The Executioner's Grand Slam

Commander / EDH* Jaathik

SCORE: 3 | 24 COMMENTS | 1475 VIEWS | IN 5 FOLDERS


O-higgs says... #1

I'd put in Hatred. If you're decent on life, it can take someone out of the game out of nowhere. Doubly so if your commander gets through. At the very least it's excellent to sideboard for one on one games.

August 15, 2015 4:56 p.m.

O-higgs says... #2

To take out, I'd go with Hex just because its a bit finicky. At least in my experience. Or Sanguine Bond. Decks have a habit of warping around the exquisite + sanguine combo in a way that really drains the personality of the deck.

August 15, 2015 5:03 p.m.

hempel says... #3

August 15, 2015 5:37 p.m.

nobu_the_bard says... #4

I'd cut Filth - the only way you have to force this to work for you is Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, but you don't have any way to tutor for it except Lili. Otherwise it may not do anything useful.

Mystic Speculation is also just a neat thing. I didn't see any paricular interactions.

I'd also consider cutting Argentum Armor; in my experience it's very hard to use because of the high casting cost and equip cost. You don't have any ways to cheat either, and not a lot of acceleration.

Elixir of Immortality, in practice, doesn't see much use my experience outside of decks likely to deck themselves- you aren't likely to get a chance to use it to avoid being milling by someone else, and if you have enough good stuff in the deck, you don't need it to stuff the graveyard back into your library when you could be drawing your other good stuff.

August 15, 2015 8:06 p.m.

ComradeJim270 says... #5

I'd be very, very careful with Phage. I have seen people forced to play her from the library or their graveyard before... and that's not fun. Doesn't fit the theme. Mogis is a likely cut, he just doesn't do much in a 40 life format. Same with Undercity Plague (also because Cipher is generally just crap). Followed Footsteps is also a candidate for the chopping block because it's prone to getting two-for-oned. Plus, it does nothing on your commander and it appears you're going for a voltron strategy.

Hellkite Tyrant is meta-dependent unless you run a ton of artifacts or Mycosynth Lattice. I'd drop Hex for a true boardwipe. Plenty of those in black.

Hope this helps narrow down your list.

August 16, 2015 12:14 a.m. Edited.

Jaathik says... #6

Thanks so much for the input. Just some comments/explanations: Phage the Untouchable really goes well with the 'unblockably' theme; Hatred scares me. I don't really want to pay 8-11 life just to kill one person with my commander. I'm not going for voltron, that's why I have so many 'when this deals damage' cards like Ashling, or Silent-Blade Oni. Followed Footsteps I think can do a lot. Imagine putting it on my opponent's Blightsteel Colossus or my own Blood Tyrant or Lightning Reaver.

August 16, 2015 1:09 p.m.

ComradeJim270 says... #7

Ok, with that explanation it makes more sense. I'm not a fan of auras in general but you can certainly get some value of of it. For Phage, I'm not saying you shouldn't run her; just that you ought to be careful.

If you aren't doing voltron, I think you could cut some of the equipment to make room for other things.

August 16, 2015 1:23 p.m.

Jaathik says... #8

Well, its been a long night of editing, but i cut it to 103 cards. I'd appreciate some input on the maybe-board. Plus, what do you think of the new deck?

August 18, 2015 12:06 a.m.

ComradeJim270 says... #9

Hate to say this, but you'll probably need to make more cuts. 27 lands is way, way too few. You want more in the range of 35-40. Card draw will also be a huge problem. Running Rogue's Passage can do what your deck wants to while also giving you another land.

To make room I'd consider cutting some of your equipment. You don't need that much, since you can move it between creatures.

Possible cuts:

  • Dreadbore, Terminate, Cannibalize: Spot removal isn't as good in EDH.
  • Trailblazer's Boots, Prowler's Helm: Too conditional. Maybe choose one.
  • Dissipation Field: Especially compared to something like No Mercy, this will bite you in the ass. People will be encouraged to attack you just to get their ETB effects again.
  • Undermine: I think you have enough counterspells.
  • Artisan of Kozilek: What is it doing for you?
  • Banshee's Blade: Very slow.
August 18, 2015 12:30 a.m.

nobu_the_bard says... #10

I don't entirely agree about removing the spot removal, though I'd pick some slightly different ones (I much prefer either instant speed spot removal like Tragic Slip/Hero's Downfall or exile effects like Sever the Bloodline), but I think you need to accept you have a lot of high value attackers and need to reduce the focus on tokens. That'd be re-examining these:

  • Rakka Mar - his tokens come out fast but are just hasty 3/1s; they don't leverage your equipment focus very well
  • Kher Keep - these tokens are only useful as grounded chump blockers or sac fodder most of the time
  • Malevolent Awakening - it works best when you have a lot of sac fodder and mana, but with your mana curve and focus on high impact creatures I think it's too slow.
  • Skullclamp - this thing is awesome if your creatures die constantly, but you only have two main sources of such creatures, mentioned above

I'd keep Stolen Identity and Followed Footsteps for now as they can generate the sorts of high-impact creatures you're better equipped to take advantage of.

