Hello all!

Let's get down to business and talk about my favorite deck archetype of all time, ever since I started playing Magic since M20, which is Mono-green Stompy. Ever since I made my first monogreen deck my friend Jerry made a joke and called it Pickle Rick and I kind of rolled with that naming scheme since, making an iteration of the deck every new set release. This deck is the 5th competitive BO3 iteration of my monogreen with the release of M21 and it finally got me into Mythic due to some really amazing tools that we just got.

Now, what does it mean to be stompy and what does stompy needs to be strong in this meta?

To my understanding a "stompy" deck means that every creature that you throw into the battlefield will outvalue other creatures in the same mana cost range and be cheap and aggressive. My green decks have always technically been "midrange" but I consider them to be borderline aggro. I was sad to drop cool cards like Gargos, Vicious Watcher out of my deck but thanks to Eldraine and M20 we saw fantastic cards like Questing Beast, Lovestruck Beast, Shifting Ceratops, and Stonecoil Serpent (which mind you, have practically been must have main decks for nearly all iterations of Pickle Rick). We suffered heavy losses with the bans of Veil of Summer (probably my favorite sideboard of all time) and Once Upon a Time, but considering how much I hate Simic and Bant I am actually really glad that those are gone. Ultimately, what stompy needs to survive in these kinds of standard is speed, value, and surprisingly Patience. Stompy ideally should be played with tempo, but when Aether Gust, Brazen Borrower, Teferi, Time Raveler, boardwipes, and Elspeth Conquers Death exists you CANNOT play tempo at all. It sucks because the deck is suppose to be aggressive and you are suppose to put damage down as fast as possible but you need to be consider your opponents decks and possible interactions. Now, enough rambling, let's go on with the deck. 

What did M21 bring that really turned up the heat? 

We received 3 fun new toys that actually makes the deck very competitive:

• Heroic Intervention: This is probably the best card that M21 has brought to mono-green. This is one of the best replacements for Veil of Summer and is our best response to a Teferi entering play or a boardwipe that could happen. Monogreen practically autofolds to strong control decks and this certainly helps.
• Scavenging Ooze: I was seriously hyped when I saw this card spoiled and also very surprised - I dont think this card needs any introduction. There's a reason why it sees play in Modern and Pioneer - this is our best option against Uro, Lurrus and Aristocrats decks. Its also good against ECD because it dodges it and we can pay 1 mana to deny the third chapter. This card is the kind of 2 mana value.
• Garruk's Harbinger: A very strong 3 drop, it actually replaced Lovestruck Beast in my main deck lineup. Card advantage is very important in monogreen and this card is certainly good value - a 4/3 for 3 CMC is honestly not bad and it dodges all black based removal, which is amazing.

Other Main Deck choices:

• Thrashing Brontodon and Gemrazer: These two are fantastic main deck enchantment/artifact hate. Gemrazer is frequently played on top of an Ooze, Serpent, or Pelt Collector and has pseudo-haste. Very aggressive and hits hard which is what we need. Brontodon is a loved classic - perfect for instant speed removal on Anax, Hardened in the Forge or Embercleave and having 4 toughness on a 3 mana creature is just a slack on the face for other aggro decks.
• Pelt Collector: A must have for aggressive decks. It's a threat that can easily grow to a 4/4 with trample and is frequently a bounce target for Teferi, which is okay. It isn't a Llanawar Elves but it is still pretty good. 
• Vivien, Arkbow Ranger: This is our only maindeck removal and the the uptick is very strong against aristocrats since it grants Trample. The -5 is still pretty good and I usually am willing to sacrifice the Vivien in a game one to retrieve a Shifting Ceratops against control and Lovestruck Beast against aggro. This card performs well in game one often but usually gets swapped out once we have a better idea of who we're playing against.
• Vivien, Monsters' Advocate: This is our contingency if games go too long. The second best green planeswalker behind Nissa and is a threat that must be answered - her built in Experimental Frenzy often overperforms and her -2 is perfect for value, as it gives us an uncounterable creature (unless they run Whirlwind Denial or Tale's End) and I often use it to summon a brontodon or ooze depending on the situation. Bad against aggro though.
• Stonecoil Serpent: This card is an overperformer. Cannot be touched by Kaya, Ashiok, Teferi, can indefinitely chump block Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, Dream Trawler, can't be blocked by Hydroid Krasis, avoid both Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Ugin, the Ineffable removal, dodges, ECD, the list just goes on and on.... this card almost never gets cut and is super flexible, as it can charge the Pelt Collectors and enable Lovestruck Beasts if you lose a 1/1. 
• Great Henge: Very strong stabilizer against aggro but bad against certain control since it can be ECD or bounced. If you're playing against white based control, drop this card.

Sideboard Choices:

• Thrash // Threat: Good for instant speed removal on Nightpack Ambusher and Mayhem Devil. 
• Lovestruck Beast: Great card against aggro, I usually just play it as a 5/5 without playing the adventure and it often enables 4 mana Great Henge.
• Vivien, Champion of the Wilds: Great against flyers and control decks. You get card advantage, you can play cards after a boardwipe on their turn, but unfortunately loses to 3 mana Teferi, so just keep that in mind.
• Shifting Ceratops: God-Tier card against control, almost main deck worthy. Cannot be countered and has haste is way too good and top decks with these late game against control usually results in a win.

Other cards to consider and maybeboard:

• Nissa, Who Shakes the World: More like Nissa who shakes the meta... I love this card and hate playing against it but I dont think it belongs in a stompy deck. The lands often get boardwiped or removed and losing land/mana absolutely sucks. Playing Nissa in a non-ramp deck is incredibly risky and often not worth it. Your mileage may vary though, she has won me in tournaments before but I think Vivien outshines her in this deck
• Growth Chamber Guardian: Very good 2 drop, great for thinning the deck and card advantage. If I needed more two drops this is next in line to go in
• Kraul Harpooner: A fantastic 2 drop, incredibly stompy. With the increase of Shark Typhoons, Sprite Dragon, and Hydroid Krasis this card might be worth putting in - late game it could also allow for a cheap Great Henge too thanks to its Overgrowth ability.
• Nullhide Ferox: This card is so funny and good - If it hadn't been for our PW and Great Henge I would run this.
• Nylea, Keen-Eye: This actually is decent, I've seen many monogreen players disregard this card because its too expensive and slow, but I disagree - I think its a good sideboard card against control since the discount and mana sink can save you games. I dont run it since I am already running too many 4 drops.
• Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig: I hate this card. Why? Because I want to love it so much but it has always let me down. No trample, no card advantage, dies to Lava Coil, bounced a lot.... I've never gotten results from this card.

On a budget?

• Ranger's Guile: Honestly not a bad Walmart version of Veil of Summer haha
• Wildwood Tracker: Usually gets the buff and enables Lovestruck
• Barkhide Troll: Such a great uncommon stompy creature, still very good with this deck
• Destiny Spinner: Very good card against flash matchups with a million counters, try not to get it bounced or countered or removed

Summary

Plan is simple: 

• Playing against aggro? No sweat, just play everything and beat them before they beat you
• Playing against control? Play slow but steady and make sure you sideboard well
• Playing against ramp/midrange? Cry and concede.

Hope you have good luck with this deck because it has done really well for me! :)