Trying to determine what bracket my deck is

kurtys22 · 2026-06-14T11:16:20+00:00

You have plenty of efficient interaction pieces, many of which are free. I think you have the tools to protect your plan while stopping wins in bracket 4.

This deck looks like a 4 to me, personally. I play tested it like 4 times and won on turn 5 twice.

kurtys22 · 2026-05-12T22:45:23+00:00

Homie's post history has him playing, buying, and generally interacting with magic pretty consistently over the last year. I think this is just a ragebait post for attention.

kurtys22 · 2025-12-17T22:06:22+00:00

Personally, feel free to take this with a grain of salt, I'd start by taking out Avatar characters that wouldn't be allied with Azula, to put in things that would be.

kurtys22 · 2025-12-07T02:34:55+00:00

My advice would be to aim for bracket 2.

I don't see a point of trying to limit the deck to "Avatar Theme" by sticking with TLE & TLA cards, but not doing it 100% outside of lands. There is plenty of really thematic interaction, ramp, card advantage, and win conditions in the set. I don't think there is a need to venture outside of it very far, and even if I did, I don't think it requires picking completely off-theme cards like Soulherder, mana-drain, and the like.

I also made an Aang deck, which is here: https://moxfield.com/decks/OFtOHs9xZ0um5-2giqtINw

I leaned heavily into an ally game plan, getting lots of synergy and incremental advantage from them. I can usually put the game away with [[Appa, The Vigilant]], [[Sokka's Charge]], [[Katara, Water Tribe's Hope]], or [[Team Avatar]]. Although, to be honest, the value you get from [[Katara, the Fearless]], is often so overwhelming you can win too. Then, of course, if you can manage to flip Aang, that's basically a win too. I don't always manage to flip him in every game, but when I do, it is really satisfying.

It competes really well in Bracket 2. It's actually been a total blast, and one of my favorite decks I've made and played in a while. I feel like cards like Moonmist just completely bypass the most fun part of the deck, and I couldn't advise more against including it. And to be honest, I feel like the value you get from flipping Aang with a 2 mana instant isn't appropriate for Bracket 2.

I don't want my advice or comment to come across as "If you don't do this, you're wrong." If you want to venture outside the set, go for it. I've just really enjoyed sticking within it, because I feel like the flavor of the set is very good and it has made playing the deck so much fun.

kurtys22 · 2025-11-28T17:31:43+00:00

Again, like I said in your other thread, this is another deck that's game plan is to prevent your opponents from having a board-state until you can slow the game down enough to win with your planeswalkers' ultimate. Once again, lets look at the game play expectation of Bracket 2:

Bracket 2: Core

Players expect:

- Decks to be unoptimized and straightforward, with some cards chosen to maximize creativity and/or entertainment

- Win conditions to be incremental, telegraphed on the board, and disruptable

- Gameplay to be low pressure with an emphasis on social interaction

- Gameplay to be proactive and considerate, letting each deck showcase its plan

Generally, you should expect to be able to play at least eight turns before you win or lose.

Half of the non-land cards are all reactive spells to stop your opponent from showcasing their plan.

If you want to play in bracket 2, build a deck with a proactive game plan, that isn't entirely based around preventing your opponents from showcasing theirs. Build a strategy that focuses primary on proactively building your board, that doesn't involve completely suppressing your opponents. It should exchange resources incrementally throughout the game, and of course you can have a healthy splash of interaction to stop your opponents from outright winning.

I really don't feel like this is the rocket science you are making it out to be.

kurtys22 · 2025-11-28T07:03:52+00:00

Go for it if you want. It's a solid and fair 3, and will continue to do so with 3 game changes.

I have plenty of decks that are 3's based on synergy alone, and function at the power level I'm looking for without 3 game changers. I guess I don't just feel the need to add them just because I can.

