Ward 5-West B: An Experience in SCHIZOPHRENIA
__________________________________________________________________________
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
Talk, but listen, too: simply being there will mean a lot.
Keep in touch: meet up, phone, email, or text.
Don't just talk about mental health: chat about everyday things as well.
Remind them you care: small things can make a big difference.
Be patient: ups and downs can happen. (source: TimeToChange)
This theme deck is based on my partner's schizophrenic break a few years ago. I'm introducing them to EDH and they wanted me to design a deck for them based on their schizoaffective disorder. Like all of my theme decks, this one's heavy on flavor yet I hope to make it more competitive without sacrificing the original vision. Suggestions are much appreciated. This should go without saying, but please be respectful of the theme and folks with a mental illness. Humor helps, derision does not. THANK YOU!
"ANOTHER THERAPIST HELPED ME DISTINGUISH BETWEEN MY THOUGHTS AND THE VOICES IN MY HEAD. HE ALSO TAUGHT ME TO BUILD UPON MY STRENGTHS." 1 Nivix Guildmage
"I MET SOMEONE ELSE LIKE ME; THEY TAUGHT ME THE MORE I LEARN ABOUT IT, THE MORE I CAN BEAT THIS." 1 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
I don't really understand the use for all of the Looting effects. Am I missing some way that you are able to take advantage of having stuff in your graveyard? Or are they just there for the flavor aspect? Otherwise it looks pretty solid to me and quite similar to what I am working towards with my own list.
I don't really understand the use for all of the Looting effects. Am I missing some way that you are able to take advantage of having stuff in your graveyard? Or are they just there for the flavor aspect? Otherwise it looks pretty solid to me and quite similar to what I am working towards with my own list.
There's a flashback sub-theme. In addition, I get to recycle my graveyard with Kozilek, Butcher of Truth. Other than that, it's my understanding that it's less expensive to loot than to draw.
i love the idea behind this, what do you think are the weak points though? or is this some what more casual?
I just made some changes to the deck to better handle other Voltron builds. I also added an additional win-con with an infinite combo. The goal is to further increase the deck's competitiveness while maintaining the flavor.
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There are no divisions: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28
Now, while I'm fairly ignorant to the particulars of Schizophrenia, I can imagine there is quite a bit of loneliness while trying to grapple with the ailment alone. In keeping with that theme, I'd suggest Desolate Lighthouse as a card that fits the theme of struggling with a mental illness as well fitting your looting and flashback theme.
Now, while I'm fairly ignorant to the particulars of Schizophrenia, I can imagine there is quite a bit of loneliness while trying to grapple with the ailment alone. In keeping with that theme, I'd suggest Desolate Lighthouse as a card that fits the theme of struggling with a mental illness as well fitting your looting and flashback theme.
Thanks, Variable! The Lighthouse is a perfect choice for the deck. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm gonna check and see if I have one and pick up one up if I don't.
It was the deck's first win and, coincidentally, my first time ever winning with a combo (with any deck)!
While I like having some alternate win conditions to general damage, I enjoy the deck's current random schizophrenic nature and have no desire to make finding the combo pieces more consistent. Either I draw into them via looting or I don't. Along the same lines, I enjoy running a Sunforgerpackage; I'm not interested—yet—in running a Sunforger engine. Hence, the absence of Reito Lantern. (I doubt the deck can support Mistveil Plains with so few white permanents.)
What on-theme suggestions do folks have?
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There are no divisions: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28
Depending on how you feel about working a planeswalker or two into the deck, an argument could be made for any planeswalkers being a personification of the various voices experienced. Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded seems particularly on theme (although his effectiveness is up for debate). In any case, I think this justification can be a means to include pretty much any planeswalker you'd be interested in adding.
Depending on how you feel about working a planeswalker or two into the deck, an argument could be made for any planeswalkers being a personification of the various voices experienced. Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded seems particularly on theme (although his effectiveness is up for debate). In any case, I think this justification can be a means to include pretty much any planeswalker you'd be interested in adding.
The original list included Tibalt and Chandra Ablaze for flavor (as other patients in the ward), but they weren't nearly as effective as I would like. However, I'm glad you have me revisiting planeswalkers because I can definitely see Karn Liberated and Jace, Memory Adept in the deck. They could both be doctors, with Karn being a proponent of old-school lobotomies and Jace taking a slightly more progressive Freudian approach. I'll need to figure out how to make room for one or both.
Thanks for the suggestions, please keep them coming!
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There are no divisions: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28
Oh, the irony: after removingChandra Ablaze from my original list, an Aurelia player used it to great effect against the table while another player then exiled everyone's graveyard. I lost some combo pieces in the process and I'm thinking some redundancy would be a good idea.
Also, I finally realize the power of an overloaded Cyclonic Rift.
So far, the deck is performing well. Added another infinite mana combo with the inclusion of 'Spout Tyrant and M-Vault, and more (one-sided) removal in the form of C-Rift. Took out Catalog, Vanish Into Memory, and Incendiary Command. I loved VIM's jank factor, but it had to go.
Oh, and Amnesia continues to be FRIGGIN' AWESOME SAUCE. (Yes, despite the fact it only targets one player.)
"The distance between genius and insanity... Is measured only by success."
-Elliot Carver, Tomorrow Never Dies
"If violence isn't solving it, you're obviously not using enough!"
-Me
A kid at my local gameshop wanted to break a twenty.
"You got 2 tens?" he asked me.
"No, but I probably got 3 fives." I replied.
"Perfect!"
"You might want to check your math there."
Now is this deck supposed to be specifically schizophrenia or are other disorders allowed?
Just salience syndrome/schizophrenia. What would y'all suggest dropping for the Crawler? It seems a bit like overkill to me with seeing as how I'm already running the Curiosity combo.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
There are no divisions: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28
"The distance between genius and insanity... Is measured only by success."
-Elliot Carver, Tomorrow Never Dies
"If violence isn't solving it, you're obviously not using enough!"
-Me
A kid at my local gameshop wanted to break a twenty.
"You got 2 tens?" he asked me.
"No, but I probably got 3 fives." I replied.
"Perfect!"
"You might want to check your math there."
Ward 5-West B: An Experience in SCHIZOPHRENIA
__________________________________________________________________________
This theme deck is based on my partner's schizophrenic break a few years ago. I'm introducing them to EDH and they wanted me to design a deck for them based on their schizoaffective disorder. Like all of my theme decks, this one's heavy on flavor yet I hope to make it more competitive without sacrificing the original vision. Suggestions are much appreciated. This should go without saying, but please be respectful of the theme and folks with a mental illness. Humor helps, derision does not. THANK YOU!
AVG CMC = 3.21
The Crosser of Rubicons Distant
1 Ruhan of the Fomori
STRANGE WORLDS WITHIN
1 Adarkar Wastes
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Command Tower
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 High Market
11 Island
6 Mountain
1 Mystic Gate
6 Plains
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
"I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS REAL."
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
"THE PERSON IN THE MIRROR,
EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT…
I FELT DIFFERENT."
1 Reforge the Soul
"AT FIRST, I WAS SCARED THAT
I MIGHT HURT SOMEBODY."
1 Sunforger
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of War and Peace
DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR
1 Mind Over Matter
1 Spirit Mantle
1 Unquestioned Authority
1 Palinchron
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Tidespout Tyrant
"I THOUGHT I COULD PREDICT
WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN."
1 Sensei's Divining Top
"THE END IS NIGH!"
1 Armageddon
1 Terminus
"I WAS ANGRY,
I BROKE THINGS."
1 Return to Dust
"I LASHED OUT…"
1 Aurelia's Fury
"MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY…
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO."
1 Render Silent
"I JUST WANTED EVERYONE AND
EVERYTHING TO JUST GO AWAY."
1 Cyclonic Rift
"I DECIDED TO CHECK MYSELF IN."
1 Solitary Confinement
BILLING THE INSURANCE
1 Land Tax
THE DIAGNOSIS
Negative Symptoms
1 Amnesia
1 Chaos Warp
1 Stranglehold
1 Vengeful Dreams
Positive Symptoms
1 Compulsion
1 Desperate Ravings
1 Psychic Vortex
1 Shattered Perception
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Thoughtflare
"MY OLD WORLD WAS GONE;
I WAS LEFT WITH MEMORIES,
BURNING WITH RESENTMENT."
