After thinking a bit more about a game I played the other night I've taken Eldrazi Displacer out in favour of Sun Titan.
I was staying viable in that game through the return ability of Volrath's Stronghold and Sun Titan can also return cards from my Graveyard.
Since the returned cards will often be Allies this allows for ETB Rally effects as well.
November 19, 2016 1:42 a.m.
After sorting though my card collection tonight I started wondering why on earth I hadn't added Evolving Wilds and Terramorphic Expanse to the mix.
I've put them in along with Mana Confluence. Let's see whether or not that helps to fix the mana a bit.
November 19, 2016 10 a.m.
SpiritChaser Alesha, Who Smiles at Death can't bring back Archetype of Imagination. It's Power is too high.
In my playgroup I never have many Creatures on the field. They just don't last long with all the board wipes.
Hence why I have so many cards that make my Creatures Indestructible.
That's also why I don't run cards like Shared Animosity.
January 30, 2017 9:46 p.m. Edited.
I have to disagree with SpiritChaser on Reconnaissance. It is important to "creatures matter" decks. You don't want to lose your Allies to blockers.
Reconnaissance allows you to swing everything and pull what is blocked out of combat. The damage isn't going through, no need to lose your creatures, and their effects.
January 31, 2017 2:22 a.m.
You hit the nail on the head, iAzire.
No way would I take Reconnaissance out. Card is fierce.
January 31, 2017 7:46 a.m.
DrWitchcard says... #9
I could be wrong here, but I'm almost positive Reconnaissance wouldn't work the way you're intending it to. Declaring attackers and declaring blockers are instantaneous and do not go on the stack. If you attack, and your opponents declare blockers, you couldn't use Reconnaissance to pull them out of combat before they "get blocked"... They were blocked as soon as your opponent declared blockers, complete with damage dealt by the blockers and everything.
You could certainly declare attackers to trigger any "When this creature attacks" abilities and then pull the guys you don't want to risk out with Reconnaissance, but you'd have to do it before the opponent declared blockers.
February 14, 2017 2:13 p.m.
DrWitchcard says... #10
Was very vexed by it so I consulted a judge and I was indeed wrong. Well, I was correct in that declaring blockers happens instantaneously and doesn't go on the stack, but the assignment of damage from said blockers does not. Recon will work the way you intend. Sorry for being a dingus on your thread :)
February 14, 2017 2:25 p.m.
Skinnyman420 says... #11
I would still take it out myself. With your abilities on the field you shouldnt have to worry about removing yourself from combat. All you need is hero of goma fada for the indestructible, or that kabira evangel. slotting in the panharmonicon is DOUBLING UP on colors protected from kabria evangel. 2 Allys fetched with tazri.2 +1/1 counters from cathars crusade. Life gained\lost. murasa pyromancer will burn the field for you without ever swinging and hes getting you lifelink or deathtouch etc. With my allies i try to cast very little on my turn. Leaving mana open to cast on opponents phases and trigger the field via vedalken orrery and leyline of anticipation to defend myself or answer threats before theyre able to move.
February 15, 2017 2:33 a.m.
You've got to have all of those things out for your plan to work, vs me only having to have Reconnaissance out for my plan to work.
February 15, 2017 7:55 a.m.
Skinnyman420 says... #13
It's the same but better imo. You still hope to draw into the artifact. Tazri is tutoring twice now to get me combos. Yours lets you only run away from your own combat phase (which no doubt is useful for saving creatures),but mine doubles the effects the the deck at anytime not just my own combat phase. It synergizes over all with the whole theme of the deck. With some of these allies you don't ever even need to swing to win the game. you just sit back make the field bigger and let the triggers do all the work. When my door of destinies gets too big from me pumping out allys/tokens geting 2 counters at a time people usually just scoop. EXAMPLE FROM THE OTHER NIGHT Opponent goes "Oh, I'm gonna wrath now". I say "Ok cool in response I'm gonna tap my splinter twin or other such trigger maker, trigger my field twice and get protection/indestructible from whatever color you're throwing at me." It's really easy to get around destroy effects in EDH exiles are the main removal in my metasorry for long post
February 15, 2017 1:38 p.m.
Your playgroup sounds completely different to mine.
First of all, I couldn't give a shit about them "wrathing" as I've got stuff all over the place to make my Creatures Indestructible.
In your example you would have had to have those two particular Allies on the field. Don't know how you always ensure that.
My playgroup is brutal. Every second round there is a board wipe. People are Countering stuff all the time. A lot of games are finished by Turn 2 or 3.
If games do go longer than that they are won by whoever can protect their stuff the best. That is the environment I am playing in.
Reconnaissance makes it so that I can attack without losing all my stuff.
Here's a rule of thumb I use on Tappedout.
If you make a point and the deck constructor tells you why they don't agree with it, don't stick around and argue it to death. Accept that they have a different point of view and move on.
Otherwise you have overstayed your welcome.
