Markov Blademaster seems great if you get in for damage early game, but I think Prophetic Flamespeaker would be more useful at all stages of the game. Early game it might not do as much damage but card draw in red is awesome. Slap an equipment on it late game and the trample with double strike means it's going to get through, and draw you some cards, unlike the Blademaster which is more of a dud later on.
Fiendslayer Paladin does quite well. His resistance to kill spells is great. The decision was between Fiendslayer Paladin and Paladin en-Vec. Pro-red/black is infinitely better than protection from red or black spells. The lifelink is minimal but it's nice when he gets equipped. I like his foil art as well so he's in my deck instead of Paladin en-Vec.
I think Paladin En-Vec is far superior to Fiendslayer Paladin, I've been running the Fiendslayer in my Jor Kadeen deck for a while and he's always been lacklustre with his worse form of pro black/red. The lifelink is sort of inconsequential but nice, I like En-Vec better for being more like Mirran Crusader, slap another sword of x and y on them and they're almost pro all colours, plus heavy hitters.
I disagree with the analysis of Prophetic Flamespeaker for this deck because of the chance to exile away cards that are needed. While "card draw" is always awesome in R, this really isn't a draw scenario - you have until the end of turn to use the cards exiled or they are gone for good. This deck is generally mana hungry, so while the Double Strike and Trample are awesome effects, that double exile could force you to have to make a really bad decision =/
I also agree with the statement regarding Paladin En-Vec vs Fiendslayer Paladin regarding the protection, however the Lifelink component does have some merit in my current list. Having another way for Archangel of Thune's +1/+1 counter ability to trigger is quite nice, so I don't write him off completely. If I am going to make the changes I am considering at this point, I will definitely include both of these Knights for what they bring to the table.
Overall I agree with your assessment of the current creature build, but I see some potential hidden in here by cutting Restoration Angel (not enough good targets), Frontline Medic (often not enough creatures in play to benefit from), and potentially Angelic Skirmisher (a little bit slow right now for my tastes, but she has done well in most games I play).
I agree with Restoration Angel not hitting enough creatures in my deck and Frontline Medic's batallion ability not being able to be used as much as it should. I do like Angelic Skirmisher however as it lets me have a very versatile combat phase where I can choose to gain life, first strike, or have vigillance.
but I think Prophetic Flamespeaker would be more useful at all stages of the game. Early game it might not do as much damage but card draw in red is awesome. Slap an equipment on it late game and the trample with double strike means it's going to get through, and draw you some cards, unlike the Blademaster which is more of a dud later on.
I kind of disagree with this as well. Prophetic Flamespeaker could do all right but it will cause me to miss some cards as well. I had this same problem with Spinerock Knoll because it was nice but it often made me miss many cards that I needed and if I exiled a card that I kind of needed, but never got to the requirements, it was kind of dead.
I think I might run Paladin en-Vac as well as Fiendlsayer Paladin. I've noticed that Protecction from X is extremely hard to deal with against some decks which just lets me lather that creature with equipments and fear nothing but an equally harmful boardwipe. I do like Knight Exemplar now that I think about it. Indestructible is nice on something that already has protection on top of additional effects.
What do you guys think about Akroma Fury or Wrath? Personally I like Fury becuase of the morph ability, pro blue and ability to pump. Wrath could be good too, I just think that with Concerted Effort and Angelic Skirmisher, Akroma Fury could be at the same level as Akroma Wrath if not better.
I will also definitely need to get an Archangel back in here.
I kind of disagree with this as well. Prophetic Flamespeaker could do all right but it will cause me to miss some cards as well. I had this same problem with Spinerock Knoll because it was nice but it often made me miss many cards that I needed and if I exiled a card that I kind of needed, but never got to the requirements, it was kind of dead.
I think I might run Paladin en-Vac as well as Fiendlsayer Paladin. I've noticed that Protecction from X is extremely hard to deal with against some decks which just lets me lather that creature with equipments and fear nothing but an equally harmful boardwipe. I do like Knight Exemplar now that I think about it. Indestructible is nice on something that already has protection on top of additional effects.
