MTG Salvation

So, this is my first attempt at a Muldrotha brawl deck. It's actually pretty challenging to balance threats and resources in the deck due to the yard mechanics. I really like the interaction of Journey to Eternity with Muldrotha as a means of self defense. Dead Man's Chest also seems pretty insane with things like Vraska available. As a side effect of the deck's heavy mill, Approach should be a non-factor most games, especially with things like Fleet Swallower and Ipnu Rivulet with recurring deserts (also can lock someone down with a recurring Hope of Ghirapur). Being able to continually recur things like Nezahal should make closing out pretty straight forward. The Eldest Reborn and In Bolas's Clutches seem really good to continually recur as well.

Heavy grave hate will definitely be a problem, but it's not something you can't play around.

*Updated 5/14/18*



Maybe Board:

• Nissa, Vital Force
  
• Nimble Obstructionist
  
• Time of Ice
  
• Song of Freyalise

Anything the has "sacrifice" in the text is going to guarantee you can get value. It feels pretty bad not getting a full value.

Siren Stormtamer
Banewhip Punisher
Hope of Ghirapur - lock out the "mass removal" player
Orazca Relic
Ruthless Knave - can think of ability only costing B, and allows you to reuse all your enter the battlefield creatures.
Razaketh, the Foulblooded - same reasons as above, and gets the best card in your deck.
Traveler's Amulet
Unbridled Growth
Arguel's Blood Fast / Temple of Aclazotz - The sacrifice and life-gain on the land is nice. I think Nezahal, Primal Tide is the only other card draw in the deck, not that this is important as Muldrotha represent your draw, but still you actually need to get to cards.

I opted for mill over draw with a focus on early game mana sources. That Rhonas spell that mills 5 and digs for an enchantment and a creature was in the original list, but got cut.

Siren Stormtamer: It was in my original list, but the deck is somewhat blue-light on the low curve and keeping mana open for it is likely to be a pain early and mid game. The nice thing is that it can also block fliers though when it isn't needed. I opted for demonic vigor and journey to eternity instead (even contemplating curator's ward). There's only a few cards Siren protects from over those and that's mostly contempt and cast out.

Banewhip Punisher: was in the original list, got cut for Noxious Gearhulk because it's more useful late game and better at stabilizing. Chupacabra is already fighting it in the 4 slot, though I should probably switch back since she sacs herself.

Hope of Ghirapur: It's already in the list...

Orazca Relic: Was in the original list, got cut for manalith because I needed more color fixing. By the time I can effectively use this every turn, I feel I don't need it.

Ruthless Knave: I need to make room for this guy as I definitely need the sac outlet.

Razaketh, the Foulblooded: While I like the sac outlet and him being a big beefy flier.... I really don't need another 8 drop.

Traveler's Amulet: It was in the original list, I have not a clue what I'd cut to keep it.

Unbridled Growth: Even with the card draw effect, I'm just not a fan.

Arguel's Bloodfast: Let's face it, if this card flips... you're already dead really or will be. Looking at it from the standpoint of a pure greed effect... it's "okay". I'd prefer Search for Azcanta over it if I was freeing the slot I think.

I probably should snag another sac outlet overall though, maybe Yehenni or salvager.

I just played against a Muldrotha deck in brawl and they made good use of Underhanded Designs. You would need to run Traveler's Amulet and Renegade Map at the very least to up your artifact threshold.

I was thinking Razaketh, the Foulblooded would be instead of some of the more expensive drops. Seems to be strictly more synergistic than Carnage Tyrant, Nezahal, Primal Tide, Ghalta, Primal Hunger.

If you need cards to cut,
Demonic Vigor - i don't think you care about creatures returning to hand rather than graveyard?
Deadeye Tracker - always the danger somebody uses this card against you.

Quote from darrenhabib »

I just played against a Muldrotha deck in brawl and they made good use of Underhanded Designs. You would need to run Traveler's Amulet and Renegade Map at the very least to up your artifact threshold.

I was thinking Razaketh, the Foulblooded would be instead of some of the more expensive drops. Seems to be strictly more synergistic than Carnage Tyrant, Nezahal, Primal Tide, Ghalta, Primal Hunger.

If you need cards to cut,
Demonic Vigor - i don't think you care about creatures returning to hand rather than graveyard?
Deadeye Tracker - always the danger somebody uses this card against you.

Underhanded Designs does sound pretty good with those artifacts, maybe I'll replace a mana dork or two.

I do like Nezahal and tyrant because they help close games against control decks. Recurring tyrant is a nightmare for any control deck. Ghalta is more of a beater, but getting cast from the yard for a couple mana as a 12/12 sounded pretty fun. Ghalta would probably be on the chopping block though for Razaketh. I'll experiment with it.

Demonic Vigor is more for defending Muldrotha, as I can recast it each time on her after casting her for 6. As far as Deadeye, there's always a risk it can be used against me, but at the same time it can be card draw and is my only form of grave hate currently (which could be relevant). Of the two... vigor maybe, but defending Muldrotha is pretty big.

After going over the deck and messing with several things over the past day or so, this was the update;

-Demonic Vigor
-Drover of the Mighty
-Ghalta, Primal Hunger
-Wayward Swordtooth
-Ravenous Chupacabra
-Arborback Stomper
-Shefet Monitor

+Traveler's Amulet
+Renegade Map
+Siren Stormtamer (going to mess with it and see if I really like it or not)
+Underhanded Designs
+Ruthless Knave
+Banewhip Punisher
+Razaketh, the Foulblooded

Was definitely contemplating Implement of Examination

Quote from Lumovanis »

After going over the deck and messing with several things over the past day or so, this was the update;

-Demonic Vigor
-Drover of the Mighty
-Ghalta, Primal Hunger
-Wayward Swordtooth
-Ravenous Chupacabra
-Arborback Stomper
-Shefet Monitor

+Traveler's Amulet
+Renegade Map
+Siren Stormtamer (going to mess with it and see if I really like it or not)
+Underhanded Designs
+Ruthless Knave
+Banewhip Punisher
+Razaketh, the Foulblooded

Was definitely contemplating Implement of Examination

I honestly think Wayward Swordtooth is one of the best cards in the deck, especially now as you have added the two search land artifacts.

Played against 6 Muldrotha decks yesterday Anyway Final Parting did seem very good, as it's basically a tutor for two cards.

Picking cards to drop in this deck is like pulling teeth. I think I spent over an hour staring at the list to cut what I did. I like the swordtooth, I just wish I could play two lands directly from the yard (without map/amulet). If I put swordtooth back in, I'll probably make room to put Nissa, Vital Force back in too as a card draw engine. I dunno, I'll mess with the deck as is before I adjust it anymore. I just snagged a Scarab God on the cheap and I need to track down a Liliana, then I can really play the deck in our weekly pods and see what is under-performing.

With the banlist update, I went ahead and took the time to switch a few things around;

-Sorcerous Spyglass
-Noxious Gearhulk

+Wayward Swordtooth
+Key to the City

You mentioned having problems with Scavenger Grounds in your playgroups, so you should run Disallow and Nimble Obstructionist.

Nimble Obstructionist is actually better than you think in Muldrotha, as you do get to cast it from graveyard after you cycle it.

I personally would take out Key to the City and Manalith for these two.

I'm pretty keen to build a brawl Muldrotha deck. The better ones I've played against usually balance their graveyard strategy with also having counterspells. So they still have Negate and maybe Unwind in the deck. I really want to try The Mirari Conjecture, so I think I'm going to have a few more instants and sorceries and have a bit more control in opponents turns.

Yeah obstructionist was on my maybe board already. I hate that it only stifles on cycle, and the flash is largely irrelevant since even with Muldrotha you can only cast on your own turn. I keep wanting to run counter spells, but I definitely know my luck and know that I'll be milling them away with Liliana or some such every time. I feel the counter spells are better for a deck more tilted towards heavy card draw and less towards the mill plan. I kept wanting to run conjecture, but it just requires me to dilute my permanent pool more than I want to have any real value.

My complaints in regards to Scavenger Grounds are mostly that I'm tired of seeing it jammed into every deck I play against. Last pod I played in there were 2 of them on the board with extra deserts to feed. You can play around them only so much when they are omnipresent like they seem to be. That's the main problem I have is that a stifle here and there doesn't really solve the problem, as they usually feed other deserts to them, so it'll just happen the following turn. I basically need to have a field of ruin out all the time. I'm sad sorcerous spyglass got caught in the crossfire for its really strong walker hate, I was actually doing okay with it needling the Scavenger Grounds. It's not just a problem for my Muldrotha, but also my other decks running anything yard-related. It's not crippling, just seriously obnoxious.

This archetype is intriguing. If we're speaking 1v1, I feel like the deck needs to be able to play a strong early game and ignore synergies with Muldrotha.

Picking cards to drop in this deck is like pulling teeth

This is probably because you spent too much time evaluating synergies, while it's not what should determine if a card is worth it. I'm not into the deck yet, but what I notice with Brawl is that synergies work if you can pull them off early game (like Hapatra). Here we have to be proactive and survive VS aggro until we cast Muldrotha, who has to live for a turn before we can get full value. At least a deck like Ghalta is built as a turbo deck, ramping into the commander very quickly by playing good cards on their own.

Here, we either need to apply a strong ramp plan, or we want to play strong cards on their own, minus their synergy with Muldrotha. I don't know which plan is better, but either involves very different cards.

First things first, even though it doesn't synergize with Muld', Attune with Aether is a great color fixing card, it lets us keep one landers, and not get screwed in an ambitious 3-color deck. I'm shocked not to see Servant of the Conduit, Glint-Sleeve Siphoner and Rogue Refiner in your list then. Add Merfolk Branchwalker and Jadelight Ranger which potentially mill the top of the library for value. These cards are staples in standard, they must be at least discussed before ignoring them.

With those cards on the table, I'm really wondering whether it would be a good idea to actually make this deck an Energy / Winding Constrictor deck, with enchantments like Song of Freyalise and Hadana's Climb, Longtusk Cub and Bristling Hydra and Verdurous Gearhulk. The value is all over the place too.

What do you think ?

Quote from headminerve »

This archetype is intriguing. If we're speaking 1v1, I feel like the deck needs to be able to play a strong early game and ignore synergies with Muldrotha.

It's not, this is being built for multiplayer. The energy stuff is ignored because you either run it all, or none of it. Frankly, none of the energy stuff really impresses me in multiplayer. Even with Aetherworks Marvel unbanned I just can't justify running it in multi.

Merfolk Branchwalker and Jadelight Ranger aren't BAD cards, but in a multiplayer environment I just can't justify putting them in where I can hope they hit value on top deck because they themselves are fairly underwhelming. Deadeye Tracker at least has the appeal of being repeatable and also grave-hate.

This thread is actually for multiplayer, not 1v1