Also beralt, in response to your whispersilk cloak vs Dauthi Embrace, personally i prefer Embrace just because i can get multiple creatures with it rather than just the one, plus its also just got a bit more flavor with dakkon (the shadow slayer :P) i know probably a silly justification but just my own weird reasoning
Hey thankyou for your quick reply Beralt and my appologies for the late response to your advice. after taking in what you said i decided i would not reproach the forum without results
you were absolutely correct and in a way i had always known it but refused to accept it. the deck was very esper cookie cutter build. i had the same problem with my original EDH deck just playing a deck full of coloured staples. was only a matter of time until i would have the same problem with this one. Thankyou for bringing it to my attention.
So i went away and made some changes (keeping Dakkon as the general because i love him :P) and tried to build more to his strength and give the deck a theme. I have decided to take it down the lifegain path, including more land ramp (which honestly i could still use more). but the updated decklist
Wincons:
I have added in more win-cons too because the old setup of Dakkon + Double strike + 11 lands was a long slow process and if ruined set me back big time. So i added in these for assistance
Necropolis Regent (for non lifegain/land/double strike creature buff)
Hatred (to go with tainted strike making the potention for a leathal dakkon or any old creature also had good synergy with the lifegain theme)
Felidar Sovereign (no explaination required, not all wins come from swinging :P)
Avacyn, Angel of Hope (not so much a win but it is a hell of a threat, my last game was won by her swinging with a jitte after dakkon got tucked)
Land Ramp
I added more in those as i stated it may not be enough, tho i suppose time will tell. my last game with the deck i was far ahead of everyone else in terms of mana (including a sharuum deck which ramps hardcore) so the ramp may be sufficient, but again at this stage, i dunno (would love opinions on this particular topic).
Crucible of Worlds (obvious choice yet again, recur my fetches or any discarded lands. Also reason i added the Expanse)
Druidic Satchel (was in the deck, then taken out and now back again, had much fun with this and sensei's, hence my ramp last play test :P, also has the lifegain synergy too)
Solemn Simulacrum (obvious again, should have been running from the start, foolish me :S)
Expedition Map (only reason im running this over the bauble is that im afraid of running out of basics and any land is always a good choice)
Thawing Glaciers (Again a no brainer considering im running deserted temple. another reason i added more basics)
these land ramp additions made me up the basic land count so i dont run out just as i gain some momentum.
my first playtest with this new build went incredibly well (luck probably :P) where i was dominating the game on the major offensive and gaining heaps of life. unfortunately dakkon got tucked so i could not end the game before my field got wiped, however despite losing everything i was still able to push back the onslaught of 4 players trying to eliminate me (even killing one in the meantime) before i pulled avacyn with a jitte and then bribed out a Craterhoof Behemoth and Rite of Replication kicked to swing the other 3 for the win. Druidic Satchel i think was the real standout with Exquisite Blood, Drogskol Reaver and Rhystic Study as close behind in terms of how helpful they were.
Im looking at possibly replacing Ashling, the Extinguisher and Medomai the Ageless if i can find something better and more appropriate but both these card have served me very well in this deck thus far. i know the deck still runs a whole bunch of staples but i tried my best to remove the ones i felt unnecessary but if there are others you think replaceable id love to hear your opinion.
Thankyou again for all your help, it makes it easier to improve your deck by hearing what others think, so please continue the critiquing
Im new to this forum so please inform me if im doing anything wrong or odd but i joined to help recieve advice on my decks and share whatever knowledge i have to offer to those interested in it.
Which leads me to the Deck. Dakkon Blackblade is one of my absolute favourite cards in all of MTG, naturally it was a prime choice for an EDH deck for me considering it also came in my favourite shard as well (i mean who doesnt love esper :P).
So im looking to continue to refine this deck further but first just a quick explanation of some of my decisions.
HOW I PLAY IT
Originally this deck was build as a control/voltron deck however as time has gone on the deck has lost a few of the more voltron elements that it use to run (e.g more swords, kaldra set ect.) just because i found that dakkon's natural buff was more often the reason for his fatal attacks, many games i would not even get a piece of equipment on him and he was alpha striking the table, thus i removed most of them.
