In light of recent events, I doubt Miracles will be as much of a problem anymore
That deck you posted looks pretty sweet. I agree with your take on Tasigur. I was playing a miser copy in my current list until recently, when I subbed in the Death's Shadow.
Since the Top banning, I've heard plenty of people speculate who's next. I read something on CFB the other day predicting a Deathrite ban, which would be major feel-bads for me. If Deathrite gets the hammer, I would definitely swap over to a list that looks a lot like that one. In that case, I'd also be able to sub in a single island in place of my Breeding Pool.
I've been fascinated with Delver decks for a long time, so I decided to try my first Legacy brew based around our friendly flyer. I found a basic list and did some minor tweaking to arrive at this list:
This is obviously a "budget" list. I don't own true dual lands, so I've had to make due with shocks for now. Squelch in the side board should obviously be Stifle. And to make matters worse, my FoWs are *gasp* GOLD BORDER! Even considering these facts, I've found that the deck operates fine for casual legacy play, and can even hold up in a multiplayer match.
The creatures are rather basic, with the one unique addition being Death's Shadow. This plays off our shock lands pretty well, and I've considered adding a few more to the sideboard. Deathrite is, as always, a useful 1 cmc planeswalker for us, and Delver lays the hurt on the opponent. Young Peezy also drops tokens on all our interaction spells and cantrips, obviously.
It's mostly the usual suspects for spells, except for Cabal Therapy. I saw this in a few lists and fell in love with it. It works well with Young Peezy, since we can always take a second chance if we whiff. The lands are sub-optimal, but they can be worked around. We only get shocked when we need to fetch them for an immediate answer.
The sideboard is a mess, and I'm hoping to streamline it. I'm considering moving Death's Shadow to the board to make room for a single Edric in the main. Other than that, this baby really purrs.
You guys took this list in a whole new direction, and I'm liking it. I love the Sac Fogs, but they only work in Soul Sisters. So now I'm yanking the entire 20-card Sisters core out and restructuring. I love the list Upkeep just posted, and that Palace Guard + Ghostly Possession/Cho-Manno's Blessing combo is nuts! I need to ask why we're running Temporal Isolation, though. It does nothing for our blocking game. Is this to force through damage?
Also, I would hate to lose my blue draw/filter cards (Brainstorm, et al.), but it looks like this deck is going to do well with tutoring and digging. I really want to hype up Drift of Phantasms, since it can transmute for both pieces of the lockdown combo and both pieces of the game-winning combo. Plus he's got a but built to block.
I'm going to try to whip up a new list soon and test it out.
This is function over form, a philosophy that can be good in small doses. Like Elder said, it's to be put sideways in the graveyard so that the grave-cast side can be read. It's actually a pretty sweet card if you check the translation.
Hey everyone! I've seen a lot of great ideas being posted. I've finally streamlined and assembled a first draft of my list! I took Darkninja's advice and went in DEEP on Soul Sisters. We have 12x sisters to gain us life, and 8x 1-drops that can be sac'd to fog combat damange.
A few other changes include ditching Heliod's Pilgrim for Drift of Phantasms since it can tutor both sides of our combo. I also tossed all my non-creature fogs in favor of dig spells. Finally, I smoothed out the lands so that the base isn't quite as clunky. The sideboard is still a bit of a mess, but at least it's way more relevant! I moved my best fogs and damage prevention to the board, mostly to counteract burn and heavy removal.
All this talk about Abzan Reanimator has me curious for sure. Not only can it get extra uses from my Phantasms and my 8x "Fogs-on-legs", but it can also help salvage a Midnight Guard should I encounter disruption. It would also be nice to have black in my mana base so that I can jam more removal in my sideboard.
Tortured Existence looks exquisite. I'm going to tinker around with it. My only hang up about this deck is that almost all my lands ETB tapped. I'm worried this will put me a turn behind, but then again I'm not sure what better mana-fixing options exist in pauper. What kind of lands will enable a 3-color wedge like Abzan? We can't even run Sandsteppe Citadel!
Love the list! Lots of my favorite cards on display, including Clifftop Retreats and my new beau Hanweir Garrison. Just a few suggestions:
If you want to drop some coin, you might consider replacing Soul Warden with Worship, since you're always going to have dudes unless your board gets wiped. On the other hand, if you're attached to the Warden, you might as well throw in Attendant for a full 8x Soul Sisters.
Odric is my favorite dude from Innistrad, but I don't think you'll reap many benefits from the SOI version. you should check out his old form. He straight-up cheats during combat
Atarka Red is a deck that got it's start during Theros-Khans standard, and is of course centered around Atarka's Command. The deck is a typical token deck that swings wide and then capitalizes on combat tricks. I had a great time playing this deck until large chunks rotated out with the release of Battle for Zendikar. But now, with Frontier, we're bringing it back!
Let's talk card choices
Atarka's Command - The namesake of the deck! You gotta run four of this incredibly versatile card. Probably our best (but not only!) combat trick, it can be used to pump in an alpha strike with an additional benefit. No lie, we end up choosing the 3 damage 90% of the time, though the life gain hate is advantageous. Can be used on defense as well. All around a very solid card.
Monastery Swiftspear - Easily the most efficient red creature in Frontier, and she plays very well with our combat tricks. Think about it, Temur Battle Rage makes an instant 4 damage. Become Immense turns her into a massive 8/9. If we can resolve both, she swings for a monstrous 18 damage! Run four Swiftspears to maximize the rustling of your opponent's jimmies.
Smuggler's Copter - I mean, it was banned from standard, so that tells you something! Combine evasion with card advantage and you have a devious card. Any of our tokens can crew it, and it helps filter unneeded lands into more creatures and combat tricks. Run four unless you're some kind of jabroni.
1 CMC Monastery Swiftspear - Nuff said. play four. Foundry Street Denizen - Buffs when creatures enter the battlefield, and we're dropping creatures left and right! Zurgo Bellstriker - 2/2 for 1 mana is always great, and this guy has extra utility for us. The dash cost can make him a reliable trigger for Denizen. I'm running 2, and wouldn't recommend any more than that because of the pesky legendary rule.
2 CMC Smuggler's Copter - Nuff said, play four. Dragon Fodder - Two mana, two bodies, one card. Decent value means that this will likely end up in your list. I recommend at least 3 copies. Abbot of Keral Keep - A good attacker, and a solid means for card advantage. That being said, his "draw" effect is not repeatable in this build. I play 2, but he could possibly be cut for a token maker.
3 CMC Hordeling Outburst - Did you like Dragon Fodder? Here's a better one! Three mana, three bodies, one card. Crazy efficient! I'm running 4 to smooth out my curve, and I've never had a complaint about this bad boy. We should run at least 3. Goblin Rabblemaster - This guy didn't make my list yet, but he's at the top of my scratch pad. All our tokens are goblins, which makes his attack super relevant. The sad part is that his cost almost guarantees a blocker will be in place, especially if we're on the draw. Perhaps if we can incorporate trample...
4+ CMC
I don't see us ever running a 4 cmc creature unless they net tokens as an ETB effect. We have to keep the curve lower than a snake's belly to smash in for damage quick enough.
More coming soon!
1 CMC Collateral Damage - God, I could write a whole article about this card! It plays well with tokens, and basically gives us a bolt in Frontier! You always have a dude to spare, and so you're paying 1 mana for 3 damage. The best time to use it is in response to blocks, when you can sac your 1/1 to send 3 damage right over their blocker's big, dumb head. Hell, play it in response to removal as well. It really keeps the clock ticking when you use it properly. Right now I have four in the sideboard, but I would LOVE to move them into the main, perhaps switching places with Kari Zev's Expertise. Blossoming Defense - A very solid green buff spell that doubles as a way to save key pieces from removal. They target Copter? Crew it and then cast Defense. It's versatility landed it 3 spots in my list, but I'm willing to consider a 4th.
2 CMC Atarka's Command - Nuff said, play four. Temur Battle Rage - While this does little for our tokens, this card shines with our threats. Double up that Copter to swing for 6 flying damage! Double up a Denizen or Swiftspear, which is especialy tasty when the latter has already been buffed. I would run 4, but I've only included 3 in my list to avoid an overabundance when we're only showing sub-optimal targets. Definitely has to be in the deck though. Wrangle - Steal a dude for two mana! One of the quickest threaten effects we have access to, but not quite the most efficient. Still, I've thrown a few copies in my board. I recommend we run a few in the sideboard regardless, in case we face creature-heavy decks. Can easily be subbed out for better interaction or more meta-dependent options. After all, our best Threaten is one more mana...
3 CMC Kari Zev's Expertise - Easily the most efficient threaten effect in Frontier, if not all of Magic! We get to steal their dude, then cast pretty much any card in our deck for FREE! Especially dastardly when you hijack their evasive creature and then buff it with another combat trick. Because of the relatively high CMC, I can only justify running 3 copies. But perhaps their is space in the sideboard for one more...
More coming soon!
Gotta clear space for our attacks! So far all my removal is concentrated in the sideboard, but there may be a spot for certain cards in the main if we run into blockers more frequently. 1 CMC Outnumber - A delicious direct damage spell capitalizing on our growing horde. I'm excited to test this card.
2 CMC Roast - One of the best red removal spells in the format. Sure, we miss those pesky fliers, but maybe we want to keep them around to threaten them
So I'm making my first foray into pauper by taking my favorite infinite combo and augmenting it with the bones of my old Turbo Fog deck. The whole idea is to stall until the combo fires, and then we win next turn! The combo involves Presence of Gond enchanting a Midnight Guard. Tap, creature, untap, tap creature, untap, etc. As for now, I've jammed a bunch of fog effects to shield me while we hunt our win.
Sadly, I have only goldfished this so far. I don't really have any pauper decks to play it against, and I'm very new to the format. The basic idea is to use our core 20 fogs (all instants minus the 3x Riot Control) to stall until the combo goes off. Heliod's Pilgrim can help us find the aura, while Commune with the Gods can search either pieces from the top. The sideboard is bare bones, subbing in the appropriate CoP and taking out Riot Control.
Usually I can hit the combo by turn 6 or 7. I know little about Pauper meta, so I'm not sure how impressive this is. If there is more effective stalling measures in Pauper, I would love to hear. I'm still very vulnerable against removal and direct damage. Any ideas?
The time has come. I have revised my Purphoros build!
This deck flames up quickly and leaves our opponents charred rather quickly. The deck maximizes direct damage from our General by pumping out as many creatures as possible. While we can go wide on attacks, the tokens double as useful defenders. Indiscriminately firing damage in every direction tends to rustle everyone's jimmies. That means we need defense from the inevitable coalitions that will form against our awesome power.
As you can see, our token game runs deep. Nearly a third of the cards in our deck can spawn an unexpected creature, which will trigger Purphoros for 2 damage. That's our bread and butter. If anything, I think we need MORE ways to make tokens! Perhaps round them up into a goblin theme to make use of lord mechanics and other creature-type abuse.
Next up are the abusers, which can massively accelerate our conflagration. Some of these cards make use of the swarm we are spawning. Ashnod's Altar turns our dudes into fast mana. Impact Tremors gives us an extra 1 damage on ETBs to make every token into a group-wide bolt. Our default win-con would be Mogg Infestation, Spawning Pit, or Descent of the Dragons. These cards can cash in our whole swarm for 2 damage each while replacing them! The latter even gives us fricking DRAGONS!
The deck is certainly low on removal, but for good reason. We're playing the EDH equivalent of burn! Hopefully we're spewing mad damage within two turns of Purphoros resolving, and he happens to become a nice form of "attacker-removal" once he becomes a huge, indestructible creature. However, our opponents will likely rally together to counter our explosive plays. Blasphemous Act can wipe the board pretty quickly with all the tokens we're playing, which can seriously stunt our opponents board state while leaving Purphoros in play. Outnumber and Burn at the Stake can use our tokens to take down a mighty attacker, and the latter can even help finish off an opponent. Smash to Smithereens, Sunder from Within and Volcanic Submersion gives us obligatory artifact hate. The last two can also destroy lands, along with Survey the Wreckage, which gives us yet another ETB trigger. They synergy is nuts!
Finally we come to the tech. There are a few of the usual suspects present, such as Sol Ring, Swiftfoot Boots, and Expedition Map. Both Forgotten Cave and Smoldering Crater can be cycled if we are looking for our kill, and Myriad Landscape speeds up our lands while thinning the deck a bit. Hanweir Battlements gives stuff haste, but more importantly it can meld with [/card]Hanweir Garrision[/card] to begin spitting fatties while triggering Purphoros. Why include Insurrection, you ask? Sure it doesn't trigger Purphoros, but c'mon dude. It's too sweet to pass up in my mono-red EDH deck! Outpost Siege can be dope in either mode, either dealing damage from blocks/sacs or basically drawing an extra card every turn. Reforge the Soul can refill our hand easily, and Sarkhan is just a good way to apply pressure until ticking up to his sweet ultimate.
CAUTION! The list above is deceptive. We aren't running just 25 lands. Total count comes to 35 when we add the tech lands I've mentioned. It's low for EDH, but our curve peaks at 5 cmc. Sure, drawing an Insurrection late-game after cycling some lands can feel bad, but this way we optimize our tricks! So that's about it. I think the deck is low on removal and a bit high on Purphoros abusers. If we edit down our tokens to a strong Goblin theme, cards like Goblin Warrens would help us wreak untold havoc.
I recently found a group of commander players near me, so I'll be getting a lot of testing done soon. I'll be sure to report back my findings. In the meantime, what do you think?
Good to know that I can trigger Chirurgeon that way! Thanks!
White has a tenuous foothold in this deck. I'm going to look into artifacts that can assist me in similar ways. That being said, I strongly believe in Rebuff the Wicked and Righteous Aura. The former prevents disruption for a single mana. The latter not only prevents damage from the activation, but can also prevent damage from an opponent without having to sac a dude by chump blocking. If there are artifact or red spells with similar effects, I would prefer them. Until I find them, white is here to stay.
The reason Fire Marshal isn't a playset is because he can be easily tutored through Recruiter or Moggcatcher. In fact, I prefer using the latter since it brings our boy directly into play for less mana. He also ends up getting drawn naturally pretty often, even as a 3-of. Finally, there are no worse feel-bads than drawing a second 5-cmc Fire Marshal, unless we're facing removal.
I'm a big fan of Boros Reckoner! He's in my Blasphemous Act deck, and he would be great in the deck. Alas, he is a three drop that doesn't advance my activation. I can tutor up Maniac rather consistently, and Moggcatcher already takes four creature slots away from goblins.
Outburst is not the only card that produces a lot of goblins, but it's on curve for the deck. I would love to make room for Siege-Gang Commander! Though I feel like we lose value with Goblin Rally because it's paying 5 for 4. That being said, the latter is a great way to instantly reload for a second activation. I can see it as a 1- or 2-of.
Hey everyone! Anyone who knows me would know that Goblins are my spirit-tribe. I love taking down immaculately tuned decks with a horde of low-cost, resilient ankle-biters backed up by assorted combat tricks. However, lately, I've been growing weary of the aggro life. If only there was some kind of loopy, super-impractical combo I could build around my rascals. So, to bust out of my listless malaise, I've decided to update an old-style extended deck based around Skirk Fire Marshal. It's time to wipe out our opponent by burning everything!
So how does it break down? Let's check out the core:
Skirk Fire Marshal - This is why we're here. Get four other goblins down, and activate! Luckily, our fearless leader survives his own assault, so we can re-use him if necessary. Mogg Maniac - Turns one activation into an auto-win. We need four. Moggcatcher - Tutors up Fire Marshal and other necessary pieces Goblin Recruiter - Helps line up our last few draws to make sure we hit our goal
So we need a lot of creatures to activate our combo, so here comes the flood!
