I should also add that Nevermore is a great card to try out. It locks out opposing generals and allows you time to build up the board position you need.
I think I'd keep Nobilis of War over Glory of Warfare. Glory would shine more in a token list or if you were running a ton of small guys. At least the Nobilis is a beatstick on its own.
Excuse my suggestions if they are not completely on theme.
I think you should add more mana sources - 44 seems a bit on the low side. Maybe add grim monolith / mana crypt / boros signet .
The deck's average converted mana cost is below 4. In testing, mana has not been an issue.
I'm not a terribly big fan of Fervor. I feel like for what EDH is as a format, In the Web of War does much better things. I guess maybe this would fit in your "Armageddon" heading?
Both Fervor and Web are easier to remove than Anger in the graveyard. Anger makes a fine chump blocker.
Orim's Thunder over Angel's Trumpets which seems very weak?
Angel's Trumpet fits flavor, deals damage, and, more importantly, taps down opponents' non-hasty creatures. This last combos well with Ajani Vengeant.EDIT: Done!
Capitacom hit on some good points. I'm always a fan of Weathered Wayfarer. I think he's very underplayed (at least in my meta) for what he does. Considering the sheer number of utility lands that most EDH decks play, he can fetch a whole lot of answers, as well as just helping you ramp.
Wayfarer will actually make a better John the Revelator, providing visions of the New Jerusalem. Excellent suggestion and one that will be acted upon immediately!
If you're going to run Jaya, might I suggest Squee, Goblin Nabob? This might be one of the few cards I suggest that's actually on-theme, since he has a "always devoted follower" feel to him.
I'm going to say first that I'm terrible at picking cards for a theme deck, but I'll try my best to at least offer some constructive criticism off the top of my head.
Wild Richochet is just one of those red spells that begs to be included in most decks that run only two colors. Being able to redirect/copy a spot removal or piggyback off of someone's ramp spell is too good of an effect to pass up[.]
Reverberate's low casting cost makes it a good fit for the deck, allowing for duplication of my own spells. EDIT: After more testing, I made room and included Ricochet alongside Reverberate.
I love the flavor and the list is really good with it. I'll throw some card suggestions your way with as much flavor as I can find. Take from it what you will.
Since youre playing red I see no reason (other then perhaps flavor wise) to not play Insurrection/Stranglehold
Stranglehold only affects opponents, actually. Regardless, it doesn't fit the deck's flavor.EDIT: I found a way to make it fit. Insurrection was originally in the deck, as a matter of fact (see "Discarded Choices"), but its mana cost was prohibitively high.EDIT: Insurrection's back in!
I also agree with running Twilight Shepherd over Adarkar Valkyrie, particularly since she can give you back all of the permanants you lose to your own board wipe rather than just the one.
With haste, Valkyrie has an immediate presence on the board, unlike Shepherd. Better to get single creatures for free, so to speak, than pay out of pocket to cast them out of hand.
I've been checking this thread constantly over the past few days. I'm seriously impressed with the deck, Chimeric. It's awesome that you managed to fit so much flavor and on-theme choices into a competitive list.
Thank you! (You should see my Wheel of Time deck…)
Anyway, I'm in the process of building my own Gisela list, and this proved to be really helpful. My take on the deck won't be nearly as on-theme, of course, but I'd like for it to be as powerful as I can possibly make it. That said, I'll come back with a link to it once it's built, and hopefully you can give me some constructive criticism on the deck. If all goes well, I'll have the full list posted by the weekend.
Again, just totally floored with your dedication to flavor and playability at the same time. One question -- what are its match-ups like, generally? My 4-5 player group has a pool of decks like Azusa, Child of Alara, Kaalia of the Vast, Thraximundar, Uril the Miststalker, The Mimeoplasm, and more. Do you have any thoughts/personal experience on how a match goes against those types of decks?
To date, I've only played against Oona, Gerard, Drana, Mayael, and Jhoira. Judgment Day won every game. That being said, no deck is without vulnerabilities. Azusa, Lost but Seeking with its ramp would undoubtedly prove troublesome. Fortunately, we have access to a ten-card sideboard which could easily include cards like Catastrophe, Armageddon, and Wildfire. Not terribly worried about Kaalia of the Vast, given that deck's tendency to run out of steam quickly. Thraximundar must be tucked whenever possible. That match-up doesn't seem particularly favorable, especially in a duel. Ditto for Uril, the Miststalker. The Mimeoplasm doesn't concern me. I'll have the chance for more playtesting tomorrow.
I got your message asking for my input, but I'm not really sure why. I say this based on the fact that while I enjoy flavor and consider myself a Vorthos (and a Timmy one at that), I don't run flavor cards over things that are just objectively better. So you probably won't like or agree with my suggestions.
For example, if I were building off of this list, I would use Karmic Guide and Reya Dawnbringer. If you have enough discard, then there's no problem in discarding your higher cost angels and reanimating them with the karmic guide and with an Defy Death. Of course, you'd be running that in addition to the Resurrection. This is made better if you have Chandra Ablaze to act as a discard source since she let's you draw three, and it disrupts your opponents' hands.
Adding in high cost cards like Reya would require a significant restructuring of the deck. EDIT: I did, however, add Defy Death.
But I do understand the concerns with the lack of ramp the deck chooses not to run in favor of flavor, especially since you're hindering the list by omitting what little ramp r/w has when you take out Sol Ring, Boros Signet, and Darksteel Ingot. But that's just my opinion.
The deck has plenty of ramp, including Sol Ring. It runs three different tithing spells and five mana rocks which accelerate far more than Signet or Ingot ever could.
I'm also not a fan of Banishment since you plan on drawing cards outside of the draw step. I'd rather run Chaos Warp, or even Oblation if I wanted to play politics.
I'm considering dropping Cleave and Firestorm to make room for Warp andMaster Warcraft. Thanks, folks! EDIT: After more testing, added Chaos Warp and got rid of Double Cleave.
