All is Dust + Ghostflame Sliver got cut from my deck a while back; it's a neat combo, but rarely worth tutoring up, especially if there's affinity combo in your meta. And Ghostflame Sliver doesn't do anything on his own. I also run Mycosynth Lattice for both mana fixing and combo with Harmonic Sliver, so the Ghostflame/All is Dust combo is even worse in my deck.
Regarding lands, I really like Crystal Quarry in my Sliver deck. It works when all else fails (e.g. when my best lands get Wasted and Gemhide Sliver has been exiled, etc).
Given a suggestion that the skull is a hint, I think it's either Control Magic or Mystical Tutor. I realize the latter has already appeared in an FTV, but it seems the most likely based on elements in the artwork (library, lady, skull, blue, mind-related).
I'm adhering to the self-imposed rule of "no non-Slivers" with the exception of a couple of Changelings...
I have a similar self-imposed rule, except I made a couple of additional exceptions: Vedalken AEthermage, who, in addition to her Sliver-saving ability, can be cycled to find Memnarch (or any Changeling for that matter)... who is basically a second Sliver Overlord for Artifacts (for 3U) or any permanent (for 4UU) if you like the "I steal your stuff" style of game (e.g. Amoeboid Changeling, Unnatural Selection, Training Grounds, etc). Memnarch also gets silly with Harmonic Sliver (auto-include) and/or Mycosynth Lattice, which I run anyway for mana-fixing reasons. And if anybody gives you a hard time about your "tribal" deck, you can point out that Memnarch even looks like a Sliver! In any case, these cards give you the choice to either steal or destroy permanents at will... if you're into that sort of thing (Sliver-based board control).
A few excerpts from the rumor mill. To say that I'm brimming with joy would be a blatant understatement
How do you see these fellows used in your builds?
Battle Sliver looks cute, but I don't know if I would have it replace Bonesplitter Sliver. Possibly I'd ship them both. Costlier, but tougher.
Blur Sliver could replace Firewake Sliver... but I'm not convinced, really. The older sliver has a trickier cost, is weaker, and affects everyone's slivers... but is a sac outlet, and can provide a buff if need be.
Groundshaker Sliver is... meh, really. I was never one for having trample on my builds, and this one is very costly. I'm almost dead certain I'm not going to ship it.
Plated Sliver > Steelform Sliver. CMC 1. Steelform is tougher, and has that infamous 'you control' clause... it's a close call, but I still think Plated is better.
Striking Sliver just has to be in. What to sack? I was thinking about Sidewinder Sliver, but that would be little gain. I mean, first strike >>> flanking, any day, but that won't get my curve any lower...
EDIT: Oh, my poor wallet, too.
So far, Sentinel Sliver and Striking Sliver are the only ones that stand out. You definitely don't need Groundshaker when you have Shifting Sliver, for instance.
Looking forward to seeing what the mythic sliver will do!
I have put Heartless summoning in my list. I drew it once and then it was crazy, altough it needs further testing...
I also cut Buried Alive!
I was never really happy to draw it anymore. It costs a little too much mana and invited GY hate. With the amount of cheap CA cards I run now (Phyrexian Arena, Sylvan Library, Grisely Salvage, Skullclamp (and Stonforge Mystic to get it)) and the amount of tutors I run I never have problems finding what I need anyway.
I cut Buried Alive, too, along with most of my non-creature spells. I replaced it with Corpse Connoisseur. I know, I know... it doesn't work with Reveillark or Sun Titan. But it works. And it's a creature. And there are lots of other creatures competing to be be reanimated by Reveillark and Sun Titan. Two activations of Corpse Connoisseur are usually enough (or just one if he finds his way to the graveyard via dredge / Hermit Druid).
Regarding Bone Shredder vs Shriekmaw: If I already have Sun Titan and/or Reveillark available, I probably have lots of creatures I'd like to reanimate with them and at least one combo that leads to a win condition. I'm unlikely to use them on Bone Shredder. However, if Karador is in play, Shriekmaw lets me cast Terror every turn. I think that's pretty good when you're still trying to assemble a Sun Titan or Reveillark combo. And I (almost) always have access to Karador; I don't always have access to Reveillark and Sun Titan. If Sun Titan was my commander, I'd definitely prefer Bone Shredder. I can see benefits to having either or both, but I find I'd rather draw into Shriekmaw (or find him in my graveyard) most of the time.
