Please help refocusing my deck.
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on Nov. 24, 2017, 3:51 p.m. by Drew_64
Hi.
I have a Meren deck which is my "most worked on deck", but aside from the engine of the deck slowly wearing people down, the "one turn" win-cons are all variants of Nim Deathmantle loops, making it pretty fragile if that piece gets removed.
To try and break this up, i threw in Bloodchief Ascension, Nath of the Gilt-Leaf, and Sadistic Hypnotist as a way to speed up the engine, to bring people low enough to be finished off.The problem is that this is feels very "thrown in", and apart from bloodchief ascension, the other two cards are pretty "meh" on thier own.
Can anyone advise either ways to make the main "combos" more robust (assuming the deathmantle gets exiled for example) or suggest some similar loops that are on theme for a reanimation feel?
Also recommendations on cards to cut in favour of suggestions is super useful too.
current combos:
Ashnod's Altar + Nim Deathmantle + Grave Titan or Mitotic Slime (+ 2 mana or a creature) generates infinite mana.This can be followed up with any of the following:
- Exsanguinate To kill the table
- Blood Artist/Zulaport Cutthroat ping everyone down while looping your dudes.
- Kokusho, the Evening Star + Nim Deathmantle /Gray Merchant of Asphodel + Nim Deathmantle balance out your mana so you can keep bringing him back
Spicy merenade
Commander / EDH
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multimedia says... #3
Hey, in my opinion you don't need noncreature combos with Meren especially when you're trying to pull off three and four card combos that include noncreature cards. These combos kind of defeat the purpose of what makes Meren so good, creatures. These noncreature combo pieces are not consistent enough in a multi player setting too easy to be disrupted. With Meren you want to use your graveyard as a resource and playing a lot of noncreature cards that you want to use in a combo is risky because once they're put in the graveyard other than Eternal Witness you don't have many ways to get them back.
Creature combos however can be powerful with Meren, but this is only because of her ability to reanimate creatures. Relying only on creatures lets you not be as concerened if one of these creatures is killed because you can reanimate it with Meren. The same can't be said for Nim Deathmantle. Using creatures as combo pieces lets you play the normal game with Meren filling your graveyard without fear of losing a combo piece.
Some creature combos:
- Triskelion + Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
- Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Lord of Extinction
- Avenger of Zendikar + Craterhoof Behemoth
- Necrotic Ooze + Triskelion + Phyrexian Devourer
I don't think Meren really needs a combo finish or fast way to win the game. The card advantage alone that she creates by using your graveyard as a resource, sac outlets as a resource and out valuing your opponents with ETB creature reanimation is enough to win the game.
November 24, 2017 9:24 p.m.
Thank you both for the suggestions, a couple of cards i wasnt aware of!
definitely something to consider.
bushido_man96 says... #2
I run a Meren deck with a combo using Aluren + Endless Cockroaches , and then you can run several other cards off that engine. Use Phyrexian Ghoul to make an infinitely huge creature. Sac to Ashnod's Altar or Phyrexian Altar for infinite mana. Tons of great synergy can come from this if you have other cards on the table like Grave Pact or Dictate of Erebos or Fecundity. Lots of good things to think about.
November 24, 2017 6:41 p.m.