Hi all, circling back around to this and a few other of my decks, making some long needed updates and tweaks. Lots of interesting new weapons in the last few sets, even though C17 Vampires were Mardu, not Grixis. Marchesa still helms this deck, she is excellent in recurring all my Vampires; plus, I have a few ways to make her a Vampire herself (Olivia, Mephidross, etc) so she can recur too. I also removed the Bolas-flavored cards, as those are going into a separate deck. Overall, I've made changes to smooth the curve, taken out some underperformers, and put in some new toys that look fun. It's clear that this is a blue deck mostly in name only, not many counterspells. However, I'm still open to any suggestions for improvement, including bringing in some more blue. Anyone else run Vampire powerhouse decks?
* Eland Umbra is incredibly useful as both a buff and protection against removal/board wipes.
* Likewise, Eland Umbra can quickly gain you large amounts of life, and can be moved to the most valuable creature on your board whenever necessary.
Good suggestions, thanks! You listed Eland Umbra twice, but I assume one of these was supposed to be a different card - which was the other you were going to mention?
Wakestone Gargoyle doesn't work very well on its own since your defenders have low power and it's not worth it for the walls to attack if they don't dealt damage via toughness.
This is also a really good point. Thanks for the helpful feedback.
I should have enough decent vigilance enablers, especially once I add Concerted Effort, so that lets me take out the sub-optimal Gate package. I'm leaving Gatecreeper Vine since I can bounce/blink it for basic lands, not just Gates.
This deck is screaming out for odric, lunarch marshal.
All of those enormous walls have flying and vigilance in combat if you have arcades out.
In a deck where your strength lies in creatures he's amazing.
I enjoyed the discussion thread on Arcades, but my playgroup is a little more casual, not super cutthroat. I'd like to run a deck with some powerful weapons, but have it be a fairly straightforward build, without a backup combo plan or other shenanigans. I think this would still be successful, getting out fast, keeping opponents neutered with Meishin/Meekstone while swinging with large toughness creatures boosted with anthems, and should be fun to play, with lots of card draw. Trying to keep the anthems tilted towards toughness. Open to criticism and suggestion, though. Thanks in advance for any comments.
Aether Revolt and the last few Commander sets have had some great stuff for an Ezuri deck, I thought I would post my most recent build - it's just finished workshopping. There's a subtheme of self-bounce, both for protection and recursion of ETBs. I'd like this deck to be reasonably competitive, my meta has many powerful combo decks; however, I've cut Sage of Hours, as it's rather unfun - instead, I'm going to run Magosi, the Waterveil, which takes much more work, but will hopefully be all the more satisfying when I can get it going. I'm still tweaking the creature balance, I might need a few more. Would appreciate some input from other Ezuri players especially. Thanks in advance!
Good point on Mystifying Maze giving another ETB - however, I don't think I want any lands that don't make mana. I think I'm just going to slash the Maze altogether.
Gideon Jura over Gideon, Champion of Justice is a neat idea - still can fill the beatstick role, while also having more utility with the +2 effect and the Vengeance effect. I'll give it a shot, although the lack of indestructible might be tough - looks like they must have realized that part was important since each other subsequent Gideon has it. Still, I can protect him with 8.5 Tails. Thanks for the input!
The deck is finally down to 100 - would appreciate some fresh input! Any good inclusions that I'm missing? Thanks as always, I always appreciate the community's help on my decks.
With limited draw and ramp, the first thing I'd be cutting are those high cost spells you have. If you can't get your spirit of the labyrinth out you may find yourself in trouble early. I play a mono-W Avacyn, Guardian Angel deck and have issues with the same thing. Your deck isn't as mana hungry as mine is, but since you're already reconsidering Endless Horizons I'd start there. Your Commander gives it the extra protection it often needs.
If you do eventually decide to try a little more searching Oreskos Explorer & Knight of the White Orchid would be my first two additions, due to low-mana cost and unlike the Land Tax they can chump-block for all eternity.
Thanks, I appreciate your input and this was definitely something I was concerned about - very helpful to hear from someone who plays a similar deck. Mine isn't a TurboFog like yours, obviously, but I'll still need to keep up a good amount of mana at all times. I cut two expensive things and added Endless Horizons back, and Burnished Hart. At 104 still, gotta keep looking for cuts.
Protection is one of my favorite mechanics, I'd like to really unleash 8.5 Tails in a non-Voltron deck, still with an excellent supporting cast. There's a lot of protection granting, some color changing, some classic white redirect damage spells. There's a smallish element of combo/abuse fighting as well - Containment Priest, Hushwing Gryff, Angel of Jubilation, Rest in Peace, etc. There isn't a ton of extra card draw, because I'm hoping to even the field with Spirit of the Labyrinth.
My meta is reasonably competitive, so I'm not shying away from powerful cards, but I don't want to do a lot of tutoring. The only exception is a little bit of land tutoring, which I really only plan to use to find Arcane Lighthouse. I did just make the last cuts down to 100; however, if I'm missing some really good fits for this deck concept, I'm open to making room. Thanks in advance!
Thanks! Just about all of these were in the deck at one point or another, but unfortunately didn't make it in the cuts down to 100. Assault Formation is an excellent card, but ultimately I decided that my win con will likely be Ishkanah, not attacking. Crop Sigil and Vessel of Nascency made it all the way to the very end, they were a few of the last cuts I had to force myself to make. They could definitely come back at some point, I unfortunately haven't had the opportunity to playtest the deck yet!
Interesting! Seems very similar to my build, I was considering a lot of these same cards. I think he's missing a couple cards that have the potential to be really amazing in this deck, like Foster and Living Death, but overall it looks good. Thanks for the link.
Hey I finally got my list up Spider Cannon, just thought you should know as I remembered that your post said you where looking of other decks for comparison. Hope your list goes well
Thanks for the update! I'll definitely take a look at your list as well. I've finally got mine down to 100 - would appreciate any feedback! I'm a little worried that I cut a few too many of my sac outlets and sorcery speed delirium enablers, I'm definitely going to need to do some playtesting!
Hi all, thanks for the opinions! Conspiracy is an excellent suggestion - I think that has to go in! Can't believe I hadn't thought about it yet. Lodestone Bauble is also very cool, I'll consider that. As you can all see, I'm still trying to slowly trim down; I'd like to debut this deck this weekend, so hopefully I can make the cuts by then. Keep an eye on this thread!
Changelog:
+1 Indulgent Aristocrat
+1 Bloodcrazed Paladin
+1 Malakir Cullblade
+1 Metallic Mimic (incredibly strong in this deck)
+1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
+1 Sage of Fables
+1 Yahenni, Undying Partisan
+1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
+1 Sanctum Seeker
+1 Champion of Dusk
+1 Patron of the Vein
+1 Kazarov, Sengir Pureblood
+1 Kindred Dominance
+1 Neurok Stealthsuit
+1 Gem of Becoming
+1 Herald's Horn
+1 Vanquisher's Banner
+1 Stensia Masquerade
+1 Kindred Discovery
+1 Bloodstained Mire
+1 Canyon Slough
+1 Fetid Pools
+1 Polluted Delta
+1 Smoldering Marsh
+1 Sunken Hollow
+1 Unclaimed Territory
-1 Vampire Nighthawk
-1 Falkenrath Aristocrat
-1 Filth
-1 Mirri the Cursed
-1 Vampire Nocturnus
-1 Baron Sengir (expensive, janky)
-1 Patriarch's Bidding (tons of recursion already and this doesn't end up being as one-sided as I like)
-1 Cruel Ultimatum
-1 Urza's Incubator
-1 Door of Destinies (hate magnet)
-1 Cryptic Gateway
-1 Elemental Augury
-1 Call to the Kindred
-1 Mana Echoes
-1 Dictate of Erebos
-1 Exquisite Blood
-1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
-3 Swamp
-2 Mountain
-2 Island
-1 Crosis's Catacombs
Good suggestions, thanks! You listed Eland Umbra twice, but I assume one of these was supposed to be a different card - which was the other you were going to mention?
This is also a really good point. Thanks for the helpful feedback.
I've made a few tweaks:
-1 Wakestone Gargoyle
-1 Hold the Gates
-1 Azorius Guildgate
-1 Selesnya Guildgate
-1 Simic Guildgate
+1 Aura Shards
+1 Concerted Effort
+1 Fortified Village
+1 Port Town
+1 Wooded Bastion
I should have enough decent vigilance enablers, especially once I add Concerted Effort, so that lets me take out the sub-optimal Gate package. I'm leaving Gatecreeper Vine since I can bounce/blink it for basic lands, not just Gates.
Wow, great idea! Odric himself may not be a fit, but Concerted Effort would probably be great in this deck. Thanks for the suggestion!
4 Arcades, the Strategist
Creature (29)
0 Shield Sphere
1 Jaddi Offshoot
1 Perimeter Captain
2 Gatecreeper Vine
2 Jeskai Barricade
2 Orator of Ojutai
2 Overgrown Battlement
2 Stalwart Shield-Bearers
2 Sunscape Familiar
2 Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
2 Wall of Blossoms
2 Wall of Junk
2 Wall of Kelp
2 Wall of Mulch
2 Wall of Omens
3 Axebane Guardian
3 Basilica Guards
3 Carven Caryatid
3 Opal-Eye, Konda's Yojimbo
3 Wall of Denial
3 Wall of Frost
4 Brago, King Eternal
4 Jungle Barrier
4 Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa
4 Tree of Redemption
5 Dazzling Ramparts
5 Mnemonic Wall
5 Sprouting Phytohydra
6 Oathsworn Giant
1 Mizzium Skin
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Triton Tactics
2 Heroic Intervention
2 Tower Defense
3 Capsize
3 Restore the Peace
4 Return to Dust
Sorcery (6)
2 Return to the Ranks
3 Retribution of the Meek
3 Slaughter the Strong
4 Dusk // Dawn
5 Fell the Mighty
5 Wave of Reckoning
Artifact (6)
1 Meekstone
1 Sol Ring
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Chromatic Lantern
3 Commander's Sphere
3 Darksteel Ingot
Enchantment (12)
2 Angelic Shield
2 Assault Formation
2 Brave the Sands
3 Aura Shards
3 Equilibrium
3 Rhystic Study
3 Spidersilk Armor
4 Cloud Cover
4 Concerted Effort
4 Conclave's Blessing
5 Sight of the Scalelords
7 Meishin, the Mind Cage
4 Tamiyo, Field Researcher
6 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Land (36)
5 Plains
3 Island
3 Forest
1 Bountiful Promenade
1 Canopy Vista
1 Command Beacon
1 Command Tower
1 Flooded Strand
1 Fortified Village
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Irrigated Farmland
1 Krosan Verge
1 Mystic Gate
1 Port Town
1 Prahv, Spires of Order
1 Prairie Stream
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Sea of Clouds
1 Scattered Groves
1 Seachrome Coast
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Bastion
Other cards considered:
- Vertigo Spawn
- Wall of Glare
- Wall of Roots
- Wall of Tears
- Bonded Fetch
- Guard Gomazoa
- Psychic Membrane
- Wall of Nets
- Amaranthine Wall
- Junktroller
- Marble Titan
- Profaner of the Dead
- Wall of Faith
- Bishop of Rebirth
- Belligerent Brontodon
- Chorus of the Conclave
- Sacred Rites
- Dramatic Reversal
- To Arms!
- Bant Charm
- Bar the Door
- Treva's Charm
- Collected Company
- Solidarity
- Thoughtweft Gambit
- Topple
- Austere Command
- Solar Tide
- Slagwurm Armor
- Belbe's Armor
- Cloudstone Curio
- Crystal Shard
- Ensnaring Bridge
- Erratic Portal
- Noetic Scales
- Parapet
- Always Watching
- Hold the Gates
- Reparations
- Builder's Blessing
- Castle
- Leyline of Vitality
- Angelic Chorus
- Privileged Position
- Sunken Hope
- Thought Reflection
- Nissa, Steward of Elements
- Venser, the Sojourner
4 Ezuri, Claw of Progress
Creature (36)
0 Hangarback Walker
0 Walking Ballista
2 Bramblewood Paragon
2 Coiling Oracle
2 Gyre Sage
2 Invisible Stalker
2 Skyship Plunderer
2 Vedalken Mastermind
2 Zameck Guildmage
3 Caller of the Claw
3 Cephalid Constable
3 Champion of Lambholt
3 Chasm Skulker
3 Cold-Eyed Selkie
3 Farhaven Elf
3 Fertilid
3 Man-o'-War
3 Managorger Hydra
3 Marang River Prowler
3 Maulfist Revolutionary
3 Plaxcaster Frogling
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
3 Spawnwrithe
3 Trygon Predator
3 Vorel of the Hull Clade
3 Wild Beastmaster
3 Wood Elves
4 Fathom Mage
4 Forgotten Ancient
4 Master Biomancer
4 Yeva, Nature's Herald
5 Deepglow Skate
5 Kalonian Hydra
5 Mycoloth
7 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Bioshift
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Heroic Intervention
2 Solidarity of Heroes
3 Beast Within
3 Capsize
3 Inspiring Call
3 Krosan Grip
4 Paradoxical Outcome
Sorcery (3)
6 Rishkar's Expertise
6 Verdant Confluence
7 Biomantic Mastery
Artifact (8)
1 Sol Ring
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Thought Vessel
3 Cloudstone Curio
3 Lifecrafter's Bestiary
3 Simic Keyrune
4 Erratic Portal
4 Vedalken Orrery
Enchantment (8)
3 Equilibrium
4 Aluren
4 Coastal Piracy
4 Leyline of Anticipation
5 Doubling Season
5 Inexorable Tide
6 Death's Presence
6 Fable of Wolf and Owl
Land (35)
8 Forest
6 Island
1 Alchemist's Refuge
1 Botanical Sanctum
1 Breeding Pool
1 Command Beacon
1 Command Tower
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Llanowar Reborn
1 Lumbering Falls
1 Magosi, the Waterveil
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Novijen, Heart of Progress
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Simic Guildgate
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Winding Canyons
Other cards considered:
- Augury Owl
- Gaea's Herald
- Thrasios, Triton Hero
- Bounding Krasis
- Darksteel Myr
- Edric, Spymaster of Trest
- Empyreal Voyager
- Lorescale Coatl
- Ohran Viper
- Pestermite
- Sage of Fables
- Tuskguard Captain
- Winged Coatl
- Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
- Bane of Progress
- Prime Speaker Zegana
- Sapphire Drake
- Triskelion
- Workhorse
- Hornet Queen
- Pentavus
- Simic Charm
- Unsubstantiate
- Arachnogenesis
- Hindervines
- Polymorphist's Jest
- Collected Company
- Tezzeret's Gambit
- Æther Gale
- Baral's Expertise
- Overwhelming Stampede
- Animation Module
- Tangleroot
- Blood Clock / Umbilicus
- Hardened Scales
- Cryptolith Rite
- Durable Handicraft
- Bred for the Hunt
- Zendikar's Roil
- Dual Nature
- Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
- Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
Gideon Jura over Gideon, Champion of Justice is a neat idea - still can fill the beatstick role, while also having more utility with the +2 effect and the Vengeance effect. I'll give it a shot, although the lack of indestructible might be tough - looks like they must have realized that part was important since each other subsequent Gideon has it. Still, I can protect him with 8.5 Tails. Thanks for the input!
Thanks, I appreciate your input and this was definitely something I was concerned about - very helpful to hear from someone who plays a similar deck. Mine isn't a TurboFog like yours, obviously, but I'll still need to keep up a good amount of mana at all times. I cut two expensive things and added Endless Horizons back, and Burnished Hart. At 104 still, gotta keep looking for cuts.
My meta is reasonably competitive, so I'm not shying away from powerful cards, but I don't want to do a lot of tutoring. The only exception is a little bit of land tutoring, which I really only plan to use to find Arcane Lighthouse. I did just make the last cuts down to 100; however, if I'm missing some really good fits for this deck concept, I'm open to making room. Thanks in advance!
2 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
Creature (27)
1 Mother of Runes
1 Weathered Wayfarer
2 Containment Priest
2 Grand Abolisher
2 Spirit of the Labyrinth
3 Burnished Hart
3 Cloudchaser Kestrel
3 Hedron-Field Purists
3 Hushwing Gryff
3 Samite Elder
4 Angel of Jubilation
4 Heliod, God of the Sun
4 Selfless Squire
5 Avacyn, Guardian Angel
5 Blinding Angel
5 Glory
5 Guardian of the Gateless
5 Pentarch Paladin
5 Sunscorch Regent
6 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
6 Hand of Justice
6 Palisade Giant
6 Purity
6 Sun Titan
6 Twilight Shepherd
7 Emeria Shepherd
7 Vengeful Archon
1 Brave the Elements
2 Dawn Charm
3 Akroma's Blessing
3 Eerie Interlude
3 Make a Stand
4 Comeuppance
4 Faith's Reward
4 Return to Dust
5 Turn the Tables
6 Channel Harm
Sorcery (4)
2 Glare of Heresy
6 Descend upon the Sinful
6 Sudden Disappearance
7 Mass Calcify
Artifact (9)
1 Expedition Map
1 Glaring Spotlight
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
3 Commander's Sphere
3 Strata Scythe
4 Gemstone Array
5 Pariah's Shield
6 Caged Sun
Enchantment (9)
2 Circle of Protection: White
2 Earnest Fellowship
2 Luminarch Ascension
2 Mark of Asylum
2 Rest in Peace
2 Rune of Protection: White
3 Crackdown
4 Curse of Exhaustion
4 Light from Within
4 Ajani Steadfast
5 Gideon Jura
Land (38)
27 Plains
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Deserted Temple
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Fountain of Cho
1 Kor Haven
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Opal Palace
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terrain Generator
1/15/17: added Consulate Crackdown and Exquisite Archangel to Other cards considered list
Other cards considered:
- Aurora Griffin
- Guardian Seraph
- Kithkin Rabble
- Loxodon Gatekeeper
- Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker
- Pristine Angel
- Subjugator Angel
- Sunblast Angel
- Angel of the Dire Hour
- Angelic Arbiter
- Eternal Dragon
- Exquisite Archangel
- Ivory Giant
- Quarry Colossus
- Swords to Plowshares
- Leave No Trace
- Shining Shoal
- Unexpectedly Absent
- Oblation
- Mirror Strike
- Patrician's Scorn
- Gaze of Justice
- Blinding Light
- Council's Judgment
- Hallowed Burial
- Rout
- Saltblast
- Paradise Plume
- Loreseeker's Stone
- Quarantine Field
- Armistice
- Cover of Winter
- Grasp of Fate
- Karmic Justice
- Prison Term
- Story Circle
- Citadel Siege
- Endless Horizons
- Harsh Judgment
- Reverence
- Sphere of Truth
- Consulate Crackdown
- Martyr's Bond
- True Conviction
- Ajani Goldmane
- Gideon, Champion of Justice
Thanks! Just about all of these were in the deck at one point or another, but unfortunately didn't make it in the cuts down to 100. Assault Formation is an excellent card, but ultimately I decided that my win con will likely be Ishkanah, not attacking. Crop Sigil and Vessel of Nascency made it all the way to the very end, they were a few of the last cuts I had to force myself to make. They could definitely come back at some point, I unfortunately haven't had the opportunity to playtest the deck yet!
Interesting! Seems very similar to my build, I was considering a lot of these same cards. I think he's missing a couple cards that have the potential to be really amazing in this deck, like Foster and Living Death, but overall it looks good. Thanks for the link.
Thanks for the update! I'll definitely take a look at your list as well. I've finally got mine down to 100 - would appreciate any feedback! I'm a little worried that I cut a few too many of my sac outlets and sorcery speed delirium enablers, I'm definitely going to need to do some playtesting!
Cuts down to 105, but it's getting tough!!