For a while now, I've been looking to get into EDH and over the past weekend, now that the tidal wave of exams has subsided in my school for the time being, I decided to start. I built a Verdeloth, the Ancient and a Grand Arbiter Augustin IV deck over the weekend, and am now looking to choose a general for my mono-black EDH deck.
I'm currently stuck between Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief and Kagemaro, First to Suffer. Because I'm building this for multiplayer, I feel compelled to use Kagemaro for the simple reason that holding a reusable wrath is extremely entertaining and useful. Drana also has her merits though, being a repeatable source of removal that doesn't kill my own army and plays a good game of politics and is a simple way to swing in for 21 general damage.
In short, what are your opinions? In a casual, multiplayer based EDH group, would Drana or Kagemaro be the general of choice?
I recently threw monoB together and didn't have a Maga, Traitor to Mortals kicking around (he was my first choice), so I stuck a Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief in there. I was pretty wowed by how insanely good she is. Cabal Coffers is her best friend, and it's not hard to search it up in black. Basically, your opponents will keep throwing answers at her, but you'll always have the mana to recast her. Then she sticks and starts killing people in two shots.
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EDH Azami (video)
:symw::symb::symg: Teneb (video) Drana (video) (retired)
:symw::symr: Brion (video)
:symb::symr: Wort (video) Arcum (video) (retired)
:symr::symg: Stonebrow (video) BShirei (video) WURasputin (video) (retired) RUrabrask (video) WURZedruu (video) (retired) WIsamaru UBGrimgrin UMistform Ultimus (video) UBRGwendlyn (video) URGAnimar (video) RGThromok WBSelenia Standard WUGeist of Saint Traft standard EDH (video) (retired) WUB Battle of Wits!
1 of the guys in My play group play a Drana deck We cooked up for Him. She is insane as a general. If You run her in a big mana black shell She can fill the same sort of role as Kagemaro except instead of being left with a flat board You're left with a ridiculously huge general. She would be my suggestion out of the 2.
I would go with Drana as well, send me a PM if you want to see the list I run. She is just stupidly good, you can even shoot your own creature with her to kill someone, and she hits for that magic number (7) when you give her -3. Thanks you, lack of burn!
Interesting. Drana seems like such a mana sink though, and I suppose it bothers me a bit. I can see Gaunlet of Power + Cabal Coffers + Magus of the Coffers doing ridiculously overpowered things though. Alright, hey, I've got nothing to lose. Drana, you're getting the toploader treatment.
Feel free to leave more comments though! I could always use more information.
I personally must disagree, and suggest *cheap shill* Ob Nixilis, the Fallen. I have a primer written up about how this deck runs, cards to play, etc. etc. etc. Seriously, this general is awesome. Link to my primer is in my sig.
Drana wins faster and can take out opposing generals. She doesn't require you to run fetches either and lets you use the huge amount of mana mono black can produce repeatedly. I would either recommend Maga or Drana as the general. Both play the same. If you have the money Anowon STAX is very powerful. SmokeSphereVoid+Anowon or The Abyss can create a very powerful lock. It's like playing Braids for multiplayer again..
If you chose Drana or Maga run Deserted Temple and or Candelabra of Tawnos. You could try to set up infinite black mana with Magus of the Coffers+Umbra Mantle+about 6 or 7 swamp in play.
From the two you asked about, I would definitely go with Drana.
But if you want a general that isn't just a beat-stick, then I highly recommend Balthor the Defiled. I have my deck in my sig, no full write up, but check it out if you want.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
I personally must disagree, and suggest *cheap shill* Ob Nixilis, the Fallen. I have a primer written up about how this deck runs, cards to play, etc. etc. etc. Seriously, this general is awesome. Link to my primer is in my sig.
Agreed. Ob Nixilis is run in my Zur deck, and I have never been disapointed to have him in my hand. To have him ready, at all times, would be great.
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Modern (I collect the format):
WURDelver
[/MANA]MANA]R[/MANA]GTron WDeath and Taxes WSoul Sisters RWG Pod Combo URSplinter Twin URStorm RBurn
Hm. Obby sounds like a treat to play. I wish I had the big guy. Two boxes of Zendikar produced none of him, sadly. I think Shirei looks really cool too. I'm probably going to stick to Drana since I already own her and probably won't be purchasing a whole ton of singles for at least a little while. Shirei/Balthor sound like great bases for a reanimator EDH deck though. How does Shirei play, exactly?
Oh I'm going to run out of money very quickly.
I am going to have to second Xiahou Dun. He is just that good in being able to recur all your relevant cards. Black already has access to such a massive amount of bomb-like cards at its disposal... now imagine being able to consistently recur them.
Maybe when I sell my textbooks this summer, I might get the incentive to actively hunt him down. I love Volrath a lot, but even I know Xiahou Dun completely blows him out of the water. Volrath though does hold a special feeling with me in the fact that he can instant-kill players with such ease when he connects.
My personal favorite for casual multiplayer, however, is Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker. It's a really fun deck to play.
This. Shirei plays like a sort of intricate machine. It is nearly impossible to determine a 'correct' move out of the incredibly convoluted board states, but the better you play, the more insane he gets. Feel free to take a look at my list if you want. On the two you mentioned, Drana is pretty ludicrous due to her ability to two-shot players via general damage. If you go with Drana, I'd recommend you run all of: Cabal Coffers, Vesuva, Deserted Temple, Petrified Field, Expedition Map, Extraplanar Lens, Gauntlet of Power, Magus of the Coffers, Nirkana Revenant and a whole lot of snow-covered swamps. Actually, that's a pretty good plan in any mono-black EDH deck, except sans gauntlet in shirei...
For a while now, I've been looking to get into EDH and over the past weekend, now that the tidal wave of exams has subsided in my school for the time being, I decided to start. I built a Verdeloth, the Ancient and a Grand Arbiter Augustin IV deck over the weekend, and am now looking to choose a general for my mono-black EDH deck.
I'm currently stuck between Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief and Kagemaro, First to Suffer. Because I'm building this for multiplayer, I feel compelled to use Kagemaro for the simple reason that holding a reusable wrath is extremely entertaining and useful. Drana also has her merits though, being a repeatable source of removal that doesn't kill my own army and plays a good game of politics and is a simple way to swing in for 21 general damage.
In short, what are your opinions? In a casual, multiplayer based EDH group, would Drana or Kagemaro be the general of choice?
Altered Art Cards! | Commissions currently Closed
EDH
Azami (video)
:symw::symb::symg: Teneb (video)
Drana (video) (retired)
:symw::symr: Brion (video)
:symb::symr: Wort (video)
Arcum (video) (retired)
:symr::symg: Stonebrow (video)
B Shirei (video)
WU Rasputin (video) (retired)
R Urabrask (video)
WUR Zedruu (video) (retired)
W Isamaru
UB Grimgrin
U Mistform Ultimus (video)
UBR Gwendlyn (video)
URG Animar (video)
RG Thromok
WB Selenia
Standard
WU Geist of Saint Traft standard EDH (video) (retired)
WUB Battle of Wits!
Feel free to leave more comments though! I could always use more information.
Altered Art Cards! | Commissions currently Closed
If you chose Drana or Maga run Deserted Temple and or Candelabra of Tawnos. You could try to set up infinite black mana with Magus of the Coffers+Umbra Mantle+about 6 or 7 swamp in play.
BUG Dredge BUG]
WUBRG Storm WUBRG
UBR FaerieStalker UBR
EDH
Sygg, River Cutthroat (1vs1)
Maga, Traitor to Mortals (multiplayer)
But if you want a general that isn't just a beat-stick, then I highly recommend Balthor the Defiled. I have my deck in my sig, no full write up, but check it out if you want.
Also, don't forget Extraplanar Lens + Snow-Covered Swamps for some more ridiculous mana-acceleration shenanigans
WUBRG
WURDelver
[/MANA]MANA]R[/MANA]GTron
WDeath and Taxes
WSoul Sisters
RWG Pod Combo
URSplinter Twin
URStorm
RBurn
My personal favorite for casual multiplayer, however, is Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker. It's a really fun deck to play.
Glissa, the Traitor, Ulasht, the Hate Seed, The Mimeoplasm
Oh I'm going to run out of money very quickly.
Altered Art Cards! | Commissions currently Closed
Driving Stick with Isochron Scepter.
Trinkets and Treasure: An Artificer's Toolbox.
Proc Drops: Playing with One Drops.
Deck Primer: Toshiro Umezawa
Maybe when I sell my textbooks this summer, I might get the incentive to actively hunt him down. I love Volrath a lot, but even I know Xiahou Dun completely blows him out of the water. Volrath though does hold a special feeling with me in the fact that he can instant-kill players with such ease when he connects.
This. Shirei plays like a sort of intricate machine. It is nearly impossible to determine a 'correct' move out of the incredibly convoluted board states, but the better you play, the more insane he gets. Feel free to take a look at my list if you want. On the two you mentioned, Drana is pretty ludicrous due to her ability to two-shot players via general damage. If you go with Drana, I'd recommend you run all of: Cabal Coffers, Vesuva, Deserted Temple, Petrified Field, Expedition Map, Extraplanar Lens, Gauntlet of Power, Magus of the Coffers, Nirkana Revenant and a whole lot of snow-covered swamps. Actually, that's a pretty good plan in any mono-black EDH deck, except sans gauntlet in shirei...
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