So they're reprinting Arbor Elf, Utopia Sprawl, Summoner's Pact, Ruric Thar, and Blood Moon... might decrease the entry cost for some variants of the deck by quite a bit.
Im looking to get into the deck for this reason. but from what ive just read the genesis wave variant is no longer viable? someoone please post what the deck should look like in the current meta
also i can never get this deck to go off turn 3 its always turns 4-6 depending on disruption what am i doing wrong?
Hey man, as lord_darkview said, you can check out the Primer for more details. I would say of the 3 builds at the top, the Pact version is the most similar to the "current meta" list. There are a few new toys that work well in the deck like Carnage Tyrant and Jadelight Ranger as well.
With regards to Genesis Wave, it's not super viable with the amount of control in the meta. Also, it requires a huge mana dump to make it worth it. Much easier to win with a Craterhoof overrun than a Genesis Wave.
With regards to Turn 3 wins, that only happens when you have Pacts, BTEs, and a Garruk to overrun on Turn 3. This does not happen very often, and it certainly isn't possible without the Burning Tree Emissarys.
With regards to your list, I would say some outdated things are Eternal Witness, Wistful Selkie, Harmonize and Genesis Wave. We have a lot of good 3-drops that operate better than Selkie (Courser, Finks, Tracker, Jadelight) that I think she isn't very viable anymore. Eternal Witness is best when looped with Primal Command, which your list lacks, however I still feel she is pretty slow in most decklists. Genesis Wave can easily be more fatties like Ruric Thar or Hornet Queen. Oath of Nissa, Tracker, Courser, Jadelight should give you enough card advantage to make a card like Harmonize unnecessary.
I've never played with Joraga so I don't have an opinion on that. But I think it's sweet
The main issue I have with Joraga is the fact that it doesn't ramp on turn 2 but does offer a nice turn 3 with 5 mana.
Thinking about it longer I do agree that Joraga might actually be quite decent, but then again you'll get bolt/fatal push or bounced etc. this could be said for any mana dork except maybe Utopia Sprawl.. I simply prefer the line Arbor Elf into Utopia Sprawl for 4 Mana into Garruk (with possibility of going wide with BTE if you happen to live in magical xmas land with Nykthos)
over BtE since it gets you value as soon as it hits the board by making you draw 1 and he do not set you up for getting blown up by a Wrath on turn 4.
If you are playing the Pact version, which might be the most consistent and non restricting deck, Sakura Tribe Elder might even be a really good 2 Drops or going further on the Arbor Elf train with Trace of Abundance and Fertile Ground
It's quite useful to note that Trace of Abundance protects Nykthos.
If you are playing the Pact version, which might be the most consistent and non restricting deck, Sakura Tribe Elder might even be a really good 2 Drops or going further on the Arbor Elf train with Trace of Abundance and Fertile Ground
It's quite useful to note that Trace of Abundance protects Nykthos.
eh, honestly I'm leaving burn because of these same issues there is no definitive deck list or agreement atm. i still have my burn deck I still play it. but the community around the deck got lost when fatal push was printed. it used to be naya every where but now its boros,jund and mardu. Boros is sort of considered the best version currently but its not like its hands down better.., This being said Ive always wanted to play traditional mono green devotion with genesis wave. but considering the meta is hard on the card I'm just not sure if its a deck I want to invest into anymore. I think im going to look into mono u turns. poor genesis wave
Not sure if it's worth it over a scarf like Thrun or Carnage Tyrant, but Choke is a card I might have overlooked. I was watching some Legacy player at the Open today Choke people out and it made me think. Of course Blue is the most powerful colornin Legacy and Island are everywhere.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Always wear protection kids, sleeve up your deck.
LEGACY: Soldier Stompy WW // Blue Stompy UU // Fit Variants BGRW // Sol Land Brews BGRUWC MODERN: Pure Pili-ness GU // Red Devotion RR // Green Devotion Variants GRWUG // U/G Emerge CGU // Lots and Lots of Brews BGRUWC
@WesOSPCTRALself
the biggest struggle I have in the meta right now is these darn death's shadow decks that play stuborn denial, Denial really hurts the planeswalker decks and genesis wave along with it. better to genesis hydra or play big creatures like primeval titan
If you are playing the Pact version, which might be the most consistent and non restricting deck, Sakura Tribe Elder might even be a really good 2 Drops or going further on the Arbor Elf train with Trace of Abundance and Fertile Ground
It's quite useful to note that Trace of Abundance protects Nykthos.
Ow true true, I simply search quickly on gatherer for new cards and seen those as good option.
