With the release of Oath of the Gatewatch and all its colorless goodies, I've sort of rediscovered my affinity (tee hee) for artifacts and colorless Magic. I know that colorless generals are a thing in multiplayer EDH---a format where you have a lot more time to durdle around and set stuff up and where the colorless ramp is a lot more efficient---but I was wondering if the same thing were possible in 1v1 Duel Commander.
My question for you: If I were to build Kozilek in 1v1, would it be worth it to go full-on ramp, despite the pitiful ramp in 1v1 Duel Commander? Or would you recommend a different path? Or, of the other big-mana colorless generals, which do you think is the best, and how would you build it?
Bear in mind: I play in a pretty casual group (no tier-one DC decks in my meta. I play against Meren, Alesha, Jenara, Elfball and then some variation of tier way-down-there control).
@Soujids Thanks for the list! I'll write up my own and post it in here as soon as I have the time.
@Bal There are a number of reasons why I like Kozilek, Butcher of Truth over Kozilek, the Great Distortion. The biggest is probably indestructibility, which severely limits the type of removal that the opponent can use to get him off the board. The second is the fact that you can use Strionic Resonator with both his relevant triggered abilities (draw 4 cards and annihilator). That being said, I do think that it cold be possible to build a list that involves a lot more disruption, which would make new Kozilek's activated ability that much more appealing.
Okay so I finally put together a list to try out. I'm easing off a little bit on the ramp in favor of mana denial/a little stax. In the end, I decided to go with Kozilek, the Great Distortion because the card is more versatile, but we'll see. Here's the list:
Comments and criticisms welcome! A few specific things I'm wondering about:
- Is Strionic Resonator still worth it without guaranteed triggered abilities?
- Am I missing any critical colorless lands?
I haven't had a chance to get any games with this yet, but the thought of destroying all my mana rocks seems really, really painful. My group does have some pretty quick aggro lists, so it may be worth it in that case. Also thinking Maze of Ith should be in here, but not sure what to cut.
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Playing with proxied cards at sanctioned events is good, actually.
Coercive Portal I could see due to its lower casting cost. But I wouldn't want to double this effect, simply because Kozilek will be doing the heavy lifting when it comes to card draw. I agree with Spine of Ish Sah + Trading Post being better than Scour from Existence, especially since I'm also running Defense Grid which makes Scour hard to cast on the opponent's turn.
I considered Lodestone Golem, but for some reason didn't include it. I think it was because of its fragility. In retrospect, and especially if I include Trading Post, I think it's a worthwhile inclusion. I'll probably replace Artisan of Kozilek, simply because there's not much for it to grab from the graveyard.
Thanks for the suggestions!
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Playing with proxied cards at sanctioned events is good, actually.
This could definitely need some changes, like adding Thought-Knot Seer and Endbringer for sure, and at least 2 Wastes with a Myriad Landscape included. The new Kozilek, the Great Distortion should perhaps go in there, too. But I don't like new Kozilek as the Commander, because of the worse combo-including (can't draw my Library for sure with his "draw until 7 in hand" without a discard-outlet).
So far, so well.
That is for sure the assembly, corrected that. And yes, Thought Vessel is great, it just wasn't in my pool when I last built this deck. I also had a Forcefield in there somewhere..
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Of the colorless generals, the ones that appeal to me most are the Eldrazi. Karn, Silver Golem is cool and all, but he doesn't exile, destroy, or draw cards on cast. I like doing all those things, and I don't like not doing those things, so I decided against him. In the end, I was most interested in Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, inspired mostly by Jewdah's list in this thread: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/multiplayer-commander-decklists/477463-kozilek-butcher-with-juice
My question for you: If I were to build Kozilek in 1v1, would it be worth it to go full-on ramp, despite the pitiful ramp in 1v1 Duel Commander? Or would you recommend a different path? Or, of the other big-mana colorless generals, which do you think is the best, and how would you build it?
Bear in mind: I play in a pretty casual group (no tier-one DC decks in my meta. I play against Meren, Alesha, Jenara, Elfball and then some variation of tier way-down-there control).
Blue lives don't matter in the slightest.
@Bal There are a number of reasons why I like Kozilek, Butcher of Truth over Kozilek, the Great Distortion. The biggest is probably indestructibility, which severely limits the type of removal that the opponent can use to get him off the board. The second is the fact that you can use Strionic Resonator with both his relevant triggered abilities (draw 4 cards and annihilator). That being said, I do think that it cold be possible to build a list that involves a lot more disruption, which would make new Kozilek's activated ability that much more appealing.
Blue lives don't matter in the slightest.
Blue lives don't matter in the slightest.
3 Burnished Hart
3 Metalworker
3 Palladium Myr
4 Silent Arbiter
5 Karn, Silver Golem
6 Conduit of Ruin
6 Duplicant
6 Endbringer
6 Steel Hellkite
9 Artisan of Kozilek
9 Void Winnower
10 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
10 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Instants (4)
1 Warping Wail
2 Spatial Contortion
3 Titan's Presence
7 Scour from Existence
Sorceries (1)
7 All is Dust
Artifacts (41)
0 Everflowing Chalice
0 Mox Diamond
0 Mox Opal
0 Tormod's Cript
1 Brittle Effigy
1 Expedition Map
1 Voltaic Key
2 Coldsteel Heart
2 Defense Grid
2 Fellwar Stone
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Mind Stone
2 Prismatic Lens
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Scroll Rack
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Thought Vessel
2 Torpor Orb
2 Winter Orb
3 Basalt Monolith
3 Clock of Omens
3 Coalition Relic
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Sculpting Steel
3 Sphere of Resistance
3 Staff of Domination
3 Static Orb
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
3 Tangle Wire
3 Trinisphere
3 Unstable Obelisk
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Clock of Omens
4 Hedron Archive
4 Icy Manipulator
4 Smokestack
4 Thran Dynamo
5 Gilded Lotus
5 Mishra's Helix
6 Contagion Engine
6 Dreamstone Hedron
7 Karn Liberated
8 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Land (38)
1 Blinkmoth Well
1 Buried Ruin
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Dust Bowl
1 Eldrazi Temple
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Homeward Path
1 Mage-Ring Network
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Mirrorpool
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Petrified Field
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Rishadan Port
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Sanctum of Ugin
1 Sea Gate Wreckage
1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Temple of the False God
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Urza's Mine
1 Urza's Power Plant
1 Urza's Tower
1 Vesuva
1 Wasteland
1 Winding Canyons
8 Wastes
Comments and criticisms welcome! A few specific things I'm wondering about:
- Is Strionic Resonator still worth it without guaranteed triggered abilities?
- Am I missing any critical colorless lands?
Thanks!
Blue lives don't matter in the slightest.
I haven't had a chance to get any games with this yet, but the thought of destroying all my mana rocks seems really, really painful. My group does have some pretty quick aggro lists, so it may be worth it in that case. Also thinking Maze of Ith should be in here, but not sure what to cut.
Blue lives don't matter in the slightest.
I considered Lodestone Golem, but for some reason didn't include it. I think it was because of its fragility. In retrospect, and especially if I include Trading Post, I think it's a worthwhile inclusion. I'll probably replace Artisan of Kozilek, simply because there's not much for it to grab from the graveyard.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Blue lives don't matter in the slightest.
01 Eye of Ugin
02 Eldrazi Temple
03 Temple of the False God
04 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
05 City of Traitors
06 Scorched Ruins
07 Mage-Ring Network
08 Cloudpost
09 Sheltered Valley
10 Glimmerpost
11 High Market
12 Miren, the Moaning Well
13 Radiant Fountain
14 Phyrexia's Core
15 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
16 Wasteland
17 Dust Bowl
18 Tectonic Edge
19 Mishra's Factory
20 Blinkmoth Nexus
21 Inkmoth Nexus
22 Mutavault
23 Deserted Temple
24 Petrified Field
25 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
26 Darksteel Citadel
27 Thespian Stage
28 Cavern of Souls
29 Rogue's Passage
30 Buried Ruins
31 Crystal Vein
32 Maze of Ith
33 Mystifying Maze
34 Glacial Chasm
35 Spawning Bed
36 Arcane Lighthouse
37 Tower of the Magistrate
38 Blinkmoth Well
39 Lotus Bloom
40 Mox Diamond
41 Mox Opal
42 Everflowing Chalice
43 Mind Stone
44 Coldsteel Heart
45 Fractured Powerstone
46 Prismatic Lens
47 Fellwar Stone
48 Guardian Idol
49 Sphere of the Suns
50 Coalition Relic
51 Worn Powerstone
52 Basalt Monolith
53 Metalworker
54 Kyren Toy
55 Ashnod's Altar
56 Chromatic Lantern
57 Unstable Obelisk
58 Thran Dynamo
59 Krark-Clan Ironworks
60 Hedron Archive
61 Gilded Lotus
62 Blinkmoth Urn
[CARDDRAW&SELECTION]
63 Skullclamp
64 Scroll Rack
65 Crystal Ball
66 Coercive Portal
67 Memory Jar
68 Staff of Nin
[TUTOR]
69 Expedition Map
70 Kuldotha Forgemaster
71 Conduit of Ruin
72 Winter Orb
73 Tangle Wire
74 Arena of the Ancients
75 Lodestone Golem
76 Mishra's Helix
77 Mindslaver
78 Sundering Titan
[LIFEGAIN]
79 Peace Strider
80 Batterskull
81 Wurmcoil Engine
[UTILITY]
82 Lightning Greaves
83 Swiftfoot Boots
84 Strionic Resonator
85 Rings of Brighthearth
86 Crucible of Worlds
87 Sculpting Steel
88 Trading Post
89 Crumbling Sanctuary
90 Myr Incubator
91 Akroma's Memorial
[REMOVAL]
92 Steel Hellkite
93 All Is Dust
94 Karn Liberated
95 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
96 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
[TOKENS&BEATDOWN]
97 Thopter Assembly
98 Myr Battlesphere
99 Blightsteel Colossus
[COMMANDER]
100 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
This could definitely need some changes, like adding Thought-Knot Seer and Endbringer for sure, and at least 2 Wastes with a Myriad Landscape included. The new Kozilek, the Great Distortion should perhaps go in there, too. But I don't like new Kozilek as the Commander, because of the worse combo-including (can't draw my Library for sure with his "draw until 7 in hand" without a discard-outlet).
So far, so well.
Greetings
Blue lives don't matter in the slightest.