Long story short I've been looking into using the old Phyrexian splicers from new Phyrexia in commander for awhile since I played them competitive in standard back in the day. Only problem is trying to get them into a deck that works with so few of them. I recently connected a few dots how ever and think I may have found the answer, Alesha, who smiles at death . I have a rather casual and janky combo deck with her right now that runs off cards like Arcbound ravager and a huge amount of sac/recur to make Alesha huge with something like Liquimetal coating to dump the counters on her and the win con becomes voltron-esque. Now.I've released a lot of the arc bound cards are golems and then splicers are all 1/1 so they can recur off alesha.
This leads me the feel like it's possibly viable in a casual environment so I want to experiment but the main huddles right now is how fragile everything is. If alesha isn't pumped she will die very quickly and the splicers come on attacking so I need something to keep them alive for the sac/recur engine. I'm currently thinking of maybe effects like menace or intimidate but haven't found a good way to apply the effect globally so I'm very much open to ideas.
So I had a go with this idea as night after dropping by the local store. Ended up cleanly winning afterm having Silverskin Armor on Alesha Who Smiles at Death and being able to use Disciple of Griselbrand as the sac outlet for a couple turns in a row then with a dirty Rogue's Passage sneaking in the commander damage. Definitely haven't got the whole deck together yet, missing some pretty important cards like Buried Alive and Reconnaissance but after feeling the potential sac engine I'm confident this idea is going to work. Thanks for the help guys! If there's more suggestions please post them, I'm all ears?
Remember, the Arcbound cards, and more specifically Arcbound Ravager, was our first taste of that archetype now known as Aristocrats. But back then, it was for artifacts, and we called it affinity.
Yes I do remember that now, I really need to get my hands on that Arcbound Ravager as well. I have every arcbound except him and he's the best one of them all.
I am awful tempted to use Marionette Master as it becomes a sufficient threat if I use Liquimetal Coating or Silverskin Armor on it a few times to make the triggers terrifying. Thanks for the suggestion!
It would seem like an artifact heavy theme, so running Stoneforge Mystic and/or Relic Seeker to grab equipment, of which Cranial Plating and Silverskin Armor can be fetched, and with Silverskin Armor you can put the Archbound counters on Alesha.
This is think is going to be core to making it work, artifact search up and/or recur to keep Cranial Plating and Silverskin Armor up while also looking at potentially cards like Liquimetal Coating to give the clutch switch in there just in case. Will also add myself a StoneHewer Giant for good measure.
This is all gold too, the Reconnaissance is definitely something I'll be getting my hands on. I know the feeling on the "stop listing before i buy more" feeling too, i've already short listed 100+ cards lol.
I've also been suggested to include a Sunforger as protection and utility to add a more tool box power to the deck which I'll throw in so i can search up those artifact tutors and/or defensive Boros Charm esque cards.
don't forget the new white recruiter from Conspiracy 2.
This is a good idea.
Can you elaborate on that combo because I must be missing something since all I can see is pumping the Triskelion via arcbound and then nuking someone (current plan) and then an easy recur off sniping him with his last counter to bring it back.... and then infinitely repeat.... OOOOHHHHH. NEVERMIND.
Any other ideas floating about out there? I've already got half my basic cards sorted out, its looking like a nicely heavy artifact Mardu wedge deck with some fun sac/recur combos. Feldon of the Third Path is going to be amusing with the recur of arcbound.
Also minor rules clarification for someone smarter then me. Hangarback Walker is pretty much useless for recur purposes as the X/X cost prevents the Alesha effect on it and even if it did it'd be a 0/0 unless something such as Tempered Steel (also including this) is in play?
So in my pursuit for a new aggro commander I stumbled upon this combo by chance. All the Arcbound cards have 0 power technically so every swing brings back one for free which can be used for a sac outlet like throne of geth or Vampiric Rites , then bring back and repeat. Any suggestions on what to include? I haven't had time yo rustle through my collection so I'm all ears on any suggestion
Just ramp, float mana, resolve play jokulhaups or obliterate, and cast tareil.
For what it's worth, I built a Tariel-Haups deck with this goal in mind. See here.
