changeling and mana accel/fixing)
Crush Underfoot and Giant's Ire: Giant-based burn, so they pump the handservant and are fetchable with the harbinger, if you choose to run it.
Thundercloud Shaman: Beefy giant + Mass removal = good.
Kithkin Greatheart: This and Jotun Grunt are the only reasons I see to run white in a giant deck. Maybe Mirror Entity. White may be skipped over because of this. The grunt is great anti-goyf tech, but if you are in G/R, you have your own goyfs. Handservant seems to be a better early drop than this.
Stinkdrinker Daredevil: Makes everything cheaper, which I hear is good.
So basically, go G/R with Handservant, Goyf, and Woodland Changeling, or R/W with Mirror Entity, Jotun Grunt, and Kithkin Greatheart.
There are actually some pretty sick plays possible with this deck. Like turn one Birds of Paradise/Llanawar Elves, turn two Stinkdrinker Daredevil, turn three Elvish Handservant, Blind-spot Giant, Blind-spot Giant. Turn four nuke the board with a 3-mana Thundercloud Shaman, leaving you with 4 4-power creatures. Mop up with giant burn.
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I can see why the Goyf would fit, but: 1) they are expensive ($$$-wise), and 2) many ppl run him, so its a Goyf-splash-X-thing, not original imo (I know a Giant deck isn't either, but they look like one of the tribes to be underplayed, outside of casual/multiplayer. That why I'm trying to use them)
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I got Soul, but I'm not a Soldier...oh wait [Mono White Soldiers]
the fun is playing around with the overlooked, underplayed tribe. faeries, and goblins and elves are everywhere and giants gives a chance to play something different, and something you have to work with a lot. instead of just throwing in the best goblin cards, or the best kithkin cards.
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Thanks, I was thinking that too. I wanna play both the expected (faeries, elementals, or elves) and unexpected (treefolk or giants). I'm no budget player (at least most of the time), but there are limits to my spending
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier & Magus of the Sheep from Scuttlemutt Productions for the cool signature and avatar.
-Playing-
I got Soul, but I'm not a Soldier...oh wait [Mono White Soldiers]
Giants:
PRO: incredible crushing power / wrathing only the other side while aggroing
CONS: can't deal with ***/Damnation and can't improve draw.
I'll try to figure something:
CREATURES (26)
04 Jotun Grunt
04 Stinkdrinker Daredevil
02 Jotun Owl Keeper
03 Brion Stoutarm
04 Thundercloud Shaman
03 Sunrise Sovereign
02 Arbiter of Knollridge
04 Giant's Ire
04 Mana Tithe
04 Tarfire
02 Deathrender
Instead of wrathing with Pyroclasm, the idea is a 4th turn Thundercloud, wrathing without loosing any aggro purpose. But to assure that, you need to have at least 1 another "giant" into play by that turn.
I've tried to deal against ***/Damnation with Deathrender, since then you can drop a monster after the wrath effect.
And the only way i can see by now to draw is Giant's Ire.
Well, that's an idea though.
Wow. This looks very good. A little polishing and it will replace my giant deck. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier & Magus of the Sheep from Scuttlemutt Productions for the cool signature and avatar.
-Playing-
I got Soul, but I'm not a Soldier...oh wait [Mono White Soldiers]
Current post- Grand Prix KC Modern Postmortem (7/7/13)
1 Favor of the Mighty
1 Jotun Grunt
4 Mind Stone
4 Prismatic Lens
4 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Brion Strongarm
4 Icefall
4 Giant Harbinger
1 Chronosavant
4 Desolation Giant
1 Arbiter of Knollridge
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Ghitu Encampment
1 Forbidding Watchtower
2 Mountain
6 Plains
4 Ruins of Trokair
2 Urza's Factory
Boom/Bust and Icefall is to try and give me a fighting chance against control (in conjunction with the manlands, the factory, and heck, Chronosavant)
Oblivion Ring probably deserves a slot somewhere.
they almost receive no bonus out of being a bunch.
same goes for treefolks IMO, other than timber protector
and harbringer+doran combines there is no actual decent
tribal bonus you would like to build a tribal around.
also notice you have a smaller pool, you don't have
a "reveal a giant/treefolk card" ass an additional
Mana cost for a cool creature nor a giant/treefolk
champion....i really think they arn't built for tribal
if you still wanna try i'd go for a less creature approach.
if ur runing favor the mighty, desolation giant pretty much
sais "I win" :D...erm, ***s and if ur playing the the red
changeling champion guy, calciderm would be sweet.
your creature base looks similar to mine, but ive got blind spot giants, and no owl keepers. and ive got harbingers, with only 1 sovereign, and arbiter. i dont like tarfire in the deck though. nothing in the deck takes advantage of the tribal. so its just going to help opposing goyfs...i would either switch it for shock, if you really want the one mana 2 damage instant, or better, crush underfoot, or even crib swap.
