MTG Salvation

So I am trying to make an Enduring Ideal focused Oloro deck, that could be competitive but still fun casually. However, I identified way too many fun cards to use!

So this is your Oloro list in the works. Alrighty then. Small problem, EI decks don't tend to be fun for the other player(s). They lend themselves to locks. The one I suggested is not a fun combo, it's a hard-lock that is almost unbreakable. If you play this in casual games, it will earn you a reputation which will means that everyone will gang up on you quickly. The direction you have picked doesn't mesh easily with the stated goal.

Cuts:
Spin Into Myth - You have access to at least 5 better tuck effects and countless steal effects in your colors. I prefer the point removal tuck cards to be cheaper, with minimal restrictions.
Survival Cache - As a draw effect, this leaves much to be desired. You're in blue. The life gain bonus is negligible.
Opalescence - Kinda wins-more don't you think? Why make your enchantments more vulnerable if you don't have to. Enchantments are the hardest permanent to deal with, creatures are the easiest. Oh, I see, Enchanted Evening... Hmmm, still seems awkward to me.
Story Circle - Cute, but it's too narrow. It's also extremely color hungry.
Sigil of the Empty Throne - How many enchantments do you expect to cast? This will be completely useless after you cast EI.
Righteous Aura - You have better draw effects available. Auras are inherently bad because they offer up a 2-for-1.
Guilty Conscience - This should only be run with Stuffy Doll or similar.
Act of Authority - I don't think you want to give your opponents a weapon to use against you. O-Ring, D-Sphere, and Aura of Silence should easily cover it.
No Mercy - You should be covered defensively with Humility and Solitary.
Aurification - No Mercy does a better job, and I suggested cutting that.
Faith's Fetters - You have access to better spot removal.
Plea for Guidance - Bad tutor is bad. You're in black, there are better options.
Grozoth - I don't see what this does for you. As a tutor, what does it find? As a creature, it's too expensive.
Spreading Plague - There are better options for crowd control.
Rhox Faithmender - Not quite a wins-more card. More like stalls-more.
Celestial Archon - In EDH, a 4/4 is run of the mill, even with it's french vanilla abilities. Fetching it with EI is counter-productive since Humility would turn it off.
Notion Thief - I like this guy, but he's very fragile. If Jace 2.0 is popular in your meta (which I doubt because you mentioned casual), he's worth running just for the laughs you'll get by responding the the Jacestorm ability.
Nighthowler - Humility turns this off unless it's a bestow. Seems awkward since you can't tutor it out as an aura.
Eidolon of Countless Battles - Ditto
Sun Titan - I don't think this guy can recur enough of your key cards to work. You may feel differently but the core 3 cards in my lock are CMCs 4, 4, and 6. I suppose he could be used as a soft lock recurring Solitary, but that's pretty risky if he's unprotected.
Zur the Enchanter - Similar reasoning to above, he can't tutor the core cards. He's nice to have after you cast EI, but still wins-more enough that he could easily be dropped. He also demands a core package of cards that you probably can't afford to run. You seem to be missing several of the classics like Vanishing, Pemmin's Aura, Steel of the Godhead, etc. In short, he probably belongs in a his own deck.
Nihil Spellbomb - Do you really need that much bin hate?
Baneful Omen - I know I suggested this as a finisher, but with Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond + your general you have a much more efficient finisher available. The only weakness is if you can't target someone. Perhaps that is reason enough to keep this.
Soothsaying - Kinda pointless without above.
Entreat the Angels - You are not a big mana deck by any means. You're trying to find, accelerate into, and cast EI. The deck should be devoted to those goals and surviving that long. Sure this can make mass blockers, but why settle for just blocking when you can run another wrath effect? This is more of a control list finisher, not a combo card.
Replenish - You're most certainly not set up to abuse this. Yes, it's handy post sweeper, but only under the most unlikely of circumstances. You have to have established most of the lock, only to have it wrathed away, and not used EI to get there. Absurdly improbable, wouldn't you agree?
Show and Tell - The only card you have that is worth this for is Omniscience. I recommend more I-Win cards, or drop this.
Cradle of Vitality - This card is generally awful. You're going to be gaining enough life at once in any circumstance where this will likely matter. I'd rather spend the extra two mana on Sphinx's Revelation, Debt to the Deathless, or Exsanguinate. It does nothing on it's own and normally only provides mediocre returns, and even then only if you have a creature around and this on board. It does very little in the way of useful.


Questionable cards:
Serra Avatar - It's just a sufficiently large guy. No evasion. You could finish off your opponents in so many ways, isn't this one kinda... Timmy. Not that being Timmy-esque is a bad thing by any means, it's just that this deck says Johnny, not Timmy.
Land Tax - This demands a minimum of 6 basics. I wouldn't tend to run this as a mana fixer in 3-color. As card advantage, it's ok if you also have Scroll Rack in play.
Scroll Rack - Kinda lackluster without above, or at least copious shuffle effects.
Future Sight - Giving away perfect information is not always wise. This CAN backfire. That said, I should not talk since I quite like Oracle of Mul Daya. This one could go either way, but the casting cost may give you trouble if your manabase is less than optimal.
Nevermore - Not so amazing in multiplayer. Humility alone already nerfs generals so hard it's laughable, never mind talking about how Night of Souls' Betrayal rips them a new one.



Collective Restraint
Propaganda
Ghostly Prison


Cards you need to add:
Mistveil Plains - This reloads your lost enchantments (unless bin-hate is active) for EI to re-tutor. As long as you have at least 2 white enchantments (or 1 enchantment that makes white permanents) floating in your library, you'll be able to recover from most sweepers.
Weathered Wayfarer - This finds above, or any other land you like for that matter.
Strip Mine - The original and still the best.
Tectonic Edge - In lieu of Wasteland, this is arguably the next best option available.

Cards you should think about adding:
Exsanguinate - You're running Debt to the Deathless. Why not it's little brother?
Serra's Sanctum - This one's hard to find, but it's amazing in this kind of deck.

I'll have to come back with more later. For now, mull this list over.

Thanks for the information! I appreciate it! Just updated the list with cards.

I was debating running guilty conscience and stuffy doll, or pariah+ stuffy doll, but couldnt justify including the doll for those.

Act of Authority I like because it functions just like an O-ring, but I have the option for an "Oh S^&*" moment if I need to. Just an extra perk to the card, and same cmc as o-ring

For notion thief, we have people in our meta who are casual, competitive, and anywhere in between. We sometimes have Jace 2.0, and may fit well with the thief. This is definitely for playing with the more competitive people, but not for going to tournaments or anything.

Spellbomb or bojuka bog is there for the people that love to use Mimeoplasm or Sedris decks.

For baneful omen, I would like to keep it in, since I would try not to typically play my general. However, I do have top and rack in as well, maybe sooth isnt necessary?

Do you think it worth putting in debt to the deathless?

Is Top and Rack together both necessary?

What do you recommend I do if EI ends up in my graveyard? Through mill, discard, etc?

And I actually did just find my old Serra's Sanctum, so that will be fun

Do I need more counters?

I have a detailed post already up about my version of this deck. I went 5-color and the deck is focused and feared. I have a link in my sig spoiler if you're interested.

Quote from pendraggon87

Act of Authority I like because it functions just like an O-ring, but I have the option for an "Oh S^&*" moment if I need to. Just an extra perk to the card, and same cmc as o-ring

I've never found that I needed to handle that many permanents with my version. Even in a 4-way game, I almost never find myself needing to O-Ring more than 1 target. Of course my meta is ill-suited to deal with my shenanigans, creativity, or competitive spirit when it comes to EDH. After the lock is established, I no longer require O-Ring. If I did need more options, I would first turn to D-Sphere, then Copy Enchantment, then Aura of Silence before Act of Authority. The main reason comes down to flexibility. I don't know much about what I'll need to deal with, but I can guess it'll be a permanent. Instants and Sorceries don't have enough impact to bother me in the long run. Lands are the only things O-Ring and D-Sphere can't hit. That's as close as I can get. I cover the gap with Wasteland and Strip Mine.

Quote from pendraggon87

For notion thief, we have people in our meta who are casual, competitive, and anywhere in between. We sometimes have Jace 2.0, and may fit well with the thief. This is definitely for playing with the more competitive people, but not for going to tournaments or anything.

Well, if mass draw effects are popular, Notion Thief becomes a lot better. Just beware of Consecrated Sphinx and Plagerize. Those will kill you if you with this out.

Quote from pendraggon87

Spellbomb or bojuka bog is there for the people that love to use Mimeoplasm or Sedris decks.

Ah, well that would explain it.

Quote from pendraggon87

For baneful omen, I would like to keep it in, since I would try not to typically play my general. However, I do have top and rack in as well, maybe sooth isnt necessary?

