Remand is cute, but possibility storming into a remand feels awful 99% of the time. I went with Cryptic Command and Brutal Expulsion for countermagic because they are modal and dont require a spell to be on the stack to be useful.
Thats very solid reasoning, especially considering that when you can tutor, you'll be fetching stuff like possibility storm; and you run quite a suite of tutors in your build.
@Karn - amazing card for Mishra btw. I took mine out because of a playgroup request (apparently my friends dont find it fun to have me start bleeding their lands off without ending the game)
Overall, I like your list. Its a little more cutthroat, and im not a huge fan of tutors - but they add a necessary element to any deck trying to be consistent. That said - why so many tutors and no Arcum Dagsson?
The one critique i would mention, and you will have to playtest this - is that your curve is very flat for a storm combo play (you have 8 or more spells of each mana cost from 1-6, with several cards over that cost). You could set up some nifty storms with sensei's divining top and future sight; but if I were running a storm mishra deck, i'd also be tryigng to abuse cheap artifacts, blood funnel / helm of awakening / cloudkey ETC effects + Null Profusion / vedalken archmage / draw engine effects to draw tons of cards, dump tons of cards into a storm combo. With a steep curve, your combo is more vulnerable to being broken and then being completely unusable.
In regards to Arcum Dagsson, sometimes he was great, and sometimes he just kinda sat there and did nothing. He found important artifacts, but he couldnt find either of the main engines (Possibility Storm and Blood Funnel), so that was a strike against him. Then when I started trimming down on artifact creatures to play the two eldrazi and other utility creatures he just got worse and worse until he ended up getting cut.
In regards to the curve, it definitely needs some cleaning up, but I'm looking to have more of a midrange build with a combo kill than an all in combo deck. When I started building it I didnt want to go with the full on storm build, mostly because sometimes you sit there and play solitaire for 10 minutes and dont actually win. So instead, I went with a more value oriented build that has the ability to put together an infinite loop that ends the game right then and there.
In regards to Arcum Dagsson, sometimes he was great, and sometimes he just kinda sat there and did nothing. He found important artifacts, but he couldnt find either of the main engines (Possibility Storm and Blood Funnel), so that was a strike against him. Then when I started trimming down on artifact creatures to play the two eldrazi and other utility creatures he just got worse and worse until he ended up getting cut.
That makes sense; with only 10 artifact creatures in your build and no way to generate more to spare, i can see where he loses a lot of value. I would make an argument to be more pro artifact creatures than big dumb colorless creatures that dont count as artifacts...cuz...uh...they are stoopid? on a more serious note, im a fan of blightsteel colossus, and i'd recommend him if you've got a spare copy laying about.
In regards to the curve, it definitely needs some cleaning up, but I'm looking to have more of a midrange build with a combo kill than an all in combo deck. When I started building it I didnt want to go with the full on storm build, mostly because sometimes you sit there and play solitaire for 10 minutes and dont actually win. So instead, I went with a more value oriented build that has the ability to put together an infinite loop that ends the game right then and there.
Also makes sense. Honestly, I am a big fan of storm combo in edh for the exact reason you mentioned it. I love to watch an opponent go off and then stumble at the finish line; blowing their chance to win and leaving themselves exposed. That said, playing storm and watching someone play storm are 2 very different beasts.
Have you broken out your build at a game or two yet? Let me know how your play testing goes!
That makes sense; with only 10 artifact creatures in your build and no way to generate more to spare, i can see where he loses a lot of value. I would make an argument to be more pro artifact creatures than big dumb colorless creatures that dont count as artifacts...cuz...uh...they are stoopid? on a more serious note, im a fan of blightsteel colossus, and i'd recommend him if you've got a spare copy laying about.
I really should be playing Blightsteel, playing vintage just got me in a habit of playing Inkwell Leviathan as my artifact beater of choice because it cant be stolen by Dack Fayden. And I'm playing the eldrazi because they are probably the hardest hitting creatures in EDH, and when I find them with Possibility Storm I still get the cast trigger, so I'm not losing that aspect of them.
Also makes sense. Honestly, I am a big fan of storm combo in edh for the exact reason you mentioned it. I love to watch an opponent go off and then stumble at the finish line; blowing their chance to win and leaving themselves exposed. That said, playing storm and watching someone play storm are 2 very different beasts.
Have you broken out your build at a game or two yet? Let me know how your play testing goes!
Storm is a weird thing in EDH, some people hate it, some people love it, either way, its pretty divisive and I didnt want this deck to cause half the table to groan every time I pulled it out, so that was a pretty big factor. I've taken the deck out multiple times in the last few weeks, its often done well, Ive found that a lot of decks have a hard time playing through a Possibility Storm, especially combo and control decks. That said, the deck still loses pretty hard to a turn 4 Blightsteel, so it has its ups and downs. I was also able to resolve an Omen Machine against a Nekusar player, everyone except him thought it was hilarious.
Inkwell is a fine option. Its about as resilient to spot removal, with the added bonus that it wont be used against you as easily. Honestly, both are liabilities against Bribery, but honestly, i think an opponent is less likely to steal Inkwell leviathan over say, wurmcoil engine or steel hellkite.
My only problem with Inkwell is that despite being a safe beater to use, i feel it doesnt have the effect on the game that many other artifact beaters bring to the table. He is kind of a low risk, low reward card in my opinion.
@Storm in edh - say no more, i agree with you on that, the community is completely split. You'll notice i dont run a storm combo mishra build, even though many people consider it a semi viable combo deck. On the OP i have a link to one, though i dont know if it is maintained.
Wizards uploaded some commander spoilers today. Here are the ones that are in Grixis and my personal evaluation of each (trying to evaluate cards, this is a first for me):
Gigantoplasm - Could be a copy of Mishra or could just copy a wurmcoil and become a big dumb beater.
Scytheclaw - Mishra voltron? No CMDR damage though, but with the speed that their life total is ticking down, I don't think you need that wincon if you play this.
Fiery Confluence - I like this. Very diverse, especically with the "you can choose the same one more than once" clause. Could be better than Vandalblast politically.
Blade of Selves - I don't think this one needs explaining. Thada Adel, Wurmcoil, Nulamog...(exiles entire library)
Banshee of the Dread Choir - This is a cool discard creature, but I don't think that it is a card that you would want in Mishra.
I shall continue my review, cause more spoilers. I am only going to review cards that are interesting, as there are a number of things that just don't go into Mishra well with this wave.
Dread Summons This card seems kind of cool. I would probably use it in this sort of way: Find (or in this case mill) some large number of things out of my deck, then Goblin Weld them or use Scrap Mastery to put them all into play. Cool card.
Sandstone Oracle This is good card draw, and a nice way to gain ground against the guy with 20 cards in hand. It allows us to quickly dig into our deck and put a bunch of stuff on the field in one wacky turn.
Curious what the internet hive mind thinks about pithing needle in Mishra. I keep looking at it and wanting to add it in, I feel like there are enough popular cards with activated abilities that it shuts down to make it worth it.
Wizards uploaded some commander spoilers today. Here are the ones that are in Grixis and my personal evaluation of each (trying to evaluate cards, this is a first for me):
...
I am gonna wait until all the spoilers are out then do a review. look for my thoughts in that post when it comes.
Curious what the internet hive mind thinks about pithing needle in Mishra. I keep looking at it and wanting to add it in, I feel like there are enough popular cards with activated abilities that it shuts down to make it worth it.
I think its a strong card in the deck. Also, it boosts the value of Trinket Mage. Really depends on your meta. My younger brother plays freyalise, llanowar's fury; so i think its a great card to resolve. Also note: some playgroups hate effects that can chain down commanders, so make sure its 'fun' before you play it.
I am gonna wait until all the spoilers are out then do a review. look for my thoughts in that post when it comes.
Many f us were expecting a R/U legendary creature with artifact synergy. I wanted it for utility, obviously. We already have a fine general! The fact they didn't print one will help keep our deck distinct.
