I) GAMEPLAN
This is a very traditional control/combo deck, with many, many ways to kill the enemy. It's effective in both 1v1 and multiplayer commander - although slightly better in multi, imo - and provides many options for the pilot to consider via a robust tutor battery.
The basic strategy is to starve the opposition of resources and cards, and gain incremental advantage through mana rocks, planeswalkers, and high value removal spells. Once the opposition has been stalled, or when it's possible to go off with protection, and the kill con of choice is set up, the pilot is to then combo off and kill the enemy explosively.
Our backup kill plan, should our combo fail to go off or if someone has an out, is tron beats, using either Dakkon Blackblade + equipment, manland + equipment, or just Aetherling beating face. Phantasmal Image and Acquire make for very powerful backup plans as well - especially Acquire, which can pull some surprise wins from nowhere.
II) Key interactions
1.) Vampire Hexmage + Dark Depths
Nothing to it. This is a classic, easy to pull off combo that spawns a 20/20 indestructible flier. It's not usually a win on it's own, but if left unanswered, it will win you games in a hurry.
2.) Rest in Peace + Helm of Obedience
To the theoretical pilot who doesn't know how this works...Helm of Obedience mills until X cards hit the graveyard. Rest in Peace makes sure none do. So...Helm mills people to death for an activation of 1.
3.) Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine
Nobody likes losing land. Fewer like losing a land every turn, guaranteed. This works better in 1v1 than in multi, but even in multi it forces people to team up against you or die, unless they have a ton of mana rocks or a screwy, non-land based plan.
4.) Consecrated Sphinx + Temple Bell
This one I love in multi. With three players, every time you tap the bell, the other two draw a card, and you draw four. It scales disgustingly as more and more players are added to the game. It's not as great in single, and probably not worth the effort to set up, but it's still an option.
5.) Spine of Ish Sah + Phyrexia's Core
What's worse than losing a land every turn? Losing any non-hexproof permanent per turn. The downside to this is the initial mana investment of the Spine. This is a great option if you find yourself with a multitude of mana rocks, or you've sapped enough tempo to get to 7 mana safely.
6.) Stoneforge Mystic + Batterskull
Classic. Few things say F*** YOU quite like a T1 SFM into T2 Batterskull. That's MY kind of opportunism c:
7.) Dakkon Blackblade + any equipment
Good way to quickly rack up commander damage. Dakkon + Batterskull is a three turn clock that quickly builds your own life total.
8.) Creeping Tar Pit + equip
Unblockable assault is the best kind of assault.
8.) Crucible of Worlds + Death Cloud
A good way to reset the game in your favor. If times look rough and you have either one of these cards, use one of the many tutors to tutor up the other half. It's not hard to wipe entire board positions with Death Cloud and then build up quickly with crucible + mana rocks.
III.) Other cards to consider
1.) Nether Void / Trinisphere
Solid methods of slowing the game down. Particularly effective after a board wipe, but tricky to set up and use properly. I'm not quite deft enough to use Nether Void, and Trinisphere seems to lack punch in this format.
2.) Serra Ascendant
Goes in every white EDH deck, ever. I didn't put SA in this deck because of a lack of space.
4.) Oloro, the Ageless Mystic
Can be used as a backup commander or as a replacement for Dakkon. This was who I originally used. I replaced him with Dakkon after missing WAY TOO MANY triggers, and because Dakkon provides a unique utility to the deck (face punching is utility right?). If you prefer Oloro, run him.
Wow, looks brutal. I like it! I'm surprised by the lack of counters to protect your combo pieces though. I would also consider Ashes to Ashes -> Curse of the Swine. Also, how do you protect yourself while setting up? It doesn't look like you make any board presence, and what board you do have will probably scare other players, especially after playing you a couple times.
It's a very proactive, tap-out type of control. I may not establish much board presence...but nobody else gets to establish any either c: In my playgroup, I'm able to pretty easily grind people out of board/card advantage, and then drop two combo pieces and activate simultaneously.
My playgroup hates me.
Curse of the Swine looks solid. I'll playtest it tonight c:
1 Dakkon Blackblade
Lands (40):
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Dark Depths
1 Drowned Catacombs
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
4 Island
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Marsh Flats
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Phyrexia's Core
4 Plains
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scrubland
1 Strip Mine
6 Swamp
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Temple of Silence
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Vesuva
1 Wasteland
1 Watery Grave
1 Condemn
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mana Drain
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Dissipate
1 Hinder
1 Mortify
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Cryptic Command
1 Desertion
Sorceries (16):
1 Mind Twist
1 Thoughtseize
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Martial Coup
1 Ashes to Ashes
1 Death Cloud
1 Grim Tutor
1 Idyllic Tutor
1 Vindicate
1 Damnation
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Acquire
1 Hallowed Burial
1 Promise of Power
1 Austere Command
Artifacts (15)
1 Expedition Map
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Azorius Signet
1 Dimir Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Coalition Relic
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Temple Bell
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Batterskull
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Rest in Peace
1 Banishing Light
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Detention Sphere
Walkers (4):
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Liliana Vess
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Karn Liberated
Creatures (8):
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Mulldrifter
1 Aetherling
1 Consecrated Sphinx
I) GAMEPLAN
This is a very traditional control/combo deck, with many, many ways to kill the enemy. It's effective in both 1v1 and multiplayer commander - although slightly better in multi, imo - and provides many options for the pilot to consider via a robust tutor battery.
The basic strategy is to starve the opposition of resources and cards, and gain incremental advantage through mana rocks, planeswalkers, and high value removal spells. Once the opposition has been stalled, or when it's possible to go off with protection, and the kill con of choice is set up, the pilot is to then combo off and kill the enemy explosively.
There are five combo kill conditions in the deck, of which four are 'soft' kill conditions. The soft kill cons are Spine of Ish Sah + Phyrexia's Core, Dark Depths + Vampire Hexmage, Consecrated Sphinx + Temple Bell, and Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine. The hard kill con, of course, is Rest in Peace + Helm of Obedience.
Our backup kill plan, should our combo fail to go off or if someone has an out, is tron beats, using either Dakkon Blackblade + equipment, manland + equipment, or just Aetherling beating face. Phantasmal Image and Acquire make for very powerful backup plans as well - especially Acquire, which can pull some surprise wins from nowhere.
II) Key interactions
1.) Vampire Hexmage + Dark Depths
Nothing to it. This is a classic, easy to pull off combo that spawns a 20/20 indestructible flier. It's not usually a win on it's own, but if left unanswered, it will win you games in a hurry.
2.) Rest in Peace + Helm of Obedience
To the theoretical pilot who doesn't know how this works...Helm of Obedience mills until X cards hit the graveyard. Rest in Peace makes sure none do. So...Helm mills people to death for an activation of 1.
3.) Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine
Nobody likes losing land. Fewer like losing a land every turn, guaranteed. This works better in 1v1 than in multi, but even in multi it forces people to team up against you or die, unless they have a ton of mana rocks or a screwy, non-land based plan.
4.) Consecrated Sphinx + Temple Bell
This one I love in multi. With three players, every time you tap the bell, the other two draw a card, and you draw four. It scales disgustingly as more and more players are added to the game. It's not as great in single, and probably not worth the effort to set up, but it's still an option.
5.) Spine of Ish Sah + Phyrexia's Core
What's worse than losing a land every turn? Losing any non-hexproof permanent per turn. The downside to this is the initial mana investment of the Spine. This is a great option if you find yourself with a multitude of mana rocks, or you've sapped enough tempo to get to 7 mana safely.
6.) Stoneforge Mystic + Batterskull
Classic. Few things say F*** YOU quite like a T1 SFM into T2 Batterskull. That's MY kind of opportunism c:
7.) Dakkon Blackblade + any equipment
Good way to quickly rack up commander damage. Dakkon + Batterskull is a three turn clock that quickly builds your own life total.
8.) Creeping Tar Pit + equip
Unblockable assault is the best kind of assault.
8.) Crucible of Worlds + Death Cloud
A good way to reset the game in your favor. If times look rough and you have either one of these cards, use one of the many tutors to tutor up the other half. It's not hard to wipe entire board positions with Death Cloud and then build up quickly with crucible + mana rocks.
III.) Other cards to consider
1.) Nether Void / Trinisphere
Solid methods of slowing the game down. Particularly effective after a board wipe, but tricky to set up and use properly. I'm not quite deft enough to use Nether Void, and Trinisphere seems to lack punch in this format.
2.) Serra Ascendant
Goes in every white EDH deck, ever. I didn't put SA in this deck because of a lack of space.
3.) Divinity of Pride
See: Serra Ascendant.
4.) Oloro, the Ageless Mystic
Can be used as a backup commander or as a replacement for Dakkon. This was who I originally used. I replaced him with Dakkon after missing WAY TOO MANY triggers, and because Dakkon provides a unique utility to the deck (face punching is utility right?). If you prefer Oloro, run him.
IV.) Le Fin
Comments and critique greatly appreciated c:
Loam Pox
Standard:
Boros Burn
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
My playgroup hates me.
Curse of the Swine looks solid. I'll playtest it tonight c:
Loam Pox
Standard:
Boros Burn
Pact of Negation and Force of Will let you tap out and still counter spells.
Do you find that your curve is too high?