Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 21 to 29 of 29

Thread: Melekombo

  1. #21

    Re: Melekombo

    Quote Originally Posted by Amon Amarth View Post
    @AZ: Reiterate, Reset and Lightning Bolt. Get infinite mana and then Bolt everyone. You can also sub Brainstorm for Bolt if you have Comet Storm or some other kill.
    Interesting, but I'm not quite sure why you'd use Melek for this sort of build over one of the Niv-Mizzets (particularly the first one). Counters and mass bounce don't gain anything from the copy effect, direct damage sweepers only benefit when you're tight on mana and want to maximize X spells or you need to kill especially large things, and of course permanents like O-Stone or Disk don't work with Melek. Is he just for double draw spells?

  2. #22

    Re: Melekombo

    Quote Originally Posted by Aggro_zombies View Post
    Interesting, but I'm not quite sure why you'd use Melek for this sort of build over one of the Niv-Mizzets (particularly the first one). Counters and mass bounce don't gain anything from the copy effect, direct damage sweepers only benefit when you're tight on mana and want to maximize X spells or you need to kill especially large things, and of course permanents like O-Stone or Disk don't work with Melek. Is he just for double draw spells?
    It's not the plan A, it's just a neat autowin combo found by 1 card. All you need is enough land in play. Realistically you are not storming people out without a Melek on the field so if he gets shuffled to the bottom somehow or dies a bunch of times it's nice to just be able to counter a couple of whatever they're trying to do, get to 8 lands (or whatever it is) and then just win on the spot.

    The most awkward thing is that you don't want to try combo normally on your opponents turn if you can help it because a lot of your cantrips and big engine spells are sorceries, so the least synergistic of these combo cards is Reset. Firemind's Foresight is okay as a tutor, Reiterate is fine as a utility spell, and you would be playing Thought Scour as a cantrip anyway.

    I see what you were trying to say about Mind's Desire: I initially thought you meant you were using brainstorm et al to set up your Desire flips, which of course doesn't work

  3. #23

    Re: Melekombo

    Quote Originally Posted by Aggro_zombies View Post
    Interesting, but I'm not quite sure why you'd use Melek for this sort of build over one of the Niv-Mizzets (particularly the first one). Counters and mass bounce don't gain anything from the copy effect, direct damage sweepers only benefit when you're tight on mana and want to maximize X spells or you need to kill especially large things, and of course permanents like O-Stone or Disk don't work with Melek. Is he just for double draw spells?
    Melek does some straight up crazy things like doubling a kicked Rite of Replication or Time Stretch. Even just doubling up on removal spells is nice. If you have Melek, awesome, but you cant count on him being in play for awhile since he dies to basically everything.
    "We are goblinkind, heirs to the mountain empires of chieftains past. Rest is death to us, and arson is our call to war."

  4. #24
    Member

    Join Date

    Jun 2013
    Location

    Vacaville, CA
    Posts

    4

    Re: Melekombo

    My Melek deck is a "fair deck" and isn't built to have a bunch of insta-win combos (that's not fun in my opinion), but I build it to hopefully compete against the better decks.

    Feel free to steal some of my tech:
    MESMERIC ORB: This card is a fun engine, as Melek loves tapping its mana, and if it untaps, say, 8 permanents, then there are 8 separate mill triggers on the stack. So, milling one card at a time gives Melek a window to play instants off the top during this time. Also, Mesmeric Orb combos with Basalt Monolith to mill yourself until you get the exact card you want (or whatever fun stuff comes up soonest).

    TimeSpiral/TimeTwister: I'm a vintage player, so I happen to have TimeTwister, but these two cards help me not deck myself (with Call to Mind and Mystical Retrieval and Snapcaster Mage to suppliment it). Time Spiral, with Nivix Guildmage (and 10 mana) are the only actual infinite combo I run. Play TimeSpiral, Copy it, untap 6 lands, use 4 lands to copy it again. Rinse, repeat. The world Time Spirals out of control as Lightning Bolts and Galvanic Blasts randomly shoot out of the Izzet science experiment gone wrong. :)
    You might notice this deck is really a burn deck, but I chose many "exile the creature" burn spells to deprive the enemy of those bodies when Timetwisting etc. Unlimited Disintegrate is actually worded to be able to remove a player from the game when it's lethal, for the cool factor. :)
    Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon are there to let me compete with the better decks.

    Enjoy!
    // Lands
    1 [TE] Ancient Tomb
    1 [M12] Buried Ruin
    1 [CMD] Command Tower
    1 [ON] Flooded Strand
    1 [DIS] Ghost Quarter
    1 [MR] Great Furnace
    1 [WWK] Halimar Depths
    9 [ZEN] Island (3)
    1 [GP] Izzet Boilerworks
    1 [RTR] Izzet Guildgate
    1 [ZEN] Misty Rainforest
    5 [ZEN] Mountain (1)
    1 [ON] Polluted Delta
    1 [MR] Seat of the Synod
    1 [AP] Shivan Reef
    1 [RTR] Steam Vents
    1 [AQ] Strip Mine (4)
    1 [ISD] Sulfur Falls
    1 [R] Volcanic Island
    1 [TE] Wasteland

    // Creatures
    1 [RTR] Goblin Electromancer
    1 [FUT] Magus of the Moon
    1 [DGM] Melek, Izzet Paragon
    1 [RTR] Nivix Guildmage
    1 [NPH] Phyrexian Metamorph
    1 [MBS] Phyrexian Revoker
    1 [ISD] Snapcaster Mage
    1 [M12] Solemn Simulacrum
    1 [M13] Talrand, Sky Summoner
    1 [FD] Trinket Mage
    1 [RTR] Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
    1 [MR] Duplicant
    1 [RTR] Guttersnipe
    1 [ON] Aphetto Alchemist

    // Spells
    1 [MR] Gilded Lotus
    1 [SOM] Mox Opal
    1 [B] Sol Ring
    1 [BIN] Mana Crypt
    1 [B] Mana Vault
    1 [B] Basalt Monolith
    1 [RTR] Chromatic Lantern
    1 [GP] Izzet Signet
    1 [DK] Blood Moon
    1 [M11] Call to Mind
    1 [FD] Crucible of Worlds
    1 [RTR] Cyclonic Rift
    1 [MR] Fabricate
    1 [ON] Future Sight
    1 [MR] Isochron Scepter
    1 [WWK] Basilisk Collar
    1 [MR] Mesmeric Orb
    1 [FD] Vedalken Orrery
    1 [MI] Mystical Tutor
    1 [M10] Pithing Needle
    1 [DGM] Ral Zarek
    1 [GTC] Rapid Hybridization
    1 [CHK] Sensei's Divining Top
    1 [AQ] Transmute Artifact
    1 [HL] Merchant Scroll
    1 [DKA] Mystic Retrieval
    1 [UL] Snap
    1 [MBS] Into the Core
    1 [DS] Reshape
    1 [CMD] Chaos Warp
    1 [ZEN] Into the Roil
    1 [U] Timetwister
    1 [IA] Brainstorm
    1 [US] Time Spiral
    1 [MR] Thirst for Knowledge
    1 [LG] Winds of Change
    1 [IN] Fact or Fiction
    1 [VI] Impulse
    1 [R] Wheel of Fortune
    1 [EVE] Clout of the Dominus
    1 [AL] Force of Will
    1 [IA] Counterspell
    1 [LG] Mana Drain
    1 [RTR] Izzet Charm
    1 [AP] Fire/Ice
    1 [R] Lightning Bolt
    1 [GP] Electrolyze
    1 [DGM] Turn/Burn
    1 [U] Disintegrate
    1 [FD] Magma Jet
    1 [CHK] Yamabushi's Flame
    1 [AVR] Pillar of Flame
    1 [SC] Carbonize
    1 [SOM] Galvanic Blast
    Last edited by LotusHead; 06-27-2013 at 11:28 PM.

  5. #25

    Re: Melekombo

    My Melek list is built to be a pretty unfair combo deck. Generally games go tutor for high tide -> Get lots of Mana -> Chain Draw 7s into ether Mind's Desire, Enter the Infinite or Temple Bell/Mind Over Matter. Sometimes I just hardcast a stroke of genius off the top to take out multiple opponents.

    The list:
    CMDR:
    Melek, Izzet Paragon

    Lands (31):
    1 Volcanic Island
    1 Steam Vents
    1 Polluted Delta
    1 Flooded Strand
    1 Misty Rainforest
    1 Scalding Tarn
    1 Sulfur Falls
    1 Shivan Reef
    1 Command Tower
    18 Island
    1 Ancient Tomb
    1 Cephalid Colosseum
    1 Lonely Sandbar
    1 Saprazzan Skerry

    I could probably stand to add another island or 2. I don't have Cascade Bluffs because I don't run many red spells, and none of them are RR, and I don't want to have to filter a U through it on the turn I plan to start going nuts with High Tide. City of Traitors was recently cut. Izzet Boilerworks could probably make the cut as well, but those lands are pretty risky in a format with such good LD, especially if you are obviously a combo deck :P

    Artifacts:
    1 Lotus Petal
    1 Mana Crypt
    1 Mox Opal
    1 Mox Diamond
    1 Chrome Mox
    1 Sol Ring
    1 Mana Vault
    1 Grim Monolith
    1 Basalt Monolith
    1 Thran Dynamo
    1 Gilded Lotus
    1 Sapphire Medallion
    1 Helm of Awakening
    1 Temple Bell
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Memory Jar

    Temple Bell is one of my favorite sleepers in the format. It combo kills with Mind Over Matter, lets you get crap off the top to find something sweet to copy with Melek, and is insane with Consecrated Sphinx (but most of the cards are :P). Even when just played fair the cards in this deck tend to be more powerful than individual cards from opponents, so its fine. Basalt Monolith and Grim Monolith combo with Power Artifact, and are fine for getting a t3/4 Melek. Gilded Lotus is a potential cut. I'm not playing Severance Belcher because both cards are terrible on their own and you don't really need too many ways to end the game in my experience. Cloud Key is a card I had forgotten about until I saw it in one of the lists here.

    Tutors:
    1 Mystical Tutor
    1 Personal Tutor
    1 Merchant Scroll
    1 Fabricate
    1 Intuition
    1 Trinket Mage

    Gamble should probably make the cut. Tezzeret was my most recent cut, but could probably be here as well (He is generally just a colorless Gilded Lotus, or a 5 mana Temple Bell). Mystical Tutor is obviously insane, and Personal Tutor is pretty good as well. Some of the Transmute spells (Dizzy Spell and Muddle the Mixture) could help find High Tide more consistently, which is basically the best card in the deck :P

    Draw / Filter
    1 Brainstorm
    1 Ponder
    1 Preordain
    1 Serum Visions
    1 Gitaxian Probe
    1 Omen
    1 Predict
    1 Compulsive Research
    1 Thirst for Knowledge
    1 Frantic Search
    1 Meditate
    1 Fact or Fiction

    1 Wheel of Fortune
    1 Timetwister
    1 Windfall
    1 Diminishing Returns
    1 Time Reversal
    1 Time Spiral
    1 Enter the Infinite
    1 Stroke of Genius

    While writing this I realized I don't have Sleight of Hand, which is one of the worst 1 mana cantrips, but should probably still make the cut as a 1 mana draw 2 off the top. Otherwise I don't think there should be too much surprising here. A Blue Sun Zenith could probably make the cut over / in addition to Stroke of Genius. Most of my game end with an Enter the Infinite -> a combo kill. Reforge the Soul is another 5 mana draw 7 that would be fine, though unexciting (and the RR in the mana makes it even less exciting), but being able to set it up as a Miracle isn't the worst reset button.

    Counterspells:
    1 Pact of Negation
    1 Force of Will
    1 Flusterstorm
    1 Mana Drain

    Mana Drain is a bit out of place, but its power level is basically off the charts. It could be easily be a Misdirection instead, I've been going back and forth. Against the fairer decks if you tutor up a Drain turn 1 or 2 you probably cannot lose the game, but those games are in your favor anyways.Still, just going t3 mana drain their 3 mana spell, t4 cast your commander with mana open is pretty insane.

    Creatures:
    1 Snapcaster Mage
    1 Goblin Electomancer
    1 Cloud of Faeries
    1 Vendillion Clique
    1 Consecrated Sphinx
    1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
    1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth

    The inclusion of both Eldrazi isn't necessary, but one is to kill with Temple Bell / Mind Over Matter. Its not uncommon to be able to hard cast one t4ish if you have nothing else going on with all the fast mana. Also you can just tutor up a Show and Tell. I have definitely cast Show and tell off the top with Melek and put both into play :P I kinda want to find room for a Palinchron (especially because I have a foil Japanese one) but I'm not 100% sure. You only need 4 lands to go infinite with a double High Tide turn, but if you don't double High Tide its a bit difficult to get value in a reasonable amount of time.

