I'd just like to present as an alternative something of a budget version of Nykthos Green. I play only on MTGO and don't have Primeval Titans and they cost something like $25 each online so it's just not an option for me. I also don't have fetch lands or Stomping Grounds so any kind of red splash isn't an option either. So here is a fairly budget mono-green version that I've come up with. It's untested except for goldfishing where it usually kills on turn 4.
Having 19 Forests helps the deck run really smoothly. Since the curve is fairly low you can usually Wave early with X=5. In fact you often don't even need a Nykthos to do that if you have Arbor Elf/Sprawl/Garruk. Regardless, I'm only playing three Waves as I *hate* drawing two of them in my opening hand.
Eldrazi Monument may seem a little odd but I feel like the deck needs something to "get over" if the game runs long and Waving out a bunch of hasty creatures along with a Monument seems like a plan.
I wish my creatures were a little more durable. Reverent Hunter is such a beating but he dies to removal just like everything else.
I'd run Eternal Witness if I had fetch lands. That may sound like a dumb reason but I've playtested with Eternal Witness and it just feels stupid putting it into play with NOTHING in the graveyard to return to your hand. Fetch lands would at least let you use your Witness as a Yavimaya Dryad in pinch if needed.
So, I'd welcome constructive criticism. I understand since this deck doesn't play the power cards that naturally go with Nykthos then it can't possibly be considered the "best" version of Nykthos Green but I'd like to make it the best version that I can with the cards that I have. Thanks!
P.S. I've playtested Gigantiform in place of Eldrazi Monument and while it's spectacular in goldfishing it probably kind of sucks in real games.
Trying to play at work behind a firewall. Am able to connect and see all my decks with text descriptions but it doesn't seem to be downloading card art. I assume it's the company web filter that is dorking it up.
Is there an external link where I can download all the card art at home and maybe import it in some way?
TYPE: Budget on MTGO. Probably not budget IRL. Oddly enough, online Leaf-Crowned Elder is the most expensive card in the deck.
CURRENT COST: 17 tickets
REMAINING BUDGET:???
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Phyrexian MetamorphChameleon Colossus
STRATEGY: It ramps the mana up and lays fattie after fattie. It's usually going strong by turn five which may be one turn two late for competitive play.
Like everyone else, Death's Shadow was the first thing that popped into my mind but does that actually work? Even if it's in the graveyard doesn't Death's Shadow's power get adjusted by your life total?
If you really want to screw with people's heads play him out of the sideboard. They'll never know whether they should take all their removal out or not.
If anyone's got any ideas as to what to cut for Trading Posts, by the way, I'm all ears.
EDIT: Perhaps Timely and Terminus?
I don't have the benefit of playtesting to verify this but that would be a good start.
Adding Trading Post maybe necessitates some other subtle changes to the deck. I think Ichor Wellspring becomes a four-of (no idea what to cut for it.) I think you drop a Phyrexian Core (you now have redundant sac outlets) and add a Buried Ruin to fish back Trading Post as needed.
EDIT: I was actually looking at your 2nd list when I wrote that.
Why is Blight Mamba seeing so much play over Plague Myr? As tight as the land is in the deck I doubt you'll ever actually have two mana open to regenerate Blight Mamba but Plague Myr could make a turn three Wild Defiance a little more consistent.
Only 13 basic lands? Seems like you'd have to mulligan aggressively just to get a Forest. Maybe I'm too conservative but 15 seems like as low as I could go.
Is it OK to talk about spoiled M13 cards here? I know 4cc is towards the top of the curve for the deck but Sublime Archangel seems like a strong finisher.
Name: Sublime Archangel
Cost: 2WW
Type: Creature - Angel
Pow/Tgh: 4/3
Rules Text: Flying, exalted
Other creatures you control have exalted.
Illus. Cynthia Sheppard
Rarity: Mythic Rare
If you have nothing to gain, why not concede? I was at FNM recently where I got paired down against an opponent who had a draw. Our match went to game 3 and came out to a draw as well, although if I had one more turn, I would have definitely killed him, and he knew it. I asked him to concede to me, since he would be ineligible for prize with 2 draws, and it would put me at 2-0. However, he declined, took the draw, and went on to receive no prize, just like I said. I wound up in the draw bracket stuck playing against durdly decks because of him and his slow play.
Yeah, I'd never scumf*** my opponent like that if I had nothing to gain. The correct thing to do is concede.
It used to actually matter when DCI ratings were involved, especially at PTQs. Not so much now. Especially at FNM.
I could afford them I would run Mutavault in this deck in a heartbeat.
Is Inkmoth Nexus such a terrible substitute? They're pretty cheap online right now. Seems like flying would be a bonus with Mask of Memory and infect isn't a useless ability by any means.
So what are people's opinions on playing this deck rather than martyr proc or Wx tokens?
Sometimes Death and Taxes just auto wins. It almost feels like a combo deck in that respect. And if you want to go the Martyr route then Life and Taxes is a legitimate version of the deck.
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
4 Arbor Elf
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
3 Reverent Hunter
4 Boggart Ram-Gang
4 Vengevine
3 Arbor Colossus
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
3 Genesis Wave
Having 19 Forests helps the deck run really smoothly. Since the curve is fairly low you can usually Wave early with X=5. In fact you often don't even need a Nykthos to do that if you have Arbor Elf/Sprawl/Garruk. Regardless, I'm only playing three Waves as I *hate* drawing two of them in my opening hand.
Eldrazi Monument may seem a little odd but I feel like the deck needs something to "get over" if the game runs long and Waving out a bunch of hasty creatures along with a Monument seems like a plan.
I wish my creatures were a little more durable. Reverent Hunter is such a beating but he dies to removal just like everything else.
I'd run Eternal Witness if I had fetch lands. That may sound like a dumb reason but I've playtested with Eternal Witness and it just feels stupid putting it into play with NOTHING in the graveyard to return to your hand. Fetch lands would at least let you use your Witness as a Yavimaya Dryad in pinch if needed.
So, I'd welcome constructive criticism. I understand since this deck doesn't play the power cards that naturally go with Nykthos then it can't possibly be considered the "best" version of Nykthos Green but I'd like to make it the best version that I can with the cards that I have. Thanks!
P.S. I've playtested Gigantiform in place of Eldrazi Monument and while it's spectacular in goldfishing it probably kind of sucks in real games.
Is there an external link where I can download all the card art at home and maybe import it in some way?
23 Forest
Creatures
3 Treefolk Harbinger
4 Bosk Banneret
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
4 Dungrove Elder
4 Dauntless Dourbark
3 Leaf-Crowned Elder
4 Ghoultree
4 Search for Tomorrow
2 Basilisk Collar
2 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Overwhelming Stampede
TYPE: Budget on MTGO. Probably not budget IRL. Oddly enough, online Leaf-Crowned Elder is the most expensive card in the deck.
CURRENT COST: 17 tickets
REMAINING BUDGET:???
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Phyrexian Metamorph Chameleon Colossus
STRATEGY: It ramps the mana up and lays fattie after fattie. It's usually going strong by turn five which may be one turn two late for competitive play.
I don't have the benefit of playtesting to verify this but that would be a good start.
Adding Trading Post maybe necessitates some other subtle changes to the deck. I think Ichor Wellspring becomes a four-of (no idea what to cut for it.) I think you drop a Phyrexian Core (you now have redundant sac outlets) and add a Buried Ruin to fish back Trading Post as needed.
EDIT: I was actually looking at your 2nd list when I wrote that.
Only 13 basic lands? Seems like you'd have to mulligan aggressively just to get a Forest. Maybe I'm too conservative but 15 seems like as low as I could go.
Cost: 2WW
Type: Creature - Angel
Pow/Tgh: 4/3
Rules Text: Flying, exalted
Other creatures you control have exalted.
Illus. Cynthia Sheppard
Rarity: Mythic Rare
It used to actually matter when DCI ratings were involved, especially at PTQs. Not so much now. Especially at FNM.
Is Inkmoth Nexus such a terrible substitute? They're pretty cheap online right now. Seems like flying would be a bonus with Mask of Memory and infect isn't a useless ability by any means.
Sometimes Death and Taxes just auto wins. It almost feels like a combo deck in that respect. And if you want to go the Martyr route then Life and Taxes is a legitimate version of the deck.