What is an interesting idea for a themed Commander deck I could build that is based on a game play mechanic rather than based on flavor or a creature tribe?
When I say game play mechanics I mean things like "lifegain", "reanimator", "artifacts" or "+1/+1 counters" etc. Although I am looking for something less obvious and overplayed.
Note: I don't want to do a deck that is a creature tribal theme or based on a mechanical theme that is already listed here.
To be clear, I want a theme that is based in mechanical design where the deck can have synergy based on actual game play. I am NOT interested in themes like "cards with fire in the art" or "female heroes". At the same time the theme can't be too narrow. The deck should have several decent or good cards with the theme and cards that also support the mechanic to the point where the deck would work without relying on tutors.
I like manifest. There's a lot of unexplored space there still: effects that can cast a manifested instant/sorcery card from the battlefield, effects which shuffle up creatures manifested (of which I think there are only two), and manifesting cards from places other than the library.
There's also synergy with a lot of already-existing stuff: 'flicker' effects (that return potentially expensive permanents to the battlefield un-morphed), concealing certain creature abilities like deathtouch that would normally discourage blocking, and colorless-matters stuff (like any number of the BFZ eldrazi tribal cards).
Another option I'm currently experimenting with is suspend, and specifically Delay-type effects that apply to things on the battlefield instead of only spells on the stack, e.g. "Delay target nonland permanent and place three time counters on it (to delay a card, do blah blah blah the text on Delay). It serves a neat dual-purpose as temporary removal and a slow flicker, sort of like bounce.
EDIT: don't mind me; somehow I thought this was a topic on the custom card creation forum.
Double damage deck - All the Furnace of Rath effects and Boros Reckoner effects to try to one-shot people and have huge life total swings. I think Zurgo Helmsmasher is the best general for this, but that's because he has great synergy with a lot of the spells, like Chandra's ignition. Cards like Exquisite blood and giving your re-directer creatures lifelink can make for crazy plays. For me, a deck like this is trying to win with non-infinite damage, but trying to make the damage as large a number as possible. Gisela, Blade of Goldknight is also a good general.
Another idea would be an alternative win condition deck... Door to Nothingness, Maze's End... or any of the other choices. Find one you like, or several that have similar space. I've won games with Azor's Elocutors.
A Noyan Dar, Spellshaper deck could be right what you want. It has a decent amount of synergy and power in it betweek Awaken and other instant/sorceries but it's the killing people with 30/30 flying islands that only that deck can do. I break it out every once and a while for variation, which even the most general EDH stock list for this deck will deliver on.
Perhaps a Grixis colored deck that focuses on creating artifact tokens - treasure, gold and/or thopters - and sacrifice them for value or win through Mechanized Production.
Activated ability tribal. With whatstheirnames of Meletis as your commander you can disguise as group hug and play cards like Mana Flare and Heartbeat of Spring etc. to give everyone more mana than they can spend. But because you run a lot of creatures with activated abilities (There are several expensive ones like the Invokers with powefull effects) and untap every turn effects like Seedborn Muse and Awakening you can fully utilize every single mana you make into all sorts of different abilities among your cards. Luminarch Ascension and Sacred Mesa would definitly fit the bill.
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The secret to enjoyable Commander games is not winning first, but losing last.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
Double damage deck - All the Furnace of Rath effects and Boros Reckoner effects to try to one-shot people and have huge life total swings. I think Zurgo Helmsmasher is the best general for this, but that's because he has great synergy with a lot of the spells, like Chandra's ignition. Cards like Exquisite blood and giving your re-directer creatures lifelink can make for crazy plays. For me, a deck like this is trying to win with non-infinite damage, but trying to make the damage as large a number as possible. Gisela, Blade of Goldknight is also a good general.
Another idea would be an alternative win condition deck... Door to Nothingness, Maze's End... or any of the other choices. Find one you like, or several that have similar space. I've won games with Azor's Elocutors.
Saskia the Unyielding also works off of double damage, e.g. if Saskia named Bob, 2 combat damage to Alice is doubled to 4, which means 4 damage to Bob, which is doubled to 8.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
"Creature Tap Activated Abilities" should also include Samut, Voice of Dissent, with greater protection thanks to including of white and green, while damage doubling is also common amongst red.
