[Primer] Colored Mana is for the Weak
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 78 | 53 COMMENTS | 16557 VIEWS | IN 46 FOLDERS
Trying out Azor's Gateway —Jan. 25, 2018
If there ever was a competitive EDH deck that actually wanted Azor's Gateway Flip, I think this is the deck that does (although I could also see a decent argument for it in Grand Arbiter Augustin IV because it runs cards like Sphinx's Revelation, but I digress). I am still not 100% sold on it because it is slow and is likely to get hit by disruption but people said the same thing about Jace, Vryn's Prodigy Flip and we all know what happened there. However, in a deck that actually has a genuinely varied CMC and occasionally has the issue of brickhanding, the ability to ditch useless cards to dig deeper isn't terrible and if it ever flips, it is absolutely insane. And considering this deck runs Candelabra of Tawnos, it allows for some Christmasland scenarios to come to life. Also add in the fact that Clock of Omens, Voltaic Key, and Paradox Engine allow the deck to flip Azor's Gateway Flip much faster, I think it is worth testing, and very likely worth keeping.
As for the last few updates, the only one I am taking out for now is Trinisphere. When the card was good, it was incredibly good and often won me the game. But this deck does not have the tutor density to guarantee a tax effect early against the decks that it wants it. It also doesn't go well with the cost discounters that the deck runs. I think there is room for experimentation and that the deck may one day go further into the Stax territory in order to have a better matchup against fast combo decks or Storm variants, but for now I will just have to live with Mindslavering the Storm/Combo player(s) as my way of dealing with them.
The Ixalan block also gave us some decent graveyard hate and budget options to run. I'll add these to the budget section when I get the chance.
Decrepit_Angel says... #2
x12721: Thanks for the heads up that it was not under the hubs (I guess it didn't save when I put them in there).
Also, this deck is intended to be at the highest possible power level given the requirements of the format. Although It That Betrays is a fun casual card and does do fun stuff with my commander and other cards like All Is Dust, most decks in competitive EDH have access to blue so if I am spending that much mana on something, I prefer cards that guarantee me something even if they don't resolve (which is one of the greatest benefits of the Eldrazi over other tribes). That and my commander is enough to draw hate from the rest of the table before the game even starts so I want removal or to draw more cards from the high CMC threats of the deck to help me fight through it. The only exception I have to this is Emrakul, the Promised End because a Mindslaver effect in cEDH often wins the game or at least kills the player that it targets. I'll definitely add It That Betrays to the budget options section though.
November 28, 2017 8:32 p.m.
BenGarrison says... #3
Have you thought about Darksteel Forge to help against Vandalblast? Or is it too expensive?
Or Soul of New Phyrexia.
December 23, 2017 5:17 a.m.
Decrepit_Angel says... #4
BenGarrison: Darksteel Forge is way too expensive for a competitive deck that doesn't use it for specifically for combo purposes. It is a great budget option and is hilarious to grab at instant speed with Kuldotha Forgemaster in response to artifact removal, but this deck already has a mild issue of "brick hand" (a common issue of ramp decks where you draw your high costing payoff cards before drawing your ramp pieces so you can actually cast them). For the sake of promoting consistency, the number of high end payoffs is limited to more or less the absolute minimum I can accept for the deck (It also helps that the commander is a great payoff that is always available). I will add it to the budget options section though.
Soul of New Phyrexia is very similar but also requires me to leave up 5 mana to actually do anything. This deck shines when it is the one demanding the answers, instead of having to answer them. And leaving up 5 mana in case someone plays artifact hate instead of casting more ramp or another difficult to answer threat just doesn't synergize well with the strategy of the deck.
x12721 says... #1
This looks really good, my only suggestion would be to tag this deck under the proper hubs so you can get more views! Also, instead of the new Kozilek try It That Betrays, as it would synergize very well with your commander and All Is Dust.
November 27, 2017 7:49 p.m.