Introduction
King Kong (Kogla, the Titan Ape) is an opportunity to play big, dumb creatures in Mono-Green, but it’s not just about smashing face. There is, at least, some subtlety to what just looks like a Timmy deck. Others have certainly built this deck, but this is my version. This deck is being played in Standard Brawl on MTG: Arena.
Strategy
Play creatures, smash face. But beyond that...
Generally, you will want to get Kogla out as soon as possible, preferably with at least one human already in play, and eight available mana on the board. The CMC for Kogla is six, but since his ETB fight ability is NOT a “may” ability, players will probably want to wait until they have at least one human and a minimum of eight available mana before casting him.
Ramping up is important not only because it enables casting Kogla early, but because this deck is vulnerable to aggro. In more than a few games I’ve already lost about half of my life before I can stabilize.
Kogla’s ability to bounce humans to make him indestructible works two ways; you can use it to save him, and other times you’ll use it to save a chump-blocking human, double up on an ETB effect, or get back a human to cast it for its adventure ability.
If a player casts Kogla without all of the conditions mentioned, they can just use Kogla as a creature removal spell, but if he survives the fight, the opponent will try to remove him before his controller's next turn.
This deck is also really vulnerable to board wipes, so keep that in mind when playing the deck in order to avoid becoming overextended. This is another reason you may want to wait until your eighth mana before casting Kogla. On the plus side, an opponent with a board wipe will not want to cast it if Kogla will survive.
Ramping
Ramping up mana is really important since players will want to get Kogla out as soon as possible, and preferably with at least one human already in play. To aid in this, first off there is Castle Garenbrig, which really helps speed things up. There are four mana dorks: Gilded Goose, Humble Naturalist, Incubation Druid (which I wish was a human), and Arboreal Grazer (more of a ramper than a dork though). There are two mana rocks, Heraldic Banner, and The Great Henge (that counts, right?). For other ramp, or to at least get lands in hand, there is Adventurous Impulse, Bond of Flourishing, Migration Path, Nissa, Who Shakes the World, and Once Upon a Time. Three of these can also get things other than lands.
Humans
King Kong is all about his relationship with Humans, and this deck has eight humans auditioning for the role of Fay Wray: Destiny Spinner (anti-countermagic), Flaxen Intruder (enchantment/artifact removal/bear tokens), Gruul Beastmaster, Hornbash Mentor (trample is good here, obviously), Humble Naturalist, Hyrax Tower Scout, Setessan Petitioner (lifegain), and Syr Faren, the Hengehammer. Almost every human provides one additional benefit, and in some cases more than one. Gruul Beastmater and Syr Faren, the Hengehammer have good synergy with one another. Destiny Spinner seems an odd inclusion, but I don’t usually care about making a land into a creature; I’m trying to keep my creatures from being countered.
One add I've made since posting is Finale of Devastation. Finale is (unsurprisingly) fantastic in this deck, but I don't just use it to get End-Raze Forerunners; sometimes I just need Hornbash Mentor to start giving all my creatures trample. It's a powerful card, but sometimes you don't want power but rather just a tool out of the toolbox.
The other surprising aspect of the deck it that it has an aggro angle to it. The player won't necessarily even need to ramp if he or she can just curve out. The combination of mana dorks, cheap humans, and Gruul Beastmaster and/or Syr Faren, the Hengehammer it is aggro enough that it sometimes ends the game by turn five, and has caught Mono-Red or Boros Brawl decks off guard.
Other
Aside from all of this, most of the remainder of deck falls in the to the categories of removal, a Mono-Green devotion package, and the best Mono-green creatures the format has to offer, including Cavalier of Thorns, End-Raze Forerunners and God-Eternal Rhonas. Nylea, Keen-Eyed, makes creatures cheaper. Vivien, Arkbow Ranger is also included because she helps out in a utility role, with removal, evasion (trample), and Devotion. Just don't use her ultimate.
