I was going to use more ramp in my version, use all the appropriate dual swamps and swamp doublers, and run it more as MBC with some splashes. You're going to be pretty mana hungry. I was also thinking Pentad Prism, Dark Ritual, Basal Thrull and other ways to play Nicol turn 3, but I suspect that might be a mistake with people being more likely to draw kill cards.
I'm thinking of taking a more Machiavellian approach. Sure, you know I'm playing Grixis colors and I'm not your friend, but I'm also the one keeping Mr. Jace with Mana Severance and Mr. Gideon with Armageddon at bay. I'm the raid boss, not the trash mobs.
Im working on a Discard variant because Shrieking Affliction is my fav magic card but its too slow for 40 life regular commander. My logic is that Bolas'+1 has synergy with a discard strategy as its +1 makes people exile noncreature perms if they have no hand and if you can wipe the board of creatures. Would you be interested in me posting the list once I finish it?
Mildly themed around Nicol Bolas, this is a Grixis control deck that aims to slow the game down until ultimating Nicky B to win the game. Deliver Unto Evil is the signature spell because it's pretty good (and also because the art is 10/10). Being able to recur a tutor to go find The Elderspell and then win the game seems pretty good and you can do so without blatantly announcing your intention to do so from the command zone, and outside of that getting back the most relevant cards in your graveyard seems really strong.
I haven't played a single game of Oathbreaker, and I likely won't until I move, but I wanted to go ahead and get some meaningful feedback before I assembled the list in paper. I know the format is faster than EDH so I included a bevy of cheap wipes, hopefully they're enough? I also think the deck would be better with a more diversified win condition suite, but I honestly enjoy the idea of Nicky B being the only way to win. It just seems right.
EDIT: Whoops, I can't count. Added in Torment of Hailfire as an additional late game win condition.
Mox Tantalite I can see this getting some play in my decks maybe
Daretti, Scrap Savant wants it? I guess? It's even more niche than Mox Amber and is likely the worst of the Moxen by a significant margin. Still, it's a Mox, so...
Minds Aglow seems ... interesting? I get it in theory but it's something I would always be looking to cut, personally.
I don't get Minister of Inquiries or Trusted Advisor. I get that they're, well, advisors for the Petitioners (and combo with each other a bit), but that seems like a weak synergy. Hedron Crab could replace the Minister for single target mill that is easier to repeat, and Manic Scribe is good for grinding everyone out. Since you're milling everyone with your SS I figure delirium is cake to turn on.
Get rid of Bubble Matrix because it seriously hoses all my cheap damage based board wipes that would otherwise wreck your plan.
What do you think would make a good signature spell for Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God? I'm going for a discard strategy similar to the Davriel-Torment of Hailfire deck I posted. Preferably no Tutors, that's boring.
Deliver Unto Evil, hands down. Why just one tutor when you can grab some removal and a counter to go with it?
Someone was talking to me last night about this and I just keep imagining all these annoying control decks. If I were to get in on this I would probably build Tibalt, Rakish Instigator with Lightning Bolt as my spell. I would maybe also consider Koth of the Hammer as another option for the commander but I think Tibalt maybe.
If everyone is playing durdle walkers then burn their faces off.
Signature spells have a commander tax, too, which means Bolt is probably terrible as a signature spell. Would you really be willing to pay 4R for a simple Bolt effect?
I'm pretty disappointed in the black cards spoiled so far, but it has the fewest cards spoiled (including mythics and rares) so I'm trying to be patient. Yawgmoth legend when?
Seeing the busted mana banned is a huge draw at least.
The banlist has some serious flaws but they get this right. When you combine the removal of the most egregious fast mana with having lower life totals it seems like the format won't be as defined by ramp -> bomb or combo strategies. Magic at its core is defined by 20 life, and as EDH demonstrates, strange things happen when you twist and warp that rule. I like that the philosophy of the format takes that into consideration.
To anyone who actually plays, how aggressive is the format? With lower life totals and lots of juicy planeswalkers to attack, it seems like there will be lots and lots of creatures entering the red zone. I prefer to play creature-light control decks (as evidenced by my earlier quickie decklist) and was worried that I would just get run over by other decks packing lots of creatures.
Will the first one be terrible and undercooked because they're afraid of pushing the envelope, or will they overreach yet again and print something ridiculously playable? I'm leaning towards the former, but a lead up to the latter will please me greatly. Eat *****, Karma.
What would black enchantment removal even look like?
Void Prison1BB
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose one life.
When Void Prison comes into play, exile target enchantment or creature until Void Prison leaves the battlefield.
Innocent ManaB
Sorcery
Each player sacrifices an enchantment.
Therosian Tribute2B
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice two creatures.
Destroy target enchantment.
**** You in ParticularBBB
Sorcery
Target opponent sacrifices an enchantment, then loses life equal to that enchantment's converted mana cost.
Just spit balling off the top of my head. I'm kinda with Dirk in that I think an overcosted removal spell simply will not be played, but MaRo's "limitations" qualifier has me thinking it will be edict and/or life loss based.
Sure.
1 Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
1 Deliver Unto Evil
Lands: 23
1 Ash Barrens
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Command Tower
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Forge of Heroes
1 Graven Cairns
3 Island
1 Mana Confluence
2 Mountain
1 Steam Vents
1 Strip Mine
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sunken Ruins
2 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
1 Dimir Signet
1 Izzet Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
Instants: 17
1 Bedevil
1 Blink of an Eye
1 Brainstorm
1 Counterflux
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Disallow
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Forbid
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Negate
1 Pull from Tomorrow
1 Supreme Will
1 Terminate
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Damnation
1 Dark Petition
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hour of Devastation
1 Languish
1 Painful Truths
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Radiant Flames
1 Read the Bones
1 Ritual of Soot
1 Serum Visions
1 Sweltering Suns
1 The Elderspell
1 Torment of Hailfire
Mildly themed around Nicol Bolas, this is a Grixis control deck that aims to slow the game down until ultimating Nicky B to win the game. Deliver Unto Evil is the signature spell because it's pretty good (and also because the art is 10/10). Being able to recur a tutor to go find The Elderspell and then win the game seems pretty good and you can do so without blatantly announcing your intention to do so from the command zone, and outside of that getting back the most relevant cards in your graveyard seems really strong.
I haven't played a single game of Oathbreaker, and I likely won't until I move, but I wanted to go ahead and get some meaningful feedback before I assembled the list in paper. I know the format is faster than EDH so I included a bevy of cheap wipes, hopefully they're enough? I also think the deck would be better with a more diversified win condition suite, but I honestly enjoy the idea of Nicky B being the only way to win. It just seems right.
EDIT: Whoops, I can't count. Added in Torment of Hailfire as an additional late game win condition.
I don't get Minister of Inquiries or Trusted Advisor. I get that they're, well, advisors for the Petitioners (and combo with each other a bit), but that seems like a weak synergy. Hedron Crab could replace the Minister for single target mill that is easier to repeat, and Manic Scribe is good for grinding everyone out. Since you're milling everyone with your SS I figure delirium is cake to turn on.
Get rid of Bubble Matrix because it seriously hoses all my cheap damage based board wipes that would otherwise wreck your plan.
River of Tears could replace an Island.
My instinct is to suggest more control elements like countermagic and removal but in such a proactive deck they might not be too great.
I'm pretty disappointed in the black cards spoiled so far, but it has the fewest cards spoiled (including mythics and rares) so I'm trying to be patient. Yawgmoth legend when?
This set is just the best.
Eh. I honestly think it would've been better as spot removal but this is more interesting I guess.
To anyone who actually plays, how aggressive is the format? With lower life totals and lots of juicy planeswalkers to attack, it seems like there will be lots and lots of creatures entering the red zone. I prefer to play creature-light control decks (as evidenced by my earlier quickie decklist) and was worried that I would just get run over by other decks packing lots of creatures.
1 Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
1 Deliver Unto Evil
Lands: 25
1 Ash Barrens
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Command Tower
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Graven Cairns
4 Island
1 Mana Confluence
2 Mountain
1 Steam Vents
1 Strip Mine
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sunken Ruins
4 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
1 Dimir Signet
1 Izzet Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Talisman of Indulgence
Sorceries: 12
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Crux of Fate
1 Damnation
1 Dark Petition
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hour of Devastation
1 Languish
1 Painful Truths
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Read the Bones
1 The Elderspell
1 Bedevil
1 Brainstorm
1 Counterflux
1 Counterspell
1 Crosis's Charm
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Disallow
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Forbid
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Negate
1 Pull from Tomorrow
1 Supreme Will
1 Terminate
1 Vampiric Tutor
30(!) mana sources is probably excessive, maybe cut the Talismans and a land for another counter, wipe, and card draw spell.
EDIT: Sol Ring is banned. I like this format.
Will the first one be terrible and undercooked because they're afraid of pushing the envelope, or will they overreach yet again and print something ridiculously playable? I'm leaning towards the former, but a lead up to the latter will please me greatly. Eat *****, Karma.
What would black enchantment removal even look like?
Void Prison 1BB
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose one life.
When Void Prison comes into play, exile target enchantment or creature until Void Prison leaves the battlefield.
Innocent Mana B
Sorcery
Each player sacrifices an enchantment.
Therosian Tribute 2B
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice two creatures.
Destroy target enchantment.
**** You in Particular BBB
Sorcery
Target opponent sacrifices an enchantment, then loses life equal to that enchantment's converted mana cost.
Just spit balling off the top of my head. I'm kinda with Dirk in that I think an overcosted removal spell simply will not be played, but MaRo's "limitations" qualifier has me thinking it will be edict and/or life loss based.