Doran of the Infinite Butts

Commander / EDH* Bulwer

SCORE: 16 | 67 COMMENTS | 3086 VIEWS | IN 8 FOLDERS


Retooled for Sunday —June 7, 2015

Damn the consequences, Concordant Crossroads is in. Uh, Yisan, the Wanderer Bard is out again because he's my worst tutor. Phyrexian Reclamation found a slot. Trostani, Selesnya's Voice to counteract my little suicide black thing I got goin'.

I redid the description with the new spoiler code. I dunno how I like it. I might do something different.

Anyway, advice is always welcome!

Bulwer says... #1

Cut Sterling Grove and a Forest for Green Sun's Zenith and Dryad Arbor.

Zenith, if it absolutely needs to, can fetch Nylea, God of the Hunt just as well as Sterling Grove can, plus it gets Dryad Arbor for Birthing Pod fuel and fast ramp. The Pod uses Arbor to grab either Nomads en-Kor as a combo piece or Mother of Runes for protection.

Zenith also fetches Devoted Druid + Quillspike, a combo I didn't have in there when I originally cut it.

May 28, 2015 10:12 p.m.

Aefinn says... #2

I'd add Skinshifter. 8/8 with one mana when Doran is in play.

May 29, 2015 12:41 p.m.

klone13 says... #3

I wouldn't

His goal is to combo, that doesn't help the combo at all.

May 29, 2015 5:51 p.m.

Bulwer says... #4

Alright, I'm playing it like this tomorrow. Come back this evening to hear about why it didn't work this time.

Or, alternatively, how everyone hates me now. Either one.

May 31, 2015 2:16 a.m.

klone13 says... #5

Good luck.

May 31, 2015 9:05 a.m.

Bulwer says... #6

Update forthcoming. The deck works very well, but still has some issues.

Swaps I made before playing:
Forest > Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Ramosian Lieutenant > Necropotence
Greed > Erebos, God of the Dead

Necropotence was a cheap buy at the LGS, and a big power addition. Though it turns out a turn 3 Necropotence gets you hated out pretty quick. Anyone who was smart saved theirs until late.

Wish I'd kept Greed over Erebos; the life matters and his other stuff does not.

June 1, 2015 7:47 a.m.

Bulwer says... #7

OK, played 4 games, all 5-6 players. Got a couple of kills and no wins, though a misplay cost me one.* Devoted Druid + Quillspike works very nicely. Green Sun's Zenith + Dryad Arbor is absolutely as good as advertised, and in general, I had all my pieces at least once a game. Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero is a solid addition, too.

And not that this is news to anyone except filthy casuals like me, but damn are Necropotence and Birthing Pod fun to play. Pod especially rewards you for knowing every creature in your deck, which makes it really gratifying when you use it to pull out a solution.

In other "good cards are good" news, Eternal Witness: Very Useful. Ooh, and I used my shiny new Demonic Tutor. What I'm sayin' is, anyone who says you can't buy your way to being better at Magic is sorely mistaken. The $25 worth of cards I mentioned in these last two paragraphs are a serious kick in the pants to my ability to win EDH games.

* Okay, here's how I messed up: I had Vedalken Orrery out and needed to respond to an attacker or lose. I flashed in Doran, the Siege Tower to block, and I should have flashed in Daru Spiritualist and Shuko and been able to attack for lethal the turn after. Oh well.

June 1, 2015 9:05 p.m.

YOU GET A FOLDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 1, 2015 9:16 p.m.

Bulwer says... #9

Aw yiss

June 1, 2015 9:19 p.m.

enpc says... #10

Bulwer: Yeah, as far as the "my deck is worth more than yours", money does make a difference in play. I always laugh when people want to build top tier decks "on a budget". You can build something similar, but it will always be slower than the more expensive to buy alternatives.

On the note of Birthing Pod, for combo decks especially its super important to know your deck. Thats usualyl why I don't lend my Saffi Eriksdotter deck out to other players, especially newer ones - the deck is super non-linear and unless you know it intimately you don't really have a chance of playing it properly. I think the only person I would trust to play the deck properly is my girlfriend, and thats since I bounce most card choice ideas off of her.

But it sounds like you're learning your deck more which is super good. And it means you'll be more suited in a wide variety of matchups.

Out of curiosity, why are your running Vendetta over something like Path to Exile? it hits less targets and the life-loss can be quite high (if you're trying to kill a Kozilek, Butcher of Truth or something).

June 1, 2015 9:39 p.m.

Bulwer says... #11

Because I didn't have a Path to Exile until yesterday, when I opened a Primeval Titan and promptly traded for one. Thanks for reminding me!

June 1, 2015 9:41 p.m.

Bulwer says... #12

enpc, that is. Forgot to tag you in that last one.

Oh, the other thing is that I traded for a Fauna Shaman, so that's gotta find a place. That and my shiny new terribly-beat-up Sylvan Library.

June 2, 2015 2:25 p.m.

Bulwer says... #13

Greed --> Sylvan LibraryIncreasing Ambition --> Fauna Shaman

This means I need more green. Fellwar Stone --> Selesnya Signet. Maybe I can make room for an elf.

June 2, 2015 11:21 p.m.

Bulwer says... #14

June 2, 2015 11:39 p.m.

Bulwer says... #15

Orzhov Signet --> Llanowar Elves. Need more creatures for Fauna Shaman and Birthing Pod. Don't need B or W.

June 2, 2015 11:59 p.m.