The playgroup at my LGS hasn't been fond of the higher level that my EDH decks are at, so I decided to make a more toned-down/casual EDH deck to play when I go there.
The idea is to cast dragons and beat face, after hopefully ramping a bit, with a few bits of recursion as backup against board wipes. Nothing super fancy, no infinite combos.
EDIT: No longer worried about casual as much, just looking to make a fun dragon themed deck with no infinite combos.
Yeah, pretty much Dragons that I'm (mostly) actually casting instead of cheating into play. Fearsome Awakening is definitely a card I am planning on getting to add. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon will probably be added eventually.
Steely Resolve would definitely be a good addition for some protection. I have been debating on taking out the mass reanimation spells out of the deck in search of more flavorful cards and more straight dragon casting. In hopes of keeping this deck more casual, adding a strict theme will help me from not making it too strong.
Cuts I made to my deck, they aren't necessarily cut for cut, but I had a lot of cards to replace and wanted to show all of them. Thanks for all of your help so far!
Zirilan of the Claw doesn't really seem all that casual to me. I do think that Scourge of Valkas could be a good addition though. The triple red doesn't bother me as much with this deck because I am trying to make it more casual than my normal decks.
How is Zirilan of the Claw not casual? It's probably like, the 4th slowest tutor in the game. Way worse than Demonic Tutor, which you have no issue running.
Zirilan of the Claw is a repeatable tutor. Tutoring for and playing dragons for 3 mana every turn seems pretty good. I guess he would fall under the realm of casual, but it is a powerful card and it's not what I want to do with the deck.
Whip of Erebos/Basilisk Collar/Bow of Nylea - All of these cards synergize very strongly with creatures that do direct damage to other creatures or players and can help you even out games against faster and more aggressive decks. Whip is great for supporting your reanimator theme and Bow on top of its usefulness with combat damage dealing creatures is a fantastic utility card all over.
Another card is Diabolic Intent. While the card itself is a little expensive, it is a great fit for your deck since it feeds the graveyard and tutors for recursion.
I've actually had a Karrthus dragon tribal deck since Alara Reborn was released. It's fun to play, especially in group games. Let me offer some suggestions.
I'm not a huge fan of mana stones in green decks. Dragons are expensive and the last thing we want to happen is someone destroy our mana with the first Austere Command that hits the table. Making your land drops is really important. I'm a huge fan of Search for Tomorrow.
I wouldn't list Frontier Siege with your ramp--the Dragons mode is way better in this deck.
Now, some very cards you're missing:
Hoard-Smelter Dragon: This guy is REALLY good. I noticed you're really light on artifact removal. This guy can get really out of hand, and I've seen this turn someone's Darksteel Forge against them.
Breath of Darigaaz: An on-theme sweeper that clears only ground guys, keeping your dragons alive.
Quicksilver Amulet: I know you said you didn't want to cheat stuff in, but you should probably play this over GSZ. Most of your creatures are red.
Kargan Dragonlord: Not technically a dragon, but is it ever on theme. At least level 4 shouldn't be a problem because you're so heavily in red.
Have you thought about a Loamengine for card advantage?
Homeward Path is VERY VERY NECESSARY in a dragon deck with Karrthus at the helm. If there's a blue deck at the table, don't play your commander without it.
7 fetch lands and the 3 duals in a deck that is suppose to be toned down?
You would be better off having Karrthus be part of the 99 and having Prossh as your general. Karrthus just gets wrekted by any clone effect way to hard. Prossh gives you fodder for devour dragons aswell.
Whip of Erebos/Basilisk Collar/Bow of Nylea - All of these cards synergize very strongly with creatures that do direct damage to other creatures or players and can help you even out games against faster and more aggressive decks. Whip is great for supporting your reanimator theme and Bow on top of its usefulness with combat damage dealing creatures is a fantastic utility card all over.
Another card is Diabolic Intent. While the card itself is a little expensive, it is a great fit for your deck since it feeds the graveyard and tutors for recursion.
Thanks, I will look into the direct damage after I have finalized my dragon selection. I am still playing around with that, so we will see how many of those I end up with.
Diabolic Intent would be fit better if I wasn’t pulling away from such a heavy graveyard theme. Definitely a card to keep in mind if I head back that way. Thanks!
Given that you're playing a reasonably aggressive Dragon tribal deck, how about Dragonspeaker Shaman?
Yes! This is going to be a great addition to the deck. I actually already had this guy on a list of cards to get, but hadn’t posted it yet. I will add a section for the cards that I very much plan on adding. Thanks!
I've actually had a Karrthus dragon tribal deck since Alara Reborn was released. It's fun to play, especially in group games. Let me offer some suggestions.
I'm not a huge fan of mana stones in green decks. Dragons are expensive and the last thing we want to happen is someone destroy our mana with the first Austere Command that hits the table. Making your land drops is really important. I'm a huge fan of Search for Tomorrow.
I wouldn't list Frontier Siege with your ramp--the Dragons mode is way better in this deck.
Now, some very cards you're missing:
Hoard-Smelter Dragon: This guy is REALLY good. I noticed you're really light on artifact removal. This guy can get really out of hand, and I've seen this turn someone's Darksteel Forge against them.
Breath of Darigaaz: An on-theme sweeper that clears only ground guys, keeping your dragons alive.
Quicksilver Amulet: I know you said you didn't want to cheat stuff in, but you should probably play this over GSZ. Most of your creatures are red.
Kargan Dragonlord: Not technically a dragon, but is it ever on theme. At least level 4 shouldn't be a problem because you're so heavily in red.
Have you thought about a Loamengine for card advantage?
Homeward Path is VERY VERY NECESSARY in a dragon deck with Karrthus at the helm. If there's a blue deck at the table, don't play your commander without it.
Thanks for the long list of suggestions! I really appreciate it.
I would agree that some of my dragon choices are a bit odd. I definitely need to refine them for sure, I was just trying to put as many as I could think would fit for now. Still toying with the number of dragons I should actually have.
Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker is a great suggestion, and I had it in mind for sure. I added it to my list of cards I will put in eventually. I am actually planning to have all 3 Sarkhans and Ugin in there eventually.
The signets are more of a loose example of "treasure" that the dragons collect. I too prefer to just get a land over putting out an artifact, maybe I will cut down to 2.
Quicksilver Amulet is probably a no for not cheating them in, but GSZ probably needs to be cut too.
Kargan Dragonlord is another one I was thinking about. Ends up being 6 mana for a 4/4 flyer most times. The 8/8 Flying trampling firebreathing is super awesome, I just wish he didn't require 10 mana and have to level as a sorcery.
7 fetch lands and the 3 duals in a deck that is suppose to be toned down?
You would be better off having Karrthus be part of the 99 and having Prossh as your general. Karrthus just gets wrekted by any clone effect way to hard. Prossh gives you fodder for devour dragons aswell.
The lands were more of just because I had the duals and fetches that needed a home. I decided to curve the power level by moving towards more and more dragon themed cards, and less graveyard recursion. The duals may be a bit much, but I'm keeping them for now
I agree that Prossh, Skyraider of Kher would be more powerful by himself, because he's stupidly overpowered. I don't want people to have a "tuck or die" mentality when I play against them, it makes the game a lot less fun for everyone. I think that Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund is a better fit for the type of deck that I am building. He has haste and a commanding presence when he slams down and takes control of all dragons and gives them haste as well.
Here is my Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund deck, feel free to comment or give card suggestions.
The idea is to cast dragons and beat face, after hopefully ramping a bit, with a few bits of recursion as backup against board wipes. Nothing super fancy, no infinite combos.
EDIT: No longer worried about casual as much, just looking to make a fun dragon themed deck with no infinite combos.
1x Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund
Dragons
1x Atarka, World Render
1x Balefire Dragon
1x Bladewing the Risen
1x Bogardan Hellkite
1x Boltwing Marauder
1x Broodmate Dragon
1x Deathbringer Regent
1x Dragon Broodmother
1x Dragonlord Atarka
1x Hellkite Overlord
1x Hoard-Smelter Dragon
1x Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury
1x Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
1x Scourge of Valkas
1x Steel Hellkite
1x Thunderbreak Regent
1x Tyrant's Familiar
1x Utvara Hellkite
Planeswalkers
1x Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1x Sarkhan the Mad
1x Sarkhan Vol
Recursion
1x Eternal Witness
1x Fearsome Awakening
1x Living Death
1x Patriarch's Bidding
Tutors
1x Chord of Calling
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Sarkhan's Triumph
1x Survival of the Fittest
1x Tooth and Nail
1x Vampiric Tutor
Plays well with Dragons
1x Blades of Velis Vel
1x Crucible of Fire
1x Death by Dragons
1x Dragon Tempest
1x Dragon Whisperer
1x Dragonlord's Servant
1x Dragonmaster Outcast
1x Dragonspeaker Shaman
1x Frontier Siege
1x Savage Beating
1x Faithless Looting
1x Greater Good
1x Phyrexian Arena
1x Sylvan Library
Ramp
1x Birds of Paradise
1x Farseek
1x Kodama's Reach
1x Nature's Lore
1x Nissa's Pilgrimage
1x Skyshroud Claim
1x Sol Ring
Hate
1x Breath of Darigaaz
1x Chaos Warp
1x Crux of Fate
1x Damnation
1x Descent of the Dragons
1x Maelstrom Pulse
1x Pernicious Deed
1x Steely Resolve
1x Toxic Deluge
Lands (38)
1x Arid Mesa
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Marsh Flats
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Polluted Delta
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Verdant Catacombs
1x Windswept Heath
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Badlands
1x Bayou
1x Taiga
1x Blood Crypt
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Stomping Ground
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Command Tower
1x Crucible of the Spirit Dragon
1x Haven of the Spirit Dragon
1x Jungle Hollow
1x Opal Palace
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Rootbound Crag
1x Rugged Highlands
1x Hall of the Bandit Lord
1x High Market
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Kher Keep
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Yavimaya Hollow
3x Forest
3x Mountain
2x Swamp
1x Dragon Mage
1x Mimic Vat
1x Kilnmouth Dragon
1x Thundermaw Hellkite
1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1x Zirilan of the Claw
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
(Dragons wear boots man ya gotta believe me)
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
Also your list has Progenitor Mimic in it. Is that supposed to be something else?
RGW Rith, the Awakener
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
UBR Nicol Bolas
GWU Treva, the Renewer
RWU Numot, the Devastator
Yeah, Progenitor Mimic was a placeholder that I accidentally typed into the list. It is now Siege Dragon.
I have also already added Sarkhan the Mad to the deck, I will update my list after I have completed my cuts today.
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
RGW Rith, the Awakener
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
UBR Nicol Bolas
GWU Treva, the Renewer
RWU Numot, the Devastator
- Insurrection + Sarkhan the Mad (non-dragon themed win con for Sarkhan)
- Reclamation Sage + Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (not dragon for dragon)
- Not of this World + Steely Resolve (protects all dragons, not just Karrthus)
- Jarad's Orders + Crucible of Fire (more dragon theme, losing some GY recursion)
- Crucible of Worlds + Dragon Throne of Tarkir (more dragon theme, less recursion)
- Oracle of Mul Daya + Tempt with Immortality (Oracle doesn't fit theme, Tempt is more casual recursion)
- Twilight's Call + Banefire (On theme burn, less recursion)
- Dread Return + Fearsome Awakening (generic recursion for dragon recursion)
- Regrowth + Blades of Velis Vel (fun dragon themed steal, less recursion)
- Life from the Loam + Dragon Broodmother (Dragon!)
- Deadbridge Chant + Tempt with Discovery (friendly ramp, less recursion)
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
- Awakening Zone + Sensei's Divining Top (Top!)
- Memory Jar + Sylvan Library (upgrade)
- Tempt with Immortality + Greater Good (less recusion, gotta love sac outlets that draw you cards)
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
- Noxious Dragon + Scourge of Valkas (upgrade!)
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
BRRakdos, Lord of RiotsBR
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
- Dismember + Farseek
- Fierce Empath + Golgari Signet
- Rise of the Dark Realms + Gruul Signet
- Victimize + Rakdos Signet
- Tempt with Discovery + Mountain
I also wanted to try adding more dragons.
- Expedition Map + Forgestoker Dragon
- Black Sun's Zenith + Scourge of Kher Ridges
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
Just a couple minor suggestions:
Whip of Erebos/Basilisk Collar/Bow of Nylea - All of these cards synergize very strongly with creatures that do direct damage to other creatures or players and can help you even out games against faster and more aggressive decks. Whip is great for supporting your reanimator theme and Bow on top of its usefulness with combat damage dealing creatures is a fantastic utility card all over.
Another card is Diabolic Intent. While the card itself is a little expensive, it is a great fit for your deck since it feeds the graveyard and tutors for recursion.
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa | Korlash, Heir to Blackblade | Karador Apostles | Brago, King Eternal | Talrand the Sky Summoner | Mageta the Lion
Some of your dragon choices are a bit weird, like Siege Dragon, Shockmaw Dragon, Forgestoker Dragon, and especially Rorix Bladewing.
I think Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker is better than old-school Vol. He's just too difficult to protect.
I'm not a huge fan of mana stones in green decks. Dragons are expensive and the last thing we want to happen is someone destroy our mana with the first Austere Command that hits the table. Making your land drops is really important. I'm a huge fan of Search for Tomorrow.
I wouldn't list Frontier Siege with your ramp--the Dragons mode is way better in this deck.
Now, some very cards you're missing:
Hoard-Smelter Dragon: This guy is REALLY good. I noticed you're really light on artifact removal. This guy can get really out of hand, and I've seen this turn someone's Darksteel Forge against them.
Breath of Darigaaz: An on-theme sweeper that clears only ground guys, keeping your dragons alive.
Quicksilver Amulet: I know you said you didn't want to cheat stuff in, but you should probably play this over GSZ. Most of your creatures are red.
Kargan Dragonlord: Not technically a dragon, but is it ever on theme. At least level 4 shouldn't be a problem because you're so heavily in red.
Ryusei, the Falling Star: This is probably the best one in this deck, but you should consider all the star dragons in color. Kokusho, the Evening Star with Volrath's Stronghold might be a bit much for casuals, though.
Death by Dragons: This card was MADE for Karrthus decks. Just play it.
Thundermaw Hellkite: It's inexpensive mana-wise and effectively makes your team unblockable when he comes in.
Kilnmouth Dragon: Even revealing just two dragons, this guy can get out of hand very quickly.
Dragonmaster Outcast: A possible on-theme card and a must-answer late game.
Have you thought about a Loam engine for card advantage?
Homeward Path is VERY VERY NECESSARY in a dragon deck with Karrthus at the helm. If there's a blue deck at the table, don't play your commander without it.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
You would be better off having Karrthus be part of the 99 and having Prossh as your general. Karrthus just gets wrekted by any clone effect way to hard. Prossh gives you fodder for devour dragons aswell.
I agree that Prossh is better than Karrthus as a general, but as a casual theme deck it doesn't matter. A Prossh decklist would be way different.
Thanks, I will look into the direct damage after I have finalized my dragon selection. I am still playing around with that, so we will see how many of those I end up with.
Diabolic Intent would be fit better if I wasn’t pulling away from such a heavy graveyard theme. Definitely a card to keep in mind if I head back that way. Thanks!
Yes! This is going to be a great addition to the deck. I actually already had this guy on a list of cards to get, but hadn’t posted it yet. I will add a section for the cards that I very much plan on adding. Thanks!
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
Thanks for the long list of suggestions! I really appreciate it.
I would agree that some of my dragon choices are a bit odd. I definitely need to refine them for sure, I was just trying to put as many as I could think would fit for now. Still toying with the number of dragons I should actually have.
Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker is a great suggestion, and I had it in mind for sure. I added it to my list of cards I will put in eventually. I am actually planning to have all 3 Sarkhans and Ugin in there eventually.
The signets are more of a loose example of "treasure" that the dragons collect. I too prefer to just get a land over putting out an artifact, maybe I will cut down to 2.
I had actually thought about Hoard-Smelter Dragon, but wasn't sure. I will definitely cut Shockmaw Dragon for him.
Breath of Darigaaz is a good on-theme removal, it has to go in.
Quicksilver Amulet is probably a no for not cheating them in, but GSZ probably needs to be cut too.
Kargan Dragonlord is another one I was thinking about. Ends up being 6 mana for a 4/4 flyer most times. The 8/8 Flying trampling firebreathing is super awesome, I just wish he didn't require 10 mana and have to level as a sorcery.
Ryusei, the Falling Star would be a good replacement for Siege Dragon. Kokusho, the Evening Star is probably too much considering.
Death by Dragons was definitely in the plan, I just can't find mine. I may have to go to the LGS and pick one up.
Thundermaw Hellkite and Kilnmouth Dragon are good ones to think about getting as well.
Dragonmaster Outcast is already in there, he's hiding in the hate section. I really have to reformat this list.
I didn't want to do Life from the Loam because I was moving away from graveyard theme.
I actually had Homeward Path in my Omnath deck for several years and never once had to use it... pretty sad, huh?
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
The lands were more of just because I had the duals and fetches that needed a home. I decided to curve the power level by moving towards more and more dragon themed cards, and less graveyard recursion. The duals may be a bit much, but I'm keeping them for now
I agree that Prossh, Skyraider of Kher would be more powerful by himself, because he's stupidly overpowered. I don't want people to have a "tuck or die" mentality when I play against them, it makes the game a lot less fun for everyone. I think that Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund is a better fit for the type of deck that I am building. He has haste and a commanding presence when he slams down and takes control of all dragons and gives them haste as well.
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
- Green Sun's Zenith + Dragonspeaker Shaman (GSZ get only get a few dragons, Dragonspeaker will make it easier to cast dragons)
- Shockmaw Dragon + Hoard-Smelter Dragon (upgrade)
- Dragon Throne of Tarkir + Death by Dragons (Dragon themed for Dragons, seems good)
- Terminate + Breath of Darigaaz (Goodbye targeted hate, hello mass hate that is on theme)
- Golgari Signet + Search for Tomorrow (ramp for ramp)
I also replaced some lands that don't tap for colored mana.
- Wasteland + Forest
- Strip mine + Mountain
- Maze of Ith + Swamp
Still debating on keeping or ditching the OG duals in the deck
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB
I have some dragon upgrades:
- Rorix Bladewing + Dragonlord Atarka
- Siege Dragon + Deathbringer Regent
- Forgestoker Dragon + Thunderbreak Regent
- Destructor Dragon + Boltwing Marauder
As well as some non-dragon upgrades: (Getting rid of good stuff cards for more on theme)
- Sensei's Divining Top + Sarkhan's Triumph
- Rakdos Signet + Dragonlord's Servant
- Gruul Signet + Dragon Tempest
- Lightning Greaves + Dragon Whisperer
- Swiftfoot Boots + Descent of the Dragons
EDH
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund (list)GRB