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Composing a Symphony of Elementals: Deck Introduction
The Bloomburrow Animated Army, a Gruul (red-green) Commander deck, centers around the enchanting commander, Bello, Bard of the Brambles. This deck’s strength lies in its ability to transform the battlefield into a symphony of powerful Elemental creatures, utilizing a unique animation engine that breathes life into enchantments and artifacts.
This comprehensive guide delves into the intricacies of the Animated Army strategy, exploring its core mechanics, strengths, weaknesses, and upgrade paths. Whether you’re a seasoned Commander player or new to the format, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and insights to optimize your deck and unleash a formidable force upon your opponents.
From Trinkets to Troops: Understanding Bello’s Animation Engine
At the heart of the Animated Army strategy lies Bello, Bard of the Brambles. This 3/3 Raccoon Bard possesses a unique ability that transforms non-Aura enchantments and non-Equipment artifacts with a mana value of 4 or greater into 4/4 Elemental creatures under your control. Imagine turning a humble enchanted sword into a formidable warrior – that’s the magic Bello brings to the table.
This transformation of card advantage into battlefield presence forms the crux of the deck’s strategy, allowing you to establish a commanding board state by animating permanents that offer additional value beyond their creature form.
Nurturing the Grove: Core Deckbuilding Principles
To fully unleash the potential of Bello’s animation engine, it’s essential to grasp the core deckbuilding principles that underpin the Animated Army strategy:
Mana Ramp: Fueling the Transformation
Bello’s ability, while potent, requires a steady influx of mana to activate consistently. Prioritizing mana acceleration through ramp spells, creatures, and artifacts should be paramount in your deckbuilding choices. Aim to reach those crucial high mana values quickly and efficiently to fuel Bello’s transformations and outpace your opponents.
Strategic Permanent Selection: Value Beyond Animation
Selecting the right enchantments and artifacts is crucial. While any permanent with a mana value of 4 or greater can become an Elemental, prioritize those that provide additional value beyond their creature form. Look for enchantments and artifacts that draw you cards, provide mana acceleration, or offer strategic advantages to further bolster your board state.
Harnessing Gruul Synergy: Raw Power, Natural Harmony
Embrace the strengths of red and green. Red’s affinity for artifacts and explosive spells combined with green’s connection to mana acceleration and creature-based strategies creates a powerful synergy that fuels the Animated Army’s engine. Utilize red’s direct damage spells to eliminate threats and green’s creature-based card advantage engines to maintain momentum.
Protection and Recursion: Safeguarding your Investments
No army is invincible. Anticipate your opponents’ attempts to dismantle your forces by incorporating protection spells and abilities. Shielding your key permanents from targeted removal or having ways to bring them back from the graveyard ensures your animated army remains a persistent threat.
Combat Tricks: Adding a Spark of Surprise
Red and green offer a plethora of combat tricks to outmaneuver your opponents. Boost your animated army’s power and toughness, grant them trample to break through defenses or utilize instant-speed removal to clear a path for devastating attacks. These surprises keep your opponents guessing and maximize your chances of securing victory.
Upgrading Your Army: From Precon to Powerhouse
The Animated Army precon provides a solid foundation, but there’s always room for improvement.
Budget-Friendly Enhancements
- Mana Base Refinement: Swapping out basic lands for fetch lands or shock lands improves mana consistency, ensuring a smoother game.
- Card Draw Enhancement: Outpost Siege and Rishkar’s Expertise inject much-needed card draw, keeping your hand stocked with options.
- Ramp Reinforcement: Kazandu Mammoth provides a beefy body and mana acceleration, allowing you to deploy threats faster.
Mid-Range Augmentations
- Versatility and Value: Chandra, Torch of Defiance offers removal, card advantage, and a mana boost, increasing your options.
- Overwhelming Force: Craterhoof Behemoth transforms your army into an unstoppable force, potentially ending the game in a single attack.
- Steady Growth: Rhythm of the Wild makes your creatures more resilient while providing additional mana for deploying even more threats.
High-End Optimization
- Precision Removal: Fiery Confluence allows for versatile removal, adapting to different board states and efficiently handling threats.
- Exponential Growth: Doubling Season doubles your token production, turning your animated army into a true force of nature.
- Punishing Presence: Purphoros, God of the Forge punishes your opponents for every creature you summon, creating a constant threat.
Navigating the Battlefield: Gameplay Strategies
Early Game (Turns 1-3): Establishing a Foothold
- Focus on ramping your mana production using cards like Bloom Tender and Elvish Mystic.
- Aim to play a few early enchantments or artifacts to set up for Bello’s arrival.
- Don’t overextend your board presence; conserve your resources for the mid-game.
Mid Game (Turns 4-7): Unleashing the Horde
- Cast Bello, Bard of the Brambles as soon as possible and start animating your permanents.
- Utilize cards like Overrun and Savageborn Hydra to boost your army’s power and overwhelm your opponents.
- Consider your opponents’ strategies and adapt accordingly. If they’re light on removal, press your advantage. If they have board wipes, be more cautious.
Late Game (Turns 8+): Securing Victory
- Finishers like Finale of Devastation and Avenger of Zendikar can close out the game quickly if the board is stalled or you need a final push.
- Cards like Kessig Wolf Run provide additional reach, allowing you to convert your creatures into direct damage.
Overcoming Adversity: Potential Pitfalls
Even the most well-constructed armies face challenges. Here are some common pitfalls and how to overcome them:
- Board Wipes: Protect your army with cards like Heroic Intervention and Asceticism, preventing devastating board clears.
- Faster Decks: Combat aggressive opponents with mana acceleration (allowing you to keep pace) and blocker generation (slowing down attacks).
- Specific Cards/Effects: Anticipate and adapt to your local metagame by sideboarding cards that counter prevalent threats. Research and adjust your strategy accordingly to stay one step ahead.
Embracing the Evolution: Community and Beyond
The beauty of deckbuilding, especially in Commander, lies in its collaborative spirit. Experiment with different card combinations, share your successes and failures with the community, and embrace the constant evolution of the game. Explore online forums, deckbuilding websites, and engage in discussions with other players to discover new synergies, innovative strategies, and push the boundaries of what your Animated Army can achieve.
Remember, the journey of a Commander deck is never truly over. As new sets are released and the metagame shifts, so too does the potential for your Animated Army to adapt, evolve, and conquer. Embrace the challenge, unleash the horde, and let the symphony of animated permanents lead you to victory!
