@llamaglama01: Liliana Vess is too expensive. I already have the most efficient black tutors; I don't want to sink into one that doesn't even put cards into my hand.

In a less competitive version of this deck, it would be playable. However, Liliana Vess is not tournament caliber.

I can't remember if this one has been mentioned, but have you ever tossed around the idea of Pithing Needle in the deck?

Pithing Needle is a sorcery-speed answer card that is a little narrow and can easily be removed by a disenchant effect. I don't believe a combo-control deck like this one wants it over something like a counterspell which is just so much more versatile. Also, this deck plays quite a few cards that you would potentially want to stop on your opponents' side of the table, like Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Sensei's Divining Top and Necropotence. You don't want to needle these cards because it would stop your own ones aswell.

The worry isn't really stopping my own cards. I'll shut down my own card to stop an opponent from gaining that much advantage. And it's more likely that only one player will control a permanent like that at any one time.

The main worry is that Pithing Needle relies very heavily on deck knowledge in order to be used in a preemptive role. It's just not as reliable a response as could be had.

How do you feel about Greed?

Too expensive.

Dig Through Time seems good. This deck is jammed with instants and sorceries so you'd be casting it for UU most of the time

@Chubbub: Dig Through Time (and Treasure Cruise) are iffy in EDH. I had the chance last Friday to go to a shop with some friends, and I watched how both cards were performing in Standard and Modern. The point at which they become reasonable to cast (which, for me, is the point at which I can delve every colorless out of the cost) is pretty late in the overall scheme of things, and I also need to be careful about delving because my deck thrives on recursion effects.

I was dismissive when KTK first came out, but I suppose I should give them the chance to see play.

Dig Through Time and Treasure Cruise have almost become staples in modern and standard for decks that run blue. I say almost, cause they still need additional testing. But I watched them play and every blue deck runs Dig. Treasure Cruise maybe, but Dig for sure. I agree with you though, I don't think Delve is what you're looking for since it can wreck the recursion abilities you need to utilize.

I'm not exceedingly familiar with a competitive level of play when it comes to EDH...but out of curiosity, is Stubborn Denial viable here? Granted only 5 of your 16 creatures trigger it...but one of them is your commander, whom you virtually always want to be on the field. This deck looks like it can consistently get her on the field in turns 3-4, and a 1 mana hard counter for board wipes, spot removal, or key combo pieces at that time would seem very beneficial to me. Even given the draw backs noticable on the card itself without that ferocious trigger. I don't think speed would be the issue here so much as versatility. Do you think it would merit testing?

I'm surprised you think Jace is worth sorcery speed 2UU. Seems like an easy cut to me.

The replacement might be Gitaxian Probe. I don't really know how good probe is in a highly competitive environment, but I imagine looking at someone's hand could actually matter a lot, probably enough to balance its drawback of complicating your mulligan decisions.

btw did you ever test Chrome Mox and/or Mox Diamond?

Hi, I'm sorry that you might have answered these questions but ours hard to wade through all your comments. I wanted to know why you run a couple cards and how you use them. Cephalid Coliseum. Reflecting Pool over like City of Brass. What do you do with Dryad Arbor? What do you grab with Green Sun's Zenith? That's it really. I already asked about other cards. Your help has spot me to the top of my play group. Low cmc works for EDH just as good as in standard. Thank you again.

@Scytec: Stubborn Denial would certainly be worth testing. I don't think it should be dismissed yet, as it does pose a legitimate threat in the late game. That's all I can really say for now, though.

@metalevolence: Jace, the Mind Sculptor has been on the maybe block for a while for me. The thing keeping it in the deck right now is its awesome power with fetch effects (which are basically guaranteed for me) and the fact that it can double as reusable creature removal in a pinch. I do agree that the initial cost is pushing it, though.

In the past, I've dismissed Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond as risky, but perhaps it's time to reconsider. I never did give them a formal test. In my opinion, the latter is the most promising because it has less of a downside, and the land pitch can actually be leveraged with Crucible of Worlds.

@EDHLOVE: I totally understand. I don't mind answering repeat questions if it helps someone understand the deck.

Cephalid Coliseum is a great utility land because it provides on-color mana (blue, at that; blue is the most important color) and it has a low-cost utility ability that helps me filter for a more useful card when I need to.

Reflecting Pool is a strong card because I run an optimized land base. It's effectively guaranteed to be a Command Tower within two land plays because I prioritize duals while fetching and playing. City of Brass is riskier in that it's very difficult to combo if you have to rely on it. Repeatedly tapping it during the combo will kill me unless I find an out first.

Dryad Arbor is in the deck as a turn-one fetch with Green Sun's Zenith. It's not an amazing play, but it's strong.

Green Sun's Zenith can also be used to fetch Deathrite Shaman, Lotus Cobra, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, and Eternal Witness as situational power plays.

Okay I completely understand. Thank you. My deck is a similar, somewhat casual version of you're deck. I say somewhat because it is still "tuned" and much more powerful then the average EDH deck. Still not on competitive level like yours though. Trying not to run combo wins.

Just out of interest, what does your Damnation look like in this deck?

Look like as in physically? It's the foil textless promo.

Performance-wise, it works against the slow-roller, creature heavy decks (for obvious reasons), but it isn't necessary all the time.

I'm currently testing Mox Diamond in the deck. We'll see how it goes.

I'm also thinking about dropping Homeward Path and going to 37 lands by adding the two blue check lands (Hinterland Harbor, Drowned Catacomb) or the two blue pain lands (Yavimaya Coast, Underground River).

Ever considered using Bloom Tender?

Also, since your main win cons are combos, do you consider this as a combo deck?

I run a combo deck and find it surprising that you chose 3-card combos over combos like Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Triskelion or some other 2-card combo that would be easier to play.

Lastly, and this is based on my experience, cards like Reanimate, Shallow Grave and Animate Dead work really well with creatures like Palinchron and other creature-based combos.

@Megalomania: Bloom Tender is risky. I commonly have green permanents on the battlefield, but blue and black permanents are less of a guarantee. I need to ramp into my commander, so I'd rather not play cards that are only most effective after I already have my commander out.

As the tags, description, and discussion indicate, this is indeed a combo deck.

I use 3-card combos because there's more crossover between them and because a number of two-card combos are suboptimal from a flexibility standpoint. I don't like playing cards that can't be used outside of the combo. Things like Phantasmal Image, Blue Sun's Zenith, and Venser, Shaper Savant are all viable parts of the 99 when I need them to be, and they also fit into combos. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Triskelion are useless outside of their combo.

I don't play reanimator spells because I don't really care about creatures dying, and I'm never playing my combo creatures one at a time. I always Tooth and Nail to assemble the combo in one move. I also have a few graveyard-matters effects in the deck, and they've been enough thus far.

I'm adding Hinder and Voidslime to the "up for cuts" category because of their cost. We'll see if they warrant replacement.

Titania, Protector of Argoth

Reasons:1.- + Deadeye Navigator = Destroy lands machine or Ramp Machine!

2.- Ramper

3.- Good damage with tokens

4.- Fetchs sinergy

5.- Crucible of Worlds + Wasteland or Strip Mine sinergy

@DarkHamlet: Titania, Protector of Argoth isn't the kind of card this deck plays. To respond to your points in order:

1. I don't use Deadeye Navigator as a regular creature. I only play it through Tooth and Nail and only on my combo turn; it's never sitting around for midgame synergies.
2. Titania, Protector of Argoth is too expensive to be considered a solid ramp card. I only get one land, and only from a graveyard, and only when Titania, Protector of Argoth enters the battlefield. As a 5-drop, Titania, Protector of Argoth can't reasonably be expected to enter the field until later in the game, when the ability is irrelevant.
3. I don't care about dealing damage with this deck. The only win conditions are combo-driven; adding combat-oriented effects is a digression from that goal, and is therefore an unwise use of deck space.
4. This much is true, but Titania, Protector of Argoth is likely to come down too late to truly capitalize on the fetches unless I have both Crucible of Worlds and Azusa, Lost but Seeking on the field. Even then, the abusability of the ability is pretty marginal in this deck.
5. See above.

The deck ultimately needs to survive and win in a highly competitive meta, which means that it needs to include low-cost, high-efficiency, high-impact cards. Titania, Protector of Argoth unfortunately does not meet these requirements.

Do you TaN for Palinchron and Rune-Scarred Demon getting Deadeye Navigator then comboing ever?

@atgarnett: Indeed I do. I updated the primer to clarify that bit. I wanted to make the T&N section pretty general, but I guess it's obvious that you can find the relevant cards. The important bit is which ones you put onto the field.