The 3/3 attached flying body to the evasion enabler is nice, as is pumping wurms and splinterfrights when you mill it, but 5 mana is expensive, and if you mill them, then you are still stuck with big bodies with no evasion. But if you mill artful dodge then you can flash it back. And it makes it unblockable, which is so much better than giving it flying, with flying spirit tokens running around.
Of course, this is all mostly in theory as I havent gotten around to testing artful dodge much yet, other than a couple games...
but it won those games. Cast, and flashback on 2 ghoultrees, and the other game was on a ghoul tree and a boneyard wurm.
Also, and I know this is hard for me to even say, but... ugh, the intro pack gave me an idea: Chasm Drake. It gives our big bodies the much-needed evasion they crave (*cough* Ghoultree), and it's an easily-splashable non-green body itself, which can prove extremely useful.
Artful Dodge seems like a much better plan than chasm drake. Sure its not a creature, but 1 mana to make ghoultree or boneyard wurm unblockable (even better than flying) seems worth the trade off. And if you draw it, you can cast, and then flashback on 2 ghoultree/boneyard wurms!
Artful dodge solves the lack of evasion problem on ghoultree.
I cant believe I missed that card, until looking at the visual spoiler on wizards sight! It seems amazing. 1 mana to get in 10 damage, and 1 mana to flash it back on another tree, or a boneyard wurm.
And yet your satisfied with someone telling you now have to jump through hoops, for no actual gain, because of flavor? Flavor should enhance cards, it should be a part of their design, it should not be an afterthought, tacked on to fill a slot in a set.
I think tacking on a red ability like haste just to make it painfully obvious to everyome where the red comes from is more unoriginal design.
i would rather have the flavour be more obvious, instead of simply taking the easy way out, by making a creature, and giving it ability A, B, and C for each colour.
i started with a similar build when i made my giants deck...
and ran into many problems.
alot of cards were REALLY good when i had a daredevil out. like the harbinger for example. but if you dont have one..they become quite subpar. the daredevil, while providing super fast giant excel..always seemed to get killed right away.
also getting swarmed by fast creatures...made me want to play wrath. thundercloud shaman solves to an extent, but then you will lose daredevil. for the same reason i stopped running the kithkin as well. so instead, i tried a more controllish giant build. instead of the stinkdrinker daredevils, i used just mind stones, and totems. (4 and 3) they provide near permanent mana accel, and the totem, also a win condition. i think you should keep your lenses and up the totems. i dont know why the poster above called the totem a mana fixer...id call it mana accel, and win condition, and i think its a must. and feudkillers verdict is awesome.
so anyways, my changes would be:
-3 kithkins
-4 stinkdrinker daredevil
-3 desolation giant
-2 giant harbinger
-1 bloodfire colossus
-1 coalition relic
+2 thundercloud shaman
+2 forysian totem
+2 incinerate
+2 oblivion ring
+3 wrath of god
+2 feudkillers verdict
+1 pyroclasm
Earwig Squad - a creature which is currently in a very mediocre tribe and doesn't really play any good 1-2 drop rogues to take advantage of the turn 3 Prowl.
sure there is.
[card]
Squeeking pie sneak
[/card] is a rogue. and so is prickly boggart. both have fear, even increasing the chances of being able to activate prowl. id love to remove all my opponents damnations..
I like the harbinger. if u manage to get it, plus the stinkdrinker goblin, then he costs 3 and gives you a 4/3. drawing him later in the game is good as well, since he will bring along a friend to the top of your library. and i woudlnt discount oblivion ring just because its 3 mana. remember its not JUST creatures that it gets rid of. its any non land permanent. Its an answer to a lot of things, and that makes it valuable.
The list looks good. creature base is pretty much what im running. How is the mana tithe? seems a little wierd in the deck. but aside from that it looks solid.
on another note, im thinking of testing it without the goblins and going with artifact acceleration instead. the goblins are awesome to power out the giants, but a mind stone and totem would basically make them cost 2 less as well. i wanted to try wrath of god in the deck. and the goblin would die to the wrath. it also dies when you play the thundercloud shaman..so i have been playing games where the shaman has just been sitting in my hand because i had the goblin out. just seems counterproductive to be running both...
your creature base looks similar to mine, but ive got blind spot giants, and no owl keepers. and ive got harbingers, with only 1 sovereign, and arbiter. i dont like tarfire in the deck though. nothing in the deck takes advantage of the tribal. so its just going to help opposing goyfs...i would either switch it for shock, if you really want the one mana 2 damage instant, or better, crush underfoot, or even crib swap.
yah, i forgot how tough it can be to get 4 of the power uncommons from the large sets. often times even 2 boxes wont do it.
how is nath working out in testing? i havnt played with him very much, but when i did, he didnt seem to do much..if he can come out turn 3 or 4 he helps, but later on, when the opponents hand is depleted, hes an expensive 4/4..
