I just got back into magic after a several year hiatus. I wanted to build an old-school feeling deck that was fun and interactive that would be great in single or multi-opponent formats. NO Elves fit the bill perfectly (plus I still had the NO's) and I have had a lot of fun playing and tweaking the deck. I decided to stay mono-green and not go B/G with Deathrite Shaman because I hate playing against wasteland in this deck. Most of my other decks use Wasteland (like a well developed meta should), so I see the matchup frequently and don't want to be bothered by that with so few lands already in the deck.


//CORE ELVES (30):
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Fyndhorn Elves
3 Quirion Ranger
4 Priest of Titania
4 Elvish Archdruid
4 Imperious Perfect
1 Elvish Champion
2 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
4 Sylvan Messenger

//UTILITY CREATURES (4):
1 Progenitus
1 Sylvan Primordial
1 Wirewood Symbiote
1 Viridian Zealot

//SPELLS (12):
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Natural Order
4 Land Grant

//LANDS (14):
4 Cavern of Souls
8 Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Gaea's Cradle


Core Elves:

Llanowar, Fyndhorn, Priest, Archdruid, and Quirion: I consider this the core and don't see how you can get around not playing ~4 of each. I chose to go down to 3 Quirion because she is the weakest of the group and to fit an Elvish Champion in the main.

Elvish Champion: As much as I dislike this lord, having the ability to forestwalk right now is worth keeping him in as a single.

Ezuri: I have found that the quickest way to kill someone is using Ezuri's ability multiple times. In doing so, he quickly becomes targeted by my opponents. This is why I have chosen to include 2 of him in my main list. Even if he doesn't do the job, 9 Lords is usually enough to kill the opponent.

Sylvan Messenger vs Elvish Visionary: I prefer Messenger to Visionary because I would rather get to look at and cycle through 4 cards than only draw 1. Plus with 31 Elves in the main list, chances are good I'll be drawing at least one and that is what Visionary would have done anyway.

Utility Creatures:

Progenitus: Sometimes playing him 3rd turn is the only way to beat some decks. Gotta love the protection

Sylvan Primordial: Wow this guy fit in perfectly. Destroying noncreature permanent and able to block flying. It answered my needs in one card. Currently in love with this guy.

Wirewood Symbiote: Simply put, my draw engine for Messenger. That's all I care about him for. We aren't trying to combo and for what we need, Quirion does about the same thing.

Viridian Zealot: It is nice to have some main deck answer to a pesty artifact or enchantment. Not usually played, but I like knowing I have him in there.

Spells:
Land Grant: Land Grant vs Fetch Lands. Even though it is only 1 life and this goes against every other deck I've had or ever will had. I would rather let me opponent see my hand because it's all coming out anyway pretty quickly. Like I said in the opening, I like that this is an interactive deck.


SIDEBOARD:
4 Desert Twister
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Viridian Zealot
4 Faerie Macabre
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Stingerfling Spider
1 Melira, Sylvok Outcast

Sideboard:

Twister is in there primarily for a resolved Elsh or similar fatty I can't take out with Sylvan Primordial.

Fauna Shaman lets me search for a Macabre even if I don't get one in my opening hand.

Stingerfling Spider helps me get rid of a flying threat.

Melira is just a meta choice because of a very fast infect deck.

Repopulate also travels with me, but is not currently in the sideboard.

Looking Forward:

I really feel like NO Elves is a great and fun deck. Currently though, it just isn't as good as good as its Tribal competition such as Goblins, Merfolk and Zombies. I think it would be extremely difficult for NO Elves to ever be a "Deck To Beat". Our realistic competition and measuring stick should be against the other Aggro Tribes I mentioned. To me, the difference between the other Tribes and Elves isn't utilities or lack of tutoring. It seems like speed. NO Elves can be out raced a lot of times by these decks. Well, what about if we added Elvish Spirit Guide, Elvish Visionary and Nettle Sentinel? NO Elves doesn't use Glimpse of Nature nor do I think it should. I really don't like the thought of relying on one card when we can't protect it with a counter or discard. What does everyone else think? What limiting factor is keeping NO Elves down? After all, isn't that the point of all the Deck Threads

Well I'm just glad to back playing Magic. I had almost forgotten how much fun this game is. Now let's discuss!

EDIT: I'm a dummy and forgot to put the Cavern of Souls in this decklist. I knew the lands looked weird