Here is my list. Typically, I rely heavily on Strionic Resonator to go infinite with The King. This is an easy way to win with basically anything in the deck.
Basically, you need:
Brago, and a way to hit your opponent
Strionic Resonator untapped
Non-land permanents that produce 2 or more, or creature ETBs that untap lands. More than 2 produces infinite mana of that type.
Another non-land, non-instant, non-sorcery, non-planeswalker thing from your deck (creature, artifact, or enchantment)
1. Brago hits opponent, trigger goes on the stack. Target whatever you like.
2. Use Strionic Resonator to copy the ability and choose new targets, including the Resonator itself, mana rocks/creatures that produce mana, and the thing/s you want to blink infinite times.
3. Resonator's ability resolves, blinking a bunch of things. New ETBs go on the stack.
3a. If one of the things you are blinking is Oblivion Ring/Parallax Tide/Sensei's Divining Top, activate Resonator again before trigger resolves.
3b. If one of the things is something you need in-between Resonator triggers, wait for them to resolve.
4. Brago's original ability is still on the stack, so you can copy it again with Strionic Resonator.
5. ???
6. Profit!
Note, your infinite mana goes away after combat step (after you already hit them!), so you need a way to take advantage of that.
Definitely the most common combo in the deck. Strionic Resonator is just fantastic, but be sure to not forget to use it on other triggers, even when you aren't within combat (obviously unless you will use it later on Brago). There have been numerous times where it has helped dig me out of a hole when Sea Gate Oracle came in and copied it. Going infinite is just gravy.
I disagree on Remora's point. Yes, it's not that great in a lot of environment, but it's truly good if you play against people who use a lot of non-creature spell such as mana rock or counter war. The 4 colourless mana is high when you consider the elements of soft stax in this deck.
It is good in this capacity, but early, every turn you tap mana for it is mana you aren't using to get Brago out. Comically, it is likely more useful turn 4+ when Brago is swinging than any earlier. However, at that point it loses some of its' value, while not terrible, not as good as T1. It is quite the conundrum.
Mystic Remora really doesn't need defending in this deck, since it already falls under "Good Stuff" even without the synergy that allows Brago to reset its age counters. I cut it mainly because there are cards that I found so much more exciting because they're new, and Remora really just 'draws cards' which is a winning mechanic in any book, but it's certainly something that blue players have done so much of already.
Another reason why I cut Mystic Remora is because it created awkward opening hands. I agree with apocalypse21 that getting to 4 mana asap to jumpstart VALUETOWN is very important for at least our takes on the deck, and I would get Mystic Remora in my opening hand. I could then play it early, compromising my tempo for cards or play it later when I may not need it anymore. In either case, it's an awkward choice. The first few turns are very crucial in my meta, and there are enough green players that an early Remora will just meet Sakura-Tribe Elders. So I just cut it for my own peace of mind.
That said, anyone who's ridden a Mystic Remora into disgusting levels of card advantage knows what Pinguis is talking about. 9 times out of 10, you get to draw a card for each noncreature your opponents play. It's certainly one of the glaringly obvious includes for this deck, but in the end, it 'just' draws cards and at least at the point I'm in with the deck, I'm prioritizing consistent acceleration over card draw. When the time comes and I feel that I get all the mana too early and I run out of cards to use it on, Mystic Remora is certainly on the short list of cards to get back in. :B
Shoot, I am apocalypse31, apocalypse21 is 10 old.
Remora really is another card that is good, but in a deck like this there are so many options of amazing cards that have value on ETB. Sometimes good cards don't make the cut (as it is in my case).
What are your guys' thoughts on the following cards?
Stonecloaker - I like it as GY hate, and you can bounce something else in an emergency. It isn't as cost effective as I would like, but when Brago swings in again, you can flicker it, bounce itself and have the ability to save something again later. The reason I am considering it is for: 1. Added GY hate. Can never be enough. 2. I often have excess mana, having something to spend it on would be handy.
Mistmeadow Witch - Of course we all know how silly this card is, but we often seem to not run it because it is good on its' own, but no added value from Brago. Like Stonecloaker, I am looking for something to spend some excess mana on, and I am thinking this may be worth it. Biggest downside is that it brings it back at the end of the turn, and that hurts. Thoughts?
I don't even think it is a meta call. It just isn't good enough. Add in a Trinket Mage package that includes Top, that solves draw filtering problem with no investment during upkeep.
i'd look out for clone creatures, since they can let you have a roon on the battlefield when it's going to be removed (just flicker the clone, let it be roon, and legend rule sacrifice the original).
Roon of the Hidden Realm brings it back at EOT. Doesn't work that way. Usually you can add some other cheap flicker effects and you will be fine.
Has anyone tried ancestral knowledge? Serious digging for cheap, and if you don't like what you see, or the upkeep gets too expensive, blink and shuffle then dig again, resetting the upkeep. I just feel like it screams value at 2 CMC.
I think I would rather run Mystic Remora (which I cut). Fixing draws is nice, but drawing is nicer, IMO.
Seriously, ignore all these other things and talk to him like a reasonable adult. Express why removal is extremely important, not unfair, and if he complains, roll your eyes, play it anyway and since the problem is just his and his alone you will be fine in your playgroup and he will be forced to get over it.
So, I have been tuning this list for weeks now, and it is pretty daggum competitive. It works incredibly well in 1v1, but I don't think I would try it in more than a 3 man game, not without serious tuning. Let me know what your thoughts are, improvements, removals, etc.
Main idea: Drop Zurgo early, hit face. Next turn, follow it with a wipe of lands/creatures, usually they concede. Boros Charm can give Zurgo double strike, which has allowed me to win as early as turn 3 before.
This list has won 2 out of 3 against competitive lists of the following: Damia, Zegana, Rafiq, Azami (too fast for it), and several other tier 2 decks. It can give some tier 1 decks runs for their money, but ultimately is not on the same level.
Removing Zurgo is just funny, because usually they have to do it on their turn, and then next turn you just cast and swing again. Haste on a 7/x is sick.
1. Tell him that removal is not oppressive. Removal is an integral part of EDH and removing a card like Consecrated Sphinx, which many consider to be banworthy (not me, but many do), is certainly acceptable. Letting him run away with the game at this point is irresponsible, and you won't remove one of the most important parts of magic because he wants to play solitaire.
2. Tell him that you find tutors and fast mana unfair. If he expects you to respect what he wants, tell him to respect what you want. C Sphinx, Vamp Tutor and Mana Crypt should all be banned, so I will remove my removal if you will remove your OP cards.
Moral of the story: Magic is about compromise, but often people don't want to, especially in EDH. Removal is necessary, and the ban list is how it is for a reason. Casual EDH has a fallacy mind set because everyone has different opinions about what truly is casual. Mana Crypt and C Sphinx certainly shouldn't be considered casual. Hopefully a good confrontation about how answering a threat is not "unfun" unless he does want to play by himself. You could get him a deck of playing cards, teach him solitaire (the 1 card flip variant, 3 is too hard) and wish him best of luck.
i want to just point out, if you need colored mana Gemstone array can filter it.
This is probably one of the better ideas. Other ideas will work and should be run, but Rings and Monolith are good enough to run on their own, and if you get array out, you can use it to filer, but you can also use it to store mana for later.
avarice totem isn't temporary. Just do the old double-switch when they're tapped out (or have less than 5 mana at least), and switch your junk card for their erebos.
(in case you don't know how it works: activate totem twice before passing priority, target the junk card first and erebos second. Assuming both resolve without incident, he ends up with the junk card and you end up with erebos. 10 mana is a lot, but you're mono-black, figure it out.)
I think I figured it out. Urborg and Coffers. I am a scientist, indeed.
No simple way to do it, about everyone else has hit on answers to it, but none, besides Karn and All is Dust, are common to run. My opinion would be to try to kill/gain life before you are prevented, hurry up the clock then it isn't a problem.
No. Activating the ability requires a target when you activate it.
Something you could do to stop RN is to exile the creature/creatures in GY when it is cast. Then it is stuck on the battlefield.
I think RN is fine. Very, very good, but fine.
Like others, I too forgot about it.
001 is always a white card, colorless comes at the end of the set. Double fake.
EDIT: Looking at Karn I realize I am wrong.
Still believe it is fake tough for reasons earlier.
Definitely the most common combo in the deck. Strionic Resonator is just fantastic, but be sure to not forget to use it on other triggers, even when you aren't within combat (obviously unless you will use it later on Brago). There have been numerous times where it has helped dig me out of a hole when Sea Gate Oracle came in and copied it. Going infinite is just gravy.
It is good in this capacity, but early, every turn you tap mana for it is mana you aren't using to get Brago out. Comically, it is likely more useful turn 4+ when Brago is swinging than any earlier. However, at that point it loses some of its' value, while not terrible, not as good as T1. It is quite the conundrum.
Shoot, I am apocalypse31, apocalypse21 is 10 old.
Remora really is another card that is good, but in a deck like this there are so many options of amazing cards that have value on ETB. Sometimes good cards don't make the cut (as it is in my case).
