Yeah you're very right on that. That's often Avacyn's fate, stolen. A guy in our playgroup purposely built a deck that does nothing but steal. The only defense I have for that in this deck is Greater Auramancy, coupled with Pariah or even Cage of Hands. Definitely not perfect. Can't protect against everything though!
And it sounds like you are running what this deck used to be, a Mikaeus deck with both humans and angels. Built right, it's a sweet design.
The first EDH deck I ever built was a terrible, terrible mono-white Mikaeus, the Lunarch semi-tribal cleric deck. The only saving grace in the entire deck was a couple of particularly potent angels (e.g. Linvala) that could prevent a complete wash out. Generally the deck sat in the background, throwing out the odd control card every so often just to remind everyone that it was still playing.
After much thought, I decided to cut the crappier clerics, Mikaeus included, and replace them with meatier angels. Originally, I thought of using Radiant or Akroma as the general, but when Avacyn Restored hit and I first saw Avacyn, Angel of Hope, I knew that that was the new general for this deck. More recently, I have reworked the deck to be completely angel tribal, for flavour more than anything.
Avacyn is a monster, not to be confused with the borderline useless Avacyn. When I front with this deck, everyone at the table is counting my mana anticipating her hitting play, because once she does, she can be a real pain to get rid of with the right protection. Counters, exile effects, bounces, sacrifice triggers, expect to face them all, often in a sudden flurry, at the prospect of an Avacyn play.
The average CMC of this deck is high, with an 8 CMC general, so ramp is imperative. For mono-white, this is generally various mana rocks and cost reducers (e.g. Pearl Medallion, Urza's Incubator), with a few land grabbing mechanics (e.g. Land Tax, Endless Horizons, Terrain Generator). There are plenty more out there, use as many or as little as feels comfortable. Mono-white is weak on card draw, so adding a few draw artifacts helps (e.g. Well of Lost Dreams, Mind's Eye). Avacyn also works extremely well with land destruction, I just chose not to go down that route.
Yes, another Captain Sisay deck. Still one of my favourite EDH decks, and provides a consistent, predictable gameplay style. Has an answer for almost any situation.
If only Yisan's ability read "equal to or less than the number of verse counters", he would be absolutely amazing. Even if they were +1/+1 counters rather than verse counters, he would have a lot more potential to manipulate.
Amongst the new wedge legendaries, I feel that Narset has the most potential for EDH. In a format which already sees a lot of obscure, higher CMC cards see play, Narset is a fantastic enabler for some really interesting deck designs. In a way she reminds me of a noncreature version of Kaalia.
The initial build of this deck included support creatures, however, after play testing it became apparent they were more of a hindrance than a help. Plain and simple, Narset requires a significant mana rock suite to be viable, and does not play well with other creatures (1 or 2 might slip in unnoticed). This is the version I have settled on, and I've enjoyed play testing it.
Edit: Deck disassembled due to meta incompatibility. Created an unfun play environment in a casual format.
Ah Nekusar, how people love to hate you. The problem I've found with most of the Nekusar decks I've seen, is that they are completely general dependant, and lack any way to deal with large focused aggro. From my experience, Nekusar tends to be public enemy number one and is ganged up upon very early.
I've seen some very nice competitive Nekusar decks on MTG Salvation, some which ramp into Nekusar early, others which play him only when they've collected a winning hand of wheels to dump. I prefer to have friends, so I don't play a competitive version of this deck. My deck has a slower build up, but retains several of the fun combos. More importantly, it also includes an anti-aggro suite and multiple alternative wincons.
Waste Not is a major combo enabler. I haven't taken full advantage of it in this list, primarily just using it as extra gas for bigger Prosperitys etc.
Questions/Comments:
Why don't you have ANY tutors in this deck?
I purposefully avoid tutors in my casual EDH decks, as they make games too homogeneous. Tutor for the same cards, play the same combo, yawn. I make exceptions when decks are supposed to be reliable (e.g. Captain Sisay), or depend on tutors to get the most benefit out of the general (e.g. Narset, Enlightened Master).
You don't appear to run much protection against self-mill from over draw.
Only Library of Leng. This deck is a suicidal build aiming to bring down its opponents quicker than it kills itself, with cards such as Rain of Gore or Kaervek. It tends to lose very quickly against mill decks. As a note, I've only ever killed myself once with this deck. That was due to an unfortunate Warp World from an opponent, putting Venser's Journal and Rain of Gore into play.
