My friends and I are starting to play a form of commander where a version of every card in the deck except for your commander must be $2 or less. I currently have an Ephara deck that doesn't play by these rules and I'd like to dumb it down so that it's friendly for this format. For some reason I really want to make a deck that contains both a 'blink' theme as well as an 'enchantments matter' theme. This is because Skybind and Seance in the same deck seem like a lot of fun and enchantments seem like they can be very powerful in this particular format. So, heres's the tentative list I've put together so far:
The "Side" section refers to cards that I was considering for the final list but have already been cut. The "Maybe" section is full of some cards that I'll be watching in case they drop under $2.
My issue so far is that I'm lacking in ramp and my curve seems a little high. I'm also worried about how I'll end up winning the game. Ideally, I'd like to shave some stuff to include more mana rocks, but I just can't figure out what to take out. This is where I could really use some help because I'm bad at identifying what cards will end up being weaker than I'd like. If anyone has any suggestions as far as cuts, or any suggestions for cards under $2 that I should include, I'd really appreciate the help.
I actually think Ephara can be dominating in this format, because we can take advantage of so many little cards for card advantage.
However, it's foolish not to run both Whitemane Lion and Stonecloaker, because they are two of the most powerful cards for her.
I'd recommend switching some of your creatures to be mana creatures like Silver Myr and Walking Atlas.
With the printing in the new commander set, Sword of the Animist will likely drop below 2$, and is an excellent pick for ramp. Flickerwisp is supposedly a house in this deck.
The key to any Ephara deck is getting her out on turn 3. So as much turn 2 ramp as you can stomach, and in a cheapo format that won't have the higher end wraths I would suggest focusing on creature ramp.
UW is not a particularly good color combo for an enchantment focus. It's OK, but missing Verduran Enchantress, enchantment eidolon and Argothian enchantress is too much of a handicap in my opinion. In a 2 dollar or less format I would focus on playing only good cards, not try to force a theme.
Seance seems *fantastic* in Ephara. I'm kinda embarrassed I've never considered it but it's mostly because I've always had a reanimator subtheme (with Titan, Karmic guide and sword of light and shadow) so hosing my graveyard never occurred to me. Skybind I don't love. Feels really bad without Serra Sanctum.
I would seriously consider playing Torrent Elemental and Misthollow Griffin. Torrent at least is insanely good since it's just a strong card...
And oh damn Torrent is BUG color identity. How lame. I forgot.
One issue to enchantments also is that all of the good enchantment tutors blow your budget. E-tutor, Idyllic tutor, Academy rector are all out.
Seance seems *fantastic* in Ephara. I'm kinda embarrassed I've never considered it but it's mostly because I've always had a reanimator subtheme (with Titan, Karmic guide and sword of light and shadow) so hosing my graveyard never occurred to me. Skybind I don't love. Feels really bad without Serra Sanctum.
My thinking with Seance is that one turn for creatures to exist is way too few for me. I'm in a creature heavy meta so I want chumpblockers to last, because I'm going to need them.
Besides we run mostly static hate effects and less ETB that card won't provide a lot of utility.
I mean it basically reads "trigger Ephara every turn you have a creature in the yard" which should be pretty easy to set up. Play some ETB effects and get extra value.
I mean it basically reads "trigger Ephara every turn you have a creature in the yard" which should be pretty easy to set up. Play some ETB effects and get extra value.
That's what I said - with ETB this card is a house, but I feel like we don't have enough ETB for it. Saltskitter also says "Trigger Ephara every turn as long as your opponents play creatures". Do we run it? No, because it does nothing else.
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http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/ephara-2dh-blinkchantments/
The "Side" section refers to cards that I was considering for the final list but have already been cut. The "Maybe" section is full of some cards that I'll be watching in case they drop under $2.
My issue so far is that I'm lacking in ramp and my curve seems a little high. I'm also worried about how I'll end up winning the game. Ideally, I'd like to shave some stuff to include more mana rocks, but I just can't figure out what to take out. This is where I could really use some help because I'm bad at identifying what cards will end up being weaker than I'd like. If anyone has any suggestions as far as cuts, or any suggestions for cards under $2 that I should include, I'd really appreciate the help.
However, it's foolish not to run both Whitemane Lion and Stonecloaker, because they are two of the most powerful cards for her.
I'd recommend switching some of your creatures to be mana creatures like Silver Myr and Walking Atlas.
With the printing in the new commander set, Sword of the Animist will likely drop below 2$, and is an excellent pick for ramp.
Flickerwisp is supposedly a house in this deck.
Bad cards:
Blind Obedience -> Imposing Sovereign
Thopter Arrest -> Leonin Relic-Warder
Resolute Archangel -> Angel of the Dire Hour
Samurai of the Pale Curtain is a wannabe Rest in Peace, a conditional but very interesting card.
Vizier of Deferment is an excellent card here. Why is it only in your sideboard?
In my opinion your enchantments theme could easily be swapped for a much more powerful spirits theme, all under 2$:
Plus there are a ton of playable spirits, just search gatherer.
The key to any Ephara deck is getting her out on turn 3. So as much turn 2 ramp as you can stomach, and in a cheapo format that won't have the higher end wraths I would suggest focusing on creature ramp.
UW is not a particularly good color combo for an enchantment focus. It's OK, but missing Verduran Enchantress, enchantment eidolon and Argothian enchantress is too much of a handicap in my opinion. In a 2 dollar or less format I would focus on playing only good cards, not try to force a theme.
Seance seems *fantastic* in Ephara. I'm kinda embarrassed I've never considered it but it's mostly because I've always had a reanimator subtheme (with Titan, Karmic guide and sword of light and shadow) so hosing my graveyard never occurred to me. Skybind I don't love. Feels really bad without Serra Sanctum.
I would seriously consider playing
Torrent Elementaland Misthollow Griffin. Torrent at least is insanely good since it's just a strong card...And oh damn Torrent is BUG color identity. How lame. I forgot.
One issue to enchantments also is that all of the good enchantment tutors blow your budget. E-tutor, Idyllic tutor, Academy rector are all out.
UW Ephara Hatebears [Primer], GB Gitrog Lands, BRU Inalla Combo-Control, URG Maelstrom Wanderer Landfall
My thinking with Seance is that one turn for creatures to exist is way too few for me. I'm in a creature heavy meta so I want chumpblockers to last, because I'm going to need them.
Besides we run mostly static hate effects and less ETB that card won't provide a lot of utility.
UW Ephara Hatebears [Primer], GB Gitrog Lands, BRU Inalla Combo-Control, URG Maelstrom Wanderer Landfall
That's what I said - with ETB this card is a house, but I feel like we don't have enough ETB for it.
Saltskitter also says "Trigger Ephara every turn as long as your opponents play creatures". Do we run it? No, because it does nothing else.