I am looking to build a weaker commander deck than my usual spikier decks, and after looking at some of the theme decks (these were decks usually based around flavor and when looking at some ideas, I knew I would get bored relatively easily and probably take them apart), I decided on a more of a nostalgia type of deck. By this, I mean that I originally played from Weatherlight through Saviors of Kamigawa, and remember playing with a lot of the older cards, which are not typically found in current decks, especially creatures. So, my goal is to put together a coherent commander deck in which the card had to have been printed at least once during that time (5th, 6th, 7th or 8th edition and Weatherlight, Rath Block, Urza's Block, Masques Block, Invasion Block, Odyssey Block, Onslaught Block, Mirrodin Block and Kamigawa block), with the following rules:
1. I must include at least 1 unique card (that is not a basic land) from each of those sets in the deck, so every set (29 sets total) is represented.
2. No card can exceed $10 at the time of putting it into the deck in its cheapest tournament legal printing. This is to limit the cost of the deck as well as to somewhat depress the power level.
3. As Captain Sisay is my competitive commander, she cannot helm this deck (I really don't want two decks with the same commander).
The first issue that I saw is that the colors I can use for my commander are very limited.
Mono-Color: Kamigawa block is alive and well so I have plenty of mono-color generals to choose from, plus there are a bunch from the older sets.
Golgari: Vhati il-dal grants me access to this color combination.
Rakdos: Tsabo Tavoc and Bladewing the Risen give me access to this color combination.
Azorius: Hanna, Ship's Navigator gives me access to this color combination.
Orzhov: Selenia, Dark Angel gives me access to this color combination.
Shards: The invasion dragon cycle give me access to each shard. Ertai, the Corrupted also gives me access to esper.
5 color: Atogatog, Karona, False God and Cromat are my options here.
Given this, I have had a hard time finding a good idea for a deck that could be coherent and fun to play.
If you want nostalgia, look at my white border Kaalia. It's power level (of threats) is on the decline versus modern design but it's non-creatures are a reminder of just how savage the game used to be. Plus, resolving old school bombs like Serra Angel, Shivan Dragon, Fork, Soul Burn, Drain Life, Nev Disk....you get the idea. It'ss incredibly nostalgic of Magicpast.
If Kaalia isn't your thing, I did a similar project with Alesha too. Trike is still old school, but you get Tetravus, a mini-goblin package, Grave Pact, Worship and some very reasonable sac outlets (including Ashnod's Altar).
Both decks have an incredible tutour suite, and reasonable midrange draw (draw3 for 4).
This might help, a poll was done a little while back getting people to vote on what they considered the best cards of all the expansions for commander;
I went through the lists and filled in some blanks for the core sets, and the configuration that I personally think is the best considering everything needs to be under $10, is actually reanimation shell in Sultai.
Jodah lived through most of that, so maybe you have him lead it and go back through his memories and lore?
That sounds like a cool idea, but Jodah's card isn't from that time period (and is frankly more powerful than a creature from back then (compare it to Lightning Angel which wasn't a bad card back then)). Plus for 5 color, I do have three options too.
If you want nostalgia, look at my white border Kaalia. It's power level (of threats) is on the decline versus modern design but it's non-creatures are a reminder of just how savage the game used to be. Plus, resolving old school bombs like Serra Angel, Shivan Dragon, Fork, Soul Burn, Drain Life, Nev Disk....you get the idea. It'ss incredibly nostalgic of Magicpast.
If Kaalia isn't your thing, I did a similar project with Alesha too. Trike is still old school, but you get Tetravus, a mini-goblin package, Grave Pact, Worship and some very reasonable sac outlets (including Ashnod's Altar).
Both decks have an incredible tutour suite, and reasonable midrange draw (draw3 for 4).
I guess I could try something like this in either 5 color or esper (which gives me larger blue creatures and Iridescent Angel, as I don't have access to a mardu commander...
If you want nostalgia, look at my white border Kaalia. It's power level (of threats) is on the decline versus modern design but it's non-creatures are a reminder of just how savage the game used to be. Plus, resolving old school bombs like Serra Angel, Shivan Dragon, Fork, Soul Burn, Drain Life, Nev Disk....you get the idea. It'ss incredibly nostalgic of Magicpast.
If Kaalia isn't your thing, I did a similar project with Alesha too. Trike is still old school, but you get Tetravus, a mini-goblin package, Grave Pact, Worship and some very reasonable sac outlets (including Ashnod's Altar).
Both decks have an incredible tutour suite, and reasonable midrange draw (draw3 for 4).
I guess I could try something like this in either 5 color or esper (which gives me larger blue creatures and Iridescent Angel, as I don't have access to a mardu commander...
I just paid an artist to white border a non-foil Kaalia print myself. You could do similar with an esper legend. Like say, Zur?
If staying committed to old face cards, and esper, you might consider both Merike Ri Berit (with Puppet Strings!) and/or Dromar, the Banisher.
Alternatively, for style points you might do Lord of Tresserhorn zombies, old frame only (so through Scourge). This way you allow yourself all the sweet zombie synergies in Onslaught block and still maintain the old card face nostalgia.
This might help, a poll was done a little while back getting people to vote on what they considered the best cards of all the expansions for commander;
I went through the lists and filled in some blanks for the core sets, and the configuration that I personally think is the best considering everything needs to be under $10, is actually reanimation shell in Sultai.
The issue with mana fixing is that, with these rules, I don't have access to shocks/tango lands/dual cycle lands, which weakens a lot of the usual ways that green decks can color fix in commander (i.e. that searching for a forest can only get me a green mana producing source as opposed to in normal commander when it could get a hybrid mana source). That being said, I have the option of Harrow, Kodama's Reach, Explosive Vegetation, Rampant Growth and Sakura Tribe Elder. The sultai deck would also allow me to play the bringer cycle from Fifth Dawn and the avatars from prophecy, some of which are very strong. On the other hand, a Vhati deck could be very interesting as well.
The issue with mana fixing is that, with these rules, I don't have access to shocks/tango lands/dual cycle lands, which weakens a lot of the usual ways that green decks can color fix in commander (i.e. that searching for a forest can only get me a green mana producing source as opposed to in normal commander when it could get a hybrid mana source). That being said, I have the option of Harrow, Kodama's Reach, Explosive Vegetation, Rampant Growth and Sakura Tribe Elder. The sultai deck would also allow me to play the bringer cycle from Fifth Dawn and the avatars from prophecy, some of which are very strong. On the other hand, a Vhati deck could be very interesting as well.
So is your intention to literally have all your 100 cards from within these sets? I was just thinking that your stipulation was that you at least played a card from each of the sets.
If you're restricting your entire deck to within these cycles then the Bringers will definitively be some of the better reanimation targets. Honestly I'm not sure what "big fatties" are available from Weatherlight through to Kamigawa?
An all basic lands deck would be fine with some land ramp as you've pointed out.
Reanimation cards I could think off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more within the blocks. Necromancy - Visions $7.9 Reanimate - Tempest $10 Victimize - Urza's Saga $1.51 Exhume - Urza's Saga $2.45
Reanimation cards I could think off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more within the blocks. Necromancy - Visions $7.9 Reanimate - Tempest $10 Victimize - Urza's Saga $1.51 Exhume - Urza's Saga $2.45
The issue with mana fixing is that, with these rules, I don't have access to shocks/tango lands/dual cycle lands, which weakens a lot of the usual ways that green decks can color fix in commander (i.e. that searching for a forest can only get me a green mana producing source as opposed to in normal commander when it could get a hybrid mana source). That being said, I have the option of Harrow, Kodama's Reach, Explosive Vegetation, Rampant Growth and Sakura Tribe Elder. The sultai deck would also allow me to play the bringer cycle from Fifth Dawn and the avatars from prophecy, some of which are very strong. On the other hand, a Vhati deck could be very interesting as well.
So is your intention to literally have all your 100 cards from within these sets? I was just thinking that your stipulation was that you at least played a card from each of the sets.
If you're restricting your entire deck to within these cycles then the Bringers will definitively be some of the better reanimation targets. Honestly I'm not sure what "big fatties" are available from Weatherlight through to Kamigawa?
An all basic lands deck would be fine with some land ramp as you've pointed out.
Yea, my intention is that every one of the cards in the deck had to have been printed in one of those sets. The $10 max per card (which I am basing off of SCG) (in addition to preventing me from forking over serious money on a less competitive deck) is also to make sure I look further outside the box than the usual cards I would run from these sets. The basics could work, but the closer I get to five colors rather than 2, the tougher this will be. This is also back when WOTC was emphasizing the ally over enemy color interactions, so the only enemy color land fixing (besides cards that tapped for all 5 colors of mana) were the Apocalypse pain land cycle and the Tempest CITP pain land cycle.
Reanimation cards I could think off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more within the blocks. Necromancy - Visions $7.9 Reanimate - Tempest $10 Victimize - Urza's Saga $1.51 Exhume - Urza's Saga $2.45
The problem here is that Necromancy is only from Visions, which is before Weatherlight and Reanimate is over $10, so I cannot use either.
Diabolic Servitude is a more expensive reanimation card that doesn't work with Worldgorger Dragon and Doomed Necromancer, which take a turn to set up and everyone can see your next play coming from a mile away. While Chainer, Dementia Master can reanimate creatures, it is 8 mana and 3 life before that could happen. Strands of Night is another option but playing 5 colors limits the number of swamps you have, Verdant Force is another quality creature that can be reanimated and I have always wanted to play Pit Spawn. The issue is that without tutors, there are only 6 relatively inexpensive ways to reanimate creatures, which means it can be very likely that they will sit my hand/yard.
You can use Hermit Druid to put creatures into your graveyard, you will be running mainly basics, but you should hit a few each time while getting your land drops.
Honestly I think there is a really sweet deck in there, and it's not spikey, full of flavor and should be lots of fun as well.
You can use Hermit Druid to put creatures into your graveyard, you will be running mainly basics, but you should hit a few each time while getting your land drops.
Honestly I think there is a really sweet deck in there, and it's not spikey, full of flavor and should be lots of fun as well.
I can't believe how many of those reanimation cards I missed (and used to play). After a quick search on gatherer (and there are a lot more spirits (and some really janky ones like Sibilant Spirit and cards I would have never thought were spirits like Liege of the Hollow), would a reanimation theme work better or would a spirit tribal theme work better?
[quote from="darrenhabib »" url="/forums/the-game/commander-edh/807540-nostalgia-deck-help?comment=16"]I can't believe how many of those reanimation cards I missed (and used to play). After a quick search on gatherer (and there are a lot more spirits (and some really janky ones like Sibilant Spirit and cards I would have never thought were spirits like Liege of the Hollow), would a reanimation theme work better or would a spirit tribal theme work better?
I do have a Spirits tribal deck (non-restricted), and it's pretty average, so I wouldn't be sold on doing that, especially as you are only really pulling from the Kamigawa sets.
The thing is that the synergies are not all that great as actual "Spirits" and whenever you also see the word "arcane", there just isn't enough good ones to make the triggers work well.
There is "soulshift", but again I find it a little underwhelming, often not having a target, and they are over-costed.
As long as you play some discard outlets then you can save yourself from filling your hand with too many of those big creature, so that you can make use of reanimation cards. This is why I really like Forbid, Greater Good, Frantic Search, Windfall as a starting base for discard.
If that makes sense it's not like you are all in on reanimation, but it does give you a way to not just playing out "one big creature per turn" as your only game plan.
And then in the face of removal you can use the reanimation as value.
I've built up a pretty strong picture in my head how I'd piece a deck together, do you want me to make a deck list that you can look through? I do tend to take over peoples threads/builds once I start thinking about them, so I'd understand if you just want ideas and not a full list.
If you're restricting your entire deck to within these cycles then the Bringers will definitively be some of the better reanimation targets. Honestly I'm not sure what "big fatties" are available from Weatherlight through to Kamigawa?
Off the top of my head is Whitekroma and Blackroma (Spirut of the Night), then you have Rorix Bladewing (and his zombified self) Avatar of Woe and Visara the Dreadful for old school targets, and the Kamigawa dragon spirit legends for a more contemporary approach. There's also the invasion block dragon legends...
[quote from="darrenhabib »" url="/forums/the-game/commander-edh/807540-nostalgia-deck-help?comment=16"]I can't believe how many of those reanimation cards I missed (and used to play). After a quick search on gatherer (and there are a lot more spirits (and some really janky ones like Sibilant Spirit and cards I would have never thought were spirits like Liege of the Hollow), would a reanimation theme work better or would a spirit tribal theme work better?
I do have a Spirits tribal deck (non-restricted), and it's pretty average, so I wouldn't be sold on doing that, especially as you are only really pulling from the Kamigawa sets.
The thing is that the synergies are not all that great as actual "Spirits" and whenever you also see the word "arcane", there just isn't enough good ones to make the triggers work well.
There is "soulshift", but again I find it a little underwhelming, often not having a target, and they are over-costed.
As long as you play some discard outlets then you can save yourself from filling your hand with too many of those big creature, so that you can make use of reanimation cards. This is why I really like Forbid, Greater Good, Frantic Search, Windfall as a starting base for discard.
If that makes sense it's not like you are all in on reanimation, but it does give you a way to not just playing out "one big creature per turn" as your only game plan.
And then in the face of removal you can use the reanimation as value.
I've built up a pretty strong picture in my head how I'd piece a deck together, do you want me to make a deck list that you can look through? I do tend to take over peoples threads/builds once I start thinking about them, so I'd understand if you just want ideas and not a full list.
</blockquote>
So in trying to put this deck together, I wanted to make sure I had each set covered too, so this is what I was thinking:
What sort of card draw should I add? Fact or Fiction is probably a shoe in, but what else? Would you say that the ramp/color fixing I am playing is sufficient?
What sort of card draw should I add? Fact or Fiction is probably a shoe in, but what else? Would you say that the ramp/color fixing I am playing is sufficient?
What sort of card draw should I add? Fact or Fiction is probably a shoe in, but what else? Would you say that the ramp/color fixing I am playing is sufficient?
Being basically pure Sultai means that your color fixing is plentiful.
So, I got the cards in the mail today, but when I started to put the deck together, I realized I had way too many non land cards (my goal for this deck is 39 lands and 60 non lands). Any chance you can help me cut this down (70 cards as of now):
1. I must include at least 1 unique card (that is not a basic land) from each of those sets in the deck, so every set (29 sets total) is represented.
2. No card can exceed $10 at the time of putting it into the deck in its cheapest tournament legal printing. This is to limit the cost of the deck as well as to somewhat depress the power level.
3. As Captain Sisay is my competitive commander, she cannot helm this deck (I really don't want two decks with the same commander).
The first issue that I saw is that the colors I can use for my commander are very limited.
Mono-Color: Kamigawa block is alive and well so I have plenty of mono-color generals to choose from, plus there are a bunch from the older sets.
Golgari: Vhati il-dal grants me access to this color combination.
Rakdos: Tsabo Tavoc and Bladewing the Risen give me access to this color combination.
Azorius: Hanna, Ship's Navigator gives me access to this color combination.
Orzhov: Selenia, Dark Angel gives me access to this color combination.
Shards: The invasion dragon cycle give me access to each shard. Ertai, the Corrupted also gives me access to esper.
5 color: Atogatog, Karona, False God and Cromat are my options here.
Given this, I have had a hard time finding a good idea for a deck that could be coherent and fun to play.
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
If Kaalia isn't your thing, I did a similar project with Alesha too. Trike is still old school, but you get Tetravus, a mini-goblin package, Grave Pact, Worship and some very reasonable sac outlets (including Ashnod's Altar).
Both decks have an incredible tutour suite, and reasonable midrange draw (draw3 for 4).
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
I went through the lists and filled in some blanks for the core sets, and the configuration that I personally think is the best considering everything needs to be under $10, is actually reanimation shell in Sultai.
Weatherlight - Buried Alive $1.10
Tempest - Living Death $2.60
Stonghold - Hermit Druid $4.89
Exodus - Forbid $2.06
Urza's Saga - Greater Good $3.31
Urza's Legacy - Frantic Search $0.40
Urza's Destiny - Pattern of Rebirth $1.90
Mercadian Masques - Dark Ritual $0.50
Nemesis - Skyshroud Claim $0.66
Prophecy - Avatar of Woe $1.87
Invasion - Fact or Fiction $0.95
Planeshift - Diabolic Intent $7.82
Apocalypse - Phyrexian Arena $9.32
Odyssey - Entomb $7.55
Torment - Chainer, Dementia Master $2.88
Judgment - Genesis $6.06
Onslaught - Syphon Mind $0.24
Legions - Seedborn Muse $9.61
Scourge - Decree of Pain $3.85
Mirrodin - Gilded Lotus $3.20
Darksteel - Skullclamp $4.90
Fifth Dawn - Eternal Witness $4.02
Champions of Kamigawa - Sakura-Tribe Elder $1.83
Betrayers of Kamigawa - Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni $6.90
Saviors of Kamigawa - Kagemaro, First to Suffer $1.64
Fifth Edition - Animate Dead $2.20
Sixth Edition - Mystical Tutor $5.70
Seventh Edition - Wood Elves $0.33
Eighth Edition - Diabolic Tutor $0.34
If you really wanted to I'm sure you could get it down to straight Golgari to play Iname as One or Vhati il-Dal as the commander.
Otherwise to get Sultai, you'd need to play Karona, False God or Cromat as straight up color-fixing, and you'd really not want to play much in the way of other mana fixers in the decks for the red and white.
But I mean you can play incidental things like Commander Tower, Forbidden Orchard, Exotic Orchard, City of Brass, Mana Confluence, Gilded Lotus, Birds of Paradise, to name a few.
You also have Wood Elves, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Skyshroud Claim to fix those off colors if need be.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
That sounds like a cool idea, but Jodah's card isn't from that time period (and is frankly more powerful than a creature from back then (compare it to Lightning Angel which wasn't a bad card back then)). Plus for 5 color, I do have three options too.
This is for multiplayer.
I guess I could try something like this in either 5 color or esper (which gives me larger blue creatures and Iridescent Angel, as I don't have access to a mardu commander...
I just paid an artist to white border a non-foil Kaalia print myself. You could do similar with an esper legend. Like say, Zur?
If staying committed to old face cards, and esper, you might consider both Merike Ri Berit (with Puppet Strings!) and/or Dromar, the Banisher.
Alternatively, for style points you might do Lord of Tresserhorn zombies, old frame only (so through Scourge). This way you allow yourself all the sweet zombie synergies in Onslaught block and still maintain the old card face nostalgia.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
The issue with mana fixing is that, with these rules, I don't have access to shocks/tango lands/dual cycle lands, which weakens a lot of the usual ways that green decks can color fix in commander (i.e. that searching for a forest can only get me a green mana producing source as opposed to in normal commander when it could get a hybrid mana source). That being said, I have the option of Harrow, Kodama's Reach, Explosive Vegetation, Rampant Growth and Sakura Tribe Elder. The sultai deck would also allow me to play the bringer cycle from Fifth Dawn and the avatars from prophecy, some of which are very strong. On the other hand, a Vhati deck could be very interesting as well.
If you're restricting your entire deck to within these cycles then the Bringers will definitively be some of the better reanimation targets. Honestly I'm not sure what "big fatties" are available from Weatherlight through to Kamigawa?
An all basic lands deck would be fine with some land ramp as you've pointed out.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
Phyrexian Delver 3BB $0.50
Iname, Death Aspect 4BB $0.43
Kokusho, the Evening Star 4BB $7.81
Visara the Dreadful 3BBB $0.99
Avatar of Woe 6BB $1.86
Bladewing the Risen 3BBRR $0.30
Tsabo Tavoc 5BR $1.41
Worldgorger Dragon 3RRR $1.21
Dragon Mage 5RR $1.05
Arcanis the Omnipotent 3UUU $0.89
Keiga, the Tide Star 5U $1.31
Iname, Life Aspect 4GG $0.48
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa 4GG $8.25
Karmic Guide 3WW $2.72
Mageta the Lion 3WW $0.71
Yosei, the Morning Star 4WW $1.25
Eternal Dragon 5WW $0.71
Yomiji, Who Bars the Way 5WW $2.34
Reya Dawnbringer 6WWW $0.66
Crosis, the Purger 3UBR $0.74
Darigaaz, the Igniter 3BRG $0.79
Dromar, the Banisher 3WUB $3.07
Rith, the Awakener 3RGW $1.45
You could play a Dragons and Spirits sub-theme.
Reanimation cards I could think off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more within the blocks.
Necromancy - Visions $7.9
Reanimate - Tempest $10
Victimize - Urza's Saga $1.51
Exhume - Urza's Saga $2.45
Note that Worldgorger Dragon and Animate Dead / Necromancy is an infinite combo, so something to aim for.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
Yea, my intention is that every one of the cards in the deck had to have been printed in one of those sets. The $10 max per card (which I am basing off of SCG) (in addition to preventing me from forking over serious money on a less competitive deck) is also to make sure I look further outside the box than the usual cards I would run from these sets. The basics could work, but the closer I get to five colors rather than 2, the tougher this will be. This is also back when WOTC was emphasizing the ally over enemy color interactions, so the only enemy color land fixing (besides cards that tapped for all 5 colors of mana) were the Apocalypse pain land cycle and the Tempest CITP pain land cycle.
The problem here is that Necromancy is only from Visions, which is before Weatherlight and Reanimate is over $10, so I cannot use either.
Diabolic Servitude is a more expensive reanimation card that doesn't work with Worldgorger Dragon and Doomed Necromancer, which take a turn to set up and everyone can see your next play coming from a mile away. While Chainer, Dementia Master can reanimate creatures, it is 8 mana and 3 life before that could happen. Strands of Night is another option but playing 5 colors limits the number of swamps you have, Verdant Force is another quality creature that can be reanimated and I have always wanted to play Pit Spawn. The issue is that without tutors, there are only 6 relatively inexpensive ways to reanimate creatures, which means it can be very likely that they will sit my hand/yard.
But whatever you want to restrict yourself to.
There is a more than enough land ramp color fixing;
Deep Reconnaissance ,Diligent Farmhand, Explosive Vegetation, Far Wanderings, Harrow, Kodama's Reach, Oath of Lieges, Quirion Trailblazer, Rampant Growth, Reap and Sow, Untamed Wilds, Veteran Explorer, Wayfarer's Bauble, Yavimaya Granger
As well as I've already mentioned Wood Elves, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Skyshroud Claim.
Avenging Druid is nice to both setup the graveyard and land ramp.
There are artifacts as well;
Fellwar Stone
Darksteel Ingot
Gilded Lotus
..there is probably a bunch more
Other stuff I could think of;
Fertile Ground
Birds of Paradise - Fifth Edition $9.30
As far as reanimation cards;
Living Death, Chainer, Dementia Master, Phyrexian Delver, Animate Dead, Reanimate, Victimize, Exhume.
Balthor the Defiled, Beacon of Unrest, Coffin Queen, Corpse Dance, Diabolic Servitude, Doomed Necromancer, Nezumi Graverobber, Patriarch's Bidding, Stitch Together, Strands of Night, Twilight's Call, Zombify.
Bladewing the Risen if playing dragons.
Karmic Guide, Reya Dawnbringer if playing white.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
Then you can use Living Death or Twilight's Call or Patriarch's Bidding to return them all to play.
Or you could simply exile Iname, Life Aspect to return them to hand to cast them out, especially if you play some number of ramp.
Other Spirits of note; Graveborn Muse, Arashi, the Sky Asunder, Jugan, the Rising Star, Kuro, Pitlord, Myojin of Life's Web, Myojin of Seeing Winds, Patron of the Moon, Patron of the Orochi, Ryusei, the Falling Star, Seizan, Perverter of Truth, Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar, Windborn Muse.
I used to play Seedborn Muse and Tradewind Rider along with Awakening and Capsize to lock opponents out circa the Rath block. It's an oldie but a goodie.
