The combination of Badgermole Cub with Ouroboroid seems to have given birth to yet another competitive archetype in Pioneer: the Voldaren Thrillseeker and Agatha's Soul Cauldron combo was already known in the format alongside Tree of Perdition, but now attention returns to the more aggressive lines of this strategy, where we run a mix of mana dorks with powerful three-drops to gain board advantage while Ouroboroid turns all creatures into reach to close out the game.
The Decklist
Maindeck
As usual for aggressive green‑based decks, we run a combination of Elvish Mystic and Llanowar Elves alongside Badgermole Cub for more explosive turns in the mid‑game. Cub also has the advantage of turning a land into a creature that gains the abilities of cards exiled with Agatha's Soul Cauldron.
The combo.
Our goal is to exile Voldaren Thrillseeker with Agatha's Soul Cauldron so that all creatures with +1/+1 counters can be sacrificed to deal damage equal to their power—with Ouroboroid on board, that means every creature in play has a built‑in Fling.
It helps that all of them are also very decent cards on their own.
Reckless Stormseeker turns any creature into an immediate threat. If transformed, it also grants evasion.
For board interaction, we run Sear, which answers most problematic creatures in the format today, and Bonecrusher Giant to answer Badgermole Cub or the opponent's one‑drop on the play while also providing a decent body.
Artifacts and enchantments are on the rise, so we have Outland Liberator, a Disenchant with a body that can be copied with Agatha's Soul Cauldron, and Leatherhead, Swamp Stalker to deal with them.
Leatherhead is also a threat that's difficult to answer with removal, and Surrak, Elusive Hunter rounds out the package against interaction by punishing it with extra draws.
The mana base prioritizes as many untapped dual lands as possible in the early game, no big surprises. For utility lands, we also have the usual one‑ofs, with Boseiju, Who Endures as additional interaction, plus Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance, Lair of the Hydra, and Den of the Bugbear as complementary threats.
Sideboard
With the persistent dominance of spellslinger and Prowess decks, we need a full set of Magebane Lizard to benefit from not running noncreature spells while punishing the opponent for playing too many in the same turn.
Cindervines complements this plan while also adding more artifact and enchantment hate to the list.
Pyroclasm comes in against some go‑wide Aggro decks like Selesnya Company and against Prowess versions that opt for Academic Dispute / Emberheart Challenger / Stormchaser's Talent. Versions with Vivi tend to be more resilient against it.
Abrade answers slightly larger creatures in a slot that also deals with artifacts like Cori-Steel Cutter and Monument to Endurance. Flexible enough to deserve two slots and complement the extra copy of Sear.
Despite looking like graveyard hate, Grafdigger's Cage comes in against Selesnya Company and Nykthos Ramp. It might be tempting to run it against Izzet Phoenix, but my experience with the card is that the opponent already plays around hate so well in Games two and three, and we already have so many ways to exile cards that it becomes redundant.
Against Phoenix, we prioritize Unlicensed Hearse, which also answers Parhelion II before Greasefang, Okiba Boss brings it back.
Sideboard Guide
Orzhov Greasefang
IN
OUT
Golgari Midrange
IN
OUT
Selesnya Company
IN
OUT
Izzet Prowess
Without Vivi Ornitier, with Lessons package + Emberheart Challenger / Stormchaser's Talent:
IN
OUT
With Vivi Ornitier:
IN
OUT
Azorius Control
IN
OUT
Niv-to-Light
IN
OUT
Mono Red Aggro
IN
OUT
Izzet Phoenix
IN
OUT
Wrapping Up
That's all for today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
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