Here's the "Budget" list I've put together. I hope to run it this week or next at my LGS. The only Budget considerations have been Noble Hierarch and Cavern of Souls.
With both being reprinted in UMA, they should be much more accessible in a couple months.
It's hard to tell how much removal you need when you're just goldfishing and I may have taken too much out, but I really enjoy the consistency the list above has and the additions of Rhonas the Indomitable, Domri Rade, and Oath of Nissa are quite fun. There's pretty much nothing you hate to hit with BBE. I don't like one-of's and I'm not convinced of the usefulness of Kessig Wolf Run, but I'll give it a shot and see how it goes. Tempted to replace it with Zhalfirin Void though.
UPDATE:
Playing at the LGS went well, I went 2-1 overall.
Match 1 was against a relatively new-to-the-deck Izzet Storm player and was an uneventful 2-0 with him being one mana away from killing me game two which I credit to good/lucky choices for Gifts Ungiven
Match 2 was against a player borrowing 8-Whack. Went almost to time for a 2-1 win. All three games were close and sideboarding-in 2x Kozilek's Return and 1x Pyroclasm made all the difference (as you would expect).
Match 3 was against a VERY experienced Grixis Death Shadow player. After a pretty bad mis-play Game 1 where I -2'd Domri Rade AFTER combat damage targeting my Eldrazi Obligator and his Death's Shadow, we had two exceptionally close games with a lot of math, but I eventually lost Game 3.
Overall, I had a blast and learned a fair bit. I still don't like Kessig Wolf Run and will probably run Zhalfirin Void next time. Wastes is another option, but I don't have reason to think it's necessary in my meta... so far...
Running more than one Kessig Wolf Run is also an option
I've read all the 2018 posts in this thread and really look forward to hearing from the group. I know that the anti-counter is a HUGE part of playing Cavern, but if you HAD to not play it, what would you replace it with?
Still looking forward to what the hive-mind has to think about the above alternate lands as well!
Hey there!
So Im building this deck, and quite like it so far. Im not currently buying caverns, so I need some advise on what I could substitute Cavern of Souls with.
I know there isnt a card quite like it, but what would you choose for the best substitute if u needed to do so?
My friend recommended gemstone caverns, which seems interesting, but not sure if it quite fits the deck.
Thanks in advance!
I would say Unclaimed territory is the closest you can be to Cavern of Souls, but the anti-counter tech makes a really big difference.
I'm in a similar boat; holding out on Noble Hierarch and Cavern of Souls until I'm sure I want to commit financially to the deck. I've swapped in Birds of Paradise for the Hiearchs and Unclaimed Territory for the Caverns at the moment, but also came across the following lands on Gatherer that may be helpful:
Running more than one Kessig Wolf Run is also an option
I've read all the 2018 posts in this thread and really look forward to hearing from the group. I know that the anti-counter is a HUGE part of playing Cavern, but if you HAD to not play it, what would you replace it with?
4x Birds of Paradise
4x Eldrazi Obligator
4x Matter Reshaper
2x Rhonas the Indomitable
4x Thought-Knot Seer
4x Bloodbraid Elf
4x Reality Smasher
Planeswalkers
2x Domri Rade
Noncreature Spells
4x Ancient Stirrings
4x Lightning Bolt
2x Oath of Nissa
2x Wooded Foothills
1x Stomping Ground
4x Grove of the Burnwillows
4x Karplusan Forest
4x Eldrazi Temple
3x Unclaimed Territory
1x Kessig Wolf Run
2x Forest
1x Mountain
2x Ancient Grudge
2x Seal of Primordium
2x Scavenging Ooze
1x Pyroclasm
2x Kozilek's Return
2x Crumble to Dust
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Damping Sphere
UPDATE:
Playing at the LGS went well, I went 2-1 overall.
Still looking forward to what the hive-mind has to think about the above alternate lands as well!
- Sunscorched Desert
- Ramunap Ruins
- Hashep Oasis
- Fire-Lit Thicket
- Ash Barrens
- Zhalfirin Void
Running more than one Kessig Wolf Run is also an optionI've read all the 2018 posts in this thread and really look forward to hearing from the group. I know that the anti-counter is a HUGE part of playing Cavern, but if you HAD to not play it, what would you replace it with?