Why aren't you running Courser of Kruphix

That, cjdjsobd, is a very interesting question, because I am running courser of kruphix :).

Have you considered the new Radha from M21, Radha, Heart of Keld in place of Courser of Kruphix? Both allow lands to be played from the library. The former doesn't force the top card to be revealed (in case it's not a land), but the latter provides lifegain (which does appear to be a subtheme in the deck alongside Radiant Fountain, Scavenging Ooze, Retreat to Kazandu, and Primeval Bounty). The new Radha also synergizes self-pumps and gains trample with Mina and Denn, Wildborn

Hey, theninja97. I did not seriously consider Radha, Heart of Keld, because I don't really like the card tbh. I agree Courser of Kruphix is the spot it is competing for, so let's compare.

The main reason to play either of these cards in this deck is that they allow you to play lands from the top of your library. Courser packs that ability in a defensive shell (great blocker stats and lifegain landfall) while Radha is more aggressive (more offensive stats, first strike during our turn and an overcosted Rubblehulk buff). I much rather have the defensive shell at 3 mana in this list because I'm not planning to attack with my engine pieces anyway. In the early game, I just want to set up my engines and defenses so I can build towards a moment where I can become aggressive out of nowhere. Radha puts that engine-ability on an aggressive card, which doesn't make sense to me in this list.

Have you considered Ezuri's Predation? :D

Hey blacksh1ft,

I haven't :). I did see it in action recently in a Game Knights episode. It did a lot of work in that game. However, I will not include it in this deck for 2 reasons: A) it is 8 mana and B) it is not a reliable board wipe. I want my removal to do just that: remove. Ezuri's Predation will be a huge blowout in some games, but in many others you'd wish you had basically any other board wipe in hand.

Is there a good replacement for the spot of Gaea's Cradle and if i would like to squeeze in my Nissa, Vital Force which slot would be best to replace? :) Thank you!

Hey blacksh1ft.

• If I would ever want to run Nissa, Vital Force, I would probably either cut a card with a similar role or a similar CMC. Garruk, Primal Hunter comes to mind as a slot. Krosan Tusker or Tendershoot Dryad might also be contenders.
• To my knowledge there is no other land in the game that allows you to bounce and play it multiple times to ramp like crazy. Of course you can do something a bit similar with Gruul Turf and Amulet of Vigor like in amulet-bloom decks, but Amulet of Vigor does not sit in the command zone. Growing Rites of Itlimoc  ^Flip is similar to Cradle, but cannot be bounced and played in the same way. Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx comes ti mind, but that also requires 2 mana to activate, so it is much harder to abuse (and does not synergize with landfall token makers like Field of the Dead). So, I am not aware of a feasible alternative to Gaea's Cradle if you want to combo it with Mina and Denn, Wildborn for more value. Growing rites is probably your best option.

Thank you for your reply! For Gaea's, I just added another land in it's place. Gaea's Cradle is so expensive now and I don't see myself getting it anytime soon. IMO, the deck is pretty strong even without it. Yeah, you won't have that 1 land explosive turn but still the deck is really fun. :)

I'm really excited on how much this deck would evolve with the Zendikar Rising block coming up. This has been my favorite deck for quite a while now.

Thanks blacksh1ft :D. That's awesome to hear! I am testing quite some change atm, but this set just keeps on giving... Will post another update somewhere after all is spoiled.

Retreat to Kazandu - What is the point of this? I read your description but it feels unimpactful. Does the lifegain really help? How often do you find it being used in conjunction with glacial chasm? The +1/+1 counter doesn't seem in place. Could you explain?

Hey Profet93,

Great questions! I agree with you Retreat to Kazandu does not seem impactful. However, I really like he card and do think it is well worth the inclusion. This is because it is a versatile landfall card that we can play early, before Mina and Denn, Wildborn hit the table. Also, the fact that it does not seem impactful (not likely to draw out removal) and that it's an enchantment (hard to remove) means it’s going to stick around the rest of the game in a lot of cases. So starting with our 4th land drop, we are going to get a lot of landfall triggers over the course of the game. Let’s assume 8 - 10 would be the average. That would be 16 - 20 life already, and that has made the difference between winning or losing in certain games. It is especially relevant when you become the archenemy of the game. This is not a combo deck that wins on the spot most of the time (by design), so after we make an explosive play we are going to have to sustain some beating for a turn or two from the rest of the table to secure the win in those cases. Retreat can help you do that similar to how Glacial Chasm can. It’s just a little less obvious. Those 2 cards are not used together super often, but both increase your resilience quite well on their own. As a bonus, there is this nice play pattern, going Retreat to Kazandu into Mina and Denn into either Garruk, Primal Hunter or Rishkar's Expertise for some extra cardraw.

Is I think it’s necessary? No, not really. Can it be cut for something else? Definitely :). I just happen to really like it still.

