Thanks for sharing this great deck!Been following your work for quite a while and this one here lead me build my own Nekusar.Two cards i really like in my build that could suit yours aswell: Phyresis and Grip of Chaos.

The first one is instadeath to all if remains unanswered, the second can ensure that people dont find answers and suitable removal, it really messed up opposing gameplans.

+1

oops, i meant Possibility Storm, forget about the grip..

Really didnt like that thing until a friend forced me to test it. worked everytime i played it - i can see people be sceptical about it though.

Pardon my idiocy, but why is Mind Over Matter such a staple in your deck? How do you use it with Niv-mizzet?

Thanks

Hey, thanks for the comment DrownBot for the suggestions! Phyresis and the like (Tainted Strike)are certainly on my radar, because they can be so devastating. I don't currently use them, as my meta already sees this deck as volatile. As for Possibility Storm, I could consider using it if I dropped some of my counterspells.

GarthaLeBleu: Mind Over Matter has many uses in this deck. With Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, I can tap Niv to draw a card, deal a damage, discard the card to untap Niv, rinse and repeat. I can do it with Temple Bell as well! to mill everyone. Other uses are to empty out my hand and untap mana while a spell like Wheel of Fortune is on the stack. These are just a handful of some of its uses. Hope that helps explain it a little.

Thank you Alizer313! That clears up alot! Would have never thought to discard cards so you can untap lands while Wheel of Fortune is on the stack. That gives you a huge advantage over your opponents, as you can now cast whatever you drew. Nice!

Also, one more question if you don't mind...Who do you encode Whispering Madness with once it resolves? Not with Nekusar, as he does not inflict combat damage with his ability?

Anytime, GarthaLeBleu, I am really happy to answer your questions! You're right about the cipher on Whispering Madness in that it requires combat damage. The cipher effect is really a bonus, while the spell itself is the main focus. Paying an extra black to get a Windfall that could resolve again is worth it to me. I usually encode in onto Nekusar, the Mindrazer (occasionally a flier like Consecrated Sphinx). However, triggering the cipher doesn't always happen, because I can't usually swing with Nekusar safely. But, if I were to Cyclonic Rift, or something, then... that's an entirely different story.

Thanks again for answering my question. Really appreciate it:)I'm strongly thinking of building this deck. Will be a fun experience indeed!P.S. Have you considered adding Psychosis Crawler?

Alizer313 I have been following this deck for quite some time. This deck has been an inspiration for me and is well built! I was wondering what sort of luck you have with this build in 1 vs 1?

I run a similar build to this, but over time i have removed cards like Elder Mastery, Helm of the Ghastlord, Curiosity and Ophidian Eye and replaced them with Waste Not, Megrim, Liliana's Caress, Leyline of the Void, Leyline of Anticipation. The main reason for doing so is the "2 for 1" removal effect my opponents get when they kill an enchanted Nekusar. In my meta, Nekusar is killed almost instantly so I started looking for ways to win even if I never cast Nekusar. By separating the pain from Nekusar, I am trying to force them to use more removal. I also ended up dropping almost all my "fork" like effects.

I am looking to play in a 1 vs 1 tournament next weekend and was looking at maybe bringing back the Helm of the Ghastlord and either Ophidian Eye or Curiosity in place of Waste Not and Megrim and making room to add back in the forks.

I know it is nearly impossible to give good advice when I haven't posted my deck here, but knowing how your build runs in 1 vs 1 would help me figure out if I am on the right path.

Hey there Cerealkillah, thanks for the comment and supportive feedback. I'll try to help you as much as I can by offering my experiences in 1v1.

This deck has stuck pretty solid in 1v1 games. However, to make it more competitive, I'll agree with you and run things over Elder Mastery and Ophidian Eye, due to their heavy cost. Stifle would be a good card to throw in, perhaps a strong single target discard spell too like Hymn to Tourach. In the 1v1 games I've played, Helm of the Ghastlord still strikes as a winning card, when it is played at the right time. Curiosity is a card I can't leave home without, due to the synergy it has with most, if not all, cards in my deck. I heavily suggest it, especially if you're running cards like Fate Unraveler and Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind. Fork effects can certainly be useful in 1v1 play, but I personally wouldn't run any more than two.

The largest issues I face when going in 1v1 is usually against another control deck. Cavern of Souls, Riptide Laboratory, and Boseiju, Who Shelters All are the best suggestions I can offer, because lands are difficult to remove or stop. If this interests you, I'd perhaps recommend a Tolaria West to have a uncounterable way to grab these utility lands, maybe even an Expedition Map. Occasionally, I sometimes can run out of card drawing steam, and that can put you in a pickle. Aside from control, I've outlasted brutal Xenagos, God of Revels aggro builds, combo-riddled Ghave, Guru of Spores, and voltron Sigarda, Host of Herons. The best thing you can do is know your audience. Understanding the meta can make or break a deck. (Also, a bunch of tutors never hurt.)

I hope I was able to help a little bit. Let me know if you have any further questions, and I hope you have a lot of fun at that tournament.

Alizer313 - Thank you for your feedback! I think we are looking at things in the same light. I got my hind-end handed to me by a Maelstrom Wanderer deck in the "store qualifier" last night. I did hold up well against the other decks I played and feel like there is hope.

Here's to getting cards here before next Saturday!

I just wanted to drop by and show you what I came up with, Alizer313.

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/the-mindrazers-gamble/

The Mindrazer's Gamble

Sweet deck, Nekusar is a commander I'd love to build but I can't ever make a good deck out of lol.

Have you considered adding Underworld Dreams for extra Nekusar effects? Maybe Strionic Resonator to copy Nekusar's ability also.

Chasm Skulker looks like it could get a bit crazy in a build like this.

Again, great deck. +1

I think that Delay and Memory Lapse are somewhat subpar in here. You can probably devote those slots to other ways of protecting yourself. Cards like Propaganda can give you some leeway against aggressive decks, and cards like Meekstone can slow them down. You could also consider Devastation Tide as a blowout card to reset the board if it is getting too crazy, plus it works well with Winds of Change type effects.

I also love seeing Magus of the Jar in these builds. Not the most competitive suggestion, but he is a card that most people forget about.

Hey I just copied this decklist yesterday and made modifications (for one to get the price of it down).

I have a version based on this that is around $200.

Just noticed you made changes today and wanted to ask you about some of them.

Why drop counterspells?I had dropped a lot of the counterspells too, but am having second thoughts figuring that with few creatures in the deck, I would need more control. I also added more board wipes that weren't Damnation. So I put in Consume the Meek because there are lots of token decks in my group, and Plague Wind, Pox.

I noticed you added in a Nightscape Familiar as well as Cascade Bluffs and Rakdos Signet and Talisman of Indulgence. Is Red mana hard to come by? Are red spells more important? Is Nightscape Familiar used because of its regenerate so you have a chump blocker?

Have you thought about adding a Heartless Hidetsugu to this deck to halve life totals, making the burn easier? This is also great for chaos.

Would you consider Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves and Darksteel Plate for this deck?

I think this deck requires Wound Reflection or Gratuitous Violence do you think they have a place in this deck?

In my version I decided to remove Ophidian Eye and Curiosity because these cards' value lies in the combo with Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, but outside of that have little card value when compared to Underworld Dreams, Crosis's Charm or Cabal Ritual.

Is Well of Ideas a good card for this deck or does it lack value in that it is almost as good as Teferi's Puzzle Box, and therefore just as annoying to draw when you can't combo with it?

Also Trinket Mage seems underwhelming even with artifact lands seeing as you'll only fetch up Sensei's Divining Top, why not use Fabricate?

Is there more place for flashback helpers like Recoup?

Stakes Razed

Oh I should add that No Mercy is amazing in this, and I was toying with the idea of adding a Propaganda to try to allow less creatures to attack.

ramen44: Sorry for the delayed response, I've been updating the description.

I dropped some counterspells that I found to be irrelevant in my meta, especially since they've become so accustomed to them. Mostly, its a meta choice.

You picked some pretty good fieldwipes on your budget. If you want some cool ideas for other fieldwipes, you could try Blasphemous Act, Evacuation, Life's Finale or Toxic Deluge. They're a bit more affordable and still really effective.

Nightscape Familiar acts as a mana rock that can block. Rakdos Signet and Talisman of Indulgence were thrown in in place of two lands mostly to curve the deck and make it slightly faster.

Heartless Hidetsugu is on the same playing field as Spiteful Visions. It makes the game faster, but it also makes you more vulnerable. I don't know if I would run it myself.

Equipment to protect Nekusar would certainly be valid options, but as of yet, I haven't felt a strong need for them. The low creature utility is the real culprit there.

Wound Reflection and Gratuitous Violence are strong effects, but with demanding mana costs. I'll test them and see what I think of them.

Curiosity effects are fantastic with Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, to be sure, but they are extremely useful when you're aching for card draw. Even if Nekusar lives long enough to see one opponent draw two cards, Curiosity was a close Ancestral Recall.

Well of Ideas would certainly be a good inclusion for a friendlier deck.

Trinket Mage can grab a plethora of useful cards. Aside from Sensei's Divining Top and the artifact lands that you mentioned, he can grab Sol Ring, Library of Leng, Mana Vault, and Meekstone. Plus, the chances that he could show up with Riptide Laboratory aren't too slim, giving him more value. Fabricate could be a nice inclusion as well, if there were more artifacts, but I would use Tezzeret the Seeker first.

Recoup would be alright I suppose, as would Mystic Retrieval.

No Mercy is a fantastic card, but I wouldn't run it in fear that my meta would get the idea to use it against me.

Thanks for your input, I'll check out your deck too and leave my own ideas if you'd like.

Would love if you checked out my version: Stakes Razed.

I think Mystic Retrieval is underrated, it's one of the more enjoyable cards to wheel away.

If you think Trinket Mage is cool, try Tezzeret the Seeker out.

For -0 you can pull the artifact lands or other 0 cost artifacts. In the last few weeks, I have gone on a 0 casting cost buying spree to try and speed Nekusar up. Here is what I have come up with. After a few matches, I am pretty happy with where I am landed.

The wheels on the short bus go round and round

You probably should add Forced Fruition for ridiculous card draw for your opponent xD

Would you say this deck is better suited for one v one or multiplayer?

Multiplayer. I don't think you can get Nekusar to the point he is effective 1 vs 1. He is too expensive to cast and doesn't just outright provide a huge advantage. I tried 1 vs 1 with him...it just doesn't seem feasible.

Well he can be 1v1 but it takes like $300 in mana rocks to get him fast enough see check mine out Did you brain your hurt when you down fell? it's the Mana Crypt and Grim Monolith and moxes that cost the the most and you NEED Waste Not to get a T2 kill with Nekuzar

Hey, sorry for the delayed response everyone, I've been having some computer troubles.

This deck is flexible enough to be 1v1, but it does shine a bit more in multiplayer. The combos carry the deck for either or. Honestly, I can't judge competitive 1v1 that well, as most people I play 1v1 with have decks that are at this deck's level or less. I'm certain there are competitive ways to build Nekusar though.