A Little Experiment...

[Gorzo]

A Little Experiment... 100 cards, 0 sideboard 1 {Experiment Kraj} 1 {Vivid Grove} 10 {Forest} 1 {Alchemist's Refuge} 10 {Island} 1 {Opal Palace} 1 {Rogue's Passage} 1 {Turntimber Grove} 1 {Simic Growth Chamber} 1 {Mosswort Bridge} 1 {Novijen, Heart of Progress} 1 {Reliquary Tower} 1 {Khalni Garden} 1 {Meteor Crater} 1 {Command Tower} 1 {Thornwood Falls} 1 {Llanowar Reborn} 34 lands 1 {Mossbridge Troll} 1 {Mycoloth} 1 {Vigean Hydropon} 1 {Lorescale Coatl} 1 {Acidic Slime} 1 {Plaxcaster Frogling} 1 {Champion of Lambholt} 1 {Zameck Guildmage} 1 {Gilder Bairn} 1 {Silklash Spider} 1 {Wild Beastmaster} 1 {Arcanis the Omnipotent} 1 {Prophet of Kruphix} 1 {Sphinx of Magosi} 1 {Kruphix, God of Horizons} 1 {Trygon Predator} 1 {Knacksaw Clique} 1 {Ætherling} 1 {Kiora's Follower} 1 {Leech Bonder} 1 {Bane of Progress} 1 {Realm Seekers} 1 {Cytoplast Manipulator} 1 {Master Biomancer} 1 {Tuskguard Captain} 1 {Kalonian Hydra} 1 {Omnibian} 1 {Murkfiend Liege} 1 {Novijen Sages} 1 {Hunted Troll} 1 {Drumhunter} 1 {Helium Squirter} 1 {Heroes' Bane} 1 {Longshot Squad} 1 {Phantom Nantuko} 1 {Gyre Sage} 1 {Mystic Snake} 1 {Scute Mob} 1 {Prime Speaker Zegana} 1 {Thassa, God of the Sea} 1 {Vorel of the Hull Clade} 1 {Fathom Mage} 1 {Naya Soulbeast} 1 {Arbor Colossus} 44 creatures 1 {Asceticism} 1 {Give // Take} 1 {Death's Presence} 1 {Primal Vigor} 1 {Voidslime} 1 {Curse of the Swine} 1 {Bred for the Hunt} 1 {Hardened Scales} 1 {Cultivate} 1 {Green Sun's Zenith} 1 {Nissa's Expedition} 1 {Doubling Season} 1 {Sol Ring} 1 {Rite of Replication} 1 {Incremental Growth} 1 {Peregrination} 1 {Loxodon Warhammer} 1 {Plasm Capture} 1 {Bow of Nylea} 1 {Creeping Renaissance} 1 {Blue Sun's Zenith} 21 other spells Sideboard

[Gorzo]

HALP!!!  Need so many cuts! There are too many good cards!

[Spikepit]

Man, you've chosen all the right cards but literally ALL the right cards! Haha! I'd probably be strict on myself by starting to cull the creatures who don't have Activated Abilities.

I'm not sure you'd get the benefit of Monstrosity for Mr Kraj (other than the extra counters). The result of montrosity names the original card ... I'm gonna say, as a trigger also ...?

[Spikepit]

I'd probably be strict on myself by starting to cull the creatures who don't have Activated Abilities.

Oh dear, except Mystic Snake and Prophet of Kruphix and Kruphix himself and ... oh dear.

[Gorzo]

I'd probably be strict on myself by starting to cull the creatures who don't have Activated Abilities.

Oh dear, except Mystic Snake and Prophet of Kruphix and Kruphix himself and ... oh dear.

Right? that's the problem I'm having. Every creature here either
• benefits from Kraj's activated ability clause ({Heroes' Bane})
• gain extra benefits from having counters ({Longshot Squad}, {Mycoloth})
• enters with / uses counters itself ({Bane of Progress}, {Fathom Mage})
• is just plain really solid as a card, and becomes even better with the prospect of counters. ({Prophet of Kruphix}, {Sphinx of Uthuun})

Edit: and yes, you are correct about monstrous. But {Arbor Colossus} and {Shipbreaker Kraken} are amazing EDH cards on their own, the chance to monstrous Kraj for an extra 3 or 4 counters at instant speed is just gravy, even if he doesn't get triggered abilities that come with them.

