EDH deck ideas that are playable/fun but not used
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Nov. 14, 2015, 7:13 p.m. by dbpunk
EDH does have a ton of random possibilities for decks, but often times I'm wondering why people go with the most obvious options. What do you think is a rare deck or one people haven't thought of? Or at least you've never seen?
For example, I think mono-black +1/+1 counter manipulation is a possible deck, or mono-red mill. Like whats a color combo and trick that never seems to be seen?
canterlotguardian says... #3
Mono-white control. It's possible, but it'd be kind of hard.
November 14, 2015 7:29 p.m.
lemmingllama says... #4
Typically people prefer to have decks that have the possibility of winning. Building a deck that is completely inferior simply to try and do it isn't normally what people want.
For example, take your mono-red mill. How would that work? Do you just abuse Mesmeric Orb and hope? Do you try to make them draw cards with wheel effects and hope they have less cards in their deck than you? There just isn't enough support for it to be viable at all.
For silly decks though, I have a creatureless Shauku, Endbringer deck that is just removal and her. You have to kill all the creatures, then slowly hit everyone until they die. It isn't exactly good, but it at least has support since black has good kill spells and such.
November 14, 2015 7:30 p.m.
Like I'm talking possible but hard. When I say mono-black +1/+1 counter manipulation decks, I'm saying based around building or stealing +1/+1 counters from dead or dying creatures.
As for mono red mill, mostly wheel and deal effects and effects that can turn damage into forced draw. I think it's possible, it's just you may need slightly more filler.
And I'm talking about strategies in weird colors.
November 14, 2015 7:35 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #6
Even Mesmeric Orb mill does better in a blue shell where Cryptic Command, Sleep, Deluge, and Mistbind Clique exist.
November 14, 2015 7:38 p.m.
ClockworkSwordfish says... #7
I'm willing to bet you don't often see five-coloured EDH decks built around changelings.
I did just that with Reaper King, though.
November 14, 2015 8:01 p.m.
DERPLINGSUPREME says... #8
for the 2 you've listed, I've done both.
as for others, I personally love my deck that has all the cards that fuck up the game. Scrambleverse copied infinite times anyone?
November 14, 2015 8:03 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #9
That isn't nearly as annoying as it sounds, you force a draw before any of them resolve by entering an infinite loop to copy it infinite times.
November 14, 2015 8:50 p.m.
DERPLINGSUPREME says... #10
@Gidgetimer true enough, but on the OTHER HAND,.....
its awesome.
also, it almost never happens. normally its just copied over a hundred or so times and then everyone scoops.
November 14, 2015 9:19 p.m.
I might use cards that a lot of people use but I like to find ways to use them that people don't really think about.
When a new commander comes out, I try and think of something to do that isn't obvious. For example, I'm trying to build a mono-white self mill (featuring Mesmeric Orb and Enduring Renewal) reanimator with Kytheon, Hero of Akros Flip. (Kytheon, Emeria's Hope EDH if you are interested, but its a WiP)
well...I like to do everything reanimator, so maybe that's just how I roll.
November 14, 2015 10:07 p.m.
Mono-black +1/+1 counter manipulation is Undying, so... Mikaeus, the Unhallowed with as much persist as you can get. OR!
Or one of the Ob Nixilis.
As for mono-red "mill." I think the best option there would be a Krenko, Mob Boss deck with an Altar of the Brood, or Purphoros, God of the Forge with a fair amount of tokens, but still that Altar of the Brood. Oh and Altar of Dementia too, for both.
Everything is playable, especially in EHD, is simply a matter of finding your answers.
November 14, 2015 10:17 p.m.
DudelRok "Everything is playable"
Until Command Beacon, I would have disagreed, because Haakon, Stromgald Scourge didn't work as a commander. Now I want to try it out using Conspiracy and Ashes of the Fallen...and Nameless Inversion.
November 14, 2015 10:28 p.m.
poorpinkus says... #14
There are a lot of janky deck possibilities that a lot of people don't think of, for example, I made a deck that's main purpose was winning coin flips with Krark's Thumb and Prototype Portal. I also made a deck with Roon of the Hidden Realm in which you don't take turns, even things like Moonfolk tribal are viable with Patron of the Moon. Another favourite of mine is Rosheen Meanderer. Making a deck based on casting X-costed spells is awesome.
Wanna make a colourless commander deck that isn't eldrazi? Why not use Karn, Silver Golem? Wanna make a Cumulative Upkeep deck that is actually viable? Why not use Chisei, Heart of Oceans?
Whenever I try to make a deck, I try to search for a card that I initially have no idea how it would synergize with something (like Experiment Kraj, for example), or try to think of an idea that is possible but really weird (like making a deck based around Shared Fate). I think most of the fun comes with making the deck on one's own though, so I won't share my decks that I made with all of these here unless requested. Anyways, I hope this gives you some ideas
Gidgetimer says... #2
Are you talking about underused commanders or just strategies in odd colors? Because you don't see +1/+1 counter manipulation in black because the good cards for that aren't black and I have never seen a successful commander mill deck, let alone in red where I don't think they even have 55 cards to contribute to that strategy at all.
November 14, 2015 7:20 p.m.