I recently built a Talrand, Sky Summoner EDH deck for my less competitive play group. I want to be able to win, but do it with style. The deck has eldrazi monument and coat of arms, but I want to be able to win in style as well.
If you were to run Mass Polymorph what creatures would you play to win in style?
"Some of the other guys dared me to go out, but I knew it weren't no ordinary giant giga-blasting blaze of unending flames that would scorch the whole world."
—Norin the Wary
I think the idea is to run no creatures other than these fatties, then cast polymorphs on talrand's drakes. Really cool play btw
Yes and the point of the rack is that incase you draw your fatties you can put them back on top before you polymorph. Also, rack is just a sensational card even when not using it to set up combos.
"Some of the other guys dared me to go out, but I knew it weren't no ordinary giant giga-blasting blaze of unending flames that would scorch the whole world."
—Norin the Wary
i'm not worried about being stuck with fatties in my hand, I have plenty of ways to fix that
I just can't decide what would be more fun: running good creatures, a fun theme, or strange blue creatures (roil elemental). With one placed time spell and a lot of cantrips in a turn or two, I can easily polymorph for 6+. So what 6 creatures would you want on the field with mono blue?
I might have to try this out for a few games just for the lols, but this isn't something what I would want to do permantly. Though this is the winner so far
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Then I would be running the same boring creatures that any good stuff deck run. This would make this deck repetitive and make me feel like I am playing mono-blue good stuff drakes. My OP said I wanted to do it with style, for a less competitive play group. That means I am not looking for the strongest creature combination, but one even the most uptight players would see and be forced to smirk a little.
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Oona, Queen of the Fae UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryGU GRBorborygmos EnragedRG GBGRhys the ExiledGBG URG Intet, the Dreamer GRU
I'm running this deck concept as well in my Talrand control built to control & cheat fatties. I only have 6 critters to be brought into play by Polymorph, Mass Polymorph, Reweave, Proteus Staff, Counterlash, Mana Drain & High Tide with tons of islands. Those six guys are: Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, Blightsteel Colossus, Jin Gitaxias, Core Augur, Sphinx Ambassador & Consecrated Sphinx. Run numerous countermagic and free counters like Foil, Force of Will & Pact of Negation. Extra turn effects are brutal as well so you can bash a face with Annihilator and trigger Jin & Ambassador's effect numerous times. Theft effects are being utilized too so if something happens to my commander then I can steal a big guy then make it even bigger. I'm running 14 counterspells and only interrupt what's gonna spoil your game plan and don't waste it because you have it in your hand. The deck is very cutthroat as I'm always winning in six-man pods even though all are gunning on me every Friday nights. Good luck on your list bro.
I'm running this deck concept as well in my Talrand control built to control & cheat fatties. I only have 6 critters to be brought into play by Polymorph, Mass Polymorph, Reweave, Proteus Staff, Counterlash, Mana Drain & High Tide with tons of islands. Those six guys are: Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, Blightsteel Colossus, Jin Gitaxias, Core Augur, Sphinx Ambassador & Consecrated Sphinx. Run numerous countermagic and free counters like Foil, Force of Will & Pact of Negation. Extra turn effects are brutal as well so you can bash a face with Annihilator and trigger Jin & Ambassador's effect numerous times. Theft effects are being utilized too so if something happens to my commander then I can steal a big guy then make it even bigger. I'm running 14 counterspells and only interrupt what's gonna spoil your game plan and don't waste it because you have it in your hand. The deck is very cutthroat as I'm always winning in six-man pods even though all are gunning on me every Friday nights. Good luck on your list bro.
Cutthroat is what I am trying to avoid but thank you for the mention of Reweave. I didn't even know that card exists.
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I think the idea is to run no creatures other than these fatties, then cast polymorphs on talrand's drakes. Really cool play btw
I run a deck that does this super reliably with regular Polymorph and Proteus Staff, but not Mass Polymorph. The downside to mass polymorph (you tuck Talrand) isn't enough to justify it when really, what do you need?
My deck doesn't run eldrazi or blightsteel (casual deck) and it is extremely consistent at getting one of those three creatures into play off just those two cards.
In my experience you don't really need the ability to flip all your creatures at once, as just getting one of those out will win you the game when you set it up properly. This allows you to run a higher density of instants and sorceries, letting you keep your foot on the gas until you get a fatty out. (Alternative: run Day of the Dragons, Eye of the Storm, Knowledge Pool, Cast Through Time, or other assorted cards that capitalize on Talrand)
I agree. We should all only play g/x decks because they are the most objectively fun and anyone who disagrees does not know the truth about EDH. Everyone should just play their decks because interaction beyond high fiving about how many land are in play is unfun and equivalent to casting Stasis while kicking puppies. I for one will never play with anyone who casts tutors, removal spells, blue cards, things I arbitrarily decide I don't like but will probably cast myself later.
The Polymorph is cool in a 60 card deck, but for EDH...I've seen it resolve, only for an opponent to wrath the board after it happens. Don't like MP in EDH.
You could go drake tribal. Another idea is to run "blue" creatures, as in, creatures that feel blue (whales, leviathans, krakens etc.)
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The Polymorph is cool in a 60 card deck, but for EDH...I've seen it resolve, only for an opponent to wrath the board after it happens. Don't like MP in EDH.
I play it in Scion with Rith, the awakener. Rith's ability usually puts out a good amount of tokens against my buddy's Kamahl deck. You are correct about it being being wrath-prone though, usually Warp World is a better bet. I'm thinking about adding Maelstrom Wanderer to better my odds a bit.
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If combo should die before I wake I'll slide a Smokestack in every deck I play, roll in every shop wreck the Spirit of EDH.
The problem is when I draw one of them early. The only card I know which helps in such situation is See Beyond unless I discard it and suffle in with Elixir of Immortality or discarded Ulamog.
And those are just the ones I can think of that will trigger Talrand. There are several others (both creatures and noncreatures) that can put one or more cards from your hand into your deck, as well. (Talrand really ought to be running Time Spiral at the very least, anyway, since it's free to cast if you have 6 lands and it draws you a new grip of 7 for more Talrand triggers.)
I just asked this question two months ago. My list boiled down to some cards I don't think you were a huge fan of - Vesuvan Doppleganger, Consecrated Sphinx, Jin-Gitaxias, Tidespount Tyrant, Blightsteel Colossus and Ulamog were my choices.
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UUU Talrand, Sky Summoner // (W/U)(W/U)(W/U) Grand Arbiter Augustin IV // RRR Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker // (R/G)(R/G)(R/G) Wort, the Raidmother // URG Riku of Two Reflections // RWU Ruhan of the Fomori
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This is why I started playing magic in the first place. It wasn't PT aspirations just making noobs cry by doing things that are perfectly fair.
Sun Quan, Lord of Wu looks like an interesting target for Talrand, though not for Mass Poly. Giving your Drake swarm pretty-much-unblockable can make him a pretty big threat.
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UUU Talrand, Sky Summoner // (W/U)(W/U)(W/U) Grand Arbiter Augustin IV // RRR Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker // (R/G)(R/G)(R/G) Wort, the Raidmother // URG Riku of Two Reflections // RWU Ruhan of the Fomori
Quote from Mark Rosewater »
In response to your Lightning Blast, I'll eat this burrito.
Quote from slipknot72102 »
This is why I started playing magic in the first place. It wasn't PT aspirations just making noobs cry by doing things that are perfectly fair.
Sorry for necro this. But it is one of the first hits on google when you search for "mass polymorph edh". I have been doing a Talrand deck as well. I started out with a cutthroat version including Deadeye Navigator. I too decided that was boring. Instead I went for a theme with sea monsters.
I have had a lot of fun and wins with it and wanted to share. It works great in small casual playgroups. It is fragile to targeted removal and board wipes. But Expropriate mitigates this a bit because I get an extra turn before my opponents, and if I cast Synthetic Destiny in an opponent's end step I get two turns to wreak havoc with the sea monsters. And even if the sea monsters get wiped, Trench Gorger emptied my deck for lands so I have very effective card draws to search for alternative win conditions in the rest of the game.
If you were to run Mass Polymorph what creatures would you play to win in style?
I have thought about doing:
~Stormtide Leviathan and all of the clone creatures.
~Running all the Eldrazi
Kozilek Butcher of Truth
Ulamog the Infinite Gyre
Artisan of Kozilek
Ulamog's Crusher
Hand of Emrakul
or just playing good blue creatures
UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryGU
GRBorborygmos EnragedRG
GBGRhys the ExiledGBG
URG Intet, the Dreamer GRU
some sphinxes
Blightsteel
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Cockatrice Username: seriph0
I think the idea is to run no creatures other than these fatties, then cast polymorphs on talrand's drakes. Really cool play btw
Yes and the point of the rack is that incase you draw your fatties you can put them back on top before you polymorph. Also, rack is just a sensational card even when not using it to set up combos.
Cockatrice Username: seriph0
I just can't decide what would be more fun: running good creatures, a fun theme, or strange blue creatures (roil elemental). With one placed time spell and a lot of cantrips in a turn or two, I can easily polymorph for 6+. So what 6 creatures would you want on the field with mono blue?
I might have to try this out for a few games just for the lols, but this isn't something what I would want to do permantly. Though this is the winner so far
UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryGU
GRBorborygmos EnragedRG
GBGRhys the ExiledGBG
URG Intet, the Dreamer GRU
The reason is because those are boring. I see Chancellor all the time, especially right next to Deadeye Navigator. If I wanted to go that route I would simply run:
Deadeye Navigator
Chancellor of the Spires
Dilluvian Primordial
Palinchron
Patron of the Moon
Tidespout Tyrant
Clone and its varients
Then I would be running the same boring creatures that any good stuff deck run. This would make this deck repetitive and make me feel like I am playing mono-blue good stuff drakes. My OP said I wanted to do it with style, for a less competitive play group. That means I am not looking for the strongest creature combination, but one even the most uptight players would see and be forced to smirk a little.
UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryGU
GRBorborygmos EnragedRG
GBGRhys the ExiledGBG
URG Intet, the Dreamer GRU
Cutthroat is what I am trying to avoid but thank you for the mention of Reweave. I didn't even know that card exists.
UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryGU
GRBorborygmos EnragedRG
GBGRhys the ExiledGBG
URG Intet, the Dreamer GRU
I run a deck that does this super reliably with regular Polymorph and Proteus Staff, but not Mass Polymorph. The downside to mass polymorph (you tuck Talrand) isn't enough to justify it when really, what do you need?
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Diluvian Primordial (each spell cast triggers Talrand)
Tidespout Tyrant
Eldrazi
Blightsteel
My deck doesn't run eldrazi or blightsteel (casual deck) and it is extremely consistent at getting one of those three creatures into play off just those two cards.
In my experience you don't really need the ability to flip all your creatures at once, as just getting one of those out will win you the game when you set it up properly. This allows you to run a higher density of instants and sorceries, letting you keep your foot on the gas until you get a fatty out. (Alternative: run Day of the Dragons, Eye of the Storm, Knowledge Pool, Cast Through Time, or other assorted cards that capitalize on Talrand)
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Tech!
If you want to go out with a huge bang (and since you are running coat of arms) Sharding Sphinx could be very stylish.
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I play it in Scion with Rith, the awakener. Rith's ability usually puts out a good amount of tokens against my buddy's Kamahl deck. You are correct about it being being wrath-prone though, usually Warp World is a better bet. I'm thinking about adding Maelstrom Wanderer to better my odds a bit.
WBRG Saskia the Unyielding
WUB Sharuum the Hegemon
RWU Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest
RG Wort, the Raidmother
WU Brago, King Eternal
B Chainer, Dementia Master
And those are just the ones I can think of that will trigger Talrand. There are several others (both creatures and noncreatures) that can put one or more cards from your hand into your deck, as well. (Talrand really ought to be running Time Spiral at the very least, anyway, since it's free to cast if you have 6 lands and it draws you a new grip of 7 for more Talrand triggers.)
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
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I just asked this question two months ago. My list boiled down to some cards I don't think you were a huge fan of - Vesuvan Doppleganger, Consecrated Sphinx, Jin-Gitaxias, Tidespount Tyrant, Blightsteel Colossus and Ulamog were my choices.
Pauper: UR some horrible homebrew izzet deck
I have had a lot of fun and wins with it and wanted to share. It works great in small casual playgroups. It is fragile to targeted removal and board wipes. But Expropriate mitigates this a bit because I get an extra turn before my opponents, and if I cast Synthetic Destiny in an opponent's end step I get two turns to wreak havoc with the sea monsters. And even if the sea monsters get wiped, Trench Gorger emptied my deck for lands so I have very effective card draws to search for alternative win conditions in the rest of the game.
I have a full list for anyone interested