cbelzer89

You're right. I decided to forgo the Urza's blasts and raff capashen which is kind of clunky and just play four seal aways instead. I also added ixalan's bindings mainboard to deal with non-creature permanents and such.

First of all, wow. Lol I mean wow. You talk as if you are telling someone to replace ingredients for some sacred family recipe. Take out this for that, substitute this for this and so on. Sorry I just find it amusing. To justify my choices, city wide bust deals with big creatures of which there are plenty in standard, and cleansing nova deals with token swarms mostly (artifacts and enchantments aren't that important in the format right now). Chance for glory is a very risky card. Summoner's pact is one thing but this card just wants you to lose the game. Deafening Clarion I can get behind. I'm willing to replace 1 cleansing nova and one city wide for it. The lifelink is good value considering this is an aggro deck,. As for Shalai, although the hexproof is valuable, she doesn't fit in the central theme of the deck which is the mentor ability. She shines in other decks like G/W tokens and such. Another reason to run cleansing nova is to deal with her. Finally, legion's landing is the ideal 1 drop because it makes tokens with lifelink that you can mentor turn 3 with Tajic. And I would never want to get rid of Tajic. The dude is crazy good! For 3 mana you get a 3/2 with haste that can mentor a Vindicator and get in for 7 damage or more by turn 3! Definitely keepin' him in. To each their own, and you can make your boros deck exactly the way you want it. This is just the way I would build it that suits me.

I really know nothing about dredge because I have never played a dredge-like deck in any format of magic, but having played against it myself and seeing others' pilot the deck, it seems like Lion's Eye Diamond is the single most important card in legacy dredge. Being able to dump your whole hand turn 1, play a creature, and then trigger all your amalgams and narcomoebas is just nuts. Without LED, this is basically a modern dredge deck.

I think the more bounce spells in the main the better. Being able to either bounce a troubling permanent from your opponent (dark depths, JTMS, various obnoxious eldrazi, etc.) or if the opponent is targeting your constable like you said, bounce it back to your hand and replay it the following turn. That is pure value. Delaying your opponents' tempo and denying them resources is the bread and butter for this deck to me. This might increase the budget, but cyclonic rift would be straight gas for this deck. You could even throw in a one-of devastation tide and try to miracle it. I don't know if this is just a funzies type deck or you plan on competing with it, but in legacy which is such a dynamic, explosive format, having early game interaction is a must. Throw a few portents or impulses in the side board if you feel like you need more draw power for certain matchups.

Awesome deck! I love the versatility of bant colors. It has a steep price tag, but that is mostly due to the mana base. You should make a more budget-friendly version of this. Restoration angel with wall of omens and reflector mage is amazing. You get to bounce creatures and draw cards :).

1. I think too many people underestimate mana leak. Mana leak sucks late game but in your opening hand it is a game-changer. Being able to deny your opponent a turn 3 Karn Liberated or Liliana or some other bomb card is huge. So I would always run 1-3 mainboard in every control build. Remand is great too, but without a hard counter to back it up you are just delaying your opponent-not disrupting them.

2. Spreading seas in a control deck I could see running it in the SB for Tron or affinity but main board just seems like a dead card in some matchups.

Also, I believe that remand works better in more combo builds like Storm/Scapeshift kind of decks because you are delaying your opponent while digging for your combo pieces. In a pure control build like this one I think hard counters are where it's at. Remand also works great with thing in the ice, but I opted not to use it in this build to keep it budget.

Thanks everyone for your deck building advice. I did shave off some lands down to 23 and added some utility lands (field of ruin/GRS). I also added 4 serum visions and slashed the 2 counterbores for 3 opts. The sideboard has more creature hate/artifact hate that I can bring in against more aggro decks.

It's not built to be an aggro deck. It's more of a midrange/equipment deck. Besides, I curve out at 4 mana so I wouldn't say my spells are that expensive.

Only suggestions I'd make are more black mana ramp sources like Cabal Stronghold, Cabal Coffers, Crypt of Agadeem, and Nykthos Shrine to Nyx is a must for mono-colored decks. With all those rats on the board your devotion will be insane. As for creatures, Magus of the Coffers basically doubles your black mana and has a nice 4/4 body behind it. Crypt Ghast also does basically the same thing, just costs less to cast. I'd also consider cutting some rats to run a full playset of Ogre Slumlord and Marrow-Gnawer. That way, you won't have to rely on tutors as much to find them. Finally, board wipes do happen often in commander, so I'd have at least a few ways of bringing your creatures back from the grave. I see you are running gravepurge and footbottom feast, but I'd prefer cards that actually return your creatures straight to the battlefield instead of on top of your library. Cards like Twilight's Call, Rise of the Dark Realms, Patriarch's Bidding, and Living Death pretty much accomplish this without question. Sure they have higher CMC's, but the payoff during the long game is much stronger. Have you considered more card draw engines like Phyrexian Arena and/or Underworld Connections? This will keep you from going into the dreaded "top deck mode" and allow you to keep flooding the board with rats. Is Marrow-Gnawer your commander? He's the only legendary creature you are running it looks like. Anyway, those are the changes I'd make if this were my deck. Hope I may have been of some help. Cool deck!

Hey it's the D&T guy here. I like this deck! I also am a sucker for black but I equally like blue and white so Esper is my jam. Anyway, a few suggestions, I don't know if you meant to include it or not, but def consider Bump in the Night. It is a 1 black mana deal 3 damage to target opponent. So basically, it's the black version of lava spike that you can flashback if you splash red. I'd find a slot to run 4-of for sure. Maybe slash nightblade stinger and 1-2 alms of the vein? I own a blue/black faerie rogues deck, and have been considering nightblade stinger for my 1 mana slot, but I don't think it belongs in this kind of deck. Direct damage seems more the goal. I saw you run smallpox, so you could also go more rip the hand apart strategy and add mind rot or hymn to tourach. Hymn isn't modern legal but if this is just a casual deck no worries. Wrench Mind also does almost the exact same thing as hymn and is modern legal so another card to consider. Collective Brutality is just gas. I love that card. Too bad it spiked so much. I should've bought 'em up while they were still pretty cheap. Anyway, you have plenty of draw power, life drain/gain, and interaction so looks good to me! Sorry if I ramble, I just love magic and love talking about it.

Yeah you're right. I've been turn 2'd before by ad nauseam tendrils storm. They just had the nut hand and went off before I could do anything. I was playing burn and Eidolon was the only card that could've saved me. The banning of gitaxian probe hurt the deck slightly, just because it helped them avoid walking right into a force of will. Thankfully though Thalia, Ethersworn Canonist and Sanctum Prelate can wreck their whole strategy, but like you said only if you can get them out in time lol.

I've seen blade splicer in modern D&T but not in legacy D&T builds. I know it has a lot of synergy with flickerwisp, but for 3 mana I think Recruiter of the Guard is just better in that you can tutor up a stoneforge mystic, Spirit of the Labyrinth, Thalia, Sanctum Prelate, or Miran Crusader based on the matchup. I feel like the real MVP is Brightling. That card is just nuts for what it does. Its the kind of card that will just steal games away I think. In legacy, you usually get a good idea what your opponent is on by turn 2-3, so Phyrexian Revoker I don't think is a dead card mainboard. Also, being familiar with the metagame and knowing what Phyrexian Revoker can and cannot target is key I think. Many legacy decks go all in on one win-con like Sneak Attack or Lion's Eye Diamond (both targets for Revoker). Legacy I feel is more predictable than modern or standard because of the high cost to entry and powerful cards. I've found if you bring a brew deck to a legacy event most people will mop the floor with you. It's happened to me I assure you. As for mother of runes, she's a 1 mana 1/1 that gives creatures protection so I wouldn't underestimate her. She's far from broken and easily removable, but a good turn 1 play if you don't have a vial in your starting hand. Sorry for ranting lol.

I appreciate the idea of bringing zombies back into standard again as a former standard zombies player myself, but without diregraf colossus, cryptbreaker, relentless dead, and my personal favorite (dark salvation), you might face an uphill battle. Dark salvation hands down the best 2-for-1 removal spell and absolutely destroyed other decks at the time. I also think you should consider lowering your curve. Maybe cut 1-2 liliana's mastery and/or a plague belcher or graveyard marshal for 4 metallic mimics. You'll be happy to have them believe me.

I think this deck has legs, but in my opinion without the eldritch moon era zombies you'll have an uphill battle against the control decks in the format and faster aggro decks like mono red chainwhirler decks. Plus, kaladesh and amonkhet rotate out in the fall which means no more zombies unless Ravnica brings more. These are just my two-cents and I don't wanna sound preachy. This game should be about fun and enjoyment and everyone should play what they want.

I punted and put 2 instead of 1 on suture priest it is changed. I also added all the elspeths.

A lot of people say Zedruu gets hated on but I honestly don't know why lol. He doesn't do anything that absurd or broken. Oloro is much more OP and broken in my opinion. You actually have to play politics and work the board and work for your life gain with Zedruu rather than just sit back and let the life pour in with Oloro. That's my two cents on it.

Actually that would be a great addition. Thanks! I'm trying to make it so I can give my opponents useless indestructible stuff so that I can guarantee the life gain/card draw. It's no use giving them stuff if they have ways to destroy it.

No Heart of Kiran?

Couch312 is right. menace27 go look at what an "all-in" 12 post deck costs with the tropical islands, candelabra of tawnos, grim monolith, etc. Budget is a relative term. Anything in legacy that is <$1000 bucks is considered budget.

I'd love to do primeval titan, but that would require high priced dual lands and fetches like tropical island and misty rainforest. Colorless as far as 12 post is concerned is the more budget option I think. And I included pithing needle in the sideboard, but mainboarding it is debatable...I'd rather have slots open for trinisphere (lot of combo decks in legacy and fast mana) and voltaic key helps you ramp.