I have always wanted to make a black and white EDH deck that revolved around lifegain. I was extremely excited when the commander generals were spoiled and Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter was shown. Flying, lifelink removal and a sac outlet in one. I was in love and then tried to come up with a deck.
I had little success. I tried to make one that gain a lot of life, then used it as a resource for drawing cards and other things. I tried to make one that relied on general damage, but found that trying to get him out quick and big made the deck wishing it had 20 more cards to make it consistent. I found an equilibrium with this deck. It's mostly slow, and has little ramp or tutors, a first for an EDH deck of mine. It relies on black/white advantages of removal, lifegain and recursion to make up for it and I've tried to exploit them as much as possible in a consistent and synergistic way and I have to say the deck has been a success. But most importantly, it plays in a unique way and is FUN.
The deck relies on black and whites plethora of mass removal to remove threats and gain card advantage and stay alive long enough to set up various combos, mana/infinite mana and win conditions. It also has various spot removal, much of what can be used over and over again. It also uses lifegain to do the same and use it as a resource for mostly drawing cards, or possibly winning the game with Felidar Sovereign.
The deck wins through either various combos to pump out the deck with infinite mana and draws, or attack with huge pumped up creatures, the general or various mana sinks.
There are many cards that fulfill multiple roles in the deck, making categorization difficult.
I had little success. I tried to make one that gain a lot of life, then used it as a resource for drawing cards and other things. I tried to make one that relied on general damage, but found that trying to get him out quick and big made the deck wishing it had 20 more cards to make it consistent. I found an equilibrium with this deck. It's mostly slow, and has little ramp or tutors, a first for an EDH deck of mine. It relies on black/white advantages of removal, lifegain and recursion to make up for it and I've tried to exploit them as much as possible in a consistent and synergistic way and I have to say the deck has been a success. But most importantly, it plays in a unique way and is FUN.
The deck relies on black and whites plethora of mass removal to remove threats and gain card advantage and stay alive long enough to set up various combos, mana/infinite mana and win conditions. It also has various spot removal, much of what can be used over and over again. It also uses lifegain to do the same and use it as a resource for mostly drawing cards, or possibly winning the game with Felidar Sovereign.
The deck wins through either various combos to pump out the deck with infinite mana and draws, or attack with huge pumped up creatures, the general or various mana sinks.
There are many cards that fulfill multiple roles in the deck, making categorization difficult.
1 Damnation
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Hallowed Burial
1 Decree of Pain
1 Rout
1 Martial Coup
1 Akroma's Vengeance
1 Wrath of God
1 Austere Command
1 Skullclamp
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Akroma's Memorial
1 Geist-Honored Monk
1 Grave Titan
1 Wall of Omens
1 Deathbringer Liege
1 Duplicant
1 Archon of Justice
1 Path to Exile
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Sun Titan
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Karmic Guide
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Reveillark
1 Marshal's Anthem
1 True Conviction
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Exquisite Blood
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Divinity of Pride
1 Beacon of Immortality
1 Wall of Reverence
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Felidar Sovereign
1 Sanguine Bond
1 Well of Lost Dreams
1 Promise of Power
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Unspeakable Symbol
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Suffer the Past
1 Exsanguinate
1 Sorin Markov
1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
1 Drana, Kalistria Bloodchief
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Kor Cartographer
1 Sol Ring
1 Scrubland
1 Godless Shrine
1 Fetid Heath
1 Caves of Koilos
1 Tainted Field
1 Command Tower
11 Plains
8 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
1 Marsh Flats
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Arid Mesa
1 Kor Haven
1 Reliquary Tower
1 High Market
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Strip Mine
GAzusa, Lost but SeekingG
WBVish Kal, Blood ArbiterWB
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR
UBGVorosh, the HunterUBG
WRGisela, Blade of GoldnightWR
WUGJenara, Asura of WarWUG
WBGTeneb, The HarvesterWBG
WUBRGHorde of NotionsWUBRG