Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the revolution has arrived! Aether Revolt is here, and we've got a few new cards to power up the deck.
Treasure Keeper - No, not the binder of 90's fame, TK is a better version of Matter Reshaper, in that when it dies, instead of taking a chance at the top card of the library, it literally cascades to find a 3 or less CMC card to cast. I'm cutting Traverse the Ulvenwald, which wasn't working out as intended.
Planar Bridge - As a big mana deck, when you've got mana to start breaking faces, there's no easier way to get rolling than the Planar Bridge. Eight mana sounds like a lot, but being able to call on Eldrazi titans at instant speed is no laughing matter. Unfortunately, you don't get a cast trigger when summoning creatures this way, but the sheer utility makes it worth a shot. It is with a sad heart that Lurking Predators is being retired from the deck. It's always been a solid roleplayer, but I'm hoping the Gate takes its potential even further.
That's the updates. I know there are some cards people might've thought are missing. Here's my reasoning (and I'd love additional feedback for those who've used them!)
Implements - Simply put, neither implement does enough to warrant a slot. They're cutesy at best. Aid from The Cowl - A worse Lurking Predators that triggers once per turn cycle instead of every time an opponent casts a spell. Considering LP just got a reprint in Commander 2016 at dirt-cheap prices, leave this one in the bulk box. Paradox Engine - I'm not huge on this card for this particular deck, as there's very little worth untapping nonlands for five mana. With no mana rocks or dorks, very little in the way of abusable multi-tap shenanigans (the only creature that can even kind of benefit from this is Hangarback Walker) makes this an unappealing pick. Save this for artifact-intensive or dork-heavy decks that can really abuse this ability. Inspiring Statuary - Another unique card that acts as a pseudo-mana rock and allows you to cast your nonartifact spells cheaper. While interesting, most of our artifacts cycle to the graveyard pretty quickly, or require tap triggers to activate (such as Horizon Spellbomb, Nevinyrral's Disk, and Executioner's Capsule.) Another pick for a heavy artifact build that wants to go all-in on the strategy. Walking Ballista - I keep going back and forth on this card. I like the similarities to Hangarback Walker, and that you can shoot creatures in order to gain triggers, including getting back the Ballista itself if you can dump all the counters before letting Glissa's trigger resolve. Keep an eye on this one. Scrap Trawler - Quite simply, a lot of the artifacts that hit the graveyard are CMC 1, meaning that they can literally only retrieve Hangarback Walker at best. This is another card that needs to be played to be properly evaluated.
I'll see you guys later, when we travel to the sandy world of Amonkhet.
Hey guys, I'm popping back in for some quick updates.
First of all, the promised rewrite is completed and live! The primer has been rewritten from the ground up, featuring new decklists for alternate strategies, updated card descriptions, and strategies to represent the evolution Commander has undergone in the time since the initial publication. If you spot any errors (missing card tags, typos, etc.) please let me know. If you read through the list, you'll also see one card has changed...
Boompile - The Boompile is a chaotic, updated take on the venerated Nevinyrral's Disk, with one unique twist. Activation is free and destroys planeswalkers...but is determined by coin flip. This card is replacing Unstable Obelisk, which is fine, but only hits one permanent at a time.
So, it's been a little bit, but it's time for the Conspiracy 2 and Kaladesh updates. Here goes:
Regal Behemoth - Regal Behemoth is a sweet creature-based mana doubler, that even lets us draw cards via the monarch mechanic. If the monarchy is stolen from you, Glissa makes a rather useful beater that can take it back, since it presents your opponents a choice: block with something, lose it, and then gain a Glissa trigger, or take the damage and reclaim the crown. I'm cutting Zendikar Resurgent, which didn't pan out as well as I would've liked.
Noxious Gearhulk - Wow, an artifact monster in our colors, what a breath of fresh air. This guy is super cool, he kills a creature and heals us, and has evasion to boot. I love this guy to death, and I will be removing Lifeblood Hydra, since too often it comes out as a dead draw and it usually ends up getting bounced or exiled.
