MTG Salvation

So there has been a quite a few decks for this powerful new commander floating around. But I wanted to do things differently.

Bird tribal!!

Wheeee I didn't want to play control, because I have two control decks already and I can't afford swords so Aggro/tempo it is!.

The Key to the deck is how much havoc you can cause when you repeatedly use Keeper of the nine gales.

It is an aggro deck at heart... Tokens and anthems With the Derevi an ever present threat.

The deck is in its early stages just the first modification of the Preconstructed deck. I am still trying to get my hands on key cards. but feel free to make suggestions.



There is a lot of missing staples.. including the Sol ring.. I needed those for my other decks.

I am looking to get my hands on a few cards.
Foremost amoung them is Crookclaw eldar.
but also Kangee aerie Keeper

Maybe Midnight gaurd (Infinite combo but nothing on its own)

I am trying to work out if I have enough draw. I definately don't have enough recursion and/or wraith protection.

Being boardwiped and out of cards is the worst possible situation to be in. unfortunately I haven't been able to test that properly because everyone seems to have the grixis precon... and keep allowing me to draw cards.

What is some good wraith protection?

How much removal should I be packing in an aggro deck? I am used to control and I feel a little undefended.

Hey, another bird tribal!

Look at the list in my sig for reference

Hmm some good idea's and reminders for some cards I need to pick up.

Most of the Birds are super cheap.
[CARD]
Mist raven[/CARD]?.. how has that been for you?... I'd be tempted to run Galepowder mage to abuse it.

I own 4 birthing pods.. (but need 6 apperently)... is it good?.. I have a lower curve than you.

I am still trying to use his untap abilities whille for the most part I think you are ignoring it.

Have you considered Bloodline shaman?

Airbourne Aid!!!! I didn't even know that existed sweet.

Mist Raven saved my ass countless times, it's just nice to see him.

Birthing Pod is pure value in this deck. If you run a lot of 4-drops, late gae you start abuse him putting Derevi into play, untapping pod and saccing him. It can make your board grow from the nothing.

Bloodline Shaman is sweet but I don't know, I don't feel myself running enough bird creatures for make her work properly.

Ok I went digging through my LGS commons box and founda bunch of Birds.. most were pretty bad, The Bird soliders were a little weak.. but I picked up a bunch of Bird Wizards.

I have a tough delemma here... do I stay aggro and try to be as aggro as possible... or Do I go more combo.



There were some really tough cuts to fit in the combo's.. I really liked conquerors pledge and some of the other token production/mana sinks. My removal feels a little thin atm particularly the lack of counterspells.. just the 1.

Null mage vs Pridemage was as tough choice.. one I can repeatedly use (at a cost) and the other is a wizard.

I am also not sure which is best... Kanduza tusk caller, Leafdrake roost or Selesnya guildmage
Tuskcaller makes the biggest tokens at no cost once it is leveled up. guildmage is a wizard but costs the most mana to run. Leafdrake roost isn't a creature so it is less vunerable and makes flying tokens.

Currently the plan is early game aggro late game combo. hmm perhaps I need a Phyrexian metamorph or clone

Still can't find a crookclaw eldar

It seems to me like you are playing the tribal theme for the heck of it without really gaining anything from doing so. Door of Destinies seems very lackluster with 16 bird creatures plus a few odd token generating spells here and there, even moreso with wizards. You're also forgetting the best Anthem for a flying deck: Gravitational Shift.

I do like the interaction with Birthing Pod and Derevi, though. But the deck as it stands could benefit from choosing a theme and sticking with it a bit more. It feels like you want to have your cake and eat it too by trying to utilize literally everything about Derevi.

I have 18 birds. 4 cards that make bird tokens. (Don't forget changelings)

14 wizards... and I would happily add Quasali pridemage and Selesyna guildmage to get that up to 16.

Do I play cards like Coastal Watcher? nephlia seakite? runewing? To raise my bird count?

Do I remove everything not a bird and focus and not dying to wraiths?

If I see shift any where I'll pick it up... Replacing favourable winds I guess.

I don't really think trying to use all my generals abilities is a bad thing.

Door has been great.. it only needs to have 3 counters or so before it is very scary for my opponent and I can use Sawtooth to abuse it or double it with Vorel.

OK so I have been modifying this over the past couple of months.. and recently I have been on a hot streak... I have won my last 5 games of EDH I played with it... against some powerful.. much more powerful decks.

Would you believe me if I said I beat resovled Jace the mindsculpter and survival of the fittest last night?

I revamped the mana base but its still cheapskate mana base I just have the balance right now.

I managed to trade for key pieces for a tribal weenie deck.


The deck is much quicker than I expected sliding right under more battlecruiser style decks. Most of my deck is under 6 mana. It doesn't take long until I am two creatures a turn. As long as I remember to draw cards while I am ahead. Plays very tempo a lot like standards mono blue devotion.

Most of my creatures are individually weak... which is both great against clone and steal and a good political tool.. "its only a 1/1". I didn't realise how much powerful decks leverage against the power of thier opponents until you get preator's grasped and the opponent has no idea what to get since its all bad. (He took mashals' anthem, I already had prophet).

I have chosen on trying to use cards to give my insignificant creatures tap abilities rather than have individual cards with powerful tap abilities. I am on the look out for Opposition and tailwind rider that I'd like to add to the deck.

I am definately going to replace Vorel, I have draw him with nothing to double a lot recently. Perhaps Isperia the inscrutable will go back in maybe wait for the BNG prerelease for the new sphinx. I am not sure cathar's crusade is woth it.. grav shift is probably better. maybe I'll find a Soulcatchers aerie at somewhere.

I am lacking in boardwipes, but in multiplayer games other people tend to have them in spades. Cyclonic rift is as good as they say.

Opps forgot grave hate... turns out that is important.

I have lost a few games to reanimation and recursion.

Angel of finality
Stonecloaker
Tormonds Crypt
Relic of progenitus
Rest in Peace

which do I use... and what do I remove?

- Gatecreeper vine
+ Mindshrieker.

Update!

- vorel the hull clade.. has no tribal synergies and only sometimes useful.
+ Thrummingbird


I still have no gave hate haha kind of relying on other people having it... but its still running really hot. It definately has a very positive win percentage... I manage to win a game where I got all my birds gunned down and my deveri pascified. but I was able to use the Owl keeper to give me bird tokens to draw six off airborne aid into cyclonic rift into a quick win out of nowhere.

I was actually straight out raced by Doran which was interesting.. one of those cases where my lack of removal was really felt.

Monthly reminder birds are awesome! still kicking arse :).

People have worked out that I am pretty scary and do seek to kill me now. I am still really surprised at just how dangerous my deck is its a birdemic! I have people playing actual combo decks (I don't have a lot of interaction) that are scared of the deck. I had a Control deck tap out for consecrated sphinx only for me to drop coat of arms and hit him for 40.

Out
-1 Curse of predation
-1 Runewing
-1 forest


In
+1 Gravitational Shift
+1 Aven Mimeomancer
+1 Alchemist's refuge

I kind of like the concept here, playing to Derevi's strengths with more creatures (swarm) and anthems, but not playing orbs/lock, simple yet effective.

..

Your monthly reminder... Birds are awesome!.

added
distant melody
Stonecloaker

removed
darksteel ingot
swiftfoot boots

I badly needed grave hate. It was the one think that I was solely missing. stonecloaker works very well with my game plan sadly not a bird or wizard.
I got the other airbourne aid in distant melody. I could name wizards if the need arises.. I have used door of destinies on wizard once. I revillarked back azami and veldalken aethermage (one of the very few times its ever in play) and I had sea gate and guildmage in hand.
Darksteel ingot is one of those cards I put in a every deck I make only to remove it months later I am trying to keep the same amount of birds in my deck.
swiftfoot boots were a hard cut.. since they make keeper of the nine gales soo very good... but I can't tutor for them so.

I can't believe I underrated Mist raven... definitely an MVP.. particularly with reviellark + karmic guide loops.. or with galepowder mage.

My usual playgroup now understand fully I am a threat so I am not winning as much as I used to but I don't think its the decks fault.. just me failing at politics

Managed to win a hard game against a scion player where I got mana screwed early so couldn't snowball with deveri(no green) but I chumped Scion enough to stay alive. I managed to get a Birthing pod online for much of the match which I used to fuel my comeback and particularly repeated sacs and returns of my mist raven with reviellark + karmic guide. my opponent tried to kill me with patriarchs bidding + dragons.. but he got birds, mist raven again saving me from the karthus, I used rootbound defences to live the turn through the remaining haste dragons my life was getting a little low from pod activations. My full card draw engine was online with prophet of kruprix + crookclaw eldar. I won the next turn with cathar's crusade... attack with everything.... flurry of wings his dragons could not stop the birds... as much as I love dragons... apparently birds are better.

Oops missed one monthly reminder.

+ breeding pool

The list is stable.. I mostly trying to modify the land base.

However Conspiracy has given me new birds to consider.
I am thinking about Miridons Core.
Courier hawk was great in my draft and soulcatcher looks very nice. Apex hawks scales nicely with mana. I still don't have a Soulcatchers' Aerie .. but it seems like that really wants to be paired with a good sac outlet. for every addition there must be a cut and that is getting more and more difficult. My 4 drops are pretty bad except for Most Valuable Bird Mist raven but I need them as pod targets. I found the jotun owl keeper to be underwhelming so there is some room to move.

Monthly reminder that birds are awesome!

- Jotun owl keeper
- Skymark Roc
- Aven fisher
- Forest
- Island

+ Commander Eesha
+ Aven cloudchaser
+ Soulcatcher
+ Breeding Pool
+ Hallowed Fountain

As for M15 I like Obelisk of Urd as a replacement for collective blessing. I am looking at some of the older birds that I didn't know existed, I like what I seen but I'll deal with that if I find one. I thought long and hard about buying a Whippoorwill

Monthly reminder that birds are awesome.

Got a ridiculous draw yesterday.... involving Birthing pod reviellark karmic guide podded for prophet of kruphix and crushed everyone. (That card is dumb with on board card draw like Crookclaw eldar)

- Ruptured spire
- transguild promenade

+ temple garden
+ hallowed fountain

My deck revolves around getting a huge board presence quickly these slow rainbow lands were holding me back.

I am looking foward to some new aven in Khans maybe even some morphs, allowing me to use some old morph aven as well morph doesn't work with only 1 morph creature in your deck.

Whoa almost went a month without a reminder

Khans updates.. new avens!

+ Wingmate Roc
+ High Sentinels of Arashin
+ Icefeather aven
+ edric, spymaster of trest
+ obelisk of Urd
+ Mirari's Wake
+ Flooded strand

- Skymark Roc
- galepowder mage
- Sea gate Oracle
- Celestial gatekeeper
- collective blessing
- basalt monolith
- trans guild prominade

As far as the games go, I have been feeling a little targeted recently it ebs and flows on how much hate I get, and depends what I am playing against. The last game I managed to just barely win Nekusaur fell just short of the kill thanks to krosan grip on a mana rock in his upkeep before he could past in flames for lethal. For some reason I was actually getting spot removed in that game rather than straight boardwiped I managed to get soulcatcher out of range of red (non blast act) boardwipes and it became huge even more so with anthems.

Oh man I am way behind on my monthly reminders

Birds are awesome!

- island
+ Reliquary tower.

I am getting worried about the amount of colourless utility lands in the deck now which is why I didn't have the tower until now but I draw a lot of cards I should be using it. I got hit with blood moon today.. not fun.. I almost won.. because I drew coat of arms but then I died to craterhoof once that player was out from under the blood moon.

Also got locked out by stonehorn dignitary in another game. I just can't do anything without the combat step :S


Thinking about adding murder of crows.. but not sure what to cut... Aerie mystics?... I don't think I have even used it's ability perhaps because it prevents people from trying to use it. unfortunately it is only loot and not straight draw but I am sure it would be useful.

Oh I forgot to remind everyone birds are awesome.

+ Blasting station (c-c-c-c-combo with Reveillark and karmic guide)
+ Thornwood falls (better than gates)
+ Blossoming sands
+ Simic growth chamber (the missing ravinica karoo)
+ Tranquil coast
+ Murder of crows (Testing this instead of mystics it is a loot rather than straight draw but hopefully its good)



- Aerie mystics (testing)
- Veldakin aethermage (only ever tutored Prophet of kruphix)
- selesyna guildgate
- vivid meadow (is not a double land)
- Saltcrusted steppe (Doesn't provide colours)
- temple of mystery (Needed it for standard)
- a land that I don't remember which.




I added a bunch of two mana 1/1 flying birds with pro black and pro red.. from the ancient timesto my bird collectoin but I don't think they are good enough for this deck. I'd love to get my hands on more of the Aven legends from the old sets. Major Teroh seems fun. Fate reforged's avens are unexciting unfortunately the Bounce aven is 3 power which makes it much worse than mist raven but I'll consider it, mist raven is super super good.

Just a reminder birds are awesome!. I missed a few changes last time

+ Aven surveyor. turns out it was 2 power... in it goes
+ Aven mindcensor !! finally deck never felt complete without this.
+ Sage owl, upgrade to the aven
+ Cloudchaser kestrel, upgrade to the aven.
+ Wargate
+ Windswept heath
+ Krosan verge
+ Plains

- Murder of crows
- Beacon hawk
- Cloudchaser aven
- Sage aven
- Selesnya Guildmage
- Bant panorama
- Seculded steppe
- Island



I should replace the dissipate with arcane denial, I have the denial.. will be the next change I make.
I also obtained a serra aviary but its bad I can't work out why everyone seems to like adding it to thier bird tribal decks. I understand soulcatchers aerie but not aviary.
Prophet of kruphix is kinda more trouble than it is worth, seedborne muse is actually better for the deck except of EoT Keeper or entity. my opponents can make my life a nightmare with a clone then overpower me easily. Whille Muse just allows me to abuse my mana sinks. Problem is muse is so much more expensive than the easily available prophet.

I am having some trouble keeping up steam into the late game against too many boardwipes, I really need one of my big card draw spells/enchantments to drown my opponents in card advantage otherwise I run out of steam. but the basic idea of the deck is to duck under ramp decks and pull away with the game whille others are still setting up. The idea behind the combo is to have some late game trumph. I suggest not playing the deck in pods greater than 4. too many wipes too much damage you have to do.

A reminder... Birds are awesome.

+ Aven sunstriker, Double stike + anthems + double deveri triggers count me in!
+ Soraya the Falconer. How does banding work :P?. walking anthem.
+ Arcane denial. I found a spare.

- Quasli pridemage, not a bird I fear I will miss it though
- Aven Mimeomancer, Really slow no board impact.
- Disspate easier to hold up a cheaper counter also one that draws a card.

I need to pick up a Palace familiar(was none in my prerelease pack)... probably replacing Thummingbird which is win more.




The on board nature of the deck can attract aggro which makes it much better in three player games and ok in 4 player games.

In my last game all my opponents had Jittes :'( (cloned).... I was still close to victory as I was allowed to have mirari's wake apparently no one had a naturalise effect. Wargate for Coat of arms hit for 33.. or would of if an opponent, one not currently being attacked, didn't bounce it... promptly we all died to the opponent that I was attacking, because I had allowed defense of the heart to trigger with the plan of killing my opponent.

The weakness of aggro... politics.

Since I just linked to this I should update.

monthly reminder birds are awesome.

- oblation - rules change
- murder of crows - was already gone but didn't remove it from the list
- thrummingbird- not much to use it for slightly win more.

+ qasali pridemage
+ palace familiar



I haven't play it much recently had trouble carrying around all my decks.

Reminder birds are awesome..
Just had a really great game today... where I for the first time.. comboed out... after my opponent board-wiped then reanimated all creatures, my birds included to his field.... I drew 20 cards (thanks Airborne Aid and beck :D) in a turn to find my combo pieces and table kill.

I don't really think I need the fixing or ramp from the signets I'd rather be curving out.
anthem was a tougher cut, but its a lot of mana, a lot of white mana which isn't so easy to get some times.
I have both a path to exile (after winning FNM this month) and a swords to plowshares available. I went with the path since I don't want my opponent gaining life.

- selesya signet
- simic signet
- Marshal's anthem
- plains

+ Mother of runes
+ Gustcloak Savior
+ path to exile
+ reliquary tower

Reminder... birds are awesome.

- Thornwood falls
- Blossoming sands
- Tranquil cove
- Sejiri Refuge
- Graypelt Refuge
- Vitu-Ghazi, The City-Tree
- Gustcloak Saviour

+ Canopy vista
+ Parire stream
+ Glacial fortress
+ Sunpetal grove
+ Hinterland harbour
+ Lumbering falls
+ Glen Elendra Archmage

Manabase upgrade! I hope this makes it easier to cast Deveri turn three... plus Glen Elendra Archmage I needed better 4 drops to pod Deveri into and I try to only play flying creatures if I can.

Update!... birds are still awesome.

- Birds of paradise, I required to trade it for serum visions for modern, I said I had 4 of them but I only had 3 in my rare folder. I will try to get another.
- Selesyna charm, only used one mode and path is in my deck now.
- Soulcatcher, upgraded it.

+ Celestial gatekeeper, I have had it the whole time but didn't know what to cut kind of a second Lark.
+ Major Teroh, Racist birdwipe
+ Soulcatchers' Aerie Finally!, found one a promo one as well.

Also replace my canopy vista with an expedition I won in a draft.

It's been winning a lot of games recently but it hasn't been easy since it does get boardwiped often so I have been winning with the combo a lot. Karmic guide + Lark + blasting station, it's easy enough to stop but it keep getting people. Also birthing pod shouldn't be allowed to live or broken things happen.