[Primer] Elves!

What are thoughts on running main deck Wren's Run Packmaster, and 1 of Imperious Perfect/Ezuri?. I think Imperious Perfect could be insane as it puts a lot of decks on a clock since it pumps the elves. It makes tokens, pumps your elves, stops 2 for ones with forked bolt, etc... I think it might be the right direction to take. I also saw a list with main deck Elderscale Wurm from a qualifier at Portsmouth.

What are thoughts on cutting Ruric Thar to the SB and cutting Progenitus all together since I expect a lot of council's judgement?

This is my SB:
3 Thoughtseize
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Golgari Charm/Disfigure
2 Cabal Therapy
1 Ruric-Thar, the Unbowed or 1 Progentius
1 Null Rod
1 Krosan Grip (Maybe)
1 Wilt-Leaf Liege

1 Imperious Perfect
1 Melira, Sylvok Outcast (this is a maybe)
or
2 Surgical Extraction/Extirpate

If I go the blue route I'd do the following:
3 Swan Song
2 Flusterstorm (this could change based on how much storm I expect)
1 Null Rod
3 Thoughtseize
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Disfigure
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Wilt Leaf-Liege

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Originally Posted by Golgari4Life

What are thoughts on running main deck Wren's Run Packmaster, and 1 of Imperious Perfect/Ezuri?. I think Imperious Perfect could be insane as it puts a lot of decks on a clock since it pumps the elves. It makes tokens, pumps your elves, stops 2 for ones with forked bolt, etc... I think it might be the right direction to take. I also saw a list with main deck Elderscale Wurm from a qualifier at Portsmouth.

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Imperious Perfect himself dies like a bitch to Forked Bolt, so what's the use? It also has to survive for a turn before it does anything other then lure removal. If you want to run a lord, you're better off running an Elvish Champion for some free damage against anything running Forests.

What do you guys think of 2x Sword of Fire and Ice in the Elves sideboard?
It's pretty cool against Miracles and UR Delver if you get to the midgame. Even against any other grindy matchups...

This is the list I was playing yesterday at Prague Eternal:

4 Gaea's Cradle
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Windswept Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Taiga
2 Bayou
2 Forest
2 Dryad Arbor
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Nettle Sentinel
3 Heritage Druid
2 Birchlore Rangers
4 Quirion Ranger
4 Wirewood Symbiote
4 Elvish Visionary
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
2 Craterhoof Behemoth
4 Glimpse of Nature
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Natural Order

Sideboard:
4 Abrupt Decay
3 Thoughtseize
3 Cabal Therapy
2 Pithing Needle
2 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Progenitus

I would like to add the Pendelhaven but I'm not sure, which land should i cut... Forest/Fetchland/Taiga?

Has anyone tried Rest in Peace in the sideboard. Maybe 2-4 of them?

I know it hurts our Deathrites and Scavenging Ooze but it would be great against Dredge and Reanimate strategies as well as slow down UR Delver. I am thinking there will be a lot Reanimator and UR Delver at the GP

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Originally Posted by Duker99

Has anyone tried Rest in Peace in the sideboard. Maybe 2-4 of them?

I know it hurts our Deathrites and Scavenging Ooze but it would be great against Dredge and Reanimate strategies as well as slow down UR Delver. I am thinking there will be a lot Reanimator and UR Delver at the GP

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You suggest splashing a color and killing our MB graveyard hate & machine gun wincon & mana dorks to play a SB graveyard hate?

seems like leyline of the void would be better. We can still fuel our own drs, but it turns off reanimation, dredge, etc. I've been considering it heavily actually since the dig through time decks are becoming more and more popular (cruise decks are a pain too, but drawing 3 vs us isn't as huge as tutoring for 2 cards).

edit:
btw nihil spellbomb was mentioned yesterday on stream... kinda forgot about it tbh. its a bit slower and not "free" but drawing the card is relevant and vs the matchups where you can wait a turn or 2 (dredge, lands decks, delve decks, storm) its legit

edit!!!!
lol so lifespark spellbomb combos with our untap effects and gaea's cradle...just sayin. its obv bad, but would be fun in a local event or to mess around with on modo.

So while we are talking about crazy tech, what about a card like Glissa the Traitor? Its a 3/3 first strike, deathtouch for 3? Also I might run 1 Elvish Champion in the SB. I have been testing against Delver and Sword of Fire and Ice is too clunky. Actually Wren's Run Packmaster is an amazing card to resolve against them. I am not sold on the main deck reclamation sage yet and might cut it to the SB. I have come to the conclusion that Wren's Run and Elderscale Wurm are nuts in the matchup. I am keeping both main and I moved Ruric to the SB.

id be all over a glissa sb package IF she had 4 toughness or IF she costed 1 more mana... dieing to lightning bolt and decay makes her pretty bad, sadly.

She would be amazing in combination with ratchet bomb/nihil spellbomb/executioner's capsule. I fear she'd often be too cute tho =(

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Originally Posted by Echelon

Imperious Perfect himself dies like a bitch to Forked Bolt, so what's the use? It also has to survive for a turn before it does anything other then lure removal. If you want to run a lord, you're better off running an Elvish Champion for some free damage against anything running Forests.

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Or elvish archdruid to do a gaeas crafle impersonation. Or jorga war caller to dump overrun mana into.

I am not actively advocating either, but I think they are better options than the token generator

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Originally Posted by Shagstaman

id be all over a glissa sb package IF she had 4 toughness or IF she costed 1 more mana... dieing to lightning bolt and decay makes her pretty bad, sadly.

She would be amazing in combination with ratchet bomb/nihil spellbomb/executioner's capsule. I fear she'd often be too cute tho =(

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You describe WRP here. Bolt/Decay proof and offering creature removal.

I have been toying with running only one behemoth main. It seems like when he will win me tr game, I usually have the mana to hard cast him, so I worry less about drawing him. I see the downside, like if he is in hand and is countered, but now I draw him half as often. What do you all think? I know 2 is a pretty firm consensus, so I assume I'm wrong, but it's still a thought.

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Originally Posted by jamie7keller

I have been toying with running only one behemoth main. It seems like when he will win me tr game, I usually have the mana to hard cast him, so I worry less about drawing him. I see the downside, like if he is in hand and is countered, but now I draw him half as often. What do you all think? I know 2 is a pretty firm consensus, so I assume I'm wrong, but it's still a thought.

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I've tried it and it's been fine, but only when I have another fatty in the MD, like Ruric Thar. It's not a risk I like to take anymore, but it's not unheard of.

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Originally Posted by EluThingol

I've tried it and it's been fine, but only when I have another fatty in the MD, like Ruric Thar. It's not a risk I like to take anymore, but it's not unheard of.

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Ok. I had been running ruric and wrp and two cratterhoofs, so cuttings the one will help. Thanks!

hey yall i played in a local tourney in la and most people here are very competitive. i went 3-1 beating u/r delver, bug delver and sneak and show. losing to miracles. here is my list


2 Bayou
2 Dryad Arbor
2 Forest
4 Gaea's Cradle
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs

2 Birchlore Rangers
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
1 Scavenging Ooze
3 Heritage Druid
3 Nettle Sentinel
3 Quirion Ranger
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Wirewood Symbiote

3 Natural Order
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Glimpse of Nature
4 Green Sun's Zenith

SB: 1 Natural Order
SB: 2 Cabal Therapy
SB: 3 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Null Rod
SB: 2 Pithing Needle
SB: 1 Disfigure
SB: 3 Abrupt Decay
SB: 1 Worldspine Wurm
SB: 1 Sylvan Library


i love the probes. i feel so much safer with the probes and they play very well with the therapys. i had melira in the board but since there was no infect i switched it for the library. i still dont know how to board/play against miracles since iv only played ageinst it the one time yesterday.

Jim, is there a reason you ran 2/3 of therapy/ thought seize?

It seems like with four probes main deck, it would be much better to go 4/1, playing more therapies.

I don't run probes, but am trying to figure out therapy vs. thought seize.

it was a combination of TS, imo, being better against faster combo and fear of whiffing w/o probe.

Jim,

The list looks solid, I was curious what you think of running Elderscale Wurm over Ruric Thar maindeck? Here's my current list I'm planning on bringing to the GP in New Jersey next weekend. If anyone has suggestions, let me know. I've decided to play little green men next weekend after flip flopping to an old favorite Jund. I think I'm comfortable enough playing Elves that I can handle it. Its not like most combo decks I've played before. I've played Dragon Combo back in the day and I've played Doomsday which is super hard. So I think I can handle Elves, just soo many things you can do and its very easy to mess up. That's why I am testing on Cockatrice and in person. But its better to figure out your mistakes now versus a 10+ round GP.

4 Quirion Ranger
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Glimpse of Nature
3 Natural Order
2 Craterhoof Behemoth
2 Birchlore Rangers
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Dryad Arbor
3 Heritage Druid
3 Nettle Sentinel
4 Wirewood Symbiote
1 Reclamation Sage (See ooze explanation, helps deal with Jitte, Batterskull and other annoying things early)
1 Scavenging Ooze (I think this is still very important to have in the main)
4 Gaea's Cradle
2 Bayou
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Wooded Foothills
2 Verdant Catacombs
3 Forest (I expect Blood Moon) If one of you thinks it should be a Taiga tell me
1 Elderscale Wurm (Resolving this against Delver, Burn, and most likely mirror match is game. It is very hard to deal with and kill)
1 Wren's Run Packmaster (I like this for more grindy matchups like Jund, Maverick, Miracles, Stoneblade, must be dealt with early or bad things happen)
SB: 1 Null Rod (Bring in against MUD, Blade variants, D&T, TES)
SB: 3 Abrupt Decay
SB: 1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed (not sure I want this maindeck, I might change it with Ooze)
SB: 3 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Wilt-Leaf Liege (I believe BUG, Jund and Esperblade will show up)/my other options are Melira, Elvish Champion, Progenitus, Worldspine Wurm
SB: 1 Natural Order
SB: 1 Golgari Charm (I like this versus a 4th abrupt decay because it protects your dudes from pyroclasm, firespout, supreme verdict)
SB: 1 Krosan Grip (Moat, Counterbalance, Energy Field, Batterskull, Blood Moon, Grindstone)
SB: 1 Extirpate
SB: 2 Chains of Mephistopheles (this was recently suggested to me, if not this it will be Therapies)

