Creature (25)
Sideboard
Creature (4)
Enchantment (2)
Instant (5)
Sorcery (4)
Maybeboard
Creature (1)
Enchantment (1)
What comprises the ideal elf deck?
- The Typical Idea
- Adaptability
- Gaea's Cradle
- Emrakul
- Coat of Arms
- Speed
- Sideboard
- Suggested Swaps
- Notes/Comments
Table of Contents
Elves Accelerati
Exploration of Mono-Green Acceleration
Solomon's Final Revision
The Typical Idea:
To date, I've spent a significant amount of time mulling over many possible concepts (some thought up, others published online) for a decent Elf deck. Eventually, I came to the conclusion of assembling a deck based on the 'Elf Wave' rush strategy seen so often online, only this time with several alternate takes on the commonly exploited approach.
This deck focuses on providing early mana and creature acceleration (Llanowar Elves, Fyndhorn Elves, Heritage Druid, Priest of Titania, Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, Elvish Archdruid, etc), in preparation for Coat of Arms, Joraga Warcaller, and Elvish Promenade.
Rhys the Redeemed continually multiplies the creature count after an instance (or more) of Elvish Promenade, while a copy of Pendelhaven will keep deterrents like Shock from ruining your day.
However, you only have to worry about that for a moment, because following a short while, the combos 'Priest of Titania + Joraga Warcaller', 'Heritage Druid + Joraga Warcaller', and especially 'Joraga Warcaller + Immaculate Magistrate' then pump up your mid-game like heck and complete the final picture.
Meanwhile, Wirewood Lodge acts as a nice catalyst to the mana acceleration that you'll no doubt experience while playing this deck. When used with Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, this land will essentially triple the amount of mana available for exploitation, which you can then channel into the reinforcement of two Joraga Warcallers. Lastly, in case you're worried, up to two instances of Lead the Stampede keep you well from running out of cards to play.
Adaptability:
I would like to take the time to point out the extreme flexibility of this deck. The combos displayed above are merely suggestions as to the directions in which you can take. When you need to improvise your way out of a tight match, the deck's components are of such functional mutability that you can approach the game from a variety of unique strategies. Or, depending on the situation, you could arrive at a similar strategy from a plethora of different standpoints.
A prime example of the deck's mutability, the acceleration card Wirewood Lodge holds an enormous amount of potential. In addition to the combo mentioned above and some other uses you may have deduced (such as Elvish Archdruid or Priest of Titania), this land is also incredibly useful for the purpose of token acceleration. When grouped with Rhys the Redeemed and Heritage Druid, there is a reasonable possibility for you to quadruple, even octuple, the number of tokens created in one turn. After the first wave of tokens comes into play, you can use Wirewood Lodge to untap Rhys the Redeemed, and bring a second batch of tokens into play. Heritage Druid significantly lowers the mana price of accomplishing this procedure, by allowing your newborn tokens to pay for their own costs (they can't attack this turn anyway!). Rinse and repeat until all of your Wirewood Lodges become tapped.
As a second example of the deck's volatility, I would like to mention the multiple uses of the win-con Immaculate Magistrate in a game utilizing this particular stack of cards. As one of the two endgame cards employed in this deck, the ability to permanently strengthen up any target creature once per turn grants this creature an unprecedented level of power. Since its activated ability is treated like an Instant, it can give any one creature the final increment of brawn you need in order to finish off your opponent after an extremely close game. When combined with Joraga Warcaller and (if possible) Doubling Season as shown above, the card unleashes an Elvish hell onto the battlefield that tortures your opponent to death from the moment he/she realizes what you have just amassed. The amalgamation can substitute for two simultaneous Coat of Arms, with the added bonus of affecting only creatures you control; this proves a lifesaver when battling other tribal decks). The volatility of this endgame element anchors its usefulness in an acceleration deck such as this.
Gaea's Cradle:
I know you guys are probably groaning about this week's addition of Gaea's Cradle. It's the most expensive, cliche card to ever have in an Elf deck, right? Well, lucky for you, there's only going to be one of these money drains on the decklist. Furthermore, it's going to replace (and hopefully remedy) a main weak point pointed out in a previous week's decklist, the land card Oran-Rief, the Vastwood. Above all, however, I think that you're going to enjoy most the ways I've found in which you can exploit this card to a greater potential, and hopefully make this card worth our investment.
As an equally effective addition to the original Priest of Titania/Elvish Archdruid + Joraga Warcaller combination, Gaea's Cradle pays for half of the kicker cost incurred by Joraga Warcaller, doubling the amount of '+1/+1' counters added to the creature. Bringing the 'counter/creature' ratio up to 1:1, the combination would essentially reproduce the effect of Coat of Arms, raising the power of your Elves to a whole new level!
