Pillardrop Warden

Creature — Spirit Dwarf

Reach

{2}, {T}, Sacrifice Pillardrop Warden: Return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only as a sorcery.

Legality

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
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (2)

1empyrean on Ragavan, Boatswain of the Dragon's Smile

2 years ago

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, it's a bit of a chaotic deck. I sought to integrate multiple themes and lots of ideas, so an apparent lack of focus was pretty much inevitable. I haven't had issues with the deck not working, though.

First, the suggested cuts:

While Pillardrop Warden and Cogwork Archivist might be a little less efficient than other options, they are a bit more flexible in how they are used. The archivist is useful if I want to put Glimpse of Tomorrow back into my library They both also have reach.

Tavern Scoundrel and Witch's Oven are good ways to sacrifice something that might otherwise be exiled, stolen, or temporary. I can sacrifice Homura, Human Ascendant  ^Flip to flip him or gain control of an artifact with Confusion in the Ranks. It's a useful effect to have access to.

Mishra's Self-Replicator is a good mutate target, and I can trigger it fairly easily.

Delina, Wild Mage can copy Legendaries. I could run Helm of the Host for this effect, but this is what I am using for now.

Avarice Totem disrupts plays and scales extremely well in the late game. It can be tutored with Urza's Saga as well.

Chandra's Ignition is a solid asymmetrical board wipe, and good for clearing away pesky utility creatures.

Second, your suggestions:

I have a few options for more draw that I'm already thinking about, and utility lands are something I can easily play around with. I eventually need to add my Treasure Vault and Goblin Welder to the deck, but they are tied up in other decks at the moment. I think impulse draw isn't ideal for this deck. If I end up exiling Glimpse of Tomorrow because I can't cast or suspend it.

Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor on Ragavan, Boatswain of the Dragon's Smile

2 years ago

So what is the goal of this deck? Is this sort of a chaos/token deck? I can see the skeleton of the strategy, but I also see theft, pirates, and burn. My main suggestion would be try to trim some of the out of place cards. Thoughts on things to include/remove regarding the token/chaos strategy:

Possible additions:

Trailblazer's Boots or Prowler's Helm - low mana investments that let Ragavan be nearly unblockable. I currently don't see that many ways that allow Ragavan to get through late game.

You run enough pirates that Breeches, Brazen Plunderer might be worth it

Ardent Elementalist is a new card that is the red version of Archaeomancer

Curse of Opulence - easy tokens and mana

There are a fair number of goblins that come with tokens so I would look into some of those

Rionya, Fire Dancer for temporary token copies for your best creatures

I see very little in the form of card advantage so you might consider things like Light Up the Stage, Ignite the Future, Faithless Looting, Mask of Memory, etc.

Some utility lands like: Treasure Vault, Geier Reach Sanitarium, Myriad Landscape, Kher Keep, Buried Ruin, Dormant Volcano, and Maze of Ith or Thaumatic Compass  ^Flip/Spires of Orazca

Possible cuts (most of these are odd fits or just inefficient cards that have better alternatives):

Pillardrop Warden, Cogwork Archivist, Witch's Oven, Tavern Scoundrel, Mishra's Self-Replicator, Delina, Wild Mage, Avarice Totem, Chandra's Ignition (great card, but not at it's best in this deck).

Overall I like the deck idea, I just feel it needs a little more focus. +1 from me.