I feel like everything has been done it's been so long since I seen any deck that wasn't cookie cutter it seems. So was just wondering if you guys have been seeing anything new and cool lately? Just wanted to get some discussion going on new and unique decks out there.
I feel like everything has been done it's been so long since I seen any deck that wasn't cookie cutter it seems. So was just wondering if you guys have been seeing anything new and cool lately? Just wanted to get some discussion going on new and unique decks out there.
Imo my phelddagrif deck is the most genius thing to ever be invented by a human. But I might be biased. Nothing but control spells with phelddagrif itself as the only win condition.
Basically the goal is to help the weak and hurt the strong so that you're playing the weakest deck at the table when it's 1:1 time, then beat them to death with phlelddagrif while keeping them in check with your remaining control. And you're also manipulating your opponents politically to use them to kill each other, rather than directly intervening, as much as possible.
The goal is basically to create the best game possible, while also winning a pretty insane percent of the time. Even works great on a budget. I also think it's far and away the highest skill-cap deck I've ever seen in any format, period, because the correct play doesn't just mean technical skill, but political and even interpersonal skill. If people hate you, the deck won't work. If you tip your hand too much, the deck won't work. If you politic to blatantly, the deck won't work but if you don't politic enough, it also might not work. You have to ride the line perfectly. But when you do, it can beat nearly anything, while at the same time never dominating even against much worse decks.
I've got a few fairly unique decks: Silas Renn, Seeker Adept+Tana, the Bloodsower: Oops! All spells. Zero lands. Falls over and dies on its own about half the time because it desperately needs free mana in its opening hand. Commanders are mostly for colors only (deck was designed after we knew we were getting 4C commanders, but before any were revealed, and using partners essentially means I've got a free cantrip at the start of every game), although Silas can potentially recur stuff like Lotus Petal and Chromatic Sphere.
Uril, the Miststalker: Foglio art tribal. With the exception of the commander and the manabase, every card is illustrated by Phil Foglio or Kaja Foglio. (They only illustrated 2 legendary creatures -- in colors I already had decks for, and in less than 3 colors -- and 2 nonbasic lands.) There are some really bad cards in the deck (Trade Caravan, Fyndhorn Pollen), but also some staples (Swords to Plowshares, Sylvan Tutor) and hidden gems (White Scarab (and Black Scarab), Orcish Librarian). The deck only has 7 auras (plus Rabid Wombat as a backup Uril), but it makes up for the limited voltron-ness with lands like Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion, Kessig Wolf Run, etc.
Edgar Markov - so, I went bold and lowered the curve way to the ground (average mana per card is 1.5) and built it into an Ad Nausium / Dark Confidant style of deck. Its so cool because the curve is soooooo low which is really hard to pull off in a non combo style of deck. Still its really a cool deck for a fair deck.
Tymna the Weaver & Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper - I went a very different direction and went with the idea of what if I just jammed a bunch of fat beaters into a list and ran some sick tempo ramp. The commanders give me draw and life so its kind of a cool experiment where the commanders act as kind of the engine and just random fat beaters see if they can close things out.
Kefnet the Mindful - its surprising what a 5/5 flying indestructible for 3 can do. I built a big wall style of control deck out of Kefnet and I have continued to be surprised at how efficient and effective it is. Given the low cost even if my opponents can answer my commander its generally not that big of a deal because its cheap to replay it. I have a hard time doing mono blue but I made a list where I win via combat and I think its rather spicy.
Sram, Senior Edificer - I went aura build. It seems like everyone always goes equipment with Sram but man.... there are sooooo many cool effects in auras. I absolutely love putting Pariah on my opponents creatures and watch them panic lol.
Gisela, the Broken Blade - I went mono white voltron but beyond that I went lifegain matters. Its really cool to see all the things I could combine her with and she really does a good bit of work. Her stats are actually quite efficient too.
Really, I don't know anyone who thinks their own decks are boring. I tend to often look for something a little different in how I build.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
Darien, King of Kjeldor - No soul sisters! This plays a suicide game and tries to find the perfect answer, a la the classic Tariel "You're going to thank me for this" Akkido builds. It's a tough deck to play, as frequently the correct play is to do nothing but ramp for the first 8+ turns until you can jam Darien with protection. I have won once, but it won as I intended - at 1 life, having used Fogs and a Auriok Salvagers + Sunbeam Spellbomb engine to hang in there for far longer than it should have until it could drop multiple anthems and crush the opposition.
