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Thread: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

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    5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Background

    I wanted to build an old school Cycling Control deck. I recall having so much fun playing Astral Slide back in the day, but unfortunatly that card is barely playable in Legacy (I've tried). I deceided to try it in Commander, as it's the only other format I play that Astral Slide is legal.
    Astral Slide is card that requires a deck that is build around it, that is a challenge in 99 cards deck where you only can have one copy. Needles to say it need an amount of tutors to be consistent. In addition you need enough cycling cards. The best ones are obviously the cycling lands, and I would claim that an Astral Slide deck has to run green for Life from the Loam to have a chance at working. That leaves us with 5 color options: GW, Naya (GWR), Bant (GWU), GWB or 5 color. The first 3 options would probably be inconsistent due to lack of tutors. I deceided for 5 color just because I love playing lots of colors!

    I want to deck to be good but not completly broken, that's probably not a real problem as I'm building around Astral Slide! Below is my first list. Cards denoted with *** are cards I'm not sure should be in the list, some of them I just put in to get to a full list.


    // Commander

    1 [CFX] Progenitus


    Lands - 44

    Fetch - 10

    1 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
    1 [ZEN] Arid Mesa
    1 [ZEN] Scalding Tarn
    1 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
    1 [ZEN] Misty Rainforest
    1 [ON] Polluted Delta
    1 [ON] Flooded Strand
    1 [ON] Wooded Foothills
    1 [ON] Windswept Heath
    1 [ON] Bloodstained Mire


    Duals - 10

    1 [B] Bayou
    1 [B] Tropical Island
    1 [B] Savannah
    1 [B] Taiga
    1 [B] Plateau
    1 [B] Tundra
    1 [B] Scrubland
    1 [B] Badlands
    1 [B] Volcanic Island
    1 [B] Underground Sea


    Basics - 11

    4 [IA] Snow-Covered Forest
    2 [IA] Snow-Covered Plains
    2 [IA] Snow-Covered Swamp
    2 [IA] Snow-Covered Island
    1 [IA] Snow-Covered Mountain


    Cycling Lands - 11

    1 [US] Polluted Mire
    1 [US] Drifting Meadow
    1 [US] Slippery Karst
    1 [US] Smoldering Crater
    1 [US] Remote Isle
    1 [US] Blasted Landscape
    1 [ON] Tranquil Thicket
    1 [ON] Secluded Steppe
    1 [ON] Lonely Sandbar
    1 [ON] Forgotten Cave
    1 [ON] Barren Moor


    Misc Lands - 2

    1 [CFX] Reliquary Tower
    1 [CMD] Command Tower



    Creatures - 16

    Creatures with "Comes into play"-abilities

    1 [FNM] Wall of Omens
    1 [FNM] Wall of Blossoms
    1 [US] Gilded Drake
    1 [EVE] Tilling Treefolk
    1 [CMD] Eternal Witness
    1 [FNM] Murderous Redcap
    1 [M10] Acidic Slime
    1 [ROE] Mnemonic Wall
    1 [LRW] Shriekmaw
    1 [M13] Thragtusk
    1 [M11] Inferno Titan
    1 [M11] Sun Titan
    1 [M11] Frost Titan
    1 [SOM] Sunblast Angel


    Cycling Creatures

    1 [SC] Eternal Dragon
    1 [ON] Krosan Tusker


    Spells - 39

    Ramp - 6

    1 [BIN] Mana Crypt
    1 [CMD] Sol Ring
    1 [RTR] Chromatic Lantern
    1 [NE] Skyshroud Claim
    1 [JU] Mirari's Wake
    1 [SHM] Mana Reflection


    Tutor/Draw - 12

    1 [OD] Entomb
    1 [VI] Vampiric Tutor
    1 [MI] Mystical Tutor
    1 [MI] Enlightened Tutor
    1 [IN] Sterling Grove
    1 [B] Demonic Tutor
    1 [MOR] Idyllic Tutor
    1 [ROE] Realms Uncharted
    1 [MR] Fabricate
    1 [TE] Intuition
    1 [ISD] Forbidden Alchemy
    1 [INV] Fact or Fiction


    Recursion - 4

    1 [TO] Nostalgic Dreams
    1 [RAV] Life from the Loam
    1 [UD] Replenish
    1 [FD] All Suns' Dawn


    Removal - 5

    1 [MPR] Wrath of God
    1 [MPR] Damnation
    1 [AVR] Terminus
    1 [SHA] Violent Ultimatum
    1 [SC] Decree of Pain


    Engine - 5

    1 [US] Fluctuator
    1 [FNM] Astral Slide
    1 [RAV] Copy Enchantment
    1 [FNM] Lightning Rift
    1 [M14] Dismiss into Dream


