Help Optimizing

{"ops":[{"insert":"Slimefoot and Squee looks like it shines as a reanimator deck, not an aristocrats deck. His activated ability is minimum +3 on card advantage - you get him, a token, and a reanimated target - and can be 4+ if your reanimation target generates card advantage, all without costing you a card in hand. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"I'd be shooting to use Slimefoot's ability every turn in the mid game"},{"insert":"\n\nReanimator and Aristocrats are not worth trying to pull off in the same deck for reasons I explain in the 'Cuts' section.\n\nGame Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Ok so the goal is:"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":" use Slimefoot's ability every turn in the mid game."},{"insert":"\nYour game plan could be:\nEarly game: ramp, cast slimefoot, sac him for value"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Mid game: Recur dudes to deal with opposing threats and get your engine online: a consistent sac outlet and recurring mill"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Late game: <leverage what you've been doing above to shut the door on opponents and win the game>"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Again, I'd be shooting to use Slimefoot's ability every turn in the mid game because his ability is probably +4 on card advantage. And since we're doing it every turn, I'd try to get value the most value out of his ability by recurring something expensive.\n\nAnd I would have these expensive reanimation targets be interaction (\"removal\") focused, like you already have with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Overseer of the Damned"}},{"insert":" "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kogla and Yidaro"}},{"insert":" "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kogla, the Titan Ape"}},{"insert":" I think that's a good direction to go. Having a wide range of reanimation targets that interact with the board in lots of ways allows you to adapt to many situations. It can effectively be a toolbox deck. But that means you need to have tools (creature cards) in your toolbox (graveyard). So plenty of mill.\n\nCard Choices"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Alright if that's the gameplan then that informs what mana value you want your cards to be at. \n(for Early game) Cheap ramp that can generate non-green mana. Extra land drops stuff is good here, since you're just trying to get to 3. But run more lands."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"(for Early game) Cheap (possibly one-off) sac outlets for getting slimefoot out early. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deadly Dispute"}},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"(for Mid Game) "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Cheap and resilient mill"},{"insert":". "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ripples of Undeath"}},{"insert":" You don't want this to be too expensive because you still have to pay for Slimefoot's ability. You really want to make sure you have 10+ pieces of this to make the deck work."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"(for Mid Game) Things that can solidify your engine and close out the game. "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Expensive and powerful engine pieces"},{"insert":". Things that give you a big or lasting advantage: remove multiple threats, ramp you a bunch, make lots of tokens. You want the return on your 4 mana worth it. Keep in mind you can draw into these, so keeping them around 6-7 mana is nice because you can at least cast them from hand. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Apex Altisaur"}},{"insert":" is fun, but not when you draw it. "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"(for Late Game) Huge bombs. Things that can shut the door on opponents"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Card choices for later in the game should be informed by what you're doing in the early game. If you're going more of a creature-based, toolboxy style, throughout the whole game you're filling your yard and board with creatures. Choose bombs that scale with those facts. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Craterhoof Behemoth"}},{"insert":" "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rise of the Dark Realms"}},{"insert":" \n\nAlso, "},{"attributes":{"background":"#fafafa","link":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTAhqhi8LU0"},"insert":"play 39 lands"},{"insert":". You only play fewer lands if you plan to end the game early. You have a 3 mana commander, but your gameplan is a slow one, not a fast one. You get zero value out of your commander until you spend 7 mana, and none of your cards are closing out the game quickly.\n\nThis means, if you're going to win, you need to outvalue you opponents, and you're only going to do that if you're hitting land drops consistently.\n\nCuts"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"I would cut anything that isn't serving the plan of: \"use Slimefoot's ability once per turn in the mid game\"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Aristocrats and Reanimator are totally different, competing strategies."},{"insert":" I think they get lumped together because they both use the graveyard, but they do so in very different ways.\nReanimator wants:\na full graveyard"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"value pieces"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"a way to recur creatures"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Aristocrats wants:\nto create small dudes to sacrifice. Often tokens that don't go in the yard"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"sacrifice outlets"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"payoffs for sacrificing creatures. Usually draining effects."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThat's 6 things! Most decks only have room to do about 2 things after including ramp, removal, and card draw. Obviously the solution is to have cards that double dip across categories. But lets see what that would look like.\n\nSlimefoot really only does two of these things- recursion and making tokens - but he kind of sucks at making tokens. So that means you need to find slots for all 5 of those other things. I might make a followup with what that would look like, but I think it gets complicated.\n\nSo stick to reanimator, cut the aristocrats stuff.\n\nThat means:\nCut token generators - probably not that important. Having a couple extra saprolings available probably doesn't hurt, but I'm not spending a whole card to get a single saproling. Maybe if you have room you can add a couple of these if they also overlap with other things we want above. Like maybe keep "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Verdant Force"}},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cut draining sac payoffs like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Zulaport Cutthroat"}},{"insert":" "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Slimefoot, the Stowaway"}},{"insert":" . Its probably fine to keep "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Butcher of Malakir"}},{"insert":", since we are sacrificing 2 things per turn. I'd pass on "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mayhem Devil"}},{"insert":". Cut "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pitiless Plunderer"}},{"insert":"."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Can we do better than "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion"}},{"insert":"? He's an ok engine piece, but requires us to have cards in hand. No haste. Only 4 mana so not gaining any advantage when we recur him. Would be better if it wasn't red mana."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skullclamp"}},{"insert":" gets worse with fewer tokens. Cut"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\n\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"I'm not a fan of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Midnight Reaper"}},{"insert":" (normally I am, but you're most often sacrificing tokens here), "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Undercity Informer"}},{"insert":", or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Falkenrath Noble"}},{"insert":" \n\nhere are some ideas from my friend's "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://moxfield.com/decks/xaOHpNPCsEKFHwKaa2ncCg"},"insert":"S&S deck"},{"insert":" that is consistently scary. the self-mill creatures like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Satyr Wayfinder"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Town Greeter"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Circle of the Land Druid"}},{"insert":" are unassuming but effective. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Elves of Deep Shadow"}},{"insert":" wouldn't be remiss. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Culling Ritual"}},{"insert":" is interactive and potentially huge ramp. the many other ways to make saproling tokens help make that deck very resilient (he almost always leaves S&S in the graveyard when it dies) - "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Undercellar Myconid"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fungal Infection"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tendershoot Dryad"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sprout Swarm"}},{"insert":" etc.\n\ntop-end is pretty flexible, but ideally is interactive or gives you card advantage. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Primeval Protector"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wasitora, Nekoru Queen"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Underrealm Lich"}},{"insert":" feel underwhelming in that regard. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Crabomination"}},{"insert":" could be fun\n\nyou rarely plan to hard-cast your top-end, so imo 35-37 lands would actually suffice here\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"If you want to optimized, then ditch the lands that enter tapped without upside. Savage Lands and your Thriving Lands slow your tempo. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Exotic Orchard"}},{"insert":" is cheap and rarely fails in a three color deck. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Twisted Landscape"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ash Barrens"}},{"insert":" are flexible and good on a budget. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fabled Passage"}},{"insert":" is probably the cheapest alternative to a true fetch land.\n\nThree and four mana ramp don't get your commander out faster, so I would replace Kodama's Reach and Solemn Simulacrum with lands. Your land count is in frequent mulligan and missed land drop territory, and your curve is high enough that you should have more lands. \n\nDiabolic Tutor is a waste of mana, especially if you're trying to play optimized. Nothing in your deck is worth that much extra mana to play. Four mana should give you card advantage or advance your game plan. Additionally, any 4-drop in your deck needs a really good reason to exist when your commander is MV4.\n"}]}