Although Faerie Artisans is rather good on our side as well. Generating counters fro Animar very quickly.
EDIT: I am an idiot, please ignore
Happens to us all, I think it's pretty decent for 75%ing their ETB tricks. Personally I don't see myself making a spot for it in my list y'know (I have pre-ordered a few copies because they're like a dollar and pretty decent in other strategies).
My suggestion for what to do with the double post: an updated deck list.
I don't physically have the deck with me at the moment, which is a major reason i discontinued the primer. An updated list would be entirely theoretical
Trophy Mage - Finally an ETB tutor that will find Cloudstone Curio! The question is, are there any cmc 3 Artifact Creatures worth including as redundant targets? Pilgrim's Eye isn't the worst, but I find creatures that put a land into hand really need to be cmc 2 to be worthwhile...
The question is, are there any cmc 3 Artifact Creatures worth including as redundant targets?
Maybe the Scuttlemutt as a mana dork and to force an opponent's creature to be black or white. Crystal Shard could rebounce our own creatures with ETB effects.
There's also Chromatic Lantern for a little bit of mana fixing, if needed.
I had a quick look through cmc 3 artifacts after posting this:
Phyrexian Altar used to be in the deck, and is a good way of using creatures that you don't necessarily want to bounce to produce mana.
Deal Broker is a looter. Nothing fancy, but also not the worst option.
Neurok Replica gives you a way to bounce a creature. Admittedly I rate this fairly low compared to other bounce options we have available.
Scarecrone a way to recur other artifact creatures and draws a card for a low cost.
Shardless Agent is great value, but forces the deck to really consider it's 1 and 2 drops. Bit of a non-bo with cheap counterspells and some utility morph creatures.
Shimmer Myr could be really powerful but would push the deck in a more artifact creature heavy direction, ironically making Cloudstone Curio far less useful.
trophy mage could be a great reason to finally consider crucible of worlds as an answer to LD and mass LD and as an accelerant in a deck that runs 9 fetches and can easily miss land drops.
URGANIMARURG In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
My concern with Crucible of Worlds is that it benefits from a longer game with many turns, rather than a game with lots of activity during only a few turns.
Same reason I don't like planeswalkers and upkeep triggers in the deck. More often than not, you'll be done between turn 5 and 7. I favour effects that can be reused multiple times during a single turn.
The more controlling you build the deck, the better these sort of turn based effects become.
Thoughts on Walking Ballista? Another easy win con, tutorable with Imperial Recruiter or any other creature/artifact tutor. Provides a way to ping creatures if you aren't comboing off and need to answer a creature.
Revolt - Conditional ETB effects. Having a permanent leave the battlefield is fairly simple with Animar, given the main combo win-cons involve a lot of bouncing. There may be times where a Revolt card can't be activated, but I think if the effect is good enough it's worth including.
Energy - It's back! This is a build around mechanic and I don't think there is enough synergy with Animar, nor the requisite volume of good cards to build around it in this deck. It could be an interesting deck building challenge, but it's not a particularly 'splashable' resource.
Improvise - Convoke (lite) for artifact matters! If you're playing with a high number of artifacts (likely creatures), adding a few improvise cards might be worthwhile. Not being able to reduce coloured costs is a very real downside compared to convoke, but at the same time being able to reduce the cost of some instant and sorcery spells could be well worthwhile, but only if you've already built around artifacts (the creatures of which do have great synergy with Animar, but anti-synergy with Cloudstone Curio).
Vehicles - Also returning. A creature-like permanent sadly gets no cost reduction benefit from Animar, nor does it put a counter on Animar. Unlikely to ever make the cut, barring an extraordinary effect.
The Expertise Cycle - Baral's Expertise, Kari Zev's Expertise, Rishkar's Expertise: Animar is not fond of expensive non-creature spells because they are usually far more inefficient per mana compared to creatures which are cost-reduced. These cards somewhat get around this mana inefficiency by allowing another spell to be cast for free, which makes them far more interesting despite being types I wouldn't usually review. I discuss the individual cards below.
