More Ex...Experiments

If the post titles look goofy, that's because I'm going to try and take them from Grimlock's dialog in games and shows and that dialog is frequently...stilted.

A solid weekend of goldfishing made one thing perfectly clear: I needed more mana. Not more lands, so much as ways to get mana into play.

Yeah, I wanted to keep all the dinosaurs in but 40 creatures is too many if I cannot actually play them.

So cards like Relentless Raptor, Imperial Aerosaur, Belligerent Brontodon, Ancient Brontodon, Burning Sun's Avatar, Dissension in the Ranks (which I love but not here) and Dusk Legion Dreadnought had to go.

Removal:
Star of Extinction
Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
Pyrohemia

Card draw:
Vanquisher's Banner
Shamanic Revelation
Tooth and Nail

Mana:
Comander's Sphere
Explosive Vegetation

Of these, Star of Extinction is definitely 'the glory of cool things'. The rest I think can be justified: synergies with the other cards in deck, card draw and lifegain, mana fixing. All of these things help with the 'create giant monsters' plan.

Of the notable cuts, Burning Sun's Avatar just doesn't do enough. If it hit every creature for 3 or every opponent for 3, or had ANY static abilities (first strike, trample, hell even a Pyrohemia on a stick would be OK) then I'd consider it. But the enter the battlefield effect isn't strong enough without some kind of flicker effect and there just isn't room in the deck. Imperial Aerosaur I hated cutting because flyers are always solid but again, the ETB effect isn't strong enough and paying four mana for a 2/2 flyer isn't worth it.

I really want to use Dissension in the Ranks. A LOT. It's so perfect for Commander, as it can really bork someone's combat. But it's expensive and requires me to leave mana up to do...what? No, I'm already attacking with giant lizards. Hence, Pyrohemia: it does something similar in terms damaging creatures and it works well with the Enrage mechanic.

There are some better dinosaurs to consider acquiring: Goring Ceratops creates problems for opponents but at 7 mana...yike. Regisaur Alpha is also a card that should make it: five mana is incredibly reasonable and the static ability is huge, because it means that my future investments in Large Monsters might have a chance to do something before a sorcery level boardwipe prevents it.

But, it's time for some real world testing, don't you think?