Noble Volo: Updated My Journal

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TheGildedGoose
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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle



Have I mentioned lately that I love Noble Heritage and how it affects the game?

Noble Volo: Updated My Journal is a political deck that encourages and enables your opponents to commit violence against each other while protecting itself with pillowfort effects. This two-tier protection system of its signature card, Noble Heritage, combined with those pillowfort cards makes attacking you incredibly unprofitable. When combined with the powerful card advantage engine of Volo, Itinerant Scholar, and his blue color identity, you can grow and protect your army simultaneously all while playing defensively. The goal is to never be the threat while still maintaining an imposing board state where the only real answer is to leave you alone.




Updated My Journal
Approximate Total Cost:




How Does This Deck Play?

Since Noble Heritage curves into Volo, Itinerant Scholar you're going to want to play those on turns 2 and 3 almost every time. If you happen to have one of the two mana value ramp creatures like Loyal Warhound or something and someone opens with Exploration, then yeah you can delay Heritage, but most of the time those two will take up those turns. This has the side-effect of putting four +1/+1 counters on Volo. Since his activated ability is so much stronger than attacking, he tends to act as a solid blocker in the early game, establishing your defensive position early on.

On turn 4, you really want to be able to drop a two mana value creature, notch up your journal, and then be able to draw a card with Volo or counter something that interrupts your development. From there, you'll want to pile your counters onto your other creature so you can begin harassing the control player or anyone not playing ball while continuing to fill your hand up with Volo. I'd advise playing no more than two or three additional creatures before the first wipe you can't stop, as drawing two or three additional cards per turn is enough to allow you to slowly take over the game, like a polder reclaimed from the sea.

In the end game, you'll usually have one or two big threats and your opponents will be increasingly out of resources. If you've done your due diligence and kept a narrow, defensive threat profile, you should be well-equipped to handle whatever is thrown at your way while you take chunks out of life totals.

Card Analysis

I'm going to keep this simple for now. Let's go over this section by section to discuss stand-out selections.

Land

40 lands plus Sol Ring acting as a de facto land means I, statistically, will hit my first five land drops a significant majority of the time. My average mana value is around 2.6, which puts my critical turn around turn five, when I can comfortably activate Volo, Itinerant Scholar and cast a creature or protect him. Not much to say other than that in two-color decks I tend to eschew fetches because I hate constant searching. They would, of course, greatly improve the manabase, but I haven't had any serious mana problems that a mulligan didn't solve.

Ramp

The ramp package is... there. Not statistically significant enough to rely upon, especially since white is dependent upon catch-up ramp, but it's nice when it happens. Shout out to Space Marine Scout for being a fantastic combination of utility, offense, and defense.

Pillowfort

The beating, annoying heart of the deck. Ideally, you'll have a tax effect out in conjunction with your Noble Heritage to make attacking you unpalatable. Their opponents' creatures get larger and larger while they are forced to stunt their own development to attack. Not a great situation to be in. In addition to boring staple pillowfort cards like Ghostly Prison and Propaganda there's also Orzhov Advokist, which acts as a second version of your background, and Nils, Discipline Enforcer who is a very interesting combination of both.

Spot Removal

Lots of spot removal for artifacts and enchantments since I don't want to play a bunch of board wipes due to my journal and background. I originally played Pongify and Rapid Hybridization but found them awkward, since they left behind blockers. The bounce spells are used instead and often cantrip in the mid to late game. Pretty standard fare, here.

Board Wipe

What an awkward selection. Tragic Arrogance is a very powerful card here, allowing me to keep my background, commander, and journal while wiping my opponents of their most significant permanents. Austere Command can be awkward, but its utility is very high. Time Wipe bounces Volo and saves me some mana in the process. Some of the wipes, when combined with Teferi's Protection or Flawless Maneuver, really allow you to push the advantage.

Protection

Mom and sis are great. Loran's Escape is better than Blacksmith's Skill, which is pretty playable as a one mana pseudo-counterspell.

Countermagic

This was kind of awkward. We're not really a control deck, but we want a density of counters as they're generally pretty useful and particularly great at protecting your investments. I decided on 7, as that's around half of what I would play in a control deck, and also because that's the number of playable two mana value or less counters.

Card Advantage

I lumped Serra Paragon in here since I didn't want to have a single card in the "Recursion" section, This section is considerably smaller than it would be in another deck since our commander draws cards.

Tutor

Originally I ran Mystical Tutor and Solve the Equation but I cut them. Maybe this was a mistake, as they usually just find the best wipe, removal, or protection spell I need, but meh.

Beat

God-Eternal Oketra is an absolute house with the +1/+1 counters we vomit out, and the Day Man is just an all-around all-star.

Summary

This is my third stab at a Noble Heritage deck and I think it might be the best. It takes what I learned with Shadowheart and coverts that chassis into a more defensive version with countermagic. I often found myself helpless with Shadowheart and I think that addition will shore up some of the deck's weaknesses.
Last edited by TheGildedGoose 1 year ago, edited 2 times in total.

