monastery mentor in particular seems like a wincon all on his own. Makes dudes and pumps 'em. Doesn't even need to be targeted.
I see sort of a handful of directions:
pure voltron, focusing on 1-2 cmc buffs and protection, and trying to knock people out of the game ASAP.
heroic/cast synergy, focusing on 1-2 cmc spells with multiple targets and/or draw to get value while casting your spells.
control, focusing on spells that can target enemies and friendlies at the same time to control the board
And the more niche directions:
arcane, focusing on arcane spells
blink, focusing on the blink spells with etb creatures for synergy
burn, mostly focusing on any number of target burn to repeatedly burn people down
And then there's a few cards like mirrorwing, zada, precursor golem, and monastery mentor that sort of provide a wincon on their own, along with stuff like heal that probably merits a spot in any build.
I don't get why sad bot would be an auto-include. I mean, if you're focusing on a blink build them fine, but for any other build it's just a decent value creature that's been getting increasingly obsolete with each passing year. I think Feather can do better. Ramp is the relevant part, so run efficient ramp, not 4 mana for 1 land. The draw is almost irrelevant in a deck that turns every cantrip into a draw engine.
Same thing for sun titan and knight of the white orchID to be honest. Solid cards, absolutely make the cut for a goodstuff RW deck, but this isn't some middle-of-the-road goodstuff deck. This is a highly-focused deck. The knight might make the cut as a functional 2-cmc rock that provides colored mana, but sun titan seems way too slow. And what are you recurring in this spellslinger build anyway, fetchlands? We don't need some trash-tier wannabe primeval titan. When RW plays goodstuff it gets wrecked because its stuff just isn't as good. But Feather is good. Let go of the goodstuff mentality and embrace the synergy.
(btw if anyone wants to check out my heroic combo build in my sig, I could use some help cutting down the list)
Plus, at least to my reading of the card, feather will return it just fine if you protect/blink/etc your artifact creature before the spell resolves, just so long as something of your opponents is still alive to get blown up (although if they manage to remove all their targets too, then the spell gets countered and I'm fairly certain feather will fail to return it).
Sure, but flavor-wise it might make more sense. Shooting your own creature with aurelia's fury is definitely an odd thing to incentivize. I think the "intent" is that you're using pump spells with her.
I'm pretty sure that doesn't work. Soul's Fire has two targets, your creature and the damage sponge.
Well, it "works" insofar as you CAN copy soul's fire with mirrorwing, but you can only do it if both targets are mirrorwing dragon. In which case your whole team will punch themselves in the face.
Which is hilarious, but probably not productive.
Lol, I see the problem here.
All targets on a spell has to target Mirrorwing for it to copy the spell. I presume if I designate Mirrorwing as one of the target for Soul's Fire, the spell would still work, just not copied, yes?
Yep. You have to choose between copying the spell and having your team punch themselves in the face, and actually doing something useful with the spell, in which case no copying will happen.
I'm kind of surprised feather doesn't have the same "only targets one creature" stipulation, but I guess it doesn't have the same difficulty of target selection that mirrorwing/zada would have without that clause.
I'm pretty sure that doesn't work. Soul's Fire has two targets, your creature and the damage sponge.
Well, it "works" insofar as you CAN copy soul's fire with mirrorwing, but you can only do it if both targets are mirrorwing dragon. In which case your whole team will punch themselves in the face.
I see sort of a handful of directions:
pure voltron, focusing on 1-2 cmc buffs and protection, and trying to knock people out of the game ASAP.
heroic/cast synergy, focusing on 1-2 cmc spells with multiple targets and/or draw to get value while casting your spells.
control, focusing on spells that can target enemies and friendlies at the same time to control the board
And the more niche directions:
arcane, focusing on arcane spells
blink, focusing on the blink spells with etb creatures for synergy
burn, mostly focusing on any number of target burn to repeatedly burn people down
And then there's a few cards like mirrorwing, zada, precursor golem, and monastery mentor that sort of provide a wincon on their own, along with stuff like heal that probably merits a spot in any build.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Same thing for sun titan and knight of the white orchID to be honest. Solid cards, absolutely make the cut for a goodstuff RW deck, but this isn't some middle-of-the-road goodstuff deck. This is a highly-focused deck. The knight might make the cut as a functional 2-cmc rock that provides colored mana, but sun titan seems way too slow. And what are you recurring in this spellslinger build anyway, fetchlands? We don't need some trash-tier wannabe primeval titan. When RW plays goodstuff it gets wrecked because its stuff just isn't as good. But Feather is good. Let go of the goodstuff mentality and embrace the synergy.
(btw if anyone wants to check out my heroic combo build in my sig, I could use some help cutting down the list)
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Plus, at least to my reading of the card, feather will return it just fine if you protect/blink/etc your artifact creature before the spell resolves, just so long as something of your opponents is still alive to get blown up (although if they manage to remove all their targets too, then the spell gets countered and I'm fairly certain feather will fail to return it).
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
I'm kind of surprised feather doesn't have the same "only targets one creature" stipulation, but I guess it doesn't have the same difficulty of target selection that mirrorwing/zada would have without that clause.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Which is hilarious, but probably not productive.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6