Power Couple Enchantments - Anax and Cymede

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Segrus
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Post by Segrus » 4 years ago

Power Couple Enchantments - Anax and Cymede

Introduction - My Personal History With Boros

I started playing Magic right at the end of the Eventide set, and my first purchase was the Eventide theme deck Battle Blitz, pretty much chosen at random. Balefire Liege and Scourge of the Nobilis were some of the first cards I was exposed to, creating chaos for my friends as they scrambled to overcome the life gain during our Wild West days. From then on I've always tried to keep a Boros deck built in remembrance of that. As I built more seriously and competitively though Boros became resigned to the most casual of kitchen table settings until I finally started building for Commander.

Once I got a taste for Commander and started playing it more and more heavily, the sweet birdsong of Boros started harkening for my attention. I knew at some point I'd need to build one, so I began looking at my options: unfortunately, not great. Like everyone else around that time, the inherent focus on early game combat wouldn't typically make for a good strategy due to the general battlecruiser nature of Commander (casually speaking), and this problem was coupled with relatively poor card draw and ramp options--Aurelia, the Warleader just wasn't holding up to my friend's Edric, Spymaster of Trest deck. I tried to make Aurelia and Gisela work multiple times, helped other people try out Brion, and dabbled in Jor Kadeen before I set all those cards aside to figure out another day.

Theros is when Boros finally broke open for me, and I've updated this deck since then. You may notice this deck is not intended to be bleeding-edge competitive. I play mainly in casual circles, somewhere between 5 to 7 on a power scale to 10 (however much help that is). There is room to make the deck stronger just by including more tutors, but I don't suspect this will ever be a competitive deck.

Commander Analysis/Why Play This Commander

Why Play This Commander?
  • You want to diversify from Zada and Feather.
  • You like enchantments, but not control.
  • You like recurring things from the graveyard.
  • You like getting in people's faces with combat damage.
  • You have overwhelming urges to perform a Spartan kick.
  • Boros is your colors, but you actually want to feel like you make an impact on games.
Anax and Cymede sits in a somewhat niche spot. In recent years, WOTC seems to have been trying to foster growth in the Boros guild by stretching its capabilities on the battlefield, which includes some awesome new commanders. In particular, Tiana and Feather have breathed new life into what was a frequently limiting single-minded war path. Tiana gave new interest into enchantment-based control decks while Feather captured everything players wanted out of the spell-based plan Butch and the Sundance Kid weren't able to achieve. Furthermore, mono-Red got Zada for insane combo potential using lots of the same spells my friend's original Anax and Cymede deck played. These are all wild, viable strategies with multiple layers of nuance I won't go into here.

Suffice it to say, the original instant/sorcery-based Anax and Cymede deck just can't cut it any longer. Both Feather and Zada are stronger, faster, and likely more consistent. On the other side, Tiana is certainly a Boros Enchantress option, however performs better outside of dedicated aggro. With this in mind, Anax and Cymede can do more than just fill your taste for war--they're a secret switch hitter.

Strengths
  • Enchantress is a well-established, strong archetype with powerful draw engines and tons of support. This in turn helps Boros draw into the lands it needs to make it to the late game, taking care of both its major guild weaknesses.
  • Furthermore, Enchantress allows for highly needed recursion, one of the pillars of the Commander format. It greatly increases your survivability.
  • Anax and Cymede's pump ability combines Boros' two primary aggro strategies--Voltron and tokens/"go wide"--in a way which allows you to do one or the other or both at the same time.
Weaknesses
  • Lack of ramp.
  • Over reliance on enchantments for card draw.
  • Zada and Feather are still more competitive due to requiring less buildup and having card advantage baked into their commanders, if that's what you're looking for.
  • Control-heavy decks filled with counter spells and repeatable board wipes may still overwhelm this deck.
  • There aren't very many strong combos which mesh well with the deck's structure, limiting its potential.
  • Very little flying protection outside of forcing those opponents to hold up blockers for your brute force ground assaults.

