The Ten Plagues: Locust God cEDH [PRIMER]

Commander / EDH Daedalus19876

SCORE: 829 | 487 COMMENTS | 131991 VIEWS | IN 307 FOLDERS


Major(ish) Changes! —Aug. 13, 2017

The deck is getting faster. Much faster. It consistently kills T4 average now.

With this in mind, I adjusted the balance of the deck a bit.

IN: Memory Jar, Lotus Petal, Mind Over Matter, Kindred Discovery, Arcane Denial, Stifle, Snapback

OUT: Izzet Boilerworks, Neheb, the Eternal, Tolarian Winds, Arjun, the Shifting Flame, Enter the Infinite, Molten Disaster, Pull from Tomorrow

narshol says... #1

If you want to go to end deck damage, run curiosity. Put it on Niv-Mizzet and each damage, you draw a card. Make sure you run something like Elixir of immortality to recycle your graveyard.

July 31, 2017 9:18 p.m.

canderson107 says... #2

Daedalus19876 I have not been able to get my hands on a Sneak Attack yet.

August 2, 2017 1 a.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #3

narshol: I was running it for a while, but it's dead without Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, so out it went!

canderson107: Let me know how it is, once you do!

August 2, 2017 1:50 a.m.

narshol says... #4

@Daedalus, I have it in there as an alternate Win. I don't use it all the time, but if they come up near each other in the deck, it's not a bad way to go.

August 4, 2017 6:22 p.m.

LeoSushi says... #5

August 5, 2017 10:08 p.m.

Msg_magic says... #6

@deadalus I commented a lot of pages ago about combustible gearhulk should be in here. I've gone and built me a locust god deck, and I took him out. Too many other good cards out there.

August 7, 2017 8:48 p.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #7

Msg_magic: Yeah, that's my problem too. I'm even having trouble finding space for that new 1-card combo in C17...

August 9, 2017 12:56 a.m.

Klancik says... #8

Daedalus19876: if you're talking about Kindred Discovery I believe that combo would mill you out. Since it doesn't say you "May" draw a card.

August 9, 2017 10:46 p.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #9

Klancik: I'd need to play Snapback as well to be able to terminate the combo, even if I have no mana open.

August 9, 2017 11:35 p.m.

RazortoothMtg says... #10

Daedalus19876: Having a Laboratory Maniac out before works, or if you don't have it in hand a Leyline of Anticipation/Vedalken Orrery out means you can flash in Laboratory Maniac in response to the trigger when you have no more cards in your library. Although adding Snapback works, it just seems to feel bad when you don't have Kindred Discovery. You can also add some 1-mana removal spell like Pongify or Rapid Hybridization so you only have to leave up when you go off.

August 9, 2017 11:43 p.m.

TheRedGoat says... #11

Okay, so I have a possible card suggestion in regards to the "decking yourself" problem in the form of Words of War or also Words of Wind. Additional problem to this is I'm unable to begin guessing where you would make space for either one in addition to Laboratory Maniac (if you even found it worth it). Truthfully I'm more concerned about finding space for Leyline of Anticipation and/or Vedalken Orrery, but the above comments distracted me.

For the way you have your build set up, I'm personally curious how Breath of Fury is able to go infinite the way you describe when you have, as far as I can tell, no way to guarantee that the enchanted creature is getting damage in each time. I might also wonder if, in regards to Faithless Looting in particular, you might not be better off with more spell recursion effects like that of Mystic Retrieval or even Recoup? If nothing else, wouldn't Kozilek be able to be replaced by say Hostility or Guile in regards to the shuffle effect? "Butcher of Wallets" is just as apt a name for Kozilek in this instance.

Lastly, I noticed some people have suggested Curiosity, even though Ophidian Eye is better, to go with your Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, but with Purphorous possibly being a creature at the same time that you have the your commander, he can wield the enchantment/s just as effectively as the dragon (I think). As a side note, cause I got curious and distracted again, Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius + Illusionist's Bracers + The Locust God + Phyrexian Altar will win the game/clear the board. That also works if you had Mycosynth Lattice and Ashnod's Altar (or I guess Krark-Clan Ironworks at that point) instead of the bracer's and phyrexian altar.

Btw, I don't have it on the site yet, but I am trying to brew a more casual creature-centric locsut swarming deck. I'd love to get your opinion on it later if you're up to it by (estimated time who knows when).

August 10, 2017 3:25 a.m.

LordNazahn says... #12

I have 2 suggestions I like in my Locust deck:

Aggravated Assault: with Neheb or infinite mana this is a win con with the swarm, other times the extra combat is just nice to have

Mind Over Matter: honestly I play this for the fact that it is a discard outlet, but the ability to untap helps as well. A little high on the curve but sometimes discarding that Eldrazi is all I need to save myself.

Love this commander, love this deck, looks amazing +1

August 11, 2017 6:55 p.m.

Daedalus19876 says... #13

I agree that having Laboratory Maniac in play beforehand (or Purphoros, God of the Forge, or a Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind) does the trick with the Kindred Discovery combo, but that's just ASKING for removal to kill me. I want an instant I can cast from hand that can terminate the loop, and I want to be able to cast it even when tapped out. This leaves me 3 options: Pyrokinesis, Snapback, or Simian Spirit Guide+Red Elemental Blast. Of those three, I like Snapback because it's also decent as an answer for a Blightsteel Colossus or Protean Hulk or what-have-you, even when I'm tapped out. I got to kill a Kaalia deck with Snapback yesterday, so I'm not unhappy with how it's playing so far haha.
Thanks for your continued thoughts on the deck haha! IN order:

I don't like Leyline of Anticipation much TBH. It's always a "cute" card that doesn't actually give me enough advantage to matter :(

Breath of Fury's combo works as long as at least one player has no flyers (very likely in 4-to-5-player), because I can keep hitting that player with the enchanted Locust while my other Locusts swing at other players.

With regards to Faithless Looting vs recursion, this deck is getting increasingly fast, to the point where I am consistently winning T4 or earlier. In that light, the mana needed for the recursion spells is too high.

With regards to Kozilek, Butcher of Truth vs Hostility - Hostility only works in half of the combos, I'm afraid. It won't let you go infinite with Skullclamp, and it cripples your combo with Kindred Discovery. The biggest effect, however, is that you can't use discarding him as a source of recursion. When I have infinite draw but no win-con left in my deck (which happens a LOT) I can discard Kozilek, Butcher of Truth to functionally put my GY into my hand. Hostility won't let you do that :( Finally, you can't cast Hostility off of Ashnod's Altar and/or Mana Echoes. All in all, I really suggest biting the bullet and buying a copy, I'm afraid. He's pretty central to the deck's strategies.

Curiosity (and by extension, Ophidian Eye) are too situational when I don't have Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind out. I love the idea of pairing them with Purphoros, but he's virtually never a creature :( I only have 17 devotion to red in the entire deck! I am, however, going to put in Mind Over Matter, which does combo with Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind ;)

And when you post your more creature-centric build, please link me! I'd love to take a look hahahaha.

DarkEclipse18: Thanks for both suggestions! I was actually planning on putting in Mind Over Matter already haha (hadn't finished the next update lol), and I'll definitely consider Aggravated Assault :) Mind re-clicking that upvote button, though? It didn't seem to have worked the first time.

August 12, 2017 1:15 p.m.

Micocoulier says... #14

I have finally played my version of this deck against my play group ... I know I already suggested this card to you but ... Rites of Initiation is insane in this deck !!!! Here is my deck list : The Loco Locust

August 12, 2017 9:13 p.m.