BACKGROUND
This is the build I am currently working on. I recently finished a Maelstrom Wanderer deck, and even though I am completely satisfied with the outcome of said deck, it lacked synergy. It just threw out big things and swung for game. The goal for this deck is to be able to interact with my opponents decks and shut them down in any way possible. This deck was built with winning in mind, and the desire to do it quickly, and consistently(while not completely breaking the bank). The ability to shut down entire decks and make people scoop within the first 4 turns was an idea that really got me interested in
Arcum Dagsson
. He is a commander designed to win, and win, is exactly what he plans to do!
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HOW TO WIN
...well... you combo off...
So, many will notice that this deck has quite a bit of ramp to ensure a turn 2 or 3 Dagsson. The sooner you can get him out, the sooner you can win. Ideally you are dropping some sort of mana dork like Manakin to use as sac bate once you do get him out...
But once you do get him out(and haste would be very nice...cough cough Lightning Greaves cough Swiftfoot Boots cough Thousand-Year Elixir cough) most likely the first thing you need to grab(assuming he doesn't already have Lightning Greaves proctection) is going to be Myr Turbine
Myr Turbine is a big part of this deck it allows you to actually have sac bate every turn for Dagsson so you can actually get your combo pieces.
But once you feel like you have a solid board state full of protection and sac bate you can start assembling your combos!
(...most of the combos require infinite mana... this is easily accomplished with Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth
or Monolith plus
Power Artifact
...)
COMBO ONE
Infinite Mill:
Unlimited Mana +
Sands of Delirium
wow that one was easy. And if you have
Voltaic Key
or
Clock of Omens
you can mill more than one person during your turn, if not everyone! (Also works with
Stroke of Genius
but because you can't tutor that...it's a little less efficient...)
COMBO 1.5
Infinite Mill...yourself???:
If there is a way to add Laboratory Maniac to the win con list... I do. He's such a fun and unique way to win that is relatively easy with unlimited mana + Staff of Domination... and you don't even need to tutor for him because well... you'll eventually draw him on your way to milling yourself! (You'll also probably run into
Mycosynth Lattice
if you need blue mana to cast him!) But since we were on the topic of milling, I thought I'd throw him in this section!
COMBO TWO
Infinite Board Clear:
Darksteel Forge + Mycosynth Lattice + Nevinyrral's Disk
also pretty straight forward. Make all your things indestructible and blow up everyone else's. Technically not an instant win...but your opponent will most likely scoop. (The "I don't want friends" version is a little less cool however.
Mycosynth Lattice
to make everything artifacts and Karn, Silver Golem to just blow up lands. I hate land destruction and if you have unlimited mana, so will your opponents! ;D)
ps...you can tutor Karn, Silver Golem and any other card with Planar Portal, if you were wondering!
COMBO THREE
Infinitely Take Opponents Turns:
This one is a little harder to pull off as you will need Academy Ruins, a draw outlet such as Staff of Domination and Unlimited mana... and the only way to get Academy Ruins is to either tutor with Planar Portal or abuse Staff of Domination and by that time you've probably already won... but regardless. Unlimited mana + Academy Ruins
+
Mindslaver
+
Staff of Domination
will give you "unlimited turns" and will probably also just cause your opponents to scoop as well!
COMBO FOUR
The "just kinda take everything":
Unlimited Mana + Memnarch + Mycosynth Lattice
simple and to the point.
and
COMBO FIVE which, if done properly, can easily be pulled off within the first 5 turns...
Tutor Your Entire Deck Combo:
Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth
/
Power Artifact
+
Arcum Dagsson
(obviously) + Clock of Omens
+
Mycosynth Lattice
+
Myr Matrix
. Use the unlimited mana to poop out unlimited myrs and use them to untap Dagsson thanks to Clock and Lattice then tutor your entire deck...play any of the other combos... and just kind of win...
(Side combo: Unlimited myrs + Myr Battlesphere for unlimited damage!!)
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WATCH OUT FOR THAT AGGRO DAWG!!!
So you're playing
Arcum Dagsson
... you are NOT going to make friends this game...you will however attract most, if not all, the aggro. But hopefully we can combo off before we die(that'd be nice). But assuming we don't live in a perfect world and our opponents don't just ignore what we are doing, we have to have a back up plan.
WHOA!! THIS DUDES GOT REMOVAL FOR DAYS!!!
Well... yeah removal would pretty much shut this deck down... but we're ready with the power of hexproof! This list is full of wonderful cards such as Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots to make it so our Tinker-on-a-stick isn't targeted. Well, kill spells are usually instant speed and you can only equip as a sorcery... True! If for some odd reason we forgot to equip Dagsson with hexproof as soon as we got him out, all is not lost. We still have
Neurok Stealthsuit
to tutor for and equip, all in response to a kill spell!! ...but if you're still not feeling safe just go for the old Darksteel Forge + Mycosynth Lattice
and call it a day!
But we can't call it a day!!
Perilous Vault
keeps exiling my things!! )):
Yeah... Vault would seem to get around the hexproof thing... however, we always have our handy-dandy
Spine of Ish Sah
to get rid of that pesky vault! Or a well timed Hurkyl's Recall to bounce not just Vault but all artifacts to their owners hands! :D are we happy now?
NO!!! Because my opponent isn't terrible and left mana up to crack
Perilous Vault
in response to anything I do!!! And to make matters worse Jhoira of the Ghitu just suspended a Blightsteel Colossus!!
Well I guess we just concede.
ahHA! JK!! We're not giving up that easily!!
What we need is a little
Preemptive Strike
...no not that crappy Portal Three Kingdoms card...I mean, in order to win, we must...
"Know your foes' strengths as well as their weaknesses." -Arcum Dagsson
And what better way to do that than a super unexpected
Jester's Cap
, exile the problem cards before they are a problem. If perhaps you missed a card or two, simply Academy Ruins that bad boy and do it again.
But if you're really feeling preemptive a nice Pithing Needle can shut down most decks... including our deck!!! So always be ready with the
Spine of Ish Sah
or some counter magic!!
