MTG Salvation

Let's discuss Risen Reef and just how broken it is in the right deck(s). Standard has felt it's dominance paired up with Field of the Dead. I am pretty sure this can translate into a multiplayer deck, so let us brew!

I have built a bunch of different iterations of the deck below is just a silly sample.

I routinely draw my deck if not completely disrupted and most the decks have 70 cards in them just b/c the fear of decking is real and short of my maze's end version, I haven't found a wincon that just blew me away yet.



Anyone else playing risen reef and dropping hordes of zombies, or using other alt-win cons?

Decklist updated Oct 12/19

I highly highly highly recommend both Unsettled Mariner and Yarok, the Desecrated. Both cards are elementals, Mariner protects you from interaction and Yarok doubles Reef/Field triggers. Vesperlark is also fantastic at recurring Reefs + Harbingers while still being an elemental itself which is perfect.

Quote from Prid3 »

I highly highly highly recommend both Unsettled Mariner and Yarok, the Desecrated. Both cards are elementals, Mariner protects you from interaction and Yarok doubles Reef/Field triggers. Vesperlark is also fantastic at recurring Reefs + Harbingers while still being an elemental itself which is perfect.

I have played with/against Yarok, the desecrated and know its effects quite well. In my Gates deck with Golos. I like both of the other suggestions.

Maze's end in the Gates deck forces the tables hand, which I like as a win condition. I just want to make sure I am doing enough with the deck to play good quality magic

If I was gonna do demented things with Risen Reef in multiplayer, I'd consider a critical MASS of Clone-effects to just repeatedly spam more Risen Reef's into play, drawing a heap of your deck and dumping tonnes of lands into play. I like Clones a lot for MP, because if your plan is being nerfed, you can simply copy the largest threats on the table.

I like Mimic Vat for landing a Clone or Reef every turn.
I'm sure a nice big X-spell like Torment of Hailfire would do enough to give you a clear advantage, but there are heaps of big mana things that could work in BUG colours.

Quote from bleedin_eyeball »

I'd consider a critical MASS of Clone-effects to just repeatedly spam more Risen Reef's into play...

Gotta be careful with that plan though since it gets destroyed by a single removal spell and Risen Reef is already a high priority target in the early game. It's one of the reasons why I like Unsettled Mariner and Vesperlark so much; your Reefs are constantly under fire so you need ways to protect and recur them moreso than anything else. Still, I wholly agree with adding say 4 Clones to the deck (my fave is Quasiduplicate) because Copying Reefs is indeed bonkers. I just love Quasiduplicate my Risen Reefs, Unsettled Mariners and Mulldrifters :).

Oh, also, the fact that an Evoke'd Mulldrifter triggers both Risen Reef and Yarok, the Desecrated is bananas!

I updated the decklist on the first post. Vesperlark unsettled Mariner Mulldrifter all added, how I forgot about mulldrifter is beyond me. Ditched the Scampering Scorcher single bane of progress and Arcane adaptation. I woul ditch the leafkin druid as well, but I need early defense or I will get run over by others.

The problem that still remains is the fact that only Omnath, Locus of Rage and Supreme Exemplar hit for more than 2 power. So while I can get off to a blazing start, if one of those finishers is removed, the deck looks menacing but doesn't actually threaten. Plus it is vulnerable to Wrath effects

Does this type of deck just simply work better with Jace, Wielder of Mysteries or laboratory maniac as it's wincon?

Quote from TechnicolorMage »

Does this type of deck just simply work better with Jace, Wielder of Mysteries or laboratory maniac as it's wincon?

Do you own Nexus of Fate or Approach of the Second Sun? Those are vastly superior options. Don't forget about Field of the Dead either. This deck doesn't need or want cards like Supreme Exemplar that die to removal when you can play win conditions that ignores it entirely. Omnath is useful as a removal spell so he's fine but you'll rarely be going face with that ability.

OOC have you tested Smokebraider at all? I just assumed that your lists had 4 but I'm currently seeing 0. Isn't that the best possible thing to be doing on turn 2? It's a colored Sol Ring and you get to play 4! My build has 4 Braiders and 4 Mariners because I want to be casting one of those on turn 2 every game. Flamekin Harbinger on 1 is ideal but you'll only get that ~40% of the time. Good openings hands contain one of either Flamekin Harbinger or Risen Reef and one of either Smokebraider or Unsettled Mariner to ensure that you have an amazing turn 2 and 3 play. With London mulliganing + the free multiplayer mull that's extremely consistent so I don't see why you ever fall behind early on except in rare situations.

Cloudkin Seer should be cut btw. It's nowhere near good enough. Sometimes I jam Taurean Mauler for chuckles but you typically want cards with higher power-ceilings. Omnath, Locus of the Roil is way better turn 3 play by comparison and scales much better as lategame topdeck.

Quote from Prid3 »

Do you own Nexus of Fate or Approach of the Second Sun? Those are vastly superior options. Don't forget about Field of the Dead either. This deck doesn't need or want cards like Supreme Exemplar that die to removal when you can play win conditions that ignores it entirely. Omnath is useful as a removal spell so he's fine but you'll rarely be going face with that ability.

OOC have you tested Smokebraider at all? I just assumed that your lists had 4 but I'm currently seeing 0. Isn't that the best possible thing to be doing on turn 2? My build has 4 Braiders and 4 Mariners because I want to be casting one of those on turn 2 every game. Flamekin Harbinger on 1 is ideal but you'll only get that ~40% of the time.

I have both! A couple of Nexus of fates and a playset of Approach of the second sun so those could be added. Any chance you can indulge me with a decklist so I can work off it. I believe I have a couple of smokebraider but the card seems lackluster unless I am missing something??

Quote from TechnicolorMage »

I believe I have a couple of smokebraider but the card seems lackluster unless I am missing something??

It's a 2 mana creature that taps for 2 mana each turn. You can cast a turn 3 Risen Reef + 2 drop, Yarok, the Desecrated or Mulldrifter off of one. It's insane .

Omnath, locus of Rage is the one I have a few copies of, not the other one, that is my typo.

Turn 5 plays on turn 3, gotcha.... feeling really, really dumb atm.

I agree on cloudkin Seer and Mulldrifter is far superior.

Alright my elemental wielding friends I have a question.

I have Yarok and Risen Reef on the field and I then cast Flamekin Harbinger.

Now I know I can choose what ETBs I trigger first.
However, Can I choose to trigger Flamekin Harbinger once then Risen Reef once and then the Yarok trigger to thus repeat the sequence on the stack? Or do they both double trigger one after the other?

Just how much of a degree of choice do I have with my ETB triggers on the stack?

Quote from Random Vyrus »

Just how much of a degree of choice do I have with my ETB triggers on the stack?

As far as I'm aware all 4 triggers trigger concurrently and can be stacked in any order but when in doubt it's best to post these types of questions on the rules forum.

Has anyone tried using zendikar’s roil with the risen reef triggers? Seems insane

Alright, I'm trying to build a Risen Reef and Elemental-Deck for my Multiplayer group.

Please explain to me why this deck needs so many different land cards. Is it only because of Field of the Dead? I mean I really like to play as many utility lands as possible and I will most certainly stick to the plan that you guys recomend. But would it be completely nonsense to play, for example, fetchlands and Deathrite Shaman?

Can I use other lands which I already own such as Tomb of Yawgmoth, Tectonic Edge, Fetchlands, Yavimaya Hollow or Maze of Ith?

Thanks for your help!