Taking a break from my new projects to revisit the very first EDH deck I made a few weeks ago. Looking for any advice, recommendations and suggestions as long as they fall within the overarching theme and spirit of the deck which I will lay out.
The deck's build was originally supposed to be a flavourful/thematic casual but also powerful build around Trostani, Selesnya's Voice. The flavour text for Armada Wurm is really the underlying soul and feel of the deck, outside of just Selesnya Conclave imagery; individually the pieces are fragile, vulnerable and even weak, but together as a collective (just as in the Ravnica lore) Selesnya remains a force to be reckoned with. Strength in numbers, superiority in conviction, and a commitment to each other are what this deck is all about. Selesnya takes care of it's own.
The deck's main avenues are the following:
1) Making tokens and then populating them continuously, using all relevant and competitibe populate cards from RTR and Dragon's Maze. Trostani is the main facilitator of populate.
2) Gain life whenever possible via Trostani, Proper Burial, and ito a lesser extent Ajani, Mentor of Heroes. Various other cards having life-gain abilities or bonuses to round it out.
3) Protecting my board with sweeping effects like Privileged Position, Sterling Grove and Emmara Tandris. Mat'Selesnya protects her flock.
4) Overwhelming force. This is the part of the deck that needs more help I feel. When diplomacy fails the Selesnya Conclave must rally together and utterly crush those who seek it harm. I feel I need more trample effects or board pieces that give me trample.
Playing this deck I have had a lot of fun but also some frustration. Sometimes everything fits together so snugly and it really shines (and thrashes) in multiplayer games. Other times it's clunky, slow and it lags behind.
Looking to improve the consistency of the mana base, cut out redundant/overshadowed cards and replace them with their superior counterparts and perhaps maybe include a few new avenues I did not consider yet.
The only restrictions would be that the legendary creatures from the guild and the guildmages won't be cut out under any circumstances to maintain the core flavour identity of the Selesnya Conclave.
I'm assuming that Wound Reflection would also count as a new and separate source since it is dealing the damage to an opponent.
Speaking of Prodigal Pyromancer I do have another question about pingers and the stack.
If I tap my Goblin Sharpshooter to deal lethal damage and then my opponents responds by killing Goblin Sharpshooter does the original tapping of still trigger? And if so I assume the replacement effects wouldn't be interrupted.
2. When I have both Gratuitous VIolence and the Hellbent ability from Anthem of Rakdos, do they stack? For instance I ping someone for 1 which is doubled to 2, does it double again to 4?
Well I still want to try pinging as a core strat with cards like Gratuitous Violence and Wound Reflection it can add up quick plus the death touch angle.
Lyzolda is there mainly to get value out of creatures that are dying or leaving the battlefield.
That said I did cut a few pingers as well as Pestilence and Pyrohemia as they were more suited to Lord of Riots.
I will be attacking with tokens that get +2+0 with Anthem of Rakdos and anything that's blocked will get sac'd by Lyzolda anyway.
Want to make room for Whip of Erebos though. Maybe I should remove Pain Magnification since it requires 3 or more damage from a single source? I wonder if doubled damage counts for that.
OUT: Livewire Lash Leftover from when Lyzolda was being considered for Coammander. Somewhat redundant card in this deck. Hero's Downfall I am running Dreadbore already and my deck has more creature destruction than it probably needs. Redundant card. Kamahl, Pit Fighter Simply too fragile and no first strike unlike Jeska. Promise of Power 3 black for a non-permanent. Also such aggressive card draw is unneeded. Blasphemous Act Decent wrath but it doesn't give me control and I want to avoid symmetrical effects if possible. Army Ants A waste of a precious 3 CMC slot. Helldozer/Wrecking Ball already handle land destruction.
I have tentatively added the following:
IN: Chandra, the Firebrand Solid abilities all around and easy to cast. Best Chandra for my purposes.
EDIT:
More cuts:
OUT: Smoldering Tar Already running so many ping effects and considering I'm running Mogis and the sac ability is sorcery speed only, it has to go. Fists of the Demigod Wither is nice but not needed. Card slots are too valuable for single-target combat equipment.