Buried Alive also sets you up nicely.
You can use Hermit Druid to put creatures into your graveyard, you will be running mainly basics, but you should hit a few each time while getting your land drops.
Honestly I think there is a really sweet deck in there, and it's not spikey, full of flavor and should be lots of fun as well.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
I can't believe how many of those reanimation cards I missed (and used to play). After a quick search on gatherer (and there are a lot more spirits (and some really janky ones like Sibilant Spirit and cards I would have never thought were spirits like Liege of the Hollow), would a reanimation theme work better or would a spirit tribal theme work better?
I do have a Spirits tribal deck (non-restricted), and it's pretty average, so I wouldn't be sold on doing that, especially as you are only really pulling from the Kamigawa sets.
The thing is that the synergies are not all that great as actual "Spirits" and whenever you also see the word "arcane", there just isn't enough good ones to make the triggers work well.
There is "soulshift", but again I find it a little underwhelming, often not having a target, and they are over-costed.
So I would play a mix between the two, the ones that I listed so that you can leverage off Iname, Death Aspect and Iname, Life Aspect, but then the quality of the creatures is still find to draw individually.
i.e. drawing Kokusho, the Evening Star, Keiga, the Tide Star, Yosei, the Morning Star, Karmic Guide, Yosei, the Morning Star, Yomiji, Who Bars the Way, Eternal Dragon, Seedborn Muse, Tradewind Rider, Kagemaro, First to Suffer, is still pretty good to just cast out on their own.
I think I would just play towards the big payoff reanimation cards in Living Death, Twilight's Call, Patriarch's Bidding, along with Phyrexian Delver, Karmic Guide, Animate Dead, Reanimate, Victimize, Exhume.
As long as you play some discard outlets then you can save yourself from filling your hand with too many of those big creature, so that you can make use of reanimation cards. This is why I really like Forbid, Greater Good, Frantic Search, Windfall as a starting base for discard.
If that makes sense it's not like you are all in on reanimation, but it does give you a way to not just playing out "one big creature per turn" as your only game plan.
And then in the face of removal you can use the reanimation as value.
If you don't have Living Death, Twilight's Call, Patriarch's Bidding, but a reanimation card like Phyrexian Delver, etc, another angle I'd look for is to use the Iname, Death Aspect to put all your Spirits into your graveyard including Iname, Life Aspect and Myojin of Life's Web.
Then you reanimate the Iname, Life Aspect and hope to get it killed (maybe some sacrifice lands like High Market and Miren, the Moaning Well), so that you bring them all back to hand.
Then you cast Myojin of Life's Web and put them all into play.
I've built up a pretty strong picture in my head how I'd piece a deck together, do you want me to make a deck list that you can look through? I do tend to take over peoples threads/builds once I start thinking about them, so I'd understand if you just want ideas and not a full list.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
Off the top of my head is Whitekroma and Blackroma (Spirut of the Night), then you have Rorix Bladewing (and his zombified self) Avatar of Woe and Visara the Dreadful for old school targets, and the Kamigawa dragon spirit legends for a more contemporary approach. There's also the invasion block dragon legends...
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
So in trying to put this deck together, I wanted to make sure I had each set covered too, so this is what I was thinking:
Weatherlinght: Buried Alive
5th Edition: Animate Dead
Tempest: Reanimate, Rampant Growth, Harrow, Capsize, Living Death, Verdant Force, Tradewind Rider
Stronghold: Awakening, Cannibalize
Exodus: Forbid, Pit Spawn
Urza's Saga: Diabolic Servitude, Exhume, Victimize, Windfall,Greater Good
Urza's Legacy: Frantic Search, Karmic Guide
Urza's Destiny: Pattern of Rebirth
Mercadian Masques: Vernal Equinox, Thrashing Wumpus (Unsure of these)
Nemesis: Volrath the Fallen
Prophecy: Avatar of Woe
Invasion: Phyrexian Delver, Phyrexian Infiltrator, Utopia Tree
Planeshift: Star Compass
Apocalypse: Pernicious Deed, Phyrexian Arena, Ice Cave, Pain Lands
Odyssey: Entomb, Zombify
Torment: Chainer, Dementia Master
Judgment: Stitch Together, Mist of Stagnation
Onslaught: Visara, the Dreadful, Explosive Vegetation, Oversold Cemetery
Legions: Scion of Darkness, Seedborn Muse
Scourge: Decree of Pain, Eternal Dragon, Dimensional Breach
Mirrodin: Molder Slug
Darksteel:Reap and Sow
5th Dawn: Beacon of Unrest, Bringer of the Black Dawn, Bringer of the Blue Dawn, Joiner Adept
Champions of Kamigawa: Kodama's Reach, Sakura Tribe Elder, Kokusho, the Evening Star, Keiga, the Tide Star, Ryusei, the Falling Star, Myokin of Life's Web, Myojin of Seeing Winds, Iname, Death Aspect, Iname, Life Aspect
Betrayers of Kamigawa: Yomiji, Who Bars the Way, Kyoki, Sanity's Eclipse
Saviors of Kamigawa: Kagemaro, First to Suffer
6th Edition: Birds of Paradise, Mystical Tutor
7th Edition: City of Brass, Pain Lands
8th Edition: Elvish Piper
You're missing Twilight's Call from Invasion.
There is Dark Ritual, Brainstorm for Mercadian Masques. Also Silverglade Pathfinder as a discard outlet and mana fixer.
If you don't mind using some more tutors then Eladamri's Call is a bit easy to get behind than Star Compass for Planeshift. Most likely searching for Iname, Death Aspect.
Otherwise looks pretty good to me.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
What sort of card draw should I add? Fact or Fiction is probably a shoe in, but what else? Would you say that the ramp/color fixing I am playing is sufficient?
Graveborn Muse is another Spirit that will draw you an extra card each turn.
I actually think you can cut out the white. Karmic Guide, Eternal Dragon, Dimensional Breach, Yomiji, Who Bars the Way.
You can play 1 x Plains and 1 x Mountain for the 5 color commander.
Birds of Paradise, City of Brass, Joiner Adept also helps with casting commander, or the alternative costs of Bringer of the Black Dawn, Bringer of the Blue Dawn
Being basically pure Sultai means that your color fixing is plentiful.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
So, I got the cards in the mail today, but when I started to put the deck together, I realized I had way too many non land cards (my goal for this deck is 39 lands and 60 non lands). Any chance you can help me cut this down (70 cards as of now):
Creatures (28):
Utopia Tree
Tradewind Rider
Solemn Simulacrum
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Joiner Adept
Genesis
Seedborn Muse
Phyrexian Delver
Verdant Force
Birds of Paradise
Pit Spawn
Bringer of the Black Dawn
Bringer of the Blue Dawn
Visara the Dreadful
Avatar of Woe
Elvish Piper
Scion of Darkness
Phyrexian Infiltrator
Volrath the Fallen
Chainer, Dementia Master
Seizan, Perverter of Truth
Myojin of Seeing Winds
Keiga, the Tide Star
Myojin of Life's Web
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Iname, Death Aspect
Iname, Life Aspect
Kyoki, Sanity's Eclipse
Kagemaro, First to Suffer
Enchantments (10):
Phyrexian Arena
Pattern of Rebirth
Ice Cave
Mists of Stagnation
Diabolic Servitude
Awakening
Greater Good
Pernicious Deed
Animate Dead
Oversold Cemetery
Artifacts (7):
Fellwar Stone
Gilded Lotus
Nevinyrral's Disk
Lightning Greaves
Oblivion Stone
Darksteel Ingot
Star Compass
Instants (7):
Capsize
Fact or Fiction
Frantic Search
Harrow
Mystical Tutor
Forbid
Entomb
Sorcery (18):
Kodama's Reach
Exhume
Reap and Sow
Far Wanderings
Nature's Lore
Windfall
Cannibalize
Rampant Growth
Victimize
Reanimate
Living Death
Buried Alive
Syphon Mind
Stitch Together
Zombify
Twilight's Call
Decree of Pain
Beacon of Unrest