{"ops":[{"insert":"\t"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss"}},{"insert":" caught my attention as soon as he was spoiled. I love Gruul, I love creature based decks, and pushing mana dork tribal is just a comfy place to be. Having all of our creatures tap for mana means the deck runs quite smooth--albeit fearfully aware of board wipes--and so long as we can manage to find a draw engine the deck can make explosive plays. I have had turns with this deck where I played almost my entire deck; if we can continue to draw, and have haste on the board, then dropping new dorks and triggering Ragga's ability to untap a \"super dork\" (more on that below) can allow us to continue storming like crazy. Now, this is not required to win the game, but it is very fun that the deck can absolutely pop off in insane ways. \n\n\tThe important distinction in the deck between dorks and super dorks comes down to this: some dorks tap for mana equal to their power, such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Marwyn, the Nurturer"}},{"insert":", and these interact in an insane way with Raggadragga's triggered ability. If we can cast a 7 cost spell and untap one of the super dorks and give it +7/+7 it will now tap for 7 extra mana. So imagine casting a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Regal Force"}},{"insert":" and drawing 6 cards off of the green creatures you have on the field. Now we untap Marwyn, who may already have a fairly high power, and she can give us 7 more mana to cast all of the cards in our hand potentially. Or, we can cast the next 7 cost spell we drew to do it again and she will then be tapping for at least 14 mana. These kinds of plays can be explosive and incredibly satisfying, but also require playing cards in the correct order and seeing the combo. And that's what the deck is all about! These decision points are plentiful, and the deck gets going hard out of the gate with all of the dorks unless someone slows us down. \n\n\tOk, let's break down the categories in the deck. \n\nDorks: \n\tThere is a lot of range in the dork category. We have the basic 1 drop "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Llanowar Elves"}},{"insert":" variations, along with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Birds of Paradise"}},{"insert":". Then we have a few 2 drops that simply tap for a mana and some that also have upside, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bloom Tender"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Devoted Druid"}},{"insert":". We have some bangers in this category as well, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Circle of Dreams Druid"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Karametra's Acolyte"}},{"insert":", which can tap for a lot of mana once we get going. There are 21 Elves in the deck, so "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Priest of Titania"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Elvish Archdruid"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wirewood Channeler"}},{"insert":" all have the potential to tap for a fair amount of mana; just tapping for more than one mana is gravy, and it happens consistently with this many elves in the deck. This is why I run some of these dorks over other non-Elf options. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Elvish Harbinger"}},{"insert":" is almost always used to find "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Marwyn, the Nurturer"}},{"insert":" if we need a super dork, or if we are ready to win then we can grab "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fierce Empath"}},{"insert":" to go for the "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Craterhoof Behemoth"}},{"insert":". \n\nSuper Dorks: \n\tThis section is the secret sauce in this deck. I described the reasoning in-depth above, so I won't belabor the point here. I also just swapped out the Sol Ring for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Selvala, Heart of the Wilds"}},{"insert":" since she can also accomplish the same goal, albeit slightly roundabout. I did not realize that she fit the bill until writing this, and we need as many options as possible in this category. \n\nHaste Enablers: \n\tHaste is paramount in this deck, both so that we can tap our dorks the turn they come down (which is the primary point of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thousand-Year Elixir"}},{"insert":") as well as make our alpha strike without needing to wait a full turn rotation. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rhythm of the Wild"}},{"insert":" is excellent because of the added counter spell protection, and we will always opt for haste unless we have another haste enabler out for some reason. I don't think there's much more to cover here. \n\nDraw: \n\tDrawing off of our creatures is extremely important. We have the classics, such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beast Whisperer"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Guardian Project"}},{"insert":", but there are a few interesting choices here as well. With Raggadragga out, all of our dorks have at least 3 power so "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Elemental Bond"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Garruk's Packleader"}},{"insert":" will trigger for us. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Return of the Wildspeaker"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rishkar's Expertise"}},{"insert":" both play nicely with Raggadragga's third ability to draw a lot of cards. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Regal Force"}},{"insert":" trigger's Raggadragga's third ability and usually draws a lot of cards on entry. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Commune with Lava"}},{"insert":" can be insane with a lot of mana dumped into it, and since Raggadragga untaps our dorks after combat we can cast this for a huge X value on the endstep before our turn to have an absurd hand to start the turn; or, since it can trigger Raggadragga with an X value of 5 or greater we can also get a lot of mileage out of using it during our own turn. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lifecrafter's Bestiary"}},{"insert":" is a subpar option but we have plenty of disposable mana and we desperately require draw so I included it anyway; however, it is probably the weakest of the bunch. Since we have 21 Druids in the deck "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gilt-Leaf Archdruid"}},{"insert":" should be able to pay off, and if you can activate the Druid-based activated ability that is also an absurd play. We can tutor her with Elvish Harbinger if you have a lot of druids on the board and want to try and ruin someone's day. \n\n\nRemoval: \n\tSelf-explanatory, but we need good interaction to stay in the game. Gruul struggles in this area, so we do what we can with the tools available to us.\n\nProtection: \n\tOur board gets scary quickly and we can struggle to rebuild if we haven't been drawing consistently; that's where this category comes in. The deck is tight, so we only have boots to protect our most important piece on the board from spot removal and of course "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Heroic Intervention"}},{"insert":" to save us from a board wipe. I could maybe stand to add another spell of this kind, but for now this is what we have. \n\nSynergy: \n\t"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary"}},{"insert":" is our recursion in the deck. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Leyline of Abundance"}},{"insert":" is absolutely absurd, allowing all of our basic dorks to tap for 2 mana and you can even begin the game with it on the field; the activated ability is also one that can be easy to sink mana into if the opportunity presents itself. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Quest for Renewal"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Seedborn Muse"}},{"insert":" are obvious choices here since it allows us to use all of our dorks for mana during any turn; which brings us directly to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vedalken Orrery"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Yeva, Nature's Herald"}},{"insert":" since they are the perfect ways to utilize our mana in each turn. Obviously casting spells at instant speed is always powerful, and here since we often want to pop off in one turn the ability to hide how close we are getting--by delaying playing our key pieces until the end step before our big turn--can be crucial. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood"}},{"insert":" is a free slot that will trigger Raggadragga's third ability and also let us dig into the deck for a key piece. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nyxbloom Ancient"}},{"insert":" is busted in any deck, but here it puts us into overdrive and also triggers Raggadragga's third ability. I was very stoked when I finally sprung for one of these for the deck. \n\n\nWin Condition: \n\tAs I tend to do, I've included the tutors in the win condition category. This does not mean that they should be used solely to find a win con; there are plenty of times where an early tutor into a value piece (such as draw or ramp) to get ahead is a winning move. And, of course, using them effectively comes with familiarity with the deck.\n\t"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Summoner's Pact"}},{"insert":" is incredibly easy to pay for in this deck, and we love the instant speed. It is worth noting that the three X cost tutors can trigger Raggadragga if we make them cost at least 7 cmc. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ecological Appreciation"}},{"insert":" requires some thought, and usually we want to pick cards that have overlap (such all 4 of the super dorks, or win con options such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fierce Empath"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Craterhoof Behemoth"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kamahl, Heart of Krosa"}},{"insert":"). Most of this section is relatively straightforward, but I want to call attention to a few cards. First is Kamahl; I think this card is so on theme for the deck, and it works wonders. Between him and Raggadragga our dorks are getting +5/+5 and trample, and that can be enough to win on it's own. We also like the fact that he is a Druid, and the activated ability plays well with Raggadragga since he will also boost the P/T on the land creatures. A turn that goes: play Kamahl -> untap a super dork -> tap that super dork to animate a handful of lands -> swing for lethal is totally viable and simply awesome. Finally, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shaman of Forgotten Ways"}},{"insert":" is a favorite win condition in this deck, both for flavor and for power. Not only is he a dork, but he also has an absurd activated ability stapled on that we simply love. We often have the widest board, and regardless if we can lower life totals this drastically in a turn we can certainly close out the game. \n\n\t"},{"attributes":{"background":"var(--light-background)","color":"var(--color)"},"insert":"I have a few closing notes to add. I did not make a separate category for this, but we have 9 cards which are 7cmc or greater (or include an X in the cost) that can trigger Raggadragga's third ability. This number could probably be bumped up, and X cost spells are excellent options, but we also don't want to overload the deck with high costed spells; "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood"}},{"insert":" is excellent for this purpose since it can also just be a land. I also think it is important to point out that "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient"}},{"insert":" does NOT work with Raggadragga's ability; Klauth's triggered ability does produce mana, but it does not count as a mana ability, so he does not untap and does not get the +2/+2 buff either. It can still absolutely go in the deck if you so choose, and it does cost 7 so it will trigger Raggadragga's third ability; I have run him in the past to solid effect. Also, I am very high on "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Anzrag, the Quake-Mole"}},{"insert":" for this deck, and I think he will find a slot before too long. He plays excellently with Raggadragga's untap effect since we can swing out with dorks, they untap, then we can activate the mole's ability, and then he will untap all of our board for another combat. This also plays well with Kamahl because his ability will give us an additional overrun effect for each combat step. \n\n\tThis deck is an absolute blast to play. If you love creature based decks, flooding the board, never running low on mana, and big explosive plays, then give this deck a go. I think this is one of the most fun decks I have built because it just works. You always get Raggadragga down a turn early if you want to, although sometimes stacking a few dorks early is nice so we can swing with them when he comes down, untap, and then cast more spells in our second main phase. The deck can be exceedingly simple and yet has the possibility for big-brain plays, which makes for a fun game every time. As always, please leave any comments, questions or suggestions you may have down below! Cheers \n\n\nEdit 01:\nLifecrafter's Bestiary out for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tribute to the World Tree"}},{"insert":". This is a strict upgrade in every way. \n"}]}