Dolmen Gate

Artifact

Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

Apoptosis on Smile all the way

1 month ago

In: Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate (a solid recursion option), Ali from Cairo (this is a ripcord to pull when you're looking at lethal, I've found myself in this position a few times and since this deck is very good at dialing up answers, I've slotted good 'ol Ali into the deck, Callous Bloodmage (this is a needed answer for decks that also rely on graveyard recursion), Carrion Feeder (I needed a creature based sac-oulet, which would be easier to tutor and would allow infinite combos), Dolmen Gate (chose over Legion's Initiative and Reconnaissance -both of which I love and are good alternatives -I'm testing out the gate to see which one I like more), Goblin Bombardment (free sac outlet, can go infinite), Pinnacle Monk  ^Flip (back into the main and out from the maybe; the one game I didn't have it I found the game stretching with lots of juicy targets accumulating in the graveyard and no way to get them back; I like options), Swamp (up to 5 total, better hitting land drops), Viscera Seer (another more optimal free sac-outlet).

Out: Aether Vial (I love this card and it's done good work mid-game, but I think there is better value), Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit (I decided to remove the infinite combo with Murderous Redcap for more resiliency and interaction potential), Baton of Morale (I really want to showcase the power of banding and think this could be a good way to direct damage to the creatures you want to die/recur, but am testing Dolmen Gate as an alternative way to do it), Cauldron of Souls (good for ETB recursion and wraths but I wanted to bring down the CMC, tough call), Claws of Gix (replaced for better options), Denethor, Ruling Steward (better options), Legion's Initiative (I love this card and it lets me get an extra ETB trigger, but am trying Dolmen Gate as an alternative), Murderous Redcap (took out the infinite damage trigger with Anafeza), Sword of Light and Shadow (I really like swords, but felt there are better options).

Crow_Umbra on Smile all the way

2 months ago

Glad to see another OG Alesha deck. She was one of my first favorites when I first got into EDH about 6 years ago. I have a few general suggestions for you:

• I see you have Reconnaissance in your Maybe Board already. I'd recommend swapping it in, especially with how combat dependent Alesha is for her recursion. I think you could probably swap with Legion's Iniative.

• Along those lines, I'd recommend checking out Dolmen Gate as a potential swap with the Baton that gives Banding.

• Similarly, I'd recommend swapping Grave Pact with the Dictate of Erebos already in your Maybe Board. The Flash is a bit niche, but gives you some utility to catch people by surprise. It's also less single color intensive and easier to cast for a 3 color deck.

Lastly, as someone that's played a combo variant of Alesha in the past, I think you can take out Murderous Redcap and the associated combo pieces, especially since you have already have combo lines with Karmic Guide, Reveillark, & Kiki-Jiki. I think a trap with a deck like this is that having more than 2 combo lines feels like a form of resiliency. By focusing on 1 or 2 combo lines, you can take out the +1/+1 counter support stuff that doesn't do much with the rest of your deck. Helps free up slots for other support or removal instead.

Crow_Umbra on ....But it happens twice.

9 months ago

Oh nice! You're in for a fun time, Isshin is a lot of fun to pilot. Is there a general budget you have in mind once you do start buying cards? Because of his ability, there's certainly different archetypes that you can emphasize in your build, or mix and match them to best suit your play group's vibe, or your preferred play style.

Since you haven't really play-tested the deck much yet, I'll keep my feedback more general. Once you start getting a feel for it, you'll have a better idea of potential changes you might want to make. A few things I can think of:

• Angelic Exaltation is kinda off-theme, although it has an attack trigger. The emphasis on a single attacker doesn't mesh as well with the various token makers in your creature base. You have a lot of strong pieces to build a wide board and overrun your opponents. I think this is a safe swap out.

• I think you can swap a couple of board wipes for some board protection effects like Scapegoat, Fanatical Devotion, or Unbreakable Formation. The first two give you means of repurposing your creature tokens to save more important stuff. Alternatively, Plumb the Forbidden can be a devious response to a board wipe, & kill your board to draw some cards. I think you can swap out Plague Wind, since it's the most expensive card, mana-wise.

• Avacyn can probably be swapped for some lower on the curve protection options like Reconnaissance or Dolmen Gate, which is less budget. Reconnaissance was recently reprinted in the Assassin's Creed set with updated reminder text. This EDHREC article details how it can be utilized as a pseudo-Vigilance anthem. Avacyn is a powerful card, but she's very heavy on {W} for a 3 color deck.

• To compliment your creature token production, I think you can maybe swap Arni for Welcoming Vampire, Tocasia's Welcome, or Chivalric Alliance as a means of keeping your hand stocked.

