by Johnny Cycles, February 16th, 2024
Welcome to another Murders at Karlov Manor in Commander article! Today I’ll be discussing the cards from Magic’s latest set that should be, could be, and might could be included in my Mono Green Elf deck featuring Selvala, Heart of the Wilds as commander. Before I get to the new hotness, here’s the deck for your reference:
Decklist – Mono Green Elves with Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
| Selvala, Heart of the Wilds |
Creatures (40)
| Allosaurus Shepherd | |
| Arbor Elf | |
| Copperhorn Scout | |
| Elvish Mystic | |
| Elvish Reclaimer | |
| Fyndhorn Elves | |
| Llanowar Elves | |
| Skyway Sniper | |
| Elvish Clancaller | |
| Elvish Visionary |
| Elvish Warmaster | |
| Fauna Shaman | |
| Gala Greeters | |
| Incubation Druid | |
| Leaf-Crowned Visionary | |
| Priest of Titania | |
| Scavenging Ooze | |
| Wildborn Preserver | |
| Circle of Dreams Druid | |
| Elvish Archdruid |
| Elvish Champion | |
| Ezuri, Renegade Leader | |
| Fierce Empath | |
| Imperious Perfect | |
| Marwyn, the Nurturer | |
| Nissa, Vastwood Seer | |
| Numa, Joraga Chieftain | |
| Reclamation Sage | |
| Rishkar, Peema Renegade | |
| Viridian Corrupter |
| Beast Whisperer | |
| Canopy Tactician | |
| Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen | |
| Norwood Priestess | |
| Oracle of Mul Daya | |
| Whiptongue Hydra | |
| Craterhoof Behemoth | |
| End-Raze Forerunners | |
| Decimator of the Provinces |
Planeswalkers (3)
| Freyalise, Llanowar’s Fury | |
| Nissa, Who Shakes the World | |
| Vivien Reid |
Artifacts (4)
| Magewright’s Stone | |
| Coat of Arms | |
| Vanquisher’s Banner | |
| The Great Henge |
Enchantments (2)
| Sylvan Library | |
| Guardian Project |
Instants (4) with 1 mfdc
| Heroic Intervention | |
| Chord of Calling | |
| Khalni Ambush | |
| Obscuring Haze |
Sorceries (13) with 2 mfdcs
| Hurricane | |
| Green Sun’s Zenith | |
| Nissa’s Triumph | |
| Bala Ged Recovery | |
| Cultivate | |
| Genesis Wave | |
| Natural Order | |
| Tempt with Discovery | |
| Whirlwind | |
| Overrun | |
| Primal Command | |
| Desert Twister | |
| Turntimber Symbiosis |
Lands 36 with 3 mfdcs
| Arch of Orazca | |
| Boseiju, Who Endures | |
| Castle Garenbrig | |
| Cavern of Souls | |
| Deserted Temple | |
| Field of Ruin | |
| Myriad Landscape | |
| Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx |
| Oran-Rief, the Vastwood | |
| Path of Ancestry | |
| Pendelhaven | |
| Scavenger Grounds | |
| Wirewood Lodge | |
| Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth | |
| Forest (19) |
Video
Should Be Included
Archdruid’s Charm
No surprise here. This triple instant is perfect for our Elf deck. Not only do we get a lot of flexibility with this new charm in that we have three modes to choose from, but we get even more flexibility in the mode we’re most interested in…the first one.
Need to find our finisher? Archdruid’s Charm can do that. Need to find a way to go over the top by generating a ton of mana? Archdruid’s Charm can do that. Need a utility creature to fight your opponent’s strategy, whether it be Control or Reanimation? Archdruid’s Charm can do that.
We play 6 ways to tutor up a creature, but we can always use another one! Furthermore, we don’t play any of the traditional ways of getting any land from our library (Expedition Map, Sylvan Scrying, etc.), so Archdruid’s Charm adds this powerful effect to our deck.
But that’s not all, of course. The second mode of Archdruid’s Charm shores up another weakness of our deck: killing our opponent’s creatures. Sure, Green has access to lots of fight spells, but none come with the flexibility of this charm. Our current strategy is to largely ignore our opponent’s ground creatures by going bigger and wider faster so as to force blocks or risk dying. Our removal is geared towards taking out fliers, since elves aren’t great at blocking creatures with wings. Archdruid’s Charm gives us some conditional removal for any creature.
Finally, let’s not overlook the last mode of Archdruid’s Charm. It may be easy just to blow by this one, thinking, Green gets another way to remove enchantments or artifacts, oh boy… And while it’s true Green is flush with such spells, please take note that Archdruid’s Charm exiles the enchantment or artifact. The One Ring giving your opponent too many cards? Archdruid’s Charm can take care of it. Purphoros, God of the Forge burning you out of the game? Archdruid’s Charm can take care of that.
This card is another example of Wizards printing cards made for Commander in Standard sets. Will Archdruid’s Charm see play in Standard? I’m very unfamiliar with the current Standard landscape, but my gut says no. is too steep a cost for any but Mono Green decks or Green decks with a light splash of a second color. Looking at the current metagame for Standard, no such deck really exists. I’m not complaining, but I think it’s worth noting whenever Wizards does this.
Could Be Included
Analyze the Pollen
The most obvious analog for this card is Traverse the Ulvenwald. I think Analyze the Pollen is better in our deck, as it’s easier for us to collect evidence 8 than it is to achieve delirium. Another clear analog for Analyze the Pollen, however, is Archdruid’s Charm. So why is the latter in the Should Be Included section and the former here? It’s the flexibility without the hoops that we get with the charm that makes the difference. However, I could totally see playing Analyze the Pollen in our 99 as a way to ensure we make our land drops in the early game, while giving us a mid- to late-game tutor for our finisher or a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
Might Could Be Included
Case of the Trampled Garden
We have some +1/+1 counter synergies with Incubation Druid, Marwyn, the Nurturer, and Rishkar, Peema Renegade, but otherwise we’re paying 3 mana to grow two creatures a little. Eh, not that great. What we’re most interested in, of course, is the solved part of the case. Growing a creature and giving it trample gives us another way to close out the game without finding Craterhoof Behemoth. Is it better than Primal Rage or Nylea, God of the Hunt? Probably not, but I could see putting this in a budget build of an Elf deck.
Pick Your Poison
A 1-mana answer to Linvala, Keeper of Silence? That’s the ceiling for Pick Your Poison. Of course, we don’t get to choose what our opponent sacrifices, but for a single and the flexibility of picking one of three things, this card might could find a home in our Elf deck. Green has several cards that offer us similar effects, like Crushing Canopy or Broken Wings, but both target, which doesn’t give us an answer to a hexproof or indestructible creature. Cards like Run Afoul do, but they have an even narrower use.
Conclusion
As always, thanks for reading and watching! Let me know in the comments which cards you’re most excited about. Which new Green cards should, could, and might could be included in your Mono Green Elf deck? Which cards am I overlooking? Overrating? I’ll catch you on the next one!
