A Heart Three Sizes Too Small
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 33 | 93 COMMENTS | 7815 VIEWS | IN 12 FOLDERS
Massive Overhaul —Sept. 13, 2016
So after some brief testing I have come to the conclusion that Leovold and wheels are not a great fit for the deck. Now that I am no longer blinded by the Leovold hype train, I was able to make some pretty substantial improvements to the deck. Thank you Pheardemons and Catgroove for giving me the feedback needed to make real progress.
1) I dropped my Deadeye Navigator + Peregrine Drake combo from the deck. It is just too slow and requires way too many moving parts to be effective. Mike and trike wins the game as soon as both pieces hit the board and Tidespout Tyrant + Trinket Mage are both useful on thier own and dodge grave hate completely.
2) I added a bunch of ramp to the deck to ensure I can consistently entwine Tooth and Nail by turn 4, which makes me less dependent on my graveyard. I am using Tidespout Tyrant + Trinket Mage because they are already in the deck. Moreover, the other cards needed for the combo are also great cards I was looking to add into the deck anyways: Sensei's Divining Top; Mox Diamond; and Chrome Mox. The only situational card is Mox Opal, but I am slowly adding more cards to ensure its rarely a dead card. Now for the combo, which is very long and complex. This explanation is the work of skellyton3 on reddit.
First you entwine tooth and nail. Lets assume you have nothing at all on board, which makes it a lot harder. Find Tidspout and trinket mage. Trinket mage triggers, find mana crypt. Cast mana crypt, bounce trinket mage. Cast trinket mage again (You need one extra blue at this point). Trinket mage finds chrome mox or mox diamond (chrome mox if you have a blue card in hand). Cast the mox, bounce mana crypt. float 2 colorless with it. Cast mana crypt, bounce trinket mage. Use the 2 colorless and blue from the mox to cast trinket mage. Bounce mana crypt. float 2 colorless again. Cast mana crypt. bounce trinket mage. Use the blue from chrome mox and the 2 colorless from mana crypt to recast trinket mage, find the other mox diamond or chrome mox that you did not already find. Cast the other mox. bounce mana crypt. Float 2. cast mana crypt. bounce trinket mage. Cast trinket mage, find mox opal. Now you finally have metalcraft. Cast mox opal, bounce mana crypt. cast mana crypt bounce mox opal. Float mana each time and repeat for infinite mana of all colors. Now cast one of them but instead of bouncing the other rock, bounce trinket mage. cast trinket mage with your infinite mana, find senseis top. cast the top, bounce trinket mage. Tap the top to draw. Cast trinket mage, find top. Cast top, and repeat. Draw your whole deck. Use your whole deck+ infinite mana to win.
3) I added a couple of cards to help me win with Hermit Druid and Mirror-Mad Phantasm + Necrotic Ooze . Once I mill my library I am using Memory's Journey to shuffle Street Wraith, Yawgmoth's Will, and Songs of the Damned back into my library. Then I flashback Deep Analysis to draw 2, cycle Street Wraith if necessary to get yawgwin and songs into hand. Cast songs for about 30 black mana cast yawgwin play graveyard gg. It is a very compact version of hermit druid that does not require labman to win.
4) I added a bunch of counterspell protection to my combos. With these changes the deck is noticeably more explosive versatile and resilient.
Pheardemons says... #2
Won't that slow this deck down? It seems somewhat random and out of place for a deck that is meant to be combo to the finish line. Just curious to your reasoning.
September 5, 2016 5:32 p.m.
Agree with Pheardemons on this one. While I'm all for Leo as just a decent creature, it seems like you will be diluting the deck by trying to focus on him and Windfall effects. If you are feeling the need for more counterspells and removal, the windfall stuff would by my guess as first cuts. That and maybe one of Void Winnower or Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur. Jin more so now that you have cut your instant speed reanimate effects.
Can you explain your thoughts on Mirror-Mad Phantasm? Yes it has a Hermit Druid like effect that be used as soon as it's played, but for 7 mana at the minimum (unless you are reanimating it). I guess you can say that it can dodge removal, but that just seems to be such a high mana cost.
September 5, 2016 9:34 p.m.
Lilbrudder says... #4
Leo will not be a focus. Hes just a solid hate bear that protects my permanents and can all but win the game with a wheel. Jace's Archivist and Windfall were already borderline includes in this deck and Leo can be put into play with Green Sun's Zenith unlike Notion Thief. Leo just puts them over the top and acts as proactive protection for my combos. It strips away counterspells and removal. Only time will tell if your right Pheardemons, and I agree that Leo will be the first to go if I need more removal. I added Trygon Predator and Nature's Lore as a stopgap measure.
Mirror-Mad Phantasm will be Entombed Survival of the Fittested or Buried Alived. I don't believe in payng casting costs as a general rule.
September 5, 2016 9:54 p.m.
Lilbrudder says... #5
Catgroove: Another reason I am using mirror mad is that I am adding Memory's Journey Deep Analysis and potentially Gitaxian Probe so when I mill everything I can shuffle back into my deck Yawgmoth's Will, Songs of the Damned, and Gitaxian Probe, which will allow me to reanimate everything. I am juat testing. I wont know for a bit if this helps or hinders
September 5, 2016 11:37 p.m.
thecakeisalie42 says... #6
"I don't believe in playing mana costs"
This XD
Lilbrudder says... #1
enpc: A small reanimator package could definitely be good. My only issue with the necrotic ooze combo is it is only viable early. Then again a simple Day's Undoing could reset your library. If you go that route also add Mikaeus, the Unhallowed since it gives you a second good 2 card combo for just 1 more card slot.
September 5, 2016 12:07 a.m.