So I am theory crafting a deck utilizing Derevi + Polymorph Effects to fetch Deepglow Skate to trigger planeswalker ultimates.
I imagine a deck utilizing this strategy would be potent and difficult to stop. Emblems cannot be destroyed or removed. Derevi is always available in command zone for 4 mana.
Furthermore the deck could utilize Humility effectively. By having 1-2 planeswalkers out and dropping Humility you basically turn many EDH decks to a pile of nothing. Board wipes such as wraths would not really hurt you and extra turns are great with planeswalkers.
There would even be spots for silver bullet artifacts like Pithing Needle, Grafdigger's Cage, Winter Orb, Null Rod (in a pinch). I will try to craft up a deck soon.
Stuff like Polymorph, Reweave and Proteus Staff seem underutilized in EDH. Deepglow Skate seems perfect for these effects with Derevi as 1-2 Planeswalker ultimates put you ridiculously far ahead.
(Rough Decklist Idea - Not completed)
Commander (1)
1x Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Ramp (10)
1x Selenya Signet
1x Simic Signet
1x Azorius Signet
1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Crypt
1x Grim Monolith
1x Mana Vault
1x Thran Dynamo
1x Copy Artifact
1x Mox Diamond
Control (12)
1x Wrath of God
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Evacuation
1x Terminus
1x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Path to Exile
1x Swan Song
1x Pact of Negation
1x Muddle the Mixture
1x Force of Will
1x Mana Drain
Manipulation (9)
1x Brainstorm
1x Scroll Rack
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Thirst for Knowledge
1x Dig Through Time
1x Crucible of Worlds
1x Temporal Mastery
1x Temporal Manipulation
1x Time Warp
Land (need 35 updating)
1x Tundra
1x Tropical Island
1x Savannah
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Breeding Pool
1x Temple Garden
1x Boseju, Who Shelters All
1x Command Tower
1x Academy Ruins
1x Buried Ruin
1x Polluted Delta
1x Flooded Strand
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Windswept Heath
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Arid Mesa
1x Island
1x Forest
1x Plains
1x Strip Mine
1x Ancient Tomb
1x Inventor's Fair
I like combo. I like aggro strategy. I like locks. What I don't like is when people say commander should be played this or that way when you are fine within the rules to play this or that way. I think the biggest issue with the format is the lack of a cohesive set of rules. Some metagames allow this, some allow that. There is no uniform scoring system for tournaments. It makes it very hard to build a competitive deck and say it's competitive if every store plays by a different set of rules.
I have been looking at Thada Adel, Acquisitioner with an extra turn type deck. So far few lists I see with her incorporate extra turn spells yet it seems by chaining 1 or 2 could put you far enough ahead to win a game with ease by also robbing a few mana rocks.
The general deck outline would be;
~10 extra turn spells.
~12-15 mana rocks (to get a 2nd turn Thada every game)
~lots of counterspells, card draw and combo pieces.
An advantage of Thada as general is there would be many avenues to victory. For instance, about everyone plays sensei's divining top in EDH. With Thada you can tutor for the top once you have a lock. If you happened to draw Future Sight and have Etherium Scuptor / Helm of Awakening you win on the spot. Most decent storm/blue control decks also play Grim Monolith. With Grim Monolith in available with a Thada successful attack you can play a 1 card combo with Power Artifact with your general.
The deck would look to go off turn 3 or 4 every game basically after Thada connects once. You'd have multiple combo pieces depending on opponent's artifacts. The issue with the deck would be understanding the opponent's decks enough to know who to steal cards from.
What do you guys think? I think a deck with Thada could conceivably be very consistent.
The ability to go turn order
Turn 1) ponder/preordain/serum visions/brainstorm/cheap rock
Turn 2) mana rock + thada (holding a potential counterspell backup)
Turn 3) swing w/ thada + grab and cast opponent rock then cast extra turn with the ~6-9 available mana.
This seems really consistent and easily doable. If you don't get the nuts draw you can sit back and rely on control and sculpting your hand for eventual Thada swinging.
Is Thada underrepresented in EDH? The major downside I feel is people hate having things stolen. Also Homeward Path/Maze of Ith would be a bummer.
I think these are all good responses. What I wonder is with card printing being for profit, many of the invention cards are only playable in eternal formats such as commander/vintage. The fact a foiled sol ring can command over $100 for a casual format indicates players enjoy playing older cards. (Nobody honestly really still plays vintage from what I understand).
