Recently, I posted a thread asking for help on deciding my newest commanders. In the end, I ended up going with Marath, Will of the Wild and Alesha, Who Smiles at Death. Marath is all finished up for now, and now I'm on to building Alesha.
So, I'm trying to avoid the typical control/combo set up that I'm used to using in these colors. Reveillark and Karmic Guide are too good for the deck to leave out, but I'd like to go for aggro as my primary win condition.
Normally when I'm looking for card ideas I'd check the decklist database and Gatherer, but all the lists are combo and searching for White, Black, and/or Red creatures with power 2 or less yields over 3,000 results. Basically what I'm looking for are explosive finishers like Craterhoof Behemoth but In W/B/R. I'm already going to use Cathars' Crusade and Mirror Entity, plus I found a copy of Goldnight Commander rummaging through some bulk. I'm looking for more cards that would allow a quick aggro win that also work well with Alesha.
Any help would be appreciated. All the aggro decks I've ever built were either Voltron or explosive Maelstrom Wanderer type decks that can win out of nowhere, so little creature aggro is very new to me.
Due to the nature of Alesha and her ability, I don't really have a big finisher. Instead, I plan to have a few answers and then swarm the board as best I can. I don't normally have more than 4 or 5 creatures on the board, but things like the Lieges can make them bigger and Cathars' Crusade is probably the biggest haymaker in the deck. Academy Rector makes it easier to get to as well.
Guiltfeeder and Master of Cruelties (I don't run the Master) can be seen as your big finishers. I didn't like the way it played so I took Master of Cruelties out, but it is a really good option for ending the game as long as you can get it through unblocked.
I am sure there are some finishers you can use, and I know I have a few questionable choices, but hopefully this list and the above suggestions can give you some ideas on how to close out the game.
Due to the nature of Alesha and her ability, I don't really have a big finisher. Instead, I plan to have a few answers and then swarm the board as best I can. I don't normally have more than 4 or 5 creatures on the board, but things like the Lieges can make them bigger and Cathars' Crusade is probably the biggest haymaker in the deck. Academy Rector makes it easier to get to as well.
Guiltfeeder and Master of Cruelties (I don't run the Master) can be seen as your big finishers. I didn't like the way it played so I took Master of Cruelties out, but it is a really good option for ending the game as long as you can get it through unblocked.
I am sure there are some finishers you can use, and I know I have a few questionable choices, but hopefully this list and the above suggestions can give you some ideas on how to close out the game.
I actually like Master of Cruelties. It's strange as cheap kills like these typically put me off, but the fact that it has to be done via aggro which typically doesn't happen in more competitive metas is probably what I really like about it. Unfortunately, It's one of the few cards I didn't pick up during Return to Ravnica block.
Looking at your list gives me a few card ideas, most notably Drana, Liberator of Malakir. Had multiple chances to pick up a copy, but just never thought it was worth it and now I regret not just getting a copy.
I have exactly none of those. Big power creatures aren't exactly what I was looking for, as I'm looking for things that can act as overrun effects that just boost my small creatures, but it did give me the idea to search up 0/0's on gatherer. Pentavus seems like it could get out of control fairly quickly, especially with Cathars' Crusade.
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
The "go wide" plan doesn't usually work out with Alesha in my experience, Alesha only brings back a creature at a time (unless you built around getting it to trigger more than once and/or are going with a lot more reanimator options and/or your creatures are ETB token generators) and once people see your plan is to go wide, it becomes too slow to the typical resistance (via removal) to it.
I prefer "voltron" options in Alesha, so just pick a handful of the best equipment and the Equipment Squad (Stoneforge Mystic, Puresteel Paladin, Leonin Shikari and maybe Brass Squire). It isn't the typical Voltron in the sense you could split the equipment up if you do end up successfully going wide (it still helps), but at least it isn't durdling as badly if you end up with only like 2 creatures in total.
But if that option doesn't sound appealing to you (like I said I just didn't like relying on that plan only because of my own experience and that's meta-dependent I suppose), there's Instigator Gang/Wildblood Pack.
The "go wide" plan doesn't usually work out with Alesha in my experience, Alesha only brings back a creature at a time (unless you built around getting it to trigger more than once and/or are going with a lot more reanimator options and/or your creatures are ETB token generators) and once people see your plan is to go wide, it becomes too slow to the typical resistance (via removal) to it.
I prefer "voltron" options in Alesha, so just pick a handful of the best equipment and the Equipment Squad (Stoneforge Mystic, Puresteel Paladin, Leonin Shikari and maybe Brass Squire). It isn't the typical Voltron in the sense you could split the equipment up if you do end up successfully going wide (it still helps), but at least it isn't durdling as badly if you end up with only like 2 creatures in total.
But if that option doesn't sound appealing to you (like I said I just didn't like relying on that plan only because of my own experience and that's meta-dependent I suppose), there's Instigator Gang/Wildblood Pack.
The way I see it, I have 3 solid ways of building aggro for this deck: The Voltron plan, just removal and equips to make sure Alesha connects; The Big creatures plan, using a bunch of 0/0's that enter with large numbers of counters; The "Go Wide" plan, using buffs like Cathars' Crusade with token producers like Pia and Kiran Nalaar. Both the Voltron and Go wide plans fail to cards like Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and Umezawa's Jitte, but the big creatures plan just dies to control or chump blockers.
I do plan on running some equipment, but mostly to keep Alesha alive. A couple of swords of x&y and Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots to keep her from dying repeatedly.
I've often considered switching to Alesha because there are so many good cards in white for the strategy I just haven't done it.
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As THE resident Alesha aficionado (just check my sig ), I'd recommend the more humble routes of Resolute Blademaster and Firemantle Mage. I feel these are more what you are looking for?
So, I'm trying to avoid the typical control/combo set up that I'm used to using in these colors. Reveillark and Karmic Guide are too good for the deck to leave out, but I'd like to go for aggro as my primary win condition.
Normally when I'm looking for card ideas I'd check the decklist database and Gatherer, but all the lists are combo and searching for White, Black, and/or Red creatures with power 2 or less yields over 3,000 results. Basically what I'm looking for are explosive finishers like Craterhoof Behemoth but In W/B/R. I'm already going to use Cathars' Crusade and Mirror Entity, plus I found a copy of Goldnight Commander rummaging through some bulk. I'm looking for more cards that would allow a quick aggro win that also work well with Alesha.
Any help would be appreciated. All the aggro decks I've ever built were either Voltron or explosive Maelstrom Wanderer type decks that can win out of nowhere, so little creature aggro is very new to me.
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain
B Toshiro Umezawa
BG Pharika, God of Affliction - Necromancy and Politics
WWW The Church of Heliod
WBR Zurgo, Helmsmasher
RG Wort, the Raidmother
UBR Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge
UG Vorel of the Hull Clade
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
Lands
1 Arid Mesa
1 Badlands
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Command Tower
1 Diamond Valley
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hanweir Battlements
1 High Market
1 Marsh Flats
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Mistveil Plains
5 Mountain
1 Phyrexian Tower
6 Plains
1 Plateau
1 Polluted Delta
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Scrubland
1 Smoldering Marsh
6 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Windswept Heath
Instants
1 Path to Exile
1 Return to Dust
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Akroma's Vengeance
1 Merciless Eviction
1 Reforge the Soul
1 Rout
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Wheel of Fortune
Creatures
1 Academy Rector
1 Agent of Erebos
1 Anathemancer
1 Anger
1 Ashenmoor Liege
1 Balefire Liege
1 Big Game Hunter
1 Bomat Courier
1 Bone Shredder
1 Burnished Hart
1 Chainer, Dementia Master
1 Crypt Rats
1 Deathbringer Liege
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1 Duergar Hedge-Mage
1 Duplicant
1 False Prophet
1 Filth
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
1 Guiltfeeder
1 Hanweir Garrison
1 Imperial Recruiter
1 Iroas, God of Victory
1 Karmic Guide
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Kor Cartographer
1 Liliana, Heretical Healer
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Mirror Entity
1 Necrotic Sliver
1 Noosegraf Mob
1 Pack Rat
1 Ponyback Brigade
1 Priest of the Blood Rite
1 Recruiter of the Guard
1 Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sun Titan
1 Sword of the Animist
Enchantments
1 Attrition
1 Cathars' Crusade
1 Dauthi Embrace
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Gravity Sphere
1 Reconnaissance
1 Vicious Shadows
Due to the nature of Alesha and her ability, I don't really have a big finisher. Instead, I plan to have a few answers and then swarm the board as best I can. I don't normally have more than 4 or 5 creatures on the board, but things like the Lieges can make them bigger and Cathars' Crusade is probably the biggest haymaker in the deck. Academy Rector makes it easier to get to as well.
