Yeah, as Temujin said, Salvager of Secrets is the 3rd Izzet Wizard to go. If you prefer to have 5, Scrivener and Anarchist are fine, but if it was me I'd prefer these 3 wizards and the wall for versatility.
You need some more ways to protext your commander, so add redundance like Aboshan's Desire, Alexi's Cloak, Neurok Stealthsuit, Whispersilk Cloak - yup, everything you wanted for dat Zada commander
You need some good draw spells: Secrets of the Golden City, Treasure Cruise, Foresee, Rhystic Study, maybe Borrowing 100,000 Arrows and/or Mystic Remora.
Maybe the Peregrine Drake Combo (or High Tide with Cloud of Faeries) justifies storm cards, otherwise IMO you could go more vanilla. If you add just the Faeries (tutorable through transmute cards), you can add infinite storm count kinda easily to justify them.
Same thing for X-burn spells. Maybe Rolling Thunder (also tutorable) should be preferred on multiplayer.
I'd add some ramp also: Expedition Map, Mycosynth Wellspring (good with blinking), Traumatic Visions.
A good flasback redundant spell to a finishing attack: Defy Gravity.
To defend yourself from nasty permanents, you can use Scour the Existence and Reality Acid (wonderful with Capsize, almost reusing this on my Child of Alara deck).
I'd choose something like 25 creatures, 30 instants/sorceries, 7 artifacts/enchantments, 37 lands and fine tune from this point on. Don't forget Izzet Boilerworks to try to help going infinite Artifact lands too to ramp with Trinket Mage if you want to. Path of Ancestry is amazing here, you will scry like crazy! This, rainbows and the normal pauper fetches and I guess the rest is pretty easy.
I loved the UG and RG decks you built but they don't seem strong, at least for now. But Zada and this one look promising
I will try to assemble what I think to be a good 100-card pile if you don't mind.
Kudos for your deckbuilding. You're the man.
I use 3 wizards - Izzet Chronarch, Archaeomancer, and Scrivener. Now that I am more combo oriented I added redundancy 3rd wizard) and abuse of Vedalken Aethermage and now I use Brainspoil as well. Mnemonic Wall is subpar IMO because it's not a Wizard. Now (at least for me) Salvager of Secrets replaces Scrivener. I don't think 3UU casting cost is a drawback compared to 4U, you already shuld have UU and BB available by turn 8 or so anyway.
Yes, Salvager of Secrets is the real deal. Ghostly Ficker keeps getting better and better.
And Displace. And Brainspoil. And Peregrine Drake.
Seriously now, maybe it's time to build some more around this engine, or at least test more things. Thinking about it.
OK, first of all I gave up on trying to protect the commander. After all it's a mono red deck, so it is a glass cannon one
EDIT: Found two protection options to join Goblin Chirurgeon!!! See in the 'in' section below.
What about Flare, Rile, and Zap? Some pump spells add toughness, I'd test some...
Will look to some ways to try to protect the commander. Let's see if I find something. I want to build some new PDHs I saw here, but I love aggro so this might be the first. Kudos!
I chose the heavier combo path as well.
I removed Bant Panorama, Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, Darksteel Pendant, and False Defet.
I added Azorius Chancery, Brinspoil, Peregrine Drake, Scrivener, Displace, and Disturbed Burial.
So I removed almost all dig I could and added combo redundancy, doubling the non-land parts and adding a double land. Also, I chose to have a reusable/slow recursion spell instead of a faster (but usable only once) one. Maybe I miss some draw spells, if so I can try to add 1-2 draw spells instead of something. But I am happy with the changes so far, in almost all games I am the last or second to last standing.
Any thoughts about Secrets of the Golden City? This seems to be the only reasonable card to consider from this newest set.
Edit: ZombieShakespeare beat me to it some days ago
I like Disturbed Burial and Grim Harvest as they are reusable, so given enough mana this is pure CA.
Griffin vs sorceries: recycling sorceries are easier with 2 wizards. *Maybe* Griffin could replace Cadaver Imp but I like the Imp better because it can bring me transmutable critters to my hand.
IMO Ravnica bounce lands serve to combo almost exclusively. Sometimes it can help us to reuse things like Bojuka Bog and Mortuary Mire. Life tap duals serve to fix most used colors for me. I use 3-3 today and will add a bounce land making it 4-3.
On panoramas vs wilds/expanse, I use both, 2-3. Both have strong and weak points. Hard to tell which is best, for me at least.
On mana base and recursion package, I never need more than one green source, but it needs to come early in the game. Other than that, white and red are splashes so the deck is really mostly blue and black. I didn't do deep math to build my mana base but it works quite often will think about it and get back to you to discuss this.
Answering bfine70:
1) I for one run both Perilous Research and Costly Plunder - and no Merchant Scroll in the near future. I get uncounterability of Altar's Reap but I like the CA of the blue option, even if it's a bit riskier.
2) I will try to go heavy on combo, adding/testing Displace, Scrivener, Peregrine Drake and Brainspoil. Will remove Merchant Scroll and Darksteel Pendant (one of mt pet cards, but really meh). Need to think two more cards... will update you guys when I make up my mind.
Will also add one double land, making it 4 total. This is coherent with the idea of redundance of everything on the deck (ramp, draw/dig, tutors, and sac outlets at least).
If this doesn't work, let's get back to vanilla
3) I love both sorceries and they are reusable via wizards recursion, the Griffin seems less coherent with our GY manipulation. But I tend to replace one of them with Disturbed Burial because of the buyback. It's slower but hey, this is a control/combo deck.
4) I won't. I will add more combo pieces and keep the 'fairness' of the deck the same. Personal tastes
If you agree with that, what would you do to replace Strip Mine and Merchant Scroll?
And let me suggest you one of my pet cards in my CoA deck - Darksteel Pendant. It's zero card advantage but it's reusable and enhances your draws.
Hi all!
The list in my sig is frequently updated, my last one was about 1 month ago. And hey, there you can see my pimped deck (86/100 signed, yay! If you have anything I miss and it's signed, PM me!).
I am torn between False Defeat and Disturbed Burial because the last is reausable (just like Grim Harvest). Merchant Scroll is quite irreplaceable as a tutor but it might need to go (I don't know if I can consider it a common, given the link I provided some posts above) so I'd consider any good card of another category, like Commander's Sphere, Pulse of Murasa, or maybe Augur of Bolas or Compulsive Research. Brainspoil is quite meh, Fierce Empath doesn't work in this build... need to playtest here.
And, to replace Brainstorm, Ponder, and Preordain (if the table is anal about ban list), you can put Sleight of Hand, Serum Visions, and Impulse.
I guess Kambal will have a target in his head, if you survive until you can control the others you have a good chance. HTH
I am a Dreamcrusher myself (Spore Frog was one of my contributions ).
I saw a post once about Riku of Two Reflections and 99 commons. I'd really love to try something with Riku. Maybe I start a post with some ideas when I have them, but at first it would be all about ramp, local control (via good repeatable spells), and attempt to combo (faerie/flicker, freed/krosan, etc). Maybe it's weaker than Child (as it is THE reset button) but who knows?
Hi folks, on the PDH subject, see this link.
Basically it says that Merchant Scroll is C1 hence it's technically an uncommon, just like Strip Mine (one of the reasons I never considered it in my builds). So I'm thinking about ditching it. If you did this, which option would you consider?
Same for 1x1 banned cards (just in case if you play with an annoying opponent and want to comply with the banned list), namely Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, and Treasure Cruise?
Yeah I know right, I almost gave up on everything expensive on Magic - but I love this idea to pimp this deck.
I'm thinking about ditching all banned (even if only on French or MOL) cards so I can play it anywhere. If so I might add those combo pieces and things like Sign in Blood and CA cards like these. I'm also thinking to put another pet card of mine. Darksteel Pendant, a great card to get my draws better.
Any ideas to replace Ponder, Brainstorm, and Preordain?
You need some more ways to protext your commander, so add redundance like Aboshan's Desire, Alexi's Cloak, Neurok Stealthsuit, Whispersilk Cloak - yup, everything you wanted for dat Zada commander
You need some good draw spells: Secrets of the Golden City, Treasure Cruise, Foresee, Rhystic Study, maybe Borrowing 100,000 Arrows and/or Mystic Remora.
Maybe the Peregrine Drake Combo (or High Tide with Cloud of Faeries) justifies storm cards, otherwise IMO you could go more vanilla. If you add just the Faeries (tutorable through transmute cards), you can add infinite storm count kinda easily to justify them.
Same thing for X-burn spells. Maybe Rolling Thunder (also tutorable) should be preferred on multiplayer.
I'd add some ramp also: Expedition Map, Mycosynth Wellspring (good with blinking), Traumatic Visions.
A good flasback redundant spell to a finishing attack: Defy Gravity.
To defend yourself from nasty permanents, you can use Scour the Existence and Reality Acid (wonderful with Capsize, almost reusing this on my Child of Alara deck).
I'd choose something like 25 creatures, 30 instants/sorceries, 7 artifacts/enchantments, 37 lands and fine tune from this point on. Don't forget Izzet Boilerworks to try to help going infinite Artifact lands too to ramp with Trinket Mage if you want to. Path of Ancestry is amazing here, you will scry like crazy! This, rainbows and the normal pauper fetches and I guess the rest is pretty easy.
I loved the UG and RG decks you built but they don't seem strong, at least for now. But Zada and this one look promising
I will try to assemble what I think to be a good 100-card pile if you don't mind.
Kudos for your deckbuilding. You're the man.
And Displace. And Brainspoil. And Peregrine Drake.
Seriously now, maybe it's time to build some more around this engine, or at least test more things. Thinking about it.
EDIT: Found two protection options to join Goblin Chirurgeon!!! See in the 'in' section below.
2nd round of suggestions:
Out:
Anarchist (8 sorceries on deck, 7 without Kuldotha Rebirth)
Kuldotha Rebirth
Ondu Champion
Goblin Heelcutter
Alchemist's Vial
Thought Vessel
Vulshok Morningstar
Mind Stone
Sylvok Lifestaff
Fissure
Darksteel Citadel
Great Furnace
In:
The Brute
Herbal Poultice
Gorilla Shaman
Goblin Cohort
Mogg Conscripts
Goblin General (*)
Assault Strobe
Goblin War Strike
Downhill Charge
Fireblast
2 x Mountain
Givem the suggestions above, now that the average CMC is smaller, some playtest should prove you might replace a Mountain with other spell.
Consider:
Seething Anger (buyback = CA)
Faithless Looting (flashback = CA)
Brightstone Ritual (is ramp that good?)
Sizzle, Firebrand Archer, Thermo-Alchemist (non-political)
Aftershock, Lava Flow (*) (more spot removal, but I'd play none)
Rile, Zap (still in my maybeboard )
Glasses of Urza (I swear to God I want to test this, I never saw one in EDH lol) (*)
(*) common on MTGO
Cheers
Downhill Charge - this looks like a killer eh?
Uncaged Fury
Uncanny Speed
What about Flare, Rile, and Zap? Some pump spells add toughness, I'd test some...
Will look to some ways to try to protect the commander. Let's see if I find something. I want to build some new PDHs I saw here, but I love aggro so this might be the first. Kudos!
I chose the heavier combo path as well.
I removed Bant Panorama, Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, Darksteel Pendant, and False Defet.
I added Azorius Chancery, Brinspoil, Peregrine Drake, Scrivener, Displace, and Disturbed Burial.
So I removed almost all dig I could and added combo redundancy, doubling the non-land parts and adding a double land. Also, I chose to have a reusable/slow recursion spell instead of a faster (but usable only once) one. Maybe I miss some draw spells, if so I can try to add 1-2 draw spells instead of something. But I am happy with the changes so far, in almost all games I am the last or second to last standing.
HTH
Cheers
PS: Fresh frm M19, Salvager of Secrets is a nice upgrade for me to replace Scrivener. Hmm, will test.
Edit: ZombieShakespeare beat me to it some days ago
I like Disturbed Burial and Grim Harvest as they are reusable, so given enough mana this is pure CA.
Griffin vs sorceries: recycling sorceries are easier with 2 wizards. *Maybe* Griffin could replace Cadaver Imp but I like the Imp better because it can bring me transmutable critters to my hand.
IMO Ravnica bounce lands serve to combo almost exclusively. Sometimes it can help us to reuse things like Bojuka Bog and Mortuary Mire. Life tap duals serve to fix most used colors for me. I use 3-3 today and will add a bounce land making it 4-3.
On panoramas vs wilds/expanse, I use both, 2-3. Both have strong and weak points. Hard to tell which is best, for me at least.
On mana base and recursion package, I never need more than one green source, but it needs to come early in the game. Other than that, white and red are splashes so the deck is really mostly blue and black. I didn't do deep math to build my mana base but it works quite often will think about it and get back to you to discuss this.
Answering bfine70:
1) I for one run both Perilous Research and Costly Plunder - and no Merchant Scroll in the near future. I get uncounterability of Altar's Reap but I like the CA of the blue option, even if it's a bit riskier.
2) I will try to go heavy on combo, adding/testing Displace, Scrivener, Peregrine Drake and Brainspoil. Will remove Merchant Scroll and Darksteel Pendant (one of mt pet cards, but really meh). Need to think two more cards... will update you guys when I make up my mind.
Will also add one double land, making it 4 total. This is coherent with the idea of redundance of everything on the deck (ramp, draw/dig, tutors, and sac outlets at least).
If this doesn't work, let's get back to vanilla
3) I love both sorceries and they are reusable via wizards recursion, the Griffin seems less coherent with our GY manipulation. But I tend to replace one of them with Disturbed Burial because of the buyback. It's slower but hey, this is a control/combo deck.
4) I won't. I will add more combo pieces and keep the 'fairness' of the deck the same. Personal tastes
All the best!!
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/articles/49661-playing-paper-pauper
If you agree with that, what would you do to replace Strip Mine and Merchant Scroll?
And let me suggest you one of my pet cards in my CoA deck - Darksteel Pendant. It's zero card advantage but it's reusable and enhances your draws.
The list in my sig is frequently updated, my last one was about 1 month ago. And hey, there you can see my pimped deck (86/100 signed, yay! If you have anything I miss and it's signed, PM me!).
I am torn between False Defeat and Disturbed Burial because the last is reausable (just like Grim Harvest).
Merchant Scroll is quite irreplaceable as a tutor but it might need to go (I don't know if I can consider it a common, given the link I provided some posts above) so I'd consider any good card of another category, like Commander's Sphere, Pulse of Murasa, or maybe Augur of Bolas or Compulsive Research. Brainspoil is quite meh, Fierce Empath doesn't work in this build... need to playtest here.
And, to replace Brainstorm, Ponder, and Preordain (if the table is anal about ban list), you can put Sleight of Hand, Serum Visions, and Impulse.
I guess Kambal will have a target in his head, if you survive until you can control the others you have a good chance. HTH
I saw a post once about Riku of Two Reflections and 99 commons. I'd really love to try something with Riku. Maybe I start a post with some ideas when I have them, but at first it would be all about ramp, local control (via good repeatable spells), and attempt to combo (faerie/flicker, freed/krosan, etc). Maybe it's weaker than Child (as it is THE reset button) but who knows?
Basically it says that Merchant Scroll is C1 hence it's technically an uncommon, just like Strip Mine (one of the reasons I never considered it in my builds). So I'm thinking about ditching it. If you did this, which option would you consider?
Same for 1x1 banned cards (just in case if you play with an annoying opponent and want to comply with the banned list), namely Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, and Treasure Cruise?
I'm thinking about ditching all banned (even if only on French or MOL) cards so I can play it anywhere. If so I might add those combo pieces and things like Sign in Blood and CA cards like these. I'm also thinking to put another pet card of mine. Darksteel Pendant, a great card to get my draws better.
Any ideas to replace Ponder, Brainstorm, and Preordain?