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The Ultimate Phalanx *PRIMER*

Commander / EDH Aggro Casual Midrange Mono-White Multiplayer Primer Soldiers

NV_1980

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Creature (30)

Land (35)

Enchantment (9)

Instant (8)

Commander (1)

Commander: Odric, Lunarch Marshal

Artifact (12)

Sorcery (4)

Planeswalker (1)

Welcome to The Ultimate Phalanx

Hi there! Welcome to the primer of this mono-white ultimate army-synergy deck, commanded by Odric, Lunarch Marshal. It aims to flood the battlefield with an army of creatures that bring a plethora of combat-abilities to bear. During combat, Odric then allocates these abilities to all forces under his command. This creates a cohesive phalanx of very versatile, hard-to-stop creatures. This deck is played in casual formats. It’s not meant to be used in a competitive fashion, but of course anyone is welcome to try! Feel free to comment on anything you (dis)like throughout this primer; hopefully you will enjoy it!

Combat abilities determine the outcome of creatures battling each other; in many cases more so than the creatures’ power and toughness scores. The more abilities a creature has, the higher its chances are to exploit a weakness in the opponents’ defenses. Odric gives my forces the ultimate edge on this front. During attacks/defenses, he basically grants all my creatures all abilities that each individual creature on my side has. He has a nice, average 3 power and 3 toughness and with a starting CMC of 4 (of which only one is ), he is relatively easy to (re)cast.

The following ten parameters have been used to determine the strength of the deck. For each, a score of 5 (very good), 4 (good), 3 (mediocre), 2 (bad) or 1 (very bad) has been allocated; when totalized this score represents the power rating of the deck (maximum score is 50 points).

  • Mana: indicates the availability of mana sources within the deck.
  • Ramp: indicates the speed at which mana sources within the deck can be made available.
  • Card Advantage: indicates availability of filter- and draw resources represented within the deck.
  • Overall speed: indicates the deck’s potential for pace, based on resource availability and mana curve.
  • Combo: indicates the measure of combo-orientation of the deck.
  • Army: indicates the deck’s creature-army strength.
  • Commander: indicates how much the deck is commander-oriented/dependent (less dependency is better).
  • Interaction: indicates how much this deck can mess with opponents’ board states and turn-phases.
  • Resilience: indicates whether the deck can prevent and take punches.
  • Spellpower: indicates the availability and strength of high-impact spells.

Mana: 2

A few additional mana sources have been added aside from the deck’s lands. Two artifacts generate additional mana along with two artifacts that cheapen white spellcasting. Two enchantments that can yield mana in the form of tax are also part of the energy-arsenal.

Ramp: 3

Five options that specifically allow for the search for lands in this deck. Unfortunately, only two of these allow for the play of an additional land during a turn.

Card Advantage: 3

Aside from three options to tutor for equipment, auras or enchantments, the deck also features nine cards that will allow for draw or filter.

Overall speed: 3

The deck’s resources in terms of mana, ramp and card advantage are average, which translates into a deck featuring an average speed. Its mana curve and low average CMC help speed things up a bit beyond that.

Combo: 3

This deck does not feature many different combos, but a lot of redundancy has been built in to make sure the conditions needed for the combos featured are met regularly.

Army: 5

Special care was taken to choose creatures for this deck that present the best value for resources expended. In terms of combat abilities; versatility was the primary motivator to choose most of the creatures featured. Due to their low average CMC, it’s easy to cast several of them within a single turn and when combined with Odric they become nigh unstoppable. The creatures have been made even more formidable due to the addition of some equipment as well as three cards that provide overall boosting of power- and toughness scores.

Commander: 3

Sure, Odric brings it all together. Every single unit in the army is brought into the collective of power when he commands an attack/defense. Also, most combos within the deck work better when he is around. However, the individual creatures contained within this deck are pretty nasty by themselves and can cause some serious havoc without their commander present.

Interaction: 3

Not the deck’s primary focus, but some attention has definitely gone out to provide some; removal being the most prominent example, with eight solid options. Next in line are a set of four cards that dictates when opponents can cast their spells/use their abilities. Lastly, a few balancing-out cards have been added that ensure boons based on certain actions from opponents.

