Combo or Bombo: shattergang bros + daemonic pact

[3drinks]

Shattergang Brothers
Demonic Pact

Finally the use that puts the gobbo bros over the top, or naaaahhh?

[Dunharrow]

Shattergang Brothers
Demonic Pact

Finally the use that puts the gobbo bros over the top, or naaaahhh?

I don't think Demonic Pact is particularly good in Commander, but I guess it is a fine inclusion if you have an enchantment theme in the deck. I guess it would be comparable to a lot of Sagas except if someone times their removal right you would lose the game.

Although if you can flicker the pact it is a lot better.

[3drinks]

Shattergang Brothers
Demonic Pact

Finally the use that puts the gobbo bros over the top, or naaaahhh?

I don't think Demonic Pact is particularly good in Commander, but I guess it is a fine inclusion if you have an enchantment theme in the deck. I guess it would be comparable to a lot of Sagas except if someone times their removal right you would lose the game.

Although if you can flicker the pact it is a lot better.

Shortly after I posted this, and reaffirmed after reading this reply, this whole thing I think works so much better in Ghen. Ghen, I'd think...even replaces Shattergang's role...? White is much more suited at enchantress support than Green is after all.

[onering]

Shattergang Brothers
Demonic Pact

Finally the use that puts the gobbo bros over the top, or naaaahhh?

I don't think Demonic Pact is particularly good in Commander, but I guess it is a fine inclusion if you have an enchantment theme in the deck. I guess it would be comparable to a lot of Sagas except if someone times their removal right you would lose the game.

Although if you can flicker the pact it is a lot better.

Shortly after I posted this, and reaffirmed after reading this reply, this whole thing I think works so much better in Ghen. Ghen, I'd think...even replaces Shattergang's role...? White is much more suited at enchantress support than Green is after all.

Green does have the original enchantress trio of Viridian, Argothian, and Presence, and then Eidelon of Blossoms and Setessan Champion helping to power out its draw game, but White probably still edges it out.

[Krishnath]

Obviously, the best combo with Demonic Pact is Harmless Offering, but the Shattergang is a good backup in case one of your opponents are sitting with a counterspell.

[DirkGently]

The biggest problem with demonic pact imo is that it's not that exciting even if it had no downside. Compare it to The Eldest Reborn. Each enemy sacs > deal 4 gain 4 imo. Each enemy discards > Target discards 2 imo. And reanimate > divination imo. On top of that and oh-so-crucially, it triggers right away instead of next turn.

So you'd have to have a deck that could turn the downside into an upside reliably, imo, to make it exciting. So even in Ghen I think it's just okay, not great. Only commander I really see it paying dividends is Blim, Comedic Genius.

[NZB2323]

I like Liliana's Contract a lot more than Demonic Pact.

You get to draw twice as many cards right away, instead of waiting until your next upkeep, it doesn't have the potential downside of you losing the game, and the other 2 modes aren't that great in EDH.

What is 4 life in a format where everyone starts at 40? Making one opponent discard 2 cards they get to choose isn't that great in a multiplayer format. 4 damage also isn't enough to kill a bunch of creatures, and even if it is it's predictable sorcery speed removal that you have to wait until your upkeep to use.

[Serenade]

Other options for the black-draw/drawback-enchantment include Demonic Lore or Treacherous Blessing.

[hyalopterouslemur]

The biggest problem with demonic pact imo is that it's not that exciting even if it had no downside. Compare it to The Eldest Reborn. Each enemy sacs > deal 4 gain 4 imo. Each enemy discards > Target discards 2 imo. And reanimate > divination imo. On top of that and oh-so-crucially, it triggers right away instead of next turn.

So you'd have to have a deck that could turn the downside into an upside reliably, imo, to make it exciting. So even in Ghen I think it's just okay, not great. Only commander I really see it paying dividends is Blim, Comedic Genius.

The only use for Demonic Pact over that is (of course) Donate and friends. And that is actually pretty flavorful. "It only needs a soul. Yours will do."

An aside, when Titans came out, I wanted to do a deck based on the comic, and I really wanted to flavor Robin as having contracted with Raven. He ended up being Bant aggro-control.

