Command & Conquer - Ep 2 - Attack of the clones!

Deck Challenges Features

PhotogenicParasympathetic

21 March 2016

1312 views

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Hello everyone! PhotogenicParasympathetic is back with my brand new edition. I mean episode. First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who submitted decks these past two weeks! There were a lot of decks submitted, and we plan to play as many decks as possible in future episodes, so of yours wasn't chosen this week, never fear! We will continue to recruit from old submissions and new going forward.

That said… Let's get on to this week's game! Because this was Episode II, my friends and I all agreed that we obviously had to choose as many Clone-inclusive decks as possible. Well, I say my friends and I, but I really just mean I made an executive decision and my friends humored me. So, this week's competitors:

Pilots/Decks

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As always, I am your fantabulous host, Noah! For those new to the series, I'm a serious flavor junkie, and enjoy clunky combos and glass cannons. My play group lacks a serious mage, but I'm branching out this week with one of my all-time favorite gut-punch flavor texts: Feldon of the Third Path, Commander of Lanzo493's submission: deck-large:feldon-never-gets-any-love-1 Fitting for our clone-theme, Feldon's unique ability allows me to copy things out of my graveyard again, and again, and again. Honestly, I'm very excited to try him out- I've been meaning to build a deck around him ever since he was spoiled as the sub-commander in Daretti's C14 deck. Another reason I want to play this deck is it's price; for a little more than 150 dollars, this deck looks to bring a pretty hefty swing to the table. The other three decks for today range between 300-500 dollars, so I want to show how competitive a budget build can be (at some point, we will almost certainly have an entirely budget-dedicated episode). I expect a very commander-focused deck, so protecting Feldon will be crucial. Key cards to watch out for: Warstorm Surge, Illusionist's Bracers, Sundial of the Infinite, and basically any creature I can get to my graveyard.

Next up, a familiar face...err, writing style? Kate, our resident Golgari graveyard shenanigans expert, is also leaving her comfort zone. Sort of. In order to combat my graveyard cloning, she'll be cloning it first with Gattison's Lazav, Dimir Mastermind build: deck-large:magic-mind-drinking-game Part-mill, part-control, part-theft, this deck seems to do everything wants to do. Kate is looking at a few different options for this game- she might clone something huge with Lazav and win with commander damage, or she might just outright mill us, or she might steal all our creatures and kill us with them! Key cards to watch out for: Consuming Aberration, Traumatize, Oona, Queen of the Fae, and the ever-popular Sorin Markov.

Another returning player, Emily is our resident Master of Cruelties...if Master were in Esper colors. An Esper player through and through, she is a subscriber to the belief that if each game has a limited amount of fun to be shared between all the players, she wants it all. Today however, she goes against all traditions, succumbs to her flavor-loving side, and chooses a deck based solely on its name. Oh what's that? It's also an Esper control deck? So much the better. Please welcome Merieke Ri Berit, and her deck, built by Runlue:

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Alright, fine, this isn't strictly speaking a Clone inclusive build. But Merieke herself is going to be the Emperor in this excessively-strained Star Wars metaphor, turning our clones against us! Esper flicker, for those unfamiliar with the archetype, is a well-established and frankly, brutal combat style making heavy use of Enter-The-Battlefield effects. Runlue's build includes the option to kill people with their own commanders by stealing them with Merieke! Scary. Key cards to watch out for: Conjurer's Closet, Venser, the Sojourner, Ghostway, Brago, King Eternal, and Deadeye Navigator.

Last but not least, a new challenger has entered the ring! Greg was sadly absent last week, but from here on out, he'll be representing the mages in the audience. I don't think I can count the number of Craterhoof Behemoths he's landed against me, and boy does he know how to ramp. Today, Greg will pilot MagmaArmor0's Selesnya build with Trostani, Selesnya's Voice at the helm:

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Our final clone-creator, Trostani, Selesnya's Voice let's us take our tokens, and make more. Keep on Cloning, keep on Cloning, keep on Cloning, Cloning, Cloning. tends to have some of the best tokens out there (3/3 beasts, 4/4 angels, 0/1 saprolings. You know the drill). Key cards to look out for: Darien, King of Kjeldor, Mycoloth, Cathars' Crusade, Glare of Subdual, and Champion of Steve Holt! I mean, uh, Champion of Lambholt.

Without any further ado, let's get into the game!

The Game

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We draw straws to decide that Kate's Lazav goes first, followed by Noah with Feldon, then Emily with Merieke, and Greg's Trostani last.

Opening Hands:
Kate: I mulligan away a hand of Swamp, Swamp, Sol Ring, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Willbreaker, and Traumatize. I probably could have got away with it, but the lack of blue mana, and having only double-blue costed cards in hand made me uncomfortable. My first mulligan is free, so my next seven are Swamp, Swamp, Traumatize, Thassa, God of the Sea, Soul Seizer  ^Flip, Hymn to Tourach, Thought Vessel. Ouch. Still no blue, and Hymn to Tourach isn't good enough to make up for the other cards I can't cast without access to blue. I go to six: Swamp, Swamp, Polluted Delta, Temple of Deceit, Thespian's Stage, Baleful Strix. Okay. A bit land-heavy, but at least I've got my colors, I'll be able to play Lazav, Dimir Mastermind and Baleful Strix, and I should have access to play whatever I draw. Keep at six, scry a Hedonist's Trove to the bottom- too expensive this early.

Noah: Mountain, Dormant Volcano, Worn Powerstone, Temple of the False God, Wurmcoil Engine, Trading Post, Dreamstone Hedron. I'll keep. I'm not usually a fan of the bounce lands, but in this case it'll mean a Turn Four Wurmcoil Engine off of Feldon of the Third Path, so I'm happy. Keep.

Emily: Swamp, Plains, Island, Venser, the Sojourner, Time Warp, Tolaria West, Sol Ring. Well, I've got my colors, my Sol Ring, and one of my favorite planeswalkers ever. I'm good to go.

Greg: Selesnya Guildgate, Sol Ring, Tranquil Thicket, Swords to Plowshares, Valor, Well of Lost Dreams, Karametra, God of Harvests. This might be a slow start, but Karametra, God of Harvests will speed me up soon enough, and Well of Lost Dreams synergizes well with my commander, so I'm good.

Turn 1:

Kate: I draw a Swamp. I'll play Temple of Deceit and scry the too-expensive It That Betrays to the bottom. Pass

Noah: I draw into Fire Diamond. I'll play my Mountain, and pass.

Emily: Draw Wall of Omens. Sweet. A perfect T2 play, and my first ETB effect of the game. For now though, it's just Island->Sol Ring, then pass.

Greg: Draw for turn is Rhys the Redeemed. He'll be good later, but I've no untapped mana, so not my T1 play- that'll just be Selesnya Guildgate and pass.

(40-40-40-40)

T2:

Kate: Draw an Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver. This guy gets underestimated in EDH all the time. I'm happy drawing him. For now, I'll play a Swamp, then a Baleful Strix, and draw Siren of the Fanged Coast. In one-on-one play, this is just a 5 mana 4/4 flyer. In multiplayer though… Let the politics commence. I'll pass the turn.

Noah: I draw into Kuldotha Forgemaster. Some fun tutoring effects might be happening soon… This turn though, I play Dormant Volcano and bounce my Mountain back to my hand. Oops. I seem to have eight cards in hand. I guess I'll just have to discard this Wurmcoil Engine which is a real shame since this deck doesn't run any ways at all for me to get that back time and time again. Pass.

Emily: I let Noah know that I disapprove of his discard (Noah's Note: By way of a sharp smack upside the head), then draw a Riptide Chimera. Not great right now, since I don't have any enchantments, but it'll come in handy later. For now, Plains, then Wall of Essence. I draw an Adarkar Wastes and pass the turn.

Greg: I draw a Fertile Thicket, do a double take at the Tranquil Thicket already in my hand, then play the thicket. The Fertile Thicket, that is. I put a Plains on top of my library, and a Serra Avatar, Intrepid Hero, Nature's Lore and Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers on the bottom. I then cast my Sol Ring, on turn two as WOTC always intended for fair play, and pass the turn.

(40-40-40-40)

T3:

Kate: Draw an Island. I really would not mind a spell or two. I'll play my Island, then Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(3). It's +2(5) targets Emily's Merieke deck, finding Academy Rector, Azorius Signet, and Arcane Sanctum. Really glad to get rid of that Academy Rector. I'll attack Noah with my Baleful Strix, since there aren't any creatures on the field I might need to block. Pass.

Noah: I draw a Clone Shell. I play a Mountain. I want to play Feldon of the Third Path. I'm concerned by the lack of protection I can offer him, and with a Wurmcoil Engine in my graveyard I'd be an obvious target. I'll hold off for one more turn, hoping to draw Lightning Greaves, or for someone else to deploy a threat. For now, I cast Worn Powerstone and pass.

Emily: I draw Whip of Erebos. Sweet. For now, I'm encouraged by the lack of board state, and I'll play a Swamp, then Venser, the Sojourner(3)- barring some large and hasty creatures, I should get some good value out of him. I +2(5) to flicker my Wall of Omens, and end the turn, drawing an Archaeomancer from the Wall's ETB.

Greg: I draw the Plains I put on top of my library last turn, then play it and a Karametra, God of Harvests. That's right Emily, you're not the only one playing five-drops on T3. Pass.

