I personally feel that valakut is the single most effective way to control or end the game. It has saved my ass more times than I would be physically able to count.
I'm pretty sure that you cannot Scapeshift into Valakut + Vesuva like that.
In Constructed, Valakut decks can do what you mentioned with omen because they just get 4 Valakuts. Vesuva will not see Valakut in play to copy it if it's coming in at the same time via Scapeshift.
Why does a Child of Alara deck need removal? Destroying Primsatic Omen in response to Valakut landfall triggers definitely makes it not as reliable as child itself.
I think I'm valuing valakut just fine. It's a win-con. Maybe you're not valuing KotR correctly since it's a tutor every turn. I'd have the tutor over the win-con any day. I mean, if you're playing living wish main deck and not KotR? The reason would have to be that you don't run many forest plains, but kotr seems like a worthwhile reason to build that way.
I'm pretty sure that you cannot Scapeshift into Valakut + Vesuva like that.
How embarrassing - I think you are right. I'll have to check the primer, make sure I haven't said anything foolish. I guess I've been overvaluing Valakut! It's pretty nuts when you (inadvertently) cheat.
I suppose the only way to make a super play like that is to have Valakut in play already before casting Scapeshift. This is more difficult of course, but ironically make Knight look a little better!
Why does a Child of Alara deck need removal? Destroying Primsatic Omen in response to Valakut landfall triggers definitely makes it not as reliable as child itself.
Because Child is more mana intensive and kills our own stuff. Valakut gives you solid removal as we go without having to do anything extra whatsoever. Child takes usually en entire turn and forces us to rebuild.
I don't think it's right to compare Valakut removal to Child board wipes because they serve different purposes. Valakut (sometimes) saves us from needing to use Child sometimes when we'd rather not.
I mean, if you're playing living wish main deck and not KotR? The reason would have to be that you don't run many forest plains, but kotr seems like a worthwhile reason to build that way.
I've outlined why I like my rainbow lands better (admittedly this is a style choice) in the primer. Personally I'm not going to base a decision for that many slots on a single card that we don't always see and is easily removed (or killed by "friendly fire").
The nice thing about Wish is it expands our deck. I could see running Knight main if it means a demotion instead of a cut. I'm going to add Wish to the primer soon!
I really wished my meta allowed wishes. They are super fun to play and build with.
Even though it seems like I'm not on the Valakut train, I do believe that it's much better than dark depths. And splendid reclamation is all I need to play Valakut because double-Scapeshift.
Diversifying win-cons is important because guild gates get exiled. by the way, have I ever mentioned my dislike for circu, dimir lobotomist?
They look cool, but I don't think I'll be playing with them myself. I'd rather just draw gas. Tireless Tracker is practically the same thing and The Gitrog Monster is practically giving each land you play cycling. I think if I added them, due to the density of lands in the deck, I'd end up just cycling them constantly, but if that's the case there are probably better draw spells. But Canyon Slough and Sheltered Thicket with replace Polluted Mire and Slippery Karst because of the basic land types for Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and they cost the same to cycle. The mono-costed cycling lands probably not. Just my opinion.
Ps. Round about way of saying they're probably worse than Shocks
They look cool, but I don't think I'll be playing with them myself. I'd rather just draw gas. Tireless Tracker is practically the same thing and The Gitrog Monster is practically giving each land you play cycling. I think if I added them, due to the density of lands in the deck, I'd end up just cycling them constantly, but if that's the case there are probably better draw spells. But Canyon Slough and Sheltered Thicket with replace Polluted Mire and Slippery Karst because of the basic land types for Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and they cost the same to cycle. The mono-costed cycling lands probably not. Just my opinion.
Ps. Round about way of saying they're probably worse than Shocks
At least you explained why they were better instead of just saying that they're not better.
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I'm only running 2 cycling lands, and I don't really need more colour fixing, so I don't much care for these. That said, I can no longer justify running Slippery Karst. I could replace it with a Horizon Canopy, but maybe I'll just add some other utility.
So...you are playing with them? Of course, I know they're not as good as all of the shocks. You know that I was talking only about the crappy ones like Godless Shrine, right?
I prefer Nissa, Vital Force over the new walker. +0 is the only thing I really like. Vital Force demands an answer right away or else we get a really awesome emblam.
I am interested in this:
Obviously it's garbage. Probably worse than Shivan Gorge. But if WotC are playing around with the Desert subtype (or any land type) there is potential. Last time WotC pushed a nonbasic land type we got Maze's End.
@plattbonnay - I haven't seen the gods yet, but I'll have a look...
Edit:
Apart from being indestructible, the Black god has zero synergy with our deck.
Blue god has a relevant ability that draws cards and saves lands. Too mana intensive for my liking though.
I do think that deserts could be cool. Wotc says that Hour of Devastation will have even more deserts so I hope they do something cool enough with the type that we can use the cards here. Colorless lands have to be pretty strong though and I don't think I have room for the 1 direct damage or the -1/-1 counter one in this deck though. It's great news for colorless decks though.
Hello!
I've been playing this deck recently and would like to share my decklist here.
My formating will take some work but this is the Child of Alara deck I've built. The mana base is not pretty or symmetrical but I've focused on green-producing lands so I've got all the green tri-lands and duals as well as a few other fetchable dual lands to make it workable and still not as expensive as 10 duals and 10 fetches. I really need to get an Azusa and will cut a creature for her when I can. Diamond Valley might be added someday and Tabernacle is probably great too but I'd spend that price for Power 9 before I'd spend it on a Tabernacle. It's a longshot.
I have been enjoying the deck and although there are combo finishes it's still pretty varied. So far I have managed to win with Valakut (with a Thespian's Stage copy although an opponent had Grip of Chaos in play I had SO many triggers it still killed both opponents), Maze's End, Titania + Zuran Orb beatdown, and Seismic Assault + Gitrog + Trade Routes nonsense. Marit Lage is another viable route but I haven't gotten there with it yet because in EDH the token is still being targeted by everyone even if it is indestructible. Exiling seems like it should be extra effective against this deck and I have no way (Riftsweeper & Pull from Eternity) of bringing exiled stuff back but those cards are on the bench in case they become worthwhile and there are a lot of avenues of attack so when a guildgate gets exiled it's often possible to switch goals and search for Dark Depths or something.
Prismatic Omen is so valuable as a combo kill with Valakut and this deck has the least interaction with enchantments. I've made the Volrath's Stronghold + Eternal Witness for Prismatic Omen play before so it's possible but the enchantments really feel important and they're too valuable for me to want to run a bunch of self-mill. We need a Volrath's Stronghold/Academy Ruins for enchantments
Prismatic Omen is so valuable as a combo kill with Valakut and this deck has the least interaction with enchantments. I've made the Volrath's Stronghold + Eternal Witness for Prismatic Omen play before so it's possible but the enchantments really feel important and they're too valuable for me to want to run a bunch of self-mill. We need a Volrath's Stronghold/Academy Ruins for enchantments
Shouldn't you take out your basics and replace them with cycling lands instead?
I would feel a whole lot better "if" that Volrath's Stronghold for enchantments ever gets printed. I'm not holding my breath though. It's too awesome to ever happen. Which I don't understand because Volrath's Stronghold and Academy Ruins would still be leagues better and they've already printed those.
However, I'd say that the enchantment I most hate seeing in the graveyard is Exploration.
Prismatic Omen is so valuable as a combo kill with Valakut and this deck has the least interaction with enchantments. I've made the Volrath's Stronghold + Eternal Witness for Prismatic Omen play before so it's possible but the enchantments really feel important and they're too valuable for me to want to run a bunch of self-mill. We need a Volrath's Stronghold/Academy Ruins for enchantments
Shouldn't you take out your basics and replace them with cycling lands instead?
I would feel a whole lot better "if" that Volrath's Stronghold for enchantments ever gets printed. I'm not holding my breath though. It's too awesome to ever happen. Which I don't understand because Volrath's Stronghold and Academy Ruins would still be leagues better and they've already printed those.
However, I'd say that the enchantment I most hate seeing in the graveyard is Exploration.
Yeah, did you ever run basics in the deck? I liked the symmetry of running them and thought it was a small hedge against nonbasic land hate but I haven't gotten much benefit from them. When Amonkhet comes out I may try replacing them with new fetchable cycling lands and some more green fetches.
Exploration is my bread and butter too. It might not always be the best play but when my opening hands have tutors I usually use them to get Exploration. It's a very simple and powerful effect for the land deck.
