For the last few months I've been having a lot of fun with, and I wanted to share it with you. So this deck is a bit of a primer (work with me, it's my first) but also a request for feedback. So I'd like to know what can change, what would be swapped out, what should be included.
I'm really proud of what I built and it took quite a bit of time and effort. But I'm still not satisfied, so any feedback you people have, I'm game!
Kozilek, who draws all the cards.
Commander
Well, that's obvious, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth. The reason I chose him is twofold. The first one was because I had one lying around, not doing anything. So I figured I'd put him to good use. The second reason is, from all colourless commanders, he does what I want most. He's utility. You could argue Ulamog also is utility. But Ulamog is a Vindicate, and while that is nothing to scoff at, it only takes care of one problem per casting. Kozilek gives me four cards, which is four options. Personally I think four options is better than one solution.
Mana Stuff
Chromatic Lantern: Okay, this seems like an odd duck in a deck that doesn't use colours. But here's the rub, some lands in this deck don't tap for mana, and with Lantern out, they do! Besides, a three-mana rock isn't bag as long as they have an upside!
Sol Ring: I shouldn't have to explain why two colourless for one mana is a good thing.
Sisay's Ring: It's like a worse Sol Ring, very worse Sol Ring. But for four mana investment a two mana return, it could be worse. I've played worse. If I could, I'd swap it out for a second Sol Ring, but I can't.
Fellwar Stone/Prismatic Lens/Mind Stone: A two drop rock that produces one mana. I love the games when it is: "Turn 1, Thespian's Stage, Sol Ring, Fellwar Stone, Pass.". Yes, it produces mana of the opponent's colour, but it doesn't matter.
Plague Myr: It's like the Fellwar Stone and its ilk, but with infect and a creature. It's mostly just another rock that "enters tapped" but it does it nicely. Plus I got a shiny one, which is another reason to play it.
Palladium Myr: It's basically Sisay's Ring, but on a creature. What goes for Plague Myr goes for Palladium
Cloud Key: Drop it for artifacts and you'll happily cast even faster!
Helm of Awakening: The acceleration goes for your opponents as well, but with Cloud Key and Semblance Anvil in your deck you can often outrace them. Plus a little goodwill is not a bad thing.
Semblance Anvil: If you can spare it, chuck an Artifact creature under there and you'll cast both for two cheaper. It works really well and always makes me smile when it resolves.
Blinkmoth Urn: Blinkmoth Urn is a card I'm on the fence about. Yes it gives me more value, but it also delivers a lot of value to your opponents. If I can find a replacement for it that does something cool, I'd be willing to swap it.
Unwinding Clock: You know how people hate cards like Prophet of Kruphix and Seedborn Muse? Well, here's your very own version of it!
Card Draw
Mind's Eye: This deck can produce enough mana to happily keep drawing whenever your opponents do. Of course you'll pay that one mana ;).
Staff of Nin: It's solid, reliable carddraw. It does exactly what it says, plus if you're at the table with an annoying player, you can ping them once a turn.
Scroll Rack: Sometimes you just need to reload your hand. Sometimes you've got a hand full of duds. That's what Scroll Rack does.
Tower of Fortunes: It's like I casted Kozilek without casting Kozilek!
Urza's Blueprints: Yes, I know it's a bad card!
Temple Bell/Mikokoro, Center of the Sea: The deck needs cards, especially when it has plenty of mana, which it has quickly. These cards allows you to draw an extra card a round. Of course you give your opponents that advantage as well, but you can time when they get it.
Recursion
Being an artifact deck means you're weak to mass-artifact removal, which I see too often in the playgroup, so I built a bit of a recursion package in the deck.
Arcbound Reclaimer, Scarecrone and Myr Retriever.
The main recursion is with Reclaimer and the Scarecrone. Scarecrone lets you recur a creature for four mana. Which is reasonable. Reclaimer lets you top deck in exchange for 1 of its counters. If I have them both out, I top deck through Reclaimer and then recur Reclaimer with Scarecrone.
Myr Retriever is there to return one of these cards to your hand when they get inevitably blown up.
Buried Ruins: Sometimes you just need that artifact back and it's worth trading a land for it!
Removal
Karn Liberated: Why yes, of course I want a catch-all removal in colourless!
Ulamog, the infinite Gyre: It's Vindicate. Another catch-all removal in colourless. It works so very well.
Spine of Ish Sah: I feel I'm getting repititive...
Null Brooch: The only counter-effect this deck has. It's not really removal, but it's a good emergency button.
Copy effects
Sculpting Steel: It just allows me to mimic whatever I have and need. Most of the time it just turns into another mana rock. There are also situations you want to copy Spine of Ish Sah, or a Null Brooch.
Mirrorworks: Has anybody told you how stupidly broken this card is? I copy artifacts I don't even need if I have the mana!
Flash Effects
Every deck can use speed, this isn't the exception.
Shimmer Myr and Vedalken Orrery allow me to just throw things in. I'd rather have Orrery on the field than the Shimmer Myr, but in a pinch both will do!
Tutor Effects
Planar Portal: Yes, I love this card in this deck. Especially with Unwinding Clock! I get to tutor every turn, sometimes even twice!
Kuldotha Forgemaster: I know it's good, but I don't like sacrificing my own artifacts for another one, but sometimes you just have to.
Eye of Ugin: You didn't think it just worked on Eldrazi, did you? You can use it to tutor up recursion, Ulamog, Kozilek if he's tucked or just about anything else.
Beaters
Ulamog's Crushes, Colossus of Akros, Darksteel Colossus, Darksteel Juggernaut, Lodestone Myr, Myr Battlesphere, Pathrazer of Ulamog, Thopter Assembly, Wurmcoil Engine.
All the above cards are pretty interchangeable with other colourless creatures. The two Colossi and the Juggernaut are pretty hot though, since their indestructibility. The Wurmcoil Engine is just value everytime.
Platinum Angel: It's more than just a beater, it's also a safety net if you really, really need it.
Boardwhipes
Nevinyrral's Disk: Darksteel Forge Disk=<3. It's such a dirty combination. But Nevinyrral's Disk is your blow up everything button.
All is Dust: Here's the more favourable boardwhipe. Even gets around indestructible creatures and shizzle. Works great with It That Betrays...
Repeat Effects
Strionic Resonator: You know how nasty Annihilator 4 is? How about a double Annihilator 4?
Rings of Brighthearth: Copying the recursion or a plethora of other options.
Lands
I'm going to name the few specific lands. With a colourless deck you have a surprising number of lands you can still use.
A big thing in my deck is land destruction. I barely use it, but a lot of colourless lands have land destruction function, and it's a great political threat. It also is just fun to shut down the guy with the Cabal Coffers!
Manlands are there for essentially the same reason I have targeted land destruction
Eldrazi Support: Eldrazi Temple, Eye of Ugin and Cavern of Souls are there to make sure Kozilek lands softly. They have some other utility, but that's why they're here.
Homeward Path: They're my Eldrazi! You don't get to play with my Eldrazi!
Maze of Ith/Mystifying Maze: If I can avoid a hit, I'll gladly do so.
Thespian's Stage/Vesuva: Copying a Urzatron land, Maze of Ith or an opponent's Reliquary Tower is just useful.
Play plan
While the deck has a lot going on, it's not very complicated to run. You basically ramp the hell out of the boardstate. You use Kozilek and his card-drawing friends to fill your hand and you dump them on the field. You get Darksteel Forge out and Unwinding Clock with Nev Disk. You proceed to blow the proverbial shit out of the battlefield until it looks like Blasted Landscape. Then you go ahead and drop more threats and beat the heck out of your opponent.
I'm still looking for new playlines and wincons for this deck...
Cards I'm on the fence on/Cards that I want to replace with other options:
Blinkmoth Urn
Everflowing Challice
Myr Turbine
Staff of Domination
Urza's Blueprints
Ulamag's Crusher
Thopter Assembly
Pathrazer of Ulamog
Mycosynth Golem
Arcbound Ravager
*Sidenote:
I hope this was useful and clear. If you have questions or suggestions for upgrades, please tell me! I'm looking for feedback!
Subreddit
Post Details
- Posted
- 9 years ago
- Reddit URL
- View post on reddit.com
- External URL
- reddit.com/r/EDH/comment...