Ranger's Guile is actually a good replacement for Vines of Vastwood in my current deck (Monogreen Lash). It still gives the 1 mana instant speed hexproof and is guaranteed to give the +1/+1 without extra mana cost, which is actually pretty helpful when I'm trying to get as many spells out on my Lash'd creature as fast as possible (and generally working with 2-3 mana).
I agree. It is a bit disappointing that it wasn't at least +2/+2 but for 1 mana it is still better than Vines of Vastwood un-kicked, which is going to go very well with Livewire Lash.
If, on the other hand, you cast the Naturalize in response to the activation of Spellskite, then the Spellskite will have left the battlefield by the time it ability comes to resolve. Since the Spellskite is no longer there, it is an illegal target for Giant Growth, and therefore the ability will be unable to change the Growth's target to Spellskite. It will thus not change target, so when it resovles it will affect the creature you targeted.
That is what I am suggesting, as soon as I get priority after the Spellskite ability is activated (hasn't resolved yet), I destroy the Spellskite with a Naturalize. Seems a bit tricky because the target was legal at the time of the activation, but not on resolution.
In the the next turn, the 5/5 Inkmoth Nexus could not be targeted/destroyed by Nature's Claim or Viridian Corrupter, it seemingly had lost it's artifact type when the flying and infect was removed. We tested it in another game also with the same result.
It was my understanding that it would remain an artifact in the next turn but lose infect and flying.
Sorry for the confusion, I just meant that if you use non-basic lands such as Inkmoth Nexus, then Primal Bellow is less effective (I have changed the wording of that post to better reflect this).
Green Sun's Zenith would be good for finding a big infect creature such as Phyrexian Hydra or Putrefax, but not as useful in a deck that is running a pile of smaller infect creatures.
@Mishramance - I think the issue with Inkmoth Nexus is causes Primal Bellow to be less effective. It is a tough call because an extra flying infector could be very useful
@ Ckboyd - It is a good deck, but it is not technically mono-green, I would call it mainly green ;). Adding swamps with verdant catacombs for Flensermite, again has a negative impact on Primal Bellow.
First of all let's have a look at the creatures (up to 4 mana):
Plague Myr is the only real weenie that we got, and I can't see anything that I would want to take out in order to put it in. The extra mana could be handy, but you will likely want to attack with it instead and it just seems weak in comparison to all the other infectors.
Rot Wolf has the possibility of much needed card draw, but at 2/2 it seems a little weak compared with Cystbearer, and for 3 mana it seems a little expensive compared with all the 2 mana creatures.
Viridian Corrupter has much the same problem at 2/2 for 3 mana. It's artifact removal would be well worth it except for the lack of 1 word, "may". This would be good on the sideboard though, against decks that like their artifacts.
Core Prowler moves into 4 mana territory, but it's proliferate ability could help get those last couple of poison counters at the end. I am really in 2 minds about this card.
BlightWidow could be useful against flying decks as it is a 2/4 creature with reach for 4 mana, but I am not sure the focus of green infect is really defense. An attacking Cystbearer just seems better for 3 mana.
Moving on from creatures, a few of the cards that caught my attention are:
Mirran Mettle doesn't really seem to cut it against the other pumps available. It's cheap and instant, but trying to hold 3 artifacts to get the +4/+4 pump just seems a little too hard.
Pistus Strike is a definite sideboard inclusion against flying decks. 3 mana is costly, but being able to remove a flyer and hand out a poison counter is well worth it.
Unnatural Predation! An instant +1/+1 pump with trample for 1 mana! A great card to play after they have blocked, along with a pump or 2. Goes extremely well with Ichorclaw Myr. I can also see a late game Primal Bellow working well with this card.
Decimator Web I am in 2 minds about this card. A lot of people think this card is amusing, but it could work well to get those last couple of poison counters at the end.
Darksteel Plate seems like an interesting idea. Infect decks suffer greatly from removal, and the idea of making your precious little infector indestructible does appeal. Not to mention the artifact itself can't be destoyed either. The card does feel a little slow though for 3 mana and 2 to equip.
I am not sure that Mirrodin Besieged has given Mono Green Infect the boost that it needed, but I can see a few possible options, and I really think that Unnatural Predation is a real gun that will help this style of deck.
10 Swamp
6 Forest
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Inkmoth Nexus
Creatures
4 Necropede
4 Ichorclaw Myr
4 Plague Stinger
4 Phyrexian Crusader
4 Titanic Growth
4 Mutagenic Growth
4 Predator's Gambit
4 Ranger's Guile
Removal
2 Go for the Throat
2 Doom Blade
2 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Sever the Bloodline
2 Autumn's Veil
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Naturalize
I agree. It is a bit disappointing that it wasn't at least +2/+2 but for 1 mana it is still better than Vines of Vastwood un-kicked, which is going to go very well with Livewire Lash.
That is what I am suggesting, as soon as I get priority after the Spellskite ability is activated (hasn't resolved yet), I destroy the Spellskite with a Naturalize. Seems a bit tricky because the target was legal at the time of the activation, but not on resolution.
In the same situation, what if I used Naturalize on the Spellskite (instead of Vines of Vastwood). Would the Giant Growth fizzle or would my creature get the +3/+3?
In the the next turn, the 5/5 Inkmoth Nexus could not be targeted/destroyed by Nature's Claim or Viridian Corrupter, it seemingly had lost it's artifact type when the flying and infect was removed. We tested it in another game also with the same result.
It was my understanding that it would remain an artifact in the next turn but lose infect and flying.
Is this correct or is this a bug in MTGO?
Green Sun's Zenith would be good for finding a big infect creature such as Phyrexian Hydra or Putrefax, but not as useful in a deck that is running a pile of smaller infect creatures.
@ Ckboyd - It is a good deck, but it is not technically mono-green, I would call it mainly green ;). Adding swamps with verdant catacombs for Flensermite, again has a negative impact on Primal Bellow.
Inparticular the weenie pump type deck that commonly includes:
First of all let's have a look at the creatures (up to 4 mana):
Plague Myr is the only real weenie that we got, and I can't see anything that I would want to take out in order to put it in. The extra mana could be handy, but you will likely want to attack with it instead and it just seems weak in comparison to all the other infectors.
Rot Wolf has the possibility of much needed card draw, but at 2/2 it seems a little weak compared with Cystbearer, and for 3 mana it seems a little expensive compared with all the 2 mana creatures.
Viridian Corrupter has much the same problem at 2/2 for 3 mana. It's artifact removal would be well worth it except for the lack of 1 word, "may". This would be good on the sideboard though, against decks that like their artifacts.
Core Prowler moves into 4 mana territory, but it's proliferate ability could help get those last couple of poison counters at the end. I am really in 2 minds about this card.
BlightWidow could be useful against flying decks as it is a 2/4 creature with reach for 4 mana, but I am not sure the focus of green infect is really defense. An attacking Cystbearer just seems better for 3 mana.
Moving on from creatures, a few of the cards that caught my attention are:
Mirran Mettle doesn't really seem to cut it against the other pumps available. It's cheap and instant, but trying to hold 3 artifacts to get the +4/+4 pump just seems a little too hard.
Pistus Strike is a definite sideboard inclusion against flying decks. 3 mana is costly, but being able to remove a flyer and hand out a poison counter is well worth it.
Unnatural Predation! An instant +1/+1 pump with trample for 1 mana! A great card to play after they have blocked, along with a pump or 2. Goes extremely well with Ichorclaw Myr. I can also see a late game Primal Bellow working well with this card.
Decimator Web I am in 2 minds about this card. A lot of people think this card is amusing, but it could work well to get those last couple of poison counters at the end.
Darksteel Plate seems like an interesting idea. Infect decks suffer greatly from removal, and the idea of making your precious little infector indestructible does appeal. Not to mention the artifact itself can't be destoyed either. The card does feel a little slow though for 3 mana and 2 to equip.
I am not sure that Mirrodin Besieged has given Mono Green Infect the boost that it needed, but I can see a few possible options, and I really think that Unnatural Predation is a real gun that will help this style of deck.
What are your thoughts?