“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then Fumiko the Lowblood looked over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground that God had created and said, ‘Let them attack.’ And it was so.”
Introduction
Welcome to the world according to Fumiko the Lowblood -- I hope you like turning your creatures sideways. Truth be told, who doesn’t? The vast majority of Commander decks win via combat damage so why don’t we cut through all the [politics] and just get after it? Unlike the few other commanders who fundamentally alter the rules of play on a global or near-global level, Fumiko actually encourages the means that will lead to a hasty resolution of the standoff at hand rather than dragging it out with a lame prison or taxing ability.
“Near-global,” you ask? Even though it is common for opponents to forget this fact while wrapped in the warmth of bloodlust and vengeful counter attacks, it is important to remember that Fumiko’s controller is the only player that does not have to send all available creatures into the red zone each turn. This doesn’t mean that a player piloting Fumiko won’t be swinging as frequently as Austin Powers, just that she/he/? has options -- something not always available to mono-red decks in this format.
The general consensus concerning Fumiko as a card, from talking to other players or watching her implementation in other Commander builds (either as the commander or more likely as one of the crazy 99) is that the resulting grand melee when she is on the battlefield speeds up games and aids in creating general chaos. This build, however, focuses on that design space which materializes with the realization that if all of an opponent’s creatures that can attack have done so, then the scope of said player’s remaining defense should be predictable. Specifically, it will be limited to those creatures with summoning sickness, hasty creatures cast post-combat (value!), have vigilance or defender, and/or are dormant (i.e. manlands).
Why Fumiko? Fumiko offers a promise to change the fundamental nature of the game opponents were expecting to play; being prepared for this particular gamestate allows Fumiko to start the game ahead of the curve. The more optimized a Fumiko deck becomes, the more its pilot is taking advantage of that initial advanced position and trying to push it further. Even though the deck is attack-centric, it isn't an aggro deck. Given that the Fumiko player is the only one that can reliably leave up blockers, the line between being the beatdown or control deck tends to posit Fumiko closer to control, but control informed by beatdown as I'll soon share with you. One of the biggest reasons I love building a Fumiko deck (as opposed to playing) is that the design space it generates allows for sub-par cards to shine and thus requires digging through Gatherer time and again with slightly different queues in order to find all of the differently templated cards that create the similar results.
Fumiko offers exactly what I want from my EDH commander, but if there are reasons not to play her they reside in the very same manipulation of the game I'll be mentioning ad nauseum. I would recommend staying away from Fumiko if you prefer to play the "best" cards in your color(s). Fumiko's text box pretty much reads: "New cards, which you may be unfamiliar with, are now the best cards, while everyone else using the generally accepted bests are now handicapped by them." As a result of executing my gameplan, some opponents will rise to the challenge of having to attack by sending everything they got at me, every single turn, to try and reset the game back to a normal state. For this reason I would stray away from Fumiko if you don't like being the center of attention, if you prefer playing in the background. Or, I suppose, if you don't like attacking.
One of my earliest Commander builds was a mono-red deck helmed by Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs, which tried to do too many things (as is the tendancy of most deckbuilders when they dive into this format for the first time). That all changed with the release of Scars of Mirrodin back in 2010. I was playing Kazuul with a package of cards that required all of my opponents to attack as I was hoping to pillow fort until the carnage was over and arise victorious from the ashes of my opponents’ efforts. The game plan was going sort of okay until I watched a single, newly-released card (played by someone else at the table) take over the game. A Steel Hellkite had taken to the skies and was destroying everything in sight. I was blinded by the power, and thinking it was intrinsic, tossed a copy into each of my decks only to face disappointment. The only time it was shining was in my mono-red deck, and that is when I leveled up. Fumiko became the new commander, and with the Hellkite by our side we went to Gatherer on a recruiting mission. The deck wasn't optimized overnight, and you can see from the Change Log that it took me a long time to remove the Kazuul mindstate from my deck, but finally I thought the deck was getting somewhere honest and decided it was time to share the deck on MTGSalvation in early 2013.
Now obviously the cards in the preceding paragraph vary in quality and impact on the game, but just from those options I can see three different builds arising as options. The first looks to the removal package and plays pure control. The second leans on the cheap beatstick vampiric creatures and is more aggressive while losing out on a lot of the versatility inherent in the first. Thirdly, is a deck that values big beaters that also impact the game with their built in removal to regain a dominating position or even just to close things out whereas the more aggressive, smaller build might run into a wall or have to overextend. I have played all three ways, and it is fun when your play group starts thinking you're playing a 200-card deck based on all the different looks you've given them in the past, but ultimately, it is the third strategy which has been most sustainable and which continues to have new cards printed for consideration.
The next step when building the Fumiko deck is addressing the outs she allows your opponents in terms of blockers which mentioned in the introduction were "those creatures with summoning sickness, hasty creatures cast post-combat (value!), have vigilance or defender, and/or are dormant (i.e. manlands)." Is it okay to quote one's self?
To address the issue of creatures with summoning sickness, the options are either to enable them with haste or disable them through removal or a tap effect. The best red card (re: only) to give everyone haste is Mass Hysteria. That effect is only relevant for creatures that ETB during the first main phase though, so in order to shut down proper play I compiled all of the tappers which are Orb of Dreams, Uphill Battle, and Urabrask the Hidden. The final card worth mentioning here is the does-both-but-neither-well enchantment Ashling's Prerogative. Urabrask makes for an interesting mono-red commander on its own, but I feel that the gamestate Urbrask hopes to generate is more efficiently realized by Fumiko. Of the cards listed in this paragraph, I opt for the ones that don't hurt my own options and that address the post-combat phase.
Since there are few of those effects currently printed in the game and accessible in my color identity, it is safe to assume that sometimes opponents are going to have some number of blockers while Fumiko is active, but more likely than not there will only be the freshly generated, walls, or those with vigilance unless they have one of the following permanents in play: Angel's Trumpet, Fatespinner, Murkfiend Liege, Prophet of Kruphix, Quest for Renewal, Seedborn Muse, or Unwinding Clock(?). There are other ways, usually involving repeatedly blinking or bouncing and recasting that will accomplish the same thing for an opponent, but these are the most notorious permanents for single-handedly making me lose my initial Fumiko advantage. Luckily, they are all creatures and artifacts which mono-red has no problem dealing with as opposed to being a pesky enchantment. All in all, I feel my Achilles isn't overly exposed.
As for vigilance and defender, they usually appear only as a bonus on a card rather than for their own sake. Maybe its just my meta, but I don't see any vigilance-themed EDH decks running around. So, like the handful of cards in the previous paragraph, pesky creatures can be dealt with on a one-for-one basis when they arise either with direct damage or some combination of these instant speed, non-damage dealing creature removal spells: Chaos Warp, Blood Frenzy, Chaos Charm, Cinder Cloud, and Fissure. Sorcery speed opens up more options, but on my own turn I will opt to use something with a more sweeping effect than a one-for-one. Even better still are sweepers at instant speed: Comet Storm, Fault Line, Firestorm, Inferno, Lava Storm, Lavaball Trap, Magmaquake, Scorching Winds, Seismic Shudder, Starstorm, Street Spasm, Sulfurous Blast, and Volcanic Fallout.
Another way of removing the one blocker is to borrow it with a Threaten effect though with these I as well value instant speed for versatility as a possible Disharmony: Act of Aggression, Act of Treason, Aladdin, Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate, Blind with Anger, Grab the Reins, Helm of Possession, Temporary Insanity, and Word of Seizing are the options. Again, if you go sorcery-speed with an ability, then make it worth your while. In this case, use Insurrection, Molten Primordial, or even Mass Mutiny. If you're building the more aggressive Fumiko deck with all of the creatures that gain +1/+1 counters, threatening is given high priority and I'll play many of them and bring in damage doublers too. If going with the bigger creatures, I have found that it is okay to run fewer or even none of these cards in the final 100.
The final creature type that can be used as a blocker are the ones that lay dormant as a non-creature permanent that have an activated ability that turns them on at will (re: manlands). Red has access to all sorts of land destruction, but since this is a mono-colored deck I can get away with some lands that produce colorless so why waste a spell slot when there are Dust Bowl, Encroaching Wastes, Ghost Quarter, Strip Mine, Tectonic Edge, and Wasteland available? As for dormant artifact creatures, if red does anything well it is the smashing of brown things.
The Girl on Fire
(this section on piloting the deck is under construction)
decided to remove the whole package to be less...threatening? obvious? boring? I liked the ability of Felhide Spiritbinder but Kiki-Jiki is just better.
Sensei's Divining Top, Shrine of Burning Rage
[INDENT]Been playing a lot with this deck over the last 6 months which involved trying out a lot of new cards and combinations thereof so that's why there were so many
changes irregardless of new set additions. Tried out the new god/hammer/emissary but ultimately none of those stuck. I assume that some of these cut cards will make
their way back in eventually.[/INDENT]
19 July 2013: M14 Released.
+ Chandra, Pyromaster
- Mass Hysteria
[INDENT]Was the pyromaster designed specifically for this deck? First ability removes the standard, one blocker and the second ability helps dig for the right card. A
better fit than the long tenured haste enabler.[/INDENT]
3 May 2013: Dragon's Maze Released.
[INDENT](no changes)[/INDENT]
1 February 2013: Gatecrash Released.
+ Darksteel Citadel, Five-Alarm Fire, Great Furnace, Hellkite Tyrant
- Extraplanar Lens, Raging River, 2x Snow-Covered Mountain
[INDENT]Sad to see River go, but the deck mounts a much more flying based attack these days while the ground units stay home. Also, many of my more mana hungry spells
are no longer in the deck so the Lens isn’t as useful as it once was. Artifact lands are there to help me be sneaky in my attempt to auto-win with the Tyrant.[/INDENT]
5 October 2012: Return to Ravnica Released.
+ Vandalblast
- Moonveil Dragon
[INDENT]The dragon is good, but isn’t the insult-to-injury type of creature I want to be running. The blast is in because one-sided sweepers are good.[/INDENT]
13 July 2012: M13 Released.
+ Wild Guess
- Faithless Looting
[INDENT]Faithless just isn’t as fun in a non-reanimator deck, served diligently since being released but I feel that Guessing is better in this build.[/INDENT]
1 June 2012: Planechase 2012 Released.
[INDENT](no changes)[/INDENT]
4 May 2012: Avacyn Restored Released.
+ Reforge the Soul
- Vanguard’s Shield
[INDENT]Moar draw, less pillow fort[/INDENT]
26 February 2013: Thread posted on MTGSalvation.
[INDENT]I have been playing a mono-red EDH/Commander deck for quite some time, and it has taken on many forms over the years according to available cards and the
promoting/demoting of generals/commanders/strategies to reach this point. I originally worked on this deck online elsewhere, but after having lived with the deck for
so long I realized I had actual words worth sharing so I decided to add my two cents on the deck in these hallowed halls. Thus is the natural progression of decks that
Snow-Covered Mountain, Starstorm
[INDENT]Shifting in all of the creatures that get a counter for landing punches now that there is a concentration of them. Faithless is a much needed draw spell and
Engine[/CARD]
[INDENT]So many fun new toys for mono-red in this set. Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs is thusly demoted from his position as general and is replaced with
Fumiko the Lowblood. Many changes were made to suit the new general’s finer taste in office decor.[/INDENT]
Thanks for this descripting. I've had Fumiko on the back-burner as a Commander idea for a long time now, but I've fallen short of having enough ideas for a full deck. I'll share a few ideas of mine I don't see here.
Crawlspace means Fumiko just turns your opponents on each other.
Tide of War makes your weenies even better blockers... 50% chance of killing their fatties. Even kills Trample, if I understand correctly.
Sword of the Paruns is not only nice with token armies, it's 3 mana Vigilance for Fumiko.
If you're running Threaten effects, why not some sacrifice mechanisms, especially to go with your tokens? Ashnod's Altar and Phyrexian Altar are nice 'cause you can sac interminably at no cost. At the very least, consider High Market and Miren, the Moaning Well in your lands.
I understand the appeal of Instant-speed Threaten effects, but I'm not convinced the blocking trick is better than Sorc-speed mass-Threatens like Mass Mutiny and Insurrection, or the steal-anything goodness of Zealous Conscripts. Stealing Planeswalkers is both good and satisfying.
I love Fumiko if just for the interaction with Kazuul.
Thanks for the back pat! Kazuul, Tyrant of Cliffs was my general until after Scars of Mirrodin came out while Fumiko was just a nice piece in the deck. All it took was one game of having Fumiko the Lowblood and Steel Hellkite on the field at the same time for me to realize I needed to hand her the keys to the deck.
Thanks for this descripting. I've had Fumiko on the back-burner as a Commander idea for a long time now, but I've fallen short of having enough ideas for a full deck. I'll share a few ideas of mine I don't see here.
Crawlspace means Fumiko just turns your opponents on each other.
Tide of War makes your weenies even better blockers... 50% chance of killing their fatties. Even kills Trample, if I understand correctly.
Sword of the Paruns is not only nice with token armies, it's 3 mana Vigilance for Fumiko.
