A local player took the shell of this deck to GP Vancouver a while back as a joke. Wholly expecting to be eliminated early, he made it to the second day, and was pleasantly surprised with it's performance. After reading his post on social media, i was intrigued and have started tweaking it.
With devotion count, running Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, among other ramp cards, there is no mistaking the strategy. Ramp fast into a fatty. The difference being that this deck is also geared to interact with your opponent.
Primal Command is a key element in disrupting the opponent. Taking a permanent, very often a land, and putting it back on top of your opponents deck is so much a timewalk ability. Tutoring up a creature is usually done as well, but the other modes are certainly relevant, providing timely versatile play.
Arbor Elf help ramp a Forest enchanted with Utopia Sprawl as does a
Voyaging Satyr
along with a Nykthos. Burning-Tree Emissary synergies perfectly, as does
Chancellor of the Tangle
providing fast starts, and a stout creature for later game.
Garruk Wildspeaker is that bridge that ramps us into big game, as well as making a creature, and an alt-win con turning mana dorks into offensive threats with an easily obtainable ultimate.
Primeval Titan is big game, tutoring for lands, it can only take a few turns to thin the deck completely of lands. But many times fetching for a Kessig Wolf Run to finish with big attacks is this decks bread and butter.
This deck also is provided with toolbox elements with Primal Command fetching for serviceable creatures like Spellskite and Eternal Witness to value threats like Scavenging Ooze and Temur Sabertooth to finishers like Prime Time, Wurmcoil Engine and Craterhoof Behemoth.
Holding the fort and providing ample devotion count is good ole Leatherback Baloth. A 4/5 that can be cast consistently on turn 2 is solid.
Acidic Slime is a great card to keep the oppenent off lands, and Beast Within is a removal spell that also doubles into land destruction if the game dictates that an advantage. Sarkhan Vol helps produce a faster clock enabling haste for mana acceleration, and faster punch.
Explosive starts, such as an opening hand of a pair of
Chancellor of the Tangle
Three Burning-Tree Emissary, using the mana to trigger Nykthos for 6 mana, for a T1 Primeval Titan. Now that's a one land hand!
Silly starts aside, getting to an early Primal Command can win games. Allowing yourself time to set up well, before your opponent can get established or combo off. Retrieving an Eternal Witness to then re-cast Primal Command to pick up a Temur Sabertooth creates an effective chain.
This is meant to be a competitive deck, any comments, tips, or feedback is welcome.
