MTG Salvation

Finally able to test some latest changes, recently. Protean Hulk wasn't performing as I expected. There aren't many cheap creatures in the deck to take full advantage of it. So I decided to swap it out for Growing Rites of Itlimoc. Hour of Promise and Traverse the Outlands have been amazing. Those swaps will definitely be permanent. Hour of Promise can get me any combination of epic utility lands. When I want to get ahead in mana I search for Gaea's Cradle and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. If I want to abuse Polukranos I search for Diamond Valley and Rogue's Passage. Traverse the Outlands has never failed to amaze me if I draw it early game. Having PK in play and casting it has usually been the way to go. But the most amazing play I've made with it so far is playing it after casting Craterhoof Behemoth. I ramped practically all remaining basic forests from the deck, which gave me an epic amount of landfall triggers. So far I'm really liking the latest changes since Hour of Devastation!

Hopefully I'll update the OP to reflect these latest changes. So far I've been able to update it with the Ixalan review.

Here's my review for Rivals of Ixalan:

• Azor's Gateway / Sanctum of the Sun- With so many cards that could potentially be exiled for the greater good, it's very likely to be able to transform it into Sanctum of the Sun. The amount of mana produced should be epic.
• Golden Guardian - It will definitely die if I have it fight Polukranos. Getting a land that can produce GG afterwards is definitely worth considering.
• The Immortal Sun - The deck doesn't run many planeswalkers so it's a bonus if it hoses opponents' planeswalkers. 6 is not that hard to hardcast given all the mana rocks, mana dorks, and ramp. It makes my spells cheaper, pumps my creatures, and gives me an extra draw. Definitely worth testing.

If I've left anything out, let me know!

Here's my review for Dominaria:

• Song of Freyalise - This card is ridiculous for a deck like this one that loves to ramp. I already have quite the number of mana dorks but giving every creature a mana dork ability? Amazing! And then the cherry on the sundae is the last ability of the saga. Definitely worth testing.
• Sylvan Awakening - With all the lands I get into play, giving them all those boons may give me a win on the spot if I overwhelm at least one opponent with it.
• Blackblade Reforged - Although not entirely voltron, but being able to ramp so hard and then equipping Polukranos with this means that it's quite possibly a commander damage win with one combat step.
• Forebear's Blade - Again, although this deck is not voltron, this gives Polukranos vigilance and trample, two very dangerous abilities for such a huge commander to have. Not only that, but since I'm constantly sacrificing it to reuse its monstrosity, I can equip the sword for free onto any other creature.
• Helm of the Host - This is a card that screams commander. Equipping Polukranos with this gives me a way to kind of reuse its monstrosity ability. I can simply make each a copy monstrous after the clone is made. That way I have many opportunities to consistently wipe the board. That and it can also be equipped to creatures with abilities that trigger when they enter the battlefield. Definitely a card I want to try out!

Here's my review for Battlebond:

• Bramble Sovereign - Being able to copy creatures like mana dorks, Craterhoof Behemoth, Eternal Witness, Riftsweeper, etc. really makes this creature worth considering for the deck.

Here's my review for Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling:

• Jiang Yanggu - Jiang is not a terribly bad planeswalker. If this deck were more casual then he could definitely find a spot in it since all his abilities would be relevant. The deck ramps hard so his ultimate means that I can potentially one-shot an opponent with Polukranos. His +1 gives a slight buff and makes PK a 3-turn clock. His -1 ability isn't really all that good since the deck isn't so creature heavy. But at least he can defend himself by making a token if someone were to wrath the board.

Here's my review for Core Set 2019:

• Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma - Can reduce PK's commander tax by 2 (and it's normal casting cost, as well). Not only that, but if I attack with it and PK, it gets +1/+1 and trample, which is important for getting that commander damage through.
• Colossal Majesty - There are better cards for drawing during upkeep, but it's inconspicuous enough to not attract removal.
• Talons of Wildwood - It gives +1/+1 and trample to PK plus it can be recoverable. It's a strictly worse Rancor but you can recover it at any time.
• Vivien Reid - All abilities are relevant and the ultimate is great for this deck.
• Vivien of the Arkbow - All abilities are relevant although she is naturally more underpowered in comparison to her main version.

Sorry for the delay; here's my review for Commander 2018:

• Genesis Storm - With the amount of times we're recasting Polukranos from the command zone this spell can be pretty brutal in the mid to late game. That being said, with all the mana this deck produces, it's inferior to other better spells being played like Genesis Wave.
• Myth Unbound - Definitely worth considering since Polukranos is being recast multiple times from the command zone. This enchantment basically halves the commander tax.
• Endless Atlas - Running a mono-colored commander deck means undoubtedly having large amounts of basic lands in the deck - this one being no exception. 2 for drawing a card on a 2-costed artifact is definitely worth considering.
• Geode Golem - Not entirely sold on this creature since Polukranos isn't that expensive to cast. When you have to spend 10 on commander tax, slotting Geode Golem in the deck to save 2GG isn't really that groundbreaking. Now, if your commander was way more expensive then I can see it being useful.

