Deck Synopsis
This is a creature heavy Simic toolbox deck that focuses on ramping up +1/+1 counters on creatures either to activate abilities or to swing for heavy damage (or both). The 2 primary win conditions for this deck are ramping up creatures with counters and making them unblockable, or ramping up counters on Simic Ascendancy.
This deck is not built with only one strategy in mind. My goal in building this deck is to make it versatile to be able to adapt to different matchups, and mostly to be a unique and fun game each time. Playing a game the exact same way each time can be repetitive and boring, so I wanted to make it where there would be multiple ways to play the deck, while also being able to revert to the tried and true strategies when needed. After playtesting this deck in 1v1 matchups a number of times, I can say that there were things I didn't even realize I could pull off with this deck that I learned about mid-game to clutch out a win.
Key Cards
Prime Speaker Vannifar (obviously) - This card is what makes this deck as versatile as it is. All I have to do to search out and bring out a creature is have a creature with a mana value equal to 1 less that creature's mana value on the field. This allows me to consistently get what I'm looking for nearly every game, and to get more valuable creatures out early.
Master Biomancer - There is rarely a game where I will not try to bring out Master Biomancer. He is my favorite card of all time, and the reason that I started playing Simic in the first place. When he gets ramped up, everything else that enters gets ramped up too. He instantly gives counters to everything that enters. Used in conjunction with cards that double counters, he can easily be the biggest threat on the board.
The Ozolith - This card pairs wonderfully with the overarching sacrifice mechanic of this deck. When I sacrifice a creature with counters, I simply do not lose the counters. I can them place them on another creature at the beginning of combat. Once again, used in conjunction with counter doubling effects, this can allow for a significant amount of counter ramping.
Simic Ascendancy - This is the alternate win-condition for this deck, and if left out on the field for a few turns, can easily get 20 counters. Unfortunately, I do not run anything to protect it from being destroyed or bounced. It is not the main focus of the deck, but it is definitely a good and useful card.
Herald of Secret Streams - This deck would not do nearly as well as it does without this card, plain and simple. This card has been a major contributor to wins on multiple occasions.
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider - I'm honestly not sure how this card is not banned yet. It is six mana for a 6/6 with trample and haste, it doubles all of my counters in general, and halves all of my opponent's counters in general, rounding down. It is way too good a card for its mana cost.
Sage of Hours - This card has also been a major contributor to wins. I have many ways of getting at least five counters on this card, and when I do, I take an extra turn in which I can potentially put another five or more counters on it to take an extra turn after that. I can leave my opponents far behind with this one creature.
Slippery Bogbonder - Although this card is a more recent addition to the deck, I severely underestimated at first how valuable it would be. I can flash it out to give another creature hexproof as well as move any number of already existing counters from my other creatures on to that one creature. When I have counter doubling effects on field such as with Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider and Branching Evolution this can be cause for massive growth on a creature that is now untouchable by my opponent's spells and abilities.
Deck Weaknesses
In order to make this deck as consistent as I wanted it to be, I had to make the decision to leave out certain things that would otherwise have make it more viable in certain matchups. I have very few responses to anything my opponents are doing. There is only one card that can be used for pseudo-graveyard retrieval in the form of Quandrix Command, so once my cards have left the field, they're pretty much as good as exiled to me. I do not run counterspells. I am limited in the ways I can protect my field and, as far as I know, there is no way for me to protect my artifacts and enchantments. There is also limited draw power, as I am banking on my ability to sacrifice and search to get the cards I want onto the field.
Summary
I originally played Simic in the modern format, although I never really played much or all that seriously. When I became interested in commander, the obvious choice for me was to take cards from my modern simic deck and turn it into a commander deck. It has evolved alot since the original idea, and I welcome any comments or suggestions on how to make it better (although I still would like it to be at least a moderately budget deck. I didn't even want to add Misty Rainforest, but when I went to a Modern Horizons 2 prerelease, I pulled a Cabal Coffers which I had no use for, and decided to trade it with someone who had pulled a Misty Rainforest on the same night.) Thank you and God bless :)
