@Ohthenoises

I don't like how "hit-or-miss" Empyrial Plate is.

I mean voltron isn't typically a "dump my hand" strategy, chances are you will usually have 3-4 cards in hand most times between draw, tutor, and other effects. 2 out 2 on for +4/+4 seems VERY brutal especially with the aforementioned Land Tax. Definitely speeds up the clock.

@Ohthenoises

Umezawa's Jitte is a 2 cast/2 equip +4/+4 once the counters start building. Empyrial Plate feels like a weaker, less consistent Strata Scythe to me.

This deck is just solid; it's obvious you've been working at it for a long time. Try as I might, I can't even really think of any critiques or suggestions except for maybe some pedantic nitpicky shit like substituting Oblivion Ring (because it can be tutored) or Council's Judgment for Oblation because the tuck rule isn't a thing anymore, or adding in Karmic Guide for an alt-win combo.

My only real question I guess is the rationale behind Transcendent Master. At the end of the day, he seems like just a dude and not part of the deck's greater strategy.

@Rusty_Shackleford

I still like Oblation even after the tuck rule change. Anything I remove with it is a lot worse than my opponent getting a Divination.

I'm not a huge fan of Oblivion Ring-style effects. They can be reversed by removal and can end up as collateral from my own sweepers. I have Grasp of Fate as a potential change only because it can hit multiple targets, and I would never replace Oblation with it.

Council's Judgment is at the mercy of my opponent's decisions and will more often than not be ruined by collusion.

I have no interest in combos. It distracts from the deck's main strategy and they're too cumbersome and unreliable in a colour that lacks in ways to produce them consistently. I'm uneasy about using alt win-cons in general. I designed this deck to win though Commander Damage or straight up Equipment beatdown with the deck's other creatures. Winning out of nowhere, especially with cards like Felidar Sovereign, feels very hollow.

Transcendent Master is one of my back up threats for when winning through Commander Damage is unavailable. An indestructible 9/9 is a great frame for wielding Equipment. It's also a Pet Card of mine.

Ok I just have to point out one thing: If you can't at least get one annoying card off the table with Council's Judgment you are failing at Mtg.

They can't target your stuff, period, and if you are pointing that removal at something 9 times out of 10 it's at an extremely large annoyance for EVERYONE. Winter Orb for example, no one likes trying to play though that. All you need is 1 person to vote with you and, again, if you can't get one guy at the table to agree that winter orb should go.....

I figured the Master might be a pet card--we all have them--because how often does he REALLY hit 9/9 indestructible? Level up is sorcery speed in a format chock full of instant-speed solutions...

I can understand your misgivings about Oblivion Ring and aversion to porting in a combo, but I think I still stand by Council's Judgment being superior.

Oh well, this deck is still like a 9/10 at what it's built to do, so I can't really knock it too hard.

@Ohthenoises

I really dislike how I'm never in control of Council's Judgment. Since I vote first, everyone else's vote has more influence. If I choose something unanimously annoying, sure it's gone. But if I try to exile something that's only affecting me, everyone else will collude. And then there will always be opponents that will botch it for kicks.

This is why I stick with Oblation. It's a clean removal spell with none of the political baggage.

@Rusty_Shackleford

Transcendent Master pulls its weight. It wouldn't stay in my deck if it didn't.

If Transcendent Master pulls its weight in your games, your deck wouldn't survive long in my meta lol.

Exile or sacrifice is the default removal in commander, and Unsummon 15-for-1s you in terms of mana. I understand your commander can give protection, but...even getting to 12 mana at sorcery speed is really slow.

I understand pet cards, but sometimes something is just bad.

@Daedalus19876

Well, I'm not in your meta. And how does a single creature card in a 99-card deck automatically determine deck performance?

Transcendent Master plays it's designated role fine. There are no bad threats, only bad answers.

Sorry if this was already brought up in the last four years but have you considered placing Inkmoth Nexus in?

@fellgamer

I used Inkmoth Nexus until a year ago. Poison isn't fun to fight against.

So I'm running a very similar deck to this. My meta is a bit different though, having not nearly enough artifact hate in their decks to deal with all my equipments. Unfortunately they run a lot of sac effects that prevent me from keeping creatures on the board. Like you, I've leaned away from tokens in favor of a strict voltron build but don't have good answers for sac abilities other than creature recursion from Sun Titan, Reveillark, etc. Aside from prioritizing my tutors for Swiftfoot Boots, what other steps do you recommend taking to thwart sacrifice effects?

Depending on the sac effects Angel of Jubilation can be useful. (shattergang and effects like it)

fellgamer: Swiftfoot Boots won't protect against sacrifice effects in general. Assault Suit will but it's kinda expensive in terms of mana.

Wow these are some great suggestions. Thanks for the help everyone!

how do you feel about this http://mythicspoiler.com/aer/cards/sramsenioredificer.html

@vennamuel

Card draw in the Command Zone is pretty cool.

@NensouHiebara

• Do you plan to use Sram, Senior Edificer instead of 8.5 tails as your commander ?

• Another question: what do you think about Inspirational Monuments as an extra mana rock?
  http://mythicspoiler.com/aer/cards/inspirationalmonuments.html
  -- At worst, it produces only one for casting your creatures.
  -- At its best, all your equipments produce for casting your creatures, saving you some mana for equip costs or 8.5's abilities.

Inspirational Monuments could be interesting. I've play tested this deck a number of times and having equipment / artifacts sitting there has happened in basically every game. Not to mention that even if they are attached to a creature, you can STILL use them.

However thing to note is that this would not produce <> mana. This only pays (1). Kozilek for example would still require being able to pay <><>

@Stefouch

I'm obviously going to try out Sram, Senior Edificer, but there's no guarantee on a Commander change.

On the fence on Inspirational Monuments. I'm trying to keep most of my ramp Shatter-proof.

@NensouHiebara

While i do see sram being a valuable commander i didn't really mean to ask about his potential as a commander (personally i am pretty attached to the protection 8.5 provides), but rather more about if he could see play in the 99.

I will also try him out as commander for sure but I don't see him as someone who could easily replace the very efficient repeatable protection that 8.5 provides.

@vennamuel

While 8.5's protection is pretty potent, he's completely useless early game and when mana screwed. And White always has an issue with card draw, which Sram, Senior Edificer alleviates. I'm open to a new Commander and I'm going to test whether I prefer protection or card draw in the Command Zone.

As for the 99, absolutely not. 'Enchantress'-style card draw engines aren't effective unless you see them early enough to get the most value out of them. What makes Puresteel Paladin great is its ability to do something else when drawn late into the game. Sram, Senior Edificer doesn't have the same luxury. For me, Sram is a Commander or bust.

It's a little on the narrow side, but if you're considering a Banisher Priest, maybe consider Fiend Hunter? Both 3 drops, it loses 1 power, but gains 1 toughness making it a little harder to ping (and return the exiled), and also you have 3-4 instant/abilities that could destroy it as it's entering. Which may be weird, but it gives you the option to permanent exile something game-changing since it has the two separate wording rather than combined and not risk it returning.

@nyaomi

I'm aware of the 'interaction' Fiend Hunter's dual triggers can cause with a removal spell, but it isn't worth it.

If I have a removal spell to use on Fiend Hunter to abuse the dual triggers and permanently exile something, I might as well use the removal spell on the target in the first place and not waste two removal cards on one target. Also saves myself the headache of explaining how the dual triggers work in that situation to the less rules-savvy players.

Banisher Priest's 2/2 body is better than Fiend Hunter's 1/3:

• Banisher Priest hits harder. Every point of power matters for an aggro deck.
• Banisher Priest can be tutored with Recruiter of the Guard.