Sygg, River Cutthroat - Removal.dec

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Post by WizardMN » 2 years ago

Here are my thoughts on new cards from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty:

Blue Cards

Acquisition Octopus - Another card that allows for drawing a card on damage. I think I would be more open to adding it if it also gave the equipped creature +2/+2 but as it is, I think I will pass on it.

Mindlink Mech - This is 1 mana more than Smuggler's Copter but does something similar to ensure Sygg triggers. And can be crewed by Sygg alone which is relevant. Importantly, it can also be crewed by something else in order to double up on triggers or just making something bigger. I think I like it enough to try it out.

Moon-Circuit Hacker - I don't really like looting effects in this deck. I think this is a solid card, and the first time it enters it is a straight draw, but I think I would rather stick with what I have so far than try to find room for this.

Prosperous Thief - This works with Sygg, Dauthi Voidwalker, Brazen Borrower and Yuriko which is nice. It can potentially generate 3 Treasures per combat (though that it extremely unlikely). I wonder if adding it in as a form of ramp is worthwhile? I am not the biggest fan of temporary ramp like this can it can make things a little more explosive. My initial thought is that I want to pass on this but I might come back to it.

Black Cards

Assassin's Ink - This deck loves kill spells but it also doesn't play a ton of Artifacts and enchantments so, most likely, this ends up costing at 3 pretty much all the time.

Invoke Despair - This is a little higher on the curve, but it seems like it is probably very often something that gets rid of 2 permanents, has the player lose 2 life, and we draw a card. Or, at least, they will lose 4 life, sac a permanent, and we draw 2 cards.

Junji, the Midnight Sky - If only it was the players losing 3 life...I tend to keep this deck very low to the ground, but if I wanted to expand the top end a little, I don't think this is a bad choice. It eats away at hands if I want it to or I can get some other big creature from someone if I needed it to. This deck doesn't do a lot with sac outlets (though I could just point a kill spell at it) so that might make it tougher to go off when I want it to. Still looks like a fun card.

March of Wretched Sorrow - This is a kill spell that can hit Walkers and gains me life. However, I think the mana cost, or amount of cards to exile, is just too high to be worth it. I like the card and like the design, but it is just not quite good enough.

Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion - This seems like a solid addition. He is 3 power which is relevant, 3 mana (I don't think I will ninjutsu him too often), and is a "draw" and "cast free stuff" all in one. While the life payment could be troublesome, I think the overall effect, and even just using it to hit a land, is pretty fitting for the deck. I think I will try to find a spot for him.

Tribute to Horobi - This looks really cool. It is a bit of a gamble, but Sygg being able to block the tokens means I won't get hurt by them (and what is 1 damage anyway). The main issue actually ends up being if the opponents are just smart enough to attack into each other with the rats so I don't get any. But if they don't do that, I can get up to 6 rats which can then be used as fodder for the back face to draw cards. And, even if they do that, I still get a 3/3 Flyer with Haste that can sac something else. I think this could be a good card but it really needs to be played to see how it works out in practice.

Colorless and Land Cards

Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - This isn't very efficient but it is an untapped land that can do more than just be a land drop later on. I think it is worth it in most black decks.

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Post by WizardMN » 2 years ago

Here are my thoughts on cards from Streets of New Capenna:

Blue Cards

An Offer You Can't Refuse - This is a 1 mana counter that is "better" than Swan Song in what it can hit but the drawback is also heavier. I think I am going to try it out since I feel like it is still a good counter. I can't say for sure whether it is truly better than Swan Song until trying it but being able to hit Artifacts and Planeswalkers is pretty big (probably the former more so than the latter).

Black Cards

Angel of Suffering - Another decent top end creature to help close out games and this one protects just by virtue of existing. This deck can't support many higher mana value cards so I will see if there is anything I am willing to part with to make room for her.

Sanguine Spy - This seems like a pretty decent card, though only hitting for 2 isn't great. Its effect is a good one, and it gains me life as needed. The main issue is that because I want a lower curve, it might be tough to get to 5 different mana values. Specifically, the question is whether I have enough 4+ mana value cards since 0-3 should be easy enough. I think I do that it could be worth a try.

Shakedown Heavy - This seems pretty good for this deck. It is low on the curve, hits for a pretty decent amount of damage, and the trigger can allow me to draw a card while also getting the Heavy back as a blocker. I mentioned top end creatures above and this might actually qualify even at 3 mana.

Tenacious Underdog - A repeatable attacker that hits for 3 and draws me a card in most cases seems solid. The Blitz cost is a bit high but it seems pretty well worth the effect to try to ensure I keep cards in hand.

Multicolor Cards

Tainted Indulgence - I always like more cards and even discarding a card (if I have to) isn't the worst thing in this deck. Lower cost can help fuel the deck early on as well.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

Since Baldur's Gate previews have concluded, here are my thoughts on some of the cards from the set that might work in this deck as well as some lands from the previous set I missed.

