Sorin/Karlov Blessed Deck Help
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on March 21, 2020, 9:06 a.m. by Roo182
Hi guys,
So I've spent some time building out this deck and I finally got it to 100 cards (down from about 200). I have done some play tests with it, and am looking to the community to help me fine tune it.
Strategy here is to get karlov out with as many "life gain" conditions as possible as quickly as possible. I found that I could get him out quickly and with Pristine Talisman and start adding those counters, but found that I didn't really have a lot of protection or other creatures coming out quickly enough either. I am also not sure the "gain life when creatures you control" will work as well as there's just not as many in the deck.
Here's some background:
I am brand new to MTG and EDH, but have been studying the game for a few weeks, playing MTG Arena to learn mechanics/card types, and recently bought the 2019 pre-con decks to play with some buddies. I am totally hooked and am keen to get into building my own deck.
Right now I am looking to build a Black/White Sorin/Lifelink themed deck that gets to about a 6-7 on the Command Zone scale of deck power. Not looking to play cEDH, but def would like something I can have to be my pet/power deck.
I am very much a Timmy/Spike type of player, so I do like to win, and I like the ability to roll out monsters, so the theme of this Vampire Army under the command of Sorin in allegiance with more "light" motives (Helios) really appeals to me.
Here's what I have crafted so far: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/sorin-blessed-not-complete/
Also archidekt link if needed: https://archidekt.com/decks/459000#Sorin_Blessed
Being brand new, here's what I am looking for help on:
- How is my balance?
- How are my lands? Too much or not enough Ramp? It feels like I don't have enough creatures?
- Do I have enough Draw / Removal / Counter / Board Wipe Cards?
- Is the deck too black heavy?
- Doesn't Karlov have ave enough protection?
- Do I need more creatures?
- Is my life gain/payoff ratio not focused enough? Or does it need to be balanced?
Looking forward to everyone's suggestions, once I get some good feedback, I am willing to buy into this deck, but ideally I keep it to under $100-150 if that's even doable. I own about 40% of the deck so far, and in current state it's going to cost me about $220-230 to top it up.
triproberts12 says... #3
Actually, now that I look more closely, I realize I just jumped to the drain effects. My build is tokens, rather than life gain, but I would lean more into the aristocrats nature of Orzhov, since you want to roll out creatures.
March 21, 2020 3:48 p.m.
You'd be better off running Esper panorama than Naya panorama since it can fetch both your colors.
March 21, 2020 10:53 p.m.
Since TappedOut has its own deckbuilder functionality, you should really be maintaining/asking for help on the TappedOut list, not the archidekt one.
As a general rule, lifegain is not very strong of an effect. And coupled with only a few cards that take advantage of mass lifegain (not for most of them, the effects aren't super strong), you're going to struggle. Especially if you're wanting to play a bunch of creatures.
Generally lifegain lists will want to form some sort of loop with their lifegain effects, like Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood, or Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista. But gaining life for the sake of gaining life is not a win condition in itself.
I would recommend leaning into an effect like that more, like looking to make your commander huge and then kill poeple will commander damage.
But if you want to go some sort of beats, Edgar Markov
is going to be a much better list for you.
March 22, 2020 9:28 a.m.
multimedia says... #8
Hey, I agree if you want to play Vamps, have a Vamp army with Sorin then Edgar Markov is the best tribal Vampire Commander. You could play a secondary life gain/drain strategy with Edgar; Cliffhaven Vampire + Righteous Cause.
With Karlov of the Ghost Council you want to play the best cards within the budget that gain you life or use life to give you value which are mostly nonVamp cards. Karlov is the center of attention, you build around him. Edgar is different; you may not even cast Edgar in a game. Instead utilize his eminence ability from the Command Zone; cast Vamps to create Vamp tokens which builds you an army to attack.
Karlov is a win condition, doing Commander damage which is less relying on other creatures to attack. Of course other creatures can attack especially if they have evasion and lifelink. The purpose of creatures with Karlov is to support him in some way.
How I would play Karlov with a $200 budget:
- Cards that life gain during your turn and opponents turns: Soul Warden, Soul's Attendant, Leonin Elder, Kambal, Consul of Allocation
- Voltron to help him attack: Shadowspear, Basilisk Collar, Spirit Loop
- K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth and extort: Blind Obedience, Thrull Parasite, Crypt Ghast, Pontiff of Blight, Tithe Drinker, Basilica Screecher
- Bolas's Citadel + Aetherflux Reservoir to take advantage of life gain.
Aetherflux and Collar were just reprinted in the Mystery Booster set; those versions are $4 and $2. The nice thing about extort with Karlov is it gives you a life gain source for important cards that you should play that don't normally gain you life such as mana rocks, enchantments, removal spells, etc. Smothering Tithe + Leonin Elder can be a life gain and counters engine with Karlov.
March 22, 2020 3:47 p.m.
Thanks so much guys. Yes I agree, maybe I need to look into a Markov deck for the vampire theme, however, I am more than intrigued by this Karlov deck now that I have some better life gain engine help.
Will update and let you guys know.
FYI I really like Archidekt for the category features, however Tapped out def has better community and inventory features.
March 22, 2020 7:33 p.m.
Roo182: TappedOut also does custom categories, have a look here. And While I get that there might be some good features on an external deckbuilder, asking for help on TappedOut and then linking to another service is kind of like bringing your own beer into a bar.
March 22, 2020 7:55 p.m.
No fair enough, enpc - appreciate the heads up.
adding multimedia
I've reworked the deck and taken it through a few test-draws. It feels really great, usually by turn 2 I have Karlov out and ramping up his counters very quickly, there's a lot of way to get this deck humming as you guys mentioned above, and because I own about 41 of the cards on the most recent version, this is going to cost me about $180. Only thing that I can maybe add is a Demonic Tutor however I am happy to roll it as is and get that later if need be.
Let me know what you guys think!
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/karlovsorin-blessed/
March 22, 2020 9:51 p.m.
LordBlackblade says... #12
So looking through it, it reminds me of some of the earlier iterations of my own Karlov of the Ghost Council deck: Karlov's Tithes.
I want to second a lot of what multimedia said. When I play my deck it really focuses on gaining that incidental life from my opponents' actions.
I also have an Edgar Markov deck (March of the Dusk Legion), and in my experience the two decks play very differently.
Both decks can be very aggressive, but one focuses on going tall (one big creature) and the other on going wide (several smaller creatures).
The big question I have is which way are you going to go: Karlov life gain or Vampire tribal? Right now it looks way more like a Karlov deck than a vampire tribal deck.
March 22, 2020 10:44 p.m.
multimedia says... #13
Hey, you're welcome. I'll take a look at your deck and leave a comment or two :)
If you have or can afford to get Demonic Tutor then adding it will help your deck. Demonic is in the Mystery Booster set, that version is $24 from TCGPlayer. However, if budget is a concern it's not a vital card because there's other options for tutors. $24 could be used for many other cards especially lands. Godless Shrine, Silent Clearing, Caves of Koilos, Fetid Heath, Isolated Chapel together is $25 and there's less options for good lands.
March 23, 2020 12:26 a.m.
LordBlackblade Thanks for the links. I think I will go for the Karlov deck, as much as I initially started on wanting a Vampire deck (which I still do), the way that the Karlov deck plays with its focus on going tall (I like that term) seems quite interesting. I just actually watched someone play the 2017 Pre-Con Markov deck and it looked dope, but i am hooked on the Karlov combos. I am going to sneak a couple of Sorin Planeswalkers into this Karlov deck as generals I think
March 23, 2020 5:22 a.m.
multimedia agreed. I have most, if not all, of those lands in there. When I tested the deck, the ramp was actually really good, considering Karlov is so cheap to get out, he really starts bullying early
triproberts12 says... #2
Have a look at the playlines I listed in the description of this Orzhov deck. You're running a lot of the same pieces I chose, so even though the same restrictions aren't on your build as I put on mine, you might get some good ideas!
March 21, 2020 3:46 p.m.