Hey all! It's my first attempt at a decent EDH deck, and since I like white, voltron, and tokens, Kemba, Kha Regent seemed like an obvious choice!
So, without further ado, the decklist!
Lion Queen
Thoughts? Critiques? Want explanations on my choices? Comment below!
EDIT: Alright, decklist is updated as per the comments and help below. Got rid of Kaldra, some lame equips, and added a bit more utility and function.
A few thoughts:
Emeria is extremely powerful, make sure you can find it. Expedition Map fetches any land. Weathered Wayfarer can also help.
You're extremely heavy in equipments. You've got 23 equips, several recursion spells and 4 tutors, that's way too many. Even with Puresteel Paladin in the deck, you can't count on him being in play. I'd personally cut half the equps (keep the tutors) to make room for removal and more token makers, recursion/utility spells. And charge across the Araba should go, there are much better options than bouncing your own manabase for pump.
It would especially make room for more tokens makers that will wield your still high equip account and possibly draw you cards off Mentor or benefit in other ways. One of the equips should be Skullclamp.
While keeping the non-plains count low is a good idea, a couple other utility lands like Reliquary Tower and High Market could go a LONG way. The market helps you keep from getting your commander tucked/pinned, prevents creature theft, and triggers bond for removal if you run it. Ghost Quarter could be upgraded to Strip Mine and/or Tectonic Edge.
I just want to add some thought to this. First off, you need to have a dedicated theme on Kemba. I've personally tried, and am trying, to focus up Kemba, and trying it make it both voltron and midrange would need a bit of work. First off, as Blackjack already said, lower the equips. Trusty Machete(too small to boost), Basilisk Collar(no pingers, lifegain is too small with Kemba), Darksteel Axe(see Machete), Veteran's Armament(if your going tokens, the extra blocking is very irrelevant), and sword of Body and Mind can be cut, just from looking at the list. Yes, Body and mind is cuttable, just as the other equips are that much better.
Also, there's a lot of good artifacts to run, like prototype portal to make more equips, sculpting steel to copy a equip, sanctum Gargoyle. These are not bad cards. If you need to return it, junk diver effects are always good.
Mistveil is SO good, it's actually nuts. You can go on forever with the card, just by having artifacts to recur and blowing them up again and again. Having some way to find lands is great, like expedition map, like BlackJack said. Also, Buried Ruin, VERY powerful. It's a one shot academy Ruin, which is always a good thing to have.
If you think you might need to have cards to think about, I'd think about Frantic search, Remember the Fallen, and cards that do returning are VERY useful, just because white lacks graveyard recurring methods.
It's Kemba, have fun with her. You'll never be able to be the best at making tokens or damage, but it's a god balance. Plus she's a good body for cheap.
Thanks a lot for your help guys! I really appreciate it. So, changes so far:
For whatever stupid reason, I had forgotten my Austere Command in my decklist, so that's an auto-include.
I've cut down my Equipments somewhat, removing the Kaldra's cycle, Bonesplitter (Keeping my Trusty Machete because, well it's trusty XD), Fireshrieker, and Veteran's Armaments. I cut the Charge Across the Araba, and added a few other things (Path, StoP, Remember the Fallen, Mistveil Plains, and Skullclamp). Is there anything else you guys reccomend? I'm keeping the Body and Mind, btw, because my friends love their Azami and Azusa decks, and they are just too finely tuned to beat without a little help from a sword or 5 ^^
Revoke Existence is a sorcery, despite it being in the instants section. I'd recommend either cutting it for the enchantment that I believe costs three, and destroys (Which you can recur with Sun Titan if he makes his way in the deck) or removing it for another instant that I believe costs 4 to use instead of the two. Altar's Light and Seal of Cleansing
I would also put in Miren the Moaning Well just in case High Market gets blown up or you don't draw it. I found Kemba to be great when I played her, but she was just far too vulnerable to tucks / other nonsense for me. Then the deck just didn't seem to function very well without her since I had so few creatures, and really no other win conditions besides Raksha. And GL pulling him in a 100 card singleton. I found it extremely difficult to balance cards that go well with her, and cards that can win the game if there is no Kemba to be seen.
