AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am still updating as of 2018. I just got back into the game, so please bear with me while I try and update this list (though I hope there will not be much updating to be had)!
My favorite Commander is Ambassador Laquatus. He's the king of my favorite aspect about Blue: Mill (and repeatable abilities). I decided to write this (eventual) Primer when I saw no updated lists for him had been made in quite a while, and so I started to playtest on Cockatrice, and brought my list here. I got a lot of input, and then decided that it was time that I made this into a (eventual) primer. I want to make this as useful as I can, but I may miss a thing or two, so I happily await any questions, suggestions, comments, and concerns.
I was introduced to magic at the very young age of 6, where the "pretty cards" got my attention. By age 8, I was actually capable of playing the game, and was a growing Green and Black mage. I played in my first ever Friday Night Magic event when I was 11 years old, bringing a Green and Blue deck that I thought couldn't be beaten. I was immediately trounced by better, more experienced players. I loved every second of it, and decided to turn this game into more than just a sometimes-hobby. I played in every FNM I could get into for almost ten years, playing Legacy on the side as well. I come boasting 14 years of Standard experience, 11 years of Legacy exerience, and I have been playing Commander since I first heard of it in 2009. I still lovingly refer to my current favorite format as EDH, as do many people I know.
Now, the personal stuff:
My name is Michael. Magic was my crutch for my life's problems for a long time, and eventually I took a two year hiatus from the game to get it out of that role and to get my house in order, but now plan to throw myself back in headfirst. Updating this list is one of my primary goals for my return.
Ambassador Laquatus was one of my first ever Commander decks (back when it was EDH), and has been a staple of my mill decks even in the 60 card format since I got my first copy of him. In 60 card play, he's not always the most optimal, but I loved him anyway and kept him around. Even after my physical decks were stolen a number of years ago, I bought 4 more copies, and have continued to use Laquatus even in my occasional casual play.
Deck History
I started toying with a 60-card Laquatus Mill deck when I was about 12, and loved it. It played a lot like High Tide, only without candelabras or Time Spirals, and with Twiddles and Counterspells. But, soon, I fell in love with my Ninja-Snake deck from Kamigawa, and Laquatus fell on the back burner for 60-card play, as I now played FNM a lot more. Well, a few years later, I heard of some weird format whee you make 100 card decks, etc., etc. I decided to give it a try, and Seshiro seemed too narrow, so I dug up Laquatus. Well, by now Mirrodin had been coming out, and we had Extraplanar Lens. I realized that I now, essentially, could have 8 high tide effects in my mono-blue deck, and jumped on it. I owned 4 copies of Lens the day I found out it existed. I went to build a deck with it, then realized...it was only really good in my mono-Red burn deck and in my Laquatus EDH. One more card for the EDH fodder, I suppose...But then it hit me, I had just worked on that deck. I got into gear, and began to work on what would be the crappiest mono-U list that would ever be.
After getting my figurative ass handed to me several times, I got some help from my friendly neighborhood competitive players, and they tuned up my deck with me and changed my entire view on the game itself. I went from casual-only, to a lover of competing that day. I may not always be the best, but I always try, and even now that I am just coming back I am hungry to get back to my old level, to improve.
Years later, Laquatus deck is gone, stolen along with most of my other MTG stuff, but I still had the list on paper, and so...I play it on Magic workstation, and love it all over again. I begin to put in my dream cards, things I could never actually afford, and it got even better.
When I found this site, I saw an opportunity to hone my skills. Eventually, I downloaded Cockatrice with a little help from my clan leader, and got to playing EDH again. I brought out Laquatus, and had more fun than with any other deck. I got passionate again, started improving the list, adding and cutting cards, and soon...I had a deck that, for me, ran like a well-oiled machine. I felt I was finally ready to submit a primer, and the day I did...the Primer Committee thing happened. At first, I was upset, but then I realized- This just means I have to try harder. And so, then, I kept a change log, you all got this deck history, and I played the deck at least once a week.
Then I quit. I went on hiatus after a lot of things happened in my personal life that I won't delve into here. I lost track of Magic completely, and fell off hard. I'm trying to regain my ground now, relearn all those skills, and understand new cards. I'll be working hard on my Shanna list especially, but I want Laquatus to be back to his old self, and am even as I type going back and forth between here and a deck editor to make small changes as they come to mind. I still want to make this a primer one day, but that is far off now, as I will be working instead on just improving the deck and improving myself, and I am grateful for all of the help I have received in the past, and will hopefully receive upon this return.
Why should I play this Commander?
Ambassador Laquatus brings a strategy to the table that most decks do not come pepared for. In Commander, it is often damage and infinite draw combos and such that win the game. This deck brings mill to the table, the idea of taking their library away one chip at a time. There is no other commander specifically tailored to be this perfect at milling a deck, and this deck intends to prove that to anyone it comes up against. He is very competitive in Multiplayer games. I've had whole groups concede when he goes off, because their Eldrazi Titans were long gone. This deck is also always evolving, which is something I have a lot of fun with. I have yet to have a game in multiplayer that I didn't at least have a chance of winning, even with people swinging all they could at me.
Play this commander if you like...
-Mill
-Mono-Blue
-Combos
-Control
-Long games
-Alternate win conditions
-Competitive games
What Laquatus is not...
-Aggressive
-Reckless
-Casual
-Able to defend themselves well against aggro
So, this is it, the big ol scary list. It's packed full of the best blue control I could find while keeping to the mill theme, and does include a couple of cards you might recognize from the average High Tide deck.
The deck focuses very narrowly on finding its combos and using them, and you really don't have any other options. There is always the "Turn creatures sideways for a hundred turns" option, but it's not desirable or optimal in any way (Seriously if you pull that off with this deck, something bad happened, and I need to know how you did it).
In the section below, I'll explain how it works, but the most important things to remember when building your Laquatus are:
The Control Package
Pack a lot of counter magic! Things like Hinder and Force of Will are the only things keeping you alive. Vedalken Shackles and Bribery are two of your big hitters, and should be held precious and close.
The Combo
This deck is absolutely reliant on the combos, so there are a few cards you just have no reason to not include. Cards like Palinchron and Turnabout I would dare say are a requirement. You don't need Candelabra of Tawnos but it does add a bit of speed to the deck. To those on a budget, Candelabra is easily replaced by just adding some kind of draw spell to get to Palinchron faster.
You have opponents
Remember that your opponents are still going to be trying to hit you, and hard. Cards like Dream Tides and Propaganda are incredibly useful. I opted for Dream Tides myself, but arguments can be made for Propaganda as well. I also might suggest Ensnaring Bridge if there are a lot of big creatures in your meta, especially against Voltron strategies and Kaalia of the Vast decks. Spin Into Myth was in my old list, and honestly I still am not sure if I really want it gone, it helps with big threats.
Yes, but how does it work?
Going for the mill-gold: Palinchron can combo with multiple cards in this deck to turn into a fuel for infinite mana. When this happens, make sure Laquatus is in play, and you can usually shortcut it by just asking if they understand what is happening. As Palinchron makes the mana, fuel Laquatus into a milling frenzy. This is the most basic strategy in this deck. I have explained it above- in the card choices section- in more detail.
Spin into Myth is useful in many ways. You can use it to put something on the bottom of their deck to utilize Tunnel Vision better. You can also use it for those pesky Eldrazi Titans, putting them on the bottom of the deck and letting you mill safely until they either shuffle or it gets to the last card, at which point you simply let themselves draw it and lose when they can't draw any more. If you're going to remove Candelabra for budget reasons or want to change up the control package, I highly suggest this card.
Tunnel/Clique: Vendilion Clique + Tunnel Vision is the probably best known combo in the entire deck. It forces them to mill their entire library which, if that library contains no Eldrazi Titans, usually wins you the game. This is a crude, two-card combo, that is obvious to most players the moment you play the Clique. Just keep your counterspells ready, to hit their counterspells.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth: He is not a throw in just for being a Titan, though that is part of it. He's, at worst, 4 cards and a huge meatshield for 10 mana. At best, he's the ultimate in self defense and winning via cheap combat in this deck, and will retrieve cards for you. This deck runs out of steam very infrequently, but when it does, it loses. In large multiplayer matches, this is especially relevant, and getting a titan on the board usually gets it killed, which can shuffle your entire goodie bag back into your library.
When the going gets tough:
Play a Titan, start beating face. Seriously, aggravate them, make them hate on your titan...and get all of your goodies back into your deck. When you're low on fuel, when the deck needs an oil change and the battery is going dead...It's not the end of the world, just time to do it all over again. Kozilek is in here to keep your deck from using itself up too fast, and is a wonderful card to get into your graveyard in a pinch. and then, if you can actually play him, the 4 cards is awesome! If done right, he should only ever cost you 5 tapped islands, to get a Kozilek and 4 cards. That sounds like a good deal to me.
If Kozilek is out of your budget, there is always Elixir of Immortality for at least the reshuffling purposes. Either way, getting your cards back is essential, or you might be the only one getting milled!
Extract and Jester's Cap v.s. Relic of Progenitus and Tormod's Crypt: I'm keeping Extract and Relic. The Relic has been fantastic for me, and I love it. Fetchable, cheap on the fly, etc. Jester's Cap did not make the cut, it was just far too expensive for what it was trying to do, and I don't have room in the list to fit in an artifact retrieval sub-theme, it's just not possible. Extract has done everything I ever hoped it would. Remember- These are for picking off those pesky Eldrazi Titans that keep our strategy from mattering.
Fabricate: And I wish I could run Tinker, too. This deck has some cool artifacts, but no other real ways to tutor for them all. This card will find you any artifact, and that should be all you need. If you needed more than one, you were in way too deep anyway.
Traumatize: I know, I know, keep down on the alternate win conditions, but that's not what this is. Taking away half of a deck, in EDH, is a LOT of cards, and this really takes off the stress when trying to mill out multiple opponents, or a very fast opponent. It's especially devastating with Twincast.
Twincast: Not a card I see very often. I love this card, and it really is just a personal preference thing here. If you decide you don't think you need it, I suggest replacing it with another card that fetches a card from your graveyard. I will say there have been times where I have regretted drawing this card, but only when I was in hot water and needed a specific out. In more competitive environments, this is a card to think about replacing.
Time Spiral: This card is cool for your combo, though not required. I actually have it in here as a "Nobody is allowed to plan but me!" card, and it's my "Get out of Jail Free" card when things get dire and I have no hand or anything. It has saved my hand-less buttocks on multiple occasions, I will say. Not always the best thing, but...seven random cards is better than nothing.
Acquire: This really depends on your playgroup. If it isn't full of people running Thran Dynamo and other expensive, useful artifacts, then Acquire is a useless card and should be replaced with more control elements. I play on Cockatrice a lot, so I get a lot of people running dynamo and the like, which makes Acquire a fantastic card for me.
Dream Tides: Because unhindered aggro kills you. It straight up kills you. This card decides otherwise, every time. I love it, and have never been sad to see it in my hand. It's especially funny against things like Azusa.
Copy Artifact: For exactly what it looks like- Copy things like Extraplanar Lens, go to town. This card is amazing when you can copy a Lens with it, especially if Training Grounds is in play at the time. Making triple mana with Ambassador Laquatus out and with his ability costing 2 less means you can tap one Island to mill 9 cards. Yes, please!
Twiddle: Is a weird card to see in EDH. It also untaps Candelabra of Tawnos, and uses one mana to untap a possible 2-6 mana island. It's cheap, efficient, and I have loved it every single time I draw it.
High Tide is essential for many of the combos in your deck to function. Your deck is very mana hungry, so it has a lot of tools to make some. This card combines with Palinchron to make infinite mana, for example. It combines with Time Spiral to untap 12 mana for the cost of only tapping 3 lands! Essentially, you can make 18 mana for free.
Palinchron: Palinchron is an old favorite for combo with blue mana. When you create more than one mana per land, with effects such as Extraplanar Lens or High Tide, it's ability costs less, but also it's mana cost becomes, essentially, 3.5 mana or even less. I have cast Palinchron with only 1 tapped land before and let me tell you it feels really good. When you have Training Grounds and Extraplanar Lens in play, for example. You tap 4 lands to cast Palinchron, along with three others to make mana. You then untap those seven lands and have 7 mana floating. You only pay UU for his ability leaving you with 5 mana, and continuously make this with the untap and bounce ability. Palinchron should only be cast when you know you can stick him or have a counterspell ready.
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir: He keeps your stuff from getting countered and doesn't allow other players to effect your turn as efficiently as they normally could. Very good against other blue mages, as they are the most disruptive to your strategy. If you decide to build with Knowledge Pool, he also locks out everyone besides you from playing any spells.
Not everyone can make the cut...
Any clone effects besides the ones already in the deck are just unnecessary. I never used them, and probably never will now that they aren't in the deck anymore. They took up space that now holds more useful cards.
Increasing Confusion was cool, but didn't pull enough weight to warrant a spot. Blue Sun's is only in because we need cards sometimes, otherwise I would cut that too.
Helm of Awakening and Heartstone
Both have been tried out in the deck, and both hurt me more than they helped me. Training Grounds makes the stone redundant and useless in this deck, and Helm was just unnecessary and was never a card I was happy to draw.
Jace's Erasure didn't do enough and was two mana better spent elsewhere.
Trickbind wasn't doing as much as I thought it would, and has, for now, been replaced by Scultping Steel! I may replace it in the future.
Knowledge Pool was just there for the combo with Teferi. Decided to, instead, include a copy of Omniscience as a backup plan. Teferi will still remain inthe deck ,as he has a use.
Trinket Mage is good and cool but I often draw what I need before I ever even see him, and when that happens he becomes a dead card. We want as few dead cards as possible, so out he went. He's still a good option for getting Top and Relic if you want to include him, and is especially budget-friendly.
Archive Trap is a one time hit that, much like Trinket Mage, usually ended up being a dead card for me. It's a decent option for more budget builds, but just wasn't necessary anymore.
Spin Into Myth I feel I explained well enough above. I love the card, but there just wasn't room for it in here for me. I prefer having countermagic and just dealing with Eldrazi via Relic if possible. I still will be keeping it close by, as it will be in all future testing sessions, since it has plenty of value. Don't let its exclusion make you think it isn't a great defense.
I added some of the new lands that have come out at the cost of two of my Islands. This hasn't really effected my mana production negatively at all, and is just a needed update after being gone for so long.
I will add more explanations later as I add/cut cards, and if anyone asks why I play certain cards. Please ask if you feel an explanation is needed! Improvement on this is always a good thing.
Intet, the Dreamer!
Intet was, by far, the most interesting match this deck has seen so far. It was mostly me trying to avoid a Warp World, or a well-played Bribery, etc. Intet is a trickster deck by nature, and a chaotic one at that. It doesn't do much to actually hurt you though with this deck, so just stay sharp, and don't get nervous when they cast a Heartbeat of Spring into a Mana Reflection. Do not counter the ramp, do not counter the enablers- Counter whatever it is that they are enabling, instead. I found my best bets were to counter the chaos spells (Things like Warp World) and to keep things like Primeval Titan and Intet herself off of the field, as often as possible. This is one of those decks that you have to play the control role a lot, not just go all out for the mill victory, because it won't happen that easily. A game with this deck took me two hours just last week, not something that was fun for anyone at that point, just going through motions trying not to let the other guy win. This deck will beat Intet, it just takes quite a bit of patience. Play your control cards smart, and don't let Intet hit you. Never let them cast Warp World or Scrambleverse. Those are the only things you truly have to remember.
Zedruu, the Greathearted
This match is by far the easiest I have seen. We don't care about their life total, and the only thing they can draw that hurts us is countermagic, which means we can save our counters, for their counters. Zedruu and Phelddagrif should prove easy pray for this deck, just mill away, let them have their cards and life, we don't care, and them drawing more is actually helping us along. We're the opposite of the kind of deck zedruu wants to play against, and I can say the same for Phelddagrif.
Other Card Options
Some other cards you might want to consider, and their purpose.
Propaganda: Well, this card is indeed useful, but I feel it pales in comparison to Dream Tides in this deck. You never need to tap or untap your creatures, so this is incredibly taxing on other players, and has a bonus hate against Green attached. However, some people prefer Propaganda, and I will not speak too much against it since it is a very good card. Running both even wouldn't be so bad, and Propaganda is my immediate suggestion if you can't afford Candelabra of Tawnos.
Grindstone: I'm not a big fan of this card in the Commander format, as decks are large and varied in the colors and combinations of cards, enough to the point that this card will nto go off most of the time. If you really want to include it, it can be kind of neat sometimes, but I don't suggest it, at all.
Cryptic Annelid: I do like this little guy, but I feel he takes up a slot where I can put more of our combo. If you feel the deck is a little too focused and you want some deck manipulation, this is my top choice, and I suggest you own one of these guys anyway since they're good in almost any EDH running blue.
Jace's Archivist: Another powerful draw card. If you can't get your hands on certain big pieces of the deck, he is my second choice for a replacement (See Propaganda for my first). He may look like he helps your opponents a little too much, but really he is mill with the added bonus of maybe getting rid of some Titans.
Solemn Simulacrum: You know, I get asked a lot why I don't run him, and it's simple: I'm a mana engine full of draw spells. Why do I need a card that makes a land and a card? But, if you feel the deck needs a little more ramp, and like having more creatures, Solemn Simulacrum is a great choice.
Frozen Aether: Another defensive Enchantment, and another one I'm skeptical on. I don't use the card myself unless I plan on soft locking it with things like Stasis, but some people like it to keep things slowed down, especially against Maelstrom Wanderer and friends. If you run it, I suggest finding a way to keep the cards tapped. Things like Winter Orb and Dream Tides do this rather efficiently.
Knowledge Pool: Is a lock with Teferi, but I chose not to include it simply because I play online and hate having to work with it on there. I do suggest including it, and even used to run it myself. an extra lock is never bad.
Reshape: Great artifact tutor, demands your mana. If you feel you need more tutor power, this is a good option and I hold nothing against it.
Citanul Flute: Is good for searching out your win conditions (like Palinchron) or your commander after being tucked (Tucked is "Put into your library"). This card is actually in need of testing for the main list!
Transmute Artifact: Also up for consideration, definitely worth the tutor effect.
Back to Basics: I don't use this card because of my playgroup, but it is a good card in the deck, give it a try if you have a copy.
Updates have been made to the list, and soon a banner is going up. After the banner is up, spoilers will begin to appear with information regarding the card choices in the deck, and results against well known commanders.
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Updates made to the list. Added in things like Extract and Jester's Cap to exile those pesky Eldrazi Titans who keep us from ever milling them out. Considering adding in a couple more ways t odo this, but still unsure. Also, Twincast has proven to be a fantastic card so far.
Decks that I have tested against so far:
Gisela
Kaalia
Sedris
Basandra
Memnarch
Intet
Elesh Norn
Silvos
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Thalia
Azami
Azusa
Olivia Voldaren
Jenara
Geist of Saint traft
Maelstrom Wanderer
Brion Stoutarm
So far, almost all can be beaten. We have some trouble with Azami combo decks, and Memnarch is a serious problem. I foresee Empress Galina being hard to beat as well. With those decks, it tends to be a race to who goes off first...
Do you have a way to generate infinite mana? That would be the best way with your mill strategy. I do see you have Palinchron and High Tide, anything else?
The main things I notice missing are Power Artifact to combine with Grim or Basalt Monolith and Rings of Brighthearth to combine with Basalt. Both combos generate infinite colorless mana and are potentially uselful on their own (except power artifact but it's so strong).
Phantasmal Image is infinite mana with Palinchron and no mana doubler.
