This is my first and favorite EDH-deck, a work in progress for over a year and my pride and joy. It started of as a budget and casual build based on Bennie Smith's article Strolling Through Value-Town With Roon, utilizing allies like Hada Freeblade, Sea Gate Loremaster and Turntimber Ranger. It was fun to pilot, but it felt like there was more power to Roon than to command a group of low-powered Allies. Bennie Smith followed up his article with another decklist in the article Mean Roon: A Commander Tournament Recap, and my list was modified some inspired by his two articles.
I played more games at my LGS and against friends. Some brought precons and "These-are-some-cards-I-had-in-my-binder"-decks, some brought their tuned Azami, Lady of Scrolls, Nekusar, the Mindrazer and Scion of the Ur-Dragon-decks. Since then I've found a regular playgroup with Wort, Boggart Auntie / Shattergang Brothers and Mayael the Anima, but occationally play against other decks. Since starting out I've modified and changed a lot, discovered 75% deckbuilding (more on this below) and continously selected the cards that I feel provide both power and a lot of fun in every game.
TL;DR: Originally a casual deck meaned up to make more competitive in a varied meta - everything from competitive decks to precons. My goal when tuning this list is to have a deck that's not too degenerate and crushing new players, while being able to perform well against highly tuned decks. In an ideal game this is fun for everybody, not overpowered while able to punish the strongest decks at the table.
Why Roon of the Hidden Realm?
You want a commander that enhance your deck, but isn't essential to it's gameplan.
You prefer a creature-toolbox-style of play.
You want a commander with a lot of possible builds.
Creature-toolbox? You'll get one example here and more in the links below.
Voltron? Get your Stoneforge Mystic, equip, attack with Vigilance, blink out their blocker and trample over for four or more.
Combo-control? W, U and G provides a lot of tutor power, countermagic and infinite combo-potential.
Tokens? A lot of creatures have an ETB-effect that put tokens on the battlefield.
You're on a budget. This is not a budget build, but there are a lot of good ETB creatures you can acquire for cheap. Every section of the decklist-section below will provide some budget alternatives.
Several of them can be a decent replacement in the Command Zone; as mentioned this is a deck that is enhanced by having Roon as it's commander - sometimes greatly so - but it's not essential to it's gameplan. As a commander for getting the most out of an ETB-toolbox, Roon has the most relevant ability for our deck as a whole.
To decklist / Table of Contents
Why 75% Deckbuilding?
The 75% Concept belongs to Jason Alt and is an ongoing series at GatheringMagic.com. I'm a big fan. So what makes a deck 75%?
You enjoy spells that are scalable to the power level of the table. This way you don't crush the new players, but you're able to bring some punishment to the strong and/or degenerate decks. The series promote interactive games.
You want a varied gaming experience, not playing the same stuff everytime. You prefer actually playing the game, not constantly searching your deck for your tutor targets.
If you're interrested in learning more about 75% deckbuilding I recommend reading the very first article in the series, Building a 75% Commander deck.
Small changes to landbase as well. It might slow down the deck a bit, but brings more utility. Forest for Dryad Arbor. Another target for Skullclamp. Island for Halimar Depths.
Avg. CMC = 3.59 to 3.60
These changes have been in place a long time, but I haven't updated before now.
Conjurers' Closet. There's way better ways of spending 5 mana. A slow, vulnerable and impractical way of blinking.
Ixidron. Ixidron has been a decent card for when I've been way behind or there's a big threat (or several) that can't be dealed with by conventional sweepers / spot removal. Losing my creatures isn't a big deal. The deck often builds value by ETB-triggers, not board state. It also has synergy with Roon of the Hidden Realm or Brago, King Eternal if I can cast them next turn, flipping 1 or more of my creatures each turn. Occationally useful, but requires some very specific setup to be very good.
Armada Wurm. Without the ability to mulligan it away in my opener this is too expensive. Has little overall synergy with the deck.
2 taxers (Vryn Wingmare, Lodestone Golem): I've really enjoyed Mystic Remora and Rhystic Study lately, and how early-game taxing disrupts early-game setup for my opponents. I'll probably experiment with more tax/lockdown/disruption-effects. Roon's ability is not affected by taxes or land lockdown. I've yet to see any other Roon-deck play these taxers (searching TappedOut, Deckbox, Deckstats and EDHRec).
Momentary Blink. Instant speed, can double as protection and is useful early game.
Profaner of the dead. His big sister, Lavinia of the Tenth, is really good and he should be too. Even if it only exploits itself this will disrupt a lot of utility-creatures. A lot of value in one card.
Addressing problems:
Not enough land: Rampant growth is good cheap ramp, and better than arbor elf because it won't die Solemn simulacrum is efficient and better than pilgrim's eye, and it's a staple card that goes in almost any deck so it's not a bad purchase
Other cards that strike me as weaker than the others: Peregrine drake - I would switch this out with one of the cards you were looking at, preferably yisan, leyline, or yeva clone - Rite of replication is SOOOOOO much better than clone oust - Time to get yourself a copy of swords to plowshares, it's been one of the best removal spells since forever, with no sign of that ever changing swan song - Unless you are facing very strong decks where 1 mana really matters, I would put either hinder or spell crumple here to put generals on the bottom of their owners library. Also consider replacing dream fracture for one of those as well.
Hey, I have a Roon deck of my own, and it's one of my most powerful decks. the following suggestions should help you balance your list so that it can stand up to well-oiled decks without being too powered to play against more casual players.
let me start out by saying that I've chosen to go all-in on creatures, so as a result I've pulled all but the most important artifacts and enchantments. while cards like Conjurer's Closet and Thousand-year Elixir have cool abilities that seem to synergize perfectly with Roon, I've often been underwhelmed with their overall impact. So I took them all out. The only artifacts/enchantments I run now are there either to set up my early game or virtually win me the game on the spot, because I like to clear the board of all artifacts and enchantments when they start getting out of hand.
and that's it! hope you can dig some of these ideas.
PS: sorry I can't suggest what exactly to remove for each addition I've suggested. I'm typing on my phone and that would require far more patience than I've got right now ;).
EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
@Carthage:
Wouldn't Nature's Lore or Farseek be an even better landtutor since they can fetch my shocks?
I'll strongly consider Solemn Simalacrum since you both recommend it. I'll find room for [[Prime Speaker Zegana]] as well, but since Lavinia of the Tenth will lock down some boards I think it stays for now. I also agree that Peregrine Drake is a weak card, but with Deadeye Navigator or Mistmeadow Witch it provides infinite mana. It's a budget Palinchron.
It's a little early for me so forgive me if I'm blind and not seeing something, but Mistmeadow Witch doesn't allow infinite mana, as it returns the Peregrine Drake at end of turn...
Also, is there any of the alternate lands I've listed I should consider?
In order:
Temple of Mystery & friends are decent fixing options as taplands with upside. As well, Venser/Wisp can be used to bounce them, giving repeated access to scry, and can alleviate the need for Crystal Ball, should non-land slots be limited. I'd look into finding a spot for them.
Lonely Sandbar & friends are less decent in 3+ color decks, as nonbasic space comes at a higher premium. Without some solid ways to recur them (Life from the Loam, etc.), I would say that you'd be safe to skip on these ones if you'd rather save slots for cooler effects/better fixing.
Azorius Chancery & friends also have their uses, though they can slow down your curve, and are susceptible to Ghost Quarter and other LD effects. Their greatest benefit to you would be to re-use lands like the Temples, bounce Cycling lands if you had to play them early, and to be untapped by Kiora's Follower. I would look to add them last, if only to see how many lands you'd have that are worth bouncing.
Vivid Creek & friends are fair budget lands, and can have their charge counters refilled by Venser/Wisp/RavKaroos. That said, they're yet another set of taplands, and their bounce/flicker synergy isn't that exciting, as you'll often be well fixed for mana by the time you have a way to repeatedly flicker them. I think you've got better lands.
Mosswort Bridge & Windbrisk Heights are yet more lands that can be abused by bounce/flicker synergy. So long as you feel that you meet their activation conditions without much trouble, they provide a source of free card advantage. I'd play them if you are willing to find the space.
IMO, Ice Floe and Safe Haven aren't lands, in as much as they can't contribute to mana production. If LD effects like Ghost Quarter aren't common in your group(s), these can make for solid artifact-esque effects. If you play them, look to cut something that's not a mana-producing land.
City of Brass: Fine 3-color fixer, in the same vein as Adarkar Wastes and friends. Worth playing if you have a slot. Reflecting Pool: Better the more multi-color lands you have. Play it if you up your number of 3-color fixers. Soldevi Excavations: Not as punishing (or abusable) as RavKaroos. Alongside the Temples, probably removes any need for Crystal Ball. Play it if you can keep your Island count up (6-7+). Gemstone Mine: Can be refilled by bounce/flicker effects, and is a 3-color fixer that comes in untapped. Worth consideration. Riftstone Portal: Only useful if you can reliably sac/discard it. I'd avoid it for now, unless you like Crop Rotation or Harrow. Bant Panorama: Yet another Terramorphic Expanse. Worth playing with a decent basic land count. Seaside Citadel: 3-color tapland with no other downsides. Play it if you can find the space. Saltcrusted Steppe: Risky to play if LD effects are present, otherwise provides a good outlet for extra mana. Think about your group(s) before deciding. Treva's Ruins: Can abuse lands like the RavKaroos do, but trades long-term ramp for short-term fixing. Play it if you like the RavKaroos. Opal Palace: Inefficient fixing, but can make Roon into a powerhouse. Play it if you plan to attack or block with Roon often.
In the end, a fair number of the lands you have are worth playing, and none of the lands you're currently playing are inherently bad either. I'd say that whether you decide to include many of these lands or not depends on the groups you intend to face, and the speed at which you wish to play at. If Non-basic hate and LD in general aren't going to be much of an issue, then you could afford to have your basic land count drop a fair amount to accommodate some of your more potent non-basics. Similarly, if you expect games to go on long enough to allow for some shenanigans, then you could look at building a bounce package out of the RavKaroos+Lair cards.
@IWasteMoneyOnCardboard: You're right, my mistake.
@Lycoris: Wow, great post! I think I'll try out the landbase as it is now, but might add in some scrylands if I miss them.
They serve similar functions but have somewhat different applications. Metamorph is just a great all around clone effect with a lot of versatility, but Rite of Replication is a sheer bomb. I personally prefer Metamorph because it's funny to clone an opposing Mindslaver, but Rite of Replication would e a better choice if you're hungry for more win conditions.
Also, is there any of the alternate lands I've listed I should consider?
Of the lands you mentioned, I think Reflecting Pool and City of Brass should definitely go in. The scrylands and hideaway lands are what I'd make room for next, but at the same time I'd advise you to be careful of running too many tap lands, as they can slow you down significantly.
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EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
PS: if you wanna shave $10 or so off the list of cards I posted, I'd start by scratching Birds of Paradise, Carpet of Flowers, and either Mystical Tutor or Path to Exile. (Sorry for the double post.)
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EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
You've already gotten some great suggestions, but a few that haven't been mentioned:
I'd find a way to include Reclamation Sage - he's useful in pretty much any situation, he's easy on the casting cost, and repeatable. I'd consider cutting Voidstone Gargoyle for it.
I would find a spot for Angel of Serenity. It's great in the late game for evasive offense, graveyard recursion, and taking down problematic defenders. I would consider cutting Sunblast Angel for it.
I'm not seeing a Kodama's Reach. If my deck has basics in it, I play Kodama's and Cultivate. Definitely not something to overlook. With the number of basics you run, Boundless Realms is almost a budget version of Mana Reflection or Mirari's Wake. Very useful for a mana hungry deck like Roon.
Fact or Fiction for more card draw is an option too. Maybe even Altar of Bone for a budget or second version of Eladamri's Call with the potential to make the sacrifice an upside.
Hmm, even more card suggestions. I'll try to make an updated list soon. For those experienced with playing Roon, how many cards do you play for ramp and how many for card draw? It might make it easier to choose between different cards
Now that you've added Prime Speaker Zegana and more ramp, I'd say Tooth and Nail should be your next investment. Entwined, you can use it to fetch Deadeye Navigator and Zegana, which enables some utterly broken draw power. 6 cards for an initial CMC of 9, and after that you get 6 cards for CMC 2 at instant-speed. Bonkers!
Since it was reprinted in Modern Masters, you can probably nab a Tooth and Nail for $5 or less.
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EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
I'll consider it next time I'm upgrading, based on how well the deck plays. Any other advice?
In my current list I have 16 cards for ramp / mana fixing, but still not much draw. Would Wall of Omens / Wall of Flowers or Sea Gate Oracle be good replacements, or should I have this much ramp?
I'm a big fan of both Raven Familiar and Sea Gate Oracle in Roon decks, because they're inexpensive sources of card advantage that can be used repeatedly with blink effects. I personally run only one of the two (Raven Familiar) but if you're looking for more card advantage I wouldn't see a problem with running both. In your current suite of card draw, I'm least fond of Blue Sun's Zenith, since it's pretty much single use (barring the possibility of drawing back into it). Do you happen to have a Garruk, Caller of Beasts laying around somewhere? There are 39 creatures in your 99, so there's a really good chance for this iteration of Garruk to net you multiple cards per turn.
The only issue with running a ton of ramp is the increased chance that you'll end up with a lot of mana and nothing to do with it. That's why it's so critical to balance ramp with card advantage so you can replenish your rapidly diminishing hand with more gas. Luckily, Roon decks tend to be a bit hungry for mana so as long as you have at least one good ETB dude in play you can always use the excess mana to blink it over and over. You'll probably have to play the deck a few times to gauge whether or not you 1) get going fast enough, and 2) have an abundance of things to spend your extra mana on.
If you're not keen on spending any more cash at this time, I'd consider trading for a Tooth and Nail if that's an option for you. A lot of players choose not to run this card because of how overpowered it is, but adding it to your list will increase the strength of your deck tremendously. As long as you're conscientious of your playgroup when resolving Tooth and Nail, you can ensure that it's not too OP (acceptable use of TnN really depends on the power level of your opponents).
Finally, play a few games and let us know how the deck is feeling. Does it need more draw? More ramp? More answers? More finishers?
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EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
Unfortunately I don't have a Garruk, but I have an Ajani, Mentor of Heroes that might help me draw and filter a bit more.
I like Ajani, but I don't think this is the right deck for him. The cool thing about Garruk is that he has the potential in a deck like this to net you several cards per turn. With Ajani, you get a maximum of 1 extra card, which for a CMC of 5 probably isn't worth it. Ajani would perform much better in a Uril, the Mistalker deck, where he could dig for important auras.
If you want more draw power, try out Raven Familiar and/or Sea Gate Oracle, both of which are very affordable (and have a low CMC).
Have you tried out your updated list yet?
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EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
I ordered most of the cards yesterday and will playtest as much as I can when everything arrives. I'll put up my new list later today or tomorrow, and update the post later when I know how the deck performs. Greatly appreciate everybody's help
Updated my original list. The cards below were cut from my last version. Some were underperformers, some were proxies that I didn't want to buy right now.
Heya, Indigo--glad to see you're still tuning your Roon list. Some observations:
Some of the cards in your "Spare Cards" list would make great additions to your deck, namely Armada Wurm, Sun Titan and Sea Gate Oracle. Armada Wurm is a great finisher with a blink enabler in play, and it looks like your deck is a bit light on win conditions. Sun Titan provides immense value in recovering lost utilities, and you can abuse him further with your various blink engines. Sea Gate Oracle is a nice, cheap source of card filter and draw, and is terrific when blinked multiple times. Also, if you have an Angel of Serenity laying around it'd be an upgrade over Sunblast Angel, which is nice in theory but would unfortunately destroy Roon if you used his ability to blink her.
These changes would increase your average CMC, but if you feel like you have too much ramp then increasing your CMC will give you more things to do with all that mana. If my cursory analysis is close to the mark, your current list sits at around 3.40 average CMC--if you made these changes it'd jump to about 3.55, which isn't terrible for a green rampy deck. As another note, cheap mana dorks are nice, but Roon is a commander that likes creatures that provide value as soon as they enter play, as opposed to creatures that provide value once you get to untap with them (or provide value only for as long as they remain on the battlefield).
I assume you've gotten some games in since you last updated, how are you liking the deck's performance so far?
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EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
Good suggestions, spentbullets. Arbor Elf and Realmwright are there mostly as targets for Yisan, the Wanderer Bard. Do you still recommend taking them out and have no targets for Yisans first activation? Knight of the White Orchid was my idea of a fair/75% ramp spell, but it hasn't been good so far (turn <5) since I usually hit my land drops, and it's useless once I've played Kodama's reach or other ramp.
I've played maybe 5 games with the list above, and my experiences have been varied. In several games I ramp more and draw more than the rest of the table, get ganged up on and is the first to be eliminated. I've also lost to single spells like Overwhelming Stampede or combos, so I think the counterspells are really good. All in all the deck plays quite well, but I think you're right that more threats would be good.
A few updates to the original post: Added a wishlist and chopping block.
I've played ~15 games since last update, and the deck is really in need of more threats. Quote from another player in my playgroup: It ramps a lot, sometimes draw a lot of cards, but doesn't really do much else. Some of the blink targets is OK, but don't affect the game much. I think some more card draw would be good as well.
I'll probably include the four suggestions in the above post by Spentbullets, but would love to hear some other feedback and advice as well
75% Roon of the Hidden Realm. Blink blink, nudge nudge
5 Roon of the Hidden Realm
Blink
2 Mistmeadow Witch
4 Brago, King Eternal
6 Deadeye Navigator
2 Momentary Blink
3 Ghostway
Protection
4 Spike Weaver
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Lightning Greaves
Acceleration
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Arbor Elf
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
3 Wood Elves
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
5 Murkfiend Liege
5 Seedborn Muse
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Exploration
1 Burgeoning
2 Nature's Lore
4 Skyshroud Claim
Draw
2 Coiling Oracle
4 Slithermuse
4 Ephara, God of the Polis
5 Mulldrifter
6 Prime Speaker Zegana
1 Skullclamp
1 Mystic Remora
3 Rhystic Study
7 Avenger of Zendikar
7 Trostani's Summoner
7 Hornet Queen
Removal
2 Gilded Drake
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Profaner of the Dead
4 Sower of Temptation
5 Lavinia of the Tenth
5 Acidic Slime
7 Angel of Serenity
1 Swords to Plowshares
2 Cyclonic Rift
3 Bant Charm
3 Curse of the Swine
3 Aura Shards
4 Day of Judgment
Recursion
3 Eternal Witness
5 Reveillark
5 Karmic Guide
6 Sun Titan
Countermagic
4 Glen Elendra Archmage
5 Perplexing Chimera
2 Arcane Denial
3 Dream Fracture
3 Hinder
5 Desertion
Other utility
2 Gilded Drake
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
3 Vryn Wingmare
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Parallax Wave
Land
0 Hallowed Fountain
0 Temple Garden
0 Breeding Pool
0 Temple of Enligthenment
0 Temple of Plenty
0 Temple of Mystery
0 Glacial Fortress
0 Sunpetal Grove
0 Hinterland Harbor
0 Adarkar Wastes
0 Brushland
0 Yavimaya Coast
0 Evolving Wilds
0 Terramorphic Expanse
0 Krosan Verge
0 Command Tower
0 Mana Confluence
0 Forbidden Orchard
0 Reflecting Pool
0 Reliquary Tower
0 Temple of the False God
0 Riptide Laboratory
0 Alchemist's Refuge
0 Dryad Arbor
0 Halimar Depths
6 Forest
2 Island
3 Plains
This is my first and favorite EDH-deck, a work in progress for over a year and my pride and joy. It started of as a budget and casual build based on Bennie Smith's article Strolling Through Value-Town With Roon, utilizing allies like Hada Freeblade, Sea Gate Loremaster and Turntimber Ranger. It was fun to pilot, but it felt like there was more power to Roon than to command a group of low-powered Allies. Bennie Smith followed up his article with another decklist in the article Mean Roon: A Commander Tournament Recap, and my list was modified some inspired by his two articles.
I played more games at my LGS and against friends. Some brought precons and "These-are-some-cards-I-had-in-my-binder"-decks, some brought their tuned Azami, Lady of Scrolls, Nekusar, the Mindrazer and Scion of the Ur-Dragon-decks. Since then I've found a regular playgroup with Wort, Boggart Auntie / Shattergang Brothers and Mayael the Anima, but occationally play against other decks. Since starting out I've modified and changed a lot, discovered 75% deckbuilding (more on this below) and continously selected the cards that I feel provide both power and a lot of fun in every game.
