I have written on a full article on fun, thematic deckbuilding.
This is NOT simply meant to be a plug; I love the EDH community and the format in general. This is my contribution that will hopefully help involve new players and give veteran players a different take on deckbuilding and general selection!
What do you think of my Momir Vig deck? Any suggestions on thematic inclusions? (Again, I play with a fun, non-competitive playgroup, so don't go suggesting Alluren combos up the whazoo or the like)
I wanted to make a Conley Woods "The Markov Cocktail" in standard utilizing the two planeswalkers that he did, so I made a WBR control/burn deck and played last FNM.
I played two Jund, some WR control with Luminarch Ascension, and a BR vampire/burn.
My only loss was to the BR deck because my main deck can't handle Malakir Bloodwitch apparently. After playing it, I would probably at least side Terminate. The 1 ofs are there for Liliana to tutor up. I won quite a few games against Jund because of Identity Crisis. Either they over-extend into a DoJ/Earthquake/Coup, or lose their hand.
My side ended up with 4x Baneslayer Angel, and as expected, after 3/4 of my matchups sided out their terminates for game 2, I brought in Baneslayer and went to town.
The only thing that kicker has that can be taken away is the cost of kicking the spell, be it paying extra mana or sacrificing land, etc.
Thus, I believe I've figured out how something can essentially still be kicked but without the player paying a cost to kick it: satisfying a requirement.
The requirements could range from "Kicker - Control three or creatures" or "Kicker - An opponent has taken 3 or more damage this turn."
An example spell (power level/templating not taken into account):
Thought Repetition 1U
Instant
Kicker - An opponent has drawn more than one card this turn.
Draw a card. If this spell was kicked, draw two more cards.
Rampant Vegetation 1GG
Sorcery
Kicker - Control 3 or more forests.
Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play. If this spell was kicked, search your library for two basic land cards and put them into play.
Or a healing spell that can be kicked to gain extra, whose requirement would be something along the lines of how much damage you've taken, or the number of creatures you control, etc.
I believe there is a lot of room for design space on these cards, both in the requirements to satisfy and the power level that can be adjusted through kicker.
Even with my list, using Kitchen Finks over Plumeveil and playing 4 finishers, drawing and then keeping a finisher on the board is difficult. This looks even more stall-hope-to-win.
Also I found between 4 Path, 4 Finks, 4 Walls, and 3 Burials, you didn't really need 4 Essence Scatter. Upping the Negate count has been good for Maelstrom Pulse, etc. to keep our finisher's alive. It can also stop the infamous Finest Hour! (Kidding, I hate Bantards.)
Edit: For the doubters of Gargoyle Castle, I've never been sad to draw this mid-game. It can stop a Bloodbraid or Mutavault in its tracks, and then serves as a finisher and Wall of Reverence enabler.
"T: Merfolk creatures you control are unblockable this turn."
Is much better than
"T: Target merfolk creature is unblockable this turn."
Honestly there are two good merfolk to target with this (in standard that is). And those are Wake Thrasher and Grimoire Thief. And personally, I don't think this card will make either take off, considering that even with the new Mana Burn rules, Wake Thrasher is still meh, and Grimiore Thief is played as is and this card really doesn't add much to it. Oh sure, in casual, "all" vs "target" is a huge difference... but tell that Elvish Archdruid...
He understands that it is obviously better than only one target. And that is huge in Standard. Merfolk will have 8 lords, and thus a single unblockable mutavault can hit for 4 or 5, let alone the Silvergill Adepts etc. that you'll have out.
You don't need some huge wake thrasher or awful Grimoire Thief, just an couple of unblockable 3+ power creatures can kill someone in 3 turns.
Making it a blanket ability would make Merfolk severely outrace other aggro decks.
The only EDH deck I have right now is Mayael. I'm definitely going to put Planar Cleansing and Lurking Predators in there. I'm always looking for cheap creatures that also work with Mayael so I'll give Baneslayer Angel a try. I'm not sold on Acidic Slime; it seems like a poor man's Woodfall Primus.
Every green deck should be playing both. Maybe not Mayael, but all non-theme greens. Like Rafiq, Teneb, etc.
Gauntlet of Power is pretty fantastic in mono-colored decks. It'll make your token generators more potent and your ability to cast your fatties more apt.
This is NOT simply meant to be a plug; I love the EDH community and the format in general. This is my contribution that will hopefully help involve new players and give veteran players a different take on deckbuilding and general selection!
What do you think of my Momir Vig deck? Any suggestions on thematic inclusions? (Again, I play with a fun, non-competitive playgroup, so don't go suggesting Alluren combos up the whazoo or the like)
http://www.mtgfutures.com/2011/05/pick-a-theme-any-theme/
But yes, I would advise Sharuum the Hegemon. This gives you a relevant blink-general, access to Mystical Teachings, all the broken white and blue blink creatures I listed, Mystical Tutor, and an artifact CIPT blinkable creature theme such as Duplicant, Master Transmuter, Triskelavus, etc.
