Hello, my name is Evan, and I primarily play Magic: the Gathering in the commander format. When I can get my playgroup to agree to it, we run my Planechase deck (with all the planes) to add to the game. I have also pitched Vanguard but they always turn me down.
I first added Planechase because my brother ran Braids (the original) as his general, and I ran Ib. Our games would be one on one, and I needed something to spice things up.
The general of the deck I am showing is Arcades Sabboth.
In Bant's colors I could have gone with Jenara, devoting much of the pump in my deck instead to consistency, but she spends too long in play, and that is a liability. Most people suggest using Rafiq as the general. I could speed up the deck, and make him the general yes, but on turns where he takes out a player, Arcades takes out two or three. Late game anyone can win. That makes winning the game in a fell swoop important when going in for the kill. Nevertheless, he does contribute to the win condition, so he is at least in the deck, which is more than I can say for Jenara.
The main reason I run Arcades is for flavor. He is an actual Elder Dragon (I also run Chromium & Palladia-mors), equipped with a fancy upkeep and all. I enjoy Arcades upkeep, because in Emperor matches, the opposing Emperor might steal him from me, but kill it rather than keep it until I take out the player or two in front of me. As a blocker Arcades is a 7/9 flyer, not pumped. That blocks most flying creatures. Also, I can't describe how good it feels to survive a Hurricane because you left one white mana open to raise his defense to ten, and swing for the kill the following turn. But what we are really interested in is Arcades Attack power. 7Power x 3Turns = 21Damage => Death the next there are two swords in this deck which each add 2 power. (7+2+2)2 = 22 The significance of these numbers is to generate how quickly Arcades can take out a player. A proper play group plays with plenty of counter spells and removal. It is not uncommon to be able to attack freely with Arcades Sabboth. So let's say you have ramped up some mana, dropped a finest hour, and have a Sword of Vengeance in play. Hopefully someone kills you next turn, because if Arcades resolves and can be protected, you might Savor the Moment and take out a player with several blockers or two weaker links. It even sounds cool, "I summon Arcades Sabboth! I equip it with Sword of Vengeance. Arcades gets a boost from Finest Hour. I play Savor the Moment!"
Note: the current version of the deck is experimenting with more removal to deal with fast combo generals. This is not included in the rundown of the deck.
Sideboarded:Harabaz DruidSelesnya SignetSimic SignetAzorius Signet
Added:Banishing StrokeForbidTreva's CharmMiscalculation
Deck dynamics:If you look closely you'll find 22 additional mana sources counting Mana Drain, Savor the Moment, as well as permanents that untap your lands and/or the rest of your permanents. This gives a deck a 2:11 Ratio for additional mana sources. By turn four, on average you will have had the ability to mana ramp twice. Statistically you should be able to play the second one on or before turn four. There are 14 cards to help you with card advantage which prove instrumental in getting your general back after someone Mystical Tutors a Terminus. This means you are likely to have one in your opening hand or by turn two. It's smart to play it after dropping your first mana source. By the time you spend your hand, you should draw another one. Like these numbers for drawing cards and playing additional mana sources, the number of lands in the deck is 38, the Werebear minimum. Actually, 40-42 would be nice but we need to splash some removal. Therefore we are resigning to give up early game card advantage to mulligans. This will lead to being behind a turn but not two (as we get a free mulligan) of schedule. Why give up consistency for removal? -> Because a sideboard is a pain to worry about. Besides on those days you want to show up to play Magic with your friends, armed only with a couple of dice in your back pocket and a concise deck box loaded with overpowered cards in fancy-dancy sleeves you don't want to have to screw around with a sideboard.
