My sister-in-law is getting into Magic finally, and my wife and I want to get her a custom-made commander deck for Christmas. She is a huge fan of sealife and krakens and stuff, so I wanted to do a Sea Monster battlecruiser deck and Rashmi, Eternities Crafter seemed like a great commander - play giant monsters, draw cards or possibly double-up on them!
Here's my decklist I've sketched out, and I'd love some advice. Our meta isn't super cutthroat (no combo kills, mass LD, or Stax decks) but we have a lot of veteran players playing highly tuned lists. I want this deck to stand a puncher's chance out of the box. The requirements are:
- All suggestions need to be $2 or less. There are some cards that are not $2 in the list, but those are cards I own enough of to part with (Rift) or that I am willing to just suck it up for (Greaves, Sol Ring). Everything else needs to be super cheap.
- The central theme - big giant sea monsters - needs to remain intact. I'm not married to the commander or any other pet cards, but Quest for Ula's Temple, Whelming Wave, and a critical mass of fat blue monsters is essential.
- "Draw a card when you cast/control fatties": Drumhunter, Garruks' Pack Leader, Elemental Bond: Rashmi basically already draws us a card when we cast a spell, so these may be overkill.
- Expensive draw spells: Urban Evolution, Rishkar's Expertise, Kiora, the Crashing Wave, Mulldrifter; this deck wants to be jamming monsters after turn 5, and the commander turns every fattie into a cantrip. All of these things seem like a bit overkill and I don't know if the deck will ever want to take a turn off to reload.
- Non-sea monster creatures: Verdant Sun's Avatar seems like a good way to keep chugging along, but is not compatible with Quest. Guard Gomazoa is cute but not synergistic with the deck. Colossal Whale and Artisan of Kozilek are very powerful but not synergistic with the deck.
Big Sea Creatures:
-Our boy Benthicore is an Elemental, but visually fits right in. Brine Elemental and Tidal Force also fit visually.
-Draining Whelk is an Illusion, but also visually fits in with the fishes, and can do some good in format. Jace's Mindseeker can also be fun and is a Fish Illusion.
-Fleet Swallower can swallow decks. Is big fish. Isleback Spawn can also be fun with him.
-Keiga, the Tide Star is a big dragon, but it's a big sea dragon, so, it could fit!
Not Big Creatures:
-Chasm Skulker makes Squids when you draw cards. Seems pretty fun. Not very synergistic with all the mass bounce though.
-Reef Worm, because there is always a bigger fish.
Cards I Would Cut:
-The non-Sea Monster creatures. As a Vorthos, I see this as the Kiora deck, and Kiora would not summon Verdant Sun's Avatar or Artisan of Kozilek.
-Guard Gomazoa seems meh to me.
-I'm not sold on the idea that 1 mana card draw is worth it in Commander, like Brainstorm or Ponder. If you don't get it first turn it rarely seems worthwhile in the long run. I feel early terms are better spent on ramp, especially artifacts like Sky Diamond and Moss Diamond that aren't being considered yet. If you like the Scry-ness of those cards, and your meta isn't just loaded with board wipes, I'd suggest repeatable and cheap options like Thassa, God of the Sea or the Scryfish himself Sigiled Starfish. Seer's Lantern doubles as mana ramp!
Cards I Would Not Cut:
-Kiora. She's THE Sea Monster Planeswalker! Come one man! She's not the Commander but this is her deck!
-Honestly, I would personally keep things like Elemental Bond over the one mana card draw, going back to my previous thoughts. The Bond in general seems like a safe deal to me, Enchantment removal seems pretty scarce in most Commander metas.
-Mass Bounce. Keep in mind that my local meta is overrun by mass removal. Basically someone wipes the board every other turn after turn 5. Come to think of it that kind of defines a lot of my suggestions, huh? Anyway I'd keep what you have. With more artifact and land ramp bouncing your own stuff won't set you back too bad, and lets you reuse your Coiling Oracle and the like. I'd actually, on that thought, run more etb ramp dudes too, over guys like Sakura Tribe Elder, to capitalize on this. Ondu Giant and Wild Wanderer come to mind. Yavimaya Granger too, but that echo cost is... eh...
