As with all of my decks, themes and synergies are important. This list is trying to focus on the following themes and synergies:
- EXTORT! Ever since I opened nine extort cards in my Orzhov sealed pool at the pre-release, I've been in love with this mechanic. In EDH, it gets even better because one extort trigger hits every opponent. However, I'm not just including every crappy extort guy. Treasury Thrull also recurs things, Blind Obedience shuts off hasty dudes, Crypt Ghast provides lots of mana, Kingpin's Pet flies and has 2 power/3cc, etc.
- Life gain. A high rate of extortion means I'll be gaining life often, so I've tried to include a lot of ways to take advantage of that. Sanguine Bond and the second half of Vizkopa Guildmage are the big ones here.
- Recursion chains. Black and white are especially good at recursion strategies, from classics like Sun Titan/Reveillark to new stuff like Treasury Thrull that also happens to extort. Giodante posted a great thread on mono-white recursion that was very helpful for forming loops that constantly bring things back from the yard.
- Pestilence effects. I've already established the fact that I'm going to be gaining a lot of extra life, and I'm more than capable of bringing back anything that gets killed, so damaging everything seems like it would hurt others a lot more than me.
- Rattlesnakes. People aren't going to like being slowly bled to death one life at a time, so I'm likely to draw some hate. Therefore, packing enough cards to deter people from messing with me will be important. Things like Karmic Justice, Martyr's Bond, and High Priest of Penance will make sure that it hurts to go after me.
- Re-usable spells: The extort mechanic wants me to cast a lot of spells in order to trigger it over and over, so I've tried to include some spells that can be cast repeatedly. Specifically, I'm looking at mechanics like buyback, rebound, retrace, ciper, etc. For example, Evincar's Justice has a buyback option and is also a Pestilence effect, Slaughter is instant-speed removal with buyback and the life-loss is negligible. Phyrexian Reclamation allows me to recast creatures after they've been killed.
- 2 power, 3cc: My favorite recursion engines are Sun Titan and Reveillark. Additionally, Mentor of the Meek also cares about smaller creatures.
Below are the last few cards I was not able to fit into this list, with a brief note on why I want to include them. If anyone has some ideas on how to get them in, I would appreciate it.
- Mind Stone: Another mana rock never hurts, and being able to sac it cheaply for an extra card is also good.
- Pestilence Demon: More Pestilence effects.
- Basilica Screecher, Syndic of Tithes: More extort triggers. Screecher and Syndic are 2 power and < 3cc.
I'm bringing my love of the Orzhov extort mechanic to EDH. This is my initial list:
1 Ghost Council of Orzhova
Creatures (24):
2 Blood Artist
2 High Priest of Penance
2 Vizkopa Guildmage
3 Crypt Rats
3 Fiend Hunter
3 Kingpin's Pet
3 Mentor of the Meek
3 Pilgrim's Eye
4 Crypt Ghast
4 Dimir House Guard
4 Disciple of Bolas
4 Falkenrath Noble
4 Knight of Obligation
4 Kor Cartographer
4 Solemn Simulacrum
5 Karmic Guide
5 Reveillark
5 Thrashing Wumpus
6 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
6 Pontiff of Blight
6 Sun Titan
6 Treasury Thrull
7 Butcher of Malakir
7 Rune-Scarred Demon
Planeswalkers (1):
4 Ajani Goldmane
Artifacts (14):
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
2 Armillary Sphere
2 Mind Stone
3 Chromatic Lantern
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Darksteel Plate
3 Oblivion Stone
3 Orzhov Cluestone
3 Pristine Talisman
4 Trading Post
4 Well of Lost Dreams
6 Staff of Nin
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
2 Blind Obedience
3 Aura of Silence
3 Karmic Justice
3 Necromancy
3 Phyrexian Arena
4 Grave Pact
4 Pestilence
5 Cathars' Crusade
5 Sanguine Bond
6 Martyr's Bond
Sorceries (7):
2 Black Sun's Zenith
2 Demonic Tutor
4 Evincar's Justice
4 Syphon Mind
5 Demonic Collusion
6 Austere Command
6 Merciless Eviction
Instants (2):
1 Vampiric Tutor
4 Slaughter
Lands (39):
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Buried Ruin
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Esper Panorama
1 Fetid Heath
1 Godless Shrine
1 Haunted Fengraf
1 High Market
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Kor Haven
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Marsh Flats
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Petrified Field
1 Tainted Field
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Vesuva
1 Volrath's Stronghold
9 Swamp
Deck stats!
- EXTORT! Ever since I opened nine extort cards in my Orzhov sealed pool at the pre-release, I've been in love with this mechanic. In EDH, it gets even better because one extort trigger hits every opponent. However, I'm not just including every crappy extort guy. Treasury Thrull also recurs things, Blind Obedience shuts off hasty dudes, Crypt Ghast provides lots of mana, Kingpin's Pet flies and has 2 power/3cc, etc.
- Life gain. A high rate of extortion means I'll be gaining life often, so I've tried to include a lot of ways to take advantage of that. Sanguine Bond and the second half of Vizkopa Guildmage are the big ones here.
- Recursion chains. Black and white are especially good at recursion strategies, from classics like Sun Titan/Reveillark to new stuff like Treasury Thrull that also happens to extort. Giodante posted a great thread on mono-white recursion that was very helpful for forming loops that constantly bring things back from the yard.
- Pestilence effects. I've already established the fact that I'm going to be gaining a lot of extra life, and I'm more than capable of bringing back anything that gets killed, so damaging everything seems like it would hurt others a lot more than me.
- Rattlesnakes. People aren't going to like being slowly bled to death one life at a time, so I'm likely to draw some hate. Therefore, packing enough cards to deter people from messing with me will be important. Things like Karmic Justice, Martyr's Bond, and High Priest of Penance will make sure that it hurts to go after me.
- Re-usable spells: The extort mechanic wants me to cast a lot of spells in order to trigger it over and over, so I've tried to include some spells that can be cast repeatedly. Specifically, I'm looking at mechanics like buyback, rebound, retrace, ciper, etc. For example, Evincar's Justice has a buyback option and is also a Pestilence effect, Slaughter is instant-speed removal with buyback and the life-loss is negligible. Phyrexian Reclamation allows me to recast creatures after they've been killed.
- 2 power, 3cc: My favorite recursion engines are Sun Titan and Reveillark. Additionally, Mentor of the Meek also cares about smaller creatures.
- Mind Stone: Another mana rock never hurts, and being able to sac it cheaply for an extra card is also good.
- Pestilence Demon: More Pestilence effects.
- Basilica Screecher, Syndic of Tithes: More extort triggers. Screecher and Syndic are 2 power and < 3cc.
- Added Demonic Collusion.
- Removed Increasing Ambition (buyback seems better than flashback here).
03/07/13:
- Added Pilgrim's Eye, Thrashing Wumpus, Knight of Obligation, Eland Umbra, Ajani Goldmane, Bloodchief Ascension, High Market.
- Removed Stoneforge Mystic (not enough equipment to dig up), Pawn of Ulamog, Knight-Captain of Eos, Ogre Slumlord, Requiem Angel, Field of Souls (the tokens theme really didn't fit with Pestilence effect, and these cards were mostly kind of big and clunky), and a basic Swamp.
- Added Dimir House Guard, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, Stonecloaker.
- Removed Nether Traitor, Reassembling Skeleton (these guys don't trigger extort multiple times, and they die to Pestilence easily), Nim Deathmantle (too expensive to use, ability doesn't trigger extort).
- Settled on Ghost Council as the commander. Teysa tokens don't help much. Ghost Council drains life and provides a handy sac outlet.
- Added Purity (awesome with Pestilence).
- Removed Suture Priest (dies too easily).
- Added Wayfarer's Bauble, Armillary Sphere (both of these can be recurred for additional value), three more basics.
- Removed Orzhov Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Caves of Koilos, Command Tower, Scrubland.
04/05/13:
- Added Darksteel Plate (better at protecting one key creature).
- Removed Eland Umbra.
04/24/13:
- Added Chromatic Lantern, Mind Stone, Pontiff of Blight, Syphon Mind, Orzhov Cluestone.
- Removed True Conviction, Massacre Wurm, Purity, Kokusho, the Evening Star, and Stonecloaker.
- Most of these changes were due to my curve being too high with not enough mana rocks available.
I'd swap Purity with Pestilence Demon, as Purity never worked for me in the past.