Since I spend so much of my time on these forums reading other people's decklists and getting ideas for my own, I figured it was only time to post mine, starting with my newest WIP, Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar.
This deck is coming together from the remnants of my Riku spells and nonsense deck that only ever managed to win a few times and since a few people in my playgroup have gone to playing a bit more competitively, never at all. I went looking for something mono-blue as it is the only mono color I have never played in EDH (mostly because I hate the stigma attached to it, and hate the infinite combos even more). I poured through every mono-blue legend that has ever been printed and then settled on Tomorrow, both because I love the art and the ability and because, unlike a lot of mono-blue generals it doesn't scream "build around and abuse me!".
I've set the list up to just counter, steal, clone, copy and generally win using my opponents best cards and silly card advantage. I'm generally open to suggestions, but working from something of a small budget (unless I decide to liquidate one of my other decks or my cube (unlikely)).
My dearest Serwan. It seems there will not be a lack of mono-blue decks in the area. Which makes me happy, as I've lately started spicing up the hate in my newer decks.
I feel as if Spell Crumple deserves a spot here, for additional ways to get rid of the problematic cards that frequently get abused from graveyards / general zone.
The biggest problem I feel with the list would have to be with mana. While you run plenty of land, as I see no way to be able to rush into a 6 CMC general to really gain the card advantage that he would net you. Even if you had a solid opening hand and didn't need to rush into the general I just feel that you will either spend turns sitting and waiting (because you don't want to use your mana proactively) and then end up just not doing anything if nobody plays anything that you find threatening enough to counter, or beneficial enough to steal.
I could be way off base here, so by all means call me out on it. At the very least I'd throw in Caged Sun or maybe some smaller mana artifacts.
The biggest problem I feel with the list would have to be with mana. While you run plenty of land, as I see no way to be able to rush into a 6 CMC general to really gain the card advantage that he would net you. Even if you had a solid opening hand and didn't need to rush into the general I just feel that you will either spend turns sitting and waiting (because you don't want to use your mana proactively) and then end up just not doing anything if nobody plays anything that you find threatening enough to counter, or beneficial enough to steal.
The more blue holds on to its cards, the more likely it is to win.
"Some of the other guys dared me to go out, but I knew it weren't no ordinary giant giga-blasting blaze of unending flames that would scorch the whole world."
—Norin the Wary
I'm not really trying to accel into Tomorrow, but more just have spells in hand like blackkithkin20 here suggested and then when I hit six or so, drop Tomorrow as another card advantage engine.
If it were a comb-y mono-blue deck, I'd be all in on rushing out the general, but instead he's just another version of advantage.
My thought process with this deck is as follows: why would one want to run mono color? Well mono blue is strong in and of itself, however mono color generally lends itself to large pools of mana, and a cheap and easy mana base, liking a particular general / having great synergy with a general, using it specifically for the colors. When I look at the general I see a gentleman who gives card advantage. However if every card in the deck is good, I don't see the need to scry 3 draw 1 every time you would draw a card. With that said, I don't see how this general is any more efficient than someone such as say Arcanis who just draws three instead. (Again I could be way off base here) I could see Tomorrow being more efficient if there was an absurd amount of card draw, but once again I'd rather just draw three than basically scry 3 draw 1.
As far as the other advantages of mono color, cheap mana base? Check. Large mana pool, not really. Cool synergy with a general? Not really as he lends himself to just a blue goodstuff deck. With that said, I do understand the enticement of wanting to play a general not frequently seen. However for the sake of being competitive, I am unsure why the best option would not be run.
I just don't see why you would rather run a mono blue goodstuff deck with a general who may or may not be as good as some other options when you could throw another color in there, have some synergy with your general, and still mantain card advantage through the general.
Again, just my thoughts. I'm not trying to criticize your list or your choice in generals. These are just the things I think of when I look at stuff. And again, I could be completely wrong here. To throw out an example, when I built my Jenara Bant goodstuff deck, Jim had to disassemble Arcanis and go for something more Azami / combo related in order to be able to keep up. Simply because bant goodstuff is absurdly strong for being able to handle any and all situations extremely proficiently and well.
I'm all for this type of deck.. let him/her know what your experiences have been.
Thanks for that link, as soon as I get all the pieces together (I've got about fifteen cards on order that will finish it.) and I get a chance to play it, I'll be sure to post about it, both here and on that thread.
Again, just my thoughts. I'm not trying to criticize your list or your choice in generals. These are just the things I think of when I look at stuff. And again, I could be completely wrong here. To throw out an example, when I built my Jenara Bant goodstuff deck, Jim had to disassemble Arcanis and go for something more Azami / combo related in order to be able to keep up. Simply because bant goodstuff is absurdly strong for being able to handle any and all situations extremely proficiently and well.
