Oh no! Another busted Thermo-Alchemist deck! R/G Tokens was developed by MatraMTG (YouTube channel, I'll post the videos for reference and gameplay). It's essencially an aggro-combo deck, that is very resilient and bursty. You can often deal 20~30 damage in one swing, and you can go infinite (with a little luck). This deck is very skill-intensive and very rewarding to play and master.
First of all, let me explain the deck's objective: Create a great army of tokens and swing for the win with one or two Finishers. Most token generation spells are Instants with Convoke or Creatures, so don't forget that some cards can be played in response and EOT. Both Finishers are also Instants, so you can usually keep the combat advantage.
Also, remember that Convoke spells are only cast after you pay all the costs (including tapping creatures for mana), so your Nettle Sentinel will always untap if you tap it for Convoke (because they're green). Thermo-Alchemist untaps with Instants, but it's the same idea.
Khalni Garden taps for green and creates a token, perfect. Rugged Highlands is the RG lifeland. Ash Barrens can fetch the color you need.
And those good old Basic lands, of course.
-Creatures:
Untappers: Nettle Sentinel and Thermo-Alchemist
These two are the heart of the deck. Thermo-Alchemist and Nettle Sentinel both untap when you play Sprout Swarm. If you have one untapper, you should need 8 mana/creatures to cast Sprout Swarm twice. If you have 2 Untappers, you'll need 7 mana. If you have 3, you'll need 6 mana. If you have 4 untappers, you can make INFINITE tokens. Yeah, it's THAT good.
Token Generators: Nest Invader and Mogg War Marshal
Both creatures cost 2 and make two bodies. Mogg War Marshal is a better blocker, Nest Invader is a better beater. Be aware that you'll need green mana to cast Scatter and Sprout, so playing Nest Invader first is usually the correct choice when you have both in hand.
Utility: Living Totem and Young Wolf
Living Totem is a BEAST! Actually, he's a Plant Elemental, but you get it. He can OFTEN be cast without tapping a single land. And he's obviously green, so the synergy with Nettle Sentinel is obvious. He can also put counters in your other creatures, so those can be safe from Electrickery/Shrivel, or you can make your Nest Invader/Nettle Sentinel better beaters. Young Wolf isn't so hot. But he's the next best green creature for 1 mana, after Nettle Sentinel. He also blocks like a champ.
-Spells:
Token Generators: Sprout Swarm and Scatter the Seeds
Sprout Swarm is very, very good. The more creatures you have, the more creatures you can make, it's really dirty. Scatter the Seeds is much better than Sprout Swarm in the early game, tho. Generating 3 Saprolings for 5 mana a really good turn 3~4 play. Don't forget that both spells are Instants, so you can respond to spells and abilities, and play after blockers are declared, and EOT. Pretty sweet, right?
Removal: Lightning Bolt
Every deck using Red should use this card. It's that simple.
Finishers: Dynacharge and Might of the Masses
Those are the best finishers avaliable in gruul colors. Dynacharge turns your 0/1 and 1/1 tokens into freaking murderers. With "only" 7 creatures, you can deal more than 20 damage with a single Dynacharge. Might of the Masses needs more creatures to kill, but it can also save your important creatures (like Thermo-Alchemist, Nettle Sentinel and Living Totem) from damage removal like Flame Slash and Lightning Bolt. Remember both this spells are instants, so you can pump your little (or maybe not so little) army after blockers are declared.
-Sideboard
Essence Warden: Best creature against aggressive decks. You can gain a lot of life by your own with this creature. She also triggers for your opponent creatures, making her the ultimate removal magnet. Use against red decks like RDW and Burn, against decks with Tokens like Boros Kuldotha and Soul Sisters, and aggressive decks in general like Stompy/ Delver.
Pyroblast: Sprout Swarm is really good, you must know by now. Pyroblast is here to protect your spells from Counterspells. And also kill some Delvers when they're just laying there, waiting to be eaten. Pretty good card in every red Pauper sideboard.
Flame Slash: Sometimes you need more than Lightning Bolts. Flame Slash are the next best red removal for 1 mana. Should come against decks that run 4/4s like Affinity and deck that uses a lot of Flying creatures (which we can't normally block).
Spidersilk Armor: This card is very good in this sideboard. It has two main functions: protect your creatures from Shrivel/Electrickery and make your creatures able to block flyers. The latter is not really common, unless you play a lot against Delver and White Weenie.
Electrickery: This is our nightmare. But it can also be other decks' nightmare, right? Electrickery is very good against most aggro decks.
Relic of Progenitus: Good against Gurmag Angler based decks and control that abuses the graveyard. And that Tortured Existence deck you run into once in a while.
Gleeful Sabotage: There aren't many artifacts and enchantments that make us sad. But who knows right? Better safe than sorry.
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Play this deck, you'll find it really entretaining. Really powerful. As I mentioned, this deck is very skill-intensive, so you'll need some practice before you start rolling your opponents, but be patient and smart and you'll be able to make a lot of 5-0s in MOL.
A red/green token deck without Impact Tremors and Vessel of Nascency/Commune with the Gods is like a sandwich without bread. I like the token combo chains but I worry it will suffer from inconsistency. Without a way to search for Alchemist you can be stuck just making dudes that are easily outclassed when forced into combat. Outside of Boros tokens, you really don't want to go to combat when playing a token deck. Boros can get away with it because the can create fliers that can bypass a lot of creature and put them in position for an alpha strike. Value creatures that create two bodies to block with while dealing damage when cast/enters play is generally the more successful approach when piloting a tokens deck. That way you can just stall the board and not have to worry about sweepers so much because you never need to go to combat to win
Well, that's exactly why I use 7 finishers, to gain combat advantage with 1/1 creatures. But I agree on Impact Tremors, it's a really good card against decks that prey on tokens. I've been using them as sideboard against control decks.
I also was very unpleased with Young Wolf, since doesn't add anything to the deck except for being a 1CMC green creature. Guess what? Essence Warden is also a 1CMC green creature and it's very synergystic with everything else. So, I made some changes to the 75 and it looks like this now:
Deck has been running much better. After some major testing, the main problem with this deck is that it mulligans so bad... Still, aggro decks are very easy matchups, so you can focus on the hard stuff (like UB Teachings and Tron). If you play smart and learn how the deck works, you'll make a lot of 5-0's in MTGO. Give this list a spin.
It isn't my deck so I can't be certain, but it seems fairly slow and inconsistent to not have any CA. A few lightning bolts/other spot removal spells on your untappers and it is just some slow token cards.
If splashing is too much then at least lead the stampede would let you draw out of control locks.
This is my current list after Ikoria was released and we got a brand new toy in Blisterspit Gremlin, which is a strict upgrade to Thunderscape Familiar due to CMC and ability to ping when stalling.
3x Dynacharge and 3x Might of the Masses split seems fine. I hate drawing 2x Dynacharges and I don't mind drawing 2x Mights most of times. Deck seems better than ever, turn 3 kills on godhands, faster infinite Sprouts with 12 enablers. People still don't know how to play against a Gruul deck with 18 Instants, surprise factor is still awesome. 1 Saproling Migration as the fifth Nest Invader is doing work too.
Oh no! Another busted Thermo-Alchemist deck! R/G Tokens was developed by MatraMTG (YouTube channel, I'll post the videos for reference and gameplay). It's essencially an aggro-combo deck, that is very resilient and bursty. You can often deal 20~30 damage in one swing, and you can go infinite (with a little luck). This deck is very skill-intensive and very rewarding to play and master.
First of all, let me explain the deck's objective: Create a great army of tokens and swing for the win with one or two Finishers. Most token generation spells are Instants with Convoke or Creatures, so don't forget that some cards can be played in response and EOT. Both Finishers are also Instants, so you can usually keep the combat advantage.
Also, remember that Convoke spells are only cast after you pay all the costs (including tapping creatures for mana), so your Nettle Sentinel will always untap if you tap it for Convoke (because they're green). Thermo-Alchemist untaps with Instants, but it's the same idea.
The list:
Lands [19]
4 Khalni Garden
4 Rugged Highlands
5 Mountain
4 Forest
2 Ash Barrens
Creatures [22]
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Thermo-Alchemist
4 Nest Invader
4 Mogg War Marshal
2 Young Wolf
4 Sprout Swarm
4 Scatter the Seeds
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Dynacharge
3 Might of the Masses
4 Essence Warden
3 Pyroblast
2 Electrickery
2 Spidersilk Armor
2 Flame Slash
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Gleeful Sabotage
-Mana Base:
Khalni Garden taps for green and creates a token, perfect.
Rugged Highlands is the RG lifeland.
Ash Barrens can fetch the color you need.
And those good old Basic lands, of course.
-Creatures:
Untappers:
Nettle Sentinel and Thermo-Alchemist
These two are the heart of the deck. Thermo-Alchemist and Nettle Sentinel both untap when you play Sprout Swarm. If you have one untapper, you should need 8 mana/creatures to cast Sprout Swarm twice. If you have 2 Untappers, you'll need 7 mana. If you have 3, you'll need 6 mana. If you have 4 untappers, you can make INFINITE tokens. Yeah, it's THAT good.
Token Generators:
Nest Invader and Mogg War Marshal
Both creatures cost 2 and make two bodies. Mogg War Marshal is a better blocker, Nest Invader is a better beater. Be aware that you'll need green mana to cast Scatter and Sprout, so playing Nest Invader first is usually the correct choice when you have both in hand.
Utility:
Living Totem and Young Wolf
Living Totem is a BEAST! Actually, he's a Plant Elemental, but you get it. He can OFTEN be cast without tapping a single land. And he's obviously green, so the synergy with Nettle Sentinel is obvious. He can also put counters in your other creatures, so those can be safe from Electrickery/Shrivel, or you can make your Nest Invader/Nettle Sentinel better beaters. Young Wolf isn't so hot. But he's the next best green creature for 1 mana, after Nettle Sentinel. He also blocks like a champ.
-Spells:
Token Generators:
Sprout Swarm and Scatter the Seeds
Sprout Swarm is very, very good. The more creatures you have, the more creatures you can make, it's really dirty. Scatter the Seeds is much better than Sprout Swarm in the early game, tho. Generating 3 Saprolings for 5 mana a really good turn 3~4 play. Don't forget that both spells are Instants, so you can respond to spells and abilities, and play after blockers are declared, and EOT. Pretty sweet, right?
Removal:
Lightning Bolt
Every deck using Red should use this card. It's that simple.
Finishers:
Dynacharge and Might of the Masses
Those are the best finishers avaliable in gruul colors. Dynacharge turns your 0/1 and 1/1 tokens into freaking murderers. With "only" 7 creatures, you can deal more than 20 damage with a single Dynacharge. Might of the Masses needs more creatures to kill, but it can also save your important creatures (like Thermo-Alchemist, Nettle Sentinel and Living Totem) from damage removal like Flame Slash and Lightning Bolt. Remember both this spells are instants, so you can pump your little (or maybe not so little) army after blockers are declared.
-Sideboard
Essence Warden: Best creature against aggressive decks. You can gain a lot of life by your own with this creature. She also triggers for your opponent creatures, making her the ultimate removal magnet. Use against red decks like RDW and Burn, against decks with Tokens like Boros Kuldotha and Soul Sisters, and aggressive decks in general like Stompy/ Delver.
Pyroblast: Sprout Swarm is really good, you must know by now. Pyroblast is here to protect your spells from Counterspells. And also kill some Delvers when they're just laying there, waiting to be eaten. Pretty good card in every red Pauper sideboard.
