There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, New International Version
Overall, the gameplan is pretty simple. Ramp, disrupt, politic, win. Note: I am intentionally avoiding infinite mana combos. I know, Tasigur is basically his own win condition with infinite colored mana, but this is 'serious casual' deck meant for 75% tables. Also, I'm trying to go creatureless for aesthetic purposes. I'm likely going to break on this and add in Seedborn Muse and a few others, but for now I'm going to stick to it.
Putting this list back together was very frustrating. I'm not happy with the removal suite, the counter suite, the card draw package, or the ramp package. The win condition(s) might be too compact. I haven't had the time to do much testing outside of 1v1s with my brother, but those were basically worthless. I won't be able to properly test the deck for an indefinite amount of time, either, but I wanted to get a rough draft down for critique.
Removal: This is where I'm almost confident since many cheap removal spells are included, but I'm still running some expensive removal. Since this isn't a cEDH deck, I think it's fair to play slower removal for a slower meta, but still cheap answers are better than expensive ones.
Counters: Yuck. I want to throw in Cryptic Command but 4cmc is a tough sell. Exclude seems like the easiest replacement, and in retrospect I'm not sure why I play the latter over the former. I can't afford Mana Drain or Force of Will, both of which would be incredible inclusions. Mystic Confluence is a powerful card but 5cmc is just a ridiculous price to pay off of Tasigur's ability.
Card draw: I'm pretty all-in on the graveyard plan for card advantage so Rest in Peace is a nightmare when it resolves. Because of that I want to diversify my card draw. Fact or Fiction is plenty good but I need to find more room for stuff like Painful Truths, Notion Rain, and Manifold Insights. My biggest problem is finding cuts for the non-recursive draw.
Ramp: Rocks or spells? I'm almost positive that unless I'm running DramaticScepter that ramp spells are better since they get turned into Tasigur delve fuel when I'm ready to cast him. MLD is all but unheard of in my meta, but artifact removal (and my own Pernicious Deed) are things. Still, the argument could be made that since I can deploy rocks and they stay on the field that they're less dead cards to return with Tasigur's ability.
Win conditions: Well, infinite turns is a better approach than relying solely on commander damage. I like the infinite turn approach because all of the pieces are individually useful, which is great for a control deck. However, that compactness is a double-edged sword if I get Sadistic Sacramented or some other kind of preemptive library exile. As such, I wanted to diversify the win conditions with infinite Mindslavers (either with Academy Ruins or Tasigur's ability) or quick beats with Runechanter's Pike. I think I need something else but I'm not sure what. I started with a reanimation package but quickly cut it since it requires far too much dedication. Any other ideas?
That's about it for now. I'm definitely looking for feedback and criticism since I won't be able to play for the near future.
Hermit Druid and Tunnel Vision might be helpful. Druid draws you lands, and Tunnel Vision tutors, but both give you ramp for recasting Tasigur and fodder for recursion. In general, the more you can self-mill, the fewer, cheaper, and narrower your removal can be.
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Pretty much. Most similar lists I've seen/read about describe slow Tasigur beats as being sufficient for closing most games, but I included Runechanter's Pike to speed up that process. The general gameplan is to sit back, let everyone else tear themselves apart while intervening only when necessary before grinding the remaining opponents down.
There's also a Mindslaver lock which is primarily included because of how cute it is.
Hermit Druid and Tunnel Vision might be helpful. Druid draws you lands, and Tunnel Vision tutors, but both give you ramp for recasting Tasigur and fodder for recursion. In general, the more you can self-mill, the fewer, cheaper, and narrower your removal can be.
Interesting point. I'm a little worried about going all in due to graveyard hate but more controlled self-milling could be worthwhile. Tunnel Vision could also double as a win con if I added AEtherspouts, though that trick would rarely work. I'm worried the mass removal suite is too weak to dissuade being targeted by more aggressive strategies.
Shadow of Doubt is a powerful card that can act as LD off fetch land, counter tutors, and counter Bitter Ordeal or other deck exile. Plus it's a cantrip. Really easy to get people to give you it back, no one cares to even find out what a person wants to tutor and its a pretty frequent occurence.
Shadow of Doubt is a powerful card that can act as LD off fetch land, counter tutors, and counter Bitter Ordeal or other deck exile. Plus it's a cantrip. Really easy to get people to give you it back, no one cares to even find out what a person wants to tutor and its a pretty frequent occurence.
I had completely forgotten it existed, but it's definitely worth testing. Doesn't hurt that the art is fantastic.
I also want to find room for Curse of the Swine, though maybe I won't need mass removal as much as I think I will. Maybe something like:
I'd keep Rapid Hybridization tbh. I used to run a similar list, and a lot of times you need the spell as low as possible. Having the one creature removal that hits everything (the others have a color clause if I recall) is really good. Actually, I guess that's meta dependent.
