Is a Nicol Bolas deck viable?

ilovesaprolings
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Post by ilovesaprolings » 4 years ago

As the title says, how much is a deck with the original Nicol Bolas at the helm viable?
Searching online i can only find decklist with a lot of thematic "muahahah" cards that doesn't look very good.
The goal of the deck is to control the board and win by attacking with Bolas. Add in some pingers to easily activate Bolas' ability and strip anyone of the cards in their hands.

My meta power level isn't very high. We play mostly battlecruiser decks with no infinite combo. The games usually go further than the 8th turn and we mostly win by combat.
However, we don't play craw wurm decks. We have plenty of spot removal and powerful sinergies. I fear that a Bolas deck could be too frail with all these removal and aggressive combat creatures.

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Dunharrow
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Post by Dunharrow » 4 years ago

Why are pingers going to let you trigger Bolas?

You can do it, but I don't think he is very good in the CZ. He is slow, taxes you every turn, has no immediate impact. So.. you can make it work, but I would not cast him unless I could protect him or give him boots. You can also play some haste enablers like the new Purphoros. As long as you can get in right away or at least protect him (cheap countermagic), then it can be good.

I have seen people do Megrim style decks, or The Rack... and I don't think these are correct. I would play ramp, card draw, and interaction, and let the big flyer be the win condition.
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Post by Mookie » 4 years ago

Winning with commander damage is hard. When your commander costs eight mana (plus a hefty upkeep cost) and doesn't have any protection, it's even harder. Nicol Bolas does have evasion and seven power, at least, but still, I expect your commander will get shot down most of the time.

That said, Bolas does have a very powerful combat damage trigger, and there are some solid support cards for dragons (most notably Dragon Tempest). Bolas also works with Warstorm Surge and Viridian Longbow effects, as mentioned. You also have haste and countermagic available. I wouldn't expect the deck to be particularly consistent, but it could probably win a few games. So, depends on what your definition of 'viable' is.

Nicol Bolas, the Ravager is likely a stronger option. Alternatively, if you do want to "muahahah" and cast as many Cruel Ultimatums as possible, I'll give a shout to Kess, Dissident Mage and Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge.

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Post by Sinis » 4 years ago

I've played a treasure-themed deck with Nicol Bolas at the helm, and it was moderately effective. The treasure itself was pretty good at consistently powering out Bolas + things to make him go. More than anything, haste and shroud are pretty important; so, Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots and Clout of the Dominus were in my list.

I also had Chandra's Ignition, which was pretty devastating.

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Post by ilovesaprolings » 4 years ago

Dunharrow wrote:
4 years ago
Why are pingers going to let you trigger Bolas?
Oh yeah, not those pingers. Pingers like power of fire or burning anger.
Dunharrow wrote:
4 years ago
I have seen people do Megrim style decks, or The Rack... and I don't think these are correct.
Honestly i would play some effects like this, but most of them scale so badly in EDH. Megrim may work, but the rak? only 3 damage if the opponent has no cards in hand? Weak. Maybe waste not could work.
Mookie wrote:
4 years ago
Alternatively, if you do want to "muahahah" and cast as many Cruel Ultimatums as possible, I'll give a shout to Kess, Dissident Mage and Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge.
Oh, i know. But i want original Bolas to be my "muahahah". I want to be able to activate his trigger and strike terror in the hearts of my opponents.

Right now the deck composition imho should be:
- ramp
- haste enablers
- "pingers"
- control cards (counters and removal)
- card draw. Maybe mass draw like wheel of fortune and time reversal to make everyone discard with bolas
- maybe discard outlets like megrim and waste not? i don't know many of them

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Post by RxPhantom » 4 years ago

I think Mana Flare could provide some high risk/reward here. Getting Bolas out early may be worth helping the table.
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Post by pokken » 4 years ago

If I were to build it I'd probably make a reanimator deck and just let him go to the bin all the time as his own sac outlet. play a warstorm surge and dragon tempest type theme of just shooting everything with Bolas. Try to get anger in the graveyard for extra swings.

Could play cards like phyrexian reclamation, oath of ghouls and oversold cemetery and ways to cheat him into play from hand too,

Being his own sac outlet is kinda cool. You could also probably play stuff like apprentice necromancer -- any kind of reusable reanimation would be fun.

corpse dance plus a sac outlet could be fun too since it brings its own haste.

feldon of the third path copying him might be good for that kinda build too.

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Post by ilovesaprolings » 4 years ago

pokken wrote:
4 years ago
play a warstorm surge and dragon tempest type theme of just shooting everything with Bolas.
Are there other pingers like this?

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Post by Mookie » 4 years ago

ilovesaprolings wrote:
4 years ago
pokken wrote:
4 years ago
play a warstorm surge and dragon tempest type theme of just shooting everything with Bolas.
Are there other pingers like this?
Electropotence and Flayer of the Hatebound (reanimated creatures only). The majority of this type of effect has the card itself deal the damage, and not the creature (ex: Impact Tremors).

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Post by ilovesaprolings » 4 years ago

Mmmmh are there some cards that can recur me my aura pingers?

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Post by pokken » 4 years ago

breach and yawgs will

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Post by Mimicvat » 4 years ago

In my experience, mass discard in a battlecruiser meta often leads to bad feels.

Bolas is too slow and too crappy to focus the deck around. I'd run a few synergistic cards that are playable anyway (ie Chandra's Ignition) and be more of a Grixis control/goodstuff deck with Bolas as a finisher.

Dragon Tempest is probably the single best piece of Bolas tech I've ever seen. Helps push you into a dragon tribal theme which is cool for battlecruiser and works super well with Bolas
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Post by ilovesaprolings » 4 years ago

Mimicvat wrote:
4 years ago
In my experience, mass discard in a battlecruiser meta often leads to bad feels.
I hope to get some style points by playing the original Bolas. Also the deck will be slow and interactible.
Mimicvat wrote:
4 years ago
Bolas is too slow and too crappy to focus the deck around. I'd run a few synergistic cards that are playable anyway (ie Chandra's Ignition) and be more of a Grixis control/goodstuff deck with Bolas as a finisher.
Mmmmh... i'm thinking to really build it around Bolas. Control, play Bolas, if Bolas stays win quickly. I'll probably add some extra combat step cards.
Mimicvat wrote:
4 years ago
Dragon Tempest is probably the single best piece of Bolas tech I've ever seen. Helps push you into a dragon tribal theme which is cool for battlecruiser and works super well with Bolas
Well, i agree

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Post by if4ko » 4 years ago

It's certainly viable. My buddy has had one from before M19, and it's pretty good.

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Post by ilovesaprolings » 4 years ago

if4ko wrote:
4 years ago
It's certainly viable. My buddy has had one from before M19, and it's pretty good.
Can you PM me the list please?

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Post by if4ko » 4 years ago

ilovesaprolings wrote:
4 years ago
if4ko wrote:
4 years ago
It's certainly viable. My buddy has had one from before M19, and it's pretty good.
Can you PM me the list please?
I don't actually have the list, but his is more focused around wheels. He likes to Whispering Madness onto his Bolas.

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