I wanted to add another sac outlet to the deck. It is taking the place of a land that makes colorless mana. I believe giving up the LD spot is justified with the amount of recursion I can pull off from my creatures.
Players will Maze (or similar effect) a creature of mine with Sword of Fire and Ice that is swinging at another player just to cut me off from drawing one card. I don’t blame them because I do the same thing. I feel I might be able to get more mileage out of Chainer, Dementia Master. He can take creatures from any graveyard. I am not certain about his last triggered ability. I think it can offer a lot of benefit. Best case scenario: I reanimate a creature from an opponent’s graveyard then sac Chanier to exile it after I get the creature’s effect.
Chainer should also force players to think twice about whose graveyard to exile. Call him a little extra insurance.
I believe these changes will open up more plays and opportunities.
Over the weekend I let a friend play with my deck. After a he played a few games he told me he wished I had included a Vesuva in the deck.
I have plenty of utility lands and I agree it would be nice to have access to another Bojuka Bog, Diamond Valley etc. whether or not they are in play on my side.
Looks like Griselbrand is banned now. I was crossing my fingers they’d only ban him as a general. Oh well.
I don’t really want to put Graveborn Muse back it. It felt too slow and died most of the time before getting any advantage from it.
I am going to embrace some of the Red color wheel and test Orcish Settlers. Ramp and utility lands are pretty strong in my area. (Just look at my mana base.) Hopefully, I won’t run into too many issues with his ability being activated. There are five cards in here that grant haste and two of them are fairly easy to protect.
I’ve also cut Nevinyrral's Disk for Plague Boiler. I’ve go back and forth with these over the years. The boiler hits Planeswalkers and it can be used the same turn I play it. (Provided I have enough mana.) Added bonus, it also get around Null Rod.
Hey steino, am new to this forum but have been monitoring your thread for quite a while now. Really like the apporach you've taken. Was just curious if you would play Death Cloud as you would most definately out ramp your opponents and have the advantage from Crucible of Worlds and Life from the Loam.
Hey steino, am new to this forum but have been monitoring your thread for quite a while now. Really like the apporach you've taken. Was just curious if you would play Death Cloud as you would most definately out ramp your opponents and have the advantage from Crucible of Worlds and Life from the Loam.
Death Cloud is a very good card. I feel it performs well with the cards you mentioned and with artifact ramp. Sadly, I am not a fan of losing lands to my own spell. Sometimes it works and sometimes it fails. My personal feeling is not to run it; however, it can work very well.
Gaea's Cradle – This land was being carried by the power of Primeval Titan. It only shines when I have Avenger of Zendikar enter play. Without the consistency of the Titan, Cradle needs to come off. Question is for what.
I have thought about High Market. The more sac outlets the better the deck performs. I thought about a basic forest. I thought about Greater Good. The downfall here is it won’t stick around too long and most of my creatures have low power. I thought about Viridian Zealot. I would like it to be a land slot. I also considered Scapeshift.
I might just try out High Market and see how it goes.
I took a three month break from Magic and after returning it feels like my meta has changed a little bit. Primeval Titan had a huge impact on the game. No surprise there; however, it also had a huge impact on part of my strategy and how I dealt with opposing Titans. With that graveyard hate has always been present, but people are starting to run more hate and in the same breath are starting to use their graveyards more. Another factor has been From the Vault: Realms. People have more access to better utility lands and it shows.
Updates:
Out:
Memory Jar – It has become more difficult to wait a full round of turns to use this, and I don’t like using it unless I have the mana open. Also I want more control over what I discard and not blindly throw cards away with a Leyline of the Void in play.
Akroma's Memorial – Great card and it has won me plenty of games; however, it is slow, doesn’t stick around too long, takes a lot of mana to play and for me doesn’t change the game by itself.
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary – This guy draws more hate then I thought was possible. Some where, some one really must have hurt people with him. He was the last mana elf in my deck, and he feels out of place now.
Ranger's Path – Great card, but I think I found something “better” and this doesn’t do much when drawn late in the game.
Beseech the Queen – I like it, but I had to cut something. I’d rather cut a “high” mana tutor for more utility then something else with utility.
Sword of Light and Shadow – I’ve played this for so many years and it is great. I feel I have enough other recursion pieces that I can finally take this out. I dislike the fact it is dependent on combat damage to a player.
Goblin Settler – I want more land destruction and I am still trying to find the correct balance. Invader Parasite might be “better,” but there are too many Clones in my area and I can’t get my cards back from exile.
Seedguide Ash – It is a creature so even if I don’t have any forests left it can still attack and block. It is also much easier to find and recur then a sorcery.
Rakdos Charm – It is here for the instant graveyard hate, but the destroy an artifact option is also nice.
Reap and Sow – I miss the consistency of Primeval Titan. My deck runs better when I have access to my sack outlets and/or grave hate. Since it put the card into play and can destroy an opposing land it feel worth running.
When Cultivate was first printed I took out Yavimaya Elder for it, but since then I’ve put more recursion into this deck. This deck has an easier time recurring a creature then it does a spell. Also, in the late game creatures will still be able to do something when all the basics are gone from my deck.
Mindslicer for Myojin of Night's Reach – I still need a way to make my opponents discard. Mindslicer will effect me too, but at least I don’t have to cast it from my hand to get it’s effect. I also don’t have to worry too much about Bind and Squelch with it. It’s lower casting cost should help too.
Greater Good for Wheel of Fortune – I’ve never liked the idea of giving cards to my opponents. I would sit with it in my hand because I didn’t want to cast Wheel of Fortune. Greater Good is a sac outlet and should provide more card advantage.
Thespian's Stage is a great card and I run a lot of utility lands. Lately I’ve been sitting on Strip Mine instead of using it because I have other ways to take out threatening lands and I don’t want to lose the mana production.
Skyshroud Claim - I’ve cut back on my sorcery mana ramp in favor of creature ramp. In the long run I can reuse creatures easier then I can sorceries.
Reiterate – I have less cards to copy with this and it seems like my opponents run less instants and sorceries that I’d like to copy. Usually, I’ve been sitting with this card in hand just waiting for something good. Sheoldred, Whispering One is more proactive and it is another recursion piece.
Sorin is usually not a fun card to play against and it leaves a bad taste in players mouths. This deck is fully capable of defeating a table without him. Crypt Rats might not always be the easiest to use, but if I could support three black for Sorin than the rats have a home. The rats are also a decent board wipe, hit players life totals and can be recurred.
For recursion reasons Tilling Treefolk will replace Life from the Loam. I found that I no longer wanted to dredge this card because I didn't want to lose anything to grave hate.
I wanted to add another sac outlet to the deck. It is taking the place of a land that makes colorless mana. I believe giving up the LD spot is justified with the amount of recursion I can pull off from my creatures.
Players will Maze (or similar effect) a creature of mine with Sword of Fire and Ice that is swinging at another player just to cut me off from drawing one card. I don’t blame them because I do the same thing. I feel I might be able to get more mileage out of Chainer, Dementia Master. He can take creatures from any graveyard. I am not certain about his last triggered ability. I think it can offer a lot of benefit. Best case scenario: I reanimate a creature from an opponent’s graveyard then sac Chanier to exile it after I get the creature’s effect.
Chainer should also force players to think twice about whose graveyard to exile. Call him a little extra insurance.
I believe these changes will open up more plays and opportunities.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
I have plenty of utility lands and I agree it would be nice to have access to another Bojuka Bog, Diamond Valley etc. whether or not they are in play on my side.
Changes:
Mountain -> Vesuva
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
I don’t really want to put Graveborn Muse back it. It felt too slow and died most of the time before getting any advantage from it.
I am going to embrace some of the Red color wheel and test Orcish Settlers. Ramp and utility lands are pretty strong in my area. (Just look at my mana base.) Hopefully, I won’t run into too many issues with his ability being activated. There are five cards in here that grant haste and two of them are fairly easy to protect.
I’ve also cut Nevinyrral's Disk for Plague Boiler. I’ve go back and forth with these over the years. The boiler hits Planeswalkers and it can be used the same turn I play it. (Provided I have enough mana.) Added bonus, it also get around Null Rod.
Changes:
Griselbrand -> Orcish Settlers
Nevinyrral's Disk -> Plague Boiler
I also have my eye on Diabolic Revelation. I think it might take the place of Beseech the Queen.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
I've replaced Invader Parasite with Ranger's Path.
I haven't played with Diabolic Revelation yet so I can't say anything about it yet.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
Death Cloud is a very good card. I feel it performs well with the cards you mentioned and with artifact ramp. Sadly, I am not a fan of losing lands to my own spell. Sometimes it works and sometimes it fails. My personal feeling is not to run it; however, it can work very well.
Banning/Unbanning update:
Primeval Titan will be coming off and Kokusho, the Evening Star will make her return after several years on hiatus. Looks like a one for one swap here.
Gaea's Cradle – This land was being carried by the power of Primeval Titan. It only shines when I have Avenger of Zendikar enter play. Without the consistency of the Titan, Cradle needs to come off. Question is for what.
I have thought about High Market. The more sac outlets the better the deck performs. I thought about a basic forest. I thought about Greater Good. The downfall here is it won’t stick around too long and most of my creatures have low power. I thought about Viridian Zealot. I would like it to be a land slot. I also considered Scapeshift.
I might just try out High Market and see how it goes.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
It offers more potential with Titan being gone now. Dust Bowl allows for interaction with Crucible of Worlds and Life from the Loam. Ex. sac Bojuka Bog or Vesuva then replay it. Wasteland is great at getting the job done, but Dust Bowl will get more mileage in multiplayer.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
Updates:
Out:
Memory Jar – It has become more difficult to wait a full round of turns to use this, and I don’t like using it unless I have the mana open. Also I want more control over what I discard and not blindly throw cards away with a Leyline of the Void in play.
Akroma's Memorial – Great card and it has won me plenty of games; however, it is slow, doesn’t stick around too long, takes a lot of mana to play and for me doesn’t change the game by itself.
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary – This guy draws more hate then I thought was possible. Some where, some one really must have hurt people with him. He was the last mana elf in my deck, and he feels out of place now.
Ranger's Path – Great card, but I think I found something “better” and this doesn’t do much when drawn late in the game.
Beseech the Queen – I like it, but I had to cut something. I’d rather cut a “high” mana tutor for more utility then something else with utility.
Sword of Light and Shadow – I’ve played this for so many years and it is great. I feel I have enough other recursion pieces that I can finally take this out. I dislike the fact it is dependent on combat damage to a player.
In:
Entomb and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre - Ulamog is added for extra graveyard protection. Entomb is also for extra protection, but it is not a dead card by itself. It also works with any kind of recursion, Crucible of Worlds, Life from the Loam, Genesis, Squee, Goblin Nabob etc.
Goblin Settler – I want more land destruction and I am still trying to find the correct balance. Invader Parasite might be “better,” but there are too many Clones in my area and I can’t get my cards back from exile.
Seedguide Ash – It is a creature so even if I don’t have any forests left it can still attack and block. It is also much easier to find and recur then a sorcery.
Rakdos Charm – It is here for the instant graveyard hate, but the destroy an artifact option is also nice.
Reap and Sow – I miss the consistency of Primeval Titan. My deck runs better when I have access to my sack outlets and/or grave hate. Since it put the card into play and can destroy an opposing land it feel worth running.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
I’ve taken out Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, Myojin of Night's Reach and Wheel of Fortune.
I’ve put in Yavimaya Elder, Dawntreader Elk, Mindslicer and Greater Good.
When Cultivate was first printed I took out Yavimaya Elder for it, but since then I’ve put more recursion into this deck. This deck has an easier time recurring a creature then it does a spell. Also, in the late game creatures will still be able to do something when all the basics are gone from my deck.
Mindslicer for Myojin of Night's Reach – I still need a way to make my opponents discard. Mindslicer will effect me too, but at least I don’t have to cast it from my hand to get it’s effect. I also don’t have to worry too much about Bind and Squelch with it. It’s lower casting cost should help too.
Greater Good for Wheel of Fortune – I’ve never liked the idea of giving cards to my opponents. I would sit with it in my hand because I didn’t want to cast Wheel of Fortune. Greater Good is a sac outlet and should provide more card advantage.
Card I am looking forward to from the new set so far are Thespian's Stage and Sylvan Primordial. No surprise there. I will be taking out Strip Mine and Orcish Settlers for them.
I am debating on adding Natural Order and Dryad Arbor when the new set is released. Thinking about removing Bloodstained Mire for the Arbor, but not sure what I would remove for Natural Order.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
New changes:
Strip Mine -> Thespian's Stage
Orchish Settlers -> Sylvan Primoridal
Skyshroud Claim -> Wood Elves
Reiterate -> Sheoldred, Whispering One
Thespian's Stage is a great card and I run a lot of utility lands. Lately I’ve been sitting on Strip Mine instead of using it because I have other ways to take out threatening lands and I don’t want to lose the mana production.
Sylvan Primoridal is my second Woodfall Primus and it thins out my deck. Having more versatile removal is a good thing.
Skyshroud Claim - I’ve cut back on my sorcery mana ramp in favor of creature ramp. In the long run I can reuse creatures easier then I can sorceries.
Reiterate – I have less cards to copy with this and it seems like my opponents run less instants and sorceries that I’d like to copy. Usually, I’ve been sitting with this card in hand just waiting for something good. Sheoldred, Whispering One is more proactive and it is another recursion piece.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
Sylvan Primordial -> Yavimaya Dryad
Plague Boiler -> Birthing Pod
Bone Shredder -> Shadowborn Demon
Leyline of the Void -> Agent of Erebos
Yavimaya Elder -> Realm Seekers
Steel Hellkite -> Bane of Progress
Avatar of Woe -> Overseer of the Damned
Dawntreader Elk -> Lifeblood Hydra
Savage Lands -> Flamekin Village
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen
Sorin Markov -> Crypt Rats.
Sorin is usually not a fun card to play against and it leaves a bad taste in players mouths. This deck is fully capable of defeating a table without him. Crypt Rats might not always be the easiest to use, but if I could support three black for Sorin than the rats have a home. The rats are also a decent board wipe, hit players life totals and can be recurred.
For recursion reasons Tilling Treefolk will replace Life from the Loam. I found that I no longer wanted to dredge this card because I didn't want to lose anything to grave hate.
BRGKarrthus, Tyrant of Jund
UTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
UBWZur the Enchanter
WUBRGChild of Alara
WUBRGSliver Queen