Jason, as for your points, all of them were very valid, and I appreciate you taking the time to go over them (more so than you probably assume, as there were very well worded). The reason behind building it the way I did mostly is because I have been shifting more and more away from fun/goodstuff piles and more toward competitive/borderline douchy EDH. At this point, I don't really have a deck that just does silly things at a table and I wanted that again.
I had thought about Arcanis, and just about every other mono-blue general (aside from Azami, because really, I just can't), and I decided to just have some fun with a big silly expensive general again, like the good old days of EDH. If I want to win a table, I'll pull out my Eladamri tribal elves or my Jor Kadeen aggro nonsense, if I want to steal **** and generally be a minor nuisance, I'll play Tomorrow.
So I've now played six games with this deck, 2 1v1 (which it wasn't built for) and 4 multi-player. I stand at 5-1, with the only loss being because I was targeted early and the Sen Triplets player was able to get the Thopter/Sword combo off with a Time Sieve in hand.
My initial feelings on this deck were exactly correct. There is nothing more fun to me than beating my opponents with their own creatures, though I will admit that almost all of the games come down to dropping the play to 1v1 and Mindslaver locking the other player out. The more I think about it that does feel like somewhat of a lame move, but I have so much fun with the rest of the deck I can't think to take that out. I consider it an insurance policy at the moment.
At this point I also wouldn't make too many more adjustments, except to perhaps find room for Caged Sun because it feels like I am constantly tapping out midgame and occasionally have to let spells resolve because of being just shy of the required mana to counter.
Thanks to inked and rogue'd for the suggestions. I actually don't have this deck together any more, which is why I haven't updated it. I got tired of winning all the time, to be honest.
This deck is coming together from the remnants of my Riku spells and nonsense deck that only ever managed to win a few times and since a few people in my playgroup have gone to playing a bit more competitively, never at all. I went looking for something mono-blue as it is the only mono color I have never played in EDH (mostly because I hate the stigma attached to it, and hate the infinite combos even more). I poured through every mono-blue legend that has ever been printed and then settled on Tomorrow, both because I love the art and the ability and because, unlike a lot of mono-blue generals it doesn't scream "build around and abuse me!".
I've set the list up to just counter, steal, clone, copy and generally win using my opponents best cards and silly card advantage. I'm generally open to suggestions, but working from something of a small budget (unless I decide to liquidate one of my other decks or my cube (unlikely)).
1 Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar
==Land==
2 Tolaria West
3 Temple of the False God
4 Reliquary Tower
5 Mystifying Maze
6 Tectonic Edge
7 Ghost Quarter
8 Misty Rainforest
9 Scalding Tarn
10 Boseiju
11 Strip Mine
12 Dust Bowl
13 Academy Ruins
==Counterspells==
40 Cryptic Command
41 Spelljack
42 Dissipate
43 Time Stop
44 Deprive
45 Faerie Trickery
46 Desertion
47 Hinder
48 Counterspell
==Utility==
49 Twincast
50 Time Warp
51 Karn Liberated
52 Jace Beleren
53 Copy Enchantment
54 Blue Sun's Zenith
55 Time Reversal
56 Soothsaying
57 Rhystic Study
58 Treasure Trove
59 War Tax
60 Fact or Fiction
61 Rite of Replication
62 Standstill
63 Glen Elendra Archmage
64 Sage of Fables
65 Snapcaster Mage
66 Sakashima The Impostor
67 Ulamog, The Infinite Gyre
68 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
69 Frost Titan
70 Phyrexian Metamorph
71 Sower of Temptation
72 Aeon Chronicler
73 Clone
74 Phantasmal Image
75 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
76 Artisan of Kozilek
77 Consrecrated Sphinx
78 Venser, Shaper Savant
79 Echo Mage
80 Cryptoplasm
81 Vesuvan Doppleganger
==Artifacts==
82 Darksteel Ingot
83 Sol Ring
84 Vedalken Shackles
85 Mindslaver
86 Lightning Greaves
87 Swiftfoot Boots
88 Sensei's Divining Top
89 Crystal Shard
90 Confiscate
91 Blatant Thievery
92 Treachery
93 Ray of Command
94 Bribery
95 Knowledge Exploitation
96 Steal Artifact
97 Mind Control
98 Volition Reins
99 Acquire
100 Dominate
PS - Sorry for the Abbott and Costello in the thread title, I couldn't help myself....
MY CUBE!
EDH Decks
Tomorrow, The Pitcher's Name
I feel as if Spell Crumple deserves a spot here, for additional ways to get rid of the problematic cards that frequently get abused from graveyards / general zone.
The biggest problem I feel with the list would have to be with mana. While you run plenty of land, as I see no way to be able to rush into a 6 CMC general to really gain the card advantage that he would net you. Even if you had a solid opening hand and didn't need to rush into the general I just feel that you will either spend turns sitting and waiting (because you don't want to use your mana proactively) and then end up just not doing anything if nobody plays anything that you find threatening enough to counter, or beneficial enough to steal.
I could be way off base here, so by all means call me out on it. At the very least I'd throw in Caged Sun or maybe some smaller mana artifacts.
The more blue holds on to its cards, the more likely it is to win.
Cockatrice Username: seriph0
haha Well then I retract my statement! I'm not a terribly avid blue player (as you can see from my sig) so :X
If it were a comb-y mono-blue deck, I'd be all in on rushing out the general, but instead he's just another version of advantage.
MY CUBE!
EDH Decks
Tomorrow, The Pitcher's Name
As far as the other advantages of mono color, cheap mana base? Check. Large mana pool, not really. Cool synergy with a general? Not really as he lends himself to just a blue goodstuff deck. With that said, I do understand the enticement of wanting to play a general not frequently seen. However for the sake of being competitive, I am unsure why the best option would not be run.
I just don't see why you would rather run a mono blue goodstuff deck with a general who may or may not be as good as some other options when you could throw another color in there, have some synergy with your general, and still mantain card advantage through the general.
Again, just my thoughts. I'm not trying to criticize your list or your choice in generals. These are just the things I think of when I look at stuff. And again, I could be completely wrong here. To throw out an example, when I built my Jenara Bant goodstuff deck, Jim had to disassemble Arcanis and go for something more Azami / combo related in order to be able to keep up. Simply because bant goodstuff is absurdly strong for being able to handle any and all situations extremely proficiently and well.
Many <3's
Someone else comment on this!
*CN* did a nice write up on Tomorrow. Here's that thread: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=368458&highlight=Tomorrow%2C+Azami%27s+Familiar
I'm all for this type of deck.. let him/her know what your experiences have been.
Thanks for that link, as soon as I get all the pieces together (I've got about fifteen cards on order that will finish it.) and I get a chance to play it, I'll be sure to post about it, both here and on that thread.
Jason, as for your points, all of them were very valid, and I appreciate you taking the time to go over them (more so than you probably assume, as there were very well worded). The reason behind building it the way I did mostly is because I have been shifting more and more away from fun/goodstuff piles and more toward competitive/borderline douchy EDH. At this point, I don't really have a deck that just does silly things at a table and I wanted that again.
I had thought about Arcanis, and just about every other mono-blue general (aside from Azami, because really, I just can't), and I decided to just have some fun with a big silly expensive general again, like the good old days of EDH. If I want to win a table, I'll pull out my Eladamri tribal elves or my Jor Kadeen aggro nonsense, if I want to steal **** and generally be a minor nuisance, I'll play Tomorrow.
MY CUBE!
EDH Decks
Tomorrow, The Pitcher's Name
My initial feelings on this deck were exactly correct. There is nothing more fun to me than beating my opponents with their own creatures, though I will admit that almost all of the games come down to dropping the play to 1v1 and Mindslaver locking the other player out. The more I think about it that does feel like somewhat of a lame move, but I have so much fun with the rest of the deck I can't think to take that out. I consider it an insurance policy at the moment.
At this point I also wouldn't make too many more adjustments, except to perhaps find room for Caged Sun because it feels like I am constantly tapping out midgame and occasionally have to let spells resolve because of being just shy of the required mana to counter.
MY CUBE!
EDH Decks
Tomorrow, The Pitcher's Name
In search of a foil french Dromar, the Banisher, pm me if you have one you want to part with, also foil Stratadon's.
360 Uncommons only Cube!
Cards that are really good in my deck include:
Archaeomancer+Riptide Laboratory
Caged Sun
Extraplanar Lens
Gauntlet of Power
High Tide
Jace, the Mind Sculptor (Budget: Brainstorm)
Omniscience
Spell Crumple/Hinder+Tunnel Vision
Chancellor of the Spires (One of the best Rite of Replication targets)
Sphinx of Uthuun (One of the best Rite of Replication targets)
Steal Enchantment (If you are going for more theft than copy)
Mnemonic Wall
Mana Drain
Force of Will
Dream Halls (Depending on your build, if you can link draw spells together this can be unbelievable especially with Tomorrow making the draw spells more selective)
Stormtide Leviathan (sometimes in multiplayer a friend will go ultra aggressive and can not deal with this, the other players allow it to live as it is saving them from the aggressive player. Likely meta dependent.)
Also, mook1e, thanks!
MY CUBE!
EDH Decks
Tomorrow, The Pitcher's Name