So I posted this up for the primer committee to take a look at, I hope it's a decent primer on a commander I think needs a bit more love. I'd love to hear what the community has to say about the primer and the deck as well. I wasn't sure where else to post this so, here we go...
Savra, Queen of the Golgari
Lady of Life and Death
Deck Type: Golgari Control
Introduction
Welcome, to my official primer on Savra, Queen of the Golgari. My name is Ely, I’ve been learning—honing my skills as an EDH player on for about five years now. And in that time I’ve built many decks, wandered from camp Johnny, to team Timmy, and everywhere in between.
You’ve probably wandered here because you play commander (or are interested in learning more about it). Well, whether you’re a veteran of the King of Formats, or a new initiate. I, and many others, believe that there’s always a new deck to learn and hopefully, you’ll find what I’ve been working on here informative and engaging.
Savra has been a labor of love for me for the past four years. In that time I’ve played in local shops, in tournaments, and I’ve spent endless hours in that pit of vipers on Cockatrice; I’ve worked with Savra to turn her in to something I hope is unique, flavorful, and potent. The green/black color combination provides players with a multitude of extraordinarily powerful options that other color combinations just cannot provide as effectively. And, if you enjoy a deck that will provide you with the power to both control the board state and produce a wide array of threats, then Savra is a Golgari commander you will enjoy.
The Lady of Life and Death, is generally a control deck, although I call it growth deck. Savra won’t win games on turn one the way a Karn or Niv-Mizzit deck might, but she'll give you the chance to strangle your enemies with quiet efficiency. The focus here is on synergy and controlled dominance. Savra’s aim is to keep problem creatures and commander-centric decks under her thumb while growing her own field of varied threats. Here I have compiled a list that I believe is competitive, but does not utilize anything that players may deem—janky, or unsportsmanlike (with two possible exceptions). The deck listed here has some high value cards; however, I have also worked to post a budget version of the deck that contains no cards over $10 dollars (US) in value. Which isn’t quite as competitive, but will provide a budget player a chance to really get to know Savra without devoting big money to her.
"Nature's most raw beauty is the circle: perfect in its continuance, with no break between death and life."
Why play Savra
Savra often flies beneath players’ radars as she is an older legend that does not see heavy play in the present commander climate. At her core, she is essentially Grave Pact on legs, which provides her pilots with a very potent method for controlling the board. Against creature dependent decks, particularly voltron decks or general-centric decks, Savra can be one of the most crippling generals your opponents can face. She is evenly costed at BG2 and as her ability triggers on any sac—including her own. If you have a sac outlet available then she generally represents a poor, or at the very least a less than ideal, target for removal spells which allows her to remain a presence on the board.
Her ability to both gain life and address threats is quite strong, her colors provide her with nearly every tool you will need to tackle threats, and in this list she has a few nasty tricks up her sleeve which may be used in a pinch, or ignored depending on your play group.
The question one should ask when determining if Savra is the right general is, Do I understand and enjoy intricacy and control, or do I want raw power?
The black/green color combination allows for quite a bit of variation in decks; however, if raw power is what you are looking for, you may be better off taking a look into other Golgari commanders such as Varolz or Jarad. Savra is about subtly and examination of the board state, depending on your politics, she may—or may not—win you many friends at the table. So knowing what play to make and when is vital. Savra's strength lies in her ability to dominate the board addressing the opponent directly by forcing the sacrifice, and there are very few things that can disrupt her as most all of the sacrifice effects are costs and not abilities.
You will enjoy this deck if you like:
• Controlling the battlefield
• Utilizing various types of threats: creatures, enchantments, artifacts, big spells, even lands.
• A deck that grows steadily, allowing all players to enjoy the game.
• A political style of gameplay
• Love tokens, sac effects, recursion, and synergistic card combinations
Savra Archetypes
There are generally two routes players tend to go when playing Savra, the first is the recursion route, which utilizes many creatures (mostly black) that when sacrificed trigger some sort of effect of their own in conjunction with Savra's forced sac or life gain. Creatures like Abyssal Gatekeeper or Kokusko, The Evening Star are common in this version of the deck. Quality decks that go this route are reliant on a higher number of powerful critter sac effects, and a great deal of reusable recursion—things such as Sheoldred, The Whispering One[/card] and Phyrexian Reclamation[/card]. The recursion version of the deck looks to use Savra’s sac triggers and the various sac triggers of the creatures as a means to winning.
The other method utilizes primarily token generation as sac fodder, and looks to repeatable token generation as a means of keeping the board clear of creature based threats. Utilizing token generation allows for the token player to commit more of his/her deck to playing and developing a strong board presence. In this version of the deck, Savra lives and dies by her sac outlets. Because very few tokens come with an inherent sac ability (colorless eldrazi tokens aside) the sac outlets used in the deck become vitally important and potent weapons against your opponents. In this version of the build, cards like Sadistic Hypnotist and Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord are powerful and common additions.
Each version has its merits, I personally prefer the token route and the deck listed utilizes this path primarily. By choosing to focus on token generation I am less vulnerable to graveyard hate. One late game Bojuka Bog or Tormod’s Crypt can really ruin a GY deck’s game. So I look to critters I don’t mind losing forever. Tokens and sac outlets may be an integral part of the play, but they are not the only means of winning--while this deck can certainly flood the field with tokens, that is only one method in which this list can eliminate opponents.
In this list, I hope you'll find that threats come from all angles. I have worked to try and utilize Savra's strengths as threats, attempted to minimize her weaknesses, and looked for unique cards that synergize well with multiple cards within the deck. Savra's flavor is about seamlessness--that perfect balance between life and death, growth and decay, here I hope you'll find some of that.
Deck Building
Before diving deep into the deck, I suggest taking a look at Jason Rice's article on commander deck building, while it is a bit more reading, I believe he is on to something worthwhile. Readers may find it at http://brainstormbrewery.com/a-unified-theory-of-commander/ although I think he undervalues synergy (although simple good stuff decks are certainly a thing), in the long run, I believe his acronym for deck building is a great place to start with EDH decks. And if you're looking to build a variation of a Golgari control deck I think this is a good place to start.
What is Golgari Control? (beyond the obvious)
Let's talk a bit about the control archetype before going forward. Most players are familiar with the three main types of decks Agro, Combo, and Control. It doesn't take much to look up what these deck are and what they're designed to do. Many players are familiar with the Magic Clock/Trifecta, whatever you want to call it, which details how the decks interact, agro beats control, control beats combo, and combo beats agro. The premise is simple enough, and albeit a bit outdated, but it important to understand if we want to understand how decks are "supposed to work."
Why is "supposed to work" in quotations? Well, in part because midrange and other deck types have sprouted up, but more so because EDH/Commander is a very different beast than your typical constructed format. Here, and it pains me to say this, Combo is king. The nature of the formats rules naturally tend to favor combo. 40 life is hard for even a very good agro deck to burn through before something janky hits the board and sticks, and the multiplayer nature of the format means that traditional means of control (counters and removal) are simply too inefficient to deal with all the threats that arise within a given game.
So why build a control deck? What does Golgari control provide that traditional control decks don't? Well as any EDH vet will tell you, everything depends on your meta, and the eternal and slower nature of the format provides you with a wide array of options, which your opponents may not have prepared for. And because, if you're like me, you believe combos can be stopped, agro can be controlled, and with a bit of patience and some good politics, you can wrap your tendrils around your opponents' throats without them even knowing it. Specifically, Golgari control gives you access to Green's ability to ramp and keep up with quick decks as well fast powerhouse cards, and black's remarkable creature removal (particularly in the form of forced sacrifices), tutors, card advantage, and all around dominating cards.
What will this deck fail to do for you? Well no deck can prepare for everything, this deck doesn't tackle everything with ease by any stretch of the imagination. Savra's strengths are in her ability to control critters on the board, and decks that dump critters on the board en mass can be a problem. Animar, Maelstrom Wander, Rhys, and Edric all play green and can ramp hard into critters that are easily sac'd. Additionally, although Savra has enough recursion to be relevant, decks that repeatedly wipe the board are also a problem as she needs to be able to play permanents in order to develop a winning board.
Oh, and if you come up against Sigarda, Host of Herons, Savra's nemesis, well, all you can really do there is try to ramp like crazy and out threat her--put a laser focus on her and kill that player as quick as possible.
One thing is for certain, if you're going to survive, you're going to need mana, and you're going to need it rather quickly. Some decks can get by on only six or seven lands. Savra is one of them. But having access to more is always better, and if we can get the mana we need faster than the Esper deck--or even the Naya deck at the table. Well that's just gravy.
Every deck hinges on its lands, that's why land is so expensive. Here we have quite a list, twelve lands that tap for two or more colors, ten colorless producers, and fifteen single color lands. Thirty seven in total is a respectable number of lands for a two color deck, some may argue it's a bit many; particularly in green where ramp is so prevalent. But I believe it is a fitting number for this particular deck. You may find your deck can get by with less, or may need more. Let's look at our mana suite. Our ramp, and our mana fixing, in addition to the 37 lands should provide us with enough to keep pace. There are 14 spells, creatures, and artifacts that can produce or help fix mana. All totaled, that's more than half the deck, and that's in a deck that runs only two colors. Most of these should be pretty obvious, but I'll provide a bit of commentary on some of them.
Why is it important? As a control deck that looks to control creatures in particular, this deck needs to be able to keep pace with its opponent's, if not outpace them. Zur only needs to swing once in order to pick up Diplomatic immunity, so if we want to keep generals like that under wraps, we need to beat them to four mana and we need a sac outlet.
Which brings us to our next big point...Savra lives and dies by her sac outlets. Because Savra's ability triggers on her own sac, you can remove a critter from each player's board on turn four or sooner, but having to sac Savra is a less than ideal situation, you really only want to do it if she is about to be tucked or if there is a singular threat that must be addressed immediately. Let's examine our sac outlets.
There's a total of 12 dedicated sac outlets, which is fair, but admittedly I could use another one. But with the available recursion--if one of them goes, there's should always be an out. Lands are particularly important options, as they are uncounterable, and will provide Savra and valuable creatures with a source of exile/tuck protection.
Next, let's look at our token generators and valued sac targets.
Sengir Autocrat* One of the few Homelands gems, 4 possible removal spells for 4 mana is value Avenger of Zendikar* A go-to tutor target, but still great. He wins games through life gain, and token generation. Woodfall Primus Bitterblossom* So good early game it's scary. Viridian Emissary* A new addition, and fairly consistent source of mana ramp. Sakura-Tribe Elder Garruk, Primal Hunter* the only planeswalker in the deck, more often used for card draw than tokens though. Kokusho, the Evening Star* A great all around option, in this deck Koko can do X + 5 points of damage in a turn, kill X amount of critters, gain you X amount of life, and if you have some recursion it's bonkers. Mitotic Slime* With an altar Mitotic slime is an all-star, netting you 14 life, 7-14 mana, or milling your opponent for 12 cards. Mycoloth* Mycoloth is a great tool to cement dominance of the board or even a win, Devour triggers Savra, and nets you green tokens. Pair with Jarad for a Fling win, or with Sanguine Bond for some serious threat. Creakwood Liege Grave Titan Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder* My go-to black token creator. Endrek is the man.
One thing that many Savra decks I've examined online have is a real imbalance between black sac fodder and green sac fodder. While I believe that black creatures/tokens are inherently more valuable, on more than one occasion, I've found that without green critters to sack, my life total drops pretty quickly making it more difficult to take the game. Relentless life gain is a nice feature in the deck, and when you couple it with something like Sanguine Bond, all the sudden you're green critters are means to winning.
The relationship between sac outlets and token generators/sacrifice targets serve as the primary engines of Savra's deck. Much of what this list aims to do is to put the above cards to work in conjunction with one another. Ideally, there should be no sac fodder too valuable to sac to at anytime, and no outlet which is better off left unused. Of course, when piloting a deck such as this, it's helpful to be smart about things--not sacking Sakura Tribe Elder until the EOT of the previous player's turn, waiting to sack Kokusho until after you've gotten that extra five damage in. These things seem like common sense plays, but sometimes a chump blocker can make all the difference.
So far you may have noticed a few cards in multiple roles; this is not uncommon, and going forward we will start to see more and more cards playing pulling double duty. Value is a fundamental element to an edh deck, getting the most bang for your buck is an important idea to take into the deck building process. It's part of the reason why some cards which may seem great are not included here and others are. Let's take Fauna Shaman vs. Survival of the Fittest. I opted for an additional green creature which I could sac and was easily recurable, rather than a permanent which did not inherently benefit Savra's concept, and was more difficult to bring back if I needed it. (The price difference between the cards was also a factor).
Let's break down our remaining permanents and spells into relevant categories. Now, because many pull double duty the reader will find certain cards may show up in two or more categories. I have provided another comprehensive deck list by category as well.
I break down my deck into the following categories:
I've left lands off this list because I think it should be fairly obvious where they fall in terms of what their uses are.
I think it's important to look at how the deck plays a bit--Let's examine a few key cards, synergies and ideas. Like most control decks the idea here control your opponents while building enough of a board to either swing in and kill or utilize a combo of sorts to take them out. We'll call this section--Kill cons
Key cards:
Obviously, Savra is a key component, but both Grave Pact and Butcher of Malakir can perform in her place--the new Erebos' Edict is also an option. (I generally consider go-to tutor targets or engine parts as "key" components to the deck. Additionally, cards I look for in my initial hand are considered here.)
All of the enchantments and artifacts are great, but these are the ones I look for when I need to get the deck rolling early game, or a kill con late game.
Key Bombs (single cards that can swing games massively)
• Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
• Kokusho, the Evening Star
• Lord of Extinction
• Avenger of Zendikar
• Tooth and Nail
• Living Death
• Sheoldred, Whispering One
• Flesh-Eater Imp Great Opening Hand Cards
Obviously ramp spells and mana rocks
• Sylvan Scrying
• Sakura-Tribe Elder/Yavimaya Elder/Viridian Emissary
• Bitterblossom
• Deathrite Shaman
• High Market/Phyrexian Tower
Now, for all the Johnny's out there, let's get into a few combos.
Let's get the two Janky infinite/psuedo-inf. combos out of the way.
• Mitotic Slime/Phyrexian Altar/Savra, Queen of the Golgari/Phyrexian Reclamation/Sanguine Bond.
This is one is a bit of a snake in the grass combo. As almost no one I've played has seen it when it hit the board. It'll work with Avenger of Zendikar as well, but you'll need to ensure you have at least 9 lands to utilize the [card]Reclamation and recast Avenger.
• Woodfall Primus/Mikaus, The Unhollowed/any repeatable sac outlet
Nothing creative here, I know everyone says this--but the cards are so good separately I had to put them in--I claim incidental combo!!
Initial Hand Help
Many Primers provide a "typical match ups" section; however, since this is edh, there's almost no such thing as a typical deck, let alone game. So I thought it might be helpful to look a few mulligan options with a few random hands and partial paris mulligan rules (one free partial mulligan, followed by discard 2 draw 1)
Hand 1
Sol Ring
Phyrexian Arena
Phyrexian Reclaimation
Acidic Slime
Chord of Calling
Swamp
Reliquary Tower
This hand is pretty friggin' Ideal, I'd pitch the Chord of Calling and the Slime. I happened to draw into cards that made it nearly perfect: City of Brass and Maelstrom Pulse.
I think you keep this every time.
Hand 2
Exotic Orchard
Swamp
Skyshroud Claim
Damnation
Mind Slash
Greed
Mikaeus, The Unhollowed
This one is a little less straightforward, Exotic Orchard is a pretty solid land multicolor option. I like Mind Slash as a sac outlet, but I think I'd pitch the others and try for a third land. I happened to draw:
Golgari Signet
Maelstrom Pulse
Forest
Pretty solid, if you ask me.
Hand 3
Tranquil Thicket
Forest
Temple of the False God
Bojuka Bog
Skyshroud Claim
Kokusho, The Evening Star
Flesh-Eater Imp
IT'S A TRAP! This hand is a gamble. Every land comes into play useless except the forest. The Skyshroud is an obvious keep, but keeping Temple of the False God is a trap, as is keeping the Tranquil Thicket. This hand is what I call an "If/Then" hand. If you draw into that 5th landit can be okay. But even Koko puffs isn't enough incentive to keep it. I'd pitch everything but the Skyshroud and two lands (forest and Bog). It's a gamble either way, but I trust the deck. I drew into:
Golgari Signet
Tooth and Nail
Eternal Witness
Forest
Not terrible--not great.
Midgame Strategy
By about turn 10, the deck should be clicking pretty well, particularly if there haven't been any board wipes. If you haven't been able to find a token generator and a quality sac outlet by now then it's probably going to be a long game. Start looking to develop your board by playing draw spells and relevant small spells. Hold on to your bomb card and don't try to attract too much attention. If you're struggling for mana, just chock it up to one of those games. In the teen turns I'm generally looking to finalize my win con, If I draw into a tutor I'm examining graveyards (counting cards--thinking maybe a Lord of Extinction combo) or I'm looking to lock the game down of critters and big plays with Endrek Sahr and Sadistic Hypnotist. Keep an eye on your life total, green sac targets like Mitotic Slime and Mycoloth are valued sources of life in this period of the game.
End Game
With the board clear of critters, your tokens and beasties should be free to swing with impunity. ALWAYS kill the combo player first, as they can just win out at any point. Other control players should follow, and the poor sap playing agro will probably be your last target.
Card Choices and Ratings
With many cards, particularly some of the common critters that are seen in Savra decks it's easy to say, "Well why didn't you include X" I'll attempt to address a few of those cards here, but because of the sheer volume of great options, I believe it would be better to address these sort of things in later posts. My deck is by no means the best Savra deck ever created, and because your meta should dictate what cards you bring to the table more than just about anything else, please note that this build was designed to address a wide array of contending decks.
Alternative Deck lists (Budget/Non-token centered) Non-token Route http://www.mtgdeckbuilder.net/Decks/ViewDeck/savra-queen-of-the-golgari-edh-588939
This deck is a fair representation of a non-token style Savra deck, I would personally put more recursion in there, but I believe it should provide readers with a different take on the deck.
Thank yous
I wanted to take the opportunity to thank a few people for their help with the primer
• Hey, play group, we don't get together enough, but when we do, I'd like to thank you guys for putting up with my decks
• To Rowan, who's help and primer with my Nin deck inspired me to write a primer of my own, I'll get around to Nin soon, but I think she's still too new for the primer committee to accept
• To the primer committee, hey fellas, thanks for allowing me to do this.
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
Savra is my favorite EDH deck. When I started playing Commander 4 years ago she was my first deck and I've had her built since. Being my favorite, she's also the deck I'm never satisfied with, usually rebuilding it once a week.
It'll take me a bit to read through your primer, but I'm quite happy do discuss all things Savra.