Wild Growth is really what we need.. at the moment we could use Abundant Growth for value (might be the better pick over Elvish Visionary depending on the new for a body)
eh, honestly I'm leaving burn because of these same issues there is no definitive deck list or agreement atm. i still have my burn deck I still play it. but the community around the deck got lost when fatal push was printed. it used to be naya every where but now its boros,jund and mardu. Boros is sort of considered the best version currently but its not like its hands down better.., This being said Ive always wanted to play traditional mono green devotion with genesis wave. but considering the meta is hard on the card I'm just not sure if its a deck I want to invest into anymore. I think im going to look into mono u turns. poor genesis wave
Ill tell you the quick answer, there is no better option.
If for exemple your meta as Zero counter spell at all, then Genesis Wave is the best deck to round.
If your meta is full of Aggro deck, running Wall of Root and Sylvan Caryatid is the best option.
Etc.
There is clear Pros and Cons for every list and you simply have to tune the list to your liking.
If you ever attend a large scale event, I suggest you either play the fastest most aggressive Genesis Wave ever or the more consistent Pack List.Then even if you attend a large scale event you might have to run few cards that we haven't list that bring interaction to the table which include running red black or white for your favorite kill spell. White is really good because you get Stony Silence etc.
There is a really traditionnal Genesis Wave that I helped created in the first primer but obviously this traditional list was only decent because player weren't aware of it's existence and when I won a local event it was mostly because player were certain I was playing Elf and then turn 4 I was pushing my pile on the field. With new cards and new tech the list moved and there is now several option that are listed and still many more that could be played that we don't know of from lack of testing and research.
Splashing a color is not so hard and like I said there is not 1 best splash, you could go
Blue = Serum Vision more consistent draw into combo pieces
Black = Discard and Push which would be the best color Game 1
Red = Bolt for reach and Urabrask,Xenagos (I used to run these back in the day instead of craterhoof behemoth)
White = Path and good sideboard option
The main reason the deck isn't performing as well now is that we are trying to invest so much effort into gaining a mana lead while Tron can simply play 3 lands and they drop a better card in a more consistent deck. I don't want to destroy hopes and Dreams but if this archetype is to stay competitive it needs to quit thinking about going all-in on the combo because the combo is worst than Ad Nauseam and Scapeshift. It also cannot out-ramp GTron.It's bad aggro.
BUT
There is possibility to make this deck better, You want an aggro deck? start running Wild Nacalt,BTE and Strangleroot geist with bolt and red sun zenith. You will turn 3 win.
Edit: here a quick example of what this deck could do
Turn 1 Play Wild Nacalt
Turn 2 (with proper fetch) Play Strangleroot Geist Attack for 5
Turn 3 Nykthos BTE Red Sun Zenith for 4 (hold 1 mana) attack for 5 bolt for 3
This line of play isn't optimal, it's quite realist and you deal 17 Damage Turn 3 which kills an opponent if they played a fetch into shock.
If you want the Special Magical hand for this deck you still win turn 3.
Something in the line of
Turn 1 Cat
Turn 2 4 BTE 1 Strangleroot attack for 5
Turn 3 Red Sun Zenith for 8 bolt twice for 6 attack for 13
If you are playing the Pact version, which might be the most consistent and non restricting deck, Sakura Tribe Elder might even be a really good 2 Drops or going further on the Arbor Elf train with Trace of Abundance and Fertile Ground
It's quite useful to note that Trace of Abundance protects Nykthos.
Ow true true, I simply search quickly on gatherer for new cards and seen those as good option.
Wild Growth is really what we need.. at the moment we could use Abundant Growth for value (might be the better pick over Elvish Visionary depending on the new for a body)
eh, honestly I'm leaving burn because of these same issues there is no definitive deck list or agreement atm. i still have my burn deck I still play it. but the community around the deck got lost when fatal push was printed. it used to be naya every where but now its boros,jund and mardu. Boros is sort of considered the best version currently but its not like its hands down better.., This being said Ive always wanted to play traditional mono green devotion with genesis wave. but considering the meta is hard on the card I'm just not sure if its a deck I want to invest into anymore. I think im going to look into mono u turns. poor genesis wave
Ill tell you the quick answer, there is no better option.
If for exemple your meta as Zero counter spell at all, then Genesis Wave is the best deck to round.
If your meta is full of Aggro deck, running Wall of Root and Sylvan Caryatid is the best option.
Etc.
There is clear Pros and Cons for every list and you simply have to tune the list to your liking.
If you ever attend a large scale event, I suggest you either play the fastest most aggressive Genesis Wave ever or the more consistent Pack List.Then even if you attend a large scale event you might have to run few cards that we haven't list that bring interaction to the table which include running red black or white for your favorite kill spell. White is really good because you get Stony Silence etc.
