I ran Marath for a month or so and he is very fun and smashy. It does turn into a good-stuff deck very quickly unless you force yourself to build a certain theme. I think that it all depends on what kind of budget you are looking at because 3-color mana bases are much more expensive than 2-color mana bases. I don't know about your group, but my group has evolved to the point where sub-par lands (CIPT) are punished. In any case, try to get your hands on the green and white staples first, then decide on red or black staples:
To name a few. I like Red with tokens because Purphoros, God of the Forge is a game-ender. Black has Grave Pact and many cards that like it when you sacrifice your tokens and the best tutors.
So I just ran Xenagod as my general and it was the most fun I have ever had playing Magic. Being able to play fatties, Berserk them, swing in and then do it all again is my kind of EDH game. I strongly recommend playing a round with Xenagos.
Not sure that the Soul Conduit trick works with Erebos unless you were the one doing the gaining:
6/1/2011 If a player can't gain life, that player can't exchange life totals with a player with a higher life total. If a player can't lose life, that player can't exchange life totals with a player with a lower life total. In either of these cases, neither player's life total will change.
Otherwise very cool plays to finish off a table with mono black, especially that possibility storm kill.
Looks like a good card to me in this format. If you have the mana late game you might as well use it and get something extra out of an effect. I think I've seen it in WRU lists as part of the Sunforger package. That way you get the full effect for just 2U.
Do you guys think that Xenagos, God of Revels would do better as a general or 1 of 99 in a multiplayer Radha, Heir to Keld list? I like having access to Xenagod whenever I want, but Radha is much more consistent at ramping into fatties. I too am curious how Xenagod interacts with multiple combat steps, because he says "at the beginning of combat" and not "first combat step" like Aurelia, the Warleader.
I run two decks myself, Marath and Arcum. Marath is more interactive and fun to play. Arcum is a complete solitaire deck where you don't care what anyone else is playing while you create the artifact apocalypse. I agree that Sharuum has more answers, but Arcum is your man if you want to explosively win in one turn from a seemingly empty board.
Off the top of my head Bant and Esper look like they can utilize all three generals inside quite effectively. I think they are made for you to try each general, and then tune the deck's focus to work better with your favorite. Out of box they are all over the place.
Sure. Most of the difference revolves around budget issues and non-basic land destruction in my group:
Creatures:
I run everything you do except Alloy Myr and Phyrexian Metamorphbecause I haven't been able to find them at the LGS yet. In their place I have Junk Diver and Myr Sire. Oddly enough, I am yet to draw either one when I am not already drawing my library due to winning so I can't say I've seen them be good or bad.
Disruption:
I don't run a Cunning Wishboard so I maindeck Negate and Capsize. Other than that I just don't own All is Dust, Karn Liberated, FoW, Mana Drain, or Pact of Negation.
All the same except for Mana Crypt and Grim Monolith for budget reasons.
Utility Cards:
All the same except for Lifeline being Myr Turbine and I don't have Copy Artifact.
Card Draw/Search:
Due to run a lot of counterspells, I run less of the cards in this section. I have Brainstorm and Ponder but not Impulse and ForF. Budget cuts: Transmute Artifact, Time Twister. No Time Warp, Mystical Tutor, or Memory Jar. I do run Expedition Map main deck to get Factory and Inkmoth Nexus.
Lands:
The only non-basic lands I run are Academy Ruins, Inkmoth Nexus, Hall of the Bandit Lord, and Mishra's Factory. The rest are luxury items that I will be saving up to buy.
I've had a good deal of success building off of your list in my meta. I used to play R/G Radha ramp into good stuff, and playing Arcum has taken a lot of getting used to.
My favorite part about playing the deck is knowing that I have a definite game plan and that I should never feel helpless in any situation. No matter the board state, I know I can tutor for an answer or at least protect my own combo.