    Deck History

    When the first Theros block came out and a friend of mine brewed up Anax and Cymede. At first it was way too jank: extremely explosive at points, but frequently couldn't even finish off a single opponent. The more he tuned it the better the deck performed though, until he was almost taking down entire tables without people grouping up to stop him. He relied heavily on creatures with natural double strike and pump spells to bludgeon his way through defensive lines. Turn one Sol Ring-->Turn two A&C-->Turn three Madcap Skills, Reckless Charge, Assault Strobe for 24 commander damage was devastating. With Anax & Cymede frequently granting everything trample you'd end up taking 10+ damage a turn before you knew what happened. Unfortunately, he was still having problems making it to mid-to-late game. If people could survive the initial onslaughts, a well-timed wrath or two could still put him out of the game. But I saw an underlying potential I hoped to foster.
    Combining the more aggressive enchantments accessible to Boros with Enchantress cards, I theorized it might be possible to extend his deck's reach into the mid game, maybe even the late game. Burning out around turn 4 or 5 due to when wrath effects start hitting could be mitigated just with some solid card draw.

    At first, I left most of the double strike creatures he used and added a few other heroic creatures. Some new cards have been printed since then, but overall heroic creatures don't seem to be as useful to target when you have consistent access to Anax and Cymede--not without instants/sorceries which target multiple creatures. The most useful heroic creatures in this style of aggro deck is likely Akroan Crusader, Fabled Hero, Hero of Games, Hero of the Nyxborn, Phalanx Leader, and Vanguard of Brimaz due primarily for their ability to create creatures, pump your assault team, or prove to be an excellent damage dealer solo. Some other heroic creatures can work, but either their mana cost is generally too high for their effect (Akroan Conscriptor) or their effect doesn't quite hit what it needs to (Tethmos High Priest would be a near auto-include if it went to CMC 3, since most of our best creatures are 3).

    I also abandoned following the double strike route and relied more heavily on producing tokens. My reasoning for this is it allows me to cut down the number of creatures in the deck and put in more enchantments. Double strike creatures also cause players to focus unnecessarily on you in the early game due to perceived aggression (this may not be everyone's experience, but it has been mine). Since my gameplan doesn't hinge entirely on connecting with early damage, double strikers are currently left out.

    Current Decklist
    Decklist
    Approximate Total Cost:

