I started playing Magic: The Gathering sometime during Onslaught block, though I was young and can't remember exactly when I cracked my first pack. I do remember entering my first tournament in 2003 and being slaughtered in each match. However, I still enjoyed the deck building and tuning process. For the next five years I played Standard and Extended exclusively, becoming progressively more competitive. I started to travel to major tournaments across the U.S. and really became enthralled with the game.
Then, in 2008, I was introduced to this strange singelton format. I'll admit, I did resist at first, but once I started to think of the deckbuilding implications, I was hooked. No rotation, no 4-ofs, just limitless possibilities. Cards that I had disregarded as "garbage" for years now became treasure I hunted. My creativity had never felt so free and I immediately clung to this new format. Bladewing the Risen was my first general, and then Korlash, Heir to Blackblade soon after. While their abilities were not overpowering, the cards peeked my interested just based on the lore around them.
Over the next few years, I continued to play Standard and Extended, but my true joy was in EDH. Now I wasn't traveling to compete in tournaments, I was going for the artists, the vendors and all the great casual side games that didn't cost a penny. Eventually, I dropped any competitive magic and ever since have only played EDH, now Commander. I'll admit I have a severe addiction to foils, foreign old cards, misprints, etc., though with prices on Commander cards these days, it's a little bit harder to budget for "pimp" (looking at you $1 foil Rhystic Study).
Nowadays I'm married and work a more-than full-time job, but still find time to play quite often. I play in the Minneapolis Metro area and am always up for a game of 100 card singleton.
"An orc so cruel that he burned his own followers in rage
- yet so revered that they rose from their pyres to serve him."
Deck History
This deck's origins lie in a mono black sacrifice deck that had several iterations, starting with Balthor the Defiled long ago and ending with Ghoulcaller Gisa. I eventually made the switch to Sek'kuar when looking for a new build-around commander that saw less play. I stumbled upon Sek'kuar and realized I could continue playing my favorite deck AND play a new under-valued commander.
This version of the deck is still based around sacrifice, but Jund gives us several more tools, like Greater Good, Genesis, Goblin Bombardment, etc. I've been fine tuning this version for a few months now, and still love some of the crazy interactions that can happen. The deck is a work in progress (and always will be), so your comments, questions and suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Why Play Sek'kuar?
This is pretty important to understand if you're interested in piloting Sek'kuar. He is an excellent commander for any deck that wants to capitalize on creatures hitting the graveyard. Thankfully, Jund (Sek'kuar's colors) has the best color combination to accomplish this. With Sek'kuar you can win through combat or combo plays, and can easily tune down or up your competitiveness (depending on your meta).
Another benefit of Sek'kuar is his political value. Not many players see Sek'kuar as a threat, unlike Kresh the Bloodbraided, Karador, Ghost Chieftain, etc. Sitting down with Sek'kuar, your opponent wont know exactly what to expect, and often assume this is more of a casual deck. It gives us a small element of surprise in our game plan. For comparison, listed below are other legendary creatures that could command similar decks.
Kresh is the easiest general to compare to Sek'kuar, they have the exact same mana cost in the same colors and both rely on creatures hitting the graveyard
the main difference here is that Kresh is focused on one creature, himself, the idea is to get a lot of +1/+1 counters on Kresh and swing in for victory, where Sek'kuar creates more threats than just himself and often leads to complex board situations that forces your opponents into tough choices that often result in our victory
Kresh is an excellent commander choice, like all of the generals listed here, and I highly recommend any player give him a try
Karador is one of my favorite graveyard-based generals and as those that pilot him regularly will tell you, he has a high power level that is easily abused
the main difference between Karador and Sek'kuar is that Karador works by getting things into the yard via spells like Entomb, Buried Alive, etc. and not from the battlefield, where Sek'kuar thrives (effects like Grave Pact, Harvester of Souls, etc.)
