Do you play this deck in 1v1 or multiplayer? I'm absolutely in love with my own version of it but I've been receiving complaints about taking one player out of the game early, haha. It's usually a blue Palinchron player though so I could care less as they're already ruining the spirit of the game IMO.

@Ilnez

I only play multiplayer, in pods of 3 or 4.

Quick kills is what makes Balan great! If an opponent kept an opening hand without interaction against fast plays, that's their problem.

Yeah, he's pretty much a crazy step up in powerlevel from any other mono-W or even Boros general I've ever played, I love this deck.

How do you protect your equipments? In my meta, everyone puts artfact hate in deck to counter my Balan.

What can I do to protect them?

@rikmatias

I use Leonin Abunas and Devoted Caretaker to keep targeted removal off of my Equipment.

I've used Karmic Justice in the past as a removal deterrent, but it's useless against exiling removal.

What are your thoughts on using Land Tax? I find it sometimes difficult to hit land drops in my 37 land GW Voltron list. Have you tried it out before?

What about Quietus Spike I found it very useful against mass life gain decks to keep them in check plus added bonus of death touch

@GeminiSpartanX

Land Tax was in the deck since Day 1 up until May when I replaced it with Tithe.

• Tithe isn't stuck behind an upkeep trigger.
• Tithe still grabs at least one land if I'm not behind, which can happen.
• Tithe isn't completely dead late-game, as it can tutor for Mistveil Plains.

@dritchie

Commander Damage is already a huge setback for mass lifegain strategies. I've had Quietus Spike in the deck before and wasn't enjoying it that much because it doesn't contribute to Commander Damage.

Balan, Wandering Knight is already a fast clock with the right pair of Equipment. I've never felt the need to reintroduce Quietus Spike to the deck.

Yo guys! I played a very similar version of this deck for quite some time and based on your list I just created a Karlov of the Ghost Council-Voltron deck.
Going into Black() is great for carddraw and tutors, as well as alternative winconditions, like combos(Exquisite Blood + Vizkopa Guildmage) or Exsanguinate/Debt to the Deathless to finish the game without combat/commander damage.

I would love to get some great feedback from you guys ^^

The deck link: Karlov of the Ghost Council - Voltron
(Check out the custom categories)

What's everyone's take on Smothering Tithe?

Stupid good.

Would you like a 4 mana Gilded Lotus + Coalition Relic

Smothering Tithe seems like a good source of ramp like a Explosive Vegetation . Earlier in the game, they are less likely to pay the tax. It helps a ton when you think about the fact that its not restricted to the draw step. It does not ramp out your Balan, Wandering Knight , but it definitely helps the rebuild against decks that just outdraw you

I heared people say that Smothering Tithe will go in every single White deck that does not run Green.
Even tough this card is definitley better than Gilded Lotus (in a vacuuum at least), it is still just a rather expensive ramp card that does nothing the turn it comes into play.
There can also be cases where it does not ramp you as much (or even at all), if your opponents are low on cards or have mana to spare anyways. It is also worrying that the other players can control how much mana they are going to give you.

I think it is fair to say that there are certainly decks that will want this card, especially slower decks or decks that have a focus on controlling their opponent's resources. It may be just to slow or unreliable for decks that need fast mana.
Ultimately, I wouldn't play this card in Balan . I just can't think of a turn where you would be happy to spend four mana to play this card. I would rather play an equipment on turn 2 or 3, Balan on 4 and a Sword + Balan's ability on 5.

I feel that. If a deck wants Gilded Lotus in white, I'd run S-Tithe, this deck doesn't want a Gilded Lotus, so it doesn't need S-Tithe.

Any thougts on Strata Scythe as a backup Blackblade? Or no need for both?

@lil_cheez

Strata Scythe is too inconsistent with a manabase of nearly half nonbasics.

This deck has plenty of large P/T boosts that Scythe isn't necessary.

What’s your take on Cathedral of War ?

@fellgamer

Cathedral of War doesn't do enough. Space for utility land is extremely tight, and a lone exalted trigger isn't worth using over any of the deck's current lands.

The new Blackblade Reforged is really cool because the artist Richard Kane Ferguson also made the artword for Dakkon Blackblade

I love to follow the updates on this deck, I think the strategic planning of yours is very respectable

Any thoughts on Crush Contraband ? I've seen it being used in place of Return to Dust in some decks... the fact that it does not have "addendum" seem to compensate the fact that it is a little less flexible

@lil_cheez

I prefer Return to Dust's flexibility. Hitting two artifacts/enchantments at once is more important to me than instant-speed.

Gideon Blackblade

What's everyone's opinion on Gideon Blackblade? I kinda like what he's offering:

• 3cmc
• Doesn't burn his loyalty activation to become a creature.
• [+1] provides very relevant keywords.
• [-6] is unconditional exiling removal.

@NensouHiebara - I feel like if things have gone the route where Gideon Blackblade is a viable equip creature target, things have gone horribly, horribly wrong... because the mana investment equates to temporary gains; it's akin to your equipped creature dying/being exiled, regardless of indestructibility/Hexproof.

Balan being able to equip everything at instant speed for 2 mana, is what makes it the best equipment general. Gideon isn't bad, per say, but the whole "being a creature and also a planeswalker" thing is overrated when the equipments fall off every turn. It's versatile, and early game it could do a significant amount of work to pump balan/something else, but late game, it's only going to be for the keyword +1. If that's enough for you, then it's all good, but I find it hard to justify when, unlike equipment tutors, this can't be fetched without making cuts for it's tutor(s).

Gideon is basically an attackable enchantment. Instead of that, Open the Armory or Steelshaper's Gift gets you whatever you need. Need indestructible? Fetch Darksteel Plate or Hammer of Nazahn . Need Vigilance? Fetch something like Sword of Vengeance . Lifelink? Fetch Loxodon Warhammer . Etc. Of those, Sun Titan gets back 3 of the 4, nevermind anything else. If you don't have Vigilance on board, you're likely to pick that just to try to keep Balan up as a blocker for Gideon, which might not always be ideal if you're also missing hexproof/indestructible.

Lost soo bad to a Ur-Dragon deck..The flyers caught me off guard.