Noble Shadowheart: Fight the Moonlight

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TheGildedGoose
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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

I got some more games in, and I believe the pillowfort cards really overperform here. By themselves, they're not great, but as I alluded to months ago the two-tier system of Noble Heritage plus a traditional pillowfort card is extremely effective at deterring attackers. Even if a player wanted to attack you, they generally can't. At worst they do nothing, and at best they slam into your other opponents. For you, a win/win.

I'm going to experiment with a version that is more heavily focused on pillowfort elements, specifically those that require them to pay mana. Having to choose between attacking or developing really sucks, so I'm even going to include Ghostly Prison even though it's not a creature. To make room for them, I'm cutting a beater and scuttling most of the generic, disruptive hatebears. They're not great politically, and maybe a deck doesn't need five forms of graveyard hate when you have tutors to find them. Another card I wanted to make room for was Your Temple Is Under Attack. Obviously, the majority of the time it's another board wipe protection spell, but occasionally there are moments where you can team up with another player to take make sure something gets removed or otherwise dealt with. If you've read my posts, you know I like versatility.

Here's a theoretical list.



Fight the Moonlight
Approximate Total Cost:


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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

Man, it may be slightly worse because it lacks counter magic, but this deck is so much more fun to play than Volo. Plus, the etched foil black cards look way better than the blue ones.

2 and 3mv creatures are primo here because they curve from Noble Heritage into Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar. A 4/3 Space Marine Scout on turn 4 is just great. Plays offense and defense without being too threatening, and it just gets out of control on subsequent turns. I'm at work at the moment but I've been thinking of this deck all day and will make some edits when I have time.

There's just something so satisfying about sacrificing your countered up critter and drawing into Flawless Maneuver.

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

Got a game in last night with the pseudo-budget list and lost to our friend Craterhoof Behemoth on a misplay. Unfortunately, one of the players was playing a mildly upgraded Urza precon and didn't really do much in the game, while Esika, God of the Tree got off to a slow start due to missing land drops. This left myself and the Soul of Windgrace Lands.dec player as the two most relevant players. The Lands deck obviously ramped hard and was able to find an early Field of the Dead and was vomiting out zombies with a Purphoros, God of the Forge and was steadily killing everyone. Skyclave Apparition took out Papa Purph, and a timely Flawless Maneuver into Damn kept the board clear. A few turns later a Tragic Arrogance with Brought Back allowed me to be in a superior position once again, but Field along with his other Lands.dec shenanigans were just too much to handle. He was able to Craterhoof me to death, though a misplay cost me the game. Instead of sacrificing God-Eternal Oketra with four +1/+1 counters on it to draw seven, I instead shot a zombie token to draw four and didn't find the Teferi's Protection I needed to survive, because it was six cards down instead of in the top four.

Tragic.

Lessons: Lands.dec is overpowered at non-cEDH tables. Otherwise the deck performed incredibly well. I was wheeling and dealing with the other players, but their inability to contribute much to the game was my downfall. Amusingly, the Esika player eventually win due to placing Windgrace's Craterhoof under a Mimic Vat. Hoisted by his own petard! There's something immensely satisfying about someone being killed by their own 'Hoof.

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 10 months ago

Working on this again and have a whole new decklist up as well as some functional analysis.

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pokken
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Post by pokken » 10 months ago

Have you seen much of Serra Paragon? Been considering that one as a slot in Breena, where it feels likely to be really good. Lots of overlap with these decks.

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 10 months ago

pokken wrote:
10 months ago
Have you seen much of Serra Paragon? Been considering that one as a slot in Breena, where it feels likely to be really good. Lots of overlap with these decks.
The only real fundamental difference between the two is that Breena is more aggressive and Noble Shadowheart is more grindy. As for the Paragon, she does work, probably on par with Lurrus of the Dream-Den but probably worse for your deck. Still, it lets you keep up the pressure and generate CA. Would recommend.

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Post by Gorillajay » 10 months ago

Love this deck.

It reminds me a lot of the Marchesa Akido archetype I've ran for years now. My list is closely based off of several other primers.

Although sadly I think recently my pod has wised up to my aikido antics and often play around my effects and end up slowly bleeding me out through attrition or death from 1000 cuts from my opponents. Either that or recently I've just had a bad string of luck with it. Either way the deck has always been a lot of fun as it's good at generating long games and the non-linear win paths always make for fun outcomes.

That said, I think sometimes the most fun parts of the deck also make for some of the more challenging and frustrating parts. Not having any real win cons, or even a 'proactive' game plan of your own can sometimes put you in an odd spot where you may have an opportunity to "pull ahead" but instead you have to sit on your laurels, or just make a attempt anyway that usually fails.

Anyways, all that to say that seeing your deck has made my evaluate mine and this archetype that I've played for quite some time.
TheGildedGoose wrote:
1 year ago
I'm intentionally not playing tutors or highly expensive cards because I want this to be one of those decks I can play at both high and mid power tables and not be out of place.
Have you experimented with Rule of Law type effects? That's a package that I have continuously in and out of my Marchesa decks (although I don't find a lot of other lists that run it). I find it balances the table really well usually. It does draw some hate, but usually once it's removed there's not any lasting hate that I've observed at least. Some people appreciate it because they know it is sometimes holding the more explosive decks down. There are quite a few of them now as well so you can pack a deck to get the effect quite consistently.

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Post by pokken » 10 months ago

The reason I really love Breena for this kind of deck is that I will draw two cards and add 4 power every turn if people try to crack wise to my aikido bs and "bleed" me -- the dirty secret of the deck is I would rather people not draw cards with breena and just not attack. It's hard to race a 12/12 lifelinker and an 11/13 commander who have contributed two cards to the board.

I do think rule of law effects especially evasive ones like Archon of Emeria might have a place.

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Post by yeti1069 » 10 months ago

Have you looked at the new quasi-Breena: Firemane Commando
?

Do you ever run into the nonbo between Kunoros and Lurrus/Serra Paragon?

With all the catch-up ramp, do you ever find some of those pieces to be dead cards? At some point you're going to catch up and maybe surpass the highest land count player unless they're going real hard on ramp.

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Post by pokken » 10 months ago

yeti1069 wrote:
10 months ago
Have you looked at the new quasi-Breena: Firemane Commando
?

Do you ever run into the nonbo between Kunoros and Lurrus/Serra Paragon?

With all the catch-up ramp, do you ever find some of those pieces to be dead cards? At some point you're going to catch up and maybe surpass the highest land count player unless they're going real hard on ramp.
My quick feed back is:
* Firemane Commando costs *4* and the threshold there is really high. plus you don't get counters when they trigger the draw for themselves. :thumbsdown:
* Re: catchup ramp - if you are the land leader in an orzhov deck, and that happens with some regularity, it's OK! It's kinda like drawing a signet late in the game when you'd rather have action. But at least you get a body :)

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Post by yeti1069 » 10 months ago

pokken wrote:
10 months ago
yeti1069 wrote:
10 months ago
Have you looked at the new quasi-Breena: Firemane Commando
?

Do you ever run into the nonbo between Kunoros and Lurrus/Serra Paragon?

With all the catch-up ramp, do you ever find some of those pieces to be dead cards? At some point you're going to catch up and maybe surpass the highest land count player unless they're going real hard on ramp.
That's the reasoning behind why I haven't included it in my Queen Marchesa deck, but it's on theme.

My quick feed back is:
* Firemane Commando costs *4* and the threshold there is really high. plus you don't get counters when they trigger the draw for themselves. :thumbsdown:
* Re: catchup ramp - if you are the land leader in an orzhov deck, and that happens with some regularity, it's OK! It's kinda like drawing a signet late in the game when you'd rather have action. But at least you get a body :)
Depending on turn order and how other players are doing, it's entirely possible to be the land leader from the get go, or within the first few turns.

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 10 months ago

yeti1069 wrote:
10 months ago
Have you looked at the new quasi-Breena: Firemane Commando
?

Do you ever run into the nonbo between Kunoros and Lurrus/Serra Paragon?

With all the catch-up ramp, do you ever find some of those pieces to be dead cards? At some point you're going to catch up and maybe surpass the highest land count player unless they're going real hard on ramp.
4mv is a bit rough, competing with Shadowheart herself and then on subsequent turns something like Shadrix or God-Eternal Oketra. I do like the card, though.

It's a nonbo for sure but it's not really a problem. The hound itself is a powerful threat with three relevant keywords and a great static effect, so if you're doing your Noble Heritage thing you should be fine. I think of Lurrus and Paragon as bonus recursion, not particularly integral to the deck.

The catch-up ramp is so-so. At least in the late game they're bodies for Heritage triggers, and most of them have relevant combat keywords.

@Gorillajay Thanks! Sorry, I'll respond when my laptop is fixed and I'm not moving.

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Post by pokken » 10 months ago

yeti1069 wrote:
10 months ago
Depending on turn order and how other players are doing, it's entirely possible to be the land leader from the get go, or within the first few turns.
While this is true, in my experience it's pretty rare for that to happen and me not dominate the game. If no one land ramps they're gonna get Hour of Revelation'd and really regret their life choices (or have their dorks deluged, or whatever).

I will say that my manabase is a bit more focused on staying behind the land curve though; I use this package to help with that:
I speak pretty highly of those, but largely because of how they interact with Brought Back / Cosmic Intervention / Sevinne's Reclamation, all of which I likewise recommend. (and Sun Titan of course) Cosmic Intervention is just such a bananas good card. Almost can't hype it up enough.

I have a budget mono-white deck (God-Eternal Oketra) that also uses the catchup package, and much like with Noble Heritage the commander synergy make it so the dudes are not a complete dud even if they aren't ramping.

thx to goose for reminding me about Demolition Field though, I keep forgetting about that card.

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 5 months ago

Gorillajay wrote:
10 months ago
Love this deck.
Thanks!
Have you experimented with Rule of Law type effects? That's a package that I have continuously in and out of my Marchesa decks (although I don't find a lot of other lists that run it). I find it balances the table really well usually. It does draw some hate, but usually once it's removed there's not any lasting hate that I've observed at least. Some people appreciate it because they know it is sometimes holding the more explosive decks down. There are quite a few of them now as well so you can pack a deck to get the effect quite consistently.
Actually, I haven't. They're a great way to slow the game down which we benefit from since we're both aggressive and tenacious. Obviously, this deck wants to use mostly creatures but Archon and Eidolon are the best of the bunch.

Finally got around to updating this list. A card I missed from LOTR was Mithril Coat, which seems great for this deck. The primary creature we want to protect is our commander, so it seems leagues ahead of Darksteel Plate. Beyond that I tightened things up a bit, cutting the dumb beaters for more removal and some broader disruptive hatebears. I'm also giving those Rule of Law creatures a shot.

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