Niv-Mizzet, Parun - "Controlled Burn" - No creatures!

[RowanKeltizar]

Don't forget about Rolling Earthquake. Basically 0 creatures it doesn't hit, you can cast it pre-Niv to wipe the field of the smaller, ubiquitous utility creatures that get in for chip damage and act as engines, and can also be a win condition if you have enough mana and a larger life total than your opponents.

Yeah, these X sweepers can be good but are limited in what they can do. They can't really touch the big hitters and can't get by indestructible. Niv can usually ping away the smaller utility creatures as long as he's on the field if they are actually a threat.

I like Magmaquake because it's an instant and doesn't hit Niv, but there have been several situations where I wish I had a different board wipe. These X sweepers can be fairly mana intensive if I am tryng to clear bigger threats.

You're right though in that I typically need to sweep BEFORE Niv comes into play. That's why I like the 4 and 5 cmc wipes.

I do like that they are flexible though. For the sake of testing I'll probably throw it in and see how it does. I'm never against trying stuff I haven't tried before.

I wish there was a sweeper like this that also made treasure tokens XD

Rob the Rich

XRRR

Instant

Choose tapped or untapped. Rob the Rich deals X damage to each creature chosen this way.

For each creature that died this turn due to non-combat damage, create a Treasure token.

[RowanKeltizar]

We need to talk about this...

This card is sort of like an amalgam of Electrodominance and Mizzix's Mastery. While a 5cmc card, at 1RRRR at no less, is a bit intense, I do think it has some potential.

It solves the biggest issue of recursion spells not having many targets earlier in the game or having your graveyard exiled. The only way this is a dead card is if you can't manage the 1RRRR to cast it. I wish this was 1RRR or even 2RRR, or 3RR. For this reason it may not make the cut. Perhaps this is only reliable in a mono red deck.

It becomes psuedo ramp/ritual by cheating a 6cmc spell, or essentially allowing you to ritual for 1. Good targets in this deck will be Mana Geyser Time Spiral. I've also been liking Consuming Tide which would be fantastic at instant speed. Chain Reaction is another one I've been liking.

It acts like a Quicken allowing you to cast sorcery speed spells at instant speed. This is really huge because previously our options for that effect were a bit limited and not exactly worth the card slot. But now we have recursion and ramp built into the same card. This would be an ideal card to copy.

Eh, the more I think about it, the more this disappoints me. I want this to be what all the other cards aren't. Some crazy mash up of quicken, recursion, and a ritual rolled into one while still being castable earlier, and I think that mana cost is going to be the killer for this card at least outside of mono red spellslinger.

[benjameenbear]

Negative ghost rider. Kalamax, the Stormsire looks at this card and laughs deeply. When I first read the card, I thought it was a Sorcery. Oh, how I was wrong...

I like the card, personally, because it creates 3 separate draw triggers for Niv while also adding an element of recursion. Especially with all the treasure rituals in the deck, it might end up being mana-neutral for you more often than not. I'd recommend at least giving it a solid test before dismissing it. The fact that it can play cards from your hand is nothing to laugh at either, so that way you can slide in spells that otherwise might not be well-timed. I'll personally be grabbing a copy for Kalamax.

[RowanKeltizar]

March of Swirling Mist. Although this is a bit less flexible in terms of types of permanents it can affect, I think this could be a good swap in over Reality Ripple or even just redundancy alongside.

I like the dual function of protecting Niv while having the option to use it offensively too. March of Swirling Mist has a pretty high ceiling of stalling an aggro player for a whole turn. And I think the effective cost reduction is of course what makes this good. Exile a blue card, U: Phase out 2 creatures is a fairly efficient rate.

I will be doing a full set review soon of course

[RowanKeltizar]

I've been working a lot so haven't had a ton of spare time to update things or even purchase new cards for that matter. That said, New Capenna definitely has piqued my interest.

An Offer You Can't Refuse - this is clearly a strong counterspell and most likely will make it into the deck. I can even counter my own spell to ramp if I have to which is cool.

Big Score A functional copy of Unexpected Windfall seems pretty good. Not sure how I feel about the trend of printing functionally identical cards tho... but i'll take this one.

Spiteful Repossession I thiinnk this will be good. Got to try it. Definitely stronger than Gilded Lotus, but that's been out of my paper deck for a while now. I'm afraid of those niche times when it won't actually produce many treasures, but I do have a lot of green players in my meta. Still under curve and only requiring one red pip are certainly upsides too.

