I have built Olivia, Mobilized for War before, building it as a knight tribal. Now, I like a janky deck just as much as the next guy, but there's jank, and then there's...that. When unmodified precons hand your ass on a silver platter, it's time to rethink. So while trading some janky cards at my LGS, I got a Bladewing the Risen among the pile of throw-ins to even out a deal. And that got me thinking. And now we're here.
This deck is not for balls-to-the-walls metas. This is a great example of Battlecruiser EDH, where big bombs decide the game. It can overpower grindy decks quite handily, but it doesn't do much to combo builds unless it can outpace them, and that's meta-pace-dependant.
So, why Olivia, Mobilized by War, instead of one of the many other reanimator options?
I am not a Reanimator player. I have tried playing dedicated reanimator and it's not for me. Mixing reanimator with a healthy dose of aggro, however? That works. And Olivia provides two key components for that; a haste outlet and a discard outlet in one neat package, all while giving a (small) creature buff to boot. Olivia comes out early, applies some small pressure on the opponents and pitches big fatties that can come out to play later. Later on, she turns surplus lands into haste pushers for your big bombs.
You don't run any rituals. How big are your dragonstorms?
Not very big. But that's the thing - they don't need to be. A dragonstorm with 2 prior played spells usually yield Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury, Scourge of the Throne and Utvara Hellkite. The boardstate may ask for different cards, but that is what I usually go for. Now, presuming they have haste one way or another, without an Olivia buff, that's 27 damage on the first swing. Respectable, but nothing great. Except you then get 3 extra dragons. The second swing (You will have to point Scourge towards whoever is on the throne) will yield 45 damage from those same 3 dragons...plus an additional 36 from the dragon tokens. That is going to eliminate some opponents, and we're not even considering any creatures already on the field (Who also get the Kolaghan boost whether they're a dragon or not). And even if that didn't finish the job, you now have 12 dragons, 6 of which are untapped, and at most one opponent left. You should be in good shape.
Let's start with a play-by-play of all the dragons:
Avaricious Dragon
Not the most common dragon in EDH, I'm aware. But this deck burns through cards fast, and rarely plays on instant speed anyway, so the drawback really isn't. A bit of a risky card though as it ensures I cannot hold on to a Dragonstorm, but eh. Thunderbreak Regent
Useful, but not spectacular. It fills the 4-drop slot in well and adds some extra pressure by making spot removal painful. 3 damage isn't much in EDH, but things add up when you're against Rakdos. Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury
A key component in small Dragonstorms. That +1/+0 may not seem impressive, when you add things up with 4 or 5 dragons, things start to hurt. Add in a second combat step... Scourge of Valkas
Dragon Tempest on a sizeable stick. Helps softening up players, can deal with annoying utility stuff...a definite all-star. Dragonlord Kolaghan
When there's no Anger in the grave and no Dragon Tempest on the field, and Olivia has not enough cards to pitch, Kolaghan 2.0 is there to ensure my army gets to swing anyway. Extra fun against the local Relentless Rats.dec Kokusho, the Evening Star
This deck bleeds life. So Kokusho is there to even out the odds a bit. The deck doesn't win by looping Kokusho, she's used more as a stabilizer of sorts. Hellkite Tyrant
Never won from it's ability, but just being able to hijack artifacts is a powerful ability. Woe be the one dropping Mycosynth Lattice against this deck. Scourge of the Throne
It's second-attack ability is key. My problem with Hellkite Charger is that I rarely have 7 mana laying about. Scourge circumvents that, and since the deck bleeds itself anyway, there's almost always someone else on the throne. Steel Hellkite
A problem solver more than anything. Never gets Dragonstormed in, it just tends to come in somewhere early-mid game to deal with some problematic permanents. It doesn't need to do more either. Worldgorger Dragon
Falls completely out of the typical wincons of the deck by providing an ace up the sleeve. With Olivia discarding it early on, early grave hate often gets spent on it as well giving it a second role as a lightningrod on top of it's win. Balefire Dragon
Much like Steel Hellkite, he's in there moreso to mop up problematic stuff. And does so with aplomb. Never a bad card to have. Bladewing the Risen
If one of my favorite Dragonstorm pieces has been binned, Bladewing to the rescue. In addition it makes for a good mid-game drop and the all-dragon-pump is not useless either. Knollspine Dragon
Hand Refill on a sizeable beatstick. Gets the nod over Dragon Mage as I wanted some a-synmetrical effects to offset the Wheels. Bonus points for hiding it under Spinerock Knoll and casting it from there. Bogardan Hellkite
The classic, it's actually one of the worse dragons in the deck and I have been considering pulling it out, but then it nukes a Seedborn Muse or something and I remember why I like him again. Utvara Hellkite
The biggest bomb dragons have to offer. Especially nasty with Scourge of Valkas and/or Dragonstorm out. Even nastier if I have haste and a second combat step...
The haymakers: Animate Dead/Necromancy + Worldgorger Dragon
As far as classic combos go, this is one of the godfathers. After preforming this loop (Presuming you have another target in the grave to end the loop) you'll have infinite mana to do your thing. With Rune-Scarred Demon, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle + enough mountains, Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Bogardan Hellkite, you win. Without them, you should still be in a great position. Dragonstorm
Already explained above, Dragonstorm even with a very low storm count can kill in Rakdos. Storm counts of 8 and above are all cute, but overkill. 2 copies, that's all you should need. Rise of the Dark Realms
A well known wincon, this one is reliant on how the graveyards are shaping up and the grave hate that's been thrown around in the game. Still, one rarely resolves this and loses. Balthor the Defiled
Rakdos is one of the least popular combinations in commander. So while you should still pay attention before activating his ability, usually you're going to come out on top of things. Plus, he's a Zombie Dwarf. Come on.
Considerations: Piranha Marsh. I don't like that it comes into play tapped, but it wins the game with Worldgorger who could use the extra wincon. Entomb/Buried Alive. I just don't know, they're undoubtedly strong cards but they might detract too much from the aggro part of the gameplan and draw too much early attention. Moonveil Dragon. It's an infinite mana outlet. Yet at the same time, it isn't particularly flexible on it's own. Scourge of Kher Ridges. A boardwipe on a dragon. If the mana costs had been more flexible, he'd be a slam dunk. Thundermaw Hellkite. He basically makes my dragons unblockable for a turn and cleans up small flying tokens. Beyond that, however, it's very vanilla. Perhaps that one turn is all that's needed though. Stormbreath Dragon. A quick burst of damage, might help put more opponents into reach. Probably the least considered card of the bunch. Tyrant's Familiar. A counterpart to Balefire Dragon, being able to snipe away pretty big dudes, but is very reliant on having Olivia in play and might draw too much attention to her.
So that's the deck. I could use any suggestions, especially on what to cut if I am to make any additions. Thank you very much for reading.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
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This deck is not for balls-to-the-walls metas. This is a great example of Battlecruiser EDH, where big bombs decide the game. It can overpower grindy decks quite handily, but it doesn't do much to combo builds unless it can outpace them, and that's meta-pace-dependant.
04 Avaricious Dragon
04 Thunderbreak Regent
05 Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury
05 Scourge of Valkas
06 Dragonlord Kolaghan
06 Kokusho, the Evening Star
06 Hellkite Tyrant
06 Scourge of the Throne
06 Steel Hellkite
06 Worldgorger Dragon
07 Balefire Dragon
07 Bladewing the Risen
07 Knollspine Dragon
08 Bogardan Hellkite
08 Utvara Hellkite
03 Burnished Hart
03 Fleshbag Marauder
03 Merciless Executioner
04 Anger
04 Balthor the Defiled
04 Corpse Augur
04 Filth
04 Solemn Simulacrum
05 Bloodgift Demon
05 Corpse Connoisseur
05 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
07 Rune-Scarred Demon
08 Baleful Force
02 Black Sun's Zenith
02 Demonic Tutor
02 Night's Whisper
02 Profane Command
02 Sign in Blood
03 Read the Bones
03 Victimize
03 Wheel of Fortune
04 Bitter Revalation
04 Dread Return
04 Syphon Mind
05 Crux of Fate
05 Reforge the Soul
05 Syphon Flesh
05 Torrent of Souls
09 Dragonstorm
09 Rise of the Dark Realms
02 Terminate
03 Chaos Warp
01 Phyrexian Reclamation
02 Animate Dead
02 Dragon Tempest
03 Necromancy
03 Phyrexian Arena
05 Black Market
05 Dawn of the Dead
01 Skullclamp
01 Sol Ring
01 Wayfarer's Bauble
02 Mind Stone
02 Rakdos Signet
02 Talisman of Indulgence
01 Badlands
01 Blood Crypt
01 Cabal Coffers
01 Command Tower
01 Dragonskull Summit
01 Foreboding Ruins
13 Mountain
10 Swamp
01 Reliquary Tower
01 Rogue's Passage
01 Smoldering Marsh
01 Spinerock Knoll
01 Temple of Malice
01 Temple of the False God
01 Terrain Generator
01 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
01 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
So, why Olivia, Mobilized by War, instead of one of the many other reanimator options?
I am not a Reanimator player. I have tried playing dedicated reanimator and it's not for me. Mixing reanimator with a healthy dose of aggro, however? That works. And Olivia provides two key components for that; a haste outlet and a discard outlet in one neat package, all while giving a (small) creature buff to boot. Olivia comes out early, applies some small pressure on the opponents and pitches big fatties that can come out to play later. Later on, she turns surplus lands into haste pushers for your big bombs.
You don't run any rituals. How big are your dragonstorms?
Not very big. But that's the thing - they don't need to be. A dragonstorm with 2 prior played spells usually yield Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury, Scourge of the Throne and Utvara Hellkite. The boardstate may ask for different cards, but that is what I usually go for. Now, presuming they have haste one way or another, without an Olivia buff, that's 27 damage on the first swing. Respectable, but nothing great. Except you then get 3 extra dragons. The second swing (You will have to point Scourge towards whoever is on the throne) will yield 45 damage from those same 3 dragons...plus an additional 36 from the dragon tokens. That is going to eliminate some opponents, and we're not even considering any creatures already on the field (Who also get the Kolaghan boost whether they're a dragon or not). And even if that didn't finish the job, you now have 12 dragons, 6 of which are untapped, and at most one opponent left. You should be in good shape.
Let's start with a play-by-play of all the dragons:
Avaricious Dragon
Not the most common dragon in EDH, I'm aware. But this deck burns through cards fast, and rarely plays on instant speed anyway, so the drawback really isn't. A bit of a risky card though as it ensures I cannot hold on to a Dragonstorm, but eh.
Thunderbreak Regent
Useful, but not spectacular. It fills the 4-drop slot in well and adds some extra pressure by making spot removal painful. 3 damage isn't much in EDH, but things add up when you're against Rakdos.
Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury
A key component in small Dragonstorms. That +1/+0 may not seem impressive, when you add things up with 4 or 5 dragons, things start to hurt. Add in a second combat step...
Scourge of Valkas
Dragon Tempest on a sizeable stick. Helps softening up players, can deal with annoying utility stuff...a definite all-star.
Dragonlord Kolaghan
When there's no Anger in the grave and no Dragon Tempest on the field, and Olivia has not enough cards to pitch, Kolaghan 2.0 is there to ensure my army gets to swing anyway. Extra fun against the local Relentless Rats.dec
Kokusho, the Evening Star
This deck bleeds life. So Kokusho is there to even out the odds a bit. The deck doesn't win by looping Kokusho, she's used more as a stabilizer of sorts.
Hellkite Tyrant
Never won from it's ability, but just being able to hijack artifacts is a powerful ability. Woe be the one dropping Mycosynth Lattice against this deck.
Scourge of the Throne
It's second-attack ability is key. My problem with Hellkite Charger is that I rarely have 7 mana laying about. Scourge circumvents that, and since the deck bleeds itself anyway, there's almost always someone else on the throne.
Steel Hellkite
A problem solver more than anything. Never gets Dragonstormed in, it just tends to come in somewhere early-mid game to deal with some problematic permanents. It doesn't need to do more either.
Worldgorger Dragon
Falls completely out of the typical wincons of the deck by providing an ace up the sleeve. With Olivia discarding it early on, early grave hate often gets spent on it as well giving it a second role as a lightningrod on top of it's win.
Balefire Dragon
Much like Steel Hellkite, he's in there moreso to mop up problematic stuff. And does so with aplomb. Never a bad card to have.
Bladewing the Risen
If one of my favorite Dragonstorm pieces has been binned, Bladewing to the rescue. In addition it makes for a good mid-game drop and the all-dragon-pump is not useless either.
Knollspine Dragon
Hand Refill on a sizeable beatstick. Gets the nod over Dragon Mage as I wanted some a-synmetrical effects to offset the Wheels. Bonus points for hiding it under Spinerock Knoll and casting it from there.
Bogardan Hellkite
The classic, it's actually one of the worse dragons in the deck and I have been considering pulling it out, but then it nukes a Seedborn Muse or something and I remember why I like him again.
Utvara Hellkite
The biggest bomb dragons have to offer. Especially nasty with Scourge of Valkas and/or Dragonstorm out. Even nastier if I have haste and a second combat step...
The haymakers:
Animate Dead/Necromancy + Worldgorger Dragon
As far as classic combos go, this is one of the godfathers. After preforming this loop (Presuming you have another target in the grave to end the loop) you'll have infinite mana to do your thing. With Rune-Scarred Demon, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle + enough mountains, Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Bogardan Hellkite, you win. Without them, you should still be in a great position.
Dragonstorm
Already explained above, Dragonstorm even with a very low storm count can kill in Rakdos. Storm counts of 8 and above are all cute, but overkill. 2 copies, that's all you should need.
Rise of the Dark Realms
A well known wincon, this one is reliant on how the graveyards are shaping up and the grave hate that's been thrown around in the game. Still, one rarely resolves this and loses.
Balthor the Defiled
Rakdos is one of the least popular combinations in commander. So while you should still pay attention before activating his ability, usually you're going to come out on top of things. Plus, he's a Zombie Dwarf. Come on.
Considerations:
Piranha Marsh. I don't like that it comes into play tapped, but it wins the game with Worldgorger who could use the extra wincon.
Entomb/Buried Alive. I just don't know, they're undoubtedly strong cards but they might detract too much from the aggro part of the gameplan and draw too much early attention.
Moonveil Dragon. It's an infinite mana outlet. Yet at the same time, it isn't particularly flexible on it's own.
Scourge of Kher Ridges. A boardwipe on a dragon. If the mana costs had been more flexible, he'd be a slam dunk.
Thundermaw Hellkite. He basically makes my dragons unblockable for a turn and cleans up small flying tokens. Beyond that, however, it's very vanilla. Perhaps that one turn is all that's needed though.
Stormbreath Dragon. A quick burst of damage, might help put more opponents into reach. Probably the least considered card of the bunch.
Tyrant's Familiar. A counterpart to Balefire Dragon, being able to snipe away pretty big dudes, but is very reliant on having Olivia in play and might draw too much attention to her.
So that's the deck. I could use any suggestions, especially on what to cut if I am to make any additions. Thank you very much for reading.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.