Suggestions for a high power Selesnya deck

[GabrielleAngelfire]

Hi! I posted to a primer thread about an issue that I want help with, and I realized it's likely better to post a thread of my own to get possibly more responses, and better because what I'm looking for is something that is just short of being cEDH.

I just started going to EDH night at a new LGS and I have a bit of a dilemma. The group there is huge (50+ people), and there is a wide range of power levels being played, basically ranging from around 4/10 to 8/10, on a the Command Zone podcast's scale, with 1-2 being a pile of seemingly random cards that could loosely be considered a deck, and 9-10 being cEDH stuff. I have two decks that are 5/10, and what I need is a 7 or 8, or what the PlayEDH Discord would call "High Power". Really focused, but at the same time not at the level of Breakfast Hulk or a fully optimized Zur the Enchanter list.

There is also the matter of budget. I want something that's budget-ish. I'm disabled and can't afford to spend $1000 or more on a deck. Somewhere in the ballpark of $15 per card is what I'd say the budget is. I'm willing to acquire cards like $50 a month or so and eventually have something that punches hard, with an option to say, after I've played it for a while, to improve the mana base with fetches. I'm very willing to pick up shocks now, as an example, or staples in my colors, but stuff like ABU dual lands or Mana Crypt are out of my budget range.

It seems like possibly Selesnya colors could be a good option for building on a budget. Selesnya has good ramp in green, good removal in white, and having access to Swords to Plowshares, Krosan Verge and the ally color shock lands, the dual lands that are only available for ally colors, and fetches, which are cheaper, and some great creature combos, using stuff like Saffi Eriksdotter and Tooth and Nail, excellent enchantment/artifact and creature tutors is very appealing to me. Some possible commanders that I think could be built to possibly be a budget but very focused list:

Selvala, Explorer Returned. Do a ramp/infinite mana and mill thing.

Saffi Eriksdotter. Combos involving creature recursion perhaps with other creature wincons like a Tooth and Nail game ender, access to good ramp, etc.

Gaddock Teeg. Good denial that can be used as a shell for other things.

Karametra, God of Harvests. Ramp for days.

Rhys the Redeemed or Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist tokens

Any Selesnya I'm missing, or a three color combination with green and white in it.

Suggestions for a commander that can be built high power and semi-budget (like $15 per card, but willing to stretch a bit, at most a couple cards in the deck for stuff like Craterhoof Behemoth etc. I actually already own Craterhoof Behemoth and a Gaea's Cradle, so those would be perfectly fine. I really don't want to spend any more than $300 to $400 total is really what I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance for reading, and hopefully this thread wasn't too long or annoying.

[Outcryqq]

Teeg is good in an unknown or unpredictable meta. Keeps many decks honest so that you can play stompy, and can definitely be built on a budget.

[boer0829]

I think Teeg will draw a lot of hate. Selesnya isn't really a competitive color combination in my opinion. However, add black and things will go crazy with Ghave or Karador. Especially with Ghave, who seems to be the natural home for Craterhoof and Cradle.

Also Chulane, Teller of Tales seems fun. Don't know, never played against him but I think he can go crazy

Having a $50,- per month is really alot for building a deck. I think you will have a nice deck in no time.

[MeowZeDung]

I can attest to saffi being fun to play. Good old lark/guide/titan/fiend hunter loops, and shenanigans with the likes of spore frog, false prophet, eternal witness and more make it very resilient. Saffi being dirt cheap and usually going to the yard rather than the command zone is nice too.

I agree that adding black slams you into overdrive though. Ghave is combo centered like saffi but can win faster via young wolf, strangleroot geist, and geralf's messenger loops. He also let's you play fun stuff like juniper order ranger and sigil captain that don't have tons of homes.

Edit: there are lots of neat budget builds out there. Pick a commander you dig, start dirt cheap and slowly add powerful cards as you acquire them. The commander's quarters YouTube channel has lots of good budget ideas.

[GabrielleAngelfire]

Teeg is good in an unknown or unpredictable meta. Keeps many decks honest so that you can play stompy, and can definitely be built on a budget.

That is certainly a concern. So many people play that I have no idea what I'm going to run into, and I've been told to expect a wide variety and that the power level conversation at the beginning of the game is pretty important. Also important to me is that I don't want to spend $1000 or more on a deck just to have something good. I'm disabled, so I'm on a fixed income. Thank goodness for subsidized housing, food stamps, and my willingness to eat simply and live well within my means. They are the only reason I can afford to even play Magic in the first place.

I think Teeg will draw a lot of hate. Selesnya isn't really a competitive color combination in my opinion. However, add black and things will go crazy with Ghave or Karador. Especially with Ghave, who seems to be the natural home for Craterhoof and Cradle.

Also Chulane, Teller of Tales seems fun. Don't know, never played against him but I think he can go crazy

Having a $50,- per month is really alot for building a deck. I think you will have a nice deck in no time.

I'm fortunate that I can be on disability and afford to at least play budget Magic, as I said above. What I'm looking for is a deck that's high powered, but not going to blow the table out on turn 3. Ghave looks quite interesting, but it's different than my normal playstyle, so a primer or a deck tech video or article would be much appreciated. The main reasons I thought Selesnya would be good is that the mana base is very affordable (Even the ABU dual land is less than $150), and ramp is super solid with mana dorks galore (and even a mana dork commander, the green/white Selvala) and ways to drop an obscene number of lands on the table reasonably quickly. You also have access to Birthing Pod and Yisan, Wanderer Bard]], which would make a good commander, (and is also worth considering to build in mono-green.) That makes my inner Timmy very excited.

I can attest to saffi being fun to play. Good old lark/guide/titan/fiend hunter loops, and shenanigans with the likes of spore frog, false prophet, eternal witness and more make it very resilient. Saffi being dirt cheap and usually going to the yard rather than the command zone is nice too.

I agree that adding black slams you into overdrive though. Ghave is combo centered like saffi but can win faster via young wolf, strangleroot geist, and geralf's messenger loops. He also let's you play fun stuff like juniper order ranger and sigil captain that don't have tons of homes.

Edit: there are lots of neat budget builds out there. Pick a commander you dig, start dirt cheap and slowly add powerful cards as you acquire them. The commander's quarters YouTube channel has lots of good budget ideas.

Any of those commanders would be fun. I actually own Selvala, Explorer Returned. My deckbuilding skill is very low, so it's something I need a lot of help with. I mainly play decklists that have been created for me, taken from a primer, or one made during/after an intense conversation with a good builder. My play skill is much better, fortunately.

How powerful are the decks that The Commander's Quarters does videos on? I can see that being a good idea, and I can juice up the deck by improving the mana base, and that's where extra money would go primarily. I could also ask on various forums how to improve them, or ask people I play with.

This gives me a lot to consider.

[MeowZeDung]

How powerful are the decks that The Commander's Quarters does videos on? I can see that being a good idea, and I can juice up the deck by improving the mana base, and that's where extra money would go primarily. I could also ask on various forums how to improve them, or ask people I play with.

The guy who runs it does a good job of explaining the power level as "focused" rather than "optimized" or "jank". With the exception of 4-5 cards, my son's Gishath, Sun's Avatar deck was taken from that channel as a $25 build that is a super fun time and hangs pretty darn well with some of my more powerful brews.

The real big difference maker in budget is the manabase, like you mentioned, and efficiency/speed of spells. For example:
Evolving Wilds → Windswept Heath
Scattered Groves → Temple Garden
Mind Stone → Mana Vault
Diabolic Tutor → Demonic Tutor

The good news about that is, your deck is functional with Selesnya Guildgates and Unravel the Aethers while you save up for Horizon Canopys and Krosan Grips. That's basically the thing that makes CQ great for someone who doesn't want to do all their own deckbuilding from scratch: just take a cool idea, start having fun for $10, $25, or $50, and slowly upgrade it.

[GabrielleAngelfire]

How powerful are the decks that The Commander's Quarters does videos on? I can see that being a good idea, and I can juice up the deck by improving the mana base, and that's where extra money would go primarily. I could also ask on various forums how to improve them, or ask people I play with.

The guy who runs it does a good job of explaining the power level as "focused" rather than "optimized" or "jank". With the exception of 4-5 cards, my son's Gishath, Sun's Avatar deck was taken from that channel as a $25 build that is a super fun time and hangs pretty darn well with some of my more powerful brews.

The real big difference maker in budget is the manabase, like you mentioned, and efficiency/speed of spells. For example:
Evolving Wilds → Windswept Heath
Scattered Groves → Temple Garden
Mind Stone → Mana Vault
Diabolic Tutor → Demonic Tutor

The good news about that is, your deck is functional with Selesnya Guildgates and Unravel the Aethers while you save up for Horizon Canopys and Krosan Grips. That's basically the thing that makes CQ great for someone who doesn't want to do all their own deckbuilding from scratch: just take a cool idea, start having fun for $10, $25, or $50, and slowly upgrade it.

That's an awesome idea. I'm sure he's likely done a Selesnya list, or maybe Bant, Abzan, or Naya. What I'm looking for eventually is something that's pretty optimized. I can always experiment, and ask for help from forums like this one. (Though I tend to get lower quality advice on Reddit.. I posted this there, and I'm getting suggestions that I play mono red or Simic commanders) smh.

[MeowZeDung]

I'm sure he's likely done a Selesnya list, or maybe Bant, Abzan, or Naya. What I'm looking for eventually is something that's pretty optimized. I can always experiment, and ask for help from forums like this one.

There's probably a hundred or more deck techs on that channel. You'll find something you like to get you started.

Once you have a starter budget list, start a thread in the decklists forum and ask for feedback and post game reports and what not. You will have in depth discussions with other players that pilot the same commander and you will have a much more optimized deck before you know it. I did basically the same with Kykar, Wind's Fury and can't express to you how much I've learned and gotten better with that deck since making the thread. The deck itself has improved vastly as well. 10/10 would recommend.

[GabrielleAngelfire]

I'm sure he's likely done a Selesnya list, or maybe Bant, Abzan, or Naya. What I'm looking for eventually is something that's pretty optimized. I can always experiment, and ask for help from forums like this one.

There's probably a hundred or more deck techs on that channel. You'll find something you like to get you started.

Once you have a starter budget list, start a thread in the decklists forum and ask for feedback and post game reports and what not. You will have in depth discussions with other players that pilot the same commander and you will have a much more optimized deck before you know it. I did basically the same with Kykar, Wind's Fury and can't express to you how much I've learned and gotten better with that deck since making the thread. The deck itself has improved vastly as well. 10/10 would recommend.

I've decided to do this to have a cheap deck, and also to build this Selvala list, because I already have a lot of the expensive cards in it: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/selvala-friend-to-elves/ Elfball that looks to be insanely powerful.

[NZB2323]

For a deck on a budget that is close to cEDH, I'd recommend Edric, Spymaster of Trest. I have a $30 Edric deck that isn't close to being cEDH and only has commons, but it could be upgraded by adding extra turn spells, rare counterspells, and cards like Cyclonic Rift.

For a competitive Selesnya deck, I'd recommend Captain Sisay. She has a MLD combo with these cards:

• Linvala, keeper of silence
• Elesh Norn, grand cenobite
• Kamahl, fist of krosa
• Nature's Revolt

It also has this nice little combo that essentially lets you take a turn during each player's turn:

• Vivien, champion of the wilds
• Seedborn muse

[toctheyounger]

Also Chulane, Teller of Tales seems fun. Don't know, never played against him but I think he can go crazy

Chulane is gross. He's also pretty damn boring.

I'm gonna second Saffi - have never played but she looks fun, and could potentially do combo or just high-tuned non-combo too.

Splashing black does make Ghave, Guru of Spores an option, and honestly it's harder to build a deck with him that doesn't combo than one that does. Like, the guy just makes almost anything infinite. He can be a bit laborious though, purely because you've got a lot of triggers to keep an eye out for, he's SUPER mana thirsty, and you'll need a whole bag of dice to track your tokens and counters. If that sounds too hard, I totally understand.

[GabrielleAngelfire]

Also Chulane, Teller of Tales seems fun. Don't know, never played against him but I think he can go crazy

Chulane is gross. He's also pretty damn boring.

I'm gonna second Saffi - have never played but she looks fun, and could potentially do combo or just high-tuned non-combo too.

Splashing black does make Ghave, Guru of Spores an option, and honestly it's harder to build a deck with him that doesn't combo than one that does. Like, the guy just makes almost anything infinite. He can be a bit laborious though, purely because you've got a lot of triggers to keep an eye out for, he's SUPER mana thirsty, and you'll need a whole bag of dice to track your tokens and counters. If that sounds too hard, I totally understand.

Going to build Selvala, Explorer Returned for now, and eventually build Saffi combo, but first I'd like to build a new Kaalia of the Vast deck. I've come to the understanding that Kaalia is just plain kill on sight because if you don't, the deck gets out of hand pretty quickly, because before you know it, the Kaalia player is dropping Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Master of Cruelties, or something else big and probably game-ending on your head. With a new attitude, I think I'll give her another shot, and only bring her to high-power tables. BTW, I remember you from the MTGSalvation forums. You helped me with the Archangel Avacyn deck that I still play, and you generally give really good advice. I hope you've been well.

[toctheyounger]

I remember you too, and I hope flip Avacyn is still working well for you. I try with advice, although I'll be the first to mention that I don't always have a wealth of experience to draw from, especially these days. Life is very busy. But I'm very happy to give opinions and help a brew come together.

I think Selvala, Explorer Returned is a neat card, and is pretty damn powerful, but also isn't conspicuous, so if you have a plan it seems like a cool deck to build. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

FWIW I actually think Kaalia of the Vast has a worse reputation than she deserves - I'd prefer facing her down to a lot of other commanders these days, honestly. There's also definite holes in her armor, and if they get picked at enough she can fall apart entirely, which isn't much fun when piloting, so it can lead to feel bads on either side. But yeah, I think you have to have a 'no holds barred' game-hard sort of attitude to roll with her. If you go easy on folk they will 100% target you into the ground. Best of luck with this one, and if you stick with it, I know 3drinks has a pretty deep wealth of knowledge to offer in rolling with Kaalia, so you should check out their thread.

[GabrielleAngelfire]

I remember you too, and I hope flip Avacyn is still working well for you. I try with advice, although I'll be the first to mention that I don't always have a wealth of experience to draw from, especially these days. Life is very busy. But I'm very happy to give opinions and help a brew come together.

I think Selvala, Explorer Returned is a neat card, and is pretty damn powerful, but also isn't conspicuous, so if you have a plan it seems like a cool deck to build. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

FWIW I actually think Kaalia of the Vast has a worse reputation than she deserves - I'd prefer facing her down to a lot of other commanders these days, honestly. There's also definite holes in her armor, and if they get picked at enough she can fall apart entirely, which isn't much fun when piloting, so it can lead to feel bads on either side. But yeah, I think you have to have a 'no holds barred' game-hard sort of attitude to roll with her. If you go easy on folk they will 100% target you into the ground. Best of luck with this one, and if you stick with it, I know 3drinks has a pretty deep wealth of knowledge to offer in rolling with Kaalia, so you should check out their thread.

I'll be using someone else's Selvala list at least to start. I already have Craterhoof Behemoth and Gaea's Cradle, so the fully powered deck won't be too expensive. The list can be found here: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/selvala-friend-to-elves/. What I like is that this particular deck can win with massive creature damage, combo, or milling out all of your opponents at once. It's not quite cEDH, but it's really high powered, which is what I need. Feel free to take a look at the link. I may adjust it a little for my meta, and will probably ask for advice, but the list looks solid as-is.

[toctheyounger]

It looks like a lot of fun, I have to admit I really like a deck that has multiple avenues to victory.

[GabrielleAngelfire]

It looks like a lot of fun, I have to admit I really like a deck that has multiple avenues to victory.

It does look good. The only skepticism I have is that it seems there aren't enough sources of white mana to get Selvala out early consistently. Tons of forests, Cradle... only 13 of the 33 lands can make white or can fetch white mana, and only Avacyn's Pilgrim as a dork to make white. I'll have to see how it plays and decide if I like the mana base, or if more fetches and duals are needed