What do you guys think about Akroma Fury or Wrath? Personally I like Fury becuase of the morph ability, pro blue and ability to pump. Wrath could be good too, I just think that with Concerted Effort and Angelic Skirmisher, Akroma Fury could be at the same level as Akroma Wrath if not better.
I will also definitely need to get an Archangel back in here.
I already gave you my opinion regarding the Akroma's, but to comment more I find the Morph/Pro Blue and White (not necessarily a good thing btw)/pump to not justify her over Wrath. The mana hungry-ness of this deck doesn't leave much room for pumps and morph is too obvious that it is her, so odds are it would get spot removed.
Another two Knights to definitely consider is Blood Knight and White Knight if you are looking for more Protections. They are fairly lower on the list of cards to add, but I like the 2 CMC drops that can be great when equiped. I'd probably add Knight of Meadowgrain over either of those for a 2 drop due to the fact I have an Archangel of Thune in the deck, but again it is entirely subjective - Kinsbaile Cavalier should be in this deck long before any other Knights are added based off the current list.
So it'd be better to shift this deck more toward aggro than having a couple or more late game bombs? I like what the deck can do with its lower cost creatures at the moment, I don't know how much better it would be to shift it? Give it a shot and see how it does.
I think I will be adding one or two more instants somewhere to deal with threats and then adding Akroma as well as another bomb
So it'd be better to shift this deck more toward aggro than having a couple or more late game bombs? I like what the deck can do with its lower cost creatures at the moment, I don't know how much better it would be to shift it? Give it a shot and see how it does.
I think I will be adding one or two more instants somewhere to deal with threats and then adding Akroma as well as another bomb
From my experiences, creatures with CMC costs above 6 need to be crazy good to really turn the table with this deck, that's why right now I think my really good late game bombs need to be in the 5 to 7 range. I like this deck a lot when I can put some early game pressure on with either Mirran Crusader or Markov Blademaster with an equipment - it forces my opponents to use targeted removal before Aurelia comes out or some other bombs.
I am however glad that you plan to try out some later creatures that I have not looked at (the Red Akroma being one) because it will contribute more to this Primer in the long run
And in terms of making a change to this deck, it'll be a bit - when I get a decent junk of time I need to make a pretty big update to both of my Primers because I just moved from Seattle, WA down to Lake Charles, LA and my meta has changed drastically. My first read of the players down here is they are more competitive and being a Early-Mid range aggro deck might be needed for this deck to deal with some of the combo decks I have seen.
Wow, those decks seem nasty to play against - how do you usually perform? Does the Kaalia player play with the dinky combo of her + Master of Cruelties?
Like I said, let me know how Akroma performs. Have you thought of Avatar of Slaughter for late game? Stormbreath Dragon can also fit into that role well of late game beater due to his Monstrosity trigger. Just some random ideas for you
I haven't played much with the Venser in the group as he's usually not playing, but I do alright; he's usually trying to mess up the Kaalia player as you could guess. About 50/50 against Kaalia and the Derevi deck isn't exactly up to par with this Aurelia deck so I do alright against him.
Does the Kaalia player play with the dinky combo of her + Master of Cruelties?
Avatar of Slaughter could be good but often I play brashly into a trap where I think I can win but I end up getting destroyed. This card might just be what makes me lose more games than it will win me. I like Stormbreath Dragon. I'll have to see about that
I haven't played much with the Venser in the group as he's usually not playing, but I do alright; he's usually trying to mess up the Kaalia player as you could guess. About 50/50 against Kaalia and the Derevi deck isn't exactly up to par with this Aurelia deck so I do alright against him.
Does the Kaalia player play with the dinky combo of her + Master of Cruelties?
Avatar of Slaughter could be good but often I play brashly into a trap where I think I can win but I end up getting destroyed. This card might just be what makes me lose more games than it will win me. I like Stormbreath Dragon. I'll have to see about that
I personally hate Kaalia decks that play into those cheap, easy, combos.... I hope you smoke that deck more and make that person suffer lol...
