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Legality
| Format | Legality |
| 1v1 Commander | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Archenemy | Legal |
| Arena | Legal |
| Block Constructed | 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 |
| Quest Magic | Legal |
| Tiny Leaders | Legal |
| Vanguard | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
Garruk's Uprising
Enchantment
When this enters the battlefield, if you control a creature with power 4 or greater, draw a card.
Creatures you control have trample. (They can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker they're attacking if lethal combat damage would be dealt to all blocking creatures.)
Whenever a creature with power 4 or greater enters the battlefield under your control, draw a card.
rckclimber777 on Build a Deck with Me …
34 minutes ago
First a quick introduction. I've been playing magic off and on for years. When this site first started out, I was super active and then I stopped playing. I recently got back into it and plunged deep into the Commander format. I love building decks around interesting concepts and often trying to break cards.
My slightly ambitious goal is to create a series of threads that show my thought process as I build a commander deck. I figure it will serve two purposes: First, it will aid newer players who have some precon decks and perhaps are looking to upgrade them or they see a commander and want to build it, but aren't sure how. The second is purely self-motivated in that more experienced players can fine tune my own logic and make suggestions for my own improvement.
So with that, the first commander deck I'm going to build here is Ghired, Mirror of the Wilds. This is a card that begs to broken and creates for interesting and powerful decks. There are also several different lines you can choose to go with it. You can make it go infinite if you like degeneracy or don't like the people in your playgroup, or you can decide to go the way of building lots of tokens quickly and then turning them sideways and swinging.
So first things first, we need to think about what the commander actually does and what it is going to need to do that effectively. First, it says allows all nontoken creatures to tap and create tokens that I control that entered the battlefield this turn. So a couple things to point out: First is that it is tokens not creature tokens specifically, so treasures, clues, food, etc. is fair game. Secondly, it doesn't have to be my turn that the tokens came in, you can activate the ability at instant speed if you create a token on your opponent's turn. Now Ghired also is only 3 mana in Naya colors with Haste which means he's going to come down early in the game, so we'll want some other creatures out there when he comes down to start building up tokens right away.
With his abilities in mind, there are a couple things that we want to think about: Cards that create tokens, cards that double tokens, cards that untap things, and cards that do interesting things when they're tapped, example Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero, who comes down early as well, and when she is tapped I gain life and draw a card. We will obviously need to consider interaction, ramp, and card draw, but those are secondary in my thoughts. Every deck needs those, but what items you add of those often depends on what your deck is trying to do. In this case, we want to make tokens, tap creatures, make more tokens.
Token Generators
So a couple really good token generators here to start would be things that keep making them rather than one offs. In my playtesting Oltec Matterweaver is hard to beat. It comes in early (turn 2 if you can get a sol ring). When you cast a creature spell you can copy a target artifact or bring out a 1/1 gnome. Turn 1 you play a plains and a sol ring. Turn 2 you bring this out, turn 3 you bring out Ghired, creating a copy of sol ring, tap your Oltec Matterweaver and create another sol ring. You now have 3 sol rings on the field on turn 3... You are now the archenemy, congrats?
Some other standouts are Emmara, Soul of the Accord who when tapped creates a 1/1 soldier with lifelink. So tapping will actually create two tokens. Thousand Moons Smithy  Flip is another beast of a card. It comes down turn 4, Ghired is already out along with any other low cost creatures. Let's say you had a Birds of Paradise and Ghired when this comes down and maybe a mana rock. You create a 5/5 Gnome (2 creatures, 2 artifacts, and the gnome itself). Now you tap the bird and Ghired and create two more Gnomes. You now have 3 7/7s, on turn 4...
Honorable mentions here are things like Smothering Tithe who will create treasures each opponent's turn, tap a creature and create another. Rain of Riches, create some treasures, copy them cast something and get cascade.
Also, populate is a thing, I like Growing Ranks and Nesting Dovehawk for that.
Doublers
Ok, so doublers is a pretty easy topic, there are quite a few out there, they are expensive and honestly for this deck you don't need much. I chose a couple that I particularly like for this and by like I mean I own them and didn't have to go out and spend $50-60. Examples are Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation  Flip, Mondrak, Glory Dominus, Primal Vigor (careful as this one applies to everyone not just you).
Untapping Abilities
Untapping abilites can make it even worse as time goes on. If you have a Seedborn Muse you untap each upkeep so they draw a card, Smothering Tithe creates a treasure, during their end step you tap your creatures creating more treasures. Untap on the next opponent's untap step, rinse and repeat.
This is also where infinite combos begin to happen. Sunstrike Legionnaire untaps everytime a creature enters the battlefield. Make a creature token, tap sunstrike legionnaire, create another creature token, sunstrike legionnaire untaps, rinse and repeat, gg. Midnight Guard works too for one mor mana. Other options include making copies of your own creatures that untap creatures when they enter the battlefield like Hyrax Tower Scout, Zealous Conscripts, Sparring Mummy. Mix that with notable salty cards like Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Molten Duplication, Splinter Twin, Jaxis, the Troublemaker and you're off to infinite again. (Jaxis uses his ability, sparring mummy comes in untaps him, now Jaxis just taps to make a copy of the sparring mummy token (from Ghired) which has haste, it comes in untaps Jaxis, rinse and repeat, swing with a legion of sparring mummies)
Cards that do cool things when tapped aren't super plentiful, but the two I've mentioned already are great for this deck. (Wylie and Emmara).
Interaction, ramp, card draw
Now for the ramp, interaction, and card draw. Ramp is fairly straightforward, since we have the Oltec Matterweaver, I opted to put in some signets, but left some other stones out. Normally when I'm in green I go heavy on green ramp. I opted for cheap ramp spells like Rampant Growth, Farseek, Three Visits and Birds of Paradise (could maybe use more mana dorks since having a body later will help in producing larger tokens).
Interaction is super important in this one. Board wipes are coming, targeted removal is coming, so need to prepare, but we also need to be flexible in taking out our opponents. So to save us from board wipes, we have Heroic Intervention, the ubiquitous and hopefully soon to be reprinted (one can dream) Teferi's Protection, Boros Charm, and Smuggler's Surprise (which is heroic intervention in disguise).
Getting rid of threats is crucial, so Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares are useful, but not as useful as Beast Within, Generous Gift, and Stroke of Midnight. These obviously target more than just creatures, but also produce tokens. There are situations where a well-timed beast within on your own treasure token to create a 3/3 beast that you can copy a bunch of times is the right play. That make it not just removal, but also a token generator.
Finally, we come to card draw. Since we are producing tokens (hopefully most turns) we can include things like Bennie Bracks, Zoologist and Idol of Oblivion. I also like Welcoming Vampire for this deck. It is creature heavy so Guardian Project is great, so is Beast Whisperer and Garruk's Uprising. Esper Sentinel is always good. We already have Wylie from earlier. Getting card draw is vital to the survival of any deck and particularly this one as we need to be producing tokens regularly and you need cards to produce them. I chose to run about 11 card draw engines in the deck to ensure I'm drawing regularly.
Lands... I mean... make sure you have dual lands in the deck and triomes if you can. One noteworthy utility land is Grove of the Guardian which can have a nice payoff when you create an 8/8 with a few creatures out along with Ghired.
I'll post the deck that I built from this thought process on my page in case you want to see the final product. And if you made it this far thanks for joining me on this, I hope it was helpful. Feel free to comment on how you would do it differently or cards that should have been mentioned.
markbeloit on
Kura
1 week ago
You wrote me an essay Profet93, so I took awhile to respond. Will try and address your question comments one-by-one.
Regarding Null Rod: It was in the prototype of this deck, but Collector Ouphe was cheaper, so I opted for the ouphe.
Regarding Snow-Covered Forests: Would probably be better, but I'd rather not pay the $.
Regarding Elemental Bond/Garruk's Uprising vs Colossal Majesty: In 90% of decks I'd agree with you that those two are better, but in this deck, I think Colossal Majesty might be better. I don't have that many creatures ETBing, and sometimes I have a big creature around for several turns. In those scenarios, I think Colossal Majesty generates more value.
Regarding Hour of Promise: Good, but not sure I need it.
Regarding Pir's Whim: Good, and not a card I knew of. Will have to keep an eye out for something to cut.
Regarding Yavimaya Hollow: Too much $. I don't think I need it enough.
Regarding Miren, the Moaning Well: I don't like Miren very much. True it's a second sac outlet, but I consider it vastly inferior to High Market. I really don't like having to pay . And while I'm in trouble if someone blows up High Market, that hasn't happened yet.
Regarding Castle Garenbrig: Should probably cut a forest for this, and probably will when I get one.
Regarding Mirrorpool: Worth considering. There's only a few instants and sorceries I'd want to sac a land to copy, though, and I have to pay . Also, I'm trying to be a bit careful about how many utility lands I have in the deck, specifically lands that don't make . If you have too many colorless lands you can get screwed.
Regarding Greater Good: Was a card I was seriously considering when building the deck, but saccing Kura to it is not that great. Bottom line, though, I thought for sure Greater Good would get destroyed immediately if I played it, which is why I decided against it.
Regarding Nylea's Intervention: Ok, but not sure I need it.
As always, a problem is what to cut. This deck does fairly well, and when that's the case, I'm always leery of cutting a card unless I see something strictly better.
Regarding Abundance + Sylvan Library: Drawing 3 cards per turn with no down side is fine, though it doesn't happen often :)
Regarding Abundance, it actually has some additional tech to it. In this deck I've been able to put every land in my deck into play once or twice. With Abundance, you put the revealed cards you don't get on the bottom of your library in ANY order, not a random order. So if I Abundance to get a land and don't have any in my deck.... I can rig the order of my deck. At that point your basically tutoring instead of drawing. Doesn't happen often, but is powerful when it does.
You also can't deck yourself if Abundance is in play, though that hasn't come up yet. A fun piece of tech, though not for every deck.
Sorry for taking so long to respond. I put it off since I knew I'd have to write a lot. Thanks for the suggestions, and I'll think of them, though again the problem is what to cut.
Profet93 on
Kura
2 months ago
markbeloit +1
I like your fight + stax pieces. Have you thought of adding redundancy for collector ouphe with Null Rod or do you believe it's not necessary? It only shuts off the activated ability of conduit of worlds.
You should swap out half of your forests for snow-covered to trigger field of the dead more easily.
Elemental Bond/Garruk's Uprising > Collasal majesty.
Hour of Promise - Land tutor
Pir's Whim - Land tutor + politics and/or removal.
Yavimaya Hollow - Protection + politics. I get you want stuff to die most of the time but it's nice to be able to protect something or be political when you want to.
Mirrorpool - Copy important instants and sorceries
Miren, the Moaning Well - Sac outlet for commander. can also sac the token it makes to gain life in a pinch.
Castle Garenbrig - Ramp
MAYBE Greater Good - It's main purpose is to be a sac outlet for your commander. It is also nice against theft decks. Not to mention it can put lands in your grave for you to recur. Lastly, it can make your token created by your commander a fuel for additional draw.
MAYBE Nylea's Intervention - While your commander does allow you to tutor, sometimes it might get exiled, or maybe you want the token more than the land tutor. Not to mention it can destroy fliers which this deck seems to be weak against.
How is the abundance + sylvan library combo been treating you?
Looking forward to your response for each suggestion. I like this deck, I've been thinking of adding Kura to my Azusa list.
seizan8 on
Jodah but stupid
2 months ago
dumm isch de Jodah immer gsi, besser nennsch es "Old Jodah" oder so.
Garruk's Uprising würi vilich no adde. De trample chunt sichr gued, di meiste legis hend ha ke abilities. Odr ke bruchbari.
Und Volrath the Fallen wer wohl au no sone legi evtl sogar mal no chend es spiel gwünne!
Profet93 on
Variable Power *PRIMER*
2 months ago
NV_1980 +1
Elemental Bond / Garruk's Uprising > Colossal Majesty
Sigong on
Oozing with flavor
3 months ago
Unfortunately, I think tokens created by Slime Against Humanity will not cause you to draw cards from cards like Elemental Bond or Garruk's Uprising. The tokens enter as 0/0 creatures, then the counters are put on them. The upside to this is that cards like Mentor of the Meek will work because the tokens have 0 power when they enter the battlefield.
Edit: I asked a judge, and Tribute to the World Tree WILL cause you to draw a card, because it checks the creature's power when the ability resolves.
Profet93 on
Ixalan Park
3 months ago
CardTyrant +1
Elemental Bond and Garruk's Uprising are both good draw sources. I read your description and understand that you are not a huge fan of draw. Let me ask you this, how often have you felt you lacked gas? If your deck doesn't run out of steam in it's current iteration, great. If not, they might be worth considering. Also note Rishkar's Expertise
Yavimaya Hollow - Protection (and politics)
Is Forbidden Orchard necessary given you are only playing 3 colors, one being green?
Forkbeard on
Runadi, Behemoth Caller: Beef Chief
5 months ago
Alright, I've made some changes based on some recent thoughts I've had about this deck, some cards I've been meaning to add + I've incorporated a few of your good suggestions Profet93, cheers:
In:
Out:
The average CMC is still atrocious here but that's ok, I think some of these changes will help smooth things out a teensy bit. This is my big dumb stompy funsies deck and I don't necessarily need it to be supremely optimized with the perfect curve etc. I do think the revised ramp, draw & removal suites look a wee bit better after these changes and I'm excited to see how it plays.
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