Here's my review for Guilds of Ravnica:

• Beast Whisperer - Given how creature heavy this deck is (plus how many times Polukranos is cast from the command zone), it will definitely pull its weight with how many cards I could be drawing. A definite improvement on Lifecrafter's Bestiary.
• Circuitous Route - Similar to Ranger's Path and the like, it can only look for basic lands (all of which are forests anyways) and unless any relevant gates are made that can be run here, the gate choice is inconsequential.

Here's my review for Ravnica Allegiance:

• End-Raze Forerunners - A quasi Craterhoof Behemoth? Definitely worth testing. Especially since it gives my creatures vigilance as well as trample. So although it only gives +2/+2 and not +X/+X, I'm not at a disadvantage if I attack with everything. And I can always bounce it with Temur Sabertooth and recast it next turn.
• Guardian Project - Although I don't run cards like Beast Whisperer, Primordial Sage, or Zendikar Resurgent, this enchantment would have the same ability here only better since the ability doesn't trigger upon casting but entering the battlefield. I've yet to decide which (if any) of these kinds of cards I would add to the deck, but there's a high likelihood that this one might be it - or at least try to find a slot to test it.
• Incubation Druid - I got a bunch of mana dorks in this deck and this one would potentially give either GGG or . It's cheaper to cast than cards like Fyndhorn Elder which would only give two mana instead of the possible three with Incubation Druid. With cards like Oran-Rief, the Vastwood it's easy to have it enter the battlefield with the +1/+1 counter. Counting that as a land for its casting cost, I'm basically paying the same for it as Fyndhorn Elder and getting more mana on a better body. So it's definitely worth testing.
• Wilderness Reclamation - I already run Seedborn Muse but this could be a budget alternative or a good addition for redundancy. I could tap out during my turn and then have mana available again afterwards if I need to activate cards like Temur Sabertooth or Polukranos at instant speed before my turn comes up again.

I actually think this common from Wark of the Spark Band Together could be a mono-green staple. It just seems to be a three mana creature removal card at instant speed. The fact that it's not one of those "fight" cards, means that you are free to select the greatest powers from among your creatures, without recourse.

Obviously better with a commander with a good power to casting cost ratio, so Polukranos is perfect.

But in a color with very little creature removal, I think Band Together is going to be an underplayed option for commander decks, but actually is going to be straight up removal in a lot of games.

Quote from darrenhabib »

I actually think this common from Wark of the Spark Band Together could be a mono-green staple. It just seems to be a three mana creature removal card at instant speed. The fact that it's not one of those "fight" cards, means that you are free to select the greatest powers from among your creatures, without recourse.

Obviously better with a commander with a good power to casting cost ratio, so Polukranos is perfect.

But in a color with very little creature removal, I think Band Together is going to be an underplayed option for commander decks, but actually is going to be straight up removal in a lot of games.

I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. I tend to wait 'til the entire spoilers are revealed to review the entire set. And, as you said, getting rid of two creatures for just 2G at instant speed with no relative drawback is amazing. I can also see this with Grothama, All-Devouring. If you have two fatties deal a lot of damage to it, it's an epic draw spell for just 2G.

Here's my review for War of the Spark:

• Arboreal Grazer - Seems like a solid include for the Budget Build since it can help me get 2 lands on T1.
• Band Together - A great instant-speed removal spell in monoG. If I had creatures with deathtouch or fatties in play, I could easily get rid of another creature.
• Finale of Devastation - Not only does it work as a tutor but a reanimate as well. Not only that, but it's not uncommon to easily produce 12 mana with this deck. I can tutor or resurrect a key creature (maybe Craterhoof Behemoth) and then give my horde +10/+10. Definitely worth considering.
• Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter - A heavier-costed Cryptolith Rite with hoops to jump through that can be targeted by direct damage and attacked with creatures. I don't know if it's worth considering...
• Nissa, Who Shakes the World - She's practically a mana-doubler in this deck with all the basic forests (and Dryad Arbor). She also animates a land and gives it some considerable buffs. And her ultimate is just brutal.
• Storm the Citadel - I like that it pumps my creatures and gives me the potential of destroying a considerable amount of artifacts and/or enchantments.

Here's my review for Modern Horizons:

• Llanowar Tribe - Costs the same as cards like Fyndhorn Elder and the like but taps for one more mana total. Definitely will replace one of those.

Here're the latest changes to the deck after some testing from the previous sets:


Llanowar Tribe costs the same as Fyndhorn Elder and gives one more G. There's really no difference between 2G and GGG in monoG so the swap is practically a strict upgrade. Vivien Reid gets me quick access to any key creatures or lands from the top of deck, has a solid removal ability, and as a bonus that emblem is simply brutally oppressive in this kind of deck. Nissa, Who Shakes the World is basically a no-brainer on her static ability alone. The /+1\ is a bit dangerous in multiplayer because of wraths and creature removal, but with the excessive land ramp this deck does, it might be okay in some instances. The ultimate is crazy in monoG. All those landfall triggers are epic. I removed Diamond Valley because, although this is how I run it in Cockatrice, there is no way I could ever afford that card short of winning the lottery. And if I did, having it in a deck where I'm shuffling, etc. puts it in a position to get damaged. So I got realistic and eliminated it from my deck (in real life, at least). I will edit the primer to reflect this but I will still mention it as a great card for the deck (because it is).

I'm still figuring out if it's worth it to include Band Together in this deck. I have no problems with creature removal because I have mass creature removal in the command zone. Granting deathtouch to Polukranos already makes opponents weary enough as it is to cast creatures. If I ran Green Sun's Zenith then I'd definitely run Finale of Devastation in its place.

I'm trying to find space for Force of Vigor and Evolution Sage but I can't really seem to bring my brain around what to cut. I'm really liking how the deck works but I'd like to have more reactive cards and I want to take more advantage of all the landfall in the deck.

Here's my review for Core Set 2020:

• Shared Summons - End of turn tutor for a 2-creature combo? Definitely worth testing!
• Leyline of Abundance - Makes my mana dorks produce an additional G which is nothing to scoff at in this deck. Plus, it's a great mana sink to make my creatures even bigger - especially Polukranos.

Not really on topic with this deck thread, but I saw the title and I had to ask if it was a nod to Ryback's WWE career?

If you follow, then you know what the reference entails.

Quote from 3drinks »

Not really on topic with this deck thread, but I saw the title and I had to ask if it was a nod to Ryback's WWE career?

If you follow, then you know what the reference entails.

Lol, that's exactly correct. Ryback was on top of his game when I conjured up this spicy brew.

Quote from DementedKirby »

Quote from 3drinks »

Not really on topic with this deck thread, but I saw the title and I had to ask if it was a nod to Ryback's WWE career?

If you follow, then you know what the reference entails.

Lol, that's exactly correct. Ryback was on top of his game when I conjured up this spicy brew.

Ohmygod. I don't do G anymore, but if I did, I'd have to use this just because of that right there.

With Paradox Engine being banned, it had to be removed from the deck. This is not a big deal since the deck didn't depend on Paradox Engine to win; it simply won the moment it entered the battlefield - just like many other decks it was included in. I swapped it out for Thousand-Year Elixir to at least be able to use mana dorks much more quickly. I feel this is a fair exchange.

EDIT:
Actually, I think Leyline of Abundance might be a better replacement for Paradox Engine in the deck. It makes mana dorks produce even more mana and it also functions as a mana sink.

Here's my review for Commander 2019:

• Sanctum of Eternity - Great way to reset monstrosity. It's a Temur Sabertooth effect on a land, which is great since it doesn't really take up a slot in the deck.
• Empowered Autogenerator - With Seedborn Muse in play I could potentially be adding a counter on this every turn. It'll definitely produce quite a lot of mana. Definitely worth testing.

Would creatures with deathtouch kill Polukranos when he uses his monstrous ability?

Quote from TheInsaneBeaker »

Would creatures with deathtouch kill Polukranos when he uses his monstrous ability?

Unfortunately yes since any damage dealt by a creature with deathtouch is enough to kill the other creature - it doesn't have to be combat damage.

Just posted a deck tech video on the current version I have for those interested in a more audiovisual explanation of the ins and outs of the deck - particularly a 100-card description. The written primer is still a way more indepth explanation of how to run the deck, but at least the video might give a quick summary to those who might be slightly interested in building Polukranos. You can find the video here.

Here's my review for Throne of Eldraine:

• Return of the Wildspeaker - Considering how huge PK can get, this card is definitely worth including. For instant speed we're able to draw a ton of cards at the end of the turn before ours.
• Steelbane Hydra - With all the mana the deck produces this can enter the battlefield pretty huge. Additionally, it can have enough +1/+1 counters on it in order to snipe any problematic artifacts or enchantments.
• The Great Henge - With just Polukranos out, this costs 2GG. However, if PK had any +1/+1 counters on it, then it'll more than likely just cost GG. Not only is this a mana rock, but it gains us 2 life also when tapping for that mana. The best part is that when a nontoken creature enters the battlefield, it gets a +1/+1 counter and we draw a card. Definitely worth considering.
• Witch's Oven - It costs no mana to activate and only 1 to cast. Not only could it be a reliable way to sacrifice Polukranos for the recasting, but it'll give you 2 food tokens everytime you do.