Nicol Bolas, Breaker of Minds

by AslanCross on 03 January 2012

Main Deck (99 cards)

Sideboard (1 card)

Creatures (1)

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Deck Description

Nicol Bolas EDH 2.0
So I realized my previous Nicol Bolas EDH Decklist was a mess and was a bit scatterbrained.
Basic strategic goal: Mass discard without losing card advantage. Once you get a board clear and get Bolas into play, it's usually game over. It's very difficult to recover losing one's hand to Bolas.
Major changes:
**1**
I dramatically decreased the amount of counterspells, because they either (1) don't come into play at all or (2) will just draw hate in a multiplayer environment. Since Nicol Bolas prefers to manipulate from the shadows, his calculated moves will anticipate, but not immediately counter, such spells. As such, hold onto Undermine and Countersquall. Also, to this end, Isochron Scepter was removed. That's one card that will draw a LOT of hate.
**2**
A limited amount of reanimation was added, so that I don't have to cast Bolas from the General zone all the time. Remember that you can Flashback using Dralnu, or use Dread Return's built-in flashback cost.
-Stitch Together
-Dread Return
-Rise from the Grave
-Profane Command
-Sheoldred
-Liliana
**3**
In place of direct removal and burn, I increased the amount of bounce instants and red traitor spells. This will allow Chandra to recur them easily if you can get her ultimate to fire. However, Dralnu will work just as well.
Unlike my other EDH decks, it's best to hold off on casting Bolas until you can calculate a good board wipe (Blasphemous Act) or can bounce a lot (the charms and the multiple bounce Instants). If you play it right, you can make Chandra's ultimate play with a lot more subtlety than simply "lol I recur all my burn spells." Fun fact: Crosis's Charm, Grixis Charm, Rise//Fall, Cruel Ultimatum and Slave of Bolas are red spells.

Strengths:
-Strategic disruption
-Card advantage
-Surprise factor
-Combos aren't General-dependent

Weaknesses:
-Slow
-Lack of mana ramp in these colors

Strong against the following archetypes:
-Reanimation (bounce)
-From the hand combos (discard)

Weak against the following archetypes:
-Fast Voltron (situational; but if you can disrupt the Voltron combo you just might hold it off long enough)
-Swarms (creatures are all key pieces, and please don't even think about using Dralnu to block)
-White creature hate, as this bypasses the typical black immunity to black kill spells

**REVISION HISTORY**
Swaps:
-Valakut for Evolving Wilds
-Wipe Away for Well of Knowledge
-Black Sun's Zenith for Death Cloud
-Red Sun's Zenith for Molten Disaster
-Dread Return for Mindleech Mass
-Deny Reality for Liliana Vess
-Crosis's Charm for Wipe Away
-Silent Departure for Dread Return
-Wipe Away for Black Sun's Zenith (pulled one in a pack, hehe)

Deck Tags

  • EDH

Deck at a Glance

Social Stats

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This deck has been viewed 3,535 times.

Mana Curve

Mana Symbol Occurrence

03962280

Card Legality

  • Not Legal in Standard
  • Not Legal in Modern
  • Legal in Vintage
  • Legal in Legacy

Deck discussion for Nicol Bolas, Breaker of Minds

Pro tip, don't run Valakut in anything but mono red, won't draw enough mountains to activate in a tricoloured deck and just having it in play draws hate

0
Posted 03 January 2012 at 08:37

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Thanks, likely taking it out. It's not a real priority and I'm glad I didn't shell out $5 for one earlier today.

0
Posted 03 January 2012 at 11:30

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