TL;DR: Originally a casual deck meaned up to make more competitive in a varied meta - everything from competitive decks to precons. My goal when tuning this list is to have a deck that's not too degenerate and crushing new players, while being able to perform well against highly tuned decks. In an ideal game this is fun for everybody, not overpowered while able to punish the strongest decks at the table.
Rubinia Soulsinger, Jenara, Asura of War, Phelddagrif, Derevi, Empyrial Tactician, Rafiq of the Many, Angus Mackenzie, Arcades Sabboth, Ragnar and Treva, the Renewer
Several of them can be a decent replacement in the Command Zone; as mentioned this is a deck that is enhanced by having Roon as it's commander - sometimes greatly so - but it's not essential to it's gameplan. As a commander for getting the most out of an ETB-toolbox, Roon has the most relevant ability for our deck as a whole.
The 75% Concept belongs to Jason Alt and is an ongoing series at GatheringMagic.com. I'm a big fan. So what makes a deck 75%?
If you're interrested in learning more about 75% deckbuilding I recommend reading the very first article in the series, Building a 75% Commander deck.
For a summary of the series so far, I greatly recommend 8 Simple Rules for Playing in My Commander Group.
Wondering why I'm running so few tutors in this list? Have a look at Bennie Smith's article Letting Go Of Tutors In Commander.
The Wishlist
Eldrazi Displacer
Windswept Heath
Flooded Strand
Wooded Bastion
Bane of Progress
My Spare Cards
2 Lotus Cobra
2 Bloom Tender
3 Yavimaya Elder
1 Carpet of Flowers
2 Farseek
2 Khalni Heart Expedition
3 Chromatic Lantern
4 Explosive Vegetation
Draw
4 Slithermuse
7 Sphinx of Uthuun
4 Harmonize
6 Recurring Insight
6 Garruk, Caller of Beasts
1 Nephalia Smuggler
3 Ghostly Flicker
Removal
5 Voidstone Gargoyle
7 Luminate Primordial
1 Oust
1 Nature's Claim
1 Pongify
3 Krosan Grip
3 Beast Within
Protection
3 Darksteel Plate
3 Gift of Immortality
1 Swan Song
3 Faerie Trickery
Tutors
1 Worldly Tutor
2 Eladamri's Call
2 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Wargate
Misc
3 Loaming Shaman
5 Siren of the Fanged Coast
6 Progenitor Mimic
7 Diluvian Primordial
Changelog
Brutalizer Exarch for Reclamation Sage. Six mana was too much for tutor / removal.
Yisan, the Wanderer Bard for Sea Gate Oracle. Yisan was too slow and had few good targets for his first activations.
Realmwright + Arbor Elf for Trostani's Summoner + Armada Worm. Trading small creatures for big threats. The 1-drops were here only as targets for Yisan.
Krosan Grip for Sun Titan. The Titan can recurr Reclamation Sage or other utility and is a big beater to boot.
Carpet of Flowers for Angel of Serenity. Carpet goes to my Sidisi-deck, the angel brings evasion, removal, blinking and/or recursion.
I'm also considering swapping Darksteel Plate for Lightning Greaves and finding replacements for Thousand-Year Elixir and Sundial of the Infinite.
Avg. CMC 3.51 for 3.77
Darksteel Plate for Lightning Greaves. Lower cost to equip, and I think haste will be more relevant.
Sundial of the infinite for Swords to plowshares. Didn't work the way I wanted. Switched for solid removal.
Soul of the Harvest for Skullclamp. The Soul was inconsistent as card draw.
Karametra, God of Harvests for Burgeoning. Karametra is a nonbo with blink, a bit irrelevant with ramp past turn 5.
Knight of the White Orchid for Arbor Elf. Hard to cast, sometimes dead.
Farhaven Elf for Nature's Lore. Quicker.
Muddle the Mixture for Glen Elendra Archmage. Archmage is re-usable and hits more targets.
Loxodon Hierach for Sower of Temptation. Been wanting to test the Sower for a while.
Stonehorn Dignitary for Perplexing Chimera. The Rhino is boring 1v1 and a bit too oppressive.
Gift of Immortality for Mystic Remora. I really like the Gift to avoid commander tax, but I need more draw.
Sunblast Angel for Hornet Queen. Angel's conditionally good. Hornet is protection, more targets for Skullclamp and Reveillark
Fairie Trickery for Cyclonic Rift. More removal, possible wincon.
Thousand-Year Elixir for Forest. Only good for Roon. An extra land might be good and I need early green.
Plains for Forbidden Orchard. Better fixing.
Plains for Reflecting Pool. Better fixing.
Island for Riptide Laboratory. Currently 7 wizards in the deck, might bring some utility.
Avg. CMC = 3.77 for 3.59
Kodama's Reach for Oracle of Mul Daya. Less shuffling for a great effect.
Cultivate for Exploration. Less shuffling for a great effect.
Worldly Tutor for Mana Vault. Synergy with Seedborn Muse, Brago, King Eternal and Venser, the Sojourner.
Eladamri's Call for Desertion. Nice 75% spell.
