Aluren

[Ruiner]

I know this is typically a card people build combo decks around. However, has anyone here ever just thrown it into a deck that is mostly 1, 2 & 3 drops, without any combo in mind?

Obviously, there is the chance that something like this backfires since your opponents can utilize it as well.

I was thinking it could be worth trying in my Abomination of Llanowar deck since the deck is full of creatures, the majority of which meet the requirements. I guess technically it is sort of a combo deck as soon as something like Beast Whisperer or Realmwalker hits play with Aluren, but that is more of a huge value and not what the deck is built around. I'm sure there are other Gx non-combo decks that could reasonably run it as well.

Anyway, just curious to see if other people have tried something like this out.

[Krishnath]

Put in Recycle as well, and a couple of tutors, and you could have a deck going.

[umtiger]

With beast whisperer and glimpse of nature, you try usually to play cheap casting cost creatures to minimize the need to have aluren. But it's still nice to have.

I have played Aluren in two decks, Edric Spymaster and Ezuri, Renegade.

The times I've seen it played by opponents, it's for an infinite loop.

[Ruiner]

I have played Aluren in two decks, Edric Spymaster and Ezuri, Renegade.

I could definitely see it doing some good work there, especially for Edric with the draw power of that deck.

The times I've seen it played by opponents, it's for an infinite loop.

Yeah, that's how I've generally seen it in 60 card decks in the past. I've never seen it used in commander personally but figured that would be the most common use, with self-bouncing creatures.

[toctheyounger]

I haven't seen it in our format outside of Chulane, Teller of Tales, and it's fairly obvious what it does there. I've not seen it elsewhere, but I think if you're including it in your own build there's a pretty good chance you will get more from it than your opponents will. You're building around it with that in mind, it stands to reason that it would see more use from yourself.

As a parallel I use and really like Dream Halls. Global effect again, this time with more downside, so I guess opponents can be reluctant to use it unless they're desperate, but still, it's a high risk high reward scenario.

That being said, I run it in The Ur-Dragon, where casting a single card from it a)helps me cheat past mana screw or color screw and b)impacts the board pretty significantly. So while my opponents can get use from it, chances are I'm better off than they are.

[Serenade]

I stopped playing it after learning tutor-generals are no fun (Momir Vig).

[Dunharrow]

I could see decks where it could work without enabling combos. But be careful of opponents combos!

[darrenhabib]

You could use mana sink creatures to make use of not having to tap mana. Like maybe Thrasios, Triton Hero or Duskwatch Recruiter type creatures.

Using the instant speed nature in a few ways. You could play some nasty blockers in the deck so that attacking into you is unpleasant. Fathom Feeder and Baleful Strix come to mind.

You could play things that mitigate the symmetrical aspects of it in some way like Lavinia, Azorius Renegade, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, Teferi, Time Raveler.

[toctheyounger]

Yeah, that's actually a pretty good thought, it could be used as a control shell of sorts. Things like Grand Abolisher, Xantid Swarm, Reclamation Sage, Dosan the Falling Leaf and such to control the board and give yourself some space. Combine it with a bounce effect of some kind, like say Cloudstone Curio or Temur Sabertooth and you've got yourself a really nasty way to monopolise the effect despite its global nature.

I really like the mana sink idea, too. It's definitely something you can't look past with effects like this. As I mentioned above, Dream Halls is a similar effect, and another comparison I have is Fires of Invention. While it's asymmetrical unlike Aluren, it does have a downside. Which...in the right place isn't really a downside at all. I run it in a deck where I don't really cast many spells at all (Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded) , so I can get my two freebies per turn for nothing, and still have a completely open board to hold up mana for sneak attacking, mana sinking, creature pumping, and so on. Same applies here, but if anything, in a much more nasty way.

[Ruiner]

I could see decks where it could work without enabling combos. But be careful of opponents combos!

Oh for sure. A friend plays a Chulane deck fairly often and Aluren would stay in my hand until that dude is out of the game!