Let's Brew Thalia and The Gitrog Monster: Man I Love Frogs

[TheGildedGoose]

Exploration means turn 2 commander. It cannot be considered for a cut.

Burgeoning likewise should be played for that reason.

And it's why you want to play enough lands to see 4 in 8 with some regularity. And why I'll be on 50 lands lol

(My old gitrogdrazi deck had 54 lands and it was fine.)

--
My weird quirks aside I think goose is on the right path for him. But should never cut exploration.

I've never liked Burgeoning. I would never argue that it's a bad card, but for non-cEDH play I found its explosiveness and game-warping nature to be a detriment rather than a benefit. Plus, being virtually dead in the mid to late game when you already have all the lands doesn't sit well with me. Finally, necessitating running 50 lands to take advantage of a single card doesn't seem worth it to me. I would rather eke out value somewhere else and squeeze an extra six cards in.

Thats still optimum play, not average. Fair though since it does what it does. Would then recommend Druid for backup depending on deck space.

Honest opinion how much mana can this deck produce at any point? I was looking though the gatherer and found some interesting cards in the tyranid deck.

• Termagant Swarm
• Hormagaunt Horde

I think Termagant and Hormagaunt might be interesting as pest/defensive cards if the mana was decent as they are x spells.


I also found some interesting landfall cards.

• Courser of Kruphix
• Greensleeves, Maro-Sorcerer
• Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
• Retreat to Hagra

The deck is having difficulties in finishers or at least it was at one point. Green, Ob and Hagra would soIve some issues and just be incidental kill. I would still pay mul daya and kruphix together.

Honestly, Druid Class isn't the worst choice, as this deck can burn through its life total very quickly. I could see trying it instead of The Gitrog Monster as they both cost 5 to start making extra land drops. Drawing cards is usually much, much better than gaining life, so it would have to be borne out in testing. As for win conditions, I think the deck has that plenty sorted by now.

Four lands on turn two with an exploration is probably something like..40% of the time you draw exploration with 44 lands. Definitely not magical Christmas land.

Although it is much worse with gooses tap land count to be fair

Courser has always been great for me. Squeaked out a lot of games

About 50%, I think, assuming you have an Exploration on turn 1.

But it's early and my brain hasn't turned on yet.

As for tapped lands, I slept on it and I'm willing to cut all of the cycling lands and whatever random fourth land on the chopping block is for Woodland Cemetery, Sunpetal Grove, Undergrowth Stadium, and Bountiful Promenade. The cycling/Loam engine could very well be superfluous, as much as I love it.

EDIT: Actually... they should be basics to help ensure that fetches represent two Landfall triggers as much as possible. There's also a particularly useful land we all forgot about.

- 3 cycling lands

+ 2 Forest
+1 Cavern of Souls

The reason I'm trying to run instant speed draw spells is to play around the blue mage. It's tempting to simply wait until the opponent before you passes to cast a draw spell, but the real strength is being able to respond to countermagic. As we're a Lands deck, and Lands are uncounterable, the best way for blue to disrupt us is to dismantle our card advantage so we peter out. Being able to respond to them tapping out to deal with something else is tremendously advantageous. Our commander is incredibly potent and should, rightly so, be the ire of the table. Being able to make counterspells irrelevant while fixing your mana to cast them seems good.

This leaves us with a single flex spot open. I'm leaning towards either Kor Haven (possibly unnecessary with Maze of Ith), Fabled Passage (the weakest of the untapped land fetchlands is still a fetchland), Flagstones of Trokair (meh). I'm open to suggestion on this, with my preference be that it produce green mana.

[umtiger]

Life gain is important when you're activating up to 3 ferchlands a turn. If you want to play Overgrown Estates, it's now or never.

It would be nice to have a life gain payoff but that's tough to stay on theme. I imagine Academy Rector into an enchantment could be nice.

Exploration is the Sol Ring/Mana Crypt of the deck. But even better. It's the card I'd want in my opening hand more than anything else. I'd max out on cards like Azusa and play 50 lands if possible.

[TheGildedGoose]

I'd max out on cards like Azusa and play 50 lands if possible.

I think you underestimate the centralizing effect of an extra land drop ability in the command zone. Normally with such effects you have to play a ton of them to see them consistently enough to take advantage of them. TATGM remove this burden and while some degree of redundancy is acceptable, I think it frees up deck space to do other things.

As for 50 lands, y'all gotta stop tempting me. Obviously, we're a Lands deck. We want the lands. But we have to do more than just drop a bunch of lands and call it a day. 47 is my ceiling and I have no idea what I would cut to get there.

[Gorillajay]

Honestly, Druid Class isn't the worst choice, as this deck can burn through its life total very quickly. I could see trying it instead of The Gitrog Monster as they both cost 5 to start making extra land drops. Drawing cards is usually much, much better than gaining life, so it would have to be borne out in testing. As for win conditions, I think the deck has that plenty sorted by now.

If we're interested in gaining life Primeval Bounty could be an option. 3 life per landfall adds up QUICK. Just not sure how often we can trigger the other modes?

[TheGildedGoose]

I started a thread in the decklist subforum if you all want to start comparing lists and experiences.

[pokken]

About 50%, I think, assuming you have an Exploration on turn 1.

I think it's less because you only really have 7 chances, since one of the cards must be Exploration?

[duducrash]

I think we need to consider the boring stuff.

Heroic Intervention , Sylvan Safekeeper , Plumb the Forbidden Eternal Witness , with this much mana maybe even A-Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes and so on

[NZB2323]

There's been talk about what the win condition should be, but why not voltron? Your commander has deathtouch and first strike, and isn't killing someone with a knight riding a frog more fun than a Craterhoof Behemoth or Torment of Hailfire? Just give your commander trample and people can't really block.

• Rancor
• Loxodon warhammer
• Raised by Giants
• Bear Umbra
• Snake umbra
• Blackblade reforged
• Vexilus Praetor
• Guardian Augmenter
• Fireshrieker
• Sword of the animist
• Shadowspear
• Lightning greaves
• Behemoth sledge
• Armadillo cloak
• Unflinching courage
• Unnatural growth
• Dueling grounds
• Eldrazi conscription

Also, you probably want to run Arena Rector and/or academy rector to sacrifice to your commander.

Edit: just noticed sacrificing Academy Rector to your commander to get Eldrazi Conscription is pretty gross. 14/14 first strike, deathtouch, trample, annihilator 2 on turn 4 if you play a ramp spell turn 2, but you won't get the annihilator trigger that turn.