I have created this deck to be as competitive as possible in a multiplayer environment. This deck is even more competitive in a 1v1 environment but I only play multiplayer and it has won me tournaments.
Personal BIO:
I have been playing commander for about 2 years now and have spent a good 6-8 months working on and playtesting this deck. I have a passion for tribal synergies and flavor. In modern I play Merfolk and affinity(artifacts), and in commander I play, you guessed it ELVES I consider myself a pretty competitive player, but still have lots to learn and am always open to suggestions and criticism.
You might like this deck if:
You like to win
You like to win in multiple ways
You like to smash face with lots of creatures
You like to have people gang up on you and still win
You like to make people mad at you because they can't do anything to stop you
YOU LOVE ELVES
You might not like this deck if:
You enjoy losing
you don't want people to get frusterated
you aren't okay with losing sometimes to board wipes and control
You don't like to win early
You like games to last an hour
You don't like green
You don't like elves -
Other possible Commanders and why they aren't as good
Yeva, Nature's Herald - she just doesn't offer any pump. Sure she lets you cast all you elves at instant speed but this really doesn't mean much unless you have a seedborn muse in play. She doesn't offer the same amount of win cons as Ezuri, and can't even protect your elves.
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa - doesn't offer the same tribal feel. He also can't protect your elves but can deter your opponents from board wiping because you can turn their lands into creatures, which is a good ability to have. He also pumps all your green creatures not just the elves. All that aside though I feel the biggest downfall is his mana cost. He costs six to cast as opposed to ezuri's 3. This is a huge difference especially if he gets removed once or twice. For elf tribal Ezuri definitely wins out.
Omnath, Locus of Mana is an amazing general and the only other green general that I would consider playing besides ezuri. In my matchups with most omnath decks my record would probably be 10 wins 10 losses or slighty above 500. The decks are very eevenly matched and win in very different ways. In saying that when playing multiplayer Omnath draws alll the hate and usually gets targeted with removal and board wipes. That's why if I am playing against omnath I always play very lightly until someone drops a wipe and then I go nuts usually making infinite mana the next turn and swinging in for the kills.
There are other choices but those are the main mono green choices and as you can see they all bow down to Ezuri!
Combos:
This is an infinite mana combo combine Staff of Domination or Umbral mantle with any elf that makes more than three mana(more than four for staff) to make infinite mana and cast genesis wave for your whole deck (or just draw your whole deck with staff gain infinite life tapp all your opponenets creatures and untap all of yours :):) make sure everyone is tapped out or close before trying to pull this off! A safer way would just be to pump all the guys you have and win there is usually no need to cast genesis wave it's a pretty goodstuff card but I like it and it will always be included. Note that I included helix pinacle as a win con with this combo and it has won me games.
Different cards I chose that aren't on most lists and why:
Helix Pinnacle as mentioned earlier is a card that you see often in Omnath decks but I included here because we tend to make even more mana than omnath decks and I also included him in this deck!
Triumph of the Hordes is another card that single handedly wins games. I've won games with this on turn for and later. Infect is always a good and unexpected win con.
hall of gemstone to me this was a no brainer. This card does so much against pretty much every other deck. My meta is made up of 80% multicoloured decks. This sets them back a lot and doesn't bother us a bit.
burgeoning a cheaper alternative to exploration and is just as good in a multiplayer format and many times better.
Don't get too caught up in elf flavor or you might miss out on this gem that came out in Theros Karametra's Acolyte is an all star and creates sooooo much mana she is a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
on a stick, but better!
Glistener Elf he usually isn't noticed until you swing in with him for ten and say "I won" and they say "No I'm at 30" and then you reply with a smirk "Infect". Best feeling ever.
Staff of domination = so much awesome. Has won me several games. A player made me actually tap and untap it and do the mana counting for 30 minutes even though I showed that I knew how it worked, I'm not sure if I had to do it or if I could have told him to screw off but I did it anyways.
The main strategy is to overrun your opponents and win. This is done mainly with Ezuri, Renegade Leader, but can be accomplished without him as I have won many games when he has been tucked with Triumph of the hordes, and helix pinnacle. I have also recently aquired kamahl, fist of krosa who can act as a secondary ezuri while also pumping non elf creatures and prtoecting from board wipes(ie.He can turn your opponents lands into 1/1s - no more black sun's zenith wiping your board with him out(with mana up)).