Now, for a couple of uses that don't seem so obvious at first glance.
A not-so-apparent illustration of Gaea's Cradle's potential uses, this example reveals how the Legendary Land can better facilitate the original Wirewood Lodge + Rhys the Redeemed combo. Instead of having to rely solely on Heritage Druid for the subsidization of ability costs, Gaea's Cradle adds to your list of mana bailouts for Rhys the Redeemed. You can make use of the land in order to save Elvish Archdruid and Priest of Titania for other uses, such as attacking and blocking. Being a land, Gaea's Cradle has the advantage of being able to tap on the turn that it is played, giving you a further edge on the battlefield!
In any scenario, there will only be one copy of Gaea's Cradle. Not only does this mean good news for your wallets, but in case you don't want the card in your hand, you'll only have to dump the land once with Slate of Ancestry, and you'll be mind-free of Gaea's Cradle for the rest of the game!
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn:
This card is an old veteran of the considerations list, having been the main board's top candidate for over three weeks. Now, it finally rises to the top, as one of the main endgame components of the deck's play strategy.
The usefulness of this card is almost completely self-explanatory. A successful ramp to this creature will pretty much hand you the game.
Its ability of Flying grants this creature an advantage over your opponent, limiting the pool of chump blockers that can disrupt the path of destruction created by this trump card.
Its ability of Annihilator 6 further inhibits the ability of your opponent to successfully initiate a block. Since the deck employs a mana acceleration strategy, you should be able to play Emrakul, the Aeons Torn relatively early on in the game, possibly before your opponent even gains the ability to assemble together six permanents. In any event, the creature's Annihilator ability will further lower the amount of resistance exhibited by your opponent.
As Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is uncounterable and has protection from all colored spells, you should have relatively low worries regarding any control methods that your opponent may attempt to use against it.
Lastly, since the successful casting of the creature awards you another full turn, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn essentially guarantees you a 15-damage hit against your opponent. All you need to do is power up the card with an Immaculate Magistrate to give yourself the game!
Coat of Arms:
Coat of Arms, the avenue to victory that so many stereotypical tribal decks depend on. From zombies to goblins, vampires to snakes, Why Can't We Have More Than Four Of That Darn Card?
Well, I'd like to take some time and mention a secondary objective that I've really spent effort towards using my little experience in Magic: The Gathering, and that is an effective solution to this conundrum.
After much time spent in research, I've managed to embed a couple of alternatives into the structure of this deck. It is probably by pure beginner's luck, or (more likely) by your excellent feedback/suggestions, that for now, the components of those combos are relatively self-sufficient and non-obtrusive when functioning separately from their respective combos. After completing more research, I'm reasonably certain that Elves hold the most potential (possibly second after Goblins) in substituting this particular effect efficiently.
With that, I'd like to take you through a couple of ways that can produce for us the 'Coat of Arms' effect in this deck.
A potent finisher and effective substitute for Coat of Arms, this combo unites two members of the Gaea's Cradle, Priest of Titania, and Elvish Archdruid trio. Each of the two pays half of Joraga Warcaller's kicker cost; since each card produces an amount of mana equal to the number of Elves you control, two of them working together will produce a power-up of each creature equivalent in degree to the number of Elves in play. Thus, an effect analogous to that of Coat of Arms is created.
Another potent substitute for Coat of Arms, this combo uses the same power-up engine as the previous one. However, this strategy utilizes the potential of Doubling Season to (effectively) halve the buffing cost of Joraga Warcaller; multiplying by two the number of '+1/+1' kicker counters placed on the creature allows you to essentially pay half-price for each individual counter, as long as the total amount of mana spent on the effect is even.
Heritage Druid serves as a decent alternative to the aforementioned family of mana barons. By tapping each creature under your control using the creature's ability, the same amount of mana is produced as Priest of Titania, Elvish Archdruid, or Gaea's Cradle. This total can then be used with Joraga Warcaller to replicate the effect of Coat of Arms.
Immaculate Magistrate is an excellent complement to the properties of Joraga Warcaller. The combination of these two effects not only emulates that of Coat of Arms, but it is both repeatable and stackable as well; the existence of Immaculate Magistrate's effect as a tap-activated ability strengthens the tactic even further. The possibility of further enhancing this strategy using Doubling Season grants this particular card combination a powerful advantage over the other substitutes.
I'm still looking for a more efficient method of alternatively powering the effect of Coat of Arms. Any feedback/suggestions regarding this topic will be greatly appreciated. Meanwhile, hopefully this section has enlightened you to more ways in which you can make use of this deck!
