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| Format | Legality |
| 1v1 Commander | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Archenemy | Legal |
| Arena | Legal |
| Block Constructed | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Canadian Highlander | Legal |
| Casual | Legal |
| Commander / EDH | Legal |
| Commander: Rule 0 | Legal |
| Custom | Legal |
| Duel Commander | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Highlander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Leviathan | Legal |
| Limited | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Planechase | Legal |
| Pre-release | Legal |
| Quest Magic | Legal |
| Standard | Legal |
| Vanguard | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
Accomplished Alchemist
Creature — Elf Druid
: Gain one mana of any colour.
: Gain X aman of any one colour, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
Gidgetimer on Help me Build a Basic …
8 months ago
That is kinda a big and open-ended question. There are many valid ways to go about evaluating how a card will perform in a deck (and therefore which ones to cut).
Personally I am a fan of considering a card in the context of when you are behind, at parity, and winning and if the card wouldn't be good in at least 2/3 then it should probably be cut. I didn't come up with this way of evaluating cards. I heard a pro talking about it (I forget who). It has, however, proven a really useful tool to me.
The trap that most people fall into is when they see a card that is really good when you are ahead of your opponent, but is only useful if your deck is already performing well. These cards are commonly referred to as "win more" (or "winmoar") cards. Looking at your deck I see a few cards that are win more. The largest offender I'd say is Accomplished Alchemist. It doesn't do nearly enough to justify a 4 mana casting cost unless you are already winning.
multimedia on
trelassara, the stomper
1 year ago
Hey, impressive version on a budget, you've put a lot of thought into your deck.
An excellent compact infinite combo for life is Staff of Domination + Accomplished Alchemist by gaining five or more life on a turn. What makes this combo compact is it's two cards and Staff can draw which is helpful when you make infinite mana to draw your wincon in this case Aetherflux Reservoir. Staff can be a mana sink for any other infinite mana combos you play. Heronblade Elite is an overlooked mana dork who can get out of hand quick when playing counters as well as other Humans. With 5 or more power it also infinite combos with Staff of Domination.
To improve gameplay use cards that are part of combos, but are good without combos? Cards that do other things such as ramp or gain life and can be used in more than one combo. Try to limit the combos to two cards to make it easier to assemble.
- Staff of Domination + Accomplished Alchemist = infinite mana, life, draw.
- Umbral Mantle + Accomplished Alchemist = infinite mana.
- Ivy Lane Denizen + Scurry Oak = infinite tokens.
- Spike Feeder + Cleric Class lvl 2. = infinite life.
Staff of Domination, Accomplished Alchemist, Ivy Lane Denizen, Spike Feeder, Cleric Class, Heronblade Elite, Scurry Oak are combo cards that are also good outside of combos. In contrast Sorcerer's Wand, Lurking Roper, Famished Paladin, Krosan Restorer, Presence of Gond are subpar cards that are only here because of combos or are only part of one combo. I'm not suggesting to cut all these cards, just to think about what other uses do they have here besides a combo and are they really needed because of that?
For example, Illusionist's Bracers is an expensive price card here that's only in one combo with one card, Krosan Restorer. Consider cutting Bracers and Restorer? Doing this change would also let you cut some of the lesser Bounce lands, Karoo and Jungle Basin because only playing them for Restorer combo. For a budget manabase Canopy Vista and Fortified Village could replace those lands. By adding Canopy Vista then you have a Selesnya dual land that Three Visits can get.
Many of the combos here require an equipment or an aura, Open the Armory can tutor for either one.
Some changes to consider:
- Staff of Domination --> Illusionist's Bracers
- Ivy Lane Denizen --> Krosan Restorer
- Heronblade Elite --> Golden Guardian
- Spike Feeder --> Sorcerer's Wand
- Open the Armory --> Ram Through
- Canopy Vista --> Karoo
- Fortified Village --> Jungle Basin
Good luck with your deck.
SufferFromEDHD on
Life Gain Voltron (Trelasarra)
2 years ago
Accomplished Alchemist, Blossoming Bogbeast, Lifegift, Archangel of Thune, Patron of the Kitsune, Sword of War and Peace, Well of Lost Dreams
Balaam__ on Efficient way for black to …
2 years ago
Not sure this would work with whatever your deck currently consists of, but if you run a life gain build you could use the second ability of Accomplished Alchemist. But now you’re practically locked into /, splashing for the two cards you mentioned—which isn’t the easiest to do with in the casting cost.
Mana_Mythic_Legendary on Pursuing Perfection, Part 10: Selesnya …
2 years ago
Every dual color up until now has been some sort of aggressive, negative experience for other players, and Selesnya certainly has the potential to be no different. Combining Green’s predilection for quality with White’s penchant for quantity (AND stacking board buffs) makes for a lethal pairing in the combat phase. Rhys the Redeemed, Captain Sisay, and Gaddock Teeg are just a few commanders with justifiable appeal for power gamers. And don’t forget the enchantments: Aura Shards, Mirari's Wake, and Hunting Grounds all have singularly disruptive board presence, and that’s just a few on a stellar list.
And yet, undeniable potency aside, this is an almost grandmotherly pairing: you don’t so much play Selesnya to ruin someone else’s day as to ensure you have the best one. A properly built deck in these colors should wrap around its pilot like a blanket fresh out of the dryer, basting you in a pervasive feeling of shelter, growth, and self-promotion. Another good analogy might be a garden tended by someone with an emerald thumb, game-breaking fertilizer, and the patience of Saint Francis. In summary, players running these are very much there to do their own thing without interruption: the problem is, once they’ve done their own thing, opponents find out that the “game-breaking fertilizer” is typically their own mulched remains.
It’s also oddly human-centric.
Ok, enough poetry. Now to the really fun bit: we’re here to talk thematic commanders, so let’s dive into that roster. Today, we’re discussing the Selesnya themes of Lifegains, Counterplay, and “Don’t Look at Me!”. As always, please bear in mind that our focus here is not necessarily competitive but rather on thematic, archetypical commanders. Just don’t judge me harshly for including a lot of beasts.
Lifegains
I spelled with an "s" for a reason. Yes, as covered in a past article, Black has a more intimate relationship with the life total. Yes, Black both drains life and spends life. BUT… there is a profound difference between eating cookies and baking them. Black is the undisputed cookie monster (and a bit of a baker, to be fair), but Selesnya could, to continue the analogy, take any bake off by storm. Prize money, people: Selesnya’s about not only baking that cookie, but getting prize money for it. In other words, crossbreeding these colors gets you a thematic trend toward gaining life AND triggering something whenever you do. Think combotastic crap like the Accomplished Alchemist and Rhox Faithmender, or Heliod, Sun-Crowned and Spike Feeder. The possibilities are… well, a little scary.
The Oprah of lifegain. Who needs general damage when you can drown your opponent in creatures the approximate size of your life hack? Smack them with the Angel of Destiny, or… wow, there are a lot of relevant angels. Gather it. Just bring your lifelink and enjoy.
Direct, though the scry is a nice touch. This is a commander made for some sort of evasion, the Soul Warden cycle, and a pile of tokens. Like, maybe March of the Multitudes. Hehehehe…
… Sheesh. I mean, I’ve had this built on and off, but… still, sheesh. If you’ve never heard of the Phyrexian Processor, enjoy the pearl I just gave you. Green-White is token central: hell, their own private keyword about it is right on this commander. This is a definite instance of the Green penchant for chunks being over-synergized with the white predilection to breed like rabbits. Or, in this case, Phyrexian Minions.
Counterplay
I’ve covered stax twice by this point, once in White and once in Azorius. I don’t deny that the potential for oppression is there: one of my favorite cards in Selesnya is Glare of Subdual. However, I can’t help feeling that it’s coming from a different direction in this slice of the pie. While Blue and White are geared toward inflicting stagnancy, Selesnya’s stax are angled toward preventing thematically negative effects, kind of a mercy mission for your opponent’s resources. I think Quakers would like it here.
Mind control pervasive in the local meta? Not anymore! Second Trostani is actually a rather inoffensive commander for everyone who’s not a thief, offering both board support and considerable political clout. Other players may even go out of their way to keep her up and you in the game, just to screw over that one guy.
Ah, the man himself. I never found him especially oppressive, leaning more toward creatures by disposition. Not everyone will feel the same way. He cuts most conventional boardwipes out of the mix, and God help super-friends. You can almost picture the little hobbit raising his hands and saying “Let’s have a nice, simple game, shall we?”
Which isn’t something you expect in a typical game of Commander, now that I think about it.
Land fixing is nice, but this is where things are downright hostile. Those may look like tusks, but those are really two giant middle fingers pointed at black decks.
“Don’t Look at Me!”
When we were little, my brother would build cereal box walls between us as we ate breakfast, then stare at me over them. Whenever I eyed him like the nutcase he was, he’d scream “DON’T LOOK AT ME!!!”
I don’t think I need to explain the point.
I always liked the aesthetic of Dosan the Falling Leaf, but not enough to make him a commander. Dromoka, meaty beast of two colors that she is, has a bit more appeal. All but guaranteeing an uninterrupted turn, combo players could do worse.
A 5/5 with flying for five would be nice. Hexproof on a general is competitive. Putting a kibosh on all offensive-sacrifice decks ever tagging you? Downright savage. I like this card a lot.
So… commander damage is a tried, true plan. Lots of people try it. Lots of people won’t be particularly offended by Mirri’s soft push for it. All the token-fiends out there, though, are going to flip their collective gourds when they find out the Silent Arbiter got legendary and started playing favorites. Word of advice: NEVER give her vigilance.
And, for a personal favorite:
As readers know, I like ramp. However, even I think this is broken. I genuinely feel guilty whenever I think of building it again. While she doesn’t approach the misery of Zur the Enchanter or Purphoros, God of the Forge, the power dynamic here is shattering. One turn with a Whitemane Lion or anything similar will secure you a lead. One turn with whitemane lion and a Lotus Cobra? Amulet of Vigor? Tireless Provisioner? God have pity on your tiny, shriveled soul, because your opponents won’t. At least, if they ever manage to catch up under what I assume will be a deluge of ETB and blink effects. There are so many degenerate, savage combos encouraged by this reaping wench that I couldn’t list them all and reasonably expect anyone to finish the article. Let me just close this by saying she turns any card with landfall into a gamechanger, and there are a LOT of good landfall cards.
That's it for this round. Thoughts and questions are welcome. I hope you enjoyed it, and will come back soon for Simic!
Prior Articles:
BenjimusPrime on
Historic Junk
2 years ago
Aight so we've got some cuts to make! So I think a good benchmark to shoot for off the bat is 36 lands and 64 non-lands, though with the sheer number of transform lands you have you might be fine at 34 or 35 - I would NOT recommend going that low until you've played a respectable number of games or playtest hands (probably at least 4 games and 30 playtest hands) and you have a solid understanding of how consistently you come in with too few lands.
As far as the cuts, I'd say drop: Rushed Rebirth , Ecological Appreciation , Vona, Butcher of Magan , Silent Sentinel , Resolute Archangel , Aegis of the Gods , Path of Discovery , Shapers' Sanctuary , Springleaf Drum , Perpetual Timepiece , Accomplished Alchemist , Call for Unity OR Collective Blessing (probably the latter), Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant / Rune-Tail's Essence , Elixir of Immortality , Heliod, God of the Sun , Huatli, Radiant Champion . I can give you my rationale one-by-one if you like.
Then add three lands, possibly modal spell-lands like Agadeem's Awakening Flip. Ideally, more of your lands should be multiple colours, as you have a large colour cost burden in black and white especially (lots of cards that need two or three of the same colour). The cheapest options are the snow taplands, guildgates, refuge lands (give 1 life when they enter the battlefield), and the showlands from Shadows over Innistrad and Strixhaven. There are definitely some mid-range lands that you can pick up for less than $10 that should be a high priority for you: Sunpetal Grove and Godless Shrine to fill out your buddy and shockland sets, the three scrylands a la Temple of Malady , Murmuring Bosk , Canopy Vista , and Scattered Groves . Since your deck doesn't currently have many ways to fetch basic lands, you really shouldn't have many since your colour demands are so high. Also definitely be on the lookout for legendary lands that fit into the deck well! Those will be sweet.
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