    Card Choice Discussion
    Repeating Enchantments
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    These cards, particularly the first three, are vital to the deck performing well. The ability to return and replay enchantments for very little mana drives card engines, token generation, and your win condition in Anax and Cymede. I chose these four specifically for their cost and impact. Mark of Fury is another possible option if more haste is needed in the meta, but otherwise Spirit Loop's life gain pushed it over the edge for me. Ghitu Firebreathing also used to be in this deck during an early iteration, but I felt the fire-breathing ability wasn't getting used enough to warrant more than one of the effect in the deck. I'm also happy to hear opinions about trying Sentinel's Eyes and Escape Velocity.
    Recursion
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    • Starfield of Nyx - possibly the riskiest of the recursion cards, Starfield has an inherent drawback of causing some of your more powerful enchantments to become targets for creature removal. It's power shouldn't be underestimated though, because it can pull you back into the game within a few turns if left alone.
    • Retether - the one-stop shop for coming back as the underdog.
    • Sun Titan - the most expensive CMC-wise, but also extremely good for the deck. Only 20 cards in the deck can't be revived using this card, which means you'll have plenty of targets by the time you get to 6 mana.
    • Tiana, Ship's Caretaker - I'm afraid Tiana might not be pulling her weight in this type of build, but she does still have an amazing ability I'm loathe to give up. She can't get anything already gone, but she does protect whatever you currently have and will soon play. She also plays well into combat by having flying and cooperating with Concerted Effort.
    Some other choices for this section include: Nomad Mythmaker, Crystal Chimes, Open the Vaults, Tragic Poet, and more. Nomad Mythmaker and Crystal Chimes are both cards I've considered using, but I've been hesitant due to Mythmaker being highly vulnerable without haste and Crystal Chimes requiring too much mana. The danger with utilizing Open the Vaults is the enormous risk involved in giving back destroyed stuff to your opponents. Tragic Poet (and cards like it) are often too small of an effect.
    There's also a really strong argument for finding a place for Underworld Breach, but the exile cost might be too much. At the same time, it plays really well with Sun Titan, so I don't know.
    Combat
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    • Concerted Effort - since Anax and Cymede come with two very relevant combat abilities, this card naturally becomes powerful while having tokens out. There are plenty of other effects to get passed around in deck too, like from Danitha and Tiana. Outside of Odric, Lunarch Marshal, there's no replacement for this card.
    • Boros Charm - seriously does a ton of work in this deck with every mode being useful in different scenarios. Don't be too tempted to use the double strike mode early, since it's often the indestructibility mode which wins the game by saving you during a bad combat matchup, allowing you to save creatures for a second alpha strike, and negating a wrath.
    • Frontline Medic - indestructibility is fairly easy to trigger in this deck, and it allows you to make attacks you wouldn't otherwise be able to make. Medic's second ability is rarely relevant yet virtually non-existent in White.
    • Gleam of Authority - strong potential for making combat difficult at a low cost. That being said, might be one of the weaker auras due to not having any other real focus on +1/+1 counters.
    • Gratuitous Violence - generic, often good stuff enchantment, but still really potent and allows you to close out games when played at the right time. I don't normally win off solely due to this card.
    • Madcap Skills - don't underestimate this small aura; a permanent +3 power and evasion in Red makes this one of the best auras in the deck outside of All That Glitters and Ethereal Armor.
    • Nahiri's Machinations - additional access to indestructible helps make combat easy for you. The advantage of using it, outside of being another enchantment, is the manaless, repeated access.
    • Outmaneuver - an obscure, surprise combat trick to win the game that also triggers Anax and Cymede's heroic. It's a personal pet card for the deck yet still does a good enough job to remain.
    • Scourge of the Nobilis - +2 power, firebreathing, and lifelink; everything you want in a Boros enchantment to deal high damage and give you back the life you need to stay in the game.
    • Seething Anger - the buyback on this card makes this deck worth the inclusion despite not being an enchantment. Regardless of the build, find a spot for this card.
    • Spirit Mantle - sometimes you'll face creatures you can't plow through or remove, so this card helps you in those situations.
    • Squee's Embrace - the +2 power is helpful, but this is also a saving grace on your few creatures if you're afraid of incoming removal. It's possible this may end up getting replaced with Umbra Mystic.
    • Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion - the final combat trick in this list, one that I rarely use, but becomes relevant if you can't stick enchantments.
    There's honestly too many possible other choices to list for this section. Boros is rife with various combat tricks, some of which are better than others. Instants and sorceries have to be particularly good to include since we're very focused on getting value from enchantments. Equipment are also somewhat neglected since they don't target.
    Tokens
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    • Archon of Sun's Grace - originally this spot was for Ajani's Chosen, so this is a straight upgrade. Combining enchantments with token generation is powerful.
    • Assemble the Legion - I've always been hesitant to keep this card in the deck since it requires several turns to become strong, but left unchecked can win you the game. It's also manaless token generation.
    • Castle Ardenvale - I'm planning on trying out this card to see how well it does.
    • Goblinslide - while this does require mana to create tokens, it works very well with repeatable enchantments.
    • Impact Tremors - including this card has been a no-brainer. Deals damage without attacking, is super strong with tokens, cheap cost, is an enchantment--everything we want.
    • Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin - I haven't gotten to play with this card yet, but creating tokens based on power for the low, low cost of 3 mana is spot-on for us.
    • Loyal Apprentice - we won't always have our commander out, but I'm compelled to give it a shot since it makes for a great turn two play and its tokens have natural evasion.