1 Past in Flames
TRYING TO FIND A BALANCE
1 Balancing Act
"THEY GAVE ME THIS
TOKEN WHEN I GOT OUT."
1 Izzet Charm
"I COULDN'T GET OUT
OF THERE FAST ENOUGH!"
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
MENTAL ILLNESS
1 Condemn
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
"THE MEDICATIONS AND
ALL THE POSSIBLE
SIDE EFFECTS…
IT WAS A CRAP SHOOT."
1 Wheel of Fortune
"BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE!"
1 Curiosity
1 Deep Analysis
1 Scroll Rack
1 Wild Research
"I WENT ONLINE TRYING
TO FIND OUT MORE, BUT
IT WAS HARD KNOWING
WHAT TO BELIEVE."
1 Faithless Looting
"I JUST WANTED
SOMETHING TO
WORK; I WAS
READY TO TRY
JUST ABOUT
ANYTHING."
1 Oblation
"ABILIFY HELPED KEEP
THE VOICES AT BAY."
1 Counterflux
"ADDERALL HELPED, TOO."
1 Azorius Signet
1 Boros Signet
1 Caged Sun
1 Izzet Signet
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
SO MANY THERAPISTS
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Idyllic Tutor
"THIS ONE SHRINK
HAD SOME OUTDATED
IDEAS ABOUT LOBOTOMY!"
1 Karn Liberated
"ANOTHER ONE WAS
WELL-INTENTIONED,
ALBEIT FREUDIAN…"
1 Jace, Memory Adept
"I FINALLY FOUND
ONE THAT I LIKED…"
1 Snapcaster Mage
"HE HELPED ME
LINK MY PAST
AND MY PRESENT."
1 Mystic Retrieval
"ANOTHER THERAPIST
HELPED ME DISTINGUISH
BETWEEN MY THOUGHTS
AND THE VOICES IN MY
HEAD. HE ALSO TAUGHT
ME TO BUILD UPON
MY STRENGTHS."
1 Nivix Guildmage
"I MET SOMEONE
ELSE LIKE ME; THEY
TAUGHT ME THE MORE
I LEARN ABOUT IT,
THE MORE I CAN
BEAT THIS."
1 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
1 Ruhan of the Fomori
Land (38)
1x Adarkar Wastes
1x Battlefield Forge
1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Command Tower
1x Desolate Lighthouse
1x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x High Market
11x Island
6x Mountain
1x Mystic Gate
6x Plains
1x Rugged Prairie
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Steam Vents
1x Sulfur Falls
Artifact (14)
1x Azorius Signet
1x Boros Signet
1x Caged Sun
1x Izzet Signet
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Mana Vault
1x Scroll Rack
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Sunforger
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Sword of War and Peace
1x Compulsion
1x Curiosity
1x Land Tax
1x Mind Over Matter
1x Psychic Vortex
1x Solitary Confinement
1x Spirit Mantle
1x Stranglehold
1x Unquestioned Authority
1x Wild Research
Instant (16)
1x Aurelia's Fury
1x Chaos Warp
1x Condemn
1x Counterflux
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Desperate Ravings
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Izzet Charm
1x Oblation
1x Path to Exile
1x Render Silent
1x Return to Dust
1x Stroke of Genius
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Thoughtflare
1x Vengeful Dreams
1x Amnesia
1x Armageddon
1x Balancing Act
1x Deep Analysis
1x Faithless Looting
1x Idyllic Tutor
1x Mystic Retrieval
1x Past in Flames
1x Reforge the Soul
1x Shattered Perception
1x Terminus
1x Wheel of Fortune
Creature (7)
1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1x Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
1x Nivix Guildmage
1x Palinchron
1x Phantasmal Image
1x Snapcaster Mage
1x Tidespout Tyrant
Planeswalker (2)
1x Karn Liberated
1x Jace, Memory Adept
+Sword of War and Peace, -Breakthrough
+Terminus, -Final Judgment
+Palinchron, -Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded
+Phantasmal Image, -Chandra Ablaze
+Caged Sun, -Ideas Unbound
+Counterflux, -Spellbound Dragon
+Curiosity, -Plains
+Desolate Lighthouse, -Mountain
+Karn Liberated, -Blast of Genius
+Jace, Memory Adept, -Steel of the Godhead
+Cyclonic Rift, -Catalog
+Tidespout Tyrant, -Vanish Into Memory
+Mana Vault, -Incendiary Command
GUB [Retired Primer] The Mimeoplasm BUG
Modern: UR Storm RU
Cube: WUBRG Pauper Cube GRBUW
Credit for the banner goes to DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Plane Studios
I just made some changes to the deck to better handle other Voltron builds. I also added an additional win-con with an infinite combo. The goal is to further increase the deck's competitiveness while maintaining the flavor.
