It's true that the Shard helps protect Dralnu, I just don't think I need to spend non-land slots on Dralnu protection. In my experience playing him, counterspells and the sac lands have been enough. I might actually test Bitterblossom. It has plenty of uses beyond just enabling Abbey (if I were to add it). Having chump blockers could help some of the problems with creature-heavy strategies. Of course, it is a non-bo with Night of Souls' Betrayal...
Tokens could be sacced to Polymorph for possibly hitting some of the reanimation targets as well. And if it wiff's you just recast with Dralnu, which seems hilarious.
My issue with Polymorph is there are much better kill spells for my opponents' creatures, and I'd worry I'd turn something sort of annoying into something like Blightsteel Colossus. And as far as the interaction with tokens, that just seems a little niche to warrant inclusion.
That being said, I love the idea of killing my own Kokusho with Polymorph, getting a death trigger, and then flipping something like Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur...
Yep! I talked about the cards that I wanted to test here. Since writing that post, I've decided to only test some of them. Right now I'm testing:
Summary Dismissal, which I have high hopes for, as it exiles spells and can counter abilities (take that, Bojuka Bog!)
Scour the Laboratory, which I think will be a good replacement for [c]Blue Sun's Zenith[/card], as it's not often I cast BsZ for >3 and delirium is so easy to turn on in this deck
Curious Homunculus, which I don't have nearly as much hope for, I just think it's cute and want to see how it goes
I'm also testing two lands, Nephalia Academy and Geier Reach Sanitarium, but since I've got plenty of room for lands right now, I don't see me taking them out. Academy is low-risk, high-reward, and Sanitarium allows us to fill our own graveyard.
A lot of changes this round. Of the nonland cards I've tested from Eldritch Moon, only Summary Dismissal is definitely going to stick around. It's 2 more mana than what it replaced (Redirect) but the option to hit multiple spells, counter abilities, and exile, makes it worth it. I'm still testing Curious Homunculus (haven't actually drawn it yet...) but as I've said in earlier comments, I think this will be more cute than effective. I ended up replacing BSZ with Compulsive Research instead of Scour the Laboratory. I liked Scour, and it's true that Research isn't instant-speed, but it makes up for that by A) being cheaper and B) allowing us to put reanimation targets into the grave. I knew Entomb was coming and I finally got a copy, cutting Liliana Vess because she was just a less-efficient tutor. All is Dust got added because I wanted to add another board wipe, and I liked that it hit indestructible creatures and let us get rid of enchantments, something this deck can have trouble with.
If you ever feel like a not even remotely budget friendly option, I love Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of War and Peace in Dralnu. They're protection from burn spells that double up as win conditions. Shred Memory is good for the same reasons Muddle the Mixture is. GY hate out of the hand is almost impossible to play around unless your opponents are incredibly paranoid, as well. Frantic Search is solid in Dralnu. You're already playing with your GY to mitigate the downside, so it's effectively free instant speed looting. Slaughter Pact and Pact of Negation are very powerful cards when Dralnu is down and perfectly respectable the rest of the time.
I really like the idea of Trail of Evidence in Dralnu too. Clues are a decent mana sink if you're playing a lot at instant speed and it can generate a lot of card advantage for a relatively small initial investment.
For cuts, I would probably be looking at Duskmantle Guildmage and Bloodchief Ascension right off the bat. You're already an attractive target as a spell focused deck and you're not milling enough to make them serious threats. They generate way more attention than they should merit. Mindcrank too. I understand the combo potential, but it's a bad card on its own most of the time. That said, I'll cop to really disliking combos where one or more parts don't pull their weight outside of the combo and that colors my opinion of all three of those.
The Dralnu list I have up on this site is here, if you're interested in seeing another take. I went for more of a straight control build and the list is very outdated, but EDH is pretty slow moving and there's still some good stuff in there. I don't think it's changed significantly any of the times it's been together since posting that list, aside from adding in some newly printed stuff.
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If you ever feel like a not even remotely budget friendly option, I love Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of War and Peace in Dralnu. They're protection from burn spells that double up as win conditions. Shred Memory is good for the same reasons Muddle the Mixture is. GY hate out of the hand is almost impossible to play around unless your opponents are incredibly paranoid, as well. Frantic Search is solid in Dralnu. You're already playing with your GY to mitigate the downside, so it's effectively free instant speed looting. Slaughter Pact and Pact of Negation are very powerful cards when Dralnu is down and perfectly respectable the rest of the time.
