Alright... I looked at razia before however I am back for more. First, lets get the question that I know will be asked by everyone.
Q: Why Razia and not Gisela?
A: Well... this isn't really a simple response so lets go through them:
Razia Pros: Haste - having this built in means that I dont need to invest cards to try to get it. This gives me fast impact as these expensive commanders are hard to cast time after time. Vigilance - gives me the option to be offensive and defensive. This plays nicely into playing control as having that big nasty blocker up can entice players to swing elsewhere. Tap Ability - this opens Razia up to all sorts of control. It also further deters attackers from sending small creatures at me. If opponents get flying chump blockers I can use this to further control the board as well as I can potentially kill their blocker + something in one attack from my commander.
Razia Cons: Slow Clock - She is a 4 turn clock by default. This is a bit slow for a commander. However she only needs a little extra damage to turn this into a 3 turn clock. Using any sort of damage doubler she can go to a two turn clock and using something like Savage Beating she can outright kill someone in one turn. Low Toughness - 3 toughness is a bit low for how expensive she is. Even then though most anything that will kill a six toughness creature also kills a three toughness creature. Her damage redirect sort of offsets for this somewhat as well.
Gisela Pros Damage Double - this means that everyone else will die quickly. Even if you aren't the one doing the attacking it will quickly end up with opponents getting killed. The downside is that Gisela is a 3t clock from the get go even if it is close to 2 turns. This means she needs buff to make it there sooner. Damage Reduction - this is really solid as far as just playing sort of pillow fort. Aggro and voltron decks hate this so if they dont have an answer for Gisela they will likely just go elsewhere.
Gisela Cons Huge Target - She is a huge target as anyone on the receiving end of this is in for some hurt. She is more prone to being removed from everyone at the table rather than just the person you had been attacking. Slow - lack of built in haste means that you have to pick up a haste outlet or be happy with waiting a turn to swing out. This doesn't have to be a problem assuming you dont end up loosing her quickly after casting her as her abilities let you sort of play some pillow fort. Doesn't quite get there - With her ability she is almost a 2 turn clock. She takes a little bump to move into this zone though so being a 3 turn clock instead of a 4 turn with razia isnt that much of a bump in my mind.
Overall it really comes down to personal preference. I like the fact that Razia comes out with quick results. She doesn't seem like something that the whole table MUST answer nearly to the extent of Gisela which makes me think that she might be killed a little less. Razia has like everything I would want on her built in which is a huge plus for me as well. I wish she had 7 power instead of 6 but so be it. My own personal preference of playstyle definitely pushes me towards Razia over Gisila so that being out of the way lets get to the list.
Works great with spells you already have (StP) and the awesome mistveil plains.
I considered adding it but was a bit worried about my low creature curve in the list. Due to that I opted not to run it just because it seems like it would be a problem with my low creature count.
Other than that I agree it could be crazy.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
Q: Why Razia and not Gisela?
A: Well... this isn't really a simple response so lets go through them:
Razia Pros:
Haste - having this built in means that I dont need to invest cards to try to get it. This gives me fast impact as these expensive commanders are hard to cast time after time.
Vigilance - gives me the option to be offensive and defensive. This plays nicely into playing control as having that big nasty blocker up can entice players to swing elsewhere.
Tap Ability - this opens Razia up to all sorts of control. It also further deters attackers from sending small creatures at me. If opponents get flying chump blockers I can use this to further control the board as well as I can potentially kill their blocker + something in one attack from my commander.
Razia Cons:
Slow Clock - She is a 4 turn clock by default. This is a bit slow for a commander. However she only needs a little extra damage to turn this into a 3 turn clock. Using any sort of damage doubler she can go to a two turn clock and using something like Savage Beating she can outright kill someone in one turn.
Low Toughness - 3 toughness is a bit low for how expensive she is. Even then though most anything that will kill a six toughness creature also kills a three toughness creature. Her damage redirect sort of offsets for this somewhat as well.
Gisela Pros
Damage Double - this means that everyone else will die quickly. Even if you aren't the one doing the attacking it will quickly end up with opponents getting killed. The downside is that Gisela is a 3t clock from the get go even if it is close to 2 turns. This means she needs buff to make it there sooner.
Damage Reduction - this is really solid as far as just playing sort of pillow fort. Aggro and voltron decks hate this so if they dont have an answer for Gisela they will likely just go elsewhere.
Gisela Cons
Huge Target - She is a huge target as anyone on the receiving end of this is in for some hurt. She is more prone to being removed from everyone at the table rather than just the person you had been attacking.
Slow - lack of built in haste means that you have to pick up a haste outlet or be happy with waiting a turn to swing out. This doesn't have to be a problem assuming you dont end up loosing her quickly after casting her as her abilities let you sort of play some pillow fort.
Doesn't quite get there - With her ability she is almost a 2 turn clock. She takes a little bump to move into this zone though so being a 3 turn clock instead of a 4 turn with razia isnt that much of a bump in my mind.
Overall it really comes down to personal preference. I like the fact that Razia comes out with quick results. She doesn't seem like something that the whole table MUST answer nearly to the extent of Gisela which makes me think that she might be killed a little less. Razia has like everything I would want on her built in which is a huge plus for me as well. I wish she had 7 power instead of 6 but so be it. My own personal preference of playstyle definitely pushes me towards Razia over Gisila so that being out of the way lets get to the list.
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
CREATURES (13)
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Wall of Omens
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Academy Rector
1 Mad Prophet
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Archon of Justice
1 Magma Phoenix
1 Shard Phoenix
1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
1 Knollspine Dragon
ARTIFACT (13)
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Expedition Map
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Grim Monolith
1 Torpor Orb
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Batterskull
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Mind's Eye
1 Staff of Nin
ENCHANTMENT (7)
1 Land Tax
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Grand Melee
1 Stranglehold
1 War's Toll
1 True Conviction
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Tithe
1 Comet Storm
1 Fork
1 Otherworldly Journey
1 Reverberate
1 Starstorm
1 Chaos Warp
1 Orim's Thunder
1 Reiterate
1 Return to Dust
1 Wild Ricochet
1 Savage Beating
1 Word of Seizing
SORCERY (11)
1 Faithless Looting
1 Gamble
1 Shattering Spree
1 Gift of Estates
1 Wild Guess
1 Idyllic Tutor
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Cataclysm
1 Divine Reckoning
1 Reforge the Soul
1 Razia's Purification
PLANESWALKER (2)
1 Chandra Ablaze
1 Karn Liberated
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Boros Garrison
1 Command Tower
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Kher Keep
1 Kor Haven
1 Marsh Flats
1 High Market
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Homeward Path
8 Mountain
1 Mystifying Maze
8 Plains
1 Plateau
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Strip Mine
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terrain Generator
1 Wooded Foothills
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Works great with spells you already have (StP) and the awesome mistveil plains.
Thanks to Heroes of the Plane for the awesome Sig.
Currently Playing- EDH
GGGOmnath, Locus of the LifestreamGGG
BBBShirei, Lord of PoniesBBB
UWRasputin Dreamweaver, Russia's Greatest Love MachineUW
UBWZur, Killer of FunUBW
UGWTreva, Princess of CanterlotUGW
RWTajic, Master of the Reverse BladeRW
RRRZirilan, How to Train Your DragonRRR
PDH Decks
Gelectrode
Ascended Lawmage
Blaze Commando
I considered adding it but was a bit worried about my low creature curve in the list. Due to that I opted not to run it just because it seems like it would be a problem with my low creature count.
Other than that I agree it could be crazy.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
I think it could at least warrant a test. You can tutor for it with this list as well.
Thanks to Heroes of the Plane for the awesome Sig.
Currently Playing- EDH
GGGOmnath, Locus of the LifestreamGGG
BBBShirei, Lord of PoniesBBB
UWRasputin Dreamweaver, Russia's Greatest Love MachineUW
UBWZur, Killer of FunUBW
UGWTreva, Princess of CanterlotUGW
RWTajic, Master of the Reverse BladeRW
RRRZirilan, How to Train Your DragonRRR
PDH Decks
Gelectrode
Ascended Lawmage
Blaze Commando