(40-39-40-40)

T4:

Kate: Draw a Raven's Crime. I'll play a Polluted Delta, and fetch a Sunken Hollow. I'll cast Raven's Crime on Emily- she discards Tolaria West. I then retrace the Crime by discarding a Swamp, target Emily again. She discards Riptide Chimera. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(5) uses it's +2(7) on Greg's Trostani this time- whiffs with Plains, Reliquary Tower, and Mosswort Bridge. Baleful Strix attacks Venser, Shaper Savant(5) for one(4), then I pass turn.

Noah: I draw a Mountain then play it. I'm still not comfortable playing Feldon yet. Instead, I'll cast Fire Diamond and Trading Post. Pass.

Emily: I draw and Island and play it. Venser, the Sojourner(4) activates his +2(6) on the Wall of Omens. I'll cast Time Warp, target myself, and pass turn, getting an Angel of Despair.

Emily: Hello again! I draw Athreos, God of Passage. I'll play my Adarkar Wastes, then my Archaeomancer, getting back Time Warp. Venser, the Sojourner(6) will +2(8) the Wall of Omens. I'll cast that Athreos, God of Passage, and pass the turn. Again. Drawing Underworld Coinsmith off the Wall.

Greg: So Venser, the Sojourner(8) is about to ult, and I can't help but notice the lack of attackers available. I draw Mycoloth which would be fantastic if I can buy a few more turns against that Venser. I play Tranquil Thicket, cast Valor then Rhys the Redeemed. Karametra, God of Harvests triggers for both, so I fetch up a Plains and a Forest and pass. If Kate and Noah can stop Venser from ulting for one turn, that should be enough.

(39-39-40-40)

T5:

Kate: Ok. Teamwork time. I draw an Island. Boy, talk about mana flood. I'll play the Island, then cast Siren of the Fanged Coast. I choose Noah to pay tribute. He refuses to pay (since he's got no creatures for me to steal anyway), and I get to steal Wall of Omens. Stop that card drawing silliness. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(7) activates its +2(9) on Emily. This one is glorious; Ashen Rider, Deadeye Navigator, and Dimir Signet. Then Baleful Strix attacks Venser, the Sojourner(8) for one(7).

Noah: I draw a Mountain and play it. I'll cast Dreamstone Hedron, then float a mana and sacrifice Fire Diamond to Trading Post to draw another Mountain. Enough is enough. I want my Wurmcoil Engine. I cast Feldon of the Third Path. Pass turn.

Emily: So here's the thing. I'll draw a Restoration Angel. But that won't matter. Because you see, I'm going to cast Time Warp on myself. Then Venser, the Sojourner(7) will +2(8) on Archaeomancer. Turns out, when I end the turn, I'll get Time Warp back. And I'm pretty sure I'll cast it next turn. And the next turn. And the next turn. Until I win, or die of old age, whichever comes first. The other three agree to concede, and I win!

(39-39-40-40)

Wow! That was a short game indeed. Since it was so short...

B-B-B-BONUS GAME!

The Game

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As is demanded by the gods, the winner of the previous match gets to go first. We shuffle up our seating though, and an intricate series of coin flips determines that after Emily with Merieke, it will be Noah with Feldon, then Greg with Trostani, then Kate with Lazav.

Opening Hands:
Emily: Swamp, Swamp, Fetid Heath, Academy Rector, Sun Titan, Solemn Simulacrum, Followed Footsteps. Hardly ideal, but since I've got Solemn to find me blue mana if I need to, I think I'll be okay. Also the thought of Followed Footsteps on Sun Titan is a pleasant one.

Noah: Dormant Volcano, Sol Ring, Lightning Greaves, Gratuitous Violence, Warstorm Surge, Solemn Simulacrum, Wurmcoil Engine. I...I don't think I've ever seen a hand so beautiful in my whole life. I've got protection for Feldon. I've got something nasty to throw to the graveyard. I've got two of the meanest red enchantments ever printed. I've got Sol Ring. If I draw lands, I am set for life. It's greedy, it's really greedy, and if I DON'T draw lands, it could absolutely come back to bite me, but I'm keeping.

Greg: Gavony Township, Selesnya Guildgate, Plains, Well of Lost Dreams, Sol Ring, Birthing Pod, Asceticism. Not bad. Not great, I'd prefer a bit more ramp. But having protection for everything I play seems good, and the Well + Trostani, Selesnya's Voice should help me keep up.

Kate: Island, Island, Swamp, Swamp, Temporal Trespass, Oblivion Sower, Distant Memories. Hmmmm. I'd like a clearer path going forward from here. I've got Lazav, Dimir Mastermind mana, though, and Distant Memories is castable if necessary. I'll keep reluctantly.

Turn 1:

Emily: I draw a Copy Enchantment. Useful later, but not now. I'll play Swamp and pass.

Noah: I draw into Mountain. Yes. Perfect. Everything is proceeding according to plan. I'll play my Mountain, my Sol Ring, and my Lightning Greaves, then pass.

Greg: Springjack Pasture is my draw for turn. I'll go Plains, Sol Ring, pass.

Kate: I draw and play a Temple of Deceit. My scry is a Reliquary Tower. Right now I have enough lands, and not enough spells, so I send it to bottom.

(40-40-40-40)

Turn 2:

Emily: I draw a Plains play a Plains. I suppose I could have played Fetid Heath, but since I've got Black and White mana, there's no immediate advantage. Right now I'm just waiting for Academy Rector or Solemn Simulacrum in two turns. Pass

Noah: I draw a Mountain, play it, then cast Solemn Simulacrum tutoring up an Island. No, just kidding, I don't have those. It's a Mountain. Seriously though, this game could not be going any better for me, and the best part is, it looks totally innocent to the other players. Pass.

Greg: Wow, Noah looks totally innocent over there. I am not suspicious at all. (Confession: Noah edited that into Greg's turn statement. There are advantages to being the one who types this all up…) I draw a Darien, King of Kjeldor. Now we're talking. I should be able to get him out in another few turns, and he'll provide some much-appreciated defense. I'll play a Selesnya Guildgate, then pay two life to play Birthing Pod. Pass.

Kate: I draw a Soul Seizer  ^Flip. Not bad. I'll put that to good use in a few turns. For now, it's just Island, pass. I must construct additional pylons! get more mana!

(40-40-38-40)

Turn 3:

Emily: I draw and play Mystic Gate. I'm still a turn out from deploying my first spell, and both Noah and Greg have begun to deploy some scary things. I wish I could deal with Feldon of the Third Path at instant speed to prevent Noah from equipping him with Lightning Greaves, but maybe he won't cast Feldon this turn… Pass.

Noah: So. I draw Faithless Looting. I love this deck and this deck loves me. I cast the Faithless Looting, drawing two Mountains and discarding Dormant Volcano (I don't need it, I'm ahead in terms of mana already, and I've got a path forward without it) and Wurmcoil Engine. Then I play a Mountain and cast Feldon of the Third Path, equip Lightning Greaves. Solemn Simulacrum is available to attack, and since no one has blockers, I'll swing at the last game's winner. Emily takes two. Pass turn.

Greg: Oh. Oh dear. This looks… Bad. I need Darien, King of Kjeldor like right now. Sadly, I don't have enough mana this turn. Fortunately, I DO draw a Mirari's Wake, so I'll cast that (after playing Gavony Township) and cast Darien next turn. I can afford to take one hit from a Wurmcoil Engine. Pass.

Kate: I don't feel at all safe. I do draw Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver, so I'll play a Swamp then Ashiok(3), and I'll +2(5) him targeting Noah. I get Mountain, Purphoros, God of the Forge, and Sundial of the Infinite. Purphoros is a nice pick-up, and Sundial is too, although I'm pretty sure Noah's just as happy sacrificing Wurmcoil Engine every turn, so… Meh. Pass.

(38-40-38-40)

Turn 4:

Emily: I draw and play Plains, then Solemn Simulacrum for an Island. Nothing in my hand is relevant right now. Well, not totally true, as Followed Footsteps on Solemn would get me some blockers. But still, I need a board, not more mana.

Noah: Wheeeee! I draw Temple of the False God. I'll play it, then cast Gratuitous Violence. I activate Feldon of the Third Path on Wurmcoil Engine, then move to combat, and send Solemn Simulacrum at Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(1), and Wurmcoil at Greg's life total for 12. At the end of the turn, I sac Wurmcoil, and get two tokens. This is going just swimmingly.

Greg: Draw a Plains. Well. That last attack hurt a bit more than I was expecting, with Gratuitous Violence. But, I play the plains, then cast Darien, King of Kjeldor. If Noah hits me again, he'll be facing down a ton of tokens on the backswing. His life gain will be a problem… But for the time being, blockers serve me just as well. Since I've got tons of mana now, thanks to Mirari's Wake, I'll also cast Trostani, Selesnya's Voice. Now, unless someone can kill me in one hit, they cannot kill me with regular damage. Suddenly, Noah's not so scary.

