[Deck]Bolas's House (Citadel Combo)

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Pistallion
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Post by Pistallion » 4 years ago




Introduction

Bolas's House aka Citadel Storm is an engine style combo deck primarily enabled by the card Bolas's Citadel in combination of cheap artifacts such as Mox Opal and Chromatic Star to draw through the deck to finish the kill with Aetherflux Reservoir in a storm style kill. This is currently a developing deck, but the core strategy of the deck can harken back to old Eggs/ KCI decks. Instead of using the banned Krark-Clan Ironworks, (also banned) Second Sunrise, or (not banned :laugh: )Faith's Reward as the main engine enabler, the deck uses Bolas's Citadel as the main enabler. However, due to the very expensive cost of Bolas's Citadel, the deck tries to cheat it into play using Trash For Treasure

Core Cards

Bolas's Citadel- Main enabler and namesake of the deck.

Trash for Treasure- Main way to cheat on mana for Bolas's Citadel.

Aetherflux Reservoir- The win condition of the deck. The goal of the deck is to cast enough cards to gain enough life to activate this card's ability to deal 50 damage to the opponent.

Mox Opal- Since this deck is an artifact combo deck, we need speed as our main weapon. Mox Opal is always the answer.

Chromatic Star- The deck wants a critical mass of cards to cast to gain life with Aetherflux Reservoir. Not only does this help when casting cards from the top of the deck when Bolas's Citadel is in play, it also can help mana fixing. It also let's you draw a card when used with Reshape.

Chromatic Sphere- The Star's weaker version. Only draws you a card when the activated ability is used, but is almost as useful nonetheless.

Reshape- This card lets us tutor for artifacts, namely Lotus Bloom. One of the secondary ways we can get Bolas's Citadel into play is to hard cast it by using the mana we can get off Lotus Bloom.

Lotus Bloom- Great way to ramp into a lot of mana.

The Goals of the Deck

The main goal of the deck is to get Bolas's Citadel into play and simply cast the top card of the deck enough times to eventually find a Aetherflux Reservoir, gain enough life, and activate Aetherflux Reservoir's ability to deal 50 damage to the opponent.


Goal #1: Getting Bolas's Citadel into play.

Trash for Treasure plan: To get Bolas's Citadel into the graveyard, we have a couple options. Since Faithless Looting is banned, this has become a little trickier. Here's some options going forward:

Goblin Engineer- An Entomb for an artifact. While the activated ability doesn't directly get Bolas's Citadel into play, we can use other means such as Trash for Treasure.

Chart a Course- Good card draw plus the option to pitch a Citadel.

Izzet Charm- Has some other good option that can come in handy, especially post board with Collector Ouphe in the format.

Scheming Symmetry + Thought Scour- I think this combination has a lot of potential. Not only do you have the option of tutoring up Bolas's Citadel and then milling yourself, but you also can mill your opponent to cancel out the fact that they get to turor a card themselves, and then you get to draw the card you tutored.

Goal #2: gain enough life to kill with Aetherflux Reservoir.

The main way the deck can gain life is to have Aetherflux Reservoir already in play and cast a bunch of cards. However, this is easier said than done, since the card is a hefty four mana, and we are constantly losing health due to casting cards off the top of the deck with Bolas's Citadel. Here are some considerations for life gain:

Children of Korlis- gains you back all the life taken from Bolas's Citadel.

Weather the Storm- Because we are casting so many cards, this card can gain us a ton of health.

Implement of Improvement- a cheap artifact we can use to gain health and draw a card.

Other Considerations

Shriekhorn- Helps get rid of lands from the top of the deck when going off with Citadel. Can also help self mill Citadel.

Codex Shredder- Similar function as Shriekhorn.

Ghoulcaller's Bell - Similar function as Shriekhorn. Can have interesting applications with Scheming Symmetry

Arcum's Astrolabe- another cheap artifact.

Mishra's Bauble- 0 cmc artifact with multiple uses.

Serum Powder- Helps with mulliganing.

Insolent Neonate - A ""looting" card to help get Citadel in the yard.

Artificer's Assistant- Helps get rid of unneeded cards on top of library.

Sideboard Considerations

Welding Jar- Helps protect our artifacts, mainly Bolas's Citadel

Defense Grid- Help against counter magic.

Sai, Master Thopterist- Alternate in condition.

Galvanic Blast- Can get rid of hate cards such as Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Collector Ouphe.

Saheeli, Sublime Artificer- Alternate win condition.

Nature's Claim- Answer to hate such as Stony Silence or Damping Sphere.

Pyroclasm - Same application as Galvanic Blast.

Decklists

"Matt Nass's Bolas's House"
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"Emma Handy's Citadel Combo"
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"My Experimental Build with Scheming Symmetry"
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RGValakutGR

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