I am going to have 3 separate posts my decklist, the primer, and finally pics of my deck.
As a quick introduction to the deck and how I came to build it. My buddy built a Child of Alara lands EDH in 2009. I really liked the idea of a general that could recur and wipe the board when needed and be a solid finisher when needed. Anyway the deck I built around solid cantrips, card draw, and mana acceleration. I came to call it And One originally because everything did something and another thing as well.
Child of Alara as a General is good for two things a 5 mana board wipe without a chance for regeneration and it gives one the ability to tap into all five colors so you can pick and choose which powerful cards you want to play with.
Child may be a general for you if you wish to play a long game, your playgroup consists of multiple players wiping the board turn after turn, or if you just like blowing up the world over and over again. There are many different types of Child of Alara decks: control, aggro, and combo. Almost every Child deck utilizes the combo of a sac outlet with Volrath's Stronghold. This combination makes other people think twice before overcommiting to the board because of the fear of a massive wipe.
As with any Child deck any card that will minimize the effect of your board when child blows should be considered for the deck as you don't want to lose permanents.
For now I will focus on the build of my deck. I use lots of utility lands and duals so that my manabase can support all of the colors I am playing. Secondly, because Child wipes the board I chose to play as few permanent based spells as possible. If I am casting a spell it must affect the board in some way either killing an important permanent, countering that last combo piece, or ramping 2 lands out of my library.
This deck is very reactive and can take a while to set up, but once set up it is nearly impossible to hold back this juggernaut of a deck. Since the main theme of the deck is card advantage, I loaded the deck with cantrips and multiple ramp spells. For any control deck the ability to maintain a large handsize and accelerating lands into play is key to winning. This deck allows you to keep a fist full of answers to any possible threat.
The basis of this deck is to incrementally gain card advantage on your opponents. I prefer to gain advantage over a long game of attrition and eventually play a beater and win with it backed by a large hand of answers to any possible threat. In order to do this I prefer to play a minimal number of non-land permanents. If I am going to blow up the board I don't want myself to lose a lot of cards while doing it.
I regularly play this deck in 3-4 player games and can hold my own against multiple opponents even if they gang up on me. Each card in the deck has its specific purpose and proper threat assessment will allow me to know when is the right time to play a spell or when to hold it.
This deck is centered around cards that cantrip and cards that can do something as well as something else. I am able to consistantly make land drops every turn with this deck.
Now onto the card choices: Mana Ramp (15)::
My basic premise of mana ramp spells is that you thin your deck of wasted draws. I mean how many times have you drawn 4 lands in a row. Mana ramp gets the lands out of the deck so each draw is a possible answer.
Explore - a 2 drop that is at it's best turn 2 digging an extra card and making an additional land drop
Coiling Oracle - another 2 drop that is able to accel you another land drop or just "draw" a card to replace itself
Wood Elves - 3 drop that gets any "forest" card useful for color fixing with dual lands
Recross the Paths - 3 drop that can get many lands into play as long as you are lucky... Since most cantrips cost 3+ you will often win the clash
Kodama's Reach - 3 drop that thins your deck of two basic land cards so you can draw business spells. Also ensures land drops.
Search for Tomorrow - 3 cost that searches for basic land untapped. Again great for thinning. Best suspended turn 1 into turn to explore, and turn 3 make a four or 5 drop.
Reap and Sow - This card functions both as land destruction and land tutoring. I find myself often entwining blowing up a Volrath's Stronghold or some other strong land and getting a Bojuka Bog to ensure I get rid of pesky lands for good.
Explosive Vegetation - Great 4 cost ramp spell putting 2 basics into play tapped.
Skyshroud Claim - Another great 4 cost ramp spell putting usually 2 duals into play that are forests in addition to their types.
Solemn Simulacrum - Another auto include in almost all of my decks. 2/2 body that can chump an attack to draw a card. Not to mention it puts a basic into play tapped.
Oracle of Mul Daya - One of the best green creatures in the deck. Combined with JTMS you can "dig" 5 cards down with the two of them assuming you have 2 lands to put on top with jace. Additional land drops are key to winning.
Mirari's Wake - Not really true mana accel but often if not dealt with allows you to take over the game. Great with cycling a Decree of Justice to make a bunch of 2/2 soldiers EOT.
Mana Reflection - See Mirari's Wake minus making DOJ tokens 2/2
Primeval Titan - One of the greatest EDH cards ever printed. Often seen by some as ban worthy. I always try to play my titan with a sac outlet on the field in case a duplicant or a clone effect drops on the table to balance out the game.
Card Draw(12)::
My deck runs a lot of card draw through cantrips, however you can fall behind on cards in hand by dealing with major threats one after another. Draw 7's and such are the fuel for you fire so as to say. often I blow these early game to ensure I make land drops.
Wheel of Fortune - 3 Mana draw 7. What can I say. Great card even in a multiplayer game where you are technically being outdrawn 3:1. A card that can dig to find the one answer is often worth it.
Timetwister - 3 mana draw 7. Same as Wheel but you reshuffle the graveyard often harming graveyard based decks and putting fuel back into the deck.
Time Spiral - 6 mana draw 7. Basically a free twister that gets better if you have a mana reflection or mirari's wake out.
Windfall - Refilling a hand with gas is often good at 3 mana
Shattered Perception - A better option instead of windfall as it doesn't help out your opponent and it has flashback to boot
Compulsive Research - more card draw to give you card selection if you choose to discard a land.
Thirst for Knowledge - instant speed card draw always good if Kozilek is in hand in case someone wants to remove your GY from game.
Deep Analysis - great card draw. Flashback life loss is minimal when you start at 40 life.
Fact or Fiction - Many people are very, very, very bad at splitting FoF piles so often you will always get what you want especially late game when most lands are out of the library.
Mulldrifter - 2/2 flyer that draws 2 cards that can also be evoked for 3 mana.
Sphinx of Uthuun - FOF Sphinx. 5/6 flyer that FoFs. See Fact or fiction.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth - 12/12 annihilate 4 win the game card. oh yea he shuffles your graveyard when put into it. 4 cards when you play it isn't too bad either.
Cantrips/Cyclers(23)::
The bread and butter of the deck often how you assess when to play each card can break a game wide open. Sure they look like silly 1 for 1's but don't be decieved by them the sheer card advantage generated by them often offsets an opponent just enough to rip them open a few turns later.
Nihil Spellbomb - Simple graveyard removal that draws a card
Teferi's Response - often people will try to blow up your lands this however counters that ability and draws you 2 cards to boot. I've used this on many things mostly I save it for Terastadon.
Squelch - Useful to counter many activated abilities from fetch lands to myojin's abilities to Planeswalker abilities.
Second Thoughts - Exiling attacking creatures always good especially at end of combat assuming you aren't the one being attacked.
Implode - There are only 2 land destruction cards in the deck so pick carefully what you NEED to blow up.
Overwhelming Intellect - Best creature counter ever. Counter an opposing general and refill your hand with answers
Twisted Justice - A removal spell that can be aimed at yourself if you have a Child of Alara out. Can also be pointed at opponents with large creatures for pure card advantage.
Akroma's Vengeance - can be cycled for a card, however most of the time used to reset the board if you don't have a sac outlet for child
Decree of Pain - another board wipe. Great for drawing multiple cards. Remember to get that Reliquary tower out ASAP.
Other(11)::
These are the rest of the cards that really don't fit in the other parts of the deck. They revolve around other 2 for 1s such as buyback and other things.
Riftsweeper - Easily one of the best cards in the deck. Many people in my playgroup remove graveyards from the game and having the ability to sweep cards back in is priceless... well worth 2 mana at least. Not to mention when people suspend cards you can sweep them back in their deck. LOL
Invulnerability - Ever have to deal with Progenitus or Uril, the mist stalker this can stop that along with burn, and hexproof generals.
Constant Mists - reusable fog. Stall til you can stop what your opponent is doing.
Reiterate - Always good to double up on spells or steal another person's target.
Jace, the Mind Sculptor - This card does everything mostly though its used for card quality and teamed up with Enigma Sphinx or Oracle of Mul daya Jace is just amazing.
Reflect Damage - Hmm what can be said about this card. I think this one can't be described by words just try it in one of your own decks and see its sheer power.
Time Stop - Oh you want to time stretch/ combo off STOP
Hope you played your land first.
Enigma Sphinx - another similar 2 :1 you can cascade into awesome spells. It doesn't hurt that it gets put back on top of your library. Often you are able to cast it the following turn with all of the cantrips and card draw.
Charnelhoard Wurm - Hmm a creature that regrowths seems good. A 6/6 with trample seems great. Hmm, I control Sunhome double strike it. Awesome!
Reverse the Sands - Resetting your life is key if you are being relentlessly attacked. Don't attack me unless you can kill me right there or you will be the one that is low on life. Also if other players try to have large amounts of life exchanging lifetotals gets around their cheatery.
Artisan of Kozilek - 2 for 1 often bringing back Child to Sac right away to blow the board then allow Artisan to resolve. 10/9 body ain't half bad either.
Lands(38)::
The Land base has been tweeked until it was just right. I believe this is the perfect build for the manabase.
Basic Lands - 10 basics to protect against wasteland effects
Dual Lands - 1 of each dual land to help mana be as stable as possible for a 5-color deck
Fetch Lands - I only run 4 and they each can fetch my three main colors of white, blue, and green
City of Brass - Colored mana for pain is good when working with Reverse the Sands
Reliquary tower - No max handsize is very good if all your cards are steadily increasing your hand because of cantripping
Mikokoro, Center of the sea - able to draw cards when open mana is available. Only really used when land drops are needed or when digging for answers
Miren, the Moaning Well - Sac outlet. Life gain. Able to tap for mana. What more could you ask of a land...
High Market - Non-legendary sac outlet. Often the first of the sac outlets tutored out of the deck. Because no mana is needed to sac and cannot be legendary ruled to the gy.
Gavony Township - This has recently went in. I have found it to be extremely useful. Turning Wood Elves into titans is ridiculous, not to forget when you cycle Decree of Justice to leave mana open to pump dudes at EOT as well. Swing with a bunch of 3/3s on your turn.
Winding Canyons - Instant speed creatures. Another five star card as it helps you play around other peoples sorcery speed board wipes.
Prahv, Spires of Order - Stop Progenetus, Uril, X burn, and unblocked creatures worth the 6 mana to put into it.
Kor Haven - single creature fog is great. Better if you can still kill their creature when you block and use the ability to stop the damage netting card advantage.
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion - Double strike my unblocked attacker. Better yet double strike your unblocked attacker going at a different opponent.
Well that is pretty much it. This deck is very fun and versatile. I've beaten many decks from combo to other control decks. This deck again is an attrition based deck, however it can accelerate and drop a threat and completely take over a game. This deck may be for you if you enjoy interacting with opponents each turn rather than just play a combo to win outright and not have to worry what others are doing. The power of the deck is the timid vibe it puts off.
This deck can be made on a budget. I have an unsleeved version of this deck where I chose cards that cost no more than $2 and replaced duals with refuge lands and trilands from Alara block.
I don't usually try to force the recursion element of the deck myself. It is just there in case I draw it. Most of the time I don't play Charnelhoard Wurm unless it is late game and I can flash it out EOT with Winding Canyons. The stronghold however is pretty much key to bringing back my big creatures. I have been playing this for nearly over two years and I prefer to not heavily rely on the graveyard. Often, I will end up shuffling Child into my library with a draw 7. I would say this happens close to 60-70% of the time.
Yes, again tutors would help my deck run more smoothly, however when I build decks I try to focus on a main concept for the deck. This deck was each card has to do something along with the added benefit of something else.
Each spell I play wants to generate card "advantage." Oblation and chaos warp take cards from my hand, similar with the tutors. Granted I could play Demonic Tutor or the new Demo Tutor demon, however that is not my play style. I prefer to let it fall to the draw of my deck.
Also, if I limit myself on powerful creatures then cards such as Bribery or Acquire are less and less useful for an opponent to target me.
I don't usually try to force the recursion element of the deck myself. It is just there in case I draw it. Most of the time I don't play Charnelhoard Wurm unless it is late game and I can flash it out EOT with Winding Canyons. The stronghold however is pretty much key to bringing back my big creatures. I have been playing this for nearly over two years and I prefer to not heavily rely on the graveyard. Often, I will end up shuffling Child into my library with a draw 7. I would say this happens close to 60-70% of the time.
Yes, again tutors would help my deck run more smoothly, however when I build decks I try to focus on a main concept for the deck. This deck was each card has to do something along with the added benefit of something else.
Each spell I play wants to generate card "advantage." Oblation and chaos warp take cards from my hand, similar with the tutors. Granted I could play Demonic Tutor or the new Demo Tutor demon, however that is not my play style. I prefer to let it fall to the draw of my deck.
Also, if I limit myself on powerful creatures then cards such as Bribery or Acquire are less and less useful for an opponent to target me.
You can Oblation your own permanent and score couple cards.
I suggested tutors because your deck looks like a tool box, and tutors are the key to find the right answer at the right time. Progresive card advantage is fine, but you don't draw what you need all the time.
About your General...I know that Child is good even though the deck is not focus on him (He is an O-Stone at any time basiclly), but why not use his true potential? What Im trying to say is, Have you thought abaout another general? Cromat? Horde of Notion?
For example, with Horde of Notion you can add few Elemental that have synergy with the current list. Lets see:
Since you are not worry about blowing up your own permanents anymore you can also add cool permanents like Maelstrom Nexus for very cool chains. With all those cantrips you have, It should be really fun.
And finally, since you draw so many cards you can add Hoofprints of the Stag, and It's an elemental too!
EDIT: I also thought about Slithermuse, but It's more situational.
Having Child as a general always threatens a board wipe. I prefer it as the General over something else. Child also has trample so it works well with Sunhome double striking it. Again yes, I totally agree that tutors would make the deck more consistent, however its not how I prefer to play. I generally don't use tutors and Time Warp effects because its not my personal playstyle.
Sensei's Divining top can also make the deck better with all of the shuffling and seeing new cards every turn. The only problem with top is you basically have 2 less mana each turn. This is a major reason why I stopped playing tops in my EDH decks.
I did try Maelstrom Nexus before however it is usually blown up quickly before I can gain advantage from it. Also I prefer to play the least amount of non-land permanents as possible so other people have a hand full of blanks against my deck. All it takes is 2 board wipes to get into end game with this deck. In the end game i can hide behind multiple Maze effects. I get a similar effect from Enigma Sphinx plus its a body that keeps coming back.
In my playgroup we already have a Horde of Notions player and I would prefer to build my deck around cantrips as opposed to a lot of ETB triggers. I do realize a well timed Teferi can nearly shut me down, but I would prefer enhancing my ability to play well than being able to tutor for a board wipe.
In the end its a personal preference of using tutors and time warp effects. I like to only limit myself to ramp tutors and allow the game to unfold. After all in multiplayer its all about politics and depending on others to have answers for other things as well.
For starters this deck is a beast. I hated playing against it for the first few months because it felt near impossible to beat. I had to sleeve it up myself to figure out how to beat it. I love the list and how it plays out.
I don’t like Search for tomorrow. I understand why you play it. It is a one mana first turn ramp spell, but this doesn’t really scream "and one" to me.
I find it interesting that I cannot find like any tutors in your list... This seems interesting as usually Child decks have sort of some favorite cards that they like tutoring for. What if someone tucks your commander???
At the very least I think a few of the black tutors should probably be considered in here.
I know you mentioned that they dont really fit the playstyle of what you were going for in this list but do people not tuck your commander? Is that not a problem for you?
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
I shuffle my Child into my library probably 60-70% of games i play with it. I find it fun not having tutors other than fetch lands and land tutors of course. In the case I shuffle child into my library it gives the impression that I cannot Child lock the board which is fine because I have so many other spells to deal with other threats.