It was alright as a big spell combo deck, but overall better with Rakdos the Defiler at the helm. And when I scaled back on the MLD and just went straight control, I found that the deck was better with blue in it. Tariel is still a cool card, and I'm not trying to be a discouragement, but personally I could not find a "competitive" build that wasn't just a worse version of something else.
You've hit the nail on the head. I mainly want to do this because Tariel is such a cool card and I feel rather underwhelming despite the great art. I think it's best to play commanders you want to play for fun instead of because they fit the meta. The only other commander I'm considering is the randomly attacking zombie dude I forget the name of. Just sounds hilarious to play.
It's rather difficult to build a Tariel deck that performs well in competitive metas. She's quite slow, and the randomness of her ability makes her difficult to build around effectively without weakening the deck. Often she ends up being Mardu goodstuff. I would personally recommend kaalia of the vast or alesha, who smiles at death stax if you want to play Mardu at a semi-competitive level. They're the #1 and #2 strongest Mardu commanders for competitive tables.
If you're set on Tariel, I recommend graveyard manipulation. Targeted engines like relic of progenitus are obviously a must if you're planning to use/abuse Tariel for GY fillers. wheel of fortune and a few of its weaker iterations, and even dark deal have their places in the list. Same for discard (targeted or otherwise) like thoughtsieze, rakdos's return, sire of insanity, etc. Just don't go overboard and weaken the deck by focusing too heavily on Tariel.
I like the line of thinking here having players discard their hand and redraw. It's not such a hate crime as targets discard and loads graveyards for the Tariel triggers. Thanks for the tip. Admittedly I don't like the look of relic of progenitus as it'd let my opponents exile the good stuff I want but that's a tit for tat i guess.
I've short listed a lot of cards already with the general exclusion of mana rocks and board wipes.
I've got Thornbite staff and Umbral mantle for power untapping and combing off. Have Void maw, Nezumi graverobber , and Withered wretch for filtering through graveyards. I'll be adding rattle snacks and pillow Fortescue cards I already have like Ghostly prison and such in for the early game defense. Other then that il be throwing in mostly board lock angels like Angelic Arbiter and Avacyn, Angel of Hope and the new Archangel Avacyn because it's cool and lines up a comfortable contingency.
Ps not sure why but some hyperlinks aren't working
edit - forgot to mention Illusionary bracers and Rings of Brighthearth are going in of course
Again, the key to making this work is your ramp package - how tuned is that going to be?
The mana is a problem. The necessity for solid mana is up there so in considering multiple Darksteel Ingot effects and a reasonable spread of lands. I think having a way to use the taken creatures for resources is a good idea but bot sure on how to work it in. Any ideas for the mana base are welcome
Infinite is infinite. If you can do it 4 times for the same resources as 50 times you're looking at infinite. Yes there are some like Omnath, Locus of Rage that aren't technically infinite but the resource consumption doesn't change and that is the main deciding factor.
We brought the rule to bring more variety to the table and draw out games more so people didn't just tutor and go infinite. I never enjoyed watching the izzet player git turn 5 and enjoy dropping hid two piece out and ending the game before some people even threw their first punch.
I've short listed a lot of cards already with the general exclusion of mana rocks and board wipes.
I've got Thornbite staff and Umbral mantle for power untapping and combing off. Have Void maw, Nezumi graverobber , and Withered wretch for filtering through graveyards. I'll be adding rattle snacks and pillow Fortescue cards I already have like Ghostly prison and such in for the early game defense. Other then that il be throwing in mostly board lock angels like Angelic Arbiter and Avacyn, Angel of Hope and the new Archangel Avacyn because it's cool and lines up a comfortable contingency.
My Tariel List focuses on redirecting opponent's power back at them. Also there's a link to Rachmiel's lauded primer at the top of the thread too.
The thing about Tariel is she just isn't a powerhouse. No matter how you build Tariel, she'll always start at 7 cmc and have that "random" word. So when looking for synergy you're not going to be finding ridiculous stuff like you would for Kaalia and Aanimar. That's why my deck doesn't really rely on Tariel unless you're grinding out the game. You brought that up and its a good idea.
My list doesn't really include cards that specfically combo with Tariel, but I do mention some in the potential inclusions.