How about something really off the wall like trying to win with negative life? Or dropping yourself to zero life and switching life totals with someone? Life-swapping can be hilarious and very political.
Here's my "suicide combo" deck. I don't mean "infinite" combo, but when you're trying to kill a whole table at negative life....it will need to be some sort of combo!
If you have ever tried this: How well has this worked for you? I have thought about this strategy many times, and always felt it was a little too cute and wonky. One of the strategies where you assemble lots of elaborate moving pieces to do things in three steps that you could also do in one.
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
If you have ever tried this: How well has this worked for you? I have thought about this strategy many times, and always felt it was a little too cute and wonky. One of the strategies where you assemble lots of elaborate moving pieces to do things in three steps that you could also do in one.
I had tried it some time ago with Intet as the general, and it was about average. Once Jace, the Mind Sculptor was printed in Worldwake in 2010, then Maelstrom Wanderer was printed in Planechase in summer 2012 to replace Intet as the Commander, the deck got much better. I never fully developed it from that point as I was already on my way to making Riku of Two Reflections as my Temur Commander, but all the parts are there and the theme is getting more and more toys to use. I keep an informal list of cards that get printed that would go into a potential deck just in case, with cards like Etali, Primal Storm and Oracle’s Vault as recent additions. It is a theme I intend to revisit either as a second Temur deck or as the basis of a 4-color deck.
I don't have one available, but it's basically a lot of mass removal (non-land clause jay!) and some instant speed interaction to keep slowing down your opponents. The hard part for the deck is getting Noyan Dar on the table and keeping him there. From there just go on playing instants and sorceries to hinder your opponent as blue/white does, and watch your land of choice grow. I've learned the hard way that going wide is not wise, stick to buffing one land.
View from Above is the deck's superstar. 2 mana for evasion and a permanent +3/+3 to one land is huge. You can easily give a land 15 +1/+1 counters in one turn before beating face with it. Mystic Speculation is also good for smoothing out draws and repeatedly buffing lands.
Also, play every remotely playable spell with Awaken. They are not fantastic but they allow you to animate lands when Noyan Dar is off the table.
The deck runs one infinite combo to help close games: Wings of Velis Vel+Griffin Canyon. (Animate the Canyon, play Wings on it, tap it to untap itself and give itself +1/+1 ad infinitum and attack to kill your opponent of choice).
Other than Crucible, which I just happened to have a few off my deck's quite budget. Good more expensive cards to add in the future will be Inkmoth Nexus and the white/blue 4/4 flying vigilance manland whom's name I can't remember right now.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The secret to enjoyable Commander games is not winning first, but losing last.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
I don't have one available, but it's basically a lot of mass removal (non-land clause jay!) and some instant speed interaction to keep slowing down your opponents. The hard part for the deck is getting Noyan Dar on the table and keeping him there. From there just go on playing instants and sorceries to hinder your opponent as blue/white does, and watch your land of choice grow. I've learned the hard way that going wide is not wise, stick to buffing one land.
View from Above is the deck's superstar. 2 mana for evasion and a permanent +3/+3 to one land is huge. You can easily give a land 15 +1/+1 counters in one turn before beating face with it. Mystic Speculation is also good for smoothing out draws and repeatedly buffing lands.
Also, play every remotely playable spell with Awaken. They are not fantastic but they allow you to animate lands when Noyan Dar is off the table.
The deck runs one infinite combo to help close games: Wings of Velis Vel+Griffin Canyon. (Animate the Canyon, play Wings on it, tap it to untap itself and give itself +1/+1 ad infinitum and attack to kill your opponent of choice).
Other than Crucible, which I just happened to have a few off my deck's quite budget. Good more expensive cards to add in the future will be Inkmoth Nexus and the white/blue 4/4 flying vigilance manland whom's name I can't remember right now.
Sounds very similar to my Noyan deck. I approve! My biggest problem is protecting Noyan himself, because he tends to get removed a lot once my opponents have wised up to the deck. Even with Lightning Greaves, Darksteel Plate et al and plenty of counters I often find myself with lots of spells to play, but no commander to awaken my win-con. What's your strategy to deal with this?
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
I don't have one available, but it's basically a lot of mass removal (non-land clause jay!) and some instant speed interaction to keep slowing down your opponents. The hard part for the deck is getting Noyan Dar on the table and keeping him there. From there just go on playing instants and sorceries to hinder your opponent as blue/white does, and watch your land of choice grow. I've learned the hard way that going wide is not wise, stick to buffing one land.
View from Above is the deck's superstar. 2 mana for evasion and a permanent +3/+3 to one land is huge. You can easily give a land 15 +1/+1 counters in one turn before beating face with it. Mystic Speculation is also good for smoothing out draws and repeatedly buffing lands.
Also, play every remotely playable spell with Awaken. They are not fantastic but they allow you to animate lands when Noyan Dar is off the table.
The deck runs one infinite combo to help close games: Wings of Velis Vel+Griffin Canyon. (Animate the Canyon, play Wings on it, tap it to untap itself and give itself +1/+1 ad infinitum and attack to kill your opponent of choice).
Other than Crucible, which I just happened to have a few off my deck's quite budget. Good more expensive cards to add in the future will be Inkmoth Nexus and the white/blue 4/4 flying vigilance manland whom's name I can't remember right now.
Sounds very similar to my Noyan deck. I approve! My biggest problem is protecting Noyan himself, because he tends to get removed a lot once my opponents have wised up to the deck. Even with Lightning Greaves, Darksteel Plate et al and plenty of counters I often find myself with lots of spells to play, but no commander to awaken my win-con. What's your strategy to deal with this?
It's something I struggle with as well and honestly, I think that's ultimately the most important reason that keeps this deck tier 2. I often tend to want to have greaves or plate already on table and only play Noyan Dar when I can equip him immediately, that helps somewhat. When Noyan is no longer an option I tend to aim for a combo finish with wings of Velis Vel and Griffin Canyon, animating the Canyon with the help of an awaken spell. I think that's the only way to go as an alternative: make sure a land animated by an awaken spell can also get you there. I haven't looked at upgrading the deck for a long time but thinking about it now, I think I would go for trying these changes:
Shell out the money for Inkmoth Nexus. It's expensive but it gives the deck another wincon because you can awaken it with an awaken spell and then it will only need a few hits to kill an opponent regardless.
Add Cascading Cataracts to the deck. Right now Darksteel Citadel is my go to option for the land I want to animate and attack with if it's available given it's indestructability, this is one is even better since it's not an artifact and thus harder to get rid off.
Add Runechanter's Pike. This deck is full off instants and sorceries so this seriously improves the combat capability of land aimated only once. Could also open up a commmander damage win angle, as it can easily make Noyan Dar powerfull enough to kill in two hits.
Approach of the Second Sun could be a good alternate win condition for when this deck's primary plan does not work out. I've hesitated to include it so far though, because of the fact that I also run Mystical Tutor and Personal Tutor and I fear AOtSS might take over the deck as a whole because it would be the more efficient thing to do if that makes any sense.
To try out:Citadel Siege (Khans mode) and perhapsEchoes of the Kin Tree (thought the latter is probably too mana intensive) both allow you to grow awakened lands without Noyan Dar present. they could provide another way of making the deck less reliant on Noyan Dar.
RBW self damage/exchange life deck
RGU manipulate the top of the deck/high CMC deck deal dmg/draw/wipe with high converted mana cost cards (like draco)and the artifact that gains extra turns based on cmc/galvanoth and effects like that
BU and possibly Green or R , self mill but use the grave to buff your creatures to enormous amounts with creatures with */* and sacrifice them for over 40 dmg/fling
probably Rakdos,with malfegor , use cards that return to hand from the grave, every turn, for free/almost free and discard them for effects
I don't have one available, but it's basically a lot of mass removal (non-land clause jay!) and some instant speed interaction to keep slowing down your opponents. The hard part for the deck is getting Noyan Dar on the table and keeping him there. From there just go on playing instants and sorceries to hinder your opponent as blue/white does, and watch your land of choice grow. I've learned the hard way that going wide is not wise, stick to buffing one land.
View from Above is the deck's superstar. 2 mana for evasion and a permanent +3/+3 to one land is huge. You can easily give a land 15 +1/+1 counters in one turn before beating face with it. Mystic Speculation is also good for smoothing out draws and repeatedly buffing lands.
Also, play every remotely playable spell with Awaken. They are not fantastic but they allow you to animate lands when Noyan Dar is off the table.
The deck runs one infinite combo to help close games: Wings of Velis Vel+Griffin Canyon. (Animate the Canyon, play Wings on it, tap it to untap itself and give itself +1/+1 ad infinitum and attack to kill your opponent of choice).
Other than Crucible, which I just happened to have a few off my deck's quite budget. Good more expensive cards to add in the future will be Inkmoth Nexus and the white/blue 4/4 flying vigilance manland whom's name I can't remember right now.
Sounds very similar to my Noyan deck. I approve! My biggest problem is protecting Noyan himself, because he tends to get removed a lot once my opponents have wised up to the deck. Even with Lightning Greaves, Darksteel Plate et al and plenty of counters I often find myself with lots of spells to play, but no commander to awaken my win-con. What's your strategy to deal with this?
It's something I struggle with as well and honestly, I think that's ultimately the most important reason that keeps this deck tier 2. I often tend to want to have greaves or plate already on table and only play Noyan Dar when I can equip him immediately, that helps somewhat. When Noyan is no longer an option I tend to aim for a combo finish with wings of Velis Vel and Griffin Canyon, animating the Canyon with the help of an awaken spell. I think that's the only way to go as an alternative: make sure a land animated by an awaken spell can also get you there. I haven't looked at upgrading the deck for a long time but thinking about it now, I think I would go for trying these changes:
Shell out the money for Inkmoth Nexus. It's expensive but it gives the deck another wincon because you can awaken it with an awaken spell and then it will only need a few hits to kill an opponent regardless.
Add Cascading Cataracts to the deck. Right now Darksteel Citadel is my go to option for the land I want to animate and attack with if it's available given it's indestructability, this is one is even better since it's not an artifact and thus harder to get rid off.
Add Runechanter's Pike. This deck is full off instants and sorceries so this seriously improves the combat capability of land aimated only once. Could also open up a commmander damage win angle, as it can easily make Noyan Dar powerfull enough to kill in two hits.
Approach of the Second Sun could be a good alternate win condition for when this deck's primary plan does not work out. I've hesitated to include it so far though, because of the fact that I also run Mystical Tutor and Personal Tutor and I fear AOtSS might take over the deck as a whole because it would be the more efficient thing to do if that makes any sense.
To try out:Citadel Siege (Khans mode) and perhapsEchoes of the Kin Tree (thought the latter is probably too mana intensive) both allow you to grow awakened lands without Noyan Dar present. they could provide another way of making the deck less reliant on Noyan Dar.
I don't have one available, but it's basically a lot of mass removal (non-land clause jay!) and some instant speed interaction to keep slowing down your opponents. The hard part for the deck is getting Noyan Dar on the table and keeping him there. From there just go on playing instants and sorceries to hinder your opponent as blue/white does, and watch your land of choice grow. I've learned the hard way that going wide is not wise, stick to buffing one land.
View from Above is the deck's superstar. 2 mana for evasion and a permanent +3/+3 to one land is huge. You can easily give a land 15 +1/+1 counters in one turn before beating face with it. Mystic Speculation is also good for smoothing out draws and repeatedly buffing lands.
Also, play every remotely playable spell with Awaken. They are not fantastic but they allow you to animate lands when Noyan Dar is off the table.
The deck runs one infinite combo to help close games: Wings of Velis Vel+Griffin Canyon. (Animate the Canyon, play Wings on it, tap it to untap itself and give itself +1/+1 ad infinitum and attack to kill your opponent of choice).
Other than Crucible, which I just happened to have a few off my deck's quite budget. Good more expensive cards to add in the future will be Inkmoth Nexus and the white/blue 4/4 flying vigilance manland whom's name I can't remember right now.
Sounds very similar to my Noyan deck. I approve! My biggest problem is protecting Noyan himself, because he tends to get removed a lot once my opponents have wised up to the deck. Even with Lightning Greaves, Darksteel Plate et al and plenty of counters I often find myself with lots of spells to play, but no commander to awaken my win-con. What's your strategy to deal with this?
It's something I struggle with as well and honestly, I think that's ultimately the most important reason that keeps this deck tier 2. I often tend to want to have greaves or plate already on table and only play Noyan Dar when I can equip him immediately, that helps somewhat. When Noyan is no longer an option I tend to aim for a combo finish with wings of Velis Vel and Griffin Canyon, animating the Canyon with the help of an awaken spell. I think that's the only way to go as an alternative: make sure a land animated by an awaken spell can also get you there. I haven't looked at upgrading the deck for a long time but thinking about it now, I think I would go for trying these changes:
Shell out the money for Inkmoth Nexus. It's expensive but it gives the deck another wincon because you can awaken it with an awaken spell and then it will only need a few hits to kill an opponent regardless.
Add Cascading Cataracts to the deck. Right now Darksteel Citadel is my go to option for the land I want to animate and attack with if it's available given it's indestructability, this is one is even better since it's not an artifact and thus harder to get rid off.
Add Runechanter's Pike. This deck is full off instants and sorceries so this seriously improves the combat capability of land aimated only once. Could also open up a commmander damage win angle, as it can easily make Noyan Dar powerfull enough to kill in two hits.
Approach of the Second Sun could be a good alternate win condition for when this deck's primary plan does not work out. I've hesitated to include it so far though, because of the fact that I also run Mystical Tutor and Personal Tutor and I fear AOtSS might take over the deck as a whole because it would be the more efficient thing to do if that makes any sense.
To try out:Citadel Siege (Khans mode) and perhapsEchoes of the Kin Tree (thought the latter is probably too mana intensive) both allow you to grow awakened lands without Noyan Dar present. they could provide another way of making the deck less reliant on Noyan Dar.
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
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When I say game play mechanics I mean things like "lifegain", "reanimator", "artifacts" or "+1/+1 counters" etc. Although I am looking for something less obvious and overplayed.
Note: I don't want to do a deck that is a creature tribal theme or based on a mechanical theme that is already listed here.
To be clear, I want a theme that is based in mechanical design where the deck can have synergy based on actual game play. I am NOT interested in themes like "cards with fire in the art" or "female heroes". At the same time the theme can't be too narrow. The deck should have several decent or good cards with the theme and cards that also support the mechanic to the point where the deck would work without relying on tutors.
Here is an example of what I'm looking for:
Themed Cards: Beguiler of Wills, Royal Assassin, Intrepid Hero, Mangara of Corondor
Enablers/Support: To Arms!, Triton Tactics, Unbender Tine, Thousand-Year Elixir
Potential Commander(s): Merieke Ri Berit
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
There's also synergy with a lot of already-existing stuff: 'flicker' effects (that return potentially expensive permanents to the battlefield un-morphed), concealing certain creature abilities like deathtouch that would normally discourage blocking, and colorless-matters stuff (like any number of the BFZ eldrazi tribal cards).
Another option I'm currently experimenting with is suspend, and specifically Delay-type effects that apply to things on the battlefield instead of only spells on the stack, e.g. "Delay target nonland permanent and place three time counters on it (to delay a card, do blah blah blah the text on Delay). It serves a neat dual-purpose as temporary removal and a slow flicker, sort of like bounce.
EDIT: don't mind me; somehow I thought this was a topic on the custom card creation forum.
- Rabid Wombat
Themed Cards: Rampaging Baloths, Avenger of Zendikar, Emeria Angel, Zendikar's Roil, Nissa, Vital Force, Ob Nixilis, the Fallen, Retreat to Coralhelm (and all retreat cards), pretty much all cards with landfall but these are among the strongest.
Support: Budoka Gardener, Walking Atlas, and other cards that let you put lands from hand into play. Exploration effects. Fetchlands (Misty Rainforest et al), but especially fetches that grab multiple lands (Krosan Verge, Myriad Landscape. Ramp cards. Tangentially, cards that let you "pick up" lands, like Trade Routes, Meloku the Clouded Mirror, Scryb Ranger).
Possible Commanders: Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis , The Gitrog Monster, Omnath, Locus of Rage, Mina and Denn, Wildborn, Azusa, Lost but Seeking
Side Strategies: Tap effects matter (many enablers have tap effects), Land Recursion Engines (saccing lands and then recurring them with Crucible of Worlds, Life from the Loam, Splendid Reclamation), tokens matter (most of your best enablers create tokens).
