“ From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the multiverse, comes a legend; the legend of Voltron, Legendary Monkey, a courageous token, loved by good, feared by evil. As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy. On the plane of Kaladesh, a Gatewatch was formed. Together with other Planeswalkers of the multiverse, they maintained peace throughout the planes, until a new horrible menace threatened the multiverse. Voltron was needed once more. This is the story of a legendary pirate and her band of goblins, specially trained and sent by the Gatewatch to bring back Voltron, Legendary Monkey! “
With the introduction of the plane of Kaladesh, we got to meet a lovely and daring Sky Pirate in the form of Kari Zev. While a legend in her own right she obviously got noticed for her little companion; Ragavan. Rum would flow richly as brews around her were made and obviously I looked forward to join that fun as well.
Looking at Kari Zev herself, there were pretty much two directions in which people were building her, along with a minor third one. The first direction that comes to mind is playing off her pirate theme, pretty much trying to steal all the good stuff your opponents play and use those things against them. While the other decent path seemed to be just loading her up with gear and just get there with Commander damage in traditional Voltron style. And then you have the few that just wanted to see how many Ragavan tokens they could en masse on the board using Mirror Gallery and Sundial of the Infinite.
For me, I didn’t want to go the way of thievery here since I already run two decks which play around with that, so that strategy was pretty much dismissed from the start. And when it came to pure Voltron, I felt that budget was a tad limiting as I didn’t seem myself requiring any pieces of the swords cycle, for example. What I did know was that I wanted to do something with Ragavan, though the Mirror Gallery strategy felt fragile and simply little appeal. No, that monkey had to be able to do more and that’s where the notable synergy with Hero’s Blade came into play and so the plan for a Ragavan Voltron deck was born.
The first challenge in building the deck was trying to find ways to make Ragavan do more damage. Hero’s Blade was a good start, so I looked at other pieces of equipment which would be able to get attached to our monkey in an instant. Of course, our selection in that is limited so as an alternative I brought in a package that lets us make copies of these pieces, using Sculpting Steel and the likes. Additionally, Brass Squire would aid in this as well, helping us to move equipment around if needed.
That settled, I looked for additional means to buff the monkey’s strength up, during which I stumbled on the next piece for our little hero; Heroes’ Podium. While maybe not the best piece out there, it’s a flavorful inclusion and something I could work with. Both Kari Zev and Ragavan are legends in their own right after all, I just needed to see which other legendaries would work well alongside them and I ended up finding quite a few legendary goblins to make that work.
Being able to flood the board a bit is going to help in other ways as well. Kari Zev remains fairly weak to removal and while cheap to cast, the commander’s tax will pick up. So alternative means to get there, like stand ins for Ragavan and also through incidental damage. Purphoros, God of the Forge already lets Ragavan deal damage before we get to blockers, something we can put to use in more than one way.
Obviously, being mono red has it’s limitations as well. Unless you opt for wheels, card advantage is going to be challenging and also your ramping options are limited. So we make do with the options we have.
The deck is obviously a casual build and quite fun to play with, but there is more than enough room to improve the deck as well. For example, the deck is still fairly light on removal and that might need some addressing in the near future. Next to that I’m still looking at ways to make Kari Zev more resilient as well, just so I don’t have to recast her that much. Currently Darksteel Plate feels like a good upgrade in that regard, but am also looking for other suggestions in that.
Am going to make some minor tweaks to the list and pick up a couple of cards later this week, just to make some subtle changes to parts that I felt could suit the strategy a bit more. So I'm going to be taking out Tenza, Godo's Maul and Pyrewild Shaman so I can bring in Stormrider Rig and Crackdown Construct. While Tenza is effective and also flavorful with Godo in the deck as well, the aim is to pump up Ragavan and not Kari Zev, so the Stormrider Rig can exploit that a bit more. The Construct is more an experiment since we run Kazuul's Toll Collector, making for quite a big pumped up Construct to use. Cutting the Shaman might be something I undo, but haven't really decided on which other card to cut in that regard.
While I'm going to be making those changes, I'm also contemplating whether Blade of Selves would be a worthwhile inclusion. Together with Godo, Bandit Warlord I can dig up most equipment and there are a few minor other targets as well, problem is that with all the Legendary creatures it doesn't really fit too well in this build. It's tempting to try but on the other hand chances are the card will mainly draw hate.
I've been fiddling with Kari in a more creature-aggro brew, but I like your equipment idea too. The issue is sometimes you will just find an opponent with strictly bigger creatures that curve out at the same pace (like.. every single one of the new 4-color commanders). I've found brute strength, built to smash, brute force, and dynacharge to be pretty valuable.
Break through the line is also very good with her, until you start raising her power with equipment tho. May be helpful with the Quietus Spike effects.
This deck is going to be played in a more casual setting, as am well aware that in order to go more competitive you'd have to go more a Kari Zev Voltron build for this to work a lot. That's where the instants and such become way better as well, this build is more or less trying to make the 'Little Monkey That Could' and make sure that the buffing effects can be somewhat repeatedly used to make up for lower power level. I'm trying to make some use of Heroes' Podium, which takes up a lot of slots for me and just leaves less room to use combat tricks. Again I know its less efficient but this build is about fun plays and just trying to make certain cards work.
Deal Broker does have a better body for sure and a better looting effect, Rummaging Goblin just is slightly more on theme and benefits from some of the Anthem effects that are present.
Made a few more minor tweaks to the deck, mainly changes that help focusing the main strategies and synergies within the deck. Adding in some more redundancies and taking out a few cards that were just less on theme or things the deck just doesn't take enough advantage of.
One of those interesting effects that just isn't properly used by this deck, it requires several pieces and has little ways to gather them. So after a brief experiment with it, it got taken back out again just so I could build in more redundancies in on parts that are more important to the deck.
A good card, definitely with Kiki-Jiki around as well, but that's also the main issue. While I know that the deck doesn't have a really high threat level, having these two cards out will certainly make my opponents think otherwise. Kiki has a place in this deck, but by taking out the Conscripts its easier to show that this deck isn't wanting to do crazy powerful plays. While the Conscripts does play into the pirate part of Kari Zev, its not something this deck focuses on so it's time to cut it.
Quest can certainly have an impact, but you simply want to play it and trigger it that same turn for the best effect. It means that a lot of the times it feels like a dead card, because it sitting there gathering counters is just asking for it to be removed. In that sense it feels like Beastmaster Ascension but just a tad worse.
Those were the easier cuts to make so far, having to make one additional one I ended up removing Tenza, Godo's Maul while it's good in many regards, it works better when it comes to going Voltron with Kari Zev herself since you have to worry less about re-equipping her each combat. So opted to take out the Maul for the time being.
Like mentioned before, I ended up putting in Stormrider Rig because its exactly what this deck wants; something that equips Ragavan once the monkey comes out without additional expenses or effort. Since Kari Zev does have to attack a lot, Commander Tax can become a bit of a worry late game. Kazuul's Toll Collector provides a decent alternative, so opted to bring in Armory Automaton just to have a secondary option to use. There is also Vulshok Battlemaster but its more expensive to cast and only triggers on ETB, so not using him. Additionally I expanded a bit on the Goblin sub-theme with Goblins that can be used in conjuction with Kiki-Jiki and even Feldon; Beetleback Chief and Mogg War Marshal, giving us some additional Goblin token generation.
One other card that I am currently considering to try in this deck is Ancestral Statue, as it will give me a way to rest Sculpting Steel and/or Masterwork of Ingenuity when needed, or just add some protection to my artifacts.
And while I do like the double strike that Berserkers' Onslaught, I feel that having another Trample enabler might be better in that regard. Obviously having both being the best case, but that to the side. Though when looking at my options to obtain more trample I mainly ended up with either Archetype of Aggression or Legion Loyalist. Both being creatures they are fairly vulnerable, so yeah, not too sure yet here.
These decks of yours always same really cool and flavourful, you have some cool ideas. Have you thought about Metallic Mimic, or Adaptive Automaton for the subtype synergy?
I'm running Sisay's Ring mainly for budget reasons and it's a bit flavorful for the Kari Zev as well but thats a mere sidenote on that, I'll likely upgrade it to Thran Dynamo down the line.
Tibalt is there mainly as a way to get in some card draw. Didn't have a Gamble laying around so slotted him in, since he does the same and can do it repeatedly if it comes to it.
Kurkesh might be interesting, I will have to see if it will fit into the deck and where I can make cuts for it. Pia Nalaar on the other hand I don't think will make the cut as a Legendary, my list is slightly more Goblin centric for her to be a good enough addition. She could be a good mana sink, but the deck tends to use enough of it's mana already. I'll keep her in mind though.
These decks of yours always same really cool and flavourful, you have some cool ideas. Have you thought about Metallic Mimic, or Adaptive Automaton for the subtype synergy?
Thanks, I tend to enjoy playing the more flavorful style of decks, makes for more fun and usually better for my budget as well But yeah, I have considered Adaptive Automaton but instead I opted to run Konda's Banner, having an anthem on a creature just makes it more vulnerable and can turn an attack into a suicide run if it gets removed in the middle of things. Also, the Automaton would only pump up my Goblins and do nothing for Ragavan, or only help the Monkey. So running the Banner is more versatile. I see Metallic Mimic in that same line, the advantage it has is that the counters stay once the Mimic leaves the board, but would still be mainly to pump the Goblins in the deck. Another downside to them is that they do cost a couple of bucks, so I'd probably would consider other changes/upgrades first just for the sake of my budget.
I'm using the Statuary as a means to upgrade Sisay's Ring, with the amount of artifacts we run it should work fairly well and saves me from getting a Thran Dynamo for this deck. Trying to keep that one reserved for a new deck that might be put together soon. To make space for Kurkesh I decided to cut Rakka Mar, while performing decent I feel that the ogre fits the deck just slightly better synergy wise.
Still undecided on whether I want to change around Berserkers' Onslaught in favor of a trample enabler, so it's staying in for now. Opted against using Ancestral Statue as while potentially useful with the Sculpting Steel package, it would do 'less' when it hits the board without any of those pieces presence. It was just better to focus on having some goblins around.
I have considered adding Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs as an additional Legendary creature. With Kurkesh and Battle Driver there are some Ogres around already, so in a pinch Konda's Banner could do some work for them and might give some incentive not to attack. It does up the curve though, since I'd probably would replace Mogg War Marshal with it if I had to find a cut for it.
Always fun when you go post an update on the deck and you realize you didn't add the previous one. So figured might as well start from the top and do a quick rewrite of the starting post while at it.
Back in June I did beef up the deck a little, bringing in finally Purphoros, God of the Forge, adding some burn/removal with Comet Storm and Insult / Injury. Kurkesh didn't pull his weight so he got replaced with Kazuul and spiced up the card draw with Smuggler's Copter. The most interesting new addition of that update is Norin, the Wary whom is a bit of an oddball thematic wise, but with Purphoros and Impact Tremors him bouncing back and forth can make that incidental damage tick up.
Now onto the most recent changes. Commander 2017 brought us a nice addition in the form of Hammer of Nazahn, free equipping is simply a nice bonus and it grants some more survivability to Kari Zev, Skyship Raider. And for that same reason I decided to add Darksteel Plate to the deck as well. Hour of Devastation allowed me to expand the artifact copying in the deck with new all-star Mirage Mirror, which I've come to enjoy in several of my decks already. Comet Storm got upgraded into Rolling Earthquake. When it comes to the cuts, Thorbite Staff might eventually make it back in if I can find a better cut, while Quietus Spike just felt less impressing during the mid to late game. The deathtouch aspect is nice but the rest makes it draws a fair amount of hate.
Continued my tweaking of the deck by bringing in Bludgeon Brawl and Nevinyrral's Disk. To make place for them I took out Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician as he was more hampering me with its first ability than benefiting me with his second ability. Additionally I took out Inspiring Statuary while it looks promising with all the artifacts in the deck, there isn't that much to sink that mana into once it really starts generating. Nev's Disk will help putting the brakes on some people until it gets popped, while Bludgeon Brawl will help the deck pack more of a punch.
I've also started looking for any other potential cuts for the deck, as I do want to have a tad bit more interaction in the deck. So figured it was best to see which slots I can work with and then decide what the deck needs most, after which I compiled an initial list of cards that I can maybe cut. I'm open for other suggestions as well, but for now these are on my 'watchlist':
This definitely is gearing towards being one of the worse cards in the deck, even more so with some Legendaries being cut. The CMC of five is a tad costly but since it was one of the cards which the deck was initially built around I'll leave it in for now.
Potentially cutting this feels a bit controversial, even more so with having just added Nev's Disk. However, it is a nine drop and still leaves our creatures vulnerable, one bit of removal still renders most stuff unusable until you reequip them. So I am pondering on whether this has a place in the deck.
Norin is one of those cards that can do a lot in the right circumstances, but beyond that it does little. It's a nonbo with the Podium and since the deck doesn't run any tutors and is light on card draw, getting Impact Tremors and Purphoros, God of the Forge reliably isn't something happening soon. So yeah, it needs to be replaced with something which provides a more consistent use.
Another Legendary that is probably getting cut. Again this goblin looks interesting on paper, especially the second option but when behind it will be a challenge to get damage through and when ahead it probably just feels like win more. So far only had him out at times where I couldn't get damage through, so its currently a consideration to get cut in favor of something that contributes a little more to the deck.
As far as considered additions go. Foremost, I'm looking at adding in Pyroblast, having your own little counterspell at hand can be nice. Though when it comes to the casual builds in our group I don't think I want to run it's cousin Red Elemental Blast along with it. So for the time being it will be just Pyroblast.
When cutting both Grenzo and Norin, I feel I might get a tad light on creatures. So while I am looking for interaction I still am considering bringing in Mogg War Marshal just to bring out so goblin tokens to hold the fort.
Been a while since I updated this thread but that's been in part due to not having played the deck in quite some time. I simply ended up taking it apart to trade up for some much needed cards in more consistent decks, which I've done with decks in the past as well but I will say that this is the first deck I regretted dismantling because it's been fun to play. Masters 25 brought an important reprint as it let me have a foil Sai of the Shinobi and Dominaria featuring a few interesting cards as well, I decided it was time to piece the deck back together.
Now the current list is a bit different from the one in the starting post, as don't have all the old cards, but it gave me some time to re-evaluate and tweak the deck in other ways. The main essence is still the same but the most notable changes are probably the inclusion of Stuffy Doll and a few high damage spells, giving the deck some more finishing damage.
The one real card I'm still in the process to acquire is Thespian's Stage, which I enjoyed quite a bit in the previous iteration of the deck.
Being a rebuild with some changes there will likely be things that I want to change up after getting in a few more games with the deck. Helm of the Host is one of those cards that I'm currently testing, it can do some interesting things but it might be too expensive to run. Etali, Primal Storm is another card I'm trying out, in essence it's a great piece but it might just be something the deck doesn't want.
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Kari Zev, Skyship Raider Presents
Voltron: Legendary Monkey
“ From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the multiverse, comes a legend; the legend of Voltron, Legendary Monkey, a courageous token, loved by good, feared by evil. As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy. On the plane of Kaladesh, a Gatewatch was formed. Together with other Planeswalkers of the multiverse, they maintained peace throughout the planes, until a new horrible menace threatened the multiverse. Voltron was needed once more. This is the story of a legendary pirate and her band of goblins, specially trained and sent by the Gatewatch to bring back Voltron, Legendary Monkey! “
With the introduction of the plane of Kaladesh, we got to meet a lovely and daring Sky Pirate in the form of Kari Zev. While a legend in her own right she obviously got noticed for her little companion; Ragavan. Rum would flow richly as brews around her were made and obviously I looked forward to join that fun as well.
Looking at Kari Zev herself, there were pretty much two directions in which people were building her, along with a minor third one. The first direction that comes to mind is playing off her pirate theme, pretty much trying to steal all the good stuff your opponents play and use those things against them. While the other decent path seemed to be just loading her up with gear and just get there with Commander damage in traditional Voltron style. And then you have the few that just wanted to see how many Ragavan tokens they could en masse on the board using Mirror Gallery and Sundial of the Infinite.
For me, I didn’t want to go the way of thievery here since I already run two decks which play around with that, so that strategy was pretty much dismissed from the start. And when it came to pure Voltron, I felt that budget was a tad limiting as I didn’t seem myself requiring any pieces of the swords cycle, for example. What I did know was that I wanted to do something with Ragavan, though the Mirror Gallery strategy felt fragile and simply little appeal. No, that monkey had to be able to do more and that’s where the notable synergy with Hero’s Blade came into play and so the plan for a Ragavan Voltron deck was born.
That settled, I looked for additional means to buff the monkey’s strength up, during which I stumbled on the next piece for our little hero; Heroes’ Podium. While maybe not the best piece out there, it’s a flavorful inclusion and something I could work with. Both Kari Zev and Ragavan are legends in their own right after all, I just needed to see which other legendaries would work well alongside them and I ended up finding quite a few legendary goblins to make that work.
Being able to flood the board a bit is going to help in other ways as well. Kari Zev remains fairly weak to removal and while cheap to cast, the commander’s tax will pick up. So alternative means to get there, like stand ins for Ragavan and also through incidental damage. Purphoros, God of the Forge already lets Ragavan deal damage before we get to blockers, something we can put to use in more than one way.
Obviously, being mono red has it’s limitations as well. Unless you opt for wheels, card advantage is going to be challenging and also your ramping options are limited. So we make do with the options we have.
1 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
CREATURES [21]
1 Archetype of Aggression
1 Armory Automaton
1 Beetleback Chief
1 Brass Squire
1 Feldon of the Third Path
1 Goblin Soothsayer
1 Goblin Welder
1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
1 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
1 Kazuul's Toll Collector
1 Krenko, Mob Boss
1 Norin the Wary
1 Ogre Battledriver
1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
1 Rummaging Goblin
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Tuktuk the Explorer
INSTANTS [2]
1 Chaos Warp
1 Shattering Pulse
SORCERIES [3]
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Vandalblast
1 Caged Sun
1 Conjurer's Closet
1 Darksteel Forge
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Hammer of Nazahn
1 Haunted Cloak
1 Hazoret's Monument
1 Hedron Archive
1 Heroes' Podium
1 Hero's Blade
1 Infiltration Lens
1 Konda's Banner
1 Liquimetal Coating
1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
1 Mind Stone
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Prototype Portal
1 Ruby Medallion
1 Sai of the Shinobi
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Skullclamp
1 Smuggler's Copter
1 Sol Ring
1 Staff of Nin
1 Stormrider Rig
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of the Animist
1 Sword of the Chosen
1 Sword of the Paruns
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Berserkers’ Onslaught
1 Bludgeon Brawl
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Impact Tremors
1 Mana Echoes
LANDS [37]
26 Mountains
1 Buried Ruin
1 Hanweir Battlements
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Opal Palace
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
1 Temple of the False God
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
In
+ Nevinyrral's Disk
+ Bludgeon Brawl
Out
- Inspiring Statuary
- Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
August 31st, 2017
In
+ Darksteel Plate
+ Hammer of Nazahn
+ Mirage Mirror
+ Rolling Earthquake
Out
- Quietus Spike
- Thornbite Staff
- Comet Storm
- Insult / Injury
June 4th, 2017
In
+ Archetype of Aggression
+ Comet Storm
+ Insult / Injury
+ Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
+ Purphoros, God of the Forge
+ Norin the Wary
+ Smuggler's Copter
Out
- Dragon Throne of Tarkir
- Faithless Looting
- Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
- Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient
- Mogg War Marshal
- Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded
- Trading Post
February 28th, 2017
In
+ Armory Automaton
+ Beetleback Chief
+ Inspiring Statuary
+ Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient
+ Mogg War Marshal
+ Stormrider Rig
Out
- Pyrewild Shaman
- Quest for Pure Flame
- Rakka Mar
- Sisay's Ring
- Tenza, Godo's Maul
- Zealous Conscripts
.
While I'm going to be making those changes, I'm also contemplating whether Blade of Selves would be a worthwhile inclusion. Together with Godo, Bandit Warlord I can dig up most equipment and there are a few minor other targets as well, problem is that with all the Legendary creatures it doesn't really fit too well in this build. It's tempting to try but on the other hand chances are the card will mainly draw hate.
I've been fiddling with Kari in a more creature-aggro brew, but I like your equipment idea too. The issue is sometimes you will just find an opponent with strictly bigger creatures that curve out at the same pace (like.. every single one of the new 4-color commanders). I've found brute strength, built to smash, brute force, and dynacharge to be pretty valuable.
Break through the line is also very good with her, until you start raising her power with equipment tho. May be helpful with the Quietus Spike effects.
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
Deal Broker does have a better body for sure and a better looting effect, Rummaging Goblin just is slightly more on theme and benefits from some of the Anthem effects that are present.
- Crackdown Construct
One of those interesting effects that just isn't properly used by this deck, it requires several pieces and has little ways to gather them. So after a brief experiment with it, it got taken back out again just so I could build in more redundancies in on parts that are more important to the deck.
- Zealous Conscripts
A good card, definitely with Kiki-Jiki around as well, but that's also the main issue. While I know that the deck doesn't have a really high threat level, having these two cards out will certainly make my opponents think otherwise. Kiki has a place in this deck, but by taking out the Conscripts its easier to show that this deck isn't wanting to do crazy powerful plays. While the Conscripts does play into the pirate part of Kari Zev, its not something this deck focuses on so it's time to cut it.
- Quest for Pure Flame
Quest can certainly have an impact, but you simply want to play it and trigger it that same turn for the best effect. It means that a lot of the times it feels like a dead card, because it sitting there gathering counters is just asking for it to be removed. In that sense it feels like Beastmaster Ascension but just a tad worse.
Those were the easier cuts to make so far, having to make one additional one I ended up removing Tenza, Godo's Maul while it's good in many regards, it works better when it comes to going Voltron with Kari Zev herself since you have to worry less about re-equipping her each combat. So opted to take out the Maul for the time being.Like mentioned before, I ended up putting in Stormrider Rig because its exactly what this deck wants; something that equips Ragavan once the monkey comes out without additional expenses or effort. Since Kari Zev does have to attack a lot, Commander Tax can become a bit of a worry late game. Kazuul's Toll Collector provides a decent alternative, so opted to bring in Armory Automaton just to have a secondary option to use. There is also Vulshok Battlemaster but its more expensive to cast and only triggers on ETB, so not using him. Additionally I expanded a bit on the Goblin sub-theme with Goblins that can be used in conjuction with Kiki-Jiki and even Feldon; Beetleback Chief and Mogg War Marshal, giving us some additional Goblin token generation.
One other card that I am currently considering to try in this deck is Ancestral Statue, as it will give me a way to rest Sculpting Steel and/or Masterwork of Ingenuity when needed, or just add some protection to my artifacts.
And while I do like the double strike that Berserkers' Onslaught, I feel that having another Trample enabler might be better in that regard. Obviously having both being the best case, but that to the side. Though when looking at my options to obtain more trample I mainly ended up with either Archetype of Aggression or Legion Loyalist. Both being creatures they are fairly vulnerable, so yeah, not too sure yet here.
Any particular reason for Tibalt?
Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient is another legendary that could have some targets. Pia Nalaar is also interesting.
[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
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar
I'm running Sisay's Ring mainly for budget reasons and it's a bit flavorful for the Kari Zev as well but thats a mere sidenote on that, I'll likely upgrade it to Thran Dynamo down the line.
Tibalt is there mainly as a way to get in some card draw. Didn't have a Gamble laying around so slotted him in, since he does the same and can do it repeatedly if it comes to it.
Kurkesh might be interesting, I will have to see if it will fit into the deck and where I can make cuts for it. Pia Nalaar on the other hand I don't think will make the cut as a Legendary, my list is slightly more Goblin centric for her to be a good enough addition. She could be a good mana sink, but the deck tends to use enough of it's mana already. I'll keep her in mind though.
Thanks, I tend to enjoy playing the more flavorful style of decks, makes for more fun and usually better for my budget as well
I'm using the Statuary as a means to upgrade Sisay's Ring, with the amount of artifacts we run it should work fairly well and saves me from getting a Thran Dynamo for this deck. Trying to keep that one reserved for a new deck that might be put together soon. To make space for Kurkesh I decided to cut Rakka Mar, while performing decent I feel that the ogre fits the deck just slightly better synergy wise.
Still undecided on whether I want to change around Berserkers' Onslaught in favor of a trample enabler, so it's staying in for now. Opted against using Ancestral Statue as while potentially useful with the Sculpting Steel package, it would do 'less' when it hits the board without any of those pieces presence. It was just better to focus on having some goblins around.
I have considered adding Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs as an additional Legendary creature. With Kurkesh and Battle Driver there are some Ogres around already, so in a pinch Konda's Banner could do some work for them and might give some incentive not to attack. It does up the curve though, since I'd probably would replace Mogg War Marshal with it if I had to find a cut for it.
Back in June I did beef up the deck a little, bringing in finally Purphoros, God of the Forge, adding some burn/removal with Comet Storm and Insult / Injury. Kurkesh didn't pull his weight so he got replaced with Kazuul and spiced up the card draw with Smuggler's Copter. The most interesting new addition of that update is Norin, the Wary whom is a bit of an oddball thematic wise, but with Purphoros and Impact Tremors him bouncing back and forth can make that incidental damage tick up.
Now onto the most recent changes. Commander 2017 brought us a nice addition in the form of Hammer of Nazahn, free equipping is simply a nice bonus and it grants some more survivability to Kari Zev, Skyship Raider. And for that same reason I decided to add Darksteel Plate to the deck as well. Hour of Devastation allowed me to expand the artifact copying in the deck with new all-star Mirage Mirror, which I've come to enjoy in several of my decks already. Comet Storm got upgraded into Rolling Earthquake. When it comes to the cuts, Thorbite Staff might eventually make it back in if I can find a better cut, while Quietus Spike just felt less impressing during the mid to late game. The deathtouch aspect is nice but the rest makes it draws a fair amount of hate.
I've also started looking for any other potential cuts for the deck, as I do want to have a tad bit more interaction in the deck. So figured it was best to see which slots I can work with and then decide what the deck needs most, after which I compiled an initial list of cards that I can maybe cut. I'm open for other suggestions as well, but for now these are on my 'watchlist':
- Heroes' Podium
This definitely is gearing towards being one of the worse cards in the deck, even more so with some Legendaries being cut. The CMC of five is a tad costly but since it was one of the cards which the deck was initially built around I'll leave it in for now.
- Darksteel Forge
Potentially cutting this feels a bit controversial, even more so with having just added Nev's Disk. However, it is a nine drop and still leaves our creatures vulnerable, one bit of removal still renders most stuff unusable until you reequip them. So I am pondering on whether this has a place in the deck.
- Norin the Wary
Norin is one of those cards that can do a lot in the right circumstances, but beyond that it does little. It's a nonbo with the Podium and since the deck doesn't run any tutors and is light on card draw, getting Impact Tremors and Purphoros, God of the Forge reliably isn't something happening soon. So yeah, it needs to be replaced with something which provides a more consistent use.
- Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
Another Legendary that is probably getting cut. Again this goblin looks interesting on paper, especially the second option but when behind it will be a challenge to get damage through and when ahead it probably just feels like win more. So far only had him out at times where I couldn't get damage through, so its currently a consideration to get cut in favor of something that contributes a little more to the deck.
As far as considered additions go. Foremost, I'm looking at adding in Pyroblast, having your own little counterspell at hand can be nice. Though when it comes to the casual builds in our group I don't think I want to run it's cousin Red Elemental Blast along with it. So for the time being it will be just Pyroblast.When cutting both Grenzo and Norin, I feel I might get a tad light on creatures. So while I am looking for interaction I still am considering bringing in Mogg War Marshal just to bring out so goblin tokens to hold the fort.
Now the current list is a bit different from the one in the starting post, as don't have all the old cards, but it gave me some time to re-evaluate and tweak the deck in other ways. The main essence is still the same but the most notable changes are probably the inclusion of Stuffy Doll and a few high damage spells, giving the deck some more finishing damage.
1x Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
Creature (28)
1x Archetype of Aggression
1x Armory Automaton
1x Beetleback Chief
1x Brass Squire
1x Champion of the Flame
1x Etali, Primal Storm
1x Feldon of the Third Path
1x Goblin Soothsayer
1x Goblin Welder
1x Godo, Bandit Warlord
1x Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
1x Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
1x Kazuul's Toll Collector
1x Krenko, Mob Boss
1x Mogg War Marshal
1x Neheb, the Eternal
1x Ogre Battledriver
1x Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1x Purphoros, God of the Forge
1x Rummaging Goblin
1x Siege-Gang Commander
1x Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Spikeshot Goblin
1x Squee, Goblin Nabob
1x Stuffy Doll
1x Tuktuk the Explorer
1x Valduk, Keeper of the Flame
1x Bloodforged Battle-Axe
1x Caged Sun
1x Darksteel Forge
1x Fire Diamond
1x Hammer of Nazahn
1x Haunted Cloak
1x Hedron Archive
1x Helm of the Host
1x Heroes' Podium
1x Hero's Blade
1x Ichor Wellspring
1x Infiltration Lens
1x Inspiring Statuary
1x Konda's Banner
1x Liquimetal Coating
1x Masterwork of Ingenuity
1x Mimic Vat
1x Mind Stone
1x Mirage Mirror
1x Prototype Portal
1x Sai of the Shinobi
1x Sculpting Steel
1x Sol Ring
1x Staff of Nin
1x Stormrider Rig
1x Sword of the Animist
1x Sword of the Paruns
1x Goblin Bombardment
1x Impact Tremors
Sorcery (5)
1x Blasphemous Act
1x By Force
1x Faithless Looting
1x Jaya's Immolating Inferno
1x Star of Extinction
Instant (2)
1x Chaos Warp
1x Starstorm
Land (35)
1x Buried Ruin
1x Great Furnace
1x Hanweir Battlements
1x Inventors' Fair
23x Mountain
1x Myriad Landscape
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Opal Palace
1x Rogue's Passage
1x Scavenger Grounds
1x Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1x Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
1x Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Being a rebuild with some changes there will likely be things that I want to change up after getting in a few more games with the deck. Helm of the Host is one of those cards that I'm currently testing, it can do some interesting things but it might be too expensive to run. Etali, Primal Storm is another card I'm trying out, in essence it's a great piece but it might just be something the deck doesn't want.