{"ops":[{"insert":"Budget focused deck for my friend, Heather, who's looking to try a new commander strategy that won't break the bank while still having some serious power! This deck's main strategy is ramping hard in the early game to setup for a powerful midgame board state full of aggressive beaters to chunk opponents' life totals until they have nothing left. Force your way through the opposition and destroy anything that dares to stand in your path!!\n\nOpening Hand 🤚"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYour opening hand should consist of low curve cards that help you setup value and draw cards in the early game in order to setup for a powerful midgame spike with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma"}},{"insert":" in play. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Abundant Harvest"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Explore"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lifecrafter's Bestiary"}},{"insert":" can help an otherwise poor opening hand. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Emerald Medallion"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rhonas's Monument"}},{"insert":" are high priority gray pip reducers that actually stack with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma"}},{"insert":" which can help you blast through your early-midgame phase. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Augur of Autumn"}},{"insert":" is an excellent source of card advantage and even more so if you can trigger its Coven ability. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fauna Shaman"}},{"insert":" is great for pitching less immediately useful creatures in exchange for more powerful card draw or ramp options. Any 1-2 drop mana dorks will also allow you to get to midgame more quickly.\n\nHaste 👟"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"Haste is normally a keyword reserved for Red decks, but Green still has enough niche options (often with caveats) that can still get your damage through before opponents can respond with sorcery speed removal. Additionally, having haste means you get to immediately swing out with creatures you've just played on that first main making your creatures even more threatening to your opponents' life totals. Haste also allows you to finish off a player's life total on the same turn you play your creatures, not giving them an entire turn cycle to potentially respond to your win attempt. There are three direct sources of haste, and two workarounds. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Crashing Drawbridge"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Surrak, the Hunt Caller"}},{"insert":" grant creatures haste and should be prioritized. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Elvish Piper"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Oviya, Automech Artisan"}},{"insert":" are not direct haste enablers, but rather they can be used to put a creature into play during another player's turn in order to start your turn without that creature having summoning sickness. The ceiling is that you can use their ability to cheat out a fat creature for much greater than one mana, which can be quite powerful combined with getting them in with pseudo-haste!\n\nGuidelines Against Control 🧠"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\"Can't be countered\" is not going to do you much good against control players, since \"can't be countered\" is definitely not the same as \"can't be removed\". You have to play differently if you're going up against a player who can respond to any play you make at instant speed. You need to change gears from slamming the gas and going full offense, and instead play to ask your opponent(s) deliberate questions again and again with each move you make:\nBy opting to play for your second main instead of your first, you play your combat phase with full mana and swing out. This asks your opponent if they are willing to use removal then and there to prevent losing life, but potentially leaving them open to even bigger threats during your second main. If they do use their precious removal, you absolutely punish them assuming they have no mana up after."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Respect not only your opponents untapped lands, but also their hand size. Mono colored decks, especially mono blue and mono black, have more access to free interaction and that's something you need to account for. The more cards they have in hand, the more likely they are to have free removal. Remember this in your threat assessment."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If you see untapped lands or heavily suspect your opponent has removal ready to go, hold off on casting your precious card draw engines. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Primordial Sage"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Soul of the Harvest"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Zendikar Resurgent"}},{"insert":" are cards you should never cast into a control player who is ready to respond to your plays. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Remember that your recursion package, especially "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Seasons Past"}},{"insert":" can be used to fetch cards from your graveyard that have been previously removed from play. This is basically card draw and should not be underestimated, especially if it follows a boardwipe."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Play everything except card draw if you are anticipating getting slapped with removal. Once the control player takes the bait, draw more cards, recur card draw, or play a draw engine to punish their blunder. Remember that control players can never, ever match you card for card. Leverage this."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Always prioritize a healthy hand size, even if means simply leaving mana up just to keep cards in your hand. This is especially true if you anticipate a boardwipe, which you will be in a much better state to rebuild your board since you have cards in hand to plop down and smack face with! Remember, your opponents can't counter/remove what you don't cast. (unless they're running discard lol)"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Elvish Piper"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Oviya, Automech Artisan"}},{"insert":" are great for pseudo-haste, but leaving them untapped in the face of potential removal means you can use their ability to punish your opponents when they use removal. Additionally, they make great bait if you just leave them untapped with cards in hand it means your opponents will have to respect the mere possibility of something scary slapping the board. You can take advantage of this in order to play slightly more aggressively in those matchups. Again, hand size & card draw are king."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\n\n\n"}]}