...I initially ran the Vow cycle in here only to find out that they don't work with Karona, False God since "You" always refers to the Vow's controller not the player who originally cast it...
First part is false but second part is true. "You" does always refer to the controller of, say Vow of Flight, but when control of Karona changes due to her ability nothing happens to the control of auras attached to her. In other words, you continue to control the vows even when your commander is on loan.
Arena is the canonical fight card so I think it deserves a slot in this deck. Just remember that you shouldn't count it as a land since it doesn't tap for mana.
I feel much better knowing that there are basic lands in the deck, thank you. It just didn't make sense that DementedKirby would punt like that. The world makes sense again.
While your commanders are certainly powerful and synergize well with a deck full of cycling creatures, do you ever actually get to use them? You've got no protection for them and your deck doesn't really present a ton of other targets for removal. Do you consider untapping with a commander to be "just gravy" in this deck?
Thran Turbine is almost, but not quite completely, blank if you don't have anything to cycle with it. You'd probably need an even higher density of nonsense creatures to make it useful. It's worth noting that the mana can activate signets, pay for Rings of Brighthearth and Phyrexian Reclamation (which looks sweet in this deck, by the way) and help with Eternal Dragon. It's probably still not good enough, but the card has a lot more functionality than most people give it credit for.
Cutting most of the mana rocks looks strange. Many of your lands enter the battlefield tapped and your payoff spells are expensive. Don't you have to ramp to avoid falling too far behind?
Enlightened Tutor is not strictly better than Fabricate because tutoring to hand is obviously better than to top of library, but it's still a stronger card. Topdeck tutors in general are much better in a deck full of cantrips.
Cutting Drake Haven, Wharf Infiltrator and Spirit Cairn also looks weird, but I can at least imagine them being too slow and clunky. Is the idea that you're replacing them with better payoffs, i.e. more Living Death effects? Edit: If you move away from cards that trigger on cycling or discard and toward Living Death effects, then aren't you just playing a suboptimal Living Death deck? Like, if too few cards care that you're cycling nonsense creatures then aren't you better off casting stuff like Grisly Salvage and having it put format-staple-fatties into your graveyard?
How often do you end up with a cycling land or two on the battlefield because you had to hit land drops (as opposed to because Splendid Reclamation put them there)? If the answer is "pretty often" then maybe a few Karoo lands would be nice to get a second chance at cycling. That would represent even more ETBT lands, though, so maybe it's not worth it.
With the signets gone, you're actually pretty close to having a deck that can support Living End and cascade spells. Not sure if the transition would be worth it since you'd lose powerful stuff like Sol Ring and Demonic Tutor, but it's something to think about.
How do you break the symmetry of Containment Priest? I'm not seeing it. Never mind, turns out I can read after all.
For the same reason Boseiju, Who Shelters All might be good here. If it turns out to be very good, you can run Tolaria West as another copy that can also be the worst cycling land of all time if you need it to be.
Glad to see the pillow fort stuff go. Can't put my finger on exactly why, but that sort of package looked out of place in this deck.
I also like that Soulquake is still around, even though it's kind of weak for its cost. That card is cool and this is probably pretty close to the best possible deck for it.
There are a zillion more that make creatures or pump creatures or are creatures that get bigger for each creature in your graveyard, but those just don't seem as good.
One of each basic would be quite a relief here. It's literally making me physically uncomfortable that Krosan Tusker and Ash Barrens have nothing to search for. I'd cut check-lands before cycling lands, though. Isn't the cycling super important? Unlike its younger relatives Blighted Woodland and Myriad Landscape, Krosan Verge can find dual-lands. I think verge is worthwhile here because you really need ramp/fixing and it makes Emeria, the Sky Ruin more likely to fire in games where you don't get off a huge Splendid Reclamation. Also, not sure how deep you want to go with this Urza's Saga mechanic, but Thran Turbine is kind of another Sol Ring if you're always going to be cycling things.
Attack with Bloodsoaked Champion and sacrifice it to Phyrexian Altar for B at any point before it takes lethal combat damage, trigger Blood Artist and drain everyone for 1. Spend the B to return Bloodsoaked Champion to the battlefield and repeat (except for the attack).
Edit: Crap, Carnival of Souls actually refutes this. This revised version avoids that pitfall at least:
My plan for Protean Hulk is to let its presence in the format make my maindecked Torpor Orbs and Rest in Peace's savage even more opponents than they already have been. (Before anyone lights me up for it, I'm not saying that Protean Hulk isn't insanely powerful just because there are cards that exist which hose it.)
How are you getting back Blazing Torch for each cycle? Also, wouldn't you need a huge amount of life to actually use this loop to deck everyone?Edit: Derp, doesn't work that way.
How do you break the symmetry of Containment Priest? I'm not seeing it.Never mind, turns out I can read after all.Some more cards that pay you off for cycling tons of creatures:
Embalmer's Tools: Bloodsoaked Champion, Phyrexian Altar, Blood Artist
Attack with Bloodsoaked Champion and sacrifice it to Phyrexian Altar for B at any point before it takes lethal combat damage, trigger Blood Artist and drain everyone for 1. Spend the B to return Bloodsoaked Champion to the battlefield and repeat (except for the attack).
Edit: Crap, Carnival of Souls actually refutes this. This revised version avoids that pitfall at least:
Embalmer's Tools: Bloodsoaked Champion, Phyrexian Altar, Impact Tremors
How are you getting back Blazing Torch for each cycle? Also, wouldn't you need a huge amount of life to actually use this loop to deck everyone?Edit: Derp, doesn't work that way.I think Altar of Dementia refutes this combo.