There is a really traditionnal Genesis Wave that I helped created in the first primer but obviously this traditional list was only decent because player weren't aware of it's existence and when I won a local event it was mostly because player were certain I was playing Elf and then turn 4 I was pushing my pile on the field. With new cards and new tech the list moved and there is now several option that are listed and still many more that could be played that we don't know of from lack of testing and research.
Splashing a color is not so hard and like I said there is not 1 best splash, you could go
Blue = Serum Vision more consistent draw into combo pieces
Black = Discard and Push which would be the best color Game 1
Red = Bolt for reach and Urabrask,Xenagos (I used to run these back in the day instead of craterhoof behemoth)
White = Path and good sideboard option
The main reason the deck isn't performing as well now is that we are trying to invest so much effort into gaining a mana lead while Tron can simply play 3 lands and they drop a better card in a more consistent deck. I don't want to destroy hopes and Dreams but if this archetype is to stay competitive it needs to quit thinking about going all-in on the combo because the combo is worst than Ad Nauseam and Scapeshift. It also cannot out-ramp GTron.It's bad aggro.
BUT
There is possibility to make this deck better, You want an aggro deck? start running Wild Nacalt,BTE and Strangleroot geist with bolt and red sun zenith. You will turn 3 win.
Edit: here a quick example of what this deck could do
Turn 1 Play Wild Nacalt
Turn 2 (with proper fetch) Play Strangleroot Geist Attack for 5
Turn 3 Nykthos BTE Red Sun Zenith for 4 (hold 1 mana) attack for 5 bolt for 3
This line of play isn't optimal, it's quite realist and you deal 17 Damage Turn 3 which kills an opponent if they played a fetch into shock.
If you want the Special Magical hand for this deck you still win turn 3.
Something in the line of
Turn 1 Cat
Turn 2 4 BTE 1 Strangleroot attack for 5
Turn 3 Red Sun Zenith for 8 bolt twice for 6 attack for 13
Its a good 32 damage on turn 3. Nice karn btw.
I guess im only interested in the combo aspect of the deck.
I already own. burn,dredge,enchantress,pillowfort,stompy and infect.
being aggro is fun but i have enough of those kinds of decks I just want a fun combo and or mid range deck now. I thought nykthos devotion looked great but sounds like the aggro/combo version is slower than its counterparts and less consistent.
Last FNM with my UG Gift Devotion Deck i go out with 1-3 , that was very disapointment. And a additional Game was 0-2. Gifts Ungiven is a nice card, but not fast enough or consistence enough in a Devotion Shell. Combo Pieces and Ramp in one Deck is really a tough and the most Decks have a lot Options to hate this pieces. Crazy that my old Brew with Freed from the Real was running a better in a UG Devotion Deck.
The next time i will testing Hadana's Climb in a Counters Matter Deck - wish me luck ;-)
@maxivz
I think it didn't need big changes. Maybe more Oath of Nissa could be better for more consistence. So you didn't run out of Gas or Options if you have played almost your Hand. Resilence is very nice if you want used Nykthos. In other builds Nissa, Voice of Zendikar get this role (in early game hard to remove) .
If you are playing the Pact version, which might be the most consistent and non restricting deck, Sakura Tribe Elder might even be a really good 2 Drops or going further on the Arbor Elf train with Trace of Abundance and Fertile Ground
It's quite useful to note that Trace of Abundance protects Nykthos.
Ow true true, I simply search quickly on gatherer for new cards and seen those as good option.
Wild Growth is really what we need.. at the moment we could use Abundant Growth for value (might be the better pick over Elvish Visionary depending on the new for a body)
eh, honestly I'm leaving burn because of these same issues there is no definitive deck list or agreement atm. i still have my burn deck I still play it. but the community around the deck got lost when fatal push was printed. it used to be naya every where but now its boros,jund and mardu. Boros is sort of considered the best version currently but its not like its hands down better.., This being said Ive always wanted to play traditional mono green devotion with genesis wave. but considering the meta is hard on the card I'm just not sure if its a deck I want to invest into anymore. I think im going to look into mono u turns. poor genesis wave
Ill tell you the quick answer, there is no better option.
If for exemple your meta as Zero counter spell at all, then Genesis Wave is the best deck to round.
If your meta is full of Aggro deck, running Wall of Root and Sylvan Caryatid is the best option.
Etc.
There is clear Pros and Cons for every list and you simply have to tune the list to your liking.
If you ever attend a large scale event, I suggest you either play the fastest most aggressive Genesis Wave ever or the more consistent Pack List.Then even if you attend a large scale event you might have to run few cards that we haven't list that bring interaction to the table which include running red black or white for your favorite kill spell. White is really good because you get Stony Silence etc.