@nurse, you're right, not sure why I thought it was an instant. I removed it anyway, since it's not that good.
So, the list has been updated, and it's looking preeeety good so far ^^
I do find that I want a bit more card draw. Maybe I should run Land Tax and Scroll Rack, since they are an engine in themselves, and I have a couple of enchantment tutors? I already have Mentor of the Meek planned in here, because he is so perfect for this deck.
I also don't know if I need a few more big baddies, and replace a couple of my sweepers? I feel like if I want my tokens, I shouldn't kill them... Or, I guess, since I can make them so easily, maybe I shouldn't worry? I haven't played enough EDH to really get the feeling for how much is too much.
A friend of mine runs a Kemba deck. I've used it a few times and it's a lot of fun. I disagree that Basilisk Collar is not worth it because Kemba is too small. When you get a couple Swords and other equipments on her, she can easily be 6/6 or bigger, and a 12 life swing with one attack is nothing to scoff at. Batterskull is nice as well, though a bit on the expensive side mana-wise.
That's one of the reasons I kept it in: it's amazing value for it's price, and with Leonin Shikari out, it makes for some great surprises.
I've considered running Iona, but I want to playtest a couple of times before I decide whether I want to run her or not. She's hella expensive, and honestly I might get hated off the table just on principle
Hey! An update. Hmmm, one quick glance first...K. Yeah, the deck is nice. It's very subtle in building it's power, but can chip away people.
Yeah, if your group runs B/G, then keep the sword in there. It'll help. The only reason is that I would think a lot of people try to make this deck, thinking it's just millions of equips, and bash away. It's not. If you clump too many equips, you'll lose out of synergy and mess up your focus. At the moment, if it's a voltron deck, it looks almost as good as it's gonna get, with a good balance of token subtheme as well. I dunno if taking out the Kaldra set was the best idea, although that's a personal thing.
I have to say something about the collar, and why I feel it's not as great in my eyes. If you're equipping it onto Kemba, 9/10 times she'll die due to combat. Recasting her is not he problem, it's recasting her many times that's the problem. If you're putting it on a token, then why not. I don't see the problem there. Your general shouldn't be in that much risk, and even though you can make her indestructible, exile/tuck would wreck her.
Maybe I'm just too much of a coward due to playing with a general that needs to be on board to make a presence.
Thanks xlich ^^
My problem with the Kaldra set is that I can, for the most part, get better effects on my general for cheaper. Darksteel Plate, for example, give the same benefit as Shield of Kaldra. If I find I want more equipments, or if some of the Swords turn out not to preform very well, I may very well add them back in, but for now it seemed a pretty easy way to get my count.
I totally see your point about general vulnerability, which is why I have boots (But god, I really wish there was a mono-W creature tutor, or even an artifact one) And I think, often I will be putting the Collar on a token, because swinging with Kemba is something I only will do early on, or when she is crazy powerful.
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So, without further ado, the decklist!
Lion Queen
1 Academy Rector
1 Argivian Archaeologist
1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Indomitable Archangel
1 Leonin Shikari
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Puresteel Paladin
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Stonehewer Giant
1 Sun Titan
Enchantments:
1 Endless Horizons
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Oblivion Ring
1 True Conviction
Instants:
1 Argivian Find
1 Condemn
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Return to Dust
1 White Sun's Zenith
1 Day of Judgment
1 Hour of Reckoning
1 Martial Coup
1 Mass Calcify
1 Mine Excavation
1 Open the Vaults
1 Phyrexian Rebirth
1 Steelshaper's Gift
Artifacts:
1 Caged Sun
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Expedition Map
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
Equipment Suite:
1 Argentum Armor
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Darksteel Axe
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Konda's Banner
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Trailblazer's Boots
1 Trusty Machete
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Land:
1 Kor Haven
1 Ghost Quarter
1 High Market
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Mistveil Pains
33 Plains
Thoughts? Critiques? Want explanations on my choices? Comment below!