i like the elderscale. i was thinking about running one in the side or main instead of ruic. i took the 19th land taiga, out of my list since i stopped running blood moons out of the side and put in the second burchlore and ive liked it so far. and i like your board aside from the chains since alot of the time we draw more cards then the opponent id just rather have hand control.

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Originally Posted by jamie7keller

Or elvish archdruid to do a gaeas crafle impersonation. Or jorga war caller to dump overrun mana into.

I am not actively advocating either, but I think they are better options than the token generator

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Archdruid has the same problem the other lord has. It's nuts when it gets to untap, but it seldom will. The Warcaller is something you can use to get your creatures out of Bolt/sweeper-range fast. Does take a fair amount of mana though, and your Symbiotes will still be vulnerable.

Since it has a low CMC it is easy to GSZ for it though, assuming you can send it to your hand with a Symbiote.

Hi everyone,

First time posting in the thread, but I'm a very new elf player (Had my first tournament with the deck last night) and just figured I'd introduce myself, and give a quick tournament report, and hopefully get some advice :)

I only put the deck together fairly recently (Though it only took a couple of weeks) having been playing a simple Mono-red Burn deck for the past while. the List i ran was fairly stock I felt, and is as follows:

4 Gaea's Cradle
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Taiga
2 Bayou
2 Forest
2 Dryad Arbor
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Nettle Sentinel
3 Heritage Druid
1 Birchlore Rangers
4 Quirion Ranger
4 Wirewood Symbiote
4 Elvish Visionary
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Wren's Run Packmaster
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Glimpse of Nature
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Natural Order

SB:
4 Abrupt Decay
3 Thoughtseize
2 Cabal Therapy
1 Natural order
1 Progenitus
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Elderscale Wurm
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Craterhoof Behemoth

The tournament was only a small 11 man one, and the meta was as follows:

2 BUG
2 Elves
1 Death's Shadow
2 Jund
1 Food Chain Combo
2 Miracles
1 High Tide

Round 1:
vs. Elves 1-2

This was a pretty interesting match. the first two games were traded pretty quickly due to typical elves shenanigans. The third game however was a rather grindy affair, and only ended with him at 2 life and myself at 8 because he managed to rip a Glimpse of nature and chain into a Natural order thanks to his pair of Wirewood Symbiotes. This game was pretty good to play, but still disappointing to lose after getting so close.

Round 2:
vs. Death's Shadow 2-1 (Scooped however because he was paired down, and prizes were for first only anyway)

The first game was another kind of grindy affair, with us both just trading cards for cards (Mostly mine into his counters) I don't quite remember how I won this game, but it was probabaly a Natural order for a craterhoof. Game 2 i lost to his double Toxic Deluge, which I'm not sure I could have done much about anyway. A common theme for this tournament was rarely if ever drawing into my boarded in therapies and Thoughtseizes. The third game was very weird, with him keeping a no land 6 card hand with a Gitaxian Probe to hopefully draw into a land. He didn't for a couple of turns however, though all i amanged to get out was a Quirion Ranger, nettle Sentinel and Dryad Arbor to put forward any defense. It was enough however to get there in the end.

Round 3:
vs. High Tide 1-2

This felt like a simply awful match-up from the get go, especially having no Mindbreak traps in the board. I managed to win the game i win through the power of Ruric Thar, though he told me after the match he had a Snap in hand anyway, so it may not have been enough had his follow-up draw been better.

Round 4:
HelmLine Miracles 1-2

As I've been told, this was a pretty awful match-up as well, but I think I misplayed ALOT as well. In the first game, i let him keep around a Rest in Piece for the entire game,a nd eventually lost with the game mostly under lock to a Tutored for Helm. I lost the same way the next game, though if I had been able to scrounge up one more mana to Natural order for a Sage I would have been able to delay him quite a bit.

All in all, I had a very fun time with the deck despite losing a whole lot with it, and look forward to the next time I get to play.

Assuming the meta I posted above was the fairly usual one (I think there's a D&T and Storm player as well, as well as one of the Miracles players being someone who's rarely if ever there) is there any changes you all could suggest for the sideboard?

Cheers, and thanks again for reading.

Matthew