The good thing with Mechamorph and Phantasmal Image is that it cause less than your regular Clone. They provide a lot of card advantage and so far, I've talked to Jester before and he just needs two for an infinite loop or getting a lot of CA in one turn and getting back to infinite loop.
As for Forbidden Orchard, it's just my own take... I just don't want my opponent to get any advantage by getting a 1/1. Not only as a blocker but the opponent can get a lot from an insignificant 1/1 token without them losing their resources (can be fought, clamped, chord and more).
There hasn't been a clone in the deck for years... maybe one of the first builds dunno, before the deck was really polished.
I've always had a soft spot for Gush - it's tech against wasteland, can sometimes fix mana and/or net a mana, and complements a lot of other library manipulation effects. It does increase combo consistency T4 by guaranteeing a 4th land drop, and allowing you to likely tempo better. There's just generally huge upside, with very little downside. As far as Peregrine Drake goes, you really should be landing Primeval in play beforehand anyway, so rarely does the bounce diminish your capabilities, especially considering the card/mana advantage.
Fathom Seer is great for all the same reasons as Gush, and also has the added bonus of being a free way to get the critical counter number 4.
Forbidden Orchard isn't ideal. There are numerous advantages to keeping the non-basic land count down, and so you're really ending up competing between Land Grant, Grove of the Burnwillows and Flooded Grove. Of those, Grove of the Burnwillows is probably the weakest, but is still better when you're adopting any non-combo strategies.
I'm quite unsure on the fact that Wydwen is a bad matchup, in fact, from my testing, it's a 60-40 matchup for us. The key is card advantage and lands - try to keep hands with more lands, and grind them out with clamp/survival/curio and beat down with dorks. Turn 2 Animar is great, but far less important than drawing a ton of cards. Wydwen hardly has any pressure (sure, I'm dead in 7 more turns!). GAAIV is quite similar, only they have a few more threats that might win the game and less counter/bounce. The key in both matchups is to use Animar as bait for Earthcraft/Curio/Clamp/Survival and co, and not play Animar where it won't help. This strategy works especially well when people are unskilled and counter Animar without thinking.
On the subject of your tournament: I think you might of just had a bad day, since your draws seemed horrible.
At mtg homepage, servant is on the bann list, also the card at the card link:
This deck is based on the Duel Commander banlist (not the multiplayer one you're thinking of). That's why you're seeing cards like Painter's Servant and Primeval Titan in decklists.
You HAVE to check those twosites before moving on to Mothership or other 3rd Parties like Tcgplayer where they already have pre-programmed legal card sets.
URGImperial AnimarGRU BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB WURNarset NostalgicRUW UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU UBlue BraidsU GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WUHanna, Pillowfort's NavigatorUW WBRAleshacratsBRW UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU URGYasova the ThreateningGRU BGGlissa the ArticiferGB WUSygg MerfolkUW RSquee, Value NabobR
It's a marginally better City of Brass. The 1 life can be relevant a lot, while Grove of the Burnwillows is practically Taiga 95% of the time. Worth replacing City of Brass with, but seeing as how most of us don't even play city, it doesn't look like it'll see play.
On another note, the UG and UR gods are big letdowns. Still holding out for another cheap ETB draw a card creature.
Eh, at the same time, it's pretty amazing to see a deck hold up to deck building scrutiny for so long - really validates just how well it was built. On the other side of things, there's still a crazy amount of different potential combos that can be uncovered, which always keeps things interesting. Definitely the most dynamic deck I've ever played.
On the off-chance you want another Bond Beetle, they printed a new (slightly worse) one. Not necessarily necessary, just kinda' cool that there is still stuff coming out that fits the plan of the deck. :]
There was also one from Judgment- Ironshell Beetle. Jester pointed out that Bond Beetle provides two counters to Animar without any reduction needed, which is crucial on that first turn when you untap and start adding counters. If the deck doesnt need the beetle or the Avacyn restored dude, a third copy isnt necessary.
I've been a huge fan of this build for a long time. Was wondering if anyone had good strategies for dealing with the Marath matchup. I just can't seem to get online as Animar just gets pinged as soon as he comes out every time.
Hi fozzwald. I recommend you tell your opponents to stop cheating because Animar has protection from white and therefore cannot be pinged by Marath. Cheers!
Faerie Imposter is actually one of the best gating creatures, and is in many regards better than Dream Stalker, Man o' War, or Arctic merfolk for that matter. In in a pinch, it solves curve issues, self-bouncing is more or less irrelevant in general, it's clampable, and it's a good blocker in many matchups. Being clampable allows some really slick integration with Artisan of Kozilek.
The weakest gate creature is probably Arctic Merfolk, however I would still argue Arctic Merfolk is better because your opponent doesn't get priority between when you announce arctic merfolk, and the creature being returned. If your opponent does let Imperial Recruiter's trigger resolve, you can tutor Merfolk and return imperial without ever giving them an opportunity to kill imperial, or otherwise if they do respond to the imperial trigger, tutor accordingly.
It might be worth simply adding in Quickling and not dropping a gating creature, however finding a cut is seriously difficult.
1) Fauna Shaman is way too slow, and this deck revolves more around combo engines; tempo being more critical than tutoring.
2) Reclamation Sage is alright, and certainly would win some games, however usually it's more affective to go on the aggressive, or to adjust strategy. There's not really any case that screams to mind of when this is necessary that wouldn't otherwise be addressed by a strategy shift. The question then becomes, what's more effective: adaptability and consistency, or outs at the cost of consistency? I'm sure most sane decks would incorporate more outs, however our matchup spectrum is fairly good in the face of extreme control measures, and it's not clear where specifically this would be shine.
3) Coiling Oracle and Gatecreeper Vine are already in the build. Trailblazer is too slow.
4) Slithermuse is the only playable card listed there. The rest don't fit the tempo.
You can still bounce all their creatures with Man o' war, and make a hoard of infinitely large creatures with bond beetle (not to mention steal their creatures, setup a counter wall with 3 cursecatchers + daze, create a god board position etc). Nevermore is really not too bad...
Well, in that case, all you need is one creature without summoning sickness, tapped or not tapped, to win outright the turn of combo. Otherwise, loading up on cursecatchers + daze is not too shabby, and you can recombo indefinitely.
As for Forbidden Orchard, it's just my own take... I just don't want my opponent to get any advantage by getting a 1/1. Not only as a blocker but the opponent can get a lot from an insignificant 1/1 token without them losing their resources (can be fought, clamped, chord and more).
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
I've always had a soft spot for Gush - it's tech against wasteland, can sometimes fix mana and/or net a mana, and complements a lot of other library manipulation effects. It does increase combo consistency T4 by guaranteeing a 4th land drop, and allowing you to likely tempo better. There's just generally huge upside, with very little downside. As far as Peregrine Drake goes, you really should be landing Primeval in play beforehand anyway, so rarely does the bounce diminish your capabilities, especially considering the card/mana advantage.
Fathom Seer is great for all the same reasons as Gush, and also has the added bonus of being a free way to get the critical counter number 4.
Forbidden Orchard isn't ideal. There are numerous advantages to keeping the non-basic land count down, and so you're really ending up competing between Land Grant, Grove of the Burnwillows and Flooded Grove. Of those, Grove of the Burnwillows is probably the weakest, but is still better when you're adopting any non-combo strategies.
On the subject of your tournament: I think you might of just had a bad day, since your draws seemed horrible.
This deck is based on the Duel Commander banlist (not the multiplayer one you're thinking of). That's why you're seeing cards like Painter's Servant and Primeval Titan in decklists.
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
Definitely a good card to add. Between "maybe" and "highly" dropping Grove of the Burnwillows.
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
Living End Contributor and Enthusiast
Come Pucatrade with me
Rules Advisor
Modern: BRGLiving EndGRB
Legacy: UBGShardless BUGGBU
BRGProssh, Tokenmaker of KherGRB
WURNarset NostalgicRUW
UBR"I like your deck better" JelevaRBU
UBlue BraidsU
GAzusa, Lost but RampingG
WBRAleshacratsBRW
UBRGrixis Pew PewRBU
URGYasova the ThreateningGRU
BGGlissa the ArticiferGB
WUSygg MerfolkUW
RSquee, Value NabobR
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
On another note, the UG and UR gods are big letdowns. Still holding out for another cheap ETB draw a card creature.
Asmira, Holy Avenger (French EDH)
I upload Duel Commander match replays to my YouTube channel
EDH Decks:
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Tajic, Blade of the Legion
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Purphoros, God of the Forge
Ezuri, Renegade Leader 1v1
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher 1v1
Hythonia the Cruel
Trying to build:
Jenara, Asura of War
Designing a Custom Set:
Clash of the Cultures: 5 Wedges, 5 Cultures
Providing Artwork for:
Archester: Frontier of Steam
Ideas?
It's lacking some EtB effect and can't be clamped but scrying every turn can be pretty handy if dropped early enough.
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
Not clampable, but fits in perfect with the necessity to bounce stuff. Love the fact that it has colorless in its cost!
Want to be a better Magic player? Read the rulings forum and check out the comprehensive rules!
I have some questions:
1)What do you think of Fauna Shaman? Believes it deserves a slot in this deck? (sometimes I'm in doubt cut it or keep it ... I run with Survival of the Fittest or Imperial Recruiter)
2) And you think Reclamation Sage will have a slot in this deck? Between it and Acidic Slime, which do you prefer?
3)What do you think of Coiling Oracle ? Think it is better than that Gatecreeper Vine or Quirion Trailblazer?
4)About draw cards, among these which you think best on this list: Time Spiral, Myojin of Seeing Winds and Slithermuse, in order of priority? if possible why?
5)What do you think ofFabricate in this deck? Believed to be necessary? (Sometimes I think about cut, but I can not decide)
Thanks !!
The weakest gate creature is probably Arctic Merfolk, however I would still argue Arctic Merfolk is better because your opponent doesn't get priority between when you announce arctic merfolk, and the creature being returned. If your opponent does let Imperial Recruiter's trigger resolve, you can tutor Merfolk and return imperial without ever giving them an opportunity to kill imperial, or otherwise if they do respond to the imperial trigger, tutor accordingly.
It might be worth simply adding in Quickling and not dropping a gating creature, however finding a cut is seriously difficult.
1) Fauna Shaman is way too slow, and this deck revolves more around combo engines; tempo being more critical than tutoring.
2) Reclamation Sage is alright, and certainly would win some games, however usually it's more affective to go on the aggressive, or to adjust strategy. There's not really any case that screams to mind of when this is necessary that wouldn't otherwise be addressed by a strategy shift. The question then becomes, what's more effective: adaptability and consistency, or outs at the cost of consistency? I'm sure most sane decks would incorporate more outs, however our matchup spectrum is fairly good in the face of extreme control measures, and it's not clear where specifically this would be shine.
3) Coiling Oracle and Gatecreeper Vine are already in the build. Trailblazer is too slow.
4) Slithermuse is the only playable card listed there. The rest don't fit the tempo.
5) Too slow.
2) What do you think of Yavimaya Granger? Believes he is better than Ondu Giant? Or even better than Coiling Oracle?
3) What do you think of Erayo, Soratami Ascendant? Erayo, Soratami Ascendant vs Nullstone Gargoyle which is better in this deck? (I'm thinking of add one on my deck)
4) What do you think of Sylvan Library in this deck? Why chose not run it?