The issue here is that the clear weakness of Dwynen compared to the "better" legendary elves is that her terrible nature... just... calls to me. I want to make her work for something.
My own (personal) issue is that I don't like running the obvious, so for this example, I don't want to run tribal elves. While scanning trade binders for ideas I mentioned my goal with Dwynen to a buddy, and he flat out said that 3/4 of the card dictates that she runs an elf deck. This brings me to the reason for posting here - looking for ideas on what sort of deck Dwynen can actually operate in.
Her life-gain is pretty weak w/o tribal support, and her lord effect is also not very relevant with fewer elves.
I think Dwynen in anything apart from a Elf deck is essentially a novelty commander. A 2GG 3/4 reach which gains 1 when it attacks is quite underwhelming and I think most other mono G generals will be better.
In an elf deck I think she is far from mediocre, although not as powerful as Ezuri.
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EDH BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG, A box of lands and ideas.
Modern: RG Titanshift. A deck made of cards too stupid for EDH.
Retired: Lots. More than I feel you should suffer through or I should type out.
Mono-green Turbo-Aetherflux Reservoir? It would be trash, you wouldn't have many tutors or really all that much commander support... but hey, at least you're in the distant second-best color for lifegain.
Alternately: every card in your deck must have some form of incidental lifegain on it. I'm not sure if this is even possible to build, and I 100% guarantee that it sucks, but at least your commander matters here.
EDIT: wait, why 'alternately'? Combine the deck concepts and make the Draft Trash deck of the year!
Alternate things to build around: Tribal 3/4s, Tribal Names-Of-Form-'[Name],[Description]' (eg all three of the creatures I mentioned above).
EDIT EDIT EDIT: I swear, why can we not have working links to Gatherer? Am I missing some way of, like, escaping characters or something? Anyway, here's the actual link: gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[warrior]||type=+[warrior]||subtype=+[warrior]||text=+[warrior]&color=+[G]
"It is better for all the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes... Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
Play as many changelings as you can and try to find as much tribal support for different tribes as you can. Then Dwynen is just one of the cards that belongs to the deck who happens to be the commander.
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The secret to enjoyable Commander games is not winning first, but losing last.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
Maybe a novelty "Reach Tribal" deck. Play anything with reach. Play anything that hates on flyers. Play Sandworm Convergence. Super casual and you get to play some elves Jagged-Scar Archers.
I think Dwynen in anything apart from a Elf deck is essentially a novelty commander. A 2GG 3/4 reach which gains 1 when it attacks is quite underwhelming and I think most other mono G generals will be better.
It's also bad design (i.e., encouraging you to both attack and block, but not having vigilance or any sort of untap mechanic to draw it together; it's a minor detail, and there is something to be said for tension, but still...)
The obvious option is lifegain. You can start by just drawing Sylvan Library off the top and not bothering with putting other cards on top. You also have Hurricane but then you start basically playing elfball.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen is, without a doubt, a very mediocre card.
The issue here is that the clear weakness of Dwynen compared to the "better" legendary elves is that her terrible nature... just... calls to me. I want to make her work for something.
My own (personal) issue is that I don't like running the obvious, so for this example, I don't want to run tribal elves. While scanning trade binders for ideas I mentioned my goal with Dwynen to a buddy, and he flat out said that 3/4 of the card dictates that she runs an elf deck. This brings me to the reason for posting here - looking for ideas on what sort of deck Dwynen can actually operate in.
Her life-gain is pretty weak w/o tribal support, and her lord effect is also not very relevant with fewer elves.
I'm currently thinking of an "elf-shell" deck, with just a handful of necessary functional tools (Elvish Mystic/Fyndhorn Elves/Llanowar Elves/Arbor Elf/Joraga Treespeaker/etc), a few for combat effects (Elvish Champion/Ezuri, Renegade Leader/etc), and a few for utility (Viridian Zealot). The rest of the deck may be more along the lines of a berserk approach, intending on using green pump effects to make Dwynen hulk-smash someone's face (Blanchwood Armor/Increasing Savagery/Enlarge/Predator's Strike/Giant Growth/Primal Bellow/Thunderfoot Baloth/Nylea, God of the Hunt/etc).
That is my initial idea. Which is kind of lame, since it means any generic legendary creature could fit in there.
What else can be done with Dwynen? Or a mono-green edh deck ran by Dwynen that doesn't run 30+ elves?
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
In an elf deck I think she is far from mediocre, although not as powerful as Ezuri.
BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG, A box of lands and ideas.
Modern:
RG Titanshift. A deck made of cards too stupid for EDH.
Retired: Lots. More than I feel you should suffer through or I should type out.
Mono-green Turbo-Aetherflux Reservoir? It would be trash, you wouldn't have many tutors or really all that much commander support... but hey, at least you're in the distant second-best color for lifegain.
Alternately: every card in your deck must have some form of incidental lifegain on it. I'm not sure if this is even possible to build, and I 100% guarantee that it sucks, but at least your commander matters here.
EDIT: wait, why 'alternately'? Combine the deck concepts and make the Draft Trash deck of the year!
EDIT EDIT: I need to spend more time thinking before posting. Anyway, I was gonna say that Warrior Tribal also works; there's tons of green ones, though there's zero mono-green tribal support. ||type=+[warrior]||subtype=+[warrior]||text=+[warrior]&color=+[G]]Here's Gatherer although that search includes multicolor. The downside is that, not only are there better generals for the purpose (Eladamri, Lord of Leaves, Surrak, the Hunt Caller), but there's also worse ones (Anthousa, Setessan Hero), meaning she's not the worst one there could be.
Alternate things to build around: Tribal 3/4s, Tribal Names-Of-Form-'[Name],[Description]' (eg all three of the creatures I mentioned above).
EDIT EDIT EDIT: I swear, why can we not have working links to Gatherer? Am I missing some way of, like, escaping characters or something? Anyway, here's the actual link: gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[warrior]||type=+[warrior]||subtype=+[warrior]||text=+[warrior]&color=+[G]
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
R Norin the Wary: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This
UG Thrasios & Kydele: Knowledge is Power
RG Borborygmos Enraged: The Breaking of the World
BG The Gitrog Monster: All Glory to the Hypnotoad
WUR Zedruu the Greathearted: Endless Possibilities, One Outcome
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain: What's Dead May Never Die
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It's also bad design (i.e., encouraging you to both attack and block, but not having vigilance or any sort of untap mechanic to draw it together; it's a minor detail, and there is something to be said for tension, but still...)
The obvious option is lifegain. You can start by just drawing Sylvan Library off the top and not bothering with putting other cards on top. You also have Hurricane but then you start basically playing elfball.
On phasing: