Big (Dino) Project

This is an original deck of mine that has performed well on the Throne ladder, currently placing me in the top 20. About a week ago, I was running a more control-oriented version of this deck (Old Big Project), but it achieved far less success. One day, I noticed someone on my friends list experimenting with a similar concept: combining The Creation Project, Xulta Arcanum, and some ramp. Their list caught my attention because it leaned more heavily on units, which I found much more effective than my own approach. Inspired by their build, I made some adjustments, introducing different units and, somewhat accidentally, discovering a minor dinosaur synergy.

With the introduction out of the way, let’s dive into the card choices.

The Ramp

When building the deck, I decided to include at least 8 sources of ramp and no more than 12, as ramp cards tend to be somewhat understated. Auralian Merchant was the obvious choice—it provides ramp while also granting market access. Choosing the second ramp card, however, required more thought. It was clear that A New Beginning wasn’t the right fit. After some consideration, I narrowed it down to a few options:
Tocas, Waystone Harvester: A solid hate card with a decent body that can provide additional ramp.
Combrei Adept: Simple but effective, as it draws a sigil—a significant advantage.
Logistics Expert: A cheap option playable on turn 1 that enables a turn 3 The Creation Project. It also remains relevant later in the game thanks to Amplify and Overwhelm.

Ultimately, I chose Logistics Expert.

Utility Cards

My previous iteration of the deck already included two versatile cards, and I decided to keep them unchanged, as they’ve proven to be excellent choices:
Dismantle: This card inscribes and deals with most troublesome attachments, making it a reliable utility option.
Desert Alchemist: The standout performer of the deck. It can eliminate nearly any grounded unit (Quickdraw is exceedingly rare these days). Additionally, its plunder ability helps resolve power issues, and with most cards being single-faction, it’s usually easy to obtain the influence you need.

The Powerhouses

The Creation Project: This card needs no introduction—it’s a powerful card advantage engine.
Svetya, Lightbringer: After playing only two duals, your previously weaker units now become formidable threats, and your heavy hitters deal even more damage. Preventing your opponent from playing units for a turn feels oppressive, especially when this effect can be chained. Be strategic with your power plays, whether Svetya is in your hand or already on the board, to maximize her impact.
Xulta Arcanum: A strong site that synergizes well with Svetya. It can draw cards in a pinch and "defends" itself with Xulta Convoy. Harmony of Flame also supports the unit-heavy focus of the deck. When Brenn, Archmagister is in play, it creates opportunities for complex and rewarding plays. Take your time to evaluate each move!

A Break

So far, I’ve covered the more critical cards that define the identity of the deck. From here on, there’s greater flexibility in what we can experiment with and include.

The Dinos

It all started when I was searching for units to complement my game plan and discovered Riva, Crimson Blur. While the influence requirement can occasionally be tricky, the card has more than earned its spot in the deck. A charging, flying 6/9 warped off the top of my deck? Love at first sight. Riva has consistently been a standout performer.

After having less-than-ideal results with Master Archivist, I began exploring alternatives for turn 2. Since Desert Alchemist isn’t always the play that early, I needed something else to fill that slot. Enter Dinosaur Nest, which checked several important boxes: it holds off early aggression, acts as relic bait to protect The Creation Project, contributes to my unit-heavy strategy, and makes Riva, Crimson Blur even more absurd.

Lastly, there’s Furious Magniventris, which is more of a “good stuff” inclusion. It’s a solid 4-drop that happens to be a dinosaur—so why not? While it hasn’t been exceptional, it has performed decently enough to earn its place.

Now, Here Comes the Good Stuff

Valkyrie Enforcer: A great body, silence, and synergy with a certain card in the market. It still pains me to leave Desert Marshal behind, but I think it’s ultimately for the best.
Riftfeeder Wasp: A big Time unit, obviously. Additionally, it helps you reach 7 power for Xulta Arcanum, and offers minor synergy with Svetya, Lightbringer, since it allows you to hold duals for her.

Builder's Decree

Builder's Decree gets its own section—how quaint. I used to run it as a full set but quickly grew frustrated when drawing two or three copies. It works well with your ramp strategy and pairs nicely with our market choices.

The Power Base

Cylixes can only be Time-based, as it’s unrealistic to expect undepleted Rakano Cylix until well into the midgame. Rakano Tome serves as a good source of Fire and Justice influence instead. Since Fire influence isn’t as common, I also run a set of Combrei Painting, which works well with every early play.

Mark of the Hive is a Swiss knife of a power card, offering either depleted Praxis or Combrei influence, or undepleted Time. The rest of the deck is filled with Time Sigil, as I find it less detrimental to draw them, especially when the important cards in the deck are Time-based—plus, the tomes are sufficient for the Rakano influence needs.

The Market

Display of Realities: A great answer to relic-heavy decks, and it can also serve as a poor man's Desert Alchemist.
Sword of Unity: The only new card, replacing the underwhelming meme that was Arcanum's True Heart. It synergizes well with the unit-focused strategy.
Shen-Ra Speaks: Break glass in case of emergency.
Grodov's Burden: The reason Desert Marshal died. This card makes every unit you play better, as Exalted is an excellent keyword for unit-based decks. It also functions as a card draw engine. I’ve been considering swapping it with Xulta Arcanum, though I’d need the Shiftstone and some confidence to make the change.
Kairos, Grand Champion: A game-changing late-game play that not only draws cards but also lets Svetya units finish off the opponent. Builder's Decree is a death sentence when combined with this.