I have utilized the tactic you described as to presenting a non-threatening board one turn, and dropping 2 hasty, shrouded darksteel colossi the next turn. As I play the deck more, even in solitaire mode, I find that I discover for myself the interactions that you describe in the primer and that makes them so much more real. I am becoming less bewildered with what hands to keep and the order in which to play my spells and tutor for permanents.
As far as meta discussion, I think that mine has evolved to be quite similar to what you describe: I should expect that whatever I play will be removed before the next turn cycle, if not immediately. Playing with that in mind has helped crystallize the main point of your deck, that being fast and lethal. This mindset also allows me to strike very efficiently and win on the spot if for some reason no one was holding the right amount of disruption.
Overall, I started with a list similar to the other Arcum primer and have made cuts that seemed logical to me from the games that I played. This resulted in the deck taking shape to be closer to your list.
There is also good ol' Eon Hub to stop the upkeep cost. Should be easy to find with your tutors. Brainspoil is nice utility that will get a good number of cards out of your deck, including your general should he be tucked.
And another from the same place: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/multiplayer-commander-decklists/215496-competitive-maelstrom-wanderer
To name a few. I like Red with tokens because Purphoros, God of the Forge is a game-ender. Black has Grave Pact and many cards that like it when you sacrifice your tokens and the best tutors.
6/1/2011 If a player can't gain life, that player can't exchange life totals with a player with a higher life total. If a player can't lose life, that player can't exchange life totals with a player with a lower life total. In either of these cases, neither player's life total will change.
Otherwise very cool plays to finish off a table with mono black, especially that possibility storm kill.
Creatures:
I run everything you do except Alloy Myr and Phyrexian Metamorphbecause I haven't been able to find them at the LGS yet. In their place I have Junk Diver and Myr Sire. Oddly enough, I am yet to draw either one when I am not already drawing my library due to winning so I can't say I've seen them be good or bad.
Disruption:
I don't run a Cunning Wishboard so I maindeck Negate and Capsize. Other than that I just don't own All is Dust, Karn Liberated, FoW, Mana Drain, or Pact of Negation.
I main deck Tormod's Crypt, Torpor Orb, Pithing Needle, Ensnaring Bridge and Vedalken Shackles because they are necessary for my meta.
I run a hefty suite of counterspells in
Mana:
All the same except for Mana Crypt and Grim Monolith for budget reasons.
Utility Cards:
All the same except for Lifeline being Myr Turbine and I don't have Copy Artifact.
Card Draw/Search:
Due to run a lot of counterspells, I run less of the cards in this section. I have Brainstorm and Ponder but not Impulse and ForF. Budget cuts: Transmute Artifact, Time Twister. No Time Warp, Mystical Tutor, or Memory Jar. I do run Expedition Map main deck to get Factory and Inkmoth Nexus.
Lands:
The only non-basic lands I run are Academy Ruins, Inkmoth Nexus, Hall of the Bandit Lord, and Mishra's Factory. The rest are luxury items that I will be saving up to buy.
My favorite part about playing the deck is knowing that I have a definite game plan and that I should never feel helpless in any situation. No matter the board state, I know I can tutor for an answer or at least protect my own combo.
I have utilized the tactic you described as to presenting a non-threatening board one turn, and dropping 2 hasty, shrouded darksteel colossi the next turn. As I play the deck more, even in solitaire mode, I find that I discover for myself the interactions that you describe in the primer and that makes them so much more real. I am becoming less bewildered with what hands to keep and the order in which to play my spells and tutor for permanents.
As far as meta discussion, I think that mine has evolved to be quite similar to what you describe: I should expect that whatever I play will be removed before the next turn cycle, if not immediately. Playing with that in mind has helped crystallize the main point of your deck, that being fast and lethal. This mindset also allows me to strike very efficiently and win on the spot if for some reason no one was holding the right amount of disruption.
Overall, I started with a list similar to the other Arcum primer and have made cuts that seemed logical to me from the games that I played. This resulted in the deck taking shape to be closer to your list.