If a creature is too good, nobody will allow its return.
If a creature is conditionally good, there may be a target the condition won't affect.
If a creature is not good or has no impact on the game it should be returned with ease.
The most obvious facet of building a Commander deck with Athreos at the helm [thus far] is that the supporting cast of creatures, in order to be returned regularly via Athreos's ability, have to be of questionable quality. This will steer most deck builders away that look to utilize the best a color has to offer. Already I've seen too many B/W Athreos goodcreature.decs: Do you really think someone will let you have that Ashen Rider back? If it doesn't matter, then why are you even wasting the General slot with Athreos? Isn't it more likely that you'll get back your Bone Shredder repeatedly if you keep targeting the mono-black player?
With a starting deck philosophy firmly rationalized, I took to Gatherer in search of conditional and/or bad creatures.
Along with the ability to multi-cast creatures, I next began looking for value in Power-to-CMC ratios.
Also, to make subpar cards better I kept an eye out for lords and other cards that grant abilities to creatures.
Next, I looked for creatures that get me more cards, because: CARDS.
Lastly, I looked for creatures that could get back some of those creatures stuck in the Underworld.
I work on this deck over on tappedout.com so click here for the most up-to-date version. I have yet to play this deck as I'm still waiting on cards to arrive via Puca Trade, so for the time being all of my statements here are merely hypothetical.
I like your theories on Athreos. I find them logical and accurate.
I think there is another way of using those ideas though. I like to use Athreos as a drain spell. I know my opponents will pretty much never let me recur my creatures. I use that to my advantage so they find themselves at low life totals.
Ya know it's funny, I just made a deck that is reanimator, and I was thinking of this as my general at first. I had the same idea Xeroxed, because of the same reasons you had why he is not as good on paper, so I thought of ways to make him more of a shock spell for free lol. I still added him in my reanimator themed deck, but Teneb, the Harvester is my general now, and I think that when I get out Athreos he will have more of a support role. Just another means to the madness. I'm going to get the cards back anyways, and once they start getting low, they won't take the dmg any more. That time clock is real...
I think the deck might need more artifact/enchantment removal but not sure that is the way to do it. The card just doesn't seem to contribute to the deck in any other way.
Abyssal Gatekeeper is also a good small creature that helps keep the board clear.
Isn't this kind of counter to how you would want things to play out? I mean they will simply just never pay the 3 life to make it do to the graveyard and then you will just be cycling a *****ty overpriced 1/1 creature right?
From what I understand of the rules, Evoke will trigger the creature to be able to come back to your hand with your general in play. I'm probably going to run Wispmare and other cards such as that to recur enchantment destruction.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
With a starting deck philosophy firmly rationalized, I took to Gatherer in search of conditional and/or bad creatures.
Along with the ability to multi-cast creatures, I next began looking for value in Power-to-CMC ratios.
Also, to make subpar cards better I kept an eye out for lords and other cards that grant abilities to creatures.
Next, I looked for creatures that get me more cards, because: CARDS.
Lastly, I looked for creatures that could get back some of those creatures stuck in the Underworld.
I work on this deck over on tappedout.com so click here for the most up-to-date version. I have yet to play this deck as I'm still waiting on cards to arrive via Puca Trade, so for the time being all of my statements here are merely hypothetical.
1x Academy Rector
1x Angelic Skirmisher
1x Apprentice Necromancer
1x Archetype of Courage
1x Archetype of Finality
1x Archon of Justice
1x Big Game Hunter
1x Bloodgift Demon
1x Bone Shredder
1x Deathbringer Liege
1x Doomed Necromancer
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Fleshbag Marauder
1x Grand Abolisher
1x Graveborn Muse
1x Harvester of Souls
1x High Priest of Penance
1x Hunted Horror
1x Jotun Grunt
1x Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1x Karmic Guide
1x Kiyomaro, First to Stand
1x Massacre Wurm
1x Onyx Mage
1x Pilgrim's Eye
1x Psychosis Crawler
1x Seizan, Perverter of Truth
1x Shriekmaw
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Spike Cannibal
1x Sun Titan
1x Valor
1x Vampire Hexmage
1x Vampire Nighthawk
1x Wall of Omens
1x Condemn
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Oblation
1x Vampiric Tutor
Land (38)
1x Command Tower
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Fetid Heath
1x Godless Shrine
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Marsh Flats
11x Plains
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Reliquary Tower
14x Swamp
1x Tainted Field
1x Terramorphic Expanse
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Vault of the Archangel
1x Volrath's Stronghold
Artifact (9)
1x Akroma's Memorial
1x Armillary Sphere
1x Chromatic Lantern
1x Empyrial Plate
1x Orzhov Keyrune
1x Orzhov Signet
1x Scroll Rack
1x Sol Ring
1x Venser's Journal
Sorcery (7)
1x Damnation
1x Day of Judgment
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Living Death
1x March of Souls
1x Rout
1x Wrath of God
1x Land Tax
1x Oversold Cemetery
1x Pestilence
1x Price of Knowledge
1x Spear of Heliod
Planeswalker (1)
1x Liliana of the Dark Realms
Maybeboard
1x Abyssal Persecutor
1x Baneslayer Angel
1x Blood Speaker
1x Desecration Demon
1x Desecration Elemental
1x Erebos, God of the Dead
1x Master of the Feast
1x Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
1x Promise of Power
1x Reaper from the Abyss
1x Stillmoon Cavalier
1x Vengeful Pharaoh
I like your theories on Athreos. I find them logical and accurate.
I think there is another way of using those ideas though. I like to use Athreos as a drain spell. I know my opponents will pretty much never let me recur my creatures. I use that to my advantage so they find themselves at low life totals.
GWUBAtraxa, Praetor's Voice PrimerGWUB
GWURoon Bant Blink WhateverGWU
BRGLord Windgrace LandsBRG
Totally misread the interaction with High Priest and Pestilence. Definitely throwing him into my Pestilence-based Athreos list.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
BUWMerieke Ri BeritWUB
Loxodon Gatekeeper is a sufficiently annoying creature as well.
That would be great in combination with Deathbringer Liege.
I think the deck might need more artifact/enchantment removal but not sure that is the way to do it. The card just doesn't seem to contribute to the deck in any other way.
Isn't this kind of counter to how you would want things to play out? I mean they will simply just never pay the 3 life to make it do to the graveyard and then you will just be cycling a *****ty overpriced 1/1 creature right?