Hey all!
For a while now I've been trying to build a decent Abzan deck that includes Delirium in some way or form, since the mechanic has really grown on me and Abzan is by far my favourite colour combination of all (at least at the moment). I tried to include only cards I own or cards I could happily trade for, which is why certain auto-includes like Tarmogoyf, Abrupt Decay, fetch lands, etc. are missing. The deck itself plays like a control // midrange deck with decent hand-hate, removal and creatures that bring value to the table.
Now, after a lot of thought and trading, this is the list I have come up with:
Creature spells:
Non-creature spells:
Duress - Decent budget hand-hate. Nothing much to say apart from that.
Path to Exile - Personally, I am running Swords to Plowshares, because I only play with friends and we play with a more casual ruleset. However, I want this deck to be modern legal and think that Dismember just doesn't cut it, especially with all the painlands I run. Apart from all that though, Path to Exile comes closest to Swords to Plowshares and is a staple in most Abzan decks.
Traverse the Ulvenwald - Our late-game tutor for
Siege Rhino
, Tasigur, the Golden Fang or Emrakul, the Promised End.
Lingering Souls - Nice synergy with Grim Flayer and Sorin, Solemn Visitor. It fills our three-mana slot and has overall good value.
Hero's Downfall - Another decent removal spell and somewhat a replacement for Abrupt Decay.
Anguished Unmaking - I don't own a whole playset and apart from that, I think running four of them seems like too much life loss anyway. So, instead of running a playset of Abrupt Decay I have decided to play a 2/2 split between Hero's Downfall and Anguished Unmaking.
Abzan Charm - I am still not sure about this one. The card draw and possible removal seems nice, but I might replace them with Scavenging Ooze to smooth out the curve and up the amount of creatures.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor - I chose him, because he is the only Planeswalker I own at the moment and he offers nice synergy with Lingering Souls. Also, he is not too hard to acquire in terms of money or trading.
Lands:
For now, I can only afford the cheap lands, which is why I am running a playset of each Caves of Koilos and
Llanowar Wastes
. Additionally, I included two Evolving Wilds to make Delirium a bit easier to achieve. Running Traverse the Ulvenwald and Evolving Wilds might enable us to cut two lands from the deck to open up space for anything else.
Sideboard:
The sideboard is still under construction, but my thoughts are that I want the sideboard to either enable the deck to be more aggressive, including cards like Gnarlwood Dryad and Loxodon Smiter or jump into full control mode and add maybe Ob Nixilis Reignited,
Sorin, Grim Nemesis
, etc.
I really need help here so please feel free to leave any and all feedback, I highly appreciate it!
Maybeboard:
Most of the cards I listed here are creatures or Planeswalkers, which I want to pick up at some point and playtest. The three-mana slot is lacking a bit in terms of creatures and I don't know, if this needs change or should stay as it is, especially with all the removal we run and the inclusion of Lingering Souls. I mentioned above that I am thinking about replacing Abzan Charm. My main reasoning for this is that I think there aren't enough creatures in the deck and that the curve looks and feels a bit clunky. As for now, I want to include another two-drop, maybe Scavenging Ooze or another artifact.
If you have actually read all of this, I should first off thank you for doing so! You might have noticed that I am still unsure about some of the cards I included, mainly Tidehollow Sculler and Abzan Charm. Also, running 22 lands instead of 24 might be an option too, since we run Traverse the Ulvenwald and Evolving Wilds. All this would open up 8 flexible spots in the deck that I need help with and would love to hear your opinion on.
To end this long description, I just want you to know that I am playing on a budget and with a more casual ruleset. This is why substitutes - like for example Swords to Plowshares instead of Path to Exile - and many more are very welcome. Please bear that in mind if you leave any feedback.
Now, finally, I thank all of you for reading this and wish you a happy day and merry christmas in advance!
Have a nice day!
EDIT#1: I just opened a Nissa, Voice of Zendikar and was thinking that it might find a spot somewhere in the deck as a one-off. Maybe I'll take out one Abzan Charm for it. We will see how playtesting goes, but feel free to share your opinion with me regarding Nissa, Voice of Zendikar.
EDIT#2: Currently, I am thinking about replacing Tidehollow Sculler with Vault Skirge and Anguished Unmaking & Abzan Charm with Blossoming Defense to make it more aggressive and give my creatures some protection. Let me know what you think!
EDIT#3: Added Liliana, Heretical Healer
,
Warden of the First Tree
and
Scuttling Doom Engine
to the list of possible additions. Don't know what to do with them yet though.
