Doran, the Siege Tower is definitely one of my favorite cards in the Abazan colors and I'm finally getting around to making a deck based on him. I suspect I'm currently going a little too heavy into the "toughness-matters" theme and need a bit more mana acceleration/fixing... but I'm curious to hear what y'all think. The budget for this particular deck is a bit higher than most (I'll be building it slowly over time), so if there are better options "regardless" of budget, I'm all ears.
Going 1-3-4-etc. it quite powerful and most of your "toughness matters" cards buff all of your critters which provides you with even more incentive to field warm bodies. FWIW I would make this is a Null Rod deck if possible and avoid using Artifact-based ramp. You can even add Stony Silence to further hose opposing ramp.
With respect to removal Abrupt Decay will make the cut 100% of the time if budget isn't a concern. Beast Within and Nature's Claim are also must-haves. Anguished Unmaking > Mortify by a significant margin and should be changed if possible. Golgari Charm is a versatile removal spell and/or protection against mass removal. I would never play Grim Contest and would rather see something like Swords to Plowshares/Snuff Out that's either cheap or "free." If you're paying more than 1 mana to kill a creature in BW then you're doing it wrong. Plow and Snuff Out are bonkers and should realistically be added.
Great suggestions all, I had no idea Sylvan Primordial was banned (though I can certainly see why). Whew, this deck will take some/time money to build! I've made a lot of updates, though I think it could still be a bit more tightened up. To top off the GY hate, I also dropped in a Dryad Militant. Overkill/unnecessary?
Too weak/situational. Your head is in the right place but in practice that effect isn't powerful enough to have a significant impact on an average game of EDH.
3x Doran, the Siege Tower
Creatures(32)
1x Deathrite Shaman
1x Arbor Elf
1x Avacyn's Pilgrim
1x Elves of Deep Shadow
1x Elvish Mystic
1x Llanowar Elves
1x Treefolk Harbinger
2x Overgrown Battlement
2x Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
2x Nyx-Fleece Ram
2x Sylvan Caryatid
2x Skinshifter
2x Wall of Omens
2x Wall of Blossoms
3x Hushwing Gryff
3x Axebane Guardian
3x Scourge of Skola Vale
4x Rhox Faithmender
4x Wakestone Gargoyle
4x Anafenza, the Foremost
4x Tree of Perdition
4x Indomitable Ancients
4x Unstoppable Ash
4x Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
4x Vhati il-Dal
4x Reaper of the Wilds
5x Timber Protector
5x Magnigoth Treefolk
5x Sapling of Colfenor
5x Silklash Spider
6x Ulvenwald Observer
6x Pontiff of Blight
1x Enlightened Tutor
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Tower Defense
3x Beast Within
3x Anguished Unmaking
3x Bar the Door
4x Foul Renewal
5x Snuff Out
5x Reach of Branches
Sorceries(5)
3x Painful Truths
4x Explosive Vegetation
5x Fell the Mighty
5x Wave of Reckoning
6x Merciless Eviction
Enchantments(12)
1x Abundant Growth
1x Utopia Sprawl
2x Primal Rage
2x Assault Formation
2x Stony Silence
2x Brave the Sands
2x Quest for Renewal
3x Behind the Scenes
3x Spidersilk Armor
4x Builder's Blessing
4x Deathreap Ritual
6x True Conviction
Artifacts(8)
1x Meekstone
2x Swiftfoot Boots
2x Null Rod
2x Torpor Orb
2x Winter Orb
4x Witchbane Orb
3x Belbe's Armor
4x Aligned Hedron Network
0x Sandsteppe Citadel
0x Murmuring Bosk
0x Golgari Rot Farm
0x Selesnya Sanctuary
0x Orzhov Basilica
0x Forbidding Watchtower
0x Temple of the False God
0x Vivid Grove
0x Vivid Marsh
0x Vivid Meadow
0x Command Tower
0x Opal Palace
9x Forest
6x Plains
6x Swamp
3x Doran, the Siege Tower
Creatures(30)
1x Treefolk Harbinger
1x Disowned Ancestor
2x Overgrown Battlement
2x Bosk Banneret
2x Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
2x Nyx-Fleece Ram
2x Sylvan Caryatid
2x Skinshifter
2x Wall of Omens
2x Wall of Blossoms
3x Axebane Guardian
3x Scourge of Skola Vale
4x Coalition Honor Guard
4x Rhox Faithmender
4x Wakestone Gargoyle
4x Siege Rhino
4x Tree of Perdition
4x Indomitable Ancients
4x Unstoppable Ash
4x Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
4x Vhati il-Dal
4x Reaper of the Wilds
5x Timber Protector
5x Magnigoth Treefolk
5x Sapling of Colfenor
5x Silklash Spider
6x Jareth, Leonine Titan
6x Thorntooth Witch
6x Ulvenwald Observer
6x Pontiff of Blight
7x Sylvan Primordial
2x Tower Defense
3x Grim Contest
3x Putrefy
3x Mortify
3x Bar the Door
4x Utter End
4x Foul Renewal
5x Reach of Branches
Sorceries(6)
2x Kin-Tree Invocation
3x Cultivate
4x Explosive Vegetation
5x Fell the Mighty
5x Wave of Reckoning
6x Merciless Eviction
Enchantments(11)
1x Abundant Growth
1x Utopia Sprawl
2x Primal Rage
2x Assault Formation
2x Eland Umbra
2x Brave the Sands
2x Quest for Renewal
3x Behind the Scenes
3x Spidersilk Armor
4x Builder's Blessing
6x True Conviction
Artifacts(10)
1x Sol Ring
1x Meekstone
1x Slagwurm Armor
2x Swiftfoot Boots
2x Golgari Signet
2x Selesnya Signet
2x Orzhov Signet
3x Orzhov Keyrune
3x Belbe's Armor
4x Aligned Hedron Network
0x Sandsteppe Citadel
0x Murmuring Bosk
0x Golgari Rot Farm
0x Selesnya Sanctuary
0x Orzhov Basilica
0x Forbidding Watchtower
0x Temple of the False God
0x Vivid Grove
0x Vivid Marsh
0x Vivid Meadow
0x Command Tower
0x Opal Palace
9x Forest
6x Plains
6x Swamp
Archenemy: Nicol Bolas Upgrades
Play Painful Truths in 100% of Black tricolor decks. 3-for-3 is a ridiculous ROI.
When you have a 3 CMC Green Commander you have a lot of incentive to run some/all of the mana dorks that enable them on turn 2:
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Llanowar Elves
2 Priest of Titania
Going 1-3-4-etc. it quite powerful and most of your "toughness matters" cards buff all of your critters which provides you with even more incentive to field warm bodies. FWIW I would make this is a Null Rod deck if possible and avoid using Artifact-based ramp. You can even add Stony Silence to further hose opposing ramp.
In terms of "oppressive" cards that you're missing there are some that come to mind. Bloom Tender is a 2 mana Thran Dynamo which is moronic. Aura Shards is also utterly ridiculous since it kills "the everything." I would always play Anafenza, the Foremost for her disruption alone since it's incredibly powerful in such a GY-driven format. Necrologia makes the cut in all of my Black decks as a powerful card draw spell and I'm also a fan of Phyrexian Arena. It's another fine turn 2 play off of all of those dorks. Enlightened Tutor (for Assault Formation), Sylvan Tutor, Green Sun's Zenith, Survival of the Fittest, Eladmri's Call, Scavenging Ooze, Winter Orb, Sylvan Library, Reclamation Sage, Chord of Calling, Grim Feast (read the Errata), Selvala, Explorer Returned, Deathreap Ritual, Armageddon, Ravages of War, Cataclysm, there's a ton of cards that I like seeing in these archetypes.
With respect to removal Abrupt Decay will make the cut 100% of the time if budget isn't a concern. Beast Within and Nature's Claim are also must-haves. Anguished Unmaking > Mortify by a significant margin and should be changed if possible. Golgari Charm is a versatile removal spell and/or protection against mass removal. I would never play Grim Contest and would rather see something like Swords to Plowshares/Snuff Out that's either cheap or "free." If you're paying more than 1 mana to kill a creature in BW then you're doing it wrong. Plow and Snuff Out are bonkers and should realistically be added.
Since you have next-to-no ETB triggers Torpor Orb and Hushwing Gryff seem insane. Gaddock Teeg, Winter Orb, Null Rod, Stony Silence, Aven Mindcensor, there's a ton of awesome hate in White.
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
Archenemy: Nicol Bolas Upgrades
Too weak/situational. Your head is in the right place but in practice that effect isn't powerful enough to have a significant impact on an average game of EDH.
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
- Dryad Militant
- Siege Rhino
- Putrefy
+ Beast Within
+ Snuff Out
+ Anafenza, the Foremost
Archenemy: Nicol Bolas Upgrades