So here is my take on Nahiri, the Lithomancer. It's actually been through many different renovations, but I feel this is near perfect, just need to polish out the edges. I am at a point though, to where I just simply cannot say 100% if a card should go in or out, and was hoping some people here could give a pointer or two. Anyways, heres the list:
I usually play against stuff like The Mimeoplasm, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Narset, Enlightened Master, and Captain Sisay. So, most of the time I am fighting big beefy dudes who are difficult to get rid of. I had a few cards in mind I would like to take out, but I am just not sure the cards I want to put in will be justified in it's place.
I feel like I should try to keep only the mass creature removal and get rid of stuff that also would hurt my artifacts. Like I said above, I am still not 100% sure on changing the deck as each card has helped me win in some way at some point, so it's difficult for me to get rid of them. Any and all help is appreciated!
My only real suggestion is perhaps finding room for a Scroll Rack. It can be tutored up, and can be resurrected back with Sun Titan...it combos very well with land tax. With those 2 cards on the field you'll be able to draw up to 4 new cards each turn for just 1.
If you do add a scroll rack...I'd suggest adding in some fetch lands as well. Some way of being able to cheaply shuffle your library. Evolving, Terramorphic and Myriad. Of course if you've got the money, you can also throw in the actual FetchLands as well.
I'm not a huge fan of Masterwork of Ingenuity. I guess to be fair, I never really gave it a full chance to either impress me on unimpressed me through playtesting with it though.
How has it been working for you?
There's also Linvala...but I think that's pretty obvious. I think she belongs in every white deck ever! :p...but I'm not running her in my nahiri build quite yet myself...that $40+ price tag feels pretty steep!
I agree, nice build! I'm hoping to get the deck for Christmas and I have a very similar list sketched out.
Etched Champion would be a good card here. It's generally unblockable and can stop huge fatties. It also partners well with the Pariah's Shield. An Ancient Den can jump in there for a Plains to help a bit with the metalcraft, maybe a Darksteel Citadel as well. Umezawa's Jitte is also missing if that's an option for you. Leonin Shikari is a great card as well. Partner that with a live Puresteel Paladin and you can swap everything around as instants for free! Very powerful effect there even without it. It turns your Swiftfoot Boots into 1 spot-removal counters. Lightning Greaves works here as well.
I like all of the artifact ramp. It may even warrant a Voltaic Key for more explosive turns. You can add a Mana Vault as well. The Skullclamp may be underwhelming without any good 1/1 sources. A Kjeldoran Outpost may help there. It'll also give you back a body quickly after a board wipe.
I see you've dropped the Serra Avatar. I know she's just meat, but in Commander that's a lot of meat. She also swings a Loxodon Warhammer like a boss. I'll second the Scroll Rack. It's great by itself, especially in mono-white which doesn't have too many draw options. With Land Tax, it's just nuts.
Mother of Runes probably deserves a slot as well. She's cheap, but still relevant late-game.
My only real suggestion is perhaps finding room for a Scroll Rack. It can be tutored up, and can be resurrected back with Sun Titan...it combos very well with land tax. With those 2 cards on the field you'll be able to draw up to 4 new cards each turn for just 1.
If you do add a scroll rack...I'd suggest adding in some fetch lands as well. Some way of being able to cheaply shuffle your library. Evolving, Terramorphic and Myriad. Of course if you've got the money, you can also throw in the actual FetchLands as well.
I'm not a huge fan of Masterwork of Ingenuity. I guess to be fair, I never really gave it a full chance to either impress me on unimpressed me through playtesting with it though.
How has it been working for you?
There's also Linvala...but I think that's pretty obvious. I think she belongs in every white deck ever! :p...but I'm not running her in my nahiri build quite yet myself...that $40+ price tag feels pretty steep!
I can't believe I forgot Scroll Rack! I will definatly be putting it in. Any suggestions on what to toss for it? Masterwork has worked wonders for me. I usually make it copy a Sword of X and Y, have double strike on my creature, then the sword effects trigger 4 times in just 1 attack. Sword of Feast and Famine is one of my favorites to copy, as if I do hit you, you discard 4 cards :P.
I would run Linvala, it's just I didn't feel like she brought anything special to this deck. I could be wrong though.
I will defiantly consider Seal of Cleansing at least. I actually tried Dispeller's Capsule once and it felt so underwhelming cause of its cost of 3 to activate. Any suggestions on what to replace?
Quote from XavierMTG » »
I agree, nice build! I'm hoping to get the deck for Christmas and I have a very similar list sketched out.
