This is an EDH deck designed having two goals:
- Use and abuse the ability of Rhys the Redeemed to make an army of token.
- Making a Tribal Wars legal EDH deck
Token Producers - Recruiting an army
Rhys the Redeemed: Our general is our most reliable token producer, I don't think there is need to explain anymore.
Imperious Perfect: Not only does she produce a token each turn, it also boost all of those tokens, as well as most of the creature of the deck.
Lys Alana Huntmaster: The high number of elf spells makes it one of the most reliable token producer of this deck.
Voice of the Woods
: For when I want to go overkill. This will generally spells doom for your opponents in two-player and a very difficult situation in multiplayer.
Wolf-Skull Shaman
: The secondary type of token created are wolf token. Again with the number of elves present, I am assured to get my tokens quite often, especially when cards such as Elvish Harbinger or Oracle of Mul Daya can help.
Wren's Run Packmaster: This is my second wolf token producer, but even if it was my only one I would play it. The ability to create tokens with deathtouch is simply amazing, and you can also protect one of your elves temporary. You can have a little bonus by putting 187 creatures under it, such as Wood Elves, Caller of the Claw,
Sylvan Messenger
or Elvish Harbinger.
Grove of the Guardian
: This with
Voice of the Woods
makes the Elemental token package, Vigilance is as much a useful ability as Trample, as in this case, after a few copying of tokens, you have an army which can play both offense and defense. Losing a land for the effect is no problem at all, because access to mana is plenty in this deck.
Specialized Commando - the Populate package
Rootborn Defenses, Sundering Growth, Trostani's Jugdment: Those three spells allows me to have some utility, in addition of getting a copy of my best token, it could be an elf if enough champions effect are around, or in some time an elemental.
The Lords - Boosting the army
Bramblewood Paragon: Most of my elvish creatures and tokens are also warriors. This guy provide a permanent boost to each warrior coming into the battlefield, and also provide evasion for all creatures with +1/+1 counters, which also works well with Immaculate Magistrate and Joraga Warcaller.
Elvish Archdruid: This M10 addition of the elf tribe is simply a must in any elf deck. A mix between Imperious Perfect and Priest of Titania, it boost your army, while providing mana to drop more of your elvish warriors.
Elvish Champion: The original Champion back in Invasion. It has the old-school ability pumping all elves and gives them forestwalk, also your opponents. Fortunately for me, the only forest deck I have to play against only contain one elf, but I could understand that someone would want him out.
Ezuri, Renegade Leader: It may not have a static ability like the other champions in this category, but the ability to play a repetitive Overrun on your elves army put him here. The Regeneration is an appreciated bonus. In this aspect Garruk Wildspeaker act as a second Ezuri from times to times.
Gempalm Strider
: Quick mention to this guy which I would often cycle to make a final boost to my army so I can put the last bit of damage.
Imperious Perfect: I already talked about it, but the fact that it have two roles in this deck make it a must.
Joraga Warcaller: The last Champion in the family, the fact that one can pump him many time with its Multikicker, and at the same time pump the whole army makes him a great addition to the family. And if it comes with a Bramblewood Paragon in play, that makes an additional counter for which we didn't need to pay.
Mirror Entity: I know that many people doesn't like changeling much in tribal deck. But one shouldn't deny them when they are as helpful as this guy. It pumps your army of 1/1 to the size you want, and makes all the tribal effect of this deck (and maybe of your opponents too).
Tolsimir Wolfblood
and
Wilt-Leaf Liege
: Those are the color boosters! It boost all of your creatures, and if they happen to be white, they boost them twice. I like the fact that the Liege only needs hybrid mana, and if it weren't for Tolsimir and the Mirror Entity I would have gone without any white mana source. However I like to have them around. For those wondering why I didn't list Tolsimir in the token producer, it's because the token produce is legendary, and as such it would be destroyed by Rhys second ability but one shouldn't forget that thanks to Tolsimir, it is a 4/4, and if you have a Packmaster, it will also have deathtouch!
The Champions - Riding on the army power
Allosaurus Rider
:This guy is unique in this category, dropping him early by exiling two cards, he gets his power from the number of land you have. Using Oracle of Mul Daya and Wood Elves can give him a boost, but already by himself he is a force to reckon.
Drove of Elves: Hexproof and counting all your green critters makes it a threat which isn't dealt easily.
Elvish Branchbender
: This guy provides an additional body for your army, and what a body.
Elvish Vanguard
: The advantage of this guy is that it gets stronger for each new elf, but doesn't weaken when you lose a creature. Also it can gain trample from Bramblewood Paragon On the other hand, a bounce and you can start from the beginning. On the other hand it makes it a good cheap magnet for all manner of bounce or removal. I considered Titania's Chosen instead, but Vanguard does triggers on the elf token generation.
Heedless One
: It is the first elf which power and toughness were scalable. Having trample will help to go through any chump blocker the opponent may still have.
Immaculate Magistrate: This is the "build your own fatty" card, giving substantial boost to any of your creatures, if left unchecked, you'll have soon an army of fatties instead of an army of weenies. In conjunction to Bramblewood Paragon, it makes also a nice combat trick, giving trample instant speed to one of your blocked creatures.
Jagged-Scar Archers: In addition to the potential big body they can have, they also can take care of any big Angel, Demon or other Dragon which could plague the battlefield.
Timberwatch Elf: This is the older brother from the Magistrate, only giving a temporary boost, but the boost can be consequential, as it can also count elves from your opponents.
Winnower Patrol
: Where the Vanguard gains its boost from elf coming into play, it gains a boost from an elf being revealed from the top of your library. The concentration of elf cards in this deck makes it worth it.
Talent Makers - Building your own Champions
Wirewood Pride
: Not like Timberwatch Elf they can't see those combat trick coming. This could amount to a big surprise, depending either on the number of elves, or on the number of creature you control.
Door of Destinies:This is
Elvish Vanguard
made artifact, as you will surely name "Elf" with it. It dodge any creature removal which would have targeted the Vanguard, and give the bonus to all your Elves.
Craterhoof Behemoth: This is massive pumping and generally the end of any stalemates. With this creatures, you are guaranteed a lethal surprise alpha strike. This has become quite a staple of Swarm strategies.
In construction
EDIT:
After a few games against my friend, I made a few changes to the deck:
Nullmage Shepherd and
Viridian Zealot
have been added as I didn't had reliable mean to deal with problematic artifacts and enchantments.
Then,
Tel-Jilad Fallen
came in to deal with the indestructible kind of artifact creature, with which the Shepherd can't help.
Finally,
Masked Admirers
and
Elvish Soultiller
provided me more in term of recursion.
Of course they are all elves and creature which allows me to tutor them through Fauna Shaman, Elvish Harbinger, Wirewood Herald, and hopefully as soon as I can have one Skyshroud Poacher.
Out went Llanowar Elves,
Llanowar Knight
,
Nissa's Chosen
,
Nissa Revane
and Elvish Visionary, which didn't do much for the deck.
