Maybe he has good success with it in his group, you never know. I think Boundless Realms is fantastic in a mono-green build or MAYBE a two-color build, but not with three colors. You need too many nonbasic fixers to make Realms worth it, I say.
Mana Reflection is straight awesome. I have a crush on that card because that's the first way I learned to go infinite with Palinchron. Besides also rocketing you ahead in mana advantage as well, Reflection is a great inclusion in any deck splashing green. The tempo that it generates and the ability to play more spells than normally allowed is fantastic. But, that's the function of ramp right?
Well, that's quite a bit of text with some reasonable card explanations. Perhaps I can shed a little light on why LordRewind has his decklist the way it is, which I believe to be the optimized list.
And it all really comes down to one thing: CMC. The ramp spells that you suggest cutting are creatures but cost very little. Which means that he can dump his hand faster to abuse Damia's aggressive ability. That's ultimately what his deck is designed to do: dump as many low CMC ramp spells so that he can power out a faster Damia and accrue more card advantage earlier in the game when everyone is still sitting behind. I personally disagree with the addition of cards like Kodama's Reach and Mwonvuli Acid-Moss. They are certainly ramp pieces but they're too slow for how this deck is designed. But this is an important point: Lord Rewind and players who play Damia lists similar to his are looking to maximize mana to card output. How much mana can I get for the lowest CMC so that I can play more spells per turn. It is a totally different mindset in comparison to more casual games of EDH, I admit, and it might not be everyone's preferred play-style.
High CMC planeswalkers that don't win the game? Less effective in this list, although Karn, Liberated is a reasonable inclusion because of his spot removal ability. I don't think Jace, the Mind Sculptor belongs in competitive multi-player EDH, but that's player preference I believe.
Necropotence is straight awesome. Have you played it before? Many consider it to be one of the best cards in the entire EDH format, and I would tend to agree. Maybe Force of Will is better? I'm not sure.
I used to play Damia back before Lord Rewind's list became the optimized and efficient way to play her, but I didn't like her because she is not a control card nor does she encourage or support a control shell as well as other generals. She functions more like a combo piece, refilling your hand so that you can burn through your deck faster to find the combo piece you need so you can just win on the resolution of Tooth and Nail.
With all this being said, I think it's fair that there should be other lists posted and perhaps a card explanation section so that other Damia players can have a hub from which to generate ideas and generate decklists.
I'll try to stay in order. I don't see how mana creatures are in any way shape or form better than basic land ramp. Yup you got me Birds costs G on turn one, however, someone plays Fleshbag Marauder turn 3 and you just lost a "land". Then imagine if someone played Smallpox on turn two? *shudders* Now you're down 2 "lands". Now I'm not saying that mana creatures are bad, I'm saying, you're playing at a competitive level, and EDH is about card value and you do that by 2 for 1-ing people and competitive players are going to play the best cards in the format which all 2 for 1 in some manner. With the addition that mid game every color will get advantage that you have mana creatures by playing mass bounce and mass creature removal or ping removal (Anyone in a competitive setting is going to target mana creatues, or should be) putting you farther behind. Meanwhile only white and red have relevant land removal and in very few cards while every color has ways to deal with creatures even when those creatures aren't attacking.
More importantly, the reason to run "slower" mana ramp cards is to thin your deck of dead draws. Like I had mentioned before, it's awesome when you get to draw 7 cards with Damia, but what's better is drawing 7 relevant cards. Your deck having less lands in it means you draw less lands and draw better cards. It doesn't matter that you threw your hand on the board only to draw 3 lands with the next 7 when you are only playing one a turn. Normally I wouldn't evaluate cards based on having other cards in play, but as is the way of EDH, you always have access to your general.
As for particularly picking out Acid-Moss and Kodama's Reach and Cultivate, those card's are extremely relevant. For Acid-Moss, two things, you remove pesky lands on the enemy's front such as urborg, cabal coffers, or land screw them out of a color maybe. Then you get to grab a "Forest" card, so you grab a dual land better fixing your mana.
As for Cultivate and Kodama's Reach, those cards also do two things, they secure land drops and they reduce the amount of dead draws in your deck, further increasing the power of each draw. And if you want to take it a step further, discarding a card is now not an issue cause you have an "extra" land in your hand that you "don't need".
When it comes to planeswalkers, there are no Game Winning Planeswalkers in our colors for our deck. Sorin Markov is the closest thing but he would be part of an alternate win condition. Karn is a personal favorite of mine because of the versatility and obviously you aren't playing by yourself, people are going to try and stop you from winning, so you have to be able to fight back. Karn if all he does is remove something from the game then die, well at least you didn't take 4 more damage this turn. (which very likely could make the difference between winning and losing the game)
But I think Garruk needs to be in this deck (especially over Jace) since he actually has card value and isn't nearly as threatening. Not to mention a 4 mana brainstorm is awful...
