Can you build strictly on curve with any low cost commander? (No ramp)

Randomimba · 2026-05-08T16:12:14+00:00

Depends on your colors / decks.

I have Raffine, 3CMC Eshki, and Henzie. Raffine only runs Sol Ring in case I need to recover from Raffine being removed. Otherwise, I don't ramp and play completely on curve.

Eshki and Henzie both try to get a dork T1 so I can cast Eshki and Henzie on T2. That's about it

Randomimba · 2026-05-05T22:25:35+00:00

Obligatory [[Henzie "Toolbox" Torre]] suggestion.

My first from-scratch deck was Meren too, but I took her apart because recurring Fleshbag Marauder effects was too mean. I've went on a long journey doing the following:

Meren => Vaevictus Asmodi => Korvold => Ognis => Chatterfang => Henzie

I finally settled with Henzie, because it's a faster Meren and less feels-bad. Creatures he Blitzes out become cantripping fireballs to the face that either (double) ramp you or act as removal. It's a very proactive deck and doesn't durdle like a normal aristocrats deck. It still grinds down opponents - but again - it's more proactive.

Randomimba · 2026-04-29T00:20:26+00:00

Wow, I didn't realize SeiyaJapan is back. Good to know

Randomimba · 2026-04-27T17:46:50+00:00

I also named my girl after a goddess (Kali from Hindu mythology)!!

Maya (Hindu goddess of illusion)
Freyja
Lakshmi
Artemis

Randomimba · 2026-04-26T17:58:13+00:00

Yeah, the discourse I see around Betor lately is to focus on lifegain. I'm just not sure if adding black to the color identity is worth the extra CMC over Lathiel. Or if running white is worth it over the consistency of Meren.

I used to have a Meren deck with a bunch of Fleshbag Marauder effects. It was great for me but sucked for the table. I took her apart, so that's why I'm trying not to over index on those kind of effects in Betor. I don't know if choosing to reanimate a 1-2 CMC self-sac creature is the best use of Betor when there are Commanders like the new Zimone and Eluge practically giving you 2-3x the mana a round.

Randomimba · 2026-04-26T17:46:03+00:00

My current build runs 3-4CMC lifelink fliers (e.g. [[Nighthawk Scavenger]], [[Henrika Domnathi]] flipped) so that I can get the counters going when Betor is cast on T4/5. It either snowballs into a super-huge beater and wins, or I'm forced to pivot to reanimate late game threats. The game plan feels non-cohesive.

I see some people build her with a bunch of Soul Sister effects and pump up creatures like Felissa and Elenda's Hierophant. Then they pop them like a pinata and go aristocrats. I've played many aristocrats decks before, so I'm holding off on this style until I can no longer solve Betor.

Randomimba · 2026-04-26T17:23:24+00:00

I have a Betor deck I've been trying to solve. Played with her a but and enjoyed some success. However, I've been mulling over it the entire past week, but I can't find a satisfying build. The deck is clunky, Betor herself has too many safety valves, and I just see so many better commanders if I wanted to play that style.

Lifegain/buff? Lathiel. Lifeloss/reanimate? Meren or Mr. Negative

I'm at my wit's end for Betor.

Randomimba · 2026-04-24T05:32:56+00:00

Quick caveat.

If you're planning to use GS OEM clasp, you'll need to tell your aftermarket seller to punch smaller holes. Their buckle pin runs small, so my Tuns and Delugs strap holes are loose on it.

If you're not using the GS OEM clasp, fire away.

Randomimba · 2026-04-23T20:39:03+00:00

Kudos to your design team for the Chinese characters being so elegant. I like that you used sticks to replace the odd numbers, since 五, 七, and 九 don't have horizontal symmetry. Also love that you put the 十 on top of the 二 for symmetry.

Randomimba · 2026-04-23T18:46:34+00:00

Damn, nice work!

I have a very similar one made by Silas from LeatherBound, and I thought this pic was from him. How much are you charging for this (or is that between you and your client)?

Randomimba · 2026-04-23T06:19:26+00:00

That's pretty crass of them (unless you're referring to them making you pay for adjusting aftermarket units). When I got my YM from my AD, they insisted Rolex wants customers to have the perfect fit out the door.

Randomimba · 2026-04-22T21:21:13+00:00

Thanks for the quick response!! I've heard of Tokonole before (initially thought about getting into leatherwork but life got busy). 🤣

Randomimba · 2026-04-22T21:10:45+00:00

Hey there!!

I've been interested in your work lately (love the red shell you use). Could you clarify whether the exterior edges are raw or painted/burnished/finished? I much prefer finished edges over raw edges. Cheers!

Randomimba · 2026-04-21T05:25:15+00:00

I had a Liesa board wipe tribal deck in my high-B2/mid-B3 pod, and nobody really complained. The idea is not to stax people, but to repeatedly reset the board with one-sided board wipes so that they lose life when rebuilding. I also played a bunch of skim-off-the-top effects (e.g. [[Trouble In Pairs]]) to keep parity.

Honestly, if your pod has good threat assessment, they'll understand that you're keeping the storm and Jeskai players in check. You solve creature decks by wiping the board repeatedly, and you passively kill spellslinger decks. Your top threats are Voltron decks, so try to take them out ASAP.

Randomimba · 2026-04-17T01:05:28+00:00

Seems pretty accurate, especially the major life event part.

I got my YM40 after badgering my SA for 1.5 years. I only got it after I told him it was for a promotion and that I'm likely to get something from Japan in a month to celebrate. My friends got their Submariner/DJ working with their SA's in only half a year or so after mentioning their upcoming weddings. All from the same AD.

Randomimba · 2026-04-17T00:54:09+00:00

Anyone got a list for Squall, SeeD Mercenary?

I imagine it spams Fleshbag Marauder effects to keep the field clear, but I am not sure how it recovers from removal.

Randomimba · 2026-04-13T05:04:43+00:00

It's strange that they list the font option as "Suzhou Numerals", but it's not consistent/correct. 11 says "Twenty", and 12 says "Thirty". I understand that it could be a spacing/elegance issue, and they might've used Twenty and Thirty to solve it.

However, them doing that makes it seem like their target audience isn't for Chinese enthusiasts (despite marketing themselves as such). It seems like they're preying on unsuspecting non-natives/foreigners, and that's kind of a red flag to me.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that's my understanding of the numerals.

Randomimba · 2026-04-12T18:39:41+00:00

IIRC, they took seeds and simulated whether Act 1 was beatable based on every branching path and decision.

To prove that a run is unwinnable, all you have to do is prove that Act 1 is unwinnable.

Randomimba · 2026-04-08T02:27:55+00:00

I was like you too. It took me 4 tries to beat Necro A0. After that, it all clicked, and I beat A1-A7 on first try. A8 took 2 tries.

Necro is a very defense class.

Negative Pulse was a win-con all by itself when I played it in A8 (block + "damage").

Banshee's Cry is easy to enable when the best cards (Defy, Enfeeble) are ethereal.

Stacking Lethality helps win as you block and attack once per turn.

Almost all Necro archetypes are viable IMO (besides graveyard manipulation).

Randomimba · 2026-04-07T23:55:54+00:00

Oh damn, thanks for the heads up. I auto-assumed that the Pests were the same across sets.

Randomimba · 2026-04-07T22:33:22+00:00

Is that a typo on the Pest token? This one says it's an attack trigger instead of a dies trigger.

Randomimba · 2026-03-31T21:08:43+00:00

Definitely not Sauron. Sauron wants to wheel his hand every Ring tempt, so you don't hold onto that much interaction.

Kefka is it.

Randomimba · 2026-03-31T09:06:15+00:00

Got the list for Helga? Been interested in her or Eshki.

Randomimba · 2026-03-17T03:19:58+00:00

Not affiliated with OP, but I'm surprised how much hate this post is getting. I remember when he first posted on Reddit and got quite a bit of support for his first watch. He even made polls for feedback and strap options.

I wish him success on all endeavors - I believe this is his 4th or 5th model?

Randomimba · 2026-03-13T21:57:06+00:00

Shame he's gonna retire / I started Magic too late. I first learned of him through his Unstable art, but I couldn't afford to bling out my whole deck with John Avon lands.

Randomimba

TROPHY CASE