With those restrictions, I decided to build a list that focuses on legendary creatures and activated abilities. I'm willing to consider cards that are off-theme, but they'd have to be amazing in order to be in consideration. The list of "maybe" cards is extensive, but I appreciate all ideas! I've brewed this with my play group already but the more eyes the better.
Sorry for "yet another" Kenrith deck, I'm sure people are sick of seeing them. However, he's so versatile that I feel like you can build him so many ways!
Decklist
Approximate Total Cost:
Themes:
- Legendary Creatures: the most obvious theme, most of my creatures are legendary, with pumps from Arvad, some indestructible from General's Enforcer, brings online the legendary sorceries, and I don't get to play with a lot of these creatures.
- Activated Abilities: this was a difficult choice, but I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I was already using four cards that reduce the cost of activated abilities. I found that many good activated abilities are just tap abilities, so I tried to find ones where the cost reduction might be relevant. I also tried to get a lot of my deck's bread and butter from activated abilities: removal, ramp, recursion.
- Haste: this one I'm less sold on, but with all these activated abilities, I guessed that haste would be a premium. I recognize that my commander already can grant haste, so I tried to choose sources of haste that add other things to my list, like uncounterable (Rhythm of the Wild) or flash (Raff Capashen, Ship's Mage).
- Tokens: I wasn't sure how I was going to close out games besides attacking with some random legendary creatures, so I figured that a massive amount of tokens would be a decent way. With cost reducers, my token generators should make a good number of tokens a turn. I also have Jazal Goldmane in there as a way to close out games with multiple attackers, whether they're legendary creatures or tokens makes little difference to me.
- Mana symbols matter: I am not dedicating a good mana base to this list, but the list is mana-intensive and color-intensive (hence no Sol Ring, though that may change). That being said, I wanted a large number of cards that let my lands tap for any color. That's why you see the likes of Joiner Adept, Prismatic Omen, Chromatic Lantern, and Dryad of the Ilysian Grove.
- Sisay, Weatherlight Captain, Captain Sisay, and Yisan, the Wanderer Bard are great, but they tutor. If the deck sucks really badly, I might put them back in. But for now, they're out.
- Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded is a great card, but I found my deck lacking in good red/artifact creatures that are good to sneak out. Despite having reliable access to creature recursion, and despite the mass haste, I abandoned him. If I find some good red/artifact dudes that will play well with his ability, I will give him another look.
- Thrasios, Triton Hero is great, but probably too strong. And my one copy is a general in another deck.
- Tasigur, the Golden Fang is a solid legendary with a good activated ability...but my general's recursion is simply better.
- Erebos, God of the Dead, Kefnet the Mindful, Thassa, God of the Sea, Nylea, God of the Hunt: these gods are solid, but generally my commander has better abilities than them.
- Blackblade Reforged: I didn't want to cut this card, but the list was getting tight, and while this is flavorful and thematic, it didn't seem as strong as the other inclusions.
- OG Dragons like Crosis, the Purger: I originally was a dummy and thought these triggered abilities would have their costs reduced by all my sources that reduce the cost of activated abilities...until I realized they wouldn't. Though Zirda, the Dawnwaker would still reduce the cost, I didn't think they were thematic at that point.
- Ashnod's Altar and other free sac outlets: they seem good, maybe too good? With my commander online, and with cost reducers, I suspect there are infinite combos out there. I'm not wholly against a few sac outlets, but I'm wary of them making this deck more powerful than I want.
- Urza, Lord High Artificer: great card, on theme, probably too powerful.