Green Graveyard Beats? I don't even know what to call this

[scottpou]

Hey Everyone,

I've been playing this deck for a little while and want to see if I can tweak it a bit. I'm open to any suggestions to make it quicker / more competitive. I have been leaning towards adding red and going with fetches and taiga's. Mainly to use Anger and Faithless Looting. I don't think Blue helps speed the deck up much. Any thoughts?


// Beaters (16):
4 Boneyard Wurm
4 Ghoultree
4 Nemesis of Mortals
4 Splinterfright

// Acceleration (8):
4 Deadshot Minotaur
4 Elvish Spirit Guide

// Utility Creatures (4):
1 Brawn
1 Genesis
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Viridian Zealot

// Searching (12):
4 Commune with the Gods
4 Mulch
4 Tracker's Instincts

// Just in case (2):
2 Gnaw to the Bone

// Lands (18):
4 Dryad Arbor
1 Mosswort Bridge
13 Forest

[Slag]

I like the fact that you're taking advantage of what seems to be a critical mass of graveyard-reliant creatures. If you're going to splash, black would probably be better than red in most cases. Since your graveyard filler cards start at two mana, having some cheap discard will allow you to fill the early turns, as well as nabbing some hate cards. Red could be better if you are facing down a lot of fast aggro, and just need a few turns to stabilize.

[scottpou]

Black does give access to Grisly Salvage, Cabal Therapy, Traitor's Clutch, chainer's edict, and skull fracture.

With 3 searching/filler spells already, Deadshot Minotaur has started to show its age from where the deck developed from. Tinder Wall has already been creeping into my mind as a replacement.

Also, thinking about working Deadly Allure, Ancient Grudge, Canopy Claw, Pit Fight and Prey Upon into the deck for the sideboard.

Thoughts on getting Ulvenwald Tracker as a 1 of in the main deck?

[FTW]

Looks fun. While a black splash gives you a lot of power, you can do a lot even in monogreen. Here are some tweaks I think may help.

Since you have no relevant turn 1 plays and a bunch of creatures that are only conditionally good (including some utility ones) AND you're already running 4 Dryad Arbor, I really see no reason why not to run 4 Green Sun's Zenith. This gives you a turn 1 ramp play (GSZ for 0 into Dryad Arbor) and later in the game lets you search for stuff. IMO this means you can cut down on Boneyard Wurms, which are 0/0 early game and only get better later in the game. They're a card that you really don't want stuck in hand until you get your engine going and have a nice low cc making it easy to search for! GSZ also means you don't need to run Elvish Spirit Guide, which is pretty bad in this deck. Spirit Guide is for decks that only need mana on 1 turn (usually combo). You need the mana boost, but for many turns. I see you're probably running it just so you can cast a 2cc dig spell on turn 1, but then it gets exiled (doesn't go to your graveyard) and you don't get that mana boost ever again. I think you're better off Zenithing for Dryad Arbor on turn 1 to get an extra land or spending some money to upgrade to Chrome Mox as a permanent mana source.


Suggested changes for mono green:
-2 Boneyard Wurm
-4 Deadshot Minotaur
-4 Elvish Sprit Guide
-4 Mulch
-1 Mosswort Bridge

+4 Green Sun's Zenith
+3 Chrome Mox
+4 Satyr Wayfinder
+4 Golgari Grave-Troll


You may find the Wayfinder is redundant, but it's an extra body, a nice chump blocker for the early turns, and it adds to the density of creatures in your deck (unlike Mulch). Mulch is rarely ever drawing you 3 or more land with so few in the deck. I think you'll find getting 1 land and a blocker is usually better than Mulching into 1-2 lands. It also means you can Zenith into a self-mill effect, which is pretty cool.

Even though this isn't a dredge deck, you can still run a dredge creature to synergize with your game plan. Grave-Troll is the most efficient way to self-mill for 0 mana a turn and it becomes another fatty you can play once your graveyard is nice and big. Lots of synergy with your gameplan.

Yeah, Mox isn't a creature like Spirit Guide, but it gives you 2 mana on turn 1 to cast dig effect and then sticks around for every other turn to help you cast stuff.

Mosswort Bridge I think is win-more for you. If you have 10 power in creatures on the board, your engine is online and you've probably already won.

[scottpou]

This is just more of a casual deck for me not a budget one.

Satyr Wayfinder is even better than Mulch for all the reasons you listed. I just didn't know it existed! So that switch is a no brainer to me.

Especially with Satyr, Green Sun's Zenith make's way more sense. I also have those laying around so that change is already happening.

Ughhh why did you have to point out Golgari Grave-Troll ... I play dredge often so GGT has been in the back of my head. I just wanted to make sure that I didn't go too far into dredge territory, but it is definitely a very useful ability to have.

