The new card Ashen Rider from Theros is a very awesome creature, and I believe that it shall be excellent for my black/blue/white EDH deck, but I am not certain what creature it should replace. I am considering removing either angel of despair or divinity of pride to make space for the rider. Angel of despair seems to be the most logical choice, since the rider is essentially a more powerful version of it, but I like the angel too much to remove it, and it is also very powerful in its own right, meaning that it would be better to have both in my deck at the same time. The divinity is an excellent card in its own right, but its static ability is mostly superfluous in this format, and while it is more mana-efficient than is the rider (i.e., a 4/4 for 5 mana instead of a 5/5 for 8 mana), this format is more accommodating to a higher-costing creature such as the rider.
What does everyone else say? Which creature do you believe that I should remove from my deck to add Ashen Rider, and for what reason?
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The new card Ashen Rider from Theros is a very awesome creature, and I believe that it shall be excellent for my black/blue/white EDH deck, but I am not certain what creature it should replace. I am considering removing either angel of despair or divinity of pride to make space for the rider. Angel of despair seems to be the most logical choice, since the rider is essentially a more powerful version of it, but I like the angel too much to remove it, and it is also very powerful in its own right, meaning that it would be better to have both in my deck at the same time. The divinity is an excellent card in its own right, but its static ability is mostly superfluous in this format, and while it is more mana-efficient than is the rider (i.e., a 4/4 for 5 mana instead of a 5/5 for 8 mana), this format is more accommodating to a higher-costing creature such as the rider.
What does everyone else say? Which creature do you believe that I should remove from my deck to add Ashen Rider, and for what reason?
I would get ride of divinty. Honestly, it's just a french vanilla beater.
Unfortunately every try hard from Sacramento to Shanghai preaches from the top of their 27 lands + Mana Reflection that Tooth and Nail and Time Stretch are fine to play in the same turn but Armageddon is unfair.
I don't know what else is in your list, but I would say cut Divinity.
I would agree with this, but keep in mind that is boosting your CMC by 3... which is uh.. a lot. I would cut Divinity anyway though because there's a one Wequivalent to him... you know, Serra Ascendant.
Based on the information I have, Divinity. But I seriously doubt there are only two cards worth cutting in a 99 card deck; we could give you much better advice if you posted the whole list.
I would rather not post my entire decklist, to keep it a secret, but, since the other users here have asked for it, here is the deck list for this deck:
I apologize for not using the forum's inherent decklist feature, since I am not familiar with using it, but this is my complete deck. Now, with there being 23 creatures in this deck, I am certain that we could find some to remove in favor of ashen rider, but I like nearly all of them as they are, since all of them serve a purpose within this deck.
Now, what advice can anyone else here offer me? Between the two creatrues that I mentioned earlier, which one should I remove in favor of ashen rider, or should I remove a different creature entirely?
As a side note, I shall mention that if Ashen Rider were a 6/6 for 8 mana with its abilities, I would have no problem with placing it in this deck, and would not need to ask for advice, but, unfortunately, it is only a 5/5, so I need to seek advice from the other users here about it.
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither.”-Benjamin Franklin
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
Considering, at first sight, I don't see any way of cheating high cmc into play.. I think adding the Ashen Rider will up your cmc by a bunch. Tread lightly, is all I can say.
Szadek, Lord of Secrets, no question. You have some other milling creatures, but all of the others also add damage. He does nothing unless he actually hits the player, so many times he's just a 5/5 flyer. And while you do have some ways to cast cards from opponent graveyards, your relying on both him connecting with an opponent (and do no damage) and having another another card to let you cast from the grave. And considering that many players use their grave (with some decks designed around throwing as much into their grave as they can), you may end up helping more than hurting with him.
To his credit, though, he does get massive and eliminate a player in five hits (and can one shot after that), and can circumvent massive lifegain decks. But generally speaking I would be more disappointed to draw Szadek then Ashen Rider.
With a curve like that I wouldn't bother. That is probably the highest average mana cost I've ever seen in a deck, so I would worry about lowering the average by 3.0-3.5 mana and then start looking at what to do to squeeze it in. With that many 6+ drops you simply don't have room.
From the OP, I would say cut the Angel, since you won't really feel the difference. But the Divinity isn't that good in a three color deck. Cut him too.
Now from the deck list you posted, you have a bunch of high CMC creatures. I would cut a couple and replace them with small utility dudes or ramp. Keep an eye out for that new Elk from Theros.
Not trying to hate on your list or anything, but do you ever win with it?
You CMC for creatures is just massive. There are -maybe- 2 creatures that cost less than 5 in the entire list in colors that really don't have ramp to speak of. How do you survive the early game or get your tempo high enough to play an effective late game? You have so many expensive cards (a mistake I once made in a Dimir EDH deck) that I don't see how they ever get played. On top of that you run 38 lands in a list that should be probably closer to 40. You do have a fair amount of mana rocks, but then you run things like Planar Portal as well and have nothing that gets lands for you i.e. Expedition Map or Journeyer's Kite. You also run Caged Sun in a three color deck where it is generally most effective in a mono colored list (maybe a 2 color). You have a wealth of instants, but how do you ever interact with them when you almost assuredly have spent all your mana to play your creatures?
That's just honest feedback in order to improve it. If you want to play massive creatures, you probably need to run a list that has green in it or devote a large amount of your artifact base to mana rocks in addition to increasing your land count. Also consider cards like Land Tax to keep your tempo up and adding in more creatures that help you draw or get to mid-late game in some way (Solemn Simulacrum). I understand if this is a somewhat budget list, but the curve is honestly too high to be truly effective from my experience, and adding Ashen Rider would only increase that difficulty.
All of that aside, I'd cut Szadek. Your mileage may vary.
Divinity of pride. I follow the logic that multiples are good. Just because dreadbore is better then terminate doesn't mean you cut terminate, you run both.
What does everyone else say? Which creature do you believe that I should remove from my deck to add Ashen Rider, and for what reason?
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
I would get ride of divinty. Honestly, it's just a french vanilla beater.
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Maybe you could post your deck for better feedback?
I would agree with this, but keep in mind that is boosting your CMC by 3... which is uh.. a lot. I would cut Divinity anyway though because there's a one Wequivalent to him... you know, Serra Ascendant.
You could cut Angel of Despair for the Ashen Rider though, and probably barely even feel the difference.
Username: Cabz
Creatures
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Angel of Despair
Archon of the Triumvirate
Bloodgift Demon
Consuming Aberration
Deathbringer Liege
Divinity of Pride
Dromar, the Banisher
Ghastlord of Fugue
Glen Elendra Liege
Grand Arbiter Augustin VI
Mindleech Mass
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Sen Triplets
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Szadek, Lord of Secrets
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
Thistledown Liege
Tower Gargoyle
Treasury Thrull
Wall of Denial
Wrexial, the Risen Deep
Total: 23 creatures
Enchantments
Helm of the Ghastlord
Marshal's Anthem
Rhystic Study
Steel of the Godhead
True Conviction
Total: 5 enchantments
Artifacts
Akroma's Memorial
Caged Sun
Chromatic Lantern
Elixir of Immortality
Gilded Lotus
Mirari
Planar Portal
Sol Ring
Temple Bell
Thran Dynamo
Vedalken Orrery
Well of Lost Dreams
Total: 12 artifacts
Instants/Sorceries
Absorb
Brainbite
Castigate
Consult the Necrosages
Cryptic Command
Debt to the Deathless
Dismal Failure
Dromar's Charm
Esper Charm
Gerrard's Verdict
Mortify
Perplex
Plague Wind
Punish Ignorance
Recoil
Render Silent
Return to Dust
Sphinx's Revelation
Time Warp
Twisted Justice
Undermine
Unmake
Total: 22 instants/sorceries
Lands
Arcane Sanctum
Azorious Chancery
Command Tower
Dimir Aqueduct
Drowned Catacomb
Glacial Fortress
Godless Shrine
Hallowed Fountain
Island (X8)
Isolated Chapel
Orzhov Basilica
Plains (X8)
Reflecting Pool
Swamp (X8)
Temple of the False God
Vesuva
Watery Grave
Total: 38 lands
Grand Total: 100 cards
Cabz; I do like Serra Ascendant, but it does not automatically have flying, and, since it is monocolored, it does not receive as great a bonus as does divinity of pride from cards such as deathbringer liege or edge of the divinity.
Now, what advice can anyone else here offer me? Between the two creatrues that I mentioned earlier, which one should I remove in favor of ashen rider, or should I remove a different creature entirely?
As a side note, I shall mention that if Ashen Rider were a 6/6 for 8 mana with its abilities, I would have no problem with placing it in this deck, and would not need to ask for advice, but, unfortunately, it is only a 5/5, so I need to seek advice from the other users here about it.
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
[Primer] Kozilek, Butcher with Juice.
To his credit, though, he does get massive and eliminate a player in five hits (and can one shot after that), and can circumvent massive lifegain decks. But generally speaking I would be more disappointed to draw Szadek then Ashen Rider.
With a curve like that I wouldn't bother. That is probably the highest average mana cost I've ever seen in a deck, so I would worry about lowering the average by 3.0-3.5 mana and then start looking at what to do to squeeze it in. With that many 6+ drops you simply don't have room.
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Now from the deck list you posted, you have a bunch of high CMC creatures. I would cut a couple and replace them with small utility dudes or ramp. Keep an eye out for that new Elk from Theros.
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You CMC for creatures is just massive. There are -maybe- 2 creatures that cost less than 5 in the entire list in colors that really don't have ramp to speak of. How do you survive the early game or get your tempo high enough to play an effective late game? You have so many expensive cards (a mistake I once made in a Dimir EDH deck) that I don't see how they ever get played. On top of that you run 38 lands in a list that should be probably closer to 40. You do have a fair amount of mana rocks, but then you run things like Planar Portal as well and have nothing that gets lands for you i.e. Expedition Map or Journeyer's Kite. You also run Caged Sun in a three color deck where it is generally most effective in a mono colored list (maybe a 2 color). You have a wealth of instants, but how do you ever interact with them when you almost assuredly have spent all your mana to play your creatures?
That's just honest feedback in order to improve it. If you want to play massive creatures, you probably need to run a list that has green in it or devote a large amount of your artifact base to mana rocks in addition to increasing your land count. Also consider cards like Land Tax to keep your tempo up and adding in more creatures that help you draw or get to mid-late game in some way (Solemn Simulacrum). I understand if this is a somewhat budget list, but the curve is honestly too high to be truly effective from my experience, and adding Ashen Rider would only increase that difficulty.
All of that aside, I'd cut Szadek. Your mileage may vary.
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