Howdy folks! I’m working on a list with Angus Mackenzie at the helm, and I’d like a bit of peer review before I get to investing in the more expensive cards on this list.
The general idea is to stall the game through pillow fort effects so that I can take the game through alternative win conditions. This list can also pump out 4/4 fliers to win the old fashioned way if need be. I’ll typically be playing this in multiplayer, though I wouldn’t be averse to taking it mano y mano on occasion. My playgroup is probably typical of the average. We’re not super cut-throat, but we do like to win.
Just a quick update here after a few 1v1 test games.
The token plan looks to be quite viable in 1v1, but boy did I get blown out by a well timed Mizzium Mortars. I'll have to keep an eye on the meta to see if I need to pack more countermeasures for that card, as many of my creatures are x/4's or less.
Most of the games I played against a pretty aggressive Gisela deck. I would wind up taking a ton of damage early, but in the games I won, I stabilized just enough through lifegain to get a lock on the game. The highlight was a Darksteel Plate + Palisade Giant combo that locked up the game tight.
I swapped out Hinder for Voidslime (mostly because I just had one). My counter package consists of Spell Crumple + 1, so I think I need my counters to have more range. That may be incorrect, but we'll see.
I'm really looking forward to getting some multiplayer games in, as I really think that's where this deck will shine. All and all, its been a lot of fun. Still interested in hearing outside perspectives on this, but if not, I'll just update as changes occur.
I'm working on a similar list, but with a more combo-oriented plan.
freed from the real+axebane guardian is pretty boss. going infinite with commons is nice. I notice that you are not running the best instant in bant colors, bant charm. it is awesome utility. I suggest you cut norn's annex. it doesn't do much of anything except get shattered or shock your opponents once when they send thraximundar your way.
I'm working on a similar list, but with a more combo-oriented plan.
freed from the real+axebane guardian is pretty boss. going infinite with commons is nice. I notice that you are not running the best instant in bant colors, bant charm. it is awesome utility. I suggest you cut norn's annex. it doesn't do much of anything except get shattered or shock your opponents once when they send thraximundar your way.
Wow, pretty easy way to go about infinite mana. Very nice!
I do have Bant Charm in the pile of possible inclusions, but as always it comes down to what to drop for it. In all honesty, I do wonder if I might be playing too many pillow fort effects. I think in this case I may just drop Teferi's Moat in favor of the charm. The cheapo Moat played well in 1v1, but it isn't hard to see why I might suspect it sub-par in multiplayer. I may just be overly attached to Norn's Annex (it is a little bit of a pet card for me, I must admit). I'll be paying particular attention to both of these effects to see just what they do for me.
I'm hoping for some multiplayer testing this weekend, but with Halloween partys going on, its up in the air.
I've been survival testing vs my Gisela deck (which is highly tuned for 1v1). This is essentially trial by fire, as I don't expect the Angus pile to last long with the amount of damage and removal Gisela brings. I figure if I can delay enough to threaten a win with a Felidar Sovereign or start ticking up a Darksteel Reactor, then I should do well in the world of table politics.
Bant Charm is definitely going in. There were multiple times I'd have loved to tuck a Gisela, destroy a Mind's Eye, or counter a Shattering Pulse. Teferi's Moat is getting the axe here. Even in 1v1, my meta typically plays more than 1 color, and in multiplayer the utility will almost always be welcome (blinking Archaeomancer and Eternal Witness for value is also a thing).
I did notice an awkward interaction during one game. At one point, I was at 3 cards in hand, with an Ensnaring Bridge holding off a Gisela, Blade of Goldnight and a Gideon Jura. One of the cards in my grip happened to be Sphinx's Revelation. I'd love to draw more cards, but not really at the cost of inviting Gisela and Gideon to come play. I still think both cards earn their spots in the deck, but together its a bit of a nonbo.
Finally, after much general interference from life, I was able to get several multiplayer games in with the deck. My opponents this weekend piloted a heavy token themed Ghave and a highly aggressive tribal Olivia.
Ensnaring Bridge was an all-star, keeping anthemed tokens and various blood-suckers at bay. At one point, I had an ever-growing army of 4/4 angels thanks to Moonsilver Spear and Venser blinking the Bridge each turn.
Epic Struggle was definitely the underachiever of the night and is on the chopping block currently. I'm just not able to put enough tokens on the table for it to be a reliable win condition given enough board stalling.
Quick update today:
I ended up swapping the Epic Struggle out for Seedborn Muse, which in all honesty probably should have been in there all along. I decided I'd prefer being able to use my commander's ability during each player's turn rather than just throwing another pillow fort effect on the pile. Alchemist's Refuge might warrant a spot, but I'm not sure I want to water down the mana base.
I'm also considering Overbeing of Myth, but I'm not sure what to swap out for it. Do I swap out the Soul of the Harvest for card draw that's slightly more reliable? Do I finally put aside my unreasoned love for Norn's Annex, or should I forget about vindicating things by removing the Enchanted Evening part of the Evening + Aura Shards combo?
I'd love to hear some opinions on these options, as I'm a little unsure of which way to take it.
A quick update this morning with a more extensive update to follow once I get home this evening.
I took a hard look at Enchanted Evening and realized that it either needed more support (meaning I need to add something like Aura Thief), or I needed to cut it altogether. I opted for the latter and added a Drogskol Reaver in its place, which seemed like it should have been in the deck to begin with.
After several games with the deck, I've had a few wins on the backs of my planeswalker suite (the latest with both Venser and Tamiyo emblems in play). This leads me to to give Elspeth, Knight-Errant some consideration. I've been able to protect my planeswalkers fairly well, so perhaps the more is the merrier.
The list has shifted a bit from my last update, but I can't recall the minor tweaks off the top of my head while I don't have the deck in front of me, so I'll have a more accurate list this evening.
Gatecrash updates have been posted. I'm not too sure if they'll stick or not. Thragtusk got moved into my Yeva list where its already done some serious work. Zegana took its place mostly because I pulled one, but I like the idea of using her with Doubling Season or Venser.
Urban Evolution is a card I really like, but it needs some testing to see how good it is. Web of Inertia gets the cut initially, but I'm not sure if this is the correct move.
I believe the saying goes, "No plan ever fully survives contact with the enemy."
My original vision for this deck was to just sit back behind my pillow fort and enjoy the fray from relative safety. I figured folks would go after the other players if I disincentivized aggression towards my end of the table. Boy, was I wrong. As it happens, my playgroup did not appreciate this deck dictating additional rules to play by. As much as I enjoy this deck, every time I slapped Angus on the table, someone audibly groaned. The last straw was this weekend, when I got bullied off the table, even when it would have benefited those players to allow me to draw out the game (the main offender was mana screwed and was the next player to get knocked out).
Now, I've known the folks in my playgroup for awhile, and I know the way things happened was not meant to be hurtful. However, I can take the hint: They want to play against a deck that is more interactive. As such, I'm repurposing this deck into a Jenara, Asura of War 'counters matter' deck. I get to keep a majority of the deck intact, while swapping out the alternate win-con and pillow fort pieces for cards that take advantage of and augment +1/+1 counters (I also get to use all the cool Simic goodies from GTC that I've been interested in). In return, my playgroup has a more interactive deck to play against.
The general idea is to stall the game through pillow fort effects so that I can take the game through alternative win conditions. This list can also pump out 4/4 fliers to win the old fashioned way if need be. I’ll typically be playing this in multiplayer, though I wouldn’t be averse to taking it mano y mano on occasion. My playgroup is probably typical of the average. We’re not super cut-throat, but we do like to win.
The Deck:
1 Angus Mackenzie
Creatures
1 Essence Warden
1 Soul Warden
1 Soul's Attendant
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Wall of Omens
1 Eternal Witness
1 Wall of Denial
1 Academy Rector
1 Archaeomancer
1 Magus of the Moat
1 Stoic Angel
1 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
1 Wall of Reverence
1 Azor's Elocutors
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Felidar Sovereign
1 Isperia, Supreme Judge
1 Palisade Giant
1 Soul of the Harvest
1 Stormtide Leviathan
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Drogskol Reaver
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
Artifacts
1 Sol Ring
1 Contagion Engine
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Moonsilver Spear
1 Darksteel Reactor
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Crawlspace
1 Luminarch Ascension
1 Blind Obedience
1 Aura Shards
1 Detention Sphere
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Propaganda
1 Rhystic Study
1 Collective Restraint
1 Test of Endurance
1 Privileged Position
1 Doubling Season
Instants and Sorceries
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Martial Coup
1 Capsize
1 Entreat the Angels
1 Spell Crumple
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Wargate
1 Day of Judgment
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Austere Command
1 Terminus
1 Bant Charm
1 Voidslime
1 Urban Evolution
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Venser, the Sojourner
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
Lands
1 Command Tower
6 Forest
1 Halimar Depths
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Homeward Path
8 Island
1 Misty Rainforest
9 Plains
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Breeding Pool
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Temple of the False God
Change Log:
11/13/2012:
-Teferi's Moat
+Bant Charm
11/16/2012:
-Epic Struggle
+Seedborn Muse
1/8/2013:
-Enchanted Evening
+Drogskol Reaver
1/9/2013:
-Gilder Bairn
-Hinder
+Web of Inertia
+Voidslime
2/4/2013:
-Thragtusk
-Web of Inertia
-Norn's Annex
-Island
-Plains
+Thespian's Stage
+Breeding Pool
+Blind Obedience
+Prime Speaker Zegana
+Urban Evolution
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
The token plan looks to be quite viable in 1v1, but boy did I get blown out by a well timed Mizzium Mortars. I'll have to keep an eye on the meta to see if I need to pack more countermeasures for that card, as many of my creatures are x/4's or less.
Most of the games I played against a pretty aggressive Gisela deck. I would wind up taking a ton of damage early, but in the games I won, I stabilized just enough through lifegain to get a lock on the game. The highlight was a Darksteel Plate + Palisade Giant combo that locked up the game tight.
I swapped out Hinder for Voidslime (mostly because I just had one). My counter package consists of Spell Crumple + 1, so I think I need my counters to have more range. That may be incorrect, but we'll see.
I'm really looking forward to getting some multiplayer games in, as I really think that's where this deck will shine. All and all, its been a lot of fun. Still interested in hearing outside perspectives on this, but if not, I'll just update as changes occur.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
freed from the real+axebane guardian is pretty boss. going infinite with commons is nice. I notice that you are not running the best instant in bant colors, bant charm. it is awesome utility. I suggest you cut norn's annex. it doesn't do much of anything except get shattered or shock your opponents once when they send thraximundar your way.
Wow, pretty easy way to go about infinite mana. Very nice!
I do have Bant Charm in the pile of possible inclusions, but as always it comes down to what to drop for it. In all honesty, I do wonder if I might be playing too many pillow fort effects. I think in this case I may just drop Teferi's Moat in favor of the charm. The cheapo Moat played well in 1v1, but it isn't hard to see why I might suspect it sub-par in multiplayer. I may just be overly attached to Norn's Annex (it is a little bit of a pet card for me, I must admit). I'll be paying particular attention to both of these effects to see just what they do for me.
I'm hoping for some multiplayer testing this weekend, but with Halloween partys going on, its up in the air.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
I've been survival testing vs my Gisela deck (which is highly tuned for 1v1). This is essentially trial by fire, as I don't expect the Angus pile to last long with the amount of damage and removal Gisela brings. I figure if I can delay enough to threaten a win with a Felidar Sovereign or start ticking up a Darksteel Reactor, then I should do well in the world of table politics.
Bant Charm is definitely going in. There were multiple times I'd have loved to tuck a Gisela, destroy a Mind's Eye, or counter a Shattering Pulse. Teferi's Moat is getting the axe here. Even in 1v1, my meta typically plays more than 1 color, and in multiplayer the utility will almost always be welcome (blinking Archaeomancer and Eternal Witness for value is also a thing).
I did notice an awkward interaction during one game. At one point, I was at 3 cards in hand, with an Ensnaring Bridge holding off a Gisela, Blade of Goldnight and a Gideon Jura. One of the cards in my grip happened to be Sphinx's Revelation. I'd love to draw more cards, but not really at the cost of inviting Gisela and Gideon to come play. I still think both cards earn their spots in the deck, but together its a bit of a nonbo.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
Ensnaring Bridge was an all-star, keeping anthemed tokens and various blood-suckers at bay. At one point, I had an ever-growing army of 4/4 angels thanks to Moonsilver Spear and Venser blinking the Bridge each turn.
Epic Struggle was definitely the underachiever of the night and is on the chopping block currently. I'm just not able to put enough tokens on the table for it to be a reliable win condition given enough board stalling.
I'm looking at Embargo or Orim's Prayer as possible substitutions for Epic Struggle, but I'm certainly open to suggestions.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
I ended up swapping the Epic Struggle out for Seedborn Muse, which in all honesty probably should have been in there all along. I decided I'd prefer being able to use my commander's ability during each player's turn rather than just throwing another pillow fort effect on the pile. Alchemist's Refuge might warrant a spot, but I'm not sure I want to water down the mana base.
I'm also considering Overbeing of Myth, but I'm not sure what to swap out for it. Do I swap out the Soul of the Harvest for card draw that's slightly more reliable? Do I finally put aside my unreasoned love for Norn's Annex, or should I forget about vindicating things by removing the Enchanted Evening part of the Evening + Aura Shards combo?
I'd love to hear some opinions on these options, as I'm a little unsure of which way to take it.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
I took a hard look at Enchanted Evening and realized that it either needed more support (meaning I need to add something like Aura Thief), or I needed to cut it altogether. I opted for the latter and added a Drogskol Reaver in its place, which seemed like it should have been in the deck to begin with.
After several games with the deck, I've had a few wins on the backs of my planeswalker suite (the latest with both Venser and Tamiyo emblems in play). This leads me to to give Elspeth, Knight-Errant some consideration. I've been able to protect my planeswalkers fairly well, so perhaps the more is the merrier.
The list has shifted a bit from my last update, but I can't recall the minor tweaks off the top of my head while I don't have the deck in front of me, so I'll have a more accurate list this evening.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
Urban Evolution is a card I really like, but it needs some testing to see how good it is. Web of Inertia gets the cut initially, but I'm not sure if this is the correct move.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
My original vision for this deck was to just sit back behind my pillow fort and enjoy the fray from relative safety. I figured folks would go after the other players if I disincentivized aggression towards my end of the table. Boy, was I wrong. As it happens, my playgroup did not appreciate this deck dictating additional rules to play by. As much as I enjoy this deck, every time I slapped Angus on the table, someone audibly groaned. The last straw was this weekend, when I got bullied off the table, even when it would have benefited those players to allow me to draw out the game (the main offender was mana screwed and was the next player to get knocked out).
Now, I've known the folks in my playgroup for awhile, and I know the way things happened was not meant to be hurtful. However, I can take the hint: They want to play against a deck that is more interactive. As such, I'm repurposing this deck into a Jenara, Asura of War 'counters matter' deck. I get to keep a majority of the deck intact, while swapping out the alternate win-con and pillow fort pieces for cards that take advantage of and augment +1/+1 counters (I also get to use all the cool Simic goodies from GTC that I've been interested in). In return, my playgroup has a more interactive deck to play against.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion