Niv-Mizzet, Passive Ping-Win | V-CLB

Commander / EDH Control Infinite Combo Multiplayer Theme/Gimmick UR (Izzet) Wizards

Beebles

Lands (37)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Cascade Bluffs
• 1x Castle Vantress
• 1x Command Tower
• 5x Island
• 1x Izzet Boilerworks
• 3x Mountain
• 1x Myriad Landscape
• 1x Mystic Sanctuary
• 1x Otawara, Soaring City
• 1x Path of Ancestry
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Riptide Laboratory
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 1x Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
• 1x Shivan Reef
• 1x Silverbluff Bridge
• 1x Spirebluff Canal
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Stormcarved Coast
• 1x Sulfur Falls
• 1x Surtland Frostpyre
• 1x Tectonic Edge
• 1x Thawing Glaciers
• 1x Tolaria West
• 1x Training Center
• 1x Volatile Fjord
• 1x Winding Canyons

Tutors (6)

• 1x Imperial Recruiter
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Solve the Equation
• 1x Tezzeret the Seeker
• 1x Trinket Mage

A Pinguin's Best Friend (3)

• 1x Basilisk Collar
• 1x Chandra's Ignition
• 1x Gorgon's Head

Protection (2)

• 1x Champion's Helm
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots

Interaction (16)

• 1x Chaos Warp
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Delayed Blast Fireball
• 1x Electrodominance
• 1x Evacuation
• 1x Goblin Sharpshooter
• 1x Hullbreaker Horror
• 1x Into the Core
• 1x Oblivion Stone
• 1x Otawara, Soaring City
• 1x Prismari Command
• 1x Resculpt
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 1x Soul-Guide Lantern
• 1x Tectonic Edge
• 1x Volcanic Offering

Draw/Filter (13)

• 1x Archmage Emeritus
• 1x Chemister's Insight
• 1x Commander's Insight
• 1x Fact or Fiction
• 1x Insight
• 1x Midnight Clock
• 1x Mystic Confluence
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Niv-Mizzet, Parun
• 1x Nivix Guildmage
• 1x Prismari Command
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top

Do It Again (7)

• 1x Crystal Shard
• 1x Cursed Mirror
• 1x Deadeye Navigator
• 1x Harmonic Prodigy
• 1x Hullbreaker Horror
• 1x Riptide Laboratory
• 1x Sublime Epiphany

Recursion (3)

• 1x Archaeomancer
• 1x Snapcaster Mage
• 1x Torrential Gearhulk

Commander (1)

More Mana (14)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Burnished Hart
• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Cursed Mirror
• 1x Izzet Signet
• 1x Liquimetal Torque
• 1x Midnight Clock
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Reset
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Spell Swindle
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Wayfarer's Bauble

Counters (8)

• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Cryptic Command
• 1x Hullbreaker Horror
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Mystic Confluence
• 1x Spell Swindle
• 1x Sublime Epiphany
• 1x Venser, Shaper Savant

Copy (5)

• 1x Cursed Mirror
• 1x Dualcaster Mage
• 1x Nivix Guildmage
• 1x Reiterate
• 1x Sublime Epiphany

Flash (2)

• 1x Electrodominance
• 1x Liberator, Urza's Battlethopter

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Maybeboard

Draw/Filter (13)

• 1x Archmage's Charm
• 1x Barrin, Tolarian Archmage
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Consecrated Sphinx
• 1x Frantic Search
• 1x Impulse
• 1x Izzet Charm
• 1x Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
• 1x Nezahal, Primal Tide
• 1x Supreme Will
• 1x The Locust God
• 1x Triskaidekaphile
• 1x Wavebreak Hippocamp

A Pinguin's Best Friend (7)

• 1x Batterskull
• 1x Dismiss into Dream
• 1x Gorgon Flail
• 1x Polymorphist's Jest
• 1x Shadowspear
• 1x Sigil of Sleep
• 1x The Locust God

Counter (4)

• 1x An Offer You Can't Refuse
• 1x Insidious Will
• 1x Mana Drain
• 1x Swan Song

Counter & Copy (4)

• 1x Archmage's Charm
• 1x Draining Whelk
• 1x Familiar's Ruse
• 1x Mirage Mirror

More Pings (3)

• 1x Bogardan Hellkite
• 1x Inferno Titan
• 1x Ronin Cliffrider

Ramp (2)

• 1x Coalition Relic
• 1x Thought Vessel

Pillows (1)

• 1x Propaganda

Interaction (13)

• 1x Barrin, Tolarian Archmage
• 1x Capsize
• 1x Confounding Conundrum
• 1x Leadership Vacuum
• 1x Phyrexian Revoker
• 1x Pongify
• 1x Rapid Hybridization
• 1x Reality Shift
• 1x Reins of Power
• 1x Relic of Progenitus
• 1x Scour from Existence
• 1x Starstorm
• 1x Word of Seizing

More Mana (6)

• 1x Commander's Sphere
• 1x Darksteel Ingot
• 1x Dockside Extortionist
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Sword of Feast and Famine
• 1x Thran Dynamo

Tutors (5)

• 1x Godo, Bandit Warlord
• 1x Long-Term Plans
• 1x Spellseeker
• 1x Trophy Mage
• 1x Vedalken Aethermage

Flash (4)

• 1x Leyline of Anticipation
• 1x Shimmer Myr
• 1x Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
• 1x Vedalken Orrery

Counters (2)

• 1x Dismiss
• 1x Overwhelming Intellect

Protection (2)

• 1x Darksteel Plate
• 1x Veilstone Amulet

Recursion (1)

• 1x Archaeomender

Lands (12)

• 1x Arcane Lighthouse
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Great Furnace
• 1x Grixis Panorama
• 1x Halimar Depths
• 1x Riverglide Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Spire of Industry
• 1x Temple of Epiphany
• 1x Tower of the Magistrate
• 1x Wandering Fumarole
• 1x Wooded Foothills

Other (12)

• 1x Dig Through Time
• 1x Glimmer of Genius
• 1x Grafted Exoskeleton
• 1x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip
• 1x Keep Watch
• 1x Lat-Nam's Legacy
• 1x Mimic Vat
• 1x Rack and Ruin
• 1x Stroke of Genius
• 1x Telling Time
• 1x Thirst for Knowledge
• 1x Turnabout

Copy (3)

• 1x Aboleth Spawn
• 1x Insidious Will
• 1x Stunt Double

Do It Again (3)

• 1x Barrin, Tolarian Archmage
• 1x Erratic Portal
• 1x Familiar's Ruse

Draw (1)

• 1x Anticipate

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"Don't just have your turn... Have all of them!"

—Niv-Mizzet

Well, that's probably not exactly what he said ;)...

Hello there and welcome to my Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius build.

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This is not a highly competitive deck, but rather a more restrained Niv-Mizzet list aiming to make a version that can be played in more casual settings, while still having strong control options and some combo potential and embracing the draw-go playstyle.

It's always my turn

For this deck I focussed on flash as the main theme, choosing instants over often stronger sorcery-equivalents, and adding cards that either have flash (e.g. Venser, Shaper Savant) or that give flash to other cards (e.g. Leyline of Anticipation), resulting into a deck that you can play almost entirely during your opponent's turns.

The ideal turn is untap-upkeep-draw-land-pass, leaving open all mana as long as possible. This enables a reactive playstyle and should also lead to a pillowfort-like effect: "don't mess with me, and I won't mess with you".

Playing reactively only works well with a lot of cards in hand, preferably cards that can serve multiple purposes (e.g. Muddle the Mixture, Crystal Shard, Mystic Confluence, Trinket Mage). In one word: options; so either many cards or cards that do many things. Preferably both.

The Passive Dragon Lurks

So the deck waits to spend mana unless it's absolutely necessary, aims to control the game, and needs to draw a lot of cards. Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius works perfectly with this playstyle, as he gives you a great mana-dump ability to either control the board or to increase your options.

Ideally, you have an untapped mana base and a bunch of cards in hand, with Niv just sitting there, staring opponents in the face with his ability. If needed, you counter or destroy things that are an immediate threat to you. If not, you empty your mana at the eot of the previous player to fill up your hand.

The deck runs ways to enhance Niv's ability, such as Basilisk Collar. However, it's better to only use those combo's defensively and in moderation during the early and mid game. With this deck I try to be seen as someone not to mess with, not as the main threat of the game. They should learn to neglect the dragon but remember not to cross paths with him. So I don't play aggressively or provoke confrontations. The plan is to buy time instead; remaining passive and letting my opponents focus on each other.

The Ping-Wins

The primary game plan is to last to the late game, when only a few players are remaining and a control strategy becomes a viable wincon, gathering the required tools along the way. The deck can generate control and value by abusing deathtouch with Niv-Mizzet or by using other board-control combo's (like Deathtouch/Polymorphist's Jest + Goblin Sharpshooter/Inferno Titan), by getting back instants from the grave (with cards like Archaeomancer or Snapcaster Mage), or by reusing ETB-creatures (via Crystal Shard or Deadeye Navigator). Once you have control, swing for the win with Niv (perhaps with some equipment on him) or with other heavy beaters.

Another way to win is to gather the pieces of one of the infinite mana combo's to ping off all opponents, but these are intentionally slow and are meant as a secondary wincon. I like it that all these pieces fit the deck well on their own, while resulting into the occasional ping-win.