I definitely want to try and keep the deck mono green just for the theme and simplicity. So Chrome Mox is definitely an option. It just doesn't help with the creature count. This deck needs creatures in the yard before it can do anything. So what's the advantage to using Chrome Mox compared to Noble Hierarch, Birds of Paradise or even Llanowar Elves.

[FTW]

Good point, Noble Hierarch is probably better than Chrome Mox. I guess you don't really need to Commune with the Gods on turn 1, although if you do it on turn 2 then that means you can't Dredge until turn 3 or start playing fatties till later. But having more creatures and less card disadvantage is probably better.

If you're not on budget, why not just run some fetches and Deathrite Shaman instead of Noble Hierarch?

[scottpou]

If we open it up to fetches and deathrite, why would we not consider Black as a stronger presence. Like I mentioned in a previous post, Grisly Savage would replace Tracker's Instincts pretty easily. Would there be any other optimizations that Black could offer? I'm currently looking at a list similar to this:

// Creatures (28):
4 Ghoultree
4 Nemesis of Mortals
4 Splinterfright
4 Satyr Wayfinder
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Brawn
1 Genesis
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Ulvenwald Tracker

// Spells (14):
4 Commune with the Gods
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Grisly Salvage
2 Gnaw to the Bone

// Lands (18):
4 Dryad Arbor
4 Bayou
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Forest

[FTW]

Maybe some Shriekmaws to kill creatures? Once you're in black, might as well have removal.

[scottpou]

Lotleth Troll could be useful. Worth it at 2 mana though? I've been trying to see if I can find a 1 cc card to fit in better that's still green so it's searchable.

[bruizar]

I'd consider Tracker's Instincts and Glimpse the Unthinkable as the two main outlets, with perhaps Grisly Salvage next to it. Glimpse turns all your creatures on immediately, and now that you splash blue, Tracker's Instinct can be used twice so you don't need to dedicated too many cards to it. Also, the flashback is good against counter spells. Also, just throwing out there that Mortivore (although too costly imo)

[FTW]

I'd consider Tracker's Instincts and Glimpse the Unthinkable as the two main outlets, with perhaps Grisly Salvage next to it. Glimpse turns all your creatures on immediately, and now that you splash blue, Tracker's Instinct can be used twice so you don't need to dedicated too many cards to it. Also, the flashback is good against counter spells. Also, just throwing out there that Mortivore (although too costly imo)

Given the most common removal for fatties doesn't destroy (StP, Path, Dismember, Terminus, edicts), regenerating is pretty bad so I would play Nighthowler or Bonehoard before Mortivore.

[scottpou]

Wild Cantor could give the U necessary for Tracker's Instinct's flashback for late game. Cantor also does the job as a first turn play as well then feeding the yard allowing a splinterfright up and running on turn 2. I'm going to try this out a bit.

After testing this weekend, GGT can get very clunky with his CC of 5. I'm currently getting happier results with the boneyard wurms back in that slot.

[scottpou]

I really like this deck mono green right now and without green sun's zenith. I can finally play creatures turn 1 and 2 with a draw & fuel engine turns 3+ . Here's the list I have been running.

4 Ghoultree
4 Splinterfright
4 Nemesis of Mortals
4 Boneyard Wurm
4 Wild Cantor
4 Tinder Wall
4 Satyr Wayfinder

1 Brawn
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Genesis
1 Viridian Zealot

2 Gnaw to the Bone
4 Tracker's Instincts
4 Commune with the Gods

4 Dryad Arbor
14 Forest

SB: 4 Ancient Grudge
SB: 4 Canopy Claws
SB: 4 Deadly Allure
SB: 2 Gnaw to the Bone
SB: 1 Laboratory Maniac

After playing a bit, I am able to win some match ups I didn't think I could. I am starting to look at trying to make this a legit modern deck. I'd have to replace Brawn, Genesis, and Tinder Wall. Replacing only 6 cards shouldn't be too hard, but I'm having trouble with Genesis and Brawn. Even as 1 of's their abilities have been very useful. Is it even worth trying to move this theme beyond casual? Should I move this into the Modern sub?

[FTW]

If you're casting GGT, something is going wrong. GGT is not meant to cast. GGT is meant to mill and dredge so you can cast other stuff. Casting it is a hail mary when you have nothing else to cast. But if it's not dredging often enough or too late to be useful, then maybe it doesn't belong. I guess once you dredge it once, getting it back into the GY is awkward so you don't get multiple dredges unless your dredge hits a second, which is statistically unlikely with only GGT in the deck. Probably too many hurdles required to make it work.

I don't understand the point of singleton Viridian Zealot without GSZ. You hope to mill it, mill Genesis, activate Genesis to return it, cast it, then activate its ability? Seems like a crazy aount of effort just to kill an artifact/enchantment. Probably better cutting it for something that fits the gameplan better.

How has the sideboard been in practice? 15 non-creature cards seems bad even if boarding 4 in let alone 6-8 (depending on the MU and hate you may need). Could some of those effects be found in creatures? I don't like that you have 0 enchantment kill (how do you beat Leyline of the Void/Rest in Peace) and that, since much is off-color, you're relying on milling them into the GY first, i.e. having a GY in tact so you can mill and flash them back. Post-board you'll often be fighting through hate, so relying on casting SB spells from the GY seems bad. All non-creature seems bad.

What could you run?
Nature's Claim and Reverent Silence are great outs to Leyline/Rest in Peace. You don't care about the lifegain since you're not winning by small incremental damage but by establishing absolute board dominance and smashing face with fatties. At that point, doesn't matter if they're at 18 or 22. Once your engine is online and you have a board, you're winning regardless of life total. Claim lets you deal with either artifacts or enchantments at the same time instead of having to board out 8 creatures for 8 removal.

Pithing Needle may be better catch-all to Tormod's Crypt/Relic/Nihil Spellbomb/etc than Ancient Grudge. Grudge lets them activate in response and wreck your GY. Needle stops them from activating, seems superior. But since you want creatures, may even be worth using Phyrexian Revoker.

Flyers may be better dealt with with something like Deadly Recluse, reach+deathtouch, than by casting a spell to remove flying as a combat trick until end of turn. Although the trick is useful, if you're relying on milling it and flashing it back, opponent will see it and it loses the surprise element that makes it effective as a combat trick. Or maybe Cloudthresher or some similar variant. Must be something.

[scottpou]

The latter with GGT. It's great for the dredge 6 but then it's sitting in my hand without an easy way to discard or play it.

I'm just starting to tackle a sideboard, but you are right the non creature sideboard isn't the optimal pick for this build. The singleton Zealot definitely needs to be more too. I'm thinking about leaving 1 maindeck and put 3 more in the sideboard. To me with Zealot seems like a better out than Nature's Claim and Reverent Silence simply for the searching with Commune and Tracker's.

I have actually played through several Leyline of the Void but siding in Laboratory Maniac and milling myself for the win. A lot of times people were mulligan-ing down to 4 or 5 just to get LotV so it allowed me time to start milling and setting myself up.

I've also had a couple of Crypt/Relic/Nihil Spellbomb played against me and Nemesis of Mortals and ghoultree really shined there. I would try to get one out very early. If I didn't have one of those in hand, I would hold a commune or tracker in hand and slow play Splinterfright's ability to goat them into activating the artifact.

I really like Phyrexian Revoker and Deadly Recluse in the board. I've been having problems against SOME planeswalkers, but not Liliana of the Veil. I usually just sack a Dryad Arbor to appease her sacrifice.

To make a little more use of the 1 of's in the deck. Thoughts on Fauna Shaman? She would definitely help out GGT! Plus discarding GGT and searching for whatever relevant creature would be killing two birds with one ability. I've been testing her out in a Modern list and she is targeted with hate or is very useful.

[scottpou]

After a lot of play testing today (thank you sick day), I am auto losing to most combo. Leyline of Sanctity is going to have to find room in the board. I love playing this deck against delver! Things get countered and just make it easier to Nemesis and Treefolk. Out racing tarmogoyf is very fun as well :). Gnaw to the Bone has saved me against burn and goblins. Going up to 4 Zealot and 4 Revoker in the 75 has helped a lot! If an opponent Rest in Peace, LotV or Relic of Progenitus, I am siding out all Boneyard and some Splinterfright. Actually won a game 3 today with Satyrs, Cantors and Dryad Arbors doing all the damage!

[cherub_daemon]

I don't like that you have 0 enchantment kill (how do you beat Leyline of the Void/Rest in Peace) and that, since much is off-color, you're relying on milling them into the GY first, i.e. having a GY in tact so you can mill and flash them back. Post-board you'll often be fighting through hate, so relying on casting SB spells from the GY seems bad. All non-creature seems bad.

Pithing Needle may be better catch-all to Tormod's Crypt/Relic/Nihil Spellbomb/etc than Ancient Grudge. Grudge lets them activate in response and wreck your GY. Needle stops them from activating, seems superior. But since you want creatures, may even be worth using Phyrexian Revoker.


Krosan Grip solves the enchantment and artifact problem, and there's no activation in response. Revoker still seems like a good idea in a Modern version.

For getting damage through in Modern without Brawn, red offers Fling, and white gives you Favor of the Mighty. Favor is of course searchable via Commune with the Gods, and Fling gives you a tool to race with. As a Tinder Wall "replacement" for Modern, Sakura-Tribe Elder lets you splash more easily, but you'd need non-green basics.

[Pastorofmuppets]

I played a Gu version of this in INN/RTR Standard. Gnaw to the Bone didn't make the cut there, so I'd take a shot in the dark and say you probably don't want to run it here, either. Have you considered Beast Within? A 3/3 token wouldn't be too hard for this deck to deal with. Genesis, Groundskeeper, Nimble Mongoose, and Deathrite Shaman are all possibilities you may want to try in some slots as well.