Intro

A week ago, I posted a new 'fun' deck I was playing with:
@kstreet/fun-aggro-nature-deck

After continued play and a few tweaks, this isn't just a fun deck anymore. I think it's competitive for weekend ranked (I'll be trying it this weekend). I've got three gameplay vids showcasing the power of the deck. 2 going second and 1 going first. These are just three games I played in a row, so no cherry picking. I'm 9/10 with this deck, but I will discuss the one loss (don't have a vid).

The Deck

Deck Code:
GU_1_5_CExCExGAwCAuCAuCEyCEyHAEHAECATCATCCOCCOIASBCCBCCCBxCBxIALIALCAtCAtIDSIDSCByCByGAnGAnGCTGCT

Upgrades

This deck is quite a bit different. I pulled out:

• 2x Faeflame Blade
• Gersemi
• Managarmr
• Nefarious Briar
• 2x Bladeflies

I added:

• 2x Wild Hog
• 2x Starving Sabertooth
• 2x Jaguar Staff
• 1x Rabid Bear

Jag Staff vs FFB

This deck requires creatures on board. The one loss so far was going second with a bricked hand. In our case, a bricked hand means holding a Pack Stalk and Wildfire with nothing on board. This is the one risk of this deck. As such, the Faeflames needed to come out. 4x relics for board control is great, but Jag Staff helps us immensely with creature generation.

Also, in a midrange Nature deck, I prefer Falling Star, but in this deck, the Jags have regen 1 which synergizes much better with Trial of the Hydra.

Sabertooth vs Bladeflies

Bladefly + Pack Stalk + Wildfire is no doubt an amazing combo, but three-card combos are not reliable (especially for nature). I also came to realize that burning Pack Stalk early even for just 1 extra creature was worth it, so I rarely held on to it.

I've come to see Bladeflys like Aftermath (a great nature player) sees them: favor for your opponent. They are trivial to clear and they are all confused. You can't focus what meager damage they do have on a single target.

Sabertooth has a lot going for it. MightyUncle runs them in his buff deck because they aren't confused and with 5 HP they stick on board. In our deck, we have the added bonus that they can get regen, which again complements Trial of the Hydra. In one of the gameplay videos below, you'll see the power of an early Sabertooth. He snacks on poor little light creatures and turns into a monster.

Other swaps

Managarmr is much less impressive after his nerf to regen only 1 mana. Gersemi could find a way into the deck, but I opted to limit my singletons. This deck now only has 2 singletons: Chiron and Finnian. Otherwise, we have mamixmized our chances of finding our 1 and 2 mana creatures early. Opening with double 1 drops (e.g. Marsh Walker + Pyreshell Beetle) swings the game strongly in your favor.

Chiron gives us a shield bearer + relic removal. I can see an argument for Nefarious Briar in the deck for another relic remover (e.g. 1x Briar 1x Sabertooth), so feel free. I'm focused on mulligan percentages and being as aggressive possible.

Play Guide

Mostly the same as the previous post: mulligan for 1 and 2 mana creatures that you can use to take board early. If going first, consider being greedy and holding on to a Wildfire if it shows up. Just realize you run the risk of drawing another (or Trial of the Hydra) and getting into trouble.

God Power: I'm often tempted to take Selena's Mark against War, but I think the right play is always choosing animal bond. It works well with Pack Stalk, Wildfire, and Trial of the Hydra. Animal Bond also gives you something to play if your hand gets a little gummed up with removal/relics/buffs.

Keep control of the board, but also keep favor in mind. I often go face with Pyreshell and Marshwalker rather than whittle (and not kill) an enemy creature. 6 favor + 2 face damage is good. When you're wide, you chew through the sanctum at an alarming rate. (This is partly why I don't run Briar: you'll usually cycle and find relic removal in the sanctum.)

If behind on board, you want to use Pack Stalk when it gives you a big swing turn. Save up a few creatures. Play them all (don't forget god power) and then reload your mana to get out a larger creature, relic, etc. When ahead, even one extra creature can seal the game. Don't be afraid to use it to get that extra Rabid Bear or Starving Sabertooth on board.

Gameplay

Game 1

I had an impressive streak of going second, but I did manage to record one game going first. I'll start with that one - mainly because it highlights what a high-roll with this deck looks like. Reviewing the game, I could have had all my creatures on board at 3 mana. I think I still played it right, because playing Finnian without Frenzy is just bad. In any event, the game is over at 4 mana.

Game 2

Going second. Here, I hold Pack Stalk and Canopy in the mulligan. Pyreshell Beetle is such a nasty little creature to open with. Love it. This one really comes down to the wire thanks to surprise 2x Devouring Blades to the face. We were still able to beat this hyper-aggro viking deck.

Game 3

Another challenging game starting second. At 5 mana, we get off an amazing Pack Stalk + Wildfire combo and I'm thinking game over. Even after the first Shaped Blast, I'm thinking there's no way he has a second in hand. I decide to get greedy (and not heal) and the second Shaped Blast punishes me. That's how it goes: sometimes you play the odds correctly and get a bad beat. Then the random Astric Implosion comes out! This game highlights the importance of Animal Bond - especially against Magic. Pinging face for 1 is just as much favor as hitting for 7. I'm able to limp over the finish line having learned a valuable lesson: when you're ahead, you can be a little more conservative. Deny them a Hail Mary (like 2x Shaped Blast) and just grind them down.

Game 4 (no vid)

I spoke about it earlier, but just to highlight it: this deck will brick if you draw all buffs and no creatures. My 1 loss was going second against another nature player. I had Pack Stalk and Wildire in hand, but I wasn't able to establish any board. They came out early with Marsh Walker and relics. By 3 mana, they had 2 creatures on board and I was drawing terribly. They also played smart and treated me like Light (as they should have). Cleared board every turn and then pinged face with whatever was left.

It's a card game, so some % of games will run into this problem. If it happens too frequently, I will likely drop 2x removals. Either Lightning Strike or Canopy Barrage. We can consider dropping Canopy Barrage because we have such good creatures that we don't fear the things Canopy takes out. On the other hand, we need answers to Guild Enforcers, Labyrinth Guards, and other big frontliners. Lightning Strike provides that.