I think retooling a bit on how you protect your board and draw cards could be some decent spots to focus on first. Isshin is very board dependent, he thrives from keeping it protected to maintain that aggro momentum.

Hopefully those are some helpful starting points. Best of luck with your games tomorrow, I hope you stomp your friends lol

Crow_Umbra on The Allure of Honor

9 months ago

Digging your deck description lol. Definitely a great one sentence encapsulation for playing Isshin. Have you had a chance to play this deck irl yet? Mostly asking to see if there were any areas you were looking to maybe change around, or if you have a general budget in mind. I have a few general suggestions if you're looking to make swaps or upgrades:

• I think if there's any one area besides ramp or draw, that Isshin decks should look to upgrade first, it's definitely board protection. Isshin is super board dependent, so the more you can protect that, especially proactively, the better you'll be over the course of a game.

• On the topic of protection, Reconnaissance is a great first upgrade. It was recently reprinted in the Assassin's Creed set with updated reminder text. It acts as like a pseudo-Vigilance that can pull your creatures out of combat at various points. This EDHREC article helps explain this utility in better detail.

• Dolmen Gate is another excellent board protection effect.

• Instant speed options like Unbreakable Formation and Scapegoat are decent budget options to help avoid wipes. Alternatively, Plumb the Forbidden is a great way to sac your board in response to a board wipe and refill your hand. Clever Concealment is a less budget option, but great for decks like this that want to go wide.

• Frontline Medic is also a budget option that's kind of on theme with Battalion. Fanatical Devotion is also another fairly budget option for repurposing your tokens.

Happy to talk shop if you're looking for feedback. I have some additional ideas, but didn't want to write you an essay. Hope you have fun with Isshin, he's a blast to get snowballing.

Rakious07 on myrimad

9 months ago

Kindred Charge - Great for when you are ahead. Dolmen Gate - Keeps your commander alive when attacking. Strionic Resonator - Copies your Myriad trigger. Rogue's Passage - Great with Breath of Fury to insure it hits. Roaming Throne - Copies all of your commander's triggers. The more copies the better.

TimelessLove on Krenko's Goblin Meat Market

9 months ago

Additionally, I would Mainboard Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and/or Fable of the Mirror-Breaker  ^Flip the latter of which being a valid Kiki-Jiki duplicate target. It's another option to go infinite, or simply increase the good parts of a boardstate.

Personally, I'd sideboard the Stax elements like Orb of Dreams and Winter Orb, even if there's some interaction with Throne of the God-Pharaoh. I might be undervaluing the card draw aspect, but Gempalm Incinerator only targeting creatures greatly devalues it for me.

Goblin Chirurgeon, I consider it essential to protecting valuable goblins on board since there's no way to bring them back from the graveyard. Your love for fancy lands might also have you consider Safe Haven. Similarly, Castle Embereth, Spinerock Knoll, and Den of the Bugbear each fits.

Goblin Goliath, offers much the same effect as Siege-Gang Commander while also giving a damage-doubling effect on tap.

While not being a sac outlet Battle Squadron offers an effect similar to Clickslither and Voracious Dragon while still being a Goblin, and not taking goblins off the board.

Goblin Warchief needs help with Haste enabling, whether pre-infinite or not, I think another option to win on board same turn is needed. Goblin Bushwhacker, Goblin Chieftain, and Roar of Resistance offer this, while Ardoz, Cobbler of War can additionally capitalize on it.

Gauntlet of Might, Dolmen Gate, and Herald's Horn are good preference options. I keep wanting to add Basilisk Collar because of Goblin Sharpshooter, but it'd be a wasted slot too often.

Conspicuous Snoop is a fun card, which I now realize goes infinite with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker on top of the library.

Crow_Umbra on The Surgin' General [Primer]

9 months ago

Thanks for the suggestions KongMing. I currently have Dolmen Gate in the 99, and am quite familiar with it from other aggro decks I currently play. Similarly, I use Legion Loyalist in a couple of my other aggro decks. Although I don't have additional copies, I could see it as a potential swap with something in the 1-2 cmc range sometime down the road.

Spirit Mantle is great, but I find myself using Auras less & less these days, partly from playing lots of Aura/Voltron over the years, & partly the feelsbad™️ from getting 2 for 1'd on removal. Beyond the various Lightning Greaves variants & Skullclamp, I'm not a big fan of equipment.

KongMing on The Surgin' General [Primer]

9 months ago

Legion Loyalist can be a cheap and effective way to get damage through while attacking.

For getting Satya attacking midgame more without dying, how about something like Frontline Medic, Dolmen Gate, Angelic Guardian, or Spirit Mantle?

Also, including Embercleave and Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion could allow you to get some Commander damage kills.