“What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie?
I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky.
The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing;
Rush in and die, dogs—I was a man before I was a king.”
-Robert E. Howard
1. The Commander: An Analysis of Ruhan Introduction
Salut! Welcome to my Ruhan of the Fomori guide. Ruhan is ultimately a vanilla creature; essentially, he’s a huge beater with a low CMC, with a “drawback” aimed at justifying his unfair ratio. However, very few circumstances actually turn his clause into a drawback, so what we are left with is a remarkably efficient threat. Further, his power is the magic number 7, meaning that he only needs to hit an opponent three times. The primary goal of this deck, then, is to enable Ruhan to connect by making him unblockable. Whether or not Ruhan will end up killing everyone at the table is circumstantial to the game, but this deck is designed to ensure that whatever damage you aren't doing with Ruhan can be done with other powerful creatures. Further, this deck, like many Jeskai aggro/control decks, boasts a suite of counterspells, removal, and general card-advantage engines to allow for long-term reliability and survival.
Why should you play Ruhan of the Fomori?
Ruhan has a low CMC, ensuring that he will come out early and be relatively affordable throughout the game, despite removal
Ruhan has a high P/T (especially considering his CMC), which makes him relevant throughout the game
Ruhan has a "drawback" that evades multiplayer politics; on the pro-list, this means that other players can't technically get mad when you swing
Ruhan strikes a near perfect balance between aggro/voltron and control; Jeskai happens to offer the perfect options for this style of play
Ruhan has access to Sunforger and it's suite of spells; this is a ridiculously fun equipment that turns your deck into a toolbox
Ruhan has no inherent "instant win" abilities; on the pro-list, this means that you won't be immediately hated on
Why should you not play Ruhan of the Fomori?
Ruhan has no brakes; this makes Deathtouch and similarly lethal threats unreasonably intimidating
Ruhan has a "drawback" that evades multiplayer politics; on the con-list, this means that you can't bargain as well with other players
Ruhan has no inherent infinite combos; if you are a combo player, “these aren't the droids you're looking for”
Ruhan does not support token/swarm strategies; you will have a small battlefield
Ruhan has no inherent "instant win" abilities; on the con-list, this means that you will have to work for your victories
Why did I choose to play Ruhan of the Fomori (and a brief history)?
My favorite parts of Magic: the Gathering are the deck construction and optimization. Because of that, I've built a huge number of EDH decks, spanning most available strategies, from voltron, to token, to combo, and so on. In addition to Ruhan, I currently run Jenara, Asura of War, Marath, Will of the Wild, and Mistform Ultimus, though I have retired Uril, the Miststalker, Sek'kuar, Deathkeeper, Azami, Lady of Scrolls, Darien, King of Kjeldor, Brago, King Eternal, Animar, Soul of Elements, and Karn, Silver Golem. I’m fairly consistent about selling my decks on eBay, generally after a few months of play to keep things fresh for me, but my Ruhan deck has a very dynamic play style that keeps me perpetually interested in it; it never ceases to surprise me with its variability. This deck is my oldest and certainly my longest lived; I’ve been running this deck since February 2013, and it was my second EDH deck (Uril was my first). I chose Ruhan because when I built the deck I was running a Jeskai planeswalkers deck in INN-RTR standard, and had realized that Jeskai was my favorite color combination. Further, I had a ton of nice cards sitting around that I thought would work well with the deck. After noticing that my girlfriend had Ruhan sitting in her Political Puppets preconstructed deck, I quickly obtained him and built the deck.
2. The Commander: Weighing the Options
Before we move on to the deck list and card breakdown, let’s contrast Ruhan with comparable commander options.
Other Jeskai Commanders Narset, Enlightened Master: Narset is a marvelous card. Hexproof on a general is about the best thing you could ask for in EDH; the fact that she has first strike and an outrageously fun ability is just an added bonus. Unfortunately, her ability usually produces a very specific build, one which lends itself to infinite turns/combats. While some groups may like her combo-oriented nature, she is not exactly the most friendly commander. She has also garnered a reputation as a top-tier commander, so be prepared to be hated off the field.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest: I really like Shu Yun and I want to see a deck that works, but so far all I've seen are decks that runs out of steam after a single combat phase. He may be more suited for Tiny Leaders, if that’s even still a format.
Numot, the Devastator: Numot is about as cool as the other legendary dragons. However, he lends himself to either a Good Stuff style deck, or one focused on land destruction. While land destruction is certainly to be glorified in 1v1, most multiplayer-focused metas are going to hate you for it.
Zedruu the Greathearted: Zedruu is super fun and super wonky. If you like Group Hug or Chaos -style decks, she’s the goat for you. Otherwise, keep reading.
Other Voltron and/or Aggro/Control Commanders Rafiq of the Many: Every person on the internet will argue that Rafiq is superior to Ruhan, and I absolutely understand the appeal. However, I’m largely inclined to disagree; I built an experimental Rafiq deck very similar to my Ruhan build and dismantled it because I could never win a game. Here’s why: Rafiq has a reputation of being an instant kill commander; what I experienced after announcing my general was immediate hate. I would even be targeted before the combo players! You have been warned! Additionally, while Bant is arguably the best 3-color combination in EDH, there are much better Bant generals available, specifically Derevi, Empyrial Tactician or Jenara, Asura of War.
Zurgo Helmsmasher: Zurgo is pretty cool. I think you could absolutely run a comparable aggro/control deck; swapping blue for black allows some pretty improved removal options, and even offers card draw, albeit at the cost of life. However, he has a few glaring weaknesses that I absolutely can't abide. First, his mana cost is not great. I know it's only one more than Ruhan, but it adds up through a game, especially when you're scaring everyone at the table dealing as much damage as Ruhan or Zurgo. Second, his meager toughness makes him way too easy to kill. Yes, he has indestructible, but that's only on your turn. Most playgroups have at least one occurrence of a Sword of Fire and Ice, and that's two damage that's guaranteed to take Zurgo out with relative ease. That's just one of hundreds of common answers that could directly deal 2 damage to him, not to mention that he's still vulnerable to wraths. Third, Zurgo's lack of access to blue removes access to cards that make him unblockable, such as Thassa, God of the Sea. I think these are all pretty important points.
Uril, the Miststalker: Uril is really great. My first EDH deck was a Uril deck, actually. He’s powerful super powerful, being one of the few hexproof commanders and has the ability to get huge quickly. However, Uril has a much harder time recovering from mass removal, due to the inferiority of auras compared to equipment. Further, he’s a bit of a one-trick pony: every game will play the same for you. Having said that, he is very fun and allows for neat enchantress packages.
Land
I’m going to skip descriptions of duals, shocks, fetches, buddies and basics because they are a typical core. I recommend running as many of these as you can afford, including fetches that are only relevant to one land type (at least they can fetch your duals and shocks too!) because being able to cast Ruhan early game is a very good plan.
Academy Ruins: Let’s face it, your equipment is going to be destroyed at some point. This helps you get them back. Don't forget that you can recur Solemn Simulacrum for added value.
Maze of Ith: I highly recommend this card in this deck. As mentioned, one of Ruhan’s biggest drawbacks is that he doesn’t have any brakes, which can send him into a potentially lethal blocker. This card not only prevents that from happening but it also locks down your opponents biggest threat, if necessary.
Mistveil Plains: This lands recycles anything back into your deck, but is especially relevant to the Sunforger package and being able to reuse instants. Because it has a Plains subtype you can grab it with fetches or Tithe.
Reliquary Tower: Some games you just draw all the cards. This ensures that you can use them after the discard phase.
Rogue's Passage: Makes Ruhan unblockable. That’s exactly what we want.
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion: This deck loves combat. Giving Ruhan double strike is no joke, doubly-so if there are extra combat effects.
