Umori- one of the uncommon but still usable companions
This build tries to use Umori to supplant a traditional green stompy build, but with twist of being restricted to MOSTLY only creatures. Umori has a few loopholes that can be exploited, adventure cards being the primary example. I'll be exploring that more with different color builds, but we'll start with mono green and its goal of snapping necks and cashing checks.
Here's the theory- modern has long since moved away from critter focused decks and evolved into control with splashed value critters, crazy synergy combos, or acceleration mechanics. There are complexities there of course, but the main idea being, spot removal has long since replaced nukes as the mainboard answer to critters. As such, the chances of getting nuked game 1 are practically zero, and the chances of a sideboard having enough nukes to be a reliable answer are also quite low. Thus, critter-focused decks that don't do anything except throw meat at faces are proportionately more viable.
The spot removal and counter stuff will still almost always go 1 for 1, but with enough synergy built into the critter build, out materialing spot removal is very possible. Thus, Umori and the wonders of green critter synergy.
Every critter in this build, apart from a few thugs that are just there to crack skulls, either give material, tempo, or both advantages. Eight heirarchs means your turn 2 is dropping a major threat that will swing harder next turn because of Exalted. All the two-drops sponge removal and block damage like there's no tomorrow. Mosswood Dreadknight in particular is a true blessing, as you can play it turn 2 if you need to hit the ground running, and if its dies you can just replay it with a +1 card on top. If you topdeck it, 4 mana gets you a 3/2 with a +1 material that will soak up something, leaving you at +1 material for 1 life. If opponent doesn't exile, counter, or trap it, one Dreadknight can win you a game just by swinging for damage and dying over and over again. Well worth the black splash, and the adventure mechanic is a-ok with Umori as its also a critter.
The other major advantage of being forced to be an all critter build is the supersaturation of critters upping the chances of cards like Vizier of the Menagerie making an impact. Thirty nine critters in the build makes it pretty likely that you've got a critter on top of the deck, and twenty one lands with eight hierarchs means you've got the mana to swim through topdecked critters. Vizier and Kellan can go a long way to making a deadly boardstate, and the best part is that Vizier has a wonderfully fat ass. It can't be bolted, almost certainly can't be dealt with by Prismatic Ending, needs a fully activated Fatal Push or Unholy Heat to knock it out, goes over the top of Ragavan like he's not there, etc. So, even though its a four-drop, you've got a good chance of keeping it on the field long enough to make the difference, especially if it's topdecked.
The last little bit of synergy is, of course, continual access to Umori that can be grabbed as early as turn 2 (with a Hierarch) if you've got nothing better to do. The cost reduction ability is nice, but only affects 11/39 critters. The major synergy with that is Umori working with Vizier to really put things over the top, but the odds of that coming up consistently are slim. The real benefit is a 4/5 four-drop that can be fielded almost as soon as you dump your hand onto the field, meaning you're already starting at an almost guaranteed +1 material advantage against decks using limited (in comparison) spot removal against you. Against something like Murktide, for instance, that's only running a few bolts, maxed Heats, and probably a few side subs, that's a hell of a matchup. Who cares if opponent can bolt your first two critters, you've got three more right after that you can play on the cheap if you haven't already gotten material out of the mix with the lovely Geist. And once those spot removal cards are out of the hand, there's Umori waiting on a five-turn clock all by himself.
The deck also has nice land synergy, as its almost all just mono-green and can easily fix the 4 splashed black and 1 splashed white with fetches, shocks, and pings. The added bonus here is that once you've dumped your hand, fetched Umori, and haven't hit a Vizier to start unloading mana into material, you've got a decent chance at topdecking a useful land, as seven of them aren't dead draws, meaning you've really got 46/60 value cards that doesn't suffer from mana problems unless your karma is toxic.
The sideboard is speculative, apart from Umori of course. First of many Umori attempt builds, not sure how it will play, but at least it's got a strategic basis running as a counter to the trends in the meta.
Feedback appreciated.