Beebles

What a well thought out and formulated response..... well done

Have you considered Yavimaya Hollow for additional protection? Could be tutored with crop rotation in response to removal for extra spice.

I am curious, if you had to cut retreat, what card from your maybeboard would you replace it with? I've always been partial to life from the loam. Almost guaranteed land drops, albeit, with the new Ancient Greenwarden, recursion might not be as much needed. So perhaps Eternal witness? Am unsure.

Given you have approximately 4 cards that help you ensure T3 commander, have you considered adding another ramp piece? Whether it doesn't take a land slot like Ancient Tomb or even the iconic sol ring?

Thanks Profet93 :). I like your questions! They makes me reconsider card assessments formed long ago. Let’s dig into our new ones:

• Yavimaya Hollow: a card I like and play in other decks. I also considered it for this deck several times. However, every time I do I feel it just does not belong in this deck. I think the reason why I feel that way is because it’s not the creatures that need protecting most of the time (or that I don’t want to focus on protecting them). Opponents could kill Mina and Denn, Wildborn sure. But they are just an enabler for the deck. Not a key piece, like in decks where I do run Hollow. The deck does not really have many vital pieces like that. On certain moments, yes, hollow will save that one creature you needed for the explosive play, so I do agree it would be a useful include. I just don’t think it is necessary or used very often. A bit like Kessig Wolf Run maybe. To be honest, the threshold of getting one in FOIL also contributes to a feeling of resistance nowadays. However, I can totally see anyone swapping out Spikefield Hazard for Yavimaya Hollow if they feel differently. It might be a good idea to test this one again just to see what happens.
• If I’d cut Retreat to Kazandu now - which I won’t ;) - I’d probably go for another 2-mana ramp piece or put Krosan Tusker back in. I did just put in Rampant Growth in the last update, so I’m already up a ramp piece (5 now) to skip a turn for M&D. Sol Ring is a no go for me because of the total lack of synergy. Life from the Loam was cut in the last update for Ancient Greenwarden and the deck does not need a 4th effect like that I think. Eternal Witness is nice to have, especially with all the green creature tutors, so that is also a valid choice. Has creeped up on my maybe list rank recently because of Valakut Exploration. Depending on your meta, you can also consider something like Vexing Shusher for the spot.
• Ancient Tomb: I have a similar opinion on this land compared to hollow and kessig wolf run. They all provide a little something for the deck, but creating a spot for them is just terrible. Apart from Spikefield Hazard there are no lands I am willing to cut atm. Blast Zone has been a strong answer on a land so far that’s easily found. Khalni Garden has a lot of applications and synergy, Radiant Fountain I like for the same reasons as Retreat to Kazandu. Cryptic Caves and Temple of Abandon get you out of dead situations, which I value more than the benefits of the competition. Most other lands feel like they are kind of set in stone now.

I have noticed you put in Return of the Wildspeaker, how is it going so far in testing? :)

Beebles

I just read your update. WOW, I really do love your descriptiveness! It's one of the things that I admire most about you as a deckbuilder. Have you considered Deserted Temple in place of Spikefield Hazard  ^Flip/land? It can untap cradle, be used politically (has helped more than you would think, at least in my meta).

Why is Finale of Devastation under the "more lands" section? Perhaps I'm missing something obvious.

What is your meta like? I ask because I'm curious if you would consider swapping Terrastodon for Bane of Progress - Out of your 5 artifacts, top can save itself while compass turns into a land. The remaining artifacts, while helpful, are not crucial to your game plan. Your enchantments are a different story, but if you play against a lot of control, I figure it is worth considering. I see it is in your maybeboard.

How has the swap of adding in Terror of the Peaks and Warstorm surge been for you? Your deck seems to go tall and wide, mostly wide if I'm not mistaken. I can imagine it putting in serious work with something like Titania, Baloths, Scute

Nissa, Vital Force - Thoughts? It's ult is very easy to get, very powerful and relevant. It's +1 untaps cradle (albeit you probably wouldn't want to make it a creature unless you are going off that turn), makes strip mine/waste land a creature so if they threaten to remove Nissa you can blow up a land to make them suffer. Since it's an elemental it works with Angry Omnath. It can even make dark depths a creature (lol). It's -3 provides recursion for 75% of your deck. I find this card to be fun as I usually have a board with avenger + cradle, draw a bunch of cards into this, untap cradle, G-wave for the win.

Speaking of wins... Tooth and Nail? Albeit very expensive, might be worth considering. Avenger + Regal force is a fun time.

@ blacksh1ft: Wow, nice of you to catch that one :). I watched an epsode of the EDHRECcast recently about evaluating modal cards. They made a good point that modal cards aren’t really worth the extra cost if you are only using one mode. That is true I think for Garruk, Primal Hunter. Almost all of the time I use the draw ability. And only a very few times I make a token first. I have never used its ultimate ever. So I’m paying GGG for that draw effect when I can also run an instant version that only requires G, which might actually have a more relevant 2nd mode to boot! Can’t say yet which one is better, because I need a bunch or real games to get a feel for Return of the Wildspeaker in this deck. But I suspect the planeswalker card is not returning.

