Caldera Hellion
The first deck I made was a Kresh the Bloodbraided EDH deck, made up from the BRG intro packs from Shards and Conflux and the RG intro pack from Reborn. Eventually, I realized that a functional EDH deck would require a bit more than that (as it turns out, Goblin Piker is not good in EDH), so I made my first singles order.
Caldera Hellion was in that order. And while so much of that deck has changed over time, it's still in there. Still clearing the board of small obstacles for Kresh, still making sure Kresh is big enough to deal with the big obstacles.
I've been playing a very budget take on Aura Sram, which has been performing decently. But I'm enjoying my enchantress Tuvasa a lot more, and I don't want to overlap themes in my deck collection. I lucked into buying a copy of Feline Ferocity dirt cheap, which has a lot of great cards that would otherwise be too much for the budget I set for myself (hi, Hammer of Nazahn!), so it's time to rebuild Sram into an equipment deck.
(This deck is under construction -- cards I need to buy are marked 'NTB'.)
2 Sram, Senior Edificer
Creatures:
2 Leonin Shikari
2 Myrsmith (NTB)
2 Relic Seeker
2 Restoration Specialist (NTB)
3 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
3 Ironclad Slayer
3 Kemba, Kha Regent
3 Etched Champion (NTB)
4 Taj-Nar Swordsmith
4 Balan, Wandering Knight
4 Indomitable Archangel (NTB)
6 Heavenly Blademaster
Nice Auras:
1 Hyena Umbra
2 All That Glitters (NTB)
2 Conviction
2 Spirit Loop
2 Spirit Mantle
3 Unquestioned Authority
3 Shielded by Faith
4 Armored Ascension
4 On Serra's Wings
4 Holy Mantle
5 Spectra Ward
2 Darksteel Mutation
3 Arrest
3 Prison Term
4 Faith's Fetters
Equipment:
0 Accorder's Shield (NTB)
0 Cathar's Shield (NTB)
1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
1 Colossus Hammer (NTB)
1 Explorer's Scope
2 Blackblade Reforged
2 Empyrial Plate
2 Inquisitor's Flail (NTB)
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Mask of Avacyn
2 Mirror Shield
2 Prowler's Helm
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Sword of the Animist
2 Trailblazer's Boots
2 Wings of Hubris
3 Champion's Helm
3 Fireshrieker
3 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Quietus Spike
3 Strata Scythe (NTB)
3 Sword of Vengeance
4 Hammer of Nazahn
6 Argentum Armor
2 Smuggler's Copter
3 Cultivator's Caravan
5 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship (NTB)
Others:
1 Dispatch (NTB)
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sol Ring
3 Inspiring Statuary (NTB)
4 Divine Reckoning
4 Return to Dust
5 Single Combat (NTB)
5 Winds of Rath
6 Open the Vaults
Lands:
32 Plains
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Opal Palace
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Rogue's Passage
This is very much a first draft, and I'd love to hear from others who've built equipment Sram on a budget (obviously cards like Puresteel Paladin would be here if money was no object). The other major obstacle is no general/commander damage as a group house rule. But I like a challenge...
I've decided against storming out with low CMC but low impact equipment, instead running equipment that either packs a punch, offers protection, or grants some useful keyword (mostly looking for vigilance, lifelink, and any sort of evasion). Priority going to cards I already owned, though I'm all ears for any hidden gems out there.
I've dumped my enchantments-matter cards and most of my auras from my original build. I've tried to keep the ones that have proven themselves, but it's a real fuzzy line.
Currently still creature-light, as my original build was. I'm not married to the idea, so if anyone's had success with a creature-heavy build, please let me know.
Some assorted notes:
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
This is my take on Feather, which is a bit more creature-heavy than most builds I see.
1 Feather, the Redeemed
Heroic:
1 Akroan Crusader
2 Akroan Skyguard
2 Phalanx Leader
2 Tenth District Legionnaire
3 Tethmos High Priest
3 Fabled Hero
3 Anax and Cymede
4 Labyrinth Champion
5 Akroan Conscriptor
Spells Matter:
2 Electrostatic Field
2 Firebrand Archer
2 Thermo-Alchemist
2 Young Pyromancer
3 Guttersnipe
4 Pyre Hound
5 Strongarm Monk
Copiers:
4 Zada, Hedron Grinder
5 Mirrorwing Dragon
5 Precursor Golem
Other:
3 Duergar Hedge-Mage
3 Burnished Hart
4 Ojutai Exemplars
Ramp:
1 Sol Ring
2 Boros Signet
2 Mind Stone
2 Prismatic Lens
2 Star Compass
2 Talisman of Conviction
2 Dowsing Dagger // Lost Vale
1 Myth Realized
2 Scroll of the Masters
3 Dynavolt Tower
Repeatable Protection:
1 Ajani's Presence
1 Cloudshift
1 Gods Willing
1 Sheltering Light
2 Feat of Resistance
2 Long Road Home
2 Otherworldly Journey
2 Shelter
2 Valorous Stance
3 Acrobatic Maneuver
3 Eerie Interlude
Repeatable Cantrips:
1 Bandage
1 Defiant Strike
1 Niveous Wisps
1 Renegade Tactics
1 Rile
1 Crimson Wisps
1 Expedite
2 Fists of Flame
2 Psychotic Fury
Repeatable Removal:
1 Reckless Rage
2 Grapeshot
2 Fall of the Hammer
2 Impact Resonance
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Titan's Strength
2 Boros Charm
3 Generous Gift
3 Slaughter the Strong
3 Chaos Warp
4 Return to Dust
LANDS:
18 Plains
9 Mountain
1 Command Tower
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Boros Garrison
1 Needle Spires
1 Temple of Triumph
1 Wind-Scarred Crag
1 Spinerock Knoll
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Reliquary Tower
I'm pleased with how the deck is performing so far. It's resilient and performs differently based on whatever heroic creature I'm working with at the moment, which is good for replayability. Mostly it's a question of how much of each type of effect the deck needs. For instance, I always want a cantrip in my hand, but any cantrip past the first does me very little.
The main problem the deck has is closing the game. Since my group doesn't play with general damage, I can't rely on a voltron strategy the way other Feather decks do. The deck is pretty good at control + gradual damage, but that's not enough against a table sick of Feather shenanigans. Success so far has relied on stuff like Scroll of the Masters + a protection spell, or Precursor Golem + pump, and so on. My group's smart enough to recognize these key pieces and deal with them, but that's the game. If anyone has any other secret Boros tech, I'm all ears.
Some assorted notes:
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
Despite sitting on a bunch of artifacts-matter cards for who knows how long, I've never made an artifacts-matter deck. Time to change that!
3 Sai, Master Thopterist
Creatures:
1 Signal Pest
2 Chief Engineer
2 Etherium Sculptor
2 Myr Retriever
2 Steel Overseer
3 Master of Etherium
3 Treasure Mage
3 Tribute Mage
3 Trinket Mage
3 Trophy Mage
3 Burnished Hart
3 Chief of the Foundry
3 Foundry Inspector
3 Junk Diver
3 Scrap Trawler
3 Shimmer Myr
3 Workshop Assistant
4 Master Transmuter
4 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
4 Vedalken Humiliator
4 Whirler Rogue
4 Jhoira's Familiar
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
6 Sharding Sphinx
6 Soul of New Phyrexia
6 Steel Hellkite
7 Myr Battlesphere
11 Metalwork Colossus
0 Everflowing Chalice
1 Sol Ring
2 Mind Stone
2 Prismatic Lens
2 Star Compass
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Hedron Archive
5 Blinkmoth Urn
Draw:
2 Ichor Wellspring
2 Mycosynth Wellspring
3 Fabricate
3 Thirst for Knowledge
4 One with the Machine
4 Fact or Fiction
4 Bident of Thassa
3x Blue Sun's Zenith
Other:
2 Favorable Winds
2 Reality Shift
3 Mirrodin Besieged
3 Dissipate
3 Spell Crumple
3 Void Shatter
3 Mirage Mirror
4 Efficient Construction
4 The Antiquities War
4 Thopter Spy Network
4 Trading Post
5 Tezzeret the Seeker
5 Mirrorworks
6 Masterful Replication
6 Saheeli's Artistry
7 Spine of Ish Sah
2x Curse of the Swine
24 Island
1 Blighted Cataract
1 Buried Ruin
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Inventor's Fair
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Mage-Ring Network
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Scavenger Grounds
1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
1 Temple of the False God
1 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
It's still very much a first draft, and I'm sure I could free up some slots. I probably don't need to run all four Tr* Mages, for instance. Mostly I just want this to be a high synergy deck, and not one that goes for combo wins.
Some assorted notes:
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
It seems that MTGS isn't going the way of the dodo after all, so time to start uploading my last few decks. This is my enchantments goodstuff take on Tuvasa:
3 Tuvasa the Sunlit
Creatures:
2 Starfield Mystic
2 Herald of the Pantheon
2 Sakura-Tribe Elder
3 Auramancer
3 Monk Idealist
3 Mesa Enchantress
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Yavimaya Enchantress
3 Daxos of Meletis
3 Satyr Enchanter
3 Cold-Eyed Selkie
4 Ajani's Chosen
4 Angel of Finality
4 Eidolon of Blossoms
4 Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle
4 Kestia, the Cultivator
5 Whitewater Naiads
5 Elderwood Scion
6 Heavenly Blademaster
6 Archetype of Imagination
6 Hydra Omnivore
6 Bruna, Light of Alabaster
7 Silent Sentinel
7 Nylea's Colossus
Removal:
2 Darksteel Mutation
2 Journey to Nowhere
2 Seal of Cleansing
2 Seal of Primordium
3 Banishing Light
3 Oblivion Ring
1 Ethereal Armor
1 Rancor
2 Eel Umbra
2 Favor of the Overbeing
3 Unquestioned Authority
3 Curator's Ward
3 Snake Umbra
3 Ancestral Mask
3 Steel of the Godhead
3 Shield of the Oversoul
3 Armadillo Cloak
3 Unflinching Courage
4 Bear Umbra
5 Octopus Umbra
Ramp:
1 Wild Growth
2 Fertile Ground
2 Khalni Heart Expedition
3 New Horizons
3 Overgrowth
4 Dawn's Reflection
4 Market Festival
Other:
1 Helm of the Gods
1 Sol Ring
2 Ground Seal
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Enchantress's Presence
3 Spring // Mind
4 Estrid, the Masked
5 Sigil of the Empty Throne
5 Winds of Rath
5 Finest Hour
6 Open the Vaults
7 Plains
6 Island
7 Forest
1 Command Tower
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Krosan Verge
1 Canopy Vista
1 Sungrass Prairie
1 Temple of Plenty
1 Prairie Stream
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Lumbering Falls
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Bant Panorama
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Mirrodin's Core
1 Opal Palace
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Temple of the False God
It's not my most inspired decklist, with most of the cards coming straight from the precon, but it's performed decently so far. I think I prefer it to my Sram build, which is also enchantments-matter. I can see myself switching Sram to an equipment deck in the future, but in the meantime I'd like ways to make Tuvasa more about building an engine and boardstate rather than (just) piling on auras for a voltron win. More stuff like Sigil of the Empty Throne and Ajani's Chosen.
I've tried to use enchantment alternatives to staple effects, though it feels weird to have a green deck without Cultivate or Kodama's Reach or a white deck without Swords to Plowshares. This might be too much of a commitment to theme, we'll see.
Fingers crossed for Theros: Beyond Death having more enchantment-matters cards.
Some assorted notes:
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
What's the usual play for Auratouched Mage/Boonweaver Giant? I'm assuming Flickerform is the main option once you've got the mana. I'm just running Auratouched because I already had a copy, but I'll pick up a Boonweaver if it works out well.
One minor change after playing it this evening -- Pariah is a do-nothing card in Two-Headed Giant (what we play most of the time), so I replaced it with Mask of Avacyn, partly because I already had a copy, partly because I am desperate for more hexproof.
2 Sram, Senior Edificer
Creatures:
2 Kor Spiritdancer
3 Auramancer
3 Blessed Spirits
3 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
3 Heliod's Pilgrim
3 Ironclad Slayer
3 Monk Idealist
3 Umbra Mystic
3 Mesa Enchantress
3 Eidolon of Countless Battles
4 Ajani's Chosen
6 Auratouched Mage
Nice Auras:
1 Cartouche of Solidarity
1 Ethereal Armor
1 Gryff's Boon
1 Hyena Umbra
1 Spirit Link
2 Angelic Gift
2 Chosen by Heliod
2 Conviction
2 Eland Umbra
2 Flickerform
2 Spirit Loop
2 Spirit Mantle
3 Battle Mastery
3 Gift of Immortality
3 Pentarch Ward
3 Unquestioned Authority
3 Shielded by Faith
4 Armored Ascension
4 Indestructibility
4 On Serra's Wings
4 Sage's Reverie
4 Holy Mantle
4 Serra's Embrace
5 Spectra Ward
2 Darksteel Mutation
2 Pacifism
2 Soul Tithe
2 Temporal Isolation
3 Arrest
3 Cage of Hands
3 Prison Term
4 Faith's Fetters
4 Suppression Bonds
Equipment:
1 Helm of the Gods
2 Blackblade Reforged
2 Empyrial Plate
2 Mask of Avacyn
2 Prowler's Helm
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Trailblazer's Boots
Vehicles:
2 Smuggler's Copter
3 Cultivator's Caravan
Others:
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sol Ring
4 Divine Reckoning
4 Return to Dust
5 Sigil of the Empty Throne
5 Rout
5 Winds of Rath
6 Open the Vaults
2x Unexpectedly Absent
32 Plains
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Opal Palace
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Rogue's Passage
Some assorted notes:
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
Dreamstone Hedron is a holdover from the deck's Braids days, and I've considered cutting it for all the reasons you mentioned. I want to play a few more games with the deck before I cut it, though.
Venser's Journal is something I've considered for the deck, just a matter of playtesting it a bit more before I decide what to cut for it. Nezahal is something I just bought for my Tasigur deck, and I agree, it's another card to considered for this deck.
(By the way, I should probably update the blurb I copy and paste at the beginning of each decklist. I'm a bit more lenient when it comes to price these days, though I still shy away from anything over four, five dollars. My experience when I first started using these forums was that people would immediately suggest $10+ cards, hence the blurb.)
I do think Caged Sun is very very strong for this deck, and I'd put in more mana doublers if money was no object. I agree that Treasure Mage gets the cut if Dreamstone Hedron does too. Fabricate at least has the flexibility of grabbing Metamorph or Mirage Mirror (or Memnarch in the Braids days, though I figured out that having friends is more important than having Memnarch). Speaking of tutoring, I should probably put Expedition Map in here, because it finds Reliquary Tower and more importantly Nykthos.
Decking myself is something I've been keeping an eye on, though I haven't been in danger for the few games I've played so for. I'll consider Elixir of Immortality and maybe Reminisce if it does become an issue. Definitely not Psychic Spiral, though -- there are just too many graveyard-based decks in my meta, and I wouldn't include it unless the deck's main win-con was milling.
Well, everyone else in my playgroup is making disgusting graveyard value decks, why shouldn't I?
Despite containing the new hotness that is Muldrotha, this deck has Tasigur at the helm, partly because I've been planning this deck for a while, and partly because there are multiple Muldrotha decks in my playgroup already. Besides, my last few decks have been very dependent on the general, so I'm looking for one that supplements a strategy rather than defines it.
There are a few cards that I'm still looking for (most notably The Gitrog Monster and Phyrexian Reclamation), as well as a bunch of cards I own but am unsure of. Are cards like Seasons Past and Praetor's Counsel worth it? God-Pharaoh's Gift is a pet card, but does it make the cut?
Some assorted notes:
6 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
CREATURES:
1 Deathrite Shaman
2 Nezumi Graverobber
2 Baleful Strix
3 Champion of Wits
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Stinkweed Imp
3 Ramunap Excavator
4 Archaeomancer
4 Notion Thief
4 Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
4 World Shaper
5 Body Double
5 Mulldrifter
5 Torrent Elemental
5 Havengul Lich
5 Taigam, Sidisi's Hand
5 Acidic Slime
6 Greenwarden of Murasa
6 Sire of Stagnation
6 Muldrotha, the Gravetide
7 Nezahal, Primal Tide
Draw:
3 Windfall
4 Deep Analysis
4 Fact or Fiction
4 Ancient Excavation
8 Dig Through Time
8 Treasure Cruise
3 Dissipate
3 Hinder
3 Spell Crumple
3 Void Shatter
Removal:
2 Reality Shift
3 Beast Within
3 Putrefy
4 Languish
5 Murderous Cut
8 Decree of Pain
2x Curse of the Swine
Ramp:
1 Sol Ring
2 Dimir Signet
2 Golgari Signet
2 Simic Signet
3 Far Wanderings
3 Spring // Mind
3 Harrow
3 Cultivate
3 Kodama's Reach
3 Darksteel Ingot
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Explosive Vegetation
Other:
2 Animate Dead
2 Grim Discovery
2 Grisly Salvage
3 Sultai Ascendancy
3 Sultai Charm
4 Kiora, the Crashing Wave
4 Kiora, Master of the Depths
5 Final Parting
5 Ob Nixilis Reignited
5 Vraska the Unseen
5 Worm Harvest
3x Villainous Wealth
7 Island
6 Swamp
7 Forest
1 Command Tower
1 Opulent Palace
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 Sunken Hollow
1 River of Tears
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of Malady
1 Lumbering Falls
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Dakmor Salvage
1 Blighted Woodland
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Temple of the False God
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
This started out as a Braids, Conjurer Adept deck, but that ended up being a bit too inconsistent. I've had better luck after changing it into an Unesh deck, swapping the "tribal nine drops" theme for slightly easier to cast fliers while still keeping the copy/steal theme. Definitely still needs some tuning, any thoughts?
Some assorted notes:
6 Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
Sphinges:
4 Argent Sphinx
4 Curator of Mysteries
5 Glyph Keeper
5 Guardian of Tazeem
5 Prognostic Sphinx
5 Sphinx of Lost Truths
6 Arbiter of the Ideal
6 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
6 Sphinx of Magosi
7 Sphinx of Uthuun
7 Sphinx of the Final Word
7 Windreader Sphinx
7 Chancellor of the Spires
Copy/Steal:
2 Phantasmal Image
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Gigantoplasm
4 Stunt Double
4 Sakashima the Impostor
4 Vizier of Many Faces
6 Roil Elemental
3 Mirage Mirror
4 Control Magic
4 Rite of Replication
6 Supplant Form
7 Blatant Thievery
9 Clone Legion
4 Fact or Fiction
8 Treasure Cruise
2x Mind Spring
3x Blue Sun's Zenith
Counterspells:
1 Dissipate
1 Hinder
1 Spell Crumple
1 Void Shatter
Removal/Sweepers:
7 Phyrexian Ingester
7 Scourge of Fleets
8 Kederekt Leviathan
2 Reality Shift
4 Engulf the Shore
4 Wash Out
5 Evacuation
6 Inundate
2x Curse of the Swine
Ramp:
3 Burnished Hart
0 Everflowing Chalice
1 Sol Ring
2 Coldsteel Heart
2 Mind Stone
2 Thought Vessel
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Hedron Archive
5 Gilded Lotus
6 Caged Sun
6 Dreamstone Hedron
3 Kefnet the Mindful
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
3 Treasure Mage
3 Warden of Evos Isle
6 Deadeye Navigator
8 Stormtide Leviathan
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Fabricate
Lands:
25 Island
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Mage-Ring Network
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terrain Generator
1 Blighted Cataract
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Endless Sands
1 Scavenger Grounds
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
Hello!
This is one of the cheapest decks I've ever made, and is my attempt at a mono-black tokens/aristocrats/stax deck. Emphasis on "attempt".
Some assorted notes:
5 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
Global Sacrifice:
3 Fleshbag Marauder
3 Merciless Executioner
3 Kuon, Ogre Ascendant
4 Magus of the Abyss
5 Anowon, the Ruin Sage
5 Archfiend of Depravity
5 Voldaren Pariah // Abolisher of Bloodlines
Sac Outlets:
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Viscera Seer
2 Nezumi Bone-Reader
4 Flesh-Eater Imp
4 Vulturous Aven
4 Smothering Abomination
5 Fallen Angel
5 Phyrexian Plaguelord
6 Tar Fiend
Death Triggers:
1 Deathgreeter
1 Mortician Beetle
2 Blood Artist
2 Skirsdag High Priest
2 Zulaport Cutthroat
4 Falkenrath Noble
6 Reaper from the Abyss
Other:
2 Reassembling Skeleton
3 Endless Cockroaches
4 Crypt Ghast
4 Orc Sureshot
4 Sengir Autocrat
5 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
6 Ascendant Evincar
6 Champion of Stray Souls
6 Pontiff of Blight
6 Tetzimoc, Primal Death
1 Bone Splinters
1 Tragic Slip
2 Malicious Affliction
3 Vona's Hunger
4 Barter in Blood
4 Mutilate
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
6 Hex
Ramp:
0 Everflowing Chalice
1 Sol Ring
2 Coldsteel Heart
2 Mind Stone
3 Ashnod's Altar
3 Unstable Obelisk
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Hedron Archive
5 Black Market
Other:
1 Vampiric Rites
1 Skullclamp
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Fallen Ideal
3 Victimize
3 Dark Prophecy
3 Bontu's Monument
4 Rite of Belzenlok
4 Dread Return
5 Promise of Power
8 Army of the Damned
2x Exsanguinate
23 Swamp
1 Barren Moor
1 Blighted Fen
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Cabal Stronghold
1 High Market
1 Mage-Ring Network
1 Mortuary Mire
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Polluted Mire
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Temple of the False God
1 Spawning Pool
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
1 Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle
1 Pious Interdiction
1 Ritual of Rejuvenation
2 Sunrise Seeker
1 Cleansing Ray
2 Divine Verdict
1 Luminous Bonds
1 Snubhorn Sentry
1 Squire's Devotion
1 Sun-Crested Pterodon
1 Chart a Course
1 Depths of Desire
1 Dive Down
1 Favorable Winds
1 Herald of Secret Streams
1 Shaper Apprentice
1 Spell Pierce
1 Wind Strider
1 Kitesail Corsair
1 Mist-Cloaked Herald
1 River Darter
1 Siren Reaver
2 Spire Winder
1 Desperate Castaways
1 Skymarch Bloodletter
1 Champion of Dusk
1 Dinosaur Hunter
2 Dusk Legion Zealot
1 Fathom Fleet Boarder
1 Moment of Craving
1 Pitiless Plunderer
1 Recover
1 Sadistic Skymarcher
1 Voracious Vampire
1 Demolish
1 Nest Robber
1 Rummaging Goblin
1 Sun-Crowned Hunters
1 Trove of Temptation
3 Bombard
2 Brazen Freebooter
1 Buccaneer's Bravado
1 Fanatical Firebrand
1 Goblin Trailblazer
1 Mutiny
1 Orazca Raptor
1 Reckless Rage
1 Rekindling Phoenix
1 Shake the Foundations
1 Swaggering Corsair
1 Kumena's Speaker
1 New Horizons
1 Pounce
1 River Heralds' Boon
1 Cacophodon
1 Enter the Unknown
1 Ghalta, Primal Hunger
1 Hunt the Weak
1 Jade Bearer
1 Jadecraft Artisan
1 Jungleborn Pioneer
2 Knight of the Stampede
1 Path to Discovery
1 Plummet
1 Dire Fleet Neckbreaker
1 Jungle Creeper
1 Relentless Raptor
1 Storm Fleet Sprinter
1 Cobbled Wings
1 Silent Gravestone
3 Evolving Wilds
1 Woodland Stream
I didn't get a strong direction from this pool. White's got a lot of removal and Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle, but little else -- very few creatures in particular. Blue has a few good fliers (but not enough for Favorable Winds I think?), but not much else. Also not enough support for Herald of Secret Streams. Black's got the great Champion of Dusk and a few good vampires; not much for the top-end. Red's probably the deepest color: lots of removal, creatures with a spread-out CMC, a bomb in Rekindled Phoenix. Green's got a couple removal spells, a smattering of merfolk, and the only other sealed bomb in Ghalta, Primal Hunger.
Getting enough creatures was a challenge no matter which two colours I picked. Thankfully, three Evolving Wilds plus a tapland made three colours a possiblity, and I ended up playing Temur:
1 Nest Robber
1 Goblin Trailblazer
1 Kitesail Corsair
1 Rummaging Goblin
1 Swaggering Corsair
1 Jungleborn Pioneer
1 Storm Fleet Sprinter
1 Rekindling Phoenix
1 Siren Reaver
2 Spire Winder
1 Ghalta, Primal Hunger
1 Reckless Rage
1 Buccaneer's Bravado
1 Chart a Course
1 Pounce
3 Bombard
1 Hunt the Weak
1 Path to Discovery
1 Woodland Stream
3 Island
7 Mountain
3 Forest
This deck was able to get a fair amount of evasive damage in early on, though it usually fell apart if the game went long (Dinosaurs was the deck to beat, as was the case in my Ixalan prerelease). I didn't have any issues getting the right colours (though I had a few games where I was flooded and one where I couldn't get past three lands). I thought Rummaging Goblin would be mandatory for fixing, but it probably wasn't needed. Buccaneer's Bravado and surprisingly Mutiny underperformed. On the other hand, reliably having an evasive creature means that I probably should have included Bonded Horncrest, and I probably could have used another late-game creature like Sun-Crowned Hunters or Wind Strider. Still not sure if Path to Discovery was worth it: the one time it came out and wasn't a top-deck, it did nothing but flood me more.
Playing with my pool afterwards, I came up with Mardu vampires as a possibility (still needs two cuts):
2 Dusk Legion Zealot
1 Nest Robber
1 Goblin Trailblazer
1 Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle
1 Skymarch Bloodletter
1 Sadistic Skymarcher
1 Voracious Vampire
1 Swaggering Corsair
1 Orazca Raptor
1 Rekindling Phoenix
1 Sunrise Seeker
1 Champion of Dusk
1 Sun-Crowned Hunters
1 Moment of Craving
1 Luminous Bonds
1 Squire's Devotion
3 Bombard
1 Pious Interdiction
2 Divine Verdict
In retrospect, this seems a little bit better. Especially the less conditional removal in white -- as good as damage-based removal in red and the fight effect in green are, I always had to 2-for-1 myself to deal with the big dinos.
Still pretty uncertain when it comes to sealed, especially for this format (haven't played any Ixalan since that prerelease). Any comments or criticisms would be appreciated!
Hello!
This deck is what happens when you combine the UBR Commander 2013 deck with the UBR Commander 2017 deck. It started out with Jeleva at the helm, but very quickly I decided to go with the less flashy but more reliable Kess.
Some assorted notes:
4 Kess, Dissident Mage
Creatures:
2 Nightscape Familiar
2 Young Pyromancer
2 Goblin Electromancer
2 Nivix Guildmage
3 Echo Mage
3 Jori En, Ruin Diver
3 Guttersnipe
4 Talrand, Sky Summoner
5 Galvanoth
5 Mercurial Chemister
6 Magus of the Mind
6 Charmbreaker Devils
6 Melek, Izzet Paragon
Removal:
2 Reality Shift
2 Terminate
3 Chaos Warp
8 Decree of Pain
1x By Force
2x Curse of the Swine
2x Comet Storm
Counters:
3 Hinder
3 Spell Crumple
3 Dissipate
3 Void Shatter
4 Insidious Will
Copiers:
2 Increasing Vengeance
2 Reverberate
4 Wild Ricochet
4 Primal Amulet // Primal Wellspring
5 Mirari
7 Swarm Intelligence
1 Ponder
1 Faithless Looting
4 Fact or Fiction
4 Ancient Excavation
6 Opportunity
8 Treasure Cruise
2x Mind Spring
2x Pull from Tomorrow
Ramp:
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
2 Dimir Signet
2 Rakdos Signet
2 Izzet Signet
2 Talisman of Dominance
2 Talisman of Indulgence
2 Fellwar Stone
3 Commander's Sphere
3 Darksteel Ingot
3 Worn Powerstone
Other:
3 Propaganda
4 Jace's Sanctum
4 Mystic Retrieval
4 Dissipation Field
5 Metallurgic Summonings
5 Devastation Tide
6 Rise from the Tides
6 Sunbird's Invocation
7 Volcanic Vision
7 Cruel Ultimatum
8 Army of the Damned
9 Clone Legion
10 Island
4 Swamp
8 Mountain
1 Command Tower
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Mirrodin's Core
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Canyon Slough
1 Shivan Reef
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Nivix, Aerie of the Firemind
1 Temple of the False God
1 Reliquary Tower
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!
Yeah, this is literally just "ramp a lot, play big stuff, turn big stuff sideways" deck. That's the entire point. Everyone in my group seems to be making "big ramp" decks, so this deck's goal is to RAMP MORE, and to play BIGGER STUFF, and choose TRULY OBSCENE VALUES FOR X. I know there are probably better builds out there (Enchantress is indeed quite popular), but for now it's ramp to the endgame.
- I'm actually a real big fan of Joraga Treespeaker, even on its own. Drop it turn one, it pays for its first level turn two, and you play Karametra (or any other CMC 5 general) turn three. Otherwise, it's a flexible Greenweaver Druid. I'd cut my other mana dorks before cutting it.
- Reclamation Sage is definitely going in once I find a copy. My usual places don't have a copy, oddly enough. Same with a lot of the other stuff in the maybeboard.
- Yisan's definitely weaker as one of the 99 compared to as a general. Definitely strong if he lasts long enough to pull out stuff like Dauntless Escort but that's rarely going to happen. I at least want to try him with Sylvan Safekeeper before cutting him.
- Emeria Angel: agreed. Last week it was handy making flying chump blockers against two flyer-heavy decks, but I'd rather be putting down more threats than playing defensively.
- Colossus of Akros: It is indeed a huge investment, but I've noticed a lot of decks I play against have very few ways of dealing with it. Maybe it's a local meta thing. Again, will probably come out eventually, but I want to play with it a bit more.
- Board wipes: Yeah, a weakness of mine is going all or nothing with certain card types. Either I go heavy control, or I'm heavy aggro and ignore board wipes in favour of direct removal. But it's also something I do during deck testing: I start out heavy on threats and light on answers, and slowly cut bad threats for answers that I know work. I'll put in a few of those (definitely Martial Coup, because LUDICROUS VALUES OF X) eventually.
- Probably gonna cut the signet for Ranger's Path or even just Rampant Growth. I kinda wanna try Recross the Paths, but even I have to admit it's too 'cute' and not actually good.
- Whitemane Lion has been nuts, yeah. Definitely keeping Stonecloaker in too, because graveyard hate has become really necessary in my meta. I'm a bit more on the fence with Fleetfoot Panther, and I might actually cut Kor Skyfisher. I've discovered that while it's sweet to have one of the self bounce creatures in your hand, you never ever want to have more.
- Constant Mists is the kind of effect I loathe playing against, so I won't include it. Don't worry, I'm well aware of how busted it is.
Thanks for your posts!
Strix and Ephara, I'll keep in mind. I'd have to pull the Strix from my cube, but that never gets played, so it's fine. Thanks for the suggestions!
Hello!
Everyone in my group has been making these ridiculous big mana ramp decks. I suppose it's only to be expected if combos, stax, and land destruction are tacitly discouraged. So I decided to try my hand at making one.
Some assorted notes:
5 Karametra, God of Harvests
Ramp:
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Llanowar Elves
2 Sakura-Tribe Elder
3 Selvala, Explorer Returned
4 Karametra's Acolyte
6 Regal Behemoth
1 Sol Ring
3 Cultivate
3 Kodama's Reach
4 Explosive Vegetation
4 Ranger's Path
7 Zendikar Resurgent
Creature Bounce:
2 Whitemane Lion
3 Stonecloaker
4 Temur Sabertooth
Removal:
2 Qasali Pridemage
3 Reclamation Sage
4 Wickerbough Elder
5 Acidic Slime
6 Bane of Progress
1 Swords to Plowshares
3 Banishing Light
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Beast Within
5 Fumigate
5 Sylvan Reclamation
2x Martial Coup
5 Garruk's Packleader
6 Greenwarden of Murasa
6 Primordial Sage
6 Soul of the Harvest
7 Emeria Shepherd
3 Elemental Bond
3 Lifecrafter's Bestiary
4 Harmonize
6 Rishkar's Expertise
2x Uncage the Menagerie
Other:
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
2 Scavenging Ooze
3 Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
3 Dauntless Escort
4 Emeria Angel
4 Vizier of the Menagerie
4 Yeva, Nature's Herald
5 Thornling
6 Rampaging Baloths
6 Thunderfoot Baloth
6 Woodland Bellower
8 Archetype of Endurance
2x Genesis Hydra
2 Heroic Intervention
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Behemoth Sledge
5 Cathars' Crusade
5 Zendikar's Roil
5 Overwhelming Stampede
6 Selvala's Stampede
8 Sandwurm Convergence
3x White Sun's Zenith
3x Entreat the Angels
3x Genesis Wave
7 Plains
10 Forest
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
1 Command Tower
1 Windswept Heath
1 Canopy Vista
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Temple of Plenty
1 Graypelt Refuge
1 Blossoming Sands
1 Sungrass Prairie
1 Saltcrusted Steppe
1 Krosan Verge
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Temple of the False God
1 Reliquary Tower
Thank you for your comments and criticisms!