Here's my latest brew which has been winning games on Mtg Arena left-right-center. The deck is 15-3 on Arena as of this writing. I call it "One Mountain Green" for obvious reasons.
I don't have a sideboard for this deck yet, but I will be working on one if I make the deck for real-life play. The deck is hella fun to play especially getting out a turn 3 Gigantosauruswhich can happen from time to time in a mono-color deck. I have been beating decks on mtg Arena left right and center with this Dino stompy deck and I can't wait to try it at a real tournament soon.
Let me know what you think could be in the sideboard and if you have mtg Arena try this deck out, you'll be pleasantly surprised by it.
Two things I don't get is why you're not playing the best green creatures Vine Mare or Steel Leaf Champion, and why you're not doing a full set of Rootbound Crag. Real life and Arena are vastly different, so you really have to adjust to it.
Two things I don't get is why you're not playing the best green creatures Vine Mare or Steel Leaf Champion, and why you're not doing a full set of Rootbound Crag. Real life and Arena are vastly different, so you really have to adjust to it.
Thanks for your comments, I did think about playing a full playset of Rootbound Crag myself, but while test playing this deck with only 2 Banefires main I noticed that I don't need red that much and I don't want to give my opp the idea that I am playing R/G, it will be better if he/she thinks I'm on mono green so when the red and the Banefire drops they will be surprised, or at least can't plan ahead for it.
Second part is that I don't have Steal Leaf Champion so I bypassed him with Ranging Raptors and Thrashing Brontodonin Arena. The result is that they work amazing, people think I'm playing a janky mono green deck and when I drop the big boys it's really surprising, also having brontodon main-deck means game one I can deal with annoying enchantments and artifacts that people like to play. (heart of kiran anyone?)
So, yes I will be thinking about adding 2 more rootbound crags to the deck, vine mare is in the sideboard against B/U control decks, so I don't want to play him main deck, I don't plan on adding Steel Leaf in the 3 slot because I'm happy with 3 of raptors and 3 brontodons so far. The deck works the way it is, it's even good at removal due to savage stomp having so many dino targets in my deck, and cartouche of strength has done wonders maindeck as well.
I am working on the sideboard right now, which will have more red cards so I definitely will be upping my rootbound crag to a full playset in the future.
You're not thinking of Vine Mare in the correct way though. Hexproof works great with Cartouche and Growth.
To be honest I don't understand the red splash for Banefire when it doesn't exactly fit with the stretegy of just beating face. You're likely just going to win with just one attack. I would just add in Blossoming Defense to protect your big beaters. Banefire is great, but maybe more for the sideboard. Btw, making your opponent think you're not on mono green is exactly what you want to do. If the red splash is just for Banefire, they will think you'll have more red cards like Glorybringer, Abrade, etc and play around cards you don't have. They're not going to "prepare for Banefire" anyways since it can't be prevented or countered.
You're not thinking of Vine Mare in the correct way though. Hexproof works great with Cartouche and Growth.
To be honest I don't understand the red splash for Banefire when it doesn't exactly fit with the stretegy of just beating face. You're likely just going to win with just one attack. I would just add in Blossoming Defense to protect your big beaters. Banefire is great, but maybe more for the sideboard. Btw, making your opponent think you're not on mono green is exactly what you want to do. If the red splash is just for Banefire, they will think you'll have more red cards like Glorybringer, Abrade, etc and play around cards you don't have. They're not going to "prepare for Banefire" anyways since it can't be prevented or countered.
Yup I agree that vine mare works great with pump spells, that's why I will play 3-4 of them in my sideboard, against B/R decks or mono R decks as well. The reason I'm not playing it main deck is because I want to play Territorial Allosaurus in that slot as a 2 off, they synergize better with the savage stomp removal in the deck and mid game they can come into play and kill a creature as well,7 mana is not that hard to reach in this deck.
I also plan to run 2-3 blossoming defense in the sideboard as well, for the reasons you mentioned but I feel it's not needed main deck as much, I've already played some test games with it and I prefer the main deck without it, just removal and creatures. I know many people play banefire in the sideboard but I think it's a great finisher in this deck to punch in that last 5-6 damage.
IF you can test the deck you will see what I mean, it's not just a random choice to throw banefire in the deck but it was a calculated choice.
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I know what I'm talking about though. Banefire is a sideboard card unless you're playing a ramp deck and you're not. There's also a reason why all Mono Green decks play Blossoming Defense in the main as a full set. It's a full tempo disadvantage to blank their removal for just one mana on your end, especially when the ones that hit your fat beaters cost 3 CMC or more.
I know what I'm talking about though. Banefire is a sideboard card unless you're playing a ramp deck and you're not. There's also a reason why all Mono Green decks play Blossoming Defense in the main as a full set. It's a full tempo disadvantage to blank their removal for just one mana on your end, especially when the ones that hit your fat beaters cost 3 CMC or more.
I tested the deck a few games yesterday and I had trouble against zombies because they get deathtouch due to death baron so it stops all my crew in their tracks. So, I will move the 2 banefire to the sideboard but I will add 3 fight with fire maindeck to deal with creatures that have deathtouch, the rest I can use cartouche of strength or savage stomp to deal with, but the zombie ones cause a problem.
As for blossoming defense it's still in the sideboard, which I'm still working on as we speak.
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Vine Mare crushes zombies since they have absolutely no way to stop it, and if you're going to mainboard removal it's very tough when you're only running five red sources, which makes red removal early to mid game very unreliable. The best way to go at it would just do vehicles like Aethersphere Harvester and Skysovereign, Consul Flagship to fly over and lifegain/destroy creatures. There's Rabid Bite, which isn't exactly my favorite removal option but it's best you got in green to get rid of creatures without actually getting involved in combat.
So, I took the deck to the Saturday standard showdown this past week and went 1-2 with it. To note that in the 3rd round and 3rd game I Banefired my opp for lethal but he gained 2 life in response so he survived to kill me the next turn. Also, in rounds 2 and 3 I played against control decks, I defeatead the round 2 opp but the last guy was the one who gained life to in the last game to survive, so I was one spell away from being 2-1 with the deck.
Anyways, I made some changes to the deck after the tourney and this is what it looks like right now:
The deck is going pure aggro right now with 27 creatures in the deck and also running 10 mana creatures to make sure I can speed up the bigger guys out. I was trying to find a way to add trample to my creatures and some pump and I ended up with invigorated rampage because sometimes I have to attack with the mana guys and dealing a few extra points of damage even with them would be beneficial.
Also, having Banefire maindeck has totally worn me a match against a control deck and almost won me the 3rd game in a match against a second control deck, they can't do anything except gain life in response.
I will be testing this deck some more and will work on it to improve it and play it past the rotation in October since it doesn't look too many cards after the rotation.
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You're seriously trying to go heavier into red with only five red producing lands. You might as well play a full set of Sheltered Thicket for at least nine sources (barely counting Drover though). I would stay away from the double red like the creatures in the sideboard because it's way too inconsistent.
Is your meta just control decks or something? Your deck 75 seems to cater just to control decks.
You're seriously trying to go heavier into red with only five red producing lands. You might as well play a full set of Sheltered Thicket for at least nine sources (barely counting Drover though). I would stay away from the double red like the creatures in the sideboard because it's way too inconsistent.
Is your meta just control decks or something? Your deck 75 seems to cater just to control decks.
Yup, only 5 red lands and the drovers. As for the sideboard, it works because the dragons don't come down on turn 5 but more like on turn 7-8 and I will either have 2 red by then or it's possible I could use Champion of rhonas to sneak them out instead. It has worked for me just fine in the last tourney, and it's not that I'm just ready for control decks but a lot of people play U/W/B control, or Grixis control or even U/B control like the deck I faced in the last round of the tourney.
I am a control player so I know how to those decks play out, so that is the decision for having more creatures, more mana creatures to have a better chance to cast the big guys out early and of course the banefire main deck which wrecks control decks after I get them down to 7-8 life (they like to extend the game anyways so by that time I should have enough land/mana) and then banefire their face.
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Playing three rounds in one tourney doesn't mean it's reasonable enough playtesting to know it's the right amount of lands. The math of it all is way against you in having double red, even single red.
Playing three rounds in one tourney doesn't mean it's reasonable enough playtesting to know it's the right amount of lands. The math of it all is way against you in having double red, even single red.
It's not only the 1 tourney live that I'm using as playtesting, I'm also playing in Arena a few games every day and so far I've been ok with 5 land mana sources for my red cards plus the 4 drovers. I understand your concern but reading about a deck online and giving your opinions based on what's written is not the same as playing the deck multiple games and seeing what the reality of the draws is.
