Shivan Emissary

Creature — Human Wizard

Kicker (1)(Black) (You may pay an additional (1)(Black) as you play this spell.)

When Shivan Emissary enters the battlefield, if the kicker cost was paid, destroy target nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	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
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (1)

ShreddedByCrows on Mathas EDH - A Real Pain in the Neck (Get it?)

5 years ago

SenseiRamen Here I come again! I'm glad some of my suggestions were helpful, I hope you're doing well with this version. It seems really cool, well done. :)

I tried a Mathas, Fiend Seeker's deck on my own those last week, with some cards I had left on my collection (so it's far from being optimized), and it's been a hell of good fun. I love the dilemma it causes on the game's state as even if you aren't the greatest tread everyone will play around your decisions and beware your control tools. This commander has surely a lot of serious potentials to exploit.

Before anything else, let me excuse myself for a mistake, I hadn't understood the interaction between the Kulrath Knight and Mathas at first sight... gosh, it's just insane! I really have to give a closer look at those cards I've nearly never seen. That's well thought!

Let's see now what we can improve once again. The etb sub-theme you choose to explore is definitely interesting, and as it goes I would suggest you replacing some creature over 4 mana cost (in order to make the Sun Titan even more reliable) with smaller ones with powerful etb effects. You could maybe, for the example, run something like a Bone Shredder, a Fleshbag Marauder, a Shivan Emissary (nice card but it will only trigger if you play it from your hand. The same is true for the Gatekeeper of Malakir, which is not a good idea there as its mana cost it 3B), a Duergar Hedge-Mage, a Ghitu Slinger (meh card though, the Bone Shredder is like...thousand times better), a Tooth Collector (delirium seems complicated to trigger, so I don't know if it could be that great), a Tidehollow Sculler, a Mesmeric Fiend, etc. I will give you further replacement's ideas for some of those.

Speaking of creatures around 3 manas, you could also play Kambal, Consul of Allocation, which is powerful and flavorful in a political meaning. For more cards with a cruel synergy with Mathas, you could even consider playing the Rampaging Ferocidon.

You may give a try to the Panharmonicon, or even to the Conjurer's Closet, if you do some changes this way, but I can't assure you it'll be that effective. The Cloudstone Curio, that I already suggested you in my first message, is certainly better (but a little more expensive), as it combines absurdly well with Tetzimoc, Primal Death and actually better with cards with Echo (if you decide to go for the Shredder).

Another really good option to never run out of removals is the creation of a Sunforger package. It generally consists of playing Mistveil Plains and something like 7-8 targetable removals. If you bought the Markov EDH deck (which contains Mathas), you could add in the Teferi's Protection (absurd and unfun card, but it's just so strong that you'll always appreciate it). I will, if you're ok with investing in just one card, replace Ob Nixilis Reignited with a Scroll Rack. If you plan to go to some Battlebond's drafts, try to get a Land Tax. It's certainly not a necessity if you play in a casual group, but it will give your global deck a lift - Scroll Rack / Land Tax interaction is what makes the Boros decks viable, as you play black in addition to those colours, you should be able to generate an excellent consistency between draw / ramp / control.

As it stands, you play the Rocky Tar Pit with only basic lands tutorizable, so it's basically just an Evolving Wilds that etb tapped. ^^' Smoldering Marsh and Canyon Slough are both affordable and very good for budget decks. If you decide to invest in a Scroll Rack or get the chance to get it by trading, Madblind Mountain is also a nice option as it enables you to re-shuffle a band hand in your library and to draw a brand new one.

A few suggestions (including replacement ideas) :

• Duergar Hedge-Mage IN > Cataclysmic Gearhulk OUT (the CG (worst abbreviation of all times) is interesting, but most of the times it will put you in really uncomfortable situations. You play a bunch of artefacts and enchantments, so you'll often end sacrificing too many cards to inverse the course of the game. I understand the idea that it enables you getting rid of your opponents' enchantments/artefacts... but they can choose which one they keep so it's not even that good in the best scenarios.

• Bone Shredder IN > Fountain Watch OUT (Having protection for your cards is always great, but the FW feels just way too weak. It's expensive to cast and have a minimal impact on the board state. It doesn't offer you any interaction with your other cards that can justify it... you will just prefer something that offers you more control on the game and which works well with Sun Titan.)

• Cloudstone Curio IN > Ambition's Cost OUT (Draw is pretty important in this kind of deck, so why did I chose to cut the Ambition's Cost? It's not a bad card on its own, it's even fairly good tbh, but I feel you just don't need it. With Mathas' ability, Phyrexian Arena (and maybe later Scroll Rack), you're still gonna draw a lot of cards - you won't need it. The Cloudstone provides you with a powerful grip for the late game. Being able to recast your etb tread is just insane.

• Scroll Rack IN > Indulgent Tormentor OUT (Again, the Tormentor is not that bad... but it's not that great either. It's slow and understated. Most of the time, your opponent will just pay the 3 life needed, if the Tormentor doesn't die to any blast since then. The Scroll Rack is godlike but I could understand your reluctance about the investment it symbolizes. Go for a Sunforger in this case (honnestyl I'll play both of them in a optimized list).

• Land Tax IN > Bonfire of the Damned OUT (The Bonefire is strong, but it only gains a miracle cost if it's the first card you drew this turn. It's not that unreliable but it's still is a bit. I will prefer an effective and sure board clear over it. You will find one just there below ^^)

• Fire Covenant IN > Void Winnower OUT (The Winnower is surely a funny card. It's big, it locks a bit the game and gives you the initiative... but I think that in an optimized decklist you just don't need it. It competes for a slot with cards that synergizes better with Mathas, so that's why I would cut it.)

• Sunforger IN > Orzhov Signet OUT

• Teferi's Protection IN > Swamp OUT

• Canyon Slough IN > Unknown Shores OUT

• Smoldering Marsh IN > Vivid Crag OUT

• Forbidden Orchard IN > Mirrodin's Core OUT

• Mistveil Plains IN > Spire of Industry OUT

• Madblind Mountain IN > 1xMountain OUT

Terminate is also a powerful card to consider with Mathas, but I can't actually find which card to cut for it. I hope those suggestions will be helpful, let me know how does it evolved and worked out! Have fun brewing, mate. :)