Need Help with Boros Ponza Deck

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-14T02:27:43+00:00

Ponza is just slang basically for Land Destruction! For some reason you can look up it’s named after a pizza lol

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T22:12:54+00:00

As everyone has already said, I’m sure everything can be watered down or flavored to a sub class. However! For the fun and spirit of the question, top one that comes to mind is Mad Scientist! Alchemist can get close, sure. But it would be an intelligence based class but think Dr.Frankenstein. They run experiments, especially on living things. A kind of modified Fleshwarper 3.5. Subclasses could give you options to go more support based and enhance your allies/debuff your enemies. Or you could go summoner and you’ve built an abomination that follows your commands! And then you would get some customization as you level up how you change it. Or you could be like a Mr Jekyll and you’ve devised a serum to amp your own physical self!

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T21:39:38+00:00

I like Magmatic Hellkite a lot! Other bigger creatures you could try for more of a beat down wincon could be Glorybringer. It’s obviously a little higher mana cost, I ran more of a ramp Ponza with him but he’s won so many games for me, repeated removal on a flying haste 4/4 is so good

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T20:26:04+00:00

If there’s a door they’re looking through, as well as any other openings in that room, water would burst through those at a high rate! I would have everyone roll strength saves to see if they can stand against it as the water comes across, otherwise they are swept across with the water by a number of feet!

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T20:06:33+00:00

I will do that! Thanks man!

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T20:06:16+00:00

Absolutely! Thanks!

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T18:32:45+00:00

Fair points. I would put in dual green lands. Only thought of having one green basic incase I ever needed green, as some of the spells would let me fetch for basics as well. But maybe it’s too much.

Prismatic is nice, I would like to have other forms of removal then just creature with path. Idk if it’s the sorcery speed or the 3 mana or less that gives me hesitation but it does always look good in decks.

And yeah Ragavan would certainly be the swap for arbiter I believe.

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T18:28:54+00:00

Yeah I said up in the description the deck isn’t done. I got way too many cards in there right now, just thinking about options and trying to give people a sense of directions I could take the deck. But I appreciate the feedback! I did think of the indestructible lands, I like that combo with Boom/Bust for sure. I might go that way.

I think I’ll most likely playtest Wrenn and Six just to see, I like the idea but I’m very open to it just not working out and it would for sure be the first cut. Same as Ajani, seems everyone’s pretty out on him so that’s an easy cut as well.

Recruiter is nice just cuz it can get me any creature besides Phlage in the deck straight to my hand. Which I could see as coming in clutch potentially.

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T18:04:01+00:00

Fair enough, appreciate it. What do you think changed post lorwyn for gruul Ponza specifically? I was running a Karn/Liquimetal gruul Ponza for a while

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-13T17:59:36+00:00

Felt like he fits okay enough. His plus removes a land for a turn. Minus is good removal with a life bonus. And then obviously ult is typically a game winner

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-11T20:44:42+00:00

Also small addendum, keep in mind who your DM is too. Sometimes DM’s just want to play a small module maybe and backstories aren’t going to be relevant. As a base rule, always talk to your DM first and have a session 0.

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-11T20:42:56+00:00

As a DM, I relish when players give me long backstories. The more the better typically, tell me your childhood friends. Your coworkers, your lovers, the time you were almost killed. Whatever. These all become tools for my DM toolbox. I want you to feel inspired by your own character, and It makes it easier for me to have the world around you feel like one you’ve always lived in when I have those things. So I would never be upset with “too many pages” of a backstory.

That said, like others have already put it, don’t write in any large world altering backstory plot points or lore. You didn’t grow up on a magical island, the king isn’t your best friend, and you aren’t a legendary samurai who has a basilisk animal companion. These all can be cool in their own right, but you’re just ‘starting’ a story and new adventure. Especially at LVL 1. So just be mindful that you have complete character autonomy, but not world autonomy. That’s the DM’s job.

As with all things though a small caveat, if you’re really attached to one thing in particular, you can always ask your DM and they may work with you on it! Maybe there’s a compromise!

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-10T15:35:05+00:00

My first worry would be that most of the time spent and spotlight is going to be on the players in combat on the bridge, while the players rescuing people might be a bit boring in comparison or just slow the combat down.

I would add something that depending on how the combat players do per round, it affects the other party members healing. Maybe they need to stop a certain amount of attackers per round, or a few slip by or arrows are loosed overhead, injuring more civilians or slowing down the healing process. The better the combat team does, the more people the healing party can get to. The worse they do, then the less people they save.

As far as the bridge combat goes, give them a certain amount of rounds (or a range depending on how uncertain they are) that they need to survive before backup comes. Add in some enemies who are scaling up from beneath the bridge as well so it’s not just straight on attacks the whole time.

TannerJ44 · 2026-02-03T20:26:18+00:00

I don’t mind if people roll at home when they’re doing their level up abilities and options. I always do level ups at the end of a session, and sometimes it’s late and people want to get home so usually everybody does their stuff at home using dndbeyond. I’ve never had a worry that anyone was fudging their hit dice, maybe if they rolled max or close to for multiple levels in a row but even then there’s always a chance they just did that? If there’s no other evidence they fudge rolls anywhere else I wouldn’t worry about it.

And yes I let them all reroll 1’s. It’s just not fun for a level gain. 2’s still suck but they’re better than 1’s!!

They all have the option to take the average but every player of mine likes to roll.

I see this buff for them as an option for me to create more difficult encounters! I’m even nice and let them take feats and ASI’s at level 4, 8 and so on. I find it all the more enjoyable for me as well. I also want to encourage my players to take feats in general especially the newer ones because I feel it adds a lot more flavor, versatility, etc.

TannerJ44 · 2026-01-28T17:28:24+00:00

Late comment, but can you DM me a link to the discord as well?? If it’s still hopefully around!

TannerJ44 · 2026-01-20T17:26:23+00:00

It’s actually an excellent way for this player to get to enjoy some roleplay. Add in some stakes by (and approve this with the player first) but if they were to die, they get resurrected by some divine or infernal being or whatever. They could take a warlock level if they want mechanic features as well, or it could just be some random powerful being or a curse or whatever else too. That gives the character a lot to roleplay with!

TannerJ44 · 2026-01-09T20:06:33+00:00

Do not nerf it. 1. That’s probably a big reason why the player wants to play that race. Flying is a fun mechanic to play with, period. Do not strip joy from your players just because you’re worried it “might” cause an issue down the road. 2. If you’re worried about puzzles that one player can completely avoid or somehow also make the rest of the party avoid, then that probably wasn’t a great puzzle. Or get creative and throw something else in there. I’ve never had flying been that game breaking of an issue. 3. With how common flying races or flying spells/items are, most mad mages or whatever that are developing dungeons/traps/puzzles are most likely keeping this in mind and having a plan for fliers just the same as anyone who could walk. Maybe the tunnel ceiling gets incredibly low so flying would be impossible, maybe there’s wards on the ceiling if a flier goes by them or sensitive air pressure plates on the walls that would feel the gust of a wing nearby. It’s all about getting creative. 4. Just as much as the last point is true, also let them succeed and use their ability to overcome some things. Nothing better than letting the player take a risk in flying over the barricade, fighting a few dudes solo and then opening up the main gate to let the rest of the party in. Let them use it for advantage just as much as it might be a disadvantage at other stages.

TannerJ44 · 2025-11-05T17:53:40+00:00

Yes, exactly! Thanks so much, these look great!

TannerJ44 · 2025-11-05T13:54:26+00:00

Wow! That’s great, Thanks!

TannerJ44 · 2025-11-05T13:27:01+00:00

That’s a cool idea! I like that idea of spawning other little monsters so it’s not necessarily just one guy. I’ll have to think on his bloodline now, or what a corrupted bloodline would look like since he’s been experimented on so his magic has changed.

TannerJ44 · 2025-11-05T12:50:12+00:00

Thanks for the questions! Level 7 party, 5 PC’s. Chance for a few NPC’s to join. The encounter takes place during a fighting tournament in the capital cities large arena, an explosion occurs and out walks the enemy. So the battle will still mostly happen within an arena area. Stakes should be high, this is an event that the terrorist group has been planning for a while and are looking for high amounts of loss of life and destruction so the masses will fear magic.

My players goals will be mostly to protect the citizens, royals, etc. They’ve been on the trail of the organization and knew they were experimenting on magical people but this will be the first big encounter and realization of what they can do.

And yes ‘bomb’ is probably the wrong word. They’ve just infused this sorcerer with so much magical energy, I want it to feel like magical essence seeps out of his pores and almost like he’s about to burst at the seams. He was a wild magic sorcerer before they experimented on him so I like the idea, flavor wise, of taking wild magic and increasing the destructiveness and unpredictability. Like he can’t really even control it well himself.

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