@NoOneOfConsequence Thank you for the message, This deck idea is going to go through a few changes over the next few weeks so please keep checking back and offer any ideas you may come up with. Cheers again!
October 9, 2015 8:07 p.m.
If your opponents typically have a lot of snakes Reap may be a good choice.
EDIT: You already have it, my bad. Nothing to see here.
October 11, 2015 2:34 p.m. Edited.
I've always felt that Pharika was underrated, so I really like this list you've designed. I don't think I've ever seen Infernal Genesis put to such good use.
Since you still have space in your list, a couple cards to consider are Void Attendant and Blight Herder. They put creatures from exile back into the opponent's graveyard so you can make more tokens and ding the opponent for more damage. They also produce tokens that can sac themselves for free and help you mana ramp. Throw in a Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos and those tokens will be a real worry for your opponents.
Sadistic Hypnotist may be worth considering as another sac outlet and Genesis Chamber is another way to force tokens on your opponents.
October 11, 2015 6:19 p.m.
DexterKrause says... #5
Seems Fun but I think Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat would work nicely
October 11, 2015 8:48 p.m.
@SaberTech Thank you for your input! Those new eldrazi are a pretty awesome interaction! Didn't even think about utilising that when sifting through the spoilers. Void Attendant looks like it will be making an entrance then! Not to keen on Blight Herder as it seems to just be a cheap body with mana tokens. But Void Attendant offers a nice interaction to give an opponent a token for BFF, Definitely a great political interaction. Cannot really decide upon weather Grave Pact is worth it's self in this build as often I wont be creating a token for myself, Though it is always a possibility. It would bring some removal I currently feel as if I am lacking. I will have to test those ones. Sadistic Hypnotist is a similar conundrum due to my lack of sacrificing my own creatures. But it does offer a way I could even yard my own cards, for Dread Return etc, Genesis Chamber Is another great card I have been thinking of! Very quick to get down and pretty fun! That will be included soon.
@DexterKrause Thank you for commenting! Blood Artist Was in the first build but then was dropped because it dies to Night of Souls' Betrayal due to it killing Blood Artist. But then that was dropped because of budget. I will probably swap out Blood Seeker for it soon enough. Zulaport Cutthroat is one I cannot make my mind over, This is due to the aim of the deck being the tokens I am gifting are getting killed and I do not control them. I haven't really built around self Sacrifice so I'm not sure how potent it will be.
October 12, 2015 2:59 a.m.
Kratos1810 says... #7
Thank you, thank you, thank you for developing Pharika for EDH! I have tried for a while now to build a deck with her but ended up with an unoriginal pile of staple EDH cards.
Gushing aside, did you ever consider Virulent Plague for redundancy? Sepulchral Primordial could nab creatures killed by your snakes. Bereavement nails your opponents hands while offering you gas. Seed the Land can provide blockers, chump tokens for the opponents, and gives Lady Pharika snakes. Engineered Plague naming snakes would be an interesting choice.
October 12, 2015 11:45 a.m.
Kratos1810 says... #8
Also Gate to Phyrexia with Liquidmetal coating makes for some sweet removal.
October 12, 2015 11:50 a.m.
@Kratos1810 Hey there, thank you for commenting! Virulent Plague is in, due to being a second Illness in the Ranks, allowing for more consistency, same reasoning for Engineered Plague as you suggested. Have been tempted with Seed the Land, works similarly to Genesis Chamber But I am concerned when I have my Tainted AEther//Last Laugh engine up it could be quite the downside, which makes me reconsider Genesis Chamber honestly, It isn'y like Infernal Genesis where I can manipulate top deck to do it. Bereavement on the other hand is a pretty awesome idea, works similarly to Sadistic Hypnotist in a token deck but for what I am trying to achieve.
Gate to Phyrexia is definitely an interesting idea. Great artifact removal though Liquimetal Coating is pretty limp without it. But I do suppose it turns Putrefy into Land destruction if needed. I am not in an Artifact heavy meta currently so will probably use this if that ever changes.
October 13, 2015 2:37 a.m.
hyperlocke says... #10
Suggestions off the top of my head:
Genesis Chamber - The majority of decks run enough creatures to warrant a 2-drop that can produce quite many tokens.
Akroan Horse - If you regularily play multiplayer games, this could find a spot.
As for enchantment/artifact removal: Naturalize, Nature's Claim, Beast Within, Steel Hellkite, Abrupt Decay, Maelstrom Pulse. The last two aren't very budget-friendly, but I'm just putting them out there...
Personally, I feel saver with a little mass removal to save my ass. Cheap ones would be Black Sun's Zenith, Crux of Fate and Decree of Pain.
I think you need a little more card draw. I would absoulutely run Skullclamp; Regal Force and Phyrexian Arena when your budget allows it. Maybe consider Sign in Blood, Read the Bones or Skeletal Scrying.
October 13, 2015 6:30 p.m.
@hyperlocke Thanks for the array of suggestions! Genesis Chamber and Akroan Horse are great but I am pretty weary about giving myself tokens. I have a few copies and will give them a go, Genesis Chamber does offer more of a controllable creature creation, (for myself). Seed the Land Was also another possibility here.
For enchantment/artifact removal You have offered a great list. Maelstrom Pulse will be finding a place as soon as budget lets me, as will Beast Within But until then I am running 6 artifact and enchantment forms with a few on creatures so they can be reused, which seems to work okay for now.
Mass removal is great! Gaze of Granite is my sweeper and Necroplasm clears tokens currently. Apart from that I can usually stay out of the fray enough to warrant giving people snakes to thin their numbers.
Draw is an odd one. I havn't really gone for the usual Draw X or Necropotence without it going using my game plan e.g. Deathreap Ritual I'll prefer to use Evolutionary Leap / Birthing Pod To replace that creature with another threat, or even dredging and recurring to replace draw effects. Due to my ability to control the creature count on the board quite when once a game gets going even Oath of Ghouls and Oath of Druids act like draw (even political bargaining chips for my opponents). But I could do with some more as this tends to lack on some games.
October 14, 2015 2:41 a.m.
Kratos1810 says... #12
There is also Sylvan Offering from the recent Commander 2013 that gives X tokens and a beater to boot. It's a bit boring, but Ashnod's Altar is a solid mana generator. I feel Deathrender is a rather weak card in this deck. It's cute to drop Massacre Wurm for free, but the slot could be used for something else. AEther Snap maybe?
October 16, 2015 11:54 a.m.
@Kratos1810: Sylvan Offering looks pretty cool actually! Very political which is always great in EDH. The only issue dropping that many tokens on someone is only viable when win cons are out. Which will really hurt me as well. It seems quite risky, Though if I ran Sangromancer (Is currently a options I'm considering to combat any life loss it could work, or Tajuru Preserver to stop sac effects. Ashnod's Altar though powerful, like Phyrexian Altar, is very strong, but Like you say quite boring. AEther Snap is Excellent, if it where only destroy all tokens. Deathrender is like you say a bit weak, it does seem to just get destroyed when it drops. But if it sticks with a creature in hand and on the battlefield with Evolutionary Leap It becomes quite a way to cycle through ETB Effects. But is a bit weak. I am tempted to go more defensive and replace it for Ward of Bones and add Crawlspace in.
Thank you very much for your continued input!
October 16, 2015 3:03 p.m.
Love this deck style. I feel like Blood Artist would be a logical fit in this theme as well. Since it only targets one opponent, it allows you to assign damage politically as well.
October 16, 2015 7:49 p.m.
@Mitrian Thank you for your comment! Blood Artist is going to be in this build just for what it does Falkenrath Noble does the same for a 5th of the price :p
October 20, 2015 5:23 a.m.
@mentor6 Thank you for the suggestion, Zulaport Cutthroat does a nice budget Blood Artist but it specificially states creatures I control. Which is not the main aim of the deck, I would rather any creature so forcefeeding can be more effective.
October 28, 2015 7:23 p.m.
@Omut Thanks for the input! Beast Within is a card i'll add soon, just trying to get a trade at the moment! Acorn Catapult is also pretty awesome. Can't believe I missed it! Adds a little bit of niche removal aswell as my forcefeeding theme!
November 3, 2015 7:57 a.m.
@illumfolly Thank you for your comment! Kothophed, Soul Hoarder would be an awesome addition to get some draw, would be mental with Infernal Genesis and Illness in the Ranks.
November 5, 2015 8:48 a.m.
Kratos1810 says... #23
@Cerradura I do appreciate your feedback on this deck! I'm saving some money off to the side for this deck, and hope to confuse and weird out my local playgroup. I seem to notice Agent of Erebos is not in your constellation suite. Is it too cute of an ability? Too costly? Skullwinder acts as a splashable Eternal Witness, group hug ready, and is on theme as a snake. It'd be a pretty sweet add. Arachnogenesis, while spider-based, makes more tokens from attacking tokens, and prevents combat damage unless dealt by spiders. Upon survival, you have reach blockers and more little guys to pop off to Blood Artist. Finally Ezuri's Predation acts as a win condition. The beasts gobble up the deathtouch snakes, which kills the snakes, which makes the beasts explode, which drains the board to death.
Commander 2015 has been too good for this deck.
November 15, 2015 11:18 a.m.
@Kratos1810 Hey there! Sorry for the late reply, RL gets hectic sometimes! I love your ideas with the deck, Agent of Erebos offers great GY hate, which isn't needed in my meta (but is very good), I am just okay with Pharika doing her job. Skullwinder looks very fun, a bit of a politics and E-wit.
Arachnogenesis doesn't do much for this deck, if it where more token swarming then it could work. Ezuri's Predation on the other hand offers a great wincon, aswell as boardwipe if they are swarmed!
December 9, 2015 3:06 a.m.
I would love to partner this deck up with a Phelddagrif commander deck in a two-headed-giant commander game.
NoOneOfConsequence says... #1
I'll just come right out and say it: I think this deck is awesome.
Most people (myself included, at one point) look at Pharika, God of Affliction and see here as virtually useless, even in EDH. I really do love what you've done with her, though--it's quite the testament to your skill as a deckbuilder. It's budget, it's political, and it does something creative with an underrated commander, while still being a reliable deck. Good job!
October 8, 2015 9:13 a.m.