MTG Salvation

This is a different kind of Sliver deck than you're used to seeing, as it isn't Aggro, and doesn't rely solely on combos to win. Instead, this is a pillowfort deck designed to get you to survive long enough in a multiplayer game so that you can kill all of the other players at once. A major theme is board-wipes, both caused by you, and survived by you.

I'd love some feedback about this deck design!

Note: This deck is hosted on TappedOut.net, and it may be quoted here.






Slivers have always drawn hate, why not just accept that there will be hate, and adapt?

In this deck, the slivers have been trimmed down to make room for stuff to make them wipe-resistant. While we're at it, there is also a number of land wipe cards added to knock out the competition while you're sitting pretty on your sliver version of a flock of birds-of-paradise.

This is designed as a multiplayer EDH deck, and I'll be putting it through the playtesting gauntlet to help adjust it over time. Some key differences of design over a 1-on-1 Slivers deck: first, this is not an aggro deck, nor is it designed to combo your friends into annoyed submission. In playstyle, this deck is a pillow-fort that hides a stax canon. When up and running, it can destroy or steal creatures, and can do point destruction on artifacts and enchantments. While the slivers themselves aren't immune to board-wipes, they are as resistant to it as possible, and this deck aims that any wipe that hits you should hit your opponents worse.

The main win condition besides simply beating people with an army of slivers is sac-ing your sliver tokens to trigger the pillow-fort's defenses, and deal loads of pain to your opponents (damage + sac-a-creature effects).

To make this a 1-on-1 deck, simply swap the relevant sideboard cards in: counterspells, tutors, damage enchantments, and whatever else seems appropriate. In such a case, the pillowfort becomes merely a way to delay your opponent while you get the upper hand.

Important Interactions

• Shroud and Hexproof sources: Crystaline Sliver, Privledged Position, Sterling Grove + Enchanted Evening, Leyline of Sanctity (just for you though).
• Anti-wipe sources: Boros Charm, Faith's Reward, Grave Pact, Martyr's Bond, Vicious Shadows, Eldrazi Monument, Lifeline + (Basal Sliver or any other sac outlet), Clot Sliver (regeneration), Frenetic Sliver, Pulmonic Sliver, Hibernation Sliver, Ward of Bones.
• Wipes: Armageddon, Decree of Annihilation, Jokulhaups, Enchanted Evening + Opalescence (no players can play lands unless they have a passive buff of some sort, which Hivestone + any buffing sliver nicely provide).
• Removal: Necrotic Sliver (permanents), Harmonic Sliver (Enchantments or Artifacts; Enchanted Evening + Opalescence makes it work on all permanents),
• Tutors: Sliver Overlord, Planar Portal, Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Sterling Grove (sac it), Abundance + Sylvan Library (more like card draw).
• Pillowfort: Grave Pact, Martyr's Bond, Vicious Shadows, Ward of Bones, Sphere of Safety, gobs of slivers as blockers.
• Sliver Tricks: Sliver Queen + Mana Echos, Sliver Queen + Intruder Alarm, Sliver Overlord + 3 mana to tutor Crystaline Sliver (shroud), Gemhide Sliver (mana), Dormant Sliver (card draw), Mesmeric Sliver (fateseal); make everything a sliver, Enchanted Evening + Opalescence + Hivestone.

How to win

• When you have Vicious Shadows, sac a bunch of slivers for damage.
• When you have just a bunch of slivers and no sac outlet, tutor for Shifting Sliver and/or Sliver Legion, and swing for the kill.
• When you have Intruder Alarm + Sliver Queen, you can use any number of combos for damage, but Screeching Sliver decks all opponents at once, if you like.

Inspirational Credit

http://www.mtgvault.com/sickbabyrocksdudeand/decks/sliver-edh/

http://www.mtgvault.com/hitek1208/decks/sliver/

Budget Version

For a cheaper version of this deck (since I only play it as a proxy deck):

Replace the dual-lands with basic lands

Replace the fancy Slivers with similar cheaper ones

You'll go a little slower, but its better to have a deck than nothing at all. There isnt' anything irreplacable in the deck besides the General and the Crystaline Sliver.


Changelog:

The more I watch other people play sliver decks the more I think their biggest mistake is including to many slivers. It seems like you are starting to come to the same conclusion but not fully committing.

I feel like 20 slivers at most is your optimal number (maybe even 12-15).

Figuring out which ones is easier then you think. Play your deck with no resistance 10 or so times. See which slivers are the first dozen or so you tutor for with the Overlord. Don't make your decisions based off not playing anyone, assume that you are but just getting lucky to not be disrupted. Tutor as if you expect disruption at any time.

