Yeah, AVR had too many goodies to not build a blink deck, and I've been eyeing Rasputin for a while. I've also got a huge soft spot for Legends legends.
Yes, the manabase is jank. It's a new deck - I haven't put any money into it. It gets better when I decide it's worth improving and track down duals and shocks. Also an Academy Ruins.
Outside of lands, there's an artifact theme which could probably afford being supported a little more and (obviously) a bunch of blink stuff. Dropping Rasputin, removing 5 counters for Closet, then blinking him eot feels dirty and I recommend everyone try that at some point. I'm a little unsure on the amount of control I have in here. Another wrath feels like it could be nice, probably O-Stone, and I might add in another artifact recursion dude or two. Currently thinking Razor Hippogriff, but that's still undecided. I also am debating on which blink cards I like. Preference is given to repeatable, instant speed, or permanent (like artifacts, not like forever) blink, but I might still play around with which ones I like.
I am not running infinite combos in this deck. Similarly, if a card is used only as a combo piece, it is not being included in this deck.
I'm having the same trouble planning out my Rasputin deck; how much Blink is enough? SO many options, but which ones really make the cut? Anyway, some suggestions:
- Ghostway is a beating
- Find some room for Sun Titan and Voyager Staff, especially if you're pushing an artifact sub-theme (like I am)
- Erratic Portal, but no Crystal Shard? That can't be right...
- Where's Restoration Angel? That card is going to be great
Ghostway is on the shortlist. I could have sworn I had a copy, but I have no idea where it is now so I'm looking for another.
Sun Titan is actually pretty bad here. The vast majority of its targets are mana rocks, and while they do die, I'm not willing to devote slots in the deck to recurring them. The Voyager Staff synergy is nice, but far from gamebreaking. I'll likely revisit Titan down the line (like if I were to add Hallowed Fountain, Tundra, and 6 more fetches), but the deck as is doesn't really want it.
Shard isn't necessarily better than Portal, especially without Sun Titan. The colored activation is occasionally relevant, and I haven't felt like I needed more than one of that effect yet.
Restoration Angel is chilling with the rest of the cards from the new set. I'm a little surprised I've managed to get Closet and Navigator already, and one of those was a draft pull. I'm not convinced it's going to make the final cut, mostly because I'm very sad that it can't blink Karmic Guide, but I'll test it at some point after AVR is released or when I get one.
Thanks for checking out the list!
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I built Rasputin a while back and really liked it. It depends on your play style, but if you are okay with super rude, game winning moved World Purge and Devestating Tide need to be in this list. Typically I would play Worldpurge and End of Turn blink an Eldrazi to win. It's hard to deal with Ulamog without any permanents.
Also, Nim Deathmantle and a sac outlet makes infinite "whatever the sac outlet makes." Even if you don't want to go that route, Deathmantle is amazing on its own and super amazing with Rasputin out.
I like Worldpurge, a lot. I think that just jumped to the top of my short list. That's beautiful and nasty and I want to be running that. Devastation Tide is less impressive because they keep their lands, but Sunder could be a fun one. Slip it in there after a wrath after blinking something out, go to town.
I like Deathmantle as well, though I avoid infinites. Worldpurge is going to cause enough strife that I don't really want to pile onto that. It's a safe inclusion as of now, though.
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The Rishadans? Mostly because I don't have them on hand. Like I say, brand new deck. Like two, three days old, so I haven't had a whole lot of time to pick things up yet (also I still haven't gotten paid, which is more than a little annoying). Rishadan Brigand seems like a decent option to test, but I'm not seeing the others so much. Mostly a meta call, because blue and control based strategies are fairly popular around here, so people generally keep mana up.
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The Rishadans? Mostly because I don't have them on hand. Like I say, brand new deck. Like two, three days old, so I haven't had a whole lot of time to pick things up yet (also I still haven't gotten paid, which is more than a little annoying). Rishadan Brigand seems like a decent option to test, but I'm not seeing the others so much. Mostly a meta call, because blue and control based strategies are fairly popular around here, so people generally keep mana up.
With deadeye doesn't it not matter if they have mana? Just keep blinking till they lose their stuff.
Building heavily around a non-general card isn't something I do unless there's a hell of an interaction there and I'm positive I can both find and protect it. Deadeye is great, but I'm equally likely to be using other blink engines and I don't have reliable tutors for it. It's also terrible politics to shred two boards while trying to run a third out of mana. Blinking Brigand a couple times is a lot more likely to spread the love around without making gamelong enemies than flickering Rishadan Cutpurse five or ten times. When the starts align and I can just wreck every board at once, that's great, but adding in the less impressive Rishadans seems cuter than effective.