This means if there is a market for it, there is a player base for it. If there's a player base for it there is probably a competitive need for members of that player base.
How would you fill a competitive need for these players while also having an enjoyable format?
This last statement is why I feel there is an opportunity here. Also I feel if there is a competitive angle you'll start to see older, staple eternal cards rise in price. How this could be done is the question.
EDH is much different than any other mtg format. You have 100 card decks, 1 card max excluding basic lands which have no max.
Like many MTG players I am a collector of cards, which means I have at most one of a lot of cards I have ordered. What seems to limit my deckbuilding most of all is the randomness of EDH. I always want to build something consistent. Other mtg competitive formats lean towards playing playsets. EDH doesn't because there's a limit of 1 card max excluding basic lands.
Has there ever been any discussion of allowing playsets of up to 4 in commander for cards of certain rarities? For instance, if EDH allowed up to 4 commons and 2 uncommons of a single card rather than have all 1s would this break the format? Obviously certain cards at common or uncommon may be too powerful in multiples. But this could be resolved by a restricted list for common/uncommon.
What this would allow
1) more consistent overall deck strategies.
2) stronger decks for players on a budget.
3) Allow people who play other mtg formats to actually use former playsets collecting dust
By more consistent deck strategies I mean you could build decks based on playset types/effects. For instance 4 Peregrine Drakes from ENM with 1 Deadeye Navigator you tutor for could allow you to more consistantly find your combo for a newer player without $20-50 dollar tutors. For the more invested player they'd still play the $20-50 tutors but have a harder time with the guy with 4 Peregrine drakes.
Players on a budget then could find the powerful commons for cheaper than chase rares. They could use these to build a deck relying on certain card combinations.
Finally this would allow monocolored deck strategies to be more to be viable. Also this would allow people who play other mtg formats to actually be able to use old playsets gathering dust.
Why I think adding playsets of commons/uncommons could fill a niche.
1) I like others like playing with older, broken cards like sol ring/mana vault. It's nostalgiac. It's fun.
2) I don't want to drop hundreds of dollars on a legacy deck.
3) vintage nobody ever plays and there's no other format to play many older, cheap broken cards in.
4) many people like to collect older mtg cards. It's more than a hobby it's an investment. Some of these people happen to be competitive players. Adding playsets of commons/uncommons would allow a more competitive less random format for those collectors who want something more competitive.
So basically you'd have multiplayer vintage including the edh banned list.
Up to 4 of each common, 2 uncommon and 1 rare with a restricted list for problem commons/uncommons.
EDH is as diverse as a card game can get. You literally choose between thousands of cards with near infinite deck possibilities. To top it off because it is multiplayer there are issues with ever making it competitive. If you host a multiplayer event people inevitably cheat, and gang up on others.
How can a multiplayer game like EDH be made competitive and eliminate collaborating/collusion at the same time if that is even possible?
Some tournaments use an achievement system to gather achievements before victory. So you can win the tournament but never really win a game. I think this takes away from the competitive aspect.
Make it so each player someone kills in a pod provides a point to the victor. This way if two friends are in a pod they can't collude as easily for first and second place? Aka not enough points can go around if both players who know each other in advance want to progress to the next round by teaming up in a single pod.
For instance, 4 players are in a pod. There are 4 points to go around. 1 for playing and 3 max for each other opponent. If you kill someone you get 1 point. Though collusion and cheating the system would still exist it would be more challenging than having a place determined like 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th based on when you lost. That type of format means whoever is in a winning position to take out a table can pick which of their buddies ends up 2nd.
How does your local tournament organize a point/placing system for edh tournaments?
So I am trying to build a rather unique Zur type deck. The general strategy I want to use will be Voltron. Understandably Voltron Zur is one of the weaker strategies. Yet I want to build around Sigarda's Aid.
The idea will be, play Zur and grab Sigarda's Aid. Then if an opponent declares an attack, looks over at you, you drop an aura like Pacifism, Prison Term, etc. (there are many of these type of effects in white).
If you don't get attacked or the opponent does not yet have a menacing creature out at end of turn you flash out an equipment for Zur.
This is the general idea of the deck. I am wondering what would go well with it?
Ideas could include Worldslayer with stuff to make Zur and auras/equipment indestructable to lock everyone else out. (finally a deck where Worldslayer may not be an overpowered piece of junk).
I would like to even fit in Humility and make it work somehow. Assuming I play a few wrath and armageddon effects the board/game state locks could be even more potent.
Some additional ideas to consider...
1) retether and replenish would be potent for longer games. Retether could also replay all of our aura effects for using on opponent's creatures.
2) stoneforge mystic and leonin shikari could be useful.
3) token makers like luminarch ascension would be good.
4) stuff like arcane laboratory, rule of law or eidolon of rhetoric would slow the game down while I can flash out auras.
Sigarda's Aid seems like it could really find a home with Voltron Zur. Anything else I could use or may be useful in a deck such as this?
Ah yes, Proteus Staff is great. Especially with High Tide effects. I could basically setup a combo win the same time I use it by chaining draw spells.
I am thinking also I could double down on win cons which create Polymorph targets. For instance I could play Treachery. It would do 3 things at once for me. Generate mana, steal a problem creature and make a Polymorph target. Vedalken Shackles will also be good.
This deck will definitely be fun to further brew after I work later.
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is a unique card. I am contemplating building a Jace deck where I play Polymorph effects to tutor for Palinchron in a High Tide shell. I like using quirky but powerful strategies with deck building. Basically abusing cards many consider janky and also making them very consistantly powerful.
Has anyone with any experience with High Tide Jace let me know if this is an interesting alternative strategy worth trying?
With 7 Islands out I can go infinite with Palinchron by recasting it, no Dead Eye Navigator required.
With Jace out + Polymorph in hand and 7 islands in play with a High Tide effect we tap two islands, float 10 blue mana then put Palinchron in play able to untap 14 blue worth of mana. That is 24 mana to utilize with a tutorable Palinchron. This is assuming we play one creature (Palinchron) + have a mana double effect in play and a Polymorph/Reweave card effect in hand.
Ways to grab Reweave or Polymorph
1) Personal Tutor
2) Mystical Tutor
3) Long Term Plans
Ways to grab mana doubler artifacts (Gauntlet of Power, Caged Sun and Extrapolator Lens)
1) Transmute Artifact
2) Fabricate
3) Reshape
4) Long Term Plans
Though the deck itself will develop slowly it should focus on controlling the board early game with many control cards while it digs for the combo. The deck itself will never win fast but can conceivably be chock full of counterspells to prevent any faster combo deck from winning while I build up my board state.
Questions before I put this deck idea together
1) Assuming Palinchron is exiled/removed how do I win?
2) Assuming infinite mana how do I reliably win? Blue Sun Zenith?
3) Would this be too fragile of a combo relying heavily on Palinchron?
4) Can mono blue reliably win without utilizing Laboratory Maniac and one other creature? (I suppose I could get creative with infinite extra turns and a planeswalker such as Karn?)
If the people who are liked most by the store are arrogant jerks then don't go. It's up to the store to promote a good, fun playing environment and it sounds like a toxic store to be honest. I know at my store there are arrogant jerks. They think and act like they are better. When I beat them they get sour too. If they irritate me I just say, "well guess I was just better" to get under their skin. If magic is the only thing in their life and for some it sounds like it is then all you can do is laugh and their sad life.
I was recently looking at cards and came across an interesting one....Tomorrow Azami's Familiar. It turns every card draw into an Anticipate effect. Has anyone had experience with this general?
I plan on theory crafting a deck utilizing ones of many different combo pieces. He seems amazing for digging for a specific card. For instance, with him out all you'd need is theoretically draw 30 or so cards to cycle through your deck once. (Assuming you have drawn 3 cards before you have your engine going).
I am wondering what route to take. He seems amazing with something like Possessed Portal (you aren't drawing I believe so the portal wouldn't effect you) Also Windfall with a hand of 7 would allow you to dig 21 cards deep.
A mana shell could be
Dead Eye Navigator + Palinchron
Pila Pala + Grand Architect
Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal
High Tide + other stuff
Basically you could fill the rest of the deck with counter magic, card draw and a sole Laboratory Maniac. Once you assemble your infinite mana combination you draw enough to safely dig for lab man and win.
In my opinion a deck is competitive when it can win through heavy opponent disruption. In EDH when one player is seen as an immediate threat, the table primarily will gravitate towards stopping them. If a deck can survive through that pressure and advance its own gameplan, then potentially win that is a good deck in the metagame. Aka everyone knows it's coming but people cannot stop it. I say in that metagame because all metagames are different and some are more competitive than others.
I am currently in the process of building an Sharuum the Hegemon deck with Aetherflux Reservoir.
I believe a deck that utilizes Sharuum blinking could be highly consistant and powerful for competitive EDH with Aetherflux.
Why?
Typically the Sharuum blink package includes 3 creatures, 1 artifact and 1 sorcery which benefit from Sharuum ETB infinite triggers when you play a clone.
These are, Blood Artist, Disciple of the Vault, Zulaport Cutthroat, Altar of the Brood and Bitter Ordeal. Having 5 ways to win once you blink Sharuum is great. Adding 5 more is even better. Soul Warden, Suture Priest, Pious Evangel, Soul's Attendant and Auriok's Champion.
How do these five lifegain effects win for you? -> Aetherflux Reservoir. You pay your life to kill your opponents.
Fortunately for Sharuum Aetherflux is already an artifact. This means Sharuum can recur it, we can use 10+ efficient tutors to dig for it, and reliably have it every game. If it is exiled you can still win via damage, exile or mill via zulaport, blood artist, disciple of the vault, altar of the brood and Bitter Ordeal.
Also, black just so happens to utilize life as a resource better than most any other color. This means the lifegain is double effective when playing things like for instance Ad Nauseum / Sign in Blood / Ancient Craving.
So let's think of a core build.
~10 cards that benefit from blinking listed earlier
~10 tutors (Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Grim Tutor with stuff like Reshape, Transmute Artifact, Fabricate, Enlightened Tutor and even like Inventor's Fair)
~6 clones (Sculpting Steel, Copy Artifact, Phyrexian Metamorph, Stunt Double, Clone, Mercurial Pretender)
Ad Nauseum draw Package (Angel's Grace + Ad
Nauseum )
Additional Draw (stuff like barter in blood and ambition's cost)
Removal
Anguished Unmaking / Toxic Deluge / etc
More stuff is a possibility such as Artificier's intuition /intuition / tribket mage)
With her I am considering cards that
1) Tax all opponents (Rhystic Study, Rishadan Cutpurse)
2) Have alternative casting costs (Force of Will, Misdirection)
3) tempt (Tempt cards like Tempt of Discovery / Expropriate )
She can force your opponent into a situation where they have to expend resources to kill her and you gain resources through defending her.
Like imagine this scenario;
Turn 1: drop fetch -> trop --> cast birds
Turn 2: drop forest -> Mox diamond (pitch land) -> drop Rashmi
Opponent's turn
Opponent -> (attempt removal spell on Rashmi)
You -> play Misdirection (pitch random blue spell. Misdirect removal to something else.)
Rashmi triggers into Rishadan Cutpurse off the top / all opponents sac a permanent.
(Turn 2 you now have an overwhelming board state already that will probably snowball into worse and worse things for all opponents at that table)
I also feel she has amazing synergy with stuff like Momir and Edric.
Hmm, I really like cards like Force of will/Misdirection/Foil/Commandeer with Rashmi. They basically are free counterspells because at the very least you draw a card. I would definitely see about going a route with Leyline of Anticipation/Vedalken Orrery as well with cards like Burgeoning.
Also Mind's Dilation is ridiculous in EDH already and compounded with Rashmi it is even more ridiculous. Cast a card off an opponent's deck, then play a card off yours without spending any mana. That sounds broken. You could even throw in Scroll Rack with Rashmi to further the ridiculousness.
I imagine a deck utilizing this strategy would be potent and difficult to stop. Emblems cannot be destroyed or removed. Derevi is always available in command zone for 4 mana.
Furthermore the deck could utilize Humility effectively. By having 1-2 planeswalkers out and dropping Humility you basically turn many EDH decks to a pile of nothing. Board wipes such as wraths would not really hurt you and extra turns are great with planeswalkers.
There would even be spots for silver bullet artifacts like Pithing Needle, Grafdigger's Cage, Winter Orb, Null Rod (in a pinch). I will try to craft up a deck soon.
Stuff like Polymorph, Reweave and Proteus Staff seem underutilized in EDH. Deepglow Skate seems perfect for these effects with Derevi as 1-2 Planeswalker ultimates put you ridiculously far ahead.