Karador is certainly a target on the field (far more so than Sek'kuar generally), but not to the extreme that Kresh often is. Both Karador and Kresh are often quick targets of removal and are considered necessary to achieve victory, where Sek'kuar is often seen as more of a value play (getting 3/1s with every yard trigger) than a huge threat
Mimeoplasm is a very powerful general that offers quick combo kills and insane plays, however it also paints a giant target onto itself, unlike Sek'kuar who isn't such a target, at least until your meta figures him out
Mimeoplasm works by first getting creatures into the yard, usually through powerful spells, similar to Karador, but often does not get the benefit that Sek'kuar does from getting the creatures into the graveyard from the battlefield
Mimeoplasm offers a form a creature recursion that Sek'kuar cannot, however it is important to note that it exiles its creatures on effect, removing them permanently form the game
Reasons you may enjoy playing Sek'kuar:
You enjoy complicated plays that have huge upside when executed correctly
You enjoy piloting decks based on creatures with come-into-play abilities
You enjoy the versatility of winning through redzone combat, combo or both
You enjoy piloting less well-known commanders
Reasons you may not enjoy playing Sek'kuar:
You enjoy playing traditional control decks
You don't enjoy creature-based decks
You prefer more popular well-known commanders
You enjoy playing decks build exclusively around their commander winning the game
Decklist Variations
The following are other versions of Alesha from the MTGS Community:
Listed below is a current version of my Sek'kuar sacrifice-based decklist. As any deck in this format, it is no means definitive and is subject to change with new sets, bannings/unbannings, etc. This list was not built by me alone, but by the wonderful folks within the MTGS Community. Their helpful suggestions, comments and questions are greatly appreciated, and your feedback is to! Please, let me know your thoughts about the deck, what works well, what could use improvement, and any experience you've had with Sek'kuar. Thank you in advance for your help!
"His verdict is always guilty. His sentence is always death."
The following are cards, suggested by the community, that have been/are being tested. This section is a great resource to see what cards have been tried and to find out why card "X" is not in this deck. I'll try to add/update why each suggestions may have or may not have worked for this build.
Sepulchral Primordial this card ended up not being added in because its completely based on your opponents graveyards, which we have very little if any way to manipulate. In similar fashion, Puppeteer Clique was cut for other currently tested cards.
Change Log
This section details the changes the deck goes through after the thread was first posted. Most changes come directly from the readers (that's you!) and further testing down the line. Some changes may seem more intuitive than others, so I'll try to give each entry a description of why the change was made. However, if you disagree with the change or have further questions, please share so we can discuss. All suggestions are welcome!
-1 Expedition Map
+1 Decree of Pain The map seemed unnecessary (Urborg+Coffers isn't a wincon here, just a nice set of lands) and Decree gives us the power to sweep and major card draw.
5/16/14
-1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
+1 Urabrask, the Hidden I found that Purphoros was a win-more card here, it was great when I was winning, but not when I wasn't. Whereas Urabrask is great, even when I don't have a big board presence.
6/10/15
-1 Phyrexian Arena
+1 Necropotence This could be listed under "Test Log" instead, I was "convinced" by some friendly MTGS Community members to get 'Potence in the deck, and cut Arena temporarily with the idea of finding a new slot in the deck for it.
Mike and Trike seem perfect for this deck, especially because you can have some fun and not kill everyone at first so that you can get a bunch of tokens. That and Tooth and Nail would be an excellent win condition.
Mike and Trike seem perfect for this deck, especially because you can have some fun and not kill everyone at first so that you can get a bunch of tokens. That and Tooth and Nail would be an excellent win condition.
That's a nice edition to the Tooth and Nail package, right now I have Mike + Redcap & Kiki + Craterhoof, but Trike adds another good target.
