So I have a superfriends deck and will be modifying it using Atraxa soon. However, I would like to make the deck mote interactive so it will be more fun to play against. As any superfriend player will know, playing a PW and untapping with it in a 4+ player game is no small feat. So my initial solution was to add cards that frustrate creature decks enough for me to allow my walkers to survive. Think Overburden, Portcullis, Humility and such. The problem is that, while it works, it slows the game down for everyone which leads to unfun games. I'm looking for suggestions on how to change my deck in such a way that at least my opponents can keep killing each other but at the same time allow me to defend my PW's properly.
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The secret to enjoyable Commander games is not winning first, but losing last.
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And if you REALLY want to be a dick, combo Humility with Night of Souls' Betrayal. And Dovescape to stop the noncreature answers to your boardstate (once you have the boardstate, of course).
I suppose even after the Dovescape, a Boseiju-powered Show and Tell or Eureka could get more stuff on the board.
For Humility-protected superfriends in general, but not Atraxa in particular, Æther Flash is another alternative to Night of Souls' Betrayal.
But guys, the point of the thread is how to NOT be a dick.
I like the flash route, that might work, along with instant speed boardwipes. Basically the attack me and I wipe, and if they don't I add another walker. Cards requried would be Leyline of Anticipation, Vedalken Orrery, Alchemist's Refuge. Am I missing any cards? 3 cards is hardly enough critical mass to plan your plays on in 100 card singleton...
Blazing Archon might work, though it's expensive so only as a long game card. Propaganda effects are a bit overrated imo, at least when it comes to protecting PW's. People are still more than happy to pay 2 to take it out without it costing them a card.
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The secret to enjoyable Commander games is not winning first, but losing last.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
Not sure about Mystic Barrier... while it indeed prevents two opponents from attacking you the third opponent will have to attack you. It will be very hit or miss depending on who sits next to you.
What about Island Sanctuary? The card loss is tough but it can help you from being swamped while enabling opponents to go at each other at full force. (Hmmm. might add it to my Queen Marchesa deck...)
And Chronomantic Escape? It requires some planning but basically guarantees your walker to survive if you play it the round this comes from suspend.
Edit: Palisade Giant any good? would require some help saying alive though.
Edit: Chrono and Sanctuary do not protect walkers. No good, my bad.
I think the best approach is to use rattlesnakes; your opponents aren't necessarily prevented from attacking you, but they will feel the pain if they do.
Soul Snare is an underappreciated rattlesnake card that passes the Sun Titan test.
Ætherspouts is an instant-speed boardwipe. Similarly, there is Pernicious Deed, which spares your planeswalkers.
There are some creatures that can be effective rattlesnakes, too. Anything with a board-spanning ability, like Carnifex Demon (which conveniently synergizes with Atraxa), Kagemaro, First to Suffer, or Mageta the Lion can deter attackers.
I think the best approach is to use rattlesnakes; your opponents aren't necessarily prevented from attacking you, but they will feel the pain if they do.
Soul Snare is an underappreciated rattlesnake card that passes the Sun Titan test.
Ætherspouts is an instant-speed boardwipe. Similarly, there is Pernicious Deed, which spares your planeswalkers.
There are some creatures that can be effective rattlesnakes, too. Anything with a board-spanning ability, like Carnifex Demon (which conveniently synergizes with Atraxa), Kagemaro, First to Suffer, or Mageta the Lion can deter attackers.
Along these lines, there are some decent defensive creatures. Creatures like Ophiomancer and Baleful Strix aren't going to stop everything, but they can kill a fair number of attackers for little investment. Wall of Denial is tough to remove outside of board wipes, which walkers are fine with. There are enough high quality small defensive creatures available that you don't get forced into junk like Typhoid Rats and you can be picky about some of the middling ones, like Deadly Recluse. It's an alternative to the full creature hate gameplan if you don't want to go that route.
If you do, make it a goal to ultimate Elspeth, Knight-Errant with Lethal Vapors down. I was a piece of spot removal away from that at one point and it was heartbreaking.
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[Pr]Jaya | Estrid | A rotating cast of decks built out of my box.
Stasis and Garruk Wildspeaker's +1 can be a lock that results in victory, Slow but eventually getting to the end as you untap an island each turn, along with another land. Meanwhile they are not untapping. Luckily Atraxa does not tap to attack, so you have a beatstick.
The bad news is if it is early game, they will be able to draw into more lands and play something big. This make Blind Obedience good or even better would be Loxodon Gatekeeper (Since he also effects lands)
It's difficult to want to play superfriends and also not play stax effects. There are few ways to go about it otherwise, with pillowfort effects like Ghostly Prison that arent as feelsbad for example, or creatures that block well, like Flying Indestructible creatures, or goofy stuff like Hundred-Handed One. Especially if your meta is more casual where creatures tend to end games or be on the board constantly, or with battlecruiser magic where someone can nearly always hit a walker.
It's something I struggled with when I played Daretti, which forced me to quickly increase the power level of the deck due to the threat he posed from the command zone, so I quickly included Tangle Wire, Mass Land Destruction, etc to keep him safe. It worked well, and usually by turn 5 at the latest I had a stax lock and him out, gaining loyalty quickly. Sadly, the mulligan rule completely hosed any sort of consistency I was able to work with, and with the increased pressure my meta put upon the deck, I gave it up and converted the stax portion to my new Atraxa deck, and the artifacts to Breya.
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common wisdom is to use a bunch of board wipes. If you don't mind being a dick - humility is pretty much the best thing ever.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
And if you REALLY want to be a dick, combo Humility with Night of Souls' Betrayal.
UAzami, Locus of All KnowledgeU
BMarrow-Gnawer, Crime Lord of ComboB
WBRTariel, Hellraiser StaxWBR
Annul is really good in EDH
Other cards that "might reduce" combat include Fatespinner and Angelic Arbiter.
I suppose even after the Dovescape, a Boseiju-powered Show and Tell or Eureka could get more stuff on the board.
For Humility-protected superfriends in general, but not Atraxa in particular, Æther Flash is another alternative to Night of Souls' Betrayal.
Another nice creature hate card is Tainted Æther
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
But guys, the point of the thread is how to NOT be a dick.
I like the flash route, that might work, along with instant speed boardwipes. Basically the attack me and I wipe, and if they don't I add another walker. Cards requried would be Leyline of Anticipation, Vedalken Orrery, Alchemist's Refuge. Am I missing any cards? 3 cards is hardly enough critical mass to plan your plays on in 100 card singleton...
Blazing Archon might work, though it's expensive so only as a long game card. Propaganda effects are a bit overrated imo, at least when it comes to protecting PW's. People are still more than happy to pay 2 to take it out without it costing them a card.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
What about Island Sanctuary? The card loss is tough but it can help you from being swamped while enabling opponents to go at each other at full force. (Hmmm. might add it to my Queen Marchesa deck...)
And Chronomantic Escape? It requires some planning but basically guarantees your walker to survive if you play it the round this comes from suspend.
Edit: Palisade Giant any good? would require some help saying alive though.
Edit: Chrono and Sanctuary do not protect walkers. No good, my bad.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
Soul Snare is an underappreciated rattlesnake card that passes the Sun Titan test.
Ætherspouts is an instant-speed boardwipe. Similarly, there is Pernicious Deed, which spares your planeswalkers.
There are some creatures that can be effective rattlesnakes, too. Anything with a board-spanning ability, like Carnifex Demon (which conveniently synergizes with Atraxa), Kagemaro, First to Suffer, or Mageta the Lion can deter attackers.
If you do, make it a goal to ultimate Elspeth, Knight-Errant with Lethal Vapors down. I was a piece of spot removal away from that at one point and it was heartbreaking.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
The bad news is if it is early game, they will be able to draw into more lands and play something big. This make Blind Obedience good or even better would be Loxodon Gatekeeper (Since he also effects lands)
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
It's something I struggled with when I played Daretti, which forced me to quickly increase the power level of the deck due to the threat he posed from the command zone, so I quickly included Tangle Wire, Mass Land Destruction, etc to keep him safe. It worked well, and usually by turn 5 at the latest I had a stax lock and him out, gaining loyalty quickly. Sadly, the mulligan rule completely hosed any sort of consistency I was able to work with, and with the increased pressure my meta put upon the deck, I gave it up and converted the stax portion to my new Atraxa deck, and the artifacts to Breya.
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown