[Deck] Elves Combo

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

*sigh* I"m about 99% convinced you're right...my stubborn nature just wants a chance at playing it is all. Most likely the other 2 Fyndhorn Elves will make their way back in.

Appreciate your candor.

BTW, I'm not using Emrakul OR a Wish-board...I'm old skool with Grapeshot.

...Surely you've Waved your own Grapeshot into the yard.

Although this is the least of the reason to cut Genesis Wave and run Wish for Emrakul.

[Richard Cheese]

Shriekmaw does kill Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. The latter is colorless, but not an artifact.

Despite Emrakul's protection from colored spells?

[Koby]

Despite Emrakul's protection from colored spells?

Shriekmaw, while on the stack, is a spell. Shriekmaw, when it's ability triggers, is a creature/permanent. Emrakul only has protection from being targetting by cards that are in the Stack.

[Richard Cheese]

Oh nice, I always get caught by the "when" vs. "as" bit.

[k2thej]

So opinions on which to go for? Ruckus, what are you thinking

[NihilObstat]

Here is an update on my build:
4 Vexing Shusher

When did you decide on Shusher over Leyline and why?? I'm really interested!

[Koby]

So opinions on which to go for? Ruckus, what are you thinking

For mono-green versions:
1x Duplicant or 1x Masticore to deal with troublesome creatures (preferrence call?)

For black-splash:
1x Shriekmaw

I like the idea of Metamorph pulling the feet under from Legends, but I don't really see legendary creatures as a threat to Combo Elves. Others may disagree, but I stand by my own assessment of the matchup.

[k2thej]

When did you decide on Shusher over Leyline and why?? I'm really interested!

I started to get really frustrated with having to mull for leylines. The tutors make Shusher better, and you can still combo with it.

@Ruckus- I'd agree with that. I tend to be a big fan of the shaman/symbiote synergy.

[unemployer]

I have been playing Elves combo for more than a year now. I have settled a decklist and I'm using it for the past couple of months. I just played on a big tournament and started 3-1. When I started playing against guys with the same standings, I found out that I wasn't really prepared with the meta and lost 2 games straight. I lost the mood playing after round 6 and dropped.

Zoo - This one the game that changed... Too much removal on G2 and G3. When I 'seized him, I saw Revoker and Canonist. Seeing my hand, I had discarded Canonist while he played revoker naming heritage druid. I had a birchlore and he had no removal cards "yet" and I thought that would be just fine until he topdecked a stp. He already got nacatl in play then played tarmo while I have 2 Heritage and 1 Nettle. I cannot combo out because of the lock in heritage druid. I already lost 1 Gleeful sabotage already because of the early canonist in play.

Sideboards are:
4 Leyline of Sanctity (pretty good for burn, ant, mbc)
3 Thoughtseize (anti combo)
2 Krosan Grip (anti plague, cb, canonist, revoker, etc)
2 Gleeful Sabotage (anti plague, cb, canonist, revoker, etc)
1 Qasali Pridemage (anti plague, cb, canonist, revoker, etc)
1 Gaddock Teeg (anti dredge and combo)
2 Faerie Macabre (anti dredge and reanimator)

I play Combo elves with Mirror Entity and Tendrils of Agony. Do i need to change anything with my boards?

[gypsy]

whats your md?? i rly dont like your sideboard that much, and i dont like mirror entity or tendrils. and sometimes ppl just have bad zoo decks with infi hate and u lose

[gypsy]

I changed up my list from the 8 archdruid/priest that i had been playing recently to more 1 drop heavy version that matt sperling posted and went 3-1 at a small weekly legacy tournament at my local store. I was very impressed with the list and probably should have been 4-0 but made a small judgement call and fizzled after my storm opponent messed up and drew out of it. heres what i played

1 Birchlore Ranger
3 Llanowar Elf
3 Fyndhorn elf
4 heritage druid
4 nettle sentinel
1 priest of titania
1 viridian zealot
4 Quirion Ranger
4 Wirewood Symbiote
4 elvish visionary
1 elvish spirit guide
1 emrakul
2 regal force
4 Green sun zenith
4 glimpse
3 summoners pact
4 forest
1 bayou
1 dryad arbor
4 misty rainforest
4 verdant catacombs
2 gaeas cradle

sb
3 vengevine
4 buried alive
4 cabal therapy
2 krosan grip
1 viridian shaman
1 mortarpod

I had been finding the priest/archdruid version a little too slow and wanted to speed the deck up, i beat Uw thopter counerbalance, UBW Tezz Thopter sword and dredge and lost to storm although it was rly close. I really like this version better then the other ones as i found it a little bit faster without losing much consistency or resilience

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

How is that list faster?

I mean you have no way to win except draw into and hope to resolve a Glimpse, whereas Priest/Archdruid lists can just hardcast/Zenith for a Regal Force.

Speaking of which cutting the Cradles, Emrakul and second Force for Living Wishes just seems strictly better.

[gypsy]

I hardcast regal all the time

[gypsy]

I guess everyone just prefers their own version of elves and this is the one that I have liked the most

[Koby]

Also the Dryad Arbor w/o Natural Order package is not optimal. Since it doesn't serve the need for casting Natural Order, the Dryad Arbor will end up hurting your mana development at the most inopportune times (like in an opening hand). I would consider cutting it altogether.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

I guess everyone just prefers their own version of elves and this is the one that I have liked the most

While it helps to enjoy playing a deck, the ultimate point of this thread is list optimization. Let's not us fall into the two hot girls fallacy.

I hardcast regal all the time

Statistically it's going to be far less than with the full set of Priests/Druids, and especially, with Wish, less often that you can simply cast Emrakul without having to combo off; even more important post-Misstep.

[Solar Ice]

Let's not us fall into the two hot girls fallacy.

Can you explain that, please? (Serious question, I have not heard this one before)

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

It's a random reference to Source history, the Hatfields were explaining why Mental Note was bad in old Threshold decks and someone said something like, "Well, either way Threshold is such a good deck that I feel arguing about Mental Note vs. (I think the slot in question was Portent, this being pre-Ponder) is like arguing which is hotter between two really hot girls."

This obviously not being a serious argument from a competitive standpoint.

[Atikin]

I guess everyone just prefers their own version of elves and this is the one that I have liked the most

This thread isnt for "what do you like"? Its about "whats going to win the most"? So many arguements in this thread are ending with "well you have your way and I have my way" which really doesnt progress or streamline this deck at all. Theres no way that the 4ish possible versions floating around are all equally strong. In all decks, especially one that relies heavily on a combo, all the cards need to be streamlined and choices thought out thoroughly. Randomly putting in cards, and saying you did good at one 10 man tourney, is not enough justification for yourself to keep the decklist as is. Especially when someone tries to suggest different, perhaps even better choices. Also, some sort of report of how the cards you chose actually affected your games in a way that another choice wouldnt have would be extremely informative and helpful.

[gypsy]

I didnt say the list i posted was better just that I have been liking it more. In magic I feel there is no such thing as an optimal decklist, it just comes down to personal preference and play style. I found with the Archdruids version I would fizzle a lot more because I would glimpse into multiple archdruids and priests and would run out of mana when comboing off. The 4 versions arent equally strong but they are each better in certain situations and suit their pilots play style