Really cool deck +1 from me!

One idea because you run a lot of eldrazi why not an Eye of Ugin . help search for goodies.

Thanks for the votes, Alizer313 and mullz!! :D

Ghosthunter39, the Eye of Ugin has always been one of those cards I'm on the fence about. I like the idea of making Eldrazi cheaper, but the difference of 2 mana is not enough to me. The tutor effect however is very intriguing, specially since I could grab Draco or a Blightsteel Colossus , but at the same time tutoring isn't something I really need a whole lot more of (I'm probably wrong about that though)

It's a good idea and good synergy, but I would need to find a way to add another land that doesn't actually produce mana, and that is tough. Thanks for suggesting it though! :)

Why no madness cards?

Well I liked the deck idea so im working on a volrath deck now!

Hornybull, I've found that the best kind of advantage to gain is from creatures that will win you the game. I must admit though, I am a huge fan of Big Game Hunter and it has almost been sleeved many times!

Ghosthunter39, that is awesome!! My dream is for Volrath to be killing people on every table top where EDH/Commander is played! :D

I wouldn't run extra planar lens. Most causes it gets bounced or destroyed too often and then you end up being -1 lands.

Extraplanar Lens has been pretty good to me so far. I admit, if I was to cut anything, it would be around the top of my list. The ramp is very nice and has helped me out enough to hold its spot in the deck, though.

If someone wastes a removal spell on it, I'll still consider it a win with how many other mana-rocks and much higher priority artifacts are in the deck.

If I was to cut it, I would probably go for Crypt Ghast or Nirkana Revenant in its place.

Why not gaunts of power or caged sun?

Also why no cheap reanimate spells?

Maybe it's just preference, but in my experience Extraplanar Lens has given me more benefit at less cost and risk than either Caged Sun or Gauntlet of Power .

If I was to change it up, I would use a creature like Crypt Ghast or Nirkana Revenant to get the dual benefit from feeding them to Volrath the Fallen and Necro'ing them on top of the mana ramp they produce.

Bone Harvest , Footbottom Feast , Gravepurge . It allows you to put your discarded creatures back on the top of your library so that you can draw/discard them again. If you have two large creatures in your graveyard already Phage the Untouchable and Artisan of Kozilek for examples; you can cast Footbottom Feast during the person before you's end step, put them both on top and draw one. Then your turn happens and you draw the other. Swing and discard them both during your combat, that's 22 general damage at someone.

Q: Also why no cheap reanimate spells?

A: The main reason is simply that this isn't a "Reanimator Deck".

It's a "Voltron Deck" with access to reanimation.

The main focus is on Volrath. Reanimation (And it's brother: Quicksilver Amulet type effects) have been tooled into the deck to take advantage of the deck's primary focus. Think of them as a "Plan B" or "Phase 2" in a long game.

I am looking into testing Reanimate and Exhume in the future though. Currently, I just feel like reanimation spells are a little flimsy in the board wipe heavy environment of EDH/Commander. I could be wrong, I know that Vedalken Orrery would make either of those options very enticing ;)

That is some very nice tech Midwest :D

It really summarizes what a lot of the deck wants to do in a simple package, I'm going to have to test these out!

Nevermore stops this deck and similar cards.

By what? Preventing him from casting his general? Most of those huge cards that he intends on discarding are win conditions themselves, see: Kozilek, Butcher of Truth , It That Betrays , Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre , or Blightsteel Colossus .

Not to mention that with all of his tutors and Karn Liberated he can always exile Nevermore .

I think a fair argument could be made that if he plans on using all/any of those cards as win cons then adding the black ramp cards would be a nice choice Crypt Ghast etc. But no, I would not say Nevermore by itself stops this deck.

Hornybull, I just want to start by quoting what it says at the very beginning of this deck's description...

"...This deck has also been designed to run perfectly fine should he get "tucked" or end up under Arrest or simply unplayable."

I run into white players trying things like this A LOT, it's why the deck is tuned to win through multiple other ways, or simply remove the obstacle (with cards like Karn Liberated as you mentioned Midwest )

At the last local Commander League I was in, someone sided in and cast Light of Day . Two turns later I fed Volrath enough creatures to Rite of Consumption him for lethal damage.

I ended up winning the round with Marit Lage (see Dark Depths ) and a Darksteel Colossus masquerading as a Blightsteel Colossus (thanks to a Tainted Strike )

"Easy quick fix" cards like this won't stop Volrath.

Seems like a sweet deck! I feel like Necropotence should be in here, its just better than Phyrexian Arena and Greed . Also, Ebon Stronghold , Peat Bog , and City of Traitors can be great if your going for speed.

What are your thoughts on Grim Monolith ?

Necropotence will not allow you to recur creatures you discard to Volrath the Risen.

Blakkhand, I would LOVE to run Necropotence but as Midwest brings up it has a strong "counter synergy" to the deck which is very unfortunate and makes me very sad :(

I like those ramp lands, though, and the next time I look into changing up my mana base I will be sure to consider them!

Alizer313, I think Grim Monolith is awesome, I just don't have one yet :D

Love this deck! I think Sickening Shoal would fit nicely in here, so would Death Cloud . +1!

Crypt of Agadeem

Thanks, Squirrel_of_War!!

I like Sickening Shoal , anything that gives -X/-X is awesome in my book, and good synergy!

As for Death Cloud I don't know where to begin, because it's one of my all time favorite Magic cards, and I would run it if it didn't destroy lands in EDH. I keep a single Strip Mine around for things like Maze of Ith but I don't like destroying people's lands in the format. I see where you are going with it though, and I think similar cards have a place in the build, especially against people that spam things like Fog . It would give the deck access to some very useful damage dealing potential.

Crypt of Agadeem looks great! The only issue is holding onto my graveyard against "certain" opponents if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the awesome suggestions and the +1!! :)