MTG Salvation

For the 315th GMAD I was thinking we shouldn't limit ourselves to color and since I admire Angels, I just had to pick the one 5 color angel that would fit the criteria .

For "There is no world where angels fear to tread",
so without further due,let me introduce to you Maelstrom Archangel.
Let's see what beautiful destruction we can bring about with such magnificent being.

The Card this GMAD will focus on,Maelstrom Archangel:




--------------------------------------------------

1. Follow the rules.
2. Deck will follow the Vintage restricted list
3. No cards over $10, slightly negotiable.
4. Don't forget to explain your add/drops.

--------------------------------------------------


Deck Conclusion.

2 True Conviction- double the freshness, double the fun. We get to throw twice as much junk into play per turn!

This is my first GMAD post, so I don't know if there's a protocol for trying to veto a card before we get to 60 cards, so I'll just toss in the opinion that if True Conviction is going to be a playable card that isn't just ludicrous levels of win-more, it won't be because of its interaction with the angel and will more or less require that we play a weenie deck, which is pretty much the opposite of what the angel wants.

Anyway, let's play 3 Kaalia of the Vast. She can get Maelstrom Archangel into play, and attacking to boot (so it can trigger its ability), or grab some of the archangel's other possible targets, making her both an alternate wincon if we play enough angels/demons/dragons as a bonus. She doesn't even have to connect to work, either.

Adding 3 Chromatic Lantern to make playing five colors easier.

3 Breaking//Entering, i feel there will be some creatures and shenanigans we can reanimate with this; we can bring the Archangel back and swing with it, and if the Archangel hits and this is in your hand, you can fuse it

This seems like the perfect deck for one of my favorites: Lightning Angel!

I'll just add in a pair to keep the card count low for now.



Good pick for a GMAD, by the way.

Quote from Uthkara

This is my first GMAD post, so I don't know if there's a protocol for trying to veto a card before we get to 60 cards, so I'll just toss in the opinion that if True Conviction is going to be a playable card that isn't just ludicrous levels of win-more, it won't be because of its interaction with the angel and will more or less require that we play a weenie deck, which is pretty much the opposite of what the angel wants.]

First off, we get the deck upto 75 cards then we trim it down to 60.
second, yes- you can vote to remove any number of cards before we hit the 75 limit. it helps to open up more slots for a better/more fluid strategy.
thirdly, I agree with your assessment. True Conviction is more of an overkill card, not to mention the triple-white in it's casting cost- will make this card really hard to get on the field- if we don't have the Angel to free cast it.

I'm going to add 2 Dragon Arch. it'll help drop our multicolored critters if we don't have the Lantern.

[/QUOTE]

Well, it's been 24 hours.

I'm going to add 4x Karmic Guide. Just think of the potential this thing has here. Cheat it in off Kaelia or Archangel and resurrect a fatty. Just gotta add in a creature based draw engine like Mulldrifter and this card will be an unstoppable component of this deck. Adding 4 because we will want to see this multiple times every game.

Negative Nancy time:

Finest Hour has the exact same problem True Conviction did, except now it punishes us for attacking with multiple creatures (in a deck that pretty much focuses on playing lots of creatures). There's a far better card for the role if we really want a nuke that ludicrous, though (even though I think a playset of Bogardan Hellkites would do the trick): Aurelia, the Warleader. Same colors as Kaalia/Karmic Guide etc, but it's a creature that can be cheated in and now resurrected. I am going to cast a vote to remove all copies.

Adding Fist of Suns, to make it easier to play some of our higher cmc cards.

Also, Omniscience seems like a good target for Maelstrom Archangel.

Quote from saiyuki_aramail

Adding Fist of Suns, to make it easier to play some of our higher cmc cards.

Also, Omniscience seems like a good target for Maelstrom Archangel.

yeah I was thinking that too adding one for fun (official reason: if we hit with archangel we might still lose if we get omniscience out we will usually have one, we cant cast it normally so it will be a one of but an interesting

I'm voting against Finest Hour. It is too much of a 'win more' card. I rather have some support to get our angels into play.

I'ld like to add three Krosan Tusker. It helps with the mana base and puts a creature in the graveyard.

I probably skipped this when reading the Rules,but can we add more copies to a card that has already been added?

Anyhow,I was thinking perhaps adding 1-2 more Lightning Angel.
also,surprise no one has mentioned Maelstrom Nexus or Jenara, Asura of War.

Quote from Metatron69

I probably skipped this when reading the Rules,but can we add more copies to a card that has already been added?

You can place a vote to add more cards, yes.

Quote from Etched Chester

You can place a vote to add more cards, yes.

Many thanks for clarifying that for me.
In that case,I will place a vote to add 2 more Lightning Angel,it's a good solid 4 drop,with haste.Vig.and flying.Serves as a good aggresive defender.
And continue on voting against Finest hour,though great card,but looking at the deck,one will most likely be attacking with multiple creatures.



ps:correct me if wrong.

I hate to so often be the voice of opposition, but I think we should seriously evaluate the role and value of lightning angel in this deck. If we're trying to get it into play off of Kalia or Archangel, our net value is considerably lower than if we had, say, Angel of Serenity or Bladewing the Risen and if we're going to be hardcasting it, there are just better, more loosely costed cards that could take its place. I hate to say it, but, while cute, power creep has left lightning angel in the dust I'm not sure if I have to wait until I can cast a vote to remove it, but if I can't do it now, I almost definitely will in 14 hours.

Adding 2 Angel of Despair seems strong with Dragon Arch/Kaalia/Maelstrom Archangel because of it's effect, multicolored status, and creature type. We have so many ways to get this chick into play it's not even funny.

Voting to up Dragon Arch. I think it's a solid way to get both our angel and our big guys into play without hitting five colors...which happens.

I think we need to streamline our strategy, meaning that I think we should be cutting things that don't align with the "cheat big multicolor bombs into play" line.

Voting to cut Lightning Angel because it's earlier than Archangel anyway, the build-around-me card, which means that it's of little use to our strategy.

Voting to cut Karmic Guide and Breaking // Entering. Both seem unnecessary as we'd rather have stuff in our hand, since we have so many ways to cheat things into play with cards being there. Graveyard strategies seem to be just a way of diluting what we've already got.

I think Krosan Tusker has utility with our strategy regardless of going the graveyard route, as his mana fixing + body features are useful with Archangel being our centerpiece. Therefore, I will not be voting to cut him. More ramp/fixing might be advisable.

Eladamri's Call seems tailor-made for this deck. Hey look, I connected with Maelstrom Archangel. Let me just tutor in response to the trigger... Now say hi to Emrakul or Progenitus or whatever. (Well, not those in particular because of the budget restriction, but you get the idea.) Instant speed means we can also just toolbox up the right dude for the job on opponent's EOT if there's nothing better to do. Adding 3.

Edit: The other way to make this not look like a modified Kaalia deck is to include some bombs that aren't the creature types Kaalia cares about. Let's not forget that Maelstrom Archangel lets us cast bomby spells too.

I'd really hate for this to turn into a Kaalia deck too, but I can't help but wonder if it's really a good idea to deliberately play spells that Kaalia can't cheat in and totally undermine the deck's synergy in the interest of focusing it around Maelstrom Archangel. To justify this, the cards would both have to be incredibly good and reliably cast-able without the Archangel, and I think we're going to find that list of cards to be rather low.

I think we might find interesting choices in cards like Identity Crisis, Beck//Call, Pyrrhic Revival, or Razia's Purification. I gotta stick to my guns on those Karmic Guides though; you can't assume your opponent is going to let Angel/Kaazia stick, so you want to have a way to get them back, to say nothing of the incredible synergy potential this card has with ETB based fatties.

i wanted to add one omniscience in my quote and I forgot to actually add one so I will add one now explanation in original post (it is a good one of because it cause archangel to lead to immediate win)

I feel like we need some more solid removal besides the Angel of Despair. Maybe some Unmake? Split cost makes for somewhat easier casting costs rather than a solid color. Gonna add 4 for now, but the number can easily be scaled or adjusted later.

I also would like to vote out the Karmic Guides.

Quote from Uthkara

I hate to so often be the voice of opposition, but I think we should seriously evaluate the role and value of lightning angel in this deck. If we're trying to get it into play off of Kalia or Archangel, our net value is considerably lower than if we had, say, Angel of Serenity or Bladewing the Risen and if we're going to be hardcasting it, there are just better, more loosely costed cards that could take its place. I hate to say it, but, while cute, power creep has left lightning angel in the dust I'm not sure if I have to wait until I can cast a vote to remove it, but if I can't do it now, I almost definitely will in 14 hours.

Quote from Uthkara

I'd really hate for this to turn into a Kaalia deck too, but I can't help but wonder if it's really a good idea to deliberately play spells that Kaalia can't cheat in and totally undermine the deck's synergy in the interest of focusing it around Maelstrom Archangel. To justify this, the cards would both have to be incredibly good and reliably cast-able without the Archangel, and I think we're going to find that list of cards to be rather low.

I think we might find interesting choices in cards like Identity Crisis, Beck//Call, Pyrrhic Revival, or Razia's Purification. I gotta stick to my guns on those Karmic Guides though; you can't assume your opponent is going to let Angel/Kaazia stick, so you want to have a way to get them back, to say nothing of the incredible synergy potential this card has with ETB based fatties.

That's one problem with the Maelstrom Angel and other "free-cast enabling" cards, people tend not to support them and just throw in what they want to freecast.
decks like this just screams dropping Eldrazi or Progenitus...
we could use it as dupe... something for our opponents to wonder what we could drop so they dedicate themselves to blocking it; while we get the real strategy underway.
but I don't think the OP would like that strategy.

Right now, I'm sitting out... because who knows where the deck is going. save for this:
voting out Omniscience. it's a card that deserves it's own deck, we don't need it to overshadow the Angel. Why wait to freecast something only when it connects, when we can just drop everything. Where's a Eureka when you need it? or Praetor's Council?

This deck need strong ETB effects; hoping to reliably win by just beating down your opponent is going to be an ineffective strategy against many typed of deck. For that reason, I'm adding 3 [card]angel of serenity[/color]. This card can neutralize virtually every threat on the board, come on off either Kalia or the archangel, doesn't have to connect to be effective, and is potentially insane tech with Karmic Guide.

Voting to keep Karmic Guide. There will almost never be a game where something you want isn't in the graveyard; I don't know what fantasy world with no removal you live in, but I'd like to move there some time! Until then, this card is why this deck could even be playable. Compound this now with AoS and the amount of craziness you can start pulling is just silly.

Voting to remove all copies of lightning angel. It's no gain if it's cheated in and a weak card if hardcasted.

Voting to remove all copies of Dragon Arch. If I can't fix 5 colors, I'd rather have a solid 2 or 3 color play that advanced the game instead of treading water.

Voting to remove all copies of omniscience; why put a card that free casts things in a deck already designed to do that.

It´s good to see Krosan Tusker doing something after all these years.

Regardless, i think we are moving out of focus here. If a spell is to be cheated, it has to at least do something the moment it hits play, with Maelstrom Archangel this plays slightly differently because its after damage, so there needs to be another kind of impact to aim for. We are rather short of actual interaction with the board sans the big spells we are meant to cheat, so i´m voting for a couple of Divine Reckoning. Also, we are going to need some more mana turbo to reliably get the angel online along the way. That or we need to find what the core colors (The main body of the deck outside of the WUBRG plate)

I also add up to the notion of removing Dragon Arch and Omniscience, as well as Fist of the Suns, since its redundancy and brings out the focus of the deck

Aditionally, i´m adding up to the removal of Lightning Angel and starting a proposal of removing Kaalia of the list; it kind of detracts attention from the Archangel and gives tunnel vision to the group in the thread

Seem's like there is about to be many changes undergoing soon enough.
I'm curious to what the strategy of this deck will transform to.

Quote from Selvaxri

That's one problem with the Maelstrom Angel and other "free-cast enabling" cards, people tend not to support them and just throw in what they want to freecast.
decks like this just screams dropping Eldrazi or Progenitus...
we could use it as dupe... something for our opponents to wonder what we could drop so they dedicate themselves to blocking it; while we get the real strategy underway.
but I don't think the OP would like that strategy.

I think strategy is up to the people,not I.
I leave all decision making to you guys.
But as I pointed out before,i'm surprised nobody has mentioned Maelstrom Nexus,it runs good with the Archangel.Maybe throw in some spells to make her and/or your creatures tough to block or unblockable?
Also,there are artifacts that we really don't need,if we focus on manly 2-3 colors it should be fine.Just add in some Darksteel Ingot and/or Coalition Relic.