This is my WUBRG Angel tribal. Inspired by one of my favorite Anime of all time.
Overpower the board with high powered angels at the low low cost of a rainbow. With a group hug subtheme, this deck will surely have you seen as a benevolent force to be reckoned with.
It's unnecessarily powerful but kept in check with a group hug subtheme (and you know, holding back). By the time your opponents realize your not what you seem. You will practically be God capable of removing any player that opposes you, then they'll have no choice but to be your friend.
In all seriousness. This deck was never supposed to be so powerful. It was supposed to be a genuine multiplayer friendly angel midrange deck based on my favorite Anime, but this is cool too.
the gimmick
This deck is built around an incredibly tight gimmick. Angels.
All notable exclusions I'll be going over later are summarized with:
if it isn't an angel, doesn't make an angel, isn't about angels, it's not going in the deck
The only tokens this deck is capable of making are angels. with some exclusions, the only permanents in this deck are angel based, and except for the Commander, every creature is an angel.
The only removal this deck is capable of is exile. I know this is messed up but when I think of an angel I think of awesome power and immolation, angels woudn't destroy, they'd annihilate.
this deck is for you if
- You love gimmick decks
- You enjoy nonlinear strategies
- You like interacting with, and helping other players
- You enjoy a chill playstyle with no infinites, complicated combos, or unsatisfying wincons
- You have or want a God complex
you'll hate this deck if
- Your not a fan of helping your opponents In any way
- You don't want to stick out in the table/ be the archenemy
- You hate the tight restrictions of this gimmick in particular
- You want an action packed playstyle
- You prefer to win by any means (multiple wincons)
Pilot summary
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early game:
Hold off on anything major. Play as many lands as possible untill you have enough for Jodah. With occasional group hug spells make some friends. Don't worry about your life, you'll get that back real fast.
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mid game:
Using Jodah, play spells. Lots of synergy among your angels, mix and match them for fun outcomes. Utilizing a plethora of angel themed cards, it's very likely you won't even need the big spells!
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end game:
Combat damage being the only main wincon by choice, pulling it off isn't a problem in the slightest. You'll either have every angel on the field at this point, or your opponent concedes. Admittedly building up to endgame God status is the most fun part, achieving endgame God status is the most boring. You could also win at instant speed most times with Maze's end but that wincon is just a byproduct of having the guildgates.
optimal starting hand
The most important part of any deck is the opening hand. Because this deck is a little unique, relying on attacking only late game, the opening hand will need to be something like:
As bizarre as this hand looks. This is as God hand as a God hand can get. You don't need a single creature for your opening hand the entirety of early game is card draw and setup.
early game
Becasue this deck was originally made of cards in my collection. It's land base is just guildgates, arguably the most powerful aspect of the deck.
For the first 5-7 of your turns it'll be pretty boring. Throwing down guildgates and maybe sometimes Growth Spiral. Lands like Gond Gate, Baldur's Gate, The World Tree, and Crystal Quarry help to fix and accelerate your Mana. Very fast and effectively might I add. War Room is also included in the deck. 5 life for a single card sounds like a ripoff but the decks lifegain subtheme will cover it. As often as possible, cast the group hug spells like Howling Mine, Temple Bell, and Ghirapur Orrery to show that you are, in fact, not the archenemy here. The extra card draws help increase the chances of you playing a land every turn. Very rarely neccesary but absolutely recommended is Smothering Tithe. With the amount of card draws you'll be providing the table, you'll be litterally smothered in Treasure tokens. Because Edh is a diplomatic format, and because I think its fun, I've only included tutors and card draws that share the wealth.
be my friend or else
Everyone wants cards. Who's not gonna want to tap out. Best part is, you might have a Smothering Tithe. Regardless more cards in hand means higher chance at better big spells.
Tap out. I've never once had an opponent counter this spell they have no choice it's too good to pass up. Your first tutor will be Morophon, the Boundless, the rest is up to you. If you cant cast Morophon the same turn and you don't have a max hand size, depending on your boardstate, discard most of your creatures. I'll tell you why later.
You only have one of each basic land in your deck. No reason specific I just think it's cool Voltroning all the basics as a sort of side quest. Early game it's pretty helpful, if you get lucky, even if the table collectively pay for more Mana than you have lands, 5, you'll have the WUBRG for your first Jodah spell instantly.
Target an opponent who looks like he's gunning for your head. Early game it's a good negotiation piece.
90% of the time you won't need the cards from this. Just casually pay 1 life and let everyone fight for it. Be a jerk and top the bid if it isn't as high as you'd like.
My table consists of only 3 people so everyone gets one tutor. Just a friendly card that's about it.
You can either target the ugly duckling of the table, or befriend the 2nd biggest threat of the table. The 1st being you of course
Sometimes I like to be a nice guy and pass it to a player who's having trouble. Sometimes they don't like to give it back. I point to my Legacy Weapon and 30 open Mana of any color. You dare abuse God's gift?
I really like interacting with other players so cards like these I think are really fun to play with. Who's gonna participate? What's your opponent tutoring?
mid game
Assuming you at least have Jodah out. This means setup is done. I don't reccomend casting Jodah unless either you know for sure he isn't a target and/or you can WUBRG a spell right after.
There are a few cards I cant stress enough are better to cast as soon as possible
Highly highly recommended. You get 10 lands but these are what I always go for:
Deserted Temple,
Minamo, School at Water's Edge,
Baldur's Gate,
Reliquary Tower,
The World Tree,
Gond Gate,
random guildgates
You can get insane amounts of Mana with a baulders gate/deserted Temple combo as well as Minamo/Timeless Lotus/Deserted Temple combo. I'm not too sure if it works like this but with Gond Gate all Guild gates that enter the field with Reshape the Earth are overwritten and enter untapped.
As vital as this might seem, I've won about 3 games so far where I never drew Reshape the Earth. Originally I thought it was a requirement in playing the deck but I've since been proven wrong heh.
A new card I'm very glad exists now. One free spell every turn? WUBRG Casting from the top of my library untill I run out of WUBRG or hit a land? What's not to love.
Self explanatorily. I very rarely use the draw ability as most of the time it's just 3, or I have a better draw engine by then, but the WUBRG and the 'Mana of any color' ability is what I live for.
One gives you the 5, the other let's your opponents choose from the 5, doesn't matter, still op. You can very easily get essential pieces and game ending permanents. I like.
There's 2 ways to go about abusing this card.
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If you DO have Reliquary Tower, pay all but 10 of your life, in a perfect world that would mean 30 cards. At that point it's pretty much over as you'll most likely have access to cards like One with the Multiverse, all the ultimatums, Reshape the Earth, and a collection of angels that are too dangerous to be kept alive. One essential angel to make this all worth it. Resolute Archangel.
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If you DO NOT have Reliquary Tower. Use it as a casual draw engine untill someone tries to remove it. Once that happens, in responce, perform step 1. Because you don't have a reliquary tower. Uh oh. You have to discard. But nothing gets exiled today your opponent is a fool. Discard all of your permanents save for essentials you'll need for the moment. If your lucky one particular card would've been draw, Eerie Ultimatum slap the opponent who removed Necropotence in the face with it. Odds are Resolute Archangel was somewhere in there too.
end game
By this point you have an established boardstate, complete with an unmanageable land base, and your deck left with scraps of various cards that aren't of any use this far in.
The only win condition by choice is combat damage. I have to also point out that Maze's End Has a wincon at instant speed that, at most times, is available, but I mean you can be a loser if you want and end the game like that it's cool ig.
There isn't much of a game plan this far in. Getting to God status is the fun part, becoming God really isn't. You have Angel's Grace In the event that you somehow drop to 0.
Other than that I don't really know what to say... I hope you had fun. If you haven't made it this far you've lost.
notable inclusions
Surprisingly useful. Early game when your talking general damage using it usually gives it back. More effective late game with cards that look for life gained you get some angels at end of turn.
This has screwed more than I'd like to admit but it's just so fun. Mid/late game when you have an "any color" effect like The World Tree or Chromatic Lantern you can tap vale for its replacement Mana instead, allowing you to keep it. Neat right?
I've gotten SO many questions as to why I keep this card. It's because she's cool. She reminds me of nymph from heavens lost property. Best girl. Favorite character. Flat is justice.
When achieving God status I like to bestow angelic reinforcement to a player about to get absolutely clapped. Your completly vulnerable then depending on what your opponent had, but that's part of the fun.
notable exclusions
An unsatisfying win con. wins too fast if let on the field early and the opponent not really losing life is just boring.
I've never once needed the second attack phase it's redundant. also just too much really.
paired with angels like Platinum Angel and Shalai, Voice of Plenty your unnecessarily untouchable. very boring. nothing fun about it.
angels very rarely die making this redundant. most angels made are tokens that are exempt from thus ability. and honestly putting opponents through the trouble of getting rid of your angels only to have all of them come back just feels wrong especially with the incredibly aggressive etb effect some of them have.
Self explanatory. multiple layers of untouchability that make the game not worth continuing.
This is casual and angel like. Cyclonic Rift Is not angel like.