Blue
Baral's Expertise - Sorcery speed hurts the utility of this card, but it is still good at removing blockers or reusing our own ETB effects, also being able to hit artifacts is a bonus. Bouncing our own creature and replaying it for free is a valid use. I don't know if it's possible to find room for this card, but if you do I think it could do some good work.
Illusionist's Stratagem - 4 mana is probably slightly too much for a trick, but this does draw a card, let us reuse ETB effects at instant speed and can protect against removal. Interesting enough for a mention anyway.
Quicksmith Spy - If you have enough artifact targets, this is pretty similar to "ETB, draw a card" on a creature. It gets better if you have untap effects or expect the game to go longer allowing you to draw more cards, and gets worse if you're relying on artifact creatures as your targets since they may have summoning sickness. In the right build I think this card might be a hidden gem, but I think that build is quite different from mine.
Trophy Mage - CMC 3 artifact tutor lets you find Cloudstone Curio. I think this card is worth a slot for that reason alone, but it also gives you an opportunity to build a CMC 3 artifact (and artifact creature) toolbox. Consider as well, if Animar is at 2 counters, you can cast Trophy Mage for U (Animar goes to 3 counters) and immediately find an artifact creature to cast for free (Animar goes to 4 counters).
Whir of Invention - The premier improvise spell, UUU is a hefty cost even if you're using improvise to reduce the cost further, and that requires a certain amount of build around to be likely. The bonus if you're playing an artifact heavy build is that this spell puts the artifact straight onto the battlefield, which is a powerful effect and well worth considering. Again, Cloudstone Curio would likely be the main target.
Red
Kari Zev's Expertise - The effect is quite powerful for the cost especially if you can use the free cast, but unlike the other two expertise cards in Temur colours, the likelyhood of getting the free cast is quite low, since it covers a much smaller number of cards in the deck and doesn't give you an opportunity to draw into a spell or return one from the battlefield for reuse.
Sadly nothing else really worth mentioning in Red this set, in my opinion.
Green
Heroic Intervention - Animar is weak to sweeper effects and this protects against many of them while also acting as protection from spot removal. Definitely a meta call, but I can see this being a useful addition.
Hidden Herbalists - If you get an infinite loop going, this can create infinite green mana without much difficulty. Certainly worth considering for that reason, and when it is just a bear at least it puts a counter on Animar for a low cost.
Monstrous Onslaught - It is not that difficult to have an enormous Animar, so this could act as a one sided board sweep, but probably only when you're already ahead. In that regard it's possibly a trap rather than a good addition to the deck.
Rishkar, Peema Renegade - Rishkar potentially generates more mana than he costs, which is a very powerful ability. Assuming you have Animar and two other creatures without summoning sickness, Rishkar will allow each of them to tap for G. If you have more creatures out with +1/+1 counters on them, that's even more mana. Furthermore, having the option to give Animar an additional +1/+1 counter never hurts.
Rishkar's Expertise - A 6 mana sorcery is a big investment, but this will probably draw a lot of cards, and give you a free spell cast on top of that. It relies heavily on board state, so there is a risk that it will always simply be win more, but I think it's worth testing.
Silkweaver Elite - She cantrips for the right cost (at least not too high), and once you've got a loop going, she will keep drawing, but if you can't activate her Revolt on the first cast, she's going to be a big disapointment. Possibly include if your whole build is around cantrip creatures, but she would be towards the bottom of the list of options due to the conditional draw.
Multicolour
Rogue Refiner - Another cantrip creature that also gives you energy. Like Silkweaver Elite, unless you have a use for the energy, this would be down the list of cantrip options because it can't have its cost reduced below GU.