Speed:
I haven't playtested the deck enough to be able to accurately assess its speed. However, as it appears now, the game looks pretty 'solid' after about six turns of gameplay.
Sideboard:
Part of the sideboard is dedicated to experimenting with a faster, more aggressive win condition that I've read up on awhile ago (Beastmaster Ascension + Coat of Arms + Ezuri, Renegade Leader).
This combo is so dangerous that it can literally kill with only two unblocked '1/1' creatures on the board, and one of them can be Ezuri, Renegade Leader himself! That is, of course, assuming that Beastmaster Ascension's effect is activated.
Jagged-Scar Archers and Windstorm are among the two most effective mono-green cards I've found that counter flying creatures/decks.
Genesis Wave seems like a reasonable end-game component to have around, since it takes well advantage of the deck's mana acceleration capabilities. I've read that this card is somewhat of a staple in other aggressive beatdown strategies. Furthermore, as a mono-green card it appears to complement nicely with this deck.
Krosan Grip acts as an efficient means to rid of any pesky artifacts or enchantments that the opponent may possess. Its split second ability is well worth the three converted mana cost, as it prevents any variation of counters or boomerang spells from ruining your day.
Creeping Renaissance is a more recent addition to the sideboard, replacing Caller of the Claw as the emergency board-wipe countermeasure. Against spells like Wrath of God, Damnation, Day of Judgment, Extinction, and Nevinyrral's Disk, this sorcery will allow your precious elves another chance to return to the battlefield.
The rest of it is still a scattered mess that's up in the air, so any suggestions will be very much appreciated.
Suggested Swaps:
The following is an experimental section suggesting possible swap sequences between the sideboard and main deck.
Jagged-Scar Archers == Elvish Archdruid
Beastmaster Ascension == Coat of Arms
Ezuri, Renegade Leader == Elvish Archdruid
Windstorm == Doubling Season, Elvish Promenade, or some combination thereof
Krosan Grip == Doubling Season, Elvish Promenade, Immaculate Magistrate, or some combination thereof
Genesis Wave == Doubling Season, Elvish Promenade, Immaculate Magistrate, Lead the Stampede, or some combination thereof
Creeping Renaissance == Elvish Archdruid, Immaculate Magistrate, Lead the Stampede, Doubling Season, or some combination thereof
Notes/Comments:
Additional Improvements-
This section is now open to accommodate any minor card changes made after the release of the deck's final revision on October 20th. I intend to use this mini-section to improve the deck in view of any Magic developments published after the completion of this deck's final revision (for example, the release of later card sets such as Innistrad & Dark Ascension, pre-existing cards I have not yet heard of, etc). Thus concludes this brief description.
Feb. 2 The following is a brief, comprehensive list of all of the latest changes.
- Reduced count of Heritage Druid to two because of its (half) role as a facilitator.
- Increased count of Fyndhorn Elves to four because of its role as a staple in early-game mana acceleration.
- Replaced Slate of Ancestry with Lead the Stampede per SupremeAlliesCommander's wonderful suggestion. Thank you so much!
- Reduced count of Joraga Warcaller to two because of its role as a facilitator of power/toughness reinforcement.
- Increased count of Immaculate Magistrate to two because of its dual-role as both an endgame component and an essential facilitator of power/toughness reinforcement.
Hopefully, these changes have streamlined this deck, the focus of which has recently been brought into my attention. SupremeAlliesCommander, thank you so much for your kind, attentive, and educational words in addressing this matter. I have read over your comments thrice over, and have taken all of your advice into very careful consideration. What stood out most to me was your recommendation of Quirion Ranger. I have seen many players use this utility Elf to maximize their advantage by recycling certain Elven abilities; in order to grant this deck the same capability, I specifically included two Wirewood Lodges. In accordance with your suggestion to remove Slate of Ancestry, I have replaced the artifact with two copies of Lead the Stampede. Because of its (comparatively) cheaper converted mana cost and outstanding community rating on MTG Gatherer, I have decided to introduce this card into the decklist. I have tried to implement Nettle Sentinel multiple times in the past, but each time I ultimately fail to use the creature to its full/expected potential. As a result, after multiple revisions of popping the creature in and out of both the sideboard and mainboard lists, I have decided not to include the creature. However, I understand that Nettle Sentinel carries extreme potential in terms of mana generation abilities, and thus I will keep this card in mind for future improvements. I considered dropping Doubling Season in favor of Strength of the Tajuru. However, after much analysis, it turns out that the former card carries far greater uses than the multiple target, permanently buffing instant. As such, I have decided to reverse my original plan and drop Strength of the Tajuru for an additional copy of Doubling Season. Sidenote: as long as there are three or more Elf creature tokens on the battlefield, Doubling Season's effect outweighs Strength of the Tajuru's benefits in almost every conceivable area. Lastly, I considered reducing the count of Coat of Arms to two. However, after more than five past revisions, I have come to the conclusion that the artifact is a necessary staple in this deck, and thus keeping four copies of this tribal-based card on board remains a necessity.