Daretti, Scrap Savant - Superfriends! Yes, I do run Tibalt, the Fiend-blooded and he's been...not awful. The deck is traditional superfriends, jam-packed with boardwipes and hoping to resolve The Chain Veil and artifact nonsense to spam planeswalker activations. I have been able to live the dream of ultimate Karn Liberated and the deck is a blast in general to play. Now 300% better with the legendary planeswalker rule.
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Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
I feel like this thread is an opportunity to blow one's own trumpet...for what that's worth here goes:
I run a Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder enchantress build that's also themed around a couple of characters in my favourite series of books. It does nicely, and has plenty of flavour.
I also run 3 other decks built around other characters in the same series.
My most out of the square deck besides these is probably Nissa, Vastwood Seer ETB control. I've nicknamed it The Spanish Inquisition, because no one expects the explosive power it brings - multiple paths to victory, and answers to a ton of problems.
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
Most snowflakey decks / attempts to blow my own trumpet
-I have a Dragon Ball Z theme deck, where every single card (including lands) has been altered in magic set generator to have different art and flavor text.
-I have a made out entirely of cards generated using the mtg neural networks such as Roborosewater.
-I used to run Vial Smasher / Ludevic burn. As in lightning bolts and shocks and other 'proper' burn rather than EDH burn. Have since turned it into a 4C pile of good spellslinger stuff though =(
Everything I run is meant to be somewhat different or special in some way, but those are the weirdest.
Friends decks;
-Axe deck, where every card except basic lands has an axe in the picture
-Iroas, God of Victory legit boros aggro
-A balls to the walls boros combo deck that can play with the big boy decks.
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EDH RRGrenzo plays your deck, GGYeva's mono green control, WW9-tails trys desperately for monowhite not to suck RWBUTymna and Kraum's saboteur tribal, UWG Kestia's Enchantress Aggro, RUB Jeleva casts big dumb spells, RGB Vaevictis' big critters can kill your critters hard
Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to."
Imo my phelddagrif deck is the most genius thing to ever be invented by a human.
Zedruu disagrees.
Your deck looks fun and interesting, and it's probably not trying to achieve the same goals as Phelddagrif, but the biggest genius of my phelddagrif deck, imo, is that it has a close game against almost any power level of opponent, from sub-precon jank to tuned combo decks. It solves one of the most pervasive issues of commander, and casual magic in general. I don't think any other deck really even attempts such a thing.
That's why, imo, Phelddagrif is truly unique and not simply an unusual archetype. If commander as a format can be "solved", imo Phelddagrif is the solution.
If commander as a format can be "solved", imo Phelddagrif is the solution.
A solved game devolves into known, defined lines of play. I won't attempt to speak for everyone, but the crazy plays thread as my evidence, many players proudest moments are the unexpected plays, the surprises that nobody saw coming until they happened. If you have made a deck to solve the format, you have made the worst deck imaginable.
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Zedruu: "This deck is not only able to go crazy - it also needs to do so."
A solved game devolves into known, defined lines of play. I won't attempt to speak for everyone, but the crazy plays thread as my evidence, many players proudest moments are the unexpected plays, the surprises that nobody saw coming until they happened. If you have made a deck to solve the format, you have made the worst deck imaginable.
See that's why I put "solved" in quotes because that's obviously not what I meant. I feel like my intended meaning was clear from context. But in case it wasn't, here it is better spelled out.
The goal of most games is to win, so solving them is about finding the optimal play (not that such a thing is really possible in a game with random elements afaik - at least not in a mathematical/logical/game-theory/whatever sense), so in a competitive constructed format I'd say solving the deckbuilding part of the format is about finding the strongest possible decks and counters to those decks.
The goal of commander is to have fun. Much like your opponents might prevent you from winning in a competitive format, they can also prevent you (or the other players) from having fun in a casual format, by comboing off quickly and reliably, locking you down easily, or conversely by putting up a feeble defense that's boring and easy to defeat.
Phelddagrif "solves" commander because it almost guarantees a good game regardless of enemy power level, and thus maximizes your chances for fun, accomplishing the goal of the game as optimally as possible. In my extraordinarily humble opinion
Phelddagrif "solves" commander because it almost guarantees a good game regardless of enemy power level, and thus maximizes your chances for fun, accomplishing the goal of the game as optimally as possible. In my extraordinarily humble opinion
But blowouts can be fun too.
I definitely don't actually mean your deck is the worst deck imaginable or that you're wrong to enjoy it, but I am distinctly the opposite player. I don't want to go into a game with expectations of how it will end, I don't necessarily care if things are close, and I don't mind getting blown out 9 times out of 10 if the 10th time I get to do something glorious. I would not play your Phelddagrif deck, and I'd probably gun for you as an opponent too.
Fun is not so universal. I may title Zedruu "the GOAT", but while I've delighted and inspired people at times, I've also found entire playgroups that would prefer I never pull the deck out. People just prefer different things.
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Zedruu: "This deck is not only able to go crazy - it also needs to do so."
I definitely don't actually mean your deck is the worst deck imaginable or that you're wrong to enjoy it, but I am distinctly the opposite player. I don't want to go into a game with expectations of how it will end, I don't necessarily care if things are close, and I don't mind getting blown out 9 times out of 10 if the 10th time I get to do something glorious. I would not play your Phelddagrif deck, and I'd probably gun for you as an opponent too.
Fun is not so universal. I may title Zedruu "the GOAT", but while I've delighted and inspired people at times, I've also found entire playgroups that would prefer I never pull the deck out. People just prefer different things.
Playing control doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone, fair, but I don't think anyone has much fun getting killed by the same fast combo over and over, or absolutely trashing someone over and over because their deck is nothing but craw wurms. The fun you have playing almost any other deck is going to be contingent upon having opponents with roughly the same power level. Phelddagrif doesn't have that limitation. If you play badly, you'll lose regardless of how strong or weak the enemy is. But if you play well, you can win almost any game. And for someone like me, a deck that rewards skill, while also being extremely difficult to play well, is the most exciting kind of puzzle the game has to offer.
Other decks might be more fun that Phelddagrif, depending upon personal preference (and given fair competition), but Phelddagrif offers something that no other deck I've seen does: the ability to almost guarantee a fair game. Whether you think that's the most fun or not, it's certainly unique, which is, iirc, the title of this thread.
I know I say this almost every time there's a thread similar to this, but I have a Freyalise creature card-less deck. The whole idea was based on one unique aspect of the 2014 Commanders that they are the only 5 non-creature cards that can be a Commander officially, thus enabling the opportunity to build an EDH deck with 100% no creature cards in it instead of 99% (even if you don't cast the Commander it doesn't stop it being 99% from a deckbuilding perspective for me at least).
I honestly just picked Freyalise instead of the others because I wanted Color Balance among my decks and it was the last deck by process of elimination of colors from all my other decks. Turned out to be a lucky choice because Commander Anthology made her the only one available in foil for now. While I think I wouldn't have really cared that much which of the 5 I would end up with (which was why that deck was decided last by Color Elimination), I do love the contradiction of putting the deck idea into the one color best known for its creature cards, so everything sort of fell into place.
I've got a Dromar the Banisher spirits/arcane tribal that's fairly unique. Or at least I've never seen any others. It's never gonna be a game breaker, but it's a surprisingly effective control-synergy deck.
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A bad arrangement is better than a process
WUBRGHorde of Notions, uh... elementals tribalGRBUW WBTeysa, Envoy of Ghosts, the Debt Collector BW WRGisela, Blade of Goldnight, Burninating in the GoldnightRW RGBorborymos, Enraged Throws some L's on That BoardGR UBVela, Night-Clad and FaeriesBU BURNekusar, the Mindrazer Wheeling and DealingRUB WGChorus of the Conclave, With a Dash of ElfballGW RBRakdos the Defiler, Straight Up InsanityBR BGSisters of Stone Death, Theft and PoliticsGB RUThe Locust God, Swarms of TokensUR WUBDromar, the Banisher - Spirit/Arcane TribalBUW
If you want unique, I have a Sydri, Galvanic Genius deck that runs all the vehicles. It is affectionately named Racecars. Is it good? No. Do you watch the excitement on opponents faces when you play your blinkmoth urn/ howling mine. Then have it disappear as they facepalm when they see you pay a blue, to turn it into a creature, to tap and crew a vehicle. I always smile when playing it in a group for the first time.
It's not wholly powerful at all, but even I was surprised how synergistic it still is. Plus it makes a lot of laughs with all the hand jokes going around the table when it's played. Not winning tournaments, but it's fun to give a friend a hand with Spectral Searchlight. Get it? :laugh::laugh:
If you want unique, I have a Sydri, Galvanic Genius deck that runs all the vehicles. It is affectionately named Racecars. Is it good? No. Do you watch the excitement on opponents faces when you play your blinkmoth urn/ howling mine. Then have it disappear as they facepalm when they see you pay a blue, to turn it into a creature, to tap and crew a vehicle. I always smile when playing it in a group for the first time.
I know a guy working on building "Self-driving Karns" for a Karn deck with a similar concept.
Basically the goal is to help the weak and hurt the strong so that you're playing the weakest deck at the table when it's 1:1 time, then beat them to death with phlelddagrif while keeping them in check with your remaining control. And you're also manipulating your opponents politically to use them to kill each other, rather than directly intervening, as much as possible.
