I agree with the vast majority of this. Only thing to add is that Sword of Feast and Famine should actually be pretty bonkers in the deck. I just don't have any spare to use atm.
Isn't SoFaF essentially a 5 mana conditional mana doubler at that point though? We're going to win through other means usually, so its combat prowess is somewhat superfluous.
I tested out heavy ramp a bit tonight on cockatrice. It worked well but it wasn't that fun for me. Maybe an aggro-control style would work. Off the top of my head the candidates that come to mind are Abyssal Persecutor, Phyrexian Obliterator, Grave Titan, and equipment.
I play Abyssal Persecutor, I've won games off of him, but I'm still not 100% sold that he is a good idea. Phyrexian Obliterator is great until the 1st time he gets stolen. No one will block him, ever, and people will remove him before attacking into you. Grave Titan is a mixed bag for me. He effectively gives 10 power for 6 mana, but in practice, he has been a late cut in all 3 of my black decks. If you are going aggro, cheaper is usually better.
Fundamentally, playing aggro chainer just seems like a terrible idea. Once you cut enough cards to make aggro work, you start to lose much of what makes chainer strong, interesting, and unique. You need cards in graveyards to play with. Aggro doesn't do that. You like nice etb guys you can get value from. Aggro doesn't do that either. Equipment also doesn't help with chainer's plan. If you desire to play aggro control black, maybe switch to drana over chainer?
Back to Pontiff of Blight, with just Crypt Ghast and Chainer in play, you have 4 Extort triggers for each spell you cast, which is pretty strong. It may not be extra card draw of Harvester, but you can parlay the life gained into extra cards out of a graveyard with prepaid Chainer activations!
In my testing so far, Pontiff of Blight is just not god for a deck like this where you don't have a steady stream of guys out. He really wants a deck less inclined to blow the field up.
I had a one on one match yesterday and I had the problem with paying 8 mana.
A small reanimate package could be OK as backup I guess.
I would probably replace: Smokestack, Braids, Bitterblossom, Necropotence and maybe some more token generating card.
But this is just specualtions, only have had this problem once, normally I do not play 1 vs 1 in EDH, this guy just wanted to try his deck and I was the only other around.
I did obliterate him with Zedruu earlier so I guess it was fair to lose with Chainer once.
Why would you remove Bitterblossom and especially Necropotence, those are two of the better cards in the deck. Even without Stax effects, Bitterblossom is a strong card.
That's a great suggestion, thanks. I'll pick that up on my next round of buys.
Finally getting some direction on what I want to do with this deck. I'm wanting to go more big damage and more aggro. I'm thanking about getting more of the aggressive red vampires on the next pass.
How often do you find yourself getting Omniscience into play with the amount of ramp you have in the deck?
Not often enough actually. My ramp in general still needs work. I ordered Academy Rector today to help get it out faster.
I still think I need some combination of more mana rocks and a lower curve to get the deck to fire a bit faster. I'm unsure exactly what and where I want to cut thought. I'm thinking the taxing package is the least intertwined with the rest of the deck and could probably be the best place to look for cuts.
I'm open to any suggestions to help speed up the deck just a bit.
Isn't SoFaF essentially a 5 mana conditional mana doubler at that point though? We're going to win through other means usually, so its combat prowess is somewhat superfluous.
Fundamentally, playing aggro chainer just seems like a terrible idea. Once you cut enough cards to make aggro work, you start to lose much of what makes chainer strong, interesting, and unique. You need cards in graveyards to play with. Aggro doesn't do that. You like nice etb guys you can get value from. Aggro doesn't do that either. Equipment also doesn't help with chainer's plan. If you desire to play aggro control black, maybe switch to drana over chainer?
In my testing so far, Pontiff of Blight is just not god for a deck like this where you don't have a steady stream of guys out. He really wants a deck less inclined to blow the field up.
Why would you remove Bitterblossom and especially Necropotence, those are two of the better cards in the deck. Even without Stax effects, Bitterblossom is a strong card.
How has Diabolic Intent been for you? I'm not sure I like a conditional tutor.
Frost Titan, Diluvian Primordial, Sphinx's Revelation, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Suffocating Blast, Propaganda, Ghostly Prison, Norn's Annex, Jace, Architect of Thought, Dissipation Field, Assemble the Legion.
--IN--
Consecrated Sphinx, Charmbreaker Devils, Opportunity, Future Sight, Honden of Seeing Winds, Academy Rector, Darksteel Ingot, Izzet Signet, Impulse, Wayfarer's Bauble, Ancestral Vision.
That's a great suggestion, thanks. I'll pick that up on my next round of buys.
Finally getting some direction on what I want to do with this deck. I'm wanting to go more big damage and more aggro. I'm thanking about getting more of the aggressive red vampires on the next pass.
--OUT--
Distress, Past in Flames, Anowon, the Ruin Sage, Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet, Gilded Lotus, Lightning Greaves, Mephidross Vampire, Mind's Eye, Increasing Ambition, Butcher of Malakir, Malakir Bloodwitch.
--IN--
Gratuitous Violence, Honden of Night's Reach, Darksteel Ingot, Honden of Infinite Rage, Wrecking Ball, Necropotence, Urabrask the Hidden, Blood Tribute, Diabolic Tutor, Rend Flesh, Mind Stone.
--OUT--
Enclave Elite, Glissa's Courier, Divination, Dispel, Champion of Lambholt, Otherworld Allas, Wayfarer's Bauble, Bone to Ash, Negate, Braingeyser, Remove Soul.
--IN--
Zodiac Monkey, Cloudseeder, Hinder, Capsize, Cloud of Faeries, Noxious Revival, Lotus Petal, Complicate, Discombobulate, Forbid, Miscalculation.
--OUT--
Birds of Paradise, Copperhorn Scout, Young Wolf, Ambush Viper, Augur of Bolas, Drakewing Krasis, Assault Zeppelid, Ludevic's Test Subject
--IN--
Metathran Soldier, Spiketail Hatchling, Thalakos Sentry, Wu Light Cavalry, Wu Scout, Zodiac Rooster, Cloud Pirates, Marsh Boa
So how many instants do you guys run in your sunforger packages? Am I missing any important pieces I should look into?
Thanks for the help.
Not often enough actually. My ramp in general still needs work. I ordered Academy Rector today to help get it out faster.
I still think I need some combination of more mana rocks and a lower curve to get the deck to fire a bit faster. I'm unsure exactly what and where I want to cut thought. I'm thinking the taxing package is the least intertwined with the rest of the deck and could probably be the best place to look for cuts.
I'm open to any suggestions to help speed up the deck just a bit.
How do you find yourself with the lower amount of tutoring? Vampiric Tutor could work well on the lower curve you are looking for.
--OUT--
Plains, Island, Preordain, Stormtide Leviathan
--IN--
Mistveil Plains, Terrain Generator, Fact or Fiction, Counterflux