Planeswalker
Jace Beleren: Jace draws you cards, and if you are willing to allow your opponents to draw, it is not uncommon to hit someone with his ultimate, because people usually forget about him in light of drawing cards. While it is typically not ideal to let your opponents draw cards, if you alternate between his + and - you are looking at drawing 1.3 cards for every 1 card your opponent draws, giving you a slightly increased advantage.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage: Tamiyo locks down a problem creature with her +1. In some circumstances, that means ensuring Ruhan won't run into any potentially lethal threats, and in others it means that you can keep that gnarly threat on your opponent's board locked down and prevent it from doing damage. Nobody likes a Blightsteel Colossus. Tamiyo is here to save the day. Her -2, if she has been cast at an opportune time, is capable of providing extreme card draw. Generally this deck does not have a large amount of creatures, but don't forget that you can target yourself! Finally, her ultimate is just brutal. Again, I rarely consider ultimates when analyzing a planeswalker because they so rarely go off, but just look at it.
Creature Aurelia, the Warleader: Aurelia boasts an ability that both makes her a remarkable beater and sends Ruhan over the top, making her relevant at every stage of the game. She curves perfectly with the deck, and thus, Ruhan, and the fact that she has haste means she changes the board immediately upon resolving. Besides being incredibly significant for Ruhan in that she allows for multiple combat steps, the additional combat steps also allow multiple triggers from equipment, which generally provides a huge advantage.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope: Avacyn is a new addition the deck. As mentioned in the beginning of this thread, one of Ruhan’s biggest weaknesses is his inability to not attack. By giving my permanents indestructible, she provides the benefit of ensuring that Ruhan will not run into any lethal blockers, as well as making my creatures immune to board wipes. This second point means that I can use my own board wipes to clear the field for my attackers. She also has a powerful body with which to attack or block, and Flying and Vigilance which gives her versatility in her ability to attack or block.
Consecrated Sphinx: This deck needs card draw to make sure that it can consistently control and smash face. This card makes you draw many other cards. If you haven't played with Con Sphinx, play it once to understand why it's a staple.
Drogskol Reaver: Good for a number of reasons, which are fairly obvious. He's a flyer, so his attack/block is more versatile. He has doublestrike, which not only makes him an intimidating beater, but with the Sword of X and Y in this deck you're looking at double triggers. He has lifelink which is always helpful. Finally, he draws cards when you gain life, which stacks very well with his doublestrike and lifelink, and the other sources in this deck which gain you life.
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV: Augustin, as most experienced players know, is a pain for all opponents. He epitomizes resource advantage, especially in this build in which 82% of the spells are blue or white. One of two scenarios occur when Augustin resolves:
1.) He does not get removed. In this scenario, spells become cheaper, and thus the deck becomes faster, and opponents are significantly slowed down due to his taxing effect, giving us tremendous advantage.
2.) He does get removed. In this scenario, your opponent has had to use a precious removal spell (that could otherwise have been used against Ruhan), and at a taxed price, meaning they have probably had to use most of their turn just to do so.
Inferno Titan: IT is a recent inclusion geared towards providing me a little bit of battlefield control, especially in the form of being able to redirect damage at planeswalkers (a superfriends deck has emerged in my playgroup), with a fat body to boot. I have yet to use this card, but will report back later.
Iroas, God of Victory: Iroas was included for two reasons. First, he gives Ruhan protection from any potentially lethal blockers. Second, he makes Ruhan more difficult to block, say if the opponent only has one blocker or if the opponent doesn't want to lose 2 creatures. Essentially, he allows your attackers, and particularly Ruhan, to shine.
Keranos, God of Storms: Keranos is pure card advantage or battlefield control, on an indestructible body. While it sucks to not be able to choose the ability, you are able to manipulate the trigger with Sensei's Divining Top, which is neat, and I've seen Keranos put in work every time he hits the field.
Linvala, Keeper of Silence: She keeps your opponents from doing things. Unless someone is running a highly vanilla deck, this is going to really hinder them, and she does so consistently. She's also a flyer.
Mother of Runes: Mama Runes serves several functions. First, she helps make Ruhan (and your other creatures, of course) unblockable, which is a huge boon. Second, she helps dodge spot removal. Oh, and she only costs one mana. She is relevant at every stage of the game.
Mulldrifter: I added this for several reasons. First, it draws you cards for a low cost. Second, it provides a nice Flying blocker if necessary. Because it is an ETB trigger, it also works with cards that blink, like Venser, Shaper Savant and Restoration Angel. Further, it makes for a good target to recur with Sword of Light and Shadow. Who doesn't like reusable, cheap card draw? Primarily, this card is just good versatility and utility.
Snapcaster Mage: In effect, Snapcaster means you’re running two copies of all your instants/sorceries (provided it's in the graveyard). 19 cards in this deck are instants and sorceries, and with Sunforger online you’ll have a graveyard with some very lucrative targets. Why am I even explaining why Snapcaster is good? Don’t you play Magic?
Solemn Simulacrum: Ramp is really rare outside of green, which is a shame because it is just so helpful. Because Solemn is colorless, we get access to precious ramp and it is easy to cast because it has no mana restrictions. Further, it makes for a wonderful chump blocker and draws you a card when it dies. This card is just too good not to include. The only downside is that the CMC is the same as Ruhan's, meaning you'll have to cast one or the other on turn 4. Nine times out of ten, I'd suggest casting Ruhan.
Spirit en-Dal: Ruhan thrives on being unblockable. This card is basically a reusable, uncounterable way of conferring unblockable, while not being as fragile as equipment.
Stoneforge Mystic: Her ability to tutor for an equipment is the primary reason she’s included in this deck. Her secondary ability is not exactly relevant to this build, as all the equipment in the deck are less than 3CMC, but at least she saves you 1 mana and/or provides a chump blocker.
Sun Titan: His ability to recur permanents with CMC less than 3 is what makes him entirely relevant to this deck. He is able to recur 21% of the deck, not including lands, particularly fetches, that can end up in your graveyard. He is able to recur every artifact and enchantment in this deck, making Sun Titan quite the game changer. Additionally, he is a 6/6 for 6CMC with Vigilance, making him relevant in combat as well.
Thada Adel, Acquisitor: Everyone in EDH runs artifacts, and most of those artifacts are powerful. One of two circumstances can occur from her. First, you have the mana and the desire to steal an artifact from someone. Second, you don't have the mana or the desire so you exile their most crucial artifacts. Both are great circumstances.
Thalia's Lancers: 9/22 creatures in this deck are legendary, all of which are extremely useful. Being able to creature tutor outside of green is pretty exciting, and it helps turn this deck into a bit more of a toolbox (as if Sunforger wasn't enough). Don't forget that you can grab noncreature legendaries like Academy Ruins with it.
Thassa, God of the Sea: Her CMC puts her out a turn before Ruhan, which is perfect because Ruhan loves the unblockable buff. Additionally, her scry ability provides incremental card advantage. Being indestructible makes her particularly hard to remove.
Trinket Mage: I've added Trinket Mage primarily for the ability to grab Sensei's Divining Top, as this deck can suffer when the draws aren't going our way. It's important to always have the right cards in hand; Top makes sure that happens, and Trinket makes sure you have Top. Additionally, I've been considering slotting in either Tormod's Crypt or one of it's equivalents like Relic of Progenitus, due to the emergence of some graveyard based decks in my playgroup. Will adjust accordingly.
Venser, Shaper Savant: Venser is included for a number of reasons. First, he can temporarily thwart spells that can’t be countered, buying you extra time, say, in the case of Supreme Verdict. Second, he can bounce your opponents threats, or he can bounce your own permanents to trigger an ETB effect or simply dodge removal. Considering that his effect is an ETB trigger means that Restoration Angel acts as a second copy.
Enchantment
Detention Sphere: Great for dealing with tokens and for needed exile effects.
Fervor: Turn 3 Fervor followed by Turn 4 Ruhan is a scary thing, and most people are completely unprepared at such early stages of the game. Retains its usefulness throughout the game, as you'll undoubtedly be casting Ruhan more than once.
Oblivion Ring: Exile effects are indispensable in EDH.
Rhystic Study: This is probably one of the annoying cards in EDH. This card has single-handedly spawned the phrase "Do you pay?" in my social group. However, it nets so many card draws it is hardly believable, and because it is so passive nobody ever seems to want to use their removal on it. I cannot stress this card enough, especially in an Aggro-centric deck which wants its hand refilled.
Suppression Field: Shuts down a planeswalker deck that has emerged in my meta.