I will continue to improve this deck since it will stay almost the same after rotation so it can be played for a long time in standard, and it has a great match-up against control in game 1 which only becomes better in game 2. I just need to figure out how to improve the match up against other aggro decks.
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Sure, playing it is not the same as looking at it, but again, the math and the numbers are against you. You are just getting lucky with an inconsistent mana base.
Sure, playing it is not the same as looking at it, but again, the math and the numbers are against you. You are just getting lucky with an inconsistent mana base.
Luck is just variance, which is calculated by math. You stack variance to be as much in your favor as possible. Luck isn't half assing your deck and think luck is on your side.
Luck is just variance, which is calculated by math. You stack variance to be as much in your favor as possible. Luck isn't half assing your deck and think luck is on your side.
I see you've never played much magic at all, and probably never played Vintage where you get 1 black lotus and one of each mox and sometimes your deck depends on drawing it in your first 7 cards and also getting at least 1 mox to be able to combo off and win, and yet people still play those decks to try to win on turn 1 even though the "math" is against them.
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Here's my latest brew which has been winning games on Mtg Arena left-right-center. The deck is 15-3 on Arena as of this writing. I call it "One Mountain Green" for obvious reasons.
Without further ado here it is:
1 Ghalta, Primal Hunger
4 Gigantosaurus
1 Aggressive Mammoth
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Drover of the Mighty
3 Ranging Raptors
2 Territorial Allosaurus
3 Thrashing Brontodon
1 Lifecrafter's Bestiary
Planeswalker(1)
1 Vivien Reid
Enchantments(5)
2 Prodigious Growth
3 Cartouche of Strength
Spells(7)
3 Savage Stomp
2 Commune with Dinosaurs
2 Banefire
1 Mountain
19 Forest
2 Hashep Oasis
1 Memorial to Unity
2 Rootbound Grag
I don't have a sideboard for this deck yet, but I will be working on one if I make the deck for real-life play. The deck is hella fun to play especially getting out a turn 3 Gigantosauruswhich can happen from time to time in a mono-color deck. I have been beating decks on mtg Arena left right and center with this Dino stompy deck and I can't wait to try it at a real tournament soon.
Let me know what you think could be in the sideboard and if you have mtg Arena try this deck out, you'll be pleasantly surprised by it.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/standard-mono-green-stompy-50868#paper
Two things I don't get is why you're not playing the best green creatures Vine Mare or Steel Leaf Champion, and why you're not doing a full set of Rootbound Crag. Real life and Arena are vastly different, so you really have to adjust to it.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Thanks for your comments, I did think about playing a full playset of Rootbound Crag myself, but while test playing this deck with only 2 Banefires main I noticed that I don't need red that much and I don't want to give my opp the idea that I am playing R/G, it will be better if he/she thinks I'm on mono green so when the red and the Banefire drops they will be surprised, or at least can't plan ahead for it.
Second part is that I don't have Steal Leaf Champion so I bypassed him with Ranging Raptors and Thrashing Brontodonin Arena. The result is that they work amazing, people think I'm playing a janky mono green deck and when I drop the big boys it's really surprising, also having brontodon main-deck means game one I can deal with annoying enchantments and artifacts that people like to play. (heart of kiran anyone?)
So, yes I will be thinking about adding 2 more rootbound crags to the deck, vine mare is in the sideboard against B/U control decks, so I don't want to play him main deck, I don't plan on adding Steel Leaf in the 3 slot because I'm happy with 3 of raptors and 3 brontodons so far. The deck works the way it is, it's even good at removal due to savage stomp having so many dino targets in my deck, and cartouche of strength has done wonders maindeck as well.
I am working on the sideboard right now, which will have more red cards so I definitely will be upping my rootbound crag to a full playset in the future.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
To be honest I don't understand the red splash for Banefire when it doesn't exactly fit with the stretegy of just beating face. You're likely just going to win with just one attack. I would just add in Blossoming Defense to protect your big beaters. Banefire is great, but maybe more for the sideboard. Btw, making your opponent think you're not on mono green is exactly what you want to do. If the red splash is just for Banefire, they will think you'll have more red cards like Glorybringer, Abrade, etc and play around cards you don't have. They're not going to "prepare for Banefire" anyways since it can't be prevented or countered.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Yup I agree that vine mare works great with pump spells, that's why I will play 3-4 of them in my sideboard, against B/R decks or mono R decks as well. The reason I'm not playing it main deck is because I want to play Territorial Allosaurus in that slot as a 2 off, they synergize better with the savage stomp removal in the deck and mid game they can come into play and kill a creature as well,7 mana is not that hard to reach in this deck.
