Based on your card choices, I assume this is a multi-player list?
Lands: I think you should play more swamps and less unneeded non-basics. Rupture Spire, Transguild Promenade, Barren Moor, Sejiri Steppe, Desert and Quicksand (you have access to black after all) could all be cut easily IMO.
Dudes: I really recommend Gangrenous Zombies at least. Without access to blue bounce/flicker, I'd cut Cadaver Imp and Gravedigger.
Artifacts: Relic of Progenitus -> Nihil Spellbomb. Explorer's Scope -> Wayfarer's Bauble (both could be run). I had forgotten about Pristine Talisman - must include in my list. I don't think Manalith is good enough to be run in 2-color, but to each his own.
Enchantments: Blessing of leaches is an interesting choice. Care to elaborate on that? Wouldn't something like Inviolability be better for mass damage survival with benefits? Personally I just run Cho-Manno's Blessing and call it a day.
Instants: Argivian Find is uncommon. Seal of Cleansing > Disenchant due to what card types you can recur. Rootborn Defenses is an interesting option to make sweepers one-sided, but I don't think you have enough dudes you want to keep in play to justify it. Alabaster Potion isn't very good compared to what's available. I'd run at least Sun's Bounty, Sunspring Expedition and Rest for the Weary before it (I consider those three mandatory life gain/finishers for Vizkopa).
A series of seven articles using Magic to explore the very stuff of the Universe! "At least for those who can play cards, their present incarnation is not quite wasted." [Click here for the articles!]
Based on your card choices, I assume this is a multi-player list?
That would be a correct assumption
Quote from urdjur »
Lands: I think you should play more swamps and less unneeded non-basics. Rupture Spire, Transguild Promenade, Barren Moor, Sejiri Steppe, Desert and Quicksand (you have access to black after all) could all be cut easily IMO.
This is probably a good point. Playing lots of non basics is something of a novelty for me at the moment though after being limited in how many i could play in regular mono colour decks. I can see having to go basic heavy happening though.
Quote from urdjur »
Dudes: I really recommend Gangrenous Zombies at least. Without access to blue bounce/flicker, I'd cut Cadaver Imp and Gravedigger.
The only reason I didn't include Gangrenous Zombies was I didn't have the snow lands. Do You think it's worth it without the snow lands? I could see the Gravedigger and Cadaver Imp going, they only got included when i noticed how light on dudes the deck was.
Quote from urdjur »
Artifacts: Relic of Progenitus -> Nihil Spellbomb. Explorer's Scope -> Wayfarer's Bauble (both could be run). I had forgotten about Pristine Talisman - must include in my list. I don't think Manalith is good enough to be run in 2-color, but to each his own.
Oddly enough I didn't have a spare Nihil Spellbomb floating around or I probably would have gone that way. I'll run the relic til I can get the spellbomb. I've gotta disagree with You about the Explorer's Scope cut, I don't know how good it'll be in this deck admittedly but it's been fantastic for me in other decks. I'm glad I was able to help You a little with the Pristine Talisman thing. I like Manalith, if nothing else it's another black mana when I need it.
Quote from urdjur »
Enchantments: Blessing of leaches is an interesting choice. Care to elaborate on that? Wouldn't something like Inviolability be better for mass damage survival with benefits? Personally I just run Cho-Manno's Blessing and call it a day.
The idea behind Blessing of Leaches was just to put it on Crypt Rats to keep it's self alive. Pestilence strategies are looking like they're going to be everywhere in my playgroup so I've probably gone a little overboard on the protective enchantments. I figure that when I'm building this deck around Pestilence effects and I know there's going to be a Crypt Rats deck getting played it was better to start heavy and make cuts.
Quote from urdjur »
Instants: Argivian Find is uncommon. Seal of Cleansing > Disenchant due to what card types you can recur. Rootborn Defenses is an interesting option to make sweepers one-sided, but I don't think you have enough dudes you want to keep in play to justify it. Alabaster Potion isn't very good compared to what's available. I'd run at least Sun's Bounty, Sunspring Expedition and Rest for the Weary before it (I consider those three mandatory life gain/finishers for Vizkopa).
Thanks for pointing that out. I'll cut it for Castigate for now til I have time to dig through my boxes again. I went with Disenchant because it was what I had on hand, I do wanna swap it for a seal. Rootborn Defenses was another consideration for all the pestilence effects, it could probably be cut since I have a heap of protective enchantments. I'll have to have a look through my white box again for some of those cheap life gain options. I really didn't do much research there, this deck was more about wanting to play the pestilence effects but I guess there's no reason not to make more use of the general.
Quote from urdjur »
Sorcery: Morbid Hunger is bad. I'd run Corrupt and Tendrils of Corruption over it. I prefer Ray of Distortion over Iona's Judgment - you have so much creature removal already.
Morbid Hunger got in over the other options mostly because of the mana base. I know it's not the best option. I didn't know About Ray of Distortion, I'll have to have a look for it.
Quote from urdjur »
Hope that helps. Have you tried it out yet?
It helps a lot mate. Thanks. You've given me much to think about. I haven't tried it yet. My group starts our pauper games next week.
The only reason I didn't include Gangrenous Zombies was I didn't have the snow lands. Do You think it's worth it without the snow lands? I could see the Gravedigger and Cadaver Imp going, they only got included when i noticed how light on dudes the deck was.
I think you should run them anyway, also if you just shell for a single snowland you will probably have it 90% of the time considering the land-fetch available to you. Rather than the digger/imp, you could fill 'er up with Liliana's Shade, Twisted Abomination and Moriok Replica to help you get that snow swamp. Previously suggested Wayfarer's Bauble helps too and is run even in many full-power BW lists.
I've gotta disagree with You about the Explorer's Scope cut, I don't know how good it'll be in this deck admittedly but it's been fantastic for me in other decks.
You may be right, but how much will you get to attack anyway in such a Pestilence-laden meta? If you need to re-equip it each attack and have about 1/3 land in your deck, you're paying 3 mana to ramp 1 land over 3 turns, which is still acceptable I suppose. It's probably a lot better for you with all the pestilence protection you're running though.
I haven't tried it yet. My group starts our pauper games next week.
Do tell us how it went over! I heard from another pauper who tried Vizkopa multiplayer and got steam-rolled. Turns out using extort offensively and early at a big table with no plan to seal the deal quickly was a bad idea. Personally, I'd wait to gain life until I had to and only then bring out Vizkopa to finish off the weakest player quickly while weakening the remaining players and building up defenses early game to take them on afterwards.
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I think you should run them anyway, also if you just shell for a single snowland you will probably have it 90% of the time considering the land-fetch available to you. Rather than the digger/imp, you could fill 'er up with Liliana's Shade, Twisted Abomination and Moriok Replica to help you get that snow swamp. Previously suggested Wayfarer's Bauble helps too and is run even in many full-power BW lists.
That could work. I'll see if I can find them
Quote from urdjur »
You may be right, but how much will you get to attack anyway in such a Pestilence-laden meta? If you need to re-equip it each attack and have about 1/3 land in your deck, you're paying 3 mana to ramp 1 land over 3 turns, which is still acceptable I suppose. It's probably a lot better for you with all the pestilence protection you're running though.
That's pretty much what I'm thinking. The protection should be enough.
Quote from urdjur »
Do tell us how it went over! I heard from another pauper who tried Vizkopa multiplayer and got steam-rolled. Turns out using extort offensively and early at a big table with no plan to seal the deal quickly was a bad idea. Personally, I'd wait to gain life until I had to and only then bring out Vizkopa to finish off the weakest player quickly while weakening the remaining players and building up defenses early game to take them on afterwards.
I'll let You know how it goes mate. That sounds like a solid game plan and is probably similar to the approach I'll use
That's an interesting list robtheman. What are the rules for Your group? I'm seeing a lot of uncommons and even a rare in that list
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1 Vizkopa Guildmage
LAND
10 Plains
10 Swamp
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Esper Panorama
1 Rupture Spire
1 Transguild Promenade
1 Command Tower
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Barren Moor
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Haunted Fengraf
1 Desert
1 Quicksand
DUDES
1 Kingpin's Pet
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Moriok Replica
1 Urborg Syphon-Mage
1 Basilica Screecher
1 Syndicate Enforcer
1 Phyrexian Rager
1 Crypt Rats
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Dromad Purebred
1 Children of Korlis
1 Syndic of Tithes
1 Basilica Guards
1 Auramancer
1 Totem-Guide Hartebeest
1 Guardian of the Guildpact
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Explorer's Scope
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Expedition Map
1 Mind Stone
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Manalith
ENCHANTMENTS
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Angelic Renewal
1 Sunspring Expedition
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Pentarch Ward
1 Cho-Manno's Blessing
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Pestilence
1 Casting of Bones
1 Unhallowed Pact
INSTANTS
1 Murder
1 Snuff Out
1 Unmake
1 Grim Harvest
1 Death Denied
1 Shred Memory
1 Altar's Reap
1 Ray of Distortion
1 Rest for the Weary
1 Sun's Bounty
1 Congregate
1 Alabaster Potion
1 Sign in Blood
1 Skulltap
1 Syphon Mind
1 Unnerve
1 Blood Tithe
1 Evincar's Justice
1 Grave Exchange
1 Shattered Crypt
1 Brainspoil
1 Disturbed Burial
1 Urborg Uprising
1 Mine Excavation
1 Remember the Fallen
1 Solemn Offering
1 Iona's Judgment
Lands: I think you should play more swamps and less unneeded non-basics. Rupture Spire, Transguild Promenade, Barren Moor, Sejiri Steppe, Desert and Quicksand (you have access to black after all) could all be cut easily IMO.
Dudes: I really recommend Gangrenous Zombies at least. Without access to blue bounce/flicker, I'd cut Cadaver Imp and Gravedigger.
Artifacts: Relic of Progenitus -> Nihil Spellbomb. Explorer's Scope -> Wayfarer's Bauble (both could be run). I had forgotten about Pristine Talisman - must include in my list. I don't think Manalith is good enough to be run in 2-color, but to each his own.
Enchantments: Blessing of leaches is an interesting choice. Care to elaborate on that? Wouldn't something like Inviolability be better for mass damage survival with benefits? Personally I just run Cho-Manno's Blessing and call it a day.
Instants: Argivian Find is uncommon. Seal of Cleansing > Disenchant due to what card types you can recur. Rootborn Defenses is an interesting option to make sweepers one-sided, but I don't think you have enough dudes you want to keep in play to justify it. Alabaster Potion isn't very good compared to what's available. I'd run at least Sun's Bounty, Sunspring Expedition and Rest for the Weary before it (I consider those three mandatory life gain/finishers for Vizkopa).
Sorcery: Morbid Hunger is bad. I'd run Corrupt and Tendrils of Corruption over it. I prefer Ray of Distortion over Iona's Judgment - you have so much creature removal already.
Hope that helps. Have you tried it out yet?
A series of seven articles using Magic to explore the very stuff of the Universe!
"At least for those who can play cards, their present incarnation is not quite wasted."
[Click here for the articles!]
That would be a correct assumption
This is probably a good point. Playing lots of non basics is something of a novelty for me at the moment though after being limited in how many i could play in regular mono colour decks. I can see having to go basic heavy happening though.
The only reason I didn't include Gangrenous Zombies was I didn't have the snow lands. Do You think it's worth it without the snow lands? I could see the Gravedigger and Cadaver Imp going, they only got included when i noticed how light on dudes the deck was.
Oddly enough I didn't have a spare Nihil Spellbomb floating around or I probably would have gone that way. I'll run the relic til I can get the spellbomb. I've gotta disagree with You about the Explorer's Scope cut, I don't know how good it'll be in this deck admittedly but it's been fantastic for me in other decks. I'm glad I was able to help You a little with the Pristine Talisman thing. I like Manalith, if nothing else it's another black mana when I need it.
The idea behind Blessing of Leaches was just to put it on Crypt Rats to keep it's self alive. Pestilence strategies are looking like they're going to be everywhere in my playgroup so I've probably gone a little overboard on the protective enchantments. I figure that when I'm building this deck around Pestilence effects and I know there's going to be a Crypt Rats deck getting played it was better to start heavy and make cuts.
