[Deck] Land Assault

[Bruticus]

I've been trying to port my type 1 Living Lands deck from eleven years ago. Nothing like the look on someone's face when they're being attacked by five forests on turn 2. Anyway, that didn't quite work out, it was wildly inconsistent and had terrible topdecks. This is the end result. Treefolk are forests right? :rolleyes: I'm not sure it's any competitive, but it sure is fun.

// Lands
26x forest

// Acceleration
3x Magus of the vineyard [G]
3x Eladamri's vineyard [G]
4x Gaea's Touch [GG]

// Creatures
4x Baru fist of Krosa [3GG]
4x Battlewand Oak [2G]
4x Dauntless Dourbark [3G]
4x Vinelasher Kudzu / Sheltering Ancient [1G]
1x Kodama of the North Tree [2GGG]

// Spells
4x Harrow [2G]
4x New Frontiers [XG]

The idea is to power out creatures with land bonuses and lands, and send them trampling over as quickly as possible. This deck needs to lay a first turn vineyard or a second turn creature or it's pretty much dead. The longer the game goes on, the bigger the creatures get. It tends to goldfish turn 4 or 5 and runs in topdeck mode, which can be amazing or horrible. Sometimes you get nothing but land and mana accelerants :eek:

Card breakdown:

Baru, Fist of Krosa
Gives all your green creatures +1/+1 whenever a forest come into play. Pumps your land bonus creatures even more. Doesn't suck in multiples, since it discards for a green wurm token equal to the number of lands you control.

Vineyards
Allows dropping huge creatures a turn earlier, or multiple creatures at once. If you get one in conjunction with gaea's touch, 5cc creatures come out turn 2. Magus gets pumped by Baru. Can suck in multiples. Bad topdeck. Mana burn. Speeds up burn and combo, which are already bad matchups. That tombstalker comes out even quicker, that said, there's a decent chance your opponent can't use the mana either.

Gaea's touch
Allows for a 2nd turn Battlewand Oak drop when you don't get a vineyard or a 2cc creature, a second turn play of 2cc creature and a topdecked vineyard. Generally sucks as a topdeck, but works as mana sink for vineyards and can make frontiers more explosive.

Battlwand Oak
+2/+2 whenever a forest or treefolk comes into play under your control. +3/+3 and trample for forests with Baru. Explosive early game. Pumps copies when it comes into play, pumps Dauntless and gives it trample.

Dauntless Dourbark
Power and toughness equal to the number of forests you control plus the number of treefolk you control. Gains trample if you control another treefolk. Comes out as early as turn 2 as a 2/2, usually a 3/3. Essentially gets +2/+2 whenever you put a forest into play with Baru.

Vinelasher Kudzu
2nd turn drop when you don't get any acceleration. Gets bigger and scarier every turn. Essentially gets +2/+2 whenever you put a forest into play with Baru. Can suck in multiples, not a mid or late game card.

Sheltering Ancient
Massive body. Conditional on opponent having a creature out to stick around, pumps your other treefolk at the very least. Only sticks around for a turn or two, but that's probably enough. Can be absolutely terrible in multiples.

Kodama of the North Tree
Good on it's own. 6 trample, shroud. Comes out as early as turn 2. Could easily be Gigapede or something.

Harrow
Easy to cast. Accelerates and thins deck, pumps just about every creature. It's an instant, so it can be used for combat tricks if you're somehow on the defensive and need to take out an attacker.

New Frontiers
Used as a finisher. One sided against decks with few or no basics. Can suck in multiples. Sometime you have to use it for acceration, which really sucks against mono decks.

Other cards worth considering

Choke
Hoses blue. Great synergy with New Frontiers.

Thelon's Chant
Hoses black. Synergy with Frontiers.

Hunting Chetah
Gives card advantage, more consistent draws and creature pump. Slows the deck down.

Fruition or Lifegift
Lifegain to combat burn and other aggro.

Sun-and-Moon wheel
Fights combo. Makes Harrow reusable with shuffle effects.

No MWS (mac user here) so I'd appreciate any test results. :laugh:

[syssc9]

Your use of Gaea's Touch makes me smile. When I was first getting into magic (during The Dark) it was my clue to Green's greatest strength. Today we have Exploration. I have always loved killing people with my attacking lands, and with green I can put a ton of them on the table fast. When Ice Age came around I fell in love with Nature's Lore, and then a friend saw what I was doing and turned me on to some Legends Untamed Wilds. Woo-Hoo! I'm putting 5cc green fat on the table turn 3 and lovin' it. Then the set everyone else hated came out - Fallen Empires. I just about came in my drawers when I saw the Thelonite Druid! I already had 8 mana elves in the thing for the speed, now they doubled as sacrifical creatures and to produce the 2 mana to activate the Druid. I still keep and updated version of that deck around, and occasionally dust it off for a casual game. It won tournaments back in the day! I recently replaced Nature's lore with the Sac Tribe Elder, and the old the untamed wilds are also long gone, replaced by Skyshroud Claim. Creatures like Uktabi Wildcats and Vinelasher Kudsu, or even Coiling Woodworm can be ferocious in such an environment.

None of this is exactly the direction you are going, but I since I am still smiling, I thought I might share with you.

[GenioDeArena]

I really like the idea.
With all this lands why not running Natures revolt? combined with Timber Protector can be huge, The Protector also helps the rest of your team.
i really belevethat there is a place for this kind of midrange/acceleration thing in Legacy.
As far as defence, and youll need at least some. The land ratio makes me think of Constant Mists, mostly because there are a LOT of creatures in legacy, If Combo or control are your enemies, maybe ask for some Vintage tech, since both Chalice of the void and root maze will damage your opponent more than you. With all this mana, the chalices can work as a pinpoint weapon in the deck.

[GenioDeArena]

Also, Genju Of the Cedars can be a recurring creature and a way of dumping all the vineyards mana, you can activate several times a turn you know.

[Bruticus]

Genju of the Cedars definitely warrants testing. Timber protector could go in the Kodama slot, although I'd probably want two, three seems to be pushing the curve too much. Not so hot on maindecked vinelashers, they're too situational...

I'd take Beacon of Creation over Nature's Revolt anytime. Turning your lands into permanent creatures has too many drawbacks; summoning sickness, EE, Deed-- overcosted, and chances are you'll hate seeing one early game.

This deck needs to play a high number of lands and very quickly, to take advantage of bonuses, which necessitates acceleration, which in turn means you can't drop below a certain threat density and still goldfish turn four. The problem is, without creatures, the spells in this deck do nothing but generate mana. I do think 4x Chalice of the Void could fit in here as a silver bullet, but I don't think this deck has more than 4 or 5 open slots. Mabey an alternate build, with a smaller creature base but more control elements?

4x Baru, Fist of Krosa
4x Hunting Chetah
4x Fangren Firstborn
4x Fertilid

----------- edit

The deck almost always keeps the pressure up (and has no problem with the weird curves that happen sometimes) when I manage to cast harrow two or three turns in a row (sac a land to get two untapped for @ 2G). Primal Growth nets you 1 for the same, 2 if you sacrifice a creature. This could really help when Magus of the Vineyards mana burn-- sometimes you see, and have to cast 3 early game-- or Ancients upkeep gets too much.

+2 Primal Growth
-1 New Frontiers
-1 ???

Timber Protector could be huge in Kodamas slot. It kills Damnation and Armageddon. Might need to be a 3 of.

[syssc9]

OK, this thread has got me going again. I am in the process of building a Treefolk deck with a touch of Druid. I see lots of different ways to put this thing together, but haven’t managed to collect all the necessary cards yet. From my perspective, this is meant to be a casual deck, perhaps for multiplayer. Here’s what I am thinking so far:

4 Ashnod’s Altar
4 Mana Elves
4 Sakura Tribe Elder
4 Treefolk Harbinger
4 Bosk Bannerett
4 Battlewand Oak
4 Dauntless Dourbark
4 Seedguide Ash
1 Timber Protector
1 Unstoppable Ash
3 Thelonite Druid or Baru, Fist of Krosa

23 Forests (or 21/22 forests and 2 or 3 Gaea's Cradle)

Lately, I have been having fun building all creature decks. This follows in the same vein, but you may want to include some removal. In green decks that put down lots of mana quickly, I have always relied on Desert Twister. I know, I know, nobody plays a 6cc removal spell, except me. In a green deck, and especially in casual multiplayer, where the early game goes slow, everyone is sizing everyone else up and getting there own stuff in play, the Twister is often plenty fast enough.

Ashnod’s Altar is there as a sac outlet for Seedguide Ash. I’m not sure about the Bannerett – another set of mana creatures may do just as well, or even better. Needs testing. Dauntless Dourbark is just the nuts! I'm gonna need 8 of him: 4 for this deck and 4 to replace the Uktabi Wildcats in my old Druid deck. So far I like the Thelonite Druid over Baru, especially with the action of the Timber Protector, but that may just be nostalgia. Timber Protector itself may be just winmore. I am a big sucker for the, “danger of cool stuff.”

EDIT: I was thinking about this last night, and if you wanted to invest some dough in this thing, Harbinger could be swapped out for Survival of the Fittest. Then you could drop the counts of the Treefolk to 1 or 2 each and add the usual Survival stuff: Squee, Anger, Rofellos, perhaps Genesis or even Deadwood Treefolk. I would also swap out the mana elves for Birds of Paradise, add include Doran, the Siege tower and maybe Murmuring Bosk to help cast him - That sort of thing.

[syssc9]

Nobody else seems interested in Treefolk. Sigh... Too slow for competitive Legacy, I guess. I am still messing with this thing just because I think it's fun. I have replaced Ashnod's Altar with Primal Growth. When the kicker is paid with Seedguide Ash I get 5 forests, 3 tapped, 2 untapped. Definitely "danger of cool stuff" but I am a sucker for cool stuff. If I can get my hands on some Natural Order I will give them a try in this spot. Phyrexian Vault is also a candidate. Unstoppable Ash is out. I am currently running 3 Thelonite Druids and 2 Barru - can't make up my mind. Both do really cool stuff...

*Edit - Here's the list:
4 Primal Growth - or Natual Order
4 Mana Elves
4 Sakura Tribe Elder
4 Treefolk Harbinger
4 Bosk Bannerett
4 Battlewand Oak
4 Dauntless Dourbark
4 Seedguide Ash
1 Timber Protector
2 Baru
3 Thelonite Druid

22 Forests

*2nd Edit*
I picked up 2 Natural Order and a 2nd Timber Protector last night on the way home and tried them out. I quickly discovered I do not want to replace the Primal Growth. Seems to work best with all 4 P. Growth and just add the Nat. Ord's. I removed Baru to accomadate this.

Here's the 2nd list:
4 Primal Growth
2 Natual Order
4 Mana Elves
4 Sakura Tribe Elder
4 Treefolk Harbinger
4 Bosk Bannerett
4 Battlewand Oak
4 Dauntless Dourbark
4 Seedguide Ash
2 Timber Protector
3 Thelonite Druid
21 Forests

Battlewand Oak is not impressing me as much as I had hoped. He gets really big but can be chumped all day.

[GenioDeArena]

This is for any deck using more than 25 lands, just three words:
Horn Of Greed

[Bruticus]

I'm still working on the deck. My big concerns are threat density, the 2cc creature slot. the engine running out of gas, and a win condition outside of the combat phase. I've gone down to 23 lands (26 was too much) which frees up three slots.

Timber Protector is win more. Would have to go into Baru's slot, the deck loses explosiveness and gains some resiliently. Baru makes Magus of the Vineyard look threatening. Good as a one of.

Primal Growth is no good in my build. There's nothing that works in this deck that gets forests into play as quickly a Vineyard, Gaea's Touch, Harrow and New Frontiers. Harrow is insanely good in this deck. With a vineyard in play it essentially costs one mana, you sack the tapped forest, get two untapped to drop a creature, more forests with New Frontiers, or lay down a Gaea's Touch to cast a fattie or two next turn.

The 2cc creature slot. I'm not comfortable running any more than 3 Sheltering Ancients. I don't want to chance drawing 3 of this guy in one game. One of my favorite plays is; Turn one, forest, vineyard. Turn two. forest, Dauntless Dourbark. Turn 3, forest, 2 Sheltering Ancients.

Vinelasher Kudzu sticks around for more than a turn or two and becomes huge if dropped on turn 2. Drawbacks, doesn't pump treefolk, isn't always big.

People of the Woods might warrant a slot or two. They can block just about anything, or go aggro with Baru.

Tarmogoyf is probably the best all around creature for this slot... I'd rather run something else though.

I've got two cards in mind for the three open slots; Heartwood Storyteller Ups threat density, keeps treefolk pump going and should either draw a counter, or cantrip at the very least. If you draw into lands Gaea's Touch becomes that much better.

Since this deck can burn through half it's library in four or five turns I'm not entirely convinced It needs to up the threat density. Because most legacy decks are designed to run off 1 to 3 lands, I've been thinking about mana burn as a secondary win condition. Ritual of Subdual is looking very good here. Cast every vineyard you come across, throw out tons of lands with New Frontiers, your opponent has useless green mana while you can still cast spells.

[syssc9]

A quibble perhaps: Vineyard does not put forests in play. Also, if you like Gae's touch, be sure to check out Exploration. I am puzzeled how "this deck can burn through half it's library in 4 or 5 turns"? I must be missing something.

[Bruticus]

It depends on the acceleration package you get early game. Vineyard's the spark that fuels the engine. Exploration does nothing for this deck.

Draw 7. Magus of the vineyard, forest, forest, Baru, harrow, gaea's touch, new frontiers.

Turn 1, forest, vineyard,

Turn 2, draw, forest. Cast gaea's touch, forest, forest. Sac touch, Baru (3 forests in play)

Turn 3, draw, Battlewand Oak. Harrow, sac forest. Forest, forest, battlewand oak. Attack for 9. (4 forests in play)

Turn 4, draw, forest. Lay forest. New frontiers for 6. Attack for 43. (11 forests in play)

Turn 5, draw, new frontiers. Cast new frontiers for 12. Attack for 66. (22 forests in play)

Obviously, it doesn't always work out like this, and some of it's bound to get disrupted-- but hands kinda like this aren't that uncommon either. I've had two 17/17 (?) trampling Dautless Dourbarks on turn 4 before.

[syssc9]

OK, I picked up some New Frontiers and tried them out. They Goldfish like crazy, (uber WOW!) but I am concerned what an opponent will do with all that mana. Since Legacy is the home of the non-basic land, it is possible that you may wind up way ahead, but it's a crap-shoot. Actual combat with a live opponent is almost always very different. (But is sure does goldfish!)

Couple more points:
1. For now at least, I'm running 8 mana elves rather than Gaea's Touch or Harrow (Llanowar and Fyndhorn.) These silly little elves do one thing the other 2 spells cannot: they block first turn Lackey. Goblins may be on the down-turn, but they are far from gone. If the elves stick around for a few turns they seem to provide adequate (if not insanely explosive) early game acceleration, with what I believe is a bit more stability and consistency.

2. Having run many different green super mana excel decks over the years I completely agree with your quote from above, "It depends on the acceleration package you get early game." These Green fast mana into big (or even medium) nasty beaters tend to be a bit (ok, a lot) order dependent. So far, a bunch of mana elves has always seemed to work best for me.

I gotta work on my (parenthetical) problem. I'm addicted!

*Edit - I'd love to see your latest decklist, or is it still the same as the one you posted above?

[Bruticus]

Well, you shouldn't cast New Frontiers indiscriminately. Although It doubles as acceleration and mana dump (you can search your library for as little land as you want), it's primarily here as a finisher. I doubt it's very good in most land decks; it's asymmetrical because of the overrun effect. I wouldn't play New Frontiers in 43lands and I wouldn't play Mulch here.

This is the core of the deck;

// Lands
23x forest

// Acceleration / pump
3x Magus of the vineyard [G]
3x Eladamri's vineyard [G]
4x Gaea's Touch [GG]
4x Harrow [2G]
4x New Frontiers [XG]

// Creatures
4x Baru fist of Krosa [3GG]
4x Battlewand Oak [2G]
4x Dauntless Dourbark [3G]
4x Vinelasher Kudzu / Sheltering Ancient / ??? [1G]

The 4x 2cc slot needs playtesting. I have no idea if the treefolk pump and the turn or two of 5 trample from Sheltering Ancient are better than a permanent creature that gets bigger every turn or what. There's 3 open slots, so you can run any combination of both, although I absolutely hated drawing nothing BUT these guys in goldfishing.

I think at least two of the open slots are best served by Sprout Swarm.

http://magiccards.info/fut/en/138.html

It's looks inconspicuous, but I think it's an absolutely evil card. It's never dead; provides a beater early game-- (with Baru you want as many weenies on the board as possible), with buyback it's scalable, pays for itself with convoke, works as a reoccurring mana dump for vineyards AND makes use of any Gaea's Touch you have on board.

If one were so inclined to run a 61st card, I'd have to go with Life and Limb or Natural Affinity, the only cards I wouldn't want early game. :wink: