First off, HOLY COW was this a hard deck to make. I have a pile of cards 40 high that almost made the cut into here, and a different list of cards that I don't own yet but will go straight in when I get them.... as a result I'm pretty unsure about the "final" build and am looking for a lot of feedback. I'll list the cards by function and then detail how I hope the deck is going to work, then y'all can tell me the obvious cards/strategies that I've missed. I've read every Animar thread I can find here and on Mtgcommander.net, which has pretty much just confused me more
I'll edit this post later with how I hope it works... and what almost made the cut... and what's going in later.... see if y'all can figure it out
Special preview: the 101st card was Mulldrifter.... very nearly made it.
The Main Combo
Cloudstone Curio + Animar +:
Pierce Strider and any other colorless creature; infinite life loss
Precursor Golem and any other colorless creature; infinite Golems (with Anger and/or Urabrask to attack immediately)
Coal Stoker + any red or colorless creature; infinite mana and/or large Animar
All of which combine with Tidespout Tyrant to bounce everything.
Coal Stoker will become Priest of Urabrask when I find one; or I may keep them both.
Card Choices:
The graft creatures (+ Llanowar Reborn); the early ones can graft onto Animar immediately, kickstarting the cheap creatures. The later ones have abilities that can protect and/or pump Animar. There are a couple more I want to put in when I find them, see the "Cards to Add" section.
Anger/Brawn/Wonder; to help Animar get through if/when he becomes Le Big Dood
Primordial Sage: Le Nuts. See also Garruk's Packleader aka Sage #2.
Momir Vig; really not sure how he'll go in here as I don't have too many Blue and Green creatures. But tutoring is fun, and the draw part functions as Primordial Sage #2.5
Whelk/Rewind/Crumple/Fuel for the Cause; token effort at anti wrath tech.
Crystal Shard; I haven't seen this in too many Animar lists; I can't figure out why.
Riftwing Cloudskate: Suspend turn 2, Cast Animar, when it unsuspends Animar gets a counter since I'm still casting the un-suspended spell. Is an experiment as it's a bit meh as a creature (but the others are worse, IMO)
Proliferate cards: Seems obvious... works with Animar, Graft, Spike, Avenger plant tokens, Vivid Lands, Magosi (with one counter on Magosi and Contagion Engine in play I get all the turns, forever), Fertilid...
Winding Canyon: I get to play creatures at instant speed until end of turn? Sweeeet
Pierce Strider and any other colorless creature; infinite life loss
Precursor Golem and any other colorless creature; infinite Golems (with Anger and/or Urabrask to attack immediately)
Sorry to burst your bubble, but re-read Cloudstone Curio... it doesn't trigger when artifacts enter play Having said that your combo's are doable if you have Tidespout Tyrant out, or if you abuse morph creatures alternative cost and/or Eldrazi plus Cloudstone Curio. If nothing else you can end up with an infinitely large Animar to swing at your opponents.
I also notice you're running a lot of proliferate effects. While in theory this seems like a good repeatable way to add counters to Animar, in my experience it is more mana efficient to run extra creatures instead of proliferate effects.
If you're interested in Animar combo, please feel free to check out my primer
Yeah I woke up this morning and realised that didn't actually work... (no, of course I don't dream about Magic. That would be silly... )
I'm running proliferate as an experiment; last night I played two games with the deck, in the first one I saw none at all, in the second I got Thrummingbird, Plaguemaw Beast, and Steady Progress. They all did something but the jury is out as to whether that something justifies their inclusion Thrummingbird in particular kept my Garruk Wildspeaker alive longer than he should have lived, which was useful.
I need more card draw though - in the second game (again) I had a bigbig Animar (13 counters at one point) but no cards in hand for about 3 turns. When you draw a land it's not much fun..
I need more card draw though - in the second game (again) I had a bigbig Animar (13 counters at one point) but no cards in hand for about 3 turns. When you draw a land it's not much fun..
More later, I'm "working"
Viperion
Why you no play Mulldrifter/Wall of blossoms/other cantrip creatures. My Animar build abuses these regularly to keep my fist full as well as FoF Sphinx. My list is different but is in my sig if you wish.
I too play Animar, admittedly without infinite combos because I agreed with my playgroup not to, but I think I have a few inputs.
I would kick all the proliferate as well as nearly all the graft creatures (Sporeback troll and plaxcaster frogling are just great ways to protect animar, so they should stay) and instead play cheap cantrip and ramp guys like Coiling Oracle, Elvish Visionary, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Sylvan Ranger, Masked Admirers, Solemn Simulacrum, Mulldrifter(this guy is awesome and you will never be sorry to see him if you run him ;))... Those pump up Animar really fast but replace themself while doing so...also if you have cloudstone curio but lack other combo pieces you can dig for them with your cantripers.
There are also the bigger but even more effective and with animar quite cheap "cantrips" like Regal Force and Sphinx of Uthun.
I'd also play cultivate and Kodamas reach. The ramping lets you play bigger non-creature spells like tooth and nail and genesis wave wich can often win games or just more creaures :D.
Other cards I have found to be of great use (and I don't even need to dig for combo pieces) are Fabricate and birthing pod. Also Magus of the Future can create enourmous card advatage if not disturbed by too many lands between your spells.
At last a few cards that imo just should be in any creature heavy deck of those colors: Eternal Witness (theres always something useful in the GY), Mystic Snake (the cost is only reduced by 1 but it pumps animar and can be returned with crystal shard or the curio), skullclamp (especially if you take my advice and play more small dudes), any kind of clone creatures (they are among the best ways to deal with generals since they don't care about Hexproof, shroud or indestructability and if somone (or yourself) has a huge threat it's nice to get that too (or twice;)) and chord of calling (gets you any utility at instant speed!)
All the cards I have listed I play in my own animar to very graet succes.
I hope this is helpful and gives you some ideas!
Thanks for that I'll certainly be making some of those changes I think. I need to play around with this one some more - I want to make it into one of my better decks as it certainly has explosive potential.
I have a Regal Force spare I think I'll try him out; Mulldrifter will definitely go in, probably with Coiling Oracle, STE, and maybe Masked Admirers (since I have 6...) I also picked up a couple of Oracle of Mul Dayas and a Sphinx of Uthuun the other day so will try those out as well. Not totally convinced the deck needs KReach/Cultivate but I guess it never hurts, right?
I could try and shoehorn EWit in as well. I don't have a Magus of the Future (or a Future Sight)
First off, HOLY COW was this a hard deck to make. I have a pile of cards 40 high that almost made the cut into here, and a different list of cards that I don't own yet but will go straight in when I get them.... as a result I'm pretty unsure about the "final" build and am looking for a lot of feedback. I'll list the cards by function and then detail how I hope the deck is going to work, then y'all can tell me the obvious cards/strategies that I've missed. I've read every Animar thread I can find here and on Mtgcommander.net, which has pretty much just confused me more
The Deck:
01 Animar, Soul of Elements
The (hopefully undercosted) Fat
02 Artisan of Kozilek
03 Avatar of Fury
04 Avenger of Zendikar
05 Precursor Golem
06 Primeval Titan (mana fix too, obv)
07 Simic Sky Swallower
08 Steel Hellkite (also utility)
09 Terastodon (also utility, in a KABOOM kind of way)
10 Tidespout Tyrant
11 Urabrask the Hidden
12 Wurmcoil Engine
Graft/Spike
13 Aquastrand Spider
14 Cytoplast Root-Kin
15 Helium Squirter
16 Novijen Sages
17 Plaxcaster Frogling
18 Simic Initiate
19 Spike Feeder
20 Spike Tiller
21 Sporeback Troll
Utility/Combo Creatures
22 Anger
23 Brawn
24 Brutalizer Exarch
25 Coal Stoker (R to get RRR)
26 Duplicant
27 Deadwood Treefolk
28 Draining Whelk
29 Fierce Empath
30 Garruk's Packleader
31 Indrik Stomphowler
32 Kuldotha Forgemaster
33 Loaming Shaman
34 Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
35 Murkfiend Liege
36 Pierce Strider
37 Primordial Sage
38 Riftwing Cloudskate
39 Solemn Simulacrum
40 Wonder
41 Contagion Engine
42 Fuel for the Cause
43 Plaguemaw Beast
44 Steady Progress
45 Thrummingbird
46 Volt Charge
C-c-c-c-c-combo
47 Cloudstone Curio
Goodstuff
48 Crystal Shard
49 Cytoshape
50 Garruk Wildspeaker
51 Lightning Greaves
52 Mizzium Transreliquat
53 Oblivion Stone
54 Regrowth
55 Rewind
56 Scavening Ooze
57 Spell Crumple
Mana Fixing
58 Birds of Paradise
59 Fertilid
60 Gruul Signet
61 Reap and Sow
62 Simic Signet
63 Sylvan Scrying
64 Wood Elves
65 Yavimaya Elder
Land
66 Breeding Pool
67 Buried Ruin
68 Cascade Bluffs
69 Command Tower
70 Evolving Wilds
71 Fire-Lit Thicket
72 Gruul Turf
73 Grove of the Burnwillows
74 Homeward Path
75 Izzet Boilerworks
76 Llanowar Reborn
77 Magosi, the Waterveil
78 Rootbound Crag
79 Scalding Tarn
80 Simic Growth Chamber
81 Steam Vents
82 Stomping Ground
83 Temple of the False God
84 Terramorphic Expanse
85 Tolaria West
86 Vivid Crag
87 Vivid Creek
88 Vivid Grove
89 Winding Canyons
3 Mountain
4 Island
4 Forest
Special preview: the 101st card was Mulldrifter.... very nearly made it.
The Main Combo
Cloudstone Curio + Animar +:
Coal Stoker will become Priest of Urabrask when I find one; or I may keep them both.
Card Choices:
Anger/Brawn/Wonder; to help Animar get through if/when he becomes Le Big Dood
Primordial Sage: Le Nuts. See also Garruk's Packleader aka Sage #2.
Momir Vig; really not sure how he'll go in here as I don't have too many Blue and Green creatures. But tutoring is fun, and the draw part functions as Primordial Sage #2.5
Whelk/Rewind/Crumple/Fuel for the Cause; token effort at anti wrath tech.
Crystal Shard; I haven't seen this in too many Animar lists; I can't figure out why.
Riftwing Cloudskate: Suspend turn 2, Cast Animar, when it unsuspends Animar gets a counter since I'm still casting the un-suspended spell. Is an experiment as it's a bit meh as a creature (but the others are worse, IMO)
Proliferate cards: Seems obvious... works with Animar, Graft, Spike, Avenger plant tokens, Vivid Lands, Magosi (with one counter on Magosi and Contagion Engine in play I get all the turns, forever), Fertilid...
Winding Canyon: I get to play creatures at instant speed until end of turn? Sweeeet
Cards to Add Immediately when I get them
Cards that VERY NEARLY made the cut
- Mulldrifter (101st card)
- Voidslime (102nd card)
- Magmatic Force
- Pestermite
- Keldon Marauders
- Hydra Omnivore
- Body Double
- Aethersnipe
- Triskelavus
- Whispersilk Cloak
- Sphinx of Magosi
- Akroma, Angel of Fury
- Vesuvan Shapeshifter
- Pandemonium
(sure it can backfire but if I can drop this and infi creatures on the same turn, it won't matter)Cards that didn't make the cut, but were still considered:
Sorry to burst your bubble, but re-read Cloudstone Curio... it doesn't trigger when artifacts enter play Having said that your combo's are doable if you have Tidespout Tyrant out, or if you abuse morph creatures alternative cost and/or Eldrazi plus Cloudstone Curio. If nothing else you can end up with an infinitely large Animar to swing at your opponents.
I also notice you're running a lot of proliferate effects. While in theory this seems like a good repeatable way to add counters to Animar, in my experience it is more mana efficient to run extra creatures instead of proliferate effects.
If you're interested in Animar combo, please feel free to check out my primer
I'm running proliferate as an experiment; last night I played two games with the deck, in the first one I saw none at all, in the second I got Thrummingbird, Plaguemaw Beast, and Steady Progress. They all did something but the jury is out as to whether that something justifies their inclusion Thrummingbird in particular kept my Garruk Wildspeaker alive longer than he should have lived, which was useful.
I need more card draw though - in the second game (again) I had a bigbig Animar (13 counters at one point) but no cards in hand for about 3 turns. When you draw a land it's not much fun..
More later, I'm "working"
Viperion
Why you no play Mulldrifter/Wall of blossoms/other cantrip creatures. My Animar build abuses these regularly to keep my fist full as well as FoF Sphinx. My list is different but is in my sig if you wish.
Good Luck
n0 c0mb0z Sharuum:symw::symu::symb:
Seton Druid Party:symg:
Drana Big Mana Black
Baru Landfall:symg:
Venser:symu:
Animar tempo:symu::symr::symg: (Retired)Azami, Lady of Card Advantage(Retired =[ )I would kick all the proliferate as well as nearly all the graft creatures (Sporeback troll and plaxcaster frogling are just great ways to protect animar, so they should stay) and instead play cheap cantrip and ramp guys like Coiling Oracle, Elvish Visionary, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Sylvan Ranger, Masked Admirers, Solemn Simulacrum, Mulldrifter(this guy is awesome and you will never be sorry to see him if you run him ;))... Those pump up Animar really fast but replace themself while doing so...also if you have cloudstone curio but lack other combo pieces you can dig for them with your cantripers.
There are also the bigger but even more effective and with animar quite cheap "cantrips" like Regal Force and Sphinx of Uthun.
I'd also play cultivate and Kodamas reach. The ramping lets you play bigger non-creature spells like tooth and nail and genesis wave wich can often win games or just more creaures :D.
Other cards I have found to be of great use (and I don't even need to dig for combo pieces) are Fabricate and birthing pod. Also Magus of the Future can create enourmous card advatage if not disturbed by too many lands between your spells.
At last a few cards that imo just should be in any creature heavy deck of those colors: Eternal Witness (theres always something useful in the GY), Mystic Snake (the cost is only reduced by 1 but it pumps animar and can be returned with crystal shard or the curio), skullclamp (especially if you take my advice and play more small dudes), any kind of clone creatures (they are among the best ways to deal with generals since they don't care about Hexproof, shroud or indestructability and if somone (or yourself) has a huge threat it's nice to get that too (or twice;)) and chord of calling (gets you any utility at instant speed!)
All the cards I have listed I play in my own animar to very graet succes.
I hope this is helpful and gives you some ideas!
GWKarametra - The MistveiledGW
GWR Marath - The Egg-laying Wool-Milk-Pig GWR
RBGrenzo - Restrained RakdosRB
UWRGBHorde of NotionsUWRGB
Retired: Karador, Ghost Chieftain | Rafiq of the Many | Animar, Soul of Elements | Maelstrom Wanderer
I have a Regal Force spare I think I'll try him out; Mulldrifter will definitely go in, probably with Coiling Oracle, STE, and maybe Masked Admirers (since I have 6...) I also picked up a couple of Oracle of Mul Dayas and a Sphinx of Uthuun the other day so will try those out as well. Not totally convinced the deck needs KReach/Cultivate but I guess it never hurts, right?
I could try and shoehorn EWit in as well. I don't have a Magus of the Future (or a Future Sight)
Thanks again for the thoughts!