Mildly themed around Nicol Bolas, this is a Grixis control deck that aims to slow the game down until ultimating Nicky B to win the game. Deliver Unto Evil is the signature spell because it's pretty good (and also because the art is 10/10). Being able to recur a tutor to go find The Elderspell and then win the game seems pretty good and you can do so without blatantly announcing your intention to do so from the command zone, and outside of that getting back the most relevant cards in your graveyard seems really strong.
I haven't played a single game of Oathbreaker, and I likely won't until I move, but I wanted to go ahead and get some meaningful feedback before I assembled the list in paper. I know the format is faster than EDH so I included a bevy of cheap wipes, hopefully they're enough? I also think the deck would be better with a more diversified win condition suite, but I honestly enjoy the idea of Nicky B being the only way to win. It just seems right.
EDIT: Whoops, I can't count. Added in Torment of Hailfire as an additional late game win condition.
I'm at exactly your amount of expertise. There's a lot of conversation about the format around here and a severe lack of actual decks.
I was going to use more ramp in my version, use all the appropriate dual swamps and swamp doublers, and run it more as MBC with some splashes. You're going to be pretty mana hungry. I was also thinking Pentad Prism, Dark Ritual, Basal Thrull and other ways to play Nicol turn 3, but I suspect that might be a mistake with people being more likely to draw kill cards.
Im working on a Discard variant because Shrieking Affliction is my fav magic card but its too slow for 40 life regular commander. My logic is that Bolas'+1 has synergy with a discard strategy as its +1 makes people exile noncreature perms if they have no hand and if you can wipe the board of creatures. Would you be interested in me posting the list once I finish it?
I was going to use more ramp in my version, use all the appropriate dual swamps and swamp doublers, and run it more as MBC with some splashes. You're going to be pretty mana hungry. I was also thinking Pentad Prism, Dark Ritual, Basal Thrull and other ways to play Nicol turn 3, but I suspect that might be a mistake with people being more likely to draw kill cards.
I'm thinking of taking a more Machiavellian approach. Sure, you know I'm playing Grixis colors and I'm not your friend, but I'm also the one keeping Mr. Jace with Mana Severance and Mr. Gideon with Armageddon at bay. I'm the raid boss, not the trash mobs.
Im working on a Discard variant because Shrieking Affliction is my fav magic card but its too slow for 40 life regular commander. My logic is that Bolas'+1 has synergy with a discard strategy as its +1 makes people exile noncreature perms if they have no hand and if you can wipe the board of creatures. Would you be interested in me posting the list once I finish it?
You might reconsider Forge of Heroes (I made the same mistake with Sarkhan), Oathbreakers are not specifically speaking "commanders". There's a lot of ambiguity in what this actually does in this format. By RAW, it's a non-basic Wastes, though.
You might reconsider Forge of Heroes (I made the same mistake with Sarkhan), Oathbreakers are not specifically speaking "commanders". There's a lot of ambiguity in what this actually does in this format. By RAW, it's a non-basic Wastes, though.
I like Deliver Unto Evil a lot more... it does more things than the Elderspell.
Big fan of the deck! I'm building my own Bolas/Deliver Unto Evil deck; I'm definitely taking your inclusions into consideration.
You'll have to let me know how it goes. I just moved and unfortunately had to leave the bulk of my collection behind so it looks like I won't be able to build this any time soon.
1 Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
1 Deliver Unto Evil
Lands: 23
1 Ash Barrens
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Command Tower
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Forge of Heroes
1 Graven Cairns
3 Island
1 Mana Confluence
2 Mountain
1 Steam Vents
1 Strip Mine
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sunken Ruins
2 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
1 Dimir Signet
1 Izzet Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
Instants: 17
1 Bedevil
1 Blink of an Eye
1 Brainstorm
1 Counterflux
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Disallow
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Forbid
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Negate
1 Pull from Tomorrow
1 Supreme Will
1 Terminate
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Damnation
1 Dark Petition
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hour of Devastation
1 Languish
1 Painful Truths
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Radiant Flames
1 Read the Bones
1 Ritual of Soot
1 Serum Visions
1 Sweltering Suns
1 The Elderspell
1 Torment of Hailfire
Mildly themed around Nicol Bolas, this is a Grixis control deck that aims to slow the game down until ultimating Nicky B to win the game. Deliver Unto Evil is the signature spell because it's pretty good (and also because the art is 10/10). Being able to recur a tutor to go find The Elderspell and then win the game seems pretty good and you can do so without blatantly announcing your intention to do so from the command zone, and outside of that getting back the most relevant cards in your graveyard seems really strong.
I haven't played a single game of Oathbreaker, and I likely won't until I move, but I wanted to go ahead and get some meaningful feedback before I assembled the list in paper. I know the format is faster than EDH so I included a bevy of cheap wipes, hopefully they're enough? I also think the deck would be better with a more diversified win condition suite, but I honestly enjoy the idea of Nicky B being the only way to win. It just seems right.
EDIT: Whoops, I can't count. Added in Torment of Hailfire as an additional late game win condition.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
I was going to use more ramp in my version, use all the appropriate dual swamps and swamp doublers, and run it more as MBC with some splashes. You're going to be pretty mana hungry. I was also thinking Pentad Prism, Dark Ritual, Basal Thrull and other ways to play Nicol turn 3, but I suspect that might be a mistake with people being more likely to draw kill cards.
BChainer, Dementia Master(Big Mana/Reanimator)
BRRakdos, The Showstopper (Mass Life Loss/Ramp)
BUThe Scarab God (Zombie Tribal/Control)
BWKarlov of the Ghost Council (Life Gain)
BGJarad, Golgari Lich Lord (Stompy/Dredge)
BRGProssh, Skyraider of Kher (Tokens/Non-infinite Combo)
Sure.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
It could be super greedy in such a colored mana hungry deck, though.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
Have you considered Contagion Clasp or Contagion Engine? At the very least, Karn's Bastion would be great for a controlling deck.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
I like Deliver Unto Evil a lot more... it does more things than the Elderspell.
Big fan of the deck! I'm building my own Bolas/Deliver Unto Evil deck; I'm definitely taking your inclusions into consideration.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK