Marlon Egolf:
As part of our Rise of the Eldrazi archetype guide series, I will be examining G/X ramp, which is a deck I’ve had a lot of success with on MODO. Due to the depth of green in ROE, G/X is very consistent and very powerful, and is one of, if not the best limited archetype in the format, and I find that the deck works best when the green is paired with either black or red. Here is a successful GB deck that I drafted online recently. I’ll go over the cards and what functions they serve in the deck.
Example Decklist
The Ramp:
Nest Invader
Kozileks Predator
Dread Drone
Growth Spasm
These are the heart of the deck, and the reason that it’s so effective. All of these cards provide bodies to go along with the mana accel, and allow you the flexibility to go on the offensive or stay back and play defense while you build up your position. The Eldrazi spawn producers also do a good job of feeding into each other. Turn two Nest Invader allows for a turn three Predator, which can ramp you up to seven mana on turn four.
What to do with all that mana:
Ulamog’s Crusher
Pelakka Wurm
Wildheart Invoker
Bloodrite Invoker
It’s not a ramp deck without something to spend your mana on. Fortunately, we have been provided with not just expensive creatures, but also creatures with expensive, game-changing abilities. A card like Bloodrite Invoker isn’t particularly good on its own, since it dies in combat to pretty much anything, but the 6 point life swings it can create if left alone are significant enough to warrant an inclusion in a deck like this. The same is true with Wildheart Invoker, although his body is obviously more than respectable.
Ulamog’s Crusher and Pelakka Wurm are both board-dominating threats, and demand an answer from your opponent or they will just end the game. Pretty much any large creature in this ROE is worthy of being a curve topper in a ramp deck, from Artisan of Kozilek to Pestilence Demon. Just make sure the ramp aspect of the deck is solid, and you should have few problems casting your large-rumped threats.
What to do with all those Eldrazi Spawn:
Broodwarden
Bloodthrone Vampire
Mortician Beetle
Any G/X ramp deck is going to end up with a surplus of Eldrazi Spawn hanging out in play, just waiting to die for your cause. Sure, they can always be sacrificed for mana or chump block, but it’s always nice to be able to do something a little more productive with them. In this particular deck there are three separate options. The first and most obvious is the Broodwarden. Broodwarden shines in this type of deck, and can often create an Overrun type of situation from out of nowhere. I recommend taking Broodwarden highly in this archetype.
Mortician Beetle and Bloodthrone Vampire both serve similar functions in this regard, although there are some differences. Mortician Beetle is excellent turn one, and becomes a huge monster simply by sacrificing your spawn. The vampire is good at any point in the game as long as you still have plenty of spawn hanging out. And of course, these two creatures work particularly well together. Obviously the beetle is a rare, but I find that he shows up often enough, so keep an eye out.
Removal
Induce Despair
Last Kiss
Vendetta
Bala Ged Scorpion
Any decent deck should have some form of removal, and these ramp decks are no exception. Nothing fancy here, just your standard black removal suite. Keep in mind that Induce Despair shines in a deck like this due to the size of your threats, and should be taken highly. The best removal spell for the deck however, is obviously Corpsehatch, which fulfills the role of both removal and ramp.
I’ve included the scorpion in this list because it usually can find a decent target, and takes out the smaller guys that you don’t want to waste your more powerful removal spells on.
Solid Guys
Nirkana Cutthroat
Cadaver Imp
Like any deck, this one has some filler, but the goal is to keep the filler decent. The Cutthroat is a powerful creature on its own, and Cadaver Imp functions particularly well in this type of deck, with all the must kill creatures. When forced to use filler cards like this, the goal is to try to keep them in line with the theme of the deck. For instance, a card like Stomper Cub, while fine, doesn’t really advance your game plan, and should typically only be used when you’re low on playables.
G/X Ramp is a very powerful and very versatile archetype in ROE limited. Hopefully this article gave you a better idea of how best to utilize this excellent strategy. Give it a try, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
