Oh, wow.... so as a final nail in the coffin, Wizards finally devolves into turning Sorin into the villain of the block to be defeated by "the forces of good", huh?
I think I should start considering talking about shipping in this thread to pass the time...
Sorin wasn't the villain. Nahiri was. This wasn't good vs evil either. This was evil vs evil or at best anti-hero vs villain. The good guys in this story are: Tamiyo, Jace, Chandra, Nissa, Gideon, and Liliana. Thats it. Sorin is not good. Nahiri is not good.
I started playing this deck recently after putting it down for a while (last attempts were before Ego printing).
IMO, you really need the Traverse the Ulvenwald engine. I'm running 4 Den Protectors with Vessels of Nascency as well as Angelic Purges + Hangarbacks to hit delirium consistently. This lets you cut down to 1 Linvala, 1 Scalelord (he suuuuucks to draw most of the time), 2-3 Egos and play a big toolbox.
Currently on 1 Negate main and 3 side. Removal package is 4 D-Command and 2 Purges plus 1 Q Field (2 more side plus 1 each T.Arrogance and P.Outburst).
I have done quite well so far, keep top 8ing events around here and keep chiseling it down to the right 75. Let me know if you want more info about my build! It uses the combo to win ~25% of the time.
This idea sounds interesting! You got a link to your deck list?
So, the core is Enduring Scalelord and Altered Ego. Bant Ramp seems like the way to go. You can do a Crytolith Rites token route or standard ramp spells. You could even sideboard this combo for a transformational sideboard.
I've been looking at cryptolith rites, I think it's a great idea, I'm not entirely sure of how to implement it though
I really have to disagree with needing blue or needing Altered Ego. I'll try to answer the points in the order you brought them up.
1. Pushes the combo back a turn.
As a control deck with a combo finish, speed isn't really what you should be trying to do. Nor is it something your list can accomplish. The more likely scenario since you don't have 1, 2 or 3 drops, and there's so much fast agro being played now, your opponents are running wild on you. If you're playing against a common deck, like Humans for example, your opponents have had 3 uninterrupted turns of playing creatures and attacking (unless you have an early Declaration in Stone, only about a 25% chance of it being in your first 10 cards). Your first drop that can do anything is 4 mana, and you'd need to have it in the top 11 cards (about a 30% chance). Comboing on turn 6 isn't going to help you if you're dead by turn 4 or 5.
In the above scenario, to recover, you'll need to cast a sweeper, which means you'll be pushing back a turn anyway. I think what I'm really trying to say is your deck isn't geared to speed, so what's the point of worrying about "going off" on turn 6 or turn 7.
2. The deck needs Altered Ego, best creature in the deck.
I'm not really sure what to say to this. You want it in there because it makes the deck faster, but you don't need to be fast. You need to control.
It definitely isn't the best creature in the deck. Clone has never been the best card in any deck. The only non-Scalelord card you'd copy in this list is the Seer, that's not a great thing. And copying creatures opponents are playing, I feel like you're going to come out behind in 99% of creatures you copy. To come in with 1 counter, it's 5 mana. Playing against popular decks that means you're spending 5 mana to play a Hangarback Walker with 1 token? 5 to copy a Thalia's Lieutenant? Or a 5 mana token?
3. You need blue to protect the combo.
Almost no one is running counterspells and very few are running discard. I think the combo is protected.
Even if they were, I don't think 4 negates is going to get it done.
4. The mana base is consistent.
I didn't mean to imply that your mana is all over the place. I honestly hasn't looked at your land base that closely. I only meant that 2 colors are inherently more consistent than 3 colors. I only feel adding a 3rd color to the deck is only warranted when you can get a big benefit from it.
I want altered ego in there because it is the card the deck is build around dude. You are arguing to take splinter twin out of a twin deck right now and saying the deck will be fine with out it. There have been past versions of the deck without altered ego that I've built, they weren't nearly as powerful, they didn't work. You are arguing to destroy the deck outright. A lot of people are running removal scalelord dies to languish and grasp of darkness so yeah you need blue to protect the combo. A lot of people are running discard actually. This deck isn't built to control that's where you're missing the point in the strategy. This is a combo deck not a control deck. It's control elements are intended to help it survive and bel the combo survive so the combo can destroy the opponent. That's why it needs the combo to be efficient. If you think it would be better without altered ego go on Xmage and try it. Then try it with
Even if you go control, you're better off in GW. Adding blue doesn't give you anything you can't get in GW, and you can get a lot more from being able to add in WW and GG cards instead of having to build around an inconsistent 3 color mana base.
And like I said before, the combo doesn't require Altered Ego to work. It's not really a justification for the deck having to be blue.
The combo without Altered Ego becomes a three card combo. In fact it requires you to play 2 Scalelords and then a Dromoka's command which will push the combo back a turn from where it is at (eg. Turn 5 you have 6 mana, play Scalelord. Turn 6 you have 7 mana, play Scalelord, One mana open. Turn 7, Play Dromoka's Command, combo off. vs Turn 5, 6 mana, play Scalelord. Turn 6, 7 mana, play Altered Ego, combo off, 2 mana free to protect the combo with Glint or Negate). This makes the combo even slower and more vulnerable not only from removal running around in the format but also because the second Enduring Scalelord and Dromoka's Command can be countered where as Altered Ego cannot be. Additionally, Altered Ego is the card that carries this deck, its the most important creature and taking it out neuters the deck. Not only is Altered Ego part of the combo AND the only reason the combo is a two card combo but it also can copy other creatures in the deck and exploit their EBT effects or it can copy the opponents best creature and make a better version of it. Not only does Altered Ego need blue but the combo needs blue because blue provides the most efficient ways to protect the combo which is important because the combo exists high on the mana curve. The deck does not work without blue or Altered Ego without sacrificing significant amounts of power. Sorry but blue is required, it isn't an option for this deck. Altered Ego + Enduring Scalelord is the most optimal form of the combo and if I wanted to build a G/W beat down deck it doesn't get any better than the existing G/W Tokens deck. Furthermore the mana base is consistent. Very rarely do color issues arise with it. This isn't a deck that was just thrown together. This has been play tested non stop over the course of a month and continually revised. That doesn't mean this version of the deck is necessarily its most optimized form, or that it doesn't have room for improvement. Part of the reason I posted this is so that others could make this idea better. But it does mean the thing you are suggesting (taking out a color) is just quite simply a bad suggestion with no justification to it
I think what I'm really trying to get to is you don't have to water down your deck by adding blue, going control (ie, all the things Wizards is making bad right now). There are really good cards in GW and you can go beatdown.
Except that Altered Ego uses blue and this isn't a beat down deck.
This looks hilarious. I want to try it out some time -- looks fun just to Altered Ego a Lumbering Falls.
What about Sunbringer's Touch? It bolsters so you can go off with two Dragons, and gives trample to force damage.
Copying Lumbering Falls would be an expensive maneuver and probably not profitable. I know this from my EDH deck, but when you copy an animated land the copy will come into the battlefield as an unanimated land. I think Sunbringer's Touch is too expensive, but you can try it!
Press the Advantage, or Tread Upon do not work, they are not putting any counters on anything, only giving it plus power and toughness. trust me it matters lmao.
I just bought this deck, and idk how competitive, I love combo decks like this, so for online I have played 3 matches and only lost 1 lol. both wins I combo'd off, 2nd game he left after I won game 2, (he won game 1) lol and then the next match I 2-0 first game was long, but the second was like right as soon as you can go off (t4 hedron, and t5 he exiled one from my hand then t6 played the first guy, t7 played the next, then had a dec in stone to kill off his two flying defenders lmao. he was like well damn haha.
Haha! I'm glad to hear you tried it and won! Its satisfying isn't it? That combo goes off and people are like, "What is happening!?!?!"
Hi everyone! I've been posting this deck everywhere today so I thought I would share it here as well!
Strategy Overview
The Strategy of this deck is simple. This deck exploits a ruling on Enduring Scalelord to go infinite. The combo is Enduring Scalelord + Altered Ego. Infinite combo, one hit kill. If the combo is stopped, this deck can call upon its rather large creatures to win it the game!
Combo Enduring Scalelord + Altered Ego: The combo in this deck in the main win-condition and it can take on several forms. The combo basically puts infinite +1/+1 counters on Enduring Scalelord, you swing with Scalelord for however much and win the game.
Deck Support Anticipate: Anticipate is a pretty good card in this deck. It allows us to dig for solutions, combo pieces, ramp, anything we need.
Weirding Wood: Weirding Wood does three things that we need in this deck: it ramps, draws us cards with a clue token, and mana fixes our colors for us. Its really an amazing card. I usually put it on plains and try and leave the plains up when I have Negate. People don't expect a counter spell to come out when white mana is up. Weirding Wood is an amazing card and it really makes the deck work.
Hedron Archive: This gives us some nice cushy ramp and some colorless mana. We can also draw a card with it if needed
Lumbering Falls: Lumbering Falls can provide us a creature when we don't have any/don't want to play any yet in our hand. Seems to have a good showing against control since often times they can't do ***** about it.
Survival Package Negate: This is our only piece of anti-magic. We use this to stop Linvala, the Preserver or Enduring Scalelord from being removed, or stop anything that could be generally problematic for us hitting the board.
Declaration in Stone: We use this to get rid of large attackers or flyers that will get in the way of our win condition.
Thought-Knot Seer: This card was added after several poor performances against black. It expands out protection package by pre-emptively getting rid of anything that could be problematic. This helps make way for our combo. Anything that can get by Seer can be stopped with Negate
Linvala, the Preserver: A pretty important card in this deck. Linvala helps us stabilize. This deck tends to take on quite a bit of damage against agro and midrange decks in the early game. Linvala provides us a beefy flyer while gaining us life and potentially getting us an extra creature. We can use Yavimaya Coast to help get the extra life gain if we need to
Altered Ego: In addition to fueling the combo Altered Ego can help the deck survive if the combo gets shut down. It can copy Linvala or Thought-Knot Seer. It can be worth copying and making a bigger version of Linvala if you need to gain the life. You can also use an opponent's tricks against them. One time an opponent had Ob Nixilis, Reignited and Dragonlord Silumgar on the field. I used Altered Ego to copy Silumgar, take control of Ob Nixilis, killed Silumgar with Ob Nixilis which also killed the planeswalker.
Dromoka's Command: Can be extra creature removal or can help remove enchantment
Maybeboard Glint: Right now I am experimenting with Glint as a way to protect the combo instead of Megate. Glint is a four of direct replacement for Negate in the deck. Hexproof will stop multiple instances of Removal while Negate may only stop one.
Weaknesses
This board can have a difficult time with black based control decks because of the high level of removal in those decks. The best bet is to side board in some of those counter spells and be patient. Additionally Gaea's Reve Fast agro decks can be difficult as well but easier to manage since Linvala and Planar Outburst are in the deck.
ExcommunicateW
Instant
Exile target creature. Its controller may draw a card and gain life equal to half that creature's power rounded down You are unfit to walk amongst the pious
Jace, the Fallen SageUUB2
Planeswalker - Jace
Loyalty: 3
+1 Scry 2, then draw two cards
-3 Discard a card, you may counter target spell. You lose 2 life. This ability may be played on an opponent's turn. Once activated you may not activate this ability again until your next turn.
-8 Target player draws three cards. Then look at target player's hand. That player loses life equal to the total converted mana cost of all cards in their hand. Then discard three non-land permanents from that player's hand.
If your combo is more than three cards you probably will not achieve it and I see a four-five card combo. Neat idea, but I'd figure out how to get it down to a three card combo at most and two cards if possible (Ayli included)
Sorin and Nahiri have fought and the vampire will have killed her.
I don't think Sorin is able to kill Nahiri. Nahiri already bested Sorin in combat and the only reason he was able to seal her in the Helvault was because Avacyn showed up. In fact the fact she got sealed kind of proves he can't beat her. As Avacyn once said, "that which cannot be destroyed must be bound." Let's not forget Nahiri was powerful enough to summon Emrakul on her own and not be corrupted by Emrakul. She's incredibly powerful. Nahiri would have defeated both Avacyn and Sorin if not for the Helvault. Besides I think that's bad writing. The Gatewatch needs long term villains besides Ob Nixilis. Nahiri would be an amazing enemy of the Gatewatch. I actually hope Nahiri kills Sorin but I don't think that will happen either. Sorin is a ***** head and he deserves to die.
Sorin was weakened from making Avacyn at the time, this was made pretty explicitly clear with his point of view story. That was also pre-Mending.
