CurdBrosBrewingCo - I am always playing against legacy decks. The hardest one to beat (a real constructed deck he customized, I never knew the exact list anyway) is the High Tide Brain Freeze combo, I never won 'yet'. It is consistent to kill at turn 4 - always disrupted at turns 1 to 3 by counterspells - that Mental Misstep , and various free counterspells is 'cheating' :p. The combo is ambitious at turn 3 - but my friend managed to pull off the brain freeze at after a few times of Time Spiral . :(

thuzra - oops I'm sorry. I will certainly will. I apologize

CurdBrosBrewingCo - I'd like your opinion on how well the deck would work with a Primal Command variant, just hypothetically. Maybe with +3 Eternal Witness , +3 Primal Command , -2 Nissa, Worldwaker , -1 Primeval Titan , -3 Chord of Calling as an alternate variant of the deck. I was just thinking about adding Primal Command as a sideboard option, and this question popped up in my head.

I also had a few more questions about some of the changes you recently made to the deck. I was wondering why you cut down on the Breeding Pool s for more Stomping Ground s. In my own testing, 1 Stomping Ground and the Abundant Growth s and Utopia Sprawl s were more than enough to provide for Kessig Wolf Run , whereas Coiling Oracle seemed to require more mana fixing.

Lastly, I always seem to find Elvish Archdruid an essential part of the deck with his elf buffs and ramping ability. I personally chose to cut down to 2 Primeval Titan s and keep 4 Elvish Archdruid s, and was curious why you chose to keep him down at 3.

Thanks again for sharing your deck. I've seen a ton of variants on Green Devotion and Genesis Wave decks, but it still amazes me how well this deck works, and has consequently become my favorite Modern deck.

Thanks thuzra! And you're absolutely right about the picture. I'll have to change that when I can (although I also just added a fourth Misty Rainforest to try out; so I may need to take new photos of all of the lands :)

I love your two builds! Both What Cloudpost? and Rhapsody in Blue/Green look super fun to play. I'm going to have to give em a try.

Hey bingsoo711!

I think a Primal Command variant would be awesome! I would love to hear how it plays. Nissa, Worldwaker is a win-con in her own right; but so too is Primal Command (especially with Eternal Witness ). Also having the means to (a) slow down the game a little and still maintain your advantage and (b) another available win-con would allow you to remove the Chord of Calling and be fine. While it is a different take (and most likely would make the deck perform differently against some match-ups...both better against some and worse against others); I could see that build being just as effective as this one. It really would boil down to your play-style and which you were more comfortable with.

On the Elvish Archdruid front; it really was one of those things that came up with ample testing. Sometimes you kind of just get a "feel" that you have a card more often than you'd like and/or that you could have a smoother draw on average cutting a certain card down to three. That was the case here. There were some match-ups where I ramped right past him (i.e. Arbor Elf, Utopia Sprawl, into Garruk) and in most cases you don't care to see him until turns 2 or 3. I have had cases, however, were I ended up Chording for an Elvish Archdruid; so this may mean I could be better off with four.

It's tough when a deck has a ton of card draw because it makes it far more likely you will see certain cards. You are absolutely right, however, that Elvish Archdruid is a powerhouse in this deck (and in some cases wins it all by itself)...you wouldn't be upset playing a full 4-set of them...I just found that I had it when I wanted it at three just as often as I did at four. The deck also ramps so fast that often times I really wished I had a Primeval Titan when I didn't; so I moved up to three of him.

Having said all of this, this is just a "card here, card there" scenario; and comes when you begin "honing" a deck. If you find that the deck plays more smoothly with four Archdruids and two Prime Times; by all means play it that way. I will test it out as well to ensure I've got the right number for my comfort/playstyle too. There is always room for improvement; and even things such as 2/4 vs. 3/3 of two different cards can be important. You obviously know your stuff and have played the deck quite a bit; so I will make sure to test this out to see where I should be. Thank you!

And thank you so much for your kind words and the +1. I've hoped I could add a little improvement to Mono-Green as a Modern Archetype...and I can't wait to see "Mono-Green" move up in status in Modern!

And you as well as thuzra are absolutely right! It should have read 2 Breeding Pool and 1 Stomping Ground (and now 4 Misty Rainforest ). I've made the change. Thank you both for pointing that out!

Love the deck! Just spent the morning reading every comment and seeing the progress. I run Elf combo to and have been working on different varieties.

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/elfs-on-the-goddamn-shelf/

and

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/elves-with-shotguns/

(A Beckcall/Grapeshot combo)

I've been trying to work out how to get Heritage Druid in the deck lol because I love this card so much and it would make the Elvish Visionary and Coiling Oracle not as useless after casting.

I was not so sure about the Ruric Thar, the Unbowed in the deck since you have so many non-creature spells. He himself is an announce though to all control players so I would have to see how he tests.

The Seal of Primordium is a great removal card because it can also be G-waved (I don't think this was mentioned in the cons) I like running them over Krosan Grip and Nature's Claim .

Some thoughts on sideboard.... Depending on the playstyle of the locals, Ground Seal , Autumn's Veil , and Leyline of Lifeforce might be worth considering. Ground Seal is great grave hate, adds devotion, and more draw. Plus it is G-wave-able. It doesnt have as much devotion as Wheel of Sun and Moon but it does have the draw. I like to run Autumn's Veil and Leyline of Lifeforce because my playgroup is more into control, Autumn's Veil is perfect for when you are ready to burst off with a G-wave or something and Leyline of Lifeforce is so fun in your opening hand :p

I feel that Boil might not be as necessary as Choke , The fact that Choke is permanent is very important I feel and it is easy to get turn 2. By the time you can get Boil off, it will only hit 3 or so Islands anyways... and that's if you hold back a turn longer. It also hits you Breeding Pools :/

Overall love it though and I plan on catering my elves to look more like this! +1 of course :)

That's a really good point about Seal of Primordium ...it's also interesting to think that:

1. The opponent has to choose to counter it before it's a problem.
2. Twin players can't pull the "Flash in Deceiver Exarch tapping down your Forest" thing :)

I have played around with Autumn's Veil in the past, and with the increasing popularity of Rock decks this is something I may need to give much more thought/testing too.

I also absolutely love Leyline's in devotion decks (have the blue one in a blue devotion deck, a red one, and the white in the board of the white one)...and Lifeforce is a great option against many of our worst match-ups. I will definitely try this out.

I agree that Choke is better than Boil ...I only use boil currently while Scapeshift and Tron decks remain somewhat popular (it also slows down storm). ...but when they drop off I will most likely either run 3 Choke and play a new spot; or find two new cards to throw in based on the meta :)

I love Ground Seal and originally used it. I ended up utilizing Wheel of Sun and Moon only because it can also come in against random Mill decks (and takes away the Mill win-con from the blue "Extra Turn" deck that is seen every once and a while).

You are right about Ruric Thar, the Unbowed too...I found myself not wanting to play my enchantments, etc...that's the only reason he came out (as he is awesome against a lot of decks). I wish his ability was available at like a 4-drop (like a 4/4 that does 4 damage each time :) because that would be unbelievable!

These are all great ideas with GREAT support! I love your decklists btw! We Elf players got to stick together :) Thanks for the +1 and while I can't see too much room for improvement on your lists; hopefully there was something in here that helped.

That's true about the Wheel of Sun and Moon ... I havn't faced a mill deck but it would probably be nice to have just in case.

Also, I've been towing with idea of Elvish Champion /Nylea's Presence idea mentioned earlier. I think it would be a great side board win condition... if they see Craterhoof Behemoth and/or Ezuri, Renegade Leader , they may think SB Torpor Orb and Pithing Needle /Phyrexian Revoker which stops us until removal is in play.... Perhaps taking them out and siding 2 Elvish Champions (already running 2-4 Nylea's Presence ) can ruin there game 2 strategy.... It's like legacy "Opps No Spells" with a Goblin Charbelcher SB... The side board is designed to make a completely new deck since both decks are similar. It would go from big beater to overwhelming elves. The only problem is there would need to be more elves main boarded... Just a thought. I might toy around with a completely different side board and see if it is easy to switch from beaters devotion to overwhelming elves devotion.

Hey CurdBrosBrewingCo! Thanks for the in-depth and informative response. I tested a few Elf Devotion Primal Command variants, and didn't like any of them too much. The elves definitely seem to contribute more towards a Genesis Wave . That being said, I am currently testing a variant of your deck with a splash of white replacing red. The removal of Kessig Wolf Run is tremendously hard to replace, but with Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite in the main deck, and some great white creatures in the sideboard, I wanted to see if the losses could be remedied and perhaps even surpassed.