    • Monastery Mentor - possibly the best token generator in the deck. I love everything about it.
    • Secure the Wastes - this 'army in a can' card is filling this spot due to be an instant. When we want to surprise opponents with a rapid fire assault plan there's probably no better.
    • Sigil of the Empty Throne - the high initial cost doesn't mean anything when we can start generating 4/4 fliers for 2 mana.
    • Spirit Bonds - getting cheap indestructible protection has gone a long way towards my keeping the card in the deck. At some point I may take it out if there's a powerful enough enchantment token generator to be had.
    • Valduk, Keeper of the Flame - while he doesn't always play very well with Anax and Cymede around, Valduk does make create powerful tokens each turn for essentially free.
    You'll notice most of the token generation is with cards that don't need a lot of mana outside of their initial cost. Boros has enough problems with ramp that we shouldn't exacerbate the problem by playing heavy mana cards, and we'll already be wanting to reserve mana to recast repeatable enchantments anyway. Finale of Glory, Outlaws' Merriment, and Divine Visitation have all been on my watchlist for consideration in this section. Since Legion's Landing's price has come down somewhat recently, I may also find a space for it.
    Draw & Tutor
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    • Furious Rise - a newer card I'm testing out to see how reliably I can activate it. It might not be better than something like Outpost Siege, but the 3 CMC appeals to me.
    • Pentarch Ward - although only a cantrip, every little bit helps. Especially on something which helps stop removal.
    • Sage's Reverie - never ceases to amaze me how many cards get drawn off this. It also does a great job powering up creatures.
    • Unquestioned Authority - similar to Pentarch ward, this is great at helping you get in damage unexpectedly.
    • Kor Spiritdancer - one of several enchantresses in the deck. Absolutely vital.
    • Mesa Enchantress - one of several enchantresses in the deck. Absolutely vital.
    • Recruiter of the Guard - I try to stay away from playing too many tutors to preserve the casual nature of the deck, but it's too tempting for this one since it can grab any of the enchantresses we need (and so many others in the deck).
    • Sram, Senior Edificer - one of several enchantresses in the deck. Absolutely vital.
    • Skullclamp - it you play tokens, you're running this card. Even though it's considered a staple there just isn't a viable replacement.
    Removal
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    • Banishing Light - we're trading instant speed for being able to hit nearly any problem and fitting into our enchantment-based plan.
    • Chained to the Rocks - cheap and is an enchantment.
    • Day of Judgment - this wrath effect was mainly chosen for its lower mana cost and lack of downsides.
    • Ghost Quarter - there are a lot of options which could fit here depending on what you have access to, but you likely don't want to run too many. Monetary cost and availability is why I've been running this one.
    • Oblivion Ring - we're trading instant speed for being able to hit nearly any problem and fitting into our enchantment-based plan.
      1 Orim's Thunder[/card] - I switch between this and Wear/Tear for our instant speed artifact/enchantment removal. The reason I run this is the kicker ability regularly deals the chunk of damage this deck needs to put an opponent into the red.
    • Rest in Peace - one of the cards I've long been on the fence about, since this hurts our ability to recur cards; however, too often our opponents are hurt worse. Reserve this card for emergency situations when it has the ability to block an opponent's entire strategy.
    • Sulfuric Vortex - this isn't true removal, but I included it in this section since it specifically stops opponents from getting out of hand with lifelink. Since we rely so much on our aggro strategy, this keeps life gain in check, counts as an enchantment, and the incidental damage is helpful.
    • Swords to Plowshares - premium white removal to use when you have no choice.
    • Path to Exile is another option, but helping an opponent ramp seems worse.
    • Winds of Rath - it only makes sense to include this wrath effect when we won't be nearly as affected as our opponents.
    The removal in this deck is fairly light and diversified since we don't want to spend too many turns just countering our opponent's plays. We mainly want these to be cheap and to counter only problematic cards. Our hope is to pressure games through quick combat.
    Mana
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    • Boros Signet - this is a fairly standard ramp card and mana fix for Boros decks, and there isn't a better option here outside of Arcane Signet.
    • Danitha Capashen, Paragon - not very many cost reduction effects will be good in this deck, but Danitha makes up for this by having a great set of abilities for her cost (being light on colored mana). Being able to combine her with Concerted Effort is what convinced me to include her.
    • Land Tax - although not a true ramp card, this will help guarantee your land drops and get you the combination of colors you need. It shouldn't be too difficult to activate enough times to get to up to 6 mana.
    • Smothering Tithe - a newer card which has proven itself to completely upset a game by itself. There's likely not a better turn 4 play for the deck.
    • Sword of the Animist - I find that this card often grabs 3 or 4 lands from my deck each time I play it, and this really helps put you into a better position to overwhelm opponents in the mid-to-late game. If you draw this late game, most likely it won't be worth playing any longer.
    • Tithe - compared to Land Tax this isn't as strong, but its instant speed nature makes it ideal for early game fixing.
    • Wayfarer's Bauble - since early turns are so vital, this card was added to help with that. Additionally, having ramp outside of artifacts is useful since this deck is already going to be targeted for using noncreature cards so much.
    Bombs
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    • All That Glitters - this card can single-handedly take over a game by powerful up Anax and Cymede to ridiculous levels. Outside of Ethereal Armor and Helm of the Gods, it has no equal.
    • Cathars' Crusade - just a few creatures is all it takes to outpower opponent's creatures. Due to running so many token generators, there's really no other card to put into this spot.
    • Ethereal Armor - see All That Glitters.
    • Helm of the Gods - because two of these effects in the deck aren't enough.
    Deck Philosophy