Transmute spells are also excellent. Dizzy Spell can search for High Tide and Muddle the Mixture is always very strong and useful.
Precognition and Ransack are decent with the Tunnel Vision deck-out. They stand on their own outside of the combo pretty well.
In the spirit of winning in this fashion, going infinite with Image + Palinchron and casting Stroke of Genius on someone is funny. Blue Sun's Zenith as well.
(Speaking of going infinite, Capsize wins too..)
It's an EDH mill deck with an already developed counter feel... you really should try to include Trickbind and Stifle for the inevitable "shuffle-back" effect.
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Zedruu: "This deck is not only able to go crazy - it also needs to do so."
Tev - A few things interact with Palinchron, but otherwise...yeah, not much in the way of infinite here, albeit they still make a LOT of it.
Jivanmukta - Wow, thank you! So, Power Artifact is worth it then? I had been pondering it for a while. I'll test the deck out with those suggestions in it.
Aeon - I think I have Capsize in there. And okay, this is definitely not the first time I have heard Stroke of Genius, so that goes in. Blue Sun's...I pulled out a while back... Not sure if I will put it back in. May do so.
tstorm - Hmm...sounds like a good idea. And yes, this goes for a more control feel. I can't have them dropping Thalia and Gaddock Teeg on me...
Thank you all for your suggestions. As soon as I get some opponents, I will begin testing some changes. This is exciting! =)
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Phantasmal Image is 100% worth is because of its synergy with Palinchron and it is incredible on its own.
You should be running Grim and Basalt Monoliths anyway because they are incredible mana rocks. Power artifact is just a simple infinite combo with them.
The 2 xmute cards I mentioned are excellent because of blues lack of direct tutors (muddle the mixture is one of my favorite cards because it is also a counter).
Rings is very nice with laquitus if you're not going infinite yet AND it combos with basalt for yet another infinite generator.
In a combo deck like this redundancy is the name of the game. I'd also suggest some gravehate artifacts as opposed to extract or cap. They serve the same purpose (removing eldrazi in response to triggers so you can mill them) but they also have the function of hurting graveyard based decks (which there are countless in EDH).
My Oona deck plays very similarly to this (except it has black for stupid crazy draw and tutors).
Agreed. The very fact you are running Ring, Crypt, Elixir, Candle, and Key warrants a slot for Trinket Mage, and if Mage joins the ranks you can expand the toolbox with Relic of Progenitus.
Agreed. The very fact you are running Ring, Crypt, Elixir, Candle, and Key warrants a slot for Trinket Mage, and if Mage joins the ranks you can expand the toolbox with Relic of Progenitus.
I didn't even notice he wasn't using trinket mage. That guy and snapcaster are both auto includes in nearly every blue deck.
There are quite a few cards you can drop for efficiency. Every alternative win card you put in makes your general worse and worse. Increasing confusion, jace erasure, jace memory adept, training grounds, archive trap ect. Cards like that are slow(er than you want) and dilute the overall strategy. More ways of generating the infinite mana > different win cards. A single Stroke or Blue Sun should be good enough.
Here's a list of cards that I thought of that focus more on selective milling, aka removing cards that allow whole graveyard recursion, and selective exiling.
wow o.o Guys, thanks. It's good to see this thread moving, I really thought it might not see light.
I'm making a few different versions of the list. Going to test a LOT of things. This week, expect changes to the list, more results, and actual tips for matchups. I promise to get some work done on how this looks, I know it isn't pretty to look at by now. I'll be more inspired once the banner is done ^^;
alright. Alternate mill wins= Bad idea. Agreed completely, I need to focus.
See, I usually, for 1v1, change out my commander to the clique and win with the Tunnel Vision, but...I think Laquatus can stand on his own, to be honest. What do you guys think?
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1v1 and multi matchups are very different. Counters are so much stronger vs a single opponent so in duels you'll want more of them. It's good to have 1 alt win not dependent on your general so Clique-Vision might be alright. I've never been too much of a fan because Tunnel is so expensive and slow but if it works then run with it.
Mana vault, mana crypt, sol ring all auto-includes in any fast combo deck.
Kinda. Redundancy is useful at times, but I don't know if "ramp into my combo" is necessarily the best path in mono-blue. With so much emphasis on controling the game state, and at a low cmc, it may be better to utilize those slots to enhance the control suite and thus force longer games. This approach allows arriving at your combo in due time instead of having a bunch of mana rocks on the table indicating that you are the biggest threat when all you're really trying to do is leave 3 mana open for a counter, bounce, spot removal, or stifle effect. Effective control takes skilled piloting, but anticipating your opponent's game plan and reacting accordingly is usually more powerful than "I have oodles of mana and nothing particularly useful to do with it until I find my combo".
IMO, sometimes it's better to have one Sol Ring to Trinket Mage into and utilize the other "rock" slots for proactive spells like Rhystic Study, Devastation Tide, Pongify, etc.
Of all the colors, blue is the color I feel has the least urgency to "race" towards a combo. It's tempting to go all out with the rocks though since blue supports them so well. If this is the approach, then hosing other combo players followed by a well timed All is Dust can be just as game breaking as fiddling about to assemble a combo.
I already have Crypt and Ring in there, and they have been exceedingly helpful. I'll have to put Rhystic Study in a slot. It's been a rather long time since I used that card, I don't know why I ever stopped.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am still updating as of 2018. I just got back into the game, so please bear with me while I try and update this list (though I hope there will not be much updating to be had)!
Why I'm Writing This
My favorite Commander is Ambassador Laquatus. He's the king of my favorite aspect about Blue: Mill (and repeatable abilities). I decided to write this (eventual) Primer when I saw no updated lists for him had been made in quite a while, and so I started to playtest on Cockatrice, and brought my list here. I got a lot of input, and then decided that it was time that I made this into a (eventual) primer. I want to make this as useful as I can, but I may miss a thing or two, so I happily await any questions, suggestions, comments, and concerns.
Without further ado, here is my take on Ambassador Laquatus!
I was introduced to magic at the very young age of 6, where the "pretty cards" got my attention. By age 8, I was actually capable of playing the game, and was a growing Green and Black mage. I played in my first ever Friday Night Magic event when I was 11 years old, bringing a Green and Blue deck that I thought couldn't be beaten. I was immediately trounced by better, more experienced players. I loved every second of it, and decided to turn this game into more than just a sometimes-hobby. I played in every FNM I could get into for almost ten years, playing Legacy on the side as well. I come boasting 14 years of Standard experience, 11 years of Legacy exerience, and I have been playing Commander since I first heard of it in 2009. I still lovingly refer to my current favorite format as EDH, as do many people I know.
