I know that Cats could be better used in a traditional Soul Sisters shell, but I think the tribe has enough good pieces to build a decent, fair and fun deck. The deck idea is pretty simple as you guys see (value cats + cat tokens + beat).
The obvious missing card is Brimaz, King of Oreskos, but is a very unfriendly budget card. I don't know if it's indispensable enough to bring more consistence and better performance to the deck overall, but it can be acquired in the next months, if that's the case.
I tried the best I could to get decent card draw, since the tribe unfortunately doesn't have "on theme" draw like Goblin Ringleader , but I don't know if there are better options than the ones already in the deck. My playgroup is very, very light on mass removal (I'm the only player who plays it), so I guess that card draw, although important, shouldn't be top priority here.
Critiques to card choices, numbers and the deck viability overall?
Thanks!
You're absolutely right. The lifegain "sub-theme" was never meant to be strong, but it's only there to keep me alive and because some Cats happen to have lifelink.
Pridemate is there only for early game drop purposes, but I also considered Fleecemane Lion. I opted for Pridemate because I don't know if I'll ever have 5 spare mana to put a counter on a single creature or actually make him monstrous instead of casting a Regal Caracal, for example. Getting Pridemate bigger is "free" and kind of a bonus, at least in my opinion.
I also considered Phantom Nishoba as a finisher, but mainly for nostalgic reasons (Nishoba and Thorn Elemental were my Timmy finishers of choice back when I started playing in 2002). Do you think it is gonna be better than Sun Titan or Felidar Sovereign here?
Alms Collector and Leonin Arbiter are very good cards, but also very meta dependant in my eyes. They'll surely not work properly in mine, unfortunately.
Getting Pridemate bigger is "free" and kind of a bonus, at least in my opinion.
Disagree. A 2 mana 2/2 isn't a real card in multiplayer. Heck, it's barely a real card in most draft formats. I would much rather slam a Pearl Medallion or Mind Stone or something along those lines. I also suspect that you'll be activating Fleecy more than you think (not that I like either card mind you). That being said your deck isn't lacking power so I'd focus on mana rather than anemic dorks.
Getting Pridemate bigger is "free" and kind of a bonus, at least in my opinion.
Disagree. A 2 mana 2/2 isn't a real card in multiplayer. Heck, it's barely a real card in most draft formats. I would much rather slam a Pearl Medallion or Mind Stone or something along those lines. I also suspect that you'll be activating Fleecy more than you think (not that I like either card mind you). That being said your deck isn't lacking power so I'd focus on mana rather than anemic dorks.
Man, I've been feeling guilty about not playing with Selesnya Signet, but Mind Stone seems perfect here, since it provides ramp and card draw, the two things the deck lacks, I guess. Thanks for reminding me of the card! But should I play it as a 3-of, only replacing the Pridemates, or should I play the full 4-of, cutting a Bestiary, the Well or Aura Shards, maybe?
You already have 4 Explorers and I rarely field more than six 2 CMC "mana rocks" in my lists. Drawing the first is stellar but subsequent copies are rather anemic. Even if Mind Stone can cycle that's still 3 mana which is basically a turn for the majority of the game. I'd field 2.
The reason why I field 6 total copies is mostly math-based. Without any fancy calculations you're 65% to draw one or more by turn 2 so 2/3rds of the time you'll start your game with a rock. Then if you want to get technical and develop a mulligan strategy assuming that you're willing to mull to 6 looking for a mana rock you're roughly 97% to draw one or more. This means that you can throw obviously bad hands back looking for rocks and expect to get there the overwhelming majority of the time.
None of this is to say that you can't run 5 or 8 or whatever, but 6 is the sweet spot as far as I'm concerned.
Pridemate is there only for early game drop purposes, but I also considered Fleecemane Lion. I opted for Pridemate because I don't know if I'll ever have 5 spare mana to put a counter on a single creature or actually make him monstrous instead of casting a Regal Caracal, for example. Getting Pridemate bigger is "free" and kind of a bonus, at least in my opinion.
Came in here to say pretty much the opposite - I'd rather have Fleecemane Lion long-term than Ajani's Pridemate here. In the late game, would I prefer a 10/10 that still dies to Doom Blade, or would I rather have a 4/4 that can't be Doom Bladed and lives through Wraths? In Multiplayer, I know which one I'd prefer (and it's not Pridemate, much as I love the thing).
