Historical note: I designed this deck in the middle of Khans of Tarkir, (27-11-2014) on the premise "how fast can green devotion get big?" Turns out, so fast that you run out of things to cast. The solution, Temur Ascendancy made the mana faster and gave unending card draw. In fact, even without a literal infinite combo you could actually just Storm through your entire deck to instakill. But it was tier 3. Then 2 weeks before FRF, Temur Sabertooth was spoiled and the deck suddenly became a thing. I took it to my Release event and did well. People read about it on mtgsalvation and it became the breakout deck at the starcity open.
Updated for Fate Reforged.
The Jeskai aren't the only clan to go infinite! There's also no limit to Temur's fierceness!
Draw your deck, fill the board, and attack for lethal in one turn.
The first 4 turns are a normal green devotion game. Around turn 6 you combo out. Generate a bunch of mana to play creatures that draw cards and increase devotion to generate more mana than you started with. In the end you have a fist full of cards, a board full of creatures, your opponent's board is wiped clean, you gain a million life, and you attack for lethal.
KEY CARDS
Temur Ascendancy is the fastest route to victory. With it you activate mana creatures the same turn you play them, generating more mana to keep the combo going. It also lets you attack with all the big creatures you play without waiting a turn.
Temur Sabertooth - Yasova's pet kitty cat is the star of this deck's explosive power. Not only does it let you protect your creatures from premature removal by bouncing them, but with Ascendancy out, mana creatures can be replayed for infinite mana, and power creatures can be replayed for infinite card draw.
Massive RAMP
Karametra's Acolyte, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx give tons of mana.
Voyaging Satyr and Kiora's Follower double that mana.
Temur Ascendancy lets you cascade into huge devotion.
Singing Bell Strike
or Temur Ascendancy
+
Temur Sabertooth
combos with any of these creatures to repeatedly untap them for INFINITE mana.
Massive DRAW
Temur Ascendancy Numerous large creatures can trigger the draw. Many repeatedly.
Commune with the Gods - dig 5 deep for your missing combo piece for only 1G.
Genesis Hydra- fetch any enchantment or creature, and trigger more card draw when they enter the battlefield.
Eidolon of Blossoms - many enchantments lead to repeated card draw.
Massive OverKILL
Genesis Hydra - get any fatty you want, on the field now. (and a fat hydra as well).
Polukranos, World Eater - clear the board before attacks.
Nylea, God of the Hunt - grant trample and pump to break through.
Hornet Queen - the answer to flyers, and through bounce and replay, a lethal swarm of insects.
Crater's Claws
- X=18 anyone? What, they play lifelink? Okay, maybe X=143 then.
Hydra Broodmaster, monstrous for X=4 and get one 11/11 plus four 4/4s, all with haste, while drawing 5 cards. X=6 and that's 49 P/T.
Temur Sabertooth - Replay any of the above creatures for duplicate effect. For example, Genesis Hydra to keep searching combo pieces. Also, protection from removal.
Villainous Wealth - With a small adjustment to the mana base (Opulent Palace to start), you get more of your opponent's cards than your opponent.
SAMPLE GAME
In play, you have Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Voyaging Satyr, Courser of Kruphix, Polukranos, World Eater, and two Temple of Mystery.
In hand you have 2 Genesis Hydra and two lands.
(There's a million variations on this scenario that all work.)
Untap for turn 5, draw a card. Nothing special drawn, but Courser reveals a Temur Ascendancy. .
Tap 2 lands and Nykthos for 5. Tap Voyaging Satyr for Nykthos to up the mana to 8.
Play Genesis Hydra for X=4. Get Temur Ascendancy. Draw a card for Genesis Hydra coming in. It's Temur Sabertooth.
Nykthos is revealed on top. Play it (sac the old one). Use the two remaining mana to tap Nykthos for 8 mana.
Play Genesis Hydra for 6. Get Karametra's Acolyte, and draw a card..
Tap Acolyte for 11, play Temur Sabertooth, draw a card. 7 remaining.
Use Sabertooth to bounce Acolyte to hand, and play it again. 1 remaining. Tap Acolyte for 13.
Repeat 1000 times.
Monstrous Polukranos for 400. Destroy their board.
You could attack for lethal now, but if they didn't concede, no need to get destroyed by a Deflecting Palm! Patience guarantees success.
Bounce and replay Voyaging Satyr a few times to untap all your other lands.
Bounce and replay Polukranos a few times, drawing cards off of Ascendancy until your hand is stocked with creatures.
Play and bounce Nylea's Disciple a few times to gain a million life.
Now attack with half your creatures (no need to get Aetherspouted) for lethal.
Turn 5 kill! (Turn 6 or 7 is more common, especially if you're playing around removal.)
STRATEGY
There is so much built-in card advantage, don't worry about ordinary removal. Only watch that you don't get your best card eaten before it is useful. If necessary, hold back key creatures a turn.
Always play to maximize future mana first. Max cards is second. Play power only to serve the above aims or when needed to survive. Your reward will be overwhelming power next turn. When fetching cards, know that you need all 3 to win.
Playing cheap cards gains devotion. If you have multiple big rampers, play some little stuff before activating them and you'll get more mana to play with.
Genesis Hydra is the tricky. You often want to spend less than the full X available, so after you find something you can use remaining mana to cast something else. For example, often cards will be drawn after Hydra resolves. You may want to play them. But sometimes you really need one card and prefer to go all in. Figure out your game plan and play accordingly.
7 is the magic number for going infinite. It takes 6 to bounce and replay Acolyte with Sabertooth, 6 to bounce and replay Voyaging Satyr, untap Nykthos and activate it, 6 to untap something with Singing Bell Strike. So if you get 7 devotion and 6 mana available, you combo into infinite mana.
Don't overextend unless reaching for the kill. If you have 79 power out, don't put all 79 into Aetherspouts, and don't have all power in one guy to be downfallen.
Combos are not required to win. You can go nuts with just big mana and drawing lots of cards. So if your opponent has a serious threat, play
Singing Bell Strike
on it.
SIDEBOARD
Whisperwood Elemental - control, replacing Caryatid.
Nylea's Disciple - aggro
Setessan Tactics - bigger creature decks
Reclamation Sage - anti-enchant
Negate - cancel that problem card. Ugin or Perilous Vault for example.
Crater's Claws
- if you encounter a must kill creature or walker.
