Mayael's Wild Pair-ty

Commander / EDH MindAblaze

SCORE: 68 | 245 COMMENTS | 22563 VIEWS | IN 41 FOLDERS


Small tweaks —Jan. 5, 2014

Sylvan Tutor out Survival of the Fittest in. I'm playing around with more graveyard interactions and Survival makes me able to get the creature I want/need. Now.

Chromatic Lantern out, Ancient Tomb in: with this mana base the speed of the extra mana is more valuable than the color fixing.

Ohthenoises says... #1

Have you ever paired a Hellkite Charger into a Craterhoof Behemoth ? That trample could be nasty with Sword of Feast and Famine out. (The only downside to that combo is chump blockers as he has to hit for the untap effects from the sword.)

Have you considered a few ways to add more push to your creatures? Some trample enablers like Brawn or Kamahl, Fist of Krosa (Who is AMAZING if you plan on swinging with a Novablast Wurm , make all your op's lands into creatures then swing for the fences) could help to push some damage through. (Giving an Engulfing Slagwurm trample guarantees 7 damage if they take it or block it.)

I would seriously add Kamahl, Fist of Krosa just because you are going to run into a LOT of board wipes when playing Mayael the Anima decks because people will want to shut you down early. Kamahl, Fist of Krosa says "Ok. You want to wipe my field? Lets make you pay for it."

October 7, 2012 10:24 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #2

Kamahl, Fist of Krosa would be disgusting! Especially when I add Chromatic Lantern and can use any untapped land to turn people's lands into creatures, thank you! That's awesome.

And yes, Hellkite Charger into Craterhoof Behemoth is great, if I can somehow equip a Sword of Feast and Famine to the charger it's win country.

What would I cut for Kamahl?

October 7, 2012 10:30 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #3

I'm actually not all that impressed with Krosan Tusker . He's a Wild Pair loner, he doesn't have any type of evasion or push and all he amounts to something almost worse than Horizon Spellbomb that COULD be a body. Kinda meh if you ask me.

October 7, 2012 10:36 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #4

For me, Krosan Tusker is basically a green Divination that always draws me a land. I see where you're coming from on that one. I'll test it, I do like ramp though lol.

October 7, 2012 10:43 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #5

It's not really ramp. It puts it in your hand. (Insert "It puts the lotion in the basket" joke here.) I'd classify ramp as something that gives you positive gain on the field. Knotvine Mystic , Birds of Paradise , card:Avacyn's Pilgrim, Cultivate are all positive gain in that you put an extra "mana" on the field. (These are my personal musings on the subject of ramp.)

Kamahl, Fist of Krosa not only hoses Wrath of God style players but he also provides that extra push that your creatures are lacking. Big bodies yes, flying yes, but no way to get through if they have chumps like Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek .

October 7, 2012 10:54 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #6

You make a good point. I'm thinking one loner out for another in. No big loss. I just cut Overwhelming Stampede , so aside from Craterhoof and Titanic Ultimatum I didnt have anything to provide that final oomph to get me through.

October 7, 2012 11:20 p.m.

If you haven't been eyeing some of the new RtR cards, I'd suggest at least Guild Feud . You seem to love cheating in fatties like the rest of us and tutoring for that perfect enchantment. You also have a decent amount of Dragons so maybe Utvara Hellkite could find some love.

October 8, 2012 4:21 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #8

@ChiefWannaHacka

Utvara Hellkite is sweet! I don't know what I'd take out though, Akroma? I am also considering cutting Pandemonium but I'm not sure yet, my big creatures come in pairs so they hit hard. With Asceticism they're pretty hard to kill.

Guild Feud is another one I had been actually thinking about, just wasn't sure about. I'd probably hit with a fair bit of consistency, I do like actually casting my creatures though. It wouldn't be very fun to lose one of those duels either, unless my creature happened to be Academy Rector .

October 8, 2012 6:31 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #9

Depends on your playgroup. If you play v.s. Sharuum the Hegemon you should win a lot. On the other hand, v.s. Omnath, Locus of Mana you're gonna have a bad time.

October 8, 2012 6:50 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #10

To be honest I'm still in the process of convincing my playgroup to build EDH. My one buddy plays The Mimeoplasm but he moved. My playgroup is Cockatrice at this point. Hard to metagame for that, so the deck is pretty much tooled to do what it does best; cheat in big creatures and blast away.

October 8, 2012 7:23 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #11

In that case I wouldn't include it as many players will run Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre and Kozilek, Butcher of Truth for the reshuffle and for the fact that if they resolve and stick they win games.

October 8, 2012 7:28 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #12

Yeah, and the Avacyn/Sigarda combo only holds them off for so long.

October 8, 2012 7:34 p.m.

@ jminute14 Ahhhh I see your problem then with Guild Feud , my playgroup doesn't have any crazy eldrazi gods running around in it. I have the fattest fatties, and in my own deck I focus on cheating them in more so it works for me, along with Lurking Predators or Quicksilver Amulet . I also have a cheezy +1/+1 counter sub-theme paired with card:Mayael's Aria.

October 8, 2012 9:11 p.m.

MR H3AT says... #14

For whom the bell tolls, time marches on.=]So I think that both Iona, Shield of Emeria , Utvara Hellkite , and Angel of Serenity could all find use in here. Just not sure where.

October 9, 2012 12:23 a.m.

MindAblaze says... #15

All three of those cards seem awesome. I'm part Spike, part Johnny and always Vorthos, so the two angels feel really good and the dragon makes too much noise to not play. But the question is always what to take out...I have a couple of iffy creatures but that pushes my high end up a little more...and I am also taking Wild Pair into consideration...

What do you think of Linvala, Keeper of Silence ?

I love me some Metallica lol.

October 9, 2012 12:36 a.m.

MR H3AT says... #16

Metallica is awesome. So I'm not really sure how much value you put into Stonforge Mystic in this deck, but to me it seems just a little out of place.

I have found that when ever I see Novablast Wurm it usually does more harm than good in EDH. I love the card and I think that its ability is really funny, it just seems to do too much damage. I have noticed that 5/5, 6/6, and 7/7 are your most popular power/toughness for your creatures. Wild Pair would still see lots of use if you survive a few turns after you play it. Iona and utvara would make all sorts of fun little angel/dragon babies if they could find a spot. If you play Inferno Titan from your hand with Wild Pair already down, then you could get Utvara Hellkite just like that. Iona is the greatest lockdown card IMO so if it ever gets played then you should be able to destroy the most important opponents.

October 9, 2012 12:49 a.m.

MindAblaze says... #17

Inferno Titan is one of those cards who I've been considering cutting, but I do have many other 6/6s to cast as tutors. His lightning bolt is often too weak for the format, but mana dorks and utility creatures tend to get toasted so I'm torn. Of course hoards of dragons will win me the game faster than lightning bolts.

Stoneforge Mystic is a recent addition who I am interested in giving a chance. It's a tutor for Sword of Feast and Famine , which is part of one of my win conditions, and it can grab Swiftfoot Boots if I need the hexproof.

Novablast Wurm is another one that may prove expendable. But it's one of my only wrath effects. If you've ever had Dauntless Escort +Sun Titan +Novablast Wurm it feels good. But you're right, most often it's gimmicky and I don't want to attack with him.

October 9, 2012 10:28 a.m.

MindAblaze says... #18

Turn four Avacyn, Angel of Hope off Mayael's ability combined with a Worldly Tutor and a Swiftfoot Boots out is pretty mean on turn four.

October 14, 2012 4:06 p.m.

EnjoySaeli says... #19

My buddy runs the deck with Primal Surge as his only instant/sorcery. How I see it, the instants/sorceries draw away from more fatties. Before yo say that Prime Surge is bad in EDH, ask yourself. What would it be like to be on the receiving end of a primal surge in edh?

October 19, 2012 1:03 a.m.

MindAblaze says... #20

I don't disagree with you, it could boot Genesis Wave if I had one. Primal Surge could be devastating. But the instants and sorceries help me pick out what creatures I want when I'm ready for them, and I like to have a controlled number of fatties.

October 19, 2012 1:35 a.m.

MindAblaze says... #21

Thanks for the thought and the comment!

October 19, 2012 1:49 a.m.

BerserkWin says... #22

I have a Mayael EDH deck too, and I think your list is a little light on land searchers. You have a few great ones included, but, personally, I think you need more (especially for a Genesis Wave ), like: card:Kodama's Reach, Skyshroud Claim , Explosive Vegetation , and maybe even Growth Spasm and Collective Voyage . Of all those, I'd say go with Skyshroud Claim first because it can fetch your shock lands that can tap for green (because they are also Forests). I like Thran Dynamo for mana ramp too. They're kinda pricey, but I would suggest Mana Reflection and/or card:Mirari's Wake too - both of which you can tutor for. I think in Mayael EDH you want to A)Be able to play your fatties the old-fashioned way and do so before you take a beating from opponents' cheaper creatures, and B)Cheat the fatties into play. Mana ramp will help with part A, and as for part B...

I see your Elvish Piper , Defense of the Heart , and Wild Pair "cheaters" (cheating fatties into play), but it looks like you're relying heavily on Mayael, herself. If Mayael gets killed a lot and becomes too expensive to play (goes back to the needing a ton of mana and therefore ramp) or gets locked down, I think there are a few more cheaters that should go in. The one I can't speak highly enough of is Lurking Predators . That card is ridiculously good. Every friggin' time an opponent plays ANY spell, you reveal topdeck and have a chance at a free fatty. Amazing. If you disgaree with all of my other suggestions, just please try a Lurking Predators. Quicksilver Amulet is stupid-good too. Really cheap, and I've been very surprised how long it sits on the table without getting destroyed in my meta. I'm testing Guild Feud currently and it looks to be a promising cheater.

I use a lot of enchantment tutors and go find either something to cheat creatures into play (usually Lurking Predators is my first pick) or, if I have some cheaters in play already, I want to go get Privileged Position . Asceticism is awesome and I wouldn't cut it, but because you've already included the 2 best (IMO) enchantment tutors in the game (Enlightened Tutor and Academy Rector ), I think you should look at another way of protecting Mayael and ALL your other permanents (not just creatures). If you end up adding a few more various enchantments, I would find room for an Idyllic Tutor too.

Another great card draw piece for Mayael is Triumph of Ferocity , which you could also tutor for.

Temple of the False God is really good too. With some added mana ramp, you shouldn't have to worry about having at least 4 other lands before Temple does anything.

Cool deck! Thanks for posting!

October 19, 2012 11:16 a.m.

Ohthenoises says... #23

I have to second Lurking Predators . I run it in Rollover Minutes and its absolutely degenerate.

October 19, 2012 11:22 a.m.

BerserkWin says... #24

If you like the "more land fetchers" idea, I would look at your mana dorks (like Birds of Paradise first. I'd rather have my 2 extra lands from, say, a card:Kodama's Reach than a more vulnerable mana source creature. Also, thinning your library of more lands gives you a higher probability of not blanking when you activate Mayael.

October 19, 2012 11:22 a.m.

BerserkWin says... #25

And Cream of the Crop might as well be card draw (I know it's not) because when you drop a 6/6, you get to dig and choose what you're drawing next or set up for Mayael. Awesome, and yet another enchantment you can tutor for.

Sorry for all the posts.

October 19, 2012 11:31 a.m.