I wanted to take another stax deck, this time with Derevi. I'd sort of flirted with the idea in my other Derevi deck, but I figured I should make a decklist where I go whole-hog with it.
The main synergy the deck is built around is winter orb/rising waters/hokori, dust drinker. Derevi is doubly brutal because he can not only untap your own lands, but also tap down your enemies' so they never have more than 2 mana.
It's still a bit light on lands, but then the cmc is pretty low so maybe that's ok. Anyway I want to try it out next Thursday, so any idea for improvements before then would be great.
What about World Queller, Cataclysm, Tangle Wire, Smokestack, the Rishadan critters, or a few more wipes to force opponents with explosive starts back into your grasp?
What about World Queller, Cataclysm, Tangle Wire, Smokestack, the Rishadan critters, or a few more wipes to force opponents with explosive starts back into your grasp?
I love smokestack in my glissa deck, but this deck doesn't really have good sac fodder for it (with a few exceptions). Derevi himself is ok but 4 a turn is quite a bit, and usually I find it's necessary to ratchet it up to 2 before it gets nasty. Similar situation with worldqueller.
Cataclysm is very strong in the right deck, but I don't see how this could possibly be it, all the creatures are weenies, and the deck's biggest strength is its ability to make all but 1 of my opponents' lands useless already.
The Rishadan creatures just seem weak for EDH.
Tangle wire is OK but I don't see any particular synergy with Derevi. It's kind of nifty with winter orb and co but not worth it imo. I've been less than thrilled with it in my glissa deck, and she's got lots more synergy with it.
I don't keep decks together for more than a few months at absolute maximum, and usually just a few weeks (With notable exceptions of Zirilan and Phelddagrif, which are my perm decks). This one has been disassembled for almost 4 years.
Offhand, though, topplegeist seems like a pretty solid inclusion, as does siren stormtamer and selfless spirit. To give a better answer I'd probably have to dig through my boxes, good chance I'd change a lot of cards but Derevi isn't a commander I'm likely to build in the near future (and if I did, it'd probably be something totally different than this list).
The main synergy the deck is built around is winter orb/rising waters/hokori, dust drinker. Derevi is doubly brutal because he can not only untap your own lands, but also tap down your enemies' so they never have more than 2 mana.
1 Derevi, Impyrial Tactician
Stax (11)
1 Winter Orb
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Rising Waters
1 Sphere of Resistance
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Aura of Silence
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Meekstone
Beaters at Large (17):
1 Cloudseeder
1 Judge's Familiar
1 Aven Mimeomancer
1 Lu Xun, Scholar General
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Trygon Predator
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Niblis of the Urn
1 Cloud of Faeries
1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Jace's Phantasm
1 Mother of Runes
1 Looter il-kor
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Wingcrafter
1 Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Chrome Mox
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Bloom Tender
Counters (7)
1 Forbid
1 Mana Drain
1 Azorius Guildmage
1 Voidmage Prodigy
1 Stifle
1 Arcane Denial
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
Removal (10)
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Pongify
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
1 Retribution of the Meek
1 Aura Shards
1 Curse of the swine
1 Oblation
1 Unexpectedly Absent
1 Bant Charm
Tutors (8)
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Birthing Pod
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Captain Sisay
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Bident of Thassa
1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Nature's Will
1 Prophet of Kruphix
1 Coastal Piracy
Lands(33)
1 Academy Ruins
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Pendelhaven
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Moorland Haunt
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Gavony Township
1 Gaea's Cradle
9 Fetchlands
3 Bouncelands
3 Dual lands
3 Shocklands
1 Command Tower
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Plains
1 Forest
2 Island
It's still a bit light on lands, but then the cmc is pretty low so maybe that's ok. Anyway I want to try it out next Thursday, so any idea for improvements before then would be great.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
BRGrenzo, Dungeon Warden EDH
GAzusa, Always in a Rush EDH
GWUDerevi, Empyrial Warlord EDH
Trade thread on MOTL
I love smokestack in my glissa deck, but this deck doesn't really have good sac fodder for it (with a few exceptions). Derevi himself is ok but 4 a turn is quite a bit, and usually I find it's necessary to ratchet it up to 2 before it gets nasty. Similar situation with worldqueller.
Cataclysm is very strong in the right deck, but I don't see how this could possibly be it, all the creatures are weenies, and the deck's biggest strength is its ability to make all but 1 of my opponents' lands useless already.
The Rishadan creatures just seem weak for EDH.
Tangle wire is OK but I don't see any particular synergy with Derevi. It's kind of nifty with winter orb and co but not worth it imo. I've been less than thrilled with it in my glissa deck, and she's got lots more synergy with it.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
Offhand, though, topplegeist seems like a pretty solid inclusion, as does siren stormtamer and selfless spirit. To give a better answer I'd probably have to dig through my boxes, good chance I'd change a lot of cards but Derevi isn't a commander I'm likely to build in the near future (and if I did, it'd probably be something totally different than this list).
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6