I do not wish to discuss Reconnaissance any further.
February 15, 2017 2:55 p.m.
Skinnyman420 says... #15
You ensure you have what you need at all times just by playing your commander? Same as Sliver Overlord except he pays to tutor. But I'll respect your desire to drop the subject about recon. Wasnt trying to work you up or argue man.
February 15, 2017 11:45 p.m.
poshakitoo says... #16
Hello, are you still running this deck? How well is doing? Can i suggest Heroic Intervention instead of Make a Stand for lowering the mana cost? Kuddos! nice deck!
February 20, 2017 4:51 p.m.
poshakitoo yeah Heroic Intervention is better. Thanks for that. Although I may run it instead of Rootborn Defenses.
The power creep in my EDH play group meant that this deck was too underpowered.
I've joined a new group so I might give this another try. I'll let you know how it goes.
February 20, 2017 9:19 p.m.
jibbajibba says... #18
A few comments, though I doubt they will be of interest.
I would play the following cards in any Ally Deck
i. Panharmonicon - doubling all Rally effects is just about the most awesome thing you can do with allies
ii. Living Death - your creatures will get board wiped. Living Death gives you a possible win on resolution
iii. Xenograph - a second conspiracy effect gives you another win con with a resolved Turntimber Ranger for infinite wolves and infinite +1/+1 counters leading to other infinite options of course
iv. Erratic Portal - lets you bounce an ally to save it and to recast it
v. Call to the Kindred - allows you to put an ally into play for free at the start of each turn this gives you a full suite of ally triggers each turn
vi. Rite of Replication - a kicked rite is a wincon if you have An excavator or diabolist in play and generally 5 of anything should swing you a game.
This may sound a little daft but generally in EDH with swarm type decks you need to finish an opponent in one hit. Therefore I wouldn't worry about blockers etc because if you are getting blocked you shouldn't have attacked. To this end I would run a suite of sweepers of you own. Then the tactic is play ally, hopefully cheat it in for free, sweep the board attack a free board to eliminate an opponent. The rest of the time you are waiting for the non attacking wincons. The exception of course would be attacking with creatures you have stolen with the occultist. I play three different ally decks. One is a red white aggro deck that really only used allies as a third string. One is a Tazri that runs the gamat of allies. The most successful is an Excavator deck running Mimoplasm as a general and using all the clone effects and shapeshifters to try and trigger a xxxxxx mill effect or infinite wolves. You need to think hard about the Wincon with an ally deck. I don't think I have ever seen an EDH deck win by just attacking with stuff, opponents generally have an enchantment or creature up that prevents them from dying by reaching 0 life (unless you are running Gisella...) so you need to clear that and they are likely to recurse so generally clear it then finish them off. Therefore you might want to look at more blink effects like Felidar Guardian or Flickerwhisp with the Panharmonicon in play you can leverage an Ondu Cleric and a Cliffhaven vampire for infinite life and damage.
just my 2 cents
March 21, 2017 5:51 a.m.
skavenhaven says... #19
if you run intruder alarm you could add in more infinite combos.
April 10, 2017 12:37 a.m.
skavenhaven I hate playing lots of infinite combos.
That's why there's only one.
Also, why not link Intruder Alarm? It takes all of five seconds.
April 10, 2017 10:05 a.m. Edited.
Arcane Adaptation in place of Conspiracy makes the cost cheaper.
Not sure if you're still looking for suggestions. Wanted to take a look and possibly try the deck out with my local group as well.
October 17, 2017 5:22 p.m.
1st - I love the decklist, I can't wait to try it out for myself.
2nd - Just two suggestions, both that came from Commander 2017 this year. Path of Ancestry is another command tower that will pretty much let you scry off every creature in this list, maybe sub out a basic plains for it. The other card is Teferi's Protection in place of your Rootborn Defenses - it will help against exile type board wipes as well as many other things.
November 27, 2017 11:41 a.m.
Andoru please link suggested cards for ease of comparison.
I don't like Teferi's Protection as it will remove any Counters I have accumulated with Turntimber Ranger and Kazuul Warlord, not to mention Exile all my Tokens.
Path of Ancestry sounds decent. I'll make that swap.
November 27, 2017 6:33 p.m.
I'm almost positive counters and tokens remain. They're very specifically not exiled, and I am positive auras remain attached (which leads me to believe other attached things like counters stay).
November 27, 2017 6:38 p.m.
Tokens and counters remain, enchantments and equipment are still attached, creatures phase in not summoning sick, and "leave the battlefield" and "enter the battlefield" effects don't get triggered.
If you check the Gatherer page for Teferi's Protection, there are so many rulings and clarifications they have to break it up into subsections.
Argy says... #1
There are four colourless sources:
Ally Encampment
Cavern of Souls
Reliquary Tower
Volrath's Stronghold
Not ideal, I know, but might work in a pinch.
November 18, 2016 2:45 p.m.