[Primer] Elves!

[bizdoin]

the new viridian shaman, reclamation sage, is pretty sweet

[Dice_Box]

Yes it is. Now when I get mine I am going to have to pay an artist friend of mine 25 bucks to fix the boarder...

[Absolutflipz]

Been saying it for months, but **Hornet Queen** is your maindeck answer to fliers. >>>Delver/all of Rug, and great against Grisel/Emrakul - also a strong NO target that doesn't necessitate a board presence like Craterhoof does.

[Lemnear]

Been saying it for months, but **Hornet Queen** is your maindeck answer to fliers. >>>Delver/all of Rug, and great against Grisel/Emrakul - also a strong NO target that doesn't necessitate a board presence like Craterhoof does.

7 mana solution for a 1 mana creature? :/

[Absolutflipz]

7 mana solution for a 1 mana creature? :/

? A very short-sided response.

In the same way Progenitus is a 10mana creature to end the game....or Craterhoof being 8mana

Like I said, it's a NO target that doesn't require a board presence like Hoof does, while single-handedly beating Delver decks (not the turn it comes in ala Hoof), but they don't have enough card advantage to deal with all the deathtouch blockers (especially with RUG). Further, in said Delver matchups, they have lots of disruption and removal such that getting a board presence for a significant Craterhoof is very difficult.

It's also a bullet that gives a good answer to Grisel/Emrakul (whereas if you only have Hooves in your, you're just drawing dead).

Further, from RUG side, Hornet Queen blanks Rough/Tumble.

[Julian23]

It's not like we haven't played with Hornet Queen. At least I have used it a lot earlier this year and there's no denying that once you have it, you can hardly lose to any creature-based deck anymore.

But that's not the point. Please don't get me wrong but it almost angers me when someone is trying to sell resolving Natural Order (or a 7/8 mana spell) as the STRATEGY against tempodecks. It's fine if it works for you, but the whole point of wanting a maindeckable answer to fliers is that fliers are the whole reason why you don't get to resolve these cards in the first place.

[Absolutflipz]

It's not like we haven't played with Hornet Queen. At least I have used it a lot earlier this year and there's no denying that once you have it, you can hardly lose to any creature-based deck anymore.

But that's not the point. Please don't get me wrong but it almost angers me when someone is trying to sell resolving Natural Order (or a 7/8 mana spell) as the STRATEGY against tempodecks. It's fine if it works for you, but the whole point of wanting a maindeckable answer to fliers is that fliers are the whole reason why you don't get to resolve these cards in the first place.

I'm not sure what you mean by the fliers not allowing you to resolve these cards in the first place - do you mean that these such decks are running cards like FoW, Daze, and Spell Pierce which make resolving NO difficult? I'm on board and agree with that.

However, I guess I find pushing through a NO vs Delver decks difficult, but far from impossible, and especially more possible when you only need the 1 creature out to do so for said Hornet Queen.

By the other comments, it would seem like a cheap, hexproof-type creature with an ETB kill target flier is what you're most-optimally looking for. I don't think any exist, and the best I can up with are Skylasher and Ezuri's Archers - neither of those literally fit the bill or provide value as "maindeckable" - Lys Alana seems equally bad and possibly even worse.

[Dice_Box]

Pushing NO past Delver is like trying to cook dinner without my cat noticing that food is on the stove. It can be done, but it's an achievement in of itself at times.

Seeking an answer to Delver should, if at all possible, not include NO. That's something they will target and kill every chance they get. I would rather NO for Hoof anyway almost all of the time against them. Also, large mana cards are not really that useful either. With a mix of Waste and removal, it's a royal pain sometimes trying to get 7 ish mana.

[Secretly.A.Bee]

Is firespout just not acceptable?

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[Lemnear]

Is firespout just not acceptable?

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Not for the maindeck,which was the requirement

[danyul]

Thornweald Archer

/jk

[Dice_Box]

If only it had Shroud...

[dte]

Against RUG, I side out some NO, against Bug delver I don't want a NO-target which die to golgari charm.
So except against S&S, I don't see what hornet queen could really do to deserve a SB-slot over one additional discard, counter, decay or tutor-target.
I'm afraid answers to delver will stick to the side, being decay or Meekstone.

[Echelon]

Besides, when you manage to resolve a NO vs. Delver, you might as well drop Progenitus and end the game in 2 turns rather then durdle about with Queen & puppets.

[sawatarix]

Agree with echelon,hornet queen seems to cute.

What about playing scryb ranger guys ?it does the same job as quirion ranger and blocks delver all day long :)
Should buy enough time to win against delver decks.

[Whippoorwill]

If you just want an answer to Delver, what about Raking Canopy? I saw it used in an Enchantress sideboard somewhere and it looks like it would work well for Elves as well since you can drop it on turn 2/3.

[dte]

Raking canopy is not a tutor target, and it's very specific. In the MUs you would like the card, you will always prefer decay or even meekstone.

Scryb ranger has several issues on its own: it's not an elf, it blocks delver but dies to everything, and the ability is nice but compet with quirion ranger. It's not bad and I would side it in if I had it in my SB against delver deck, but it clearly does not deserve a slot in SB (still over additional discard, counter or decay).

[Julian23]

If you just want an answer to Delver, what about Raking Canopy? I saw it used in an Enchantress sideboard somewhere and it looks like it would work well for Elves as well since you can drop it on turn 2/3.

The magic word is maindeckable and should probably also be a creature if not an Elf.

I keep pushing for that 0/1 Llanowar Elf with Reach. Just don't give it Defender (even though I would still play it). While this card doesn't answer Delver really well, it would be HUGE against Griselbrand, certainly maindeckable and also reasonable to print. Official hashtag: #ReachingElves

[lordofthepit]

The magic word is maindeckable and should probably also be a creature if not an Elf.

I keep pushing for that 0/1 Llanowar Elf with Reach. Just don't give it Defender (even though I would still play it). While this card doesn't answer Delver really well, it would be HUGE against Griselbrand, certainly maindeckable and also reasonable to print. Official hashtag: #ReachingElves

Hypothetically, would you play Scryb Ranger if it were an Elf?

[Julian23]

Scryb Ranger is already on the verge of being reasonably playable in this deck and being able to escape Bolt and blank Griselbrand attacks would certainly push it into my list.