igri_is_a_bk
02-23-2012, 07:24 AM
There was a FCE thread by TheInfamousBearAssassin in N&D, but it seems to be gone now. I think that this is most people's alternate deck choice, because it can win, while being a relatively cheap option. I think it's safe to say FCE is not a tier 1 deck. Although, knowing that we are tier 1.5 or tier 2 doesn't mean we can't optimize the deck.
For those unfamiliar, the way the deck win is by using Food Chain multiple times to ramp up to fifteen mana and Emrakul. Alternatively, the deck can GSZ into Fauna Shaman and use Ranger and Symbiote to help fetch out Vengevines and go beatdown.
Lands (13)
12 Snow-Covered Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
Enchantments (4)
4 Food Chain
Sorcery (4)
4 Green Sun's Zenith
Creatures (39)
2 Llanowar Elves
2 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Priest of Titania
4 Elvish Archdruid
2 Quirion Ranger
2 Wirewood Symbiote
4 Vengevine
2 Fauna Shaman
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Fierce Empath
1 Brass Herald
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 Llanowar Empath
4 Sylvan Messenger
Sideboard
3 Joraga Warcaller
3 Pithing Needle
3 Faerie Macabre
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Krosan Grip
1 Viridian Shaman
2 Umezawa's Jitte
The weakness of this deck is obviously that the individual cards are pretty bad. Little green horde beatdown is pretty tough to do with only four lords (well five including Herald). Usually, if you're in a bad situation, you try to stall the ground, rather than attack. You want to buy time to draw another Food Chain or GSZ. There are always going to be exceptions, but this has been my experience most of the time.
Against any tempo deck without white (oh hey, all of them), Vengevine is a game-winner. Their removal can't keep him down and their small creature set can be blocked forever, except Delver. But he's a seven turn clock, unless they draw multiples, and we can win faster than that. They'll probably have some burn tossed in there, but that hits my creatures more often than my face.
The other benefit of Vengevine is that it is a mana spiker. A naturally drawn Fauna Shaman can make the combo turn a lot easier by dumping even a single Vine in the yard. Remember, each Vv is five mana and it's sometimes the correct call to eat them.
Opposing combo is rough. Most legacy combo has protection, we don't. Being based on creatures has its advantages and disadvantages. Against the combo archetype, more of our disadvantages show. We have to just dump our hand as quickly as possible, but it's usually a turn slower than necessary. I've tried Gaddock Teeg in the board to help here, and he was trumped most of the time.
There are 30 elves in the list, as of now. That's on the lower end of the spectrum. I'd be more comfortable with a few more, but I don't want to cut Vengevine. I'm very fond of that card's ability to nuisance the opponent.
Fierce Empath is probably the most important elf while comboing, because he's both a card drawer and a finisher. I wish I could fit a piece of utility for him to find, like Aethersnipe, but space is tight. I can't cut any more elves, and the non-elf cards are pretty good.
Aethersnipe just reminded me, Evoke is incredible with Food Chain. Since we can use FC mana to Evoke creatures into play and then sac them for their converted mana cost plus one means we net a lot of mana. Snipe is an upgrade from Deranged Hermit because we get both a mana spiker and utility. If Mulldrifter cost 6, it'd be an auto-include in the deck. Just saying.
The sideboard is all over the place. I've found application for each card, but are they optimal? I kinda doubt it. Mono green has some shitty sideboard options, that's for sure.
I know it's not brand-new, but people enjoy this deck. It's very fun and can be competitive. My thoughts were a little random in this OP, but I just wrote them down as they came.
For those unfamiliar, the way the deck win is by using Food Chain multiple times to ramp up to fifteen mana and Emrakul. Alternatively, the deck can GSZ into Fauna Shaman and use Ranger and Symbiote to help fetch out Vengevines and go beatdown.
Lands (13)
12 Snow-Covered Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
Enchantments (4)
4 Food Chain
Sorcery (4)
4 Green Sun's Zenith
Creatures (39)
2 Llanowar Elves
2 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Priest of Titania
4 Elvish Archdruid
2 Quirion Ranger
2 Wirewood Symbiote
4 Vengevine
2 Fauna Shaman
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Fierce Empath
1 Brass Herald
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 Llanowar Empath
4 Sylvan Messenger
Sideboard
3 Joraga Warcaller
3 Pithing Needle
3 Faerie Macabre
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Krosan Grip
1 Viridian Shaman
2 Umezawa's Jitte
The weakness of this deck is obviously that the individual cards are pretty bad. Little green horde beatdown is pretty tough to do with only four lords (well five including Herald). Usually, if you're in a bad situation, you try to stall the ground, rather than attack. You want to buy time to draw another Food Chain or GSZ. There are always going to be exceptions, but this has been my experience most of the time.
Against any tempo deck without white (oh hey, all of them), Vengevine is a game-winner. Their removal can't keep him down and their small creature set can be blocked forever, except Delver. But he's a seven turn clock, unless they draw multiples, and we can win faster than that. They'll probably have some burn tossed in there, but that hits my creatures more often than my face.
The other benefit of Vengevine is that it is a mana spiker. A naturally drawn Fauna Shaman can make the combo turn a lot easier by dumping even a single Vine in the yard. Remember, each Vv is five mana and it's sometimes the correct call to eat them.
Opposing combo is rough. Most legacy combo has protection, we don't. Being based on creatures has its advantages and disadvantages. Against the combo archetype, more of our disadvantages show. We have to just dump our hand as quickly as possible, but it's usually a turn slower than necessary. I've tried Gaddock Teeg in the board to help here, and he was trumped most of the time.
There are 30 elves in the list, as of now. That's on the lower end of the spectrum. I'd be more comfortable with a few more, but I don't want to cut Vengevine. I'm very fond of that card's ability to nuisance the opponent.
Fierce Empath is probably the most important elf while comboing, because he's both a card drawer and a finisher. I wish I could fit a piece of utility for him to find, like Aethersnipe, but space is tight. I can't cut any more elves, and the non-elf cards are pretty good.
Aethersnipe just reminded me, Evoke is incredible with Food Chain. Since we can use FC mana to Evoke creatures into play and then sac them for their converted mana cost plus one means we net a lot of mana. Snipe is an upgrade from Deranged Hermit because we get both a mana spiker and utility. If Mulldrifter cost 6, it'd be an auto-include in the deck. Just saying.
The sideboard is all over the place. I've found application for each card, but are they optimal? I kinda doubt it. Mono green has some shitty sideboard options, that's for sure.
I know it's not brand-new, but people enjoy this deck. It's very fun and can be competitive. My thoughts were a little random in this OP, but I just wrote them down as they came.