deck chart

Mr. Sandman

Commander / EDH azulryu

SCORE: 15 | 4 COMMENTS | 2623 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS

Mana - Ramp - Void —March 3, 2024

After a month of playtesting, made a lot of changes. I found out my deck's main strengths are being unexpected and having unique answers to different situations. This has always been a deck that's been effective mid-to-late game. Main weaknesses were slow startup (though sometimes this helps in a multi-person game), lack of ramp, mana effectiveness, crutching too much on the Sandmen. Staple cards are of course the Sandmen like Niblis of Frost and Somnophore with cipher and transmute/tutors. Tap effects and follow-up effects like Maddening Imp and Dismiss Into Dreams for board wipe. Or using my opponent's things against them such as Willbreaker, Thief of Sanity, and now the newly included Dauthi Voidwalker. See details below to see how I balanced it out to its current iteration.

  • Removed: copy cards and tap effect cards like Stolen Identity, Cackling Counterpart, and Fated Infatuation along with Betrayal, Kefnet's Monument - these were needed to add Mana Rocks and were the least effective cards to switch for.
  • Included: Reins of Power - good way to protect myself if I have a weak board state. I also have Mass Polymorph in the sideboard as it would combo well but don't think it's worth to add quite yet due to the steep cost.
  • Traded out Sleep of the Dead for Dream's Grip - I don't know why I traded DG for SotD before, it's a better card and effectively does the same thing as SotD if used on my opponent's turn.
  • Captain of the Mists, Tormented Soul, Niblis of the Breath, Fleshwrither traded out for Dauthi Voidwalker and Dreamscape Artist - DA helps with ramp and deck cycling while also having the potential benefit of discarding a creature card for Lazav to copy. DV combos insanely well with Thief of Insanity and is also reusable due to Lazav. Some of these were added to the sideboard just in case. I really like Fleshwrither especially since it has helped before but I think having quicker answers to different scenarios helps better in this case.
  • Added: Mana Rocks! Avoided these because I thought they were too slow but after playing against friends with other two-colored decks, realized that I was being ignorant of that. Welcome Dimir Signet, Talisman of Dominance, Mind Stone, Mox Tantalite, and Thought Vessel - the latter helps especially when I draw a ton of cards or with the new combo detailed below.
  • Added: The Reality Chip, Sensei's Divining Top, and Cloud Key: Came across this combo when looking for ways to cycle and avoid dead draws which led me to the first two. Found out they combo with the Key which funny enough was a long ago consideration instead of Kefnet's Monument. Thematic also - I like the idea of Mr. Sandman giving dreams of the future (Reality Chip). With the aforementioned Thought Vessel, I have the chance to keep my library in my hands or save myself from milling myself by using Day's Undoing.

The issues I have now are the following:

  • 1. Find a way to get 35 land - not sure what to cut.
  • 2. I want to find a way to add Whispering Madness as it has combo potential with the Infinite Draw Combo to mill my opponents for an additional win-con.
  • 3. Early game I'm a punching bag in a 1v1, less so in a 3v3+ but not much presence - I want to find ways around this without adding Walls back in if possible.

    • Let me know if you have any suggestions! Thanks!