Have you tested a splash of white in this deck before? By cutting red, I haven't found the a noticeable change in speed as Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite can be tutored on turn 4, and in rare cases as fast as turn 3. I'd appreciate your input on replacing red with white. Thanks for your continued efforts!

hey i really like this modern deck!i want to start modern soon with my URdelver deck and i try to persuade my friends to start playing modern too :) till now we just play casual and this could be the deck my friend was looking for (he plays casual elves a lot) - i will show it to him and one more +1 ;)

@ bingsoo711 depending on your board you can use the second or third Utopia Sprawl to produce red mana and you don't have to replace Kessig Wolf Run which is a lategamedrop anyways (it is just a land so it won't influence the deckstructure a lot - just one more not forest land but you get a lategame finisher and flexibility)

finally i want to ask whether 3 Genesis Wave and 3 Chord of Calling are needed because it seems to be a lot while one should be enough to finish off, isn't it?

zego you make a good point, and with Abundant Growth , it is a real possibility to keep Kessig Wolf Run in with a white splash. However, I have been testing this variant a good while, and in the end, I found that splashing white makes the deck a bit too slow. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is a fantastic wincon, but I think CurdBrosBrewingCo has really found the ideal balance between speed and synergy in this deck. I will be scrapping the white splash for now. Thanks :D

What are your thoughts on Genesis Hydra I know it's not as good as the wave but you get a big body they have to deal with as well as a Genesis Wave junior

i think it (Genesis Hydra ) can suite the job if you generate the mana with a bunch of elves into Chord of Calling or Genesis Wave you can take Genesis Hydra as well if you just got to find Craterhoof Behemoth , Ezuri, Renegade Leader or Primeval Titan + Kessig Wolf Run to finish off your openent ;)

but it isn't that good if you are low on mana or just generate mana with enchantments+garruk (craterhoof and ezuri needs their army ;) that shouldn't be a big deal with elves but Genesis Hydra isn't as flexible as Chord of Calling + Genesis Wave )

a plus on Genesis Hydra might be the choice of lands against control matchupps you can just go for Cavern of Souls whereass Genesis Wave + Chord of Calling depend on a etb tapped Boseiju, Who Shelters All

i am not sure which one is better just give it a try :) examining is great but testing is better

Hey guys! I'm sorry it took a little while to get back. Had a death in the family; so it was a long weekend. It was my grandfather; and fortunately it was of old age and he had a long and happy life; so it was more a celebration of life than anything else.

bingsoo711....I have seen a few successful lists that splash white; but many did kind of have to choose two colors (and mainly just for splashing). Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite alone is a great reason to splash white; not to mention the sideboard options you get!

As you stated, however, one of the downsides of the deck is that its speed is one of its biggest advantages and anything that slows that down can really effect it's potency. I was interested to see it tested; however, as I think adding white for things like Resto Angel, Elesh Norn, and sideboard cards is possible in Green Devotion...it just seems to be a better fit in the more "mid range" versions (that focus more on the Primal Command Lock, etc.)

zego....Welcome to Modern! Delver is a card that once you start playing; it's tough to get away from...i should know; I have a brother that is addicted to it :) It's a great card. There are many a great Elf decks on this very site. Of course, I'm biased toward this one in particular; but there plenty out there :)

And you make a good point about playing 3 of each Chord and Wave...I utilize both for more than finishers (both have multiple uses to generate board advantage, play a hate card, etc.); however with all of the card draw in the deck; you are correct that I may be able to get away with only playing 2 of one of them. I'll test it both ways to see how this effects the playability of the deck. What card do you think should replace it? More ramp, more support/draw, or another additional Win-Con?

Hey vomdur...

zego made a lot of good points! And he's right that testing in the end

I will be testing Genesis Wave this evening a bit; but I haven't had a bunch of time to try it out yet. Genesis Wave is a more versatile Card; but the Hydra can be made uncounterable via Cavern of Souls which is a major plus for this deck. I always though the idea of Genesis Wave + Xenagos, God of Revels was a neat two-card pair; and may have to try it out (I REALLY want to try out Xenagos anyways as a 12/12 hast Prime/Time that grabs four lands seems too good to be true!

We'll see...that's the fun thing about new cards! There's always room for improvement!

Ah, yeah, I found that even though Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite could be chorded out on turn 3, the deck on average was a turn or two too slow. Also, Primeval Titan is just not as threatening when he doesn't have Kessig Wolf Run to tutor out. The more I fiddle around with this deck you brewed, the more I realize how impressively balanced and well-designed it is. Do you have an estimate of how much the deck would cost on MTGO minus two or three Misty's? I am considering starting online as well to further promote mono-green devotion whenever I can. And you can be sure that I will be sharing your name whenever people ask about the elf variant of the archetype :)

Hey, I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. I am glad that you were able to spend time honoring and celebrating his life.