The goal is basically to create the best game possible, while also winning a pretty insane percent of the time. Even works great on a budget. I also think it's far and away the highest skill-cap deck I've ever seen in any format, period, because the correct play doesn't just mean technical skill, but political and even interpersonal skill. If people hate you, the deck won't work. If you tip your hand too much, the deck won't work. If you politic to blatantly, the deck won't work but if you don't politic enough, it also might not work. You have to ride the line perfectly. But when you do, it can beat nearly anything, while at the same time never dominating even against much worse decks.
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
Silas Renn, Seeker Adept+Tana, the Bloodsower: Oops! All spells. Zero lands. Falls over and dies on its own about half the time because it desperately needs free mana in its opening hand. Commanders are mostly for colors only (deck was designed after we knew we were getting 4C commanders, but before any were revealed, and using partners essentially means I've got a free cantrip at the start of every game), although Silas can potentially recur stuff like Lotus Petal and Chromatic Sphere.
Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa+Vial Smasher the Fierce: Mongers. My mono-blue deck wins using my opponents' cards, so my 4C nonblue deck plays cards my opponents can use. (Squallmonger, Well of Knowledge, Cuombajj Witches, etc.)
Uril, the Miststalker: Foglio art tribal. With the exception of the commander and the manabase, every card is illustrated by Phil Foglio or Kaja Foglio. (They only illustrated 2 legendary creatures -- in colors I already had decks for, and in less than 3 colors -- and 2 nonbasic lands.) There are some really bad cards in the deck (Trade Caravan, Fyndhorn Pollen), but also some staples (Swords to Plowshares, Sylvan Tutor) and hidden gems (White Scarab (and Black Scarab), Orcish Librarian). The deck only has 7 auras (plus Rabid Wombat as a backup Uril), but it makes up for the limited voltron-ness with lands like Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion, Kessig Wolf Run, etc.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Really, I don't know anyone who thinks their own decks are boring. I tend to often look for something a little different in how I build.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Darien, King of Kjeldor - No soul sisters! This plays a suicide game and tries to find the perfect answer, a la the classic Tariel "You're going to thank me for this" Akkido builds. It's a tough deck to play, as frequently the correct play is to do nothing but ramp for the first 8+ turns until you can jam Darien with protection. I have won once, but it won as I intended - at 1 life, having used Fogs and a Auriok Salvagers + Sunbeam Spellbomb engine to hang in there for far longer than it should have until it could drop multiple anthems and crush the opposition.
Daretti, Scrap Savant - Superfriends! Yes, I do run Tibalt, the Fiend-blooded and he's been...not awful. The deck is traditional superfriends, jam-packed with boardwipes and hoping to resolve The Chain Veil and artifact nonsense to spam planeswalker activations. I have been able to live the dream of ultimate Karn Liberated and the deck is a blast in general to play. Now 300% better with the legendary planeswalker rule.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
I run a Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder enchantress build that's also themed around a couple of characters in my favourite series of books. It does nicely, and has plenty of flavour.
I also run 3 other decks built around other characters in the same series.
My most out of the square deck besides these is probably Nissa, Vastwood Seer ETB control. I've nicknamed it The Spanish Inquisition, because no one expects the explosive power it brings - multiple paths to victory, and answers to a ton of problems.
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
Sydri, Galvanic Genius - turn every non creature artifact into an artifact creature/march of the machines build
Zedruu disagrees.
-I have a Dragon Ball Z theme deck, where every single card (including lands) has been altered in magic set generator to have different art and flavor text.
-I have a made out entirely of cards generated using the mtg neural networks such as Roborosewater.
-I used to run Vial Smasher / Ludevic burn. As in lightning bolts and shocks and other 'proper' burn rather than EDH burn. Have since turned it into a 4C pile of good spellslinger stuff though =(
Everything I run is meant to be somewhat different or special in some way, but those are the weirdest.
Friends decks;
-Axe deck, where every card except basic lands has an axe in the picture
-Iroas, God of Victory legit boros aggro
-A balls to the walls boros combo deck that can play with the big boy decks.
RRGrenzo plays your deck, GGYeva's mono green control, WW9-tails trys desperately for monowhite not to suck
RWBUTymna and Kraum's saboteur tribal, UWG Kestia's Enchantress Aggro, RUB Jeleva casts big dumb spells, RGB Vaevictis' big critters can kill your critters hard
Arena Standard
UUUU Tempo, since before it was cool
Various Wx decks running Fountain of Renewal and Day of Glory
Anything I can cram Chaos Wand in to
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
That's why, imo, Phelddagrif is truly unique and not simply an unusual archetype. If commander as a format can be "solved", imo Phelddagrif is the solution.
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
A solved game devolves into known, defined lines of play. I won't attempt to speak for everyone, but the crazy plays thread as my evidence, many players proudest moments are the unexpected plays, the surprises that nobody saw coming until they happened. If you have made a deck to solve the format, you have made the worst deck imaginable.
The goal of most games is to win, so solving them is about finding the optimal play (not that such a thing is really possible in a game with random elements afaik - at least not in a mathematical/logical/game-theory/whatever sense), so in a competitive constructed format I'd say solving the deckbuilding part of the format is about finding the strongest possible decks and counters to those decks.
The goal of commander is to have fun. Much like your opponents might prevent you from winning in a competitive format, they can also prevent you (or the other players) from having fun in a casual format, by comboing off quickly and reliably, locking you down easily, or conversely by putting up a feeble defense that's boring and easy to defeat.
Phelddagrif "solves" commander because it almost guarantees a good game regardless of enemy power level, and thus maximizes your chances for fun, accomplishing the goal of the game as optimally as possible. In my extraordinarily humble opinion
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
But blowouts can be fun too.
I definitely don't actually mean your deck is the worst deck imaginable or that you're wrong to enjoy it, but I am distinctly the opposite player. I don't want to go into a game with expectations of how it will end, I don't necessarily care if things are close, and I don't mind getting blown out 9 times out of 10 if the 10th time I get to do something glorious. I would not play your Phelddagrif deck, and I'd probably gun for you as an opponent too.
Fun is not so universal. I may title Zedruu "the GOAT", but while I've delighted and inspired people at times, I've also found entire playgroups that would prefer I never pull the deck out. People just prefer different things.
Other decks might be more fun that Phelddagrif, depending upon personal preference (and given fair competition), but Phelddagrif offers something that no other deck I've seen does: the ability to almost guarantee a fair game. Whether you think that's the most fun or not, it's certainly unique, which is, iirc, the title of this thread.
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
I honestly just picked Freyalise instead of the others because I wanted Color Balance among my decks and it was the last deck by process of elimination of colors from all my other decks. Turned out to be a lucky choice because Commander Anthology made her the only one available in foil for now. While I think I wouldn't have really cared that much which of the 5 I would end up with (which was why that deck was decided last by Color Elimination), I do love the contradiction of putting the deck idea into the one color best known for its creature cards, so everything sort of fell into place.
WUBRGHorde of Notions, uh... elementals tribalGRBUW
WBTeysa, Envoy of Ghosts, the Debt Collector BW
WRGisela, Blade of Goldnight, Burninating in the GoldnightRW
RGBorborymos, Enraged Throws some L's on That BoardGR
UBVela, Night-Clad and FaeriesBU
BURNekusar, the Mindrazer Wheeling and DealingRUB
WGChorus of the Conclave, With a Dash of ElfballGW
RBRakdos the Defiler, Straight Up InsanityBR
BGSisters of Stone Death, Theft and PoliticsGB
RUThe Locust God, Swarms of TokensUR
WUBDromar, the Banisher - Spirit/Arcane TribalBUW
Racecars - Sydri Galvanic Genius Vehicles
Atraxa - Charge counter shenanigans
Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist -Kittikats!! <3
It's not wholly powerful at all, but even I was surprised how synergistic it still is. Plus it makes a lot of laughs with all the hand jokes going around the table when it's played. Not winning tournaments, but it's fun to give a friend a hand with Spectral Searchlight. Get it? :laugh::laugh:
Current EDH
UThassa, God of the Sea devotion control
WRGTana, the Bloodsower & Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa partners weenie tokens
UUnesh, Criosphinx Sovereign Sphinx tribal
WUTaigam, Ojutai Master tokens on the rebound spellslinger
GRhonas the Indomitable green creature beats
UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ETB tribal
Retired EDH
WURGKynaios and Tiro of Meletis group hug
URThe Locust God draw swarm
UTalrand, Sky Summoner funsies blue spells
WBObzedat, Ghost Council life gain/drain
Lightsabers
Sith initiates
Death Star
Star Destroyers
Darth Malgus
Force Lightning
Droids
I had some cards representing various force powers (Force of Will, Force Away, etc) and some other stuff that doesn't come to mind right now.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
I had a 5-color Ally tribal that used Reaper King and Artificial Evolution to get crazy.
And I recently built a Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis mostly group hug deck that has Chance Encounter as the only win condition..
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)