Reason: Elesh was in this deck for a long time and frankly was awesome at shutting down Token decks, but in the end I felt like Elesh's purpose only for controlling the board instead of being aggressive, thus he/she/it (whatever sex Elesh is...) got the cut. With the printing of Iroas, I had to make room for him since he will provide great benefits/perks towards the aggro strategy this deck uses
The last cut is not really by choice.... the new store in Lake Charles has a Commander League that has a "no infinite combo" rule. The Assault + Sword of Feast and Famine combo technically counts (though it is so easy to disrupt...) and I need to cut it out =/
Seeing the spoilers CNS appears to me that: Scourge of the Throne, what you think of him? Is it worth adding on the deck?
Thank you!
This emote personifies how I feel regarding this dragon -
Not only could this guy just keep growing, but the additional combat on top of Aurelia's would stack, so I can definitely abuse him along with Godo, Bandit Warlord for many attack phases
Reason: The infinite combat step combo (Aggravated Assault + A Creature + Sword of Feast and Famine) needed to be cut out due to my new Meta's No Infinite Combo policy. That cut, along with my dislike in Frontline Medic, allowed me to begin exploring the Knight theme that I was talking about lately. The Armillary change was driven because I wanted a method to mana accel instead of just get lands out of the deck.
Next change is probably going to be driven by my need to move Scroll Rack to a different deck and that Restoration Angel is starting to lose her place in this deck... We'll see what I want to replace these two with in due time, but for now let the play testing of the Knight Theme commence!
In my recent playtests, I've found that Restoration angel has an "ok" role in the deck with the increase of <4 drop creatures. She can blink a guy to save him from combat which is alright. With artifact hate coming into play, I have added some new artifact protection cards to protect my swords as they do a lot for me when they get equipped onto a creature like the knights.I haven't fully jumped onto the knight train, but I think it's better than waiting for a6 mana to drop a removal magnet.
Do you think it would be worth it to run an additional card or two that gives indestructibility or protection at instant speed?
Edit: my group requires heavy pressure early on to prevent them from getting too far ahead with commanders like kaalia and bruna. I've put in some artifact mana creatures that can hold equipments as well as produce mana if needed. It also helps out with the artifact affinity for indomitable archangel and puresteel paladin
In my recent playtests, I've found that Restoration angel has an "ok" role in the deck with the increase of <4 drop creatures. She can blink a guy to save him from combat which is alright. With artifact hate coming into play, I have added some new artifact protection cards to protect my swords as they do a lot for me when they get equipped onto a creature like the knights.I haven't fully jumped onto the knight train, but I think it's better than waiting for a6 mana to drop a removal magnet.
Do you think it would be worth it to run an additional card or two that gives indestructibility or protection at instant speed?
Edit: my group requires heavy pressure early on to prevent them from getting too far ahead with commanders like kaalia and bruna. I've put in some artifact mana creatures that can hold equipments as well as produce mana if needed. It also helps out with the artifact affinity for indomitable archangel and puresteel paladin
Is there any reason you run with Indomitable Archangel over Leonin Abunas? His protection is much better than shroud and he is 3W instead of 2WW. Just wondering honestly.
But yes, I also agree that Restoration Angel has been "okay", but now that I am in a competitive Commander Meta that also does a League, so I am having to tune the deck to an even earlier aggro strategy with Aurelia and Gisela as my late game threats.... That being said, I mentioned Paladin en-Vec and Kinsbaile Cavalier, both of which would give me even earlier aggro and more excellent equipment targets, so I would probably look to include them sometime soon. If Token decks become more common, Hero of Oxid Ridge would be included to prevent those creatures from blocking.
And, to get back to your question, I guess it depends honestly. I have had no issue with being able to Sunforger out Boros Charm to protect my stuff, but I could see more cards being a good idea - is there any specific ones you have had in mind? Also, what artifact protection have you added? Have they been effective for you?
Also, using mana-dorks is a smart call for early game action, but I would hate to draw into them late game, so that's why I don't have any in my list - I just heavily rely on not missing land drops through the various ways I have to tutor for lands.
Is there any reason you run with Indomitable Archangel over Leonin Abunas? His protection is much better than shroud and he is 3W instead of 2WW. Just wondering honestly.