What are your guys' thoughts on the following cards?
Stonecloaker - I like it as GY hate, and you can bounce something else in an emergency. It isn't as cost effective as I would like, but when Brago swings in again, you can flicker it, bounce itself and have the ability to save something again later. The reason I am considering it is for: 1. Added GY hate. Can never be enough. 2. I often have excess mana, having something to spend it on would be handy.
Mistmeadow Witch - Of course we all know how silly this card is, but we often seem to not run it because it is good on its' own, but no added value from Brago. Like Stonecloaker, I am looking for something to spend some excess mana on, and I am thinking this may be worth it. Biggest downside is that it brings it back at the end of the turn, and that hurts. Thoughts?
Roon of the Hidden Realm brings it back at EOT. Doesn't work that way. Usually you can add some other cheap flicker effects and you will be fine.
OFC, Seedborn Muse, Prophet of Kruphix
I think I would rather run Mystic Remora (which I cut). Fixing draws is nice, but drawing is nicer, IMO.
1 Zurgo, the Helmsmasher
Land
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Arid Mesa
1 Badlands
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Cavern of Souls
1 City of Brass
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Command Tower
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Mana Confluence
1 Marsh Flats
3 Mountains
4 Plains
1 Plateau
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Scrubland
1 Strip Mine
4 Swamp
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
Artifacts
1 Boros Signet
1 Charcoal Diamond
1 Chrome Mox
1 Coalition Relic
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Expedition Map
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Fire Diamond
1 Grim Monolith
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Marble Diamond
1 Mox Diamond
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Voltaic Key
1 Dark Confidant
1 Mesmeric Fiend
Enchantments
1 Blood Moon
1 Dark Tutelage
1 Necropotence
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Phyrexian Arena
Instants
1 Boros Charm
1 Chaos Warp
1 Dark Ritual
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Disenchant
1 Dismember
1 Mortify
1 Murderous Cut
1 Necrolagia
1 Path to Exile
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Skeletal Scrying
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Unexpectedly Absent
1 Utter End
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Wear // Tear
Sorcery
1 Armageddon
1 Burning of Xinye
1 Council's Judgment
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Destructive Force
1 Devastation
1 Duress
1 Grim Tutor
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Imperial Seal
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Jokulhaups
1 Ravages of War
1 Revoke Existence
1 Shattering Spree
1 Thoughtseize
1 Vindicate
1 Wildfire
Main idea: Drop Zurgo early, hit face. Next turn, follow it with a wipe of lands/creatures, usually they concede. Boros Charm can give Zurgo double strike, which has allowed me to win as early as turn 3 before.
This list has won 2 out of 3 against competitive lists of the following: Damia, Zegana, Rafiq, Azami (too fast for it), and several other tier 2 decks. It can give some tier 1 decks runs for their money, but ultimately is not on the same level.
Removing Zurgo is just funny, because usually they have to do it on their turn, and then next turn you just cast and swing again. Haste on a 7/x is sick.
1. Tell him that removal is not oppressive. Removal is an integral part of EDH and removing a card like Consecrated Sphinx, which many consider to be banworthy (not me, but many do), is certainly acceptable. Letting him run away with the game at this point is irresponsible, and you won't remove one of the most important parts of magic because he wants to play solitaire.
2. Tell him that you find tutors and fast mana unfair. If he expects you to respect what he wants, tell him to respect what you want. C Sphinx, Vamp Tutor and Mana Crypt should all be banned, so I will remove my removal if you will remove your OP cards.
Moral of the story: Magic is about compromise, but often people don't want to, especially in EDH. Removal is necessary, and the ban list is how it is for a reason. Casual EDH has a fallacy mind set because everyone has different opinions about what truly is casual. Mana Crypt and C Sphinx certainly shouldn't be considered casual. Hopefully a good confrontation about how answering a threat is not "unfun" unless he does want to play by himself. You could get him a deck of playing cards, teach him solitaire (the 1 card flip variant, 3 is too hard) and wish him best of luck.
In other news, it is a common, so you could run it in monored pauper.
This is probably one of the better ideas. Other ideas will work and should be run, but Rings and Monolith are good enough to run on their own, and if you get array out, you can use it to filer, but you can also use it to store mana for later.
I think I figured it out. Urborg and Coffers. I am a scientist, indeed.
No simple way to do it, about everyone else has hit on answers to it, but none, besides Karn and All is Dust, are common to run. My opinion would be to try to kill/gain life before you are prevented, hurry up the clock then it isn't a problem.