So what is your favorite thing about the deck you have been playing? I am sure that we can help you come up with a deck that will give you a bit of a fighting chance moving forward.
Abundance and Manabond would pair with your emblem from Nissa, Vital Force. Load your hand up with lands from Abundance and Nissa and then dump them at the end of your turn via the Manabond.
Harvest Season could also help you bring a bunch of lands into play.
And Exploration isn't a bad option to help drop extra lands if you get it early enough.
I should have originally mentioned, but I was looking for something that would make The Abyss useful again. Bonds of Mortality is basically what I need, just the wrong color.
Added some deck tags for you and cleaned up the cards so it is a little easier to see what you are working with. This probably should get moved to the Casual Forum...
Might be better in the Software forums.... but I use Decked Builder. It's been pretty good. Not entirely sure what you are looking for to support EDH decklisting, but it supports everything that I have needed.
I would definitely check out the link that Kahedron posted. The MTG Wiki on Gamepedia has a ton of answers to your questions. I personally find it more enjoyable to discover these things by reading them myself.
I originally wanted to make a deck with Jasmine Boreal as the commander. She was always one of the cards from Legends that I loved the artwork for and I regularly included in decks of mine back in the day. Plus in the age of weaker creatures she was an efficient beater with relatively little drawback.
After understanding a little more of her backstory as one of the Robaran Mercenaries who worked with Adira Strongheart to defeat Johan, I was even more intrigued. Along with Jedit Ojanen, Hazezon Tamar, and Hunding Gjornersen, Jasmine helped to defeat Johan and free the cat warriors of Efrava.
The last option for Partner commanders is perhaps the most intriguing, seeing as how Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa is in fact from Jamuraa (where all of the action of the war occurred. However, the other two options are from Innistrad which aren't entirely helpful to stick as close as I can to utilizing cards or creatures that are from Jamuraa.
So if we don't go with the Partner commanders we can use either Johan or Hazezon Tamar to allow us to use RWG. Fortunately Jedit was reprinted as Jedit Ojanen of Efrava which allows us to utilize him. After careful consideration, that leaves us with only Hunding Gjornersen as the odd man out and frankly, I wasn't as concerned about being able to use him as the others.
Quick overview of the history: Johan decided he wanted to conquer all of Jamuraa (Continent in Dominaria) and was opposed by the Robaran Mercenaries. Johan ultimately killed Adira Strongheart, but not before he was swallowed by a Sandwurm and died. Johan possessed a vast collection of magical artifacts and spellbooks and was particularly capable in the realm of red destructive magic.
Things going on here:
UsingHazezon Tamar to put a massive token army into play.
Utilizing creatures that could reasonably be considered to be found on Jamuraa or Dominaria.
Passing over a forest to an opponent with Bazaar Trader to enable the Forestwalking Cat Warriors to do significant damage.
Beef up my existing creatures using +1/+1 counters and multiplying effects.
Enabling card draw from effects off of playing creatures or tokens.
Looking for:
Alternate win conditions.
Anything that might help with some further synergy to the deck.
I think it really is up to you. I like to have lots of different options, I am just starting to build commander decks and I rarely get to play at all, but I do have a competitive Vintage, competitive Legacy, and then about 4 casual decks using the Vintage ban list and working through a couple Commander decks right now. I like to have a bunch of different flavors of decks that I can play with and have options regardless of who I might get to play with.
This was posted over in the card verification forum and is a good reference.
Also, don't use the bend test unless it is a card you don't care gets ruined.... Try it on a really crappy common or basic land first to understand how it works.
Answers to your questions (Please note that I am basing this off of my experience when I played regularly at shops):
1. Yes. I enjoy a good beer, whisky, or wine when I am playing.
2. I would rather connect with players in person, but I probably wouldn't socialize with most of the players from the old shop I went to.
3. Nope. Doesn't fit with my decor.
4. Beats me.
5. Not really. When I used to hang out at stores on a regular basis I was always buying something. But I would have no interest in paying a cover charge to play somewhere. I also refuse to pay cover charges to get into bars or clubs.
6. Not from Montreal so I can't help. I hear it is nice though!
- Matt
If you add any cycling, Drake Haven could also be useful.
Maybe Endless Ranks of the Dead since you already plan on having zombie tokens.
Also you can use Flicker and similar effects to bring more zombies into play.
Gisa's Bidding for more zombie fun.
You'll also want Leyline of the Meek.
Liliana, the Last Hope if you think you can get to her emblem.
Secure the Wastes.
I know there are more, but that is at least a start...
- Matt
Harvest Season could also help you bring a bunch of lands into play.
And Exploration isn't a bad option to help drop extra lands if you get it early enough.
- Matt
I should have originally mentioned, but I was looking for something that would make The Abyss useful again. Bonds of Mortality is basically what I need, just the wrong color.
- Matt
19 Island
10 Swamp
Creatures (25)
4 Mist intruder
2 Murk strider
3 Benthic infiltrator
4 Salvage drone
2 Culling drone
1 Dominator drone
2 Sludge crawler
1 Oracle of dust
1 Ruination guide
1 Eldrazi devastator
1 Ulamog's nullifier
1 Ruin processor
1 Ulamog's reclaimer
1 Kozilek's channeler
2 Demon's grasp
2 Horribly awry
2 Thought scour
- Matt
I know G has Bonds of Mortality. Anything similar?
- Matt
- Matt
- Matt
After understanding a little more of her backstory as one of the Robaran Mercenaries who worked with Adira Strongheart to defeat Johan, I was even more intrigued. Along with Jedit Ojanen, Hazezon Tamar, and Hunding Gjornersen, Jasmine helped to defeat Johan and free the cat warriors of Efrava.
I really wanted to play with all of the Robaran Mercenaries, but unfortunately the only commander for RGWU happens to be Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis who are not even from the same realm as these other Legends. Additional options with Partner included:
RW(Akiri, Line-Slinger or Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder) with GU(Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix or Thrasios, Triton Hero)
WUIshai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker with RGTana, the Bloodsower
UR(Kraum, Ludevic's Opus or Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist) with GWSidar Kondo of Jamuraa
The last option for Partner commanders is perhaps the most intriguing, seeing as how Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa is in fact from Jamuraa (where all of the action of the war occurred. However, the other two options are from Innistrad which aren't entirely helpful to stick as close as I can to utilizing cards or creatures that are from Jamuraa.
So if we don't go with the Partner commanders we can use either Johan or Hazezon Tamar to allow us to use RWG. Fortunately Jedit was reprinted as Jedit Ojanen of Efrava which allows us to utilize him. After careful consideration, that leaves us with only Hunding Gjornersen as the odd man out and frankly, I wasn't as concerned about being able to use him as the others.
Quick overview of the history: Johan decided he wanted to conquer all of Jamuraa (Continent in Dominaria) and was opposed by the Robaran Mercenaries. Johan ultimately killed Adira Strongheart, but not before he was swallowed by a Sandwurm and died. Johan possessed a vast collection of magical artifacts and spellbooks and was particularly capable in the realm of red destructive magic.
6 Johan
Creatures (18)
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Dragonmaster Outcast
2 Bazaar Trader
2 Blade of the Sixth Pride
2 Druid of the Anima
2 Harsh Mentor
3 Cat Warriors
3 Elite Cat Warrior
3 Jamuraan Lion
3 Kavu Recluse
5 Jasmine Boreal
5 Panther Warriors
5 Uktabi Wildcats
6 Jedit Ojanen of Efrava
6 Jedit's Dragoons
7 Greater Sandwurm
7 Hazezon Tamar
8 Avatar of Fury
Artifacts (9)
2 Boros Signet
2 Carnage Altar
2 Gruul Signet
2 Power Conduit
2 Selesnya Signet
3 Dragon Blood
3 Lifecrafter's Bestiary
4 Tawnos's Coffin
5 Mind's Eye
Sorceries (6)
1 Wurmcalling
3 Hammer of Bogardan
3 Map the Wastes
4 Decimate
4 Inspiring Roar
10 Decree of Annihilation
Instants (11)
1 Cloudshift
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Worldly Tutor
2 Disenchant
2 Eladamri's Call
2 Repopulate
3 Inspiring Call
3 Massive Raid
3 Volt Charge
4 Lifecrafter's Gift
Enchantments (17)
1 Exploration
1 Hardened Scales
1 Inheritance
1 Multani's Presence
1 Rancor
2 Durable Handicraft
2 Gleam of Authority
2 Sterling Grove
2 Sylvan Library
3 Overwhelming Instinct
3 Rite of Passage
5 Cathars' Crusade
5 Doubling Season
5 Primal Vigor
6 Recycle
6 Warstorm Surge
7 Sandwurm Convergence
0 Canopy Vista
0 Cinder Glade
0 Clifftop Retreat
0 Command Tower
0 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
0 Forest x9
0 Fortified Village
0 Game Trail
0 Highland Weald
0 Jungle Shrine
0 Mountain x4
0 Naya Panorama
0 Plains x4
0 Relfecting Pool
0 Reliquary Tower
0 Rootbound Crag
0 Sacred Foundry
0 Safe Haven
0 Stomping Ground
0 Sunpetal Grove
0 Temple Garden
Considering: Creatures
1 Behemoth's Herald
1 Bloodlust Inciter
1 Copperhorn Scout
1 Dryad Militant
1 Flamekin Harbinger
1 Groundskeeper
1 Protean Hydra
1 Scute Mob
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Skyshroud Ranger
2 Aegis of the Gods
2 Apocalypse Hydra
2 Argothian Enchantress
2 Bloom Tender
2 Boneyard Wurm
2 Femeref Enchantress
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Gaea's Herald
2 Grand Abolisher
2 Hanweir Militia Captain
2 Harsh Mentor
2 Herald of the Pantheon
6 Stangg
8 Godsire
Considering: Artifact
3 Serum Tank
5 Alhammarret's Archive
5 Bargaining Table
2 Ondu Rising
5 Shamanic Revelation
6 Collective Unconscious
Considering:Instant
1 Sandstorm
2 Aura Blast
9 Decree of Savagery
Considering: Enchantment
1 Authority of the Consuls
1 Burgeoning
1 Concordant Crossroads
1 Drop of Honey
1 Gerrard's Battle Cry
1 Limited Resources
1 Lush Growth
1 Mirri's Guile
1 Porphyry Nodes
1 Root Maze
1 Sixth Sense
1 Vessel of Nascency
2 Brave the Sands
3 Retreat to Kazandu
4 Enduring Renewal
4 Greater Good
6 Death's Presence
7 Zendikar Resurgent
Considering: Land
0 Ancient Ziggurat
0 Arcane Lighthouse
0 Boros Garrison
0 Command Beacon
0 Gruul Turf
0 Riftstone Portal
0 Rith's Grove
0 Selesnya Sanctuary
0 Thespian's Stage
Things going on here:
UsingHazezon Tamar to put a massive token army into play.
Utilizing creatures that could reasonably be considered to be found on Jamuraa or Dominaria.
Passing over a forest to an opponent with Bazaar Trader to enable the Forestwalking Cat Warriors to do significant damage.
Beef up my existing creatures using +1/+1 counters and multiplying effects.
Enabling card draw from effects off of playing creatures or tokens.
Looking for:
Alternate win conditions.
Anything that might help with some further synergy to the deck.
- Matt
- Matt
1x Teysa, Orzhov Scion
Creature (56)
1x Athreos, God of Passage
1x Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
1x Blood Artist
1x Bloodgift Demon
1x Bloodline Keeper
1x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1x Burnished Hart
1x Butcher of Malakir
1x Carrion Feeder
1x Cemetery Reaper
1x Crypt Ghast
1x Custodi Soulbinders
1x Daxos the Returned
1x Deathbringer Liege
1x Doomed Necromancer
1x Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1x Geist-Honored Monk
1x Ghoulcaller Gisa
1x Grave Titan
1x Gwyllion Hedge-Mage
1x Hallowed Spiritkeeper
1x Hanweir Militia Captain
1x Hell's Caretaker
1x Herald of Anafenza
1x Hero of Bladehold
1x Jazal Goldmane
1x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1x Liliana, Heretical Healer
1x Mentor of the Meek
1x Mirror Entity
1x Nantuko Husk
1x Nether Traitor
1x Ogre Slumlord
1x Ophiomancer
1x Orc Sureshot
1x Order of Whiteclay
1x Overseer of the Damned
1x Pawn of Ulamog
1x Plagued Rusalka
1x Ravos, Soultender
1x Reaper from the Abyss
1x Reassembling Skeleton
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
1x Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1x Skirsdag High Priest
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Stronghold Assassin
1x Sun Titan
1x Thraben Doomsayer
1x Twilight Drover
1x Twilight Shepherd
1x Viscera Seer
1x Xathrid Necromancer
1x Zulaport Cutthroat
1x Blighted Steppe
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Cabal Coffers
1x Caves of Koilos
1x Command Tower
1x Eiganjo Castle
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Fetid Heath
1x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Forsaken Sanctuary
1x Godless Shrine
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Marsh Flats
1x Orzhov Basilica
1x Orzhov Guildgate
1x Phyrexian Tower
5x Plains
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Scrubland
1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1x Springjack Pasture
4x Swamp
1x Tainted Field
1x Temple of Silence
1x Temple of the False God
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Vault of the Archangel
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Westvale Abbey
Artifact (8)
1x Ashnod's Altar
1x Chromatic Lantern
1x Mind Stone
1x Orzhov Signet
1x Phyrexian Altar
1x Skullclamp
1x Sol Ring
1x Sphere of the Suns
Instant (5)
1x Eerie Interlude
1x Entomb
1x Ghostway
1x Return to Dust
1x Secure the Wastes
Enchantment (18)
1x Animate Dead
1x Anointed Procession
1x Attrition
1x Bitterblossom
1x Cathars' Crusade
1x Commander's Authority
1x Dictate of Erebos
1x Field of Souls
1x Honor of the Pure
1x Infernal Tribute
1x Intangible Virtue
1x Marshal's Anthem
1x Martyr's Bond
1x Oversold Cemetery
1x Phyrexian Arena
1x Pure Reflection
1x Purgatory
1x Yoke of the Damned
1x Austere Command
1x Buried Alive
1x Damnation
1x Devout Invocation
1x Dread Return
1x Endless Obedience
1x Hour of Reckoning
1x Increasing Ambition
1x Lingering Souls
1x Martial Coup
1x Merciless Eviction
1x Nomads' Assembly
1x Triplicate Spirits
1x Victimize
Planeswalker (3)
1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1x Elspeth Tirel
1x Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
- Matt
- Matt
Also, don't use the bend test unless it is a card you don't care gets ruined.... Try it on a really crappy common or basic land first to understand how it works.
http://www.apathyhouse.com/fake/index.php
- Matt
I missed your post and was going to suggest Capsize. Still one of my favorite control cards...
- Matt
1. Yes. I enjoy a good beer, whisky, or wine when I am playing.
2. I would rather connect with players in person, but I probably wouldn't socialize with most of the players from the old shop I went to.
3. Nope. Doesn't fit with my decor.
4. Beats me.
5. Not really. When I used to hang out at stores on a regular basis I was always buying something. But I would have no interest in paying a cover charge to play somewhere. I also refuse to pay cover charges to get into bars or clubs.
6. Not from Montreal so I can't help. I hear it is nice though!
- Matt