Shamans can goldfish a ton of damage. It lacks damage when interacting with others or when they interact with the Shamans. In this way, Shamans are a weaker zoo type deck.
Shamans need a 2 mana lord and 1 or more 1CMC mana dorks I think. Or maybe some of the Merfolk from Ixalan if they were Shaman tribal instead of Merfolk tribal like planned could have provided some interesting additions to a Temur Shaman list (that would have opened up interesting counterspell sideboard options.
I have tried lots of different shaman lists over the years, since I first got into Modern (around Journey into Nyx). I had some decent success with a $50 dollar list the most followed by Birds of Paradise/Blood Moons in the main deck list.
On the whole, there are enough tools and interesting paths to compete on an FNM level, but nothing above that, I am afraid at the moment.
Some of my interesting experiments involved things like Oath of Nissa and Metallic Mimic, main deck Blood Moon, and Nissa, Voice of Zendikar basically to provide counters.
I think if I tried Shaman again, I would try an Experimental Frenzy build and trying to maximize that in a Shaman world with Mana dorks and trying to maximize that flow of stuff.
Slivers has defensive interaction and little if any offensive interaction. Diffusion Sliver, Sedge Sliver, and Frenetic Sliver are great defensive interaction abilities. We blank or tax a lot of removal. Galerider Sliver, Striking Sliver, Darkheart Sliver, and Syphoning Sliver also do amazing work on the ground vs. other aggro decks.
We completely fall down on Combo decks and Creature combo decks. However, those are a large part of the meta or at least a significant part and spells trouble for us. If the meta was all creature aggro and interactive decks, we would be fine and a decent option. Unlike Twin which would be could game our sideboards for, its hard to game our sideboards for all the potential match ups just like a lot of decks.
We can beat them if they stumble, but we can stumble and be less consistent as well and forced to draw sideboard removal spells.
I am going with the strategy of going Mono-Green before G/R and finishing up as GRw. This way I can pace out everything and it is going well enough. I generally do well against the field except for the fastest starts by the other decks especially aggro decks. We generally have enough answers for drakes and are fast enough that it can work.
My current mono-green deck started with bad creatures and I slowly bought Llawowar Elves, Commune with Nature for commons. I used whatever prey upon or rabid bites I could use. Uncommons went Thrashing Brontodon, Thunderherd Migration, and finally Savage Stomp. I may get Drovers as I now have the full Savage Stomp collection. Rares have gone to Ripjaw Raptor to Deathgorge Scavenger (only have one). Mythics went Carnage Tyrant to Vivien Reid.
I picked up some stuff from packs/drafts/sealed events etc. Some cards that were really good that I was sad to get rid of was Blanchwood Armor. It gave me some unexpected wins on a carnage tyrant or ghalta or a couple memerable ones on a Llanwar Elf to provide another big attacker.
My goal next is to pick up Rootbound Crags and then Regisaur Alpha after I pick up the Scavengers. Then I plan on picking up Temple Gardens and Clarions. After that I will pick up sideboard cards like Risk Factor and maybe another banefire.
I just started on arena as a free to play guy. I have been doing mono green dinosaurs and have been adding cards as I go.
I got up to gold 4. I really miss boardwipes. It's going to be a while. I still have some deathgorge scavenger to get before I get alphas and crags, let alone temple gardens, sacred foundries, and clarions
I will reiterate my support for Birchlore Ranger, Wirewood Symbiote, and Quiron Ranger in addition to Crystalline Sliver, Hibernation Sliver, and Hunter Sliver.
Conflagerate is one of the reasons that Dredge can do so well and doesn't have as many weaknesses. Banning this card will handle its reach, but also allow small/large creature based decks to beat or at least handle dredge. This would provide an interesting way for dredge to keep control and possible midrange down, but also allow it to have a weakness for creature based strategies.
Athreos, God of Passage is my current cleric commander. I would probably put it in the 99 if it wasn't my commander. It does the things that it needs to do. It allows me to run more boardwipes.
I would toss in a sacrifice effect and a recursion effect like nim deathmantle or the enchantment that brings a creature back if dead. The reason is things like False Prophet is a nigh constant boardwipe and clerics like to recur. In black you have some good sac effects to help clear the board. I would go for clerics rather than an aggressive deck, but a control type deck using controlling enchanments like Dictate of erebos and other like things to help control the board while getting synergy and value from the clerics you have. Academy Rector can help get the needed enchantments.
Clerics have a lot of ETB effects and the prevention of damage means you can play political. The fact that your clerics aren't big presents little problems surviving into the late game.
You play a patient game dealing with what is one the board, by boardwiping and keeping it clear until you get value either from returning clerics to your hand or the battlefield while the rest have to deal with your value and answers.
I hope so, I like the tribal sets and the various tribes. I wasn't the happiest to see that the tribes weren't pushed to see competitive play especially Dinosaurs which had my buy a box of (2) sets that I would never have before. I bought sealed product like I generally haven't before because I liked Ixalan quite a bit.
I want more dinosaur tribal, more tribal support (both generic and specific), and more Angrath and Huatli and Vraska (getting my wish there). I liked the race feeling of the set. I liked the setting quite a bit.
Shamans need a 2 mana lord and 1 or more 1CMC mana dorks I think. Or maybe some of the Merfolk from Ixalan if they were Shaman tribal instead of Merfolk tribal like planned could have provided some interesting additions to a Temur Shaman list (that would have opened up interesting counterspell sideboard options.
I have tried lots of different shaman lists over the years, since I first got into Modern (around Journey into Nyx). I had some decent success with a $50 dollar list the most followed by Birds of Paradise/Blood Moons in the main deck list.
On the whole, there are enough tools and interesting paths to compete on an FNM level, but nothing above that, I am afraid at the moment.
Some of my interesting experiments involved things like Oath of Nissa and Metallic Mimic, main deck Blood Moon, and Nissa, Voice of Zendikar basically to provide counters.
I think if I tried Shaman again, I would try an Experimental Frenzy build and trying to maximize that in a Shaman world with Mana dorks and trying to maximize that flow of stuff.
We completely fall down on Combo decks and Creature combo decks. However, those are a large part of the meta or at least a significant part and spells trouble for us. If the meta was all creature aggro and interactive decks, we would be fine and a decent option. Unlike Twin which would be could game our sideboards for, its hard to game our sideboards for all the potential match ups just like a lot of decks.
We can beat them if they stumble, but we can stumble and be less consistent as well and forced to draw sideboard removal spells.
My current mono-green deck started with bad creatures and I slowly bought Llawowar Elves, Commune with Nature for commons. I used whatever prey upon or rabid bites I could use. Uncommons went Thrashing Brontodon, Thunderherd Migration, and finally Savage Stomp. I may get Drovers as I now have the full Savage Stomp collection. Rares have gone to Ripjaw Raptor to Deathgorge Scavenger (only have one). Mythics went Carnage Tyrant to Vivien Reid.
I picked up some stuff from packs/drafts/sealed events etc. Some cards that were really good that I was sad to get rid of was Blanchwood Armor. It gave me some unexpected wins on a carnage tyrant or ghalta or a couple memerable ones on a Llanwar Elf to provide another big attacker.
My current mono-green deck for Best of Ones.
4 Llanowar Elves
1 Cherished Hatchling
1 Deathgorge Scavenger
4 Thrashing Brontodon
4 Ripjaw Raptor
1 Gigantosaurus
4 Carnage Tyrant
2 Ghalta, Primal Hunger
4 Thunderherd Migration
4 Savage Stomp
1 Rabid Bite
My goal next is to pick up Rootbound Crags and then Regisaur Alpha after I pick up the Scavengers. Then I plan on picking up Temple Gardens and Clarions. After that I will pick up sideboard cards like Risk Factor and maybe another banefire.
I got up to gold 4. I really miss boardwipes. It's going to be a while. I still have some deathgorge scavenger to get before I get alphas and crags, let alone temple gardens, sacred foundries, and clarions
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Cavern of Souls
3 Forest
1 Mountain
3 Stomping Grounds
1 Pendelhaven
1 Kessig Wolf-Run
1 Windswept heath
4 Collected Company
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
2 Eternal Witness
3 Flamekin Harbinger
1 Fauna Shaman
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Bosk Banneret
2 Burning-Tree Shaman
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Loaming Shaman
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
2 Metallic Mimic
1 Firemantle Shaman
1 Fulminator Mage
2x Loaming Shaman
3x Fulminator Mage
2x Reclamation Sage
3x Dismember
2x Experimental Frenzy
3x Essence Warden
I like Nissa, Voice of Zendikar to provide extra counters essentially as well as make Birds more viable a component.
Instead of Collected Company, what are your thoughts on Experimental Frenzy? I think I might play either vial and/or birds with it?
Conflagerate is one of the reasons that Dredge can do so well and doesn't have as many weaknesses. Banning this card will handle its reach, but also allow small/large creature based decks to beat or at least handle dredge. This would provide an interesting way for dredge to keep control and possible midrange down, but also allow it to have a weakness for creature based strategies.
It would also only hit dredge.
I think it work really well, especially provided some needed ramp. This might be a bit weird. We might need more mana.
1 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
1 Cavern of Souls
7 Forest
4 Arbor Elf
4 Utopia Sprawl
3 Experimental Frenzy
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Bosk Banneret
4x Burning-Tree Emissary
4x Rageforger
2x Eternal Witness
3x Burning-Tree Shaman
4x Rattleclaw Mystic
3x Dampening Sphere
2x Goblin Ruinblaster
2x Loaming Shaman
3x Essence Warden
3x Reclamation Sage
2x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
I would toss in a sacrifice effect and a recursion effect like nim deathmantle or the enchantment that brings a creature back if dead. The reason is things like False Prophet is a nigh constant boardwipe and clerics like to recur. In black you have some good sac effects to help clear the board. I would go for clerics rather than an aggressive deck, but a control type deck using controlling enchanments like Dictate of erebos and other like things to help control the board while getting synergy and value from the clerics you have. Academy Rector can help get the needed enchantments.
Clerics have a lot of ETB effects and the prevention of damage means you can play political. The fact that your clerics aren't big presents little problems surviving into the late game.
You play a patient game dealing with what is one the board, by boardwiping and keeping it clear until you get value either from returning clerics to your hand or the battlefield while the rest have to deal with your value and answers.
I want more dinosaur tribal, more tribal support (both generic and specific), and more Angrath and Huatli and Vraska (getting my wish there). I liked the race feeling of the set. I liked the setting quite a bit.