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Legality
| Format | Legality |
| 1v1 Commander | Legal |
| Archenemy | Legal |
| Block Constructed | 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 |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Planechase | Legal |
| Quest Magic | Legal |
| Tiny Leaders | Legal |
| Vanguard | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
Sygg, River Cutthroat
Legendary Creature — Merfolk Rogue
At end of turn, if an opponent lost 3 or more life this turn, you may draw a card. (Damage causes loss of life.)
Licecolony on
Goaded With The Sauce
5 months ago
I really like your manifest take on Jon. Consider Dulcet Sirens. It's a clever way to mitigate risk of having those horrible creatures for yourself. I'll definitely be adding Crawlspace and Endless Whispers to my list.
Suggested removals from deck Plague Reaver. While it's a nice card to give away, the turn you play it you'll have to sacrifice Jon Irenicus to Plague Reaver's trigger regardless of which order you put the abilities onto the stack. You'd rather not lose Jon.
Gisa, Glorious Resurrector. It's something you can't give away, which means it's good when you're ahead, but not great when you're behind,. Your mileage may vary, but I think getting something more immediately impactful on the board tends to be best.
Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker. You're not running a mill strategy, you'll only be filling the graveyard of dedicate graveyard decks.
Taniwha. I love this creature and totally understand running it for the memes, but phasing triggers before your upkeep, which means that when you give it away, it'll be phased out for the first turn under your opponent, so they'll keep their lands and you won't draw a card from Jon's ability. The turn cycle has to make two full rounds before Taniwha does anything.
Tergrid, God of Fright  Flip. Unlike Sheoldred, Tergrid doesn't make the opponent do either of its effects. It's another creature you don't want to give away, and Jon makes cards unsacrificeable. It just won't trigger much unless you're against a sacrifice deck.
Ensnaring Bridge. The creatures you donate will often be quite big. Ensnaring bridge will prevent them from attacking your opponents and deny you card draw.
Chromatic Lantern. It's only good if you need the mana fixing. You don't need the mana fixing. Try something like Thought Vessel or Decanter of Endless Water or Midnight Clock instead.
Assault Suit doesn't goad the creatures itself. Often they'll swing at you if possible.
Dissipation Field. Not as good as it looks. Doubles ETB triggers. Anti synergy with cards like Endless Whispers.
No Mercy Jon just has better options for this slot. If you can replace a non-creature with a creature in this deck, you usually want to.
Grave Betrayal. That's 7 mana for a card that could ruin your game by forcing you to revive bad cards you do not want.
Diplomatic Immunity. You want instant speed protection and protection from board wipes. Something like March of Swirling Mist is more versatile offensively and defensively.
Dark Ritual. I'm uncertain what you're trying to ramp into so quickly that you would need this. Maybe I'm wrong.
Countersquall. You may as well play the one mana version in An Offer You Can't Refuse.
Redirect may be bested by Narset's Reversal? That's a matter of opinion.
AEtherize risks bouncing creatures attacking other opponents such as those you've goaded but want them to keep. Try replacing this with a more versatile effect like Reins of Power or a more aggressive effect in Illusionist's Gambit.
Damnation. Jon prefers sacrifice board wipes so that your opponents keep their shit creatures.
Overall I think you could run less counter-magic in favor of more proactive effects.
Cards to Consider Creatures Generally I want to focus on adding creatures that you can give away and then steal back later to win the game.
With Jon, you often want cheap evasive creatures to give out for early card draw with his ability. Right now you have 1 two-drop creature. Throwing in a Changeling Outcast or a Slither Blade can mean you can give a creature away for cheap and still hold up mana for other things. Slither blade wouldn't die to Heartless Summoning too.
In the two-drop slot, you can run creatures that are more defensive like Baleful Strix, or give you card draw like Sygg, River Cutthroat or just more powerful creatures like Flesh Reaver which is a goaded 6/6 that can deal 12 damage a turn or Wretched Anurid. Heck, you can even add a versatile two-drop in Dimir Infiltrator which can be given away in the early game or used as a tutor in the late-game.
In the three drop slot, I think your idea of adding Steel Golem is a great one to make sure the only creatures your opponent has are the ones you're giving them. It's a brutal card. Rotting Regisaur is a card you don't mind giving away early, and can take back later to win. Phyrexian Soulgorger can be donated to an opponent as a goaded 10/10. They won't have to pay the upkeep, but that's a great body to give someone as a political tool. Cephalid Facetaker is also worth consideration though I personally don't run it.
In the four-drop slot, like you mentioned, Grid Monitor is a proactive creature counter. Abyssal Persecutor can save you from death. Archfiend of the Dross is risky but fun (it comes back to your control after the opponent dies).
In the 5-drop slot, both of the evil-eye cards are absolute ALL STARS. They work so well every game I've drawn them. They can also replace some of your weaker defenses like No Mercy and Dissipation Field
As a sidenote, I also like Deep-Sea Kraken as an unblockable 8/8 that can win you the game with homeward path.
Removal I recommend running more sacrifice-based removal since it'll mean your opponents keep the crap you give them. Things like Tergrid's Shadow or Vona's Hunger or All is Dust (one of my favorites) or Killing Wave. I also prefer Toxic Deluge to some of your other removal since it goes through hexproof. Curse of the Swine is also an exile effect that can be selective and works really well. You can also run single-target removal like Reality Shift or Pongify if you'd rather instant speed interaction. Feed the Swarm is quality. If you really don't care about cruelty, you can run Torment of Hailfire, but that card is honestly always too boring for me to want in my decks.
Card Draw Jon has access to some great card draw that most decks can't take advantage of. Fateful Handoff is a card draw spell that also donates (though does not goad). Sygg, River Cutthroat works well with evasive threats you give away (though should not be donated). Verity Circle works great with Jon's ability since it donates the creature first, and then taps it down. Teferi's Ageless Insight allows you to double your draw triggers from Jon.
Equipment Remember that you can donate creatures while they're equipped and you still control the equipment so they can't re-equip it. Pact Weapon makes the attacking creature bigger, while ensuring you can't die, and will draw you another card whenever the donated creature attacks. Dowsing Dagger  Flip works effectively on evasive creature to get you ramped. Vorpal Sword is a win condition on your unblockable evasive creatures.
Goad Dulcet Sirens, Bloodthirsty Blade.
Misc Graveyard removal is king. Throw in a Scavenger Grounds. My favorite card to run is Reality Shift. Make an Avenger of Zendikar spawn a dozen Wretched Anurids. It's not GREAT, but it is always funny. Cultural Exchange is a fun time too with all your manifest and shitty creatures.
That is all. Hope it was helpful.
DreadKhan on Fun commanders
6 months ago
I think I'd look for a Commander that comes with some card draw stapled to it in some way if you are starting out and want to limit budget, but one that also avoids undue attention. Good card draw tends to be very $$$, but stuff like Sygg, River Cutthroat can draw lots of cards even if people are just swinging regularly, the Commander rewards you for people losing life, a thing that happens as a matter of course. Dimir is really good at drawing cards, creature removal, and Blue is full of spells that can save your butt very easily, it's not just about casting a Counterspell, sometimes you want Aetherspouts. Blue can solve almost any problem (in theory), and do it at instant speed, I know when I was a new Commander player it bothered me quite a bit if I lost to a deck because I couldn't deal with some vulnerable lynchpin in their strategy, much more so if I don't run anything that solves it (and thus will always lose in that situation). Blue avoids that feeling better than any colour I'd argue, but it's also the hardest colour to play 'optimally'. The biggest weakness of Dimir is that your creatures tend to be smaller weenies or utility dorks, so you can't just go taller than a Gruul or Naya deck, especially on a budget, if you have an inner Timmy (a player who likes big, splashy cards to excess) Green is probably more your speed. Green also has lots of card draw, and has stupid cards like Squallmonger that are pretty budget, give that Deathtouch or Lifelink and you're in incredibly good shape, but what if you throw a Keen Sense or Snake Umbra on it? 2 mana and 1 life for 3 cards isn't bad for a budget deck, having something that'll clear out flying weenies can be priceless in Green.
TheOfficialCreator on
11 months ago
I'll just start with the idea that the reason Elves and Vampires can win in cEDH is because they tend to grow exponentially, quickly spiraling out of control; Elves through mana dork sizing-up, and Vampires through sacrifice and mana doubling strategies.
Rogues don't really have the potential to grow at this same rate, and from the looks of it this deck will struggle to deal with three other well-refined decks at the table. This isn't a criticism of your deck, obviously, but more a general warning of how it will function at a cEDH table.
That being said, Rogues may not have exponential growth tied to them, but they do have a unique strategy that you could utilize to a greater extent. This would likely require a reworking of your current strategy, and a new commander at the helm.
Since Dimir and Rogues in general do not have ready access to good ramp, I would highly suggest either enhancing your control shell or making Sygg, River Cutthroat your commander. Sygg gives you access to card draw and synergy with your unblockable rogues (though I would suggest taking Blighted Agent out in general, since it doesn't deal traditional damage and doesn't cause your opponents to lose life), plus it is more mana-efficient and allows for a better tempo. By turn 4 or 5 you really should be developing if not completing your win-state in cEDH. Bident of Thassa would make a good t3-4 drop in preparation for a finishing blow on turn 5 (likely would be accomplished through "death by a thousand cuts").
You could also lean into the infinite combo route. I noticed for instance that you're running Tainted Pact and Thassa's Oracle. I might suggest adding Jace, Wielder of Mysteries and Demonic Consultation as well to streamline this combo.
Let me know if you have any questions.
parksplace on
Parker's Petitions
1 year ago
king-saproling Funnily enough I had actually been seriously debating trying to change this deck into a Dimir self mill. I used to run a Ashiok, Dream Render for cleanup in my mono blue (not legal). I have since thought about Running Sygg, River Cutthroat as I could basically keep mono blue and just use him as card draw and keep in my Ashiok legally.
Funnily enough though, I do have a Araumi of the Dead Tide in my inventory. I had never envisioned running that with petitioners but some of the examples you have pointed out lean towards a strong, but also unique build. I actually believe I will move forward with the idea of changing my paper petitioner deck listed above into an Dimir Araumi of the Dead deck. It likely wont be soon, but after I sell some of my budget decks, I'll have more funds to shop around for the black cards above.
Thanks a ton for these idea updates.
Epicurus on
Hired Mercenaries
1 year ago
Love the deck, and I appreciate that it leans toward aggro rather than mill. I have a similar Anowan deck, but mine focuses on stealing creatures from graveyards.
Cards to consider:
Just to name a few.
Cheers!
Dammjan on
2 years ago
Thank you for your advice once again. I decided to add Zur the Enchanter and Dimir House Guard since I think I ve enough enchantments which cost 3 cmc or less. Further more I decided to add Sygg, River Cutthroat to the deck, since I am sure I will often do more than 3 damage and hopefully my oppononents do it too. And he is a pretty cheap card too. I decided to remove Conclave Tribunal since I don t think it was a fitting card in the first place. I decided to remove Ugin, the Ineffable but I am not sure if it is the right decision but I don t know what to remove otherwise. Maybe you can tell me. The last card I removed was Diabolic Tutor since Dimir House Guard seems to be the better choice to find Zur the Enchanter in my libary. Thank you.
DreadKhan on
2 years ago
On a budget, I guess Underworld Connections might make the cut. If you find your hand is consistently tiny, Midnight Oil isn't as bad as people think, you just need to be able to play both cards you draw consistently. Castle Locthwainis another option that works if your hand is always small, and War Room might be a bit of life, but Alela has lifelink. Dawn of Hope could work if Alela deals damage often. Faerie Formation is reasonable if you want a 1/1 faerie and a card, and a 5/4 flyer is pretty beefy. Sygg, River Cutthroat is probably good enough to consider, Court of Grace and Court of Cunning both give you the Monarch, which means a card, and the bodies you generate might make it harder for people to take it from you, and 1/1 flyers going wide will always be getting it back. The Blue Court can actually be a backup win con if people can't take the Monarch from you due to Pillowfort effects.
Zur the Enchanter isn't quite card draw, but it is card advantage, possibly multiple turns worth of it. He can find removal, or potentially card draw, so Zur seems like good value for mana if your deck runs enough enchantments he can find. If you want to find him (or any other card), you might consider Transmute cards rather than card draw. If you always want to have access to Zur (or any 4 MV card) you can Transmute Dimir House Guard into that card, and it's cheaper than Diabolic Tutor while not being a spell, and thus being much harder to interact with. Transmute cards exist at other values as well, mostly 0-6 and 9, and they are always in U or B, which Alela has access to.
Hope some of this is helpful! I will probably build an Alela deck at some point myself, so it's neat to see what other people put together