• Reset + Reiterate/Nivix Guildmage
• Reset + Deadeye Navigator/Riptide Laboratory + Archaeomancer/Dualcaster Mage
• Dualcaster Mage + Sublime Epiphany

Other Topics

Why Dracogenius?

I like Dracogenius because it is asking less so for a broken combo build than Niv's other versions. I also like that he has a mana-sink ping ability that works well with a draw-go playstyle. Although most people will probably disagree with me ;), I just like Dracogenius the best out of all Niv's incarnations.

My Meta

I play commander with a set playgroup in a kitchentable setting. We have added one house rule: no infinite card combo's of 2 or less cards (like Tooth and Nail based combo's). We also try to keep a check on excessive stax or denial strategies. This usually enables that everyone has a chance to try out their creations and have some fun.

Intended Power Level

This deck was quite hard to get right: getting all the different themes in and still have a balanced deck that is not too powerful took quite some attempts and patience, but I'm very happy where this deck is at right now. It’s a nice diversion from what I usually play.

Category (Jank - Low - Mid - High - Competitive)

Mid

About the deck themes

When making decks, I usually start with certain themes in mind that I want to build around. Afterwards, other smaller themes tend to emerge. These themes help me a great deal in making card choices: "how well does this card fit in one or more of the themes?". This deck ended up having themes that synergize well, but can also work independently from each other.

Main themes

Combining these two themes started this deck:

• Flash/Reactive play: I really wanted to build an izzet deck that plays a lot of cards at instant speed, using a reactive playstyle and keep opponents guessing, discouraging opponents to mess with you. A deck that would be the pillowfort instead of having many pillowfort cards. I like to think that this matches well with Niv-Mizzet himself: you probably just shouldn't mess with him.

• Ping-win: I just love the goblin machine gun (Goblin Sharpshooter + Deathtouch) and wanted to have a deck built around pings and improving their effectiveness.

Subthemes

• ETB: Most flash creatures are good because they have a sweet ETB ability attached to it, making it function like an instant on a stick. So incorporating cards that allow bouncing or blinking of these creatures seemed obvious (I already had a Roon blink deck, so I didn't want to push this theme too much though). It also ensured the place of some non-flash etb creatures in the deck, like Trinket Mage.

• Instant recursion: Having so many instants begged for some recursion cards. Snapcaster Mage was an obvious include, but also other ETB-instant-recursion-creatures like Archaeomancer found their way into the deck.

• Artifacts: in this deck, you basically alsways want a deathtouch equipment. So I added some artifact tutors that find cheap artifacts like Trinket Mage and Tezzeret the Seeker. Other low-mana artifact followed, like Sensei's Divining Top and the artifact lands. Artifacts were also the most obvious choice for ramp. So the deck runs enough artifacts for having some artifact-synergistic cards, without being a real artifact deck.

• Wizards: In addition to the Dracogenius himself, the deck ended up containing a lot of wizards, mainly because many of the good flashers and other suitable ETB creatures for this deck turn out to be wizards. This theme is there, but it's not really used apart from Riptide Laboratory (I used to run Vedalken AEthermage, but I ended up cutting it after the tuck-rule change). However, new cards might enter the deck due to this theme.

• Options over power and efficiency: this theme follows directly from the reactive playstyle. When possible the cards in this deck should provide a lot of options. Simple examples are cards like Cryptic Command or Tezzeret the Seeker. But cards can also increase options in other ways. Dualcaster Mage compared to Reverberate is a good example. The mage can block, can be bounced or blinked, can be a combo piece and is a wizard. So it will be what you need to adequately react to the game in more situations than Reverberate.

What I like about this deck is that it has many different angles. It doesn't cling to one theme or mechanic but instead the cards synergize with multiple themes, so there are always a lot of options at your disposal.

I really like the reactive play-style of the deck and being able to play anything whenever it suits you best. If you have tips or ideas how I could improve this deck while sticking to its themes, it is greatly appreciated. Please upvote if you like the deck, and let me know if you have any suggestions!

Upvote & Support This Deck!

GL & HF

Beebles

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Not done yet? Have a look at my other stuff!

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My EDH Guide

Below you can find my latest attempt at modelling the EDH landscape. Check out the primer for a full writeup of the guide. Feedback is always welcome!

The EDH Multiverse - A Model of the EDH Landscape Commander / EDH* Beebles SCORE: 260 | 18 COMMENTS | 13222 VIEWS | IN 79 FOLDERS

Date added	8 years
Last updated	1 year
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	4 - 0 Mythic Rares 52 - 0 Rares 20 - 0 Uncommons 15 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.13
Tokens	Copy Clone, Elemental 4/4 UR, Treasure
Folders	EDH, sigarda, EDH, Fun with Dragons