Lets talk mana costs. The maximum converted mana cost inside the deck is 5. As nice it would be to simply tap Captain Sisay to fetch an Ansestral Recall on legs (and on the matter, Ertai needs to learn to practice Magic, 4 mana for a counterspell?!! I dont think so), Id rather play Rafiq of the Many, because he is going to help me win the game. You dont want to pull a Drogskoll Reaver in the middle of the game, its only good late game, and if you can protect it. Protect your general, not a Drogskoll Reaver (although I admit its saved my ass many times). The saddest card I pulled out of this deck to sink the average converted mana cost bellow 3 was Timespiral. I still use the card, I simply put it in Chromium, so no tears spilled. Once you have 6 mana together you should not drop such a board affecting and powerful card. You need enough to protect it with a counter spell as well. The use of this card is great, but the effectiveness of casting it at the right time due to its high initial cost keeps it out the deck. It would be grossly situational to get the card off effectively when I need it, so I take it out of the deck. Once you are this far into the game you need to be focused on winning, not ramping. We ramp to gain the upper hand, but you should quit while you are ahead. Also note this lets you set the pace for the game. When you can sit at the 8 mana level, you might have played your general as a defensive move (which usually means you will lose the game anyways). The last you need to is to worry about drawing a land the next turn (hooray for upkeeps! _) to play your Consecrated Sphinx if you are trying to recover the match. There are lots of powerful cards that would go great in this deck, like Sundering Titan! But, they wont help you win the game. At one point this deck ran many large high power cards, but the deck was slower, and filled with cards to make you a hard target. This strategy, although nice for multiplayer, underestimates your opponents, and leaves you vulnerable to late game insanity. I have found it best to take out your foes while you have the chance. Besides! if you ever have to play a one on one, your deck should be kinda fast anyways. Ultimately you dont want to get stuck wasting your turns with permanent heavy Bant getting its toys and treasures blown up! Invest in your general, and less the means to play it.
Note that this is a true Highlander. There are zero multiples of any card, including basic lands inside it. I am half tempted to thrown in one Plains and one Forest to have a few basic lands floating in the deck for special occasions from group hug cards that I often get cut out of. However, there are no Islands in the deck for a reason, not even a Tundra. Go ahead DCI, ban Islands, I dont use them anyways. Islands are bad, and should not be run. Islands make you the target of Islandwalk, which works wonders in Blue heavy formats. Go ahead Thal, attack me, but you will be blocked if I have a creature out. Although not utterly immune to island walk (I knew I shouldnt have lent out my Gosta Dirk. Just look at the man. Look at his beard. As a character from the OC once said, Wise men have beards. And look at that knife! The guy S-K-I-N-S merfolk, dude. Skins em alive!!) an opponent is forced to combo off, actively giving me an Island to make their Islandwalk work. Remember! Island = Bad
Now lets examine some key cards in the deck, starting with the best one no, not you Chrome Mox, or you Sol Ring, we already know what you do. Besides, this card is better. Jace Beleren. Please stop calling him, Baby Jace, this is true Blue Jace, and it is an excellent card. When someone drops a Jace Beleren, by the turn your upcoming turn has ending you need to have killed it. The card is disruptive to control, as it lets all players draw cards, starting the very turn it comes out. Secondly, I know devils are Red, but he tricks players into letting him stay on the field due to drawing. Jace gives them cards, so they let him live. Mid game, you are up against that player with Jace on the field. She (girls like Jace I discovered) is still drawing extra cards, you are not. Given the chance you should blow up your opponents 3 mana level card advantage. Jace Beleren wins games.
Just note that Bloom Tender tends to your generals upkeep, and that Edric often goes unnoticed while single handedly bringing the late game while other players are setting up. The second card really worth mentioning is one of the 5 drops, Stonehewer Giant, or as I call him, the single drop. Whether comboing off a Darksteel Plated creature with a Worldslayer, or more this decks style drawing cards with Sword of Fire and Ice, Stonehewer Giant is a top tier threat the moment it gets off its ability. You need to kill it.
Last (Im not stating, but not least, because it is the least of these mentionables) is Crawlspace. If you have to go on the defense, this card is great. Crawlspace restricts the number of attackers your opponents can hit you with. If you also play Bant, have the mana as well as flash, it might be smart to run this card with a certain ships navigator & elephant grass, maybe a Scuttlemutt too. But I dont have these luxuries with this particular deck. In other words, I had to take them out for kill cards and splash control. Crawlspace works great with just your general and one land like Kor Haven to slow down your opponents onslaught, but wont work quite as well without a second defensive land or Arcades protected.
Now for the honorable & most underrated card in the deck. People put it in my face accusing, why do you run this!? Wearing an expression somewhere between a scowl confounded by a deep rooted wrath, as if their world were somehow ruined by the nature of the card itself, and a disappointed look, directly into the eyes, as if they pitied the onlooker, wondering in that moment, that if the onlooker confided suicidal secrets if they had the heart to stop them. That card is Envelop. A one mana card to stop the majority of board wipes, as well as people who take extra turns, additional attack phases, and/or steal everybodys creatures at once, ect Bring it, run it.
