I am in the process of completely rebuilding my Skullbriar, the Walking Grave deck that has been gathering dust. After struggling to find a way to build it to make it fun and unique, I had the following insight: big mana BG. Green for ramp and black for tutoring to get my mana production out of control ASAP, then start slinging the big spells I love: drain life, exsanguinate, hurricane. Fun times! The best part is that hopefully people will be expecting a Voltron strategy and will drop their guard on the mana ramping allowing me to completely take over the game.
What do people think of this kind of strategy? Do you run any commanders that put people off their guard or make them defend wrong against what your deck actually does? Would love to hear about it.
Hm, I don't think that sacrificing your highly valuable general slot just to temporarily fool your opponents for part of one game is worth it. Your ruse would only work until you started playing cards that were clearly of a different strategy, and wouldn't work in subsequent games. You could make a big mana deck that actually supported Skullbriar too, with things like Increasing Savagery and Strength of the Tajuru. Otherwise, I'd pick a general that meshes well with the deck by contributing to or taking advantage of your ability to produce big mana, like Sisters of Stone Death.
Anyone being faked out by someone ramping out like crazy is crazy. You should always target out that one guy who has 5 mana when everyone else has 2. You could however fake someone by playing a control general aggro. I don't know how you'd do it. But i think it's possible.
Ok thanks for the feedback. Going aggro with a control general does sound intriguing and possibly more likely to work. I've been wanting to make a Thassa, God of the Sea aggro deck for awhile...
I had a friend who played a jund dragonstorm deck that was helmed by shattergang bros. The deck had one green land, stomping ground. Mostly for sylvan library. But the green was important so he could run karrthus. Storm count of 4 sometimes 3 could kill a whole table. But at first people wouldn't pick on him because he was "screwed" and couldn't hut his green land.
I've ran fake-out generals just for their color identity many times. I ran Sivitri Scarzam for a very long time simply because she was great at concealing what the deck actually did. I still run akroma, angel of fury in an aggro mono-red deck full of angry grizzly bears. Most of my friends recognize my Akroma decks as being big-red mana+damage manipulation decks, and since I've played her so much they are always unsure as to which style of deck I'm running her in.
As mentioned the more your playgroup(s) are exposed to that particular deck/strategy they will recognize the trick.
What do people think of this kind of strategy? Do you run any commanders that put people off their guard or make them defend wrong against what your deck actually does? Would love to hear about it.
In Progress
GBIshkanah, Grafwidow ~ BWGRTymna the Weaver & Tana, the Bloodsower ~ UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ~ RGAtarka, World Render
As mentioned the more your playgroup(s) are exposed to that particular deck/strategy they will recognize the trick.
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!