Artifacts and Lands
Cogwork Assembler - This has an expensive ability, 7 mana is a lot to pay, but with infinite mana this essentially replicates the Kiki-Jiki combo by itself. It also can create interesting utility options, depending on the artifacts in your build and the mana you have to spare and with CMC 3 it can be searched up with our newest tutor, Trophy Mage. I don't know if it's worth including, but it's worth noting as a pretty powerful effect and may surprise people.
Hope of Ghirapur - Cute little legend! Might be useful to combat a heavy control deck before combo-ing off? Most certainly a meta call and I don't think it will be the best way to deal with problem control decks, but it is a cute card and offers interesting and political choices for a low mana cost (or free).
Inspiring Statuary - I mention this, because it seems like it might work well in an artifact heavy build, but essentially it is a mana rock that taps for 1 to cast non-artifact spells. This is an awkward card as it wants you to play a lot of artifacts but only rewards you by letting you cast non-artifacts more easily. In my opinion, this is not the right card for Animar even if you're playing an artifact heavy build. I think it would fit well in a deck that uses non-artifact spells to generate a lot of artifact tokens (Clues, Thopters, Servos, and so on). Could be intesting in a build that also includes Chief Engineer and Paradox Engine, but I'm getting off topic.
Lifecrafter's Bestiary - Turns every creature into a cantrip for a small additional cost. Combos well with Tangleroot. The additional G cost is actually harder to keep up than it looks. Animar is a very coloured mana hungry deck, but it still might be good inclusion. CMC 3 means tutorable by Trophy Mage. It's hard to evaluate, so probably deserves testing.
Paradox Engine - Combos well with a mana dorks, Earthcraft, convoke and improvise. We already run a storm like deck and with the right board state this goes infinite quickly, but it is build around, and if things aren't going well it may as well say "creatures you control have vigilance".
Planar Bridge - (not to be mistaken for Planar Gate) A very powerful effect for a very high price. I don't expect Animar will be the deck for this effect, but I expect to play against it. Also somewhat ridiculous with Paradox Engine.
Walking Ballista - You can play this for free and get as many +1/+1 counters equal to half the number of counters on Animar. It also acts as a mana sink if you have infinite mana and either way it can ping your opponents to death. This is a great card, as a victory condition, creature removal or simply a body (cast of 0 to put the first counter on Animar), it is useful at any point during the game and easily tutorable.
Spire of Industry - The only land in Aether Revolt, a Mana Confluence when you have an artifact, or a Wastes if you don't. I don't really like Mana Confluence in Animar, since a lot of the mana combos involve the tapping and untapping of lands, and that life cost adds up quickly. Colourless mana often becomes useless once Animar gets rolling, so it's not selling that aspect either. Finally the coloured mana production is too situational unless you're very artifact heavy (even then, it's unlikely to happen on an early turn when you need the flexibility the most).
As always, looking forward to hearing other people's thoughts and whether I missed anything.
URGANIMARURG In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
It depends entirely on your metagame and what you expect to be countering. They both deal with sorcery and instant removal spells, but then they depart in their utility.
Thoughts on Walking Ballista? Another easy win con, tutorable with Imperial Recruiter or any other creature/artifact tutor. Provides a way to ping creatures if you aren't comboing off and need to answer a creature.
Walking ballista is replacing cloud of faeries for me. I love that it wins from the hand or the table with infinite mana and even though it only wins from the hand with infinite Animar it is still easily bouncable in an Animar build. Of course the true topic is, does Animar need win cons once he's infinite? well, whether he does or doesn't, I say walking ballista has better synergy than craterhoof behemoth or kessig wolf run. Not to mention it's a great early-mid game control option that doesn't break synergy with most animar play styles.
Private Mod Note
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URGANIMARURG In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
Been a while since I've posted.. Deck is pretty dumb as is and can go off on T4 fairly regularly. Added in Trophy Mage but would like to add a Walking Ballista... Also wonder if there's a way to squeeze in maybe a little more card draw somewhere to help avoid top decking later in the game. Thoughts?