You make an excellent point about Purification's lack of synergy with Avacyn. Yet, a resolved Purification with a protected Gisela in play equates to "Good game," in my experience (so far).
I know im probably going to get hated on in this forum for saying this but I would prefer Final Judgment as opposed to something like Inferno. I understand that with Gisela it's a possible kill everyone else's creatures save the ones you have but sometimes you dont have Gisela out or the opponent has something like Akroma's Memorial/Eldrazi Monument. If you want to deal damage to all players I think an earthquake variant would work better, if you want to kill massive creatures then something like Terminus/Final Judgment seems like it would be better.
As you've seen, I've opted to use Razia's Purification, a card that doesn't exactly play nicely with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Avacyn, Angel of Hope. However, unlike Judgment, Purification can still work with the rest of the deck. In your example, the solution seems to be something to destroy the offending artifacts, like Return to Dust or Orim's Thunder, otherwise, the player will simply cast/create more creatures to benefit from either artifact.
I should also add that Nevermore is a great card to try out. It locks out opposing generals and allows you time to build up the board position you need.
I'd rather tuck opposing generals with Banishing Stroke and Condemn, giving opponents less time to interact with the card.
I'd like to thank everyone for their input! There were a few suggestions I'd not previously considered and I'm grateful that folks took the time to review my build and offer options for its improvement. I'll be evaluating the deck's performance in more match-ups soon. Also, as I mentioned in passing earlier, I've posted a budget version of Judgment Day.
UPDATE: Played against Sygg (can't remember which incarnation), Grimgrin, Corpse-Born, Rafiq of the Many, Kaalia, Child of Alara, Animar, Soul of Elements, Sharuum the Hegemon, and Uril, the Miststalker. As predicted, Judgment Day made short work of Kaalia. The Uril deck was janky and an early Exquisite Blood led to Grimgrin getting hated out early, so I wouldn't count those as accurate representations of their respective match-ups. As for Alara, a hasty 'n protected Gisela can wipe out three players at a time (especially after land destruction): had Gisela equipped with Fireshrieker in play along with Nobilis of War, Deathless Angel, and six Entreat the Angels tokens. I'm considering making room for more global land destruction…
I'm surprised to see that you only have 40 mana sources, I would've thought for a deck like this you would need at least 44. Do you find yourself having to mulligan aggressively or missing land drops?
I'm surprised to see that you only have 40 mana sources, I would've thought for a deck like this you would need at least 44. Do you find yourself having to mulligan aggressively or missing land drops?
In all of the games I've played with Judgment Day so far, mana hasn't been an issue. Besides the 5 mana rocks (all of which produce two mana or more) and 35 lands you referenced, the deck is also supported by:
Faithless Looting
Tithe
Land Tax
Weathered Wayfarer
Gift of Estates
Scroll Rack
Sword of Fire and Ice
Mind's Eye
Reforge the Soul
The above cards—half of which cost only 1 mana—allow me to quickly ramp into Gisela, cast a global land destruction spell, and recover faster than my opponents.
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This is a competitive multiplayer theme deck based on the end of the world as foretold in Revelations, an ideal choice for Vorthosian Spikes who enjoy control.
Strategy
Use "Tithing" (Tithe, Land Tax, Gift of Estates) spells and the deck's "Holy Relics" (mana rocks) to ramp into Gisela. Break the "Seals" (global destruction) of God's wrath to the sound of blaring angel "Trumpets" (targeted destruction) to control the board. Call upon the First Horseman, "Conquest" (Stonehewer Giant), to equip Gisela with "Flaming Swords" (Swords of X and Y) and don her in "Angelic Raiments" (Lightning Greaves, Whispersilk Cloak, etc.) of protection. Swing for the win.
There are three versions of Judgment Day included in this primer. The first version, geared toward multiplayer games, is for players seeking the security of longer, more controlling gameplay, including more equipment to protect Gisela. The second is a low-cost budget version of the first. The final version increases the Vorthos quotient by including a set of "Bowls" (instants searchable with Sunforger) to complement the deck's "Seals" and "Trumpets". Half of these instants also offer rewards for bolder players who wish to end the game quickly through general damage. The last version is ideal for 1vs1 duels.
Deck Stats
32 White cards
16 White permanents*
19 Red cards
6 Red permanents**
25 White mana sources
18 Red mana sources
*counting Entreat the Angels and Glory
**counting Anger
"John the Revelator" Thraben Doomsayer/False Prophet/Serra Ascendant/Mad Prophet: Doomsayer is "terribly inefficient." Thematically speaking, False Prophet would make for a great addition. However, I'd like to get the most out of Avacyn, Angel of Hope whenever she's on the battlefield and exiling all creatures in play doesn't quite accomplish that. Without True Conviction or Baneslayer, I'd have to draw Serra Ascendant early on for the bonus. Replaced with Weathered Wayfarer as "John the Revelator".
Prophetic Visions Sensei's Divining Top: I think the deck benefits more from the card draw provided by Mind's Eye. Plus, I'm still running the Scroll Rack/Land Tax combo to help out with top deck manipulation.
The Son of Man Gideon Jura/Reveillark: Gideon's "not terribly efficient" in the deck and Reveillark isn't useful with the deck's creatures. Replaced with Sun Titan.
The Heavenly Host Luminarch Ascension: I'd rather pay 7 for Entreat the Angels and definitely get two angels (barring countermagic, of course) rather than hope my enchantment doesn't get blown up going around the table.
A Haste enabler Fervor/In the Web of War: Both Fervor and Web are easier to remove than Anger in the graveyard. Anger makes a fine chump blocker.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Stoneforge Mystic/Brion Stoutarm: More fragile than Stonehewer Giant and less useful in this deck. I prefer the ability to tutor every time I untap with the Giant. As for Stoutarm, angels are much too dignified to be flung like common goblins. "Conquest", the 1st Horseman of the Apocalypse slot, is currently filled by Stonehewer Giant. Gratuitous Violence/Avatar of Slaughter/Glory of Warfare: It's not likely the deck will have a horde of creatures in play. All the more reason to run a creature over an enchantment, I think, especially since about half the deck's creatures are for utility anyway. However, the Avatar is dangerous without Gisela on the field. "War", the 2nd Horseman of the Apocalypse slot, is currently filled by Nobilis of War. Mageta the Lion/Scourge of Kher Ridges: Mageta requires too much discard. Replaced with Jaya, which Sun Titan recurs. Jaya comes down several turns before the Scourge of Kher Ridges and, in a deck with only 36 lands, I can activate her ability before I can reliably cast the Scourge. To top it off, she hits all creatures, flying or otherwise. Finally, for flavor reasons, the deck only runs one dragon, Knollspine. "Death", the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse slot, is currently filled by Jaya Ballard.
7 Archangels Reya/Iona/Radiant/red Akroma/Basandra/Razia/Indomitable/Platinum/Twilight: Adding in high cost cards like Reya would require a significant restructuring of the deck. Reya and Iona cost too much mana; the deck doesn't run enough creatures to pump Radiant; one Akroma is enough, thank you; I happen to like combat tricks; Razia is too expensive for what she does; not enough artifacts; irrelevant without Indomitable. With haste, Valkyrie has an immediate presence on the board, unlike Shepherd. Better to get single creatures for free, so to speak, than pay out of pocket to cast them out of hand.The deck's seven archangels were chosen based on a need for diverse mana costs, flavor, and synergy with Gisela's abilities.
7 Seals Rout/Day of Judgment/Terminus/Hallowed Burial/Catastrophe/Austere Command/Bonfire of the Damned/Akroma's Vengeance/Obliterate/Chain Reaction/Final Judgment: Wrath of God stays in. It's the cheapest board sweep the deck has and I can cast it without ramping before turn seven relatively easily, unlike Rout. DoJ is "strictly worse" than ***. Final Judgment, Terminus/Hallowed Burial, Catastrophe, and Austere Command don't interact as well with Gisela like Earthquake does. Inferno affects more of the board than Bonfire. I'm running enough artifacts to not want to bother with Vengeance or Obliterate. Chain Reaction is too conditional and doesn't fit the deck's theme. Thematically speaking, Final Judgment would make a great addition; however, I'd like to get the most out of Avacyn, Angel of Hope whenever she's on the battlefield and exiling all creatures in play doesn't quite accomplish that. Despite its lack of synergy with Avacyn, a successfully resolved Purification with a protected Gisela in play equates to "Good game," in my experience (so far).
DoJ==>Rout==>Razia's Purification
Terminus/Hallowed Burial==>Catastrophe==>Fault Line==>Devastation
Austere Command==>Earthquake
Bonfire of the Damned==>Inferno
Brightflame/Pyrohemia: I tended to opt for cards that didn't depend on having Gisela in play to maximize their usefulness.
7 Trumpets Thunderous Wrath: "Inefficient." Dropped for Chaos Warp. Oblation: Dropped for Swords to Plowshares. Banishing Stroke seems like a better choice, regardless. Evangelize/Heat Shimmer: The first one is "heavily costed in colors that can't ramp well, and is super color intensive. Sorcery speed as well." Shimmer doesn't fit deck's theme. Replaced with Word of Seizing. Nevermore: I'd rather tuck opposing generals with Banishing Stroke or Condemn, giving opponents less time to interact with the card.
Flaming Swords & Angelic Raiments Champion's Helm: Mask of Avacyn works with the deck's non-legendary creatures. Moonsilver Spear: High equip cost. Skullclamp: The deck only runs 15 creatures, two of which belong in the graveyard. Skullclamp hardly seems appropriate. Running Mind's Eye instead. Sword/Shield of Kaldra: Not recursible with Sun Titan. Sword of Feast and Famine: In a deck with several global red damage spells/effects, W&P and F&I fit perfectly. SoFF doesn't combo with Jaya's or Gisela's abilities like F&I and W&P.
Signs & Wonders Serenity: "Not really synergystic with the deck." Besides, there's no serenity on Judgment Day!
The Righteous Squee, Goblin Nabob: Goblins look demonic.
The Resurrection & Emptied Graves Miraculous Recovery/Karmic Guide: Recovery and Guide don't fit the deck's eschatological themes. Resurrection and Defy Death are more flavorful. Also, the FNM art for Resurrection is amazeballs! Relic of Progenitus: It works against the deck's Incarnations, Glory and Anger. Also, isn't recursible with Sun Titan.
Armageddon, the Last Battle Aggravated Assault/Waves of Aggression/World at War: Insurrection ends games. It is the Last Battle. "Armageddon", the final battle slot, is currently filled by Insurrection.
Holy Relics Armillary Sphere: Dropped for Scroll Rack/Land Tax combo. Darksteel Ingot: Dropped for Mana Vault. Grim Monolith/Mana Crypt/Boros Signet: The deck's average converted mana cost is below 4. In testing, mana has not been an issue. Five mana rocks, three tithing spells, and Weathered Wayfarer have proven sufficient.
Tithing Eternal Dragon: Great card, but the deck only has thematic room for one (red) dragon.
Streets Paved With Gold Rupture Spire: "Downright awful."
Miscellaneous Valor: Trumped by Glory and usually unnecessary with Gisela. Preacher: Too campy. Brilliant Halo/Runed Halo: Brilliant was for flavor only and pales next to the deck's equipment, whereas Runed is too narrow. Darksteel Forge: Dropped along with Platinum Angel.
The Seven Bowls duel version (more instants, less equipment)
The following version is more flavorful than the original, including the Seven Bowls, represented by game-changing—or game-ending with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight in play—instants searchable with Sunforger. This version lends itself well to duels.
Strategy
Use "Tithing" (Tithe, Land Tax, Gift of Estates) spells and the deck's "Holy Relics" (mana rocks) to ramp into Gisela. Break the "Seals" (global destruction) of God's wrath to the sound of blaring angel "Trumpets" (targeted destruction) to control the board. Call upon the First Horseman, "Conquest" (Stonehewer Giant), to equip Gisela with "Flaming Swords" (Swords of X and Y) and don her in "Angelic Raiments" (Lightning Greaves, Whispersilk Cloak, etc.) of protection. Pour out the "Bowls" (Soul's Fire, Overblaze, etc.), increasing Gisela's might, and swing for the win.
5 Non-land Mana: Everflowing Chalice, Gilded Lotus, Mana Vault, Sol Ring, Coalition Relic
35 Mana-producing lands
15 Creatures
14 Artifacts
6 Equipment
30 White cards
16 White permanents*
6 Red permanents**
24 Red cards
25 White mana sources
19 Red mana sources***
*counting Entreat the Angels and Glory
**counting Anger
***counting Seething Song
Wild Ricochet/Reverberate + most of the Seals, Trumpets, & Bowls/all the tutors/Resurrection/Defy Death/R2D/Entreat
Scroll Rack/Firestorm + Land Tax/Tithe/Gift of Estates
Sunforger + Chaos Warp/Condemn/P2E/S2P/Tithe/Enlightened Tutor/R2D/Wild Ricochet/Ghostway/all of the Bowls
Spinerock Knoll + half the angels
Discarded Choices
"John the Revelator" Thraben Doomsayer/False Prophet/Serra Ascendant/Mad Prophet: Doomsayer is "terribly inefficient." Thematically speaking, False Prophet would make for a great addition. However, I'd like to get the most out of Avacyn, Angel of Hope whenever she's on the battlefield and exiling all creatures in play doesn't quite accomplish that. Without True Conviction or Baneslayer, I'd have to draw Serra Ascendant early on for the bonus. Mad Prophet not incredibly synergistic with deck. Replaced with Weathered Wayfarer.
The Son of Man Gideon Jura/Reveillark: Gideon's "not terribly efficient" in the deck and Reveillark isn't useful with the deck's creatures. Replaced with Sun Titan.
The Heavenly Host Luminarch Ascension: I'd rather pay 7 for Entreat the Angels and definitely get two angels (barring countermagic, of course) rather than hope my enchantment doesn't get blown up going around the table.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Stoneforge Mystic: More fragile than Stonehewer Giant and less useful in this deck. "Conquest", the 1st Horseman of the Apocalypse slot, is currently filled by Stonehewer Giant. Gratuitous Violence/Avatar of Slaughter: It's not likely the deck will have a horde of creatures in play. All the more reason to run a creature over an enchantment, I think, especially since about half the deck's creatures are for utility anyway. However, the Avatar is dangerous without Gisela on the field. "War", the 2nd Horseman of the Apocalypse slot, is currently filled by Nobilis of War. Mageta the Lion/Scourge of Kher Ridges: Mageta requires too much discard. Replaced with Jaya, which Sun Titan recurs. Jaya comes down several turns before the Scourge of Kher Ridges and, in a deck with only 36 lands, I can activate her ability before I can reliably cast the Scourge. To top it off, she hits all creatures, flying or otherwise. Finally, for flavor reasons, the deck only runs one dragon, Knollspine. "Death", the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse slot, is currently filled by Jaya Ballard.
7 Archangels Reya/Iona/Radiant/red Akroma/Basandra/Razia/Indomitable/Platinum: Reya and Iona cost too much mana; the deck doesn't run enough creatures to pump Radiant; one Akroma is enough, thank you; I happen to like combat tricks; Razia is too expensive for what she does; not enough artifacts; irrelevant without Indomitable. The deck's seven archangels were chosen based on a need for diverse mana costs, flavor, and synergy with Gisela's abilities.
7 Seals Rout/Day of Judgment/Terminus/Hallowed Burial/Catastrophe/Austere Command/Bonfire of the Damned/Akroma's Vengeance/Obliterate/Chain Reaction: Wrath of God stays in. It's the cheapest board sweep the deck has and I can cast it without ramping before turn seven relatively easily, unlike Rout. DoJ is "strictly worse" than ***. Terminus/Hallowed Burial, Catastrophe, and Austere Command don't interact as well with Gisela like Fault Line and Earthquake do. Inferno affects more of the board than Bonfire. I'm running enough artifacts to not want to bother with Vengeance or Obliterate. Chain Reaction is too conditional and doesn't fit the deck's theme.
DoJ==>Rout==>Razia's Purification
Terminus/Hallowed Burial==>Catastrophe==>Fault Line==>Devastation
Austere Command==>Earthquake
Bonfire of the Damned==>Inferno
Brightflame/Pyrohemia: I tended to opt for cards that didn't depend on having Gisela in play to maximize their usefulness.
7 Trumpets Thunderous Wrath: "Inefficient." Dropped for Chaos Warp. Oblation: Dropped for Swords to Plowshares. Banishing Stroke seems like a better choice, regardless. Cessation/Faith's Fetters/O-Ring: Dropped for Word of Seizing. Evangelize/Heat Shimmer: The first one is "heavily costed in colors that can't ramp well, and is super color intensive. Sorcery speed as well." Shimmer doesn't fit deck's theme. Replaced with Grab the Reins.
7 Bowls Wild Ricochet: Reverberate's low casting cost makes it a better fit for the deck, allowing for duplication of my own spells.
Flaming Swords & Angelic Raiments Champion's Helm: Mask of Avacyn works with the deck's non-legendary creatures. Moonsilver Spear: High equip cost. Skullclamp: Not useful in this deck. Running Mind's Eye instead. Sword/Shield of Kaldra: Not recursible with Sun Titan. Sword of Feast and Famine: Doesn't combo with Gisela's abilities like F&I and W&P. Mask of Avacyn: Doesn't grant haste. Darksteel Plate: Doesn't provide hexproof/shroud. Fireshrieker: Not as powerful on its own. Helm of Kaldra: Doesn't provide hexproof/shroud. Quietus Spike: Not as powerful on its own.
The Resurrection Miraculous Recovery/Karmic Guide: Resurrection and Defy Death are more flavorful. Also, the FNM art for Resurrection is amazeballs!
Armageddon, the Last Battle Aggravated Assault/Waves of Aggression/World at War: Insurrection ends games. It is the Last Battle. "Armageddon", the final battle slot, is currently filled by Insurrection.
Holy Relics Armillary Sphere: Dropped for Scroll Rack/Land Tax combo. Darksteel Ingot: Dropped for Mana Vault.
Streets Paved With Gold Rupture Spire: "Downright awful."
Miscellaneous Valor: Trumped by Glory and usually unnecessary with Gisela. Preacher: Too campy. Brilliant Halo/Runed Halo: Brilliant was for flavor only and pales next to the deck's equipment, whereas Runed is too narrow. Darksteel Forge: Dropped along with Platinum Angel. Sensei's Divining Top: I think the deck benefits more from card draw. Plus, I'm still running Scroll Rack to help out with top deck manipulation.
Played against Jhoira and Shaarum and won. Played against Kemba and Glissa; won one, lost one. Dueled with Shaarum and lost.
Based on the results of further playtesting, as well as good advice (from nurse.jason, capitacom, and Bismuth von Pherson), I've made the following changes:
Added
Insurrection (had it in originally, but made the mistake of removing it)
Blasphemous Act
Armageddon (cast this with Avacyn in play and my opponent scooped)
Devastation
Chaos Warp
Defy Death
Orim's Thunder
Wild Ricochet
Removed
Helm of Kaldra
Quietus Spike
Fault Line
Prison Term
Angel's Trumpet
Fireshrieker
Mask of Avacyn
World at War
Have you tried Anarchist? The Odyssey one with the amazing artwork. That should be your prophet of doom!
(Just look at him, he preaches about the wrath of god, Armageddon, and the end of the word... and he makes it happen... again)
Great flavor, true, but I'd sooner run Recoup. As it stands, I dropped the slot for a prophet of doom. I used to run Thraben Doomsayer for a while and then Mad Prophet, but neither did wonders for the deck (obviously). Weathered Wayfarer, on the other hand, makes an excellent "John the Revelator" and also keeps the deck competitive.
(An earlier iteration of) Judgment Day made an appearance in Gavin Verhey's article on the Mothership this week! For a sample hand generator for the latest build featured here, visit TappedOut.net.
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(An earlier iteration of) Judgment Day made an appearance in Gavin Verhey's article on the Mothership this week! For a sample hand generator for the latest build featured here, visit TappedOut.net.
Nice! I saw it on there and thought it looked a lot like yours, but I wasn't 100% sure. That's awesome dude. Did you send it to them or did they come here and find it?
Nice! I saw it on there and thought it looked a lot like yours, but I wasn't 100% sure. That's awesome dude. Did you send it to them or did they come here and find it?
Gavin and I frequent the same game store. I ran into him and his girlfriend and mentioned the deck and then emailed it to him.
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Judgment Day needs a sacrifice outlet, maybe even two. I'm considering adding Fanatical Devotion and/or Miren, the Moaning Well. Any thoughts on what to drop to make room? (If I opt for the Well, I'll be dropping a Plains.)
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I would add High Market before either of those other two.
I'm going with the Well for now due to its blend of flavor and function. What are your thoughts on Greater Gargadon? If I decide to add it, too, what are three cards I could consider dropping to make room?
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I would say whispersilk cloak (slow and you already have a lot of much better equipment) and devestation (symmetrical and if you kill all your creatures, i.e. gisela and all your lands it seems hard to abuse).
I would say whispersilk cloak (slow and you already have a lot of much better equipment) and devestation (symmetrical and if you kill all your creatures, i.e. gisela and all your lands it seems hard to abuse).
Whispersilk Cloak is nigh essential in the deck, and Devastation is a finisher with any of the following in play:
Your mention of the Cloak got me thinking, though, and after reviewing my Seven Bowls version (the one with more instants and less equipment) I'm going to test Greater Gargadon in place of Sword of Vengeance. Trample and haste are nice, but getting through with an unblockable general/commander that can't be stolen (short of Insurrection and its ilk) is even better. If I decide to keep the changes (Miren, the Moaning Well and the Gargadon), I'll update the list after more testing.
I like that the Well is a good representation for the bottomless pit and that Greater Gargadon is a functional stand-in for the Beast. (It almost makes me want to include False Prophet, albeit against my better judgment!)
On completely unrelated topic, I put together a planar deck to go with Judgment Day:
Chimeric - how do you feel about Vessel of Endless Rest? It acts as either a 1-time Mistveil Plains-effect or 1-shot graveyard removal for an opponent AND acts as mana ramp.
Chimeric - how do you feel about Vessel of Endless Rest? It acts as either a 1-time Mistveil Plains-effect or 1-shot graveyard removal for an opponent AND acts as mana ramp.
The criterion I set for the deck's "Holy Relics" (mana rocks) was the ability to produce 2 mana or more. Sadly, Vessel doesn't make the cut.
The lists are incredibly tight already. For the WMD version (mass land destruction), I could see cutting Spellshaper's Gift to make room for the Prophet or Godo, Bandit Warlord. Gift isn't searchable, nor is it recursible without Mistveil. Yet, however flavorful, I don't like the fact that Prophet exiles my creatures or that Godo comes with a cmc of 6 (in a deck with so much LD). That being said, although Godo costs 5 mana more than Spellshaper's Gift, he does interact nicely with Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Akroma, Angel of Wrath, and Adarkar Valkyrie.
www.commandercast.com
Commandercast on Tumblr!
