Comeatmebra, Planeswalking Cabal
This is my EDH Planeswalker deck. I created this deck due to my love for the planeswalker subtype. I made this deck to be fun and to fit a planeswalker heavy theme. It is not a tier 1 or super competitive deck so it may have trouble facing decks of those power levels (over 9000?).
The goal of this deck is to use the nature of planeswalkers to command the board. What I mean by this is that while planeswalkers can be interacted with, they are a bit harder to outright destroy then other permanents (in my experience). Because of this, walkers can also be used as a sort of health buffer. Since your opponents will most likely use either creatures or burn to kill the planeswalkers, you gain time to build up a stronger presence (unless they can out damage our ability to repopulate the board). This being the case, this deck is a midrangey (coining it) deck that also leans a bit towards control. It has trouble with aggro decks that can just blow it out of the water before it can get settled and combo decks that win out of nowhere. It mainly uses board wipes to deal with early game threats along with various walker abilities to help clear/stabilize to board.
The commander in this deck is really only there to enable five colors so that I can play any planeswalker.
Currently I am using
Cromat
for my commander since he has the most utility if I end up needing to cast him. I also have
Child of Alara
in case I feel a bit froggy and feel I might need to cast her for deterrence (this has rarely happened). Progenitus is also a commander I have thought about using but have not really ponied up the money to buy just yet. I avoid Sliver Hivelord purely on principle since I have a special place of loathing set aside in my black heart for all sliver cards. If you want to run Maelstrom Wanderer in this deck, then Horde of Notions can be an excellent commander since he will allow you to recast wanderer from your graveyard!
So far I have two of the new oaths
Oath of Gideon
&
Oath of Nissa
along with
Call the Gatewatch. I am currently trying out these cards to see how they play and if I want to keep them in the deck. I am also thinking about
Oath of Jace since it enables a potentially large scry along with a smidgen of draw, but I did not want to go over board just yet. I am not thrilled about
Oath of Chandra as it doesn't seem to do enough to affect the board or life totals in commander.
There are a few lands that I am still looking to get, namely the dual lands along with the more pricey fetch lands from the original zendikar block. Lands such as
Transguild Promenade are in there to both fix mana and allow
Reflecting Pool to hit all mana.
All of the temples are included as well and I'm not sure how I feel about that. They might also be removed for fetch/duals as well.
Looking at the mana curve I can see that this deck struggles with operating early game unless its able to get a sol ring or something of the like. I am open to ideas about how to fix this, but I wonder how much this needs to be fixed. My first thought when seeing this curve is OMG THIS DECK SUXARS! but since it is looking to respond to early game threats due to board wipes and thine walkers, it may be just fine. I would love to hear what everyone one else thinks.
In this section I will break down why I have certain walkers included along with some I am on the fence about. For future reference, when I mention ults I am referring to the last (and often the most powerful) ability.
- While have am currently running this walker, I think he is the first walker I will cut if I decide to add something else. His +1 that searches for other walkers is nice, and I have rarely whiffed on it but the rest of his abilities are a bit week. His ult, while nice, isn't as powerful in commander due to commander damage and the prevalence of instant win combos.
Ajani Steadfast - I personally love this walker, every time I have been able to ult him (besides once) people either concede or I win shortly after. Plus he has the ability to ramp out other walkers if they are close to their own ults, I likes it a-lot.
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver - I have gone back and forth on this creepy fellow. There are time I want to sub him out for something else then when I get in a game, and I'm able to play him on turn 3 he shows me why I keep him in. His potential to remove then possibly take a game changing creature has led me to keep him in the deck. He is also a low costing walker (not many of those) and, if nothing else, he can draw some threats towards himself and away from some other walkers.
Chandra, the Firebrand - Out of all the Chandras I chose this version simply on the basis that she can copy any instant/sorcery I cast. Double Demonic Tutor? Bribery? or Time Warp/Temporal Mastery? YES PLEASE! Plus she is so unassuming that I have had people overlook her only to have her combo out and kill everyone (see Combo S'mombo below).
Dack Fayden - He is my most recent walker addition to this deck, so I haven't played as much with him as with the others. His main draw is his -2 steal artifact ability. I think this kind of speaks for itself, having 1 Gilded Lotus is good, but 2 or more is a bit better. His ult is not very useful in this deck since there are really no spells that target permanents, and his +1 can either be used as draw, or to awkwardly mill someone.
Elspeth, Sun's Champion - I really like this Elspeth, she puts out blockers to protect the walker cabal, while also being a "kill all big things" on a stick. Her ult is not too bad, since there are a number of walkers that can generate tokens, it has the potential to be a win con.
Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury - Her +2 not only puts out blockers, but ones that can help ramp... yum. Her -2 has been one of the more useful walker abilities and the one I mainly use her for, since this deck doesn't doesnt really have any spot removal for enchantments. Her ult is not very useful in this deck, but still has potential since a good amount of tokens other walkers put out happen to be green (satyrs, beasts, druids).