Try to win as fast as possible. People will tend to underestimate Ezuri and just say oh he/she is playing elves that's kool and attention is usually drawn to the much hated tier 1 general at the table ehem omnath, locus of mana . I have beat three players by turn 5 easily and consistently win at 8 or had the ability to win by 8 but something unfortunate happened.
A very viable option for removal is Karn Liberated a card that I think could work well if he sticks. He could be put in at the expense of Terastodon.
Cards that other Ezuri builds run that I don't and why:
token makers such as gilt-leaf ambush. These cards IMO are wasted spots. You should have enough guys just based on your creature count and with cards like Lys Alana Huntmaster and Imperious Perfect you should be able to create lots of tokens anyway.
skullclamp - this is a card that I thought long and hard about taking out. It is a great way to draw cards but it is a card that I found I used to loosely and often killed to many of my guys. This deck is all about pumping your elves and running in having 3 elves pumped to 10/10 is alot better than 2 pumped to 10/10.
eladamri, lord of leaves - this is really a meta card. My meta runs very little targeted removal so this card is useless. On top of that there is only one other deck that runs forests so he is just meh since he doesn't pump your guys. Also note that with him you can no longer target your own creatures! That is a major nono in my books and the main reason why cards like steely resolve aren't in here as well
Possible additions and cards for discussion(I want to know what you think!)
Don't keep a hand with no clear path for the first three turns. You should always have an idea for where you want to be by turn 3 from the first 7 cards. This means keeping a hand with lots of ramp and a card like sylvan library.
If you have more than three forests in your hand, mulligan.
Primal Order is currently on the maybeboard it is definitely a card. Triumph of the Hordes is already included bcause it is awesome, and I really don't likeHarmonize as much as some people because it's a one time deal. With the amount of mana we can produce in green and the amount of card draw in my meta I have decided that I will be adding Mind's eye.
I typed more than I was planning, so I tried to break this up a bit.
Maybe-cards Coat of Arms is possibly overkill but it is effective, espcially coupled with Ezuri's trample. If you need another massive anthem, go for it. I think you're probably ok with overruns.
Primal Order is not great, especially in an elf deck like this. If you were trying to grind people out over time, that would be one thing, but you're trying for fast, explosive wins. Primal Order is fairly expensive by elf standards, doesn't do anything the turn you put it down, and doesn't advance your gameplan well.
Wild Pair is a lot of fun, but it's not worth it if you're just grabbing mana elves. Keep in mind that you'll probably play out a lot of creatures while you're trying to get it into play, and it's not a good topdeck if you're out of gas.
Chord of Calling is very good. I'm not sure it's $30 good. It's obviously very versatile if you can pay into it. This pretty much boils down to your finances and how comfortable you are with a bunch. There's a non-zero chance that it gets reprinted at some point, being a pricey modern card that sees regular play.
Defense of the Heart is very much a meta call. Around here, it might get ignored for several turns because it's never going to crack anyways. In a different meta, it might be a kill on sight card that wins when it resolves. I think you're probably better just throwing Tooth and Nail in if you're after that effect, given your explosive mana capabilities.
Vigor depends on how often you see damage wraths and removal. It's not great if the only reason it's around is combat. When you swing, it's probably going to be with enormous Ezuri-elves, and you'll want to use those for their abilities before that point in most cases. Things you're running Multani, Maro-Sorcerer seems out of place. You don't have reliable ways to give him trample (unlike most of your other creatures), which means he's probably going to get chumped a lot. I'd rather have another elf that does something, but if he works for you he works for you.
Talara's Battalion seems unimpressive here. Ezuri makes everything that big, and it's not killing anyone on its own. Add in the casting restriction and I'm thoroughly turned off of it. Wren's Run Vanquisher is in a similar boat, but at least makes a decent rattlesnake. Something as simple as Elvish Visionary is only slightly less potent in an Ezuri-fueled swing, but also has a useful effect before that point at the same cost.
How has Revenge of the Hunted worked out for you? I'm wondering about Wrap in Vigor too. Most of the wraths I see don't allow for regeneration. Things you could be running
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Gaea's Cradle is omitted due to price, but it's not mentioned anywhere and I feel obligated to point it out.
