[EDH] Ghost Council of Orzhova

[badjuju]

Hey guys,

Back again with another list. Been experimenting with the Oros deck I took apart. Razia works fine, but when looking through RBW generals, I came across a general that was worth building around.

LANDS
Scrubland
Godless Shrine
Caves of Koilos
Orzhov Basilica
Fetid Heath
Tainted Field
Marsh Flats
Windswept Heath
Polluted Delta
Bloodstained Mire
Barren Moor
Secluded Steppe
Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Kor Haven
Eiganjo Castle
Strip Mine
Springjack Pasture
Urza's Factory
Bojuka Bog
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Mistveil Plains
Flagstones of Trokair
8 Plains
8 Swamps

ARTIFACTS
Crucible of Worlds
Sol Ring
Orzhov Signet
Darksteel Ingot
Coalition Relic
Sensei's Divining Top
Mind's Eye

WALKERS
Liliana Vess
Elspeth, Knight Errant

TOKEN GENERATORS
Decree of Justice
Mobilization
Sacred Mesa
Luminarch Ascension
Bitter Blossom

CREATURES
Angel of Despair
Adarkar Valkyrie
Archon of Justice
Blazing Archon
Desolation Angel
Reya Dawnbringer
Twilight Shepherd
Karmic Guide
Academy Rector
Auramancer
Butcher of Malakir
Puppeteer Clique

SPOT REMOVAL
Disenchant
Return to Dust
Ray of Distortion
Vindicate
Mortify
Condemn
Swords to Plowshares
Oblation
Oblivion Ring
Faith's Fetters
Enslave
Evangelize

SWEEPERS
Wrath of God
Damnation
Hallowed Burial
Rout
Kirtar's Wrath
Austere Command
Akroma's Vengeance (cuttable - want to keep our enchantments. Barter in Blood?)
Martial Coup

GEDDON EFFECTS
Catastrophe
Armageddon

UTILITY
Yawgmoth's Will
Mind Twist
Identity Crisis
Vampiric Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Diabolic Tutor
Idyllic Tutor (Beseech the Queen?)
Syphon Mind
Phyrexian Arena
Phyrexian Reclamation
Rise from the Grave
Beacon of Unrest
Debtor's Knell

- The deck is a board control one (much like my other EDH decks). Sweep the board over and over, backed by token generators that allow GCO to evade messy situations quite handily.
- Combined with amazing CIP creatures like Puppeteer Clique or Desolation Angel, you can constantly sac and then bring them back with cards like Phyrexian Reclamation, Debtor's Knell, or Reya Dawnbringer.
- Every creature in here either has a broken CIP or death effect, especially Academy Rector! Actually, I pretty much go for Rector -> GCO -> sac Rector -> Debtor's Knell as often as I can.
- Large games usually end with a well-timed Armageddon or Desolation Angel, followed by GCO + Angel beats.
- White offers the answers to problematic artifacts / enchantments that my Xiahou Dun deck fell short of, so it's reassuring to know that you have outs.

It's been performing admirably - let me know what you guys think.

[Nidd]

How about Storm Herd for some really mad token production?

I have a similiar EDH deck, but it uses Teysa as a general and has a much stronger lifegain engine. It doesn't focus that much on tokens, though.

[badjuju]

I had it in my list originally, but I try to shy away from one shot token production. That's why I cut stuff like Conqueror's Pledge, Emeria Angel, and Skeletal Vampire. I want stuff that combos well with wrath effects - I don't want to lose my token generation abilities with it.

I would play Teysa too but ever since Painter was banned... :(

[badjuju]

Played this deck a few more times since I last posted, and it is probably quickly becoming my new multiplayer favorite (sorry Xiahou Dun!). The ability to deal with artifacts and enchantments really is a luxury that MBC will never be able to achieve. Anyways, there were a few pitfalls with the deck that I think can be easily avoided. For the most part, the deck was performing admirably, but the main issue is really the curve. It's unusually high and extremely mana intensive. I almost want to up the land count to 40 and run more land fetchers like Journeyer's Kite and Land Tax.

Here's a list of stuff that COULD possibly go in (yes, this is a lot of shit):

Innocent Blood
Chainer's Edict
Barter in Blood
Night's Whisper
Eternal Dragon
Skeletal Vampire
Nezumi Graverobber
Journeyer's Kite
Righteous Aura
Orzhov Guildmage
Twisted Abomination
Coldsteel Heart
Demonic Collusion
Mind Shatter
Sadistic Sacrament
Weathered Wayfarer
Brood of Cockroaches
Kjeldoran Outpost
World Queller
Faceless Butcher
Kor Kartographer
Solemn Simulacrum
Necrotic Sliver
Nether Traitor
Bloodghast
Skullclamp
Skeletal Vampire
Idyllic Tutor
Land Tax
Salt Flats
Flooded Strand
Polluted Mire
Drifting Meadow

I think of this list, these are the ones I want in most:

+Night's Whisper
+Journeyer's Kite
+Brood of Cockroaches
+Skeletal Vampire
+Land Tax (Weathered Wayfarer - at least he can be sacced)
+Salt Flats
+Flooded Strand

I'm looking to probably cut:

-Butcher of Malakir
-Blazing Archon
-Swords to Plowshares
-Akroma's Vengeance
-Decree of Justice
-(Plains)
-(Swamp)

I also haven't been liking Phyrexian Reclamation as much, but that's mostly cause my creatures are so expensive to cast that I don't have the resources to constantly abuse it (like I can with Xiahou Dun). I kinda like the idea of disposable creatures too, like Nether Traitor, Brood of Cockroaches, Reliquary Monk, and Faceless Butcher. The current creatures I have, while strong beaters, just don't synergize that well with my deck.

Any thoughts here?

[Sheldama]

I am thinking about adding Ink-eyes to my Ghost Council list cause of the interaction with the ETB dudes (Karmic Guide, Angel of Despair, Twilight, you get the idea). Needles to say it helps with Ghost dad too with recuring their dudes and then rinse/repeat by saccing them to Ghosty. A card that draws a ton of hate but it very effective for me has been Wound reflection also. I tried to be all cute with Wound Reflection and Sanguine Bond but the bond has yet to work for me. just my 2cents