Trostani was the second deck I had made for multiplayer EDH/Commander. As my first deck being a group hate deck I wanted to not mirror that into a group hug deck, but I also didnt want to get into really technical game play either.
After that I found myself in a quandry. I was REALLY starting to get annoyed by having to almost carry another 100 count deckbox (just kidding it never got THAT bad) just for tokens and the riffle for the correct ones. So I decided to go into Token Consolidation. Which is a term I personally use for limiting the amount of token types I use.
This does not mean only running one type of token since thats both silly and dangerous to game blowouts, but in deciding to use the more solid tokens and token generation of better quality overall. Elspeth is a good example of this in that it creates three tokens a turn and while they are small they can get quite numerous.
Before I go on, the deck:
Decklist
Approximate Total Cost:
Visting EDHrec back in the day I was always curious as to why it suggested certain cards. I understand that EDHrec is a aggraget site and that card percentages are based upon the amount of decks that the card appears in that are submitted, but it still left me scratching my head.
Trostani's Summoner is one of those cards. Now do not get me wrong that a card that lays 10 power down on the field is a bad card. But its three diffrent creature types that are now added to the token pile. While you can always write down on paper the amount of tokens and such with the amount of +1 counters I play this becomes a huge memory issue. Lord help you if somebody lays a Coat of arms down.
But this got me to thinking was there anything that I could play that was not a once a turn effect, or a x spell that could create a decently hardy token. Thats when I remebered that Blade Splicer actually had a host of other cards in mirrodin that did simular effects. Apparently recently WOTC also remebered this in its Commander Legends as well since the deck received Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer.
You can rightly say now,"but arent those effect just a one off?" Thats true, but each splicers ability affects all golem tokens so first strike, vigilance, regeneration, +1, and trample are all on the table. Another fun fact is there are more ways that you can search out, find, or manipulate 1/1 creatures in white if you know where to look, which all splicer base stats are.
Onto snow, and what a winter it is. Snow cards were something that Tev or @Tevesh on Salvation started since into the north was a much more available and cheaper at the time than three visits or nature's lore. With the advent of a second snow dual land, a pretty decent snow man land, and search for glory it seemed like the time to just stay frosty.
There were other snow cards I debated on putting in like Ohran Frostfang but looking at it it was more a sit there and let the other cards do the hard work card. Just didnt appeal. I figured a lite dusting of snow would suit my deck better than a blizzard of changes. Hence the only other snow perm is On Thin Ice
Your probably wondering why in gods name am I playing one of the least helpful of the Ajani. Thats simple, he does everything I want in this deck as a planeswalker. Vigilance in a 1vs1 game is a bleh ability. Not bad but not great and if this was only for a 1v1 type dual I would change him out in a minute. Vigilance in multiplayer is actually alot better since I'm attacking and defending many more times. Gain 3 life is actually better in some ways than the congregate type +1 the other Ajani have since still multiplayer and you cant always count on creatures being in play when you need or want them to be. -2 ability is a aoe +1 to all creatures and planeswalkers which hitting Elspeths ult or Garruke a bit better.
Lastly the reason im not playing certain cards. Cathars' Crusade Panharmonicon Precursor Golem. Cathars crusade would seem like a auto include since I'm running many ETB effects. Biggest issue is that once its down you draw amazing table aggro since people know that unchecked you will start sealing the game. Which is why I play Dictate of Heliod since the flash ability is much more usefull if your creature army survived till your next turn.
Panharmonicon would be a great card for me to play, but a huge issue is that especially in trostani the 4cc spot is clogged with some amazing tech cards. I do not play angelic accord for some of the same reasons.
Last Precursor Golem. It seems like a thing I really should play in this deck. But I cannot protect it enough that one unkicked vandalblast wouldnt wreck me. Just too dangerous.