Kemba, Kha Regent was my first Commander deck. I didn't win much, but it sure was fun. As I learned more about the format, I moved on to more successful strategies, but i'd like to see if I can make a somewhat viable Kemba deck.
I'm not here to say that this deck is great. It may not even be especially good. But, it's an interesting design challenge.
Strategies that don't interest me:
* Cat Tribal. We'd have to play too many cards which are individually weak.
* A bunch of anthems. If we can't get Kemba going, the anthems become dead cards.
* Doing nothing. We're mono-white. We have to be very carerful not to become that player who stalls out on lands or runs out of cards and sits around while everyone else plays a nice game of Magic.
* Mass land destruction. Tempting, but no thanks. Let's make a deck that's at least somewhat interesting for everyone but that can still compete.
Strategies that might work:
* I think that equipment is cool in general, so that's a plus.
* Double strike seems good with the various Swords.
* Skullclamp should provide some much needed card draw if we can get it going.
* Since we're mono-white and we can pump any old creature with the equipment, we can sweep with impunity.
* Value and velocity. We need most of our cards to be inexpensive and/or replace themselves so that we don't fall behind.
* Sacrifice effects. We'll have a lot of cats. We need to use them for something.
* If we're going to be sacrificing things, we can have more token producers than just Kemba.
UPDATE 11/28: This deck is trying to do too many things. It can't be an aggro-equipment deck and a control deck at the same time. I think Boros would be better for aggro-equipment, so I'm going to concentrate on control here.
UPDATE 11/29: Down to 100 cards finally. I think I need more sac outlets. Also, I want to add a Ghostly Prison "tax" package, but I think I want to get a few game in with this build first.
Eternal Dragon is a great utility card. Tutors for a land early game and is a good back-up flier to hold Equipment. Works well with Sword of Light and Shadow.
Reveillark works well in decks with numerous low-power creatures.
Silverblade Paladin offers double strike while granting double strike to itself. Great for Kemba and as a back-up plan.
Batterskull is amazing. It plays like a beefy mid-sized creature and offers a great boost. Great target for an early-game Stoneforge Mystic.
Mistveil Plains tucks cards from your graveyard. It has great synergy with Stonehewer Giant, as you can tuck destroyed Equipment to re-tutor back onto the field. It can be tutored with Eternal Dragon.
Thanks man. I really appreciate the comments. Please see my thoughts below.
Quote from Jake1991 »
Eternal Dragon is a great utility card. Tutors for a land early game and is a good back-up flier to hold Equipment. Works well with Sword of Light and Shadow.
I've played the dragon before, and it always felt a bit slow. But, you're right about Sword of Light and Shadow. That seems pretty bonkers. I'll try it.
Quote from Jake1991 »
Reveillark works well in decks with numerous low-power creatures.
This was in an earlier version when I had more creatures. I feel like I don't want to see it early, but it can be solid late game. It's always a 2-for-1, and that's pretty good for mono-white.
Quote from Jake1991 »
Silverblade Paladin offers double strike while granting double strike to itself. Great for Kemba and as a back-up plan.
I've been testing this card in my Captain Sisay deck. You're right. It's amazing. A definite keeper.
Quote from Jake1991 »
Batterskull is amazing. It plays like a beefy mid-sized creature and offers a great boost. Great target for an early-game Stoneforge Mystic.
Can't really go wrong with Stoneforge into Batterskull. Do you think it's better than Argentum Armor? That thing gets stuck in my hand frequently.
Mistveil Plains tucks cards from your graveyard. It has great synergy with Stonehewer Giant, as you can tuck destroyed Equipment to re-tutor back onto the field. It can be tutored with Eternal Dragon.
Can't really go wrong with Stoneforge into Batterskull. Do you think it's better than Argentum Armor? That thing gets stuck in my hand frequently.
Try to run both. Argentum Armor is very mana intensive, but it can turn any creature into a Vindicate-throwing juggernaut and is a great target for Stonehewer Giant. Running multiple Equipment that offer larger P/T boosts makes it easier to pump Kemba for Commander Damage kills without overextending.
I've tried it before and it always felt a bit slow. By the time I get 6 mana, do I need to double it? If I'm stuck on 4, this does not help.
You can never have too much mana. The more mana you have, the more you're able to do in a single turn. Mana doublers are not meant for early game ramp, they're for supplementing your established mana production mid-late game. Having mana to spare makes it easier to hold mana for instant-speed removal or for utility cards, like Kor Haven and Trading Post.
Those are great, of course, but I'm not sure that I can afford 1-for-1's.
1-for-1 removal has its place. They're cheap and efficient tools for picking off something problematic in an otherwise nonthreatening board and saves your sweepers for when the board needs equalizing.
Thanks again. What would you cut from my current list? I'm thinking I could drop one mana rock, maybe up to 3 equipment, and possibly the leonin package (shikari and abunis). I might be willing to go down to 38 land, but I'm not sure.
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I'm always open to suggestions for my decks. Thanks in advance.
Thanks again. What would you cut from my current list? I'm thinking I could drop one mana rock, maybe up to 3 equipment, and possibly the leonin package (shikari and abunis). I might be willing to go down to 38 land, but I'm not sure.
Out of the mana rocks you're using, Ashnod's Altar is the one to cut. If Kemba is kept off the field, Altar does nothing. Your other mana rocks are more reliable and some of them have alternative uses.
Infiltration Lens, Trailblazers' Boots, and Pariah's Shield can be cut. Infiltration Lens is unneeded. You have 3 other Equipment that are far better at card draw. Trailblazers' Boots just takes up space, as you have plenty of sources of evasion offered by your other Equipment and by other cards like Elspeth. Pariah's Shield is way too easy to disrupt and costs a lot of mana for Equipment that doesn't offer anything relevant for a Voltron strategy.
Leonin Shikari can be cut. Instant-speed equipping is very narrow in use.
Don't cut Leonin Abunas. Having cards that shut down targeted effects helps keep your Equipment from being destroyed, exiled, or stolen. Most exiling artifact removal is targeted.
On the topic of protecting from targeted effects, I forgot to mention Fountain Watch earlier. It's an easy replacement for Indomitable Archangel. No point in using cards with metalcraft when cards that do the exact same thing without it exist.
Lightning Greaves: Voltron hates shroud. A shrouded creature can't be equipped with new Equipment. Moving Greaves around creates an opening for opponents to use creature removal.
Martyr's Cause: Like Ashnod's Altar, it requires Kemba to be on the field producing tokens in order for it to do anything.
I'm not here to say that this deck is great. It may not even be especially good. But, it's an interesting design challenge.
Strategies that don't interest me:
* Cat Tribal. We'd have to play too many cards which are individually weak.
* A bunch of anthems. If we can't get Kemba going, the anthems become dead cards.
* Doing nothing. We're mono-white. We have to be very carerful not to become that player who stalls out on lands or runs out of cards and sits around while everyone else plays a nice game of Magic.
* Mass land destruction. Tempting, but no thanks. Let's make a deck that's at least somewhat interesting for everyone but that can still compete.
Strategies that might work:
* I think that equipment is cool in general, so that's a plus.
* Double strike seems good with the various Swords.
* Skullclamp should provide some much needed card draw if we can get it going.
* Since we're mono-white and we can pump any old creature with the equipment, we can sweep with impunity.
* Value and velocity. We need most of our cards to be inexpensive and/or replace themselves so that we don't fall behind.
* Sacrifice effects. We'll have a lot of cats. We need to use them for something.
* If we're going to be sacrificing things, we can have more token producers than just Kemba.
UPDATE 11/28: This deck is trying to do too many things. It can't be an aggro-equipment deck and a control deck at the same time. I think Boros would be better for aggro-equipment, so I'm going to concentrate on control here.
UPDATE 11/29: Down to 100 cards finally. I think I need more sac outlets. Also, I want to add a Ghostly Prison "tax" package, but I think I want to get a few game in with this build first.
Here's a prototype decklist
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Mother of Runes
1 Benevolent Bodyguard
2 Knight of the White Orchid
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Puresteel Paladin
2 Leonin Shikari
3 Burnished Hart
3 Mentor of the Meek
4 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Indomitable Archangel
4 Leonin Abunis
5 Stonehewer Giant
5 World Queller
6 Sun Titan
4 Elspeth, Knight Errant
1 Explorer's Scope
1 Infiltration Lens
1 Skullclamp
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Mask of Memory
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Trailblazers' Boots
2 Konda's Banner
3 Darksteel Plate
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
3 Sword of Light and Shadow
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
3 Sword of War and Peace
3 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Strata Scythe
4 Nim Deathmantle
5 Pariah's Shield
6 Argentum Armor
1 Expedition Map
1 Sol Ring
2 Mind Stone
2 Guardian Idol
2 Torpor Orb
2 Scroll Rack
3 Ashnod's Altar
3 Tangle Wire
3 Worn Powerstone
4 Smokestack
4 Trading Post
Enchantments (3)
1 Land Tax
3 Aura of Silence
3 Martyr's Cause
Sorcery (8)
1 Steelshaper's Gift
2 Gift of Estates
3 Retribution of the Meek
4 Day of Judgment
4 Wrath of God
5 Hallowed Burial
6 Austere Command
6 Terminus
Instants (3)
1 Tithe
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Return to Dust
1 Ancient Den
1 Blasted Landscape
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Drifting Meadow
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
1 Springjack Pasture
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Temple of the false god
30 Plains
Any suggestions? Kemba control, baby!
I'd greatly appreciate any feedback about the deck. Thanks!
Captain Sisay - Efficient Toolbox Control
Kemba, Kha Regent - Equipment & Mini-stax
Reveillark works well in decks with numerous low-power creatures.
Silverblade Paladin offers double strike while granting double strike to itself. Great for Kemba and as a back-up plan.
Batterskull is amazing. It plays like a beefy mid-sized creature and offers a great boost. Great target for an early-game Stoneforge Mystic.
Fireshrieker offers double strike.
Caged Sun doubles your White mana.
Karmic Justice makes your opponents' noncreature removal hurt.
All Is Dust is a board nuke that spares your Equipment.
Remember the Fallen is a great recursion card.
Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares are White's best creature removal spells.
Oblation tucks any permanent.
Buried Ruin is a handy artifact recursion card.
Kor Haven deters attackers.
Mistveil Plains tucks cards from your graveyard. It has great synergy with Stonehewer Giant, as you can tuck destroyed Equipment to re-tutor back onto the field. It can be tutored with Eternal Dragon.
Rogue's Passage makes Kemba unblockable.
I've played the dragon before, and it always felt a bit slow. But, you're right about Sword of Light and Shadow. That seems pretty bonkers. I'll try it.
This was in an earlier version when I had more creatures. I feel like I don't want to see it early, but it can be solid late game. It's always a 2-for-1, and that's pretty good for mono-white.
I've been testing this card in my Captain Sisay deck. You're right. It's amazing. A definite keeper.
Can't really go wrong with Stoneforge into Batterskull. Do you think it's better than Argentum Armor? That thing gets stuck in my hand frequently.
Yup. Good with the Swords.
I've tried it before and it always felt a bit slow. By the time I get 6 mana, do I need to double it? If I'm stuck on 4, this does not help.
This would teach that Red mage not to Vandalblast my equipment.
How did I miss this one? Blow up the world and leave all my weapons. Seems good.
It's card advantage, but is it enough? Would Argivian Archeologist be better?
Those are great, of course, but I'm not sure that I can afford 1-for-1's.
All those lands should be in there. Thanks again for the tips!
Captain Sisay - Efficient Toolbox Control
Kemba, Kha Regent - Equipment & Mini-stax
Try to run both. Argentum Armor is very mana intensive, but it can turn any creature into a Vindicate-throwing juggernaut and is a great target for Stonehewer Giant. Running multiple Equipment that offer larger P/T boosts makes it easier to pump Kemba for Commander Damage kills without overextending.
You can never have too much mana. The more mana you have, the more you're able to do in a single turn. Mana doublers are not meant for early game ramp, they're for supplementing your established mana production mid-late game. Having mana to spare makes it easier to hold mana for instant-speed removal or for utility cards, like Kor Haven and Trading Post.
Run both. More recursion won't hurt.
1-for-1 removal has its place. They're cheap and efficient tools for picking off something problematic in an otherwise nonthreatening board and saves your sweepers for when the board needs equalizing.
Captain Sisay - Efficient Toolbox Control
Kemba, Kha Regent - Equipment & Mini-stax
Out of the mana rocks you're using, Ashnod's Altar is the one to cut. If Kemba is kept off the field, Altar does nothing. Your other mana rocks are more reliable and some of them have alternative uses.
Infiltration Lens, Trailblazers' Boots, and Pariah's Shield can be cut. Infiltration Lens is unneeded. You have 3 other Equipment that are far better at card draw. Trailblazers' Boots just takes up space, as you have plenty of sources of evasion offered by your other Equipment and by other cards like Elspeth. Pariah's Shield is way too easy to disrupt and costs a lot of mana for Equipment that doesn't offer anything relevant for a Voltron strategy.
Leonin Shikari can be cut. Instant-speed equipping is very narrow in use.
Don't cut Leonin Abunas. Having cards that shut down targeted effects helps keep your Equipment from being destroyed, exiled, or stolen. Most exiling artifact removal is targeted.
On the topic of protecting from targeted effects, I forgot to mention Fountain Watch earlier. It's an easy replacement for Indomitable Archangel. No point in using cards with metalcraft when cards that do the exact same thing without it exist.
Other Potential Cuts:
Benevolent Bodyguard: One-shot protection isn't as good as Mother of Runes or the Swords.
Ethersworn Canonist: Only useful if your meta has a lot of combo decks.
Lightning Greaves: Voltron hates shroud. A shrouded creature can't be equipped with new Equipment. Moving Greaves around creates an opening for opponents to use creature removal.
Martyr's Cause: Like Ashnod's Altar, it requires Kemba to be on the field producing tokens in order for it to do anything.
Gift of Estates: Not as good as Land Tax and Tithe. Possible spot for Weathered Wayfarer.
Hallowed Burial: Running both tuck sweepers could cause Kemba to be tucked too often. Possible spot for All Is Dust.
Ancient Den and Darksteel Citadel: The artifact lands don't do much. Possible spots for Buried Ruin and Kor Haven.
Blasted Landscape: You already have Drifting Meadow and Secluded Steppe. No need to eat up space on a third one. Possible spot for a nonland card.
2 Plains: Dropping to 28 basics won't hurt. Possible spots for Mistveil Plains and Rogue's Passage.