Slither Blade

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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Archenemy Legal
Arena Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Gladiator Legal
Highlander Legal
Historic Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pauper Legal
Pauper Duel Commander Legal
Pauper EDH Legal
Pioneer Legal
Planechase Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Slither Blade

Creature — Naga Rogue

Slither Blade can't be blocked

wallisface on Dimir-Ninjutsu w/ Neo Dragon Spirits

6 months ago

If you’re looking to improve this, here’s some general tips:

  • The deck is currently running waay too many cards as 1-ofs and 2-ofs. This makes it pretty impossible to form a coherent strategy, or have any form of reliability. The vast majority of the deck should be run as playsets (4-ofs). A good approach for new deck-builders is to pick 9 cards, and run playsets of each of those (making 36 cards) alongside 24 lands (for a 60 card deck).

  • your mana curve feels very high. Yes, there are alternate costs to a bunch of your cards, but you still have 6 cards which will unavoidably cost 4-or-more mana (this is quite high, considering a lot of these also cost 5-6, which is outside the range decks can typically justify).

  • Ninjitsu decks generally want lots of 1-mana evasive creatures so that they can make the most of their ability - i don’t see that here. Specifically, i’d be expecting stuff like Changeling Outcast, Slither Blade, and/or Ornithopter.

  • You’re currently running a lot of weak/inefficient cards and should he looking to upgrade these where possible. For example, Hero's Downfall being a 3-mana killspell makes it incredibly weak, and really should be Fatal Push. Likewise, Return to Action is very weak when there are multiple cards with this effect __(or better)_ for only 1 mana.

Licecolony on Goaded With The Sauce

11 months ago

I really like your manifest take on Jon. Consider Dulcet Sirens. It's a clever way to mitigate risk of having those horrible creatures for yourself. I'll definitely be adding Crawlspace and Endless Whispers to my list.

Suggested removals from deck Plague Reaver. While it's a nice card to give away, the turn you play it you'll have to sacrifice Jon Irenicus to Plague Reaver's trigger regardless of which order you put the abilities onto the stack. You'd rather not lose Jon.

Gisa, Glorious Resurrector. It's something you can't give away, which means it's good when you're ahead, but not great when you're behind,. Your mileage may vary, but I think getting something more immediately impactful on the board tends to be best.

Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker. You're not running a mill strategy, you'll only be filling the graveyard of dedicate graveyard decks.

Taniwha. I love this creature and totally understand running it for the memes, but phasing triggers before your upkeep, which means that when you give it away, it'll be phased out for the first turn under your opponent, so they'll keep their lands and you won't draw a card from Jon's ability. The turn cycle has to make two full rounds before Taniwha does anything.

Tergrid, God of Fright  Flip. Unlike Sheoldred, Tergrid doesn't make the opponent do either of its effects. It's another creature you don't want to give away, and Jon makes cards unsacrificeable. It just won't trigger much unless you're against a sacrifice deck.

Ensnaring Bridge. The creatures you donate will often be quite big. Ensnaring bridge will prevent them from attacking your opponents and deny you card draw.

Chromatic Lantern. It's only good if you need the mana fixing. You don't need the mana fixing. Try something like Thought Vessel or Decanter of Endless Water or Midnight Clock instead.

Assault Suit doesn't goad the creatures itself. Often they'll swing at you if possible.

Dissipation Field. Not as good as it looks. Doubles ETB triggers. Anti synergy with cards like Endless Whispers.

No Mercy Jon just has better options for this slot. If you can replace a non-creature with a creature in this deck, you usually want to.

Grave Betrayal. That's 7 mana for a card that could ruin your game by forcing you to revive bad cards you do not want.

Diplomatic Immunity. You want instant speed protection and protection from board wipes. Something like March of Swirling Mist is more versatile offensively and defensively.

Dark Ritual. I'm uncertain what you're trying to ramp into so quickly that you would need this. Maybe I'm wrong.

Countersquall. You may as well play the one mana version in An Offer You Can't Refuse.

Redirect may be bested by Narset's Reversal? That's a matter of opinion.