I really like the idea of Trail of Evidence in Dralnu too. Clues are a decent mana sink if you're playing a lot at instant speed and it can generate a lot of card advantage for a relatively small initial investment.
Thanks for sharing your list! I'll take a closer look at that in a little bit. The swords are an interesting thought. In looking for ways to protect Dralnu, I totally forgot about the protection from red swords. I'm not totally sure I want to drop the money on Fire & Ice, but I have a spare War & Peace, so I might test that out. I just added Compulsive Research for the looting potential, but Frantic Search being instant speed might make drawing one less card worth it. Not to mention it's effectively free.
Of the two Pacts, I might get Negation down the line (when I want to spend that money...why didn't I pick one up when they were cheaper...). I'm not sure how I feel about Slaughter Pact, as I have plenty of removal already, and I like Hero's Downfall better for its ability to hit planeswalkers. I'm also not really sold on Trail of Evidence. I've never felt like this deck struggles with card advantage and I think investigate really only worth it in colors that struggle with card draw. It may be worth testing, though.
For cuts, I would probably be looking at Duskmantle Guildmage and Bloodchief Ascension right off the bat. You're already an attractive target as a spell focused deck and you're not milling enough to make them serious threats. They generate way more attention than they should merit. Mindcrank too. I understand the combo potential, but it's a bad card on its own most of the time. That said, I'll cop to really disliking combos where one or more parts don't pull their weight outside of the combo and that colors my opinion of all three of those.
You know, I've gone back and forth on considering cutting these. On one hand, sometimes having the combo win is nice. On the other hand, as you pointed out, the Guildmage and Mindcrank are totally dead cards outside of the combo. The list has gotten to the point where cuts are tough, and it might just be time to go full control. I don't think I'll get rid of Bloodchief, though. I understand it makes me a huge target, but it's a favorite card of mine and can do a lot of damage (especially with something like Whispering Madness).
Are you still testing Curious Homunculus? It seems pretty cool, getting a mana-dork in blue (even if it's only for instants and sorceries). Even if you're going for not a lot of creatures, I think he'd be a great fit.
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I love Dralnu. The risky feeling of playing him down against a Red opponent keeps things exciting.
I’m still not quite convinced it’s a good idea to cut Freed from the Real here. I would never go without Thousand-Year Elixir, but IMO it doesn’t seem like you can ever have enough of these effects that turn Dralnu into something like Yawgmoth’s Will. Especially with things like High Tide, Turnabout, Cabal Ritual and other mana-producing cards possible in these colors. One that I see rarely but that seems to me to be one of the better of the set – Pemmin’s Aura. On top of the untap, it provides some protection for Dralnu, particularly important now that Green has been getting stuff like Ulvenwald Tracker for a long time now.
IMO, a deck that cares about casting multiple spells per turn (esp. Storm) would want all of them it could get, and nearly every Dralnu deck would still probably want both Elixir and Pemmin’s Aura. Just too good, even if all you’ve got is the more traditional stuff like Rewind.
I’m still not quite convinced it’s a good idea to cut Freed from the Real here. I would never go without Thousand-Year Elixir, but IMO it doesn’t seem like you can ever have enough of these effects that turn Dralnu into something like Yawgmoth’s Will. Especially with things like High Tide, Turnabout, Cabal Ritual and other mana-producing cards possible in these colors. One that I see rarely but that seems to me to be one of the better of the set – Pemmin’s Aura. On top of the untap, it provides some protection for Dralnu, particularly important now that Green has been getting stuff like Ulvenwald Tracker for a long time now.
The thing is, in all the times I've had either Freed from the Real or Thousand-Year Elixir out, I've never even really wanted a third activation. On top of that, there are two major reasons I like the Elixir over either aura: A) the elixir gives Dralnu haste, which is very helpful and B) the elixir sticks around if Dralnu is destroyed, which is key when I have to do something like give one of my board wipes flashback.
I haven't picked up an Expedition Map to try to replace the elixir since the discussion earlier in the comments (I really thought I had one...) and honestly, I'm becoming more attached to the elixir. The haste and the untap have really helped in a number of games. I'm looking for a copy of Tolaria West to throw in as another way to tutor up the very important sac lands and juts not including the Map.
I'd mainly suggest considering it on top of the Elixir, not replacing it. You're right, the Haste, being able to play it when mana permits, and not losing it when Dralnu dies make it the best of the three for a non-Storm setup. But maybe a second slot for this effect would be worth it?
Any suggestions on cuts? Because that's the thing, I see its utility, but I'm not convinced it's worth cutting something for it. Currently, it looks like I'll be cutting the Guildmage/Mindcrank combo, but those slots will be filled by Reanimate (which I still need to acquire) and Sword of War and Peace, which I'm still testing but feeling pretty good about.
Any suggestions on cuts? Because that's the thing, I see its utility, but I'm not convinced it's worth cutting something for it. Currently, it looks like I'll be cutting the Guildmage/Mindcrank combo, but those slots will be filled by Reanimate (which I still need to acquire) and Sword of War and Peace, which I'm still testing but feeling pretty good about.
Cuts… Well, it’s a little hit and miss with cuts in EDH, because lots of players include cards just because they want to play them, myself included. I usually recommend cutting cards with a low ceiling of performance, but these cards also tend to have a high floor of performance too – i.e. staple cards. Maybe take a look at the below to see what you think?
Sakashima the Impostor – I usually see her in decks like Grand Arbiter that really want to clone their general. I see the benefit to cloning Dralnu, but if that is the main goal is seems this is the most interchangeable card with Pemmin’s Aura. Obviously, Sakashima has a higher performance floor, but it’s the third activation and the shroud that it doesn’t offer. Also having Sakashima out copying Dralnu would tend to overload the land-based sacrifice outlets you have for those nightmare scenarios where there is a damage-based wipe.
Clever Impersonator – Another low ceiling, high floor, never bad kind of card that just doesn’t seem to fit, to me. If you play against some specific non-creature cards from opponents’ decks that you’d want to clone a lot, maybe, but otherwise what I’d expect to see in this deck for clone-type effects would be something like Body Double or Rite of Replication . Otherwise, Cackling Counterpart, Supplant Form, or Rescue from the Underworld are Instants, and they give you a way to get rid of Dralnu against Red spot removal (the Blue ones won’t work against damage-based wipes though).
Vedalken Orrery – I love the effect once in play, but the tempo loss of getting it out there leaves it stuck in my hand a lot of the time. Also, I’m not sure it’s not just worse than Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir or Leyline of Anticipation besides, since you’ve got no Artifact tutors here. Teferi would also be good if you ever wanted to run Mystical Teachings, since that’s a tutor for him.
Countersquall – I’ve never really liked the color restriction over Negate. And, I usually find it safe to go down to 7 counters in an EDH Control deck, depending on the draw power and other spot removal, which this deck has plenty of.
Forbidden Alchemy – I understand putting cards into the graveyard for reanimator, but this card is pretty low impact compared to other options. I’d either look to something like Attunement or Frantic Search or cut it.
I totally agree with your point about cuts in EDH. In fact, those first two cards, Sakashima and Clever Impersonator, are definitely personal choices. One of them might get cut down the road, but I don't think I'm ready to part with them yet...
Vedalken Orrey is entirely a "it's what I had at them time" place holder. I fully intend to swap it out for the Leyline.
I've actually had a lot of luck with Forbidden Alchemy. Part of it might be a little bit of the personal too, as I have a promo copy, but it's served me well, so I think it's going to stay. Weebo mentioned Frantic Search in a comment above, and I think it's going to replace Compulsive Research because of the instant-speed and the untapping (even if it draws one less card).
I think you have a point with Countersquall. It's my weakest counter in the deck by far and I think I can afford to remove a counter. I think I'll try out Pemmin's Aura in its place.
Not so much to the deck list itself but the full write up is complete! I've added comparisons to similar commanders, a strategy section, and an in-depth look at the card choices. As for deck changes:
I finally decided to get rid of the combo. I kept saying that this wasn't a dedicated combo deck and felt like the control/reanimation strategy was plenty effective without having to lean on the combo. Reanimate was an easy inclusion, as it's a very effective reanimation spell. As discussed in an earlier comment, Sword of War and Peace effectively protects Dralnu from the downside, since so much burn is in red, while also providing a win-con of sorts. That's why I think the swords are more effective than something like Magebane Armor, as they do a lot more besides protect Dralnu. Of course, if you're budget conscious, the Armor is better than the sword. Of the combo, I kept Bloodchief Ascension since it was the only piece that did something on its own and I really like the card. Compulsive Research had just been added, but testing Frantic Search along side it, I decided I liked the instant speed, almost free version better, even if it's technically less card advantage. Finally, I've been really happy with Curious Humonculus. He's a mana-dork early and he reduces the cost of our instants and sorceries later on. His backside also has somewhat of a body that gets bigger with Prowess. Notion Thief hadn't been doing much for me, so it's been cut.
Decent budget option to protect Dralnu against burn decks is Magebane Armor. A lot cheaper than the swords, and the +2 / +4 isn't too bad either.
Hopefully the above and the write-up addresses this. Basically, I think there are other, more effective ways to protect Dralnu. Usually, the sac lands and counter spells have been enough, and Magebane just doesn't do much else aside from protect Dralnu. The sword provides some power on top of protection.
The Conspiracy 2 updates for this deck are...there are no updates. While this set looks amazing, and has a lot of cool cards (I've already built a Queen Marchesa deck), there just isn't anything that loks like it belongs in this deck (except a hopefully now cheaper foil Phyrexian Arena...) I've also not got to play this deck as much as I'd like in the past few weeks, so no other changes to list as of now.
Do you think the deck could benefit from some way of becoming the monarch, for extra card draw? Maybe Marchesa's Decree as a way to protect yourself, too?
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Do you think the deck could benefit from some way of becoming the monarch, for extra card draw? Maybe Marchesa's Decree as a way to protect yourself, too?
Monarch seems like a terrible choice here. The deck is creature light, even with the reanimation theme, so you're not stopping anyone from swinging by threatening blocks and you're unlikely to steal the crown back once you lose it. There's also not enough board control to keep the board completely clear at all times (which is not a small feat, even for decks dedicated to it). You would be drawing one additional card, then giving everyone else at the table free card draw. Marchesa's Decree isn't really protection. It provides a small deterrent, but anyone swinging with a 2/x or larger is still going to kill you well before they're in any danger. Add on that it actually incentivizes people to attack you while you're the monarch and it's pretty much useless in a deck like this. The effective deterrents either stop the damage entirely or kill the creature.
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Do you think the deck could benefit from some way of becoming the monarch, for extra card draw? Maybe Marchesa's Decree as a way to protect yourself, too?
Monarch seems like a terrible choice here. The deck is creature light, even with the reanimation theme, so you're not stopping anyone from swinging by threatening blocks and you're unlikely to steal the crown back once you lose it. There's also not enough board control to keep the board completely clear at all times (which is not a small feat, even for decks dedicated to it). You would be drawing one additional card, then giving everyone else at the table free card draw. Marchesa's Decree isn't really protection. It provides a small deterrent, but anyone swinging with a 2/x or larger is still going to kill you well before they're in any danger. Add on that it actually incentivizes people to attack you while you're the monarch and it's pretty much useless in a deck like this. The effective deterrents either stop the damage entirely or kill the creature.
Yeah, I have to agree with Weebo completely. In this deck, monarch will just give our opponents incentive to attack us, and the Decree doesn't really provide protection. While Conspiracy 2 is a really great set (and a ton of fun to draft), it really gave this deck nothing.
I wanted to say I really am impressed with this primer and I feel you make a good case for Dralnu, Lich Lord.
I understand that the drawback isn't "that scary" but can someone talk about some cards that we should be afraid of. i.e. common cards played in the format that do deal damage. Blasphemous Act comes to mind. But perhaps there are targeted spells that we could potentially use Spellskite to help protect us.
I wanted to say I really am impressed with this primer and I feel you make a good case for Dralnu, Lich Lord.
I understand that the drawback isn't "that scary" but can someone talk about some cards that we should be afraid of. i.e. common cards played in the format that do deal damage. Blasphemous Act comes to mind. But perhaps there are targeted spells that we could potentially use Spellskite to help protect us.
I've played Dralnu a lot, and I've only been hit with sacrifices a couple times. One involved Molten Disaster, and the others were typically red wipes after I countered one or two other spells along the same lines. There have been games where he never came down because I never found a good way to dodge the potential sacrifice, typically against burn heavy boros decks, but he's largely there to make all of your spells better. As long as you're casting decent spells to begin with, you should be OK even if you only get to cast them once. You don't run into problems until you're relying on the flashback for your gameplan. You can generally avoid the drawback by being careful when you play him and including some sac outlets in the manabase.
