Something about anti group hug kinda jives with me, especially if I can work at breaking synergies. Kaervek the Merciless is also one of my favorite legends as I won a rather large limited event with him once upon a time, and I didn't have an EDH deck with red in it. Thus, this monster was born. Games with this deck end quickly--either I win fast, or I get a poor start and die first. Either way, we get our cigarette break between games...
Also, every creature is legendary due to an odd compulsion during deckbuilding. It may not last, but for now, I call this deck The Evil League of Evil.
The creatures in the deck fall into two major categories: board clearing (Kalitas, Visara and co.) and damage dealers (Patron of the Nezumi, Zo-Zu and friends). The exceptions to this are Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs and Godo, Bandit Warlord. Kazuul prevents me being swarmed (seriously, this guy is pure gold), and Godo gets me my Lightning Greaves and similar equipment which are hugely important as most of my creatures tap (so haste is nice) and are giant targets for spot removal. Geth, Lord of the Vault is general stuff stealing and one of my favorite black cards, hence my deck based on him. However, he really is anti-synergistic with cards like Manabarbs and is getting cut for Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni since she doesn't require constant mana investments to reanimate stuff.
Gameplay is relatively simple: drop annoying stuff. Keep sweeping. Get a big creature and kill some stuff, swing once or twice, and then everyone but hopefully you is in range to be nickle and dimed to death with your dumb stuff. I've found that an early Patron of the Nezumi followed by an All is Dust puts everyone in a really bad position, and people will either go all out to get to you and usually die in the process, or stop playing vital things like lands. Usually, I like suppressing the board for a few turns, dropping a big meanie like Shauku, Endbringer with a set of boots and then dropping Manabarbs. It usually makes grown men cry.
Bloodchief Ascension is absolutely amazing here. With cards like Ankh of Mishra it gets online blazingly fast, especially in multiplayer, and the lifegain completely breaks the synergistic hurt effects this deck runs while constantly pinging people. If I already have a pair of boots this is one of the first cards I tutor for.
Kaervek himself is absolutely nasty when he hits the board, occasionally turn 4-5 with the artifact acceleration. He usually hits players, not creatures, to speed the game up.
Innistrad has Blasphemous Act as a possible sweeper, I plan on pairing it with Repercussion in my creature light Kaervek deck. If you decide to put in some non-legendary guys I highly recommend Stuffy Doll. He's a great defensive creature that works well with some of the red sweepers.
Long live evil.:evil:
EDIT: Quest for Pure Flame has been a nice hidden gem for me getting online very quickly and setting up for some very painful turns.
Also, every creature is legendary due to an odd compulsion during deckbuilding. It may not last, but for now, I call this deck The Evil League of Evil.
1 Kaervek the Merciless
Creatures:
1 Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet
1 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1 Zo-Zu the Punisher
1 Heartless Hidetsugu
1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
1 Visara the Dreadful
1 Tsabo Tavoc
1 Shauku, Endbringer
1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
1 Patron of the Nezumi
1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
1 Kumano, Master Yamabushi
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Seizan, Perverter of Truth
Planeswalkers:
1 Sorin Markov
1 Karn Liberated
1 Liliana Vess
Artifacts:
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Expedition Map
1 Mind Stone
1 Sol Ring
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Coalition Relic
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Ankh of Mishra
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Spiteful Visions
1 Spellshock
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Manabarbs
1 Vicious Shadows
1 Underworld Dreams
1 Furnace of Wrath
1 Polluted Bonds
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Wound Reflection
1 Sulphuric Vortex
Sorceries:
1 Earthquake
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Beseech the Queen
1 Ashes to Ashes
1 All is Dust
1 Night's Whisper
1 Syphon Mind
1 Exsanguinate
1 Ambition's Cost
1 Acidic Soil
1 Aftershock
1 Promise of Power
1 Decree of Pain
1 Syphon Flesh
1 Sign in Blood
Instants:
1 Reckless Spite
1 Chaos Warp
1 Terminate
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Kher Keep
1 Rakdos Carnarium
1 Command Tower
1 Graven Cairns
1 Blood Crypt
1 Shivan Gorge
1 Vesuva
1 Rocky Tar Pit
1 Akoum Refuge
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Strip Mine
1 Spinerock Knoll
1 Urborg Volcano
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Cabal Coffers
7 Swamp
7 Mountain
In practice, it's incredibly effective, especially against my semi-casual playgroup. My proposed changes for when I get the money to buy second copies of the following cards (because I refuse to switch cards between decks) are:
+ Demonic Tutor
+ Damnation
+ Vampiric Tutor
+ Sensei's Divining Top
+ Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
+ Volrath's Stronghold
- Syphon Flesh
- Geth, Lord of the Vault
- Mountain
- Reckless Spite
- Earthquake
- Swamp
The creatures in the deck fall into two major categories: board clearing (Kalitas, Visara and co.) and damage dealers (Patron of the Nezumi, Zo-Zu and friends). The exceptions to this are Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs and Godo, Bandit Warlord. Kazuul prevents me being swarmed (seriously, this guy is pure gold), and Godo gets me my Lightning Greaves and similar equipment which are hugely important as most of my creatures tap (so haste is nice) and are giant targets for spot removal. Geth, Lord of the Vault is general stuff stealing and one of my favorite black cards, hence my deck based on him. However, he really is anti-synergistic with cards like Manabarbs and is getting cut for Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni since she doesn't require constant mana investments to reanimate stuff.
Gameplay is relatively simple: drop annoying stuff. Keep sweeping. Get a big creature and kill some stuff, swing once or twice, and then everyone but hopefully you is in range to be nickle and dimed to death with your dumb stuff. I've found that an early Patron of the Nezumi followed by an All is Dust puts everyone in a really bad position, and people will either go all out to get to you and usually die in the process, or stop playing vital things like lands. Usually, I like suppressing the board for a few turns, dropping a big meanie like Shauku, Endbringer with a set of boots and then dropping Manabarbs. It usually makes grown men cry.
Bloodchief Ascension is absolutely amazing here. With cards like Ankh of Mishra it gets online blazingly fast, especially in multiplayer, and the lifegain completely breaks the synergistic hurt effects this deck runs while constantly pinging people. If I already have a pair of boots this is one of the first cards I tutor for.
Kaervek himself is absolutely nasty when he hits the board, occasionally turn 4-5 with the artifact acceleration. He usually hits players, not creatures, to speed the game up.
So, ideas, praise, constructive criticism?
Long live evil.:evil:
EDIT: Quest for Pure Flame has been a nice hidden gem for me getting online very quickly and setting up for some very painful turns.