Trepanation Blade can be included without going for a heavy mill strategy. You only need to get 3 cards per hit to turn Tariel into a 3 hit commander while fueling her ability.
Void Maw lets you completely eliminate the random elements of Tariel's ability.
Void maw now that's a fun idea it wouldn't be a reliable effect with only one if them but this is definitely a must have it seems. The Illusionist's Bracers and Rings of Brighthearth just seem logical as well.
To address the general consensus I get that by default Tariel isn't an upfront power house like Kaliaa but my goal here is to make her one. The style I'm leaning towards is the stax and grind look atm. Have board wipes to load graveyards and spot removal while using void maw and withered witch effects to bring out what I want opposed to a cute elvish mystic or something. All while throwing put rattle snakes like Ghostly prison and such to bolster the defenses if I need to keep a presence up without inviting a merciless eviction of which there are at least 3 floating around at any one time.
So as the name says I'm looking to up my game to a competitive (ish) Tariel, Reckoner of Souls deck. I do have some limitations, the store and group I play with ban going infinite (unless every deck on the board can go infinite but let's not go there) and mill, despite being "legal" I want to avoid as o would prefer the group coming back for another round later down the line.
The main style I play is angel tribal, I've built up a collection that started with FTV Angels and an Avacyn, Angel of hope deck that after a Month was banned by in the casual circle because it just romp stomped entire tables constantly with the most unholy combo of Avacyn, Angel of Hope and Magus of the disc or Nevinyralls disc and a sweep of voltron and angel tribal beat down. From there I have moved to an Auriela, War leader angel tribal beat down with some mean casual combos but it's toned down from competitive for a more fun aspect so I'm looking to ramp things up again.
The main help I need with Tariel is to power up his passive ability without having to rely on him so I'm not bothered when I drop the wrath effect to load up the graveyards to combo off Tariel after. I feel like the biggest goal is to be able to power house when I want to and take on the table or just mess around with casual play by swapping a few cards around. If anyone has any good ideas for destroy or Reanimate engines as well as combos for Tariel all will be welcomed.
10E foil Time Stop is a great foil if you're not aware of that one yet. Core set foils in general are fun. White bordered core sets got black borders and reminder text was taken off the cards, meaning it's the only way to see flavor text for some cards like 10E Mirri, Cat Warrior. Gleam of Battle is a less competitive card, but it's a pretty foil. Most of the modern stuff with bright points of light turns out pretty well foiled, like Undead Slayer. They don't always overlap with playable cards, but there are some.
Those are some great suggestions I'll definitely look at time stop and gleam of battle.
This leads me the feel like it's possibly viable in a casual environment so I want to experiment but the main huddles right now is how fragile everything is. If alesha isn't pumped she will die very quickly and the splicers come on attacking so I need something to keep them alive for the sac/recur engine. I'm currently thinking of maybe effects like menace or intimidate but haven't found a good way to apply the effect globally so I'm very much open to ideas.
Thoughts everyone?
Yes I do remember that now, I really need to get my hands on that Arcbound Ravager as well. I have every arcbound except him and he's the best one of them all.
I am awful tempted to use Marionette Master as it becomes a sufficient threat if I use Liquimetal Coating or Silverskin Armor on it a few times to make the triggers terrifying. Thanks for the suggestion!
mycosynth lattice
This is think is going to be core to making it work, artifact search up and/or recur to keep Cranial Plating and Silverskin Armor up while also looking at potentially cards like Liquimetal Coating to give the clutch switch in there just in case. Will also add myself a StoneHewer Giant for good measure.
This is all gold too, the Reconnaissance is definitely something I'll be getting my hands on. I know the feeling on the "stop listing before i buy more" feeling too, i've already short listed 100+ cards lol.
I've also been suggested to include a Sunforger as protection and utility to add a more tool box power to the deck which I'll throw in so i can search up those artifact tutors and/or defensive Boros Charm esque cards.
question for this one:
Can you elaborate on that combo because I must be missing something since all I can see is pumping the Triskelion via arcbound and then nuking someone (current plan) and then an easy recur off sniping him with his last counter to bring it back.... and then infinitely repeat.... OOOOHHHHH. NEVERMIND.
