I haven't spent much time thinking about this deck, but I've got a feeling that a Dross Harvester deck could be great. The goal would be to make it combo proof as much as possible, and play fantastically against aggro with life gain and beaters. Thresh and Dreadstill have trouble with fast creature decks like Goblins and dredge, and this deck would be designed to play very well agaist them, by using your opponents creatures to your advantage (life gain). heavy creature destruction is important, but it important to keep dross in. Being that he is pro white and black and cc3, it would be very hard to remove him. I am debating whether the counter strategy is the best idea.
I was thinking that it could be have a transforming sideboard. The dross strategy may only work against another creature deck. I haven't made and play tested this build, so I am sure it is not great right now.
How would you build this deck? Any cards to recommend?
Tokens seems key to me, so one can chump block and gain life, and possibly overwhelm.
Possibly put in some discard to remove everything but creatures. This deck should want opponents to put creatures into play.
Possibles for a different build:
standstill
hellfire
harsh mercy
oracle en-vec
stifle
thorn of amethyst
Ive tried Dross Harvester in The Nightmare Effect as a way to gain life cause Im using Maws and Fleshbag Marauders MD allready and was a nono. The fact that you loose 4 life a turn ends up hurting a lot. But that was a control (slowclock) deck. If you manage to not care about your own life, then this is the way to go. Hell, if you can make enough life on a steady basis why not run Flesh Reaver?
well the ultimate goal would be two not gain as much life as I am losing from Harvester, but rather gain more life. I could just put tarmogoyf if the former was the case, but that's not the deck I want to make. I like the idea of goblin sharpshooter a lot, but it is fairly slow.
This is what I came up with. The sideboard is not actaully a real sideboard but just some possible MD's or sideboards.
I want put in a black firespout of sorts, or something that will sweep without getting rid of dross. This means lots of life gain, and a 4/4 beater on the table.
Maybe one more shreik, but then I have to worry about confidant. Maybe one less thorn. The goblin bombardment can just be an optional finisher and a source of life gain in a desperate situation. Shreik goes so well here because evoke makes it go into play which gives me two life.
Now I need to make sure that Dross will make it on the table, without him there, this deck will just be mediocre.
The mishra's should go very well. When they are sent to the graveyard, would they trigger the Dross effect or immediately turn into a land again?? Maybe I should put in a Dryad Arbor.
Sideboard:
2x Innocent Blood
2x Diabolic Edict
4x Chalice of the Void
Innocent blood and Bone Splinters will help me get rid of either confidant or dross if I really need to. If not I can just go aggressive with both and hope they are blocked. If not, well, all the better.
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stifle
Mercy Killing
Phyrexian Soulgorger
Saffi Eriksdotter
The Mercy, stifle and soulgorger would be a sick combo. A beater and optional 8 tokens. Then goblin bombardment. This means I have lots of life to gain, and damage to deal, plus overwhelm.
I think the counter plan might be insufficiently good. Mono black with discard (maybe including cabal therapy) might be good. I also like your thoughts on thorn of amythest. I think you might even be able to run both. Sure they clash but a lot of the time you will play your discard effects before the thorn anyway and they are cheap. I think more creatures and vial is also good. You can skip your first life loss by brining harvester in at eot.
I can avoid the first life loss? I didn't even realize that. thanks.
Yup, just make sure to use Aether Vial. which can let you pop it in there eot to make it psudo haste.
If I put Vial in I would have rebuild the deck. Gatekeeper and shriek need to be cast, but I suppose that is not too many creature that require casting to make Vial useless.
What should the draw be? Bob ok, or Phyrexian Arena, which is what Craig used in the Starcitygames tourny. How about Sign in Blood.
Also there would be less incentive to keep Dark Ritual in the deck.
Definitely second the inclusion of Cabal Therapy, Dross Harvester needs a sac outlet should it get out of hand.
Evoke creatures have been mentioned, so I'll recommend Echo creatures. Stuff like Bone Shredder wouldn't be a bad idea.
I just think there needs to be some decent way to recur your creatures to use Harvester. Ashen Ghoul comes to mind here.
If I am sporting Vials, it might make sense to take out the shrieks and put in bone shredder. The fact that I don't have any one drop creatures makes Vials' a bit worse. Although I don't really want to change any of the other creatures. This is basically the creature build that the MOno black deck which landed 5th at starcity had.
The Cabal Therapy's are definitely going in. I installed a sacrifice engine via Goblin Bombardment.
4x Polluted Delta
3x Flooded Strand
3x Underground Sea
2x Tundra
1x Plains
1x Island
1x Swamp
3x Mishra's Factory
4x Dark Confidant
3x Gatekeeper of Malakir
3x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Force of Will
4x Daze
3x Spell Snare
4x Brainstorm
4x Dark Ritual
3x Sensei's Diving Top
2x Decree of Justice
3x Counterbalance
60 cards
I haven't spent much time thinking about this deck, but I've got a feeling that a Dross Harvester deck could be great. The goal would be to make it combo proof as much as possible, and play fantastically against aggro with life gain and beaters. Thresh and Dreadstill have trouble with fast creature decks like Goblins and dredge, and this deck would be designed to play very well agaist them, by using your opponents creatures to your advantage (life gain). heavy creature destruction is important, but it important to keep dross in. Being that he is pro white and black and cc3, it would be very hard to remove him. I am debating whether the counter strategy is the best idea.
I was thinking that it could be have a transforming sideboard. The dross strategy may only work against another creature deck. I haven't made and play tested this build, so I am sure it is not great right now.
How would you build this deck? Any cards to recommend?
Tokens seems key to me, so one can chump block and gain life, and possibly overwhelm.
Possibly put in some discard to remove everything but creatures. This deck should want opponents to put creatures into play.
Possibles for a different build:
standstill
hellfire
harsh mercy
oracle en-vec
stifle
thorn of amethyst
Legacy Competitive
BUReanimatorUB
RUSneaky ShowUR(Dismantled)
GBUReanimatorUBG(Retired)
(Pre-Mystical Tutor Banning)
{RIP:July 1, 2010}
Legacy Casual
UWBag Of TricksWU
GWEnchantressWG(Budget/In construction)
WSoul SistersW
Legacy Casual - Retired
UBT.E.S. - The EGG-pic StormBU
BGrave ExistenceB
Sig by Me =)
This is what I came up with. The sideboard is not actaully a real sideboard but just some possible MD's or sideboards.
4x Marsh Flats
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Scrubland
2x Badland
1x Plains
1x Swamp
1x Urborg Tomb of Yawgmoth
4x Mishra's Factory
3x Wasteland
4x Dark Confidant
4x Vampire Nighthawk
2x Shriekmaw
3x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Dark Ritual
2x Bone Splinters
2x Enlightened Tutor
4x Duress
3x Thorn of Amythest
3x Sensei's Diving Top
1x Goblin Bombardment
2x Promise of Bunrei
I want put in a black firespout of sorts, or something that will sweep without getting rid of dross. This means lots of life gain, and a 4/4 beater on the table.
Maybe one more shreik, but then I have to worry about confidant. Maybe one less thorn. The goblin bombardment can just be an optional finisher and a source of life gain in a desperate situation. Shreik goes so well here because evoke makes it go into play which gives me two life.
Now I need to make sure that Dross will make it on the table, without him there, this deck will just be mediocre.
The mishra's should go very well. When they are sent to the graveyard, would they trigger the Dross effect or immediately turn into a land again?? Maybe I should put in a Dryad Arbor.
Sideboard:
2x Innocent Blood
2x Diabolic Edict
4x Chalice of the Void
Innocent blood and Bone Splinters will help me get rid of either confidant or dross if I really need to. If not I can just go aggressive with both and hope they are blocked. If not, well, all the better.
-
stifle
Mercy Killing
Phyrexian Soulgorger
Saffi Eriksdotter
The Mercy, stifle and soulgorger would be a sick combo. A beater and optional 8 tokens. Then goblin bombardment. This means I have lots of life to gain, and damage to deal, plus overwhelm.
This is just a start.
I can avoid the first life loss? I didn't even realize that. thanks.
Yup, just make sure to use Aether Vial. which can let you pop it in there eot to make it psudo haste.
Sig and Avvy by Heroes of the Plane Studios
Ninjas
Fish
Dredge
EDH
Sharuum
If I put Vial in I would have rebuild the deck. Gatekeeper and shriek need to be cast, but I suppose that is not too many creature that require casting to make Vial useless.
What should the draw be? Bob ok, or Phyrexian Arena, which is what Craig used in the Starcitygames tourny. How about Sign in Blood.
Also there would be less incentive to keep Dark Ritual in the deck.
Evoke creatures have been mentioned, so I'll recommend Echo creatures. Stuff like Bone Shredder wouldn't be a bad idea.
I just think there needs to be some decent way to recur your creatures to use Harvester. Ashen Ghoul comes to mind here.
Catch ShadowSketched Magic the Gathering Deck and Card Reviews here.
If I am sporting Vials, it might make sense to take out the shrieks and put in bone shredder. The fact that I don't have any one drop creatures makes Vials' a bit worse. Although I don't really want to change any of the other creatures. This is basically the creature build that the MOno black deck which landed 5th at starcity had.
The Cabal Therapy's are definitely going in. I installed a sacrifice engine via Goblin Bombardment.