Hey all! I'm a longtime lurker on the forums, but this is my first time actually posting. I've used this site as a resource for a lot of things, and figured it was time to start contributing. As this is my first post, I'm sure some formatting issues are bound to arise. Mods, if you see something that needs to be changed, just let me know. Thanks!
First, just a quick rundown of me and my meta. I started playing Magic around Fifth Edition, and played casually (very casually, aside from a Kor-based white weenie deck, I don't think I had 4 of a card for the longest time) up to the release of Invasion. I played for a semester in college when Lorwyn was released, dropped the game again, then picked it back up with a new playgroup and the release of Rise of the Eldrazi. Luckily I kept my cards since the beginning, so my casual card pool transitioned perfectly to Commander/EDH. My meta is solid, around 6-8 usual players with a spectrum of play styles, though we all have a streak of Timmy in us, we're all about fun, and appreciate the epic plays Commander offers. Our Commander games are usually 4-5 players, as not all of us can make every (ahem) Gathering. Since my card pool is larger or at least generally of a higher quality than most of the others in my playgroup, I'm the guy who shows up with half a dozen different decks, from Phelddagrif group-hug, to the grind-focused Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper. I'm hoping to post most of my decks in the coming weeks, but the first one I'm sharing is my loaner deck - the one offered up when someone wants is just joining our playgroup, new to Commander, or is tired of thinking during games and only wants to say "who should I attack next?" I present my thoughts on: Radha, Heir to Keld.
First, what most of you care about, the deck list:
Radha, despite her flavor text, isn't that threatening; just 2 power and lackluster abilities which translate into her being a glorified mana-dork. The best discussion I could find surrounding her was a group-built deck:
Most decks I've found use her explicitly for 1v1 games, and utilize aggressive Land Destruction, which is not something I want to encourage in my meta.
So, again without build-around-me potential, or obvious utility, or impressive stats, again, why would I pick her?
When my group started playing Commander, most of us picked budget powerhouses we drafted from the recent sets, like Wrexial, the Risen Deep, and Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. I purchased a Sedris, the Traitor King and played a mean Grixis deck. This deck emerged as both the antithesis to Grixis reanimator/control; a beatdown deck with little recursion, and an antithesis to most of the other decks in my meta, in that I didn't need my general on the table to win.
So I chose her to ignore her? Actually, that's how it started out. However, as I started testing the deck, I realized she's got several things going for her, which I why I've kept the deck around for so long.
Ramp/Consistency
This deck is an aggressive ramp-style deck, looking to get lands on the table, and then start smashing face with some big creatures. She's not really worth spending a kill spell on, so she's basically always a Rampant Growth to start the game. This consistency is huge! The 1v1 decks use this facet of her to get a mana advantage and then start destroying their opponents lands. Land destruction isn't something I want to encourage in my meta, and since we rarely play 1v1 outside of testing or killing time for others to show up, it would need to transition into mass land destruction, which again, I have no interest in encouraging. But the lesson from the 1v1 decks is that Radha provides a consistent ramp-heavy opening for the deck, so we can get our threats out faster.
Low Cost
This has several sub-categories. The first is that she's out quick to smooth out your opening turns in a non-threatening way, as noted-above. The second is that since we're not a Commander-focused deck, if we don't need her, we don't need to play her. I've gotten in a lot of beats after a Wrath with her. Her low cost couples wonderfully with the haste outlets, Auras and Equipment the deck uses, as you can play her, suit up and keep beating until you draw into a better threat.
The last sub-category is her synergy with Birthing Pod. the Pod is great. I have a decent chain to work my way up through in this deck, but it all starts with Radha. She's tied for the lowest-costed creatures in the deck, but she's the Commander, so whenever I draw the Pod, I can start a chain. An early pod usually means I'm in for a good, aggressive game, full of all the big creatures I want to see.
How to play the deck, along with what this deck does and does not do:
As mentioned above, this deck is my go-to loaner deck. It's pretty budget, and everyone that has piloted it has had a blast. I'd encourage people to try it out, or at least try to port some of the ideas into your meta. It's a great way to introduce new players to Commander or to my playgroup, but there's enough synergy and nuance that experienced players have enjoyed using it too. It approaches the game with a kind of "go big or go home" attitude.