Steel of the Godhead: I'm usually against auras in a non-enchantress deck, but this is just too good. Equip it to Ruhan and he becomes unblockable and gains you nine life per combat at the cost of three mana.
Artifact Darksteel Plate: As mentioned, one of Ruhan’s biggest weaknesses is that he doesn’t have any brakes to stop him from swinging into a lethal blocker. This helps alleviate this weakness by giving him indestructible. It doubles as a protection from board wipes.
Lightning Greaves: It isn’t possible to overstate how good this card is for Ruhan. The ability to give him haste makes for a highly aggressive start or a surprise kill in the end. Additionally, it gives him protection from targeting.
Sensei's Divining Top: Obvious card advantage by being able to manipulate the top three cards of your library, and also allows you to draw in a pinch.
Sol Ring: An auto-include in any EDH deck. An early Sol Ring means accelerated tempo, and a late Sol Ring helps you afford the big spells in the deck and leaves open extra mana for control elements.
Sunforger: This equipment is really good for two reasons. First, and of only marginal importance, is that it turns Ruhan's 3-combat kill into a 2-hit kill, his power being increased from 7 to 11. Second, and of significant importance, is Sunforger's activated ability. This ability allows you to tutor up any red or white instant with a CMC of 4 or less and play it for 2 mana. While it may not save a ton of mana to cast the spells this way, it effectively turns your deck into a toolbox. There are a total of 14 instants in this deck. 10 of them are able to be effectively cast with Sunforger. Further, Mistveil Plains allows you to recycle instants to continue using them. Considering that most of these cards fall into the category of control, use your mana appropriately. That is, behave like a control player: leave mana open to activate Sunforger when you pass turn. Sunforger works best as a reactive card, rather than an aggressive card. Also, don’t cast it until you can use it. The Sunforger engine can be a bit mana hungry, so you should wait to cast it until you're able to start abusing it. This is truly a very fun card, and will/should make your opponents very nervous.
Sword of the Animist: This card puts in work. This should be an auto-include in any deck that does not run green, providing efficient and much needed ramp for a color pie that has very little.
Sword of Fire and Ice: Card draw and shock, as well as protection from two colors, meaning Ruhan can potentially be unblockable.
Whispersilk Cloak: As mentioned, one of Ruhan’s biggest weaknesses is that he doesn’t have any brakes to stop him from swinging into a lethal blocker. This helps alleviate this weakness by making him unblockable. Further, it gives him protection from targeting and allows him to put the pressure on your opponents. An unblockable Ruhan is a very scary thing, considering his three-combat kill clock.
Boros Charm: This card is amazingly versatile and perfectly suited for this deck. The indestructibility can save your board from most kinds of wipes (notice that it infers indestructibility on permanents, not just creatures!), or it can make sure that Ruhan isn't going to get killed off by swinging into something that he can't take. The double strike makes Ruhan extremely dangerous, especially when he's wielding equipment or has multiple combats. Oh, and remember that this is tutorable with Sunforger. I wish there were more cards that were this good.
Cerebral Vortex: An interesting card in that it can give you card draw if you’re desperate or it can be used offensively (I’m looking at you, Blue Sun’s Zenith).
Counterflux: While it is uncommon that you'll need to activate its overload cost, the fact that it can't be countered is fairly significant.
Cyclonic Rift: This card is a game changer. If you cast this and you do not win, you probably did not use it properly.
Double Negative: A counterspell that has a bit more versatility than the vanilla Counterspell, though it is uncommon that you'll need to use it to counter two spells at once. It is primarily included due to its synergy with Sunforger.
Enlightened Tutor: Obvious inclusion. Allows you to grab removal, such as Oblivion Ring or Detention Sphere; mana fixing, such as Land Tax; or equipment.
Essence Backlash: I absolutely love this card. EDH is a format full of large creatures, and that means that this will almost always do its job. I've killed 3 players with this spell.
Fact or Fiction: Card draw that lets you dig deep. You’re going to get something(s) you want from this card. Also, it's fun because it makes your opponent(s) feel smart.
Render Silent: This counterspell can be very mean, very effective, and, in some cases, very game-ending.
Return to Dust: Incredible spell that really helps hose artifacts. Exile means you can get around pesky reanimators like Academy Ruins and indestructible gods.
Sphinx's Revelation: Take Blue Sun's Zenith, make the cost less restrictive by removing the required three blue, and add life gain. This card helps refill your hand.
Swords to Plowshares: One mana removal spell that bypasses indestructible and regeneration, and the drawback of their life gain is often irrelevant due to the presence of commander damage.
Tithe: This card is amazing early to mid game for its ability to meet consistent land drops. Late game it allows you to thin out your deck. Oh, and it only costs one mana.
Sorcery Austere Command: This is as versatile as a wrath could possibly be. If you’re running white and you’re not running this, you’re not running optimally.
Relentless Assault: By the time you are ready to cast this, you’ve probably already hit your opponents at least once, and because Ruhan is a 3-combat clock for each player, extra combats can be game ending.
Time Warp: By the time you are ready to cast this, you’ve probably already hit your opponents at least once, and because Ruhan is a 3-combat clock for each player, extra combats can be game ending, in addition to the other benefits of taking an extra turn.
Wrath of God: Mass removal is absolutely necessary in EDH. This is a classic, and works around regeneration (is that even still a thing?).
30/10/13: Removed Academy Rector, Omniscience, and Dovescape, added Time Warp, Temporal Mastery, and Relentless Assault.
I removed these cards collectively because they were all part of the same package/engine. Unfortunately, I could never seem to get Academy Rector to goto the graveyard, due to a lack of sac outlets and opponents using exile effects. This rendered Omniscience practically useless because I had such a difficult time casting it, and by the time I was able to cast it I could have just paid for any of the threats that it would allow me to cheat in, anyway. Dovescape was never particularly powerful or fun, as it always just locked down the game without allowing me to win.
09/06/14: Removed Batterskull, added Keranos, God of Storms.
I removed Batterskull because it is just too expensive to cast and equip. I like being able to move equipment around, and this was just too clunky.
30/07/14: Removed Godo, Bandit Warlord and Stonehewer Giant, added Scourge of the Throne and Grand Arbiter Augustin IV.
I removed Godo and Stonehewer because I felt that I had an unnecessary amount of equipment tutors in the deck, between them and Stoneforge Mystic and Enlightened Tutor. Further, Godo's second ability really only benefited himself, considering that he was the only samurai in the deck. However, Stonehewer may find a place in the deck sometime in the future.
24/04/15: Removed Assemble the Legion, added Aurelia, the Warleader.
I removed Assemble the Legion because Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury became a prevalent deck in my meta and made it impossible to ever make it very far. If Freyalise ever leaves, this will be put back in the deck.
21/03/16: Removed Frost Titan, added Avacyn, Angel of Hope.
Frost Titan was removed because it served a function that was largely outclassed by Avacyn. That is, his purpose was to lock down troublesome blockers for Ruhan and provide a good body to attack, but Avacyn just does those things better.
01/04/16: Removed Phyrexian Metamorph, added Mulldrifter
Metamorph was removed because it was too variable. At one time it was a much more powerful card in that it could copy an opponent's commander and kill it, but then the legend rule was changed. It's still very good, but I think that the card draw from Mulldrifter will better serve the deck.
02/22/2017: Removed Sigarda's Aid, Batterskull, Assemble the Legion, and Supreme Verdict, added Keranos, God of Storms, Devastation Tide, Planar Cleansing, and Suppression Field.
A Sliver Queen Planeswalker deck is now dominating the meta and has been for a few months. As it runs plenty of creature sweepers, I felt it safe to run fewer of them, in a sense letting the planeswalker player deal with creature threats, instead replacing it with broader sweepers to help get rid of a board full of planeswalkers and tokens. The same player also runs a Purphoros, God of the Forge deck, so they help to remove an indestructible enchantment and tokens. The same player also runs a Derevi, Empyrial Tactician deck, so the inclusion of Suppression Field hoses both his planeswalker deck and Derevi's ability. Keranos was included for his card advantage as well as having the ability to redirect his damage directly to a planeswalker (and Derevi for that matter).
