Ok all, I want to sleeve up my Bloodchief Ascensions again: and I want to make it the focus of the deck. I am aware that the card is quite powerful without even building around it, and is quite good in MBC decks.
But here is what I want to know: what is the optimal way to build a Bloodchief Ascension deck? I am looking for busted... I'm not looking for friendly. I'm looking for a Legacy legal deck that has legit game at. 4-6 player table, playing against other powerful Legacy decks.
Infinite combo is not off the board, so if the best build uses Guildmage or Crank to go infinite, that's OK with me.
It's usually something close to this. For people who want a budget version just replace Eidolon with Pyrostatic Pillar and play a cheaper manabase. You can also replace Scab-Clan Berserker with Sulfuric Vortex if you want but I personally hate losing out on the lifegain because the deck does have 12 incidental lifegain cards and it really does add up.
FWIW it's entirely possible that Pyrostatic Pillar is just better than Eidolon since it's easier on the mana and doesn't die to removal. This isn't a deck that I work very hard to optimize because I don't really care if I win or lose. No matter what the game is going to be ruined and everyone is going to be miserable which is mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.
Fun list. Gonti's Machinations seems sweet with all of the fetches, Eidolon, Ankhs, etc... running around, and works quite well for BA. Nice thing about Eidolon (if he survives) is that he can attack for 2dmg.
Fun list. Gonti's Machinations seems sweet with all of the fetches, Eidolon, Ankhs, etc... running around, and works quite well for BA. Nice thing about Eidolon (if he survives) is that he can attack for 2dmg.
Yeah that was the original reason for opting to field him over the Pillar. Gonti's Machinations is amazing in the deck and it would be silly to run fewer than 4. Not only is it a global Bolt but the heal for 9 (or whatever) is massive.
If you decide to build the deck you might want to have things like Winter Orb and/or Impending Disaster on hand. I've been thinking of making the deck slightly more Staxy and slightly less burny because it's surprisingly slow. I'm thinking of shaving some of the creatures, either the 1 drops or the Scab-Clan Berserkers, and adding some MLD to slow the game down.
Here is my list and I think it's a good place to start if you're looking for "busted". Being a sub-optimal list limited by the cards I own and my lack of actual play with the deck (maybe desolation and syphon soul are useless); it can be easily improved upon. basically you want to abuse the mindcrank + bloodchief combo quickly and consistently, by activating the bloodchief with ankh of mishra. I'm not sure, but I think I must of stolen the idea from Prid3 at some point and then made his version of the deck worse. The deck should be able to win by turn 4 reasonably consistently. A turn one dark ritual into ankh of mishra + bloodchief ascension and turn 2 mindcrank means you win the game on turn two and the rest of the deck is just tutors and defensive stuff like smallpox and defense grid to protect again counters.
For legacy legal, you remove the sol ring and demonic consultation. I think the deck would be better if you go full 4x lotus petal, 4x bloodchief and 4x beseech and remove the desolations and syphon soul, which was my secondary way of adding bloodchief triggers while providing some defense. Maybe another tutor like dark petition would be useful too. This would be a top notch legacy deck in my humble opinion.
But here is what I want to know: what is the optimal way to build a Bloodchief Ascension deck? I am looking for busted... I'm not looking for friendly. I'm looking for a Legacy legal deck that has legit game at. 4-6 player table, playing against other powerful Legacy decks.
Infinite combo is not off the board, so if the best build uses Guildmage or Crank to go infinite, that's OK with me.
Do your worst.
My Powered 630 card Vintage Multiplayer Cube
cEDH: WUBR Blue Farm WUBR, UG Kinnan Flips UG, U Urza Scepter U
One way to build the deck is the old Smallpox route with Waste Not and Liliana of the Veil. Bloodghast/Nether Spirit are decent ways to trigger it while you stymie the table with disruption such as Innocent Blood, Pox, Contamination, Necrogen Mists, Ensnaring Bridge, Tasigur's Cruelty, etc.
Another option is to build a burn deck using things like Night Market Lookout, Pulse Tracker, Thornbow Archer, Mardu Shadowspear, Ankh of Mishra, Flame Rift, Price of Progress, Eidolon of the Great Revel, Scab-Clan Berserker, etc. The deck struggles to actually win games in my experience but it's extremely fun to play (for me at least). Win or lose everyone is pissed-off at you which is great.
While it's not an optimal deck by any means you could also field it in a monoblack control list with Dark Ritual, Phyrexian Arena, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, etc. I won't pretend as though it's a top-tier strategy though but I thoroughly enjoy curving Kalitas into Massacre (or even Yahenni's Expertise on the following turn) only to produce ~20 power.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
4x Bloodstained Mire
3x Polluted Delta
3x Wooded Foothills
2x Badlands
4x Swamp
4x Mountain
4x Night Market Lookout
4x Mardu Shadowspear
4x Thornbow Archer
4x Pulse Tracker
4x Eidolon of the Great Revel
2x Scab-Clan Berserker
4x Bloodchief Ascension
4x Gonti's Machinations
4x Price of Progress
4x Flame Rift
2x Ankh of Mishra
It's usually something close to this. For people who want a budget version just replace Eidolon with Pyrostatic Pillar and play a cheaper manabase. You can also replace Scab-Clan Berserker with Sulfuric Vortex if you want but I personally hate losing out on the lifegain because the deck does have 12 incidental lifegain cards and it really does add up.
FWIW it's entirely possible that Pyrostatic Pillar is just better than Eidolon since it's easier on the mana and doesn't die to removal. This isn't a deck that I work very hard to optimize because I don't really care if I win or lose. No matter what the game is going to be ruined and everyone is going to be miserable which is mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
My Powered 630 card Vintage Multiplayer Cube
cEDH: WUBR Blue Farm WUBR, UG Kinnan Flips UG, U Urza Scepter U
Yeah that was the original reason for opting to field him over the Pillar. Gonti's Machinations is amazing in the deck and it would be silly to run fewer than 4. Not only is it a global Bolt but the heal for 9 (or whatever) is massive.
If you decide to build the deck you might want to have things like Winter Orb and/or Impending Disaster on hand. I've been thinking of making the deck slightly more Staxy and slightly less burny because it's surprisingly slow. I'm thinking of shaving some of the creatures, either the 1 drops or the Scab-Clan Berserkers, and adding some MLD to slow the game down.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
3x bloodchief ascension
4x mindcrank
4x smallpox
4x dark ritual
1x demonic consultation
4x defense grid
1x lotus petal
1x sol ring
1x toxic deluge
3x desolation
2x syphon soul
2x cabal ritual
3x beseech the queen
For legacy legal, you remove the sol ring and demonic consultation. I think the deck would be better if you go full 4x lotus petal, 4x bloodchief and 4x beseech and remove the desolations and syphon soul, which was my secondary way of adding bloodchief triggers while providing some defense. Maybe another tutor like dark petition would be useful too. This would be a top notch legacy deck in my humble opinion.
From memory, my old version was something like this;
3x Impending Disaster
1x Limited Resources
4x Luminarch Ascension
4x Planar Collapse
6x Plains
6x Swamp
4x Ankh of Mishra
3x Boros Signet
3x Rakdos Signet
1x Winter Orb
4x Enlightened Tutor
2x Wear / Tear
4x Balance
3x Innocent Blood
And yes, they asked me to never ever play it again. I'm sure this version could be tweaked to be much better of course.
Didn't even field Zuran Orb in order to transform Balances into Armageddons #4-7 SMH .
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold