Creature (18)
Instant (8)
Land (22)
Artifact (2)
Sideboard
Instant (8)
Sorcery (3)
Maybeboard
Enchantment (1)
Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth be like
18 basic Forests feels low and…rather bland, as far as mana bases go. We run a handful of ‘search&rescue’ cards that will ensure we hit our land drops, but their prime directive is to locate Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth.
The backbone of the deck, this splendiferous land lets our creatures waltz through battle like they’re entering Comic Con arm in arm with Stan Lee. Every creature we run has the Forestwalk keyword ability and this is the card that breaks the shackles holding them back and unlocks their full potential.
It is imperative we work toward fielding Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth as soon as we begin the game. There are a handful of piggies to help us sniff out that sweet, delectable truffle:
•Expedition Map can go down Turn 1, and grab the land the following turn to be ready to deploy it Turn 3.
•Sylvan Scrying also aims to get Bubba out Turn 3.
•Nylea's Intervention is more utilitarian in that it will find our key land, yes, but it can also help right a sinking ship if all our post-opening hand lands are hiding at the bottom of the deck for whatever reason.
•I’ll list Yavimaya Dryad here as well, since while she won’t conjure up her namesake land, she will let us accomplish the same thing by gifting our opponent a Forest. It goes without saying, but that puts us at a disadvantage so this should only be used as a last resort.
I know e’rything there is to know about the Forestwalk bidness.
You got Human Monk Forestwalkers, Gorgeous hand-drawn Dryad Forestwalkers, Sexy Dryad Forestwalkers, Hag Forestwalkers, Cat Warrior Forestwalkers, Sexy Cat Warrior Forestwalkers…
You never know what you’re gonna get. Sometimes you get targeted for removal; sometimes it’s the normal wear and tear of combat damage; sometimes it’s a boardwipe that destroys everything in its path. The format is so large and diverse that you never know what to expect!
We run a few of the old standby’s, tried and true methods of maximizing protection while minimizing the cardboard footprint.
•Fog is better than you might first think. It nullifies battle damage, which becomes all the more important when you consider that our opponent will be unable to block during our turn, so the only logical recourse will be to try to inflict terminal combat damage on us first. Playing a Fog on their turn will prove frustrating, no doubt.
•Tamiyo's Safekeeping is a more nuanced, selective approach to protection. As it shields any permanent from harm, it’s extremely beneficial at safeguarding our key land, Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth.
•Lastly, four copies of Sylvan Anthem helps bolster our damage output while also granting us the boon of advance knowledge. Sift and leaf through the deck a card at a time, maximizing each turn’s possibilities.
I wanted to keep the budget down for this build, but I would be remiss not to mention Heroic Intervention here.
Private! What should you do if you already own a set?
•Play Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth as soon as possible using Sylvan Scrying, Expedition Map etc.
•Cast Sylvan Anthem alongside plenty of creatures, Forestwalking your way to loads of unblockable damage!
The main deck strategy is simplistic and fairly solid, so the sideboard is intended to reinforce that ethos. We run more protection, removal and an emergency spell.
•Snakeskin Veil is low cost and leaves a lasting gift long after it’s left the stack.
•Natural State squashes tokens, smashes artifacts and eats enchantments for breakfast!
•Lignify gets around Indestructible and renders once terrifying creatures no more dangerous than a stump.
•I figured a few Nature's Spiral couldn’t hurt. It’ll let us retrieve our key land from the graveyard if something went terribly wrong, so that alone made it feel worthy of inclusion.
This particular build revolves around Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth because I happen to own a set. For those who do not, a rough approximation can be achieved using Lush Growth as a replacement. You’ll have to reconfigure the build slightly, as none of the ‘find a land’ cards are compatible, but you’ll shave off the majority of the expense this way. It comes with other perils too, like holding the door wide open for Boros, Gruul, Selesnya or Naya decks to accelerate their designs. Substitute at your own risk.
”The battle spread through the whole region. Furthermore, the forest devoured more of the people than the sword did on that day.”
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98% Casual
Competitive
| Top Ranked |
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| Date added | 9 months |
| Last updated | 9 months |
| Legality | This deck is Modern legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 15 - 0 Rares 11 - 4 Uncommons 16 - 11 Commons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 1.97 |
| Tokens | Cat Warrior 2/2 G |
| Folders | Modern, Decks I Like |
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