Verdurous Gearhulk - Likewise, this jolly green giant can either turn himself into a huge monster, or (the better option in most cases) spread the love and grow your team or set up a clutch play with Black Sun's Zenith. I will be replacing Entomb for this, which while good, has never really impressed me as much as it once did.
Filigree Familiar - Sad Robot got a pet, and it's pretty sweet. The lifegain, while small, is not terrible in and of itself, and getting to draw a card when it dies is nice too. Add that to a 2/2 for 3 (Yay for good Gray Ogres!) and you've got a solid card. I will be cutting Grim Haruspex, which tends to see early play without doing much of anything really.
EDIT: Decklist updated. I'm currently planning to rewrite the entire primer again. My plan, besides updating to analyze new cards that have entered the meta since the initial publication, is to publish several different builds of the deck to explore Glissa's own flexibility. Note that these won't replace the main build and are sheer hypotheticals. My ideas include a Voltron build, a full-ramp build, a combo build, and an Elves build. If anyone would like to pose suggestions or perhaps collaborate with me on decklists, please PM me and I'll work on getting something set up. Thanks guys!
Why remove Pharika? She produces tokens (die easily) with deathtouch (kill easily), thus maximazing death triggers in a multiplayer game. Glissa loves death triggers, isn't she?
I am doubtful with Panharmonicon: only 8 creatures in your list can take advantage of it, far less than your Strionic Resonator.
Filigree Familiar seems a bit weak to me. I would prefer Commander's Sphere over it.
To step in, Pharika's never been a strong choice in Reanimator builds; Having to exile creatures means that you essentially cut yourself off from your main means of defense. 1/1's that die to everything under the sun aren't worth it.
Panharmonicon is a card I'm looking at for other decks, but it's pretty bad unless you're running over 15 creatures/artifacts that take advantage of it, or your commander itself can use it.
I've tested Commander's Sphere, but the biggest difference that makes the cut here is that Filigree Familiar is a creature. Being able to chump block in order to trigger Grave Pact, being able to get itself back if it trades with something, and the life gain helping to offset fetches or stave off early Nekusar/Kaervek damage makes Sad Pup at least worth a test drive. I'll be covering this in the update, currently slated for Monday at the earliest.
What do you think about it? The first three (Marvel, Demon, & Architect) seem very good, but I am afraid that Energy production is too diluted into a 99-cards deck.
I'll admit, I tried to insert a similar energy package into the deck, and I just don't think there's enough support right now. I've got my choices for the deck picked out, but I'm still working on cuts (spoiler alert: Gearhulks.) Will probably post the update sometime in the next two weeks.
Hey there folks, here's the update for Eldritch Moon.
Emrakul, The Promised End - I had a feeling I would like this one. Featuring the highest P/T stats among legal Eldrazi, Emrakul lets you completely wreck an opponent's board by taking control of them and letting you wreak havoc while they are powerless to sit by and watch. I'm trading out Harvester of Souls, since Emrakul can frequently be around the same cost, since this deck dumps a lot of things into the graveyard. In particular, Emmy works great with...
Grim Flayer (PROVISIONAL) - Grim Flayer's an interesting little guy. Early on, he gets in cheap damage and filters the deck to smooth draws and late-game turns into a sizable beater that helps you dig for answers and set up Delirium for Traverse the Ulvenwald and Emrakul. This is more of an experimental pick, since I'm not certain if this guy's actually really good. I'm swapping out Den Protector, since the deck generally has enough recursion without her. She'll come back in if Grim doesn't work out.
Yeah, Ishkanah is for Spiders what Ulfric (I will always call him Ulfric, get off my case) is for Werewolves: An option if you want to go full on vorthos and stick to the tribe instead of running the probably superior Doran for Spiders or Ruric for Werewolves.
That said, it does offer an outlet for infinite mana that will win you the game.
I'd be willing to argue the point that Ishkanah is actually far better as a Spider general than Ulrich is as a werewolf one, solely on the fact that Ishkanah has an ability that gets better with more members of her tribe out, whereas Ulrich doesn't interact with his tribe in the slightest.
It's about as close as we'll ever get to another Time Stop, and for four mana, that's downright affordable. Beats uncounterable spells, stops triggers like Top. This thing will see TONS of play. Get your copies now.
I think a LOT of people are underestimating how much you can completely banjax someone's board with a Mindslaver effect. Assuming you target the next player with this effect in a multiplayer game, you can't even get rid of Emmy 2: The Electric Boogaloo until that player regains control on their bonus turn (barring an instant speed wipe or sorceries given flash by outside effects.)
Considering that she's pretty often the cheapest Eldrazi titan, getting to have a REUSABLE Worst Fears stapled to an evasive 13/13 that laughs at spot removal seems fine.
What is your opinion on Metalworker? Would it fit into this deck?
It seems like it would probably play decently, depending on your grip. I'm currently not considering it (mostly because he has to survive a turn cycle before he does anything and is incredibly high-impact) but I'd say it might be good depending on your meta.
Also, a quick update from EMA:
Wasteland - Yes, I finally got my hands on one of these. Basically is a second Strip Mine. Dropping a Forest for it.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the revolution has arrived! Aether Revolt is here, and we've got a few new cards to power up the deck.
Treasure Keeper - No, not the binder of 90's fame, TK is a better version of Matter Reshaper, in that when it dies, instead of taking a chance at the top card of the library, it literally cascades to find a 3 or less CMC card to cast. I'm cutting Traverse the Ulvenwald, which wasn't working out as intended.
Planar Bridge - As a big mana deck, when you've got mana to start breaking faces, there's no easier way to get rolling than the Planar Bridge. Eight mana sounds like a lot, but being able to call on Eldrazi titans at instant speed is no laughing matter. Unfortunately, you don't get a cast trigger when summoning creatures this way, but the sheer utility makes it worth a shot. It is with a sad heart that Lurking Predators is being retired from the deck. It's always been a solid roleplayer, but I'm hoping the Gate takes its potential even further.
That's the updates. I know there are some cards people might've thought are missing. Here's my reasoning (and I'd love additional feedback for those who've used them!)
Implements - Simply put, neither implement does enough to warrant a slot. They're cutesy at best.
Aid from The Cowl - A worse Lurking Predators that triggers once per turn cycle instead of every time an opponent casts a spell. Considering LP just got a reprint in Commander 2016 at dirt-cheap prices, leave this one in the bulk box.
Paradox Engine - I'm not huge on this card for this particular deck, as there's very little worth untapping nonlands for five mana. With no mana rocks or dorks, very little in the way of abusable multi-tap shenanigans (the only creature that can even kind of benefit from this is Hangarback Walker) makes this an unappealing pick. Save this for artifact-intensive or dork-heavy decks that can really abuse this ability.
Inspiring Statuary - Another unique card that acts as a pseudo-mana rock and allows you to cast your nonartifact spells cheaper. While interesting, most of our artifacts cycle to the graveyard pretty quickly, or require tap triggers to activate (such as Horizon Spellbomb, Nevinyrral's Disk, and Executioner's Capsule.) Another pick for a heavy artifact build that wants to go all-in on the strategy.
Walking Ballista - I keep going back and forth on this card. I like the similarities to Hangarback Walker, and that you can shoot creatures in order to gain triggers, including getting back the Ballista itself if you can dump all the counters before letting Glissa's trigger resolve. Keep an eye on this one.
Scrap Trawler - Quite simply, a lot of the artifacts that hit the graveyard are CMC 1, meaning that they can literally only retrieve Hangarback Walker at best. This is another card that needs to be played to be properly evaluated.
I'll see you guys later, when we travel to the sandy world of Amonkhet.
First of all, the promised rewrite is completed and live! The primer has been rewritten from the ground up, featuring new decklists for alternate strategies, updated card descriptions, and strategies to represent the evolution Commander has undergone in the time since the initial publication. If you spot any errors (missing card tags, typos, etc.) please let me know. If you read through the list, you'll also see one card has changed...
Boompile - The Boompile is a chaotic, updated take on the venerated Nevinyrral's Disk, with one unique twist. Activation is free and destroys planeswalkers...but is determined by coin flip. This card is replacing Unstable Obelisk, which is fine, but only hits one permanent at a time.
Regal Behemoth - Regal Behemoth is a sweet creature-based mana doubler, that even lets us draw cards via the monarch mechanic. If the monarchy is stolen from you, Glissa makes a rather useful beater that can take it back, since it presents your opponents a choice: block with something, lose it, and then gain a Glissa trigger, or take the damage and reclaim the crown. I'm cutting Zendikar Resurgent, which didn't pan out as well as I would've liked.
Noxious Gearhulk - Wow, an artifact monster in our colors, what a breath of fresh air. This guy is super cool, he kills a creature and heals us, and has evasion to boot. I love this guy to death, and I will be removing Lifeblood Hydra, since too often it comes out as a dead draw and it usually ends up getting bounced or exiled.
Verdurous Gearhulk - Likewise, this jolly green giant can either turn himself into a huge monster, or (the better option in most cases) spread the love and grow your team or set up a clutch play with Black Sun's Zenith. I will be replacing Entomb for this, which while good, has never really impressed me as much as it once did.
Filigree Familiar - Sad Robot got a pet, and it's pretty sweet. The lifegain, while small, is not terrible in and of itself, and getting to draw a card when it dies is nice too. Add that to a 2/2 for 3 (Yay for good Gray Ogres!) and you've got a solid card. I will be cutting Grim Haruspex, which tends to see early play without doing much of anything really.
EDIT: Decklist updated. I'm currently planning to rewrite the entire primer again. My plan, besides updating to analyze new cards that have entered the meta since the initial publication, is to publish several different builds of the deck to explore Glissa's own flexibility. Note that these won't replace the main build and are sheer hypotheticals. My ideas include a Voltron build, a full-ramp build, a combo build, and an Elves build. If anyone would like to pose suggestions or perhaps collaborate with me on decklists, please PM me and I'll work on getting something set up. Thanks guys!
To step in, Pharika's never been a strong choice in Reanimator builds; Having to exile creatures means that you essentially cut yourself off from your main means of defense. 1/1's that die to everything under the sun aren't worth it.
Panharmonicon is a card I'm looking at for other decks, but it's pretty bad unless you're running over 15 creatures/artifacts that take advantage of it, or your commander itself can use it.
I've tested Commander's Sphere, but the biggest difference that makes the cut here is that Filigree Familiar is a creature. Being able to chump block in order to trigger Grave Pact, being able to get itself back if it trades with something, and the life gain helping to offset fetches or stave off early Nekusar/Kaervek damage makes Sad Pup at least worth a test drive. I'll be covering this in the update, currently slated for Monday at the earliest.
I'm pretty damn sure it doesn't see play in Modern/Legacy due to it's casting cost (quad black is tough.)
Emrakul, The Promised End - I had a feeling I would like this one. Featuring the highest P/T stats among legal Eldrazi, Emrakul lets you completely wreck an opponent's board by taking control of them and letting you wreak havoc while they are powerless to sit by and watch. I'm trading out Harvester of Souls, since Emrakul can frequently be around the same cost, since this deck dumps a lot of things into the graveyard. In particular, Emmy works great with...
Grim Flayer (PROVISIONAL) - Grim Flayer's an interesting little guy. Early on, he gets in cheap damage and filters the deck to smooth draws and late-game turns into a sizable beater that helps you dig for answers and set up Delirium for Traverse the Ulvenwald and Emrakul. This is more of an experimental pick, since I'm not certain if this guy's actually really good. I'm swapping out Den Protector, since the deck generally has enough recursion without her. She'll come back in if Grim doesn't work out.
As for me, I'm just going to watch the inevitable fallout. Popcorn's in the microwave right now.
It's about as close as we'll ever get to another Time Stop, and for four mana, that's downright affordable. Beats uncounterable spells, stops triggers like Top. This thing will see TONS of play. Get your copies now.
Considering that she's pretty often the cheapest Eldrazi titan, getting to have a REUSABLE Worst Fears stapled to an evasive 13/13 that laughs at spot removal seems fine.
At least this one might not get banned.
Also, a quick update from EMA:
Wasteland - Yes, I finally got my hands on one of these. Basically is a second Strip Mine. Dropping a Forest for it.
I'm gonna crunch some numbers and see whether I want to pick up singles or go for packs.