To all other commentators, thank you so much for your feedback and suggestions. As this deck has reached its final revision (back in October of 2011), all future changes made to this deck will be minor adjustments, and most will be committed in response to the advent of future Magic the Gathering card sets. I greatly, greatly appreciate the intellectual level of conversation that has been maintained throughout the course of this deck's development process, and I thank you all sincerely once again for your tremendous amount of input and support in carrying one of my greater ambitions from dream to reality. Have a very, very nice day, and please take your time to enjoy this wonderful game brought to us by the people at Wizards of the Coast!
Dec. 28 Replaced Caller of the Claw with Creeping Renaissance. Originally, Caller of the Claw was implemented as a response to board-wipe tactics. However, as a result of thefiremind's wonderful suggestion, I have decided to replace it with a better recovery strategy, Creeping Renaissance. Caller of the Claw has been moved to the the hidden, 'Acquireboard' section of the deck list for my future reference. Thank you so very much for your suggestion, thefiremind!
Oct. 21 Replaced Parallel Lives with Doubling Season, per graft's wonderful suggestion. Thanks graft!
Oct. 20 Replaced Aluren with Parallel Lives.
10/20/2011-
Minor Update. Final Revision.
Replaced Glimpse of Nature with Slate of Ancestry.
9/23/2011-
This update was simplified and condensed to fit into one comment.
This week's update plays with the deck structure in an attempt to increase the speed of the play strategy. The response this week was a little mixed, and the discussion that followed contained a bit too many comments for me to address them all personally. Nevertheless, there was much constructive advice that was offered, and rest assured, I read every one of the comments, and considered every suggestion with utmost attention.
Some minor fixes include:
- The removal of Oran-Rief, the Vastwood due to general consensus of it being a useless card.
- The removal of Slate of Ancestry due to general consensus of it being an inferior alternative to Glimpse of Nature.
- The addition of Immaculate Magistrate to the deck due to its complementary nature with Joraga Warcaller.
The major fix that I made this week was to replace Slate of Ancestry with Glimpse of Nature. As it is common speculation that the latter card is an absolute necessity in any Legacy Elf deck, I have finally decided to actually test the card's effectiveness in this deck for myself. As a result, Glimpse of Nature is the new featured addition this week. For more information, see its respective article in the description for further thoughts regarding the projected advantages of this change.
That is all I can manage to write for now. I am making a conscious effort to condense my thoughts into one comment. I'm sorry that I won't be able to address all of the response that was generated this week, but the large volume of reader comments has rendered the task relatively difficult. I will make every attempt to personally respond to user feedback in my update next week. In the meantime, I am routinely playtesting this deck for speed, structure, and other tangible statistics (thanks for the reminder, Sam_I_Am!).
I will update this deck periodically (weekly or biweekly) until I feel that it has reached its maximum potential. I can see plenty of potential weaknesses in this deck. As I am still relatively new to Magic the Gathering, I would very much appreciate any further suggestions and/or constructive criticism that you may have to offer.
9/17/2011-
Minor Update.
Oops, it has just come to my attention (thanks for the notice, Edit12!) that I accidentally read the card text of Emrakul, the Aeons Torn wrong. What a novice mistake; this will definitely not happen again. Description corrected.
9/16/2011-
This week's update mainly wraps up the loose ends of last week's decklist. I have replaced the instant Naturalize with Krosan Grip in the deck's sideboard per suggestion of Sam_I_Am (thanks for the great recommendation!), since the latter's Split Second ability may come in handy against scary artifacts/enchantments, as listed in his examples and a few more that I found while conducting further research on this topic online.
I think that I have reached a reasonable consensus in terms of Riptide Replicator's status. I have decided to replace it in the main deck with Emrakul, the Aeons Torn.
In light of mozerdozer's suggestion (thanks for your thoughts!), I completely agree with his point of view. Helix Pinnacle is suitable for a deck with more copious mana generation capabilities, such as those employing Infinite Mana Combinations. As a result, I have decided to remove the card from the Endgame Considerations List (Maybeboard).
This week's description article will be on Emrakul, the Aeons Torn.