August 18, 2015 10:35 p.m.

Jaathik says... #11

Ok, so Rakka Mar, Skullclamp, Malevolent Awakening, Sword of Vengeance, and Void I took out. Kher Keep doesn't do much, you're right, but it's still a land at the very least; Trailblazer's Boots would be the one I wouldn't prefer, but I do need a lot of ways to make my creatures unblockable. Recall went in just to get back some important stuffs.

Should I take out Languish or Plague Wind to put in Avatar of Woe? Maybe both out? Could Palace Siege go in?

August 19, 2015 3:37 p.m.

Jaathik says... #12

Edit: Urabrask the Hidden and Reiterate were added for value.

August 19, 2015 8:21 p.m.

nobu_the_bard says... #13

Languish can deal with indestructible armies so generally I'd prefer it, though I think it'll have a lower rate of being effective (it doesn't do much against an opposing voltron commander). I think a fair argument could be made for either.

Changed my mind about the keep though. It does make your commander easier to play. Springjack Pasture might make it easier to play him in a long game (like the keep it's a manaland so it serves a dual purpose if you don't need the tokens).

Something like Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs would be a preferred defense for me (combination propaganda/tax effect to discourage attacking, produces tokens if they ignore it that you can push back with it). "Soft" defenses like this are less effective at stopping attacks but tend to discourage them.

I'd avoid sticking too much cool stuff like Reiterate or Recall until the deck's down to 100 cards and you've had some experience with it. (Or Mystic Speculation which is there :P )

I like Palace Siege (it scales to the stage of the game and doesn't require more investment on your part). If I had to cut something it'd be Jace, Architect of Thought (he's the least useful planeswalker, the others being awesome for your commander, particularly Sorin, and you have limited tools to protect PWs).

August 19, 2015 9:55 p.m.

Quicksilver says... #14

I was wondering why the hell anyone would use this card until I saw his power.

August 23, 2015 12:18 a.m.

Jaathik says... #15

Quicksilver I was looking on the gatherer at grixis commanders and read his description. This was me: "Ok sac stuff, opponent draw, pay life" Eyes drifted up to his CMC "4? must have high power, let's see... GAAAAHHH!"

I knew then what I had to do.

August 23, 2015 12:28 a.m.

Quicksilver says... #16

Marchesa, the Black Rose. It makes your creatures powerful at the attack phase, and brings them back if they have +1/+1 counters on them and you sacrifice them.

August 23, 2015 12:40 a.m.

Jaathik says... #17

The goal is not to have my creatures go anywhere soon. Hence Neurok Stealthsuit and Darksteel Plate. Did you read the description? The deck is built around unblockablility. So with the Grand Lord as my commander, commander damage is a viable win condition.

August 23, 2015 12:50 a.m.

Jaathik says... #18

Oh, sorry, I wasn't thinking Quicksilver. I see now what you meant and why it's a good idea to put in Marchesa.

August 23, 2015 11:53 p.m.

Jaathik says... #19

Added in Balefire Dragon, Rapacious One, and Lord of the Void to Slam for more creatures. Removed Avatar of Woe, In Garruk's Wake, and put in Stoic Rebuttal

August 24, 2015 12:40 a.m.

ClassyShinobi says... #20

Sever the Bloodline seems meh, especially in EDH. It's good for token removal but the chances you get enough value to make it good is pretty slim.

August 24, 2015 9:42 p.m.

Jaathik says... #21

ClassyShinobi Sever the Bloodline has both "Exile" and "Flashback" keywords, which is what i'm going for, not necessarily the "all other creatures with the same name"

August 24, 2015 9:54 p.m.

ClassyShinobi says... #22

I see, that's fair.

August 24, 2015 9:57 p.m.

tigerninja18 says... #23

Have you considered adding Ashes to Ashes? It's two exile effects stapled onto the same mana cost as murder for the trivial cost of five life.

September 4, 2015 7:38 a.m.

scumbling1 says... #24

Cool deck you have here! I've wanted to do something like this myself for a while.

Have you considered Volrath's Shapeshifter to sneak in your fatties at the last moment?

September 7, 2015 10:21 p.m.

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