I also plan to run 2-3 blossoming defense in the sideboard as well, for the reasons you mentioned but I feel it's not needed main deck as much, I've already played some test games with it and I prefer the main deck without it, just removal and creatures. I know many people play banefire in the sideboard but I think it's a great finisher in this deck to punch in that last 5-6 damage.
IF you can test the deck you will see what I mean, it's not just a random choice to throw banefire in the deck but it was a calculated choice.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
I tested the deck a few games yesterday and I had trouble against zombies because they get deathtouch due to death baron so it stops all my crew in their tracks. So, I will move the 2 banefire to the sideboard but I will add 3 fight with fire maindeck to deal with creatures that have deathtouch, the rest I can use cartouche of strength or savage stomp to deal with, but the zombie ones cause a problem.
As for blossoming defense it's still in the sideboard, which I'm still working on as we speak.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Anyways, I made some changes to the deck after the tourney and this is what it looks like right now:
4 Gigantosaurus
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Drover of the Mighty
2 Druid of the Cowl
3 Ranging Raptors
3 Ripjaw Raptor
2 Thrashing Brontodon
2 Regisaur Alpha
3 Vine Mare
2 Lifecrafter's Bestiary
Spells(9)
2 Savage Stomp
2 Commune with Dinosaurs
2 Invigorated Rampage
3 Banefire
Lands(23)
1 Mountain
17 Forest
1 Memorial to Unity
4 Rootbound Grag
2 Prowling Serpopard
3 Fight with fire
3 Blossoming Defense
2 Champion of Rhonas
3 Demanding Dragon
1 Vivien Reid
1 Etali, Primal Storm
The deck is going pure aggro right now with 27 creatures in the deck and also running 10 mana creatures to make sure I can speed up the bigger guys out. I was trying to find a way to add trample to my creatures and some pump and I ended up with invigorated rampage because sometimes I have to attack with the mana guys and dealing a few extra points of damage even with them would be beneficial.
Also, having Banefire maindeck has totally worn me a match against a control deck and almost won me the 3rd game in a match against a second control deck, they can't do anything except gain life in response.
I will be testing this deck some more and will work on it to improve it and play it past the rotation in October since it doesn't look too many cards after the rotation.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
Is your meta just control decks or something? Your deck 75 seems to cater just to control decks.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Yup, only 5 red lands and the drovers. As for the sideboard, it works because the dragons don't come down on turn 5 but more like on turn 7-8 and I will either have 2 red by then or it's possible I could use Champion of rhonas to sneak them out instead. It has worked for me just fine in the last tourney, and it's not that I'm just ready for control decks but a lot of people play U/W/B control, or Grixis control or even U/B control like the deck I faced in the last round of the tourney.
I am a control player so I know how to those decks play out, so that is the decision for having more creatures, more mana creatures to have a better chance to cast the big guys out early and of course the banefire main deck which wrecks control decks after I get them down to 7-8 life (they like to extend the game anyways so by that time I should have enough land/mana) and then banefire their face.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
It's not only the 1 tourney live that I'm using as playtesting, I'm also playing in Arena a few games every day and so far I've been ok with 5 land mana sources for my red cards plus the 4 drovers. I understand your concern but reading about a deck online and giving your opinions based on what's written is not the same as playing the deck multiple games and seeing what the reality of the draws is.
I will continue to improve this deck since it will stay almost the same after rotation so it can be played for a long time in standard, and it has a great match-up against control in game 1 which only becomes better in game 2. I just need to figure out how to improve the match up against other aggro decks.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/frank-analysis-how-many-colored-mana-sources-do-you-need-to-consistently-cast-your-spells/
That is it. I'll leave you to the deck.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Yeah, I know about that article but magic is not all about math and numbers, and most games are won by luck not because of math.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
I see you've never played much magic at all, and probably never played Vintage where you get 1 black lotus and one of each mox and sometimes your deck depends on drawing it in your first 7 cards and also getting at least 1 mox to be able to combo off and win, and yet people still play those decks to try to win on turn 1 even though the "math" is against them.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle