Greetings MTGS! The following is my developing list for Dralnu, Lich Lord, based on abusing instants and sorceries via Dralnu's tap ability. I'm still a few slots short, need to make some decisions/cuts for those slots, any ideas are welcome!
All other comments or questions are also welcome, thanks for reading!
Consider running more basic lands as Blood Moon can really screw you over and in UB there is no enchantment destruction.
Another thing you might want to consider - Doomsday as wincon - Very hard to disrupt if pulled off correctly. Nice list overall!
First off, thanks for your reply!
Solemn is in the initial list because... okay fine, he's in just because his name is Solemn Simulacrum, lol.
Willbender is a tech choice against Bojuka Bog/yard hate and Krosan Grip effects. However, it is pretty obvious on the board and only really works well with Riptide Laboratory, so I can see cutting it for other powerful cards.
Right now, Acquire is playing the part of Bribery in my list, but yes, I do agree that I need one here. Though I will admit Acquire has done a pretty nice job filling in.
As for Toxic Deluge, that card just totally slipped my mind (same with Notion Thief), good catch!
The reason for the large amount of non-basics (and yes it is large) was to test the nonbasics, not run ALL of them (this obviously should have been specified, but wasn't, my bad!).
Doomsday is already in my maybe pile, just wasn't sure if this type of deck could abuse it properly? I have like a goofy Cyclonic Rift/Leyline/Windfall/Repeat win, or possibly Storm, but I don't know that Doomsday makes those any better... it's possible I should just narrow my wincons to strict combos, but that also takes some of the fun out of it.
I like Phyrexian Tower in general, but I worry that in a deck with so few creatures, is it just a nonbasic that taps for colorless 90% of the time? If so, are there better options? The reason I chose Riptide is that it allows me to protect and abuse my wizard's abilities. Magebane Armor is a good idea, but a little slow, I'm wondering what other options we might have for a similar effect?
Didn't see that you already had Riptide Lab--oops!
All things considered, I'd still run Phyrexian Tower. You're only in two colors and your manabase is about as solid as it gets, so I can't see a single more colorless-producing nonbasic straining it too much. The benefit it affords (a sac outlet that doesn't take up a spell slot) is pretty significant.
I'll also second the inclusion of a Doomsday package. In EDH, Doomsday is much more suited (in my experience) to a Meandeck-style LabMan win than a DDFT-style storm kill. I ran a Doomsday-focused Dralnu list for a while, and it's a powerful wincon. It also only takes up a few spots--a number of the spells you're already running can fill in for some of the spots in a Doomsday pile. The only cards I think you really would need to add for one are Laboratory Maniac, Unearth, and Predict (and of course Doomsday itself).
Come to think about it, a really strong card in your list might be Azami, Lady of Scrolls - Her + Mind over matter filters infinitly through your library and she is very synergetic with all your wizards as is. As for wincon I consider Labratory Maniac as you already have some ways to draw your library. I'd remove the storm wincon and focus on the "Hard" combo part, which I'll expand if you wish.
Also, if the problematic card is bojka bog, you should really try Stifle - incredibly verstile card and easier to reuse.
Didn't see that you already had Riptide Lab--oops!
All things considered, I'd still run Phyrexian Tower. You're only in two colors and your manabase is about as solid as it gets, so I can't see a single more colorless-producing nonbasic straining it too much. The benefit it affords (a sac outlet that doesn't take up a spell slot) is pretty significant.
I'll also second the inclusion of a Doomsday package. In EDH, Doomsday is much more suited (in my experience) to a Meandeck-style LabMan win than a DDFT-style storm kill. I ran a Doomsday-focused Dralnu list for a while, and it's a powerful wincon. It also only takes up a few spots--a number of the spells you're already running can fill in for some of the spots in a Doomsday pile. The only cards I think you really would need to add for one are Laboratory Maniac, Unearth, and Predict (and of course Doomsday itself).
Great suggestions! I ran Doomsday in Grenzo and witnessed it's full power on many occasions. I'm wondering if those are the best that we can get or if we even need them? I know they would win us the game, but if we're at 5 cards and we have a Lab Maniac, isn't that all we need? I know that I'll be adding Lab Maniac anyways because Laboratory Maniac in a deck with Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth and Stroke of Genius just makes sense.
I'll start testing Magebane Armor and see where it goes, it makes alot of sense to be able to "turtle shell" Dralnu as his effect is just so powerful.
Come to think about it, a really strong card in your list might be Azami, Lady of Scrolls - Her + Mind over matter filters infinitly through your library and she is very synergetic with all your wizards as is. As for wincon I consider Labratory Maniac as you already have some ways to draw your library. I'd remove the storm wincon and focus on the "Hard" combo part, which I'll expand if you wish.
Also, if the problematic card is bojka bog, you should really try Stifle - incredibly verstile card and easier to reuse.
I like the addition of Azami and Lab Maniac, both work quite well in this deck. Also, Stifle is WAY better than Willbender here (duh, my bad) with Dralnu as commander, good catch there!
I understand about removing the storm package, it was always a long-shot dream anyways.
Pro-red Swords are better than Magebane Armor most of the time. They protect from all the same things outside of corner cases like the occasional black or green direct damage, and they turn your little utility creatures into decent threats. Same primary purpose, much less narrow.
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Pro-red Swords are better than Magebane Armor most of the time. They protect from all the same things outside of corner cases like the occasional black or green direct damage, and they turn your little utility creatures into decent threats. Same primary purpose, much less narrow.
Good idea, I think Sword of Fire and Ice would do the job. I'll add that to my test-pile. Thanks for the suggestion!
All other comments or questions are also welcome, thanks for reading!
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord
Creature [6]
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Willbender
1 Trinket Mage
1 Notion Thief
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Instant [18]
1 Pact of Negation
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Brainstorm
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Delay
1 Arcane Denial
1 Negate
1 Memory Lapse
1 Counterspell
1 Intuition
1 Frantic Search
1 Hinder
1 Capsize
1 Forbid
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Stroke of Genius
Sorcery [14]
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Windfall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Fabricate
1 Deep Analysis
1 Damnation
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Increasing Ambition
1 Acquire
1 Mind's Desire
1 Blatant Thievery
1 Rhystic Study
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Necropotence
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Dream Halls
1 Mind Over Matter
Artifact [13]
1 Mana Crypt
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Expedition Map
1 Scroll Rack
1 Dimir Signet
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mind Stone
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Memory Jar
Land [38]
1 Command Tower
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
1 River of Tears
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Underground River
1 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cephalid Coliseum
1 Tolaria West
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Vault of Whispers
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Academy Ruins
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Temple of the False God
8 Island
5 Swamp
Change Log
2/4/15
-1 Creeping Tar Pit
-1 Deserted Temple
-1 Solemn Simulacrum
+1 Island
+1 Swamp
+1 Notion Thief
Consider running more basic lands as Blood Moon can really screw you over and in UB there is no enchantment destruction.
Another thing you might want to consider - Doomsday as wincon - Very hard to disrupt if pulled off correctly. Nice list overall!
First off, thanks for your reply!
Solemn is in the initial list because... okay fine, he's in just because his name is Solemn Simulacrum, lol.
Willbender is a tech choice against Bojuka Bog/yard hate and Krosan Grip effects. However, it is pretty obvious on the board and only really works well with Riptide Laboratory, so I can see cutting it for other powerful cards.
Right now, Acquire is playing the part of Bribery in my list, but yes, I do agree that I need one here. Though I will admit Acquire has done a pretty nice job filling in.
As for Toxic Deluge, that card just totally slipped my mind (same with Notion Thief), good catch!
The reason for the large amount of non-basics (and yes it is large) was to test the nonbasics, not run ALL of them (this obviously should have been specified, but wasn't, my bad!).
Doomsday is already in my maybe pile, just wasn't sure if this type of deck could abuse it properly? I have like a goofy Cyclonic Rift/Leyline/Windfall/Repeat win, or possibly Storm, but I don't know that Doomsday makes those any better... it's possible I should just narrow my wincons to strict combos, but that also takes some of the fun out of it.
Hey, thanks for your comment!
I like Phyrexian Tower in general, but I worry that in a deck with so few creatures, is it just a nonbasic that taps for colorless 90% of the time? If so, are there better options? The reason I chose Riptide is that it allows me to protect and abuse my wizard's abilities. Magebane Armor is a good idea, but a little slow, I'm wondering what other options we might have for a similar effect?
All things considered, I'd still run Phyrexian Tower. You're only in two colors and your manabase is about as solid as it gets, so I can't see a single more colorless-producing nonbasic straining it too much. The benefit it affords (a sac outlet that doesn't take up a spell slot) is pretty significant.
Magebane Armor is pretty unique in what it does, at least in colors accessible to Dralnu. Since it looks like you plan on playing a grindy, control-y game I don't think Magebane is all that slow, especially considering the classy artifact ramp you've got in EDH (Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, Mana Vault, etc.). That said, if you don't see a lot of the things it protects against (Blasphemous Act, Destructive Force, Burning of Xinye, Devastating Dreams, Wildfire, Balefire Dragon) in your playgroup, it probably isn't worth running.
I'll also second the inclusion of a Doomsday package. In EDH, Doomsday is much more suited (in my experience) to a Meandeck-style LabMan win than a DDFT-style storm kill. I ran a Doomsday-focused Dralnu list for a while, and it's a powerful wincon. It also only takes up a few spots--a number of the spells you're already running can fill in for some of the spots in a Doomsday pile. The only cards I think you really would need to add for one are Laboratory Maniac, Unearth, and Predict (and of course Doomsday itself).
Also, if the problematic card is bojka bog, you should really try Stifle - incredibly verstile card and easier to reuse.
Great suggestions! I ran Doomsday in Grenzo and witnessed it's full power on many occasions. I'm wondering if those are the best that we can get or if we even need them? I know they would win us the game, but if we're at 5 cards and we have a Lab Maniac, isn't that all we need? I know that I'll be adding Lab Maniac anyways because Laboratory Maniac in a deck with Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth and Stroke of Genius just makes sense.
I'll start testing Magebane Armor and see where it goes, it makes alot of sense to be able to "turtle shell" Dralnu as his effect is just so powerful.
I like the addition of Azami and Lab Maniac, both work quite well in this deck. Also, Stifle is WAY better than Willbender here (duh, my bad) with Dralnu as commander, good catch there!
I understand about removing the storm package, it was always a long-shot dream anyways.
Good idea, I think Sword of Fire and Ice would do the job. I'll add that to my test-pile. Thanks for the suggestion!