.. "even tho you want" ...? Really?Why are so many people unable to offer advice that doesn't completely change the obvious intent, tone, or style of a deck? Why can't more people look at it, think "this deckis trying to make _____ work for them", and come up with advice that helps do that?SMH ... if the guy wants to make the Chalice be his win condition, offer advice that helps with that. If you haven't any, offer advice that gives a second or third win condition, without eliminating or impeding the one they clearly are _trying_ for.
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Sideboards would pretty much be useless for how I play. I already own seven or eight decks, plus two EDH decks. What do I do if I think deck X won't fare well against my opponent? PUT IT BACK, and pull out deck Y or dck Z. :)To put it another way, my sideboard is "other decks". :D
Just because the deck is Modern-legal, doesn't mean it's intended to be played competitively, in tournaments or the like. I build for casual play, and I build fun and/or silly concepts.I just don't like to play against anyone or anything that can burn me down in only 4-5 turns. Because to me, that's not really _playing_ the game, it's just a mattr of "who gets the better opening-hand-and-three-draws". Might as well play rock/paper/scissors at that point, IMO.And if you look at the rest of my decks, I just don't "do" sideboards - the only decks with a sideboard, are EDH decks (I put the Commander there), and decks I'm not finished making.
This deck is going to be pretty much "naked to the enemy" until turn 5 (give or take a turn). There are only six creatures that cost 4 (3 each of Ondu and Hundred-Handed), six that cost 5 (3 each of Arbor Colossus and Outland Colossus), nine that cost six (3 each of Primeval Titan, Palisade Giant, and Oathsworn Giant), and finally, the three Arbiters (that cost 7).If you get a land each of the first four turns - or three land and a Relic in the first three turns - then you have 4 mana on turn 4, or 5-6 mana on turn 5. Odds are reasonable, though not guaranteed, that you can get out SOMETHING to dissuade attacks on turn 5, and most turns after that.As one example of how it might play out:T1: land(1)T2: land(2)T3: land(3) ... Coalition relic(4) ... summon Ondu Giant, and put land(4) into play [You have a 2/4 on defense now.]That starts you off with 5 mana for turn 4. If you have another Ondu, go with that, get your 5th mana, and tap the relic to charge it ... giving SEVEN mana for turn 5, enough to afford absolutely anything in the deck.So, it's a rocky start, but it should ramp up reasonably well to get moving around T4 or T5....The Arbiter of Knollridge doesn't actually "reset" anything - it makes EVERY player in the game, have a life total equal to the HIGHEST life total at that point. If you've been taking Infect damage, you're S.O.L. - the Arbiter does nothing for Poison counters.
Remember, Viagra, that not everyone plays at the "tournament cut-throat" level.
Yes, there definitely are. But the Coalition Relics are surprisingly good at helping with that: you can get 1 mana per turn from it, OR, 2 mana evry OTHER turn.The Ondu Giant (costs {3G}, search your library for a basic land and put it directly into play) also helps. As does the Primeval Titan (costs {4GG}, and search your library for any two lands - NOT just Basic ones - to put directly into play ... both when the Titan comes into play, AND, whenever the titan _attacks_).If you take it on the chin in the first 4-5 turns (before you can reliably have at least one giant out as a blocker), the Arbiter of Knollridge can serve as a nice "reset" on your life total. Especially if the other guy is playing Lifegain!!Anyway, it is - as many of my builds are - generally more suited for a free-for-all, or possibly a team situation where a faster team-mate can cover the arly turns, then you come out with the heavy-hitters. :)
Not really, no. :)I only knew about the Felidar, because I've a couple of life-gain-to-win deck designs that use him.
Oh, I quite understand wanting to keep monetary costs down. $15 apiece can be rough. :) I hadn't checked THAT cost before suggesting it, is all.
[Felidar Sovereign] would provide you with :(a) an alternate win scenario (start your turn with >40 life)(b) a 4/6 with lifelink and vigilanceGranted, it costs {4WW} (CMC=6), which is more than anything else in the deck. Butif you could work in just 1 or 2, it might be a good idea despite the cost....Also, [Serra Ascendant] is {W} for a 1/1 Lifelink creature ... that gets +5/+5 and Flying, if your Life is 30+.
:) In another mill deck, the Orb would be great. Just not _this_one. :)\
I think you didn't read Phenax's effect very well: he gives your creatures the ability to _TAP_ to mill cards....Let's say I've got 5 mana on the table, and have JUST summoned Phenax to the battlefield. It's turn 6, and my in-play permanents consist of (in order of casting):Shield Sphere [[0/6, Defender; {0} to summon]]Wall of Tanglecord [[0/6, Defender; {2} to summon]]Glacial Wall [[0/7, Defender; {2B] to summon]]Clinging Anemones [[1/4, Evolved +1/+1, Defender; {3B] to summon]]Bubble Matrix [[noncreature; {4} to summon]]Phenax [[4/7, Indestructible; {3UB} to summon]](Note, I am in fact assuming that 1 turn passed with no mana put on the table by me)... So, I end my turn, and you do whatever you like. Then, when you say you're done? During your end step, I tap every creature except Phenax (who still has summoning sickness) ... and mill you for 6+6+7+5, or, 24 cards.Then as my seventh turn begins, those four walls untap ... and Mesmeric Orb would bite me in the arse. I cast (random choice here) Levitation [{2UU}, all my creatures gain Flying], and end the turn; you do whatever, and in your end step I once again tap everything, this time _including_Phenax, and mill you for another 31 cards (totalling 55 so far).My eighth turn begins, and 5 creatures untap - Mesmeric Orb again would bite me. At this point, you and I are both 14 cards into our 99-card libraries now, and have 85 cards left to draw (before any milling is accounted for). I IMMEDIATELY tap everything again, and mill you for another 31 ... emptying your library completely. I end my turn, and you lose - unable to draw a card....Mesmeric orb would hurt me more than it hurt you, because I _do_ tap (and thus, untap) creatures. Just, not to ATTACK with them. :) So, thanks for the suggestion, but it just wouldn't work out.
Fair enough.
And, I've had another look at Riddlekeeper, and swapped out a Toughness 3 / CMC 2 wall for it. Sure, Riddlekeeper costs +1 mana, but has +1 toughness AND dissuades any "slowly chip away at me" attacks.
Sure, {5W} isn't cheap. But it's a one-hit kill, if you've got TR out already. I dropped the Life Bursts for three Beacons, in my Opposite Day. :)
/me runs off to add the spell in question to a couple decks ... because, DAMN, son ... !! :D
Well, Grollub should definitely be a sideboard card. But at only 3/3, he's easier to kill than Alms Beast (which is 6/6).From yur deck ... Beacon of Immortality, though ... I've got a "heal other people" deck for Emperor, and damn, that's a fine spell.
Doom Blade.Sure, it's creature destruction - but it doesn't give the opponent any life, so it's ONLY creature destruction.
Agreeing with Puschkin and Viagrasaurusrex (lol, what a name ^_^ ): only go for Mill, if you go FULL-BORE for it.I've got two designs with milling in them. They are both designed to mill-for-the-win, and nothing but - hard, and fast, and no wait, EVEN FASTER. :)
... and, the Coalition Relics seem to have done it.
Well, I'm still tweaking it round, drwing sample hands, mindgaming it out.Right now, it's got a mana problem; I need to find some good ramps that won't detract too badly from the theme ...
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