Seize the Spotlight This is the really spicy card of the set for this deck at least. Likely an auto include. Even if one player lets me draw I think that's worth it. Stealing creatures is always fun too.

[Gorillajay]

@RowanKeltizar great primer, I love the deck. Do you have updates planned from the new commander legends set that just released?

I'm currently evaluating making this type of deck or Dirks Pheldagriff deck. They're both creature less and control-ish which is what I was looking for.

[RowanKeltizar]

@RowanKeltizar great primer, I love the deck. Do you have updates planned from the new commander legends set that just released?

I'm currently evaluating making this type of deck or Dirks Pheldagriff deck. They're both creature less and control-ish which is what I was looking for.

Thanks! It's a fun deck to pilot for sure and lots of room to make it unique to your playstyle. 2 color decks have always been fun to build for me because they have such a unique identity.

So from Baldur's Gate, there aren't too many cards that I'd consider for this deck, although Wild Magic Surge is probably worth a go at least. I think at 2cmc instant speed it's decent if you pick your target wisely. There is definitely potential for this to backfire but because we don't have too many efficient enchantment removal spells, I would defintely consider it, especially if you don't have access to All is Dust orCyclonic Rift.

Robe of the Archmagi is good no doubt, but doesn't fit my personal playstyle for the same reason I don't run Basilisk Collar. Having an equipment in an otherwise creature-less deck feels bad in your opening hand when your commander costs UUURRR.

Wand of Wonder is a fun card, but again not quite good enough for what I'm trying to do with the deck.

Wyll's Reversal is probably decent, although there are several others that are better namely Deflecting Swat and Narset's Reversal

Gale, Waterdeep Prodigy is a fantastic creature, if you wanted to run creatures. However, there are now lots of amazing creatures for this deck, so where do you stop? I like my board wipes to be one sided and I have no other synergies with creatures to speak of. No tutors or recursion.

Delayed Blast Fireball is decent I guess, but there are a lot of things I'd prefer to run instead. Only being able to deal with creatures isn't the best for this kind of deck in my experience. Two or three creature only wipes are good, but more and you will probably wish you had more of a catch-all wipe like All is Dust or Cyclonic Rift.

[Gorillajay]

Great call outs! I felt the same about robe, I liked that it has wizard sybergy with niv, but no other creatures in the deck with it feels bad.

Also last question: Is the deck list in the primer up to date? I noticed in a recent comment you said you don't play gilded lotus anymore but I saw it in the list.

[RowanKeltizar]

Great call outs! I felt the same about robe, I liked that it has wizard sybergy with niv, but no other creatures in the deck with it feels bad.

Also last question: Is the deck list in the primer up to date? I noticed in a recent comment you said you don't play gilded lotus anymore but I saw it in the list.

I'm currently testing a bunch of newer cards that aren't in the primer. Gilded Lotus is kind of an old standby but I think there are probably better options at this point.

March of Swirling Mist has been great so far. Phasing out Niv in respone to a board wipe is a solid play. But used offensively it can delay some heavy swings until we get to our big wipes.

Wild Ricochet Deflecting Swat are probably solid picks. These type of spells are the ideal answer to spot removal aimed at Niv but they can also be useful for things that say "target player"

Testing treasure based rituals Seize the Spotlight Spiteful Repossession and Big Score . I think they are pretty decent although a bit mana intensive in some cases.

Consuming Tide has been a really solid board wipe that usually draws a couple extra cards.

Invoke Calamity has been surprisingly good. casting sorceries at instant speed is always fun, but this card is so flexible. It's a great recursion piece because it also can cast things from your hand if nothing is in your yard. Only downside really is the color weight.

Act of Aggression has been playing pretty well. One of those fun cards that is probably not as competetive as it could be, but creates some interesting scenarios. Stealing someone's Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite to wipe their field for example, or just stealing an Old Gnawbone to make a bunch of treasures.

[Gorillajay]

Great call outs! I felt the same about robe, I liked that it has wizard sybergy with niv, but no other creatures in the deck with it feels bad.

Also last question: Is the deck list in the primer up to date? I noticed in a recent comment you said you don't play gilded lotus anymore but I saw it in the list.

I'm currently testing a bunch of newer cards that aren't in the primer. Gilded Lotus is kind of an old standby but I think there are probably better options at this point.

March of Swirling Mist has been great so far. Phasing out Niv in respone to a board wipe is a solid play. But used offensively it can delay some heavy swings until we get to our big wipes.

Wild Ricochet Deflecting Swat are probably solid picks. These type of spells are the ideal answer to spot removal aimed at Niv but they can also be useful for things that say "target player"

Testing treasure based rituals Seize the Spotlight Spiteful Repossession and Big Score . I think they are pretty decent although a bit mana intensive in some cases.

Consuming Tide has been a really solid board wipe that usually draws a couple extra cards.

Invoke Calamity has been surprisingly good. casting sorceries at instant speed is always fun, but this card is so flexible. It's a great recursion piece because it also can cast things from your hand if nothing is in your yard. Only downside really is the color weight.

Act of Aggression has been playing pretty well. One of those fun cards that is probably not as competetive as it could be, but creates some interesting scenarios. Stealing someone's Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite to wipe their field for example, or just stealing an Old Gnawbone to make a bunch of treasures.

These are great! Any insight on what cards you have on the chopping block while you tried some of these (Deflecting Swat/Wild Ricochet , Invoke Calamity, March, Act etc...?

[TheGildedGoose]

I'm surprised to not see Expressive Iteration here. That card is the real deal. It's kind of boring, but a quick ctrl+f revealed no discussion of it, so I was just curious to see what you thought of it. It's not technically draw, so it doesn't trigger Niv, but it's still an excellent card draw spell at most stages of the came.

[RowanKeltizar]

I'm surprised to not see Expressive Iteration here. That card is the real deal. It's kind of boring, but a quick ctrl+f revealed no discussion of it, so I was just curious to see what you thought of it. It's not technically draw, so it doesn't trigger Niv, but it's still an excellent card draw spell at most stages of the came.

I'm not opposed to testing it. Any instant or sorcery will trigger Niv, hehe. But yes, the fact that is actually doesn't draw cards itself can be a bit of downside compared to other looting/digging effects when paired with my draw doublers.

My main issue with it I guess is that it's not an instant unlike something like Impulse which digs deeper. I still cut impulse because it doesn't draw without Niv in play. The draw doublers are pretty important to my strategy. They are a bit a linch pin you might say. But when they work, they win.

So i guess, to my mind Expressive Iteration < Impulse < Faithless Looting at least in this deck.

Now, Ponder , Careful Study Consider Opt Preordain are all kind of flexible slots, but I really like doing something on turn one. The one mana digs kind of do serve a specific niche in the deck. Later in the game all of these spells basically draw me 4 cards for 1 mana (if Niv and a draw doubler are on the field) which should be GG pretty fast.

[RowanKeltizar]

These are great! Any insight on what cards you have on the chopping block while you tried some of these (Deflecting Swat/Wild Ricochet , Invoke Calamity, March, Act etc...?

Not necessarily. I like my decks to have flexibility from game to game. There are so many viable cards now that it doesn't matter as much as it once did to have the best of the best. Basically, I swap cards out on a whim in my paper deck just to get a chance to see different effects. If there is a particular card I like it stays in the deck longer.

The result is that I have a pool of viable cards to pull from just to change things up from time to time. If I play more competitively there definitely things I would swap in over others though, but I don't really play to cEDH levels.

When it comes to counterspells and other forms of removal and control, these are generally my most fluid slots. Ultimately you should just use whatever seems to be the most consistent in your meta.

For testing purposes I took out Gilded Lotus, Pyretic Ritual and Desperate Ritual for some of the treasure based rituals.

Forbid has been out for a while. I like the card a lot because it can just be a reusable counterspell but there are other cards to try. Usually at the point I have excess cards to discard for it's buyback I have the means to win also so it's not much better than a cancel.

Tibalt's Trickery has been out. We are in blue, so there are likely better counterspells. I just like the fact this is a mono red counterspell. It can be relevant because we make a bunch of red only mana with some of the rituals.

Muddle the Mixture yes, its a tutor, but I've gotten bored of it. Tutoring for Underworld Breach is nothing to ignore since we don't have too many ways to do that outside of Gamble and Intuition.

Chain of Vapor can definitely be a dead card if Niv is out. It's great early game, but lategame you aren't going to want to cast it.

Pull from Tomorrow is still kind of hit or miss for me. Currenlty it's out.

Past in Flames is a card I have a love hate relationship with. It's great lategame but I hate seeing it early. Shreds of Sanity or Invoke Calamity are probably more consistant. There is also Mizzix's Mastery or Finale of Promise which could also be tried.

Countering triggered or activated abilites can be good. Disallow is probably the most well rounded of the spells that can do this, but there's also the old classics Trickbind and Stifle. This probably comes up more in cEDH, but can still be relevant in certain situations. Aetherflux Reservoir is hilarious to do this to, as is Laboratory Maniac


A few other cards i forgot to mention that aren't in the Primer but are currently sleeved up:

An Offer You Can't Refuse - excellant counterspell! Really perfect for the deck because of it's efficiency. You can even use this to ramp yourself in a pinch.

Stormcarved Coast - another untapped dual is welcome. Can come in for a moutain.

Consider is probably superior to Serum Visions in the primer. Instant speed is always better and we want things is our graveyard.

Otawara, Soaring City - the opportunity cost is pretty low. Yes we want islands for High Tide but I think this is a strong card since it's a colored utility land that doesn't come into play tapped.

Aetherize - 4cmc wipes seem to be the sweet spot. Instant speed and one sided is great. I think it's a strong candidate. Aetherspouts is another option as is Chain Reaction . I found myself losing to creature damage more frequently so I slotted in more boardwipes and it's helped. This is going to be your biggest weakness, so running plenty of board wipes is just insurance.

With all the treasure stuff lately I've been looking at some of my artifact answers. Namley Rebuild and Vandalblast. Theres also stuff like Energy Flux but I think I prefer the instants/sorceries.

[Gorillajay]

@RowanKeltizar Thanks! I think hearing that you're continuously tweaking/changing the deck as the meta evolves or as you want to test different cards totally makes sense. it helps me understand your thought process even when piloting the deck.

Ill keep that in mind as I'm trying different cards and playing it myself.

I have my list here: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/afpsiX9QU0utdH5gEaXZKw

Trying to find a good starting point to begin from, with all the new cards out its tough to make cuts and find balance in a new meta and as someone with not a lot of experience playing spell slinger archetype.

[RowanKeltizar]

@Gorillajay I think you have a pretty solid starting point there.

Because you don't have the reserve list cards, I might swap in a couple of imitations. The draw 7s are pretty helpful. Time Spiral is my go to grave hate spell. So I would consider something like Time Reversal , Echo of Eons or Day's Undoing for that purpose. There's also the fact that you can deck yourself with certain cards. Moving your graveyard back into your library is helpful sometimes. You could also try something like Clear the Mind. Point being, this is actualy a crucial slot. You need grave hate and way to shuffle your yard. Time Spiral does both of these things and more in that it untaps lands and is essentially a free spell.

There are some good Wheel of Fortune imitations as well: Reforge the Soul Wheel of Misfortune Change of Fortune Imposing Grandeur are all cards to consider. The best thing about the draw 7s is that they can really screw with your opponents, however this isn't the case with some of the immitations. In the case of wheel and spiral, they are hyper efficient for what they are doing. With a draw doubler you will always come out on top. It's just an efficient way to refill your hand too. Bonus points if you cast them at instant speed with Invoke Calamity. Feels awesome!

Intuition fills a pretty unique slot in that is can tutor for any type of card which is rare for blue. Typically I get my draw doublers with it. If one of the cards you tutor for is a recursion piece, you are guarenteed one or both of the other cards you tutor for. I would say another tutor in this slot that can get either enchantments or artifacts would be advisable. Long-Term Plans works fine. Fabricate or Whir of Invention also work to get Archive. The draw doublers are super important to get into play and stay there. Other common targets for Intuition will be ramp, combo pieces, or board wipes.

Windfall is a bit of trap card. Generally this will be drawing your opponents too many cards. I'd go with something different. If you are playing against other control decks it can seriously backfire. Giving another control deck 20+cards isn't a good plan.

Temple of Epiphany I don't like. One time of it coming into play tapped when you need the mana will show you why it's such a cheap card. A basic land would probably be better. An any color land, or Prismatic Vista would be something to save up for.

Pact of Negation started to feel too cumbersome for me. I found myself all too often actually having to pay the pact cost. Probably a different counterspell or interaction piece here would be advisable. Pact shines in cEDH where you never have to pay the pact cost. You are comboing out and that next turn never comes because the game is over.

Strike It Rich has been a bit underwhelming for me. Sure, it's 1 cmc ramp but I just question if it's doing enough to warrant a card slot. Id still reccomend playing with it and seeing how it goes for you.

Thought Vessel, Fellwar Stone, and Coalition Relic are all decent I guess but I find myself moving away from artifact ramp in this deck in favor of the treasure rituals. reason being that we can recur them from our graveyard and they trigger Niv. Thought vessel is especally suspect because it doesn't create colored mana.

If you find yourself in a faster meta, I think Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus would both be superior cards to run if you can acquire them. Mana crypt doesnt play well if games go long. The life loss isn't inconsequential. Lotus can really boost the deck, putting Niv into play as early as turn 2 or 3, but that's literally all the card does. It's a use once thing. Not being an instant or a sorcery means we can't recur it outside of underworld breach. Both of these cards are certainly worth mentioning and considering depending on your playgroup and your playstyle and your budget. Mox Diamond would be here if it were affordable. I had a chance to get one for $40 about 12 years ago >.<



Your choice of win-con is probably the thing that is going to set your deck apart. You can try Reiterate + ritual to make infinite mana and copy anything an infinite number of times. That's the win con I've settled on. It also translates to infinite draw if Niv is in play. Just keep that in mind. You should avoid decking yourself since his trigger is not a "may" ability. I would say that if you go this route I would favor recursion cards that don't exile. Stuff like Shreds of Sanity Call to Mind Mystic Retrieval . You don't want Reiterate getting exiled. This always needs to go back to your hand for the combo.

But there are A LOT of other options you might find more appealing depending on your playstle. Aetherflux Reservoir is pretty classic. There is Dramatic Reversal and Isochron Scepter. There's my old favorite Inner Fire and Comet Storm.

You could go storm with Grapeshot or the like. Thousand-Year Storm is a pretty solid include then.

Or you can simply burn people out with your commander! More hand-cycling spells and tutors to grab your draw doublers would be a good idea in that case. Fabricate and Whir of Invention are both solid includes to get Alhammarret's Archive. You can also try Long-Term Plans which will also grab Teferi's Ageless Insight .

You could also try the infinite combos: Curiosity, Tandem Lookout, and I forget the other one. I personally don't like them but they are there.

Omniscience and Dream Halls go semi infinite with Mindmoil . Dream Halls is actually a pretty fun card and plays well in commander because it can create some interesting scenarios.

[Gorillajay]

Thanks for the feedback. I made some tweaks as you suggested.

I think I have a good starting point, you can only theory craft so much before you just need to play it yourself and evaluate what works and what isn't working.

Any tips on how to pilot it? I read your primer end to end, but want to make sure i didn't miss anything critical. Like i said i'm a new to the spellslinger archetype so trying to grasp as much as i can.

[RowanKeltizar]

@Gorillajay Threat assessment is important for a control deck. Don't go Force of Willing people's Sol Rings. Knowing the cards that will significantly hinder your own chances of winning is important and probably just comes from experience. Obviously, you are going to want to protect your commander. That's a high priority. But a lot is going to transpire before Niv hits the field. Countering or removing your opponent's combo pieces and win conditions is also vital.

Playing a creatureless deck is going to feel weird. A key component of this is to not become the threat too early. Police the board and "save" your opponents. Make deals. Too much aggro too quickly will hinder your chances of seeing a win. And be careful with your big wipes. All is Dust or Rift can make some enemies, so use them wisely.

That's why I like cards like Aetherize. They punish one opponent for attacking you. You can say "Don't attack me and I won't bounce your army."

Propaganda is a pretty good choice for these reasons. I've run it off and on. Illusionist's Gambit is also decent.

A lot people will be leery of Niv for his infinite combos. If you aren't running them, maybe let that be known. Niv is a draw engine and a removal piece (player removal also hehe , not part of an infinite combo per se.

[RowanKeltizar]

Hehe, so I recently played a game where I was able to stick a draw doubler and begin wheeling everyone to death, but in response to Tolarian Winds which would have drawn me 32cards and killed a player, the player I had my sights on channeled Otawara, Soaring City targeting Niv. For the first time in a reeaally long time I didn't have an immediate response. Channeled abilities can't be countered normally. Eventually I decided to Reality Ripple Niv before Tolarian Winds and Soaring City resolved.