That's the beauty of you general, you don't need him out to trigger Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood combo. He triggers it if he's on board, or chillin in the general zone.
Soothsaying was never entirely necessary. It simply sped up the clock. There were 3 reasons I used it.
1) It's tutorable via EI
2) I'm not doing anything else with the mana anyway
3) It's immune to Damping Matrix which was intended to counter O-Stone and Holy Hand Grenade coming back when I use Open the Vaults

The third reason doesn't apply to you since you're not going with all the same tactics, but the other two are still valid.

Quote from pendraggon87

Do you think it worth putting in debt to the deathless?

I thought it was already in there. But yes, I think it's worth running both Exsanguinate and Debt to the Deathless. They are both very strong cards for killing opponents or gaining obscene amounts of life. Either way, sounds like one hell of a deal to me.

Quote from pendraggon87

Is Top and Rack together both necessary?

I haven't managed to find my Scroll Rack. I'm starting to think that I traded it off a long time ago. I don't think you'll need both, particularly if you have a way to find SDT

Quote from pendraggon87

What do you recommend I do if EI ends up in my graveyard? Through mill, discard, etc?

There are a few options and you're already running one of them.

1. Time Spiral or other reshuffle effect - This is not ideal, but it will reload all your tutors and key cards for later. Problem is that some of them also cycle your hand, so you can't hang on to a tutor to find what you need.
2. Relearn, Call to Mind - Blue's answer to Regrowth.
3. Codex Shredder - More flexible, at the cost of more mana.

Quote from pendraggon87

Do I need more counters?

I run my version sans countermagic. That's a personal choice and it works for me. However, that same deck also sports only 1 anti-general card (Humility), a budget mana base, and various other absurdities. So you may not want to follow my example. I've been known to do things the hard way for kicks. And yet the deck still works most of the time. If I took the idea seriously, it might be competitive enough to win more often, but the deck was more of a "to see what would happen" experiment than a serious attempt at being competitive. I keep it together because it's funny and I'm proud of how close the lock gets to unbreakable. I kinda want someone to think of a way to break it that I haven't come up with yet.



On to some more cuts:
Arrest - Same reasoning as Faith's Fetters. And this is even more narrow. Nerfing something into oblivion does not remove the threat. It just turns it off for a while. I'd rather outright kill it and you're in a color combination that's prepared to do that.
Soul Snare - This is too reactive and people see it coming a mile off. The only questions are when you'll use it and on what. Those questions don't tend to be particularly hard to guess. Nerfing the board to death via Humility/Night is a hell of a lot stronger than going at it piece-meal.
Skull of Orm - it's over-costed and worthless after you cast EI. Stick with Mistveil Plains instead. If you want some kind of a backup, Soldevi Digger and Reito Lantern are better for your circumstances. I believe that you're already running Hanna too.
Eidolon of Countless Battles - This counts Auras and Creatures. You are not particularly heavy on either.
Eldrazi Conscription - If you're getting this off of EI, you're doing it wrong. Academy Rector fetching it is less bad, but it's still an aura and none of your guys are particularly well protected, nor does this directly add to that protection. A single spot removal spell will undo all that effort. Remember, this is a Johnny combo deck, not little-kid Timmy stompy deck. Or am I wrong?
Karma - This finisher is kinda conditional. I prefer something consistent. The whole thing can be screwed over by a Wasteland effect.
Rule of Law - Largely unnecessary. You're far better off going for Dovescape than this. The best reasons to run it are not in your deck.
Control Magic - Good as it is, it's not broad enough. I would replace with Volition Reins or similar. Being able to steal a creature is good, being able to steal a permanent is better.
Enchanted Evening - You're no longer running Opalescence, so this is largely useless. The only tricks you can pull with it now are to blow up EVERYTHING off of an enchantment-mode Austere Command or similar effect, probably not something you generally want to do.


Questionable Cards:
Storm Herd - My main problem with this card is the mana cost. At CMC 10, it's a pretty late and difficult to cast. One hell of a finisher, but still very late. Also, it's a sorcery, and can be answered with any sweeper that hits air, even a lowly Pyroclasm.
Guilty Conscience - Guilty Doll combo is lackluster in multiplayer because Stuffy Doll has to pick a player. You have to find a way to reset the target without losing the aura, which is difficult. I only know of 1 way that doesn't involve recursion (Flickerform).


Must includes:
Solitary Confinement - This pretty much stone walls the opposition. You can sit behind this for as long as you can keep feeding it cards, which gets much easier with Blue Honden or Phyrexian Arena.

Suggested Includes:
Volition Reins - Better than Control Magic for your purposes. Why remove something when you can steal it instead?


Combo Possibility:
Mana Vortex + Crucible of Worlds + Flagstones of Trokair