I'm a couple weeks late, but I thought I'd comment that Shriekmaw is better than Bone Shredder. Consider, you can play Bone Shredder for 2B and have to wait a turn for it to go to your graveyard. Meanwhile, you can evoke Shriekmaw for 1B, it immediately goes to the yard (triggering Grave Pact effects, etc), and can be evoked again via Karador on the same turn!
Crypt of Agadeem: With 19 black creatures (not including my commander) that would like to be in the graveyard, you'd think this card would be good. But most of the time, it's just a swamp that comes in tapped. If I ran more reliable ways to quickly fill my graveyard (like Hermit Druid), then I'd run the Crypt.
Cabal Coffers: I run this in most of my black decks, and I'm already running Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (which can be tutored up via Sisay). But it's hard to tutor for Cabal Coffers in this deck, and it usually doesn't stick around long anyway. Besides, by mid/late game, I'm often more interested in WWW than BBB.
Mirari's Wake would certainly help with all the BB, GG and WW needed in this deck. Unfortunately, it is neither legendary nor a creature, so - like Cabal Coffers - I only have one way to tutor for it (Rune-scarred Demon) and only one way to get it out of the graveyard if it gets dredged (Eternal Witness). And its susceptible to being blown up by some of my own mass artifact/enchantment removal (Crime/Punishment, Fracturing Gust and Austere Command sideboarded in against a Sharuum deck, etc).
Charmed Pendant is a fun little card that I sometimes put in for s***s and giggles. Its synergy with Karador should not be overlooked. It puts a card (hopefully a creature) in the grave and automatically pays its coloured mana cost, so all Karador needs is the colourless mana to go with it. The last time I ran it, I only had ~30 creatures, so it might be more useful now that I'm up around 45.
There are few other legendary lands I've been considering, like Kor Haven, Volrath's Stronghold, Yavimaya Hollow and Hall of the Bandit Lord. Utility lands can be fun, but this deck requires a lot of coloured mana for it to work. You can't cast everything in the deck until you can generate BBB, WWW and GG. I might throw in Eiganjo Castle and/or Flagstones of Trokair because they tap for W, don't come in tapped, and can be tutored up by Sisay... but I doubt their other abilities would be used often. Well, Trokair has a neat synergy with Crucible (or Loam) / Strip Mine (or Wasteland) - e.g. blow up Trokair to replace it with a Plains; repeat until the deck runs out of Plains. I guess that combo could be used mid-late game to get up to WWW, but it seems like a lot of work for little reward. Sakura Tribe-Elder, Yavimaya Elder and/or Solemn Simulacrum can usually get me those Plains a lot faster.
Volrath's Stronghold: I used to tell myself that I'd much rather have any creature in my graveyard than on top of my deck... that is, until I recently added Lurking Predators. I might add the Stronghold because it would be fun to say "In response, I tap Volrath's Stronghold to put [insert awesome creature here] on top of my deck. Oh, and would you look at that: Lurking Predators triggered when you cast that spell, so it puts that creature onto the battlefield!" Also, it allows me to play a second creature out of my graveyard per turn if Karador is the only reanimator I have on hand.
Oracle of Mul Daya: While this card can ramp you like crazy and is especially good with Crucible of Worlds or Life from the Loam, I really don't like playing with my top card revealed. On the other hand, it can work nicely with Charmed Pendant and Lurking Predators in play. Again, we're talking about 3+ card combos involving artifacts and enchantments that aren't easily tutored in this deck... so this isn't something that is going to work often.
Sylvan Library / Scroll Rack / Sensei's Divining Top: Similarly, these work well with Lurking Predators, Charmed Pendant and/or Oracle of Mul Daya. Could be worth trying as a package, but I've been working towards cutting artifacts and enchantments in favour of creatures, so these types of cards aren't currently in the deck. A common problem with artifacts and enchantments is what to do if/when they get dredged. Eternal Witness is the only answer at the moment, and if she gets exiled, there is little else that can be done.
