Vintage Combo Elf Deck

[Shikari]

Hiya! I've been testing this deck out on MWS recently. Its not really consistant, but seems to have potential. The basic idea is to get an engine going, get insane mana and Tendrils for the kill. It relies heavily on Concordant Crossroads. There's quite afew ways to win with this deck. Heres the decklist:
         
6 Forest      
3 Gaea's Cradle      
2 Wirewood Lodge            
1 Caller of the Claw   
1 Viridian Zealot   
1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa   
1 Sylvan Messenger   
3 Wirewood Hivemaster   
1 Gaea's Herald   
1 Fyndhorn Elves   
3 Wirewood Symbiote   
1 Argothian Elder   
4 Priest of Titania   
2 Llanowar Elves   
4 Wirewood Herald   
4 Elvish Spirit Guide   
4 Birchlore Rangers   
1 Wellwisher   
1 Diabolic Intent   
4 Skullclamp   
1 Crop Rotation   
1 Tendrils of Agony   
1 Living Wish   
1 Cloudstone Curio   
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald   
1 Fastbond   
4 Concordant Crossroads   
1 Gaea's Blessing   
   
      
Gaea's Cradle      
Caller of the Claw   
Viridian Zealot
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa   
Sylvan Messenger   
Gaea's Herald   
Wellwisher   
Strip Mine      
Orzhov Pontiff   
Timberwatch Elf   
Elvish Champion
3 Tormod's Crypt   
Eladamri, Lord of Leaves   

There's 2 routes you can take for infinate mana:

Curio + Xroads + 2 Priests + Any random Elf = Infinite Mana
Gaea's Cradle + Wirewood Lodge + Argothian Elder = Infinite Mana

Or you can just go for the kill with Kamahl, Tendrils and Insect/Elf Beatdown.

Current problems include inconsistency (Needs Skullclamp in play bad) and bad matchups. It also lacks card draw. I thought about Glimpse of Nature, but it seems kinda wierd. Do any of you have any suggestions?

[Methuselahn]

I fear you'll get little in the way of useful criticism.  I'm pretty sure most readers here have no experience with elves in Vintage, myself included.  However, if you could relate to the world how games play out with this deck versus the following list of decks, you may get some valuable responses.  Also, If I earned the big bucks like the moderators here, I'd tell you that you need to add more content to your post.

'Long' Tendrils varients
Gifts Ungiven varients
Stax
Ichorid
"fish" varients
Dragon
Control Slaver
Bomberman
etc.

The list here looks like a pretty intricate cog style tendrils deck.   Is it better than the other Tendrils decks though?  Why should I play your list over Pitch Long?

[zeus-online]

How fast is this deck?
It has to be extremely fast to work, since you have 0 disruption.
Also...any reason that you're not playing land grant? Nets 1 storm and a land!
Also, please cut wellwisher, its useless...

/Zeus

[GrandpaBelcher]

I agree with the use of Land Grant and the disuse of Wellwisher as well.  Though I will say that running Land Grant can be risky since you can't necessarily use it as your only manasource in a deck running Forces of Will.

Actually the deck looks pretty solid (maybe not for competetive Vintage, but prove me wrong!).  Looks like it really wants to have the Clamps and the Crossroads though.

Have you tried using Elves of Deep Shadow?  They would give you better access to Tendrils and allow you to use broken black things like Demonic Tutor and Dark Ritual and Yawgmoth's playthings.  Something like Skeletal Scrying or Night's Whisper might be good too as some extra draw.

If you're going to go for the Tendrils kill (which I think is probably the way to go), you might want to find room for some Xantid Swarms as well, either maindeck or sideboard.

How many times do you win with Kamahl or Caller of the Claw?  Could they be cut for Tendrils enablers?

[wtp.]

It'd probably be easier to use Empty the Warrens and generate a mini-storm, which really isn't hard in Elf-based decks, then swing away with a bunch of little gobos and Elves the next turn.

You don't necessarily need to cut black, because it has the most insane tutors, but add a bunch of Land Grants and a Taiga or two, you don't need too many in the deck, especially if you uses fetches also. Try this out. It is much easy to generate a smaller storm count then swing for 1-2 turns with all your dudes.

/wethepeople.

[Shikari]

I've tried the deck afew times at my local gaming store, and came up with this build:

4 Forest     
3 Gaea's Cradle               
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Sol Ring   
4 Elvish Spirit Guide   

3 Elves of Deep Shadow
2 Fyndhorn Elves   
3 Wirewood Symbiote   
4 Priest of Titania   
2 Llanowar Elves   
4 Wirewood Herald   
4 Birchlore Rangers   
1 Viridian Zealot   
3 Wirewood Hivemaster   
1 Gaea's Herald 

2 Diabolic Intent   
4 Skullclamp   
1 Crop Rotation   
1 Tendrils of Agony   
1 Living Wish     
1 Fastbond   
4 Concordant Crossroads   
3 Land Grant
1 Yawgmoth's Will 
2 Choke

Sideboard:     
Gaea's Cradle     
Caller of the Claw   
Viridian Zealot
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa   
Sylvan Messenger   
Gaea's Herald   
Wellwisher   
Strip Mine     
Orzhov Pontiff   
Timberwatch Elf   
Elvish Champion
3 Tormod's Crypt   
Eladamri, Lord of Leaves 


The 2 Chokes and single Gaea's Herald have been good vs Control/Gifts matchups. I often clamped Wirewood Herald for Gaea's Herald against control decks as this ensures all my future elves enter play successfully.

The Yawgmoth Will did win me afew games, after my components were countered/destroyed. I resolved Will and replayed everything.

Cards like Quirion Ranger, Boreal Druids and Seeker of Skybreaks are being considered, since they do help untap the Priest and/or ensure Turn 2 Priests. I'll probably try to get fit in Quirion Rangers...

I was thinking of adding Staff of Domination, but it seemed really mana intensive, and would only work well if I had Priest out, though it would make this deck more versatile... What do you boys think?

Ohh..Where's Marc Perez when I need his help? 

Decklist rearranged for clarity.
-Godder

[zulander]

Haha, I used to play a wierd elf deck in 1.5 that used 4 priests, 4 lanawar, 4 elves of deepshadow, and 4 wirewood channeler and would just splash random things like fireball for the win. I know it sounds bad and it probably is, but it sure is fun when you win with a firebal for 249. I also ran slate of ancestry for ridiculous card draw.

Posts should be made to improve decks, not reminisce.
-Godder