In response to recent developments in the comment section, I'd like to point out that I agree with magicthevlog and hurrdurrherpherp's perspective on Legacy Elves. A rush Legacy Elf deck usually employs a variant of the Elfball combo in order to give the player a chance to sprint ahead of his opponent in card-drawing, monster generation, etc. However, given that, I have come across several excellent Elfball decks proposed by Jimmeh92 (Dragon-Elf Combo) and Sam_I_Am (Hybrid Elves). I think that the structure of those decks would do a much better job of employing this combo than that of this deck. I completely agree that a Glimpse of Nature or two would probably fit well in my deck (thanks for the suggestion, hurrdurrherpherp!), but with Slate of Ancestry I am aiming at a more permanent solution towards the deck's potential card-drawing problem. As such, for now I believe that they fit in the deck a tad bit better. However, if there happens to exist other, more economic (but permanent) solutions to the card problem, I would very much appreciate any suggestions you may have to offer.
As mentioned by Sam_I_Am before, and now magicthevlog, the replacement of Wirewood Lodge with Quirion Ranger indeed seems very attractive. However, the use of Quirion Ranger would probably set back Forest progression a tad bit. In the case of a green deck that already employs Elf-based acceleration, this decision indeed becomes tricky territory. I am not still sure whether the replacement of Forests with Quirion Ranger would add to the benefit the deck's strategy, or end up slightly hindering the progression of the game instead. Thus, I will give this matter my utmost consideration, but hold on taking immediate action.
Wood Elves and Sylvan Ranger (thanks a lot for the thoughtful suggestion, magicthevlog!) are indeed useful creatures that can be used as staples in Elf decks. However, because of their higher mana costs, I am a little bit uneasy on the effects they would take on the deck's mana curve, especially since the addition of those creatures to the main deck would obligate cutting the slots of cards with lower CMCs.
I recently looked up the rules regarding the flash ability and Aluren. I must admit that I was pretty embarrassed when it was made clear my interpretation of the summoning sickness rule was entirely incorrect. It seems that, according to the rulebook, if the player flashes in a creature on his opponent's turn (during main phase, combat phase, end step, etc), then when it becomes his/her turn, the flashed creature will become unaffected by summoning sickness. I used this), this), this, and this) source as my information sources regarding this matter. Therefore, it appears that if I flash in Elves (such as Rhys the Redeemed) during the end step of my opponent's turn, I will be able to use their tap abilities and attack with them on my immediate turn. As such, it seems that having Aluren around can still present several advantages. This may change come Innistrad, however, since the card Parallel Lives looks very enticing as a substitute candidate in that slot. Meanwhile, however, that card slot is still very open, and any suggestions for substitutes will be very much appreciated.
As magicthevlog mentions, the Ezuri Package looks to be a very good catalyst in speeding up the strategy even further. The interesting part about this version of the Ezuri Package is the use of Copperhorn Scout instead of Beastmaster Ascension. In fact, I have been looking in to Copperhorn Scout for quite awhile now, but haven't decided on its comparison with the Shrodinger alternative. I will put this matter into much consideration.
Umbral Mantle (thanks for the great suggestion, magicthevlog!) and Staff of Domination are two very powerful artifacts that have the potential to stimulate Infinite Combos in this deck. However, due to the fact that they hold lesser individual value, I will postpone the cost of deleting existing cards to add them.
I am now very much aware of the risk that this deck takes in not having enchantment/artifact destruction cards (thanks for the warning, hurrdurrherpherp!). As a result, I have made use of the new extra slot, created by the movement of Emrakul, the Aeons Torn to the main deck, to increase the count of Krosan Grips to two. Hopefully, that will do for now, but if concerns regarding this matter should rise further, I will consider replacing cards in the main deck and sideboard with similar artifact/enchantment destruction cards.
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood has been suggested as being possibly too slow for the acceleration strategy that this deck employs. As a result, I have cut down the number of that land from a total of four (sideboard + main deck) to two. Should the need arise, I will consider deleting the copy of the land in the sideboard as well. For now, however, I believe that the land does have its advantages, especially with the creature acceleration approach that this deck utilizes, so I will keep a copy in the sideboard in case the need for the number of Oran-Rief, the Vastwoods in the main deck should rise to two.
Lastly, I would like to point out the replacement of a single forest with Pendelhaven. The addition of this new card does not necessarily merit an article, but it is a useful land to have around, as it poses almost no drawbacks when compared to the basic Forest, and may additionally prove useful for saving the lives of certain weaker Elves on the battlefield.
I will update this deck periodically (weekly or biweekly) until I feel that it has reached its maximum potential. I can see plenty of potential weaknesses in this deck. As I am still relatively new to Magic the Gathering, I would very much appreciate any further suggestions and/or constructive criticism that you may have to offer.
9/14/2011-
Minor Update. Updated description layout and format. Music by Two Steps From Hell.
9/13/2011-
Minor Update. Updated description layout and format. Updated picture: The Typical Idea.
