Hello guys,
I'm trying to find a card that allows me to return a land I control into my hand.
(In order to put the land back into play, Cavern of Souls, Mosswort Bridge, ...)
But the card has to be great regardless of this effect. Like a Meloku The Clouded Mirror in blue.
Cloudstone Curio will let you return a land to your hand and can be useful for recasting creatures either for their ETB triggers or just to get more Karametra triggers. It also helps if you're running a lot of enchantress effects.
I'm also looking for a good life gain card, I have Trostani on my list (but you have to play other creatures during the same turn) also populate is not useful in my deck, maybe Resolute Archangel which triggers immediately but is far more exepensive.
This is my own take on Atraxa, Praetors' Voice. I'm staying away from infect as a primary theme and avoiding a superfriends build because everyone is doing that. I'm thinking about brewing an infect build, but I wanted to try this first. This is mostly a good stuff deck that tries to get a benefit from Atraxa's proliferate, buffs her, or is just a good card on its own.
Personally, I use Ultra-Pros. They do split every now and again, but they're also widely available and shuffle easily. I use Deckbuilder Toolkits with toploaded Commanders as dividers to keep my decks in.
This is a bit off-topic, but would anyone like to see a thread like this but for life counters? There's some really neat ones I think would be worth sharing with the community.
KMC Hyper Mattes may not be widely available at your local shops, but they're worth waiting a few days for them to ship from whichever online store you order from that carries them.
As for the bit about life-counters, I've been debating if I should expand this thread to other Magic accessories. The next accessory that I was thinking of adding was playmats since I have tried several, but I'm not sure there is much to say about them other than the quality difference between a few brands and then all of the anime playmats that come from Asia. Life counters would probably be a better topic to add, but I do not wish to steal your idea.
Also I'll admit I haven't been very diligent in updating the first post of this thread since I got my first salary job :). I would probably be more inclined to modify and update it if I could simply code the post in HTML/CSS of my own. Being limited to short-code with predefined settings feels limiting, but I try to make the best of it. I'm still not satisfied with the overall feel of the layout for the two sections. I hope to spend some time modifying the deck box listing to a much easier to read format that is more visually appealing.
As for Shivan Wurm I did see it when I was looking through the search results for Wurms, but I didn't feel like I'll get much benefit from playing it. I don't have many ETB triggers to abuse. Perhaps playing it to bounce a Voracious Wurm would be useful later in the game so I can recast Voracious Wurm after gaining some life, or to recast Pelakka Wurm. It kinda depends how you want to play the deck. If you're not running as many tutors then I'd put in some more early drops.
Anyways I appreciate the suggestions, but I'd also appreciate some reasons to run abc over xyz.
In case your Enter The Infinite gets dealt with. Have you considered running Demonic Consultation as an alternative way to get your Laboratory Maniac to trigger for the win? Let's say a few turns later you have Leyline of Anticipation out so you flash in Maniac at the end of your opponent's turn and during your upkeep you play consultation naming some imaginary card and poof your deck is gone. Maniac triggers during your draw step and the game is over. This is a risky way to win though.
Random stuff: Stonehewer Giant for all the equipment Tradewind Rider Magosi, the Waterveil + Rings of Brighthearth infinite turns
(It's a cute combo, and requires a bit of setup. You play Magosi, use 2 untap triggers from Derevi's ability after combat damage resolves from 2 of your creatures. 1st trigger resolves and untaps Magosi. Pay a blue and put an Eon counter on Magosi. 2nd trigger resolves and untaps Magosi. Tap Magosi for the 4th effect to take an extra turn. Now copy the ability with Rings to take 2 extra turns which the 1st will be cancelled by Magosi's skip your next turn effect, but you'll get the 2nd extra turn. During that turn just repeat the combo.) Palliation Accord Skyward Eye Prophets Storm Spirit
These are really awesome suggestions. I looked into double strike, but the only viable double strike card for this deck would be Fireshrieker. @Lexandur, Rafiq is crazy good but I feel that the tutor capabilities of black, in general, are stronger, Diabolic Revelation is just too good to pass up in a deck like this, thanks for the suggestion though!
Depends on what you need to tutor for. There a plenty of creature tutors in Bant which infect creatures are all you usually need to tutor. The Phyrexian Rafiq list in my sig is an example of Bant infect. As for BUG generals the already mentioned Mimeoplasm is the best option for infect. He is far too useful at grabbing the best critters available from any graveyard to become a killing machine.
I'm just gonna warn you now. Your current list is a little slow for 1v1 and your strategy is a bit unfocused with token creatures and infectors. Mostly this can be seen from using deck stats to analyze your mana curve which is 4.15 casting cost on average, and speaking of mana this deck stats tool is a good way to figure out how many lands of which color you need based on the number of colored mana symbols in the cost of your spells. I took the liberty of uploading your current list. Check it out here: Display deck statistics
For many other deck lists to research ideas from there are several 1v1 lists in the first post of the French Mega-Thread. (Also compare the ban list in the French Mega Thread to the regular one)
Lastly, a cute combo in your colors is: Laboratory Maniac + Demonic Consultation You just need to get the Maniac on the field and cast the consultation during your upkeep naming a card that isn't in your deck and you'll have nothing to draw during your draw step. This is a very risky combo, but it's hilarious when it works. You can do the whole thing after your draw step if you have another effect that will cause you to draw a card.
P.P.S Oh yea. What kind of budget do you have for your EDH deck? That would be helpful to know. I probably spammed you with a ton of super expensive options.
Last night I spent time trying to fix my signature so it would not scroll, but failed to get it just right. Maybe I can get it right tonight. It's only off by a small amount. I'm having fun using the quote and float tags to clean up the first post in my threads.
With Commander being supported rather heavily now, I think this was a silly blunder by Wizards.
Sadly it wasn't a blunder. I lost the link but it's been said on Mark Rosewater's blog that they would of liked it to be legendary but it was impossible as the type/subtype text would not fit on the card with the addition of the word "Legendary". It has also been mentioned that there are no other legendary enchantment creatures within the block except for the Gods due to this same reason; creature type "God" barely fit.
I think we all would of loved the Chromanticore as a potential general. Sigh.
So after reading your remark about Mark Rosewater's blog stating stuff about Chromanticore. I did a google search to try and find it. Searching for "Mark Rosewater's blog Chromanticore" got me this: Chromanticore music video.
Thanks for the suggestion trancekat. I wasn't sure about it at first, but recently I saw a post in a different thread by sonofabith who shared photos of his Stanley FatMax with decks in it and all. I'm a very visual person so I like to see things in action before I decide if I want to try it or not. So based on his pictures I've ordered a couple of these to try out. I got them for a decent price at ToolBarn's site even though I wanted to get my free 2-day shipping at Amazon they didn't have any available for prime shipping.
I too would like to cast my vote for the Stanley FatMax Professional Organizer. It comes with 12 small removable compartments that are well suited for a deck, and 2 double-sized compartments, which can hold 2 decks each (for a total of 16 decks) or what I like to use them for is for oversized cards like Vanguard, Archenemy schemes, or Planechase planes. I bought two of these cases, so I can swap the double-sized compartments out for 16 individual compartments.
On top of each deck I put a clear plastic toploader to make sure the cards stay put and don't slip around when I'm carrying the box.
I will probably move copies of his pictures to my photobucket and then add those images to the OP as examples of what this thing really looks like with all your cards in it.
I don't know if anyone else has brought these up, but in the military we have a standard first aid kit that we use. The case makes a really neat deckbox:
As you can see, it's pretty snug if you put four decks single-sleeved) into it. The dividers are just cardstock that you use as backers for comics that you sleeve. Since you have to make dividers yourself, you could easily alter them for single, double, or triple-sleeved, dice, tokens, etc. I wouldn't recommend the setup that I have shown, because you have to be careful closing it to avoid bending the corners of the front two decks. I don't actually use it currently, but eventually I plan on painting some blood splatter on it, and inside will be my 200 card horde deck, zombie tokens, and dice for the horde deck.
Very stylish find cryogen. I'll be adding this first aid option and the FatMax to the OP.
Also I've recently been using Ultra Pro - Pro Satin Towers (what a mouthful :weird2:) for a few decks and I gotta say they're my favorite solution for holding a one deck in single or double-sleeves bar none. So if you only have one deck to tote around pick this thing up for ~$10 it is amazing! They've got like 8 or more colors now I believe.
I love KMC perfect size sleeves, and I use them for protecting a lot of my cards as well as for holding paper print outs of digitally rendered proxies for cards I don't have extra copies of. It's just color printed paper laying over a basic land in a KMC perfect size sleeve, but it looks really nice. This way other people know I'm not using a real card while having something nicer than scrap paper being written on, a low resolution print out from magiccards.info, permanent marker on a land, etc. Plus I get to show off cool looking art instead of the original card. I only use these for cards I already own a copy of such as dual lands, fetches, berserk, demonic tutor, etc.
However, if I'm taking an EDH deck to a new location or a competitive environment I always sleeve the original copies until I've met the people I'll be playing with to find out their stance on proxies. Usually they're all okay with it once I show them my EDH binders, and explain that I find this much easier than switching cards between decks over and over.
So really I just do whatever is called for depending on the situation, but I prefer proxies over swapping cards between decks. Also because this way I can lend an extra deck to a friend if needed.
Cloudstone Curio will let you return a land to your hand and can be useful for recasting creatures either for their ETB triggers or just to get more Karametra triggers. It also helps if you're running a lot of enchantress effects.
Authority of the Consuls, Fumigate, True Conviction, and Resolute Archangel are the ones I switch between as I try out different builds. True Conviction also helps with devotion. Also depending on how big your creatures are Shamanic Revalation can be a decent heal spell while mainly helping you draw a lot of cards.
On a different note, Renegade Rallier + Saffi Eriksdotter/Angelic Renewal can infinitely loop with a sac outlet.
KMC Hyper Mattes may not be widely available at your local shops, but they're worth waiting a few days for them to ship from whichever online store you order from that carries them.
As for the bit about life-counters, I've been debating if I should expand this thread to other Magic accessories. The next accessory that I was thinking of adding was playmats since I have tried several, but I'm not sure there is much to say about them other than the quality difference between a few brands and then all of the anime playmats that come from Asia. Life counters would probably be a better topic to add, but I do not wish to steal your idea.
Also I'll admit I haven't been very diligent in updating the first post of this thread since I got my first salary job :). I would probably be more inclined to modify and update it if I could simply code the post in HTML/CSS of my own. Being limited to short-code with predefined settings feels limiting, but I try to make the best of it. I'm still not satisfied with the overall feel of the layout for the two sections. I hope to spend some time modifying the deck box listing to a much easier to read format that is more visually appealing.
So far I'm loving these. They shuffle like butter and are pretty tough.
As for Shivan Wurm I did see it when I was looking through the search results for Wurms, but I didn't feel like I'll get much benefit from playing it. I don't have many ETB triggers to abuse. Perhaps playing it to bounce a Voracious Wurm would be useful later in the game so I can recast Voracious Wurm after gaining some life, or to recast Pelakka Wurm. It kinda depends how you want to play the deck. If you're not running as many tutors then I'd put in some more early drops.
Anyways I appreciate the suggestions, but I'd also appreciate some reasons to run abc over xyz.
Stonehewer Giant for all the equipment
Tradewind Rider
Magosi, the Waterveil + Rings of Brighthearth infinite turns
(It's a cute combo, and requires a bit of setup. You play Magosi, use 2 untap triggers from Derevi's ability after combat damage resolves from 2 of your creatures. 1st trigger resolves and untaps Magosi. Pay a blue and put an Eon counter on Magosi. 2nd trigger resolves and untaps Magosi. Tap Magosi for the 4th effect to take an extra turn. Now copy the ability with Rings to take 2 extra turns which the 1st will be cancelled by Magosi's skip your next turn effect, but you'll get the 2nd extra turn. During that turn just repeat the combo.)
Palliation Accord
Skyward Eye Prophets
Storm Spirit
For some kind of Elves build:
Immaculate Magistrate
Wellwisher
Priest of Titania
Timberwatch Elf
Wirewood Channeler
Voice of the Woods
Gilt-leaf Archdruid for all their lands
Depends on what you need to tutor for. There a plenty of creature tutors in Bant which infect creatures are all you usually need to tutor. The Phyrexian Rafiq list in my sig is an example of Bant infect. As for BUG generals the already mentioned Mimeoplasm is the best option for infect. He is far too useful at grabbing the best critters available from any graveyard to become a killing machine.
I'm just gonna warn you now. Your current list is a little slow for 1v1 and your strategy is a bit unfocused with token creatures and infectors. Mostly this can be seen from using deck stats to analyze your mana curve which is 4.15 casting cost on average, and speaking of mana this deck stats tool is a good way to figure out how many lands of which color you need based on the number of colored mana symbols in the cost of your spells. I took the liberty of uploading your current list. Check it out here:
The first thing I noticed in the deck stats is that your list only has 99 cards.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth would be a great land to have especially to make Liliana of the Dark Realms more relevant.
