Hello everyone. I was all set to look at decks featuring Red mana this week, and then the banned and restricted announcement happened. While I expected the Vivi Ornitier ban, I wasn't prepared for the Screaming Nemesis ban. Since most of the Red decks I had for you included at least a copy or two of Screaming Nemesis, I'd rather postpone my look at Red decks until next week and bring you some Green-based decks instead. Let's get started.

Mono-Green Elves

We'll start things off by taking a look at a deck featuring one of Green's iconic creature types, Elves.

Mono-Green Elves | SPM Standard | JayVillain, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (30)
• 2 Druid of the Cowl
• 2 Dwynen's Elite
• 2 Glacier Godmaw
• 2 Goldvein Hydra
• 3 Craterhoof Behemoth
• 3 Wildborn Preserver
• 4 Elvish Archdruid
• 4 Imperious Perfect
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Vaultborn Tyrant

• Instants (6)
• 2 Heritage Reclamation
• 4 Defend the Rider

• Enchantments (2)
• 2 Web of Life and Destiny

• Lands (23)
• 19 Forest
• 2 Cavern of Souls
• 2 Fabled Passage

• Sideboard (7)
• 1 Frenzied Baloth
• 1 Tyvar, the Pummeler
• 1 Smuggler's Surprise
• 1 Snakeskin Veil
• 1 Bushwhack
• 1 Monstrous Emergence
• 1 Rhino's Rampage

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Elves are known for being able to create mana. With a full playset of Llanowar Elves and a pair of Druid of the Cowl, you'll be able to cast bigger spells than your opponent can more quickly. There's also a playset of Elvish Archdruid that creates an amount of mana equal to the number of Elves you currently have on the battlefield. That can be a considerable amount of mana since there are a lot of Elves in this deck.

In addition to using that extra mana to cast additional Elf spells or to create Elf creature tokens (via Imperious Perfect), you can cast big creatures that can help you win the game. Craterhoof Behemoth has been a creature used for this a lot in the past, but this deck includes another option. Glacier Godmaw has a landfall ability that gives all creatures you control +1/+1, vigilance, and haste when a land you control enters the battlefield. This makes it possible to defeat an opponent that is able to withstand a single, powerful attack, as you can trigger landfall multiple turns in a row.

Selesnya Ouroboroid

Next, I have a deck that goes both big and wide. Let's check it out.

Selesnya Ouroboroid | SPM Standard | f1N93RPR0, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (33)
• 2 Burrowguard Mentor
• 2 Sandstorm Salvager
• 2 Sanguine Evangelist
• 3 Gnarlid Colony
• 4 Gene Pollinator
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Novice Inspector
• 4 Ouroboroid
• 4 Pawpatch Recruit
• 4 Regal Bunnicorn

• Instants (3)
• 3 Royal Treatment

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Sheltered by Ghosts

• Lands (20)
• 3 Forest
• 4 Plains
• 1 Restless Prairie
• 4 Hushwood Verge
• 4 Multiversal Passage
• 4 Starting Town

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Ouroboroid really shines in a deck like this one. At the beginning of your combat, Ouroboroid allows you to place a number of +1/+1 counters on each creature you control equal to Ouroboroid's power. Even if you don't boost Ouroboroid's power with the Royal Role created by Royal Treatment or by enchanting it with Sheltered by Ghosts, you'll still be able to create a large amount of +1/+1 counters. This is especially true if you fill up your side of the battlefield with creature spells and creature tokens.

To help bolster the number of creatures you have in play, you'll want to create an offspring token when you play Pawpatch Recruit, if possible. There are also other creatures like Sanguine Evangelist and Sandstorm Salvager create their own creature tokens when they enter the battlefield. The +1/+1 counters that Ouroboroid provides can become very deadly with the help of Gnarlid Colony, who provides each creature you control with a +1/1 counter on it trample.

Simic Doppelgang

The next deck I have for you features one of Spider-Man's iconic villains, Sandman. Let's take a look at the deck.

Simic Doppelgang | SPM Standard | SuperBeastGN, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (16)
• 1 Bloomvine Regent
• 1 Icetill Explorer
• 2 Aftermath Analyst
• 2 Mossborn Hydra
• 3 Llanowar Elves
• 3 Sandman, Shifting Scoundrel
• 4 Clifftop Lookout

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Vivien Reid

• Instants (10)
• 2 Archdruid's Charm
• 4 Cease // Desist
• 4 Into the Flood Maw

• Sorceries (3)
• 3 Doppelgang

• Enchantments (2)
• 2 Virtue of Strength

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Heaped Harvest

• Lands (24)
• 2 Island
• 13 Forest
• 2 Fabled Passage
• 3 Demolition Field
• 4 Breeding Pool

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Sandman, Shifting Scoundrel has a power and toughness equal to the number of lands you control. He also can't be blocked by creatures that have 2 power or less. This makes Sandman potentially very big, and possibly unblockable against certain decks. Sandman is also able to return from the graveyard, bringing a land card with him if possible.

In order to push Sandman to the extreme, this deck wants to cast Doppelgang, creating token copies of the lands you have in play. Doing this will boost Sandman's power and toughness tremendously, making him a huge threat that your opponent might not be able to contend with. Just be careful when doing this and make sure you won't mill yourself completely if you happen to have Icetill Explorer in play.

Golgari Stompy

If you're looking to smash your opponent with some of the best creatures Green and Black has to offer, you'll want to check out this deck. Let's take a look at it.

Golgari Stompy | SPM Standard | Capricorn, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (32)
• 2 Eddie Brock
• 2 Gwenom, Remorseless
• 2 Kraven the Hunter
• 2 Lizard, Connors's Curse
• 4 Elegy Acolyte
• 4 Frenzied Baloth
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Pawpatch Recruit
• 4 Sunset Saboteur
• 4 Unstoppable Slasher

• Instants (4)
• 4 Assassin's Trophy

• Lands (24)
• 1 Swamp
• 5 Forest
• 2 Restless Cottage
• 4 Blooming Marsh
• 4 Multiversal Passage
• 4 Starting Town
• 4 Wastewood Verge

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This deck features a foursome of frightening foes from the Marvel's Spider-Man set. First up is Eddie Brock, who brings with him a creature from your graveyard with a mana value of 1 or less when he enters play. Getting a 3/3 for 3 mana is no joke, but also getting a free 1-drop makes Eddie Brock a terrific value. There's also Lizard, Connors's Curse, who can turn that tiny creature that Eddie Brock returned into a 4/4 Lizard. You can also choose to turn one of your opponent's creatures into a 4/4 Lizard, removing any annoying ability that creature might have had.

This deck also includes Kraven the Hunter, who pairs nicely with Assassin's Trophy. Get rid of your opponent's creature with the most power and boost Kraven at the same time, plus draw a card to boot. If that's not enough value for you, take a look at Gwenom, Remorseless. She'll provide you with card advantage, all for the low, low cost of some points of life. Plus, she has lifelink, so losing life to cast the card she provides won't hurt you much.

Gruul Dragon Storm

The final deck I have for you this week is capable of powering out dragon after dragon. Let's take a look at the deck.

Gruul Dragon Storm - SPM Standard | Ayase, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (27)
• 2 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
• 2 Ureni, the Song Unending
• 3 Overlord of the Boilerbilges
• 4 Cheering Crowd
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Spider Manifestation
• 4 Stormscale Scion
• 4 Tannuk, Steadfast Second

• Instants (7)
• 3 Abrade
• 4 Archdruid's Charm

• Artifacts (3)
• 3 Pictures of Spider-Man

• Lands (23)
• 5 Forest
• 2 Commercial District
• 4 Multiversal Passage
• 4 Starting Town
• 4 Stomping Ground
• 4 Thornspire Verge

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Spider Manifestation is the little mana producer that could. a 2/2 with reach for two mana is a good deal, but it also has the ability to tap to produce a Red or Green mana. You can also untap it whenever you cast a spell with mana value 4 or greater, making it an incredible card. This is the engine you'll use to power out some massive threats.

Those threats include many of Standard's most powerful Dragons. Stormscale Scion is one of those Dragons. It's a 4/4 flying creature that boosts other Dragons you control by +1/+1. It also has storm, so you'll create a number of copies of it when it is cast equal to the number of spells you cast before it this turn. If you happen to have Tannuk, Steadfast Second on the battlefield, your other creatures will have haste, allowing you to attack with them unexpectedly, likely for lethal damage.

Wrapping Up

Green decks have the potential to get out of hand very quickly. Possessing the abilities to ramp your mana production and increase the power and toughness of your creatures makes each of these decks a force to be reckoned with.

What do you think of these decks? Feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

- Mike Likes