Anyone given this any thought? Its not difficult to kill it amidst a child wipe, and a stream of 4/4s is good on offence and defence.
It has to die later on in the turn after activating its ability; just killing it isn't enough. So it either has to do due to the fight or die sometimes after the fight during that same turn in which it fought.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Hey guys. I've been following this thread for a while now, since I've been playing Child as a commander; it was in fact my very first EDH deck. It started of as a lands-type of version (mainly with manlands), I've run the pauper version for a while, and I recently tweaked my list to run all Gods up to AKH (all the indestructible ones for short, because, well, thats cool with Child). Plus: a tribal Gods deck sounds too good. It's been a ton of fun, but I'm quite sure it's not the best way to build around child. This is mainly because turning the gods into creatures proves to be difficult: reaching devotion just to blow up the board next because you're gonna lose if you don't just isn't very efficient I guess :P. On top of that, defense against flying creatures is really hard.
However
There might be some things that can prove useful to your lists. For example, Bontu the Glorified is a very decent sac outlet that hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, if I'm not mistaking. He's cheap, can be used on instant speed and once he hits the board, he's there to stsy. Furthermore, he's good for 5 at least damage in a turn you use him as an attacker (1 lifeloss + 4 combat damage).
Also, Athreos, God of Passage is a decent way of recursion: since it's not a replacement effect, you'll get CoA back if the opponent of your choice doesn't pay 3 life. In most cases, the choice will be to pay 3 life. Lategame however, there's likely a player that cannot afford to do that anymore. Should you reach devotion, a 5/4 indestructible blocker is pretty decent for 3 mana, too.
These two are, I think, most compatible with CoA. The others provide some nice utility features and might for example be valuable in the right meta (like Mogis, God of Slaughter), for some extra card selection (Thassa, God of the Sea), or to create some chump blockers (Heliod, God of the Sun) but aren't as good as the aforementioned two, I think.
Just my two cents for this nice thread. Keep up the good work, I'll keep following you guys.
Bontu the Glorified is actually a pretty great suggestion being as it's a cheap (and durable) sacrifice outlet. Not only that, but as you pointed out, you can attack with it after Child dies (and clears the rest of the table).
On a separate note, I'm definitely one that's up to test some of the transforming lands from Ixalan. Hopefully the accompanying set in the block brings some more!
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
They look cool, but I don't think I'll be playing with them myself. I'd rather just draw gas. Tireless Tracker is practically the same thing and The Gitrog Monster is practically giving each land you play cycling. I think if I added them, due to the density of lands in the deck, I'd end up just cycling them constantly, but if that's the case there are probably better draw spells. But Canyon Slough and Sheltered Thicket with replace Polluted Mire and Slippery Karst because of the basic land types for Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and they cost the same to cycle. The mono-costed cycling lands probably not. Just my opinion.
Ps. Round about way of saying they're probably worse than Shocks
At least you explained why they were better instead of just saying that they're not better.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
@DementedKirby, you should definitely be running Emeria, The Sky Ruin (and of course a few more Plains/Shocks/Duals/Battlelands).
In other news, I completely missed an amazing interaction with Imprisoned In The Moon. Ive updated the primer:
Imprisoned In The Moon / Song Of The Dryads
Flavourful spot removal! The downside is that if you blow Child the enchantment dies and the opponent's card lives. The flip side is you can enchant your own creature to protect it from an incoming Child wipe. Another bonus is that it can deal with a problem general without letting them simply recast it. But the real beauty here is the interaction with Thespian's Stage and Vesuva. Only printed text is actually copyable, so if you drop this on something super nasty, your lands will copy the card as printed!
Basically you can use this card to turn stage into Griselbrand, Progenitus, Necropotence, or whatever busted card happens to be on the battlefield.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Yeah, now that you mention it the strategies are pretty dissimilar; your Child is more as pushing the red button mine is just constant thermonuclear war. My lands are more for ramping than utility (as you mentioned).
I'm still testing it out so I'll let you know how it's been. I made some more changes as well as I've been playing it. So I'll post my findings as I've been playing. Child of Alara is a broken commander so I'm glad there a beacon for Child players here.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Great primer! I've been trying to build a Child of Alara basic lands matters combined with Superfriends. However, thanks to Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, I'm going to make a lands.dec with Child and would like some feedback. I have no permanents in the deck because I want to be able to recast Child and wipe the board as much as possible. Due to some cards being too expensive I wasn't able to build it. Yet, thanks to FtV: Lore, I was able to get a Dark Depths (and the Marit Lage token) thanks to it. I made a very budget version with the cards I had and would like to keep it as budget as possible (which is why there's a lot of basic lands and ramping). There are some spells to take advantage of sacrificing Child as well (sometimes they work well and other times they just sit in my hand). So there are still some things I would like help on.
Since Child of Alara can already be quite oppressing, I want to avoid tutors (except for ramping) as much as possible. I have some responses like removal and counterspells for those pesky cards that grant indestructible. My current wincons are facesmashing with Marit Lage, Inkmoth Nexus + Kessig Wolf Run, and commander damage. I've added some lands to produce tokens in case I need a chump blocker every now and then (and to tranform Westvale Abbey into Ormendahl, Profane Prince quicker).
I like how the deck is running but for all of those with experience in the deck if you could provide some suggestions or feedback that would be awesome. Thanks in advance!
EDIT:
I changed the deck around a bit because I wanted to be able to wrath more in order to take advantage of Child's triggered ability. So I added many ways to recur Child of Alara besides Gift of Immortality such as Fool's Demise and Diabolic Servitude, which pretty much do the same thing. I also added other reanimation spells to get it into play afterwards. Here's what the deck is currently looking like:
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
I don't think it's a good idea to play Avacyn in a Child decklist since it's a very juicy target to copy and steal for other players.
Well, again, it all depends on the meta. I've been able to play Twilight Shepherd as well for even more brutal wrath effects. Avacyn is just icing on the cake. Also, even if an opponent can steal your creatures at instant speed (my meta runs Memnarch), it's all about the timing.
There are also many builds that have very different strategies - like the ones that run a buttload of manlands. I find those to be somewhat satisfactory as well to play. There would be no need to run Avacyn, Angel of Hope or Twilight Shepherd or anything else if you got all the manlands in your deck. Though, I know the OP is not geared towards a manland saturated build.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
@ gromgrom:
While it's true that in a meta full of creature theft, you should then be able to know when to cast Child of Alara and when to hold out. Most of the cards I'm playing with are proxied (still too poor to get most of the cards) so I want to buy them when I'm sure the deck is as brutal as I want it to be. For now, my current playgroup hates when I enchant Child with Gift of Immortality. It's just the gift that keeps on giving. I also use Avacyn, Angel of Hope to great effect as well.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
It does... ive considered it at times, but i already run corpse dance and i havent quite gotten to use it to test it yet. Both spells require me to have a sac outlet like high market regardless.
Also, did anyone see the new planeswalker?
+1 glorified maze of ith. Stops a single permanent until your NEXT TURN.
-1 explore
-9 put a 9/9 kraken onto the battlefield.
Definitely considering this card, simply because of the explore factor, although the +1 is nice to. What worries me, is that at 2 loyalty, its too easy to kill. All i want is a repeated explore honestly. It will get tested for sure
Yeah, the new planeswalker produced quite the tingle in my nether regions. She's broken. However, the worry for her 2 loyalty is using her in a 1-on-1 or in Standard format, where people actually run single target burns. In multiplayer EDH, how many times have you actually see someone running Shock? Or Lightning Bolt? Or Magma Jet? She's safe as long as you can defend her. And her first ability does just that. Hell, a 9/9 each turn ain't so shabby either! But for this deck, she's basically an Explore every other turn. I'd totally add her.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
How about adding Fastbond? It helps you out greatly and with it you can add many of the Kamigawa block creatures whose broken abilities have the drawback of returning lands to your hand. Also, it doesn't help your opponents. If you don't want to receive the damage, Personal Sanctuary is a must. It also helps when using pain lands.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
It has to die later on in the turn after activating its ability; just killing it isn't enough. So it either has to do due to the fight or die sometimes after the fight during that same turn in which it fought.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Bontu the Glorified is actually a pretty great suggestion being as it's a cheap (and durable) sacrifice outlet. Not only that, but as you pointed out, you can attack with it after Child dies (and clears the rest of the table).
On a separate note, I'm definitely one that's up to test some of the transforming lands from Ixalan. Hopefully the accompanying set in the block brings some more!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
At least you explained why they were better instead of just saying that they're not better.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Self milling and then casting Splendid Reclamation would be awesome - unless Splendid Reclamation gets put into the graveyard. I would also run Mizzix's Mastery as well if that were the strategy.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
That's too brilliant! Copying any card with Vesuva or Thespian's Stage is genius!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Yeah, now that you mention it the strategies are pretty dissimilar; your Child is more as pushing the red button mine is just constant thermonuclear war. My lands are more for ramping than utility (as you mentioned).
I'm still testing it out so I'll let you know how it's been. I made some more changes as well as I've been playing it. So I'll post my findings as I've been playing. Child of Alara is a broken commander so I'm glad there a beacon for Child players here.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Since Child of Alara can already be quite oppressing, I want to avoid tutors (except for ramping) as much as possible. I have some responses like removal and counterspells for those pesky cards that grant indestructible. My current wincons are facesmashing with Marit Lage, Inkmoth Nexus + Kessig Wolf Run, and commander damage. I've added some lands to produce tokens in case I need a chump blocker every now and then (and to tranform Westvale Abbey into Ormendahl, Profane Prince quicker).
I like how the deck is running but for all of those with experience in the deck if you could provide some suggestions or feedback that would be awesome. Thanks in advance!
EDIT:
I changed the deck around a bit because I wanted to be able to wrath more in order to take advantage of Child's triggered ability. So I added many ways to recur Child of Alara besides Gift of Immortality such as Fool's Demise and Diabolic Servitude, which pretty much do the same thing. I also added other reanimation spells to get it into play afterwards. Here's what the deck is currently looking like:
1 Child of Alara
Artifacts: 1
1 Expedition Map
Enchantments: 4
1 Animate Dead
1 Diabolic Servitude
1 Fool's Demise
1 Gift of Immortality
Instants: 16
1 Altar's Reap
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Constant Mists
1 Corpse Dance
1 Counterspell
1 Crop Rotation
1 Faith's Reward
1 Goryo's Vengeance
1 Merciless Resolve
1 Momentous Fall
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Negate
1 Scour from Existence
1 Swan Song
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Utter End
Sorceries: 28
1 All is Dust
1 Animist's Awakening
1 Boundless Realms
1 Breath of Life
1 Cultivate
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dread Return
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 Footsteps of the Goryo
1 Into the North
1 Journey of Discovery
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Life's Legacy
1 Mind Extraction
1 Praetor's Counsel
1 Reap and Sow
1 Reprocess
1 Resurrection
1 Scapeshift
1 Seek the Horizon
1 Shard Convergence
1 Stitch Together
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Tempt with Discovery
1 Tormented Thoughts
1 Vigor Mortis
1 Wave of Vitriol
1 Wildest Dreams
1 Zombify
1 Azorius Guildgate
1 Boros Guildgate
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Command Tower
1 Dark Depths
1 Deserted Temple
1 Dimir Guildgate
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Grim Backwoods
1 Gruul Guildgate
1 High Market
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Izzet Guildgate
1 Keldon Necropolis
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Kher Keep
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
1 Maze's End
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Rakdos Guildgate
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Selesnya Guildgate
1 Simic Guildgate
1 Springjack Pasture
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Westvale Abbey
8 Forest
2 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains
4 Swamp
Again, any thoughts are well appreciated!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Well, again, it all depends on the meta. I've been able to play Twilight Shepherd as well for even more brutal wrath effects. Avacyn is just icing on the cake. Also, even if an opponent can steal your creatures at instant speed (my meta runs Memnarch), it's all about the timing.
There are also many builds that have very different strategies - like the ones that run a buttload of manlands. I find those to be somewhat satisfactory as well to play. There would be no need to run Avacyn, Angel of Hope or Twilight Shepherd or anything else if you got all the manlands in your deck. Though, I know the OP is not geared towards a manland saturated build.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
While it's true that in a meta full of creature theft, you should then be able to know when to cast Child of Alara and when to hold out. Most of the cards I'm playing with are proxied (still too poor to get most of the cards) so I want to buy them when I'm sure the deck is as brutal as I want it to be. For now, my current playgroup hates when I enchant Child with Gift of Immortality. It's just the gift that keeps on giving. I also use Avacyn, Angel of Hope to great effect as well.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Is there a reason you removed Gift of Immortality from the list?
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Yeah, the new planeswalker produced quite the tingle in my nether regions. She's broken. However, the worry for her 2 loyalty is using her in a 1-on-1 or in Standard format, where people actually run single target burns. In multiplayer EDH, how many times have you actually see someone running Shock? Or Lightning Bolt? Or Magma Jet? She's safe as long as you can defend her. And her first ability does just that. Hell, a 9/9 each turn ain't so shabby either! But for this deck, she's basically an Explore every other turn. I'd totally add her.
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!