    Other spells:
    1 Turnabout
    1 Hurkyl's Recall
    1 Snap
    1 Dream Halls
    1 High Tide
    1 Omniscience
    1 Show and tell
    1 Power Artifact

    Various ways to cheat mana costs or generate large amounts of mana. There are a ton of twiddle variants that are options that get pretty good at adding mana off the top and with a High Tide having resolved. Candelabra of Twanos is an option as well. I rarely feel I need just mana though, so if I were to add something it would probably be Twitch (off the top, with 1 High Tide Resolved is effectively Draw 2, add UUUU for 2U, which will often be cheaper for things like Sapphire Medalion). It would also be possilbe to get a small Arcane thing going on with Toils of Night and Day, Psychic Puppetry, Reach Through Mists, Peer Through Depths, Desperate Ritual, and Idea's Unbound, but that is probably not worth it.

    1 Repeal
    1 Wipe Away

    Its important to be able to answer problem permanents, and repeal can often double as a ritual that draws cards (I have cast it off the top targetting a Mox and a Mana Crypt more than once).

    1 Future Sight

    While less important than it is in most U decks, it is still pretty insane here- Lets you go deep with top and get through lands and artifacts that can clog the top of your deck.

    1 Mind's Desire
    1 Temporal Fissure

    Casting either of these storm spells is generally game over. You either win on the spot, or put the opponent(s) so far behind the game is basically done.

    1 Past in Flames

    Probably the worst card in the deck, A very recent addition. Mostly its there to make Intuition a bit better when it can't just get 3 cards that end the game on the spot.


    So, basically I spend the first couple turns cantriping/playing broken mana/finding High Tide, generally t3/4 Melek and then start chaining untaps and draw 7s until I either get Mind Over Matter and Temple Bell in play (either by casting them, Mind's Desiring into them or casting an Enter the Infinite). Alternatively I can pretty easily set up a Stroke of Genius to deck multiple opponents once I start going off, or just Temporal Fissure my opponent's board and put some Eldrazi into play.

    The cards I would really like to add are Cloud Key, Sleight of Hand and Palinchron. Not exactly sure what I'm going to cut to make room though.
    Quote Originally Posted by Meekrab View Post
    Don't play shitty decks and everyone will have more fun.

  6. #26
    Buying cardboard >
    r3dd09's Avatar
    Join Date

    Jan 2011
    Location

    801,Utah
    Posts

    616

    Re: Melekombo

    Definitely a different route on Melek than what I was going to take. I'm surprised grapeshot was only mentioned once or twice. It's my go to win-con in my 5c EDH deck, but you need a palinchron and infinite mana or how someone was talking about abusing tidespout.
    What it takes to be a pimp:
    1. Knowing the right people.
    2. Have the money
    Not one or the other, but both.

    The fastest way to become a millionare is to start with a billion dollars, then start collecting magic cards, eh? - dry cereal

  7. #27

    Re: Melekombo

    Quote Originally Posted by r3dd09 View Post
    Definitely a different route on Melek than what I was going to take. I'm surprised grapeshot was only mentioned once or twice. It's my go to win-con in my 5c EDH deck, but you need a palinchron and infinite mana or how someone was talking about abusing tidespout.
    The problem with Grapeshot is it's only good when it's winning the game. If you ever just draw it you are gonna be a sad panda. I cut Power Artifact and Severence/Belcher for the same reason. I find once I start storming off getting the actual win is pretty trivial- Sometimes I just keep chaining spells until I Temple Bell + Mind Over Matter, or until I can Mind's Desire into that combo, or sometimes I just Temporal Fissure my opponents' board and put some Eldrazi out, or get crazy levels of mana with High Tide and Untappers (or show and tell out a Omniscience) and just win with Enter the Infinite. While Grapeshot wins are some of the best (and most humbling for your opponents) I don't feel it is necesary, unless you are worried about killing some early hate bears (though I would probably rather just have a few solid bounce spells).
    Quote Originally Posted by Meekrab View Post
    Don't play shitty decks and everyone will have more fun.

  8. #28

    Re: Melekombo

    A friend suggested Ancestral Knowledge, works quite well as another Scroll Rack sort of card

  9. #29

    Re: Melekombo

    Quote Originally Posted by kombatkiwi View Post
    A friend suggested Ancestral Knowledge, works quite well as another Scroll Rack sort of card
    Thats actually pretty awesome. I think I have one of them laying around.
    Quote Originally Posted by Meekrab View Post
    Don't play shitty decks and everyone will have more fun.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)