Radha's nonthreatening appearance gives the deck consistent access to extra mana in the early turns, letting us ramp effectively and consistently. The consistent early game Radha provides means that we go into the mid-and-late games how we want - with plenty of mana at our disposal and able to drop threat after threat onto the table. This deck aims to win using big creatures swinging at your opponents. In this day of 'enters the battlefield" triggers, what's more fun than actually turning a beater sideways and swinging?
It's possible to draw into an early Birthing pod . When I have a Pod in the first turns, Radha usually ends up in it. If I need land, I grab Yavimaya Elder; if i need re-usuable artifact hate, I grab Viashino Heretic; if I can get to 6 mana, I generally Pod for Fierce Empath, grabbing Primeval Titan. The Empath then becomes Anger, who becomes who becomes whatever I need (sac outlet? Magmaw; removal? Acidic Slime; etc). Getting a Radha-based Pod started early leads to aggressive games.
One of the deck's major weakness is probably a lack of recursion and tutors, which I'm actually ok with and not looking to improve. The low tutor count means that the same creatures don't show up every time, and the low recursion count means that when a card leaves play, it's usually gone; you need to find something else. It's a weakness, but a fun and challenging one that means that each game really IS different, although the plan of the deck stays the same (ramp; play creatures; turn sideways).
The other weakness is a lack of a dedicated control element. Again, I'm ok with that, though I'm considering testing a few more controlish cards. This deck wants to be the aggressor and force you to answer its threats; not the other way around.
Important Cards/MVPs
Warstorm Surge - This card has quickly become one of my pet cards. It's just fun. When we're playing big creature after big creature, usually with some haste-enabler, this card proves it's worth every game. As a bonus, enchantment-hate is hard to come by in my meta, since most of the cards used (like Naturalize) is often used on early Mimic Vats and such. Primeval Titan - We're not looking to win the game with just Prime Time. As noted, the deck doesn't have a lot of recursion, so the goal with using him isn't to get him out early, it's to use him at the best possible time. I aim to use him as a large, devastating ramp effect, and try to play him only when I have a haste outlet and sacrifice outlet on hand (blue-based theft via enchantment (like Mind Control) is common in my meta. Making sure I have both outlets means that I get 4 lands and probably beat for six, while avoiding someone cloning or stealing him. Molimo, Maro-sorcerer - I see him in very few lists, but this guy is a beast for green, generally being 15/15 or greater in most of the games I play. That size, coupled with Warstorm Surge and Soul's Fire is a lot of fun, which is what this deck is all about. Vengeful Rebirth - my favorite recursion spell. It's narrow, it's clunky, but it is fun. since we're usually grabbing some big creature to smash-face with, the extra damage is icing on the proverbial cake.
There are a few great interactions in the deck that I want to point out, since I don't see them pop up in other deck lists:
Birthing Pod + Weatherseed Treefolk/Shivan Phoenix. Drawing the Pod a ways into the game is still great fun. You can start a chain with Radha if you want, but if you have one of these creatures in play, you can churn out threat after threat every turn without much trouble.
The Auras: Rancor, Fiery Mantle, Dragon Breath, Dragon Fangs
The auras are all easily recurred by themselves. While the deck might not see the same creatures over and over again, everything you play should generally have firebreathing, trample and haste.
Notable exceptions/exclusions
Planeswalkers - Sarkon Vol or Garruk, Primal Hunter could be awesome in the deck, but the fact is I don't have to test. Taiga/Stomping Ground - I'm still a casual player at heart. I understand the value of land and balancing your curve and such, but I'm not going to drop $30 on a card, let alone $60 more.
Watchlist
Off the top of my head, it's just the following, but that's subject to change. Soul's Majesty - Great draw for a deck full of big creatures, provided someone doesn't have spot removal. It will probably go in if I can find something to cut for it. Raging Ravine, Treetop Village - I don't have copies of these. I should probably pick them up - they seem like they would be solid additions, especially since I have Prime Time already.
That's all I have for now. Please critique! But keep in mind that a) I'm not on an explicit budget, but am not actively looking to make drastic changes to the deck, b) your meta is not my meta - we're a touch insular, but this deck embodies the big beats and big plays that my group likes to happen in Commander; as I said, we all have a big streak of Timmy in us. Other than that, have at it! Thanks for reading!
I figured I'd bump this (just) once, now that viperesque set me straight and graciously moved this into the correct sub-forum.
