I am really interested in the card uncage the menagerie and want to build a deck around it.
At x = 1, it really does nothing except maybe for modern uses
At x = 2, the card advantage and the power of 2cmc creatures are getting there. (grim flayer, fake bob, constrictors are all great choices) This can be cast on turn 3 with the help of mana dorks.
However, I think its best to have x=3 because you get 3 creatures from one card and 3cmc creatures are so much value.
I am torn between sultai / temur / bant. I think that green and blue are just because of rogue refiners and counters/draw. I could be wrong.
(please help provide value creatures at 3cmc)
For bant, thalia, spell queller, renegade rallier
For temur, pia nalaar, sin prodder, reckless bushwhacker
I choose sultai because of removal and discard that black brings and also Ammit Eternal
At first, I build the deck with a heavy creature base (about 20 creatures) plus nissa, SOE
Nissa on turn 3 and +2 allows for a turn4 free creature most of the time if unchecked because all of the creatures in the deck are at 3cmc. However, with the clusters of spell at 3cmc, it makes the deck vulnerable to aggressive aggros / tokens strategies. So I turned it into a early control/midrange deck with disruption in the early turns and hope to stabilize early. Then, turn 5 menageria into the creatures.
lets talk about the creature choices (please be critical on this part =)
rogue refiner : good body early, card advantage, helps aether hub
tireless tracker : in a deck with 23 lands and 4 attunes, its pretty good
ammit eternal : good body early, good body late, afflict is a good ability
rhonas : not so sure about this but this and kefnet on turn 6 seems good
kefnet : not sure about this too but after turn 5 menagerie, you should have 6-7 in your hand, late game would be easy to turn on
manglehorn : 1-of to be tutor and destroy troubling artifacts
early disruption:
fatal push, censor, supreme will (transgress the mind / negate / essence scatter?)
card filtering:
anticipate, censor, supreme will
planeswalker:
nissa can act as early game ramp, free 3cmc creature, filtering, late game finisher
(really want to make use of her)
other cards:
yahenni's expertise is great against aggressive decks and casting a rogue refiner or tireless tracker off it is great.
