UBraids, so say we allU The rifted multiverse became a sea of conflicting realities, each peopled by possible versions of every living being.
My Feeling with Braids
Braids is a great General, indipendently she dress Black or Blue. Violet eyed one's is banned but I prefer the blue version anyway. I love playing blue decks and Braids, Conjurer Adept give to us an onest chance to play a mono blue deck. Otherwise she's a real General: she plan and supervise operations and enter in battlefield only at the right time of the match. Only at the time she's almost sure to take a big advantage. Braids can also be used as weapon of distraction, sometimes other player protect Braids because they needs to use her powers to put something in game. Other player can use their cards to destroy or save her and you have two important advantage: first they loose their cards, second you can guess their general hand situation. Play this deck means be patient, try to place facilities and army on the field and wait for the right moment to make your move. Deck Title
My favourite way to win is use Memnarch to take control of many opponents permanents on the battlefield. Otherside one of my favourite TV Series is Battlestar Galactica. Disclaimer
I'm not English mother tongue, please contact me if there are some errors in post.
Thanks to cryogen for Dakkon primer, I've made my Dakkon Deck taking inspiration from him guide. I've taking him primer as template to make this post.
Reasons to Play Braids, Conjurer Adept
Solidity – Mono colored decks area really solid and permit to play many basic lands. This is a great avantage and permit to focus deck's facilities in other ways excluding mana fixing.
Fun - Braids, Conjurer Adept is a very fun General, for all players on the battlefield.
Politics – Oloro, Ageless Ascetic is never highly regarded when you placed in commander zone on the start of a multi-edh table. Braids, Conjurer Adept is often understimate or watch like a possible partner from other Generals. This is one of the best quality of Braids, Conjurer Adept.
Reasons to not Play Braids, Conjurer Adept
Deck construction need your focus – You need to be inspired to build a Mono Blue deck, in general. You need to be inspierd and alert if you want to build a Braids, Conjurer Adept deck. There's no place for errors in this deck: you are going to pay every single error.
Need to be focused in every moment of the game – To win you need to be present in every moment of the game. From a side you need to evaluate any menace. From other side you need to choose some right moments to try to win.
Not a large choice of effects – You can bounce a permanent, you can control a permanent, sometimes you can exile a creature and surely you can counter spells. But you have limited choice.
Other Generals in deck
Arcanis the Omnipotent - Can be a great General, can be useful against Control Deck in order to maintain card advantage.
Azami, Lady of Scrolls - She's more politically correct than Arcanis but her power is limited.
Memnarch - If someone had some insidious combo, permanent based, Memnarch played at the right time of the game can stop him.
Braids, Conjurer Adept how to play this deck General Braids, Conjurer Adept can be played in many situations. Every of this situations can be a magic moment if you respect some rules:
Be sure to have some artifacts or creatures to put on battlefield with Braids power.
Consider number of cards in opponents hand and try to guess what they have in their hand.
Be sure to have a way to remove Braids from battlefield when time arrive.
Otherwise before play Braids you must consider to have an advantage to your opponents, it will be in number of permanents, or in their quality, or a politic placement but if you play Braids without have a real advantage you are going on your ruin.
If there's the chance to play Braids, Conjurer Adept as an instant play her EOT and then be ready to return her in your hand in your turn, before next opponent can use her power. Remember if something counter Braids, you can play her again (in many cases). Toys put on battlefield with Braids power aren't counterable.
The Game
There's no a bad hand with Braids. When I'm considering an start hand I only take a look to available mana and to number of cards I can have in my hand in the first phase of the game. If I have 2-3 mana available and something drawing cards I'm happy to start.
First part of game – In the first part of game Braids is starting to put permanents on field to have mana and to draw. If one or more opponents reveal its aggressive nature I partake to removal operations trying to use less resources than others. There's a little number of resources can be spent to remove issue on Braids deck.
Mid part of game – In the mid part I'm going to evaluate each opponent situation and use some cards to comprehend tactics they want to play in the game. If there's the chance to cast one or two times Braids i take them on the fly and put something important on battlefield. If I have double mana feature on battlefield general I do not play Braids but I'm trying to hunt out counterspells. Sometimes play Braids to put something on battlefield avoid counterspells.
Late part of game – If the game go on and on I'm trying to win using palinchron combo and Capsize or Memnarch. My League know this point and they are always worry when a game go on. Luckely I'm not the only that have win conditions.
Deck Synergies
Winding Canyons, Vedalken Orrey, Leyline of Anticipation, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir: These cards permit to play other cards, expecially creatures, as they had flash. This feature permit to have the classic blue decks advantage, play just before untap. Teferi give to deck the chance to be the only who play as an instant. Your spell results non counterable. Really useful before playing Palinchron.
Riptide Laboratory: This land is very important because many creatures are wizards but its importance is related to Braids, Conjurer Adept and to Trinket Mage and Treasure Mage: the deck had several ways to play creatures as they had flash and then you can play Braids, Conjurer Adept before the end of the turn. With Riptide Laboratory you can return Braids, Conjurer Adept before any opponent can use conjurer power of Braids. Otherwise you can cast Trinket and Treasuer Mage many times in order to build up your favourite hand.
Meta Braids, Conjurer Adept can have good meta againts many decks because can be fast or slow and is very adaptable. Problems can comes against decks put on battlefield a large amount of permanents: Braids, Conjurer Adept have few definitively removal and can't remove enchantment. Otherwise Braids deck hasn't chance to remove cards in graveyard. This deck is think up for EDH multi, during game you must use influence and use your poor resources to form alliances. Politics game isn't mandatory but highly recommended.
Individual Card Discussion
Wizards home
Lands
In my feeling this deck need to have almost 29-30 same lands to maximize the mana double artifacts. Other lands are utility.
Riptide Laboratory – This land is very important because many creatures are tutors and wizards. Also you can use it on Braids, Conjurer Adept after using her ability in your turn.
Academy Ruins – Artifact recursion is important expecially when your opponents destroy an heavy toy in early or mid game.
Halimar Depths – This land can be replaced but is very useful in early game.
Creatures
Creatures in this deck have roles and functions. They can be substituted but in my feeling any creature must have a specifically function.
Arcanis the Omnipotent – He's a wizard and he permit to draw a large quantity of card. You can bounce it in your hand without using Riptide Laboratory. I'm testing him.
Azami, Lady of Scrolls – She's a wizard and she permit to draw. Opponents often doesn't sense her like a great threat, especially she is the only mage on the battlefield.
Blightsteel Colossus – Useful to kill somenone with one shot. Its indestructiblity is also useful to drive out high profile removal from opponents' hand.
Body Double – Cloning something in graveyard, useful but in my League players tend to exile permanents instead destroy them. Now is in deck I don't know about its future.
Duplicant – An exiler. Often is also a big creature after entering on battlefield.
Inkwell Leviathan – I'm reconsidering him because is a non-flying creature. But is very useful to hunt out mass removal and counterspells.
Kederekt Leviathan – One of few way to remove all permanents on battlefield. Repeatable from graveyard.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth – The only expensive card in deck but Braids need this card: permit to control permanent proliferation and permit draw four card without any worry about conterspells.
Memnarch - A perfect creature in this deck: Permit to control any kind of permanent without temporal limit, permit you to control all permanents on battlefield used with infinite mana combo, and it's a Wizard!
Pathrazer of Ulamog – Perfect for Early or Mid game Braids put in battlefield. Can't be blocked and Annihilation.
Palinchron – Not sure about this card in deck, it useful only to permit to produce infinite mana, or block.
Platinum Angel – Final weapon if you sense opponents try to kill you.
Phyrexian Ingester – Another exiler. Often is also a big creature after entering on battlefield.
Phyrexian Metamorph – A clone creature, it can clone artifacts, useful if something lacks (i.e. Sensei’s Divining Top) or to duplicate one of your creature/artifact.
Sphinx of Uthuun – Fact or Fiction when enter on battlefield. Useful also to block and to be cloned.
Steel Hellkite – This creature is useful to remove things from battlefield. Some dubts because opponents fear it and always try to make an outfield with its bolts.
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir – He's a wizard and he lock the table. Optimal before procede to important cast or infinite mana combo.
Tidespout Tyrant – A good removal. Useful to temporary remove boring permanents.
Treasure Mage – An artifact tutor, repeateable using Riptide Laboratory. You can get many heavy toys useful to solve many situations.
Trinket Mage – An artifact tutor, repeateable using Riptide Laboratory. You can get many small toys anyone is a little piece to build up your battlefield.
Mana is power
Artifacts
Many utilities and beautiful toys.
Darksteel Forge – Heavy and expensive toy but it make your artifact indestructible. And in EDH artifact exiler are not so common.
Druidic Satchel - Useful way to ramp in non green deck. Borrow from Dakkon Deck.