Etched Champion would be a good card here. It's generally unblockable and can stop huge fatties. It also partners well with the Pariah's Shield. An Ancient Den can jump in there for a Plains to help a bit with the metalcraft, maybe a Darksteel Citadel as well. Umezawa's Jitte is also missing if that's an option for you. Leonin Shikari is a great card as well. Partner that with a live Puresteel Paladin and you can swap everything around as instants for free! Very powerful effect there even without it. It turns your Swiftfoot Boots into 1 spot-removal counters. Lightning Greaves works here as well.
I like all of the artifact ramp. It may even warrant a Voltaic Key for more explosive turns. You can add a Mana Vault as well. The Skullclamp may be underwhelming without any good 1/1 sources. A Kjeldoran Outpost may help there. It'll also give you back a body quickly after a board wipe.
I see you've dropped the Serra Avatar. I know she's just meat, but in Commander that's a lot of meat. She also swings a Loxodon Warhammer like a boss. I'll second the Scroll Rack. It's great by itself, especially in mono-white which doesn't have too many draw options. With Land Tax, it's just nuts.
Mother of Runes probably deserves a slot as well. She's cheap, but still relevant late-game.
Etched champion I might consider. I had nothing really amazing to have Pariah's Shield on until I saw Etched Champion, so I guess it gives me an incentive to keep it in. I don't understand the Leonin Shikari all that much. I know it can make my equipping instant, but is it really all that good? Maybe I am just not seeing the true beauty of it.
I was running Voltaic Key in my initial build of this deck, but since I wasn't running alot of artifacts that actually needed to be tapped, I took it out because it always appeared at the wrong time. But I can give it another try if I throw in Mana Vault.
Nahiri herself justifies my Skullclamp. her +2 basically says "Draw 2 cards" when I have her and Skullclamp out. My typical early game is to just find Skullclamp asap, cast Nahiri, then just draw until i get what I want to get, at least for early-mid game. It has worked wonders, and I don't think I need any more dedicated 1/1 token makers for Skullclamp.
And Serra Avatar is just....a no for me. Every single time I have drawn that card, I was at like 10-15 life. It is just so underwhelming for me.
I'll consider Mother of Runes. Any suggestions on what to take out for it?
Archon of Justice > Etched Champion It's better defense as well as offense. The Archon is also just weak without some way to sac and recur it. Knight of the White Orchid > Scroll Rack It's a 1-shot and if you have Land Tax out, it's a no-shot. Darksteel Mutation > Mana Vault I just think the power level on the card is too low. Plains > Kjeldoran Outpost, Flagstones of Trokair, Ancient Den You play a ton of basics. A few more utility lands wouldn't hurt. I steer away from CIPT lands. Condemn > Voltaic Key You have a lot of sweep, other (better) spot removal, and a creature-based deck. It's just not needed. Akroma's Vengeance > Terminus Mo' betta' removal, plus you can't lose all of those artifacts, bro! Cathars' Crusade > True Conviction You have a lot of combat triggers on your equipment and no way to really abuse the creature CIP one. I think you'll just get more mileage with the latter. Oblation > Leonin Shikari Card space is a premium here and I think Oblation is the next lowest hanging fruit. Not a bad card though. Mentor of the Meek > Serra Ascendant If the Mentor is under-performing for you, try something that should probably be banned!
I agree with Myojin for Elesh that you posted earlier.
I don't know if I'm keen on the Weathered Wayfarer. It's a fantastic drop early and can enable minor shenanigans with the Scroll Rack, but as the game goes on the power level drops off sharply. I'd be more prone to put in Kor Duelist as another 1-drop. The Wayfarer does allow us to get other lands though. Maze of Ith comes to mind.
I like the Ranger of Eos though. The other two 1-drops that you've mentioned are good at any point in the game.
I'm on the fence with Reveillark. It's a good card, but what to take out...
I've taken the liberty to re-work the deck list with the suggestions posted so far in this thread. This will be what I'll run in a few days when I get the deck.
I'm worried that I've chopped the lands down too much. I pretty much swapped them 1 for 1 with the non-basics (and cut one for the Mox), but that's a lot of non-basics. I also still want to work in an Inkmoth Nexus.
I'm not liking this list. I'm seeing only 24 creatures or ways of creating creatures (such as Elspeth, Knight-Errant and Kjeldoran Outpost). That seems too low to me.
I do like weathered Wayfarer if you're planning on running 37 or less lands (35 is way too low I think)...might even consider running a copy of Gift Of Estates. Eternal dragon is another awesome choice to go with here.
I'm a pretty big fan of oblivion stone in this deck. You can fetch it with enlightened tutor, return it from the grave with sun titan and protect your own stuff if you have a turn or 2 before you need to pop it.
My last 3 suggestions
Containment Priest. I was originally planning on taking mine out of my build as well. Then I played it vs. a reanimator deck. She won me that game.
Luminarch Ascension...silly fun card to put out really early game...and can be a win condition.
Cataclysm...such a sick card. This may be too much of an a-hole card for your group so I'd totally understand if you don't want to run it...though I did notice you'll be running Armageddon...so I'm not so sure this is too far of a stretch.
I haven't actually received my copy yet...but I just can't see how this card can be bad. You play it just when you're in the lead and it can easily win you the game.
There's a few other things in your list (like the lack of recursion) that feels off to me...but these are the main points that are popping up to me.
But please do note that I'm VERY new to this format...so I very well may be noobing it up here with these suggestions haha. I my well be way off in my advice and I just don't know any better!
After getting up and sitting back down and looking again, I'll have to agree. The Pearl Medallion is probably not needed with the other artifact ramp and I was on the fence about Godsend too. I'll comb through the list and pick some low-hanging fruit to swap out for a couple more creatures and edit this post with a new list. Blind Obedience is totally staying in though. The CIPT effects hit everyone and you gain X life for each spell, not just 1. I have an O-stone too...
My group is fine with the 'Geddon and the Cataclysm effects. The only thing I don't like is that it will always kill Nahiri. The Containment Priest is going into my Legacy deck, but it's good stuff I agree. I like the Ascension. I pulled the Boots for it.
I want something that gives flying as well. All of the equipment is kind of janky. Bladed Pinions is probably the best and even that's meh. Any suggestions?
Next on the chopping block is probably Serra Avatar. I just love that big dumb heifer so much...sniff .
I'd add Expedition Map to fetch your utility lands. Arcane Lighthouse vs. Narset, Flagstones before a geddon, Emeria lategame etc. Also would suggest Mistveil Plains, it lets you tuck stuff back so you can tutor for them again.
You also seem slim on card advantage. At the very least I'd add Mask of Memory. That thing is such a house and an auto-include in any equipment deck. Beyond that, Mentor of the Meek still looks good here, and there's also Mind's Eye.
Finally, Elspeth, Sun's Champion is insane. Board wipe or tons of tokens. The versatility is great.
I'd cut Serra Avatar and Etched Champion. Serra Avatar is just a big vanilla creature, and it's not always even big. It's crap without haste too. Etched Champion... it's a 2/2. Why? It's a good chump blocker and it's got evasion.. but it's a 2/2. Nope.
The Mistveil Plains is a good add and I'll try the Mask of Memory since it comes with the deck and all. Card advantage is definitely at a premium in mono-white. That Elspeth is out of the budget for the short term, but I'll keep her on the want list and trade for her if I get the chance.
I'll disagree on the Etched Champion though. A 2/2 for 3 is bad. A 2/2 unblockable, semi-indestructible, hexproof isn't. It's immune to spot removal and unblockable in a deck filled with combat trigger equipment. Sometimes you just need a body to feed those Swords (and the aforementioned Mask) to people. An invincible chump blocker in Commander isn't anything to laugh at either since so much huge and horrible stuff hits the table.
I may try to find a Mind's Eye as well. It's expensive, but would give value the rest of the game. This deck plays a chunk of artifact mana too, so it may ramp out quick.
After playing with Nahiri for a bit, I'm on the fence about her as a commander. She's just...ok. I love the deck though. I've been looking at other possible commanders and have narrowed it down to three. What are everyone's thoughts on Cho-Manno, Revolutionary, Commander Eesha, and Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant?
Cho would be great with a Pariah's Shield or a Pariah. Making yourself indestructible is kinda coo . Eesha is great for D and for feeding people equipment with triggers, and Rune-Tail is...kinda bending the spirit of Commander but obviously good.
After playing with Nahiri for a bit, I'm on the fence about her as a commander. She's just...ok. I love the deck though. I've been looking at other possible commanders and have narrowed it down to three. What are everyone's thoughts on Cho-Manno, Revolutionary, Commander Eesha, and Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant?
Cho would be great with a Pariah's Shield or a Pariah. Making yourself indestructible is kinda coo . Eesha is great for D and for feeding people equipment with triggers, and Rune-Tail is...kinda bending the spirit of Commander but obviously good.
Heliod, God of the Sun is indestructible. If you can mantain WWWWW minimum devotion and he can absorb the damage.
Some more thoughts from someone who is working an a Nahiri list:
umbral mantle sounds really fun with Stonehewer. Sword of the Paruns also works but it much more mana intensive if you aren't cheating it into play.
What can the mantle do with Stonehewer? Well if you have enough mana up, you can basically force whoever you're attacking into a lose/lose situation. They block? Tutor up scythe of the wretched and enough junk to kill the blocker. They don't block? Tutor up quietus spike and fireshrieker
It can also give some utility to cards like Mother, Wayfarer, and maybe a few others with tap abilities or who really want to attack every turn with vigilance.
