This deck was built with a "No MLD/No Infinite Combo" meta. I've been playing it for almost a year, and I thought I'd share it, because I do very well with it. I usually have no problem establishing control of 3-4 player games. 1v1 matchups vs. aggressive decks are pretty though though. This deck needs a bit of time to get going, but once you've got mana + cards in hand, you're pretty much unstoppable.
As far as blink targets go 3 come to mind first that I don't see here, Sun Titan, Sower of Temptation, and Fiend Hunter. Sun titan needs no explanation. Sower of temptation with a blink like Conjurer's Closet lets the creature etb as a new copy the next time so you don't lose it when sower leaves. Fiend hunter (like a death and taxes deck)lets you blink /sac /whatever it in response to his exile trigger so the hunters 'leaves the battlefield' effect happens first. The creature is exiled forever. When Fiend Hunter eventually comes back into play it is as a new version of itself ready to either start the cycle over or just do his regular thing.
Magnara of corondor is another card D&T abuses with that last trick. And while I am thinking about it, if you haven't seen Galepowder Mage ... he exists but I never got a chance to test him much.
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Current edh decks
Gitrog Lands
Merieke Ri Berit Flicker
Ramos, Dragon Engine Storm
How has Avacyn been for you? Ive always wondered if pairing her up with wraths was a good way to steal wins.
That's pretty much what she's there for. With Rasputin out she basically costs WWW. I run a lot of wrath effects, and wrath --> attack is one of my favorite plays. She gets targeted a lot by exile and tuck spells, but if I have a (now indestructible) blink engine open she usually stays out till the game ends. Definitely worth a spot.
As far as blink targets go 3 come to mind first that I don't see here, Sun Titan, Sower of Temptation, and Fiend Hunter. Sun titan needs no explanation. Sower of temptation with a blink like Conjurer's Closet lets the creature etb as a new copy the next time so you don't lose it when sower leaves. Fiend hunter (like a death and taxes deck)lets you blink /sac /whatever it in response to his exile trigger so the hunters 'leaves the battlefield' effect happens first. The creature is exiled forever. When Fiend Hunter eventually comes back into play it is as a new version of itself ready to either start the cycle over or just do his regular thing.
Magnara of corondor is another card D&T abuses with that last trick. And while I am thinking about it, if you haven't seen Galepowder Mage ... he exists but I never got a chance to test him much.
People in my playgroup loathe and fear nevermaker. He discourages attacks, comes back from reveillark, is REALLY awful to play against if I have a blink engine like nephalia smuggler, and he's absolutely game over with deadeye navigator. "Yes, I I'm going to put every nonland permanent you have on top of your library every turn."
Lotus - The crucial turn with this deck, I think, is the one where you untap with Rasuptin in play. Lotus is awesome, because if I cast it when I have 5, the following turn I can cast Rasputin with Counter/Blink backup. Alternatively, If I have lotus in hand when I hit 6 mana, I can cast rasputin, then use 5 of his colorless to cast lotus immediately, and have UUU open for counter backup. Lotus is also REALLY solid with Phyrexian Metamorph. Lots of times I'll play lotus for 5, tap it for UUU, pay 2 life, and copy lotus, then never worry about mana again. Lotus is ALSO really good with Rasputin & Ghostly Flicker. Sometimes making enough colored mana is an issue, and I can tap lotus for UUU, remove 2 counters from rasputin, cast ghostly flicker targeting lotus & something, and suddenly have UUUUU or UUWWW available.
Talisman of Progress or Mind Stone would be okay, but for now I'd rather sacrifice a little bit of speed for the ability to do all that neat stuff. TBH though, I think if I was going to add another 2 drop mana ramp card, it'd be Surveyor's Scope.
I had weathered wayfarer in my original list. It was nice, but an awful topdeck outside of the first 2-3 turns. It also had no synergy with blink, and eventually always ended up getting caught in my wraths. I also tried Knight of the White Orchid and Kor Cartographer, who I could blink, but they also ended up getting cut for being awful outside of turns 1-4.