Thanks for pointing that out. I'll cut it for Castigate for now til I have time to dig through my boxes again. I went with Disenchant because it was what I had on hand, I do wanna swap it for a seal. Rootborn Defenses was another consideration for all the pestilence effects, it could probably be cut since I have a heap of protective enchantments. I'll have to have a look through my white box again for some of those cheap life gain options. I really didn't do much research there, this deck was more about wanting to play the pestilence effects but I guess there's no reason not to make more use of the general.
Morbid Hunger got in over the other options mostly because of the mana base. I know it's not the best option. I didn't know About Ray of Distortion, I'll have to have a look for it.
It helps a lot mate. Thanks. You've given me much to think about. I haven't tried it yet. My group starts our pauper games next week.
I think you should run them anyway, also if you just shell for a single snowland you will probably have it 90% of the time considering the land-fetch available to you. Rather than the digger/imp, you could fill 'er up with Liliana's Shade, Twisted Abomination and Moriok Replica to help you get that snow swamp. Previously suggested Wayfarer's Bauble helps too and is run even in many full-power BW lists.
You may be right, but how much will you get to attack anyway in such a Pestilence-laden meta? If you need to re-equip it each attack and have about 1/3 land in your deck, you're paying 3 mana to ramp 1 land over 3 turns, which is still acceptable I suppose. It's probably a lot better for you with all the pestilence protection you're running though.
Do tell us how it went over! I heard from another pauper who tried Vizkopa multiplayer and got steam-rolled. Turns out using extort offensively and early at a big table with no plan to seal the deal quickly was a bad idea. Personally, I'd wait to gain life until I had to and only then bring out Vizkopa to finish off the weakest player quickly while weakening the remaining players and building up defenses early game to take them on afterwards.
A series of seven articles using Magic to explore the very stuff of the Universe!
"At least for those who can play cards, their present incarnation is not quite wasted."
[Click here for the articles!]
Rockstar finisher is Zuran Orb and honorable mention to playing Simulacrum in EDH to good effect.
1 Vizkopa Guildmage
Lands
14 Swamp
15 Plains
1 New Benalia
1 Starlit Sanctum
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Glimmerpost
1 Orzhov Guildgate
Artifacts
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Thran Turbine
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Fractured Powerstone
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Orzhov Keyrune
1 Orzhov Cluestone
1 Zuran Orb
1 Claws of Gix
1 Ivory Tower
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Tainted Sigil
1 Elixir of Vitality
1 Skullmead Cauldron
1 Farsight Mask
1 Worthy Cause
1 Simulacrum
1 Rest for the Weary
1 Sun's Bounty
1 Tribute to Hunger
1 Mortify
1 War Report
1 Chastise
1 Spinning Darkness
1 Skeletal Scrying
Sorceries
1 Terashi's Grasp
1 Solemn Offering
1 Syphon Soul
1 Blood Tithe
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Exsanguinate
Enchantments
1 Recumbent Bliss
1 Vigil for the Lost
1 Genju of the Fields
1 Gift of Orzhova
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Orim's Prayer
1 Animal Boneyard
1 Spirit Loop
1 Peace of Mind
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Sunspring Expedition
1 Wall of Hope
1 Kingpin's Pet
1 Crypt Rats
1 Souls of the Faultless
1 Basilica Guards
1 Urborg Syphon-Mage
1 Basilica Screecher
1 Syndic of Tithes
1 Suture Priest
1 Tonic Peddler
1 Disciple of Griselbrand
1 Wall of Essence
1 Syndicate Enforcer
1 Falkenrath Noble
1 Blood Artist
1 Seraph of Dawn
1 Knight of Obligation
1 Agent of Masks
1 Vizkopa Confessor
1 Resplendent Mentor
1 Paladin of Prahv
This is a fun one to play. Almost worth trying against some newer players as it can really sneak up on them.
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That could work. I'll see if I can find them
That's pretty much what I'm thinking. The protection should be enough.
I'll let You know how it goes mate. That sounds like a solid game plan and is probably similar to the approach I'll use
That's an interesting list robtheman. What are the rules for Your group? I'm seeing a lot of uncommons and even a rare in that list