{"ops":[{"insert":"Growing Concern"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"\"It was considerably smaller the last time we checked.\""},{"attributes":{"blockquote":true},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Overview"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Growing Concern is a Jund graveyard deck where every discarded card, destroyed permanent, and dead creature contributes to an increasingly large problem.\nLed by "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Disa the Restless"},{"insert":", the deck fills graveyards while deploying an assortment of Lhurgoyfs and other creatures that grow stronger from everything that has already happened during the game.\nAt first, the board may not look particularly threatening.\nA few cards are milled. Creatures die. Lands find their way into graveyards. Opponents cast their spells and continue with their plans.\nThen someone checks the Goyfs.\nThe situation has become concerning.\nGame Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Early Game"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Start feeding the graveyards.\nDevelop your mana with cards like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Birds of Paradise, Bloom Tender, Farseek, Nature's Lore"},{"insert":" and your other ramp pieces while beginning to stock graveyards.\nEarly self-mill, discard and normal interaction all contribute toward the same goal. You don't need to rush your larger threats onto the battlefield immediately.\nFor now, you're simply creating the conditions they need to grow.\nNothing to worry about yet.\nProbably.\nMid Game"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is where "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Disa the Restless"},{"insert":" and the Goyfs begin taking over.\nCards like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Barrowgoyf, Necrogoyf, Nethergoyf, Mortivore, Polygoyf, Pyrogoyf"},{"insert":" and the original "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Lhurgoyf"},{"insert":" turn increasingly populated graveyards into increasingly unpleasant creatures.\nDisa adds another layer to the problem by rewarding your Lhurgoyfs for connecting with opponents and helping put them onto the battlefield when they find their way into your graveyard from somewhere other than the battlefield.\nCards such as "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Maskwood Nexus"},{"insert":" can make the situation even stranger by allowing creatures that were never supposed to be Lhurgoyfs to join the family.\nAt this point, the table may begin asking how large everything is.\nThis is usually a bad sign.\nLate Game"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Eventually, the graveyards are full.\nCreatures have died. Spells have been cast. Permanents have been destroyed. Cards have been discarded and milled.\nAll of that history is now working for you.\nYour largest Goyfs become serious combat threats, while cards like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Tarmogoyf Nest"},{"insert":" and your other token engines can turn the deck's accumulated resources into additional bodies.\nPowerful threats such as "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Beledros Witherbloom"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Titania, Nature's Force"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Coram, the Undertaker"},{"insert":" give the deck additional ways to keep functioning even when simply making an enormous Goyf isn't enough.\nWhat began as a few strange creatures has become a battlefield full of things that should probably have been dealt with several turns ago.\nWinning the Game"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Growing Concern primarily wins through combat.\nThe deck doesn't need an elaborate combo when its creatures can naturally reach absurd sizes simply because a normal game of Commander has been happening around them.\nDisa makes those creatures even more dangerous by turning successful Lhurgoyf attacks into additional board presence.\nCards such as "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Garruk's Uprising"},{"insert":" help large creatures push damage through while keeping cards flowing, and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Rising of the Day"},{"insert":" helps new threats immediately become relevant.\nSometimes the winning creature is a carefully developed threat.\nSometimes it's a Goyf that entered the battlefield and is somehow already enormous.\nEither way, the solution is generally the same:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Turn it sideways."},{"insert":"\nCause for Concern"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Never look at a Goyf as a fixed number.\nIts power and toughness are a live measurement of everything that has gone wrong so far.\nRemoval can make it larger.\nCombat can make it larger.\nDiscard can make it larger.\nSelf-mill can make it larger.\nEven your opponents progressing their own game plans may accidentally contribute to yours.\nThis means the deck can become stronger without directly committing additional resources to the battlefield.\nA manageable creature can become a major threat because several completely unrelated things happened elsewhere.\nThe correct time to become concerned was probably two turns ago.\nStrengths"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Goyfs can become enormous without requiring large amounts of mana."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Naturally benefits from graveyards filling during a normal Commander game."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Disa provides both pressure and additional Lhurgoyf value."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Self-mill and discard can function as setup rather than pure downside."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Multiple large creatures make the deck difficult to stop with single-target removal alone."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Has several secondary threats outside the main Goyf plan."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Gets increasingly dangerous as the game becomes messier."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Weaknesses"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Graveyard hate can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of several threats."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Some Goyfs depend heavily on the current contents of graveyards."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck is primarily combat-focused and still needs a way to connect with opponents."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Disa can become important enough that repeated commander removal slows the deck considerably."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Large creatures are much less impressive against effects that prevent or heavily discourage combat."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"An awkward opening hand can leave the deck developing graveyards without actually producing enough pressure."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Philosophy"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"At first, there was nothing unusual.\nA creature died.\nA spell was discarded.\nA land entered a graveyard.\nThen something started growing.\nNobody was particularly worried.\nThen it grew again.\nAnd again.\nEventually, someone asked the question they should have asked several turns earlier:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"\"How big is that thing?\""},{"insert":"\nThe answer is always changing.\nAnd that is becoming a "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Growing Concern"},{"insert":".\n"}]}