- RiverWolf13
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Member for 13 years, 7 months, and 23 days
Last active Sat, Aug, 14 2021 14:29:11
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Apr 1, 2018RiverWolf13 posted a message on Announcing: The Underworld Cookbook!While I know this is April Fools, I would gladly pay money for this. *crosses fingers & hopes*Posted in: Articles
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Dec 2, 2017RiverWolf13 posted a message on Word of Command: Un-believableOk so Gotcha cards are annoying, BUT you know what is more annoying?Posted in: Articles
Flicking cards. It's like a nervous fidget/ tick of a cardboard addict.
If only we had a card that could Stop That...
Ok snarkiness aside, I have been waiting to play this card in Constructed since it came out. Before that, I never noticed that tick of players because none of my high school friends did it. (I guess we were just too relaxed playing kitchen table Magic.) This card has serious potential, way better than Raven's Crime, it's even instant speed!!
Here's hoping Duel Commander allows silver-bordered in the near future too! -
Oct 31, 2017RiverWolf13 posted a message on The 13 Scariest Pieces of Magic ArtDefinitely agree that Village Cannibals takes the cake. The horror here is amplified by the amazing flavortext. In the same vein, I'd also pick Villagers of Estwald. The best horror is the kind that lurks, waiting for you.Posted in: Articles
I like many of the arts chosen, but I think the flavortext is a crucial piece that can magnify horror.
Bonus: Favorite Rakdos horror is Showstopper. - To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
The deck's first goal is to get out Rakdos out and in play as soon as possible. A turn four Rakdos should be likely, and a turn three Rakdos is possible though unlikely. After Rakdos is out, you should hopefully use an extra attack phase card or double strike card to improve his offensive ability.
When I first concieved of Rakdos the Defiler as a general, my first instinct was how do I mitigate his downside? From the second and third lists, you can see there are many ways to do this, primarily through token generators, Conspiracy, double strike, reanimation, more demons, etc. Then I decided that mitigating his downside just wasn't important. I mean once my opponents, who are trying to build up or combo lose half their non-demon permanents. I should pretty much have the game in the bag. I have found that Red is the primary color for disruption, evidenced by my Zo-Zu the Punisher coin flipping deck and my Adamaro, First to Desire land destruction deck.
Since this version is designed for multiplayer, a lot of attention is given to extra attack steps, If you can cripple two opponents in one turn that is a heck of a lot better than devastating one opponent through double strike. To do this though you have to accept that the player using Rakdos will sacrifice about 3/4ths of their non-demon permanents or more. Once Rakdos is in play you can also cripple all of your opponents with a mass destruction spell, which will force your opponents to also sacrifice other crucial permanents.
So let me know what you think of the deck, any cards I may hav missed or possible different builds.
1x Rakdos the Defiler
Creature
1x Balthor the Defiled
1x Blood Speaker
1x Fleshwrither
1x Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1x Malfegor
1x Manaforge Cinder
1x Mindslicer
1x Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
1x Overeager Apprentice
1x Rapacious One
1x Soldevi Adnate
1x Thought Gorger
1x Woebringer Demon
Give to Rakdos
1x Assault Strobe
1x Dust Corona
1x Fists of the Demigod
1x Fury of the Horde
1x General's Kabuto
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Psychotic Fury
1x Relentless Assault
1x Savage Beating
1x Seize the Day
1x Whispersilk Cloak
1x World at War
Mass Destruction
1x Death Cloud
1x Devastating Dreams
1x Fire Covenant
1x Firestorm
1x Hellfire
1x Impending Disaster
1x Kindle the Carnage
1x Mogg Infestation
1x Phyrexian Purge
1x Pox
1x Sickening Dreams
1x Tectonic Break
1x Thoughts of Ruin
1x Void
1x Black Market
1x Demonic Dread
1x Elemental Mastery
1x Fireshrieker
1x Grave Pact
1x Plunge into Darkness
1x Promise of Power
1x Sickening Shoal
1x Sudden Spoiling
1x Urborg Justice
Reanimation
1x Animate Dead
1x Dance of the Dead
1x Necromancy
1x Reanimate
Acceleration
1x Coalition Relic
1x Heart of Ramos
1x Lotus Blossom
1x Lotus Petal
1x Mana Flare
1x Mana Vault
1x Pentad Prism
1x Rakdos Signet
1x Skull of Ramos
1x Sol Ring
Land
1x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1x City of Brass
1x Dragonskull Summit
1x Dwarven Ruins
1x Ebon Stronghold
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Exotic Orchard
1x Gemstone Mine
1x Graven Cairns
1x Lake of the Dead
1x Molten Slagheap
5x Mountain
1x Peat Bog
1x Rocky Tar Pit
1x Sandstone Needle
1x Shadowblood Ridge
1x Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1x Sulfurous Springs
7x Swamp
1x Tainted Peak
1x Tendo Ice Bridge
1x Terramorphic Expanse
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Still possible
1x Arms Dealer
1x Astrolabe
1x Attrition
1x Basal Sliver
1x Basal Thrull
1x Basalt Monolith
1x Bitterblossom
1x Blood Pet
1x Blood Vassal
1x Bloodghast
1x Bloodstone Cameo
1x Body Snatcher
1x Braids, Cabal Minion
1x Bubbling Muck
1x Burnt Offering
1x Cairn Wanderer
1x Cauldron Haze
1x Cauldron of Souls
1x Coffin Queen
1x Coldsteel Heart
1x Corpsehatch
1x Culling the Weak
1x Dark Ritual
1x Defiler of Souls
1x Demon of Death's Gate
1x Desolation
1x Diabolic Intent
1x Dread Drone
1x Emrakul's Hatcher
1x Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1x Exhume
1x Fleshbag Marauder
1x Forced March
1x Furystoke Giant
1x Ghostly Flame
1x Grappling Hook
1x Grim Monolith
1x Hell's Caretaker
1x Igneous Pouncer
1x Implements of Sacrifice
1x Jeweled Amulet
1x Kamahl's Desire
1x Kathari Bomber
1x Keldon Firebombers
1x Kher Keep
1x Krark-Clan Stoker
1x Kusari-Gama
1x Mana Geyser
1x Marsh Flitter
1x Mogg War Marshal
1x Monkey Cage
1x Moonlight Bargain
1x Murderous Redcap
1x Paradise Mantle
1x Phyrexian Altar
1x Priest of Yawgmoth
1x Radiate
1x Rage Reflection
1x Rain of Filth
1x Rakdos Riteknife
1x Rotlung Reanimator
1x Runes of the Deus
1x Seizan, Perverter of Truth
1x Sengir Autocrat
1x Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked
1x Siege-Gang Commander
1x Snake Basket
1x Snuff Out
1x Sorceress Queen
1x Soul Exchange
1x Spectral Searchlight
1x Spontaneous Combustion
1x Stitch Together
1x Tainted AEther
1x Talisman of Indulgence
1x Taurean Mauler
1x Vesper Ghoul
Didn't work for me but maybe for you
1x Ashling's Prerogative
1x Blazing Shoal
1x Bog Witch
1x Butcher of Malakir
1x Cabal Ritual
1x Carrion
1x Charcoal Diamond
1x Conspiracy
1x Contamination
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Deathbringer Thoctar
1x Demonic Collusion
1x Desperate Ritual
1x Epicenter
1x Exuberant Firestoker
1x Faceless Butcher
1x Fire Diamond
1x Fulminator Mage
1x Goblin Scouts
1x Grafted Skullcap
1x Grinning Ignus
1x Herald of Leshrac
1x Incite Hysteria
1x Innocent Blood
1x Iron Myr
1x Leaden Myr
1x Mind Swords
1x Nuisance Engine
1x Phyrexian Lens
1x Pyretic Ritual
1x Rakka Mar
1x Ruination
1x Sacrifice
1x Scuttlemutt
1x Seething Song
1x Skirge Familiar
1x Skirk Prospector
1x Skullclamp
1x Songs of the Damned
1x Spiteful Visions
1x Splinter Twin
1x Star Compass
1x Stronghold Overseer
1x Sword of the Meek
1x Tombstalker
1x Tuktuk the Explorer
1x Unearthly Blizzard
1x War's Toll
1x Ward of Bones
1x Weirding Shaman
1x Wildfire
1x Words of War
1x Wort, Boggart Auntie
1x Zombie Infestation
I'm also a big fan of all the super equipments,
I would just look at equipment, especially those above.
I really like this idea for the deck, it showcases mono red as the color of disruption for EDH.
If you need help working on your curve I would reccomend a site called tappedout.net. You should be able to just copy and paste your deck list as is (without the headings) into their deckbuilder and it will spit out some decent statistics on your curve, mana base, color distribution, etc.
As for red cards, first I would look at your current general, does he do what you want him to do? Compare that to Tolsmir or Rhys. What do they do, besides color options? Then just which general would you rather go with?
If you stick with red, I could suggest some of the extra attack step cards like Waves of Agression, World at War, and Aggravated Assault. For your deck I would also reccomend Breath of Fury, oh and War Cadence isn't bad for breaking through to opposing players.
Lol, it does seem that this deck is designed to be a jerk or just ruin the game state. That screwing with my opponents is my only objective but it's not. I could have included several other cards that just did silly stupid things, but I always had the objective of a possible win in the deck's construction. There are smart ways to play this deck.
For instance Confusion in the Ranks, often it's not advisable to take the best creature, but the second or third best. Let other players fight over the best and just keep disrupting. It is in the chaos that players get eliminated and the possiblity of winning emerges. The deck could never go one on one.
Zo-Zu puts out sick damage. Three turns of him and its like having three unblocked swings of an Akroma on your opponents, not bad for a three drop. Perhaps the best way to describe the strategy is as you say, be the 'other chieftains' but also make opportunities for you to rise up and take control.
It is scary to think this deck has a decent record of winning, but I often take second and occassionally first. (In ten games, 3 first, 4 second, 3 third or below.) The games I typically lose are to straight forward decks that don't accelerate, don't always play board wipe or the best creatures. I think of it as a legitimate strategy in a league filled with multicolor generals and 'top tier' decks.
That said, I am loving the article, keep it up!
Then I had to choose a general. Now I knew I wanted a low costing general in mono red. So that left me with basically two choices, Adamaro, First to Desire and Zo-Zu the Punisher. Adamaro is clearly very strong, both early and later into the game as certain decks would be drawing into additional cards. But something told me to go with Zo-Zu. I had a decent number of goblins in the deck so maybe I figured to keep with theme. I also figured the Ankh of Mishra effect wouldn't hurt me as my curve was low and I didn't have too many mana accelerators.
It turned out that this choice to stick with a goblin would have a profound affect on the deck's direction. I would commonly tell people about this deck in my League saying, "It acts like it is a stupid, dumb goblin." I'm looking at you Mudbotton Torchrunner. So without further ado, my version of Zo-Zu the Punisher.
1 Zo-Zu the Punisher
Coin-Flipping
1 Krark's Thumb
1 Chance Encounter
1 Karplusan Minotaur
1 Goblin Assassin
1 Mogg Assassin
1 Goblin Archaeologist
1 Goblin Psychopath
1 Chaotic Goo
1 Fiery Gambit
1 Mana Clash
1 Game of Chaos
1 Planar Chaos
1 Goblin Bomb
1 Wild Wurm
1 Risky Move
Random Effects
1 Confusion in the Ranks
1 Grip of Chaos
1 Gamble
1 Wild Swing
1 Capricious Efreet
Land Destruction
1 Ruination
1 Keldon Firebombers
1 Detritivore
1 Thoughts of Ruin
1 Psychogenic Probe
1 Manabarbs
1 Price of Progress
1 Price of Glory
Spare Goblins
1 Mogg Maniac
1 Lightning Crafter
1 Arms Dealer
1 Skirk Fire Marshal
1 Akki Lavarunner
1 Moggcatcher (not technically a goblin, but..)
1 Goblin Warrens
1 Horde of Boggarts
1 Mudbotton Torchrunner
1 Fire Juggler
1 Goblin King (really not liking him)
1 Thick-Skinned Goblin
1 Goblin Cadets
1 Goblin Lookout
1 Bloodmark Mentor
Other Stuff(loosely sorted)
1 Thieves' Auction (simply amazing)
1 Adamaro, First to Desire
1 War Elemental
1 Voracious Dragon
1 Rakka Mar
1 Goblin War Strike
1 Goblin Grenade
1 Reckless Abandon
1 War Cadence
1 Shared Animosity
1 Mercadia's Downfall
1 Chain of Plasma
1 Dead//Gone
1 Shattering Spree
1 Mindmoil
1 Recoup
1 Browbeat
1 Custody Battle
33 Mountain
1 Goblin Burrows
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Mana Geyser
It looks like I am missing two cards from the decklist, can't seem to remember them. Oh well, those slots can be open for card suggestions.
As you can see the deck really punishes players who play lots of lands and specifically nonbasic lands. The deck has a great subtheme of randomness which not only affects the outcome of my spells, but also messes with other players neat ordered game. (Grip of Chaos, Confusion in the Ranks, etc.)
I chose to adhere to that dumb, stupid goblin mentality in the deck construction and also in how I play it. I am perfectly willing to let a Chain of Plasma off the leash relatively early to kill a few guys but also just to see what happens with my opponents.
Thieves' Auction will win you a game. Another reason to keep your lands low, pick Zo-Zu kinda early and then everyone takes 2 dmg for each land they choose to bring back in play. Plus it also takes their stuff.
I would love for other people to contribute any thoughts to the deck or specific cards. Try to stick to the stupid, crazy, but effective goblin theme.
I have however built a deck designed to punish those rules and throw a little chaos into the game. It is a deck designed around the general Zo-Zu the Punisher. I will post it in the Multiplayer Forum later today and link it here.
Basically, it punishes people for trying to follow those rules, it's my way of showing there is more to the game than the way professionals play. (And a way to beat them through it too.) An answer to 'good' decks
I would recommend Cauldron of Souls, Fallen Ideal, probably a Sudden Spoiling over Putrefy, Nezumi Graverobber, Sengir Nosferatu, I like Death Denied alot, Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief is sick (you can use it on your own tokens to pump her up too).
That pretty much sums it up. I know a bunch of these cards may not fit into your deck's direction, but I figured why not mention it.
First thanks to RedPanda, Eternal Dominion does sound awesome. I'm a bit scared of the epic mechanic so I usually shy away from it. Also Guile is kinda worthless in the deck now. He was a relic of an older build that wanted 6/6 and semi unblockable. He only survived cuts for ability to bluff people into thinking I had a Counterspell or the like. After Rise of the Eldrazi, a lot of the Djinns bought the farm. Sakashima the Imposter is also great, he is currently in my Azami deck. And I desperately need a Paradox Haze, just haven't been able to get a hold of one yet!
Thanks to ZemogFC, you really stressed the importance of bounce, I can't tell you how devestating Hoverguard Sweepers and Tidespout Tyrant can be. Can you explain the Capsize and Palinchron combo to me. Do I need more than just the two, like Lens or Gaunlet of Power? Oh and Riptide Laboratory is a great idea too. Thanks.
I would like to use Stormtide Leviathan. My big concern is however not the ability of my creatures to attack, but the mana fixing it provides to my opponents, blue is strong in my League. That said he is a powerhouse.
Who is Blue Braids?
Braids, Conjurer Adept is the Time Spiral alter ego of Braids, Cabal Minion. Black Braids was a villain working for the Cabal. She is a dementia master responsible for several killings and the resurrection of Balthor the Defiled.
Not much is known of the storyline behind Blue Braids. Her art evokes a sense of quiet strength, she is more connected to her studies than the people around her. "Braids" started out as a cute nickname, but then became one to respect and fear for the massive creatures she unleashed and the intricate machines she could devise seemingly without effort.
Why play this general?
You enjoy playing the biggest creatures in magic, including : Eldrazi, Colossi, Leviathans, Sphinxes, and Djinns.
You like stealing other peoples awesome creatures, like: Angels, Demons, Gargantuans, Praetors, etc.
You are of the opinion that two is always better, so Clone and friends are welcome.
You like the advantages of card drawing and counterspells.
You are willing to play aggressively in order to devastate your opponents.
You do NOT want to play this deck if:
You prefer to play defensive/ attrition/ heavy control decks.
You like playing "typical" blue decks with loads of counterspells / control.
You like to play intricate "combo and win" decks.
Deck History:
EDH was just beginning to get big. Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, and Erayo, Soratami Ascendant were still being considered for the banned lists. I had already made my own versions of Rofellos (aka Waffles) and an Azami, Lady of Scrolls deck. I even made a Uril, the Miststalker(like everyone else did). I liked the feel of playing big splashy creatures and winning big. I also remember the raw power of stealing or copying cards with Mind Control and Clone effects. So I knew I wanted to make some version of a blue deck to take advantage of this. Would the deck be Momir Vig, Simic Visionary or a three color general? You can see I was still attached to the idea of green being the biggest, baddest creatures around.
Well Time Spiral was being revealed on the boards and I saw new color-shifted Blue Braids! This alter ego was cute, fun, and had one of the most Timmy abilities Magic has ever known, Elvish Piper. I remember talking to my best friend, and thinking of popping Leviathans into play and dominating the combat phase. I also thought about Darksteel Colossus and the various Djinns. Then I remembered how impressive theft magic and clone had been. The next day I put together a basic decklist of my ideas. Naturally the list was about 250 cards deep!
The deck has evolved over time, taking advantage of Eldrazi, new powerhouse blue spells, and changes focused on efficiency and a toolbox approach. My focus in writing this primer is to streamline efficiency and focus on the essentials that work.
The Current Decklist:
Click to see the deck sorted by CMC.
1 Braids, Conjurer Adept
Beaters (7)
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
1 It That Betrays
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Ulamog's Crusher
Blue Thefty (4)
1 Gilded Drake
1 Captivating Glance
1 Bribery
1 Corrupted Conscience
Cloning(6)
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Sakashima's Student
1 Body Double
1 Rite of Replication
Protection (6)
1 Vanishing
1 Teferi's Veil
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Spellskite
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Lighthouse Chronologist
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Leyline of Anticipation
Utility & Tutors(5)
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Fabricate
1 Long-Term Plans
1 Treasure Mage
1 Riptide Shapeshifter
Card Drawing (5)
1 Rhystic Study
1 Mystic Remora
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Control (11)
1 Flusterstorm
1 Swan Song
1 Delay
1 Counterspell
1 Negate
1 Spell Rupture
1 Force of Will
1 Wash Out
1 Inundate
1 Archetype of Imagination
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Scourge of Fleets
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Rishadan Brigand
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Palinchron
1 Phyrexian Ingester
1 Chancellor of Spires
1 Diluvian Primordial
Mana Sources (42)
31 Island
1 Strip Mine
1 Halimar Depths
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Saphire Medallion
1 Mind Stone
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Caged Sun
Deck sorted by converted mana cost
[spoiler=CMC Decklist]
1 Braids, Conjurer Adept
Land
31 Island
1 Strip Mine
1 Halimar Depths
One CMC
1 Mystic Remora
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Vanishing
Two CMC
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Gilded Drake
1 Lighthouse Chronologist
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mind Stone
1 Negate
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Spell Rupture
1 Swiftfoot Boots
Three CMC
1 Back to Basics
1 Captivating Glance
1 Coalition Relic
1 Cryptoplasm
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Fabricate
1 Hinder
1 Long-Term Plans
1 Rhystic Study
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Treasure Mage
1 Vodalian Illusionist
1 Control Magic
1 Grafted Exoskeleton
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Rite of Replication
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Wash Out
Five CMC
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
1 Bribery
1 Body Double
1 Corrupted Conscience
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Riptide Shapeshifter
1 Treachery
1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Six CMC
1 Ætherling
1 Caged Sun
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Inundate
1 Keiga, the Tide Star
1 Steel Hellkite
Seven CMC
1 Karn Liberated
1 Memnarch
1 Palinchron
1 Phyrexian Ingester
1 Quicksilver Gargantuan
1 Sphinx Ambassador
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker
1 Stormtide Leviathan
1 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Ulamog's Crusher
Nine+ CMC
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 It That Betrays
1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
[/spoiler]
How To Play The Deck:
The strategy for Blue Braids is threefold, consisting of: blitzing out big dominating creatures, stealing or copying creatures, and making decisive board sweeps.
Step 1:Choose your mulligans wisely
The best hand consists of exactly four mana, a few great creatures, and possibly some clone action.
The perfect hand:
Other great hands include 4 mana, Gilded Drake, Phyrexian Metamorph, Control Magic, a counterspell, and a tutor. You won't have an explosive start, but you should be able to handle anything they play off of Braids until you find your win condition.
Step 2: Ramp up to 4 mana.
The deck has a very good suite of artifact mana accelerators. My absolute favorite is Sol Ring. This allows you to get a turn two Braids and start hitting people with Annihilators and Blightsteel on turn 3 or 4! If you can get Extraplanar Lens or Caged Sun out without Braids, you may forgo casting her and hardcast your creatures instead.
Step 3: Play Braids
There is rarely a time when you will not want to play Braids at 4 mana. Later in the game you should have enough mana (8+) to let her die or bounce her. If you smell removal, try to protect her with a counterspell, or shroud/hexproof.
Step 4a: Play an awesome creature!
If you have
- Blightsteel Colossus
- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
- Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
- Pathrazer of Ulamog
- It That Betrays
- Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
than your decision is easy. Play one of them and start killing people. This will accelerate from early to late game very quickly as everyone brings out there big guns quickly.Step 4b:
If your opening hand didn't consist of one of the awesome finishers than you will have to rely on the streamlined efficiency of the blue theft and cloning action.
You will still play Braids on turn four. Your objective in a mid game scenario where either Braids is dead or you don't have a great creature in hand is to copy, steal, and draw. Try to take advantage of the many draw card sources in the deck to find your win condition creature. Use the utility cards to search your deck. Clone any solid creatures your opponents play. This will at least deter them from attacking you. You should use your blue theft to maximum benefit. This deck is about getting to the end game as quickly as possible.
The deck has one major combo card: Deadeye Navigator. With it, you can abuse comes into play effects to generate infinite mana, bounce/remove numerous creatures, you name it. I am modifying my current list to take full advantage of him, trying out Venser, Shaper Savant, and others.
Matchups:
Your greatest threats are the 'combo and win' decks for two major reasons. One you aren't packing enough counterspell heat to stop them. Two they see Braids as the biggest threat! Combo decks like Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, Karador, Ghost Chieftain, Jhoira of the Ghitu, Taniwha, and any deck that plays a general 'just for the colors' likes to accelerate and build up critical mass for a sudden win. Braids enables every player to get to their win condition faster. So combo decks now have three powerful opponents to fight. With this said, level your Eldrazi and Blightsteel against the combo decks. Also you can try a more controlish package like Void Winnower, Back to Basics, Nullstone Gargoyle, and more counterspells, if your meta is filled with combo.
Additionally, annoying generals include Merieke Ri Berit, Sigarda, Host of Herons, and Teysa, Orzhov Scion. As a rule, if a general or deck is good at spot removal or plans to shut down the board, it is a bad matchup for Braids. Fight these decks first as well.
Challenging and fun match ups include Uril, the Miststalker, Krenko, Mob Boss, and Lazav, Dimir Mastermind. I have some fond memories of facing off against those decks.
Favorable match ups include Mayael the Anima, Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Kaalia of the Vast, et cetera as these decks offer a nice selection of cards to steal or copy.
Card Choices Detailed:
The Win Conditions
Each of the Eldrazi cards offers a crucial opportunity to devastate one or more opponents early in the game. Each Eldrazi needs to have Annihlator 2+ to be effective. My favorites include Pathrazer and It That Betrays. I used to run Ulamog's Crusher which is a really good card, but I cut it to have a stronger Deadeye Navigator package.
Blightsteel Colossus infect ability can instantly kill an opponent in one swing, cause blockers to have 0 toughness, and with indestructible only other infect/wither creatures stand a chance.
Deadeye Navigator is a go to combo card with enter the battlefield abilities, and it can provide ok protection from spot removal effects. Cards to flicker in and out of play are: Palinchron for infinite blue mana, Venser, Shaper Savant for bounce and counterspell wall, Chancellor of the Spires/Diluvian Primordial for repeatable spell copying, and Phyrexian Ingester/Duplicant/Rishadan Brigand for removal.
Theft Cards
Occasionally you will end up with a hand without an awesome beatdown or lockdown creature. The next best thing then is to allow your opponents to get big creatures and steal them for cheap.
Gilded Drake is the cheapest way to steal in Magic. There is no drawback whatsoever in giving a 3/3 flyer when you are playing EDH and most people are playing bigger.
Captivating Glance is a personal favorite of mine. Considering the deck has a very high converted mana cost, you will tend to win the clash more often. Additionally, you can clash with anyone, it does not have to be the controller of the creature! So even if you lose the clash one time, you can still take a good creature and give it away to an ally.
Control Magic and Treachery are efficient theft spells for their costs.
Sphinx Ambassador is Bribery every turn. Be careful not to grab Gisela, Blade of Goldnight as that will almost always be the card they name.
Corrupted Conscience offers the advantage of theft and a poison win.
Memnarch is a late game card capable of disrupting and stealing an opponents win condition. You should have out Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, or Extraplanar Lens to take full advantage of him.
Keiga, the Tide Star is a flexible theft spell in that she can acts as a rattlesnake card keeping more agressive creatures away from you.
Bribery is a blue theft staple. If you don't have one of your awesome beaters, then go steal theirs. Also note you will almost always be the target of opponent's Briberies.
Cloning
When looking at Blue Braids, it is tempting to include every big creature and artifact you can find. I have found it is often better to streamline your fatties to a few select individuals that dominate by themselves. However this reduces your potential to attack multiple opponents at once. Cloning helps to fill that gap and lowers your mana curve simultaneously.
Phantasmal Image is the cheapest copy effect you will find. That usually far outweighs its drawback.
Sakashima the Impostor is probably the best clone available since he can copy legendary creatures without dying. Also consider including Sakashima's Student since the ninjutsu ability can bounce an unblocked Braids.
Phyrexian Metamorph is a great 3cmc clone that hits artifacts too. Oftentimes he will just copy a creature, but being able to copy a great mana artifact or someone else's artifact provides a lot of utility.
Cryptoplasm is another great 3cmc clone that can change each upkeep.
Rite of Replication has the same converted cost as Clone but comes with a game winning kicker ability. In this deck, being able to copy an guy 5 times is ridiculous.
Vesuvan Shapeshifter is similar to Cyptoplasm but can copy Brine Elemental, which is not in this deck.
Quicksilver Gargantuan at 7/7 can outclass most dragons, demons, and angels in size. So copying one of those is a good idea.
Body Double for those times when some jerk Wrathed to kill a few fatties.
Protection
If your playgroup has never seen a Blue Braids deck before, and hasn't seen a Mayael the Anima strategy, you might be able to ignore some of these cards for awhile. Eventually though you will need to dedicate a suite of protection cards just as any good deck built around a general ought to do.
Vanishing absolutely the best way to protect Braids as it denies your opponents any chance to use Braids for their own benefit.
Vodalian Illusionist is Vanishing on a creature. You can use both of these cards to deal with an annoying creature your opponent is using.
Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots are the standard package for protecting generals. They also allow you to have haste and protection for your fatties once Braids becomes nonessential.
Spellskite has proven to be invaluable for protecting Braids and your other awesome creatures. It's got a great low converted mana cost and you can still activate its ability when tapped out. Also consider Kira, Great Glass-Spinner as an effective double spell wall.
Synergy & Good Stuff
Braids strategy is straightforward, play big creatures and attack. It is possible though to capitalize on some interesting card interactions to improve your chances of success.
Paradox Haze is a card that must be mentioned when talking about any Blue Braids deck. Being able to put into play any two artifacts, creatures, or lands every turn can be devastating. It was one of the first cards I knew had to go in, and it was the hardest one to find at my local store. However, now that I have it, turns out it is just a "wins more" card. It is better to have more card draw and not over commit to the board. So the card is axed for more flexibility and utility.
Grafted Exoskeleton can usually make many of your creatures lethal with 1 or 2 hits of poison damage. Kinda like a mini Blightsteel.
Lighthouse Chronologist is a bomb. In EDH, I would reccommend playing him late to level up all in one go. Early game he will be a target for removal theft or cloning. On a note, copying someone else's Chronologist means only you two take turns.
Thassa, God of the Sea would normally be a beatstick in most decks. Here I am utilizing her more for the scry 1 every turn and the amazing ability to make an Eldrazi or Blightsteel unblockable. That said a 5/5 indestructible for 3cmc is pretty awesome.
I must also discuss Leyline of Anticipation, Vedalken Orrery, & Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir. There is a lot of talk about using Braids first. I agree that going first is better. However, I have not found it powerful enough to warrant a card slot or two. My build includes enough theft and cloning that if someone cheap shots Braids before I can use her, I can still play the field and steal or copy with other cards. Recently, I have been convinced to try out Leyline and Teferi so that I can keep my hand in reserve to prevent over committing and use counterspells more aggressively.
Tutors
Sensei's Divining Top is not technically a tutor. However it is an EDH staple for its ability to smooth out your draws. It's inclusion here is warranted considering the high mana curve of the deck.
Fabricate finds Blightsteel, mana artifacts, Phyrexian Metamorph, Contagion Engine, Steel Hellkite, you name it.
Riptide Shapeshifter is a recent find from another build I saw online. I'd say play him for free on upkeep with Braids, then confidently name Golem. If that doesn't work, you will never be disappointed naming Eldrazi or Praetor.
Treasure Mage finds Blightsteel, Contagion.... ok you get the idea, artifacts are good.
Long-Term Plans finds anything! Very much a toolbox card. Goes very well with Top.
Maybe....
THIS!!
Cards like these help keep gas in the tank.
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur is less card draw and more complete blowout card, yes he completely wins you the game and getting him turn 5 is just bonkers!
Consecrated Sphinx has become a staple in many blue EDH decks. Here your ability to cheat it into play early will pay huge dividends while your opponents will try to catch up or kill it.
Rhystic Study is another blue EDH staple. At the very "worst" it will slow down your opponents by a turn. While the card seems anti-synergistic with Braids, I have found players will continue to play spells in addition to the free creature/ artifact.
Azami, Lady of Scrolls is a personal choice of mine, with Braids being a wizard, you can draw two this turn and draw two more before your upkeep trigger. You may like using Arcanis the Omnipotent, but I find him slower.
Mystic Remora is another gem discovered after combing decklists online. This is like Rhystic Study on crack. Sure cumulative upkeep is a drain on resources, but you play your creatures for free. I'd highly reccomend playing around turn 5+ to keep the upkeep cost minimal.
Control
Being blue you have access to some really powerful sweepers, counters, and lockdown cards. Take advantage of this to play like green/blue.
Hinder, Counterspell, Negate, and Spell Rupture all serve the same purpose of insuring your fatties get to smash away. Negate and Rupture were chosen because often you are trying to protect your creatures which are already in play. Another card you can consider is Spell Crumple.
Wash Out, Innundate, Cyclonic Rift, and Kederekt Leviathan all serve the purpose of handling a board state that has gotten out of control. Usually that occurs when someone has an army of tokens, a "lockdown" in place. You can also use them to clear a path to victory.
Phyrexian Ingester is a nice one-of to kill an annoying creature. I have also run Duplicant in the past.
Steel Hellkite has a weak Pernicious Deed like effect. Usually this card plays backseat to my 6 Eldrazi creatures though.
Tidespout Tyrant is a control card that doubles as a combo. It combos with Palinchron and a mana doubling artifact to bounce everything. If you clone it or Rite of Replication with kicker you can quickly reduce enemies to nothing. If your build includes Future Sight it will combo with Sensei's Divining Top.
Ætherling is a new and improved version of Morphling. He dodges wraths and removal and can hit for up to 8 damage a turn. I am trying this card out, get back to y'all soon.
Back to Basics is a blue Blood Moon and helps against good stuff and combo decks.
Archetype of Imagination provides a good defense and offense. Even though it has a low P/T, the stellar ability makes up for it. I see this as superior to Stormtide Leviathan and Sun Quan, Lord of Wu.
Planeswalkers
None stand out as viable in this build of the deck. Tried Karn Liberated and Tamiyo, the Moon Sage; neither one works well.
Mana Rocks
You want to play a lot of mana artifacts in this deck as a secondary way of accelerating out your fatties.
Blitz Rocks:
Sol Ring, and Mana Vault both allow for a turn two Braids! This means you can get a turn 3 Eldrazi or Blightsteel and clone it as well.
There are several options for getting a turn three Braids. The best options are: Sapphire Medallion Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone,Thought Vessel, Coldsteel Heart, Fractured Powerstone, and possibly Everflowing Chalice.
Fellwar Stone since it usually taps for blue with the abundance of any color lands in the meta.
Mind Stone can be sacrificed later for a card.
Sapphire Medallion reduces cost of blue spells so you can have enough mana to cast multiple clones in one turn or keep mana open for counterspells.
Thran Dynamo, and Gilded Lotus each provide a large boost in mana without a heavy price tag.
Other Rocks:
Caged Sun and Extraplanar Lens provide a tremendous boost in mana that means sometimes you can skip playing Braids and hardcast your creatures instead. They also combo with Palinchron for infinite mana.
Strip Mine is a just in case card. I wanted the option of killing annoying lands and threatening to do so.
Halimar Depths is usually a one-time deal. Just about any blue EDH deck should consider this card.
Card Options:
Not every Braids build is the same. Here are some cards I have tried and cut, and some cards I haven't tried. Give them a whirl.
Changelog:
Recent Changes:
Out:
1 Control Magic
1 Treachery
1 Memnarch
1 Keiga, the Tide Star
1 Sphinx Ambassador
1 Cryptoplasm
1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
1 Quicksilver Gargantuan
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Ætherling
1 Back to Basics
1 Coalition Relic
1 Darksteel Ingot
Older Changes:
[spoiler]
Out: Stormtide Leviathan would normally be suboptimal for a beat down strategy as he often locks eldrazi, colussi, etc. However, with the multiple sources of cloning in the deck, having two Stormtides and no one else attacking becomes more efficient.
In: Archetype of Imagination this card did exactly what I wanted Stormtide to do, protect me AND make my attacks unblockable. The jury is still out on Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
Out:
-1 Vedalken Shackles
The island requirement is slowing this card down. Considering how fast the deck plays, it just sometimes can't keep up.
-1 Contagion Engine
With so few things to proliferate, this card often feels dead in my hand or board. A better mass wipe is available elsewhere. Also seems a better fit for an artifact deck I have in the works.
-1 Karn Liberated
1: this card can't be Cheatyfaced into play with Braids. 2: it often feels like 'winning more' which isn't necessarily bad in a Timmy deck. It's just not efficient enough. Also heading for the artifact deck.
-1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker
His ability is devastating, but doesn't get online til truly late.
In:
+1 Bribery
This has been along time in making it into the deck. I think my only reservations stemmed from the price of this card.
+1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre also was cost prohibitive. With this I have all the Annihilator 2+ Eldrazi.
+1 Back to Basics acts as a blue Blood Moon. This might get some hate but I'm hoping shutting down good stuff and combo decks makes it worth it.
+1 Phantasmal Image is cheap copy at its best.
[/spoiler]
Currently playtesting
[/spoiler]
Cards I have tried (aka the Old Changelog):
[spoiler]
While a number of these cards were in the original build, most of them are outclassed by Eldrazi. However a theme built on leviathans, krakens, and djinns is fun.
1 Deep-Sea Kraken
1 The Unspeakable
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Tidal Kraken
1 Maelstrom Djinn
1 Avatar of Will
1 Vizzerdrix
1 Mistform Skyreaver
1 Grim Poppet
1 Goliath Sphinx
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang
1 Quicksilver Dragon
1 Spawnsire of Ulamog (too mana intensive)
1 Grozoth (take a good long look at the 9cmc creatures available, is it worth it?)
1 Myr Battlesphere (belongs in a myr deck)
1 Great Whale (Palinchron combos with both Deadeye Navigator and mana doubling artifact)
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle (Magus of the Future this is not)
1 Roil Elemental (TARGET!!)
1 Guile (requires a higher count of counter magic than I wanted to have)
1 Draining Whelk (too expensive)
1 Ixidron (often ruins your own creatures)
1 Arcanis the Omnipotent (Takes too long to get card advantage compared to Azami)
[/spoiler]
Cards I haven't tried but you might:
[spoiler]
Lands
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
Creatures
1 Platinum Emperion
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
1 Rimefeather Owl (use snow-covered islands)
1 Phyrexian Juggernaut
1 Platinum Angel
1 Patron of the Moon
1 Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar
1 Thopter Assembly
1 Sharding Sphinx
1 Ethereal Usher
1 Brine Elemental
1 Vesuvan Doppelganger
1 Sturmgeist
1 Mischievous Quanar
1 Akroma's Memorial
1 Eternity Vessel
1 Keening Stone
1 Mind's Eye
and many more!
[/spoiler]
Budget Blue Braids
So here is my first pass at a budget version of the deck.
Big highlights include:
1- a strong Deadeye Navigator package.
2- an abundance of on theme krakens, leviathans, sphinxes to flood the board.
3- every card has a printing that costs less than $1 based on TCG mid prices. Which means the deck costs $33! ($27 if you don't count the basic islands)
Differences from the main competitive deck:
1-more, low quality creatures to flood the board.
2-less focus on cloning or stealing since we can't rely on having the best targets.
3- more focus on protecting Braids instead of a win-con beater
4- more options for combo with juicy artifacts.
Well here we go:
1 O-Naginata
1 Vanishing
2 Counterspell
2 Delay
2 Dispersal Shield
2 Fellwar Stone
2 Fractured Powerstone
2 Magus of the Unseen
2 Mind Stone
2 Negate
2 Neurok Stealthsuit
2 Ring of Evos Isle
2 Silver Myr
2 Sky Diamond
2 Spell Rupture
2 Strionic Resonator
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Thassa's Rebuff
3 Barbed Battlegear
3 Captivating Glance
3 Commander's Sphere
3 Cryptoplasm
3 Darksteel Ingot
3 Dominating Licid
3 Fireshrieker
3 Strata Scythe
3 Whispersk Cloak
4 Clone
4 Grafted Exoskeleton
4 Sisay's Ring
4 Ur-Golem's Eye
5 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
5 Corrupted Conscience
6 Aetherling
6 Archetype of Imagination
6 Deadeye Navigator
6 Dreamstone Hedron
6 Ethereal Usher
6 Frost Titan
6 Jace's Mindseeker
6 Sphinx of Magosi
6 Steel Hellkite
6 Stolen Identity
6 Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar
7 Chancellor of the Spires
7 Diluvian Primordial
7 Goliath Sphinx
7 Myr Battlesphere
7 Patron of the Moon
7 Phyrexian Ingester
7 Quicksilver Gargantuan
7 Scourge of Fleets
7 Tromokratis
7 Windreaver Sphinx
7 Colossus of Akros
7 Hoverguard Sweepers
7 Kederekt Leviathan
7 Tidal Force
7 Tidal Kraken
7 Trench Gorger
7 Ulamog's Crusher
7 Breaching Leviathan
"Splurge Options" ($2)
3 Paradox Haze
9 Artisan of Kozilek
11 Pathrazer of Ulamog
2 Ertai's Meddling
2 Mask of Avacyn
2 Nim Deathmantle
2 Renegade Doppelganger
3 Cackling Counterpart
3 Eye of Ramos
3 Fated Infatuation
3 Vow of Flight
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Dragon Throne of Tarkir
4 Hedron Matrix
4 Tempt with Reflections
4 Unstable Shapeshifter
5 Fool's Demise
5 Mercurial Pretender
6 Brine Elemental
6 Deepchannel Mentor
6 Djinn of Infinite Deceits
6 Guile
6 Infinite Reflection
6 Kapsho Kitefins
6 Mahamoti Djinn
6 Phyrexian Juggernaut
6 Roil Elemental
6 Sage-Eye Avengers
6 Scuttling Doom Engine
6 Sharding Sphinx
6 Shipbreaker Kraken
6 Skaab Goliath
6 Thopter Assembly
7 Guardian of the Ages
7 Kraken of the Straits
7 Pilgrim of the Fires
7 Sphinx of Uthuun
8 Benthic Behemoth
10 Broodstar
10 Deep-Sea Kraken
I'd love some feedback and some "splurge" options too.