"You not only are hunted by others, you unknowingly hunt yourself" -Dejan Stojanovic, The Sun Watches the Sun
Card Choices:
Sylvan Caryatid: "The trees are not safe. Fire shall burn them down." -
Den Protector: "Come back brother! Your aid is still needed!"
Thunderbreak Regent: "I shall set the world ablaze..."
Stormbreath Dragon: "My eldest brother shall not be pleased upon your visit.."
Courser of Kruphix: "I foresee death in flames."
Whip of Erebos: " Even the pits of Erebos burn with a dragons flame."
Atarka's Command: "To arms! Our master shall arrive soon!"
Surrak, the Hunt Caller: "Time to feed my Lord.."
Dragonlord Atarka
:"...Leave."
Dragonlord Kolaghan:"...Seriously."
Why I enjoy this deck:
It started off as a Gruul Dragons brew with Den Protector over
Heir of the Wilds
and Atarka's Command over Crater's Claws. When I first saw Den Protector I knew it was a card worth using. I made the Gruul brew as soon as I saw it and more cards were spoiled. Then after awhile I saw CVM's versions, I personally feel he would have had a much easier time with
Heir of the Wilds
being a Den Protector in almost every match I saw him. But it made me happy seeing a deck like mine being broad casted, but it also made me think. After a few FNM wins and loses as Gruul, I noticed something. Dragonlord Kolaghan has a home in this deck type, along with it new spells such as Whip of Erebos. Why? Because of its ability. Granted this version does run Surrak, the Huntcaller, but a second haste option is never bad for
Dragonlord Atarka
. Now on to some interactions I enjoyed doing since I added black.
Stuck on 3 mana? unmorph Den Protector and grab a fetch land.
Whip of Erebos +
Dragonlord Atarka
= 5 free life and killing of things. Throw in a Surrak, the Huntcaller or Dragonlord Kolaghan for free haste.
Den Protector + anything you used or died = Value
Many more, but I am sure you can figure it out now.
Reason for Atarka's Command over Crater's Claws: As strong as the claws are; the land ramp into a free scry or even the free auto 3 damage topped along making guys bigger isn't actually the reason. It's the reach. Yes reach. Going against a type of mirror but they have Stormbreath Dragon out first and you just have a lonely Courser of Kruphix? Forget about the opponent getting 4 free damage, deal 3 to him and block with a 3/5 courser who will live, heck if you have 2 extra mana you can kill it with a
Draconic Roar
and deal another 3 (most likely with 14 dragons in the deck).
Den Protector Reasoning is self explanatory.
Sideboard reasons:
Why
Rending Volley
? Because it can kill Dragonlord Ojutai for 1 uncounterable mana. It can kill
Fleecemane Lion
Brimaz, King of Oreskos for 1 mana. It can kill quite the amount things actually.
Mistcutter Hydra
!? Been awhile since seeing this on screen, but why? It's hasty anti control fireball in creatureform. Course it dies to black removal, but it can add a finishing blow to most esper dragon decks too.
Everything else in my opinion is easy to understand.
