I just got the Zedruu deck online and made "some" adjustments to it, although I am sure I will continue to make more. Looking for some ideas. First off, I am thinking it is a bit light on land. Well, take a look:
Before we get into any changes, is this deck too light on land. At least a few times online, seemed to be a bit short on mana.
Next, moving on to the gimmicks. Of course this deck is best when it can donate stuff that actually hurt the opponent. Ideas that I have gotten from seeing other ppl play Zedruu since I got this deck include Thought Lash and Illusions. Note that I am playing online and Celestial Dawn doesn't work properly online, so is not nearly as effective there as it is irl :p. Howling Mine works fine to donate since who cares who has control of the mine, you get the same effect. I am simply looking for other ideas of stuff to donate and other ideas of more effective cards that I can use. Keep in mind, this has to be stuff that is available online. Hence, no cards that are Masques and earlier without functional online reprints :). Thanks again for any help.
Is this deck intended for 1v1 or multiplayer? If it's 1v1, I would go for lots of nasty donation effects and removal/counterspells. If it's multiplayer, you're better off with defensive cards, a few really powerful negative donation effects, and lots of "useless" cards with enters-the-battlefield effects and little to nothing else that you can donate at a profit (for example, try Prophetic Prism, Spine of Ish Sah, and Mycosynth Wellspring).
Either way, Zedruu needs a good amount of mana. Try around 36-39 lands plus a nice package of about 8-12 mana accelerants/fixers (Signets, Sol Ring, Solemn Simulacrum, Armillary Sphere, etc.). If you can get your hands on it, you absolutely can't go wrong with Reliquary Tower.
I wouldn't bother with howling mines. If you compare to, say, Mycosynth Wellspring, each cost 2 mana, the wellspring gives you 2 cards for 1 turn and 1 card for all future turns, and 1 life every turn. The mine will give 2 cards and 1 life every turn. However, the mines also gives your opponents 1 card per turn. Since zedruu is giving you more cards, that 1 card their getting could be doubling the number of cards they get, while merely giving you 1/3 of what you already get (if you've been giving out lots of stuff).
I have a hard time making Zedruu really good for 1v1.. It can pull out games if you happen to get board wipe plus bomb spell (storm herd or a big creature like consecrated sphinx) but it is pretty rough to get Zedruu going early and donate stuff fast enough... I have my list geared towards multiplayer, with the land swapping cards (political trickery/shifting borders) and a "passive"kill with Zedruu/phycosis crawler or niv mizzet.. Also, I have mind over matter and arcanis the omnipotent, which with crawler or niv mizzet can kill a player easily... I admit illusions of grandeur and the like are awsome, but I felt like they were too unfair to play.. The deck can still be pretty unfair when you play wrath of god and then follow up with a storm herd or yosei the morning star and counter backup... It just is way more control oriented and probably not suited for 1v1, but like I said, Zedruu just feels too slow for a solid 1v1 matchup
General:
Zedruu the Greathearted
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Spell Crumple
1 Into the Roil
1 Path to Exile
1 Brainstorm
1 False Prophet
1 Vedalken Plotter
1 Quicksilver Gargantuan
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Martyr's Bond
1 Nin, the Pain Artist
1 Hinder
1 Chaos Warp
1 Flameblast Dragon
1 Turn to Frog
1 Dominus of Fealty
1 Plumeveil
1 Prison Term
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Goblin Cadets
1 Auramancer
1 Merfolk Looter
1 Day of Judgment
1 Wild Ricochet
1 Dissipate
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Murmurs from Beyond
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Pollen Lullaby
1 Sol Ring
1 Treasure Mage
1 Redirect
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Austere Command
1 Brion Stoutarm
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Rapacious One
1 Guard Gomazoa
1 Lightning Helix
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Dreamstone Hedron
1 Wall of Omens
1 Reins of Power
1 Punishing Fire
1 Propaganda
1 Howling Mine
1 Sunblast Angel
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Chromeshell Crab
1 Manic Vandal
1 Breath of Darigaaz
1 Divination
1 Numot, the Devastator
1 Insurrection
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Visions of Beyond
1 Oblation
1 Argent Sphinx
1 Djinn of Wishes
1 Sun Titan
1 Perilous Research
1 Court Hussar
1 Wall of Denial
8 Mountain
8 Plains
1 Command Tower
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Boros Garrison
1 Halimar Depths
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Mistifying Maze
Before we get into any changes, is this deck too light on land. At least a few times online, seemed to be a bit short on mana.
Next, moving on to the gimmicks. Of course this deck is best when it can donate stuff that actually hurt the opponent. Ideas that I have gotten from seeing other ppl play Zedruu since I got this deck include Thought Lash and Illusions. Note that I am playing online and Celestial Dawn doesn't work properly online, so is not nearly as effective there as it is irl :p. Howling Mine works fine to donate since who cares who has control of the mine, you get the same effect. I am simply looking for other ideas of stuff to donate and other ideas of more effective cards that I can use. Keep in mind, this has to be stuff that is available online. Hence, no cards that are Masques and earlier without functional online reprints :). Thanks again for any help.
New to Commander? Read the Above article.
Either way, Zedruu needs a good amount of mana. Try around 36-39 lands plus a nice package of about 8-12 mana accelerants/fixers (Signets, Sol Ring, Solemn Simulacrum, Armillary Sphere, etc.). If you can get your hands on it, you absolutely can't go wrong with Reliquary Tower.