I have lately been a fan of quirky decks that aren't designed to blow anyone's socks off but are more attempt to push the boundaries of that colors can accomplish. One of these chapters in my story is this GW enchantress deck centered around what else but creature tokens!
It has a lot of your enchantress staple-type stuff but to that end it works hard to support tokens with those enchantments. Angel tokens make a substantial contribution to this deck. They are big enough that Trostani gains substantial life from them and populating them actually becomes a value proposition. Trostani can be a pretty good play in this deck in front of a big token spawner and does get a little silly with Doubling Season and friends. Also, all these enchantments tend to limit your actual board presence so there's some pillowfort shenanigans in here to make up for that. Conveniently, there are a lot of defensive enchantments that aren't half bad.
yes its nice to put trostani at the helm but i can't help but want to play day of the dragons in a populate deck. there's also dance of many to add another blue enchantment....
Angel of Jubilation is a non-bo with Greater Good. Aside from that- I like your list. I'm working on a Trostani deck of my own. Most GW generals are meh, so it's been a long-time coming for me to find one I like [although running Jasmine Boreal would be classy...just not good or compelling].
I'm running a trostani enchantress deck occasionally that's doing some pretty cool things. I feel like EDH Enchantress will get a lot better once they:
1) Print a enchantress-enabling general
2) Print a few solid (non-creature) enchantment-sac outlets (I'm thinking like a phyrexian tower or Greater Good to sac enchantments instead of critters)
It's super enchantment-heavy and it hurts a lot when your field gets wiped - but we play big multiplayer games and I'm hardly ever the most dangerous person.
My list is a lot out of date but some of the same principles are still there. I very much like the idea of enchantments that create tokens and/or interact well with Doubling Season and Parallel Lives. It gives Trostani something to do with her ability. I have cut back significantly on the token making cards, leaving behind just the good ones, and gone more in the enchantment direction.
To prevent getting owned by a wipe you have only a few options:
Then there's Sun Titan and Femeref Enchantress but honestly they are only there to plug the leaks.
I will say I have discovered a few cool cards in there I will have to try. Gossamer Chains, Femeref Enchatress, Primal Order all look pretty cool. I have to ask though, how are you winning with this deck? I see some pillowfort action, but not even a Parallax Wave/Opalesence combo.
Also I also don't see you using Trostani for anything meaningful other than her colors. As much as I want an enchatress general (Argothian Enchantress = Legendary would solve our problems), I don't think I'd enjoy using a general just for the colors. That's why I've got some token-making enchantments, and some ways to pay life for things, to get her working somehow in the deck. She hasn't straight won me any games or anything but the incidental lifegain is a nice plus and she can go off from time to time with Phyrexian Processor. I guess I'm saying it wouldn't hurt to break from the "all enchantments, all the time" if it meant you got some meaningful interactions with Trostani instead.
My list is a bit out of date and there are a few great cards I still have to get a hold of (Eladamri's Call, Idyllic Tutor, Humility). I'll update this list eventually. Just to give you an idea of just how much my list has changed, check out all the cards I have cut, just from memory:
Whenever I run Enchantresses or Sigil of the Empty Throne I definitely include handy, easily replayable enchantments like Flickering Ward and Gossamer Chains. Rancor and Angelic Destiny are a bit clunkier as a draw engine as things have to hit the 'yard, but they're handy on their own anyway.
Updated the decklist! I have a few cool cards coming in the mail (Gossamer Chains for one) and M14 should have some nifty things to add here. Over the last few months I've enjoyed this deck a lot more than I thought I would.
Ajani's Chosen: An enchantress that doesn't draw you cards but gives you a 2/2? It does fit with the theme of the deck. I might have to make some room for this but I'm not sure how yet. Seems to REALLY want me to play Ancestral Mask.
Angelic Accord: This is really good with Trostani. Populating an Angel token fuels the enchantment by itself. This card works with the lifegain and the enchantress strats together and is full of win. Can't wait to try it out.
Archangel of Thune: Play Trostani. Play Archangel. Cast token generator. ???. PROFIT. It's a difficult setup but the idea of an army of 10/10 cat tokens off a WSZ or beefed up angels is pretty sweet. Strangely enough that can be accomplished easily with Cathars' Crusade, a card I COMPLETELY overlooked putting this together. I'll have to get one!
Auramancer: Not a new card but I wonder if I should be running this for some recursion. I think I like Faith's Reward better which I'm going to try soon.
Devout Invocation: It's cheap on the mana to make a ton of angels but it is dead by itself. Still, if any general can make creatures it's Trostani. Sort of win-more and encourages overextending... I don't know how or where it fits in yet. Maybe over Entreat the Angels? Maybe not at all?
Oath of the Ancient Wood: I don't know if this effect is worth a slot. A lousy +1/+1 counter is all I get? Seems overcosted even at 2G for this format. Obviously anything that triggers on casting an enchantment spell gets a look but I don't know about this one.
Primeval Bounty: Normally I would just ignore this trap of a card but in here it could actually be good? It's an enchantment, it makes me tokens that are good to populate, and the lifegain goes well with Well of Lost Dreams and such. I'll have to get a hold of one and find out I guess. I'm not sure I'll make enough 3/3s to be worth it as the deck has mostly noncreature spells which just add counter to my guys, not something I want to be paying 6 mana for...
Strionic Resonator: Doubles up on enchantress effects or lifegain? Or Well of Lost Dreams? Seems good... but is yet another total nonbo with Stony Silence. I don't know about this one yet but it definitely has potential due to its ability to draw me cards with the mana. I have a feeling I'm going to need like four of these...
Overall I still love this deck for a more passive style of game and I still play it a lot. It's unique and definitely a challenge to make the pieces fit but I've really enjoyed it so far, much more than I expected to.
Well, let's see what this enchantment-filled block has brought us:
Celestian Archon: Man, bestow is so expensive! If this is the best we got I don't really see this working.
Chosen by Heliod: I love me some cantripping enchantments but +0/+2 is basically useless. Not crazy about this one.
Elspeth, Sun's Champion: SEEMS GOOD. I will probably try to squish her in there when I can get one. Trostani survives the wrath which is lovely. I don't really like populating 1/1s though so I'll have to think about her as well.
Heliod, God of the Sun: Hm. Indestructible and Vigilance on everything. The token ability seems like gravy but it does fuel Serra's Sanctum and such. Maybe if I have more "# of enchantments you control" type things I'd like that bottom ability. anyway Vigilance is really good. Again, maybe just have to see.
Spear of Heliod: Not a huge fan of paying for anthem effects here but the bottom ability is perfectly pillowfort-y. It might make it because it is both of those things combined.
Boon Satyr: Enough pump for 5 mana to maybe be valuable. I'm not crazy about it.
Bow of Nylea: Meh. I dont attack much unless I am going to overwhelm my enemies. Not running a lot of trample either to abuse this.
Commune with the Gods: Absolute slam dunk. Fantastic card and the first I KNOW will make the deck.
Karametra's Acolyte: Devotion gets pretty stacked with all these enchantments. This could be good.
Nylea, God of the Hunt: The global trample is nice, the pump is pretty blegh. She should give herself trample IMO. I like the bodies on these god cards for this deck since devotion is not so difficult with a WWGG general and a bunch of enchantments. I may try her as well.
Nylea's Presence: No Abundant Growth but at least more useful that the sloppy +0/+2 of the Heliod one. I love me some enchantment cantrips like this.
Polukranos, World Eater No direct Synergy with my general. Monstrous seems good with Serra's Sanctum running around. I don't think he'll make it but who knows.
Colossus of Akros: Just damn cool, and very hard to kill. Sanctum makes the mana actually manageable but I'd hate to draw him early.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nix: I'm torn on this one. I can hit the devotion pretty easily with Trostani out but I can't use any mana from this card to cast her early. It's basically a Temple of the False Gods in that sense. I think I'll try it out to test the limits of devotion in two colors (if you can't make it work in two-color enchantress, it shouldn't really work in any two-color decks).
Overall a little lackluster with none of the premier cards in the set really caring about enchantemts, just some goofy bestow shenanigans that aren't really good for this format or this deck. Maybe later in the block we'll get some more cards that care about your enchantments.
Maybe Luminarch's Accord should be cut. It is really good, but not very political. People will not want you to get any quest counters on that, and your life might not get high enough. Don't necessarily take it out, but if your playgroup can get kinda irrational about biggish threats that they can try to stop just by attacking, then you might want to omit it.
Are you worried about getting two-for-one'd when using enchantments like Overgrowth?
It seems like people running Sylvan Primordial would target enchanted lands first.
Playing enchantress rigs the exchange in your favor almost every time. If you draw a card off Argothian Enchantress when you first play the enchantment it's a one-for-one, not a two-for-one (this is the reason we play enchantment-based ramp-- I'll take a cantrip Overgrowth over a Kodama's Reach every time... guess which one also buffs up Serra's Sanctum?). And it's probably better they killed that than my Enchantress's Presence. More likely than not the ramp enchants are going to be ignored while the more annoying ones like Rest in Peace or Luminarch Ascension or Mana Reflection are the ones that will be hit with targeted removal.
Maybe Luminarch's Accord should be cut. It is really good, but not very political. People will not want you to get any quest counters on that, and your life might not get high enough. Don't necessarily take it out, but if your playgroup can get kinda irrational about biggish threats that they can try to stop just by attacking, then you might want to omit it.
I have used the card enough to know when to run it out and when to hang on to it. If you run it out turn 2 with no defenses, depending on the speed of the other players' decks you can still make out all right if you are pumping angel tokens out by turn 4. However if you run it out under a Privileged Position and suddenly it easier for the other players to kill you than it is to deal with the enchantment... then it may not be a very good play. Luminarch Ascension is a skill-testing card both for you and your opponents and frankly with the defensive elements of the deck in place (between fogs, Ghostly Prisons and incidental lifegain), it's mostly just a good play. I recommend everyone who run pillowfort-y enchantress play it and gain experience using the card.
(As a bonus interaction, I do a lot of cool things with 4/4 angel tokens in this deck so I try to play most of those generators... obviously a few didn't make the cut but for the most part good things tend to happen when they're around.)
Playing enchantress rigs the exchange in your favor almost every time. If you draw a card off Argothian Enchantress when you first play the enchantment it's a one-for-one, not a two-for-one (this is the reason we play enchantment-based ramp-- I'll take a cantrip Overgrowth over a Kodama's Reach every time... guess which one also buffs up Serra's Sanctum?). And it's probably better they killed that than my Enchantress's Presence. More likely than not the ramp enchants are going to be ignored while the more annoying ones like Rest in Peace or Luminarch Ascension or Mana Reflection are the ones that will be hit with targeted removal.
Ah, I see. I had not considered that.
Out of curiosity, why did you select Trostani as the general over, say, Rhys the Redeemed?
Out of curiosity, why did you select Trostani as the general over, say, Rhys the Redeemed?
Rhys is way too easy. He's the best token general these colors can probably ever hope to have... but in my personal opinion you gotta have have some style points in this format. I get more out of making "meh" Commanders into good and fun decks than just playing with the best ones.
Rhys is way too easy. He's the best token general these colors can probably ever hope to have... but in my personal opinion you gotta have have some style points in this format. I get more out of making "meh" Commanders into good and fun decks than just playing with the best ones.
It's within a few cards. It's very current. It doesn't have any Theros goodies yet but I think Spear of Heliod is going to make a nice addition. Maybe Commune with the Gods but I'm not sure about that one yet.
have you guys thought of crystal chimes? seems like it would fit in an enchantress deck even if they wipe the board you can get it all right back
Never heard of it! A nice alternative to Creeping Renaissance/Replenish/Open the Vaults/etc. The only thing it has going against it is that it's an artifact with an activated ability, which I like to shut off from time to time for my opponents with Stony Silence. I do play Phyrexian Processor already but only because the Trostani synergy with it is way too juicy to ignore (pay 38 life, make a 38/38, get 38 life back, repeat until fat and happy). Thanks for turning me on to it.
There is black in every game in my local group, so compost is rarely a dead card if ever and the payoff is huge. With this and Runed Halo, there's less risk associated with these types of cards than usual because having an enchantress out will make it at least replace itself and add to Serra's Sanctum's mana output. In short, it's great for me, but not for everyone.
Similarly, Runed Halo is a nice way to prevent getting voltron'd by a huge Wrexial or Grimgrin or Karona. It's good in my meta, but not necessarily for everyone. I like it when my opponents see something like Runed Halo come out and rather than destroy it or tutor for an answer, they just kill someone else instead. It's exactly what I want to happen in a multiplayer game. It count easily be subbed out for something else though. It's up to your personal preference.
Couple of generic suggestions for you:
- When I read through your list, I get the feeling that your deck has a lot of expensive spells in it, specifically when it comes to making tokens. I might trim one or two of those and make yourself a little less clunky.
- Another thing I notice is that you are running all of the Wild Growth-type effects to make extra mana. I understand that you're going for the enchantress theme, but if I'm sitting at your table and I have a random Acidic Slime without a really good target, I'm going to think twice about blowing up your enchanted land. Or, if I happen to blow the board with a Pernicious Deed, Austere Command, or something like that, you'll be set a lot farther back than the guy who uses the Rampant Growth-effects. In spite of your overall theme (which is fine), these particular enchantments seem a little too risky for my liking.
I'd just use your own intuition. Find out what cards you like and what you don't and try to go from there. I'm not sure what I would cut right now for those. Humility has been a particularly intriguing card but I lack the mass production of tokens or the anthems (Collective Blessing!) to make it really good. If I were to run Humility I would play a few more anthem effects or mass generators and build a gameplan out of it, rather than just throwing it in there and hoping for the best.
Couple of generic suggestions for you:
- When I read through your list, I get the feeling that your deck has a lot of expensive spells in it, specifically when it comes to making tokens. I might trim one or two of those and make yourself a little less clunky.
- Another thing I notice is that you are running all of the Wild Growth-type effects to make extra mana. I understand that you're going for the enchantress theme, but if I'm sitting at your table and I have a random Acidic Slime without a really good target, I'm going to think twice about blowing up your enchanted land. Or, if I happen to blow the board with a Pernicious Deed, Austere Command, or something like that, you'll be set a lot farther back than the guy who uses the Rampant Growth-effects. In spite of your overall theme (which is fine), these particular enchantments seem a little too risky for my liking.
Thanks for your feedback. As mentioned previously I still like running the land enchantments because more often than not they replace themselves because I have GSZ'd for Argothian Enchantress turn 3 or something similar. They give a lot more to the deck than just some extra lands. I could see cutting one or two of them for generic ramp spells, just to bring in a little bit of balance... but I have been happy with their performance so far, even with the occasional collateral damage on enchantment sweepers. I intend to live and die by the permanent type with this deck for the most part. And at least they all come back with Replenish, right?
On the expensive token producers, I've actually cut Decree of Justice and I believe(?) Rampaging Baloths for being too slow or clunky. Problem is, I can't remember what I've replaced them with! I have to update the deck list. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I did come to the same conclusion as you on those cards- too much clunky. Having two in your hand at once in any time but the extreme late game is awful.
That reminds me: No more Gaea's Cradle. I had been using a gold-bordered one for a while but recently I changed my stance on the use of proxies I don't intent to acquire and I have cut it for a basic forest. Oh well. At least the Serra's Sanctum is legit!
---
Taking another look at the deck list, I don't think Compost is necessary with two dedicated grave hate enchantments Rest in Peace and Wheel of Sun and Moon. I'll probably cut it for something else.
So cards that I would consider cutting based on what's in my mostly up-to-date decklist would be:
Decree of Justice
Rampaging Baloths
Compost
Runed Halo
I have lately been a fan of quirky decks that aren't designed to blow anyone's socks off but are more attempt to push the boundaries of that colors can accomplish. One of these chapters in my story is this GW enchantress deck centered around what else but creature tokens!
It has a lot of your enchantress staple-type stuff but to that end it works hard to support tokens with those enchantments. Angel tokens make a substantial contribution to this deck. They are big enough that Trostani gains substantial life from them and populating them actually becomes a value proposition. Trostani can be a pretty good play in this deck in front of a big token spawner and does get a little silly with Doubling Season and friends. Also, all these enchantments tend to limit your actual board presence so there's some pillowfort shenanigans in here to make up for that. Conveniently, there are a lot of defensive enchantments that aren't half bad.