Without the tutors, I feel, games swing back-and-forth more. I get more enjoyment out of the game rather than tutoring for bomb, play bomb, kill with bomb. It all just comes down to how the cards fall for me.
Plus EDH is supposed to be a interactive format and what better way of interacting then showing you cannot blow up the board any time. This forces players to have to use their own resources to take out the 'strongest' current player. Since my main permanents are lands people will spend their removal on opponents cards while I keep a grip of cards in my hand.
I've made another slight change. I've cut the fourth random fetch for a Krosan Verge. So now I have the three Bant fetches and the Verge.
I know you're not a fan of Krosan Verge since it comes into play tapped and it puts the lands into play tapped. I like it because it fixes the core colors of the deck. It also fits the criteria of "and one" since it fetches two lands instead of one. Late game it will also tap for mana.
It looks like the new set has a card for “and one.”
I’m going to try out Grim Backwoods. I like the idea a sacrificing a creature and drawing a card. I’m not a fan that it only taps for colorless and has two different colors in the activation.
With that said I’m going to play it in place of Miren, the Moaning Well. I like this land, but I hate that it is legendary. I want something that will stick around and not be blown up to the legendary rule. Life usually isn’t all that important and I still have Diamond Valley.
Not really enough creatures to support the land. I realize you would be changing one sac outlet for another but I find life is better than cards since the whole deck is already revolved around drawing cards.
Although I wouldn't mind cutting windfall for Shattered Perception. The ability to give myself a second wheel from the graveyard is nice with the added benefit of not giving opponents extra cards that a true wheel effect would have.(i.e. giving them counterspells and such) That and I can get this foil.
I should be acquiring a Diamond Valley on Tuesday to add to the deck. I haven't decided what to cut for it. Steino has already made suggestions so I will look to them before I decide.
Picked up a foil Shattered perception and replaced the windfall with it so far it is performing much better than a windfall since I am not giving other opponents to draw extra cards.
I really like Miren, the Moaning Well, but too many other people are running it in my play group and it usually dies to the legendary rule. Most just drop theirs to try and cut off one of my sac outlets.
Is it possible to love someone else’s Child as though it were your own?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
You and I both know that on paper the list looks like a piece; however, we both know how well it plays out. I’ve been on the receiving end of this monstrosity too many times that I had to assemble it for myself. Now I get to enjoyment of spreading it to other players.
Anyway for the new set I'm looking to replace winding canyons with a foil version of the flash land. The reason I am making this cut is because it allows sorceries, and enchantments to be cast as well. I would rather keep 2 sac outlets in the deck and there are only 23 sources of colored mana in my deck. I would hate to cut the basics because they are supported by the land searching ramp and are immune to wasteland, back to basics, and blood moon all of which I have recently played against.
I agree with that I have also replaced reliquary tower with alchemist's refuge. More times than not reliquary tower is just a colorless land that does nothing especially recently.
Hi, I like the "and one" idea. Have you considered the new card Spelltwine; it seems you could get quite a bit of use out of it and it'll do at least two things possibly three. I'm really enjoying Maelstrom Wanderer in my WUBRG Cromat deck and that gets you two cascades; that might be worth a look.
It seems alright however I would want to do more at a 6 mana sorcery than exile and cast two spells one being my own. This deck wins by attrition and recycling multiple answers through twistering effects and eldrazi shuffle. Exiling my own cards seem to hinder more than help.
As for cascading I think that I prefer the sphinx because it continuously returns pretty much an eternal flying blocker as to a one-time-use cascade. I did use maelstrom nexus when I first built the deck however it is a permanent that gets targeted and blown up by child as well. This deck sits on the edges of the battle then all the sudden explodes at your opponents. You don't want to have a giant target on you especially early game.
I tried to replace it with Ancestral Recall since that card is right on theme for the deck. That didn’t go over well. I attempted to reason why it was okay based on the Rules Committee “justification” for having it banned.
So the next route I am going to try is Consecrated Sphinx. I feel like my playing skill drops a level for including it, but with no Titan and the groups childish (pun intended?) response to Ancestral I am going to play it.
Hi i just stumbled upon this thread, and i must say i like your deck captain, but i got to think of why not run this card: http://magiccards.info/query?q=worthy+cause&v=card&s=cname ? It seems like just the thing for child, i know you want to get something from everything you cast but it just seems like such a good solution for almost anything.
Oh and excuse me for the link thing, but i just started here.
The main reason I don't play worthy cause is because I run few creatures and it would mostly be a dead card. I also run a lot of other sac outlets so loading up on too many of one type of card can throw the balance out of whack in this deck.
I could see running it if you don't have access to diamond valley or some other sac outlet.
As a quick introduction to the deck and how I came to build it. My buddy built a Child of Alara lands EDH in 2009. I really liked the idea of a general that could recur and wipe the board when needed and be a solid finisher when needed. Anyway the deck I built around solid cantrips, card draw, and mana acceleration. I came to call it And One originally because everything did something and another thing as well.
1x Child of Alara
Creatures: 13
1x notion thief
1x ulvenwald hydra
1x cataclysmic gearhulk
1x Coiling oracle
1x Riftsweeper
1x Wood Elves
1x Oracle of Mul Daya
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Sphinx of Uthuun
1x Enigma Sphinx
1x Charnelhoard Wurm
1x Artisan of Kozilek
1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Instants: 25
1x Dig through time
1x Bind
1x Squelch
1x Teferi's Response
1x Into the Roil
1x Arcane Denial
1x Predict
1x Invulnerability
1x Constant Mists
1x Reiterate
1x Thirst for Knowledge
1x Rending Vines
1x Dismantling Blow
1x Resounding Wave
1x Repulse
1x Exclude
1x Dismiss
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Slice in Twain
1x Resounding Silence
1x bound//determined
1x Second Thoughts
1x Reflect Damage
1x Time Stop
1x Overwhelming Intellect
1x Urban evolution
1x Explore
1x Day's undoing
1x Timetwister
1x Wheel of Fortune]
1x Cultivate
1x Recross the Paths
1x Kodama's Reach
1x Explosive Vegetation
1x Skyshroud Claim
1x Deep Analysis
1x Reap and Sow
1x Decree of Justice
1x Implode
1x Akroma's Vengeance
1x Twisted Justice
1x Time Spiral
1x Decree of Pain
1x Reverse the Sands
Planeswalkers: 2
1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1x nissa, vastwood seer
Enchantments: 1
1x Mirari's Wake
Artifacts: 1
1x Nihil Spellbomb
Lands: 38
1x Swamp
3x Island
2x Forest
2x Plains
1x Mountain
1x Plateau
1x Savannah
1x Tundra
1x Scrubland
1x Badlands
1x Underground Sea
1x Bayou
1x Tropical Island
1x Volcanic Island
1x Taiga
1x Polluted Delta
1x Windswept Heath
1x Flooded Strand
1x City of Brass
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Alchemist's refuge
1x Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x High Market
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Gavony Township
1x Winding Canyons
1x Prahv, Spires of Order
1x Kor haven
1x Maze of Ith
1x Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1x Diamond valley
1x Boseiju, who shelters all
I have been running this deck since 2009. It has proved fun and balanced in many games.
4/15/12 changed windfall with shattered perception
9/20/12 removed p. titan for annihilate
EDH
Child may be a general for you if you wish to play a long game, your playgroup consists of multiple players wiping the board turn after turn, or if you just like blowing up the world over and over again. There are many different types of Child of Alara decks: control, aggro, and combo. Almost every Child deck utilizes the combo of a sac outlet with Volrath's Stronghold. This combination makes other people think twice before overcommiting to the board because of the fear of a massive wipe.
As with any Child deck any card that will minimize the effect of your board when child blows should be considered for the deck as you don't want to lose permanents.
For now I will focus on the build of my deck. I use lots of utility lands and duals so that my manabase can support all of the colors I am playing. Secondly, because Child wipes the board I chose to play as few permanent based spells as possible. If I am casting a spell it must affect the board in some way either killing an important permanent, countering that last combo piece, or ramping 2 lands out of my library.
This deck is very reactive and can take a while to set up, but once set up it is nearly impossible to hold back this juggernaut of a deck. Since the main theme of the deck is card advantage, I loaded the deck with cantrips and multiple ramp spells. For any control deck the ability to maintain a large handsize and accelerating lands into play is key to winning. This deck allows you to keep a fist full of answers to any possible threat.
The basis of this deck is to incrementally gain card advantage on your opponents. I prefer to gain advantage over a long game of attrition and eventually play a beater and win with it backed by a large hand of answers to any possible threat. In order to do this I prefer to play a minimal number of non-land permanents. If I am going to blow up the board I don't want myself to lose a lot of cards while doing it.
I regularly play this deck in 3-4 player games and can hold my own against multiple opponents even if they gang up on me. Each card in the deck has its specific purpose and proper threat assessment will allow me to know when is the right time to play a spell or when to hold it.
This deck is centered around cards that cantrip and cards that can do something as well as something else. I am able to consistantly make land drops every turn with this deck.
Now onto the card choices:
Mana Ramp (15)::
My basic premise of mana ramp spells is that you thin your deck of wasted draws. I mean how many times have you drawn 4 lands in a row. Mana ramp gets the lands out of the deck so each draw is a possible answer.
Explore - a 2 drop that is at it's best turn 2 digging an extra card and making an additional land drop
Coiling Oracle - another 2 drop that is able to accel you another land drop or just "draw" a card to replace itself
Wood Elves - 3 drop that gets any "forest" card useful for color fixing with dual lands
Recross the Paths - 3 drop that can get many lands into play as long as you are lucky... Since most cantrips cost 3+ you will often win the clash
Kodama's Reach - 3 drop that thins your deck of two basic land cards so you can draw business spells. Also ensures land drops.
Cultivate - see Kodama's Reach
Search for Tomorrow - 3 cost that searches for basic land untapped. Again great for thinning. Best suspended turn 1 into turn to explore, and turn 3 make a four or 5 drop.
Reap and Sow - This card functions both as land destruction and land tutoring. I find myself often entwining blowing up a Volrath's Stronghold or some other strong land and getting a Bojuka Bog to ensure I get rid of pesky lands for good.
Explosive Vegetation - Great 4 cost ramp spell putting 2 basics into play tapped.
Skyshroud Claim - Another great 4 cost ramp spell putting usually 2 duals into play that are forests in addition to their types.
Solemn Simulacrum - Another auto include in almost all of my decks. 2/2 body that can chump an attack to draw a card. Not to mention it puts a basic into play tapped.
Oracle of Mul Daya - One of the best green creatures in the deck. Combined with JTMS you can "dig" 5 cards down with the two of them assuming you have 2 lands to put on top with jace. Additional land drops are key to winning.
Mirari's Wake - Not really true mana accel but often if not dealt with allows you to take over the game. Great with cycling a Decree of Justice to make a bunch of 2/2 soldiers EOT.
Mana Reflection - See Mirari's Wake minus making DOJ tokens 2/2
Primeval Titan - One of the greatest EDH cards ever printed. Often seen by some as ban worthy. I always try to play my titan with a sac outlet on the field in case a duplicant or a clone effect drops on the table to balance out the game.
Card Draw(12)::
My deck runs a lot of card draw through cantrips, however you can fall behind on cards in hand by dealing with major threats one after another. Draw 7's and such are the fuel for you fire so as to say. often I blow these early game to ensure I make land drops.
Wheel of Fortune - 3 Mana draw 7. What can I say. Great card even in a multiplayer game where you are technically being outdrawn 3:1. A card that can dig to find the one answer is often worth it.
Timetwister - 3 mana draw 7. Same as Wheel but you reshuffle the graveyard often harming graveyard based decks and putting fuel back into the deck.
Time Spiral - 6 mana draw 7. Basically a free twister that gets better if you have a mana reflection or mirari's wake out.
Windfall - Refilling a hand with gas is often good at 3 manaShattered Perception - A better option instead of windfall as it doesn't help out your opponent and it has flashback to boot
Compulsive Research - more card draw to give you card selection if you choose to discard a land.
Thirst for Knowledge - instant speed card draw always good if Kozilek is in hand in case someone wants to remove your GY from game.
Deep Analysis - great card draw. Flashback life loss is minimal when you start at 40 life.
Fact or Fiction - Many people are very, very, very bad at splitting FoF piles so often you will always get what you want especially late game when most lands are out of the library.
Allied Strategies - 5 Mana draw 5 is pretty good for 1 card
Mulldrifter - 2/2 flyer that draws 2 cards that can also be evoked for 3 mana.
Sphinx of Uthuun - FOF Sphinx. 5/6 flyer that FoFs. See Fact or fiction.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth - 12/12 annihilate 4 win the game card. oh yea he shuffles your graveyard when put into it. 4 cards when you play it isn't too bad either.
Cantrips/Cyclers(23)::
The bread and butter of the deck often how you assess when to play each card can break a game wide open. Sure they look like silly 1 for 1's but don't be decieved by them the sheer card advantage generated by them often offsets an opponent just enough to rip them open a few turns later.
Nihil Spellbomb - Simple graveyard removal that draws a card
Teferi's Response - often people will try to blow up your lands this however counters that ability and draws you 2 cards to boot. I've used this on many things mostly I save it for Terastadon.
Squelch - Useful to counter many activated abilities from fetch lands to myojin's abilities to Planeswalker abilities.
Bind - see Squelch
Predict - easy 2 mana draw a card if needed but so many people play Sensei's divining top, Enlightened tutor, Worldly tutor, and *cough* Oracle of Mul Daya. Usually an easy 2 cards for 2 mana.
Arcane Denial - BlUEColoRClESS counterspell. Priceless even though they get +2 cards the following upkeep and you only get +1.
Into the Roil - Gets rid of those pesky cards the other cantrips cannot deal with. Or you can save your own things.
Rending Vines - artifact/enchantment removal
Dismantling blow - see rending vines
Resounding Wave - bounce any permanent. OR... Bounce 2 permanents under a Teferi or Iona.:D
Repulse - Creature bounce
Exclude - Creature counter
Decree of justice - ALWAYS cycle EOT for tokens very good for winning the game.
Resounding Silence - Remove an attacking creature. OR... End of combat after someone hits a different opponent remove 2 creatures.
Slice in twain - see rending vines
Dismiss - hard counter only needs 2 blue
Annihilate - instant speed destroy nonblack creature.
Second Thoughts - Exiling attacking creatures always good especially at end of combat assuming you aren't the one being attacked.
Implode - There are only 2 land destruction cards in the deck so pick carefully what you NEED to blow up.
Overwhelming Intellect - Best creature counter ever. Counter an opposing general and refill your hand with answers
Twisted Justice - A removal spell that can be aimed at yourself if you have a Child of Alara out. Can also be pointed at opponents with large creatures for pure card advantage.
Akroma's Vengeance - can be cycled for a card, however most of the time used to reset the board if you don't have a sac outlet for child
Decree of Pain - another board wipe. Great for drawing multiple cards. Remember to get that Reliquary tower out ASAP.
Other(11)::
These are the rest of the cards that really don't fit in the other parts of the deck. They revolve around other 2 for 1s such as buyback and other things.
Riftsweeper - Easily one of the best cards in the deck. Many people in my playgroup remove graveyards from the game and having the ability to sweep cards back in is priceless... well worth 2 mana at least. Not to mention when people suspend cards you can sweep them back in their deck. LOL
Invulnerability - Ever have to deal with Progenitus or Uril, the mist stalker this can stop that along with burn, and hexproof generals.
Constant Mists - reusable fog. Stall til you can stop what your opponent is doing.
Reiterate - Always good to double up on spells or steal another person's target.
Jace, the Mind Sculptor - This card does everything mostly though its used for card quality and teamed up with Enigma Sphinx or Oracle of Mul daya Jace is just amazing.
Reflect Damage - Hmm what can be said about this card. I think this one can't be described by words just try it in one of your own decks and see its sheer power.
Time Stop - Oh you want to time stretch/ combo off STOP
Hope you played your land first.
Enigma Sphinx - another similar 2 :1 you can cascade into awesome spells. It doesn't hurt that it gets put back on top of your library. Often you are able to cast it the following turn with all of the cantrips and card draw.
Charnelhoard Wurm - Hmm a creature that regrowths seems good. A 6/6 with trample seems great. Hmm, I control Sunhome double strike it. Awesome!
Reverse the Sands - Resetting your life is key if you are being relentlessly attacked. Don't attack me unless you can kill me right there or you will be the one that is low on life. Also if other players try to have large amounts of life exchanging lifetotals gets around their cheatery.
Artisan of Kozilek - 2 for 1 often bringing back Child to Sac right away to blow the board then allow Artisan to resolve. 10/9 body ain't half bad either.
Lands(38)::
The Land base has been tweeked until it was just right. I believe this is the perfect build for the manabase.
Basic Lands - 10 basics to protect against wasteland effects
Dual Lands - 1 of each dual land to help mana be as stable as possible for a 5-color deck
Fetch Lands - I only run 4 and they each can fetch my three main colors of white, blue, and green
City of Brass - Colored mana for pain is good when working with Reverse the Sands
Reflecting Pool - Colored mana for free can easily be a Command tower.
Bojuka Bog - Played purely for graveyard removal
Reliquary tower - No max handsize is very good if all your cards are steadily increasing your hand because of cantripping
Mikokoro, Center of the sea - able to draw cards when open mana is available. Only really used when land drops are needed or when digging for answers
Miren, the Moaning Well - Sac outlet. Life gain. Able to tap for mana. What more could you ask of a land...
High Market - Non-legendary sac outlet. Often the first of the sac outlets tutored out of the deck. Because no mana is needed to sac and cannot be legendary ruled to the gy.
Volrath's Stronghold - Recursion of beatsticks and Child. Five star card.
Gavony Township - This has recently went in. I have found it to be extremely useful. Turning Wood Elves into titans is ridiculous, not to forget when you cycle Decree of Justice to leave mana open to pump dudes at EOT as well. Swing with a bunch of 3/3s on your turn.
Winding Canyons - Instant speed creatures. Another five star card as it helps you play around other peoples sorcery speed board wipes.
Prahv, Spires of Order - Stop Progenetus, Uril, X burn, and unblocked creatures worth the 6 mana to put into it.
Kor Haven - single creature fog is great. Better if you can still kill their creature when you block and use the ability to stop the damage netting card advantage.
Maze of Ith - Single creature fog.
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion - Double strike my unblocked attacker. Better yet double strike your unblocked attacker going at a different opponent.
Well that is pretty much it. This deck is very fun and versatile. I've beaten many decks from combo to other control decks. This deck again is an attrition based deck, however it can accelerate and drop a threat and completely take over a game. This deck may be for you if you enjoy interacting with opponents each turn rather than just play a combo to win outright and not have to worry what others are doing. The power of the deck is the timid vibe it puts off.
This deck can be made on a budget. I have an unsleeved version of this deck where I chose cards that cost no more than $2 and replaced duals with refuge lands and trilands from Alara block.
EDH
It feels that you need more graveyard recursion for your General besides Artisan of Kozilek, Volrath's Stronghold and Charnelhoard Wurm unless you don't count on him much.
Other cool cantrips:
- Oblation
- Chaos Warp
(Sorta)Also, few tutors could improve your game
I don't usually try to force the recursion element of the deck myself. It is just there in case I draw it. Most of the time I don't play Charnelhoard Wurm unless it is late game and I can flash it out EOT with Winding Canyons. The stronghold however is pretty much key to bringing back my big creatures. I have been playing this for nearly over two years and I prefer to not heavily rely on the graveyard. Often, I will end up shuffling Child into my library with a draw 7. I would say this happens close to 60-70% of the time.
Yes, again tutors would help my deck run more smoothly, however when I build decks I try to focus on a main concept for the deck. This deck was each card has to do something along with the added benefit of something else.
Each spell I play wants to generate card "advantage." Oblation and chaos warp take cards from my hand, similar with the tutors. Granted I could play Demonic Tutor or the new Demo Tutor demon, however that is not my play style. I prefer to let it fall to the draw of my deck.
Also, if I limit myself on powerful creatures then cards such as Bribery or Acquire are less and less useful for an opponent to target me.
EDH
You can Oblation your own permanent and score couple cards.
I suggested tutors because your deck looks like a tool box, and tutors are the key to find the right answer at the right time. Progresive card advantage is fine, but you don't draw what you need all the time.
About your General...I know that Child is good even though the deck is not focus on him (He is an O-Stone at any time basiclly), but why not use his true potential? What Im trying to say is, Have you thought abaout another general? Cromat? Horde of Notion?
For example, with Horde of Notion you can add few Elemental that have synergy with the current list. Lets see:
You already have Mulldrifter, then you can add Fertilid and Silverglade Elemental as reuseable ramp spells.
Shriekmaw and Wispmare are also very good and cheap for the attrition war games. Avenger of Zendikar is also an elemental and a great finisher...Card advantage? CHECK!
Flickerwisp lets you abuse all these creatures and the ones already in the list with CIP effects like Primeval Titan.
Since you are not worry about blowing up your own permanents anymore you can also add cool permanents like Maelstrom Nexus for very cool chains. With all those cantrips you have, It should be really fun.
And finally, since you draw so many cards you can add Hoofprints of the Stag, and It's an elemental too!
EDIT: I also thought about Slithermuse, but It's more situational.
Sensei's Divining top can also make the deck better with all of the shuffling and seeing new cards every turn. The only problem with top is you basically have 2 less mana each turn. This is a major reason why I stopped playing tops in my EDH decks.
I did try Maelstrom Nexus before however it is usually blown up quickly before I can gain advantage from it. Also I prefer to play the least amount of non-land permanents as possible so other people have a hand full of blanks against my deck. All it takes is 2 board wipes to get into end game with this deck. In the end game i can hide behind multiple Maze effects. I get a similar effect from Enigma Sphinx plus its a body that keeps coming back.
In my playgroup we already have a Horde of Notions player and I would prefer to build my deck around cantrips as opposed to a lot of ETB triggers. I do realize a well timed Teferi can nearly shut me down, but I would prefer enhancing my ability to play well than being able to tutor for a board wipe.
In the end its a personal preference of using tutors and time warp effects. I like to only limit myself to ramp tutors and allow the game to unfold. After all in multiplayer its all about politics and depending on others to have answers for other things as well.
EDH
I don’t like Search for tomorrow. I understand why you play it. It is a one mana first turn ramp spell, but this doesn’t really scream "and one" to me.
I’ve cut Search for Tomorrow and a Plains for Diamond Valley and Command Tower.
Props on the list.
EDIT: Oh, I also changed up the fetches to included Misty Rainforest instead of the Polluted Delta.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
At the very least I think a few of the black tutors should probably be considered in here.
I know you mentioned that they dont really fit the playstyle of what you were going for in this list but do people not tuck your commander? Is that not a problem for you?
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Without the tutors, I feel, games swing back-and-forth more. I get more enjoyment out of the game rather than tutoring for bomb, play bomb, kill with bomb. It all just comes down to how the cards fall for me.
Plus EDH is supposed to be a interactive format and what better way of interacting then showing you cannot blow up the board any time. This forces players to have to use their own resources to take out the 'strongest' current player. Since my main permanents are lands people will spend their removal on opponents cards while I keep a grip of cards in my hand.
EDH
I know you're not a fan of Krosan Verge since it comes into play tapped and it puts the lands into play tapped. I like it because it fixes the core colors of the deck. It also fits the criteria of "and one" since it fetches two lands instead of one. Late game it will also tap for mana.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
I’m going to try out Grim Backwoods. I like the idea a sacrificing a creature and drawing a card. I’m not a fan that it only taps for colorless and has two different colors in the activation.
With that said I’m going to play it in place of Miren, the Moaning Well. I like this land, but I hate that it is legendary. I want something that will stick around and not be blown up to the legendary rule. Life usually isn’t all that important and I still have Diamond Valley.
@ rtsands45
What are your thoughts on the card?
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
Although I wouldn't mind cutting windfall for Shattered Perception. The ability to give myself a second wheel from the graveyard is nice with the added benefit of not giving opponents extra cards that a true wheel effect would have.(i.e. giving them counterspells and such) That and I can get this foil.
EDH
EDH
It's one of the new judge foils so "it not being foil" will no longer be a justified reason to not run it.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
EDH
I am looking forward to Alchemist's Refuge and will most likely take out Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion for it.
I’m also looking at Charnelhoard Wurm. This card has been kind of underwhelming lately.
Is it possible to love someone else’s Child as though it were your own?
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
EDH
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
You and I both know that on paper the list looks like a piece; however, we both know how well it plays out. I’ve been on the receiving end of this monstrosity too many times that I had to assemble it for myself. Now I get to enjoyment of spreading it to other players.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
On a sidenote Shattered perception is still outperforming windfall.
EDH
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
EDH
EDH
It seems alright however I would want to do more at a 6 mana sorcery than exile and cast two spells one being my own. This deck wins by attrition and recycling multiple answers through twistering effects and eldrazi shuffle. Exiling my own cards seem to hinder more than help.
As for cascading I think that I prefer the sphinx because it continuously returns pretty much an eternal flying blocker as to a one-time-use cascade. I did use maelstrom nexus when I first built the deck however it is a permanent that gets targeted and blown up by child as well. This deck sits on the edges of the battle then all the sudden explodes at your opponents. You don't want to have a giant target on you especially early game.
EDH
I tried to replace it with Ancestral Recall since that card is right on theme for the deck. That didn’t go over well. I attempted to reason why it was okay based on the Rules Committee “justification” for having it banned.
So the next route I am going to try is Consecrated Sphinx. I feel like my playing skill drops a level for including it, but with no Titan and the groups childish (pun intended?) response to Ancestral I am going to play it.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
The main reason I don't play worthy cause is because I run few creatures and it would mostly be a dead card. I also run a lot of other sac outlets so loading up on too many of one type of card can throw the balance out of whack in this deck.
I could see running it if you don't have access to diamond valley or some other sac outlet.
EDH