Looking for elf threats
Standard Deck Help forum
Posted on Sept. 24, 2015, 11:05 a.m. by thewyzman
Elves? Threats? I know, it sounds like a joke, but I'm still trying to somehow put together an elf deck that doesn't suck.
Anyway, the point is I'm looking for cards that can help elf decks since they got pumped in ORI, then barely got acknowledged in BFZ. I thought of a couple cards, in lieu of Den Protector, that I haven't seen anyone running yet, and I'm curious on your opinions whether they're good or bad, generally speaking, or more matchup-focused:
Palace Siege: My LGS doesn't have any, so I can't try this, but being able to recur those elves all game long seems legit, especially running into late game when I'm looking to drop those Shaman of the Packs to close out.
Abzan Ascendancy: My first thought was vs. Control since sweepers would just net me a swarm of 1/1 flyers, causing control players to basically have to use two Languishes to wipe me... but the fact that elves are little more than weenie lemmings means I can get something out of their deaths.
Shadows of the Past: Not that a typical creature-heavy elf deck has answers to anything worth looking/scrying for, but there's no denying the general benefits of draw control. We can get it out early, and (like the Ascendancy and even the occasional Liliana, Heretical Healer Flip) get something out of the inevitable deaths of our swarm. With its activated ability, we could even finish off an opponent, or swing life totals when needed.
Feel free to rate these card options, I'd love to have some conversation.
HorridBEAST says... #3
People aren't playing these cards because they distract from the main goal of the deck rather than advancing it. For my deck at least, the deck just has 32 elves, 2 Obelisk of Urd to make the small elves into threats, 4 Collected Company to fill the field, and 2 Chord of Calling to fetch a game ending Shaman of the Pack. And most other decks I've seen drop the Obelisks in favor of more Chords.
Palace Siege could be nice sideboard tech, but its too expensive for mainboard, Obelisk is also expensive, but with convoke you can drop this on turn 3. It also does nothing to advance the board; this gets elves back into your hand, but it doesn't put them on the field like Coco and Chord and doesn't turn Elvish Visionary into a beater like Obelisk.
Abzan Ascendancy wont fly in the straight G/B deck, and the Abzan Rally Elf deck just wants to get as many elves and shamans in the grave as possible to end the game with one Rally the Ancestors
Shadows of the Past's scry ability is very nice.. I would definitely play it over Palace Siege, but it just doesn't stack up against Chord, Coco, and obelisk
We will be losing Elvish Mystic, Chord of Calling, and Obelisk of Urd after rotation, but I still don't see these as great replacements. I'm looking at Woodland Bellower to replace Chord: it will fetch shaman for the same mana cast, sadly not instant speed or convoke, but it does leave a 6/5 body behind. Im looking at Beastcaller Savant to replace Mystic: It really hurts that it isn't a one drop, but the haste means that you can play it turn 2 and tap it to play another one drop and it still gets you a turn 3 Coco. Im not sure what I'll replace Obelisk with... Shadows could fit in, but I feel like there is something better
September 24, 2015 5:25 p.m.
SnoopDogge says... #4
Beastcaller Savant's ability can only be used to casy creature spells so no turn 3 CoCo.
September 24, 2015 7:56 p.m.
HorridBEAST says... #5
Yes, you are correct. With Mystic and Caryatid leaving the ramp options are so poor.
September 25, 2015 9:07 a.m.
Leaf Gilder gives you T3 CoCo if that's what makes you jolly.
I've seen a decent Rally the Elves deck, but it's more gimmicky than reanimator decks and relies too heavily on that one card, pretty much, to win. I prefer a deck that isn't quite as one-dimentional. Also, I feel like it's losing a lot of its dredging power with the rotation.
Woodland Bellower would be a fairly nice addition for pulling out a late shaman, but its lack of trample, evasion, or protection makes it little more than a one-shot ETB gimmick. I'm toying around with a copy of Macabre Waltz in the deck with the simple idea of snatching up a couple dead elves in the mid-to-late game to help finish.
September 25, 2015 11:13 a.m.
HorridBEAST says... #7
Woodland Bellower isn't a gimmick, its just a shitty Chord of Calling. What does Chord do other than 1 time get you a shaman? Nothing else in the deck has Protection, Evasion, or trample (except Sylvan Messenger, but that's a 2/2 so no one cares), you win with speed, numbers, and Shamans. Bellower is slow, but it gets you a shaman and leaves behind another creature adding to the numbers. It can make a nice blocker that will eat Siege Rhino and Tasigur, the Golden Fang and can live through Languish and your own Eyeblight Massacre
And when you do attack, with the power level of creatures in standard right now there are almost no playable creatures that can block this without dying, and there are only a handful of playable creatures with enough power to kill the Bellower so it will either live through combat (slowly eliminating their board as your elves get in for damage) or trade with their biggest threat (which is fine, because all you really wanted was the shaman).
If they have to resort to a double block to get the Bellower off the field the 6 power will most likely take out both of the blockers meaning you have gotten a free creature off the ETB and then traded 2 for 1 with the Bellower.
September 25, 2015 12:05 p.m.
A fair assessment. I might have to find one somehow since my LGS doesn't have any. Ordering online poses a challenge when my wife sees MTG purchases on our acct (since she hates MTG and me spending money on it).
Thus, Abzan Ascendancy, Shadows of the Past, and Macabre Waltz might see my deck in the meantime simply because I already have them.
September 25, 2015 12:55 p.m.
gruneldjoe says... #9
Temur Sabertooth can be a good tool for this deck. You can use it to bounce the Shaman.
bretters says... #2
you dont have to buy palace siege local.... i like that because it also has the other option of life sapping.
September 24, 2015 2:55 p.m.