My EDH/Commander List:
Wedges:
Numot, the Devastator RWU
Damia, Sage of Stone GUB
Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
Olivia Voldaren
arinsi, I'm with BvP on this one.
The deck's average converted mana cost is below 4. In testing, mana has not been an issue.
Both Fervor and Web are easier to remove than Anger in the graveyard. Anger makes a fine chump blocker.
Angel's Trumpet fits flavor, deals damage, and, more importantly, taps down opponents' non-hasty creatures. This last combos well with Ajani Vengeant.EDIT: Done!Wayfarer will actually make a better John the Revelator, providing visions of the New Jerusalem. Excellent suggestion and one that will be acted upon immediately!
Relic of Progenitus would be a fine addition, but not replacement, as it works against the deck's Incarnations, Glory and Anger.
Another excellent suggestion!
True, but goblins look demonic.
There's no serenity on Judgment Day!
Thank you! I'll be taking your Arid Mesa suggestion.
R2D was already in the deck, and
if necessary, space can be madespace has been made for O's Thunder.Reverberate's low casting cost makes it a good fit for the deck, allowing for duplication of my own spells. EDIT: After more testing, I made room and included Ricochet alongside Reverberate.
Thank you!
Unfortunately, this is not searchable with Sunforger, nor is it recursible with Sun Titan.
Great card, but the deck only has thematic room for one (red) dragon.
Stranglehold only affects opponents, actually.
Regardless, it doesn't fit the deck's flavor.EDIT: I found a way to make it fit.Insurrection was originally in the deck, as a matter of fact (see "Discarded Choices"), but its mana cost was prohibitively high.EDIT: Insurrection's back in!The voodoo slant doesn't fit the deck's Judæo-Christian eschatological themes.
With haste, Valkyrie has an immediate presence on the board, unlike Shepherd. Better to get single creatures for free, so to speak, than pay out of pocket to cast them out of hand.
I can't think of a single archangel I'd drop for Basandra.
I don't believe in any auto-includes outside of basic lands. More to the point, Scroll Rack does far more for this deck than Top.
Good idea! Done and done.
Thank you! (You should see my Wheel of Time deck…)
I look forward to seeing your list!
To date, I've only played against Oona, Gerard, Drana, Mayael, and Jhoira. Judgment Day won every game. That being said, no deck is without vulnerabilities. Azusa, Lost but Seeking with its ramp would undoubtedly prove troublesome. Fortunately, we have access to a ten-card sideboard which could easily include cards like Catastrophe, Armageddon, and Wildfire. Not terribly worried about Kaalia of the Vast, given that deck's tendency to run out of steam quickly. Thraximundar must be tucked whenever possible. That match-up doesn't seem particularly favorable, especially in a duel. Ditto for Uril, the Miststalker. The Mimeoplasm doesn't concern me. I'll have the chance for more playtesting tomorrow.
Thank you for making my evening! (Now to find someone to make my night…)
Adding in high cost cards like Reya would require a significant restructuring of the deck. EDIT: I did, however, add Defy Death.
The deck has plenty of ramp, including Sol Ring. It runs three different tithing spells and five mana rocks which accelerate far more than Signet or Ingot ever could.
Yes, objectively speaking. However, subjectively, in a deck with several global red damage spells/effects, W&P and F&I fit perfectly.
I'm considering dropping
Cleave andFirestorm to make room forWarp andMaster Warcraft. Thanks, folks! EDIT: After more testing, added Chaos Warp and got rid of Double Cleave.You make an excellent point about Purification's lack of synergy with Avacyn. Yet, a resolved Purification with a protected Gisela in play equates to "Good game," in my experience (so far).
The deck only runs 15 creatures, two of which belong in the graveyard. Skullclamp hardly seems appropriate.
I prefer the ability to tutor every time I untap with the Giant.
Cage does nothing against activated abilities, something to consider with the amount of utility creatures in the format.
Angels are much too dignified to be flung like common goblins.
Excellent choices, all! However, given the price of the suggested cards, I've also posted a budget version of Judgment Day.
As you've seen, I've opted to use Razia's Purification, a card that doesn't exactly play nicely with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Avacyn, Angel of Hope. However, unlike Judgment, Purification can still work with the rest of the deck. In your example, the solution seems to be something to destroy the offending artifacts, like Return to Dust or Orim's Thunder, otherwise, the player will simply cast/create more creatures to benefit from either artifact.
I'd rather tuck opposing generals with Banishing Stroke and Condemn, giving opponents less time to interact with the card.
I'd like to thank everyone for their input! There were a few suggestions I'd not previously considered and I'm grateful that folks took the time to review my build and offer options for its improvement. I'll be evaluating the deck's performance in more match-ups soon. Also, as I mentioned in passing earlier, I've posted a budget version of Judgment Day.
UPDATE: Played against Sygg (can't remember which incarnation), Grimgrin, Corpse-Born, Rafiq of the Many, Kaalia, Child of Alara, Animar, Soul of Elements, Sharuum the Hegemon, and Uril, the Miststalker. As predicted, Judgment Day made short work of Kaalia. The Uril deck was janky and an early Exquisite Blood led to Grimgrin getting hated out early, so I wouldn't count those as accurate representations of their respective match-ups. As for Alara, a hasty 'n protected Gisela can wipe out three players at a time (especially after land destruction): had Gisela equipped with Fireshrieker in play along with Nobilis of War, Deathless Angel, and six Entreat the Angels tokens. I'm considering making room for more global land destruction…
EDH
U Azami, Lady of Scrolls
GBGlissa, the Traitor
Modern
X Affinity
EDH
BUGTasigur, the Golden Fang (French 1v1)
Modern
RWG Burn
In all of the games I've played with Judgment Day so far, mana hasn't been an issue. Besides the 5 mana rocks (all of which produce two mana or more) and 35 lands you referenced, the deck is also supported by:
Faithless Looting
Tithe
Land Tax
Weathered Wayfarer
Gift of Estates
Scroll Rack
Sword of Fire and Ice
Mind's Eye
Reforge the Soul
The above cards—half of which cost only 1 mana—allow me to quickly ramp into Gisela, cast a global land destruction spell, and recover faster than my opponents.
Draw a free card? Yes please
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Thada Adel Stax WIP
I dropped Double Cleave for Grab the Reins.
Played against Jhoira and Shaarum and won. Played against Kemba and Glissa; won one, lost one. Dueled with Shaarum and lost.
Based on the results of further playtesting, as well as good advice (from nurse.jason, capitacom, and Bismuth von Pherson), I've made the following changes:
Added
Insurrection (had it in originally, but made the mistake of removing it)
Blasphemous Act
Armageddon (cast this with Avacyn in play and my opponent scooped)
Devastation
Chaos Warp
Defy Death
Orim's Thunder
Wild Ricochet
Removed
Helm of Kaldra
Quietus Spike
Fault Line
Prison Term
Angel's Trumpet
Fireshrieker
Mask of Avacyn
World at War
Thank you!
Great flavor, true, but I'd sooner run Recoup. As it stands, I dropped the slot for a prophet of doom. I used to run Thraben Doomsayer for a while and then Mad Prophet, but neither did wonders for the deck (obviously). Weathered Wayfarer, on the other hand, makes an excellent "John the Revelator" and also keeps the deck competitive.
Nice! I saw it on there and thought it looked a lot like yours, but I wasn't 100% sure. That's awesome dude. Did you send it to them or did they come here and find it?
GUB [Retired Primer] The Mimeoplasm BUG
Modern: UR Storm RU
Cube: WUBRG Pauper Cube GRBUW
Credit for the banner goes to DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Plane Studios
Gavin and I frequent the same game store. I ran into him and his girlfriend and mentioned the deck and then emailed it to him.
This sounds right. I have my mana base worked out the same way, as it seems that there's a higher density of RR and RRR casting costs, comparatively.
stuff
BRWC Mardu Shops - Tymna and Akiri Artifacts BRWC
BRWC Mardu Shops - Tymna and Akiri Artifacts BRWC
- Avacyn, Angel of Hope
- Deathless Angel
- Darksteel Plate
equipping a creatureYour mention of the Cloak got me thinking, though, and after reviewing my Seven Bowls version (the one with more instants and less equipment) I'm going to test Greater Gargadon in place of Sword of Vengeance. Trample and haste are nice, but getting through with an unblockable general/commander that can't be stolen (short of Insurrection and its ilk) is even better. If I decide to keep the changes (Miren, the Moaning Well and the Gargadon), I'll update the list after more testing.
I like that the Well is a good representation for the bottomless pit and that Greater Gargadon is a functional stand-in for the Beast. (It almost makes me want to include False Prophet, albeit against my better judgment!)
On completely unrelated topic, I put together a planar deck to go with Judgment Day:
1x Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
PROPHETIC VISIONS
1x Mind's Eye
"AND I, JOHN,
SAW THE HOLY CITY,
NEW JERUSALEM,
COMING DOWN FROM
GOD OUT OF HEAVEN"
1x Weathered Wayfarer
STREETS PAVED WITH GOLD
(THIRTY-FIVE LANDS)
1x Command Tower
1x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Mistveil Plains
10x Plains
1x Spinerock Knoll
8x Mountain
1x Plateau
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Battlefield Forge
1x Boros Garrison
1x Rugged Prairie
1x Arid Mesa
1x Wasteland
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x Kor Haven
1x Slayers' Stronghold
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
TITHING
1x Tithe
1x Land Tax
HOLY RELICS
1x Everflowing Chalice
1x Coalition Relic
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Mana Vault
1x Sol Ring
1x Sun Titan
"HIS WORD IS LIKE FIRE,
LIKE A HAMMER THAT
BREAKS THE ROCK"
1x Sunforger
ANGELIC RAIMENTS
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Swiftfoot Boots
FLAMING SWORDS
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
THE SEVEN ARCHANGELS
St. Michael,
Dragonslayer
1x Baneslayer Angel
Gabriel,
Angel of Resurrection
1x Adarkar Valkyrie
Raphael,
Angel of Healing
1x Deathless Angel
Seraphiel,
the Silent
1x Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Ramiel,
Angel of Hope
1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Uriel,
Angel of Death
1x Sunblast Angel
Raguel,
God's Vengeance
1x Akroma, Angel of Wrath
THE HEAVENLY HOST
1x Entreat the Angels
THE RIGHTEOUS
1x True Conviction
BORN AGAIN
1x Reforge the Soul
"BEHOLD, THE LION
OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH"
1x Ajani, Caller of the Pride
THE FOUR HORSEMEN
OF THE APOCALYPSE
Conquest
1x Stonehewer Giant
War
1x Nobilis of War
Famine
1x Hokori, Dust Drinker
Death
1x Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
"A SCROLL, SEALED
WITH SEVEN SEALS"
1x Scroll Rack
THE SEVEN SEALS
1x Wrath of God
1x Rout
1x Rolling Earthquake
1x Inferno
1x Earthquake
1x Fault Line
1x Molten Disaster
1x Chaos Warp
1x Condemn
1x Path to Exile
1x Banishing Stroke
1x Comet Storm
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Word of Seizing
THE SEVEN BOWLS
1x Armageddon
1x Razia's Purification
1x Devastation
1x Destructive Force
1x Wake of Destruction
1x Decree of Annihilation
1x Global Ruin
"THEY ARE CHOKED BY
LIFE'S WORRIES, AND
THEY DO NOT MATURE"
1x Stranglehold
"THE GREAT DAY OF
THE LORD IS NEAR,
IT IS NEAR AND
EXCEEDING SWIFT"
1x Anger
SIGNS AND WONDERS
1x Steelshaper's Gift
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Return to Dust
1x Wild Ricochet
"BEHOLD! A GREAT
RED DRAGON"
1x Knollspine Dragon
"THE BEAST THAT ASCENDETH
OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT
SHALL MAKE WAR AGAINST THEM,
AND SHALL OVERCOME THEM,
AND SHALL KILL THEM"
1x Greater Gargadon
"THE GRAVE SHALL
GIVE UP HER DEAD"
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Resurrection
ARMAGEDDON,
THE LAST BATTLE
1x Insurrection
"AND I SAW A NEW HEAVEN
AND A NEW EARTH:
FOR THE FIRST HEAVEN
AND THE FIRST EARTH
WERE PASSED AWAY"
1x Crucible of Worlds
1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
CREATURES - 16
1x Adarkar Valkyrie
1x Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1x Anger
1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1x Baneslayer Angel
1x Deathless Angel
1x Greater Gargadon
1x Hokori, Dust Drinker
1x Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
1x Knollspine Dragon
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1x Nobilis of War
1x Stonehewer Giant
1x Sun Titan
1x Sunblast Angel
1x Weathered Wayfarer
SORCERIES - 18
1x Armageddon
1x Decree of Annihilation
1x Destructive Force
1x Devastation
1x Earthquake
1x Entreat the Angels
1x Fault Line
1x Global Ruin
1x Insurrection
1x Molten Disaster
1x Razia's Purification
1x Reforge the Soul
1x Resurrection
1x Rolling Earthquake
1x Rout
1x Steelshaper's Gift
1x Wake of Destruction
1x Wrath of God
1x Banishing Stroke
1x Chaos Warp
1x Comet Storm
1x Condemn
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Inferno
1x Path to Exile
1x Return to Dust
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Tithe
1x Wild Ricochet
1x Word of Seizing
ENCHANTMENTS - 3
1x Land Tax
1x Stranglehold
1x True Conviction
PLANESWALKER - 1
1x Ajani, Caller of the Pride
TOTAL ARTIFACTS - 14
EQUIPMENT - 5
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Sunforger
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
UTILITY ARTIFACTS - 4
1x Crucible of Worlds
1x Mind's Eye
1x Scroll Rack
1x Tormod's Crypt
MANA ROCKS - 5
1x Coalition Relic
1x Everflowing Chalice
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Mana Vault
1x Sol Ring
1x Arid Mesa
1x Battlefield Forge
1x Boros Garrison
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Command Tower
1x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Kor Haven
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x Mistveil Plains
8x Mountain
10x Plains
1x Plateau
1x Rugged Prairie
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Slayers' Stronghold
1x Spinerock Knoll
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1x Wasteland
5 Card Draw: Mind's Eye, Scroll Rack, Reforge the Soul, Knollspine, SoF&I
7 Tutors: Sunforger, Stonehewer Giant, Steelshaper's Gift, Enlightened, Tithe, Land Tax, Wayfarer
4 Recursion: Sun Titan, Adarkar Valkyrie, Emeria, Crucible
5 "I Win!" cards: Gisela, Whispersilk Cloak, Razia's Purification, Sunhome, Insurrection
7 Burn: Earthquake, Rolling E-quake, Comet Storm, D-Force, Inferno, Fault Line, Molten Disaster
10 Creature Control: Jaya, Sunblast, Wrath, Rout, Condemn, P2E, Banishing Stroke, Devastation, S2P, Kor Haven
1 Artifact/Enchantment Control: Return to Dust
6 Land Control: Wasteland, Armageddon, Wake of Destruction, Decree of Annihilation, Global Ruin, Hokori
1 Graveyard Control: Tormod's Crypt
2 Sacrifice Outlets: Greater Gargadon, Miren
Synergies
Gisela + Stonehewer Giant
Gisela/Avacyn/Deathless/Valkyrie + Earthquakes/Destructive Force/Inferno/Jaya/Fault Line/Molten Disaster
Avacyn/Deathless/Valkyrie + Wrath of God/Devastation/Rout
Avacyn + Armageddon/Wake of Destruction/Decree of Annihilation
Gisela + Comet Storm/Insurrection
Gisela + Sunhome/True Conviction/Ajani
Avacyn + Sunblast Angel/Wrath of God
Sun Titan + Jaya/Land Tax/Crypt/almost all artifacts
Greater Gargadon + Devastation/Armageddon/Razia's Purification/Decree of Annihilation/Global Ruin
SoFI + Earthquakes/Destructive Force/Inferno/Jaya/Fault Line/Molten Disaster
SoFF + Destructive Force/Wake of Destruction/Decree of Annihilation/Global Ruin/Armageddon/Razia's Purification
Razia's Purification + Sun Titan/Valkyrie
Scroll Rack + Land Tax/Tithe/Gift of Estates
Sunforger + Chaos Warp/Condemn/P2E/S2P/Tithe/Enlightened Tutor/R2D/Wild Ricochet
Spinerock Knoll + half the angels
- Wake of Destruction
- Decree of Annihilation
- Global Ruin
- Earthquake
- Fault Line
- Molten Disaster
- Rout
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Greater Gargadon
- Crucible of Worlds
- Hokori, Dust Drinker
- Ajani, Caller of the Pride
Removed-Ghostway
-Darksteel Plate
-Whispersilk Cloak
-Orim's Thunder
-Defy Death
-Faithless Looting
-Blasphemous Act
-Sword of Vengeance
-Sword of War and Peace
-Gift of Estates
-Ajani Vengeant
-Glory
What are your thoughts?