Now, while I'm fairly ignorant to the particulars of Schizophrenia, I can imagine there is quite a bit of loneliness while trying to grapple with the ailment alone. In keeping with that theme, I'd suggest Desolate Lighthouse as a card that fits the theme of struggling with a mental illness as well fitting your looting and flashback theme.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
In other news, played a 4-person game (Glissa, the Traitor, Maelstrom Wanderer, and Damia, Sage of Stone) tonight. The Maelstrom player cast Blatant Thievery, taking control of Ruhan. Fortunately, I was holding onto Oblation and it gave me a chance to draw two cards and tuck Ruhan away for safe keeping. Then, the Damia player copied Sylvan Primordial with Progenitor Mimic and threatened to keep the table locked down. I'd been holding onto Palinchron and Aurelia's Fury for awhile (with Boseiju, Who Shelters All already on the battlefield) when I drew into Phantasmal Image the turn after the Mimic came into play.
It was the deck's first win and, coincidentally, my first time ever winning with a combo (with any deck)!
While I like having some alternate win conditions to general damage, I enjoy the deck's current random schizophrenic nature and have no desire to make finding the combo pieces more consistent. Either I draw into them via looting or I don't. Along the same lines, I enjoy running a Sunforger package; I'm not interested—yet—in running a Sunforger engine. Hence, the absence of Reito Lantern. (I doubt the deck can support Mistveil Plains with so few white permanents.)
What on-theme suggestions do folks have?
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
Thanks for the suggestions, please keep them coming!
Also, I finally realize the power of an overloaded Cyclonic Rift.
So, how to make room for the Rift, Tidespout Tyrant, and Mana Vault? I've already removed Steel of the Godhead and Blast of Genius to make room for Karn Liberated and Jace, Memory Adept.
Oh, and Amnesia continues to be FRIGGIN' AWESOME SAUCE. (Yes, despite the fact it only targets one player.)
Karona, Warden of AlcatrazWUBRG
The EPIC EDHWUBRG
Sun Quan Aggro1U
Animar GoodstuffRUG
Horobi MBCB
Medomai NerfWU
Saffi EriksdotterGW
Zur (CF)WUB
-Elliot Carver, Tomorrow Never Dies
"If violence isn't solving it, you're obviously not using enough!"
-Me
A kid at my local gameshop wanted to break a twenty.
"You got 2 tens?" he asked me.
"No, but I probably got 3 fives." I replied.
"Perfect!"
"You might want to check your math there."
Psychosis is a completely correct term. And yea, card is definitely on theme.
Now is this deck supposed to be specifically schizophrenia or are other disorders allowed?
What Jivanmukta said.
Just salience syndrome/schizophrenia. What would y'all suggest dropping for the Crawler? It seems a bit like overkill to me with seeing as how I'm already running the Curiosity combo.
Karona, Warden of AlcatrazWUBRG
The EPIC EDHWUBRG
Sun Quan Aggro1U
Animar GoodstuffRUG
Horobi MBCB
Medomai NerfWU
Saffi EriksdotterGW
Zur (CF)WUB
-Elliot Carver, Tomorrow Never Dies
"If violence isn't solving it, you're obviously not using enough!"
-Me
A kid at my local gameshop wanted to break a twenty.
"You got 2 tens?" he asked me.
"No, but I probably got 3 fives." I replied.
"Perfect!"
"You might want to check your math there."
Don't know if the deck would like Molten Psyche, but i think it's absolutely on theme. With your artifacts, you can even use the metalcraft sometimes.