The Guildmage is something I would actually consider running in the 99 though. "Counter target activated ability" is a very niche but very useful ability. But when there's nothing to counter, she can help tap down dudes that come your way. And in the worst case scenario, she's a bear that can chump or hold Auras.
Yup. Azorius Guildmage is a good little dude for any deck that can run it, actually.
Witchbane Orb is another card that can help with graveyard hate or give you hexproof.
On another note I am thinking of building a Grand Arbiter Augustin IV deck and was wondering how your deck started off jylichan. Thought I would take mine into tax and tap, but just wanted to know how yours started off. And I know it will draw hate, but people in my playgroup will be good with it for at least a little while.
Witchbane Orb is another card that can help with graveyard hate or give you hexproof.
On another note I am thinking of building a Grand Arbiter Augustin IV deck and was wondering how your deck started off jylichan. Thought I would take mine into tax and tap, but just wanted to know how yours started off. And I know it will draw hate, but people in my playgroup will be good with it for at least a little while.
Yup. It was the first EDH deck I made, and it was a janky control deck I made from random Limited-good and Constructed-good cards from a friend's pool. At the time (and a long time since, I didn't check online resources for EDH staples, so Rhystic Study hadn't existed in my universe for a while), my friends all did the same, so we all kinda had janky decks with few 'good EDH staples' so it was fun all around. That batch of friends developed their card pools along with me, so a lot of us progressed at more or less the same pace. None of us ever bought 300 dollars worth of cards from an online store because we had tightly controlled budgets (and still do).
I'm telling you this because that's mostly the reason my GAAIV deck wasn't hated on as much as it should have been, had my group been immersed in the online netdeck environment of 'oh why do you have X instead of Y omg'. My GAAIV deck when I started out was a collection of strong-ish cards I cobbled together from dollar bins, and without any real synergy, so it was never hated to the same extent as a GAAIV deck would be, as I expect it would be constructed with my present level of experience.
The deck itself had removal, Propaganda effects, some cloning effects, counterspells, steal. Basically, a typical control deck.
GTC UPDATE: Full spoiler's up, and as I expected, nothing to add from the whole set. There's Holy Mantle, which gives +2/+2 and protection from creatures. It's a good card to add in a vacuum. Unfortunately, the deck isn't spoiled for slots, and Unquestioned Authority is better for being a cantrip IMO. It's a solid pick if you can make space for it, though. Tastes better with Pariah. :B
I know it may seem kinda silly, but what do ya'll think about Omniscience? I'm considering playing it in my build, just wanna know if there is merit in running it in a deck like Bruna.
I know it may seem kinda silly, but what do ya'll think about Omniscience? I'm considering playing it in my build, just wanna know if there is merit in running it in a deck like Bruna.
If you're running Academy Rector, I think it's a fine addition. Especially since having Bruna as a commander automatically makes people extra wary of you anyway.
That is actually a really good idea! You are right, her ability will bypass Dovescape because it is a triggered ability.
I just mention it because in games with 5+ players I have trouble bringing Bruna online due to the hate she brings when she hits the board and the responses that come due to her triggered ability. I always have an answer for 1-2 spells but not 5+ that can come from a big game.
What do ya'll think about Stasis? I really wanna troll the table badly, and I have feeling it will work wonders.
There certainly are builds that will fit Stasis VERY well. My list used to have Cataclysm and Armageddon, with that sort of resource denial strategy in mind. I changed the deck to avoid that out of preference, but it certainly is very viable.
What about Dovescape with Bruna on the board? Since the aura's are not cast wouldn't this be a great way in multiplayer to protect her from removal?
I also tested this in the deck--you can get it out of nowhere with Academy Rector! It certainly worked well, but my meta adjusted by having more of their spells in creature form. I definitely suggest you test it.
Mystic Gate..... Is it just a case of not having it or is it something I overlooked on your list?
It really should be there. I just happened to have just one copy, and it goes to my Rasputin deck. Whenever I can be arsed to switch lands, I pass my entire mana base. Most of the time, I'm just lazy. FOR THE RECORD: Anyone who's using this as a guide should put in Mystic Gate if they have a copy handy. There is almost zero reason to not run as many duals as you can.
BONUS: It's also possible to have a basic land mana base and stick Back to Basics in. The deck has a lot of enchantment tutoring, and you might find yourself the only one with the ability to untap out of nowhere!
I wonder, what are the cards that you currently don't have in the decklist, but that if you could have them you'd put them in immediately? And what would you take out?
(Yes, this is for Cockatrice :P)
That's a great question--although the answer is relatively simple: LANDS. Any dual land that can produce Azorius colors that do NOT enter the battlefield tapped is eligible. Additionally, Cavern of Souls set to "angel" for additional countermagic protection. I also included a wishlist in the original post. I'm not sure if the deck still needs those, since I'm pretty happy with what it can do now, and each card you replace is possibly one less aura in the deck. You're obviously free to test them out (and with Cockatrice, you can do so expense-free!)
Anything from Dragon's Maze that looks interesting for this deck yet? Render Silent seems a possibility?
Nothing yet, really. Render Silent is a great card, but it doesn't really fit the deck. Having mana up to cast it won't be easy if you're doing so on top of Bruna's already-hefty 6CMC. The counters I include have an alternate cost.
a cool draw engine for bruna is river kelpie. Just use something to destroy all or most of her enchantments like arensons aura or something like that, then attack and draw a bunch! I haven't yet gotten my hands on a river kelpie but it seems like it'd work
Galspanic tricked me into coming to his place by PMing me nudes, I rushed over and they were all just playing magic. I said what the hell, took off my leather mask, shuffled up, and played a few games.
I actually plan to include Treachery to the deck, just because it's generally powerful, and it can also get me some mana back if Bruna snatches it from the graveyard. The synergy with Flickerform makes it all the more appealing. Thanks a lot!
a cool draw engine for bruna is river kelpie. Just use something to destroy all or most of her enchantments like arensons aura or something like that, then attack and draw a bunch! I haven't yet gotten my hands on a river kelpie but it seems like it'd work
The only problem I have with this is that by the time the draw engine kicks in, it should already be a point where Bruna is likely to be an unstoppable force. Just seems like overkill imo.
I just made my Bruna deck.
i realy like Celestial Mantle and Pemmin's Aura. Have you considered adding these cards? Pemmin's Aura is a good defensive and offensive card.
I also like Holy Mantle over Unquestioned Authority
because Holy mantle gives you a 3 turn clock if you dont draw more offensive aura's, Unquestioned Authority is a 4-5 turn clock.
btw what is your game plan if your general gets tucked?
Hi! I hope you're having fun with Bruna.
Celestial Mantle and Holy Mantle were in the deck in the first few weeks. Here are the reasons why they were removed:
Celestial Mantle can gain you lots of life, but many mechanics can render life irrelevant, like poison, Commander damage, or having your resources controlled. Holy Mantle does make Bruna bigger, but the deck was made to create more one hit kills, so I ended up picking a card draw (which could be a counterspell for your opponents' answer) over the +1/+1.
I also considered Pemmin's Aura, but at the time I couldn't find one to test! As the deck evolved, however, I realized that it usually operates on a very tight mana curve, and had no room for abilities that require extensive mana use to do anything.
Of course, the main plan is for Bruna to never get tucked at all! However, if it can't be helped, then you can try politicking your opponents into attacking each other by mentioning that the single creature you're relying on is gone indefinitely and they should really focus on each other now. The deck has a lot of aggressive card drawing, so hopefully, Bruna will pop up.
You can also try piling enchantments on one of the creatures in the deck. It might not be Bruna, but even your humblest creature can turn into a beast with enough auras.
It certainly is! Unfortunately it's moderately hard to find. I only have one copy and it's in another deck. :/
Good luck with your own Bruna deck. You'll put the fear of god in your opponents for sure!
Heh, luckily my group allows proxies as long as you already own 1 copy of a card.
But yea, looking forward to trying it out. This group is pretty new to EDH still and I'm sure most have never seen a Voltron commander before, let alone one that can one-shot people out of nowhere.
Yup. Azorius Guildmage is a good little dude for any deck that can run it, actually.
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
Nin's theft
Mill all decks
bruna blink
On another note I am thinking of building a Grand Arbiter Augustin IV deck and was wondering how your deck started off jylichan. Thought I would take mine into tax and tap, but just wanted to know how yours started off. And I know it will draw hate, but people in my playgroup will be good with it for at least a little while.
Signature made by Rivenor at Miraculous Recovery Signatures
EDH
[Primer] - BRG Adun Oakenshield: Jund Stax/Recycle Bin GRB
BRG Shatterbros Shenanigans GRB
Oh yes. The blue primeval is going into my Rasputin Dreamweaver deck for sure.
Which deck? Arbiter or Bruna?
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
Signature made by Rivenor at Miraculous Recovery Signatures
EDH
[Primer] - BRG Adun Oakenshield: Jund Stax/Recycle Bin GRB
BRG Shatterbros Shenanigans GRB
Yup. It was the first EDH deck I made, and it was a janky control deck I made from random Limited-good and Constructed-good cards from a friend's pool. At the time (and a long time since, I didn't check online resources for EDH staples, so Rhystic Study hadn't existed in my universe for a while), my friends all did the same, so we all kinda had janky decks with few 'good EDH staples' so it was fun all around. That batch of friends developed their card pools along with me, so a lot of us progressed at more or less the same pace. None of us ever bought 300 dollars worth of cards from an online store because we had tightly controlled budgets (and still do).
I'm telling you this because that's mostly the reason my GAAIV deck wasn't hated on as much as it should have been, had my group been immersed in the online netdeck environment of 'oh why do you have X instead of Y omg'. My GAAIV deck when I started out was a collection of strong-ish cards I cobbled together from dollar bins, and without any real synergy, so it was never hated to the same extent as a GAAIV deck would be, as I expect it would be constructed with my present level of experience.
The deck itself had removal, Propaganda effects, some cloning effects, counterspells, steal. Basically, a typical control deck.
GTC UPDATE: Full spoiler's up, and as I expected, nothing to add from the whole set. There's Holy Mantle, which gives +2/+2 and protection from creatures. It's a good card to add in a vacuum. Unfortunately, the deck isn't spoiled for slots, and Unquestioned Authority is better for being a cantrip IMO. It's a solid pick if you can make space for it, though. Tastes better with Pariah. :B
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
If you're running Academy Rector, I think it's a fine addition. Especially since having Bruna as a commander automatically makes people extra wary of you anyway.
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
Combo with Kismet, Frozen Aether, and Loxodon Gatekeeper for maximum troll. Seems like it would fit pretty well in a Bruna control build.
That is actually a really good idea! You are right, her ability will bypass Dovescape because it is a triggered ability.
I just mention it because in games with 5+ players I have trouble bringing Bruna online due to the hate she brings when she hits the board and the responses that come due to her triggered ability. I always have an answer for 1-2 spells but not 5+ that can come from a big game.
Torpor Orb and/or Dovescape ensure that she can swing and the enchantment is easily tutorable with the deck. As long as you have the player-killer-package (a.k.a. Eldrazi Conscription, Battle Mastery, Steel of the Godhead ) in hand or in your graveyard you are set!
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyThere certainly are builds that will fit Stasis VERY well. My list used to have Cataclysm and Armageddon, with that sort of resource denial strategy in mind. I changed the deck to avoid that out of preference, but it certainly is very viable.
I also tested this in the deck--you can get it out of nowhere with Academy Rector! It certainly worked well, but my meta adjusted by having more of their spells in creature form. I definitely suggest you test it.
It really should be there. I just happened to have just one copy, and it goes to my Rasputin deck. Whenever I can be arsed to switch lands, I pass my entire mana base. Most of the time, I'm just lazy. FOR THE RECORD: Anyone who's using this as a guide should put in Mystic Gate if they have a copy handy. There is almost zero reason to not run as many duals as you can.
BONUS: It's also possible to have a basic land mana base and stick Back to Basics in. The deck has a lot of enchantment tutoring, and you might find yourself the only one with the ability to untap out of nowhere!
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
That's a great question--although the answer is relatively simple: LANDS. Any dual land that can produce Azorius colors that do NOT enter the battlefield tapped is eligible. Additionally, Cavern of Souls set to "angel" for additional countermagic protection. I also included a wishlist in the original post. I'm not sure if the deck still needs those, since I'm pretty happy with what it can do now, and each card you replace is possibly one less aura in the deck. You're obviously free to test them out (and with Cockatrice, you can do so expense-free!)
Nothing yet, really. Render Silent is a great card, but it doesn't really fit the deck. Having mana up to cast it won't be easy if you're doing so on top of Bruna's already-hefty 6CMC. The counters I include have an alternate cost.
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
Sig and Avatar by me!
Treachery with Flickerform to give protection to Bruna and her Auras to almost anything, including the infamous All is Dust
EDH Commanders:
Ridiculously Threatening Auras
Project Simic Experiment [№001384]
:symr::symw::symu:Zedruu, Candidate for Presidency:symr::symw::symu:
Trade Binder or Here
I actually plan to include Treachery to the deck, just because it's generally powerful, and it can also get me some mana back if Bruna snatches it from the graveyard. The synergy with Flickerform makes it all the more appealing. Thanks a lot!
The only problem I have with this is that by the time the draw engine kicks in, it should already be a point where Bruna is likely to be an unstoppable force. Just seems like overkill imo.
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
Hi! I hope you're having fun with Bruna.
Celestial Mantle and Holy Mantle were in the deck in the first few weeks. Here are the reasons why they were removed:
Celestial Mantle can gain you lots of life, but many mechanics can render life irrelevant, like poison, Commander damage, or having your resources controlled. Holy Mantle does make Bruna bigger, but the deck was made to create more one hit kills, so I ended up picking a card draw (which could be a counterspell for your opponents' answer) over the +1/+1.
I also considered Pemmin's Aura, but at the time I couldn't find one to test! As the deck evolved, however, I realized that it usually operates on a very tight mana curve, and had no room for abilities that require extensive mana use to do anything.
Of course, the main plan is for Bruna to never get tucked at all! However, if it can't be helped, then you can try politicking your opponents into attacking each other by mentioning that the single creature you're relying on is gone indefinitely and they should really focus on each other now. The deck has a lot of aggressive card drawing, so hopefully, Bruna will pop up.
You can also try piling enchantments on one of the creatures in the deck. It might not be Bruna, but even your humblest creature can turn into a beast with enough auras.
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
Seems like Winding Canyons would be a perfect fit in here.
It certainly is! Unfortunately it's moderately hard to find. I only have one copy and it's in another deck. :/
Good luck with your own Bruna deck. You'll put the fear of god in your opponents for sure!
Augustin, Rasputin, Bruna, Brago, Ojutai
Heh, luckily my group allows proxies as long as you already own 1 copy of a card.
But yea, looking forward to trying it out. This group is pretty new to EDH still and I'm sure most have never seen a Voltron commander before, let alone one that can one-shot people out of nowhere.