Competitive Deck Cuts!
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on Dec. 28, 2016, 3:57 p.m. by Silverf1sh
Hey everyone! I play a competitive (Tier 1.5ish) Zegana Combo-Control list (see link below) .
Right now, I am looking at two cards to cut; Cryptolith Rite and Jin-Gitaxias, Core Auger.
In my mind, Cryptolith is very swingy as either a card that will be redundant on my dorks and marginally useful otherwise, or absolutely dead when I have no creatures on the field. (I run about 18).
Gitaxias is really good if he makes his way around the table, barring the few times he doesn't and the player who stopped him threw away their only removal, and can also dig for my combo pieces faster, but is quite hefty (Even for a major ramp deck), and I rarely actually play him.
So onto the actual replacement process; I believe Rite should be replaced with Nature's Lore, and I am not sure what Jin gets replaced with. Rashmi, Eternities Crafter? Mox Diamond? Partner Generals? Glen Elendra Archmage? Vendililon Clique? Something else?
Here is the link for inspection: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/16-04-15-fear-the-old-blood/
I play paper magic, but can budget most cards with time.Your help is much appreciated!
Silverf1sh says... #4
Thanks Kiortio!
Woops, forgot to link properly. Thanks man!
December 28, 2016 7:02 p.m.
Silverf1sh says... #5
What about Paradox Engine? (Would link but it is freshly spoiled)
December 28, 2016 7:06 p.m.
You're playing 17 creatures (18 with commander). I don't see Rite being worth a spot, but rather than swap it for Nature's Lore why not instead cut Rite, Skyshroud Claim, and Cultivate for any three 1 CMC mana dorks? You've got BoP already so Llanowar Elves, Fyndhorn Elves, and Elvish Mystic fit the bill. If you cut another card somewhere else you could include Boreal Druid as well. Having more mana dorks will also improve the return on your Gaea's Cradle while enabling you to have impressively fast starts.
I'd keep Jin IF you can cheat him into play early. This is why he's typically better in UBx lists. His value goes under the reasoning that if he does stick even as long as until the next player's upkeep, let alone halfway around the table, you've gotten a ton of value from him as the seven fresh cards can often be enough to close a game out. But if you're paying 10 mana straight you should be winning the game outright at a competitive table, and if he's landing after a Palinchron+DEN combo then again... there's better things to do with infinite mana.
Keep Sylvan Scrying if you'd like another way to access your utility lands, but honestly I'd probably cut it for more fast mana. You don't have Mox Diamond or Chrome Mox in the list yet, so cut a Snow-Covered Forest and Scrying for both if you have them in your budget. With a full suite of mana dorks and fast mana you can safely run 33-36 lands without being mana screwed. Given your curve is a little higher than most (for competitive), I wouldn't go lower than 35. Is the deck really so greedy for color fixing that you need Gemstone Mine in a two color deck? It seems unnecessary at best and a nonbo at worst - I'd cut it as well, perhaps for that Boreal Druid I mentioned above.
Finally, going to +1 your list for the inclusion of Delay alone. After Arcane Denial it's the most underplayed counterspell in EDH relative to its power.
December 28, 2016 11:30 p.m.
Silverf1sh says... #7
Let's say I drop Skyshroud Claim, Cultivate, and Gemstone Mine for Llaonwar Elves, Fyndhorn Elves, and Elvish Mystic.With the count up to six elves, would it be worth it to include Priest of Titania over Trinket Mage?
I think I will likely go with the Mox Diamond idea, for sure.
December 29, 2016 12:11 a.m.
I don't think I'd run the Priest here.
Personally, I don't like 2 CMC mana dorks unless they can 'break' something for the deck. Such as Bloom Tender in a 3+ color deck with a high permanent count or Priest of Titania in Elfball. One exception I sometimes make is Wall of Roots, since it can turn two untapped lands into a 2-drop on your turn and a 2 CMC counterspell on someone else's. The other exceptions are cards like Voyaging Satyr / Kiora's Follower if you have lands that produce 2+ mana or artifacts you want to tap repeatedly.
December 29, 2016 9:34 a.m.
Silverf1sh says... #9
Fair enough, my last two questions then are what the criteria for Boreal Druid would be over Arbor Elf, and which card to drop between Sylvan Scrying, Nature's Lore, and Trinket Mage
Thanks for your help, by the way!
December 29, 2016 11:17 a.m.
ZomBee_Hunt says... #10
You could always switch Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur for a Consecrated Sphinx.
The latter doesnt hurt your opponents but you get the benefit from it right away.
December 29, 2016 4:45 p.m.
Silverf1sh says... #11
I already have it,but thanks for the suggestion! :D
December 29, 2016 6:14 p.m.
Oh, I had just forgotten to list Arbor Elf before. But there is one time you wouldn't run him - if your fetchland/forest count is low enough that it might not have a target. I don't see you having that problem. As for Boreal, it's pretty much always the last 1 CMC mana dork I consider adding but would use it over a 2 CMC one unless the criteria I described before were met.
December 30, 2016 6:39 p.m.
Silverf1sh says... #13
Awesome, thanks man!
I proxied out the diamond and tested the rest out (Dropping Jin for Chrome Mox instead of Glen Elendra, and Krosan Grip for Diamond). It feels a lot sturdier with the mini-elf package; definitely some good choices here!
Kiortio says... #2
Glen Elendra is an excellent card and should definitely be in your deck.
December 28, 2016 4:47 p.m.