Land Tax might be worth it. I'd definitely play it if I had Scroll rack or some other way to make use of a giant hand full of basics. I'll give that a shot sometime if I can figure out a card that I feel like cutting.
I do play Sun Titan. He is amazing. I want one of those heroes vs. monsters copies though.
I'm aware of the Fiend Hunter/Mangara of Condor/Sower of Temptation tricks with blinks, but I haven't tried using any of them yet. I have a LOT of ways to get creatures off the table already. I might experiment with Mangara - the other two don't seem good enough to me on their own. (I don't actually play THAT many blink effects that I always have one.)
I played Galepowder Mage for a little while, and ended up cutting him. I think being able to blink one guy once per turn at an inconvenient time for 4 mana (assuming there's a player who can't block him) just wasn't good enough. (All this is also assuming that he survives a turn to be able to attack in the first place.)
Thanks for the suggestions, guys! Keep 'em coming!
All your explanations seem sound. Looks like my experience with blink decks went a little grinder route then what your doing. I think I underestimated the explosiveness of this list.
Another random thought I had about your deck today is it looks a little gy hate light. That new angel that exiles gy's when it CiP might come in handy. Same with relic of progenitus as a trinket mage target that replaces itself and has a very impacting game pressence against many edh decks.
I support slotting in at least one guy you can abuse Exile triggers with to just test the waters. Its pretty fun, and introduces some incredibly diverse plays. As you probably know, your crystal shard (..you try erratic portal by chance?) also lets you abuse these triggers, so its not limited to your blink spells.
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Current edh decks
Gitrog Lands
Merieke Ri Berit Flicker
Ramos, Dragon Engine Storm
1 Rasputin Dreamweaver
Creatures
1 Mistmeadow Witch
1 Nephalia Smuggler
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Sun Titan
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sea-Gate Oracle
1 Wall of Omens
1 Reviliark
1 Karmic Guide
1 Nevermaker
1 Draining Whelk
1 Angel of Serenity
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
1 Mulldrifter
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Trinket Mage
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Lavinia of the Tenth
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Gilded Drake
1 Archaeomancer
1 Restoration Angel
Planeswalkers
1 Venser, the Sojurner
1 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Karn Liberated
1 Counterspell
1 Mana Drain
1 Capsize
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Hinder
1 Spell Crumple
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Ancestral Vision
1 Austere Command
1 Rite of Replication
1 Momentary Blink
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Ghostway
1 Terminus
1 Hallowed Burial
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Akroma's Vengeance
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Mystical Tutor
Artifacts
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Grim Monolith
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Ring of Three Wishes
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Expedition Map
1 Voyager Staff
1 Pithing Needle
1 Crystal Shard
1 Conjurer's Closet
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Azorious Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Mystic Remora
Land
13 Island
7 Plains
1 Tundra
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Command Tower
1 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Sejeri Refuge
1 Nimbus Maze
1 Tolaria West
1 Wasteland
1 Ancient Den
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Azorious Chancery
1 Calciform Pools
I'd love Suggestions!
How has Avacyn been for you? Ive always wondered if pairing her up with wraths was a good way to steal wins.
GWUBAtraxa, Praetor's Voice PrimerGWUB
GWURoon Bant Blink WhateverGWU
BRGLord Windgrace LandsBRG
I never had a problem with late game mana in rasputin, and it sounds like your meta can pressure you hard at the start too. Would Gilded lotus be better off as Talisman of Dominance? I could see weathered Wayfarer, land Tax, or mindstone helping here too.
As far as blink targets go 3 come to mind first that I don't see here, Sun Titan, Sower of Temptation, and Fiend Hunter. Sun titan needs no explanation. Sower of temptation with a blink like Conjurer's Closet lets the creature etb as a new copy the next time so you don't lose it when sower leaves. Fiend hunter (like a death and taxes deck)lets you blink /sac /whatever it in response to his exile trigger so the hunters 'leaves the battlefield' effect happens first. The creature is exiled forever. When Fiend Hunter eventually comes back into play it is as a new version of itself ready to either start the cycle over or just do his regular thing.
