MTG Salvation

To fix your mana base add Fabled Passage. I run 3 plus one rugged highlands. I'm also at 24 lands too. Without another untapped r/g land at our disposal, you will probably need 23 lands at least.

My list for bo1 Arena. Seems decent, perhaps not as good as in the last meta. Bonecrusher giant is really good, as is questing beast. I'm not sold on Robber of the Rich yet. I think Zhur-taa Goblin may be better.

Whether or not the deck makes it after rotation will depend on what comes out in Throne of Eldraine and how the new meta shakes down. I'm sure a lot of decks will lose some good cards during rotation. Until we get the full spoiler of eldraine it will be hard to even guess what the new standard will look like. We do get to keep Gruul spellbreaker, Skarrgan hellkite, Paradise Druid, Growth chamber guardian, Nullhide ferox...

Been playing this list in Bo1 constructed event where it's pay to play. Been mining some gold. 7-0 wins on the first round 6-3 on the second round. Going to keep at it.

I've been doing great playing bo1 Arena pay to play constructed with this deck:

Pelt collector is a beast with all of the potential 3 power 2 drop creatures. Nullhide Ferox is great as a second 4 drop. With so few non-creature spells it's non-creature ability doesn't hold us back. If we have 4 mana to play it, we have 4 mana to play a lightning strike if need be.

The deck can struggle a bit with all of the double green cost creatures. I'm considering putting in a Gruul Guildgate in order to help me hit my jadelight rangers and Thrashing brontodon on time. I'm also considering a Merfolk branchwalker to help with this as well.

I went down from 3 Kraul Harpooners to 2 a little while ago. Kraul hasn't been as necessary lately.

I'm beating out most "mirror" matches, definitely mono-red, any kind of merfolk or aristocrat nonsense. Still struggle with esper control although I have been netting some wins there too. Mono-white is the worst match up. Thankfully I'm seeing much less of them these days.

I'm doing the "pay 500 gold" to play bo1 mode in Arena. I've been consistently making it to 5-7 wins with 3 losses. Just mining away here...

Anyone else playing bo1?

Quote from TequilaFlavor »

Quote from lugger »

In 8 rounds on Bo3 Arena, Domri, Anarch of Bolas has really impressed. It lets you trim specific removal in favor of playing a 3cmc mana dork that anthemns your team and fights.

I made Mythic last night, beating Caleb Durwald for my last two bars. He was on RG Pig. He was slow to the board and I ran him over 2-0.

Nice, good to know and congratz ! Do you mind sharing your deck list ? I tried out a bunch of different versions but I'm still unsure who "small" or how "midrange" I really want to go. Are Llanowar Elves and Pelt Collector needed to get the most out of Domri, Anarch of Bolas ? If so, what are we really "ramping" into - and are we running 5 drops and/or other walkers ?

It's not exactly ramping, but you can get a good tempo play with some of the cards we have. I play shock and light up the stage. Play domri then shock. I suspect Pelt collectors would be good, as we can play domri, drop a pelt collector, swing in and trade creatures, thus buffing pelt collector.

I've been running Grand Warlord Radha in bo1 arena pre-war of the spark. She's been a beast and I almost always have something to do with that extra mana. It's not necessarily "I must play a high cmc creature in the deck" to make Domri worth it. Just drop a zhur-taa and a spellbreaker on turn 4, give them both haste and go to town.

There's also Growth chamber guardian, which I try to consider a 5 drop most of the time. You can play and search with him on turn 4 with Domri out.

Quote from lugger »

Yeah, I mean it's not good. But it is something.

I'm building a giant growth, samut's sprint scapeshift deck now

I was beginning to brew around Evolution Sage when I had initially misread the card as "when it etbs proliferate." I liked the card when I thought of it this way, but needing to hit a land drop to enable it makes it bad in my opinion. That means it becomes a turn-4 essentially play, where you'll end up with an extra mana and nothing to do with it. Then you played a 3/2 on turn 4 that's dependent on other creatures being out that already have counters on them... People can respond to the trigger in order to play a shock/lightning strike before the counter goes on a creature, before it gets out of reach. We're talking about getting 1 or 2 counters at most the turn it comes down. If you're set up well with creatures then play this turn 3 and hope... You're opponent will figure something out to hamper you plans before that land comes down turn 4. A 3/2 on it's own is a bad creature for 3 mana creature in standard, and it can't buff its self at all.

I think the landfall part of this card is too clunky for our deck.

Ghalta seems like it could be pretty good alongside Domri, Anarch of Bolas as well. If you have 3 creatures out then play domri, you just reduced Ghalta's cost by 3, AND you have an extra mana to throw at it's casting cost too. I can see times where you could potentially finagle domri as a "free spell" you play the turn you cast Ghalta.

I'm not really salty about the Giant Growth and other feedback. Sometimes you just want a card to work so badly you overlook the other stuff. I just miss casting growth...

Fine guys, just crush my dreams I hear you, don't bother with the pump spells.

I do like the looks of Domri, Anarch of Bolas. I feel like he'll be best utilized alongside pelt collector or another 1 drop. Best scenario turn 1 collector into turn 2 Zhuur-taa Goblin as 3/3 into turn 3 Domri, then either fight to truck damage through and prevent a swing back on Domri, or add mana play another pelt collector or shock. Swing in for 7 damage on turn 3.

I think that static +1/+0 alongside our high power creatures will enable our creatures to hit just about any creature late in the game. Even a Gruulspell breaker fights for 5 with domri out, not too bad.

Something like this:


I just realized we can use domri's mana ability to cast Light up the Stage if we can get damage through on combat. Also, between domri, llanowar elves and that new Paradise Druid, we can consider sneaking in a couple of Steel-leaf Champion without having to give up Rekindling Phoenix or causing mana problems. It might be a "4 drop" of sorts, but one that could leave us a red up for shock or light up the stage on turn 4 as well.

Quote from Boreez »

Angrath, Giant Growth and Samut's Sprint are completely trash cards in Standard. GG hasn't been a viable constructed card in ages, and sprint might be even worse. What you're talking about is a casual deck, not competitive.

I'm coming at this from a bo1 perspective on Arena. You must be able to beat aggro for bo1, and giant growth can be a fine card to do so. It does help against control too, if you know how to wait for the right moment to play a pump spell. I can beat Teferi control in bo1, it's hard, but it does happen. When it happens it's because I could be aggro enough to kill them before they can set up. When I don't kill them, they are often at 1-3 life before they stabilize and come back up. Giant growth would help in these scenarios.

I'm trying to get at the fact that these cards may be good in a more aggro version of the deck. Yes, you would build your deck to be much lower to the ground in order to enable these cards, and you still wouldn't want more than like 4 max. However, I can see a single giant growth being good in just about any version of the deck. We have access to haste/trample/flying creatures... Just make sure you don't get blown out with a removal spell after casting it. Yes, it takes a bit of maneuvering and planning, that's why you limit the number of copies you play so you only see 1 copy a game at most.

I've raced mono-red multiple times with my deck list, it's just that aggro for bo1. Giant growth helps the deck become even faster possibly... I don't think it should just be discounted out of hand because it didn't make deck lists in the past. You can't directly compare cards to past standard environments they were in because we are in a different environment right now (which is still totally theoretical.) Perhaps a better comparison is how long has it been since a combat trick this good has been printed? This is basically the premium green combat trick to which all others are compared. Combat tricks aren't needed that much, but they can find uses as Collision // Colossus has done for us already with this deck.

Okay, Angrath, Captain of Chaos plus pelt collector and pump spells, looks really good.

There are two very significant cards being overlooked here for our deck:
Samut's Sprint
Giant Growth

These cards will help against aggro decks in the early/mid/late game, and also beat out midrange/control in the mid to late game. I'm not saying they each necessitate multiple copies in the mainboard. But I'm sure at least 1-3 of these mainboard should be correct. Especially if we can craft a more-aggro version of gruul, which we should be able to do in this meta.

Note that I am tackling this from a bo1 Arena perspective mainly, but I believe these are at least sideboard worthy in bo3 as well.

Gruul already has the ability to be very aggro given our riot/haste creatures and Rekindling Phoenix. Llanowar elves are also decent already for our deck, but much better with creature pump spells, especially those that gives haste. Samut's sprint actually ADDS synergy to our haste/riot creatures as we can make them large and still attack with them. Also a 6/4 haste scry 1 Rekindling Pheonix turn 5 is something to write home about. As is a 6-10 (12?) power haste Kraul Harpooner in the late game.

Giant Growth can protect llanowar elves and pelt collector so the can trade in the early/midgame while also protecting them from burn spells. Also, we have trample/haste in Gruul Spellbreaker or 7 flying damage with Rekindling Phoenix. Turn 4 spellbreaker+Samut's sprint, 6/4 trample haste with hexproof for the turn.

Let's not forget that Collision / Colossus is also a card.

I'm also curious about Rubblebelt Rioters as being a possible addition. You can giant growth/samut's sprint something before attacking with this and have two HUGE creatures. A bit fragile, until you consider we run Gruul Spellbreaker and Rekindling Pheonix in the deck as well. So this is potentially a 4/4 top decked as well. Should help close out the games early. This can be crazy paired with Harpooner Krauler turn 5. Play Krauler after control has destroyed a bunch of your creatures, swing in for a healthy amount haste on turn 5.

My current legal pet favorite cards for bo1 are 4Light up the Stage and 2Grand Warlord Radha. Radha is also good with all of the pump spells I've mentioned previously.

I see the possibility of a deck playing some 1 drop creatures: llanowar elves, Pelt Collector, maybe footlight fiend alongside a few of these crazy pump spells, haste creatures, and the new Vivien Planeswalker, or the older or newer Domri Walkers. Maybe even the older Vivien too!

The fact that most of these haste creatures combo with Samut's Sprint by just becoming bigger is awesome.

There is also Zhur-taa Goblin, a card I've looked at favorably before, but becomes much better with giant growth and/or samut's sprint.

Pump spells are good with Direfleet Captain also, should that card remain viable.

Quote from lugger »

Quote from Redirus91 »

Im confused by "Shaman being good against moment of craving" So you bring in shaman against esper and esper sides in or leaves craving in against this deck? How is the card good against wilderness reclamation, or is it just that it is good against the deck? Im pretty sure I get what your saying, just clarifying.

Immolation Shaman is good vs. Moment of Craving because it's an x/3. Esper will often board in Craving or leave them in, depending on their configuration.

It is also good against Wilderness Reclamation if they're trying to Nexus of Fate you. Generally, they have to stick a Search for Azcanta and flip it for a hard lock. That's hard to do without getting Shaman off the table. They have to find a Blink of an Eye to bounce it off the table or kill you with Hydras and looped Nexuses. Basically what you do with the card is make them jump through hoops to kill you. They have a moderately high fail rate when jumping through said hoops.

The Immolation Shaman dealing 1 damage when they activate Search for azcanta as a land is enough to hold it down? I guess my real question is, this only deals damage when activated abilities are used right? I feel like I've seen different wording on cards to mean the same thing, so I'm wondering if this is an oracle update or I'm remembering something improperly.

Nevermind about adding white. I updated the list and it's running quite well. Been keeping track of my win/loss ratio starting yesterday with this list. I'm at 9:4 right now for Best of 1. That's 69% win rate! A small sample size, but quite encouraging. Playing at Gold 2 right now.

Here's the new list. Thrash/Threat have been the card I was looking for. Removal, potential to kill big creatures, plus also a creature to fight control matches. Remember, this can hit walkers but lava coil can't. 2 Skarrgan have been great. I want a 3rd but don't want to mess with the list any further since it's doing so well. Very happy with where this deck is at right now. Beating out both aggro and control very well like a good midrange deck should.


You must have been right about those zhurr-taa goblins lugger. I took those out for jadelight ranger, switched out a mountain for a forest, took my curve up a bit, and the deck seems nearly unstoppable. I also went back up to 3 thorn lieutenant to compensate. Thorn is clearly the superior card. You can really lean on 'em when you get up to 6 mana. Like, "you want to block and lose your creature to my 2 drop?" usually, they just let it through. Then you use the mana to play another creature later on instead. It's almost like a "can't be blocked by creatures with toughness 6 or less if you control 6 lands" kind of card.

Call me crazy... Is it possible to splash White for Heroic Reinforcements? Maybe a venerated loxodon or Shalai, voice of plenty. Just played against a primarily g/w deck with what looked like a red splash for heroic, and it was pretty damn good. Very fast.

I just haven't wanted to play too many 5 drops with all the mono-red running around on bo1 ranked in gold. I had vivien in for a while, but downshifted in cmc to karn so I didn't need anymore land. I think my deck could support 1 Skaargan hellkite instead of Domri though.

Domri is okay, but I don't think more than 1 could be justified. It's just bad when the plus 1 on curve does nothing. He can be a bit hard to protect going second when playing bo1 with so many aggro creature decks out there. They can just easily swing into him and start taking him down. I'd rather just play a Rekindling Pheonix or a karn on turn 4 and get another creature out in most cases. That's bo1 though. Just lower that curve down a few notches. By the time I play Domri I usually only have 1 to 0 creatures left in hand.

Sorry if my bo1 distinctions don't belong on this thread. There is no one doing deck building in the Arena forum so...

Also, I'm beginning to wonder how relevant Kraul harpooner is. U/B drakes and spell spam has fallen out of favor quite a bit. Also not seeing too much mono-blue...

You might like Thorn lieutenant more than zhur-taa. (I'm playing bo1 Arena btw.) Good against control. His pump ability can become relevant late game. Really the benefit is the ability to get that extra 1/1 to combat aggro.

I find zhur-taa to be okay. However, bo1 is all about beatign that mono-red deck and a 3/3 for 2 does this pretty well. Also, it can be correct to haste him in against control.

My bo1 list. Karn is really good. I had a 7-8 winning streak if I could play Karn that game when he first went in. He has also help me beat control and fares well against aggro too. Not sure about the domri. Considering vivien instead again. Or a 3rd karn.