You are so wrong about the creature clause mattering.
-black can recur creatures EASY (reuse this guy easier than duress)
-black can kill creatures EASY (you don't need the creature clause)
What's not to like that its a duress for 1 more mana as a 1/2 flyer... When your turn 1 play should be Inquisition anyway.
There's a handful of Gruul cards that cost 3 or less mana, but it looks like you're trying to storm out. Nonetheless, Keen Sense can grant you a massive card advantage or extra gas...
I don't think redundancy on combat damage is the way to go. I think the Swiftspear, Niv, and Gut is the way to go. Maybe even Firebrand Archer
The problem with Ruin Ghost is you cant just play it and pop off because of summoning sickness, and it is really easy to kill.
I think you should focus on Ruin Ghost and Retreat to Coralhelm as a combo. The rest of the deck needs to be some sort of disruption and Azorius colors give you a lot of options. I don't have the time right now. But if it were me I would make it a predominantly blue control deck. Stuff like Serum Visions and counterspells can go a long way in both disrupting your opponent and protecting Ruin Ghost. White has a lot of things that can slow your opponent down as well. Stuff like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Ghostly Prison.
Other options include cheating out Ruin Ghost on your opponents turn. Aether Vial or Prophet of Kruphix, but you kind of have to build a deck around them.
Your winning condition should maximize landfall, but still offer something else besides that. The card needs to be good on its own, and win the game for you when you establish your combo.
I had long considered Flagstones, but I don't plan on splashing white that much. There's no reason to add Flagstones, when I can GQ my own land to have a similar effect. There's a lot of reasons to splash white, a lot of them I don't have the money for(looking at you Voice). But the biggest one imo is KotR and disruption. Sounds a lot like Hatebears, or maybe Maverick. But this deck is built way different. It's built around activating Rhonas, land tricks, and a bunch of beaters. There's a variety of plays to make on turn 2 depending on hand and matchup. But the deck gets exciting on turns 3, 4, and 5. It's mid-range, it's fun, it's green.
After some tinkering, I was considering for the final 4 slots in the deck: Knight of the Reliquary Scavenging Ooze Loxodon Smiter Bloodbriar Tireless Tracker
and maybe a couple others I'm forgetting(E-Wit = Fengraf). But that in a nutshell is the order I put them in: Power for Rhonas, finding a land toolbox, and GY hate.
Tireless Tracker is too slow. Bloodbriar is faster, but is just a vanilla grow creature at the end of the day. Smiter is good, but its better sideboard material imo. And Ooze loses to KotR because KotR can find Bojuka Bog, which I can reuse.
I can't help but think that Rhonas the Indomitable needs to be in this deck[/card] along with Edge of Autumn. There are a handful of ways to animate lands lands at instant speed and pump them up. It doubles as a finisher and is difficult to remove.
I'm torn on going into black for Gitrog and discard. The lack of control aside from some neat combat tricks almost demands excessive card advantage. Either way, drawing an extra card AND creating an extra 2/2 with Dunes for FREE every turn is incredibly good.
I think you guys are underestimating Elemental Uprising.
Pro's:
-can kill any creature 3/3 or less without dying on turn 2(the mana dorks leave the land open)
-it's "must be blocked" clause allows for opportunities to kill a newborn creature.
-it can be used effectively late game as a "chump attacker"... When you're both top-decking and have a creature out each?
-attaching it to a dunes means that if you do get 2-1'd you get a 2/2 zombie as a consolation prize.
-a land creature is far harder to remove with spells than a creature
Con's:
-it's a combat trick, any combat trick can get 2 for 1'd.
To summarize, it has a use early, mid, and late game. It can be 2 for 1'd, but not by anything that says "non-land".
Harrow'ing a Dunes is good man. It's really good. In contrast, Here's Civic Wayfinder. Meh, bad card. Here's the difference between the 2:
+flash. Worst case scenario, you chump. Best case you kill one of their little guys.
+trim your deck of 2 lands instead of 1
+lands come into play untapped leaving more shenanigans open.
Harrow'ing is probably best because you can 5-drop on turn 3. It's still nice to have consistent and varied responses to aggro.
-The mana curve is kind of high though it is a 1 color deck at the moment. I should use 23 lands?
-How many dorks should I be using?
-How many Oasis should I use?
-I should include a copy of Cradle of the Accursed? There's a plethora of sac and animation options. Or is it just better to include a Gitrog?
-Is Hour of Promise good here? It's kind of expensive and doesn't really end the game. Realms Uncharted finds lands better no?
-Is the cycling on Desert of the Indomitable worthwhile? It seems kind of average without Loam. And 2 mana isn't cheap for a one time effect.
-Tectonic Edge Does this card have a place in modern? It's not like I'm using white/blue search hate, so I'll never get a lock on lands. Nonethless, hitting an important land is worth at least a one-of each?
-Haunted Fengraf seems nuts with the Excavator, this is an auto-include?
-Any etb lands? Garden? Bog? Sideboard graveyard hate? Which is best?
-Genju of the Cedars seems interesting. Is it better than Elemental Uprising? Its a potentially repeatable sink after all. Is it better to go 2 on each?
-Quicksand well, maybe, it can keep ground creatures with 2 toughness or less from attacking. Seems good to me
-what about Sunscorched Desert: It's basically still a shock at some point. I mean the wincon is basically animating lands for Rhonas to attack alongside a 4+ power trampler.
Please help, I don't have the money to test 100 cards nor do I have Cockatrice or whatever.
PS: I wish they didn't make Hashep Oasis sorcery speed.
A turn 2 harrow that pops out a 2/2 zombie doesn't seem all that bad to me. Or maybe a 2/2 and a 3/3 with Beast Within. Suffice to say it will recover quick from board wipes.
how is it any better than crucible when there are soooo many cards that are maindecked that can pinch a 2/3 with ease. This was supposed to be a Nicol Bolas set. So I'm not that surprised green is reprinting inferior cards. When Ixalan comes along green better get a huge boost!
Hatebears/Maverick/Selesnya can use it. Don't call it a company deck. Company is pretty much the only reason green exists right now, and its in a lot of decks.
-black can recur creatures EASY (reuse this guy easier than duress)
-black can kill creatures EASY (you don't need the creature clause)
What's not to like that its a duress for 1 more mana as a 1/2 flyer... When your turn 1 play should be Inquisition anyway.
It's not fast, but it hit super hard. Like 50+ life hard in some instances.
Suffice to say I axed Kiln Fiend because the spitfire is more evasive, and guttersnipe is just hands down better.
This is a storm deck. You should be using Guttersnipe. Its a turn later and less power, but it has far fewer weaknesses.
Here's a few green cards that are good for storm in a G/R build:
Mutagenic Growth
Blossoming Defense
Avoid Fate
Manamorphose
There's a handful of Gruul cards that cost 3 or less mana, but it looks like you're trying to storm out. Nonetheless, Keen Sense can grant you a massive card advantage or extra gas...
I don't think redundancy on combat damage is the way to go. I think the Swiftspear, Niv, and Gut is the way to go. Maybe even Firebrand Archer
It's a great card that can have a ton of uses. Aven Mindcensor for example in hatebears.
I think you should focus on Ruin Ghost and Retreat to Coralhelm as a combo. The rest of the deck needs to be some sort of disruption and Azorius colors give you a lot of options. I don't have the time right now. But if it were me I would make it a predominantly blue control deck. Stuff like Serum Visions and counterspells can go a long way in both disrupting your opponent and protecting Ruin Ghost. White has a lot of things that can slow your opponent down as well. Stuff like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Ghostly Prison.
Other options include cheating out Ruin Ghost on your opponents turn. Aether Vial or Prophet of Kruphix, but you kind of have to build a deck around them.
Your winning condition should maximize landfall, but still offer something else besides that. The card needs to be good on its own, and win the game for you when you establish your combo.
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Turn 2:
Dunes of the dead
Harrow
Raise the Alarm
Turn 2 can all be done at instant speed
nets you four creatures, mana-fixing, and 5 mana available for next turn
Turn 3:
Profit
and you can still max out on blue control, maybe even get away with a serum or a counterspell on turn 2. Of course finding mana dorks wouldn't be fun
After some tinkering, I was considering for the final 4 slots in the deck:
Knight of the Reliquary
Scavenging Ooze
Loxodon Smiter
Bloodbriar
Tireless Tracker
and maybe a couple others I'm forgetting(E-Wit = Fengraf). But that in a nutshell is the order I put them in: Power for Rhonas, finding a land toolbox, and GY hate.
Tireless Tracker is too slow. Bloodbriar is faster, but is just a vanilla grow creature at the end of the day. Smiter is good, but its better sideboard material imo. And Ooze loses to KotR because KotR can find Bojuka Bog, which I can reuse.
So here's what I'll be testing, hopefully soon:
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Avacyn's Pilgrim
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Rhonas the Indomitable
4 Ramunap Excavator
3 Ramunap Hydra
2 The Gitrog Monster
4 Dunes of the Dead
2 Hashep Oasis
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Haunted Fengraf
1 Sunscorched Desert
1 Bojuka Bog
10 Forest
2 Plains
1 Swamp
4 Harrow
2 Beast Within
Sorcery(4)
4 Edge of Autumn
Planeswalker(3)
3 Nissa, Vital Force
dude your comment about modern lands was outright insightful, can u help me in the Ramunap Green thread? It's a simpler deck with no Loam
I'm torn on going into black for Gitrog and discard. The lack of control aside from some neat combat tricks almost demands excessive card advantage. Either way, drawing an extra card AND creating an extra 2/2 with Dunes for FREE every turn is incredibly good.
I think you guys are underestimating Elemental Uprising.
Pro's:
-can kill any creature 3/3 or less without dying on turn 2(the mana dorks leave the land open)
-it's "must be blocked" clause allows for opportunities to kill a newborn creature.
-it can be used effectively late game as a "chump attacker"... When you're both top-decking and have a creature out each?
-attaching it to a dunes means that if you do get 2-1'd you get a 2/2 zombie as a consolation prize.
-a land creature is far harder to remove with spells than a creature
Con's:
-it's a combat trick, any combat trick can get 2 for 1'd.
To summarize, it has a use early, mid, and late game. It can be 2 for 1'd, but not by anything that says "non-land".
Harrow'ing a Dunes is good man. It's really good. In contrast, Here's Civic Wayfinder. Meh, bad card. Here's the difference between the 2:
+flash. Worst case scenario, you chump. Best case you kill one of their little guys.
+trim your deck of 2 lands instead of 1
+lands come into play untapped leaving more shenanigans open.
Harrow'ing is probably best because you can 5-drop on turn 3. It's still nice to have consistent and varied responses to aggro.
3 Elvish Mystic
4 Ramunap Excavator
3 Ramunap Hydra
3 Rhonas the Indomitable
4 Beast Within
3 Elemental Uprising
3 Harrow
2 Explore
2 Nissa, Vital Force
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
4 Dunes of the Dead
2 Hashep Oasis
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Haunted Fengraf
1 Quicksand
1 Sunscorched Desert
13 Forest
Q and A
-The mana curve is kind of high though it is a 1 color deck at the moment. I should use 23 lands?
-How many dorks should I be using?
-How many Oasis should I use?
-I should include a copy of Cradle of the Accursed? There's a plethora of sac and animation options. Or is it just better to include a Gitrog?
-Is Hour of Promise good here? It's kind of expensive and doesn't really end the game. Realms Uncharted finds lands better no?
-Is the cycling on Desert of the Indomitable worthwhile? It seems kind of average without Loam. And 2 mana isn't cheap for a one time effect.
-Tectonic Edge Does this card have a place in modern? It's not like I'm using white/blue search hate, so I'll never get a lock on lands. Nonethless, hitting an important land is worth at least a one-of each?
-Haunted Fengraf seems nuts with the Excavator, this is an auto-include?
-Any etb lands? Garden? Bog? Sideboard graveyard hate? Which is best?
-Genju of the Cedars seems interesting. Is it better than Elemental Uprising? Its a potentially repeatable sink after all. Is it better to go 2 on each?
-Quicksand well, maybe, it can keep ground creatures with 2 toughness or less from attacking. Seems good to me
-Stirring Wildwood still good?
-what about Sunscorched Desert: It's basically still a shock at some point. I mean the wincon is basically animating lands for Rhonas to attack alongside a 4+ power trampler.
Please help, I don't have the money to test 100 cards nor do I have Cockatrice or whatever.
PS: I wish they didn't make Hashep Oasis sorcery speed.
3 Birds of Paradise
4 Ramunap Excavator
4 Ramunap Hydra
2 Embodiment of Insight
4 Harrow
4 Beast Within
3 Nissa, Vital Force
3 Hashep Oasis
1 Gargoyle Castle
that's 32 cards and 8 lands so far, but you get the idea
Stuff like
Harrow
Elemental Uprising
Nissa, Vital Force
Beast Within
A turn 2 harrow that pops out a 2/2 zombie doesn't seem all that bad to me. Or maybe a 2/2 and a 3/3 with Beast Within. Suffice to say it will recover quick from board wipes.
-Beast Within creates a 2/2 and a 3/3 for 3 mana by targeting the dunes.
-Elemental Uprising not bad either
-Fog and similar ilk. This doesn't appear to be an aggro deck, but it seems like it can get gross with value.
-Realms Uncharted If they're not aggro this can be a nice way to set up Ramunap Hydra
-Nissa, Vital Force Garruk Wildspeaker: a lot of good stuff going on between these two
-Gargoyle Castle more anti-wrath
-Hour of Promise more zombies and desert support!
-Embodiment of Insight Animating the dunes for value is no joke. In fact its beyond gross if you can manage to do it defensively.
-Harrow + Natural Connection
Hatebears/Maverick/Selesnya can use it. Don't call it a company deck. Company is pretty much the only reason green exists right now, and its in a lot of decks.
Not that any decks run it, but Realms Uncharted says hello.