Hello!
This is a build of the Eldritch Evolution variant of the Greasefang combo deck for Pioneer!
The deck is built around getting vehicles into the graveyard, preferably Parhelion II, and then returning them to the battlefield using Greasefang, Okiba Boss, crewing the vehicle before declaring attackers, and then attacking for a lethal amount of damage within the next few turns.
The deck builds are usually split between how they tend to get copies of Greasefang from the deck and how they tend to get vehicles into the graveyard.
Eldritch Evolution builds focus on using creatures like Satyr Wayfinder and Stitcher's Supplier to mill the vehicle(s), and then using Eldritch Evolution or Can't Stay Away as additional insurance to get a copy of Greasefang into play.
Traverse the Ulvenwald builds focus on keeping their hand size large and discarding vehicles, keeping their graveyard closer to empty and using Delirium to search for a copy of Greasefang into their hand instead of onto the field.
These builds don't fold as hard to graveyard hate or interaction, but tend to operate a little bit slower.
At Pro Tour ONE, Cameron Sweetnam, Eli Loveman, and David Inglis piloted versions of this deck to varying levels of success.
I currently believe the particular build is up to personal preference, although I've made some notable changes over other "more traditional" builds.
-
I am running 3 of each backup vehicle. Due to the meta of August/September 2023, we've seen a decline in Rakdos Midrange and other decks that benefitted greatly from Esika's Chariot being a 4-of, and we're seeing a high meta share of decks where Skysovereign, Consul Flagship is the better choice for the slot, or both vehicles are equal. Many of the successful lists are running up to 3 Skysovereigns, and as such I've included 3 in my list.
-
Ray of Enfeeblement as a piece of removal is only really good against other Greasefang builds. I don't love the card and I don't think it is as good as other removal that could be played in that slot. I had two free sideboard slots that I have dedicated to Witherbloom Command for the time being, I may update these slots going forward.
-
Witherbloom Command is an amazing card. It is primarily used for 2-for-1s that are numerous in the current environment. The default mode of self-mill and drain is reliable and effective, if underwhelming at times, but the removal modes are effective to stop the cheap cards in many top meta decks. Llanowar Elves + Wolfwillow Haven, Cauldron Familiar + Witch's Oven, 1/1 Spirit + Curious Obsession, etc. 2 mana and 1 card to beat 2 mana and 2 cards is effective in the early turns of the game, and in all the examples represents a large wrench in the wheels of the respective decks by removing reliable sacrifice outlets, card advantage, or a significant amount of ramp.
I have a sideboard plan available here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wJeq_khq2GBVNcAKDBj18pWm_yGm_9JNUK_dU9XPsoQ/edit?usp=sharing
If you have any questions or want to discuss more about this deck or the archetype, join us on the Discord: https://discord.gg/M7n3MVwsbY
I post and interact a lot there, and I tend to keep everyone in the loop when it comes to statistics and probabilities of different outcomes using our deck.
I've taken this build and a previous variant to an RCQ top 4, and an RCQ top 2.
I'm planning to take this deck to the RC in Calgary at the end of September 2023, although I'm not sure if that's going to end up happening or not due to some personal issues.