I need help cutting cards, fresh set of eyes required
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on March 26, 2019, 4:46 p.m. by abenz419
I recently purchased the exquisite invention precon with Saheeli, the Gifted . I'm added some cards and hopefully upgraded the deck, but currently I'm 5 cards over. I need help figuring out what to cut. If you could look over the deck and make any suggestions as to what is unnecessary and why you think so it would be a huge help. Thanks in advance.
Yeah I feel like Ancient Stone Idol may be the worst of my big fatties, but I do like it in the meta I play in a lot. I play EDH all the time but usually its just me and my buddy so I play a lot of 1v1 and his Edgar Markov deck likes to attack. It'll regularly be 5 mana or less for me to cast it. Saheeli, the Gifted can also greatly reduce the cost as well. It wouldn't be hard to cast it for free on my turn off of her plus alone, but I can use her plus in combination with it's natural cost reduction when I attack. For now, until I pick up some needed cards like Blightsteel Colossus I would probably leave it in.
I really want to give the Journal a try here. Free artifacts every upkeep in an artifacts matters deck seems good, plus it's card draw, and a tutor so it has some utility. Even if my opponent can answer it before I get the third clue and can tutor, I'm left with 1 or 2 artifacts that draw cards. So unless they answer it the turn I play it, it never just does nothing and it's basically going to require them to have artifact removal in hand that they haven't used already on a board full of artifacts. It may be something I eventually take out, but until I get some games under my belt with this deck I'mm not sold on it being terrible here yet.
Spine of Ish Sah is another card that can be cast for free or cheap regularly with Saheeli's +1 and it can answer any permanent. Plus, off the top of my head, I can think of 7 ways to sacrifice it so I can return it to my hand. Most of which are repeatable effects.
Spin into Myth will probably become Cyclonic Rift when I'm able to get my hands on another one but for now, it's an instant speed answer than can deal with a problematic creature or even get my creatures back after they're stolen.
I don't quite understand the hate for Hour of Devastation . It's a 5 mana board wipe most of the time that will also hit any planeswalkers in play. Most effects like this cost much more in these colors (i.e. Sudden Demise or Magmaquake , or they only temporarily deal with problems (i.e. Devastation Tide or Evacuation
March 26, 2019 8:34 p.m.
I get where Joe_Ken_ is coming from most indestructible creatures that people would use have more than 5 health unless you are also playing with a group with heavy planewalker decks then it make more sense to run Blasphemous Act and if you are playing against Markov it becomes real easy to play this for 1 mana; but I also been know to reset the board with Jokulhaups and Apocalypse in some of my decks with red in it for commander.
March 27, 2019 12:20 p.m.
@hejtmane I'm not using it strictly for the indestructible clause though. It's just a way to wipe the board (most of the time) that's fairly cheap in these colors. Like I pointed out, most red boardwipes have x in their cost and can be exponentially more expensive while also having clauses like hitting non-flying. And anything in blue that is comparable is really only a temporary answer as blue has mass removal that returns it to hand. When I pick up another copy of Cyclonic Rift I will be adding that in here as another option. But for now I have to rely on Blasphemous Act , Hour of Devastation , and an overloaded Mizzium Mortars as my sweepers to go alone with a couple of targeted removal spells in order to keep board states in check.
March 27, 2019 4:58 p.m.
First off I just feel I should point this out... Edgar Markov is banned as commander in 1v1 and for good reason. I've playtested my decks versus my edgar vampire deck and its pretty much draw a boardwipe or bust. Very unfun. I'd suggest you ask your friend to swap it for some other legendary in the same colors like Mathas, Fiend Seeker and keep markov in the 99, if its just the 2 of you. It will make more exciting gameplay in my opinion.
Second, Spine of Ish Sah is a very good removal in a Saheeli deck as it can be cast for 0 and destroys any permanent which in these colors can be hard. I'd also keep Hour of Devastation I really like it, it is reasonably costed, hits planeswalkers and it has Nicky B in the art so that a win in my book (lul). I'd only replace it with Cyclonic Rift if budget allows it.
Tamiyo's Journal on the other hand feels a bit off in this type of deck. Since the tokens are of almost no use to you and 3 turns for tutor is too slow, I'd cut it for Treasure Mage or Mystical Tutor to get a needed spell on demand.
I'd suggest Mycosynth Lattice as it is nice synergy with your commander. If you feel friends are overrated add Vandalblast to destroy all permanents opponents control, or mass land destruction like someone above me suggested. Obliterate is my personal go to as it can't be countered. Everyone loses everything, but you still have Saheeli.
Hope this helps, cheers!
March 28, 2019 11:10 a.m.
@Madcookie I realize Edgar Markov is banned in 1v1. He bought the precon and then like 2 days later it got banned, so instead of it being a waste for him we've always just allowed it because we're just playing for fun, even if we are being competitive and trying to win. To be fair, I do play Prossh food chain against him and it's not fun getting comboed out on turn 6 or earlier either. Sol Ring is also banned in 1v1 but we build our decks for multiplayer for those rare times we actually play in a pod. We also follow multiplayer rules when we play 1v1 just because.
I agree with you about Spine of Ish Sah . The deck may not be focused on sacrificing artifacts, but I do have several ways to sac it and get repeated use out of it, and it's not hard to cast it for free. I'm also a fan of Hour of Devastation . Like you said, Edgar requires board wipes or you get over run, so I can't just rely on Blasphemous Act and it's costed well compared to other board wipes in these colors. I will be adding Cyclonic Rift when I can get another copy of it. Right now my 2 copies are in other decks.
I realize Tamiyo's Journal may be a little slow, but I want to give it a try. I know I'll probably replace it eventually, but like I said before, an artifact that creates more artifacts in an artifacts matters deck is good. Not to mention it's also card draw or a tutor. So it has versatility. Plus it basically requires my opponent have artifact removal in hand that they haven't used already on a board full of artifacts. If not, then it never just does nothing. Originally when pulling cards out for this deck, I had other cards that created clues in mind. But as cards were cut so were the other clue producers.
I know there are other combos with Mycosynth Lattice so I'll have to look into that. I'm not familiar with all the combos it has so it wasn't at the top of my mind when I was thinking of cards. Some other cards I think I need to add as I'm able to acquire them are Blightsteel Colossus , Ugin, the Spirit Dragon , Reshape , and Fabricate ... probably Darksteel Colossus and Emrakul, the Promised End too.
Joe_Ken_ says... #2
Ok Ancient Stone Idol is something I think you can cut since it really doesn't have enough value for a 10 cmc creature since if you draw it early in the game it just becomes a dead card in your hand. Spin into Myth is just way to high in cost to be dealing with a single creature. Hour of Devastation I will say could go depending on how heavy planes walkers are in your local group because most of the really good creatures with indestructible have over 5 toughness. Tamiyo's Journal is a pretty slow card since it gives your opponents 3 turns to get rid of it and you already have a lot of card draw with your blue draw spells. I think if you don't have a good way to keep sending Spine of Ish Sah into your hand then that 7 cost may just not be all that necessary.
March 26, 2019 8:06 p.m.