Enough Lands...Or Need More?
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on Oct. 14, 2017, 1:09 a.m. by UpperDeckerTaco
So I am working on this deck:
Just Another Mage
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 4 | 2 COMMENTS | 287 VIEWS
I would like to have input about land base and land count. After playing with it, there is at least 1 card that seemed very underwhelming in the deck: The Locust God. The main reason for me that it seemed underwhelming, my deck isn't built to abuse it. Otherwise it is just a 4/4 body for 6 mana.
I would like some input on the mana base and land count, but I would not mind helpful hints on other matters with the deck.
Thank you.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #3
KumaBozu since you're the only one who commented on this, I would like your opinion on something. Here is a list of cards I find undwhelming in my list and a list of replacements I was thinking about:
Countersquall ---> Arcane Denial
Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh ---> Thirst for Knowledge
Leyline of Anticipation ---> Faithless Looting
Duplicant ---> Reality Shift
Liliana of the Veil ---> Tribute to Hunger
Word of Seizing ---> Dark Petition
Silumgar's Command ---> Search for Azcanta Flip
Reasons:
Arcane Denial answers more than Countersquall does and is easier to cast.
Thirst for Knowledge offers more card draw and filtering along with synergy with my general whereas Nicol Bolas is powerful but doesn't really fit the mold of the deck.
Tribute to Hunger is instant speed and is a spell which interacts more with my deck and offers a bit of lifegain, although, Liliana can win independent games and is very controlling and reusable if not dealt with.
Faithless Looting is card filtering and lower on the curve where Leyline only turns about 1/3 of my deck into instant speed. I understand Leyline being powerful and letting me cast wraths on my opponents turn or something else that is big game, but it seems like late game, it isn't necessary.
Reality Shift is a cheaper to cast, spell version of Duplicant.
Silumgar's Command seems underwhelming in general and expensive whereas Search for Azcanta Flip has a lot of early and late game value.
Word of Seizing is a tough one to rid myself of because of how swinging it can be. But Dark Petition would just be better to find the direct spells I need.
So what are your thoughts on this matter?
Is Liliana too good to pass on? Is Tribute worth it? Are the cards given to the opponent from arcane denial back breaking? Is Shift giving them a 2/2 manifest horrendous? Is Leyline too good not to use? Is Dark Petition too many tutors with Vampiric and Demonic already in the deck? Is Seizing overrated?
Any help would be great. Thank you.
October 24, 2017 4:41 p.m.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #4
Unlife please see above comment. Would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Thank you.
October 24, 2017 5:31 p.m.
Your deck has a lot of tools, but the thing is, I don't see a visible win condition. I can see the idea of chipping someone out kinda working in 1v1, but in multiplayer, I expect you to have a bad time. To make up for this, you have some options, and they all focus around the spells you cast.
Damage based cards like Guttersnipe, Faerie Tauntings and Aetherflux Reservoir, etc.Counter-based cards like planeswalkers, infect and Inexorable Tide, etc.Theft cards like Bribery, Insurrection, Slave of Bolas, Hostage Taker and even Rite of Replication.You could even mill with Memory Erosion, Leyline of the Void, and cards like Circu, Dimir Lobotomist Also, just dumb good cards like Draining Whelk, Venser, Shaper Savant and Kaervek the Merciless
Not to say what you're doing is bad, it's totally not. You just gotta squeeze that sweet value out of everything you do.
As for the cards you mentioned, I'd say Arcane Denial, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, neither but put Dark Petition in that slot, Duplicant because it's a body, Liliana of the Veil, Word of Seizing, and neither, kinda.
All that said, I don't really play control, I'm a Timmy at heart. I play against it enough to know that you want to use every part of that orange, not just the juice
KumaBozu says... #2
Your mana base looks pretty solid, though as the comment on the deck page itself states, lands that come into play tapped by default aren't that great. For 3 colours, I'd suggest Either Terramorphic Expanse , Evolving Wilds, or both. Expedition Map may also help if you end up having issues with your colours, though you have enough artifacts that it may not be a real problem.
As for other cards, I agree that The Locust God isn't particularly impressive, though it does slow roll you some pokes/blockers. I almost want to suggest Exquisite Blood or Exsanguinate because you have so little life gain, but I'm just paranoid like that.
October 15, 2017 1:31 a.m.