If you're going to play Liliana, I think Vess is the best (This is a combo deck not a stax deck of the veil doesn't fit) because she does two things. One she will always get you one card that you want from your deck. And two, if someone does not kill her, she gets 2 or more cards. And if she dies, well she soaked damage for you and you still got your card anyway.
It's of my personal opinion, Necro is great, I love it, but you're a 3 color deck and realistically, the card isn't dropping pre turn 5. Additionally, you aren't getting the full value of the card until mid-late game when you actually have mana to cast the vast amount of cards you just drew, so why not just play trinket mage and get mana crypt?
On your piece about "I used to play... just win on the resolution of Tooth and Nail."
This is literally the reason that playing real mana ramp is better than the mana creatures and vedalken orrery or leyline (of which you'll never convince me they have a spot in this decklist). You want to "burn through your deck faster to find the combo piece you need" that generally works better when you don't draw lands with Damia which mana ramp helps you do. Or not do?
I only bring up these points because it seems like no one is really questioning the cards being used, they just kind of "accept" this as "the build". Obviously, everyone's list should be tailored to the other decks they are going to play against, but the point of a "primer" type of deck list should be, the most optimized, and I just don't see how some of these cards are "optimized and efficient". I just feel it's the point of a forum to question, evaluate and test decklists and card options.
*In regards to my decklist I posted, Exploration should be in there, probably instead of Impulse.*
Sorry all, i have been in Europe for the last 2 weeks on a really long, and much needed vacation. I will read all this (which is a lot!) and get back to you. Though, at a glance, one thing i would like to say is, that while this is my competitive build, i do not consider it to be primer worthy. I have not put nearly as much time into this decklist as others, and while i am flattered that people would look to it as such, my write up was meant to be well done and readable, but not a damia primer or bible - that honor would belong to Epochalyptik - i believe his main list is maintained on tapped out though, and i dont have the link.
I have more or less the same idea the OP has but in a Kruphix, God of Horizons deck. I win by either Blightsteel Colossus or forcing players to draw their deck. I'm able to do this without infinite mana combos thanks to how Kruphix works. Along with Doubling Cube, and Seedborn Muse, you get a ridiculous amount of mana and fast. I also lock the board down with Deadeye Navigator + Venser, Shaper Savant. Infinite mana is cute and obviously helps you cast an epic Stroke of Genius or the like, but a lot of people play avoiding infinite mana combos, so I think alternate routes should also be established.
The reason why I want to try and convert my Kruphix into Damia is access to B. That, and Damia will always fill your hand if you cast her. Sure, Kruphix is just gonna be another one in the ninety-nine but I'll have ways to get it with tutors. Though I lock the board pretty well with Kruphix (using Seedborn Muse + Mishra's Helix), I find that games were becoming too slow. The amount of draw advantage provided by Damia is tremendous. This will help me accelerate the deck to actually reach my wincons faster than by simply inefficiently tutoring for pieces I need with Kruphix.
I'm still on the fence as to make this change. I'm already trying to build a Sidisi, Brood Tyrant in real life (the one in my sig) and that deck's gonna cost a lot simply in the mana base. I've already built 2 more tri-colored decks (Oloro and Nekusar (also in my sig)) and completing them was a daunting task. So trying to not only build my Sidisi (I've already made it as efficient as possible while also loving the deck) by gathering the cards I need but also changing Kruphix into Damia is gonna take a lot of time. However, I feel it's worth it. Also, winning by Stroke of Genius and Blue Sun's Zenith is awesome, but Villainous Wealth is just broken. Blue Sun's Zenith snipes a player and then gets shuffled back in but Villainous Wealth snipes a player and then you play his/her entire deck for free afterwards! [On that note, what is the current ruling for permanents in play when their owner leaves the game? Do they stay under your control on the battlefield or do they disappear along with their owner?]
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!
I have more or less the same idea the OP has but in a Kruphix, God of Horizons deck. I win by either Blightsteel Colossus or forcing players to draw their deck. I'm able to do this without infinite mana combos thanks to how Kruphix works. Along with Doubling Cube, and Seedborn Muse, you get a ridiculous amount of mana and fast. I also lock the board down with Deadeye Navigator + Venser, Shaper Savant. Infinite mana is cute and obviously helps you cast an epic Stroke of Genius or the like, but a lot of people play avoiding infinite mana combos, so I think alternate routes should also be established.
The reason why I want to try and convert my Kruphix into Damia is access to B. That, and Damia will always fill your hand if you cast her. Sure, Kruphix is just gonna be another one in the ninety-nine but I'll have ways to get it with tutors. Though I lock the board pretty well with Kruphix (using Seedborn Muse + Mishra's Helix), I find that games were becoming too slow. The amount of draw advantage provided by Damia is tremendous. This will help me accelerate the deck to actually reach my wincons faster than by simply inefficiently tutoring for pieces I need with Kruphix.
I'm still on the fence as to make this change. I'm already trying to build a Sidisi, Brood Tyrant in real life (the one in my sig) and that deck's gonna cost a lot simply in the mana base. I've already built 2 more tri-colored decks (Oloro and Nekusar (also in my sig)) and completing them was a daunting task. So trying to not only build my Sidisi (I've already made it as efficient as possible while also loving the deck) by gathering the cards I need but also changing Kruphix into Damia is gonna take a lot of time. However, I feel it's worth it. Also, winning by Stroke of Genius and Blue Sun's Zenith is awesome, but Villainous Wealth is just broken. Blue Sun's Zenith snipes a player and then gets shuffled back in but Villainous Wealth snipes a player and then you play his/her entire deck for free afterwards! [On that note, what is the current ruling for permanents in play when their owner leaves the game? Do they stay under your control on the battlefield or do they disappear along with their owner?]
They disappear with their owner - i actually dropped Villainous Wealth for this reason. In my group, people tended to spite scoop when i wealthed them - that way i'd lose everything before having a chance to kill another player with wealth. Currently, if i want to win it all in a single go, i draw my deck with BSZ - then play any tutor combo or card draw combo, then just draw bsz: kill a player repeatedly till i clear the table.
Yeah, it's happened to me constantly on 'Trice. People would scoop after a Villainous Wealth that doesn't even end them - merely exiles half their deck. How selfish! Lol. Still a great card, though...
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!
Yeah, it's happened to me constantly on 'Trice. People would scoop after a Villainous Wealth that doesn't even end them - merely exiles half their deck. How selfish! Lol. Still a great card, though...
Yeah. In my experience 30 was the magic number to hit people and not have them scoop - which seemed stupid to do in a deck where i was playing to knock people out. It became a sub par BSZ - so i cut it out for chord of calling.
Mana Reflection is straight awesome. I have a crush on that card because that's the first way I learned to go infinite with Palinchron. Besides also rocketing you ahead in mana advantage as well, Reflection is a great inclusion in any deck splashing green. The tempo that it generates and the ability to play more spells than normally allowed is fantastic. But, that's the function of ramp right?
UB Dralnu, Lich Lord
RBW [Primer]-Kaalia of the Vast
BUG [Primer]-Tasigur, the Golden Fang
GWU [Primer]-Arcades, the Strategist
WUB Primer-Aminatou, the Fateshifter
UBR Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Godo, Bandit Warlord EDH
Angus Mackenzie Control/Beat
Reanimator Legacy
Burn Legacy
Abzan aggro Standard
I'll try to stay in order. I don't see how mana creatures are in any way shape or form better than basic land ramp. Yup you got me Birds costs G on turn one, however, someone plays Fleshbag Marauder turn 3 and you just lost a "land". Then imagine if someone played Smallpox on turn two? *shudders* Now you're down 2 "lands". Now I'm not saying that mana creatures are bad, I'm saying, you're playing at a competitive level, and EDH is about card value and you do that by 2 for 1-ing people and competitive players are going to play the best cards in the format which all 2 for 1 in some manner. With the addition that mid game every color will get advantage that you have mana creatures by playing mass bounce and mass creature removal or ping removal (Anyone in a competitive setting is going to target mana creatues, or should be) putting you farther behind. Meanwhile only white and red have relevant land removal and in very few cards while every color has ways to deal with creatures even when those creatures aren't attacking.
More importantly, the reason to run "slower" mana ramp cards is to thin your deck of dead draws. Like I had mentioned before, it's awesome when you get to draw 7 cards with Damia, but what's better is drawing 7 relevant cards. Your deck having less lands in it means you draw less lands and draw better cards. It doesn't matter that you threw your hand on the board only to draw 3 lands with the next 7 when you are only playing one a turn. Normally I wouldn't evaluate cards based on having other cards in play, but as is the way of EDH, you always have access to your general.
As for particularly picking out Acid-Moss and Kodama's Reach and Cultivate, those card's are extremely relevant. For Acid-Moss, two things, you remove pesky lands on the enemy's front such as urborg, cabal coffers, or land screw them out of a color maybe. Then you get to grab a "Forest" card, so you grab a dual land better fixing your mana.
As for Cultivate and Kodama's Reach, those cards also do two things, they secure land drops and they reduce the amount of dead draws in your deck, further increasing the power of each draw. And if you want to take it a step further, discarding a card is now not an issue cause you have an "extra" land in your hand that you "don't need".
When it comes to planeswalkers, there are no Game Winning Planeswalkers in our colors for our deck. Sorin Markov is the closest thing but he would be part of an alternate win condition. Karn is a personal favorite of mine because of the versatility and obviously you aren't playing by yourself, people are going to try and stop you from winning, so you have to be able to fight back. Karn if all he does is remove something from the game then die, well at least you didn't take 4 more damage this turn. (which very likely could make the difference between winning and losing the game)
But I think Garruk needs to be in this deck (especially over Jace) since he actually has card value and isn't nearly as threatening. Not to mention a 4 mana brainstorm is awful...
If you're going to play Liliana, I think Vess is the best (This is a combo deck not a stax deck of the veil doesn't fit) because she does two things. One she will always get you one card that you want from your deck. And two, if someone does not kill her, she gets 2 or more cards. And if she dies, well she soaked damage for you and you still got your card anyway.
It's of my personal opinion, Necro is great, I love it, but you're a 3 color deck and realistically, the card isn't dropping pre turn 5. Additionally, you aren't getting the full value of the card until mid-late game when you actually have mana to cast the vast amount of cards you just drew, so why not just play trinket mage and get mana crypt?
On your piece about "I used to play... just win on the resolution of Tooth and Nail."
This is literally the reason that playing real mana ramp is better than the mana creatures and vedalken orrery or leyline (of which you'll never convince me they have a spot in this decklist). You want to "burn through your deck faster to find the combo piece you need" that generally works better when you don't draw lands with Damia which mana ramp helps you do. Or not do?
I only bring up these points because it seems like no one is really questioning the cards being used, they just kind of "accept" this as "the build". Obviously, everyone's list should be tailored to the other decks they are going to play against, but the point of a "primer" type of deck list should be, the most optimized, and I just don't see how some of these cards are "optimized and efficient". I just feel it's the point of a forum to question, evaluate and test decklists and card options.
*In regards to my decklist I posted, Exploration should be in there, probably instead of Impulse.*
Godo, Bandit Warlord EDH
Angus Mackenzie Control/Beat
Reanimator Legacy
Burn Legacy
Abzan aggro Standard
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
The reason why I want to try and convert my Kruphix into Damia is access to B. That, and Damia will always fill your hand if you cast her. Sure, Kruphix is just gonna be another one in the ninety-nine but I'll have ways to get it with tutors. Though I lock the board pretty well with Kruphix (using Seedborn Muse + Mishra's Helix), I find that games were becoming too slow. The amount of draw advantage provided by Damia is tremendous. This will help me accelerate the deck to actually reach my wincons faster than by simply inefficiently tutoring for pieces I need with Kruphix.
I'm still on the fence as to make this change. I'm already trying to build a Sidisi, Brood Tyrant in real life (the one in my sig) and that deck's gonna cost a lot simply in the mana base. I've already built 2 more tri-colored decks (Oloro and Nekusar (also in my sig)) and completing them was a daunting task. So trying to not only build my Sidisi (I've already made it as efficient as possible while also loving the deck) by gathering the cards I need but also changing Kruphix into Damia is gonna take a lot of time. However, I feel it's worth it. Also, winning by Stroke of Genius and Blue Sun's Zenith is awesome, but Villainous Wealth is just broken. Blue Sun's Zenith snipes a player and then gets shuffled back in but Villainous Wealth snipes a player and then you play his/her entire deck for free afterwards! [On that note, what is the current ruling for permanents in play when their owner leaves the game? Do they stay under your control on the battlefield or do they disappear along with their owner?]
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!
They disappear with their owner - i actually dropped Villainous Wealth for this reason. In my group, people tended to spite scoop when i wealthed them - that way i'd lose everything before having a chance to kill another player with wealth. Currently, if i want to win it all in a single go, i draw my deck with BSZ - then play any tutor combo or card draw combo, then just draw bsz: kill a player repeatedly till i clear the table.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
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!
Yeah. In my experience 30 was the magic number to hit people and not have them scoop - which seemed stupid to do in a deck where i was playing to knock people out. It became a sub par BSZ - so i cut it out for chord of calling.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage