Went to a new game store (new to me; apparently they've been there for 25 years) last Friday night and got to play some EDH with a really great group of people. I also got to try out a couple of the goodies from Amonkhet in Cast Out and As Foretold. Cast Out, to the surprise of no one, was unbelievable. Flash is so sweet it's making me rethink Stasis Snare. Didn't actually draw As Foretold so no new play info on that one at all.
I didn't take any notes so my account of the game is a bit hazy. My opponents, clockwise, are "it's not what you think" Jhoira, Yidris pre-con (and a pilot who's new to the game) and Kynaios and Tiro pillow fort // group hug. When they see I'm playing Zedruu, K&T says "Oh fun! Now we have two group hug decks!" to which I reply "nope." Jhoira and K&T then express concerns about suddenly losing the game, but I reassure them that "it's not what you think, I'm playing Voltron". They all clearly think I'm kidding about the beatdown plan but are nevertheless satisfied that there won't be any shenanigans. I win the die roll and draw basically the perfect 7 and then draw great for the first 3 or 4 turns. My early board/hand is something like two rocks, some lands, a counter, a pump aura, Tragic Arrogance and Cast Out. We go around the table a few times hitting land drops, K&T and me ramping in the early turns. First real action of the game is K&T tapping out for Mirari's Wake and me slamming Cast Out on top of it, untapping, and casting Zedruu with counter backup. One of my rocks was Sphere of the Suns so in response to Zedruu's upkeep trigger I use the last counter off of it to give Jhoira a really nice paperweight. Yidris says he's ready to call my bluff about being a Voltron deck and casts Goblin Spymaster. The two other players think this is funny so I shrug and say "aw shucks, guess I'll have to attack." Then the auras start flowing. First Tahngarth's Rage, then Vanishing, then Daybreak Coronet and others. Immolation takes down Jhoira at some point. Vanishing protects itself and Zedruu from all manner of terrible fates. I counter some things. Zedruu goes around the table killing everyone in two hits each. I end the game at 72 with a Tragic Arrogance in hand that I never had to pull the trigger on. It was pretty much the most savage beating the deck is capable of dishing out... and my opponents thought it was hilarious. I have to agree.
One thing I'm noticing more and more in game play is that you almost never need more than RR or WWW in a single turn but there are a lot of scenarios where you need UUUUU or more, especially when Vanishing or Cryptic Command get involved. Therefore I'm going to add Irrigated Farmland not over Temple of Enlightenment but over some Boros land TBD.
Twilight's Call and Rise of the Dark Realms are great so... why no Living Death? Also, Fluctuator seems worth it even though it won't affect some of your cards. And I think Cephalid Sage is the uncommon blue creature you were reaching for when you grabbed Raven Familiar. Maybe a couple of Karoos? They let you fetch or ramp up the bicycle lands, use them for a turn or two, and still get to cycle them.
I suspect (hope) that the new cards in the set will mostly either have "changeling" or the phrase "name a creature type" somewhere in their text. This would be a way to give the precons a wider appeal to (a subset of) established EDH players while still being fine for new players.
Good points all around and you do indeed understand correctly how Springleaf Drum works. Paradise Mantleis worse, but it's sort-of kind-of a Birds of Paradise with echo in a deck with tons of 1-drops. A few other random things I was thinking about:
Signal Pest doesn't do combat damage itself without help so it shouldn't really be considered a "dweeb."
Swan Song, while being a cheap versatile hard counter, seems uncommonly bad in a deck that's trying to get in with 1/1 fliers.
Sygg, River Cutthroat is either awful or awesome here and I can't tell which. On the one hand you've got the tools to trigger him early and often, but on the other hand he wants you to send multiple dweebs at one opponent whereas Tymna wants you to share the love.
It may be a little slow for what you're trying to do here and maybe a little to cash-intensive for what it is, but Helm of Possession is at its best when you're trading up. The ultra-low budget version is Ritual of the Machine.
Cloud of Faeries does cost 2 mana upfront but since it gives you a refund (and very occasionally does some color fixing) it really helps you to vomit out a critical mass of dweebs on the early turns.
If you like Curiosity then how about Mask of Memory and Mask of Riddles? They're sort of like mini-budget swords. Also, because of the routine life payments and cheap spells I think Basilica Screecher is a really slick inclusion. Protect that one when it comes time to cut cards. Budget ramp is hard to come by in Esper, but since you're already running so many 1 drops you might be able to support Springleaf Drum and Paradise Mantle. Terrible shame that Will-o'-the-Wisp is almost, but not quite, the perfect creature for this deck. Is that combination of abilities good enough that Fog of Gnats is worth a shot?
Edit: Pride of the Clouds and Soulcatcher could provide some cheap beats here. You already run a lot of spirits and could pretty easily run a few more by shifting around some of the rank-and-file creatures, so any chance of a Tallowisp/Thief of Hope spiritcraft thing making its way into the deck?
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I didn't take any notes so my account of the game is a bit hazy. My opponents, clockwise, are "it's not what you think" Jhoira, Yidris pre-con (and a pilot who's new to the game) and Kynaios and Tiro pillow fort // group hug. When they see I'm playing Zedruu, K&T says "Oh fun! Now we have two group hug decks!" to which I reply "nope." Jhoira and K&T then express concerns about suddenly losing the game, but I reassure them that "it's not what you think, I'm playing Voltron". They all clearly think I'm kidding about the beatdown plan but are nevertheless satisfied that there won't be any shenanigans. I win the die roll and draw basically the perfect 7 and then draw great for the first 3 or 4 turns. My early board/hand is something like two rocks, some lands, a counter, a pump aura, Tragic Arrogance and Cast Out. We go around the table a few times hitting land drops, K&T and me ramping in the early turns. First real action of the game is K&T tapping out for Mirari's Wake and me slamming Cast Out on top of it, untapping, and casting Zedruu with counter backup. One of my rocks was Sphere of the Suns so in response to Zedruu's upkeep trigger I use the last counter off of it to give Jhoira a really nice paperweight. Yidris says he's ready to call my bluff about being a Voltron deck and casts Goblin Spymaster. The two other players think this is funny so I shrug and say "aw shucks, guess I'll have to attack." Then the auras start flowing. First Tahngarth's Rage, then Vanishing, then Daybreak Coronet and others. Immolation takes down Jhoira at some point. Vanishing protects itself and Zedruu from all manner of terrible fates. I counter some things. Zedruu goes around the table killing everyone in two hits each. I end the game at 72 with a Tragic Arrogance in hand that I never had to pull the trigger on. It was pretty much the most savage beating the deck is capable of dishing out... and my opponents thought it was hilarious. I have to agree.
One thing I'm noticing more and more in game play is that you almost never need more than RR or WWW in a single turn but there are a lot of scenarios where you need UUUUU or more, especially when Vanishing or Cryptic Command get involved. Therefore I'm going to add Irrigated Farmland not over Temple of Enlightenment but over some Boros land TBD.
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1 Rhys the Redeemed
Backup Squad
1 Blight Mamba
1 Monastery Mentor
0 Kor Spiritdancer
Pump
1 Bonesplitter
1 Civic Saber
1 Helm of the Gods
1 Rancor
1 Gryff's Boon
1 Spider Umbra
1 Hyena Umbra
1 Blessing of the Nephilim
1 Mortal Obstinacy
1 Ethereal Armor
1 Daybreak Coronet
1 Spirit Mantle
1 Shield of the Oversoul
1 Armadillo Cloak
1 Unflinching Courage
1 Snake Umbra
1 Empyrial Armor
1 Battle Mastery
1 Cartouche of Strength
1 Boar Umbra
1 Faith Unbroken
Protection
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Blossoming Defense
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
1 Mother of Runes
1 Canopy Cover
1 Alpha Authority
1 Sterling Grove
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Heroic Intervention
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Rest in Peace
1 Torpor Orb
1 Cursed Totem
1 Grasp of Fate
1 Oblivion Ring
Tutors
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Green Sun's Zenith
Draw
1 Skullclamp
1 Keen Sense
1 Sixth Sense
1 Kor Spiritdancer
1 Argothian Enchantress
1 Sram, Senior Edificer
1 Sylvan Library
1 Mesa Enchantress
1 Verduran Enchantress
1 Enchantress's Presence
1 Eidolon of Blossoms
1 Sage's Reverie
1 Replenish
1 Retether
Fast Mana
1 Elvish Spirit Guide
1 Lotus Petal
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Wild Growth
1 Utopia Sprawl
1 Exploration
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Arbor Elf
1 Herald of the Pantheon
1 Pendlehaven
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Serra's Sanctum
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Centaur Garden
1 Command Tower
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Brushland
1 City of Brass
1 Mana Confluence
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Land Grant
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Marsh Flats
1 Arid Mesa
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Yavimaya Hollow
3 Plains
6 Forest
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Edit: Pride of the Clouds and Soulcatcher could provide some cheap beats here. You already run a lot of spirits and could pretty easily run a few more by shifting around some of the rank-and-file creatures, so any chance of a Tallowisp/Thief of Hope spiritcraft thing making its way into the deck?