1 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
//Token Makers
1 Hoofprints of the Stag
1 Luminarch Ascension
1 Angelic Accord
1 Phyrexian Processor
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Sigil of the Empty Throne
1 Armada Wurm
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Rampaging Baloths
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Entreat the Angels
1 White Sun's Zenith
1 Decree of Justice
//Power Plays
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Genesis Wave
//Draw/Engines
1 Abundant Growth
1 Argothian Enchantress
1 Compost
1 Enchantress's Presence
1 Mesa Enchantress
1 Sylvan Library
1 Verduan Enchantress
1 Parallel Lives
1 Well of Lost Dreams
1 Doubling Season
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Sterling Grove
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Academy Rector
1 Green Sun's Zenith
//Recursion
1 Replenish
1 Creeping Renaissance
1 Sun Titan
//Removal
1 Aura Shards
1 Aura of Silence
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Prison Term
1 Vow of Wilderness
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Martial Law
1 Austere Command
//Defense
1 Righteous Aura
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Karmic Justice
1 Runed Halo
1 Privileged Position
1 Sphere of Safety
//Hate Cards
1 Rest in Peace
1 Stony Silence
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Utopia Sprawl
1 Fertile Ground
1 Oath of Lieges
1 Overgrowth
1 Dawn's Reflection
1 Into the Wilds
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Mana Reflection
//Lands
1 Serra's Sanctum
1 Command Tower
1 Graypelt Refuge
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Temple Garden
1 Vesuva
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Grove of the Guardian
1 Kor Haven
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Yavimaya Hollow
15 Forest
10 Plains
1 Blind Obedience
1 Faith's Reward
1 Martyr's Cause
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
I'll probably lay off Knight of the Reliquary because of the cost and because it's more good-stuff and less populate.
Also, I see I have somewhat stupidly forgot Elesh Norn. Will have to fix that as well.
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
1) Print a enchantress-enabling general
2) Print a few solid (non-creature) enchantment-sac outlets (I'm thinking like a phyrexian tower or Greater Good to sac enchantments instead of critters)
Here's my list:
13 Forest
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Krosan Verge
13 Plains
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Serra's Sanctum
1 Temple Garden
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Windswept heath
1 argothian enchantress
1 Eternal witness
1 faith Healer
1 Femref Enchantress
1 Mesa Enchantress
1 Verduran Enchantress
1 Sun Titan
1 Eladamri's call
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Idyllic Tutor
1 Replenish
1 Abundance
1 Ancestral Mask
1 Aura of Silence
1 Aurification
1 Blind Obedience
1 Burgeoning
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 City of Solitude
1 Crackdown
1 Dawn's Reflection
1 Divine Intervention
1 Dueling Grounds
1 Eladamri's Vineyard
1 Elephant Grass
1 Enchantress's presence
1 Fertile Ground
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Gossamer Chains
1 Greater Auramancy
1 Ground Seal
1 Holistic Wisdom
1 Humility
1 Karmic Justice
1 Land Tax
1 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Luminarch Ascension
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Mirri's Guile
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Overgrowth
1 Parallax wave
1 planar collapse
1 primal order
1 privileged position
1 rest in peace
1 revelation
1 righteous aura
1 rites of flourishing
1 rule of law
1 seal of cleansing
1 seal of primordium
1 sigil of the empty throne
1 solitary confinement
1 soul snare
1 soul tithe
1 sphere of safety
1 sterling grove
1 stony silence
1 suppression field
1 sylvan library
1 utopia sprawl
1 wheel of sun and moon
1 wild growth
It's super enchantment-heavy and it hurts a lot when your field gets wiped - but we play big multiplayer games and I'm hardly ever the most dangerous person.
To prevent getting owned by a wipe you have only a few options:
Then there's Sun Titan and Femeref Enchantress but honestly they are only there to plug the leaks.
I will say I have discovered a few cool cards in there I will have to try. Gossamer Chains, Femeref Enchatress, Primal Order all look pretty cool. I have to ask though, how are you winning with this deck? I see some pillowfort action, but not even a Parallax Wave/Opalesence combo.
Also I also don't see you using Trostani for anything meaningful other than her colors. As much as I want an enchatress general (Argothian Enchantress = Legendary would solve our problems), I don't think I'd enjoy using a general just for the colors. That's why I've got some token-making enchantments, and some ways to pay life for things, to get her working somehow in the deck. She hasn't straight won me any games or anything but the incidental lifegain is a nice plus and she can go off from time to time with Phyrexian Processor. I guess I'm saying it wouldn't hurt to break from the "all enchantments, all the time" if it meant you got some meaningful interactions with Trostani instead.
My list is a bit out of date and there are a few great cards I still have to get a hold of (Eladamri's Call, Idyllic Tutor, Humility). I'll update this list eventually. Just to give you an idea of just how much my list has changed, check out all the cards I have cut, just from memory:
1 Kazandu Tuskcaller
1 Moonsilver Spear
1 Decree of Justice
1 Terastodon
1 Sundering Growth
1 Wayfaring Temple
1 Rootbord Defenses
1 Growing Ranks
1 Trostani's Judgment
1 Intangible Virtue
1 Primal Rage
1 Angel of Jubilation
1 Collective Blessing
1 Akroma's Memorial
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Greater Good
1 Chord of Calling
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Selesnya Charm
1 Beast Within
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Hour of Reckoning
1 Spawning Pit
1 Rest in Peace
1 Overwhelming Stampede
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Playtesting | Karador, Ghost Chieftain | Narset, Enlightened Master | Ephara, God of the Polis
Established | Gahiji, Honored One | Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker | Opal-Eye, Konda's Yojimbo | Rubinia Soulsinger
Retired | Medomai the Ageless | Diaochan, Artful Beauty
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Ajani's Chosen: An enchantress that doesn't draw you cards but gives you a 2/2? It does fit with the theme of the deck. I might have to make some room for this but I'm not sure how yet. Seems to REALLY want me to play Ancestral Mask.
Angelic Accord: This is really good with Trostani. Populating an Angel token fuels the enchantment by itself. This card works with the lifegain and the enchantress strats together and is full of win. Can't wait to try it out.
Archangel of Thune: Play Trostani. Play Archangel. Cast token generator. ???. PROFIT. It's a difficult setup but the idea of an army of 10/10 cat tokens off a WSZ or beefed up angels is pretty sweet. Strangely enough that can be accomplished easily with Cathars' Crusade, a card I COMPLETELY overlooked putting this together. I'll have to get one!
Auramancer: Not a new card but I wonder if I should be running this for some recursion. I think I like Faith's Reward better which I'm going to try soon.
Devout Invocation: It's cheap on the mana to make a ton of angels but it is dead by itself. Still, if any general can make creatures it's Trostani. Sort of win-more and encourages overextending... I don't know how or where it fits in yet. Maybe over Entreat the Angels? Maybe not at all?
Into the Wilds: The enchantment version of Oracle of Mul Daya? Seems good! Will definitely be running this.
Oath of the Ancient Wood: I don't know if this effect is worth a slot. A lousy +1/+1 counter is all I get? Seems overcosted even at 2G for this format. Obviously anything that triggers on casting an enchantment spell gets a look but I don't know about this one.
Primeval Bounty: Normally I would just ignore this trap of a card but in here it could actually be good? It's an enchantment, it makes me tokens that are good to populate, and the lifegain goes well with Well of Lost Dreams and such. I'll have to get a hold of one and find out I guess. I'm not sure I'll make enough 3/3s to be worth it as the deck has mostly noncreature spells which just add counter to my guys, not something I want to be paying 6 mana for...
Strionic Resonator: Doubles up on enchantress effects or lifegain? Or Well of Lost Dreams? Seems good... but is yet another total nonbo with Stony Silence. I don't know about this one yet but it definitely has potential due to its ability to draw me cards with the mana. I have a feeling I'm going to need like four of these...
Overall I still love this deck for a more passive style of game and I still play it a lot. It's unique and definitely a challenge to make the pieces fit but I've really enjoyed it so far, much more than I expected to.
