Creature Challenge #2 Beast

by Jessie on 30 April 2014

Main Deck (60 cards)

Sideboard (15 cards)

Creatures (3)


Instants (3)

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Deck Description

Here is my challenge. Have a month off of work before going back to college. Going to make Creature/Subtype decks, and face them off against each other. 2 decks from each color as well as 2 artifacts decks will be in the tournament.

Green: Elf deck and Beast deck.
Blue: Fairy deck and Merfolk deck.
White: Angel deck and Human deck.
Red: Goblin deck and Dragon deck.
Black: Vampire deck and Zombie deck.
Artifact deck: Myr deck and Thopter deck.

Each deck will face all of the other decks one time. The deck that has the best record out of 11 games, is the winner.

So, whom is the best? Goblins? Elves? Humans? Myrs?

Time for Beast. Green color. Beast offer some of the best all bang for your buck in mana cost For example: Leatherback Baloth, a 4/5 for 3 mana! Add high quality creatures, with green mana ramp, and trample...and you have a nice recipe for damage.

How to Play

Pure Stompy style green decks...are kinda like this 6 or so 1 mana creatures, 6 or so 2 mana creatures, 6 or so 3 mana creatures, 6 or so 4 mana creatures. Consider that all of these creatures are given very high offense/defense for little mana cost. Now add in land search...being able to mana ramp to cast those high offense/defense creatures out fast. Finally add in trample. The fact that all extra damage carried over from the creatures are going to go directly to your opponent, is a scary idea.

Well, that is this Beast deck.

Got 8 first turn creature drops. Start the ball a rolling.
Turn 2. TIme to cast Garruk's Companion and one of my mana ramp cards like explore/nature's lore.
Turn 3. Play Leatherback Baloth or Krosan Warchief.
Turn 4. Throw down some Trample power via predator's strike and (mana ramped) overrun

Deck Tags

  • Challenge
  • Beast
  • Power

Deck at a Glance

Social Stats

6
Likes

This deck has been viewed 1,745 times.

Mana Curve

Mana Symbol Occurrence

040065

Card Legality

  • Not Legal in Standard
  • Not Legal in Modern
  • Legal in Vintage
  • Legal in Legacy

Deck discussion for Creature Challenge #2 Beast

Much, much cheaper than Merfolk, but I can surely say that it'll provide some challenge to it.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 12:22

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Idea would be:
Turn 1. Play forest. Lay down Skyshroud Ridgeback.
Turn 2. Play forest. Play Predator's Strike. Attack for 5 damage.
Turn 3. Play forest. Play Brushstrider. Play Rancor Attack for 4 damage.
Turn 4. Play forest. Play Garruk's Companion and Kalonian Tusker. Attack for 3.
Turn 5. Play forest. Play Overrun. Attack with 6/4 Brushstrider, 6/5 Garruk's Companion, and a 6/6 Kalonian Tusker. All of them have trample.
Total damage on Turn 5 is 30 damage.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 13:34

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Took out Brushstrider for Fangren Firstborn. So this idea would be for alternate
Turn 4. Play Forest. Play Firstborn.
Turn 5. Play Overrun. All creatures now get +4/+4 and trample (instead of just +3/+3 and trample).

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 20:22

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Issue i am having...not getting a one drop/one turn play every game I play. Might could add something into the deck, for one mana, that helps me play something on the first turn.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 16:59

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There ain't many one drop beasts you know, but Llanowar Elves is pretty great card, no?

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 17:21

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Yep, but trying not to mix creature types. And I am running 4 copies each of the only 2 cards in Magic that are beasts for 1 mana.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 19:15

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What about Hidden Predators or Hidden Herd? One mana drop cards that can become a beast if your opponent plays a trigger card>

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 19:22

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What about Lay of the Land? Seal of Strength or Vitality Charm?

Vitality Charm is very neat. It gives me a 1/1 insect token. Or it gives me +1/+1 and trample on a creature. Or it gives me regeneration on a Beast.

What would I take out? What two mana card would I reduce to add in something like Vitality Charm?

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 19:32

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The Seal is what I would go with. You have enough vanilla creatures and yet another one won't contribute much. But that Seal gives you some combat tricks and works wonders on your tramplers. Any Giant Growth effect can turn into card advantage by saving a creature that would have died and killing an opposing blocker/attacker that would have survived.
Otoh, the Charm is of course very flexible in this deck as well, I just don't know if I would play it first turn if I had it in my opening hand since the other two options will most likely be more useful later on in the game.

EDIT:
Perfect one-drop: Durkwood Baloth!

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Posted 10 May 2014 at 11:34

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Hmm ... maybe sideboard crushing vines or naturalize for removal.

Nice deck. Reasonable price, room for growth, and easy to play.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 17:56

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One upped your idea on Naturalize.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 20:02

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NP man. Putrefy is pretty good too.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 23:48

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Done with #2. Now, Deck 3 will be Angel. Deck 4 will be Vampire. Deck 5 will be Elf.

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 23:54

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Dude, I LOVE vampires.

You will need some walls and protection (Cathedral Membrane). Angels take a while to be played.

May I suggest Angelic Accord and Entreat the Angels?

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Posted 30 April 2014 at 23:59

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With Vampires costing so damn much mana...I am going to run disruption to have time to build my mana base.

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Posted 01 May 2014 at 00:02

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I like overrun, but I think that overwhelming stampede is better. also, Garruk's packleader could fit well in here, allowing you to draw more and always have a fairly full hand.

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Posted 01 May 2014 at 01:49

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One up on your advice for Overwhelming Stampede. It is iffy....but if I have a Rancor and/or Bloodrush a Slaughterhorn before I cast Stampede...it means Stampede could cause more damage than Overrun.

Thanks Kazzong.

Looking at the Merfolk deck. The Angel deck. And this Beast deck...whom has the edge for being the best creature?

Dragon deck is next.

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Posted 01 May 2014 at 01:58

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dang, that is a tough call. I don't know just yet. I would normally say that the angels look a bit slow, but Orin's chant with iso scepter is so powerful... so it is pretty close so far. although I think that merfolk edges a little bit ahead, just because of countering ability.

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Posted 01 May 2014 at 02:47

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I am missing Ravenous Baloth in this deck. It isn't as powerful anymore since combat damage doesn't use the stack now but still very nifty. Also, you run Nature's Law but only have three 4-drops which strikes me as odd. Another 4-cc beast that I think is a must: Blastoderm.
I am surprised anyway that you went for a kindof weenie route even though there are so many impressive bigger beasts. Leatherbacks and Companions are very mana efficient but they don't need to be part of a tight mana curve with otherwise unimpressive sidekicks, they could as well be the distraction you need to pull the big guns. Before I checked the deck I exspected to see something around Kurgadon, Garruk's Packleader and Rampaging Baloth .

Anyway, assuming you'll go with the current structure, besides Ravenous Baloth, Blastoderms and Durkwood Baloth (see discussion above about one-drops):
One of the beast beasts ever is Gurzigost! Indrik Stomphowler gives you the ability to kill enchantments and artifacts, however, he also costs 5 mana. I also like Molder Slug in that slot but that's more for multiplayer. Yet another fantastic 5-drop is Thragtusk, also very great and versatile. Skyshroud Warbeast is a cheap drop that I would usually recommend in a beast deck, but knowing that you'll face other tribals that are mostly mono-colored or two colours max the Warbeast will suck.
Tower Above is an underrated pump spell. The wonderful thing is the provoke part. Paired with the pump and wither this is a kind of creature removal because you can force one annoying creature to block. Might even be better thanthe Stampede you have there. Of course, that's assuming again that you play against random decks - as long as the other decks of the challange are as straight forward as this one, Stampede is probably better.
The mana base could need some work. Consider: Yavimaya Hollow, Mystifying Maze (you are weak against flyers), Mishra's Factory, Miren the Moaning Well.

