This is the return of my series of the original Ravnica Block Guildmages, and for today, we have the GuildpactGruul Guildmage. This is timely as Gatecrash will feature the Gruul guild once more. Originally the Gruul guild was focused on the 'bloodthirst' mechanic. However, I felt that in my current decks other guilds did the aggression better and it would it be a good opportunity to use the guildmage abilities as a trump to finish someone off after doing something very big. For the 'very big' side I chose to make this my mana ramp deck and to up the 'fireballs' to four, as well as including many sweepers and and fatties.
Gruul Guildmage is meant to be somewhat political by surviving or not being threatening early on and later on casting big creatures or burning them out form nowhere, potentially with help of guildmage in follow-up turn. Blue would notably be a problematic matchup, but played carefully, this deck could be very powerful and will always be a contender.
What is Pauper Commander?
1. Same rules as Commander.
2. Commander is an uncommon. It can be any uncommon, not just a legend.
3. Rest of deck must be common in a non-Magic Online(Masters Editions come to mind) printing!
To be strong a Pauper Commander deck must use or have an answer to the 'Four Pillars':
1. Fireball and variants - Red and black have them, be able to survive it.
2. Capsize - Banned in some places, you need to be able to disrupt the buyback.
3. Pestilence and its variants - board sweepers, be ready.
4. Alabaster Potion and variants - Lifegain, the opposite of Fireball.
26/07/2013 Dawntreader Elk -> Yavimaya Elder - The elder is stronger card advantage, even if not direct mana ramp. Tangle Spider -> Fierce Empath - After some review, the spider offers low power and fliers are no concern against this deck, while a tutor for most of the end game creatures is very helpful.
New Inclusions Magic 2013 Ranger's Path - The newest version of Skyshroud's Claim. I like redundancy in Commander and this really helps ramp up and extract lands from deck to improve draws.
Dragon's Maze Gruul Guildgate - Easy mana fixing (and marginally better art than in Gatecrash).
Modern Masters Moldervine Cloak - Just like Rancor, this comes back and makes even a small creature a threat. Walker of the Grove - A great value creature.
I also play Weiss Schwarz, Chaos, Vanguard and Wixoss.
Weiss Schwarz Sets
Accel World, Angel Beats, Familiar of Zero, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Guilty Crown, Kill La Kill, Robotics;Notes, Sword Art Online.
Chaos Partners
Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Iona, Kirishima, Kongou.
Dangan Ronpa: Asahina, Togami.
Freezing: Vibration: Chiffon, Satelizer.
Vanguard Clans Favoured
Angel Feather, Dark Irregulars, Genesis, Neonecter, Pale Moon, Shadow Paladins, Tachikaze.
If people are sick of reading about stuff just stop taking part. You have 100% control over what you read. Simic Ascendancy isn't going to get banned just because you didn't tell someone to shut up on the internet.
Do you find Rupture Spire and TG hold their spot? Pauper seems to be a little faster, so I hate the tempo loss of CIPT and paying.
I'll update this list soon with new stuff, but Pauper is slow imo, some decks are quick, but everyone and their mother is (and should be) packing more removal than standard Commander decks. The only slow lands are filter lands.
Heirs of Stromkirk is a strong card, I'll consider in this week's update, along with adding Gatecrash, Dragon's Maze and reducing land count by one or two.
I also play Weiss Schwarz, Chaos, Vanguard and Wixoss.
Weiss Schwarz Sets
Accel World, Angel Beats, Familiar of Zero, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Guilty Crown, Kill La Kill, Robotics;Notes, Sword Art Online.
Chaos Partners
Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Iona, Kirishima, Kongou.
Dangan Ronpa: Asahina, Togami.
Freezing: Vibration: Chiffon, Satelizer.
Vanguard Clans Favoured
Angel Feather, Dark Irregulars, Genesis, Neonecter, Pale Moon, Shadow Paladins, Tachikaze.
Wixoss - Just trial decks for now!
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Gruul Guildmage
Introduction
This is the return of my series of the original Ravnica Block Guildmages, and for today, we have the Guildpact Gruul Guildmage. This is timely as Gatecrash will feature the Gruul guild once more. Originally the Gruul guild was focused on the 'bloodthirst' mechanic. However, I felt that in my current decks other guilds did the aggression better and it would it be a good opportunity to use the guildmage abilities as a trump to finish someone off after doing something very big. For the 'very big' side I chose to make this my mana ramp deck and to up the 'fireballs' to four, as well as including many sweepers and and fatties.
Gruul Guildmage is meant to be somewhat political by surviving or not being threatening early on and later on casting big creatures or burning them out form nowhere, potentially with help of guildmage in follow-up turn. Blue would notably be a problematic matchup, but played carefully, this deck could be very powerful and will always be a contender.
What is Pauper Commander?
1. Same rules as Commander.
2. Commander is an uncommon. It can be any uncommon, not just a legend.
3. Rest of deck must be common in a non-Magic Online (Masters Editions come to mind) printing!
To be strong a Pauper Commander deck must use or have an answer to the 'Four Pillars':
1. Fireball and variants - Red and black have them, be able to survive it.
2. Capsize - Banned in some places, you need to be able to disrupt the buyback.
3. Pestilence and its variants - board sweepers, be ready.
4. Alabaster Potion and variants - Lifegain, the opposite of Fireball.
This deck runs the first pillar, Fireball, including three variations of it in Disintegrate, Rolling Thunder and Kaervek's Torch.
1 Gruul Guildmage
Buffs (3)
1 Dragon Breath
1 Rancor
1 Vulshok Morningstar
Card Draw (4)
1 Beast Hunt
1 Citanul Woodreaders
1 Darksteel Pendant
1 Gift of the Gargantuan
Fireballs (4)
1 Disintegrate
1 Fireball
1 Kaervek’s Torch
1 Rolling Thunder
Lands (37)
1 Command Tower
1 Desert
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Gruul Guildgate
1 Gruul Turf
1 Haunted Fengraf
1 Jund Panorama
1 Khalni Garden
1 Naya Panorama
1 Quicksand
1 Rupture Spire
12 Snow-Covered Forests
10 Snow-Covered Mountains
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Transguild Promenade
1 Cultivate
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Far Wanderings
1 Fertilid
1 Journey of Discovery
1 Growth Spasm
1 Kodama’s Reach
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Mana Geyser
1 Nature’s Lore
1 Ondu Giant
1 Rampant Growth
1 Ranger's Path
1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
1 Primal Growth
1 Sakura Tribe Elder
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Viridian Emissary
1 Wood Elves
1 Yavimayer Elder
Recursion/Tutors (4)
1 Anarchist
1 Cartographer
1 Fierce Empath
1 Tilling Treefolk
Removal (8)
1 Branching Bolt
1 Chainflinger
1 Firebolt
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Pyromatics
1 Pyrotechnics
1 Skred
1 Staggershock
1 Gleeful Sabotage
1 Icefall
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Seal of Primordium
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Wickbough Elder
Sweepers (3)
1 Devastate
1 Electrickery
1 Swirling Sandstorm
Tricks (1)
1 Broken Fall
Win Condition Creatures (8)
1 Chartooth Cougar
1 Deadshot Minotaur
1 Havenwood Wurm
1 Jungle Weaver
1 Nearheath Stalker
1 Ridge Rannet
1 Ulamog’s Crusher
1 Valley Rannet
(*) Represents a card being shown in multiple categories.
Change Log
19/06/2013
Snow-Covered Forest -> Gruul Guildgate - A strict upgrade.
Snow-Covered Mountain -> Moldervine Cloak - This deck still has more land than most.
Commune with Nature -> Walker of the Grove - Commune isn't great value and Walker is.
26/07/2013
Dawntreader Elk -> Yavimaya Elder - The elder is stronger card advantage, even if not direct mana ramp.
Tangle Spider -> Fierce Empath - After some review, the spider offers low power and fliers are no concern against this deck, while a tutor for most of the end game creatures is very helpful.
New Inclusions
Magic 2013
Ranger's Path - The newest version of Skyshroud's Claim. I like redundancy in Commander and this really helps ramp up and extract lands from deck to improve draws.
Return to Ravnica
Transguild Promenade - Rupture Spire number two.
Dragon's Maze
Gruul Guildgate - Easy mana fixing (and marginally better art than in Gatecrash).
Modern Masters
Moldervine Cloak - Just like Rancor, this comes back and makes even a small creature a threat.
Walker of the Grove - A great value creature.
Magic 2014
No cards stand out at this time.
Cards I need or am on fence about:
Could maybe use
1. Stream of Life
2. Lacolith Rig
3. Bloodfire dwarf
4. Heirs of Stromkirk
5. Madcap Skills
I'm unsure on whether I like bloodrush creatures or not. I have more decks than time to play, so when I know, I'll post confirming.
Feedback as always is welcome.
Main Decks
Diaochan, Iroas, God of Victory, Kaalia, Marton, Ulasht, Volrath,
Kaervek, Prossh, Titania
Amusing or Themed
Progenitus
Pauper Guildmages
Azorius Boros Dimir Golgari Gruul Izzet Korozda
Orzhov Rakdos Rix Maadi Selesyna Simic Skarrg Zameck
I also play Weiss Schwarz, Chaos, Vanguard and Wixoss.
Accel World, Angel Beats, Familiar of Zero, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Guilty Crown, Kill La Kill, Robotics;Notes, Sword Art Online.
Chaos Partners
Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Iona, Kirishima, Kongou.
Dangan Ronpa: Asahina, Togami.
Freezing: Vibration: Chiffon, Satelizer.
Vanguard Clans Favoured
Angel Feather, Dark Irregulars, Genesis, Neonecter, Pale Moon, Shadow Paladins, Tachikaze.
Wixoss - Just trial decks for now!
I'll update this list soon with new stuff, but Pauper is slow imo, some decks are quick, but everyone and their mother is (and should be) packing more removal than standard Commander decks. The only slow lands are filter lands.
Heirs of Stromkirk is a strong card, I'll consider in this week's update, along with adding Gatecrash, Dragon's Maze and reducing land count by one or two.
Main Decks
Diaochan, Iroas, God of Victory, Kaalia, Marton, Ulasht, Volrath,
Kaervek, Prossh, Titania
Amusing or Themed
Progenitus
Pauper Guildmages
Azorius Boros Dimir Golgari Gruul Izzet Korozda
Orzhov Rakdos Rix Maadi Selesyna Simic Skarrg Zameck
I also play Weiss Schwarz, Chaos, Vanguard and Wixoss.
Accel World, Angel Beats, Familiar of Zero, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Guilty Crown, Kill La Kill, Robotics;Notes, Sword Art Online.
Chaos Partners
Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Iona, Kirishima, Kongou.
Dangan Ronpa: Asahina, Togami.
Freezing: Vibration: Chiffon, Satelizer.
Vanguard Clans Favoured
Angel Feather, Dark Irregulars, Genesis, Neonecter, Pale Moon, Shadow Paladins, Tachikaze.
Wixoss - Just trial decks for now!