(Rough Decklist Idea - Not completed)
Commander (1)
1x Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
The Combo (4)
1x Deepglow Skate
1x Polymorph
1x Reweave
1x Proteus Staff
The Planeswalkers (12)
1x Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1x Tamiyo, The Moon Sage
1x Narset, Transcendent
1x Tamiyo, Field Researcher
1x Tezzeret, the Seeker
1x Teferi, Temporal Archmage
1x Ugin, The Spirit Dragon
1x Karn, Liberated
1x Jace, The Mind Sculpter
1x Nissa Vital Force
1x Elspeth, Knight Errant
1x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
Tutors (9)
1x Personal Tutor
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Merchant Scroll
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Idyllic Tutor
1x Call The Gatewatch
1x Fabricate
1x Transmute Artifact
1x Reshape
Lock Pieces (8)
1x Pitching Needle
1x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Winter Orb
1x Null Rod
1x Trinisphere
1x Static Orb
1x Tangle Wire
1x Humility
Ramp (10)
1x Selenya Signet
1x Simic Signet
1x Azorius Signet
1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Crypt
1x Grim Monolith
1x Mana Vault
1x Thran Dynamo
1x Copy Artifact
1x Mox Diamond
Control (12)
1x Wrath of God
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Evacuation
1x Terminus
1x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Path to Exile
1x Swan Song
1x Pact of Negation
1x Muddle the Mixture
1x Force of Will
1x Mana Drain
Manipulation (9)
1x Brainstorm
1x Scroll Rack
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Thirst for Knowledge
1x Dig Through Time
1x Crucible of Worlds
1x Temporal Mastery
1x Temporal Manipulation
1x Time Warp
Land (need 35 updating)
1x Tundra
1x Tropical Island
1x Savannah
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Breeding Pool
1x Temple Garden
1x Boseju, Who Shelters All
1x Command Tower
1x Academy Ruins
1x Buried Ruin
1x Polluted Delta
1x Flooded Strand
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Windswept Heath
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Arid Mesa
1x Island
1x Forest
1x Plains
1x Strip Mine
1x Ancient Tomb
1x Inventor's Fair
The general deck outline would be;
~10 extra turn spells.
~12-15 mana rocks (to get a 2nd turn Thada every game)
~lots of counterspells, card draw and combo pieces.
An advantage of Thada as general is there would be many avenues to victory. For instance, about everyone plays sensei's divining top in EDH. With Thada you can tutor for the top once you have a lock. If you happened to draw Future Sight and have Etherium Scuptor / Helm of Awakening you win on the spot. Most decent storm/blue control decks also play Grim Monolith. With Grim Monolith in available with a Thada successful attack you can play a 1 card combo with Power Artifact with your general.
The deck would look to go off turn 3 or 4 every game basically after Thada connects once. You'd have multiple combo pieces depending on opponent's artifacts. The issue with the deck would be understanding the opponent's decks enough to know who to steal cards from.
What do you guys think? I think a deck with Thada could conceivably be very consistent.
The ability to go turn order
Turn 1) ponder/preordain/serum visions/brainstorm/cheap rock
Turn 2) mana rock + thada (holding a potential counterspell backup)
Turn 3) swing w/ thada + grab and cast opponent rock then cast extra turn with the ~6-9 available mana.
This seems really consistent and easily doable. If you don't get the nuts draw you can sit back and rely on control and sculpting your hand for eventual Thada swinging.
Is Thada underrepresented in EDH? The major downside I feel is people hate having things stolen. Also Homeward Path/Maze of Ith would be a bummer.
This means if there is a market for it, there is a player base for it. If there's a player base for it there is probably a competitive need for members of that player base.
How would you fill a competitive need for these players while also having an enjoyable format?
This last statement is why I feel there is an opportunity here. Also I feel if there is a competitive angle you'll start to see older, staple eternal cards rise in price. How this could be done is the question.
Like many MTG players I am a collector of cards, which means I have at most one of a lot of cards I have ordered. What seems to limit my deckbuilding most of all is the randomness of EDH. I always want to build something consistent. Other mtg competitive formats lean towards playing playsets. EDH doesn't because there's a limit of 1 card max excluding basic lands.
Has there ever been any discussion of allowing playsets of up to 4 in commander for cards of certain rarities? For instance, if EDH allowed up to 4 commons and 2 uncommons of a single card rather than have all 1s would this break the format? Obviously certain cards at common or uncommon may be too powerful in multiples. But this could be resolved by a restricted list for common/uncommon.
What this would allow
1) more consistent overall deck strategies.
2) stronger decks for players on a budget.
3) Allow people who play other mtg formats to actually use former playsets collecting dust
By more consistent deck strategies I mean you could build decks based on playset types/effects. For instance 4 Peregrine Drakes from ENM with 1 Deadeye Navigator you tutor for could allow you to more consistantly find your combo for a newer player without $20-50 dollar tutors. For the more invested player they'd still play the $20-50 tutors but have a harder time with the guy with 4 Peregrine drakes.
Players on a budget then could find the powerful commons for cheaper than chase rares. They could use these to build a deck relying on certain card combinations.
Finally this would allow monocolored deck strategies to be more to be viable. Also this would allow people who play other mtg formats to actually be able to use old playsets gathering dust.
Why I think adding playsets of commons/uncommons could fill a niche.
1) I like others like playing with older, broken cards like sol ring/mana vault. It's nostalgiac. It's fun.
2) I don't want to drop hundreds of dollars on a legacy deck.
3) vintage nobody ever plays and there's no other format to play many older, cheap broken cards in.
4) many people like to collect older mtg cards. It's more than a hobby it's an investment. Some of these people happen to be competitive players. Adding playsets of commons/uncommons would allow a more competitive less random format for those collectors who want something more competitive.
So basically you'd have multiplayer vintage including the edh banned list.
Up to 4 of each common, 2 uncommon and 1 rare with a restricted list for problem commons/uncommons.
How can a multiplayer game like EDH be made competitive and eliminate collaborating/collusion at the same time if that is even possible?
Some tournaments use an achievement system to gather achievements before victory. So you can win the tournament but never really win a game. I think this takes away from the competitive aspect.
Make it so each player someone kills in a pod provides a point to the victor. This way if two friends are in a pod they can't collude as easily for first and second place? Aka not enough points can go around if both players who know each other in advance want to progress to the next round by teaming up in a single pod.
For instance, 4 players are in a pod. There are 4 points to go around. 1 for playing and 3 max for each other opponent. If you kill someone you get 1 point. Though collusion and cheating the system would still exist it would be more challenging than having a place determined like 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th based on when you lost. That type of format means whoever is in a winning position to take out a table can pick which of their buddies ends up 2nd.
How does your local tournament organize a point/placing system for edh tournaments?
The idea will be, play Zur and grab Sigarda's Aid. Then if an opponent declares an attack, looks over at you, you drop an aura like Pacifism, Prison Term, etc. (there are many of these type of effects in white).
If you don't get attacked or the opponent does not yet have a menacing creature out at end of turn you flash out an equipment for Zur.
This is the general idea of the deck. I am wondering what would go well with it?
Ideas could include Worldslayer with stuff to make Zur and auras/equipment indestructable to lock everyone else out. (finally a deck where Worldslayer may not be an overpowered piece of junk).
I would like to even fit in Humility and make it work somehow. Assuming I play a few wrath and armageddon effects the board/game state locks could be even more potent.
Some additional ideas to consider...
1) retether and replenish would be potent for longer games. Retether could also replay all of our aura effects for using on opponent's creatures.
2) stoneforge mystic and leonin shikari could be useful.
3) token makers like luminarch ascension would be good.
4) stuff like arcane laboratory, rule of law or eidolon of rhetoric would slow the game down while I can flash out auras.
Sigarda's Aid seems like it could really find a home with Voltron Zur. Anything else I could use or may be useful in a deck such as this?
I am thinking also I could double down on win cons which create Polymorph targets. For instance I could play Treachery. It would do 3 things at once for me. Generate mana, steal a problem creature and make a Polymorph target. Vedalken Shackles will also be good.
This deck will definitely be fun to further brew after I work later.
Has anyone with any experience with High Tide Jace let me know if this is an interesting alternative strategy worth trying?
With 7 Islands out I can go infinite with Palinchron by recasting it, no Dead Eye Navigator required.
With Jace out + Polymorph in hand and 7 islands in play with a High Tide effect we tap two islands, float 10 blue mana then put Palinchron in play able to untap 14 blue worth of mana. That is 24 mana to utilize with a tutorable Palinchron. This is assuming we play one creature (Palinchron) + have a mana double effect in play and a Polymorph/Reweave card effect in hand.
Ways to grab Reweave or Polymorph
1) Personal Tutor
2) Mystical Tutor
3) Long Term Plans
Ways to grab mana doubler artifacts (Gauntlet of Power, Caged Sun and Extrapolator Lens)
1) Transmute Artifact
2) Fabricate
3) Reshape
4) Long Term Plans
Though the deck itself will develop slowly it should focus on controlling the board early game with many control cards while it digs for the combo. The deck itself will never win fast but can conceivably be chock full of counterspells to prevent any faster combo deck from winning while I build up my board state.
Questions before I put this deck idea together
1) Assuming Palinchron is exiled/removed how do I win?
2) Assuming infinite mana how do I reliably win? Blue Sun Zenith?
3) Would this be too fragile of a combo relying heavily on Palinchron?
4) Can mono blue reliably win without utilizing Laboratory Maniac and one other creature? (I suppose I could get creative with infinite extra turns and a planeswalker such as Karn?)
I plan on theory crafting a deck utilizing ones of many different combo pieces. He seems amazing for digging for a specific card. For instance, with him out all you'd need is theoretically draw 30 or so cards to cycle through your deck once. (Assuming you have drawn 3 cards before you have your engine going).
I am wondering what route to take. He seems amazing with something like Possessed Portal (you aren't drawing I believe so the portal wouldn't effect you) Also Windfall with a hand of 7 would allow you to dig 21 cards deep.
A mana shell could be
Dead Eye Navigator + Palinchron
Pila Pala + Grand Architect
Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal
High Tide + other stuff
Basically you could fill the rest of the deck with counter magic, card draw and a sole Laboratory Maniac. Once you assemble your infinite mana combination you draw enough to safely dig for lab man and win.
Thoughts?
I believe a deck that utilizes Sharuum blinking could be highly consistant and powerful for competitive EDH with Aetherflux.
Why?
Typically the Sharuum blink package includes 3 creatures, 1 artifact and 1 sorcery which benefit from Sharuum ETB infinite triggers when you play a clone.
These are, Blood Artist, Disciple of the Vault, Zulaport Cutthroat, Altar of the Brood and Bitter Ordeal. Having 5 ways to win once you blink Sharuum is great. Adding 5 more is even better. Soul Warden, Suture Priest, Pious Evangel, Soul's Attendant and Auriok's Champion.
How do these five lifegain effects win for you? -> Aetherflux Reservoir. You pay your life to kill your opponents.
Fortunately for Sharuum Aetherflux is already an artifact. This means Sharuum can recur it, we can use 10+ efficient tutors to dig for it, and reliably have it every game. If it is exiled you can still win via damage, exile or mill via zulaport, blood artist, disciple of the vault, altar of the brood and Bitter Ordeal.
Also, black just so happens to utilize life as a resource better than most any other color. This means the lifegain is double effective when playing things like for instance Ad Nauseum / Sign in Blood / Ancient Craving.
So let's think of a core build.
~10 cards that benefit from blinking listed earlier
~10 tutors (Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Grim Tutor with stuff like Reshape, Transmute Artifact, Fabricate, Enlightened Tutor and even like Inventor's Fair)
~6 clones (Sculpting Steel, Copy Artifact, Phyrexian Metamorph, Stunt Double, Clone, Mercurial Pretender)
Ad Nauseum draw Package (Angel's Grace + Ad
Nauseum )
Additional Draw (stuff like barter in blood and ambition's cost)
Removal
Anguished Unmaking / Toxic Deluge / etc
More stuff is a possibility such as Artificier's intuition /intuition / tribket mage)
What do you think of a deck concept such as this?
1) Tax all opponents (Rhystic Study, Rishadan Cutpurse)
2) Have alternative casting costs (Force of Will, Misdirection)
3) tempt (Tempt cards like Tempt of Discovery / Expropriate )
She can force your opponent into a situation where they have to expend resources to kill her and you gain resources through defending her.
Like imagine this scenario;
Turn 1: drop fetch -> trop --> cast birds
Turn 2: drop forest -> Mox diamond (pitch land) -> drop Rashmi
Opponent's turn
Opponent -> (attempt removal spell on Rashmi)
You -> play Misdirection (pitch random blue spell. Misdirect removal to something else.)
Rashmi triggers into Rishadan Cutpurse off the top / all opponents sac a permanent.
(Turn 2 you now have an overwhelming board state already that will probably snowball into worse and worse things for all opponents at that table)
I also feel she has amazing synergy with stuff like Momir and Edric.
Also Mind's Dilation is ridiculous in EDH already and compounded with Rashmi it is even more ridiculous. Cast a card off an opponent's deck, then play a card off yours without spending any mana. That sounds broken. You could even throw in Scroll Rack with Rashmi to further the ridiculousness.