Small changes to landbase as well. It might slow down the deck a bit, but brings more utility.
Forest for Dryad Arbor. Another target for Skullclamp.
Island for Halimar Depths.
Avg. CMC = 3.59 to 3.60
These changes have been in place a long time, but I haven't updated before now.
Arbor Elf for Birds of Paradise.
Leyline of Anticipation for Parallax Wave. Leyline wasn't that good post opening hand, and Parallax is a great effect.
Champion of Lambholt for Gilded Drake. The drake is good immediately, while Champion took some setup to be good.
Island for Mana Confluence.
Avg. CMC 3.60 to 3.59
Prophet of Kruphix for Murkfiend Liege.
Solemn Simulacrum for Slithermuse
Avg. CMC: No changes.
Out:
In:
Avg. CMC: 3.59 to 3.37.
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
Not enough land:
Rampant growth is good cheap ramp, and better than arbor elf because it won't die
Solemn simulacrum is efficient and better than pilgrim's eye, and it's a staple card that goes in almost any deck so it's not a bad purchase
Not enough card draw:
Prime Speaker Zegana will draw you lots of cards, I'd probably drop Lavinia of the Tenth for her
Other cards that strike me as weaker than the others:
Peregrine drake - I would switch this out with one of the cards you were looking at, preferably yisan, leyline, or yeva
clone - Rite of replication is SOOOOOO much better than clone
oust - Time to get yourself a copy of swords to plowshares, it's been one of the best removal spells since forever, with no sign of that ever changing
swan song - Unless you are facing very strong decks where 1 mana really matters, I would put either hinder or spell crumple here to put generals on the bottom of their owners library. Also consider replacing dream fracture for one of those as well.
let me start out by saying that I've chosen to go all-in on creatures, so as a result I've pulled all but the most important artifacts and enchantments. while cards like Conjurer's Closet and Thousand-year Elixir have cool abilities that seem to synergize perfectly with Roon, I've often been underwhelmed with their overall impact. So I took them all out. The only artifacts/enchantments I run now are there either to set up my early game or virtually win me the game on the spot, because I like to clear the board of all artifacts and enchantments when they start getting out of hand.
with all that said:
IN
I know that's 22 cards, so here are the 22 cards I'd remove from your existing list to make room:
OUT
If your budget was higher, I'd recommend the following:
...and, like I said earlier, the only artifacts and enchantments I personally run are either tempo all stars or game winners, namely:
and that's it! hope you can dig some of these ideas.
PS: sorry I can't suggest what exactly to remove for each addition I've suggested. I'm typing on my phone and that would require far more patience than I've got right now ;).
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
@Carthage:
Wouldn't Nature's Lore or Farseek be an even better landtutor since they can fetch my shocks?
I'll strongly consider Solemn Simalacrum since you both recommend it. I'll find room for [[Prime Speaker Zegana]] as well, but since Lavinia of the Tenth will lock down some boards I think it stays for now. I also agree that Peregrine Drake is a weak card, but with Deadeye Navigator or Mistmeadow Witch it provides infinite mana. It's a budget Palinchron.
@spentbullets:
A lot of great cards, thank you for being so thorough. A few questions:
Should I replace Farhaven Elf for Wood Elves, or play both?
Phyrexian Metamorph or Rite of Replication?
All the cards you suggested is $60+, so I'll probably add about 15 of them. I'll wait for some more feedback before i make a final decicion.
Also, is there any of the alternate lands I've listed I should consider?
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
Temple of Mystery & friends are decent fixing options as taplands with upside. As well, Venser/Wisp can be used to bounce them, giving repeated access to scry, and can alleviate the need for Crystal Ball, should non-land slots be limited. I'd look into finding a spot for them.
Lonely Sandbar & friends are less decent in 3+ color decks, as nonbasic space comes at a higher premium. Without some solid ways to recur them (Life from the Loam, etc.), I would say that you'd be safe to skip on these ones if you'd rather save slots for cooler effects/better fixing.
Azorius Chancery & friends also have their uses, though they can slow down your curve, and are susceptible to Ghost Quarter and other LD effects. Their greatest benefit to you would be to re-use lands like the Temples, bounce Cycling lands if you had to play them early, and to be untapped by Kiora's Follower. I would look to add them last, if only to see how many lands you'd have that are worth bouncing.
Vivid Creek & friends are fair budget lands, and can have their charge counters refilled by Venser/Wisp/RavKaroos. That said, they're yet another set of taplands, and their bounce/flicker synergy isn't that exciting, as you'll often be well fixed for mana by the time you have a way to repeatedly flicker them. I think you've got better lands.
Mosswort Bridge & Windbrisk Heights are yet more lands that can be abused by bounce/flicker synergy. So long as you feel that you meet their activation conditions without much trouble, they provide a source of free card advantage. I'd play them if you are willing to find the space.
IMO, Ice Floe and Safe Haven aren't lands, in as much as they can't contribute to mana production. If LD effects like Ghost Quarter aren't common in your group(s), these can make for solid artifact-esque effects. If you play them, look to cut something that's not a mana-producing land.
City of Brass: Fine 3-color fixer, in the same vein as Adarkar Wastes and friends. Worth playing if you have a slot.
Reflecting Pool: Better the more multi-color lands you have. Play it if you up your number of 3-color fixers.
Soldevi Excavations: Not as punishing (or abusable) as RavKaroos. Alongside the Temples, probably removes any need for Crystal Ball. Play it if you can keep your Island count up (6-7+).
Gemstone Mine: Can be refilled by bounce/flicker effects, and is a 3-color fixer that comes in untapped. Worth consideration.
Riftstone Portal: Only useful if you can reliably sac/discard it. I'd avoid it for now, unless you like Crop Rotation or Harrow.
Bant Panorama: Yet another Terramorphic Expanse. Worth playing with a decent basic land count.
Seaside Citadel: 3-color tapland with no other downsides. Play it if you can find the space.
Saltcrusted Steppe: Risky to play if LD effects are present, otherwise provides a good outlet for extra mana. Think about your group(s) before deciding.
Treva's Ruins: Can abuse lands like the RavKaroos do, but trades long-term ramp for short-term fixing. Play it if you like the RavKaroos.
Opal Palace: Inefficient fixing, but can make Roon into a powerhouse. Play it if you plan to attack or block with Roon often.
In the end, a fair number of the lands you have are worth playing, and none of the lands you're currently playing are inherently bad either. I'd say that whether you decide to include many of these lands or not depends on the groups you intend to face, and the speed at which you wish to play at. If Non-basic hate and LD in general aren't going to be much of an issue, then you could afford to have your basic land count drop a fair amount to accommodate some of your more potent non-basics. Similarly, if you expect games to go on long enough to allow for some shenanigans, then you could look at building a bounce package out of the RavKaroos+Lair cards.
RRR - Bosh's School of Hard(cover) Knocks
@Lycoris: Wow, great post! I think I'll try out the landbase as it is now, but might add in some scrylands if I miss them.
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
I'd say if you *had* to choose one, Wood Elves is certainly better, but for the sake of redundancy I'd rather make room for both.
They serve similar functions but have somewhat different applications. Metamorph is just a great all around clone effect with a lot of versatility, but Rite of Replication is a sheer bomb. I personally prefer Metamorph because it's funny to clone an opposing Mindslaver, but Rite of Replication would e a better choice if you're hungry for more win conditions.
Of the lands you mentioned, I think Reflecting Pool and City of Brass should definitely go in. The scrylands and hideaway lands are what I'd make room for next, but at the same time I'd advise you to be careful of running too many tap lands, as they can slow you down significantly.
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
A few common Roon cards I haven't seen suggested here yet:
Angel of Serenity
Angel of Finality / Loaming Shaman
Brago, King Eternal
Sundial of the Infinite
Diluvian Primordial
Terastodon
Woodfall Primus
Any reasons they haven't come up yet? They all seem like great cards to consider.
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
Currently Playing:
Multiplayer EDH Lists (click italics for a link to the thread!)
[Primer] Lord of Tresserhorn - Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do[Primer] Roon of the Hidden Realm - Rhino Blink
5 Color Tribal Guide (Slivers, Atogs, Allies, Spirits)
Also Playing (most decklists can be found on my profile)
MarathGeistKamahlGrenzoBolasThassaGitrog
PiratesZurVial Smasher&ThrasiosYennettJhoira(cEDH)Strix(Pauper)
Legacy: Maverick
Modern:
Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebearsFact or Fiction for more card draw is an option too. Maybe even Altar of Bone for a budget or second version of Eladamri's Call with the potential to make the sacrifice an upside.
Reclamation Sage and Harmonic Sliver are also great choices. A bit more artifact and enchantment removal doesn't hurt.
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
8 Ramp Cards: Sol Ring, Farhaven Elf, Wood Elves, Solemn Simulacrum, Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, Nature's Lore, Krosan Verge.
That does not seem much, but I also some card recursion with Eternal Witness, Sun Titan, Karmic Guide and Angel of Serenity. And yes, I noticed that you ran a couple of them already.
I would actually cut all the artifacts that are mostly good if you have a valuable creature and a lot of excess mana, e.g. Illusionist's Bracer, Strionic Resonator and most of the cards that don't have to do anything with the blink/etb theme, e.g. Cauldron of Souls, Darksteel Ingot, Arbor Elf, Kiora's Follower, Saffi Eriksdotter.
5 Roon of the Hidden Realm
Ramp / Mana
1 Arbor Elf
1 Realmwright
2 Sakura Tribe-Elder
3 Wood Elves
3 Farhaven Elf
4 Solemn Simalacrum
5 Peregrine Drake
5 Prophet of Kruphix
5 Seedborn Muse
5 Karametra, God of Harvests
1 Sol Ring
1 Carpet of Flowers
2 Nature's Lore
3 Cultivate
3 Kodama's reach
4 Skyshroud Claim
Draw
2 Coiling Oracle
4 Ephara, God of the Polis
5 Mulldrifter
6 Soul of the Harvest
6 Prime Speaker Zegana
4 Blue Sun's Zenith
Blink
2 Mistmeadow Witch
4 Brago, King Eternal
5 Venser, the Sojourner
6 Deadeye Navigator
3 Ghostly Flicker
3 Ghostway
5 Conjurer's Closet
Removal
3 Fiend Hunter
5 Acidic Slime
5 Ixidron
6 Sunblast Angel
2 Sundial of the Infinite
3 Bant Charm
3 Krosan Grip
3 Curse of the Swine
3 Aura Shards
4 Day of Judgment
Protection
4 Loxodon Hierarch
4 Stonehorn Dignitary
4 Spike Weaver
3 Darksteel Plate
3 Gift of Immortality
5 Cauldron of Souls
Tutors
3 Yisan, The Wanderer Bard
6 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Worldly Tutor
2 Eladamri's Call
Recursion
2 Saffi Eriksdotter
3 Eternal Witness
4 Archaeomancer
5 Reveillark
5 Karmic Guide
6 Deadwood Treefolk
Misc
3 Champion of Lambholt
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
4 Rite of Replication
5 Perplexing Chimera
5 Lavinia of the Tenth
3 Thousand-Year Elixir
7 Avenger of Zendikar
36 land
My added cards is about $50.
1 Realmwright
3 Wood Elves
3 Yisan, The Wanderer Bard
4 Spike Weaver
4 Solemn Simalacrum
4 Brago, King Eternal
4 Archaeomancer
5 Seedborn Muse
5 Ixidron
6 Prime Speaker Zegana
7 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Wordly Tutor
1 Carpet of Flowers
2 Eladamri's Call
2 Nature's Lore
2 Sundial of the Infinite
3 Kodama's Reach
3 Rhystic Study
3 Ghostway
4 Rite of Replication
Feedback greatly appreciated as always
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
Since it was reprinted in Modern Masters, you can probably nab a Tooth and Nail for $5 or less.
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
In my current list I have 16 cards for ramp / mana fixing, but still not much draw. Would Wall of Omens / Wall of Flowers or Sea Gate Oracle be good replacements, or should I have this much ramp?
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
The only issue with running a ton of ramp is the increased chance that you'll end up with a lot of mana and nothing to do with it. That's why it's so critical to balance ramp with card advantage so you can replenish your rapidly diminishing hand with more gas. Luckily, Roon decks tend to be a bit hungry for mana so as long as you have at least one good ETB dude in play you can always use the excess mana to blink it over and over. You'll probably have to play the deck a few times to gauge whether or not you 1) get going fast enough, and 2) have an abundance of things to spend your extra mana on.
If you're not keen on spending any more cash at this time, I'd consider trading for a Tooth and Nail if that's an option for you. A lot of players choose not to run this card because of how overpowered it is, but adding it to your list will increase the strength of your deck tremendously. As long as you're conscientious of your playgroup when resolving Tooth and Nail, you can ensure that it's not too OP (acceptable use of TnN really depends on the power level of your opponents).
Finally, play a few games and let us know how the deck is feeling. Does it need more draw? More ramp? More answers? More finishers?
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
If you want more draw power, try out Raven Familiar and/or Sea Gate Oracle, both of which are very affordable (and have a low CMC).
Have you tried out your updated list yet?
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
Please let me know if you see something that should be replaced I might have too much ramp and too little draw.
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
Some of the cards in your "Spare Cards" list would make great additions to your deck, namely Armada Wurm, Sun Titan and Sea Gate Oracle. Armada Wurm is a great finisher with a blink enabler in play, and it looks like your deck is a bit light on win conditions. Sun Titan provides immense value in recovering lost utilities, and you can abuse him further with your various blink engines. Sea Gate Oracle is a nice, cheap source of card filter and draw, and is terrific when blinked multiple times. Also, if you have an Angel of Serenity laying around it'd be an upgrade over Sunblast Angel, which is nice in theory but would unfortunately destroy Roon if you used his ability to blink her.
Here are the changes I'd recommend.
+Sun Titan
-Knight of the White Orchid
+Armada Wurm
-Realwright
+Sea Gate Oracle
-Arbor Elf
+Angel of Serenity
-Sunblast Angel
These changes would increase your average CMC, but if you feel like you have too much ramp then increasing your CMC will give you more things to do with all that mana. If my cursory analysis is close to the mark, your current list sits at around 3.40 average CMC--if you made these changes it'd jump to about 3.55, which isn't terrible for a green rampy deck. As another note, cheap mana dorks are nice, but Roon is a commander that likes creatures that provide value as soon as they enter play, as opposed to creatures that provide value once you get to untap with them (or provide value only for as long as they remain on the battlefield).
I assume you've gotten some games in since you last updated, how are you liking the deck's performance so far?
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
I've played maybe 5 games with the list above, and my experiences have been varied. In several games I ramp more and draw more than the rest of the table, get ganged up on and is the first to be eliminated. I've also lost to single spells like Overwhelming Stampede or combos, so I think the counterspells are really good. All in all the deck plays quite well, but I think you're right that more threats would be good.
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.
I've played ~15 games since last update, and the deck is really in need of more threats. Quote from another player in my playgroup: It ramps a lot, sometimes draw a lot of cards, but doesn't really do much else. Some of the blink targets is OK, but don't affect the game much. I think some more card draw would be good as well.
I'll probably include the four suggestions in the above post by Spentbullets, but would love to hear some other feedback and advice as well
GBU Sidisis Vegetarian Zombies. Tutorless reanimation GBU
GB75% Nath of the Gilt-Leaf. My GFs elf tribal deck.GB
Comments, advice and feedback always appreciated.