I hereby present you with Derevi and his flock of friends. I've been playing a bird tribal deck for years but it was always Azorius ( ). The release of Derevi (with that awesome Bird subtype) has allowed me to expand to Bant ( )! I've done my best to keep this thing on-theme while being at least a little competitive. It's certainly a deck that flies (get it) under the radar. In most 4-player games I find myself only subject to sweeping removal and a bit of targeted removal when they see my Door hit 3 or 4.
Best Birdy Buddies Not all Birds Are Created Equal Aven Mindcensor - An effective response to just about any library-searching effect. Battle Screech - Low-cost token. This can bring the board state up quickly after a bad Wrath. Celestial Gatekeeper - Great at getting back birds or Mom. Commander Eesha - Dodges creature-based removal and provides a great blocker... and when he swings, oh, he swings. Crookclaw Elder - Powerfully synergistic card drawing. Usually eats removal, but if it sticks around I'll get a bunch of cards. Emeria Angel - Fetches and ramp spells get you tokens galore. Glarecaster - A rarely-seen card. If you run this make sure you can explain it to your opponent because no one has seen it! It shuts down alpha strikes, big burn spells... it can remove their own pingers Keeper of the Nine Gales - Repeatable bounce is pretty good, especially if you've got some tokens to work with. Lieutenant Kirtar - Exiles a lot of threats, pretty good if I can get him back. Mindshrieker - Really good against all the Mirage-type tutors, as well as Tops and the like. Mirror Entity - A finisher, and can save the team from damage or toughness-reducing sweepers. Windbrisk Raptor - When you really need a big life swing.
Feathers for your Cap Bird seed, bird feed, and other trinkets to whet your beak Airborne Aid & Distant Melody - Bird tribal card draw! Skullclamp - Great on tokens! Austere Command - I find this customizable sweeper great as I usually only need to deal with items covered by two of the four modes, anyway. Condemn & Oblation - Tucking is tech. Evacuation - A great card that can save my tail feathers in a pinch. Also, it's useful if I need more ETB triggers. Krosan Grip, Dust to Dust, Return to Dust, & Revoke Existence - I think you can never go wrong with stuff to remove enchantments and artifacts. I run these to keep people from comboing off, building a massive army, drawing their deck out, etc, etc, etc. Ajani, Mentor of Heroes - Walker that basically draws me a card once a turn. Door of Destinies & Soulcatchers' Aerie - Bird tribal pump! Marshal's Anthem - Such an underrated card, in my opinion. Gets back guys and pumps everyone. Seems good. Mother of Runes - Just a fantastic one-drop that sends opponents spinning. Reveillark - Gets back just about every creature in the deck.
Tech Lands Bird's gotta nest, right? Seaside Haven - Should be run in all Derevi decks, enabled Commander-based card draw, plus provides defense against exile, theft, and aura spells. Celestial Colonnade - A great man-land, great here as well.
Drop the ramp.... its unnecessary.. I'd drop the high cmc things... I run the highest cmc was 6
tidings is pretty unnecessary.. coastal piracy and bident of thassa fuel my deck.. tutors basically useless since everything is a 2/2 bird... however.. birthing pod?.. is pretty broken with deveri.
If you are looking for good green cards... bower passage is super underrated.. makes your deck unblockable except for the small number of reach creatures.
No coat of arms?.. that is 5 mana dead opponents.. do you play against token decks?
I wish I had half the mana base you have but no Gavony township or moorland haunt seem like an oversight.. I play the third one aswell, alchemists refuge because flash birds are better than non flash birds and my deck is really low cmc.
I kind of think you have too much removal... that seems bad but I just kill people.. I think I have 5 cards beast within, oblation, dissipate, krosan grip, cyclonic rift... the rest of my deck is birds, anthems and card draw.
Drop the ramp.... its unnecessary.. I'd drop the high cmc things... I run the highest cmc was 6
I recently added Kodama's Reach and Cultivate as a way to pull land out of my deck. I might bring the curve down and so your suggestion might make sense in that case.
tidings is pretty unnecessary.. coastal piracy and bident of thassa fuel my deck.. tutors basically useless since everything is a 2/2 bird... however.. birthing pod?.. is pretty broken with deveri.
Pod seems like a great idea. Also, a Piracy/Bident effect would probably fit well somewhere in here. I had thought of using Edric, Spymaster of Trest, if I can acquire a copy. And yeah, looking a Tidings now, it might be superfluous.
The cantripping birds are a good idea especially if I run more looping stuff like Karmic Guide.
If you are looking for good green cards... bower passage is super underrated.. makes your deck unblockable except for the small number of reach creatures.
I've been playing with the idea of a few enchantments to hose my opponents' fliers.
No coat of arms?.. that is 5 mana dead opponents.. do you play against token decks?
I have played against enough tribal decks to know that this can be brutal to get hit with.
I wish I had half the mana base you have but no Gavony township or moorland haunt seem like an oversight.. I play the third one aswell, alchemists refuge because flash birds are better than non flash birds and my deck is really low cmc.
Good suggestions, I think I'll work one or two of these in, especially Alchemist's refuge.
I kind of think you have too much removal... that seems bad but I just kill people.. I think I have 5 cards beast within, oblation, dissipate, krosan grip, cyclonic rift... the rest of my deck is birds, anthems and card draw.
Yup, tons of removal. I find my games tend to go on bit and I hate being stuck without an answer. I'll consider your advice on this point.
Thanks for all your thoughts!
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1 Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Lands
1 Adarkar Wastes
1 Arid Mesa
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Breeding Pool
1 Calciform Pools
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Command Tower
1 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Halimar Depths
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Hinterland Harbor
2 Island
1 Marsh Flats
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Mystic Gate
1 Nimbus Maze
6 Plains
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Seaside Haven
1 Skycloud Expanse
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Temple of Plenty
1 Tundra
1 Vivid Creek
1 Vivid Grove
1 Vivid Meadow
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Augury Owl
1 Aven Brigadier
1 Aven Cloudchaser
1 Aven Fateshaper
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Battle Screech
1 Beck / Call
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Celestial Gatekeeper
1 Cloudfin Raptor
1 Commander Eesha
1 Crookclaw Elder
1 Emeria Angel
1 Flurry of Wings
1 Glarecaster
1 Kangee, Aerie Keeper
1 Keeper of the Nine Gales
1 Lieutenant Kirtar
1 Mindshrieker
1 Mirror Entity
1 Pride of the Clouds
1 Raven Familiar
1 Sawtooth Loon
1 Soulcatcher
1 Thieving Magpie
1 Thrummingbird
1 Warden of Evos Isle
1 Windbrisk Raptor
Draw, Ramp, and Card Selection
1 Airborne Aid
1 Cultivate
1 Distant Melody
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Tidings
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Austere Command
1 Condemn
1 Counterspell
1 Day of Judgment
1 Dissipate
1 Dust to Dust
1 Evacuation
1 Exile
1 Krosan Grip
1 Oblation
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Return to Dust
1 Revoke Existence
1 Rout
1 Swords to Plowshares
Walker
1 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
Pump the Team
1 Beastmaster Ascension
1 Door of Destinies
1 Soulcatchers' Aerie
Recursion
1 Marshal's Anthem
Additional Tech Creatures
1 Mother of Runes
1 Prophet of Kruphix
1 Reveillark
Best Birdy Buddies
Not all Birds Are Created Equal
Aven Mindcensor - An effective response to just about any library-searching effect.
Battle Screech - Low-cost token. This can bring the board state up quickly after a bad Wrath.
Celestial Gatekeeper - Great at getting back birds or Mom.
Commander Eesha - Dodges creature-based removal and provides a great blocker... and when he swings, oh, he swings.
Crookclaw Elder - Powerfully synergistic card drawing. Usually eats removal, but if it sticks around I'll get a bunch of cards.
Emeria Angel - Fetches and ramp spells get you tokens galore.
Glarecaster - A rarely-seen card. If you run this make sure you can explain it to your opponent because no one has seen it! It shuts down alpha strikes, big burn spells... it can remove their own pingers
Keeper of the Nine Gales - Repeatable bounce is pretty good, especially if you've got some tokens to work with.
Lieutenant Kirtar - Exiles a lot of threats, pretty good if I can get him back.
Mindshrieker - Really good against all the Mirage-type tutors, as well as Tops and the like.
Mirror Entity - A finisher, and can save the team from damage or toughness-reducing sweepers.
Windbrisk Raptor - When you really need a big life swing.
Feathers for your Cap
Bird seed, bird feed, and other trinkets to whet your beak
Airborne Aid & Distant Melody - Bird tribal card draw!
Skullclamp - Great on tokens!
Austere Command - I find this customizable sweeper great as I usually only need to deal with items covered by two of the four modes, anyway.
Condemn & Oblation - Tucking is tech.
Evacuation - A great card that can save my tail feathers in a pinch. Also, it's useful if I need more ETB triggers.
Krosan Grip, Dust to Dust, Return to Dust, & Revoke Existence - I think you can never go wrong with stuff to remove enchantments and artifacts. I run these to keep people from comboing off, building a massive army, drawing their deck out, etc, etc, etc.
Ajani, Mentor of Heroes - Walker that basically draws me a card once a turn.
Door of Destinies & Soulcatchers' Aerie - Bird tribal pump!
Marshal's Anthem - Such an underrated card, in my opinion. Gets back guys and pumps everyone. Seems good.
Mother of Runes - Just a fantastic one-drop that sends opponents spinning.
Reveillark - Gets back just about every creature in the deck.
Tech Lands
Bird's gotta nest, right?
Seaside Haven - Should be run in all Derevi decks, enabled Commander-based card draw, plus provides defense against exile, theft, and aura spells.
Celestial Colonnade - A great man-land, great here as well.
tidings is pretty unnecessary.. coastal piracy and bident of thassa fuel my deck.. tutors basically useless since everything is a 2/2 bird... however.. birthing pod?.. is pretty broken with deveri.
Mist raven has been most valuable bird in my deck, I have Karmic guide to loop with Revilliark and mist raven is my favourite fuel. I also have a bunch of can trip birds at 4 cmc, messanger falcons
If you are looking for good green cards... bower passage is super underrated.. makes your deck unblockable except for the small number of reach creatures.
No coat of arms?.. that is 5 mana dead opponents.. do you play against token decks?
I wish I had half the mana base you have but no Gavony township or moorland haunt seem like an oversight.. I play the third one aswell, alchemists refuge because flash birds are better than non flash birds and my deck is really low cmc.
I kind of think you have too much removal... that seems bad but I just kill people.. I think I have 5 cards beast within, oblation, dissipate, krosan grip, cyclonic rift... the rest of my deck is birds, anthems and card draw.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Pod seems like a great idea. Also, a Piracy/Bident effect would probably fit well somewhere in here. I had thought of using Edric, Spymaster of Trest, if I can acquire a copy. And yeah, looking a Tidings now, it might be superfluous.
The cantripping birds are a good idea especially if I run more looping stuff like Karmic Guide.
I've been playing with the idea of a few enchantments to hose my opponents' fliers.
I have played against enough tribal decks to know that this can be brutal to get hit with.
Good suggestions, I think I'll work one or two of these in, especially Alchemist's refuge.
Yup, tons of removal. I find my games tend to go on bit and I hate being stuck without an answer. I'll consider your advice on this point.
Thanks for all your thoughts!