Puschkin

111 Decks, 2,320 Comments, 1,024 Reputation

As I understand it, this is more or less a beginner's deck focussing around the green cards you have. You have a bunch of small and medium sized creatures, lots of mana acceleration and even more ways to make them bigger. I also assume you aren't aiming for top places in Modern tournaments and don't have a very big card pool. So, I will make some suggestions and point out some problems but I won't try to streamline this into a competitive deck (because if I would, you wouldn't recognize your decks afterwards).

* You have many cards producing extra mana or fetching lands but I don't see very mana intensive cards. You actually have a decent mana curve that doesn't need much acceleration. I especially question that Seek the Horizon. By the time you can cast it, do you really need 3 extra lands at that point? You have a total of 5 cards that cost more than 4 mana and none of them costs 7+. Same is somewhat true for Worldshaper, but he has a 3/3 body to go with, so the effect is just an extra.
You could combat that with adding carddraw, so you can always make use of excess mana, however, since the deck is already at 63 cards, I'd say we just scratch the Seek the Horizon.

* Druid of the Cowl is just bad. Those 2 toughness aren't worth an extra mana (compared to Llanowar Elves). Respectively, there are other manaelves for 2 mana with better stats or abilities. Granted, many of them are rare. I'd still prefer Llanowar Elves then.

* Terrain Elemental is outdated. Perfect for your deck would be Avatar of the Resolute. Maybe trade for some, they would be awesome in this deck. If you can't afford them, check your collection if you have one of the following:
-Garruk's Champion
- Kraul Harpooner
- Kalonian Tusker

* Narnam Cobra is a bit odd. I guess you don't have more Thornweald Archers, right? Other replacements include:
- Ambush Viper
- Heir of the Wilds
- Death-Hood Cobra

* Peema Outrider also isn't great in a deck that has no way to abuse those tokens. The outrider can be 4/4. However, these days, for four mana, you can get creatures that are 4/4 from the start and habe aditional abilities:
- Ravenous Baloth
- CHameleon Colossus
- Deadbridge Goliath
- Wolfbriar Elemental
- Wickerbough Elder
- Enraged Ceratok
- Ripjaw Raptor
- Surrak, the Hunt Caller
- Territorial Allosaurus
Granted, most of these are rare, but still not very expensive. And something like Wolfbriar Elemental would fit perfectly since it makes good use of any access mana. If you are seriously on a budget, thouogh, Wickerbough Elder is probably the best replacement. It adds something you don't have yet: Artifact/Enchantment removal!

* Scythe Leopard should go. Since his bonus from landfall expires at the end of turn, I don't see it's point here. Best replacement if all you need is a power-2 creature for one mana would be Kessig Prowler. It starts out as a 2/1 for G and has the potential to flip into a 4/4 with menace. This is also a prime example how to make use of excess mana later in the game.

* Larger than Life has one big problem: It is a sorcery. I recommed Predatory Strike instead. It costs the same and also grants trample but gives only +3/+3. It is, however, an instant. The key is to wait for it until the opponent blocked and then decide what to pump. That way you can do maximum damage, especially with that trample.

* Shape the Sands should be upgraded to Tower Defense: For just one more mana, you boost ALL your creatures!

* Titanic Growth does nothing except making them bigger. At least it is an instant, but you have so much pump going on, that I really think you would be better of with more Predatory Strikes and/or Ranger's Guiles. Other excellent choices for this slot:
- Rancor
- Tower Above
- Elvish Fury

* Sheltered Aerie should be upgraded to Weirding Wood, which does the same for the same cost but has also investigate. Alternatively, since this is a mono-colour deck, you could run Overgrowth instead, which yields a total of three mana instead of just 2. Or you could just cut it without replacing it, which would finally bring us down to 60 cards.

* Appetite for the Unnatural is also outclassed by other cards like Natural End or Quite Dispair.

* Feed the Clan: I am not a big fan of pure lifegain cards. They don't improve board position, so when you are in bad shape, you still are after a Feed the Clan, just with more life. But it doesn't stop the problems you have, so that extra life will only buy you and extra turn ot two. Consider some of the following cards instead that do something on top of gaining life:
- Molder
- Momentous Fall (it's an instant, so you can use it on a creature that will die anyway)
- Primal Command
- Heal the Scars
- Dosan's Oldest Chant

Summary:
- 2 Seek the Horizon
- 1 Druid of the Cowl
+ 1 Llanowar Elves
- 2 Terrain Elemental
+ 2 Avatar of the Resolute (or substitutes)
-1 Preema Outrider
+1 Wolfbriar Elemental (or substitutes)
-1 Narnam Cobra
+1 Ambush Viper (or substitutes)
- 1 Larger than Life
+1 Predatory Strike
-1 Shape the Sands
+1 Tower Defense
-2 Titanic Growth
+2 Predatory Strike/Ranger's Guile/Rancor
-1 Sheltered Aerie
+1 Weirding Wood/Overgrowth
-1 Appetite for the Unnatural
-2 Feed the Clan
+2 other lifegainer

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Posted 27 February 2019 at 13:21 as a comment on Green Strength

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Ah, thx for the input!

