Deckbuilding challenge for playgroup.
Each person gets one of the OG elder dragons: Arcades Sabboth, Chromium, Nicol Bolas, Palladia-Mors, or Vaevictis Asmadi.
Build a budget deck around them - all cards less than 0.42 cents
I'm going with an Esper Lifegain strategy - trying to gain tiny amounts of life, frequently, to power up Ajani's Pridemate and his lesser cousins.
And as of May 2022... goodbye Chromium, hello Oloro!
January 2022 Cuts
In
Secrets of the Golden City - 3 mana draw 3 is very rare. this and painful truths. i think this card is good but never had a home for it - trying it here
Sunbond - a strictly worse light of promise. still think it makes the cut given it is the whole point of the deck. it also turns one of my 21 creatures without that ability into the pridemate
Out
Contemplation - all my other lifegain is on lands and creatures. dont think i want to play a 'do nothing' enchantment in this deck
Oblation - quickly soured on this card after thinking it was amazing a month ago.
February 2022 Changes
In
Resculpt - think i underrated this card
Sun Titan - some much needed recursion
Crib Swap - think this removal is good?
Neutralize - stand-in until my white protection spells arrive
Out
Dire Tactics - i dont want to take the damage here
Dramatic Rescue - card is worse than i thought
Light of Promise - these auras are card disadvantage and just waiting to be two for oned
Sunbond - these auras are card disadvantage and just waiting to be two for oned
March 2022 Changes
In
Notion Rain - the 5 free for all elder dragon game is going to be a slog so the more draw the better. plus i now have sun titan so can get the surveilled shit out of my yard.
Out
God-Pharaoh's Faithful - the 0/4 is just not impactful enough. especially without my auras.
May 2022 Changes
In
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic - replacing Chromium as the true master of this deck. everything works better with him doing his thing from the command zone
Inspiring Overseer - another lifegain cantrip on a body, i.e. priest of ancient lore, which is super valuable in the deck. plus it flies!
Obscura Storefront - the more lifegain lands the better here. this is like lifegain evolving wilds. pulling a plain
Seraph Sanctuary - again, the more lifegain lands the better. pulling a swamp
Vampire Scrivener - another ajani's pridemate - the way this deck wants to win
Rootborn Defenses - protection option
Make a Stand - protection option
Darkwater Catacombs - i dont love these lands tbh but feel like i need fixing
Skycloud Expanse - see above
Out:
Crib Swap - on the bubble removal, getting cut
Neutralize- on the bubble protection, getting cut
Chromium - the OG elder dragon gets cut
Secrets of the Golden City - really close, just short of making the cut
Soul of Eternity - really not synergistic and how am i punching through?
May 2022 Changes Part II
In
Arcane Sanctum - feeling light on mana fixing - pumped this dropped into budget
Temple of Silence - see above
Choked Estuary - see above
Orzhov Signet - see above
Ebony Fly - feeling light on ramp - want the deck to speed up
Guardian Idol - see above
Everflowing Chalice - see above, and happy this one dropped into budget
Unbreakable Formation - think this is the best version of this effect
Infernal Grasp - dropped into 40 cents range. 2 cmc kill a creature in budget, sign me up
Out
Pious Evangel
- before Oloro took command of this deck, i needed regular bits of lifegain for the deck to function. but now... oloro guarantees me one lifegain trigger a turn. so these low impact lifegain dudes are totallyy cuttable.
Impassioned Orator - see above
Kor Celebrant - see above
Daxos, Blessed by the Sun - see above
Lunarch Veteran
- see above
Make a Stand - right on the bubble
Mortuary Mire - i'm never happy to see this tapped land
June 2022 Deck Changes
In
Mind Stone - trying to speed the deck up wit ramp, like in May
Wayfarer's Bauble - trying to speed the deck up wit ramp, like in May
Baleful Mastery - great removal hit 40 cents
Sunken Hollow - more fixing
Temple of Deceit - more fixing
Out
Giant Killer - this used to matter with Chromium at the helm
Notion Rain - tough to cut card draw, but least good one
Rootborn Defenses - cuttable protection
July 2022 Deck Changes
In
Shambling Vent - lifeline two color manland
Kabira Takedown
- solid mdfc
Zof Consumption
- maybe the worst mdfc, is it worth it? we'll see
September 2022 Deck Changes
In
Syphon Mind - i think this is better than some of the divination style stuff i've cut? i.e. Notion Rain and Secrets of the Golden City. 1 more mana, but lots of card advantage baked in.
Out
Unbreakable Formation - i think ultimately these 3 cmc white indestructible cards aren't good enough
September 2022 Deck Changes
In
Alela, Artful Provocateur - last game i felt like i needed more immmediately impactful creatures on the board. Alela and the below two classics have flying deathtouch lifelink - a fun combo that can be offensive, defensive, and synergizes with lifegain triggers. Alela also will just make me value tokens
Nighthawk Scavenger - ""
Vampire Nighthawk - ""
Caves of Koilos - now budget, one of the best lands in the deck
Griffin Aerie - this card didn't work with the chromium version of the deck as i was only gaining 1 life at a time. but - now that oloro guarantees me 2 a turn, getting the one more is EZ. immediately joins my small team of lifegain token makers
Out
Serene Steward - don't want to be wasting mana on this
Wall of Limbs - doesn't fit my attacking game plan
Storm Herd - this card is just bad actually
Sun Titan - generically good but no synergies and conditional
Kabira Takedown
- feeling like the deck has too many tapped lands to get the fixing i need, so pulling some mdfcs
Zof Consumption
- ""
November 2022 Deck Changes
In
Secrets of the Golden City - have gone back and forth with this one but think 3 cmc draw 3 is worth it
Blessed Wine - imperfect lifegain cantrip, but think it makes the cut. problem is i cant use it to dig on my turn.
Talisman of Hierarchy - slam dunk
Debt to the Deathless - late game wincon
Secret Rendezvous - again 3 cmc draw 3. and this deck should be able to utilize it politically as i should never be archenemy
Environmental Sciences - 2 cmc lifegain cantrip for a land
Sunblade Samurai - ""
Benevolent Offering - interested to try this - gain life, make some tokens, politics. we'll see how it goes
Plus! Adding 2 swamps in - like I am doing with all my decks this month to try to increase land count / ensure land drops
Out
Chart a Course - not regularly attacking in
Blood Pact - replacing with better draw
Bloodbond Vampire - 4 cmc, no evasion, just isnt impactful
Haunted Cloak - never really fit the deck post chromium
Markov Purifier - 5 cmc to draw 1? no
Scion of the Swarm - 5 cmc is too much for this
Temple of the False God - deck not a good fit for temple
Valorous Stance - i like the card but cuttable
Vampire Scrivener - 5 cmc is too much for this
Winged Words - not guaranteed a flyer
January 2023 Deck Changes
In
Dimir Signet - always need fixing in this deck
Liquimetal Torque - playing tapped rocks so this is a slam dunk
Sphinx's Revelation - lifegain stroke of genius. seems like a lot of fun
Vault of the Archangel - i think this is a yes? hurts my fixing but cool utility
Austere Command - think this replaces a board wipe. very versatile
Notion Rain - worried about my card draw levels - going to add this previously cut card in. Other than castability, see as many cards as Read the Bones, which I always feel good casting
Out
Benevolent Offering - seems like a solid card but not a perfect fit
Ebony Fly - upgraded
Guardian Idol - upgraded
Rout - upgraded
Utter End - think ive soured on this card - 4 cmc is just too much
February 2023 Deck Changes
In
Verrak, Warped Sengir - ability relatively meaningless, just care about the easy to cast deathtouch flying lifelink
Fumigate - synergistic board wipe, was waiting for this to be budget
Holy Day - thinking 1 cmc fogs are more powerful than people think
Out
Sunblade Samurai - too restrictive for a true cantrip
Blessed Wine - ""
Cleansing Nova - changing to something with more synergy
May 2023 Deck Changes
In
Gideon's Company - super bloodbond vampire. easier to cast and double counters. just pure fun
Sunscorch Regent - been waiting a long time for this to become budget. a slam dunk for this deck - now one of the best cards to see - triggers a bunch of stuff, threat in the air
Curtains' Call - efficient 2:1 removal
Fractured Powerstone - untapped ramp, doesnt fix though
Reality Shift - rad removal
Out
Charcoal Diamond - as the deck tightens up, cutting non-ideal ramp. fixing is tough in the deck, we'll see if it works
Sky Diamond - ""
Marble Diamond - ""
Ornithopter of Paradise - ""
Syphon Mind - deck isn't strong enough to piss people off
September 2023 Deck Changes
In
Generous Gift - top tier removal now budget
Swords to Plowshares - ""
Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles - wonderful fit for this deck, slam dunk
Arcane Signet - top tier mana rock now budget
Fellwar Stone - ''
Out
Nighthawk Scavenger - as more cards become budget for this deck, dont need these 3 cmc lifelink deathtouch flying dudes
Vampire Nighthawk - ""
Verrak, Warped Sengir - ""
Curtains' Call - good but removal getting tight
Infernal Grasp - ""
January 2024 Deck Changes
In
Command the Dreadhorde - thinking this might be a cool very unexpected win con
Sleep - possible win con as well
Blood Pact -
Also tossed in 2 plains
Out
Jan 2024 Cuts
Baleful Mastery - good removal but deck is tight
Environmental Sciences - restrictive with getting only a land
Holy Day - great card but i can afford not to run it with all this life?
Shambling Vent - man lands no good in edh so slow and expensive
Vault of the Archangel - not worth the squeeze, rather a plain
May 2024 Deck Changes
In
Baleful Strix - i want to play this card in a deck - not exactly on theme but seems strong for budget especially
Revival / Revenge - new possible wincon
Bond of Discipline - ""
Bovine Intervention - i like the flexibility of this removal
Quick Study - think this is good
Talisman of Dominance - amazing color fixing ramp
Witch of the Moors - thing is a house. now one of the best cards in the deck
Amalia Benavides Aguirre - new ajani pridemate friend
Out
Austere Command - board wipes are boring
Everflowing Chalice - too much ramp, want the color fixing stuff
Fractured Powerstone - ""
Liquimetal Torque - ""
Prismatic Lens - ""
Secret Rendezvous - cuttable given it gives opponent cards
Reality Shift - love the card but lots of removal options with white in the deck
Unexpectedly Absent - think this card is underrated but running out of room
June 2024 Deck Changes
In
Desolate Mire - black white filter land - love fixing here
Out
Myriad Landscape - been souring on this a bit - have a bunch of tapped lands anyway with the lifegain lands
July 2024 Deck Changes
In
Sphinx of the Revelation - think this is good enough?
Talisman of Progress - slam dunk now thats budget
Shineshadow Snarl - fixing!
Brainsurge - love this spell - i think
Out
Blood Pact - decent spell right on the bubble
Fact or Fiction - just too much mana in 2024
Wayfarer's Bauble - souring a bit on this - think id rather have 2 cmc ramp
Swamp
August 2024 Deck Changes
In
Diresight - upgraded read the bones, yes please!
Path to Exile - now budget
Adarkar Wastes - now budget! Pulled a plains
Out
Elite Guardmage - most expensive lifegain 'cantrip' in the deck - cuttable
Bovine Intervention - i like this spell but need to keep removal that hits enchantments
October 2024 Deck Changes
In
Essence Channeler - super pridemate - have a nice critical mass of these guys now - theyve printed some fun cheaper better versions
Withering Torment - easier to cast mortify
Spire of Industry - try this out - think it should be online most of the time with all my rocks
Out
Mortify - on the bubble anyway and i like torment better
Sphinx of the Revelation - too clunky i think ultimately
Plains
October 2024 Deck Changes Part II
In
Exsanguinate - budget and a banger. love the top end win cons in here
Out
Baleful Strix - like the card but not synergistic at all
November 2024 Deck Changes
In
Stroke of Midnight - love it at budget
Out
Withering Torment - slight upgrade to stroke
November 2024 Deck Changes II
In
Cat Collector - better attended healer
Out
Despark - like the card but has its restrictions
February 2025 Deck Changes
In
Drogskol Reaver - was waiting on this being budget - expensive but nasty
Out
Sphinx's Revelation - too cmc pricy for the draw
February 2025 Deck Changes Part II
In
Qala, Ajani's Pridemate - now budget - think this will be a powerful win con?
Out
Sleep - also a powerful win con - but no specific synergy
March 2025 Deck Changes Part
In
Voice of the Blessed - one of the best pridemate variants - now budget
Out
Dream Trawler - sad to cut the limited bomb but things like drogskol reaver make it cuttable
