This janky pile of cards is crushing the Best of 3 Historic Ladder. Plagon and Fecund Greenshell create absurd synergies, turning this deck into a powerhouse!
And there’s even more where that came from. Guys, I have no Idea what I’m looking at (jk, i’ve been testing it on stream), but is that not one of the most gorgeous piles of cards you’ve ever seen in your life? Like what’s even going on?????
The Deck
This week’s brew comes from another streamer named Kplers (make sure to drop ’em a follow!) who goes by SkyBLUEKkepl on Arena. And based on these win-rates, that janky pile shown above has been absolutely destroying people on the Historic Ranked Ladder, IN BEST OF 3!
So let’s talk turkey. What’s the game plan here?
Now, Plum here is no expert on this list, as I’ve only been playing it a few days at this point, but I thought it was so juicy that I just had to share it. So far, most of the gameplay has revolved around three key cards.
Plagon, Lord of the Beach – This card is absolutely bonkers in this deck. The amount of card draw it generates is off the charts, especially considering the synergy with some of our creatures. Birds of Paradise, Delighted Halfling, and Fanatic of Rhonas all have greater toughness than power, making them perfect for Plagon, Lord of the Beach to trigger and draw you cards. And if we’ve managed to create tokens with Kozilek's Command, Plagon can easily churn through the deck, drawing 10+ cards each time it hits the field. That kind of card advantage can absolutely snowball out of control, turning a game in your favor faster than you can say “starfish.”
Fecund Greenshell – If Plagon is the card-drawing engine, Fecund Greenshell is the ramping powerhouse. This turtle brings a lot to the table, acting as a card advantage engine while simultaneously ramping us. It also turns our mana dorks and tokens (whether they’re Eldrazi Spawn or other tokens) into a force to be reckoned with. Similar to Plagon, Fecund Greenshell really shines in synergy with Kozilek's Command, where every token we generate can trigger Fecund’s ability. This means that we can quickly ramp up our mana while turning all our spawns into 2/3 creatures—making them significantly more relevant on the battlefield. Plus, the fact that the revealed cards go to our hand if they aren’t lands means we get to cycle through our deck at an astonishing pace. It’s another way to stay ahead of the game, fueling our next big plays.
Kozilek's Command – We all know Kozilek's Command is good in a lot of different shells, but in this deck, it’s the glue that keeps everything running smoothly. The versatility this card offers is truly unmatched, and it plays a crucial role in making sure the deck operates at maximum efficiency. Let’s break it down:
Card Draw – The card draw this card offers is absolutely key to maintaining momentum. Whether we’re looking for more threats, ramp, or simply more ways to keep fueling Plagon or Fecund Greenshell, the ability to dig through our deck is a major asset.
Ramp – This is where Kozilek’s Command really shines in our deck. By creating spawns tokens, it ramps our mana in a way that works perfectly with Fecund Greenshell and Plagon. Every token we make not only accelerates our game plan but also triggers powerful abilities that give us card advantage and additional creatures to swarm the board with.
Grave Hate – In addition to ramping and card draw, Kozilek’s Command also functions as graveyard hate. This is incredibly useful in a meta where graveyard-based strategies are common. Whether it’s stopping an opposing graveyard combo or disrupting a key recursion play, Kozilek’s Command offers flexibility when we need it most.
Creature Removal – Finally, the creature removal is the cherry on top. While not the primary function of the card in our deck, the ability to destroy any target creature can prove invaluable against both aggro and midrange decks, clearing blockers and making space for our tokens to swing in.
While we use Kozilek's Command primarily for token generation and removal, its versatility in offering ramp, card draw, graveyard hate, and removal is what makes it such an indispensable piece of the deck.
I want you to watch few games and just stare in awe of how these 3 core pieces come together to win games.
Now there’s some other interesting inclusions here. Actually there’s a lot, but it seems to me that cards like Beza, Silverback Elder, and Tamiyo are flex slots.
