Hello everyone! My name is Chris, and this will be my first time sharing a build of my own online, so please bear with any mistakes. I have been taking a sabaticle from type 2 (not a fan of heavy agro formats) so I decided to pop my cherry with EDH. In this run down I will be going over some single card choices, as well as the combos I stuffed in the deck.
I will start off with explaining the general, Thraximundar. He isn't the most versitile commander, he doesn't protect himself, and he doesn't win by hitting the board. What he does bring is my favorite color combination, Grixis. The choice was between Thrax and Gurza Zol, Plague Queen. Gurza does create card advantage and has evassion, but Thraximundar's sacrifice effect is what made him the choice. He gets around hexproof and shroud, and if the game goes your way can win in 3 swings. To be honest I don't play him much, but there are times when I need the removal and just don't draw it.
The deck is a blue/black control/combo deck with a splash of red. I found the great red for EDH mostly attacks from a different angle, mostly using hasty guys and burn to tear an opponent down quickly. I included alot of my favorite cards and interactions. Alot of the cards are obvious; I.E. tutors, Eldrazi, planeswalkers, ect.
The first combo is by far my favorite. Laboratory Maniac and Demonic Consultation. I literally found this combo 10 hours ago while going through a random binder of black cards at my local shop, before then I had never even heard of Demonic Consultation. Like most combos, its pretty self explanitory. You play Laboratory Maniac, and at the end of your opponents turn play Demonic Consultation winning on your draw step (or you could play a draw spell after demonic consultation resolves and win, LOLing all over the room). The prefered situation is to have Teferi in play, or while gripping counter spells.
This one is a counter lock combo, that can really frustrate your opponent. Decree of Silence and Hex Parasite. This one is a little harder to get online since there is no way in the deck to cheat it into play and it costs so much. It is also easily to disrupte by playing 3 intants. The ideal way to get this going is to play the Decree of Silence first to protect your Hex Parasite. Through multiple plays I found the Parasite usually goes down in response to Decree, while protecting Decree usually requires 1 counter and can't be detroyed or bounced.
If you play this combo early enough I have found you usually win, as it makes it so your opponent can't draw cards unless they have a draw spell. Stranglehold and Maralen of the Mornsong. First of all the cool thing is Stranglehold is amazing all by itself, as EDH uses tons of tutors and fetches. WARNING: be very carefull when you play this. I played it just tonight when I thought I was safe at 23 life. Somehow my opponent managed to stall for 4 turns and got around my counter with a Banfire, which made me go sad face big time :(.....
The last one is fairly common. Stuffy Doll and Pariah's Shield. The idea is simple, choose an opponent, equip the shield. All damage dealt to you is dealt to Stuffy Doll, which is in turn dealt to your opponent. Its fun, but very easily disrupted.
Soul Burn - This card is an unfortunate must right now. I had a problem with rush decks with the original build, and needed additional ways to gain life relatively early. I had a limited time before the last tournament, and this was it. If anyone has any suggestions on a replacement I would very much appritiate it. I tried looking for Night of Souls' Betrayal, but couldnt find one.
Anarchy - This is the other card that is easily replaced. The only reason I have it in is because a guy at my local shop is playing heavy white Enchantress, and I needed a way recover and gain control. This card has been usefull sometimes, but over half the games it has been a dead card...
Curse of Echoes - This one I thought was pretty obvious, but several people have questioned its inclusion. To me this is an auto-include. Against control, if it lands you just win. You copy and counter all their counters, bounce spells and draw spells, basically turning all their advantage against them. Even against agro and ramp decks you gain a ton of advantage. Put some lands in play, burn something, remove a permanant... Theres no downside unless you run into a deck with no spells, which is unlikely. If nothing else its a flavor card, and I love it.
Void - This is another card I had never heard of before until recently. I liked the card originally, but I was unsure how good it was so I gave it a shot. After a few times of playing it, I would have to highly recomend it. There wasn't a single time I drew it when it didn't create huge advantage. Against aggro decks its usually a board sweep and lets you prepare for whats left in there hand. Against control you just choose 2 or 3 and if it doesn't just bait out a counter, it usually hits at least 1. Its casting cost is a little steep, but with its versatility I can't bring myself to take it out.
Take Possession - This card is AMAZING. I have to recomond it in any blue deck. Against any deck other than weenie rush it can just dominate a game. So your about to ultimate your planeswalker? Well just let me handle that for you! (I actually to a Mindsculpter on 13 counters on it to win, causing my opponent to walk out of the store). The fact that its split second is just rediculous, since they can't react until you pass priority, you always get value out of it.
As for the land, I share a collection with a couple of people. I would love to include all the best lands (Polluted Delta, Undergrowned Seas, ect). I sometimes include them, but we go with first to build get priority, so I am mostly without them and have to make due.
Thanks for reading everyone. If I made mistakes, or sounded a little overconfident I appologize. I would greatly appritiate any feedback, comments, or suggestions. Thanks again everyone!
(If someone has a similar deck I appologize, I don't search too many deck lists)
