Grow rapidly while spawning as many beasts as possible. Rapid mana growth paired with draw cards triggered by beasts. Healing via Totem Speaker and Obstinate Baloth allow time for deck development. Early cheap creatures should allow the deck to hold out against rush decks long enough to get this deck's machine running.
Should have 6 mana (per turn) and be defensible by turn 5. By turn 8, should have a spiral of summoning creatures which allow me to draw cards (including more beasts) whenever a subsequent beast enters the game. By turn 12, should have gone halfway or entirely through the deck with most of the creatures cards on the board and access to Overrun (or Garruk) and enough creatures to attack en masse.
Llanowar elves via llanowar mentor help early mana production, but are also an extra creature to be buffed by multiple overruns in the final attack.
Aside from the draw-card creatures, most of the specific beasts are optional. Looking for low CC and useful perks. Necessary creatures: Krosan Warchief, Rhox, Fangren Firstborn, wirewood savage.
Once I've got a few creatures out, Cryptic Gateway combos with Garruk's Packleader and/or Wirewood savage to let me keep drawing cards as I use my creatures to cast other creatures. (thus letting my mana be used for everything else). By turn 10 to 15, this combo often has me all the way through my library with most of my creatures on the board. (Gurzigost is in there to recycle my graveyard into my library). Sets the stage for the inevitable (hopefully stacked) Overrun & Garruk Packmaster's Overrun.
I should also mention that I'm trying to keep the price low.
I'm trying to make it faster and more focused. Obstinate Baloth improves lifegain. I've been relying more on Cryptic Gateway, so I added a second copy. Considering adding Elvish Aberration for synergy (forestcycle for speed early, GGG/turn is speeds through midgame, late game Cryptic gateway can be used to cast, and the mana and large creature always help). Added four Tranquil Thickets (in place of forests) to avoid drawing too many lands per turn once the game's machine starts working.
Many things removed to make space.
One possible downside with this rebalance, the deck is now especially creature heavy. Is that a problem? Should I thin them out to make room for a few more enchantments or sorceries?
