I think I discovered this deck summer/fall of 2017. Prophet of Kruphix was already banned and I definitely had to replace some of the pricey lands and some cards I didn't have. I think I may have initially put in Seedborn Muse but that wasn't terribly good without flash and the slot later became Splendid Reclamation since I wanted to see how well that did (still haven't cast it in this deck yet).
If you listen to BDM talk about the deck (Command Zone May 2015; Commanderin' January 2019), it's premise is that Spider Spawning is the central card — as if it would be the commander of the deck if you could have a sorcery be the commander. I really like how this deck "goes with the flow" and manages to do something productive with almost anything you end up with in your hand, and almost no tutoring or recursion. I have indeed won with spiders a couple times, but it's also fun to just make a ton of giantsquirrels.
As time has gone on, I've made a few changes to experiment with new cards of replace ones I didn't like. Genesis Hydra just never did it for me and I think eventually became a testing slot in which Journey to Eternity currently sits, having not used it yet. Joraga Treespeaker hit the field a couple times but I never leveled it, so when Stitcher's Supplier came out it seemed like a really nice 1-drop for the self-milling side. Jungle Weaver similarly did not spark joy, but Muldrotha, the Gravetide seems pretty awesome.
Underrealm Lich is currently being tested in place of Sultai Soothsayer, but there really isn't any card draw in this deck to take advantage of him. That one might end up switched back but time will tell.
The deck does have some possible weaknesses in the lack of removal or counters, possibility of graveyard getting exiled, etc. But the principle of it seems to be "keep on trucking; don't look back" and it does that pretty well if you're not emptying your hand. I may even cut back on the recursion pieces to maintain that more.
I've considered using Body Double as a form of 'recursion' for a handy creature that happened to die or be milled. This is also sortof a toolbox deck, so Prime Speaker Vannifar could be a useful value piece since the curve is pretty full — I'll need to examine what 'upgrades' are possible and if there are enough to merit more curiosity (if I were to pursue combo with her I would just build a Vannifar deck). Havengul Lich had crossed my mind, but at that point I also start getting into theft, which I don't want to do with this deck because I do it plenty in other decks. I could probably use a bit of flying.
Some deck philosophy points regarding feedback and future changes —
I'd like to maintain this in a 75% power level, if it already is.
Remember — I have to, too — that this deck is about being resilient and really wants to try to win with lots of spider/insect tokens, preferably made with Spider Spawning.
Update - 2019-04-17
Having listened to the newer podcast and seen some updates to his deck, I feel like I grok the premise of the deck better. As opposed to (or, in addition to?) some of the cards I'd mentioned before, I'll be considering some of these:
Update - 2019-04-17
Having listened to the newer podcast and seen some updates to his deck, I feel like I grok the premise of the deck better [and have updated the OP to reflect that]. As opposed to (or, in addition to?) some of the cards I'd mentioned before, I'll be considering some of these:
i ran a budget bdm deck and my version do run more artifact hate, as my meta has alot of graveyard hate.
I don't run mystical tutor but i ran jarad's order and worldly tutor...jarad's order is faster because you can search a wonder and a thunderfoot baloth.
path of discovery - can be pretty explosive if u do it at the end of the last opponent.
i think u need to run shizo at least... for more trigger
Jarad's Orders is a good suggestion (which I'd forgotten exists, honestly), but because there are noncreature cards also important to the deck I'd probably lean toward Final Parting so that I also have the possibility of dumping Wonder into the 'yard and having Spider Spawning in hand.
I'm sure I could find a cut for Shizo and try that out, but I often don't have to lean on Sidisi that much for milling. The ETB and one or two attacks are often enough to get things rolling and sometimes she's not needed as much the rest of the game. Actually, I have taken the voltron route in at least one game before, so Shizo makes that even more viable.
I made a ton of changes for testing recently. For example, I wanted to try Krosan Restorer instead of Somberwald Sage since threshold is pretty easy, and so I also added the other two Ravnica Karoo lands. Some of the other changes involve some more proactive ramp since four creatures are leaving that only put lands into my hand instead of actually ramping — I'm keeping the landcyclers since they can get the dual lands with basic subtypes like Breeding Pool.
If you have thoughts about any of these swaps, I'd like to read them.
Did quite well in a game last night even though I eventually lost. The Inalla deck was helping me mill myself and eventually played a kingmaker role, helping the Firesong and Sunspeaker deck. At one point I'd managed to make 25 spiders that were 28/29 thanks to a Nighthowler on Master Biomancer, but a Chain Reaction from F&S took care of those and set them up with > 1000 life. I wasn't about to give up, though. I might have given them a race for the win, making spiders yet again for life drain with Ishkanah as well as Kessig Cagebreakers making Essence of the Wild tokens on the attack every turn. Sadly, I misplayed a turn in which I should have retrieved DEN with Eternal Witness and flickered EW to return several key cards to set myself up way more rapidly than the line of play I actually performed. If I'd done so to recover Runic Repetition to retrieve both Spider Spawning and Memory's Journey I would have been able to avoid getting decked on the last 4 cards of my library when Inalla played Mindcrank and F&S did Earthquake for X=5.
I managed to cast Splendid Reclamation twice in that game, which raises some thoughts about another card. Without an easy way to sacrifice creatures (I almost slotted in Ashnod's Altar, but nah) I may find World Shaper's use as a second SR inconsistent, but willing to continue testing. The more attacks I get in without him getting killed the better, in general, since he mills. Possibly a good body for Nighthowler and/or Sword of the Animist if I ever slot that in.
1 Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
1 Spider Spawning
Instant (5)
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Memory's Journey
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Long-Term Plans
Creature (43)
1 Diligent Farmhand
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Hedron Crab
1 Stitcher's Supplier
1 Coiling Oracle
1 Gyre Sage
1 Riftsweeper
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Borderland Ranger
1 Civic Wayfinder
1 Eternal Witness
1 Nighthowler
1 Nyx Weaver
1 Somberwald Sage
1 Splinterfright
1 Trygon Predator
1 Wood Elves
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Yavimaya Granger
1 Brooding Saurian
1 Master Biomancer
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Wonder
1 Acidic Slime
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Sphinx of Lost Truths
1 Underrealm Lich
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Essence of the Wild
1 Muldrotha, the Gravetide
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
1 Progenitor Mimic
1 Shoreline Ranger
1 Soul of the Harvest
1 Twisted Abomination
1 Hornet Queen
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Ghoultree
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mulch
1 Tracker's Instincts
1 Runic Repetition
1 Splendid Reclamation
Artifact (1)
1 Dragon Throne of Tarkir
Enchantment (4)
1 Oversold Cemetery
1 Beastmaster Ascension
1 Journey to Eternity
1 Parallel Lives
Land (40)
1 Breeding Pool
1 Command Tower
1 Dakmor Salvage
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Flooded Grove
1 Flooded Strand
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Jungle Hollow
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Mana Confluence
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Opulent Palace
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Polluted Delta
1 River of Tears
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Temple of the False God
1 Thornwood Falls
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Yavimaya Coast
6 Forest
2 Island
3 Swamp
My initial changes revolved around replacing stuff I didn't have or couldn't run, mostly: Prophet of Kruphix, Craterhoof Behemoth, Ancient Ziggurat, Gaea's Cradle, Tropical Island, Bayou, Rupture Spire, and Underground Sea. I ended up choosing these replacements at the time, more or less: Splendid Reclamation, Dragon Throne of Tarkir (might still get a Craterhoof some day), Exotic Orchard, Forest, Yavimaya Coast, Misty Rainforest, Island, Sunken Hollow.
If you listen to BDM talk about the deck (Command Zone May 2015; Commanderin' January 2019), it's premise is that Spider Spawning is the central card — as if it would be the commander of the deck if you could have a sorcery be the commander. I really like how this deck "goes with the flow" and manages to do something productive with almost anything you end up with in your hand, and almost no tutoring or recursion. I have indeed won with spiders a couple times, but it's also fun to just make a ton of giant squirrels.
As time has gone on, I've made a few changes to experiment with new cards of replace ones I didn't like. Genesis Hydra just never did it for me and I think eventually became a testing slot in which Journey to Eternity currently sits, having not used it yet. Joraga Treespeaker hit the field a couple times but I never leveled it, so when Stitcher's Supplier came out it seemed like a really nice 1-drop for the self-milling side. Jungle Weaver similarly did not spark joy, but Muldrotha, the Gravetide seems pretty awesome.
Underrealm Lich is currently being tested in place of Sultai Soothsayer, but there really isn't any card draw in this deck to take advantage of him. That one might end up switched back but time will tell.
The deck does have some possible weaknesses in the lack of removal or counters, possibility of graveyard getting exiled, etc. But the principle of it seems to be "keep on trucking; don't look back" and it does that pretty well if you're not emptying your hand. I may even cut back on the recursion pieces to maintain that more.
I've considered using Body Double as a form of 'recursion' for a handy creature that happened to die or be milled. This is also sortof a toolbox deck, so Prime Speaker Vannifar could be a useful value piece since the curve is pretty full — I'll need to examine what 'upgrades' are possible and if there are enough to merit more curiosity (if I were to pursue combo with her I would just build a Vannifar deck). Havengul Lich had crossed my mind, but at that point I also start getting into theft, which I don't want to do with this deck because I do it plenty in other decks. I could probably use a bit of flying.
Having listened to the newer podcast and seen some updates to his deck, I feel like I grok the premise of the deck better. As opposed to (or, in addition to?) some of the cards I'd mentioned before, I'll be considering some of these:
old thread
old thread
old thread
R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko
old thread
old thread
old thread
R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko
Having listened to the newer podcast and seen some updates to his deck, I feel like I grok the premise of the deck better [and have updated the OP to reflect that]. As opposed to (or, in addition to?) some of the cards I'd mentioned before, I'll be considering some of these:
old thread
old thread
old thread
R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko
I don't run mystical tutor but i ran jarad's order and worldly tutor...jarad's order is faster because you can search a wonder and a thunderfoot baloth.
path of discovery - can be pretty explosive if u do it at the end of the last opponent.
i think u need to run shizo at least... for more trigger
But yes, I need some more removal aside from Trygon Predator. I was thinking of stuff like Caustic Caterpillar/Thrashing Brontodon, but should probably have at least one instant like Deglamer or the new Return to Nature.
Jarad's Orders is a good suggestion (which I'd forgotten exists, honestly), but because there are noncreature cards also important to the deck I'd probably lean toward Final Parting so that I also have the possibility of dumping Wonder into the 'yard and having Spider Spawning in hand.
Worldly Tutor could be good, too, especially if I plan on adding Deranged Assistant, Millikin and maybe Geier Reach Sanitarium. Could help get things like Wonder/Genesis into the 'yard, or could do some tricks with things like Soul of New Phyrexia. Or maybe I just need another copy of Entomb.
I'm sure I could find a cut for Shizo and try that out, but I often don't have to lean on Sidisi that much for milling. The ETB and one or two attacks are often enough to get things rolling and sometimes she's not needed as much the rest of the game. Actually, I have taken the voltron route in at least one game before, so Shizo makes that even more viable.
old thread
old thread
old thread
R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko
Temple of the False God
Dakmor Salvage
Deranged Hermit
Ghoultree
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Elves of Deep Shadow
Borderland Ranger
River of Tears
Gyre Sage
Yavimaya Elder
Krosan Tusker
Somberwald Sage
Solemn Simulacrum
Civic Wayfinder
Exotic Orchard
Stitcher's Supplier
Soul of the Harvest
Brutalizer Exarch
Dragon Throne of Tarkir
Golgari Rot Farm
Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Ishkanah Grafwidow
Izoni, Thousand-Eyed
Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Joraga Treespeaker
Farhaven Elf
Dimir Aqueduct
Deranged Assistant
Millikin
Shefet Monitor
Krosan Restorer
World Shaper
Ramunap Excavator
Krosan Wayfarer
Glowspore Shaman
Genesis
Caustic Caterpillar
End-Raze Forerunners
If you have thoughts about any of these swaps, I'd like to read them.
Did quite well in a game last night even though I eventually lost. The Inalla deck was helping me mill myself and eventually played a kingmaker role, helping the Firesong and Sunspeaker deck. At one point I'd managed to make 25 spiders that were 28/29 thanks to a Nighthowler on Master Biomancer, but a Chain Reaction from F&S took care of those and set them up with > 1000 life. I wasn't about to give up, though. I might have given them a race for the win, making spiders yet again for life drain with Ishkanah as well as Kessig Cagebreakers making Essence of the Wild tokens on the attack every turn. Sadly, I misplayed a turn in which I should have retrieved DEN with Eternal Witness and flickered EW to return several key cards to set myself up way more rapidly than the line of play I actually performed. If I'd done so to recover Runic Repetition to retrieve both Spider Spawning and Memory's Journey I would have been able to avoid getting decked on the last 4 cards of my library when Inalla played Mindcrank and F&S did Earthquake for X=5.
I managed to cast Splendid Reclamation twice in that game, which raises some thoughts about another card. Without an easy way to sacrifice creatures (I almost slotted in Ashnod's Altar, but nah) I may find World Shaper's use as a second SR inconsistent, but willing to continue testing. The more attacks I get in without him getting killed the better, in general, since he mills. Possibly a good body for Nighthowler and/or Sword of the Animist if I ever slot that in.
old thread
old thread
old thread
R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko