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Legality
| Format | Legality |
| 1v1 Commander | 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 |
| Historic Brawl | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Leviathan | Legal |
| Limited | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Modern Beyond Horizons | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Planar Constructed | Legal |
| Planechase | Legal |
| Quest Magic | Legal |
| Vanguard | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
Hellrider
Creature — Devil
Haste
Whenever a creature you control attacks, Hellrider deals 1 damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.
Crow_Umbra on Best color for this type …
3 months ago
My main play group runs various flavors of Goad, or combat manipulation (we love swinging at each other). Why swing at other people, when you can force them to hit each other? A few suggestions off the top of my head:
-
Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
/Kardur, Doomscourge - Either of these could be the commander of the deck. Karazikar simultaneously incentivizes and punishes your opponents for smacking each other. Playing in Red/Black also opens up access to all the direct burn stuff in Red, as well as attack trigger group slug like Hellrider, Vicious Conquistador, or Far Fortune, End Boss. -
Breena, the Demagogue - Help your opponents draw cards from hitting each other. The access to white also gives you plenty of options for the Ghostly Prison effects in white, plus its suite of removal.
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Gonti, Night Minister is a new option that could also slot into the 99 of some of the other commanders mentioned above. The theft aspects will likely draw the ire of the table, but if everyone is stealing from everyone...
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Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos or Slicer, Hired Muscle Flip- You could donate a big Voltron threat around the table and make the table kill each other for you. One of my friends runs Alexios, and it feels like a game of hot potato with Voltron damage. Technically, you're not the one hitting people.
-
Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser
can Goad your opponents creatures, but also rewards your opponents for hitting each other. You can Goad everyone while hiding behind the Ghostly Prison/Propaganda effects. -
Isshin, Two Heavens as One can be built as a combat control deck, since he checks the attack triggers on most stuff I previously mentioned, and house those all in his 99. Additionally you can run stuff like Lightmine Field and Caltrops.
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The Lord of Pain
is a lot of fun to play as a commander, and to play against. Maybe my friends and I are just masochists. A couple of my friends run the Lord of Pain as a commander, and typically play it very politically, where they "donate" the option to target the damage. You don't have to swing, and can run all the burn and damage multipliers to your heart's content.
Veghelia on
Combat Superiority
3 months ago
Crow_Umbra, thank you for your feedback and suggestions!
If you're interested in sparring a bit, I've looked into your feedback and I have some thoughts. If any of this brings up other ideas or you have other suggestions, I’d love to hear it.
Regarding using more goad and embracing "being the villain":
I'm very much still experimenting with being as "supportive" with this deck as I can be, since that is really the desire I have that got me to make this deck. I derive enjoyment from seeing the table enjoy what I do and playing with me, and not forcing them to play along is an important part of that. I've made another deck (Death or Mogis) that a lot of my friends love to play against or play themselves, and I'm trying to do a similar thing here, but more combat-focused. I’ll leave the idea of embracing "being the villain" open, but I first want to figure out if I can make the "I'm your best friend in a game without allies" approach work before I fully switch (or more honestly, probably retire the deck).
Regarding Boros Battleshaper and Endbringer:
Yeah, you're right. I've noticed in goldfishing already that they don't feel good enough. Boros Battleshaper just feels like a cool idea that could work but doesn't, and Endbringer really is a remnant of the older version of this deck where I was more going for a mafia-style “broker” vibe, capable of “solving problems” on other people’s turns. Sadly, that’s a couple of steps removed from what the deck is now. I want them to be cool, but you’re right in that they really don't work in the deck.
Regarding your suggestions:
- Xantcha, Sleeper Agent creates a bit of a weird situation. I have to give it to someone, making me the bad guy in their eyes, and then they do get to benefit from my attack triggers (forcibly), but they are also the victim of the "drain and draw" ability. I think it's a bit too much of a mixed bag emotionally, and although it is not a bad card, I'll probably leave it out of the maybeboard, at least for a while or until I switch to embracing villainhood.