My list was as follows:
2x Sorin Markov
4x Ajani Vengeant
2x Liliana Vess
2x Obelisk of Alara
3x Oblivion Ring
3x Earthquake
4x Blightning
2x Day of Judgment
2x Martial Coup
1x Identity Crisis
1x Banefire
4x Path to Exile
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Dragonskull Summit
4x Marsh Flats
4x Arid Mesa
3x Akoum Refuge
2x Swamp
5x Plains
4x Mountain
I played two Jund, some WR control with Luminarch Ascension, and a BR vampire/burn.
My only loss was to the BR deck because my main deck can't handle Malakir Bloodwitch apparently. After playing it, I would probably at least side Terminate. The 1 ofs are there for Liliana to tutor up. I won quite a few games against Jund because of Identity Crisis. Either they over-extend into a DoJ/Earthquake/Coup, or lose their hand.
My side ended up with 4x Baneslayer Angel, and as expected, after 3/4 of my matchups sided out their terminates for game 2, I brought in Baneslayer and went to town.
Martial Coup, Ambition's Cost, Miren the Moaning Well, Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, Evangelize.
I would remove:
Violet Pall
Cauldron Haze
Trip Noose
Also, Decree of Pain is better than Plague Wind.
Thus, I believe I've figured out how something can essentially still be kicked but without the player paying a cost to kick it: satisfying a requirement.
The requirements could range from "Kicker - Control three or creatures" or "Kicker - An opponent has taken 3 or more damage this turn."
An example spell (power level/templating not taken into account):
Thought Repetition 1U
Instant
Kicker - An opponent has drawn more than one card this turn.
Draw a card. If this spell was kicked, draw two more cards.
Rampant Vegetation 1GG
Sorcery
Kicker - Control 3 or more forests.
Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play. If this spell was kicked, search your library for two basic land cards and put them into play.
Or a healing spell that can be kicked to gain extra, whose requirement would be something along the lines of how much damage you've taken, or the number of creatures you control, etc.
I believe there is a lot of room for design space on these cards, both in the requirements to satisfy and the power level that can be adjusted through kicker.
Edit: And you should have the good base creatures in your colors: Eternal Witness, Genesis, Woodfall Primus, Restock, Stonehewer Giant, etc.
Even with my list, using Kitchen Finks over Plumeveil and playing 4 finishers, drawing and then keeping a finisher on the board is difficult. This looks even more stall-hope-to-win.
Also I found between 4 Path, 4 Finks, 4 Walls, and 3 Burials, you didn't really need 4 Essence Scatter. Upping the Negate count has been good for Maelstrom Pulse, etc. to keep our finisher's alive. It can also stop the infamous Finest Hour! (Kidding, I hate Bantards.)
4x Kitchen Finks
4x Wall of Reverence
4x Mulldrifter
3x Baneslayer Angel
1x Oona, Queen of the Fae
3x Jace Beleren
Spells
4x Path to Exile
4x Cryptic Command
3x Hallowed Burial
3x Negate
2x Essence Scatter
8x Island
7x Plains
4x Mystic Gate
4x Glacial Fortress
2x Gargoyle Castle
Finks, Walls, and Baneslayer can put you far ahead out of range of reach cards like Anathemancer and Banefire.
Baneslayer Angel is probably the best card in M10. It single-handedly turns the tide of games against 5cbloodbraid (Bituminous Blast doesn't kill it, oops!) and Kithkin, with their 4 cards per deck removal (4 Maelstrom Pulse or Path To Exile), which they usually burn on a Wall of Reverence or Kitchen Finks. Also, it pretty much hoses Jund Ramp, especially if they switched to Bogardan Hellkite over Cloudthresher.
I haven't tested post-side, as my side is not complete. I was considering a 4th Negate, 4th Baneslayer Angel, Runed Halo, Pithing Needle, Celestial Purge, and then a number of other finishers for decks running Thought Hemmorage. Possibly Archon of Justice, Twilight Shepherd, or even Godhead of Awe.
Any suggestions for the main or side?
Edit: For the doubters of Gargoyle Castle, I've never been sad to draw this mid-game. It can stop a Bloodbraid or Mutavault in its tracks, and then serves as a finisher and Wall of Reverence enabler.
He understands that it is obviously better than only one target. And that is huge in Standard. Merfolk will have 8 lords, and thus a single unblockable mutavault can hit for 4 or 5, let alone the Silvergill Adepts etc. that you'll have out.
You don't need some huge wake thrasher or awful Grimoire Thief, just an couple of unblockable 3+ power creatures can kill someone in 3 turns.
Making it a blanket ability would make Merfolk severely outrace other aggro decks.
Every green deck should be playing both. Maybe not Mayael, but all non-theme greens. Like Rafiq, Teneb, etc.
Also, Kodama of the North Tree can fetch 5/5s, like the new Sphinx Ambassador, Visara the Dreadful, Regal Force, Arashi, the Sky Asunder, Havoc Demon, Keiga, the Tide Star, Spearbreaker Behemoth. Other cards to trigger it might be Timbermare, Tombstalker, and Blastoderm.