I actually started from BW Enduring Renewal with Blood Artists and Disciple of the Vault, but found it too inconsistent and all-in for my liking. That's why I'm trying it in a pre-established shell like Soul Sisters where it's not necessarily plan A. I do like the evoke creature idea, though. Shame Reveillark is so slow...
The more I think about it, the more this story bothers me. I don't get it. I just don't get it.
1.) Why doesn't Bolas just extract the information he wants straight from Naiva's mind? Why does he ask her repeatedly for it?
I'm not convinced that he doesn't already have the information he wants. He says things like "Ugin will have told you" and "Ugin may tell you", but I don't know how he would know Ugin was telling stories from beyond the grave without reading Naiva's mind. I think he knows exactly what is going on, but for whatever reason wants Naiva on his side. Perhaps to send a message to Yasova?
Again, for some reason or another he wants Naiva alive and loyal to him. I'd imagine Naiva is more useful to him this way as opposed to totally mind-crushing her.
3.) Why does he waste 20 minutes regaling this random girl with his side of the story? What is it to him what this puny human child thinks? If he takes issue with her point of view, he can just kill her when he's done with her.
Bolas is Bolas and will always find opportunities to self-aggrandize. Another explanation could be that he does not want Ugin's version of the story to spread, and if he needs Naiva around, just mind-wiping her isn't going to work. And as he says, he has all the time in the world.
4.) And when he does share his story, why does he include ostentatious example of him messing with other people's minds (like Arcades's?) And slaying human sorcerers after he learned what he wanted from them? Oh, she'll trust you now, Bolas.
I think Bolas expects reverence, and is unlikely to pass up on any chance to boast about his superiority.
I don't think Bolas genuinely learns anything from Naiva. I think it's all about getting her on his side while allowing her to maintain her sense of will. Of course, I could be totally wrong and the hedrons could have some kind of safeguard against Bolas.
This is kinda out there, but I've been experimenting with Enduring Renewal combos in the Soul Sisters shell. The following is a very rough draft of my idea:
The combo here is Walking Ballista/Hangarback Walker + Enduring Renewal. With Renewal in play, you can cast one of these creatures for 0 mana, it'll enter as a 0/0 and immediately die, then Renewal will return it to your hand. This means infinite cast/ETB/death triggers.
Sister + Renewal + 0-drop = infinite life. Note you can do this with a Ballista already in play
Monument + Renewal + 0-drop = infinite tokens
Sister + Monument + Renewal + 0-drop = infinite life AND tokens
Monument + Whitemane = 1/1 and 2 life per mana
Ranger of Eos can tutor both the 0-drops and the Sisters, meaning you can assemble a Renewal combo easily or just grind out a longer game
Whitemane can save Sisters from removal while comboing, or return a Hangarback to hand to go off with Renewal
Pridemate gives the deck the normal angle of attack as well
Windbrisk Heights is amazing with several combos to assemble, especially as it circumvents Renewal's drawback
I'm not advocating that this is by any means better than the established builds (I presume it isn't), but it does give the deck another angle of attack, and it helps to have an infinite combo to fall back on in difficult matchups. You can still easily grind out games, and Hangarback/Ballista help with that. You have 7 bombs in Renewal/Monument, your creatures that make these work are redundant and tutorable, and you can play a normal game without relying on these bombs. However, I didn't find room for any anthem effects, which may be an issue.
This is a pretty complicated stack interaction, but ultimately it works. You cast the queller, it has an etb ability to exile the spell. In response, with the target of that spell being chosen by its etb ability, you blink it. It's ltb trigger goes into the stack above the etb trigger, which already has a target chosen. The queller blinks, and the ltb ability resolves. But since the first etb still hasn't resolved, there is no spell for the queller to return casting. It comes back as a new object with no memory of its first etb trigger, since it's a new object, and the spell is permanently exiled. For additional rulings, check out flickerwisp and some of the nightmare creatures from torment. Does that make sense? Some of the details might be off in my explanation so if someone has a more in depth explanation, go for it.
But when the Queller re-enters the battlefield, it triggers again and exiles the spell. The previous two triggers then both resolve and do nothing (unless there are multiple spells on the stack).
Yeah, I never felt like I needed the extra push of Always Watching as Herald and Reflector Mage are good at locking down the ground. If it's a turn 5 play, I think I'd rather play Thunderclap Wyvern, especially with the abundance of Dromoka's Command that can remove enchantments. I'll test something like this tonight:
- Ojutai's Command is great on paper but I have yet to get great value from it and it often clogs up your hand. Trimming from 3 to 2 with the addition of Deep-Fiends as another 4 drop. People have been high on this card as a finisher so I'll test it out. Reflector Mage is great fodder for the emerge cost.
- 1 Unsubstantiate and 1 Selfless Spirit are expendable. I will try 2 Declaration in Stone or 2 Anafenza in this spot at some point. I don't like how Anafenza skews the manabase, and Declaration isn't as necessary with Reflectors/Nebelgasts. But these slots are certainly wide-open.
- I played Dimensional Infiltrator for a little while but didn't like it. Playing more Spirits in the 2-drop slot has been smoother in the late game. I also went from 3 Clash of Wills to 2, and now 0. It might have a place, but we already have a fair amount of spell interaction.
EDIT: Stoneforge Masterwork is another one to test but I don't like how low impact it is when you only have a couple of creatures. I don't think the additional damage is worth it over the tempo of Reflectors and Nebelgasts but maybe it is just better to run pump effects than Reflector Mage in general.
Tested a 3/2 Flux/Unsubstantiate split yesterday, felt good except for drawing multiple Flux. Both cards were strong in different situations. Moving forward I'll likely try a 2/2 split.
Selfless Spirit felt like the worst creature in the deck but I like how easy it is to cast as opposed to Anafenza. 4 Nebelgast Herald felt great. Obviously it is a card to be boarded out in some match ups but against Bant Humans for example it was essential to racing, and having multiple on board felt filthy.
I was playing Always Watching but never wanted to tap-out for it rather than leaving up mana for all our instant threats, especially with 4 Herald. The card didn't seem necessary when we're rarely blocking. I've been playing Reflector Mages in its place and it has been solid. Rarely play it on turn 3 due to abundance of 3s but it makes racing on the ground very difficult for them in conjunction with Nebelgast. Also sweet with Essence Flux.
The number of 3 drops has been a challenge because Bygone Bishop is our only card advantage engine, and clues work so well with how the deck plays, so it seems necessary.
I'll post my current list later, and will hopefully get some more testing in this week.
I don't really buy the argument that he had nothing else to do. I'm fine with Gideon going up to Ulamog directly and thinking he can hold him off. I'm not fine with the fact that he was successful.
People have already covered this topic so I don't really want to go too deep into it, but being that close to Ualmog should be unbearable, let alone being struck by him. Even if Ulamog was 'distracted', I really don't see how anybody could remain on their feet after being struck by him.
I've enjoyed these recent URs (post-Commander) a lot more than the filler beforehand; the pacing still feels weird, which was evident during the Avengers-assembly story when they trap Ulamog. And I think we're all in agreement that the Gideon vs Ulamog thing was pathetic.
Looking forward to see the events of Oath of the Gatewatch unfold, but I'm definitely rooting for the villains.
I actually started from BW Enduring Renewal with Blood Artists and Disciple of the Vault, but found it too inconsistent and all-in for my liking. That's why I'm trying it in a pre-established shell like Soul Sisters where it's not necessarily plan A. I do like the evoke creature idea, though. Shame Reveillark is so slow...
I'm not convinced that he doesn't already have the information he wants. He says things like "Ugin will have told you" and "Ugin may tell you", but I don't know how he would know Ugin was telling stories from beyond the grave without reading Naiva's mind. I think he knows exactly what is going on, but for whatever reason wants Naiva on his side. Perhaps to send a message to Yasova?
Again, for some reason or another he wants Naiva alive and loyal to him. I'd imagine Naiva is more useful to him this way as opposed to totally mind-crushing her.
Bolas is Bolas and will always find opportunities to self-aggrandize. Another explanation could be that he does not want Ugin's version of the story to spread, and if he needs Naiva around, just mind-wiping her isn't going to work. And as he says, he has all the time in the world.
I think Bolas expects reverence, and is unlikely to pass up on any chance to boast about his superiority.
I don't think Bolas genuinely learns anything from Naiva. I think it's all about getting her on his side while allowing her to maintain her sense of will. Of course, I could be totally wrong and the hedrons could have some kind of safeguard against Bolas.
3x Soul's Attendant
2x Auriok Champion
4x Ajani's Pridemate
3x Whitemane Lion
4x Walking Ballista
4x Hangarback Walker
3x Ranger of Eos
4x Oketra's Monument
3x Enduring Renewal
4x Path to Exile
19x Plains
4x Windbrisk Heights
The combo here is Walking Ballista/Hangarback Walker + Enduring Renewal. With Renewal in play, you can cast one of these creatures for 0 mana, it'll enter as a 0/0 and immediately die, then Renewal will return it to your hand. This means infinite cast/ETB/death triggers.
