Here today, gone tomorrow
One day love, next day sorrow
First you give, then you borrow
~ The Duskeys
My philosophy
I play Commander for its social and psychological aspects. I prefer games to last for a while and to be full of interesting interactions and surprising situations. Whenever I feel like playing to win, I play some other format instead. Multiplayer is all about having fun with your friends. My CMD decks tend to be slow and defensive and combos are coincidental (if any).
The deck's philosophy
This deck is a lot of fun. It appears non-threatening but is surprisingly good at looking after itself and can occasionally stage spectacular comebacks. With so many ways to respond, it's very interactive to play and keeps your opponents on their toes. The strategy revolves around creatures that enjoy entering the battlefield.
Some people foil their decks, I "linguify" mine. For each card, I choose the language version with the prettiest/funniest/longest name and resort to English only if I have nothing else. For obvious reasons, the first list was presented in English but these below are the cards I actually use. I favor languages that I speak, which is why Chinese and Japanese are underrepresented.
Because for the first fifteen years I played MtG, there wasn't such easy access to different language versions as there is nowadays, my card pool is still mostly English but I'm working to change that. Also, the further down you go from the most precious crown jewel decks, the higher is the percentage of English cards.
This deck got its name from a less know 80's Eurovision Song Contest entry, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow with The Duskeys (Ireland 1982). They were many titles encompassing some aspect of the build but this one I thought best captured the fleeting presence permanents tend to have in this deck.
In case the previous paragraph sounded like absolute nonsense to you but still you find yourself strangely intrigued, there's an explanation of the naming convention in my Karador thread.
Man I love this deck, and I love your views on the social aspect of the game. Your deck looks like a lot of fun to play with and against. I'm sorry I don't have a lot of criticism here, but I like your deck quite a lot.
I also love how you've decided to pimp out your deck, I love foreign language cards and do my best to use foreign cards when I can. I use a lot of Italian cards and German cards and they just look and feel so awesome. I don't even refer to some of my cards by the English name any more, like Weg Nach Hause, will forever be Weg Nach Hause to me.
Man I love this deck, and I love your views on the social aspect of the game. Your deck looks like a lot of fun to play with and against. I'm sorry I don't have a lot of criticism here, but I like your deck quite a lot.
No problem, I wasn't even particularly fishing for critique, just thought that now that the deck's mature enough, why not document it in case somebody might find it inspiring or something. I will still listen to any suggestions, of course.
I don't even refer to some of my cards by the English name any more, like Weg Nach Hause, will forever be Weg Nach Hause to me.
Exactly. Nowadays, also almost all sealed products I buy are non-English, so there are many cards whose names I never actually even see in English. Writing this list, for example, I had to look many of the English names up.
Some of you may think that you have made great mistakes in your lives, and perhaps you have. But let me ask you this.... did you ever play strip poker with two fat chicks and win?
Viable suggestions, all four. The removal creatures are on the expensive end but they would probably be worth it. Countermagic, on the other hand, is always fun but not very good value in multiplayer. Also, nine ways to blink at instant speed may not be enough. Snake is a very cool card, though, so I have to think about it, too.
i'd add the wordly tutor with mystic snake. besides making counterspell, you can always tutor for navigator when you have plenty mana to soft-lock opponents
i'd add the wordly tutor with mystic snake. besides making counterspell, you can always tutor for navigator when you have plenty mana to soft-lock opponents
I had the tutors in at some point and don't remember why I took them out. I'll reconsider. That's one of the reasons why recording your decks like this is a good practice; you can always look back.
After some matches with different numbers of players, I did some considerable updates. First of all, I took out the mana stones and put in more land. The thought is that in CMD, mana acceleration often comes with a (diplomatic) drawback and rarely helps all that much. Mass land destruction is rare anyway (and frowned upon).
Now I can also answer the previous question about Lavinia of the Tenth. I've found that she can be quite useful at times but less so the further the match progresses as the average CMC on the battlefield increases.
The surprise star of the deck recently has been Spike Weaver who has single-handedly fended off many an attack, both by preventing damage and by preventing the attack altogether. I put in Knight-Captain of Eos in hope of a similar effect.
i like your list a lot. because you did not use pheldagriff too much, you're probably shifting it for roon, i guess?
my advice is that you run counterspells. I, too, play trying to benefit from the political aspects of commander, but we can't just let someone do their infinite combo. i understand if you don't want to play mystic snake if you think it is too good in a flicker deck, but you should run some counterspells or else games aren't going to be long as you wish. also, your decks is similar to mine, and i think it has the same problem im trying to fix: cares so much about CA that you're often with many cards in hand, none of them having a cheap and efficient affect like Sword to plowshares and counterspell, and many that will spend your whole turn juus tin order to get more CA.
i like your list a lot. because you did not use pheldagriff too much, you're probably shifting it for roon, i guess?
I actually just played my first games with Roon today. First though, I put Derevi there, but I didn't use her much either. And Roon I didn't play even once today. At all times, I had something more pressing to do.
i understand if you don't want to play mystic snake if you think it is too good in a flicker deck, but you should run some counterspells or else games aren't going to be long as you wish.
Actually, I don't have Mystic Snake because I don't think it's good enough. Four mana is too much to keep open just for countering and there aren't enough resources to protect the snake when it's on the table long enough to blink it at the right moment.
I don't run counters in general because this deck always has a lot to do and usually wants to tap out. Also, the blink spells already take up such a big portion of the deck that if I added counters as well, there wouldn't be enough room for creatures anymore. I've recently actually considered cutting some of the enchantments as well (also because I've started to play Bane of Progress that has performed admirably).
cares so much about CA that you're often with many cards in hand, none of them having a cheap and efficient affect like Sword to plowshares and counterspell, and many that will spend your whole turn juus tin order to get more CA.
I do have quite a few instant-speed responses. I just added Unexpectedly Absent, which, however, hasn't done much yet.
I'll update the deck list as soon as I make up my mind who will remain as the commander from now on.
The biggest changes are that I've added a lot of tutoring and removed most of the pillowfort stuff (it has gone into another deck ). I even added two counterspells. The deck seems more focused and more powerful now.
Another considerable update, mainly removing almost all of the instant blink spells. They are neat when they happen to be on hand at the right time, but mostly the impact is not grand. I added more creatures, including a little clone subtheme, because clones have worked really nicely in my Kira deck.
The best cards of the deck recently:
Mistmeadow Witch
The best early-game blink engine. And even though the activation costs more than Roon's, it's repeatable and can target itself as well.
Prophet of Kruphix
This is amazing in any deck in this format but especially here. Combine with Mistmeadow Witch for maximum fun.
Bane of Progress
I cut drastically the deck's enchantments and artifacts because I like playing this so much. Repeatedly wiping all artifacts and enchantments is just great.
It's been over a year, so it's high time to update the list. The most important changes have been the (re)addition of counters. Creature count has also gone down by ten.
My philosophy
I play Commander for its social and psychological aspects. I prefer games to last for a while and to be full of interesting interactions and surprising situations. Whenever I feel like playing to win, I play some other format instead. Multiplayer is all about having fun with your friends. My CMD decks tend to be slow and defensive and combos are coincidental (if any).
The deck's philosophy
This deck is a lot of fun. It appears non-threatening but is surprisingly good at looking after itself and can occasionally stage spectacular comebacks. With so many ways to respond, it's very interactive to play and keeps your opponents on their toes. The strategy revolves around creatures that enjoy entering the battlefield.
5 Roon of the Hidden Realm
Creatures (31)
2 Phantasmal Image
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Gilded Drake
2 Tajuru Preserver
3 Fierce Empath
3 Skullwinder
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Eternal Witness
3 Recruiter of the Guard
3 Knight of Autumn
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Glen Elendra Archmage
4 Clever Impersonator
4 Archaeomancer
4 Angel of Finality
4 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
4 Brago, King Eternal
5 Body Double
5 Mnemonic Wall
5 Perplexing Chimera
5 Ixidron
5 Reveillark
5 Karmic Guide
5 Sigarda, Host of Herons
6 Deadeye Navigator
6 Bane of Progress
6 Sun Titan
7 Avenger of Zendikar
7 Resolute Archangel
8 Craterhoof Behemoth
8 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
2 Reality Shift
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Eladamri's Call
3 Beast Within
3 Oblation
3 Ghostway
3 Eerie Interlude
3 Crib Swap
4 Crush Contraband
4 Settle the Wreckage
Sorceries (7)
2 Curse of the Swine
4 Tempt With Discovery
5 Urza's Ruinous Blast
5 Hallowed Burial
6 Descend Upon the Sinful
6 Austere Command
6 Final Judgment
6 Terminus
Enchantments (3)
3 Aura Shards
5 Asceticism
5 Privileged Position
Artifacts (2)
4 Birthing Pod
5 Conjurer's Closet
Planeswalkers (1)
5 Venser, the Sojourner
Lands (41)
1 Vesuva
1 Maze of Ith
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Arid Mesa
1 Flooded Strand
1 Windswept Heath
1 Marsh Flats
1 Homeward Path
1 Command Tower
1 Temple of the False God
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Flooded Grove
1 Mystic Gate
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Irrigated Farmland
1 Scattered Groves
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Breeding Pool
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Temple Garden
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Savannah
3 Island
3 Forest
6 Plains
What the deck actually looks like
Some people foil their decks, I "linguify" mine. For each card, I choose the language version with the prettiest/funniest/longest name and resort to English only if I have nothing else. For obvious reasons, the first list was presented in English but these below are the cards I actually use. I favor languages that I speak, which is why Chinese and Japanese are underrepresented.
Because for the first fifteen years I played MtG, there wasn't such easy access to different language versions as there is nowadays, my card pool is still mostly English but I'm working to change that. Also, the further down you go from the most precious crown jewel decks, the higher is the percentage of English cards.
5 Roon du Royaume caché
Существа
2 Imagem Fantasmal
2 Mago da Conjuração-relâmpago
2 Drakôn clinquant
2 Protettore dei Tajuru
3 Grimmiger Empath
3 Crotale golgothien
3 Sage du reboisement
3 Testimone Eterna
3 Recruiter of the Guard
3 Chevalier de l'automne
4 Metamorfo pirexiano
4 Archimage du Vallon d'Elendra
4 Impostor sagaz
4 고고학술사
4 Ange de la fatalité
4 Shalai, Voce dell'Abbondanza
4 Brago, King Eternal
5 Doublure
5 Barreira Mnemônica
5 Quimera Desconcertante
5 Íxidron
5 Asas de Alvorada
5 Guide karmique
5 Sigarda, Hoste das Garças
6 Navegador Habilidoso
6 Fléau du progrès
6 Titan Solaire
7 Vendicatore di Zendikar
7 Entschlossener Erzengel
8 Behemoth dagli Zoccoli Craterici
8 Avacyn, ángel de la esperanza
1 Précepteur matérialiste
1 Espadas en guadañas
1 Weg ins Exil
2 Realitätsverschiebung
2 Rift des Sturmtiefs
2 エラダムリーの呼び声
3 Bestia Interiore
3 Obolo
3 Senda fantasmal
3 Schauriges Intermezzo
3 Cambio de cuna
4 Zerstörung der Hehlerware
4 Incagliare il Relitto
Hexereien
2 Maledizione dei Maiali
4 Verlockung der Entdeckung
5 Esplosione Devastante di Urza
5 Funeral Glorificado
6 Nüchterner Befehl
6 Abbattersi sui Peccatori
6 Giudizio Finale
6 Endpunkt
Incantesimi
3 Frammenti di Aura
5 Аскетизм
5 Привилегированное положение
Artefatti
4 Capsula della Genesi
5 Cabinet du conjurateur
Planinautas
5 Venser, the Sojourner
Terras
1 Vésuva
1 Labirinto di Ith
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Nebliger Regenwald
1 Polluted Delta
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Arid Mesa
1 Spiaggia Allagata
1 Brezal azotado por el viento
1 Marsh Flats
1 Weg nach Hause
1 Tour de commandement
1 Boschetto Inondato
1 Cancello Mistico
1 Tempio della Dea Fasulla
1 Minamo, Schule am Gestade
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Port de l'arrière-pays
1 Gletscherfestung
1 Terres arables irriguées
1 Selve Diradate
1 Boschetto di Petali Solari
1 Breeding Pool
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Temple Garden
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Savannah
3 Île
3 Bosque
6 Ebene
The name
This deck got its name from a less know 80's Eurovision Song Contest entry, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow with The Duskeys (Ireland 1982). They were many titles encompassing some aspect of the build but this one I thought best captured the fleeting presence permanents tend to have in this deck.
In case the previous paragraph sounded like absolute nonsense to you but still you find yourself strangely intrigued, there's an explanation of the naming convention in my Karador thread.
Changelog
2019-02-02
2015-08-04
2014-07-24
2014-03-21
2014-02-14
2013-12-19
2013-08-26
2013-08-08
I also love how you've decided to pimp out your deck, I love foreign language cards and do my best to use foreign cards when I can. I use a lot of Italian cards and German cards and they just look and feel so awesome. I don't even refer to some of my cards by the English name any more, like Weg Nach Hause, will forever be Weg Nach Hause to me.
Again, nice good and good luck in the future.
No problem, I wasn't even particularly fishing for critique, just thought that now that the deck's mature enough, why not document it in case somebody might find it inspiring or something. I will still listen to any suggestions, of course.
Exactly. Nowadays, also almost all sealed products I buy are non-English, so there are many cards whose names I never actually even see in English. Writing this list, for example, I had to look many of the English names up.
Also how has Lavinia of the Tenth performed for you?
Currently playing
WE DEMAND A SACRIFICE
Night Shift
Karrthus, Tyrant of Dragons
Some of you may think that you have made great mistakes in your lives, and perhaps you have. But let me ask you this.... did you ever play strip poker with two fat chicks and win?
Cockatrice name: Ninja Nate
Viable suggestions, all four. The removal creatures are on the expensive end but they would probably be worth it. Countermagic, on the other hand, is always fun but not very good value in multiplayer. Also, nine ways to blink at instant speed may not be enough. Snake is a very cool card, though, so I have to think about it, too.
I must admit that I haven't played with this deck enough recently to have gotten around to casting her! I do have high expectations for her.
I had the tutors in at some point and don't remember why I took them out. I'll reconsider. That's one of the reasons why recording your decks like this is a good practice; you can always look back.
The other systematic change was that I replaced the normal wraths (Wrath of God, Day of Judgment, Supreme Verdict) with mass tuck/exile (Hallowed Burial, Final Judgment, Terminus). There's always somebody with grave recursion that can't be stopped with destroy effects.
Now I can also answer the previous question about Lavinia of the Tenth. I've found that she can be quite useful at times but less so the further the match progresses as the average CMC on the battlefield increases.
The surprise star of the deck recently has been Spike Weaver who has single-handedly fended off many an attack, both by preventing damage and by preventing the attack altogether. I put in Knight-Captain of Eos in hope of a similar effect.
my advice is that you run counterspells. I, too, play trying to benefit from the political aspects of commander, but we can't just let someone do their infinite combo. i understand if you don't want to play mystic snake if you think it is too good in a flicker deck, but you should run some counterspells or else games aren't going to be long as you wish. also, your decks is similar to mine, and i think it has the same problem im trying to fix: cares so much about CA that you're often with many cards in hand, none of them having a cheap and efficient affect like Sword to plowshares and counterspell, and many that will spend your whole turn juus tin order to get more CA.
I actually just played my first games with Roon today. First though, I put Derevi there, but I didn't use her much either. And Roon I didn't play even once today. At all times, I had something more pressing to do.
Actually, I don't have Mystic Snake because I don't think it's good enough. Four mana is too much to keep open just for countering and there aren't enough resources to protect the snake when it's on the table long enough to blink it at the right moment.
I don't run counters in general because this deck always has a lot to do and usually wants to tap out. Also, the blink spells already take up such a big portion of the deck that if I added counters as well, there wouldn't be enough room for creatures anymore. I've recently actually considered cutting some of the enchantments as well (also because I've started to play Bane of Progress that has performed admirably).
I do have quite a few instant-speed responses. I just added Unexpectedly Absent, which, however, hasn't done much yet.
I'll update the deck list as soon as I make up my mind who will remain as the commander from now on.
The biggest changes are that I've added a lot of tutoring and removed most of the pillowfort stuff (it has gone into another deck
The best cards of the deck recently:
Mistmeadow Witch
The best early-game blink engine. And even though the activation costs more than Roon's, it's repeatable and can target itself as well.
Prophet of Kruphix
This is amazing in any deck in this format but especially here. Combine with Mistmeadow Witch for maximum fun.
Bane of Progress
I cut drastically the deck's enchantments and artifacts because I like playing this so much. Repeatedly wiping all artifacts and enchantments is just great.