I like your suggested Deck, Casual. I didn't know about either of those cards. Although I'd probably replace Sign in Blood with Brainstorm. It's one less card draw, but if I have Bolas in my hand, I can put him back on top of my deck before playing Spinerock Knoll.
The most twisted thing about Spinerock Knoll is putting a Bolas on there and then casting a Bolas, using his ultimate ability and then bringing out the second Bolas with Spinerock Knoll.
Acrimone, that's not a bad idea to use those cards to thin out the deck. It'd work well with Cunning Wish, exile the cards and then bring one back (assuming one of the cards you exiled was an instant). Although I don't know any instants that are so good they're worth all that trouble for...
I really dig the cards in the new Ajani Vs. Bolas Duel Decks. Bolas himself is a beast, but he's soooooo expensive. I sat down with Gatherer last night and tried to find ways to cast him faster. This is one idea. Do you folks have any others?
I know many people aren't fond of Arcane Denial because it sacrifices card advantage, but for one blue (if you have Nightscape Familiar in play) is worth the price I suppose.
If you get the right cards, Bolas is out on turn five. If you don't, then you just control the hell out of the opponent until you can. Totems also double up as finisher cards since each can become a pretty potent creature.
Thanks, Peter. And if you build a deck around the combo, let me see it too. I'd love to see your take on it. Maybe it'll give me some more ideas for this deck.
Removing the one Behemoth Sledge, four Sylvan Bounty and two Deep Reconnaissance would certainly open my deck for more useful cards. However, I worry about mana problems. Not that I won't have enough, but rather that I won't have the right kind. Perhaps what I can do is throw some pain lands in there. With all the life gain, taking one damage when I tap won't be such a big deal. And like you said, Terramorphic Expanse is an option too.
She's expensive, but what about Jolrael, Empress of Beasts? It'd give you something to do with all those extra copies of your combo cards. It could also be win condition with all your lands made into 3/3's and walloping your opponent.
There are some great cards in the Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas Duel Deck. I recently bought a few to get my hands on those shiny Planeswalkers inside, but why let the other cards go to waste, right?
In my playgroup, free-for-all and multiplayer games can go on forever. I figure if we're going to take it up to turn twenty, I might as well be gaining life for each of those turns. The deck below is slower than most I've played. However, given the environment I'll be playing in, it's not much of a problem. I added some Birds to the sideboard, just in case I need to speed things up. (And the Feldon's Cane is there just to round off the 15 cards. I doubt I'd ever use it here.)
Thanks, Zephynoir! It was really fun combing through the new cards to choose from in all the sets since I stopped playing. The last block I can remember is Visions. My jaw dropped when I saw how far MTG had come from the early years. Very, very cool. (^-^)
Your suggestion is beyond great. I've never heard of Roiling Terrain. It's a great fit here though. I'd probably swap out the four Fissures in favor of it.
Good day folks! I'm an old-time magic player (circa early 90's) who is just getting back into the game. Right now I'm playing in a casual setting with friends, but eventually I'd like to take this deck to a tournament and test it against other serious players. This is my first time on the forums, so I really appreciate any feedback you folks might have.
6 Forest
4 Jungle Shrine
6 Mountain
2 Plains
2 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
// Creatures
4 Argothian Wurm
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Invader Parasite
4 Ajani Vengeant
4 Beast Within
4 Creeping Mold
4 Rampant Growth
4 Roiling Terrain
4 Stone Rain
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Bend or Break
4 Embermage Goblin
3 Norn's Annex
4 Shattered Angel
Here's the revised deck.
2 Brushland
3 Forest
4 Jungle Shrine
2 Karplusan Forest
3 Mountain
3 Plains
3 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
// Creatures
4 Ajani's Pridemate
4 Essence Warden
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tamanoa
4 Ajani's Mantra
3 Behemoth Sledge
2 Deep Reconnaissance
4 Lightning Helix
3 Recumbent Bliss
4 Searing Meditation
4 Vines of Vastwood
3 Ageless Entity
3 Firemane Angel
1 Recumbent Bliss
4 Sylvan Bounty
4 Terramorphic Expanse
Here's my revised decklst. Couldn't have built it without y'all.
4 Crumbling Necropolis
6 Island
4 Mountain
6 Swamp
2 Terramorphic Expanse
// Creatures
4 Cathedral Membrane
2 Jhoira of the Ghitu
4 Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
4 Nightscape Familiar
2 Brainstorm
4 Arcane Denial
3 Chronatog Totem
2 Deep Analysis
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Mana Leak
3 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
3 Phyrexian Totem
2 Urza's Filter
2 Brainstorm
1 Chronatog Totem
1 Phyrexian Totem
4 Recoil
3 Spinerock Knoll
2 Terramorphic Expanse
The most twisted thing about Spinerock Knoll is putting a Bolas on there and then casting a Bolas, using his ultimate ability and then bringing out the second Bolas with Spinerock Knoll.
Acrimone, that's not a bad idea to use those cards to thin out the deck. It'd work well with Cunning Wish, exile the cards and then bring one back (assuming one of the cards you exiled was an instant). Although I don't know any instants that are so good they're worth all that trouble for...
I know many people aren't fond of Arcane Denial because it sacrifices card advantage, but for one blue (if you have Nightscape Familiar in play) is worth the price I suppose.
If you get the right cards, Bolas is out on turn five. If you don't, then you just control the hell out of the opponent until you can. Totems also double up as finisher cards since each can become a pretty potent creature.
4 Crumbling Necropolis
6 Island
4 Mountain
6 Swamp
// Creatures
4 Cathedral Membrane
4 Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
4 Nightscape Familiar
4 Arcane Denial
4 Chronatog Totem
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Foriysian Totem
4 Mana Leak
3 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
4 Phyrexian Totem
4 Recoil
Removing the one Behemoth Sledge, four Sylvan Bounty and two Deep Reconnaissance would certainly open my deck for more useful cards. However, I worry about mana problems. Not that I won't have enough, but rather that I won't have the right kind. Perhaps what I can do is throw some pain lands in there. With all the life gain, taking one damage when I tap won't be such a big deal. And like you said, Terramorphic Expanse is an option too.
Decisions, decisions...
In my playgroup, free-for-all and multiplayer games can go on forever. I figure if we're going to take it up to turn twenty, I might as well be gaining life for each of those turns. The deck below is slower than most I've played. However, given the environment I'll be playing in, it's not much of a problem. I added some Birds to the sideboard, just in case I need to speed things up. (And the Feldon's Cane is there just to round off the 15 cards. I doubt I'd ever use it here.)
Any other ideas for how I can improve?
6 Forest
4 Jungle Shrine
2 Mountain
4 Plains
4 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
// Creatures
4 Ajani's Pridemate
4 Essence Warden
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tamanoa
4 Ajani's Mantra
4 Behemoth Sledge
4 Deep Reconnaissance
4 Searing Meditation
4 Sylvan Bounty
4 Vines of Vastwood
3 Ageless Entity
4 Birds of Paradise
1 Feldon's Cane
3 Firemane Angel
4 Recumbent Bliss
[Insert sinister laugh here]
Thanks for the combo ideas!
Your suggestion is beyond great. I've never heard of Roiling Terrain. It's a great fit here though. I'd probably swap out the four Fissures in favor of it.
Oh, and there's no such thing as too much LD.
Many thanks!
8 Forest
6 Mountain
2 Plains
4 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
4 Argothian Wurm
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Invader Parasite
// Spells
4 Beast Within
4 Creeping Mold
4 Fissure
4 Rampant Growth
4 Stone Rain
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Ajani Vengeant