EDIT: Alright, decklist is updated as per the comments and help below. Got rid of Kaldra, some lame equips, and added a bit more utility and function.
A few thoughts:
Emeria is extremely powerful, make sure you can find it. Expedition Map fetches any land. Weathered Wayfarer can also help.
You're extremely heavy in equipments. You've got 23 equips, several recursion spells and 4 tutors, that's way too many. Even with Puresteel Paladin in the deck, you can't count on him being in play. I'd personally cut half the equps (keep the tutors) to make room for removal and more token makers, recursion/utility spells. And charge across the Araba should go, there are much better options than bouncing your own manabase for pump.
It would especially make room for more tokens makers that will wield your still high equip account and possibly draw you cards off Mentor or benefit in other ways. One of the equips should be Skullclamp.
With lots of little dudes, Elesh, Grand Cenobite becomes amazing. And Martyr's Bond is another way to use the bodies.
Knight-Captain of Eos is really good for tokens, and Cloudgoat Ranger isn't bad either. Mobilization is another possibility.
Reveillark and Karmic Guide are both amazing recursion.
Austere Command is requred.
Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile are both quality spot removal.
A little more early ramp could make you much faster. I'd recommend Wayfarer's Bauble and Darksteel Ingot.
While keeping the non-plains count low is a good idea, a couple other utility lands like Reliquary Tower and High Market could go a LONG way. The market helps you keep from getting your commander tucked/pinned, prevents creature theft, and triggers bond for removal if you run it. Ghost Quarter could be upgraded to Strip Mine and/or Tectonic Edge.
Banner by Nakamura, Thanks!
EDH Math
EDH Decks:
Ghost Council: The Magic Mafia of Orzhova
BB Drana: Down with the Sickness
Rasputin: Reality is Broken
Vish Kal Bleeder: Bloody Kisses
Teysa, Orzhov Dominatrix
Stonebrow: Breaking Things
BWR Kaalia Punisher: Heaven's on Fire
Grimgrin: Dead Reckoning
Dispatch is another creature exile, and you should just about always have metalcraft without a problem.
Also, Snow-Covered Plains go better with your Extraplanar Lens, and Mistveil Plains is great in EDH - definitely worth a spot.
WUBR Breya, Thopter Sculptor
WBR Kaalia, Harbinger of the Apocalypse
WBR Edgar Markov, Bloodline Progenitor
BGW Karador, Reanimator King
GWU Jenara, Asuran Enchantress
URG Riku, Omniscient Wizard
UBG Tasigur, Mind Grinder
UB Grimgrin, Combo-Stitched
GW Rhys, Gilt-Leaf Warrior
B Drana, Defiant Bloodchief
U Baral, Lord of Counterspells
G Azusa, Seeking the Horizon
W Kemba, Kha of the White Sun
C Ulamog, the Mana Glutton
Also, there's a lot of good artifacts to run, like prototype portal to make more equips, sculpting steel to copy a equip, sanctum Gargoyle. These are not bad cards. If you need to return it, junk diver effects are always good.
Mistveil is SO good, it's actually nuts. You can go on forever with the card, just by having artifacts to recur and blowing them up again and again. Having some way to find lands is great, like expedition map, like BlackJack said. Also, Buried Ruin, VERY powerful. It's a one shot academy Ruin, which is always a good thing to have.
If you think you might need to have cards to think about, I'd think about Frantic search, Remember the Fallen, and cards that do returning are VERY useful, just because white lacks graveyard recurring methods.
It's Kemba, have fun with her. You'll never be able to be the best at making tokens or damage, but it's a god balance. Plus she's a good body for cheap.
:symr::symb: I hate your deck(Kaervek the Merciless)
Wait, how do I even hide it as a name title?
Kemba, Kostume
Ka...Oh god that's not a good alliteration.Wait, how do I even hide it as a name title?
For whatever stupid reason, I had forgotten my Austere Command in my decklist, so that's an auto-include.
I've cut down my Equipments somewhat, removing the Kaldra's cycle, Bonesplitter (Keeping my Trusty Machete because, well it's trusty XD), Fireshrieker, and Veteran's Armaments. I cut the Charge Across the Araba, and added a few other things (Path, StoP, Remember the Fallen, Mistveil Plains, and Skullclamp). Is there anything else you guys reccomend? I'm keeping the Body and Mind, btw, because my friends love their Azami and Azusa decks, and they are just too finely tuned to beat without a little help from a sword or 5 ^^
I would also put in Miren the Moaning Well just in case High Market gets blown up or you don't draw it. I found Kemba to be great when I played her, but she was just far too vulnerable to tucks / other nonsense for me. Then the deck just didn't seem to function very well without her since I had so few creatures, and really no other win conditions besides Raksha. And GL pulling him in a 100 card singleton. I found it extremely difficult to balance cards that go well with her, and cards that can win the game if there is no Kemba to be seen.
So, the list has been updated, and it's looking preeeety good so far ^^
I do find that I want a bit more card draw. Maybe I should run Land Tax and Scroll Rack, since they are an engine in themselves, and I have a couple of enchantment tutors? I already have Mentor of the Meek planned in here, because he is so perfect for this deck.
I also don't know if I need a few more big baddies, and replace a couple of my sweepers? I feel like if I want my tokens, I shouldn't kill them... Or, I guess, since I can make them so easily, maybe I shouldn't worry? I haven't played enough EDH to really get the feeling for how much is too much.
Depending on how much you care about doing things with your tokens, you might consider Crovax, Ascendant Hero, Honor of the Pure, and Eldrazi Monument. You should have plenty of tokens to sacrifice to Eldrazi Monument and you can quickly have an army of 6/6 or bigger cats.
Iona, Shield of Emeria, and Linvala, Keeper of Silence might be good to have as an alternate win condition and a way to shut down opponent shenanigans.
Edit - Never mind, White Sun's Zenith and Konda's Banner are already in there, heh.
I've considered running Iona, but I want to playtest a couple of times before I decide whether I want to run her or not. She's hella expensive, and honestly I might get hated off the table just on principle
Yeah, if your group runs B/G, then keep the sword in there. It'll help. The only reason is that I would think a lot of people try to make this deck, thinking it's just millions of equips, and bash away. It's not. If you clump too many equips, you'll lose out of synergy and mess up your focus. At the moment, if it's a voltron deck, it looks almost as good as it's gonna get, with a good balance of token subtheme as well. I dunno if taking out the Kaldra set was the best idea, although that's a personal thing.
I have to say something about the collar, and why I feel it's not as great in my eyes. If you're equipping it onto Kemba, 9/10 times she'll die due to combat. Recasting her is not he problem, it's recasting her many times that's the problem. If you're putting it on a token, then why not. I don't see the problem there. Your general shouldn't be in that much risk, and even though you can make her indestructible, exile/tuck would wreck her.
Maybe I'm just too much of a coward due to playing with a general that needs to be on board to make a presence.
:symr::symb: I hate your deck(Kaervek the Merciless)
Wait, how do I even hide it as a name title?
Kemba, Kostume
Ka...Oh god that's not a good alliteration.Wait, how do I even hide it as a name title?
My problem with the Kaldra set is that I can, for the most part, get better effects on my general for cheaper. Darksteel Plate, for example, give the same benefit as Shield of Kaldra. If I find I want more equipments, or if some of the Swords turn out not to preform very well, I may very well add them back in, but for now it seemed a pretty easy way to get my count.
I totally see your point about general vulnerability, which is why I have boots (But god, I really wish there was a mono-W creature tutor, or even an artifact one) And I think, often I will be putting the Collar on a token, because swinging with Kemba is something I only will do early on, or when she is crazy powerful.