And how can a man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods
- Horatius, Lays of Ancient Rome
Hey everyone, this is my take on Darien, King of Kjeldor. I love this commander, he is super flavorful and that lends himself to some pretty thematic card choices. As you may already know mono-white tends to have a little trouble when stacking up against some of the other powerful color combinations in commander, so the list will probably be sub-optimal in the more competitive circles. The whole goal of the format is to have fun with other people and play a deck you enjoy playing right? Since that's the case, I'm okay with choosing the more fun/in-theme cards for the 99. The deck is heavily geared towards soldier tribal due to Darien's ability, supplemented by a smaller lifegain subtheme. So without further ado...
I can't believe I forgot about Ordric, he's perfect.
I also really like the gatekeeper, the knight-captain, the dictate as well as marble diamond. Thank you for the suggestions.
I can't believe I forgot about Ordric, he's perfect.
I also really like the gatekeeper, the knight-captain, the dictate as well as marble diamond. Thank you for the suggestions.
Don't forget that Coldsteel Heart is literally just another copy of Marble Diamond for you. Redundancy is consistency.
Also, you really want to be playing Land Tax. Card is really, really good for mono white.
Also also, Elspeth, Sun's Champion is much, much better than either of the other two Elspeths you have in there right now.
I'm not going to use Skullclamp in the deck *gasp* because I want all my dudes to be larger than 1/1 and overrun my opponents with a ton of bigger soldiers. But otherwise, hell yeah I'd include that card, that thing is insane.
I'm not going to use Skullclamp in the deck *gasp* because I want all my dudes to be larger than 1/1 and overrun my opponents with a ton of bigger soldiers. But otherwise, hell yeah I'd include that card, that thing is insane.
It's really important to keep in mind that even if you want your guys to be bigger than 1/1s, doesn't mean they will be. Oh, speaking of pumping them, though, you should also consider Spear of Heliod.
I'm not going to use Skullclamp in the deck *gasp* because I want all my dudes to be larger than 1/1 and overrun my opponents with a ton of bigger soldiers. But otherwise, hell yeah I'd include that card, that thing is insane.
It's really important to keep in mind that even if you want your guys to be bigger than 1/1s, doesn't mean they will be. Oh, speaking of pumping them, though, you should also consider Spear of Heliod.
I honestly just thought of that as well. That ability on it is really nice to have as well.
Yeah, I guess I'll add Coldsteel Heart as well, that makes sense.
I'll have to find a spot for Land Tax and Elspeth, Sun's Champion. I know this, I'm waiting for Elspeth to go down once she rotates out of standard. Because I really don't want to use the Duel Decks art and foil.
Instead of the Greaves, I'm thinking I'll use Swiftfoot Boots instead.
There are various artifacts that deal damage to everyone, but the one I like the most is Jinxed Choker. If they give it back, free soldiers, but they usually don't give it back and it ends up killing all of your opponents. Another card I like in Darien is Pulse of the Fields since the soul sisters always seem to eat removal.
I didn't even think about putting in lands that dealt damage to myself. That's ingenious. I don't have a spare Ancient Tomb right now but that will definitely be on my list to grab soon. I don't think I want to add the Jinxed Choker as I have a ton of artifacts already, but I will for sure keep it in the maybeboard.
I didn't even think about putting in lands that dealt damage to myself. That's ingenious. I don't have a spare Ancient Tomb right now but that will definitely be on my list to grab soon. I don't think I want to add the Jinxed Choker as I have a ton of artifacts already, but I will for sure keep it in the maybeboard.
Yeah, they're sweet with Darien. That's why I had them all on my suggestion list.
Yeah, I was super tired when I read that the first time, I was just like "why would i use that thats dumb" and then that other user spelled it out for me.
Remember kids, sleep is important to deck building.
Ok made a few changes. Land Tax is insane. I'm glad I was able to trade for one pretty easily. Same with the Elspeth, Sun's Champion. Still need to pick up an Ancient Tomb, but I'm pretty happy with how the deck is running right now. Still need to try out Jinxed Choker but am questioning what to cut, it seems like it would be pretty fun.
Wow some of those are really good suggestions. I'll have to look into a few of these, I reall like the idea of the stormfront dudes andnthe proclamation.
Highly recommend Pulse of the Fields and Sun Droplet. On modo people know to hit the soul sisters, so I only have two and then Pulse of the Fields, True Conviction and Sun Droplet to staunch the bleeding. With all the sweepers the non-creature lifegain, I find, is more reliable.
