If there's one thing Karador has taught us, it's that our graveyard can be our friend. He is one of the few generals in his color spectrum that really shines with it, because he is, in essence, a once-per-turn Reanimation spell assuming he stays on the field. However, my initial foray into him honestly rarely ended with him on the field. Most games I rarely even cast him, because I was either maintaining board position far better than my opponents, or was simply unable to do anything useful with him.
My intent with this is, simply put, to take his weaknesses and turn them into advantages.
First off, I need to explain a few things about Karador before we get into great detail about the concept of the deck.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Karador is one of those generals who makes up an incredible combination in the color pie. As a black/green/white general, he provides arguably the strongest color combination available in EDH outside of mono-blue in singleplayer games. In a multiplayer format such as Commander, the three colors shine when coupled together. Let's go over some basics of the colors:
Green/White
This is your bread-and-butter color combination. Green and white both provide artifact and enchantment destruction, as well as some solid protection for your creatures. When it comes right down to it, for a defensive deck you'd probably want this color combination to begin with. But we also get one card that bolsters our mana ramp substantially: Mirari's Wake.
Green and white also provides us with solid beaters. Creatures such as Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Iona, Shield of Emeria and Sigarda, Host of Herons are solid beaters by themselves. However, all three provide very solid protection and defense in a meta that is dominated with mass sacrifice outlets and board sweeps. For defense, this is the best color combination you can get, and in general cards used for the purpose of defense are cheaper to get, too.
Green/Black
This is, arguably, the strongest multcolored combination out there. Green and Black provide very solid permanent answers, allowing you to manipulate the board state to a degree that in many cases not even blue can do. Blue relies on negating spells, bouncing permanents, or timewalking an opponent for it's control.
Green and black simply blow it up.
The color combination opens up a solid host of answers for you. Two of the most powerful are Putrefy and Pernicious Deed. Remember them, ladies and gents, because when push comes to shove, you will want to shove the hardest. When it comes to answers for stuff on the battlefield, this is one of the few that can outright destroy anything on the board. and I mean anything.
Black/White
I would argue that this color combination doesn't do much more outside of Green/Black. However, this color combination provides us access to the most board sweepers. This color combination is about projecting power through maintaining a positive field state, or simply denying your opponents any type of board position at all. To give you an idea of what to expect, for board swepers alone you have:
...and more, I'm sure. But that is ten board sweepers that outright destroy everything on the board. But then, we have situational sweepers, too! They include:
For a color combination in control, there truly is very little that can shout "Answer!" better than just wiping the field and starting from scratch, isn't there!
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Next, we need to go over what Karador does. In essence, Karador is a quasi-reanimate every turn. However, he can be hated after you attempt to cast by some graveyard-hatin' bastard. This is a serious disadvantage for the deck, and it screams in pain every time it happens. I don't know how many times I have gone to cast an Iona from my graveyard, thinking I've won when my opponent hits me with the Nihil Spellbomb I completely forgot they had played.
So, how do we get over this weakness?
Simply put, there is no way to do this. We can put in cards like Leyline of Sanctity and Witchbane Orb and hope it works, but it's not always a guarantee. The best we can do is minimize the chance the weakness manifests at the worst possible time.
Remember, Murphy's Law dictates that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time. No sooner do you think you've won the game because of that Avacyn in your graveyard then some jerk goes, "No" and hits it with a Surgical Extraction (seriously, who uses that card in EDH???), leaving you cursing. What we want to do is minimize the chance of Mr. Murphy showing his ugly face.
His greatest strength is his weakness. Always remember that.
With that being said, we are taking a different approach to the deck theme. While people focus on getting out creatures and cheating them in with cards such as Tooth and Nail with the entwine, we are not going to do this. We are going to sit back and be reactive, almost seeming passive. Let our opponents focus on each other while we feign innocence. Then in classic green fashion, we will Go for the Throat (screw you, I know it's a black card!).
Patience will be the key here, ladies and gents. We can not pop a kill spell just because that massive 50/50 Trampler is on the field. Is it attacking us? No? It's not a threat yet. Let it live. This deck is full of answers, many at instant speed. We can play the waiting game like a blue player can. And we will. We are black and green. We are a Rock.
Well, I hope I have your attention now on what to expect. While this deck is a work in progress, I intend for it to be competitive, but with-in reason price-wise. With that being said, I know what you're asking:
WHY IN THE HELL SHOULD I TRUST YOUR DECK?
And that's a very solid question. You shouldn't trust everything you see on the internet. I learned that at a very young age. This is not a deck where you can simply go into a tournament and slap down a few lands, call it a night and take home first place. It will require some learning and being willing to lose some games so you understand it. But I will espouse.
My name is Patrick. I've been playing Karador since a week after Commander debuted. Before that, I had no EDH experience, and fully believed that I would never play it. I didn't feel like going to collect all these rare, older cards that would be needed to make a solid deck. When Commander came out, I didn't realize that it also came with a full deck right away so I could start playing. When I finally did, I grabbed a The Mimeoplasm deck, and with-in two weeks (roughly) I had a viable EDH deck. My friend actually ran it at a local tournament, taking first place (I accidentally took his Wort, Boggart Auntie deck). After that, I bought a Karador deck.
Originally, I was going to make a Ghave, Guru of Spores deck. I do enjoy my tokens, and I felt confident with that choice. But once I started reading Karador I grew excited. Not long after, the Graveborn premium deck came out. I had some solid reanimation. In all honesty, all Avacyn Restored did was provide me with two very, very solid beaters in the form of Avacyn and Sigarda.
I will admit, I was a bit upset when they banned Grislebrand (more like Grislebanned, amirite?!?!). He was solid, I enjoyed him.
I have run several decks over the past year: Glissa, the Traitor, Olivia Voldaren, The Mimeoplasm, Karador, Ghost Chieftain, and Stonebrow, Krosan Hero are either decks that I have run, or am currently running. I have opted more-or-less not to run with the "classic" list of "proven" generals such as Azami, Lady of Scrolls or Rafiq of the Many, but instead focus on generals that provide some type of relief in a meta where the only truly competitive decks are run by the strictest of players looking simply to win and nothing more.
Rogue decks in this format are more common, and I like that. This is a healthy meta, far more-so than any other format in my opinion because of the variety of decks that are showing up and kicking some butt. One of my friends has run several decks, including Rafiq, but also Kaalia of the Vast and Omnath, Locus of Mana. He will always tell me how he was the inspiration for me joining to play, and takes pride in that fact (he wasn't, but I let him think he is!). But he will no longer play me in a one-on-one game, citing my love and penchant for creating decks with green and black in them. But, I digress.
Karador has been my sole constant through-out these past thirteen or fourteen months. While the deck has had several changes to it, it has always maintained that legend as it's leader. While I am focusing on three new decks with Jaya Ballad, Task Mage, Bruna, Light of Alabaster (a deck my friend Adam and I will be maintaining jointly) and Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief, Karador will always hold a special place in my heart, and I don't intend to dismantle this deck any time soon. While it will certainly change, it will never truly go away.
My next post will deal with the deck itself, the reasons on the card choices, the general strategy of the deck, and what I am considering adding. The third post will focus on the changelog to the deck, as well as tournament/game statistics when I can provide them.
"The above post is the opinion of the poster and is not indicative of any stance taken by the President of the United States, Congress, the Department of Defense, the Pentagon, the Department of the Navy, or the United States Marine Corps."
You may have noticed the severe lack of creatures in this deck, and you may be hesitant to continue because of the general's synergy with a solid creature base. However, one thing this format has taught me is never to judge a book by it's cover.
First off, yes. Combat damage can be the biggest thing that helps you whittle down players. However, you should be mindful of your opponents, and not open yourself up to early hate. Self-control and planning is necessary to pilot this deck properly. Waiting is really the name of the game.
Early Game
This is the weakest part of the game for the deck. You don't have much in the way of mana ramp or early game support. The first four turns are likely to be make-or-break for you. Monitoring your opponents and preventing loads of damage sent your way is important. Tokens decks and swarm decks are your worst nightmare, sadly. Keep that in mind as you watch. Vigilance is the biggest asset at this point.
You have access to six board wipes in the first few turns. Two are situational, but they are both effective early on to begin with. If one or two players have a large board presence thanks to tokens or small creatures, feel free to remove it. You might just be thanked with a slight reprieve from your other opponents!
This is the point where you build up your manabase, and look to stall out some opponents. If you can slow down an opponent or two, things are looking better.
Turns: 1 - 5
Mid Game
This is where you start to shine. Your control becomes slightly stronger with access to a few more board wipes, and you can start casting your beaters and some more of your mana ramp. Consider this your shining period, and look to take out an opponent or two while still trying to maintain a low profile. It might seem difficult, but if you can convince your opponents that the Azami player is a bigger threat, they may just listen!
Don't play cards that are very likely to make you a large target. Iona and Exquisite Blood are definitely not the cards to be casting right now, because you can't support yourself too well right now. I know if I saw someone cast Blood, I would be working to focus them down ASAP, because that life gain is too much.
Turns: 6 - 10
Late Game
You will always get to this point, unless you are focused early. At this point, it's all about defense. You should still have some board wipes available, so if you do, use them! If you're playing against other control decks, keep the pressure going.
You want to keep your mana going. Do what you can to get every land in your deck out of it, and then use your win conditions! Exsanguinate is a huge killer against multiple opponents, and in many cases can put you above the threshold that most players can get to to kill you. Holding your own is a big thing, because you need to be able to maintain that strong board presence from the mid game on. You will, most likely, cast your general at least once during this point to get some creatures out.
If you can weather the storm to this point, you should be home free. Keep up the pressure and fight!
Turns: 11+
Individual Card Strategies
Exquisite Blood + Exsanguinate, Blood Tribute, Consume Spirit: This is one of the biggest. Ten gets you twenty and the like. With a well-played Exsanguinate, you can easily gain more life than people can feasibly deal with. This is the biggest thing, and you may want to hold off on this until you get to the point that you can reliably kill one or two people with the spell. One player is manageable after casting this. Two is borderline, unless they are both swarms and you can't wipe the board.
INDIVIDUAL CARD CHOICES
Serra Ascendant: When it comes right down to it, I believe this card should be banned. I was a big supporter of this card to begin with, but every game I play with it in which it comes down turns 1-3 is just a huge game changer in many instances. A 6/6 flying-lifelinker as early as turn 1 is not something that should be viable, but it is. And so, until it's banned I fully support each and every white deck running it.
Yavimaya Elder: This is pretty much a staple in every EDH deck running green. Solid deck thinning, netting you two (or three!) cards in one fell swoop.
Necrotic Sliver, Harmonic Sliver: I'm putting these two together because the synergy needs to be addressed. Dropping Harmonic followed by Necrotic means you can Naturalize things. Then, pay three mana and sacrifice Harmonic followed by Necrotic (six mana total) and blow up any two permanents! Approved!
Bone Shredder: Recurring creature destruction. That's pretty much all he's here for, to be honest.
Fleshbag Marauder: I'll be honest, the fact he can cause control decks to hurt is nice. But I feel like this guy isn't very good in the deck. Yes, he's a recurring sacrifice and he makes everyone sacrifice a creature, but I feel like he's sub-par in many instances. He's very likely to be replaced.
Solemn Simulacrum: Sad Robot should be in every deck. He's colorless ramp, and EDH loves its ramp! Plus he's card draw when you decide to block with him!
Magus of the Disk: This is one of those cards that I absolutely love. Yes, he'll kill everything (including your stuff), but there are times where you need to wipe pretty much everything off the board. Tap, sac, boom goes the dynamite! Very solid for a control deck like this.
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon: Skittles is just awesome. He puts someone on edge very quickly when he swings in. While not a Voltron deck, the fact he can pretty much swing for lethal in three turns (Two with Wake out) is big. If I could pump him for lethal, I most certainly would.
Sigarda, Host of Herons: This one is more of a meta call. I play against people who enjoy their sacrifice effects. At the very least, she's a 5/5 flier who can beat for a bit, and has her own protection. The only way to legitimately kill her is to block, or to use a global effect.
Primeval Titan: A green staple, period. If you're playing green and not running it, you need to stop playing green. Getting more lands out is key to how this deck works. It loves it's lands! Plus, a 6/6 trampler for 6 is nothing to scoff at, ever. He usually gets hit with Bribery though, so be careful! Pick your lands wisely, too. You don't want to go for Urborg unless you can win that turn!
Nirkana Revenant: Can pump itself up, and provides additional black mana! Yes please!
Massacre Wurm: Another meta call, but it's been solid in almost every game I've played him in. He hoses weenie decks for solid amounts of life loss. He can open fields for you to plow through, so never underestimate him!
Angel of Despair: A solid flying beater, but she's really here just to be a recurring Vindicate, albeit an expensive one. Two purposes, and you can't hate on it.
Sheoldred, Whispering One: Another control card that just provides a lot of power. With an Urborg out she swings for unblockable. Making your opponents sacrifice while you get back creatures is pretty impressive. Just know she has a massive target on her head.
Rune-Scarred Demon: He's really here just to tutor. He's a recurring tutor, though! And he can punch people in the air! Yay!
Avacyn, Angel of Hope: Combine this with Sigarda. Congratulations, you now have a board position that can't be stopped...unless you get hit with Ashes to Ashes...
Reiver Demon: Meant to be a late-game board sweeper under normal circumstances, and nothing more. He's pretty sub-par, though, so he might go the way of the dodo in this deck.
Iona, Shield of Emeria: I have to admit, this is one of those cards that really pisses people off. Cheating it in with Amulet on turn 5 can shut down quite a few decks. I Remember playing against three people all playing mono-black decks, and I just had to win it. So I did! Solid control late game, too, when it might be just you and one opponent.
Killing Wave: More of a situational board wipe, it's meant to slow down token and swarm decks.
Black Sun's Zenith: The same as Killing Wave, but if it resolves it gets to go back into the deck! Can't argue with that.
Exsanguinate: Let's test out a theory here. It's to the point where it's you and one other opponent. Maybe two. You have been able to fed off their relentless attacks pretty well, but you're going to lose. You happen to have a Vampiric Tutor in your hand, so you pop it just before your turn. You search this bad boy up. You have managed to get Urborg onto the field, with 20-ish lands as well. Mirari's Wake is present, as is Nirkana Revenant. You put this on top. Neither player is playing blue, and you have enough life to survive a few burn spells. Draw, tap down, cast it. That's 57 points of life loss to each opponent, and 114 life gained for you. You should have just won, right? This is one of the few cards that I consider the true combo in this deck. It takes a good amount of time and energy to get going, but if you do...well, good job!
Consume Spirit: Like Exsanguinate, but really isn't as good. You can only spend black mana on it, so it's only good, literally, if you have Urborg on the field. If you don't, it's probably a dead draw. I will probably end up replacing this.
Sign in Blood: Card draw for a measly two life. Or it's hilarious and you can use it to finish someone off!
Demonic Tutor: The bread-and-butter black tutor. Spending two mana to search up ANY card in your deck is a good investment, period.
Cultivate, Kodama's Reach: Mana ramp, and that's it. They both fetch up two basic lands, and with basic lands being in very short supply later on they will probably end up dead draws. Oh well!
Maelstrom Pulse: Three mana, destroy any permanent. I will absolutely run this card because it epitomizes the destructive power of B/G perfectly. What's more, you might just be playing against oponents who have cards with the same name on the field...
Damnation, Day of Judgment, Wrath of God: While Damnation and Wrath make it impossible to regenerate, DoJ does not. However, it's three board wipes at four mana, so don't whine! You're running both black and white, so you run these.
Punishment: I won't lie, this is probably the one you're going to use most often. A semi-board wipe. The stipulation can suck, but still...it's a board wipe!
Increasing Ambition: Okay, this tutor is expensive. But you can use it twice to fetch up three cards. I can't say 'no' to it!
Austere Command: This board wipe is very flexible, and flexibility is [i]always[/i] good. The Commands in general tend to be fairly solid, but this is the only one we really care about. It's simple: decide what you don't like most and destroy them!
Life's Finale: Being able to destroy some key combo pieces can be pretty important. It's also a handy board wipe! If you have Leyline of the Void out, abuse the search. Period.
Blood Tribute: Another sub-par Exsanguinate, I'll admit. It might come out. However, it can make those pesky decks that gain lots of life rue the day they messed with you!
Decree of Pain: This is an expensive board wipe that draws you cards. Creatures can't regenerate from it, which can be important. What's more important is the cycling:an instant-speed -2/-2 can make a huge dent in many decks on turn 5, and it nets you a card so you don't really lose anything. If you decide you need to hit everything on the board and hard cast this, understand you will thin your deck substantially, if not lose the game outright.
Plague Wind: There are very few cards that destroy creatures. There are far fewer cards that destroy creature [i]not owned by you[/]i. At nine mana, this is an expensive board wipe. Late-game, though, it is vital to getting combat damage. It leaves you in far better board position than your enemies.
Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares: One mana, exile a creature. You may not like them getting a land or life, but in all honesty it's not that bad. There are creatures that absolutely need to be removed from game, as hitting the graveyard will not be enough.
Vampiric Tutor: Instant-speed tutor for any card that you get to draw. Being able to set up a draw can be a vital part to winning, and it will allow you to set up a draw to counter many instances in which you might have either a stalemate, or you can win right there. Never underestimate this card, and never pop it if you can't make the most of it.
Eladamri's Call: Creature tutor at instant speed. Sure, we don't have many creatures, but the ones we [i]do[/i] have are generally answers. As black, we like answers, so it's good to see the other two colors in the pie chart give us the ability to dredge up said answers.
Oblation: This can be a defensive card to tuck a permanent of yours from death, or you can tuck a general. The card draw can be a bit annoying, but there are some decks that don't ever want to see their general tucked.
Putrefy, Mortify: One hits enchantments, one hits artifacts. They both hit creatures. Instant speed removal is important for this deck, and both have flexibility that cards like Terror and Naturalize simply do not provide. Remember: the more flexible your answers are, the better your position is.
Beast Within: Three mana, destroy a permanent. At instant speed. There is NO drawback to this card unless that beast you provide them can kill you that turn.
