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Thread: Crazy Cat Ladies

  1. #1
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    Crazy Cat Ladies

    I need some help with this. After the new cat lord was spoiled in Amonkhet I knew I had to make a cats deck, and from looking at all the available cats, it seemed like GW were the strongest colors. A lot of the cats/Ajanis have a life gain theme and make tokens, so Trostani seemed like a pretty natural fit, and those are the major angles I'm trying to work. Just having trouble cutting things/optimizing (107 cards right now). Here's where I'm at so far:


    // 104 Maindeck
    // 7 Artifact
    1 Aetherflux Reservoir
    1 Umezawa's Jitte
    1 Loxodon Warhammer
    1 Batterskull
    1 Lightning Greaves
    1 Sol Ring
    1 Behemoth Sledge

    // 39 Creature
    1 Ajani's Chosen
    1 Fleecemane Lion
    1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
    1 Jareth, Leonine Titan
    1 Kemba, Kha Regent
    1 Auriok Champion
    1 Essence Warden
    1 Soul Warden
    1 Soul's Attendant
    1 Felidar Guardian
    1 Felidar Sovereign
    1 Jazal Goldmane
    1 Jedit Ojanen of Efrava
    1 Leonin Abunas
    1 Leonin Relic-Warder
    1 Leonin Shikari
    1 Mirri, Cat Warrior
    1 Nacatl War-Pride
    1 Oreskos Explorer
    1 Phantom Nishoba
    1 Prowling Serpopard
    1 Raksha Golden Cub
    1 Regal Caracal
    1 Qasali Pridemage
    1 Spirit of the Hearth
    1 Sunspear Shikari
    1 Taj-Nar Swordsmith
    1 Temur Sabertooth
    1 Vanguard of Brimaz
    1 Skyhunter Skirmisher
    1 Ajani's Pridemate
    1 Ajani's Sunstriker
    1 Trained Caracal
    1 Stoneforge Mystic
    1 Sun Titan
    1 Fleetfoot Panther
    1 Fierce Empath
    1 Eternal Witness
    1 Fauna Shaman
    1 Whitemane Lion

    // 4 Enchantment
    1 Anointed Procession
    1 Quest for the Holy Relic
    1 Survival of the Fittest
    1 Sylvan Library
    1 Test of Endurance

    // 7 Instant
    1 Second Harvest
    1 Eladamri's Call
    1 Worldly Tutor
    1 Enlightened Tutor
    1 War Report
    1 Fracturing Gust
    1 White Sun's Zenith

    // 36 Land
    1 Savannah
    1 Windswept Heath
    1 Sunpetal Grove
    11 Forest
    14 Plains
    1 Gavony Township
    1 Graypelt Refuge
    1 Canopy Vista
    1 Sungrass Prairie
    1 Stirring Wildwood
    1 Temple of Plenty
    1 Wasteland
    1 Strip Mine

    // 2 Planeswalker
    1 Ajani Unyielding
    1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride

    // 9 Sorcery
    1 Primal Command
    1 Return to the Ranks
    1 Time of Need
    1 Green Sun's Zenith
    1 Retribution of the Meek
    1 Regrowth
    1 Nature's Lore
    1 Explosive Vegetation
    1 Rampant Growth


    // 1 Sideboard
    // 1 Creature
    SB: 1 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice


    Test of Endurance, Felidar Sovereign, and Aetherflux Reservoir are alternate wincons. I feel like it's light on creature removal. Should I ditch all the soul sisters? Fauna Shaman? Sun Titan also seems pretty out of place, being neither a cat nor a lady. I guess I could just ditch that little recursion subtheme?
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  2. #2
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    The Soul Sisters feel pretty low impact... Serra Ascendant is better but may not be what you're looking for.

    Aluren + Trostani + any 'return a creature' cat = infinite life, right?

  3. #3
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    Quote Originally Posted by Ace/Homebrew View Post
    The Soul Sisters feel pretty low impact... Serra Ascendant is better but may not be what you're looking for.

    Aluren + Trostani + any 'return a creature' cat = infinite life, right?
    If I had an Ascendant laying around I'd probably include it but I don't really want to buy one. My thoughts with the soul sisters is that they're pretty nuts with a lot of token generating effects, but they aren't very good on their own, and probably too easy to get rid of.

    I thought about Aluren, but I wasn't sure if it was too beneficial to other players when it's not being used as a win condition like it is in my shitty combo deck. That would be pretty much an instant win with Aetherflux Reservoir though.
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  4. #4
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    Yeah, I forgot it was in your old-border deck. Forget it!

    Waiting in the Weeds has soooo much cat flavor it's used in high quality dog food.

