[EDH] - Inalla, Archmage Ritualist (Noob)

New to EDH (Highlander as I've heard others call it). Bought a Commander preset, and looking to improve it. *******Any help is appreciated.*******

*** = not from the Commander box

I am not worried about land/artifact mana producers. I am worried about the card list, then I think I can build mana/producers around that. I know I am bad at deck building, my username says it all... Also, I don't know how to make these cards a hyperlink for easy viewing.

3 color:
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager***
Mairsil, the Pretender
Marchesa, the Black Rose
Kess, Dissident Mage

Blue/Black:
Taigam, Sidisi's Hand
Shadowmage Infiltrator
Vela the Night-Clad
Silumgar's Command
Havengul Lich
Memory Plunder

Black/Red:
Terminate
Rakdos Charm

Blue/Red:
Cauldron Dance
Nin, the Pain Artist
Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
Izzet Chronarch
Mercurial Chemister
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Nivis Guildmage

Blue:
Spellwine
Polymorphist's Jest
Curse of Verbosity
Body Double
Voidmage Prodigy***
Arcanis the Omnipotent
Serendib Sorcerer
Archaeomancer
Sea Gate Oracle
Portal Mage
Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Magus of the Mind
Galecaster Colossus
Harbinger of the Tides
Merchant of Secrets
Capsize***
Opportunity
Clone Legion
Into the Roil

Black:
Bloodline Necromancer
Puppeteer Clique
Apprentice Necromancer
Vindictive Lich
Magus of the Abyss
Necromantic Selection
Kindred Dominance
Decree of Pain
Go for the Throat

Red:
Izzet Chemister
Chaos Warp
Curse of Opulence
Comet Storm
Shifting Shadow

Artifact:
Mirror of the Forebears

Artifact (mana purposes):
Manalith
Bloodstone Cameo
Drake-Skull Cameo
Izzet Signet
Rakdos Signet
Dimir Signet
Charcoal Diamond
Sky Diamond
Fire DiamondStar Compas
Unstable Obelisk
Ur-Golem's Eye
Gilded Lotus
Worn Powerstone
Fellwar Stone
Sol Ring
Commander's Sphere
Darksteel Ingot
Mox Diamond
Silver Myr

Mana (not land or artifact):
Dark Ritual

Lands:
Crumbling NEcropolis
Shivan Gorge
Temple of the False God
Path of Ancestry
Grixis Panorama
Evolving Wilds
Mystifying Maze
COmmand Tower
Exotic Orchard
Terramorphic Expanse
Highland Lake
Cinder Barrens
Smoldering Marsh
Rakdos Carnarium
Izzet Boilerworks
Dimir Aqueduct
Swiftwater Cliffs
Vivid Creek
Vivid Marsh
Vivid Crag
Sulfur Vent
Dismal Backwater
Jwar Isle Refuge
Submerged Boneyard
Island
Mountain
Swamp

Sideboard: (don't believe anymore 'commander' cards past here)
Gloom
Insight
Ancient Runes
Dragon Arch
Havoc
Reign of Chaos
Aladdin
Backlash
Magus of the Unseen
Hibernation
Merchant Scroll
Tsabo Tavoc
Acquire
Squeeze
Goblin Welder
Kill Switch
Thought Dissector
Anarchy
Magnetic Theft

Don't know if I should add:
Lich's Mastery
Seething Anger
Galvanic Key
Crosis's Charm (commander)
Curse of Disturbance
Corpse Augur
Nevinyrral's Disk
False Demise
Drain Power
Piracy
Voldalian Illusionist
Rack and Ruin
Lavamancer's Skill
Pyrohemia
Isareth the Awakener
Royal Assassin
Fanning the Flames
Barbed Field
Shattering Pulse
MInd Games
Rhystic Study
Prodigal Pyromancer
Steal Artifact
Puppeteer
Rakdos Ickspitter
Sparkmage Apprentice
Volcanic Hammer
Shock
COunterspell
Keeper of the Flame
Dead/Gone
Tezzeret, Cruel Machinist
Clone
Delirium
Time Warp
Spell Burst
Disruptive Student
Rewind
Steal Enchatment
Dream Cache
Ray of Command
Prodigal Sorcerer
Rebuild
No Mercy
Tsabo's Assassin
Viashino Pyromancer
Distrubed Burial
Pit Keeper
Kaervek the Merciless
Greater Gargadon
Mana Flare
Wheel of Fate
Goblin Motivator
Lightning Bolt
Dance of the Dead
Overtaker
Shield of the Ages
Nexus of Fate
Reiterate
Aura Thief
Temporal Aperture
Vesuvan Doppleganger
Ixidron
Saprazzan Heir
Desertion
Lim-Dul the Necromancer
Archivist
Oversold Cemetery
Psychic Possession
Predator, Flagship

Ok, first of all...to make the cards links you need to put them in tags like this [.cards] [./cards] (leave out the .). You can put the first tag at the start of a list and the second at the end, you don't need to tag each individual card.

Second, it's easier to provide suggestions if you've got a general game plan in mind. What are you hoping to accomplish with the deck?

I don't know what type of deck I am building. I want wizards (because of eminence), but I also like non-wizards like Royal Assassin. I guess I'm bad at deck building because I don't have a plan going in. I just look at my cards and see what I can do with them. I went out and bought Panharmicon, because I get an extra creature (making 3 creatures at a time). I was thinking flood the field with wizards, but then I'd go over the 38 creatures I'm supposed to have (according to what I've looked at online). I just get frustrated when my decks get crushed because I don't have a plan, but I don't know what's out there to plan. ... if that makes any sense.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BadAtDeckBuilding

I was thinking flood the field with wizards, but then I'd go over the 38 creatures I'm supposed to have (according to what I've looked at online).

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Your deck can have any number of creatures. I run Flameshadow Conjuring and play with ETB effects with about 36 creatures and some equipments that make tokens. You can combo, or you could swarm. Keep in mind wizards are small, so they die. Also, I pack a lot of the guys who bounce stuff because the deck is slow.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BadAtDeckBuilding

I don't know what type of deck I am building. I want wizards (because of eminence), but I also like non-wizards like Royal Assassin. I guess I'm bad at deck building because I don't have a plan going in. I just look at my cards and see what I can do with them. I went out and bought Panharmicon, because I get an extra creature (making 3 creatures at a time). I was thinking flood the field with wizards, but then I'd go over the 38 creatures I'm supposed to have (according to what I've looked at online). I just get frustrated when my decks get crushed because I don't have a plan, but I don't know what's out there to plan. ... if that makes any sense.

---

Panharmonicon is a nice card as it triggers all the EtBs again. It only doubles Inallas eminence ability if she is on the battlefield, though. This rarely happens. It still is bonkers with cards like Venser, Shaper Savant - who you should totally play. Add a Naban, Dean of Iteration for almost board wipe value plus protection. With both of these EtB-doublers and Inalla out, you can trigger Venser up to nine times (one trigger bouncing himself). It only happened once but I assembled this with enough mana out so I could cast Venser twice in my opponents turns. Total blowout. You can bounce every threat until you stabilize and then leave them without lands.

I found that slamming wizards is not the route to victory. Inalla, Archmage Ritualist sucks as an aggressive commander. I play the value game with some bounce, some tokens, some card draw, tutoring, and removal until I assemble one of the combos or win with tokens.

Combos being:
- Bloodline Necromancer + Ashnod's Altar
- Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind + Tandem Lookout or Curiosity
- Wanderwine Prophets + nine mana on the table and an opponent with no blockers (infinite turns)

I don't play competitive so it is not really focused on these combos, they just happen quite often. I usually draw one part and then tutor for the second part. The first combo can be tutored for with wizards and all the parts synergize with the rest of the deck, so that's my favorite one. Wizards tutoring for this combo:
- Vedalken Aethermage
- Trophy Mage

That being said, the most powerful commander in this precon by a lot is Kess, Dissident Mage. I consider Kess almost top tier. You can play all the storm or be grixis control / good stuff. Inalla plays more interactively then Kess though and I usually enjoy playing her a little more.