As much as I love All is Dust, these have provided more versatility. Pop one early to slow down the artifact ramping player. You can also float mana, sac a bunch of lands on your opponents end step, and with Titania's trigger on the stack, pop one of the above, and create your own openings vice waiting for one. Worst case scenario, they serve as a panic button. With the exception of the Vault, they also give a pretty good justification for Buried Ruin if Zuran Orb wasn't enough reason already.
Hope I helped, I look forward to seeing this thread grow. Titania's become a favorite, and your list has helped me polish mine up. Thanks for the post.
I'll let you know when I do decide to post a deck list. It's more or less a tribal walls deck :). Just swap all your graveyard recursion for graveyard removal, and that's pretty much me. I'll be trying out all the Jester's Cap type cards in your list, and I'm pretty excited about that.
Did a comparison, the only other things I would consider adding to your list:
Toxic Deluge - IMO, this serves better than Black Sun Zenith, because of the cheaper cost, and your dudes not permanently weakened. However, the Zenith still warrants a slot, so maybe over Rend Flesh?
Lim-Dûl's Vault - Library Manipulation at its finest. Effectively a tutor. I strongly recommend slotting this in. I'd personally slot it in over Muddle the Mixture. But, if the transmute has been super good to you, consider adding in Shred Memory for the 2 cmc transmute + Eldrazi Titan removal.
Profane Memento - I get a lot of mileage off of this. It doesn't net the initial lump sum of Crypt Incursion, but I would say it comes out on top in the end, due to taking all players into consideration. The low cost and ongoing effect makes it definitely worth testing.
Those 3 and that Turnabout I mentioned earlier are the only things I truly insist upon. I also run Mortivore and Riddlekeeper, but honestly don't see much you would cut for them. Your call.
Happy to see Phenax gets a primer, congratulations on that. I play Phenax in some of the more casual games, strictly because my deck list isn't up to snuff with a lot of the faster decks. That being said, here are some of the cards I've found to be handy:
Arbiter of the Ideal - Decent butt for milling. Lot of synergy with all your untap effects.
Turnabout - Offers a lot of utility. Shut down a player for a turn, or double up on the mill you can do. Not to mention extra untapped effects on your creatures.
Unfortunately, nearly every deck I go against either utilizes their graveyard or has Eldrazi. It's been an uphill struggle that forces me to pack a ton of GY hate. You don't seem to face that problem, but lemme know if you do. (All kinds of ways to screw people over with Mist of Stagnation)
I'll also be testing a lot of the cards in your list I hadn't thought of, congrats again!
Yup, super banned. You could swap him out for Ob Nixilis, Unshackled, to poop on combo players and those pesky green ramping ones. He also isn't in the realm of uncastable with respect to cmc.
However, I have always loved Doran. (Walls happen to be my favorite creature type, and he's the closest to a "Lord" that I think they'll ever see.) Unfortunately, as you said, people tend to nuke Doran once your wall tries to swing. I like that you've found a way to utilize him while keeping the deck usable with him gone.
Now with the formalities outta the way, I think Aurification would be a good replacement for your Luminarch Ascention. Great rattlesnake card, almost on par with No Mercy.
Beautiful list. I love playing with Nekusar, and have a couple suggestions: Elder Mastery - Locks people out of the game, much like Helm of the Ghast Lord. Quest for Pure Flame - A hidden gem that I've found to be incredibly helpful. Let's say Nekusar is out in a 4 player pod; Quest is up to 6 counters on your next turn. Your next Wheel of Fortune can do 102 damage to each opponent. (Activate Quest, leaving 2 counters. Nekusar trigger after first card draw [1 of 7]. 3 more counters on Quest for a total of 5. Activate quest, leaving 1 counter. Nekusar trigger 2 of 7. Activate quest. So on.)
Keep up the mindraising!
Quest doesn't work the way you think it does. Part of the cost of activating Quest is to sacrifice it.
Agreed. They are either way to slow or just plain pointless for a truly competitive Nekusar build. A competitive Nekusar build kills it's opponents the same turn they summon Nekusar. So those auras really don't do much of anything. Though they can make it so the wheels essential empty their hands. But that is usually win more at that point.
With that logic, why not replace everything currently under "The Additional Draw"? If Curiosity is just win more, and Elder Mastery too slow, why does Helm of the Ghastlord stand out? I personally prefer the added flexibility, but if the "Competitive Build" is what you're going for, why not forgo the resilience and swap out all the Howling Mine - esque cards for additional transmutes and things more helpful without Nekusar on the board?
Beautiful list. I love playing with Nekusar, and have a couple suggestions: Elder Mastery - Locks people out of the game, much like Helm of the Ghast Lord. Quest for Pure Flame - A hidden gem that I've found to be incredibly helpful. Let's say Nekusar is out in a 4 player pod; Quest is up to 6 counters on your next turn. Your next Wheel of Fortune can do 102 damage to each opponent. (Activate Quest, leaving 2 counters. Nekusar trigger after first card draw [1 of 7]. 3 more counters on Quest for a total of 5. Activate quest, leaving 1 counter. Nekusar trigger 2 of 7. Activate quest. So on.)
- Oblivion Stone
- Perilous Vault
- Nevinyrral's Disk
As much as I love All is Dust, these have provided more versatility. Pop one early to slow down the artifact ramping player. You can also float mana, sac a bunch of lands on your opponents end step, and with Titania's trigger on the stack, pop one of the above, and create your own openings vice waiting for one. Worst case scenario, they serve as a panic button. With the exception of the Vault, they also give a pretty good justification for Buried Ruin if Zuran Orb wasn't enough reason already.
Also, any reason you aren't running a Wasteland?
Hope I helped, I look forward to seeing this thread grow. Titania's become a favorite, and your list has helped me polish mine up. Thanks for the post.
Did a comparison, the only other things I would consider adding to your list:
Toxic Deluge - IMO, this serves better than Black Sun Zenith, because of the cheaper cost, and your dudes not permanently weakened. However, the Zenith still warrants a slot, so maybe over Rend Flesh?
Lim-Dûl's Vault - Library Manipulation at its finest. Effectively a tutor. I strongly recommend slotting this in. I'd personally slot it in over Muddle the Mixture. But, if the transmute has been super good to you, consider adding in Shred Memory for the 2 cmc transmute + Eldrazi Titan removal.
Profane Memento - I get a lot of mileage off of this. It doesn't net the initial lump sum of Crypt Incursion, but I would say it comes out on top in the end, due to taking all players into consideration. The low cost and ongoing effect makes it definitely worth testing.
Those 3 and that Turnabout I mentioned earlier are the only things I truly insist upon. I also run Mortivore and Riddlekeeper, but honestly don't see much you would cut for them. Your call.
Also, have you considered running Lazav, Dimir Mastermind or Wrexial, the Risen Deep, not as commanders, but in the deck?
Wight of Precinct Six - A cheaper, less versatile Nighthowler.
Hallowsage - Targeted Siren of the Silent Song
Arbiter of the Ideal - Decent butt for milling. Lot of synergy with all your untap effects.
Turnabout - Offers a lot of utility. Shut down a player for a turn, or double up on the mill you can do. Not to mention extra untapped effects on your creatures.
Unfortunately, nearly every deck I go against either utilizes their graveyard or has Eldrazi. It's been an uphill struggle that forces me to pack a ton of GY hate. You don't seem to face that problem, but lemme know if you do. (All kinds of ways to screw people over with Mist of Stagnation)
I'll also be testing a lot of the cards in your list I hadn't thought of, congrats again!
Ghostway
Legion's Initiative
Faith's Reward
Cauldron Haze
These guys have served me well with Kaalia, and since you're pooping a fatty every turn, it should be easy to keep some mana open.
However, I have always loved Doran. (Walls happen to be my favorite creature type, and he's the closest to a "Lord" that I think they'll ever see.) Unfortunately, as you said, people tend to nuke Doran once your wall tries to swing. I like that you've found a way to utilize him while keeping the deck usable with him gone.
Now with the formalities outta the way, I think Aurification would be a good replacement for your Luminarch Ascention. Great rattlesnake card, almost on par with No Mercy.
Oops, I'm a dumb.
Have we all seriously forgotten about Snapcaster Mage?
With that logic, why not replace everything currently under "The Additional Draw"? If Curiosity is just win more, and Elder Mastery too slow, why does Helm of the Ghastlord stand out? I personally prefer the added flexibility, but if the "Competitive Build" is what you're going for, why not forgo the resilience and swap out all the Howling Mine - esque cards for additional transmutes and things more helpful without Nekusar on the board?
Elder Mastery - Locks people out of the game, much like Helm of the Ghast Lord.
Quest for Pure Flame - A hidden gem that I've found to be incredibly helpful. Let's say Nekusar is out in a 4 player pod; Quest is up to 6 counters on your next turn. Your next Wheel of Fortune can do 102 damage to each opponent. (Activate Quest, leaving 2 counters. Nekusar trigger after first card draw [1 of 7]. 3 more counters on Quest for a total of 5. Activate quest, leaving 1 counter. Nekusar trigger 2 of 7. Activate quest. So on.)
Keep up the mindraising!