Knight of the Reliquary: It has synergy with Crucible/Loam, it lets me find any land (not just basics or legendary), and it's a creature. I don't know why I'm not running it. At some point I didn't think it did enough in the deck, but that was before adding a lot of utility lands, emphasizing legendary lands, adding Hexmage/Depths, etc. I just need to figure out what to cut. Probably Dauntless Escort, which has become especially weak since adding Avacyn and Eldrazi Monument. *edit* change made
I have at least one pack of all the current colours, and I'll confirm you can also see through the backs of the blue sleeves, which are more transparent than white. My favourites are probably black and silver, although you can't go wrong with any of them (as long as you don't mind some possible transparency). Even brown isn't bad.
1) Have some powerful cards / interactions that can lead to a win (e.g. Exsanguinate).
2) Put a (possibly "infinite") combo in the deck to give it some inevitability.
3) Build a deck inspired by some combo or synergy or theme (that has a built-in wincon) rather than around the commander itself. Consider the commander as support for the deck rather than its focus.
4) Don't put a win condition in your deck because winning is unfun and against the spirit of EDH. Good cards shouldn't be allowed.
5) ... ?
I'm not saying you have to play it that way. But if I sat down with Niv-Mizzet in front of me, I'd expect everybody else at the table to say "Whoa... combo deck! Watch out!" If my deck doesn't have any combos in it, I'm still not going to be able to convince my opponents (you can call them "friends" if you prefer) that my deck isn't anything to worry about simply because there are too many 1 and 2 card combos that could be in the deck. So, personally, I'd either equip my deck with that win condition as an alternative (even if winning by combo isn't my goal), or I'd choose a commander that isn't already stereotyped for being a certain type of (particularly dangerous) deck.
As for what is "fun"... My multiplayer decks aren't perfectly tweaked competitive decks. They're "home brews" that I built that each have a few ways to win. But to me, the goal of any game of magic is to either reduce your opponents' life totals to 0, or to mill them out, or to win by some other condition (Felidar Sovereign, Phage the Untouchable, etc). I don't know anybody that plays with the intention of losing the game. If I didn't think I could ever possibly win, I don't think I'd play Magic.
*edit*
For the record, most of my decks do have an infinite combo of some sort that can outright win the game. As a general rule, I don't tutor them up as early as possible. Some can't be tutored for (e.g. I don't have a tutor in the deck that can find the Enchantment required for the combo, etc), but it gives the deck - and the game - a certain inevitability. That is, if the game goes long enough and if nobody has an answer at that time, then my deck could outright win the game. That way, you don't end up in 3+ hour games that can never end because the board is locked up and nobody has a win condition that can get around the rules-changing permanents that are out there (and everybody is out of answers to said permanents).
In fact, the joylessness of "combo" is why I broke up my Marrow-GnawerRelentless Rats deck. It was boring to play, and unfun to play against. Playing the deck (assuming the intention is to win) involved tutoring up Thrumming Stone and rippling through the deck. If that didn't work, then the goal was to tutor up Thornbite Staff and generate an infinite number of rats. If that didn't work, the deck was done. There was nothing else could do to threaten the table, little it could do to disrupt anybody else on their path to winning, and thus the result of playing that deck was that it either won very early or lost all its teeth and sat there doing nothing for the rest of the game. Not fun => Disassembled!
I hate the Toronto Maple Leafs because their fans are quick to make fun of me because I like the Monreal Canadiens even though I don't do anything to them before they make fun of me but then when I say something back, they'll start whining.
This isn't the right reason to hate the Leafs.
I grew up in Ontario and was a Leafs fan by default (long before the Senators). Then I moved to downtown Toronto and I learned a few things. For one, it was cheaper for 4 guys to rent a car, split the gas, drive to and from Buffalo, buy tickets at the gate 30 minutes before game time, and watch the Leafs play there than it was to WALK to the Air Canada Centre to watch a game (unless you got tickets from scalpers at the end of the 1st period). Second, in 2003 (?), it cost me $35/ticket to STAND at the rafters in the "no drinking" section. I didn't even get a seat. There, I discovered that the only fans watching the game in the top sections. There is almost no cheering in the lower sections because the vast majority of those ($$$) seats are held by companies for entertaining clients. It's a "status symbol" thing.
Then I clued in: That's how the Leafs can put a losing team on the ice year after year while pricing their tickets WAY higher than the rest of the league and still sell out their season tickets 5 years in advance... They have absolutely no incentive to put a good team on the ice.
I specifically left out Mind Over Matter Specifically because I didn't want any wincons...
