I have a similar deck in Temur.

Archaemancer + Species Gorger + LD is fun to play sometimes, but it makes people angry.

I think you forgot a "not" somewhere in there

Jade Mage is like a bad Rabblemaster, the tokens are able to trade with their early stuff that they cast before getting their lands destroyed.
It's also decent in a ramp shell if it sticks around and in a board stall works well with Tectonic Rift.

Resounding Thunder did come to mind, but a 3 damage spell is not really what this deck wants.
By the time you are recurring it with Devils you already won.
The 3-drops are also pretty stacked already.

I think there#s a few ways to try and do dragons but I ended up focusing on Gruul version first since it kinda fits in with that typical idea but swap out the big green beasties for big dragons instead.
Though I don't think I'm that good at deck building so this probably isn't great, plus it's kinda shifting around here and there.

One quick question Wright. If you're going to run the Golgari and Rakdos guildgates for the cycling effect of Resounding Thunder why not just run Savage Lands instead?

Edit: Gatekeepers. Missed that.

The evolving process of trying to make a Wolf Tribal thing work.



Seems to be working better than the mono version.

This looks like fun! Lots of cards in it that I've never used. I'll have to play some games with it tomorrow.

Looks cool eon, but I wonder if you shouldn't be playing some of the cheaper pump spells like Titanic Growth to force through more damage with the Wolves. I'm also not sold on Galvanic Arc because it doesn't buff your dudes, and the Wolves could really use a power boost so that they're unblockable. Lightning Talons feels like it is possibly a better choice.

I also get the Wolf Tribal theme, but don't really think Howlgeist is good enough at six mana. I think I'd rather just play Terra Stomper for that price, especially since Anger of the Gods just makes you look silly. If you want to stay on theme, though, then I can understand that. You could go a little wild, though, and play Mischief and Mayhem at the top of the curve. With your unblockable Wolves and Gnarlids, it is a huge punch to your opponent's face and probably lethal if he can't respond to it.

I'm also not sold on Visionary here, I think you want a more aggressive card in your two-drop slot. Shortcutter fits the unblockable theme, but you could also play Furor of the Bitten for a flavorful card that would look pretty good on a Wandering Wolf or Aura Gnarlid.

Just some random thoughts.

The deck was originally mono and ran 3x Primal Bellow but I cut them when I decided to add into the deck. I considered Titanic Growth but didnt really put much thought into it. That may be a good call!

Galvanic Arc was another inclusion in the deck when I added the deck was originally running Prey Upon as its only removal, and with the current creature base it just wasn't very reliable (even with Primal Bellow) early on when you really needed it to. The first swap in was Shock, and I considered running Resounding Thunder since I was already running the Jund lands and could potentially cycle it.

Galvanic Arc seemed to be a better option though as it did the same thing early on and also helped progress the Gnarlid plan. I didn't even consider Lightning Talons to be honest with you. I may have to test that. I forgot that card even existed, evidenced by the fact I considered Furor of the Bitten/Maniacal Rage and didn't even notice it!

I agree with you completely on Visionary. It was mostly included because I didn't know what else to put in those spots and I figured it nothing else it helps to keep the Wolf fuel flowing. These are probably the most suspect inclusions in the deck. I wish we had another cheap Wolf in the game, Shortcutter is probably the way to go without it though.

As for Howlgeist he was included mostly because he fits the Wolf theme, but he actually hasn't worked out too bad. There isn't a TON of exile effects in the format, so he holds up pretty well to removal because of Undying. He also attacks through basically everything that isn't a Wurm or a Demon, which can be nice. He is another Wolf for Raised by Wolves and actually makes a pretty good target for the decks Aura/pump spells.....I do wish he didn't cost 6 though.

Mischief and Mayhem seems like it could be fun to mess around with if nothing else.

I'm sure Howlgeist isn't terrible once it's in play, in fact if it were four mana then it'd be one hell of a card. But at six you have to expect more. JMHO.

Oh I agree. Even at 5 cmc it isn't terrible. 6 is definitely pushing it though.

It was mostly included to mesh with the whole Wolf Tribal thing, but I have actually been surprised by how well it works when it does come into play.

I feel comfortable leaving them in the deck, mostly because I don't have any illusions that some sort of Wolf tribal mess is going to be super competitive anyways. They work decently at what they do.

I wouldn't at all be offended if people felt the need to push the deck further from the Wolf thing to include better cards like Wurms and whatnot to make it a bit more competitive though.

Mostly this was just me trying to see if I could make something work going as deep as I could with the Wolf route, and as an excuse to play with some cards I don't get a chance to play with much (which coincidentally happen to be a lot of wolves).

That said, I still feel like Wandering Wolf is a card that has been criminally ignored overall in the meta. There is so much room to make them do something good. My Bant Exalted deck uses them to great effect with Exalted.

Even something like this deck that eschews the Wolf route in place of a bunch of pump and unblockable threats. Spire Tracer was something I considered in the place of Elvish Visionary in my initial mono build. I could easily see something like that with a good amount of pump having some potential to be at least reasonably good.

I actually think you're onto something here but I think the main theme needs to be unblockable dudes with the Wolf Tribal as a subtheme.

No matter how you slice it, though, I'm not paying six mana for Howlgeist when I can get an uncounterable 8/8 trampler.

Have you updated the list at all with any of Hakeem's advice? I'm going to get on and play a few games, so I figured I'd help you test it out.

Something like this maybe?

Granted Russet Wolves is just another Hill Giant but it does fit into the tribe. Just a thought.

Man, why couldn't we get a Master of the Wild Hunt this year? Was it last year or the year before we had Howl of the Night Pack? I swear they string out cards from version to version just to mess with us!

elk

I feel Russet Wolves is going down the same path as Howlgeist.

The biggest problem with an all in Wolf tribal thing right now is that there isn't a sufficiently good Lord or Anthem effect.

If I can help it I don't want to be playing Hill Giant unless I have a sufficient amount of ways to make it more than a Hill Giant.

Off color concerns mean that Paragon of Eternal Wilds, Paragon of Fierce Defiance, and Hall of Triumph are out of the question, and we have no dedicated Wolf lords to buff based on type.

Which leaves us with maybe Exalted (which would mean adding ) or Auras.

Admittedly, we are already sort of on the Aura plan here. If we are talking making something like this as viable and competitive as possible, I think if you wanted to go all in on the Aura plan then you are better off running cheaper evasive threats than Russet Wolves. Those cheap threats mesh better with the Aura both in cost and effectiveness in closing out games.

I have already sort of explored the Exalted route with my Bant Exalted deck so I am not too keen to go there with it. Although even without Exalted, I am sure you could make something out of this that worked well in Selesnya. With Wandering Wolf and stuff like Sigil Blessing and maybe some of the Auras.

Something to maybe tool around on sometime later

I wouldn't read much into what I said other than....

"Hey! He said 'Wolf Tribal'."

*Quickly reviews each color and card type - Only finds 1 other unused/unmentioned wolf and suggests it*

If your in on the wolf plan and looking for critical mass, than Russet is a thing (a 3/3 for 4 CMC isn't completely awful either). That's about it though.

elk

I was really wanting to try out Mischief and Mayhem to see if the card was any good and could work in this list, but I don't see anything worth cutting for it. I think Hunter's Prowess is a much better card.

You could maybe get by dropping a copy of Titanic Growth to sneak Mischief and Mayhem in here.

I don't think I would swap more than one myself personally. Just so you don't end up with a ton of 5 drops clogging up your hand, since we are already pretty heavy in that spot (Hunters Prowess and Raised By Wolves are both likely just better).

I could see sneaking one of them in though if you wanted to play with the card. I don't think it would take any huge hit to viability losing a tiny bit of early pump for some more "late game" pump to close out games.

Are you sold on red as your second color? Ordeal of Heliod on a Wandering Wolf would be pretty good and Gods Willing is just amazing.

I was honestly thinking the same thing earlier when I first mentioned how Wandering Wolf is such an overlooked card.

White would bring about the potential to run Ordeal of Heliod and Sigil Blessing, both of which seem like they would be stupid good with Wandering Wolf and Aura Gnarlid. Gods Willing is definitely a thing as well.

Maybe this is what I will tool around on today while I do laundry and wait for the wife to get home.