There is a really traditionnal Genesis Wave that I helped created in the first primer but obviously this traditional list was only decent because player weren't aware of it's existence and when I won a local event it was mostly because player were certain I was playing Elf and then turn 4 I was pushing my pile on the field. With new cards and new tech the list moved and there is now several option that are listed and still many more that could be played that we don't know of from lack of testing and research.
Splashing a color is not so hard and like I said there is not 1 best splash, you could go
Blue = Serum Vision more consistent draw into combo pieces
Black = Discard and Push which would be the best color Game 1
Red = Bolt for reach and Urabrask,Xenagos (I used to run these back in the day instead of craterhoof behemoth)
White = Path and good sideboard option
The main reason the deck isn't performing as well now is that we are trying to invest so much effort into gaining a mana lead while Tron can simply play 3 lands and they drop a better card in a more consistent deck. I don't want to destroy hopes and Dreams but if this archetype is to stay competitive it needs to quit thinking about going all-in on the combo because the combo is worst than Ad Nauseam and Scapeshift. It also cannot out-ramp GTron.It's bad aggro.
BUT
There is possibility to make this deck better, You want an aggro deck? start running Wild Nacalt,BTE and Strangleroot geist with bolt and red sun zenith. You will turn 3 win.
Edit: here a quick example of what this deck could do
Turn 1 Play Wild Nacalt
Turn 2 (with proper fetch) Play Strangleroot Geist Attack for 5
Turn 3 Nykthos BTE Red Sun Zenith for 4 (hold 1 mana) attack for 5 bolt for 3
This line of play isn't optimal, it's quite realist and you deal 17 Damage Turn 3 which kills an opponent if they played a fetch into shock.
If you want the Special Magical hand for this deck you still win turn 3.
Something in the line of
Turn 1 Cat
Turn 2 4 BTE 1 Strangleroot attack for 5
Turn 3 Red Sun Zenith for 8 bolt twice for 6 attack for 13
Its a good 32 damage on turn 3. Nice karn btw.
I guess im only interested in the combo aspect of the deck.
I already own. burn,dredge,enchantress,pillowfort,stompy and infect.
being aggro is fun but i have enough of those kinds of decks I just want a fun combo and or mid range deck now. I thought nykthos devotion looked great but sounds like the aggro/combo version is slower than its counterparts and less consistent.
The combo only worked early for the reason stated that the deck was new and when you bring a new combo to the table people tend to not understand how to deal with it Game 1 and then you have 2 games where you could side heavy against your opponent and probably win the match by game 3.
With all of your decks I understand that you already own enough aggro and aren't interested in the Zoo G devotion idea I listed.
The thing that G Devotion can do better than any deck is a reliable toolbox with Tooth and Nail + Winning off Path.
In a certain way it is somewhat still a combo deck since even Scapeshift is a 1 card combo, but the Genesis Wave plan is simply not consistent to pull result.
I have been running this the last days, it has been working way more consistently than my previous toolbox list, the beast withing in the sideboard is actually pretty good, nobody expects it and its pretty adaptable. The other day I beast withined my oath of nissa to block with the beast, the surprise element is usually really good.
I would like to see what you guys think of my deck with all the discussion going on about different deck styles and what works best at the moment. I guess im running some sort of mid range version, I love Strangleroot Geist and Kitchen Finks in here cause of the resilence, I have been having quite some sucess against decks like Jund cause of all the removal they run.
I am not the most experienced player out there but I feel like Eternal Witness it too usefull to not run it, it provides us with an extra way to win the game with the primal command lock and the extra resilense it proviedd for the deck is quite good. Whenever I get Thoughtseized people usually take that one out as well, usually leaving cards that would be more usefull in my hand.
Anyways, heres the list. I would really love to see what you guys think I could do to improove my list.
I played Primal Command Devotion and in my opinion it is simply a tiny bit too slow.
Best way to play the deck is either to get 8 Mana and cast a Craterhoof with pact
or
Build the deck to get 9 Mana and cast Emrakul + Urabrask or Xenagos
If you think about it Primal Command is more fit in a deck that already plays some interaction because you can slow down the game and start chaining Primal Command as you turn the corner to establish value, even then there is hardly something better than an Hasty Emrakul.
Added Tireless Tracker to my Simic Walker deck (in place of Visionaries) and the deck is killing it! I’m still at a higher win rate than my prior decks and getting to a good sample size. I’m surprised Jace has been so good for me. I didn’t expect it...obviously a turn 2 Jace is silly; but just in terms of its play/interactions not just when cast on turn two have been great.
Hello fellow Green mana flood fans. Long time no write.
Joined one recent tournament and got fragged. Played against Skred thrice. One odd poison deck where I mulliganed to crap opening cards in two games. Decklist is all my fault for not smoothing out the curve better, so three spot removals basically delays my entire curve. Lost two matches that could have been won if I wasn't too greedy going all out on the mana flood, knowing the enemy had counters (mana leak).
Anyway, I got a new idea that you guys might find a bit interesting.
Kiora's ultimate is the goal. Since the local meta here is aggro and spot removal heavy decks like Skred or Dirty Red, I'm building a wall heavy deck to weather the initial beatdown then play Plaguemaw Beast and some token generator like Nissa Voice of Zendikar. Then pump Kiora's counters to ultimate as soon as can be managed so that the next cheap CMC Wall I cast still results in 3 x 8 Octopus fighting the opponent.
What do you guys think of Contagion Engine as an overcosted Walking Ballista that shrinks your opponents weenie horde to nil? And pumps Kiora to ultimate too.
Think over the dedicated Proliferate Build. Maybe an Aid form the Cowl and one of those Elemental enchantments that act like a survival of the fittest--just one to cast.
3 not of this world in the maindeck is sniping me games. people keep blowing there one spot removal on my platinum emperion (from madcap experiment[/c]) and I counter it out of not where.
I'm still all over the place, went back to red after trying blue, went with the regisaur alpha over the gearhulk simply because it was another source of haste for ghalta.
my list is already extremely close to this . do you think i could include genesis wave or is it just not needed....I already bought the cards .
in place of kruphix insight why not just run the idyllic tutor?
I know you netgain with insight, but really if your tutoring turn 2 you can go for the ghostly prison or draw engine more consistently.
Also I'd go for it and go 2 genesis wave
probably should be a eternal witness in there some where. for green little better than starfield of nyx though that could be some useful in some situations.
3 not of this world in the maindeck is sniping me games. people keep blowing there one spot removal on my platinum emperion (from madcap experiment[/c]) and I counter it out of not where.
I'm still all over the place, went back to red after trying blue, went with the regisaur alpha over the gearhulk simply because it was another source of haste for ghalta.
my list is already extremely close to this . do you think i could include genesis wave or is it just not needed....I already bought the cards .
in place of kruphix insight why not just run the idyllic tutor?
I know you netgain with insight, but really if your tutoring turn 2 you can go for the ghostly prison or draw engine more consistently.
Also I'd go for it and go 2 genesis wave
probably should be a eternal witness in there some where. for green little better than starfield of nyx though that could be some useful in some situations.
oh,that tutor idea is great. this deck struggles if it doesn't find ghostly prison
I have too may mtg projects going on, I guess that's a good thing though, but very soon.
Been working on re-typing the Primer (I screwed up the formatting which required a complete re-type...of course I could copy paste a good chunk of it...just wanted to get the formatting right from scratch). I do have to confess, however, that I have also been playing quite a bit
I did, however, want to address a few things as it looks like we have some awesome new community members and/or long-term members with some new questions. I thought it wouldn't hurt to offer a very small "overview" of some of the things I think are super important about Devotion decks. I will post it ASAP.
____
Few thoughts on Dominaria Leak
BTW...new Karn looks really cool for walker decks....and Oath of Teferi may be broken in superfriends
Stabalization Ball looks like an incredible Modern Hoser...that hurts us
Amber also seems nuts...but may move Superfriends into its own thing (not needing Devotion)
I also have to read more...but it appears direct damage cannot be re-directed to Walkers...this seems nuts to me. I would assume this just means you can target walker directly.
I'm not sure about the leak, because I haven't found it.
As for the PW thing, that's the idea. The current expectation is that new spells intended to damage PW will expressly say so and target directly (no redirecting through the player). Old ones may or may not receive errata allowing the revised direct targeting; if they don't, they will be ineffective on PWs hereafter.
I expect things like Lightning Bolt will be changed to include targeting PWs, but those like Earthquake will not.
This should direct you to the translated version of the leak.
There isn't much information helping us at the moment and doesn't seem to bring a lot of game changer cards for the deck.
TL:DR:
UWR will make a huge comeback with new cards, its probably the worst match up for us.
New Enchant shut down Tron,Eldrazi Temple and Nykthos but we have better outs so we might become the best ramp deck.
Full version:
One thing to note is a functional counterspell reprint for UU if you control a wizard, Snapcaster into UU for counter or Vendilion Clique for UU counter will be a thing in the future. This is probably bad news for us since UWx control will become really powerful and it's already one of our bad matchup since they run Wrath + Counterspell.
There is also a new Lightning Bolt if you have a wizard in play and thus UWR will probably make a comeback as a top deck.
There is also a new enchant that cancel tron by having cards that give 2 or more mana only 1 and well its also good against Nykthos, so the deck is dead once the new set release or we start maining Seal of Primordium against it.