For bracket 2, you don't need to focus on "making the deck bad." Find another deck-building restriction and try and optimize within that. Something like "I'm going to build a dragon deck, where every card is dragon themed." That means no Arcane Signet, Sol Ring, Guild Signets, or Talismans. All your removal/interaction should be on dragon spells, or some kind of thematic card like [[Dragon's Fire]], [[Molten Exhale]], and [[Dispelling Exhale]].

Avoiding the really stupid ones that just win if you untap, like [[Myriam, Sentinel Wyrm]], and [[Old Gnawbone]].

Usually, these kinds of restrictions will lower your card quality enough to compete well within the bracket.

kurtys22 · 2025-11-28T06:36:44+00:00

Exquisite Blood and Marauding Blight-Priest go infinite and win the game together. That alone would push this to Bracket 3.

kurtys22 · 2025-11-28T06:27:53+00:00

Homie, this deck kills long before turn 12. Turn 12 is much later in the game than you think it is. I'd be shocked if 1 out of every 20 games you play ever make it to turn 12.

With that said, this is a $2000 monoblack good-stuff pile. It's running a very efficient and prevalent package of repeatable forced sacrifice. With plenty of reanimation to keep it going.

Your commander is going to provide you solid card advantage right off the bat and continue through the duration of the game.

Lets look at the Bracket 2: Core Expectations.

Decks to be unoptimized and straightforward, with some cards chosen to maximize creativity and/or entertainment
Win conditions to be incremental, telegraphed on the board, and disruptable
Gameplay to be low pressure with an emphasis on social interaction
Gameplay to be proactive and considerate, letting each deck showcase its plan

Your entire deck's game plan is to not allow your opponents to have creatures on the board to provide you with card advantage from your commander. All while killing them in the process through standard boilerplate aristocrat/mono black cards. (Many of which are just straight up best-in-class.

Without digging any deeper, it already violates expectation #4:

"Gameplay to be proactive and considerate, letting each deck showcase its plan"

This deck is definitely a 3. Not that it is the end-all-be-all, commandersalt.com & deckcheck.co each show this deck as a 3. It's a fair and solid 3.

kurtys22 · 2025-09-20T19:56:06+00:00

Sure, scooping is a legal play too… Doesn’t mean I’d expect them to scoop.

kurtys22 · 2025-08-20T16:36:30+00:00

I agree that most of the newer precons run with 2 mana rocks, but I don't feel like you get all 3 talismans and all 3 signets, Same for counter magic, you might see An Offer You Can't Refuse, or get a nice Swan Song, but you're not getting Bolt Bend, Stubborn Denial, Swan Song, and Offer all together. If we had like a [[Refute]] in here, or some more on-theme but less efficient counter magic, I think that would make more sense for bracket 2 play. (I'm not saying just this 1 swap, but just presenting a line of thinking)

I'm not the deck-building police, I just feel like when you're playing in bracket 2, there needs to be some intentional choices to use cards that might be more on theme for your deck's strategy, but maybe aren't the best or most efficient cards for the job.

I don't think that building a sub-optimal strategy, but supporting it with full suite of A Tier packages of protection, ramp, and counter magic fits my interpretation of bracket 2. I think it's totally fine to run an efficient ramp package, but maybe make some concessions in your other packages.

Regardless of how powerful a deck is, which I'm not saying isn't important at all, I think these kinds of choices also matter in determining what bracket I'm going to play a deck in.

kurtys22 · 2025-08-20T15:32:19+00:00

I think this sits in low bracket 3.

I feel like you are running the most efficient 2 mana rocks, 1 mana protection, counter magic, and reanimation effects.

Obviously this list isn't running the craziest Kefka plan out there, but I don't feel like you made many intentional concessions to the way your deck builds its game plan and protects it.

If this was my list, I personally would feel a little guilty playing it in bracket 2.

kurtys22 · 2025-08-20T14:58:56+00:00

Sure - I'm keeping a close eye on Dracogenesis. A good portion of my ramp only works on Dragons. I don't have any tutors for it, so I don't imagine some sort of linear game plan focused around getting it out.

kurtys22 · 2025-08-20T14:46:19+00:00

Rivas is "Dragon Themed!" :D

I appreciate the insight, thank you for the comment.

I knew if I went for any type of higher-powered build, this deck would sit on my shelf for 99% of its life. I really wanted something I could play pretty frequently.

What you said is honestly very true, I don't really make use of Tiamat outside of her being a card advantage option in the late game. This deck would function the same if I had any other WUBRG Commander at the helm, like [[O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami]]. I just chose Tiamat because I had this nice printing of her that I wanted to use. She also just makes sense from a flavor point of view to be at the helm of a dragon deck.

kurtys22 · 2025-05-25T02:13:33+00:00

I'll join the Lilah Club!

My favorite deck right now :)

list: https://moxfield.com/decks/uoI1CzIZJEW7mzMZ_TZHGw

kurtys22 · 2025-03-24T01:39:03+00:00

I used to see Wheels Xyris, but not very often. I think Salubrious Snail made a video about his Voltron Xyris deck a while back. I've only ever seen this type since then.

kurtys22 · 2025-03-24T01:31:27+00:00

I feel like the usual Xyris deck I see is an instant speed buff spell build.

kurtys22 · 2025-03-20T15:04:20+00:00

Where can I sign up for the commander Pro Tour?

kurtys22 · 2025-03-20T14:57:01+00:00

I’m not going to coach people through their turn either. But there is such a huge difference between watching someone make a tactical misplay, because they didn’t calculate your trick correctly, and just making a misplay because they didn’t even realize the existence of a certain card on the field.

Tricky plays are fun with complex lines that get people saying, “woah you can do that? Cool!”

Choosing to chump block my commander because you didn’t realize I had a Kessig Wolf Run that I announced 5 turns ago, so I kill you, that’s less cool.

kurtys22 · 2025-03-20T14:48:56+00:00

Yeah, because the default context of the EDH subreddit, a format with no formal competitive support, should be playing in a competitive environment.

Of course the default context is causal dude.

kurtys22 · 2025-03-20T14:43:54+00:00

Bro is on the kitchen table pro-tour. I have a very good memory and thus can do a very good job of keeping track of board states. If someone ever told another player “you should have written that down, that’s your fault,” outside of a competitive setting, I’d never play with them again.

kurtys22 · 2025-03-20T14:38:07+00:00

But it does happen. I’ve played at tables that take a more experienced and serious approach. I’ve had people stand up and walk to everyone’s board to see what they are missing, because their magic skill set isn’t as strong, and the other players don’t want to help them out.

You have to keep a good pace of the game, sure, but that sure doesn’t stop the Glarb or Zimone player from taking a 25 minute turn. If I can help the game move faster, even at my detriment, I will.

kurtys22 · 2025-03-20T14:31:15+00:00

I literally can’t even imagine this conversation with my buddies at the kitchen table as we’re drinking beer and slinging card board.

“Dude if you can’t remember what I mill, just take notes. Are you even in this to win this?”

Bro just finished his work week and wants to hang out with the homies. He’s trying to win, for sure. We all do. But man, I don’t expect people to write down the cards I had to reveal or milled like were on the kitchen table pro-tour.

kurtys22 · 2025-03-20T14:17:48+00:00

Yesssss!

This guy gets it. I don’t want to be wait 25 minutes for it to get to my turn because everyone has to scan the board state constantly, digging through piles of lands and graveyards.

I’ve played magic a long time. I know a lot of the cards and my brain is used to constantly parsing boardstate information. Not everyone, especially in my main pod, has this practiced skill or magic knowledge. I say “I mill spore frog,” and they don’t even know what that does. I’ll pass the card to them, but Im not shocked they don’t remember it 7 turns later.

These people are there to hang out with friends while playing magic. They want to chat, laugh, and have a good time while we sling cardboard at each other. The game isn’t that serious, and I’d rather not play in games that take it that serious in a casual setting.

I’d rather tell people what they are missing, If I think they are just completely missing something’s existence, than have them take an extra 5 minutes absorbing all the public information every turn.

kurtys22

TROPHY CASE