With that many creatures how do you feel about cards like freylise and other collective unconscious type effects? Well maybe that's a tad expensive but perhaps fercundity? You have the black to support use of grey merchant or nykthos. I like the idea if going max fetch crucible and Azusa a package here for something it's just stupidly strong. Not exactly sure what I would cut without actually playing it. I also don't think I could play red without tossing in good ole wheel of fortune. But I like the deck.
With that many creatures how do you feel about cards like freylise and other collective unconscious type effects? Well maybe that's a tad expensive but perhaps fercundity? You have the black to support use of grey merchant or nykthos. I like the idea if going max fetch crucible and Azusa a package here for something it's just stupidly strong. Not exactly sure what I would cut without actually playing it. I also don't think I could play red without tossing in good ole wheel of fortune. But I like the deck.
Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury is certainly interesting, and probably worth testing, as well as Fecundity (I hate that "all player" aspect though). I originally had Gary and Nykthos in the build actually, just didn't feel like I could hit devotion often enough (though a few adjustments could certainly help that).
I like both Momentous Fall and Life's Legacy, but opted for Greater Good because it's a repeatable effect. Do either of you think I need to add additional draw effects in?
The symmetry of Fecundity is the main reason I never play it. Don't ever want to give my opponents cards. While it has a harder cost and hurts, I would usually much rather play Dark Prophecy over it.
Also, Greater Good is definitely fantastic, but it serves somewhat of a different role from something like Momentous Fall. This of that one as more of a second Disciple of Bolas with flash.
The symmetry of Fecundity is the main reason I never play it. Don't ever want to give my opponents cards. While it has a harder cost and hurts, I would usually much rather play Dark Prophecy over it.
Also, Greater Good is definitely fantastic, but it serves somewhat of a different role from something like Momentous Fall. This of that one as more of a second Disciple of Bolas with flash.
I like that description of Momentous Fall, just wish it was a creature! Still, it's worth playing around with, and it's a nice tool to have in your back pocket when someone tries to exile your Persist creature.
Yeah, having an actual second Disciple would be better, but gotta take what you can get. It's nice to have redundancy of effects. And yes, being an Instant gives this all kinds of benefits, like being able to hold up mana and do it at opponent's EOT, or doing it in response to removal, etc.
Yeah, having an actual second Disciple would be better, but gotta take what you can get. It's nice to have redundancy of effects. And yes, being an Instant gives this all kinds of benefits, like being able to hold up mana and do it at opponent's EOT, or doing it in response to removal, etc.
Agreed! Definitely worth a test slot. I'll give it some play and thought over the next week here. Thanks!
What would you recommend cutting? I've been thinking about removing Blood Artist, as it is usually a win-more when it actually matters. There is the case-scenario with Mikaeus and Puppeteer Clique, where having a Blood Artist (if I don't have Goblin Bombardment) can be a game winner. But, that's a pretty specific situation. I have already considered cutting it for Withered Wretch though.
Personally, I feel like 38 lands is a lot. You can probably cut two of those town to 36, giving you two more slots for actual cards, and never notice a difference.
Personally, I feel like 38 lands is a lot. You can probably cut two of those town to 36, giving you two more slots for actual cards, and never notice a difference.
Interesting, I started lower and went up to 38 and I've been there for a while. You're right that I may not notice a difference, but because I'm looking at only running Skyshroud Claim for ramp (spare the creature "ramp"), I worry that I wont have the ability to accelerate + will have a lower land count. I'll try it out online and see how often I notice a difference again.
I'm pretty sure that Withered Wretch is just worse than Nezumi Graverobber.
Yes, it's cheaper to activate his ability, but he also doesn't offer the super added value that Graverobber gives. Being able to flip him and start reanimating everything is really powerful.
I'm pretty sure that Withered Wretch is just worse than Nezumi Graverobber.
Yes, it's cheaper to activate his ability, but he also doesn't offer the super added value that Graverobber gives. Being able to flip him and start reanimating everything is really powerful.
I love Nezumi here, but I don't like that I can't keep the yard removal up with him. I could see playing both, not necessarily either or. Think you can run both in this build? Not 100% sure myself.
I don't really think both would be necessary. When you really want to keep the removal ability available, you can just not completely empty the graveyard. You can also just sac a flipped Nezumi and then bring him back.
I don't really think both would be necessary. When you really want to keep the removal ability available, you can just not completely empty the graveyard. You can also just sac a flipped Nezumi and then bring him back.
If that's what we're using it for, Withered Wretch is strictly better. But, Nezumi also really plays into this deck's strategy and has some great utility. Hmm... guess I'll just have to try!
Wretch is in no way "strictly" better than Graverobber.
But anyway, my point was that Graverobber adds versatility and a very desirable extra ability.
No, he's not. What I said is that if all you're using the Graverobber only for his exile ability, than Wretch does it for cheaper. But, obviously Wretch does not have Graverobber's flip ability, which makes makes Graverobber superior.
I'm pretty sure that Withered Wretch is just worse than Nezumi Graverobber.
Yes, it's cheaper to activate his ability, but he also doesn't offer the super added value that Graverobber gives. Being able to flip him and start reanimating everything is really powerful.
Yup, that was my point above. Previously I had stated that if you only use it for yard removal, Wretch is cheaper, that's all. I agree Graverobber is better on the whole, and I'll start playing around with it this week.
On another note, I'm starting to wonder if Anger is worth its slot here. Sek'kuar's tokens have haste, and other than a Craterhoof win, Anger doesn't seem to play an integral part. Thoughts?
Personal Bio
I started playing Magic: The Gathering sometime during Onslaught block, though I was young and can't remember exactly when I cracked my first pack. I do remember entering my first tournament in 2003 and being slaughtered in each match. However, I still enjoyed the deck building and tuning process. For the next five years I played Standard and Extended exclusively, becoming progressively more competitive. I started to travel to major tournaments across the U.S. and really became enthralled with the game.
Then, in 2008, I was introduced to this strange singelton format. I'll admit, I did resist at first, but once I started to think of the deckbuilding implications, I was hooked. No rotation, no 4-ofs, just limitless possibilities. Cards that I had disregarded as "garbage" for years now became treasure I hunted. My creativity had never felt so free and I immediately clung to this new format. Bladewing the Risen was my first general, and then Korlash, Heir to Blackblade soon after. While their abilities were not overpowering, the cards peeked my interested just based on the lore around them.
Over the next few years, I continued to play Standard and Extended, but my true joy was in EDH. Now I wasn't traveling to compete in tournaments, I was going for the artists, the vendors and all the great casual side games that didn't cost a penny. Eventually, I dropped any competitive magic and ever since have only played EDH, now Commander. I'll admit I have a severe addiction to foils, foreign old cards, misprints, etc., though with prices on Commander cards these days, it's a little bit harder to budget for "pimp" (looking at you $1 foil Rhystic Study).
Nowadays I'm married and work a more-than full-time job, but still find time to play quite often. I play in the Minneapolis Metro area and am always up for a game of 100 card singleton.
- yet so revered that they rose from their pyres to serve him."
This deck's origins lie in a mono black sacrifice deck that had several iterations, starting with Balthor the Defiled long ago and ending with Ghoulcaller Gisa. I eventually made the switch to Sek'kuar when looking for a new build-around commander that saw less play. I stumbled upon Sek'kuar and realized I could continue playing my favorite deck AND play a new under-valued commander.
This version of the deck is still based around sacrifice, but Jund gives us several more tools, like Greater Good, Genesis, Goblin Bombardment, etc. I've been fine tuning this version for a few months now, and still love some of the crazy interactions that can happen. The deck is a work in progress (and always will be), so your comments, questions and suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Why Play Sek'kuar?
This is pretty important to understand if you're interested in piloting Sek'kuar. He is an excellent commander for any deck that wants to capitalize on creatures hitting the graveyard. Thankfully, Jund (Sek'kuar's colors) has the best color combination to accomplish this. With Sek'kuar you can win through combat or combo plays, and can easily tune down or up your competitiveness (depending on your meta).
Another benefit of Sek'kuar is his political value. Not many players see Sek'kuar as a threat, unlike Kresh the Bloodbraided, Karador, Ghost Chieftain, etc. Sitting down with Sek'kuar, your opponent wont know exactly what to expect, and often assume this is more of a casual deck. It gives us a small element of surprise in our game plan. For comparison, listed below are other legendary creatures that could command similar decks.
Kresh the Bloodbraided
- Kresh is the easiest general to compare to Sek'kuar, they have the exact same mana cost in the same colors and both rely on creatures hitting the graveyard
- the main difference here is that Kresh is focused on one creature, himself, the idea is to get a lot of +1/+1 counters on Kresh and swing in for victory, where Sek'kuar creates more threats than just himself and often leads to complex board situations that forces your opponents into tough choices that often result in our victory
- Kresh is an excellent commander choice, like all of the generals listed here, and I highly recommend any player give him a try
Karador, Ghost Chieftain- Karador is one of my favorite graveyard-based generals and as those that pilot him regularly will tell you, he has a high power level that is easily abused
- the main difference between Karador and Sek'kuar is that Karador works by getting things into the yard via spells like Entomb, Buried Alive, etc. and not from the battlefield, where Sek'kuar thrives (effects like Grave Pact, Harvester of Souls, etc.)
- Karador is certainly a target on the field (far more so than Sek'kuar generally), but not to the extreme that Kresh often is. Both Karador and Kresh are often quick targets of removal and are considered necessary to achieve victory, where Sek'kuar is often seen as more of a value play (getting 3/1s with every yard trigger) than a huge threat
The Mimeoplasm- Mimeoplasm is a very powerful general that offers quick combo kills and insane plays, however it also paints a giant target onto itself, unlike Sek'kuar who isn't such a target, at least until your meta figures him out
- Mimeoplasm works by first getting creatures into the yard, usually through powerful spells, similar to Karador, but often does not get the benefit that Sek'kuar does from getting the creatures into the graveyard from the battlefield
- Mimeoplasm offers a form a creature recursion that Sek'kuar cannot, however it is important to note that it exiles its creatures on effect, removing them permanently form the game
Reasons you may enjoy playing Sek'kuar:- You enjoy complicated plays that have huge upside when executed correctly
- You enjoy piloting decks based on creatures with come-into-play abilities
- You enjoy the versatility of winning through redzone combat, combo or both
- You enjoy piloting less well-known commanders
Reasons you may not enjoy playing Sek'kuar:- You enjoy playing traditional control decks
- You don't enjoy creature-based decks
- You prefer more popular well-known commanders
- You enjoy playing decks build exclusively around their commander winning the game
Decklist VariationsThe following are other versions of Alesha from the MTGS Community:
Listed below is a current version of my Sek'kuar sacrifice-based decklist. As any deck in this format, it is no means definitive and is subject to change with new sets, bannings/unbannings, etc. This list was not built by me alone, but by the wonderful folks within the MTGS Community. Their helpful suggestions, comments and questions are greatly appreciated, and your feedback is to! Please, let me know your thoughts about the deck, what works well, what could use improvement, and any experience you've had with Sek'kuar. Thank you in advance for your help!
1 Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper
Creature (39)
1 Viscera Seer
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Withered Wretch
1 Bloodghast
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Wood Elves
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Grim Haruspex
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Eternal Witness
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Anger
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Shriekmaw
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Genesis
1 Seedguide Ash
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1 Acidic Slime
1 Urabrask the Hidden
1 Puppeteer Clique
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Duplicant
1 Flayer of the Hatebound
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Grave Titan
1 Harvester of Souls
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Butcher of Malakir
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Krosan Grip
1 Chaos Warp
Sorcery (9)
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Living Death
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Decree of Pain
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Black Sun's Zenith
Enchantment (6)
1 Sylvan Library
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Necropotence
1 Greater Good
1 Grave Pact
Artifact (6)
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Birthing Pod
Land (37)
1 Command Tower
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Bayou
1 Taiga
1 Badlands
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
1 Blood Crypt
1 Twilight Mire
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Graven Cairns
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Karplusan Forest
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Strip Mine
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 High Market
1 Kessig Wolf Run
3 Forest
3 Swamp
3 Mountain
The following are cards, suggested by the community, that have been/are being tested. This section is a great resource to see what cards have been tried and to find out why card "X" is not in this deck. I'll try to add/update why each suggestions may have or may not have worked for this build.
Pernicious Deed (I really wanted something that could wipe more than just creatures, and could be controlled, unlike disk)
Beast Within
Yavimaya Dryad
Hero's Downfall
Reanimate
Necromancy/Animate Dead (I suggested Necromancy because of the instant-speed ability)
Chord of Calling
Vampiric Tutor (I really haven't liked having this many tutors, the game feels much more redundant and less fun, I'm actually considering cutting some)
Momentous Fall
Nezumi Graverobber
Sepulchral Primordial
this card ended up not being added in because its completely based on your opponents graveyards, which we have very little if any way to manipulate. In similar fashion, Puppeteer Clique was cut for other currently tested cards.
This section details the changes the deck goes through after the thread was first posted. Most changes come directly from the readers (that's you!) and further testing down the line. Some changes may seem more intuitive than others, so I'll try to give each entry a description of why the change was made. However, if you disagree with the change or have further questions, please share so we can discuss. All suggestions are welcome!
5/9/15
-1 Savage Beating
-1 Perilous Forays
-1 Snuff Out
-1 Profane Command
-1 Kodama's Reach
-1 Deadwood Treefolk
+1 Putrefy
+1 Farhaven Elf
+1 Woodfall Primus
+1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
+1 Seedguide Ash
+1 Rune-Scarred Demon
General changes based on playtesting, grouped together for easy reading
5/10/15
-1 Explosive Vegetation
+1 Yavimaya Dryad
Thanks to ZenN
-1 Blood Artist
+1 Withered Wretch
I needed some yard hate and wasn't thrilled with Blood Artist here.
-1 Expedition Map
+1 Decree of Pain
The map seemed unnecessary (Urborg+Coffers isn't a wincon here, just a nice set of lands) and Decree gives us the power to sweep and major card draw.
5/14/15
-1 Mana Confluence
-1 Savage Lands
-1 Mountain
+1 Volrath's Stronghold
+1 Phyrexian Tower
+1 High Market
Trading out some color fixing (which this deck doesn't have much problems with) for necessary non-basic land upgrades.
5/16/14
-1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
+1 Urabrask, the Hidden
I found that Purphoros was a win-more card here, it was great when I was winning, but not when I wasn't. Whereas Urabrask is great, even when I don't have a big board presence.
6/7/15
-1 Burnished Hart
-1 Yavimaya Dryad
-1 Necromancy
-1 Farhaven Elf
-1 Putrefy
+1 Maelstrom Pulse
+1 Butcher of Malakir
+1 Harvester of Souls
+1 Zealous Conscripts
+1 Flayer of the Hatebound
Big update here, lots of ins and outs and small adjustments.
6/10/15
-1 Phyrexian Arena
+1 Necropotence
This could be listed under "Test Log" instead, I was "convinced" by some friendly MTGS Community members to get 'Potence in the deck, and cut Arena temporarily with the idea of finding a new slot in the deck for it.
UW Approach UW
EDH
U Azami, Lady of Scrolls U
That's a nice edition to the Tooth and Nail package, right now I have Mike + Redcap & Kiki + Craterhoof, but Trike adds another good target.
Great suggestion! Thanks!
Also, bump!
Also, Dawn of the Dead.
---
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
Damia http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=410191
DDFT Legacyhttp://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=505247
Domain Zoo http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=10212429#post10212429
However, given what he's trying to do here, I think he'd be way better off with Momentous Fall and/or Life's Legacy.
---
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
You know, I like those suggestions... especially Phyrexian Delver, good call!
Phyrexian Reclamation also comes to mind with all the CiP effects.
Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury is certainly interesting, and probably worth testing, as well as Fecundity (I hate that "all player" aspect though). I originally had Gary and Nykthos in the build actually, just didn't feel like I could hit devotion often enough (though a few adjustments could certainly help that).
I like both Momentous Fall and Life's Legacy, but opted for Greater Good because it's a repeatable effect. Do either of you think I need to add additional draw effects in?
If so, what would you cut?
Thanks!
Also, Greater Good is definitely fantastic, but it serves somewhat of a different role from something like Momentous Fall. This of that one as more of a second Disciple of Bolas with flash.
---
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 like that description of Momentous Fall, just wish it was a creature! Still, it's worth playing around with, and it's a nice tool to have in your back pocket when someone tries to exile your Persist creature.
---
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
Agreed! Definitely worth a test slot. I'll give it some play and thought over the next week here. Thanks!
What would you recommend cutting? I've been thinking about removing Blood Artist, as it is usually a win-more when it actually matters. There is the case-scenario with Mikaeus and Puppeteer Clique, where having a Blood Artist (if I don't have Goblin Bombardment) can be a game winner. But, that's a pretty specific situation. I have already considered cutting it for Withered Wretch though.
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Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
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Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Interesting, I started lower and went up to 38 and I've been there for a while. You're right that I may not notice a difference, but because I'm looking at only running Skyshroud Claim for ramp (spare the creature "ramp"), I worry that I wont have the ability to accelerate + will have a lower land count. I'll try it out online and see how often I notice a difference again.
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Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
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Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Oh, duh! Nice catch!
-1 Explosive Vegetation
+1 Yavimaya Dryad
Thanks!
EDIT: also made some other small changes as previously discussed.
Yes, it's cheaper to activate his ability, but he also doesn't offer the super added value that Graverobber gives. Being able to flip him and start reanimating everything is really powerful.
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Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
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Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
I love Nezumi here, but I don't like that I can't keep the yard removal up with him. I could see playing both, not necessarily either or. Think you can run both in this build? Not 100% sure myself.
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Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
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Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
If that's what we're using it for, Withered Wretch is strictly better. But, Nezumi also really plays into this deck's strategy and has some great utility. Hmm... guess I'll just have to try!
But anyway, my point was that Graverobber adds versatility and a very desirable extra ability.
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Current Commanders: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (coming soon) | [Primer] Sedris, the Traitor King | Maelstrom Wanderer | Najeela, the Blade Blossom | Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
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Retired Commanders: [Primer] Jenara, Asura of War | [Primer] Ghave, Guru of Spores | Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury | Saskia the Unyielding | Sydri, Galvanic Genius
No, he's not. What I said is that if all you're using the Graverobber only for his exile ability, than Wretch does it for cheaper. But, obviously Wretch does not have Graverobber's flip ability, which makes makes Graverobber superior.
Yup, that was my point above. Previously I had stated that if you only use it for yard removal, Wretch is cheaper, that's all. I agree Graverobber is better on the whole, and I'll start playing around with it this week.
On another note, I'm starting to wonder if Anger is worth its slot here. Sek'kuar's tokens have haste, and other than a Craterhoof win, Anger doesn't seem to play an integral part. Thoughts?
I chose Grim Haruspex over Harvester in my initial build, do you believe the deck warrants both? Or would you play Harvester over Haruspex?
Thanks for your input!