Is that Man Bear Pig!!!??? No, it's Minotaur Zombie Warrior Neheb, the Eternal!
I've been messing with this brew since Neheb was announced. Almost every list I've seen so far is spell focused, which is understandable as a spell that deals 2 damage to each opponent nets 6 mana postcombat with Neheb. 2 damage to each opponent is extremely lackluster when Neheb isn't out though and I really wanted something more resilient that isn't fully reliant on the commander. For that reason, I went pretty creature heavy on this list. The thinking behind that is that creatures can do damage with no mana investment, essentially doubling or tripling your mana if you can do combat damage and have all your land open second main phase. I have no idea if I have accomplished that resiliency as I don't have the cards for this yet and haven't done any playtesting so any thoughts or suggestions are welcome here.
Some things of note:
Card draw and ramp is just very limited in red so I tried to throw everything I could at it, including doubling both Kozileks as finishers and card draw. Ideally, I'd like to be able to hardcast anything in the deck, but not sure I have enough ramp for that. Mana Vault could be another option. I'm also expecting Fork, Reverberate, and Dualcaster Mage to be good ramp options as someone should be casting Cultivate and the like early. They could also do some serious work doubling something like Chandra's Ignition, but I'm sure that will be rare.
The curve is really high so as much as I don't want to rely on Neheb, I may be anyway. Sneak Attack should help and I'm considering adding Quicksilver Amulet.
I tried to focus on creatures that can output more damage than their mana cost would suggest.
Some cards I think may be all-stars: Mana Geyser - In a 4 player game, with three opponents, and the steep mana curve in the deck, this could lead to a turn 4 Kozilek or something similar. Grenzo, Havoc Raiser - I'm going to need to do something with post-combat mana from Neheb, casting other people's stuff seems fun. Combustible Gearhulk - Anyone familiar with the deck has to just let me draw 3 cards I'd think... and if they don't they could easily be taking 12 plus damage, which Neheb will turn into mana. Knollspine Dragon - I wasn't familiar with this card before I started researching this, but it seems to fit perfectly with the deck and should be a great card to cast post combat with Neheb mana. Chandra's Ignition - Can wipe a large part of the board and hit opponents for 12 if cast on Neheb. Purphoros, God of the Forge - He's just broken anyway, but one creature entering play nets 6 damage to opponents. Sword of Fire and Ice - Card draw and damage, plus will protect from Chandra's Ignition or Blasphemous Act. Fanatic of Mogis - Could do a ton of damage just from entering the battlefield. This is another one I wasn't aware of coming into this brew. Stormbreath Dragon - 4/4 flying, haste, and pro white for 5 is solid. Being able to morph this guy and do a ton of damage could break the game open. Heartless Hidetsugu - Of course.
Pyromancer's Goggles does serious work in mono red. At worst it's a fire diamond, but you have Neheb mana hopefully.
I was considering it, but only have 14 instants/sorceries and only 10 that are worth doubling and it's pretty expensive if you're just using it as a mana rock. Any of those 10 spells are pretty good to double though. I may add it. Thanks for the suggestion.
What happens during a second post combat main phase?
Like Aggravated Assault
Do you get another Neheb mana trigger?
It doesn't say first, just your post combat main.
From release notes:
*If you somehow have more than two main phases in a turn, each main phase after your first one is a postcombat main phase, and Neheb's last ability triggers at the beginning of each of them.
What happens during a second post combat main phase?
Like Aggravated Assault
Do you get another Neheb mana trigger?
It doesn't say first, just your post combat main.
From release notes:
*If you somehow have more than two main phases in a turn, each main phase after your first one is a postcombat main phase, and Neheb's last ability triggers at the beginning of each of them.
It is very good with Neheb for sure. I'm leaving it out for now for power reasons. My playgroup doesn't use infinite combos, and while Aggravated Assault would be allowed I don't think I'd get much satisfaction out of winning with it.
Is that Man Bear Pig!!!??? No, it's Minotaur Zombie Warrior Neheb, the Eternal!
I've been messing with this brew since Neheb was announced. Almost every list I've seen so far is spell focused, which is understandable as a spell that deals 2 damage to each opponent nets 6 mana postcombat with Neheb. 2 damage to each opponent is extremely lackluster when Neheb isn't out though and I really wanted something more resilient that isn't fully reliant on the commander. For that reason, I went pretty creature heavy on this list. The thinking behind that is that creatures can do damage with no mana investment, essentially doubling or tripling your mana if you can do combat damage and have all your land open second main phase. I have no idea if I have accomplished that resiliency as I don't have the cards for this yet and haven't done any playtesting so any thoughts or suggestions are welcome here.
5 Neheb, the Eternal
Ramp
0 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
2 Mind Stone
2 Ruby Medallion
3 Cryptolith Fragment
4 Koth of the Hammer
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Hedron Archive
5 Mana Geyser
Draw
2 Commune with Lava
2 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
3 Wheel of Fortune
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Outpost Siege
5 Reforge the Soul
6 Chandra, Flamecaller
6 Combustible Gearhulk
7 Dragon Mage
7 Knollspine Dragon
10 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
10 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
2 Blade of Selves
2 Kargan Dragonlord
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Adamaro, First to Desire
3 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh
3 Combat Celebrant
3 Flamewake Phoenix
3 Hanweir Garrison
3 Mimic Vat
3 Purphoros, God of the Forge
3 Spireside Infiltrator
4 Anger
4 Fanatic of Mogis
4 Ogre Battledriver
4 Sneak Attack
5 Heartless Hidetsugu
5 Malignus
5 Rite of the Raging Storm
5 Stormbreath Dragon
5 Urabrask the Hidden
5 Warchief Giant
6 Conduit of Ruin
6 Inferno Titan
6 Warstorm Surge
8 Avatar of Slaughter
9 Void Winnower
1 Vandalblast
2 Breath of Darigaaz
2 Price of Progress
3 Chaos Warp
3 Collective Defiance
4 Fiery Confluence
5 Chandra's Ignition
9 Blasphemous Act
11 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Other/Draw/Ramp/Damage
2 Fork
2 Reverberate
3 Dualcaster Mage
Notable Lands
0 Ancient Tomb
0 Hanweir Battlements
0 Mirrorpool
0 Sanctum of Ugin
0 Temple of the False God
0 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Some things of note:
Card draw and ramp is just very limited in red so I tried to throw everything I could at it, including doubling both Kozileks as finishers and card draw. Ideally, I'd like to be able to hardcast anything in the deck, but not sure I have enough ramp for that. Mana Vault could be another option. I'm also expecting Fork, Reverberate, and Dualcaster Mage to be good ramp options as someone should be casting Cultivate and the like early. They could also do some serious work doubling something like Chandra's Ignition, but I'm sure that will be rare.
The curve is really high so as much as I don't want to rely on Neheb, I may be anyway. Sneak Attack should help and I'm considering adding Quicksilver Amulet.
I tried to focus on creatures that can output more damage than their mana cost would suggest.
Some cards I think may be all-stars:
Mana Geyser - In a 4 player game, with three opponents, and the steep mana curve in the deck, this could lead to a turn 4 Kozilek or something similar.
Grenzo, Havoc Raiser - I'm going to need to do something with post-combat mana from Neheb, casting other people's stuff seems fun.
Combustible Gearhulk - Anyone familiar with the deck has to just let me draw 3 cards I'd think... and if they don't they could easily be taking 12 plus damage, which Neheb will turn into mana.
Knollspine Dragon - I wasn't familiar with this card before I started researching this, but it seems to fit perfectly with the deck and should be a great card to cast post combat with Neheb mana.
Chandra's Ignition - Can wipe a large part of the board and hit opponents for 12 if cast on Neheb.
Purphoros, God of the Forge - He's just broken anyway, but one creature entering play nets 6 damage to opponents.
Sword of Fire and Ice - Card draw and damage, plus will protect from Chandra's Ignition or Blasphemous Act.
Fanatic of Mogis - Could do a ton of damage just from entering the battlefield. This is another one I wasn't aware of coming into this brew.
Stormbreath Dragon - 4/4 flying, haste, and pro white for 5 is solid. Being able to morph this guy and do a ton of damage could break the game open.
Heartless Hidetsugu - Of course.
I was considering it, but only have 14 instants/sorceries and only 10 that are worth doubling and it's pretty expensive if you're just using it as a mana rock. Any of those 10 spells are pretty good to double though. I may add it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Like Aggravated Assault
Do you get another Neheb mana trigger?
It doesn't say first, just your post combat main.
From release notes:
*If you somehow have more than two main phases in a turn, each main phase after your first one is a postcombat main phase, and Neheb's last ability triggers at the beginning of each of them.
It is very good with Neheb for sure. I'm leaving it out for now for power reasons. My playgroup doesn't use infinite combos, and while Aggravated Assault would be allowed I don't think I'd get much satisfaction out of winning with it.
Made the following changes in an effort to up the ramp and remove some of the lower impact stuff.
Out - Ash Zealot, Impact Tremors, Grenzo's Ruffians
In - Mana Vault, Quicksilver Amulet, Koth of the Hammer