Shouldn't you be running more protection for Nekusar?
This deck fuels your opponent's hands. Isn't that a bad thing?
Very much so. A lot of Nekusar decks avoid static draw such as Howling Mine/Font of Mythos. In a competitive environment, fueling your opponents hand is very likely to get you killed. In casual play, I tend to have enough time to Wheel their hand away. Different strokes for different folks.
Ever since I saw Progenitus in someone's trades folder at my first Magic event, I wanted to build an EDH deck that saw him hit play as often as possible. I built a deck list with multiple ways to cheat Progenitus into play, such as Tooth and Nail and Dragon Arch. These kinds of cards required Progenitus to be in the deck, so I needed a different commander. Another player in our playgroup already had Screaming Baby, so I originally built the deck around the Horde.
Something didn't feel right about it, the deck was becoming yet another tribal deck. So I decided to switch out again, this time to the toolboxy goodness of Cromat! Now, Cromat isn't the worst card in magic, but it lacks focus... And that was when I realised, what if that was the whole point of the deck? What if I built the entire deck around playing cards I just found fun? So, I filled it with random good stuff!
I've tested the deck extensively, eventually boiling it down to its current state and it is by far my favourite deck to play. Don't expect to win consistently, it is definitely not a competitive deck. Each game is different, it's completely unpredictable. Maelstrom incarnate!
My introduction to Magic was through casual multiplayer EDH, with a small playgroup of friends. One of the running jokes in the group was, that the person who would win each game was who ever grabbed the Rafiq deck out of the box first. At the time I thought, wouldn't it be hilarious to build a deck which beats Rafiq at his own game?
Out came Uril, substituting double strike for hexproof and +2/+2 buffs per aura. The original version of this deck was packed with mana dorks and rocks to ramp into Uril, followed by multiple low CMC auras such as Instill Energy and Rancor. The deck did what I thought it would, it frequently hosed Rafiq, but it also generated a lot of hate. So I toned it down a lot, slowed the pacing and gradually refined the deck over the years. Although it would probably lose to any well built Rafiq deck in it's current state, I'll always fondly remember it as the Rafiq-bane.
Phytohydra enchanted with Pariah, with Sterling Grove and Asceticism in play. No blue player to mass bounce, regenerated through each wrath, I couldn't stop laughing maniacally.
Using Burning Anger on Uril with any vigilance buff to swing and tap.
Quadruple kill in a five player Star EDH with a heavily buffed Uril, Aurelia swing, Seize the Day and flashback.
And it sounds like you are running what this deck used to be, a Mikaeus deck with both humans and angels. Built right, it's a sweet design.
I had Silver Seraph in for a while, but swapped it out for Elesh Norn who is just better. She then got canned with the angel tribal switch.
Unfortunately Angel of Glory's Rise resurrects humans only, so it doesn't fit here.
I did have Sphere of Safety in the deck for quite a while, Ghostly Prison would have been better for early game. Generally, there is enough life gain to recover from a few early game hits, plus if you ramp out Guardian Seraph, Seraph of the Sword, Voice of All or Guardian of the Gateless, you have some pretty good blocking potential.
+ Nomad Mythmaker
The first EDH deck I ever built was a terrible, terrible mono-white Mikaeus, the Lunarch semi-tribal cleric deck. The only saving grace in the entire deck was a couple of particularly potent angels (e.g. Linvala) that could prevent a complete wash out. Generally the deck sat in the background, throwing out the odd control card every so often just to remind everyone that it was still playing.
After much thought, I decided to cut the crappier clerics, Mikaeus included, and replace them with meatier angels. Originally, I thought of using Radiant or Akroma as the general, but when Avacyn Restored hit and I first saw Avacyn, Angel of Hope, I knew that that was the new general for this deck. More recently, I have reworked the deck to be completely angel tribal, for flavour more than anything.
Avacyn is a monster, not to be confused with the borderline useless Avacyn. When I front with this deck, everyone at the table is counting my mana anticipating her hitting play, because once she does, she can be a real pain to get rid of with the right protection. Counters, exile effects, bounces, sacrifice triggers, expect to face them all, often in a sudden flurry, at the prospect of an Avacyn play.
The average CMC of this deck is high, with an 8 CMC general, so ramp is imperative. For mono-white, this is generally various mana rocks and cost reducers (e.g. Pearl Medallion, Urza's Incubator), with a few land grabbing mechanics (e.g. Land Tax, Endless Horizons, Terrain Generator). There are plenty more out there, use as many or as little as feels comfortable. Mono-white is weak on card draw, so adding a few draw artifacts helps (e.g. Well of Lost Dreams, Mind's Eye). Avacyn also works extremely well with land destruction, I just chose not to go down that route.
Interesting Combos:
Well of Lost Dreams + Words of Worship is a nice little card draw engine for that extra mana floating around.
With Sigil of the Empty Throne out, Cage of Hands reads: 3WW, Put a 4/4 Angel Token into play. Flickering Ward is even better at WW.
Planar Portal + Belbe's Portal/Quicksilver Amulet is a nice angel summoning engine, though quite expensive to run.
8 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Legendary Angels
4 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
5 Radiant, Archangel
8 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
9 Iona, Shield of Emeria
Other Angels
4 Seraph of the Sword
4 Angel of Jubilation
4 Voice of All
4 Archangel of Tithes
4 Indomitable Archangel
5 Blinding Angel
5 Guardian of the Gateless
5 Archangel of Thune
5 Herald of War
6 Adarkar Valkyrie
6 Admonition Angel
6 Sunblast Angel
6 Pristine Angel
6 Angelic Skirmisher
6 Dawnbreak Reclaimer
7 Emeria Shepherd
7 Angel of Serenity
7 Angelic Arbiter
Planeswalkers
6 Elspeth, Knight Errant
Enchantments
1 Land Tax
1 Flickering Ward
2 Luminarch Ascension
2 Darksteel Mutation
3 Words of Worship
3 Crackdown
3 Aura of Silence
3 Cage of Hands
3 Pariah
4 Entangler
4 Cradle of Vitality
4 Worship
4 Endless Horizons
5 Sigil of the Empty Throne
6 True Conviction
1 Sol Ring
2 Pearl Medallion
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Sword of the Animist
3 Mimic Vat
3 Urza's Incubator
3 Worn Powerstone
3 Extraplanar Lens
4 Thran Dynamo
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
4 Quicksilver Amulet
4 Well of Lost Dreams
4 Bottled Cloister
4 Slate of Ancestry
5 Orbs of Warding
5 Mind's Eye
5 Belbe's Portal
5 Pariah's Shield
5 Gilded Lotus
6 Planar Portal
6 Caged Sun
Instants
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
Sorceries
4 Day of Judgment
4 Wrath of God
5 Entreat the Angels
6 Akroma's Vengeance
6 Planar Cleansing
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Seraph Sanctuary
1 Temple of the False God
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Kor Haven
1 Terrain Generator
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 New Benalia
1 Ancient Den
1 Homeward Path
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Winding Canyons
18 Snow-Covered Plains
Yes, another Captain Sisay deck. Still one of my favourite EDH decks, and provides a consistent, predictable gameplay style. Has an answer for almost any situation.
4 Captain Sisay
Creatures
1 Weathered Wayfarer
2 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Saffi Eriksdotter
3 Reki, the History of Kamigawa
3 Omnath, Locus of Mana
3 Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant
3 Hua Tuo, Honored Physician
3 Mangara of Corondor
3 Lieutenant Kirtar
4 Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker
4 Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile
4 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
4 Odric, Master Tactician
4 Commander Eesha
4 Elvish Piper
4 Glissa Sunseeker
5 Jazal Goldmane
5 Sigarda, Host of Herons
5 Mageta the Lion
5 Arashi, the Sky Asunder
5 Karmic Guide
5 Reveillark
5 Acidic Slime
6 Tolsimir Wolfblood
6 Darien, King of Kjeldor
6 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
6 Sun Titan
6 Dragonlord Dromoka
7 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
8 Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
8 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
11 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
5 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
5 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
Enchantments
1 Exploration
2 Aspect of Mongoose
2 Hunting Grounds
2 Survival of the Fittest
3 Aura Shards
3 Song of the Dryads
4 Day of Destiny
4 Defense of the Heart
5 Asceticism
5 Mirari's Wake
6 Mana Reflection
6 Wild Pair
Artifacts
1 Sol Ring
2 Illusionist's Bracers
3 Champion's Helm
3 Godsend
3 Thousand-Year Elixir
4 Dragon Throne of Tarkir
4 Slate of Ancestry
5 Heroes' Podium
6 Argentum Armor
Instants
2 Eladamri's Call
3 Beast Within
Sorceries
2 Time of Need
4 Tempt with Discovery
5 Primal Command
6 Planar Cleansing
6 Austere Command
Land
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Pendelhaven
1 Krosan Verge
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Serra's Sanctum
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Command Tower
1 Sungrass Prairie
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Kor Haven
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Gavony Township
1 Temple of the False God
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Winding Canyons
1 Graypelt Refuge
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Arcane Lighthouse
3 Plains
3 Forest
You're missing Time of Need, I'd consider it necessary for Sisay.
