I'm mostly here to see crazy stuff go down.
The Plan
The general plan is to ramp, lay down some enchantments, and then destroy everything--and I do mean everything. In the meantime, I can try to use Jeleva to cheat out some big spells. Those spells usually also try to destroy everything, so it works out well, relatively speaking. That is, speaking mostly relative to me and my enjoyment. I wouldn't say it works out well for most other stuff.
Anyway. How do I achieve this goal? Simple: I gain dominance over others and control of the game, by giving everybody superpowers and causing a bunch of chaos.
...Wait, what? Permit me to embellish...
This deck aims to disrupt everybody's play, cause crazy stuff to happen, and then be able to function in such a chaotic environment. For example: I use Grip of Chaos to disrupt all targeted removal, alongside removal that often can't legally target my own permanents. The net result is that: a.) Opponents' removal has a good chance of missing my stuff, b.) My removal has a good chance of missing my stuff, and c.) There is a good chance that good times will be had.
I also include abilities to let everybody cheat out spells. I run with the assumption that my spells are bigger than my opponents. If we all get to cast stuff for free, I'm coming out ahead.
Besides, that s$#% is awesome.
This is definitely a multiplayer-focused deck. I use group effects so that I can try to play a politics game. That way I can use things like Confusion in the Ranks to further my board, because I don't really care if other people control my group effects. I can also have fun trying to convince people I'm not out to screw them all over... by, you know, lying to them.
I use few creatures so that I appear to be less of a threat (since I am a slow deck), I'm more likely to miss my own stuff with removal when a Grip is out, I always benefit from my mass removal resetting the board, and more likely to benefit from Endless Whispers.
Eventually, Decree of Annihilation with some enchantments out lets me lock down the game. Some combinations of enchantments work to the same end as well.
I don't... uh... actually have a way to win the game.... But that's OK. We're more about stories here than victories.
Elements
---Disruption---
(Confusion in the Ranks, Smallpox, Grip of Chaos, Endless Whispers, Chain of Smog, Possibility Storm, Decree of Annihilation, Eye of the Storm)
Throws a wrench in everybody's plans. Hopefully, you recover fastest and benefit the most. Many of these enchantments hose certain types of abilities (like Endless Whispers vs ETB abilities and creature decks, or Eye of the Storm vs counterspell decks--if you have the skill).
---Draw and Wheels---
(Whispering Madness, Incendiary Command, Mindmoil, Future Sight, Skyscribing, Well of Ideas, Lat-Nam's Legacy, Lim-Dul's Vault, Hedonist's Trove, Diminishing Returns)
I love wheels (Whispering Madness, et al). Wheels are amazing. They improve your card quality immensely, letting you dig hard for the cards you need most. As a bonus, they annoy the opponents that need to craft a strong hand. I've also got some basic draw spells (Opportunity, etc), some card-quality spells that are best early game (Lat-Nam's Legacy, etc), and some permanent or repeatable card advantage (Future Sight, Well of Ideas, Skyscribing).
---Mass Removal---
(Decree of Annihilation, Decree of Pain, Incendiary Command, Necromantic Selection, Warmonger)
My hatred for hexproof knows no bounds.
---Group Hug---
(Skyscribing, Well of Ideas, Mana Cache, Eye of the Storm, Possibility Storm, Diminishing Returns, Wild Evocation, Warmonger)
These effects should benefit everybody equally, but they don't. I enjoy drawings cards more than other decks do, and I do more powerful stuff when I cheat stuff out. I also have the tools to manipulate Eye of the Storm and Possibility Storm; namely, lots of cheap and useful sorceries and instants. Then there are some fun political cards in there, like Mana Cache and Warmonger. All these cards work well with Confusion in the Ranks.
---Cheaters---
(Hellcarver Demon, Possibility Storm, Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge, Spelltwine, Spellweaver Volute, Wild Evocation, Eye of the Storm)
These cards can cast big enchantments, instants, and sorceries without me having to pay for them. That way, when I do things, I do more things. Hellcarver Demon is of special note here. He feels like he should be a niche play or a desperate final option, but he's really not. He's got no role whatsoever in the game plan. He's just freakin' sweet. I have yet to find a way to use him and feel better for doing it, but nobody can stop me from trying :)
---Ramp---
(Most of the artifacts)
Get big mana, fast. Draw cards. Get bigger mana, faster. Accidentally Cruel Ultimatum somebody. Ramp. Draw. Repeat.
---Endgame---
My wincon is when people forfeit because they don't want to try to figure out how the stack is going to break down--but still feel glad for having played me :).
Combos
More combos to come as they appear in game. I put zero thought into combos, they just happen.
Decree of Annihilation + land tutors
If you use a land tutor like Burnished Hart, Gem of Becoming, or Wayfarer's Bauble, then respond by cycling Decree, you end up with lands in hand where others likely do not. This means you have a better position to rebuild. I would really like a way to put a full manmode Decree on the stack just above a land tutor ability, so that I would have some land in hand once the dust settles. Doing so would put me way ahead and give this deck a real win condition. The only way I can see this happening is by using Hellcarver Demon, as below. Maybe if I get tricky with Jeleva...
Mindmoil + Slaughter
Cast slaughter with the buyback (to hell with life, you've got murder to commit!). Trigger mindmoil. Get a new hand, then slaughter resolves and returns to hand. Basically this gives you guaranteed removal, albeit expensive removal, even with Mindmoil up. Not a great combo, but hey.
Hellcarver Demon + Stolen Identity
When the demon hits an opponent, both effects trigger. Put the cipher ability on bottom, so that you get a copy of the demon after you sacrifice everything else. Then next turn, you can cast the top 12 cards of your deck for free! But then you lose both demons and end up with another ciphered demon. Whatever though, something awesome probably happened.
Endless Whispers + Warmonger
Utterly ridiculous. Even better with Grip of Chaos or Confusion in the Ranks. I do love Warmonger. It keeps any one person from getting too crazy, makes for a ton of fun decisions for all players, discourages board development, and encourages your opponents to board wipe for you. All stuff that we want, disguised as something somebody else thinks they want :)
Decree of Annihilation + Hellcarver Demon
The goal here is to hardcast Decree for free by having it in the top 6 cards of your deck when Hellcarver hits. You're losing your stuff anyway, right? Might as well share the wealth. Then, if there is anything else in that top 6 that is good, you can manage the stack in such a way that you get to cast those spells on a clear board (i.e. putting Decree on top). Ideally, you'd want to hit Decree and a persistent card advantage enchantment like Future Sight, since the one thing that Decree doesn't remove is enchantments--which is why we run them.
I'm considering adding Brainstorm to the deck even though it doesn't follow the chaotic theme just to make this combo more reliable. Then, if you have Increasing Ambition in the graveyard and a Hellcarver on the field, you tutor up Brainstorm and Decree, use Brainstorm to hide Decree and another card you want to cast afterward, and attack with the demon.
Final Notes
I want to include a section on strategy for winning the stack battles inherent in Eye of the Storm. Winning these battles wins you the game. Unfortunately, these cards are super confusing and I don't understand them well enough yet. More to come, hopefully.
As far as future changes go, I would like to perhaps add more ramp, maybe some draw, and some better flashback cards. I'm not a fan of some cards, like Hedonist's Trove, Shattered Perception, and Shared Fate. I probably also need some haste or protection for Jeleva... but to be honest, she's not that important. She's just kind of a nice backup plan to have on hand.
Suggestions welcome.