I'm kinda tempted to suggest Hungry Lynx, too. That thing would be quite the political football in Multiplayer, and would be doubly amusing if it ever got to face off against Relentless Rats.dec.
4x Oreskos Explorer
3x Ajani's Pridemate
1x Qasali Pridemage
3x Pride Sovereign
2x Skullwinder
1x Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist
2x Leonin Warleader
1x Jazal Goldmane
1x Temur Sabertooth
1x Felidar Guardian
1x Healer of the Pride
4x Regal Caracal
1x Qasali Slingers
1x Arahbo, Roar of the World
1x Felidar Sovereign
1x Jedit Ojanen of Efrava
1x Sun Titan
3x Swords to Plowshares
2x Lifecrafter's Bestiary
1x Aura Shards
1x Well of Lost Dreams
1x Shamanic Revelation
Lands (23)
9x Plains
2x Forest
4x Canopy Vista
4x Blossoming Sands
4x Krosan Verge
I know that Cats could be better used in a traditional Soul Sisters shell, but I think the tribe has enough good pieces to build a decent, fair and fun deck. The deck idea is pretty simple as you guys see (value cats + cat tokens + beat).
The obvious missing card is Brimaz, King of Oreskos, but is a very unfriendly budget card. I don't know if it's indispensable enough to bring more consistence and better performance to the deck overall, but it can be acquired in the next months, if that's the case.
I tried the best I could to get decent card draw, since the tribe unfortunately doesn't have "on theme" draw like Goblin Ringleader , but I don't know if there are better options than the ones already in the deck. My playgroup is very, very light on mass removal (I'm the only player who plays it), so I guess that card draw, although important, shouldn't be top priority here.
Critiques to card choices, numbers and the deck viability overall?
Thanks!
Pridemate is there only for early game drop purposes, but I also considered Fleecemane Lion. I opted for Pridemate because I don't know if I'll ever have 5 spare mana to put a counter on a single creature or actually make him monstrous instead of casting a Regal Caracal, for example. Getting Pridemate bigger is "free" and kind of a bonus, at least in my opinion.
I also considered Phantom Nishoba as a finisher, but mainly for nostalgic reasons (Nishoba and Thorn Elemental were my Timmy finishers of choice back when I started playing in 2002). Do you think it is gonna be better than Sun Titan or Felidar Sovereign here?
Alms Collector and Leonin Arbiter are very good cards, but also very meta dependant in my eyes. They'll surely not work properly in mine, unfortunately.
Thanks for the input!
Disagree. A 2 mana 2/2 isn't a real card in multiplayer. Heck, it's barely a real card in most draft formats. I would much rather slam a Pearl Medallion or Mind Stone or something along those lines. I also suspect that you'll be activating Fleecy more than you think (not that I like either card mind you). That being said your deck isn't lacking power so I'd focus on mana rather than anemic dorks.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
*Takes Breath*
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Man, I've been feeling guilty about not playing with Selesnya Signet, but Mind Stone seems perfect here, since it provides ramp and card draw, the two things the deck lacks, I guess. Thanks for reminding me of the card! But should I play it as a 3-of, only replacing the Pridemates, or should I play the full 4-of, cutting a Bestiary, the Well or Aura Shards, maybe?
I guess an answer can't be more clear than this lol
The reason why I field 6 total copies is mostly math-based. Without any fancy calculations you're 65% to draw one or more by turn 2 so 2/3rds of the time you'll start your game with a rock. Then if you want to get technical and develop a mulligan strategy assuming that you're willing to mull to 6 looking for a mana rock you're roughly 97% to draw one or more. This means that you can throw obviously bad hands back looking for rocks and expect to get there the overwhelming majority of the time.
None of this is to say that you can't run 5 or 8 or whatever, but 6 is the sweet spot as far as I'm concerned.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Came in here to say pretty much the opposite - I'd rather have Fleecemane Lion long-term than Ajani's Pridemate here. In the late game, would I prefer a 10/10 that still dies to Doom Blade, or would I rather have a 4/4 that can't be Doom Bladed and lives through Wraths? In Multiplayer, I know which one I'd prefer (and it's not Pridemate, much as I love the thing).
I'm kinda tempted to suggest Hungry Lynx, too. That thing would be quite the political football in Multiplayer, and would be doubly amusing if it ever got to face off against Relentless Rats.dec.
Finally, agreed on Leonin Arbiter. Would hose your own Krosan Verges, for one.
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