In the early game, as stated, the deck plays control. removing threats, playing my own minor threats, countering dangerous plays and drawing into my needed win cons as control deck would behave. with my playgroup being mostly multiplayer it can be relatively easy to ghost under the radar until its time to kill. it can perform well in a one on one but you need some good draws
Sorin Markov (puts them in a more reasonable swing range)
Umezawa's Jitte (i mean come on, this card does insane things, i have won off a glen elendra with it)
The rest is basically counters, removal, draw, disruption, copying and stealing, everything needed to keep my opponents busy while the shadow takes it's place
hopefully its all pretty straightforward but if there is anything that needs clarification dont hesitate to ask :). i have had this deck for a long time and refined it quite alot which makes it harder to make changes. and im looking for some fresh ideas. i am looking at adding Necropolis Regent as it could help put Dakkon in lethal range quickly or even turn a minor threat into a 'poo your pants' powerhouse, but would love some outside (and more experted :P) opinons
you were absolutely correct and in a way i had always known it but refused to accept it. the deck was very esper cookie cutter build. i had the same problem with my original EDH deck just playing a deck full of coloured staples. was only a matter of time until i would have the same problem with this one. Thankyou for bringing it to my attention.
So i went away and made some changes (keeping Dakkon as the general because i love him :P) and tried to build more to his strength and give the deck a theme. I have decided to take it down the lifegain path, including more land ramp (which honestly i could still use more). but the updated decklist
6 Dakkon Blackblade
Land x37
5x Plains
4x Swamp
5x Island
1x Arcane Sanctum
1x Marsh Flats
1x Polluted Delta
1x Flooded Strand
1x Godless Shrine
1x Watery Grave
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Drowned Catacomb
1x Glacial Fortress
1x Sunken Ruins
1x Mystic Gate
1x Command Tower
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Thespian's Stage
1x Winding Canyons
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Academy Ruins
1x Deserted Temple
1x Strip Mine
1x Myriad Landscape
1x Thawing Glaciers
Creatures x22
1 Mother of Runes
2 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
2 Grand Abolisher
3 Augury Adept
3 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
3 Daxos of Meletis
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
4 Clever Impersonator
4 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Ashling, the Extinguisher
5 Skithiryx, The Blight Dragon
5 Archangel of Thune
6 Archetype of Imagination
6 Medomai the Ageless
6 Arcanis the Omnipotent
6 Felidar Sovereign
6 Necropolis Regent
6 Pontiff of Blight
7 Drogskol Reaver
8 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
10 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Expedition Map
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Lightning Greaves
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Chromatic Lantern
3 Druidic Satchel
5 Gilded Lotus
Instants x13
0 Pact of Negation
1 Tainted Strike
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
2 Cyclonic Rift
3 Hinder
3 Forbid
4 Cryptic Command
4 Fact or Fiction
4 Return to Dust
4 Utter End
5 Hatred
Sorcery x9
1 Reanimate
2 Demonic Tutor
3 Praetor's Grasp
3 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Wrath of God
4 Damnation
4 Rite of Replication
5 Bribery
6 Terminus
3 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
7 Karn Liberated
Enchantments x7
3 Dauthi Embrace
3 Rhystic Study
3 Necropotence
4 Cradle of Vitality
4 Leyline of Anticipation
5 Exquisite Blood
6 True Conviction
the average cmc is 3.7 so it hasnt gone up, rather stayed about the same (which is good i suppose :P)
Lifegain:
as you could probably see more creatures have been added with lifelink and cards such as Archangel of Thune, Cradle of Vitality and Drogskol Reaver to take advantage of the life gain which can not only make me harder to kill but buff my dakkon or another creature if needed (Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon or Avacyn, Angel of Hope being prime targets). The lifegain build also had some existing synergy with my old deck build such as True Conviction,Daxos of Meletis, Necropotence and Ajani, Caller of the Pride (obviously the ult).
Wincons:
I have added in more win-cons too because the old setup of Dakkon + Double strike + 11 lands was a long slow process and if ruined set me back big time. So i added in these for assistance
Land Ramp
I added more in those as i stated it may not be enough, tho i suppose time will tell. my last game with the deck i was far ahead of everyone else in terms of mana (including a sharuum deck which ramps hardcore) so the ramp may be sufficient, but again at this stage, i dunno (would love opinions on this particular topic).
these land ramp additions made me up the basic land count so i dont run out just as i gain some momentum.
my first playtest with this new build went incredibly well (luck probably :P) where i was dominating the game on the major offensive and gaining heaps of life. unfortunately dakkon got tucked so i could not end the game before my field got wiped, however despite losing everything i was still able to push back the onslaught of 4 players trying to eliminate me (even killing one in the meantime) before i pulled avacyn with a jitte and then bribed out a Craterhoof Behemoth and Rite of Replication kicked to swing the other 3 for the win. Druidic Satchel i think was the real standout with Exquisite Blood, Drogskol Reaver and Rhystic Study as close behind in terms of how helpful they were.
Im looking at possibly replacing Ashling, the Extinguisher and Medomai the Ageless if i can find something better and more appropriate but both these card have served me very well in this deck thus far. i know the deck still runs a whole bunch of staples but i tried my best to remove the ones i felt unnecessary but if there are others you think replaceable id love to hear your opinion.
Thankyou again for all your help, it makes it easier to improve your deck by hearing what others think, so please continue the critiquing
EDIT:
-1 Terramorphic Expanse
+1 Myriad Landscape
Im new to this forum so please inform me if im doing anything wrong or odd but i joined to help recieve advice on my decks and share whatever knowledge i have to offer to those interested in it.
Which leads me to the Deck. Dakkon Blackblade is one of my absolute favourite cards in all of MTG, naturally it was a prime choice for an EDH deck for me considering it also came in my favourite shard as well (i mean who doesnt love esper :P).
The current build, as organised in cmc
6 Dakkon Blackblade
Land x38
3x Plains
3x Swamp
5x Island
1x Arcane Sanctum
1x Marsh Flats
1x Polluted Delta
1x Flooded Strand
1x Godless Shrine
1x Watery Grave
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Drowned Catacomb
1x Glacial Fortress
1x Sunken Ruins
1x Mystic Gate
1x Command Tower
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Mana Confluence
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Cabal Coffers
1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1x Thespian's Stage
1x Winding Canyons
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Academy Ruins
1x Deserted Temple
1x Strip Mine
1x Rogue's Passage
1x Temple of the False God
1 Mother of Runes
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
2 Grand Abolisher
3 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
3 Daxos of Meletis
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
3 Silverblade Paladin
4 Clever Impersonator
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Ashling, the Extinguisher
5 Skithiryx, The Blight Dragon
5 Bloodgift Demon
5 Chainer, Dementia Master
6 Archetype of Imagination
6 Medomai the Ageless
6 Arcanis the Omnipotent
6 Consecrated Sphinx
8 Myojin of Night's Reach
10 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Artifacts x8
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Lightning Greaves
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
3 Chromatic Lantern
4 Thran Dynamo
5 Gilded Lotus
Instants x14
0 Pact of Negation
1 Tainted Strike
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
2 Cyclonic Rift
3 Spell Crumple
3 Hinder
3 Forbid
4 Cryptic Command
4 Memory Plunder
4 Fact or Fiction
4 Return to Dust
4 Utter End
2 Demonic Tutor
3 Praetor's Grasp
3 Yawgmoth's Will
3 Vindicate
4 Wrath of God
4 Damnation
4 Rite of Replication
5 Bribery
6 Terminus
Planeswalker x4
3 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
6 Sorin Markov
7 Karn Liberated
Enchantments x6
2 Bitterblossom
3 Dauthi Embrace
3 Rhystic Study
3 Necropotence
5 Future Sight
6 True Conviction
So im looking to continue to refine this deck further but first just a quick explanation of some of my decisions.
HOW I PLAY IT
Originally this deck was build as a control/voltron deck however as time has gone on the deck has lost a few of the more voltron elements that it use to run (e.g more swords, kaldra set ect.) just because i found that dakkon's natural buff was more often the reason for his fatal attacks, many games i would not even get a piece of equipment on him and he was alpha striking the table, thus i removed most of them.
In the early game, as stated, the deck plays control. removing threats, playing my own minor threats, countering dangerous plays and drawing into my needed win cons as control deck would behave. with my playgroup being mostly multiplayer it can be relatively easy to ghost under the radar until its time to kill. it can perform well in a one on one but you need some good draws
i use card such as Ashling, the Extinguisher, Medomai the Ageless and Daxos of Meletis as my minor threats that can take advantage of the double strike and/or evasion. with Tainted Strike for when i can hit lethal infect (with dakkon or not) and Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon as an alternative finisher if dakkon isn't available or the opportunity presents itself.
CARD CATEGORIES
Double strike Enablers
Evasion
Alternate Win-Cons
The rest is basically counters, removal, draw, disruption, copying and stealing, everything needed to keep my opponents busy while the shadow takes it's place
hopefully its all pretty straightforward but if there is anything that needs clarification dont hesitate to ask :). i have had this deck for a long time and refined it quite alot which makes it harder to make changes. and im looking for some fresh ideas. i am looking at adding Necropolis Regent as it could help put Dakkon in lethal range quickly or even turn a minor threat into a 'poo your pants' powerhouse, but would love some outside (and more experted :P) opinons
Thankyou in advance