I do believe G devotion has a better chance of not losing against this enchant since we have many ways of generating mana outside of nykthos and more enchantement hate.
The control decks in the format really are getting good. Dangerously good. I expect soon we'll see more low-to-the-ground aggro to beat it, which will put us in an interesting spot.
The mana-reducer effect on lands is pretty intense, but I'm not sure it will actually get played all that much. The only other deck it hits is Tron, and most people have better ways to deal with that. Besides, we can still work against Blood Moon. Turning off Utopia Sprawl is an issue, though. I don't think this is good for us, but I think we'll do better the less Tron is around.
With regards to Genesis Wave, it's not super viable with the amount of control in the meta. Also, it requires a huge mana dump to make it worth it. Much easier to win with a Craterhoof overrun than a Genesis Wave.
With regards to Turn 3 wins, that only happens when you have Pacts, BTEs, and a Garruk to overrun on Turn 3. This does not happen very often, and it certainly isn't possible without the Burning Tree Emissarys.
With regards to your list, I would say some outdated things are Eternal Witness, Wistful Selkie, Harmonize and Genesis Wave. We have a lot of good 3-drops that operate better than Selkie (Courser, Finks, Tracker, Jadelight) that I think she isn't very viable anymore. Eternal Witness is best when looped with Primal Command, which your list lacks, however I still feel she is pretty slow in most decklists. Genesis Wave can easily be more fatties like Ruric Thar or Hornet Queen. Oath of Nissa, Tracker, Courser, Jadelight should give you enough card advantage to make a card like Harmonize unnecessary.
I've never played with Joraga so I don't have an opinion on that. But I think it's sweet
Hope this helps!
Thinking about it longer I do agree that Joraga might actually be quite decent, but then again you'll get bolt/fatal push or bounced etc. this could be said for any mana dork except maybe Utopia Sprawl.. I simply prefer the line Arbor Elf into Utopia Sprawl for 4 Mana into Garruk (with possibility of going wide with BTE if you happen to live in magical xmas land with Nykthos)
Let's said you have the exodia 8 cards in hand
1 Arbor Elf
1 Utopia Sprawl
1 Garruk
1 Nykthos
1 Forest
2 BTE
1 Genesis Wave
You could Genesis Wave for x = 5 on turn 2
Still on magical xmas land?
1 Eternal Witness
1 Garruk
1 Nykthos
2 BTE
return Genesis Wave with EW
Cast Genesis Wave for X = 26 on Turn 2.
Best deck in modern.
--
On a more serious note I always prefered using
If you are playing the Pact version, which might be the most consistent and non restricting deck, Sakura Tribe Elder might even be a really good 2 Drops or going further on the Arbor Elf train with Trace of Abundance and Fertile Ground
It's quite useful to note that Trace of Abundance protects Nykthos.
I usually throw in Fertile Ground as a 2- or 3-of, but I just wanted to step in to note that Trace of Abundance is a nonbo with Arbor Elf and Garruk Wildspeaker.
EDIT: When will they reprint Wild Growth?
MODERN: Pure Pili-ness GU // Red Devotion RR // Green Devotion Variants GRWUG // U/G Emerge CGU // Lots and Lots of Brews BGRUWC
the biggest struggle I have in the meta right now is these darn death's shadow decks that play stuborn denial, Denial really hurts the planeswalker decks and genesis wave along with it. better to genesis hydra or play big creatures like primeval titan
Ow true true, I simply search quickly on gatherer for new cards and seen those as good option.
Wild Growth is really what we need.. at the moment we could use Abundant Growth for value (might be the better pick over Elvish Visionary depending on the new for a body)
Ill tell you the quick answer, there is no better option.
If for exemple your meta as Zero counter spell at all, then Genesis Wave is the best deck to round.
If your meta is full of Aggro deck, running Wall of Root and Sylvan Caryatid is the best option.
Etc.
There is clear Pros and Cons for every list and you simply have to tune the list to your liking.
If you ever attend a large scale event, I suggest you either play the fastest most aggressive Genesis Wave ever or the more consistent Pack List.Then even if you attend a large scale event you might have to run few cards that we haven't list that bring interaction to the table which include running red black or white for your favorite kill spell. White is really good because you get Stony Silence etc.
There is a really traditionnal Genesis Wave that I helped created in the first primer but obviously this traditional list was only decent because player weren't aware of it's existence and when I won a local event it was mostly because player were certain I was playing Elf and then turn 4 I was pushing my pile on the field. With new cards and new tech the list moved and there is now several option that are listed and still many more that could be played that we don't know of from lack of testing and research.
Splashing a color is not so hard and like I said there is not 1 best splash, you could go
Blue = Serum Vision more consistent draw into combo pieces
Black = Discard and Push which would be the best color Game 1
Red = Bolt for reach and Urabrask,Xenagos (I used to run these back in the day instead of craterhoof behemoth)
White = Path and good sideboard option
The main reason the deck isn't performing as well now is that we are trying to invest so much effort into gaining a mana lead while Tron can simply play 3 lands and they drop a better card in a more consistent deck. I don't want to destroy hopes and Dreams but if this archetype is to stay competitive it needs to quit thinking about going all-in on the combo because the combo is worst than Ad Nauseam and Scapeshift. It also cannot out-ramp GTron.It's bad aggro.
BUT
There is possibility to make this deck better, You want an aggro deck? start running Wild Nacalt,BTE and Strangleroot geist with bolt and red sun zenith. You will turn 3 win.
Edit: here a quick example of what this deck could do
Turn 1 Play Wild Nacalt
Turn 2 (with proper fetch) Play Strangleroot Geist Attack for 5
Turn 3 Nykthos BTE Red Sun Zenith for 4 (hold 1 mana) attack for 5 bolt for 3
This line of play isn't optimal, it's quite realist and you deal 17 Damage Turn 3 which kills an opponent if they played a fetch into shock.
If you want the Special Magical hand for this deck you still win turn 3.
Something in the line of
Turn 1 Cat
Turn 2 4 BTE 1 Strangleroot attack for 5
Turn 3 Red Sun Zenith for 8 bolt twice for 6 attack for 13
Its a good 32 damage on turn 3. Nice karn btw.
I guess im only interested in the combo aspect of the deck.
I already own. burn,dredge,enchantress,pillowfort,stompy and infect.
being aggro is fun but i have enough of those kinds of decks I just want a fun combo and or mid range deck now. I thought nykthos devotion looked great but sounds like the aggro/combo version is slower than its counterparts and less consistent.
The next time i will testing Hadana's Climb in a Counters Matter Deck - wish me luck ;-)
@maxivz
I think it didn't need big changes. Maybe more Oath of Nissa could be better for more consistence. So you didn't run out of Gas or Options if you have played almost your Hand. Resilence is very nice if you want used Nykthos. In other builds Nissa, Voice of Zendikar get this role (in early game hard to remove) .
The combo only worked early for the reason stated that the deck was new and when you bring a new combo to the table people tend to not understand how to deal with it Game 1 and then you have 2 games where you could side heavy against your opponent and probably win the match by game 3.
With all of your decks I understand that you already own enough aggro and aren't interested in the Zoo G devotion idea I listed.
The thing that G Devotion can do better than any deck is a reliable toolbox with Tooth and Nail + Winning off Path.
In a certain way it is somewhat still a combo deck since even Scapeshift is a 1 card combo, but the Genesis Wave plan is simply not consistent to pull result.
I played Primal Command Devotion and in my opinion it is simply a tiny bit too slow.
Best way to play the deck is either to get 8 Mana and cast a Craterhoof with pact
or
Build the deck to get 9 Mana and cast Emrakul + Urabrask or Xenagos
If you think about it Primal Command is more fit in a deck that already plays some interaction because you can slow down the game and start chaining Primal Command as you turn the corner to establish value, even then there is hardly something better than an Hasty Emrakul.
4 Arbor Elf
4 Verduran Enchantress
4 Eidolon of Blossoms
2 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Sorcery (2)
2 Kruphix's Insight
Enchantment (24)
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Fertile Ground
4 Overgrowth
4 Ghostly Prison
2 Sphere of Safety
2 Privileged Position
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Sigil of the Empty Throne
6 Forest
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
4 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
my list is already extremely close to this . do you think i could include genesis wave or is it just not needed....I already bought the cards .
Primal Command is fantastic, and crushing if resolved against GDS. It's also not too slow when it goes off on turn 3, especially with Devoted Druid.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
Joined one recent tournament and got fragged. Played against Skred thrice. One odd poison deck where I mulliganed to crap opening cards in two games. Decklist is all my fault for not smoothing out the curve better, so three spot removals basically delays my entire curve. Lost two matches that could have been won if I wasn't too greedy going all out on the mana flood, knowing the enemy had counters (mana leak).
Anyway, I got a new idea that you guys might find a bit interesting.
Kiora's ultimate is the goal. Since the local meta here is aggro and spot removal heavy decks like Skred or Dirty Red, I'm building a wall heavy deck to weather the initial beatdown then play Plaguemaw Beast and some token generator like Nissa Voice of Zendikar. Then pump Kiora's counters to ultimate as soon as can be managed so that the next cheap CMC Wall I cast still results in 3 x 8 Octopus fighting the opponent.
What do you guys think of Contagion Engine as an overcosted Walking Ballista that shrinks your opponents weenie horde to nil? And pumps Kiora to ultimate too.
