Hey all! I've decided to dabble in Green (at least a little bit) for the sole reason of playing Derevi. As usual, I'm making a control deck T_T
Anyways, I've finally worked out an iteration of the deck that I'll recreate (slowly... acquiring cards on a student budget is hard) in paper. Right now, I'm playing/testing it on Cockatrice, and it's quite a force to be reckoned with now that I've gotten the hang of playing Green.
I'll get to my decklist and some questions/advice-seeking in a sec, but first I'd like to point out the things I'm trying to do with Derevi.
Planeswalkers! I'd like to use as many 'walkers as will fit with the controlling nature of the deck. I'm not saying that only the best and brightest are allowed in; I'm saying that the ones that will most further my goals will make the cut.
Control! I'm mostly attacking opponents' mana/spell production while fending them off with choice removal. As a result, I've got a lot of cards with strong, albeit symmetrical, effects. I'm conscious of this, and the deck is working to get around this.
Birthing Pod! I utilize the Pod for value creatures (not goodstuff!). I have an okay CMC distribution, as I'm keeping in mind that I'll be using it to snatch a lot of 4-5 drops (the chain can easily be started with Derevi, who will just come back later).
Wizards! It's not a tribal deck by any stretch of the imagination, but I do want to include as many value-wizards as possible. The ones I've got already usually have flash or impact the board when they enter. This just so happens to work really well with Azami, though I don't mind bouncing the wizards to reuse their effects.
So, I think the balance of these 4 aspects is pretty good right now, but if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Here, forum-goers, is where I would like your suggestions. I want to make this deck rather good, but not budget-breakingly competitive. I have most of the "money cards" in the list, anyways, and I don't want to put a lot of money into another control deck. (I already did that with GAA4, and this list is similar enough to that one already... >_>)
Anyways! Here's what I'm not aiming to do with the deck, so please keep this in mind when you're suggesting things:
Battlecruiser. I don't just want to shove in ramp and Mana Reflection. These things tend to be really dead draws in the mid- to late-game, which is when control decks shine.
Artifact accel. Some might be handy, especially with Orb effects running around. However, I find things like Azorius Signet rather slow.. maybe I'm just spoiled? Also, I don't usually run into land/mana problems.
Goodstuff. There's just no room for chaff in a control deck.
So! I'm looking to improve the above decklist, so that it has the maximum amount of synergy between the 4 things I want to do: Planeswalkers, Control, Birthing Pod, and Wizards. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. I'm also willing to settle for compliments!
Personally, I see a lot of use in the last 3, and they're all really at the same level of "I really would like to keep these in the deck, if possible, but if there's something that is absolutely better, I'll go with it."
Tezzie's Gambit proliferates the PWs loyalty (doubled if Doubling Season is out!) in addition to drawing cards.
Deputy bounces my ETB creatures like a boss and fills in a 2-drop spot in the Birthing Pod chain.
Bant Charm is just really solid removal.
Still, if you have a suggestion that creates a similar or better synergy, I'm all ears!
Anyways, I've finally worked out an iteration of the deck that I'll recreate (slowly... acquiring cards on a student budget is hard) in paper. Right now, I'm playing/testing it on Cockatrice, and it's quite a force to be reckoned with now that I've gotten the hang of playing Green.
I'll get to my decklist and some questions/advice-seeking in a sec, but first I'd like to point out the things I'm trying to do with Derevi.
So, I think the balance of these 4 aspects is pretty good right now, but if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
3 Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Creature
2 Deputy of Acquittals
2 Invisible Stalker
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Aven Mindcensor
3 Eternal Witness
4 Academy Rector
4 Hokori, Dust Drinker
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Voidmage Husher
5 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
5 Prophet of Kruphix
5 Reveillark
6 Sun Titan
Artifact
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
2 Winter Orb
3 Ashnod's Altar
3 Static Orb
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
3 Tangle Wire
4 Birthing Pod
4 Smokestack
Enchantment
2 Sylvan Library
3 Aura Shards
3 Ghostly Prison
3 Rhystic Study
5 Doubling Season
5 Mirari's Wake
5 Sphere of Safety
6 Martyr's Bond
6 Treachery
10 Omniscience
3 Jace Beleren
4 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 Garruk Wildspeaker
4 Jace, Architect of Thought
5 Garruk, Primal Hunter
5 Gideon Jura
5 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
5 Tezzeret the Seeker
5 Venser, the Sojourner
6 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Instant
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
2 Counterspell
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Deglamer
2 Memory Lapse
2 Unexpectedly Absent
3 Bant Charm
3 Krosan Grip
3 Hinder
3 Spell Crumple
Sorcery
4 Replenish
4 Supreme Verdict
4 Tezzeret's Gambit
4 Wrath of God
6 Austere Command
6 Terminus
7 Temporal Mastery
1 Adarkar Wastes
1 Breeding Pool
1 Brushland
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Command Tower
1 Flooded Grove
1 Gavony Township
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 High Market
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mystic Gate
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Temple of the False God
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Yavimaya Coast
3 Forest
5 Island
5 Plains
Here, forum-goers, is where I would like your suggestions. I want to make this deck rather good, but not budget-breakingly competitive. I have most of the "money cards" in the list, anyways, and I don't want to put a lot of money into another control deck. (I already did that with GAA4, and this list is similar enough to that one already... >_>)
Anyways! Here's what I'm not aiming to do with the deck, so please keep this in mind when you're suggesting things:
So! I'm looking to improve the above decklist, so that it has the maximum amount of synergy between the 4 things I want to do: Planeswalkers, Control, Birthing Pod, and Wizards. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. I'm also willing to settle for compliments!
(In order of willingness to replace)
Personally, I see a lot of use in the last 3, and they're all really at the same level of "I really would like to keep these in the deck, if possible, but if there's something that is absolutely better, I'll go with it."
Tezzie's Gambit proliferates the PWs loyalty (doubled if Doubling Season is out!) in addition to drawing cards.
Deputy bounces my ETB creatures like a boss and fills in a 2-drop spot in the Birthing Pod chain.
Bant Charm is just really solid removal.
Still, if you have a suggestion that creates a similar or better synergy, I'm all ears!
Thanks!
Thank you to Rivenor for this awesome banner!
Palladia-Mors of {The Spirit of EDH}
EDH
WLinvala, Queen of the AngelsW
WUThe Prison of the Grand ArbiterUW [Primer]
URNiv-Mizzet, Handcycling ComboRU
UTalrand, Drake-Slinging to VictoryU
WUGDerevi, Tactical ShufflingGUW
BCao Cao, Discard Stax of Absolute MiseryB
WUGDerevi Voltron AttritionWUG
WGRMayael of the Cheated CreaturesWGR