Thanks! But you don't think the extra hexproof would be missed? I guess with that 1 mana spent I'm essentially missing out on +2/+2 or more provided by any other instant. I'll try that out!
Awesome Primer, I've referred to and utilised it many times in building my own list and drawing inspiration! Really in depth, which is what you want as a beginner on their first deck, as the details for each cards, the many interactions and general advice has been a great advisor.
If you have the time, check out my recently put up post, it's my take on a Marath token deck, albeit with a few budget limitations you don't seem to have
Here's my deck itself, my post below explains a few of the card choices you may find odd in comparison:
With the abilities of Kird Ape, Wild Nacatl, Loam Lion and Flinthoof Boar, do you feel that in order to fully utilise these one must have the shocks? And if not the shocks, then a change in the creatures needs to occur? Just wondering how budget on land one can go while keeping those 4 core creatures + Scavenging Ooze, Experiment One and Ghor-Clan Rampager. It feels that without shocks it will be severly underpowered on the creature side, let alone the actual mana base
Not sure if I'm comfortable with just 8 creatures, but moving to 12 with Necropede seems less efficient. What are people's opinions who've played both?
I run Giant Growth over Might of Old Krosa due to the often played Lightning Bolt during combat, particularly by those who are aware of Infect decks and the existence of Might, who would wait until out of +4/+4 range
This is my take on a Marath deck. It was born from the Precon for Commander 2013 and I built it up slowly with pieces that were more suited to Marath's ability, as opposed to Mayael, the Anima or Gahiji, Honored One. It is rather token and "goodstuff" themed but also abuses +1/+1 counters and utilises the effects offered by each of the Naya colours. Marath is a wonderfully versatile commander with access to aggro and board control, as his rather unique activated ability is adaptive in making him particularly formidable.
Here is my deck in its current state, it draws a high degree of influence from reading and utilising the Primer by Airithne, as well as info on Star City Games:
The Naya colours work beautifully together in Marath's requirements and gameplans -
Green offers amazing utility in ramp and overwhelming effects;
White offers control and removal; and
Red offers burn, aggression and Insurrection effects.
Counters and Marath
As one can quickly ascertain, Marath is a prime candidate for +1/+1 counter shenanigans. Both Hardened Scales and Doubling Season offer the ability to Pay 1 to "remove a counter from Marath' and subsequently 'place a counter on target creature' - Marath - in order to grant 2 counters and end up netting additional 1.
When attached with Basilisk Collar, Marath becomes a deathtouch/lifelink machine gunner, with 1 used to deal 1 damage to a creature enough to kill and grant 1 life, which is pretty good efficiency.
Incoming Additions:
Sensei's Divining Top will potentially be finding a place for this very reason, and it'll be playtested in the near future.
Other brilliant additions such as Dual Lands, Gaea's Cradle and Linvala, Keeper of Silence seem out of reach at present, but with the announcement of Modern Master's II, perhaps Linvala will get a look in!
Recent Changes
Sylvan Library has been added, adding some much needed card draw and top deck manipulation.
Soul of Theros has been added, as its anthem effect works wonderfully with a token themed deck.
My meta isn't overly intense, and being University students we are all aware that budgets limit our ability to build Top Tier decks that are competition grade, but nevertheless this deck was built with multiplayer in mind and to be competitive at a LGS and also casual games with friends. At times I have considered developing a 1v1 list for Marath that can switch cards in and out depending on the situation, but that is for another day and another forum!
Thanks for checking out my build, and any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Great post, apply for and develop as a Primer! Ezuri needs one for sure.
You may have removed him but Garruk Wildspeaker has amazing synergy with Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and Gaea's Cradle, even more crazily if both are on the field and untapped with him. This makes Primordial Sage more powerful as you can continually cast and draw with all the mana available. Just a thought, it's something I've had before, though it is magical xmas combo!
Also, Tooth and Nail can be used as a brutal finisher to fetch Craterhoof Behemoth and a token generator to give your Elves a huge pump, such as Avenger of Zendikar or Deranged Hermit, or even a Lord. It also has the added benefit over Green Sun's that Craterhoof can be in your hand, as opposed to the limitation Green Sun's has in it being required to be in the library.
Just some things to think about. Overall, a great list!
If you have the time, check out my recently put up post, it's my take on a Marath token deck, albeit with a few budget limitations you don't seem to have
Here's my deck itself, my post below explains a few of the card choices you may find odd in comparison:
3 Marath, Will of the Wild
Creature (27)
1 Rhys the Redeemed
2 Grand Abolisher
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Sakura-Tribe Elder
2 Voice of Resurgence
3 Eternal Witness
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Wild Beastmaster
3 Wood Elves
4 Anger
4 Iroas, God of Victory
4 Nylea, God of the Hunt
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Purphoros, God of the Forge
5 Belowing Tanglewurn
5 Gahiji, Honored One
5 Genesis
5 Seedborn Muse
5 Sigarda, Host of Herons
5 Xenagos, God of Revels
5 Zealous Conscripts
6 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
6 Sun Titan
7 Avenger of Zendikar
7 Molten Primordial
8 Craterhoof Behemoth
11 Worldspine Wurm
Artifact (4)
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
3 Chromatic Lantern
1 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Genesis Wave
3 Cultivate
3 Kodama's Reach
4 Skyshroud Claim
4 Wrath of God
7 Tooth and Nail
Instant (9)
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Sword to Plowshares
1 Wordly Tutor
2 Eladamri's Call
3 Beast Within
3 Chaos Warp
3 Chord of Calling
3 Krosan Grip
Enchantment (13)
1 Hardened Scales
2 Luminarch Ascension
3 Aura Shards
3 Beastmaster Ascension
3 Fires of Yavimaya
4 Greater Good
4 Parallel Lives
5 Assemble the Legion
5 Cathar's Crusade
5 Doubling Season
5 Mirari's Wake
5 Privileged Position
6 Mana Reflection
Planeswalker (2)
4 Ajani Steadfast
4 Xenagos, the Reveler
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Command Tower
1 Contested Gliffs
1 Flooded Strand
1 Gavony Township
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Krosan Verge
1 Mana Confluence
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Mossfire Valley
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
1 Sungrass Prairie
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Temple of the False God
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
6 Forest
4 Plains
3 Mountain
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/multiplayer-commander-decklists/581442-marath-the-token-master
4 Ichorclaw Myr
4 Rancor
2 Sylvan Scrying
4 Mutagenic Growth
2 Ranger's Guile
4 Vines of Vastwood
4 Giant Growth
4 Groundswell
4 Apostle's Blessing
2 Dismember
4 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Pendelhaven
13 Forest
4 tormod's crypt
4 nature's claim
2 guttural response
2 dismember
1 creeping corrosion
2 spellskite
Not sure if I'm comfortable with just 8 creatures, but moving to 12 with Necropede seems less efficient. What are people's opinions who've played both?
I run Giant Growth over Might of Old Krosa due to the often played Lightning Bolt during combat, particularly by those who are aware of Infect decks and the existence of Might, who would wait until out of +4/+4 range
3 Martyr of Sands
4 Serra Ascendant
4 Soul Warden
4 Soul's Attendant
4 Ajani's Pridemate
4 Squadron Hawk
1 Aven Mindcensor
3 Ranger of Eos
3 Path to Exile
4 Spectral Procession
4 Honor of the Pure
Lands (22)
2 Ghost Quarter
3 Windbrisk Heights
17 Plains
2 Immortal Servitude
1 Path to Exile
3 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
3 Suppression Field
2 Sundering Growth
1 Aven Mindcensor
What are people's thoughts on Leyline of Sanctity in the sideboard? I've seen and also not seen it in many decks that make it past Top 8.
Here is my deck in its current state, it draws a high degree of influence from reading and utilising the Primer by Airithne, as well as info on Star City Games:
3 Marath, Will of the Wild
Creature (26)
1 Rhys the Redeemed
2 Grand Abolisher
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Sakura-Tribe Elder
2 Voice of Resurgence
3 Eternal Witness
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Wild Beastmaster
3 Wood Elves
4 Anger
4 Jazal Goldmane
4 Nylea, God of the Hunt
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Purphoros, God of the Forge
5 Gahiji, Honored One
5 Genesis
5 Seedborn Muse
5 Sigarda, Host of Herons
6 Dragon Broodmother
6 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
6 Soul of Theros
6 Sun Titan
7 Avenger of Zendikar
7 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
8 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
8 Craterhoof Behemoth
Artifact (4)
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
3 Chromatic Lantern
1 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Cultivate
3 Kodama's Reach
4 Skyshroud Claim
4 Wrath of God
7 Tooth and Nail
Instant (9)
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Sword to Plowshares
1 Wordly Tutor
2 Eladamri's Call
3 Beast Within
3 Chaos Warp
3 Chord of Calling
3 Krosan Grip
Enchantment (14)
1 Hardened Scales
2 Luminarch Ascension
2 Sylvan Library
3 Aura Shards
3 Beastmaster Ascension
3 Fires of Yavimaya
4 Greater Good
4 Parallel Lives
5 Assemble the Legion
5 Cathar's Crusade
5 Doubling Season
5 Mirari's Wake
5 Privileged Position
6 Mana Reflection
Planeswalker (3)
4 Ajani Steadfast
4 Xenagos, the Reveler
6 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Command Tower
1 Contested Gliffs
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Flooded Strand
1 Gavony Township
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Krosan Verge
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Mossfire Valley
1 Plateau
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Savannah
1 Stomping Ground
1 Sungrass Prairie
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Taiga
1 Temple Garden
1 Temple of the False God
1 Winding Canyons
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
4 Forest
3 Plains
3 Mountain
The Naya colours work beautifully together in Marath's requirements and gameplans -
Green offers amazing utility in ramp and overwhelming effects;
White offers control and removal; and
Red offers burn, aggression and Insurrection effects.
Interesting Interactions:
Tooth and Nail
One of the best wincons in the deck is an entwined Tooth and Nail. A resolved Tooth and Nail can mean an instant win without a Stifle on a ETB trigger, with the combos offered by Avenger of Zendikar + Purphoros, God of the Forge or Avenger of Zendikar + Craterhoof Behemoth with or without a haste enabler (for the AoZ tokens) - for instance Anger in the graveyard or simply Fires of Yavimaya - to deal mass damage across opponents.
If just one opponent needs finishing off, a Xenagos, God of Revels + Worldspine Wurm offers a huge 60/60 trample creature alone at the dome.
Counters and Marath
As one can quickly ascertain, Marath is a prime candidate for +1/+1 counter shenanigans. Both Hardened Scales and Doubling Season offer the ability to Pay 1 to "remove a counter from Marath' and subsequently 'place a counter on target creature' - Marath - in order to grant 2 counters and end up netting additional 1.
When attached with Basilisk Collar, Marath becomes a deathtouch/lifelink machine gunner, with 1 used to deal 1 damage to a creature enough to kill and grant 1 life, which is pretty good efficiency.
Incoming Additions:
Sensei's Divining Top will potentially be finding a place for this very reason, and it'll be playtested in the near future.
Planned Additions:
Avacyn, Angel of Hope will one day become part of this deck, but for now I have a pseduo-Avacyn effect with the use of Sigarda, Host of Herons.
Other brilliant additions such as Dual Lands, Gaea's Cradle and Linvala, Keeper of Silence seem out of reach at present, but with the announcement of Modern Master's II, perhaps Linvala will get a look in!
Recent Changes
My meta isn't overly intense, and being University students we are all aware that budgets limit our ability to build Top Tier decks that are competition grade, but nevertheless this deck was built with multiplayer in mind and to be competitive at a LGS and also casual games with friends. At times I have considered developing a 1v1 list for Marath that can switch cards in and out depending on the situation, but that is for another day and another forum!
Thanks for checking out my build, and any feedback is greatly appreciated!
You may have removed him but Garruk Wildspeaker has amazing synergy with Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and Gaea's Cradle, even more crazily if both are on the field and untapped with him. This makes Primordial Sage more powerful as you can continually cast and draw with all the mana available. Just a thought, it's something I've had before, though it is magical xmas combo!
Also, Tooth and Nail can be used as a brutal finisher to fetch Craterhoof Behemoth and a token generator to give your Elves a huge pump, such as Avenger of Zendikar or Deranged Hermit, or even a Lord. It also has the added benefit over Green Sun's that Craterhoof can be in your hand, as opposed to the limitation Green Sun's has in it being required to be in the library.
Just some things to think about. Overall, a great list!