EDIT:
OUT: Fire Whip It came between this and Lightning Prowess and all thing considered I think Lightning Prowess is better as it gives haste. Sign in Blood Already running Phyrexian Arena and Read the Bones is much better anyway. Reassembling Skeleton Recursion ability not really needed. Backlash Single target tap + damage doesn't quite cut it. Frostwielder Just lost out to the other pingers in there.
Only 9 cards over now, it's getting tough.
EDIT:
OUT: Din of the Fireherd 8 casting cost is rough and it can be responded to by removal of my board to mitigate the effect. Glaring Spotlight Can be a dead card and even if I can't target creatures I can still ping life totals.
Now remember that 4 CMC and up pingers aren't actually that big of an issue because Rakdos and the lower costed pingers help discount those costs. Frostwielder is one of the few ways I can exile and answer recursion. Going too light on the top-end could be a mistake.
EDIT:
I also think Carnival Hellsteed is too narrow for it's slot on this build.
I know I should be cutting cards and not adding more but how does Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician look when combined with Goblin Assault and Anthem of Rakdos? I can give Ib Halfheart a ping ability or the Riteknife so that he won't have to attack himself.
The reasoning for Thrill-Kill (aside from flavour and decent stats) is basically the opposite of the giving a pinger deathtouch. I thought I'd spread it out and try and give a deathtouch creature ping with cards like Fire Whip, Lightning Prowess, and Thornbite Staff.
Worse-case it's a deterrent blocker or a solid attacker. There isn't room for everything though. Do you think I should abandon that approach?
Yeah he's good but I went with the Vulshok Sorcerer over the Cunning Sparkmage for the minor edge of being able to take down a 2-toughness attacker on it's own. A bit rougher to cast though so it's a trade-off I guess. I definitely wouldn't run both but it I have trouble with the casting cost I might consider switching to Sparkmage.
I definitely agree. I don't see my opponents using their precious artifact removal on Gorgan Flail. Kill-Suit Cultist was supposed to synergize with my pingers but I guess I am better off playing an instant in that case.
I'm wondering if I'm overdoing the deathtouch enablers considering Archetype of Finality makes them redundant on the top end. Still, having access to deathtouch early on and consistently is a must.
I have been spending the last few weeks putting some decks together around some of the Ravnica guilds using one of guild's legendary creature cards as the deck's commander. Selesnysa, Boros and Gruul basically built themselves as a lot of the guild-stamped cards are super synergistic with the possible commanders. With Rakdos I ran into a bit of a dilemma. I found that I had to over-commit to a single strategy in order to make use of the commander to it's fullest;
-Rakdos, the Defiler is begging for a demon-tribal deck but that would steer too far away from being a guild-themed deck,
-Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch would certainly be flavorful, basically using all the unleash cards available but in multiplayer i'd have to focus 1-player and take them down with me before the group hates me out,
-Lyzolda, the Blood Witch was better but still I found that I was just getting carried away with the sac-engine and making the deck too weak without her in play.
That left me with Rakdos, Lord of Riots. Now I know he is basically begging to be played with Eldrazi but that is not going to happen. Not only would that deviate way too far from the guild-theme but I just hate Eldrazi anyway and try to avoid using them at all costs.
So this deck is not supposed to be super competitive BUT it's not going to being suicidal either. I want some staying power and control options, which is strange for the Cult of Rakdos but in multiplayer EDH I think even the Rakdos guild needs to adapt a tad.
The deck is 8 cards over the 100-card limit at the moment and so I need some help choosing what to cut. The main avenues of attack for the deck is group damage + lifegain, token sacrifice for damage/card draw, and deathtouch-pinging.
There are a few cards that I want to keep however for flavor purposes and so these won't be cut: Rakdos Guildmage Bear with removal and token utility. Rix Maadi Guildmage Bear with pinging and combat utility Rakdos Riteknife Removal magnet and one-sided background wrath Lyzolda, the Blood Witch Card draw/damage out of dead/dying creatures Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch Just a solid mid-range beater with the option of being a solid blocker Rakdos the Defiler Political card and also last-ditch nuke option.
