Shifting Into High Gear (Arjun Primer)

Commander / EDH RicketyEng

SCORE: 75 | 53 COMMENTS | 14262 VIEWS | IN 40 FOLDERS


RicketyEng says... #1

I will need more card draw other than Arjun too. I will also look at surge spells from OGW for useful tools. I also recently saw a friend use an enchantment that gave creatures -x/-0 where x was the number of cards in his hand. It proved quite useful in keeping him alive.

February 18, 2016 4:54 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #2

Can anyone suggest something to pull Laboratory Maniac out of the graveyard in case he finds his way there?

March 16, 2016 9:16 a.m.

SaulX05 says... #3

Elixir of Immortality or discarding one of the Eldrazi Titans RicketyEng.

March 17, 2016 12:49 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #4

I guess maybe that would work, but then any progress made in emptying my library will be set back by the size of my graveyard. I found Fool's Demise but I guess it only helps if I get it played after the maniac is on the field and before he dies. What do you think?

March 17, 2016 1:07 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #5

Deciding on these final 13 cards to cut is getting really difficult. Below I refer to one or two of the custom categories.

March 17, 2016 5:15 p.m.

Randomdeath says... #6

How budget di you want to keep this cause I see some things that can come out and some other things that will help you out with overall combos. And ill get back with a list a little later that will hopefully help.

March 17, 2016 6:16 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #7

All of the cards listed are either already in my collection or are cards I'm willing to find and acquire. I am quite open to other suggestions, but I am not likely to go for cards over $10, and anything between $5-$10 is considerable if it would make a big contribution.

March 17, 2016 8:56 p.m.

MagmaArmor0 says... #8

How are you actually hitting with the Broodbirth Viper? Looks like the only way it will connect is if your opponent has no creatures.

Indentured Djinn doesn't let you draw, which makes me sad. Yes, it's three fewer cards in an opponent's deck, but it's 3 more answers that everyone else now has.

I agree with you about Illusory Ambusher. Too often, opponents have evasion and you can't block with it.

Evanescent Intellect feels like it's just asking to have the creature it's enchanting destroyed, losing you a card. I'd cut it.

Repeal and Humble Defector both feel underwhelming

I know you want more cuts, but I feel like I have to at least suggest Lunar Mystic. Forbid seems like it should also be here, with the amount of drawing you're doing. And if you want Lab maniac back from the grave, Codex Shredder seems like a good way to do that, instead of Elixir of Immortality

March 17, 2016 9:19 p.m.

Randomdeath says... #9

ok so ive looked this deck over and there are a few changes that i would suggest. drop 4x island, add 1x Sulfur Falls, 1x Steam Vents, 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and just leave the last island out all together. and the reason why i say this is cause most commander decks have a sweet spot of 36 lands and the more you play and tweek it you may be able to drop it down to less that that, the steam vents and sulfur falls are just for color fixing and those upgrades can be done in time when you have the money, now the shrine with as many creatures and permanents that will give you the devotion to keep going on your turn. swap Seal of the Guildpact for Caged Sun is much better IMO. i would also suggest adding an Azami, Lady of Scrolls if you wanna add a few more wizards for a more synergistic approach and a more reliable card draws. also in addition to the elixir, check out Psychic Spiral it can do so much work in the theme you're going with. also i feel that Eye of the Storm is a better replacement for Knowledge Pool mainly because while both can be used by everyone at the table you should be the one who take the most advantage of it. ok things that i dont think are really needed. Devastation Tide unless its the first card you drew that turn, its very underwhelming to me why not a Cyclonic Rift instead. Curse of the Bloody Tome is really only good if you are singleing one person out or a 1v1 game Memory Erosion will punish everyone but you. displacement wave sets you back too if your not careful using it. i would suggest careful consideration on keeping it. so im in agreement with MagmaArmor0 about all the cards he listed. and im in agreement with your own cards that you selected execpt for the Goblin Electromancer, Brainstorm, Mizzix's Mastery. also a really good counter spell is Rewind nothings better that a free counter spell, and a Snap free bounce target creature, and last but not least Frantic Search another free spell, but you're drawing which is the main theme of this deck. a Leveler allows for the instant win. now these are just suggestions and it is your deck and your call on what to put in and pull out. lastly i will put a link to my UR EDH deck melek!!!! for maybe some pointers that i may have not touched on.

March 18, 2016 12:10 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #10

Thank you very much for all of the suggestions!

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for a few of those cards as upgrades. You also helped me be critical of a few cards I really like (Illusory Ambusher and Broodbirth Viper). There are a couple I'm keeping for now anyway because I really want to see how they work a couple of times before cutting them (Indentured Djinn and Humble Defector).

I read an article a little while ago about milling in EDH that suggested focusing on group hug drawing instead of direct milling because they both accomplish the goal of getting cards out of libraries, but without drawing quite as much unfriendly attention. I think I have accomplished that for the most part, although Jace's Erasure and Sphinx's Tutelage have potential to have a huge impact through direct milling.

March 18, 2016 4:36 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #11

I recently found Fevered Visions and Nivmagus Elemental and also made the switch to put Eye of the Storm in Knowledge Pool's place. Nivmagus would combo really well with the eye, but is it worth putting in otherwise? The Abbot of Keral Keep would combo with the eye just as well.

Thoughts on Fevered Visions? It does nothing but achieve goals of the deck by both giving extra draw and dealing some extra damage, but does it accomplish these better than what I already have?

April 19, 2016 9:15 a.m.

Randomdeath says... #12

I like Fevered Visions I'm trying to find a spot in my list for it as well. Prowess creatures are good as long as you can make the triggers happen when you need them most.

April 19, 2016 12:50 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #13

I got the chance I had been looking for to try out Humble Defector and Indentured Djinn. Unfortunately the defector worked a bit too slowly and quickly died to a board wipe (in a 6 player game). I have replaced them with Fevered Visions and Abbot of Keral Keep. I also made the switch for Eye of the Storm instead of Knowledge Pool.

Now I am looking for a spot to put Memory Erosion.

April 20, 2016 4:50 p.m.

lizgaa2410 says... #14

This is a really interesting commander to run with! I would always be stressed out throwing my hand away and trusting my fate to the heart of the cards! It's not a style I normally play, but it seems like Melek, Izzet Paragon might have some good synergy. He would increase the number of cards available for you to play at any given time, and copying cards is always fun. Also, if you play with people who steal your stuff a lot, Homeward Path might be a good idea. It's not budget, but it is handy. Jace's Mindseeker might also be a fun choice, so you can use you opponents' spells in addition to your own when he enters.

Again, this isn't a style I'm super familiar with, so my suggestions might be terrible...sorry about that. Your deck is super cool though!

July 12, 2016 3:01 a.m.

RicketyEng says... #15

It is a somewhat chaotic way to play, but there is card advantage generated by the Mindmoil effect since you get to see much more of your library and dig for combo pieces.

July 12, 2016 10:34 a.m.

RicketyEng says... #16

I came away from the EMN prerelease this weekend with a Docent of Perfection  Flip and I'm looking for advice about how effective it may or may not be in this deck.

I do have a bit of wizard tribal in this deck already, so how about a +2/+1, flying boost for my wizards?

On the other hand, would it pull the deck away from its goals?

July 18, 2016 5:39 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #17

I am ever growing to dislike Epic Experiment more and more because it keeps whiffing on me. Sure, it has potential to be epic, but more often than not in this deck it epically fails. I have resolved that it needs to come out.

So! Would Docent of Perfection  Flip make a good replacement, or is there something else that I should consider? I also now have Keranos, God of Storms available to me. Thoughts?

August 15, 2016 5:28 p.m. Edited.

aekrusty says... #18

Nice deck +1. Could you review and upvote my St Traft Azorius Duel? Thanks

August 15, 2016 5:29 p.m.

Guardian_Xain says... #19

Hmmmm..... I think Strionic Resonator would be a good addition to this deck, although I'm not sure where it would go. It would let you trigger your triggered abilities twice, which could lead to some really fun stuff.

August 16, 2016 12:12 p.m.

Your list seems pretty solid, the only card that I would think to add in would be trick bind, or wipe away. The split second on those cards can be truly devastating to opponents trying to combo out before you. And if it's an activated ability trickbind will stop it for the rest of the turn!! Just value

August 22, 2016 4:10 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #21

I have finally found homes for Keranos, God of Storms and Docent of Perfection  Flip by replacing Epic Experiment and Abbot of Keral Keep, respectively.

The next tweak I want to make is actually a card I wish to remove: Archmage Ascension. I have only had reason to cast it a very few times, and have not even once succeeded in turning it on; it is too slow. Therefore, I am looking for suggestions for its replacement. A quick look at my maybeboard suggests either Dictate of Kruphix or Preordain.

September 1, 2016 3:03 p.m.

RicketyEng says... #22

Some cards marked for replacement:

  • Memory Erosion and Jace's Erasure: I had originally wanted to try my hand at multiplayer EDH milling but they draw to much hate and this deck just isn't meant to be a mill deck.

  • Archmage Ascension: As previously stated, it is just too slow to be any use.

The trade-outs are actually going to start with Memory Erosion getting replaced by Aetherflux Reservoir which I just so happened to pull from Kaladesh prerelease winnings. The reservoir has the potential to add a little bit of lifegain resilience to the deck.

September 24, 2016 3:33 p.m.

bastlyo says... #23

hey,great work, hope you keeping it up to date further i am just playing a students budget version of it

January 26, 2017 10:05 a.m.

RicketyEng says... #24

Thanks for the interest! Recent changes were made to increase the storm potential and to remove another X spell which I never enjoyed casting in this deck. X spells don't really work well with storm because they are mana sinks.

Out: Fall of the Titans, Fateful Showdown, and Dualcaster Mage.

In: Mind's Desire, Turnabout, and Teferi's Puzzle Box.

Turnabout has done some crazy things for other players in my playgroup. The puzzle box gives me a free Arjun effect and interferes with players trying to hold particular cards in their hands. That bit of chaotic interference is also what I like about Possibility Storm.

In other news, Possibility Storm and Eye of the Storm both feature in another storm deck I have started working on so I may move them from here to there if I don't want them in both.

January 26, 2017 3:20 p.m.

bastlyo says... #25

what do you think about Glacial Chasm + Venser's Journal combo? it can buy some extra turns which is not that unimportant in that deck i guess

January 30, 2017 3:16 a.m.

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