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COMMANDER(S)
Nikya of the Old Ways
QR Code
G R
- Gruul
Created by  izuca676
Info
Bracket
4.5 - 5.0
Bracket 1
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Average CMC Average CMC
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ANALYSIS

Overview:

This Nikya of the Old Ways deck is a creature-focused stompy strategy leveraging Nikya's mana doubling to deploy high-power threats quickly. The deck wins through combat damage using synergistic creature effects and pseudo-stax elements like Nullstone Gargoyle while circumventing its noncreature restriction through creature-based ramp, removal, and card advantage.

Primer:

Core Strategy:

  1. Early Ramp: Use 1-2 mana dorks (Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradise) and land-fetch creatures (Wood Elves, Farhaven Elf) to accelerate into Nikya by turn 4.
  2. Mana Explosion: With Nikya in play, lands tap for double mana to cast game-ending threats like Ghalta, Primal Hunger or Terastodon as early as turn 5.
  3. Value Engines: Maintain momentum with creature-based card draw (Beast Whisperer, Soul of the Harvest) and protection (Archetype of Endurance).
  4. Combat Overkill: Use Xenagos, God of Revels and Karlach, Fury of Avernus to create massive combat steps, while Kessig Wolf Run ensures damage connects.

Key Lines:

  • T1: Land + Birds of Paradise
  • T2: Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma
  • T3: Nikya (with 5+ mana from dorks)
  • T4: Cast 10+ mana worth of creatures like Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus and Hamletback Goliath

Mulligan Priorities:

  • Keep hands with 3 lands and 1-2 ramp creatures
  • Prioritize Goblin Anarchomancer or Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea in opening hands
  • Reject hands without green mana sources

Weaknesses:

Critical:

  • Fold to board wipes (only 2 recursion sources: Eternal Witness, Paleoloth)
  • No protection against sacrifice effects/mass removal

Moderate:

  • Struggles against flyer-heavy decks (only 4 reach creatures)
  • Limited stack interaction (only Wandering Archaic as pseudo-counter)

Minor:

  • Mana flood mitigation (no noncreature card selection)
  • Weak to Blood Moon effects (14 basic Forests, 7 basic Mountains)

Most Important Cards:

  • Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma
  • Xenagos, God of Revels
  • Beast Whisperer
  • Soul of the Harvest
  • Archetype of Endurance
  • Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus
  • Goblin Anarchomancer
  • Bane of Progress
  • Nullstone Gargoyle
  • Kessig Wolf Run

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

  • Can deploy 10+ power threats by turn 5 consistently
  • Ghalta, Primal Hunger occasionally cast T3-4 with optimal ramp

Resilience: 4/10

  • 32 creatures die to Blasphemous Act
  • Limited recursion (only 3 cards)
  • No hexproof/protection for Nikya

Consistency: 7/10

  • 14 ramp creatures ensure Nikya on curve
  • 8 card draw engines mitigate flood
  • Lacks tutors for key pieces like Xenagos

Interaction: 3/10

  • Creature-based removal only (Reclamation Sage, Kogla)
  • No instant-speed interaction
  • Collector Ouphe as only stax piece

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between Optimized Casual (5.0) and Focused (6.0) on the rubric. While capable of explosive T5-6 wins with Nikya online, it folds to common interaction like Farewell and lacks the redundancy/protection of true 6.0 decks. The creature-only restriction creates inherent vulnerabilities balanced by raw power potential.

Power level: 4.5 - 5.0

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DECK LIST
Nikya of the Old Ways
Creature: 61
($121.69)
1
Anzrag, the Quake-Mole
2 R G
1
Arbor Elf
G
1
Archetype of Aggression
1 R R
1
Archetype of Endurance
6 G G
1
Augur of Autumn
1 G G
1
Bane of Progress
4 G G
1
Beast Whisperer
2 G G
1
Birds of Paradise
G
1
Cactusfolk Sureshot
2 R G
1
Clifftop Lookout
2 G
1
Collector Ouphe
1 G
1
Enduring Courage
2 R R
1
Eternal Witness
1 G G
1
Farhaven Elf
2 G
1
Fierce Empath
2 G
1
Garruk's Packleader
4 G
1
Ghalta, Primal Hunger
10 G G
1
Goblin Anarchomancer
R G
1
Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma
3 G
1
Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea
2 G
1
Hajar, Loyal Bodyguard
R G
1
Hamletback Goliath
6 R
1
Ilharg, the Raze-Boar
3 R R
1
Karlach, Fury of Avernus
4 R
1
Kogla, the Titan Ape
3 G G G
1
Llanowar Elves
G
1
Magus of the Candelabra
G
1
Nullstone Gargoyle
9
1
Nylea, Keen-Eyed
3 G
1
Ohran Frostfang
3 G G
1
Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth // Temple of Cultivation
3 G G
1
Outcaster Trailblazer
2 G
1
Paleoloth
4 G G
1
Primordial Sage
4 G G
1
Questing Beast
2 G G
1
Reclamation Sage
2 G
1
Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
4 R G
1
Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 G
1
Scavenging Ooze
1 G
1
Silverback Elder
2 G G G
1
Solemn Simulacrum
4
1
Soul of the Harvest
4 G G
1
Sowing Mycospawn
3 G
1
Spearbreaker Behemoth
5 G G
1
Spinner of Souls
2 G
1
Springbloom Druid
2 G
1
Springheart Nantuko
1 G
1
Stonehoof Chieftain
7 G
1
Surrak and Goreclaw
4 G G
1
Sutina, Speaker of the Tajuru
2 G
1
Temur Sabertooth
2 G G
1
Terastodon
6 G G
1
Topiary Stomper
1 G G
1
Trailtracker Scout
1 G
1
Urabrask the Hidden
3 R R
1
Vorinclex // The Grand Evolution
3 G G
1
Wandering Archaic // Explore the Vastlands
5
1
Wood Elves
2 G
1
Xenagos, God of Revels
3 R G
1
Yavimaya Dryad
1 G G
1
Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus
5 G G
Land: 38
($13.14)
1
Ancient Ziggurat
1
Blighted Woodland
1
Bonders' Enclave
1
Castle Garenbrig
1
Cinder Glade
1
Command Tower
1
Demolition Field
1
Evolving Wilds
16
Forest
1
Karplusan Forest
1
Kessig Wolf Run
1
Mosswort Bridge
7
Mountain
1
Rogue's Passage
1
Scavenger Grounds
1
Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1
Terramorphic Expanse

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