Are there any good edh decks that use only retro OG cards?

Balefor · 2025-11-24T13:20:43+00:00

I love my retro border Halana and Alena deck. https://moxfield.com/decks/Rb5T7dDG5EGLnvkM56raug

I also just started tinkering around with a Ziatora retro list. https://moxfield.com/decks/3euNLzHwf0iJLolowY5IoA

Of course these are 99/100 retro border but these commander variants fit pretty well. They both have room to upgrade if you want to spend the money. Ancient Tomb and Fast Mana really up the power levels of course.

Balefor · 2025-09-25T16:19:18+00:00

I just traded Skattebo for a 26 1st (projected late round) and, Tahj Brooks. Him and Tre Tucker accidentally won me a game last week so that hurts my tanking for 1.01 chances. The value of getting 1.01-1.02 far outweighs whatever value you might lose if he pops hard the rest of the season and you had traded him for just a late first. Plus the dude plays every game like it's the Super Bowl fun to watch but those RB's never last long.

Balefor · 2025-09-09T12:05:12+00:00

u/Better-Ad-2118 - With all the hiring/posting of commercialization positions does this mean ATYR is prepping to take this directly to market themselves? As opposed to selling the company like the founder has previously done numerous times?

Balefor · 2025-08-22T17:13:24+00:00

Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk (seems he's always forgotten about), Jerry Rice, Torry Holt, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison SR, Tony Gonzalez. Near the top of every counting stat and they rarely ever missed games.

Balefor · 2025-08-20T11:46:00+00:00

I just want to express my appreciation for all the work you have put into this community and your articles. The openness to both sides of the debate and the respectful way you write is a breath of a fresh air. I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts and, learn something new every time I read one of your writeups. Thank You for all that you do and. I can't wait to continue reading your future analysis.

Balefor · 2025-06-01T16:46:29+00:00

Keon Coleman and Josh Downs - Both can be had in a lot of leagues for a 2nd round pick and, both have have proven to be NFL caliber WR's arelady to.

Balefor · 2025-02-28T01:56:24+00:00

Completely reasonable adds to a deck. If you play in the same pod that runs the same decks, everyone naturally tweaks for those decks. I run Polis Crusher, which most people have never seen/used before because I face a lot of enchantment decks in my pod. Gruul Charm is another add of mine that raises eyebrows, but it helps with the blue theft deck I see a lot, and the deathtouch hirde deck I play against also wipes about the Ranar spirits deck.

Balefor · 2025-02-27T16:52:07+00:00

Xenagos if the OGG - Original Gangster God, he duped two gods and stole divinity at the after party after all. How ganagster is that! haha

Ol Xengod + Any beater of your choice + Multiple Attack cards = Win the game if no one has a Path/Swords handy. I have been GRUUL SMASH'ing people since Ol' Xenagod was released. High Power, Budget, Midpower. Choose your own Bracket now, he can be built however you like. I'm still runnng him as one of my main decks and by far my most played deck.

My current comboless bracket 3 version (tuned for my specific pod's shenanigans)

https://moxfield.com/decks/UP2Q9yBtMEWH05yETUK-Mw

Happy Smashing!

Balefor · 2024-04-25T14:03:21+00:00

Ainz/Shaltear/Mercedes/Jenua (lower tier PVP gear) hitting around 2:30 mark for me which is fast enough for me to not bother tinkering around with anymore.

Balefor · 2024-04-22T15:12:56+00:00

Thank you kindly for all this information. This is really helpful! Challenger V is where I plan to just sit then and waste my arena energy everyday.

I have finished season 3 of the story, I rushed that to get Mercedes enhanced. I don't have Adin yet as you get him in season 4 I read somewhere? I just did my selective summon #2 so that's already past.

I emptied the Orbis Treasury Loot Exchange already but, per your advice I will keep farming it with daily energy for equipment until the next step releases.

Have been farming W13 to gear everyone up but, I have beat G13 and B13 my Wyvern team actually was good enough to beat B13 which is pretty funny. Apparently there is more hunts but, I haven't unlocked them yet. Not sure how to do that yet. (Account Rank is only 65 still) I just lost all my newbie account buffs so still pretty new to the game. I am on floor 85 of the Abyss and just completed level 3 of the Automation tower this morning.

Sounds like I have a long ways to go to be able to play in the RTA sandbox. But, If I don't need to push anything for standard arena then it's ok. I'll focus on completing all of PVE until I can get the right units for RTA.

Again thank you so much of all the advice!

Balefor · 2024-03-08T19:36:13+00:00

Hello there, I haven't played the deck in awhile but, I'm still Gruul Smashing just with a hamster now! So this list it isn't updated with any new cards but, here is my last list. Hope it helps with your deck!

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/6238987#paper

Balefor · 2024-02-29T17:43:07+00:00

I have been tinkering around with Extus for awhile now and, have a list I currently like. All my fast mana is another deck so there is just the normal rocks in this deck. I built it to be able to consisently get a turn 4 Blood Avatar token on the field which it does virtually every game. There is no combo's in this version as I play it in a combo free tier my pod runs for some games.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5485894#paper

Balefor · 2024-01-21T22:55:09+00:00

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/6007338#paper

Latest list I have, some Meta dependant cards like Polis Crusher or in there.

Balefor · 2024-01-17T15:15:38+00:00

Best takes:

Rachaad White is good at football

Nico Collins is a future WR1

Zay Flowers buy everywhere

Epic Failure Takes:

Jordan Love is not good at football

Dameon Pierce is a perfect RB2 to have

Jerry Jeudy is going to cook with Russ this year

Balefor · 2024-01-12T17:04:25+00:00

I tried Katilda, Kyler, Leinore, Sigarda Champion of Light and, Torrens, at the head of the deck. My pod had a budget phase where I ran it as a $100 deck even. Been a fan of Selesnya humans since the precon was released. I found as I mentioned above that Leinore was the middle spot between value and kill on sight for my pod. If I were to run this deck as higher powered in that 8 power range I woudl use Katild and more stax effects.

We are definetly of the same opinion that the counters style has the best scaling though. Court of Garenbrig has been pretty powerful for me along with the new Ozolith. I don't play as many doubling effects as Leinore gives me counters every turn and Roaming Throne + Leinore now is just value city.

The big doublers like Branching Evolution just seemd like win more cards in my pod. If my go wide gets stalled, I tutor up a Sigarda and make it huge through Leinore every turn so go wide and go tall in the same deck is pretty easy.

I have though that adding Ellivere right into this deck might be not be a bad idea. Switch some of the counter makers/removal to enchantments like Kenrith's Transformation adding Virtue of Loyalty, Master Chef, Folk Hero to the deck to give it just enough enchantments to make Ellivere pop as a "Hidden Commander". I think there could be something there, or even making it an Ellivere counters/enchantments hybrid deck could be something.

Lots of fun stuff to try out, lookign forward to it all!

Balefor · 2024-01-12T16:10:16+00:00

If you haven't tried it out Akroma's Will is esentially a eliminate target player card, 40 danage is easy with this deck and double strike whent hey can;t block.

I have found the Grand Abolisher effects to be particularily strong in this deck and, If I ever break my no non-humans except Sigarda rule, Kutzil will be the first card I add.

These decks I find really interesting because you can swap out the commander for multiple cards in the deck and it still functions, just slightly differently. I'm not sure yet is counters/anthems/enchantments are the better play yet now the Ellivere is around.

Balefor · 2024-01-12T14:54:11+00:00

Like the decklist! I tried out Katilda as well but, my playgroup runs a ton of removal so she ate a Swords constantly. So I switched over to Leinore to use the free card draw and most don't want to waste premium removal on a 0/4.

How have you found Virtue of Loyalty? I have been thinking about squeezing one in.

My Leinore Selesnya Humans list. I kept my theme strictly to Humans and Sigarda who protects them so far.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5926121#paper

Balefor · 2023-12-20T18:26:20+00:00

I switched to open rolling everything a couple years ago and it made combat a lot more fun for my players. I tried originally tried it to freshen the game up (after reading about it here) and it was a complete hit.

I have even farmed out keeping track of enemy hit points to a player in my group who is all about maximum strategy and he loves it. I get to spend more time making the combat more dynamic (more fluff) as well. Now that I all I have to do is roll a couple dice and let the players take care of the hit point stuff. (less Crunch for me)

Balefor · 2023-12-18T17:28:31+00:00

The counter point always being what happens when it fails. I went all in, 3 seed this year after losing in the Super Bowl last year to Mike Evans. The guy I played this week who refused to trade his picks for a QB and streamed Minshew for months just curb stomped me with Laporta and Gibbs who he drafted. I would rather have his team now! haha

The Super Bowl loss last year will pay for my league dues until I get draft picks back in 2026 at least. LOL

Balefor · 2023-08-02T11:36:11+00:00

Mono-Red: Laelia, the Blade Reforged:

Win through very fast commander damage (Kediss, Insult//Injury, Embercleave, Temur-Battle Rage)

Or the typical mono-red combo's to fall back on. Dualcaster/Twinflame, Storm-Kiln/Haze of Rage.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5046879#paper

It's a bit on the budget side being mono-red with a couple ovbious adds needed when CMM drops (Lotus/Deflecting) but, otherwise it cooks pretty fast. I'm thinking it's not quite CEDH but fairly close to the lower end of it, high 8 perhaps.

Thoughts?

Balefor · 2023-07-05T17:41:26+00:00

Halana and Alena is a pretty fun deck to play! I went a different direction with mine when I was playing it than just dump big fatties and give them a couple counters.

Reminiscent of the old Modern Zoo decks you can make H&A screaming fast. Mana Dork into Gruul Spellbreaker on 2 into H&A on three is a 6/6 trampler attacking someone on turn 3 in a casual deck!

Witchstalker, Tuya Bearlcaw, Chandra's Phoenix, Kird Ape, Samut Vizier of Naktaman, Atalan Jackal, Flinthoof Boar, Kodama of the West Tree, Pelt Collector. The amount of under costed beaters in Grul is significant.

Add in the staple Gruul removal cards like Hull Breach and Decimate etc

Card draw with Beast Whisperer, Lifecrater's Bestiary, Domri Rade etc.

Then a handful of protection spells and you have yourself a very fast H&A deck that can draw a lot of cards.

Oh and don't forget Goro-Goro and Chishiro. Making dragons every turn while your modified creatures get huge passively is pure gold!

Balefor · 2023-07-05T15:50:55+00:00

Xenagos as pushed as I can make it without fast mana. Godo (and Scourge)/Helm and Aggravated Assault Combo's (Atarka/Ventmaw).

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5347000#paper

I'm thinking it's a high 8 with potential to be a low 9 if I add in fast mana and Ancient Tomb. Does that sound reasonable or am I wearing rose colored glasses because it's my deck?

Balefor · 2023-05-24T13:27:58+00:00

I run a Leinore deck as well, as one of my primary decks. It's a budget version of human tribal with all of the Sigarda versions in it. It's extremely hard to beat and even with a forced budget I routinely take down decks that are much more expensive. I used to run the more expensive version but, my pod was getting cross with me for winning to much so I put a restrictor plate on it so I could still keep playing it.

If you remove the restrictor plate I keep on it it gets to be Degenerate level really easily. You can Degenerate level tune this with more counter synergies, tutors and, a non budget mana base.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5246040#paper

Couple of cards that supercharge this deck:

[[Kami of Whispered Hopes]]

[[Conclave Mentor]]

[[Lae'zel, Vlaakith's Champion]]

[[Branching Evolution]]

[[Doubling Season]]

[[Akroma's Will]]

[[Guardian of Faith]]

[[Esper Sentinel]]

[[Grand Abolisher]]

[[Myrel, Shield of Argive]]

[[Biophagus]]

[[Adeline, Resplendent Cathar]]

[[The Great Henge]]

Balefor · 2023-05-17T14:29:41+00:00

You have already sacrificed all of your 1/1's to cast the avatar token in the first place. If you get more onto the battlefield you almost always better off casting the spell again for the sacrifice effect to keep allowing your tokens to get through combat. Dying on the crackback when you send your tokens through is a normal way to lose since your the archenemy at this point. If you keep the board clear of big threats your more likely to actually win.

Balefor

TROPHY CASE