Any other ideas floating about out there? I've already got half my basic cards sorted out, its looking like a nicely heavy artifact Mardu wedge deck with some fun sac/recur combos. Feldon of the Third Path is going to be amusing with the recur of arcbound.
Also minor rules clarification for someone smarter then me. Hangarback Walker is pretty much useless for recur purposes as the X/X cost prevents the Alesha effect on it and even if it did it'd be a 0/0 unless something such as Tempered Steel (also including this) is in play?
You've hit the nail on the head. I mainly want to do this because Tariel is such a cool card and I feel rather underwhelming despite the great art. I think it's best to play commanders you want to play for fun instead of because they fit the meta. The only other commander I'm considering is the randomly attacking zombie dude I forget the name of. Just sounds hilarious to play.
Edit it's Ruhan and he's a giant not a zombie.
I like the line of thinking here having players discard their hand and redraw. It's not such a hate crime as targets discard and loads graveyards for the Tariel triggers. Thanks for the tip. Admittedly I don't like the look of relic of progenitus as it'd let my opponents exile the good stuff I want but that's a tit for tat i guess.
The mana is a problem. The necessity for solid mana is up there so in considering multiple Darksteel Ingot effects and a reasonable spread of lands. I think having a way to use the taken creatures for resources is a good idea but bot sure on how to work it in. Any ideas for the mana base are welcome
Infinite is infinite. If you can do it 4 times for the same resources as 50 times you're looking at infinite. Yes there are some like Omnath, Locus of Rage that aren't technically infinite but the resource consumption doesn't change and that is the main deciding factor.
We brought the rule to bring more variety to the table and draw out games more so people didn't just tutor and go infinite. I never enjoyed watching the izzet player git turn 5 and enjoy dropping hid two piece out and ending the game before some people even threw their first punch.
And what would you recommend on playing doomsday ? I don't think I'm familiar with the style sorry
I've got Thornbite staff and Umbral mantle for power untapping and combing off. Have Void maw, Nezumi graverobber , and Withered wretch for filtering through graveyards. I'll be adding rattle snacks and pillow Fortescue cards I already have like Ghostly prison and such in for the early game defense. Other then that il be throwing in mostly board lock angels like Angelic Arbiter and Avacyn, Angel of Hope and the new Archangel Avacyn because it's cool and lines up a comfortable contingency.
The idea of Assemble the Legion and Bitterblossm male a lot of sense as well
Thoughts so far ??
Ps not sure why but some hyperlinks aren't working
edit - forgot to mention Illusionary bracers and Rings of Brighthearth are going in of course
Void maw now that's a fun idea it wouldn't be a reliable effect with only one if them but this is definitely a must have it seems. The Illusionist's Bracers and Rings of Brighthearth just seem logical as well.
To address the general consensus I get that by default Tariel isn't an upfront power house like Kaliaa but my goal here is to make her one. The style I'm leaning towards is the stax and grind look atm. Have board wipes to load graveyards and spot removal while using void maw and withered witch effects to bring out what I want opposed to a cute elvish mystic or something. All while throwing put rattle snakes like Ghostly prison and such to bolster the defenses if I need to keep a presence up without inviting a merciless eviction of which there are at least 3 floating around at any one time.
The main style I play is angel tribal, I've built up a collection that started with FTV Angels and an Avacyn, Angel of hope deck that after a Month was banned by in the casual circle because it just romp stomped entire tables constantly with the most unholy combo of Avacyn, Angel of Hope and Magus of the disc or Nevinyralls disc and a sweep of voltron and angel tribal beat down. From there I have moved to an Auriela, War leader angel tribal beat down with some mean casual combos but it's toned down from competitive for a more fun aspect so I'm looking to ramp things up again.
The main help I need with Tariel is to power up his passive ability without having to rely on him so I'm not bothered when I drop the wrath effect to load up the graveyards to combo off Tariel after. I feel like the biggest goal is to be able to power house when I want to and take on the table or just mess around with casual play by swapping a few cards around. If anyone has any good ideas for destroy or Reanimate engines as well as combos for Tariel all will be welcomed.
Foil full art damnation? Geeze mate I'd rather the Porsche lol.but if I could get one I totally would
Those are some great suggestions I'll definitely look at time stop and gleam of battle.