Guiltfeeder and Master of Cruelties (I don't run the Master) can be seen as your big finishers. I didn't like the way it played so I took Master of Cruelties out, but it is a really good option for ending the game as long as you can get it through unblocked.
I am sure there are some finishers you can use, and I know I have a few questionable choices, but hopefully this list and the above suggestions can give you some ideas on how to close out the game.
Drakestown Forgotten
Custodi Soulbinders
Sewer Nemesis, unlike Mortivore, has no power and toughness in the graveyard since a player is not targeted.
Nighthowler is a 0/0.
Angel of Invention is a good one.
8.RG Green Devotion Ramp/Combo 9.UR Draw Triggers 10.WUR Group stalling 11.WUR Voltron Spellslinger 12.WB Sacrificial Shenanigans
13.BR Creatureless Panharmonicon 14.BR Pingers and Eldrazi 15.URG Untapped Cascading
16.Reyhan, last of the Abzan's WUBG +1/+1 Counter Craziness 17.WUBRG Dragons aka Why did I make this?
Building: The Gitrog Monster lands, Glissa the Traitor stax, Muldrotha, the Gravetide Planeswalker Combo, Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Clues, and Tribal Scarecrow Planeswalkers
I actually like Master of Cruelties. It's strange as cheap kills like these typically put me off, but the fact that it has to be done via aggro which typically doesn't happen in more competitive metas is probably what I really like about it. Unfortunately, It's one of the few cards I didn't pick up during Return to Ravnica block.
Looking at your list gives me a few card ideas, most notably Drana, Liberator of Malakir. Had multiple chances to pick up a copy, but just never thought it was worth it and now I regret not just getting a copy.
I have exactly none of those. Big power creatures aren't exactly what I was looking for, as I'm looking for things that can act as overrun effects that just boost my small creatures, but it did give me the idea to search up 0/0's on gatherer. Pentavus seems like it could get out of control fairly quickly, especially with Cathars' Crusade.
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain
B Toshiro Umezawa
BG Pharika, God of Affliction - Necromancy and Politics
WWW The Church of Heliod
WBR Zurgo, Helmsmasher
RG Wort, the Raidmother
UBR Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge
UG Vorel of the Hull Clade
On phasing:
I prefer "voltron" options in Alesha, so just pick a handful of the best equipment and the Equipment Squad (Stoneforge Mystic, Puresteel Paladin, Leonin Shikari and maybe Brass Squire). It isn't the typical Voltron in the sense you could split the equipment up if you do end up successfully going wide (it still helps), but at least it isn't durdling as badly if you end up with only like 2 creatures in total.
But if that option doesn't sound appealing to you (like I said I just didn't like relying on that plan only because of my own experience and that's meta-dependent I suppose), there's Instigator Gang/Wildblood Pack.
The way I see it, I have 3 solid ways of building aggro for this deck: The Voltron plan, just removal and equips to make sure Alesha connects; The Big creatures plan, using a bunch of 0/0's that enter with large numbers of counters; The "Go Wide" plan, using buffs like Cathars' Crusade with token producers like Pia and Kiran Nalaar. Both the Voltron and Go wide plans fail to cards like Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and Umezawa's Jitte, but the big creatures plan just dies to control or chump blockers.
I do plan on running some equipment, but mostly to keep Alesha alive. A couple of swords of x&y and Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots to keep her from dying repeatedly.
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain
B Toshiro Umezawa
BG Pharika, God of Affliction - Necromancy and Politics
WWW The Church of Heliod
WBR Zurgo, Helmsmasher
RG Wort, the Raidmother
UBR Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge
UG Vorel of the Hull Clade
I've often considered switching to Alesha because there are so many good cards in white for the strategy I just haven't done it.
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Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.