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Chromaticus
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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

In the Breena, the Demagogue deck that @pokken pioneered, we run a ton of the "gotcha" cards instead of pillowfort effects - things like Selfless Squire, Comeuppance, Angel of the Dire Hour, and Windshaper Planetar. They seem like they would pair very well with Noble Heritage, since it's more or less telegraphed when someone plans to attack you. You can even do some amusing politics with them after your opponents are familiar with the deck, and you'll be doing a lot of draw-go with Volo.

I like that this deck has a card advantage plan that isn't reliant on sacrificing a creature - even if the name of the deck doesn't give me chills like Noble Shadowheart :D

It's amusing to me that Volo's whole schtick is pumping your deck full of different creature types, yet it's actually just busted if you have 2-3 types on the journal.

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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

In the Breena, the Demagogue deck that @pokken pioneered, we run a ton of the "gotcha" cards instead of pillowfort effects - things like Selfless Squire, Comeuppance, Angel of the Dire Hour, and Windshaper Planetar. They seem like they would pair very well with Noble Heritage, since it's more or less telegraphed when someone plans to attack you. You can even do some amusing politics with them after your opponents are familiar with the deck: "you should have taken the counters" after you wipe their board — and you'll be doing a lot of draw-go with Volo.

I like that this deck has a card advantage plan that isn't reliant on sacrificing a creature - even if the name of the deck doesn't give me chills like Noble Shadowheart :D

It's amusing to me that Volo's whole schtick is pumping your deck full of different creature types, yet it's actually just busted if you have 2-3 types on the journal.

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

Chromaticus wrote:
1 year ago
In the Breena, the Demagogue deck that @pokken pioneered, we run a ton of the "gotcha" cards instead of pillowfort effects - things like Selfless Squire, Comeuppance, Angel of the Dire Hour, and Windshaper Planetar. They seem like they would pair very well with Noble Heritage, since it's more or less telegraphed when someone plans to attack you. You can even do some amusing politics with them after your opponents are familiar with the deck: "you should have taken the counters" after you wipe their board — and you'll be doing a lot of draw-go with Volo.

I like that this deck has a card advantage plan that isn't reliant on sacrificing a creature - even if the name of the deck doesn't give me chills like Noble Shadowheart :D

It's amusing to me that Volo's whole schtick is pumping your deck full of different creature types, yet it's actually just busted if you have 2-3 types on the journal.
Selfless Squire and maybe Comeuppance I could see, but five and seven mana seem a bit out of reach to consistently hold mana up for. It's not impossible, though I remain skeptical. I'll try Squire/Comeuppance, probably cutting God-Eternal Oketra and a wipe of some kind a pillowfort card.

As far as sacrificing a creature, Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar plays out like she's holding a gun to your go-tall creature's head, yelling, "I'LL DO IT!" You will occasionally sacrifice something like Loyal Warhound to draw cards in a pinch, but by and large I draw cards in response to removal, refilling my hand and then some.

And yeah, the Journal is absurd, even with only two types. Apparently a painless Night's Whisper at instant speed every turn is good!

- God-Eternal Oketra
- Nils, Discipline Enforcer

+ Selfless Squire
+ Comeuppance

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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

I really like this concept - and I wanted to take a crack at it.
Decklist
10 Plains
Approximate Total Cost:

The biggest shifts are essentially adding in the Cosmic Intervention and Brought Back package. I think this deck can really use the mana! I also added in Spellseeker and Ephemerate.

I was goldfishing several games, and the amount of times where I wound up with a journal with 3 counters and a protection spell just felt unassailable.

Right now I think your deck might be torn between tapping out and keeping up counters.


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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

Chromaticus wrote:
1 year ago
The biggest shifts are essentially adding in the Cosmic Intervention and Brought Back package. I think this deck can really use the mana! I also added in Spellseeker and Ephemerate.

I was goldfishing several games, and the amount of times where I wound up with a journal with 3 counters and a protection spell just felt unassailable.

Right now I think your deck might be torn between tapping out and keeping up counters.
It's really difficult to parse decklists for me if they're not subdivided either by type or by function. However, Spellseeker seems excellent. The deck could use more tutoring.

It's good to have a difficult to disrupt way to draw 3 extra cards each turn.

You're not wrong. Turns 4 and 5 can be awkward to progress your board state via creatures, draw cards with Volo, and protect your investments from removal, but after that it's smooth sailing. Volo all but ensures you'll hit your land drops each turn after turn 4, and that enables you to do all three. The curve is primarily at 2 for that reason.
pokken wrote:
1 year ago
MIght consider Drumbellower.
It was a little winmore in Shadowheart, but it might be better here. The bottleneck is usually mana to play the cards I draw, not cards to play. I do like that it enables a more aggressive strategy, but that's sort of antithetical to the deck's ethos of minimizing threat profile.

EDIT:

- Cathar Commando
+ Spellseeker

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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

Marcus Aurelius

Enchantments(1)

Lands(39)

Approximate Total Cost:

I made the formatting look a little better.

Interested in thoughts for how to have this deck close out a game. Unironically, Triskaidekaphile? The deck can draw a ton of cards.

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

Chromaticus wrote:
1 year ago
Interested in thoughts for how to have this deck close out a game. Unironically, Triskaidekaphile? The deck can draw a ton of cards.
It's a little more difficult for me to analyze a deck when it isn't sorted by function but it looks pretty solid overall. I like Solitude and while I'm not sold on the white-based ramp/land sac package it looks interesting. I was tinkering with this deck not that long ago, actually, and here's the list I was working with:


Updated My Journal

Other Disruption

Approximate Total Cost:



I think Volo, Itinerant Scholar is better than Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar, but Shadowheart is more fun to me. Noble Shadowheart has a certain aesthetic quality I can't vocalize.

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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

I completely get that about Shadowheart - the vorthos vibe is fantastic with him.

I've been poking around with this decklist as well — here's some of my recent thoughts for adds:

Denry Klin, Editor in Chief — I really like the idea of stacking this thing up with Noble Heritage counters. Note that it gets 2 counters if you stack the triggers correctly.
Faerie Artisans - good stuff slot.
Drumbellower - mentioned before in this thread, but I think it bears repeating.
The Council of Four - defensively statted, and gums up the ground.
The Reality Chip - so I can write down jellyfish.
Triskaidekaphile - win condition.
White Plume Adventurer - another untap trigger.
Thought Vessel - Pretty sure this deck is going to overdraw often.
Decanter of Endless Water - the manalith version of the above.
Toothy, Imaginary Friend - Busted.
Dream Trawler - top end for the deck.
Akroma's Will - win out of nowhere.
Clever Concealment - protect the board.

I still think this deck mostly wants to live in a draw go space with flash creatures, but my knowledge of that card pool isn't very deep.

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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

I've discovered that my version of the deck has 2 main problems —

Volo dies.

I die.

I took out all of your pillowfort cards, and they're definitely coming back in. There's just not enough incentive not to attack me for people to take the Noble Heritage trigger. Which basically makes it wasted space.

The other consideration I have is for on-board was of protecting Volo, Itinerant Scholar in addition to mom and… sis?

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Post by pokken » 1 year ago

Counterspells pretty good at protecting volo and also stopping combos

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Post by TheGildedGoose » 1 year ago

Chromaticus wrote:
1 year ago
I've discovered that my version of the deck has 2 main problems —

Volo dies.

I die.

I took out all of your pillowfort cards, and they're definitely coming back in. There's just not enough incentive not to attack me for people to take the Noble Heritage trigger. Which basically makes it wasted space.

The other consideration I have is for on-board was of protecting Volo, Itinerant Scholar in addition to mom and… sis?
I think ultimately this is why Shadowheart is the better overall commander. Volo is very, very threatening, and it will quickly get to the point where people are more likely to ally against you rather than with you. Shadowheart is threatening as well but in a more subtle, defensive manner. While Volo will consistently start drawing you cards pretty quickly, Shadowheart does so in big chunks, usually in response to a board wipe or some other type of removal. This allows you to rebuild pretty quickly or to press the advantage when you're ahead. Shadowheart lets you turtle up, with or without pillowfort effects, because doing so is often ineffective and allows me to draw cards. This also makes them likely to take the counters to keep up with the arms race. It's a fun deck.

On board? Countermagic is obviously great, but there's also Selfless Savior and Benevolent Bodyguard.

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Post by pokken » 1 year ago

I wonder if you could do something kinda similar with izzet volo with Popular Entertainer being more forceful about the attacking.

Also, red bringing lots of ways to get haste might help since you could just run Volo out like a draw spell if you wanted if you had global haste.

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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

I actually brewed a deck around that combination - but I went about it the wrong direction, tons of haste guys, no haste enablers.

goldfishing, the deck felt like it didn't do anything.

That said, if you're running every Fervor variant under the sun, and play a couple of the monster rituals, you could probably lay down some beats.

Would be nice to have an izzet deck that's wasn't spellslingers.

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Post by pokken » 1 year ago

Chromaticus wrote:
1 year ago
I actually brewed a deck around that combination - but I went about it the wrong direction, tons of haste guys, no haste enablers.

goldfishing, the deck felt like it didn't do anything.

That said, if you're running every Fervor variant under the sun, and play a couple of the monster rituals, you could probably lay down some beats.

Would be nice to have an izzet deck that's wasn't spellslingers.
man i need to stop brewing right now. I have too many decks in my brainpan

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Post by Chromaticus » 1 year ago

It's uncharted territory! No Volo builds with Fervor or Hammer of Purphoros exist on the internet.


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Post by pokken » 1 year ago

Chromaticus wrote:
1 year ago
Starting a brain dump:
Man extra combat steps letting you chain Volo activations is...kinda grotesque. :P

You may want to start a separate thread for this though!

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