Resilience: 5

This deck’s staying power is pretty impressive. First, with Odric around during combat, all the deck’s creatures have a decent chance of benefiting from seven options that allow for the distribution of either hexproof or indestructibility (or both) amongst them. Should a wipe still occur, the deck’s wieder can use one of three options to blink its army as an evasion. Wipes that still hit can be recovered from fairly quickly through the use of up to seven different token generation methods (and two token doublers). Life lost can also be regained fairly quickly by having Odric dispense one of nine lifegain resources amongst his friends.

Spellpower: 3

In terms of high-powered spells, this deck contains a number of strong removal options (some are all-out wipes), some opportunities for card draw, a little boosting capability and a token-finisher (provided enough mana is fed into it).

Total power score: 33

The power-score of this deck can be considered above average. It lacks some resources and therefore isn’t the speediest of decks, but it is very resilient, contains decent interaction options and has one of the strongest, easy-to-build armies one could hope for. Opposing players had better be careful not to grant it too much momentum, or they’ll be overrun quickly.

The goal is to create an overwhelming board-state that fills this deck’s side of the battlefield with creatures that are almost impossible to defend against, and eventually win through good old combat damage. In order to do this, one needs to:

  1. Make available the resources needed to summon creatures; mana and card-draw.
  2. Ensure that some protection for Odric enters the field.
  3. Summon Odric.
  4. Summon and attack with the collective (and Odric).

While executing this plan, one needs to spend some effort in keeping it from being disrupted. Use removal to get rid of permanents that inhibit attacks, threaten one’s attack-force, makes one pay taxes or force one to sacrifice permanents.

At least three cards in your starting hand ought to be lands (or two lands and a Sol Ring, Land Tax, Weathered Wayfarer or Pearl Medallion). It is recommended not to start a game without this hand (even if one has to mulligan down to three cards). The ideal hand would also consist of 1-2 cards from the categories ramp, tutor, removal and collective.

The most ideal start would be with a rock or some ramp on turn 1. Sol Ring, Land Tax and Weathered Wayfarer are favorites in this regard. If one draws Enlightened Tutor or Sensei's Divining Top in one’s first hand, consider casting either of these first instead as control over the next draws can prove invaluable. Should none of these options be available, one might be able to cast a CMC1 member from the collective (which could be Battlefield Raptor, Healer's Hawk, Serra Ascendant or Swooping Lookout). During these first turns, be on the lookout for some form of protection for Odric. This would include cards like Mother of Runes, Champion's Helm and Lightning Greaves. The strongest possible advantage in the early game can be provided through Smothering Tithe or Smuggler's Share; these get the highest casting priority should one draw into them. Last but not least, aim to cast Grand Abolisher/Myrel, Shield of Argive and Mentor of the Meek during this phase. Abolisher/Myrel because you’re about to start summoning things worth countering; Mentor because many more creatures are about to enter the battlefield and one could use the extra draw as a result.

With a base established, Odric, Lunarch Marshal will appear. He gets to use the deck's protection resources, like Mother of Runes and the equipment that provides hexproof/indestructibility. If push comes to shove, one can also blink/phase Odric (and members of the collective that have entered the field by now) with cards like Teferi's Protection, Eerie Interlude and Ghostway to protect him/them from wipes. During this phase, turns should always consist of an attack (keep up that pressure!) and the summoning of either members of the collective OR a support artifact/enchantment. Creatures sporting vigilance (like Aerial Responder, Brimaz, King of Oreskos or Danitha Capashen, Paragon) should be cast when they're drawn, as this will greatly increase the deck’s defensive capabilities during the opponents’ turns, without attacks having to suffer a reduction in power. In case the collective already consists of a creature with haste (because of equipment like Lightning Greaves or Swiftfoot Boots, Odric will allow just summoned creatures to gain haste and immediately attack during combat.

