Well, Khans of Tarkir was a complete bust. With it being a multicoloured set, there aren't that many potentially playable mono-White cards. Among what little is available, I feel none of them are worth using. The Equipment were slim pickings too: a Throne I can't use and two poor weapons...
...On the other hand, the White Commander 2014 deck is fantastic! Equipment decks finally have gotten some support after over three years of damn near nothing. Christmas has come early for Equipment Voltron players.
Masterwork of Ingenuity is a new staple for Equipment decks. A tutorable, one mana Equipment clone is way too good to pass up. The obvious drop for this card was Sculpting Steel. Trading the ability to clone any artifact for the ability to tutor into a second copy of a Sword, Argentum Armor, or whatever is worth it in my opinion.
Nahiri, the Lithomancer is my new favourite Planeswalker and is a fantastic support card for my deck. Her +2 ensures I always have an attacker to hold Equipment or blockers to help keep her alive or protect myself, her -2 offers recursion as well as cheating in Equipment from my hand. And that ultimate... purely game-winning. Ajani Steadfast got the boot. A great pump ability and a neat ultimate pales in comparison to a Planeswalker swimming in synergy.
Myriad Landscape has replaced Thawing Glaciers. Landscape can tap for mana if it needs to and grabbing two Plains at once is great for setting up early game.
I have added Knight of the White Orchid as another source of ramp into the deck. Mono-White needs all it can take to keep up. Mana screw isn't fun. Karmic Guide got cut as to downplay the amount of creature recursion I use. I have Sword of Light and Shadow for a reason.
Transcendent Master has found its way back into my deck again. It's one of my favourite cards and is one hell of a threat once it's leveled up. Steel Hellkite was dropped for the Master, mainly to smooth my curve a bit.
Ajani Steadfast has potential. His -2 ability isn't a great fit for this deck, but continuously ticking up to his amazing ultimate makes him worth trying out. Dropped Banishing Light for him. It was a placeholder anyway.
With the fantastic results I've been getting with Ghostly Prison, I've been trying for the past while to find a spot for Windborn Muse. Angel of Serenity was dropped for it, mainly to lower my curve a bit. More targets for Reveillark doesn't hurt either.
Gideon Jura got the boot. He was mainly added due to issues with a Sigarda, Host of Herons deck at the time. Players in my meta change decks frequently and I haven't played against Sigarda in the past while. Switched back to Ajani, Caller of the Pride.
No cards in Conspiracy made it in. Honourable Mention goes to Council's Judgment. Not a bad card, but it gives opponents too much power over what gets exiled.
Commander:Eight-and-a-Half-Tails for now. Equipment Voltron is my favourite Commander strategy. Waiting for a mono-White "Equipment Matters" Commander that's not CatTribal. Ramp:Burnished Hart. Good ramp options for non-green decks. Card Draw:Mikokoro, Center of the Sea. Great card draw engine that only takes up a land slot. Perfect for white, which is the worst colour at card darw. Tutor:Stonehewer Giant. Wish it was legendary. Beatstick:Batterskull. Awesome on it's own and makes anything it's attached to a monster. Defensive/Pillowfort card:Ghostly Prison. Stifles a lot of alpha strikes. Artifact and/or Enchantment removal:Return to Dust. 2-for-1 removal spells are great. Creature removal:Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares. Nothing beats one-mana, exiling removal. Sweeper:Terminus. Best creature sweeper ever printed. Counterspell:Hinder and Spell Crumple. Autoincludes in any Blue deck IMO. Tucking is powerful against Commanders. Griefing card: None. Not a fan of greifer cards. Utility card:Trading Post. Does so much work in the right deck. Win-Con: Voltron. Hitting opponents for 21 will always be a viable option. Land:Thespian's Stage. Wonderful utility land.
1. Izzet Charm - I love this card in my Splinter Twin deck. It counters, it kills creatures, it digs for combo pieces. Never a dead draw.
2. Stoneforge Mystic - Zendikar block was when I started playing Magic. After Worldwake came out, I built a Kor Tribal/Equipment deck. It was my first deck that wasn't a collection of crap. I regret trading away my set.
3. Knight Exemplar - Knight Tribal was a blast to play in Standard and is my favourite pet deck.
Finally, after 3 years of Limited filler and niche utility, an Equipment worth playing! Great pump, makes combat one-sided, and offers devotion. Godsend does have bad synergy with Eight-and-a-Half-Tails' second ability, but it's not a reason to keep me from using it. Quietus Spike was dropped for Godsend. It's a nice Equipment, but high P/T pumps, indestructibility, and Sword triggers are just much more important.
Fated Retribution costs a bit too much. There are games where I don't get to 7 mana soon enough for it to matter and it sin't going to save me from any early game threats. To keep this slot for Planeswalker removal, I'm adding Banishing Light. I'm not a huge fan of 'removal that's answered by removal', but it can't hurt to use it for now. Worst case, it's a placeholder until something else comes up.
All three of its modes are great. The counterspell mode perfectly hits unwanted spells early game. There are plenty of creatures within 2 toughness that are played to make great use of the damage mode. The looting mode helps dig for answers and combo pieces.
Fated Retribution is a card I've been waiting for: a sweeper that hits only creatures and Planeswalkers. It's a bit expensive than what I would like it to be, but instant-speed and a potential scry 2 are welcome attributes. Planar Cleansing has been dropped as Fated Retribution is the better card for what I intended.
Duplicant is no longer needed. It was originally added to this deck when I first built it because monocoloured decks have a difficult time dealing with Iona, Shield of Emeria. But Iona is almost never played in my meta, almost 1/3 of this deck is colourless, and I have other colourless removal options. In it's place is Angel of Serenity. It still performs the role of creature removal (albeit temporary), but also offers creature recursion, mild grave-hate, and high devotion to fuel Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
Argivian Archaeologist is a card I completely forgot about. It's a great artifact recursion engine and a gem from the early days of the game. Fountain Watch is the cut for it. While protecting my Equipment from removal is great, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, Leonin Abunas, and Karmic Justice still provide this and I needed the extra recursion option.
Staff of Nin is a great card draw engine, but it's a bit expensive in comparison to the others. 6 mana can sometimes be rough when holding back mana for Eight-and-a-Half-Tails and my other card draw engines are cheaper and easier to tutor for. I thought of adding another mana rock in Staff's place, but re-added Sculpting Steel instead.
Serra Ascendant is a powerful one-drop. Everyone dreads the 6/6 flying, lifelink monster on Turn 1. Drawing it later in the game is bad either, as long as I keep my life up, it's still a scary play. As a 1/1, it still has lifelink and can bring my life back up to 30 with Equipment. It's also recurrable with Sun Titan and Reveillark. Wurmcoil Engine was dropped for Ascendant. This deck needs the early-game threat more than another late-game.
This deck runs too many lands that don't tap for White mana. I absolutely hate it when my opening hand has a bunch of colorless utility lands, which forces aggressive mulligans to get White mana. I dropped two utility lands for Secluded Steppe and Drifting Meadow to give my mana base two more White mana sources and to give this deck added filtering.
None
Commander 2014 Additions:
Sculpting Steel -> Masterwork of Ingenuity
Ajani Steadfast -> Nahiri, the Lithomancer
Thawing Glaciers -> Myriad Landscape
Other Additions:
Karmic Guide -> Knight of the White Orchid
Steel Hellkite -> Transcendent Master
--------------------
Well, Khans of Tarkir was a complete bust. With it being a multicoloured set, there aren't that many potentially playable mono-White cards. Among what little is available, I feel none of them are worth using. The Equipment were slim pickings too: a Throne I can't use and two poor weapons...
...On the other hand, the White Commander 2014 deck is fantastic! Equipment decks finally have gotten some support after over three years of damn near nothing. Christmas has come early for Equipment Voltron players.
Masterwork of Ingenuity is a new staple for Equipment decks. A tutorable, one mana Equipment clone is way too good to pass up. The obvious drop for this card was Sculpting Steel. Trading the ability to clone any artifact for the ability to tutor into a second copy of a Sword, Argentum Armor, or whatever is worth it in my opinion.
Nahiri, the Lithomancer is my new favourite Planeswalker and is a fantastic support card for my deck. Her +2 ensures I always have an attacker to hold Equipment or blockers to help keep her alive or protect myself, her -2 offers recursion as well as cheating in Equipment from my hand. And that ultimate... purely game-winning. Ajani Steadfast got the boot. A great pump ability and a neat ultimate pales in comparison to a Planeswalker swimming in synergy.
Myriad Landscape has replaced Thawing Glaciers. Landscape can tap for mana if it needs to and grabbing two Plains at once is great for setting up early game.
I have added Knight of the White Orchid as another source of ramp into the deck. Mono-White needs all it can take to keep up. Mana screw isn't fun. Karmic Guide got cut as to downplay the amount of creature recursion I use. I have Sword of Light and Shadow for a reason.
Transcendent Master has found its way back into my deck again. It's one of my favourite cards and is one hell of a threat once it's leveled up. Steel Hellkite was dropped for the Master, mainly to smooth my curve a bit.
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea only takes up a land slot.
Main Theme: Equipment Voltron
Main Wincons: Commander Damage, Equipment-fueled beatdown.
Shroud is too much of a hindrance.
Banishing Light -> Ajani Steadfast
Conspiracy Additions:
None
Other Additions:
Angel of Serenity -> Windborn Muse
Gideon Jura -> Ajani, Caller of the Pride
--------------------
Ajani Steadfast has potential. His -2 ability isn't a great fit for this deck, but continuously ticking up to his amazing ultimate makes him worth trying out. Dropped Banishing Light for him. It was a placeholder anyway.
With the fantastic results I've been getting with Ghostly Prison, I've been trying for the past while to find a spot for Windborn Muse. Angel of Serenity was dropped for it, mainly to lower my curve a bit. More targets for Reveillark doesn't hurt either.
Gideon Jura got the boot. He was mainly added due to issues with a Sigarda, Host of Herons deck at the time. Players in my meta change decks frequently and I haven't played against Sigarda in the past while. Switched back to Ajani, Caller of the Pride.
No cards in Conspiracy made it in. Honourable Mention goes to Council's Judgment. Not a bad card, but it gives opponents too much power over what gets exiled.
Link to deck.
I use Scroll Rack, but not Mind Stone. The list in the OP is all of the ramp/land tutor the deck runs.
I believe I chose a poor title for this thread. I'm asking whether or not my deck has enough ramp.
Edit:Link to deck. Link in sig is broken.
This is what I run:
Ramp:
Burnished Hart
Solemn Simulacrum
Sol Ring
Mana Crypt
Sculpting Steel (if I copy a mana rock)
Caged Sun
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Land Tutor:
Eternal Dragon
Weathered Wayfarer
Land Tax
Expedition Map
Thawing Glaciers
Is this enough? Should I use a bit more?
Ramp: Burnished Hart. Good ramp options for non-green decks.
Card Draw: Mikokoro, Center of the Sea. Great card draw engine that only takes up a land slot. Perfect for white, which is the worst colour at card darw.
Tutor: Stonehewer Giant. Wish it was legendary.
Beatstick: Batterskull. Awesome on it's own and makes anything it's attached to a monster.
Defensive/Pillowfort card: Ghostly Prison. Stifles a lot of alpha strikes.
Artifact and/or Enchantment removal: Return to Dust. 2-for-1 removal spells are great.
Creature removal: Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares. Nothing beats one-mana, exiling removal.
Sweeper: Terminus. Best creature sweeper ever printed.
Counterspell: Hinder and Spell Crumple. Autoincludes in any Blue deck IMO. Tucking is powerful against Commanders.
Griefing card: None. Not a fan of greifer cards.
Utility card: Trading Post. Does so much work in the right deck.
Win-Con: Voltron. Hitting opponents for 21 will always be a viable option.
Land: Thespian's Stage. Wonderful utility land.
2. Stoneforge Mystic - Zendikar block was when I started playing Magic. After Worldwake came out, I built a Kor Tribal/Equipment deck. It was my first deck that wasn't a collection of crap. I regret trading away my set.
3. Knight Exemplar - Knight Tribal was a blast to play in Standard and is my favourite pet deck.
Quietus Spike -> Godsend
Fated Retribution -> Banishing Light
Other Additions:
None
--------------------
Finally, after 3 years of Limited filler and niche utility, an Equipment worth playing! Great pump, makes combat one-sided, and offers devotion. Godsend does have bad synergy with Eight-and-a-Half-Tails' second ability, but it's not a reason to keep me from using it. Quietus Spike was dropped for Godsend. It's a nice Equipment, but high P/T pumps, indestructibility, and Sword triggers are just much more important.
Fated Retribution costs a bit too much. There are games where I don't get to 7 mana soon enough for it to matter and it sin't going to save me from any early game threats. To keep this slot for Planeswalker removal, I'm adding Banishing Light. I'm not a huge fan of 'removal that's answered by removal', but it can't hurt to use it for now. Worst case, it's a placeholder until something else comes up.
I wish there was a mono-white Legend that had Equipment-matters abilities that didn't involve Cat Tribal.
All three of its modes are great. The counterspell mode perfectly hits unwanted spells early game. There are plenty of creatures within 2 toughness that are played to make great use of the damage mode. The looting mode helps dig for answers and combo pieces.
Fantastic card.
Planar Cleansing -> Fated Retribution
Other Additions:
Duplicant -> Angel of Serenity
Fountain Watch -> Argivian Archaeologist
Wurmcoil Engine -> Serra Ascendant
Staff of Nin -> Sculpting Steel
Ancient Tomb -> Secluded Steppe
Homeward Path -> Drifting Meadow
--------------------
Fated Retribution is a card I've been waiting for: a sweeper that hits only creatures and Planeswalkers. It's a bit expensive than what I would like it to be, but instant-speed and a potential scry 2 are welcome attributes. Planar Cleansing has been dropped as Fated Retribution is the better card for what I intended.
Duplicant is no longer needed. It was originally added to this deck when I first built it because monocoloured decks have a difficult time dealing with Iona, Shield of Emeria. But Iona is almost never played in my meta, almost 1/3 of this deck is colourless, and I have other colourless removal options. In it's place is Angel of Serenity. It still performs the role of creature removal (albeit temporary), but also offers creature recursion, mild grave-hate, and high devotion to fuel Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
Argivian Archaeologist is a card I completely forgot about. It's a great artifact recursion engine and a gem from the early days of the game. Fountain Watch is the cut for it. While protecting my Equipment from removal is great, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, Leonin Abunas, and Karmic Justice still provide this and I needed the extra recursion option.
Staff of Nin is a great card draw engine, but it's a bit expensive in comparison to the others. 6 mana can sometimes be rough when holding back mana for Eight-and-a-Half-Tails and my other card draw engines are cheaper and easier to tutor for. I thought of adding another mana rock in Staff's place, but re-added Sculpting Steel instead.
Serra Ascendant is a powerful one-drop. Everyone dreads the 6/6 flying, lifelink monster on Turn 1. Drawing it later in the game is bad either, as long as I keep my life up, it's still a scary play. As a 1/1, it still has lifelink and can bring my life back up to 30 with Equipment. It's also recurrable with Sun Titan and Reveillark. Wurmcoil Engine was dropped for Ascendant. This deck needs the early-game threat more than another late-game.
This deck runs too many lands that don't tap for White mana. I absolutely hate it when my opening hand has a bunch of colorless utility lands, which forces aggressive mulligans to get White mana. I dropped two utility lands for Secluded Steppe and Drifting Meadow to give my mana base two more White mana sources and to give this deck added filtering.