Random Set Swaps - Something Old, Something New, Something Banned...

...and nothing Blue!

Well, it took a while, but I've finally gotten together all of the recent "random set" updates to the deck. If you are waiting to see what Gatecrash brings - be patient! I'm waiting on one more card before that update goes up! For now, I present to you the three newest additions to the deck - one from Onslaught, one from M13, and a creature who should have been playable long ago!

Kokusho, the Evening Star replaces Admonition Angel

I held on for a long time to Admonition Angel because I did have some very good experiences playing the card and oblivion ringing many permanents. That said, in theory, the card just doesn't work in the deck - low creature count means opponents have more removal saved for me,  and slightly low land count means the ability can't trigger as often as I'd like. Unlike Angel of Serenity, this creature doesn't even do anything the turn it comes into play unless you've got a land drop to make still - and then, it still doesn't do as much. If this card was being released in the newest set, I would write it off immediately as something that simply doesn't fit in the deck. I had a ton of fun playing it, but it's time to drop it and get something more powerful in.

And fresh off the banned list is the black dragon whose mere mention inspires fear in casual tables across the world - Kokusho! I've been in favor of his unbanning for a long time now, usually citing a dozen easier, less banned, and more destructive combos than anything you can do with Kokusho (keeping in mind that Recurring Nightmare is banned). In this deck, Kokusho is simply (and maybe to his detriment) an extremely fair card - he'll be scary, and then die. Taking a life upswing of 10-15 can be great in a long multiplayer game where you need a boost of life to give you the time to stabilize. I will often choose creatures which are more resilient or immediately effective, and while this dragon is neither of the two, his ability gives him the benefits of both - your opponents will neither want to target him with destroy effects nor attack you such that he could die lest they suffer his trigger, giving you plenty of stall power - and that's really exactly what this deck wants to do. Kokusho also helps out Sarkhan the Mad, a planeswalker I always keep in mind so I can take full advantage of that card (and show off the "Mad" alter that Chippy did on it). Finally, while not a perfect synergy, the card still does very well on a Mimic Vat provided you can block or be blocked by something that can kill it. It'll only take one time before your opponents stop attacking or blocking until the Vat is dealt with!

Insurrection replaces Diabolic Intent

Diabolic Intent is a card I've had a hard time pulling out because it is such a beautiful old-frame foil from the set that got me playing the game. But after talking it over with other players, it's clear to me that I am keeping it in with no rational play-related reasoning - the deck is too low on creatures to make proper use of it. Even though I have successfully cast it most times I've had it (in my memory, at least), nearly every time I would have likely just been better off with Diabolic Tutor because my lowest creature cost is 2BB for Braids (while there are ways to make tokens, those generally aren't worth the time or mana investment either). Were this a deck that makes good use of sacrificing, had plenty of small creatures or easy tokens, the card would stay in, but for now Diabolic Intent is going to leave, being replaced by something a bit more deserving of the slot.

Too many games I've seen end because of this card to not play it. At least 50% of the time this card is cast and resolves, the caster wins the game that turn or shortly thereafter. Insurrection is just that powerful. If it doesn't cause a quick game end, it's probably just not a good time to cast it. In that respect, Insurrection acts much like a second Obliterate in the deck - you use the other control elements in the deck to help push the game state to just the right conditions, then drop the big red spell and steal the game away. While Obliterate likes cards like Debtors' Knell or planeswalkers to be in play, casting Insurrection with a Gisela in play is going to be very close to an auto-win in many board states - a play that I look forward to enjoying soon. Furthermore, it has a profound psychological impact on regular opponents which can entirely change the course of the game - savvy opponents may be more careful with the number of creatures they commit to the board knowing that the worst case scenario isn't just that they'll lose all their creatures - they might just lose the game. It took me far too long to get this card in the list!

Mindclaw Shaman replaces Firemane Angel

It's unfortunate to have to say this, but Firemane Angel has grown less and less playable over the years. Paying 6 mana for a 4/3 creature with flying and first strike isn't exactly a bargain anymore when we have Titans to compare it to, and while the life gain ability can help in patching up from a Phyrexian Arena or letting the deck stabilize from early life loss, it is still a very slow trickle in a format where damage comes in waterfalls. And while the ability to reanimate her can be useful, at 10 mana I feel extremely cheated just getting a 4/3 flying/first strike. Since her life gain ability is active in the graveyard, most games she pretty much just hits the bin and stays there while I sometimes gain life (but usually forget to). It's just a shame the sweet alter by Matt Cavotta is going to be taken out!

While it may seem like an odd choice compared to all the format all-stars in the deck, Mindclaw Shaman fits in a particular fun niche in the deck with his partner Praetor's Grasp - while blowing your opponent out with your own combos can be fun, blowing them out with their own cards is usually even better. With powerful and expensive spells like Storm Herd, TimeStretch, Plague Wind, Insurrection, and Tooth and Nail filling many players' decks, the times when Mindclaw Shaman blows someone out will hopefully help him earn his keep and his slot in the deck. The fact that he is a cheap creature should help his case as well - he's yet another awesome Mimic Vat imprint! Ultimately, though, this card is just fun. This card empowers the kind of crazy stuff I like to do in Commander, and in this format, simply liking a card is honestly reason enough to play it.

That about covers the random additions - look forward to posts about Gatecrash cards in the near future! I'll be covering both what I added to the deck and some good Commander cards that just didn't make the cut. Plus the continuation of my "How to Pimp" series! Hope you enjoy!