Have you considered Tawnos's Coffin? It allows you to blink Mairsil for 2 mana reseting his abilities. If you have an untap ability caged by him then its even better, plus he won't lose any counters or aura's you may have placed on him.
[This Post is a WIP I will be adding more but I wanted to post while I had the deck in front of me.]
I'm looking for help with this deck. It just never quite performs how I feel like it should.
I used to run a similar deck with Karona, False God as the commander. sadly I didn't have the land base for it.
but it was fun especially if you add in Gisela, Blade of Goldnight.
Thanks for the advice guys.
I put the tag as my goal for the deck, didn't realize that wasn't how the tags are meant to be. (Thus the editing the thread removing the tag)
Sadly didn't get to read this before the card shop this morning, I did quite a few changes. Honestly most of my problem is the fact that this is my first deck with black in it or sac combos, so I don't have many of those pieces on hand.
After a few play tests its clear I need more tutors, life control, and infect creatures.
I want to implement the changes suggested tomorrow before the EDH tournament at my local store.
I quickly threw this deck together one night after buying the legendary creatures from conspiracy for some fun.
However I quickly realized that not only is she a strong grixis general (by abusing undying effects and being aggro in general), but a lover of Phyrexian oil. Since the dethrone mechanic is based on life total and infect does not effect life, it is easy to keep adding on the counters and swing for the much easier wincon of poison counters then straight damage. Also she benefits from proliferate, even without infect being on your opponents. This also makes planeswalkers and Darksteel Reactor(not yet in the deck) more viable for grixis.
My current decklist isn't where I want it but most of the core pieces have been included.
At first glance Marchesa seems to be a Grixis Aggro commander who uses heavy handed politics, which she can do well; however I believe the Dethrone mechanic's limitation must be gotten around mainly due to the Oloro commander in my meta. She can do this in a couple ways:
Abuse her third ability ("Whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of the next end step"): By throwing in creatures with Undying(Geralf's Messenger) and some form of sac engine(Phyrexian Altar/Ashnod's Altar) and you have an infinite combo for mana and most likely a win. Also creature thievery is better especially with Grave Betrayal any other thievery needs to be followed up with a swing at the highest life total and die for them to stay yours.
Infect: Since Infect deals damage in the form of poison counters, your opponent's life total doesn't change when you land your combat damage. This makes it easier to kill your enemies off without having to switch targets.
Milling Creatures: Creatures like Szadek, Lord of Secrets who hits but mills instead of doing damage. This is why I included traumatize, which may later be removed for better focus.
I will continue updating as I make changes, Right now I'm looking for things to take out for Contagion Clasp since I own it.
As my first commander, I love Marath. However, being new to magic made my original deck quite terrible. After making a Riku deck that was decent, but never quite competitive, I decided to try Marath again. I decided to try a passive control, making a strange "pillow fort" style.
I'm curious about the lack of Mana Echoes.
It allows you to empty marath of counters by tapping one land and then you get excess colorless mana afterwards.
It is an instant win when paired with Cathars' Crusade and Purphoros, God of the Forge.
Also I have had huge success with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight. The politics and anthem(and buff to marath's damage ability) makes her extremely useful. Her first strike is also amazing against prossh decks.
I'm looking for help with this deck. It just never quite performs how I feel like it should.
1 Vela the Night Clad
Creatures - 26
1 Baleful Strix
1 Cadaver Imp
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Glen Elendra Liege
1 Higure, the Still Wind
1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
1 Inkfathom Witch
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Lu Xun, Scholar General
1 Mistblade Shinobi
1 Necropolis Regent
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Peregrine Drake
1 Sakashima's Student
1 Silent-Blade Oni
1 Skullsnatcher
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Throat Slitter
1 Tormented Soul
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Walker of Secret Ways
1 Energy Flux
1 Exquisite Blood
1 Glistening Oil
1 Underworld Connections
1 Wound Reflection
Artifacts - 12
1 Conjurer's Closet
1 Heartstone
1 Prowler's Helm
1 Quietus Spike
1 Sai of the Shinobi
1 Sol Ring
1 Strionic Resonator
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Whispersilk Cloak
Planeswalkers - 3
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Soren Markov
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Sorceries - 9
1 Decree of Pain
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Devastation Tide
1 Preordain
1 Rite of Replication
1 Stolen Identity
1 Time Ebb
1 Time Warp
1 Whispering Madness
1 Arcane Denial
1 Brainstorm
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Flusterstorm
1 Impulse
1 Pact of Negation
1 Soul Manipulation
1 Sudden Spoiling
1 Vampiric Tutor
Lands - 34
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Command Tower
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Maze of Ith
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Tainted Isle
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
14 Island
9 Swamp
but it was fun especially if you add in Gisela, Blade of Goldnight.
I put the tag as my goal for the deck, didn't realize that wasn't how the tags are meant to be. (Thus the editing the thread removing the tag)
Sadly didn't get to read this before the card shop this morning, I did quite a few changes. Honestly most of my problem is the fact that this is my first deck with black in it or sac combos, so I don't have many of those pieces on hand.
Anyway change log:
Out:
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Copy Enchantment
Beacon of Tomorrows
Notion Thief
Gilded Lotus
Carnival Hellsteed
Nin, the Pain Artist
Slaughter Games
2 Island
Swamp
Evolving Wilds
Obelisk of Grixis
Extractor Demon
In:
Repay in Kind
Phyrexian Metamorph
Tezzeret's Gambit
Phyrexian Altar
Grim Affliction
Glistening Oil
Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
Reaper of Sheoldred
Izzet Signet
Rogue's Passage
Darksteel Ingot
Solemn Simulacrum
Temple of the False God
Contagion Clasp
After a few play tests its clear I need more tutors, life control, and infect creatures.