I don't think I've seen any EDH games with enough targeted burn spells to merit Skite. Some of the X-cost stuff and very occasional Ignite Memories, but even something as efficient as Lightning Bolt doesn't make the cut for most people (debatable whether that's correct or not, but for another thread). It's pretty rare to see unexpected burn out of a deck. You can usually guess based on colors, general, and early plays whether it's likely or not and find your countermeasures accordingly.
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I wanted to say I really am impressed with this primer and I feel you make a good case for Dralnu, Lich Lord.
I understand that the drawback isn't "that scary" but can someone talk about some cards that we should be afraid of. i.e. common cards played in the format that do deal damage. Blasphemous Act comes to mind. But perhaps there are targeted spells that we could potentially use Spellskite to help protect us.
Thanks! I'm glad you liked my write-up!
Sort of like Weebo said, there really isn't a lot of direct damage spells in EDH. Blasphemous Act is the big one and would be the first thing I'd watch out for if I were going into a blind meta. Other than that, it's really a matter of knowing your meta. Generals like Wort the Raidmother and Riku of Two Reflections often play a lot of X spells, a la Fireball, so you would want to be more careful if you saw them at the table. The other thing is having a back-up plan ready when you cast Dralnu, whether that be a sac outlet, counterspell, or some protective equipment. Weebo is also right about Dralnu's place in the deck. He's an important part of the puzzle, but really just a boost, and usually one that doesn't come out until later game. When playing against commanders you know or think will run a lot of spells that damage Dralnu, hold off and play him later on, when they start running out of resources.
I guess the biggest concern would be commanders who have some sort of damage as an ability, such as Omnath, Locus of Rage, Marath, Will of the Wild, or Borborygmos Enraged. Those situations call for extra caution and are match-ups where Sword of War and Peace and Lightning Greaves are key. Also, between counterspells and removal, we can usually focus our efforts on keeping those problematic creatures off the board.
Edit: Thanks for making think of commanders with direct damage abilities. Those are commanders any Dralnu pilot should be aware of, so I've added a bullet point to the Deck Strategy section about them.
Kaladesh has been fully spoiled, so it's about time I took a look at how the set will impact Dralnu. While I'm excited for the set, and my desire for my things to be fancy has me very excited about Inventions, there really isn't anything here that will likely make it into my list. The closest contenders are:
Dramatic Reversal: I like its potential for a surprise untapping of Dralnu and we run a lot of mana rocks, so this could give a mana boost, but I'm not convinced it's worth finding room for it.
Insidious Will: If this cost 1UU, I'd love it as a counter that can also copy or redirect a spell. However, at 4 mana, I don't think it's worth it.
Metallurgic Summonings: This is probably the one card in the set with the most potential. We're casting a lot of instants and sorceries, so it gives us a lot of blockers, or even big creatures to do some damage. It might be more cute than good, but I said that about Curious Homunculus, and now that card is a permanent part of the list so, who knows. This will definitely be the first (and possibly only) card I test from the set.
Demon of Dark Schemes: At first glance, the demon just looks like a worse Massacre Wurm, but with a lot of creatures dying, he can also help reanimate our big creatures, or even our opponents' big creatures. Depending on where this card settles in price, it could be a budget replacement for the Wurm.
Gonti, Lord of Luxury: Definitely more cute than good, but he's got an interesting ETB ability that, with all of our recursion, could have a solid impact on the game.
Morbid Curiosity: Too bad it's not an instant, but combined with Kokusho, the Evening Star, this becomes "drain everyone for 5, you draw 6 cards," which seems pretty good. Probably not worth a cut, though.
Noxious Gearhulk: A lot of the major reanimation targets in my list are a little pricey so if this card doesn't get expensive (which I doubt it will) it could be a budget reanimation target, as targeted removal is always important, and the life gain certainly doesn't hurt.
That's it! A lot of "could be good but..." without any cool new toys. As I said, I think Metallurgic Summonings has the most potential, so I'll report back after I've tested it a bit. Also, I feel I should point out: this is an official primer now, yay! Thanks to everyone who has provided input on the deck and I hope my fancy new primer status helps convert more people to the Church of Dralnu.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
EDH Decks:
GRUlasht, the Hate SeedGR
BRRakdos, Lord of RiotsBR
Modern:
BWEldrazi & TaxesBW
That being said, I love the idea of killing my own Kokusho with Polymorph, getting a death trigger, and then flipping something like Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur...
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
I'm also testing two lands, Nephalia Academy and Geier Reach Sanitarium, but since I've got plenty of room for lands right now, I don't see me taking them out. Academy is low-risk, high-reward, and Sanitarium allows us to fill our own graveyard.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
OUT
-Redirect
-Liliana Vess
-Wretched Confluence
-Duskmantle, House of Shadow
-1 Swamp
-Blue Sun's Zenith
IN
+Summary Dismissal
+Entomb
+All is Dust
+Compulsive Research
+Geier Reach Sanitarium
+Nephalia Academy
A lot of changes this round. Of the nonland cards I've tested from Eldritch Moon, only Summary Dismissal is definitely going to stick around. It's 2 more mana than what it replaced (Redirect) but the option to hit multiple spells, counter abilities, and exile, makes it worth it. I'm still testing Curious Homunculus (haven't actually drawn it yet...) but as I've said in earlier comments, I think this will be more cute than effective. I ended up replacing BSZ with Compulsive Research instead of Scour the Laboratory. I liked Scour, and it's true that Research isn't instant-speed, but it makes up for that by A) being cheaper and B) allowing us to put reanimation targets into the grave. I knew Entomb was coming and I finally got a copy, cutting Liliana Vess because she was just a less-efficient tutor. All is Dust got added because I wanted to add another board wipe, and I liked that it hit indestructible creatures and let us get rid of enchantments, something this deck can have trouble with.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Shred Memory is good for the same reasons Muddle the Mixture is. GY hate out of the hand is almost impossible to play around unless your opponents are incredibly paranoid, as well.
Frantic Search is solid in Dralnu. You're already playing with your GY to mitigate the downside, so it's effectively free instant speed looting.
Slaughter Pact and Pact of Negation are very powerful cards when Dralnu is down and perfectly respectable the rest of the time.
I really like the idea of Trail of Evidence in Dralnu too. Clues are a decent mana sink if you're playing a lot at instant speed and it can generate a lot of card advantage for a relatively small initial investment.
For cuts, I would probably be looking at Duskmantle Guildmage and Bloodchief Ascension right off the bat. You're already an attractive target as a spell focused deck and you're not milling enough to make them serious threats. They generate way more attention than they should merit. Mindcrank too. I understand the combo potential, but it's a bad card on its own most of the time. That said, I'll cop to really disliking combos where one or more parts don't pull their weight outside of the combo and that colors my opinion of all three of those.
The Dralnu list I have up on this site is here, if you're interested in seeing another take. I went for more of a straight control build and the list is very outdated, but EDH is pretty slow moving and there's still some good stuff in there. I don't think it's changed significantly any of the times it's been together since posting that list, aside from adding in some newly printed stuff.
Thanks for sharing your list! I'll take a closer look at that in a little bit. The swords are an interesting thought. In looking for ways to protect Dralnu, I totally forgot about the protection from red swords. I'm not totally sure I want to drop the money on Fire & Ice, but I have a spare War & Peace, so I might test that out. I just added Compulsive Research for the looting potential, but Frantic Search being instant speed might make drawing one less card worth it. Not to mention it's effectively free.
Of the two Pacts, I might get Negation down the line (when I want to spend that money...why didn't I pick one up when they were cheaper...). I'm not sure how I feel about Slaughter Pact, as I have plenty of removal already, and I like Hero's Downfall better for its ability to hit planeswalkers. I'm also not really sold on Trail of Evidence. I've never felt like this deck struggles with card advantage and I think investigate really only worth it in colors that struggle with card draw. It may be worth testing, though.
You know, I've gone back and forth on considering cutting these. On one hand, sometimes having the combo win is nice. On the other hand, as you pointed out, the Guildmage and Mindcrank are totally dead cards outside of the combo. The list has gotten to the point where cuts are tough, and it might just be time to go full control. I don't think I'll get rid of Bloodchief, though. I understand it makes me a huge target, but it's a favorite card of mine and can do a lot of damage (especially with something like Whispering Madness).