I actually run both haha. I hate getting my Jitte or Sword off the table when I get it oh so perfectly onto the field and equipped.
And, to get back to your question, I guess it depends honestly. I have had no issue with being able to Sunforger out Boros Charm to protect my stuff, but I could see more cards being a good idea - is there any specific ones you have had in mind? Also, what artifact protection have you added? Have they been effective for you?
I don't think I have any that provide the protection equivalent to Boros Charm. Rootborn DefensesBrave the ElementsRiot Control come to mind as they are within reach of Sunforger as well. While these are decent, I'm just not sure what could be taken out because they don't provide full protection of permanents. [/quote]
I don't think I have any that provide the protection equivalent to Boros Charm. Rootborn DefensesBrave the ElementsRiot Control come to mind as they are within reach of Sunforger as well. While these are decent, I'm just not sure what could be taken out because they don't provide full protection of permanents.
I honestly don't think any of those cards other than Rootborn Defenses would be worth it. If you are really in need of Indestructibility, perhaps consider adding Avacyn, Angel of Hope back in. Just run some more protection for her and include a Homeward Path to prevent your opponents from stealing her from you.
Very well written primer. I found plenty of useful suggestions for my Tajic deck!
What are your thoughts on Assemble the Legion? It's kind of slow and doesn't have any meaningful impact for the first couple of turns, but can definitely swing a game if left unchecked.
Also, I don't agree with the Windbrisk Heights cut, it seems too good not to include. You don't have that many etb lands so it won't hurt your early game too much, and even if you don't get to use it every game it's still potential card advantage, and it might allow some broken plays every now and then.
I appreciate the compliment I have enjoyed the discussions this Primer has generated and how the deck has been received
In regards to the four cards you mentioned, I agree they are all good cards and I should discuss them more (which I will in the "Notable Exclusions" on my next update of the primer) as to why I did not include them specifically. Pretty much all of those cards are just too slow for my strategy of being aggressive in attacking with equipped creatures. Most of the creatures chosen were either good at attacking, protected and improved my equipment strategy, and buffed my creatures. None of the 3 creatures you listed provide that =/
Your explanation of Windbrisk Heights is correct and I did have the card in the deck for awhile, but after 6 times in a row of playing it and never activating it, I cut the card. People generally need to deal with my creatures ASAP because the equipment comes rolling in fast and things will get rough. Also with the limited card draw that Boros deals with, I do not like to play all of my creatures ASAP - if I have multiple creatures in hand, I will keep one ready incase my opponents deal with the current board.
Are there any other cards you run with in your Tajic deck that I have not included that overcome some of the weaknesses in Boros?
I appreciate the compliment I have enjoyed the discussions this Primer has generated and how the deck has been received
In regards to the four cards you mentioned, I agree they are all good cards and I should discuss them more (which I will in the "Notable Exclusions" on my next update of the primer) as to why I did not include them specifically. Pretty much all of those cards are just too slow for my strategy of being aggressive in attacking with equipped creatures. Most of the creatures chosen were either good at attacking, protected and improved my equipment strategy, and buffed my creatures. None of the 3 creatures you listed provide that =/
Your explanation of Windbrisk Heights is correct and I did have the card in the deck for awhile, but after 6 times in a row of playing it and never activating it, I cut the card. People generally need to deal with my creatures ASAP because the equipment comes rolling in fast and things will get rough. Also with the limited card draw that Boros deals with, I do not like to play all of my creatures ASAP - if I have multiple creatures in hand, I will keep one ready incase my opponents deal with the current board.
Are there any other cards you run with in your Tajic deck that I have not included that overcome some of the weaknesses in Boros?
That makes sense. I kind of like the fact that Heights doesn't take up a spell slot in the deck, but I'm biased because my deck swarms the board a bit more (Tajic needs dudes on the board after all). It would make a lot more sense with manlands or cards like Brimaz and Hero of Bladehold, but that's a lot of changes.
In Tajic I have a lot of slower and smaller threats that do something else besides tapping sideways (Angel of Finality, Flickerwisp, Magus of the Moon, Aven Mindcensor, Jotun Grunt, Karmic Guide...) but I'm not sure those would fit in your deck. Flickerwisp is kind of a pet card of mine, but it's quite situational even with a lot of etb triggers (but I once flipped a morphed Akroma, Angel of Fury and it was awesome).
Ajani, Caller of the Pride is something you might try. He's probably better in your deck than he is in mine, since a double-striking Aurelia with a sword equipped hits hard (and that's a lot of sword or jitte triggers). Silverblade Paladin is probably better, but you might want a bit of redundancy and he's not bad even without your general.
I'm trying Unexpectedly Absent and it has been decent so far. You can tuck any permanent in response to a tutor or fetch, works with Sunforger and can also save something of yours from removal. I'm not sure which one I like more between it and Oblation.
Hmmm.... Ajani sounds actually pretty decent honestly. I will be on the lookout for a copy of him and see if he is a good replacement for Resto Angel!
My only issue with UA is you can't pay the X with Sunforger, and this deck is ALWAYS mana hungry... so I am unsure on how it would work. I would say the nice thing about Oblation is I can use it as card draw when I really need to save something or just dump a land into the deck lol....
But what would you take out for UA in this deck? I don't think it would be worth it to take out another removal or tuck for UA. I think Sunforger displays the best usage of its ability when it tutors and plays a spell that has a higher mana cost than the RW paid.
Cathedral of War would be nice to replace another tap land.
I like Ajani too. I think it has more usage than Restoration Angel. But its -2 could draw a lot of aggro towards you.
You don't need to pay X most of the time. It kind of depends on the situation, but almost everyone plays some sort of fetches, land ramp and tutors which make UA a two mana Vindicate at instant speed in those occurrences.
I don't know what else to suggest lol. Maybe Cathedral of War, it triggers twice with Aurelia and is decent if you're going voltron.
I think those situations are common, but I would not include it just because of those situations. The strength would be using it for it's X, so I probably wouldn't include it in my deck. That land does seem interesting - is there a land you would suggest cutting for it?
But what would you take out for UA in this deck? I don't think it would be worth it to take out another removal or tuck for UA. I think Sunforger displays the best usage of its ability when it tutors and plays a spell that has a higher mana cost than the RW paid.
Cathedral of War would be nice to replace another tap land.
I like Ajani too. I think it has more usage than Restoration Angel. But its -2 could draw a lot of aggro towards you.
I agree with the -2, but that could be enough to make Aurelia murder someone on T6-7 if I can get an equipment on her early. Being able to dish out a lot of damage almost suddenly could make this Ajani worth it honestly, so I might give him a shot the next time I play this deck at the EDH/Commander League.
I use Gold and Iron. I find myself needing colors more than I need 2 colorless. The myr's also kind of replace some of the artifacts that I can't buy yet so that I can get Metalcraft to 3.
After taking out essentially almost all creatures above a 4 mana cost, I completely agree with your shift towards aggro with knights. This deck does so well with these types of creatures. Good adjustment
I consider Chandra amazing in this deck because I use her as a card draw more than anything else - I always do her +0 first before playing any card because if I draw a land, I will play that instead of using the land from my hand. I highly suggest her over other planeswalkers for this deck.
The switch to lower CMC creatures has gone well so far, and on my next card order I will be getting a Kinsbaile Cavalier for the deck to replace Restoration Angel. I may cut the overall creature count down and increase the good equipment in this deck, but that won't come for awhile unless the Knight thing becomes too weak and needs a buff.
The next card order may come in the next week or 2, my plan is to run this deck at the EDH/Commander League this weekend and judge how the changes work.
Ever thought of add City of Brass and Mana Confluence? Sometimes it seems that we need them to fix the manas ... Think the two are needed? I play City of Brass and it has been helpful, but I am in doubt add Mana Confluence ...
And Mask of Memory? Another card I'm not sure .. What do you think of it? Think it's worth add?
I disagree with the analysis of Prophetic Flamespeaker for this deck because of the chance to exile away cards that are needed. While "card draw" is always awesome in R, this really isn't a draw scenario - you have until the end of turn to use the cards exiled or they are gone for good. This deck is generally mana hungry, so while the Double Strike and Trample are awesome effects, that double exile could force you to have to make a really bad decision =/
I also agree with the statement regarding Paladin En-Vec vs Fiendslayer Paladin regarding the protection, however the Lifelink component does have some merit in my current list. Having another way for Archangel of Thune's +1/+1 counter ability to trigger is quite nice, so I don't write him off completely. If I am going to make the changes I am considering at this point, I will definitely include both of these Knights for what they bring to the table.
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I agree with Restoration Angel not hitting enough creatures in my deck and Frontline Medic's batallion ability not being able to be used as much as it should. I do like Angelic Skirmisher however as it lets me have a very versatile combat phase where I can choose to gain life, first strike, or have vigillance.
I kind of disagree with this as well. Prophetic Flamespeaker could do all right but it will cause me to miss some cards as well. I had this same problem with Spinerock Knoll because it was nice but it often made me miss many cards that I needed and if I exiled a card that I kind of needed, but never got to the requirements, it was kind of dead.
I think I might run Paladin en-Vac as well as Fiendlsayer Paladin. I've noticed that Protecction from X is extremely hard to deal with against some decks which just lets me lather that creature with equipments and fear nothing but an equally harmful boardwipe. I do like Knight Exemplar now that I think about it. Indestructible is nice on something that already has protection on top of additional effects.
What do you guys think about Akroma Fury or Wrath? Personally I like Fury becuase of the morph ability, pro blue and ability to pump. Wrath could be good too, I just think that with Concerted Effort and Angelic Skirmisher, Akroma Fury could be at the same level as Akroma Wrath if not better.
I will also definitely need to get an Archangel back in here.
I already gave you my opinion regarding the Akroma's, but to comment more I find the Morph/Pro Blue and White (not necessarily a good thing btw)/pump to not justify her over Wrath. The mana hungry-ness of this deck doesn't leave much room for pumps and morph is too obvious that it is her, so odds are it would get spot removed.
Another two Knights to definitely consider is Blood Knight and White Knight if you are looking for more Protections. They are fairly lower on the list of cards to add, but I like the 2 CMC drops that can be great when equiped. I'd probably add Knight of Meadowgrain over either of those for a 2 drop due to the fact I have an Archangel of Thune in the deck, but again it is entirely subjective - Kinsbaile Cavalier should be in this deck long before any other Knights are added based off the current list.
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I think I will be adding one or two more instants somewhere to deal with threats and then adding Akroma as well as another bomb
From my experiences, creatures with CMC costs above 6 need to be crazy good to really turn the table with this deck, that's why right now I think my really good late game bombs need to be in the 5 to 7 range. I like this deck a lot when I can put some early game pressure on with either Mirran Crusader or Markov Blademaster with an equipment - it forces my opponents to use targeted removal before Aurelia comes out or some other bombs.
I am however glad that you plan to try out some later creatures that I have not looked at (the Red Akroma being one) because it will contribute more to this Primer in the long run
And in terms of making a change to this deck, it'll be a bit - when I get a decent junk of time I need to make a pretty big update to both of my Primers because I just moved from Seattle, WA down to Lake Charles, LA and my meta has changed drastically. My first read of the players down here is they are more competitive and being a Early-Mid range aggro deck might be needed for this deck to deal with some of the combo decks I have seen.
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Wow, those decks seem nasty to play against - how do you usually perform? Does the Kaalia player play with the dinky combo of her + Master of Cruelties?
Like I said, let me know how Akroma performs. Have you thought of Avatar of Slaughter for late game? Stormbreath Dragon can also fit into that role well of late game beater due to his Monstrosity trigger. Just some random ideas for you
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Yes he does and several other annoying ones. Angelic Arbiter, Adarkar Valkyrie + sac outlet with cards like Yosei, the Morning Star or Angel of Despair, and Blinding Angel.
Avatar of Slaughter could be good but often I play brashly into a trap where I think I can win but I end up getting destroyed. This card might just be what makes me lose more games than it will win me. I like Stormbreath Dragon. I'll have to see about that
I personally hate Kaalia decks that play into those cheap, easy, combos.... I hope you smoke that deck more and make that person suffer lol...
