Introduction
The idea for this deck came when reading one of my favorite books; CS Lewis' The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was reading about one of the main characters, Aslan (a talking lion that portrays the Christ-motiff in many of Lewis' books, who leads animals, humans, and all sorts of mythological creatures in war against the antagonist Jadis, the White Witch) when the card Brimaz, King of Oreskos popped into my head. I pondered the idea of Brimaz leading this army into battle against my opponents and so began the mental deckbuilding. Yes, that is next level nerd. I briefly considered a Narnia-themed or tribal deck, but a white weenie-style deck that could also take advantage of white's better creatures (i.e. Sun Titan, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, etc.) was more realistic. I understand that many players don't appreciate the value of combat-based decks in multiplayer, however it is a strategy and the political value of a deck that isn't looking for the quick combo/synergy should not be underestimated. The following deck list is my current version of the build that I hope you enjoy. Please share any comments or suggestions that you feel would be helpful to the deck. Thanks!
Why Play Brimaz?
Brimaz is a very efficient creature that creates additional creatures every time he attacks and blocks. He provides a relevant body and an ability that can fill your field, benefiting any aggro strategy.
Although white isn't traditionally considered the best or the fastest aggro strategy (red will probably always be faster, and green has the beefier creatures), but it does give us additional utilities to add to our aggro strategy; land denial, an equipment package and the bestremoval the game has to offer.
You May Enjoy Playing Brimaz If:
You enjoy playing creatures
You enjoy winning without feeling the guilt of nasty combos
You don't mind using land denial strategies
You like playing white
You May Not Enjoy Playing Brimaz If:
You want to win through combo
You don't enjoy playing white
You don't want to win through combat
You don't enjoy swinging into the red zone each turn
Other's Deck Lists
None yet
Deck List
The following is a detailed listing of my Brimaz deck list I have assembled and tested. This is by no means the "definitive list" as our card pool is so vast and our metas so varied. Each player may find certain choices they would replace (feedback is always welcome! ) and that is perfectly understandable. This is simply the current version of what I have found to be optimal for Brimaz in my meta. In the near future, I will update the thread with card descriptions/choices to give you a better understanding of why each card made the current list and why other cards may not have.
"Some find inspiration in their swords. Others find it in their leaders."
The following are changes made to the deck over the history of this thread. This is a great place to find cards have been in the deck previously (possibly before asking if we've considered "x" card). Please feel free to ask questions if you're not sure why something was added/removed.
-1 Ranger of Eos: just not enough targets here, often leading to failed searches
-1 Samurai of the Pale Curtain: kept hurting us as much as our opponents, will look for a similar effect that does not affect us
+1 Hokori, Dust Drinker: added denial strategy
+1 Global Ruin: same as Hokori, thanks for the suggestion 4Lark!
-2 Plains
+1 Flagstones of Trokair
+1 Mistveil Plains Strict upgrade here, Flags works much better than a Plains with our land destruction and Mistveil can be searched with Flags/fetches and is great utility.
-1 Mother of Runes
+1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails Tails gives us protection for multiple creatures/permanents, when Mom only gives us one. Another strict upgrade.
And I challenge you to create a theme deck! (Not necessarily this one.)
Hey, thanks for checking out the thread!
This is one deck where I don't feel I need that "whole lot" of mana acceleration. If I did add additional acceleration, it would be something lower cost (i.e. Grim Monolith, etc.). I love the addition of Global Ruin, I'll have to find a slot for that. I'd also like to fit Hokori, Dust Drinker for additional denial effects. Thoughts on cuts? Samurai of the Pale Curtain is on the chopping block already, so I'd have to find an additional slot.
Great suggestions, the Spirit of the Labyrinth is actually in the deck already(I know, a lot of creatures to look through ).
The other two, I'm not 100% sure on. If they said "opponents" instead of "each player" I'd be all over that, but we can explode onto the board and I'd hate to slow down our game, which is already faster than most opponents. Thoughts?
I think at least one would be good enough, especially if your meta contains storm combos or is fond of really fast artifact ramp. I mean, Spirit of the Labyrinth isn't stopping us from running Skullclamp.
I think at least one would be good enough, especially if your meta contains storm combos or is fond of really fast artifact ramp. I mean, Spirit of the Labyrinth isn't stopping us from running Skullclamp.
Good point. However, I would argue that a 3/1 for 2 in an aggressive deck is much better than a 1/4 ([/c]Eidolon of Rhetoric[/c]) and it only turns off additional draw, not additional plays. We don't have a lot of draw, but we do have a LOT of turns where we can play multiple cards. Have you had a chance to test Rule of Law at all? I haven't, but I am curious of your results.
I built a Brimaz deck for my gf who likes to beat face with White creatures. It is more of a sword-voltron strategy, and it includes a number of pet cards, so it is not intended to be a tuned competitive deck. That being said, she does regularly win in our small play-group including Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir (combo/control), Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind (hand-cycling combo), Roon of the Hidden Realm (pretty stock Bant blink), Daretti, Scrap Savant (artifact shenanigans), Experiment Kraj (Simic Evolve/+1/+1 counters matter/good-stuff), Obzedat, Ghost Council (Extort/Token/Midrange Value), so the deck has some merit. List is here for reference.
In our testing, we found that Eight-and-a-Half-Tails was almost a strictly better Mother of Runes, as the deck frequently has extra mana and the ability does not require tapping. I also second Scroll Rack since I see you run Land Tax and Weathered Wayfarer. Even without these, the card is great and shores up the card selection weakness of mono-W. Condemn seems like a notable omission from your list. Any reason for this? To help out your token strategy, I would consider Spear of Heliod depending on how hostile your meta is to enchantments. It has been more reliable for her than Planeswalkers like Ajani Steadfast, which seem to die very quickly. Jazal Goldmane could be sweet as well (bonus points for flavor).
The Planeswalker issue leads to another point which is important for mono-W, and that is politics. The only way for her Brimaz deck to win in a meta full of combo/control and midrange/removal has been to convince the table that she isn't a threat. She tends to hold the walkers until she is certain to get massive value with them, typically jumping Brimaz or another creature holding a sword for a big knockout punch. Fortunately for her, I have locked the table out enough times with Teferi/Knowledge Pool or Capsized the board enough that people tend to hate me out pretty quickly, giving her time to amass resources. So laying low and committing few threats to the table has been pretty successful for her, even if it won't last forever. Brimaz helps this strategy by being a singular threat that demands a stream of answers. Brimaz holding a sword tends to finish games pretty quickly
I know your deck is more of a weenie/swarm deck, but I hope these suggestions are helpful.
I built a Brimaz deck for my gf who likes to beat face with White creatures. It is more of a sword-voltron strategy, and it includes a number of pet cards, so it is not intended to be a tuned competitive deck. That being said, she does regularly win in our small play-group including Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir (combo/control), Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind (hand-cycling combo), Roon of the Hidden Realm (pretty stock Bant blink), Daretti, Scrap Savant (artifact shenanigans), Experiment Kraj (Simic Evolve/+1/+1 counters matter/good-stuff), Obzedat, Ghost Council (Extort/Token/Midrange Value), so the deck has some merit. List is here for reference.
In our testing, we found that Eight-and-a-Half-Tails was almost a strictly better Mother of Runes, as the deck frequently has extra mana and the ability does not require tapping. I also second Scroll Rack since I see you run Land Tax and Weathered Wayfarer. Even without these, the card is great and shores up the card selection weakness of mono-W. Condemn seems like a notable omission from your list. Any reason for this? To help out your token strategy, I would consider Spear of Heliod depending on how hostile your meta is to enchantments. It has been more reliable for her than Planeswalkers like Ajani Steadfast, which seem to die very quickly. Jazal Goldmane could be sweet as well (bonus points for flavor).
The Planeswalker issue leads to another point which is important for mono-W, and that is politics. The only way for her Brimaz deck to win in a meta full of combo/control and midrange/removal has been to convince the table that she isn't a threat. She tends to hold the walkers until she is certain to get massive value with them, typically jumping Brimaz or another creature holding a sword for a big knockout punch. Fortunately for her, I have locked the table out enough times with Teferi/Knowledge Pool or Capsized the board enough that people tend to hate me out pretty quickly, giving her time to amass resources. So laying low and committing few threats to the table has been pretty successful for her, even if it won't last forever. Brimaz helps this strategy by being a singular threat that demands a stream of answers. Brimaz holding a sword tends to finish games pretty quickly
I know your deck is more of a weenie/swarm deck, but I hope these suggestions are helpful.
Hey, thanks for checking out the thread and for your great feedback!
This list certainly can play as a sword voltron deck (Brimaz, King of Oreskos + Sublime Archangel can mean a easy voltron kill for us), but also has the ability to win through a swarm.
I have had great luck with Planeswalkers, and will the heavy combo and fast decks around, my Ajani is rarely a threat. Most of our deck doesn't appear threatening in a competitive meta, until it's too late. It's hard for people to justify hating us out when the other decks at the table could all go off at any minute.
While I like your suggestions, I purposely stayed away from the pump effects, as creatures that can do this or similar effects (Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Pianna, Nomad Captain, etc.) are far more valuable. Similarly, I stayed away from defensive effects like Runed Halo as this deck's purpose is to be aggressive early and throughout the game, not leaving many slots for defensive abilities (the ones we do use are very versatile, i.e. Austere Command).
Flagstones of Trokair is a GREAT addition here, especially with our land destruction package! I'm not a fan of many CIPT lands as they work against our aggressive battle plan.
Thank you both again for your feedback, I'll be looking for an Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, Scroll Rack, & Flagstones of Trokair to add in.
If you are planning on picking up a Flagstones, a card I forgot to mention was Mistveil Plains. This card works really well with SFM and Stonehewer Giant and the like for those times that people manage to destroy your equipment. Bonus points for counting as a Plains for Flagstones
If you are planning on picking up a Flagstones, a card I forgot to mention was Mistveil Plains. This card works really well with SFM and Stonehewer Giant and the like for those times that people manage to destroy your equipment. Bonus points for counting as a Plains for Flagstones
Love it! Good call!
I'll try to update the decklist tonight with these changes to the landbase. I am now considering what to cut for Scroll Rack... any thoughts?
Looking at your list, these cards seem to fit your deck the least:
Leonin Arbiter - Only really good early, when you are likely hoping to set up your board with tutors/land tax/SFM Leonin Relic-Warder - Without a sacrifice effect, this just seems lackluster. It doesn't pump your team, attack, block, or create tokens- and makes you more vulnerable to board wipes. Fiend Hunter - Same as above Global Ruin - Seems like multicolor decks are just free-rolling you here? Especially any decks running shocks/duals. Why not play Cataclysm in this slot?
My guess would be that for Scroll Rack the cut is Leonin Arbiter?
Looking at your list, these cards seem to fit your deck the least:
Leonin Arbiter - Only really good early, when you are likely hoping to set up your board with tutors/land tax/SFM Leonin Relic-Warder - Without a sacrifice effect, this just seems lackluster. It doesn't pump your team, attack, block, or create tokens- and makes you more vulnerable to board wipes. Fiend Hunter - Same as above Global Ruin - Seems like multicolor decks are just free-rolling you here? Especially any decks running shocks/duals. Why not play Cataclysm in this slot?
My guess would be that for Scroll Rack the cut is Leonin Arbiter?
The reason I'm not running Cataclysm is because I don't want the artifact, creature, enchantment sweep, just the land (there are many situations where if I drew into Cata, I'd screw myself over, not set myself up for victory). I agree that maybe Global Ruin isn't the answer, but a Armageddon #2 is necessary, whichever card that ends up being.
Now, onto your suggestions, I have actually had a lot of luck with Leonin Arbiter slowing down opponents long enough (add a two mana cost for a fetch land? yikes!) where we can gain an advantage. Plus, this card doesn't hurt us nearly as much as our opponents. And, it's a cat... MEOW!
Leonin Relic-Warder's value is in the turn it comes down, it can exile an artifact (i.e. my opponent's Eldrazi Monument, a Nevinyrral's Disk that just came out, etc.) to allow us to swing in. It usually isn't meant to stay around long, just to get us in. The same is true for Fiend Hunter for creatures (Divinity of Pride, opposing Serra Ascendants, etc.) that can stop our alpha strikes from finishing someone off.