@ Profet93: Thanks for the compliment! I just like to write :). Getting those thoughts out there also gets me into conversations like this, which I really like. Are you also running a M&D list btw? Lets over your questions:

• Deserted Temple: I did consider this card, but I felt it was more at home in a deck that is focusing on untapping lands multiple times. So I’ve put in in another deck. Also, activating Gaea's Cradle 3 times using Mina and Denn, Wildborn is usually more than enough ;).
• Bane of Progress: this card is indeed a good contender for a sweeper. You are right that we can take the hit most of the time, while our opponents will probably be hit worse. I might add it someday, but not right now. Also, I’m not sure I would add it in place of Terastodon. I would agree though that Terastodon is one of the more awkward cards in the deck atm (I was really hoping they’d print a cards with “landfall - destroy target artifact or enchantment” but maybe that’s just too OP). I do like terastodon because it can answer 3 specific problems beyond artifacts and enchantments. Still, I will think about your suggestion. Might be a good swap in the end.
• Terror of the Peaks & Warstorm Surge: These cards feel very at home here :). They are really turning this deck into the thing I wanted to create more of the time. The’ve already turned Genesis Wave into an I-win-now card, and they are just really nice with all those token makers indeed. Especially Scute Swarm. Also, I'm not really trying to emphasize the going tall theme here. The cards that do care about power in this deck are already good with Mina and Denn, which is why I run them.
• Nissa, Vital Force & T&T: I’ve written a lot about why Nissa is not in this deck :D. Check my “Build Considerations” and “Why are you not running X” sections in the primer. T&T is also in that last section: I just don’t really like T&T and prefer not to win that way in this deck.

Cheers!

@Profet93: I forgot to reply to your question about Finale. Dryad Arbor is a creature with a CMC of 0. So you can play a Green Sun's Zenith or a Finale of Devastation with X is 0 and ramp into Dryad Arbor. That brings extra flexibility to these tutors.

I completely missed that, oops. I will be sure to read those over again prior to suggesting :)

You mention in that description that aggro isn't huge in the meta, hence no constant mists. But then why glacial chasm? You mention it's an all star - I can see it work well with crop rotation. But the fact you have to sac a land each time it comes in hurts alot unless you have land recursion or a Titania no?

Glacial Chasm is a great defensive tool that helps you mainly when you are ahead, or when you are behind.

It can secure you the win after making an explosive play that makes you the archenemy of the game. Let's say we start activating Gaea's Cradle 3 times in a turn to cast a Genesis Wave for X=20+. Or if you cast a Scapeshift at 8+ lands. If that did not already kill the table, everyone is surely going to gang up on you. Glacial Chasm will make it very hard for them to kill you in the next turn rotation. And you probably only need one more turn to finish the job. So it's great for when you are ahead.

It's also great for when you are behind and you need time to setup before you can become aggressive, let's say after a boardwipe. If there is another player that is getting out of control, Glacial Chasm can help you turtle up until you find an answer or the means to take them out. Then, paying any cost is lower than losing the game. So even if you don't have land recursion or lifegain to combo with Chasm, it's still a great card for when you are behind as well.

I've been following this list for a long time so i would like to say well done on keeping this deck list updated! I find it hard to do myself lol. One question/recommendation i have is about Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. The floor to this card is being a big beater with added trample from M&D while the ceiling is that your creature cards trigger your landfall effects. Mainly wondering what your thoughts are on it.

Thanks ScionLocke :),

I like Ashaya, Soul of the Wild, but I will not be adding it in this deck. First off, you will need to have landfall cards in play for the second ability to be worthwhile, which is not always going to be the case. Second, you will then need to have a lot of creature spells to get value out of it, while here my creature count is quite low. So just getting more lands into play is probably a better way to go here instead of turning creatures into lands. Sure, it does also turn your creatures into dorks, but that's not really an effect I'm looking to get. I think Ashaya is more at home in landfall decks that also play a lot of creatures and/or focuses on bouncing and replaying creatures (like landfall-centered Karametra, God of Harvests builds). If tokens would also become forests, it would be a different story (but then the card would probably be broken). In low-creature landfall decks, I think Ulvenwald Hydra, or maybe even Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar have more useful upsides compared to Ashaya.

Hope this made sense :). Thanks for following the list for so long! I appreciate the support.

Saw your update. I can't wait for this as well haha! I want to test it asap. :)

I really love the deck! I made a budget-ish version from my old borborygmos deck since it wasn't really cutting it in my playgroup and its quite fun to play!

is there any reason why you choose to run rampant growth over farseek in your testing?