I'm also going to add in the Kaldera set, and maybe Viridian Longbow, mostly as a way to have fun with the Sword and other deathtouch sources.
Ok guys, sorry for the late reply, I went on vacation to see family for xmas. Anyways, got alot of replies so gonnna just reply to them 1 step at a time.
Archon of Justice > Etched Champion It's better defense as well as offense. The Archon is also just weak without some way to sac and recur it. Knight of the White Orchid > Scroll Rack It's a 1-shot and if you have Land Tax out, it's a no-shot. Darksteel Mutation > Mana Vault I just think the power level on the card is too low. Plains > Kjeldoran Outpost, Flagstones of Trokair, Ancient Den You play a ton of basics. A few more utility lands wouldn't hurt. I steer away from CIPT lands. Condemn > Voltaic Key You have a lot of sweep, other (better) spot removal, and a creature-based deck. It's just not needed. Akroma's Vengeance > Terminus Mo' betta' removal, plus you can't lose all of those artifacts, bro! Cathars' Crusade > True Conviction You have a lot of combat triggers on your equipment and no way to really abuse the creature CIP one. I think you'll just get more mileage with the latter. Oblation > Leonin Shikari Card space is a premium here and I think Oblation is the next lowest hanging fruit. Not a bad card though. Mentor of the Meek > Serra Ascendant If the Mentor is under-performing for you, try something that should probably be banned!
I agree with Myojin for Elesh that you posted earlier.
Hmmm, most people here suggest Etched champion, I will give him a try.
Ill try scroll rack, but I like the knight for when I get him early so I don't think I am gonna take that out. Darksteel Mutation is fantastic imo. It gets rid of some commanders without letting it go back to the command zone. I just love doing that card on Narset or Derevi.
Gonna have to keep Condemn too. Tucking commanders is just too great of a thing to pass up, especially since alot of my playgroup is Narset and Mimeoplasm.
Can't believe I forgot about Terminus. Defiantly going in.
I have actually been trying to find a card to replace the Crusade with. True Conviction totally passed my mind. I will try it out.
Although I want the Leonin Shikari in here, I do not wan't to take out Oblation for it. Any different suggestions? Mentor of the Meek has worked wonders for me. Easy way to draw with Nahiri out.
I don't run Serra Ascendant cause I don't want to be targeted turn 1 if I happen to get it out. Also that card is silly in commander :P. I am on the fence about the whole Ranger of Eos thing. If I am not running ascendant, I dont feel like their is much of a need for it. I have tried Reveillark in an earlier version of this deck.....wasnt that great in my opinion so I took it out.
I don't know if I'm keen on the Weathered Wayfarer. It's a fantastic drop early and can enable minor shenanigans with the Scroll Rack, but as the game goes on the power level drops off sharply. I'd be more prone to put in Kor Duelist as another 1-drop. The Wayfarer does allow us to get other lands though. Maze of Ith comes to mind.
I like the Ranger of Eos though. The other two 1-drops that you've mentioned are good at any point in the game.
I'm on the fence with Reveillark. It's a good card, but what to take out...
I just feel like the Scroll Rack+Weathered Wayfarer are good at any point in the game. A consistent draw 3 new cards every turn is nothing to scoff at, and I feel like it's almost an auto include at this point.
Ranger of Eos seems so meh to me....maybe I just dont find that he is a necessary tutor?
Elbrus is something to consider, although it's only really useful at Stonehewer Giant, maybe Stoneforge Mystic for some silly stuff. But beyond that, not sure if I will include that one.
I'd add Expedition Map to fetch your utility lands. Arcane Lighthouse vs. Narset, Flagstones before a geddon, Emeria lategame etc. Also would suggest Mistveil Plains, it lets you tuck stuff back so you can tutor for them again.
You also seem slim on card advantage. At the very least I'd add Mask of Memory. That thing is such a house and an auto-include in any equipment deck. Beyond that, Mentor of the Meek still looks good here, and there's also Mind's Eye.
Finally, Elspeth, Sun's Champion is insane. Board wipe or tons of tokens. The versatility is great.
I'd cut Serra Avatar and Etched Champion. Serra Avatar is just a big vanilla creature, and it's not always even big. It's crap without haste too. Etched Champion... it's a 2/2. Why? It's a good chump blocker and it's got evasion.. but it's a 2/2. Nope.
Definatly adding in Expedition Map. I was actually trying to think of a way to get specific lands without having to manually drawing them. Expedition Map totally slipped my mind. Added.
Even though Etched Champion is a 2/2, I feel like its fine if hes pumped with Equipment. And his ability will almost always be active. I think I am gonna still try to fit him in here.
I might try glory. Alot of the time I wont have more than 2 creatures on the field at a time, and 1 of them is usually equiped with 2-3 Sword of X and Y, so I feel like the protection isnt really all that necessary.
Some more thoughts from someone who is working an a Nahiri list:
umbral mantle sounds really fun with Stonehewer. Sword of the Paruns also works but it much more mana intensive if you aren't cheating it into play.
What can the mantle do with Stonehewer? Well if you have enough mana up, you can basically force whoever you're attacking into a lose/lose situation. They block? Tutor up scythe of the wretched and enough junk to kill the blocker. They don't block? Tutor up quietus spike and fireshrieker
It can also give some utility to cards like Mother, Wayfarer, and maybe a few others with tap abilities or who really want to attack every turn with vigilance.
I'm also going to add in the Kaldera set, and maybe Viridian Longbow, mostly as a way to have fun with the Sword and other deathtouch sources.
I try not to use cards that only work with 1 specific creature in my deck, so Umbral Mantle might not be for me. I had the Kaldra set in here originally, but I never like casting them or using Nahiri's ability to get them as I wanted to do other stuff. I once had all 3 pieces in my hand for 6-7 turns cause I felt they were just dead draws.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, gonna weak this deck ina bit.
Been running thru this decklist as I design my own Nahiri EDH deck, and I really like all the suggestions given here. One comment though, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can use Blind Obedience in an all-white EDH deck, due to it's dual-color extort cost.
Rule 903.4c states - "A card may be included in an EDH deck only if each mana symbol contained within its mana cost or rules text is colorless or is a color or colors that's in the general's mana cost."
1 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
Creatures
1 Archon of Justice
1 Angel of the Dire Hour
1 Auriok Steelshaper
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Kemba, Kha Regent
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Leonin Abunas
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Myojin of Cleansing Fire
1 Puresteel Paladin
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Stonehewer Giant
1 Sun Titan
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Instants
1 Condemn
1 Dispatch
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Oblation
1 Path to Exile
1 Return to Dust
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Wing Shards
1 Akroma's Vengeance
1 Austere Command
1 Council's Judgment
1 Day of Judgment
1 Final Judgment
1 Open the Vaults
1 Revoke Existence
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Wrath of God
Artifacts
1 Argentum Armor
1 Batterskull
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Fireshrieker
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Godsend
1 Grim Monolith
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
1 Pariah's Shield
1 Pearl Medallion
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Blind Obedience
1 Cathars' Crusade
1 Darksteel Mutation
1 Land Tax
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Lands
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Kor Haven
1 Temple of the False God
1 Buried Ruin
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
30 Plains
I usually play against stuff like The Mimeoplasm, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Narset, Enlightened Master, and Captain Sisay. So, most of the time I am fighting big beefy dudes who are difficult to get rid of. I had a few cards in mind I would like to take out, but I am just not sure the cards I want to put in will be justified in it's place.
Considered Swaps:
1 Mentor of the Meek for Steelshaper Apprentice
1 Myojin of Cleansing Fire for Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Pariah's Shield for Umezawa's Jitte
1 Dispatch for Disenchant
1 Akroma's Vengeance for Martial Coup/Mass Calcify
I feel like I should try to keep only the mass creature removal and get rid of stuff that also would hurt my artifacts. Like I said above, I am still not 100% sure on changing the deck as each card has helped me win in some way at some point, so it's difficult for me to get rid of them. Any and all help is appreciated!
My only real suggestion is perhaps finding room for a Scroll Rack. It can be tutored up, and can be resurrected back with Sun Titan...it combos very well with land tax. With those 2 cards on the field you'll be able to draw up to 4 new cards each turn for just 1.
If you do add a scroll rack...I'd suggest adding in some fetch lands as well. Some way of being able to cheaply shuffle your library. Evolving, Terramorphic and Myriad. Of course if you've got the money, you can also throw in the actual Fetch Lands as well.
I'm not a huge fan of Masterwork of Ingenuity. I guess to be fair, I never really gave it a full chance to either impress me on unimpressed me through playtesting with it though.
How has it been working for you?
There's also Linvala...but I think that's pretty obvious. I think she belongs in every white deck ever! :p...but I'm not running her in my nahiri build quite yet myself...that $40+ price tag feels pretty steep!
Etched Champion would be a good card here. It's generally unblockable and can stop huge fatties. It also partners well with the Pariah's Shield. An Ancient Den can jump in there for a Plains to help a bit with the metalcraft, maybe a Darksteel Citadel as well. Umezawa's Jitte is also missing if that's an option for you. Leonin Shikari is a great card as well. Partner that with a live Puresteel Paladin and you can swap everything around as instants for free! Very powerful effect there even without it. It turns your Swiftfoot Boots into 1 spot-removal counters. Lightning Greaves works here as well.