If you're running Threaten effects, why not some sacrifice mechanisms, especially to go with your tokens? Ashnod's Altar and Phyrexian Altar are nice 'cause you can sac interminably at no cost. At the very least, consider High Market and Miren, the Moaning Well in your lands.
I understand the appeal of Instant-speed Threaten effects, but I'm not convinced the blocking trick is better than Sorc-speed mass-Threatens like Mass Mutiny and Insurrection, or the steal-anything goodness of Zealous Conscripts. Stealing Planeswalkers is both good and satisfying.
Thanks for making such well reasoned suggestions! Here are my non-definitive thoughts on these topics.
I've found from playing this deck that Fumiko doesn't become much of a target until you start making the one-sided nature of her ability very obvious to the rest of the table. Its a fine line to traverse in a multiplayer game. I've tried playing Crawlspace before, but it always shifted a target onto me because its a bit too much of a pillow fort. As everyone's life is dropping and you're staying much higher, ppl tend to want to stop attacking all together and protect themselves from losing (re: Fumiko gets hated off the table). Granted with Crawlspace I could let some damage through the valve, but generally if I can only be attacked with two creatures, they'll be the kind I don't want to be hit by anyways (I'm looking at you, Skittles!).
I used to play Tide of War back when this was still a Kazuul, Tyrant of Cliffs helmed deck and it is a lot of fun. With the creature set I have now, my few strong defenders are precious and my token generators are rather unreliable to use as 50/50 deathtouchers. Was definitely better when I had a lot of goblin fodder laying around.
I really like the Sword of the Paruns suggestion. Its normally a card I wouldn't play because it implies I might have some degenerate combo about to come online, but this being a red deck I don't think that will be a viable interpretation. Zealous Conscripts on the other hand announces to the table I'm about to Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker for the win so you better kill me now.
My one sac outlet for mutinies is Helm of Possession at the moment. I like the land options but am currently running a pretty high number that don't tap for red so they'd require cuts. In the course of a game I'm not really threatening very much, maybe once or twice as a trick and again when nearing victory so any sac outlet would need to serve a strong function without fodder. The only other cards that have been on my radar are the drawers (Canage Altar and Phyrexian Vault) and Trading Post. Again, my token generators aren't so strong that they can power these things for repeated value.
That leaves us with Insurrection. Whether or not this gets included in any deck playing red, I feel, is simply a matter of what kind of game you want to play. Its definitely in some of my decks, but has never been in my Fumiko build. I think its a great win condition for a heavy control deck that rewards you for keeping the ever increasing masses at bay all game. Like when you stabilize at 1 and everyone else is still close to 40 and you get rewarded for your stabilization with this blowout win. This deck though is a grinder, so it feels less splashy and more of a win-more.
So much fun getting to talk about the deck like this after having worked on it by myself for so long. Already this process is helping me to understand it even better. Thanks everyone!
Woo hoo -- its update time! Unfortunately, the new set is anti- mono colored and anti- artifact. If fact, this is one of my least liked sets in a really, really long time. Seems slapdash just like the last Commander product was. Due to how the sets interacted, this probably needed to be a four set block just to flush out the whole story. Seems the only reason to go back to Ravnica was to visit the scenery.
Maybe Taurean Mauler can fit into this? It offers 2 advantages here: your opponent's will be hesitant to cast spells, and you will keep casting your own to make a beefier blocker if they do attack you.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"I don't do tactics, I don't do guard duty. I do damage, take it or leave it".
angel's trumpet? I have a really nice fumiko deck on cockatrice I've been playing a while I'll look at it for tips for you
My goal with this deck is to make sure everyone is tapping down their defenses every turn and the global vigilance granted by Angel's Trumpet is actually a counter to my game plan like that pesky Fatespinner. *shakes fist in air at both*
Interested in all tech though that others are running in their Fumiko builds. I know not everyone approaches the card from the same underlying philosophy as myself and there's always knowledge to be gained from any suggestion regardless.
Maybe Taurean Mauler can fit into this? It offers 2 advantages here: your opponent's will be hesitant to cast spells, and you will keep casting your own to make a beefier blocker if they do attack you.
Another card like this that immediately comes to mind is Hamletback Goliath. Playtesting of Malignus and Mana-Charged Dragon is going well since sometimes one big beat is all that's needed to get through. The dragon's trample is what is causing it to lead the pack thus far. Tauren Mauler can def get up there too and sits low enough on the curve to make an impact without haste/trample/evasion. I'll keep an eye on it.
Huge update to the decklist as can be seen in the change log. After months of no big deck changing additions, I instead experimented with a bunch of different cards and strategies and of course most recently the cards from Theros. In a world with gods, their weapons and emissaries, the only cards from Theros that ended up making the decklist are the much more powerful Akroan Horse, Burnished Hart and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
I really wanted Purphoros, God of the Forge to stick in this list, but instead I ended up with a deck that was better with it at the helm which I'm looking forward to build as some hybrid of a Norin, Diaochon, Kiki-Jiki, Heartless Hidetsugu, and Krenko list where Purphoros truly is the god of mono-red EDH.
Back to Fumiko, who no god is immune from, other noticeable changes are the return of a lot of high casting cost threats and mana doublers that used to be in the deck. The artifact lands got pulled in favor of Vesuva and Thespian's Stage to pile on as extra Valakuts.
The last big change was putting in more card draw in the form of Mask of Memory, Sword of Fire and Ice, Mind's Eye (I generally only play this in decks with mana doublers), and Memory Jar. Cards getting the ax were all the big dumb beaters that didn't do much more than that and situational cards that tended to sit in hand. Now the playstyle is very much more focused on dumping the whole hand then wheeling. Because of such, I've had some success with Dangerous Wager, but that card is still in the testing zone.
Have had a lot of fun getting the deck to this point as there were a lot of obvious cards that were missing from this deck based on its desire to exploit its specific game state and I'm sure there are more out there that I am still missing so keep those suggestions coming as the deck is far from perfect. With the now lower creature count, Insurrection is probably the correct choice over Savage Beating, but I look forward to finding more critters for the deck to help win future wars.
Really enjoying the spoiled cards for Born of the Gods; already a number of cards that are challenging for spots in various of my EDH decks. As for this Fumiko build, so far Forgestoker Dragon is an auto-include. The inspired creatures will def have to be playtested with. Also, I could see a place for Fated Conflagration particularly because of the, scry.
Huge update to the the main post. Primer now two-thirds of the way written and surprise-surprise just in doing so I found a couple other cards that I had dismissed years ago that feel like might do nicely now that the deck is more focused. Yeah, I'm looking at you Convulsing Licid and Frenzied Goblin.
Invasion Plans is insanely good with Fumiko (and in general). Once you have a slightly advantageous board state the card pretty much says "Murder every creature your opponent tries to play for the rest of the game", which is probably better than making them enter play tapped.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Evil is even, truth is an odd number, and death is a full stop.
Invasion Plans is insanely good with Fumiko (and in general). Once you have a slightly advantageous board state the card pretty much says "Murder every creature your opponent tries to play for the rest of the game", which is probably better than making them enter play tapped.
Such an interesting card, made even more so by the fact I don't even remember ever seeing this card before even though I opened a lot of Stronghold back in the day. I'm a big fan of the murderous intent that you reference, but think the card is better suited for the more aggro build of Fumiko with hasty beats. Its not easy to sustain a forward position in EDH. Set back by wise spot removal or even a sweeper, I could see myself in the opposite, unrecoverable position if Invasion Plans had been in play. This isn't one-sided like an Odric, Master Tactician; I just don't feel comfortable letting a card of mine give an opponent so much power. A big advantage of my current build is the ability to retain blockers as needed. This card shuts that down.
Especially Cadets and War-riders? They look like fun when Crawlspace is around, but what about the rest of the time?
I absolutely love this package of creatures and the affect they can have on a game. They clutter up the board and head space of opposing players, increase Fumiko's Bushido, are very unassuming political tools, and force creature-lite decks to draw blood. Sometimes they get taken advantage of via a sac engine or some other shenanigans, but usually they just become mercenaries that my opponents throw at each other in vengeful counterattacks. Every time I've taken them out of the deck I've regretted it and they quickly find their way back into the 99. Crawlspace is good as you note, but there is also Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs punishing the creature volume and Slumbering Dragon wanting to wake up quickly. Because this is Fumiko, I have a wall of blockers available while others have none so usually I lose by some other method than my opponent just being able to go wide. There just isn't as much value to be had in attacking me with weenies when there are other players who are more exposed.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Introduction
Welcome to the world according to Fumiko the Lowblood -- I hope you like turning your creatures sideways. Truth be told, who doesn’t? The vast majority of Commander decks win via combat damage so why don’t we cut through all the [politics] and just get after it? Unlike the few other commanders who fundamentally alter the rules of play on a global or near-global level, Fumiko actually encourages the means that will lead to a hasty resolution of the standoff at hand rather than dragging it out with a lame prison or taxing ability.
“Near-global,” you ask? Even though it is common for opponents to forget this fact while wrapped in the warmth of bloodlust and vengeful counter attacks, it is important to remember that Fumiko’s controller is the only player that does not have to send all available creatures into the red zone each turn. This doesn’t mean that a player piloting Fumiko won’t be swinging as frequently as Austin Powers, just that she/he/? has options -- something not always available to mono-red decks in this format.
The general consensus concerning Fumiko as a card, from talking to other players or watching her implementation in other Commander builds (either as the commander or more likely as one of the crazy 99) is that the resulting grand melee when she is on the battlefield speeds up games and aids in creating general chaos. This build, however, focuses on that design space which materializes with the realization that if all of an opponent’s creatures that can attack have done so, then the scope of said player’s remaining defense should be predictable. Specifically, it will be limited to those creatures with summoning sickness, hasty creatures cast post-combat (value!), have vigilance or defender, and/or are dormant (i.e. manlands).
Why Fumiko? Fumiko offers a promise to change the fundamental nature of the game opponents were expecting to play; being prepared for this particular gamestate allows Fumiko to start the game ahead of the curve. The more optimized a Fumiko deck becomes, the more its pilot is taking advantage of that initial advanced position and trying to push it further. Even though the deck is attack-centric, it isn't an aggro deck. Given that the Fumiko player is the only one that can reliably leave up blockers, the line between being the beatdown or control deck tends to posit Fumiko closer to control, but control informed by beatdown as I'll soon share with you. One of the biggest reasons I love building a Fumiko deck (as opposed to playing) is that the design space it generates allows for sub-par cards to shine and thus requires digging through Gatherer time and again with slightly different queues in order to find all of the differently templated cards that create the similar results.
Fumiko offers exactly what I want from my EDH commander, but if there are reasons not to play her they reside in the very same manipulation of the game I'll be mentioning ad nauseum. I would recommend staying away from Fumiko if you prefer to play the "best" cards in your color(s). Fumiko's text box pretty much reads: "New cards, which you may be unfamiliar with, are now the best cards, while everyone else using the generally accepted bests are now handicapped by them." As a result of executing my gameplan, some opponents will rise to the challenge of having to attack by sending everything they got at me, every single turn, to try and reset the game back to a normal state. For this reason I would stray away from Fumiko if you don't like being the center of attention, if you prefer playing in the background. Or, I suppose, if you don't like attacking.
One of my earliest Commander builds was a mono-red deck helmed by Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs, which tried to do too many things (as is the tendancy of most deckbuilders when they dive into this format for the first time). That all changed with the release of Scars of Mirrodin back in 2010. I was playing Kazuul with a package of cards that required all of my opponents to attack as I was hoping to pillow fort until the carnage was over and arise victorious from the ashes of my opponents’ efforts. The game plan was going sort of okay until I watched a single, newly-released card (played by someone else at the table) take over the game. A Steel Hellkite had taken to the skies and was destroying everything in sight. I was blinded by the power, and thinking it was intrinsic, tossed a copy into each of my decks only to face disappointment. The only time it was shining was in my mono-red deck, and that is when I leveled up. Fumiko became the new commander, and with the Hellkite by our side we went to Gatherer on a recruiting mission. The deck wasn't optimized overnight, and you can see from the Change Log that it took me a long time to remove the Kazuul mindstate from my deck, but finally I thought the deck was getting somewhere honest and decided it was time to share the deck on MTGSalvation in early 2013.