Magnara of corondor is another card D&T abuses with that last trick. And while I am thinking about it, if you haven't seen Galepowder Mage ... he exists but I never got a chance to test him much.
Gitrog Lands
Merieke Ri Berit Flicker
Ramos, Dragon Engine Storm
That's pretty much what she's there for. With Rasputin out she basically costs WWW. I run a lot of wrath effects, and wrath --> attack is one of my favorite plays. She gets targeted a lot by exile and tuck spells, but if I have a (now indestructible) blink engine open she usually stays out till the game ends. Definitely worth a spot.
People in my playgroup loathe and fear nevermaker. He discourages attacks, comes back from reveillark, is REALLY awful to play against if I have a blink engine like nephalia smuggler, and he's absolutely game over with deadeye navigator. "Yes, I I'm going to put every nonland permanent you have on top of your library every turn."
Lotus - The crucial turn with this deck, I think, is the one where you untap with Rasuptin in play. Lotus is awesome, because if I cast it when I have 5, the following turn I can cast Rasputin with Counter/Blink backup. Alternatively, If I have lotus in hand when I hit 6 mana, I can cast rasputin, then use 5 of his colorless to cast lotus immediately, and have UUU open for counter backup. Lotus is also REALLY solid with Phyrexian Metamorph. Lots of times I'll play lotus for 5, tap it for UUU, pay 2 life, and copy lotus, then never worry about mana again. Lotus is ALSO really good with Rasputin & Ghostly Flicker. Sometimes making enough colored mana is an issue, and I can tap lotus for UUU, remove 2 counters from rasputin, cast ghostly flicker targeting lotus & something, and suddenly have UUUUU or UUWWW available.
Talisman of Progress or Mind Stone would be okay, but for now I'd rather sacrifice a little bit of speed for the ability to do all that neat stuff. TBH though, I think if I was going to add another 2 drop mana ramp card, it'd be Surveyor's Scope.
I had weathered wayfarer in my original list. It was nice, but an awful topdeck outside of the first 2-3 turns. It also had no synergy with blink, and eventually always ended up getting caught in my wraths. I also tried Knight of the White Orchid and Kor Cartographer, who I could blink, but they also ended up getting cut for being awful outside of turns 1-4.
Land Tax might be worth it. I'd definitely play it if I had Scroll rack or some other way to make use of a giant hand full of basics. I'll give that a shot sometime if I can figure out a card that I feel like cutting.
I do play Sun Titan. He is amazing. I want one of those heroes vs. monsters copies though.
I'm aware of the Fiend Hunter/Mangara of Condor/Sower of Temptation tricks with blinks, but I haven't tried using any of them yet. I have a LOT of ways to get creatures off the table already. I might experiment with Mangara - the other two don't seem good enough to me on their own. (I don't actually play THAT many blink effects that I always have one.)
I played Galepowder Mage for a little while, and ended up cutting him. I think being able to blink one guy once per turn at an inconvenient time for 4 mana (assuming there's a player who can't block him) just wasn't good enough. (All this is also assuming that he survives a turn to be able to attack in the first place.)
Thanks for the suggestions, guys! Keep 'em coming!
Another random thought I had about your deck today is it looks a little gy hate light. That new angel that exiles gy's when it CiP might come in handy. Same with relic of progenitus as a trinket mage target that replaces itself and has a very impacting game pressence against many edh decks.
I support slotting in at least one guy you can abuse Exile triggers with to just test the waters. Its pretty fun, and introduces some incredibly diverse plays. As you probably know, your crystal shard (..you try erratic portal by chance?) also lets you abuse these triggers, so its not limited to your blink spells.
Gitrog Lands
Merieke Ri Berit Flicker
Ramos, Dragon Engine Storm
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