Even if it doesn't look like it, Blisterpod and Loam Dryad are very important and you want one of them on turn 1. They are very important in the more explosive draws that do not have a Cryptolith rite. Rogue's Passage is a better win con than Behind the Scenes as there is not really a good way to deal with it and it gives straight up unblockable (very important against weenie and token builds). With no Collected Company, you are free to add removal. Grasp of Darkness and Ultimate Price are both great in this deck (especially since they kill Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. The mana is similar to LSV's with one more tap land. It makes casting Grasp on curve hard, but you generally don't want to cast it on curve unless you really need to deal with a one or two drop. The only one that needs to be dealt with is Jace, but he is not as good on curve as he use to be since he will not flip immediately.
I'm playing a variant of EDH with my play group using planeswalkers as generals. Other than no commander damage, we don't really have big rule changes. I need help building a Xenagos, the Reveler deck. I know I want it to be a ramp deck, but I'm not sure how to start. Any ideas?
I am curious if this means that dfc rares are basically mythic (since they are printed as frequently) and dcf commons/uncommons are almost rares. I understand the commons/uncommons won't hold huge prices since they are not as good as the regular rares for the most part, but I imagine Thing in the Ice and Westvale Abbey could both hold mythic price levels since they are just as rare and very playable. Am I wrong about this?
So, I am looking at building a Zedruu the Greathearted EDH deck and I had a question about planeswalkers. I know you generally wouldn't want to pass of a planeswalker, but if I were to donate jace, the mind sculptor in response to attacks being declared, would it still take damage? Also, would it matter if I passed it off to the attacking player or another opponent?
I think Hangarback Walker holds a very similar position as these sultai emissary and carrier thrall. The evasion of the token is probably not as good as the other two options, but it isn't much worse. The advantage of Hangarback, of course, is it has great top end potential. It takes very little to make it worth while and it is great at most points of the curve. I would almost always rather top deck a hangar back than the other two (although emissary is nice to possibly get you to a relevant creature at that point.
I have been messing around with four color a lot and this is hat I have come up with. The mana is actually pretty consistent, but it can be a little awkward trying to play something on turn one and turn two. I think there is probably a better way to get the mana dawn, but I am far from an expert on deck building.
Obviously the sideboard is very rough, but it is hard to build one with no idea what the meta will look like in a couple weeks. I've had some success with this so far, but I know it can be better and probably more focused. Let me know what you guys think!
4x Blisterpod
4x Catacomb Sifter
4x Duskwatch Recruiter
4x Elvish Visionary
1x Fleshbag Marauder
4x Loam Dryad
4x Nantuko Husk
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
3x Cryptolith Rite
1x Triskaidekaphobia
Instants (4)
2x Ultimate Price
2x Grasp of Darkness
Land (23)
8x Forest
2x Foul Orchard
3x Hissing Quagmire
3x Llanowar Wastes
4x Swamp
3x Rogue's Passage
Even if it doesn't look like it, Blisterpod and Loam Dryad are very important and you want one of them on turn 1. They are very important in the more explosive draws that do not have a Cryptolith rite. Rogue's Passage is a better win con than Behind the Scenes as there is not really a good way to deal with it and it gives straight up unblockable (very important against weenie and token builds). With no Collected Company, you are free to add removal. Grasp of Darkness and Ultimate Price are both great in this deck (especially since they kill Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. The mana is similar to LSV's with one more tap land. It makes casting Grasp on curve hard, but you generally don't want to cast it on curve unless you really need to deal with a one or two drop. The only one that needs to be dealt with is Jace, but he is not as good on curve as he use to be since he will not flip immediately.
Yeah, I already swapped out the citadels for 1 marsh and 1 foothills, but swapping the foothills and heaths was a good idea.
2x Canopy Vista
1x Caves of Koilos
2x Cinder Glade
3x Forest
4x Llanowar Wastes
1x Plains
1x smoldering marsh
3x Shambling Vent
3x Swamp
2x Windswept Heath
4x Wooded Foothills
4x Blisterpod
3x Bloodsoaked Champion
4x Butcher of the Horde
3x Carrier Thrall
3x Catacomb Sifter
2x Hangarback Walker
3x Smothering Abomination
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
Enchantment (6)
4x Abzan Ascendancy
2x Evolutionary Leap
Instant (3)
3x Crackling Doom
2x Kolaghan's Command
1x Murderous Cut
3x Outpost Siege
3x Rally the Ancestors
2x Secure the Wastes
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
2x Ultimate Price
3x Unified Front
2x Vampiric Rites
Obviously the sideboard is very rough, but it is hard to build one with no idea what the meta will look like in a couple weeks. I've had some success with this so far, but I know it can be better and probably more focused. Let me know what you guys think!
Here is the tappedout link if you all want to copy it, playtest, or just give me some feedback!
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/23-09-15-4-color-aristocrats/
Edit:
+3 Wooded Foothills
+1 Smoldering Marsh
-2 Windswept Heath
-2 Sandstep Citadel