I want to implement the changes suggested tomorrow before the EDH tournament at my local store.
However I quickly realized that not only is she a strong grixis general (by abusing undying effects and being aggro in general), but a lover of Phyrexian oil. Since the dethrone mechanic is based on life total and infect does not effect life, it is easy to keep adding on the counters and swing for the much easier wincon of poison counters then straight damage. Also she benefits from proliferate, even without infect being on your opponents. This also makes planeswalkers and Darksteel Reactor(not yet in the deck) more viable for grixis.
My current decklist isn't where I want it but most of the core pieces have been included.
4 Marchesa, the Black Rose
CREATURES(24)
2 Thrummingbird
2 Bailful Strix
2 Sage of Hours
3 Prophetic Flamespeaker
3 Cryptborn Horror
3 Geralf's Messenger
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
4 Circu, Dimir Lobotomist
4 Viral Drake
4 Glen Elendra Archmage
4 Solemn Simulacrum
5 Reaper of Sheoldred
5 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
5 Aeon Chronicler
5 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
5 Sphinx Summoner
6 Flayer of the Hatebound
6 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
6 Kokusho, the Evening Star
6 Necropolis Regent
6 Wrexial, the Risen Deep
7 Thraximundar
7 Szadek, Lord of Secrets
ENCHANTMENTS(5)
2 Glistening Oil
3 Unspeakable Symbol
4 Leyline of Anticipation
4 Grave Pact
5 Inexorable Tide
7 Grave Betrayal
1 Sol Ring
2 Izzet Signet
2 Contagion Clasp
3 Darksteel Ingot
3 Ashnod's Altar
3 Phyrexian Altar
6 Contagion Engine
PLANESWALKERS(4)
3 Dack Fayden
5 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
6 Sorin Markov
8 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
INSTANTS(13)
0 Pact of Negation
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Flusterstorm
1 Mystical Tutor
2 Arcane Denial
3 Grim Affliction
3 Dissipate
3 Spell Crumple
3 Counterflux
3 Psychic Strike
3 Murder
3 Sudden Spoiling
4 Fuel for the Cause
SORCERIES(9)
2 Demonic Tutor
4 Tezzeret's Gambit
5 Time Warp
5 Increasing Ambition
5 World at War
5 Traumatize
5 Slave of Bolas
6 Spelltwine
7 Repay in Kind
0 Opal Palace
0 Command Tower
0 Mana Confluence
0 Crumbling Necropolis
0 Terramorphic Expanse
0 Temple of the False God
0 Rogue's Passage
0 Steam Vents
0 Dragonskull Summit
0 Temple of Malice
0 Temple of Deceit
0 Bojuka Bog
0 Dimir Guildgate
0 Izzet Guildgate
0 Izzet Boilerworks
0 Rakdos Carnarium
0 Reliquary Tower
0 Inkmoth Nexus
BASIC LANDS(19)
6 Mountain
6 Swamp
7 Island
I will continue updating as I make changes, Right now I'm looking for things to take out for Contagion Clasp since I own it.
3 Marath, Will of the Wild
Creatures
1 Soul Warden
2 Jötun Grunt
2 Spirit of the Labyrinth
2 Budoka Gardener
2 Voice of Resurgence
3 Mentor of the Meek
3 Kitchen Finks
3 Eidolon of Rhetoric
3 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Angel of Jubilation
4 Heliod, God of the Sun
4 Nylea, God of the Hunt
4 Academy Rector
4 Iroas, God of Victory
4 Anger
4 Yeva, Nature's Herald
4 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
4 Purphoros, God of the Forge
4 Windborn Muse
5 Sigarda, Host of Herons
5 Gahiji, Honored One
5 Kalonian Hydra
5 Xenagos, God of Revels
5 Seedborn Muse
5 Karametra, God of Harvests
5 Invader Parasite
7 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
7 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
8 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
8 Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
1 Sol Ring
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Bow of Nylea
3 Godsend
3 Hammer of Purphoros
5 Gilded Lotus
5 Coat of Arms
Enchantments
2 Prismatic Omen
3 Aura Shards
3 Repercussion
3 Prison Term
3 Druids Repository
4 Mana Echoes
4 Bear Umbra
5 Doubling Season
5 Dictate of the Twin Gods
5 Gratuitous Violence
5 Mirari's Wake
5 Privilaged Position
5 Cathars' Crusade
6 Collective Blessing
Planeswalkers
4 Garruk Wildspeaker
5 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
Instants
3 Krosan Grip
3 Rootborn Defenses
5 Fracturing Gust
Sorceries
2 Restore
4 Ranger's Path
4 Tempt with Discovery
4 Wrath of God
5 Primal Command
6 Austere Command
0 Command Tower
0 Selesnya Guildgate
0 Boros Guildgate
0 Wooded Bastion
0 Fire-Lit Thicket
0 Rugged Prairie
0 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
0 Temple of Abandon
0 Temple of Triumph
0 Temple of Plenty
0 Temple of the False God
0 Stomping Ground
0 Sacred Foundry
0 Temple Garden
0 Selesnya Sanctuary
0 Copperline Gorge
0 Urza's Mine
0 Urza's Power Plant
0 Urza's Tower
0 Thespian's Stage
0 Dark Depths
0 Rogue's Passage
0 Evolving Wilds
3 Mountain
6 Forest
6 Plains
I want to add Grafted Exoskeleton and Kamahl, Fist of Krosa at some point
It allows you to empty marath of counters by tapping one land and then you get excess colorless mana afterwards.
It is an instant win when paired with Cathars' Crusade and Purphoros, God of the Forge.
Also I have had huge success with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight. The politics and anthem(and buff to marath's damage ability) makes her extremely useful. Her first strike is also amazing against prossh decks.