Just a note, this deck was inspired by Decrepit_Angel's [Primer] Colored Mana is for the Weak deck. Big thanks to him for inspiring me to build this.
This deck is for those who like a bit of a gamble. It requires a good hand, so beg for free mulligans, but if you get one then unless someone is playing a heavy anti-artifact deck you should win against just about everything. Let's start with a discussion of the commander choice:
We have five choices. Let's review each of them.
- Emrakul, the Promised End. This choice is not exceptional, as if you cast your commander early, which you should do, then the effect won't really do anything. Chances are, early game even if you control the other person for a turn nothing much will happen. The trouble is that Emrakul doesn't provide any card or permanent disbalance, lacking even annihilator. Regardless, unless you're trying to win through commander damage very fast with a very lucky hand, don't pick her. Also the cost of is much more difficult to get than , so that's another reason.
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Kozilek, the Great Distortion. This is certainly a viable option. This commander has its pluses and minuses. However, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth has a much more consistent ability, allowing you to never fall behind in the late game. If you want to play much more casually and not have everyone instantly try to kill you, then play this commander, however. No annihilator plus a counterspell effect is much more friendly than the alternative.
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Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre. Now this is a great card, and indestructible is nice and all, but first of all the mana cost of vs for the Kozileks is noticeable. Second of all there's no card draw. Card draw is necessary. While it could be argued that indestructible plus annihilator plus the destruction effect are enough to win most duels right away through commander damage, I've found that it's a lot less reliable when playing against white, for example, or against many opponents. Also, barring Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, this card is just about the most targetable out of our choices.
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Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. This card has a mana cost of , which is good, but it doesn't really have much more going for it. Exiling the library in five turns is very funny, or if you use Strionic Resonator plus Rings of Brighthearth you can do it in one or two turns. I'll admit, that's enough reason to play this as your commander sometimes. However, if you're going for consistency, go for one of the Kozileks. If you're going for commander damage go for the other Ulamog before you choose this one. However, if you really want to be a derp and try to mill the opponents library in one or two turns, I completely understand.
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Kozilek, Butcher of Truth. At first glance this card may appear worse than the others. It doesn't have any cool abilities. It's the most vulnerable. It doesn't have trample, or menace, or flying. However, what it does have is versatility. Casting this card is always useful to you. Also your opponents can't really do anything about this unless they play Leovold, Emissary of Trest, which thank God has been banned. Casting this card is always useful to you, because card draw is vital in Magic. If your opponents let Kozilek stay out, then you're blowing up at least four of their permanents each turn. If they kill Kozilek, well you just need to cast him again and gain a four card advantage! You see, regardless of what they do, as long as you have mana which thanks to the card draw should always be the case, you win. This is what makes Kozilek, Butcher of Truth the best choice if you're trying to play this deck like intended. It's not uncommon for me to play half my library if the game drags on.
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Notable mention: Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Yes this card is banned, I know, but if your group is "casual" enough to allow the most powerful creature in Magic to be your commander, I don't advise against playing it. It's just the most badass out of all the commander choices and, while not the most consistent, definitely has some serious opportunity for hilarious games (that last about three turns.)
The rest will be dedicated to a quick discussion of strategy and the main idea of how this deck is played.
This deck has three phases:
Phase one: Get ramp to cast Kozilek, Butcher of Truth by turn three or four ideally. If it takes longer, then you're probably okay because most decks aren't competitive enough to deal with you in time anyway.
Phase two: Cast Kozilek and refill your hand. Then suspensefully wait for your opponents to destroy him.
Phase three: Either kill your opponent with Kozilek or, if he was removed, re-cast him to get even more card advantage. From here just play whatever you can and don't be surprised if you manage to get about thirty permanents out onto the field by turn ten. Honestly you're probably going to get a lot of scoops from people who don't want to just sit there and watch you mess around with the deck while they try their best to win.
TL;DR: This deck functions simply. Use artifact ramp early on with a good hand. Cast Kozilek to get card draw. Either kill your opponents with commander damage and annihilator or just keep drawing cards and re-casting Kozilek until you finally decide you're bored and kill them.