Versatile Tribals?

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Cyberium
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Post by Cyberium » 3 years ago

Heya,

I'm hoping to find a tribe that can run multiple directions, instead of just +X/+X beat down. For example, Marisi, Breaker of the Coil cats with a mix of equipments/steal effect. I wouldn't mind double tribal either, like Wasitora, Nekoru Queen (cat/dragon) or Beast/Elf combination from Onslaught block.

For reference, my previous tribal deck is Karador, Ghost Chieftain spiritcraft mix with Bestow.

Thx ahead!

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toctheyounger
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Post by toctheyounger » 3 years ago

Well...I know it's something you've probably already looked at, but Varina, Lich Queen has a plethora of directions to run in. Tribal and mill, tribal and aristocrats, tribal and miracle, tribal and non-vanilla tokens, tribal and combo, tribal and board lock, off the top of my head.

Take that for what you will, I know it's nothing new or out of the box at this point, but I've enjoyed almost every game I've played with her, and I've played a ton.
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Treamayne
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Post by Treamayne » 3 years ago

Cyberium wrote:
3 years ago
I'm hoping to find a tribe that can run multiple directions, instead of just +X/+X beat down.
It's fairly difficult to make suggestions with such an open ended "request;" did you have an specific themes/subthemes you were hoping to try?

For example, some of my decks that aren't simply midrange/stompy beatdown:

C Karn Golems - Charge Counters and untap shenanigans
WUB Sydri artificers and their vehicles
U Toothy Illusions Voltron Control
UR Nin Wizards - all the Tims (and their shenanigans)
BG Sapling of Colfenor Treefolk- Voltron and top-deck manipulation
RWU Zedruu the Greathearted Monks - Prowess alt casting (rebound, buyback, etc.) deck
- Uses General's ability to "give away" aura and enchantments whose ownership does not matter; to avoid "group hug" stigma
GUB Damia, Sage of Stone Assassins (and Gorgons) Control deck.
WUBRG Horde of Notions Elemental Manland control (featuring all 10 BFZ block elemental manlands)
V/R

Treamayne

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Dunharrow
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Post by Dunharrow » 3 years ago

Wizards seems like a good bet. Other than a couple of cards, they don't really go for +x/+x
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Cyberium
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Post by Cyberium » 3 years ago

toctheyounger wrote:
3 years ago
Well...I know it's something you've probably already looked at, but Varina, Lich Queen has a plethora of directions to run in. Tribal and mill, tribal and aristocrats, tribal and miracle, tribal and non-vanilla tokens, tribal and combo, tribal and board lock, off the top of my head.

Take that for what you will, I know it's nothing new or out of the box at this point, but I've enjoyed almost every game I've played with her, and I've played a ton.
Varina is definitely a great choice. My current one is a spell-slinger, which is near-creatureless, but I might reconstruct it differently. What is the non-vanilla token like?
Treamayne wrote:
3 years ago
Cyberium wrote:
3 years ago
I'm hoping to find a tribe that can run multiple directions, instead of just +X/+X beat down.
It's fairly difficult to make suggestions with such an open ended "request;" did you have an specific themes/subthemes you were hoping to try?
That was the intention. Open-ended question allows people to answer whichever comes to mind first, and I prefer that.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

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toctheyounger
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Post by toctheyounger » 3 years ago

Cyberium wrote:
3 years ago
Varina is definitely a great choice. My current one is a spell-slinger, which is near-creatureless, but I might reconstruct it differently. What is the non-vanilla token like?
I mean I assume it's pretty jank, I guess I'm more thinking of things like Anointed Procession with Blade of Selves, Helm of the Host, Mimic Vat, Cackling Counterpart and Rite of Replication. Similar to what you might do with Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun, but with more of a tribal bent and less of the inevitability that comes with unblockable. Temmet is fine but that ability does make things a little boring.
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Post by darrenhabib » 3 years ago

I'd say technically Wizards is the most versatile, having combos and card advantages. What it does lack in is in big creature beatdown.
So there might be your challenge is to make them into something that can kill by turning sideways.

Goblins are also incredible versatile, giving you a number of unique lord effects, rather than simple +/+ advantages. But you know booooooring.

Changelings keep you very open ended as you can pick and choose lord effects to style the sort of deck you want. But having said that, there are some lords that just demand to be played and so the deck ends up quite similar to every other Changeling deck.

The problem with a lot of "tribes" is that there are no actual payoff cards for the creature type itself. People do it more for flavor and so you end up having individual cards that can be good, but actually as a tribe concept doesn't do anything.
You can obviously mash any two tribes together but in terms of actual synergy there isn't going to be much out there.

Winota, Joiner of Forces is probably the strongest of candidates for dual tribes with humans and then non-humans. But rather than go a competitive version (which I have and gets tiresome because of linear nature of winning too much off the back of Winota ability), you could actually pick a non-human tribe to stick to.
That could even be something like Humans and "Dogs", for a mans best friend theme.

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Cyberium
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Post by Cyberium » 3 years ago

darrenhabib wrote:
3 years ago

That could even be something like Humans and "Dogs", for a mans best friend theme.
I prefer cats. *runs away*

They could've made a cat legend that produces Serf tokens, it'd become the most fitting dual-tribal out there.

Who do you use as your wizard commander?

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ISBPathfinder
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Post by ISBPathfinder » 3 years ago

Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero

Ok, it is a toolbox tribal and its old as dirt but hear me out. Normally with a lot of toolbox decks you proactively tutor towards winning. With rebels you tend to play responsive which is actually cool because its more of a defensive toolbox tribe. If you are looking for a versatile tribe, rebels are really strong when it comes to diverse games while still being tribal.
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darrenhabib
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Post by darrenhabib » 3 years ago

Cyberium wrote:
3 years ago
Who do you use as your wizard commander?
Actually I've never made a Wizards deck. I'd say Inalla, Archmage Ritualist is the best for getting you into colors as well as giving you a pretty great ability from the command zone.

You could look at a hybrid equipment deck using Treasure Mage, Tribute Mage, Trinket Mage, Trophy Mage to get two pieces of equipment with Inalla.

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Feyd_Ruin
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Post by Feyd_Ruin » 3 years ago

Colorless / Artifact isn't a normal "tribe" but it has the key components to be tribal, while having one of the most varied list of applicable creatures. They have several normal lords and a few non-growth lords, but their versatility and wide array of possibilities offers an endless bounty of potential themes and directions to go.

You could theme artifact creatures that with untappers like Voltaic Key, Voltaic Construct, Filigree Sages, etc.
You could run a toolbox with searchers and copiers like Kuldotha Forgemaster, Fabricate, Inventors' Fair, Sculpting Steel, etc.
You could run hate-bear / stax styled disruptions like Lodestone Golem, Phyrexian Revoker, Ethersworn Canonist, etc
There's a wide range of combos, with Myr Welder, Dross Scorpion, Voltaic Construct, and Triskelion being common denominators.
You could go a Dice-Factory with tokens, counters, proliferate, etc.


The list of possibilities goes on and on, and it's easy to go multiple directions while still sticking to a cohesive list that all works well together.

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Yatsufusa
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Post by Yatsufusa » 3 years ago

Treamayne wrote:
3 years ago
WUBRG Horde of Notions Elemental Manland control (featuring all 10 BFZ block elemental manlands)
Quoted for reference, actually replying to op

I sort of run this, except my idea of control was library exile so Oblivion Sower could have more lands to grab from (and losing animated lands was less painful), which expended to library theft like Stolen Strategy, Mind's Dilation, Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh and Pako, Arcane Retriever.

Also, since I run all manlands, might as well run Amulet of Vigor with a dose of Orb of Dreams to slow everyone else down, since my deck is pretty clunky relative to a lot of decks.

Another idea - you could run a theft/clone deck with Grimgrin, Corpse-Born at the helm for a "beat you with your own cards" deck, which becomes tribal if the opponent is tribal, or if part of the "theft" package are cards like Grave Betrayal/Necromantic Selection, which your traditional zombie lords would then make into "your deck, but zombies under me" tribal, I guess?
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Cyberium
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Post by Cyberium » 3 years ago

Got an idea for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen zombie tribal, using all five Gods. Gonna test...

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ISBPathfinder
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Post by ISBPathfinder » 3 years ago

Cyberium wrote:
3 years ago
Got an idea for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen zombie tribal, using all five Gods. Gonna test...
How about a Bolas tribal deck. Just chalk it full of Bolas :p
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Serenade
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Post by Serenade » 3 years ago

I had a goofy Multani 1.0 group hug deck that was okay in earlier EDH days. It had a treefolk package and ran a ton of forests (such that I used Lost in the Woods). I think TC wants a fuller tribal deck, but treefolk have a lot of versatility, if overcosted by today's standards. More than just "thicc Doran," at least.

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Wickerbough Elder
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Post by Dragoon » 3 years ago

ISBPathfinder wrote:
3 years ago
Cyberium wrote:
3 years ago
Got an idea for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen zombie tribal, using all five Gods. Gonna test...
How about a Bolas tribal deck. Just chalk it full of Bolas :p
There's something I want to try with that deck that fits the megalomaniac personality of Nicol Bolas.

Step 1) Have one of the two creature versions of Bolas
Step 2) Cast one the PW versions of Nicol Bolas.
Step 3) Get either Mycosynth Lattice on the battlefield or activate Liquimetal Coating targeting the PW.
Step 4) Cast Bludgeon Brawl
Step 5) Equip Nicol Bolas on your Nicol Bolas and swing. Bonus points if you can have the two creature versions each equipped with two of the PW versions.

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Serenade
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Post by Serenade » 3 years ago

Don't forget your Spark Double!
Mirri, Cat Warrior counts as a Cat Warrior.

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Cyberium
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Post by Cyberium » 3 years ago

Dragoon wrote:
3 years ago
ISBPathfinder wrote:
3 years ago
Cyberium wrote:
3 years ago
Got an idea for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen zombie tribal, using all five Gods. Gonna test...
How about a Bolas tribal deck. Just chalk it full of Bolas :p
There's something I want to try with that deck that fits the megalomaniac personality of Nicol Bolas.

Step 1) Have one of the two creature versions of Bolas
Step 2) Cast one the PW versions of Nicol Bolas.
Step 3) Get either Mycosynth Lattice on the battlefield or activate Liquimetal Coating targeting the PW.
Step 4) Cast Bludgeon Brawl
Step 5) Equip Nicol Bolas on your Nicol Bolas and swing. Bonus points if you can have the two creature versions each equipped with two of the PW versions.
There can be only one! lol great idea.

My current Bolas-Zombie deck list does include multiple Bolas, the biggest problem of course is to keep them alive. I can post the list here, or start another thread focuses on the deck?

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