[EDH][Primer] Sythis Enchantress Prison

Commander / EDH AstroAA

SCORE: 73 | 43 COMMENTS | 15932 VIEWS | IN 30 FOLDERS


Update #7 - Large Changes to the Mainboard —June 13, 2022

Hello Everyone!

I've been experimenting of late, and I've decided to actuate the changes I've made behind the scenes to this list. Several of the changes are slightly controversial. However, I feel as if the deck is stronger with said changes. Without further ado, the following changes have been made:

  • Aura Shards has been replaced with Null Rod. I love Aura Shards; it's a card that I've ran with success for a very long time. However, I feel as if Null Rod, a card that easily fits in with our theme of artifact hate and my tendency to take preventative measures, is stronger due to it not relying on my ability to continuously play creatures.
  • Eidolon of Blossoms has been replaced with Yasharn, Implacable Earth. I've been looking for a method to shut down sacrifice-based decks, and I've decided Yasharn, Implacable Earth is my answer for them. I personally think Angel of Jubilation and Sigarda, Host of Herons could also go here, but Yasharn, Implacable Earth is just simply better than the both of them. Plus, he allows us to find more lands, which with our low land count and no land ramp besides Exploration is needed. Now, we are losing out on a enchantress effect, but I think it's negligible.
  • Grasp of Fate has been replaced with Snow-Covered Forest. I will be completely honest here, I don't think I've ever actually cast Grasp of Fate in a game either due to not needing it or not drawing it. I've ran this deck for over a year now, and have never casted this card. Therefore, I am putting in something that will arguably be more useful - a basic land.
  • Shapers' Sanctuary has been replaced with Abundant Growth. I have not gotten as much of a use out of Shapers' Sanctuary as I would've liked, and therefore I'm replacing it with something that gives a more immediate effect - the ability to instantly draw a card instead of having to rely on your opponents.

SynergyBuild says... #1

General thoughts:

I find a lack of Blind Obedience quite interesting. You seem to run Authority of the Consuls, which is similar if a slightly edited variant of BO without the artifact hate, but having the consistency to not make Concordant Crossroads nearly as symmetrical seems important.

Wheel of Sun and Moon is a very powerful effect, however it seems strange to run in a list that can quickly ramp and empty its hand as well as a deck with access to Rest in Peace and Ground Seal.

Nature's Chosen is a beast with Cloudstone Curio loops and can oftentimes be looped to untap Sanctum Weaver or other mana producing effects very easily in a way that wins much quicker than Crossroads loops and often not need as many pieces nor as risky of effects.

Green Sun's Zenith seems quite better than Sylvan Tutor, and can be looped to allow you to never deck yourself in the case of Argothian Enchantress or Setessan Champion which is also great utility worst case.

Regrowth doesn't make much sense to me here, your deck has multiple pieces of hate for this card and little to no utility with it.

Song of the Dryads seems like a better variant on Beast Within or Darksteel Mutation combined into one. Just an effect that is able to add enchantment types to your list and replace some of your non-enchantments with the only cost being sorcery speed and the additions being commander hate and card draw.

Krosan Grip, Beast Within, and Generous Gift all are quite expensive for the effects they give, Path to Exile as well seems a little off for this list. I'd try to use threats in the form of Seal of Cleansing/Seal of Primordium/Journey to Nowhere/Parallax Wave which are not only tutorable, Hall of Heliod's Generosity's recursion, etc. all works on them, and many of them support an Opalescence combo strategy, with two of them being infinite combos with it and the other two being able to stop a sweeper from killing your field by removing your own Opalescence.

Shapers' Sanctuary seems quite weak in my opinion, just feels low-value considering how few of your creatures can be targeted/would be targeted anyway given your abundance of shroud effects.

The fetchlands in this number makes both your own Root Maze and Suppression Field field feel as though you are unprepared for your own hate. Maybe take out a Prismatic Vista or some enemy fetchlands?

April 24, 2022 1:22 a.m.

AstroAA says... #2

Hello SynergyBuild! Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate it!

You've raised some valid concerns, and given me a lot to think about. For that, thank you!

I'll be honest, I don't have that good of an excuse for not including Blind Obedience or Song of the Dryads beyond not owning them and more recently not getting a proxy made of them.

As for Generous Gift/Beast Within, I think their effects of being able to destroy a permanent are really powerful. I do think that I want to replace one of them with Song of the Dryads in the near future. I think I might end up replacing the other with Seal of Cleansing.

As for Sylvan Tutor vs Green Sun's Zenith, I'm still torn on this. I think they both have their time and place - I do find myself tutoring for either Collector Ouphe or Sanctum Weaver most of the time with Sylvan Tutor, so I do think Green Sun's Zenith is a better card in this regard as both creatures are green. However, I really like Sylvan Tutor as I think it's a strong turn one play and I don't run Dryad Arbor to make Green Sun's Zenith a strong turn one play.

After thinking about it, you're right in regard to the number of fetchlands I run. I'm going to replace Misty Rainforest with a Forest.

Finally, as for Regrowth - you're right. In a deck running things like Rest in Peace and Ground Seal it does indeed not make much sense why I'm running it. I just like it because of possibly getting something back. After thinking about it, perhaps I should lean more into the graveyard hate, running things like Grafdigger's Cage or Weathered Runestone, but then those turn off a potential Green Sun's Zenith. This is a deck designed to shut off opponent's resources, and inadvertently we will hurt ourselves; a 100% cohesion rate among cards and interactions is impossible. I just think having access to potentially bringing back something is too strong.

Regardless, thank you very much for your comment! It's gotten me thinking again about the deck, which I had kind of written off as finished. In reality, no deck is ever truly finished. Thank you!

April 24, 2022 1:05 p.m.