What's up MTGSalvation! Relatively new to the community here. I was wondering if you fine ladies and gentlemen would be able to give me some feedback on the latest iteration of my Bruna, Light of Alabaster multiplayer commander deck. I would really appreciate suggestions as to what I could do to improve it, and I would be happy to clarify any card choices or lack thereof.
Do you want to play a strong, independent angel that don't need no man? Bruna, Light of Alabaster is a powerful Voltron commander that is capable of sealing up games quickly when she gets online. Combine this with her colour identities and you can turn any board-state into her own personal wasteland where she reigns supreme.
The title of the deck is deliberately meant to evoke a little bit of European absolutist tradition. This is a Control & Voltron deck that strategically uses control elements such as counter-magic and removal (both pinpoint and global/mass) to set up a lethal Bruna swing while denying/disrupting your opponents' strategies. There are PLENTY of options in the deck because I like keeping my board clean... but I like owning the board's best creatures too. Why stack a deck full of creatures when I can just use my opponents' creatures through corruption, treachery and ingenious cloning technology? "Do what you want with the board; it's a free world man."
We play two haste outlets: Hall of the Bandit Lord and Lightning Greaves with various ways to tutor them. Having no haste outlet is no big deal given the counter-magic in the deck, but it's always nice to have one around. Vanishing and Spectra Ward serve to protect Bruna. Bruna can filet your opponents in a number of different ways. Any two-aura combination of Eldrazi Conscription or Corrupted Conscience or Battle Mastery will kill in 1 shot. You can slap on all three if you really want to go big dick. Similarly, the combination of Battle Mastery + Sunbond + Steel of the Godhead will kill if it connects (AND, it will give you a ton of life to make up for the amount of damage that this deck pings itself for). Yes, that really is Sunbond. No, I am not taking it out of the deck. Sunbond with Steel of the Godhead + a protection aura like Spectra Ward creates an effective two-turn clock that turns into a one-shot clock after the first player dies as well WHILE netting life.
Tight Bruna lists usually run just a standard set of four or five auras, but having a suite of auras that gains tons of life while killing the table just as fast is an awesome boon against aggro decks. It also helps that I have another four auras to work with in case my deck gets hit with an Extract effect. Hopefully, this serves as an explanation of why I run a second lethal aura suite in addition to the standard protection & offensive sets.
Even though the auras are part of the Voltron suite, I really don't care if I throw auras on her "subjects" for *****s and giggles since the queen can re-appropriate her auras when she swings. If the "subjects" (more like subjugated) with the auras die in combat or by suffering a heart attack, Bruna can still get the auras back. Isn't that fantastic? Have you ever seen an Elvish Mystic kill with Corrupted Conscience and Eldrazi Conscription? In my world, this ***** is possible.
Plenty of artifact ramp is included in order to expedite the process of reducing your opponents to a pulp. It helps in chaining many spells together (like a boardwipe with counterspell backup or summoning Bruna and following it up with Armageddon or Cataclysm). I also play a Sword of Feast and Famine to abuse Winter Orb.
The deck operates on numerous draw spells like Fact or Fiction and Sphinx's Revelation among others, top manipulation, and tutors like Intuition or Three Dreams in order to react appropriately to a given situation or get Bruna's auras in a place where she can access them (hand or graveyard, in other words). Hence, you can imagine how consistent my deck is at doing what you want it to do.
Once the first swing is achieved and Bruna is fully suited, the deck switches its emphasis to lockdown/resource denial through Armageddon, Cataclysm, Ravages of War, and Winter Orb to protect an already hard-to-kill Bruna and ensure the remaining kills.
There are other win-cons in the deck. Sovereigns of Lost Alara is like a miniature Bruna. However, in case you couldn't tell, I really fancy a little bit of Grand Theft Bruna action too. In the true spirit of "do what you want; it's a free world man," you could just take or replicate an opponent's creature(s), throw some auras and/or the Sword of Feast and Famine down, and just go to town. Finally, you can alpha swing after using the ultimate ability of Tezzeret the Seeker like a true gangster. (For the record, I have done this twice).
I hope you enjoy the deck. It has been modified significantly since its first incarnation of "self-mill and swing" to include some additional strategies and cards that I just enjoy playing: I like theft and duplication. But most of all, I like swinging with an angel that is capable of one-shotting people from out of nowhere in a true Voltron fashion. Bruna is a Transformer, and haters gon' hate.
Mana Leak and Remand are kind of weak for EDH IMO. I'd upgrade these to stronger counters. Delay and Arcane Denial are two other 2 CMC counters you could use. They technically have drawbacks, but that player should be dead before they even matter. Or you could just upgrade to Dissipate and Cryptic Command.
No Cyclonic Rift? Card is one hell of a blowout when it comes to boardwipes.
Apparently Arcane Denial didn't copy over from when I moved the decklist from Tappedout D: Cyclonic Rift was already there though. I will definitely consider Cryptic Command in place of Mana Leak! Trinket Mage will be making a return to the deck soon because I am adding Tormod's Crypt for Grave Hate (in addition to Academy Ruins) I am not sure if Relic of Progenituswould be a better choice for that slot; I would appreciate replies on what you think the best grave hate is!
Will update the decklist as soon as the math & cuts are done. Thank you for your replies gentlemen.
I have updated the decklist since the last time I posted!
I want to add a few things in the short term. I was considering Assault Suit over Swiftfoot Boots, thoughts? I would also like to find place for Vanishing but I am not sure what to take out. What are your thoughts on Scroll Rack now that the deck has a couple of miracle cards? Any suggestions are appreciated.
(In the future, I will be trying to acquire Mana Drain and Mana Crypt; I am still on the fence about Cryptic Command because triple-blue is kind of rough). To address the inclusion of Remand, I like it as a tempo-counterspell for ramp spells (i.e. delaying Rampant Growth for a turn) or delaying a card to the next turn to allow the table to switch fire (because buying 1 turn can mean a huge difference). Memory Lapse arguably serves the purpose better because of the possibility that they may have the mana to recast the spell anyways, but I have nothing but praise for Remand in both duel + pod EDH.
I count really only 6 auras that could enchant Bruna. I'm thinking that's a bit too low, given her ability? What about Indestructibility? Daybreak Coronet? Auramancer's Guise? And a bunch of other epic auras?
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
he has enough auras, having played hundreds of games against this deck in every variation of it, it plays more as a control deck with bruna as a wincon. most of the time he will tutor for intuition and cast it in response to bruna attacking therefore eliminating the risk of graveyard hate.
What ATMachinez said is correct. The deck is built to tutor all of the auras that it needs (it can also clone the aura tutors like Sovereigns or Pilgrim)! The other option for a Bruna build is a self-mill variation that would play more auras; but I find more auras than what I have here unnecessary. You only need 21 points of GD after all!
Do you want to play a strong, independent angel that don't need no man? Bruna, Light of Alabaster is a powerful Voltron commander that is capable of sealing up games quickly when she gets online. Combine this with her colour identities and you can turn any board-state into her own personal wasteland where she reigns supreme.
The title of the deck is deliberately meant to evoke a little bit of European absolutist tradition. This is a Control & Voltron deck that strategically uses control elements such as counter-magic and removal (both pinpoint and global/mass) to set up a lethal Bruna swing while denying/disrupting your opponents' strategies. There are PLENTY of options in the deck because I like keeping my board clean... but I like owning the board's best creatures too. Why stack a deck full of creatures when I can just use my opponents' creatures through corruption, treachery and ingenious cloning technology? "Do what you want with the board; it's a free world man."
We play two haste outlets: Hall of the Bandit Lord and Lightning Greaves with various ways to tutor them. Having no haste outlet is no big deal given the counter-magic in the deck, but it's always nice to have one around. Vanishing and Spectra Ward serve to protect Bruna. Bruna can filet your opponents in a number of different ways. Any two-aura combination of Eldrazi Conscription or Corrupted Conscience or Battle Mastery will kill in 1 shot. You can slap on all three if you really want to go big dick. Similarly, the combination of Battle Mastery + Sunbond + Steel of the Godhead will kill if it connects (AND, it will give you a ton of life to make up for the amount of damage that this deck pings itself for). Yes, that really is Sunbond. No, I am not taking it out of the deck. Sunbond with Steel of the Godhead + a protection aura like Spectra Ward creates an effective two-turn clock that turns into a one-shot clock after the first player dies as well WHILE netting life.
Tight Bruna lists usually run just a standard set of four or five auras, but having a suite of auras that gains tons of life while killing the table just as fast is an awesome boon against aggro decks. It also helps that I have another four auras to work with in case my deck gets hit with an Extract effect. Hopefully, this serves as an explanation of why I run a second lethal aura suite in addition to the standard protection & offensive sets.
Even though the auras are part of the Voltron suite, I really don't care if I throw auras on her "subjects" for *****s and giggles since the queen can re-appropriate her auras when she swings. If the "subjects" (more like subjugated) with the auras die in combat or by suffering a heart attack, Bruna can still get the auras back. Isn't that fantastic? Have you ever seen an Elvish Mystic kill with Corrupted Conscience and Eldrazi Conscription? In my world, this ***** is possible.
Plenty of artifact ramp is included in order to expedite the process of reducing your opponents to a pulp. It helps in chaining many spells together (like a boardwipe with counterspell backup or summoning Bruna and following it up with Armageddon or Cataclysm). I also play a Sword of Feast and Famine to abuse Winter Orb.
The deck operates on numerous draw spells like Fact or Fiction and Sphinx's Revelation among others, top manipulation, and tutors like Intuition or Three Dreams in order to react appropriately to a given situation or get Bruna's auras in a place where she can access them (hand or graveyard, in other words). Hence, you can imagine how consistent my deck is at doing what you want it to do.
Once the first swing is achieved and Bruna is fully suited, the deck switches its emphasis to lockdown/resource denial through Armageddon, Cataclysm, Ravages of War, and Winter Orb to protect an already hard-to-kill Bruna and ensure the remaining kills.
There are other win-cons in the deck. Sovereigns of Lost Alara is like a miniature Bruna. However, in case you couldn't tell, I really fancy a little bit of Grand Theft Bruna action too. In the true spirit of "do what you want; it's a free world man," you could just take or replicate an opponent's creature(s), throw some auras and/or the Sword of Feast and Famine down, and just go to town. Finally, you can alpha swing after using the ultimate ability of Tezzeret the Seeker like a true gangster. (For the record, I have done this twice).
I hope you enjoy the deck. It has been modified significantly since its first incarnation of "self-mill and swing" to include some additional strategies and cards that I just enjoy playing: I like theft and duplication. But most of all, I like swinging with an angel that is capable of one-shotting people from out of nowhere in a true Voltron fashion. Bruna is a Transformer, and haters gon' hate.
1x Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Instants:
1x Arcane Denial
1x Blue Sun's Zenith
1x Counterspell
1x Cryptic Command
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Dig Through Time
1x Dispel
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Force of Will
1x Intuition
1x Mana Drain
1x Memory Lapse
1x Mental Misstep
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Negate
1x Path to Exile
1x Remand
1x Return to Dust
1x Sphinx's Revelation
1x Swan Song
1x Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries:
1x Armageddon
1x Austere Command
1x Cataclysm
1x Idyllic Tutor
1x Merchant Scroll
1x Ravages of War
1x Recurring Insight
1x Supreme Verdict
1x Three Dreams
1x Wrath of God
1x Azorius Signet
1x Chromatic Lantern
1x Coalition Relic
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Grim Monolith
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Mana Crypt
1x Mana Vault
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
1x Winter Orb
Planeswalker:
1x Tezzeret the Seeker
Enchantments:
1x Battle Mastery
1x Corrupted Conscience
1x Detention Sphere
1x Eldrazi Conscription
1x Land Tax
1x Oblivion Ring
1x Spectra Ward
1x Steel of the Godhead
1x Sunbond
1x Treachery
1x Vanishing
Creatures:
1x Clever Impersonator
1x Heliod's Pilgrim
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Snapcaster Mage
1x Sovereigns of Lost Alara
1x Stoneforge Mystic
1x Thassa, God of the Sea
1x Trinket Mage
1x Weathered Wayfarer
1x Adarkar Wastes
1x Ancient Den
1x Ancient Tomb
1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Celestial Colonnade
1x Command Tower
1x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Flooded Strand
1x Glacial Fortress
1x Hall of the Bandit Lord
1x Hallowed Fountain
7x Island
1x Mana Confluence
1x Marsh Flats
1x Mystic Gate
1x Nimbus Maze
1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
4x Plains
1x Polluted Delta
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Seachrome Coast
1x Seat of the Synod
1x Temple of Enlightenment
1x Tolaria West
1x Windswept Heath
Enjoy! Let me know what you guys think (I really hope this ends up being formatted nicely since I'm used to TappedOut).
No Cyclonic Rift? Card is one hell of a blowout when it comes to boardwipes.
Will update the decklist as soon as the math & cuts are done. Thank you for your replies gentlemen.
I want to add a few things in the short term. I was considering Assault Suit over Swiftfoot Boots, thoughts? I would also like to find place for Vanishing but I am not sure what to take out. What are your thoughts on Scroll Rack now that the deck has a couple of miracle cards? Any suggestions are appreciated.
(In the future, I will be trying to acquire Mana Drain and Mana Crypt; I am still on the fence about Cryptic Command because triple-blue is kind of rough). To address the inclusion of Remand, I like it as a tempo-counterspell for ramp spells (i.e. delaying Rampant Growth for a turn) or delaying a card to the next turn to allow the table to switch fire (because buying 1 turn can mean a huge difference). Memory Lapse arguably serves the purpose better because of the possibility that they may have the mana to recast the spell anyways, but I have nothing but praise for Remand in both duel + pod EDH.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!