I think this idea can work at last, now we have a bunch of amazing cards in the last 2 expansions for it

Gruul is the real deal, although Golgari is tempting too...but Red also has many good cards for this deck, the energy subtheme goes better with it, and above all, Voltaic Brawler is almost a must

So...

Edit: the 2º, better version is at the bottom of the page

Inexorable Bond

3 x Vessel of Nascency
3 x Fiery impulse

3 x Voltaic Brawler
2 x Scrapheap Scrounger
2 x Smuggler's Copter
2 x Grapple with the Past
3 x Harnessed Lightning

2 x Tireless Tracker
2 x Inexorable Blob
2 x Eldrazi Obligator
2 x Lathnu Hellion
3 x Elemental Bond
2 x Collective Defiance

2 x Bristling Hydra

1 x Verdurous Gearhulk
1 x Ishkanah, Grafwidow

1 x Woodland Bellower

6 x Mountain
6 x Forest
1 x Swamp

2 x Rootbound Crag
2 x Cinder Glade
3 x Aether Hub
4 x Evolving Wilds


As you can see, there's included a little Delirium subtheme, which goes really well along the Elemental Bond main plan

18 out of our 18 creatures have 3 power or more

Vessels helps with the mana and creature selection as always, and let us find our Bonds more consistently. Extra value from them. And Grapples with a Bond give us basically two cards for 1G...value city again

VB is the best agressive 2 CC drop, and Scrounger deserves a spot if just for the recurring from the GY, which is nuts with E. Bond(s) Also, if he gets killed, he almost allow Delirium by itself

Copter can look out of place, but the looting is so awesome for this deck...and it's really good by itself, obviously. Creature number 19 and 20

Same as Tracker, still very good in itself...but he on the contrary goes perfect with Bonds too, making the draw even more sick and fuelling the Bonds by himself

Hellion packs a good punch, and when he gives you a card on the process...also, this deck many times needs or have spare Energy, with the HL, Hydras, VB etc...so more flexibility is always welcomed. Energy is the 3º theme, so to say

Obligator is a long forgotten card, but here, at 3 power and with haste, he compliments really well the Hellions and the Bonds, allowing fast wins... and with the Hubs, t5 onwards is a devastating play when you include the Act of Treason effect

Inexorable Blob, in a Delirium deck and with just one E. Bond on the board, becomes utterly busted...a free 3/3 creature and a free card in every attack is absurd

C. Deff is very good at preventing mana or E.Bonds/Vessels flood, one of the few potential problems of this deck...and the face damage and removal, sweet

The Hydras are resilient and can play with the energy too, so they are in

Btw, beware of dropping 2 Bonds on the table against grindy decks...the possibility of milling yourself is very real, more than ever...

Verdurous and Isky, just the 2 best 5 CC drops of Gruul... and with Avacyn and the Flagship, of the game

Bellower almost doubles his value with every Bond on the board...and he tutors awesomeness here

24 lands...including 1 Swamp for the Scroungers and even Isky. Abbeys are tempting to include, I'll see how the mana goes.

Fairly low curve, topping at six and with only 5 cards above 3 CC...but you usually swim in cards with this deck, so it's a good idea if most of them are cheap

It's a bit early to say, but this is one of those decks that feel rounded up from the beginning, my first list was almost identical, playtesting hasn't changed almost anything, which is unusual

I must precise: you usually don't play Bonds t3 in this build, unless you are out of critters, or have just a Tracker waiting for t4...this a pretty fast and agressive deck, with the VBs, the Scroungers, the Hellions, Obligators etc...Bonds is the awesome way in which you don't lose steam when your play your entire hand of threats in a few turns

Edited, finally had to go to 24 lands

Ahkoum Firebird still can't target PLainswalkers?

I dunno, I barely see them, lol.

But they have fixed almost all the disasters, so I guess so

I use 2x Elemental Bond in my Gruul Midrange deck, but I use Matter Reshaper/Thoughtknot/Reality Smasher, so I'm basically 3-color with colorless.

Hmm, how do you feel about Reclamation Sage in here? It won't trigger the bonds, but having recurring enchantment hate is usually a problem for Vehicle and burn decks.

I had a lot of success in Origins/Zendikar by throwing Elemental Bond into my GB Elves deck, with most of them entering as 3 power.
It's an underrated card.

Are you getting that Swamp reliably enough to make use of Scrapheap Scrounger? Or using Aether Hub?

That version can't be bad, indeed...I have to try that



He was there, one of the few changes...thing is, this deck is too fast to really care for enemy artifacts if it can do the rush thing...and too powerful if it manages to do the Bond thing...I always had better things to do with my mana in the playtesting than casting a Sage



With the four EW, the lone Swamp and the 3 Hubs, that isn't a problem almost never...and a lot of times I want to have the Scrounger in the GY for a couple of turns to activate fast Delirium

More problematic is securing a Hub for a t5-6 Obligator, but as that isn't a so vital play, I'm ok when I can manage it, and ok too when I can't...half the time I cast him t3 anyways...

I would only run 2x Bond because you only ever want 1 and I would probably include Flameshadow Conjuring in it's place as giving another draw and haste would be epic.

Making them just 2 is tempting, more so with the Vessels...but having 3 ups the consistency, and we have Copters and C.Deff to cycle our excess of Bonds...though call, time will tell I guess

Lol, this thread comes from the Flameshadows one Timm posted a bit before...problem is, the creatures that are the best for FC aren't exactly the same that are the best for EB...close, but enough of a difference to make the mix of the 2 a bit weaker than the standalone versions, the just EB and the just FC ones...this build in fact started as an hybrid of the two, but soon it was obvious that was stretching too much the list

I think this list is pretty strong

I have also been messing around with a bonds build...the irony is that I have put bonds down 3 times (of 6 games played) and each time it has been destroyed immediately thereafter. Here are a few cards that are unique to my build that I don't see in yours (we run many of the same cards). My deck tries to hit hard after the third play. I'd post my entire list....but I don't have it in front of me

Elvish Visionary - was trying to get bonds into my hands ASAP, wanted the card draw for this reason, but this card can be replaced - potentially with Cathartic Reunion?
Lambholt Pacifist - great value card, synergy with bonds- I started with the same energy combo as you have with brawler/hydra/lightning- but decided to move away from the energy mechanic to Nature's Way Blossoming Defense and Built to Smash/ Lamby was the primary replacement for brawler
Impetuous Devils - Hard hitter that if played properly can be a wincon/ game changer
Mina and Denn, Wildborn - as opposed to ishkana- I didn't go with the delirium sub theme either- nice trample enabler - we should have plenty of land if we can get bonds up and running to activate.
Blood Mist - maybe this could also be a Flameshadow Conjuring? Both have good synergy with the deck
Embodiment of Fury - fits the fast/ hard hitting theme
Chandra, Flamecaller - end of curve winner

I think there are a bunch of ways to build around the bonds. I am planning to try your build and compare/contrast.

I burned myself out on Bond in BFZ era when I messed around with the card in around a dozen different decks... your list looks interesting tho so I may revisit and play yours.

In my previous experience, I thought it best to run all 3 copies. When your deck is built to exploit it and is packed full of creatures that trigger it, I think it's best to make sure you get it out as early as possible. That you're drawing an extra card virtually every turn after it's out, drawing a redundant copy isn't too painful / an acceptable trade off for consistency drawing the 1st copy. When you have mana to spare casting extra copies, you can really get nutty card advantage (as you've noted, so nutty self mill is a possibility).

Those were one of the last cuts, when trimming the deck. I'm trying to be faster with my build than with Visionaries and Pacifists (the names say it all haha)



Just Brawlers make a huge difference, and Copters and Scroungers too, and the top end...believe me, now it's way better than in BFZ

So you're always tapping 3+ power to activate the Copter?
That's a benefit of flying, card flow, and possibly pseudo-haste, but no power gain.
Is that worth the copter? Or is there an actual creature to put in that 2-slot?

Yes, it's worth it. And yes the 3+ power creature is one coming into play without haste, so little lost for an aggressive deck.

Aye, having evasion and the looting ability is worth it alone. Even without any ways to abuse the looting ability (like Madness cards) the filtering it provides is pretty damn awesome for a deck looking to slam down creatures and attack each turn. Plus the aforementioned pseudo-haste, and the fact it makes the deck more resilient against sweepers and decks with a glut of spot removal.

Kind of the same basic idea as my Rakdos Vamps list currently. Basically every turn you are putting one (or multiple) 3+ power creatures on the table. It becomes hard to keep up with after awhile unless we run into a Languish or Planar Outburst. I could only assume things play out pretty similarly here.

Yep

As the guys mentioned, the looting and the resiliency makes it.

Btw, had to go one more land...I was finding myself always wanting more land...maybe I'll have to go up to even 25...so Firebird out

Even better, because the Bond means we could get wiped, have one creature in hand, and suddenly slam down 9 power over 3 bodies due to the extra drawing from Bond.

Sure, although Vamps have the chance to loot into Madness stuff too, so I think things are pretty similar. Getting wiped, slamming down a creature, piloting Copter, and looting a Bloodhall Priest onto the table (and getting a free Shock) has happened for me more often than it probably should lol.

No doubt (but I still think Rakdos is better as good stuff than strictly Vamps)

Second version, trimmed of fat...I entirely cut the Delirium theme...I want to be as agressive as possible here, and Vessels and Grapples don't do damage...

Even if that means that I have to play sub par creatures like Terrain Elemental

Then:

4 x Galvanic Bombardment

3 x Voltaic Brawler
4 x Terrain Elemental
2 x Scrapheap Scrounger
2 x Smuggler's Copter
3 x Harnessed Lightning

2 x Tireless Tracker
2 x Shrill Howler
2 x Geier Reach Bandit
2 x Eldrazi Obligator
2 x Lathnu Hellion
2 x Elemental Bond
1 x Collective Defiance

1 x Blood Mist

1 x Verdurous Gearhulk
1 x Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
2 x Reality Smasher

6 x Mountain
5 x Forest
1 x Swamp
1 x Waste

2 x Rootbound Crag
2 x Cinder Glade
3 x Aether Hub
4 x Evolving Wilds
1 x Hanweir Battlements


Better

4 Galvanics, as early removal is key

More agressive 2 CC drops. More haste too, Bandits in.

Howler/Chorus substitutes Blob...he makes early damage most of the time due to his ability...and late game, he becomes a powerhouse with Bonds, once flipped. Good synergy.

Swapped one Bonds for a Blood Mist...in a deck with high power creatures, is lethal...and less possibilities of getting 2 or 3 Bonds in the hand, which hurts

Now topping at 5...no Bellower, Flagship in...amazing when all our cretures can pilot it.

Smashers in, instead of the Hydras...trample, haste and resiliency is too much to pass...and with the Mist, ouch. Anyways t4 I'm usually casting removal to let my creatures hit, losing the Hydras is no that problematic and t5-6 Smasher hurt.

Trying 24 lands, it's low curve (4-14-12-1-4) but manahungry

Feels way more compact and to the point