Moment's Peace may be redundant. Constant Mists is all ya need and by the time you do it'll show up/ you can get it back in time. Abrupt Decay is a personal favorite too, a lot of combo pieces are 3 or less.
Interesting point. I'm a little worried about going all in due to graveyard hate but more controlled self-milling could be worthwhile.
Given how little card draw you're running, you're already pretty all-in against graveyard hate, so you might as well optimize for the case where you don't see it.
Here's a question, that might lead to clarify card choices: Why is this a Tasigur deck, and not a Damia deck?
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I'd keep Rapid Hybridization tbh. I used to run a similar list, and a lot of times you need the spell as low as possible. Having the one creature removal that hits everything (the others have a color clause if I recall) is really good. Actually, I guess that's meta dependent.
Moment's Peace may be redundant. Constant Mists is all ya need and by the time you do it'll show up/ you can get it back in time. Abrupt Decay is a personal favorite too, a lot of combo pieces are 3 or less.
Hero's Downfall and Murder lack a color restriction, but 1cmc removal is pretty good considering Tasigur's activation cost.
You may be right about Moment's Peace but I really like being able to dredge into it. I'm actually probably going to cut a counter, I'm just not sure which one. I've never been a big fan of Arcane Denial and only included it because of the praises of others. A 2cmc hard counter is nice but that card draw clause makes me queasy.
Interesting point. I'm a little worried about going all in due to graveyard hate but more controlled self-milling could be worthwhile.
Given how little card draw you're running, you're already pretty all-in against graveyard hate, so you might as well optimize for the case where you don't see it.
Here's a question, that might lead to clarify card choices: Why is this a Tasigur deck, and not a Damia deck?
Hm, good point. The only graveyard hate I really fear would be Rest in Peace and other persistent grave hate, not Relic of Progenitus and the like, due to the fact that I can always restock my 'yard.
I chose Tasigur exclusively because of how interactive he is. I really like forcing my opponents to make decisions, because if they make enoigh of them theyre bound to make mistakes eventually. I feel that Damia primarily lends herself to ramp/goodstuff strategies which I'd rather avoid, whereas Tasigur is either combo or control. So, the question becomes: do I add more card draw to compensate for the weakness to graveyard hate, or double down and pray I can answer them before they wreck me?
You should run stifle and trickbind. They are both amazing cards that are basically the answer to everything. I like mist of stagnation as a win condition. It synergises well with tasigur and it usually wins the game.
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, New International Version
As part of my ongoing series of revisiting my old decks and giving them a facelift, inspired by the cEDH deck Seasons Pastigur I present Tasigur, the Golden Fang Seasons Past Turns.
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Lands: 38
1 Academy Ruins
1 Barren Moor
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Breeding Pool
1 City of Brass
1 Command Tower
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Fetid Pools
1 Flooded Grove
4 Forest
1 Glacial Chasm
1 Hinterland Harbor
5 Island
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Mana Confluence
1 Maze of Ith
1 Opulent Palace
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Strip Mine
1 Sunken Ruins
2 Swamp
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Twilight Mire
1 Underground River
1 Watery Grave
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Yavimaya Coast
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Arcane Denial
1 Assassin's Trophy
1 Beast Within
1 Capsize
1 Constant Mists
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Disallow
1 Entomb
1 Evacuation
1 Exclude
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Far // Away
1 Forbid
1 Harrow
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Moment's Peace
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Nature's Claim
1 Negate
1 Noxious Revival
1 Pongify
1 Putrefy
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Reality Shift
1 Skeletal Scrying
1 Stubborn Denial
1 Sultai Charm
1 Swan Song
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Voidslime
1 Cultivate
1 Damnation
1 Dark Petition
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Farseek
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Life from the Loam
1 Nature's Lore
1 Nostalgic Dreams
1 Rampant Growth
1 Regrowth
1 Seasons Past
1 Splendid Reclamation
1 Time Warp
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Treasured Find
1 Walk the Aeons
Artifacts: 4
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Mindslaver
1 Runechanter's Pike
1 Sol Ring
Enchantments: 7
1 As Foretold
1 Exploration
1 Holistic Wisdom
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Search for Azcanta
1 Song of the Dryads
1 Sylvan Library
The deck is fundamentally the same with the added win condition of infinite turns with Seasons Past + Time Warp/Walk the Aeons + a tutor.
Overall, the gameplan is pretty simple. Ramp, disrupt, politic, win. Note: I am intentionally avoiding infinite mana combos. I know, Tasigur is basically his own win condition with infinite colored mana, but this is 'serious casual' deck meant for 75% tables. Also, I'm trying to go creatureless for aesthetic purposes. I'm likely going to break on this and add in Seedborn Muse and a few others, but for now I'm going to stick to it.