I'd suggest taking a peak at some Mimeoplasm lists and see what you think about those:
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/forum-1-vs-1-commander-decklists/527311-mimeoplasm-legendary-combo-ooze
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/forum-1-vs-1-commander-decklists/205977-mimeoplasm-infection-edh
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/forum-1-vs-1-commander-decklists/206272-the-mimeoplasm-the-better-vorosh
Solid options in your colors: Toxic Deluge, Nature's Claim, Sylvan Library, Rancor, Ancestral Visions, Invigorate, Vines of the Vastwood, Livewire Lash, Skullclamp, Fleshbag Marauder, Gitaxian Probe, Distortion Strike, Entomb, Buried Alive, Maelstrom Pulse, Hymn to Tourach, Duress, Inquisition of Kozilek, Victim of the Night, Putrefy, Dismember, Grasp of Darkness, Go for the Throat, Crop Rotation, Diabolic Edict, Devour in Shadow, Beast Within, Abrupt Decay, Seal of Primordium, Phyrexian Arena, Birds of Paradise, Brainstorm, Counterspell, Mana Leak, Negate, Remand, Delay, Spell Pierce, Force Spike, Daze, Voidslime, Damnation, Explore, Nature's Lore, Life from the Loam, Forbid, Ponder, Preordain, Regrowth, Noxious Revival, Treasured Find,
Other infect creatures to consider: Blackcleave Goblin, Blight Mamba, Blighted Agent, Contagious Nim, Cystbearer, Flensermite, Flesh-Eater Imp, Ichor Rats, Glistener Elf, Ichorclaw Myr, Necropede, Phyrexian Digester, Phyrexian Vatmother, Plague Stinger, Plague Myr, Reaper of Sheoldred, Rot Wolf, Septic Rats, Spinebiter, Tangle Angler, Tel-Jilad Fallen, Viridian Betrayers, and Viridian Corrupter.
For some other ideas in similar colors check out Khymera's list for Varolz, the Scar-Striped
For many other deck lists to research ideas from there are several 1v1 lists in the first post of the French Mega-Thread. (Also compare the ban list in the French Mega Thread to the regular one)
Lastly, a cute combo in your colors is: Laboratory Maniac + Demonic Consultation You just need to get the Maniac on the field and cast the consultation during your upkeep naming a card that isn't in your deck and you'll have nothing to draw during your draw step. This is a very risky combo, but it's hilarious when it works. You can do the whole thing after your draw step if you have another effect that will cause you to draw a card.
P.S. Which ban list is your LCS using for its event? If it is the regular ban list then there are other cards you should consider as well such as: Ancient Tomb, Crucible of Worlds, Mana Crypt, Mana Drain, Mind Twist, Natural Order, Vampiric Tutor, Winter Orb, Strip Mine, Sensei's Divining Top, Oath of Druids, Mana Vault, and Grim Monolith. Also if you switch to a deck that plays white then toss in a Serra Ascendant. Heck, if your store is using the regular ban list then you can build a Derevi, Empyrial Tactician deck or if you want to really show your LCS why there is a Duel Commander (aka French) ban list you can build the Hermit Druid deck to wreck the meta.
P.P.S Oh yea. What kind of budget do you have for your EDH deck? That would be helpful to know. I probably spammed you with a ton of super expensive options.
So after reading your remark about Mark Rosewater's blog stating stuff about Chromanticore. I did a google search to try and find it. Searching for "Mark Rosewater's blog Chromanticore" got me this: Chromanticore music video.
Thanks for the suggestion trancekat. I wasn't sure about it at first, but recently I saw a post in a different thread by sonofabith who shared photos of his Stanley FatMax with decks in it and all. I'm a very visual person so I like to see things in action before I decide if I want to try it or not. So based on his pictures I've ordered a couple of these to try out. I got them for a decent price at ToolBarn's site even though I wanted to get my free 2-day shipping at Amazon they didn't have any available for prime shipping.
Here is what sonofabith had to say about them:
I will probably move copies of his pictures to my photobucket and then add those images to the OP as examples of what this thing really looks like with all your cards in it.
Very stylish find cryogen. I'll be adding this first aid option and the FatMax to the OP.
Also I've recently been using Ultra Pro - Pro Satin Towers (what a mouthful :weird2:) for a few decks and I gotta say they're my favorite solution for holding a one deck in single or double-sleeves bar none. So if you only have one deck to tote around pick this thing up for ~$10 it is amazing! They've got like 8 or more colors now I believe.
However, if I'm taking an EDH deck to a new location or a competitive environment I always sleeve the original copies until I've met the people I'll be playing with to find out their stance on proxies. Usually they're all okay with it once I show them my EDH binders, and explain that I find this much easier than switching cards between decks over and over.
So really I just do whatever is called for depending on the situation, but I prefer proxies over swapping cards between decks. Also because this way I can lend an extra deck to a friend if needed.