Goblin Marshal - This tank works great with Moggcatcher. Bonus points if you get him out in time for the first activation so that your board isn't totally wiped for the second. Hordeling Outburst - A quick way to get three dudes on the board for protection and activation. Mutavault - I own one and have no use for it, so I've jammed it in here. It can help us hit that #5 slot for activation if needed. Spinerock Knoll - We hide away a goblin (for maximum lulz, a Goblin Marshal), then toss it into play after our first activation. It can make the second activation come quicker, which is always a plus.
Now, we depend on creatures for our combo. Creatures are a squishy lot prone to removal. So we need to protect them:
Goblin Chirurgeon - can regenerate the Fire Marshal or fill in the #5 slot toward activation. Rebuff the Wicked - What's that, you want to remove my combo piece? I shall rebuff that wickedness. Crown of Awe - Can prevent black removal effects while also helping our dudes survive an activation. Should prove quite useful.
One inherent problem with our strategy is that it hits US as well. So, I've decided to compensate for that:
Moonlit Wake - Helps gain life each activation. It's a lovely bonus that we gain a point when enemy creatures are destroyed as well. Righteous Aura - Basically our prison element. We can protect ourselves from enemy attacks and protect from spill-over damage from activation. Win-Win.
And finally, because we need to hit 4-5 cmc in a goblin deck, here are our accelerant module: Brightstone Ritual - Simple enough, and it can get the Fire Marshal out on turn 3 if we're dedicated and hitting our curve. Boros Garrison - Lovely on turn 1. Luckily it helps provide acceleration anytime, even if it slows us down in the short term.
So, that's the big baggy mess of tricks. Ideally, we can Fire Marshal on turn 4 with a Maniac in play for an insta-kill. I'm not sure if i'm "all-in" enough to run Simian Spirit Guide, though it's on my scratchpad. I also have a rulings question about Chirurgeon. I wonder if we can tap Goblins to activate Fire Marshal, then sacrifice some of the tapped goblins to save others before the effect happens. Basically, can I tap the goblins for activation, then in response sacrifice two of them to save the other two? I know it's a heady concept, and maybe it's smacks of 6th edition rules, but I hope it is possible!
I'm aware that this is a very loose list, and I'm open to feedback. What do you think?
Mook Smilliams
Houston, TX
Powered: No
Un cards: No
Portal cards: No
Special theme: Can be used for sealed multiplayer or draft tournament
Number of Cards: 360
Cube link: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/61670
Love seeing Bottled Cloister! Always thought that card was underappreciated in stompy decks. I notice that most of your spells are creatures or enchantments. Might want to consider Commune with the Gods to help dig up Petroglyphs and other creatures.
Tokens are another great idea. I agree you should start cutting your expensive instant/sorcery spells for these token producers, especially if you can find good enchantments to produce tokens for you. If you lower your curve enough, you could even cut a land for an extra playable card.
As for lands, I'd recommend Sunpetal Grove as a good way to fix your mana while not slowing down your drops. It even works well with Temple Gardens, should you choose to spring for them.
In light of recent events, I doubt Miracles will be as much of a problem anymore
That deck you posted looks pretty sweet. I agree with your take on Tasigur. I was playing a miser copy in my current list until recently, when I subbed in the Death's Shadow.
Since the Top banning, I've heard plenty of people speculate who's next. I read something on CFB the other day predicting a Deathrite ban, which would be major feel-bads for me. If Deathrite gets the hammer, I would definitely swap over to a list that looks a lot like that one. In that case, I'd also be able to sub in a single island in place of my Breeding Pool.
1 Death's Shadow
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Gurmag Angler
3 Young Pyromancer
Instant (18)
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
1 Dismember
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Spell Pierce
2 Cabal Therapy
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
Land (18)
1 Breeding Pool
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
3 Steam Vents
4 Wasteland
2 Watery Grave
2 Baleful Strix
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Pyroblast
4 Squelch
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Cabal Therapy
1 Forked Bolt
1 Painful Truths
This is obviously a "budget" list. I don't own true dual lands, so I've had to make due with shocks for now. Squelch in the side board should obviously be Stifle. And to make matters worse, my FoWs are *gasp* GOLD BORDER! Even considering these facts, I've found that the deck operates fine for casual legacy play, and can even hold up in a multiplayer match.
The creatures are rather basic, with the one unique addition being Death's Shadow. This plays off our shock lands pretty well, and I've considered adding a few more to the sideboard. Deathrite is, as always, a useful 1 cmc planeswalker for us, and Delver lays the hurt on the opponent. Young Peezy also drops tokens on all our interaction spells and cantrips, obviously.
It's mostly the usual suspects for spells, except for Cabal Therapy. I saw this in a few lists and fell in love with it. It works well with Young Peezy, since we can always take a second chance if we whiff. The lands are sub-optimal, but they can be worked around. We only get shocked when we need to fetch them for an immediate answer.
The sideboard is a mess, and I'm hoping to streamline it. I'm considering moving Death's Shadow to the board to make room for a single Edric in the main. Other than that, this baby really purrs.
Just my two cents
Also, I would hate to lose my blue draw/filter cards (Brainstorm, et al.), but it looks like this deck is going to do well with tutoring and digging. I really want to hype up Drift of Phantasms, since it can transmute for both pieces of the lockdown combo and both pieces of the game-winning combo. Plus he's got a but built to block.