Yea I agree this lack of a true Izzet artifact commander keeps us more unique. However I feel that Arjun, the shifting flame actually is that U/R artifact commander that people are asking for as it gives the fast pace and aggressive side that U/R artifacts wants.
Yea I agree this lack of a true Izzet artifact commander keeps us more unique. However I feel that Arjun, the shifting flame actually is that U/R artifact commander that people are asking for as it gives the fast pace and aggressive side that U/R artifacts wants.
This is exactly where I am at. Arjun is a really cool commander, and keeps us in the lime light as URx generals. So we didn't get a new toy, but eh, Grixis is lyfe.
So ive been putting off my review of the new commander cards, here are my thoughts. (I am reviewing all the cards in our colors, even if they are clear duds. Please let me know if I skip or forget to include one).
Mizzix of the Izmagnus - Maybe for a storm build? I would just run him as an izzet storm commander and not include him in Mishra.
Warchief Giant - The haste makes this guy great. But not for Mishra.
Synthetic Destiny - Great for tokens, which you can do with Pentavus and Myr Battlesphere style cards. Could have potential, but you'll need tutors to fetch it. I wont
run it though.
Thief of Blood - First useful card. A planeswalker board wipe? Depending on your meta, this guy could be an autoinclude. Sure, he doesnt fit what we need
perfectly, but planeswalkers can be a huge problem for us since we don't run a lot of aggro. This guy solves that problem and gives us a threat to boot.
Rite of the Raging Storm - I get what its supposed to do, but I am not seeing the value. So many better political options.
Aethersnatch - I mean, cool effect to steal a spell, but Spelljack actually synergizes with Mishra. Not gonna run snatch
Daxos' Torment - Nope. if you need this explained, go play burn.
Magus of the Wheel - Neat effect. Really wish he didn't have to tap, since he already costs 5 mana for a wheel of fortune. I'd rather run an effect that I don't have to wait a turn for, we are in a good color suite for wheels. Just ask Nekusar.
Scourge of Nel Toth - Recursion is really neat. Might have value in a staxy build. Has cool synergy with Grave Pact effects.
Mizzix's Mastery - WOWWIE! What a monstrous card. Man so strong. I would run this in a storm variant.
Gigantoplasm - A great clone, especially since the X/X doesnt go away at end of turn. Unfortunately he cant copy non-creature artifacts, which is a must for our clones.
Dread Summons - We aren't mill. Plus with the amount of Eldrazi in the format, I just don't like this card. If you run it, make sure to run blightsteel colossus.
Awaken the Sky Tyrant - A 5/5 flier is just too vanilla for EDH. I get the politics it implies, but really, who worries about giving a 5/5 flier?
Illusionary Ambusher - Very situational. Could be a huge card draw though against the right opponent who is building up big fatties that dont trample. I think there are better draw spells, and thats all i see in this guy. Tramplers/evasion make him valueless.
Corpse Augur - Cool card, but we have much better draw options available.
Dream Pillager - Synergizes with Mishra! That said, I dont think he will be too valuable. 7 mana and no haste for 4 damage and 4 attempts at Ornate Kanzashi simply isnt worth it. If we could play lands with it, or didnt have to pay mana costs, he'd be MUCH better. disregard, somehow thought this read off your opponents library. False card advantage. We have better options.
Deadly Tempest - Not a terrible wipe if you need more anti creature tech. Definitely a monster card vs token decks.
Meteor Blast - Terrible. I don't really like red, and this makes me feel bad for red.
Command Beacon - Enters play untapped. Helps get around Commander tax, without mana invested. I will be testing this card for sure.
Seal of the Guildpact - Maybe useful in a spell slinger / storm build. I am not a huge fan of this card though, since it costs so much for so little. I'd sooner run gauntlet of power and other mana doublers. I don't think we need this card. Helm of Awakening effects are just too common for this to help us.
Sandstone Oracle - Artifact creature, draws cards. Flying blocker. 4/4 Body. What else could we want? How about a mana cost that makes sense...7 is just too much. You are forfeiting a turn for probably a 4/4 that draws 3ish cards on etb, and it can't be abused with bouncing it since you can only draw the difference once per turn.
Scytheclaw - I wouldnt run Quietus Spike, I won't run this. Too much mana for too little too late. You need aggro and the ability to equip as an instant for this to be truly valuable.
Blade of Selves - Really nifty. Would love to live the dream and slap this on Blightsteel Colossus or a non-legendary eldrazi. Could be fun if you are building a robot army brother's war style.
Thought's Urn - Overpriced mana rock imo. The no max hand size is really nifty, but im not sure it justifies paying 2 for a 1 rock. There are lots of better options for limitless handsizes that i'd rather invest in, like Venser's Journal
Why is Voltaic Construct not in your list, or list of cards to consider? If you're willing to run D. Forge + Nev Disk shenanigans then you can run Basalt Monolith + Voltaic Construct + Karn, Silver Golem with no moral repercussions. That, and all parts of those combos are solid on their own.
Infinite mana, infinite untaps of all animated artifacts... slap on some proliferate like Throne of Geth or Contagion Engine and you have some busted business.
Basalt adds 3 mana. It costs 1 to animate it with Karn, then 2 to untap. It seems like it would only have the effect of infinite untapping/tapping (unless I don't know something). Basalt Monoligh and Rings of Brighthearth work better and is less fragile, as it is only a 2 card combo.
Basalt adds 3 mana. It costs 1 to animate it with Karn, then 2 to untap. It seems like it would only have the effect of infinite untapping/tapping (unless I don't know something). Basalt Monoligh and Rings of Brighthearth work better and is less fragile, as it is only a 2 card combo.
Rings + monolith is the stronger combo, but the missing Voltaic Construct is a HUGE miss on my part, i will add it post haste, as you are correct, its a great combo creature, and pairs brilliantly with many other cards in the deck. Hell, goes infinite really easily with Metalworker, which is a must have imo. Thanks for pointing out this oversight quixotegut
To answer your question GrayMerchant (can i call you by your name btw in here, do you care?), you are overlooking the fact that you only need to animate it 1 time per turn with karn, after that first investment, it goes infinite.
I'm considering getting a few extra walkers after I am done constructing my deck, because I always feel like every one of my decks needs to be superfriends control in addition to what it already does. U/B Tezz is already on my list, and Dack and Ugin will be in there as well if I can afford them. I am a little iffy on Ashiok though. I like the stealing aspect but I feel like it may cause feel bads. Unless I'm missing something, and Ashiok isn't very good. What is your opinion on him?
I'm considering getting a few extra walkers after I am done constructing my deck, because I always feel like every one of my decks needs to be superfriends control in addition to what it already does. U/B Tezz is already on my list, and Dack and Ugin will be in there as well if I can afford them. I am a little iffy on Ashiok though. I like the stealing aspect but I feel like it may cause feel bads. Unless I'm missing something, and Ashiok isn't very good. What is your opinion on him?
i can see that. i am currently hoping to get a copy of Ugin and/or Karn so I can test them out in this build. Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas is a great way to dig deep for cards, and his -4 is pretty potent. Dack Fayden is cool, but im not sure he fits our build well. His looter ability is handy, but we dont really need to steal artifacts with a planeswalker nor do we benefit much from his ultimate. I don't like Ashiok for this deck.
i can see that. i am currently hoping to get a copy of Ugin and/or Karn so I can test them out in this build. Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas is a great way to dig deep for cards, and his -4 is pretty potent. Dack Fayden is cool, but im not sure he fits our build well. His looter ability is handy, but we dont really need to steal artifacts with a planeswalker nor do we benefit much from his ultimate. I don't like Ashiok for this deck.
Thanks for the info. I actually got a Karn in the mail a few weeks back, and I can say that he's totally worth it. If you can protect him well enough, you can just alternate his +4 and -3 until you get to 14 and restart the game with all the things on the field. He is also easy to get out, as we run a multitude of mana accelerants.
Making these changes official. Decided to keep phyrexian arena in main build, too important to keep the card draw coming to drop it, plus it helps diversify our permanent types when it comes to drawing cards.
IN
Volrath's Stronghold - Recursion is your friend
Herald of Kozilek - Cheaper stuff is better stuff
Ensnaring Bridge - Tired of voltrons messing up my day, so i want to be immune to them.
OUT
Bojuka Bog - Not a lot of reanimator in my circle right now, not necessary, rather have an untapped land like stronghold
Etched Champion - Dont need champion if i can stick bridge
Feldon of the Third Path - feldon was great when i was a lot heavier with creatures, but right now hes kinda a dead draw. i love him, but i cant find much use of him right now.
Little brother surprised me with a Karn Liberated for christmas!!
Currently considering dropping one of the three for him. Playtesting will decide:
Duplicant - Comparable mana costs, dont need as many creatures currently, but he is a form of exile removal, which is pretty darn nice. Ultimately they fill similar roles, and karn is more versatile / a better lightning rod.
Phyrexian Arena - BB is unpleasant in a deck that is becoming more and more colorless mana based. That said, its an excellent 3 drop if i have the black mana, which is my least used mana color in the deck. All in all, this card struggles to stay in my build, but is a clean way to draw cards, so its hard to replace.
Herald of Kozilek - 3 drop 2/4, but requires 2 forms of colored mana. he is in the deck purely for the wombo-combo with his cost reducing, but really, he isnt too critical. I think i will start my testing by replacing Herald.
IN: Volcanic Island - Mishra's shiney new island fortress of doom! super stoked to get a copy! Karn Liberated - my kick ass little brother got this for me for christmas this year, super happy to add him to my deck!
OUT: Herald of Kozilek - required 2 colored mana, is not an artifact, and this isnt a combo build. All in all, not an ideal fit. Snow-covered Swamp - I think i am down to 7 black cards in the deck, plus Mishra, so for now, gonna drop a little on black basics, since they arent as necessary with all my mana fixing.
I've been looking for something to convert my Sharuum the Hegemon deck into and this deck was the perfect fit.
Here is my current list, I'll be playtesting it soon and swapping cards in and out. Any opinions are welcome.
To address your concern about Blood Funnel - note that running more creatures doesnt hurt it; in fact, that gives you fuel for when you need to cast a counterspell or something. More creatures benefit blood funnel. The only time I would cut funnel is if your artifact count dropped / your spells dont use many generic mana symbols. Edit: something to note about blood funnel is that it IS a conditional card. If your hand doesnt fit it well, it can be a seriously dead draw. For what its worth, it wont worsen your deck horrifically if you drop it, especially with Herald of Kozilek in your build
The big omission I am seeing from your build is Mycosynth Lattice - this card is HUGE for Mishra. Any reason you didnt want to run it? Perhaps its too oppressive for your playgroup? It appears to me that your only real win condition is artifact creature beat down, because you never really achieve a total game lock if you dont sweep your opponents lands. Was that intentional?
Obviously if you are going to run tutors, there are better ones than beseech the queen. Normally i dont dislike this tutor, but you dont run a TON of black mana sources; and it can very easily be overpriced / limited in what it can fetch. Obviously if you can spring the $ for it, Vampiric or Demonic tutors go a long way in that department.
I like your inclusion of the mindslaver / academy ruins lock. A great way to close out a game if it goes to 1v1.
I am not a fan of Worn powerstone. In my opinion, it might be beneficial to run an artifact like Chromatic Lantern . Lantern provides 1 less mana, but it can be any color, and it fixes your mana for your whole deck, and doesnt enter play tapped, so is immediately useful.
Looking at your list, obviously I dont know without playtesting, but I notice a lack of repeatable card draw. Not a huge problem, since you generate advantage in other ways, but it might be nice to add some sort of permanent card draw to help Phyrexian Arena and Vedalken Archmage. Consider Consecrated Sphinx, Mind's Eye, or even Staff of Nin. Loreseeker's stone isnt bad, but this deck doesnt play cards fast enough to really take full advantage of loreseekers, since you will frequently have a hand size of 2-4 cards.
Give what youve got a few playtests, good luck man and welcome to the wonderful world of Mishra!!
