KeeganG

Tried to respond but my phone died. Not rewriting everything I had to say, but thanks for he comment, all good points.

Masticore synergizes with discard outlets as a recursive creature. Also serves as fling on a stick sacrificing gearhulk or colossus. It's not great, but the ceiling is high and I need a turn 4 play that doesn't require ramp.

Speaking of ramp, monument is super important for the deck as a way to dish extra lands, fuel the manland, ramp into colossus, and ramp into turn 4 glorybringer against Chandra/ Gideon or sin prodder holding up abrade.

I've seen key to the city in a few colossus builds and I like it for two reasons. A. Card filtering in a 24 land deck is super important. And B. Pushing through damage via fling, unblockable, or trample needs to happen against UW monument, BW aggro, and abzan tokens. I think I'll drop down to 3, 4 is a bit much.

I'm not a fan of hedron archive as it only really helps to cast a cheap colossus when my other ramp allows me to cast my threats ahead of schedule and gives me early turn plays, something this deck is mostly lacking.

Chandra would be great (as would a splash) but I'm sticking to a budget.

I really like the idea of flagship. Adding at least 1.

infernal plunge is super interesting. Not sure if this is the deck for it, but i can imagine playing it in some sort of edlrazi token build as a ramp spell alongside bloodbriar

nice deck! I love hagra and splendid, so much fun. Here's my list if you're looking to compare: http://www.mtgvault.com/keegang/decks/jund-reclaim-the-tower/

I suggest adding some tireless trackers and possibly playing more lands (extra warped landscapes maybe?) to really get the most out of splendid.

I might try a version like this. I feel like I would need to mainboard unearth and more bloodghast, then add another discard outlet like putrid imp. I've also considered a GB beatdown version of the deck that plays goyfs, putrid leeches, and skull briar... not sure if the fair version works? Contamination is the glue that keeps the deck together.

Dismember could maybe make the cut... or go for the throat. I'm not sure how often i'll need to kill opponent's creatures if I can race. I can certainly see a turn two tarmagoyf being a problem....

Like this deck for the mana curve.

The deck is surprisingly delicate to board wipes, depending on your board state. If you're going in on the wharf infiltrator plan, you really don't want to lose the 3/2s you've been slowly accumulating. I haven't tested the spirits extensively, but i have a feeling that against controlling kozilek's return/fumigate decks, it will prove useful.

That's perfect. You're perfect.

Thank you.

Good point. Funny coincidence that we're both named Keegan; I don't think i've ever met someone with the same name. I think that i'll test matter reshaper as a 3-of, and if it doesn't perform, I'll switch into flayer drones, Kozilek's Shriekers, or Eldrazi Obligators. If I really want to focus on shortening my clock and safeguard against flood, I could consider sludge crawler. If I want to shift my strategy toward exiling cards, I could main deck transgress the minds and complete disregards and run a few wasteland stranglers, but this seems more conducive to a midrange strategy. I like the idea of boosting the effectiveness of sea-gate wreckage by running a more aggressive curve, and that overextending is not as much of a problem when I can draw two each turn. I've seen some lists play gorge over fen; and it seems entirely reasonable for the reason you've stated and because edicts lose so much value later in the game. My thought process behind fen is that it gives me an unconditional way to take care of my opponents large creature that I can't otherwise kill outside of combat. That, and the fact that I'm running no flyers and will likely play against esper dragons. I may be wrong, but it seems like one of esper dragons' strategies is to drop one flier and then protect it with counter magic as it attacks for the win. This nicely circumvents that plan of attack. I could see taking out the tomb of the spirit dragon for a blighted gorge, and just running two tombs in SB (I think tomb is relevant enough against aggressive decks to want in certain match ups). Tell me what you think. Also, what about SB? I just kind of threw together some cards that seem good in certain match ups, but nothing is set in stone.

Thanks for the comment! This deck will be my debut into standard (i've been drafting and playing legacy for the past five years), so i'm unsure of exactly where the current standard meta stands and what cards I should plan to face. The deck will certainly undergo some adjustments as I figure these things out.

My chief concern with forerunner is the black red cost on turn two. Because I'm running the 3 matter reshapers and 4 thought-knots, I need to consistently have a colorless source by turn 3. Besides that, I'm currently running 8 other two drops (if we categorize bearer as a two- i'd of course rather cast it on turn 4), and I have a strong turn two play in playing and equipping ghost fire blade or clearing a blocker with spatial contortion. A 3/2 for two is excellent, don't get me wrong, and the ability to give mid-late games creatures haste is great, but it pales in comparison to the value of my other two drops and loses value in multiples. In defense of main board thought knot seer, the card's effect is better than vendillion clique's, and it's stapled onto a 4/4 body. Sure, it doesn't attack well into siege rhino or tasigur, but that's the reason ghostfire blade and ruins of oran-reif excel in this deck. I think that having the ability to grab my opponent's best card in hand (in exchange for a random card later on) will prove useful in many if not all match ups. Vile aggregate is in here purely as a meta call. It blocks some of the best creatures in the format and survives all playable burn. If my opponent uses hard removal to kill it, big deal. I traded a three drop for removal and am happy about it. This brings me to my next point: matter reshaper is an excellent magic card. It replaces itself: that's huge! Card advantage is any player's top advantage, and having an attacker that trades early or eats removal but produces another creature or at least another card in its wake fares well in almost any situation from the perspective of card economy. I agree that the flayer drones might not be worth it, but the incremental effect of dealing damage and the three power first strike makes it an appealing inclusion. Perhaps I'll cut these for two more slaughters? I'll see how they do in play testing. And lastly, about reality smasher. I don't know that I want to see a 5 drop in my opening hand all too often, which is why i'm running 3 instead of 4. I crushed my opponents with this card in sealed, so I know how powerful it is. If I feel that my creatures just get outclassed too quickly in the current meta, I will upgrade to a fourth. 5/5 is the sweet spot in standard.

Now a question for you: how do you feel about dust stalker? I'm not crazy about the 3 toughness and the fact that i'm already running thought-knot and bearer as turn 4 plays, but a hasty 5 on turn 4 is nothing to joke about. Thoughts?

Bloodchief ascension is great, but I couldn't resist pairing it with mindcrank for the combo. Baleful omen is just too much mana for not impacting the board immediately and only having the potential to hit. Debtors knell seems much better at that mana cost.

Thanks for the comment!

I don't know if I need ascension with sigil, but I've considered It and sacred Mesa as wincons.
None of the gods really stand out to me except for Keranos and Xenagos, and those both didn't make the cut.

Sphere and propaganda effects might be added To beat tokens and Kiki combo. I think I prefer propaganda to sphere since it's 2 mana less and accomplishes basically the same goal. Teferi' moat is also on my radar. I think greater auramancy is overkill since position and grove do it better (and its a 12 dollar card). Debtor's knell could be the win con I'm looking for; I'll start testing it now. The archetypes and asceticsm would do better in a creature heavy version, but might just doesn't need them. Auras that give Cromat a shorter clock at interesting.... I'll
Need to test just how effective he is at voltron on his own. I think I'd prefer running the bant exalted enchantment (can't remember name) as it works better with kozy, narset, and maelstrom. I'm considering leyline of sanctity but need to determine whether or not it's worth it. Thanks for the comment!

First order of business, producing mana from non-land sources. In addition to what you're currently running, i'd suggest gilded lotus, thran dynamo, and mana vault. When you lose all your lands, these will provide the greatest opportunity for a comeback; all are better than the diamonds and the cluestone (dark steel ingot is probably better than clue anyway).

Since Nick's deck likes board wipes as well as land wipes, I'd be very selective in which creatures you run and how many. Creatures to cut: Elvish mystic is probably unnecessary with your artifacts. Hooded hydra doesn't do much with your big mana although it is good in hydra tribal (same with sprouting hydra); also, morphs need to be run in multiples for any sort of illusion to work. Phyrexian Hydra is really unnecessary outside of dedicated infect. Simic guildmage isn't very impressive, and zameck guildmage is kind of borderline. I see the laboratory maniac, enter the infinite, omniscience combo... if you really want to run, I say go for it, but it can be a glass cannon. Simic manipulator seems good in theory but I don't think he'll perform.

Creatures (and other stuff) to add: If you find a way to build around sage of hours, that would be awesome. Increasing savagery, blessings of nature, hunter's insight, soul's majesty, and any good auras might help with that. Mossbridge Troll could be really cool in this deck. Tilling tree folk and life from the loam do well against LD. Creeping renaissance naming land works. Paetor's Council is bomb. Thadda Adel can yank Nick's artifacts before he can play them. Far wanderings is the perfect card to come back from an LD strike. Seedguide Ash grabs a bunch of lands post LD. Meloku, the clouded mirror both creates tokens and protects your lands; I'd play it with explore or burgeoning for maximum effectiveness (those two cards are really solid on their own, too). Soratami Savant and Uyo, Silent profit can pull lands for good effects. Time stop can end the turn with spells on the stack so they don't resolve- It's basically a multipurpose counter spell. Glen-eldandra arch mage is insanely good at delaying LD. Yavimaya Elder excels at restoring land bases. Eternal witness should be in here. Solidarity of heroes synergizes nicely with this deck. Stroke of genius and other X draw spells benefit from big mana- I'd recommend 1 or two of them. Mystic snake is a nice counter spells, as is voidslime. I like coiling oracle in my simic decks as an early game value creature. Trygon predator rips up Nick's deck, I highly recommend it. Momir Vig serves as a nice tutor for utility creatures and game enders. On that note, Acidic slime is the perfect utility creature, an auto include in most green decks. Although creeping corrosion and bane of progress can set you back on mana, they're the bane of Nick's deck; no artifacts means no land destruction.

In general, i'd up the count on draw spells, counter spells, kill spells, (reality shift, pongify, and rapid hybridization are probably better than fight cards) add in other control spells like capsize and cyclonic rift, and really temper the creature section. Especially spend some time considering the balance between utility, versatility, and haymaker-quality; a good combination produces consistency, which is what you're ultimately going for. I hate to say it, but the best way to beat land destruction is to counter land destruction; this might end up as a control deck, first and foremost.

R.I.P. land destruction.

Nick, no hard feelings.

Glad someone brought that up. As far as Stax commanders are concerned, I'd pick something that puts you on the beat down/voltron plan- such as drana- with stax playing the secondary role of locking your opponents out of the game. Ob Nixilis the unshackled is a really nice option as both a Stax and Voltron commander with a build around sacrifice matters theme; you can get extra value out of an attrition, contamination, smokestacks, etc. Just helped my roommate build the deck and it's been cleaning up in multiplayer EDH.

Panoptic Mirror is unfortunately banned. Good looking deck otherwise

Those all seem like reasonable additions so i'll respond to each.

I'd love to run extraplanar with snow islands, and/or gauntlet, but both those options are too expensive for me. I'm currently building four EDH decks, and this is supposed to be the least expensive.

Quicksilver Fountain is really interesting and I'm a sucker for Stax; I'll give it a try. My instincts tell me that torpor, opposition, and back to basics are enough, but nonetheless.

I'll probably add Bident. I talked myself out of playing it originally, don't know why, but i'll test it now.

I'm fine with polymorph, it was in first version to complement proteus staff, but i'd rather just run one. If the tuck rule hadn't been amended (I'm so salty) I'd definitely run poly.

Not a huge fan of three mana counter spells, but they may have a place. Only testing will tell.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Well, looks like you broke the format.

I'm going to work on finding space for Furystoke giant. The persist is what really sells him in my mind.

The How to Play makes the deck, IMO.
Read the Bones is excellent, can't believe I overlooked it.
I'd have a tough time parting with the efficiency and effectiveness of swiftfoot boots for the mask, so i'll stick with the boots for now.
Fire shrieker is a card i've seriously considered before... It's kind of expensive for mana cost, but I do agree that it's devastatingly good, perhaps more so than Loxodon warhammer. When I do buy this deck after testing, I'm slipping in a few more expensive cards that I own like the basilisk collar, and i'd feel comfortable with running 1 lifelink enabler, possibly cutting war hammer for shrieker.

Thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated!

Be sure to check out my other EDH decks and i'll take a look at yours.