I don't get this. If Niv-Mizzet is your commander, you're going to be on the receiving end of hate because players will assume you're playing Mind Over Matter and Curiosity, Kiki-Jiki, Deceiver Exarch, Pestermite, Splinter Twin, Intruder Alarm, and all the other R/ combos in there. In other words, they'll assume you're playing a combo deck... so you'd might as well fulfill their fears before they stomp all over you.
Aluren
Coat of Arms
Joiner Adept
All is Dust + Ghostflame Sliver got cut from my deck a while back; it's a neat combo, but rarely worth tutoring up, especially if there's affinity combo in your meta. And Ghostflame Sliver doesn't do anything on his own. I also run Mycosynth Lattice for both mana fixing and combo with Harmonic Sliver, so the Ghostflame/All is Dust combo is even worse in my deck.
Regarding lands, I really like Crystal Quarry in my Sliver deck. It works when all else fails (e.g. when my best lands get Wasted and Gemhide Sliver has been exiled, etc).
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
I have a similar self-imposed rule, except I made a couple of additional exceptions:
Vedalken AEthermage, who, in addition to her Sliver-saving ability, can be cycled to find Memnarch (or any Changeling for that matter)... who is basically a second Sliver Overlord for Artifacts (for 3U) or any permanent (for 4UU) if you like the "I steal your stuff" style of game (e.g. Amoeboid Changeling, Unnatural Selection, Training Grounds, etc). Memnarch also gets silly with Harmonic Sliver (auto-include) and/or Mycosynth Lattice, which I run anyway for mana-fixing reasons. And if anybody gives you a hard time about your "tribal" deck, you can point out that Memnarch even looks like a Sliver! In any case, these cards give you the choice to either steal or destroy permanents at will... if you're into that sort of thing (Sliver-based board control).
*edit* Given that I run Memnarch, I might have to try Illusionist's Bracers, as it gives me a relevant target even if Crystalline Sliver is in play.
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
So far, Sentinel Sliver and Striking Sliver are the only ones that stand out. You definitely don't need Groundshaker when you have Shifting Sliver, for instance.
Looking forward to seeing what the mythic sliver will do!
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
I cut Buried Alive, too, along with most of my non-creature spells. I replaced it with Corpse Connoisseur. I know, I know... it doesn't work with Reveillark or Sun Titan. But it works. And it's a creature. And there are lots of other creatures competing to be be reanimated by Reveillark and Sun Titan. Two activations of Corpse Connoisseur are usually enough (or just one if he finds his way to the graveyard via dredge / Hermit Druid).
Regarding Bone Shredder vs Shriekmaw: If I already have Sun Titan and/or Reveillark available, I probably have lots of creatures I'd like to reanimate with them and at least one combo that leads to a win condition. I'm unlikely to use them on Bone Shredder. However, if Karador is in play, Shriekmaw lets me cast Terror every turn. I think that's pretty good when you're still trying to assemble a Sun Titan or Reveillark combo. And I (almost) always have access to Karador; I don't always have access to Reveillark and Sun Titan. If Sun Titan was my commander, I'd definitely prefer Bone Shredder. I can see benefits to having either or both, but I find I'd rather draw into Shriekmaw (or find him in my graveyard) most of the time.
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
I'm a couple weeks late, but I thought I'd comment that Shriekmaw is better than Bone Shredder. Consider, you can play Bone Shredder for 2B and have to wait a turn for it to go to your graveyard. Meanwhile, you can evoke Shriekmaw for 1B, it immediately goes to the yard (triggering Grave Pact effects, etc), and can be evoked again via Karador on the same turn!
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
Deathrite Shaman would be good defense against this deck (prevents Strip Mine lock; prevents abuse of Karmic Guide / Reveillark / Loyal Retainers loops; prevents reusing Buried Alive via Eternal Witness; etc), but I fail to see how it would be good in this deck.
There is better grave hate out there (e.g. Withered Wretch).
P.S. I've added Hermit Druid, Crypt of Agadeem, Cabal Coffers, Volrath's Stronghold, Knight of the Reliquary, Mirari's Wake, Scroll Rack, Oracle of Mul Daya, Corpse Connoisseur, Charmed Pendant (pet card that's fun with other top-deck manipulation) and cut some non-land non-creature spells (Buried Alive, Crime/Punishment, Eldrazi Monument) and some of the weaker creatures (Lord of Extinction, Teneb, the Harvester, Magus of the Disk, Yavimaya Elder (since I cut the basic land count)). Basically I'm looking for creatures that make an immediate impact (often via EtB/LtB effects) and/or creatures that must be dealt with or they win the game. Non-creature cards must be VERY good in this deck to justify their spots. I can't think of a planeswalker that has a good enough "+" ability to find its way into this deck, since planeswalkers in the graveyard don't help Karador and are somewhat difficult to reanimate.
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
Here's my list as it currently stands:
1x Karador, Ghost Cheiftain (5BGW)
Legendary Creatures (14)
1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope (6WWW)
1x Captain Sisay (2GW)
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite (5WW)
1x Gaddock Teeg (GW)
1x Iona, Shield of Emeria (6WWW)
1x Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord (BBGG)
1x Kagemaro, First to Suffer (3BB)
1x Kokusho, the Evening Star (4BB)
1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (3BBB)
1x Saffi Eriksdotter (GW)
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One (5BB)
1x Teneb, the Harvester (3BGW)
1x Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter (4WBB)
1x Yosei, the Morning Star (4WW)
Non-lengendary Creatures (31):
1x Acidic Slime (3GG)
1x Adarkar Valkyrie (4WW)
1x Angel of Despair (3WWBB)
1x Archon of Justice (3WW)
1x Blazing Archon (6WWW)
1x Butcher of Malakir (5BB)
1x Disciple of Bolas (3B)
1x Eternal Witness (1GG)
1x Fleshbag Marauder (2B)
1x Golgari Grave-Troll (4G, dredge 6)
1x Harmonic Sliver (1GW)
1x Karmic Guide (3WW, echo)
1x Knight of the Reliquary (1GW)
1x Lord of Extinction (3BG)
1x Loyal Retainers (2W)
1x Magus of the Disk (2WW)
1x Massacre Wurm (3BBB)
1x Necrotic Sliver (1WB)
1x Nezumi Graverobber (1B)
1x Qasali Pridemage (GW)
1x Reveillark (4W)
1x Rune-Scarred Demon (5BB)
1x Sakura-Tribe Elder (1G)
1x Sewer Nemesis (3B)
1x Shriekmaw (4B/1B)
1x Solemn Simulacrum (4)
1x Sun Titan (4WW)
1x Sunblast Angel (4WW)
1x Terastodon (6GG)
1x Vampire Hexmage (BB)
1x Yavimaya Elder (1GG)
Artifacts (6)
1x Anvil of Bogardan (2)
1x Birthing Pod (3Pg)
1x Crucible of Worlds (3)
1x Eldrazi Monument (5)
1x Skullclamp (1, 1)
1x Sol Ring (1)
1x Animate Dead (1B)
1x Aura Shards (1GW)
1x Grave Pact (1BBB)
1x Lurking Predators (4GG)
1x Survival of the Fittest (1G)
Sorceries (5)
1x Buried Alive (2B)
1x Crime/Punishment (3WB/XBG)
1x Divine Reckoning (2WW, 5WW)
1x Life from the Loam (1G, dredge 3)
1x Unburial Rites (4B, 3W)
Legendary Lands (7)
1x Dark Depths
1x Gaea's Cradle
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x Phyrexian Tower
1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1x Urborg
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Non-legendary Lands (31)
1x Ancient Ziggurat
1x Barren Moor
1x Bayou
1x Command Tower
1x Fetid Heath
2x Forest
1x Golgari Rot Farm
1x High Market
1x Marsh Flats
1x Mosswort Bridge
1x Murmuring Bosk
1x Orzhov Basilica
3x Plains
1x Secluded Steppe
1x Selesnya Sanctuary
1x Strip Mine
1x Sunpetal Grove
2x Swamp
1x Tainted Field
1x Tainted Wood
1x Temple Garden
1x Tranquil Thicket
1x Twilight Mire
1x Verdant Catacombs
1x Wasteland
1x Windswept Heath
1x Wooded Bastion
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Charmed Pendant (4)
1x Deathrender (4, 2)
1x Austere Command (4WW)
1x Fracturing Gust (2 G/W G/W G/W)
1x Entomb (B)
1x Mirari's Wake (3GW)
1x Reanimate (B)
1x Scavenging Ooze (1G)
1x Stitch Together (BB)
Sorted by purpose (some duplication if a card serves multiple purposes):
1x Karador, Ghost Cheiftain (5BGW)
1x Nighteyes the Desecrator (4B)
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One (5BB)
1x Teneb, the Harvester (3BGW, 2B)
1x Karmic Guide (3WW, echo)
1x Loyal Retainers (2W)
1x Reveillark (4W)
1x Sun Titan (4WW)
1x Animate Dead (1B)
1x Crime/Punishment (3WB/XBG)
1x Unburial Rites (4B, 3W)
Returners (3)
1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (3BBB)
1x Saffi Eriksdotter (GW)
1x Adarkar Valkyrie (4WW)
Recursion for Non-creatures (1)
1x Eternal Witness (1GG)
Tutors (5)
1x Captain Sisay (2GW)
1x Knight of the Reliquary (1GW)
1x Rune-Scarred Demon (5BB)
1x Survival of the Fittest (1G)
1x Buried Alive (2B)
Mana Fixing/Ramp (9)
1x Knight of the Reliquary (1GW)
1x Sakura-Tribe Elder (1G)
1x Solemn Simulacrum (4)
1x Yavimaya Elder (1GG)
1x Crucible of Worlds (3)
1x Sol Ring (1)
1x Life from the Loam (1G, dredge 3)
1x Phyrexian Tower
1x Gaea's Cradle
Targeted Removal (11)
1x Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter (4WBB)
1x Acidic Slime (3GG)
1x Angel of Despair (3WWBB)
1x Archon of Justice (3WW)
1x Harmonic Sliver (1GW)
1x Necrotic Sliver (1WB)
1x Qasali Pridemage (GW)
1x Shriekmaw (4B/1B)
1x Terastodon (6GG)
1x Vampire Hexmage (BB)
1x Aura Shards (1GW)
Untargeted Removal (4)
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One (5BB)
1x Butcher of Malakir (5BB)
1x Fleshbag Marauder (2B)
1x Grave Pact (1BBB)
Mass Removal (7)
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite (5WW)
1x Kagemaro, First to Suffer (3BB)
1x Magus of the Disk (2WW)
1x Massacre Wurm (3BBB)
1x Sunblast Angel (4WW)
1x Crime/Punishment (3WB/XBG)
1x Divine Reckoning (2WW, 5WW)
Land Destruction (9)
1x Strip Mine
1x Wasteland
1x Crucible of Worlds (3)
1x Life from the Loam (1G, dredge 3)
1x Acidic Slime (3GG)
1x Angel of Despair (3WWBB)
1x Archon of Justice (3WW)
1x Necrotic Sliver (1WB)
1x Terastodon (6GG)
Denial (4)
1x Gaddock Teeg (GW)
1x Iona, Shield of Emeria (6WWW)
1x Yosei, the Morning Star (4WW)
1x Blazing Archon (6WWW)
1x Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord (BBGG)
1x Kokusho, the Evening Star (4BB)
1x Lord of Extinction (3BG)
1x Vampire Hexmage (BB)
1x Dark Depths
Sac Outlets (7)
1x Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter (4WBB)
1x Disciple of Bolas (3B)
1x Birthing Pod (3Pg)
1x Eldrazi Monument (5)
1x High Market
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x Phyrexian Tower
Card Draw (8)
1x Skull Clamp (1, 1)
1x Disciple of Bolas (3B)
1x Solemn Simulacrum (4)
1x Yavimaya Elder (1GG)
1x Anvil of Bogardan (2)
1x Barren Moor (B)
1x Secluded Steppe (W)
1x Tranquil Thicket (G)
Creature Buffs (4)
1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope (6WWW)
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite (5WW)
1x Eldrazi Monument (5)
1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Graveyard Filler (6)
1x Golgari Grave-Troll (4G, dredge 6)
1x Sewer Nemesis (3B)
1x Anvil of Bogardan (2)
1x Survival of the Fittest (1G)
1x Buried Alive (2B)
1x Life from the Loam (1G, dredge 3)
Graveyard Hate (3)
1x Teneb, the Harvester (3GBW)
1x Nezumi Graverobber (1B)
1x Crime/Punishment (3WB/XBG)
Cheat In Creatures (3)
1x Birthing Pod (3Pg)
1x Lurking Predators (4GG)
1x Mosswort Bridge
Boring Lands (26)
1x Ancient Ziggurat
1x Urborg
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Bayou
1x Command Tower
1x Fetid Heath
2x Forest
1x Golgari Rot Farm
1x Marsh Flats
1x Murmuring Bosk
1x Orzhov Basilica
3x Plains
1x Selesnya Sanctuary
1x Sunpetal Grove
2x Swamp
1x Tainted Field
1x Tainted Wood
1x Temple Garden
1x Twilight Mire
1x Verdant Catacombs
1x Windswept Heath
1x Wooded Bastion
1x Bojuka Bog (graveyard hate)
1x Scavenging Ooze (graveyard hate)
1x Austere Command (artifact/enchantment hate)
1x Fracturing Gust (artifact/enchantment hate)
1x Mirari's Wake (mana ramp / creature buff)
1x Deathrender (cheat in creatures / bluffing)
1x Entomb (faster grave filling)
1x Reanimate (faster reanimation)
1x Stitch Together (faster reanimation)
1x Charmed Pendant (fills grave / ramps mana)
Notable omissions:
Crypt of Agadeem: With 19 black creatures (not including my commander) that would like to be in the graveyard, you'd think this card would be good. But most of the time, it's just a swamp that comes in tapped. If I ran more reliable ways to quickly fill my graveyard (like Hermit Druid), then I'd run the Crypt.
Hmmm... why aren't I running Hermit Druid?!
Cabal Coffers: I run this in most of my black decks, and I'm already running Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (which can be tutored up via Sisay). But it's hard to tutor for Cabal Coffers in this deck, and it usually doesn't stick around long anyway. Besides, by mid/late game, I'm often more interested in WWW than BBB.
Mirari's Wake would certainly help with all the BB, GG and WW needed in this deck. Unfortunately, it is neither legendary nor a creature, so - like Cabal Coffers - I only have one way to tutor for it (Rune-scarred Demon) and only one way to get it out of the graveyard if it gets dredged (Eternal Witness). And its susceptible to being blown up by some of my own mass artifact/enchantment removal (Crime/Punishment, Fracturing Gust and Austere Command sideboarded in against a Sharuum deck, etc).
Charmed Pendant is a fun little card that I sometimes put in for s***s and giggles. Its synergy with Karador should not be overlooked. It puts a card (hopefully a creature) in the grave and automatically pays its coloured mana cost, so all Karador needs is the colourless mana to go with it. The last time I ran it, I only had ~30 creatures, so it might be more useful now that I'm up around 45.
There are few other legendary lands I've been considering, like Kor Haven, Volrath's Stronghold, Yavimaya Hollow and Hall of the Bandit Lord. Utility lands can be fun, but this deck requires a lot of coloured mana for it to work. You can't cast everything in the deck until you can generate BBB, WWW and GG. I might throw in Eiganjo Castle and/or Flagstones of Trokair because they tap for W, don't come in tapped, and can be tutored up by Sisay... but I doubt their other abilities would be used often. Well, Trokair has a neat synergy with Crucible (or Loam) / Strip Mine (or Wasteland) - e.g. blow up Trokair to replace it with a Plains; repeat until the deck runs out of Plains. I guess that combo could be used mid-late game to get up to WWW, but it seems like a lot of work for little reward. Sakura Tribe-Elder, Yavimaya Elder and/or Solemn Simulacrum can usually get me those Plains a lot faster.
Volrath's Stronghold: I used to tell myself that I'd much rather have any creature in my graveyard than on top of my deck... that is, until I recently added Lurking Predators. I might add the Stronghold because it would be fun to say "In response, I tap Volrath's Stronghold to put [insert awesome creature here] on top of my deck. Oh, and would you look at that: Lurking Predators triggered when you cast that spell, so it puts that creature onto the battlefield!" Also, it allows me to play a second creature out of my graveyard per turn if Karador is the only reanimator I have on hand.
Oracle of Mul Daya: While this card can ramp you like crazy and is especially good with Crucible of Worlds or Life from the Loam, I really don't like playing with my top card revealed. On the other hand, it can work nicely with Charmed Pendant and Lurking Predators in play. Again, we're talking about 3+ card combos involving artifacts and enchantments that aren't easily tutored in this deck... so this isn't something that is going to work often.