    Are changelings too gimmicky to include? I'm thinking of Mirror Entity or Chameleon Colossus.

    -Edit-
    Some additional ideas that are 'on theme':
    Beastmaster Ascension
    Divine Light
    Roar of the Kha
    Mirri's Guile
    Kismet

    I also think Ajani Goldmane is stronger than Caller of the Pride.


  5. #5
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    Quote Originally Posted by Ace/Homebrew View Post
    Yeah, I forgot it was in your old-border deck. Forget it!

    Waiting in the Weeds has soooo much cat flavor it's used in high quality dog food.

    Are changelings too gimmicky to include? I'm thinking of Mirror Entity or Chameleon Colossus.

    -Edit-
    Some additional ideas that are 'on theme':
    Beastmaster Ascension
    Divine Light
    Roar of the Kha
    Mirri's Guile
    Kismet

    I also think Ajani Goldmane is stronger than Caller of the Pride.

    Well I'm already taking a bunch of stuff from that deck to make this one, so it's not a big deal. Since it's an instant win with a bounce cat and Reservoir, seems worth including. What the hell am I cutting though!? I just ordered a bunch more stuff, including Waiting in the Weeds, White Sun's Zenith, a couple Ajanis, and some other terrible bullshit.
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  6. #6
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Cheese View Post
    What the hell am I cutting though!?
    Do you need both Behemoth Sledge and Loxodon Warhammer? Seems like one would do the trick, especially with all the equipment search.

    Cards to consider cutting:
    1 Ajani's Chosen
    1 Auriok Champion
    1 Essence Warden
    1 Soul Warden
    1 Soul's Attendant
    1 Leonin Shikari
    1 Sunspear Shikari
    1 Vanguard of Brimaz
    1 Ajani's Sunstriker
    1 Trained Caracal
    1 War Report
    1 Time of Need

    I question how much value you will actually be getting from these cards:
    1 Kemba, Kha Regent
    1 Anointed Procession
    1 Second Harvest
    1 Quest for the Holy Relic (I like Steelshaper's Gift or Stonehewer Giant better)


    Also, consider why you are running Survival of the Fittest. If you include both SotF and Felidar Sovereign in the same deck as a general that incidentally gains life, it means Survival isn't really opening a toolbox if you're playing optimally (to win).

  7. #7
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    I included Survival and Fauna Shaman because they have nice synergy with Return to the Ranks and Sun Titan, and I would kinda like to throw in a copy of Dusk/Dawn. Also, a lot of the creatures are admittedly pretty shitty so I didn't think I'd mind pitching them to find good ones. There isn't really a toolbox going on though, I really just wanted more ways to search up Sovereign. I could just cut that whole package though. Maybe I should run grave hate instead? I could stick with the lifegain theme with Honor the Fallen or Scavenging Ooze or just run Rest in Peace.

    You're probably right on Quest, but I had one sitting around and I don't own the others. I guess I'll see how terribad the deck is and then consider upgrades.

    Kemba and the token stuff seems pretty powerful to me, at least on paper. I wanted Trostani's populate ability to be consistently active, and they provide a ton of value for her static ability. I'm still not sure how much to invest in that strategy though. Also not sure how those effects will work with Nacatl War-Pride. Will it only remove the tokens it created, or if you copy them will the copies stay around?

    Vanguard can definitely go, since I have no spells that target (already cut Tethemos High Priest but missed that guy). Chosen is similarly hard to activate. War Report I guess doesn't really do anything. I think between those and the soul sisters or the graveyard stuff, I should be able to get to 100 cards.

    Do I need more removal? I thought about Fumigate but I'm not sure I want more sweepers because I'm playing a super creature-heavy deck.
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  8. #8
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies



    Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit....
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  9. #9
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Cheese View Post
    Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit....
    Too bad it isn't legendary...still seems like a home run for the deck, though.

  10. #10
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    I can't believe how many cards I just bought for this deck that are in the new EDH deck, but I might as well still buy it because the 10 or so cards I want are nearly $30 to order as singles anyway.
    God. Dammit.
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

  11. #11
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Cheese View Post
    God. Dammit.
    Give it a month for product to flood the market and save yourself half the cost!

    Which of the new cats are you most interested in?

  12. #12
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    Re: Crazy Cat Ladies

    Quote Originally Posted by Ace/Homebrew View Post
    Give it a month for product to flood the market and save yourself half the cost!

    Which of the new cats are you most interested in?
    Mainly the commander, Mirri, Stalking Leonin, Qasali Slingers and Alms Collector. Nazahn and his hammer seem ok. Might pick it up anyway for some random equipment/lands, or just wait like you said.
    I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel

    "Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."

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