Gelf, any guidance on which cards to remove for Walking Ballista, Trophy Mage and Rishkar, Peema Renegade? Am I correct that these are the only definite additions?
Hi Frank, what's your current list? The only other card I'd add (if you're not already running it) is Sylvok Replica to add to Trophy Mage tool box utility.
Gelf, my list is close enough to your old list that your three cuts would also be mine. So, of the three cards I mentioned you would just add Trophy, Mage?
If room can be found, I'd add all three, but cuts are really difficult.
Rishkar, Peema Renegade might replace Beastcaller Savant. You give up being able to turn green into another colour mana, but probably net more green mana and because you can add counters to creatures without summoning sickness, it has similar utility. It's nice that it can throw +1/+1 counters onto Animar for a bit of a boost too.
When replacing cards, I try to maintain existing function and utility as much as possible, but it is difficult because Animar offers so many powerful choices.
Hope this helps. Remember I'm not playing the deck at the moment, so these suggestions are made without the benefit of practical experience, only thought experiment.
Happens to us all, I think it's pretty decent for 75%ing their ETB tricks. Personally I don't see myself making a spot for it in my list y'know (I have pre-ordered a few copies because they're like a dollar and pretty decent in other strategies).
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
Thoughts?
EDIT: Nevermind, found it via the tags. Looks good
Maybe the Scuttlemutt as a mana dork and to force an opponent's creature to be black or white.
Crystal Shard could rebounce our own creatures with ETB effects.
There's also Chromatic Lantern for a little bit of mana fixing, if needed.
Tiny -
In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
Same reason I don't like planeswalkers and upkeep triggers in the deck. More often than not, you'll be done between turn 5 and 7. I favour effects that can be reused multiple times during a single turn.
The more controlling you build the deck, the better these sort of turn based effects become.
Retired Lists: Ghave - Hanna - Thrun - Zur
Pauper: Crypt Rats
Mechanics
Revolt - Conditional ETB effects. Having a permanent leave the battlefield is fairly simple with Animar, given the main combo win-cons involve a lot of bouncing. There may be times where a Revolt card can't be activated, but I think if the effect is good enough it's worth including.
Energy - It's back! This is a build around mechanic and I don't think there is enough synergy with Animar, nor the requisite volume of good cards to build around it in this deck. It could be an interesting deck building challenge, but it's not a particularly 'splashable' resource.
Improvise - Convoke (lite) for artifact matters! If you're playing with a high number of artifacts (likely creatures), adding a few improvise cards might be worthwhile. Not being able to reduce coloured costs is a very real downside compared to convoke, but at the same time being able to reduce the cost of some instant and sorcery spells could be well worthwhile, but only if you've already built around artifacts (the creatures of which do have great synergy with Animar, but anti-synergy with Cloudstone Curio).
Vehicles - Also returning. A creature-like permanent sadly gets no cost reduction benefit from Animar, nor does it put a counter on Animar. Unlikely to ever make the cut, barring an extraordinary effect.
The Expertise Cycle - Baral's Expertise, Kari Zev's Expertise, Rishkar's Expertise: Animar is not fond of expensive non-creature spells because they are usually far more inefficient per mana compared to creatures which are cost-reduced. These cards somewhat get around this mana inefficiency by allowing another spell to be cast for free, which makes them far more interesting despite being types I wouldn't usually review. I discuss the individual cards below.
Blue
Baral's Expertise - Sorcery speed hurts the utility of this card, but it is still good at removing blockers or reusing our own ETB effects, also being able to hit artifacts is a bonus. Bouncing our own creature and replaying it for free is a valid use. I don't know if it's possible to find room for this card, but if you do I think it could do some good work.
Illusionist's Stratagem - 4 mana is probably slightly too much for a trick, but this does draw a card, let us reuse ETB effects at instant speed and can protect against removal. Interesting enough for a mention anyway.