Anyways, fast change for this weekend's games!
05/09/2014:
Out: Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite >>>> In: Iroas, God of Victory
Reason: Elesh was in this deck for a long time and frankly was awesome at shutting down Token decks, but in the end I felt like Elesh's purpose only for controlling the board instead of being aggressive, thus he/she/it (whatever sex Elesh is...) got the cut. With the printing of Iroas, I had to make room for him since he will provide great benefits/perks towards the aggro strategy this deck uses
And I am still thinking about the Knight change idea... Currently it would look like this:
Out: Restoration Angel >>>> In: Kinsbaile Cavalier
Out: Frontline Medic >>>> In: Knight Exemplar
Out: Angelic Skirmisher >>>> In: Knight of Meadowgrain
Out: Aggravated Assault >>>> In: Fiendslayer Paladin
The last cut is not really by choice.... the new store in Lake Charles has a Commander League that has a "no infinite combo" rule. The Assault + Sword of Feast and Famine combo technically counts (though it is so easy to disrupt...) and I need to cut it out =/
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Seeing the spoilers CNS appears to me that: Scourge of the Throne, what you think of him? Is it worth adding on the deck?
Thank you!
This emote personifies how I feel regarding this dragon -
Not only could this guy just keep growing, but the additional combat on top of Aurelia's would stack, so I can definitely abuse him along with Godo, Bandit Warlord for many attack phases
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Anyways, DECK CHANGE!
05/20/2014:
Out: Frontline Medic >>>> In: Fiendslayer Paladin
Out: Armillary Sphere >>>> In: Knight Exemplar
Out: Aggravated Assault >>>> In: Wayfarer's Bauble
Reason: The infinite combat step combo (Aggravated Assault + A Creature + Sword of Feast and Famine) needed to be cut out due to my new Meta's No Infinite Combo policy. That cut, along with my dislike in Frontline Medic, allowed me to begin exploring the Knight theme that I was talking about lately. The Armillary change was driven because I wanted a method to mana accel instead of just get lands out of the deck.
Next change is probably going to be driven by my need to move Scroll Rack to a different deck and that Restoration Angel is starting to lose her place in this deck... We'll see what I want to replace these two with in due time, but for now let the play testing of the Knight Theme commence!
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RW Aurelia, The Warleader --- R Daretti, Scrap Savant --- RUB Thraximundar
Do you think it would be worth it to run an additional card or two that gives indestructibility or protection at instant speed?
Edit: my group requires heavy pressure early on to prevent them from getting too far ahead with commanders like kaalia and bruna. I've put in some artifact mana creatures that can hold equipments as well as produce mana if needed. It also helps out with the artifact affinity for indomitable archangel and puresteel paladin
Is there any reason you run with Indomitable Archangel over Leonin Abunas? His protection is much better than shroud and he is 3W instead of 2WW. Just wondering honestly.
But yes, I also agree that Restoration Angel has been "okay", but now that I am in a competitive Commander Meta that also does a League, so I am having to tune the deck to an even earlier aggro strategy with Aurelia and Gisela as my late game threats.... That being said, I mentioned Paladin en-Vec and Kinsbaile Cavalier, both of which would give me even earlier aggro and more excellent equipment targets, so I would probably look to include them sometime soon. If Token decks become more common, Hero of Oxid Ridge would be included to prevent those creatures from blocking.
And, to get back to your question, I guess it depends honestly. I have had no issue with being able to Sunforger out Boros Charm to protect my stuff, but I could see more cards being a good idea - is there any specific ones you have had in mind? Also, what artifact protection have you added? Have they been effective for you?
Also, using mana-dorks is a smart call for early game action, but I would hate to draw into them late game, so that's why I don't have any in my list - I just heavily rely on not missing land drops through the various ways I have to tutor for lands.
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I actually run both haha. I hate getting my Jitte or Sword off the table when I get it oh so perfectly onto the field and equipped.
I don't think I have any that provide the protection equivalent to Boros Charm. Rootborn Defenses Brave the Elements Riot Control come to mind as they are within reach of Sunforger as well. While these are decent, I'm just not sure what could be taken out because they don't provide full protection of permanents. [/quote]
I honestly don't think any of those cards other than Rootborn Defenses would be worth it. If you are really in need of Indestructibility, perhaps consider adding Avacyn, Angel of Hope back in. Just run some more protection for her and include a Homeward Path to prevent your opponents from stealing her from you.
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I have yet to test out some of my artifact more but when it gets out, my weapons are safe and sound.
I appreciate the compliment I have enjoyed the discussions this Primer has generated and how the deck has been received
In regards to the four cards you mentioned, I agree they are all good cards and I should discuss them more (which I will in the "Notable Exclusions" on my next update of the primer) as to why I did not include them specifically. Pretty much all of those cards are just too slow for my strategy of being aggressive in attacking with equipped creatures. Most of the creatures chosen were either good at attacking, protected and improved my equipment strategy, and buffed my creatures. None of the 3 creatures you listed provide that =/
Your explanation of Windbrisk Heights is correct and I did have the card in the deck for awhile, but after 6 times in a row of playing it and never activating it, I cut the card. People generally need to deal with my creatures ASAP because the equipment comes rolling in fast and things will get rough. Also with the limited card draw that Boros deals with, I do not like to play all of my creatures ASAP - if I have multiple creatures in hand, I will keep one ready incase my opponents deal with the current board.
Are there any other cards you run with in your Tajic deck that I have not included that overcome some of the weaknesses in Boros?
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Hmmm.... Ajani sounds actually pretty decent honestly. I will be on the lookout for a copy of him and see if he is a good replacement for Resto Angel!
My only issue with UA is you can't pay the X with Sunforger, and this deck is ALWAYS mana hungry... so I am unsure on how it would work. I would say the nice thing about Oblation is I can use it as card draw when I really need to save something or just dump a land into the deck lol....
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Cathedral of War would be nice to replace another tap land.
I like Ajani too. I think it has more usage than Restoration Angel. But its -2 could draw a lot of aggro towards you.
I think those situations are common, but I would not include it just because of those situations. The strength would be using it for it's X, so I probably wouldn't include it in my deck. That land does seem interesting - is there a land you would suggest cutting for it?
I agree with the -2, but that could be enough to make Aurelia murder someone on T6-7 if I can get an equipment on her early. Being able to dish out a lot of damage almost suddenly could make this Ajani worth it honestly, so I might give him a shot the next time I play this deck at the EDH/Commander League.
For your mana dorks, do you use Iron Myr, Gold Myr, or Palladium Myr? Or are there other creatures you use?
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After taking out essentially almost all creatures above a 4 mana cost, I completely agree with your shift towards aggro with knights. This deck does so well with these types of creatures. Good adjustment
I'm also thinking of cut Frontline Medic and perhaps cut too Brimaz, King of Oreskos ... And I was thinking of put Chandra, Pyromaster . What do you think? How do you rate Chandra, Pyromaster on your deck?
Also wanted to know how is being run Fiendslayer Paladin and Knight Exemplar in your build? And have you thought about run Kinsbaile Cavalier?
Thanks !
I consider Chandra amazing in this deck because I use her as a card draw more than anything else - I always do her +0 first before playing any card because if I draw a land, I will play that instead of using the land from my hand. I highly suggest her over other planeswalkers for this deck.
The switch to lower CMC creatures has gone well so far, and on my next card order I will be getting a Kinsbaile Cavalier for the deck to replace Restoration Angel. I may cut the overall creature count down and increase the good equipment in this deck, but that won't come for awhile unless the Knight thing becomes too weak and needs a buff.
The next card order may come in the next week or 2, my plan is to run this deck at the EDH/Commander League this weekend and judge how the changes work.
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Ever thought of add City of Brass and Mana Confluence? Sometimes it seems that we need them to fix the manas ... Think the two are needed? I play City of Brass and it has been helpful, but I am in doubt add Mana Confluence ...
And Mask of Memory? Another card I'm not sure .. What do you think of it? Think it's worth add?
Thanks !