The deck might work off 4 x Plaguemaw Beasts plus 1 or 2 Contagion Engines plus 2 x Wolfbriar Elemental and other token generating stuff. If for anything, you can still sac an Overgrown Battlement or Sylvan Caryatid to put the loyalty counter count to 8. The deck may require protection from red cheese but that might be easy enough with Privileged Position and Leyline of Sanctity.
Think over the dedicated Proliferate Build. Maybe an Aid form the Cowl and one of those Elemental enchantments that act like a survival of the fittest--just one to cast.
I'm still all over the place, went back to red after trying blue, went with the regisaur alpha over the gearhulk simply because it was another source of haste for ghalta.
typing one Vance's Blasting Cannons don't care if it doesn't flip, just want that extra card per turn.
If i wasn't running not of this world main deck, I'd be running elvish visionary as a filler.
magus of the moon its my main board calling card at this point.
wierding wood kind of nifty, draws a card, nets mana.
madcap experiment surprisingly good in a lot of situations. slap trample on it and it beats down.
4 madcap experiment
3 platinum emperion
3 ghalta, primal hunger
2 Regisaur Alpha
2 xenagos, god of revels
2 magus of the moon
1 eternal witness
1 rhonas the indomitable
4 arbor elf
3 garruk wildspeaker
1 Nissa, Vital Force
1 garruk primal hunter
3 not of this world
1 Vance's Blasting Cannons
4 utopia sprawl
2 weirding wood
1 kessig wolf run
3 nyxthos shrine to nyx
4 fetch
3 stomping ground
2 rootbound crag
10 forest
---------------------------------------------
in place of kruphix insight why not just run the idyllic tutor?
I know you netgain with insight, but really if your tutoring turn 2 you can go for the ghostly prison or draw engine more consistently.
Also I'd go for it and go 2 genesis wave
probably should be a eternal witness in there some where. for green little better than starfield of nyx though that could be some useful in some situations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
oh,that tutor idea is great. this deck struggles if it doesn't find ghostly prison
I have too may mtg projects going on, I guess that's a good thing though, but very soon.
Been working on re-typing the Primer (I screwed up the formatting which required a complete re-type...of course I could copy paste a good chunk of it...just wanted to get the formatting right from scratch). I do have to confess, however, that I have also been playing quite a bit
I did, however, want to address a few things as it looks like we have some awesome new community members and/or long-term members with some new questions. I thought it wouldn't hurt to offer a very small "overview" of some of the things I think are super important about Devotion decks. I will post it ASAP.
____
Few thoughts on Dominaria Leak
BTW...new Karn looks really cool for walker decks....and Oath of Teferi may be broken in superfriends
Stabalization Ball looks like an incredible Modern Hoser...that hurts us
Amber also seems nuts...but may move Superfriends into its own thing (not needing Devotion)
I also have to read more...but it appears direct damage cannot be re-directed to Walkers...this seems nuts to me. I would assume this just means you can target walker directly.
As for the PW thing, that's the idea. The current expectation is that new spells intended to damage PW will expressly say so and target directly (no redirecting through the player). Old ones may or may not receive errata allowing the revised direct targeting; if they don't, they will be ineffective on PWs hereafter.
I expect things like Lightning Bolt will be changed to include targeting PWs, but those like Earthquake will not.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
This should direct you to the translated version of the leak.
There isn't much information helping us at the moment and doesn't seem to bring a lot of game changer cards for the deck.
TL:DR:
UWR will make a huge comeback with new cards, its probably the worst match up for us.
New Enchant shut down Tron,Eldrazi Temple and Nykthos but we have better outs so we might become the best ramp deck.
Full version:
One thing to note is a functional counterspell reprint for UU if you control a wizard, Snapcaster into UU for counter or Vendilion Clique for UU counter will be a thing in the future. This is probably bad news for us since UWx control will become really powerful and it's already one of our bad matchup since they run Wrath + Counterspell.
There is also a new Lightning Bolt if you have a wizard in play and thus UWR will probably make a comeback as a top deck.
There is also a new enchant that cancel tron by having cards that give 2 or more mana only 1 and well its also good against Nykthos, so the deck is dead once the new set release or we start maining Seal of Primordium against it.
I do believe G devotion has a better chance of not losing against this enchant since we have many ways of generating mana outside of nykthos and more enchantement hate.
The mana-reducer effect on lands is pretty intense, but I'm not sure it will actually get played all that much. The only other deck it hits is Tron, and most people have better ways to deal with that. Besides, we can still work against Blood Moon. Turning off Utopia Sprawl is an issue, though. I don't think this is good for us, but I think we'll do better the less Tron is around.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB