I was labouring over what to do with Yidris, considering I already have a Riku of Two Reflections deck that is a lot of fun, and was looking for something he does that neither Maelstrom Wanderer or Riku can.
I am salivating over the possibility of a voltron build with Yidris, especially because of that badass artwork. Cascading a ton of aurad and extra attack steps on him sounds sick. You usually want Wanderer to die so you can keep casting him but Yidris wants to stick. and you can't clone auras and artifacts with Riku.
I don't think Wizards pushed the bar on the Partner legends AT ALL... Most of them feel like a solid Limited rare rather than a Mythic Legendary. Why is WotC always willing to create chase Planeswalkers but never good, or at least complex Legends?
For examle, here is how I would fix Ludevic:
Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist
2UB
Pay 4 life: Discard a card, then draw a card. Activate only as a sorcery. Any player can activate this ability.
Partner
1/3 (I'm not giving him above-average stats if he's actually interesting now)
He's all about experimenting and seeing what will happen- and offers that same ability to your opponents for even more madness. A lot of data to be collected about self-harm, hubris, and a human body's maximum pain tolerance. He oozes red/blue, not just because of the looting but because blue can benefit from refilling it's hand and red can quickly burn out your opponents who get too greedy with the ability. 4 life is probably juuuust enough to be difficult to resist, while it can go up to 5 if it's too strong. If the effect is too absuable by your opponents, you can just leave him in the Command Zone and play with your Partner Commander instead. He also pairs up great with Kraum now hecause your opponents should have plenty of good cards to cast. The only issue is he might be too good with Kydele now, seeing as you can loot like mad then unleash your massive Eldrazi abomination in the Battlefield. On the other hand, you're not white or black so gaining that life back you burn through might be tricky, and Kydele is probably busted no matter what. I made Ludeic cost the same as Kydele just so you couldnt curve the two out.
Welp, finally a black/red general that cares about spell-slinging. I may have found a suitable general for my rakdos storm deck.
How do you plan on using Vial Smasher for a Rakdos storm deck? Cast your cantrip for 1 extra damage at the start of the combo?
That's my biggest complaint with Vial Smasher. I love R/B spellslinging (and yes also Grixis), but this little guy gets underpowered just because he has the Partner mechanic. I would have perferred him as his own design where all your spells become chaos damage. Well, hopefully an amazing partner comes out for him that makes it all worth it.
Thanks for sharing! I really like almost all of your ideas. Not sure on whether we want 1-ofs or not, but if we do those are great considerations. I think saving life from Inquisition over Thoughtseize is great considering we probably have a bad match-up to aggro unless our hand lines up well. However, you're definitely right that Thoughseizing ourself is probably a reasonable line of play and worth considering.
Don't think I like Cathartic Reunion or Tormenting Voice. Cathartic Reunion pitches two cards when we only ever want to pitch one (Except in cases where we flood on Kikis and Obzedats) and Tormenting is bad card advantage since we're sometimes a grindy deck. Those cards are better suited to the all-in Griselbrand versions.
I like Wall of Omens a lot, either maindeck or in the sideboard. I could definitely be in the market for making some room for them, like for example cutting some Painful Truths or Lingering Spirits for a few copies.
I really like the filter lands suggestions since not getting enough of a coloured mana is definitely a problem you can run into. Not sure about manland since we sometimes want to take a really fast line of play, but at the same time we do sometimes want to grind out a win depending on how our hands line up. I'd like to test with it.
I am sure the deck is totally playable without Liliana's. What's a good replacement for them? I'm not sure. You probably want another discard outlet. Perhaps Lava Axe? It's definitely not as good but it keeps the flexibility on being either a removal spell or a discard outlet-- in fact it's both at the same time and a cheaper mana cost. The only thing is Lava Axe is bad when you don't have anything reasonable to pitch.
What do you guys' think about adding Smuggler Copter into this deck? Looting is definitely something we are in the market for and I think going up to 4 Lingering Souls will make it reasonable to crew as a 2-of. It helps with the beatdown strategy a lot, and Smuggler's Copter is just so much value it's hard to not at least speculate jamming it into every deck you come across. I know discussion here has been sparse but that's because-- let's be honest, I'm lazy. It doesn't help that nothing obvious has been printed either.