You're underestimating Joraga Treespeaker. She never needs to make it past level 1 to be fantastic, and is one of the more powerful things you can do turn 1. I typically try to run her out when I get her, which isn't hard at G. Level her once the following turn, then you can immediately tap for the same amount.
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa is a solid backup to Ezuri, and you're running some non-elves that could benefit from the effect. He's solid in the deck, even if you don't want him as general.
Staff of Domination is more or less better than Umbral Mantle and Sword of the Paruns with how you're using them here. Same infi-mana, but you also tap down all of your opponents, gain infinite life, and draw your deck.
Sol Ring is a very good card, even in a green deck full of elves. It ramps you into bigger ramp, and you can always use it to pay into Ezuri.
You could use more card draw.
If you're finding yourself with Ezuri down for most of the game, Greater Good could be worth a look. Skullclamp is almost always a good call. If you found that you were playing it too loosely, that sounds like an issue with your playing, not the card. If you're planning on swinging and already have 15 mana available, don't sac guys. If you can't get a hit in or are trying to develop, being able to pay 1 and a creature to draw 2 is an incredible deal. Recycle is something of an all-in card and has the potential to bite you if you're not careful, but it can also draw you 10-15 cards in a turn sometimes. Tower of Fortunes works well with elves. It's easy to get a ton of mana, then run out of gas. Ezuri alleviates this quite a bit, but Tower is still nice. I like it more than Mind's Eye in elf decks because elves do burst mana generation well - tapping Priest of Titania to pay for a Mind's Eye trigger is frequently a bad call, but it's nice for immediate cards.
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[Pr]Jaya | Estrid | A rotating cast of decks built out of my box.
I typed more than I was planning, so I tried to break this up a bit.
Maybe-cards Coat of Arms is possibly overkill but it is effective, espcially coupled with Ezuri's trample. If you need another massive anthem, go for it. I think you're probably ok with overruns.
Primal Order is not great, especially in an elf deck like this. If you were trying to grind people out over time, that would be one thing, but you're trying for fast, explosive wins. Primal Order is fairly expensive by elf standards, doesn't do anything the turn you put it down, and doesn't advance your gameplan well.
Wild Pair is a lot of fun, but it's not worth it if you're just grabbing mana elves. Keep in mind that you'll probably play out a lot of creatures while you're trying to get it into play, and it's not a good topdeck if you're out of gas.
Chord of Calling is very good. I'm not sure it's $30 good. It's obviously very versatile if you can pay into it. This pretty much boils down to your finances and how comfortable you are with a bunch. There's a non-zero chance that it gets reprinted at some point, being a pricey modern card that sees regular play.
Defense of the Heart is very much a meta call. Around here, it might get ignored for several turns because it's never going to crack anyways. In a different meta, it might be a kill on sight card that wins when it resolves. I think you're probably better just throwing Tooth and Nail in if you're after that effect, given your explosive mana capabilities.
Vigor depends on how often you see damage wraths and removal. It's not great if the only reason it's around is combat. When you swing, it's probably going to be with enormous Ezuri-elves, and you'll want to use those for their abilities before that point in most cases. Things you're running Multani, Maro-Sorcerer seems out of place. You don't have reliable ways to give him trample (unlike most of your other creatures), which means he's probably going to get chumped a lot. I'd rather have another elf that does something, but if he works for you he works for you.
Talara's Battalion seems unimpressive here. Ezuri makes everything that big, and it's not killing anyone on its own. Add in the casting restriction and I'm thoroughly turned off of it. Wren's Run Vanquisher is in a similar boat, but at least makes a decent rattlesnake. Something as simple as Elvish Visionary is only slightly less potent in an Ezuri-fueled swing, but also has a useful effect before that point at the same cost.
How has Revenge of the Hunted worked out for you? I'm wondering about Wrap in Vigor too. Most of the wraths I see don't allow for regeneration. Things you could be running
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Gaea's Cradle is omitted due to price, but it's not mentioned anywhere and I feel obligated to point it out.
You're underestimating Joraga Treespeaker. She never needs to make it past level 1 to be fantastic, and is one of the more powerful things you can do turn 1. I typically try to run her out when I get her, which isn't hard at G. Level her once the following turn, then you can immediately tap for the same amount.
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa is a solid backup to Ezuri, and you're running some non-elves that could benefit from the effect. He's solid in the deck, even if you don't want him as general.
Staff of Domination is more or less better than Umbral Mantle and Sword of the Paruns with how you're using them here. Same infi-mana, but you also tap down all of your opponents, gain infinite life, and draw your deck.
Sol Ring is a very good card, even in a green deck full of elves. It ramps you into bigger ramp, and you can always use it to pay into Ezuri.
You could use more card draw.
If you're finding yourself with Ezuri down for most of the game, Greater Good could be worth a look. Skullclamp is almost always a good call. If you found that you were playing it too loosely, that sounds like an issue with your playing, not the card. If you're planning on swinging and already have 15 mana available, don't sac guys. If you can't get a hit in or are trying to develop, being able to pay 1 and a creature to draw 2 is an incredible deal. Recycle is something of an all-in card and has the potential to bite you if you're not careful, but it can also draw you 10-15 cards in a turn sometimes. Tower of Fortunes works well with elves. It's easy to get a ton of mana, then run out of gas. Ezuri alleviates this quite a bit, but Tower is still nice. I like it more than Mind's Eye in elf decks because elves do burst mana generation well - tapping Priest of Titania to pay for a Mind's Eye trigger is frequently a bad call, but it's nice for immediate cards.
Hey thanks for all the suggestions and tips found a lot of great advice! A couple of main points:
In regards to Gaea's Cradle - yes unfortunately I was not playing when this card came out and nor do I feel the necessity to fork out 150 bucks for it since most times it is less useful than Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
I picked up a Coat of arms today and may try it out I'll write back after some play testing about it's effectiveness.
Revenge of the hunted let's all your guys get through and if taunting elf isn't available it's your next best bet and it's miracle cost is only G and goes up but the 6CMC still isn't bad for an effect that basically says you die. Really important if Ezuri is tucked and creatures don't have trample.
Talara's Battalion is a card that just survives -2/-2 wrath's which is why I like her mostly and is a beefier body which is hard to find with elves. I do agree with you though and she is definitely a card that can be switched out, although I really don't like Elvish Visionary she feels like a really wasted card slot that one card really doesn't do much in many cases, but she can be good depending.
Multani, Maro-Sorcerer is in here currently as a, oh you wrathed everything including your creatures ok I'll land him and then still kill you. This card is also one that can be switched out and I picked up a kozilek, butcher of truth and I want to try him out instead.
Staff of Domination is a card that I picked up today as well I can't wait to try it although it does require a bit more mana to use than Umbral Mantle and Sword of the Paruns and is more well known so tends to get blown up, I'm not sure what to take out for it I don't want to take out Umbral Mantle or Sword of the Paruns because I'd like to increase the likelyhood of infinite mana but I may just take out Sword of the Paruns the lesser of those two.
Sol Ring is just a card that I find really unecessary to be honest and holds a spot where staff or burgeoning could be.
skullclamp I really don't like saccing my creatures in a deck that plans on winning early every creature counts. I am thinking about adding a Sensei's Divining Top which I picked up today but I am not 100% sure yet.
Tower of Fortunes is a card that I may look into as well and test out before a tournament.
Thanks for the input much appreciated lots of great ideas taken!
Made some new changes to the deck will do some solitaire soon and will be testing in a tournament this sunday. Let me know what you think I will add a detailed reasoning of why I cut those cards and why I added them in the OP.
January 3rd 2014 changes:
Cards That are out: elvish piper, platinum emperion, omnath, locus of mana, coat of arms
Cards that are in: Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, tooth and nail, chord of calling
I really want to get some thoughts on Melira, Sylvok Outcast she would be an auto include if she was an elf but she does synergize with Cauldron of Souls and protects from the cycling of Decree of Pain I believe, if I understand the ruling right. Also would like thoughts on Rings of Brighthearth plus ezuri's pump ability so basically you could pump twice for 7 am I correct? I think that would be quite effective, because you could pump 4 times for 14 instead of 20 and it only gets crazier form there.
I really want to get some thoughts on Melira, Sylvok Outcast she would be an auto include if she was an elf but she does synergize with Cauldron of Souls and protects from the cycling of Decree of Pain I believe, if I understand the ruling right. Also would like thoughts on Rings of Brighthearth plus ezuri's pump ability so basically you could pump twice for 7 am I correct? I think that would be quite effective, because you could pump 4 times for 14 instead of 20 and it only gets crazier form there.
I've looked at your list and have a similar list. I like what you have going on. I think omitting Skullclamp is a mistake, there are too many elves that become useless late game where the card advantage is obviously worth it.
Adaptive Automaton is cool if you are really into the anthem effects, but I find them to be unnecessary and win more for the most part. I'm not sure about Vernal Bloom because it can help your opponents.
I don't like Multani, Maro-Sorcerer, you have no way to give him trample or flying, so he's just a big stick that will get chumped, he's also not an elf. Soul of the Harvest is a much better 6 drop.
I've looked at your list and have a similar list. I like what you have going on. I think omitting Skullclamp is a mistake, there are too many elves that become useless late game where the card advantage is obviously worth it.
Adaptive Automaton is cool if you are really into the anthem effects, but I find them to be unnecessary and win more for the most part. I'm not sure about Vernal Bloom because it can help your opponents.
I don't like Multani, Maro-Sorcerer, you have no way to give him trample or flying, so he's just a big stick that will get chumped, he's also not an elf. Soul of the Harvest is a much better 6 drop.
Thanks for the reply, I cut Multani, Maro-Sorcerer for those reasons even though now with kamahl fist of krosa I could give him trample pump. Soul of the Harvest is a card that I looked at but is dependant upon creatures coming onto the battlefield which may not happen. As per Skullclamp I don't think there is ever a situation in which my elves become irrelevant. Having 6 elves pumped 4 times deals more damage than 5 elves pumped 4. Sylvan Primordial isn't as flexible as Terastodon because I can't choose more than one of one persons permanents to destroy but getting forests is nice. I will try it out this Sunday and see what I think.
Had some extra cash picked up a couple cards including argothian elder, sylvan primordial, and elvish promenade. Going to tyry them out see how it goes and get back to everyone. If anyone has any instant thoughts on these cards lemme know. But here are my main reasons for thinking about these cards - argothian elder = infinite mana with the right lands and some doubling effects + staff of domination or umbra mantle, elvish promenade adds for alot more overrun plus I have been reconsidering slate of ancestry so this card helps there. sylvan primordial will probably be replacing terastodon and I accidentley got joiner adept instead of viridian joiner so I am going to pick up viridian joiner before the tournament tomorrow and test him out. He taps for infinite mana once you pay to untap him once with mantle.
A tournament update went 6-1 and won the tournament tonight. This deck is becoming very finely tuned I've made some changes and I will post them tomorrow after I rest after a long tournament. Main additions though are Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre and elvish promenade.
How up to date is your current list? I have been set on doing Ezuri for my next EDH deck and doing lots of research and looking at lists etc and I am digging this list and want to give it a whirl, what would you suggest to use instead of the Eldrazi until I can get them?
Thanks and awesome list!
How up to date is your current list? I have been set on doing Ezuri for my next EDH deck and doing lots of research and looking at lists etc and I am digging this list and want to give it a whirl, what would you suggest to use instead of the Eldrazi until I can get them?
Thanks and awesome list!
Sorry for the late reply didn't see this until now. As far as beaters you could put something like Multani, Maro Sorcerer and platinum emperion two cards that are fun to play with and can be good.
Multani is rediculous if you land a kamahl with it or a triumph of the hordes I took him out for the eldrazi based on utility but he's relatively cheap and is fun to drop. Also cards like Phyrexian Hydra are fun if you have kamahl once again I don't feel there are any other elves that are worth mentioning in this deck because I have the best ones and others got cut for one reason or another.
This list is as up to date as last week when I won a tournament with the deck.
Are there any updates for this deck at all? I'm fairly interested in making it but would like to know if you're still playtesting it and making it better.
I have created this deck to be as competitive as possible in a multiplayer environment. This deck is even more competitive in a 1v1 environment but I only play multiplayer and it has won me tournaments.
Personal BIO:
I have been playing commander for about 2 years now and have spent a good 6-8 months working on and playtesting this deck. I have a passion for tribal synergies and flavor. In modern I play Merfolk and affinity(artifacts), and in commander I play, you guessed it ELVES
You might like this deck if:
You might not like this deck if:
Other possible Commanders and why they aren't as good
Combos:
Different cards I chose that aren't on most lists and why:
So now time for the decklist:
By Card Type:
1x Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Creature (36)
1xMelira, Sylvok Outcast
1x Arbor Elf
1x Bellowing Tanglewurm
1x Chameleon Colossus
1x Devoted Druid
1x Elvish Archdruid
1x Elvish Champion
1x Elvish Harbinger
1x Elvish Mystic
1x Fauna Shaman
1x Fierce Empath
1x Fyndhorn Elves
1x Gaea's Herald
1x Glistener Elf
1x Heritage Druid
1x Imperious Perfect
1x Jagged-Scar Archers
1x Joraga Warcaller
1x Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
1x Karametra's Acolyte
1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1x Llanowar Elves
1x Lys Alana Huntmaster
1x Oracle of Mul Daya
1x Priest of Titania
1x Quirion Ranger
1x Regal Force
1x Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1x Seeker of Skybreak
1x Skyshroud Poacher
1x Taunting Elf
1x Viridian Zealot
1x Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
1x Wirewood Channeler
1x Wirewood Symbiote
1x Wood Elves
1x viridian joiner
1x Asceticism
1x Burgeoning
1x Concordant Crossroads
1x Elvish Guidance
1x Hall of Gemstone
1x Instill Energy
1x Mana Reflection
1x Sylvan Library
1x Vernal Bloom
Artifact (10)
1x Akroma's Memorial
1x Caged Sun
1x Cauldron of Souls
1x Doubling Cube
1x Gauntlet of Power
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Staff of Domination
1x Thousand-Year Elixir
1x Umbral Mantle
Sorcery (6)
1x Creeping Renaissance
1x Genesis Wave
1x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Praetor's Counsel
1x Tooth and Nail
1x Triumph of the Hordes
1x Elvish Promenade
29x Forest
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
1x Wirewood Lodge
Instant (3)
1x Beast Within
1x Chord of Calling
1x Worldly Tutor
Planeswalker (1)
1x Garruk Wildspeaker
Deck by Utility:
1x Devoted Druid
1x Elvish Archdruid
1x Elvish Mystic
1x Fyndhorn Elves
1x Heritage Druid
1x Karametra's Acolyte
1x Llanowar Elves
1x Priest of Titania
1x Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1x Wirewood Channeler
1x Joraga treespealker
Fetch(lands):
1x Wood Elves
Fetch(creatures):
1x Elvish Harbinger
1x tooth and nail
1x chord of calling
1x Fauna Shaman
1x Worldly Tutor
1x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Fierce Empath
1x Skyshroud Poacher
Ramp(play more forests or increase their production):
1x Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
1x Oracle of Mul Daya
1x Elvish Guidance
1x burgeoning
1x Mana Reflection
1x Vernal Bloom
1x Caged Sun
1x Cauldron of Souls
1x Gauntlet of Power
1x doubling cube
1x Arbor Elf
1x Quirion Ranger
1x Seeker of Skybreak
1x Wirewood Symbiote
1x Instill Energy
1x Staff of domination
1x Umbral Mantle
1x Garruk Wildspeaker
Protection(for creatures):
1x Gaea's Herald
1x Asceticism
1x Akroma's Memorial
1x Lightning Greaves
Pump(get those elfs BIG)
1x kamahl, fist of krosa
1x Ezuri, Renegade Leader
1x Elvish Champion
1x Imperious Perfect
1x Joraga Warcaller
1x Triumph of the Horde
Beatdown(the dirty workers)
1x Chameleon Colossus
1x bellwoing tanglewurm
1x Glistener Elf
1x Jagged-Scar Archers
1x Lys Alana Huntmaster
1x mutavualt
1x kozilek, butcher of truth
1x Genesis Wave
1x Regal Force
1x Sylvan Library
1x Sensei's Divining Top
reccursion(come back to me!)
1x Praetor's Counsel
1x Creeping Renaissance
1x Cauldron of Souls
Enchantment and Artifact removal(YAY)
1x Terastodon
1x Beast Within
1x Viridian Zealot
Opponent Disruption
1x Hall of Gemstone
Alt. Win Con
1x Helix Pinnacle
Haste!
1x Concordant Crossroads
1x Thousand-Year Elixir
Strategies:
Card Options
Cards that other Ezuri builds run that I don't and why:
Possible additions and cards for discussion(I want to know what you think!)
Mulligan and keep rules for an Ezuri deck
Changelog
I'd consider running Triumph of the Hordes also along with more card draw like Staff of Nin and Harmonize.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Primal Order is currently on the maybeboard it is definitely a card. Triumph of the Hordes is already included bcause it is awesome, and I really don't likeHarmonize as much as some people because it's a one time deal. With the amount of mana we can produce in green and the amount of card draw in my meta I have decided that I will be adding Mind's eye.
Maybe-cards
Coat of Arms is possibly overkill but it is effective, espcially coupled with Ezuri's trample. If you need another massive anthem, go for it. I think you're probably ok with overruns.
Primal Order is not great, especially in an elf deck like this. If you were trying to grind people out over time, that would be one thing, but you're trying for fast, explosive wins. Primal Order is fairly expensive by elf standards, doesn't do anything the turn you put it down, and doesn't advance your gameplan well.
Wild Pair is a lot of fun, but it's not worth it if you're just grabbing mana elves. Keep in mind that you'll probably play out a lot of creatures while you're trying to get it into play, and it's not a good topdeck if you're out of gas.
Chord of Calling is very good. I'm not sure it's $30 good. It's obviously very versatile if you can pay into it. This pretty much boils down to your finances and how comfortable you are with a bunch. There's a non-zero chance that it gets reprinted at some point, being a pricey modern card that sees regular play.
Defense of the Heart is very much a meta call. Around here, it might get ignored for several turns because it's never going to crack anyways. In a different meta, it might be a kill on sight card that wins when it resolves. I think you're probably better just throwing Tooth and Nail in if you're after that effect, given your explosive mana capabilities.
Vigor depends on how often you see damage wraths and removal. It's not great if the only reason it's around is combat. When you swing, it's probably going to be with enormous Ezuri-elves, and you'll want to use those for their abilities before that point in most cases.
Things you're running
Multani, Maro-Sorcerer seems out of place. You don't have reliable ways to give him trample (unlike most of your other creatures), which means he's probably going to get chumped a lot. I'd rather have another elf that does something, but if he works for you he works for you.
Talara's Battalion seems unimpressive here. Ezuri makes everything that big, and it's not killing anyone on its own. Add in the casting restriction and I'm thoroughly turned off of it. Wren's Run Vanquisher is in a similar boat, but at least makes a decent rattlesnake. Something as simple as Elvish Visionary is only slightly less potent in an Ezuri-fueled swing, but also has a useful effect before that point at the same cost.
How has Revenge of the Hunted worked out for you? I'm wondering about Wrap in Vigor too. Most of the wraths I see don't allow for regeneration.
Things you could be running
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Gaea's Cradle is omitted due to price, but it's not mentioned anywhere and I feel obligated to point it out.
You're underestimating Joraga Treespeaker. She never needs to make it past level 1 to be fantastic, and is one of the more powerful things you can do turn 1. I typically try to run her out when I get her, which isn't hard at G. Level her once the following turn, then you can immediately tap for the same amount.
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa is a solid backup to Ezuri, and you're running some non-elves that could benefit from the effect. He's solid in the deck, even if you don't want him as general.
Thousand-Year Elixir gives you mana-elf-haste and another untap effect.
Staff of Domination is more or less better than Umbral Mantle and Sword of the Paruns with how you're using them here. Same infi-mana, but you also tap down all of your opponents, gain infinite life, and draw your deck.
Sol Ring is a very good card, even in a green deck full of elves. It ramps you into bigger ramp, and you can always use it to pay into Ezuri.
You could use more card draw.
If you're finding yourself with Ezuri down for most of the game, Greater Good could be worth a look.
Skullclamp is almost always a good call. If you found that you were playing it too loosely, that sounds like an issue with your playing, not the card. If you're planning on swinging and already have 15 mana available, don't sac guys. If you can't get a hit in or are trying to develop, being able to pay 1 and a creature to draw 2 is an incredible deal.
Recycle is something of an all-in card and has the potential to bite you if you're not careful, but it can also draw you 10-15 cards in a turn sometimes.
Tower of Fortunes works well with elves. It's easy to get a ton of mana, then run out of gas. Ezuri alleviates this quite a bit, but Tower is still nice. I like it more than Mind's Eye in elf decks because elves do burst mana generation well - tapping Priest of Titania to pay for a Mind's Eye trigger is frequently a bad call, but it's nice for immediate cards.
Hey thanks for all the suggestions and tips found a lot of great advice! A couple of main points:
Thanks for the input much appreciated lots of great ideas taken!
January 3rd 2014 changes:
Cards That are out: elvish piper, platinum emperion, omnath, locus of mana, coat of arms
Cards that are in: Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, tooth and nail, chord of calling
Melira only works for counters, like Black Sun's Zenith.
Adaptive Automaton is cool if you are really into the anthem effects, but I find them to be unnecessary and win more for the most part. I'm not sure about Vernal Bloom because it can help your opponents.
Sylvan Primordial is better than Terastodon almost always.
I don't like Multani, Maro-Sorcerer, you have no way to give him trample or flying, so he's just a big stick that will get chumped, he's also not an elf. Soul of the Harvest is a much better 6 drop.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Thanks for the reply, I cut Multani, Maro-Sorcerer for those reasons even though now with kamahl fist of krosa I could give him trample pump. Soul of the Harvest is a card that I looked at but is dependant upon creatures coming onto the battlefield which may not happen. As per Skullclamp I don't think there is ever a situation in which my elves become irrelevant. Having 6 elves pumped 4 times deals more damage than 5 elves pumped 4. Sylvan Primordial isn't as flexible as Terastodon because I can't choose more than one of one persons permanents to destroy but getting forests is nice. I will try it out this Sunday and see what I think.
Thanks and awesome list!
Sorry for the late reply didn't see this until now. As far as beaters you could put something like Multani, Maro Sorcerer and platinum emperion two cards that are fun to play with and can be good.
Multani is rediculous if you land a kamahl with it or a triumph of the hordes I took him out for the eldrazi based on utility but he's relatively cheap and is fun to drop. Also cards like Phyrexian Hydra are fun if you have kamahl once again I don't feel there are any other elves that are worth mentioning in this deck because I have the best ones and others got cut for one reason or another.
This list is as up to date as last week when I won a tournament with the deck.
Hope this helps
1x Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Creatures (48)
Mana Dork (12)
1x Arbor Elf
1x Devoted Druid
1x Fyndhorn Elves
1x Heritage Druid
1x Priest of Titania
1x Llanowar Elves
1x Joraga Treespeaker
1x Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1x Elvish Mystic
1x Elvish Harbinger
1x Heart Warden
1x Wirewood Channeler
Combo-ish (6)
1x Nettle Sentinel
1x Quirion Ranger
1x Scryb Ranger
1x Wirewood Symbiote
1x Copperhorn Scout
1x Seeker of Skybreak
Lord (5)
1x Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
1x Elvish Champion
1x Imperious Perfect
1x Tajuru Preserver
1x Elvish Archdruid
Removal (4)
1x Elvish Lyrist
1x Nullmage Shepherd
1x Reclamation Sage
1x Viridian Shaman
1x Elvish Visionary
1x Regal Force
1x Sylvan Messenger
Tutor (3)
1x Fauna Shaman
1x Skyshroud Poacher
1x Wirewood Herald
Simple (12)
1x Ambush Commander
1x Dwynen's Elite
1x Elvish Vanguard
1x Essence Warden
1x Heedless One
1x Jagged-Scar Archers
1x Joraga Warcaller
1x Lys Alana Huntmaster
1x Craterhoof Behemoth
1x Timberwatch Elf
1x Wren's Run Vanquisher
1x Caller of the Claw
Ramp (3)
1x Farhaven Elf
1x Yavimaya Dryad
1x Wood Elves
Non-Creature (51)
Land (31)
1x Dryad Arbor
22x Forest
1x Gaea's Cradle
1x Hall of the Bandit Lord
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Ancient Tomb
1x Tranquil Thicket
1x Wirewood Lodge
1x Back to Nature
1x Beast Within
1x Chord of Calling
1x Summoner's Pact
1x Crop Rotation
Artifact (4)
1x Winter Orb
1x Thousand-Year Elixir
1x Staff of Domination
1x Umbral Mantle
Enchantment (3)
1x Asceticism
1x Sylvan Library
1x Elvish Guidance
Sorcery (7)
1x Elvish Promenade
1x Genesis Wave
1x Glimpse of Nature
1x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Harmonize
1x Natural Order
1x Shamanic Revelation
Planeswalker (1)
1x Garruk Wildspeaker