Filling the Design Space
As mentioned in the introduction, the strategy for both building around Fumiko and playing her to victory is accessed through acknowledging and exploiting the predictable gamestate that she manifests. The best way to capitalize on this is to focus on leveraging creatures that excel in a blocker deficient environment. The easiest way to find these is to search for the creatures with abilities that trigger upon dealing combat damage. Resulting candidates for inclusion serve tend to assume specific roles. In the removal department we find not only Steel Hellkite but as well Akki Underminer, Balefire Dragon, Cunning Giant, Dwarven Vigilantes, Goblin Vandal, Hellkite Tyrant, Orcish Squatters, Mordant Dragon, Rustmouth Ogre, Skirk Commando, Snapping Thragg, and Spark Mage. There is card draw in Academy Raider and Dragon Mage. There are low investment creatures that turn into massive beatsticks such as Arcbound Slith, Bloodcrazed Neonate, Erdwal Ripper, Falkenrath Exterminator, Falkenrath Marauders, Havengul Vampire, Heirs of Stromkirk, Markov Blademaster, Rakish Heir, Slith Firewalker, and Stromkirk Noble. And there is even ramp slash token generation with Rapacious One. Non-creature, non-aura cards to keep an eye on that do these same things are Banshee's Blade, Five-Alarm Fire, Hammer of Ruin, Mask of Memory, Swords of "Oh" and "My," Thunderblade Charge, Umezawa's Jitte, and Worldslayer. Already we have a sizable list of cards to work with, most of which you won't find in other Commander decks because they can't draw from them the same value that Fumiko can. Another way to look at their value is to imagine that the creatures are coming into play with a cipher ability already encoded meaning that by using these creatures we're saving a card and its additional mana cost just by playing what's optimal. I’m self deluding like that.
Now obviously the cards in the preceding paragraph vary in quality and impact on the game, but just from those options I can see three different builds arising as options. The first looks to the removal package and plays pure control. The second leans on the cheap beatstick vampiric creatures and is more aggressive while losing out on a lot of the versatility inherent in the first. Thirdly, is a deck that values big beaters that also impact the game with their built in removal to regain a dominating position or even just to close things out whereas the more aggressive, smaller build might run into a wall or have to overextend. I have played all three ways, and it is fun when your play group starts thinking you're playing a 200-card deck based on all the different looks you've given them in the past, but ultimately, it is the third strategy which has been most sustainable and which continues to have new cards printed for consideration.
The next step when building the Fumiko deck is addressing the outs she allows your opponents in terms of blockers which mentioned in the introduction were "those creatures with summoning sickness, hasty creatures cast post-combat (value!), have vigilance or defender, and/or are dormant (i.e. manlands)." Is it okay to quote one's self?
To address the issue of creatures with summoning sickness, the options are either to enable them with haste or disable them through removal or a tap effect. The best red card (re: only) to give everyone haste is Mass Hysteria. That effect is only relevant for creatures that ETB during the first main phase though, so in order to shut down proper play I compiled all of the tappers which are Orb of Dreams, Uphill Battle, and Urabrask the Hidden. The final card worth mentioning here is the does-both-but-neither-well enchantment Ashling's Prerogative. Urabrask makes for an interesting mono-red commander on its own, but I feel that the gamestate Urbrask hopes to generate is more efficiently realized by Fumiko. Of the cards listed in this paragraph, I opt for the ones that don't hurt my own options and that address the post-combat phase.
Since there are few of those effects currently printed in the game and accessible in my color identity, it is safe to assume that sometimes opponents are going to have some number of blockers while Fumiko is active, but more likely than not there will only be the freshly generated, walls, or those with vigilance unless they have one of the following permanents in play: Angel's Trumpet, Fatespinner, Murkfiend Liege, Prophet of Kruphix, Quest for Renewal, Seedborn Muse, or Unwinding Clock(?). There are other ways, usually involving repeatedly blinking or bouncing and recasting that will accomplish the same thing for an opponent, but these are the most notorious permanents for single-handedly making me lose my initial Fumiko advantage. Luckily, they are all creatures and artifacts which mono-red has no problem dealing with as opposed to being a pesky enchantment. All in all, I feel my Achilles isn't overly exposed.
As for vigilance and defender, they usually appear only as a bonus on a card rather than for their own sake. Maybe its just my meta, but I don't see any vigilance-themed EDH decks running around. So, like the handful of cards in the previous paragraph, pesky creatures can be dealt with on a one-for-one basis when they arise either with direct damage or some combination of these instant speed, non-damage dealing creature removal spells: Chaos Warp, Blood Frenzy, Chaos Charm, Cinder Cloud, and Fissure. Sorcery speed opens up more options, but on my own turn I will opt to use something with a more sweeping effect than a one-for-one. Even better still are sweepers at instant speed: Comet Storm, Fault Line, Firestorm, Inferno, Lava Storm, Lavaball Trap, Magmaquake, Scorching Winds, Seismic Shudder, Starstorm, Street Spasm, Sulfurous Blast, and Volcanic Fallout.
Generally speaking, if an opponent does have something to declare during the declare blockers step it usually only involves one creature (emphasis on usually). That opens another route for attacking their defense by requiring moar. Caterwauling Boggart, Firefist Striker, and Goblin War Drums are the current options here. Of course, there are also those spells that simply state, “that or those can't block.” As one shot effects they are justifiable in the aggressive Fumiko build, but for the big slow version of the deck permanent, repeatable effects are valued: Bola Warrior, Chandra, Pyromaster, Convulsing Licid, Forgestoker Dragon, Frenzied Goblin, Goblin Battle Jester, Goblin Rimerunner, Grotag Thrasher, Hostile Realm, Intimidator Initiate, Kami of Fire's Roar, and Krark-Clan Ogre.
Another way of removing the one blocker is to borrow it with a Threaten effect though with these I as well value instant speed for versatility as a possible Disharmony: Act of Aggression, Act of Treason, Aladdin, Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate, Blind with Anger, Grab the Reins, Helm of Possession, Temporary Insanity, and Word of Seizing are the options. Again, if you go sorcery-speed with an ability, then make it worth your while. In this case, use Insurrection, Molten Primordial, or even Mass Mutiny. If you're building the more aggressive Fumiko deck with all of the creatures that gain +1/+1 counters, threatening is given high priority and I'll play many of them and bring in damage doublers too. If going with the bigger creatures, I have found that it is okay to run fewer or even none of these cards in the final 100.
The final creature type that can be used as a blocker are the ones that lay dormant as a non-creature permanent that have an activated ability that turns them on at will (re: manlands). Red has access to all sorts of land destruction, but since this is a mono-colored deck I can get away with some lands that produce colorless so why waste a spell slot when there are Dust Bowl, Encroaching Wastes, Ghost Quarter, Strip Mine, Tectonic Edge, and Wasteland available? As for dormant artifact creatures, if red does anything well it is the smashing of brown things.
The Girl on Fire
(this section on piloting the deck is under construction)
23 January 2015: Fate Reforged Released.
+ Goblin Heelcutter
+ Crawlspace, Goblin Cadets, Trading Post, Varchild's War-Riders, Winding Canyons, [CARD]Zealous
Conscripts[/CARD]
- Basilisk Collar, Extraplanar Lens, Fated Conflagration, Firefist Striker, Karn, Silver Golem,
Snow-Covered Mountain, Whims of the Fates
26 September 2014: Khans of Tarkir Released.
+ Burn Away, Tormenting Voice
- Mask of Memory, Daretti, Scrap Savant
[INDENT]Hooray for incidental GY interaction!
7 November 2014: Commander 2014 Released.
+ Daretti, Scrap Savant, Feldon of the Third Path, Tyrant's Familiar
+ All Is Dust, Dragonmaster Outcast, Duplicant, Firefist Striker, Frenzied Goblin, [CARD]Inferno
Titan[/CARD], Karn, Silver Golem, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Pyreheart Wolf, Slumbering Dragon, [CARD]Snow-Covered
Mountain[/CARD], Sword of Light and Shadow
- Bludgeon Brawl, Crawlspace, Forbidden Orchard, Goblin War Drums, Goblin Welder, [CARD]Into the Core
[/CARD], Liquimetal Coating, Mycosynth Lattice, Rack and Ruin, Shattering Pulse, Shattering Spree,
Spine of Ish Sah, Trading Post, Uphill Battle, Vandalblast
[INDENT]With the printing of Scrap Mastery and my gameplan of turning things into artifacts in order to destroy them not being so tricky anymore, I
decided to remove the whole package to be less...threatening? obvious? boring? I liked the ability of Felhide Spiritbinder but Kiki-Jiki is just better.
Lowered my mana-curve, added moar creatures, and made the deck fun again.[/INDENT]
6 June 2014: Conspiracy Released.
+ Scourge of the Throne
- Balefire Dragon
2 May 2014: Journey into Nyx Released.
+ Prophetic Flamespeaker
- Burnished Hart
7 February 2014: Born of the Gods Released.
+ Archetype of Aggression, Fated Conflagration, Felhide Spiritbinder, Forgestoker Dragon, [CARD]Whims of the Fates
[/CARD]
- Goblin Cadets, Helm of Possession, Savage Beating, Two-Headed Dragon, Varchild's War-Riders
1 November 2014: Commander 2013
[INDENT](no changes)[/INDENT]
27 September 2013: Theros Released.
+ Akroan Horse, Burnished Hart, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
+ Caged Sun, Crawlspace, Extraplanar Lens, Mask of Memory, Memory Jar, Mind's Eye,
Mycosynth Lattice, Sword of Fire and Ice, Trading Post, Comet Storm, Into the Core, [CARD]Savage
Beating[/CARD], Karn Liberated, Bludgeon Brawl, Stranglehold, Vesuva, Thespian's Stage,
Flameblast Dragon, Goblin Welder, Molten Primordial, Rustmouth Ogre
- AEther Membrane, Dragonmaster Outcast, Erdwal Ripper, Falkenrath Marauders, Inferno Titan,
Slith Firewalker, Two-Headed Giant of Foriys, Darksteel Citadel, Great Furnace, Winding Canyons,
Five-Alarm Fire, Goblin Assault, Act of Aggression, Blind with Anger, Disharmony, Fork,
Grab the Reins, Reverberate, Temporary Insanity, Aftershock, Jeweled Amulet, Mimic Vat,
Sensei's Divining Top, Shrine of Burning Rage
[INDENT]Been playing a lot with this deck over the last 6 months which involved trying out a lot of new cards and combinations thereof so that's why there were so many
changes irregardless of new set additions. Tried out the new god/hammer/emissary but ultimately none of those stuck. I assume that some of these cut cards will make
their way back in eventually.[/INDENT]
19 July 2013: M14 Released.
+ Chandra, Pyromaster
- Mass Hysteria
[INDENT]Was the pyromaster designed specifically for this deck? First ability removes the standard, one blocker and the second ability helps dig for the right card. A
better fit than the long tenured haste enabler.[/INDENT]
3 May 2013: Dragon's Maze Released.
[INDENT](no changes)[/INDENT]
1 February 2013: Gatecrash Released.
+ Darksteel Citadel, Five-Alarm Fire, Great Furnace, Hellkite Tyrant
- Extraplanar Lens, Raging River, 2x Snow-Covered Mountain
[INDENT]Sad to see River go, but the deck mounts a much more flying based attack these days while the ground units stay home. Also, many of my more mana hungry spells
are no longer in the deck so the Lens isn’t as useful as it once was. Artifact lands are there to help me be sneaky in my attempt to auto-win with the Tyrant.[/INDENT]
5 October 2012: Return to Ravnica Released.
+ Vandalblast
- Moonveil Dragon
[INDENT]The dragon is good, but isn’t the insult-to-injury type of creature I want to be running. The blast is in because one-sided sweepers are good.[/INDENT]
13 July 2012: M13 Released.
+ Wild Guess
- Faithless Looting
[INDENT]Faithless just isn’t as fun in a non-reanimator deck, served diligently since being released but I feel that Guessing is better in this build.[/INDENT]
1 June 2012: Planechase 2012 Released.
[INDENT](no changes)[/INDENT]
4 May 2012: Avacyn Restored Released.
+ Reforge the Soul
- Vanguard’s Shield
[INDENT]Moar draw, less pillow fort[/INDENT]
26 February 2013: Thread posted on MTGSalvation.
[INDENT]I have been playing a mono-red EDH/Commander deck for quite some time, and it has taken on many forms over the years according to available cards and the
promoting/demoting of generals/commanders/strategies to reach this point. I originally worked on this deck online elsewhere, but after having lived with the deck for
so long I realized I had actual words worth sharing so I decided to add my two cents on the deck in these hallowed halls. Thus is the natural progression of decks that
aspire to greatness.[/INDENT]
3 February 2012: Dark Ascension Released.
+ Erdwal Ripper, Faithless Looting, Falkenrath Marauders, Haunted Fengraf, Moonveil Dragon,
Slith Firewalker, Vanguard’s Shield
- Echo Circlet, Goblin Ruinblaster, Hoarding Dragon, Lord of Shatterskull Pass, Mind’s Eye,
Snow-Covered Mountain, Starstorm
[INDENT]Shifting in all of the creatures that get a counter for landing punches now that there is a concentration of them. Faithless is a much needed draw spell and
everything else is just upgrades.[/INDENT]
30 September 2011: Innistrad Released.
+ Balefire Dragon, Charmbreaker Devils
- Chandra, the Firebrand, Karn Liberated
[INDENT]Moar creatures, less stuff sitting in my hand.[/INDENT]
15 July 2011: M12 Released.
+ Buried Ruin, Chandra, the Firebrand
- Reiterate, Snow-Covered Mountain
[INDENT]Upgrades. Nice piece to go along with Haunted Fengraf and Petrified Field.[/INDENT]
17 June 2011: Commander Released.
+ Chaos Warp
- Nevinyrral’s Disk
[INDENT]Good-bye sweeper, hello spot removal.[/INDENT]
13 May 2011: New Phyrexia Released.
+ Act of Aggression, Karn Liberated, Shrine of Burning Rage, Urabrask the Hidden
- All is Dust, Comet Storm, Oblivion Stone, Word of Seizing
[INDENT]New toys! Out with the old, in with the new. Long live the new toys.[/INDENT]
4 February 2011: Mirrodin Besieged Released.
+ Spine of Ish Sah
- Avalanche Riders
[INDENT]Now I can blow up anything, repeatedly![/INDENT]
1 October 2010: Scars of Mirrodin Released.
+ Echo Circlet, Koth of the Hammer, Liquimetal Coating, Mimic Vat, Steel Hellkite, [CARD]Wurmcoil
Engine[/CARD]
[INDENT]So many fun new toys for mono-red in this set. Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs is thusly demoted from his position as general and is replaced with
Fumiko the Lowblood. Many changes were made to suit the new general’s finer taste in office decor.[/INDENT]
Crawlspace: Hallucigenia
1x Fumiko the Lowblood
Creatures (31)
1x Akroan Horse
1x Archetype of Agression
1x Capricious Efreet
1x Charmbreaker Devils
1x Dragonmaster Outcast
1x Duplicant
1x Feldon of the Third Path
1x Flameblast Dragon
1x Forgestoker Dragon
1x Frenzied Goblin
1x Goblin Cadets
1x Goblin Heelcutter
1x Hellkite Tyrant
1x Hunted Dragon
1x Inferno Titan
1x Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
1x Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1x Molten Primordial
1x Mordant Dragon
1x Prophetic Flamespeaker
1x Pyreheart Wolf
1x Rustmouth Ogre
1x Scourge of the Throne
1x Slumbering Dragon
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Steel Hellkite
1x Tyrant's Familiar
1x Urabrask the Hidden
1x Varchild's War-Riders
1x Wurmcoil Engine
1x Zealous Conscripts
1x Chandra Ablaze
1x Chandra, Pyromaster
1x Karn Liberated
1x Koth of the Hammer
Enchantments (1)
1x Stranglehold
Instants (5)
1x Burn Away
1x Chaos Warp
1x Cinder Cloud
1x Comet Storm
1x Fissure
Sorceries (6)
1x All Is Dust
1x Mogg Infestation
1x Reforge the Soul
1x Tormenting Voice
1x Wheel of Fortune
1x Wild Guess
Artifacts (14)
1x Armillary Sphere
1x Caged Sun
1x Coldsteel Heart
1x Crawlspace
1x Crucible of Worlds
1x Expedition Map
1x Fellwar Stone
1x Memory Jar
1x Mind Stone
1x Mind's Eye
1x Sol Ring
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Sword of Light and Shadow
1x Trading Post
1x Arid Mesa
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Buried Ruin
1x Haunted Fengraf
1x Kher Keep
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Petrified Field
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Scrying Sheets
1x Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
20x Snow-Covered Mountain
1x Strip Mine
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Thespian's Stage
1x Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1x Vesuva
1x Wasteland
1x Winding Canyons
1x Wooded Foothills
Tokens
1x Dragonmaster Outcast
1x Kher Keep
1x Trading Post
Bushido Enablers
1x Akroan Horse
1x Goblin Cadets
1x Varchild's War-Riders
Block Prevention
1x Chandra, Pyromaster
1x Frenzied Goblin
1x Forgestoker Dragon
1x Goblin Heelcutter
1x Molten Primordial
1x Pyreheart Wolf
1x Zealous Conscripts
Defense
1x Archetype of Aggression
1x Crawlspace
1x Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
1x Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1x Slumbering Dragon
1x Urabrask the Hidden
1x Wurmcoil Engine
Recursion/Repeat Value
1x Buried Ruin
1x Charmbreaker Devils
1x Crucible of Worlds
1x Feldon of the Third Value
1x Haunted Fengraf
1x Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1x Petrified Field
1x Scourge of the Throne
1x Sword of Light and Shadow
1x Chandra Ablaze
1x Memory Jar
1x Mind's Eye
1x Prophetic Flamespeaker
1x Reforge the Soul
1x Scrying Sheets
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Tormenting Voice
1x Wheel of Fortune
1x Wild Guess
Land Destruction
1x Strip Mine
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Wasteland
Removal
1x All Is Dust
1x Burn Away
1x Capricious Efreet
1x Chaos Warp
1x Cinder Cloud
1x Comet Storm
1x Duplicant
1x Fissure
1x Flameblast Dragon
1x Hellkite Tyrant
1x Inferno Titan
1x Karn Liberated
1x Mogg Infestation
1x Mordant Dragon
1x Rustmouth Ogre
1x Steel Hellkite
1x Tyrant's Familiar
1x Arid Mesa
1x Armillary Sphere
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Expedition Map
1x Koth of the Hammer
1x Scalding Tarn
20x Snow-Covered Mountain
1x Thespian's Stage
1x Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1x Vesuva
1x Wooded Foothills
Ramp
1x Caged Sun
1x Coldsteel Heart
1x Fellwar Stone
1x Mind Stone
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Sol Ring
1x Solemn Simulacrum
Crawlspace means Fumiko just turns your opponents on each other.
Tide of War makes your weenies even better blockers... 50% chance of killing their fatties. Even kills Trample, if I understand correctly.
Sword of the Paruns is not only nice with token armies, it's 3 mana Vigilance for Fumiko.
If you're running Threaten effects, why not some sacrifice mechanisms, especially to go with your tokens? Ashnod's Altar and Phyrexian Altar are nice 'cause you can sac interminably at no cost. At the very least, consider High Market and Miren, the Moaning Well in your lands.
I understand the appeal of Instant-speed Threaten effects, but I'm not convinced the blocking trick is better than Sorc-speed mass-Threatens like Mass Mutiny and Insurrection, or the steal-anything goodness of Zealous Conscripts. Stealing Planeswalkers is both good and satisfying.
Playtesting | Karador, Ghost Chieftain | Narset, Enlightened Master | Ephara, God of the Polis
Established | Gahiji, Honored One | Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker | Opal-Eye, Konda's Yojimbo | Rubinia Soulsinger
Retired | Medomai the Ageless | Diaochan, Artful Beauty
unfortunatley
9/22/2011: The owner of a token is the player under whose control the token was put onto the battlefield.
My bad, no Homeward Path then
Thanks for the back pat! Kazuul, Tyrant of Cliffs was my general until after Scars of Mirrodin came out while Fumiko was just a nice piece in the deck. All it took was one game of having Fumiko the Lowblood and Steel Hellkite on the field at the same time for me to realize I needed to hand her the keys to the deck.
Thanks for making such well reasoned suggestions! Here are my non-definitive thoughts on these topics.
I've found from playing this deck that Fumiko doesn't become much of a target until you start making the one-sided nature of her ability very obvious to the rest of the table. Its a fine line to traverse in a multiplayer game. I've tried playing Crawlspace before, but it always shifted a target onto me because its a bit too much of a pillow fort. As everyone's life is dropping and you're staying much higher, ppl tend to want to stop attacking all together and protect themselves from losing (re: Fumiko gets hated off the table). Granted with Crawlspace I could let some damage through the valve, but generally if I can only be attacked with two creatures, they'll be the kind I don't want to be hit by anyways (I'm looking at you, Skittles!).
I used to play Tide of War back when this was still a Kazuul, Tyrant of Cliffs helmed deck and it is a lot of fun. With the creature set I have now, my few strong defenders are precious and my token generators are rather unreliable to use as 50/50 deathtouchers. Was definitely better when I had a lot of goblin fodder laying around.
I really like the Sword of the Paruns suggestion. Its normally a card I wouldn't play because it implies I might have some degenerate combo about to come online, but this being a red deck I don't think that will be a viable interpretation. Zealous Conscripts on the other hand announces to the table I'm about to Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker for the win so you better kill me now.
My one sac outlet for mutinies is Helm of Possession at the moment. I like the land options but am currently running a pretty high number that don't tap for red so they'd require cuts. In the course of a game I'm not really threatening very much, maybe once or twice as a trick and again when nearing victory so any sac outlet would need to serve a strong function without fodder. The only other cards that have been on my radar are the drawers (Canage Altar and Phyrexian Vault) and Trading Post. Again, my token generators aren't so strong that they can power these things for repeated value.
That leaves us with Insurrection. Whether or not this gets included in any deck playing red, I feel, is simply a matter of what kind of game you want to play. Its definitely in some of my decks, but has never been in my Fumiko build. I think its a great win condition for a heavy control deck that rewards you for keeping the ever increasing masses at bay all game. Like when you stabilize at 1 and everyone else is still close to 40 and you get rewarded for your stabilization with this blowout win. This deck though is a grinder, so it feels less splashy and more of a win-more.
So much fun getting to talk about the deck like this after having worked on it by myself for so long. Already this process is helping me to understand it even better. Thanks everyone!
Update, nonetheless. I'm still in the process of testing a few cards: Sword of the Paruns that was suggested here. Also, for some game winning swings I'm trying out Malignus, Mana-Charged Dragon, and Savage Beating.
Anyone else out there seen any cards begging to be in a Fumiko deck? Something I missed about Dragon's Maze?
Sig and Avatar Credit: Heroes of the Plane Studios
My goal with this deck is to make sure everyone is tapping down their defenses every turn and the global vigilance granted by Angel's Trumpet is actually a counter to my game plan like that pesky Fatespinner. *shakes fist in air at both*
Interested in all tech though that others are running in their Fumiko builds. I know not everyone approaches the card from the same underlying philosophy as myself and there's always knowledge to be gained from any suggestion regardless.
Another card like this that immediately comes to mind is Hamletback Goliath. Playtesting of Malignus and Mana-Charged Dragon is going well since sometimes one big beat is all that's needed to get through. The dragon's trample is what is causing it to lead the pack thus far. Tauren Mauler can def get up there too and sits low enough on the curve to make an impact without haste/trample/evasion. I'll keep an eye on it.
I really wanted Purphoros, God of the Forge to stick in this list, but instead I ended up with a deck that was better with it at the helm which I'm looking forward to build as some hybrid of a Norin, Diaochon, Kiki-Jiki, Heartless Hidetsugu, and Krenko list where Purphoros truly is the god of mono-red EDH.
Back to Fumiko, who no god is immune from, other noticeable changes are the return of a lot of high casting cost threats and mana doublers that used to be in the deck. The artifact lands got pulled in favor of Vesuva and Thespian's Stage to pile on as extra Valakuts.
Also, was the now obvious addition of Mycosynth Lattice which operates as a better Liquimetal Coating as well as makes cards like Bludgeon Brawl, Goblin Welder, and Trading Post more fun and others like Karn, Silver Golem (still being tested) and Vandalblast more evil.
The last big change was putting in more card draw in the form of Mask of Memory, Sword of Fire and Ice, Mind's Eye (I generally only play this in decks with mana doublers), and Memory Jar. Cards getting the ax were all the big dumb beaters that didn't do much more than that and situational cards that tended to sit in hand. Now the playstyle is very much more focused on dumping the whole hand then wheeling. Because of such, I've had some success with Dangerous Wager, but that card is still in the testing zone.
Have had a lot of fun getting the deck to this point as there were a lot of obvious cards that were missing from this deck based on its desire to exploit its specific game state and I'm sure there are more out there that I am still missing so keep those suggestions coming as the deck is far from perfect. With the now lower creature count, Insurrection is probably the correct choice over Savage Beating, but I look forward to finding more critters for the deck to help win future wars.
Such an interesting card, made even more so by the fact I don't even remember ever seeing this card before even though I opened a lot of Stronghold back in the day. I'm a big fan of the murderous intent that you reference, but think the card is better suited for the more aggro build of Fumiko with hasty beats. Its not easy to sustain a forward position in EDH. Set back by wise spot removal or even a sweeper, I could see myself in the opposite, unrecoverable position if Invasion Plans had been in play. This isn't one-sided like an Odric, Master Tactician; I just don't feel comfortable letting a card of mine give an opponent so much power. A big advantage of my current build is the ability to retain blockers as needed. This card shuts that down.
Goblin Cadets
Hunted Dragon
Akroan Horse
Varchild's War-riders
Especially Cadets and War-riders? They look like fun when Crawlspace is around, but what about the rest of the time?
I absolutely love this package of creatures and the affect they can have on a game. They clutter up the board and head space of opposing players, increase Fumiko's Bushido, are very unassuming political tools, and force creature-lite decks to draw blood. Sometimes they get taken advantage of via a sac engine or some other shenanigans, but usually they just become mercenaries that my opponents throw at each other in vengeful counterattacks. Every time I've taken them out of the deck I've regretted it and they quickly find their way back into the 99. Crawlspace is good as you note, but there is also Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs punishing the creature volume and Slumbering Dragon wanting to wake up quickly. Because this is Fumiko, I have a wall of blockers available while others have none so usually I lose by some other method than my opponent just being able to go wide. There just isn't as much value to be had in attacking me with weenies when there are other players who are more exposed.