Vampire Swarm might even benefit from Confusion In The Ranks since you always have an automatic 2 per cast. I'm going to consider it for another build. What other battle-tact cards do you suggest?
~Lil Kalki
PS: I just built myself an ETB list on tappedout for funsies. More likely I'll play multiplayer games with this and 1v1 with my curse deck.
I like the idea of the above comment but if I were in a 1v1 oriented situation (and maybe even multiplayer depending on various factors) I'd go a more sinister route and go heavier on curses. My present build runs 8 different curses, a Bitterheart Witch, and an Academy Rector for good measure. It's a good way to coerce players in a worse position to deal with the big bad, who you want to allege is not you yourself. It's mean, to be sure. And when you're through with that player you Replenish your curses unto the last survivor before taking them down and winning.
I also think Edgar needs vampire tribal because he himself cannot come in with a token. Running low-cost vamps is an answer but running some larger vamps does also bolster your workings a ton. I particularly like Necropolis Regent to that end. I don't think cards like Mephidross Vampire are too helpful because of the nature of the tribe but if you don't want to go all-in on Vampires you should at least be running Conspiracy to capitalize on Edgar's eminence. Reliable tutors go without saying and you have them in these colors, so...
~Lil Kalki
P.S. - Fog in black is called Darkness in case you want fog effects beyond white casts.
See I wonder about the Cat deck. If you're commanding with Arahbo, out of the gate you're a threat and people will scramble to remove you early, accordingly. The Dragon deck broadcasts a terrifying mid-late game threat in the Ur-Dragon so it draws some heat itself. Vampires draws a bit of heat simply by reputation and therefore probably draws less heat than the above two. Wizards overall seems weak. I'm still on the fence about the other three based on gameplay philosophy though. So hence my question I guess!
Hey all, please redirect me and lock if a thread like this exists elsewhere, but what is the consensus on which c17 precon is strongest right out of the box? There are commander tournaments near me which cater to competitive players but also facilitate things for more casual players by equalizing the field (by making players use decks straight from the box), so I was quite curious.
Feels to me like the Vampire deck got a bit of a bum deal re: valuable reprints. However I don't know if there are any cards (besides Captivating Vampire, a $6 card before this) that were really super in demand.
I'm also miffed power level wise with the deck as a whole. We got a total of 37 lands (under par for commander decks usually) and as many rocks as the other decks, and we didn't even get Curse of Opulence. The vampire deck should have gotten its full suite of curses because vampires. Opulence moreso because of mana needs. That worries me for precon use reasons.
However overall the entire release looks rather strong otherwise. I'm pretty into it. And yes, I'm still buying the Vampire deck haha
Anyone knows why the dragons deck got one more legend (Ramos, Ur-Dragon, O-kagachi, Wasitora and Taigam) than the cat deck (Mirri, Arahbo, Balan and Nazahn)? This bothers me a lot. Not only because legendary creatures are the most important spoilers from the new commander decks, but also because I liked the legends from the cat deck much more than the legends from the dragons one.
I expect we have yet to see a new G Cat legend, and will. Just for a later preview if anything.
There will probably be a blue Magus but it most likely won't be a Timetwister effect because of the mechanical overlap with Magus of the Wheel. It's possible that it could be a Magus of the Tide. I could see that happening over a Timetwister or any extra turn card, especially because of the need to sac these spell-Magi.
Call me neophytic on the older times of Magic's storyline, but I seriously can't think of a villain I hate. I believe that's fair... But wait, are we forgetting Mochi? I'd not read the Kamigawa cycle but I recall people not liking him because of reasons. What would those be?
Is it terribly inaccurate to consider Edgar Markov, the progenitor of the curse of Innistradi vampirism, an avatar? I tried to consult the MTGS Wiki for clues on what makes an Avatar an Avatar, but it's very vague on that front.
You know, Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons, Blowfly Infestation, Blood Artist/Zulaport Cutthroat/Obelisk Spider, and anything that kills a creature with a -1/-1 counter on it (especially by way of counter itself) is an auto win. With everything out, and let's say a Snake token, if you maybe cast something like, I dunno, Virulent Wound on it, both the life-leech card and Blowfly Infestation will trigger, as will Hapatra. Let Hapatra trigger last so she resolves first. The leech can go anywhere in the stack as long as Hapatra makes a snake and the Infestation puts a -1/-1 counter on it. Also make sure that there are no cards that pump the Snake tokens' toughness. Boom. Win, and on-curve too (Hapatra T2, Spider T3, Infestation and Wound T4. With a 1-toughness dork cast T1, you can win that turn).
~Lil Kalki
PS: I just built myself an ETB list on tappedout for funsies. More likely I'll play multiplayer games with this and 1v1 with my curse deck.
I also think Edgar needs vampire tribal because he himself cannot come in with a token. Running low-cost vamps is an answer but running some larger vamps does also bolster your workings a ton. I particularly like Necropolis Regent to that end. I don't think cards like Mephidross Vampire are too helpful because of the nature of the tribe but if you don't want to go all-in on Vampires you should at least be running Conspiracy to capitalize on Edgar's eminence. Reliable tutors go without saying and you have them in these colors, so...
~Lil Kalki
P.S. - Fog in black is called Darkness in case you want fog effects beyond white casts.
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
I'm also miffed power level wise with the deck as a whole. We got a total of 37 lands (under par for commander decks usually) and as many rocks as the other decks, and we didn't even get Curse of Opulence. The vampire deck should have gotten its full suite of curses because vampires. Opulence moreso because of mana needs. That worries me for precon use reasons.
However overall the entire release looks rather strong otherwise. I'm pretty into it. And yes, I'm still buying the Vampire deck haha
~Lil Kalki
She looks like a great assistant to Jeleva.
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
There will probably be a blue Magus but it most likely won't be a Timetwister effect because of the mechanical overlap with Magus of the Wheel. It's possible that it could be a Magus of the Tide. I could see that happening over a Timetwister or any extra turn card, especially because of the need to sac these spell-Magi.
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
~Lil Kalki
As a completionist of variants, I'm inclined to strongly agree and, since I have to get a second copy of each, in especially bummed out.
The decks seem iffy too, overall but at least there is flavor dripping everywhere.
~Lil Kalki