I like all of the artifact ramp. It may even warrant a Voltaic Key for more explosive turns. You can add a Mana Vault as well. The Skullclamp may be underwhelming without any good 1/1 sources. A Kjeldoran Outpost may help there. It'll also give you back a body quickly after a board wipe.
I see you've dropped the Serra Avatar. I know she's just meat, but in Commander that's a lot of meat. She also swings a Loxodon Warhammer like a boss. I'll second the Scroll Rack. It's great by itself, especially in mono-white which doesn't have too many draw options. With Land Tax, it's just nuts.
Mother of Runes probably deserves a slot as well. She's cheap, but still relevant late-game.
I can't believe I forgot Scroll Rack! I will definatly be putting it in. Any suggestions on what to toss for it? Masterwork has worked wonders for me. I usually make it copy a Sword of X and Y, have double strike on my creature, then the sword effects trigger 4 times in just 1 attack. Sword of Feast and Famine is one of my favorites to copy, as if I do hit you, you discard 4 cards :P.
I would run Linvala, it's just I didn't feel like she brought anything special to this deck. I could be wrong though.
I will defiantly consider Seal of Cleansing at least. I actually tried Dispeller's Capsule once and it felt so underwhelming cause of its cost of 3 to activate. Any suggestions on what to replace?
Etched champion I might consider. I had nothing really amazing to have Pariah's Shield on until I saw Etched Champion, so I guess it gives me an incentive to keep it in. I don't understand the Leonin Shikari all that much. I know it can make my equipping instant, but is it really all that good? Maybe I am just not seeing the true beauty of it.
I was running Voltaic Key in my initial build of this deck, but since I wasn't running alot of artifacts that actually needed to be tapped, I took it out because it always appeared at the wrong time. But I can give it another try if I throw in Mana Vault.
Nahiri herself justifies my Skullclamp. her +2 basically says "Draw 2 cards" when I have her and Skullclamp out. My typical early game is to just find Skullclamp asap, cast Nahiri, then just draw until i get what I want to get, at least for early-mid game. It has worked wonders, and I don't think I need any more dedicated 1/1 token makers for Skullclamp.
And Serra Avatar is just....a no for me. Every single time I have drawn that card, I was at like 10-15 life. It is just so underwhelming for me.
I'll consider Mother of Runes. Any suggestions on what to take out for it?
Hmmm I will try it out. Any suggestions on what to take out?
Archon of Justice > Etched Champion It's better defense as well as offense. The Archon is also just weak without some way to sac and recur it.
Knight of the White Orchid > Scroll Rack It's a 1-shot and if you have Land Tax out, it's a no-shot.
Darksteel Mutation > Mana Vault I just think the power level on the card is too low.
Plains > Kjeldoran Outpost, Flagstones of Trokair, Ancient Den You play a ton of basics. A few more utility lands wouldn't hurt. I steer away from CIPT lands.
Condemn > Voltaic Key You have a lot of sweep, other (better) spot removal, and a creature-based deck. It's just not needed.
Akroma's Vengeance > Terminus Mo' betta' removal, plus you can't lose all of those artifacts, bro!
Cathars' Crusade > True Conviction You have a lot of combat triggers on your equipment and no way to really abuse the creature CIP one. I think you'll just get more mileage with the latter.
Oblation > Leonin Shikari Card space is a premium here and I think Oblation is the next lowest hanging fruit. Not a bad card though.
Mentor of the Meek > Serra Ascendant If the Mentor is under-performing for you, try something that should probably be banned!
I agree with Myojin for Elesh that you posted earlier.
And how about Reveillark - it will have pretty mach targets in late game, like Stoneforge Mystic etc.=)
I like the Ranger of Eos though. The other two 1-drops that you've mentioned are good at any point in the game.
I'm on the fence with Reveillark. It's a good card, but what to take out...
I've taken the liberty to re-work the deck list with the suggestions posted so far in this thread. This will be what I'll run in a few days when I get the deck.
1 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
Creatures (19)
1 Mother of Runes
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Leonin Shikari
1 Puresteel Paladin
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Etched Champion
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Kemba, Kha Regent
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Leonin Abunas
1 Sublime Archangel
1 Indomitable Archangel
1 Stonehewer Giant
1 Sun Titan
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Angel of the Dire Hour
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Serra Avatar
Equipment (14)
1 Skullclamp
1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Fireshrieker
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Godsend
1 Batterskull
1 Argentum Armor
1 Mox Opal
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Grim Monolith
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Scroll Rack
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Pearl Medallion
Instants (6)
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
1 Dispatch
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Wing Shards
1 Return to Dust
Sorceries (8)
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Revoke Existence
1 Council's Judgment
1 Wrath of God
1 Day of Judgment
1 Armageddon
1 Terminus
1 Final Judgment
Enchantments (4)
1 Land Tax
1 Blind Obedience
1 Crackdown
1 True Conviction
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Ajani Goldmane
Lands (35)
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Kor Haven
1 Temple of the False God
1 Buried Ruin
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Ancient Den
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Drifting Meadow
1 Strip Mine
1 Maze of Ith
21 Plains
I'm worried that I've chopped the lands down too much. I pretty much swapped them 1 for 1 with the non-basics (and cut one for the Mox), but that's a lot of non-basics. I also still want to work in an Inkmoth Nexus.
I was also thinking about Elbrus, the Binding Blade. I've used it to great effect with Stonehewer Giant in the past. Nahiri lets us cheat it down as well. I also want to get in the Ranger of Eos, but then I'd want the Weathered Wayfarer back...grrr. 100 cards isn't enough!
I'm not a big fan of Kemba, Kha Regent, Serra Avatar, Godsend, Pearl Medallion, Blind Obedience or Ajani Goldmane (not enough creatures to really abuse him imho).
I do like weathered Wayfarer if you're planning on running 37 or less lands (35 is way too low I think)...might even consider running a copy of Gift Of Estates. Eternal dragon is another awesome choice to go with here.
I'm a pretty big fan of oblivion stone in this deck. You can fetch it with enlightened tutor, return it from the grave with sun titan and protect your own stuff if you have a turn or 2 before you need to pop it.
My last 3 suggestions
Containment Priest. I was originally planning on taking mine out of my build as well. Then I played it vs. a reanimator deck. She won me that game.
Luminarch Ascension...silly fun card to put out really early game...and can be a win condition.
Cataclysm...such a sick card. This may be too much of an a-hole card for your group so I'd totally understand if you don't want to run it...though I did notice you'll be running Armageddon...so I'm not so sure this is too far of a stretch.
I haven't actually received my copy yet...but I just can't see how this card can be bad. You play it just when you're in the lead and it can easily win you the game.
There's a few other things in your list (like the lack of recursion) that feels off to me...but these are the main points that are popping up to me.
But please do note that I'm VERY new to this format...so I very well may be noobing it up here with these suggestions haha. I my well be way off in my advice and I just don't know any better!
**Edit**
Ok, here goes version 1.1:
1 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
Creatures (21)
1 Mother of Runes
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Leonin Shikari
1 Puresteel Paladin
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Etched Champion
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Leonin Abunas
1 Ranger of Eos
1 Sublime Archangel
1 Indomitable Archangel
1 Stonehewer Giant
1 Sun Titan
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Angel of the Dire Hour
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Serra Avatar
Equipment (12)
1 Skullclamp
1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Batterskull
1 Argentum Armor
1 Mox Opal
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Grim Monolith
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Scroll Rack
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Oblivion Stone
Instants (5)
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
1 Dispatch
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Return to Dust
Sorceries (8)
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Revoke Existence
1 Cataclysm
1 Wrath of God
1 Day of Judgment
1 Armageddon
1 Terminus
1 Final Judgment
Enchantments (5)
1 Land Tax
1 Blind Obedience
1 Luminarch Ascension
1 Crackdown
1 True Conviction
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Ajani Goldmane
Lands (35)
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Kor Haven
1 Temple of the False God
1 Buried Ruin
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Ancient Den
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Drifting Meadow
1 Strip Mine
1 Maze of Ith
21 Plains
Some update notes: I took out the Fireshrieker for the Jitte (totally spaced that one,) the Council's Judgment for the Cataclysm, Godsend and Pearl Medallion for the Weathered Wayfarer and the Ranger of Eos...something else for the Eternal Dragon.
My group is fine with the 'Geddon and the Cataclysm effects. The only thing I don't like is that it will always kill Nahiri. The Containment Priest is going into my Legacy deck, but it's good stuff I agree. I like the Ascension. I pulled the Boots for it.
I want something that gives flying as well. All of the equipment is kind of janky. Bladed Pinions is probably the best and even that's meh. Any suggestions?
Next on the chopping block is probably Serra Avatar. I just love that big dumb heifer so much...sniff .
Stolen from another thread: Remember the Fallen and Trading Post for recursion. I also have an Argivian Archaeologist. Thoughts on which is the best? Trading Post is reusable and is what I'm leaning towards.
You also seem slim on card advantage. At the very least I'd add Mask of Memory. That thing is such a house and an auto-include in any equipment deck. Beyond that, Mentor of the Meek still looks good here, and there's also Mind's Eye.
Finally, Elspeth, Sun's Champion is insane. Board wipe or tons of tokens. The versatility is great.
I'd cut Serra Avatar and Etched Champion. Serra Avatar is just a big vanilla creature, and it's not always even big. It's crap without haste too. Etched Champion... it's a 2/2. Why? It's a good chump blocker and it's got evasion.. but it's a 2/2. Nope.
UBRThraximundar, Tribal ZombiesUBR
WURZedruu's Great TradesWUR
I'll concede that Serra Avatar is mediocre. She's just so awesome with a Loxodon Warhammer.
I'll disagree on the Etched Champion though. A 2/2 for 3 is bad. A 2/2 unblockable, semi-indestructible, hexproof isn't. It's immune to spot removal and unblockable in a deck filled with combat trigger equipment. Sometimes you just need a body to feed those Swords (and the aforementioned Mask) to people. An invincible chump blocker in Commander isn't anything to laugh at either since so much huge and horrible stuff hits the table.
I may try to find a Mind's Eye as well. It's expensive, but would give value the rest of the game. This deck plays a chunk of artifact mana too, so it may ramp out quick.
Cho would be great with a Pariah's Shield or a Pariah. Making yourself indestructible is kinda coo . Eesha is great for D and for feeding people equipment with triggers, and Rune-Tail is...kinda bending the spirit of Commander but obviously good.
Heliod, God of the Sun is indestructible. If you can mantain WWWWW minimum devotion and he can absorb the damage.
umbral mantle sounds really fun with Stonehewer. Sword of the Paruns also works but it much more mana intensive if you aren't cheating it into play.
What can the mantle do with Stonehewer? Well if you have enough mana up, you can basically force whoever you're attacking into a lose/lose situation. They block? Tutor up scythe of the wretched and enough junk to kill the blocker. They don't block? Tutor up quietus spike and fireshrieker
It can also give some utility to cards like Mother, Wayfarer, and maybe a few others with tap abilities or who really want to attack every turn with vigilance.
I'm also going to add in the Kaldera set, and maybe Viridian Longbow, mostly as a way to have fun with the Sword and other deathtouch sources.
Hmmm, most people here suggest Etched champion, I will give him a try.
Ill try scroll rack, but I like the knight for when I get him early so I don't think I am gonna take that out.
Darksteel Mutation is fantastic imo. It gets rid of some commanders without letting it go back to the command zone. I just love doing that card on Narset or Derevi.
Gonna have to keep Condemn too. Tucking commanders is just too great of a thing to pass up, especially since alot of my playgroup is Narset and Mimeoplasm.
Can't believe I forgot about Terminus. Defiantly going in.
I have actually been trying to find a card to replace the Crusade with. True Conviction totally passed my mind. I will try it out.
Although I want the Leonin Shikari in here, I do not wan't to take out Oblation for it. Any different suggestions?
Mentor of the Meek has worked wonders for me. Easy way to draw with Nahiri out.
Eh, Rout is cool and all, but Day of Judgment is a cheap mass creature removal, which this deck really likes. Gonna have to keep it in
I don't run Serra Ascendant cause I don't want to be targeted turn 1 if I happen to get it out. Also that card is silly in commander :P. I am on the fence about the whole Ranger of Eos thing. If I am not running ascendant, I dont feel like their is much of a need for it. I have tried Reveillark in an earlier version of this deck.....wasnt that great in my opinion so I took it out.
I just feel like the Scroll Rack+Weathered Wayfarer are good at any point in the game. A consistent draw 3 new cards every turn is nothing to scoff at, and I feel like it's almost an auto include at this point.
Ranger of Eos seems so meh to me....maybe I just dont find that he is a necessary tutor?
Elbrus is something to consider, although it's only really useful at Stonehewer Giant, maybe Stoneforge Mystic for some silly stuff. But beyond that, not sure if I will include that one.
Definatly adding in Expedition Map. I was actually trying to think of a way to get specific lands without having to manually drawing them. Expedition Map totally slipped my mind. Added.
Even though Etched Champion is a 2/2, I feel like its fine if hes pumped with Equipment. And his ability will almost always be active. I think I am gonna still try to fit him in here.
I might try glory. Alot of the time I wont have more than 2 creatures on the field at a time, and 1 of them is usually equiped with 2-3 Sword of X and Y, so I feel like the protection isnt really all that necessary.
I try not to use cards that only work with 1 specific creature in my deck, so Umbral Mantle might not be for me. I had the Kaldra set in here originally, but I never like casting them or using Nahiri's ability to get them as I wanted to do other stuff. I once had all 3 pieces in my hand for 6-7 turns cause I felt they were just dead draws.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, gonna weak this deck ina bit.
Rule 903.4c states - "A card may be included in an EDH deck only if each mana symbol contained within its mana cost or rules text is colorless or is a color or colors that's in the general's mana cost."
Other than that, it's an awesome card!