- Sister + Renewal + 0-drop = infinite life. Note you can do this with a Ballista already in play
- Monument + Renewal + 0-drop = infinite tokens
- Sister + Monument + Renewal + 0-drop = infinite life AND tokens
- Monument + Whitemane = 1/1 and 2 life per mana
- Ranger of Eos can tutor both the 0-drops and the Sisters, meaning you can assemble a Renewal combo easily or just grind out a longer game
- Whitemane can save Sisters from removal while comboing, or return a Hangarback to hand to go off with Renewal
- Pridemate gives the deck the normal angle of attack as well
- Windbrisk Heights is amazing with several combos to assemble, especially as it circumvents Renewal's drawback
I'm not advocating that this is by any means better than the established builds (I presume it isn't), but it does give the deck another angle of attack, and it helps to have an infinite combo to fall back on in difficult matchups. You can still easily grind out games, and Hangarback/Ballista help with that. You have 7 bombs in Renewal/Monument, your creatures that make these work are redundant and tutorable, and you can play a normal game without relying on these bombs. However, I didn't find room for any anthem effects, which may be an issue.Any thoughts?
But when the Queller re-enters the battlefield, it triggers again and exiles the spell. The previous two triggers then both resolve and do nothing (unless there are multiple spells on the stack).
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Rattlechains
4 Nebelgast Herald
4 Bygone Bishop
4 Spell Queller
3 Reflector Mage
3 Eldrazi Deep-Fiend
3 Unsubstantiate
2 Ojutai's Command
4 Port Town
4 Prairie Stream
9 Island
6 Plains
Some notes:
- Ojutai's Command is great on paper but I have yet to get great value from it and it often clogs up your hand. Trimming from 3 to 2 with the addition of Deep-Fiends as another 4 drop. People have been high on this card as a finisher so I'll test it out. Reflector Mage is great fodder for the emerge cost.
- 1 Unsubstantiate and 1 Selfless Spirit are expendable. I will try 2 Declaration in Stone or 2 Anafenza in this spot at some point. I don't like how Anafenza skews the manabase, and Declaration isn't as necessary with Reflectors/Nebelgasts. But these slots are certainly wide-open.
- I played Dimensional Infiltrator for a little while but didn't like it. Playing more Spirits in the 2-drop slot has been smoother in the late game. I also went from 3 Clash of Wills to 2, and now 0. It might have a place, but we already have a fair amount of spell interaction.
EDIT: Stoneforge Masterwork is another one to test but I don't like how low impact it is when you only have a couple of creatures. I don't think the additional damage is worth it over the tempo of Reflectors and Nebelgasts but maybe it is just better to run pump effects than Reflector Mage in general.
Selfless Spirit felt like the worst creature in the deck but I like how easy it is to cast as opposed to Anafenza. 4 Nebelgast Herald felt great. Obviously it is a card to be boarded out in some match ups but against Bant Humans for example it was essential to racing, and having multiple on board felt filthy.
I was playing Always Watching but never wanted to tap-out for it rather than leaving up mana for all our instant threats, especially with 4 Herald. The card didn't seem necessary when we're rarely blocking. I've been playing Reflector Mages in its place and it has been solid. Rarely play it on turn 3 due to abundance of 3s but it makes racing on the ground very difficult for them in conjunction with Nebelgast. Also sweet with Essence Flux.
The number of 3 drops has been a challenge because Bygone Bishop is our only card advantage engine, and clues work so well with how the deck plays, so it seems necessary.
I'll post my current list later, and will hopefully get some more testing in this week.
4 Dragonlord Ojutai
2 Dragonlord Silumgar
4 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
3 Languish
2 Painful Truths
1 Read the Bones
2 Transgress the Mind
2 Clash of Wills
3 Foul-Tongue Invocation
2 Grasp of Darkness
4 Silumgar's Scorn
3 Ultimate Price
4 Choked Estuary
4 Island
2 Port Town
3 Prairie Stream
2 Shambling Vent
1 Submerged Boneyard
4 Sunken Hollow
4 Swamp
1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Dark Petition
2 Dead Weight
1 Dragonlord's Prerogative
3 Duress
1 Infinite Obliteration
2 Negate
1 Virulent Plague
from: http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/ptsoi/top-8-decklists-2016-04-23
Assuming the 'the titan Ulamog herself' line was a typo, considering they referred to Ulamog as a him later.
People have already covered this topic so I don't really want to go too deep into it, but being that close to Ualmog should be unbearable, let alone being struck by him. Even if Ulamog was 'distracted', I really don't see how anybody could remain on their feet after being struck by him.
Looking forward to see the events of Oath of the Gatewatch unfold, but I'm definitely rooting for the villains.
Cosi always wins.