This is a thread that I will be maintaining (and editing frequently) for an abnormal storm list using Hunting Pack as a primary win-con. This experiment is in flux, and the colors for this deck have bent and changed frequently, originally wanting either a gruul, naya, to selesnya deck, but currently running Bant. This experiment is based around wanting an effective storm deck, that is outside of the classically known storm colors (black/blue/red), and/or absent of classical known storm cards (fast mana/ad naus/necro).
Before you think this is complete!
The decklist and basic concepts are currently in its infancy. If the conceptual goal of this deck can not be reached, if the deck just can not make any meaningful impact, then the idea will sadly need to be set aside and revisited at a later date with a different approach.
edit ^this is why the deck is currently bant^
I've already tried an unusual-storm experiment by building a deck without blue. This earlier experiment was a black+red storm deck (construction log here), and I found that the results were a bit above average. While brewing this, the new Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder was spoiled+released, and I even created a competative storm list with him. After proxying that deck and playtesting it for a few weeks, it was found to be utterly broken, but ran like another ad naus deck, so while I have it on MTGO, I don't want to complete it IRL. After playing with Yidris I'm wanting to see how my experiment pans out with the Bant colors.
Before choosing to add blue for the current Bant experiment, below is all of the original conceptual ideas, card options, and an un-finished Selesnya decklist;
This deck may take one of four possible routes;
1.) Naya with Gahiji, Honored One as a commander. Highest card selection using all anti-colors. He is a beast general that can pseudo-anthem the hunting pack team when it comes to combat, and is adequate in combat.
2.) Gruul with Radha, Heir to Keld as a commander. Possibly the quickest route to developing a board presence with a reliable mana-dork in the command zone. Issue is she offers nothing else.
3.) Gruul with Wort, the RaidMother as a commander. Possibly the most impactful route since we can conspire big game-ending spells. The issue is her high cmc and the very realistic possibility of never surviving to be useful.
4.) Selesnya with Selvala, Explorer Returned as a commander. Pseudo-ramp+draw helps the deck dig deeper. The primary issue is the lack of red cripples the effects of this deck too far (no wheel of fortune/mizzix's mastery/gamble). She is also a pretty obvious combo-enabling engine.
Currently in this experiment - I am in the process of evaluating and tier'ing various cheap utility cantrip spells. While it sounds easy to cast a few rude awakening/early harvests from a few regrowth variants, the color restriction limits tutorage and card consistency. Cheap cantrips and excessive ramp is (so far) the primary path to developing any consistency.
Below is a skeletal/incomplete deck, currently set to Selesnya colors.
~ Late August - My previous experiment with a Black+Red (zero blue) storm deck is finishing up, and an idea to push the color restrection further starts to build. Random post created in edh forums for ideal generals to use in a zero blue+black storm list.
~ Early Sept - Original Naya idea set aside for a possibly quicker Radha, Heir to Keld gruul list. Original list posted here Sept 4th. The original idea of ramp+cantrips seems very unbalanced and the first theoretical decklist was abysmal.
~ Sept 15'th - after calming down from the Kaladesh spoilers this idea is revisited. Radha deck stripped completely down to card types, and research started to find all playable options of cantrips/draw/ramp/etc
~ Sept 17'th - Revisting Naya approach by adding white to research, still adding cards to pool of possible inclusions, breaching nearly 200x
Hunting Pack is likely going to never be drawn into in 90% of the games. A deck limiting its colors just can't function if it is dedicated to one single unobtainable card. Alternative options like Volcanic Awakening gives more time to work with, and Thunderfoot Baloth can grant the team trample, so Haze of Rage can try to push us there, and Kessig Wolf Run in a deck full of ramp spells is always good.
The biggest issue is the lack of any spell tutors to help find Hunting Pack, with only Gamble and a pile of Regrowth effects to try and save it. This primary issue is most likely going to be the inevitable failing point of this current experiment.
The second biggest issue is the lackluster draw. We still have 3x wheels + memory jar, but now that we have removed black we don't have any high-volume draw effects.
At this stage it is just not playable although. I'm spamming this here to start my work log so I can time-stamp changes and considerations, and am always looking for external ideas!
I've been a bit distracted with Kaladesh spoilers and haven't had much time to work on this. I'm very excited for the new Cathartic Reunion since it seems like an immediate inclusion in both this and my rakdos storm list.
While running this idea by a different play-group a buddy mentioned Selvala, Explorer Returned as another possible general. I'm pretty sure neglecting red takes this nearly unplayable idea into the realms of impossible. I'm not going to dismiss the idea of using her, and I still like the idea of your recommended Wort, the RaidMother.
I've completely stripped my first theoretical deck-list away down to just its card-types (all hidden in that card-consideration spoiler), and am still researching possible inclusions.
Soon I will be taking each of those categories and ordering them by priority/effectiveness for the deck, so I can start cutting out the weakest cards (since I'm at about 150 cards w/o lands). I think that is really the only way to start tuning this junker in the right direction.
You should try out the Kaladesh card Aetherflux Reservoir. Casting 10 spells in a turn nets you 1 kill, and if you start at 40 life then it just takes 13 spells to kill 3 people.
If you're planning to storm out, why not use the original "You Make the Card" card: Forgotten Ancient? Also, instead of cantrips that do almost nothing (looking at you, Bandage) you could at least get some fixing with Chromatic Sphere and Chromatic Star.
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You would never guess, at the terrifying sight of the man, that Hunding was as charming a companion as one could wish for.
I have a couple of decks that I've created that can hopefully add value to you.
First is a G/W Enchantress Deck that I first started working on about 2 years ago. I haven't working on it in at least a year or so but the basic idea behind it should lend itself to storm - make mana, draw more cards, make more mana to draw more cards. Captain Sisay was at the helm because she tutors for Gaea's Cradle/Serra's Sanctum/Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. Through the course of testing and refining I also added a light legendary package outside of the lands including Azusa. I do remember having Hunting Pack on the test list as a wincon - that's how much storm this deck could generate consistently (usually turn 4-6). As I sad, I put the deck down, even though it had great results in a competitive meta, in favor for other projects.
The Second Deck is a deck that was inspired from the my old Captain Sisay deck and Moxnix's Prossh Deck. That is a Mono Green Storm Deck found here. This one utilizes raw card advantage through huge draw spells or creature effects to get around the lack of tutors - I've been pleased with it's results so far, but I haven't got to test it much against top tier decks like Zur yet - so I have a feeling is can be way better.
honestly moxnix's deck revolved around Gaea's cradle to generate large card advantage if your willing to go that rout ruin ghost is in white and allows for reuse of cradle
This is a thread that I will be maintaining (and editing frequently) for an abnormal storm list using Hunting Pack as a primary win-con. This experiment is in flux, and the colors for this deck have bent and changed frequently, originally wanting either a gruul, naya, to selesnya deck, but currently running Bant. This experiment is based around wanting an effective storm deck, that is outside of the classically known storm colors (black/blue/red), and/or absent of classical known storm cards (fast mana/ad naus/necro).
Before you think this is complete!
The decklist and basic concepts are currently in its infancy. If the conceptual goal of this deck can not be reached, if the deck just can not make any meaningful impact, then the idea will sadly need to be set aside and revisited at a later date with a different approach.
edit ^this is why the deck is currently bant^
I've already tried an unusual-storm experiment by building a deck without blue. This earlier experiment was a black+red storm deck (construction log here), and I found that the results were a bit above average. While brewing this, the new Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder was spoiled+released, and I even created a competative storm list with him. After proxying that deck and playtesting it for a few weeks, it was found to be utterly broken, but ran like another ad naus deck, so while I have it on MTGO, I don't want to complete it IRL. After playing with Yidris I'm wanting to see how my experiment pans out with the Bant colors.
Before choosing to add blue for the current Bant experiment, below is all of the original conceptual ideas, card options, and an un-finished Selesnya decklist;
This deck may take one of four possible routes;
1.) Naya with Gahiji, Honored One as a commander. Highest card selection using all anti-colors. He is a beast general that can pseudo-anthem the hunting pack team when it comes to combat, and is adequate in combat.
2.) Gruul with Radha, Heir to Keld as a commander. Possibly the quickest route to developing a board presence with a reliable mana-dork in the command zone. Issue is she offers nothing else.
3.) Gruul with Wort, the RaidMother as a commander. Possibly the most impactful route since we can conspire big game-ending spells. The issue is her high cmc and the very realistic possibility of never surviving to be useful.
4.) Selesnya with Selvala, Explorer Returned as a commander. Pseudo-ramp+draw helps the deck dig deeper. The primary issue is the lack of red cripples the effects of this deck too far (no wheel of fortune/mizzix's mastery/gamble). She is also a pretty obvious combo-enabling engine.
Currently in this experiment - I am in the process of evaluating and tier'ing various cheap utility cantrip spells. While it sounds easy to cast a few rude awakening/early harvests from a few regrowth variants, the color restriction limits tutorage and card consistency. Cheap cantrips and excessive ramp is (so far) the primary path to developing any consistency.
Below is a skeletal/incomplete deck, currently set to Selesnya colors.
1x Selvala, Explorer Returned
Creature (16)
1x Craterhoof Behemoth
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Eternal Witness
1x Garruk's Packleader
1x Magus of the Candelabra
1x Magus of the Library
1x Peacekeeper
1x Quirion Ranger
1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
1x Scryb Ranger
1x Seedcradle Witch
1x Seeker of Skybreak
1x Thunderfoot Baloth
1x Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
1x Wirewood Savage
1x Woodland Bellower
Instant (12)
1x Abeyance
1x Benefactor's Draught
1x Early Harvest
1x Eladamri's Call
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Evolution Charm
1x Hunting Pack
1x Noxious Revival
1x Scout's Warning
1x To Arms!
1x Vitalize
1x Worldly Tutor
Sorcery (37)
1x Boundless Realms
1x Creeping Renaissance
1x Cultivate
1x Explore
1x Explosive Vegetation
1x Ezuri's Predation
1x False Dawn
1x Farseek
1x Gaea's Blessing
1x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Harmonize
1x Hunting Wilds
1x Idyllic Tutor
1x Insist
1x Into the North
1x Kodama's Reach
1x Natural Order
1x Nature's Lore
1x Nissa's Pilgrimage
1x Open the Armory
1x Peregrination
1x Praetor's Counsel
1x Rampant Growth
1x Ranger's Path
1x Recollect
1x Regrowth
1x Revive
1x Rude Awakening
1x Seasons Past
1x Skyshroud Claim
1x Steelshaper's Gift
1x Temporary Truce
1x The Great Aurora
1x Three Visits
1x Time of Need
1x Verdant Confluence
1x Woodland Guidance
1x Aetherflux Reservoir
1x Alhammarret's Archive
1x Candelabra of Tawnos
1x Memory Jar
1x Scroll Rack
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Sphinx-Bone Wand
1x Staff of Domination
1x Sword of the Paruns
1x Umbral Mantle
Enchantment (9)
1x Concordant Crossroads
1x Elemental Bond
1x Instill Energy
1x Mana Reflection
1x Mirari's Wake
1x Pursuit of Knowledge
1x Sylvan Library
1x Vernal Bloom
1x Zendikar Resurgent
Land (33)
1x Canopy Vista
1x Gavony Township
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Savannah
20x Snow-Covered Forest
6x Snow-Covered Plains
1x Temple Garden
1x Windswept Heath
1x Wirewood Lodge
Gruul card considerations
2x Haze of Rage
6x Volcanic Awakening
7x Hunting Pack
Draw
2x Sylvan Library
3x Wheel of Fortune
3x Magus of the Wheel
4x Harmonize
5x Reforge the Soul
5x Memory Jar
Tutors (may be considered cantrips)
0x Summoner's Pact
1x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Gamble
1x Sylvan Tutor
1x Traverse the Ulvenwald
1x Worldly Tutor
2x Time of Need
2x Sylvan Scrying (essentially land cantrip)
2x Signal the Clans
4x Natural Order (only if high creature#)
5x Tamiyo's Journal
6x Planar Portal
7x Tooth and Nail (not enough impactful creatures)
Cantrip & pseudo-cantrips
1x Overmaster
1x Insist
1x Faithless Looting
1x Abundant Growth
1x Chromatic Sphere (2-to-1 mana)
1x Chromatic Star (2-to-1 mana)
1x Lay of the Land (land fetch)
1x Expedite (requires target)
1x Crimson Wisps (requires target)
1x Viridescent Wisps (requires target)
1x Magmatic Insight (requires land in hand)
2x Wild Guess
2x Tormenting Voice
2x Cathartic Reunion
2x Ignorant Bliss
2x Manamorphose
2x Benefactor's Draught
2x Explore (possible ramp)
2x Gaea's Blessing
2x Lammastide Weave
2x Skyshroud Blessing
2x Bind (requires target)
2x Accelerate (requires target)
2x Aggressive Urge (requires target)
2x Wall of Blossoms
3x Realms Uncharted (land fetch)
3x Smash (requires target)
0x Noxious Revival
2x Evolution Charm (situational, possible land fetch)
2x Recoup
2x Revive
2x Regrowth
3x Recollect
3x Shreds of Sanity
3x Eternal Witness
5x Den Protector (cast+flip)
4x Past in Flames
4x Woodland Guidance (possible land-untap)
5x Creeping Renaissance
6x Seasons Past
8x Mizzix's Mastery (only overload)
8x Praetor's Counsel
Ramp
1x Utopia Sprawl (also cantrips)
1x Wayfarer's Bauble
1x Sol Ring
1x Diligent Farmhand (2-to-activate)
2x Sakura-Tribe Elder
2x Sylvan Caryatid
2x Edge of Autumn (only early, otherwise castless cantrip)
2x Wall of Roots (doesn't seem good here)
2x Magus of the Library (possible draw)
2x Nature's Lore
2x Into the North
2x Farseek
2x Three Visits
2x Rampant Growth
3x Harrow
3x Far Wanderings (situational)
3x Nissa's Pilgrimage (2-for-1 card advantage)
3x Kodama's Reach (2-for-1 card advantage)
3x Cultivate (2-for-1 card advantage)
4x Hunting Wilds (2-for-1 card advantage)
4x Explosive Vegetation (2-for-1 card advantage)
4x Ranger's Path (2-for-1 card advantage)
4x Skyshroud Claim (2-for-1 card advantage)
4x Peregrination (2-for-1 card advantage)
6x Verdant Confluence (also semi-recursion)
7x Boundless Realms
Land-Untap
1x Magus of the Candelabra (only with a doubler)
3x Krosan Restorer
3x Early Harvest
4x Garruk Wildspeaker
5x Nissa, Worldwaker
5x Rude Awakening
9x The Great Aurora
3x Mana Flare (dangerous in multiplayer)
5x Zhur-Taa Ancient (dangerous in multiplayer)
5x Gauntlet of Power (unlikely in 3-color)
6x Caged Sun (unlikely in 3-color)
6x Mana Reflection
7x Zendikar Resurgent
8x Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Haste Enabler
1x Concordant Crossroads
3x Fires of Yavimaya
4x Ogre Battledriver
5x In the Web of War
5x Urabrask the Hidden
Post-Storm Value
3x Kavu Lair (helps opponents)
3x Elemental Bond
3x Wirewood Savage
4x Greater Good
4x Purphoros, God of the Forge
5x Shamanic Revelation
5x Garruk's Packleader
5x Æther Charge
6x Warstorm Surge
6x Thunderfoot Baloth
Unclassified Potential Value and Cheap Spells
1x Nature's Claim
1x Pyroblast
1x Red Elemental Blast
1x Savage Summoning
1x Shattering Spree
1x Skred
1x Lightning Bolt
1x Sensei's Divining Top
2x Scroll Rack
2x Hull Breach
2x Increasing Vengeance
3x Reiterate
3x Sprouting Vines
4x Inner Fire
8x Ezuri's Predation
White splash
2x Temporary Truce
4x Pursuit of Knowledge
Tutors (may be considered cantrips)
1x Enlightened Tutor
2x Eladamri's Call
2x Altar of Bone
3x Idyllic Tutor
3x Congregation at Dawn (crap)
3x Call the Gatewatch (only if walkers)
Ramp
2x Trace of Abundance
Cantrip & pseudo-cantrips
1x Scout's Warning
1x Festival of the Guildpact
1x Bandage
1x Tithe (land fetch)
1x Defiant Strike (requires target)
1x Niveous Wisps (requires target)
2x Abeyance
2x To Arms!
2x False Dawn
2x Aura Blast (requires target)
2x Shelter (requires target)
2x Hallowed Moonlight (may backfire on storm)
2x Due Respect (may backfire on storm)
2x Equal Treatment (may backfire on storm)
2x Wall of Omens
1x Argivian Find
3x Naya Charm
Mana Doublers
3x Winter's Night
5x Mirari's Wake
Post-Storm Value
7x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Unclassified Potential Value and Cheap Spells
1x Mana Tithe
1x Rebuff the Wicked
2x Dawn Charm
3x Rith's Charm
3x Peacekeeper
3x Lapse of Certainty
3x Wing Shards
Lands
1x Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1x Gavony Township
1x Horizon Canopy
~ Late August - My previous experiment with a Black+Red (zero blue) storm deck is finishing up, and an idea to push the color restrection further starts to build. Random post created in edh forums for ideal generals to use in a zero blue+black storm list.
~ Early Sept - Original Naya idea set aside for a possibly quicker Radha, Heir to Keld gruul list. Original list posted here Sept 4th. The original idea of ramp+cantrips seems very unbalanced and the first theoretical decklist was abysmal.
~ Sept 15'th - after calming down from the Kaladesh spoilers this idea is revisited. Radha deck stripped completely down to card types, and research started to find all playable options of cantrips/draw/ramp/etc
~ Sept 17'th - Revisting Naya approach by adding white to research, still adding cards to pool of possible inclusions, breaching nearly 200x
Hunting Pack is likely going to never be drawn into in 90% of the games. A deck limiting its colors just can't function if it is dedicated to one single unobtainable card. Alternative options like Volcanic Awakening gives more time to work with, and Thunderfoot Baloth can grant the team trample, so Haze of Rage can try to push us there, and Kessig Wolf Run in a deck full of ramp spells is always good.
The biggest issue is the lack of any spell tutors to help find Hunting Pack, with only Gamble and a pile of Regrowth effects to try and save it. This primary issue is most likely going to be the inevitable failing point of this current experiment.
The second biggest issue is the lackluster draw. We still have 3x wheels + memory jar, but now that we have removed black we don't have any high-volume draw effects.
At this stage it is just not playable although. I'm spamming this here to start my work log so I can time-stamp changes and considerations, and am always looking for external ideas!
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
Mana Geyser (goes infinite with Reiterate)
Mana Echoes
Magmatic Insight
Empty the Warrens (storm backup?)
Charmbreaker Devils
Warp World
Sprout Swarm
Second Harvest
As much as I love Radha, I would suggest making Wort, the Raidmother your commander. Conspiring The Great Aurora is pretty backbreaking for opponents... and I believe that someone made a deck around that very strategy.
I've been a bit distracted with Kaladesh spoilers and haven't had much time to work on this. I'm very excited for the new Cathartic Reunion since it seems like an immediate inclusion in both this and my rakdos storm list.
While running this idea by a different play-group a buddy mentioned Selvala, Explorer Returned as another possible general. I'm pretty sure neglecting red takes this nearly unplayable idea into the realms of impossible. I'm not going to dismiss the idea of using her, and I still like the idea of your recommended Wort, the RaidMother.
I've completely stripped my first theoretical deck-list away down to just its card-types (all hidden in that card-consideration spoiler), and am still researching possible inclusions.
Soon I will be taking each of those categories and ordering them by priority/effectiveness for the deck, so I can start cutting out the weakest cards (since I'm at about 150 cards w/o lands). I think that is really the only way to start tuning this junker in the right direction.
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
First is a G/W Enchantress Deck that I first started working on about 2 years ago. I haven't working on it in at least a year or so but the basic idea behind it should lend itself to storm - make mana, draw more cards, make more mana to draw more cards. Captain Sisay was at the helm because she tutors for Gaea's Cradle/Serra's Sanctum/Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. Through the course of testing and refining I also added a light legendary package outside of the lands including Azusa. I do remember having Hunting Pack on the test list as a wincon - that's how much storm this deck could generate consistently (usually turn 4-6). As I sad, I put the deck down, even though it had great results in a competitive meta, in favor for other projects.
The Second Deck is a deck that was inspired from the my old Captain Sisay deck and Moxnix's Prossh Deck. That is a Mono Green Storm Deck found here. This one utilizes raw card advantage through huge draw spells or creature effects to get around the lack of tutors - I've been pleased with it's results so far, but I haven't got to test it much against top tier decks like Zur yet - so I have a feeling is can be way better.
Hope these help you!
i agree the great aurora is amazing