Casual voltron deck looking to dash Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury. Damage pumps must provide at least +2 power to get Kolaghan to a 3-turn clock while also costing zero-mana to activate as dashing every turn is already highly inefficient. Rest of the deck features creature hate, pillow-fort, and lifegain to provide some form of defense.
Looking for any suggestions on cards I may have missed or overlooked that synergize with this strategy.
I was looking to make a creature-free deck but didn't want to use any generic win conditions such as Exsanguinate, Test of Endurance, or planeswalkers - so going with vehicles.
Deck uses some artifact and enchantment control pieces which trigger on upkeep, cast, or ETB to lower the value of playing creatures. Board wipes and spot removal to eliminate those that stick. Rest of the deck is vehicles, crew enablers, and card draw.
Based on the ruling entry below, if Kolaghan is selected as a result of Wild Evocation's ability, I assume I can't cast Kolaghan for free using dash's alternative cost? I must cast him for free using his regular casting cost instead? Appreciate any verification or correction. Thank you.
"If, as the result of Wild Evocation’s ability, a player casts a card “without paying its mana cost,” any X in the mana cost will be 0, and that player can’t pay any alternative costs (such as Demon of Death’s Gate’s alternative cost). On the other hand, if the card has optional additional costs (such as kicker or multikicker), the player may pay those."
Use Blind Seer to change a black creature red, cast Mind Harness targeting said creature thus gaining control of it.
Do I lose control of the creature at end of turn when it reverts to black? Does Mind Harness fall off due to any color reversion? Assuming Mind Harness stays attached even after color change, can I simply regain control of the creature at instant speed if I change its color back to red or green?
Kuro is the first spell to resolve off of Hellcarver's ability and is now on the battlefield. The next spell on the stack is Repay in Kind. Can I activate Kuro, Pitlord's ability in response to Repay in Kind to lower my life before it resolves even though I am still in the middle of resolving Hellcarver Demon's ability?
Like the deck. Working on assembling something similar.
For combos involving Doomsday and Final Fortune cast off of Hellcarver Demon - such as the "Demon Rush" one mentioned in the OP - how do you use the extra turn if you have no cards left to draw? Does it require Necropotence to be in play or is there some other work around?
When you get around to testing, if you notice in key cards or interactions - besides Bazaar of Baghdad ($$$) - I'd be interested in hearing about it. Thanks for updating your list.
Your Skullbriar list is definitely more creature heavy so I understand your ideas regarding Birthing Pod, dredge mechancis, Survival of the Fittest and Genesis. However, most of these effects won't serve much purpose in my deck without a lot of changes first.
- If Birthing Pod was instant speed I would definitely include it, but without solid targets and with Skullbriar being the only creature consistently out, I don't see it adding much value for me.
- Survival of the Fittest is great but I don't want to run any additional tutor effects at this point.
- Genesis will eat up a lot of mana on my turns. It obviously gains value with SotF but most of my self-reanimation will be targeting Skullbriar so I would prefer cheaper (if only one-time) effects.
- Vigor and Nylea, God of the Hunt are great. I barely cut them before posting this, so I will give them second looks.
Without a lot of these creature-based value engines that you run, I assumed draw effects such as Graveborn Muse, Ancient Craving, etc. would provide my source of card advantage but I see you suggested to cut many of these. Graveborn Muse is a double Phyrexian Arena so it seems like an auto-include in my mind. Disciple of Bolas can draw me into a reanimation effect thus refilling my hand, restoring my life, and not costing me a turn with Skullbriar - seems solid, not sure how practical but worth trying (same for Momentous Fall).
Do you think all the zero-drop mana sources that enable turn-one Skullbriar's are worth including? or should I cut back on any of them?
Looking to make a casual Skullbriar, the Walking Grave deck. Main win condition being Skullbriar himself with back-up win conditions of life-drain and/or reanimation. I want to go hard early with Skullbriar and use my life as a resource to draw into enough removal to keep a couple opponents off balance. I realize this strategy will not scale well beyond a 4-player game (at best) and that's fine.
I am currently 10-15 cards over and would appreciate some suggestions for cuts or even replacements. Although playing black I do not want to add any tutors beyond Rune-Scarred Demon and want to avoid Necropotence.
I've been pretty focused on +3/ effects in order to make Yasova a three turn clock, however, many of these are fairly poor equipped to anyone except Yasova - Champion's Helm suffers from this (as well as being only +2). +2/ effects such as Rancor and the sword cycle are attractive though - offering a strong effect on any creature.