1. You're paying 2G for a 2/2. A 2/2 deathtouch isn't that unreasonable, certainly not exceptional. It's not underpriced like the Vanquisher. In my experience, there are too many better options for 2G in Standard Elves (including Imperious Perfect and Llanowar Sentinel, which unlike the wolf can be pumped by the Perfect) for it to be worthwhile making the tokens in the first place. It's the same choice you'd face if you have a 2G 2/2 deathtouch and a Perfect in hand and have to decide which to cast.
in that sense it makes it seem weaker, but its true power comes from the fact you can being able to make as many as you have the mana for, at instant speed. sure a perfect would be much better to play, with your three mana, but what about when you have nothing left in your hand?
yah, i dont feel like dishing out a ton of cash for a playset of tarmogoyfs either. whats cool about giants is none of the cards are expensive to get or trade for. the highest being brion stoutarm, for $4. not that im a budget player, mind you. I just didnt buy as much future sight as i normally buy, so only ended up with 1 tarmogoyf.
the fun is playing around with the overlooked, underplayed tribe. faeries, and goblins and elves are everywhere and giants gives a chance to play something different, and something you have to work with a lot. instead of just throwing in the best goblin cards, or the best kithkin cards.
ah, the coldsnap giants! they seem like good inclusions. the grunt would give a two drop instead of kithkin greatheart...which isnt terrible anyways, but a turn 2 giant before a turn 3 blindspot giant would help. the owl keeper is perfect if the deck wants to play a wrath version, to help stall until you can clear the board. Ill test them out after, but so far games have been going decent with turn 2 greatheart, turn 3 stinkdrinker, turn 4 brion, with 2 mana left for incinerate or even better, crush underfoot. allowing you to kill almost anything thats going to be on the board, plus gain 4 life. then you can gain another 4 life with brion as a blocker next turn if they attack.
Of course, this is all mostly in theory
but it won those games. Cast, and flashback on 2 ghoultrees, and the other game was on a ghoul tree and a boneyard wurm.
Artful Dodge seems like a much better plan than chasm drake. Sure its not a creature, but 1 mana to make ghoultree or boneyard wurm unblockable (even better than flying) seems worth the trade off. And if you draw it, you can cast, and then flashback on 2 ghoultree/boneyard wurms!
I cant believe I missed that card, until looking at the visual spoiler on wizards sight! It seems amazing. 1 mana to get in 10 damage, and 1 mana to flash it back on another tree, or a boneyard wurm.
I think tacking on a red ability like haste just to make it painfully obvious to everyome where the red comes from is more unoriginal design.
i would rather have the flavour be more obvious, instead of simply taking the easy way out, by making a creature, and giving it ability A, B, and C for each colour.
seismic assault??
you wont have any lands in hand to discard thanks to the crusher...
and ran into many problems.
alot of cards were REALLY good when i had a daredevil out. like the harbinger for example. but if you dont have one..they become quite subpar. the daredevil, while providing super fast giant excel..always seemed to get killed right away.
also getting swarmed by fast creatures...made me want to play wrath. thundercloud shaman solves to an extent, but then you will lose daredevil. for the same reason i stopped running the kithkin as well. so instead, i tried a more controllish giant build. instead of the stinkdrinker daredevils, i used just mind stones, and totems. (4 and 3) they provide near permanent mana accel, and the totem, also a win condition. i think you should keep your lenses and up the totems. i dont know why the poster above called the totem a mana fixer...id call it mana accel, and win condition, and i think its a must. and feudkillers verdict is awesome.
so anyways, my changes would be:
-3 kithkins
-4 stinkdrinker daredevil
-3 desolation giant
-2 giant harbinger
-1 bloodfire colossus
-1 coalition relic
+2 thundercloud shaman
+2 forysian totem
+2 incinerate
+2 oblivion ring
+3 wrath of god
+2 feudkillers verdict
+1 pyroclasm
coming into play as a 6/3 trample haste, that can still be pumped larger..
sure there is.
[card]
Squeeking pie sneak
[/card] is a rogue. and so is prickly boggart. both have fear, even increasing the chances of being able to activate prowl. id love to remove all my opponents damnations..
on another note, im thinking of testing it without the goblins and going with artifact acceleration instead. the goblins are awesome to power out the giants, but a mind stone and totem would basically make them cost 2 less as well. i wanted to try wrath of god in the deck. and the goblin would die to the wrath. it also dies when you play the thundercloud shaman..so i have been playing games where the shaman has just been sitting in my hand because i had the goblin out. just seems counterproductive to be running both...
your creature base looks similar to mine, but ive got blind spot giants, and no owl keepers. and ive got harbingers, with only 1 sovereign, and arbiter. i dont like tarfire in the deck though. nothing in the deck takes advantage of the tribal. so its just going to help opposing goyfs...i would either switch it for shock, if you really want the one mana 2 damage instant, or better, crush underfoot, or even crib swap.
how is nath working out in testing? i havnt played with him very much, but when i did, he didnt seem to do much..if he can come out turn 3 or 4 he helps, but later on, when the opponents hand is depleted, hes an expensive 4/4..
in that sense it makes it seem weaker, but its true power comes from the fact you can being able to make as many as you have the mana for, at instant speed. sure a perfect would be much better to play, with your three mana, but what about when you have nothing left in your hand?
the fun is playing around with the overlooked, underplayed tribe. faeries, and goblins and elves are everywhere and giants gives a chance to play something different, and something you have to work with a lot. instead of just throwing in the best goblin cards, or the best kithkin cards.