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Celestian Archon: Man, bestow is so expensive! If this is the best we got I don't really see this working.
Chosen by Heliod: I love me some cantripping enchantments but +0/+2 is basically useless. Not crazy about this one.
Elspeth, Sun's Champion: SEEMS GOOD. I will probably try to squish her in there when I can get one. Trostani survives the wrath which is lovely. I don't really like populating 1/1s though so I'll have to think about her as well.
Evangel of Heliod: Never gonna beat the cut over Elspeth.
Heliod, God of the Sun: Hm. Indestructible and Vigilance on everything. The token ability seems like gravy but it does fuel Serra's Sanctum and such. Maybe if I have more "# of enchantments you control" type things I'd like that bottom ability. anyway Vigilance is really good. Again, maybe just have to see.
Spear of Heliod: Not a huge fan of paying for anthem effects here but the bottom ability is perfectly pillowfort-y. It might make it because it is both of those things combined.
Boon Satyr: Enough pump for 5 mana to maybe be valuable. I'm not crazy about it.
Bow of Nylea: Meh. I dont attack much unless I am going to overwhelm my enemies. Not running a lot of trample either to abuse this.
Commune with the Gods: Absolute slam dunk. Fantastic card and the first I KNOW will make the deck.
Karametra's Acolyte: Devotion gets pretty stacked with all these enchantments. This could be good.
Nylea, God of the Hunt: The global trample is nice, the pump is pretty blegh. She should give herself trample IMO. I like the bodies on these god cards for this deck since devotion is not so difficult with a WWGG general and a bunch of enchantments. I may try her as well.
Nylea's Presence: No Abundant Growth but at least more useful that the sloppy +0/+2 of the Heliod one. I love me some enchantment cantrips like this.
Polukranos, World Eater No direct Synergy with my general. Monstrous seems good with Serra's Sanctum running around. I don't think he'll make it but who knows.
Colossus of Akros: Just damn cool, and very hard to kill. Sanctum makes the mana actually manageable but I'd hate to draw him early.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nix: I'm torn on this one. I can hit the devotion pretty easily with Trostani out but I can't use any mana from this card to cast her early. It's basically a Temple of the False Gods in that sense. I think I'll try it out to test the limits of devotion in two colors (if you can't make it work in two-color enchantress, it shouldn't really work in any two-color decks).
Overall a little lackluster with none of the premier cards in the set really caring about enchantemts, just some goofy bestow shenanigans that aren't really good for this format or this deck. Maybe later in the block we'll get some more cards that care about your enchantments.
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
It seems like people running Sylvan Primordial would target enchanted lands first.
Playing enchantress rigs the exchange in your favor almost every time. If you draw a card off Argothian Enchantress when you first play the enchantment it's a one-for-one, not a two-for-one (this is the reason we play enchantment-based ramp-- I'll take a cantrip Overgrowth over a Kodama's Reach every time... guess which one also buffs up Serra's Sanctum?). And it's probably better they killed that than my Enchantress's Presence. More likely than not the ramp enchants are going to be ignored while the more annoying ones like Rest in Peace or Luminarch Ascension or Mana Reflection are the ones that will be hit with targeted removal.
As for enchantment sweepers, can't do much about that except bring 'em all back with Replenish/Faith's Reward/Creeping Renaissance. Or have Avacyn handy.
I have used the card enough to know when to run it out and when to hang on to it. If you run it out turn 2 with no defenses, depending on the speed of the other players' decks you can still make out all right if you are pumping angel tokens out by turn 4. However if you run it out under a Privileged Position and suddenly it easier for the other players to kill you than it is to deal with the enchantment... then it may not be a very good play. Luminarch Ascension is a skill-testing card both for you and your opponents and frankly with the defensive elements of the deck in place (between fogs, Ghostly Prisons and incidental lifegain), it's mostly just a good play. I recommend everyone who run pillowfort-y enchantress play it and gain experience using the card.
(As a bonus interaction, I do a lot of cool things with 4/4 angel tokens in this deck so I try to play most of those generators... obviously a few didn't make the cut but for the most part good things tend to happen when they're around.)
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Ah, I see. I had not considered that.
Out of curiosity, why did you select Trostani as the general over, say, Rhys the Redeemed?
