Who needs big, expensive threats when you can make your own for just a fraction of the price? My DIY Life Support system will have you crushing opponents in no time! How does it work? Let's break it down:
Beaters:
Baloth Pup - this card isn't much to begin with, but a single +1/+1 counter gives you a 4/2 trampler on turn 3 (or a 5/3 if you have Hardened Scales out).
Avatar of the Resolute
- early game a 3/2 with reach and trample is great, but the potential for mid game is enormous in this deck.
Managorger Hydra - another cheap creature that can get pumped up quickly. The best aspect of the Hydra is that support spells provide 2 counters, instead of 1 (or 4 if you have Hardened Scales in play since it gains counters from two sources!)
Servant of the Scale
- what's awesome about the Servant is the way it acts as a counter bank. Killing a 4/4 creature isn't as nice when that means another creature gets +4/+4.
Hangarback Walker - in a deck that produces counters and moves counters this card acts as another storage/conversion engine. The best casting value would be on turn 2 with Hardened Scales on the board.
Life Support
Hardened Scales - this turns your
Servant of the Scale
into a green Zurgo Bellstriker with upside on turn 2. This enables everything in the deck (until rotation).
Retreat to Kazandu - turn land drops into +1/+1 counters or life (to trigger
Serene Steward
and make counters, too.)
Jaddi Offshoot - this cheap defender serves a few purposes in this deck. It's primary purpose is to gain life for land drops, but also works as defender for Nissa, Voice of Zendikar once it has a few counters.
Serene Steward
- a 2/2 for 1W is on curve, and her ability is an effective way to utilize mana and affect the board without losing card advantage: important in a deck with such cheap spells.
Lead by Example
,
Shoulder to Shoulder
- while both these spells serve the same purpose
Lead by Example
gets preference as an instant.
Planeswalkers:
Nissa, Voice of Zendikar - she creates token creatures to pump, she puts counters on creatures and her ultimate can net you life and cards. While she plays better early on, a strong board state mid game might be able to protect her.
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - there's no reason not to run Gideon in a white deck as a win condition. In this deck his token production and +1 really shine.
Answers
Valorous Stance - cheap, versatile, and instant.
This can easily be sideboarded for exile spells, but being a green deck this relies on creatures as answers.
Sideboard
Most of these are cards that could fit in the deck under the right circumstances, but didn't have enough synergy for the main deck.
Now go get some dice, you're going to need them.
As always, upvotes and comments are appreciated.
