"Lo, traveller, I hear you're wanting to fight the mighty Queen of the Mountain. Well if you must fight Rith the Awakener, be aware simple brawn and brain will not be enough for this Dragon; oh no, a man like you will need an army to stand up to what that the mountain will throw at you. I say this not to dishearten you travel, nay, I simply could not bear to see another lost soul go up without having heard of the tales of those before. But please, if you still want to try, sit down for a while and I'll tell you of what you expect on your ascent. "
(Welcome to my budget Rith Voltron deck! The plan was to build a Voltron style Rith deck after my last deck build left me feeling not so happy with the outcome - it felt stagnant, in part due to a large number of "auto includes" - so this deck was built from the ground up to be more thematic and fun. When I'd started playing EDH, Magnus Magicus' deck "Balthor the Stout" (http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=4707379) really sparked my imagination, and similarly in building this deck I wanted to get that same feeling. While some thing s may not be the best choice in an EDH deck, I much prefer to feel they fit more at home upon Rith's Mountainous lair, nestled in the home of one of the Dragon's caves or in the depths of the forests. And that's what this became, so please enjoy the deck list, and have fun reading the lists!
The idea of the deck is simple - generate lots of mana, pump out Rith consistently and continue to build a small army that can be our line of defence/ can push a bit more damage through. And when Rith gets too expensive to keep up, pick another one of the fatties and keep at it.)
The Queen of the Mountain
"At the top of Mount' sits the Queen herself. The mighty Rith, a dragon whose origin are ones of legends, they speak of her rise and her awaken - but only the oldest of sages speak of those stories, and only the most foolish of mortals would believe what they hear. No matter her questionable origins, the truth of the matter can be seen throughout the mighty mountain - men speak of her firm control of the dragons on the mountain, how none of them dare question her; they say she has no fear of combat, just as comfortable using sword and shield as she is claws and skin; that from her very breath, armies of plant monstrosities arise to fight those who would challenge her. In fact, that's what makes the mountain the way it is..."
(Meet the commander! the lovely Rith used to be the head of a token spam deck, but I frequently found that she could become a nightmare on her own without any of the other deck's token bursters coming into play with a few buffs in play: And so she finds herself in this new home. Rith is our creature of choice to be swinging in each turn while fully equipped - the deck benefits from her ability to poop out a load of saprolings that can protect us/ push through extra damage - but of course any of the other dragons can do the job too.)
The Lay of the Land
"What do you mean, you don't want to hear about the mountain? You young adventurers are all the same, all you want to hear is the horror that must be slayen, the ultimate magic that surrounds the wizard, the great wonders that lie in the chests - well listen here! If you want a chance to make it to the top, the first thing you must know is the terrain of that mighty mountain. Apart from the steep cliff edges you'll have to traverse, be prepared to get lost in the unending forests that the mountain hosts. You might get lucky of course, come across the rolling flatlands where the dragons have burned away all else... How does a mountain have forests? Boy, don't you know it's magic?..."
Evolving Wilds
"Right in front of your eyes. I swear upon my own eyes. Well, I swear upon the eyes of the man who told me. He was making his descent when he came across an area like none other - it seemed to shift and change as he watched it, so quickly the odd mucus that covered the area in front of him began to mould itself to what appeared to be trees, and within moments, he said, the entire area had become similar to the forests he had been lost in not moments before...."
(Helps us to fish out those pesky plains that will attempt to hide from us.)
Gavony Township
"I thought it odd too. But yes, apparently, there is an entire township hidden somewhere on that mountain. Who made it? Well you could track down those mercenaries who told me about it, but one assumes they're long gone by this point. Apparently, it was stocked to the brim with ancient weaponry. Even when they took what they could carry, they said there was still enough left to stock an army. Possibly one that got kicked out when the dragons moved in..."
(Provides a nice mana sink when sitting with nothing else, gives your creatures a bit more pump. Can be deadly when there's an army of tokens on field.)
Grasslands
"If you wander for long enough you'll find it apparently. It looks like one of the scorched areas the dragons have left, but it's just started to rebirth. It's rare to see these areas untouched by Rith."
Gruul Guildgate
"It stands as a relic of a city long gone I suppose. Oh no, I mean, there's not a lot of it there, but those who know those sort of things can tell. A simple archway with carvings engraved all over it. You wouldn't notice it if you weren't looking for it, what with it having been engulfed by the surrounding wilderness. The Archaeologist who found it said it was covered in etchings that read thing like "Crush them" and "We eat!". Certainly not the writings of Dragons."
(Decided to add in a few of these, seeing as theyre in the main colours of the deck. Handy to drop when I need an either/or situation.)
Reliquary Tower
If you travel far enough, at the furthest edge, thats where youll find it. Jutting awkwardly from the side of the rocks, a great tower of foreign design. I wouldnt be surprised if one of the dragons lifted the entire thing from its home somewhere and dropped it there to plunder at its own leisure...*
(One or two auto includes wont hurt, Reliquary tower really helping deal with multiple Howling Mines)
Rith's Grove
*Thats how you know youre near the top.
Rootbound Crag
Sacred Foundry
Shivan Oasis
Stomping Ground
Sunpetal Grove
Temple Garden
Terramorphic Expanse
Vivid Grove