From a story writing standpoint it is extremely anti-climactic if Sorin kills Nahiri. Sorin has made a ton of bad decisions and he is so arrogant he is unwilling to admit that he has. Nahiri wrecking Innistrad with Emrakul and then defeating Sorin in combat would be an opportunity for character growth for Sorin and the repercussions of Nahiri defeating Sorin are far more interesting than if Sorin just iced Nahiri. I don't think Nahiri will kill Sorin though because she wants to cause him pain, she wants him to watch Innistrad burn to the ground. The only way I could see Nahiri straight up try to kill Sorin is if the Gatewatch is able to deal with Emrakul completely in Eldritch Moon. I think Sorin is powerful, I don't think he is more powerful than Nahiri at this point. He was weakened permanently from creating Avacyn, thats why he can't make another.
I'll argue the other point though. While it would be more interesting if Nahiri defeated Sorin, there also at this moment, isn't an outlet for Nahiri in the storyline. She could be repurposed as an enemy of the Gatewatch. However, Nahiri isn't evil, she's just angry. The Gatewatch saved Zendikar which Nahiri would be happy about so its hard to envision her strictly as their enemy. Perhaps she could be a character that sometimes helps the Gatewatch and sometimes works against them. That would be an extremely cool dynamic. I could see Nahiri being upset with the Gatewatch if Sorin becomes a Gatewatch ally (which actually makes a lot of sense since he wants to protect Innistrad from extra-planar threats). The Gatewatch will undoubtedly see Nahiri as a threat though. This could be an avenue for her to remain in the story. She could become an enemy of the Gatewatch not because she doesn't like them on her own end, but because they see her as a threat for summoning an Eldrazi to a plane.
Sorin and Nahiri have fought and the vampire will have killed her.
I don't think Sorin is able to kill Nahiri. Nahiri already bested Sorin in combat and the only reason he was able to seal her in the Helvault was because Avacyn showed up. In fact the fact she got sealed kind of proves he can't beat her. As Avacyn once said, "that which cannot be destroyed must be bound." Let's not forget Nahiri was powerful enough to summon Emrakul on her own and not be corrupted by Emrakul. She's incredibly powerful. Nahiri would have defeated both Avacyn and Sorin if not for the Helvault. Besides I think that's bad writing. The Gatewatch needs long term villains besides Ob Nixilis. Nahiri would be an amazing enemy of the Gatewatch. I actually hope Nahiri kills Sorin but I don't think that will happen either. Sorin is a ***** head and he deserves to die.
Sorin wasn't the villain. Nahiri was. This wasn't good vs evil either. This was evil vs evil or at best anti-hero vs villain. The good guys in this story are: Tamiyo, Jace, Chandra, Nissa, Gideon, and Liliana. Thats it. Sorin is not good. Nahiri is not good.
This idea sounds interesting! You got a link to your deck list?
I've been looking at cryptolith rites, I think it's a great idea, I'm not entirely sure of how to implement it though
I want altered ego in there because it is the card the deck is build around dude. You are arguing to take splinter twin out of a twin deck right now and saying the deck will be fine with out it. There have been past versions of the deck without altered ego that I've built, they weren't nearly as powerful, they didn't work. You are arguing to destroy the deck outright. A lot of people are running removal scalelord dies to languish and grasp of darkness so yeah you need blue to protect the combo. A lot of people are running discard actually. This deck isn't built to control that's where you're missing the point in the strategy. This is a combo deck not a control deck. It's control elements are intended to help it survive and bel the combo survive so the combo can destroy the opponent. That's why it needs the combo to be efficient. If you think it would be better without altered ego go on Xmage and try it. Then try it with
The combo without Altered Ego becomes a three card combo. In fact it requires you to play 2 Scalelords and then a Dromoka's command which will push the combo back a turn from where it is at (eg. Turn 5 you have 6 mana, play Scalelord. Turn 6 you have 7 mana, play Scalelord, One mana open. Turn 7, Play Dromoka's Command, combo off. vs Turn 5, 6 mana, play Scalelord. Turn 6, 7 mana, play Altered Ego, combo off, 2 mana free to protect the combo with Glint or Negate). This makes the combo even slower and more vulnerable not only from removal running around in the format but also because the second Enduring Scalelord and Dromoka's Command can be countered where as Altered Ego cannot be. Additionally, Altered Ego is the card that carries this deck, its the most important creature and taking it out neuters the deck. Not only is Altered Ego part of the combo AND the only reason the combo is a two card combo but it also can copy other creatures in the deck and exploit their EBT effects or it can copy the opponents best creature and make a better version of it. Not only does Altered Ego need blue but the combo needs blue because blue provides the most efficient ways to protect the combo which is important because the combo exists high on the mana curve. The deck does not work without blue or Altered Ego without sacrificing significant amounts of power. Sorry but blue is required, it isn't an option for this deck. Altered Ego + Enduring Scalelord is the most optimal form of the combo and if I wanted to build a G/W beat down deck it doesn't get any better than the existing G/W Tokens deck. Furthermore the mana base is consistent. Very rarely do color issues arise with it. This isn't a deck that was just thrown together. This has been play tested non stop over the course of a month and continually revised. That doesn't mean this version of the deck is necessarily its most optimized form, or that it doesn't have room for improvement. Part of the reason I posted this is so that others could make this idea better. But it does mean the thing you are suggesting (taking out a color) is just quite simply a bad suggestion with no justification to it
Except that Altered Ego uses blue and this isn't a beat down deck.
Copying Lumbering Falls would be an expensive maneuver and probably not profitable. I know this from my EDH deck, but when you copy an animated land the copy will come into the battlefield as an unanimated land. I think Sunbringer's Touch is too expensive, but you can try it!
Haha! I'm glad to hear you tried it and won! Its satisfying isn't it?
4x Altered Ego
4x Enduring Scalelord
3x Linvala, the Preserver
4x Thought-Knot Seer
Spells
4x Anticipate
4x Declaration in Stone
2x Hedron Archive
4x Negate
1x Planar Outburst
2x Quarantine Field
4x Weirding Wood
2x Blighted Woodland
3x Canopy Vista
2x Forest
2x Island
4x Lumbering Falls
5x Plains
2x Prairie Stream
4x Yavimarya Coast
2x Dispel
2x Dromoka's Command
3x Gaea's Revenge
2x Planar Outburst
1x Quarantine Field
3x Stasis Snare
2x Void Shatter
4x Glint
Hi everyone! I've been posting this deck everywhere today so I thought I would share it here as well!
Strategy Overview
The Strategy of this deck is simple. This deck exploits a ruling on Enduring Scalelord to go infinite. The combo is Enduring Scalelord + Altered Ego. Infinite combo, one hit kill. If the combo is stopped, this deck can call upon its rather large creatures to win it the game!
Combo
Enduring Scalelord + Altered Ego: The combo in this deck in the main win-condition and it can take on several forms. The combo basically puts infinite +1/+1 counters on Enduring Scalelord, you swing with Scalelord for however much and win the game.
Deck Support
Anticipate: Anticipate is a pretty good card in this deck. It allows us to dig for solutions, combo pieces, ramp, anything we need.
Weirding Wood: Weirding Wood does three things that we need in this deck: it ramps, draws us cards with a clue token, and mana fixes our colors for us. Its really an amazing card. I usually put it on plains and try and leave the plains up when I have Negate. People don't expect a counter spell to come out when white mana is up. Weirding Wood is an amazing card and it really makes the deck work.
Hedron Archive: This gives us some nice cushy ramp and some colorless mana. We can also draw a card with it if needed
Lumbering Falls: Lumbering Falls can provide us a creature when we don't have any/don't want to play any yet in our hand. Seems to have a good showing against control since often times they can't do ***** about it.
Survival Package
Negate: This is our only piece of anti-magic. We use this to stop Linvala, the Preserver or Enduring Scalelord from being removed, or stop anything that could be generally problematic for us hitting the board.
Declaration in Stone: We use this to get rid of large attackers or flyers that will get in the way of our win condition.
Quarantine Field: I put one of of this in the main board to deal with planeswalkers. Theres a lot of them running around and Sorin, Grim Nemesis or Chandra, Flamecaller can really throw a wrench into our plans.
Thought-Knot Seer: This card was added after several poor performances against black. It expands out protection package by pre-emptively getting rid of anything that could be problematic. This helps make way for our combo. Anything that can get by Seer can be stopped with Negate
Linvala, the Preserver: A pretty important card in this deck. Linvala helps us stabilize. This deck tends to take on quite a bit of damage against agro and midrange decks in the early game. Linvala provides us a beefy flyer while gaining us life and potentially getting us an extra creature. We can use Yavimaya Coast to help get the extra life gain if we need to
Altered Ego: In addition to fueling the combo Altered Ego can help the deck survive if the combo gets shut down. It can copy Linvala or Thought-Knot Seer. It can be worth copying and making a bigger version of Linvala if you need to gain the life. You can also use an opponent's tricks against them. One time an opponent had Ob Nixilis, Reignited and Dragonlord Silumgar on the field. I used Altered Ego to copy Silumgar, take control of Ob Nixilis, killed Silumgar with Ob Nixilis which also killed the planeswalker.
