He's all right. I ran him in Kamahl for a little while due to the large amount of fliers in my playgroup but I eventually dropped him for Silklash Spider, who's effect is repeatable and can hit multiple targets.
First commander that comes to mind from what you've described is Edric, Spymaster of Trest. However, there is a chance that it could be considered too strong/oppressive for your playgroup, so keep that in mind if you choose to build him.
Lastly, because I always recommend him, there's Marath, Will of the Wild. It's not too hard to come up with a control/aggro shell with him, and you can go about it in any method available to Naya. If your group doesn't like combo decks, just avoid things like Earthcraft and Ashnod's Altar, and you'll be fine.
Have you considered adding Vigor? He would give your other big beaters some staying (and growing) power. Though I understand he's not a snake nor shaman, so probably would be passed over for theme purposes.
Also, I see you have Asceticism in your list. I recently switched it out for Privileged Position and have been enjoying the change. I mostly suggest this because you do have a lot of non-creature permanents as well (7 artifacts, 8 enchantments as of this post). Edit: I'm a n00b and realized Privileged Position has white color symbols on it and cannot be used in your deck. Guess I was thinking it was like extort, where it's just rules language. Or was I right the first time and you could use it?
Anyway, neat deck!
Sadly, I can't run it because of it's Hybrid mana making it both colors.
I've been considering Vigor, as one of the decks I play with often is a Zo-Zu, the Punisher burn deck, and it could help my creatures dodge his mass damage spells, I'm just unsure of where to put it at the moment.
I'm including a few ways to protect my creatures and most importantly, Sachi. The haste from Lightning Greaves can also be fairly important. Because I'm including Asceticism, I'm dropping Trolls, for better utility version of its utility and adding in Archetype. It is eight mana, but mana generation isn't a problem in this deck, and both of its abilities are useful (generals like Uril are a common sight in my play group).
Coffers and Mindslaver are both good targets to hit, because if they do prevent the blue player from winning then you're in a good position to take over the game. Not to mention, there are a lot of people who just don't like Mindslaver, regardless of how its controller intends to use it, which is why it may have been countered.
It sounds like there was a second control player, so he may have had a plan to handle the combo player without letting you get ahead. We don't know the whole story, as you left before the game ended. Also, in a 90 minute game, I probably would have wanted it to just end as well.
Anyway, the debate here was more about which is more worthwhile as a Greed effect, Greed or Erebos. Personally I don't care about Erebos' other merits so I'd prefer the effect that activates for less mana.
I prefer Erebos to Greed, if only for Erebos' potential to carry a sword if I have the devotion for it. It doesn't happen often, due to the nature of Hythonia's ability, but it's a nice bonus if need be.
Filth's ability was cute, with Hythonia and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth both in play, but it wasn't extremely useful. As I have other ways of making Hythonia essentially unblockable, I made the switch to Harvester, who provides quite a bit of card advantage in this style of deck.
As was mentioned above, Jenara is a good example of a general who can help you win the game if she's cast, but you don't need her. Kresh the Bloodbraided also works like this, and perhaps a variation of Marath, Will of the Wild.
That said, you should probably look at 1-2 colors, as the mana base will be easier on your budget. Ephara, God of the Polis could work here.
Point is, again, that I don't know what people are going to hate.
I understand that speed-ball combo and MLD are rarely enjoyable, but that's not all that it is. Everyone else claims to be sold on the same idea of what is fun, but judging by how many thing are actually complained of, they just want everyone else to play bad decks. So, is your advice to me just play bad decks over and over? To sit there in full understanding of why I am losing and how ineffective what I brought to the table is, then just be a sport and get swarmed by Rite of Replication tokens? Sounds like pitch and catch to me. All the devs and fans, Maro included, will talk about how this game is as strategically varied and skill-rewarding as any game out there. I'm supposed to buy cards, then not play it?
I believe his point was not to play bad decks, but to accept that if you play good decks that people will complain and to move on. You can't change everyone's view of the game, nor should you try. If they block you, that's one less complainer to deal with and you should move in to the next game. I'm not advocating playing extreme lockout strategies every game, or anything like that. But if someone wants to complain, they will do so.
It's also not too difficult to build a decent deck without being overly oppressive, or at least design the deck to let you decide how oppressive it gets without limiting your gameplan.
Edit: Donald's building restrictions idea is also a good way to go. I built my Marath deck with a personal rule of no infinite combos, and no wayto just end the game out right, without extreme luck or effort put into it, and minimal tutors to further that goal. The ones I have usually grab answers instead of threats. The deck is still strong, and I win a fair amount of games, even against decks that are arguably stronger based on our meta. Because I can control the speed of the deck, and degree of removal I rarely get complaints, as I can just play at the speed of the group (I.e., choosing not to wipe the board constantly with Bailisk Collar, and only hitting problem creatures).
Huh? I said right at the bottom there that I get bored frequently so I'm always building new decks out of my EDH box.
As far as being satisfied with the decks, I usually find that my decks do what they were designed to do without tweaking. I think that's mostly because I'm pretty good at building focused decks. But it also means that once they've been established to work, it's on to something else.
I think also, because of the EDH box, I have less attachment to a particular deck, so less reason to want to fine-tune it.
I consider building a new deck list a bit different from tweaking a old list, in terms of boredom. Sorry for not being quite clear enough on that.
Even I consider my self decent at building the initial list, as I usually have a clear goal of power level/theme/etc. as I start, but to me tweaking the deck is half the fun. Even Marath, which I consider to be my most consistant deck gets looked at every once in a while, the my changes don't always stick.
Weirdly enough, I'm almost always satisfied with my decks - with notable exceptions. Generally I think this is because I win such a high percentage of games. Some generals have been a persistent itch, though (glissa and phelddagrif top the list, although I think I finally figured phelddagrif out), but most generals I build, maybe tweak a little bit, and then I'm satisfied with. I think another part of the reason I'm fairly satisfied is that I think I build pretty solid lists out of the gate, which is more a product of experience than anything. I've probably built a hundred EDH decks by now, some of which took a week, some of which took half an hour.
I do like updating lists after a while, but generally I'm satisfied with my decks at every stage of their life cycle (as I say, with notable exceptions).
That said, I do get bored with decks pretty quickly, so I'm always building new ones. Also a product of experience, one imagines.
How do you not get bored with your decks? I'm genuinely curious.
Most of my decks preform at the level they were designed to (Sachi is a little stronger than I was intending, just due to her nature of making a huge amount of mana, even though the lack of a force tap weakens her power level a bit), but even if the changes don't stick I always want to tweak and toy with my decks. Sometimes it's to mess with it's power level, theme, or even to just come up with a weird interaction. The second I stop having this urge, the deck in question usually gets scrapped.
As I'm play testing, I try to keep track of what cards don't meet my expectations, interact poorly with other cards in the deck (if it messes with too many, it makes it a high priority to be pulled out), or in general just cards that I though would fit, but I just found underwhelming. I also keep track of the weakest cards in the deck, and may remove them accordingly.
I write everything down and try to keep good track of this stuff, just in case I learn about a new card or something shiny is released.
As others have said, mana rocks are going to be your best friend. You could also look at your higher cost spells and decide which you want to keep, which could potentially cut, and which could have lower cost alternatives. No need to get rid of all of them, however.
Cards like Trinket Mage an Fabricte can also help by grabbing mana rocks for you.
As for aggro, typically you'll want a combat boost, and in EDH many of the decks are token based in this category. Commanders like Gahiji, Honored One, Aurelia, the War Leader, and Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran give your army a power boost, and commanders like Ephara, God of the Polis and Gisela, Blade of Goldnight can encourage aggro while providing additional utility.
Lastly, because I always recommend him, there's Marath, Will of the Wild. It's not too hard to come up with a control/aggro shell with him, and you can go about it in any method available to Naya. If your group doesn't like combo decks, just avoid things like Earthcraft and Ashnod's Altar, and you'll be fine.
Sadly, I can't run it because of it's Hybrid mana making it both colors.
I've been considering Vigor, as one of the decks I play with often is a Zo-Zu, the Punisher burn deck, and it could help my creatures dodge his mass damage spells, I'm just unsure of where to put it at the moment.
And thank you.
Into the Wilds ---> Lightning Greaves
Rude Awakening ---> Asceticsm
Trolls of Tel-Jilad ---> Archetype of Endurance
I'm including a few ways to protect my creatures and most importantly, Sachi. The haste from Lightning Greaves can also be fairly important. Because I'm including Asceticism, I'm dropping Trolls, for better utility version of its utility and adding in Archetype. It is eight mana, but mana generation isn't a problem in this deck, and both of its abilities are useful (generals like Uril are a common sight in my play group).
It sounds like there was a second control player, so he may have had a plan to handle the combo player without letting you get ahead. We don't know the whole story, as you left before the game ended. Also, in a 90 minute game, I probably would have wanted it to just end as well.
I prefer Erebos to Greed, if only for Erebos' potential to carry a sword if I have the devotion for it. It doesn't happen often, due to the nature of Hythonia's ability, but it's a nice bonus if need be.
Talrand, Sky Summoner could also work, though he's mono blue.
Filth ---> Harvester of Souls
Filth's ability was cute, with Hythonia and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth both in play, but it wasn't extremely useful. As I have other ways of making Hythonia essentially unblockable, I made the switch to Harvester, who provides quite a bit of card advantage in this style of deck.
That said, you should probably look at 1-2 colors, as the mana base will be easier on your budget. Ephara, God of the Polis could work here.
It was a fairly sad betrayal on my end, but pretty funny for the rest of the table.
I believe his point was not to play bad decks, but to accept that if you play good decks that people will complain and to move on. You can't change everyone's view of the game, nor should you try. If they block you, that's one less complainer to deal with and you should move in to the next game. I'm not advocating playing extreme lockout strategies every game, or anything like that. But if someone wants to complain, they will do so.
It's also not too difficult to build a decent deck without being overly oppressive, or at least design the deck to let you decide how oppressive it gets without limiting your gameplan.
Edit: Donald's building restrictions idea is also a good way to go. I built my Marath deck with a personal rule of no infinite combos, and no wayto just end the game out right, without extreme luck or effort put into it, and minimal tutors to further that goal. The ones I have usually grab answers instead of threats. The deck is still strong, and I win a fair amount of games, even against decks that are arguably stronger based on our meta. Because I can control the speed of the deck, and degree of removal I rarely get complaints, as I can just play at the speed of the group (I.e., choosing not to wipe the board constantly with Bailisk Collar, and only hitting problem creatures).
I consider building a new deck list a bit different from tweaking a old list, in terms of boredom. Sorry for not being quite clear enough on that.
Even I consider my self decent at building the initial list, as I usually have a clear goal of power level/theme/etc. as I start, but to me tweaking the deck is half the fun. Even Marath, which I consider to be my most consistant deck gets looked at every once in a while, the my changes don't always stick.
But fair point on the box.
How do you not get bored with your decks? I'm genuinely curious.
Most of my decks preform at the level they were designed to (Sachi is a little stronger than I was intending, just due to her nature of making a huge amount of mana, even though the lack of a force tap weakens her power level a bit), but even if the changes don't stick I always want to tweak and toy with my decks. Sometimes it's to mess with it's power level, theme, or even to just come up with a weird interaction. The second I stop having this urge, the deck in question usually gets scrapped.
I write everything down and try to keep good track of this stuff, just in case I learn about a new card or something shiny is released.
Cards like Trinket Mage an Fabricte can also help by grabbing mana rocks for you.