MTG Salvation

Okay, first, I have several decks that are the fun deck, even some that don't want to win at all and group hug decks that exist for the sake of making the game enjoyable for everyone in spite of the douchey decks. Problem is, the local competitive group has recently started playing EDH and have kinda shut everyone who used to play for fun off to the side. The difference between them and I though is that they have a budget. I do not. I want to have the absolute meanest deck which definitely drifts towards Hermit Druid Combo but I can't find an up to date decklist on it. Anyone want to help? Here's what I'm working with now. Remember, budget is not a concern.

I don't really know how you'd go about making the decklist, but just some advice on your meta, it seems like the competitive crowd are different people from your casual crowd, why not just continue playing with the casual players that already played at the store? Have you tried addressing the power level of the competitive players' lists? What decks are they playing that are so broken on a budget? (What is considered budget to you?) Overall, I just don't see why you want to go ruin their fun when nothing they've done seems to have taken the players you normally play with away. They simply enjoy competitive EDH and you want to ruin that for them because they "ruined" your meta. That doesn't seem productive or healthy for your LGS to me. I'd recommend talking to them and the players you normally play with and figure out a way to coexist or just establish that your casual crowd will continue to play separate from them. It's just pretty ****ed up to want to ruin someone else's enjoyment of the game when they probably had no intent or awareness that they ruined yours.

no laboratory maniac?
might as well go all in.

Both groups can coexist: casual and competitive. It will be healthier to build as competitive decks for each group.

If you want to do this, do not go halfway; build the Hermit Druid deck immediately, and own it. I am positive there is a Primer or a thread with a solid deck list and explanation.

Keep brewing.

This isa bad idea. Starting an arms race at your LGS is beneficial to no one. Talk to them.

Being 100 % honest, if they are truly competitive, slamming Teir 1 generals, (Zur Narset Food Chain Prossh etc.) then playing Hermit Druid may not be your best option. Most competitive lists have removal and hate for specific metas/decks. Usually the super fast combo player loses the game I've found (especially once people have seen you combo off once or twice). Hermit Druid is just the boogeyman of cEDH

If you like to play Magic, have you heard about storm?

Quote from RivenVII »

I don't really know how you'd go about making the decklist, but just some advice on your meta, it seems like the competitive crowd are different people from your casual crowd, why not just continue playing with the casual players that already played at the store? Have you tried addressing the power level of the competitive players' lists? What decks are they playing that are so broken on a budget? (What is considered budget to you?) Overall, I just don't see why you want to go ruin their fun when nothing they've done seems to have taken the players you normally play with away. They simply enjoy competitive EDH and you want to ruin that for them because they "ruined" your meta. That doesn't seem productive or healthy for your LGS to me. I'd recommend talking to them and the players you normally play with and figure out a way to coexist or just establish that your casual crowd will continue to play separate from them. It's just pretty ****ed up to want to ruin someone else's enjoyment of the game when they probably had no intent or awareness that they ruined yours.

They haven't ruined it for me and I won't for them. See, they want competitive play which is cool and I don't mind playing competitive. It's giving me the opportunity to build the best EDH has to offer.

It's not a matter of ruining the metas. I want to transcend the meta. I played competitive prior to moving here and I'll do it again.

Quote from tomsloger »

no laboratory maniac?
might as well go all in.

It's an unnecessary combo because the initial combo only has one interaction point on it. If I did laboratory maniac, it'd have to be the alternative combo. Angel of Glory's Rise with Azami and Laboratory Maniac. Recursion on Angel and have it bring back the other two. Then I'd have to tap a wizard, wait for responses, tap a wizard, wait for responses. It adds more interaction points.

Quote from jclaust »

Both groups can coexist: casual and competitive. It will be healthier to build as competitive decks for each group.

If you want to do this, do not go halfway; build the Hermit Druid deck immediately, and own it. I am positive there is a Primer or a thread with a solid deck list and explanation.

Keep brewing.

The last useful primer I can find hasn't seen an update in over two years.

Play Purphoros.Its cards are3 really cheap and you jsut need to have Purphoros in the field and vomit tons of tokens to kill everyone with abrelly interaction

Quote from Randagio »

Quote from RivenVII »

What decks are they playing that are so broken on a budget? (What is considered budget to you?

First of all, this. Many players building competitive being all on a budget seems unlikely.

Overall, I just don't see why you want to go ruin their fun when nothing they've done seems to have taken the players you normally play with away. They simply enjoy competitive EDH and you want to ruin that for them because they "ruined" your meta. That doesn't seem productive or healthy for your LGS to me.

But some magic players are just a**holes that enjoy getting in casual playgroups and umiliate other players. That is the kind of player that strip unaware kids of their value rares for shivan dragons.
If those competitive players are like that, destroy them. And then move on.

Arcum w/o Mishra's Workshop, Narset without a few ofthe pricy pieces, Tasigur (Which is cheap and good regardless), combo Niv Mizzet... Etc. All cheap decks that are good to play in a competitive meta.

Quote from TempestShadow »

Being 100 % honest, if they are truly competitive, slamming Teir 1 generals, (Zur Narset Food Chain Prossh etc.) then playing Hermit Druid may not be your best option. Most competitive lists have removal and hate for specific metas/decks. Usually the super fast combo player loses the game I've found (especially once people have seen you combo off once or twice). Hermit Druid is just the boogeyman of cEDH

That's the thing though, it's really easy to make removal a passive nuissance in this deck as opposed to a genuine concern.

It has not been updated in two years? It probably does not need an update. Deck significant cards have not seen print in some time. The primer is still relevant.

Keep brewing.

EDIT: The core cards and strategy will not change if any new cards should be added to the primer.

Although most people on this forum would disagree, there's nothing wrong with playing a competitive deck in a competitive meta.

My hermit druid thread is fairly current.

After much playtesting, two of the most important cards in my decklist are ones that nobody else uses: lightning mauler and generator servant. For two mana, each of these creatures adds haste and mana (lightning mauler provides another body to sac to dread return, saving you from having to spend U to unearth fatestitcher), both of which are absolutely essential. Casting one of those on turn 2 leads to a hermit druid with haste on turn 3, and that's game over. If you cast hermit druid and can't use him right away, he's obviously not going to be there next turn (if it's a competitive meta).

Edit: since my deck was too oppressive for casual play, I also got the cards to turn it into an extremely fun and powerful sliver deck. But if there's a tournament coming up, I can swap in the hermit druid stuff.

Quote from rockondon »

Although most people on this forum would disagree, there's nothing wrong with playing a competitive deck in a competitive meta.

I strongly agree with this. One of my EDH FNM's has gotten incredibly spiky at the moment, and you know? It's been a blast! Fierce decks are only "unfair" if you're piloting Derevi Prison against a friend's hippo tribal, hyper competitive decks in an even match-up actually make for great, fast, interesting games, combining the deck variance of "regular" EDH with some of the high power and fast pace of formats like Legacy and Vintage.

As someone with not much interest in "competitive" edh i totally agree you play to the level of the group, and if the group is cutthroat, bring a sharp knife (or bazooka).

So is there any difference between taking a Tier 1 deck and smashing up T1.5/T2 decks versus taking a T1.5/2 deck and smashing up purely casual decks at the LGS?

Quote from Swift2210 »

So is there any difference between taking a Tier 1 deck and smashing up T1.5/T2 decks versus taking a T1.5/2 deck and smashing up purely casual decks at the LGS?

Well, if the T1.5 deckbuilders are playing competitively I see no problem with you yourself playing competitively.

Quote from rockondon »

Although most people on this forum would disagree, there's nothing wrong with playing a competitive deck in a competitive meta.

My hermit druid thread is fairly current.

After much playtesting, two of the most important cards in my decklist are ones that nobody else uses: lightning mauler and generator servant. For two mana, each of these creatures adds haste and mana (lightning mauler provides another body to sac to dread return, saving you from having to spend U to unearth fatestitcher), both of which are absolutely essential. Casting one of those on turn 2 leads to a hermit druid with haste on turn 3, and that's game over. If you cast hermit druid and can't use him right away, he's obviously not going to be there next turn (if it's a competitive meta).

Edit: since my deck was too oppressive for casual play, I also got the cards to turn it into an extremely fun and powerful sliver deck. But if there's a tournament coming up, I can swap in the hermit druid stuff.

I appreciate that... What do you suggest taking out? You seem to sacrifice a bit of control to go off faster but it looks interesting.

I have done something similar in the past. i played Arcum and it wasn't top tier. I built it for fun and then i would get 3v1ed so i tweaked it and tweaked it and eventually 3v1 was too easy. Eve when i had the three titans (my LGS had 4 titans, I was one of them, and then we had 3 more, who did not have a budget,) Still 3v1 against my arcum and and i still laughed.

I say go for it, smash face, shrek em, and show them that hyper competitive is not fun.

This is going to end so well.

Yea hermit Druid! Where is your entomb? You cannot cut entomb .. I find the backup kill condition useless in multiplayer .. Chrome mox is good ... Natures claim
Is good here as well.

Don't know how I forgot Entomb. Definitely clearing a spot on the list. We'll just cut preordain.

Just started receiving foils for it.

Wow, you weren't kidding when you said "budget is not a concern."



They don't look double-sleeved though, gasp!