Planar Outburst: Boardwipe, can animate a land late game.
Sideboard
Gaea's Revenge: This is to be used as a weapon against control decks
Dispel: This is here to aid against control decks that sport a lot of anti-magic or removal
Quarantine Field: More multi-removal and anti-planeswalker
Stasis Snare: Some extra removal
Void Shatter: Always good to have an unconditional counter spell if you need it.
Planar Outburst: Good to be packing extra board wipes
Dromoka's Command: Can be extra creature removal or can help remove enchantment
Maybeboard
Glint: Right now I am experimenting with Glint as a way to protect the combo instead of Megate. Glint is a four of direct replacement for Negate in the deck. Hexproof will stop multiple instances of Removal while Negate may only stop one.
Weaknesses
This board can have a difficult time with black based control decks because of the high level of removal in those decks. The best bet is to side board in some of those counter spells and be patient. Additionally Gaea's Reve Fast agro decks can be difficult as well but easier to manage since Linvala and Planar Outburst are in the deck.
Instant
Exile target creature. Its controller may draw a card and gain life equal to half that creature's power rounded down
You are unfit to walk amongst the pious
Jace, the Fallen Sage UUB2
Planeswalker - Jace
Loyalty: 3
+1 Scry 2, then draw two cards
-3 Discard a card, you may counter target spell. You lose 2 life. This ability may be played on an opponent's turn. Once activated you may not activate this ability again until your next turn.
-8 Target player draws three cards. Then look at target player's hand. That player loses life equal to the total converted mana cost of all cards in their hand. Then discard three non-land permanents from that player's hand.
I have a Bant Tempo deck and yes this will definitely be going in it along with Thalia
From a story writing standpoint it is extremely anti-climactic if Sorin kills Nahiri. Sorin has made a ton of bad decisions and he is so arrogant he is unwilling to admit that he has. Nahiri wrecking Innistrad with Emrakul and then defeating Sorin in combat would be an opportunity for character growth for Sorin and the repercussions of Nahiri defeating Sorin are far more interesting than if Sorin just iced Nahiri. I don't think Nahiri will kill Sorin though because she wants to cause him pain, she wants him to watch Innistrad burn to the ground. The only way I could see Nahiri straight up try to kill Sorin is if the Gatewatch is able to deal with Emrakul completely in Eldritch Moon. I think Sorin is powerful, I don't think he is more powerful than Nahiri at this point. He was weakened permanently from creating Avacyn, thats why he can't make another.
I'll argue the other point though. While it would be more interesting if Nahiri defeated Sorin, there also at this moment, isn't an outlet for Nahiri in the storyline. She could be repurposed as an enemy of the Gatewatch. However, Nahiri isn't evil, she's just angry. The Gatewatch saved Zendikar which Nahiri would be happy about so its hard to envision her strictly as their enemy. Perhaps she could be a character that sometimes helps the Gatewatch and sometimes works against them. That would be an extremely cool dynamic. I could see Nahiri being upset with the Gatewatch if Sorin becomes a Gatewatch ally (which actually makes a lot of sense since he wants to protect Innistrad from extra-planar threats). The Gatewatch will undoubtedly see Nahiri as a threat though. This could be an avenue for her to remain in the story. She could become an enemy of the Gatewatch not because she doesn't like them on her own end, but because they see her as a threat for summoning an Eldrazi to a plane.
I don't think Sorin is able to kill Nahiri. Nahiri already bested Sorin in combat and the only reason he was able to seal her in the Helvault was because Avacyn showed up. In fact the fact she got sealed kind of proves he can't beat her. As Avacyn once said, "that which cannot be destroyed must be bound." Let's not forget Nahiri was powerful enough to summon Emrakul on her own and not be corrupted by Emrakul. She's incredibly powerful. Nahiri would have defeated both Avacyn and Sorin if not for the Helvault. Besides I think that's bad writing. The Gatewatch needs long term villains besides Ob Nixilis. Nahiri would be an amazing enemy of the Gatewatch. I actually hope Nahiri kills Sorin but I don't think that will happen either. Sorin is a ***** head and he deserves to die.