I am CONVINCED that I have the most competitive Kozilek deck on this planet. I would be happy to be proven wrong, though.
Probably the single one deck I've spent most of my deckbuilding/-tuning time on. I started out as a green mage originally, eventually discovering blue. My favorite format turned out to be Vintage. Kozilek just embodies all of these aspects perfectly, while also being colorless, making deckbuilding of a consinstent deck around him... or... it... her?... a true challenge.
This is my baby ;)
This IS a combo-control deck, with a grindy and/or combo win.
It is very teched-out, meaning that if you study this deck for long enough, you will see more and more of how many cool combos there are here. It is surprisingly difficult to play. There are about 150-200 (yep) very nice and useful 2-3 card combos, mostly due to being able to play a ton of utility lands and utility Mana rocks.
Due to the singleton nature of Commander, I won't list them. But you can probaly tell that I went for a lot of ramp (cheap rocks >>> cmc3+ rocks ; {t}: add {2+} > everything else ; cmc3,add{1} rocks must have very good utility; cmc2, add 1 creatures are almost too slow and too vulnerable to destruction. You could definitely go for an all-Mana rock Kozilek build efficiently) to cast Kozilek early and refill my hand, aswell as all the best artifacts you can possibly abuse with Unwinding Clock originally, aswell as Paradox Engine since Aether Revolt.
PROS:
- Consistent Ramp, the maximum amount of early ramp is included
- You don't need a single card draw spell in your 99 - every card you play replaces itself
- I'd consider about 25+% of all starting hands to be insane
- You always have Kozilek as a payoff in your Command Zone, effectively turning your mana rocks into Time Walks (+1 or more Mana, +/- 0 cards) or counterspells
- Disregarding card advantage in order to cast Kozilek is generally good, because of the cast trigger leaving your opponents with much fewer answers to the card draw
- You are happy with your Commander being destroyed, although
- Having Kozilek on the board is a big deal, since representing colorless, 0 Mana, 1 for 1 counterspells that aren't actually spells (basically uncounterable), aswell as a 2 turn clock per player is very strong
CONS:
- Null Rod and Stony Silence... You only have 1 (3) answers, being Spine of Ish Sah (Ugin and All is Dust against Stony Silence)... Hoping for a land or a cheaper card that deals with either of those to be printed :)
- Back to Basics and mass artifact destruction/exiling
- Nevermore and Meddling Mage - type cards
- Not a lot of "action cards", since you're aiming for extremely consistent ramp and emptying your hand. 79 cards are there for almost only the Mana and of the 20 "action cards", 5 are there for card filtering. From the 15 action cards left, you want to hit one of 11 cards to win the game with, since the last 4 cards are answers outside of lands.
- This deck is mostly hit or miss. Either you have a great turn one or turn two hand, or you fail (in competitive). Thank god for the free Mulligan!
- An all-permanent, mostly-artifact deck is vulnerable to a lot of removal, although I'm staying away from creatures, currently
- Generally Mana-inefficient tutoring and removal. You're aiming for a lot - if not infinite Mana, which is hard, because
- You're very limited in the cards you're able to play, because you're colorless. Colorless cards do everything any color does, but at a much higher Mana cost. The most heartbreaking case of cards I'm "not allowed" to play is Chrome Mox :',-(((((
- The best Mana rocks are already printed and mostly considered to be broken and unprintable by today's standards. Good news: Moxen are a 4 on Mark Rosewater's Storm Scale, while a new Lotus is an 8 ("4: Will most likely do again, but they have issues that make them less of a guarantee"; https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Storm_Scale ; http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/46766884429/moxen-on-storm-scale ; http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/68323616425/entirely-new-mox-andor-lotus-cards-on-the-storm)
In a competitive scene, colorless decks are mostly underrated, because you could replace very inefficient colorless cards with cheaper and potentially broken alternatives (Demonic Tutor for Ring of Three Wishes for instance). So, when playing a colorless deck, you HAVE TO play many rocks, and you have to have a commander who's worth building around.
Kozilek just makes the rocks act like Time Walks ([+ >=1 Mana,] replaces itself), and he provides the ability to counter every spell (determines the deck to be some kind of control, so that countering with Kozilek is not the only way to answer... basically everything).
A significant strength of a colorless deck is, that all your "basics" have a relevant ability attached to them. Sometimes they have game-turning effects, which you would normally not dedicate a card slot in your deck to. This is, objectively seen, the only advantage colorless commander decks can have over colored commander decks. [...], so playing actual Wastes is not only not worth it, but it actually makes your deck A LOT weaker. Non-basic hate you say? Look at all the Mana rocks! :)
Although I've listed the deck as a 1v1 Commander deck aswell (non-french), it's much more optimized for a 1v2 and 1v3 environment. To check out different versions, visit...:
Considerable cards:
http://www.mtgvault.com/mrunbelievable/decks/all-in-kozilek-combo-sb/
MULLIGAN RELATIVELY AGGRESSIVELY, Ramp, cast Kozilek and/or assemble
Unwinding Clock/Paradox Engine/Clock of Omens + Planar Portal/Planar Bridge
[... do whatever you see fits...]
to win the game!
If you find yourself to going off with
#0 Metalworker and Staff of Domination on turn 2, look for
#1 Paradox Engine/Clock of Omens/[Rings of Brighthearth+Voltaic Key] with Magistrate's Scepter
or
#2 Mindslaver (((+ Rings of Brighthearth))) and either Trading Post + any untapper to take infinite turns in two different ways!
#0 First of all, Metalworker + at least 3 artifacts in hand and a Staff of Domination in play is infinite life, mana and card draw. You want to cast Kozilek so that you're able to counter any opposition.
#1 Magistrate's Scepter pretty much gives away the plan here. RoB+Key is infinite untaps of anything (with infinite mana), since you can choose new targets for the copy, being Voltaic Key itself.
#2 Choosing new copies for an activated ability is also nice on a Mindslaver. Trading Post, while being an instant win with Kozilek-Mana and Paradox Engine (Play your spells, discard your lands unless you have an active Walking Atlas, cast Kozilek, sacrifice Kozilek, repeat the process), gets back your Mindslaver again and again and again... and again.
There are definitely ways to even win on turn one, which would start with like...
Mishra's Workshop, Mana Crypt, Paradox Engine, Mox Opal... ... ... cast Kozilek........
or ways of casting Kozilek on turn one with like...
Lion's Eye Diamond, a land that taps for {2}, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Lotus Petal ...
... but I've inclued cards like Lotus Bloom AND Lotus Blossom to at least do my best of ensuring a turn 4 or 5 Kozilek at the latest.
Card choice explanations:
CATEGORY 1; Rocks, Lands or Rituals that produce 1 or more mana when cast successfully (I will subtract produced mana on lands by 1). I want all of these cards, which were ever printed, in the deck to maximize the chance of dropping Kozilek on turn one. There are more ways to cast Kozilek or even win on turn one, including infinite Mana Combos or Paradox Engine, but that doesn't count here:
#0.1 Paradox Engine: From -5 to +infinite Mana on turn one
#0.2 Helm of Awakening: + up to 5 Mana (8 cards in hand; 0 land or 7 spells, 1 land, since in the first case, you'd need at least one of the 8 cards to produce 2 mana, to cast Helm. Helm can only produce 5 Mana turn one if you cast Kozilek ) While it possibly produces the most mana in the deck, it obviously helps my opponents, unless they mostly play one-drops or Mana symbol intensive spells, which are rare. Don't cast it unless you can break it the turn it comes into play. Helm is obviously hit or miss and can therefore never be #1
#0.3 Jhoira's Familiar: Same as Helm, just costing 2 more and thus only producing up to +3 Mana
#1 Lion's Eye Diamond: + 3 Mana = Black Lotus + "discard your hand, then draw seven cards". Strictly better with THIS version of Kozilek ( 7 > 4 )
#2 Mishra's Workshop: + 2 Mana Although not strong with Kozilek on it's own, Workshop often "translates" it's Mana into generic Mana with the help of Mana rocks. Apart from broken stuff like Workshop into Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Voltaic Key, Basalt Monolith is probably the biggest payoff.
#3 Mana Crypt: + 2 Mana
#4 Mana Vault: + 2 Mana
#5 Sol RIng: + 1 Mana
#6 Grim Monolith: + 1 Mana
#7 Mox Diamond: + 1 Mana
#8 Mox Opal: + 1 Mana
#9 Lotus Petal: +1 Mana
#10 Voltaic Key: + up to 1 Mana (casting an Everflowing Chalice on 4, Metalworker or having a Doubling Cube with more than 7 mana are ways to make Key tap for more than 1) - Given infinite Mana, Key + Rings of Brighthearth allows you infinite untaps of any artifact as the only card in the deck (Paradox Engine + Clock of Omens + Trading Post + anything to cast over and over again works aswell).
#11 Ancient Tomb: + 1 Mana
#12 City of Traitors: +1 Mana
#13 Eldrazi Temple: +1 Mana
#14 Eye of Ugin: + 1 Mana
#15 Crystal Vein: +1 Mana
#16 Gemstone Caverns: either + 0 or + 1 Mana. Especially good for exiling redundant Planar Portals from your hand
#17 Candelabra of Tawnos: + up to 1 Mana turn 1. At worst, Candelabra does nothing. Generally, though, it at worst at least gives utility with good lands that tap for an effect
#18 Krark-Clan Ironworks can produce up to 12 mana turn one aswell (sac 8 articats, including itself, turn one without having a land in hand). Generally it's here for an all-in attempt to cast Kozilek. It makes Lotus Petal strictly better and combo's with Spine of Ish Sah. You can also, obviously, cast cmc0 and cmc1 spells you won't need in the future to produce Mana with Ironworks, which is great!
- 21 cards
CATEGORY 2; Fair Mana Rocks. The backbone of this deck is actually the cmc2 slot. It allows you to play a cmc4 rock next turn and 4 drops in general are very important to this deck:
#1 Metalworker: taps for insane amounts of Mana. Goes infinite with Staff of Domination aswell as Paradox Engine (because Kozilek draws artifacts)
Palladium Myr: Worn Powerstone on a stick. Too efficient not to inculde
Walking Atlas: Empties your hand and the amount of Mana it effectively taps for increases each turn, if you can consistently play 2 lands a turn. If you only used Atlas once to put an extra land into play and if you play a land per turn afterwards, it will forever tap for one mana, even if destroyed. Even when it does nothing before you cast Kozilek, it will definitely be good after you've cast him. When having Petrified Field + Rings of Brighthearth, you can use sac-land effects up to 6 times per turn without untap effects. Walking Atlas allows for some tricks to happen ;)
Basalt Monolith: Crazy good ramp, also goes infinite with Rings of Brighthearth. It becomes a CATGEORY 1 card with Helm of Awakening, although it basically let's Helm produce one more mana
Chromatic Lantern: Can tap for up to 3 mana for Kozilek: Mishra's Workshop and Eye of Ugin. It also gives Untaidake the ability to produce 1 mana being able to be spent on everything
Coalition Relic: Usually taps for 2 but it can be increased with Voltaic Key, Clock of Omens and Unwinding Clock (Paradox Engine doesn't really count)
Coldsteel Heart: The second worst cmc 2 Rock I play. I just have to play it...
Doubling Cube: This one's fun! Yes, it only taps for Mana if you already have 7 or more, but that's exactly what this deck needs consistently: Getting to 10 mana from 8 Mana. If you have 10 mana and this in hand, it becomes a free spell. Also: Doubling Mishra's Workshop-, Untaidake- or Eldrazi Temple Mana makes the doubled Mana usable on ANYTHING.
Dreamstone Hedron: Barely playable, since it gets you from 6 to 10 mana next turn, given another land drop or CATEGORY 1 card. Being a triple Mind Stone is just upside. I have definitely drawn 6 cards for 5 Mana with this and Rings of Brighthearth before.
Everflowing Chalice: At worst it's an untapped cmc2, add{1} Rock and it can be a third copy of Sisay's Ring and Ur-Golem's Eye, aswell as a cmc0 sorcery that says "untap all nonland permanents you control" (Paradox Engine) which, in total, makes it instantly playable.
Fellwar Stone: Better than a tapped rock and I can make it tap for Mana with Urborg :D In 25% of all turn ones it's horrible, if you need the 1 mana, which makes it still better than any tapped rock, though (given you cant cast a Paradox Engine turn one)
Fractured Powerstone: untapped cmc2 add{1} rock
Gilded Lotus: Getting from 5 to 8 mana is very good, given the amount of cards in CATEGORY 1
Guradian Idol: A tapped cmc2, add{1} rock with upside...
Ur-Golem's Eye: Just necessary to have. Every add {2} rock makes Voltaic Key tap for {1}, aswell
Sisay's Ring: ^
Hedron Archive: Double Mind Stone. Strictly better than Ur-Golem's Eye and Sisay's RIng
Honor-Worn Shaku: A very underestimated Mana rock. Makes Eye of Ugin (and Untaidake, if needed) TAP for {1} aswell as your Commander and seven other permanents (Mox Opal excluded)
Jeweled Amulet: This deck lacks one-drops. This is one. There you go^^ (It get's you from 1 to 3 Mana)
Lotus Bloom: The worst ramp card in the deck. Bloom is generally much worse than a cmc2 add {1} rock, since that rock could've accelerated you to more expensive mana rocks, often casting Kozilek earlier than turn 4. It still made the cut because it's genrally better than the 4th land drop (I took out a land for it and the math basically didn't change)
Lotus Blossom: Basically a tapped cmc2 add{1} rock with up- AND downsides. It's only really bad with Paradox Engine in comparison to other cmc2 rocks, but I already play all of them.
Mind Stone: The best cmc2 add{1} rock there is
Pyramid of the Pantheon: A much worse Thran Dynamo (costs 4 in total, taps for 3). Upsides; It' one of the very few cmc1 cards (Kozilek's countering ability), it get's online much faster with cards like Voltaic Key, Clock of Omens, Unwinding Clock (Unwinding Clock+Pyramid of the Pantheon+ 2 mana in artifacts makes Pyramid already tap for 3 on your turn 2) and Paradox Engine.
Thran Dynamo: A strictly better Gilded Lotus (here)
Worn Powerstone: Strictly better than any cmc4 add{2} rock