Collected Vial Werewolves

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Crazy Monkey
Arcane Themes
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Joined: 4 years ago
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Location: New Mexico, US

Post by Crazy Monkey » 2 years ago

Ever since original Innistrad, I've been running a werewolves/wolves tribal/theme deck that started as block constructed and morphed into a fun theme modern deck. It is built to use Collected Company and Aether Vial to enable turns without spells and transform werewolves while building a board state. The focus on Collected Company prevents me from using some effective 4 MV options, such as Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells and Nightpack Ambusher.

Each return to Innistrad has updated the deck, and I believe that there are now enough options for it that it could be a topic of discussion/debate instead of "best 24 werewolves less than 3 MV".

Because this is a tribal/theme deck, I try to make sure all the cards in my list make sense in the context of werewolves. Fangs, claws, and moons, as well as the correct art are "important" here.
First, I should note the awkwardness of daybound/nightbound with old school werewolf mechanic like Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha. Obviously, day/night does change how daybound/nightbound creatures enter and does not in any way effect old werewolves. Somewhat less obviously, cards like Moonmist and Vildin-Pack Alpha cannot transform daybound werewolves because their state is tied to the day/night state. Perhaps more hidden is that Immerwolf can break that connection by preventing any currently transformed werewolves from flipping back, although it won't change how new werewolves enter.

The deck plays as a tempo deck, which often doesn't want to cast spells on its own turn in order to go to "Night". This makes playing sorceries rarely desirable. Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge has been a great addition for auto-transforming, especially snuck into play during my opponent's turn. It compliments the autotransform of Vildin-Pack Alpha well.

As of Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, the deck runs three 4-of lords. This is good, if a bit awkward as the two werewolves change combat math significantly depending on their flipped/unflipped state.

Maindecking Moonmist as a one-sided Fog + combat trick while using Nightfall Predator as board control let me compete with other creature decks. Aether Vial and Collected Company also gum up combat math, but keep in mind that 8/12 lords are only really +1/+1 for what we want in their flipped state.

Maindecking Magus of the Moon doesn't have a downside due to my mana based and because the first Cavern of Souls names human. I can always side them out for the creature in my sideboard (currently Cemetery Prowler and previously Village Messenger // Moonrise Intruder).

The sideboard covers most of the matchups that I've encountered. I used to play six to eight 1 MV werewolves, but they weren't impactful enough so their slots were taken by Tovolar, Dire Overlord and bringing Magus of the Moon into the mainboard. It seems to be doing better, even though it makes my mana curve questionable.

I think this is the right forum for this list, but like most of my Commander decks I try to keep it on-theme. This means that I'm likely playing a suboptimal list, and I'm not strictly looking for improvements in gameplay. The next card I'm most looking forward to is the orbital art mountain from Unfinity, which looks similar to a lunar eclipse.
Commander Decks


Kemba | Kytheon | Talrand | Unesh | Teferi | Geth | primer Zada | Krenko | Torbran | Patron Orochi | Ghalta | Gargos | Medomai | The Count | Xenagos | Nikya | Jaheira, Artisan | Trostani | Athreos | Jarad | Ivy | Nin | Krark & Sakashima | Feather | Osgir | Gisela | Roon | Chulane | Sydri | Ertai | Mairsil | Vial & Malcolm | Prossh | Marath | Marisi | Syr Gwyn | Riku | Riku | Animar | Ghave | Tasigur | Muldrotha | Rayami | Zedruu | Yidris | Kynaios & Tiro | Saskia | Tymna & Kydele | Atraxa | Akiri & Silas | Sisay | Ur Dragon | Bridge | Horde | Najeela | Genju | Traxos



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