So, after 100+ views, does anybody have any thoughts? Since this is my go-to loaner deck, I was hoping to get some advice on primarily two things:
1) Any fun beaters I may have missed, given the breadth of the card selection for this format? Maybe fun Timmy cards, or cards you distinctly remember drawing you into the game? (Shivan Dragon almost made the cut for nostalgia, but ultimately got beat out by Predator Dragon.. darn power creep.)
2) Radha basically amounts to a (slightly) beefier Llanowar Elf. Since this is my go-to loaner deck, I wanted something that didn't auto-lose when the Commander was tucked or otherwise not on the field, so that the new guy could still actually play the game. Any suggestions on how to make her more relevant in the mid-to-late game?
With the build currently, she generally comes out turn 2 to help smooth out my start and provide a consistent ramp effect every game.. but she really only shows up later if you fail to draw into a good beater. She works ok with the aura set I'm running, due to the resiliency of the auras I chose, but outside of that or grabbing Loxodon Warhammer after a board wipe, she's mostly irrelevant outside of the early game. Since this is Commander, it seems a disservice for a deck intended to introduce new players to the format to have a Commander that mostly just sits around after the first board wipe. I was considering possibly adding another piece of equipment or two, but am not sure what would be worth running. Empyrial Plate perhaps? This deck usually has around 4-6 Cards in hand most of the time.
... all I really have time to address right now (at work), but will come back later and look over the other areas. One thing I would say is, make sure you're using Radha's ability to max. The more you can utilize that, the more successful she's be for you.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Amazing Avy & Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios [4/22/11]
Land: Those are all strict upgrades to the cuts you suggested, but I have none of them, and have no interest in spending $20 or more on a land. I understand the synergy and arguments for including those lands, but the monetary cost to me as a casual player with a casual meta isn't worth it. Of those suggestions though, I completely forgot Fire-Lit Thicket. I'll see if I can get my hands on one, as that should be easy to acquire.
Aura: I love the divine aura cycle from that block, and it would definitely boost Radha. I'll add it for testing, though the usually reusable fire-breathing effect has worked too well to just cut outright. Generally, my creatures tend to be larger than any of my opponents, so the ability I want in my finishers is Trample, which most of the green finishers already have. The double-strike is awesome, but if my dragons are getting chump-blocked, I'd rather slap Fiery Mantle on a trampler a few times over a few turns and try to power through some damage. The fact that Fiery Mantle works as I want it to every time makes me hesitant to cut it.
Instant: Again, nice suggestions. Both are decent upgrades. I don't have a Krosan Grip, but I also can't think of any artifacts that I need the split second for, despite it's general usefulness. If I pick one up I'll consider it, but I do like drawing a card after destroying something, especially as this deck doesn't have lots of card-draw. I wasn't playing Worldwake when it was released, and never bought any packs of it as the price was hugely inflated by Jace. I dd not know Nature's Claim existed. I'll make the change as soon as I find one.
Sorcery: Again, every suggestion you have made has had merit. Most of the choices here for ramp/recursion were dictated from card availability. I'm reorganizing my decks, so as I find these, I'll make the switches. The only thing out of this section that I won't change right now is Restock for Vengeful Rebirth. I have a spare Restock, and I agree that it's a better card overall, but every time this deck has been played, someone has drawn this, looked puzzled while reading it, then laughed maniacally as they picked up something Artisan of Kozilek from their graveyard. As I tried to explain in the original post, most of the plays my meta enjoys are Timmy-inspired, and this is a definite nod in that direction.
Again, all solid suggestions, especially on the ramp-side. Utilizing the bigger 4cc ramp cards is definitely the way to go it with Radha. I think I'll even set about finding room for Explosive Vegetation
I'll make the changes as I find/acquire the cards, and if anyone else has other suggestions for cuts/adds, please post!
Glad to hear it, and thanks for the encouragement! She's a bit undervalued, but has some good potential. The more people use her, the more strategies we can all explore! It'd be great to see where you take her.
I posted the deck as-is, and like I said, there were some issues around card availability. I felt a bit foolish when I was rambling on about how consistent she made our opening turns, only to have RWF_Less suggest the staple 4cc ramp carts. I totally overlooked them, and they are going in as soon as I find the time to physically make the changes because they are absolutely worth running, even if you're just grabbing basics. Huzzah for the forums!
I'm still toying with ideas about how to make Radha more important in the mid-to-late game, which basically translates to: "How best can I make her beefy?" I'm thinking that some kind of equipment package would be worth exploring in the future, possibly even replacing my pet aura cards eventually. I don't have any of the go-to Swords, but then again, EDH has a huge card pool, and it's more fun to play something roguish than something full of staples. So, with that in mind, does anyone have any favorite (preferably non-staple) equips?
- Snake Umbra + Soul's Majesty I like the totem effect, but often I needed to play it just for the draw effect, and only would connect with something once or twice. It's not repeatable draw, but I need to test Soul's Majesty.
- Recollect + Regrowth Regrowth is a strict upgrade, and I'm not running much recursion, so I might as well use the good stuff.
- Elvish Visionary + Empyrial Plate Testing out more equipment. The elf is one of my favorite creatures, but isn't stellar in a deck that wants to drop big beaters.
- Growth Spasm, Far Wanderings, Rampant Growth + Skyshroud Claim, Explosive Vegetation, Ranger's Path. Far Wanderings could be a better deal, but I never seemed to have threshold when I wast it, so it comes out to round out the 4cc ramp spells.
I'm thinking about cutting Bear Umbra and Hellkite Charger. I like the idea of a combo win via infinite combat steps, especially one that I have no way to really tutor up, but I think that trick would work better elsewhere. The combo is unreliable to start, and the components just don't really fit the deck. All untapping my lands would do is tempt me to overextend, and an extra combat step could be a neat trick with something like Primeval Titan, but doesn't mean much if I'm not swinging with a horde. Any suggestions of what to add in their places if I do cut them?
First, just a quick rundown of me and my meta. I started playing Magic around Fifth Edition, and played casually (very casually, aside from a Kor-based white weenie deck, I don't think I had 4 of a card for the longest time) up to the release of Invasion. I played for a semester in college when Lorwyn was released, dropped the game again, then picked it back up with a new playgroup and the release of Rise of the Eldrazi. Luckily I kept my cards since the beginning, so my casual card pool transitioned perfectly to Commander/EDH. My meta is solid, around 6-8 usual players with a spectrum of play styles, though we all have a streak of Timmy in us, we're all about fun, and appreciate the epic plays Commander offers. Our Commander games are usually 4-5 players, as not all of us can make every (ahem) Gathering. Since my card pool is larger or at least generally of a higher quality than most of the others in my playgroup, I'm the guy who shows up with half a dozen different decks, from Phelddagrif group-hug, to the grind-focused Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper. I'm hoping to post most of my decks in the coming weeks, but the first one I'm sharing is my loaner deck - the one offered up when someone wants is just joining our playgroup, new to Commander, or is tired of thinking during games and only wants to say "who should I attack next?" I present my thoughts on: Radha, Heir to Keld.
First, what most of you care about, the deck list:
1 Radha, Heir to keld
Creatures
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Hissing Iguanar
1 Fierce Empath
1 Viashino Heretic
1 Oxidda scrapmelter
1 Brawn
1 Anger
1 Magmaw
1 Indrik stomphowler
1 Weatherseed Treefolk
1 Stingerfling Spider
1 Acidic Slime
1 Garruk's Packleader
1 Nemata, Grove Guardian
1 Multani, Maro-Sorcerer
1 Primeval Titan
1 Flameblast dragon
1 Shivan Phoenix
1 Deadwood Treefolk
1 Inferno Titan
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Predator Dragon
1 Stalking Vengeance
1 Pelakka Wurm
1 Shivan Hellkite
1 Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Spawning Pit
1 Birthing Pod
Equipment
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Empyrial Plate
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Fervor
1 Rites of Flourishing
1 Fires of Yavimaya
1 Warstorm Surge
Auras
1 Rancor
1 Fiery Mantle
1 Dragon Breath
1 Dragon Fangs
1 Bear Umbra
Instants
1 Naturalize
1 Tribute to the Wild
1 Beast Within
1 Hunter's Insight
1 Soul's Fire
1 Slice in Twain
1 Momentous Fall
Sorceries
1 Hull Breach
1 Cultivate
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 ranger's Path
1 Recollect
1 Harmonize
1 Soul'smajesty
1 vengeful Rebirth
1 Desert Twister
1 Insurrection
1 Fanning the Flames
1 Evolving Wilds
12 Forest
1 Ghitu Encampment
1 Gruul Turf
1 karplusan Forest
1 Kazandu Refuge
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Kher Keep
10 Mountains
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Shivan Oasis
1 Smoldering Crater
1 Slippery Karst
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
.....So, why on earth would I chose Radha?
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=117536
Most decks I've found use her explicitly for 1v1 games, and utilize aggressive Land Destruction, which is not something I want to encourage in my meta.
So, again without build-around-me potential, or obvious utility, or impressive stats, again, why would I pick her?
When my group started playing Commander, most of us picked budget powerhouses we drafted from the recent sets, like Wrexial, the Risen Deep, and Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. I purchased a Sedris, the Traitor King and played a mean Grixis deck. This deck emerged as both the antithesis to Grixis reanimator/control; a beatdown deck with little recursion, and an antithesis to most of the other decks in my meta, in that I didn't need my general on the table to win.
So I chose her to ignore her? Actually, that's how it started out. However, as I started testing the deck, I realized she's got several things going for her, which I why I've kept the deck around for so long.
Ramp/Consistency
Low Cost
The last sub-category is her synergy with Birthing Pod. the Pod is great. I have a decent chain to work my way up through in this deck, but it all starts with Radha. She's tied for the lowest-costed creatures in the deck, but she's the Commander, so whenever I draw the Pod, I can start a chain. An early pod usually means I'm in for a good, aggressive game, full of all the big creatures I want to see.
How to play the deck, along with what this deck does and does not do:
Radha's nonthreatening appearance gives the deck consistent access to extra mana in the early turns, letting us ramp effectively and consistently. The consistent early game Radha provides means that we go into the mid-and-late games how we want - with plenty of mana at our disposal and able to drop threat after threat onto the table. This deck aims to win using big creatures swinging at your opponents. In this day of 'enters the battlefield" triggers, what's more fun than actually turning a beater sideways and swinging?
It's possible to draw into an early Birthing pod . When I have a Pod in the first turns, Radha usually ends up in it. If I need land, I grab Yavimaya Elder; if i need re-usuable artifact hate, I grab Viashino Heretic; if I can get to 6 mana, I generally Pod for Fierce Empath, grabbing Primeval Titan. The Empath then becomes Anger, who becomes who becomes whatever I need (sac outlet? Magmaw; removal? Acidic Slime; etc). Getting a Radha-based Pod started early leads to aggressive games.
One of the deck's major weakness is probably a lack of recursion and tutors, which I'm actually ok with and not looking to improve. The low tutor count means that the same creatures don't show up every time, and the low recursion count means that when a card leaves play, it's usually gone; you need to find something else. It's a weakness, but a fun and challenging one that means that each game really IS different, although the plan of the deck stays the same (ramp; play creatures; turn sideways).
The other weakness is a lack of a dedicated control element. Again, I'm ok with that, though I'm considering testing a few more controlish cards. This deck wants to be the aggressor and force you to answer its threats; not the other way around.
Important Cards/MVPs
Primeval Titan - We're not looking to win the game with just Prime Time. As noted, the deck doesn't have a lot of recursion, so the goal with using him isn't to get him out early, it's to use him at the best possible time. I aim to use him as a large, devastating ramp effect, and try to play him only when I have a haste outlet and sacrifice outlet on hand (blue-based theft via enchantment (like Mind Control) is common in my meta. Making sure I have both outlets means that I get 4 lands and probably beat for six, while avoiding someone cloning or stealing him.
Molimo, Maro-sorcerer - I see him in very few lists, but this guy is a beast for green, generally being 15/15 or greater in most of the games I play. That size, coupled with Warstorm Surge and Soul's Fire is a lot of fun, which is what this deck is all about.
Vengeful Rebirth - my favorite recursion spell. It's narrow, it's clunky, but it is fun. since we're usually grabbing some big creature to smash-face with, the extra damage is icing on the proverbial cake.
There are a few great interactions in the deck that I want to point out, since I don't see them pop up in other deck lists:
The Auras:
Rancor, Fiery Mantle, Dragon Breath, Dragon Fangs
The auras are all easily recurred by themselves. While the deck might not see the same creatures over and over again, everything you play should generally have firebreathing, trample and haste.
