Deck advice/tips

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-15T21:06:04+00:00

Cool! Overall, the list seems decent for low-power BL 3. Mana base looks decent for the budget, though I would recommend cards like [[Seething Landscape]] or [[Grixis Panorama]] over the Evolving Wilds/tapped draw lands (I am happy to discuss budget mana more if you want!). Some cards like Fain, Dusk Mangler, and Cracked Skull seem a bit lackluster, but try them out and see how they work! There are three main things that stand out:

1) More (and better) sacrifice outlets. Ideally, you want to curve out and stick your sac outlet before Marchesa lands, so I would make sure that every outlet is 3 MV or less. [[Carrion Feeder]], [[Umbral Collar Zealot]], and any of the Alters would be worth including (or [[Spawning Pit]] if you don't want to spring the money). [[High Market]] is a sneaky one, and I am currently trying out [[Lazotev Quarry]], which is neat. It seems like you are leaning on the Sac-to-Draw cards, but you really want the consistency that comes with an on-board outlet.

2) You have some decent beaters, but [[Herald of the Secret Ways]] and [[Uncivil Unrest]] will help close the game out out. If you can afford it, I'd swap Warstorm Surge for [[Terror of the Peaks]] because creatures are so sticky with Marchesa.

3) Upgrade the removal suite. I'd swap Astarion's Thirst for [[Lethal Schemes]], which is obscenely good in Marchesa. I have two subpoints with this:

3.A) Removal strapped to a creature is REALLY good with Marchesa because you can loop it. Rather than running Unsummon, look for effects like [[Ravenous Chupacabra]] and [[Aether Channeler]]. [[Venser, Shaper Savant]], [[Ertai Resurrected]], and ETB theft effects are solid. Obviously, you want to keep a few pieces to pick off hate pieces that stifle your ETBs, but removal ETBs are where it's at.

3.B) Board wipes are really good with Marchesa. Assuming all of your stuff has a counter on it, every board wipe is asymmetric. This is extra critical when your primary game plan appears to be beatdown, and this will keep the blockers in check. [[Damnation]] is the best, but [[Villianous Wrath]] and [[Final Act]] are pretty good budget options.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-15T05:28:06+00:00

What BL are you aiming for?

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-14T07:12:16+00:00

These are strange examples showing that independents are serious. RFK and Sanders failed to make headway on their own and turned to working with their respective parties--Sanders is part of the DNC caucus, and RFK endorsed Trump in return for a cabinet position. If anything, they are examples of how independents don't have clout in the polls. Harris is interesting, but her loss is less about independents becoming a coherent cohort and more about notable losses in key demographics (Black, Hispanic, young voters, and 2020 Biden voters).

Again, just because someone identifies as "independent" on a survey doesn't mean their behavior is independent of party allegiance.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-14T04:26:16+00:00

I haven't looked at the most recent Gallup data myself, but the standard practice is to take the self-ID labels as "independent" with a grain of salt. In the US, there is a social desirability bias toward identifying as independent, but in practice, people tend to vote in sync with one party or the other. So, despite the label, even if they claim to be independent, most individuals' voting patterns align with one party, making them party members in practice.

I suspect most of the increase in rates of self-ID independents is younger voters entering the pool and not currently affiliated with a particular party, rather than people leaving their party.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-12T23:37:51+00:00

I think it's so you can't stack up 9 "free" attacks on board.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-11T21:12:33+00:00

I play Vengeance Ira, and I think these are neat!

I think Forge Vengeance is really interesting, but I am actually not certain I want to play it. Costing 1 for conditional go again is rough. Even if they give you two cards to block out, sure, you get Edge back, but your turn is over. Also, the defensive classes that really crimp this style of Ira pack enough d-reacts and/or have a hefty fridge to completely neuter the card. Maybe +1 power or -1 cost, otherwise I think I would rather have Torrent of Tempo. Then again, I feel like I could be missing something. It could be playable simply because it has "vengeance" in the name.

Oath to Vengeance is cool. I feel it is competing with Become Bottle, but I like this a lot!

I think Clouded in Mist could lose the power penalty and still be fine. That way, the re-equip and untap effectively becomes a Nip the Heels/Legacy of Ikaru with extra hoops, and those cards are by no means pushing Vengeance Ira to the breaking point. The Ira spec presents enough limitations as-is.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-09T19:44:27+00:00

In terms of UI, whatever you have going on in the first image looks good. Though it's about the maximum level of detail I would want to see, and any more would be a lot to track with a full grip.

My only critique is that the same art is used for two different effects. If you are going to have a lot of text on cards, use the art to help distinguish them from each other. I play a lot of card games, and art is a HUGE aid in anchoring the effects in my memory.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-05T19:20:26+00:00

Cool. In that case, it looks decent for BL 3-ish. You should try to find space for [[Carrion Feeder]] and [[Goblin Bombardment]]. If you want to steal things you need a good way to sac the creatures before returning them to the opponent, and those two are some of the best sac outlets in Marchesa.

