MTG Salvation

A fair chunk of recent changes are aimed at finally replacing holdover cards from the 1v1 version of this deck. Many of those cards played decently well in 1v1 but just have too much variance when it comes to multiplayer. Overall these changes balance out the power of removal. Older removal was a bit more niche than was healthy and utility creatures were a bit too strong compared to the amount of answers to them.

• Scattered Groves replaces Temple Garden
• Ash Barrens replaces Safewright Quest

• Jade Mage replaces Selesnya Guildmage
The +1/+1 mode just isn't as good when the core creatures are growing to be more spread out. Repeatable 1/1 chump blockers is the most appealing part of this and doubling at 6 and 9 being achievable makes this a good swap.

• Gnarlwood Dryad replaces Death-Hood Cobra
With multiplayer, this is attacking less, so having to hold up mana for deathtouch makes the snake pretty bad, even if it can block fliers. This one turns into a threat when drawn late to help end games.

• Deathcap Cultivator replaces Avacyn's Pilgrim
This solves the problem of bad mana dorks. In smaller settings, 1/1 bodies can be made relevant fairly easily. This setting needs more longevity when flooding out late. Deathtouch is natural even if this change prevents the deck from moonlighting as a commander deck.

• Clear Shot replaces Dromoka's Command
This is a questionable change, but it makes it harder for this to 2-for-1 combat tricks, allows it to BE a combat trick, and allows deathtouch creatures to damage big creatures without dying. The blow out scenario is also lessened with awkward interactions with removing aura-based removal in combat.

• Choking Restraints replaces Contagion Glasp
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats. Instead of being expensive and targeting utility creatures, it's cheap, and stops big creatures before being a mana sink to deal with creatures with abilities late.

• Provoke replaces Detainment Spell
Doesn't answer threats as easily, but allows social play and deals with utility creatures with no card cost.

• Blessed Alliance replaces Martial Law
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats but does untap creatures tapped down by tappers. Detain is awkward and was ultimately just a 1 for 1.

• Faith Unbroken replaces Vow of Duty
This has better gameplay as the vow typically clogged the board and didn't answer utility creatures. This cleans up utility creatures decently, especially those that accrue value over time.

• Elder of Laurels replaces Seedcradle Witch
This is less-dependent on the ability to ward off early plays and is less of an oppressive ability.

• Unstable Obelisk replaces Selesnya Keyrune
This is more tension and ramp-desiring / pay off. This may be less useful midgame though. This is one of the few remaining ways of getting an aura off your big threat.

• Become Immense replaces Beast Within
This targets combat rather than being efficient, flexible removal. This slot no longer destroys auras and doesn't leave behind a 3/3 token to be dealt with.

• Prepare // Fight replaces Test of Faith
Untap combat trick has more play to it than a flash aura that eats deathtouchers.

• Ainok Bond-Kin replaces Phyrexian Revoker
Early game 2/1s are just bad now and utility creatures are less important than in 1v1

• Heliod's Emissary replaces Wiltleaf Cavaliers
Aggro needs a bit more assist than beefy vigilance. This is now a mana sink and adds to delirium

• Benevolent Offering replaces Briarhorn
Testing out flying tokens and life gain. Might be too much of a liability, but Briarhorn was always too much of a blow out.

• Dragonscale General replaces Auriok Bladewarden
Trying something new.

• Sentinel of the Eternal Watch replaces Coalition Honor Guard
Flagbearers are significantly more awkward in multiplayer where they prevent opponents from killing each other's creatures.

• Conifer Strider replaces Acidic Slime
• Domesticated Hydra replaces Kavu Primarch

Golgari Decoy is now on the watch list because there are very few things it can actually interact against in a satisfying way compared to before. I think there are fewer permanent buffs it can acquire but it still may have enough buffs for it to be usable.

As I'm not presently able to edit the post, here are some recent changes:

•Dromoka's Command replaces Selesnya Charm
•Divine Verdict replaces Radiant's Judgment
These cards ended up sandbagging without good targets and ultimately could only get used against the big top end threats. This generally meant that the midrange 4/4s would rule the game. The change opens up more removal options to the midranged threats.

•Death-Hood Cobra replaces Seeker of Skybreak
•Lace with Moonglove replaces Vines of Vastwood
Dromoka's Command hates on smaller creatures and rewards larger ones, so these changes are there to remove some of the cards that scale with large creatures and provide a bit more strength to the small ones. Lace With Moonglove in particular is excellent at making a random 1/1 relevant.

•Citadel Castellan replaces Qasali Pridemage
With the inclusion of Dromoka's Command, I'm looking to prune some of the enchantment hate as it is a buff to threats, particularly the biggest ones. I want to cut Acidic Slime as well, but not just yet.

•Sickleslicer replaces Oracle of Nectars
This is a better mana sink and is more relevant later. The life was only really meaningful in the 2-player version where it could easily be oppressive.

•Skyhunter Skirmisher replaces Apex Hawks
While the Hawks are a natural mana sink, the double striker scales better with buffs, both own and other. This is a test, but may be reverted if the Vow enchantments prove to be too aggressive on it.

•Obsessive Skinner replaces Gigantomancer
Gigantomancer was a poor payoff for top end. It's very likely that Obsessive Skinner is too strong. Either way, with both of these top end cards becoming efficient cheap spells, I need to be mindful of including more mana sinks or just more large top end creatures.

•Avacyn's Pilgrim replaces Bloomtender (Needed Bloomtender for another deck)

•Canopy Vista replaces Sapseep Forest

•Topplegeist replaces Angelsong
•Banishment Decree replaces Awe Strike
Angelsong was a cute idea as a political tool and a way to punish someone for going all in on a kill but could also be cycled if need be, which was a cute interaction with Mul Daya Channelers. However, this was generally a trap card and just bad. Awe Strike was much the same way, though in a world with more deathtouch, damage prevention spells could theoretically be more potent. I'll have to keep an eye on Test of Faith which will likely help protect big creatures from deathtouch far more than it will be used in a double block something like Terrifying Presence would be a more welcome deathtouch-relevant combat trick since it lets the smaller creature eat the bigger one. Banishment Decree now introduces Mind Control into the deck and is particularly relevant given that it can steal removal auras or large threats.

I love the simplicity of Goblin Diplmoats and the grindy games it produces.

Quote from mtglover123

Im working on a standard white weenie myself

Thank you for commenting. It made me realize that I needed to put a heading on this.

As an afterthought, I've noticed that the Stacks I've enjoyed the most create interesting and complex board states with cards that offer interesting and meaningful choices to players.

I also like it when more of the lands players draw are relevant. Either there are things for players to do with more mana. Or the lands turn into spells. Or the lands provide a rare splash color.

I prefer splashes to give bonus options on cards that have already been played, affecting as many cards as possible while still being reasonable cards without the added effect. I will allow few cards that outright require the color and such cards must provide extreme utility in the context of the deck.

Looking a bit closer at the interactions available, I need to add Needlepeak Spider and probably will have to cut Tuktuk. Dragon Egg would probably substitute for Tuktuk, though it pushes the focus away from artifacts (which may or may not be a good thing).

If the combat tricks and their increased relevance aren't enough to deal with Tuktuk and it IS cut, I can probably cut Scrap as well.

Keeping Tuktuk in would be similar to keeping Shivan Dragon in core set limited. Sometimes, you just need some players to get free wins. The dragon can be dealt with, but not easily. However, Tuktuk shows up far more often than a draft bomb, is cheaper to cast and has been rather swingy as to whether you could deal with it or not.

Needle Drop and Grifter's Blade only give +1 damage, so in a square stats world, for them to work out, the size spread would preferably be small. Most of the creatures don't have square stats, though, so I'm not sure how this will end up working out. Needle Drop could end up being irrelevant.

As far as 1-drops go, I think Stonewright might work for now. I was tempted on including Dragon Hatchling, but given that the (R/G) lands are going to become forests, Dragon Hatchling would be very inconsistent at both attacking and trading. Were it a 1/1, it would have been in for sure. The deck's top-end toughness at 4+ is not helping it any either.

Stonewright, while not having flying, is a bit more flexible in how it allows you to trade up.

I still want an evasive creature. I was tempted on Goblin Balloon Brigade, you have to pay mana for the flying. Goblin Fireslinger can't block fliers, so combat tricks don't work on it. I think I'm really going to just have to find space for Needlepeak Spider or Crested Craghorn.

Kird Ape is another possibility, and with 4 forests and Fiery Fall, won't be too inconsistent. However, as a 1/1, it doesn't do ANYTHING unlike Flinthoof Boar.


Tattermunge Duo is a card I looked at a while back, but it seemed too strong then. Without all the instant speed burn, it might be fine, though it's still very hard to block.

Gruul Keyrune was another card I considered, but I'm not sure about. I like that it's a green source that asks you to get another green source, but by itself it's not that impressive. The ramp isn't needed from 3->5. I like the 3/2 body though. Copper Myr was another possibility here, though unlike Guardian Idol, it doesn't trade with anything.

I would also note here that I have tried a lot of different removal options over the course of this deck's life. The original version had Fatal Attraction (which I'm going to try again) and Galvanic Arc.

Fatal Attraction was not the best top deck which I'm going to be keeping an eye on. However, if it's one of the few good removal spells that remain, it should still be something that you'd want to draw. A new interaction, though is that the new green cards allow the enchantment to be destroyed before your upkeep which can make it harder to kill larger creatures with it.

The first strike on Galvanic Arc made creature size too relevant. You had to play it on something that couldn't be burned in response and then that creature had to be dealt with using removal, which was harder based on its size.

I tried Flame Slash briefly, but it turns out that tempo is a thing. ^^; Requiring 3-5 mana for hard removal is something I look to do now.

Where's Kicker? o.o


In any case, Equip wouldn't do that bad in a beauty contest. Compared to the old atrocious artifacts like Runesword, Equip is positively fabulous. It fills the flavor niche that would be vacant without it.

Now, if only problems with Auras could be ironed out...