[Deck] Chalice of the Dark Order

[apple713]

Chalice of the Void / Natural Order / Eldrazi

wtf are these cards doing together?

Why Play This Deck?

This deck is a blend of multiple decks, Sylvan Plug, Turbo Eldrazi, and Maverick. The combination offsets the weaknesses of each individual with the strengths of the others. The deck has a great early game that doesn't get blown out by combo, and an incredibly strong end game.

After lots of testing and outlining the Shell, I was able to identify variable slots that could be adapted to different existing decks to offset the decks weakness. Although I personally prefer Dark depths it appears that the turbo eldrazi inclusion offsets the decks weaknesses almost perfectly. Chalice and NO are great early game plays. GSZ enables a lot of consistency. Eldrazi, is one of the best END games available. Once you get to the critical mass of casting Emrakul, you almost always win. Primeval Titan is perfect for buying time and sustaining life where the dark depths version failed. Getting Glacial chasm / glimmer posts are ideal here.

The deck has access to T1 Chalice of the Void, T2 natural order, T2 KOTR. I'm looking at those T2 plays and thinking that the deck can reasonably cast chalice of the void on t1 or t2 and still has multiple really good plays on T2 without it. Also, the deck isn't hindered by chalice significantly either because of only 3 crop rotations. Even without ancient tomb in opening you can always crop rotate into it since crop will be dead after it hits anyways. It's very nice to have 3 different ways to victory because you never really get shut out by anything.

Card choices

Knight of the reliquary: great GSZ target, great tutor for Eldrazi and dark depths lands, excellent aggro option if necessary. Also utility bojuka, karakas, maze from board
Primeval Titan: GSZ and NO target gets Eldrazi lands or depths combo, or beats
Qasali Pridemage: art/enchant removal although reclamation sage might be better... Pridemage is t2 GSZ target though but slightly harder to cast naturally. ultimately better against omni / sneak because you can cast him preemptively and put pressure on them while they scramble to work around him.

Natural Order Targets

progenitus: great vs decks with blockers / removal such as D&T. Excellent card to race with.
Terrastadon: smashes targets like equipment, ensnaring bridge, planes walkers, and lands depending on your situation.
Ruric Thar, the Unbowed: just wins vs combo decks, worst cast it cost them 6 dmg to remove it with a swords... which is unlikely if i have a chalice out.

The Shell

I’ve broken the deck down to the bare minimums required to keep the Chalice of the void aspect reasonably playable T1 and maintain enough consistency through the use of GSZ to warrant playing the deck over others. The reason I did this was to allow other players to get creative with the deck. Clearly here i’ve decided to go with Eldrazi, but have included my older Dark Depths version as well. Feel free to post other variations using this shell that you think might work better.

19 Total Variable Slots

8 Can be anything
4 Creatures
7 Lands

Creatures - 12
4 Variable Slots

1 Artifact / Enchantment removal GSZ target (Qasali Pridemage / Reclamation Sage)
3 Natural Order Targets (Progenitus, Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Terastodon)
4 Primary Focus Creature (must be tutorable with GSZ like Knight of the Reliquary)

Spells - 16
4 Chalice of the Void (hozes a lot of decks right now)
4 Natural Order (natural inclusion because of ancient tomb and Green creatures)
4 Green Sun's Zenith (creates consistency and accelerates with Dryad Arbor)
2 Sylvan Library (can run up to 4 depending on how effectively you can use those cards)
2 Mox Diamond (likely the best option for acceleration / mana fixing depending on how questionable the mana base is)

Lands - 24
7 Variable Slots

2 Dryad Arbor (for GSZ and Natural Order, 2 in case you draw 1)
7 Fetchlands (shuffle effects for Sylvan library)
4 Colored Mana Producing Lands (the absolute minimum amount with at least 1 basic)
4 Ancient Tomb (enables T1 Chalice T2 NO, and access GSZ)

Sideboard - 15
SB: 9 Variable Slots

Playing with NO and GSZ you are likely to want the following in the board.
SB: 1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
SB: 1 Reclamation Sage
SB: 1 Gaddock Teeg
SB: 3 Trinisphere



Current Version’s of Deck updated 12/26/14

//Creatures - 13
3 Veteran Explorer
3 Primeval Titan
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Progenitus

//Spells - 19
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Mox Diamond
3 Natural Order
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Crop Rotation
3 Sylvan Library

//Lands - 28
4 Windswept Heath
5 Forest
2 Dryad Arbor
1 Savannah
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Karakas
4 Glimmerpost
4 Cloudpost
1 Glacial Chasm
1 Eye of Ugin
4 Ancient Tomb

//Sideboard
SB: 3 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Trinisphere
SB: 1 Gaddock Teeg
SB: 1 Bojuka Bog
SB: 1 Willow Satyr
SB: 1 Tower of the Magistrate
SB: 1 Reclamation Sage
SB: 1 Stingerfling Spider
SB: 1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
SB: 1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
SB: 1 Hornet Queen

//Others for Consideration
SB: 1 Bane of Progress
SB: 1 Scavenging Ooze
SB: 1 Stoic Angel
SB: 1 Phantom Nishoba
SB: 1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre

Cards that are being tested
tower of the magistrate
willow satyr
sigarda, host of herons
Bane of Progress

Cards for Consideration
hornet nest
Life from the Loam
Maze of Ith
Choke
Song of the Dryads
for the sideboard
ratchet bomb
ancient grudge
Anafenza, the Foremost

Cards that have been cut
Titania, Protector of Argoth
eternal witness
elderscale wurm
scroll rack
scryb ranger
courser of kruphix

scroll rack was not really generating any card advantage, required mana to use it, and on an empty hand it's terrible. it doesn't allow you to reload your hand fast.
scryb ranger has limited use because there are not enough forests / plains to make use of that many activations of KOTR
titania was so expensive i never searched for her and when i wanted to i had enough to just search for ruric. also ruric is castable under moon more easily.
courser was just lack luster because games don't drag on very long with this deck.
elderscale was too limited and i did not find myself searching for him as much as I thought i would.
eternal witness was lack luster. Unless i wanted to get NO back and cast it the following turn this didn't have many uses.

Past Iterations with changes in bold

//Creatures - 12
4 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Veteran Explorer
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 Primeval Titan
1 Progenitus
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed

//Spells - 19
4 Natural Order
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Crop Rotation
2 Sylvan Library
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Mox Diamond

//Lands - 29
4 Ancient Tomb
1 Glacial Chasm
1 Eye of Ugin
2 Dryad Arbor
1 Savannah
1 Plains
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
1 Karakas
4 Glimmerpost
4 Cloudpost
1 Vesuva


First Version

//Creatures - 12
4 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
2 Primeval Titan
1 Progenitus
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed

//Spells - 19
4 Natural Order
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Crop Rotation
2 Sylvan Library
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Mox Diamond

//Lands - 29
4 Ancient Tomb
1 Glacial Chasm
1 Eye of Ugin
2 Dryad Arbor
1 Savannah
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
1 Karakas
4 Glimmerpost
4 Cloudpost
2 Vesuva


Older Dark Depths Version

Creatures 13
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Stingerfling Spider
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Progenitus
1 Terastodon
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Vampire Hexmage

Spells - 19
2 Sylvan Library
3 Crop Rotation
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Natural Order
4 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Mox Diamond

Lands - 28
2 Dryad Arbor

1 Karakas
1 Wasteland
1 Sejiri Steppe
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Dark Depths
3 Thespian's Stage
1 Forest
1 Scrubland
1 Bayou
1 Savannah
4 Ancient Tomb
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Sideboard -15
SB: 1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
SB: 3 Abrupt Decay
SB: 1 Tower of the Magistrate
SB: 1 Willow Satyr
SB: 3 Toxic Deluge
SB: 3 Trinisphere
SB: 1 Reclamation Sage
SB: 1 Gaddock Teeg
SB: 1 Bojuka Bog


*Removed matchup analysis and side boarding strategies because it was out of date