    I love combat and I love making combat complicated for my opponents. I also like making relatively unique decks to surprise players with. The casual realm of game play is where I thrive the most and I think this deck showcases what kind of power level I'm happy playing at.

    Deck Strategy

    Early Game Strategy

    Most games, your first steps will be to find 3 mana in order to play out Anax and Cymede (A&C). Depending on the aggression of your opponents, it may be prudent to hold back on A&C and set up a couple enchantments in the case of an opponent with quick aggro. When an opponent takes the lead on early attacks, you politically want to let them bait out a wrath effect (if you don't end up playing one of your own).

    If your opponents spend all their first turns ramping, you'll need to choose one of two paths based on your available cards and what your opponent's strategies are: go narrow with A&C or go wide with a token generator. With the first token generator you play, don't play more than one at a time at this point. A wrath effect is probably inevitable, and you don't want to risk losing multiple in the early game. On the opposite side of this, going narrow with A&C demands powering them up very quickly with whatever you have. A&C will likely be unchecked on their first hit, so you want to make it count while you have the chance. Losing some auras here can be recurred later.

    Keep finding openings to attack and deal as much damage as possible.

    Mid-Game Strategy

    By this point, you've been met with some amount of removal meant to curb your war path. This is expected. Rebuilding is key, which means playing out another token generator and/or getting your hands on a card draw engine. I normally don't replay A&C at this stage in the game unless I already have the means to Voltron them again (almost definitely requiring one of the repeatable enchantments and a pile of mana, while my opponents have nothing).

    Your goal with the card draw is to play lands every turn if possible and also find a bomb, Sigil of the Empty Throne, or recursion. Depending on how long you can safely delay, one or more of these will be your key to ending the game.

    Attack here when possible and look for political plays. You're trying to survive right now while your opponents waste their resources clobbering each other. You have some advantage in that people frequently expect you're out of the game now.

    Late-Game Strategy

    Playing bombs and replaying our wonderful power couple (A&C) is the path to victory. Diversifying your attacks by switching between going wide and going Voltron regularly puts opponents off balance. Following up the wrath which killed your token army by quickly powering up A&C (by using a repeatable enchantment) makes you hard to adapt to for your opponents.

    You are against the clock though. Late game you need to focus on players who are likely finishing up getting their combo online or trying to lock up the game with control. Other aggro-heavy players will hopefully have burned out at this point. If you're up against another token army, you may need to throw your numbers against theirs until they can't keep up or playing one of the two wrath effects you have access to.

    Credit & Thanks

    If there's any thanks to give, it's to my friend Antis for beating me to a pulp multiple times with his version of this deck. I wish I could get a copy of his list or see if he still has it.

    Changelog
    2017 Jan 25
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    Kaladesh Block update

    +Conviction................- Valor in Akroas
    +Call of Unity................- Elspeth, Sun's Champion
    +Hanweir Militia Captain................- Falkenrath Exterminator

    No particular order above. Only weird card would be removing Elspeth, which was primarily due to needing it for a different deck. I wanted to try out Call of Unity and Hanweir, while Conviction as a bounce enchantment just makes sense.
    2018 May 17
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    Dominaria Legendary Creatures

    +Danitha Capashen................- Ghostblade Eidolon
    +Valduk, Keeper of the Flame................- Hanweir Militia Captain
    +Tiana, Ship's Caretaker................- Rapacious One

    No particular order above. Introduction of Dominaria brought some really great legends and allowed me to remove some underperforming cards.
    2019 Feb 14
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    +Smothering Tithe................- Call of Unity

    Yup. Too good not to include.
    2020 Jan 28
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    Eldraine & Theros

    +Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin................- Goblin Rabblemaster
    +Archon of Sun's Grace................- Ajani's Chosen
    +Loyal Apprentice................- First Response
    +Furious Rise................- Mastery of the Unseen
    +Command Tower................- Terramorphic Expanse
    +Castle Ardenvale................- Slayers' Stronghold
    +Clifftop Retreat................- Mountain
    +All That Glitters................- Mountain

    Lots of changes from cards all over the place. The main catalyst for change was getting in some of these new cards and making general improvements to the land base. Since I play primarily in paper (and also own a lot of decks), I'm sometimes spread thin on getting the best landbases into decks. And buying new cards doesn't always get to happen.

    I think the first three are pretty straightforward as the new inclusions are mostly straight better token generators. Master of the Unseen has been good sometimes, but I think Furious Rise's card advantage will be healthier. If it doesn't work out, I'll probably try out Underworld Breach here. And finally, All That Glitters should be crazy strong and I'll have three of those effects in the deck.

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Segrus
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Post by Segrus » 4 years ago

I know this needs like a ton of work, but it's what I have so far. I tried to cover everything I could think of. I used the primer outline as a guide for putting everything together, not necessarily trying to make it a primer at this point. Most of the explanations and history for the deck aren't anywhere else (at least any longer), so this seemed like the best place in case any of you fine people enjoy reading about it.

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darrenhabib
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Post by darrenhabib » 4 years ago

It seems like you'd want as many token creature generators as you can.

Ajani's Chosen should definitely be as well as Archon of Sun's Grace, not just a replacement.

I do think Legion's Landing is worth a slot as land ramp and a token generator.

Krenko, Mob Boss is similar to Assemble the Legion in that it takes a few turns to build up, but if goes unchecked just wins the game.

Sacred Mesa is also a nice mana sink when you need to eventually go wide.

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Segrus
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Post by Segrus » 4 years ago

Well...not entirely needing to include as many token generators as I can. Leaning too heavily towards token generators just makes this a token deck, and then it only makes sense to move away from auras and using anthem effects. And I've found that being able to act as a pseudo-Voltron deck when you need to is useful since people aren't generally expecting that.

It does seem smart to consider switching from Assemble and going with another Krenko. Nice point, thank you. While it isn't reflected in my changelog, I have run Sacred Mesa in the past. Having to feel forced to dedicate at least 2 mana every turn (more like 4) was what ultimately got it bumped out.

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Inkeyes22
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Post by Inkeyes22 » 4 years ago

Hmm, so switching to this build will cost me about $46, and most of that is Monastery Mentor ($12.37) and Rest in Peace ($9.92). It would still be about $23 without them. Hard to say if this will play different enough to warrent the funds. It does look like it would be a lot of fun though. You have had this deck for a while now, right? I remember reading about it at least a year or two ago.

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Segrus
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Post by Segrus » 4 years ago

Inkeyes22 wrote:
4 years ago
Hmm, so switching to this build will cost me about $46, and most of that is Monastery Mentor ($12.37) and Rest in Peace ($9.92). It would still be about $23 without them. Hard to say if this will play different enough to warrant the funds. It does look like it would be a lot of fun though. You have had this deck for a while now, right? I remember reading about it at least a year or two ago.
You could likely get away without either. I haven't put together a budget list, but both of those likely have reasonable replacements since the deck isn't bent on being hyper competitive. Will it play differently though? Alas, I can't say for certain. I watched and played against Antis' build some number of times, yet that was quite some time ago. They'll definitely be similar. It could also be playing tons of cantrip pumps eliminates the card draw deficiencies Antis had trouble overcoming.

And yes, I've had this deck pretty much since Anax and Cymede got released. Antis jumped on the card immediately and then I came around a little bit later.

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Inkeyes22
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Post by Inkeyes22 » 4 years ago

Man I wish we had more of the old crew here, but that might backfire and the RC might decide that they don't need the forums on the official site (something that I think will likely happen.) If they did nothing but archive what they have so that we can at the very least see what was posted that would be a good middle ground. I think I have about 6-8 years of ramblings on it and I am sure you have more than that.

I think I am going to try to build this in paper, I have a Syr Gwyn that is underperforming to the point that it is getting cut. I might have to rebuild Teysa, Orzhov Scion (she got broken up when I rebuilt Karador).

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Vessiliana
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Post by Vessiliana » 4 years ago

I keep coming around and looking at this deck. I recently built Haktos, but though he is fun and quirky ... he isn't A&C. I keep trying, Segrus. (I'm Isabelle on the old forums, by the way.) I may have to try again. I'm pretty sure I have a Monastery Mentor lying around...

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Segrus
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Post by Segrus » 4 years ago

Vessiliana wrote:
4 years ago
I keep coming around and looking at this deck. I recently built Haktos, but though he is fun and quirky ... he isn't A&C. I keep trying, Segrus. (I'm Isabelle on the old forums, by the way.) I may have to try again. I'm pretty sure I have a Monastery Mentor lying around...
Before I clicked to see who responded, I saw your user name and wondered if it was you. I really wanted to help you make a Boros deck work for you, and maybe there is some A&C build out there--tuned correctly--which could do the job. In any case, hopefully what I've put up for the deck here is more clear and comprehensive than what was available on the forums.

I had a semi recent game with it at the LGS I've begun going to. I played more for fun than to win that time and it did cost me (went against three other decks, two of which either did nothing or made it possible for the third to win; I was dealing 9 commander damage a turn, but was spreading it around instead of targeting one player to prevent 'bad feels').

You might also look into Underworld Breach, because it seems really strong regardless of whether you're doing spells or enchantments. And it hasn't gotten monetarily expensive quite yet.

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Vessiliana
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Post by Vessiliana » 4 years ago

Segrus wrote:
4 years ago
Vessiliana wrote:
4 years ago
I keep coming around and looking at this deck. I recently built Haktos, but though he is fun and quirky ... he isn't A&C. I keep trying, Segrus. (I'm Isabelle on the old forums, by the way.) I may have to try again. I'm pretty sure I have a Monastery Mentor lying around...
Before I clicked to see who responded, I saw your user name and wondered if it was you. I really wanted to help you make a Boros deck work for you, and maybe there is some A&C build out there--tuned correctly--which could do the job. In any case, hopefully what I've put up for the deck here is more clear and comprehensive than what was available on the forums.

I had a semi recent game with it at the LGS I've begun going to. I played more for fun than to win that time and it did cost me (went against three other decks, two of which either did nothing or made it possible for the third to win; I was dealing 9 commander damage a turn, but was spreading it around instead of targeting one player to prevent 'bad feels').

You might also look into Underworld Breach, because it seems really strong regardless of whether you're doing spells or enchantments. And it hasn't gotten monetarily expensive quite yet.
I will definitely look into Underworld Breach. I think I have one lying around. I just have never found a card quite like A&C, in that I continue to want to build it without success. Usually, I either get something workable or else I acknowledge the defeat and move on. But A&C just won't let me be. They are the Boros deck I want. (I built Feather, and I loved her--but my meta hated her with undying passion, so I shelved the deck.) I may try to put something together again and run it by you.

And yes, it is me... :)

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Segrus
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Post by Segrus » 4 years ago

Vessiliana wrote:
4 years ago
I will definitely look into Underworld Breach. I think I have one lying around. I just have never found a card quite like A&C, in that I continue to want to build it without success. Usually, I either get something workable or else I acknowledge the defeat and move on. But A&C just won't let me be. They are the Boros deck I want. (I built Feather, and I loved her--but my meta hated her with undying passion, so I shelved the deck.) I may try to put something together again and run it by you.
I'm happy to hear somebody else getting drawn to A&C as much as I am. If you do put together a list, then I'm happy to take a gander. A different A&C has been posted as well if you'd like a different take--I've been considering building something like this version to test out and tune myself.
Vessiliana wrote:
4 years ago
And yes, it is me... :)
I hope you've been doing well and getting in some great games. :)

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