Mystic Remora makes the cut in just about every blue deck I've ever thrown together and yet, no one else runs it in my groups.
Phyrexian Reclamation is a card I grabbed because my LGS didn't have a copy of Oversold Cemetery sitting around and I needed something to fill-in. Since then, it's been a mainstay in most of my black decks.
I think my Basilisk Collars find their way into more decks than they realistically should be in, to the extent that I think I run it more often than Swiftfoot Boots or Lightning Greaves. Forget protection, just drag your opponents' creatures down with you!
Feldon's Cane. I don't know why, considering mill isn't big in my meta, but apparently the *fear* of mill is big. So Feldon's Cane keeps creeping into decks, both to prevent mill and to save the graveyard from exile (which actually *does* happen in my meta).
I'm actually looking for Gaea's Blessing for my Mayael deck for similar reasons, mainly because I don't have the budget for an Eldrazi.
That is interesting. Does it tap for colorless against off-color players? Does it tap for anything against colorless decks?
Rulings state it cannot be tapped for colorless mana, so if you're only playing against opponents with lands that only produce colorless mana, you're SOL. However, if your opponents only have lands that produce colors not in your commander's color identity, yes you can tap it for that off-color, and the commander rules would make that mana colorless instead.
For me, Price of Progress has been going into everything red lately. I run a LOT more basics than most of my meta, so casting this late game always deals at least 12+ damage to each of my opponents(and usually 4-6 to me) for two mana.
Trading Post. Slid it into one deck as a neat little value engine. Now I can't stop myself from jamming it into every deck I build. Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient loves Trading Posts. Having Strionic Resonator and Rings of Brighthearth out, and paying 7RRRR + cost for 5 goats, 5 cards, 20 life or recurring 5 artifacts feels great.
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B Chainer's Madness B GBUTasigur's Treachery GBU WBR Heartbreaker Tariel WBR R Kurkesh Kraziness R
White - Faith's Reward - you have to love that anticipatory 'someone's about to wrath' feeling
Blue - Telepathy - the information this gives you and the political shenanigans it enables are insane for 1 mana
Black - Intimidation - can't count the victories this has stolen for me
Red - Mindmoil - prevent mana screw, and you are basically always casting the best card in your hand
Green - Abundance - this just improves your draws so much, and is relatively innocuous
Colorless - Mimic Vat - one EDH constant? things are gonna die...
Cabal Conditioning became one of my favorite black staples the moment I learned it existed. Any high cost permanent on the field and you just wiped your opponent's hands out. And you can copy or Boseiju it to get around counterspells easier than something like the black Myojin.
Nightscape Master is one of the best black utility cards for Grixis IMO. And I never, ever see him ran.
You might want to consider elixir of immortality, it's almost strictly better. The 2 mana activation cost should not be a problem and is far outweighed by the ability to use the card more than once. Plus, bonus lifegain.
So if I were to say "you're a complete douchebag who has his head up his ass so far he's using his own eyeballs as glasses," you'd simply shrug it off?
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You might want to consider elixir of immortality, it's almost strictly better. The 2 mana activation cost should not be a problem and is far outweighed by the ability to use the card more than once. Plus, bonus lifegain.
I think it depends on the deck. Feldon's Cane doesn't need any mana investment. Being able to tap out is often better than gaining 5 life... and typically, you should be able to win with one activation. If you are using Elixir multiple times, the game is going too long.
Great ideas here! I have to try a few of these. I can second Sylvan Safekeeper - I started with it in a Titania, Protector of Argoth deck for the obvious synergy, but it's so useful there I want it in everything with green now. Makes removal a losing proposition against your team so it gets pointed elsewhere, or else a lot gets thrown at your little 1/1 dude. Also, Sudden Spoiling is nuts.
My pick for a card I haven't seen listed here yet - Spike Cannibal. I don't think I've ever played a game of commander where at least one opponent didn't have something going on with counters he could steal. Often it acted as a removal plus enormous dude - like a Phyrexian Ingester for 3 mana. He steals ALL the counters, so sometimes it's like a triple-kill! I also won a game by using him to kill an opponent's 20/20 Realm Seekers, then throw him at everyone with Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord to win the game.
It is an interesting topic to think about. I go out of my way to avoid putting a card in a deck if I know it's already a key player in another deck, so as to keep my decks different from each other.
That said, certain things keep trying to creep in...
Dark Prophecy. Because apparently my B/x decks can't stop being the kind that kill things left, right and center regardless of their gameplan otherwise. That and I sort of like the inherent 'risk' of the card.
Thousand-Year Elixir, Magewright's Stone and their sort. At one point I had to make a conscious choice to move away from generals with tap abilities just so decks would feel a bit different in that regard. (That said, both cards are still in handful of decks because they're stupidly juicy.)
Also had to resist the urge to put Door of Destinies in anything even pseudo-tribal in nature. Back when Lorwyn came around, I was on HUGE tribal roll and have ever since loved the card for what it does in a dedicated tribal deck. That said, not EVERY tribal deck needs it (Ryusei dragons, looking at you...) and I need to get it through my thick head...
Those from the top of my head. Several other cards mentioned in this topic also apply to a degree. (*glares at Staff of Nin*)
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
X Hope of Ghirapur Swordpile W Ghosty Blinky Anafenza U Nezahal- Big, Blue and HERE! B Gonti Can Afford It R Etali, Primal 'Whatjusthappened?' G Polukranos Wants More Mana WU The Exalted Vizier Temmet WB Home, Athreos WR Basandra, Recursive Aggression WG Karametra, Momma of Lands UB Wrexial Eats Your Brains UR Arjun, the Mad Flame UG The Fable of Prime Speaker BR Hellbent, Malfegor Style BG Jarad, Death is Served RG Running Thromok WUB Varina and ALL the Zombies WUBYennett, the Odd Pain-Train WUR Zedruu the Furyhearted WUG Arcades' Strategy, Shmategy, Sausage and Spam WBR A Case of Mathas' Persistent F*ckery WBRLicia's League of Legendary Lifegain Layabouts WBG The Karador Advantage PackageWRG Gahiji Rattlesnake Collection UBR Jeleva... does... things UBG Damia's Just Deserts URG Yasova's Has More Power Than Sense BRG Wasitora, Bad Kitty WUBRBreya, Eggs, Breya'd Eggs WUBG Tymna and Kydele, Extended Borrowing WURG Kynaios and Tiro, Landfall Impersonations WBRG Saskia Pet Card EnchantressUBRG Yidris of the Chi-Ting Corporation WUBRG Tazri's Amazing Allies
I have an odd obsession with Codex Shredder. It does wonders against all those people using top-of-deck tutors (Worldly/Enlightened) and strips lots of things against people that have their top card showing (Future Sight/Oracle of Mul Daya). Plus, the utility to grab anything back out of the 'yard is just added benefit.
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"You are what you pretend to be, so you must be careful what you pretend to be" from Mother Night
Phyrexian Reclamation is a card I grabbed because my LGS didn't have a copy of Oversold Cemetery sitting around and I needed something to fill-in. Since then, it's been a mainstay in most of my black decks.
Whatever I build from my Box-o-EDH stuff
Legacy
Sneak and Show
UR Delver
Scapeshift Nic Fit
Modern
Merfolk
RRR - Bosh's School of Hard(cover) Knocks
I'm actually looking for Gaea's Blessing for my Mayael deck for similar reasons, mainly because I don't have the budget for an Eldrazi.
Edit: Proper set!
Currently Playing:
Multiplayer EDH Lists (click italics for a link to the thread!)
[Primer] Lord of Tresserhorn - Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do[Primer] Roon of the Hidden Realm - Rhino Blink
5 Color Tribal Guide (Slivers, Atogs, Allies, Spirits)
Also Playing (most decklists can be found on my profile)
MarathGeistKamahlGrenzoBolasThassaGitrog
PiratesZurVial Smasher&ThrasiosYennettJhoira(cEDH)Strix(Pauper)
Legacy: Maverick
Modern:
Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebearsThat is interesting. Does it tap for colorless against off-color players? Does it tap for anything against colorless decks?
8.RG Green Devotion Ramp/Combo 9.UR Draw Triggers 10.WUR Group stalling 11.WUR Voltron Spellslinger 12.WB Sacrificial Shenanigans
13.BR Creatureless Panharmonicon 14.BR Pingers and Eldrazi 15.URG Untapped Cascading
16.Reyhan, last of the Abzan's WUBG +1/+1 Counter Craziness 17.WUBRG Dragons aka Why did I make this?
Building: The Gitrog Monster lands, Glissa the Traitor stax, Muldrotha, the Gravetide Planeswalker Combo, Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Clues, and Tribal Scarecrow Planeswalkers
Rulings state it cannot be tapped for colorless mana, so if you're only playing against opponents with lands that only produce colorless mana, you're SOL. However, if your opponents only have lands that produce colors not in your commander's color identity, yes you can tap it for that off-color, and the commander rules would make that mana colorless instead.
Currently Playing:
Multiplayer EDH Lists (click italics for a link to the thread!)
[Primer] Lord of Tresserhorn - Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do[Primer] Roon of the Hidden Realm - Rhino Blink
5 Color Tribal Guide (Slivers, Atogs, Allies, Spirits)
Also Playing (most decklists can be found on my profile)
MarathGeistKamahlGrenzoBolasThassaGitrog
PiratesZurVial Smasher&ThrasiosYennettJhoira(cEDH)Strix(Pauper)
Legacy: Maverick
Modern:
Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebearsStupid Staff of Nin shows up in way too many of my decks.
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
People are SCARED of that thing.
I even had someone Trickbind my Isochron Scepter's imprint once, out of fear that Price of Progress was going on it.
GBUTasigur's Treachery GBU
WBR Heartbreaker Tariel WBR
R Kurkesh Kraziness R
Keep brewing.
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR
Lol, for me its Swamp. Six of my ten decks run black, and #11 is looking to be .
The Mimeoplasm || Karador, Ghost Chieftain
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher || Vial Smasher/Tymna Group Slug
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief || Talrand, Sky Summoner
Yidris - Unblockable Saboteurs || Kiki-Jiki, ETB breaker
Kess, Dissident Mage
I also play Comet Storm way more often than I ever expected. It's amazing. Shame I traded my Worldwake prerelease one before building any red decks.
| Omnath | Zada | Alesha | Scion |
| Mazirek | Animar |
Modern
UR Storm RU
UBRG Dredge GRBU
Standard
UR Thermo-Thing RU
White - Faith's Reward - you have to love that anticipatory 'someone's about to wrath' feeling
Blue - Telepathy - the information this gives you and the political shenanigans it enables are insane for 1 mana
Black - Intimidation - can't count the victories this has stolen for me
Red - Mindmoil - prevent mana screw, and you are basically always casting the best card in your hand
Green - Abundance - this just improves your draws so much, and is relatively innocuous
Colorless - Mimic Vat - one EDH constant? things are gonna die...
Nightscape Master is one of the best black utility cards for Grixis IMO. And I never, ever see him ran.
Journeyer's Kite and Walking Atlas go in most of my decks too. Ramp like green in any color!
Nicol Bolas Dragon Dick
Hanna, Ship's Navigator Heart-attack Stax
Oona, Queen of the Fae Fairy Dance
Vhati Il-Dal Tree of Woe
Scion of the Ur-Dragon Durgensturm
Jolrael, Empress of Beasts Jamuraa's Army
Liliana, Heretical Healer Rise from your Graves and Proliferate
Tariel, Reckoner of Souls Angelic Judgment [
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.
I think it depends on the deck. Feldon's Cane doesn't need any mana investment. Being able to tap out is often better than gaining 5 life... and typically, you should be able to win with one activation. If you are using Elixir multiple times, the game is going too long.
8.RG Green Devotion Ramp/Combo 9.UR Draw Triggers 10.WUR Group stalling 11.WUR Voltron Spellslinger 12.WB Sacrificial Shenanigans
13.BR Creatureless Panharmonicon 14.BR Pingers and Eldrazi 15.URG Untapped Cascading
16.Reyhan, last of the Abzan's WUBG +1/+1 Counter Craziness 17.WUBRG Dragons aka Why did I make this?
Building: The Gitrog Monster lands, Glissa the Traitor stax, Muldrotha, the Gravetide Planeswalker Combo, Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Clues, and Tribal Scarecrow Planeswalkers
My pick for a card I haven't seen listed here yet - Spike Cannibal. I don't think I've ever played a game of commander where at least one opponent didn't have something going on with counters he could steal. Often it acted as a removal plus enormous dude - like a Phyrexian Ingester for 3 mana. He steals ALL the counters, so sometimes it's like a triple-kill! I also won a game by using him to kill an opponent's 20/20 Realm Seekers, then throw him at everyone with Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord to win the game.
That said, certain things keep trying to creep in...
Dark Prophecy. Because apparently my B/x decks can't stop being the kind that kill things left, right and center regardless of their gameplan otherwise. That and I sort of like the inherent 'risk' of the card.
Thousand-Year Elixir, Magewright's Stone and their sort. At one point I had to make a conscious choice to move away from generals with tap abilities just so decks would feel a bit different in that regard. (That said, both cards are still in handful of decks because they're stupidly juicy.)
Also had to resist the urge to put Door of Destinies in anything even pseudo-tribal in nature. Back when Lorwyn came around, I was on HUGE tribal roll and have ever since loved the card for what it does in a dedicated tribal deck. That said, not EVERY tribal deck needs it (Ryusei dragons, looking at you...) and I need to get it through my thick head...
Those from the top of my head. Several other cards mentioned in this topic also apply to a degree. (*glares at Staff of Nin*)
First posted EDH deck: Hakim, Beardmaster