Congrats on that Nether Void. Still looking for one to augment my Mishra deck.
Also, have you ever tested Cruel Ultimatum in your deck? It serves as a decent way to close out games in my pile, but I also run it from a different angle.
I have some quick questions about Mizzium Transreliquat and how it interacts when it becomes a Planeswalker through either of its abilities.
Scenario 1: Mizzium Transreliquat, Mycosynth Lattice, and Dack Fayden are on the battlefield, with only Dack under the opponent's control. If I use either of Transreliquat's abilities to copy Dack, would the newly changed artifact immediately get sent to the bin due to a lack of loyalty counters?
Scenario 2:
Setup is same as Scenario 1. In that same vein, if the Dack Fayden were under my control, would the Planeswalker uniqueness rule kick in and force me to sacrifice either the artifact or the genuine article due to SBAs?
Scenario 3: (Assuming Scenario 1 isn't immediately a dead artifact) Mizzium Transreliquat, Mycosynth Lattice, Dack Fayden and Daretti, Scrap Savant are on the field. Transreliquat has just been cast. If I use Transreliquat's second ability to mimic Daretti and use the +2 effect, could I then change the Transreliquat to Dack Fayden and use either of his abilities on the next turn? The way I understand it is that loyalty counters are just another type of counter and adding/removing them don't differentiate from the source of the counters vs the abilities.
Scenario 4:
Setup is the same as Scenario 3. Does Tranreliquat "remember" what it has done in the turn? Would copying Daretti and using his +2 and then shifting form to Dack to use his +2 be permissible in the same turn? What if I had Tranreliquat copy a non-Planeswalker artifact between Daretti and Dack forms? Would that be enough to bounce around walker abilities as much as I want if I have sufficient mana? I'm not sure if losing the Planeswalker type in terms of being a permanent is sufficient to circumvent the one loyalty ability usage from a planeswalker a turn, so I want to be sure.
I'm already running Price of Glory, hehe. The one game that both landed earned me many hateful glares from the Thassa player at the table. Smokestack is something I don't have yet, but I'll test it out in place of Defense Grid and see how it goes as soon as I can get one.
Korlash is a nice, simple mono-black general for Voltron builds when you ignore Skittles. Honestly, I like him and his elder cousin Dakkon Blackblade a lot. Constantly growing power and toughness for just playing the game is nice. One of my more common options for new players who want to start simpler if the currently available Commander decks/standard legends don't appeal to someone.
Has anyone else tried Defense Grid in Norin? I added it recently on a whim and it keeps doing great for me. Even on an empty board, it still slows down the people who want to try and hold up tricks on other people's turns. With the artifact recursion in this deck, it is not the end of the world when someone destroys it. Being neutral from a Confusion in the Ranks perspective in terms of who it affects is nice. And only having the one instant that it has any effect on makes it something that does not inhibit the deck at all 98% of the time. Right now, it is holding the spot for Crucible until I get one, but I am debating on whether it should stay permanently at this rate.
I might try Outpost Siege over Mind's Eye for a bit. My playgroup has wised up and no longer lets my Honor-Worn Shaku live any longer than needed thanks to the insane mana/card advantage that Norin/Shaku/Eye give.
Looking at Ghostway, Rootborn Defenses and/or Wrap In Vigor as anti-Wrath protection in that order. Ghostway isn't AS good as it could be due to my complete lockout of ETB effects in my deck, but it is the only option I can immediately find that survives BSZ/Mutilate/Perilous Vault
Phyrre has a solid point. I like me some Durdle Turtle, but the average pick for him lately at my LGS is 9th or later as of late. There was even a week where it was the last pick somehow.
Here is my current paper iteration of Norin. Thanks to lots of KTK and M15 drafting, I have been able to make the mana base more reliable due to getting some of the big-value pieces and good trading. Next up, Blood Moon. Any comments/feedback about my odd take on this very fun and bonkers general?
Defense Grid is an interesting thing that I have enjoyed in the deck. With only 1 instant, it has next to no effect on us, nor does it care who has control while Confusion is out. Sure, in late game, the effect is nothing because of high mana amounts, but in the early/mid game, it helps keep spot removal away and lower EOT shenanigans. The fact it somewhat messes with Prophet of Kruphix is very helpful. In that same vein, I am loving Price of Glory. The number of times I have wanted to do something on the opponent's turn and been dissuaded by Price is drastically lower than the number of angry blue mages who are forced to decide if countering is worth their mana base going out. Recruiter/Gauntlet are the last pieces over $100 thankfully with my recent Wasteland acquisition, but they are definitely missed right now.
This pool was fun and odd at the same time. I had bombs all across the board with decent fixing. So I did the "sensible" and insane thing and rotated between 3 clans using red as the pivot color with the Mardu-esque deck as my game 1 deck.
Overall Result: 2-1, only lost to the eventual 1st place player
Mardu Deck 2-1
Temur Deck 2-1
Jeskai Deck 1-1 (Won a round in 2 games)
While yes, this is realistically impractical in terms of stable and intelligent deck building, I imagine it must have thrown my opponents off with the color swapping. It was also an amusing and challenging thought exercise on an otherwise boring Thursday night. My problem in most losses aside from being paired against better bombs/removal was solely drawing too many lands rather than color screw. Go figure.
Updated the deck heavily. It's built more around enchantments and eschews creature based ETB effects as that's one of the things I find myself ranting about in regards to the UGx flicker decks.
I'm on mobile now so I can't link to it easily, but I'm tempted to try the recently spoiled Outpost Raid in this slot. It's risky, but in Khans mode, the CA might be worth it. Also, here's hoping for something with a very low Dash cost for us.
I already have all of the cards listed above except Dreamstone Hedron in the deck. I do have the Hedron as well as the Loreseeker's Stone from the Daretti deck that could easily go in that spot, although my local meta is becoming infested with Null Rod/Stony Silence which is why I was considering a non-artifact draw source for now if possible.
Also, have you ever tested Cruel Ultimatum in your deck? It serves as a decent way to close out games in my pile, but I also run it from a different angle.
P1P1 - Wildcall
P1P2 - Monastery Siege
P1P3 - Ethereal Ambush
Here's the one pick I had mild hesitation with;
P1P4 - Marang River Prowler vs Whisperer of the Wilds. Went with the River Prowler, but I wonder what the thoughts are about the two options.
Scenario 1:
Mizzium Transreliquat, Mycosynth Lattice, and Dack Fayden are on the battlefield, with only Dack under the opponent's control. If I use either of Transreliquat's abilities to copy Dack, would the newly changed artifact immediately get sent to the bin due to a lack of loyalty counters?
Scenario 2:
Setup is same as Scenario 1. In that same vein, if the Dack Fayden were under my control, would the Planeswalker uniqueness rule kick in and force me to sacrifice either the artifact or the genuine article due to SBAs?
Scenario 3: (Assuming Scenario 1 isn't immediately a dead artifact)
Mizzium Transreliquat, Mycosynth Lattice, Dack Fayden and Daretti, Scrap Savant are on the field. Transreliquat has just been cast. If I use Transreliquat's second ability to mimic Daretti and use the +2 effect, could I then change the Transreliquat to Dack Fayden and use either of his abilities on the next turn? The way I understand it is that loyalty counters are just another type of counter and adding/removing them don't differentiate from the source of the counters vs the abilities.
Scenario 4:
Setup is the same as Scenario 3. Does Tranreliquat "remember" what it has done in the turn? Would copying Daretti and using his +2 and then shifting form to Dack to use his +2 be permissible in the same turn? What if I had Tranreliquat copy a non-Planeswalker artifact between Daretti and Dack forms? Would that be enough to bounce around walker abilities as much as I want if I have sufficient mana? I'm not sure if losing the Planeswalker type in terms of being a permanent is sufficient to circumvent the one loyalty ability usage from a planeswalker a turn, so I want to be sure.
1 Norin The Wary
Creatures:
1x Avalanche Riders
1x Beetleback Chief
1x Deal Broker
1x Duplicant
1x Feldon of the Third Path
1x Felhide Spiritbinder
1x Goblin Matron
1x Goblin Recruiter
1x Goblin Settler
1x Goblin Welder
1x Iron Myr
1x Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1x Krenko, Mob Boss
1x Magus of the Moon
1x Manic Vandal
1x Mogg War Marshal
1x Moggcatcher
1x Ogre Battledriver
1x Purphoros, God of the Forge
1x Rummaging Goblin
1x Siege-Gang Commander
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Squee, Goblin Nabob
1x Steel Hellkite
1x Stingscourger
1x Tuktuk Scrapper
1x Zealous Conscripts
1x Chandra Ablaze
1x Daretti, Scrap Savant
Artifacts:
1x Caged Sun
1x Cloudstone Curio
1x Conjurer's Closet
1x Defense Grid
1x Genesis Chamber
1x Helm of Possession
1x Honor-Worn Shaku
1x Memory Jar
1x Mind Stone
1x Mind's Eye
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Sculpting Steel
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Skullclamp
1x Sol Ring
1x Springleaf Drum
1x Tangle Wire
1x Teferi's Puzzle Box
Enchantments:
1x Confusion in the Ranks
1x Price of Glory
1x Stranglehold
1x Warstorm Surge
1x Widespread Panic
1x Trading Post
Sorceries:
1x Aftershock
1x Faithless Looting
1x Gamble
1x Mogg Infestation
1x Reforge the Soul
1x Ruination
1x Shattering Spree
1x Warp World
1x Winds of Change
1x Chaos Warp
Lands:
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Buried Ruin
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Darksteel Citadel
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Great Furnace
1x Haunted Fengraf
1x Kher Keep
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Scrying Sheets
19x Snow-Covered Mountain
1x Springjack Pasture
1x Strip Mine
1x Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1x Wasteland
1x Wooded Foothills
Defense Grid is an interesting thing that I have enjoyed in the deck. With only 1 instant, it has next to no effect on us, nor does it care who has control while Confusion is out. Sure, in late game, the effect is nothing because of high mana amounts, but in the early/mid game, it helps keep spot removal away and lower EOT shenanigans. The fact it somewhat messes with Prophet of Kruphix is very helpful. In that same vein, I am loving Price of Glory. The number of times I have wanted to do something on the opponent's turn and been dissuaded by Price is drastically lower than the number of angry blue mages who are forced to decide if countering is worth their mana base going out. Recruiter/Gauntlet are the last pieces over $100 thankfully with my recent Wasteland acquisition, but they are definitely missed right now.
2. Icy Blast. I know not many people are too happy with it, but I am rarely sad to have this in my deck.
3. Sagu Mauler. Hexproof. Trample. Morph. This guy is the total package.
Honorable Mentions to High Sentinels of Arashin/Sarkhan/Sorin.
1 Defiant Strike
1 Firehoof Cavalry
1 Mardu Hateblade
2 Ainok Bond-Kin
1 Feat of Resistance
1 Rush of Battle
1 Salt Road Patrol
1 Siegecraft
1 Smite the Monstrous
2 War Behemoth
BLUE:
1 Embodiment of Spring
1 Dragon's Eye Savants
1 Taigam's Scheming
1 Wetland Sambar
2 Crippling Chill
1 Jeskai Windscout
1 Monastery Flock
1 Quiet Contemplation
2 Cancel
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Icy Blast
BLACK:
1 Disowned Ancestor
1 Molting Snakeskin
2 Mardu Skullhunter
1 Kheru Bloodsucker
1 Dutiful Return
1 Mer-Ek Nightblade
1 Raiders' Spoils
1 Sidisi's Pet
1 Unyielding Krumar
1 Murderous Cut
2 Rotting Mastodon
1 Dead Drop
1 Jeering Instigator
1 Leaping Master
1 Valley Dasher
1 Act of Treason
1 Arc Lightning
1 Bloodfire Expert
1 Goblinslide
1 Mardu Heart-Piercer
2 Canyon Lurkers
1 Arrow Storm
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
GREEN:
2 Archers' Parapet
3 Savage Punch
1 Awaken the Bear (FOIL)
2 Scout the Borders
1 Dragonscale Boon
1 Longshot Squad
1 Become Immense (FOIL)
1 Woolly Loxodon
1 Windstorm
MULTI:
1 Abomination of Gudul
1 Chief of the Edge
1 Kheru Lich Lord
1 Kin-Tree Invocation
1 Mantis Rider
1 Mardu Roughrider
1 Sultai Soothsayer
1 Lens of Clarity
1 Cranial Archive
1 Heart-Piercer Bow
1 Abzan Banner
1 Sultai Banner
LANDS:
2 Bloodfell Caves
1 Dismal Backwater
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Thornwood Falls
1 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
1 Tranquil Cove
This pool was fun and odd at the same time. I had bombs all across the board with decent fixing. So I did the "sensible" and insane thing and rotated between 3 clans using red as the pivot color with the Mardu-esque deck as my game 1 deck.
1 Chief of the Edge
1 Disowned Ancestor
1 Jeering Instigator
1 Leaping Master
1 Mantis Rider
1 Mardu Hateblade
1 Mardu Heart-Piercer
2 Mardu Skullhunter
1 Mardu Roughrider
1 Mer-Ek Nightblade
1 Unyielding Krumar
1 Valley Dasher
1 Arrow Storm
1 Dead Drop
1 Feat of Resistance
1 Murderous Cut
1 Raiders' Spoils
1 Rush of Battle
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Bloodfell Caves
1 Dismal Backwater
4 Mountain
4 Plains
4 Swamp
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Tranquil Cove
2 Archers' Parapet
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Jeering Instigator
1 Jeskai Windscout
1 Leaping Master
1 Longshot Squad
1 Mardu Heart-Piercer
1 Monastery Flock
1 Valley Dasher
1 Woolly Loxodon
1 Arrow Storm
2 Crippling Chill
1 Dragonscale Boon
1 Icy Blast
1 Murderous Cut
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Savage Punch
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Dismal Backwater
4 Forest
4 Island
4 Mountain
1 Thornwood Falls
1 Tranquil Cove
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Jeering Instigator
1 Jeskai Windscout
1 Leaping Master
1 Mantis Rider
1 Mardu Hateblade
1 Mardu Heart-Piercer
1 Monastery Flock
2 War Behemoth
1 Valley Dasher
1 Arrow Storm
2 Crippling Chill
1 Feat of Resistance
1 Icy Blast
1 Murderous Cut
1 Rush of Battle
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Dismal Backwater
4 Island
4 Mountain
4 Plains
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Tranquil Cove
Overall Result: 2-1, only lost to the eventual 1st place player
Mardu Deck 2-1
Temur Deck 2-1
Jeskai Deck 1-1 (Won a round in 2 games)
While yes, this is realistically impractical in terms of stable and intelligent deck building, I imagine it must have thrown my opponents off with the color swapping. It was also an amusing and challenging thought exercise on an otherwise boring Thursday night. My problem in most losses aside from being paired against better bombs/removal was solely drawing too many lands rather than color screw. Go figure.