By keeping up the pressure, opponents will be taken down piecemeal though usually not in a single, sweeping attack. After turn 10 however, there will usually be enough mana available to do something a bit more dramatic, in order to deliver a stunning hammer-blow or two. Casting Austere Command can solve any inhibition to attacks in a single casting. Getting Legion Loyalty onto the field, will turn the deck’s army into the ultimate behemoth for every opponent. Last but not least, Finale of Glory can cause some serious pain on my enemies; provided enough mana is used to cast it.

  • Odric, Lunarch Marshal + creature with first-/double-strike + creature with deathtouch: During combat, Odric grants these abilities to all his creatures, allowing them to attack and defend with impunity as the opposing side will never get a chance to hit his creatures (unless they happen to have first-/double-strike as well).
  • Odric, Lunarch Marshal + indestructible creature + Austere Command: One-sided board wipe (cast during main phase after an attack so that creatures on this side benefit from indestructibility granted by Odric).
  • Odric, Lunarch Marshal + Archangel of Thune + creature that grants first-/double-strike: Due to the creatures on this side having first strike, Thune’s +1/+1 counters will be added to this side’s attacking/defending creatures before the opposing side deals damage, which greatly increases the survivability even of creatures that start out in combat as 1/1’s (they will become 4/4’s at least, before the opposing blockers deal their damage).
  • Darien, King of Kjeldor + Cathars' Crusade: Damage done to the deck’s wielder will not just generate one 1/1 soldier per damage point, but one X/X soldier per damage point, where X is the amount of damage received (not to mention the increase to Darien’s own power and toughness).

My reliable sources of mana, and some utility:

  • Ancient Tomb: two colorless mana for two life is a good trade-off in a deck featuring this much lifegain.
  • Arid Mesa/Flooded Strand/Marsh Flats/Windswept Heath: both added for filtering purposes; the life-gain abilities of the deck make the pain suffered for that negligible.
  • Bonders' Enclave: a creature with power 4+ is pretty easy to come by in this deck.
  • Emeria, the Sky Ruin: fantastic utility land in a white, creature-heavy deck such as this, provided the wielder’s side of the battlefield features enough plains. The fact that it also produces is just gravy.
  • Homeward Path: added as a precaution to get back Odric in case someone manages to steal him.
  • Minas Tirith: a great new draw resource for mono-white EDH.
  • Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx: can generate an astounding amount of mana by the time the mid-game is reached; a land that should be in every single-colour EDH deck that mostly features permanents.
  • Reliquary Tower: this deck does not thrive on discarding and has little recursive ability; added this to prevent involuntary discarding.
  • Sanctum of Eternity: great as a last resort to protect Odric's casting cost from becoming too high, should he be the unfortunate target of some removal spell/ability.
  • War Room: such a nice land to have when drawing that one extra card can make all the difference.

The cards uses to accelerate mana-availability to this deck:

  • Arcane Signet: cheap-CMC source of white mana.
  • Gift of Estates: basically a one-off version of Land Tax. Used as a ramp option and as a way to filter lands out of the deck.
  • Knight of the White Orchid: a land tutor that’s also a 2/2 first striker for a lowly CMC2, which makes this creature useful as a ramp option AND as part of the collective.
  • Land Tax: one of the best land tutoring/deck filtering cards in MTG history; its only drawback being that one cannot search for non-basic lands, but this deck isn’t running many of those anyway.
  • Nyx Lotus: becomes extremely lucrative to use with potentially many white permanents on the battlefield.
  • Oketra's Monument: cheapens lots of creature spells in this deck by 1 and can generate more members for the collective to boot!
  • Pearl Medallion: cheapens everything white in this deck by 1 which is great value for its low casting cost.
  • Sol Ring: a CMC1 artifact that comes into play untapped and grants 2 colorless when tapped; almost the best turn 1 start-up card one could wish for.
  • Smothering Tithe: opponents usually don’t pay the tax forced by this enchantment, which means one can end up with one hell of a mana-advantage.
  • Weathered Wayfarer: allows to repeatedly tutor for any land, provided an opponent controls more lands than the deck’s wielder.

Avenues to obtain a little card-advantage or to just look for something the game plan requires:

  • Archivist of Oghma: superb value as most players tend to search their libraries regularly during games.
  • Endless Atlas: great draw resource for mono-coloured EDH decks .
  • Enlightened Tutor: allows to search for ramp-, draw-, removal-, equipment- and support cards; whatever the game-state requires.
  • Esper Sentinel: an excellent draw enabler, as no one likes taxes.
  • Halo Fountain: great draw resource that can bring on a win out of nowhere!
  • Mangara, the Diplomat: gives life-link to the collective and is a great draw engine.
  • Mentor of the Meek: combines very well with half of this deck’s creatures (not to mention tokens generated with cards like Brimaz, King of Oreskos or Myrel, Shield of Argive).
  • Scroll Rack: excellent filter that basically extends the size of its controller’s hand.
  • Sensei's Divining Top: pay 1 and have a look at and rearrange the top three cards of your library. For a tap, it can even draw one a card. Useful in any game-phase and therefore great value.
  • Smuggler's Share: let’s break open them boxes and take what’s owed; more cards and more treasure!

A little support to make my creatures even stronger:

  • Basilisk Collar: one of the few ways to add deathtouch to the collective’s possible ability portfolio. That it also provides life-link is great, but not necessary considering all the other sources available for that.
  • Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots: meant to keep Odric (and at times the collective) from being targeted by (unfriendly) spells.

The combat-meat of this deck:

  • Adorned Pouncer: a double-striking 1/1 kitty that when deceased, can be turned into a 4/4 double striking zombie kitty; very nice.
  • Aerial Responder: at CMC3, this 2/3 flying, vigilant, life-linking soldier is just incredible value; especially when Odric’s around to divide all three abilities into the collective.
  • Angelic Overseer: will provide hexproof and indestructibility to all forces when combined with Odric.
  • Gisela, the Broken Blade  : strong and sports nice abilities for Odric’s legion.
  • Crystalline Giant: combined with Odric, this creature provides the ultimate flexibility to the collective's needs.
  • Danitha Capashen, Paragon: a 2/2 who adds three abilities to the collective and cheapens the casting cost of seven pieces of equipment; pretty nice for just CMC3.
  • Healer's Hawk: just a great add to the pool of abilities for very little cost.
  • Lone Rider  : one of the few sources of trample for Odric’s troops (when transformed).
  • Odric, Master Tactician: this deck makes it easy to reach the threshold needed to make his ability work; and once it does, one has almost ultimate control over players’ fates when it’s their turn to defend.
  • Serra Ascendant: combined with the life-link contained in this deck, this is easily the best value creature for its cost (especially when summoned early in an EDH game); a 6/6 flying, life-link creature. Becomes much more dangerous quite easily when used within the collective.
  • Sire of Seven Deaths: an amazing amount of abilities for a single creature that can be added to the collective.
  • Skyhunter Skirmisher: flying and double strike for the collective!
  • Swooping Lookout: strong, stable flyer.
  • Wurmcoil Engine: the only creature in this deck that comes with deathtouch; quite invaluable considering all the ways in which Odric can distribute first-/double-strike as well.

The means to make battle-lines wider and troops bigger:

  • Adeline, Resplendent Cathar: in most commander playgroups, players usually face at least three opponents, so Adeline is great value in an attack.
  • Akroma, Vision of Ixidor: it is almost as if this card was made for this deck. Odric distributes abilities while Akroma distributes the related +1/+1 bonuses. And the best part; it works each combat! Just like Odric's ability.
  • Akroma's Will: turns an army into an unstoppable force that wreaks havoc in about the highest degree possible.
  • Anointed Procession/Mondrak, Glory Dominus: doubles the tokens generated.
  • Archangel Elspeth: she generates an army, she can boost AND her ultimate is the most bad-ass recursion ability ever!
  • Archangel of Thune: by itself this card is already a great booster; every creature on our side gets a +1/+1 counter when she deals damage. But with Odric distributing her life-link, boosting will quickly start to go through the roof.
  • Brimaz, King of Oreskos: generates tokens with each attack/defense, letting the collective grow. He’s also a 3/4 creature himself sporting vigilance; all that for just CMC3 … wow!
  • Cathars' Crusade: in a predominantly creature-based deck, this enchantment will unbalance the battlefield quickly.
  • Darien, King of Kjeldor: think of him as an insurance policy against certain types of damage. Especially fun when one makes him indestructible/hexproof or when one combines him with Cathars' Crusade.
  • Finale of Glory: powerful enough to create a game-winning army in one go, if enough mana is pumped into it.
  • Legion Loyalty: expensive as hell, but it will turn this deck’s entire army into every opponent’s problem.
  • Myrel, Shield of Argive: stronger version of Grand Abolisher, with a fantastic propensity to generate tokens.
  • Ocelot Pride: works great with all the life-gain in this deck.
  • Speaker of the Heavens: in a deck that's this good at lifegain, a cheap Angel-generator that depends on life-gain will work miracles.

To keep a firm grip on things:

  • Austere Command/Banishing Light/Oblivion Ring: save all of these to deal with troublesome artifacts and enchantments if possible; although the wipes on Austere can in some cases pave the way for an attack.
  • Eerie Interlude/Ghostway/Teferi's Protection: evasion; keeps the collective from being wiped out.
  • Grand Abolisher: great deterrent of counterspells and other disruptive stuff opponents try to do during its controller’s turn.
  • Grasp of Fate: allows exile of three non-land permanents for the same CMC as Oblivion Ring. Tend to reserve this to deal with opposing artifacts/enchantments.
  • Heliod's Intervention: in here for its mass-targeted enchantment and/or artifact removal.
  • Mother of Runes: mainly in here to protect Odric from hostile spells/abilities.
  • Path to Exile/Swords to Plowshares: this deck’s creatures are able to deal with most enemy combatants without the aid of spells. Usually reserve these spells to deal with really powerful (indestructible) ones like some of the Eldrazi.
  • Revoke Existence: more powerful version of Disenchant; again to deal with the artifacts/enchantments that can slow down/stop the collective.

In case one’s meta allows for a sideboard in the EDH format (maximum 10). These are the cards that are in there at the moment. More ideas are of course appreciated:

  • Aegis of the Gods/Leyline of Sanctity: grants hexproof which is ideal against decks relying on damage spells/spell-slinging. Aegis is also able to fight with the collective.
  • Eidolon of Rhetoric: stops almost any spell-casting combo dead in its tracks.
  • Disenchant: some more targeted removal against artifacts or enchantments.
  • Jazal Goldmane: functions almost like a repeatable, slightly less powerful Craterhoof Behemoth for less mana; a nice way to boost troops.
  • Magus of the Disk: occasionally one needs a repeatable reset button.
  • Return to Dust: more expensive, yet also more effective version of Revoke Existence; also meant to deal with troublesome enchantments and artifacts.
  • Rest in Peace: locks down recursion and graveyard casting, which is a mechanic almost any black deck relies on. It also shuts down spell-abilities like Delve, Escape and Flashback.
  • Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite: the -2/-2 against opposing creatures works especially well against decks that use cheap creatures to enable combos. The boost to the deck’s creatures is also pretty nice.
  • Angel of Jubilation: this shuts down a whole host of famous creatures, spells and enchantments to work properly; especially on the green- and black side of things.

This deck has evolved over the past seven years or so and will continue to do so. The following cards were considered but not added (yet):

  • Akroma, Angel of Wrath: if Odric would enable the sharing of ‘protection’ Akroma would have been included; despite her rather high summoning costs.
  • Sun Titan: this deck has many built-in redundancies, so recursion is not really needed; dropped this in favor of something that added to the general game-plan.

Appreciate the time you took to read this primer. Hopefully it was entertaining and useful to you. If so, feel free to leave a +1 and/or feedback of any kind in the comments below. Thanks again!

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96% Casual

Competitive

Revision 4 See all

(5 months ago)

-1 Haunted Cloak main
+1 Sire of Seven Deaths main