Theme: Morphs!
Themed Cards: All creatures with Morph or Manifest. Ixidron is among the strongest payoffs. Den Protector, Deathmist Raptor, Whisperwood Elemental, Willbender, Stratus Dancer, Silumgar Assassin, Ire Shaman, Hidden Dragonslayer, Vesuvan Shapeshifter, Hooded Hydra, and Ainok Survivalist are among the strongest morphs.
Support; Semblance Anvil, Helm of Awakening, Dream Chisel, Ixidor, Reality Sculptor, Herald of Kozilek can help crank out and flip up morphs. Temur War shaman, Secret Plans, Trail of Mystery, Unblinking Bleb, Salt Road Ambushers, and Mastery of the Unseen are great supports for flipping up morphs. Ghostway and Ghostly Flicker are interesting with morphs.
Commanders: Animar, Soul of Elements is the default answer. Tricky commanders like Derevi, Empyrial Tactician could also do good work.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Theme: No counters!
Commander: Zur the Enchanter (+ Solemnity essentially)
Possibly Abused Cards: Cauldron of Souls, Celestial Convergence, Chronozoa, Dark Depths, Decree of Silence, Delaying Shield, Divine Intervention, Force Bubble, Geralf's Messenger, Geralf's Mindcrusher, Glacial Chasm, Glen Elendra Archmage, Hall of Mist, Illusionary Terrain, Infernal Darkness, Inner Sanctum, Kithkin Spellduster, Lost Auramancers, Mesmeric Trance, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, Mystic Remora, Phyrexian Soulgorger, Phyrexian Unlife, Puppeteer Clique, Reality Acid, Restless Apparition, River Kelpie, Survivor of the Unseen, Sustaining Spirit, Thing in the Ice, Tidal Control, Twilight Shepherd, Wolly Razorback and others.
Another idea would be an alternative win condition deck... Door to Nothingness, Maze's End... or any of the other choices. Find one you like, or several that have similar space. I've won games with Azor's Elocutors.
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
Perhaps a Grixis colored deck that focuses on creating artifact tokens - treasure, gold and/or thopters - and sacrifice them for value or win through Mechanized Production.
Activated ability tribal. With whatstheirnames of Meletis as your commander you can disguise as group hug and play cards like Mana Flare and Heartbeat of Spring etc. to give everyone more mana than they can spend. But because you run a lot of creatures with activated abilities (There are several expensive ones like the Invokers with powefull effects) and untap every turn effects like Seedborn Muse and Awakening you can fully utilize every single mana you make into all sorts of different abilities among your cards. Luminarch Ascension and Sacred Mesa would definitly fit the bill.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
Saskia the Unyielding also works off of double damage, e.g. if Saskia named Bob, 2 combat damage to Alice is doubled to 4, which means 4 damage to Bob, which is doubled to 8.
On phasing:
now most of them require either Hive Mind or being copied to be able to function well.
But I have always wanted to see if I could win with an Eternal Dominion hit with Flashback Increasing Vengeance for example.
(I do this right now with Enduring Ideal in the enchantment deck in my signature it is lots of fun when it goes off)
Hmm. I would run an izzet spellslinger deck just to pull that off. Perhaps aim to get a few copies of it. (Downcast, reiterate, fork.)
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
Treasure and clues are great mechanic for many colors, you can populate them ( Trostani, Selesnya's Voice), make a sac deck with them (Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest), or simply go artifact centric.
Hellbent is also a unique theme if you like nihilistic directions, with Malfegor or Grenzo, Dungeon Warden.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Here's my "suicide combo" deck. I don't mean "infinite" combo, but when you're trying to kill a whole table at negative life....it will need to be some sort of combo!
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/selenia-recruiter-of-the-guard-suicice-combo-edh/
(deck link is also in my signature)
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-general/334931-what-is-the-most-pimp-card-deck-youve-seen-or?comment=5361
Commander
RGOmnath, Locus of Rage Grenades! EDHGR
UWSygg's Defense, EDH - Voltron & ControlWU
BUGMimeoplasm EDH ft. Ifnir Cycling-discard comboBUG
WBTeysa, Connoisseur of CullingBW
BWSelenia & Recruiter of the Guard suicice combo EDHWB
UBRWGO-Kagachi - 5 Color Enchantments - EDHUBRWG
Mechanical Theme: Top of the Deck Matters aka Mize.dec
Themed Cards: Oracle of Mul Daya, Etali, Primal Storm, Oracle’s Vault, Courser of Kruphix, Vizier of the Menagerie, Garruk’s Horde, See the Unwritten, Summoning Trap, Genesis Wave, Lurking Predators, Miracles, Future Sight, Epic Experiment, Galvanoth, Talent of the Telepath
Enablers/Support: Scroll Rack, Sensei’s Divining Top, Sylvan Library, Mirri’s Guile, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Reason//Believe, Mystic Speculation
Potential Commanders: Rashmi, Eternities Crafter, Intet, the Dreamer, Maelstrom Wanderer, Narset, Enlightened Master, Melek, Izzet Paragon
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.
I had tried it some time ago with Intet as the general, and it was about average. Once Jace, the Mind Sculptor was printed in Worldwake in 2010, then Maelstrom Wanderer was printed in Planechase in summer 2012 to replace Intet as the Commander, the deck got much better. I never fully developed it from that point as I was already on my way to making Riku of Two Reflections as my Temur Commander, but all the parts are there and the theme is getting more and more toys to use. I keep an informal list of cards that get printed that would go into a potential deck just in case, with cards like Etali, Primal Storm and Oracle’s Vault as recent additions. It is a theme I intend to revisit either as a second Temur deck or as the basis of a 4-color deck.
View from Above is the deck's superstar. 2 mana for evasion and a permanent +3/+3 to one land is huge. You can easily give a land 15 +1/+1 counters in one turn before beating face with it. Mystic Speculation is also good for smoothing out draws and repeatedly buffing lands.
Also, play every remotely playable spell with Awaken. They are not fantastic but they allow you to animate lands when Noyan Dar is off the table.
Crucible of Worlds+Buried Ruin+Haunted Fengraf allow for recursion of nearly all cards other than instants and sorceries you lose, and Sunstone helps keep you alive (Beautifull soft lock with the Crucible)
The deck runs one infinite combo to help close games: Wings of Velis Vel+Griffin Canyon. (Animate the Canyon, play Wings on it, tap it to untap itself and give itself +1/+1 ad infinitum and attack to kill your opponent of choice).
Other than Crucible, which I just happened to have a few off my deck's quite budget. Good more expensive cards to add in the future will be Inkmoth Nexus and the white/blue 4/4 flying vigilance manland whom's name I can't remember right now.
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.
I second this one.
I would also mention Ixidor, Reality Sculptor as a mono-blue option for the Commander. Including mana doubling artifacts and things like Sculpting Steel, Clever Impersonator, Phyrexian Metamorph, and Copy Artifact gives you a ton of mana to fuel all kinds of Morph shenanigans.
Thassa &
Shu Yun &
Jarad &
Animar
It's something I struggle with as well and honestly, I think that's ultimately the most important reason that keeps this deck tier 2. I often tend to want to have greaves or plate already on table and only play Noyan Dar when I can equip him immediately, that helps somewhat. When Noyan is no longer an option I tend to aim for a combo finish with wings of Velis Vel and Griffin Canyon, animating the Canyon with the help of an awaken spell. I think that's the only way to go as an alternative: make sure a land animated by an awaken spell can also get you there. I haven't looked at upgrading the deck for a long time but thinking about it now, I think I would go for trying these changes:
If my post has no tags, then i posted from my phone.
RGU manipulate the top of the deck/high CMC deck deal dmg/draw/wipe with high converted mana cost cards (like draco)and the artifact that gains extra turns based on cmc/galvanoth and effects like that
BU and possibly Green or R , self mill but use the grave to buff your creatures to enormous amounts with creatures with */* and sacrifice them for over 40 dmg/fling
probably Rakdos,with malfegor , use cards that return to hand from the grave, every turn, for free/almost free and discard them for effects
Δε φοβάμαι τίποτα...
Είμαι Άνεργος.
Grimstringer on Cockatrice, add me if you wanna
Good to know others playing Noyan. I uses Chronomantic Escape and Reality Strobe to further abuse Noyan while protecting myself.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.