Coldsteel Hearth – Ramp artifact with cmc 2. Enter tapped but give colored mana. It can be put in and using Scrying Sheets
Elixir of Immortality - Useful to gain 5 life, the only way to gain life in this deck, and useful in long games.
Expedition Map - Finds the utility land Braids need at the moment.
Extraplanar Lens, Gauntlet of Power, Caged Sun – More mana, more chance to play, more chance to win. Now in deck I have only Extraplanar lens and Caged sun. The first is really powerful with snow-covered island. The second cost 6 and can be recovered from deck with Treasure Mage.
Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots – Good to protect creatures, haste is always welcome!
Mind stone – Average ramp but reusable at the right moment to draw a card.
Vedalken Orrey - One of chance to play cards as they had flash. Loving it in my decks.
Vedalken Shackles - An artifact permit to control creatures, very useful especially when a day I remember to insert High Market in the deck.
Enchantments
Much of them are useful to control permanents, often EDH players have more creatures removal than enchantment removal and they end to kill their creatures.
Leyline of Anticipation – Another card that bounces in and out of the deck. I like it when it’s in my opening hand, but I rarely wanted to actually cast it. It’s a great card though when it’s in play, so try it out.
Mystic Remora – Better than Rhystic Study, with cumulative upkeep opponents often decide to wait its life end. And you can draw a not bad amount of cards.
Corrupted Conscience – Steal a creature and give it corrupt. Utils to kill opponents with their creature, improved.
Treachery – Best way to steal a creature, spiced with one of the best ability never printed.
Volition Reins – One way to control every kind of permanent.
Removal, again, again, again .....
Instants
Counterspell, draw and removal are the must of these spells. Play instants is the basis of a Blue General like Braids.
Blue Sun's Zenith – Draw card, very powerful and reusable. If game needed you can draw a large amount of cards thanks to synergy with Extraplanar Lens and so on.
Capsize – One of the best removal can be used in a blue deck.
Counterspell – If you have played MTG before 8th edition there's nothing to say.
Cyclonic Rift – Bounce one or everything you don't control. Useful in many situations.
Dissipate – A counterspell with a non summary secondary effect.
Thanks for your recommendations.
I was still tempted to try Dreamstone Hedron and Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur. But Ulamog is a great creature only during cast and it's very expensive. I don't like Temple of false God. Generally I prefer to play Ancient Tomb but the price is too high for Braids deck.Darksteel Forge is very important to defend mana artifacts especially Expedition Lens and Caged Sun or Gauntlet of Power.
The rifted multiverse became a sea of conflicting realities, each peopled by possible versions of every living being.
Braids is a great General, indipendently she dress Black or Blue. Violet eyed one's is banned but I prefer the blue version anyway. I love playing blue decks and Braids, Conjurer Adept give to us an onest chance to play a mono blue deck. Otherwise she's a real General: she plan and supervise operations and enter in battlefield only at the right time of the match. Only at the time she's almost sure to take a big advantage. Braids can also be used as weapon of distraction, sometimes other player protect Braids because they needs to use her powers to put something in game. Other player can use their cards to destroy or save her and you have two important advantage: first they loose their cards, second you can guess their general hand situation. Play this deck means be patient, try to place facilities and army on the field and wait for the right moment to make your move.
Deck Title
My favourite way to win is use Memnarch to take control of many opponents permanents on the battlefield. Otherside one of my favourite TV Series is Battlestar Galactica.
Disclaimer
Reasons to Play Braids, Conjurer Adept
Reasons to not Play Braids, Conjurer Adept
Other Generals in deck
1 Braids, Conjurer Adept
Creatures
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Palinchron
1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
1 Platinum Angel
1 Sphinx Ambassador
Creatures - Flash
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Creatures - Cloning
1 Body Double
1 Mercurial Pretender
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
Creatures - Draw
1 Arcanis the Omnipotent
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
Creatures - Control
1 Memnarch
Creatures - Removal
1 Duplicant
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Phyrexian Ingester
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Tidespout Tyrant
Creatures - Tutor
1 Treasure Mage
1 Trinket Mage
1 Vedalken Shackles
Artifacts - Draw
1 Staff of Nin
Artifacts - Flash
1 Vedalken Orrery
Artifacts - Ramp
1 Druidic Satchel
1 Sol Ring
1 Caged Sun
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Mind Stone
1 Extraplanar Lens
Artifacts - Utility
1 Darksteel Forge
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Proteus Staff
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Expedition Map
Instants - Counterspells
1 Hinder
1 Dissipate
1 Negate
1 Pact of Negation
1 Counterspell
1 Swan Song
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Spell Crumple
1 Rewind
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Opportunity
Instants - Removal
1 Capsize
1 Cyclonic Rift
Instants - Tutor
1 Long-Term Plans
Sorcery - Removal
1 Wash Out
Sorcery - Tutor
1 Fabricate
Sorcery - Clone
1 Rite of Replication
Enchantment - Control
1 Treachery
1 Control Magic
1 Volition Reins
1 Corrupted Conscience
Enchantment - Flash
1 Leyline of Anticipation
Enchantment - Draw
1 Mystic Remora
Lands
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Academy Ruins
1 Halimar Depths
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Tolaria West
1 Winding Canyons
29 Snow-Covered Island
Braids, Conjurer Adept can be played in many situations. Every of this situations can be a magic moment if you respect some rules:
If there's the chance to play Braids, Conjurer Adept as an instant play her EOT and then be ready to return her in your hand in your turn, before next opponent can use her power. Remember if something counter Braids, you can play her again (in many cases). Toys put on battlefield with Braids power aren't counterable.
The Game
There's no a bad hand with Braids. When I'm considering an start hand I only take a look to available mana and to number of cards I can have in my hand in the first phase of the game. If I have 2-3 mana available and something drawing cards I'm happy to start.
First part of game – In the first part of game Braids is starting to put permanents on field to have mana and to draw. If one or more opponents reveal its aggressive nature I partake to removal operations trying to use less resources than others. There's a little number of resources can be spent to remove issue on Braids deck.
Mid part of game – In the mid part I'm going to evaluate each opponent situation and use some cards to comprehend tactics they want to play in the game. If there's the chance to cast one or two times Braids i take them on the fly and put something important on battlefield. If I have double mana feature on battlefield general I do not play Braids but I'm trying to hunt out counterspells. Sometimes play Braids to put something on battlefield avoid counterspells.
Late part of game – If the game go on and on I'm trying to win using palinchron combo and Capsize or Memnarch. My League know this point and they are always worry when a game go on. Luckely I'm not the only that have win conditions.
Deck Synergies
Meta
Braids, Conjurer Adept can have good meta againts many decks because can be fast or slow and is very adaptable. Problems can comes against decks put on battlefield a large amount of permanents: Braids, Conjurer Adept have few definitively removal and can't remove enchantment. Otherwise Braids deck hasn't chance to remove cards in graveyard. This deck is think up for EDH multi, during game you must use influence and use your poor resources to form alliances. Politics game isn't mandatory but highly recommended.
Wizards home
In my feeling this deck need to have almost 29-30 same lands to maximize the mana double artifacts. Other lands are utility.
Creatures
Creatures in this deck have roles and functions. They can be substituted but in my feeling any creature must have a specifically function.
Mana is power
Many utilities and beautiful toys.
Enchantments
Much of them are useful to control permanents, often EDH players have more creatures removal than enchantment removal and they end to kill their creatures.
Removal, again, again, again .....
Counterspell, draw and removal are the must of these spells. Play instants is the basis of a Blue General like Braids.
Sorceries
A little but essential contribution.
WUBDakkon, a Tribute
BChainer, the demonlord!
RWAurelia
WBKarlov of the Ghost Council
Thran dynamo over druidic satchel - If braids isn't working out, thran dynamo lets you cast the big things
Ulamog, the infinite gyre over elixir of immortality - It's a big thing to drop with braids that also prevents mill
akroma's memorial over darksteel forge - very little in your deck cares about the forge
dreamstone hedron over opportunity - I find myself wanting to drop dreamstone hedron on my first braids trigger so that I can keep casting big things, and it can still draw cards when you need them.
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur over pathrazer of ulamog - Dropping this with brads on turn 3 or 4 can often be game over
nykthos, shrine to nyx over snow covered island - I think it's just better
temple of the false god over snow covered island - Again I think it's better
I was still tempted to try Dreamstone Hedron and Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur. But Ulamog is a great creature only during cast and it's very expensive. I don't like Temple of false God. Generally I prefer to play Ancient Tomb but the price is too high for Braids deck.Darksteel Forge is very important to defend mana artifacts especially Expedition Lens and Caged Sun or Gauntlet of Power.
Thanks, David.
WUBDakkon, a Tribute
BChainer, the demonlord!
RWAurelia
WBKarlov of the Ghost Council