Garruk, Apex Predator - Every since he was spoiled I thought to myself, I NEEDS ONE! I mean who else has so many options? His +1 that puts out a 3/3 beast with deathtouch is one of the better tokens in this deck, while is other +1 is less used though more satisfying in my experience (Oh, you played a planeswalker... get outa here, this is my turf sun). His -3 has gotten me out of some tight spots, as it not only destroys a threat but also bolsters a potentially dwindling health pool. I have never been able to ult him but its a good way to put a bounty on another players head, incentivize others to focus someone else, and a way of saying "well if I'm not going to win this game, neither are you!"
Garruk Wildspeaker - This is probably my favorite Garruk when you look at value. +1 to untap 2 lands? uhhhh hells yeah! Hes one of the few ways to ramp in this deck and he also can boost our token defenders (I like the sound of that) with 3/3 beasts. I have never used his ult and don't really ever plan to unless I can win by using it (haven't been in that position yet).
Gideon, Champion of Justice - The Gideons of the world are all kind of samey to me, so I chose this one due to his reaction when I drop him (opponent reads card and says "hell na, I ain't letting that ult go off!"). So his use is either to become a big dude and hit people in the face (rare), get off his ult after he becomes said big dude (more rare), or to sit there and soak damage (most likely). I am considering some other Gideons but honestly I have become comfortable with him and haven't done much work on that front.
Jace, Memory Adept - Until very recently I was using this Jace along with the one on the sideboard, and I will probably switch them out at times to see which one I like the best. I chose this one due to his +1 drawing a card, while milling an opponent, which tends not to draw too much hate unless something nice happens to get milled. His 0 ability I love (mill is my second favorite mechanic) and with rings it can get a bit oppressive but it can also generate a bit more hate so I tend to use it sparingly. His ult is wonderful, you can finish off an opponent with it and rings, or use it to fill your hand when Reliquary Tower is on the board.
Karn Liberated - Its Karn... need I say more? Well I will, he exiles whatever he damn well pleases and if he gets his ult off a good amount of people might just scoop, I call that a win-win!
Kiora, the Crashing Wave - Kiora is one of the cheaper walkers, and can be used to ramp out a bit through her -1 ability. Her +1 helps protect the walker cabal, and her ult is just great if you happen to get it off. I have never personally gotten to that point, since I mostly use her to draw/ramp and that leaves little room to build towards the ult. She also is one of the few walkers that cannot ult as soon as she is put down while Doubling Season is out =(.
Liliana Vess - Besides being a sexy beast, having a tutor on a stick is a pretty awesome thing to have. I mainly use her for her -2 but her +1 is nice to help whittle away the opponents hand, especially if they happen to be a combo player. I have gotten her to ult a few times and it is a wonderful experience. Depending on the decks your facing, this can end the game straight away (didn't think you would see that Iona, Gisela, or god forbid Jin-Gitaxias again huh?).
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker - This might be the single most oppressive/grown-worthy walkers. His +3 KILLS A NONCREATURE PERMINANT! Excuse me for raising my voice but dang, this guy is a beast. But theres a creature I need to get rid of you say? Well lets just get him on our side! Thats right his -2 takes control of any creature, its a good thing too since our opponent just droped Avacyn, Angel of Hope! His ult will just most likely cause whoever gets targeted by it to concede, gotta love the Bolas!
Ob Nixilis Reignited - I orignally had the Ob Nixilis that is currently on the side board in here, but once this lovely beast was released I decided to swap the other one out for him. I mainly did this for the draw mechanic and the fact that this Nixilis can spot remove creatures. A token generator is lost, but there are a good amount of those floating around in here. His ult I love, it can kill an opponent pretty quickly since its whenever anyone draws a card, It can stall those pesky decks that looove to draw, and, like the Apex Predator, It can be used as a good "I'm taking you with me!" last gasp.
Ral Zarek - Now I like me some good ole chaos/chance (go figure), and this fella right here gives me a sip of it. His +1 is nice to both disrupt our opponent (taping lands/artifacts is always fun) as well as to help us produce more mana or activations. His -2 can be useful in some situation when spot removal is needed for a relatively weak creature, or even as a bit on burn if necessary. His ult is why I loves him, flip some coins... take some extra turns... I like dem odds!
Sarkhan Unbroken - I originally had the Sarkhan that can be seen in the maybeboard, though I was not pleased with his performance. This guy is a bit more utility rather than aggro, and his +1 not only draws a card but produces a mana of any color (I see someone learnt something from Kiora). His -2 puts out a 4/4 flying dragon on the board with his one of the more useful tokens, since it can intercept those pesky flyers. His ult is completely useless in this deck which is too bad.
Sorin Markov - One of my favs, and I bet you can guess why. Oh your life is at 123.... well Sorin says go to ten! Yes this is one of the better planeswalker abilities in the deck. This can cause almost anyone to fall into "kill range" and since it just sets their life to ten rather than using damage or life loss, its almost impossible to prevent. Another neat trick is to use it to keep yourself alive (I have had to do this once or twice) when under ten life. Its an odd way to gain life but whatever keeps us from dying right? His +1 is useful to ping people with while slowly building up more life. His ult is wonderful and can really disrupt an opponent, though whenever I have used it ends up being more of a turn skip than a board/plan ruiner but that's my experience.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage - She is one of the walkers that has preformed very well for me. Her +1 disrupts opponents well and her -2 can enable a good amount of card drawn depending on the type of deck you are facing. Her ult is where she has really come through for me. Not only does it give you no maximum hand size (F you Jin-Gitaxias) but it makes it so you can be more aggressive with how you use your walkers. Since all cards are returned to your hand when they hit the graveyard, you don't have to worry about protection as much. Oh and mill loses its luster after this emblem hits the field!
Teferi, Temporal Archmage - This is the best commander walker they printed in the past commander set, he is just amazing. His +1 allows you to cycle through your library which is always great, but where he really shines is his -1. Oh untap 4 permanents? Please and thank you! This leads him to being involved in a few of the combos which will be highlighted in the section below (eventually). His ult makes this deck ridiculous, being able to activate walkers abilities as an instant gives insane board control as well as enabling walkers to activate their abilities once every turn! That is just insane! I have gotten this off once and a turn after, everyone conceded due to overwhelming amount of board control.
Tezzeret the Seeker - This is another walker that I absolutely love and see as an crux of this deck. His ult, while nice, is never really needed and I have never actually used it. But since he can tutor up all of our amazing artifacts (I'm looking at you rings and veil) as well as enable them to be activated multiple times per turn, he is the focal point of a few combos. With great dreads come great responsibility!
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - A counter part to the Bolas, Ugin is another walker that draws a lot of attention/hate as soon as he hits the board. His +2 is useful to remove creatures with low toughness or as a face burn, though his -X can happen to be one of the better boardwipes in the deck. Though its a double sided sword since it can also hit our permanents =(. His ult is wonderful and the opposite of Bolas, instead of decimating an opponent, it puts us into a great boardstate with much walkers, very fun... wow.
Venser, the Sojourner - Good ole Venser, he is an interesting one. His +2 allows us to bounce other walkers that are starting to get some bright ideas and have little loyalty left (always nice to bounce a freshly ulted walker). His -1 is not very useful but it can be used to help a certain creature survive longer (I'm looking at you Narset..), though his ult is ridiculous... cast a spell and exile thine permanent... uhhh can has mor?
Vraska the Unseen - This sexy gorgon beast protects herself from encroaching creatures by destroying them if they dare touch her. Though where she really shines is her -3 where she can spot remove any nonland permanent. He ult is just straight fun, three assassino's that can instantly kill people? Go my pretties!
Xenagos, the Reveler - Xeny, while not super powerful, has time and again proved himself to me when I play him. Most of the time its using his 0 to produce some stayers and then use his +1 to gimme some much needed mana. Because of this I cannot fault him, though his ult is not very useful in this deck, and if used can be very risky since any nonland/noncreature is exiled and we have a lot of those!
TLDR: Planeswalkers are totes awesome!
Next section to come is the Maybe-walkers. I will get to it after I recover from writing this small novel.
The combos in this deck are a bit janky, since they take a couple cards to get online. I am also still finding more combos as I play and have those "Eureka" moments so if anyone knows of a combo that I have not seen, please shout it out in the comments.
Tezzeret the Seeker + Rings of Brighthearth + The Chain Veil + Gilded Lotus: This enables you to have infinite planeswalker activation's. You use Tezzeret's ability to untap 2 artifacts (Chain and Lotus) then pay 2 for rings to copy it. This will give you 6 mana, 2 for the rings activation and 4 for the veil activiaton. From what I have read, you are able to stack veil's ability, and it also works for walkers that have yet to come onto the board. So if you activate veil 4 times, then play a walker, you can then activate their abilities 4 times as well.
Maybe Board Combos
Composite Golem + Nim Deathmantle
: You can sac golem then pay four mana from the colors that he provides to pay for deathmantles ability. This will provide infinite mana of every color! Thanks to iAzire for showing me this combo in the comments!
(more too come)
Currently there are a smattering of cards that I still need to buy. Some of these are listed below, some I might not know currently and that's where you fine fellows come in. If you think there is anything I am overlooking shout it out in the comments.
Coalition Relic This is just a great mana rock that I have (until recently) overlooked.
Jace, the Mind Sculptor He is an amazing walker (probably the best Jace), but his price makes him a bit elusive.
Vampiric Tutor A awesome tutor that I have had trouble finding and coming up with the money for. This would help make the deck more consistent since more tutors will help the deck produce what is needed, when it is needed.
Sylvan Library This is one of the best draw cards I have seen. If I end up getting this, I might swap it out for one of the other draw enchantments and see how it goes.
The more I play this deck, the more changes I shall inevitably make. This section will list those changes and the reasons for them. It will also be use to speculate on future changes and areas of focus.
Also thanks to Pucatrade I am in the process of foiling out this deck!
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