MTG Salvation

Would Kaalia of the Vast or Edgar Markov be a better deck to make? I was looking for a more budget deck but I'm not opposed to putting out cash for a better deck, as long as it stays good.

Most of the biggies you cheat out in Kaalia are pretty cheap, with a few pricy ones like Avacyn, Archangel of Hope. If you cheat out a good card early, that's pretty much the game, but it seems most people would whack Kaalia with removal as soon as you get her out, driving up the command tax to be pretty much unmanageable.

Edgar Markov himself is about $20, but the deck you build around him is pretty cheap, with Bloodghast being the most expensive vampire at $10, with most being under $2. Also, Edgar is very black-mana-heavy, so you end up running a lot of basic swamps.
Edgar is a very aggro deck, but it seems kinda hard whittling down someone who starts 40 life with a bunch of 2/1s and 1/1s, much less three other people. Especially if you're trying to race against a turn 3 Thassa's Oracle and Demonic Consultation combo. Hopefully that bull***** gets banned soon, but combo decks will always be around.

Queen Marchesa is usually a stax commander, but most of the stax cards like Smothering Tithe are pretty hefty. Plus, in a multiplayer game, running stax instantly paints a bulls-eye on your chest.

I like 60-card more than commander anyways, so I could just make a $50 Edgar deck that'd be fun to play, even if it loses often.

Also, do most local game stores have 1v1 commander, or 4-player playgroups? I play modern all the time but I've never tried commander.

Quote from Macabre »

Just to confirm - is the manabase an upgrade to the precons manabase? If so then how did you upgrade it?

Do keep in mind that while Kaalia is one of the best in her colors, the point of running her is to cheat big stuff out early and quick, so if you're wanting to build mardu off of owning the manabase then make sure it's good enough to guarentee all 3 colors untapped around turn 3 or 4.

There are a tremendous pile of 2-cmc mana rocks that are nice turn-2 plays to allow a turn-3 kaalia, but if your manabase has a compliment of tap-lands and it slows down your ability to push Kaalia out early, then it kinda defeats the point of running Kaalia.

She also benefits from cards like Hall of the Bandit lord which tends to stress on more budget manabase as a colorless source.

So without knowing your exact situation, I'd say if you can consistently see all 3 colors around turn-3 or 4, then anything listed above, but if all colors are not available by then then maybe not kaalia.

In terms of the manabase, it's not too bad. I have 2 of the 3 of the shock lands, 2/3 checks, 3/3 scrys, Prismatic Vista, the Mardu triome. I very rarely get color screwed.

In terms of the manabase, it's not too bad. I have 2 of the 3 of the shock lands, 2/3 checks, 3/3 scrys, Prismatic Vista, the Mardu triome. I very rarely get color screwed.

So I've got a pretty good Mardu manabase, and I don't feel like investing much more on lands. That being said, the deck I have right now is a Jirina Kudro upgraded precon and it sucks. What Mardu deck is the best?

I've heard that Kaalia of the Vast is good, but like a glass cannon. She does extremely well with no interference, but it is pretty easy to interfere, and at that point, you're pretty much screwed.

People keep telling me that Alesha, Who Smiles at Death is a great commander, but I don't really see how. She seems pretty fragile and easy to kill, and she only retrieves one creature per turn, and she can only do so by risking herself in an attack. I get that being able to cheat out cards like Master of Cruelties would be good, but I don't think there are enough cards with 2 or less power to be good.

I could make a deck that's fun but bad, like Zurgo Helmsmasher.

Maybe I should throw in the towel and make a Kess, Dissident Mage deck, but that's a last resort.

Any ideas? Any suggestions are appreciated.