9/9/2011-
This update was simplified and condensed to fit into one comment.
There are a number of new weak points identified in this week's update. One of them is the lands conundrum, generously noted by Sam_I_Am. This problem was hopefully addressed by replacing a copy of Oran-Rief, the Vastwood with Gaea's Cradle. I've also removed one of the land from the sideboard, opting to replace it with a single copy of Naturalize. The deck was missing a crucial component in being unable to defend itself against opposing artifacts and enchantments. With this addition, the sideboard is now more well-rounded. However, this slot is still very much flexible and up for suggestion, as is a number of other cards listed on the sideboard.
I've tried address all of the feedback in a comment further up this week.
In recent developments, there hasn't been a general consensus on whether Riptide Replicator should be replaced on the mainboard by Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, or if the current configuration is a better alternative. As such, I'll delay action regarding this situation until (hopefully) next week.
The Progenitus strategy developed by Sam_I_Am is an extremely interesting endeavor. An unblockable 10/10, this creature looks to be extremely potential as an endgame finisher. The only minor problem I can see is that it requires the sorcery Natural Order in order to be played successfully. Nevertheless, this creature looks to be extremely effective in my opinion, and is definitely worth considering, and Sam_I_Am's deck is well worth looking at. To keep matters short, I'll address the information that I have gained from viewing this deck in another comment later on next week.
To keep this update short, I'd like to conclude by offering a quick explanation for my choice of Aluren last week.
In addition to being able to play all of the deck's creatures without paying their mana costs, Aluren is most in its ability to employ them as if they had 'Flash'. This grants an opportunity for the player to acquire a 'Pseudo-Haste' attribute for his/her creatures.
Although the advantages granted by cards such as Glimpse of Nature would not apply to the capability granted by Aluren, creatures such as Priest of Titania and Rhys the Redeemed will be able to utilize their activated abilities more immediately if they are played on the End Phase of the opponent's last turn. In addition to being able to play the card for free, the player will then be granted the advantage of being able to utilize his/her creature's mana/creature acceleration abilities to accomplish a certain task without having to wait another turn. Just something to think about!
I understand that today's update was a little shorter than the last. I'll continue trying everything I can to make this deck as best as it can be. I will update this deck periodically (weekly or biweekly) until I feel that it has reached its maximum potential. Thanks to everyone in the meantime for your awesome support and feedback!
9/2/2011-
I have changed opinions in designating certain pieces of the main deck as sub-optimal. These components will probably be the first choices when I consider a swap for cards from the sideboard, or when I contemplate card replacements in order to improve this deck. They now consist of: Elvish Guidance and Riptide Replicator. In light of both recent and further past comments (from Sam_I_Am and deathseraph, thanks for your input!) that have suggested the card as being on the slower side, I have considered replacing this card with a faster alternative. Since Riptide Replicator is one of the two endgame pieces that I have chosen to utilize in this deck (the other being a firmly anchored Strength of the Tajuru), it is important for me to be absolutely certain of its disadvantages, and the superior benefits that other alternatives will offer, before I replace this card for good. Since I have designated the Maybeboard as a dedicated site for win-cons, it is likely that (when the decision comes) I will be replacing Riptide Replicator with a card from that list. Thus, it would help me in the most if there can be further suggestions as to what I can add to the Maybeboard list.
In the sideboard, there also exist several cards which seem (to me) like weak points, which appear neither to complement the deck's strategy nor prevent it from being compromised by other deck types. However, these cards have since changed a bit since the last time that I have updated the deck. They are now (as of 9/2/2011): Door of Destinies and the two Wellwishers.
As such, I have replaced Elvish Guidance with Aluren. A more detailed reason for the replacement is as follows:
Aluren brings an Enormous level of creature and mana acceleration to the table. As the new substitute for Elvish Guidance, which was the then substitute for Earthcraft, I believe that the single non-creature, acceleration-dedicated card slot has finally found its winning candidate. In addition to freeing All creature cards of the deck from any casting cost, the 'Flash' attribute given by Aluren grants every one of your Elves a 'Pseudo-Haste' ability. Simply play your creatures during the end phase of your opponent's round, and you are free to attack him relentlessly (or activate tapping abilities) on your immediate turn. Whether insta-blocking in an emergency situation, setting a Power-Fest trap on your enemy using Joraga Warcaller, or simply clearing your hand of useful cards so that you can use Slate of Ancestry's ability with a peace of mind, the acceleration card Aluren gives you an advantage unlike any other. Of course, these abilities are given to your opponent as well, but it is more than likely that you can make better use of its effects than the guy/gal sitting on the other side of the table. In any event, there's only one copy of the card on the decklist, and since you are the insightful, observant Magic player that your parents made you out to be, you will be able to assess the situation appropriately and make the right decision as to whether you should play the enchantment for its advantages or discard it for a better hand using Slate of Ancestry.