Deck Strategy Basics
In order to understand the general strategy of this deck, it is important to first understand the strengths and weaknesses of the deck.
Strengths
Ruhan has a low CMC, ensuring that he will come out early and be relatively affordable throughout the game, despite removal
Ruhan has a high P/T (especially considering his CMC), which makes him relevant throughout the game
Ruhan has 7 power, meaning that he only needs to hit an opponent three times
Ruhan has no glaring weaknesses because he is not reliant on the graveyard or a combo
Weaknesses
Ruhan has no brakes; this makes Deathtouch and similarly lethal threats unreasonably intimidating
Ruhan has the tendency to explode quickly and early, making you a target if you don't play politics well enough or learn to disguise your advantage
Ruhan can very quickly use all of your resources, meaning that you'll always be wanting to draw cards
Ruhan has a difficult time with a large amount of players
Guidelines
Use Ruhan to incrementally connect with your opponents at least once during each stage of the game.
Never forget to use your other creatures to evenly divide combat damage. Is Ruhan attacking Player 1? Use Aurelia to attack Player 2. That is, unless you are playing the political game...
The fewer players there are, the stronger Ruhan becomes.
The best way to pilot this deck is to go for a strong second place for the majority of the game. This takes the heat off of you and allows you to forge alliances.
Optimize your political skills. Ruhan's clause means that other players can't be mad at you for attacking them. Use this to your advantage and start forging alliances to take down the player in the lead.
Remember when I said the fewer players there are, the stronger Ruhan becomes?
Never overextend. Ever.
Never forget that while this deck is an aggro deck, you have a suite of counterspells. Take on the role of the control player. Leave mana untapped for counterspells, even when you don't have one.
The Early Game
Your ideal opening hand will contain at least three lands, which will allow you to cast Ruhan on turn 4 (3 with a Sol Ring (though it's fairly universal that a Sol Ring in your opening hand is extremely helpful)). The early game is the perfect time for you to connect once or twice with Ruhan, considering that most people won’t have a good selection of blockers, or may just shrug off the damage because they’ll “have time to recover”. Assuming you have these things, the next thing you want to see most is something that will grant Ruhan haste, such as Lightning Greaves (ideal) or Fervor. This will ensure that you are able to quickly take advantage of your opponents' comparatively underdeveloped boards.
A suboptimal but still powerful opening hand would be either Daxos of Meletis or Thada Adel, Acquisitor, the necessary lands to cast them, and preferably an equipment to make them more powerful/generate card advantage or a Stoneforge Mystic to be able to look for equipment. With Thadda you want to start looking for opponents' Sol Rings or Sensei's Divining Tops, or anything that you can cast that will provide you early game card advantage while at the same time removing your opponents' access to them. The same goes for Daxos, though his ability is entirely dependent on the top of the library. He still generates some lifegain and removes your opponents threats. Both of these creatures also have very decent evasion, meaning your Sword of X and Y is going to do its thing very assuredly (as if the protection wasn't going to solve that anyhow).
You want to be sure to pitch anything over 5CMC. This is mostly because these cards are all catered to the late game, and the more cards you replace the better a chance you have of obtaining the previously mentioned scenarios.
The Mid Game
Ruhan shines in the early game and the late game, but where he struggles is the mid game. This is a combination of a few factors.
The mid game is typically when all players at the table have stabilized their mana resources and have begun to develop proper defenses. In relation to Ruhan, this typically comes in two forms: threatening, in the form of deathtouch creatures or another lethal threat, or merely annoying, in the form of chump blockers. Ruhan's drawback of not being able to choose which opponent you are attacking can lead to a dead commander in the case of the former, and a wasted combat in the case of the latter. The solution is to make Ruhan unblockable in either case, or, at the very least, indestructible in the case of the former. This will be what you are striving for during the remainder of the game. Fortunately, this decklist is very well equipped to meet this need.
Or, if you have to, as is sometimes the case, you just bite the bullet and let Ruhan die. The beauty of Ruhan is that at 4 CMC he's going to be particularly easy to cast throughout the game. Or, if you've got another solid beater in your hand, rely on it for the time being.
This part of the game is where your creativity as a player will take precedence.
The Late Game
If in the early game this deck can be viewed as aggro, it is in the late game that it can be viewed as control. You need to begin playing the counterspell game, holding mana open for your counters to protect your strategy and to keep your opponents' strategies at bay. Be a smart control player: use mind games. Don't have any counters? Leave some mana open anyway. It fakes people out. Also, you need to avoid being greedy with your counters. Yeah, they just cast their commander again, and that sucks. But you know what sucks worse? The Omniscience, Rise of the Dark Realms, Storm Herd, etc. that the next person is about to cast.
By this point, you should have a well established board state and theoretically some very weakened opponents (either by general damage or commander damage). Therefore, the late game is where you are going to be particularly deadly. You’ll want to start using your extra combat and extra turn effects by this time: Aurelia, the Warleader, Scourge of the Throne, Relentless Assault, Time Warp, Temporal Mastery, etc. Assuming that Ruhan has connected with each player at least once (extremely likely), these effects spell out the end of the game for most of the other players. The beauty of the late game is that even if an extra combat/turn effect only manages to kill one player, Ruhan becomes even more powerful the fewer players there are in the game.
"Run free, do right by you, and burn them. Burn them all."
EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Blinding Light is good in a vacuum, but in my meta there are far too many decks with white in them; Derevi, Scion, Grand Arbiter, etc. It just wouldn't get me very far. Psychotic Fury I do like as well, but it gets outclassed by the versatility of Boros Charm. I would like to run it if I had the room, but as it stands I don't know what could be cut for it.
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Have you considered Waves of Aggression? I consider it much better than . Although it's one mana more than Relentless Assault it has easier color requirements and more importantly retrace (I love this mechanic).
Have you considered Waves of Aggression? I consider it much better than . Although it's one mana more than Relentless Assault it has easier color requirements and more importantly retrace (I love this mechanic).
I have not tried it but thought about it at one point. Your points are both valid and you've convinced me. I'll be putting this card on my list to buy. Thanks for the suggestion!
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Your lack of Reconnaissance disturbs me... In all seriousness, being able to pull back Ruhan out of a bad engage, plus granting pseudo-vigilance to your team, including Ruhan so you can use him as a blocker, seems relatively strong.
Have you considered Not of this World? I know that blue generally has better counterspells available, but free is free.
Ride Down is fun Sun Forger tech, and can get Ruhan out of sticky death-tough situations, while adding in a decent face punch on top of it. Likewise, the first strike on Chariot of Victory could be useful for that as well. On top of the cheap equip for trample and haste, although in most decks I prefer fleetfeather sandals' evasion for that, but with Ruhan...
I would recommend -Relentless Assault +Seize the Day. Carpe Diem is much nicer with the flashback, often allowing multiple people to fall in a single turn.
If untapping multiple creatures for a game ending strike is more important, then I would recommend Savage Beating instead. While it costs 1 more for the same combat step, (as well as lose the main phase to re-equip stuff in between combats), the entwined double strike makes it downright savage.
Your lack of Reconnaissance disturbs me... In all seriousness, being able to pull back Ruhan out of a bad engage, plus granting pseudo-vigilance to your team, including Ruhan so you can use him as a blocker, seems relatively strong.
Have you considered Not of this World? I know that blue generally has better counterspells available, but free is free.
Ride Down is fun Sun Forger tech, and can get Ruhan out of sticky death-tough situations, while adding in a decent face punch on top of it. Likewise, the first strike on Chariot of Victory could be useful for that as well. On top of the cheap equip for trample and haste, although in most decks I prefer fleetfeather sandals' evasion for that, but with Ruhan...
I would recommend -Relentless Assault +Seize the Day. Carpe Diem is much nicer with the flashback, often allowing multiple people to fall in a single turn.
If untapping multiple creatures for a game ending strike is more important, then I would recommend Savage Beating instead. While it costs 1 more for the same combat step, (as well as lose the main phase to re-equip stuff in between combats), the entwined double strike makes it downright savage.
I have considered Reconnaissance in the past, but I've never been completely convinced by it. At first glance I wonder why I wouldn't just add something that improves Ruhan's evasiveness. Though, the fact that it can be triggered multiple times per turn makes it extremely versatile when considering other attackers that I may have on the field. I don't know... It's a good suggestion, and something I may consider experimenting with for a few games.
I have also considered Not of this World. Yes, free is free, but two things prevent me from being interested in it.
First, I like my counterspells to be versatile. You'll notice that I don't run circumstantial counterspells. Ruhan and Avacyn are the only 7+ powered creatures in the deck, meaning that it is only free in the circumstance that Ruhan or Avacyn is being targeted. Considering that ideally Ruhan will have protection through Shroud (Lightning Greaves), Indestructible (Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Darksteel Plate, Boros Charm), Protection (Sword of X and Y), and so on, it reduces the likelihood of needing it. Further, it only protects my permanents, and doesn't disrupt anything pesky an opponent may be trying to accomplish on their field.
Second, I like my counterspells to be fetchable with Sunforger, which Not of this World is not.
I do like Ride Down but I don't think I like it enough to replace anything with it. Maybe in the future I'll consider it again. However, Chariot of Victory is a really good call. I had been eyeing Sword of Vengeance for a long time to include, but Chariot of Victory is a much better option. For 2 less to equip it loses the useless +2/+0 (useless only in the context of Ruhan, who is a 3-turn clock in either circumstance) and Vigilance (a bit sad to see that go). Definitely going to consider it. However, my girlfriend currently runs a Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury deck as her primary currently, which has led me to stray away from equipment for awhile. Perhaps when she moves on I'll be able to start looking into more equipment options.
It's funny that you mentioned Seize the Day and Savage Beating when several posts before you someone mentioned Waves of Aggression: those three cards have been sitting in my "Maybeboard" for months. All three of these options are better than Relentless Assault, I completely agree, but I can't decide which one I should replace it with. What are your thoughts?
edited to add: By the way, I absolutely adore your Nemata alter.
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Reconnaissance is a hard card to justify in the deck building phase, but it feels amazing to play with. It just lets you go all out aggro and not even care. I mentioned it since you mentioned using Maze of Ith as a handbrake for unfortunate Ruhan situations. There are a number of decks I would consider recon for off the bat, and I think this could be a good fit.
Currently I run it in Heliod in order to act as backup vigilance if heliod goes down; as vigilance for heliod himself, since he doesn't apply to himself; and to be able to swing with impunity with token hordes, saving those that get blocked, but still being able to push damage through sooner than normal. Theoretically it also works with Endbringer in that deck, but I don't think I have enough colorless sources of mana to really abuse him that much. But who knows?
I would also in a heartbeat run it in Karlov aggro (building) in order to attack with impunity, as well as my planned Tariel deck, for free untaps on the commander.
It's funny that you mentioned Seize the Day and Savage Beating when several posts before you someone mentioned Waves of Aggression: those three cards have been sitting in my "Maybeboard" for months. All three of these options are better than Relentless Assault, I completely agree, but I can't decide which one I should replace it with. What are your thoughts?
Depends on what the most important use of your relentless assault is for. I typically use them as game ending spells.
Seize the Day is amazing for Voltron win options. The double attack out of nowhere can do a triple 7 hit on a single person, or if you've buffed your commander enough (or have enough damage already spread), can take out an entire table in a turn. I ran it in my T&L deck when it was voltron focused, and ran it in an earlier iteration of Vaevictis. I pulled it from both - T&L went more storm focused, so it wasn't needed, and Vaevictis had it removed as people felt a bit bad about the 1 hit wonder across the table, so was removed for playgroup health (at the time). I think it's about due back for a reappearance in some of my decks. It also shows itself in a Godo deck in my meta, where it achieves similar results, though more due to accumulation of Commander damage than the 1 hit wonder. It also makes an appearance in another player's Aurelia deck, again, same idea. The other thing about Seize is that like Relentless Assault, it gives you main phases in between attacks, allowing you to use Sword of Feast and Famine mana more easily, if needed. Another fun interaction with Seize the Day is that you can still attack with vigilant creatures as well. I once brewed a 60 card casual deck around Seize + Radiate. Was fun. Crappy, but fun.
Savage Beating is the single turn game ender for the the army. The combo of double strike + double assault for 4x damage output is huge. Obviously, getting trample in there is very helpful so you don't waste a strike vanishing on chump blockers, but the damage output is crazy. That said, the 4x damage is still powerful for straight up voltron, but if you've already accumulated hits on players, some damage may be wasted. If there are 3 players still around, you won't finish all three with commander damage, though the option to split the army to one side, and Commander to another mitigates this.
Waves of Aggression is one that I often forget about because of the color identity makes it more restrictive (doesn't fit into either my T&L or Vaevictis decks, for example). That said, it's a nice middle of the road. You can pull off the multiple attacks in a single turn same as Seize, but it's just going to cost you more, plus lands - this can actually be a thing if you don't have SoFaF up. Seize clocking in at 7 total is pretty nice. That said, you can also use Waves earlier in the game for pressure, if you don't mind tipping your hand, and still have use later, if it doesn't get removed.
So: do you use relentless more for closing out the game in a turn, or for pressure? And do you use it to hit more with Ruhan, or does the army play in? and how much vigilance do you have in already, versus how many extra lands do you typically keep in hand, or have extras of by the endgame?
edited to add: By the way, I absolutely adore your Nemata alter.
Thanks!
Back in the reign of tuck, since my Commanders were all in a special sleeve (also because I have a tendency to accidentally shuffle them in), I created secondary 'tuck' Commanders to take their place. If they ever got tucked without a lot of time to dig them out after (store closing or something), it was easy enough to still shuffle up and play, and simply re-draw if they got drawn in a future game.
That one was one of my first attempts at blanking cards, and I used sandpaper of all things, so the texture on the card is... interesting.
Reconnaissance is a hard card to justify in the deck building phase, but it feels amazing to play with. It just lets you go all out aggro and not even care. I mentioned it since you mentioned using Maze of Ith as a handbrake for unfortunate Ruhan situations. There are a number of decks I would consider recon for off the bat, and I think this could be a good fit.
You've convinced me. I'll begin experimenting with Reconnaissance as soon as I manage to acquire it.
So: do you use relentless more for closing out the game in a turn, or for pressure? And do you use it to hit more with Ruhan, or does the army play in? and how much vigilance do you have in already, versus how many extra lands do you typically keep in hand, or have extras of by the endgame?
As I mentioned in the primer, it's really easy to paint yourself as the primary target with Ruhan. He gets mean fast. Therefore, I typically use Relentless Assault for closing out games, rather than early game pressure.
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
While there are no cards in the set that I think are worth swapping for, there are a few that might be worth testing if you happen to have one sitting in your binder.
Jace, Unraveler of Secrets: I really like this Jace. His +1 makes for really solid card advantage, and his -2 might help eliminate a pesky blocker for Ruhan. I rarely consider ultimates when analyzing a planeswalker because they so rarely go off, but his is really damn good. I may add this at a later date if I manage to acquire one, and if I manage to figure out something to replace.
Archangel Avacyn: She's ok. She's really not as versatile or good as, say, Boros Charm, at least in this deck. If you have one and you insist on running her, she will at least probably work well.
Nahiri's Machinations: I kind of like it. Probably not enough to warrant an inclusion, but I did think about it. It gives Ruhan some insurance during combat while also allowing him to (probably) take something out, unlike, say, Maze of Ith.
Fevered Visions: I kind of like it. I think of it in contrast to Jace Beleren, whose +2 you'll be activating more often than his -1. However, with Jace Beleren, you end up drawing approximately 1.3 cards for every card your opponent draws, rather than 1:1 with Fevered Visions. It's up to you to decide whether or not 1.3 cards > 1:1 cards +2 damage to an opponent each turn.
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Really like the deck. Have you considered psychotic fury? Can pull it with sunforger for a one shot kill and you draw a card.
Thanks! Someone actually already mentioned Psychotic Fury, and while I do like it, it gets outclassed by the versatility of Boros Charm. I would like to run it if I had the room, but as it stands I don't know what could be cut for it.