1.) I never ran basics because my motivation for building the deck was to run cool non-basic lands. And being symmetrical with 10 ABU duals and 10 Shocks AND 10 Guildgates cut into too much space to include them.
2.) I also don't believe that there are any amount of basics that can insulate us from Blood Moon, Magus of the Moon, Ruination, From the Ashes, Wave of Vitriol, and Back to Basics. Those cards are just crushing. If you play against those, your best to just race those players first. Either quick 20/20 or try to setup a Strip/Waste+Crucible lock on them.
3.) For budget builds or lands.dec that aren't 5-color, I think basics are good enough and you can still field a strong decklist with them.
Yeah, did you ever run basics in the deck? I liked the symmetry of running them and thought it was a small hedge against nonbasic land hate but I haven't gotten much benefit from them.
I run one of each still. I like that they give me Wayfarer's Bauble which is both (colourless) colour fixing as well as ramp. I also get snow mana - which gives me Mouth Of Ronom and allows me to run Into the North instead of Nature's Lore.
Maybe there's too much Legacy player in me when I think 5 basics will save me from a Blood Moon or Back to Basics. That said, having all 5 basics out following From the Ashes can get me a Child in play right away. If I also have Loam, Crucible, or some kind of card advantage going I could in theory recover quite nicely. If I know I'm going to facing non-basic hosers, maybe I can try to get my basics out pro-actively? honestly it hasn't come up for me very often.
Either way, Mouth of Ronom is alsomst enough reason to run snow-mana by itself; and I prefer basics to the CIPT snow duals. I think I'll be running my basics until we get snow-covered fetchables (yes please, WotC).
Your list looks great BTW, and welcome to the coolest deck ever! You might consider running Song Of The Dryads over Imprisoned in the Moon. The on-colour cost and wider range of targets should more than make up for the fact that they get a Forest.
Also, I hope you enjoy Island of Wak-Wak as much as I do!
What is everyone's go-to for answering indestructible nonsense? Currently I'm only playing 1 piece of removal; Anguished Unmaking, but its big brother Utter End and even Angelic Purge are looking like reasonable additions to deal with stuff like Ulamog.
In Constructed, Valakut decks can do what you mentioned with omen because they just get 4 Valakuts. Vesuva will not see Valakut in play to copy it if it's coming in at the same time via Scapeshift.
Why does a Child of Alara deck need removal? Destroying Primsatic Omen in response to Valakut landfall triggers definitely makes it not as reliable as child itself.
I think I'm valuing valakut just fine. It's a win-con. Maybe you're not valuing KotR correctly since it's a tutor every turn. I'd have the tutor over the win-con any day. I mean, if you're playing living wish main deck and not KotR? The reason would have to be that you don't run many forest plains, but kotr seems like a worthwhile reason to build that way.
How embarrassing - I think you are right. I'll have to check the primer, make sure I haven't said anything foolish. I guess I've been overvaluing Valakut! It's pretty nuts when you (inadvertently) cheat.
I suppose the only way to make a super play like that is to have Valakut in play already before casting Scapeshift. This is more difficult of course, but ironically make Knight look a little better!
Because Child is more mana intensive and kills our own stuff. Valakut gives you solid removal as we go without having to do anything extra whatsoever. Child takes usually en entire turn and forces us to rebuild.
I don't think it's right to compare Valakut removal to Child board wipes because they serve different purposes. Valakut (sometimes) saves us from needing to use Child sometimes when we'd rather not.
I've outlined why I like my rainbow lands better (admittedly this is a style choice) in the primer. Personally I'm not going to base a decision for that many slots on a single card that we don't always see and is easily removed (or killed by "friendly fire").
The nice thing about Wish is it expands our deck. I could see running Knight main if it means a demotion instead of a cut. I'm going to add Wish to the primer soon!
https://fieldmarshalshandbook.wordpress.com/
RUGLegacy Lands.dec
RUGBLegacy Lands.dec
RGLegacy Lands.dec
WUBRG EDH Lands.dec
UBR EDH Artificer Prodigy
B EDH Relentless Rats
Even though it seems like I'm not on the Valakut train, I do believe that it's much better than dark depths. And splendid reclamation is all I need to play Valakut because double-Scapeshift.
Diversifying win-cons is important because guild gates get exiled. by the way, have I ever mentioned my dislike for circu, dimir lobotomist?
I would never have thought that because the list you sent me has a Valakut in it! Have you since cut it?
https://fieldmarshalshandbook.wordpress.com/
RUGLegacy Lands.dec
RUGBLegacy Lands.dec
RGLegacy Lands.dec
WUBRG EDH Lands.dec
UBR EDH Artificer Prodigy
B EDH Relentless Rats
My "mini-primer" was right after Eldritch moon, so it had Valakut.
Not that difficult to deck yourself with Gitrog.
I bet. I get double the Gitrog!
I might be cutting extraneous shocks...but don't know how I feel about it. It's so aesthetically pleasing to run 10 abu and 10 shocks.
Ps. Round about way of saying they're probably worse than Shocks
At least you explained why they were better instead of just saying that they're not better.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
https://fieldmarshalshandbook.wordpress.com/
RUGLegacy Lands.dec
RUGBLegacy Lands.dec
RGLegacy Lands.dec
WUBRG EDH Lands.dec
UBR EDH Artificer Prodigy
B EDH Relentless Rats
WURG Thrasios, Triton Hero + Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
UBR Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
So...you are playing with them? Of course, I know they're not as good as all of the shocks. You know that I was talking only about the crappy ones like Godless Shrine, right?
Exciting, indeed! Always excited to have low-cost plays. Even the scry ability is exciting.
WURG Thrasios, Triton Hero + Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
UBR Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
I am interested in this:
Obviously it's garbage. Probably worse than Shivan Gorge. But if WotC are playing around with the Desert subtype (or any land type) there is potential. Last time WotC pushed a nonbasic land type we got Maze's End.
@plattbonnay - I haven't seen the gods yet, but I'll have a look...
Edit:
Apart from being indestructible, the Black god has zero synergy with our deck.
Blue god has a relevant ability that draws cards and saves lands. Too mana intensive for my liking though.
https://fieldmarshalshandbook.wordpress.com/
RUGLegacy Lands.dec
RUGBLegacy Lands.dec
RGLegacy Lands.dec
WUBRG EDH Lands.dec
UBR EDH Artificer Prodigy
B EDH Relentless Rats
Hello!
I've been playing this deck recently and would like to share my decklist here.
My formating will take some work but this is the Child of Alara deck I've built. The mana base is not pretty or symmetrical but I've focused on green-producing lands so I've got all the green tri-lands and duals as well as a few other fetchable dual lands to make it workable and still not as expensive as 10 duals and 10 fetches. I really need to get an Azusa and will cut a creature for her when I can. Diamond Valley might be added someday and Tabernacle is probably great too but I'd spend that price for Power 9 before I'd spend it on a Tabernacle. It's a longshot.
1 Child of Alara
Sorceries (14)
1 Explore
1 Genesis Wave
1 Bring to Light
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Tempt with Discovery
1 Life from the Loam
1 Scapeshift
1 Traverse the Ulvenwald
1 Animist's Awakening
1 Beseech the Queen
1 Splendid Reclamation
1 The Great Aurora
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Creeping Rensaissance
Instants (7)
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Entomb
1 Nature's Lore
1 Crop Rotation
1 Constant Mists
1 Realms Uncharted
1 Enlightened Tutor
Artifacts (5)
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Expedition Map
1 Amulet of Vigor
1 Zuran Orb
1 Ghirapur Orrery
Enchantments (8)
1 Seismic Assault
1 Burgeoning
1 Exploration
1 Prismatic Omen
1 Rites of Flourishing
1 Imprisoned in the Moon
1 Manabond
1 Trade Routes
1 Nissa, Vital Force
Creatures (8)
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Titania, protector of Argoth
1 Oraclue of Mul Daya
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Eternal Witness
1 The Gitrog Monster
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Sun Titan
Lands (56)
1 Maze of Ith
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1 Tolaria West
1 Dakmor Salvage
1 Vesuva
1 Riftstone Portal
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Glacial Chasm
1 Maze's End
1 High Market
1 Academy Ruins
1 Dark Depths
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Gruul Guildgate
1 Rakdos Guildgate
1 Azorius Guildgate
1 Selesnya Guildgate
1 Boros Guildgate
1 Izzet Guildgate
1 Simic Guildgate
1 Dimir Guildgate
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Marsh Flats
1 Arid Mesa
1 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Savannah
1 Taiga
1 Underground Sea
1 Steam Vents
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Cinder Glade
1 Canopy Vista
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Sandsteppe Citadel
1 Frontier Bivouac
1 Savage Lands
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Opulent Palace
1 Command Tower
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Game Trail
1 Fortified Village
I have been enjoying the deck and although there are combo finishes it's still pretty varied. So far I have managed to win with Valakut (with a Thespian's Stage copy although an opponent had Grip of Chaos in play I had SO many triggers it still killed both opponents), Maze's End, Titania + Zuran Orb beatdown, and Seismic Assault + Gitrog + Trade Routes nonsense. Marit Lage is another viable route but I haven't gotten there with it yet because in EDH the token is still being targeted by everyone even if it is indestructible. Exiling seems like it should be extra effective against this deck and I have no way (Riftsweeper & Pull from Eternity) of bringing exiled stuff back but those cards are on the bench in case they become worthwhile and there are a lot of avenues of attack so when a guildgate gets exiled it's often possible to switch goals and search for Dark Depths or something.
Prismatic Omen is so valuable as a combo kill with Valakut and this deck has the least interaction with enchantments. I've made the Volrath's Stronghold + Eternal Witness for Prismatic Omen play before so it's possible but the enchantments really feel important and they're too valuable for me to want to run a bunch of self-mill. We need a Volrath's Stronghold/Academy Ruins for enchantments
Shouldn't you take out your basics and replace them with cycling lands instead?
I would feel a whole lot better "if" that Volrath's Stronghold for enchantments ever gets printed. I'm not holding my breath though. It's too awesome to ever happen. Which I don't understand because Volrath's Stronghold and Academy Ruins would still be leagues better and they've already printed those.
However, I'd say that the enchantment I most hate seeing in the graveyard is Exploration.
Yeah, did you ever run basics in the deck? I liked the symmetry of running them and thought it was a small hedge against nonbasic land hate but I haven't gotten much benefit from them. When Amonkhet comes out I may try replacing them with new fetchable cycling lands and some more green fetches.
Exploration is my bread and butter too. It might not always be the best play but when my opening hands have tutors I usually use them to get Exploration. It's a very simple and powerful effect for the land deck.
2.) I also don't believe that there are any amount of basics that can insulate us from Blood Moon, Magus of the Moon, Ruination, From the Ashes, Wave of Vitriol, and Back to Basics. Those cards are just crushing. If you play against those, your best to just race those players first. Either quick 20/20 or try to setup a Strip/Waste+Crucible lock on them.
3.) For budget builds or lands.dec that aren't 5-color, I think basics are good enough and you can still field a strong decklist with them.
1st turn blind tutor is mostly for Exploration. Unless your hand works better with Life from the Loam instead, like with Entomb or Gamble.
I run one of each still. I like that they give me Wayfarer's Bauble which is both (colourless) colour fixing as well as ramp. I also get snow mana - which gives me Mouth Of Ronom and allows me to run Into the North instead of Nature's Lore.
Maybe there's too much Legacy player in me when I think 5 basics will save me from a Blood Moon or Back to Basics. That said, having all 5 basics out following From the Ashes can get me a Child in play right away. If I also have Loam, Crucible, or some kind of card advantage going I could in theory recover quite nicely. If I know I'm going to facing non-basic hosers, maybe I can try to get my basics out pro-actively? honestly it hasn't come up for me very often.
Either way, Mouth of Ronom is alsomst enough reason to run snow-mana by itself; and I prefer basics to the CIPT snow duals. I think I'll be running my basics until we get snow-covered fetchables (yes please, WotC).
Your list looks great BTW, and welcome to the coolest deck ever! You might consider running Song Of The Dryads over Imprisoned in the Moon. The on-colour cost and wider range of targets should more than make up for the fact that they get a Forest.
Also, I hope you enjoy Island of Wak-Wak as much as I do!
https://fieldmarshalshandbook.wordpress.com/
RUGLegacy Lands.dec
RUGBLegacy Lands.dec
RGLegacy Lands.dec
WUBRG EDH Lands.dec
UBR EDH Artificer Prodigy
B EDH Relentless Rats
WURG Thrasios, Triton Hero + Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
UBR Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
Other options for you are chaos warp. Path, swords.