In previous posts I've touched on the SoCal EDH League, of which I'm entering my third year of. It is a casual/competitive league that is run across half a dozen stores in Southern California on Monday nights. Players earn league points each week, one for participation, and bonus points for the top 3 finishers. The highest pointgetters across all stores qualify for a final tournament with a very hefty prize payout.
The league also makes a concerted effort to remain mostly casual during the regular season, including a lowly two dollar entry fee to prevent players using 'unfair' decks just to win the prize pool. After discovering the Partial Paris mulligan allowed combo players many more chances to dig for their combo pieces, the rules were changed to create a modified mulligan. First mull is free, set aside your hand of 7 cards, draw a new 7, and then shuffle, drawing one less card each time. Players also recieve a 2-point penalty in the league standings if they win via an infinite combo (Taking infinite turns, Infinite combat steps, etc.).
A while back I talked about what I did to the Political Puppets Commander precon, detailing the changes I made. I said it wouldn't be my deck for my League matches, which of course presents the question of what I actually do play for it. So with no further delay, take a look at this decklist while I briefly discuss the kill conditions.
1. Insurrection: Several decks like to make a lot of people, or a lot of large people. Naturally, other people (like me) are insanely jealous of these things and want to take them. While I'm not a passive deck by any means , I do occasionally like to let someone overcommit and punish them for it.
2. Primeval Titan//Realm Razer: With the help of Defense of the Heart or an entwined Tooth and Nail, The deck has an early way to lock down other players while allowing me to fetch two lands every turn. With the number of blue decks around, this is a risky proposition, but when it sticks, it's devastating.
3. Hellkite Charger//Bear Umbra: The dreaded infinite combo... I have yet to have to pull the trigger on this, which can be fetched with either Defense or Tooth and Nail (Fetching Academy Rector, provided I have High Market or Miren available), but with recent results, I'm a little less hesitant. It basically means I have to finish 3rd or better in the final table of the night to cancel out the penalty.
4. Many/Large Tokens: For many tokens, I have Storm Herd, or White Sun's Zenith to blast out ridiculous ammounts of tokens. For large tokens, I turn to either Beastmaster Ascension or Mirror Entity to make a modest number of creatures very very large. It is a Token Ramp deck after all
In the past 3 weeks (weeks 6-8 of 18), I have won my pod in the preliminary round to make the final table of the night, and should have made it a third time, instead choosing to punt to the player who then took an infinite number of turns. The two times I've advanced I've finished 2nd and 3rd, and I love the way the deck's running currently. If you asked me what my favorite card choice is, Jester's Cap in the main board has never failed to do work, because there's always a deck you can cripple with it.
I of course welcome any suggestions, questions, comments or anything about the deck, my league's format, or anything else you might want to ask about. I might sneak in one more post before the Innistrad prerelease, but you'll have to check (Or subscribe!) to find out what's going on...(wait for it)...Next Door.
With all due respect, Realm Razer seems EXTREMELY detrimental to Hazezon Tamar (and Avenger of Zendikar!) being the general.
ReplyDeletePlus I only counted 2 sac outlets in the whole deck (for Hazezon and the Razer). Which are both land.
That Realm Razer could potential get rid of "temporarily".
I would cut all artifact mana for land ramp. Hazezon NEEEEEEDS land. If not I would switch to Rith the Awakener or something. I'm not seeing Hazezon put to his fullest use other than Mirror Entity and Beastmaster Ascension. But I guess you have enough tutors for those.