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
For energy, I think the two whales both fit the theme of the deck and are fine without other support. I would only consider glimmer and coup because they're decent cards anyway.
I'd go with elemental bond, but not the other "draw a card for fatties" choices.
I agree with cutting the artisan of kozilek.
I'd definitely consider zegana as your commander, she seems extremely on-theme. Rashmi is awesome though.
Here's my decklist I've sketched out, and I'd love some advice. Our meta isn't super cutthroat (no combo kills, mass LD, or Stax decks) but we have a lot of veteran players playing highly tuned lists. I want this deck to stand a puncher's chance out of the box. The requirements are:
- All suggestions need to be $2 or less. There are some cards that are not $2 in the list, but those are cards I own enough of to part with (Rift) or that I am willing to just suck it up for (Greaves, Sol Ring). Everything else needs to be super cheap.
- The central theme - big giant sea monsters - needs to remain intact. I'm not married to the commander or any other pet cards, but Quest for Ula's Temple, Whelming Wave, and a critical mass of fat blue monsters is essential.
Any help or advice is appreciated!
4 Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
Creatures: 30
1 Arbor Elf
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Llanowar Elves
2 Coiling Oracle
2 Kiora's Follower
2 Sakura-tribe Elder
2 Voyaging Satyr
3 Farhaven Elf
3 Nimbus Swimmer
4 Chameleon Colossus
5 Mulldrifter
5 Sealock Monster
5 Stormsurge Kraken
6 Archetype of Imagination
6 Prime Speaker Zegana
6 Shipbreaker Kraken
7 Pearl Lake Ancient
7 Scourge of Fleets
7 Simic Sky Swallower
7 Striped Riverwinder
7 Tromokratis
7 Verdant Sun's Avatar
8 Colossal Whale
8 Lorthos, the Tidemaker
8 Kederekt Leviathan
8 Stormtide Leviathan
9 Artisan of Kozilek
9 Breaching Leviathan
9 Inkwell Leviathan
10 Deep-sea Kraken
1 Brainstorm
1 Curfew
1 Nature's Claim
1 Ponder
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Swan Song
2 Counterspell
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Into the Roil
2 Negate
2 Rampant Growth
2 Think Twice
2 Simic Charm
3 Beast Within
3 Cultivate
3 Dissipate
3 Kodama's Reach
4 Wash Out
4 Whelming Wave
5 Overwhelming Stampede
5 Urban Evolution
6 Crush of Tentacles
Artifacts, Enchantments, and Planeswalkers: 9
1 Quest for Ula's Temple
1 Sol Ring
2 Fertile Ground
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Simic Signet
3 Kefnet's Monument
3 Rhonas's Monument
4 Kiora, the Crashing Wave
7 Zendikar Resurgent
1 Temple of the False God
1 Novijen, Heart of Progress
1 Alchemist’s Refuge
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Thornwood Falls
1 Simic Growth Chamber
16 Forest
16 Island
I am struggling on whether or not I have the right amount of fatties, ramp, draw, and answers.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
- "Draw a card when you cast/control fatties": Drumhunter, Garruks' Pack Leader, Elemental Bond: Rashmi basically already draws us a card when we cast a spell, so these may be overkill.
- Expensive draw spells: Urban Evolution, Rishkar's Expertise, Kiora, the Crashing Wave, Mulldrifter; this deck wants to be jamming monsters after turn 5, and the commander turns every fattie into a cantrip. All of these things seem like a bit overkill and I don't know if the deck will ever want to take a turn off to reload.
- Non-sea monster creatures: Verdant Sun's Avatar seems like a good way to keep chugging along, but is not compatible with Quest. Guard Gomazoa is cute but not synergistic with the deck. Colossal Whale and Artisan of Kozilek are very powerful but not synergistic with the deck.
- Counterspells that cost more than 4 mana, even if they are creatures (Draining Whelk, Mystic Snake, Plasm Capture).
- How much mass-bounce is too much mass-bounce? This deck is running six such cards: Scourge of Fleets, Kederekt Leviathan, Cyclonic Rift, Wash Out, Whelming Wave, Crush of Tentacles. Kederekt Leviathan is reusable, even.