Putting this list back together was very frustrating. I'm not happy with the removal suite, the counter suite, the card draw package, or the ramp package. The win condition(s) might be too compact. I haven't had the time to do much testing outside of 1v1s with my brother, but those were basically worthless. I won't be able to properly test the deck for an indefinite amount of time, either, but I wanted to get a rough draft down for critique.
Removal: This is where I'm almost confident since many cheap removal spells are included, but I'm still running some expensive removal. Since this isn't a cEDH deck, I think it's fair to play slower removal for a slower meta, but still cheap answers are better than expensive ones.
Counters: Yuck. I want to throw in Cryptic Command but 4cmc is a tough sell. Exclude seems like the easiest replacement, and in retrospect I'm not sure why I play the latter over the former. I can't afford Mana Drain or Force of Will, both of which would be incredible inclusions. Mystic Confluence is a powerful card but 5cmc is just a ridiculous price to pay off of Tasigur's ability.
Card draw: I'm pretty all-in on the graveyard plan for card advantage so Rest in Peace is a nightmare when it resolves. Because of that I want to diversify my card draw. Fact or Fiction is plenty good but I need to find more room for stuff like Painful Truths, Notion Rain, and Manifold Insights. My biggest problem is finding cuts for the non-recursive draw.
Ramp: Rocks or spells? I'm almost positive that unless I'm running Dramatic Scepter that ramp spells are better since they get turned into Tasigur delve fuel when I'm ready to cast him. MLD is all but unheard of in my meta, but artifact removal (and my own Pernicious Deed) are things. Still, the argument could be made that since I can deploy rocks and they stay on the field that they're less dead cards to return with Tasigur's ability.
Win conditions: Well, infinite turns is a better approach than relying solely on commander damage. I like the infinite turn approach because all of the pieces are individually useful, which is great for a control deck. However, that compactness is a double-edged sword if I get Sadistic Sacramented or some other kind of preemptive library exile. As such, I wanted to diversify the win conditions with infinite Mindslavers (either with Academy Ruins or Tasigur's ability) or quick beats with Runechanter's Pike. I think I need something else but I'm not sure what. I started with a reanimation package but quickly cut it since it requires far too much dedication. Any other ideas?
That's about it for now. I'm definitely looking for feedback and criticism since I won't be able to play for the near future.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
Hermit Druid and Tunnel Vision might be helpful. Druid draws you lands, and Tunnel Vision tutors, but both give you ramp for recasting Tasigur and fodder for recursion. In general, the more you can self-mill, the fewer, cheaper, and narrower your removal can be.
Pretty much. Most similar lists I've seen/read about describe slow Tasigur beats as being sufficient for closing most games, but I included Runechanter's Pike to speed up that process. The general gameplan is to sit back, let everyone else tear themselves apart while intervening only when necessary before grinding the remaining opponents down.
There's also a Mindslaver lock which is primarily included because of how cute it is.
Interesting point. I'm a little worried about going all in due to graveyard hate but more controlled self-milling could be worthwhile. Tunnel Vision could also double as a win con if I added AEtherspouts, though that trick would rarely work. I'm worried the mass removal suite is too weak to dissuade being targeted by more aggressive strategies.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
I had completely forgotten it existed, but it's definitely worth testing. Doesn't hurt that the art is fantastic.
I also want to find room for Curse of the Swine, though maybe I won't need mass removal as much as I think I will. Maybe something like:
- Rapid Hybridization
- Dismember
+ Shadow of Doubt
+ Curse of the Swine
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
Moment's Peace may be redundant. Constant Mists is all ya need and by the time you do it'll show up/ you can get it back in time. Abrupt Decay is a personal favorite too, a lot of combo pieces are 3 or less.
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
Given how little card draw you're running, you're already pretty all-in against graveyard hate, so you might as well optimize for the case where you don't see it.
Here's a question, that might lead to clarify card choices: Why is this a Tasigur deck, and not a Damia deck?
Hero's Downfall and Murder lack a color restriction, but 1cmc removal is pretty good considering Tasigur's activation cost.
You may be right about Moment's Peace but I really like being able to dredge into it. I'm actually probably going to cut a counter, I'm just not sure which one. I've never been a big fan of Arcane Denial and only included it because of the praises of others. A 2cmc hard counter is nice but that card draw clause makes me queasy.
Hm, good point. The only graveyard hate I really fear would be Rest in Peace and other persistent grave hate, not Relic of Progenitus and the like, due to the fact that I can always restock my 'yard.
I chose Tasigur exclusively because of how interactive he is. I really like forcing my opponents to make decisions, because if they make enoigh of them theyre bound to make mistakes eventually. I feel that Damia primarily lends herself to ramp/goodstuff strategies which I'd rather avoid, whereas Tasigur is either combo or control. So, the question becomes: do I add more card draw to compensate for the weakness to graveyard hate, or double down and pray I can answer them before they wreck me?
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK