MTG Salvation

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You really do seem to like the Jeskai/Ojutai. lol As well as an obviously love of control and stax. Seems like a solid list, quite standard (which is no problem). Has a lot of the staples, covers most of the grounds, though would seem to me to be more of a beatdown deck then a Stax deck, but you DO have Stax stuff in there. Not an exciting venture, but certainly a quality one.

Quote from Cardeokhan »

You really do seem to like the Jeskai/Ojutai. lol As well as an obviously love of control and stax.

I will always love Stax. Back in the day, when Standard was still called "Type II," I played lots of BR land destruction, so I've definitely got a soft spot for controlling the manas! As for the Jeskai/Ojutai, that's really a Khans block Monk fixation more than anything else. I've been dying to build a tribal (Buddhist) monk deck for years!

Quote from Cardeokhan »

Seems like a solid list, quite standard (which is no problem). Has a lot of the staples, covers most of the grounds... Not an exciting venture, but certainly a quality one.

Ya, I wanted something simple where I can spend most of the game staring at the pretty artwork. I'm totally serious. It's not often that I build a deck that's not a transcription of an existing story, so I enjoy the relative freedom of block-lore decks. It's the closest I get to playing Sealed or Standard.

Quote from Cardeokhan »

Not an exciting venture, but certainly a quality one....though would seem to me to be more of a beatdown deck then a Stax deck, but you DO have Stax stuff in there.

I think you're right about the beatdown focus, actually. I built this as soon as Narset Transcendent was spoiled a couple weeks ago and just got in my first two games with it today. Monastery Mentor was insane (per usual) and I kept the board locked down with Winter Orb. I wanna play a few more games before I consider making any changes to it, but I'm always open to suggestions!

Dragonlord Ojutai is just about the perfect commander for this deck. An evasive finisher, often a hexproof blocker, low costed, and a combat-damage triggered card advantage ability. The only commanders that come remotely close (and don't almost require building around) are Isperia, Supreme Judge and Medomai the Ageless.

Seriously loving this commander and this deck!

Played more games and made the following changes. I immediately knew I wanted Rout and Propaganda. Going by my own restrictions, that meant I needed a WU sorcery. Did y'all know that there are only nine WU sorcery spells? NINE I tell you! ONLY NINE!

ADDED
1x Supreme Verdict (inexpensive and uncounterable; yes, please!)
1x Rout (inexpensive or versatile; don't mind if I do!)
1x Propaganda (cheaper to cast than Sphere of Safety)

REMOVED
1x Cunning Breezedancer (not concerned about buffs)
1x Strongarm Monk (see above)
1x Sage-Eye Avengers (no protection and no evasion means no space in deck)

More games, more changes. I'm taking the list further down the path of incremental card advantage in an attempt to capture the spirit of The Deck. I selected the following cards based on their low mana cost and utility if rebounded with Narset Transcendent.

ADDED
1x Abeyance (a 1-shot Boseiju that cantrips, something Silence doesn't)
1x Frantic Search (more card filtering, plus land untap)
1x Tithe (works almost every time, especially with a G player at the table)
1x Telling Time (I considered Anticipate but chose this since a card is saved from going to the bottom)

REMOVED
1x Lotus-Eye Mystics (the deck's enchantments are useful, but too few to run this)
1x Mistfire Adept (Thassa provides evasion and the deck's beaters already fly)
1x Serra Ascendant (too conditional)
1x Whirlwind Adept (low toughness without prowess triggers makes this inefficient)

Have been having lots of frosty fun with the deck. One of the all-stars is Monastery Siege, especially in tandem with mana denial. Makes removing the Dragonlord more difficult even when it's tapped. Thassa's been great with Ojutai as has Heliod. Have had the pleasure of them both on the 'field concurrently. Still waiting to draw and cast Narset Transcendent.

All in all, quite pleased with the deck so far.

Random thought but isn't Monastery Siege to defend Ojutai just a worse vigilance? If you had vigilance it would cover that anyways is my thought. It really depends on how often you are playing the Siege for the card filter I suppose.

Quote from ISBPathfinder »

Random thought but isn't Monastery Siege to defend Ojutai just a worse vigilance? If you had vigilance it would cover that anyways is my thought. It really depends on how often you are playing the Siege for the card filter I suppose.

ISBPathfinder, I play the Siege here for the same reason I play Prophet of Kruphix instead of Training Grounds in my Tasigur deck: it works with more cards than just my commander. Siege's primary purpose isn't to protect the Dragonlord but the deck's Stax pieces. Remember, you and I are operating under different social contracts. I hardly need to worry about protecting my commander when my opponents' mana resources are tapped down, in hand, or destroyed. Plus, Ghostway and Emerge Unscathed do more here as surprise, prowess enabling tricks than a static vigilance effect would. Mind you, the deck's been running Heliod from day one, so I'm not discounting the utility of vigilance, but the leaning on it.

I suppose that's fair. It just doesn't feel like you have that many other creatures in the list that seem they need the protection but I suppose it can be useful.

Any thoughts on Rhystic Study / Mystic Remora in here? Both of which seem like their taxation or draw effects would often likely cause you to draw cards.

Quote from ISBPathfinder »

I suppose that's fair. It just doesn't feel like you have that many other creatures in the list that seem they need the protection but I suppose it can be useful.

Any thoughts on Rhystic Study / Mystic Remora in here? Both of which seem like their taxation or draw effects would often likely cause you to draw cards.

When the Dragonlord's untapped, edict effects and boardwipes are the chief ways to answer it in my opinion. Ghostway prevents this, protects the deck's other creatures, and, if Ojutai was tapped, returns it to the battlefield with hexproof. Emerge Unscathed has a low mana cost, protects one of the deck's finishers, and triggers prowess twice.

I despise Remora. I feel that the Study's only place is in a Stax deck for maximum utility, but not this one. I'm more concerned about card selection than I am card drawing in this deck. It is rare that I'm ever wanting for more cards in hand. In fact, if memory serves, it's never happened in the five weeks I've been testing the deck. My hand is usually full and, if anything, I often find myself pitching lands.

Generally, I'm able to draw into whatever I might need because of the time the deck's Stax package grants me. The games I've won with the deck have mostly consisted of me locking down the board with the Dragonlord on the battlefield, drawing into answers for opponents' answers, and taking out one player at a time.

Otherworldly Journey is one of my favorite cards to protect important creatures. In the case of Ojutai it will knock off one of the swings required to deal 21.

It can't save multiple creatures like Ghostway, but it is cheaper to cast and has the +1/+1 counter.

Quote from MTGOJarkeld »

Otherworldly Journey is one of my favorite cards to protect important creatures. In the case of Ojutai it will knock off one of the swings required to deal 21.

It can't save multiple creatures like Ghostway, but it is cheaper to cast and has the +1/+1 counter.

The deck's artifact ramp keeps spellcasting easy.

Also, when the deck locks up the mana with a threat (or even two) on the battlefield, many players concede. Those that don't die in five swings or less due to other damage dealt during the game.

Tragic Arrogance will replace Rout. Hits more permanents and keeps Ojutai on the 'field.

Would Yosei, the Morning Star be a better choice than Ojutai, Soul of Winter? Tangle Wire is another nasty choice for your opponent.

With only two other dragons to trigger Soul of Winter, I'd cut both him and the other dragon. Also scribe seems a tad weak. Maybe something like

Ojutai, SoW -> Frost Titan
Pristine Skywise -> Jace, The Mind Scultor
Also, since you're making so many upgrades

Zephyre Adept -> Constipated... I mean Consecrated Sphinx

I doubt he wants to cut the dragons, as they are a specific subtheme within the deck. Lark is a Vorthos Spike, he wants powerful cards, but they need to be on-theme. None of those are.