I would probably prefer to keep the Relic-Warder out of the two, if I had to make that cut. However, I do agree that Global Ruin is sub-optimal here (can't really afford a Ravages of War though ), so maybe that gets the cut?
Yeah, Wizards really missed an opportunity with this last FTV to reprint Ravages
For getting attackers through, I like Rogue's Passage, but as I said this might be more useful for my equipment build. If you need to get the team through for an alpha strike, you might consider Brave the Elements? It just seems like using Fiend Hunter to remove blockers is going to expose you to removal/bounce more than I would like for myself.
There are not really any super-obvious cuts that I see, so we can really only speak about marginal advantages. In this case I have to defer to your experience with your play group.
Yeah, Wizards really missed an opportunity with this last FTV to reprint Ravages
For getting attackers through, I like Rogue's Passage, but as I said this might be more useful for my equipment build. If you need to get the team through for an alpha strike, you might consider Brave the Elements? It just seems like using Fiend Hunter to remove blockers is going to expose you to removal/bounce more than I would like for myself.
There are not really any super-obvious cuts that I see, so we can really only speak about marginal advantages. In this case I have to defer to your experience with your play group.
You're right in that Fiend Hunter can expose us to the removal/bounce (and when that happens, OUCH! ). He's really the only one I see that I could cut for Scroll Rack and not have the deck suffer any real loss (Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, etc. do the same).
Introduction
The idea for this deck came when reading one of my favorite books; CS Lewis' The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was reading about one of the main characters, Aslan (a talking lion that portrays the Christ-motiff in many of Lewis' books, who leads animals, humans, and all sorts of mythological creatures in war against the antagonist Jadis, the White Witch) when the card Brimaz, King of Oreskos popped into my head. I pondered the idea of Brimaz leading this army into battle against my opponents and so began the mental deckbuilding. Yes, that is next level nerd. I briefly considered a Narnia-themed or tribal deck, but a white weenie-style deck that could also take advantage of white's better creatures (i.e. Sun Titan, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, etc.) was more realistic. I understand that many players don't appreciate the value of combat-based decks in multiplayer, however it is a strategy and the political value of a deck that isn't looking for the quick combo/synergy should not be underestimated. The following deck list is my current version of the build that I hope you enjoy. Please share any comments or suggestions that you feel would be helpful to the deck. Thanks!
Why Play Brimaz?
Brimaz is a very efficient creature that creates additional creatures every time he attacks and blocks. He provides a relevant body and an ability that can fill your field, benefiting any aggro strategy.
Although white isn't traditionally considered the best or the fastest aggro strategy (red will probably always be faster, and green has the beefier creatures), but it does give us additional utilities to add to our aggro strategy; land denial, an equipment package and the best removal the game has to offer.
You May Enjoy Playing Brimaz If:
You May Not Enjoy Playing Brimaz If:
Other's Deck Lists
The following is a detailed listing of my Brimaz deck list I have assembled and tested. This is by no means the "definitive list" as our card pool is so vast and our metas so varied. Each player may find certain choices they would replace (feedback is always welcome! ) and that is perfectly understandable. This is simply the current version of what I have found to be optimal for Brimaz in my meta. In the near future, I will update the thread with card descriptions/choices to give you a better understanding of why each card made the current list and why other cards may not have.
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
Creature (34)
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Leonin Arbiter
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Precinct Captain
1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Stonecloaker
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Mirror Entity
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Pianna, Nomad Captain
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Restoration Angel
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Odric, Master Tactician
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Sublime Archangel
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Angel of Jubilation
1 Reveillark
1 Stonehewer Giant
1 Karmic Guide
1 Sun Titan
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
1 Ajani Steadfast
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Instant (6)
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
1 Oblation
1 Return to Dust
1 White Sun's Zenith
Sorcery (4)
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Armageddon
1 Global Ruin
1 Austere Command
Artifact (12)
1 Skullclamp
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Expedition Map
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Batterskull
1 Caged Sun
1 Akroma's Memorial
Enchantment (3)
1 Land Tax
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Aura of Silence
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terrain Generator
1 Buried Ruin
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
19 Plains
The following are changes made to the deck over the history of this thread. This is a great place to find cards have been in the deck previously (possibly before asking if we've considered "x" card). Please feel free to ask questions if you're not sure why something was added/removed.
-1 Ranger of Eos: just not enough targets here, often leading to failed searches
-1 Samurai of the Pale Curtain: kept hurting us as much as our opponents, will look for a similar effect that does not affect us
+1 Hokori, Dust Drinker: added denial strategy
+1 Global Ruin: same as Hokori, thanks for the suggestion 4Lark!
-2 Plains
+1 Flagstones of Trokair
+1 Mistveil Plains
Strict upgrade here, Flags works much better than a Plains with our land destruction and Mistveil can be searched with Flags/fetches and is great utility.
-1 Mother of Runes
+1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
Tails gives us protection for multiple creatures/permanents, when Mom only gives us one. Another strict upgrade.
And I challenge you to create a theme deck! (Not necessarily this one.)
Hey, thanks for checking out the thread!
This is one deck where I don't feel I need that "whole lot" of mana acceleration. If I did add additional acceleration, it would be something lower cost (i.e. Grim Monolith, etc.). I love the addition of Global Ruin, I'll have to find a slot for that. I'd also like to fit Hokori, Dust Drinker for additional denial effects. Thoughts on cuts? Samurai of the Pale Curtain is on the chopping block already, so I'd have to find an additional slot.
Stay tuned for a thematic deck.
I decided to remove Ranger of Eos and Samurai of the Pale Curtain for Hokori, Dust Drinker and Global Ruin to add to our denial strategy.
I'm looking for your suggestions, I'm sure there are still plenty of cards out there that I've overlooked!
Hey, thanks for checking out the deck!
Great suggestions, the Spirit of the Labyrinth is actually in the deck already(I know, a lot of creatures to look through ).
The other two, I'm not 100% sure on. If they said "opponents" instead of "each player" I'd be all over that, but we can explode onto the board and I'd hate to slow down our game, which is already faster than most opponents. Thoughts?
Good point. However, I would argue that a 3/1 for 2 in an aggressive deck is much better than a 1/4 ([/c]Eidolon of Rhetoric[/c]) and it only turns off additional draw, not additional plays. We don't have a lot of draw, but we do have a LOT of turns where we can play multiple cards. Have you had a chance to test Rule of Law at all? I haven't, but I am curious of your results.
Thanks for the input!
In our testing, we found that Eight-and-a-Half-Tails was almost a strictly better Mother of Runes, as the deck frequently has extra mana and the ability does not require tapping. I also second Scroll Rack since I see you run Land Tax and Weathered Wayfarer. Even without these, the card is great and shores up the card selection weakness of mono-W. Condemn seems like a notable omission from your list. Any reason for this? To help out your token strategy, I would consider Spear of Heliod depending on how hostile your meta is to enchantments. It has been more reliable for her than Planeswalkers like Ajani Steadfast, which seem to die very quickly. Jazal Goldmane could be sweet as well (bonus points for flavor).
The Planeswalker issue leads to another point which is important for mono-W, and that is politics. The only way for her Brimaz deck to win in a meta full of combo/control and midrange/removal has been to convince the table that she isn't a threat. She tends to hold the walkers until she is certain to get massive value with them, typically jumping Brimaz or another creature holding a sword for a big knockout punch. Fortunately for her, I have locked the table out enough times with Teferi/Knowledge Pool or Capsized the board enough that people tend to hate me out pretty quickly, giving her time to amass resources. So laying low and committing few threats to the table has been pretty successful for her, even if it won't last forever. Brimaz helps this strategy by being a singular threat that demands a stream of answers. Brimaz holding a sword tends to finish games pretty quickly
I know your deck is more of a weenie/swarm deck, but I hope these suggestions are helpful.
A card I like to use in mono white when my commander doesn't have flying is Runed Halo.
And with all the tokens/recursion that you have, Smokestack would be pretty decent.
Flagstones of Trokair and Myriad Landscape........maybe Kjeldoran Outpost and Karoo since they're both decent on their own and can help when you have Wayfarer running to keep you lower on lands.
Hey, thanks for checking out the thread and for your great feedback!
This list certainly can play as a sword voltron deck (Brimaz, King of Oreskos + Sublime Archangel can mean a easy voltron kill for us), but also has the ability to win through a swarm.
I like the idea of Eight-and-a-Half-Tails over Mother of Runes, that definitely seems better in multiplayer vs. duel commander. I also like the idea of Scroll Rack, and it makes a lot of sense with Land Tax/Weathered Wayfarer.
I have had great luck with Planeswalkers, and will the heavy combo and fast decks around, my Ajani is rarely a threat. Most of our deck doesn't appear threatening in a competitive meta, until it's too late. It's hard for people to justify hating us out when the other decks at the table could all go off at any minute.
Condemn was left outside the 99 because it is conditional, unlike Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares, plus MANY creatures we need to remove will never attack (Praetors, Consecrated Sphinx, etc.).
Hey, thanks for checking out the thread!
While I like your suggestions, I purposely stayed away from the pump effects, as creatures that can do this or similar effects (Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Pianna, Nomad Captain, etc.) are far more valuable. Similarly, I stayed away from defensive effects like Runed Halo as this deck's purpose is to be aggressive early and throughout the game, not leaving many slots for defensive abilities (the ones we do use are very versatile, i.e. Austere Command).
Flagstones of Trokair is a GREAT addition here, especially with our land destruction package! I'm not a fan of many CIPT lands as they work against our aggressive battle plan.
Thank you both again for your feedback, I'll be looking for an Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, Scroll Rack, & Flagstones of Trokair to add in.
and opal palace for when your commander just can't catch a break
and world queller is pretty staxy
Love it! Good call!
I'll try to update the decklist tonight with these changes to the landbase. I am now considering what to cut for Scroll Rack... any thoughts?
Leonin Arbiter - Only really good early, when you are likely hoping to set up your board with tutors/land tax/SFM
Leonin Relic-Warder - Without a sacrifice effect, this just seems lackluster. It doesn't pump your team, attack, block, or create tokens- and makes you more vulnerable to board wipes.
Fiend Hunter - Same as above
Global Ruin - Seems like multicolor decks are just free-rolling you here? Especially any decks running shocks/duals. Why not play Cataclysm in this slot?
My guess would be that for Scroll Rack the cut is Leonin Arbiter?
The reason I'm not running Cataclysm is because I don't want the artifact, creature, enchantment sweep, just the land (there are many situations where if I drew into Cata, I'd screw myself over, not set myself up for victory). I agree that maybe Global Ruin isn't the answer, but a Armageddon #2 is necessary, whichever card that ends up being.
Now, onto your suggestions, I have actually had a lot of luck with Leonin Arbiter slowing down opponents long enough (add a two mana cost for a fetch land? yikes!) where we can gain an advantage. Plus, this card doesn't hurt us nearly as much as our opponents. And, it's a cat... MEOW!
Leonin Relic-Warder's value is in the turn it comes down, it can exile an artifact (i.e. my opponent's Eldrazi Monument, a Nevinyrral's Disk that just came out, etc.) to allow us to swing in. It usually isn't meant to stay around long, just to get us in. The same is true for Fiend Hunter for creatures (Divinity of Pride, opposing Serra Ascendants, etc.) that can stop our alpha strikes from finishing someone off.
I would probably prefer to keep the Relic-Warder out of the two, if I had to make that cut. However, I do agree that Global Ruin is sub-optimal here (can't really afford a Ravages of War though ), so maybe that gets the cut?
Thoughts?
Thanks for all of your great input!
Come play on modo, Ravages is only a buck. = )
For getting attackers through, I like Rogue's Passage, but as I said this might be more useful for my equipment build. If you need to get the team through for an alpha strike, you might consider Brave the Elements? It just seems like using Fiend Hunter to remove blockers is going to expose you to removal/bounce more than I would like for myself.
There are not really any super-obvious cuts that I see, so we can really only speak about marginal advantages. In this case I have to defer to your experience with your play group.
LOL, fair point.
I happen to love the paper magic though. Maybe someday I'll make the investment... probably not though (wife would KILL me).
You're right in that Fiend Hunter can expose us to the removal/bounce (and when that happens, OUCH! ). He's really the only one I see that I could cut for Scroll Rack and not have the deck suffer any real loss (Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, etc. do the same).