Quicksmith Spy - If you have enough artifact targets, this is pretty similar to "ETB, draw a card" on a creature. It gets better if you have untap effects or expect the game to go longer allowing you to draw more cards, and gets worse if you're relying on artifact creatures as your targets since they may have summoning sickness. In the right build I think this card might be a hidden gem, but I think that build is quite different from mine.
Trophy Mage - CMC 3 artifact tutor lets you find Cloudstone Curio. I think this card is worth a slot for that reason alone, but it also gives you an opportunity to build a CMC 3 artifact (and artifact creature) toolbox. Consider as well, if Animar is at 2 counters, you can cast Trophy Mage for U (Animar goes to 3 counters) and immediately find an artifact creature to cast for free (Animar goes to 4 counters).
Whir of Invention - The premier improvise spell, UUU is a hefty cost even if you're using improvise to reduce the cost further, and that requires a certain amount of build around to be likely. The bonus if you're playing an artifact heavy build is that this spell puts the artifact straight onto the battlefield, which is a powerful effect and well worth considering. Again, Cloudstone Curio would likely be the main target.
Red
Kari Zev's Expertise - The effect is quite powerful for the cost especially if you can use the free cast, but unlike the other two expertise cards in Temur colours, the likelyhood of getting the free cast is quite low, since it covers a much smaller number of cards in the deck and doesn't give you an opportunity to draw into a spell or return one from the battlefield for reuse.
Sadly nothing else really worth mentioning in Red this set, in my opinion.
Green
Heroic Intervention - Animar is weak to sweeper effects and this protects against many of them while also acting as protection from spot removal. Definitely a meta call, but I can see this being a useful addition.
Hidden Herbalists - If you get an infinite loop going, this can create infinite green mana without much difficulty. Certainly worth considering for that reason, and when it is just a bear at least it puts a counter on Animar for a low cost.
Monstrous Onslaught - It is not that difficult to have an enormous Animar, so this could act as a one sided board sweep, but probably only when you're already ahead. In that regard it's possibly a trap rather than a good addition to the deck.
Rishkar, Peema Renegade - Rishkar potentially generates more mana than he costs, which is a very powerful ability. Assuming you have Animar and two other creatures without summoning sickness, Rishkar will allow each of them to tap for G. If you have more creatures out with +1/+1 counters on them, that's even more mana. Furthermore, having the option to give Animar an additional +1/+1 counter never hurts.
Rishkar's Expertise - A 6 mana sorcery is a big investment, but this will probably draw a lot of cards, and give you a free spell cast on top of that. It relies heavily on board state, so there is a risk that it will always simply be win more, but I think it's worth testing.
Silkweaver Elite - She cantrips for the right cost (at least not too high), and once you've got a loop going, she will keep drawing, but if you can't activate her Revolt on the first cast, she's going to be a big disapointment. Possibly include if your whole build is around cantrip creatures, but she would be towards the bottom of the list of options due to the conditional draw.
Multicolour
Rogue Refiner - Another cantrip creature that also gives you energy. Like Silkweaver Elite, unless you have a use for the energy, this would be down the list of cantrip options because it can't have its cost reduced below GU.
Artifacts and Lands
Cogwork Assembler - This has an expensive ability, 7 mana is a lot to pay, but with infinite mana this essentially replicates the Kiki-Jiki combo by itself. It also can create interesting utility options, depending on the artifacts in your build and the mana you have to spare and with CMC 3 it can be searched up with our newest tutor, Trophy Mage. I don't know if it's worth including, but it's worth noting as a pretty powerful effect and may surprise people.
Hope of Ghirapur - Cute little legend! Might be useful to combat a heavy control deck before combo-ing off? Most certainly a meta call and I don't think it will be the best way to deal with problem control decks, but it is a cute card and offers interesting and political choices for a low mana cost (or free).
Inspiring Statuary - I mention this, because it seems like it might work well in an artifact heavy build, but essentially it is a mana rock that taps for 1 to cast non-artifact spells. This is an awkward card as it wants you to play a lot of artifacts but only rewards you by letting you cast non-artifacts more easily. In my opinion, this is not the right card for Animar even if you're playing an artifact heavy build. I think it would fit well in a deck that uses non-artifact spells to generate a lot of artifact tokens (Clues, Thopters, Servos, and so on). Could be intesting in a build that also includes Chief Engineer and Paradox Engine, but I'm getting off topic.
Lifecrafter's Bestiary - Turns every creature into a cantrip for a small additional cost. Combos well with Tangleroot. The additional G cost is actually harder to keep up than it looks. Animar is a very coloured mana hungry deck, but it still might be good inclusion. CMC 3 means tutorable by Trophy Mage. It's hard to evaluate, so probably deserves testing.
Paradox Engine - Combos well with a mana dorks, Earthcraft, convoke and improvise. We already run a storm like deck and with the right board state this goes infinite quickly, but it is build around, and if things aren't going well it may as well say "creatures you control have vigilance".
Planar Bridge - (not to be mistaken for Planar Gate) A very powerful effect for a very high price. I don't expect Animar will be the deck for this effect, but I expect to play against it. Also somewhat ridiculous with Paradox Engine.
Walking Ballista - You can play this for free and get as many +1/+1 counters equal to half the number of counters on Animar. It also acts as a mana sink if you have infinite mana and either way it can ping your opponents to death. This is a great card, as a victory condition, creature removal or simply a body (cast of 0 to put the first counter on Animar), it is useful at any point during the game and easily tutorable.
Spire of Industry - The only land in Aether Revolt, a Mana Confluence when you have an artifact, or a Wastes if you don't. I don't really like Mana Confluence in Animar, since a lot of the mana combos involve the tapping and untapping of lands, and that life cost adds up quickly. Colourless mana often becomes useless once Animar gets rolling, so it's not selling that aspect either. Finally the coloured mana production is too situational unless you're very artifact heavy (even then, it's unlikely to happen on an early turn when you need the flexibility the most).
As always, looking forward to hearing other people's thoughts and whether I missed anything.
In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
Heroic Intervention deals with Supreme Verdict, Obliterate, Desolation Angel, Crater Hellion, Planar Collapse, Scourglass, Oblivion Stone.
Negate deals with Time Stop, Time Warp, Cyclonic Rift, Descend upon the Sinful, Terminus, Warp World, Primal Surge, The Great Aurora, Black Sun's Zenith.
Walking ballista is replacing cloud of faeries for me. I love that it wins from the hand or the table with infinite mana and even though it only wins from the hand with infinite Animar it is still easily bouncable in an Animar build. Of course the true topic is, does Animar need win cons once he's infinite? well, whether he does or doesn't, I say walking ballista has better synergy than craterhoof behemoth or kessig wolf run. Not to mention it's a great early-mid game control option that doesn't break synergy with most animar play styles.
In the folklore of its plane, the Animar is the ultimate source of all life—the seed from which all creation grows. In the presence of Animar, crops blossom and herds thrive, and the wake of its wanderings determines the course of the seasons.