Now, the personal stuff:
My name is Michael. Magic was my crutch for my life's problems for a long time, and eventually I took a two year hiatus from the game to get it out of that role and to get my house in order, but now plan to throw myself back in headfirst. Updating this list is one of my primary goals for my return.
Ambassador Laquatus was one of my first ever Commander decks (back when it was EDH), and has been a staple of my mill decks even in the 60 card format since I got my first copy of him. In 60 card play, he's not always the most optimal, but I loved him anyway and kept him around. Even after my physical decks were stolen a number of years ago, I bought 4 more copies, and have continued to use Laquatus even in my occasional casual play.
Deck History
I started toying with a 60-card Laquatus Mill deck when I was about 12, and loved it. It played a lot like High Tide, only without candelabras or Time Spirals, and with Twiddles and Counterspells. But, soon, I fell in love with my Ninja-Snake deck from Kamigawa, and Laquatus fell on the back burner for 60-card play, as I now played FNM a lot more. Well, a few years later, I heard of some weird format whee you make 100 card decks, etc., etc. I decided to give it a try, and Seshiro seemed too narrow, so I dug up Laquatus. Well, by now Mirrodin had been coming out, and we had Extraplanar Lens. I realized that I now, essentially, could have 8 high tide effects in my mono-blue deck, and jumped on it. I owned 4 copies of Lens the day I found out it existed. I went to build a deck with it, then realized...it was only really good in my mono-Red burn deck and in my Laquatus EDH. One more card for the EDH fodder, I suppose...But then it hit me, I had just worked on that deck. I got into gear, and began to work on what would be the crappiest mono-U list that would ever be.
After getting my figurative ass handed to me several times, I got some help from my friendly neighborhood competitive players, and they tuned up my deck with me and changed my entire view on the game itself. I went from casual-only, to a lover of competing that day. I may not always be the best, but I always try, and even now that I am just coming back I am hungry to get back to my old level, to improve.
Years later, Laquatus deck is gone, stolen along with most of my other MTG stuff, but I still had the list on paper, and so...I play it on Magic workstation, and love it all over again. I begin to put in my dream cards, things I could never actually afford, and it got even better.
When I found this site, I saw an opportunity to hone my skills. Eventually, I downloaded Cockatrice with a little help from my clan leader, and got to playing EDH again. I brought out Laquatus, and had more fun than with any other deck. I got passionate again, started improving the list, adding and cutting cards, and soon...I had a deck that, for me, ran like a well-oiled machine. I felt I was finally ready to submit a primer, and the day I did...the Primer Committee thing happened. At first, I was upset, but then I realized- This just means I have to try harder. And so, then, I kept a change log, you all got this deck history, and I played the deck at least once a week.
Then I quit. I went on hiatus after a lot of things happened in my personal life that I won't delve into here. I lost track of Magic completely, and fell off hard. I'm trying to regain my ground now, relearn all those skills, and understand new cards. I'll be working hard on my Shanna list especially, but I want Laquatus to be back to his old self, and am even as I type going back and forth between here and a deck editor to make small changes as they come to mind. I still want to make this a primer one day, but that is far off now, as I will be working instead on just improving the deck and improving myself, and I am grateful for all of the help I have received in the past, and will hopefully receive upon this return.
Why should I play this Commander?
Ambassador Laquatus brings a strategy to the table that most decks do not come pepared for. In Commander, it is often damage and infinite draw combos and such that win the game. This deck brings mill to the table, the idea of taking their library away one chip at a time. There is no other commander specifically tailored to be this perfect at milling a deck, and this deck intends to prove that to anyone it comes up against. He is very competitive in Multiplayer games. I've had whole groups concede when he goes off, because their Eldrazi Titans were long gone. This deck is also always evolving, which is something I have a lot of fun with. I have yet to have a game in multiplayer that I didn't at least have a chance of winning, even with people swinging all they could at me.
Play this commander if you like...
-Mill
-Mono-Blue
-Combos
-Control
-Long games
-Alternate win conditions
-Competitive games
What Laquatus is not...
-Aggressive
-Reckless
-Casual
-Able to defend themselves well against aggro
1x Ambassador Laquatus
Creatures
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1x Palinchron
1x Phantasmal Image
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1x Trinket Mage
1x Vendilion Clique
Artifacts
1x Caged Sun
1x Candelabra of Tawnos
1x Extraplanar Lens
1x Gauntlet of Power
1x Keening Stone
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Mana Crypt
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Rings of Brighthearth
1x Sculpting Steel
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Thran Dynamo
1x Vedalken Shackles
1x Voltaic Key
1x Archive Trap
1x Blue Sun's Zenith
1x Capsize
1x Counterspell
1x Cryptic Command
1x Deprive
1x Dissipate
1x Dizzy Spell
1x Faerie Trickery
1x Force of Will
1x High Tide
1x Hinder
1x Mana Drain
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Remand
1x Spell Crumple
1x Spin into Myth
1x Stoic Rebuttal
1x Stroke of Genius
1x Turnabout
1x Twiddle
1x Twincast
Sorceries
1x Acquire
1x Bribery
1x Call to Mind
1x Concentrate
1x Extract
1x Fabricate
1x Merchant Scroll
1x Relearn
1x Time Spiral
1x Traumatize
1x Tunnel Vision
1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1x Karn Liberated
1x Tezzeret the Seeker
Enchantments
1x Copy Artifact
1x Dream Tides
1x Omniscience
1x Training Grounds
Lands
1x Ancient Tomb
1x Homeward Path
1x Maze of Ith
1x Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Riptide Laboratory
1x Scorched Ruins
27x Snow-Covered Island
1x Strip Mine
1x Temple of the False God
1 Ambassador Laquatus
15 Artifact
6 Caged Sun
1 Candelabra of Tawnos
3 Extraplanar Lens
5 Gauntlet of Power
6 Keening Stone
2 Lightning Greaves
0 Mana Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus
3 Rings of Brighthearth
3 Sculpting Steel
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
4 Thran Dynamo
3 Vedalken Shackles
1 Voltaic Key
7 Creature
6 Consecrated Sphinx
10 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
7 Palinchron
2 Phantasmal Image
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
5 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
3 Vendilion Clique
5 Enchantment
2 Copy Artifact
4 Dream Tides
10 Omniscience
4 Precognition Field
1 Training Grounds
3 Blue Sun's Zenith
3 Capsize
2 Counterspell
4 Cryptic Command
2 Deprive
3 Dissipate
1 Dizzy Spell
3 Faerie Trickery
5 Force of Will
1 High Tide
3 Hinder
2 Mana Drain
1 Mystical Tutor
2 Remand
3 Spell Crumple
3 Stoic Rebuttal
3 Stroke of Genius
4 Turnabout
1 Twiddle
2 Twincast
3 Unwind
3 Wizard's Retort
36 Land
0 Ancient Tomb
0 Geier Reach Sanitarium
0 Homeward Path
0 Maze of Ith
0 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
0 Reliquary Tower
0 Riptide Laboratory
0 Scorched Ruins
25 Snow-Covered Island
0 Strip Mine
0 Temple of the False God
0 Zhalfirin Void
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
7 Karn Liberated
5 Tezzeret the Seeker
11 Sorcery
5 Acquire
5 Bribery
3 Call to Mind
4 Concentrate
1 Extract
3 Fabricate
2 Merchant Scroll
3 Relearn
6 Time Spiral
5 Traumatize
6 Tunnel Vision
So, this is it, the big ol scary list. It's packed full of the best blue control I could find while keeping to the mill theme, and does include a couple of cards you might recognize from the average High Tide deck.