Cards that were in the maybe-board:
- More cheap interaction: Swan Song, Negate, Memory Lapse, Naturalize, Reality Shift, Vapor Snag, Capsize, Moment's Peace, Reclamation Sage.
- More cheap draw/ramp/recursion: Noxious Revival, Regrowth, Wild Growth, Verdant Haven, Simic Signet, Thran Dynamo, Farseek, Search for Tomorrow, Harrow, Whispers of the Muse, Dream Cache, Opt, Impulse, Evolution Charm, Treasure Cruise, Wayfarer's Bauble, Nature's Lore, Dawntreader Elk,
- More sea monsters! Deep-sea Kraken, Grozoth, Chameleon Colossus, and Nimbus Swimmer are the four most playable ones not in the list, other than...
- An "Energy" subtheme: Some combination of Attune to the Aether, Glimmer of Genius, Rogue Refiner, Servant of the Conduit, Aetherworks Marvel, Architect of the Untamed, Confiscation Coup, and Shielded Aether-thief supporting Aethersquall Ancient and Aethertide Whale.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Big Sea Creatures:
-Our boy Benthicore is an Elemental, but visually fits right in. Brine Elemental and Tidal Force also fit visually.
-Draining Whelk is an Illusion, but also visually fits in with the fishes, and can do some good in format. Jace's Mindseeker can also be fun and is a Fish Illusion.
-Fleet Swallower can swallow decks. Is big fish. Isleback Spawn can also be fun with him.
-Keiga, the Tide Star is a big dragon, but it's a big sea dragon, so, it could fit!
Not Big Creatures:
-Chasm Skulker makes Squids when you draw cards. Seems pretty fun. Not very synergistic with all the mass bounce though.
-Reef Worm, because there is always a bigger fish.
Ramp Stuff:
-Bounty of the Luxa. Flooding is good. Enchantments have more staying power than creatures.
-Kiora, Master of the Depths, because why not both Kioras?
Cards I Would Cut:
-The non-Sea Monster creatures. As a Vorthos, I see this as the Kiora deck, and Kiora would not summon Verdant Sun's Avatar or Artisan of Kozilek.
-Guard Gomazoa seems meh to me.
-I'm not sold on the idea that 1 mana card draw is worth it in Commander, like Brainstorm or Ponder. If you don't get it first turn it rarely seems worthwhile in the long run. I feel early terms are better spent on ramp, especially artifacts like Sky Diamond and Moss Diamond that aren't being considered yet. If you like the Scry-ness of those cards, and your meta isn't just loaded with board wipes, I'd suggest repeatable and cheap options like Thassa, God of the Sea or the Scryfish himself Sigiled Starfish. Seer's Lantern doubles as mana ramp!
Cards I Would Not Cut:
-Kiora. She's THE Sea Monster Planeswalker! Come one man! She's not the Commander but this is her deck!
-Honestly, I would personally keep things like Elemental Bond over the one mana card draw, going back to my previous thoughts. The Bond in general seems like a safe deal to me, Enchantment removal seems pretty scarce in most Commander metas.
-Mass Bounce. Keep in mind that my local meta is overrun by mass removal. Basically someone wipes the board every other turn after turn 5. Come to think of it that kind of defines a lot of my suggestions, huh?
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
I'd go with elemental bond, but not the other "draw a card for fatties" choices.
I agree with cutting the artisan of kozilek.
I'd definitely consider zegana as your commander, she seems extremely on-theme. Rashmi is awesome though.
Flash outlets: Leyline of Anticipation, Vedalken Orrery, Winding Canyons, Alchemist's Refuge, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Enter the battlefield value: Wood Elves, Reclamation Sage, Acidic Slime
Top deck manipulation: Sylvan Library, Scroll Rack, Sensei's Divining Top, Future Sight
Instant speed draw: Fact or Fiction, Dig through Time
Few counterspells: Mana Drain, Counterspell
More Removal: Curse of the Swine, Scour from Existence
Other good stuff: Stunt Double
Your commander is either draw, or free value. Try and abuse it as much as possible.
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Edit:
I didn't see the stipulations on the initial read through. Cards are still solid additions. (Sadly, Mana Drain is a little more than $2)
Current EDH
Akroma W | Tymna and Bruse RBW