So, I've had my share of Equipment-based generals in the past, from mono-white (Akroma and Hound) to R/W experiments (Brion is fun, and Agrus can be just plain rude). This time, I wanted to try something a little bit different, and when my friend challenged me to build a functioning deck based around Godo, Bandit Warlord, I just couldn't pass it up! So, I found my foil copy, sat down with my cardpool, and came up with this:
So, the basic strategy (if it isn't obvious) is to mana-ramp the heck out of the deck, play Godo (usually multiple times), equip, equip, equip, equip... you get the idea. TONS of mana accel, and equipments up the yin-yang. At an average table (usually 4 players, including myself) I can have Godo hit play a good 4-5 times, and he just gets more threatening every time. Much fun to be had.
No Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang or Sword of Kaldra? Tatsumasa seems ideal because it's expensive to cast (but Godo takes care of that) and fairly cheap to equip. Plus it can protect itself and give you a solid blocker if you need it.
I actually don't own any of the Kaldra pieces unfortunately (No Voltron here folks), and Tatsumasa is on my short list of ones I want to get - which just got shorter earlier, as I managed to pick up my first Jitte! Woot! Anyways, here's a small list of edits that were made today:
Out:
-1 Nevinnyral's Disk
-1 Inner-Flame Acolyte
-1 Lightning Bolt
-1 Deathrender
-1 Fellwar Stone
The Spellbinder is on a test run right now, seeing as how I only have the 4 instants (and only 2 of them really work on it...), but the idea of Spellbinding a Lavaball trap is too funny to pass up. Reiterate is just good for the deck, seeing as how I normally have an abundance of extra mana, and Sculpting Steel on just about ANYTHING turns out good. Double Swords, double Hedron, double Gauntlet? Yes, please.:D
I think you're playing too many equipment. What do you do when you get infinite equipment? You'll just get tempo'ed to death every time Godo gets wrathed away. I think the best way to try to do this is to make him a beating with just one equipment, and just more and more dangerous each time he gets cast.
You don't want all of your mana to be tied up with equipping things unnecessarily.
Personally, I'd take the deck in a little bit of a different direction, trying to use things like Wildfire and whatnot to keep players off of their mana while Godo eats their face. The other thing I think you're missing is mechanisms of generating card advantage. Here are some ideas:
Scrying Sheets - demands a snow-base, but would be pretty awesome.
Tower of Fortunes - Seems pretty okay; red doesn't often get to draw 4.
Diviner's Wand - draws cards, makes godo bigger, grants evasion. What more could you ask for?
Goblin Sharpshooter - Wraths everyone else when you tutor up a Basilisk Collar to go with it.
Ancient Tomb - pretty good at ramping. Your ramp spells come online faster and godo starts beating sooner. People underestimate just how much faster lands like this as City of Traitors make a deck.
Spinerock Knoll - Godo deals that much damage pretty easily. And is usually unblockable/has protection from your deck, so that's free spells.
Vesuva - awesome at copying Spinerock Knoll and Valakut.
Hoarding Dragon - Tutors for ramp/equipment, and is a good beater to put things on since it has evasion.
Knollspine Dragon - Seems like it'll draw lots of cards if Godo connects.
I think you're playing too many equipment. What do you do when you get infinite equipment? You'll just get tempo'ed to death every time Godo gets wrathed away. I think the best way to try to do this is to make him a beating with just one equipment, and just more and more dangerous each time he gets cast.
You don't want all of your mana to be tied up with equipping things unnecessarily.
I do agree that there are a few too many equipment in the deck, but it's always nice to have exactly what I need, exactly when I need it. The boots have been on the chopping block for a while now, and Spellbinder is a temporary trial - I don't really have enough instants to abuse it.
Personally, I'd take the deck in a little bit of a different direction, trying to use things like Wildfire and whatnot to keep players off of their mana while Godo eats their face.
I am a strict anti-land destruction player. I'd rather play a bad deck than a good LD deck.
The other thing I think you're missing is mechanisms of generating card advantage. Here are some ideas:
Scrying Sheets - demands a snow-base, but would be pretty awesome.
Tower of Fortunes - Seems pretty okay; red doesn't often get to draw 4.
Diviner's Wand - draws cards, makes godo bigger, grants evasion. What more could you ask for?
Goblin Sharpshooter - Wraths everyone else when you tutor up a Basilisk Collar to go with it.
Ancient Tomb - pretty good at ramping. Your ramp spells come online faster and godo starts beating sooner. People underestimate just how much faster lands like this as City of Traitors make a deck.
Spinerock Knoll - Godo deals that much damage pretty easily. And is usually unblockable/has protection from your deck, so that's free spells.
Vesuva - awesome at copying Spinerock Knoll and Valakut.
Hoarding Dragon - Tutors for ramp/equipment, and is a good beater to put things on since it has evasion.
Knollspine Dragon - Seems like it'll draw lots of cards if Godo connects.
Some of these ideas, I actually hadn't thought of before. I'm not a big fan of Diviner's Wand, even if the evasion is nice, the 4 activation cost is a bit steep for me. Tower of Fortunes is always an idea, as it's nice to have an extra (efficient) mana dump. Scrying Sheets... I don't have access to a snow base, so that'll have to stay on hold. Same with the Sharpshooter - just can't get to one. Vesuva/Spinerock Knoll have their applications, I may just have to either proxy or look at picking some up as a trial. I have a spare Ancient Tomb, the accel might just be worth it there.
As for the two dragons, I'm not so sure about Hoarding - Godo does a good enough job of searching out my equipments as it is. Spinerock Dragon might not be too bad, but normally if I'm dealing massive amounts of damage, I'm winning the game in that turn. I might have to give it a shot, though, cause it seems like it may have potential.
OK, so I'm sure the obvious question is "Why cut Blood Moon?"... the answer is that because I don't have a way to answer it myself, it cuts off my nonbasics until someone else decides to be tired of it. As I increase the number of utility lands in the deck, it just keeps getting worse and worse for me, so I decided it's officially time to cut it. Other than that, just more un-needed stuff getting the axe for more useful cards, and a few experimentations (I'm looking at you, War Drums).
8/18/2010
In:
-Darksteel Colossus
-Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
-Knollspine Dragon
-Lord of Shatterskull Pass
-Taurean Mauler
-Viashino Heretic
-Reverberate
-Wildfire
-Mark of Fury
-Akroma's Memorial
-Sol Ring
-Golem-Skin Gauntlets
-Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang
-Madblind Mountain
Out:
-It That Betrays
-Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
-Heat Shimmer
-Molten Disaster
-Spire Barrage
-Wheel of Fate
-World at War
-Goblin War Drums
-Splinter Twin
-Paradise Plume
-Tower of Fortunes
-1 Mountain
So, not too much of importance here, just been a while since I've updated the list... got a few cards I've been hunting for (Viashino Heretic, Wildfire, etc.) along with some cards that just seemed good. I'm trying to work on a slight mana-screw problem I've been having lately, but for the moment my main concern is focusing on ways to give Godo haste - it can make the difference between winning and losing.
Well, Scars of Mirrodin prerelease has come and gone, and Godo's found himself a few new friends, along with new toys, from sets old and new. Let's take a look at what's changed, shall we?
Out:
- Cunning Sparkmage
- Knollspine Dragon
- Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
- Torchling
- Viashino Heretic
- Chandra Ablaze
- Radiate
- Wildfire
- Mark of Fury
- Umezawa's Jitte
- 1 Mountain
So, let's go over a few of the bigger points. First and foremost, the cutting of Jitte. While there's no arguing that it's an amazing equipment, and possibly the best to ever be printed, it just never seemed to be needed. Every time I searched, there always seemed to be something better in the situation. Other than that, it was just maintenance choices. Kozilek was too slow, even with the ramping that this deck tends to do. Knollspine Dragon never actually drew cards, but rather just clunked up my hand; Chandra saw more colorless cards to pitch than R... etc.
As far as the additions go, GG shows awesome potential. Give him any sword, and he automatically becomes a 5/3 Trample? Disregarding any other abilities, that alone is pretty awesome. Kuldotha Phoenix seems like just the recursion engine this deck has been asking for, 'nuff said. Wurmcoil Engine, besides just looking awesome, is sick beyond words when you throw some toys on him. Reito Lantern helps recycle any equipment that may have been blown up; Temple Bell is probably one of the better colorless draw cards I've seen in a while, and it's been going in ALL of my EDH decks. Strider Harness is getting a test run; Haste is always good on Godo, and the extra +1/+1 couldn't really hurt. The two new lands give me more stuff to throw weapons onto if I'm short on creatures... and yeah, that's about it.
No love for Grafted Exoskeleton? I T3'd my friend the other day with it. Okay, it involved a bunch of retarded acceleration and Lightning Greaves in hand, but anyways, it felt good (not for him, obv). I could also blow the world with Wildfire next turn, but as you can see, it was not necessary at all
No love for Grafted Exoskeleton? I T3'd my friend the other day with it. Okay, it involved a bunch of retarded acceleration and Lightning Greaves in hand, but anyways, it felt good (not for him, obv). I could also blow the world with Wildfire next turn, but as you can see, it was not necessary at all
I've been looking to pick one up for weeks now, but can't find a single one ANYWHERE. Did manage to pick up a Ronin War Club and *foily* Strata Scythe, which promptly replaced the underwhelming Strider Harness and seemingly worse Golem-Skin Gauntlets (respectively). If I can get the Exoskeleton, the only big one left to find will be Sword of Kaldra.
EDIT: Was totally thinking Grafted WARGEAR, not Exoskeleton. While interesting, I'm not too eager to pick one up honestly. If it was a Free-quip like the wargear, maybe. :\
Em.. the way i play, the remaining mana i float after Godo hits is used either to:
-protect him and blow the board (aka Tenza/SOFI + Wildfire)
-equip and swing right away (Greaves, Sword of Vengeance)
-equip and protect the Godo (both swords, shroud stuff)
-equip and kill now or next turn (Grafted Exoskeleton- i mean, it gives 10 poison, you know that? And also boosts him to 5/5, which survives Wildfire variants-bonus)
The last option seems to be asking for removal, but with all free mana (Sol Ring, Gauntlets, Saga block artifacts), i dont see the point in limiting yourself out of certain equipement cards just cause they cost to equip.
I mean, the last time i checked, the Shield of Kaldra costs tons to equip, and it is not even that good..
Em.. the way i play, the remaining mana i float after Godo hits is used either to:
-protect him and blow the board (aka Tenza/SOFI + Wildfire)
-equip and swing right away (Greaves, Sword of Vengeance)
-equip and protect the Godo (both swords, shroud stuff)
-equip and kill now or next turn (Grafted Exoskeleton- i mean, it gives 10 poison, you know that? And also boosts him to 5/5, which survives Wildfire variants-bonus)
The last option seems to be asking for removal, but with all free mana (Sol Ring, Gauntlets, Saga block artifacts), i dont see the point in limiting yourself out of certain equipement cards just cause they cost to equip.
I mean, the last time i checked, the Shield of Kaldra costs tons to equip, and it is not even that good..
I actually completely missed the part where Grafted Exoskeleton makes Godo 10-poison death; it's definitely getting consideration now. Whether or not it makes the cut, I'll have to think about it.
I've found myself using Godo more as a tutor effect to enhance the equipments I already have out, instead of swinging by himself. I've also noticed that my "quick starts" have been slowing down as of late, whether it's a matter of cutting too many manafacts or just bad draws, I'm not sure.
The funny thing is, even with all of the ramp, I still find myself tapping out regularly to cast my spells. I've thought about adding the extra combat cards, but generally speaking I just don't have the leftover mana to use them, unless I don't want Godo to carry anything. When it comes to that, I'd rather have 2 swings with a toy than 3 swings without one.
I'd definitely consider including the Exoskeloton. It's awesome - Infect doesn't only apply to combat damage, so your Colossus could wither a board and give everyone six poison... Phoenixes can repeatedly do the same thing (to a lesser effect), and LoSP can wither an opponent's board. It's seriously insane, especially when you can fetch it up so easily.
Alright, alright people, you sold me on it! You can stop asking, I did indeed put the Grafted Exoskeleton into the deck, and I am nothing if not impressed. It's won me more than my fair share of games, and I must have been crazy to think it didn't belong. My apologies to the believers. ^-^ Anywho, a few other changes have been made to the deck in addition to that, and they are as follow(s?):
Lots of new toys, and new friends to help carry them, though a few lessers got kicked out of the "Go Club" (as I like to call it). LoSP just took too long to get online, Masticore didn't have enough cards to keep full, and Scuttlemutt got kicked out for Manakin. Palladium Myr is Worn Powerstone's long lost brother (and coincidentally both have found their way here) Spikeshot Elder is INSANE, and the rest seems self explanitory.
I'm glad you're are believer of Exoskeleton. This was the one card that now turns Godo into a completely lethal threat. No other equipment could realistically make Godo a creature that can kill a player in one turn, but now Exoskeleton does the job. I'm definitely putting one into my own Godo deck when I get the chance.
Now I HAVE managed to test Steel Hellkite online. It is nothing short of insane. Repetitive, flying Pernicious Deeds on crack are pretty amazing last time I checked... especially for giving a color another way to deal with enchantments.
Alright, another decent-sized change to the deck, and I must say it's getting harder and harder to find cards that I want to cut when I find new additions - all the cards are getting too good!
First of all, I didn't realize just how powerful Semblance Anvil would end up being in this deck. Imprint pretty much any artifact creature on it, and a good 90% of my spells cost 2 less to cast? To say I've been impressed with this card would be an understatement. The two new lands are nothing short of amazing, and I must credit One With Nothing's Competitive Godo list for giving me the idea - I had completely forgotten about those, and it's rather clever that Godo's own Hall combo's quite well with him.
The Rampant Growth on a stick (Wayfarer's Bauble) is surprisingly a welcome addition, as having that extra land can sometimes be better than a manafact, seeing as how those quite often get lost in a boardwipe. Iron Myr was a straight up replacement for Manakin, as it's just plain better (When is colorless mana going to be better than R?) Chimeric Mass is, in three words, A TOTAL HOUSE, I am so glad I finally grabbed one for this deck. And of course, how could I forget about Magnetic Theft? Between combat tricks, stealing someone else's equipment, and giving Godo pro X/Y at instant speed, I'm definitely glad I managed to pick one up.
Alright guys, I need your help here. I *finally* managed to trade for a Sword of Body and Mind for this deck today, but the problem is that I can't figure out for the life of me what card needs to come out for it. Everything seems to fill a specific role, and cutting any card seems like a horrible idea. So far, these are the few cards that might be able to be cut, but there's reasons to keep each in here:
Chandra Nalaar: The card isn't necessarily essential in the deck, but it can prove to be a good source of spot removal, which is a slot I have little to none of right now. Surprisingly, I can manage to get her ultimate off quite often when she's out, but there's very few times when I actually want to cast her. It's an option.
Sculpting Steel: Another one of those cards that's good, but only depending on the situation. If I already have an awesome equipment out, it's an extra oompf that can get me over the hump, but it's not always that great. I can see a lot of situations where I'd much rather draw the SoBaM instead, but also a lot of times when that Sculpting Steel has won me the game.
My other thought was cutting a Mountain, seeing as the deck is running 37 lands total right now. I feel like I might be able to get away with 36, but it seems like a bit of a risk, since I have a history of not having enough lands in the opening hand.
So, if you think one of those is the right choice, or if there's something else on the list that you think shouldn't be there, please let me know. I don't want to have to agonize over this decision for too long. ^^;;
Alright, it's been a few months since I've updated this list, and after a few struggles with deck cuts, I'm really starting to feel like this deck is running smoothly again. Anyways, here's the changes:
The main changes were getting new toys for Godo and his friends (y'know, for christmas ) in the form of Grafted Wargear, Nim Deathmantle, and Sword of Body and Mind. Wargear, while essentially being a "vanilla" equipment, is surprisingly beautiful in this deck. The +3/+2 for 0 can come in handy in so many situations. The Deathmantle, besides giving me recursion, also gets me around the Teferi's Moats that run around my meta. And of course, the Sword should explain itself.
I wouldn't cut those cards. Everflowing Chalice - at it's worst, it is Mind Stone. At it's best, it's a powerhouse (literally, since i like to call mana artifacts "factories"). Worn Powerstone - i wouldn't cut that, i prefer that to Fellwar Stone. If you have 2-3 lands and this, next turn may be Godo time.. Tenza, Godo's Maul - Really cheap to equip, also good with Kumano. 6/6 can force an oposing elder dragon to chump to suvive, and next Godo will get even bigger.. Chandra Nalaar - It depends, what kind of sorcerys are you playing. I have also seen people win games on her 2nd ability, fast mana+mass discard=win Incendiary Command - Yeah, sometimes it's so-so, but it can still kill a land and clear the field/burn a PW/redraw cards. I wouldn't cut it.
I agree with this statement. I do like the Phyrexian one a lot more than the Mirran one, but I think I'll stick with my "What Color Would You Like Me To Beat You With Today?" and "T That Ass" shirts.
If you don't think akroma, angel of fury is absurd in mono-red you are not paying attention. This card comes down super early for it's size (turn 5 if you morph it, earlier if you use changeling berserker to champion it) and attacks for tons of damage out of nowhere.
It is immune to path to exile and control magic and it can't be countered. It is rarely blocked becuase most flyers are blue or white. It tramples and has firebreathing. SHE IS INSANE! Don't knock her till you try her.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I am petitioning for the removal of mythic rarity. Sig this to join the cause!
Famliy Guy Emperor Says,
"Something, something something, DARK SIDE!
Something, something, something COMPLETE!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHiUitciuJ8
:symrw::symrw::symrw::symrw::symrw::symrw: SPIKE GAYMER: not just a beatdown, a beatdown sung to the tune of "I Feel Pretty"!
You really need to put Tenza, Godo's Maul into this deck. Hell it belongs to the guy!
I was running Tenza for the longest time, but to be honest it doesn't really do enough to warrant my wanting to play it. Sure, the trample's nice and all, but I have Loxodon Warhammer and Sword of Vengeance for that. In the long run, it really just wasn't good enough.
I wouldn't cut those cards. Everflowing Chalice - at it's worst, it is Mind Stone. At it's best, it's a powerhouse (literally, since i like to call mana artifacts "factories"). Worn Powerstone - i wouldn't cut that, i prefer that to Fellwar Stone. If you have 2-3 lands and this, next turn may be Godo time.. Tenza, Godo's Maul - Really cheap to equip, also good with Kumano. 6/6 can force an oposing elder dragon to chump to suvive, and next Godo will get even bigger.. Chandra Nalaar - It depends, what kind of sorcerys are you playing. I have also seen people win games on her 2nd ability, fast mana+mass discard=win Incendiary Command - Yeah, sometimes it's so-so, but it can still kill a land and clear the field/burn a PW/redraw cards. I wouldn't cut it.
To be honest, I'm still a little confused as to why I cut the powerstone out of this deck, and I'll most likely be looking to throw it back in. I believe you're confusing Chandra Nalaar with Chandra Ablaze, but neither of them are really good enough that I'd want to play them. Incendiary Command, while versatile, was one of those cards that every time I drew it, I didn't want to cast it. And Everflowing Chalice seemed like too much of a bad mana sink, since artifacts tend to get blown up easily in my meta.
Also, in case you didn't notice, both Kumano and Mind Stone went into the deck with this latest change, and I'm more than happy with them.
-----
1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
Godo's Loyal Followers: 18
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
1 Anger
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Bloodfire Colossus
1 Duplicant
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Kuldotha Phoenix
1 Magma Phoenix
1 Palladium Myr
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Rapacious One
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Stuffy Doll
1 Urabrask, the Hidden
1 Viashino Heretic
1 Vulshok Battlemaster
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Godo's Stepping Stones to Victory: 18
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Caged Sun
1 Dreamstone Hedron
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Journeyer's Kite
1 Mind's Eye
1 Mirrorworks
1 Mycosynth Lattice
1 Ruby Medallion
1 Sol Ring
1 Temple Bell
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Urza's Blueprints
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Chain Reaction
1 Fanning the Flames
1 Gamble
1 Insurrection
1 Mana Geyser
1 Shattered Perception
1 Trash for Treasure
1 Warp World
1 Wheel of Fortune
Godo, Fastest Hands in the Far East: 3
1 Comet Storm
1 Grab the Reins
1 Word of Seizing
Behold his Overwhelming Aura: 3
1 Bludgeon Brawl
1 Dragon Breath
1 In the Web of War
Godo's Toybox: 10
1 Argentum Armor
1 Batterskull
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Nim Deathmantle
1 Strata Scythe
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Whispersilk Cloak
1 Chandra Ablaze
Godo's Stomping Grounds: 37
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Great Furnace
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 High Market
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
25 Mountain
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Sandstone Needle
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terrain Generator
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
So, the basic strategy (if it isn't obvious) is to mana-ramp the heck out of the deck, play Godo (usually multiple times), equip, equip, equip, equip... you get the idea. TONS of mana accel, and equipments up the yin-yang. At an average table (usually 4 players, including myself) I can have Godo hit play a good 4-5 times, and he just gets more threatening every time. Much fun to be had.
WUB Merieke Ri Berit BUW
GWU Phelddagrif 1 2 3 4 UWG
BR Kaervek the Merciless RB
B Chainer, Dementia Master B
WUB Sen Triplets BUW
BG Sisters of Stone Death GB
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon GRBUW
GWU Angus Mackenzie UWG
R Kumano, Master Yamabushi R
WB Teysa BW
U Higure U
B Geth B
WUBRG Child of Alara 1 2GRBUW
R Zirilan R
U Arcum U
UR Nin RU
BRG Sek'Kuar GRB
U Teferi U
G Melira G
GU Edric UG
BG Glissa GB
Casual
GUB Knacksaw Clique BUG
RWU Sunforger UWR
Out:
-1 Nevinnyral's Disk
-1 Inner-Flame Acolyte
-1 Lightning Bolt
-1 Deathrender
-1 Fellwar Stone
In:
+1 Spellbinder
+1 Lavaball Trap
+1 Reiterate
+1 Sculpting Steel
+1 Umezawa's Jitte
The Spellbinder is on a test run right now, seeing as how I only have the 4 instants (and only 2 of them really work on it...), but the idea of Spellbinding a Lavaball trap is too funny to pass up. Reiterate is just good for the deck, seeing as how I normally have an abundance of extra mana, and Sculpting Steel on just about ANYTHING turns out good. Double Swords, double Hedron, double Gauntlet? Yes, please.:D
You don't want all of your mana to be tied up with equipping things unnecessarily.
I'd start by cutting:
Loxodon Warhammer
Trailblazer's Boots
Spellbinder
Quietous Spike
Fireshrieker
Personally, I'd take the deck in a little bit of a different direction, trying to use things like Wildfire and whatnot to keep players off of their mana while Godo eats their face. The other thing I think you're missing is mechanisms of generating card advantage. Here are some ideas:
Scrying Sheets - demands a snow-base, but would be pretty awesome.
Tower of Fortunes - Seems pretty okay; red doesn't often get to draw 4.
Diviner's Wand - draws cards, makes godo bigger, grants evasion. What more could you ask for?
Goblin Sharpshooter - Wraths everyone else when you tutor up a Basilisk Collar to go with it.
Ancient Tomb - pretty good at ramping. Your ramp spells come online faster and godo starts beating sooner. People underestimate just how much faster lands like this as City of Traitors make a deck.
Spinerock Knoll - Godo deals that much damage pretty easily. And is usually unblockable/has protection from your deck, so that's free spells.
Vesuva - awesome at copying Spinerock Knoll and Valakut.
Hoarding Dragon - Tutors for ramp/equipment, and is a good beater to put things on since it has evasion.
Knollspine Dragon - Seems like it'll draw lots of cards if Godo connects.
I do agree that there are a few too many equipment in the deck, but it's always nice to have exactly what I need, exactly when I need it. The boots have been on the chopping block for a while now, and Spellbinder is a temporary trial - I don't really have enough instants to abuse it.
I am a strict anti-land destruction player. I'd rather play a bad deck than a good LD deck.
Some of these ideas, I actually hadn't thought of before. I'm not a big fan of Diviner's Wand, even if the evasion is nice, the 4 activation cost is a bit steep for me. Tower of Fortunes is always an idea, as it's nice to have an extra (efficient) mana dump. Scrying Sheets... I don't have access to a snow base, so that'll have to stay on hold. Same with the Sharpshooter - just can't get to one. Vesuva/Spinerock Knoll have their applications, I may just have to either proxy or look at picking some up as a trial. I have a spare Ancient Tomb, the accel might just be worth it there.
As for the two dragons, I'm not so sure about Hoarding - Godo does a good enough job of searching out my equipments as it is. Spinerock Dragon might not be too bad, but normally if I'm dealing massive amounts of damage, I'm winning the game in that turn. I might have to give it a shot, though, cause it seems like it may have potential.
+ Hoarding Dragon
+ Radiate
+ Wheel of Fate
+ Goblin War Drums
+ Expedition Map
+ Tower of Fortunes
+ Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
+ Spinerock Knoll
+ Strip Mine
+ Vesuva
Out:
- Char
- Lavaball Trap
- Blood Moon
- Coldsteel Heart
- Darksteel Ingot
- Trailblazer's Boots
- 4 Mountain
OK, so I'm sure the obvious question is "Why cut Blood Moon?"... the answer is that because I don't have a way to answer it myself, it cuts off my nonbasics until someone else decides to be tired of it. As I increase the number of utility lands in the deck, it just keeps getting worse and worse for me, so I decided it's officially time to cut it. Other than that, just more un-needed stuff getting the axe for more useful cards, and a few experimentations (I'm looking at you, War Drums).
8/18/2010
In:
-Darksteel Colossus
-Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
-Knollspine Dragon
-Lord of Shatterskull Pass
-Taurean Mauler
-Viashino Heretic
-Reverberate
-Wildfire
-Mark of Fury
-Akroma's Memorial
-Sol Ring
-Golem-Skin Gauntlets
-Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang
-Madblind Mountain
Out:
-It That Betrays
-Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
-Heat Shimmer
-Molten Disaster
-Spire Barrage
-Wheel of Fate
-World at War
-Goblin War Drums
-Splinter Twin
-Paradise Plume
-Tower of Fortunes
-1 Mountain
So, not too much of importance here, just been a while since I've updated the list... got a few cards I've been hunting for (Viashino Heretic, Wildfire, etc.) along with some cards that just seemed good. I'm trying to work on a slight mana-screw problem I've been having lately, but for the moment my main concern is focusing on ways to give Godo haste - it can make the difference between winning and losing.
In:
- Goblin Gavaleer
- Kuldotha Phoenix
- Razormane Masticore
- Wurmcoil Engine
- Vicious Shadows
- Crystal Ball
- Reito Lantern
- Temple Bell
- Strider Harness
- Kher Keep
- Mishra's Factory
Out:
- Cunning Sparkmage
- Knollspine Dragon
- Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
- Torchling
- Viashino Heretic
- Chandra Ablaze
- Radiate
- Wildfire
- Mark of Fury
- Umezawa's Jitte
- 1 Mountain
So, let's go over a few of the bigger points. First and foremost, the cutting of Jitte. While there's no arguing that it's an amazing equipment, and possibly the best to ever be printed, it just never seemed to be needed. Every time I searched, there always seemed to be something better in the situation. Other than that, it was just maintenance choices. Kozilek was too slow, even with the ramping that this deck tends to do. Knollspine Dragon never actually drew cards, but rather just clunked up my hand; Chandra saw more colorless cards to pitch than R... etc.
As far as the additions go, GG shows awesome potential. Give him any sword, and he automatically becomes a 5/3 Trample? Disregarding any other abilities, that alone is pretty awesome. Kuldotha Phoenix seems like just the recursion engine this deck has been asking for, 'nuff said. Wurmcoil Engine, besides just looking awesome, is sick beyond words when you throw some toys on him. Reito Lantern helps recycle any equipment that may have been blown up; Temple Bell is probably one of the better colorless draw cards I've seen in a while, and it's been going in ALL of my EDH decks. Strider Harness is getting a test run; Haste is always good on Godo, and the extra +1/+1 couldn't really hurt. The two new lands give me more stuff to throw weapons onto if I'm short on creatures... and yeah, that's about it.
I've been looking to pick one up for weeks now, but can't find a single one ANYWHERE. Did manage to pick up a Ronin War Club and *foily* Strata Scythe, which promptly replaced the underwhelming Strider Harness and seemingly worse Golem-Skin Gauntlets (respectively). If I can get the Exoskeleton, the only big one left to find will be Sword of Kaldra.
EDIT: Was totally thinking Grafted WARGEAR, not Exoskeleton. While interesting, I'm not too eager to pick one up honestly. If it was a Free-quip like the wargear, maybe. :\
-protect him and blow the board (aka Tenza/SOFI + Wildfire)
-equip and swing right away (Greaves, Sword of Vengeance)
-equip and protect the Godo (both swords, shroud stuff)
-equip and kill now or next turn (Grafted Exoskeleton- i mean, it gives 10 poison, you know that? And also boosts him to 5/5, which survives Wildfire variants-bonus)
The last option seems to be asking for removal, but with all free mana (Sol Ring, Gauntlets, Saga block artifacts), i dont see the point in limiting yourself out of certain equipement cards just cause they cost to equip.
I mean, the last time i checked, the Shield of Kaldra costs tons to equip, and it is not even that good..
I actually completely missed the part where Grafted Exoskeleton makes Godo 10-poison death; it's definitely getting consideration now. Whether or not it makes the cut, I'll have to think about it.
I've found myself using Godo more as a tutor effect to enhance the equipments I already have out, instead of swinging by himself. I've also noticed that my "quick starts" have been slowing down as of late, whether it's a matter of cutting too many manafacts or just bad draws, I'm not sure.
The funny thing is, even with all of the ramp, I still find myself tapping out regularly to cast my spells. I've thought about adding the extra combat cards, but generally speaking I just don't have the leftover mana to use them, unless I don't want Godo to carry anything. When it comes to that, I'd rather have 2 swings with a toy than 3 swings without one.
1 Dragonmaster Outcast
1 Manakin
1 Palladium Myr
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Paradise Plume
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Argentum Armor
1 Grafted Exoskeleton
1 Ronin Warclub
1 Strata Scythe
1 Skullclamp
1 Lord of Shatterskull Pass
1 Razormane Masticore
1 Scuttlemutt
1 Fork
1 Reiterate
1 Reverberate
1 Fervor
1 Vicious Shadows
1 Akroma's Memorial
1 Crystal Ball
1 Illuminated Folio
1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
1 Strider Harness
Lots of new toys, and new friends to help carry them, though a few lessers got kicked out of the "Go Club" (as I like to call it). LoSP just took too long to get online, Masticore didn't have enough cards to keep full, and Scuttlemutt got kicked out for Manakin. Palladium Myr is Worn Powerstone's long lost brother (and coincidentally both have found their way here) Spikeshot Elder is INSANE, and the rest seems self explanitory.
TL;DR: Exoskeleton is NUTZ.
Now I HAVE managed to test Steel Hellkite online. It is nothing short of insane. Repetitive, flying Pernicious Deeds on crack are pretty amazing last time I checked... especially for giving a color another way to deal with enchantments.
1 Iron Myr
1 Chimeric Mass
1 Semblance Anvil
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Magnetic Theft
1 Sisay's Ring
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Sandstone Needle
1 Dragonmaster Outcast
1 Manakin
1 Angelheart Vial
1 Expedition Map
1 Ronin War Club
1 Skullclamp
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
First of all, I didn't realize just how powerful Semblance Anvil would end up being in this deck. Imprint pretty much any artifact creature on it, and a good 90% of my spells cost 2 less to cast? To say I've been impressed with this card would be an understatement. The two new lands are nothing short of amazing, and I must credit One With Nothing's Competitive Godo list for giving me the idea - I had completely forgotten about those, and it's rather clever that Godo's own Hall combo's quite well with him.
The Rampant Growth on a stick (Wayfarer's Bauble) is surprisingly a welcome addition, as having that extra land can sometimes be better than a manafact, seeing as how those quite often get lost in a boardwipe. Iron Myr was a straight up replacement for Manakin, as it's just plain better (When is colorless mana going to be better than R?) Chimeric Mass is, in three words, A TOTAL HOUSE, I am so glad I finally grabbed one for this deck. And of course, how could I forget about Magnetic Theft? Between combat tricks, stealing someone else's equipment, and giving Godo pro X/Y at instant speed, I'm definitely glad I managed to pick one up.
As far as cards I'm still looking to try in the deck, the list is fairly short:
Sword of Kaldra
Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Prototype Portal
Sword of Body and Mind
Also, good call on the semblance anvil. In 1v1 the extra speed must be a beating!
Chandra Nalaar: The card isn't necessarily essential in the deck, but it can prove to be a good source of spot removal, which is a slot I have little to none of right now. Surprisingly, I can manage to get her ultimate off quite often when she's out, but there's very few times when I actually want to cast her. It's an option.
Sculpting Steel: Another one of those cards that's good, but only depending on the situation. If I already have an awesome equipment out, it's an extra oompf that can get me over the hump, but it's not always that great. I can see a lot of situations where I'd much rather draw the SoBaM instead, but also a lot of times when that Sculpting Steel has won me the game.
My other thought was cutting a Mountain, seeing as the deck is running 37 lands total right now. I feel like I might be able to get away with 36, but it seems like a bit of a risk, since I have a history of not having enough lands in the opening hand.
So, if you think one of those is the right choice, or if there's something else on the list that you think shouldn't be there, please let me know. I don't want to have to agonize over this decision for too long. ^^;;
1 Cyclops Gladiator
1 Kumano, Master Yamabushi
1 Viashino Heretic
1 Uphill Battle
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Mind Stone
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Nim Deathmantle
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Goblin Gavaleer
1 Iron Myr
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Reito Lantern
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Tenza, Godo's Maul
1 Chandra Nalaar
1 Incendiary Command
1 Mountain
The main changes were getting new toys for Godo and his friends (y'know, for christmas ) in the form of Grafted Wargear, Nim Deathmantle, and Sword of Body and Mind. Wargear, while essentially being a "vanilla" equipment, is surprisingly beautiful in this deck. The +3/+2 for 0 can come in handy in so many situations. The Deathmantle, besides giving me recursion, also gets me around the Teferi's Moats that run around my meta. And of course, the Sword should explain itself.
I wouldn't cut those cards.
Everflowing Chalice - at it's worst, it is Mind Stone. At it's best, it's a powerhouse (literally, since i like to call mana artifacts "factories").
Worn Powerstone - i wouldn't cut that, i prefer that to Fellwar Stone. If you have 2-3 lands and this, next turn may be Godo time..
Tenza, Godo's Maul - Really cheap to equip, also good with Kumano. 6/6 can force an oposing elder dragon to chump to suvive, and next Godo will get even bigger..
Chandra Nalaar - It depends, what kind of sorcerys are you playing. I have also seen people win games on her 2nd ability, fast mana+mass discard=win
Incendiary Command - Yeah, sometimes it's so-so, but it can still kill a land and clear the field/burn a PW/redraw cards. I wouldn't cut it.
Cards to include:
Kumano, master Yamabushi and Mind Stone. Kumano is just great and Mind Stone is similar to Fellwar, but can cantrip.
most broken standard deck ever http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=268050
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=10498534#post10498534
If you don't think akroma, angel of fury is absurd in mono-red you are not paying attention. This card comes down super early for it's size (turn 5 if you morph it, earlier if you use changeling berserker to champion it) and attacks for tons of damage out of nowhere.
It is immune to path to exile and control magic and it can't be countered. It is rarely blocked becuase most flyers are blue or white. It tramples and has firebreathing. SHE IS INSANE! Don't knock her till you try her.
Famliy Guy Emperor Says,
"Something, something something, DARK SIDE!
Something, something, something COMPLETE!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHiUitciuJ8
:symrw::symrw::symrw::symrw::symrw::symrw:
SPIKE GAYMER: not just a beatdown, a beatdown sung to the tune of "I Feel Pretty"!
I was running Tenza for the longest time, but to be honest it doesn't really do enough to warrant my wanting to play it. Sure, the trample's nice and all, but I have Loxodon Warhammer and Sword of Vengeance for that. In the long run, it really just wasn't good enough.
To be honest, I'm still a little confused as to why I cut the powerstone out of this deck, and I'll most likely be looking to throw it back in. I believe you're confusing Chandra Nalaar with Chandra Ablaze, but neither of them are really good enough that I'd want to play them. Incendiary Command, while versatile, was one of those cards that every time I drew it, I didn't want to cast it. And Everflowing Chalice seemed like too much of a bad mana sink, since artifacts tend to get blown up easily in my meta.
Also, in case you didn't notice, both Kumano and Mind Stone went into the deck with this latest change, and I'm more than happy with them.