The deck focuses very narrowly on finding its combos and using them, and you really don't have any other options. There is always the "Turn creatures sideways for a hundred turns" option, but it's not desirable or optimal in any way (Seriously if you pull that off with this deck, something bad happened, and I need to know how you did it).
In the section below, I'll explain how it works, but the most important things to remember when building your Laquatus are:
The Control Package
Pack a lot of counter magic! Things like Hinder and Force of Will are the only things keeping you alive. Vedalken Shackles and Bribery are two of your big hitters, and should be held precious and close.
The Combo
This deck is absolutely reliant on the combos, so there are a few cards you just have no reason to not include. Cards like Palinchron and Turnabout I would dare say are a requirement. You don't need Candelabra of Tawnos but it does add a bit of speed to the deck. To those on a budget, Candelabra is easily replaced by just adding some kind of draw spell to get to Palinchron faster.
You have opponents
Remember that your opponents are still going to be trying to hit you, and hard. Cards like Dream Tides and Propaganda are incredibly useful. I opted for Dream Tides myself, but arguments can be made for Propaganda as well. I also might suggest Ensnaring Bridge if there are a lot of big creatures in your meta, especially against Voltron strategies and Kaalia of the Vast decks. Spin Into Myth was in my old list, and honestly I still am not sure if I really want it gone, it helps with big threats.
Yes, but how does it work?
Going for the mill-gold:
Palinchron can combo with multiple cards in this deck to turn into a fuel for infinite mana. When this happens, make sure Laquatus is in play, and you can usually shortcut it by just asking if they understand what is happening. As Palinchron makes the mana, fuel Laquatus into a milling frenzy. This is the most basic strategy in this deck. I have explained it above- in the card choices section- in more detail.
To accomplish this, you will usually need to exile an Eldrazi Titan or two (These are the cards "Kozilek, Butcher of Truth" and "Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre". "Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" is also a Titan, but is banned in this format), which is where cards like Extract and Relic of Progenitus come into play. Always leave mana open for them, for when you absolutely need it.
Spin into Myth is useful in many ways. You can use it to put something on the bottom of their deck to utilize Tunnel Vision better. You can also use it for those pesky Eldrazi Titans, putting them on the bottom of the deck and letting you mill safely until they either shuffle or it gets to the last card, at which point you simply let themselves draw it and lose when they can't draw any more. If you're going to remove Candelabra for budget reasons or want to change up the control package, I highly suggest this card.
Tunnel/Clique:
Vendilion Clique + Tunnel Vision is the probably best known combo in the entire deck. It forces them to mill their entire library which, if that library contains no Eldrazi Titans, usually wins you the game. This is a crude, two-card combo, that is obvious to most players the moment you play the Clique. Just keep your counterspells ready, to hit their counterspells.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth: He is not a throw in just for being a Titan, though that is part of it. He's, at worst, 4 cards and a huge meatshield for 10 mana. At best, he's the ultimate in self defense and winning via cheap combat in this deck, and will retrieve cards for you. This deck runs out of steam very infrequently, but when it does, it loses. In large multiplayer matches, this is especially relevant, and getting a titan on the board usually gets it killed, which can shuffle your entire goodie bag back into your library.
When the going gets tough:
Play a Titan, start beating face. Seriously, aggravate them, make them hate on your titan...and get all of your goodies back into your deck. When you're low on fuel, when the deck needs an oil change and the battery is going dead...It's not the end of the world, just time to do it all over again. Kozilek is in here to keep your deck from using itself up too fast, and is a wonderful card to get into your graveyard in a pinch. and then, if you can actually play him, the 4 cards is awesome! If done right, he should only ever cost you 5 tapped islands, to get a Kozilek and 4 cards. That sounds like a good deal to me.
If Kozilek is out of your budget, there is always Elixir of Immortality for at least the reshuffling purposes. Either way, getting your cards back is essential, or you might be the only one getting milled!
Card Choices and Explanations
Extract and Jester's Cap v.s. Relic of Progenitus and Tormod's Crypt: I'm keeping Extract and Relic. The Relic has been fantastic for me, and I love it. Fetchable, cheap on the fly, etc. Jester's Cap did not make the cut, it was just far too expensive for what it was trying to do, and I don't have room in the list to fit in an artifact retrieval sub-theme, it's just not possible. Extract has done everything I ever hoped it would. Remember- These are for picking off those pesky Eldrazi Titans that keep our strategy from mattering.
Fabricate: And I wish I could run Tinker, too. This deck has some cool artifacts, but no other real ways to tutor for them all. This card will find you any artifact, and that should be all you need. If you needed more than one, you were in way too deep anyway.
Traumatize: I know, I know, keep down on the alternate win conditions, but that's not what this is. Taking away half of a deck, in EDH, is a LOT of cards, and this really takes off the stress when trying to mill out multiple opponents, or a very fast opponent. It's especially devastating with Twincast.
Twincast: Not a card I see very often. I love this card, and it really is just a personal preference thing here. If you decide you don't think you need it, I suggest replacing it with another card that fetches a card from your graveyard. I will say there have been times where I have regretted drawing this card, but only when I was in hot water and needed a specific out. In more competitive environments, this is a card to think about replacing.
Time Spiral: This card is cool for your combo, though not required. I actually have it in here as a "Nobody is allowed to plan but me!" card, and it's my "Get out of Jail Free" card when things get dire and I have no hand or anything. It has saved my hand-less buttocks on multiple occasions, I will say. Not always the best thing, but...seven random cards is better than nothing.
Acquire: This really depends on your playgroup. If it isn't full of people running Thran Dynamo and other expensive, useful artifacts, then Acquire is a useless card and should be replaced with more control elements. I play on Cockatrice a lot, so I get a lot of people running dynamo and the like, which makes Acquire a fantastic card for me.
Dream Tides: Because unhindered aggro kills you. It straight up kills you. This card decides otherwise, every time. I love it, and have never been sad to see it in my hand. It's especially funny against things like Azusa.
Copy Artifact: For exactly what it looks like- Copy things like Extraplanar Lens, go to town. This card is amazing when you can copy a Lens with it, especially if Training Grounds is in play at the time. Making triple mana with Ambassador Laquatus out and with his ability costing 2 less means you can tap one Island to mill 9 cards. Yes, please!
Twiddle: Is a weird card to see in EDH. It also untaps Candelabra of Tawnos, and uses one mana to untap a possible 2-6 mana island. It's cheap, efficient, and I have loved it every single time I draw it.
Candelabra of Tawnos and High Tide: These cards, along with things like Time Spiral and Palinchron, help to ramp up mana to the desired unlimited amounts. This is useful for the Ambassador Laquatus win condition in the deck, which is your main strategy.
High Tide is essential for many of the combos in your deck to function. Your deck is very mana hungry, so it has a lot of tools to make some. This card combines with Palinchron to make infinite mana, for example. It combines with Time Spiral to untap 12 mana for the cost of only tapping 3 lands! Essentially, you can make 18 mana for free.
Palinchron: Palinchron is an old favorite for combo with blue mana. When you create more than one mana per land, with effects such as Extraplanar Lens or High Tide, it's ability costs less, but also it's mana cost becomes, essentially, 3.5 mana or even less. I have cast Palinchron with only 1 tapped land before and let me tell you it feels really good. When you have Training Grounds and Extraplanar Lens in play, for example. You tap 4 lands to cast Palinchron, along with three others to make mana. You then untap those seven lands and have 7 mana floating. You only pay UU for his ability leaving you with 5 mana, and continuously make this with the untap and bounce ability. Palinchron should only be cast when you know you can stick him or have a counterspell ready.
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir: He keeps your stuff from getting countered and doesn't allow other players to effect your turn as efficiently as they normally could. Very good against other blue mages, as they are the most disruptive to your strategy. If you decide to build with Knowledge Pool, he also locks out everyone besides you from playing any spells.
Change Log
Any clone effects besides the ones already in the deck are just unnecessary. I never used them, and probably never will now that they aren't in the deck anymore. They took up space that now holds more useful cards.
Increasing Confusion was cool, but didn't pull enough weight to warrant a spot. Blue Sun's is only in because we need cards sometimes, otherwise I would cut that too.
Helm of Awakening and Heartstone
Both have been tried out in the deck, and both hurt me more than they helped me. Training Grounds makes the stone redundant and useless in this deck, and Helm was just unnecessary and was never a card I was happy to draw.
Today, I cut Tormod's Crypt for Trickbind to stop those nasty abilities!
Jace, Memory Adept just wasn't pulling his weight. Took a good seuggestion and replaced him with Tezzeret the Seeker
Jace's Erasure didn't do enough and was two mana better spent elsewhere.
Trickbind wasn't doing as much as I thought it would, and has, for now, been replaced by Scultping Steel! I may replace it in the future.
Knowledge Pool was just there for the combo with Teferi. Decided to, instead, include a copy of Omniscience as a backup plan. Teferi will still remain inthe deck ,as he has a use.
Trinket Mage is good and cool but I often draw what I need before I ever even see him, and when that happens he becomes a dead card. We want as few dead cards as possible, so out he went. He's still a good option for getting Top and Relic if you want to include him, and is especially budget-friendly.
Archive Trap is a one time hit that, much like Trinket Mage, usually ended up being a dead card for me. It's a decent option for more budget builds, but just wasn't necessary anymore.
Spin Into Myth I feel I explained well enough above. I love the card, but there just wasn't room for it in here for me. I prefer having countermagic and just dealing with Eldrazi via Relic if possible. I still will be keeping it close by, as it will be in all future testing sessions, since it has plenty of value. Don't let its exclusion make you think it isn't a great defense.
I added some of the new lands that have come out at the cost of two of my Islands. This hasn't really effected my mana production negatively at all, and is just a needed update after being gone for so long.
I will add more explanations later as I add/cut cards, and if anyone asks why I play certain cards. Please ask if you feel an explanation is needed! Improvement on this is always a good thing.
Who to Beat and How
Coming soon!
In the queue for writing: Gaddock Teeg,Silvos, Rogue Elemental
Intet, the Dreamer!
Intet was, by far, the most interesting match this deck has seen so far. It was mostly me trying to avoid a Warp World, or a well-played Bribery, etc. Intet is a trickster deck by nature, and a chaotic one at that. It doesn't do much to actually hurt you though with this deck, so just stay sharp, and don't get nervous when they cast a Heartbeat of Spring into a Mana Reflection. Do not counter the ramp, do not counter the enablers- Counter whatever it is that they are enabling, instead. I found my best bets were to counter the chaos spells (Things like Warp World) and to keep things like Primeval Titan and Intet herself off of the field, as often as possible. This is one of those decks that you have to play the control role a lot, not just go all out for the mill victory, because it won't happen that easily. A game with this deck took me two hours just last week, not something that was fun for anyone at that point, just going through motions trying not to let the other guy win. This deck will beat Intet, it just takes quite a bit of patience. Play your control cards smart, and don't let Intet hit you. Never let them cast Warp World or Scrambleverse. Those are the only things you truly have to remember.
Zedruu, the Greathearted
This match is by far the easiest I have seen. We don't care about their life total, and the only thing they can draw that hurts us is countermagic, which means we can save our counters, for their counters. Zedruu and Phelddagrif should prove easy pray for this deck, just mill away, let them have their cards and life, we don't care, and them drawing more is actually helping us along. We're the opposite of the kind of deck zedruu wants to play against, and I can say the same for Phelddagrif.
Other Card Options Some other cards you might want to consider, and their purpose.
Propaganda: Well, this card is indeed useful, but I feel it pales in comparison to Dream Tides in this deck. You never need to tap or untap your creatures, so this is incredibly taxing on other players, and has a bonus hate against Green attached. However, some people prefer Propaganda, and I will not speak too much against it since it is a very good card. Running both even wouldn't be so bad, and Propaganda is my immediate suggestion if you can't afford Candelabra of Tawnos.
Grindstone: I'm not a big fan of this card in the Commander format, as decks are large and varied in the colors and combinations of cards, enough to the point that this card will nto go off most of the time. If you really want to include it, it can be kind of neat sometimes, but I don't suggest it, at all.
Cryptic Annelid: I do like this little guy, but I feel he takes up a slot where I can put more of our combo. If you feel the deck is a little too focused and you want some deck manipulation, this is my top choice, and I suggest you own one of these guys anyway since they're good in almost any EDH running blue.
Jace's Archivist: Another powerful draw card. If you can't get your hands on certain big pieces of the deck, he is my second choice for a replacement (See Propaganda for my first). He may look like he helps your opponents a little too much, but really he is mill with the added bonus of maybe getting rid of some Titans.
Solemn Simulacrum: You know, I get asked a lot why I don't run him, and it's simple: I'm a mana engine full of draw spells. Why do I need a card that makes a land and a card? But, if you feel the deck needs a little more ramp, and like having more creatures, Solemn Simulacrum is a great choice.
Frozen Aether: Another defensive Enchantment, and another one I'm skeptical on. I don't use the card myself unless I plan on soft locking it with things like Stasis, but some people like it to keep things slowed down, especially against Maelstrom Wanderer and friends. If you run it, I suggest finding a way to keep the cards tapped. Things like Winter Orb and Dream Tides do this rather efficiently.
Knowledge Pool: Is a lock with Teferi, but I chose not to include it simply because I play online and hate having to work with it on there. I do suggest including it, and even used to run it myself. an extra lock is never bad.
Reshape: Great artifact tutor, demands your mana. If you feel you need more tutor power, this is a good option and I hold nothing against it.
Citanul Flute: Is good for searching out your win conditions (like Palinchron) or your commander after being tucked (Tucked is "Put into your library"). This card is actually in need of testing for the main list!
Transmute Artifact: Also up for consideration, definitely worth the tutor effect.
Back to Basics: I don't use this card because of my playgroup, but it is a good card in the deck, give it a try if you have a copy.
Done by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery signatures!
Done by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery signatures!
Done by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery signatures!
Decks that I have tested against so far:
Gisela
Kaalia
Sedris
Basandra
Memnarch
Intet
Elesh Norn
Silvos
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Thalia
Azami
Azusa
Olivia Voldaren
Jenara
Geist of Saint traft
Maelstrom Wanderer
Brion Stoutarm
So far, almost all can be beaten. We have some trouble with Azami combo decks, and Memnarch is a serious problem. I foresee Empress Galina being hard to beat as well. With those decks, it tends to be a race to who goes off first...
Done by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery signatures!
Rings of Brighthearth also shave off some of the mana requirements to mill.
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
Phantasmal Image is infinite mana with Palinchron and no mana doubler.
Transmute spells are also excellent. Dizzy Spell can search for High Tide and Muddle the Mixture is always very strong and useful.
In the spirit of winning in this fashion, going infinite with Image + Palinchron and casting Stroke of Genius on someone is funny. Blue Sun's Zenith as well.
(Speaking of going infinite, Capsize wins too..)
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
Jivanmukta - Wow, thank you! So, Power Artifact is worth it then? I had been pondering it for a while. I'll test the deck out with those suggestions in it.
Aeon - I think I have Capsize in there. And okay, this is definitely not the first time I have heard Stroke of Genius, so that goes in. Blue Sun's...I pulled out a while back... Not sure if I will put it back in. May do so.
tstorm - Hmm...sounds like a good idea. And yes, this goes for a more control feel. I can't have them dropping Thalia and Gaddock Teeg on me...
Thank you all for your suggestions. As soon as I get some opponents, I will begin testing some changes. This is exciting! =)
Done by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery signatures!
You should be running Grim and Basalt Monoliths anyway because they are incredible mana rocks. Power artifact is just a simple infinite combo with them.
The 2 xmute cards I mentioned are excellent because of blues lack of direct tutors (muddle the mixture is one of my favorite cards because it is also a counter).
Rings is very nice with laquitus if you're not going infinite yet AND it combos with basalt for yet another infinite generator.
In a combo deck like this redundancy is the name of the game. I'd also suggest some gravehate artifacts as opposed to extract or cap. They serve the same purpose (removing eldrazi in response to triggers so you can mill them) but they also have the function of hurting graveyard based decks (which there are countless in EDH).
My Oona deck plays very similarly to this (except it has black for stupid crazy draw and tutors).
Agreed. The very fact you are running Ring, Crypt, Elixir, Candle, and Key warrants a slot for Trinket Mage, and if Mage joins the ranks you can expand the toolbox with Relic of Progenitus.
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
I didn't even notice he wasn't using trinket mage. That guy and snapcaster are both auto includes in nearly every blue deck.
That's...that's awesome! Thank you! That actually changes a good few slots.
Snapcaster isn't going in. I tried him, he just...well, he muddles the mixture a bit
Done by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery signatures!
Also forgot about Drift of Phantasms as another great blue xmute.
Here's a list of cards that I thought of that focus more on selective milling, aka removing cards that allow whole graveyard recursion, and selective exiling.
GW BenedictioWG
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Tolaria West - land tutor / finds mana crypt
Halimar Depths - topdeck filter
Academy Ruins - recovers artifacts
Boseiju, Who Shelters All - insurance against control opponents
Vesuva - destroy legendary land / gain second specialty land / ramp with Tomb and Temple
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
I'm making a few different versions of the list. Going to test a LOT of things. This week, expect changes to the list, more results, and actual tips for matchups. I promise to get some work done on how this looks, I know it isn't pretty to look at by now. I'll be more inspired once the banner is done ^^;
alright. Alternate mill wins= Bad idea. Agreed completely, I need to focus.
So, I need opinions on: Vendilion Clique, Twincast, and Tunnel Vision
See, I usually, for 1v1, change out my commander to the clique and win with the Tunnel Vision, but...I think Laquatus can stand on his own, to be honest. What do you guys think?
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Mana Vault - Yes or no?
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Kinda. Redundancy is useful at times, but I don't know if "ramp into my combo" is necessarily the best path in mono-blue. With so much emphasis on controling the game state, and at a low cmc, it may be better to utilize those slots to enhance the control suite and thus force longer games. This approach allows arriving at your combo in due time instead of having a bunch of mana rocks on the table indicating that you are the biggest threat when all you're really trying to do is leave 3 mana open for a counter, bounce, spot removal, or stifle effect. Effective control takes skilled piloting, but anticipating your opponent's game plan and reacting accordingly is usually more powerful than "I have oodles of mana and nothing particularly useful to do with it until I find my combo".
IMO, sometimes it's better to have one Sol Ring to Trinket Mage into and utilize the other "rock" slots for proactive spells like Rhystic Study, Devastation Tide, Pongify, etc.
Of all the colors, blue is the color I feel has the least urgency to "race" towards a combo. It's tempting to go all out with the rocks though since blue supports them so well. If this is the approach, then hosing other combo players followed by a well timed All is Dust can be just as game breaking as fiddling about to assemble a combo.
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
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