I'm entirely willing to admit that I'm wrong after trying them out, but I'm starting with Brigand and going from there.
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I would start with the cheaper ones. I run them all, but a Rishadan Cutpurse can come down a lot earlier and when people are typically at that phase when they are willing to tap out. I had blinked my Cutpurse 3 times over in the first 5 turns, killing 2 creatures, an artifact, a swamp and some white enchantment.
Also if you run Birthing Pod you can climb up through the set, increasing the tax amount each turn for just 1 mana into the birthing pod. After the cutpurse game I went and ordered the others, especially since they stop at 5 which pods into Titans or Deadeye Navigator.
I would start with the cheaper ones. I run them all, but a Rishadan Cutpurse can come down a lot earlier and when people are typically at that phase when they are willing to tap out. I had blinked my Cutpurse 3 times over in the first 5 turns, killing 2 creatures, an artifact, a swamp and some white enchantment.
Also if you run Birthing Pod you can climb up through the set, increasing the tax amount each turn for just 1 mana into the birthing pod. After the cutpurse game I went and ordered the others, especially since they stop at 5 which pods into Titans or Deadeye Navigator.
There's an argument there, but you're looking at it in terms of the early game, which is something else I'm not a fan of. In this format, you can't reasonably expect to see specific cards early unless you have a hell of a tutor suite and are willing to devote the resources to it, so I try not to build like that. I'm still going to try them out, but I'm going one at a time. If I like what's going on with them, I add more, if I'm not a fan, I try the others, and go from there.
Also, as much as I would love Pod in here, it's not meant to be. That whole UW color identity is a real downer.
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What he said. You have Rasputin who makes a ton of mana in this type of deck. You play an Eldrazi at the end of their turn with some Flash enabler, untap, draw, attack, Exile, Worldpurge, play a land, and end of turn homey comes back on an empty board. Usually I use Ghostway because it only costs 3 and all your guys come back.
It makes me wish Upheaval was legal and also incredibly happy it isn't.
Where is gilded drake? One of the best cards for a blink deck. If you blink it (for example with otherworldly journey which is better than turn to mist) gilded drake enters the battlefield again and it triggers again. I think you should be playing phantasmal image as well. At worst it is cheap general removal. I would also play consecrated sphinx over honden of the seeing winds, which seems weak. Geist of saint traft and sundial of the infinite are also worth considering in that vein. Blink geist after damage and you can keep the angel. Sundial does the same with end of turn blink effects that can target your opponent, like otherwordly journey, as well as working very well with parallax wave/tide. Capsize seems like a logical add as well (also works very well with gilded drake / the parallaxes and your etb abilities.
Gaka's Hanna list and BlackJack's Grand Arbiter list have a lot of good synergies in them, and you could take a look at them. I used a number of their ideas in my Geist semi-blink / semi-sundial build, and they have worked well.
It's using Gwafa Hazid over Rasputin for the sole purpose that your deck is going to draw some hate. You either have to add some form of tax to deter enemies from attacking you, or Pacify them imo.
Where is gilded drake? One of the best cards for a blink deck. If you blink it (for example with otherworldly journey which is better than turn to mist) gilded drake enters the battlefield again and it triggers again. I think you should be playing phantasmal image as well. At worst it is cheap general removal. I would also play consecrated sphinx over honden of the seeing winds, which seems weak. Geist of saint traft and sundial of the infinite are also worth considering in that vein. Blink geist after damage and you can keep the angel. Sundial does the same with end of turn blink effects that can target your opponent, like otherwordly journey, as well as working very well with parallax wave/tide. Capsize seems like a logical add as well (also works very well with gilded drake / the parallaxes and your etb abilities.
Gaka's Hanna list and BlackJack's Grand Arbiter list have a lot of good synergies in them, and you could take a look at them. I used a number of their ideas in my Geist semi-blink / semi-sundial build, and they have worked well.
Drake is chilling with several other cards in "I haven't been paid yet what's wrong with you people" land. I know I want Drake in here, possibly also Sower of Temptation because of the beautiful interaction with the new blink stuff. Image is pretty much just worse than every other clone here because it can't be flickered. Yeah, getting it for a couple mana cheaper is nice, but the massive, massive loss of utility isn't worth it. Honden is in over Sphinx because I'd rather draw continually over a burst draw, and Sphinx tends to get stolen/reanimated/Bribery'd/Sphinx Ambassador'd more than I like. I want to make use of my own card draw, and if I'm just looking for a burst there are betteroptions when Rasputin is around. Sundial is nice for a few select cards (7, if I'm counting right, 2 of which are repeatable), but that's a lot cuter than it is strong.
Blinking Geist is useless. Even if he's not on the field, the delayed trigger created when he swings still exiles the angel post combat and there's not any particular synergy elsewhere unless I try and force Sundial in. Journey isn't a bad call, but I want to play more with the current build to decide if the (very slightly) harsher cost is worth it. I'm not anticipating that it's ever a problem, but it also makes it more awkward to blink enemy critters in a pinch. I'm also planning on blinking repeatedly, so a +1/+1 counter is not that much of an incentive. Capsize is probably a good call.
I'm familiar with both Gaka's and Blackjack's builds. Gaka's isn't terribly relevant here because it's very much a Hanna deck. While the artifact themes could be applicable, he relies pretty heavily on enchantments. Blackjack's build does have similar themes, but (not to bash Blackjack's deckbuilding abilities) this is not a terribly complicated theme. It's pretty much looking for blinking engines and interesting etb/ltb effects. Glancing over his list again, it also has a little more of a combo bent, which isn't what I'm after here (Worldpurge excused because that's too much fun to pass up). It also doesn't have the AVR blinkers, which does change the tone of the deck somewhat by limiting your tricks to permanents you control.
Sorry if this comes off as a little harsh, because I do really appreciate you taking the time to look and leave feedback.
Yep. Same with Closet and Navigator, which is the big reason for including Shackles (other than them just being boss) and the reason I want extra control effects like Sower. I've also been considering Mind Harness, because snagging PTitan for one mana is a very attractive proposition.
It's using Gwafa Hazid over Rasputin for the sole purpose that your deck is going to draw some hate. You either have to add some form of tax to deter enemies from attacking you, or Pacify them imo.
I'll check out your list sometime when I'm not feverish and I can make observations that I haven't already been thinking about for far too long. I'm not a fan of Gwafa just because I'm going to draw hate. If I'm going to be a target, I might as well try and just blow through the hate rather than provide my opponents the tools to get me.
I'll check out your list sometime when I'm not feverish and I can make observations that I haven't already been thinking about for far too long. I'm not a fan of Gwafa just because I'm going to draw hate. If I'm going to be a target, I might as well try and just blow through the hate rather than provide my opponents the tools to get me.
Mine's updated with AVR in mind and a heavier emphasis on control and denial rather than straight up blink.
Scrivener and Mnemonic Wall... those are the guys I forgot about. Start Ghostwaying those and it's just nuts.
Yeah, Wall is in mine for sure. I'm still looking for a cut for Scrivener, but as you may have noticed I have a lot more that I would like to fit than I have space. I'd also like to play with the existing stuff to get a better sense of what's good and bad.
Mine's updated with AVR in mind and a heavier emphasis on control and denial rather than straight up blink.
What are your wincons?
Myr Battlesphere and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre are both pretty potent, but realistically anything of sufficient power can get there and there are a couple 5 power flyers hanging out. Kozilek, Butcher of Truth might make an appearance when I eventually get paid (sorry I keep harping on that. I'm a little annoyed). Card draw + massive threat is pretty desirable. Clones and theft can also grab some pretty potent wincons.
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Honestly, I'm starting to think that maybe this whole blink mechanic might be too difficult to setup in say.. a 4-player game with a good amount of removal. Blink requires creatures on the board, and that's often hard to do with 3 opposing players shooting off removals, exiles and wipes. Hence why I went into a more counter deck.
It is and that's why I dropped it. It was fun but got completely owned most of the time. I am looking at it now with more Stax stuff and a little blink and no real combo anymore. That just wasn't fun OR terribly effective.
1 Rasputin Dreamweaver
//Creatures
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Body Double
1 Chancellor of the Spires
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Duplicant
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Flickerwisp
1 Galepowder Mage
1 Grim Poppet
1 Karmic Guide
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Master Transmuter
1 Mistmeadow Witch
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Mulldrifter
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Phyrexian Ingester
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Reveillark
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Sanctum Gargoyle
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
1 Stonecloaker
1 Treasure Mage
1 Trinket Mage
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Avarice Totem
1 Azorius Signet
1 Claws of Gix
1 Cloudstone Curio
1 Coalition Relic
1 Conjurer's Closet
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Doubling Cube
1 Erratic Portal
1 Expedition Map
1 Minion Reflector
1 Mirrorworks
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Sol Ring
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Worn Powerstone
//Enchantments
1 Future Sight
1 Parallax Wave
//Planeswalkers
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Venser, the Sojourner
//Sorceries
1 Mind Spring
1 Recurring Insight
1 Rite of Replication
//Instants
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Cloudshift
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Evacuation
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Momentary Blink
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Turn to Mist
1 Vanish into Memory
1 Calciform Pools
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Command Tower
1 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Mystic Gate
1 Nimbus Maze
1 Phyrexia's Core
1 Prahv, Spires of Order
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Skycloud Expanse
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Temple of the False God
1 Tolaria West
12 Island
8 Plains
Out
In
Yes, the manabase is jank. It's a new deck - I haven't put any money into it. It gets better when I decide it's worth improving and track down duals and shocks. Also an Academy Ruins.
Outside of lands, there's an artifact theme which could probably afford being supported a little more and (obviously) a bunch of blink stuff. Dropping Rasputin, removing 5 counters for Closet, then blinking him eot feels dirty and I recommend everyone try that at some point. I'm a little unsure on the amount of control I have in here. Another wrath feels like it could be nice, probably O-Stone, and I might add in another artifact recursion dude or two. Currently thinking Razor Hippogriff, but that's still undecided. I also am debating on which blink cards I like. Preference is given to repeatable, instant speed, or permanent (like artifacts, not like forever) blink, but I might still play around with which ones I like.
I am not running infinite combos in this deck. Similarly, if a card is used only as a combo piece, it is not being included in this deck.
- Ghostway is a beating
- Find some room for Sun Titan and Voyager Staff, especially if you're pushing an artifact sub-theme (like I am)
- Erratic Portal, but no Crystal Shard? That can't be right...
- Where's Restoration Angel? That card is going to be great
Sun Titan is actually pretty bad here. The vast majority of its targets are mana rocks, and while they do die, I'm not willing to devote slots in the deck to recurring them. The Voyager Staff synergy is nice, but far from gamebreaking. I'll likely revisit Titan down the line (like if I were to add Hallowed Fountain, Tundra, and 6 more fetches), but the deck as is doesn't really want it.
Shard isn't necessarily better than Portal, especially without Sun Titan. The colored activation is occasionally relevant, and I haven't felt like I needed more than one of that effect yet.
Restoration Angel is chilling with the rest of the cards from the new set. I'm a little surprised I've managed to get Closet and Navigator already, and one of those was a draft pull. I'm not convinced it's going to make the final cut, mostly because I'm very sad that it can't blink Karmic Guide, but I'll test it at some point after AVR is released or when I get one.
Thanks for checking out the list!
Also, Nim Deathmantle and a sac outlet makes infinite "whatever the sac outlet makes." Even if you don't want to go that route, Deathmantle is amazing on its own and super amazing with Rasputin out.
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
I like Deathmantle as well, though I avoid infinites. Worldpurge is going to cause enough strife that I don't really want to pile onto that. It's a safe inclusion as of now, though.
With deadeye doesn't it not matter if they have mana? Just keep blinking till they lose their stuff.
I'm entirely willing to admit that I'm wrong after trying them out, but I'm starting with Brigand and going from there.
Also if you run Birthing Pod you can climb up through the set, increasing the tax amount each turn for just 1 mana into the birthing pod. After the cutpurse game I went and ordered the others, especially since they stop at 5 which pods into Titans or Deadeye Navigator.
EDH Decks:
B Toshiro Umezawa B
W Mikaeus, the Lunarch W
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G
UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born BU
BGU The Mimeoplasm UGB
GUW Rubinia Soulsinger WUG
GRB Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper BRG
There's an argument there, but you're looking at it in terms of the early game, which is something else I'm not a fan of. In this format, you can't reasonably expect to see specific cards early unless you have a hell of a tutor suite and are willing to devote the resources to it, so I try not to build like that. I'm still going to try them out, but I'm going one at a time. If I like what's going on with them, I add more, if I'm not a fan, I try the others, and go from there.
Also, as much as I would love Pod in here, it's not meant to be. That whole UW color identity is a real downer.
How are you doing this? Infinite mana?
Mistmeadow Witch, Turn to Mist, Venser, the Sojourner, Ghostway, etc. It's a blink deck. Floating infinite mana through Worldpurge wouldn't work anyways.
What he said. You have Rasputin who makes a ton of mana in this type of deck. You play an Eldrazi at the end of their turn with some Flash enabler, untap, draw, attack, Exile, Worldpurge, play a land, and end of turn homey comes back on an empty board. Usually I use Ghostway because it only costs 3 and all your guys come back.
It makes me wish Upheaval was legal and also incredibly happy it isn't.
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
Gaka's Hanna list and BlackJack's Grand Arbiter list have a lot of good synergies in them, and you could take a look at them. I used a number of their ideas in my Geist semi-blink / semi-sundial build, and they have worked well.
BRWC Mardu Shops - Tymna and Akiri Artifacts BRWC
That is correct. The creatures returns with no memory of its previous self and not longer under the restrictions to return to its owner.
EDH Decks:
B Toshiro Umezawa B
W Mikaeus, the Lunarch W
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G
UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born BU
BGU The Mimeoplasm UGB
GUW Rubinia Soulsinger WUG
GRB Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper BRG
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=413167
It's using Gwafa Hazid over Rasputin for the sole purpose that your deck is going to draw some hate. You either have to add some form of tax to deter enemies from attacking you, or Pacify them imo.
EDH: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Drake is chilling with several other cards in "I haven't been paid yet what's wrong with you people" land. I know I want Drake in here, possibly also Sower of Temptation because of the beautiful interaction with the new blink stuff. Image is pretty much just worse than every other clone here because it can't be flickered. Yeah, getting it for a couple mana cheaper is nice, but the massive, massive loss of utility isn't worth it. Honden is in over Sphinx because I'd rather draw continually over a burst draw, and Sphinx tends to get stolen/reanimated/Bribery'd/Sphinx Ambassador'd more than I like. I want to make use of my own card draw, and if I'm just looking for a burst there are better options when Rasputin is around. Sundial is nice for a few select cards (7, if I'm counting right, 2 of which are repeatable), but that's a lot cuter than it is strong.
Blinking Geist is useless. Even if he's not on the field, the delayed trigger created when he swings still exiles the angel post combat and there's not any particular synergy elsewhere unless I try and force Sundial in. Journey isn't a bad call, but I want to play more with the current build to decide if the (very slightly) harsher cost is worth it. I'm not anticipating that it's ever a problem, but it also makes it more awkward to blink enemy critters in a pinch. I'm also planning on blinking repeatedly, so a +1/+1 counter is not that much of an incentive. Capsize is probably a good call.
I'm familiar with both Gaka's and Blackjack's builds. Gaka's isn't terribly relevant here because it's very much a Hanna deck. While the artifact themes could be applicable, he relies pretty heavily on enchantments. Blackjack's build does have similar themes, but (not to bash Blackjack's deckbuilding abilities) this is not a terribly complicated theme. It's pretty much looking for blinking engines and interesting etb/ltb effects. Glancing over his list again, it also has a little more of a combo bent, which isn't what I'm after here (Worldpurge excused because that's too much fun to pass up). It also doesn't have the AVR blinkers, which does change the tone of the deck somewhat by limiting your tricks to permanents you control.
Sorry if this comes off as a little harsh, because I do really appreciate you taking the time to look and leave feedback.
Yep. Same with Closet and Navigator, which is the big reason for including Shackles (other than them just being boss) and the reason I want extra control effects like Sower. I've also been considering Mind Harness, because snagging PTitan for one mana is a very attractive proposition.
edit:
I'll check out your list sometime when I'm not feverish and I can make observations that I haven't already been thinking about for far too long. I'm not a fan of Gwafa just because I'm going to draw hate. If I'm going to be a target, I might as well try and just blow through the hate rather than provide my opponents the tools to get me.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=300253
Scrivener and Mnemonic Wall... those are the guys I forgot about. Start Ghostwaying those and it's just nuts.
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
Mine's updated with AVR in mind and a heavier emphasis on control and denial rather than straight up blink.
What are your wincons?
EDH: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Yeah, Wall is in mine for sure. I'm still looking for a cut for Scrivener, but as you may have noticed I have a lot more that I would like to fit than I have space. I'd also like to play with the existing stuff to get a better sense of what's good and bad.
Yep.
Myr Battlesphere and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre are both pretty potent, but realistically anything of sufficient power can get there and there are a couple 5 power flyers hanging out. Kozilek, Butcher of Truth might make an appearance when I eventually get paid (sorry I keep harping on that. I'm a little annoyed). Card draw + massive threat is pretty desirable. Clones and theft can also grab some pretty potent wincons.
Also, I think Conjurer's Closet is worth looking at.
Honestly, I'm starting to think that maybe this whole blink mechanic might be too difficult to setup in say.. a 4-player game with a good amount of removal. Blink requires creatures on the board, and that's often hard to do with 3 opposing players shooting off removals, exiles and wipes. Hence why I went into a more counter deck.
EDH: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.