Loaming shaman is straight up bad. If you are a gy deck then you simple don't run anti mill tech. I run perpetual timepiece and riftsweeper as my anti gy hate tech. If I had more money I would also run old eldrazi titans and entomb. I'm also considering running Bitter Ordeal as proactive answer.
I understand why there are better anti gy cards but as an insurance policy card, a 3/2 for 3 at worst and it has several utilities a) to gy hate an opponent, b) to counter-balance a opponent targeting you with mill, c) reshuffling if you find yourself stuck in a static board state and you're running low on deck.
I realize Dredge 6 is better than Dredge 1, what I mean is that if you are being targeted by everyone's removal and you find yourself forced to use high-Dredge cards turn after turn you'll be in trouble. I don't know. I feel like having 1 creature card out of 99 cards as an insurance policy isn't that bad.
a) Pretty much all sorcery speed gy hate is not that great against gy decks. If I play my karador dredge deck and mill myself for 10-30 cards and I see something I want to reanimate then I just reanimate it. The opponent who then plays RIP after my reanimation hits nothing relevant. Maybe if you are lucky can set back the gy player for a few turns but ultimately gy player will just grind everybody else out.
b) The way you counter balance the mill player is by using your gy and making the mill player regret the decision to enable your deck.
c) Seriously what kind of board state is this? If you can cast spells you should just win.
It really looks like he's trying to dredge in order to scavenge, so he's playing a very "fair" grindy deck that could very well end up getting stalled as he's dropping his library into his yard. Yes, building to reanimate and or combo is better, but that doesn't seem to be what he's looking to do.
Onering has deducted correctly. I am constructing a more casual leaning deck based around both Golgari mechanics and featuring mostly Golgari cards.
Not looking for a cut-troat combo build, but perhaps I should have specified.
Loaming shaman is straight up bad. If you are a gy deck then you simple don't run anti mill tech. I run perpetual timepiece and riftsweeper as my anti gy hate tech. If I had more money I would also run old eldrazi titans and entomb. I'm also considering running Bitter Ordeal as proactive answer.
I understand why there are better anti gy cards but as an insurance policy card, a 3/2 for 3 at worst and it has several utilities a) to gy hate an opponent, b) to counter-balance a opponent targeting you with mill, c) reshuffling if you find yourself stuck in a static board state and you're running low on deck.
I realize Dredge 6 is better than Dredge 1, what I mean is that if you are being targeted by everyone's removal and you find yourself forced to use high-Dredge cards turn after turn you'll be in trouble. I don't know. I feel like having 1 creature card out of 99 cards as an insurance policy isn't that bad.
The hardest part about knowing when/how much to dredge isn't a matter of decking but getting enough junk in the yard to entice graveyard hate without actually losing much. People fear a large graveyard most don't take the time to look at what's actually in it. I'll usually stall at 20-30 cards to bait a bojuka bog holding back dredgers in my hand to reload afterward.
Interesting. So as the game starts do you favor a cautious approach and only dredge as-necessary? I feel like while hanging back can be dangerous as well, dredging lightly to bait removal is probably the way to open a game.
The deck's build was originally supposed to be a flavourful/thematic casual but also powerful build around Trostani, Selesnya's Voice. The flavour text for Armada Wurm is really the underlying soul and feel of the deck, outside of just Selesnya Conclave imagery; individually the pieces are fragile, vulnerable and even weak, but together as a collective (just as in the Ravnica lore) Selesnya remains a force to be reckoned with. Strength in numbers, superiority in conviction, and a commitment to each other are what this deck is all about. Selesnya takes care of it's own.
The deck's main avenues are the following:
1) Making tokens and then populating them continuously, using all relevant and competitibe populate cards from RTR and Dragon's Maze. Trostani is the main facilitator of populate.
2) Gain life whenever possible via Trostani, Proper Burial, and ito a lesser extent Ajani, Mentor of Heroes. Various other cards having life-gain abilities or bonuses to round it out.
3) Protecting my board with sweeping effects like Privileged Position, Sterling Grove and Emmara Tandris. Mat'Selesnya protects her flock.
4) Overwhelming force. This is the part of the deck that needs more help I feel. When diplomacy fails the Selesnya Conclave must rally together and utterly crush those who seek it harm. I feel I need more trample effects or board pieces that give me trample.
Playing this deck I have had a lot of fun but also some frustration. Sometimes everything fits together so snugly and it really shines (and thrashes) in multiplayer games. Other times it's clunky, slow and it lags behind.
Looking to improve the consistency of the mana base, cut out redundant/overshadowed cards and replace them with their superior counterparts and perhaps maybe include a few new avenues I did not consider yet.
The only restrictions would be that the legendary creatures from the guild and the guildmages won't be cut out under any circumstances to maintain the core flavour identity of the Selesnya Conclave.
Here is the list:
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/selesnya-conclave-edh/
1x Autochthon Wurm
1x Avacyn's Pilgrim
1x Birds of Paradise
1x Bronzebeak Moa
1x Chorus of the Conclave
1x Conclave Phalanx
1x Dragonlord Dromoka
1x Dryad Militant
1x Dryad Sophisticate
1x Elderwood Scion
1x Elvish Piper
1x Emmara Tandris
1x Eternal Witness
1x Fleecemane Lion
1x Karametra, God of Harvests
1x Leafcrown Dryad
1x Loxodon Hierarch
1x Loxodon Smiter
1x Novablast Wurm
1x Nullmage Shepherd
1x Phytohydra
1x Qasali Pridemage
1x Scion of the Wild
1x Scion of Vitu-Ghazi
1x Selesnya Guildmage
1x Selesnya Sagittars
1x Sigarda, Host of Herons
1x Skinshifter
1x Sylvan Caryatid
1x Tolsimir Wolfblood
1x Trostani's Summoner
1x Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
1x Voice of Resurgence
1x Wayfaring Temple
1x Worldspine Wurm
1x Canopy Vista
1x Dryad Arbor
8x Forest
1x Gavony Township
1x Grasslands
1x Grove of the Guardian
1x Krosan Verge
8x Plains
1x Saltcrusted Steppe
1x Savannah
1x Selesnya Guildgate
1x Selesnya Sanctuary
1x Sungrass Prairie
1x Sunpetal Grove
1x Temple Garden
1x Temple of Plenty
1x Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
1x Windswept Heath
1x Advent of the Wurm
1x Aura Mutation
1x Chord of Calling
1x Congregation at Dawn
1x Devouring Light
1x Dromoka's Command
1x Eyes in the Skies
1x Rootborn Defenses
1x Seed Spark
1x Selesnya Charm
1x Sundering Growth
1x Trostani's Judgment
1x Collective Blessing
1x Doubling Season
1x Glare of Subdual
1x Growing Ranks
1x Indrik Umbra
1x Privileged Position
1x Proper Burial
1x Rancor
1x Shield of the Oversoul
1x Song of the Dryads
1x Sterling Grove
1x Unflinching Courage
1x Alive / Well
1x Call of the Conclave
1x Hour of Reckoning
1x Loxodon Warhammer
1x Selesnya Signet
1x Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
Speaking of Prodigal Pyromancer I do have another question about pingers and the stack.
If I tap my Goblin Sharpshooter to deal lethal damage and then my opponents responds by killing Goblin Sharpshooter does the original tapping of still trigger? And if so I assume the replacement effects wouldn't be interrupted.
1. For Pain Magnification if I deal 2 damage to a player which is then doubled by either Anthem of Rakdos or Gratuitous Violence to become 4 damage will it trigger as being 3+ damage from a single source?
2. When I have both Gratuitous VIolence and the Hellbent ability from Anthem of Rakdos, do they stack? For instance I ping someone for 1 which is doubled to 2, does it double again to 4?
Thanks!
Lyzolda is there mainly to get value out of creatures that are dying or leaving the battlefield.
That said I did cut a few pingers as well as Pestilence and Pyrohemia as they were more suited to Lord of Riots.
I will be attacking with tokens that get +2+0 with Anthem of Rakdos and anything that's blocked will get sac'd by Lyzolda anyway.
Want to make room for Whip of Erebos though. Maybe I should remove Pain Magnification since it requires 3 or more damage from a single source? I wonder if doubled damage counts for that.
As such the following are no longer needed or wanted:
Pestilence
Pyrohemia
Also cut Phyrexian Purge as I am overloaded on removal, don't really need more.
Sitting at 104 cards now.
A few more cuts:
OUT:
Livewire Lash Leftover from when Lyzolda was being considered for Coammander. Somewhat redundant card in this deck.
Hero's Downfall I am running Dreadbore already and my deck has more creature destruction than it probably needs. Redundant card.
Kamahl, Pit Fighter Simply too fragile and no first strike unlike Jeska.
Promise of Power 3 black for a non-permanent. Also such aggressive card draw is unneeded.
Blasphemous Act Decent wrath but it doesn't give me control and I want to avoid symmetrical effects if possible.
Army Ants A waste of a precious 3 CMC slot. Helldozer/Wrecking Ball already handle land destruction.
I have tentatively added the following:
IN:
Chandra, the Firebrand Solid abilities all around and easy to cast. Best Chandra for my purposes.
EDIT:
More cuts:
OUT:
Smoldering Tar Already running so many ping effects and considering I'm running Mogis and the sac ability is sorcery speed only, it has to go.
Fists of the Demigod Wither is nice but not needed. Card slots are too valuable for single-target combat equipment.
EDIT:
OUT:
Fire Whip It came between this and Lightning Prowess and all thing considered I think Lightning Prowess is better as it gives haste.
Sign in Blood Already running Phyrexian Arena and Read the Bones is much better anyway.
Reassembling Skeleton Recursion ability not really needed.
Backlash Single target tap + damage doesn't quite cut it.
Frostwielder Just lost out to the other pingers in there.
Only 9 cards over now, it's getting tough.
EDIT:
OUT:
Din of the Fireherd 8 casting cost is rough and it can be responded to by removal of my board to mitigate the effect.
Glaring Spotlight Can be a dead card and even if I can't target creatures I can still ping life totals.
Out:
Deviant Glee
Now remember that 4 CMC and up pingers aren't actually that big of an issue because Rakdos and the lower costed pingers help discount those costs. Frostwielder is one of the few ways I can exile and answer recursion. Going too light on the top-end could be a mistake.
EDIT:
I also think Carnival Hellsteed is too narrow for it's slot on this build.
Out:
Carnival Hellsteed
Worse-case it's a deterrent blocker or a solid attacker. There isn't room for everything though. Do you think I should abandon that approach?
Out:
Kill-Suit Cultist
Baleful Eidolon
In: (tentatively)
Gorgon Flail
I'm wondering if I'm overdoing the deathtouch enablers considering Archetype of Finality makes them redundant on the top end. Still, having access to deathtouch early on and consistently is a must.
-Rakdos, the Defiler is begging for a demon-tribal deck but that would steer too far away from being a guild-themed deck,
-Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch would certainly be flavorful, basically using all the unleash cards available but in multiplayer i'd have to focus 1-player and take them down with me before the group hates me out,
-Lyzolda, the Blood Witch was better but still I found that I was just getting carried away with the sac-engine and making the deck too weak without her in play.
That left me with Rakdos, Lord of Riots. Now I know he is basically begging to be played with Eldrazi but that is not going to happen. Not only would that deviate way too far from the guild-theme but I just hate Eldrazi anyway and try to avoid using them at all costs.
So this deck is not supposed to be super competitive BUT it's not going to being suicidal either. I want some staying power and control options, which is strange for the Cult of Rakdos but in multiplayer EDH I think even the Rakdos guild needs to adapt a tad.
The deck is 8 cards over the 100-card limit at the moment and so I need some help choosing what to cut. The main avenues of attack for the deck is group damage + lifegain, token sacrifice for damage/card draw, and deathtouch-pinging.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/cult-of-rakdos-edh/
1x Archetype of Finality
1x Blood Cultist
1x Carnage Gladiator
1x Crypt Champion
1x Cryptborn Horror
1x Deathbringer Thoctar
1x Dragonmaster Outcast
1x Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
1x Goblin Sharpshooter
1x Grave Titan
1x Helldozer
1x Hellkite Tyrant
1x Inferno Titan
1x Jeska, Warrior Adept
1x Kaervek the Merciless
1x Master of Cruelties
1x Mogis, God of Slaughter
1x Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
1x Olivia Voldaren
1x Rakdos Augermage
1x Rakdos Guildmage
1x Rakdos Ickspitter
1x Rakdos the Defiler
1x Rakdos, Lord of Riots
1x Rakka Mar
1x Rix Maadi Guildmage
1x Sangromancer
1x Skirsdag Cultist
1x Stalking Vengeance
1x Stuffy Doll
1x Thrill-Kill Assassin
1x Vein Drinker
1x Vulshok Sorcerer
1x Blood Crypt
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Dragonskull Summit
1x Graven Cairns
1x Keldon Megaliths
1x Molten Slagheap
9x Mountain
1x Rakdos Carnarium
1x Rakdos Guildgate
1x Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
1x Rocky Tar Pit
1x Shadowblood Ridge
1x Smoldering Marsh
1x Stensia Bloodhall
9x Swamp
1x Tainted Peak
1x Temple of Malice
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Dreadbore
1x Exsanguinate
1x Phyrexian Purge
1x Rakdos's Return
1x Read the Bones
1x Skull Rend
1x Torrent of Souls
1x Backlash
1x Kolaghan's Command
1x Rakdos Charm
1x Spontaneous Combustion
1x Terminate
1x Wrecking Ball
1x Bitterblossom
1x Exquisite Blood
1x Goblin Assault
1x Gratuitous Violence
1x Hissing Miasma
1x Lightning Prowess
1x Pain Magnification
1x Palace Siege
1x Phyrexian Arena
1x Wound Reflection
1x Basilisk Collar
1x Elixir of Immortality
1x Gorgon Flail
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Quietus Spike
1x Rakdos Riteknife
1x Rakdos Signet
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Sylvok Lifestaff
1x Thornbite Staff
1x Liliana of the Veil
1x Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
1x Chandra, the Firebrand
There are a few cards that I want to keep however for flavor purposes and so these won't be cut:
Rakdos Guildmage Bear with removal and token utility.
Rix Maadi Guildmage Bear with pinging and combat utility
Rakdos Riteknife Removal magnet and one-sided background wrath
Lyzolda, the Blood Witch Card draw/damage out of dead/dying creatures
Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch Just a solid mid-range beater with the option of being a solid blocker
Rakdos the Defiler Political card and also last-ditch nuke option.
Onering has deducted correctly. I am constructing a more casual leaning deck based around both Golgari mechanics and featuring mostly Golgari cards.
Not looking for a cut-troat combo build, but perhaps I should have specified.
I understand why there are better anti gy cards but as an insurance policy card, a 3/2 for 3 at worst and it has several utilities a) to gy hate an opponent, b) to counter-balance a opponent targeting you with mill, c) reshuffling if you find yourself stuck in a static board state and you're running low on deck.
I realize Dredge 6 is better than Dredge 1, what I mean is that if you are being targeted by everyone's removal and you find yourself forced to use high-Dredge cards turn after turn you'll be in trouble. I don't know. I feel like having 1 creature card out of 99 cards as an insurance policy isn't that bad.
Interesting. So as the game starts do you favor a cautious approach and only dredge as-necessary? I feel like while hanging back can be dangerous as well, dredging lightly to bait removal is probably the way to open a game.