(pulp-jungle-heat by Exciting Sounds, licensed under Creative Commons)
Khans of Tarkir brought us a whirlwind of new mechanics and keywords, as well as returning an old one (morph). In my opinion, the five new clan keywords can be assessed from least interesting to most interesting as follows: Prowess (pff), Ferocious (meh), Raid (getting there), Delve (awesome) and Outlast (aww jiss). There more options a keyword offers, the more interesting it is to me. Prowess and Ferocious are very insular, very simple mechanics - not bad ones, just far from what interests me.
Delve and Outlast, on the other hand, have a simplicity to them but nonetheless offer more design choices. The released Outlast cards are all amazing, especially the rares (Herald of Anafenza makes me weak in the knees). Only one thing is better than boosting a single creature to superhuman levels of power, and that is boosting all of your creatures to superhuman levels of power.
And who better to lead them than
Stand the Test of Time - Ghave, Guru of Spores EDH
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ARTIFACT (4)
- Ring of Kalonia
- Ring of Thune
- Ring of Xathrid
- Sol Ring
- Abzan Battle Priest
- Abzan Falconer
- Acidic Slime
- Ainok Bond-Kin
- Archangel of Thune
- Avenger of Zendikar
- Bane of Progress
- Cruel Sadist
- Custodi Soulbinders
- Demonlord of Ashmouth
- Drakestown Forgotten
- Eternal Witness
- Fangren Firstborn
- Fertilid
- Gyre Sage
- Herald of Anafenza
- High Sentinels of Arashin
- Hooded Hydra
- Howlgeist
- Kalonian Hydra
- Korozda Gorgon
- Longshot Squad
- Meadowboon
- Mephidross Vampire
- Mer-Ek Nightblade
- Mikaeus, the Lunarch
- Mycoloth
- Protean Hydra
- Realm Seekers
- Renegade Krasis
- Sakura-Tribe Elder
- Shinewend
- Solemn Simulacrum
- Spike Feeder
- Tuskguard Captain
- Twilight Drover
- Varolz, the Scar-Striped
- Vastwood Hydra
- Vigor
- Vorapede
- Yavimaya Elder
- Abzan Ascendancy
- Cathars' Crusade
- Doubling Season
- Parallel Lives
- Retribution of the Ancients
CREATURE (41)
ENCHANTMENT (5)
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INSTANT (7)
- Mortify
- Path to Exile
- Putrefy
- Return to Dust
- Solidarity of Heroes
- Strength of the Tajuru
- Swords to Plowshares
- Ajani Goldmane
- Ajani Steadfast
- Elspeth, Sun's Champion
- Day of Judgment
- Wrath of God
- Bojuka Bog
- Command Tower
- 3 Forest
- Gavony Township
- Godless Shrine
- Grim Backwoods
- Homeward Path
- Isolated Chapel
- Krosan Verge
- Marsh Flats
- Murmuring Bosk
- New Benalia
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- Opal Palace
- Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
- Overgrown Tomb
- 3 Plains
- Sandsteppe Citadel
- Sunpetal Grove
- 2 Swamp
- Temple Garden
- Temple of Malady
- Temple of Plenty
- Temple of Silence
- Temple of the False God
- Vault of the Archangel
- Verdant Catacombs
- Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
- Winding Canyons
- Windswept Heath
- Woodland Cemetery
- Yavimaya Hollow
PLANESWALKER (3)
SORCERY (2)
LAND (37)
The deck sports wonderful and what's more flavorful removal in Retribution of the Ancients and Bane of Progress, and while it doesn't sport the usual power cards (Demonic Tutor et al.), it stood quite well to opposition in playtesting. Remember that for once, your deck isn't based around your Commander; Ghave is a toolbox, to be used and discarded as you feel like. That doesn't mean you can't combo with him and Doubling Season a bit if you feel like it.
This is a deck I wouldn't really like to make a budget version of, since I really love how it turned out. Unfortunately, the price tag is around 350 dollars, which is unacceptable here at EDH on a Shoestring. We've got better things to spend our money on (like hot dogs). So we'll put ol' Ghave on a diet, tone back the power cards and concentrate on conservative synergy. Cards like Doubling Season have to go, to make way for flavorful, nifty additions.
Sensible Gardening - Ghave, Guru of Spores EDH
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ARTIFACT (5)
- Illusionist's Bracers
- Ring of Kalonia
- Ring of Thune
- Ring of Xathrid
- Sol Ring
- Abzan Battle Priest
- Abzan Falconer
- Acidic Slime
- Ainok Bond-Kin
- Blood Artist
- Cruel Sadist
- Custodi Soulbinders
- Dauntless Escort
- Demonlord of Ashmouth
- Drakestown Forgotten
- Etched Oracle
- Eternal Witness
- Falkenrath Noble
- Fangren Firstborn
- Fertilid
- Festercreep
- Fleshbag Marauder
- Gyre Sage
- Herald of Anafenza
- High Sentinels of Arashin
- Howlgeist
- Indrik Stomphowler
- Korozda Gorgon
- Longshot Squad
- Meadowboon
- Mer-Ek Nightblade
- Mikaeus, the Lunarch
- Protean Hydra
- Realm Seekers
- Renegade Krasis
- Sakura-Tribe Elder
- Shinewend
- Slum Reaper
- Solemn Simulacrum
- Spike Feeder
- Tuskguard Captain
- Twilight Drover
- Varolz, the Scar-Striped
- Vastwood Hydra
- Yavimaya Elder
- Abzan Ascendancy
- Cathars' Crusade
- Retribution of the Ancients
CREATURE (40)
ENCHANTMENT (3)
-
INSTANT (12)
- Beast Within
- Golgari Charm
- Mortify
- Path to Exile
- Putrefy
- Ready // Willing
- Return to Dust
- Rootborn Defenses
- Solidarity of Heroes
- Strength of the Tajuru
- Swords to Plowshares
- Wrap in Vigor
- Diabolic Tutor
- Increasing Ambition
- Barren Moor
- Bojuka Bog
- Command Tower
- Evolving Wilds
- 7 Forest
- Gavony Township
- Grim Backwoods
- Khalni Garden
- Krosan Verge
- New Benalia
- Opal Palace
- Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
- 5 Plains
- Sandsteppe Citadel
- Secluded Steppe
- 4 Swamp
- Temple of the False God
- Terramorphic Expanse
- Tranquil Thicket
- Vault of the Archangel
- Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
- Vivid Grove
- Vivid Marsh
- Vivid Meadow
SORCERY (2)
LAND (37)
Many of the cards in the deck are available as cheap and expensive versions (thanks to being released in Duel Decks, core sets and so on), so keep looking out for that good deal. All the cards in the deck are exchangeable - another good side of a multi-faceted deck - so you can customize the deck to what you want it to be.
Try the deck out, and watch out for garden shears (har har). Come back on Sunday, when I'll muse on the implications of being a target, and what cards to choose to avoid that.
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