Background
My playgroup has these in-house rules:
- Infinite combo? Good job, you win; we're going to keep playing without you.
- If your turns take too long (>3 minutes), or you're making other players' turns take too long by doing lots of things on their turn (Seedborn Muse and similar effects), then good job, we all surrender, but don't play that deck anymore. However, taking a long time on a turn that defeats another player is acceptable.
This is a "casual" deck without infinite combos that takes quick turns until it reaches a win-con.
Strategy
This deck wants to ramp hard into its commander; that's why there are so many cheap ramp cards. Ramping with cheap cards empties the player's hand, but Damia, Sage of Stone rewards that. This deck can usually execute one of its strategies in six to seven turns.
After playing Damia, Sage of Stone, the player should try to empty their hand while looking for Zendikar Resurgent, Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, Mana Reflection or Nyxbloom Ancient.
Once one of those powerful mana generators enter the battlefield, it's time to go for the finisher with spells like Villainous Wealth, Torment of Hailfire and Genesis Wave.
Tempt with Discovery is one of the most crucial cards in this deck, as it can often yield Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth and Cabal Coffers. Those two cards can push the player's available mana beyond even without other mana-doubling and tripling effects. For example, with ten lands in play the player can generate seventeen mana. This much mana easily takes care of expensive costs (like the commander penalty, and just playing as many cards as possible). If there are no turn-two or turn-three plays besides a tutor effect, it's worth it to tutor for Tempt with Discovery
The Great Henge and Zendikar Resurgent are value engines.
Land Tech
Darkwater Catacombs, Twilight Mire and Flooded Grove all produce two mana at a cost of one, netting one mana per land. With mana-doubling or mana-tripling effects in play like Mana Reflection or Nyxbloom Ancient, that turns into four or six mana, instead of two or three mana.
If Tempt with Discovery can fetch three lands, the best three to get are Deserted Temple, Cabal Coffers and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. Deserted Temple can untap Cabal Coffers, which can then use two of its to get another use.
Alchemist's Refuge can let Damia, Sage of Stone come out on the opponent's end-step, meaning only instant-speed removal will deny her card-draw effect. It would be equally brutal to play a Plague Wind; playing non-instant-speed cards at instant-speed is great.
Dimir Signet, Golgari Signet and Simic Signet also fare better than conventional mana rocks when mana doubling or tripling effects are in-play.
Win-cons
Big Spells:
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Torment of Hailfire is the most straight-forward finisher; if cast for over , you'll probably win. Forty health means a player can "just take three damage" thirteen times. Add up the number of permanents your opponents control, and cards in their hand; that, plus their life divided by three, is about how much mana this spell needs to insta-win.
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Villainous Wealth is either more straight-forward than Torment of Hailfire, or incredibly more questionable (but fun!). If cast for anything over 80 it will probably just deck the opponent. Casting it for less mana than the number of cards in the opponent's deck will be "fun" (for you, probably not the opponent!) - whomever had it cast on them will suddenly find themselves playing against their own deck. Casual jank fun!
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Finale of Devastation can win the game several ways. It can fetch Baleful Strix, Birds of Paradise or Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief who can fly in for the winning swing. It can also fetch Sheoldred, Whispering One who has swampwalk and may be unblockable against non- decks thanks to Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. It can fetch a big trampler like Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger. There's also the fact that it boosts all your creatures, so you could just fetch literally any creature and attack with everything for mundo mondo massive damage.
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Genesis Wave won't execute an opponent, but it'll put your board state so far ahead that you'll be set up to win on the next turn. About 80% of the cards in this deck are permanents, so playing Genesis Wave will always pay off. It also doesn't need to be cast for more than like the finisher-type cards; for example, just casting it for is very powerful. If cast for a lot of mana (like >30), it's likely one of the permanents entering your battlefield will be Eternal Witness or Snapcaster Mage. Even though one would tap all their lands to play Genesis Wave, the 1st cast of Genesis Wave would put so many lands into play that they could then be tapped for another or mana in combination with permanents that may enter play like Zendikar Resurgent, Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, Mana Reflection or Nyxbloom Ancient.
Big Attacks:
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Having Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief on the board while also having mana-doubling or tripling effects is great for two reasons. She can wipe out your opponents' creatures, and she can be pumped for something absurd like and swing for the win with a 20+ damage attack.
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Rhonas the Indomitable can pump creatures and give them trample, and he survives wrath effects
Board Control
This isn't a control deck, but since it aims to create a large mana base, some expensive boardwipes make sense:
- Cyclonic Rift
- Plague Wind
- In Garruk's Wake
- Hythonia the Cruel -- Will kill your board too, but not Damia, Sage of Stone, meaning you could potentially follow-up with a swing for 11 damage.
- Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief -- Very expensive! Not really a board wipe, but definitely board control. With enough mana she's functionally a wipe.
- Torment of Hailfire -- Doesn't really count, except if played for enough mana (but not enough to win), it'll leave your opponent's boards and hands wiped out.
- Silklash Spider -- Kills fliers and can be tutored with Green Sun's Zenith. Relevant because common decks (dragons, vampires) have many fliers.
- Sheoldred, Whispering One -- She's a lightningr-rod for kill spells, which saves Damia, Sage of Stone
These can be recurred with Eternal Witness and Snapcaster Mage - and those creatures themselves may be recurred with Muldrotha, the Gravetide. They can also be "recurred", to a lesser degree, with Elixir of Immortality...
- Steelbane Hydra is for killing non-creatures. It's in the deck because I wanted at least one answer to non-creature permanents, and it also synergizes with the "big ramp" theme of this deck, although without trample it's not very useful.
- Deathsprout is the only instant-speed single-target kill spells in the deck. I prefer to have bigger board wipes, as detailed above.
Defense
It's better if Damia, Sage of Stone sticks, so there are a few cards to help her live:
These can be tutored with Vampiric Tutor and Demonic Tutor. I'm thinking about adding both more tutor and protection effects.
Weaknesses
Jank
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At a converted mana cost of , and having an effect that's kinda slow, Sheoldred, Whispering One probably isn't the best choice. However situationally she can be very good, and in this deck can come down very early. Playing this card on turn five could be pretty nasty. She becomes unblockable when Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is in play.
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Rite of Replication is only in the deck because of how stupid-good it is. You're often going to be able to cast it for . Unfortunately there aren't many good targets in this deck; Wood Elves is probably the best choice, which is laughable. Chances are there will be a choice target on your opponents' side of the board. Even just casting it for can be good for create a single new Eternal Witness or Snapcaster Mage to hit with another Plague Wind.
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Geth, Lord of the Vault just fits so well in a deck with an enormous mana-base.