I passed the turn with mana open, which I hadn't planned on doing. I would have won that turn no doubt if not for the VERY timely Soaring City play. Even with 32 cards now in hand, I found it too risky to spend any more mana since I would have to pass the turn without winning anyway.

On my other opponent's turn, he dropped Rhythm of the Wild followed by the new Balor threatening 32 lethal damage. I had a few ways to deal with this including Chaos Warp, but I decided to concede to the combination of the two great plays and go home (getting late and this game had dragged on for a while due to the 4th player being fairly new to the game. I think they were happy to see me bow out to a game I probably would have eventually won, maybe even on the next turn, but they had fought pretty hard for it.

Anyhow, it made me strongly reconsider Trickbind Stifle or Disallow effects since again there are actually quite a few uses for these, especially for game winning abilities. It's possible one of these needs to be maindecked in the primer. If that Reality Ripple had been one of these I would have been able to preserve my damage outlet and won the game that turn.

Also, something like Deflecting Swat would have accomplished the same thing. It's another card that should definitely be in here I just haven't had the cash for a copy. (reprint when?)

Out of ability counters I think I like Trickbind the most since it has the added benefit of split second AND stopping that ability for the rest of the turn. Disallow is definitely a strong candidate as well for the obvious fact it's a vanilla counterspell if I need it to be.

I like that these can counter uncounterable creature's abilities. It can also counter other things I would normally have no response to like Bojuka Bog. Feeling like I have an answer for everything seems like a good thing. I always viewed these spells as too narrow to be reliable, but I think there actually are enough targets in a given game for these to not be dead. And perhaps most importantly I can see these leading to some interesting scenarios.

[RowanKeltizar]

So I've been really dissapointed with Seize the Spotlight. I think in a theft themed deck it would probably be fine, or even if you could copy it. But it is far too inconsistent to be used as ramp or draw. If a person has no creatures or some stupid mana dork it's really a waste which, early game is very likely. So this is a pass for me. Sad because I had high hopes. With just slightly different wording it could be really great. Not sure what that would be for balance, but as currently worded it just doesn't do a lot. You may as well run Mob Rule or something.

Cards like Big Score or Unexpected Windfall are more consistent for the purpose that I am looking for.

Other than that I really haven't had a lot of opportunities to test this deck. I don't bring it out a lot because of how salty it can be. Not a lot of control in my meta. Pretty much everytime I bring the deck out I'm hard targeted but still manage to pull off a win. Can't bring myself to loose on purpose but maybe I should so I justify playing the deck more.

Consider, An Offer You Can't Refuse, and Otawara, Soaring City have all been maindecked and I will update the primer soon. There are a few other things that need to be updated.

Invoke Calamity has actually been pretty good. I can use red mana from Jeska's Will and Mana Geyser pretty consistently.

Wild Magic Surge has been GREAT and will likely get maindecked in the primer. it's just so efficient and the fact it can hit almost anything is perfect.

Aetherize, Chain Reaction, Consuming Tide - all kind of occupy flexible removal and interaction slots so I'm not keen on updating the primer to include them, but they have all been working well for me. 4cmc for a boardwipe is really the sweet spot. Chain Reaction is the only one of the three that can kill Niv out of collateral damage so that one I may swap for something else.

March of Swirling Mist has been pretty good but I haven't had a lot of chances to test it. Just never seem to draw into when I need it.

[RowanKeltizar]

This is a big update, but I think it's been nearly a year since I made an official update to the primer. I've had surprisingly little time to test cards and even less to actually post on these forums with how my life is going right now. Lots of work other responsibilities.

CHANGELOG - 11/10/22

Pyretic Ritual ==> Big Score - Functional copy of Unexpected Windfall. These are really decent being they are instants. In a vacuum these are great gas on turn 3 or 4 if I need to hold up mana for interaction. They set me up to cast Niv the next turn with open mana for interaction. And late game with Niv or a draw doubler out, they just refill my hand.

Gilded Lotus ==> Consuming Tide - I got tired of seeing Lotus. It costs a bit much to be considered early ramp and it's a target. It tends to blown up all too frequently. Consuming Tide I think is just a really solid board wipe in that it leaves Niv untouched and tends to draw me a couple of cards at the same time.