Kate: I draw a Thespian's Stage. Not super useful right now, so my land for turn is just an Island. Activate Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(3) to +2(5) on Noah. Two Mountain and a Myriad Landscape. Bleh. So here's the question- do I cast Lazav, Dimir Mastermind or Distant Memories? It's unlikely that I'll get to keep whatever I tutor for, and spending a whole turn drawing three would be… Meh. Lazav, on the other hand, doesn't provide much protection against an angry Wurmcoil Engine, and because Lazav needs a card to go to graveyard, I can't copy the Engine when it's sacrificed. I opt for the Distant Memories. I tutor up Platinum Angel, which, predictably, means I draw three instead. I get Vendilion Clique, Curse of the Swine, and Aetherspouts. Alright. Good. Two of those cards are good protection against what's coming. I'll discard Vendilion Clique at the end of my turn.

(38-52-26-40)

Turn 5:

Emily: Alright. Things are getting out of hand. Darien, King of Kjeldor + Trostani, Selesnya's Voice scares me. Gratuitous Violence scares me. Feldon of the Third Path scares me a lot. I draw Brago, King Eternal. Fantastic card, but I need some more things for him to work with. For now, I play Fetid Heath, then Copy Enchantment on Greg's Mirari's Wake. That gets me enough mana to cast Followed Footsteps- I target my own Solemn Simulacrum. Then I pass.

Noah: I draw Thornbite Staff. Nice, but I've got one better. I play a Mountain, then Warstorm Surge. The other three groan in unison, and it's music to my ears. Yeah. People are gonna die. First up, I need Greg to die on this turn, otherwise Darien, King of Kjeldor will couple with Trostani, Selesnya's Voice to effectively negate any damage I do, and get more blockers than I can handle. I'll use Feldon of the Third Path to get a Wurmcoil Engine (surprise!) which deals 12 to Greg's Darien on ETB because of Warstorm Surge. Trostani would also have been an acceptable target, but I'm planning on killing Greg this turn- if he takes a lot of damage but manages somehow to survive, I'd rather not deal with the backlash Darien's tokens could dish out. Then I attack- Solemn Simulacrum, Wurmcoil and the two Wurmcoil tokens from last turn at Greg. He blocks the Wurmcoil, which leaves him taking another 12 from the two unblocked Wurm tokens, and another 4 from Solemn. He's at 10. I end the turn, sacrificing Wurmcoil, getting two more tokens- both shoot Greg for a total of 12 more damage, and he's out.

Greg: Ouch. I'm dead. That Warstorm Surge was unfortunate.

Kate: Topdeck Black Sun's Zenith. Oh thank goodness. I play a Swamp, then cast it for X=3. That kills off Noah's board, which should at least buy us some time. Sadly, I can't do anything about those enchantments. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(5) goes +2 up to (7), exiling three Mountains from Noah. Gross. Pass.

(38-88-0-40)

Turn 6:

Emily: I draw an Island off Solemn Simulacrum's death (due to Black Sun's Zenith). I really, really wish I'd been able to clone him, but I guess clearing Noah's board was worth it. Sorta. I get a Grave Titan for turn, which would be fantastic if it would slow Noah down even a little bit. I'll play my Island. Fortunately, I still have a copied Mirari's Wake, so I'm going to be able to get up some shields this turn. I cast Academy Rector, then Grave Titan, then Brago, King Eternal. Brago plus the Titan will be really nice, if I survive another turn. Pass.

Noah: I draw a Mountain off Solemn Simulacrum, then a Stingscourger for turn. Emily's got blockers, and Kate's got a lot of life still. I do some math in my head- I can almost kill one of them, but both will survive the turn with low life totals. I decide therefore to spread the love. I play my mountain, then recast Feldon of the Third Path, deal 4 to Emily, and equip Lightning Greaves to him. Then I cast Stingscourger, deal 4 to Emily, and bounce her Academy Rector back to hand. I'll activate Feldon for another- wait for it- Wurmcoil Engine, dealing 12 to Emily. Somebody stop me! I'll move the Lightning Greaves over to Stingscourger, then attack Kate for 16. After combat, I'll move the Greaves back to Feldon, then end the turn, sacrificing the Engine to get two tokens, dealing another 6 to Emily and 6 to Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(7), who lives at (1). Ok, so I only spread the love a little bit. Sue me.

Greg: I'm still dead. :(

Kate: Ouch. That was a lot of damage. Dislike. 0 out of 10, would not recommend. I draw a Hypnotic Siren for turn, which would be AMAZING if it had flash. And cost one less. As is, not gonna cut it. Speaking of things that are one mana too many right now, I can ALMOST delve out a Temporal Trespass to try to find an answer. At this point, my best option is just to play my Thespian's Stage and hold up Aetherspouts mana. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(1) activates its +2(3) on Noah again, getting a decent haul in Bogardan Hellkite, Skullclamp, and Reforge the Soul. Pass.

