I want to build a multi-color Honden deck but I am having issues with mana ramp and mana fixing. I also want the deck to focus on enhancements so I can maximize Sphere of Safety. with hondens and the sphere the deck is rather slow so I need both speed and versatility.
the issue is how to balance the mana ramp/fixing enchantments with other, more useful enchantments (hondens, spheres, etc) that actually win me the game. ramp doesn't help if my first five turns are nothing but more ramp.
I also don't want to use creature ramp like Bird's of Paradise or Utopia Tree because they don't synergize with the Sphere.
Many years ago, I built a deck solely consisting of enchantments and lands, based on Hondens. I also began with all five colors, but after tweaking quite a lot, it became clear to me, that I simply didn't need all five Hondens. I ended up cutting white (because the white Honden was the only reason to play that color, and life gain could be had in other ways and colors), and black (again, the black Honden was simply not worth running and expanding the colors). A 3-color deck will be much more consistent, and a full set of Utopia Sprawl with some fetches is more than sufficient to get all colors needed. I still have that deck for nostalgia's sake.
My life gain comes from a little gem called Quiet Disrepair, which is ridiculous with Paradox Haze and gives the deck some enchantment/artifact hate. I'm running lots of enchantments, so having a target is not an issue, you don't have to blow it up. I also complemented the green Honden with some Blood Rites to throw those spirit tokens around. Those tokens also are really useful to fuel Dispersing Orb. Seal of Fire provides some early removal in enchantment form. And for later removal I'm using Mind Control, let them deal with their own threats.
The red and green Hondens are the most useful, so I'm running a playset of each. Them being legendary is less of an issue, because the opponent will probably try to get rid of them. Spares won't come amiss. As for enhancing the effects with more Hondens, I found, that Paradox Haze is a much better option for that than Mirror Gallery.
Many years ago, I built a deck solely consisting of enchantments and lands, based on Hondens. I also began with all five colors, but after tweaking quite a lot, it became clear to me, that I simply didn't need all five Hondens. I ended up cutting white (because the white Honden was the only reason to play that color, and life gain could be had in other ways and colors), and black (again, the black Honden was simply not worth running and expanding the colors). A 3-color deck will be much more consistent, and a full set of Utopia Sprawl with some fetches is more than sufficient to get all colors needed. I still have that deck for nostalgia's sake.
I literally went though this same thing a few months back. I started with a full playset of the hondens and eventually dropped black and blue. Blue because with Mirror Gallery I was decking myself out, and black because the card disruption wasn't really worth it. Here is my decklist
Honden of Seeing Winds
Honden of Life's Web
Honden of Infinite Rage
Honden of Night's Reach
I want to build a multi-color Honden deck but I am having issues with mana ramp and mana fixing. I also want the deck to focus on enhancements so I can maximize Sphere of Safety. with hondens and the sphere the deck is rather slow so I need both speed and versatility.
I have been experimenting with using all forests as the mana base and using some combination of the following:
Voyaging Satyr
Utopia Sprawl
Nylea's Presence
Fertile Ground
the issue is how to balance the mana ramp/fixing enchantments with other, more useful enchantments (hondens, spheres, etc) that actually win me the game. ramp doesn't help if my first five turns are nothing but more ramp.
I also don't want to use creature ramp like Bird's of Paradise or Utopia Tree because they don't synergize with the Sphere.
Other enchantments I am looking at are: Sterling Grove, Jace's Erasure (win condition with blue honden), Wheel of Sun and Moon, Beastmaster Ascension (win condition with green honden), Paradox Haze. Mirror Gallery and Elixir of Immortality are the only artifacts. none of these win the game or protect me on their own so the focus is still on the hondens and the sphere.
advice is appreciated.
Abundant Growth (replaces itself)
Nylea's Presence (replaces itself)
Prismatic Omen (5 colors at once!)
That should be more than enough.
You can also counteract losing resources to ramp by running card draw like:
Eidolon of Blossoms
Enchantress's Presence
Verduran Enchantress
Don't forget about the "Constellation" keyword. A card like Doomwake Giant could be very powerful...
Manamorphose is expensive, but effective too.
These are the decks that I have constructed, and are ready to play:
01. Ankh Sligh to be exact.
Enduring Ideal is a hilarious way to win with Hondens, especially with Paradox Hazes
My life gain comes from a little gem called Quiet Disrepair, which is ridiculous with Paradox Haze and gives the deck some enchantment/artifact hate. I'm running lots of enchantments, so having a target is not an issue, you don't have to blow it up. I also complemented the green Honden with some Blood Rites to throw those spirit tokens around. Those tokens also are really useful to fuel Dispersing Orb. Seal of Fire provides some early removal in enchantment form. And for later removal I'm using Mind Control, let them deal with their own threats.
The red and green Hondens are the most useful, so I'm running a playset of each. Them being legendary is less of an issue, because the opponent will probably try to get rid of them. Spares won't come amiss. As for enhancing the effects with more Hondens, I found, that Paradox Haze is a much better option for that than Mirror Gallery.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
I literally went though this same thing a few months back. I started with a full playset of the hondens and eventually dropped black and blue. Blue because with Mirror Gallery I was decking myself out, and black because the card disruption wasn't really worth it. Here is my decklist
4x Elvish Mystic
4x Eyeless Watcher
4x Glint-Sleeve Artisan
4x Herald of the Pantheon
4x Thopter Engineer
2x Second Harvest
Artifacts (3)
3x Mirror Gallery
Enchantments (12)
4x Honden of Cleansing Fire
4x Honden of Infinite Rage
4x Honden of Life's Web
2x City of Brass
4x Evolving Wilds
4x Forest
3x Inventors' Fair
4x Jungle Shrine
3x Mountain
3x Plains