Reality Ripple ==> March of Swirling Mist - March is just a straight upgrade having a much higher ceiling of effect. I still like the effect of phasing out Niv in response to a board wipe enough to justify keeping Reality Ripple, but it's one of those things where I would prefer to have other cards.

Past in Flames ==> Shreds of Sanity - Past in Flames is out again. It's just too cumbersome and such a dead card early game. I still need this kind of effect however and Shreds of Sanity seems to be most efficient at doing this.

Chain of Vapor ==> Wild Magic Surge - I like Chain of Vapor but the possibility of this backfiring and bouncing Niv late game is too high for my comfort. Wild Magic Surge I think manages to be a great piece of spot removal for the deck.

Gitaxian Probe ==> Consider - I think Consider is pretty great. Instant speed draw is always going to be preferable and surveilling is relevant with my recursion spells.

Serum Visions ==> Izzet Charm - A slight optimization. I found myself missing my old izzet charm. The additional utility is nice, but digging deeper and pitching cards I don't' need realy is worth it for just one more R.

Forbid ==> An Offer You Can't Refuse - An honest to god one mana counterspell, swan song redundancy can't be ignored. While Forbid is cute, it's not efficient so it's out. An offer you can't refuse can actually be used as ramp in a very very tight spot. I've never had to do it, but in this deck I wouldn't be too surprised if that scenario came up. It's also free draw in that scenario if Niv is out.

Urza's Saga ==> Stormcarved Coast - Urza's saga has only one real target in the deck. Ramping for just 1 isn't amazing grabbing Sol Ring. I find I often just want the colored mana early in the game and late game sometimes I have no tutor targets for it.

I still feel a bit light on ramp/mana. There just aren't amazing options for what I'm trying to do. Things are either too mana intensive or aren't doing enough to justify slots. I guess that's ok as I tend to be a bit more midrangy rather than explosive. Jeweled Lotus is the only one i would probably consider at this point but it's too much for my meta.

Kind of missing Fabricate as a way to get Alhammarret's Archive.

Deflecting Swat and Trickbind are likely the next cards I'm going to be maindecking in the primer. Waiting for a reprint on Deflecting Swat to get a copy.

Plaza of Heroes seems great and I will be getting a copy to test. Effectively 4 mana is a bit much to hold up though, especially the first turn I cast Niv, which is the most vulnerable. Still the fact there isn't much of a downside probably makes up for that.

Echo of Eons isn't too bad and some redundacny to Time Spiral would probably be a good thing. It's graveyard hate but also a defense against milling myself out. Casting for just 3 from graveyard seems pretty strong considering that's a Timetwister. I haven't really been loving Pull from Tomorrow as early game it just doesn't do much. Lategame it isn't nearly as efficient as some of my other draw methods.

Chaos Mutation actually seems kind of fun. Exiling at instant speed is nothing to scoff at, however this can of course backfire like any of these effects. I do like how it effectively takes attacking creatures out of combat though. I'll probably get a copy just to try for the lolz.




Cards currently in my deck but not in the primer:

Invoke Calamity - it's heavy on the color weight and not amazing early game but it can be really good late game. Not sure if it's really any better than something like Mizzix's Mastery which I'm considering adding back in.

Act of Aggression - can lead to some fun situations. I like playing with it but not sure if it's really good enough to put in the primer.

Chain Reaction, Aetherize - my meta is very aggro heavy and being denser on the board wipes has helped keep me alive, however instant speed interaction is still my preference when possible. Wrathing the board every turn is often a good way to draw more hate from the table, so trying to find some other options. Something like Illusionist's Gambit or Disrupt Decorum is something to consider.

Vandalblast kind of there as my answer to treasures. I like that it can still just be cast for R and that it's one sided.

[RowanKeltizar]

I think we finally have a card worth discussing. (Let me know if I've missed something... not as active with mtg lately.)



In my opinion this is very strong, especially for a deck that lacks traditional green land ramp options. I can drop this for just 2 red and probably net enough treasures to recoup that cost. But probably I will be paying X=1 lots of times to kill mana dorks and utility creatures, or it can just be an Earthquake later in the game.

I imagine something like this will not be enough of a target for spot removal, but accelerate just enough to get Niv out a turn earlier and over the course of a game create quite the little mana engine.

[RowanKeltizar]

I realized its actually been an entire year since I updated the primer. This year I became a father! My daughter is 10months now and is already trying to chew on my Force of Will and Mana Drain. I see a control player in the making! She knocked the deck to the ground today and the first card she picked up was Teferi's Ageless Insight which is arguably the best card in the deck haha.

CHANGELOG - 12/18/23

Strike It Rich ==> Spiteful Banditry - Strike it Rich just wasn't doing enough for me. It's pretty good if Niv is in play, but otherwise Spiteful Banditry just feels much much stronger. It pulls double duty as a board wipe and ramp which means its useful both early and late game. A clear autoinclude to my mind. Maybe the closest we will ever get to Smothering Tithe haha.

Tibalt's Trickery ==> Deflecting Swat - As some of you know, I don't update the primer with a card unless I actually own that card, and I finally picked up deflecting swat. It's a clear autoinclude for many well established reasons. I love love love the fact it can redirect abilities. Lots of fun plays open up with that kind of effect.

Coalition Relic ==> Jeweled Lotus - Again, this is a card I've been waiting to pick up. With the recent reprint I felt it was a good time. I own the borderless one which is just beautiful! IT'S A BLACK LOTUS FOR NIV, what more can I say? I think lotus is especially good in this deck because of the color weight of our commander. It helps cast Niv much earlier and more consistently which is obviously very powerful. It plays well with underworld breach also making it much more likely that we can recast Niv from our command zone late game and win in the same turn. I justify putting it in here just because our ramp options outside of green aren't ideal but this does help a lot keeping pace with a faster more aggressive kind of deck. Once Niv is on the field, my chances of taking control of the game are MUCH higher. Yes, this pushes the deck more toward cEDH, but i think that's ok. I have a lot of other less powerful decks. I am actually think about converting this into my one and only cEDH build. I have most of the pieces I need.

Pull from Tomorrow, Visions of Ruin ==> Plaza of Heroes, City of Brass - These are both mid to late game spells with mixed results. Very occasionally, I find myself missing land drops at 32 lands, so I think this is a comfortable change to bump that up to 34.

I still need to look over recent sets (so many) to see if there is anything of interest, but these are my tried and true swaps for the moment! As always, please advise me of anything I may have missed!

[duducrash]

Congratulations on your daughter, nice to see this deck updated!

[RowanKeltizar]

So I'm going to start sifting through all the cards from the last year or so to see if I can find anything to try out. This is a pretty monumental task however as there seems to be a veritable landslide of cardboard coming from wizards these days...

Flame of Anor - I think this is pretty decent really. I have to compare it Prismari Command though and I think I like command better for a 3 cmc spell. You always get 2 modes. That said, I'm going to do a test run.

Mists of Lórien - So I like the effect, however being a sorcery really puts a dampender on its power level, and even though i run very few permanents, the possibility for collateral damage bothers me.

Press the Enemy - I think this might have some potential. I love tempo plays like this. I also love the fact that this is effectively a Quicken effect. Casting a wheel to discard or shuffle what you bounced would feel quite nice also. Another thing is that you can potentially ramp yourself with this. I'm not running a ton of high cmc spells, but there are a couple. Instant speed Time Spiral anyone? All upsides, no downsides that I can see.

See Double - potentially good. It doesn't scream to pick up copy right this second though. That said, copying creatures at instant speed is pretty legit. I don't love cards that sit in my hand waiting for the right targets to be useful.

Invasion of Kaldheim // Pyre of the World Tree - I have to talk about any handcycling card I see. This is really pretty good, however battles have to be flipped with combat damage, so this is a no go.

Cyber Conversion - This is actually decent I think. I had it played against me out of precon I think. If my opponent's deck heavily relies on its commanders abilities this can be crippling unless they have a sac outlet or a lucky block.

Well, it's time for bed haha, that's all I have for now... TO BE CONTINUED!


Additionally, I'm considering picking up either a Treachery or Bribery just to see how they play in my current meta. I'm surprised I don't own these, but I do think something like this might be worth giving a shot.

[benjameenbear]

Indeed, congrats on your daughter, comrade! It's both the most awesome and frustrating journey you'll ever be on. I've got 4 kids, so I'm happy to offer any tips you think you might need lol.

Glad to see this list is being updated. I've found my desire for EDH slowly returning to me, so I think I need to take a look at my own Primers and see if there's any changes that need to be made. Gotta say the end of the New Phyrexia arc really, really affected my interest in MTG as a whole...