Arcanis the Omnipotent-The deck is never an Arcanis deck, it is always mono-blue combo that only plays its general if it can get the three cards....and my buddy plays him all the time.
Seems like a good budget option, or if you really need more multitarget removal, but I would
rather use Plague Wind for my sweeper/Card draw of choice.
Your not crazy, not at all, but just to be sure we will be sending you for a brainwas.....exam.
I can't stand WB cards unless they are in sleeves with white insides...and I hate though sleeves too lol. I don't really know why I just think they are ugly. Commandercast (season 3 I think) did a white border only deck, check it out.
What restricts the use of those cards is the Wizards of the Coast Sanctioned Tournament deck construction rules, however given that Commander is not a sanctioned format and thus not played in any sanctioned tournaments that ruleset does not apply to it. Those rules are found here http://www.wizards.com/ContentResources/Wizards/WPN/Main/Documents/Magic_The_Gathering_Tournament_Rules_PDF3.pdf and state that only white and black bordered cards are allowed in sanctioned tournaments.
This is one of those things that, as I said, nearly everybody who plays is completely unaware of. But Un-set cards are not actually banned in Vintage or Legacy, nor are gold-bordered promotional set cards. Yes, it's a technicality, yes, I suspect most people would react quite negatively if you suddenly played Spell Counter with no prior warning, but the rules are the rules, and unless they're changed to reflect the common misunderstanding of the game's playerbase that is how they stand.
Oh snap, throwing the wizards rule book down. Lol I would still ask my group before playing unglued cards, but I am showing this to my group for laughs.
On topic: This hasn't really come up in my group, mostly cause I am the only one with Gold bordered cards that I know of and they are in my cube, but I personally fine with them. They are the best proxies ever lol. EDH is about fun and accessibility shouldn't be a hindrance to that fun (unless sombody is trying to proxie an entire deck, that is a little overkill.
It's bad, and if you even thought for a second that you might run it, you are bad, and should feel bad.
Really no need for this, at all. Just say you don't like the card and move on. No need to insult anyone.
Anyway, it has all been said. It just isn't as good in multiplayer EDH as it might be in 60 card duels. I don't play 1v1 (outside of using my multiplayer deck when waiting for others to join), but I could see where it could be decent there.
Just because he is considered the worst of his cycle, but it seems like it would go good in the deck Jugan, the Rising Star, and since you are saccing stuff Gravepact. Fecundity is also good, since you should be able to abuse it better than your opponents, though it might not play so well with Gravepact.
There was a topic on the first season of ComanderCast about trying to make your basics match the theme of your deck or general, so for Animar I use Lorewyn basics (Since thats the big Elemental set, and the arts kind of go with hers) and for Vela, who has a ninja subtheme, I am using Kamigawa lands. I am trying to get all matching arts for them.
Well it doesn't win the game off the bat but grab Argothian Elder and Primeval Titan who grabs Heart of Yavimaya and Maze of Ith. Instead of making infinite mana with the elder you get infinite pumps on your dudes, but that is a real stretch.
There are several factors that go into the answer of this question:
1) What is your deck trying to do?- This is the biggest one and the entire line could stop here sometimes. Lets use Niv 1.0 and the above wheel effects, yes you want to run multiples, because that deck usually wants to draw tons of cards to get use of his ability in case they can't combo off. Psychosis Crawler gets played in this a a a lot as well, and he also benefits from them.
2)What does your meta look like?- You where asking about Wrath of God and Damnation, well do you have lots of token decks/aggro decks? Do other players play wraths? If every other play plays a couple of sweepers or you don't come across too many situations where you were wishing you had one, then you can probably go with 1 and a tutor.
3)Does you playgroup like playing against these effects? This is a weird thing to think about when building decks, specially if you play more competitive 60 card formats, but it is very important. EDH is about having fun and being social and if everyone gives you the stink eye when you play said effect, then I might cut back on it a little bit. MLD for instance, if ramp is starting to take over, but people hate MLD, I might only run one, two max, MLD card to keep ramp in check a little while still keeping it fun for the group. Of course this one goes out the window in cutthroat competitive groups.
and last but not least
4) Does effect hurt you? I have seen people pack hate (such as sweepers), that hurts their deck's game plan. Now maybe your meta calls for some sweeper in your token deck, to fight all the other token decks, but don't do it to the level where you have several cards sitting dead in your hands cause they will hurt you more than everyone else. (not saying any one is stupid or anything, I have just seen people put stuff in there deck without thinking so I added this to the list.)
Beguiler of Wills- With no pumps you won't be stealing much, and you have better theft cards.
Sweepers- Not sure if your meta has a lot of tokens or aggro, but 8 (counting Worldpurge) sweepers seems like a lot. Maybe you can cut a couple.
Fatespinner- Opponents can just choose the phase that they don't need (i.e. chooseing attack phase till they can one shot someone, then choosing main, or getting a draw engine set up and choosing Draw step.)
Marrow-Gnawer. I will be building this deck, It was the first EDH deck I ever built without proxies. Me and my friend grabbed all the Relentless Rats we could find, any other good rats, and bunch of kill, discard and went at it. I beat his tuned Arcanis Combo off of turn 1 Dark Ritual into RR, and turn two Lightning greaves, which made the Rats I played on turns 2-6 awesome. He didn't even have time to try to combo out.
Ancient Tomb is replacing it's non foil version in Kozilek; Urborg and Maze of Ith are replacing two of the crapier lands in the same one, and High Market will as well. I got lucky and got two for MSRP so I'm sure I will find a place for the others since I am working on building a deck of ever possible color combo.
1 Malfegor
Artifacts
1 Mirari
1 Reito Lantern
Enchantments
1 AEther Flash
1 Tainted Æther
1 Death pits of Rath
1 The Abyss
1 Deathgrip
1 Spreading Plague
1 Repercussion
1 Innocent Blood
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Damnation
1 Exsanguinate
1 Perish
1 Decree of Pain
Lands
1 Command Tower
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Forbidden Orchard
14 Mountain
14 Swamp
1 Cabal coffers
I added Reito Lantern to help counter act having to discard our hand.
1 Malfegor
Enchantments
1 AEther Flash
1 Tainted Æther
1 Death pits of Rath
1 The Abyss
1 Deathgrip
1 Spreading Plague
1 Innocent Blood
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Damnation
Lands
1 Command Tower
1 Forbidden Orchard
14 Mountain
15 Swamp
I'll go ahead and add Damnation. We never really have to worry about it hurting our board position.
So are we going Voltron with this, or are we going to try some other wincon.
Godo, Bandit Warlord can tutor for equipment and gives extra attack phases if you have a way to untap Ruhan.
Stonehewer Giant is a repeatable equipment tutor that equips at instant speed.
rather use Plague Wind for my sweeper/Card draw of choice.
I can't stand WB cards unless they are in sleeves with white insides...and I hate though sleeves too lol. I don't really know why I just think they are ugly. Commandercast (season 3 I think) did a white border only deck, check it out.
Oh snap, throwing the wizards rule book down. Lol I would still ask my group before playing unglued cards, but I am showing this to my group for laughs.
On topic: This hasn't really come up in my group, mostly cause I am the only one with Gold bordered cards that I know of and they are in my cube, but I personally fine with them. They are the best proxies ever lol. EDH is about fun and accessibility shouldn't be a hindrance to that fun (unless sombody is trying to proxie an entire deck, that is a little overkill.
Really no need for this, at all. Just say you don't like the card and move on. No need to insult anyone.
Anyway, it has all been said. It just isn't as good in multiplayer EDH as it might be in 60 card duels. I don't play 1v1 (outside of using my multiplayer deck when waiting for others to join), but I could see where it could be decent there.
Gravepact. Fecundity is also good, since you should be able to abuse it better than your opponents, though it might not play so well with Gravepact.
1) What is your deck trying to do?- This is the biggest one and the entire line could stop here sometimes. Lets use Niv 1.0 and the above wheel effects, yes you want to run multiples, because that deck usually wants to draw tons of cards to get use of his ability in case they can't combo off. Psychosis Crawler gets played in this a a a lot as well, and he also benefits from them.
2)What does your meta look like?- You where asking about Wrath of God and Damnation, well do you have lots of token decks/aggro decks? Do other players play wraths? If every other play plays a couple of sweepers or you don't come across too many situations where you were wishing you had one, then you can probably go with 1 and a tutor.
3)Does you playgroup like playing against these effects? This is a weird thing to think about when building decks, specially if you play more competitive 60 card formats, but it is very important. EDH is about having fun and being social and if everyone gives you the stink eye when you play said effect, then I might cut back on it a little bit. MLD for instance, if ramp is starting to take over, but people hate MLD, I might only run one, two max, MLD card to keep ramp in check a little while still keeping it fun for the group. Of course this one goes out the window in cutthroat competitive groups.
and last but not least
4) Does effect hurt you? I have seen people pack hate (such as sweepers), that hurts their deck's game plan. Now maybe your meta calls for some sweeper in your token deck, to fight all the other token decks, but don't do it to the level where you have several cards sitting dead in your hands cause they will hurt you more than everyone else. (not saying any one is stupid or anything, I have just seen people put stuff in there deck without thinking so I added this to the list.)
I would cut
Worldpurge-Too much mana, doesn't let you keep all your cards with Venser's Journal/Reliquary Tower.
Beguiler of Wills- With no pumps you won't be stealing much, and you have better theft cards.
Sweepers- Not sure if your meta has a lot of tokens or aggro, but 8 (counting Worldpurge) sweepers seems like a lot. Maybe you can cut a couple.
Fatespinner- Opponents can just choose the phase that they don't need (i.e. chooseing attack phase till they can one shot someone, then choosing main, or getting a draw engine set up and choosing Draw step.)
and one add in suggestion.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite- Constant sweeper for any x/2 or x/1 and plays really well with Dovescape. Maybe cut Ith or Stormtide for her.