- Slicer, Hired Muscle Flip is just not my jam aesthetically. I can appreciate some Universes Beyond stuff, but this is a no-go for me. I also think he might be too good and closing out the game himself, drawing too much ire as a result.
- Assault Suit has been on my list for a long time, and I've only really removed it from this deck's maybeboard because I'm thinking of trying it in a different, more equipment focused deck. I might re-add it later though.
- Ghostly Prison feels spot on. I hadn't considered it yet, and it feels like it would slot in reaaaaal good.
- Emberwilde Captain goes back on the maybeboard. It also gives a reason to attack me, and that's anti-syngery, but it could also be good recurring draw + punishment for trying to take it from me, and the deck is likely good enough at taking the crown back if necessary.
- Kardur, Doomscourge also goes back on the maybeboard. By far the best way to force my opponents to fight each other and have them break parity rather than have to try doing it myself :P. I had removed it together with some other goad cards, but he could be one of the few that still make the deck.
- Vengeful Ancestor has my doubts, mostly because its effect doesn't really excite me. I'm leaving it out for now, but I'll look down here if I ever can't find other good options.
- Brutal Hordechief is probably also a great suggestion. As I mentioned, I want Boros Battleshaper to work, but I've already noticed that it doesn't really, and I'm currently more fighting with the copium than leaving it in for good reasons. This would probably be the replacement. Both having some drain to add to the combat damage pressure is nice, and I could also force blocks on somebody else's turn, which is pretty cool.
- Enduring Courage is a great option. I've mostly not included it yet because it feels a bit off aesthetically, but it might just be the best option. The deck can use more haste enablers, and I’ve really just not found the one that feels the best yet.
- Hellrider probably doesn't make the cut, since the deck doesn't go-wide enough IMO, and the tokens I put in during combat don't trigger this effect, where I can buff them to hit harder.
Again, thanks for the feedback and the suggestions!
Crow_Umbra on
Combat Superiority
3 months ago
I don't see combat control variants of Isshin as often as I do other variants, so kudos to you for taking a less conventional build path. My main play group plays with Goad pretty frequently, and Aggro in general, and I understand your concerns about "being the villain" for playing a lot of it. In all honesty, I think it's something that you should lean into if you're going to do it. Being the "table villain" can be fun.
I haven't read through all of your change logs, so my bad if I missed them as past edits, but have you considered any of the following:
-
If you want a couple more "donation" creatures to support your Alexios, both Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
and Slicer, Hired Muscle
Flip could be worth checking out. Assault Suit is also in line with this theme and what you're going for. -
It might be worth it to throw in a Ghostly Prison to further deter attacks at you. Emberwilde Captain is another deterrent that triggers with Isshin.
-
Depending on the success you have had with them, it could be worth considering swapping out Boros Battleshaper and Endbringer for creatures in the 3-4 cmc range that can produce more tokens for your own defensive/aggro purposes. Kardur, Doomscourge and Vengeful Ancestor could be additional Goad pieces worth including as potential swaps if you don't go the token support route.
-
Looking at stuff already in your Maybeboard, I think Brutal Hordechief or Enduring Courage could be worthy inclusions. Hordechief and similar group slug/drain effects, like Hellrider can help send damage straight to faces, especially since Isshin gives them an additional trigger. Takes some of the pressure off your reliance on combat damage for a deck like this.
Best of luck with the deck. I think a bit more Goad could help spice your deck up, especially if other players don't really want to "buy into" the support that you're offering them. Sometimes you have to pivot from suggesting they fight each other to actively forcing them to do so lol.
Icaruskid on
Imagine Dragons | Budget Rosnakht [PRIMER]
10 months ago
Hey hey khayoz!
I went all in on go wide as my first version. It had all the Heroic spells and concentrated on buff and damage spells, no voltron:
Buff:
Metallic Mimic
Roar of Resistance
Heraldic Banner
Coat of Arms
Shared Animosity
Obelisk of Urd
Signal Pest
Konda's Banner
Eldrazi Monument
Dynacharge
Weapon Surge
Ogre Battledriver
Damage:
Throne of the God-Pharaoh
Hellrider
Impact Tremors
Witty Roastmaster
Livewire Lash
It played pretty well. Board wipes were absolutely the killer. The game becomes adding the right amount of creatures and damage without overextending. Also sometimes my little kobolds were outclassed by more powerful creatures and couldn't attack. I could have added Dolmen Gate and evasion but then we are leaving my playgroup's budget behind. This is where I discovered Descent of the Dragons and thought it would be a great finisher that's also a "buff" spell and on theme. Then that led me to Transmogrify and I've never looked back.
But the overlap approach can do work. Like Draconic Destiny adds to your voltron threat but it also enables Rosnakht to attack giving the kobolds the buff they desperately need. Dynacharge and Weapon Surge are modal so you can buff the whole team or sneak in a voltron kill.
I haven't tested all in voltron. But indestructibility might be important. Mithril Coat, Darksteel Plate, Commander's Plate, and Hammer of Nazahn might be worth a try. I just wanted something with more sizzle, style wise.
Hope this helps! Let me know what you learn!
Master_J on
Attack Attack!
1 year ago
Out: Solemn Simulacrum, Austere Command, Hellrider, Revenge of Ravens
In: Mardu Ascendancy, Vanquish the Horde, Breena, the Demagogue, Fervent Charge
Bringing my curve lower. Vanquish the Horde is effectively a 2-drop emergency plan. And dropping some 4-drops for 3 drops will hopefully help. Mana doesn't seem to be a big issue with all the rocks I have in the deck (TBD).
Rhadamanthus on If a player attacks me …
1 year ago
If it wasn't clear from the above: this works and the other person was wrong about the Hellrider interaction. The game can only move to the next step or phase after both players pass priority over an empty stack. That means any triggered abilities that trigger during a given step have to be dealt with and fully resolved before the game moves forward. In both the Hissing Miasma and Hellrider examples, Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin will get the +1/+1 counters during the Declare Attackers step of combat. There's nothing in the ability or the rules of the game that tells you to wait and deal with the trigger later.
Caerwyn on If a player attacks me …
1 year ago
Situation 1 - Using Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin and Hissing Miasma together:
The combat phase is separated into different steps. Here, the relevant step is the Declare Attackers step. During the Declare Attackers Step, first attackers are declared through the processes set forth in the rules. As part of declaring attackers, "Any abilities that trigger on attackers being declared trigger." (Rule 508.1m).
Once the attackers are declared, the active player gains "priority"--this is when spells can be cast and abilities resolve (See Rule 508.2).
When the active player gets priority per Rule 508.2, the triggers which occurred pursuant to Rule 508.1m get put on the stack. At this point, we are still in the Declare Attackers Step.
The Hissing Miasma triggered ability will go on the stack--one trigger will be placed on the stack for each attacking creature. When each triggered ability resolves, it will cause the attacking player to lose one life.
Upon that player losing one life, Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin will trigger and his ability goes on the stack. When that ability resolves, it will give him the +1/+1 counter. We are still in the priority stage of the Declare Attackers Step for this entire process.
Only after every player has passed priority and nothing is on the stack will we advance to the next step--the Declare Blockers Step. It is during that step, after all the Hissing Miasma and Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin triggers have finished resolving that you declare your blockers.
Situation 2: Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin and Hellrider
Your buddy was wrong. As with above, all the triggers will occur during the Declare Attackers Step and will resolve during the priority component of the Declare Attackers Step. Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin's triggers will resolve before you move on to the Declare Blockers Step and get to choose blockers.
MartinEMcArthur on If a player attacks me …
1 year ago
Basically I’m wondering if I’ll have a stronger Ob to block with when I’m getting swung at in this scenario. Last night I was playing and I was in a similar situation when I had Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin and Hellrider out at the same time. In that scenario I attacked with three creatures triggering both Hellrider and Ob three times. When I was putting counters on Ob my buddy told me he doesn’t get those counters until after the combat phase. I didn’t argue but I wasn’t sure if that was really how it worked. In both of these scenarios, wouldn’t he get his counters before the blockers are declared? Thanks for clarifying.