Fountainport Charmer – Fountainport Charmer is a great early play, especially since it’s easy to cast on turn 2 off of a mana dork like Birds of Paradise. But its true value comes from its synergy with the rest of the deck. Plagon, Lord of the Beach benefits immensely from the tokens created, turning a small creature into a card-drawing engine that outpaces many opponents. Additionally, Fountainport Charmer can ramp Fecund Greenshell by reducing its casting cost to just 3 mana, allowing us to quickly ramp into more powerful threats and keep the deck rolling.
Writhing Chrysalis – Writhing Chrysalis is a fantastic addition, giving us 3 bodies from just one spell. Each creature token generated is another trigger for Fecund Greenshell, meaning we’re ramping up while simultaneously filling the board. As we sacrifice our Eldrazi Spawns and other tokens, Writhing Chrysalis continues to grow, getting bigger and bigger with every sacrifice. The Reach is also surprisingly relevant, helping to deal with flying threats that might otherwise be tough to answer. This card is a great combination of ramp, board presence, and a little extra reach for combat.
Emrakul, the Promised End – Emrakul is the ultimate game-ender. With our ramp engine, Emrakul can come out quickly and easily, thanks to the extra lands provided by Fecund Greenshell and Kozilek’s Command. Once she hits the battlefield, it’s usually game over for our opponents. The ability to take an extra turn and control what happens next makes Emrakul an incredible threat that forces opponents to answer her, or risk being overrun by our board and the inevitable onslaught that follows. Whether we’re ramping up through Fecund Greenshell or Kozilek's Command, getting to Emrakul is often a guaranteed win condition.
Fragment Reality – Fragment Reality is one of the best cheap, versatile removals in Historic. At just 1 mana, it allows us to deal with pesky creatures, artifacts, or enchantments that could pose a threat. Whether it’s removing an early creature that’s giving us trouble or disrupting an opponent’s combo piece, Fragment Reality offers us instant-speed flexibility. It’s an affordable answer that helps keep the deck focused on building up Plagon’s card draw and other synergies, all while staying efficient in dealing with threats.
Gameplay
From the games I’ve played so far, this list feels like a grindy valuetown sort of deck that happens to have an “Oops, I win” button in the form of Greenshell. There’s tons of line to take, but I’ll mention just a few.
I think you get the gist that this deck has some powerful lines. But one of the things the deck wants to do every game is cast Kozilek's Command while Fecund Greenshell is on the field. We had this happen in multiple games and it was a blast. If you cast K-command for enough tokens, you can actually draw into another one off of Greenshell. Then you can cast the next K-command for x-2 using just the Spawns you created. It’s absurd. There was a lot of games where we decked ourselves or were very close to it just because this deck has so much card drawing power.
I’m super interested to pick kplers’s brain about how he came up with this list and his reasoning on card choices and the numbers he’s playing of each. Seems like they had a lot of iterations but the most up to date list actually seems fairly tuned for the meta.
Like…it’s a pile for sure. Just look at it again. I’m in love.
Closing Thoughts
So, here we are — a deck that looks like it was thrown together with some random pieces and somehow turns into a juggernaut in Best of 3 Historic. I can’t even begin to explain how absurd it is to see Plagon, Lord of the Beach drawing 10+ cards or Fecund Greenshell ramping us into Emrakul, the Promised End like it’s nothing. But that’s the beauty of this list: it doesn’t rely on flashy combos or convoluted strategies. It’s a pile of powerful cards that just click, and the synergy between them makes this deck feel way stronger than you’d expect.
I’m genuinely fascinated by how Kplers fine-tuned this list. It’s one of those decks that doesn’t seem like it should work, but once you get it rolling, it feels unstoppable. If you’re looking for something that’s a bit off the beaten path but still ridiculously effective, this deck might just be your new favorite brew.
Thanks for reading.
As always feel free to comment and leave any questions you have below! Make sure to come back next week for even more Fun & Jank!
If you want to see these decks in action, come hang out with me on stream where we test, refine, and have a ton of fun together!
Happy Brewing!
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Plum is the creator of the Jank Tank.
He started playing at the ripe old age of 12 and immediately fell in love with the infinite possibilities that deck building could lead to.
He truly understands that jank is a mindset, and spends most of his free time brewing and concocting new and exciting deck lists to help inspire and promote creativity within the MTG community.