current list:
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/final-foil-animar/
1x Ainok Survivalist
1x Ancestral Statue
1x Artisan of Kozilek
1x Birds of Paradise
1x Bloodbraid Elf
1x Bloom Tender
1x Cloud of Faeries
1x Coiling Oracle
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Coral Trickster
1x Deadeye Navigator
1x Deceiver Exarch
1x Draining Whelk
1x Dream Stalker
1x Duplicant
1x Eternal Witness
1x Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
1x Fathom Mage
1x Fauna Shaman
1x Fierce Empath
1x Gilded Drake
1x Glen Elendra Archmage
1x Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
1x Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1x Kruphix, God of Horizons
1x Maelstrom Wanderer
1x Man-o'-War
1x Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
1x Mulldrifter
1x Mystic Snake
1x Oracle of Mul Daya
1x Palinchron
1x Peregrine Drake
1x Pestermite
1x Purphoros, God of the Forge
1x Rattleclaw Mystic
1x Reclamation Sage
1x Seedborn Muse
1x Shardless Agent
1x Shrieking Drake
1x Soul of the Harvest
1x Sphinx of Uthuun
1x Stratus Dancer
1x Sylvok Replica
1x Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1x Trophy Mage
1x Trygon Predator
1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1x Venser, Shaper Savant
1x Vesuvan Shapeshifter
1x Voidmage Husher
1x Zealous Conscripts
1x Defense of the Heart
1x Earthcraft
1x Rhystic Study
1x Survival of the Fittest
1x Sylvan Library
Artifact (2)
1x Birthing Pod
1x Cloudstone Curio
Instant (1)
1x Chord of Calling
Sorcery (1)
1x Green Sun's Zenith
Planeswalker (1)
1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Land (36)
1x Ancient Tomb
1x Ancient Ziggurat
1x Breeding Pool
1x Cascade Bluffs
1x Cinder Glade
1x Command Tower
1x Fire-Lit Thicket
1x Flooded Grove
1x Forbidden Orchard
3x Forest
1x Gaea's Cradle
1x Hinterland Harbor
4x Island
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Lumbering Falls
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Mosswort Bridge
1x Mountain
1x Raging Ravine
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Rootbound Crag
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Steam Vents
1x Stomping Ground
1x Sulfur Falls
1x Taiga
1x Tropical Island
1x Volcanic Island
1x Winding Canyons
1x Wooded Foothills
GWUBAtraxa and Her Superfriends
WUB Oloro, the Life Drain Train
URG Animar, Soul of Elements
WBR Kaalia of the Vast
BWTeysa Karlov, Scion of Orzhov
R Purphoros, Goblins of Pain ($100 Budget Challenge)
U Talrand, Fun Police (Needs updating)
How often does Trygon Predator make a difference with it's ability?
How often do you get to activate Jace, the Mind Sculptor more than once?
Those would be among the first cards I'd consider cutting if you want to make room for Walking Ballista and other card draw effects.
All good points. I think right now, I'm going to go try:
- Trygon Predator + Walking Ballista
- Jace, The Mind Sculptor + Jace Beleren
- Kessig Wolf Run + Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
- Rhystic Study + Slithermuse (or Sandstone Oracle)
And, potentially:
- Pestermite + Prime Speaker Zegana
Although I like having Pestermite, Deceiver Exarch, Zealous Conscripts, and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker all available. We'll see.
GWUBAtraxa and Her Superfriends
WUB Oloro, the Life Drain Train
URG Animar, Soul of Elements
WBR Kaalia of the Vast
BWTeysa Karlov, Scion of Orzhov
R Purphoros, Goblins of Pain ($100 Budget Challenge)
U Talrand, Fun Police (Needs updating)
Rishkar, Peema Renegade might replace Beastcaller Savant. You give up being able to turn green into another colour mana, but probably net more green mana and because you can add counters to creatures without summoning sickness, it has similar utility. It's nice that it can throw +1/+1 counters onto Animar for a bit of a boost too.
Trophy Mage could take the place of Sage of Fables. I'm not completely happy with this choice, since +1/+1 utility is reduced and we lose the Glen Elendra Archmage synergy too, but at one level you're replacing a random draw engine with Cloudstone Curio, so it might be good enough. Could also consider cutting Woodland Bellower instead of Sage of Fables?
Walking Ballista is a win condition, so I'd look at removing Craterhoof Behemoth or Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker for it. Otherwise maybe Evolutionary Leap if you didn't want to remove a win condition?
When replacing cards, I try to maintain existing function and utility as much as possible, but it is difficult because Animar offers so many powerful choices.
Hope this helps. Remember I'm not playing the deck at the moment, so these suggestions are made without the benefit of practical experience, only thought experiment.