Grouphug deck help needed (vial smasher/kydele)
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on Jan. 11, 2017, 7:15 a.m. by Pjjones
Hi,
I need some help building a grouphug deck, since I've never done it before. In the recent months I've been the evil player in the playgroup which turned into me being killed off first every single game unless I murdered everyone, which is not fun anymore. I want to build a deck around Kydele and Vial smasher, use some cards from C16 decks (I have access to almost all of them, and haven't even played them, so it would be a nice 2-for-1) I basically want to grouphug them to death, with 1-2 finishers, but never built a deck like that before, and don't want to start building a deck blindly.It does not need to have a too high power level and should be as budget as possible.
Thanks,Joe
KailDaemon says... #3
As a finisher you could then go 1 of two ways: abusing kydele, or abusing vial smasher
Abusing kydele is dropping stuff like Teferi's Puzzle Box, Leovold, Emissary of Trest, to lock your opponents out while you combo with Umbral Mantle on kydele and dump her mana into an Exsanguinate or a Fireball or drawing your deck with Staff of Domination and dropping Laboratory Maniac.
Abusing vial smasher is doing something like dropping a Rashmi, Eternities Crafter with a Mind's Dilation so you cast a spell every turn and trigger vial smasher. You can take this further by also dropping time walk spells for big damage and also you can drop a Painful Quandary and a Wound Reflection on the board and just let your opponents "try" to play magic
January 11, 2017 11:21 a.m.
MagicalHacker says... #4
I think it's ironic that you chose the two partners used most commonly used for the opposite of group hug (group slug) for the strategy. (They use Teferi's Puzzle Box effects to make Kydele tap for a lot then cast big cards that Vial Smasher can burn opponents with.)
I would start first by picking your favorite cards from MagicalHacker - List of All Group Hug Cards then cut colors as you see fit to balance the deck's color requirements.
Good luck!
January 11, 2017 11:39 a.m.
GoldenDiggle says... #7
I would use Vial Smasher the Fierce + Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist as EDH partners.Just play cheap instants like Doom Blade or Unsummon to get rid of threats to you and do tiny unnoticeable pings that make (nearly) everyone draw cards. Then hit everyone with a huge draw or mill spell.
Bonus points if you run Goblin Test Pilot, Guttersnipe, and/or Thermo-Alchemist just to say "Look guys, this is so everyone can draw."
MoonTurtle7 says... #2
not gonna lie those two don't exactly scream "group hug" Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist might be a better choice. to mix with Vial smasher. or maybe going Ludevic and Kraum. Think of effects like Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis Selvala, Explorer Returned Edric, Spymaster of Trest that benefit your opponents slightly so they second guess knocking you out of the game, while you set something up that will tear them a new one. Also getting political can be fun.
January 11, 2017 11:17 a.m.