[NZB2323]

Other options for the black-draw/drawback-enchantment include Demonic Lore or Treacherous Blessing.

I also like Sarcomancy. For 1 mana you get an enchantment to sacrifice and a creature to sacrifice. I've used it in my Ghen deck before to sacrifice the Sarcomancy to put Eldrazi Conscription on the zombie token.

[3drinks]

Other options for the black-draw/drawback-enchantment include Demonic Lore or Treacherous Blessing.

I also like Sarcomancy. For 1 mana you get an enchantment to sacrifice and a creature to sacrifice. I've used it in my Ghen deck before to sacrifice the Sarcomancy to put Eldrazi Conscription on the zombie token.

That's adorable.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Sarcomancy is fun in Ghave. Not really powerful, which is more about ruining other people's fun, but fun. Because then you have Aura Shards.

[Sinis]

Honestly, I like all these black double-edged enchantments; there's a flavour of Greed|LEG to it that tastes of nostalgia. It makes me really want to play Blim, Comedic Genius.

I think Demonic Pact (despite my love for the card itself) is a bridge too far, though; there's a massive risk in trying to play hot potato with a game loss rather than some life loss.

[3drinks]

Honestly, I like all these black double-edged enchantments; there's a flavour of Greed|LEG to it that tastes of nostalgia. It makes me really want to play Blim, Comedic Genius.

I think Demonic Pact (despite my love for the card itself) is a bridge too far, though; there's a massive risk in trying to play hot potato with a game loss rather than some life loss.

I love Blim but "evil donate" is something you really only get to play once before not getting invited back. Stupid social ostracization format 🙄. Ruins a cool deck idea.

[Sinis]

I love Blim but "evil donate" is something you really only get to play once before not getting invited back. Stupid social ostracization format . Ruins a cool deck idea.

I think it's probably fine; I would not mind Blim at my tables with the following condition: You don't play cards that put a player out of the game.

So, like, eschew the Pyromancer's Swath, or Aggressive Mining. Just give away things that are incremental and not extraordinarily punishing, like Priest of the Blood Rite. Maybe one-time gotchas like Phyrexian Etchings.

Sadly, there are not many cards that aren't super-punishing.

[3drinks]

I love Blim but "evil donate" is something you really only get to play once before not getting invited back. Stupid social ostracization format . Ruins a cool deck idea.

I think it's probably fine; I would not mind Blim at my tables with the following condition: You don't play cards that put a player out of the game.

So, like, eschew the Pyromancer's Swath, or Aggressive Mining. Just give away things that are incremental and not extraordinarily punishing, like Priest of the Blood Rite. Maybe one-time gotchas like Phyrexian Etchings.

Sadly, there are not many cards that aren't super-punishing.

I'd give away cards like Rust Elemental, Tainted Well, and Oubliette. Steel Golem is probably fine too. Curses seem the best. Like Zedruu where you give up Azorious for black.

[Sinis]

I'd give away cards like Rust Elemental, Tainted Well, and Oubliette. Steel Golem is probably fine too. Curses seem the best. Like Zedruu where you give up Azorious for black.

Definitely. I mean, I think we're also overlooking that you have to connect with a bolt-able commander, and if you don't connect, you're stuck with your crappy 'gift'. That makes it a lot weaker than Zedruu.

I don't know that I would want to donate my Curse of Opulence, but I get where you're going with this.

[3drinks]

I'd give away cards like Rust Elemental, Tainted Well, and Oubliette. Steel Golem is probably fine too. Curses seem the best. Like Zedruu where you give up Azorious for black.

Definitely. I mean, I think we're also overlooking that you have to connect with a bolt-able commander, and if you don't connect, you're stuck with your crappy 'gift'. That makes it a lot weaker than Zedruu.

I don't know that I would want to donate my Curse of Opulence, but I get where you're going with this.

The other curses, like deaths hold and the double damage ones. The ones that don't matter who controls it. And even then despite his weaknesses, people will still scream SpIrIt Of ThE fOrMaT because "you might do something negative".