American Beats

[MaximumCDawg]

So I'm finally getting around to visiting another Commander that might cut the mustard in Vintage.  This time I'm dealing with Magic's only 7/7 for 4, Ruhan of the Fomori.  First off, Ruhan is 1UWR, so we're in those colors and we're not going to be able to accellerate to him easily.  Getting the right color mana might also be a problem.  If we run Manamorphose, that helps us get the right color mana at the right time.  Manamorphose also plays nice with Snapcaster Mage, cantripping for 1R extra and returning the mana right away.  I figure a deck that wants to win with Ruhan, just like the one I made with Animar, really needs to stall long enough to get to the late game.  Once you get there, though, it's just beating face - there's no shenanigans involved.

Here's a first draft:

Creatures (16)
3x   Snapcaster Mage
4x   Ruhan of the Fomori  
3x   Aven Mindcensor
3x   Gorilla Shaman
3x   Simian Spirit Guide
      
Disruption (21)
4x   Force of Will
2x   Pyrokenesis
2x   Spell Piece
3x   Flusterstorm
2x   Mana Drain
2x   Ancient Grudge
2x   Pyroblast
4x   Stony Silence

Dig (3)
1x   Mystical Tutor
2x   Manamorphose

Mana (20)
4x   City of Brass
4x   Gemstone Mine
2x   Tundra
2x   Plateau
2x   Volcanic Island
1x   Mountain
1x   Island
1x   Plains
3x   Flooded Strand

Goal here is to use Shaman and countermagic to protect the early game and then cast Ruhan on turns 3 or 4.  From there, it's usually gonna be a three-turn clock.  Each card in the deck is there either to stop the enemy from winning before you cast Ruhan or to prevent them from putting roadblocks in the way once you do.  There's not much accelleration, so you really are playing defense until turn 3, which is your critical turn.  You hopefully have either drained something on t2, or have a spirit guide, and can land Ruhan that turn.  If you're up against a blue deck, you may have to tread water for another turn so you can protect the fattie.

I recognize that Mr. Fomori is vunlerable, and maybe this isn't the best shell for him.  He's just really hard to accellerate out due to his odd color combination.  Any ideas?

[Wagner]

This time I'm dealing with Magic's only 7/7 for 4

Other than that, how is this better than a Tarmogoyf that is usually a 4 turn clock, that comes in earlier and that doesn't require a weird mana base?

Also, the guy is legendary, is 4 really needed?

[Ten-Ten]

Also, the guy is legendary, is 4 really needed?

..i would think so if you want to smash face with him asap. Multiples don't really hurt since you can pitch them to Pyrokinesis and Force of will.
 
@MaximumCDawg:
have you considered chrome mox to accelerate in place of one or two lands? 

[DubDub]

I'm relatively certain that Ruhan is less playable than Lightning Angel (who is not be playable herself).  Haste (to kill Jace), Flying (to kill Jace over his blockers), and Vigilance (so they can't profit from Bob/Snap on the backswing) are really good compared to more dumb power.  Blocking for a turn against Blightsteel is nice too (Ruhan has to attack into BSC).

Test it out with 4x Ruhan, then test it with 4x Lightning Angel instead and it will be better.  Then cut Lightning Angels for real cards like Vendilion Cliques and Jaces.

Ruhan has all the problems of being 'fair' without any of the benefits of being 'broken.'  Stiflenaught is likely a better 'smash face with undercosted fatties' deck, even in a meta full of Mental Misstep.

[MaximumCDawg]

I'm relatively certain that Ruhan is less playable than Lightning Angel (who is not be playable herself).  Haste (to kill Jace), Flying (to kill Jace over his blockers), and Vigilance (so they can't profit from Bob/Snap on the backswing) are really good compared to more dumb power.  Blocking for a turn against Blightsteel is nice too (Ruhan has to attack into BSC).

Test it out with 4x Ruhan, then test it with 4x Lightning Angel instead and it will be better.  Then cut Lightning Angels for real cards like Vendilion Cliques and Jaces.

Ruhan has all the problems of being 'fair' without any of the benefits of being 'broken.'  Stiflenaught is likely a better 'smash face with undercosted fatties' deck, even in a meta full of Mental Misstep.

Hah, that's ironic.  I had 3x Lightning Angel and 3x Ruhan in the pool as I was tinkering with a first draft of this deck.  Just like with Animar, though, my goal here is to see if Ruhan can be made to work specifically.  I cut the Angels for Mox Monkey because the deck had no early game.  

I'm brewing something else for Stiflenaught.  Specifically, I'm trying to see if 4x Snapcaster / 4x Welder / 4x Stifle / 4x Dreadnaught could work.  Caster doubles your stifles, welder doubles your naughts (and lets you sac one naught to another potentially).

Also, LOL on Wolly Razorback.  I stand corrected - Ruhan is the only 7/7 for 4 that can attack out of the gates.

Chrome Mox is interesting.  If I went back to having Lightning Angels in here too, that's a ton of multicolored cards to let me play Mox for value.  Mind you, though, I was planning to run Stony Silence...