(12-106-0-24)

Turn 7:

Emily: I draw Mentor of the Meek. I'm pretty much dead on board here, unless I can find a way to deal with Warstorm Surge. Mentor is good though- I can draw a lot off him right now, and thanks to Mirari's Wake I've got tons of mana. I play a Swamp, then the Mentor. I'll go to combat, send everything at Noah for 16. Grave Titan triggers on attack, and I'll pay for Mentor of the Meek (twice, but one at a time, in case I draw an expensive spell I'd like to cast) to draw two- Swamp and Conjurer's Closet. Noah has no blocks, so I use Brago, King Eternal to flicker my Titan for two more zombies, then pay for Mentor to draw two again. Cloudshift and Momentary Blink. Wow. What are the odds? Post combat, I cast Cloudshift on the Grave Titan, get two more zombies, pay to draw two more cards. Island and Angel of Despair. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrgh. If I'd gotten that Angel just one draw sooner, I'd have been able to cast it. Instead, I cast Momentary Blink on the Grave Titan, and pay two to draw two again. Oblivion Ring and Banishing Light. I swear this deck is taunting me. Makes up for last game, I suppose. Pass with one unused mana, and a full grip of spells that could save me.

Noah: Well. That was a LOT of card draw, and from the look on Emily's face, she found something good there at the end. Better kill her now. Stingscourger dies when I decline to pay echo, then I draw an Alhammarret's Archive, and play it. You all know how this song goes- I Feldon of the Third Path a Wurmcoil Engine. I'm torn for a moment here- I could throw this damage at Kate, then kill Emily at EOT when Wurmcoil spawns some tokens. However, Kate didn't play anything last turn, and has mana up. If she's got combat tricks, I want to make sure I'm as efficient as possible before she can cast them. After a moment's hesitation, I point the damage at Emily, and take her out of the game, then laugh heartily at the cards she shows from her hand. I'm glad I did kill her first, because when I go to attacks and send everything at Kate, she casts Aetherspouts, which would have saved Emily had I been counting on the EOT damage, and would have totally flipped the game around. As is, however, it's now a very one-sided two player game.

Greg: Bleaaahhhhh…

Kate: I draw a Hero's Downfall. That's not gonna cut it- even if I kill the Wurmcoil before it attacks, I still die to the ETB triggers of the Wurmcoil and its two tokens. With just a touch more mana I could have cast Temporal Trespass, but I'm not sure the extra turn would have saved me from this. Plus Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver(3) one last time(5), getting Magewright's Stone, Myr Battlesphere, and Mountain. Pass.

(0-114-0-24)

Turn 8:

Emily: I'm so upset! If Noah had pointed that Warstorm Surge damage at Kate, I'd still be alive! And I'd probably be winning after I cleared his board! Grrrrr. Next time.

Noah: I draw a Spitebellows. This deck is my favorite. I activate Feldon of the Third Path. Wurmcoil Engine deals 12 on ETB. I could attack for lethal, but you know what's more fun? When I pay three, and kill Kate with evoked Spitebellows damage. I'm a sucker for flashy finishes.

Greg: Well. That was ugly.

Kate: Awww. Turn-8 Kate meets her Turn-8 fate. Killed by an evoked Spitebellows. How often does that happen?

(0-138-0-0)

Before we move into our final thoughts, since this is the first time we've done this for other people's decks, here's how it's going to work. We'll always start with a discussion of what we liked about our deck for the week- what are its strengths? Then, what did we think could be improved upon- what cards didn't impress? What strategic aspects seemed to be missing? Finally, suggestions- what cards can cover the deck's weaknesses, or improve upon its strengths? These suggestions WILL NOT be made with budget considerations- this is because although the deck owner might be on a budget, someone else in the audience may not be, and might want to know about a rare or powerful card that also costs an arm and a leg. However, we'll try to always offer at least a few cards that are affordable on any budget.

Final thoughts

Noah: I loved this deck. It's powerful, and it synergizes well with itself. Although we only got to see it in action in a pair of very short games, it's power can build rapidly as more creatures find their way to the graveyard. I think there's a great selection of creatures for Feldon to abuse. This deck's weakness is its reliance on its commander. Although the deck runs several mana rocks, it's mana curve spreads toward the high end. Without access to Feldon, I fear the deck may struggle to deploy enough threats quickly enough to really overwhelm an opponent.

Some things I'd recommend: first of all, cut out some of the high end creatures. Some are redundant (Pathrazer of Ulamog), others are too hit-or-miss (Tyrant of Discord), others don't work as well with Feldon as they do on their own (Invader Parasite). Then, I would add Anger. If Feldon is removed, you want him able to activate as soon as possible, and Anger and/or Hammer of Purphoros are great ways of getting haste. Assault Suit lets you play politics and make alliances, and also allows you to avoid the sacrifice clause on Feldon's tokens. Bosh, Iron Golem let's you sac Feldon's tokens for extra damage.