[Gorzo]

Made a few more cuts. And added {Grand Arcitect}. I figure Pila Pala is in the deck anyway to give Kraj an untap ability, I might as well add a chance for the infinite mana combo. Half the deck is blue, so even without Pila Pala, architect is still boosting half of my creatures, making him useful on his own.

The deck can do some funny things with infinite mana, too. {Biomass Mutation}, or kill a player with {Blue Sun's Zenith}, or my personal favorite, exile/cast everyone's entire deck with {Experiment Kraj} + {Knacksaw Clique}

[Munchlax]

You can probably remove Scute mob because of its lack of abilities Kraj can copy

[particle]

{hunted troll} maybe? most kill spells i see in edh prevent regen anyway, and an 8/4 is not that amazing by itself in edh.

[Gorzo]

Hmm... I don't think I can cut either of those.

{Scute Mob} doesn't have any activated abilities, that much is true, but it works so well with the deck as a whole. Anything that causes double or additional counters makes it get out of hand soooo fast, {Zameck Guildmage} can yank a ton of counters from it for cards, and it's actually just a solid threat on its own. I like that it only costs 1 mana, too. I don't want the deck to be too slow.

{Hunted Troll} is more a personal favorite card. I haven't had much issue with anti-regen removal (just the occasional {Unmake} mostly), so I'm not worried about it. Plus, with a counter on it, it gives Kraj super cheap regen, too. And a cheap-regen 9/5 or 10/6 gets pretty troublesome quickly. Even the "downside," the 4 fairies it gives to an opponent, are usually a political benefit.

I'm hoping to stay pretty creature heavy. It just feels like a creature themed deck, you know? Any non-creatures look like they don't belong to anyone?

I'll admit part of me is trying to force the crazy card advantage from {Sages of the Anima} I've been trying to get this card in a deck for so long, and this is the deck to do it in lol

[Munchlax]

{Spirit of new Phyrexia} could replace {sagu Mauler}

[The1337Magician]

Let's see:
I agree with you that {Sages of the Anima} might not be the best. It's alright, but if you want mana or a spell, your denied half your deck the rest of the game.
I don't know if {Pili-Pala} and {Grand Architect} deserve a spot just for the combo or the untapping of Kraj. You have plenty of other untappers as well.
{Lorescale Coatl} is good, but when your cutting cards, big creatures with no activated abilities might have to go.
{Silklash Spider} is ok. You already have a few other flyer hate cards, so this is meh.
{Hua Tuo, Honored Physician} could be cut.
{Sagu Mauler} is really good, but has no abilities.
{Naya Soulbeast} too.
So that's a few cuts maybe. Hope this deck turns out well.

[Gorzo]

Some solid points. I don't want to, but I think I have to cut Sagu mauler. Honored physician is a much easier cut. I'm still not sure about cutting lore scale or soul beast (same reasons I want to keep Scute mob, basically). I also want to keep the Pila-Pala architect combo in for now, since they both serve a purpose in the deck other than the combo... But with 13 cuts still to go, I see your point and we'll see what happens and if I cut them, I can probably cut {Biomasd Mutation}...

Do you really think I can cut Silklash spider? I'm always hesitant to take out anti-flying. I feel like flying is what always gets me.

[LinkCelestrial]

Some solid points. I don't want to, but I think I have to cut Sagu mauler. Honored physician is a much easier cut. I'm still not sure about cutting lore scale or soul beast (same reasons I want to keep Scute mob, basically). I also want to keep the Pila-Pala architect combo in for now, since they both serve a purpose in the deck other than the combo... But with 13 cuts still to go, I see your point and we'll see what happens and if I cut them, I can probably cut {Biomasd Mutation}...

Do you really think I can cut Silklash spider? I'm always hesitant to take out anti-flying. I feel like flying is what always gets me.

Keep {Silklash Spider}. It's a fantastic card and even if there's no flying five mana for a 2/7 isn't bad.

[Munchlax]

{Decree of Savagery} deserves a home

[Gorzo]

{Decree of Savagery} deserves a home

Yeah, yeah it probably does. So does {Incremental Growth}, now that I think about it.