Ok buddy nice deck i ve only one suggest for you. At the moment you're running a lots of nice things for prevent damage and other again to get your opponents in a position where they can t attack you (EX: No Mercy and similar).These things are in the most of cases noncreature permanents, for that reason my suggest is to play inside your deck a Karmic Justice. This card protects all your artefacts, enchantments and lands preserving your safe plain.Bye man !

Tappedoutman, I have played Karmic Justice, and it was just OK. Maybe just my meta, but I never advanced my goals much. My stuff still got killed, I just got to retaliate, which wasn't as strong as I wanted. I have been considering Greater Auramancy, but have not tried it. I think stopping the spot removal would be stronger than retaliation against spot removal. Thanks for the comment though.

cerealkyra, I have not yet tried Gonti, Lord of Luxury. I don't have one. I have considered it, as it is a deathtoucher with an interesting ability that is sort of Aikido, but I am afraid is may suffer from the same problem as Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim and get taken out quickly as a threat to the board, or play like Grenzo, Havoc Raiser and not do as much as I want. I am interested in seeing it played in the deck, but have just not gotten there yet. Thanks for the comment, and I will let you know if I run it.

Maybe Greater Auramancy is the answer for that problem. I sad Karmic Justice because help you in the case of land distruction, but if you ve tried it and you don t run it probably your consideration are correct. In any case my congratulations again for the deck. Take care.

To be honest, I am not really sure that there is a huge problem that needs to be corrected. If they are using cards to deconstruct my defense, they are not using them to defeat me. Lots of defense is overlapping, so they can take out my best defense, but there will often be other defense left over. This sap on their resources often means that they could be getting bigger effects by targeting other things. As they are making these plays, eventually, I will have an attack that is disproportional to it's cost in terms of cards and mana. That is basically the strength of the deck. Everything costs way less in terms of cards and mana than it gives you, and it is all designed to drop bombs that are as asymmetric as possible. In the mean time, it hopes to position itself as less of a threat than others, so that the opponents' resources are all pointed elsewhere. If there was a card that protected my stuff, was inexpensive in terms of CMC, and was asymmetric, I would run it. With different color identity rules, Privileged Position would likely be that card. If Avacyn, Angel of Hope wasn't CMC 8, it may have been that card. As it stands, I think I can live without it. I will just continue to run Boros Charm instead.

So, to keep my discussion sorta about this deck, since I'm commenting here, I'd ask where a card like Debt of Loyalty would fit into this playstyle. I've considered a U/X build that follows the aikido gameplan and based on this deck white seems like a great color to pair with it, but I'm not real sure what commander to actually build around.

Knowing the above build runs plenty of board presence pillow fort cards as well as straight fog effects has also tempted me to run green for its Fog cards, but for my card pool I'm actually wanting to stick to as few colors as I can get away with.

Also I checked out the links for influences and know that while I could be open to a Jeskai color deck, the only unique ideas I'm open to is utilizing the partner mechanic between Kraum, Ludevic's Opus and Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker. So basically I'm thinking to trade black for blue when comparing to Marchesa here.

TheRedGoat, if you wanna go Jeskai with partners, I'd suggest Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder instead of Kraum. Bruse synergizes very nicely with Ishai and the two of them could be win conditions for the deck. Kraum is kind of a dud...I understand that you're using the partners primarily for colours and not their abilities. Still, I think Bruse may be a better option. I can see why you'd wanna go jeskai for aikido. Blue certainly has a lot of stealing effects. However, precociousapprentice and I have been playing Marchesa for a while and I think we've both found that Mardu makes for a fun and effective pillow fort deck.

precociousapprentice, your previous comment has got me thinking of throwing Avacyn into my deck as a finisher. My deck doesn't care as much about being super low CMC as yours does. Avacyn could be an effective pillowfort and finisher all in one...hmmm

I am not sure I would use partners for this deck. You lose a card slot, and frankly, that is huge. If there were partners that were great, maybe, but since you are basically playing them for colors, I would just pick a Jeskai commander instead.

If I were going to build a blue Aikido deck, I would actually consider running Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis. It has blue, it is an interesting ruse of being an overplayed group hug general, and it is a defensive powerhouse itself. If I wanted a non-black non-blue commander, I would run Tamanoa. Crazy build around with cool Aikido potential. I have thought about both as my next projects.

As for Debt of Loyalty, in blue, I am not sure it is as good as any Control Magic style alternatives, and it is not as good as any of the steal effects in red, so I am not sure I would run it. Too limited and conditional in it's uses.

Hi, wondering if you have thought of Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep as a way to improve Marchesa's rattlesnake ability

I actually had considered it, but the manabase is reaslly tight. I have not tried it yet. It directly improves Marchesa, and is just an unsearchable mountain otherwise. It has been on the list of interesting cards to try, but I don't have one, so have not yet. I have also considered Canyon Slough and Cascading Cataracts. All are possibilities. I have spent less time tuning it lately due to real life duties taking up time.

That's fair :) mana bases are harder to secure without green available. I'm really enjoying Cascading Cataracts in the deck for that very reason.

Curious how the sunforger package has worked out for you. I had it at one point but took it out. I have a similar project deck I've been working on, looking for some advice as well

Mardu Jujutsu

Commander / EDH jjp16

SCORE: 3 | 1 COMMENT | 506 VIEWS

Th Sunforger package is powerful when the opponents ignore it, but nowhere near essential if you don't draw it. It is practically a wincon in it's own right, just slightly less efficient than simply drawing the cards normally, but I guess that could be said of any Tutor. I rely on it less and less now, because my meta now knows it, I have plenty of other ways to control the game or swing the win, and it is becoming artifact destruction bait. I throw it out, if it isn't destroyed before I untap enough to use it, I win, or at least swing the game hard enough in my direction that my win is inevitable. People who know this blow it up. Even if you don't just use it for the Tutor ability, it is a nice equipment buff, which can turn the tides by itself. It does require that you run more instants than usual to take full advantage, and requires that they at least be part red or white, but to be honest, this deck likes instants anyway, so that is not an issue. Almost any card that I would rather run the sorcery speed version of instead of the instant, I just run both anyway. I think Sunforger is definitely worth the card slot.

Hey there precociousapprentice, it's been a while. I have been curious how well Dark Depths is playing for you. I was a little surprised it found its way into the deck since you like to play under the radar, I would think that card would paint a target on your forehead. What has your experience been with it?

It paints a huge target on me if I play it, but I usually hold it in hand until I can play it, combo with Thespian's Stage, and drop the hammer. It combos well with Weathered Wayfarer, and I just threw it in for fun. To be honest, it is mostly a bad card for the deck, but I have a very pretty one, with the pretty foil token that goes with it, and it always creates super exciting plays. It is also a huge surprising play for new metas. I may lose when I drop it, but it is such an amazing loss when it happens. I could probably do better without it, but everyone loves the inclusion.

Related to earlier comments about Sunforger: have you found this deck to rely more on your targeted removal instants/sorcery spells to deal with threats or your rattlesnake/creature effects? My deck is struggling to find that balance, I have it much more creature based at the moment for a multiplayer environment but have often found it lacking answers for specific threats. If you'd look at my list I would really appreciate some feedback from someone who has built a successful take on the Queen.

Rattlesnake effects allow me to sit comfortably in the face of threats, redirecting threats against my opponents. This also creates a situation where other opponents' answers become my answers. My answers are for surgical removal of threats that will disrupt my strategy, that will outright win the game, or for threats that still remain after all other opponents are defeated, and that cannot be redirected otherwise. Powerful removal is essential, but making myself an unfavorable target is just as essential. At times, a single Rattlesnake will delay an attack against me, or redirect attacks elsewhere from many creatures. A rattlesnake can act as a boardwipe, eliminating the threat from the entire board, but leaving the board in place to threaten my opponents. A single targeted answer would not do that as well. There is a balance, and both enhances the other.

Cool Deck! Awesome flavor! Though you have Slayer's Stronghold Twice?

There is only 1, but the way I have it organized, my list reflects it twice. It has to do that it has more than 1 function, and gets more than 1 function tag. There are plenty of other cards that are listed twice, but are only represented once in the deck. Check it out and you will see. Thanks for the positive feedback, this is now my all time favorite deck. It plays fun, has super exciting games, it's power scales with the power of my opponents, and if can win against most without being oppressive or gimicky. Super fun.

Considering both Gideon of the Trials and Approach of the Second Sun.

Gideon of the Trials - Pretty strong Pillow Fort abilities, but I have never found Planeswalkers to be powerful enough for inclusion. Still, it warrants playtesting, and I have ordered a copy to test.

Approach of the Second Sun - I have yet to make alternate wincons as strong as I always think they should be. I will try this one, but I anticipate that the broadcasting of the play may lead to it's being unplayable, the cost is too high, and the delay is too long. Not even the 7 life makes up for it. Probably won't make it. Still, I ordered a copy.

What do you all think? I have higher hopes for Gideon than for Second Sun. We shall see.

Of the two I think Gideon of the Trials is a better fit for your deck. Your deck is low CMC curve. I think Approach of the Second Sun may be too big and unwieldy (as you state).

Agreed, wholeheartedly. Alternative wins have never paid off for me, and expensive, slow, and advertised alternative wins are probably not good enough. Just thinking about cards I have seen from Amonkhet, and wanted to try out a few. Gideon of the Trials may be good. We shall see.

Also considering Serene Master. It is a semi-Deathtouch that is also semi-Indestructible. I see it being to defense what Master of Cruelties is to offense. The flavor would be a win as well.