Sylvan Library / Scroll Rack / Sensei's Divining Top: Similarly, these work well with Lurking Predators, Charmed Pendant and/or Oracle of Mul Daya. Could be worth trying as a package, but I've been working towards cutting artifacts and enchantments in favour of creatures, so these types of cards aren't currently in the deck. A common problem with artifacts and enchantments is what to do if/when they get dredged. Eternal Witness is the only answer at the moment, and if she gets exiled, there is little else that can be done.
Knight of the Reliquary: It has synergy with Crucible/Loam, it lets me find any land (not just basics or legendary), and it's a creature. I don't know why I'm not running it. At some point I didn't think it did enough in the deck, but that was before adding a lot of utility lands, emphasizing legendary lands, adding Hexmage/Depths, etc. I just need to figure out what to cut. Probably Dauntless Escort, which has become especially weak since adding Avacyn and Eldrazi Monument. *edit* change made
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
Because noncreatures are a lot harder to get back from the graveyard in, say, a dredge-based Karador, Ghost Chieftain deck.
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
1) Have some powerful cards / interactions that can lead to a win (e.g. Exsanguinate).
2) Put a (possibly "infinite") combo in the deck to give it some inevitability.
3) Build a deck inspired by some combo or synergy or theme (that has a built-in wincon) rather than around the commander itself. Consider the commander as support for the deck rather than its focus.
4) Don't put a win condition in your deck because winning is unfun and against the spirit of EDH. Good cards shouldn't be allowed.
5) ... ?
Other suggestions?
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
As for what is "fun"... My multiplayer decks aren't perfectly tweaked competitive decks. They're "home brews" that I built that each have a few ways to win. But to me, the goal of any game of magic is to either reduce your opponents' life totals to 0, or to mill them out, or to win by some other condition (Felidar Sovereign, Phage the Untouchable, etc). I don't know anybody that plays with the intention of losing the game. If I didn't think I could ever possibly win, I don't think I'd play Magic.
*edit*
For the record, most of my decks do have an infinite combo of some sort that can outright win the game. As a general rule, I don't tutor them up as early as possible. Some can't be tutored for (e.g. I don't have a tutor in the deck that can find the Enchantment required for the combo, etc), but it gives the deck - and the game - a certain inevitability. That is, if the game goes long enough and if nobody has an answer at that time, then my deck could outright win the game. That way, you don't end up in 3+ hour games that can never end because the board is locked up and nobody has a win condition that can get around the rules-changing permanents that are out there (and everybody is out of answers to said permanents).
In fact, the joylessness of "combo" is why I broke up my Marrow-Gnawer Relentless Rats deck. It was boring to play, and unfun to play against. Playing the deck (assuming the intention is to win) involved tutoring up Thrumming Stone and rippling through the deck. If that didn't work, then the goal was to tutor up Thornbite Staff and generate an infinite number of rats. If that didn't work, the deck was done. There was nothing else could do to threaten the table, little it could do to disrupt anybody else on their path to winning, and thus the result of playing that deck was that it either won very early or lost all its teeth and sat there doing nothing for the rest of the game. Not fun => Disassembled!
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
This isn't the right reason to hate the Leafs.
I grew up in Ontario and was a Leafs fan by default (long before the Senators). Then I moved to downtown Toronto and I learned a few things. For one, it was cheaper for 4 guys to rent a car, split the gas, drive to and from Buffalo, buy tickets at the gate 30 minutes before game time, and watch the Leafs play there than it was to WALK to the Air Canada Centre to watch a game (unless you got tickets from scalpers at the end of the 1st period). Second, in 2003 (?), it cost me $35/ticket to STAND at the rafters in the "no drinking" section. I didn't even get a seat. There, I discovered that the only fans watching the game in the top sections. There is almost no cheering in the lower sections because the vast majority of those ($$$) seats are held by companies for entertaining clients. It's a "status symbol" thing.
Then I clued in: That's how the Leafs can put a losing team on the ice year after year while pricing their tickets WAY higher than the rest of the league and still sell out their season tickets 5 years in advance... They have absolutely no incentive to put a good team on the ice.
And that's why I hate the Leafs.
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
I don't get this. If Niv-Mizzet is your commander, you're going to be on the receiving end of hate because players will assume you're playing Mind Over Matter and Curiosity, Kiki-Jiki, Deceiver Exarch, Pestermite, Splinter Twin, Intruder Alarm, and all the other R/ combos in there. In other words, they'll assume you're playing a combo deck... so you'd might as well fulfill their fears before they stomp all over you.
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)