This is my own Scion Deck. It is built for ~4 player EDH.
Why play
Scion of the Ur-Dragon
?
I love dragons, and Scion lets me play with a ton of Dragons. Scion EDH decks can do busted things and are very strong. This one is a bit watered down for a more 'casual' play group. You'll notice that the mana base is nerfed, so don't expect any turn-one-kills. I usually think of this deck as a ticking time bomb. The opponents have a bit of time to take you down, but if they wait too long, then you are going to bathe them in dragonfire. Every time I play this deck, I always encounter new scenarios and decisions that have to be made. If you want to do the same thing over and over again, this deck can do that and reliably win by just pitching dragons to the yard and then reanimating them for the win. But, sometimes you just want to play "protect the walker and ult", this deck can do that. Sometimes you just want to give a big F U to a specific opponent, this deck can do that. Sometimes you just want to sit there and draw your whole deck, this deck can do that, too. I've been playing Scion for a long time, and this is my most recent iteration, I hope you find it as enjoyable as I do!
The General Game Plan
Spend the early turns putting out a mana rock or anything that will help ramp into playing dragons which will help defend against opponents' early plays. Once you have 7 mana, bring out Scion and leave 2 mana open to use its ability to protect it.
Use
Silumgar, the Drifting Death
, Dragon Lord Ojutai and
Quicksilver Dragon
as Hexproof protection (
Chromium, the Mutable
can also be used but is useful to wait and use it for discarding dragons that get stuck in hand). Use
Immersturm Predator
to get indestructible if possible/needed, also remember that the ability will allow you to exile a card from any graveyard, so use it to disrupt gy combos. Use
Kokusho, the Evening Star
and
Ryusei, the Falling Star
as necessary; it's generally ok to let Scion go to the grave, since there is a decent amount of reanimation in the deck.
If no threats arise, then just use Scion to pitch dragons to the yard. High priority dragons to get into your yard are
Scourge of Valkas
,
Lathliss, Dragon Queen
,
Utvara Hellkite
, and
Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund
.
If Scion lives to your next turn, and you have a reanimation spell (
Living Death
,
Patriarch's Bidding
,
Eerie Ultimatum
, or
Haunting Voyage
) then you should just win. Multi-activate Scion, grab
Beledros Witherbloom
to untap your lands to have mana for the reanimation spell, grab the priority dragons listed earlier (Scourge, Lathliss, Utvara, Karrthus), and try to end on
Dragonlord Dromoka
so that you can cast your reanimate spell in peace. If you are short on mana and can't afford to grab Dromoka, then try to end on Scourge of Valkas so you have 2 on the board after the reanimate. Once you reanimate you should have plenty of damage to finish off at least 2 opponents, if not the whole table.
Additional Plans
Of course, we have the Moltensteel Dragon + Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
/Atarka, World Render + Moltensteel Dragon
combo with Scion. This is an excellent option to nuke a single player, however does tend to leave you quite vulnerable afterwards. This strategy gets much worse the more players that are in the game.
Draw cards and try to never miss land drops. This deck is vulnerable in the early turns of the game (use your cheap interaction as necessary to keep you alive), but quickly becomes the powerhouse on the table.
Caveats
My playgroup has a custom ban list, which includes many fetchlands to speed up play. If you copy this deck, you'll probably want to mess with the mana base and include tutors, etc.
Card-by-Card Explanation
Artifacts
Creatures
-
Scion of the Ur-Dragon
: Why Scion? Well, it can literally be whatever dragon you want. Recently some busted dragons have been printed, and you can do some stupid things. It gives you a lot of options and leads to very interesting EDH games
-
Atarka, World Render
: Can be used instead of Skithiryx as part of the Moltensteel combo, especially if the opponent has a flying blocker (trample lethal commander damage over the blocker)
-
Beledros Witherbloom
: An absolute all-star. Mix in with a Scion multi-activation to untap your lands to cast a reanimate spell, or just have mana up for more Scion activations on your opponent's turns
-
Bladewing the Risen
: Reanimate on a Dragon, useful with living death as it can grab a dragon that you had to sacrifice to living death
-
Chromium, the Mutable
: Discard outlet for Dragons stuck in your hand (they are expensive after all). Also serves as hexproof protection for Scion. And niche cases where you can sneak in that last point of commander damage
-
Dockside Extortionist
: Temporary ramp. Ideally gets you to 10 mana to do the one-turn-combo with Scion + Moltensteel + Skithiryx
-
Dragon Broodmother
: An excellent dragon that poops out chump blockers. Synergizes really well with Scourge of Valkas and Dragon Tempest
-
Dragonlord Dromoka
: Prevents opponents from casting counterspells for your reanimates. Usually is the last dragon in a multi-activation of Scion
-
Dragonlord Ojutai
: Hexproof for Scion
-
Dragonlord Silumgar
: Sometimes you need to steal a creature or walker, you know?
-
Esika, God of the Tree
/
The Prismatic Bridge
: Front half ramps and fixes. Back half gets you a dumb dragon on your upkeep
-
Faeburrow Elder
: Excellent ramp in a rainbow deck
-
Hellkite Overlord
: Regeneration for Scion. Also, is an 8 cost dragon, which gets above an Ugin planeswalker -7
-
Hellkite Tyrant
: All your artifacts are belong to us
-
Immersturm Predator
: Sac outlet, which can give Scion indestructible. Generally looking to sac Kokusho or Ryusei. Additionally, don't forget the ability lets you exile any card from any graveyard, so use it to disrupt graveyard combos. Also, is a much needed 4-drop for the deck
-
Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund
: Giving all your dragons haste is excellent (especially when it's coming back with 6 other dragons during a living death). Gaining control of all your opponents' dragons is a cherry on top
-
Kokusho, the Evening Star
: Great for refilling your life total after using Beledros too much
-
Lathliss, Dragon Queen
: Does wonders with the reanimates and Scourge of Valkas / Dragon Tempest
-
Moltensteel Dragon
: The classic combo with Scion and Skithiryx
-
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
: A much needed 4-drop for the deck. Enters the battlefield and is already a 3-for-1 in a 4 player game. Planeswalker side is gas and fits in with reanimation theme
-
Quicksilver Dragon
: A good 'gotcha' dragon if anyone tries to single-target remove your Scion
-
Ramos, Dragon Engine
: If you have this out when you cast Scion, enjoy 10 free mana (which is more than enough for doing the moltensteel combo). Also, is colorless to protect against Ugin -7's
-
Ryusei, the Falling Star
: Serves as a way to turn Scion into a board wipe
-
Savage Ventmaw
: Mana ramp, and a way for Scion to turn into mana ramp
-
Scourge of Valkas
: An absolute all star. This will deal a ton of damage to your opponents after a reanimate
-
Silumgar, the Drifting Death
: Mainly serves as hexproof for Scion. Niche cases where you need the -X/-X for an opponent's board (normally you just kill that player on an attack anyways)
-
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
: A combo piece with Moltensteel
-
Steel Hellkite
: A solid dragon and a way to remove annoying permanents
-
Utvara Hellkite
: Works extremely well if Scourge of Valkas is on the board
Enchantments
-
Dragon Tempest
: Arguably one of the top 10 cards in the deck. 2 mana to give your dragons haste and act as a Scourge of Valkas effect? Busted. Don't expect this to last long on the board, play early at your own risk
-
Elemental Bond
: Card Draw
-
Frontier Siege
: Almost always name 'Khans' for the mana ramp (you get GG on both main phases). Naming 'Dragons' is usually not what the deck needs, but sometimes it is necessary to remove some of your opponents' creatures
-
Monastery Siege
: Almost always name 'Khans' for card quality and a way to discard dragons to your grave. Naming 'Dragons' isn't bad but usually isn't very impactful/synergistic
-
Outpost Siege
: Always name 'Khans' for card advantage. This will help you hit land drops and keep the deck rolling. Never name 'Dragons'
-
Prismatic Omen
: Mana fixing
-
Sneak Attack
: Your dragons are expensive and you want them in the yard... This does wonders. Extremely effective with Kokusho, Ryusei, and Savage Ventmaw to name a few
-
Temur Ascendancy
: Haste and Card draw
Instants
-
Assassin's Trophy
: Cheap interaction for any permanent removal. Also decent for politics at the table if someone really needs an additional mana.
-
Fierce Guardianship
: Mainly use it to protect Scion. Keep it for when you need it, don't fire it off to counter a mana rock.
-
Path to Exile
: Cheap removal.
-
Quandrix Command
: A versatile modal spell for EDH. Bouncing a creature/walker is useful. Countering the plethora of over-powered enchantments or artifacts in the format can be a good value swing. The +1/+1 counters aren't as useful. Shuffling 3 cards from a graveyard into the opponent's deck is really good anti-graveyard combo tech.
-
Swords to Plowshares
: Cheap, efficient, removal.
Sorceries
Planeswalkers
Notable Lands
-
Cavern of Souls
: Uncounterable Dragons
-
Maze of Ith
: Useful early to help give some protection while you set-up
-
The World Tree
: Rainbow fixing. Never use the 'ultimate' ability on this card. There are no gods in the deck besides Esika, and that isn't worth it
-
Volrath's Stronghold
: Put Dragons back into the deck for Scion to copy, or just redraw cause you need gas