Flame Slash: Sometimes you need more than Lightning Bolts. Flame Slash are the next best red removal for 1 mana. Should come against decks that run 4/4s like Affinity and deck that uses a lot of Flying creatures (which we can't normally block).
Spidersilk Armor: This card is very good in this sideboard. It has two main functions: protect your creatures from Shrivel/Electrickery and make your creatures able to block flyers. The latter is not really common, unless you play a lot against Delver and White Weenie.
Electrickery: This is our nightmare. But it can also be other decks' nightmare, right? Electrickery is very good against most aggro decks.
Relic of Progenitus: Good against Gurmag Angler based decks and control that abuses the graveyard. And that Tortured Existence deck you run into once in a while.
Gleeful Sabotage: There aren't many artifacts and enchantments that make us sad. But who knows right? Better safe than sorry.
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Play this deck, you'll find it really entretaining. Really powerful. As I mentioned, this deck is very skill-intensive, so you'll need some practice before you start rolling your opponents, but be patient and smart and you'll be able to make a lot of 5-0s in MOL.
MatraMTG's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-31CdZh6CIq6NdebpjU-sA
Thanks for reading!
I also was very unpleased with Young Wolf, since doesn't add anything to the deck except for being a 1CMC green creature. Guess what? Essence Warden is also a 1CMC green creature and it's very synergystic with everything else. So, I made some changes to the 75 and it looks like this now:
4 Rugged Highlands
4 Khalni Garden
4 Forest
5 Mountain
2 Ash Barrens
Creatures [22]
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Thermo-Alchemist
4 Mogg War Marshal
4 Nest Invader
4 Living Totem
2 Essence Warden
4 Scatter the Seeds
4 Sprout Swarm
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Dynacharge
3 Might of the Masses
4 Impact Tremors
2 Essence Warden
2 Flame Slash
2 Electrickery
2 Spidersilk Armor
1 Moment's Peace
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Gleeful Sabotage
Deck has been running much better. After some major testing, the main problem with this deck is that it mulligans so bad... Still, aggro decks are very easy matchups, so you can focus on the hard stuff (like UB Teachings and Tron). If you play smart and learn how the deck works, you'll make a lot of 5-0's in MTGO. Give this list a spin.
4 Khalni Garden
4 Forest
5 Mountain
4 Rugged Highlands
2 Ash Barrens
Creatures [24]
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Thermo-Alchemist
1 Thunderscape Familiar
4 Nest Invader
3 Mogg War Marshal
4 Living Totem
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Scatter the Seeds
4 Sprout Swarm
4 Dynacharge
1 Mob Justice
2 Life Goes On
2 Pyroblast
2 Flame Slash
2 Electrickery
2 Spidersilk Armor
1 Moment's Peace
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Flaring Pain
If splashing is too much then at least lead the stampede would let you draw out of control locks.
4 Khalni Garden
4 Forest
6 Mountain
3 Rugged Highlands
1 Ash Barrens
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Blisterspit Gremlin
4 Thermo-Alchemist
4 Nest Invader
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
3 Living Totem
4 Sprout Swarm
4 Scatter the Seeds
3 Dynacharge
3 Might of the Masses
1 Saproling Migration
2 Pyroblast
2 Spidersilk Armor
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Gorilla Shaman
2 Electrickery
2 Weather the Storm
1 Flaring Pain
1 Gleeful Sabotage
1 Mob Justice
3x Dynacharge and 3x Might of the Masses split seems fine. I hate drawing 2x Dynacharges and I don't mind drawing 2x Mights most of times. Deck seems better than ever, turn 3 kills on godhands, faster infinite Sprouts with 12 enablers. People still don't know how to play against a Gruul deck with 18 Instants, surprise factor is still awesome. 1 Saproling Migration as the fifth Nest Invader is doing work too.