Magic Arena, or The Electro-Shock Rot-Ape Rotisserie Extravaganza

 I've recently made mention that I started playing Pauper (all-commons) Magic at my FLGS.  A few interesting pick-ups at both local shops, and a couple bucks to round out commons up through Fallen Empires for my evolving  Treefolk Historical Tour deck... and we hit a snag: the JV/Varsity Volleyball schedule.  Unable to make the Tuesday night games, I dove down a dark and dangerous path:  Magic Arena, the online version of the game.  

I began with the various tutorials and challenges provided and discovered I like collecting Magic much more when it's free!  Sure, the sets are limited to recent releases plus the "Alchemy" cards only available for use online, but I've evolved some starter decks into fun concepts like "Hoyce's Apartment" and "The Ent-rification of the Shire. 

My personal favorite?  The Historical Ranked set-up, where any card in the online catalogue is potentially available.  

I've managed to assemble the closest thing to a modern Red/Green Kird Ape Deck using some interested weenies.

1. Venerated Rotpriest - I was never a big a fan poison counters (aka Toxic) back in the day, but if I Titantic Growth this creature, or any other creature of mine, an extra poison counter is created, and it's cumulative with multiple rotpriests on the board!   I've never bolted a few of my own creatures to reach the all-important 10-poison counter win.

2. Electrostatic Infantry - Getting bonuses for each direct damage spell, plus low-cost sorceries that produce counters?  If the rotpriests get the first target of creature removal, this gives the Infantry some time to do damage before the next removal comes up.  Titantic Growths and other lesser bumps produce a poison counter and a +1/+1 counter on each of the respective creates?  Yes, please!

3. Rotisserie Elemental -  I threw these goofy looking things in to fill out the initial deck concept, and while not as powerful as the other two, I have realized it's potential.  

First off, for the old-old school Magic players, Menace means it can only be blocked by two or more creatures.  That turns it into a great Turn 1 drop, a few unblockable dinks, before coordinating your mana to utilize the cards drawn after you sacrifice it.  I've managed to throw out a whole new wave of stuff with three or four counters, and sometimes I've pulled excess basic lands out with some draws.  It's a work in progress.