I can also recommend one of my favourite broken combos in Sisay, Darien, King of Kjeldor + Trostani, Selesnya's Voice.
Amongst the new wedge legendaries, I feel that Narset has the most potential for EDH. In a format which already sees a lot of obscure, higher CMC cards see play, Narset is a fantastic enabler for some really interesting deck designs. In a way she reminds me of a noncreature version of Kaalia.
The initial build of this deck included support creatures, however, after play testing it became apparent they were more of a hindrance than a help. Plain and simple, Narset requires a significant mana rock suite to be viable, and does not play well with other creatures (1 or 2 might slip in unnoticed). This is the version I have settled on, and I've enjoyed play testing it.
Edit: Deck disassembled due to meta incompatibility. Created an unfun play environment in a casual format.
6 Narset, Enlightened Master
Planeswalkers
4 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
4 Ral Zarek
5 Venser, the Sojourner
Auras
2 Flickerform
2 Inviolability
3 Pariah
3 Steel of the Godhead
3 Indestructibility
4 Spectra Ward
8 Eldrazi Conscription
Equipment
3 Sunforger
3 Darksteel Plate
Narset's Toys
4 Relentless Assault
4 Seize the Day
5 Possibility Storm
5 Waves of Aggression
5 Bribery
5 Acquire
5 Beacon of Destruction
5 Savage Beating
6 Ward of Bones
6 Beacon of Immortality
6 Austere Command
6 Spelltwine
7 Blatant Thievery
8 Beacon of Tomorrows
10 Time Stretch
10 Storm Herd
Enchantments
2 Ancestral Knowledge
2 Overburden
3 Aura of Silence
4 Leyline of Anticipation
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
2 Strionic Resonator
2 Scroll Rack
2 Isochron Scepter
2 Azorius Signet
2 Boros Signet
2 Izzet Signet
2 Fellwar Stone
3 Chromatic Lantern
3 Basalt Monolith
3 Coalition Relic
3 Proteus Staff
4 Vedalken Orrery
Tutors
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Personal Tutor
Instants
1 Brainstorm
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Swan Song
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Counterspell
2 Deflecting Palm
3 Frantic Search
3 Chaos Warp
3 Oblation
3 Long-Term Plans
4 Return to Dust
Sorceries
1 Mystic Speculation
2 Mana Severance
3 Howl of the Horde
4 Wrath of God
4 Supreme Verdict
1 Command Tower
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Temple of the False God
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Mystic Monastery
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Tranquil Cove
1 Wind-Scarred Crag
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Seachrome Coast
1 Halimar Depths
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Flamekin Village
1 Maze of Ith
4 Mountain
4 Island
4 Plains
Ah Nekusar, how people love to hate you. The problem I've found with most of the Nekusar decks I've seen, is that they are completely general dependant, and lack any way to deal with large focused aggro. From my experience, Nekusar tends to be public enemy number one and is ganged up upon very early.
I've seen some very nice competitive Nekusar decks on MTG Salvation, some which ramp into Nekusar early, others which play him only when they've collected a winning hand of wheels to dump. I prefer to have friends, so I don't play a competitive version of this deck. My deck has a slower build up, but retains several of the fun combos. More importantly, it also includes an anti-aggro suite and multiple alternative wincons.
5 Nekusar, the Mindrazer
Static Draw
1 Dakra Mystic
2 Kami of the Crescent Moon
2 Howling Mine
3 Master of the Feast
3 Temple Bell
4 Teferi's Puzzle Box
5 Seizan, Perverter of Truth
6 Forced Fruition
Spell Draw
1 Minds Aglow
2 Prosperity
4 Urza's Guilt
Wheels
1 Winds of Change
3 Jace's Archivist
3 Molten Psyche
3 Windfall
4 Wheel and Deal
5 Reforge the Soul
5 Incendiary Command
Draw Pain
1 Kederekt Parasite
3 Underworld Dreams
3 Phyrexian Tyranny
3 Cerebral Vortex
4 Fate Unraveler
4 Spiteful Visions
4 Breathstealer's Crypt
5 Psychosis Crawler
6 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Hand Size Pain
2 Ebony Owl Netsuke
3 Iron Maiden
4 Viseling
7 Price of Knowledge
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Library of Leng
2 Liliana's Caress
2 Waste Not
2 Zombie Infestation
3 Megrim
3 Pain Magnification
3 Words of Waste
5 Cao Cao, Lord of Wei
Alternative Pain
2 Rain of Gore
3 Tainted Remedy
7 Kaervek the Merciless
Anti-Aggro
2 Fog Bank
3 Guard Gomazoa
3 Web of Inertia
3 Propaganda
4 Dissipation Field
Planeswalkers
3 Dack Fayden
5 Ob Nixilis Reignited
Graveyard Hate
1 Planar Void
2 Rakdos Charm
4 Leyline of the Void
Removal
2 Terminate
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Dreadbore
3 Viashino Heretic
5 Evacuation
6 Deadly Tempest
Counters
3 Dream Fracture
5 Mystic Confluence
Forks
2 Increasing Vengeance
2 Reverberate
1 Sol Ring
3 Chromatic Lantern
Land
1 Command Tower
1 Temple of the False God
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Great Furnace
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Vault of Whispers
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Shiven Gorge
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Darkslick Shores
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Homeward Path
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Dismal Backwater
1 Bloodfell Caves
1 Maze of Ith
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Flamekin Village
1 Mortuary Mire
1 Skyline Cascade
1 Island
1 Mountain
Combos:
Questions/Comments:
Ever since I saw Progenitus in someone's trades folder at my first Magic event, I wanted to build an EDH deck that saw him hit play as often as possible. I built a deck list with multiple ways to cheat Progenitus into play, such as Tooth and Nail and Dragon Arch. These kinds of cards required Progenitus to be in the deck, so I needed a different commander. Another player in our playgroup already had Screaming Baby, so I originally built the deck around the Horde.
Something didn't feel right about it, the deck was becoming yet another tribal deck. So I decided to switch out again, this time to the toolboxy goodness of Cromat! Now, Cromat isn't the worst card in magic, but it lacks focus... And that was when I realised, what if that was the whole point of the deck? What if I built the entire deck around playing cards I just found fun? So, I filled it with random good stuff!
I've tested the deck extensively, eventually boiling it down to its current state and it is by far my favourite deck to play. Don't expect to win consistently, it is definitely not a competitive deck. Each game is different, it's completely unpredictable. Maelstrom incarnate!
5 Cromat
Creatures
1 Birds of Paradise
2 Joiner Adept
2 Bloom Tender
2 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Rafiq of the Many
4 Elvish Piper
4 Knight of New Alara
4 Yore-Tiller Nephilim
4 Captain Sisay
4 Marchesa, the Black Rose
5 Nekusar, the Mindrazer
5 Maelstrom Archangel
5 Etched Monstrosity
5 Prophet of Kruphix
5 Xenagos, God of Revels
5 Bringer of the Blue Dawn
6 Pathbreaker Ibex
6 Aurelia, the Warleader
6 Dragonlord Dromoka
7 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
7 Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
7 Damia, Sage of Stone
7 Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
8 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
8 Godsire
10 Progenitus
Planeswalkers
3 Domri Rade
5 Sarkhan Unbroken
6 Garruk, Caller of Beasts
7 Garruk, Apex Predator
8 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Auras
1 Blessing of the Nephilim
3 Shield of the Oversoul
5 Runes of the Deus
1 Root Maze
2 Prismatic Omen
3 Aura Shards
3 Mayael's Aria
3 Spirit of Resistance
3 Chaosphere
4 Abundance
4 Defence of the Heart
5 Mirari's Wake
6 Lurking Predators
6 Mana Reflection
Artifacts
1 Sol Ring
3 Coalition Relic
3 Chromatic Lantern
3 Fist of Suns
4 Quicksilver Amulet
5 Dragon Arch
7 Legacy Weapon
Spells
1 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Might of the Nephilim
2 Hull Breach
3 Beast Within
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Victimize
4 Channel the Suns
4 Tempt with Discovery
5 All Suns' Dawn
5 Bring to Light
6 See the Unwritten
6 Austere Command
7 Tooth and Nail
Lands
1 Murmuring Bosk
1 Crystal Quarry
1 Vesuva
1 Command Tower
1 Frontier Bivouac
1 Mystic Monastery
1 Nomad Outpost
1 Opulent Palace
1 Sandsteppe Citadel
1 Arcane Sanctum
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Savage Lands
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Rupture Spire
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Mirrodin's Core
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Meteor Crater
1 Reflecting Pool
1 City of Brass
1 Temple of the False God
1 Forbidden Orchard
1 Mana Confluence
1 Ancient Ziggurat
1 Pillar of the Paruns
1 Flamekin Village
1 Forest
My introduction to Magic was through casual multiplayer EDH, with a small playgroup of friends. One of the running jokes in the group was, that the person who would win each game was who ever grabbed the Rafiq deck out of the box first. At the time I thought, wouldn't it be hilarious to build a deck which beats Rafiq at his own game?
Out came Uril, substituting double strike for hexproof and +2/+2 buffs per aura. The original version of this deck was packed with mana dorks and rocks to ramp into Uril, followed by multiple low CMC auras such as Instill Energy and Rancor. The deck did what I thought it would, it frequently hosed Rafiq, but it also generated a lot of hate. So I toned it down a lot, slowed the pacing and gradually refined the deck over the years. Although it would probably lose to any well built Rafiq deck in it's current state, I'll always fondly remember it as the Rafiq-bane.
5 Uril, the Miststalker
Alternative Voltron Creatures
2 Kor Spiritdancer
3 Fabled Hero
4 Tajic, Blade of the Legion
5 Sigarda, Host of Herons
6 Krond the Dawn-Clad
Buff Creatures
4 Knight of New Alara
4 Iroas, God of Victory
5 Xenagos, God of Revels
6 Vigor
Other Creatures
2 Joiner Adept
2 Argothian Enchantress
2 Tajuru Preserver
2 Hero of Iroas
2 Herald of the Pantheon
3 Nomad Mythmaker
3 Umbra Mystic
3 Verduran Enchantress
4 Retaliator Griffin
5 Phytohydra
6 Sun Titan
Planeswalkers
5 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
Multi-Combat
3 Aggravated Assault
4 Seize the Day
6 Aurelia, the Warleader
Equipment
1 Helm of the Gods
3 Mage Slayer
Enchantments
2 Prismatic Omen
2 Sterling Grove
3 Dueling Grounds
3 Aura Shards
3 Aura of Silence
3 Enchantress's Presence
4 Defense of the Heart
5 Mirari's Wake
5 Asceticism
1 Sol Ring
3 Chromatic Lantern
Spells
4 Master Warcraft
4 Tempt with Discovery
4 Replenish
4 Retether
4 Divine Reckoning
5 Three Dreams
5 Overwhelming Stampede
5 Winds of Rath
Buff Auras
1 Instill Energy
1 Rancor
1 Ethereal Armor
2 Spirit Mantle
2 Daybreak Coronet
3 Unquestioned Authority
3 Asha's Favor
3 Shield of the Oversoul
3 Battle Mastery
3 Ancestral mask
3 Shielded by Faith
4 Gaea's Embrace
4 Angelic Destiny
4 Bear Umbra
5 Runes of the Deus
Utility Auras
2 Flickerform
2 Inviolability
2 Lignify
3 Pariah
3 Prison Term
5 Burning Anger
Lands
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Serra's Sanctum
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Kor Haven
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1 Contested Cliffs
1 Homeward Path
1 Temple of the False God
1 Slayers' Stronghold
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Command Tower
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Kazandu Refuge
1 Graypelt Refuge
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Flamekin Village
1 Plains
1 Mountain
2 Forest
Notable Plays with this deck:
Phytohydra enchanted with Pariah, with Sterling Grove and Asceticism in play. No blue player to mass bounce, regenerated through each wrath, I couldn't stop laughing maniacally.
- Using Burning Anger on Uril with any vigilance buff to swing and tap.
- Quadruple kill in a five player Star EDH with a heavily buffed Uril, Aurelia swing, Seize the Day and flashback.
Narset is awesome too.