Requests for comments in the comments section
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war!
Enter the vast and brutal world of Warhammer 40,000, where the Imperium of Man reigns supreme across the galaxy. With a million human settled planets under their control, the Imperium's advanced technology and violent solutions have proven effective time and time again. In this world, life is cheap, and soldiers are merely numbers in a resourceful war machine.
My Marneus Calgar Commander deck embodies the Imperium's approach with scalable token generators, expected sacrifices, and high tech (enchantments) to buff our armies. Card advantage and ramp represent the boundless resources of the Imperium, though they may take time to arrive. Join me as we attack in numbers
Without further ado, this is how my Marneus Calgar deck has been designed:
- Lots of scalable token generators with useful effects! We attack in numbers!.. and we profit, especially from the great sacrifices.
- Sacrifices is expected, it is the Imperium after all, life is cheap!
- Enchantments to buff and protect the forces of the imperium!
- Boundless resources! They just take time to arrive...
- 5 distinct win conditions, all depending on tokens:
- Swarm them with the might of the imperium's meat grinder
- Force them to submission with tokens and Bastion of Remembrance.
- Force them to submission with tokens and Zulaport Cutthroat
- Force of economy! Revel in Riches will show them that there can be only one true emperor of man!
- Show your might! Draw the last card +1 of your deck and enjoy the win from Laboratory Maniac.
Noteworhty interactions
- Anointed Procession and Mondrak, Glory Dominus doubles our tokens. Center piece to get with tutors! Copy Anointed Procession with Clever Impersonator
- Infinites (note that Marneus Calgar draws the deck in these combos, so we need colored mana enough to play 1 win condition):
- Marsh Flats, Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Terramorphic Expanse, and Evolving Wilds fetches me the most needed land, thins the deck, and enables reshuffles when needed after Scroll Rack or Sensei's Divining Top
- Academy Rector, Englightend tutor, Mystical Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Tuotor and Idyllic Tutor makes deck more consistent, for getting good stuff on the table, and secondary getting the card we need for the situation. Great reshuffle abusers when we know the top of the deck is not what we want.
- Lots of mana stones for ramp, fixing, and getting the most out of the spells. Replicating Ring and Skyclave Relic plays nice with Anointed Procession and Mondrak, Glory Dominus
- Heavy on control and defense mechanisms.
- (Ashnod's Altar | Anointed Procession) & Mondrak, Glory Dominus : Infinite mana colorless mana + Infinite Creatures + Infinite draw. Pick your win condition.
Design choices
- Preference for Enchantments
- Preference for tutors and filters over diversity (if we drop 6 tutors and 4 filters, we can get a lot more flavor in the mix, but for now I'll value consistency)
- Redundancy and flexibility preferred over raw might.
Deep dive per cateogry
Token creation
- Anointed Procession & Mondrak, Glory Dominus... let's create double or quadruple the amount of tokens, right?.. right?
- Martial Coup create a lot of useful tokens while wiping the board!
- Increasing Devotion 5 for 5 or 9 for 10 tokens (play it twice, thank you). or 10/20... or 20/40 yeah it's fun, if it happens :D
- Entreat the Angels kind of ineffective when not played with miracle. when above 9 mana, it's pretty good as is. Sensei's Divining Top, and Scroll Rack can help set it up.
- Grand Crescendo Can be used for face value, or can be used to protect my board state from a board wipe
- Decree of Justice Slightly worse than Entreat the angles when above 9 mana. Cycling scenario is fine early mid game.
- Zephyrim can be played for standard price in a pickle, but quickly becomes quite valuable, say past 7 mana. Enabled by same support tools as Entreat the Angels
- Ultramarines Honour Guard can be played for standard price in a pickle, but quickly becomes viable, say past 7 mana. Also anthem
- Space Marine Devastator can be played for standard price in a pickle, but quickly becomes viable, say past 7 mana. Also control.
- Sicarian Infiltrator can be played for standard price in a pickle, but quickly becomes viable, say past 7 mana. Also card advantage.
- Defenders of Humanity worth it since it can be used twice, and will support Sphere of Safety between usages.
Doublers
Win conditions
Card advantage / recursion
Control
Protection
Ramp / fixing
Tutors
They prune your deck and gives you the answer you want. What's not to like. Makes Anointed Procession adn Mondrak, Glory Dominus more consistent, but takes up space for fun cards.
Utility
Lands
Not much to say about this. Used what I had in stock, as with the rest of the deck. Tried to ensure consistency as well as possible, but mana base is a bit on the weak side. Fetches should go straight for Raffine's Tower unless here and now gratification is needed. Temple of the False God can be fine, but time will tell. Right now, mana base feels a bit brittle, though amount of identity color generating lands is fairly comfortable. Not sure I should keep Maze of Ith in there. Can be nice in certain situations, but most of the time it's just meh.
Maybe nice to add
- Argivian Find is an extra life for Anointed Procession