I have also replaced Door of Destinies with Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Due to recommendations from mozerdozer, kxdow, and Sam_I_Am (thanks for your great suggestion!), I have concluded that this creature is likely the best 'mana-ramp' alternative to Riptide Replicator. Now listed on the sideboard, you can have the #1 alternative in your main deck whenever you please, until a popular, resolute consensus is (hopefully) established to kick out the original endgame component for good.
Meanwhile, I have carefully gone over every suggestion and piece of feedback.
Imperious Perfect (thanks, Sam_I_Am!) is definitely a far more competent spell than Riptide Replicator in terms of token-generating efficiency.
I have considered Eladamri, Lord of Leaves for quite awhile (thanks a lot for your feedback, deathseraph!), but I felt that due to the number of Elves that the deck plans on creating, 'Shroud' may be of lesser significance. I induced (my premise may be wrong, though!) that the card slots could be better used in fueling creature/mana acceleration, instead of protecting the Elves themselves.
Eldrazi Monument and Akroma's Memorial can indeed be better versions of Coat of Arms (thanks again for your awesome suggestion, deathseraph!), but I felt that those components can be much better used in fueling the advances of a non-tribal, large-creature beatdown deck, such as those I've seen featuring Beasts and Elementals. It is likely that I'm wrong, but I felt that Coat of Arms maybe slightly more appropriate than its two magnificent alternatives.
Oracle of Nectars (I seriously can't thank you enough for your great constructive input, deathseraph!!) is indeed an Extremely effective way of gaining life, especially since it complements perfectly with the mana acceleration properties of this deck. After considering it for quite awhile, however, I felt that the alternative listed under the current sideboard, Wellwisher, could probably be better suited for this purpose.
Copperhorn Scout (thanks yet again, deathseraph!) is one of the best one-drop elves I've seen, and I have seen it expertly used in Noraa's deck, Really.Fast.Elves. It may fit extremely well within the context of this deck, but I thought (again, I could very well be wrong!) that the deck's "one-mana quota" could be better used in fueling its mana acceleration capability. However, if in the future I feel that this creature may come better in handy, I will definitely not hesitate to put Copperhorn Scout in. Thanks for the great card recommendation, deathseraph!
Nissa Revane is an excellent card that is often a staple in many Elf decks. However, for some it is often a controversial add, since some players prefer a faster game approach (such as those deeply oriented around the rush Elfball combo), and criticize the Planeswalker as being on the slower side (where have I heard that before? haha :D). It is indeed an awesome card, and well worth the great amount of contemplation that I put into considering it. Many great decks come with their own title Planeswalkers, and I didn't think that this case should merit any exception. Its life-gain properties are exceptionally well-founded in the creature acceleration properties of this deck. However, I ultimately decided that, due to the 60-card limit, and the great likelihood of change in the deck's endgame strategies, it would be best to keep as many variables constant as possible, in order to accurately assess any improvements that may take place as a result of the strategic shift. Any proposed change that didn't seem absolutely necessary or overwhelmingly compelling I would probably resist, because it is incredibly important for me to find and designate the absolute best endgame strategy for this deck.
Of all the suggestions that I have seen so far, the best that I've read is regarding the addition of Timberwatch Elf/Immaculate Magistrate (thanks so much for your recommendation, Nighthawk86!) to the deck. I have definitely considered doing so before, but in light of the current uncertainty of the optimality of Riptide Replicator, Immaculate Magistrate seems like an excellent alternate endgame component, possessing the ability to tack on a ridiculous number of '+1/+1' counters on any attacking, unblocked Elf. As such, I have added the creature card to the Maybeboard. Thanks so much for your thoughtful suggestion, Nighthawk86!
Lastly, Caller of the Claw, as generously suggested by Sam_I_Am (thanks so much!), is a staple, "safety" Elf card that I have seen on almost every Elf deck in existence. It truly protects the player well from the mow-down effects of Wrath of God and Day of Judgment. As Jagged-Scar Archers and Windstorm protect the deck against flying, Caller of the Claw serves the player well against the worst effects of notorious Control. I really can't believe I hadn't thought of the idea before. Since I listed Wellwisher as a previous weak point in the Sideboard, I decided to replace the card with the critical component, Caller of the Claw. Thanks so much for your insightful comment, Sam_I_Am!
Lastly, I fully understand that this deck idea may be a disappointment for those who are hardcore oriented around the effectiveness of the Elfball combo. Believe me, I have given that strategy an extraordinary amount of thought. I've researched tournament history, analyzed through the top ten decklists of PT Berlin, and went through a lot of trouble to figure out what works, and what doesn't work, in a combo so awe-inspiring as the Elfball one. I have come to realize that it is impossible to implement or incorporate this strategy into the listed deck here without completely compromising its current vision. I indeed understand the effectiveness and potential of an Elfball deck, and encourage all of you who wish to better your ideas for such a type by re-visiting the decklists (although I'm quite sure that you've examined them at least a million times) at the tournament info sites: here or here. I'll continue try everything I can to make this deck as best as it can be according to its current (or similar) vision. I will continue update this deck periodically (weekly or biweekly) until I feel that it has reached its maximum potential. Thanks everyone in the meantime for your valuable support and suggestions!
8/29/2011-
Replaced Squall Line with Windstorm, as the latter is a much better alternative.
Replaced Earthcraft with Elvish Guidance, as the latter is very much a better alternative. One weak point down!
8/28/2011-
I have developed an opinion in designating several pieces of the main deck as non-critical. These components will probably be the first choices to swap for cards in the sideboard. They are: Earthcraft and Door of Destinies.
In the sideboard, there also exist several cards which seem (to me) like weak points, which appear neither to complement the deck's strategy nor prevent it from being compromised by other deck types. These cards are (at the time of 8/28/2011): Concordant Crossroads and the two Wellwishers.
As such, I have replaced Door of Destinies with (great recommendation, thanks!) a single copy of Strength of the Tajuru. Not only does this card complement well with multiple Joraga Warcallers, as mentioned in the comment below, but as an instant it serves as an excellent "stomping" component. When coupled together, the combo 'Strength of the Tajuru + Joraga Warcaller(s)' provides a creature boost that serves as an excellent win condition, a crucial elements that this deck probably needs.
I have declined to replace Earthcraft for now, since its mana acceleration abilities may yet prove to be critical in the coming future.
I have also declined to replace Wellwisher in the sideboard, since I lack of ideas for alternatives as of right now, and since its life-replenishing abilities may prove useful to counter opposing deck strategies (Burn comes to mind immediately) in the future.
I have replaced Concordant Crossroads in the sideboard with Door of Destinies. It is an unsure move, since neither of those cards have proven to be very crucial to the deck's strategy (I've mentioned the two before as both weak points). If anyone has better suggestions as to what I can use the space for, please do mention below.
On the maybeboard, I have listed several cards as possible replacements for the "weak points" of the sideboard (those are Wellwisher and Door of Destinies as of now). For now, the board is dedicated to providing ideas for additional win conditions that this deck can best handle. These include the following:
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn (great suggestion, thanks!), an "ultimate creature" that utilizes well the mana acceleration properties of this deck and may prove itself to be a win condition.
Epic Struggle, itself an alternative win condition. This enchantment well utilizes the creature acceleration properties of this deck.
Helix Pinnacle, itself another alternative win condition. The enchantment best utilizes the mana acceleration properties of this deck.
Any further suggestions for the Maybeboard will be extremely appreciated.
Feedback-
I can see plenty of potential weaknesses in this deck.
As I am still relatively new to Magic the Gathering, I would indeed greatly appreciate any suggestions and/or constructive criticism that you may have to offer.
Suggestions
Updates Add
Glimpse of Nature:
This card is a popular staple in many Elf decks. Its usefulness as a draw engine has transformed it into the holy grail of almost every Elf player out there.
Taking advantage of Heritage Druid's existence in the deck, Glimpse of Nature completes a combo that puts numerous creatures from your deck onto the battlefield.
The card-drawing engine that this sorcery spell initiates is a force to be reckoned with, and is an excellent reason why the card should belong to this deck.
Post-Innistrad Reconsideration: In hindsight, Glimpse of Nature still places as a wonderful selection, and ranks as one of my top choices for the acceleration-dedicated slot of this deck. However, as mentioned by Jimmeh92, I believe that Glimpse of Nature doesn't exactly fit the build and structure of this deck. However, it is a priceless, essential card nevertheless, and thus I believe it rightfully belongs in the backseat, or the hidden 'Acquireboard' section of the card list. This section of the description will still remain as an explanation of why I previously chose to include this card in past revisions of the deck.
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| Top Ranked |
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| Date added | 13 years |
| Last updated | 6 years |
| Legality | This deck is Legacy legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 3 - 2 Mythic Rares 18 - 6 Rares 12 - 7 Uncommons 8 - 0 Commons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 2.92 |
| Tokens | Copy Clone, Elf Warrior 1/1 G, Elf Warrior 1/1 GW |
| Folders | Other People's Decks, found, Public, Others, Legacy, herp derp, Watched Decks, Decks, awesome decks, neat |
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