This is my first real pure Gruul deck, so I'm really excited about this one.
I looked at making a Klothys, God of Destiny a while ago, but it just didn't look inspiring enough.
I've already noticed some people comparing Mina and Denn, Wildborn as the alternative commander to Radha, Heart of Keld, which is understandable considering you want to play additional land cards, but as I'll show you these commanders are wildly different in context.
My pile of potential includes to construct around Radha, Heart of Keld was around 180 cards..without lands. So I had to get really disciplined when it came to coming up with a 99 that I felt did justice.
Playing lands AND creatures off top of library
However there were a couple of cards that I knew I wanted to center around and that was Vizier of the Menagerie and Vivien, Monsters' Advocate.
This means that as long as you have a heavy creature centric deck, between these and Radha, Heart of Keld you can play most cards off the top of your library.
So given this, unless a non-creature card is amazing for the theme I had to cut them. In this manner if I can find a creature that performs a similar function that a non-creature card does, no matter how good I'll prioritize the creature cards.
Playing with perfect information
Playing lands off the top of your library is obviously great for card advantages, especially when combined with cards that allow you to play additional lands.
However this is only half of what Radha, Heart of Keld can provide. Knowing what your top card allows you to play a number of cards and ways to make sure that you gain advantages and have a lot of chances of drawing cards that you do want.
Shuffle effects is one of the easier ways to get a fresh look at the top of your library. If you don't have a land on top with a land drop to go, then shuffling your library can give you another chance at it. Also if its a card that you don't want to draw.
Essentially you will never want to draw a land for your draw step.
There are 10 fetch-land that search for other lands, so these shuffle your library.
Madblind Mountain allows you to shuffle if you have say Radha, Heart of Keld and another Red permanent.
Scrying Sheets is normally a bit hit or miss, but with Radha you will only activate it when you have one of your Snow-Covered Basics on top.
There are tons of tutor effects between creatures and lands, and not only do these give you access to further card manipulation, but they'll also shuffle your deck for a fresh look.
Top of library advantages
There are lots of ways to take advantage of the fact that you know the top of your library.
Bomat Courier will remove the top card, and you can track exactly what it contains in the case you want to sacrifice it.
Orcish Librarian will get a look at the top 8 and then you'll get 4 at random to then put back. You will organize them so that you draw non-land cards and during your turn you will have a land on top to play with Radha.
Bloodline Shaman can name a creature type that is on top. This card is basically just " : draw a card" in this deck.
Duskwatch Recruiter and Nylea, Keen-Eyed allow you dig for a creature and their cost reductions are great for a creature heavy deck and that you are looking to cast multiple creatures each turn.
Hermit Druid is not used to mill too many cards into your graveyard as there are a lot of Basics in the deck. But simply milling cards you don't want on top is gerat when you also pick up a land to hand for your troubles as well. It might be that a Basic is the top card of your library and you don't want to draw it for the turn, so activating it in upkeep might be the play.
Dryad Greenseeker can clear off lands from the top of your library as you might not want to draw it for the turn, or you have your other enablers in Vizier of the Menagerie and Vivien, Monsters' Advocate going.
Nissa, Vastwood Seer can always nail a land with perfect information.
There are a bunch of non-creature cards that manipulate the top card of your library for new looks.
Mirri's Guile, Sensei's Divining Top, Sylvan Library allow manipulating the top 3 cards of your library to order them in the best possible way.
Enter the Unknown uses explore to change the top card, and it allows you to play another land for the turn.
Growing Rites of Itlimoc gets a fresh look and when transformed is a powerful enabler to cast much of your deck.
Experimental Frenzy is another way to cast creatures from the top of the library, and can be a backup to Radha if she has been shut out some way.
Voltron with Radha, Heart of Keld
It is possible to use the ability of Radha to give her large stats bonuses.
Without trample more often your opponents will be able to chump block, but Mina and Denn, Wildborn will give you the option of giving trample.
Not so obvious inclusions
Underworld Breach is not a combo card in this deck, but just a cheap value card. Getting back a card or two can give you some additional scope, and if you've used Hermit Druid to some effect you might get more depth of play.
Noxious Revival can even return a land to top of library if you really wanted to hit a land drop for turn with Radha.
Burgeoning doesn't actually help with playing additional lands off top of library, but as you are manipulating your library so that you don't play the lands from your hand you do draw, you can make use of the Burgeoning to get those lands into play. Great for fast starts as well.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth might seem like a very unusual include, but I've played quite a few top manipulation decks in my day.
There are going to be instances where you don't want to sacrifice your fetchlands as you want the card on top, so Urborg means that you can still tap them for mana. Also helps if you get into a situation where there are no more fetchable lands.
Goblin Package
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Conspicuous Snoop and Goblins
Another element that I wanted to have fun with is using Conspicuous Snoop as its a new card and I like trying new things.
I ended up not playing this Goblin package due to not wanting to have infinite's in the deck and keeping it a bit more casual. But here is a run down of what you could play to extend the top of library theme a bit.
There is a combo with using Goblin Recruiter to specifically get Conspicuous Snoop, Skirk Prospector, Torch Courier, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and Siege-Gang Commander in that order.
You can cast Goblins off the top of your library and also Conspicuous Snoop has the activated abilities of your Goblins.
Once you cast Conspicuous Snoop you can sacrifice the Goblin Recruiter to get to cast the Skirk Prospector.
Then cast Torch Courier and to give Conspicuous Snoop haste. Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker is now the top card of your library. You can make infinite Conspicuous Snoop as it has Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker ability and you can make a copies of itself. They will all be tapped except one, but with Skirk Prospector you can sacrifice to get as much as you want, and simply cast Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker when you are ready. Now Siege-Gang Commander is the top card and you can sacrifice your Conspicuous Snoop copies to kill opponents with damage.
Another element that I wanted to have fun with is using Conspicuous Snoop as its a new card and I like trying new things.
I ended up not playing this Goblin package due to not wanting to have infinite's in the deck and keeping it a bit more casual. But here is a run down of what you could play to extend the top of library theme a bit.
There is a combo with using Goblin Recruiter to specifically get Conspicuous Snoop, Skirk Prospector, Torch Courier, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and Siege-Gang Commander in that order.
You can cast Goblins off the top of your library and also Conspicuous Snoop has the activated abilities of your Goblins.
Once you cast Conspicuous Snoop you can sacrifice the Goblin Recruiter to get to cast the Skirk Prospector.
Then cast Torch Courier and to give Conspicuous Snoop haste. Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker is now the top card of your library. You can make infinite Conspicuous Snoop as it has Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker ability and you can make a copies of itself. They will all be tapped except one, but with Skirk Prospector you can sacrifice to get as much as you want, and simply cast Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker when you are ready. Now Siege-Gang Commander is the top card and you can sacrifice your Conspicuous Snoop copies to kill opponents with damage.
Radha, Heart of Keld
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