I grabbed the Devour for Power precon deck back when the Commander decks first came out. Like a lot of people, I adjusted it and mostly played it for The Mimeoplasm. The problem is with everyone playing basically the same thing, I got bored and had to switch it up. Enter Damia, Sage of Stone, and with it a change-up in deck construction. I have been playing a build similar to this and have had mostly positive results. It isn't totally "competitive" so to speak, but if I play my politics right I am rarely not in the final 2 players (I usually play in games of 5 or more players). Here is the current build:
The 3 key things to this deck (and I suppose just like most EDH decks) are in order of play: quick mana fixing, heavy card draw, dropping big bombs.
My strategy for mana fixing is that I am able to play all 3 colors by the end of turn three and can produce 10 mana by turn 7 as a worst case scenario. I only possess 3 different rare fetches (Scalding Tarn, Bloodstained Mire, and Verdant Catacombs) which requires me to play the Terramorphic Expanse. I don't have the funds for any expensive dual lands, so I substitute them for the Core Set style duals like Drowned Catacomb and the old painlands like Yavimaya Coast. My playgroup doesn't play much in the way of land destruction, so a well timed Karoo land is usually rather effective. Additional mana fixing is provided by mana producing artifacts (ex: Thran Dynamo, Coalition Relic, etc), Rampant Growth effects, and creatures that fetch lands (Solemn Simulacrum and the like).
Heavy card draw will come mostly from whichever creature I obtain first: Damia, Sage of Stone, or Consecrated Sphinx. Additional help comes from card drawing enchantments and instants played immediately before my turn.
The Bombs are rather self-explanatory. The choice of playing a bomb is determined by my current situation within the game. This is where I mostly play politics, as dropping a Kozilek or Sorin Markov can quickly gain unwanted attention at certain points, while at others they are either a welcome addition or a finishing blow. Choices are simply determined by the boards' state, as well as the competition I am facing.
You may also note a large amount of recursion for a non-reanimator deck. The people I play with run a massive amount of creature removal, so it is inevitable that most of the creatures that I ever lay down in the first half of the game will be picked off quickly (this goes for everyone involved) and so in order to sustain any sort of creature defense through at least the first 10 turns, I will need to have a way to bring back the small number of creatures that I play.
I post this for both advice on improvements as well as providing ideas for those interested.
What...no Capsize? Also, blue and green praetors would probably fit the theme. If you want recursive removal, try Phyrexia's Core + Spine of Ish Sah. For creature protection, Asceticism. Ramps = Explosive Vegetation. I'd advise you not to play the 'bounce' lands (Ravnica 2 mana common lands) because if someone decides to...y'know...blast it, it's a huge tempo loss. One way of fun, powerful and effective stompy - Rite of Replication + Frost Titan, not to mention you can Rite the Wurmcoils as well.
Finally, Gather Specimens would probably help you against creature spamming decks - especially the mono Green favorite called Genesis Wave. Another combo will be Palinchron
What...no Capsize? Also, blue and green praetors would probably fit the theme. If you want recursive removal, try Phyrexia's Core + Spine of Ish Sah. For creature protection, Asceticism. Ramps = Explosive Vegetation. I'd advise you not to play the 'bounce' lands (Ravnica 2 mana common lands) because if someone decides to...y'know...blast it, it's a huge tempo loss. One way of fun, powerful and effective stompy - Rite of Replication + Frost Titan, not to mention you can Rite the Wurmcoils as well.
Finally, Gather Specimens would probably help you against creature spamming decks - especially the mono Green favorite called Genesis Wave. Another combo will be Palinchron
I suppose I should have made it clear that I am on a rather fixed budget, so I really can't afford many singles at this point, especially expensive ones. I also try to avoid any degenerate board states if possible (Palinchron, Jin-Gitaxias for your example). I used to run Asceticism, but for my build I found reanimation was more consistent (both in acquiring it as well as not having to deal with disenchants, etc). Rite of Replication certainly is interesting though.
I also mentioned how no one I play with runs any substantial amount of LD, hence my inclusion of those Ravnica bouncers.
If you're not running any duals with basic land types, you want to cut the off color fetches. The point of using them in a deck with an optimized mana base is to color fix, which you can't do here. Unless you're running another way to abuse them, such as Crucible of Worldsor Rings of Brighthearth, you're better off just having basic lands in those spots.
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[Pr]Jaya | Estrid | A rotating cast of decks built out of my box.
If you're not running any duals with basic land types, you want to cut the off color fetches. The point of using them in a deck with an optimized mana base is to color fix, which you can't do here. Unless you're running another way to abuse them, such as Crucible of Worldsor Rings of Brighthearth, you're better off just having basic lands in those spots.
This is why I include Life From the Loam. If it seems that pointless, I would probably switch them out for the colored Cycle lands.
I agree you're kind of light on finishers.. and creatures in general. As such, I would change Dread Return and Stitch Together to things that reanimate from any graveyard instead of just your own. Things like Animate Dead, Rise From The Grave, etc.
I missed LftL under land tutors (it's not really a tutor. I'd call it recursion), but I wouldn't consider that enough reason to run off coor fetches. Then, I probably wouldn't run Loam without more ways to abuse it. Cycling lands, Strip Mine effects, and other useful abilities on lands that get them into the yard seem like pretty safe inculsions to me. If you just want to insure land drops, I would assume that your going to dredge some lands and cut the fetches anyways. They don't seem to have anywhere near the power or utility I would look for to justify including them here. To each their own, though.
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[Pr]Jaya | Estrid | A rotating cast of decks built out of my box.
I suppose I should have made it clear that I am on a rather fixed budget, so I really can't afford many singles at this point, especially expensive ones.
Well, Phyrexia's Core + Spine of Ish Sah is budget I would think? I don't know how they go for in your country, but I could probably get both for a dollar total in mine. Unless you want modifications that don't cost a cent. Capsize is another common that doesn't have that much of value, so I think they would be very much within anyone's budget. Rites are another cheap addition - you can pretty much replicate anything out there.
6 Forest
5 Swamp
4 Island
Dual Lands
1 Underground River
1 Yavimaya Coast
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Flooded Grove
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
Non-Dual Multicolor Producers
1 Vivid Grove
1 Vivid Creek
1 City of Brass
1 Command Tower
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Simic Growth Chamber
Fetch Lands
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Bloodstained Mire
Utility Lands
1 Halimar Depths
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Strip Mine
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Temple of the False God
Mana Producing Artifacts
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Golgari Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Coalition Relic
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Simic Signet
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Cultivate
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Life from the Loam
Non-Land Tutors
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Trinket Mage
Card Draw
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Rhystic Study
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Brainstorm
1 Necrologia
1 Skullclamp
Counterspells
1 Counterspell
1 Hinder
1 Mystic Snake
1 Spell Crumple
1 Muddle the Mixture
Creature/Art/Enchant Destruction
1 Krosan Grip
1 Putrefy
1 Acidic Slime
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Beast Within
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Eternal Witness
1 Mimic Vat
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Dread Return
1 Necromancy
1 Reanimate
1 Stitch Together
1 Genesis
1 Snapcaster Mage
The Bombs
1 Exsanguinate
1 Avatar of Woe
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Terastodon
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Sorin Markov
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 The Mimeoplasm
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Miscellaneous Fun Things
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Crystal Shard
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Venser's Journal
1 Psychosis Crawler
The 3 key things to this deck (and I suppose just like most EDH decks) are in order of play: quick mana fixing, heavy card draw, dropping big bombs.
My strategy for mana fixing is that I am able to play all 3 colors by the end of turn three and can produce 10 mana by turn 7 as a worst case scenario. I only possess 3 different rare fetches (Scalding Tarn, Bloodstained Mire, and Verdant Catacombs) which requires me to play the Terramorphic Expanse. I don't have the funds for any expensive dual lands, so I substitute them for the Core Set style duals like Drowned Catacomb and the old painlands like Yavimaya Coast. My playgroup doesn't play much in the way of land destruction, so a well timed Karoo land is usually rather effective. Additional mana fixing is provided by mana producing artifacts (ex: Thran Dynamo, Coalition Relic, etc), Rampant Growth effects, and creatures that fetch lands (Solemn Simulacrum and the like).
Heavy card draw will come mostly from whichever creature I obtain first: Damia, Sage of Stone, or Consecrated Sphinx. Additional help comes from card drawing enchantments and instants played immediately before my turn.
The Bombs are rather self-explanatory. The choice of playing a bomb is determined by my current situation within the game. This is where I mostly play politics, as dropping a Kozilek or Sorin Markov can quickly gain unwanted attention at certain points, while at others they are either a welcome addition or a finishing blow. Choices are simply determined by the boards' state, as well as the competition I am facing.
You may also note a large amount of recursion for a non-reanimator deck. The people I play with run a massive amount of creature removal, so it is inevitable that most of the creatures that I ever lay down in the first half of the game will be picked off quickly (this goes for everyone involved) and so in order to sustain any sort of creature defense through at least the first 10 turns, I will need to have a way to bring back the small number of creatures that I play.
I post this for both advice on improvements as well as providing ideas for those interested.
Finally, Gather Specimens would probably help you against creature spamming decks - especially the mono Green favorite called Genesis Wave. Another combo will be Palinchron
Iwamori says "Just Bring It!"
Edric's Spiesssssssss (Snake Tribal) GU
Sliver Overlord (Slivers Galore!!) WUBRG
Ruhan of the Fomori RWU
Seton, Krosan ProtectorG
Intet, The Dreamer (Hive Mind + Scrambleverse anyone?) URG
Karona, False God the Goddess of Tribal - Samurai, P3K Horsemen, 5c MyrsWUBRG
Garza's Family UBR
Sygg, River Guide and his merry merrowmen UB
Sharuum, the Hedgemon Sphinx Tribal
I suppose I should have made it clear that I am on a rather fixed budget, so I really can't afford many singles at this point, especially expensive ones. I also try to avoid any degenerate board states if possible (Palinchron, Jin-Gitaxias for your example). I used to run Asceticism, but for my build I found reanimation was more consistent (both in acquiring it as well as not having to deal with disenchants, etc). Rite of Replication certainly is interesting though.
I also mentioned how no one I play with runs any substantial amount of LD, hence my inclusion of those Ravnica bouncers.
This is why I include Life From the Loam. If it seems that pointless, I would probably switch them out for the colored Cycle lands.
Also, you are running Shocklands, which have basic land types.
I think you might be a bit short on winconditions here. Where's your Avenger of Zendikar? Primeval Titan?
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No shocklands, unless I'm missing them somewhere.
I missed LftL under land tutors (it's not really a tutor. I'd call it recursion), but I wouldn't consider that enough reason to run off coor fetches. Then, I probably wouldn't run Loam without more ways to abuse it. Cycling lands, Strip Mine effects, and other useful abilities on lands that get them into the yard seem like pretty safe inculsions to me. If you just want to insure land drops, I would assume that your going to dredge some lands and cut the fetches anyways. They don't seem to have anywhere near the power or utility I would look for to justify including them here. To each their own, though.
Here is your answer:
Iwamori says "Just Bring It!"
Edric's Spiesssssssss (Snake Tribal) GU
Sliver Overlord (Slivers Galore!!) WUBRG
Ruhan of the Fomori RWU
Seton, Krosan ProtectorG
Intet, The Dreamer (Hive Mind + Scrambleverse anyone?) URG
Karona, False God the Goddess of Tribal - Samurai, P3K Horsemen, 5c MyrsWUBRG
Garza's Family UBR
Sygg, River Guide and his merry merrowmen UB
Sharuum, the Hedgemon Sphinx Tribal