Howdy all - I can't seem to find an Ayli list that's particularly useful to me right now, so I'm posting the one I've been crafting and testing these past few weeks.
I've tried in the past half-decade to get anything I could need for EDH, so there's no considerations for budget in my list. Personally, I really like the flow of decks with low CMC's - so you'll see that my curve tops out at 6, which keeps me able to interact throughout all segments of the game.
All in all, the deck has been performing quite well - at least according to what my goals were for it.
I've taken out a few of the higher-cmc cheap wincons (Bond/blood combo) for more flexibility, utility and lower CMC.
Asylum Visitor was just spoiled, and we often play 6+ player games, so I'm thinking this might be quite a nice inclusion for the deck - I'll try to proxy it and test it out this week.
EDIT - I realized with 7 out and only 6 in, my count's off somewhere. I'll try and rectify that.
My two favorite things in Commander are cheap creatures and incremental value so I'm a fan of this list. My only real issue with your creature choices is the ones that "just" make tokens. I feel like you can do better than that in terms of value and utility. Here are some other miscellaneous thoughts:
Is Candelabra of Tawnos really that good here? I count 3 lands - Cabal Coffers, Winding Canyons and Crypt of Agadeem - you can actually use it with for anything other than color fixing, and even they don't come on line until pretty late in the game. If it turns out Candelabra is something you want to stick with, then how about Expedition Map to make it more effective and turn on your X-spells when you need them?
I never leave home without Bojuka Bog in my black decks, although I suppose entering the battlefield tapped is a bigger deal for this deck than for most.
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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.
My two favorite things in Commander are cheap creatures and incremental value so I'm a fan of this list. My only real issue with your creature choices is the ones that "just" make tokens. I feel like you can do better than that in terms of value and utility. Here are some other miscellaneous thoughts:
Is Candelabra of Tawnos really that good here? I count 3 lands - Cabal Coffers, Winding Canyons and Crypt of Agadeem - you can actually use it with for anything other than color fixing, and even they don't come on line until pretty late in the game. If it turns out Candelabra is something you want to stick with, then how about Expedition Map to make it more effective and turn on your X-spells when you need them?
I never leave home without Bojuka Bog in my black decks, although I suppose entering the battlefield tapped is a bigger deal for this deck than for most.
Man, these are all great!
Candelabra just always seems to help out in extrordinary ways. Maybe it's just a pet card - or I'm making damn sure I'm getting my money's worth. With all the tutors, I cut the three mana Expedition map earlier. Also, there's Nykthos and Volrath's Stronghold in my list too.
Priest of Gix has been a huge bit of help in a few situations when I was testing. He can grant mana when you need it most.
Fetid Heath is likely something I'd slot in when they're widely reprinted. I liquidated my hybrids recently.
Pious Evangel will likely find a home in here.
Bojuka Bog is alright, but I'd prefer something that doesn't get in the way of Chainer from doing his magic.
Re:tokens - I found I needed a few sources for them to fuel life (via Ayli + Lashwrithe), mana (an Altar) or removal (Ayli). Also, they help to have as blockers that just keeps your life above 50 a bit longer.
Phyrexian Processor has some very strong synergy with Ayli. Also, it's busted by itself.
I LOVE the processor. I played it to good effect in competitive vintage back in '98.
I had already considered it and decided against it because if I cast it, I want to be able to activate it and Ayli in the same turn - and doing that requires 9 - which runs against the major theme of my deck.
I suppose casting it and activating it after your next untap is doable but risky. And exploiting that risk is exactly the kind of thing the jerks I call friends would love to do.
It doesn't attack but Wall of Omens triggers all the things this deck wants to trigger and has a decent toughness for Ayli's first activated ability. Also, if you like Bonehoard, how about its great-grand-father Mortivore?
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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.
It doesn't attack but Wall of Omens triggers all the things this deck wants to trigger and has a decent toughness for Ayli's first activated ability. Also, if you like Bonehoard, how about its great-grand-father Mortivore?
Bonehoard is really in there for two reasons:
To get your lifetotal from a low total to over 50 quickly.
To equip and take out a player with commander damage.
Morty can't Sac, re-equip and Sac for huge life swings.
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I've tried in the past half-decade to get anything I could need for EDH, so there's no considerations for budget in my list. Personally, I really like the flow of decks with low CMC's - so you'll see that my curve tops out at 6, which keeps me able to interact throughout all segments of the game.
1 Mana Crypt
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Path to Exile
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Dark Confidant
1 Zulaport Cutthroat
1 Blood Artist
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Vizkopa Guildmage
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Exsanguinate
1 Scroll Rack
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Sword of the Animist
1 Bloodghast
1 Nether Traitor
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Eight-and-a-half-tails
1 Preacher
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Eldrazi Displacer
1 Grim Haruspex
1 Ophiomancer
1 Athreos, God of Passage
1 Burnished Hart
1 Victimize
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Grim Tutor
1 Necropotence
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Attrition
1 Mirror Entity
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Xiahou Dun, The One-Eyed
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Crypt Ghast
1 Academy Rector
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Debt to the Deathless
1 Grave pact
1 Tombstone Stairwell
1 Nightmare Lash
1 Lashwrithe
1 Bonehoard
1 Balthor the Defiled
1 Worship
1 Chainer, Dementia Master
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1 Karmic Guide
1 Reveillark
1 Living Death
1 Dictate of Erebos
1 Black Market
1 Puppeteer Clique
1 Sun Titan
9 Swamp
8 Plains
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Windswept Heath
1 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Flooded Strand
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Winding Canyons
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Deserted Temple
1 Crypt of Agadeem
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Scrubland
1 Godless Shrine
1 Command Tower
Here is the crux of the deck broken down into discrete packages:
Ramp:
Card Draw/Selection
Removal
SYNERGIES & COMBOS:
[This section under development, please feel free to post any of your favorites in the meantime]
Ayli + Preacher / Helm of Possession for a way to steal (and then sac) your opponent's creatures
Ayli + Lashwrithe + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth + any other creature to turn creatures into a lot of life.
Bloodghast and Fetchlands to make a recursive combo for the above combo.
Karmic Guide + Reveillark + Sac Outlet + Zulaport Cutthroat/Blood Artist/Falkenrath Noble for infinite life drain
Karmic Guide + Gift of Immortality for recursion of one creature from your graveyard every turn.
Reveillark + Karmic Guide (see Above)
Reveillark + Eldrazi Displacer Recursion for much of your graveyard
Debt to the Deathless/Exsanguinate/Grey Merchant + Vizkopa Guildmage (second ability) often a 1-shot kill
Chainer, Dementia Master + Grey Merchant + Sac Outlet simple loop to kill much of the table
Out
In
All in all, the deck has been performing quite well - at least according to what my goals were for it.
I've taken out a few of the higher-cmc cheap wincons (Bond/blood combo) for more flexibility, utility and lower CMC.
Asylum Visitor was just spoiled, and we often play 6+ player games, so I'm thinking this might be quite a nice inclusion for the deck - I'll try to proxy it and test it out this week.
EDIT - I realized with 7 out and only 6 in, my count's off somewhere. I'll try and rectify that.
Man, these are all great!
Candelabra just always seems to help out in extrordinary ways. Maybe it's just a pet card - or I'm making damn sure I'm getting my money's worth. With all the tutors, I cut the three mana Expedition map earlier. Also, there's Nykthos and Volrath's Stronghold in my list too.
Priest of Gix has been a huge bit of help in a few situations when I was testing. He can grant mana when you need it most.
Fetid Heath is likely something I'd slot in when they're widely reprinted. I liquidated my hybrids recently.
Pious Evangel will likely find a home in here.
Bojuka Bog is alright, but I'd prefer something that doesn't get in the way of Chainer from doing his magic.
Re:tokens - I found I needed a few sources for them to fuel life (via Ayli + Lashwrithe), mana (an Altar) or removal (Ayli). Also, they help to have as blockers that just keeps your life above 50 a bit longer.
Also, I feel like a Rings of Brighthearth would totally rock in here.
I had already considered it and decided against it because if I cast it, I want to be able to activate it and Ayli in the same turn - and doing that requires 9 - which runs against the major theme of my deck.
I suppose casting it and activating it after your next untap is doable but risky. And exploiting that risk is exactly the kind of thing the jerks I call friends would love to do.
IN:
OUT:
Bonehoard is really in there for two reasons:
Morty can't Sac, re-equip and Sac for huge life swings.