Notable exceptions/exclusions
Taiga/Stomping Ground - I'm still a casual player at heart. I understand the value of land and balancing your curve and such, but I'm not going to drop $30 on a card, let alone $60 more.
Watchlist
Soul's Majesty - Great draw for a deck full of big creatures, provided someone doesn't have spot removal. It will probably go in if I can find something to cut for it.
Raging Ravine, Treetop Village - I don't have copies of these. I should probably pick them up - they seem like they would be solid additions, especially since I have Prime Time already.
That's all I have for now. Please critique! But keep in mind that a) I'm not on an explicit budget, but am not actively looking to make drastic changes to the deck, b) your meta is not my meta - we're a touch insular, but this deck embodies the big beats and big plays that my group likes to happen in Commander; as I said, we all have a big streak of Timmy in us. Other than that, have at it! Thanks for reading!
Phelddagrif - Hippopolitics!
Barrin, Master Wizard counts as a Wizard
Radha, Heir to Fun
To be posted soon....
Ulasht, the Hate Seed
Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper
Vaevictis Asmadi (Pauper)
So, after 100+ views, does anybody have any thoughts? Since this is my go-to loaner deck, I was hoping to get some advice on primarily two things:
1) Any fun beaters I may have missed, given the breadth of the card selection for this format? Maybe fun Timmy cards, or cards you distinctly remember drawing you into the game? (Shivan Dragon almost made the cut for nostalgia, but ultimately got beat out by Predator Dragon.. darn power creep.)
2) Radha basically amounts to a (slightly) beefier Llanowar Elf. Since this is my go-to loaner deck, I wanted something that didn't auto-lose when the Commander was tucked or otherwise not on the field, so that the new guy could still actually play the game. Any suggestions on how to make her more relevant in the mid-to-late game?
With the build currently, she generally comes out turn 2 to help smooth out my start and provide a consistent ramp effect every game.. but she really only shows up later if you fail to draw into a good beater. She works ok with the aura set I'm running, due to the resiliency of the auras I chose, but outside of that or grabbing Loxodon Warhammer after a board wipe, she's mostly irrelevant outside of the early game. Since this is Commander, it seems a disservice for a deck intended to introduce new players to the format to have a Commander that mostly just sits around after the first board wipe. I was considering possibly adding another piece of equipment or two, but am not sure what would be worth running. Empyrial Plate perhaps? This deck usually has around 4-6 Cards in hand most of the time.
Phelddagrif - Hippopolitics!
Barrin, Master Wizard counts as a Wizard
Radha, Heir to Fun
To be posted soon....
Ulasht, the Hate Seed
Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper
Vaevictis Asmadi (Pauper)
LAND:
- 1 Evolving Wilds
- 1 Kazandu Refuge
- 1 Shivan Oasis
- 1 Terramorphic Expanse
+ 1 Fire-Lit Thicket
+ 1 Stomping Grounds
+ 1 Wooded Foothills
+ 1 Taiga
AURA:
- 1 Fiery Mantle
+ 1 Runes of the Deus
INSTANT:
- 1 Slice in Twain
- 1 Naturalize
+ 1 Krosan Grip
+ 1 Nature's Claim
SORCERY:
- 1 Growth Spasm
- 1 Recollect
- 1 Rampant Growth
- 1 Vengeful Rebirth
+ 1 Skyshroud Claim
+ 1 Regrowth
+ 1 Restock
+ 1 Ranger's Path
... all I really have time to address right now (at work), but will come back later and look over the other areas. One thing I would say is, make sure you're using Radha's ability to max. The more you can utilize that, the more successful she's be for you.
Land: Those are all strict upgrades to the cuts you suggested, but I have none of them, and have no interest in spending $20 or more on a land. I understand the synergy and arguments for including those lands, but the monetary cost to me as a casual player with a casual meta isn't worth it. Of those suggestions though, I completely forgot Fire-Lit Thicket. I'll see if I can get my hands on one, as that should be easy to acquire.
Aura: I love the divine aura cycle from that block, and it would definitely boost Radha. I'll add it for testing, though the usually reusable fire-breathing effect has worked too well to just cut outright. Generally, my creatures tend to be larger than any of my opponents, so the ability I want in my finishers is Trample, which most of the green finishers already have. The double-strike is awesome, but if my dragons are getting chump-blocked, I'd rather slap Fiery Mantle on a trampler a few times over a few turns and try to power through some damage. The fact that Fiery Mantle works as I want it to every time makes me hesitant to cut it.
Instant: Again, nice suggestions. Both are decent upgrades. I don't have a Krosan Grip, but I also can't think of any artifacts that I need the split second for, despite it's general usefulness. If I pick one up I'll consider it, but I do like drawing a card after destroying something, especially as this deck doesn't have lots of card-draw. I wasn't playing Worldwake when it was released, and never bought any packs of it as the price was hugely inflated by Jace. I dd not know Nature's Claim existed. I'll make the change as soon as I find one.
Sorcery: Again, every suggestion you have made has had merit. Most of the choices here for ramp/recursion were dictated from card availability. I'm reorganizing my decks, so as I find these, I'll make the switches. The only thing out of this section that I won't change right now is Restock for Vengeful Rebirth. I have a spare Restock, and I agree that it's a better card overall, but every time this deck has been played, someone has drawn this, looked puzzled while reading it, then laughed maniacally as they picked up something Artisan of Kozilek from their graveyard. As I tried to explain in the original post, most of the plays my meta enjoys are Timmy-inspired, and this is a definite nod in that direction.
Again, all solid suggestions, especially on the ramp-side. Utilizing the bigger 4cc ramp cards is definitely the way to go it with Radha. I think I'll even set about finding room for Explosive Vegetation
I'll make the changes as I find/acquire the cards, and if anyone else has other suggestions for cuts/adds, please post!
Phelddagrif - Hippopolitics!
Barrin, Master Wizard counts as a Wizard
Radha, Heir to Fun
To be posted soon....
Ulasht, the Hate Seed
Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper
Vaevictis Asmadi (Pauper)
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
I posted the deck as-is, and like I said, there were some issues around card availability. I felt a bit foolish when I was rambling on about how consistent she made our opening turns, only to have RWF_Less suggest the staple 4cc ramp carts. I totally overlooked them, and they are going in as soon as I find the time to physically make the changes because they are absolutely worth running, even if you're just grabbing basics. Huzzah for the forums!
I'm still toying with ideas about how to make Radha more important in the mid-to-late game, which basically translates to: "How best can I make her beefy?" I'm thinking that some kind of equipment package would be worth exploring in the future, possibly even replacing my pet aura cards eventually. I don't have any of the go-to Swords, but then again, EDH has a huge card pool, and it's more fun to play something roguish than something full of staples. So, with that in mind, does anyone have any favorite (preferably non-staple) equips?
Phelddagrif - Hippopolitics!
Barrin, Master Wizard counts as a Wizard
Radha, Heir to Fun
To be posted soon....
Ulasht, the Hate Seed
Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper
Vaevictis Asmadi (Pauper)
- Snake Umbra + Soul's Majesty I like the totem effect, but often I needed to play it just for the draw effect, and only would connect with something once or twice. It's not repeatable draw, but I need to test Soul's Majesty.
- Recollect + Regrowth Regrowth is a strict upgrade, and I'm not running much recursion, so I might as well use the good stuff.
- Elvish Visionary + Empyrial Plate Testing out more equipment. The elf is one of my favorite creatures, but isn't stellar in a deck that wants to drop big beaters.
- Growth Spasm, Far Wanderings, Rampant Growth + Skyshroud Claim, Explosive Vegetation, Ranger's Path. Far Wanderings could be a better deal, but I never seemed to have threshold when I wast it, so it comes out to round out the 4cc ramp spells.
I'm thinking about cutting Bear Umbra and Hellkite Charger. I like the idea of a combo win via infinite combat steps, especially one that I have no way to really tutor up, but I think that trick would work better elsewhere. The combo is unreliable to start, and the components just don't really fit the deck. All untapping my lands would do is tempt me to overextend, and an extra combat step could be a neat trick with something like Primeval Titan, but doesn't mean much if I'm not swinging with a horde. Any suggestions of what to add in their places if I do cut them?
Phelddagrif - Hippopolitics!
Barrin, Master Wizard counts as a Wizard
Radha, Heir to Fun
To be posted soon....
Ulasht, the Hate Seed
Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper
Vaevictis Asmadi (Pauper)