Shaman of the Great Hunt is in my list - good card with or without Yasova in play. Wolfir Silverheart is under consideration as it seems the closest I can get to Xenagos, God of Revels tacked onto a creature. Nantuko Mentor's activation cost means I'll be devoting at least 6 mana per turn just to use it in conjunction with Yasova so I'll probably avoid him for now.
Both Xenagos, God of Revels and Yasova Dragonclaw trigger at the beginning of combat so - even if I target Yasova with Xenagos' effect - she won't receive the power boost until after her effect has already resolved. Otherwise, yes he would be amazing.
Looking for any suggestions on cards I may have missed or overlooked that synergize with this strategy.
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Coalition Relic
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Crawlspace
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Defense Grid
1 Farsight Mask
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Hero's Blade
1 Mana Crypt
1 Meekstone
1 Mind's Eye
1 Noetic Scales
1 Omen Machine
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Ronin Warclub
1 Sol Ring
1 Sword of the Chosen
1 Talisman of Indulgence
1 Tenza, Godo's Maul
1 The Immortal Sun
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Worn Powerstone
//2 Creature
1 Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
//19 Enchantment
1 Æther Flash
1 Bedlam
1 Blood Mist
1 Burning Sands
1 Crucible of Fire
1 Deadly Wanderings
1 Death Match
1 Gratuitous Violence
1 Grip of Chaos
1 Hazoret's Favor
1 Homicidal Seclusion
1 In the Web of War
1 Necropotence
1 No Mercy
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Spreading Plague
1 Sunbird's Invocation
1 The Abyss
1 Warstorm Surge
1 Vampiric Tutor
//41 Land
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Canyon Slough
1 Cathedral of War
1 Command Tower
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Foreboding Ruins
1 Graven Cairns
1 Maze of Ith
6 Mountain
1 Rakdos Carnarium
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sulfurous Springs
12 Swamp
1 Tainted Peak
1 Temple of Malice
1 Temple of the False God
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
//13 Sorcery
1 Ambition's Cost
1 Ancient Craving
1 Barter in Blood
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Bontu's Last Reckoning
1 Crux of Fate
1 Damnation
1 Innocent Blood
1 Night's Whisper
1 Read the Bones
1 Sign in Blood
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Vandalblast
Deck uses some artifact and enchantment control pieces which trigger on upkeep, cast, or ETB to lower the value of playing creatures. Board wipes and spot removal to eliminate those that stick. Rest of the deck is vehicles, crew enablers, and card draw.
1 Sen Triplets
// 37 Artifact
1 Meekstone
1 Noetic Scales
1 Portcullis
1 Torpor Orb
1 Ward of Bones
1 Aethersphere Harvester
1 Aradara Express
1 Ballista Charger
1 Bomat Bazaar Barge
1 Cultivator's Caravan
1 Daredevil Dragster
1 Demolition Stomper
1 Fleetwheel Cruiser
1 Heart of Kiran
1 Irontread Crusher
1 Ovalchase Dragster
1 Peacewalker Colossus
1 Renegade Freighter
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
1 Smuggler's Copter
1 Untethered Express
1 Phyrexian Totem
1 Guardian Idol
1 Ojutai Monument
1 Silumgar Monument
1 Azorius Keyrune
1 Dimir Keyrune
1 Sol Ring
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Haunted Plate Mail
1 Glint Hawk Idol
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Azorius Signet
1 Dimir Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Chimeric Idol
1 Chimeric Mass
1 Invoke Prejudice
1 Pendrell Mists
1 Spreading Plague
1 Tainted Aether
1 The Abyss
1 Rhystic Study
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Mystic Remora
1 Myth Realized
1 Overburden
1 Tempered Steel
1 Thopter Spy Network
// 8 Instant
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Return to Dust
1 Reality Shift
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Utter End
// 36 Land
4 Island
2 Swamp
3 Plains
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Dread Statuary
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Shambling Vent
1 Stalking Stones
1 Command Tower
1 Arcane Sanctum
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Watery Grave
1 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Temple of Silence
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Damnation
1 Day of Judgment
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Wrath of God
1 Open the Vaults
1 Recurring Insight
1 Sen Triplets
// 11 Creature Hate
1 Meekstone
1 Noetic Scales
1 Portcullis
1 Torpor Orb
1 Ward of Bones
1 Overburden
1 Invoke Prejudice
1 Pendrell Mists
1 Spreading Plague
1 Tainted Aether
1 The Abyss
// 4 Board Wipes
1 Day of Judgment
1 Wrath of God
1 Damnation
1 Supreme Verdict
// 5 Spot Removal
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Reality Shift
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Return to Dust
1 Utter End
// 16 Vehicles
1 Aethersphere Harvester
1 Aradara Express
1 Ballista Charger
1 Bomat Bazaar Barge
1 Cultivator's Caravan
1 Daredevil Dragster
1 Demolition Stomper
1 Fleetwheel Cruiser
1 Heart of Kiran
1 Irontread Crusher
1 Ovalchase Dragster
1 Peacewalker Colossus
1 Renegade Freighter
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
1 Smuggler's Copter
1 Untethered Express
1 Myth Realized
1 Glint Hawk Idol
1 Guardian Idol
1 Azorius Keyrune
1 Dimir Keyrune
1 Phyrexian Totem
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Chimeric Idol
1 Chimeric Mass
1 Haunted Plate Mail
// 7 Mana Rocks
1 Sol Ring
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Azorius Signet
1 Dimir Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Ojutai Monument
1 Silumgar Monument
// 8 Card Draw
1 Mystic Remora
1 Rhystic Study
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Thopter Spy Network
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Recurring Insight
// 2 Other
1 Tempered Steel
1 Open the Vaults
// 10 Manlands
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Dread Statuary
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Shambling Vent
1 Stalking Stones
1 Command Tower
1 Arcane Sanctum
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Watery Grave
1 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Temple of Silence
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Temple of Deceit
// 9 Basics
4 Island
2 Swamp
3 Plains
Appreciate any suggestions.
Based on the ruling entry below, if Kolaghan is selected as a result of Wild Evocation's ability, I assume I can't cast Kolaghan for free using dash's alternative cost? I must cast him for free using his regular casting cost instead? Appreciate any verification or correction. Thank you.
"If, as the result of Wild Evocation’s ability, a player casts a card “without paying its mana cost,” any X in the mana cost will be 0, and that player can’t pay any alternative costs (such as Demon of Death’s Gate’s alternative cost). On the other hand, if the card has optional additional costs (such as kicker or multikicker), the player may pay those."
Curious if you considered any of the following cards or, given your experience, how they would play out:
Use Blind Seer to change a black creature red, cast Mind Harness targeting said creature thus gaining control of it.
Do I lose control of the creature at end of turn when it reverts to black? Does Mind Harness fall off due to any color reversion? Assuming Mind Harness stays attached even after color change, can I simply regain control of the creature at instant speed if I change its color back to red or green?
Kuro is the first spell to resolve off of Hellcarver's ability and is now on the battlefield. The next spell on the stack is Repay in Kind. Can I activate Kuro, Pitlord's ability in response to Repay in Kind to lower my life before it resolves even though I am still in the middle of resolving Hellcarver Demon's ability?
For combos involving Doomsday and Final Fortune cast off of Hellcarver Demon - such as the "Demon Rush" one mentioned in the OP - how do you use the extra turn if you have no cards left to draw? Does it require Necropotence to be in play or is there some other work around?
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Resurrection Targets:
1 Sunblast Angel
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Archon of Justice
1 Resolute Archangel
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Boonweaver Giant
1 Eldrazi Conscription
1 Reya Dawnbringer
1 Blazing Archon
Resurrection Effects:
1 Breath of Life
1 Defy Death
1 False Defeat
1 Resurrection
1 Miraculous Recovery
1 Karmic Guide
1 Marshal's Anthem
Recursion:
1 Codex Shredder
1 Gift of Immortality
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Sun Titan
1 Angel of Serenity
Graveyard Enablers:
1 Altar of Dementia
1 Anvil of Bogardan
1 Mask of Memory
1 Deal Broker
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Expedition Map
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Idyllic Tutor
Card Advantage:
1 Skullclamp
1 Wall of Omens
1 Scroll Rack
1 Mind's Eye
Ramp/Fixing:
1 Sol Ring
1 Land Tax
1 Tithe
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Burnished Hart
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Endless Horizons
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Caged Sun
Mana Sinks:
1 Sacred Mesa
1 Heliod, God of the Sun
Stall Effects:
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Righteous Aura
1 Crackdown
1 Aura of Silence
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Mystic Barrier
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Valorous Stance
1 Return to Dust
1 Wrath of God
1 Day of Judgment
1 Martial Coup
1 Austere Command
Lands:
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Kor Haven
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Buried Ruin
1 High Market
30 Plains
Last Cuts:
1 Stonecloaker
1 Serene Master
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
1 Spear of Heliod
1 Journeyer's Kite
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
Mono-white "reanimate" is pretty fun, although my hand sometimes just fills until I have to discard to hand-size limitation - so it definitely needs some tuning. While it's no T1: Entomb Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur , T2: Reanimate Jin , I've managed to get Boonweaver Giant out with Gift of Immortality + Eldrazi Conscription on T3. Also, combo with Sun Titan + Gift of Immortality + Altar of Dementia has randomly won a couple of games.
When you get around to testing, if you notice in key cards or interactions - besides Bazaar of Baghdad ($$$) - I'd be interested in hearing about it. Thanks for updating your list.
Your Skullbriar list is definitely more creature heavy so I understand your ideas regarding Birthing Pod, dredge mechancis, Survival of the Fittest and Genesis. However, most of these effects won't serve much purpose in my deck without a lot of changes first.
- If Birthing Pod was instant speed I would definitely include it, but without solid targets and with Skullbriar being the only creature consistently out, I don't see it adding much value for me.
- Survival of the Fittest is great but I don't want to run any additional tutor effects at this point.
- Genesis will eat up a lot of mana on my turns. It obviously gains value with SotF but most of my self-reanimation will be targeting Skullbriar so I would prefer cheaper (if only one-time) effects.
- Unspeakable Symbol always makes me recall Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon and how cheap it is to one-shot someone. It isn't as broken in Skullbriar, the Walking Grave so maybe I wouldn't feel too bad including it - but still makes me feel cheap.
- Fallen Ideal, Phyrexian Arena are already included.
- Vigor and Nylea, God of the Hunt are great. I barely cut them before posting this, so I will give them second looks.
Without a lot of these creature-based value engines that you run, I assumed draw effects such as Graveborn Muse, Ancient Craving, etc. would provide my source of card advantage but I see you suggested to cut many of these. Graveborn Muse is a double Phyrexian Arena so it seems like an auto-include in my mind. Disciple of Bolas can draw me into a reanimation effect thus refilling my hand, restoring my life, and not costing me a turn with Skullbriar - seems solid, not sure how practical but worth trying (same for Momentous Fall).
Do you think all the zero-drop mana sources that enable turn-one Skullbriar's are worth including? or should I cut back on any of them?
I am currently 10-15 cards over and would appreciate some suggestions for cuts or even replacements. Although playing black I do not want to add any tutors beyond Rune-Scarred Demon and want to avoid Necropotence.
Current decklist:
1 Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
Counter Boosts
1 Hardened Scales
1 Strength of the Tajuru
1 Solidarity of Heroes
1 Fireshrieker
1 Increasing Savagery
1 Corpsejack Menace
1 Soul's Might
1 Primeval Bounty
Evasion
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Rancor
1 Crop Rotation
1 Expedition Map
1 Sylvan Scrying
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Fallen Ideal
Draw
1 Skullclamp
1 Sylvan Library
1 Night's Whisper
1 Sign in Blood
1 Inspiring Call
1 Read the Bones
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Harmonize
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Syphon Mind
1 Ambition's Cost
1 Ancient Craving
1 Greater Good
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Momentous Fall
1 Snuff Out
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Dismember
1 Nature's Claim
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Go for the Throat
1 Malicious Affliction
1 Victim of Night
1 Putrefy
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Crushing Vines
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Beast Within
1 Rending Vines
1 Krosan Grip
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Merciless Executioner
1 Damnation
1 Crux of Fate
1 Life's Finale
1 Necromantic Selection
1 Decree of Pain
"Ramp"
1 Mox Diamond
1 Chrome Mox
1 Chancellor of the Tangle
1 Elvish Spirit Guide
1 Lotus Petal
1 Exploration
1 Explore
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Reanimate
1 Unearth
1 Life // Death
1 Animate Dead
1 Life from the Loam
1 Eternal Witness
1 Necromancy
1 Reincarnation
Life-Drain
1 Exsanguinate
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
Utility
1 Constant Mists
1 Profane Command
1 Bow of Nylea
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
Main concerns:
1) Lack of evasion. A lot of additional options are available: Prowler's Helm, Whispersilk Cloak, Cover of Darkness, Kalonian Ring, and many more.
2) No hexproof, shroud, or regenerate for Skullbriar. He will be vulnerable to spot-removal at all phases of the game.
I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.
Shaman of the Great Hunt is in my list - good card with or without Yasova in play. Wolfir Silverheart is under consideration as it seems the closest I can get to Xenagos, God of Revels tacked onto a creature. Nantuko Mentor's activation cost means I'll be devoting at least 6 mana per turn just to use it in conjunction with Yasova so I'll probably avoid him for now.
Both Xenagos, God of Revels and Yasova Dragonclaw trigger at the beginning of combat so - even if I target Yasova with Xenagos' effect - she won't receive the power boost until after her effect has already resolved. Otherwise, yes he would be amazing.