Great, thanks, I'm always looking to find someone to discuss Savra with!! I think the next big card for the deck will be Ghoulcaller Giza from the new commander 14 decks, she looks like a perfect addition. I think she will probably take the place of either Sengir Autocrat or Glissa the Traitor. The fact that she will serve as both a sac outlet and a token generator is remarkable.
Believe it or not, I think the new Green Planeswalker looks pretty awesome as well. She's a fantastic source of mana in the form of tokens that can be sacked to gain life? She' not terribly threatening so she might actually be able to hang around on the board for a few turns. And she offers a bit more in the way of removal which the deck could certainly use. I actually really like the card.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
A nice read, I'm in the process of building a Savra deck and although I'm going a more mass-sacrifice/recursion route your post was pretty informative about how to make her work. (I went with an elf tribal theme for my group's casual games)
Is there any advice you could add for someone going for the recursion archetype?
One thing I'm looking forward to about Gisa is that turns green creatures into black ones!
Here's some random pieces of advice I've learned playing Golgari.
Don't get greedy. Always assume grave hate will happen. If too many of your threats are in the yard at the same time, grave hate can blow you out. I usually prefer to constantly recur one or two threats. That way, when my opponents finally deal with them, I can just play more from my hand right away.
Another one is that green/black lacks haste, so you can never rely on your creatures to swing. If they live the round, great, but I always assume they'll get wrathed. As a result, you need to get your value from ETB/LTB effects.
Phyrexian Delver is the best creature ever. The value of a reanimation spell on a creature can't be overstated. It gives you 4x triggers for something when paired with Mikaeus, or goes infinite with Ashnod's Altar + Nim Deathmantle. At 5CMC you can also Pod into it off Savra.
Life drain is a pretty good win condition, through cards like Gray Merchant and Kokusho.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Puppeteer Clique is a "fair" infinite combo; it doesn't automatically win the game as it relies entirely on what's in your opponents' graveyards.
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
I chose not to use Exquisite Blood because I'm typically not a fan of infinite combos (although admittedly I run two psuedo-infinite combos--mostly because each of the cards are good in their own right).
Besides, Grim Feast + Sanguine Bond are more than enough to take down most any opponent and it's just so much more creative
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
Mainly because Exquisite Blood isn't a good card on its own.
I've no issue with combo, and I run Mikaeus + Woodfall/Puppeteer and Nim Deathmantle + Ashnod's Altar, but all of those pieces are good outside of the combo. By itself Sanguine Bond at least helps to kill your opponents.
Now if you're going straight for the combo it can be fine to play, but if you're running incidental combos it's just not worth it.
List looks dope. How often do you typically cast her in a single game?
At one point or another I've played with most of the cards you referenced in the deck, but they've been slipped into other decks which they were also well suited for...Dark Prophecy for example went into a Teysa deck, Perilous forays into Saffi, Blood Artist into Olivia, (i only play 2 color female generals, it's just a thing I do.)
I've typically sealed the deal if I've cast her twice from the command zone (but this is dependent on how much hate I garner and how many players I have to take down) More than that, and I'm looking to Grave Pact or Butcher of Malakir to fill her role. That being said, many in my meta have learned that Savra is a remarkably poor target for removal spells. At most any moment, there should be a sac outlet on my field, meaning that if someone were to target her for removal, I can quickly sac her, causing each player to lose a critter. Wrath's can be an issue, particularly in my meta; however, there's some decent recursion in here (although admittedly I could use one more spell) which makes getting her back from the GY not too much of an issue.
I'm a firm believer that no good EDH deck relies solely on it's commander for a win. The best commanders facilitate the functions of the deck, meaning that the deck can still do what it intends to do without them; however, it does what it intends to do more efficiently with them. Savra is all about synergy and much of what I've been working to accomplish in this build is designed to maximize this play. Combos that win games--sure, there's a few, but I seldom use them to win. My primary wins come from a complete domination of the board via sacrifice effects. I'm more of a fan of strangling my opponents than I am of bashing them over the head with a combo.
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
why no rendclaw trow and milira combo it work with any sac out let and with blasting station thats a turn 4 win and with savra on board with any other outlet its inf health and board clear thru forced sacs and inf mana with any altar
Whoa, it has been a while.
Glad to see this has seen some traction since I climbed beneath my rock. Savra has certainly gotten some new tools for consideration. I've been out of the EDH game for a while, but now that I'm back I will try and do a better job of keeping this up to d
Would you guys like to see some game play videos? It'd be from cockatrice, but for EDH I think Cockatrice is a bit better. And hey, you'd get some commentary.
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
Yo Ely, I have a few questions for you. I'm building my second EDH deck (first was Marchesa, the Black Rose) and wanted to make sure I don't run into any traps early on in the process.
First off though, love the primer
1a. How much life do lose as a result of her ability?
1b. How do you feel about life-gain sac outlets? I feel like most are cheap and can offset the life loss fairly well. Vampiric Rites Gutless Ghoul Claws of Gix
2a. Savra obviously hoses voltron, but how does she fare against other matchups, especially reanimator?
2b. Is there room for a land-animator package to ensure opponents are sac-ing creatures? Living Plane Kormus Bell + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth Nature's Revolt
3. Any cards you think are unique staples? Of course, most decks could use a Tooth and Nail but rather all stars like Creakwood Liege?
Hey Souzi,
Thanks for giving Savra a shot, I don't think you'll be disappointed. She takes some learning but she's really a great GB option and she will not make you a target at your table (until you playgroup realizes what she can do).
As for you questions...
1a. How much life do lose as a result of her ability?
--Um, tough to say. It really depends on what is happening in the match. Sometimes you'll spend a lot keeping the board under wraps, sometimes you're just gaining life. Usually though, I'm balancing my life loss with some life gain and all things tend to equal out nicely.
1b. How do you feel about life-gain sac outlets? I feel like most are cheap and can offset the life loss fairly well.
--I like all of those, but I'd put priorities on "free" sac outlets like the altars and Flesh-Eater Imp first. You have plenty to do with your mana, you probably don't want to spend it just gaining 1 or 2 life...which you can probably just gain through Savra's ability.
2a. Savra obviously hoses voltron, but how does she fare against other matchups, especially reanimator?
--You will almost always fare well against Commander-centric deck. Some decks like Rhys the Redeemed which spit out tokens like crazy can give you trouble, but can be dealt with. And again there is Sigarda, Host of Herons (We don't talk about her....):argh:
Reanimator decks like Karador, Ghost Chieftain can give you a hard time if you're not prepared for them. BUT if you have them in your meta, and you prepare for them, you should be fine. I can generally force sac more than they can reanimate, plus you can work cards like Leyline of the Void or Scavenging Ooze into your build (*I like the ooze) and keep them under control. If you find yourself up against a reanimator deck then keep your head down, get your engine in place, and then pounce. One of Savra's greatest strengths is that she allows you to keep the others at the table in check while you focus one opponent at a time. Kill Bill, then Tim, then Jenny. Assess your threats, neutralize them, get them margaritas afterward, they will have plenty of salt for their glass.
2b. Is there room for a land-animator package to ensure opponents are sac-ing creatures?
-- Sure, if you want to, but I'd be worried about someone blowing up the board. I have to say, I'm not a fan of Living-Land type effects, because there's usually a wrath waiting in a hand somewhere. I mean, think about the dread you'll feel when someone at the table plops a card like Oblivion Stone down on the field and just sits? I'd be sweating bullets. And remember, lands have no color, so you can't sac them to trigger your commander.
3. Any cards you think are unique staples?
Yes, absolutely. Savra has some staples you'll really want to get your hands on. Unfortunately, some of them have climbed in price and looking at the deck now vs. when I bought 90% of it makes me cringe (but in a super happy way, I mean, who doesn't want to see their cards increase in price):)
Let's get some of those expensive cards out of they way:
1. Phyrexian Altar (all the altars, really): It's just too good, you want it. Can you live without it? Of course, but it's my primary sac outlet, and my stupid play group keeps K-griping it! God, leave it alone, Bryan!!! GRRRRR!!
2. Phyrexian Tower and High Market these are the two best lands in the deck apart from basic swamp and forest. You want one of the two on the field at all times.
3. Volrath's Stronghold This card is amazing and serves as one of my best recursion sources. It's a must in any black deck really, but particularly in decks like Savra where you can really break them.
4. Grave Pact and/or Dictate of Erebos (or Butcher of Malakir) The fact is that Savra can get really expensive, and your deck has a plan, you need other ways to facilitate that plan.
5. 2-3 genuinely good life gain sources. If that's Grim Feast and Kokusho, the Evening Star like my list, or Exsanguinate and exquisite blood or whatever you'd like--you'll need a few sources of BIG life gain for those games where you're dumping life like crazy to keep the board clear.
That's really it as far as specific cards go. Sure, I love Necropotence and Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder and Sadistic Hypnotist and Mikaeus, the Unhallowed but are they "staples"? I don't know, I mean, yeah--you'll see them in just about every Savra list (every good one anyway), but it all depends on your play group. For some, Necropotence is a super competitive card, or Sadistic Hypnotist is a d-bag card that doesn't let them play. I mean, I can see it that way, but I'll stop playing the Hippie, when Nate stops playing Narset. You hear that Nate!? I know you're reading this!
Don't sleep on good targeted or mass removal that's a broad as possible either: Beast Within Maelstrom Pulse Krosan Grip Damnation and/or Toxic Deluge Sometimes you just need to empty the board. EVERY EDH DECK NEEDS AT LEAST 3-4 good sweepers.
I hope that's helpful, I'd build the deck in proxy or Cockatrice first, see how you like it, learn the lines and then start brainstorming ideas of your own that are specific for you play group.
Good luck out there! Keep me posted on your progress!
Ely
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
Hey Ely, I've finally gotten around to building my Savra deck. My Zo-Zu punishment deck got in the way of progress, but I'm now looking for some help again.
This is the deck as it stands currently, and some problems I've gotten regarding it.
1. My card draw feels wonky and all over the place. I don't want to commit too heavy to "Whenever a creature dies" effects because that feels like I'm already winning. Are there possible ways to balance this?
2. How are my sacrifice outlets? They are scattered throughout the curve and seem to affect the board in a pretty significant way. Obviously altars/lands are preferable but my meta doesn't require $80 cards to win, if that makes sense.
3. My CMC ignores 4 drops and aims for 5 drops, should this be tweaked? Most of the ramp is 2 drops that play into a T3 Savra, but this might just need to be playtested.
4. Any cards that feel win-more to you?
5. Is trying to abuse the lifegain part of her kit stretching the focus too much, or is this route just as viable?
I know that was a ton of questions, I just love this commander and really want to create a deck that's really focused and synergistic. I want my buddies to not know what to counter/remove because it all is so cohesive.
If you can't reply to all of these questions or don't want to, I'd LOVE to hear your take on why certain cards are keeps or cuts (I'm trying to learn card evaluation).
Hey Ely, I've finally gotten around to building my Savra deck. My Zo-Zu punishment deck got in the way of progress, but I'm now looking for some help again.
This is the deck as it stands currently, and some problems I've gotten regarding it.
1. My card draw feels wonky and all over the place. I don't want to commit too heavy to "Whenever a creature dies" effects because that feels like I'm already winning. Are there possible ways to balance this?
2. How are my sacrifice outlets? They are scattered throughout the curve and seem to affect the board in a pretty significant way. Obviously altars/lands are preferable but my meta doesn't require $80 cards to win, if that makes sense.
3. My CMC ignores 4 drops and aims for 5 drops, should this be tweaked? Most of the ramp is 2 drops that play into a T3 Savra, but this might just need to be playtested.
4. Any cards that feel win-more to you?
5. Is trying to abuse the lifegain part of her kit stretching the focus too much, or is this route just as viable?
I know that was a ton of questions, I just love this commander and really want to create a deck that's really focused and synergistic. I want my buddies to not know what to counter/remove because it all is so cohesive.
If you can't reply to all of these questions or don't want to, I'd LOVE to hear your take on why certain cards are keeps or cuts (I'm trying to learn card evaluation).
Hey Suozi,
Sorry again about how long it took for me to check up on this. School is back in and I've been crazy busy with students so not much time for Magic unfortunately.
After digging into your list I think you're looking pretty good. I think there's a few things you may want to consider though going forward.
First, I think your sac outlets look okay, but they can be improved with a bit of $$ (I know, that sucks to say, but that's just the name of the game. I'm running 17 total sacrifice outlets in my deck, which doesn't seem like a lot (admittedly I could use another one), but it's pretty appropriate given that many (if not most) are repeatable and free. More on this later.
Your curve isn't terrible for an EDH deck. Yeah, you have a lot of 5 mana spells, but that's not inherently bad. Try adjusting some of your ramp spells and see what you can do. If that doesn't work, I suggest scaling back on the card draw effects that cost more than 3, and try more 2 mana tutors like Demonic Tutor, Fauna Shaman, Diabolic Intent, and Traverse the Ulvenwald. This can help you find the cards you need in a given situation.
I've noticed you don't have much in the way of recursion. I'd seriously take a look at the following cards, and consider if they are worth testing.
How many artifacts and enchantments are you seeing in your play group? It looks like you have quite a few cards that are meant to address these, and I'm not sure if you need all that many. I run the following (or will be once Guilds of Ravnica lands)
Obviously, some of these are multi-purpose, but their primary function is to deal with non-creature permanents as effectively as possible while still providing utility elsewhere. While things like Caustic Caterpillar are synergistic, that's about the best they'll ever be. Bane of Progress however, that's something you'll get greater value out of. Good pick there.
I think you'll also want to look a bit more at cards that synergize across the whole of the deck a bit more. Things like Temur Sabertooth are nice at four mana, but you'll probably be getting more bang for your buck (mana-wise) if you play something like Jarad, Golari Lich Lord. He happens to pair very nicely with things like Doomgape[/car], Kokushko, the Evening Star, and my own personal favorite combo Lord of Extinction a.k.a. "DoomTube". You have a few guys that can get really big, Yehenni, Mycoloth, put them to use in the air too by flinging them.
While we're on the topic of combos, it looks like you could use a few "I win" buttons. I know they're not "fun" and I'm not advocating infinite combos, but something that you can rely on as a feel good for when you're behind. Mikaeus, the Unhollowed is a card I highly recommend (and worth the price), as it synergizes with everything the deck wants to do--effectively doubling every sac you make. And, it so happens that Dark Mike and Woodfall Primus pretty much just win the game on the spot. And can be tutored up in a pinch by something like Defense of the Heart or Tooth and Nail.
You appear to be relying a great deal on drawing cards, whereas my deck is much more of a toolbox. I'm digging into my deck in a ton if different ways, and I've found tutors are just a bit more reliable. They're always the cheapest cards, but they are the most effective way to get the cards you want. Tutors in my deck include:
I'm never at a loss for the card I need thanks to all of these.
While we're talking about digging into you deck, let's talk about your ramp suite. For the most part I think it looks good. Except, I really think you want a few things. First, Skyshroud Claim this is an all star. If you can, try and pick one up. Normally, I'd say pulling lands out of your deck is better than relying on mana rocks, but you may consider packing a few more in your deck just in case one of your man-land effects backfires and you need some mana. Obvious cards like Gilded Lotus and Darksteel Ingot come to mind.
Overall, I think you're working with a pretty good list. My gut tells me that if you're running into issues, it's because you feel like you don't have the right tools to deal with the board at the right time. This can be solved by addressing the balance between card draw and tutors. Up your tutor count a bit (upping your ramp can help too by thinning out your deck), and see how that feels. I imagine that you also feel like there are times when you're just a mana or two short, or half a turn behind, I think this may be due to the many mana-based sacrifice effects you're running. Your deck appears to be pretty greedy on the mana, maybe look for a few more free sac outlets like Flesh-Eater Imp or Altar of Dementia. These cards allow you to sac multiple creatures at a time, and don't cost a thing to activate. (Funnily enough, finding a few more decent ramp options can help here too).
I hope all this helps. Drop me another line and let me know, I'll try and be more punctual this go around.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Introduction
Welcome, to my official primer on Savra, Queen of the Golgari. My name is Ely, I’ve been learning—honing my skills as an EDH player on for about five years now. And in that time I’ve built many decks, wandered from camp Johnny, to team Timmy, and everywhere in between.
You’ve probably wandered here because you play commander (or are interested in learning more about it). Well, whether you’re a veteran of the King of Formats, or a new initiate. I, and many others, believe that there’s always a new deck to learn and hopefully, you’ll find what I’ve been working on here informative and engaging.
Savra has been a labor of love for me for the past four years. In that time I’ve played in local shops, in tournaments, and I’ve spent endless hours in that pit of vipers on Cockatrice; I’ve worked with Savra to turn her in to something I hope is unique, flavorful, and potent. The green/black color combination provides players with a multitude of extraordinarily powerful options that other color combinations just cannot provide as effectively. And, if you enjoy a deck that will provide you with the power to both control the board state and produce a wide array of threats, then Savra is a Golgari commander you will enjoy.
The Lady of Life and Death, is generally a control deck, although I call it growth deck. Savra won’t win games on turn one the way a Karn or Niv-Mizzit deck might, but she'll give you the chance to strangle your enemies with quiet efficiency. The focus here is on synergy and controlled dominance. Savra’s aim is to keep problem creatures and commander-centric decks under her thumb while growing her own field of varied threats. Here I have compiled a list that I believe is competitive, but does not utilize anything that players may deem—janky, or unsportsmanlike (with two possible exceptions). The deck listed here has some high value cards; however, I have also worked to post a budget version of the deck that contains no cards over $10 dollars (US) in value. Which isn’t quite as competitive, but will provide a budget player a chance to really get to know Savra without devoting big money to her.
*MTG Vocab alert
Readers here may find commonly used "magic jargon" such as color screwed, priority, or sac outlet. You can refer to this glossary of magic jargon if you're confused. A great list of terms can be found here
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/level-one/glossary-terms-2015-09-21
"Nature's most raw beauty is the circle: perfect in its continuance, with no break between death and life."
Why play Savra
Savra often flies beneath players’ radars as she is an older legend that does not see heavy play in the present commander climate. At her core, she is essentially Grave Pact on legs, which provides her pilots with a very potent method for controlling the board. Against creature dependent decks, particularly voltron decks or general-centric decks, Savra can be one of the most crippling generals your opponents can face. She is evenly costed at BG2 and as her ability triggers on any sac—including her own. If you have a sac outlet available then she generally represents a poor, or at the very least a less than ideal, target for removal spells which allows her to remain a presence on the board.
Her ability to both gain life and address threats is quite strong, her colors provide her with nearly every tool you will need to tackle threats, and in this list she has a few nasty tricks up her sleeve which may be used in a pinch, or ignored depending on your play group.
The question one should ask when determining if Savra is the right general is, Do I understand and enjoy intricacy and control, or do I want raw power?
The black/green color combination allows for quite a bit of variation in decks; however, if raw power is what you are looking for, you may be better off taking a look into other Golgari commanders such as Varolz or Jarad. Savra is about subtly and examination of the board state, depending on your politics, she may—or may not—win you many friends at the table. So knowing what play to make and when is vital. Savra's strength lies in her ability to dominate the board addressing the opponent directly by forcing the sacrifice, and there are very few things that can disrupt her as most all of the sacrifice effects are costs and not abilities.
You will enjoy this deck if you like:
• Controlling the battlefield
• Utilizing various types of threats: creatures, enchantments, artifacts, big spells, even lands.
• A deck that grows steadily, allowing all players to enjoy the game.
• A political style of gameplay
• Love tokens, sac effects, recursion, and synergistic card combinations
Savra Archetypes
There are generally two routes players tend to go when playing Savra, the first is the recursion route, which utilizes many creatures (mostly black) that when sacrificed trigger some sort of effect of their own in conjunction with Savra's forced sac or life gain. Creatures like Abyssal Gatekeeper or Kokusko, The Evening Star are common in this version of the deck. Quality decks that go this route are reliant on a higher number of powerful critter sac effects, and a great deal of reusable recursion—things such as Sheoldred, The Whispering One[/card] and Phyrexian Reclamation[/card]. The recursion version of the deck looks to use Savra’s sac triggers and the various sac triggers of the creatures as a means to winning.
The other method utilizes primarily token generation as sac fodder, and looks to repeatable token generation as a means of keeping the board clear of creature based threats. Utilizing token generation allows for the token player to commit more of his/her deck to playing and developing a strong board presence. In this version of the deck, Savra lives and dies by her sac outlets. Because very few tokens come with an inherent sac ability (colorless eldrazi tokens aside) the sac outlets used in the deck become vitally important and potent weapons against your opponents. In this version of the build, cards like Sadistic Hypnotist and Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord are powerful and common additions.
Each version has its merits, I personally prefer the token route and the deck listed utilizes this path primarily. By choosing to focus on token generation I am less vulnerable to graveyard hate. One late game Bojuka Bog or Tormod’s Crypt can really ruin a GY deck’s game. So I look to critters I don’t mind losing forever. Tokens and sac outlets may be an integral part of the play, but they are not the only means of winning--while this deck can certainly flood the field with tokens, that is only one method in which this list can eliminate opponents.
In this list, I hope you'll find that threats come from all angles. I have worked to try and utilize Savra's strengths as threats, attempted to minimize her weaknesses, and looked for unique cards that synergize well with multiple cards within the deck. Savra's flavor is about seamlessness--that perfect balance between life and death, growth and decay, here I hope you'll find some of that.
Deck Building
Before diving deep into the deck, I suggest taking a look at Jason Rice's article on commander deck building, while it is a bit more reading, I believe he is on to something worthwhile. Readers may find it at
http://brainstormbrewery.com/a-unified-theory-of-commander/ although I think he undervalues synergy (although simple good stuff decks are certainly a thing), in the long run, I believe his acronym for deck building is a great place to start with EDH decks. And if you're looking to build a variation of a Golgari control deck I think this is a good place to start.
What is Golgari Control? (beyond the obvious)
Let's talk a bit about the control archetype before going forward. Most players are familiar with the three main types of decks Agro, Combo, and Control. It doesn't take much to look up what these deck are and what they're designed to do. Many players are familiar with the Magic Clock/Trifecta, whatever you want to call it, which details how the decks interact, agro beats control, control beats combo, and combo beats agro. The premise is simple enough, and albeit a bit outdated, but it important to understand if we want to understand how decks are "supposed to work."
Why is "supposed to work" in quotations? Well, in part because midrange and other deck types have sprouted up, but more so because EDH/Commander is a very different beast than your typical constructed format. Here, and it pains me to say this, Combo is king. The nature of the formats rules naturally tend to favor combo. 40 life is hard for even a very good agro deck to burn through before something janky hits the board and sticks, and the multiplayer nature of the format means that traditional means of control (counters and removal) are simply too inefficient to deal with all the threats that arise within a given game.
So why build a control deck? What does Golgari control provide that traditional control decks don't? Well as any EDH vet will tell you, everything depends on your meta, and the eternal and slower nature of the format provides you with a wide array of options, which your opponents may not have prepared for. And because, if you're like me, you believe combos can be stopped, agro can be controlled, and with a bit of patience and some good politics, you can wrap your tendrils around your opponents' throats without them even knowing it. Specifically, Golgari control gives you access to Green's ability to ramp and keep up with quick decks as well fast powerhouse cards, and black's remarkable creature removal (particularly in the form of forced sacrifices), tutors, card advantage, and all around dominating cards.
What will this deck fail to do for you? Well no deck can prepare for everything, this deck doesn't tackle everything with ease by any stretch of the imagination. Savra's strengths are in her ability to control critters on the board, and decks that dump critters on the board en mass can be a problem. Animar, Maelstrom Wander, Rhys, and Edric all play green and can ramp hard into critters that are easily sac'd. Additionally, although Savra has enough recursion to be relevant, decks that repeatedly wipe the board are also a problem as she needs to be able to play permanents in order to develop a winning board.
Oh, and if you come up against Sigarda, Host of Herons, Savra's nemesis, well, all you can really do there is try to ramp like crazy and out threat her--put a laser focus on her and kill that player as quick as possible.
The Deck
Let's examine the as a whole.
1 Bayou
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Gilt-Leaf Palace
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Command Tower
1 City of Brass
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Temple of Malady
1 Vesuva
1 Temple of the False God
1 Strip Mine
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 High Market
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Grim Backwoods
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Barren Moor
1 Tranquil Thicket
6 Snow-Covered Forest
5 Snow-Covered Swamp
Planeswalker (1)
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Artifacts (8)
1 Altar of Dementia
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Birthing Pod
1 Golgari Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Skullclamp
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mind Slash
1 Bitterblossom
1 Defense of the Heart
1 Grave Pact
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Necropotence
1 Greed
1 Grim Feast
1 Sanguine Bond
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
Creatures (27)
1 Savra, Queen of the Golgari
1 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Lord of Extinction
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Eternal Witness
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Acidic Slime
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Viridian Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Mitotic Slime
1 Mycoloth
1 Creakwood Liege
1 Grave Titan
1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1 Sengir Autocrat
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Flesh-Eater Imp
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
1 Sadistic Hypnotist
1 Harrow
1 Putrefy
1 Chord of Calling
1 Beast Within
1 Krosan Grip
Sorceries (13)
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Damnation
1 Living Death
1 Victimize
1 Natural Order
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Cultivate
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Nature's Lore
One thing is for certain, if you're going to survive, you're going to need mana, and you're going to need it rather quickly. Some decks can get by on only six or seven lands. Savra is one of them. But having access to more is always better, and if we can get the mana we need faster than the Esper deck--or even the Naya deck at the table. Well that's just gravy.
Every deck hinges on its lands, that's why land is so expensive. Here we have quite a list, twelve lands that tap for two or more colors, ten colorless producers, and fifteen single color lands. Thirty seven in total is a respectable number of lands for a two color deck, some may argue it's a bit many; particularly in green where ramp is so prevalent. But I believe it is a fitting number for this particular deck. You may find your deck can get by with less, or may need more. Let's look at our mana suite. Our ramp, and our mana fixing, in addition to the 37 lands should provide us with enough to keep pace. There are 14 spells, creatures, and artifacts that can produce or help fix mana. All totaled, that's more than half the deck, and that's in a deck that runs only two colors. Most of these should be pretty obvious, but I'll provide a bit of commentary on some of them.
Golgari Signet
Sol Ring
Phyrexian Altar
Ashnod's Altar
Cultivate
Sylvan Scrying* For me, this grabs a sac land almost exclusively. Phyrexian Tower mostly.
Skyshroud Claim* There are faster ramp spells, but because I have both a Bayou and an Overgrown tomb I run this.
Nature's Lore* Run Rampant Growth if you don't own a Shock or a dual
Harrow* I find having the instant speed ramp is nice, but you could run Kodama's Reach if you like.
Deathrite Shaman* 1 mana planeswalker? Yes, please.
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Yavimaya Elder
Viridian Emissary
Oracle of Mul Daya
Why is it important? As a control deck that looks to control creatures in particular, this deck needs to be able to keep pace with its opponent's, if not outpace them. Zur only needs to swing once in order to pick up Diplomatic immunity, so if we want to keep generals like that under wraps, we need to beat them to four mana and we need a sac outlet.
Which brings us to our next big point...Savra lives and dies by her sac outlets. Because Savra's ability triggers on her own sac, you can remove a critter from each player's board on turn four or sooner, but having to sac Savra is a less than ideal situation, you really only want to do it if she is about to be tucked or if there is a singular threat that must be addressed immediately. Let's examine our sac outlets.
Flesh-Eater Imp
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sadistic Hypnotist
Altar of Dementia
Phyrexian Altar
Ashnod's Altar
Birthing Pod
Miren, the Moaning Well
High Market
Phyrexian Tower
Grim Backwoods
Mind Slash
There's a total of 12 dedicated sac outlets, which is fair, but admittedly I could use another one. But with the available recursion--if one of them goes, there's should always be an out. Lands are particularly important options, as they are uncounterable, and will provide Savra and valuable creatures with a source of exile/tuck protection.
Next, let's look at our token generators and valued sac targets.
Sengir Autocrat* One of the few Homelands gems, 4 possible removal spells for 4 mana is value
Avenger of Zendikar* A go-to tutor target, but still great. He wins games through life gain, and token generation.
Woodfall Primus
Bitterblossom* So good early game it's scary.
Viridian Emissary* A new addition, and fairly consistent source of mana ramp.
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Garruk, Primal Hunter* the only planeswalker in the deck, more often used for card draw than tokens though.
Kokusho, the Evening Star* A great all around option, in this deck Koko can do X + 5 points of damage in a turn, kill X amount of critters, gain you X amount of life, and if you have some recursion it's bonkers.
Mitotic Slime* With an altar Mitotic slime is an all-star, netting you 14 life, 7-14 mana, or milling your opponent for 12 cards.
Mycoloth* Mycoloth is a great tool to cement dominance of the board or even a win, Devour triggers Savra, and nets you green tokens. Pair with Jarad for a Fling win, or with Sanguine Bond for some serious threat.
Creakwood Liege
Grave Titan
Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder* My go-to black token creator. Endrek is the man.
One thing that many Savra decks I've examined online have is a real imbalance between black sac fodder and green sac fodder. While I believe that black creatures/tokens are inherently more valuable, on more than one occasion, I've found that without green critters to sack, my life total drops pretty quickly making it more difficult to take the game. Relentless life gain is a nice feature in the deck, and when you couple it with something like Sanguine Bond, all the sudden you're green critters are means to winning.
The relationship between sac outlets and token generators/sacrifice targets serve as the primary engines of Savra's deck. Much of what this list aims to do is to put the above cards to work in conjunction with one another. Ideally, there should be no sac fodder too valuable to sac to at anytime, and no outlet which is better off left unused. Of course, when piloting a deck such as this, it's helpful to be smart about things--not sacking Sakura Tribe Elder until the EOT of the previous player's turn, waiting to sack Kokusho until after you've gotten that extra five damage in. These things seem like common sense plays, but sometimes a chump blocker can make all the difference.
So far you may have noticed a few cards in multiple roles; this is not uncommon, and going forward we will start to see more and more cards playing pulling double duty. Value is a fundamental element to an edh deck, getting the most bang for your buck is an important idea to take into the deck building process. It's part of the reason why some cards which may seem great are not included here and others are. Let's take Fauna Shaman vs. Survival of the Fittest. I opted for an additional green creature which I could sac and was easily recurable, rather than a permanent which did not inherently benefit Savra's concept, and was more difficult to bring back if I needed it. (The price difference between the cards was also a factor).
Let's break down our remaining permanents and spells into relevant categories. Now, because many pull double duty the reader will find certain cards may show up in two or more categories. I have provided another comprehensive deck list by category as well.
I break down my deck into the following categories:
1 Birthing Pod
1 Skullclamp
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Natural Order
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Chord of Calling
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Mana Fixing and Ramp
1 Golgari Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Viridian Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Nature's Lore
1 Harrow
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Cultivate
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Mitotic Slime
1 Mycoloth
1 Creakwood Liege
1 Grave Titan
1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1 Sengir Autocrat
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Bitterblossom
Sac Outlets/Spells
1 Altar of Dementia
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Sadistic Hypnotist
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
1 Flesh-Eater Imp
1 Birthing Pod
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Victimize
Multipurpose bombs
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Recursion
1 Eternal Witness
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed *undying is recursion right?
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Victimize
1 Living Death
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Acidic Slime
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Putrefy
1 Beast Within
1 Krosan Grip
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Damnation
1 Living Death
Odds and ends
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Lord of Extinction
1 Savra, Queen of the Golgari
1 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Scavenging Ooze
I've left lands off this list because I think it should be fairly obvious where they fall in terms of what their uses are.
I think it's important to look at how the deck plays a bit--Let's examine a few key cards, synergies and ideas. Like most control decks the idea here control your opponents while building enough of a board to either swing in and kill or utilize a combo of sorts to take them out. We'll call this section--Kill cons
Key cards:
Obviously, Savra is a key component, but both Grave Pact and Butcher of Malakir can perform in her place--the new Erebos' Edict is also an option. (I generally consider go-to tutor targets or engine parts as "key" components to the deck. Additionally, cards I look for in my initial hand are considered here.)
Key Critters
• Savra, Queen of the Golgari
• Eternal Witness
• Yavimaya Elder
• Mitotic Slime
• Creakwood Liege
• Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
• Avenger of Zendikar
• Flesh-Eater Imp
• Sadistic Hypnotist
Key Lands (Sylvan Scrying is an underrated gem) it almost always picks up one of these four lands)
• High Market
• Phyrexian Tower
• Bojuka Bog
• Volrath's Stronghold
Many of the other lands are great, including the duals, but there's enough ways to grab them.
Key Artifacts and Enchantments
Skullclamp
Phyrexian Altar (or any altar)
Sanguine Bond
Bitterblossom
Phyrexian Reclamation
All of the enchantments and artifacts are great, but these are the ones I look for when I need to get the deck rolling early game, or a kill con late game.
Key Removal spells
• Living Death
• Woodfall Primus
• Brutalizer Exarch
• Beast Within
• Krosan Grip
Key Bombs (single cards that can swing games massively)
• Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
• Kokusho, the Evening Star
• Lord of Extinction
• Avenger of Zendikar
• Tooth and Nail
• Living Death
• Sheoldred, Whispering One
• Flesh-Eater Imp Great Opening Hand Cards
Obviously ramp spells and mana rocks
• Sylvan Scrying
• Sakura-Tribe Elder/Yavimaya Elder/Viridian Emissary
• Bitterblossom
• Deathrite Shaman
• High Market/Phyrexian Tower
Now, for all the Johnny's out there, let's get into a few combos.
Let's get the two Janky infinite/psuedo-inf. combos out of the way.
• Mitotic Slime/Phyrexian Altar/Savra, Queen of the Golgari/Phyrexian Reclamation/Sanguine Bond.
This is one is a bit of a snake in the grass combo. As almost no one I've played has seen it when it hit the board. It'll work with Avenger of Zendikar as well, but you'll need to ensure you have at least 9 lands to utilize the [card]Reclamation and recast Avenger.
• Woodfall Primus/Mikaus, The Unhollowed/any repeatable sac outlet
Nothing creative here, I know everyone says this--but the cards are so good separately I had to put them in--I claim incidental combo!!
Some of the other kill-combos
• Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord/Lord of Extinction
• Altar of Dementia/Lord of Extinction
Other great works of synergy
• Sanguine Bond and Grim Feast: I opted for a powerful life gain option rather than the inf. combo with Exquisite Blood, but that is of course an option for you.
• Mitotic Slime/Phryexian Reclamation/any Altar: if you go with the two mana Altars you can repeatedly cast him, making Savra gain some serious life, if you go with the Altar of Dementia (depending on your mana) you can take huge chunks out of opponents decks.
• Savra and Creakwood Liege: Creakwood is usually the go-to token generator I fall back on in casual games as it creates both green and black tokens and pumps Savra into something somewhat formidable as a 4/4.
• Mikaeus, the Unhallowed/Kokusho, the Evening Star/Sanguine Bond: these three can clear a table at the end of a game)
• Mikaeus, the Unhallowed/Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord and any fatty: There's plenty of fat creatures that Jarad can fling at all players
Initial Hand Help
Many Primers provide a "typical match ups" section; however, since this is edh, there's almost no such thing as a typical deck, let alone game. So I thought it might be helpful to look a few mulligan options with a few random hands and partial paris mulligan rules (one free partial mulligan, followed by discard 2 draw 1)
Hand 1
Sol Ring
Phyrexian Arena
Phyrexian Reclaimation
Acidic Slime
Chord of Calling
Swamp
Reliquary Tower
This hand is pretty friggin' Ideal, I'd pitch the Chord of Calling and the Slime. I happened to draw into cards that made it nearly perfect: City of Brass and Maelstrom Pulse.
I think you keep this every time.
Hand 2
Exotic Orchard
Swamp
Skyshroud Claim
Damnation
Mind Slash
Greed
Mikaeus, The Unhollowed
This one is a little less straightforward, Exotic Orchard is a pretty solid land multicolor option. I like Mind Slash as a sac outlet, but I think I'd pitch the others and try for a third land. I happened to draw:
Golgari Signet
Maelstrom Pulse
Forest
Pretty solid, if you ask me.
Hand 3
Tranquil Thicket
Forest
Temple of the False God
Bojuka Bog
Skyshroud Claim
Kokusho, The Evening Star
Flesh-Eater Imp
IT'S A TRAP! This hand is a gamble. Every land comes into play useless except the forest. The Skyshroud is an obvious keep, but keeping Temple of the False God is a trap, as is keeping the Tranquil Thicket. This hand is what I call an "If/Then" hand. If you draw into that 5th landit can be okay. But even Koko puffs isn't enough incentive to keep it. I'd pitch everything but the Skyshroud and two lands (forest and Bog). It's a gamble either way, but I trust the deck. I drew into:
Golgari Signet
Tooth and Nail
Eternal Witness
Forest
Not terrible--not great.
Midgame Strategy
By about turn 10, the deck should be clicking pretty well, particularly if there haven't been any board wipes. If you haven't been able to find a token generator and a quality sac outlet by now then it's probably going to be a long game. Start looking to develop your board by playing draw spells and relevant small spells. Hold on to your bomb card and don't try to attract too much attention. If you're struggling for mana, just chock it up to one of those games. In the teen turns I'm generally looking to finalize my win con, If I draw into a tutor I'm examining graveyards (counting cards--thinking maybe a Lord of Extinction combo) or I'm looking to lock the game down of critters and big plays with Endrek Sahr and Sadistic Hypnotist. Keep an eye on your life total, green sac targets like Mitotic Slime and Mycoloth are valued sources of life in this period of the game.
End Game
With the board clear of critters, your tokens and beasties should be free to swing with impunity. ALWAYS kill the combo player first, as they can just win out at any point. Other control players should follow, and the poor sap playing agro will probably be your last target.
Card Choices and Ratings
With many cards, particularly some of the common critters that are seen in Savra decks it's easy to say, "Well why didn't you include X" I'll attempt to address a few of those cards here, but because of the sheer volume of great options, I believe it would be better to address these sort of things in later posts. My deck is by no means the best Savra deck ever created, and because your meta should dictate what cards you bring to the table more than just about anything else, please note that this build was designed to address a wide array of contending decks.
Alternative Deck lists (Budget/Non-token centered)
Non-token Route
http://www.mtgdeckbuilder.net/Decks/ViewDeck/savra-queen-of-the-golgari-edh-588939
This deck is a fair representation of a non-token style Savra deck, I would personally put more recursion in there, but I believe it should provide readers with a different take on the deck.
Budget deck list
no card in this list is more than $10 according to TCG player mid
http://www.mtgdeckbuilder.net/Decks/EditDeck
Thank yous
I wanted to take the opportunity to thank a few people for their help with the primer
• Hey, play group, we don't get together enough, but when we do, I'd like to thank you guys for putting up with my decks
• To Rowan, who's help and primer with my Nin deck inspired me to write a primer of my own, I'll get around to Nin soon, but I think she's still too new for the primer committee to accept
• To the primer committee, hey fellas, thanks for allowing me to do this.
It'll take me a bit to read through your primer, but I'm quite happy do discuss all things Savra.
EDH Decks
BGGlissa, the TraitorGB
URTibor and LumiaRU
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticBUW
UBSygg, River CutthroatBU
RGXenagos, God of RevelsGR
UGVorel of the Hull CladeGU
GBSavra, Queen of the GolgariBG
URGMaelstrom WandererGRU
Believe it or not, I think the new Green Planeswalker looks pretty awesome as well. She's a fantastic source of mana in the form of tokens that can be sacked to gain life? She' not terribly threatening so she might actually be able to hang around on the board for a few turns. And she offers a bit more in the way of removal which the deck could certainly use. I actually really like the card.
Is there any advice you could add for someone going for the recursion archetype?
One thing I'm looking forward to about Gisa is that turns green creatures into black ones!
Don't get greedy. Always assume grave hate will happen. If too many of your threats are in the yard at the same time, grave hate can blow you out. I usually prefer to constantly recur one or two threats. That way, when my opponents finally deal with them, I can just play more from my hand right away.
Another one is that green/black lacks haste, so you can never rely on your creatures to swing. If they live the round, great, but I always assume they'll get wrathed. As a result, you need to get your value from ETB/LTB effects.
Phyrexian Delver is the best creature ever. The value of a reanimation spell on a creature can't be overstated. It gives you 4x triggers for something when paired with Mikaeus, or goes infinite with Ashnod's Altar + Nim Deathmantle. At 5CMC you can also Pod into it off Savra.
Life drain is a pretty good win condition, through cards like Gray Merchant and Kokusho.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Puppeteer Clique is a "fair" infinite combo; it doesn't automatically win the game as it relies entirely on what's in your opponents' graveyards.
EDH Decks
BGGlissa, the TraitorGB
URTibor and LumiaRU
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticBUW
UBSygg, River CutthroatBU
RGXenagos, God of RevelsGR
UGVorel of the Hull CladeGU
GBSavra, Queen of the GolgariBG
URGMaelstrom WandererGRU
Decent Permanents that provide some recursion
• Dawn of the Dead
• Malevolent Awakening
• Oversold Cemetary
• Whip of Erebos
• Champion of Stray Souls
• Apprentice Necromancer
• Hell's Caretaker
Cards that you'll want to look at that have some sort of effect when sac'd:
• Auger of Skulls
• Brain Weevil
• Doomed Necromancer
• Fleshbag Marauder
• Kagemaru, First to Suffer
• Mindlash Sliver
• Phyrexian Defiler
• Phyrexian Plaguelord
• Plague Dogs
• Shriekmaw
• Wall of Limbs *this is something I've been itching to try, but I'm not playing the recursion version.
Cards that work well with Savra (recursion)
• Soldevi Adnate
• Doomgape
• Sanguine Bond
• Greater Good This will be a star in a recursion deck--it not only draws you cards but it also fills your graveyard.
One final note: If you can get your hands on one--Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed This card is something that I've been itching to get my hands on ever since I started playing Savra. But, alas, the price tag on him is pretty steep.
Besides, Grim Feast + Sanguine Bond are more than enough to take down most any opponent and it's just so much more creative
Mainly because Exquisite Blood isn't a good card on its own.
I've no issue with combo, and I run Mikaeus + Woodfall/Puppeteer and Nim Deathmantle + Ashnod's Altar, but all of those pieces are good outside of the combo. By itself Sanguine Bond at least helps to kill your opponents.
Now if you're going straight for the combo it can be fine to play, but if you're running incidental combos it's just not worth it.
EDH Decks
BGGlissa, the TraitorGB
URTibor and LumiaRU
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticBUW
UBSygg, River CutthroatBU
RGXenagos, God of RevelsGR
UGVorel of the Hull CladeGU
GBSavra, Queen of the GolgariBG
URGMaelstrom WandererGRU
List looks dope. How often do you typically cast her in a single game?
GRWort, Control
UBDralnu, Reanimator
At one point or another I've played with most of the cards you referenced in the deck, but they've been slipped into other decks which they were also well suited for...Dark Prophecy for example went into a Teysa deck, Perilous forays into Saffi, Blood Artist into Olivia, (i only play 2 color female generals, it's just a thing I do.)
I've typically sealed the deal if I've cast her twice from the command zone (but this is dependent on how much hate I garner and how many players I have to take down) More than that, and I'm looking to Grave Pact or Butcher of Malakir to fill her role. That being said, many in my meta have learned that Savra is a remarkably poor target for removal spells. At most any moment, there should be a sac outlet on my field, meaning that if someone were to target her for removal, I can quickly sac her, causing each player to lose a critter. Wrath's can be an issue, particularly in my meta; however, there's some decent recursion in here (although admittedly I could use one more spell) which makes getting her back from the GY not too much of an issue.
I'm a firm believer that no good EDH deck relies solely on it's commander for a win. The best commanders facilitate the functions of the deck, meaning that the deck can still do what it intends to do without them; however, it does what it intends to do more efficiently with them. Savra is all about synergy and much of what I've been working to accomplish in this build is designed to maximize this play. Combos that win games--sure, there's a few, but I seldom use them to win. My primary wins come from a complete domination of the board via sacrifice effects. I'm more of a fan of strangling my opponents than I am of bashing them over the head with a combo.
Glad to see this has seen some traction since I climbed beneath my rock. Savra has certainly gotten some new tools for consideration. I've been out of the EDH game for a while, but now that I'm back I will try and do a better job of keeping this up to d
Would you guys like to see some game play videos? It'd be from cockatrice, but for EDH I think Cockatrice is a bit better. And hey, you'd get some commentary.
First off though, love the primer
1a. How much life do lose as a result of her ability?
1b. How do you feel about life-gain sac outlets? I feel like most are cheap and can offset the life loss fairly well.
Vampiric Rites
Gutless Ghoul
Claws of Gix
2a. Savra obviously hoses voltron, but how does she fare against other matchups, especially reanimator?
2b. Is there room for a land-animator package to ensure opponents are sac-ing creatures?
Living Plane
Kormus Bell + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Nature's Revolt
3. Any cards you think are unique staples? Of course, most decks could use a Tooth and Nail but rather all stars like Creakwood Liege?
Thanks a ton, I'd love to see some gameplay!
Thanks for giving Savra a shot, I don't think you'll be disappointed. She takes some learning but she's really a great GB option and she will not make you a target at your table (until you playgroup realizes what she can do).
As for you questions...
--Um, tough to say. It really depends on what is happening in the match. Sometimes you'll spend a lot keeping the board under wraps, sometimes you're just gaining life. Usually though, I'm balancing my life loss with some life gain and all things tend to equal out nicely.
--I like all of those, but I'd put priorities on "free" sac outlets like the altars and Flesh-Eater Imp first. You have plenty to do with your mana, you probably don't want to spend it just gaining 1 or 2 life...which you can probably just gain through Savra's ability.
--You will almost always fare well against Commander-centric deck. Some decks like Rhys the Redeemed which spit out tokens like crazy can give you trouble, but can be dealt with. And again there is Sigarda, Host of Herons (We don't talk about her....):argh:
Reanimator decks like Karador, Ghost Chieftain can give you a hard time if you're not prepared for them. BUT if you have them in your meta, and you prepare for them, you should be fine. I can generally force sac more than they can reanimate, plus you can work cards like Leyline of the Void or Scavenging Ooze into your build (*I like the ooze) and keep them under control. If you find yourself up against a reanimator deck then keep your head down, get your engine in place, and then pounce. One of Savra's greatest strengths is that she allows you to keep the others at the table in check while you focus one opponent at a time. Kill Bill, then Tim, then Jenny. Assess your threats, neutralize them, get them margaritas afterward, they will have plenty of salt for their glass.
-- Sure, if you want to, but I'd be worried about someone blowing up the board. I have to say, I'm not a fan of Living-Land type effects, because there's usually a wrath waiting in a hand somewhere. I mean, think about the dread you'll feel when someone at the table plops a card like Oblivion Stone down on the field and just sits? I'd be sweating bullets. And remember, lands have no color, so you can't sac them to trigger your commander.
Yes, absolutely. Savra has some staples you'll really want to get your hands on. Unfortunately, some of them have climbed in price and looking at the deck now vs. when I bought 90% of it makes me cringe (but in a super happy way, I mean, who doesn't want to see their cards increase in price):)
Let's get some of those expensive cards out of they way:
1. Phyrexian Altar (all the altars, really): It's just too good, you want it. Can you live without it? Of course, but it's my primary sac outlet, and my stupid play group keeps K-griping it! God, leave it alone, Bryan!!! GRRRRR!!
2. Phyrexian Tower and High Market these are the two best lands in the deck apart from basic swamp and forest. You want one of the two on the field at all times.
3. Volrath's Stronghold This card is amazing and serves as one of my best recursion sources. It's a must in any black deck really, but particularly in decks like Savra where you can really break them.
4. Grave Pact and/or Dictate of Erebos (or Butcher of Malakir) The fact is that Savra can get really expensive, and your deck has a plan, you need other ways to facilitate that plan.
5. 2-3 genuinely good life gain sources. If that's Grim Feast and Kokusho, the Evening Star like my list, or Exsanguinate and exquisite blood or whatever you'd like--you'll need a few sources of BIG life gain for those games where you're dumping life like crazy to keep the board clear.
That's really it as far as specific cards go. Sure, I love Necropotence and Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder and Sadistic Hypnotist and Mikaeus, the Unhallowed but are they "staples"? I don't know, I mean, yeah--you'll see them in just about every Savra list (every good one anyway), but it all depends on your play group. For some, Necropotence is a super competitive card, or Sadistic Hypnotist is a d-bag card that doesn't let them play. I mean, I can see it that way, but I'll stop playing the Hippie, when Nate stops playing Narset. You hear that Nate!? I know you're reading this!
However, I would prioritize good strong ramp, draw, and tutors for your deck like:
Skyshroud Claim
Harrow
Sol Ring
Tempt with Discovery
Necropotence
Skullclamp
Greed or Erebos, God of the Deaddoes pretty well here too..
Diabolic Intent and Demonic Tutor even Sidisi, Undead Vizier is really strong
Don't sleep on good targeted or mass removal that's a broad as possible either:
Beast Within
Maelstrom Pulse
Krosan Grip
Damnation and/or Toxic Deluge Sometimes you just need to empty the board. EVERY EDH DECK NEEDS AT LEAST 3-4 good sweepers.
And, you will want some reanimation of your own:
Phyrexian Reclamation
Eternal Witness
Sheoldred, Whispering One
I hope that's helpful, I'd build the deck in proxy or Cockatrice first, see how you like it, learn the lines and then start brainstorming ideas of your own that are specific for you play group.
Good luck out there! Keep me posted on your progress!
Ely
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/sqotg20/?cb=1535193557
This is the deck as it stands currently, and some problems I've gotten regarding it.
1. My card draw feels wonky and all over the place. I don't want to commit too heavy to "Whenever a creature dies" effects because that feels like I'm already winning. Are there possible ways to balance this?
2. How are my sacrifice outlets? They are scattered throughout the curve and seem to affect the board in a pretty significant way. Obviously altars/lands are preferable but my meta doesn't require $80 cards to win, if that makes sense.
3. My CMC ignores 4 drops and aims for 5 drops, should this be tweaked? Most of the ramp is 2 drops that play into a T3 Savra, but this might just need to be playtested.
4. Any cards that feel win-more to you?
5. Is trying to abuse the lifegain part of her kit stretching the focus too much, or is this route just as viable?
I know that was a ton of questions, I just love this commander and really want to create a deck that's really focused and synergistic. I want my buddies to not know what to counter/remove because it all is so cohesive.
If you can't reply to all of these questions or don't want to, I'd LOVE to hear your take on why certain cards are keeps or cuts (I'm trying to learn card evaluation).
Thanks a ton!
Thanks a ton.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/sqotg20/?cb=1535193557
This is the deck as it stands currently, and some problems I've gotten regarding it.
1. My card draw feels wonky and all over the place. I don't want to commit too heavy to "Whenever a creature dies" effects because that feels like I'm already winning. Are there possible ways to balance this?
2. How are my sacrifice outlets? They are scattered throughout the curve and seem to affect the board in a pretty significant way. Obviously altars/lands are preferable but my meta doesn't require $80 cards to win, if that makes sense.
3. My CMC ignores 4 drops and aims for 5 drops, should this be tweaked? Most of the ramp is 2 drops that play into a T3 Savra, but this might just need to be playtested.
4. Any cards that feel win-more to you?
5. Is trying to abuse the lifegain part of her kit stretching the focus too much, or is this route just as viable?
I know that was a ton of questions, I just love this commander and really want to create a deck that's really focused and synergistic. I want my buddies to not know what to counter/remove because it all is so cohesive.
If you can't reply to all of these questions or don't want to, I'd LOVE to hear your take on why certain cards are keeps or cuts (I'm trying to learn card evaluation).
Thanks a ton!
Thanks a ton.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/sqotg20/?cb=1535193557
Let me know why you don't like any cards in it, it will help me a ton with card evaluation!
My worries:
Lots of 5 CMC cards don't make the curve as balanced as I'd like it.
Sacrifice outlets might be too conditional.
Sorry again about how long it took for me to check up on this. School is back in and I've been crazy busy with students so not much time for Magic unfortunately.
After digging into your list I think you're looking pretty good. I think there's a few things you may want to consider though going forward.
First, I think your sac outlets look okay, but they can be improved with a bit of $$ (I know, that sucks to say, but that's just the name of the game. I'm running 17 total sacrifice outlets in my deck, which doesn't seem like a lot (admittedly I could use another one), but it's pretty appropriate given that many (if not most) are repeatable and free. More on this later.
Your curve isn't terrible for an EDH deck. Yeah, you have a lot of 5 mana spells, but that's not inherently bad. Try adjusting some of your ramp spells and see what you can do. If that doesn't work, I suggest scaling back on the card draw effects that cost more than 3, and try more 2 mana tutors like Demonic Tutor, Fauna Shaman, Diabolic Intent, and Traverse the Ulvenwald. This can help you find the cards you need in a given situation.
I've noticed you don't have much in the way of recursion. I'd seriously take a look at the following cards, and consider if they are worth testing.
- Eternal Witness
- Phyrexian Reclamation
- Sheoldred, The Whispering One
. It never hurts to have a good recursion engine.How many artifacts and enchantments are you seeing in your play group? It looks like you have quite a few cards that are meant to address these, and I'm not sure if you need all that many. I run the following (or will be once Guilds of Ravnica lands)
Obviously, some of these are multi-purpose, but their primary function is to deal with non-creature permanents as effectively as possible while still providing utility elsewhere. While things like Caustic Caterpillar are synergistic, that's about the best they'll ever be. Bane of Progress however, that's something you'll get greater value out of. Good pick there.
I think you'll also want to look a bit more at cards that synergize across the whole of the deck a bit more. Things like Temur Sabertooth are nice at four mana, but you'll probably be getting more bang for your buck (mana-wise) if you play something like Jarad, Golari Lich Lord. He happens to pair very nicely with things like Doomgape[/car], Kokushko, the Evening Star, and my own personal favorite combo Lord of Extinction a.k.a. "DoomTube". You have a few guys that can get really big, Yehenni, Mycoloth, put them to use in the air too by flinging them.
While we're on the topic of combos, it looks like you could use a few "I win" buttons. I know they're not "fun" and I'm not advocating infinite combos, but something that you can rely on as a feel good for when you're behind. Mikaeus, the Unhollowed is a card I highly recommend (and worth the price), as it synergizes with everything the deck wants to do--effectively doubling every sac you make. And, it so happens that Dark Mike and Woodfall Primus pretty much just win the game on the spot. And can be tutored up in a pinch by something like Defense of the Heart or Tooth and Nail.
You appear to be relying a great deal on drawing cards, whereas my deck is much more of a toolbox. I'm digging into my deck in a ton if different ways, and I've found tutors are just a bit more reliable. They're always the cheapest cards, but they are the most effective way to get the cards you want. Tutors in my deck include:
I'm never at a loss for the card I need thanks to all of these.
While we're talking about digging into you deck, let's talk about your ramp suite. For the most part I think it looks good. Except, I really think you want a few things. First, Skyshroud Claim this is an all star. If you can, try and pick one up. Normally, I'd say pulling lands out of your deck is better than relying on mana rocks, but you may consider packing a few more in your deck just in case one of your man-land effects backfires and you need some mana. Obvious cards like Gilded Lotus and Darksteel Ingot come to mind.
Overall, I think you're working with a pretty good list. My gut tells me that if you're running into issues, it's because you feel like you don't have the right tools to deal with the board at the right time. This can be solved by addressing the balance between card draw and tutors. Up your tutor count a bit (upping your ramp can help too by thinning out your deck), and see how that feels. I imagine that you also feel like there are times when you're just a mana or two short, or half a turn behind, I think this may be due to the many mana-based sacrifice effects you're running. Your deck appears to be pretty greedy on the mana, maybe look for a few more free sac outlets like Flesh-Eater Imp or Altar of Dementia. These cards allow you to sac multiple creatures at a time, and don't cost a thing to activate. (Funnily enough, finding a few more decent ramp options can help here too).
I hope all this helps. Drop me another line and let me know, I'll try and be more punctual this go around.