BTW, the Arcbound creatures (including the Ravager) are beasts, you could build a nasty deck around those and still call it a beast deck. Of course that would change the deck completely and maybe not what you were looking for in the spirit of this challenge. But if you do, don't forget Fangren Marauder.

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Posted 10 May 2014 at 12:18

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Dang. You hit the nail on the head.

I agree ... you need the big guns. If you are concerned about mana, green has non-elf ramp. Fastbond, for one. Or you could enchant your lands. Just a suggestion to speed the deck up a little.

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Posted 10 May 2014 at 15:33

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Fastbond is actually speed but no ramp since all it does is allowing you to put the lands you have anyway into play faster but at the cost of life and one card (the Fastbond). So, while useful in combo decks, it isn't in decks like this that need a steady supply of mana. It would actually be hurting in the long run.
Artifact mana is a possibilty or stuff like Overgrowth. However, let's wait for Jessie to decide if the deck should indeed beef up or stay as it is with a mana curve running out of steam at 4. Which makes sense if Jessie's plan is to win with a rush as plan A and if that fails with Stampede as plan B. He/she should still add Ravenous Baloths/Blastoderms in that case but adding any creature with a cc of 5 or higher would alter the deck's structure dramatically.

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Posted 10 May 2014 at 15:44

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Those backup strategies are really a good idea, especially against the tribal decks you are playing.

Fastbond IS ramp, since it allows you to play more than 1 land - 1 mana a turn. It's a very powerful card, but it fits more into Golgari in my mind. People tend to avoid cards with even slight negatives, so I am happy that you do see it's use in combo decks. I really was just using it for an example.

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Posted 10 May 2014 at 16:08

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Thanks guys. For the suggestions. I added in Ravenous Baloth in the deck.

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Posted 10 May 2014 at 16:37

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Why no advocate of the beast?

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 03:53

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It is an Elf...or I would add it. All 12 decks, and it was a challenge, only contain creatures of one type. Only Elves in the elf deck. Only humans in the human deck. Only dragons in the dragon deck. Etc. Again, it was a challenge.

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 03:56

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Also made them all mono colored...also a challenge. Idea was to have 2 decks of each color to represent what their element stood for. White...healing and team unity. Red...speed and quick attack. Blue...control and disruption. Black. Death and life drain. Green. Trample and mana ramp.

P.S. Also added Artifact decks too. Myr and Thopter.

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 03:59

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Ohhh Ok. Gotchya. Strictly one creature type. Makes sense.

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 03:59

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Well in that case, thragtusk?

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 04:02

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I will definitely add it to the sideboard...because...here is a question for you.
Since Beast needs help...i could possibly do it...

Since the tournament has started...is it fair to change cards in the decks?
I am honestly not sure.

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 04:08

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I think it's fair. It's kind of like side boarding after a loss. As long as none of the sideboards go over the legal 15 cards, I don't see why it wouldn't be fair.

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 04:16

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Okay guys. First match of tournament is over. Around 2 hours and 8 pieces of paper later...I have Merfolk vs Beast game over.
Beast came out very strong with 2 Kalonian Tuskers, one with Rancor. Merfolk were quickly down to 10 life by Turn 4. However, by turn 5 Merfolks had Lord of Atlantis, True-Name Nemesis, and Merfolk Sovereign on the board AND Impulse, Counterspell, and MIsdirection in hand. It was game over when the Merfolk deck played Counterspell on the Beast deck followed my a Misdirected Rancor put onto True-Name Nemesis. A 7/4 Nemesis meant game over.

Turn 6. Merfolk 10 life. Beast 0 life.
Merfolk are 1-0
Beast are 0-1


P.S. Great job at suggestion Misdirection, Puschkin! It went a long way in ensuring Merfolk's victory.

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Posted 18 May 2014 at 05:02

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Why not sideboard some witchstalker or mistcutter hydra vs blue?

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Posted 28 May 2014 at 14:52

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Probably a good idea. Will look into it. :)

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Posted 28 May 2014 at 15:11

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