MTG Salvation

Is he outclassed by the other green fatties? Green has a lot of ways to play multiple lands per turn, though.

Quote from bone_doc

It depends on the deck, but I would do those picks in this order generally:

Terastodon > Avenger > Pelakka

I think you're underetimating Pelakka Wurm. It replace itself, give tons of life. And it's on a very scary body. It's most likely third best green fatty after Woodfall Primus and Hornet Queen.

I know I rank it below other mythic green fatties at first, due to its uncommon status. But if you saw it in play, which I did at one point, you'll see how scary of a card it is.

Quote from MagicFever

But would you pick it over Pelakka Wurm or Terastodon?

In ramp, yes. But both of those creatures are good reanimation targets too. The Avenger isn't.

Since we're discussing green fatties anyways, I'm interested in people's ranking of the following:

• Avenger of Zendikar
  
• Craterhoof Behemoth
  
• Gaea's Revenge
  
• Hornet Queen
  
• Kodama of the North Tree
  
• Moldgraf Monstrosity
  
• Pelakka Wurm
  
• Penumbra Wurm
  
• Rampagin Baloths
  
• Silvos, Rogue Elemental
  
• Terastodon
  
• Woodfall Primus

Everybody seems to love the Queen, but only 5 cubes run it. Why?

Woodfall Primus
Hornet Queen
Pelakka Wurm
Rampaging Baloths
Primeval Titan
Terastodon

And I don't like the others much.

Quote from metagame

Since we're discussing green fatties anyways, I'm interested in people's ranking of the following:

• Avenger of Zendikar
  
• Craterhoof Behemoth
  
• Gaea's Revenge
  
• Hornet Queen
  
• Kodama of the North Tree
  
• Moldgraf Monstrosity
  
• Pelakka Wurm
  
• Penumbra Wurm
  
• Rampagin Baloths
  
• Silvos, Rogue Elemental
  
• Terastodon
  
• Woodfall Primus

Everybody seems to love the Queen, but only 5 cubes run it. Why?

1. Primeval Titan (not on your list)
2. Pelakka Wurm
3. Avenger of Zendikar
4. Woodfall Primus
5. Hornet Queen
6. Rampaging Baloths
7. Terastodon
8. Craterhoof Behemoth (may eventually go up or down in ranking once I get some time in with it)
9. Gaea's Revenge
10. Kodama of the North Tree
11. Moldgraf Monstrosity
12. Silvos, Rogue Elemental
13. Penumbra Wurm

Green ramp is a very good and very popular archetype in my cube, so most of my opinions come from that perspective.

I like Moldgraff a lot more than you do, and I'd switch Avenger and Horney Queen, but otherwise you seem pretty much dead-on.

My list is something like:

Pelakka Wurm
Hornet Queen
Woodfall Primus
Terastodon

We don't like Gaea's Revenge or Kodama of the North Tree because they can easily be chumped (my cube is very creature heavy and it is very easy to put 4/5 power on the board).

Quote from LSB »

We don't like Gaea's Revenge or Kodama of the North Tree because they can easily be chumped (my cube is very creature heavy and it is very easy to put 4/5 power on the board).

I agree about Gaea's Revenge (I don't like it either, for that very reason), but Kodama of the North Tree has trample.

I thought people were swapping Kodama of the North Tree out for Vorapede. Vorapede doesn't make the list?

For what it's worth, I like Avenger of Zendikar in ramp decks. They usually have good ways to get more lands into play after dropping the Avenger, and it can get out of hand very quickly. It also plays well as a curve topper in a ramp/tokens strategy with some anthems already in play when it hits.

Quote from Amadeus8574

I thought people were swapping Kodama of the North Tree out for Vorapede. Vorapede doesn't make the list?

The list doesn't have any 5-drops on it.

And ya, most people made that change, and Vorapede is a lot better, IMO.

In various MTGO cube videos, Avenger of Zendikar seems to play quite well, so I've been wondering if I should give it a try over Pelakka Wurm. Woodfall Primus and Hornet Queen are amazing cards and by far the fatties I like best in green. Terastodon I don't like that much so I don't currently run it, but I do run Pelakka Wurm. It is good to get the live, but after that it is a single body that can be killed with a single removal spell. Avenger gives you an army, and with a land or an anthem they become actual threats. Thoughts?

The problem with MTGO cube videos is that the MTGO cube in general . . . isn't all that great. Cards that would be subpar in a well designed cube that doesn't include, y'know, storm, might shine there.

In my cube right now, every big creature is both a ramp target and a reanimator target. I like that flexibility, and I don't think Avenger is a very good reanimator target, so at least in my cube I'm going to stay away from him and keep cards like Hornet Queen in.

I don't think the MTGO cube is bad, but that is not really the point here.

When I get an early Pelakka Wurm and it is killed, all I got for my trouble is 7 life and a card, which is not actually bad, but I prefer to have some board position. You get that with Avenger of Zendikar, but admittedly you have to make a land drop before it gets killed to make the additional bodies count. A 5/5 and five 1/2 creatures sounds like a deal, and they now need a wrath to get rid of them all.

Quote from Konfusius »

When I get an early Pelakka Wurm and it is killed, all I got for my trouble is 7 life and a card, which is not actually bad, but I prefer to have some board position.

Depends on your definition of "early". If I'm reanimating my dude into play, I'd much rather have the Wurm, even if it's ultimately answered. I prefer other green fatties to the Avenger, because they're good no matter how whey wind up in play.

My ramp/reanimator decks that would play seven cost fatties fear counterspells, quick spot removal, and mass removal. Why would I play a fatty that folds to all of these (plus chump blockers if I don't have an extra land)? By the time Avenger of Zendikar returns any value, I could have had a 6/6 trampler + two 4/4s (plus an attack phase) via Rampaging Baloths.

Quote from Phantizle

My ramp/reanimator decks that would play seven cost fatties fear counterspells, quick spot removal, and mass removal. Why would I play a fatty that folds to all of these (plus chump blockers if I don't have an extra land)? By the time Avenger of Zendikar returns any value, I could have had a 6/6 trampler + two 4/4s (plus an attack phase) via Rampaging Baloths.

I did not have much success with Rampaging Baloths, but it is a fair comparison to bring up. It is 1 cheaper and in order to be good it needs a land drop as well, then the main difference is whether the number or the size of the bodies is more important.

Just throwing it out there because I didn't see it mentioned - Cloudthresher. Quad green is intimidating and is probably the reason most wouldn't consider it, but wow, that it's really good. I'm not implying it is better or even as good as Avenger or some of the others, but it is something worth looking at.

Quote from Konfusius

A 5/5 and five 1/2 creatures sounds like a deal, and they now need a wrath to get rid of them all.

Well let's be realistic, the five 1/2s aren't frightening as much as they are annoying. Sure, sometimes they'll get there, and can absolutely dominate some decks, but most of the time the opponent should have enough bodies to deal with them and only take a three to five damage across the span of a few turns.

Really it's the 5/5 that makes them bigger that's important, and when someone untaps, plays a fetch, a ramp spell, and cracks the fetch to make them into 3/4s is when the card truly shines, and can turn an equal game into an unwinnable one.