I've recently put together my first Grixis commander deck, Marchesa, the Black Rose. I really, really like the deck and its tons of fun to play but it has a few problems. It's very slow to get started and I'm really having mana issues. LOTS of my lands come into play tapped and this slows me down a lot, so I need help on my manabase in particular(working on getting one of each shock that fits to help with this). Also, are there any glaring omissions? On to the decklist!
P.S. My playgroup doesn't allow counters or infinite combos. Keep this in mind when suggesting cards. It was a group descision so it's not up for debate Thanks!
I think that in general with Marchesa you want to play creatures before you play her, thus a heavier focus on cheap creatures. From my count you only have seven, which could be the reason your deck feels a bit slow. On the other hand you have a lot of creatures 4-7 mana which mean your deck won't get going that quickly. I would try to add more low cmc options to replace the higher cmc ones and also add more creatures in total. The more creatures you play, the more value you get out of Marchesa. There is a great Marchesa thread on the forums (theonecalledrune's thread) which has a lot of good information and thirteen pages of comments so you can get a lot of info from there.
In addition I think for a deck that has a higher curve and a 4 cmc General 36 lands is on the low side. Even though you have some ramp, if you don't have sufficient lands your ramp won't have the same effect either. Your mana base also has many come into play tapped lands, which will make your deck feel clunky. Adding some shock lands, some fetch lands. Mana Confluence, City of Brass, Pain lands and some more basics will make your deck feel a lot more fluid too.
Good luck!
Your land issues can be mitigated with Amulet of Vigor, either a LARGE monetary investment in untapped nonbasics, or go heavy basic (like 30), with just a handful of better, affordable nonbasics and a Chromatic Lamtern.
Running more sweepers, especially once you've prepped the board with Marchesa and counters, serves you well. Jokulhaups resolving might just win the game; just time it right, as MLD as a reset rather than to lock in victory gives MLD a bad name.
I second reading the Marchesa superthread.
Cheers!
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If in the area, check out Gamers N Geeks and Mini War Games in Mobile, Alabama and Underhill's Games in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Krichaiushii on PucaTrade.
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1x Marchesa, the Black Rose
Ramp:9
1x Mind Stone
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Obelisk of Grixis
1x Sol Ring
1x Coalition Relic
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Rakdos Signet
1x Izzet Signet
1x Commander's Sphere
+1/+1 Counters:2
1x Unspeakable Symbol
1x Dragon Blood
Sac Outlets:5
1x Carnage Altar
1x Altar of Dementia
1x Ashnod's Altar
1x Infernal Tribute
1x Attrition
Tutor:1
1x Increasing Ambition
Non-Creature Spells:20
1x Recurring Insight
1x Magmaquake
1x Grave Betrayal
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Tezzeret, the Seeker
1x Nihil Spellbomb
1x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Greed
1x Chaos Warp
1x Vicious Shadows
1x Unstable Obelisk
1x Crosis's Charm
1x Darksteel Plate
1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Victimize
1x No Mercy
1x Oblivion Stone
1x Squee, Goblin Nabob
1x Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
1x Preyseizer Dragon
1x Bloodgift Demon
1x Cytoplast Manipulator
1x Taurean Mauler
1x Burnished Hart
1x Desecration Demon
1x Dack's Duplicate
1x Mulldrifter
1x Tymaret, the Murder King
1x Anathemancer
1x Viashino Heretic
1x Disciple of Bolas
1x Sphinx of Magosi
1x Molten Primordial
1x River Kelpie
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Oona's Blackguard
1x Chasm Skulker
1x Sage of Fables
1x Shriekmaw
1x Notion Thief
1x Flayer of the Hatebound (WINS games!)
1x Hamletback Goliath
1x Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
1x Stalking Vengeance
Lands:36
2x Swamp
2x Mountain
2x Island
1x Cabal Coffers
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Myriad Landscape (probably just bad here)
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Izzet Guildgate
1x Bloodfell Caves
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Rupture Spire
1x Opal Palace (ALL STAR)
1x Dismal Backwater
1x Rakdos Carnarium
1x Crumbling Necropolis
1x Izzet Boilerworks
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Vivid Marsh
1x Dimir Guildgate
1x Jwar Isle Refuge
1x Strip Mine
1x Vivid Creek
1x Steam Vents
1x Vivid Crag
1x Terramorphic Expanse
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Barren Moor
1x Lonely Sandbar
1x Rakdos Guildgate
1x Command Tower
1x Swiftwater Cliffs
1x Grixis Panorama
1x Forgotten Cave
I LOVE this deck! Help me make it work!
P.S. My playgroup doesn't allow counters or infinite combos. Keep this in mind when suggesting cards. It was a group descision so it's not up for debate
In addition I think for a deck that has a higher curve and a 4 cmc General 36 lands is on the low side. Even though you have some ramp, if you don't have sufficient lands your ramp won't have the same effect either. Your mana base also has many come into play tapped lands, which will make your deck feel clunky. Adding some shock lands, some fetch lands. Mana Confluence, City of Brass, Pain lands and some more basics will make your deck feel a lot more fluid too.
Good luck!
BRWC Mardu Shops - Tymna and Akiri Artifacts BRWC
Running heavy basics lets you run Price of Progress, Blood Moon, and/or Ruination and laugh.
I understand no infinite combos, but no countermagic? That means everything resolves, all the time. Interesting.
Cyclonic Rift, Vandalblast, Exsanguinate, and Rite of Replication are extra strong when noone is countering them.
Running more sweepers, especially once you've prepped the board with Marchesa and counters, serves you well. Jokulhaups resolving might just win the game; just time it right, as MLD as a reset rather than to lock in victory gives MLD a bad name.
I second reading the Marchesa superthread.
Cheers!
Krichaiushii on PucaTrade.