Rhox Faithmender would indeed be sick here. It would be, however, almost "win more". If I was to splash for a colour, I thought it would be for something I can't do yet. Rhox Faithmender would be just more life and more importantly: Not on his own, only on top of one of my other combos. And it's a creature itself, too. When it works, I will probably win in a flashy way, but I just fear he will be yet another card I lose to the inevitable Wrath of God like effect. I was thinking of something like Overmaster for the splash, something that helps me winning unwinable games or to overcome common obstacles in multiplayer. See, life gain alone doesn't win me the game. A Hurricane big enough to kill my opponents does but I have to have enough life for that.

I tried Beastmaster Ascension before. That is a card that puts a big bulls eye on you long before it got enough counters. Creature bades attacks can also be stopped in way too many ways. A single guy holding a Constant Mists for example. I run Cyclone because it has the potential to do a lot of damage over a longer time. If my opponents also have lots of life, Hurricanes might not be big enough. Cyclone has at least the chance to catch up.

About the Fangren: I also have the investigate mechanic going and in my opponents will lose some artifactes here and there on their own. But yes, more Forges are a consideration, but I don't know what to cut, let's wait for the next big gaming night.

Cloudpost is a nice suggestion! I have actually never used them before but here it seems like a good idea.

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Posted 26 February 2019 at 20:14 in reply to #622388 on Beastie Boys

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Like Gaea's Cradle I don't own Cavern of Souls and they are too expensive to get now.
The Chancellor gives me one extra mana on turn one only - where it will fizzle respectively give me manaburn :P
(yes, we kept mana burn rules)
AEther Vial, hm, that is an option for my key creatures, however, it takes 5 turns to get there. I don't think they'll live that long, but it is worth a try. Wild Growth I have in the form of Weirding Wood, which is more expensive but replaces itself and feeds the Marauder due to investigate.
Inner Beast is woth a try, however, if I nuke my own land, then that's the opposite of acceleration. Plus, after a swipe, what is a vanilla 3/3 worth if I don't have a Baloth and/or Mauler/Thran Forge anymore? Also, they would most likely replace the Root Outs, right? Then I win a bit in beasts (IF desperate enough to waste my only spotremoval on myself) but I weaken the other combo with Mauler.

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Posted 26 February 2019 at 19:18 in reply to #622383 on Beastie Boys

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Yeah, I figured nobody is building decks the old way anymore. It's getting a bit lonely here. Thanks for chiming in anyway.

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Posted 26 February 2019 at 16:35 in reply to #622372 on Beastie Boys

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Anyone still tuned in?

I'd like a quick review for this:
https://www.mtgvault.com/puschkin/decks/beastie-boys/

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Posted 26 February 2019 at 07:22 as a comment on Deckhelp Alliance Reloaded

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I will probably not have enough time for a real comeback. But in case I do, here are a few links to my projects here, which may as well become my legacy:

The "OBSCURE CARD CHALLANGE" where you can challange me to build a deck around a card you deem unplayable:
http://www.mtgvault.com/puschkin/decks/obscure-card-challenge-occ/

Here you can request DECK HELP on/REVIEW of your casual decks (read the description first!)
https://www.mtgvault.com/puschkin/decks/puschkin-please-help-me/

And here a deck where I need some suggestions . No deckbuilding skills needed, I need thematical suggestions!
https://www.mtgvault.com/puschkin/decks/kingdoms/

Thank you for reading.

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Posted 25 February 2019 at 16:13 as a comment on Beastie Boys

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Also not my country, but unfortunately those guys over there have a tremendous impact on everybody else.
This emergency declaration is an unparalleld power grab If he gets what he wants now it'll be a slippery slope into dictatorship.

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Posted 25 February 2019 at 06:50 in reply to #622190 on Mexican Tribal

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Not here, IRL. That emergency declaration.

