The Scarab God looks like one of the nuttiest control commanders we've seen in ages. It's difficult to kill, gets absurd value out of enemy graveyards and your own, and even drains enemies for the win if your creatures aren't doing it, while scrying you into constant gas.
Other builds that seem plausible to me are reanimator and zombie tribal. I might try making reanimator, I don't have much interest in zombie tribal.
Got to try this deck extensively today. Played it in a 4-man, 3-man, couple 1v1s, and a few 2HGs. The whole gamut.
Won all of them except for one of the 2HGs, mostly on account of (1) my partner's deck did absolutely nothing of value ever, and (2) I didn't hit any CA, and (3) I definitely misplayed at a few points.
Overall I'm definitely impressed with the card. I think I'll tinker with the decklist though - when building I actually didn't notice the 4/4 part of the text, which makes a lot of cards better and discourages big stuff. That said, I still want to try a legacy reanimator style list with a bunch of super expensive bombs and discard outlets. Or any smaller creatures that get sweet when they're made into 4/4s, like cephalid constable for example.
I'm building a Scarab God list somewhat along these lines.
My main question is.. How do you try and win with this list?
Because I'm still trying to fine-tune ratios, I think I stuffed like around 12 sources of card advantage to go with around 8 or 9 pieces of ramp.
I think this guy has two very big upsides for control.
A) He's a useful mana sink that allows you to use the resources you hold up even if you don't spend it on answering anything.
B) The traditional weakness of ETB creatures that answer things is that they do it at sorcery speed. Using the ability gets around that downside.
As for playing it, I assume that at some point in time you end up in a position where you almost never tap out entirely, I presume once all available manarocks have been deployed.
And yes, the copies are 4/4. This makes certain things that care about size less than ideal, but passive and active abilities are still potent.
I also believe this route is the way to go with The Scarab God but i'm currently trying to figure out ways to close games consistently as well. I have some pretty big value beaters and mindcrank+duskmantle guildmage/mikaeus+walking ballista+sac outlet combos as a plan b but that's about it.
Love to read that testing has gone well for you and look forward to the discussions.
Other builds that seem plausible to me are reanimator and zombie tribal. I might try making reanimator, I don't have much interest in zombie tribal.
1 The Scarab God
counter (6)
1 Mana Drain
1 Forbid
1 Disallow
1 Arcane Denial
1 Cryptic Command
1 Stifle
Removal (25)
1 Pongify
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Murderous Cut
1 Nekrataal
1 Big Game Hunter
1 Shriekmaw
1 Merciless Executioner
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Slum Reaper
1 Skinrender
1 Vengeful Rebel
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Damnation
1 Go for the Throat
1 Dismember
1 Attrition
1 Curtains' Call
1 Tragic Slip
1 Far//Away
1 Grave Pact
1 Dictate of Erebos
1 Archfiend of Depravity
1 The Abyss
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 All Is Dust
1 Training Grounds
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Burnished Hart
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Coalition Relic
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Unstable Obelisk
1 Mind Stone
1 Felwar Stone
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Dimir Signet
Other sweet creatures (6)
1 Lich Lord of Unx
1 Notion Thief
1 Consuming Aberration
1 Baleful Strix
1 Dragonlord Silumgar
1 Mindslicer
Draw (7)
1 Mulldrifter
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Consecrated Sphinx (bleh)
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Entomb
1 Buried Alive
1 High Market
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Strip Mine
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Blighted Fen
1 Temple of the False God
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Nephalia Drownyard
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Darkslick Shores
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Underground River
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 River of Tears
1 Choked Estuary
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
1 Fetid Pools
1 Sunken Hollow
9 fetches
5 Swamp
4 Island
This is just an initial list, I hope to refine it as we get closer to the set dropping.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Won all of them except for one of the 2HGs, mostly on account of (1) my partner's deck did absolutely nothing of value ever, and (2) I didn't hit any CA, and (3) I definitely misplayed at a few points.
Overall I'm definitely impressed with the card. I think I'll tinker with the decklist though - when building I actually didn't notice the 4/4 part of the text, which makes a lot of cards better and discourages big stuff. That said, I still want to try a legacy reanimator style list with a bunch of super expensive bombs and discard outlets. Or any smaller creatures that get sweet when they're made into 4/4s, like cephalid constable for example.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
My main question is.. How do you try and win with this list?
Because I'm still trying to fine-tune ratios, I think I stuffed like around 12 sources of card advantage to go with around 8 or 9 pieces of ramp.
I think this guy has two very big upsides for control.
A) He's a useful mana sink that allows you to use the resources you hold up even if you don't spend it on answering anything.
B) The traditional weakness of ETB creatures that answer things is that they do it at sorcery speed. Using the ability gets around that downside.
As for playing it, I assume that at some point in time you end up in a position where you almost never tap out entirely, I presume once all available manarocks have been deployed.
And yes, the copies are 4/4. This makes certain things that care about size less than ideal, but passive and active abilities are still potent.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
Love to read that testing has gone well for you and look forward to the discussions.
Here's my list fyi:http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/even-scarabs-pray-sometimes/