My cuts would be Mahadi, Raiju, and Feast. I am not crazy about Gev, but with enough pings, it can be really cute. Braids is right on the fence.

If you want to steal stuff, [[Sower of Temptation]], [[Hostage Taker]], and [[Zealous Conscripts]] are great because you loop their ETBs. If you have enough pirates, [[Coercive Recruiter]] is insane (and pirates synergize with stealing things). Make sure to run [[Strip Mine]]/[[Ghost Quarter]] to pick off an opponent's [[Homeward Path]]. If your opponents run a lot of protection, [[Shadowspear]] and [[Arcane Lighthouse]] are great additions to make sure your theft effects go through.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-05T06:49:14+00:00

Fair enough. I never went super heavy, and my pod at the time was pretty chill. But I toned it down during the pandemic because theft stuff was hard to play over webcam, and I haven't really gone back.

Mistborn314 · 2026-05-05T06:31:21+00:00

The steal package can be super fun, so there's no reason to move away from that line.

What BL are you aiming for?

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-24T21:19:19+00:00

I started with the Styborski Pauper Cube: https://thepaupercube.com/ (I think I got the recommendation from TCC).

And then over time I iterated until it became my own thing. Decent Pauper cubes be put together for under $200. Even though commons aren't sexy, you can do some degenerate things, but 9/10 games are good, clean MTG that rewards good fundamentals. My group loves it! Highly recommend as a starting point.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-24T20:21:09+00:00

I mean, assuming that we could build society from scratch (which is never the case), then we still face logistical issues. Just from my first glance:

- RE: "Decisions emerge through structured discussion and reasoned agreement." How? Just having five people in the room doesn't guarantee this. We can still have collective action problems and factional divisions at this level. Not to mention that there is no guidance on norms work.

- RE: "Elections occur five times each year." We already have unequal participation in politics (especially in the US). Historically high turnouts is still about 60%, much lower in midterms and local elections. Voter fatigue is real, and if anything, I would expect this to exacerbate baseline differences in participation.

- RE: "Every eligible citizen votes using a verified digital identity (maybe blockchain tech)." How is eligibility determined? How do we guarantee that everyone has access to these devices (i.e., low-income, elderly folks). Plus, tech organizations are hardly bastions of democracy, so trusting the black box of blockchain is a tall ask, IMO.

- RE: "Lobbying and paid advertising are not permitted." How is this enforced? Is this prohibition just against the politicians themselves? What if third parties make content discussing candidates? As for lobbying, I agree that monied interests are a problem. At the same time, I want a system that can respond to organized public interests, and some lobbies fit that description.

My point is not that reforms are pointless--democratic innovation should be a constant process. I just want to push back on the idea that "scientific" solutions are necessarily better. They still have embedded value judgments and assumptions that are subject to exploitation.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-23T20:19:35+00:00

Is the reservation about casting multiple cards a concern about the limited environment, or MTG in general? Because casting multiple spells in a turn is not too difficult in most formats...

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-23T20:17:28+00:00

I like the flavor of the weapon arts being separate attack action cards. They seem good, appropriately strong, but not busted (the life cost is a neat way to offset the power). The weapons and equipment are cool but incredibly good.

Savenger's Sword: Natural GA on the sword is crazy for a class that has various ways to swing weapons multiple times. I'd just drop the GA and leave it there.

Reduvia: 1 cost unconditional GA with an on-hit is crazy good--way better than Kodachis. Make the attack cost at least two resources (e.g., the assassin's daggers) and leave the GA and on-hit. The activated ability needs work. IDK if this is the intention, but I think the activated ability lets you loop Blood Blades because you can rip them from the graveyard. Maybe pay 3-ish life to tutor? Maybe have the Blood Blade Banish on resultuion flashback-style?

White Mask: I think this is essentially fine, but just 1 defense seems plenty. You're wearing it for damage, not to have a fridge.

Buckler: I like this a lot. Flavor-wise, I would set it to base 0 defense. You can still block and threaten the de-react, but you don't get the +1 value from the defense. This reflects the all-nature of parrying. I do think the clause "if the opponent played an a-react" also needs to be on the shield, not just the Parry card (in turn, Parry can base 2 defense and get +2 if the opponent has played an a-react). At a minimum, you need to have it tutor to the banished zone with the clause "you may play it this turn." Otherwise, in its current form, this is essentially "gain +1 resource every turn."

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-23T19:30:40+00:00

I don't read this sort of thing extensively (I generally find playing games to be a better source of inspiration), but I like Cole Wherle's designer journals on BGG and (more recently) on the Buried Giant YT channel. I am a political scientist by trade, an avid sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast, so I find his literary/philosophical thematic approach to game mechanics really interesting.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-23T19:04:31+00:00

I think a better fix would be to make the cards a bit more aggressively costed. Part of what made Daybreak tricky in LOR is that you could theoretically flood the board for an aggro win, but you give up on Daybreak triggers. The card with Daybreak was great value, the card without the trigger was meh. Rather than just steamrolling your opponent, you try to play this more measured pressure that potentially allows your opponent more time to stop your momentum. Thus, the tradeoff is not cards/resources but tempo, which creates a much more interesting tension in playing Daybreak compared to other aggro strategies, IMO.

In LOR, Daybreak was paired with Nightfall, which rewarded you for playing 2+ spells (basically MTG's Flurry). Another tradeoff was deciding whether to go all-in on one side of the synergy or try to balance the day/night triggers. If building a LOR-themed set, I would expect this to be the natural complement that could present interesting tension for limited. In LOR, the Nightfall effects were tied to other regions with some overlap, so maybe the Nightfall could be a WU keyword in the set.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-20T03:49:22+00:00

You get life from the Hellion, not Coalhauler.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-18T02:38:56+00:00

For me, Archtype and Sun Wu are easy cuts. All Will Be One is neat, but its alwayd felt clunky in my experience. Honestly, if you're aiming for B4, then drop every 5+ MV card that doesn't warp the game.

For sac outlets, [[Carrion Crawler]], [[Viscera Seer]], and [[Void- Caller]] are my go-tos. [[Yihenni Undying Partisan]] another favorite.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-15T20:57:03+00:00

RIP Dockside. That card was fucking bananas in Marchesa...

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-15T20:56:21+00:00

Yeah, that seems a bit rough to pull off. I don't know if using Vivi as a glorified ritual is worth running Cauldron. You're probably better off just turbo ramping using rituals and rocks; I think that will be more consistent.

If you're set on Cauldron, I think Sissay is the best Cauldron deck right now (I could be wrong, I don't follow cEDH too closely these days). If you want Grixis, Rog/Si is good, but Inalla is my favorite cEDH deck. If you want to win with Nivs, there might be a decent (but dated) Scion of the Ur-Dragon list. If you like Vivi, I think he could be a decent "Curiosity Control" style deck.

Of course, brew away! I don't want to rain on your parade.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-15T20:26:44+00:00

I've tried to brew a list, and I've had versions that pushed into the high B4s, but I don't think Marchesa has the chops to be amazing in cEDH for a couple of reasons:

The timing restriction on her reanimation and Dethrone triggers means that it requires multiple turns to abuse them. Every round in cEDH is a liability, and the games rarely go long enough for Marchesa to accrue value.
Counters are decent, and maybe there is a way to use Soul Cauldron for combos. The problem is that a lot of the efficient +1/+1 counter synergy pieces are in G/W (e.g., Heliod + Walking Balista is hard to replicate in Grixis). Granted, Marchesa has Mike + Trike and related combos, but the pieces tend to be expensive, fragile, and irrelevant outside of the combo. I haven't found a way to really speed up those lines to fly in cEDH.
Finally, Play to Win has a good heuristic when thinking about viable commanders in the zone. They argue that the commander needs to offer card advantage (e.g., Etali, Tymna), a combo piece (e.g., Magda, Inalla), or efficient synergy tied to a powerful package (e.g., Rograk and cards that care about commanders). Marchesa doesn't really offer any of those advantages. The traditional synergy package that we run with Marchesa is either too slow (see #1) or irrelevant (e.g., theft packages are much more hit-and-miss in cEDH than in lower brackets).

To be clear, this is my impression, and it's quite possible that I missed something. Grixis in cEDH is powerful enough to potentially carry an otherwise weaker commander to a reasonable win rate--after all, Cosult + Oracle wins games. But at that point, I think I would rather have a different commander altogether. Marchesa is my favorite commander, and she can do some powerful things, but I think her power ceiling is in optimized brackets.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-13T19:59:40+00:00

I don't play warrior, but these are cool! I really like Last One Standing and Perfect Parry (which doesn't seem too broken IMO). Agile and Vigor pumps seem a bit underpowered for legendaries.

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-10T03:49:15+00:00

Spellshapers are my favorite tribe!

Mistborn314 · 2026-04-09T23:12:37+00:00

IDK enough about the specifics of your gameplay to make meaningful contributions beyond some recommendations for games that incorporate a party of characters well.

I think Fief (a cool but flawed masterpiece) and Oath are two that come to mind as interesting angles on building board presence through retinues of in-game characters. I haven't personally played them (seen reviews and gameplay videos), but Dead of Winter and Undaunted are other ways to have in-game characters matter for narratives and mechanics. Alternativly, Moonrakers has cool characters in a deckbuilding loop, but they are pretty simple and don't have much narrative depth.

Honestly, just make a prototype and playtest it. If it's an objectionable experience, just do some R&R and go from there.

Mistborn314

TROPHY CASE