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3 Blindspot Giant (meat)
4 Thundercloud Shaman (board clearer)
4 Stinkdrinker Daredevil (mana accel.)
3 Brion Stoutarm (Duh)
2 Sunrise Sovereing (Giant Lord)
2 Arbiter of Knollrigde (Life Reset)
4 Mana Tithe (Counter)
4 Crib Swap (Daredevil+this=one mana removal)
3 Oblivion Ring (more removal)
What y'all think of this one?
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier & Magus of the Sheep from Scuttlemutt Productions for the cool signature and avatar.
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I got Soul, but I'm not a Soldier...oh wait [Mono White Soldiers]
on another note, im thinking of testing it without the goblins and going with artifact acceleration instead. the goblins are awesome to power out the giants, but a mind stone and totem would basically make them cost 2 less as well. i wanted to try wrath of god in the deck. and the goblin would die to the wrath. it also dies when you play the thundercloud shaman..so i have been playing games where the shaman has just been sitting in my hand because i had the goblin out. just seems counterproductive to be running both...
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MEGAMATT
I am not running it atm. I wanna get the deck right before buying the cards (The last set I got cards from was Guildpact [one Fat Pack and one Booster box, plus pre-release leftovers]).
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier & Magus of the Sheep from Scuttlemutt Productions for the cool signature and avatar.
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I got Soul, but I'm not a Soldier...oh wait [Mono White Soldiers]
It's obviously not the best deck in the world but it works for me.
3 Boldwyr Intimidator
3 Sunrise Sovereign
3 Giant Harbinger
3 Hamletback Goliath
4 Stinkdrinker Daredevil
2 Brion Stoutarm
Enchantments:
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Giant’s Ire
3 Crib Swap
Planeswalkers:
4 Ajani Goldmane
Artifacts:
4 Loxodon Warhammer
Lands:
8 Plains
9 Mountain
4 Ancient Amphitheater
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Return to Dust
4 Pithing Needle
4 Pyroclasm
4 Wrath of God
Banner by spiderboy4 at [High~Light Studios]
Hi FBI_Boy
I agree with you about Tarfire, indeed after some playtest, i realized that Giant's Ire and Crush Underfoot are not good choices, when you have Sudden Shock, Incinerate. Ire only targets player and Underfoot only targets creatures, not enough they are not cost wise except when you have Stinkdrinker into play (not always). I'm making tests with Springleaf Drum (doing ok by now, look how i used it: 1st) mana, springleaf 2nd)mana, Jotun Grunt, and in foe's turn, when about to cast goy, i've tapped jotun to drum to use Mana Tithe and counter goyf), you can also use drum as mana accell, or even to pay the upkeep cost of Owl Keeper.
Now my options for support cards are: Shock, Sudden Shock, Incinerate, Mana Tithe, Sunlance, Condemn, Springleaf Drum and Crib Swap. Oblivion Ring, except for block, is a costy card to play, we have many better answers around for common creatures size, and for beefy creatures...are we afraid of beefy creatures? WE ARE THE BEEFY CREATURES!...:D
About the creatures: Giant Harbinger is too costy, doesn't deserve a spot, as well as Blind-Spot Giant, you almost lost a turn playing it. Jotun Owl Keeper is a great answer to wrath effects, it's like a Griffin Guide Giant, also a good answer to wrath effects is Deathrender, because when they know you're using Mana Tithe, they only wrath by 5th or 6th turn. I want just to say that wrath effects are the worst problem to giant's deck.
That's some ideas to consider.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=92520
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Pourquoi?
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Colfenor's Urn+3giants=one sided ***
The thunderclouds also ***
As far as the side board goes I am thinking more anti control cards although I didn't play during Time Spiral block so I am unsure as to what to include. I am not sure about running 4 Brion's Either...maybe 2 of him and 2Arbiter of Knollridge would be better.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die."
- H.P. Lovecraft
but i would make this deck g/w/r for birds of paradise and elvish handservant. this gives you some 1 drops.
shapeshifters love Stinkdrinker Daredevil.
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"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die."
- H.P. Lovecraft
How about your read crush first. It says that you deal damage equal to the giant's power, not the number of giants.
Actually, it has you choose a giant you controll, who then deals the damage. good with Brion Stoutarm.
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I say that my sealed deck I played at the sneak peek was pretty funny. Had 2 stinkdrinker daredevils, harbinger, red changeling champion dude, and sunrise sovereign (who is a pirate giant!!!!). I say play all of those except the red changeling guy, 4 ofs.
Card: [card]
Hybrid: :symub: = order doesn't matter
Spoiler: [spoiler]
Deck: [deck]