Those are your core. The absolute musts. Then round it out and play around to find the total optimal number. Cutting it down to 20 or so total would open up a lot of space to run protection for your schemes. Adding space for more tutors (particularly enchantment and artifact tutors) seems like it would definitely increase your chances of pulling off the non-sliver schemes.

bigbearlyke:
I'll agree to your point, as I've been consistently cutting back the slivers since I started the deck. Now that I'm taking out the combat package, there are nine slivers I can replace with something else (though Mesmeric and Mnemonic Slivers are hard to part with). Any suggestions?

• 1x Bonescythe Sliver
  
• 1x Clot Sliver
  
• 1x Mesmeric Sliver
  
• 1x Mnemonic Sliver
  
• 1x Muscle Sliver
  
• 1x Sentinel Sliver
  
• 1x Syphon Sliver
  
• 1x Toxin Sliver
  
• 1x Two-Headed Sliver

Quote from sleepy

bigbearlyke:
I'll agree to your point, as I've been consistently cutting back the slivers since I started the deck. Now that I'm taking out the combat package, there are nine slivers I can replace with something else (though Mesmeric and Mnemonic Slivers are hard to part with). Any suggestions?

• 1x Bonescythe Sliver
  
• 1x Clot Sliver
  
• 1x Mesmeric Sliver
  
• 1x Mnemonic Sliver
  
• 1x Muscle Sliver
  
• 1x Sentinel Sliver
  
• 1x Syphon Sliver
  
• 1x Toxin Sliver
  
• 1x Two-Headed Sliver

Cards to add to replace those?

• Enlightened Tutor
  
• Idyllic Tutor
  
• Grim Tutor
  
• Hinder
  
• Spell Crumble
  
• Buried Alive
  
• Patriarch's Bidding

Immediately come to mind. That gives you more ways to tutor for your fort/stax stuff. More protection with counters and ways to dump slivers to yard then mass recur.

I'd also consider some card draw engines like Phyrexian Arena and Greed.


How good is the white Leyline for you? Do people really target you that much? It seems like most things in EDH target spells or don't target at all (hit everyone). I think Leyline of Anticipation is just so much better in any deck that runs blue. Doing things during other peoples turns is just so powerful. Plus you can also represent as if you have counters and maybe psyche people out of doing things. The Leyline of Lifeforce also seems like it could be good for you if the other decks you face aren't to creature heavy (don't want to help others resolve their creatures...). Uncounterable slivers sounds scary.

I'll agree with you on Enlightened Tutor and Idyllic Tutor, as well as whatever counterspells I can scrounge up, but I'm not sure about Buried Alive and Patriarch's Bidding, since I run into a fair bit of graveyard hate. As well, Phyrexian Arena and Greed seem redundant with the other card draw I have in the deck (like Dormant Sliver, Sylvan Library, and Abundance).

As for Leyline of Sanctity, it doesn't come up all the time, but it does provide the last bit of the pillowfort. The leylines two you mentioned are a little redundant with Quick Sliver (though Leyline of Anticipation is good enough to be considered anyway) and Root Sliver.

Quote from sleepy

I'll agree with you on Enlightened Tutor and Idyllic Tutor, as well as whatever counterspells I can scrounge up, but I'm not sure about Buried Alive and Patriarch's Bidding, since I run into a fair bit of graveyard hate. As well, Phyrexian Arena and Greed seem redundant with the other card draw I have in the deck (like Dormant Sliver, Sylvan Library, and Abundance).

As for Leyline of Sanctity, it doesn't come up all the time, but it does provide the last bit of the pillowfort. The leylines two you mentioned are a little redundant with Quick Sliver (though Leyline of Anticipation is good enough to be considered anyway) and Root Sliver.

Yeah, the reanimator stuff is more cute then any thing else. The wow factor of all of a sudden bringing back like 10 slivers sounds hilarious.

I'm of the firm opinion that there is no such thing as to much redundancy in card draw for EDH. Card draw is OP. However, unless you have life gain black card draw may not be the answer. Things like Recurring Insight, Impulse, Brainstorm and the like could be worth running.

The power of the leyline over the sliver as a similar function is the possibility of the turn 0 play. Turn 0 Leyline of instant speed wins games. Never casting any spell during your turn is so powerful.

Oh yeah, Greater Auramancy seems good with all the enchantments you have.

Alright, I've put in a couple changes you suggested in, after playtesting them a bit. I'm still trying to decide on whether or not to put Phyrexian Arena in, so it's in the sideboard for now. In its place I've temporarily put in Spiritual Asylum. It's good for shroud if I don't plan on attacking.