AEtherize risks bouncing creatures attacking other opponents such as those you've goaded but want them to keep. Try replacing this with a more versatile effect like Reins of Power or a more aggressive effect in Illusionist's Gambit.

Damnation. Jon prefers sacrifice board wipes so that your opponents keep their shit creatures.

Overall I think you could run less counter-magic in favor of more proactive effects.

Cards to Consider Creatures Generally I want to focus on adding creatures that you can give away and then steal back later to win the game.

With Jon, you often want cheap evasive creatures to give out for early card draw with his ability. Right now you have 1 two-drop creature. Throwing in a Changeling Outcast or a Slither Blade can mean you can give a creature away for cheap and still hold up mana for other things. Slither blade wouldn't die to Heartless Summoning too.

In the two-drop slot, you can run creatures that are more defensive like Baleful Strix, or give you card draw like Sygg, River Cutthroat or just more powerful creatures like Flesh Reaver which is a goaded 6/6 that can deal 12 damage a turn or Wretched Anurid. Heck, you can even add a versatile two-drop in Dimir Infiltrator which can be given away in the early game or used as a tutor in the late-game.

In the three drop slot, I think your idea of adding Steel Golem is a great one to make sure the only creatures your opponent has are the ones you're giving them. It's a brutal card. Rotting Regisaur is a card you don't mind giving away early, and can take back later to win. Phyrexian Soulgorger can be donated to an opponent as a goaded 10/10. They won't have to pay the upkeep, but that's a great body to give someone as a political tool. Cephalid Facetaker is also worth consideration though I personally don't run it.

In the four-drop slot, like you mentioned, Grid Monitor is a proactive creature counter. Abyssal Persecutor can save you from death. Archfiend of the Dross is risky but fun (it comes back to your control after the opponent dies).

In the 5-drop slot, both of the evil-eye cards are absolute ALL STARS. They work so well every game I've drawn them. They can also replace some of your weaker defenses like No Mercy and Dissipation Field

As a sidenote, I also like Deep-Sea Kraken as an unblockable 8/8 that can win you the game with homeward path.

Removal I recommend running more sacrifice-based removal since it'll mean your opponents keep the crap you give them. Things like Tergrid's Shadow or Vona's Hunger or All is Dust (one of my favorites) or Killing Wave. I also prefer Toxic Deluge to some of your other removal since it goes through hexproof. Curse of the Swine is also an exile effect that can be selective and works really well. You can also run single-target removal like Reality Shift or Pongify if you'd rather instant speed interaction. Feed the Swarm is quality. If you really don't care about cruelty, you can run Torment of Hailfire, but that card is honestly always too boring for me to want in my decks.

Card Draw Jon has access to some great card draw that most decks can't take advantage of. Fateful Handoff is a card draw spell that also donates (though does not goad). Sygg, River Cutthroat works well with evasive threats you give away (though should not be donated). Verity Circle works great with Jon's ability since it donates the creature first, and then taps it down. Teferi's Ageless Insight allows you to double your draw triggers from Jon.

Equipment Remember that you can donate creatures while they're equipped and you still control the equipment so they can't re-equip it. Pact Weapon makes the attacking creature bigger, while ensuring you can't die, and will draw you another card whenever the donated creature attacks. Dowsing Dagger  Flip works effectively on evasive creature to get you ramped. Vorpal Sword is a win condition on your unblockable evasive creatures.

Goad Dulcet Sirens, Bloodthirsty Blade.

Misc Graveyard removal is king. Throw in a Scavenger Grounds. My favorite card to run is Reality Shift. Make an Avenger of Zendikar spawn a dozen Wretched Anurids. It's not GREAT, but it is always funny. Cultural Exchange is a fun time too with all your manifest and shitty creatures.

That is all. Hope it was helpful.

multimedia on Urza’s legion

1 year ago

Hey, good start on a budget with what you have so far. Command Tower is a budget staple land for multicolored Commander decks and Arcane Signet is a budget staple mana rock.

Ramos, Dragon Engine can only be played in a five color deck using it as Commander or another five color Commander. It's activated ability has all five mana symbols and those symbols count toward it's color identity. Urza's color identity is only three colors Esper (black, white, blue). Because Urza doesn't have red and green that's why Ramos can't be played with Urza as Commander.

If you want aggro with Urza lets look at the beginning of the mana curve first, cards spots of 0-3 CMC only then we can look at the higher end of the mana curve. The first changes to consider is to remove all the nonartifact creatures and then later determine if they are worth a spot in your deck because they have abilities that help artifacts or Urza. I think you'll find that you don't need any of these creatures because artifact creatures can take their places. If you want to be aggro with Urza then you want to utilize Urza's artifact creature affinity to cast Urza quicker. To do this consistently Urza wants 0-2 CMC artifact creatures and some 3 CMC artifact creatures more than the rest.

Some of these creatures may be added back in later, most likely not, but for now lets build the creature base with only artifact creatures. For making upgrades lets look at best cards here with Urza and build around them? Arcbound Ravager and Portal to Phyrexia are the two best cards here with Urza because they're artifacts and they're abilities are more powerful compared to most other cards here. Ravager brings the aggro, but if aggro doesn't do it and you need more reach to win the game then Portal can do that. Lets start with Ravager and what makes it better with Urza? Modular and you have some here, more one drops can help toward Urza's artifact creature affinity and Ravager.

Steel Overseer adds to the +1/+1 counter strategy, it's powerful but only for artifact creatures and if trying to be aggro it's a good reason to play very few nonartifact creatures. Silas Renn, Seeker Adept goes well with Arcbound Ravager since with Ravager you want to sac artifacts and Silas lets you cast an artifact from your graveyard. It's deathtouch combined with Urza's menace makes it a creature who opponent is not going to block and lose two or more creatures blocking it. Baleful Strix, Triarch Praetorian, Malcator's Watcher are two drop artifact creatures who fly and who draw when enter the battlefield (ETB) or dies.


Some artifacts here are worse than others.

Think about limiting the amount of nonartifact spells to just the better ones you have here?

Equipment that increases the equipped creature's power equal to the amount of artifacts you control really ups the aggro since then any little artifact creature can become huge which combined with menace can make it a great attacker. I see Silver Myr and it's good here since counts twice for Urza, artifact creature affinity and ramp. Consider adding more artifact creature mana dorks who can make colored mana?

The budget Signets can help for ramp as well as color fixing which is really needed because the manabase here is pretty much all basic lands. Arcane Signet is a staple budget mana rock for ramp in Commander. Chromatic Lantern is fine for color fixing, but you're going to want more than that.

Some nonartifact creatures at the beginning of the mana curve can really help aggro and Urza.

Losheel, Clockwork Scholar is powerful with artifact creatures when attacking is what you want to be doing especially Constructs. Your artifact creatures don't take damage in combat meaning that opponents will have a difficult time choosing to block since their blockers might die, but your creatures will be fine. Losheel is also repeatable draw, once on each players turn when an artifact creature ETB you draw this includes when a Construct is created by Urza if you didn't have an artifact creature ETB before your end step.

Sai, Master Thopterist can be a repeatable source of artifact creatures, Thopters, to be attackers or sac fodder. Emry, Lurker of the Loch is like Silas Renn, Seeker Adept more ways to cast artifacts from your graveyard is good with Arcbound Ravager and other sac outlets.

That's it for this comment, but if you're still interested I'll give advice about the high end of the mana curve here to take more advantage of aggro into mid game and Portal to Phyrexia late game as well as some budget land options for the manabase. Would you like more advice?

Good luck with your deck.

multimedia on my first deck idea

1 year ago

Hey, good start for being new to Commander, nice Bitterblossom and Sensei's Divining Top.

Sol Ring could replace Edge of the Divinity? Sol is a staple mana rock for ramp in Commander decks. It's powerful and the most played card.

By adding more one drop Rogues who have evasion (unblockable or flying) can help to have a more established army of Rogues who can attack the turn you play Anowon. More Rogues with evasion will have an easier time doing combat damage to a player which is wanted to trigger Anowon and other effects when creatures you control do combat damage to opponents. Consider cutting some five drops, four drops and three drops for more one drop Rogues?

Changeling Outcast is a Changeling, it's every creature type at all times in all zones (battlefield, hand, library, graveyard, exile). Agonizing Syphon, Access Denied, Annihilate costs too much mana for what they do. Reconnaissance Mission and Kindred Discovery are examples of impactful four drop and five drop with Rogues, you would much rather use your mana to cast these then the others.

king-saproling on Faerie Dragon Bear

1 year ago

Looks like a fun deck. I see you're pretty dedicated to the faerie theme which is rad, but I think if you wanted to improve the deck power-wise you could swap out some of the high-cost creatures for evasive 1-drops like Slither Blade, Mist-Cloaked Herald, Gudul Lurker, etc. The more 1-drops you have, the higher your odds to play 1 on turn 1 and 2 on turn 2, then you will be primed to make 3 faerie tokens when Halsin drops on turn 4.

You might consider these cards too: Bident of Thassa, Edric, Spymaster of Trest, Coastal Piracy, Toski, Bearer of Secrets, Reconnaissance Mission, Ohran Frostfang, Druids' Repository, Storm the Citadel

wallisface on

1 year ago

So, I think you need to translate what you’re doing to magic archetypes. Your current deck appears to be trying to do 3 things at once that are all in conflict with each-other:

  • Control: control decks need 3 things to be successful, (1) efficient spells, (2) card advantage, (3) spell density. You’re not going to be able to build a control deck here, because you’re forcing yourself to use weak countermagic. Added to that, you have almost no way to gain card advantage, and have too many non-control pieces in the deck to make this viable.

  • Wizard-Tribal: requires good creature synergy, and the ability to cast a lot of spells (as well as being aggressive). Your current Wizard selection isn’t ideal for this, and your spell choices don’t work well with the tribe at all.

  • Damage Redirection: requires building around Boros Reckoner and Blasphemous Act effects. I’m sure your theming-enforcing will make this impossible.

Currently, from a mtg perspective, you have too much going on here - your deck is an array of half-constructed archetypes that don’t work. You have to remember that this “aikido” theme is something that just exists in your head (that is, an opponent is never going to guess that’s what your deck is doing). Whatever your plan, it needs to work in mtg-terms (because that’s the game we’re playing!).

As for your other consideration, it’s just more disjointed ideas, Slither Blade doesn’t work with anything you’re currently doing, and requires on-damage triggers. Eidolon of the Great Revel wants to exist in an aggro/burn deck. Eternal of Harsh Truths needs to be in a deck with lots of killspells to guarantee making contact.

I think that you need to focus on ensuring you have a clear archetype/vision within a mtg framework. Focusing on aikido as an idea has left your deck very disjointed and lacking direction/synergy.

9-lives on

1 year ago

Maybe Slither Blade?

Guerric on Too Many Merfolk!

1 year ago

I have pondered building Kumena many times, and I have some thoughts which I think will help! To begin with, when playing any weenie deck whether merfolk or otherwise, the best thing you can do is just draw boatloads of cards by attacking with small evasive creatures with Coastal Piracy, Bident of Thassa, or Reconnaissance Mission out. These cards will keep your hand flooded with cards and therefore options and you will love them. For this reason, don't sleep on small evasive merfolk like Mist-Cloaked Herald, Slither Blade, and others. Playing Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive will help all your weenies get through. Deeproot Waters is a must play enchantment that will give you tokens for every merfolk you cast, giving you more stuff to do with Kumena. You also want to play more ramp here, and you don't need too many artifacts other than Sol Ring because you are in green. You can add Kodama's Reach, Nature's Lore, Three Visits, Skyshroud Claim, Explosive Vegetation, etc. Dorks like Elvish Mystic are also good here since they ramp Kumena out a turn early. Altogether these can ramp you into game-winning cards like Genesis Wave and Kindred Summons, which will absolutely wreck your opponents.

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