Pulse of the Fields is pretty techy. In a multiplayer game, especially playing with Darien, there's bound to be someone at the table with more life than you. With Pearl Medallion it might as well read "WW:Gain 4 life". It also powers up Wing Shards pretty well. I couldn't tell you how many times that card has saved my butt and caused massive turnarounds. Usually people will alpha strike you down, if you've been bleeding pretty well during the game as Darien should, they'll swing in with what should be lethal then you tick yourself up and they hit you.....and suddenly you're not dead, you've got a massive army, and your life total is now out of reach. Back when it was legal in standard it was the glue that held mono white control together, one of my favorite cards of all time.
I really don't want to use Pulse of the Fields, it just does not seem that good to me. However I do like Sun Droplet, or possibly Angelheart Vial instead. Wing Shards seems like a really neat inclusion, that will go on the maybe list for sure. As well as Decree of Justice, I can't believe I forgot about that card.
And I do not think I will use Weathered Wayfarer as I have Land Tax. (And I just gave my copy to my roomate to help his deck out)
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods
- Horatius, Lays of Ancient Rome
Hey everyone, this is my take on Darien, King of Kjeldor. I love this commander, he is super flavorful and that lends himself to some pretty thematic card choices. As you may already know mono-white tends to have a little trouble when stacking up against some of the other powerful color combinations in commander, so the list will probably be sub-optimal in the more competitive circles. The whole goal of the format is to have fun with other people and play a deck you enjoy playing right? Since that's the case, I'm okay with choosing the more fun/in-theme cards for the 99. The deck is heavily geared towards soldier tribal due to Darien's ability, supplemented by a smaller lifegain subtheme. So without further ado...
6 Darien, King of Kjeldor
Creatures 20
1 Soul's Attendant
1 Soul Warden
2 Suture Priest
2 Veteran Armorsmith
3 Veteran Swordsmith
3 Mentor of the Meek
3 Field Marshal
4 Ranger of Eos
4 Odric, Master Tactician
4 Loxodon Gatekeeper
4 Academy Rector
4 Daru Warchief
5 Archangel of Thune
5 Knight-Captain of Eos
5 Catapult Master
6 Captain of the Watch
6 Soul of Theros
6 Sun Titan
7 Emeria Shepherd
7 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Enchantments 9
1 Land Tax
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Mobilization
3 Spear of Heliod
4 Anointed Procession
4 Marshal's Anthem
5 Dictate of Heliod
5 Cathars' Crusade
6 True Conviction
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
2 Mind Stone
2 Coldsteel Heart
2 Ankh of Mishra
2 Marble Diamond
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Sword of the Animist
3 Angel's Trumpet
3 Darksteel Plate
5 Eldrazi Monument
5 Coat of Arms
5 Gauntlet of Power
5 Mind's Eye
6 Caged Sun
6 Staff of Nin
Walkers 3
4 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
5 Elspeth Tirel
6 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Sorcery 7
2 Martial Coup
3 Remember the Fallen
3 Council's Judgment
4 Day of Judgment
4 Wrath of God
4 Decree of Justice
6 Austere Command
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
2 Valorous Stance
3 Oblation
4 Faith's Reward
4 Return to Dust
Lands 37
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Nomad Stadium
1 City of Brass
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Tarnished Citadel
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Maze of Ith
26 Plains
All criticism is welcome. As with most commander decks, it is ever a work in progress.
Wanting to add, but haven't gotten around to it: none for now
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
Righteous Aura
Crackdown
Karmic Justice
Cradle of Vitality
Angelic Chorus
Heroes Remembered
Mask of Memory
Open the Vaults
Condemn
Congregate
War Report
Some cards I think you should consider:
Odric, Master Tactician
Coldsteel Heart
Marble Diamond
Land Tax
Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Hero of Bladehold
Knight-Captain of Eos
Loxodon Gatekeeper
Dictate of Heliod
Stoneforge Mystic
Stonehewer Giant
Batterskull
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Feast and Famine
Kor Haven
Ancient Tomb
City of Brass
Grand Coliseum
Tarnished Citadel
Those are just things off the top of my head. There are probably other sweet things I'm forgetting.
---
Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
---
Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
I also really like the gatekeeper, the knight-captain, the dictate as well as marble diamond. Thank you for the suggestions.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
With Darien out, you can tap Ancient Tomb and draw 4 cards.
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR
Don't forget that Coldsteel Heart is literally just another copy of Marble Diamond for you. Redundancy is consistency.
Also, you really want to be playing Land Tax. Card is really, really good for mono white.
Also also, Elspeth, Sun's Champion is much, much better than either of the other two Elspeths you have in there right now.
What he said. I meant to have Skullclamp on my list of suggestions, forgot it.
Oh, also, Lightning Greaves probably should have been on my list of suggestions.
---
Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
---
Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
It's really important to keep in mind that even if you want your guys to be bigger than 1/1s, doesn't mean they will be. Oh, speaking of pumping them, though, you should also consider Spear of Heliod.
---
Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
---
Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
I honestly just thought of that as well. That ability on it is really nice to have as well.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
I'll have to find a spot for Land Tax and Elspeth, Sun's Champion. I know this, I'm waiting for Elspeth to go down once she rotates out of standard. Because I really don't want to use the Duel Decks art and foil.
Instead of the Greaves, I'm thinking I'll use Swiftfoot Boots instead.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
Ancient Tomb
City of Brass
Tarnished Citadel
Grand Coliseum
Nomad Stadium
There are various artifacts that deal damage to everyone, but the one I like the most is Jinxed Choker. If they give it back, free soldiers, but they usually don't give it back and it ends up killing all of your opponents. Another card I like in Darien is Pulse of the Fields since the soul sisters always seem to eat removal.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
Yeah, they're sweet with Darien. That's why I had them all on my suggestion list.
---
Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
---
Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Remember kids, sleep is important to deck building.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
- Archetype of Courage
- Ballyrush Banneret
- Court Street Denizen (Absolutely incredible when Darien and a pain land are online.)
- Goldnight Commander (Same as above.)
- Stormfront Riders (Great way to re-buy value creatures in white.)
- Carnage Altar
- Expedition Map (Tutor for pain lands.)
- Mana Vault (Ramp out Darien AND ping yourself for tokens.)
- Slate of Ancestry
- Lorekeeper's Stone
- Proclamation of Rebirth (Resurrect the Soul Sisters.)
GGG [Primer] Omnath, Big Green Beatstick Machine GGG
Wow some of those are really good suggestions. I'll have to look into a few of these, I reall like the idea of the stormfront dudes andnthe proclamation.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
Pulse of the Fields is pretty techy. In a multiplayer game, especially playing with Darien, there's bound to be someone at the table with more life than you. With Pearl Medallion it might as well read "WW:Gain 4 life". It also powers up Wing Shards pretty well. I couldn't tell you how many times that card has saved my butt and caused massive turnarounds. Usually people will alpha strike you down, if you've been bleeding pretty well during the game as Darien should, they'll swing in with what should be lethal then you tick yourself up and they hit you.....and suddenly you're not dead, you've got a massive army, and your life total is now out of reach. Back when it was legal in standard it was the glue that held mono white control together, one of my favorite cards of all time.
Akroma's Memorial is another one of my favorites late-game. A Storm Herd or Decree of Justice or Increasing Devotion can often win the game on the spot.
edit
Oh and Weathered Wayfarer is pretty clutch when it comes to getting your pain lands.
Wing Shards seems like a really neat inclusion, that will go on the maybe list for sure. As well as Decree of Justice, I can't believe I forgot about that card.
And I do not think I will use Weathered Wayfarer as I have Land Tax. (And I just gave my copy to my roomate to help his deck out)
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
[EDH In Development] Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Queen Marchesa | Ruhan of the Fomori | Yahenni, Undying Partisan
[EDH Retired] Ertai, The Corrupted | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Tariel, Reckoner of Souls | Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
[Modern] Stuffy Doll Combo Burn | Demigod of Revenge
Doesn't work. While all damage is also life loss, not all life loss is damage. Mana Confluence does not trigger Darien.
GGG [Primer] Omnath, Big Green Beatstick Machine GGG
oh wow didn't look close enough, thanks for the catch
Sorry! lol
[EDH In Development] Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Queen Marchesa | Ruhan of the Fomori | Yahenni, Undying Partisan
[EDH Retired] Ertai, The Corrupted | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Tariel, Reckoner of Souls | Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
[Modern] Stuffy Doll Combo Burn | Demigod of Revenge
Darksteel Plate in for Dragon Throne of Tarkir
Ancient Tomb in for Plains
Decree of Justice in for Angelic Chorus
Thank you for all your input guys
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
The rest of the changes are whatever, but this one is 100% a mistake.
EDIT: Oh wait, you're saying you took out a Plains for it. I thought you meant the other way around. Derp, my bad. Disregard.
---
Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
---
Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock