Thinking of making a budget heroic deck. I made one of these a while ago but it just didn't work. Some things have changed since, and i'm thinking of giving it another shot.
Problem 1: Most of the low costed cards only worked when they were targeted. This meant that I played creatures with abilities but never had their abilities actually go off making them a complete waist. Its still problem but Blessed Spirits helps solve that. It can be cast reasonably early, it doesn't care what I target, and is a great pair with the other low costed non selfish card phalanx leader.
Problem 2: My old deck lacked a powerful end game finisher. Sigil of the empty throne was expensive and out of my budget. I was left with the poor man's version ajani's chosen. I don't think I have to explain the difference between a 4/4 flier and a 2/2. Sigil of the empty throne has been reprinted twice recently and is now worth virtually nothing. Plus an enchantment is harder for my opponents to kill then a creature.
Problem 3: The deck is powered by casting Flickering Ward over and over and over. This takes up my mana. The deck walks a thin line between casting new creatures and just recasting flickering ward. The deck is almost crying out for something like Prophet of Kruphix though I don't know of anything like it I could actually run.
As a reminder, this deck is very budget. Would love any thoughts.
I was the guy playing the relentless rats deck back during mirrodin and kamigawa blocks. Yes, cranial extraction was used on me. No, I didn't win much. Yes, I do have a relentless rats edh deck. No, it doesn't win much either...
Is when someone kills your creature in response to it being targeted by Flickering Ward at which point you're left with a deck consisting of 52 blank cards.
Heroic enchantment deck with no Fabled Hero? That thing's worth what? 25c?
Double strike + counters from Phalanx Leader and Celestial Ancient seems like fun.
Plus, you get to tell the poet in the corner to write it down.
You could "thin" out your deck with a couple of spells that replace themselves, so that you get your key cards more consistent. Shelter and/or Survive the Night trigger heroic and can protect your creature from removal in case you just want to enchant it with flickering ward (see Prid3's comment). Another way are auras that let you draw a card like Unquestioned Authority, Sage's Reverie and Pentarch Ward. And somehow Mistmeadow Skulk come to my mind as a good target for Flickering Ward. Protection from converted mana cost 3 can avoid a lot of troubling spells.
Is when someone kills your creature in response to it being targeted by Flickering Ward at which point you're left with a deck consisting of 52 blank cards.
Sadly none of them can be fit it the $10 budget I gave the deck though.
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I was the guy playing the relentless rats deck back during mirrodin and kamigawa blocks. Yes, cranial extraction was used on me. No, I didn't win much. Yes, I do have a relentless rats edh deck. No, it doesn't win much either...
The deck has run ok but can still improve a lot. Mesa enchantress has proven itself to be completely unnecessary. Since I get so much value from recasting Flickering Ward my hand is never empty as is. I don't need the card draw. This also makes the deck pretty resilient to board wipe. Flickering ward survives and I just cast the stuff in my hand. celestial ancient is also a miss. I never want to spend the mana on it. By that point in the game I want to be casting flickering ward so anything else I play needs to be fairly low in mana.
The ones that are ok are Vanguard of Brimaz interacts really well when jumping back and forth with phalanx leader. Plus its a 2 drop and I don't always have phalanx leader. Likely will increase to 4. livewire lash has proven itself worth keeping. Could see going up to 3
I like how archetype of courage triggers all the enchantment effects while still giving its own ability. Its likely a keeper.
I was the guy playing the relentless rats deck back during mirrodin and kamigawa blocks. Yes, cranial extraction was used on me. No, I didn't win much. Yes, I do have a relentless rats edh deck. No, it doesn't win much either...
Problem 1: Most of the low costed cards only worked when they were targeted. This meant that I played creatures with abilities but never had their abilities actually go off making them a complete waist. Its still problem but Blessed Spirits helps solve that. It can be cast reasonably early, it doesn't care what I target, and is a great pair with the other low costed non selfish card phalanx leader.
Problem 2: My old deck lacked a powerful end game finisher. Sigil of the empty throne was expensive and out of my budget. I was left with the poor man's version ajani's chosen. I don't think I have to explain the difference between a 4/4 flier and a 2/2. Sigil of the empty throne has been reprinted twice recently and is now worth virtually nothing. Plus an enchantment is harder for my opponents to kill then a creature.
Problem 3: The deck is powered by casting Flickering Ward over and over and over. This takes up my mana. The deck walks a thin line between casting new creatures and just recasting flickering ward. The deck is almost crying out for something like Prophet of Kruphix though I don't know of anything like it I could actually run.
As a reminder, this deck is very budget. Would love any thoughts.
4 Phalanx Leader
3 Setessan Battle Priest
3 Vanguard of Brimaz
3 archetype of courage
4 blessed Spirits
4 heliod's Pilgrim
3 mesa enchantress
3 celestial ancient
4 Flickering Ward
2 livewire lash
3 Sigil of the empty throne
Lands
24 Plains
The deck's biggest problem will be not getting Flickering Ward or heliod's pilgrim. The Free mulligan plus the recent Scry rule will help solve that.
Would love feedback.
Is when someone kills your creature in response to it being targeted by Flickering Ward at which point you're left with a deck consisting of 52 blank cards.
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
Double strike + counters from Phalanx Leader and Celestial Ancient seems like fun.
Plus, you get to tell the poet in the corner to write it down.
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Instant speed removal is pretty uncommon in my group. It exists but isn't all that prevalent. I could drop Setessan Battle Priest in favor of devoted caretaker, mother of runes, or grand abolisher. Devoted caretaker is the most budget friendly of the bunch though I don't like that it needs mana for its ability.
Sadly none of them can be fit it the $10 budget I gave the deck though.
4 Phalanx Leader
3 Setessan Battle Priest
3 Vanguard of Brimaz
3 archetype of courage
4 blessed Spirits
4 heliod's Pilgrim
3 mesa enchantress
3 celestial ancient
4 Flickering Ward
2 livewire lash
3 Sigil of the empty throne
Lands
24 Plains
The deck has run ok but can still improve a lot. Mesa enchantress has proven itself to be completely unnecessary. Since I get so much value from recasting Flickering Ward my hand is never empty as is. I don't need the card draw. This also makes the deck pretty resilient to board wipe. Flickering ward survives and I just cast the stuff in my hand. celestial ancient is also a miss. I never want to spend the mana on it. By that point in the game I want to be casting flickering ward so anything else I play needs to be fairly low in mana.
The most important cards are clearly
Phalanx Leader
blessed Spirits
heliod's Pilgrim
Flickering Ward
Sigil of the empty throne
The ones that are ok are
Vanguard of Brimaz interacts really well when jumping back and forth with phalanx leader. Plus its a 2 drop and I don't always have phalanx leader. Likely will increase to 4.
livewire lash has proven itself worth keeping. Could see going up to 3
I like how archetype of courage triggers all the enchantment effects while still giving its own ability. Its likely a keeper.
These ones I will prob drop are these as they have never been relevant. Not sure what to replace them with yet.
Setessan Battle Priest
mesa enchantress
celestial ancient
So right now i'm at
4 Phalanx Leader
4 blessed Spirits
4 heliod's Pilgrim
4 Vanguard of Brimaz
3 archetype of courage
4 Flickering Ward
4 Sigil of the empty throne
3 livewire lash
24 Plains
That leaves 6 open spots.
Armageddon .
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