Unmake: Three mana creature exile for any combination of W/B. Same as Swords and Path in that sometimes you just need to exile a creature. With no downside to this card, it should be run.
Consume the Meek: Remember how I said the biggest problem for this deck is swarms and tokens? This is a way to protect yourself. You will almost always see one or two of these decks in a meta, so being able to protect yourself from a bunch of 15/16 plant tokens can be the most important thing for you to do. It allows you to sit there and judge what your enemies are doing, and make decisions based on that.
Sensei's Divining Top: Simply put, this is a staple in every deck. Setting up your draws is important in control decks. It is most certainly worth the investment.
Sol Ring: Another card that should probably be banned, but it hadn't been. Playing this turn 1 sets you in a far better position than anyone else, but generally also increases the size of the target on your head. With that being said, that drawback is not something to worry about. Everyone runs it. Colorless ramp, as I said before, is important in all decks. Use it, love it. You have one to begin with if you have Karador since you bought the deck, right?
Otherworld Atlas: This is some card draw that you can enjoy. It's rare to see your opponents destroy it, because everyone gets to draw off of it. Since you're not playing blue, people don't get too worried about you winning off of decking them.
Witchbane Orb: One of those cards that just shows up and protects you. It serves no other purpose other than to protect your graveyard from the effects of cards such as Nihil Spellbomb.
Quicksilver Amulet: Cheating in a big creature is nice. It protects you from the worries of getting countered when casting a killer, and provides a lot of protection in the form of pretty much giving all creatures in your hand "Flash". I like it, and it's a definite meta call.
Phyrexian Arena: Extra card draw at the expense of one life per turn. That's absolutely acceptable in black!
Leyline of the Void: There are a lot of decks enjoying their graveyards. Prevent them from doing so.
Leyline of Sanctity: Look at Witchbane Orb and then understand that red really can't affect it. Plus, if you start with it in your opening hand, you get to play it for free!
Defense of the Heart: Really only good against swarm decks, and in multiplayer you will probably face one or two. Pretty solid in general, but I find it doesn't hold it's weight very well.
Mirari's Wake: Mana ramp, creatures get +1/+1. What's not to like?
Exquisite Blood: Playing this early will get you killed. However, if you can defend yourself properly from three angry players, then this card can be terrific to get into play. If an opponent loses life for [i]any reason[/i], you gain that life. Combat damage, direct damage, it doesn't matter! No, Sorin Markov's second ability does not gain you life, since their life total is set. They don't actually lose that life.
Liliana of the Veil: As I said, control. This card epitomizes black control: hand, creature, permanents...nothing is safe! Plus she's a sexy, sexy beast!
Garruk Wildspeaker: He's really here just to untap lands and nothing more. He might not be in the deck for much longer.
Liliana Vess: She's a tutor, which you seriously can not be upset about. While she's a sorcery-speed Vampiric Tutor, she's still setting up your draw. And no, your opponents don't get to see what you find.
Sorin Markov: His minus ability will kill people very easily. His Sorin's Thirst can pick off weenies and keep your life up. You will rarely, if ever, get his ultimate off.
POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES
Pernicious Deed: A staple in B/G decks, but I haven't gotten my hands on one. It will be mine, though!
Vindicate: Another staple, but this one is B/W. I. Will. Get. One.
Liliana of the Dark Realms: I will admit, I'm on the fence about this one. She's really only good if I can maintain Urborg, and also I need to be able to get her emblem. If I can do that, feasibly Exsanguinate could be a one-turn kill.
Caged Sun: More mana production and a boost to creatures of a chosen color? I need to run it. I need to find a place for it, period.
Blanket of Night: Another Urborg, but on an enchantment. Another card I need to find room for!
WHAT I DECIDED NOT TO PUT IN
Brawn: Just....no. There's not enough in this deck for trample to be that much of an issue. My creatures already have flying for the most part, so trample is kind of pointless.
Genesis: The deck is already running a general that is liable to be hit with some graveyard hate. Why give people another reason to do it?
Tooth and Nail: This one I will probably get the most grief for, but hear me out. I like the card, and I think it's a very fine card to be running. Pretty much every green deck should be running it. The reason I'm not is because creatures are not a huge thing for this deck. If I need one, I can always tutor it up with one of the others I have. Cheating it in is harder, but I can manage. I'm playing a control deck, after all. I can wait!
Reveillark: Once again, I don't want to risk more graveyard hate. While there are definitely utility creatures to consider bringing back with this card, I can't justify the slot.
"The above post is the opinion of the poster and is not indicative of any stance taken by the President of the United States, Congress, the Department of Defense, the Pentagon, the Department of the Navy, or the United States Marine Corps."
"The above post is the opinion of the poster and is not indicative of any stance taken by the President of the United States, Congress, the Department of Defense, the Pentagon, the Department of the Navy, or the United States Marine Corps."
Feel free to comment on the deck! All constuctive criticism is acceptable!
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"The above post is the opinion of the poster and is not indicative of any stance taken by the President of the United States, Congress, the Department of Defense, the Pentagon, the Department of the Navy, or the United States Marine Corps."
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My intent with this is, simply put, to take his weaknesses and turn them into advantages.
First off, I need to explain a few things about Karador before we get into great detail about the concept of the deck.
This is your bread-and-butter color combination. Green and white both provide artifact and enchantment destruction, as well as some solid protection for your creatures. When it comes right down to it, for a defensive deck you'd probably want this color combination to begin with. But we also get one card that bolsters our mana ramp substantially: Mirari's Wake.
Green and white also provides us with solid beaters. Creatures such as Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Iona, Shield of Emeria and Sigarda, Host of Herons are solid beaters by themselves. However, all three provide very solid protection and defense in a meta that is dominated with mass sacrifice outlets and board sweeps. For defense, this is the best color combination you can get, and in general cards used for the purpose of defense are cheaper to get, too.
This is, arguably, the strongest multcolored combination out there. Green and Black provide very solid permanent answers, allowing you to manipulate the board state to a degree that in many cases not even blue can do. Blue relies on negating spells, bouncing permanents, or timewalking an opponent for it's control.
Green and black simply blow it up.
The color combination opens up a solid host of answers for you. Two of the most powerful are Putrefy and Pernicious Deed. Remember them, ladies and gents, because when push comes to shove, you will want to shove the hardest. When it comes to answers for stuff on the battlefield, this is one of the few that can outright destroy anything on the board. and I mean anything.
I would argue that this color combination doesn't do much more outside of Green/Black. However, this color combination provides us access to the most board sweepers. This color combination is about projecting power through maintaining a positive field state, or simply denying your opponents any type of board position at all. To give you an idea of what to expect, for board swepers alone you have:
...and more, I'm sure. But that is ten board sweepers that outright destroy everything on the board. But then, we have situational sweepers, too! They include:
For a color combination in control, there truly is very little that can shout "Answer!" better than just wiping the field and starting from scratch, isn't there!
Next, we need to go over what Karador does. In essence, Karador is a quasi-reanimate every turn. However, he can be hated after you attempt to cast by some graveyard-hatin' bastard. This is a serious disadvantage for the deck, and it screams in pain every time it happens. I don't know how many times I have gone to cast an Iona from my graveyard, thinking I've won when my opponent hits me with the Nihil Spellbomb I completely forgot they had played.
So, how do we get over this weakness?
Simply put, there is no way to do this. We can put in cards like Leyline of Sanctity and Witchbane Orb and hope it works, but it's not always a guarantee. The best we can do is minimize the chance the weakness manifests at the worst possible time.
Remember, Murphy's Law dictates that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time. No sooner do you think you've won the game because of that Avacyn in your graveyard then some jerk goes, "No" and hits it with a Surgical Extraction (seriously, who uses that card in EDH???), leaving you cursing. What we want to do is minimize the chance of Mr. Murphy showing his ugly face.
His greatest strength is his weakness. Always remember that.
With that being said, we are taking a different approach to the deck theme. While people focus on getting out creatures and cheating them in with cards such as Tooth and Nail with the entwine, we are not going to do this. We are going to sit back and be reactive, almost seeming passive. Let our opponents focus on each other while we feign innocence. Then in classic green fashion, we will Go for the Throat (screw you, I know it's a black card!).
Patience will be the key here, ladies and gents. We can not pop a kill spell just because that massive 50/50 Trampler is on the field. Is it attacking us? No? It's not a threat yet. Let it live. This deck is full of answers, many at instant speed. We can play the waiting game like a blue player can. And we will. We are black and green. We are a Rock.
Well, I hope I have your attention now on what to expect. While this deck is a work in progress, I intend for it to be competitive, but with-in reason price-wise. With that being said, I know what you're asking:
And that's a very solid question. You shouldn't trust everything you see on the internet. I learned that at a very young age. This is not a deck where you can simply go into a tournament and slap down a few lands, call it a night and take home first place. It will require some learning and being willing to lose some games so you understand it. But I will espouse.
Originally, I was going to make a Ghave, Guru of Spores deck. I do enjoy my tokens, and I felt confident with that choice. But once I started reading Karador I grew excited. Not long after, the Graveborn premium deck came out. I had some solid reanimation. In all honesty, all Avacyn Restored did was provide me with two very, very solid beaters in the form of Avacyn and Sigarda.
I will admit, I was a bit upset when they banned Grislebrand (more like Grislebanned, amirite?!?!). He was solid, I enjoyed him.
I have run several decks over the past year: Glissa, the Traitor, Olivia Voldaren, The Mimeoplasm, Karador, Ghost Chieftain, and Stonebrow, Krosan Hero are either decks that I have run, or am currently running. I have opted more-or-less not to run with the "classic" list of "proven" generals such as Azami, Lady of Scrolls or Rafiq of the Many, but instead focus on generals that provide some type of relief in a meta where the only truly competitive decks are run by the strictest of players looking simply to win and nothing more.
Rogue decks in this format are more common, and I like that. This is a healthy meta, far more-so than any other format in my opinion because of the variety of decks that are showing up and kicking some butt. One of my friends has run several decks, including Rafiq, but also Kaalia of the Vast and Omnath, Locus of Mana. He will always tell me how he was the inspiration for me joining to play, and takes pride in that fact (he wasn't, but I let him think he is!). But he will no longer play me in a one-on-one game, citing my love and penchant for creating decks with green and black in them. But, I digress.
Karador has been my sole constant through-out these past thirteen or fourteen months. While the deck has had several changes to it, it has always maintained that legend as it's leader. While I am focusing on three new decks with Jaya Ballad, Task Mage, Bruna, Light of Alabaster (a deck my friend Adam and I will be maintaining jointly) and Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief, Karador will always hold a special place in my heart, and I don't intend to dismantle this deck any time soon. While it will certainly change, it will never truly go away.
My next post will deal with the deck itself, the reasons on the card choices, the general strategy of the deck, and what I am considering adding. The third post will focus on the changelog to the deck, as well as tournament/game statistics when I can provide them.
Captain, United States Marines
"Peace through superior firepower."
2 Serra Ascendant
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Yavimaya Elder
5 Necrotic Sliver
6 Bone Shredder
7 Fleshbag Marauder
8 Harmonic Sliver
9 Solemn Simulacrum
10 Magus of the Disk
11 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
12 Sigarda, Host of Herons
13 Primeval Titan
14 Nirkana Revenant
15 Massacre Wurm
16 Angel of Despair
17 Sheoldred, Whispering One
18 Rune-Scarred Demon
19 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
20 Reiver Demon
21 Iona, Shield of Emeria
22 Killing Wave
23 Black Sun's Zenith
24 Exsanguinate
25 Consume Spirit
26 Sign in Blood
27 Demonic Tutor
28 Cultivate
29 Kodama's Reach
30 Maelstrom Pulse
31 Damnation
32 Barter in Blood
33 Wrath of God
34 Day of Judgment
35 Crime//Punishment
36 Increasing Ambition
37 Austere Command
38 Life's Finale
39 Blood Tribute
40 Decree of Pain
41 Plague Wind
43 Swords to Plowshares
44 Vampiric Tutor
45 Eladamri's Call
46 Oblation
47 Putrefy
48 Mortify
49 Beast Within
50 Unmake
51 Consume the Meek
52 Sensei's Divining Top
53 Sol Ring
54 Nevinyrral's Disk
55 Otherworld Atlas
56 Witchbane Orb
57 Quicksilver Amulet
58 Phyrexian Arena
59 Leyline of the Void
60 Defense of the Heart
61 Leyline of Sanctity
62 Mirari's Wake
63 Exquisite Blood
64 Liliana of the Veil
65 Garruk Wildspeaker
66 Liliana Vess
67 Sorin Markov
68 Barren Moor
69 Bojuka Bog
70 Command Tower
71 Gavony Township
72 Golgari Rot Farm
73 Krosan Verge
74 Marsh Flats
75 Murmuring Bosk
76 Mystifying Maze
77 Orzhov Basilica
78 Overgrown Tomb
79 Reflecting Pool
80 Saltcrusted Steppe
81 Secluded Steppe
82 Stirring Wildwood
83 Strip Mine
84 Sunpetal Grove
85 Tainted Grove
86 Temple Garden
87 Trainquil Thicket
88 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
89 Verdant Catacombs
90 Vesuva
91 Windswept Heath
92 Wooded Bastion
93 Woodland Cemetery
2 Serra Ascendant
3 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
4 Sigarda, Host of Herons
5 Primeval Titan
6 Sheoldred, Whispering One
7 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
8 Iona, Shield of Emeria
9 Yavimaya Elder
10 Solemn Simulacrum
11 Nirkana Revenant
12 Cultivate
13 Kodama's Reach
14 Mirari's Wake
15 Sol Ring
16 Garruk Wildspeaker
17 Rune-Scarred Demon
18 Demonic Tutor
19 Increasing Ambition
20 Vampiric Tutor
21 Eladamri's Call
22 Defense of the Heart
23 Liliana Vess
Board Wipes
24 Magus of the Disk
25 Massacre Wurm
26 Reiver Demon
27 Killing Wave
28 Black Sun's Zenith
29 Crime//Punishment
30 Wrath of God
31 Day of Judgment
32 Damnation
33 Austere Command
34 Life's Finale
35 Decree of Pain
36 Plague Wind
37 Consume the Meek
38 Nevinyrral's Disk
40 Phyrexian Arena
41 Otherworld Atlas
42 Qasali Pridemage
43 Harmonic Sliver
44 Necrotic Sliver
45 Bone Shredder
46 Angel of Despair
47 Maelstrom Pulse
48 Swords to Plowshares
49 Path to Exile
50 Oblation
51 Mortify
52 Putrefy
53 Beast Within
54 Unmake
56 Fleshbag Marauder
57 Barter in Blood
58 Liliana of the Veil
59 Consume Spirit
60 Exsanguinate
61 Blood Tribute
62 Sorin Markov
63 Sensei's Divining Top
64 Leyline of Sanctity
65 Leyline of the Void
66 Quicksilvr Amulet
67 Exquisite Blood
68 Barren Moor
69 Bojuka Bog
70 Command Tower
71 Gavony Township
72 Golgari Rot Farm
73 Krosan Verge
74 Marsh Flats
75 Murmuring Bosk
76 Mystifying Maze
77 Orzhov Basilica
78 Overgrown Tomb
79 Reflecting Pool
80 Saltcrusted Steppe
81 Secluded Steppe
82 Stirring Wildwood
83 Strip Mine
84 Sunpetal Grove
85 Tainted Grove
86 Temple Garden
87 Trainquil Thicket
88 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
89 Verdant Catacombs
90 Vesuva
91 Windswept Heath
92 Wooded Bastion
93 Woodland Cemetery
First off, yes. Combat damage can be the biggest thing that helps you whittle down players. However, you should be mindful of your opponents, and not open yourself up to early hate. Self-control and planning is necessary to pilot this deck properly. Waiting is really the name of the game.
This is the weakest part of the game for the deck. You don't have much in the way of mana ramp or early game support. The first four turns are likely to be make-or-break for you. Monitoring your opponents and preventing loads of damage sent your way is important. Tokens decks and swarm decks are your worst nightmare, sadly. Keep that in mind as you watch. Vigilance is the biggest asset at this point.
You have access to six board wipes in the first few turns. Two are situational, but they are both effective early on to begin with. If one or two players have a large board presence thanks to tokens or small creatures, feel free to remove it. You might just be thanked with a slight reprieve from your other opponents!
This is the point where you build up your manabase, and look to stall out some opponents. If you can slow down an opponent or two, things are looking better.
Turns: 1 - 5
This is where you start to shine. Your control becomes slightly stronger with access to a few more board wipes, and you can start casting your beaters and some more of your mana ramp. Consider this your shining period, and look to take out an opponent or two while still trying to maintain a low profile. It might seem difficult, but if you can convince your opponents that the Azami player is a bigger threat, they may just listen!
Don't play cards that are very likely to make you a large target. Iona and Exquisite Blood are definitely not the cards to be casting right now, because you can't support yourself too well right now. I know if I saw someone cast Blood, I would be working to focus them down ASAP, because that life gain is too much.
Turns: 6 - 10
You will always get to this point, unless you are focused early. At this point, it's all about defense. You should still have some board wipes available, so if you do, use them! If you're playing against other control decks, keep the pressure going.
You want to keep your mana going. Do what you can to get every land in your deck out of it, and then use your win conditions! Exsanguinate is a huge killer against multiple opponents, and in many cases can put you above the threshold that most players can get to to kill you. Holding your own is a big thing, because you need to be able to maintain that strong board presence from the mid game on. You will, most likely, cast your general at least once during this point to get some creatures out.
If you can weather the storm to this point, you should be home free. Keep up the pressure and fight!
Turns: 11+
Exquisite Blood + Exsanguinate, Blood Tribute, Consume Spirit: This is one of the biggest. Ten gets you twenty and the like. With a well-played Exsanguinate, you can easily gain more life than people can feasibly deal with. This is the biggest thing, and you may want to hold off on this until you get to the point that you can reliably kill one or two people with the spell. One player is manageable after casting this. Two is borderline, unless they are both swarms and you can't wipe the board.
Qasali Pridemage: With Karador, this is pretty much a recurring Naturalize. Enough said.
Yavimaya Elder: This is pretty much a staple in every EDH deck running green. Solid deck thinning, netting you two (or three!) cards in one fell swoop.
Necrotic Sliver, Harmonic Sliver: I'm putting these two together because the synergy needs to be addressed. Dropping Harmonic followed by Necrotic means you can Naturalize things. Then, pay three mana and sacrifice Harmonic followed by Necrotic (six mana total) and blow up any two permanents! Approved!
Bone Shredder: Recurring creature destruction. That's pretty much all he's here for, to be honest.
Fleshbag Marauder: I'll be honest, the fact he can cause control decks to hurt is nice. But I feel like this guy isn't very good in the deck. Yes, he's a recurring sacrifice and he makes everyone sacrifice a creature, but I feel like he's sub-par in many instances. He's very likely to be replaced.
Solemn Simulacrum: Sad Robot should be in every deck. He's colorless ramp, and EDH loves its ramp! Plus he's card draw when you decide to block with him!
Magus of the Disk: This is one of those cards that I absolutely love. Yes, he'll kill everything (including your stuff), but there are times where you need to wipe pretty much everything off the board. Tap, sac, boom goes the dynamite! Very solid for a control deck like this.
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon: Skittles is just awesome. He puts someone on edge very quickly when he swings in. While not a Voltron deck, the fact he can pretty much swing for lethal in three turns (Two with Wake out) is big. If I could pump him for lethal, I most certainly would.
Sigarda, Host of Herons: This one is more of a meta call. I play against people who enjoy their sacrifice effects. At the very least, she's a 5/5 flier who can beat for a bit, and has her own protection. The only way to legitimately kill her is to block, or to use a global effect.
Primeval Titan: A green staple, period. If you're playing green and not running it, you need to stop playing green. Getting more lands out is key to how this deck works. It loves it's lands! Plus, a 6/6 trampler for 6 is nothing to scoff at, ever. He usually gets hit with Bribery though, so be careful! Pick your lands wisely, too. You don't want to go for Urborg unless you can win that turn!
Nirkana Revenant: Can pump itself up, and provides additional black mana! Yes please!
Massacre Wurm: Another meta call, but it's been solid in almost every game I've played him in. He hoses weenie decks for solid amounts of life loss. He can open fields for you to plow through, so never underestimate him!
Angel of Despair: A solid flying beater, but she's really here just to be a recurring Vindicate, albeit an expensive one. Two purposes, and you can't hate on it.
Sheoldred, Whispering One: Another control card that just provides a lot of power. With an Urborg out she swings for unblockable. Making your opponents sacrifice while you get back creatures is pretty impressive. Just know she has a massive target on her head.
Rune-Scarred Demon: He's really here just to tutor. He's a recurring tutor, though! And he can punch people in the air! Yay!
Avacyn, Angel of Hope: Combine this with Sigarda. Congratulations, you now have a board position that can't be stopped...unless you get hit with Ashes to Ashes...
Reiver Demon: Meant to be a late-game board sweeper under normal circumstances, and nothing more. He's pretty sub-par, though, so he might go the way of the dodo in this deck.
Iona, Shield of Emeria: I have to admit, this is one of those cards that really pisses people off. Cheating it in with Amulet on turn 5 can shut down quite a few decks. I Remember playing against three people all playing mono-black decks, and I just had to win it. So I did! Solid control late game, too, when it might be just you and one opponent.
Killing Wave: More of a situational board wipe, it's meant to slow down token and swarm decks.
Black Sun's Zenith: The same as Killing Wave, but if it resolves it gets to go back into the deck! Can't argue with that.
Exsanguinate: Let's test out a theory here. It's to the point where it's you and one other opponent. Maybe two. You have been able to fed off their relentless attacks pretty well, but you're going to lose. You happen to have a Vampiric Tutor in your hand, so you pop it just before your turn. You search this bad boy up. You have managed to get Urborg onto the field, with 20-ish lands as well. Mirari's Wake is present, as is Nirkana Revenant. You put this on top. Neither player is playing blue, and you have enough life to survive a few burn spells. Draw, tap down, cast it. That's 57 points of life loss to each opponent, and 114 life gained for you. You should have just won, right? This is one of the few cards that I consider the true combo in this deck. It takes a good amount of time and energy to get going, but if you do...well, good job!
Consume Spirit: Like Exsanguinate, but really isn't as good. You can only spend black mana on it, so it's only good, literally, if you have Urborg on the field. If you don't, it's probably a dead draw. I will probably end up replacing this.
Sign in Blood: Card draw for a measly two life. Or it's hilarious and you can use it to finish someone off!
Demonic Tutor: The bread-and-butter black tutor. Spending two mana to search up ANY card in your deck is a good investment, period.
Cultivate, Kodama's Reach: Mana ramp, and that's it. They both fetch up two basic lands, and with basic lands being in very short supply later on they will probably end up dead draws. Oh well!
Maelstrom Pulse: Three mana, destroy any permanent. I will absolutely run this card because it epitomizes the destructive power of B/G perfectly. What's more, you might just be playing against oponents who have cards with the same name on the field...
Damnation, Day of Judgment, Wrath of God: While Damnation and Wrath make it impossible to regenerate, DoJ does not. However, it's three board wipes at four mana, so don't whine! You're running both black and white, so you run these.
Punishment: I won't lie, this is probably the one you're going to use most often. A semi-board wipe. The stipulation can suck, but still...it's a board wipe!
Increasing Ambition: Okay, this tutor is expensive. But you can use it twice to fetch up three cards. I can't say 'no' to it!
Austere Command: This board wipe is very flexible, and flexibility is [i]always[/i] good. The Commands in general tend to be fairly solid, but this is the only one we really care about. It's simple: decide what you don't like most and destroy them!
Life's Finale: Being able to destroy some key combo pieces can be pretty important. It's also a handy board wipe! If you have Leyline of the Void out, abuse the search. Period.
Blood Tribute: Another sub-par Exsanguinate, I'll admit. It might come out. However, it can make those pesky decks that gain lots of life rue the day they messed with you!
Decree of Pain: This is an expensive board wipe that draws you cards. Creatures can't regenerate from it, which can be important. What's more important is the cycling:an instant-speed -2/-2 can make a huge dent in many decks on turn 5, and it nets you a card so you don't really lose anything. If you decide you need to hit everything on the board and hard cast this, understand you will thin your deck substantially, if not lose the game outright.
Plague Wind: There are very few cards that destroy creatures. There are far fewer cards that destroy creature [i]not owned by you[/]i. At nine mana, this is an expensive board wipe. Late-game, though, it is vital to getting combat damage. It leaves you in far better board position than your enemies.
Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares: One mana, exile a creature. You may not like them getting a land or life, but in all honesty it's not that bad. There are creatures that absolutely need to be removed from game, as hitting the graveyard will not be enough.
Vampiric Tutor: Instant-speed tutor for any card that you get to draw. Being able to set up a draw can be a vital part to winning, and it will allow you to set up a draw to counter many instances in which you might have either a stalemate, or you can win right there. Never underestimate this card, and never pop it if you can't make the most of it.
Eladamri's Call: Creature tutor at instant speed. Sure, we don't have many creatures, but the ones we [i]do[/i] have are generally answers. As black, we like answers, so it's good to see the other two colors in the pie chart give us the ability to dredge up said answers.
Oblation: This can be a defensive card to tuck a permanent of yours from death, or you can tuck a general. The card draw can be a bit annoying, but there are some decks that don't ever want to see their general tucked.
Putrefy, Mortify: One hits enchantments, one hits artifacts. They both hit creatures. Instant speed removal is important for this deck, and both have flexibility that cards like Terror and Naturalize simply do not provide. Remember: the more flexible your answers are, the better your position is.
Beast Within: Three mana, destroy a permanent. At instant speed. There is NO drawback to this card unless that beast you provide them can kill you that turn.
Unmake: Three mana creature exile for any combination of W/B. Same as Swords and Path in that sometimes you just need to exile a creature. With no downside to this card, it should be run.
Consume the Meek: Remember how I said the biggest problem for this deck is swarms and tokens? This is a way to protect yourself. You will almost always see one or two of these decks in a meta, so being able to protect yourself from a bunch of 15/16 plant tokens can be the most important thing for you to do. It allows you to sit there and judge what your enemies are doing, and make decisions based on that.
Sensei's Divining Top: Simply put, this is a staple in every deck. Setting up your draws is important in control decks. It is most certainly worth the investment.
Sol Ring: Another card that should probably be banned, but it hadn't been. Playing this turn 1 sets you in a far better position than anyone else, but generally also increases the size of the target on your head. With that being said, that drawback is not something to worry about. Everyone runs it. Colorless ramp, as I said before, is important in all decks. Use it, love it. You have one to begin with if you have Karador since you bought the deck, right?
Nevinyrral's Disk: Like Magus, period. Run it, love it.
Otherworld Atlas: This is some card draw that you can enjoy. It's rare to see your opponents destroy it, because everyone gets to draw off of it. Since you're not playing blue, people don't get too worried about you winning off of decking them.
Witchbane Orb: One of those cards that just shows up and protects you. It serves no other purpose other than to protect your graveyard from the effects of cards such as Nihil Spellbomb.
Quicksilver Amulet: Cheating in a big creature is nice. It protects you from the worries of getting countered when casting a killer, and provides a lot of protection in the form of pretty much giving all creatures in your hand "Flash". I like it, and it's a definite meta call.
Phyrexian Arena: Extra card draw at the expense of one life per turn. That's absolutely acceptable in black!
Leyline of the Void: There are a lot of decks enjoying their graveyards. Prevent them from doing so.
Leyline of Sanctity: Look at Witchbane Orb and then understand that red really can't affect it. Plus, if you start with it in your opening hand, you get to play it for free!
Defense of the Heart: Really only good against swarm decks, and in multiplayer you will probably face one or two. Pretty solid in general, but I find it doesn't hold it's weight very well.
Mirari's Wake: Mana ramp, creatures get +1/+1. What's not to like?
Exquisite Blood: Playing this early will get you killed. However, if you can defend yourself properly from three angry players, then this card can be terrific to get into play. If an opponent loses life for [i]any reason[/i], you gain that life. Combat damage, direct damage, it doesn't matter! No, Sorin Markov's second ability does not gain you life, since their life total is set. They don't actually lose that life.
Liliana of the Veil: As I said, control. This card epitomizes black control: hand, creature, permanents...nothing is safe! Plus she's a sexy, sexy beast!
Garruk Wildspeaker: He's really here just to untap lands and nothing more. He might not be in the deck for much longer.
Liliana Vess: She's a tutor, which you seriously can not be upset about. While she's a sorcery-speed Vampiric Tutor, she's still setting up your draw. And no, your opponents don't get to see what you find.
Sorin Markov: His minus ability will kill people very easily. His Sorin's Thirst can pick off weenies and keep your life up. You will rarely, if ever, get his ultimate off.
Vindicate: Another staple, but this one is B/W. I. Will. Get. One.
Liliana of the Dark Realms: I will admit, I'm on the fence about this one. She's really only good if I can maintain Urborg, and also I need to be able to get her emblem. If I can do that, feasibly Exsanguinate could be a one-turn kill.
Caged Sun: More mana production and a boost to creatures of a chosen color? I need to run it. I need to find a place for it, period.
Blanket of Night: Another Urborg, but on an enchantment. Another card I need to find room for!
Genesis: The deck is already running a general that is liable to be hit with some graveyard hate. Why give people another reason to do it?
Tooth and Nail: This one I will probably get the most grief for, but hear me out. I like the card, and I think it's a very fine card to be running. Pretty much every green deck should be running it. The reason I'm not is because creatures are not a huge thing for this deck. If I need one, I can always tutor it up with one of the others I have. Cheating it in is harder, but I can manage. I'm playing a control deck, after all. I can wait!
Reveillark: Once again, I don't want to risk more graveyard hate. While there are definitely utility creatures to consider bringing back with this card, I can't justify the slot.
Captain, United States Marines
"Peace through superior firepower."
Captain, United States Marines
"Peace through superior firepower."
Captain, United States Marines
"Peace through superior firepower."