@Karn - amazing card for Mishra btw. I took mine out because of a playgroup request (apparently my friends dont find it fun to have me start bleeding their lands off without ending the game)
Overall, I like your list. Its a little more cutthroat, and im not a huge fan of tutors - but they add a necessary element to any deck trying to be consistent. That said - why so many tutors and no Arcum Dagsson?
The one critique i would mention, and you will have to playtest this - is that your curve is very flat for a storm combo play (you have 8 or more spells of each mana cost from 1-6, with several cards over that cost). You could set up some nifty storms with sensei's divining top and future sight; but if I were running a storm mishra deck, i'd also be tryigng to abuse cheap artifacts, blood funnel / helm of awakening / cloudkey ETC effects + Null Profusion / vedalken archmage / draw engine effects to draw tons of cards, dump tons of cards into a storm combo. With a steep curve, your combo is more vulnerable to being broken and then being completely unusable.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
In regards to the curve, it definitely needs some cleaning up, but I'm looking to have more of a midrange build with a combo kill than an all in combo deck. When I started building it I didnt want to go with the full on storm build, mostly because sometimes you sit there and play solitaire for 10 minutes and dont actually win. So instead, I went with a more value oriented build that has the ability to put together an infinite loop that ends the game right then and there.
WURG Thrasios, Triton Hero + Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
UBR Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
Also makes sense. Honestly, I am a big fan of storm combo in edh for the exact reason you mentioned it. I love to watch an opponent go off and then stumble at the finish line; blowing their chance to win and leaving themselves exposed. That said, playing storm and watching someone play storm are 2 very different beasts.
Have you broken out your build at a game or two yet? Let me know how your play testing goes!
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
I really should be playing Blightsteel, playing vintage just got me in a habit of playing Inkwell Leviathan as my artifact beater of choice because it cant be stolen by Dack Fayden. And I'm playing the eldrazi because they are probably the hardest hitting creatures in EDH, and when I find them with Possibility Storm I still get the cast trigger, so I'm not losing that aspect of them.
Storm is a weird thing in EDH, some people hate it, some people love it, either way, its pretty divisive and I didnt want this deck to cause half the table to groan every time I pulled it out, so that was a pretty big factor. I've taken the deck out multiple times in the last few weeks, its often done well, Ive found that a lot of decks have a hard time playing through a Possibility Storm, especially combo and control decks. That said, the deck still loses pretty hard to a turn 4 Blightsteel, so it has its ups and downs. I was also able to resolve an Omen Machine against a Nekusar player, everyone except him thought it was hilarious.
WURG Thrasios, Triton Hero + Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
UBR Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
My only problem with Inkwell is that despite being a safe beater to use, i feel it doesnt have the effect on the game that many other artifact beaters bring to the table. He is kind of a low risk, low reward card in my opinion.
@Storm in edh - say no more, i agree with you on that, the community is completely split. You'll notice i dont run a storm combo mishra build, even though many people consider it a semi viable combo deck. On the OP i have a link to one, though i dont know if it is maintained.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Illusory Ambusher - Galvanic Blast on this is just straight value.
Gigantoplasm - Could be a copy of Mishra or could just copy a wurmcoil and become a big dumb beater.
Scytheclaw - Mishra voltron? No CMDR damage though, but with the speed that their life total is ticking down, I don't think you need that wincon if you play this.
Fiery Confluence - I like this. Very diverse, especically with the "you can choose the same one more than once" clause. Could be better than Vandalblast politically.
Blade of Selves - I don't think this one needs explaining. Thada Adel, Wurmcoil, Nulamog...(exiles entire library)
Mizzix of the Izmagnus - Could be useful in a storm build.
Banshee of the Dread Choir - This is a cool discard creature, but I don't think that it is a card that you would want in Mishra.
I shall continue my review, cause more spoilers. I am only going to review cards that are interesting, as there are a number of things that just don't go into Mishra well with this wave.
Dread Summons This card seems kind of cool. I would probably use it in this sort of way: Find (or in this case mill) some large number of things out of my deck, then Goblin Weld them or use Scrap Mastery to put them all into play. Cool card.
Sandstone Oracle This is good card draw, and a nice way to gain ground against the guy with 20 cards in hand. It allows us to quickly dig into our deck and put a bunch of stuff on the field in one wacky turn.
WURG Thrasios, Triton Hero + Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
UBR Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
I think its a strong card in the deck. Also, it boosts the value of Trinket Mage. Really depends on your meta. My younger brother plays freyalise, llanowar's fury; so i think its a great card to resolve. Also note: some playgroups hate effects that can chain down commanders, so make sure its 'fun' before you play it.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
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
So ive been putting off my review of the new commander cards, here are my thoughts. (I am reviewing all the cards in our colors, even if they are clear duds. Please let me know if I skip or forget to include one).
Synergizes with Mishra! That said, I dont think he will be too valuable. 7 mana and no haste for 4 damage and 4 attempts at Ornate Kanzashi simply isnt worth it. If we could play lands with it, or didnt have to pay mana costs, he'd be MUCH better.disregard, somehow thought this read off your opponents library. False card advantage. We have better options.Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Infinite mana, infinite untaps of all animated artifacts... slap on some proliferate like Throne of Geth or Contagion Engine and you have some busted business.
Hell, run Geth, Lord of the Vault while your at it! Mill'em out!
To answer your question GrayMerchant (can i call you by your name btw in here, do you care?), you are overlooking the fact that you only need to animate it 1 time per turn with karn, after that first investment, it goes infinite.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Also, you can call me by my name, or Gray if that suits you.
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
Thanks for the info. I actually got a Karn in the mail a few weeks back, and I can say that he's totally worth it. If you can protect him well enough, you can just alternate his +4 and -3 until you get to 14 and restart the game with all the things on the field. He is also easy to get out, as we run a multitude of mana accelerants.
IN
Volrath's Stronghold - Recursion is your friend
Herald of Kozilek - Cheaper stuff is better stuff
Ensnaring Bridge - Tired of voltrons messing up my day, so i want to be immune to them.
OUT
Bojuka Bog - Not a lot of reanimator in my circle right now, not necessary, rather have an untapped land like stronghold
Etched Champion - Dont need champion if i can stick bridge
Feldon of the Third Path - feldon was great when i was a lot heavier with creatures, but right now hes kinda a dead draw. i love him, but i cant find much use of him right now.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Currently considering dropping one of the three for him. Playtesting will decide:
Duplicant - Comparable mana costs, dont need as many creatures currently, but he is a form of exile removal, which is pretty darn nice. Ultimately they fill similar roles, and karn is more versatile / a better lightning rod.
Phyrexian Arena - BB is unpleasant in a deck that is becoming more and more colorless mana based. That said, its an excellent 3 drop if i have the black mana, which is my least used mana color in the deck. All in all, this card struggles to stay in my build, but is a clean way to draw cards, so its hard to replace.
Herald of Kozilek - 3 drop 2/4, but requires 2 forms of colored mana. he is in the deck purely for the wombo-combo with his cost reducing, but really, he isnt too critical. I think i will start my testing by replacing Herald.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
IN:
Volcanic Island - Mishra's shiney new island fortress of doom! super stoked to get a copy!
Karn Liberated - my kick ass little brother got this for me for christmas this year, super happy to add him to my deck!
OUT:
Herald of Kozilek - required 2 colored mana, is not an artifact, and this isnt a combo build. All in all, not an ideal fit.
Snow-covered Swamp - I think i am down to 7 black cards in the deck, plus Mishra, so for now, gonna drop a little on black basics, since they arent as necessary with all my mana fixing.
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Here is my current list, I'll be playtesting it soon and swapping cards in and out. Any opinions are welcome.
