MTG Salvation

Glad to hear your brew is a house. I haven't had much opportunity to play since the last time, working 50 hours a week and trying to coordinate schedules before the holiday hasn't been fun. Hopefully going into the slow season I can start churning out some games.

I really like the Shadow of Doubt tech from your edit on the last page. I can only imagine how the table reacted to two Sol Rings as well, lol. I'll have to get my list in a decent way to copy pasta into here so it's not all messed up one of these days too.

I'm considering dropping Nahiri now that I think about it more. She's really only effective if I have any equipment in my hand or on the table. The tokens are nice as emergency board fill but I think she'd go better in something like my Linvala artifact voltron deck than in here.

After the games last week and a couple of tweaks, here's what I'm running with next week:




I ended up taking out the snow lands before I even played last week. The more I thought about it, they were just for Scrying Sheets, and that is such a hit or miss card that Mikokoro is better despite giving my opponents cards as well since I get to draw right before my untap step. I also found out last week that I erred greatly without Time Warp, so that was fixed. Reliquary Tower is back in despite not really needing it all that much, but it is doubling as a mental placeholder for Library of Alexandria (thought exercise to see how it performs in a non-goldfish setting). Other than that, the glaring cards are Terramorphic Expanse and the Panorama. They're inferior to off-color fetches, but they are better for the deck aesthetically.

My initial impression of Jace is that he isn't all that good. I got a few activations from him, but at the same time he sat in my hand for a while because I couldn't protect him initially.

So I'm guessing you're gonna definitely make some room for Sword of the Animist?

Oh, and by the way, your OP seems to have something screwy with the html codes.

Quote from DementedKirby »

So I'm guessing you're gonna definitely make some room for Sword of the Animist?

Oh, and by the way, your OP seems to have something screwy with the html codes.

Yeah I think that will probably find a home. I have to look more closely at the set, but that and the mass wrath are the only cards from the set that excite me.

I knew the OP is a little wonky, but there may be something new from the recent site updates. After I get some more play time with the deck I'm going to give the thread a massive update and I'll fix stuff also.

Oew Sword of the Animist looks very fitting for Dakkon ^^.
Don't know how 'competetive' it would be, but I'm guessing it's not gonna be a very expensive card. I'll pick up a copy and test it as well!
What mass wrath are you refering too Cryo?

Quote from OwnDemon »

Oew Sword of the Animist looks very fitting for Dakkon ^^.
Don't know how 'competetive' it would be, but I'm guessing it's not gonna be a very expensive card. I'll pick up a copy and test it as well!
What mass wrath are you refering too Cryo?

Tragic Arrogance

It and the Sword are definite preorders. I'm happy paying $5 for the sword even if it does end up dropping. It's definitely cube-worthy and the fact that it's an attack trigger is pure upside. It might even replace Druidic Satchel.

You need to do Tragic Arrogance on yourself as well? (Each player)
Actually I think Tragic Arrogance would be a good swap with Balancing Act. Destroying lands isn't something that Dakkon likes very much.

Dropping Druidic Satchel is BIG! You sure about that?
Imagine Sword of the Animist with multiple combat steps! I know red has lots of cards that make you have multiple combat steps, but has esper cards like that as well?
Next to the 'extra turn' effects from blue I mean.

Quote from OwnDemon »

You need to do Tragic Arrogance on yourself as well? (Each player)
Actually I think Tragic Arrogance would be a good swap with Balancing Act. Destroying lands isn't something that Dakkon likes very much.

I never got Balancing Act to work properly, so this is much better. More so because I get to control it. I think the fact that it's nonland makes it a very affordable finisher. Going to test it at least, probably cutting something like Austere or Wrath.

Dropping Druidic Satchel is BIG! You sure about that?
Imagine Sword of the Animist with multiple combat steps! I know red has lots of cards that make you have multiple combat steps, but has esper cards like that as well?
Next to the 'extra turn' effects from blue I mean.

It's a big commitment, but I'm willing to try.

I can see Tragic Arrogance cutting Wrath of God more than Austere Command.

I don't really like extra combat steps for this type of deck, it seems like more of a Narset or UG type of theme, maybe even tokens.

Quote from kazrya »

I can see Tragic Arrogance cutting Wrath of God more than Austere Command.

I don't really like extra combat steps for this type of deck, it seems like more of a Narset or UG type of theme, maybe even tokens.

As long as you aren't trying to go infinite with Archaeomancer and Time Stretch, taking an extra step/turn here and there is almost necessary to close out a game or simply eliminate an opponent. It's one of the downsides to relying on combat damage rather than an infinite combo.

I'm trying to get out of the combo mind and that came from a mostly combo mind, lol. Fortunately Legacy D&T is helping with that.

I can see every now and then, it can be super beneficial to pump Dakkon with an attack step too. Being at 9 damage, swinging for 10 with the sword and throwing infect on there is a nice surprise.

Got a few more games in tonight. Few random musings on some cards:

Hatred: Killed two people with this in different games. I forgot just how useful it can be to close out a game when you have a higher life total. Definitely going to become a permanent addition to the deck.

Dig Through Time: I'm really loving the skill required for this card, but at the same time, I need more time to get comfortable with it. I think that almost every single card in the deck with the exception of planeswalkers can be recurred, so there is some finesse required to know what you can exile to pay the delve cost. I think this could probably even replace Fact or Fiction.

Jace, the Mind Sculptor: I'm just not liking him. He's been really good when I can get him to stick, and I absolutely get why he's almost $100, but I just can't protect him well enough to justify keeping him in the deck. I've used and can make very good use of both his Brainstorm and Unsummon, but is that really worth the 4 mana cost? I think I could just replace him with either Jace Beleren or something else.

Mikokoro, Center of the Sea: This is the first time I really paid attention to the card when it was in my own deck. It really does create a lot of value. Probably enough to stay in the deck.

Reliquary Tower: Still not impressed. This will either become a colored land or Arcane Lighthouse.

I'm going to get around to start fixing the primer, but I'm still having fun with the deck and it is doing well enough in league to keep playing. We played three league games and I won two of them. Couple that with a 50/50 win rate last week, and I'm pleased with the results so far. I preordered sfuff from Origins, including Sword of the Animist and Tragic Arrogance, but I might just buy second copies just so I'll have them for next week.

Update: Reliquary Tower -> Thespian's Stage. Everything else is going to be the same next week, barring me being able to get anything from Origins.

I'm thinking about adding Inkmoth Nexus back in the deck. I was looking at manlands that are cheap to animate for Sword of the Animist testing and liked this and Blinkmoth Nexus. I'm leaning towards the infect for synergy with Hatred, and Umezawa's Jitte (but that's a stretch). I'd probably pull Thespian's Stage back out though. Anyone else tested it in a deck that didn't have a reliable way to instantly pump the infect?

Isn't Dakkon normally big enough himself to provide enough poison/infect?

Quote from OwnDemon »

Isn't Dakkon normally big enough himself to provide enough poison/infect?

Sure, if you get Tainted Strike or Grafted Exoskeleton on him. My thought process was that I am thinking of ways to get random fodder to equip SotA to, which got me thinking of manlands that are cheap to animate. Did a Gatherer search, and Inkmoth/Blinkmoth are my best because they cost 1 and fly. The random point of damage is about as inconsequential as one point of infect without any strong way to pump it (equipping a +2 sword is still a four turn clock). Hatred does provide another bonus, so it's worth considering. The downside is that of course once I give a player a point of infect, do I become threatening, or is one random point something to scoff at?

Quote from cryogen »

Sure, if you get Tainted Strike or Grafted Exoskeleton on him. My thought process was that I am thinking of ways to get random fodder to equip SotA to, which got me thinking of manlands that are cheap to animate. Did a Gatherer search, and Inkmoth/Blinkmoth are my best because they cost 1 and fly. The random point of damage is about as inconsequential as one point of infect without any strong way to pump it (equipping a +2 sword is still a four turn clock). Hatred does provide another bonus, so it's worth considering. The downside is that of course once I give a player a point of infect, do I become threatening, or is one random point something to scoff at?

Howl from Beyond is another card like Hatred. It's less threatening compared to Hatred, but it's also an instant, and you don't have to pay life.

Quote from OwnDemon »

Howl from Beyond is another card like Hatred. It's less threatening compared to Hatred, but it's also an instant, and you don't have to pay life.

The only downside is that it requires mana, so it is a very large mana investment to make effective. Pumping Blinkmoth to lethal requires 10 mana, and unless Dakkon is close enough by himself, you're still going to need a lot of mana also.

I've been considering options as well, only for mono-black. Potential options other than Blink/Inkmoth include a typical Stax fodder package, so stuff like Reassembling Skeleton or Bitterblossom. Perhaps too harsh for Esper due to the color requirements, but Bloodghast could work well since you're aiming to play at least one land a turn, or Nether Traitor which loves to wield Swords of X and Y. Adding some of these types of cards could open your deck up to more options: Skullclamp or Sidisi, Undead Vizier to name a few. In the end though, I think most of these would probably work better in a mono-black build (where you could add more stuff like Contamination for the soft lock, Attrition/Grave Pact for board control, etc), but I thought I'd throw the suggestions out there anyway. Oh, and none of them are particularly useful with Hatred either if that was something you really wanted to focus on.

I've started to overhaul the primer thread, starting with finally updating the deck list and most of the sections. I lost the second post where I had other stuff I tried or didn't try listed, so that is the next project, along with testing out a couple of cards from Origins when I get them. If you see anything in the OP that's still screwy or I missed, let me know.

Hi again!
Origins make my Dakkon happy
After tuck rule advent, I definitively put aside my Dakkon (a pure control UWB deck). I've trying to transform it in something similar of decks you listed here but I was a bit disappointed.
Time is gone and Origins give me a way to try to resurrect Dakkon.

I'm testing:

• Thopter Spy Network and Whirler Rogue: they put Thopert on the battlefield, colorless and flying. Good replacements if remaining without creatures and have equipments on the battlefield. Rogue is also another way to make creatures unblockable, often tapping equipments.
• Sword of the Animist: a staple in my opinion, especially in deck without green. After a test in an Aurelia, the Warleader, I must pick up my jaw from the floor.
• Foundry of the Consuls: can supply Thopters and can be replayed using Crucible of Worlds
• Tragic Arrogance: Perfect with Dakkon. Nothing else to saying. At this time I put aside Austere Command to insert this card.

Here you can find my new Dakkon version, where Dakkon often say: "At Dak-Thopter"

I'm really happy about Origins
David.

Well another week of play is done. Barely lost the first, won the second game. First game I was mana screwed to the point where I Mystical Tutored for a Brainstorm, which was lucky enough to find Esper Panorama and another land, so I was back in the game. The best part of the game was when I used Praetor's Grasp on a player and grabbed Assault Suit. Next turn I cast Dakkon (who was by now a 12/12), equipped the suit, and swung at that same player, then passed turn to the next player, who then swung at the same person, killing him. Then he wrathed and even though I could have probably stopped it with Vamp Tutor and SDT I let it go. He ended up winning that game. Second game I basically won on the back of Drogskol Reaver, who is crazy with Hatred.

Test changes:

Austere Command -> Tragic Arrogance
Druidic Satchel -> Sword of the Animist
Terramorphic Expanse -> Inkmoth Nexus
2x Plains -> 2x Island


First two are self-explanatory. Gonna test Inkmoth as another sword carrier and use for Hatred, and the basic land swap is because according to tappedout.net my balances were off.

have you ever given a thought to Vault of the Archangel? While a little clunky, one connect with Dakkon can re-establish your life if low, as well 1 to 1 utility creatures to their larger threats

awesome deck, gave me inspiration to make my own dakkon. +1 from me!

Quote from rshizz »

have you ever given a thought to Vault of the Archangel? While a little clunky, one connect with Dakkon can re-establish your life if low, as well 1 to 1 utility creatures to their larger threats

awesome deck, gave me inspiration to make my own dakkon. +1 from me!

I've used it before in different decks with a high aggro theme, and it's a good card. I think in this deck I would have the same problem that I occasionally get with Academy Ruins, which is that most times I would rather have a land which tapped for colored mana.

Do you ever consider these two lands ?
Opal Palace
Dromar's Cavern

Opal Palace pump Dakkon each time you summon him.
And Dromar's Cavern give you another way to reuse your utility lands