mono green elf [theory]

[ezio]

hey i am currently workin on a standard elf deck based round ther nissa revane planeswalker from zendikar

here is what i got so far



// Lands
24 Forest

// Creatures
4 Nissa's Chosen
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Arbor Elf
4 Elvish Archdruid
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Greenweaver Druid

// Spells
4 Nissa Revane
4 Giant Growth
4 Groundswell

any tips on where i am goin wrong (if i am) and what cards would work better with an elf deck

all help and comments (good or bad) are welcomed and thanked

[Disturbedone0777]

I would get rid of Greenweaver druid in exchange for Joraga Treespeaker. Much more solid of a mana producing elf. You might want to consider playing some Garruk Wildspeaker to add mana ramp, and the over-run effect. Your deck focuses on only your side of the field. You have no form of removal at all (though there is litlte direct removal in green). I would almost always include Vines of Vastwood in any mono-green deck that relies on it's creatures. Let's you stop spells from targeting your guys, as well as allows them to suddenly be larger. It's nice. Plummet is a great Sideboard option against flier decks. Give me some more times I might be able to offer more, but this is what I got so far.

[ezio]

(2010-08-18 18:05 PM)Disturbedone0777 Wrote:  I would get rid of Greenweaver druid in exchange for Joraga Treespeaker. Much more solid of a mana producing elf. You might want to consider playing some Garruk Wildspeaker to add mana ramp, and the over-run effect. Your deck focuses on only your side of the field. You have no form of removal at all (though there is litlte direct removal in green). I would almost always include Vines of Vastwood in any mono-green deck that relies on it's creatures. Let's you stop spells from targeting your guys, as well as allows them to suddenly be larger. It's nice. Plummet is a great Sideboard option against flier decks. Give me some more times I might be able to offer more, but this is what I got so far.

thanx disturbed i will do some changes now. any tips for the mana base?

[Disturbedone0777]

I'd run this most likely.
4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
3x Quicksand
3x Mystifying Maze
9x Forest

You can use the maze's and the quicksand in place of better removal since you are playing mono-green. Use the rief's to their advantage putting counters on Jorga. And use the catacombs to thin the deck out some since you don't have much draw being in green.

[ezio]

thanx mate will have to play test it at some point haha

[Disturbedone0777]

I just realized that your missing a very important elf for Standard elves. Joraga warcaller Exchange the 4 Arbor Elf for 4 of him.

[ezio]

i just noticed the elf b4 hand and was about to ask would he be a better elf in the deck haha heres the deck so far after a few suggestions

// Lands
10 Forest
3 Mystifying Maze
3 Quicksand
4 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
4 Verdant Catacombs

// Creatures
4 Nissa's Chosen
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Elvish Archdruid
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Joraga Warcaller
4 Joraga Treespeaker

// Spells
4 Nissa Revane
4 Vines of Vastwood
4 Garruk Wildspeaker

// Sideboard
SB: 4 Giant Spider
SB: 3 Terramorphic Expanse
SB: 4 Oran-Rief Recluse
SB: 4 Plummet

[Disturbedone0777]

Everything looks great to me but the sideboard. I think your overkilling flier defense there in place of some other things that could be more useful. Pithing needle is a great sideboard card, universally deck capable and works as a great counter to planeswalker problems as well as some other cards. The expanses make sense only in that they can cut the land in your deck down when played so that you have more thinning. Guessing your planning to sub those in place of the maze/quicksand if they aren't playing a creature based deck? Good call for thinning.

[ezio]

thanx i am only just gettin back into the game so my deck buildin skills will need a bit of work haha

[Ferridge]

Personally I would drop the treespeaker for arbor elf, having 8 guys that allow you to tap for 3 on turn 2 allows the deck to run more consitant. Plus I would lower the number of mazes and increase your basic land, as you always want to drop a basic forest turns 1, 2 and 3. I've found for this sort of deck to work, you've got to be spewing your hand out and swinging straight away.

I would replace the quicksands with tectonic edge, as manlands are more trouble than non flying creatures will be. Plus i personally hate quicksand

Having played with a deck like this before i think 4 garruk is overkill and always found I had one in play and one in hand. Try taking the vines out and replacing with 2 overrun and 3 eldrazi monument (1 replaces the garruk)

for the sideboard i'd say 3 plummit, 3 natralize, 3 acidic slimes, 3 pithing needles and 3 dragon claws as they are the only way to bring your match up with RDW closer.

[Disturbedone0777]

I would never run overrun now that Garruk is out. It doesn't serve nearly the same as Garruk and if you are going to remove him from the deck, I would think for something better then overrun to fill that void. Tectonic edge is a good land to slow things like Jund and other triple colored decks so I could see the swap on that for quicksand but quicksand works great as removal of threats that can be an issue and since green lacks targeted removal I was subbing it. The maze is awesome for the same reason and with Elves your land base should ever really be difficult.

Treespeakers are better then arbor elves. You don't decelerate with them, they are the same more or less except that they can provide even more help late game. Arbor elves late game become just another elf. Treespeaker can be dropped turn 1, and leveled and tapped turn 2 to allow for the same acceleration as Arbor elf. It's an amazing card that I wouldn't drop for arbor elf ever. Even if you fear their removal, removal wasted on your acceleration isn't nearly as bad as losing Joraga Warcaller or your Archdruids. Not to mention they could just as easily remove your Arbor elf/ Llanowar. I wouldn't lower the amount of mazes unless you intend to get a way to tutor for them. Again there isn't much in the way of removal in green and having something problematic attacking you can get old fast. The monument I've seen play and I might swap out for a few of those in exchange of 1 garruk and 1 Vines of Vastwood, and 1 Nissa running the three recommended.

Can't argue with that sideboard, it seems like it would take out some key pieces of the more prevalent decks out now.

[Ferridge]

The tectonic edge is more for killing the annoying manlands, and with quicksand only getting non flying creatures, you'll alway have enough elves to block and trade with the attacking creature. But im guess it will come down to personal taste. I personally dont think trading a land for a small creature is worth it.

With the treespeaker they are similar, but if turn two you level him you still only have 2 mana that turn. you do get the extra mana on turn 3 giving you 5 mana. but I think as your after beating down fast, you might find you've missed out. your right he is better in the late game, but if you end up in the late game with this sort of deck, i think your in trouble. unless your casting a warcaller for an obsencely high kicker.

The reason I would swap a garruk for an overrun, is for the surpirse factor. Garruk is deffinately a better card, but he can be kept of the ultimate and people can see it coming. The best green decks ive seen pump out loads of little dudes fast and win with overrun or eldrazi monument, and not using garruk. But they have all been using stuff that produce eldrazi spawn.

Im guessing it depends on the reason for your deck, if it is casual or if your hopping to win something with it.

[Disturbedone0777]

I could agree with the over-run if you went more Overwhelming Stampede. It's got that little umph that isn't in Garruk if you can drop a decent Jorga Warcaller first. I guess it is personal taste but I prefer the Treespeakers over Arbor Elf or Llanowar. That extra mana they grant, plus the ability to eventually let all elves tap for mana (assuming that you have the mana leftover to get him to that point) is just hard to pass on. I have never had an issue with Elves when they went later into the game. I wouldn't have dropped the Vines of Vastwood since they can defend your best guys as far as removal is concerned. I would hate to dump 5+ mana into a Joraga Warcaller and watch him perish to Terminate, or something similar. I can see your point about waiting till turn 3 to continue your plan with growth in elves, but by turn 3 your ready to drop an archdruid and save yourself the mana to defend him with vines of vastwood should they target remove him. Archdruids are a big part of elves, I've learned even more so then the Warcaller.

If you are worried about trading hits with an opponent it's hard to argue with Basilisk Collar. In elves you can toss it on Nissa's Chosen and keep swinging without hesitation. You could put it on your llanowar and suddenly that extra land you didn't need becomes a very lethal chump blocker.

I like techtonic edge as a card, but I would never underrate Quicksand. The ability to remove some little pest that's getting to you is nice. Techtonic edge would fit this deck a little more depending on what you do about removal. I can't play a deck that has no answer to a creature that isn't meant to just sit and swing, which elves have little in the way of dealing with. God I miss me some Jagged-Scar Archers. They could deal with a lot of the issues I see Elves facing creature wise, namely fliers.

As a funny little throw in finisher to this deck before I used to play 2x Prized Unicorn since it's unexpected and forces the other player to block. Hadn't really thought about it but a few Basilisk collars and that bad boy would be particularly nasty.

[ezio]

i'm likin all the idea that are being brought up here as i had said before i have only just started playing again and deck buildin was always a weak point for me and i would have to aggree with disturbed on the overrun, overwhelming stampede is alot better if you've got a high power creature on the table that can boast them all up and garruk also packs a 3/3 beast drop for 1 loyality point

[lord kaz]

Might I sudgest maybe adding Ezuri, Renegade Leader to the deck He will help you buff up you elfs and keep them alive only downside is that he has lightning bolt target writen all over him.
But if you can protect him then he should prove to help your deck I think in my humbel noob opinion.