Oreskos Explorer

Creature — Cat Scout

When this enters the battlefield, search your library for up to X Plains cards, where X is the number of players who control more lands than you. Reveal those cards, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	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
Oathbreaker	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (51)

temeref on Taunts & Trickery

3 months ago

Talanar Sentinel is a nice addition -- as for the cards mentioned, I didn't include them since I didn't have em/intend on getting them due to their price; I'd bet they're perfect includes, and since you've got em, absolutely slot em in! Could easily swap out that Oreskos Explorer for Flawless Maneuver, probably along-side Ghostway in place of Favorable Destiny and you'd be in a better state defense-wise. Oreskos was intended to be a non- Land Tax method of making sure my lower land count doesn't brick me as often, and flickering it seemed like a fun way to ensure that, but hey, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work! Not gonna pretend like my decks are perfect haha.

And yeah! I love building weirder cards to try and make em' work. This deck's probably one of my favorites I've done for that concept; the Wild Pair & 4 total power/toughness shenanigans finally put my itch to build around the dang card to rest. Failed so many times trying it lol but I feel like this deck's finally the one.

Talanar on Taunts & Trickery

3 months ago

@temeref No big deal, I never left a comment on this page and didn't realize that you probably should tag people. :D

I'd really like to give you some proper feedback about my experience with the deck, but to be honest, the majority of the games were a trainwreck. The reason is really simple though: I'm compeletly new to Magic and, therefore, lack any skill to pilot this deck properly. Hence, my feedback would be nothing but a guide on how to brutally butcher your finely tuned deck. :P

The only thing I replaced was Garruk, Primal Hunter. Instead, I put in Esper Sentinel for early card draw. It was laying around here, so I figured why not. Moreover, I wasn't able to benefit from Oreskos Explorer in any of the games. Never got me more than 2 lands when I didn't even need them in my hand. I guess this card is there to help fixing mana issues/prevent mana screws and slim out the deck in later stages of the game. How do you utilize this card properly?

Ghostway sounds like a perfect fit for this deck. I also have an unused Flawless Maneuver in my collection which could be some nice and cheap protection. Your choice of cards for this deck seems quite unconventional though. That's why I assume you want to avoid some of those overused/boring staple cards? Makes perfect sense, the whole deck idea is to do something different than the usual.

freezerboy on No Man's Land (Mageta) [[Primer]]

4 months ago

That does sound tough since each of those tend to take a bit of time. You could get some payoff from Cleansing and Planar Birth to massively buff Ondu Greathorn or Retreat to Emeria, allowing you to only target your basic lands. Or even target only lands with a Balancing Act.

If you're going the landfall route, which may work if you add some more options like Boreas Charger if you've sacrificed your lands or Crucible of Worlds, Oreskos Explorer, Stoic Farmer, Eternal Dragon, Timeless Dragon or anything else with plainscycling. More buffing cards like Canyon Jerboa or Felidar Retreat could help with the subtheme, and as many options with landfall like Fearless Fledgling, Prowling Felidar, Emeria Angel, and Emeria Shepherd. The Shepherd is very strong recursion, though sadly doesn't target lands.

Eternity Vessel could even give you some defense while keeping with the theme and Trove Warden looks viable as well.

All in all, with the basic land angle there are a lot of options for landfall abilities in white, so may as well make use of those for a more immediate power buff than something slow like Elspeth, Sun's Champion.

eliakimras on Breena - Silverquill Statement Upgrade

6 months ago

Hey, me again! I really like Breena, the Demagogue's premise. I want to build her in the future, since I'm cultivating a combat metagame. But I have some ideas that can make your deck funnier and stronger:

I imagine you're trying to keep the idea of giving gifts to your opponents for them to killing each other, while reaping benefits to you.

One way is to force combat. You might want to put Martial Impetus and Parasitic Impetus back to deflect attacks and get draws off Breena. (Too bad goad is a blue-red thing - come on Wizards, give us on other colors). Otherwise, they buff Breena to hit harder.

Another thing you should consider is protection for your creatures:

• Sejiri Shelter  ^Flip and Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip can be slotted as lands.
• Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots, Whispersilk Cloak, Darksteel Plate and Hammer of Nazahn are great utility artifacts.
• Timely Ward has flash.
• Dawn Charm doubles as a fog.
• Valorous Stance doubles as a removal spell.

How about protection to you?

• No Mercy, Dread, Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker and Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts deter attackers.
• Koskun Falls is a second Ghostly Prison if you can pay its upkeep cost. Solitary Confinement is even more efficient, as long as you can keep up with its cost.
• No one will mess with you again once you cast Hellish Rebuke. Darien, King of Kjeldor also shows them why attacking you is not advisable.
• If you prefer the way of taxing opponents, Sphere of Safety synergize with your other pillowfort enchantments.

About recursion:

• You run a lot of permanents that might die. How about getting them back with Sun Titan or Emeria Shepherd?
• Mistveil Plains has good synergy with tutors.
• Liesa, Forgotten Archangel also acts as graveyard hate.

About card draw:

• Breena costs 3 mana and it is easy to recast, but you can't rely on your opponents wanting (or being able) to attack each other. Sign in Blood, Night's Whisper, Read the Bones, Treacherous Blessing, War Room and Castle Locthwain can be great options (it is good to lower your life total to trigger Breena). Erebos, God of the Dead can also act as a blocker and life-gain hater.
• Skullclamp is good if you can reliably generate X/1 tokens.
• Syphon Mind is a favorite of mine.
• Mangara, the Diplomat... The name says it all. #bffBreena
• Shadrix Silverquill is not only on-theme, but on-school aswell.
• Endless Atlas and Dread Presence require many basic lands.
• The cards above can replace Ambition's Cost, Ancient Craving and Secret Rendezvous (if they want free cards, may they attack each other).

About your ramp:

• I see you run cards that ramp you if an opponent has more lands than you, a la Knight of the White Orchid. Your Lotus Field is great for setting that up. You might also consider putting Orzhov Basilica back for the same effect.
• Loyal Warhound, Verge Rangers, Weathered Wayfarer, Archaeomancer's Map and Isolated Watchtower also capitalize on opponents ramping. I recommend replacing Boreas Charger (if you can't kill it easily), Scholarship Sponsor (not advisable to give ramp AND card draw to your opponents) and Oreskos Explorer (it is better to get lands on the battlefield instead of on hand, unless it is an unrestricted tutor like Weathered Wayfarer).
• If you ramp using the cards above, you will have a lot of Plains on the battlefield. Emeria, The Sky Ruin is free recursion on a land - enjoy ;-)
• You might also consider Fellwar Stone and Dowsing Dagger  ^Flip as ramp options. Breena has flying, so it is easy to transform the artifact.

Sorry for not commenting on your whole deck. Since I have not played her myself, I could only suggest more general things. I hope the suggestions have inspired you somehow. As always, have fun with the Demagogue!

Hawzy97 on God-Eternal Oketra

1 year ago

I also found some cards I might suggest

Riot Control , Brave the Sands , Congregate , Return to Dust , Oreskos Explorer

Omniscience_is_life on Bounce and Ye Shall… Bounce?

1 year ago

I'd probably start with replacing Oreskos Explorer with Archaeomancer's Map , and cut Oketra's Monument for something of your choosing. I'd also cut a couple basics for some fetchlands if you can afford them, Windswept Heath , Flooded Strand , and Prismatic Vista are all relatively cheap and have synergy with Mistveil Plains , Scroll Rack , Emeria Shepherd , and Altar of the Brood .

Halflingz on

1 year ago

Raining Cats and Dogs Nice work bdodds, I think you have selected a handful of great cards but I'd think you could benefit from an earlier CatDog play and cheaper creatures to really start raining cats and dogs. Even without Aluren, every creature coming in with an extra token produces insane value. Especially considering your general's ability.

Below, I would like to outline 4 core concepts and considerations. Ramp, Creatures, Protection, Draw.

Ramp - Prioritizing cards that help you play Rin & Seri turn 3! Nature's Lore Rampant Growth Three Visits Boros Signet Selesnya Signet Gruul Signet Talisman of Conviction Talisman of Unity Talisman of Impulse Fellwar Stone This should be easy to replace the ramp packaging you already have. Look to cut cards like Explosive Vegetation, Chromatic Lantern, Obelisk of Naya, etc.

Creatures - Prioritizing 3CMC or less and upping your creature count to closer to 30! Think about adding creatures that fullfill multiple roles and allow you to run less other stuff. Qasali Pridemage is a great example cause it can pump a swinger +1/+1 as well as remove a pesky enchant or artifact.

Cheap Utility Kitties- Adorned Pouncer Brimaz, King of Oreskos Bronzehide Lion Initiate's Companion King of the Pride Leonin Relic-Warder Oreskos Explorer Pride Sovereign Qasali Ambusher I like the returners you have for multiple cast triggers too! Can get stupid with Aluren... Whitemane Lion Temur Sabertooth Fleetfoot Panther ? Snow Hound

Cheap Utility Doggos- Abzan Beastmaster Ainok Guide Bolt Hound Resolute Watchdog Selfless Savior

Some real cheap beefers could be nice considering they make a token, but could also see not making the cut- Wild Nacatl Loam Lion Leonin Vanguard Isamaru, Hound of Konda Sacred Cat

Protection/Return - Build a huge board and keep it protected! Unbreakable Formation Rootborn Defenses Heroic Intervention Teferi's Protection Asceticism Marshal's Anthem Kindred Boon Akroma's Will Flawless Maneuver

Draw(ish) - The cheaper the cards in hand the more you gonna empty and wanna draw! Skullclamp Colossal Majesty Elemental Bond Beast Whisperer Fecundity Garruk's Uprising Descendants' Path Realmwalker Hunter's Insight Snake Umbra Lifecrafter's Bestiary Mentor of the Meek Guardian Project Return of the Wildspeaker Shamanic Revelation Slate of Ancestry Collective Unconscious Camaraderie

General good cards for Cat/Dog: Maskwood Nexus Mirror Entity Crib Swap Felidar Retreat Basilisk Collar Thousand-Year Elixir Rings of Brighthearth Seht's Tiger Shields of Velis Vel Naya Charm Kindred Summons Volatile Claws Beastmaster Ascension Titanic Ultimatum Hour of Reckoning Triumph of the Hordes Finale of Devastation Idyllic Tutor Winds of Abandon Lightning Greaves (secret lair dog art!) Coat of Arms Swiftfoot Boots Impact Tremors Rhythm of the Wild Aura Shards Shared Animosity Mirari's Wake Growing Rites of Itlimoc  ^Flip Any Cheap Changelings really...

Lands to love: Slayers' Stronghold Kessig Wolf Run Hanweir Garrison Flamekin Village Gavony Township Mosswort Bridge Spinerock Knoll Windbrisk Heights Castle Embereth

abby315 on Does Red/White Need to Have …

1 year ago

I used to be a person who laughed at the "white is always shafted by WotC" common feeling, but to be honest, after this year and after playing a lot of ABU cube (I know), I do think WotC is a little lost. From Alpha to current day, a lot of things they've tried to make part of white's color identity just haven't turned out to compete with the other color identities: damage prevention, lifegain, weenies (for the most part, especially with all of the new power granted to Green and Red for creature aggro).

And, as Caerwyn mentioned, the stuff that does compete, like mass land destruction and Balance effects, WotC thinks creates unfun gameplay, so they don't really do it anymore.

It seems like they've tried to reverse-engineer Balance with cards like Oreskos Explorer and Alms Collector, but white can't always just play catch-up to other colors IMO. And they've tried making life-gain good by making it a supported archetype, but it doesn't change the fact that gaining life on its own just isn't impactful (unlike drawing cards or, arguably, burn).

I'm not so hung-up on white getting access to things other colors can do, although I don't mind that WotC is bending the color pie recently. I'd rather WotC either go back to what white does well and damn the unfun gameplay, or just put new and exciting mechanics in white, try out some new stuff or expand effects like Silence. TBH I think it'd be fun to brainstorm new aspects of the game that white could interact with.