1x Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Land (38)
1x Academy Ruins
1x Command Tower
1x Crumbling Necropolis
1x Darksteel Citadel
1x Dragonskull Summit
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Great Furnace
1x Halimar Depths
7x Island
1x Lavaclaw Reaches
4x Mountain
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Seat of the Synod
1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1x Skyline Cascade
1x Smoldering Marsh
1x Strip Mine
1x Sunken Ruins
4x Swamp
1x Tainted Isle
1x Tainted Peak
1x Temple of Deceit
1x Temple of Malice
1x Temple of the False God
1x Terramorphic Expanse
1x Vault of Whispers
Enchantment (6)
1x Blood Funnel
1x Copy Artifact
1x Ice Cave
1x Phyrexian Arena
1x Planar Chaos
1x Possibility Storm
1x Argentum Armor
1x Darksteel Forge
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Dimir Signet
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Izzet Signet
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Loreseeker's Stone
1x Mindslaver
1x Mirrorworks
1x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Oblivion Stone
1x Planar Portal
1x Rakdos Signet
1x Sculpting Steel
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Spine of Ish Sah
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Trading Post
1x Worn Powerstone
Sorcery (7)
1x Beseech the Queen
1x Deadly Tempest
1x Diabolic Tutor
1x Fabricate
1x Preordain
1x Scrap Mastery
1x Toxic Deluge
Instant (4)
1x Counterspell
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Terminate
1x Thirst for Knowledge
1x Arcum Dagsson
1x Baleful Strix
1x Burnished Hart
1x Etherium Sculptor
1x Feldon of the Third Path
1x Goblin Welder
1x Hellkite Tyrant
1x Herald of Kozilek
1x Inkwell Leviathan
1x Master Transmuter
1x Memnarch
1x Myr Retriever
1x Nullstone Gargoyle
1x Scarecrone
1x Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Sphinx Summoner
1x Steel Hellkite
1x Trinket Mage
1x Vedalken Archmage
Planeswalker (3)
1x Daretti, Scrap Savant
1x Liliana Vess
1x Tezzeret the Seeker
I'm concerned that my deck isn't a good fit for Blood Funnel. I feel like I am playing too many creatures.
I'm also concerned that I might not have enough good win conditions.
To address your concern about Blood Funnel - note that running more creatures doesnt hurt it; in fact, that gives you fuel for when you need to cast a counterspell or something. More creatures benefit blood funnel. The only time I would cut funnel is if your artifact count dropped / your spells dont use many generic mana symbols. Edit: something to note about blood funnel is that it IS a conditional card. If your hand doesnt fit it well, it can be a seriously dead draw. For what its worth, it wont worsen your deck horrifically if you drop it, especially with Herald of Kozilek in your build
The big omission I am seeing from your build is Mycosynth Lattice - this card is HUGE for Mishra. Any reason you didnt want to run it? Perhaps its too oppressive for your playgroup? It appears to me that your only real win condition is artifact creature beat down, because you never really achieve a total game lock if you dont sweep your opponents lands. Was that intentional?
Obviously if you are going to run tutors, there are better ones than beseech the queen. Normally i dont dislike this tutor, but you dont run a TON of black mana sources; and it can very easily be overpriced / limited in what it can fetch. Obviously if you can spring the $ for it, Vampiric or Demonic tutors go a long way in that department.
I like your inclusion of the mindslaver / academy ruins lock. A great way to close out a game if it goes to 1v1.
I am not a fan of Worn powerstone. In my opinion, it might be beneficial to run an artifact like Chromatic Lantern . Lantern provides 1 less mana, but it can be any color, and it fixes your mana for your whole deck, and doesnt enter play tapped, so is immediately useful.
Looking at your list, obviously I dont know without playtesting, but I notice a lack of repeatable card draw. Not a huge problem, since you generate advantage in other ways, but it might be nice to add some sort of permanent card draw to help Phyrexian Arena and Vedalken Archmage. Consider Consecrated Sphinx, Mind's Eye, or even Staff of Nin. Loreseeker's stone isnt bad, but this deck doesnt play cards fast enough to really take full advantage of loreseekers, since you will frequently have a hand size of 2-4 cards.
Give what youve got a few playtests, good luck man and welcome to the wonderful world of Mishra!!
Primer - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Thor, Ragnar Röks!
Hela, and the Enemies of Asgard
Teferi, Temporal Archmage