    Misc - 7

    1 [SH] Sacred Ground
    1 [IN] Collective Restraint
    1 [M11] Leyline of Sanctity
    1 [SOM] Venser's Journal
    1 [ARB] Finest Hour
    1 [TE] Time Warp
    1 [AP] Legacy Weapon



    Strategy

    The first goal is to get some cycling lands and Life from the Loam. Then you should get Astral Slide or Lightning Rift on table so you can trigger it for each cycled card. You can aleast take out 1 attacker each turn with an Astral Slide, which will force your opponent to commit more creatures to the board. You'll punish this with the sweepers.
    If you have a creature on your own, it would be better in general to block with it, and then exile with Astral Slide before damage step. This way you get an extra "comes into play" and "leaves play"-triggers from your creature. (This was so good when damage used that stack...).
    Life from the Loam is the main way to recure cyclers, but not the only one. Tilling Treefolk is a mini LftL which you can keeping triggering with Astral Slide (Cycle a land and exile Tilling Treefolk, get the land back EOT when the treefolk return to play). Eternal Witness and Mnemonic Wall work the same way with any cycling card or a instant/sorcery cycling card respectly.

    Key Interactions

    Dismiss into Dream turns Astral Slide and Lightning Rift into machine guns when paired with cycling cards. With Sundial of the Infinite you can exile creatures permanently by ending your turn before return to play triggers from Astral Slide resolves. Note you can only during your own turn.

    Combo

    With Astral Slide, Time Warp and Eternal Witness or Wall you can take infinite turns. Atleast as long as you have cycling cards. Temporual Manipulation would be better then Time Warp, because it can't be misdirected, but I probably won't get that card to cover corner cases.

    Card Discussions

    I'll skip talking about cards that are included for obvious reasons.

    Chromatic Lantern is great for fixing mana.

    Skyshroud Claim fixes mana and puts the new lands into play untapped. That's why it was chosen over Explosive Vegetation.

    Mirari's Wake double your mana from lands. Your engine requires lots of mana, so this is good.

    Mana Reflection - same as above.

    Entomb tutors for Life from the Loam. That's it's primary function, but when you allready have LftL you can get a cycling land or something else you can recure.

    Realms Unchartered is a super tutor for cycling lands. When you have Fluctuator you get the 3 Urza Cycling Lands for free cycling.

    Fabricate usually gets Fluctuator or Sundial. Early game Mana Crypt or Sol Ring might be better, as the Fluctuator and Sundial or mid- lategame cards.

    Intution usually tutors for 2 lands and LftL, but the options are litteraly limitless.

    Nostalgic Dreams are totaly broken with LftL. Discard your lands with NDreams and get back all your business cards, the get your lands back with LftL.

    Terminus is a great sweeper. With cycling cards you can miracle it on opponents turn. It's easy to set up with top deck tutors as well.

    Decree of Pain is a format staple, and it also has cycling.

    Sacred Ground protects my land which is my main source for mana. I have several Armageddon effects in my meta, so I think this is need. It also stops Smokestack effects. Can be cut if you have houserules against mass land destruction.

    Leyline of Sanctity protects you and your graveyard from being targeted. Most graveyard removal targets a player, and since you do a lot of recurssion you should protect it as best you can. There are other simular options like Witchbane Orb. Not sure which ones are best. Let me know what you think.

    Collective Restraint is really good protecting you from attackers. In a 5 color deck you get attacked by 1, maybe 2 attacker each turn at the most. Astral Slide handels singel attackers by ease. Your opponents are better off attacking each other then you when this in play.

    Venser's Journal - When most off your cards cantrips you usually have a large grip. Venser's Journal helps in two aspects, you don't have to discards cards and you gain lots of life.

    Legacy Weapon just because I like the card. Might get cut if it's completly useless.

    All suggestions welcome
    Last edited by NilsH; 12-26-2013 at 07:47 AM.

  2. #2
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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Did a lot if changes to the list. I wanted to have some more bombs, and not be to dependant on the cycling-astral-slide-engine.

    Added:
    Underground Sea
    Volcanic Island
    Badlands
    Blasted Landscape
    Smoldering Crater
    Remote Isle

    Full set of duals and cycling lands was need to get this to work.

    Wall of Omens
    Wall of Blossoms
    Murderous Redcap
    Frost Titan
    Inferno Titan
    Sun Titan
    Sunblast Angel

    Some more value Creatures that is good on their own in addition to being good with Astral Slide.

    Wrath of God
    Damnation
    Violent Ultimatum¨

    More boardsweeps/removal was needed. Not sure about Violent Ultimatum as the casting cost is a bit hard (few red sources).

    Finest Hour

    Progenitus kills in one turn with this instead of tree. It's also good with the Titans giving double attacks and triggers.


    Removed:
    Maze of Ith
    2 Plains
    Swamp
    Island

    The lands that were added is better.

    Mox Diamond
    Farseek
    Nature's Lore

    Didn't make any differance early and was bad late game.

    Solemn Simulacrum
    Street Wraith

    Both were OK, but I wanted these slots for something better.

    Worldly Counsel
    Praetor's Grasp
    Wargate
    Wild Research

    I wanted to cut down some tutors for cards that don't need Astral Slide to be good.

    Ray of Revalation
    Ancient Grudge
    Hallow Burial

    Added some other removal instead (WoG, Damnation, Violent).

    Yawgmoth's Will
    Solitary Confinement

    Sundial of the Infinite
    Too "techy" unfortunatly.


    I still need to cut 1 card (the list is 100 cards). Suggestions welcome.

  3. #3
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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Changes:

    -1 Ancient Tomb
    +1 Forbidden Alchemy

    Cut Staff of Nin to get down to 99 cards.


    I'm happy with the current list; it wins, but play a fair game. The powerlevel suits my current meta (but it might be weak in other metas). The list is almost foiled out, just missing a few jugde promos (Demonic, Intuition, Mana Crypt) and the fetches. I don't think I'll bother getting the last cards in foil as their ridiculously expensive, and the new art on the judge promos are ugly (imo).

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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Undead Gladiator? At least as useful as Eternal Dragon re: keeping cycling online; it's kind of the halfway point between Eternal Dragon and Life from the Loam for a deck such as this. I find it useful in my Ghost Council of Orzhova deck anyway, and it keeps tempting me to run Astral Slide in that pile, so.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dissection View Post
    Creature type - 'Fuck you mooooooom'
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    EDIT: Tsumi, you are silly.

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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    It surprises me that I don't see Coiling Oracle in your list. Very powerful cip creature.

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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Really like the idea of this. I plan on using this shell, no one wants to play against my Child of Alara deck anymore =(.

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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Undead Gladiator looks like an auto-include :) Good catch. I'll hunt for a foil one!

    Coiling Oracle is a cool card. The effect is stronger then wall of blossom/omen. I think I prefer the cantrip walls as they hold off an aggro rush and have easier casting cost. Not sure what to cut to sqeeze it in.

    Ociris: Glad someone else like this

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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    I love Slide, but seems like it would be hard to get online consistently (and then minimal cycling cards to abuse it if you do, minus the lands, but Loam can be shut down...)

    What about Edge of Autumn in place of another ramp card? Good ramp early game. Late game it cycles for free and loops with Mnemonic Wall.
    Other cycling control cards (e.g. Decree of Justice) might work well too.

    As for EtB creatures to abuse in a control deck, IMO some of these are contenders for slots:

    Augur of Bolas
    Snapcaster Mage
    Liliana's Specter
    Sin Collector
    Huntmaster of the Fells

    Luminate Primordial
    Ashen Rider
    Crater Hellion
    Massacre Wurm
    Gruul Ragebeast
    Sylvan Primordial
    Woodfall Primus

    Coiling Oracle
    Cryptic Annelid
    Sphinx of Uthuun
    Rune-Scarred Demon

    Sepulchral Primordial
    Chancellor of the Spires
    Great Whale
    Progenitor Mimic


    Blinking Phyrexian Metamorph also seems pretty abusive.

    And pretty much no reason not to run stuff like Deadeye Navigator, Crystal Shard and such if your gameplan is to abuse blinking/ETB effects. That way your creatures all still have profit without Slide online.

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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Carlos Gutierrez wrote about my deck in his latest article:

    http://www.gatheringmagic.com/carlos...iss-this-week/


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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    This got alot of new additions from Amonkhet; so it's time for a rebuild! :)

    The new cycle lands are auto include, and New Perspectives looks super sweet. Also Sweltering Suns, Archfiend of Ifnir and Curator of Mysteries looks like reasonable additions.

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    Re: 5c Life from the Loam / Astral Slide Control

    Quote Originally Posted by NilsH View Post
    This got alot of new additions from Amonkhet; so it's time for a rebuild! :)

    The new cycle lands are auto include, and New Perspectives looks super sweet. Also Sweltering Suns, Archfiend of Ifnir and Curator of Mysteries looks like reasonable additions.
    Don't forget about Ash Barrens from the most recent iteration of the commander decks. Also, Faith of the Devoted is sort of a second copy of lightning rift I guess? Drake Haven is also somewhat decent.

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