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Posted 19 February 2019 at 14:23 in reply to #622190 on Mexican Tribal

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Sue to recent events I thought this deck might need a bump :)

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Posted 19 February 2019 at 10:36 as a comment on Mexican Tribal

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I remember something like this, but you had a different term for it and I can't recall it. And you were past mana solutions when you intoduced that concept. AH, how I miss Phyrexia. It's still up BTW, at least parts of it, including the forum (which is deactivated for posting but can still be browsed). Unfortunatley it covers only the last two years of it's existance.

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Posted 13 February 2019 at 22:35 in reply to #621893 on Slow Motion Explosion

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I will probably not have enough time for a real comeback. But in case I do, here are a few links to my projects here, which may as well become my legacy:

The "OBSCURE CARD CHALLANGE" where you can challange me to build a deck around a card you deem unplayable:
http://www.mtgvault.com/puschkin/decks/obscure-card-challenge-occ/

Here you can request DECK HELP on/REVIEW of your casual decks (read the description first!)
https://www.mtgvault.com/puschkin/decks/puschkin-please-help-me/

And here a deck where I need some suggestions . No deckbuilding skills needed, I need thematical suggestions!
https://www.mtgvault.com/puschkin/decks/kingdoms/

Thank you for reading.

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Posted 09 February 2019 at 15:30 as a comment on Der Grüne Punkt

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Thinking about it, since I never cancel subscriptions, it means all those hundreds of decks I commented on didn't get any new replies either.

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Posted 09 February 2019 at 10:46 in reply to #621893 on Slow Motion Explosion

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Do you still need input? I hadn't checked Vault for a longer time and just saw your call.

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Posted 09 February 2019 at 09:10 as a comment on markov edh

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Yeah, but why would I do that? I am not craving for attention, I was just wondering why the chance for upvotes seems to be antiproportional to the quality of the content.

Another fun thing: I wasn't active for more than a year now and wondered how many, if any at all new messages there will be. Yours is the only one ... strange coincidence that you commented this week, but also noteworthy that it is Wicked Darkman - every odd year our paths cross :)
So, I conclude, only a select few old farts like us will ever use deck search and comment on older content. I have tons of decks here and most of them should be interesting for anyone playing casual/multiplayer, but there was not a single hit. I know that forum culture is dying but am still somehow shocked how severe it actually is.

These are more scientific type of observations, if you know what I mean. You most likely do :)

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Posted 09 February 2019 at 08:30 in reply to #621893 on Slow Motion Explosion

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* I question those Necrogen Censer. You play red, so there are a few dozen better options for you. More importantly, you need instants or sorceries to trigger the Phoenix and Guttersnipe!

* I also don't see the use in Spinerock Knoll in a deck with just a single card costing more than 3 mana.

* Circle of Flame is a weak card if you can't heal yourself and outside multiplayer. You cannot really afford to keep the opponents crature alive.

* You have some open slots now. Of all the burn you could play, there are a few that work well with Guttersnipe because they can trigger it more than once. Here are a few:
- Punishing Fire
- Grapeshot
- Searing Touch
Other cheap burn spells that are useful:
- Searing Blaze (you can kill small creatures and still do damage to the opponent)
- Incinerate

* Now that we have more spells, some of which will grant you multiple casts, I think it is time to replace Goblin Guide with Monastery Swiftspear.

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Posted 26 April 2018 at 19:28 as a comment on Mono Red Burn

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Strange, I didn't get any hits for months and now I get plenty on THIS deck? MTGVault is a mysterious place :)

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Posted 12 April 2018 at 15:34 as a comment on Creatureless Creaturedeck

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No, for various (personal) reasons. I just don't like highrolling comboriffic stuff like Doubling Seasons which either goes very well or does nothing depending on your draw and board situation. As a result I have traded away most cards of this type. But yes, that is a legit suggestion.

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Posted 12 April 2018 at 15:33 in reply to #613875 on Creatureless Creaturedeck

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Centaur Glade maybe? I prefer reuseable stuff because my environment is (mass-)removal-happy.

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Posted 12 April 2018 at 15:31 in reply to #613865 on Creatureless Creaturedeck

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I just realized that I could/should make use of populate spells instead of the few non-token related spells I have there. So:

Orim's Thunder => Sundering Growth
Swords to Plowshares => Druid's Deliverance, Rootborn Defences.

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Posted 11 April 2018 at 21:21 as a comment on Creatureless Creaturedeck

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I don't own that card. But yeah, it should be in. I am short on planeswalkers because those are typcially the first ones I trade away. People just love their bradywalkers and I don't care :)

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Posted 11 April 2018 at 21:16 in reply to #613850 on Creatureless Creaturedeck

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