MTG Salvation

Like Your Subtitle Says, There's Already Enough Of These!

Actually, to be precise, there's 24, and that's just the ones in the Decklist Database. That said, I'd like to think that my approach to this singular commander is, if not unique, at least less represented. Therefore, I create this page, to give a voice to the voiceless, to speak for those without tongues, and generally puff up my own ego with as little effort as possible.

Alright, So What's Your Style?

Well, as stated in the title, I don't use tutors. This is a personal choice, for two purposes. One, by not relying on tutoring up the same cards over and over, I create more variety in my games. Two, and perhaps more importantly, the lack of tutors limits card selection, and discourages running cards for a combo with only one other card, leading to greater redundancy. Furthermore, I tend to avoid infinite combos if I can, which is mostly accomplished by avoiding ways to produce mana from tokens.

Fine, Just Show Me The Decklist.

Since you ask so nicely...



So, what about it?

I guess the next thing to address would be the deck's playstyle. I typically try to play the long game, using Ghave's abilities, or those of my other cards, to make combat hard for my opponents, and keep pressure on without losing resources. Obviously, a large part of it depends on what my opponets are doing as to what role I'm forced into, but I tend to prefer a more midrange to control style.

Why's that card in there?

Well, without specific questions, and not wanting to spend the time to do a card by card run-through, I'll just hit the general catergories that I typically think of them in.

• Ramp: Self explanatory, covers all the cards that fetch up more lands for me to work with, or produce more mana. Examples - Sakura-Tribe Elder, Skyshroud Claim, Mirari's Wake
• Recursion: Things that get cards back from graveyards, be they mine or other people's. Examples - Sun Titan, Puppeteer Clique, Nim Deathmantle
• Card Draw: Cards that get me more cards, generally at the cost of life. Examples - Phyrexian Arena, Life from the Loam, Greater Good
• Spot Removal: Cards that kill one other card, generally as a enter the battlefield effect. Examples - Acidic Slime, Beast Within, Angel of Despair
• Mass Removal: Wrath effects, plain and simple. Examples - Pernicious Deed, Decree of Pain, Austere Command
• Protection: Stuff that protects my guys, and makes everything harder for my opponent to deal with. Examples - Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, Dauntless Escort, Lightning Greaves
• Token Triggers: Stuff that triggers off tokens (or other cards) entering or leaving the battlefield, so I can profit off Ghave's abilities. Examples - Blood Artist, Cathar's Crusade, Butcher of Malakir
• Resilient Dudes: Dudes that tend to stick around, one way or another. Examples - Woodfall Primus, Predator Ooze, Spawnwrithe
• Shenanigans: Stuff that doesn't really fall into the other catergories, generally something that messes with my opponents. Examples - Illusionist's Bracers, Blind Obedience, Spike Weaver

Generally, everything in my deck does something along those lines, though there are several that fall into multiple areas. Questions and discussion is greatly appreciated.

Here's my 2 bits trying to go down your road.

I tried running a non-tutor, non combo ghave. I got so frusterated by where the deck was going I dismanted it and made a Karador token deck. When I took out the totors the deck just became inconsistant. At very minimum, Ghave is a heavy synery deck and it needs +1 counter fuel to do much. Add too much fuel, and you whipe the table with sheer power. Without combo/synergy pieces, or cards that play well with +1 counters, ghave just doesn't work as well. I struggled finding a non-abusive, but still relevant ghave and finally gave up. By not running Ashnod's Altar and Earthcraft and mana enablers and cards like Blasting station, you are going the right directing. One thing of note, if you run underpowered Ghave, as you are, you may get undue hate just due to running Ghave. Ghave has that 5 turn combo deck stigma and people will make you a target when you sit down at the table even if the deck doesn't justify it.

I will admit, it helps that I've been playing this particular deck for several years, so my local meta knows approximately the power level of my Ghave deck, which is on the high end for one group, but not "must target with everybody" level, while probably middling to low in the other. While I don't quite get to claim there's no infinite combos (off the top of my head, the main ones are Mikaeus, the Unhallowed+Vish Kal, the Blood Arbiter, either by themselves for infinite creature wipe, or with a persist creature for infinite whatever the persist dude does, and a giant Vish Kal, and Yosei, the Morning Star+Nim Deathmantle+Sac Outlet+Tons of mana), I can say that none involve Ghave, and he's just there for the synergies.

Plus, I have a trustworthy face.

Expanded first post, made a few card changes as I pick up new and interesting things.
- Mycoloth
- Martyr's Bond
- Reaper from the Abyss
- Vault of the Archangel
- Plains
+ Day of Judgment
+ Living Death
+ Life from the Loam
+ Tranquil Thicket
+ Barren Moor