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
EDH Decks:
GRUlasht, the Hate SeedGR
BRRakdos, Lord of RiotsBR
Modern:
BWEldrazi & TaxesBW
I’m still not quite convinced it’s a good idea to cut Freed from the Real here. I would never go without Thousand-Year Elixir, but IMO it doesn’t seem like you can ever have enough of these effects that turn Dralnu into something like Yawgmoth’s Will. Especially with things like High Tide, Turnabout, Cabal Ritual and other mana-producing cards possible in these colors. One that I see rarely but that seems to me to be one of the better of the set – Pemmin’s Aura. On top of the untap, it provides some protection for Dralnu, particularly important now that Green has been getting stuff like Ulvenwald Tracker for a long time now.
IMO, a deck that cares about casting multiple spells per turn (esp. Storm) would want all of them it could get, and nearly every Dralnu deck would still probably want both Elixir and Pemmin’s Aura. Just too good, even if all you’ve got is the more traditional stuff like Rewind.
The thing is, in all the times I've had either Freed from the Real or Thousand-Year Elixir out, I've never even really wanted a third activation. On top of that, there are two major reasons I like the Elixir over either aura: A) the elixir gives Dralnu haste, which is very helpful and B) the elixir sticks around if Dralnu is destroyed, which is key when I have to do something like give one of my board wipes flashback.
I haven't picked up an Expedition Map to try to replace the elixir since the discussion earlier in the comments (I really thought I had one...) and honestly, I'm becoming more attached to the elixir. The haste and the untap have really helped in a number of games. I'm looking for a copy of Tolaria West to throw in as another way to tutor up the very important sac lands and juts not including the Map.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Cuts… Well, it’s a little hit and miss with cuts in EDH, because lots of players include cards just because they want to play them, myself included. I usually recommend cutting cards with a low ceiling of performance, but these cards also tend to have a high floor of performance too – i.e. staple cards. Maybe take a look at the below to see what you think?
Sakashima the Impostor – I usually see her in decks like Grand Arbiter that really want to clone their general. I see the benefit to cloning Dralnu, but if that is the main goal is seems this is the most interchangeable card with Pemmin’s Aura. Obviously, Sakashima has a higher performance floor, but it’s the third activation and the shroud that it doesn’t offer. Also having Sakashima out copying Dralnu would tend to overload the land-based sacrifice outlets you have for those nightmare scenarios where there is a damage-based wipe.
Clever Impersonator – Another low ceiling, high floor, never bad kind of card that just doesn’t seem to fit, to me. If you play against some specific non-creature cards from opponents’ decks that you’d want to clone a lot, maybe, but otherwise what I’d expect to see in this deck for clone-type effects would be something like Body Double or Rite of Replication . Otherwise, Cackling Counterpart, Supplant Form, or Rescue from the Underworld are Instants, and they give you a way to get rid of Dralnu against Red spot removal (the Blue ones won’t work against damage-based wipes though).
Vedalken Orrery – I love the effect once in play, but the tempo loss of getting it out there leaves it stuck in my hand a lot of the time. Also, I’m not sure it’s not just worse than Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir or Leyline of Anticipation besides, since you’ve got no Artifact tutors here. Teferi would also be good if you ever wanted to run Mystical Teachings, since that’s a tutor for him.
Countersquall – I’ve never really liked the color restriction over Negate. And, I usually find it safe to go down to 7 counters in an EDH Control deck, depending on the draw power and other spot removal, which this deck has plenty of.
Forbidden Alchemy – I understand putting cards into the graveyard for reanimator, but this card is pretty low impact compared to other options. I’d either look to something like Attunement or Frantic Search or cut it.
Vedalken Orrey is entirely a "it's what I had at them time" place holder. I fully intend to swap it out for the Leyline.
I've actually had a lot of luck with Forbidden Alchemy. Part of it might be a little bit of the personal too, as I have a promo copy, but it's served me well, so I think it's going to stay. Weebo mentioned Frantic Search in a comment above, and I think it's going to replace Compulsive Research because of the instant-speed and the untapping (even if it draws one less card).
I think you have a point with Countersquall. It's my weakest counter in the deck by far and I think I can afford to remove a counter. I think I'll try out Pemmin's Aura in its place.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Not so much to the deck list itself but the full write up is complete! I've added comparisons to similar commanders, a strategy section, and an in-depth look at the card choices. As for deck changes:
OUT
-Compulsive Research
-Duskmantle Guildmage
-Mindcrank
-Notion Thief
IN
+Frantic Search
+Reanimate
+Sword of War and Peace
+Curious Humonculus
I finally decided to get rid of the combo. I kept saying that this wasn't a dedicated combo deck and felt like the control/reanimation strategy was plenty effective without having to lean on the combo. Reanimate was an easy inclusion, as it's a very effective reanimation spell. As discussed in an earlier comment, Sword of War and Peace effectively protects Dralnu from the downside, since so much burn is in red, while also providing a win-con of sorts. That's why I think the swords are more effective than something like Magebane Armor, as they do a lot more besides protect Dralnu. Of course, if you're budget conscious, the Armor is better than the sword. Of the combo, I kept Bloodchief Ascension since it was the only piece that did something on its own and I really like the card. Compulsive Research had just been added, but testing Frantic Search along side it, I decided I liked the instant speed, almost free version better, even if it's technically less card advantage. Finally, I've been really happy with Curious Humonculus. He's a mana-dork early and he reduces the cost of our instants and sorceries later on. His backside also has somewhat of a body that gets bigger with Prowess. Notion Thief hadn't been doing much for me, so it's been cut.
Hopefully the above and the write-up addresses this. Basically, I think there are other, more effective ways to protect Dralnu. Usually, the sac lands and counter spells have been enough, and Magebane just doesn't do much else aside from protect Dralnu. The sword provides some power on top of protection.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
The Conspiracy 2 updates for this deck are...there are no updates. While this set looks amazing, and has a lot of cool cards (I've already built a Queen Marchesa deck), there just isn't anything that loks like it belongs in this deck (except a hopefully now cheaper foil Phyrexian Arena...) I've also not got to play this deck as much as I'd like in the past few weeks, so no other changes to list as of now.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
EDH Decks:
GRUlasht, the Hate SeedGR
BRRakdos, Lord of RiotsBR
Modern:
BWEldrazi & TaxesBW
Yeah, I have to agree with Weebo completely. In this deck, monarch will just give our opponents incentive to attack us, and the Decree doesn't really provide protection. While Conspiracy 2 is a really great set (and a ton of fun to draft), it really gave this deck nothing.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
I understand that the drawback isn't "that scary" but can someone talk about some cards that we should be afraid of. i.e. common cards played in the format that do deal damage. Blasphemous Act comes to mind. But perhaps there are targeted spells that we could potentially use Spellskite to help protect us.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
I don't think I've seen any EDH games with enough targeted burn spells to merit Skite. Some of the X-cost stuff and very occasional Ignite Memories, but even something as efficient as Lightning Bolt doesn't make the cut for most people (debatable whether that's correct or not, but for another thread). It's pretty rare to see unexpected burn out of a deck. You can usually guess based on colors, general, and early plays whether it's likely or not and find your countermeasures accordingly.
Thanks! I'm glad you liked my write-up!
Sort of like Weebo said, there really isn't a lot of direct damage spells in EDH. Blasphemous Act is the big one and would be the first thing I'd watch out for if I were going into a blind meta. Other than that, it's really a matter of knowing your meta. Generals like Wort the Raidmother and Riku of Two Reflections often play a lot of X spells, a la Fireball, so you would want to be more careful if you saw them at the table. The other thing is having a back-up plan ready when you cast Dralnu, whether that be a sac outlet, counterspell, or some protective equipment. Weebo is also right about Dralnu's place in the deck. He's an important part of the puzzle, but really just a boost, and usually one that doesn't come out until later game. When playing against commanders you know or think will run a lot of spells that damage Dralnu, hold off and play him later on, when they start running out of resources.
I guess the biggest concern would be commanders who have some sort of damage as an ability, such as Omnath, Locus of Rage, Marath, Will of the Wild, or Borborygmos Enraged. Those situations call for extra caution and are match-ups where Sword of War and Peace and Lightning Greaves are key. Also, between counterspells and removal, we can usually focus our efforts on keeping those problematic creatures off the board.
Edit: Thanks for making think of commanders with direct damage abilities. Those are commanders any Dralnu pilot should be aware of, so I've added a bullet point to the Deck Strategy section about them.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
That's it! A lot of "could be good but..." without any cool new toys. As I said, I think Metallurgic Summonings has the most potential, so I'll report back after I've tested it a bit. Also, I feel I should point out: this is an official primer now, yay! Thanks to everyone who has provided input on the deck and I hope my fancy new primer status helps convert more people to the Church of Dralnu.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG