I see your point, but this deck really needs the option to clear the field. I don't have any real blockers and can't really interact with their creatures in any meaningful way.
The issue you will run into with this plan is you 'MUST' draw sweepers on a fairly constant basis. This means you will need a heavy, heavy amount of sweepers. You will be casting a *** to deal with 1 or 2 creatures on most occassions.
As such, you will spend most of your time clearning the board (spending all your manas) doing so, and not milling a damn thing.
You need something other than board sweepers for protection. I speak from experience - I tried the same thing. And failed - hard.
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Quick Silver Amulet is a trap - you end up paying 8 mana for a Demon that may cost less..where is the benefit in that? I'd instead get Cabal Coffers up to 4, and maybe look into a Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth or 2 to round out the mana base.
If you are using this in duels as well as multiplayer, I'd suggest card advantage through Underworld Connections or Phyrexian Arena (one budget vs. one not).
Or, you can combine that effect with a Demon itself and get a playset of Bloodgift Demon - budget friendly, same effect, a body to swing with - with the cost of 2 more colorless mana. I personally love the guy.
Innocent Blood is amazing of multiplayer, but loses a little luster in duels. Pestilence Demon fits the theme, is budget, and helps control the board. Add in things like a Basilisk Collar and he becomes quite problematic.
Halo Hunter is a meta call, but a pretty solid body.
I have a love/hate relationship with Grinning Demon myself.
Not a demon, but Gray Merchant of Asphodel would work nicely since most demons have several good cards that enable devotion.
For life gain and staying power, I'd look at Exsanguinate. With the added coffers, this ends games in a multiplayer setting..not as good in duels, but still effective nonetheless.
I never said control the entire field. I said to take out fatties you find threatening. That can also extend to defense against kill cards coming at yourself etc.
A counterspell is quite proactive - how do you know that countering it is the best route in a multiplayer game? The person playing the creature may have other ideas of who he will attack with said creature. Given a choice, I'd rather have a handful of Boomerang's or something, rather than counters, in a multiplayer ffa.
To me, knowing my creature can get bounced or exiled in response to an attack is more deterring than knowing it may get countered.
It's a slippery slope - you can't counter everything and what you don't/can't may be what kills you; because you chose to counter something else that may have looked threatening at the time.
Unless you are running Counterspell + Isochron Scepter, I'd be wary of counters in a MP game; and to me, even that one is iffy.
Glad im not the only one who sees counters as a viable multiplayer deck
I'm not saying no one should ever play counters, ever, in a MP deck - just saying that using it as the decks main goal to control the entire field is a horrible idea.
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Yeah I'm pretty oppressive in my meta but I like to push them to build better decks. It's something I go back and forth on. There are a lot of my decks I just don't play often because of that.
It's a thin line between pushing your playgroup to build better decks, and being the guy that no one wants to have in their games.
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I mean if the playgroup allows a playset of Clamps I see your point..
I just think with G. Pact and Clamps running rampant it might be a just a tad too oppressive for a casual setting - but that's just my opinion on the matter. I mean, you're a pretty solid voice when it comes to advocating, tuning and scaling the power level of a deck for a particular meta; was just thinking it would/may not let other players 'play magic' if such a deck were to be fielded.
The big thing about blue is counters. counter counter counter. You want to play that big old wurm? Don't think so have a cancel. Trying to throw out Phyrexian Obliterator? How bout trying on a mana leak? If I had such a one dimensional group of friends id build a deck just to destroy what they were doing and force them to expand or always lose.
Counter heavy decks in a big ffa game is a death sentence..a horrid strategy which should be avoided at pretty much all costs.
Why? You can't counter 'everything' - and leaves you defenseless because you chose to play counters and not something that alters your state of the board. Also, that big fat creature may do work for you by pummeling your opponents, not you.
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So you want it harder for them to choose a target for removal?
I'd think having several lords in play would achieve such a goal..
If it were me, I'd take out the clamps entirely and add in 4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Cut the Imps entirely and up Warchief to 4 - drop Gravepack to 3 and then add in 3 Phyrexian Arena or something.
The issue you will run into with this plan is you 'MUST' draw sweepers on a fairly constant basis. This means you will need a heavy, heavy amount of sweepers. You will be casting a *** to deal with 1 or 2 creatures on most occassions.
As such, you will spend most of your time clearning the board (spending all your manas) doing so, and not milling a damn thing.
You need something other than board sweepers for protection. I speak from experience - I tried the same thing. And failed - hard.
I'd also look at things like Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker for a beats/mill in 1.
If you are using this in duels as well as multiplayer, I'd suggest card advantage through Underworld Connections or Phyrexian Arena (one budget vs. one not).
Or, you can combine that effect with a Demon itself and get a playset of Bloodgift Demon - budget friendly, same effect, a body to swing with - with the cost of 2 more colorless mana. I personally love the guy.
Not so budget items include Griselbrand and Damnation.
Innocent Blood is amazing of multiplayer, but loses a little luster in duels.
Pestilence Demon fits the theme, is budget, and helps control the board. Add in things like a Basilisk Collar and he becomes quite problematic.
Halo Hunter is a meta call, but a pretty solid body.
I have a love/hate relationship with Grinning Demon myself.
Not a demon, but Gray Merchant of Asphodel would work nicely since most demons have several good cards that enable devotion.
Need some form of recursion for multiplayer games, like Phyrexian Reclamation or Oversold Cemetery.
For life gain and staying power, I'd look at Exsanguinate. With the added coffers, this ends games in a multiplayer setting..not as good in duels, but still effective nonetheless.
A counterspell is quite proactive - how do you know that countering it is the best route in a multiplayer game? The person playing the creature may have other ideas of who he will attack with said creature. Given a choice, I'd rather have a handful of Boomerang's or something, rather than counters, in a multiplayer ffa.
To me, knowing my creature can get bounced or exiled in response to an attack is more deterring than knowing it may get countered.
It's a slippery slope - you can't counter everything and what you don't/can't may be what kills you; because you chose to counter something else that may have looked threatening at the time.
Unless you are running Counterspell + Isochron Scepter, I'd be wary of counters in a MP game; and to me, even that one is iffy.
I'm not saying no one should ever play counters, ever, in a MP deck - just saying that using it as the decks main goal to control the entire field is a horrible idea.
It's a thin line between pushing your playgroup to build better decks, and being the guy that no one wants to have in their games.
No need to counter the bomby-bombs because you are going to yank them from everyone.
Rite of Replication is just gravy on top.
I mean if the playgroup allows a playset of Clamps I see your point..
I just think with G. Pact and Clamps running rampant it might be a just a tad too oppressive for a casual setting - but that's just my opinion on the matter. I mean, you're a pretty solid voice when it comes to advocating, tuning and scaling the power level of a deck for a particular meta; was just thinking it would/may not let other players 'play magic' if such a deck were to be fielded.
Counter heavy decks in a big ffa game is a death sentence..a horrid strategy which should be avoided at pretty much all costs.
Why? You can't counter 'everything' - and leaves you defenseless because you chose to play counters and not something that alters your state of the board. Also, that big fat creature may do work for you by pummeling your opponents, not you.
Rite of Replication
Bribery
Oona, Queen of the Fae would probably be a heavy hitter if most of the other decks are all mono color...
I'd think having several lords in play would achieve such a goal..
If it were me, I'd take out the clamps entirely and add in 4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Cut the Imps entirely and up Warchief to 4 - drop Gravepack to 3 and then add in 3 Phyrexian Arena or something.
-shrug-
edit: Didn't see that Xyx beat me to the punch - read the OP and hit reply, haha.
Mirran Crusader with Bonehoard, Loxodon Warhammer, Umezawa's Jitte, Batterskull, etc.. can get pretty nasty.
Godhead of Awe on her own or things like Thistledown Liege, Geist of Saint Traft + Steel of the Godhead is pretty brutal too.