I love a good theme deck as much as anyone. It's fun to flesh out an idea and build around the central theme. Any time you build around a gimmick or a limited mechanic you run the risk of the deck feeling stale pretty quickly. This problem even extends into the most common of theme decks, those built around a singular creature type. These decks also have another problem, the existence of a de facto commander. The easiest one to think about is Krenko, Mob Boss. He's aggressively costed, he makes goblins that feed his own strategy. He's been the top choice for as long as I've been playing and nothing can seem to unseat him, even other Krenko cards. If you build a deck with another Legendary Goblin at some point you just ask “should I just put Krenko here instead?”
Elves, especially in Mono Green, didn't have that same problem. I could name a half dozen green elf commanders with ease that all felt different enough. Then came along Lathril, Blade of the Elves, and took over Golgari elves. I can see why, she powers her own ability and punishes the table in doing so. I was left with a series of questions at that point. Why touch the strategy if it's solved? What would keep me coming back to a theme deck after I “did the thing” a couple of times? If no one Golgari elf commander would do to unseat her why limit myself to just one? That last question is what got me.
I built this deck to overcome the potential staleness of a theme deck. I wanted to make each game feel unique and fresh. So I decided to make this deck modular. No, I'm not running Arcbound Ravager and friends. I designed the deck to swap out commanders with a multitude of other options in the deck. I can randomly choose a new commander each game and let my last choice drift into the 99. Or sometimes 98. It's been surprisingly effective. Several of the choices enable or profit from +1/+1 counters or tokens. Each of those strategies plays well off the other. Most importantly, each choice of commander does it a little differently and has a unique line to it. I'm never left feeling like one strategy is subordinate to the other or that one doesn't fit with a given commander.
Here I am with a Golgari elves deck with 8 potential commander options. My initial build didn't have quite that many, but more recent sets have brought about unique mechanics that expanded the pool and playability of the strategy. Who are the Commanders? Rhys the Exiled starts us off. He's an old school option that loves having elf tokens running around. People are down on life game in Commander, but not me. I can be more reckless with my attacks in a strategy like this because I'm less worried about a crackback. I can afford to take a couple of hits if I reliably gain 20 life in a turn. Rhys is also really good at protecting himself from removal. It just comes at the cost of one of my many elves running around. Sometimes they're more efficient when they're seen as a resource. More on that later. Similarly, though Abomination of Llanowar has no problem with elves in the graveyard. Ones on the battlefield are just as nice. Either way, it gets to be a powerhouse in short order. It's not uncomon for it to threaten a commander damage kill. It's not the only option to threaten a knockout this way. Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord similiarly powers himself up relative to the number of elves in my graveyard. I have a ton of non token options in the deck for this play pattern. The cost to recur Jarad isn't daunting, especially in a color combination that ramps so reliably. After I pay the commander tax for the second or third time sacrificing a couple of lands starts to look pretty good.
Those 3 commander options dovetailed nicely into each other. I wanted to illustrate how the cards work together and bring a different feel and play style to the deck. Each of those options also plays nicely with Harald, King of Skemfar. He is probably the most underwhelming of the options on his own, but he still plays a vital role in keeping my hand stocked with elves. He's pretty cheap so I don't mind being aggressive with him and risking him in combat. If he dies a time or two I can recast him when I need more options in hand. My logic for adding Glissa Sunslayer to the deck was similar. I have one disclaimer, I have only recently added her to the deck and not played with her in the command zone. I think it makes for good removal. The enchantment portion obviously, but for a small planeswalker or a troublesome creature. The surprise factor here is its interaction with Haunted One. The Background gives my stuff undying, so if I remove the +1/+1 counters from a creature I allow it to be saved all over again. I am certainly attacking a lot with the deck so I need to save creatures that go to combat when I can. Haunted One isn't just in the deck. It pairs with Jaheira, Friend of the Forest. I'm going to have a lot of tokens in the deck so I can use them to power out the next wave. Jaheira and all those tokens help me close out the game in more ways than one. With Haunted One I get to use my creatures to attack and they get a good bump in doing so. If they die I get to recoup any ETBs and they come back stronger with a counter. I have other cards that provide +1/+1 counters so knowing when to deploy them is important. I can put a creature at an unnecessary risk. It adds a fun level of interaction within the deck.
I nearing the end of my options. I want to stick with the background idea for a moment. I wouldn't choose another card that could replace one or the other card in the pair so I inverted the color pairing. My next choice includes a black creature and a green enchantment. Viconia, Drow Apostle offers a simple bit of recursion for the deck. She's unassuming so she doesn't tend to draw a lot of hate or removal. She just sits there and accrues value over time. I paired her with Cloakwood Hermit and they feed off each other rather well in this strategy. Viconia needs 4 or more creatures in the graveyard to do her thing. I might as well put one there on my turn and profit from it. I've already espoused the power of tokens in the strategy and these are no different. Sure they don't get some of the ancillary benefits other creatures provide elves, but these other creature types do work too. When I have this pair out I play Viconia first and the background any turn after that. Sequencing that way enables me to better get the payoffs from each card soonest. I need Viconia out to get the benefit from the enchantment anyway, and Viconia needs to be present at the beginning of my turn if I hope to get the recursion. With all these backgrounds running around the deck I can profit more if I have more than one commander at a time. Cue Miara, Thorn of the Glade and Numa, Joraga Chieftan. Double the tokens and double the buff on combat is always a way to swing the game in my favor. Even without the enchantments, this pair poses a formidable challenge for the table. Miara keeps my hand full for the low cost of a mana and a life. Lots of my elves are dying, I might as well profit off their loss. Numa is all about powering up my creatures with counters. I can put all my eggs in one basket and make one creature a lethal threat, or I can spread them around. I stay flexible for what's best in the moment.
That is a lot and I've only covered about 10% of the deck. I'm going to highlight some cards that play well with my strategies. Rishkar, Peema Renegade loves creatures with +1/+1 counters. Depending on what cards I have out will dictate where I put the counters. If Hollow One is out I place the counters on my token creatures. They can't come back with undying anyway, so I'll let them fuel my ramp plan. I would rather recur a non token option after an unfavorable block thanks to the enchantment. If I also have Jaheria out though, it's less important.
When I said I would let my creatures fuel my ramp plan before I really meant it. Attacking creatures are a great way to win. People underestimate the combat step in this format to their own detriment. These tokens are more useful than that though. Having a lot of elves is great when I cast Shaman of the Pack. She just hits an opponent relative to the number of elves I have. She's great to recur with Profane Command or Thrilling Encore. Earlier versions of the deck had more recursion, but this is what's stuck around. Back to winning. With all these creatures generating so much mana I can use it to fuel some killer spells. Literally spells that kill opponents. Torment of Hailfire and Exsanguinate to be specific. My curve is pretty low overall so there would be little reason to make so much mana if it wasn't powering a win condition. These cards are notorious closers in the format. So much so that people have very strong feelings about them. I'm not making infinite mana so I can't guarantee it's game ending all around. I prefer to play one when I can knock out an opponent and leave the rest of the table in a bad way rather than holding it for the perfect moment to kill all 3 at once.
There's more. These tokens are a resource and victory condition all in one. As a resource, I can sacrifice them for the greater good. I need to keep my hand full, so Vampiric Rites was an easy include. The life gain is also helpful when I pay to draw in other ways. I also have Shadows of the Past here. Most people just see the first ability, to scry when a creature dies. It doesn't even have to be mine. The second ability is really where the card shines though. It's not unusual to be able to generate 15-20 mana in a turn with the deck and to be able to sink it into this effect before my turn is key.
I've talked about combat here and there, but I get sneaky with it. Taunting Elf is a classic green card. It makes all of an opponent's blockers rendered null. Ochran Assassin does the same with blockers. The Deathtouch doesn't add much to it as an attacker. Only if I can't do lethal damage on the first round of combat and I have a couple of Lord effects. Lords like Elvish Archdruid and Imperious Perfect. Dirge of the Dead is here too to sneak in damage. Fear is underrated in the combat step. I've never had a bad time casting it. If I'm playing too many black decks or artifact decks I'll just cycle it away and look for something better. If all else fails I have Bramblewood Paragon to give trample to my creatures pumped up with counters.
I have a couple of odds and ends to round out the article. Masked Admirers is card draw and recursion in one. Sure, it recurs itself, but then I get to draw more cards. I'm never afraid to send it into combat. Sylvan Offering is another great X spell. I give the tree to someone with the fewest creatures and the elves to anyone not sacrificing stuff and I always come out on top. I get political with it, making deals here and there. Too much politics isn't fun just like taking too long to resolve the spell. So I make sure to be decisive. What's really nice about the spell? Opponents can't refuse the Offering. Opponents can't conspire against me not to take the deal. I tip my hand a little with Wolf-skull Shaman. I reveal the card I'm about to draw for turn, but if I hit an elf I get rewarded with another token. Civic Wayfinder and District Guide both tutor up a land for me. Yes, I have a Golgari Guildgate in the deck. This deck was originally made with what I had lying around so the mana base was a mixed bag.
So how did the deck turn out? Check it.
Rhys, The Exiled Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord Abomination of Llanowar
Glissa Sunslayer Viconia, Drow Apostle Cloakwood Hermit
Numa, Joraga Chieftain Miara, Thorn of the Glade Harald, King of Skemfar
Haunted One Jaheira, Friend of the Forest
Bramblewood Paragon Rishkar, Peema Renegade Dirge of the Dead
Elvish Archdruid Tireless Provisioner Torment of Hailfire
Imperious Perfect District Guide Exsanguinate
Lys Alana Huntmaster Elvish Rejuvenator Taunting Elf
Korozda Guildmage Civic Wayfinder Ochran Assassin
Wirewood Hivemaster Farhaven Elf Destined//Lead
Wolf-skull Shaman Wirewood Herald Thrilling Encore
Sylvan Offering Nissa's Pilgrimage Heroic Intervention
Prowess of the Fair Reclamation Sage Inspiring Call
Shaman of the Pack Elvish Dreadlord Caller of the Claw
Vampiric Rites Putrefy Golgari Charm
Shadows of the Past Ruinous Path Gempalm Strider
Masked Admirers Naturalize Tribal Forcemage
Painful Lessons Hero's Downfall Llanowar Empath
Read the Bones Abrupt Decay Beast Whisperer
Underworld Connections Gild Elvish Visionary
Dwyen, Gilt Leaf-Dane Profane Command Gather the Pack
Marwyn, The Nurturer Yeva, Nature's Herald
Golgari Guildgate Scavenger Grounds Desert of the Indomitable
Desert of the Glorified Barren Moor Tranquil Thicket
Bojuka Bog Forest x14 Swamp x14
Who needs Lathril? I haven't gotten bored with the deck and don't see that happening any time soon. With such a popular tribe There will always be new options for me to customize the deck. I've been looking at Boreal Outrider to push the counter plan. It would be an overhaul of the mana base but would add more uniqueness to the deck. The other card I have in mind right now is Copperhorn Scout. It provides extra insurance from a crackback so I can attack with peace of mind. It might be unnecessary, but I won't know till I try it out.
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