To help with your discard effects (although that's another thing this deck does well), I'd suggest three planeswalkers- Chandra Ablaze can refill your hand, and can pitch cards for direct damage. Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded is typically viewed as weak, and you'd be surprised how often he gets his ult off in EDH, just because no one thinks he's that strong. Meanwhile, his +1 is actually an advantage to you. And finally, Jaya Ballard, Task Mage. She struggles as a commander herself because she struggles to replace or reanimate cards she throws to the graveyard, but in this deck, she could prove to be valuable removal while also getting you more cards to your graveyard.

Finally, some ETB creatures with effects your current board doesn't offer. Siege-Gang Commander and his little brother Mogg War Marshal are nice because even after you sacrifice them, you're building your board up with goblin tokens. Hellkite Tyrant - sure, you're not likely to win off his second ability (although you can!), but who doesn't need more Sol Rings? Finally, the card that I think can make this deck crazy strong, nigh-unstoppable (but may not be acceptable in some playgroups); Keldon Firebombers. My favorite part is where he leaves you with enough mana to activate Feldon and do it again. Kind of a huge middle finger to everyone, ain't he?

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Kate: Well, sadly we didn't really get to see Lazav, Dimir Mastermind play itself out, since both games were fairly short. Nevertheless, we got to see just a touch of this deck's strength. It's got some great defensive options, and given some time to set up, can be really a dangerous milling machine. Where it struggles most is in a slight lack of focus- a sub theme of creature theft makes it harder to get the mill online in a timely fashion, while weakening the deck's effectiveness against decks that don't rely on creatures, like Narset, Enlightened Master, Nekusar, the Mindrazer, Melek, Izzet Paragon and so on.

Recommendations: remove cards that don't synergize with Lazav himself, such as Oblivion Sower, Ob Nixilis, Unshackled, and the various theft effects (keep Grinning Totem - this can be used to remove an opponent's reshuffle effects at instant speed, although it only works if you can also immediately mill that opponent out too).

Add things like Sadistic Sacrament. Even without the kicker, it can get rid of an opponent's win cons, or old Eldrazi Titans, or Elixir of Immortality. Add Dimir Doppelganger and Nezumi Graverobber  ^Flip- then if an opponent DOES mill an Eldrazi Titan, you can exile before the graveyard reshuffle effect goes off, stopping it from happening a second time.

It looks like the deck used to run mirko vodka, mind drinker, and I would consider bringing him back. That's a very strong effect, especially late in the game when an opponent may have used ramp effects to thin their deck of lands. Sphinx's Tutelage is fantastic for your deck, as is Nemesis of Reason, and Phenax, God of Deception is one of the premier mill cards in the format.

However. Mill tends to attract hate from the table. Defense is important- you've got a great start in cards like Aetherspouts and Black Sun's Zenith. Some more instant-speed removal in the form of Cyclonic Rift would be pretty useful- in fact, Rift belongs in almost any deck running blue. I'm a big believer using shield creatures like Wall of Ice, Wall of Shadows, Wall of Denial, and Wall of Fog to keep the enemy hordes at bay while you get set up.

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Greg: Well, I really would have liked those games to go on a bit longer. And if not for that Warstorm Surge, the second one would have. The synergy between some of the cards in this deck is just insane. Trostani is actually a really underrated commander, in my opinion- his life gain, coupled with some heavy token spawning can make him really powerful defensively, with tons of chump blockers, and a resilient life total if you get past them. What I think this deck lacks is offensive power- there are a lot of effects out there that could make your tokens bigger, stronger, and more numerous which would help to compensate for this weakness. I'm also a little concerned by the number of token generating cards- at only 14 in the whole deck, I'd try bringing in a few more token spawners.

Specific cards: to make tokens, add Armada Wurm, Desolation Twin, Trostani's Summoner, Phyrexian Processor, Arachnogenesis, Rampaging Baloths, Avenger of Zendikar, Hydra Broodmaster, Worldspine Wurm, and Luminarch Ascension.

To make more tokens, add Rootborn Defenses, Wayfaring Temple, and Scion of Vitu-Ghazi.

To make your tokens stronger/more effective, add Aura Shards, Intangible Virtue, Collective Blessing, Wilt-Leaf Liege, Tolsimir Wolfblood, Hour of Reckoning, Archangel of Thune, Craterhoof Behemoth, Beastmaster Ascension, and True Conviction.

Some things that you could take out to make room: Fertilid, which isn't really that good if you don't have a way to increase +1/+1 counters, Glory and Valor, which are both fine, but don't really add anything to the deck, and could be difficult to get to the graveyard, Staff of Nin, which is WAY over costed for its effect, any planeswalker that isn't named Elspeth, Null Brooch, because if you want to counter spells you should play blue, Cauldron of Souls, which is fine for defending your creatures, but loses you all your tokens anyway, and Nature's Chosen, which likes to pretend to be Freed from the Real, but… Isn't.

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Emily: Well. Damn. I imagine it might be hard to tell from just reading, but I had the most terrifying board presence. If Noah had not had Warstorm Surge, I'd have massacred everyone. Seriously, if that Angel of Despair had shown up even one card sooner, I'd have gotten rid of the Surge, and probably gone on to win. This deck has all the classic threats for Esper flicker, and it balances flicker engines with some dangerous ETB effects. I think it's weakness is the lack of support for its general. Aside from Conjurer's Closet, there really isn't anything in the deck that is designed to help Merieke Ri Berit do her work, and she relies on the Closet, or one of the other flicker creatures to be able to untap.

So, in terms of adding cards, that's where I'd start; bring in things like Freed from the Real and Pemmin's Aura- these with Merieke turn her into a one-mana kill spell. Add Arcane Lighthouse and/or Glaring Spotlight to make sure you can always target your opponent's creatures.

To buff up the flicker side of things, a few more ETB options; Baleful Strix, one of the greatest EDH draw spells, Ashen Rider, an Angel of Despair that, for one more mana, gets you an extra activation when it leaves the battlefield, and can exile rather than just destroy. Rune-Scarred Demon is fantastic for you, and Magister Sphinx is downright evil when you flicker him. Also, newly arrived Standard all-star Reflector Mage... Well, I hear he's not too bad.

One other area I'm concerned about for this deck is its lack of a panic button. Flicker decks are typically weak to disruption- remove their engines like Brago, King Eternal and Conjurer's Closet, and they can fall apart. I'd advise adding a board wipe or two, just so you have an option to buy yourself some more time if necessary. Any of Wrath of God, Day of Judgment, Damnation, Merciless Eviction, Austere Command, All is Dust, Cyclonic Rift, Akroma's Vengeance, End Hostilities, Curse of the Swine... The list goes on and on. Point is, I'd have at least one or two on hand, just in case.

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Lessons learned

Beginner Lesson: Don't let fear of your opponents control your plays. It's easy, even as a more advanced player to think “There's no point playing this creature, my enemy will probably just kill it.” However, think about it from your opponent's perspective. If you cast your creature, and they have to use their kill spell to remove it, they've just invested time and resources to counteract your time and resources. Not great for you, sure, but if you don't play that creature, then your opponent is free to develop a better board, to hit you for a bit more damage, and still retains the ability to kill your creature if you play it later. In Game One, Noah could have cast Feldon of the Third Path on turn three. This would have let him copy a Wurmcoil Engine in his graveyard, and swing at Venser, the Sojourner for TWO TURNS before Emily combined out. Even if Emily blocked one attack with the Wall of Omens, that leaves Kate free to steal Archaeomancer before the combo goes off (although, in fairness, it's also possible that she steals Feldon instead…). The point is, cautious play is a good thing, and thinking about what your opponent's might do in response is a good idea, but fearful play is not a good thing, and letting what you THINK your opponent's will do control you is not a good idea.

Intermediate Lesson: See the big picture. Look at the end of the first game. Two players could have stopped Emily from having infinite turns in a row; Kate could have stolen the Archaeomancer rather than the Wall of Omens. And Greg could have left up mana to cast a Swords to Plowshares on the ‘Mancer. And both players COULD have seen the combo coming, since Archaeomancer had already returned Time Warp once. However, Kate didn't notice, because she was focused on Wall of Omens, which had been generating steady advantage for Emily, drawing him a card every turn. And Greg, as we can see in his notes, is very afraid that Venser, the Sojourner was going to activate his ultimate, so he tries to commit to a board state, so that he can deal with Venser, should one of the other players be able to delay its ult. Remember, just because one thing is scary, doesn't mean there aren't other things to be afraid of. Always, always be looking, not just for the path to victory, but the many many paths that could lead to defeat.

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Closing:

Thanks so much to everyone for submitting decks for this episode, and especially to Runlue, Gattison, MagmaArmor0, and Lanzo493 for the use of their decks! I'd also like to extend a huge thank-you to user:chiefbell for proofreading and helping out with formatting, both for this episode and for Episode One, and to Spootyone for inspiring this series, and offering advice on layouts for this episode! There were a lot of submissions this time around, and we had a hard time picking out only four to showcase this episode. If yours wasn't chosen, you can feel free to resubmit it, or to submit a different one! We will continue to draw on decks submitted last week, in addition to those that are submitted going forward. Thanks again, and we'll see you next time!