PDA

View Full Version : Grand Arbiter Augustin IV EDH



fusionshogun
06-15-2010, 12:08 AM
Hello. I'm new to these forums, but I've been playing EDH for a while now. I mostly play Arcum Dagsson or Vendilion Clique. Recently my friends suggested I make a different deck, so I decided to try out Grand Arbiter Augustin IV. This deck has a difficult time winning so far, in testing, but it is pretty excellent at slowing down the game. It's meant for multiplayer, simply because it doesn't have enough game vs. Vendilion Clique in 1 vs. 1. Any suggestions would be sweet.

1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV

1 Arcanis the Omnipotent
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Sun Titan
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Hanna, Ship's Navigator
1 Venser, Shaper Savant

1 Smokestack
1 Tangle Wire
1 Winter Orb
1 Static Orb
1 Sphere of Resistance
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Kismet
1 Frozen Aether
1 Rising Waters
1 Dream Tides
1 Collective Restraint
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Propaganda
1 Rhystic Study
1 Aether Barrier
1 Karmic Justice
1 In the Eye of Chaos
1 Invoke Prejudice
1 Stasis
1 Land Equilibrium
1 Erratic Portal
1 Crystal Shard
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Scroll Rack
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Idyllic Tutor
1 Fabricate
1 Intuition
1 Replenish
1 Mind Over Matter
1 Luminarch Ascension
1 Power Artifact
1 Sunder
1 Cataclysm
1 Catastrophe
1 Armageddon
1 Ravages of War
1 Wrath of God
1 Return to Dust
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Cloud Key
1 Sapphire Medallion
1 Pearl Medallion
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Coalition Relic
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Grim Monolith
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Gilded Lotus

1 Tundra
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Azorious Chancery
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Dust Bowl
1 Mouth of Ronom
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Mystic Gate
1 Nimbus Maze
1 Serra's Sanctum
1 Tolaria West
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Academy Ruins
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 High Market
1 Rishadan Port
12 Snow-Covered Island
8 Snow-Covered Plains

kinda
06-17-2010, 01:58 AM
Noob!

xXxBretWeedxXx
06-17-2010, 01:29 PM
This is definitely one of those generals that doesn't have enough to allow you to win the game when everyone comes after you. He seems like a great idea until you present your general and every ounce of hate comes after you.

Tog
06-17-2010, 03:14 PM
Probably not the most constructive comment but I'd never want to play against this deck in multiplayer. I want to be able to cast my spells in a game of EDH. On another note, in a permanent based deck, have you ever found you were unable to keep up in terms of cards? Permanents are generally short lived in the games of EDH that I've played. One suggestion I have for you is Open the Vaults to bring back all those cards in the yard back to play.

- Tog

Loxodon Baileyarch
06-18-2010, 02:46 PM
On a side note, I would never wanna play any of your decks. EDH is all about fun, and prison/lame decks aren't fun for anyone.

menace13
06-18-2010, 03:03 PM
You may be better of going with a Lark based deck and lots of low power crits with comes into play effects.

fusionshogun
06-19-2010, 03:22 AM
@ Kinda: lol patrick

@ xXxBretweedxXx: Yeah, that can be a problem. There's the obvious counterpoint that since he is inherently disruptive, the time you get from that might be enough to set up a better lock, gaining incremental advantage even from stalling one turn. With that advantage, you set up or improve your lock. That said, are there any cards you would suggest that could improve this problem?

@ Tog: It really depends on who you're playing against. Yes, cards like Akroma's Vengeance are very powerful against you. In a multiplayer game where each opponent is aware of what threats each other deck plays, then I usually find that people hold on to their mass removal a little longer than they should. Since this functions as a prison deck, if it isn't failing its primary objective (to slow the game down and lock opponents out) then casting an Akroma's Vengeance or the like, will be difficult (especially if they want to get "value" out of it by waiting for me to play even more disruptive permanents, like Karmic Justice 8D). I've tried Open the Vaults in decks similar to this before, and unfortunately it usually doesn't work out well for you because of its symmetry. I appreciate the suggestion though, and perhaps there is an interaction with it that I've overlooked.

@ Loxodon Baileyarch: That's cool. Thank you for the suggestion.

@ menace13: Apart from Reveillark, what cards would you suggest adding and cutting to make that transformation?

Tog
06-19-2010, 03:54 AM
What does Cloud Key normally name? Your spell types seem to be rather varied and I'd assume the mileage that you would get from it would be highly variable. The same argument could apply to the Pearl and Sapphire Medallion. I counted 24 artifacts and if you have an even split of white and blue cards, the cost reduction in the spell I feel would be worse than extra mana you could have generated from an mana artifact. One of my favorites that you don't have listed is Wayfarer's Bauble.

fusionshogun
06-19-2010, 04:42 AM
@ Tog: Cloud Key will always name Artifact. The Medallions are there to help break the symmetry of effects like Winter Orb, and most notably Land Equilibrium. Wayfarer's Bauble does look pretty nice, especially when I'm trying to cast things like Invoke Prejudice. I'll try it out, although I'm not sure about how well it interacts with (my favorite card in the deck, admittedly) Land Equilibrium. Coming into play tapped matters often as well, with effects like Winter Orb and Static Orb.

Also, just to anyone, I made a few alterations to the original deck list. Tolarian Academy and Staff of Domination were banned, and so I added Nimbus Maze and Crucible of Worlds (that had previously been banned at the store I play in) respectively. For the reasons I've already explained, I cut Open the Vaults and Akroma's Vengeance, replacing them with more Armageddon effects in Ravages of War and Sunder.

Thanks for the suggestions, and I hope this deck can continue to improve!

RexFTW
07-16-2010, 12:16 PM
If you played this in my group, the first 5 turns of everyone would be spent killing you, then the game could go on.


On a side note, I would never wanna play any of your decks. EDH is all about fun, and prison/lame decks aren't fun for anyone.
signed.

fusionshogun
07-17-2010, 03:43 AM
@ RexFTW: I'm flattered that you think it would take your entire group 5 turns to kill me.

@ anyone else: I've updated the deck list to include Sun Titan. However, I rarely play this deck anymore because it's less powerful than Erayo, even in multiplayer. I don't think I'll be updating it any time soon. That said, suggestions are always appreciated!