Heavily tuned Xenagos commander deck. It doesn't always win but it does ensure games go a heck of a lot quicker.
How to play:
Ramp with spells and mana rocks
Play Xenagos
Play a big creature
Laugh while the world burns around you
The deck contains a multitude of trample enablers, utility for a variety of situations and the ability to do hundreds of damage in a single turn, split between multiple players, without any infinite combos. It also presents as a very limited threat usually right up until it is in a position to do lethal damage to at least one opponent. The deck's motto tends to be, "I'm going to kill at least one person and then die."
Some fun things to note:
Generally, the best creatures in the deck are Pathbreaker Ibex because it turns double power on a single creature into quadruple power on all creatures, Giant Adephage because it multiplies exponentially, Inferno Titan because the firebreathing further increases Xenagos's doubling effect (plus that godly ETB and swing damage) and Atarka, World Render simply because it swings for 24 the turn it comes out. Scourge of the Throne can also be an insane combination. Many other Xenagos commander decks look to take advantage of his ability and multiple combats but since this deck doesn't telegraph its attacks, sneaking in a free combat phase can be a brutal way to finish a game. Pathbreaker Ibex + Scourge of the Throne can generally end a game on their own.
The deck contains only three cards you don't want to hit with Bloodbraid Elf (Green Sun's Zenith, Clan Defiance, Berserk). What it usually hits is one of the seven value creatures below it, any of your mana rocks or a Beast Within.
The best utility in the deck tends to be Selvala's Stampede. Unless you are dying to play a particular card in your hand with it, choosing a random one from your deck will help more as smart opponents will always choose your hand in order to make you play out your cards. Hitting four huge and/or super useful utility creatures for 6cmc is the definition of overpowered. Berserk is also great because everyone loves quad damage and you can even use it as a removal spell in a pinch. Genesis lets you get back dead creatures and essentially becomes a Fierce Empath every turn if you're playing against mill or hand cycling. Eldritch Evolution turns almost any creature into any other creature which lets you fetch the utility or damage you need.
As part of the 'no telegraphing your plans' theme, this deck contains some creatures that will usually bait out hate, counters and removal even though they aren't really all that important. The primary one is Managorger Hydra. It gets massive quickly, costs very little and is fantastic at baiting opponents into removing it any way they possibly can. Other smaller creatures like Bloodbraid Elf, Brawn and Archetype of Aggression can draw out hate simply because they present a fairly large threat with Xenagos out. You also have creatures that your opponents don't want to kill which includes Brawn, Solemn Simulacrum, Genesis,
Spitebellows
, Wurmcoil Engine and Greenwarden of Murasa which disincentivize board wipes and removal.
As a final note, Xenagos becoming a creature makes him more vulnerable. He becomes removable with forced sacrifice and creature exile and his swing for 6 isn't really worth it when you consider how much damage you are doing.
Possible Modifications
Remove Oath of Nissa
In this deck,
Oath of Nissa
is pretty much a Ponder that lets you pick a land or creature you want off your top 3. The enchantment ability is pretty much irreverent since it is almost impossible to color screw to cast the one Garruk in the deck and even adding one with 3 green would not be more difficult. It would probably be worth replacing with Mirri's Guile which sort of does the same thing but every turn or a mana dork. It was more relevant when the deck had more planeswalkers.
Replace Rugged Highlands
Obviously Rugged Highlands is the worst land in the deck. The slot would arguably be better with a basic land but the best upgrade would probably be Fire-Lit Thicket. I do have a soft spot for life gain lands though and the mana base is already almost entirely untapped lands.
Gruul Keyrune/Mana Rocks
The
Gruul Keyrune
isn't in this deck and certainly could be, as could many other 3cmc mana rocks. It isn't really worth hitting someone for 6 most of the time and if you're going to add mana rocks, you should probably add Coldsteel Heart, Fellwar Stone, Thought Vessel or
Everflowing Chalice
first as they all only cost 2 and mana colors are very rarely an issue.
Homeward Path
Homeward Path can also be an include since someone else taking control of Xenagos, God of Revels can be a major blow and make it pretty much impossible to get him back. The main problem with this is that many players who might take him will probably not have the devotion to make him a creature and allow you to take him back with the Homeward Path.
Mana Dorks
Mana dorks, namely Birds of Paradise and the variety of 1cmc elves, can assist with turn 1 ramp. I have found that the deck tends to play fine without them and as with the rest of the purpose of this deck, not having them normally allows you to go from virtually no board state to killing someone or multiple someones in a single turn.
Control
As a whole, this deck's control is very limited. There are a number of creature-based solutions (Bane of Progress, Flametongue Kavu,
Spitebellows
, etc) and some non-creature options (limited mostly to Chandra's Ignition, Blasphemous Act, Berserk, Beast Within and the lovely
Hall of Gemstone
) but overall this deck spends most of its time preventing control and smashing. If you want to up the control, try swapping in some of the following staples: Acidic Slime - Reclamation Sage - Chaos Warp - Krosan Grip - Hull Breach - Nature's Claim - Ancient Grudge
Infinite Combos
This deck intentionally doesn't board the infinite Savage Ventmaw + Aggravated Assault combo. In addition to personally disliking infinite combos, it generally requires two turns of setup at the very least and anyone that has played Magic will probably spot it coming and stop it.
Malignus
is also an instant kill that isn't in the deck due to it generally being less fun and draws immediate hate once played. It isn't always worth killing one player in a multiplayer game.
Unplayed Planeswalkers
Xenagos, the Reveler used to be in the deck mostly for flavor. He makes some tokens and makes some mana but since at any given you you will have 0-2 creatures on the board right up to the point where you don't need mana as much, he really doesn't provide much value. All planeswalkers also draw attention and his piddly 2/2 blockers for 0 don't usually impress.
Arlinn Kord
tends not to be very helpful in most games. She's a trample enabler, makes a few tokens and can do some targeted damage on her flip side but she really underperforms in most situations. There may have been a game or two in the hundreds I've played where she made a difference but usually I would rather not draw her.
Domri Rade is a potential substitute with a far superior ultimate ability but I find her +1 and -2 decent and overly aggressive, in that order.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance provides ramp and removal but unless you're hellbent or close, there aren't many times you want to flip and exile the top card of your library when so much of this deck requires proper timing.
Nissa, Vital Force can be powerful given her large creatures, returning permanents and quick value emblem but I am wary of a land being a creature for an entire turn around the table.
Garruk, Caller of Beasts and Garruk, Primal Hunter both offer decent plays, including the turn they come out. They are both things I am testing in various slots in the deck.
Summoner's Pact
Adding Summoner's Pact is something I've been playtesting in various slots. It is nice to be able to get solution creatures when you need them, win cons when you need them and there aren't many cases where you can't pay for it.
