Deckbuilding Contest - January 2025 (Locked)

{"ops":[{"insert":"Hey there,\n\nThe deck kind of functions as a mono blue board controle deck, which hardly relyse on the commander.\n\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/10755707/kaiga_copy_controle\n\nSo in order for Kaiga to work she needs to die and you only get one trigger of her death. Afterwards you have to cast her again, which is really expensive.\nTo mitigate this drawback we just copy her a bunch of times and take controle of our opponents bords by the death of the copys who die of the legendary rule or in combat. \n\nIn order for the deck to do something you need the commander on board, so there are some counterspells and protection to protect Kaiga. Also your opponent's need to think about killing Kaiga, since you can take their stuff in return, which gives the deck a kind of fun twist.\n\nI had a lot of fun building this deck and I hope you like my brew.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Simple and to the point. \n\nhttps://www.archidekt.com/decks/10734701/heartless_hidetsugu\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true,"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10725280/ambergris_the_drawing_sailor"},"insert":"Ambergris The Drawing Sailor"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" : Amber Gristle O'Maul // Sword Coast Sailor"},{"insert":"\n\nFor the January deckbuilding contest, I chose to build an unpopular commander from the D&D Baldur's Gate set, "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Amber Gristle O'Maul"}},{"insert":". This background commander allows you to discard your hand on her attack trigger, then draw one card for each opponent being attacked. So, at minimum, you draw one card per attack, and up to three max. However, this rate isn't very good and represents a definite drawback, without being offset by the low card draw. The question immediately arose as to which background to pair with it. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Criminal Past"}},{"insert":", to take advantage of the discard and the size of the graveyard? "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cultist of the Absolute"}},{"insert":" , to try to combine a discard theme with a sacrifice theme and another drawback? (I'll admit, this one was tempting). Despite my love for Rakdos, reanimation strategies, and madness/discard options in red/black, I ultimately opted for a background that guarantees at least one card per turn without risk, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sword Coast Sailor"}},{"insert":" , which makes Amber unblockable. The other advantage was the ability to include blue, which would grant a clearer and more coherent strategy, while providing a relatively original theme for this color pair. This attempt is also a love letter to the Baldur's gate universe, this amazing set, and the background gimmick. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The strategy: discard but draw more"},{"insert":"\n\nThe biggest disadvantage of Amber Gristle O'Maul's \"wheel\" trigger is the number of cards drawn to compensate for discarding your entire hand. The main strategy to mitigate this drawback will be to use draw (and especially draw and discard) effects to (1) have draw and discard synergies, (2) keep an ideal hand. Classic draw and discard effects are included, such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Faithless Looting"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cathartic Reunion"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Big Score"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frantic Search"}},{"insert":", as well as more unorthodox ones like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tolarian Winds"}},{"insert":". The deck's approach was heavily inspired by "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rielle, the Everwise"}},{"insert":". "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Teferi's Ageless Insight"}},{"insert":" is also included to double each draw. Other cards help draw on combat damage, since our commander and our creatures need to attack each player, such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reconnaissance Mission"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bident of Thassa"}},{"insert":". "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Broodbirth Viper"}},{"insert":" has the advantage of attacking all opponents at once due to its myriad ability. Draw payoffs help create tokens for blocking or attacking to fulfill the commander’s requirements, like the new "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mischievous Mystic"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Alandra, Sky Dreamer"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Locust God"}},{"insert":" . "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Emrakul's Messenger"}},{"insert":" generates mana whenever we draw our second card, while "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Psychosis Crawler"}},{"insert":" pings opponents in a classic heavy drawing payoff. An alternative win condition will also be "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Laboratory Maniac"}},{"insert":" if the library runs empty.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Discard synergies"},{"insert":"\n\nSince our commander throws our hand into the yard, the deck benefits greatly from discard synergies and payoffs. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brallin, Skyshark Rider"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Glint-Horn Buccaneer"}},{"insert":" ping opponents, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ivora, Insatiable Heir"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cunning Survivor"}},{"insert":" become larger for each discarded card (for the second, we need to discard before combat if we want it to be unblockable), "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Drake Haven"}},{"insert":" creates 2/2 Drake tokens in exchange for paying 1 mana, while "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Surly Badgersaur"}},{"insert":" generates treasures from discarded land cards and can be used as repeatable removal.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Ambergris O'More : attack, clone and copy"},{"insert":"\n\nSome creatures in the deck allow attacking each players at the same time (thus the inclusion of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blade of Selves"}},{"insert":", notably) but most of the sources of attack come from the evasive tokens and from effects that make a creature unblockable, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Key to the City"}},{"insert":", which can also draw and discard. Lastly, the deck’s secret tech was inspired by myriad strategies and copies/clones of legendary creatures, such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Delina, Wild Mage"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sakashima of a Thousand Faces"}},{"insert":" , both included in the deck. The idea is to generate copies of our commander to attack all three players at once, but more importantly, to have three attack triggers that can be ordered for multiple wheel effects and thus activate one or more of the deck's payoffs. For example, under ideal conditions with Teferi’s Ageless Insight on the battlefield, and two clones of the commander (+ the original Amber) attacking each a player, you discard your hand (for the sake of the argument, 6 cards), then draw 6 cards. The second trigger can then be resolved, 6 cards discarded and 6 drawn, and the same goes for the third trigger. So there will be 18 discard triggers and 18 draw triggers, which can activate our payoffs, and thus winning us the game !\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true,"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10754741/diaochan_you_may_not_kill_yourself_you_have_to_kill_yourself_d"},"insert":"Diaochan_you_may_not_kill_yourself_you_have_to_kill_yourself"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"!"},{"insert":"\n\nDiaochan, Artful Beauty is a human advisor with an activated ability: \"tap: Destroy target creature of your choice, then destroy target creature of an opponent's choice. Activate only during your turn, before attackers are declared.\" The way she is intended to play is to politic that she is not the threat and even though she killed your creature, you shouldn't be spiteful and kill Diaochan in return... Obviously the average EDH player is very spiteful and would kill Diaochan. But what if we put 10 pieces of shroud and protection from red equipments in the deck? Diaochan cannot be spite killed anymore and your opponent HAS to kill another creature on the table. Don't look at Diaochan's table, she only got protection from red creatures and a bunch of planeswalkers. So embrace your inner archenemy and go play Diaochan, Artful Beauty! (Dingus Staff has finally found a new home! :D )\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"The commander is zaxara the exemplary.the deck has only 17 creatures but almost every card triggers theX apility .An importent thing of the deck are two one card combos with zaxara .I made it on a 500$ buget ( Im not speaking english primarly so please ignore my writing skill.)\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10745126/contest_deck_the_instigator\n\nIt goes fast\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10749061/my_beautiful_thrully_bois"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10749061/my_beautiful_thrully_bois"},{"insert":"\n\nEndrek Sahr may claim to be a Master Breeder, but he can't seem to keep more than six Thrulls on hand at a time before they decide to overthrow him and claim his laboratory as their own. Whatever is a breeder to do? Well, thankfully there are plenty of ways in mono-black to keep him around and churning out more and more adorable Thrully boys turn after turn!\n\nThis particular build makes use of some of the lesser-utilized sac outlets to keep binning Thrulls so we can make more; in fact, finding a consistent way to sacrifice creatures is something you almost need to have in your opening hand every game. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spawning Pit"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Attrition"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Voldaren Pariah // Abolisher of Bloodlines"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Priest of Forgotten Gods"}},{"insert":" get the job done nicely alongside more classic sacrifice cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Carrion Feeder"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Viscera Seer"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Phyrexian Altar"}},{"insert":", not to mention mass card draw enablers like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Krav, the Unredeemed"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Liliana, Dreadhorde General"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Smothering Abomination"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Yawgmoth, Thran Physician"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skullclamp"}},{"insert":". What's nice is that there is only one creature in the whole deck that will produce enough Thrulls to scare off Endrek Sahr ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Razaketh, the Foulblooded"}},{"insert":" is too good not to include), so a combination that allows you to sac Thrulls for mana or cards while granting you the other commodity can lead to ridiculously explosive turns.\n\nOf course board control is important as well, and that's where "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grave Pact"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Massacre Girl"}},{"insert":", and mass / spot removal come in. Pact and Girl are particularly powerful when paired with an army of Thrulls just waiting to toss themselves into the bin.\n\nWhat about win conditions? There are a few ways. First is the classic \"drain-'em-out\" strategy with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blood Artist"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vein Ripper"}},{"insert":"-style effects. Alternatively, another way to drain opponents' life is by looping "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gray Merchant of Asphodel"}},{"insert":" a few times thanks to recursion like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mikaeus, the Unhallowed"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Whisper, Blood Liturgist"}},{"insert":", but honestly, that's kind of boring. How about winning with cockroaches instead? The combo of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Phyrexian Altar"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Endless Cockroaches"}},{"insert":" produces infinite black mana which enables an enormous "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Death Cloud"}},{"insert":". You could run Exsanguinate or Torment of Hailfire instead, but I believe it's more fun sometimes for everybody to die simultaneously!\n\nThey may have grafted faces only a mother could love, but never underestimate the ability of a bunch of Thrully boys to take over a game and keep your opponents on their toes. Take their hand...and their other hand...and their "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"other"},{"insert":" hand and let's all head out to the battlefield together today!\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":{"card-link":"Red Death, Shipwrecker"}},{"insert":" https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10743328/everything_becomes_crab\n\nAn izzet manadork in the command zone? Sign me up! But wait it draws your opponent a card welllllll.. Red Death, Shipwrecker and this deck is all about death be resources. Giving your opponent cards and then using the mana Red Death generates to use cards like cerebral vortex or other card hand size hate to win the game. Draw you opponents cards! Goad creatures! win? Who's to say. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/7377778/marvo"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/7377778/marvo"},{"insert":"\n\nMarvo, Deep Operative - Sea Creature Invasion. Marvo is a fun commander that lets you clash with an opponent that is defending marvo (compare top cards and the higher mana value wins; pretty much War but in magic). If you win you draw a card and then play a spell for 8 CMC or less for free! This deck allows you to copy Marvo without making the copy legendary, so even more spells for free! Not only that, but there is a handful of other cards that allow you to clash without needing to attack. It also has multiple draw engines as well to ensure your hand is packed with the best available cards to play. One card in particular is One With The Multiverse which lets you view the top card of your library and you can play a card for free from the top of your deck or hand! This deck is loaded with high CMC sea creatures that will not only ensure you win the clash, but will be swinging at your opponents for heavy damage. Tiskaidephile is also packed in here to exploit a 13 card hand at your upkeep for an early win. This deck is very fun not only for the player but opponents as well as it employs a short mini game into a game of commander that also gives an opponent a free scry (without triggering scrys if they play into that.). Marvo is one of my favorite commanders to play and the clash mechanic is a highly underrated. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10734224/daryl_edh_deck"},"insert":"Daryl EDH deck • (Commander / EDH deck) • Archidekt"},{"insert":"\n\nDaryl (or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hansk, Slayer Zealot"}},{"insert":" depending on which printing you prefer) is a card that might appear to solve his own problems, but I believe it is not the case. You see Daryl creates 3 zombie tokens per upkeep, however you can only kill 1 per turn unless you have other ways of untapping him or utilizing the zombies to your advantage. There are some standout helpers in the deck list that help you deal with the zombies, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thornbite Staff"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pyrohemia"}},{"insert":", however if you're not careful soon you will be swarmed by zombies (which is pretty flavorful for a card from The Walking Dead imho). \n\nTo that end I wanted to add a little sub-theme to the deck to make it better at managing zombies and at the same time kill your opponents. You see it does not matter if there is a literal horde of zombies in play if they are goaded and don't come your way! "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Disrupt Decorum"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Geode Rager"}},{"insert":" goad all creatures, and you just stand there watching people attack each other rather than you, that helps in killing zombies because they can die in combat while at the same time keeping your opponent's life total in check. Additionally, cards that benefit from zombies dying (like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vicious Shadows"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dingus Staff"}},{"insert":" ) also benefit from goaded creatures dying in combat!\n\nFinally, there is one last aspect that I love about this card and that is it can run \"hate\" cards for an specific color (in this case black) because regardless of the pod you're in they will be black zombie creature tokens in every game thanks to our commander, therefore "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reap"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pygmy Kavu"}},{"insert":" are really great cards that really are exceptional in this deck while being very mediocre cards in any other deck. However I would like to mention a \"Nonbo\" that does not work with the zombie tokens Daryl Produces: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Compost"}},{"insert":" at first seems like a great card to add to this deck, however it specifically says \"black card\" and tokens are not considered cards, therefore it does not work with our commander, however I still see this card posted on the EDH-rec website as a recommendation for this commander (and it's in 47% of decks!), so I would like to warn folks about this card. \n\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Aristocrats, in Gruul!?"},{"insert":"\n\nMy submission is a deck piloted by "},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000","underline":true},"insert":"Gimli, Mournful Avenger"},{"insert":". He really wants a repetitive sac outlet to become really big and clear the enemy board while doing that, but being in Grull you really don’t have a lot of option.\nThe solution? "},{"attributes":{"color":"#008a00","underline":true},"insert":"Eldrazi Scions and Spawns"},{"insert":", by generating a bunch of them you can easily sac at least 3 a turn and let gimli do what He does best: FIGHT, add a bit of trample in let and let him swing for the win.\nThis deck is really resiliant as well, just sac 2 baby eldrazis and gimli becomes indestructible so it’s not easy to remove, and if someone manage to do that there are two backup strategy in "},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000","underline":true},"insert":"Raggadragga, Goreguts boss"},{"insert":"/"},{"attributes":{"color":"#008a00","underline":true},"insert":"Kozilek, the broken Reality"},{"insert":"/"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000","underline":true},"insert":"Forsaken Monument"},{"insert":" to turn your Scions and Spawn in an army to be reckoned and some big eldrazi creatures to cast with all the mana they generate.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10083077/boh?sort=alpha&"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10083077/boh?sort=alpha&"},{"insert":"\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Ludvic's self reflection\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/10712076/ludvics_self_reflection\n\nThis deck takes milling and exiling and turns it into a strength rather than a weakness. Uses recursion to take advantage of the mill effect and to keep too many card from going to exile. Uses ramp to help cover some costs to make casting things easier from the graveyard and transform the commander.\n\nMillling and losing cards can make it difficult to come back unless you can bring things back from the graveyard and is what Ludvic requires in order to balance the drawback and to transform Ludvic to it's other side. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Tetzimoc's Bounce House: https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10707096/tetzimocs_bounce_house\n\nTetzimoc is such a cool dino with such a tricky ability! Short of getting smacked with cyclonic rift, I don't often find myself with my commander in my hand, but the hand is Tetzimoc shines! The goal of this deck is to get Tetzimoc in your hand, throw as many prey counters out as you can afford, and repeat. Keep your opponents' boards in check, and reap the benefits of a bunch of death triggers. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Hello Everyone, I am new here, only three decks in. I just saw this and was inspired by it. Coincidentally your poster boy for the comp is the commander i chose! Hows that.\n\nHere's my deck link,\n\nI call it.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"#e60000","bold":true},"insert":"Sacrifice 2 Gain, Draw = Pain"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10723399/sacrifice_2_gain_draw_pain"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10723399/sacrifice_2_gain_draw_pain"},{"insert":"\n\nMy idea was to have enough, token creation so that the sacrificing of my own creatures could be sustained, also i have tried to make it so that we either profit or punish others from our creatures going to the bin. finally i have tried to punish our opponents draws with damage. \n\nThis is a janky weird commander, i love it, soon to be appearing in paper!\n\nLove to hear your feedback.\n\nThis was a blast, Thank you. \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Jeren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl the Corrupter "},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10730249/forsaken_faith"},"insert":"Forsaken Faith • (Commander / EDH deck) • Archidekt"},{"insert":" or https://archidekt.com/decks/10730249/forsaken_faith \n\nEver played a Mono-black Human tribal deck? Well here is your chance. Jeren, Corrupted Bishop is a fairly adequate human creature who cares about when your non-token human creatures die by replacing them with a 1/1 white human creature token for the low cost of 1 life, no this is not optional, as well as for 2 generic mana you can give any one of your humans lifelink. This loss of life and slight control over it is important for the final ability of Jeren as for 6 mana (4 generic and 2 black) you can transform him into the Demon \"Ormendahl, the Corrupter a 6/6 black demon with flying trample and lifelink as well as the ability to sacrifice creatures to draw cards. The catch? Jeren can only transform if you have "},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"exactly"},{"insert":" 13 life. This deck is filled with stuff to spend and/or gain life so that you can get that life total, and enough mana to not only to flip into Ormendahl, but be able to draw enough cards and have enough mana by which you can protect your vulnerable life total. \n\nThis specific rendition of the deck is meant to be on the more affordable side with no single card exceeding $10.00 US before tax. Variations with more efficient land base or with better spells, creatures, aristocrat pieces are always welcome in this customizable game we play. \n\nI feel this deck's commander fits with the spirit of the challenge as while it isn't a terrible commander the drawback of having to be at less than half your starting life total in order to fully unlock it's potential as well as the small window to use it, makes Jeren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl, the Corrupter a fun commander to build around it's weakness. \n\nOther ideas I played with revolved around switching life totals and the \"Fateful Hour\" mechanic, however this build is the one I found most fun. \n"}]}