I'm getting far to deep into "cute" ideas; but the Gods seems so good (in particular Nylea and Xenagos) when put together.

One pumps them em and gives a creature trample; the other gives them haste and doubles their power!

I'm trying out some builds with them both to see how it goes. I'll keep everyone informed.

Sorry to hear about your loss but glad that he lived a good life.

That is pretty much exactly what i was thinking Zego! The hydra might be more of a SB choice against control but is it a better choice than what you already have vs control?! Even if he doesn't stick you would still get the Genesis Wave mini effect off of him but like you say with a Cavern of Souls you get a body and whatever you snag from the top x.

I've found with most of my R/G decks the Xenagos god becomes a win more card more so than a win card. Usually by the time you drop him you already have the game in the bag..... I could just be bad at building R/G decks though hahah

Thanks bingsoo711...I appreciate it. And yeah...when it's a long life; we can't get too sad.

And you are right. It took A LONG LONG time to get to the balance the deck has now and while I love testing out new ideas; I often go slow simply because I don't want to mess up the balance :)

I am also going to try to but the deck and start playing dailies to get it a little more recognition and to get more play against a wide array of decks...It looks like the deck is about $180-$190 on MTG before the Misty Rainforests. Of course they're $45 each on MTG; so the total for the deck with them would be about $370 on MTGO if you bought the whole thing from scratch. Obviously its HALF that without the Mistys (craziness....)

Not at all vomdur....I would say that happens more than 60% of the time I come up with an idea on a deck (especially one more "established")....they just end up being "win more" :) That's actually really important to know.

Tyring out a 1-of Minamo, School at Water's Edge just to see if it is worth it. May not be; but you never know :)

I don't understand why you are not running THE single most overpowered Card for a Deck like this... Burning-Tree Emissary. Wistful Selkie is also the second best Cantrip after Abundant Growth in my opinion. And personally, I'd run Voyaging Satyr over Nissa, untapping a Nykthos is SOOO amazing...

(And Magus of the Chandelabra is even better than the Satyr.. So yeah.. Nissa just costs too much, and what she does is mediocre. By turn 3-4, you'd probably have at most 3 Forests, so you won't even get full value. Since you'd have Nykthos, and a 1of Land like Kessig if you managed a Titan.)

PS. A Turn 2 Primeval Titan, is glorious. <3 Green .PSS. Those Foils must have cost an arm, a leg, AND a fortune... ~.~

hi Sheriff_K try to use some brackets 2x[card 2x] around the cardnames ;) and your thoughts are good but it seems that you want to play monogreendevotion this deck is more like elvesdevotion it is a little different - concrete:

Burning-Tree Emissary is a great devotion creature but this deck should be more flexible by running elves + Ezuri, Renegade Leader + Elvish Archdruid

Wistful Selkie dito

Abundant Growth draws a card and landenchantment BUT the land doesn't produce two mana with it - just other colors ... Arbor Elf + Utopia Sprawl is way better -> but it seems to be good too ! and it is already in the decklist i suppose:D

Voyaging Satyr ok but no elf (like Kiora's Follower too)

Magus of the Candelabra you need to pay mana to untapp so he is bad earlygame, it seems to be a winmore lategame creature

Nissa, Worldwaker is a great card! well she just untapps Forest (not Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx :/) but she untapps 4 of them with 5cmc! so you got her for pretty low manacosts AND your forest might be worth more mana with Utopia Sprawl --- but i like her other ability even more! turning any land (even non-forest) into a 4/4 creature is just awesome boardpresence ! and if you manage to turn an untapped land you didnt played this turn into the 4/4 it can attack immideatly-> to conclude nissa isn't a must have for this deck but if you manage to put her on board she is so powerfull that your openent got to finish her off quickly or he is just a dead man (maybe you just want to go with another finisher like another Craterhoof Behemoth )

This very well may not be worth the deck slot but just to mention it. Darksteel Citadel with Nissa becomes a 4/4 indestructible. I know the land base here is very Forest dependent but if you can tinker around and find room for even just a singleton, it gives added versatlity to your Primeval Titan land fetches. Abundant Growth also helps if you draw it early. Like I said, I'm not sure how strong it will be here ultimately and it may not be worth the slot. But I know you enjoy playtesting new ideas and wasn't sure if you'd tried that yet.