Black Cards

Astarion's Thirst - Another removal spell is always good. And one that makes my Commander bigger is even better. As a straight removal spell, there are better options, but I think being able to get Sygg big enough to trigger himself and possibly even win with Commander Damage pushes this higher than it would be otherwise. It is something he just isn't going to do now.

Cultist of the Absolute - This is another way to get Sygg to possibly win with Commander Damage as well get him to trigger himself. The sac clause is a bit rough though as there isn't often going to be something I am going to want to sac. I might try it but it is not a sure thing right now.

Colorless and Land Cards

Shipwreck Marsh - These are all pretty good lands. While they aren't the best on Turn 2 and maybe turn 1, they are great from turn 3 onwards. They seem pretty solid in terms of fixing in all but the most aggressive decks and, even then, seem still worthwhile as they are very unlikely to be the only land one keeps.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

Here are the newest changes I want to try out:
6/13/2022
Approximate Total Cost:

Thirst seems like a good removal spell but I am not completely comfortable going down another removal spell for it. It is likely what I should be doing but I think I want to add to what I have for now. So I am cutting Epiphany instead as that allows me to lower my curve a bit. I might revisit this later if I really feel I am missing something with cutting it.

Tainted Indulgence and Shakedown Heavy are mostly card draw options and Catgeist is probably the worst creature based draw I have currently so it seemed like a reasonable swap. The Infiltrator is nice as it has Fear so it is more than likely to connect but I couldn't find anything else I wanted to cut. Sea-Dasher Octopus is another one that is probably a reasonable cut but the Flash puts it above the others for now.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

Here are another round of changes:
8/5/2022
Approximate Total Cost:

First, Astarion's Thirst isn't online so it is being replaced with one of the other cards (I don't really know which; I just needed something to replace it).

Eat to Extinction is an odd cut especially since Thirst isn't available but I want to see if I have gone a little overboard on removal as a whole. I did consider cutting Forbid as I have found I very infrequently actually want to discard cards to it but I am keeping it for now.

Cosima and Map are just the best I could come up with to make room for things. I like having both because they help me hit land drops, but I am going to try without them.

I explained the additions above so no need to re-hash all that.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

With the full spoiler of Dominaria United, here are my thoughts on some of the cards that might make sense in this deck:

Blue Cards

Aether Channeler - A little on the high side for the curve but a ETB Draw a card effect or one that lets me bounce something isn't the worst option. I don't think it is quite what I am looking for but it seems close.

Black Cards

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse - This doesn't quite get Sygg to trigger. At least, not without the opponent drawing more than one card per turn. But it does help drain each pplayer pretty well and gives me quite a bit of life gain which I still feel this deck desperately needs. I am defintely going to find a way to fit this into the deck somewhere.

Multicolor Cards

Ertai Resurrected - While I don't like giving players cards (even if it does work with Sheoldred), I think the abilities are too good to pass up. Both fit the deck permanently and Ertai is 3 power which is always relevant in this deck. I think this is another that I try to slot in somewhere.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

With the release of the full Brother's War set, I have gone through to determine what cards might be good for this deck. Or, in some cases, which ones are worthy of discussion even if I may not add them:

Blue Cards

Hurkyl's Final Meditation - I wish I could find a way to play this in this deck. Sygg has struggled with finding mass board wipes and this would be a pretty decent one. But 10 mana is too much for the deck and casting it on my turn for 7 isn't all that much better.

Black Cards

Gixian Puppeteer - This could be good enough to get a player to lose just that little extra life to trigger Sygg. 4 mana is a lot for this deck though. But both abilities are relevant and there could be the occurrence when Sygg helps trigger the first ability which ends up being pretty nice. I think I might try to find a spot for it mostly based on the life gain oddly enough. The deck can sometimes stall out so having that little bit of incidental life gain can help. And of course the reanimation hits almost all the deck.

Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor - This is interesting. The first ability can help keep my hand full (assuming I can hit someone) and I can draw up to 3 cards per turn. However, my opponents can draw up to 2 and they likely having bigger creatures to ensure they actually hit. With that in mind though, it might offer enough incentive to *not* go after me that giving them a card might be worth it. The last ability is also a good way to potentially close out longer games or even just get back into a game I might be getting outpaced in. And since Gix does deal 3 damage, he helps trigger Sygg. I think I like the card enough to try him out at least.

Overwhelming Remorse - My creatures die all the time and I like finding cheap removal and this seems like to fit the bill. It won't work that great early on but could do a lot of work later. I will likely see what I might be able to cut to add this in.

Multicolor Cards

Evangel of Synthesis - This plays into the same thing as the Puppeteer above with trying to draw more than 1 card per turn. The main issue is that it almost needs that to do anything. A 3/3 with Menace for 2 mana is great but otherwise, it is pretty underwhelming. And the ETB is only able to carry it so far. I don't mind the card, but I don't think it is quite enough here.

Colorless and Land Cards

Phyrexian Fleshgorger - Speaking of a 3/3 with Menace, here is an option. Clearly, the mana cost is 1 more (or 5 more depending...) but Menace, Lifelink, and a form of protection from removal is nice to see. It doesn't do a lot beyond just swinging so I likely won't add it, but it isn't a bad card overall.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

Here are some further changes I am making to this deck:
11/13/2022
Approximate Total Cost:

I am not entirely sure on these cuts. I know I want a couple of these new cards (mostly Sheoldred I suppose) but I want to try them all out to see what they do. And these are the best cuts I could come up. Mastery is sort of expensive at 4 mana but this does represent a further progression on cutting spot removal. I might be going too far into this direction. Even though Ertai does replace this.

Yuriko and Tribute were simply the least enticing cards to keep around. Tribute isn't enough on the side of being absolutely great and Yuriko is tough to get to hit later on so she doesn't trigger later in the game.

Overwhelming Denial is also replaced with Ertai and it was the "worst" counter I could think to cut. Again, maybe this is going too far away from counter magic in the deck, but I wanted to find room for new cards so sacrifices had to be made.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

With the full set spoiled for Phyrexia, All is One, here are some of the cards I am looking at.

Blue Cards

Mercurial Spelldancer - Not being able to be blocked is good to help ensure a bit of damage getting in. And this deck is a lot of noncreature spells, which can help give it counters. The main issue is that most of the instants or sorceries here are meant to be reactive so I don't always want to cast them proactively. But there are a few, mostly the bounce and destroy creature spells, that could benefit from being doubled up. I think it might not be quite good enough due to the timing of the ability, but I do like the card.

Serum Snare - A Boomerang that is easier to cast but also can't hit lands. This isn't usually a significant difference but it could be. And the fact that the Proliferate doesn't really do anything here means this isn't an easily justified swap. I don't think I swap it since this is only a 2 color deck and 2 blue isn't all that hard to have, but it is an interesting option.

Black Cards

Vraan, Executioner Thane - A cheap body that can also work to drain opponents seems pretty nice. The life gain can be important and the trigger can potentially put players over the edge to get to the 3 life lost for the turn. It is hard to control in this deck as I don't really have much for sac outlets but I could still see it doing decent work. I might give it a try to see what it can do. Though, due to it not being an absolute include, it might take a bit to figure out the right cut for it.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

Here are my thoughts regarding March of the Machine, March of the Machine: Commander, and March of the Machine: Aftermath. I am also potentially including cards from Warhammer 40k Commander since I got behind a little:

Blue Cards

Faerie Mastermind - This is a great way to keep the cards flowing. I think there is an issue with it in this deck as this is primarily set up with a 1 to 1 mindset and giving all players a card (I will get 2) still puts me behind. At least with 3 opponents. But sitting out there and not activating it is bound to provide some additional card draw so I think it is worth trying out.

Filter Out - This deck has constantly had issues with board presences that cannot be dealt with. And these colors are very poorly equipped for dealing with noncreatures in general. While Blue can bounce them it can't permamently deal with them. And this card sort of helps with just dealing with everything all at once. But, it falls into the same issue as the rest of blue in that it is temporary *and* it doesn't hit the most prevelant permanent type which makes it far less useful. I don't think I want to dive further into a temporary solution that doesn't even reset creatures.

Jin-Gitaxias - I really don't like this card for what it is: a repeatable Rift and Omniscience (even if the latter is not permanent). But, the ability on the front is good for this deck and the wrath can help fix some of the issues I feel the deck has since I have so many smaller creatures. Resetting the board is something I keep looking at cards to do and potentially doing it every 3 turns can help. Even if it is annoying for the other players.

Chrome Host Seedshark - This is interesting in that it gives a boost to the noncreature spells I am slinging. I like the Incubator tokens as they can be wrath-proof to an extent (only transform them when needed) though the additional cost to turn them into creatures is a tough sell. I don't think I have the room for this card but I think there is potential even if it isn't a powerhouse.

Black Cards

Necron Deathmark - This fits well with the theme of the deck and it is nice to have a creature with an ETB to destroy a creature *and* have Flash. It is 5 mana which is a tough sell but I might try to fit it in here somewhere.

Pile On - Another destroy spell and one that can reduce itself. I might be in a position where there are so many good options that are already cheap on their own that I am not sure I can find room for this but it is a good card worth considering.

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Post by WizardMN » 1 year ago

Here are a few changes I want to try out:
5/19/2023
Approximate Total Cost:

Of the cuts, Shakedown Heavy is likely the main one I don't enjoy losing. But I wasn't sure of a better option. Mech doesn't do enough though it is a good way to trigger Sygg since it flies (and Sygg can crew it alone) and I want to try to go lighter on the mass bounce so games can actually end. Swamp is being cut for the Castle. I might end up revisiting Heavy and potentially Mech in the future.

The 3 adds were talked about above and I think I commented enough on them before that I don't need to rehash those points now.

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