I'm going to try to whip up a new list soon and test it out.
BEHOLD!
2 Drift of Phantasms
4 Essence Warden
4 Kami of False Hope
4 Midnight Guard
4 Soul Warden
4 Soul's Attendant
4 Spore Frog
Spells (7)
4 Brainstorm
3 Words of Wisdom
4 Preordain
Enchantment (4)
4 Presence of Gond
Land (19)
3 Blossoming Sands
4 Evolving Wilds
1 Forest
1 Island
4 Plains
1 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Thornwood Falls
3 Tranquil Cove
4 Dawn Charm
4 Hallow
2 Lapse of Certainty
2 Moment's Peace
3 Pay No Heed
A few other changes include ditching Heliod's Pilgrim for Drift of Phantasms since it can tutor both sides of our combo. I also tossed all my non-creature fogs in favor of dig spells. Finally, I smoothed out the lands so that the base isn't quite as clunky. The sideboard is still a bit of a mess, but at least it's way more relevant! I moved my best fogs and damage prevention to the board, mostly to counteract burn and heavy removal.
All this talk about Abzan Reanimator has me curious for sure. Not only can it get extra uses from my Phantasms and my 8x "Fogs-on-legs", but it can also help salvage a Midnight Guard should I encounter disruption. It would also be nice to have black in my mana base so that I can jam more removal in my sideboard.
Tortured Existence looks exquisite. I'm going to tinker around with it. My only hang up about this deck is that almost all my lands ETB tapped. I'm worried this will put me a turn behind, but then again I'm not sure what better mana-fixing options exist in pauper. What kind of lands will enable a 3-color wedge like Abzan? We can't even run Sandsteppe Citadel!
If you want to drop some coin, you might consider replacing Soul Warden with Worship, since you're always going to have dudes unless your board gets wiped. On the other hand, if you're attached to the Warden, you might as well throw in Attendant for a full 8x Soul Sisters.
Odric is my favorite dude from Innistrad, but I don't think you'll reap many benefits from the SOI version. you should check out his old form. He straight-up cheats during combat
Atarka Red is a deck that got it's start during Theros-Khans standard, and is of course centered around Atarka's Command. The deck is a typical token deck that swings wide and then capitalizes on combat tricks. I had a great time playing this deck until large chunks rotated out with the release of Battle for Zendikar. But now, with Frontier, we're bringing it back!
Let's talk card choices
Atarka's Command - The namesake of the deck! You gotta run four of this incredibly versatile card. Probably our best (but not only!) combat trick, it can be used to pump in an alpha strike with an additional benefit. No lie, we end up choosing the 3 damage 90% of the time, though the life gain hate is advantageous. Can be used on defense as well. All around a very solid card.
Monastery Swiftspear - Easily the most efficient red creature in Frontier, and she plays very well with our combat tricks. Think about it, Temur Battle Rage makes an instant 4 damage. Become Immense turns her into a massive 8/9. If we can resolve both, she swings for a monstrous 18 damage! Run four Swiftspears to maximize the rustling of your opponent's jimmies.
Smuggler's Copter - I mean, it was banned from standard, so that tells you something! Combine evasion with card advantage and you have a devious card. Any of our tokens can crew it, and it helps filter unneeded lands into more creatures and combat tricks. Run four unless you're some kind of jabroni.
1 CMC
Monastery Swiftspear - Nuff said. play four.
Foundry Street Denizen - Buffs when creatures enter the battlefield, and we're dropping creatures left and right!
Zurgo Bellstriker - 2/2 for 1 mana is always great, and this guy has extra utility for us. The dash cost can make him a reliable trigger for Denizen. I'm running 2, and wouldn't recommend any more than that because of the pesky legendary rule.
2 CMC
Smuggler's Copter - Nuff said, play four.
Dragon Fodder - Two mana, two bodies, one card. Decent value means that this will likely end up in your list. I recommend at least 3 copies.
Abbot of Keral Keep - A good attacker, and a solid means for card advantage. That being said, his "draw" effect is not repeatable in this build. I play 2, but he could possibly be cut for a token maker.
3 CMC
Hordeling Outburst - Did you like Dragon Fodder? Here's a better one! Three mana, three bodies, one card. Crazy efficient! I'm running 4 to smooth out my curve, and I've never had a complaint about this bad boy. We should run at least 3.
Goblin Rabblemaster - This guy didn't make my list yet, but he's at the top of my scratch pad. All our tokens are goblins, which makes his attack super relevant. The sad part is that his cost almost guarantees a blocker will be in place, especially if we're on the draw. Perhaps if we can incorporate trample...
4+ CMC
I don't see us ever running a 4 cmc creature unless they net tokens as an ETB effect. We have to keep the curve lower than a snake's belly to smash in for damage quick enough.
More coming soon!
1 CMC
Collateral Damage - God, I could write a whole article about this card! It plays well with tokens, and basically gives us a bolt in Frontier! You always have a dude to spare, and so you're paying 1 mana for 3 damage. The best time to use it is in response to blocks, when you can sac your 1/1 to send 3 damage right over their blocker's big, dumb head. Hell, play it in response to removal as well. It really keeps the clock ticking when you use it properly. Right now I have four in the sideboard, but I would LOVE to move them into the main, perhaps switching places with Kari Zev's Expertise.
Blossoming Defense - A very solid green buff spell that doubles as a way to save key pieces from removal. They target Copter? Crew it and then cast Defense. It's versatility landed it 3 spots in my list, but I'm willing to consider a 4th.
2 CMC
Atarka's Command - Nuff said, play four.
Temur Battle Rage - While this does little for our tokens, this card shines with our threats. Double up that Copter to swing for 6 flying damage! Double up a Denizen or Swiftspear, which is especialy tasty when the latter has already been buffed. I would run 4, but I've only included 3 in my list to avoid an overabundance when we're only showing sub-optimal targets. Definitely has to be in the deck though.
Wrangle - Steal a dude for two mana! One of the quickest threaten effects we have access to, but not quite the most efficient. Still, I've thrown a few copies in my board. I recommend we run a few in the sideboard regardless, in case we face creature-heavy decks. Can easily be subbed out for better interaction or more meta-dependent options. After all, our best Threaten is one more mana...
3 CMC
Kari Zev's Expertise - Easily the most efficient threaten effect in Frontier, if not all of Magic! We get to steal their dude, then cast pretty much any card in our deck for FREE! Especially dastardly when you hijack their evasive creature and then buff it with another combat trick. Because of the relatively high CMC, I can only justify running 3 copies. But perhaps their is space in the sideboard for one more...
More coming soon!
Gotta clear space for our attacks! So far all my removal is concentrated in the sideboard, but there may be a spot for certain cards in the main if we run into blockers more frequently.
1 CMC
Outnumber - A delicious direct damage spell capitalizing on our growing horde. I'm excited to test this card.
2 CMC
Roast - One of the best red removal spells in the format. Sure, we miss those pesky fliers, but maybe we want to keep them around to threaten them
More coming soon!
Sample deck list:
2 Abbot of Keral Keep
3 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Zurgo Bellstriker
Instant (13)
4 Atarka's Command
3 Become Immense
3 Blossoming Defense
3 Temur Battle Rage
3 Dragon Fodder
4 Hordeling Outburst
3 Kari Zev's Expertise
Artifact (4)
4 Smuggler's Copter
Land (22)
3 Bloodstained Mire
4 Cinder Glade
9 Mountain
2 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Hooting Mandrills
4 Collateral Damage
2 Outnumber
4 Roast
3 Wrangle
I'm interested to hear what everyone thinks. Post your lists and your critiques on the cards I've featured. Also, suggest your own!
This is a new format with a clean slate. Let's make this deck bust out as a major aggro player.
Let's check out the list:
3 Heliod's Pilgrim
4 Kami of False Hope
4 Midnight Guard
Instant (23)
4 Dawn Charm
4 Defend the Hearth
4 Ethereal Haze
4 Fog
4 Holy Day
3 Riot Control
2 Commune with the Gods
Enchantment (4)
4 Presence of Gond
Land (20)
3 Blossoming Sands
3 Forest
3 Graypelt Refuge
3 Kabira Crossroads
2 Khalni Garden
6 Plains
3 Circle of Protection: Black
3 Circle of Protection: Blue
3 Circle of Protection: Green
3 Circle of Protection: Red
3 Circle of Protection: White
So, it is utter jank. This I know.
Sadly, I have only goldfished this so far. I don't really have any pauper decks to play it against, and I'm very new to the format. The basic idea is to use our core 20 fogs (all instants minus the 3x Riot Control) to stall until the combo goes off. Heliod's Pilgrim can help us find the aura, while Commune with the Gods can search either pieces from the top. The sideboard is bare bones, subbing in the appropriate CoP and taking out Riot Control.
Usually I can hit the combo by turn 6 or 7. I know little about Pauper meta, so I'm not sure how impressive this is. If there is more effective stalling measures in Pauper, I would love to hear. I'm still very vulnerable against removal and direct damage. Any ideas?
This deck flames up quickly and leaves our opponents charred rather quickly. The deck maximizes direct damage from our General by pumping out as many creatures as possible. While we can go wide on attacks, the tokens double as useful defenders. Indiscriminately firing damage in every direction tends to rustle everyone's jimmies. That means we need defense from the inevitable coalitions that will form against our awesome power.
Let's take a look at the cards:
01 Purphoros, God of the Forge
Token Producers (31)
02 Beetleback Chief
03 Chandra, Flamecaller
04 Dragon Fodder
05 Dragonmaster Outcast
06 Elemental Mastery
07 Emrakul's Hatcher
08 Feldon of the Third Path
09 Firecat Blitz
10 Flameshadow Conjuring
11 Foundry of the Consuls
12 Goblin Assault
13 Goblin Rabblemaster
14 Goblin Rally
15 Goblinslide
16 Hammer of Purphoros
17 Hanweir Garrison
18 Hordeling Outburst
19 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
20 Kher Keep
21 Krenko, Mob Boss
22 Krenko's Command
23 Mimic Vat
24 Mogg War Marshal
25 Myr Battlesphere
26 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
27 Rakka Mar
28 Siege-Gang Commander
29 Sparkspitter
30 Spawning Bed
31 Warbreak Trumpeter
32 Warchief Giant
33 Ashnod's Altar
34 Descent of the Dragons
35 Impact Tremors
36 Mogg Infestation
37 Skullclamp
38 Spawning Pit
Purphoros Abusers (18)
39 Conjurer's Closet
40 Embermaw Hellion
41 Flamerush Rider
42 Flamewake Phoenix
43 Gargoyle Castle
44 Goblin Heelcutter
45 Grinning Ignus
46 Hellion Crucible
47 Illusionist's Bracers
48 Lightning Berserker
49 Mardu Scout
50 Norin the Wary
51 Panharmonicon
52 Quest for Pure Flame
53 Screamreach Brawler
54 Splinter Twin
55 Talon of Pain
56 War Elemental
Removal (7)
57 Blasphemous Act
58 Burn at the Stake
59 Outnumber
60 Smash to Smithereens
61 Sunder from Within
62 Survey the Wreckage
63 Volcanic Submersion
64 Expedition Map
65 Forgotten Cave
66 Hanweir Battlements
67 Insurrection
68 Myriad Landscape
69 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
70 Outpost Siege
71 Reforge the Soul
72 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
73 Smoldering Crater
74 Sol Ring
75 Swiftfoot Boots
Basic Lands (25)
25 Mountains
As you can see, our token game runs deep. Nearly a third of the cards in our deck can spawn an unexpected creature, which will trigger Purphoros for 2 damage. That's our bread and butter. If anything, I think we need MORE ways to make tokens! Perhaps round them up into a goblin theme to make use of lord mechanics and other creature-type abuse.
Next up are the abusers, which can massively accelerate our conflagration. Some of these cards make use of the swarm we are spawning. Ashnod's Altar turns our dudes into fast mana. Impact Tremors gives us an extra 1 damage on ETBs to make every token into a group-wide bolt. Our default win-con would be Mogg Infestation, Spawning Pit, or Descent of the Dragons. These cards can cash in our whole swarm for 2 damage each while replacing them! The latter even gives us fricking DRAGONS!
We might be a bit heavy on Purphoros abusers, but I freeze every time I try to cut this section down. Cards like Conjurer's Closet and Splinter Twin can pair quite nicely with creatures like Beetleback Chief, in this example netting us 6 damage every turn while contributing to the army. Embermaw Hellion does the same as Tremors, turning every ETB into a bolt. Flamerush Rider is obviously the best dash mechanic we have, but Goblin Heelcutter, Lightning Berserker, Mardu Scout, and Screamreach Brawler were all invited to the party as well. As long as Purphoros is on the field, Flamewake Phoenix will keep coming back and keep triggering that sweet, sweet ETB. Gargoyle Castle and Hellion Crucible are lands that turn into surprise tokens! Good use of what would otherwise be a dead Mountain. Grinning Ignus and Norin the Wary are fun inserts that ensure repeated ETBs all by themselves. Illusionist's Bracers and Panharmonicon can double up the Purphoros triggers quite elegantly, and War Elemental can get pretty big when we multiply these triggers. By the same philosophy, Quest for the Pure Flame and Talon of Pain can set up for huge blowouts.
The deck is certainly low on removal, but for good reason. We're playing the EDH equivalent of burn! Hopefully we're spewing mad damage within two turns of Purphoros resolving, and he happens to become a nice form of "attacker-removal" once he becomes a huge, indestructible creature. However, our opponents will likely rally together to counter our explosive plays. Blasphemous Act can wipe the board pretty quickly with all the tokens we're playing, which can seriously stunt our opponents board state while leaving Purphoros in play. Outnumber and Burn at the Stake can use our tokens to take down a mighty attacker, and the latter can even help finish off an opponent. Smash to Smithereens, Sunder from Within and Volcanic Submersion gives us obligatory artifact hate. The last two can also destroy lands, along with Survey the Wreckage, which gives us yet another ETB trigger. They synergy is nuts!
Finally we come to the tech. There are a few of the usual suspects present, such as Sol Ring, Swiftfoot Boots, and Expedition Map. Both Forgotten Cave and Smoldering Crater can be cycled if we are looking for our kill, and Myriad Landscape speeds up our lands while thinning the deck a bit. Hanweir Battlements gives stuff haste, but more importantly it can meld with [/card]Hanweir Garrision[/card] to begin spitting fatties while triggering Purphoros. Why include Insurrection, you ask? Sure it doesn't trigger Purphoros, but c'mon dude. It's too sweet to pass up in my mono-red EDH deck! Outpost Siege can be dope in either mode, either dealing damage from blocks/sacs or basically drawing an extra card every turn. Reforge the Soul can refill our hand easily, and Sarkhan is just a good way to apply pressure until ticking up to his sweet ultimate.
CAUTION! The list above is deceptive. We aren't running just 25 lands. Total count comes to 35 when we add the tech lands I've mentioned. It's low for EDH, but our curve peaks at 5 cmc. Sure, drawing an Insurrection late-game after cycling some lands can feel bad, but this way we optimize our tricks! So that's about it. I think the deck is low on removal and a bit high on Purphoros abusers. If we edit down our tokens to a strong Goblin theme, cards like Goblin Warrens would help us wreak untold havoc.
I recently found a group of commander players near me, so I'll be getting a lot of testing done soon. I'll be sure to report back my findings. In the meantime, what do you think?
Previous Version: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/multiplayer-commander-decklists/750751-porphoros-list-for-critique
White has a tenuous foothold in this deck. I'm going to look into artifacts that can assist me in similar ways. That being said, I strongly believe in Rebuff the Wicked and Righteous Aura. The former prevents disruption for a single mana. The latter not only prevents damage from the activation, but can also prevent damage from an opponent without having to sac a dude by chump blocking. If there are artifact or red spells with similar effects, I would prefer them. Until I find them, white is here to stay.
The reason Fire Marshal isn't a playset is because he can be easily tutored through Recruiter or Moggcatcher. In fact, I prefer using the latter since it brings our boy directly into play for less mana. He also ends up getting drawn naturally pretty often, even as a 3-of. Finally, there are no worse feel-bads than drawing a second 5-cmc Fire Marshal, unless we're facing removal.
I'm a big fan of Boros Reckoner! He's in my Blasphemous Act deck, and he would be great in the deck. Alas, he is a three drop that doesn't advance my activation. I can tutor up Maniac rather consistently, and Moggcatcher already takes four creature slots away from goblins.
Skirk Prospector is gold! He's going in!
Outburst is not the only card that produces a lot of goblins, but it's on curve for the deck. I would love to make room for Siege-Gang Commander! Though I feel like we lose value with Goblin Rally because it's paying 5 for 4. That being said, the latter is a great way to instantly reload for a second activation. I can see it as a 1- or 2-of.
LOVE Murderous Redcap in this deck. Mogg War Marshal got cut in the final draft, but I think he's worth revisiting...
Thanks for the input!
Here's the list:
3 Goblin Chirurgeon
1 Goblin Marshal
4 Goblin Recruiter
4 Mogg Maniac
4 Moggcatcher
3 Skirk Fire Marshal
2 Brightstone Ritual
4 Rebuff the Wicked
Sorcery (3)
3 Hordeling Outburst
Enchantment (9)
3 Crown of Awe
2 Moonlit Wake
4 Righteous Aura
2 Battlefield Forge
3 Boros Garrison
10 Mountain
1 Mutavault
4 Plains
1 Spinerock Knoll
2 Temple of Triumph
So how does it break down? Let's check out the core:
Skirk Fire Marshal - This is why we're here. Get four other goblins down, and activate! Luckily, our fearless leader survives his own assault, so we can re-use him if necessary.
Mogg Maniac - Turns one activation into an auto-win. We need four.
Moggcatcher - Tutors up Fire Marshal and other necessary pieces
Goblin Recruiter - Helps line up our last few draws to make sure we hit our goal
So we need a lot of creatures to activate our combo, so here comes the flood!
Goblin Marshal - This tank works great with Moggcatcher. Bonus points if you get him out in time for the first activation so that your board isn't totally wiped for the second.
Hordeling Outburst - A quick way to get three dudes on the board for protection and activation.
Mutavault - I own one and have no use for it, so I've jammed it in here. It can help us hit that #5 slot for activation if needed.
Spinerock Knoll - We hide away a goblin (for maximum lulz, a Goblin Marshal), then toss it into play after our first activation. It can make the second activation come quicker, which is always a plus.
Now, we depend on creatures for our combo. Creatures are a squishy lot prone to removal. So we need to protect them:
Goblin Chirurgeon - can regenerate the Fire Marshal or fill in the #5 slot toward activation.
Rebuff the Wicked - What's that, you want to remove my combo piece? I shall rebuff that wickedness.
Crown of Awe - Can prevent black removal effects while also helping our dudes survive an activation. Should prove quite useful.
One inherent problem with our strategy is that it hits US as well. So, I've decided to compensate for that:
Moonlit Wake - Helps gain life each activation. It's a lovely bonus that we gain a point when enemy creatures are destroyed as well.
Righteous Aura - Basically our prison element. We can protect ourselves from enemy attacks and protect from spill-over damage from activation. Win-Win.
And finally, because we need to hit 4-5 cmc in a goblin deck, here are our accelerant module:
Brightstone Ritual - Simple enough, and it can get the Fire Marshal out on turn 3 if we're dedicated and hitting our curve.
Boros Garrison - Lovely on turn 1. Luckily it helps provide acceleration anytime, even if it slows us down in the short term.
So, that's the big baggy mess of tricks. Ideally, we can Fire Marshal on turn 4 with a Maniac in play for an insta-kill. I'm not sure if i'm "all-in" enough to run Simian Spirit Guide, though it's on my scratchpad. I also have a rulings question about Chirurgeon. I wonder if we can tap Goblins to activate Fire Marshal, then sacrifice some of the tapped goblins to save others before the effect happens. Basically, can I tap the goblins for activation, then in response sacrifice two of them to save the other two? I know it's a heady concept, and maybe it's smacks of 6th edition rules, but I hope it is possible!
I'm aware that this is a very loose list, and I'm open to feedback. What do you think?
Mook Smilliams
Houston, TX
Powered: No
Un cards: No
Portal cards: No
Special theme: Can be used for sealed multiplayer or draft tournament
Number of Cards: 360
Cube link: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/61670
Tokens are another great idea. I agree you should start cutting your expensive instant/sorcery spells for these token producers, especially if you can find good enchantments to produce tokens for you. If you lower your curve enough, you could even cut a land for an extra playable card.
As for lands, I'd recommend Sunpetal Grove as a good way to fix your mana while not slowing down your drops. It even works well with Temple Gardens, should you choose to spring for them.
Good luck and happy brewing!