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Very cool primer I can't believe I hadn't seen this before. Fantastic work! What cards would you want to add? Cards that you currently would have in the deck if you could afford them? That would be a nice addition to the primer.
A few suggestions:
I feel like not having a Counterspell is a little strange compared to the ones your using now. Ancient Tomb is just a better version of Temple. Mana Confluence and City of Brass are just better then 2 of your basics. Life is a resource and when you have 40 life, especially in this deck you should use it as such. Opal Palace may not be the greatest but I've never tried so I'll have to give that a shot sometime.
No Path to Exile?
Very cool primer I can't believe I hadn't seen this before. Fantastic work! What cards would you want to add? Cards that you currently would have in the deck if you could afford them? That would be a nice addition to the primer.
A few suggestions:
I feel like not having a Counterspell is a little strange compared to the ones your using now. Ancient Tomb is just a better version of Temple. Mana Confluence and City of Brass are just better then 2 of your basics. Life is a resource and when you have 40 life, especially in this deck you should use it as such. Opal Palace may not be the greatest but I've never tried so I'll have to give that a shot sometime.
No Path to Exile?
Thanks for the compliment and the suggestions!
I really don't have enough wants to warrant a section for them. The only exceptions are Volcanic Island and the Zendikar fetches.
You have definitely reminded me that Counterspell and Path to Exile deserve a discussion in the change log. Both spells have been included in this deck at some point, but get swapped out (and back in) very frequently. They essentially act as a placeholder when I'm waiting for a replacement card. For example, when I decided Frost Titan should be replaced, I added in Path to Exile as a replacement until I was able to acquire Avacyn, Angel of Hope. There are a few reasons they are't permanently included. Counterspell can't be grabbed by Sunforger. Path to Exile annoys me because it's practically useless against commanders. Considering it allows them to grab a basic, and considering that the command tax is 2, they essentially just have to drop one more land to cast their commander again. In both of these cases, it's a relatively marginal complaint, but considering that the current decklist has no openings, I just can't warrant choosing them over anything else. Having said that, I'm certain they'll be back in at some point.
Usually, you'd be right about Ancient Tomb; in almost every deck it is a superior card. However, what this deck seeks to do in the first 2-3 turns is set up a colored manabase to be able to cast Ruhan of the Fomori, Thada Adel, Acquisitor, or Daxos of Meletis. By the time one of those cards has landed, there is usually only 1 or 2 turns in which Temple of the False God isn't active, which, to my mind, makes it worth including over Ancient Tomb because it isn't dealing damage to you for the rest of the game.
I wanted to run a generous number of basics because of Land Tax. However, I am considering cutting it for Reconnaissance. When that happens, I think including Mana Confluence and City of Brass will be a good idea.
Opal Palace could also be replaced with one or the other because it isn't amazing in this deck. However, I was hoping to replace it with a Zendikar fetch, but I think in the meantime City of Brass could replace it. Thanks again!
EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
First of all, I have to agree with the consensus in this thread; nice deck and beautifully formatted primer. A few thoughts:
You say that Shinka is just here because you had one randomly lying around, but building your own Cosmic Horror seems well worth the basic land slot. Similarly, you happen to run a lot of legendary creatures so how about Minamo, School at Water's Edge? A 7/7 blocker is no joke.
Speaking of legendary creatures, you've got a lot of awesome things to flip over to Narset, even if there are also a lot of blank creatures. Narset is great at drawing out sweepers and edict-effects.
Do you ever have any trouble bridging the gap from early- to late-game? I ask because you've got a lot of expensive beaters and not much in the way of ramp. Aside from the usual suspects (signets, talismans and Darksteel Ingot) one that I like a lot in Jeskai is Myriad Landscape. Entering the battlefield tapped is a pain, but at least it taps for C until you're ready to pop it for some lands.
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You would never guess, at the terrifying sight of the man, that Hunding was as charming a companion as one could wish for.
First of all, I have to agree with the consensus in this thread; nice deck and beautifully formatted primer. A few thoughts:
You say that Shinka is just here because you had one randomly lying around, but building your own Cosmic Horror seems well worth the basic land slot. Similarly, you happen to run a lot of legendary creatures so how about Minamo, School at Water's Edge? A 7/7 blocker is no joke.
Speaking of legendary creatures, you've got a lot of awesome things to flip over to Narset, even if there are also a lot of blank creatures. Narset is great at drawing out sweepers and edict-effects.
Do you ever have any trouble bridging the gap from early- to late-game? I ask because you've got a lot of expensive beaters and not much in the way of ramp. Aside from the usual suspects (signets, talismans and Darksteel Ingot) one that I like a lot in Jeskai is Myriad Landscape. Entering the battlefield tapped is a pain, but at least it taps for C until you're ready to pop it for some lands.
You're right, Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep deserves more credit. I'll add something to the description soon. Minamo, School at Water's Edge does deserve a spot. Unfortunately, I sold my copy after the last price spike. I'll definitely add it when I get around to picking up another copy, especially considering that I'm going to cut Land Tax for Reconnaissance, meaning that the number of basics is much less important.
I love Narset, Enlightened Master, but I don't think she'd be a good fit in the 99. There are only 40 cards that she can trigger, and out of those, half are reaction-based, such as counterspells, sweepers, etc. Therefore, I'd only get a 20% chance of hitting something worthwhile, while simultaneously exiling my own toolbox in the other 80%.
Surprisingly, no, I never having a problem bridging that gap. I think a large part of it is that there is just so much to be doing in the early- and mid-game that I never really notice if I lag in being able to cast, say, Avacyn, Angel of Hope. Further, the amount of card draw and healthy number of lands in this deck means that I very rarely don't have lands to be playing. I've never been much of a fan of mana rocks; they just make my manabase feel to vulnerable. Having said that, I think that Myriad Landscape could find a home in this build.
Thanks for the suggestions and the compliments!
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
awesome list, i have been meaning to make a Ruhan for a long time now...
any thoughts on Assault Suit? it allows ruhan to swing every turn... and also gives a way to avoid sacrificing which you dont have any protection against in your list. just a thought!
awesome list, i have been meaning to make a Ruhan for a long time now...
any thoughts on Assault Suit? it allows ruhan to swing every turn... and also gives a way to avoid sacrificing which you dont have any protection against in your list. just a thought!
Thanks! If you end up putting one together and would like any input, feel free to ask me.
So here's the thing about Assault Suit: until your post, I never read that it allowed you to choose whether or not an opponent takes control of the equipped creature. It's funny how the inclusion of the word "may" can completely make all the difference. So... good job. It's now on my list for the next time I can find something to cut.
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Great write up! I've built Ruhan and he is a ton of fun. People have already suggested Psychotic Fury, but have you considered Temur Battle Rage? It fits into the Sunforger package, and the benefit of double strike is obvious, plus it gives trample, which can have a huge impact, especially with double strike. I know that card alone has won me games.
As far as cuts go, how has Starstorm worked for you? Mass removal is nice, as is being able to cycle it if you don't need it, but I've always felt it's a bit too mana intensive.
I really like your list and may consider sleeving it up since I own about 90% of the cards in it. I may make one suggestion, and it's a very tentative one. I have a Zurgo Helmsmasher deck in which I'm testing a copy of Earnest Fellowship. In the right circumstances it's amazing what this little 2 mana enchantment can do when you have a 3-color voltron commander, however it also can shut off some of your spot removal and your own buff spells like the double strike portion of Boros Charm (Zurgo doesn't care since his "buff" spells are multiple board wipes).
Great write up! I've built Ruhan and he is a ton of fun. People have already suggested Psychotic Fury, but have you considered Temur Battle Rage? It fits into the Sunforger package, and the benefit of double strike is obvious, plus it gives trample, which can have a huge impact, especially with double strike. I know that card alone has won me games.
As far as cuts go, how has Starstorm worked for you? Mass removal is nice, as is being able to cycle it if you don't need it, but I've always felt it's a bit too mana intensive.
Temur Battle Rage is actually pretty interesting, but I have the same complaints towards it that I do with Psychotic Fury. Those being, primarily, that it is outclassed by Boros Charm and that I wouldn't know what to cut for it. Though, again, I would absolutely add it if I had the room, but for now it doesn't look strong enough.
As for Starstorm: the reasons that you cite are beneficial, but what I also like about it is that it's a wrath that can work around Ruhan. For example, I could pay 6 and probably destroy most of the creatures on the board while allowing Ruhan to live. Or, if there's some pesky Deathtouch creature that I don't want Ruhan to run into, say, Acidic Slime, I can just cast this for 2; it dies, Ruhan lives, etc. Obviously, this is entirely circumstantial, but that's why the cycling option exists!
I really like your list and may consider sleeving it up since I own about 90% of the cards in it. I may make one suggestion, and it's a very tentative one. I have a Zurgo Helmsmasher deck in which I'm testing a copy of Earnest Fellowship. In the right circumstances it's amazing what this little 2 mana enchantment can do when you have a 3-color voltron commander, however it also can shut off some of your spot removal and your own buff spells like the double strike portion of Boros Charm (Zurgo doesn't care since his "buff" spells are multiple board wipes).
Huh. I have never seen that card before. In fact, I think I really like it. I think that this is an especially amazing option for anyone who can't afford Sword of X and Y. However, even running Swords I am going to test this out. Good suggestion!
And thank you both for your recommendations and compliments!
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
I know its hard to find space for a colorless land, but Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion can be scary and is not a dead draw later on. I am curious to see how you like Desolate Lighthouse in your testing, please keep us updated
I know its hard to find space for a colorless land, but Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion can be scary and is not a dead draw later on. I am curious to see how you like Desolate Lighthouse in your testing, please keep us updated
Yes, absolutely: I've had my eye on Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion for some time now. Honestly, so far I hate Desolate Lighthouse. The few times it has come up I've wanted actual card draw, not just card filtering, which makes it useless. It has one or two more chances before it gets cut. Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion might actually be the replacement.
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EDH WURRuhan of the Fomori[Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Thoughts on Thalia's Lancers? You seem to have a reasonably sized legendary toolbox, and the lancers could get you easier access to it. Also, worming Stonehewer Giant back in seems like a good idea - I mean, you have the potential to plonk out Sunforger from the depths of your deck and activate it out of the blue. Interaction heaven.
I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky.
The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing;
Rush in and die, dogs—I was a man before I was a king.”
-Robert E. Howard
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WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Blinding Light is good in a vacuum, but in my meta there are far too many decks with white in them; Derevi, Scion, Grand Arbiter, etc. It just wouldn't get me very far. Psychotic Fury I do like as well, but it gets outclassed by the versatility of Boros Charm. I would like to run it if I had the room, but as it stands I don't know what could be cut for it.
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
I have not tried it but thought about it at one point. Your points are both valid and you've convinced me. I'll be putting this card on my list to buy. Thanks for the suggestion!
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Have you considered Not of this World? I know that blue generally has better counterspells available, but free is free.
Ride Down is fun Sun Forger tech, and can get Ruhan out of sticky death-tough situations, while adding in a decent face punch on top of it. Likewise, the first strike on Chariot of Victory could be useful for that as well. On top of the cheap equip for trample and haste, although in most decks I prefer fleetfeather sandals' evasion for that, but with Ruhan...
I would recommend -Relentless Assault +Seize the Day. Carpe Diem is much nicer with the flashback, often allowing multiple people to fall in a single turn.
If untapping multiple creatures for a game ending strike is more important, then I would recommend Savage Beating instead. While it costs 1 more for the same combat step, (as well as lose the main phase to re-equip stuff in between combats), the entwined double strike makes it downright savage.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
I have considered Reconnaissance in the past, but I've never been completely convinced by it. At first glance I wonder why I wouldn't just add something that improves Ruhan's evasiveness. Though, the fact that it can be triggered multiple times per turn makes it extremely versatile when considering other attackers that I may have on the field. I don't know... It's a good suggestion, and something I may consider experimenting with for a few games.
I have also considered Not of this World. Yes, free is free, but two things prevent me from being interested in it.
First, I like my counterspells to be versatile. You'll notice that I don't run circumstantial counterspells. Ruhan and Avacyn are the only 7+ powered creatures in the deck, meaning that it is only free in the circumstance that Ruhan or Avacyn is being targeted. Considering that ideally Ruhan will have protection through Shroud (Lightning Greaves), Indestructible (Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Darksteel Plate, Boros Charm), Protection (Sword of X and Y), and so on, it reduces the likelihood of needing it. Further, it only protects my permanents, and doesn't disrupt anything pesky an opponent may be trying to accomplish on their field.
Second, I like my counterspells to be fetchable with Sunforger, which Not of this World is not.
I do like Ride Down but I don't think I like it enough to replace anything with it. Maybe in the future I'll consider it again. However, Chariot of Victory is a really good call. I had been eyeing Sword of Vengeance for a long time to include, but Chariot of Victory is a much better option. For 2 less to equip it loses the useless +2/+0 (useless only in the context of Ruhan, who is a 3-turn clock in either circumstance) and Vigilance (a bit sad to see that go). Definitely going to consider it. However, my girlfriend currently runs a Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury deck as her primary currently, which has led me to stray away from equipment for awhile. Perhaps when she moves on I'll be able to start looking into more equipment options.
It's funny that you mentioned Seize the Day and Savage Beating when several posts before you someone mentioned Waves of Aggression: those three cards have been sitting in my "Maybeboard" for months. All three of these options are better than Relentless Assault, I completely agree, but I can't decide which one I should replace it with. What are your thoughts?
edited to add: By the way, I absolutely adore your Nemata alter.
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Currently I run it in Heliod in order to act as backup vigilance if heliod goes down; as vigilance for heliod himself, since he doesn't apply to himself; and to be able to swing with impunity with token hordes, saving those that get blocked, but still being able to push damage through sooner than normal. Theoretically it also works with Endbringer in that deck, but I don't think I have enough colorless sources of mana to really abuse him that much. But who knows?
I would also in a heartbeat run it in Karlov aggro (building) in order to attack with impunity, as well as my planned Tariel deck, for free untaps on the commander.
Depends on what the most important use of your relentless assault is for. I typically use them as game ending spells.
Seize the Day is amazing for Voltron win options. The double attack out of nowhere can do a triple 7 hit on a single person, or if you've buffed your commander enough (or have enough damage already spread), can take out an entire table in a turn. I ran it in my T&L deck when it was voltron focused, and ran it in an earlier iteration of Vaevictis. I pulled it from both - T&L went more storm focused, so it wasn't needed, and Vaevictis had it removed as people felt a bit bad about the 1 hit wonder across the table, so was removed for playgroup health (at the time). I think it's about due back for a reappearance in some of my decks. It also shows itself in a Godo deck in my meta, where it achieves similar results, though more due to accumulation of Commander damage than the 1 hit wonder. It also makes an appearance in another player's Aurelia deck, again, same idea. The other thing about Seize is that like Relentless Assault, it gives you main phases in between attacks, allowing you to use Sword of Feast and Famine mana more easily, if needed. Another fun interaction with Seize the Day is that you can still attack with vigilant creatures as well. I once brewed a 60 card casual deck around Seize + Radiate. Was fun. Crappy, but fun.
Savage Beating is the single turn game ender for the the army. The combo of double strike + double assault for 4x damage output is huge. Obviously, getting trample in there is very helpful so you don't waste a strike vanishing on chump blockers, but the damage output is crazy. That said, the 4x damage is still powerful for straight up voltron, but if you've already accumulated hits on players, some damage may be wasted. If there are 3 players still around, you won't finish all three with commander damage, though the option to split the army to one side, and Commander to another mitigates this.
Waves of Aggression is one that I often forget about because of the color identity makes it more restrictive (doesn't fit into either my T&L or Vaevictis decks, for example). That said, it's a nice middle of the road. You can pull off the multiple attacks in a single turn same as Seize, but it's just going to cost you more, plus lands - this can actually be a thing if you don't have SoFaF up. Seize clocking in at 7 total is pretty nice. That said, you can also use Waves earlier in the game for pressure, if you don't mind tipping your hand, and still have use later, if it doesn't get removed.
So: do you use relentless more for closing out the game in a turn, or for pressure? And do you use it to hit more with Ruhan, or does the army play in? and how much vigilance do you have in already, versus how many extra lands do you typically keep in hand, or have extras of by the endgame?
Thanks!
Back in the reign of tuck, since my Commanders were all in a special sleeve (also because I have a tendency to accidentally shuffle them in), I created secondary 'tuck' Commanders to take their place. If they ever got tucked without a lot of time to dig them out after (store closing or something), it was easy enough to still shuffle up and play, and simply re-draw if they got drawn in a future game.
That one was one of my first attempts at blanking cards, and I used sandpaper of all things, so the texture on the card is... interesting.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
As I mentioned in the primer, it's really easy to paint yourself as the primary target with Ruhan. He gets mean fast. Therefore, I typically use Relentless Assault for closing out games, rather than early game pressure.
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
While there are no cards in the set that I think are worth swapping for, there are a few that might be worth testing if you happen to have one sitting in your binder.
Jace, Unraveler of Secrets: I really like this Jace. His +1 makes for really solid card advantage, and his -2 might help eliminate a pesky blocker for Ruhan. I rarely consider ultimates when analyzing a planeswalker because they so rarely go off, but his is really damn good. I may add this at a later date if I manage to acquire one, and if I manage to figure out something to replace.
Archangel Avacyn: She's ok. She's really not as versatile or good as, say, Boros Charm, at least in this deck. If you have one and you insist on running her, she will at least probably work well.
Nahiri's Machinations: I kind of like it. Probably not enough to warrant an inclusion, but I did think about it. It gives Ruhan some insurance during combat while also allowing him to (probably) take something out, unlike, say, Maze of Ith.
Fevered Visions: I kind of like it. I think of it in contrast to Jace Beleren, whose +2 you'll be activating more often than his -1. However, with Jace Beleren, you end up drawing approximately 1.3 cards for every card your opponent draws, rather than 1:1 with Fevered Visions. It's up to you to decide whether or not 1.3 cards > 1:1 cards +2 damage to an opponent each turn.
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Thanks! Someone actually already mentioned Psychotic Fury, and while I do like it, it gets outclassed by the versatility of Boros Charm. I would like to run it if I had the room, but as it stands I don't know what could be cut for it.
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
A few suggestions:
I feel like not having a Counterspell is a little strange compared to the ones your using now.
Ancient Tomb is just a better version of Temple.
Mana Confluence and City of Brass are just better then 2 of your basics. Life is a resource and when you have 40 life, especially in this deck you should use it as such. Opal Palace may not be the greatest but I've never tried so I'll have to give that a shot sometime.
No Path to Exile?
Thanks for the compliment and the suggestions!
I really don't have enough wants to warrant a section for them. The only exceptions are Volcanic Island and the Zendikar fetches.
You have definitely reminded me that Counterspell and Path to Exile deserve a discussion in the change log. Both spells have been included in this deck at some point, but get swapped out (and back in) very frequently. They essentially act as a placeholder when I'm waiting for a replacement card. For example, when I decided Frost Titan should be replaced, I added in Path to Exile as a replacement until I was able to acquire Avacyn, Angel of Hope. There are a few reasons they are't permanently included. Counterspell can't be grabbed by Sunforger. Path to Exile annoys me because it's practically useless against commanders. Considering it allows them to grab a basic, and considering that the command tax is 2, they essentially just have to drop one more land to cast their commander again. In both of these cases, it's a relatively marginal complaint, but considering that the current decklist has no openings, I just can't warrant choosing them over anything else. Having said that, I'm certain they'll be back in at some point.
Usually, you'd be right about Ancient Tomb; in almost every deck it is a superior card. However, what this deck seeks to do in the first 2-3 turns is set up a colored manabase to be able to cast Ruhan of the Fomori, Thada Adel, Acquisitor, or Daxos of Meletis. By the time one of those cards has landed, there is usually only 1 or 2 turns in which Temple of the False God isn't active, which, to my mind, makes it worth including over Ancient Tomb because it isn't dealing damage to you for the rest of the game.
I wanted to run a generous number of basics because of Land Tax. However, I am considering cutting it for Reconnaissance. When that happens, I think including Mana Confluence and City of Brass will be a good idea.
Opal Palace could also be replaced with one or the other because it isn't amazing in this deck. However, I was hoping to replace it with a Zendikar fetch, but I think in the meantime City of Brass could replace it. Thanks again!
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
You're right, Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep deserves more credit. I'll add something to the description soon. Minamo, School at Water's Edge does deserve a spot. Unfortunately, I sold my copy after the last price spike. I'll definitely add it when I get around to picking up another copy, especially considering that I'm going to cut Land Tax for Reconnaissance, meaning that the number of basics is much less important.
I love Narset, Enlightened Master, but I don't think she'd be a good fit in the 99. There are only 40 cards that she can trigger, and out of those, half are reaction-based, such as counterspells, sweepers, etc. Therefore, I'd only get a 20% chance of hitting something worthwhile, while simultaneously exiling my own toolbox in the other 80%.
Surprisingly, no, I never having a problem bridging that gap. I think a large part of it is that there is just so much to be doing in the early- and mid-game that I never really notice if I lag in being able to cast, say, Avacyn, Angel of Hope. Further, the amount of card draw and healthy number of lands in this deck means that I very rarely don't have lands to be playing. I've never been much of a fan of mana rocks; they just make my manabase feel to vulnerable. Having said that, I think that Myriad Landscape could find a home in this build.
Thanks for the suggestions and the compliments!
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
any thoughts on Assault Suit? it allows ruhan to swing every turn... and also gives a way to avoid sacrificing which you dont have any protection against in your list. just a thought!
[EDH In Development] Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Queen Marchesa | Ruhan of the Fomori | Yahenni, Undying Partisan
[EDH Retired] Ertai, The Corrupted | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Tariel, Reckoner of Souls | Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
[Modern] Stuffy Doll Combo Burn | Demigod of Revenge
Thanks! If you end up putting one together and would like any input, feel free to ask me.
So here's the thing about Assault Suit: until your post, I never read that it allowed you to choose whether or not an opponent takes control of the equipped creature. It's funny how the inclusion of the word "may" can completely make all the difference. So... good job. It's now on my list for the next time I can find something to cut.
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
As far as cuts go, how has Starstorm worked for you? Mass removal is nice, as is being able to cycle it if you don't need it, but I've always felt it's a bit too mana intensive.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Temur Battle Rage is actually pretty interesting, but I have the same complaints towards it that I do with Psychotic Fury. Those being, primarily, that it is outclassed by Boros Charm and that I wouldn't know what to cut for it. Though, again, I would absolutely add it if I had the room, but for now it doesn't look strong enough.
As for Starstorm: the reasons that you cite are beneficial, but what I also like about it is that it's a wrath that can work around Ruhan. For example, I could pay 6 and probably destroy most of the creatures on the board while allowing Ruhan to live. Or, if there's some pesky Deathtouch creature that I don't want Ruhan to run into, say, Acidic Slime, I can just cast this for 2; it dies, Ruhan lives, etc. Obviously, this is entirely circumstantial, but that's why the cycling option exists!
Huh. I have never seen that card before. In fact, I think I really like it. I think that this is an especially amazing option for anyone who can't afford Sword of X and Y. However, even running Swords I am going to test this out. Good suggestion!
And thank you both for your recommendations and compliments!
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
[EDH In Development] Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Queen Marchesa | Ruhan of the Fomori | Yahenni, Undying Partisan
[EDH Retired] Ertai, The Corrupted | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Tariel, Reckoner of Souls | Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
[Modern] Stuffy Doll Combo Burn | Demigod of Revenge
Yes, absolutely: I've had my eye on Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion for some time now. Honestly, so far I hate Desolate Lighthouse. The few times it has come up I've wanted actual card draw, not just card filtering, which makes it useless. It has one or two more chances before it gets cut. Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion might actually be the replacement.
WUR Ruhan of the Fomori [Primer] | WGR Marath, Will of the Wild | WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician | WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon | WBGR Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower | BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots | BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant