Messages

[B]

Good suggestions!

I was considering white but opted not to, in light of the relatively few number of infect creatures in that color, plus none of them is insanely good.

Berserk... if only I had one...
Invigorate/Bonesplitter... excellent calls.

Play thus far has suggested that it's difficult to flood the board too quickly with these obnoxious critters, and board clearing has been important. But I may cut 1 or 2 of these sweepers.

I actually like the Swiftfoot Boots better than Greaves in this deck, so I can still target my own creatures with pump effects or equipment.

I am on the fence on Vector Asp; cheap is good BUT having to invest B every time I want to infect can be problemmatic.

Your call re: lands is also good, as there have been times when I've been drawing lands instead of useful spells... but there have been just as many times when I've gotten stuck at 1-2 lands short of what I needed to get going, so it's still unclear to me what the correct balance is; more playtesting should reveal that.

And here's another kitchen table brew, but I have a feeling it could be more...

// Lands
   1 Mishra's Factory
   1 Bayou
   5 Island
   7 Forest
   6 Swamp
   1 Terramorphic Expanse
   1 Overgrown Tomb
   1 Wasteland
   1 Tropical Island
   1 Watery Grave
   1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
   1 Twilight Mire
   1 Sunken Ruins
   1 Volrath's Stronghold
   1 Misty Rainforest
   1 Drowned Catacomb
   1 Inkmoth Nexus
   1 Flooded Grove
   1 Underground River
   1 Llanowar Wastes
   1 Yavimaya Coast

// Creatures
   1 Blight Mamba
   1 Glistener Elf
   1 Plague Myr
   1 Phyrexian Vatmother
   1 Phyrexian Swarmlord
   1 Phyrexian Juggernaut
   1 Phyrexian Hydra
   1 Necropede
   1 Ichorclaw Myr
   1 Ichor Rats
   1 Hand of the Praetors
   1 Plague Stinger
   1 Flesh-Eater Imp
   1 Flensermite
   1 Cystbearer
   1 Corpse Cur
   1 Contagious Nim
   1 Chained Throatseeker
   1 Blightwidow
   1 Blighted Agent
   1 Viridian Corrupter
   1 Thrummingbird
   1 Core Prowler
   1 Whispering Specter
   1 Putrefax
   1 Viral Drake
   1 Spinebiter
   1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
   1 Septic Rats
   1 Rot Wolf
   1 Reaper of Sheoldred
   1 Tangle Angler

// Spells
   1 Fact or Fiction
   1 Putrefy
   1 Ferocious Charge
   1 Giant Growth
   1 Demonic Tutor
   1 Diabolic Edict
   1 Decree of Pain
   1 Doom Blade
   1 Oblivion Stone
   1 Black Sun's Zenith
   1 Damnation
   1 Sensei's Divining Top
   1 Loxodon Warhammer
   1 Sword of Light and Shadow
   1 Sword of Fire and Ice
   1 Garruk Wildspeaker
   1 Rancor
   1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
   1 Carrion Call
   1 Grafted Wargear
   1 Corrupted Conscience
   1 Tezzeret's Gambit
   1 Steady Progress
   1 Contagion Engine
   1 Contagion Clasp
   1 Trigon of Infestation
   1 Swiftfoot Boots
   1 Worldly Tutor
   1 Beast Within
   1 Sword of Vengeance
   1 Krosan Grip
   1 Go for the Throat

(edit) - Phyrexian Crusader is an obvious inclusion; will swap it in for one of the less efficient creatures as soon as I get my hands on one.

Any thoughts?

What the heck... more updates...

-Dust Bowl
-Woodfall Primus
-Aura Shards
-Coldsteel heart

+Worldly Tutor
+Ghostway
+Sphere of the Suns
+Phyrexian Furnace

Check out the deck I posted in the Deck Clinic at:

http://www.magicplayer.org/forum/index.php?topic=508.0

I've made a few more changes since the last post there but it's very close to what I have now. Might see a few ideas there...

Tell them to improve their strategy by trying to mulligan into 7 lands.

Let us know how you do then :-)

lol 

Additional changes, and an update...

Changes:

-Forest         +Golgari Rot Farm
-Swamp          +Gruul Turf
-Mountain       +Rakdos Carnarium

-Despoil        +Befoul
-Melt Terrain   +Demolish
-Poison Well    +Lay Waste

Update: Even though this deck seems to be reasonably effective, I have serious doubts as to how often I will play it! On-line opponents show a distinct preference to simply not engage against a land-destruction deck (making sour-grapes remarks along the way), and even my son, when we play Highlander these days, specifically asks me not to play this deck simply because "it's no fun to play against."

But I suppose we all knew that already... 

[Fire Snake]

I would have suggested to cut black for Deus of calmity, but you play far too more black cards. So it's difficult what to suggest.

I did think of the Deus, but I actually don't have any... and, as you say, lots of black in here which I believe is pretty useful.

Here a few things that I would change:
+ fire snake                    - thresher beast   
+ avalanche rider           - Barbarian Riftcutter 
+ birds of paradise        - Scuttlemutt
+ Tarmogyof                   - Dirtcowl Wurm
+ Dwarven Blastminer   -Price of Glory   
+ Dwarven Miner            -Helldozer       

Fire Snake - I did look at this in my initial search but I have very few Portal cards. I MAY obtain this (can be had for US$0.05, before shipping costs... it is inexpensive, but inconvenient to go chasing after).
Avalanche Riders, Birds of Paradise - both in original decklist
Tarmogoyf - rarely a bad idea... probably will add this.
the Dwarves... I skipped over these originally because they are restricted to non-basic destruction, and much of my local metagame has plenty of basic lands... I will probably, however, add one of them.
Helldozer is indeed somewhat clumsy but he is a big guy and can handle both basics and non-basics... don't know...
I like the Scuttlemutt for some mana accel, and the color control can have a niche application here or there.
Dirtcowl and Riftcutter ... I liked the Wurm at first but he is less exciting now, and I am on the fence re: Riftcutter - he is very expensive for a 3/3 dude, and that he sacs for the LD is sub-par.... but he CAN stay in play until needed AND can whack a basic... hm...
Why don't you like the Thresher Beast or Price of Glory? The latter is especially good against control, and even against non-control slows down the other guy.

Oh - and I have removed 1 each of Forest, Swamp, and Mountain, and added Karplusan Forest, Llanowar Wastes, and Sulfurous Spring.

EDIT: also considering Crucible of Worlds, Primal Command...

And it is...

Lands (40 for mana production, incl. 3 wasteland effects))
    1 Reflecting Pool
    6 Forest
    6 Swamp
    9 Mountain
    1 Twilight Mire
    1 Graven Cairns
    1 Fire-Lit Thicket
    1 Terramorphic Expanse
    1 Jund Panorama
    1 Savage Lands
    1 Stomping Ground
    1 Maze of Ith
    1 Blood Crypt
    1 Overgrown Tomb
    1 Bayou
    1 Darigaaz's Caldera
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Ghitu Encampment
    1 Treetop Village
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

    1 Wasteland
    1 Tectonic Edge
    1 Dust Bowl

Creatures
    1 Shivan Wumpus
    1 Terravore
    1 Magnivore
    1 Birds of Paradise
    1 Thresher Beast
    1 Dirtcowl Wurm
    1 Argothian Wurm
    1 Scuttlemutt
    1 Helldozer
    1 Goblin Ruinblaster
    1 Goblin Gardener
    1 Fulminator Mage
    1 Faultgrinder
    1 Dwarven Driller
    1 Barbarian Riftcutter
    1 Avalanche Riders
    1 Acidic Slime
    1 Ravaging Horde
    1 Ogre Arsonist
    1 Eternal Witness

Spells: LD
    1 Wrecking Ball
    1 Wreak Havoc
    1 Winter's Grasp
    1 Thermokarst
    1 Reap and Sow
    1 Despoil
    1 Frenzied Tilling
    1 Icequake
    1 Creeping Mold
    1 Choking Sands
    1 Blight
    1 Aftershock
    1 Price of Glory
    1 Stone Rain
    1 Seismic Spike
    1 Roiling Terrain
    1 Raze
    1 Rancid Earth
    1 Rain of Tears
    1 Incendiary Command
    1 Poison the Well
    1 Plunder
    1 Pillage
    1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
    1 Molten Rain
    1 Melt Terrain
    1 Boom/Bust
   
Spells: other utility
    1 Darksteel Ingot
    1 Damnation
    1 Go for the Throat
    1 Decree of Pain
    1 Putrefy
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Debtors' Knell
    1 Profane Command
    1 Black Sun's Zenith
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Oblivion Stone   
    1 Terminate

Would love any suggestions. Yes there are some cards in here that are sub-optimal; please (if you can) provide possibilities for replacement. Thanks!   

A few tweaks from my original build...

-Avenger of Zendikar
-Ravaging Horde
-Snap
-Seal of Removal
-Genesis

+Loxodon Hierarch
+Amulet of Vigor
+Mimic Vat
+Oblivion Stone
+Familiar's Ruse

So far this deck does in fact seem kind of slow, but if I can stay in the game until maybe 5-6 lands are out then it appears to start coming together very effectively. But, yeah, in that kind of time frame it will have troubles against control/permission; I have no doubt.

I am expecting some friends tonight and I'll try to get a better idea of how it plays against actual decks... will try to let you know!

(Anybody have a Recurring Nightmare that he might be prepared to trade for??)

Interesting! Your deck has a significantly different feel and flow than what I have envisioned, although it looks very effective. A couple of your ETB creatures I did consider (Sower, Obstinate, a few more) I did consider but they did not make the current list.... which does not preclude them from a future improvement!

(edit) Recurring Nightmare WOULD be awesome, but I don't have any and I am not prepared to go chasing after one right now 

More playtesting tonight...

ETB is, of course, short for Comes into Play I mean Enters the Battlefield. The idea is to abuse various creatures' CIP/ETB effects. Five-color so far but I could undoubtedly be talked into reducing to 3 or 4 colors.

Lands (39)
    1 Steam Vents
    1 Blood Crypt
    1 Vivid Creek
    1 Marsh Flats
    1 Vivid Meadow
    1 Overgrown Tomb
    1 Arcane Sanctum
    1 Watery Grave
    1 Evolving Wilds
    1 Plains
    1 Tropical Island
    1 Godless Shrine
    1 Crumbling Necropolis
    1 Mountain
    1 Hallowed Fountain
    1 Misty Rainforest
    1 Arid Mesa
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Seaside Citadel
    1 Vivid Crag
    1 Sacred Foundry
    1 Forest
    1 Scalding Tarn
    1 Swamp
    1 Jungle Shrine
    1 Stomping Ground
    1 Vivid Marsh
    1 Mutavault
    1 Vivid Grove
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Island
    1 Bayou
    1 Plateau
    1 Rupture Spire
    1 Reflecting Pool
    1 Verdant Catacombs
    1 Savage Lands
    1 Wasteland
    1 Temple Garden

Creatures with ETB effects:

    1 Broodmate Dragon
    1 Blind Hunter
    1 Acidic Slime
    1 Avenger of Zendikar
    1 Augury Owl
    1 Angel of Despair
    1 AEther Adept
    1 Triskelion
    1 Shriekmaw
    1 Karmic Guide
    1 Gravedigger
    1 Mnemonic Wall
    1 Woodfall Primus
    1 Nekrataal
    1 Eternal Witness
    1 Sage of Epityr
    1 Man-o'-War
    1 Harmonic Sliver
    1 Riftwing Cloudskate
    1 Flametongue Kavu
    1 Siege-Gang Commander
    1 Ogre Arsonist
    1 Llanowar Empath
    1 Venser, Shaper Savant
    1 Ravaging Horde
    1 Kitchen Finks
    1 Duplicant
    1 Nevermaker (well, leave-play effect but okay)
    1 Skinrender
    1 Mulldrifter
    1 Wall of Omens
    1 Murderous Redcap
    1 Indrik Stomphowler
    1 Grave Titan

Bounce/Blink effects

    1 Galepowder Mage
    1 Kor Skyfisher
    1 Stonecloaker
    1 Glimmerpoint Stag
    1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
    1 Snap
    1 Crystal Shard
    1 Momentary Blink
    1 Seal of Removal
    1 Into the Roil
    1 Cloudstone Curio
    1 Venser, the Sojourner
    1 Echoing Truth
    1 Sunken Hope
    1 Flickerwisp

Other general utility

    1 Genesis
    1 Aura Shards
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Wrath of God
    1 Darksteel Ingot
    1 Day of Judgment
    1 Coldsteel Heart
    1 Putrefy
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Mortify
    1 Damnation

Feedback greatly appreciated...

I'm sure most of you have seen the announcement from WotC on their new EDH Commander stuff:

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/119k

Speculation on how/if this will impact the original Highlander format?

Thanks to Tiggupiru and Genesis for your input.

Good suggestions; but not sure I want to add another color as it then makes the early disruption much less certain. And although I also love the Hyppie/Ritual combo, the chances of having them  both in your opening hand in Highlander are pretty low.

Will definitely consider your remarks further... thanks again!

[25 Swamp]

Tweaks. Deletions in strikeouts; additions in bold.

Getting better(?) Playtesting so far suggests potential... any thoughts?

Lands (36)
   1 Wasteland
   1 Dust Bowl
   1 Tectonic Edge
   1 Spawning Pool
   1 Leechridden Swamp
   1 Cabal Coffers
   25 Swamp (+1)
   1 Maze of Ith
   1 Barren Moor
   1 Mutavault
   1 Mishra's Factory
   1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
   1 Polluted Mire
   1 Dread Statuary

Discard
   1 Augur of Skulls
   1 Oona's Prowler
   1 Mindslicer
   1 Hag Hedge-Mage
   1 Bloodhusk Ritualist
   1 Hypnotic Specter
   1 Abyssal Nocturnus
   1 Ravenous Rats
   1 Silent Specter
   1 Hollow Specter
   1 Guul Draz Specter
   1 Abyssal Specter
   1 Shimian Specter
   1 Order of Yawgmoth
   1 Scepter of Fugue
   1 Blackmail
   1 Wrench Mind
   1 Hymn to Tourach
   1 Stupor
   1 Thoughtseize
   1 Duress
   1 Inquisition of Kozilek
   1 Distress
   1 Liliana Vess
   1 Unburden
   1 Mind Shatter
   1 Liliana's Specter
   1 Funeral Charm
   1 Raven's Crime

Synergy with Discard
   1 Megrim
   1 Quest for the Nihil Stone
   1 Rise from the Grave
   1 Animate Dead
   1 Beacon of Unrest
   1 Sign in Blood
   1 Liliana's Caress
   1 The Rack
   1 Rackling

Other
   1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
   1 Magus of the Coffers
   1 Faerie Macabre
   1 Creakwood Liege
   1 Helldozer
   1 Stillmoon Cavalier
   1 Visara the Dreadful
   1 Shriekmaw
   1 Graveborn Muse
   1 Withered Wretch
   1 Nekrataal
   1 Relic of Progenitus
   1 Tormod's Crypt
   1 Scrabbling Claws
   1 Decree of Pain
   1 Hideous End
   1 Hideous Laughter
   1 Sensei's Divining Top
   1 Phyrexian Furnace
   1 Demonic Tutor
   1 Diabolic Tutor
   1 Damnation
   1 Shred Memory
   1 Phyrexian Arena
   1 Chainer's Edict
   1 Night's Whisper
   1 Rend Flesh
   1 Bitterblossom
   1 Consuming Vapors
   1 Crucible of Worlds
   1 Chill to the Bone
   1 Dark Ritual
    1 Unmake