Has anyone else been playing a list in this archetype that can offer some of their own insight?
I'm fairly certain neo-Emrakul is the real deal. 8 mana is a low, low cost for such a swingy effect, and constructed can meet that 5-spell 8-mana requirement quite handily in ramp shells. Vessel of Nascency might see standard play after all.
I'm sarcastically referring to her as "Big Tarmogoyf" due to the basically stapled-on graveyard matters effect.
Not really impressed with the design. I love the art and I love that we got another Eldrazi (A bunch actually!) but the whole thing feels disjointed. Cost reduction is cool for such a stomper threat, but you're never going to live the dream of a free Emrakul anyways... And if you build a deck around it you might be able to get as good a deal as casting her for Tron mana.
Emrakul is the source of Innistrad's delirium. -- a storyline development has been in the works since BFZ. The entire basis of the block's storyline is embodied within her mechanics. That is quite factually the opposite of "stapled-on".
I get the delirium tie-in, but while that tickles my Vorthos, my Melvin is feeling very left out that cost reduction on something that either ends up too expensive to realistically cast or juuuust baaarely becomes a very heavy very fat top-end is not synergy. I can't put Emrakul in my ramp decks because she's took weak-- his power level was reigned in by the cost reduction. I don't think (But I haven't playtested with the card, so who knows??) I can run her in control because she might be as much as 9 mana which is just unwieldly to get to even for Control (Especially Control that runs an outlet for looting away excess lands)
I mean, sure you can play Emrakul in ramp, but I'm pretty sure Worldbreaker and Ulamog already make a better package overall for less effort. But we'll see.
Emrakul was supposed to be the one who distorts the perception of reality (Taking an extra turn)
Ulamog was always about obliterating, eating, etc. (Exiling permanents, annhilator)
Kozilek was supposed to be about warping one's mind (Drawing a bunch of extra cards in one shot)
But at some point the story team and the design team didn't communicate that accurately so Kozilek and Emrakul switched. Not a big deal in any case, flavour can justify anything, etc.
I'm sarcastically referring to her as "Big Tarmogoyf" due to the basically stapled-on graveyard matters effect.
Not really impressed with the design. I love the art and I love that we got another Eldrazi (A bunch actually!) but the whole thing feels disjointed. Cost reduction is cool for such a stomper threat, but you're never going to live the dream of a free Emrakul anyways... And if you build a deck around it you might be able to get as good a deal as casting her for Tron mana.
On top of that, remember if you hardcast her she immediately draws your opponent a card.
It's a lot of fun, thanks for doing this. But the pack doesn't always load a rare and it's set to 14 cards by default instead of 15 (So not including the guaranteed foil)
I also wish it showed what the foil was in each pack.
I could be extremely wrong with my information though, so maybe it's correct and I'm wrong.
I was kind of interested in this as well, since Thought-Knot Seer is still really good in Eldrazi Tron even without Eye of Ugin, but it feels such a waste to play a 4 mana card when you could be casting one worth 7. I considered cutting the top-end altogether (The few Oblivion Sowers and Ulamog there was.) but there's nothing really standout to replace Tron.
Always wanted to build this deck because Disrupting Shoal is a baller card-- might finally get the chance pretty soon here since I need a replacement for Stompy Eldrazi.
How does this deck line up with Abzan Coco/MeliraFinks deck? That's a super popular but really frustrating deck in my meta- I hate constant lifegain stalling the game out of my reach. Just curious what people thought of that matchup here.
I would also like to see your current list.
I am salivating over the possibility of a voltron build with Yidris, especially because of that badass artwork. Cascading a ton of aurad and extra attack steps on him sounds sick. You usually want Wanderer to die so you can keep casting him but Yidris wants to stick. and you can't clone auras and artifacts with Riku.
Now, the problem is having enough money...
For examle, here is how I would fix Ludevic:
Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist
2UB
Pay 4 life: Discard a card, then draw a card. Activate only as a sorcery. Any player can activate this ability.
Partner
1/3 (I'm not giving him above-average stats if he's actually interesting now)
He's all about experimenting and seeing what will happen- and offers that same ability to your opponents for even more madness. A lot of data to be collected about self-harm, hubris, and a human body's maximum pain tolerance. He oozes red/blue, not just because of the looting but because blue can benefit from refilling it's hand and red can quickly burn out your opponents who get too greedy with the ability. 4 life is probably juuuust enough to be difficult to resist, while it can go up to 5 if it's too strong. If the effect is too absuable by your opponents, you can just leave him in the Command Zone and play with your Partner Commander instead. He also pairs up great with Kraum now hecause your opponents should have plenty of good cards to cast. The only issue is he might be too good with Kydele now, seeing as you can loot like mad then unleash your massive Eldrazi abomination in the Battlefield. On the other hand, you're not white or black so gaining that life back you burn through might be tricky, and Kydele is probably busted no matter what.
What do you guys' think?
How do you plan on using Vial Smasher for a Rakdos storm deck? Cast your cantrip for 1 extra damage at the start of the combo?
That's my biggest complaint with Vial Smasher. I love R/B spellslinging (and yes also Grixis), but this little guy gets underpowered just because he has the Partner mechanic. I would have perferred him as his own design where all your spells become chaos damage. Well, hopefully an amazing partner comes out for him that makes it all worth it.
Thanks for sharing! I really like almost all of your ideas. Not sure on whether we want 1-ofs or not, but if we do those are great considerations. I think saving life from Inquisition over Thoughtseize is great considering we probably have a bad match-up to aggro unless our hand lines up well. However, you're definitely right that Thoughseizing ourself is probably a reasonable line of play and worth considering.
Don't think I like Cathartic Reunion or Tormenting Voice. Cathartic Reunion pitches two cards when we only ever want to pitch one (Except in cases where we flood on Kikis and Obzedats) and Tormenting is bad card advantage since we're sometimes a grindy deck. Those cards are better suited to the all-in Griselbrand versions.
I like Wall of Omens a lot, either maindeck or in the sideboard. I could definitely be in the market for making some room for them, like for example cutting some Painful Truths or Lingering Spirits for a few copies.
I really like the filter lands suggestions since not getting enough of a coloured mana is definitely a problem you can run into. Not sure about manland since we sometimes want to take a really fast line of play, but at the same time we do sometimes want to grind out a win depending on how our hands line up. I'd like to test with it.
I am sure the deck is totally playable without Liliana's. What's a good replacement for them? I'm not sure. You probably want another discard outlet. Perhaps Lava Axe? It's definitely not as good but it keeps the flexibility on being either a removal spell or a discard outlet-- in fact it's both at the same time and a cheaper mana cost. The only thing is Lava Axe is bad when you don't have anything reasonable to pitch.
Has anyone else been playing a list in this archetype that can offer some of their own insight?
I get the delirium tie-in, but while that tickles my Vorthos, my Melvin is feeling very left out that cost reduction on something that either ends up too expensive to realistically cast or juuuust baaarely becomes a very heavy very fat top-end is not synergy. I can't put Emrakul in my ramp decks because she's took weak-- his power level was reigned in by the cost reduction. I don't think (But I haven't playtested with the card, so who knows??) I can run her in control because she might be as much as 9 mana which is just unwieldly to get to even for Control (Especially Control that runs an outlet for looting away excess lands)
I mean, sure you can play Emrakul in ramp, but I'm pretty sure Worldbreaker and Ulamog already make a better package overall for less effort. But we'll see.
Ulamog was always about obliterating, eating, etc. (Exiling permanents, annhilator)
Kozilek was supposed to be about warping one's mind (Drawing a bunch of extra cards in one shot)
But at some point the story team and the design team didn't communicate that accurately so Kozilek and Emrakul switched. Not a big deal in any case, flavour can justify anything, etc.
Not really impressed with the design. I love the art and I love that we got another Eldrazi (A bunch actually!) but the whole thing feels disjointed. Cost reduction is cool for such a stomper threat, but you're never going to live the dream of a free Emrakul anyways... And if you build a deck around it you might be able to get as good a deal as casting her for Tron mana.
On top of that, remember if you hardcast her she immediately draws your opponent a card.
I also wish it showed what the foil was in each pack.
I could be extremely wrong with my information though, so maybe it's correct and I'm wrong.
A hand with 4 Simian Spirit Guides??
How does this deck line up with Abzan Coco/MeliraFinks deck? That's a super popular but really frustrating deck in my meta- I hate constant lifegain stalling the game out of my reach. Just curious what people thought of that matchup here.