I can honestly say I've been researching this topic of structured for quite some time now, and until this point, the choices for a color were almost effortless. It may have been a bit of a challenge to narrow the list down to 10 choices, but it wasn't a challenge to find specific items with just the color alone in mind. That changed with my research here.
The issue wasn't that I wasn't finding great staples. In fact, quite the contrary. Dozens of cards would come to my attention, and immediately I would think, "that would go so great paired up with this color," or "that would be insane when paired with that commander." I was observing so many amazing cards, and seeing the immense utility it would bring to a wider or external idea, but pinpointing cards that said "this belongs in every green deck," was quite the challenge.
Despite such challenges, I made up my about tackling this, so after careful consideration, and constant observation of other decks, I've compiled a top 10 that I feel best tells you what you should immediately consider for any green deck. Starter Pack: Green Cards begins now!
Creatures
So as I was saying before, there are so many brilliant green cards, with creatures included. However, most of these creatures seem to work best paired with another color, and not necessarily alone. I had to look very close, but I came to some very positive conclusions. To start, I want to mention that we have dedicated much time on this site talking about the dangers of flying. With that in mind, that is where Deadly Recluse shines so bright. This card isn't about an aggressive play, but to slow your opponents down.
The remaining three creatures float around the Green theme of ramping. Thanks to the very recent Iconic Masters, the very exciting Ivy Elemental has entered the format! Although not a continuous mana sink, here's a piece that serves you well at any stage of a game. Returning to strict ramp, I highly recommend you use both Sakura-Tribe Elder and Voyaging Satyr. Working well in all variations of green decks, it's so important that you properly equip yourself.
Enchantments
Finding essential Enchantments became a much easier task. Returning to discussing ramp, an early drop Khalni Heart Expedition is fantastic. With flying being such a danger (I can't stress this enough), giving your entire creature base "reach" with Spidersilk Armor will be a blessing.
Let's take a peek at two auras. First, the very popular Rancor. There is very little that I can add to what you already know, so I will instead move to a less known Snake Umbra. With the combined utility of increasing creature strength, and continuous card draw in green, this is a must.
Sorceries
During my search through non-permanents, I ran into several issues as I did with creatures. However, two very important pieces remained. We have mentioned Rampant Growth before on this site, but I want emphasize the value here. One more fantastic piece is Stream of Life, utilizing large amounts of mana for large life gain.
At the conclusion of all 5 basic colors of the starter pack series, there's now a starting foundation for building your decks. With that being said, this series is not finished. There are so many areas left to cover, with more starter packs left to develop.
Will every one of these cards work in every deck? Not necessarily, but it's a great place to start. Do these cards add power to your decks? Let this be a starting point for any deck you craft, and relieve some of the challenges that come with designing your own techs.
-Kyle
@PDH_Homebase