Scoured Barrens

Land

Scoured Barrens enters the battlefield tapped.

When Scoured Barrens enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.

: Gain or .

Discussion (49)

K0rt on Angels ♡ That need some help

2 months ago

Get ready for a long post. I put way to much effort into this.

Depends on what direction you want to go and how competitive you want to be. Currently, Ephemerate doesn't really give you much value for flicking your angels, meaning that it isn't worth the card it is taking up over just another angel. I see two different ways to take this deck, either leaning into Angel synergies with life gain or a Ephemerate deck.

Ephemerate decks are great, and if your looking for a budget deck for a kitchen table or low powered modern games then you can build something pretty cheaply by just looking around for cool cards on Scryfall. The issue is that if you want more than that and want a more powerful deck the creatures that work well with Ephemerate are generally really really good and become very expensive by being played loads. In competitive modern these are often 80 cards Yorion, Sky Nomad decks that run Stoneforge Mystic and Solitude as there main cards, which are very expensive. You can try something with Wall of Omens, Thraben Inspector and Charming Prince to generate value but it won't be very powerful with Stoneforge. I think if you want bang for your buck you probably want to try and build the deck around Angel's synergies, although if you want to upgrade into competitive Modern deck at some variable point in the future it is less good.

In the angel's direction, the main payoffs in Modern are being able to play Aether Vial, Resplendent Angel and Archangel of Thune which are all, presumably, out of your price range. To make a budget version you probably want to make out on Youthful Valkyrie, Speaker of the Heavens, Seraph Sanctuary and Bishop of Wings for additional synergies with Angels. You probably want to play some Serra Avenger as a cheap beater and source of Angel related triggers. Some other cards are Sephara, Sky's Blade, although with would be best with a source of tokens such as Lingering Souls and Spectral Procession and cheat it in more consistently if you want to build around it. Archangel of Tithes is greater in creature matchups if you play against them regularly and can easily win races combined with your lifegain. Angel of Invention is a 'Lord' effect that also can create chump blockers and have value if your creates all die. Honor of the Pure is a pump effect that is difficult to interact with. Starnheim Unleashed is one of the most powerful cards in standard Angels and can win games by itself.

As much as it pains me to say it as a big fan of Meld Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light  ^Flip aren't really that good, either dying to the most played removal in the format like (Lightning Bolt) for no value or costing 7 mana for too little upside. The same is true for Angel of Destiny which seems like a massive win more card 90% of the time. Starnheim Aspirant seems good but considering the number of white symbols in your costs I doubt this will be legitimately save on mana enough to warrant an inclusion. With your current mana base, you only going to draw double black to cast Sign in Blood 53% of the time by turn 6 and I doubt increasing the number of tapped lands is worth the card draw. Speaking of which making out on Scoured Barrens is probably worth it alongside a couple of other dual lands of your choice, maybe Silverquill Campus if your going to be running the Firja's Retribution which I recommend as that card is very very good.

TLDR: Add good cards cut bad cards.

multimedia on Subjective Reality Upgrade

3 months ago

Hey, you're welcome.

40 lands is a lot of lands and you also have ramp sources to help to make mana. You would be fine cutting 2-4 lands and filling those spots with low CMC budget cards that draw such as Omen of the Sea , Wall of Omens and Brainstorm . The idea is more draw that also has interaction with Aminatou could replace some lands because overall these cards are better for gameplay and the draw can potentially help to draw lands. You have a good number of basic lands for budget and the ratio is also on point. With 16 basic lands then budget dual lands that have interaction with basic lands help for them to ETB untapped.

• Exotic Orchard : staple budget land for three or more colored decks in multiplayer Commander.
• Path of Ancestry : can make one color of the three Esper colors.
• Caves of Koilos
• Prairie Stream : is an Island.
• Sunken Hollow : is an Island.
• Shineshadow Snarl
• Ash Barrens : nice as a potential turn one play to landcycle to get a basic land of your choice for your second turn land for color fixing that you need to cast Aminatou.
• Temple of Enlightenment
• Temple of Deceit
• Mystic Sanctuary
• Bojuka Bog

---

Ideally, you want most if not all the lands in the manabase to ETB untapped to help gameplay. Since then you can tap the land for mana the turn you play it, but that's impossible when on such a low budget unless playing 30+ basic lands which is not recommended with three colors. The lands that you play that will always ETB tapped should have other uses or be able to make one of any three colors you need. An example is Arcane Sanctum is good, Dimir Guildgate isn't good. If you have to play many lands that always ETB tapped then might as well play the ones that also have bonus interaction with your Commander.

The Scry lands ( Temple of Silence ) and Halimar Depths ETB tapped, but they have interaction with the Aminatou + Guardian + Oath combo. Aminatou can blink a Scry land as the first permanent which lets you scry through the rest of your library to find Strix or another permanent draw source to cast to then draw a win condition to cast. The Gain lands ( Tranquil Cove ) also can be blinked and blinking one of them with the combo gives you infinite life. Consider three of each of Scry lands and Gain lands?

Utility lands such as Mystic Sanctuary give you something when it ETB, can be blinked by Aminatou and be part of the combo. Sanctuary when blinked if you control three other Islands can be a repeatable way to recur an instant or sorcery. It can setup a card with miracle since you recur the card to the top of your library to draw on your next turn or even on an opponent's turn if card with miracle is the first card you draw on opponent's turn.

---

Example of an upgraded budget manabase:

• 6x Plains, 6x Island, 4x Swamp
• Command Tower , Exotic Orchard , Path of Ancestry , Arcane Sanctum
• Esper Panorama , Ash Barrens , Evolving Wilds
• Halimar Depths , Temple of Enlightenment , Temple of Silence , Temple of Deceit
• Caves of Koilos , Shineshadow Snarl
• Prairie Stream , Sunken Hollow
• Mystic Sanctuary , Bojuka Bog
• Tranquil Cove , Dismal Backwater , Scoured Barrens

CenturyChild on -Valkyries Ride-

4 months ago

Hi Minousmancer,
sorry for my late response and thanks for your suggestions.
First: "exchange the Scoured Barrens with Shineshadow Snarl "
I've thought about it a lot, and you are right. I realy liked the aspect of getting one extra life with Scoured Barrens to trigger Cleric of Life's Bond when I don't have another cleric, or rather want to play Youthful Valkyrie . But it doesn't gives me as much tempo as Shineshadow Snarl gives me.
Second: "And I'd add more to the Baneslayer Angel s and Resplendent Marshal maybe taking out Orah, Skyclave Hierophant and Angelic Guardian s"
I swapped the one Angelic Guardian for one Baneslayer Angel - yeah, it's just the better card ...
And at the end I swapped both copies of Orah, Skyclave Hierophant for two additional copies of Resplendent Marshal . I guess Orah is for more cleric heavy decks and the mana curve looks way nicer.
Thanks again - I play this deck nearly every day and I'm really happy that it's now better than ever. :D
Have a good day~

Minousmancer on -Valkyries Ride-

5 months ago

I only have two, suggestions.

I would exchange the Scoured Barrens with Shineshadow Snarl s.

And I'd add more to the Baneslayer Angel s and Resplendent Marshal maybe taking out Orah, Skyclave Hierophant and Angelic Guardian s.

This is kinda sorta my take on an Angel deck: Anunnaki.

Spirits on Undying Persistence

7 months ago

Ok, here's a little bit of analysis to consider. Break it up into some comments to read. These are opinions based on experience, playing and watching lots of commander content over the years, doesn't account for your specific playstyle or how you have fun playing commander which are certainly as important of decisions, as is card selection.

Topic: Ramp

You are very low in the mana curve, 11 1-drop, 21 2-drop, 15 3-drop, 16 4-drop, and Orzhov () has lots of pips, but mana ramp is critical to getting your plan onboard as quickly as others, having mana available to advance board state/gain advantage and have interaction, and landing your larger threats sooner.

Sol Ring (CMC1 for 2 = +1 mana) is a must include.

Orzhov Signet I personally don't like (CMC3 for 1 = -2 mana) but also you're in which doesn't ramp as it's core strength.

Arcane Signet (CMC2 for 1 = -1 mana) is a must include, there are only a few archetypes I wouldn't play this in and usually only .

Talisman of Hierarchy (CMC2 for 1 = -1 mana) is a must include in .

Dark Ritual (CMC1 for 3 = +2 mana) this allows for explosive turns like a T1 Vampire Nighthawk .

I would start with that at least, some fringe ones I like are: Burnished Hart (creature/recursion), Commander's Sphere (draw), Mycosynth Wellspring (to hand, fringe), Pristine Talisman (lifegain, fringe), Solemn Simulacrum (ramp+draw!), The Birth of Meletis (doesn't help with , but ramp, 0/4 blocker, lifegain? it has it all!), Wayfarer's Bauble (ramp).

On a premise of battlecruiser/low/mid power 3-6 I DO NOT recommend these, but there are stronger options out there beyond 6: Phyrexian Altar (combo builds), Mana Vault , Mana Crypt , Chrome Mox , Smothering Tithe , Land Tax (Might not be bad in this build)

Honestly on a Avg. CMC 2.99 mana curve, I would likely have 10-12 ramp.

Some potential cuts for these:

Gorgon's Head you've got plenty of deathtouch already, it's not pairing with a Viridian Longbow strategy or anything, it's redundant, but also the worst. Easy cut. (We can get to Open the Armory / Steelshaper's Gift later)

Pierce Strider CMC4 for a 3/3 is just plain bad, the idea is play, do 3 damage, block/sac it, noone going to pay 3 to prevent it? but they will because it's going to do 3 anyway on return, and if your using recursion on this, your making the wrong play as it has no value engine on it. Easy cut.

Creeping Chill for CMC4 sorcery is not great, you're not playing a mill strategy so you're not really casting it for free often. It's not a strong play, we can find better ones, like ramping into Athreos, God of Passage sooner.

Font of Return for CMC6? Yikes. (CMC2+CMC4 for 3 creatures to hand is not great, we can get them on the battlefield for that high a CMC).

Angelic Gift hmm we have flyers, with deathtouch, it replaces itself (draw a card) but unless we flickering it ( Ephemerate or Brago, King Enternal something like that, it sets up easy 2-for-1 if an opponent has instand speed removal.

Topic: Lands! (Umm!)

Average Distribution Build: 38 lands

Average Budget Build: 36 lands

Average Expensive Build: 37 lands

Average Aristocrats Build: 35 lands

Average Reanimator Build: 31 lands (closer)

Your Build: 30 lands (Umm!)

No way you can run 30 lands, and 0 ramp in this deck. I wouldn't shuffle this deck with less than 33 lands, probably 34-36 if I'm playing enters tapped/utility lands. I might (maybe not) go to 33 lands with 9+ ramp spells, but even then, 34 would feel better.

Do you have a combo with Piranha Marsh like Worldgorger Dragon does, if not, just delaying yourself for little value (1 damage). Kabira Crossroads in this same bucket, it's just not work the tapped mana.

Reliquary Tower where are the cards coming from? The colorless is a detriment. Unless your playing a draw strategy Necropotence / Greed it will hurt you more than the rare occasion it might help.

Let's be honest, lands SUCK, they are too expensive! Here is a list of lands you should look at:

Lands I suggest: Godless Shrine ($9), Orzhov Basilica (<$1, slow ramp), Caves of Koilos (<$1 must have!), Command Tower (Umm!), Brightclimb Pathway  ^Flip ($4), Tainted Field (<$1)

Lands I don't suggest: Evolving Wilds / Terramorphic Expanse (<$1 fixed color), Scoured Barrens (<$1 fixed color), Isolated Chapel ($6, Not bad but not T1 land), Myriad Landscape (<$1, slow), Temple of Silence (<$1, scry/slow).

Forsaken Sanctuary only ever enters tapped so even Isolated Chapel is better, but there is also Orzhov Guildgate that does this too.

Have to head out, I'll review more topics and recs later, but here are some other cards can come out for mana. Gorgon Flail it's on theme and not bad, but let's get that Basilisk Collar or Quietus Spike instead. Soul Stair Expedition I would rather Animate Dead or Reanimate to the battlefield right away, not have to wait for lands (it still sacrifices itself). Not Forgotten we have better removal. Have to head out now! More later to read. :) If it's too much info, let me know!

Voralnic on Proliferate Fear

7 months ago

06/03/2021

Removed: Viridian Corrupter , Steelbane Hydra , Wanderer's Strike , Purify , Grind / Dust , Bloodletter Quill , Animation Module , Scoured Barrens , Mystifying Maze , Opulent Palace , Jwar Isle Refuge , Sandsteppe Citadel , Thornwood Falls

Added: Fynn, the Fangbearer , Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon , Ugin, the Spirit Dragon , Time Wipe , Merciless Eviction , Illusory Ambusher , Hatred , Vault of Champions , Gavony Township , Zagoth Triome , Morphic Pool , Indatha Triome , Rejuvenating Springs ,

Voralnic on Proliferate Fear

7 months ago

Removed: Viridian Corrupter , Steelbane Hydra , Wanderer's Strike , Purify , Grind / Dust , Bloodletter Quill , Animation Module , Scoured Barrens , Mystifying Maze , Opulent Palace , Jwar Isle Refuge , Sandsteppe Citadel , Thornwood Falls

Added: Fynn, the Fangbearer , Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon , Ugin, the Spirit Dragon , Time Wipe , Merciless Eviction , Illusory Ambusher , Hatred , Vault of Champions , Gavony Township , Zagoth Triome , Morphic Pool , Indatha Triome , Rejuvenating Springs ,

Saccox on Life and Death

8 months ago

Hi bbenny0610,there are many cards that can be used for this deck: Prism Ring , Survival Cache , Cliffhaven Vampire , Ajani's Pridemate , Angel of Vitality , Serene Steward , Recumbent Bliss , Scoured Barrens .They can be done many deck versions with this idea. My version,Vampires gain life Pezzent