MTGNexus

I dunno know if anyone remembers Lorwyn/Shadowmoor Standard, but 5 color control in that format was freaking sweet. Let's take a look:
Now, it kind of looks like a pile, but this deck left a big impression on me as a young player. With careful play, strong cards, and perfect mana, it was always one of the cooler decks running around at the time (way more fun to lose against at FNM than faeries). The days of that deck are long gone, but I always wanted to build a five color control deck ever since. Over years, I have steadily collected my manabase and finally, I can realize this dream in EDH.

Behold! Cromat Loam Control!

Commander
Cromat

Lands
10 triomes
10 Shocks
11 fetches
5 basics
5-7 clutch nonbasics

Not lands
1 life from the loam
1 Fluctuator
1 Approach of the Second Sun
10 tutors
8-10 wipes
9-12 counters
10-15 removal
10-15 fogs/Stall cards

....or something like that. The core engine is loam + the manabase, using fetches to make land drops and the unused triomes to cycle. Finding loam is priority one, finding fluctuator is priority two. From that point, the goal becomes to stall and survive until I can dig into Approach and put the game away or maul someone in the air with Cromat.

Unfortunately, other than that loose outline of the loam engine, I have no clue how to best build five color control. I'm admittedly not a fabulous brewer. Any and all help/advice is appreciated!

Oh come the %$#% on, man. Where's my %$#% post?!

EDIT: this is madness. I give up for today.

DOUBLE EDIT: it's back! Huzzah! Thanks @void_nothing, whatever you did obviously worked!

Oh I love that Nassif list. Watching that Pro Tour play out was such a treat.

I feel like you have two distinct paths in front of you here. One way would be to just play the best cards regardless of color. This would obviously be easier in terms of finding Loam, etc.

The other would be primarily focusing on multicolored cards, which could open up Niv-Mizzet Reborn or Niv-Mizzet, Supreme as alternate commanders. The latter does have natural synergy with the Loam plan although it does make finding it initially more challenging.

I feel like the 10-15 stall cards would be better served as something else. You already have so many slots dedicated to removal and interaction that you probably don't need more ways to protect yourself. Utility creatures, card draw, ramp, and/or additional bombs would all be better here.

Phoenixlance wrote: ↑

11 months ago

The other would be primarily focusing on multicolored cards, which could open up Niv-Mizzet Reborn or Niv-Mizzet, Supreme as alternate commanders. The latter does have natural synergy with the Loam plan although it does make finding it initially more challenging.

I have a Niv-Mizzet Reborn primer which uses cycling as one of the main themes. You could adapt elements to focus on things that you want to do.
But the main idea is that you can use cascade cards (Ardent Plea, Demonic Dread, Violent Outburst, Shardless Agent) to get either the Life from the Loam or Fluctuator if these are the only 2 cmc or under cards in your deck.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn ability to get you one of those cascade cards is super high. Then combine with Astral Slide and Astral Drift to get insane value blinking Niv-Mizzet Reborn.

Then I literally just made a Niv-Mizzet, Supreme deck last night so I can reflect on how you can build something that fits into the Loam plan.
Glimpse the Unthinkable can mill for 20 (jump-start) to fill your graveyard up and Loam. Memory Sluice does 8 (or even 16). Breaking // Entering for 16. Grisly Salvage has the advantage of putting cards into hand, but also filling graveyard with spells.
Getting the Fluctuator is a little more work, but Treasured Find works if milled.
Academy Ruins, Buried Ruin, Sequestered Stash are lands that Loam can get to get you Fluctuator if milled. The neat thing about these lands is that you can always get the Fluctuator back if removed.
Then filling up your graveyard with Loam, gives you a ton of access to bi-colored control cards via Niv-Mizzet, Supreme. Discarding lands for the jump-start is also perfect with Loam.
On the same vein Hall of Heliod's Generosity can give you access to Astral Slide or Astral Drift and although Niv-Mizzet, Supreme doesn't have an ETB, they are excellent protection against removal (you will have him the entire rest of the game with the setup) and you could look at some ETB creatures in 99 for value.
For example Arboreal Grazer can put extra lands into play which is guaranteed with the Loam.
Slogurk, the Overslime can double up as a pseudo Loam via Astral Slide.
And yes Volrath's Stronghold can give you access to creatures to round out utility lands.

I will say the neat thing about having a deck with Niv-Mizzet Reborn or Niv-Mizzet, Supreme is that I'm always excited to see new bi-colored cards in future sets. It gives you a nice focus and makes particular cards that you might have not valued, more exciting when spoiled.

I would say with Fluctuator that you want the 2 cycling lands (Canyon Slough, Fetid Pools, Irrigated Farmland, Scattered Groves, Sheltered Thicket) just because having to spend 1 on triomes is a factor. They are cheap to buy.

@darrenhabib that is exactly the sort of feedback I'm looking for. The Amonket cyclers are an especially good catch, as is Slogurk, who I had totally forgotten about.

I'll get resarching and see if I can't cobble a draft list together in the next week or so for further refinement. 5C is just a whole hell of a lot to sift through, you know?