Rhys is way too easy. He's the best token general these colors can probably ever hope to have... but in my personal opinion you gotta have have some style points in this format. I get more out of making "meh" Commanders into good and fun decks than just playing with the best ones.
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
I completely understand.
Is the deck list in the first post up to date?
It's within a few cards. It's very current. It doesn't have any Theros goodies yet but I think Spear of Heliod is going to make a nice addition. Maybe Commune with the Gods but I'm not sure about that one yet.
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Do they pull their weight? They seem a bit narrow to me.
Never heard of it! A nice alternative to Creeping Renaissance/Replenish/Open the Vaults/etc. The only thing it has going against it is that it's an artifact with an activated ability, which I like to shut off from time to time for my opponents with Stony Silence. I do play Phyrexian Processor already but only because the Trostani synergy with it is way too juicy to ignore (pay 38 life, make a 38/38, get 38 life back, repeat until fat and happy). Thanks for turning me on to it.
There is black in every game in my local group, so compost is rarely a dead card if ever and the payoff is huge. With this and Runed Halo, there's less risk associated with these types of cards than usual because having an enchantress out will make it at least replace itself and add to Serra's Sanctum's mana output. In short, it's great for me, but not for everyone.
Similarly, Runed Halo is a nice way to prevent getting voltron'd by a huge Wrexial or Grimgrin or Karona. It's good in my meta, but not necessarily for everyone. I like it when my opponents see something like Runed Halo come out and rather than destroy it or tutor for an answer, they just kill someone else instead. It's exactly what I want to happen in a multiplayer game. It count easily be subbed out for something else though. It's up to your personal preference.
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Do you have any suggestions for what to cut for Humility and Gossamer Chains?
I'm also interested in running Faith's Reward.
- When I read through your list, I get the feeling that your deck has a lot of expensive spells in it, specifically when it comes to making tokens. I might trim one or two of those and make yourself a little less clunky.
- Another thing I notice is that you are running all of the Wild Growth-type effects to make extra mana. I understand that you're going for the enchantress theme, but if I'm sitting at your table and I have a random Acidic Slime without a really good target, I'm going to think twice about blowing up your enchanted land. Or, if I happen to blow the board with a Pernicious Deed, Austere Command, or something like that, you'll be set a lot farther back than the guy who uses the Rampant Growth-effects. In spite of your overall theme (which is fine), these particular enchantments seem a little too risky for my liking.
I'd just use your own intuition. Find out what cards you like and what you don't and try to go from there. I'm not sure what I would cut right now for those. Humility has been a particularly intriguing card but I lack the mass production of tokens or the anthems (Collective Blessing!) to make it really good. If I were to run Humility I would play a few more anthem effects or mass generators and build a gameplan out of it, rather than just throwing it in there and hoping for the best.
Thanks for your feedback. As mentioned previously I still like running the land enchantments because more often than not they replace themselves because I have GSZ'd for Argothian Enchantress turn 3 or something similar. They give a lot more to the deck than just some extra lands. I could see cutting one or two of them for generic ramp spells, just to bring in a little bit of balance... but I have been happy with their performance so far, even with the occasional collateral damage on enchantment sweepers. I intend to live and die by the permanent type with this deck for the most part. And at least they all come back with Replenish, right?
On the expensive token producers, I've actually cut Decree of Justice and I believe(?) Rampaging Baloths for being too slow or clunky. Problem is, I can't remember what I've replaced them with! I have to update the deck list. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I did come to the same conclusion as you on those cards- too much clunky. Having two in your hand at once in any time but the extreme late game is awful.
That reminds me: No more Gaea's Cradle. I had been using a gold-bordered one for a while but recently I changed my stance on the use of proxies I don't intent to acquire and I have cut it for a basic forest. Oh well. At least the Serra's Sanctum is legit!
---
Taking another look at the deck list, I don't think Compost is necessary with two dedicated grave hate enchantments Rest in Peace and Wheel of Sun and Moon. I'll probably cut it for something else.
So cards that I would consider cutting based on what's in my mostly up-to-date decklist would be:
Decree of Justice
Rampaging Baloths
Compost
Runed Halo
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec