[EDH] Sharuum the Hegemon

[Dilettante]

Revised List
General
Sharuum the Hegemon

Creatures (14)
Sphinx Summoner
Magister Sphinx
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Trinket Mage
Reya Dawnbringer
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Inkwell Leviathan
Sundering Titan
Mulldrifter
Academy Rector
Memnarch
Master Transmuter
Zur the Enchanter
Angel of Despair

Planeswalkers (4)
Sorin Markov
Tezzeret, the Seeker
Lilianna Vess
Elspeth, Knight-Errant

Enchantments (9)
Debtors' Knell
Rhystic Study
Moat
Leyline of the Void
Necromancy
Animate Dead
Land Tax
Oblivion Ring
Luminarch Ascension

Spells (18)
Mystical Tutor
Enlightened Tutor
Transmute Artifact
Careful Study
Vampiric Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Buried Alive
Entomb
Brainstorm
Austere Command
Fact or Fiction
Vindicate
Thirst for Knowledge
Frantic Search
Compulsive Research
Mana Severance
Rite of Replication
Open the Vaults

Artifacts (22)
Mana Crypt
Azorius Signet
Dimir Signet
Orzhov Signet
Coalition Relic
Mana Vault
Sol Ring
Gilded Lotus
Thran Dynamo
Expedition Map
Oblivion Stone
Mind’s Eye
Goblin Charbelcher
Sensei’s Divining Top
Mindslaver
Darksteel Forge
Crucible of Worlds
Crystal Shard
Memory Jar
Nevinyrral's Disk
Proteus Staff
Thopter Foundry
Sword of the Meek
Helm of Obedience

Lands (30)
Tolarian Academy
Reliquary Tower
Tolaria West
Ancient Den
Seat of the Synod
Vault of Whispers
Azorius Chancery
Orzhov Basilica
Dimir Aqueduct
Marsh Flats
Flooded Strand
Polluted Delta
Scrubland
Tundra
Underground Sea
Flagstones of Trokair
Academy Ruins
Mystic Gate
Sunken Ruins
Ancient Tomb
Strip Mine
3x Plains
3x Island
3x Swamp


Original List
General
Sharuum the Hegemon

Creatures (17)
Enigma Sphinx
Magister Sphinx
Sphinx Ambassador
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Trinket Mage
Hapless Researcher
Merfolk Looter
Reya Dawnbringer
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Visara, The Dreadful
Inkwell Leviathan
Sundering Titan
Mulldrifter
Academy Rector
Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
Weathered Wayfarer

Planeswalkers (4)
Sorin Markov
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Tezzeret, the Seeker
Lilianna Vess

Enchantments (7)
Attunement
Moat
Animate Dead
Dance of the Dead
Land Tax
Oblivion Ring
Luminarch Ascension

Spells (24)
Mystical Tutor
Enlightened Tutor
Transmute Artifact
Careful Study
Vampiric Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Diabolic Tutor
Buried Alive
Entomb
Brainstorm
Austere Command
Fact or Fiction
Vindicate
Zombify
Smallpox
Thirst for Knowledge
Frantic Search
Compulsive Research
False Defeat
Condemn
Exhume
Twincast
Mana Severance
Momentary Blink

Artifacts (17)
Mana Crypt
Mox Diamond
Azorius Signet
Dimir Signet
Orzhov Signet
Coalition Relic
Mana Vault
Sol Ring
Grim Monolith
Gilded Lotus
Thran Dynamo
Oblivion Stone
Scourglass
Mind’s Eye
Goblin Charbelcher
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sensei’s Divining Top

Lands (30)
Tolarian Academy
Crypt of Agadeem
Reliquary Tower
Ancient Den
Seat of the Synod
Vault of Whispers
Azorius Chancery
Orzhov Basilica
Dimir Aqueduct
Marsh Flats
Flooded Strand
Polluted Delta
Scrubland
Tundra
Underground Sea
Flagstones of Trokair
Academy Ruins
City of Brass
Mystic Gate
Sunken Ruins
Ancient Tomb
3x Plains
3x Island
3x Swamp

This variant of Sharuum is definitely one where you have to be very careful of the social aspects. Playing Sharuum makes you a high priority target. It is not quite suited for purely multiplayer or 1 on 1, but more of a hybrid. There are a number of combos integrated, but most notably, Mana Severance + Goblin Charbelcher, Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek, and Leyline of the Void + Helm of Obedience. This deck does have issues against pure 1 on 1 aggressive generals however, such as Isamaru, Vendillion Clique, or some variants of Gaddock Teeg.

Multi-Player Game Strategy
Usually, the most destructive combo to go off on in a mass game is Nevinyrral's Disk + Darksteel Forge. The least threatening way to usually put it in play is to slip the Disk into play, then sneak the Darksteel Forge down via Transmute Artifact, Sharuum, or Master Transmuter, then proceed with blowing up the world. The best cards to get out early other than the mana ramp elements are generally the enchantments: Luminarch Ascension, Moat, Rhystic Study, and Land Tax. Beyond that, the deck can sit behind the hand, reserving cards instead of laying everything bare on the board. Open the Vaults is a card to have sneaked into your hand if at all possible as a panic button.

Single-Player Strategy
This deck has issues against purely aggressive generals, due to its mass control nature. It can squeak out an occasional win via fast mana ramp or combo, however. If utilizing a sideboard, Condemn and Wrath effects make it to the top of the wish list. Moat can often screw many a general, particularly Thraximundar and Progenitus. This deck fares well against sweeper decks, due to its ability to recover itself, particularly grabbing an Open the Vaults. Against pure control, pursuing card advantage engines become priority, but the deck can pretty much scoop to a pure counter control. However, this deck is not designed for purely single-player. Therefore, eliminate the counter control if playing in a tourney that cuts to single.

[MattH]

No, you can't do any tricks with Iona/blink.

One very natural combo for this deck is:

1. Play Sculpting Steel, copying Sharuum.
2. They're legends, so they both die with the Steel-Sharuum's CIP ability still waiting to go on the stack.
3. The Steel-Sharuum's CIP ability goes on the stack, returning the real Sharuum.
4. Real Sharuum returns the Steel to play.
5. Go to step 1.

So you have infinite Sharuums blinking back and forth. Combine with Disciple of the Vault or something of that nature.

I really don't like the artifact lands. Maybe you don't see as many OStones and Disks as I do, though. And if you cut those, Tezzeret actually becomes pretty weak, I recently cut him from my Sharuum in favor of Day of Judgment.

Attunement seems like a bit much, you can't have THAT many guys to pitch. Rhystic Study is so much better! In fact I think you have way too much crud that discards; Hapless Researcher should never be in an EDH deck. Is this meant for 1v1 or something?

City of Brass is atrocious. My FIVE color EDH decks don't need that, this 3-color deck surely doesn't.

I always really hated Enigma Sphinx, and your list seems like it has many more cards you never want to cascade into (signets, false defeat, etc.). He also doesn't work with Sharuum very well, you only cascade when you cast him from hand.

As for better cards:
-Mindslaver is super-strong, moreso with Sharuum.
-Darksteel Forge is very good.
-I'd run Arcum Dagsson with those two also.
-Dear god, how do you not have Master Transmuter? That guy is insane, possibly the best card in the whole deck. Protip: the artifact you put into play can be the same one you picked up...
-Sphinx Summoner is very worthwhile.
-Memnarch too. :D:D:D
-You probably want Expedition Map, to get Academy more reliably. Especially if you leave Tez in!
-Rite of Replication is hot sauce.

[Rico Suave]

As for better cards:
-Mindslaver is super-strong, moreso with Sharuum.
-Darksteel Forge is very good.
-I'd run Arcum Dagsson with those two also.
-Dear god, how do you not have Master Transmuter? That guy is insane, possibly the best card in the whole deck. Protip: the artifact you put into play can be the same one you picked up...
-Sphinx Summoner is very worthwhile.
-Memnarch too. :D:D:D
-You probably want Expedition Map, to get Academy more reliably. Especially if you leave Tez in!
-Rite of Replication is hot sauce.

Specifically, the primary reason to play Sharuum in the first place is for a brutal Mindslaver activation.

The other 2 main reasons are Crucible (which you don't even run) and Sundering Titan.

And how do you have no Strip Mine or Wasteland?

[Kuma]

yawg07 has a ridiculous Sharuum list. Maybe he'll post it...

[Dilettante]

I was trying to write up by memory. Sphinx Summoner is already in. I believe the card I cut was Sun Quan and my old memory is wretched. Hapless, I've been using as a turn 1 play for a turn 2 reanimation, a weak Careful Study, but I guess it isn't as worth it since I already run all the other pitchers. The reanimation is more for selectively bringing back a disrupting threat more than early game stomp (Dance of the Dead and Animate Dead for their ability to snatch from any player's graveyard). I don't run into as many O-Stones/Disks other than the ones I run myself generally (I used to run Ghost Council with about 1/5 of the deck as board clears). I find myself encountering a lot of spot creature removal, which is why I don't have Master Transmuter, which is too slow compared to just using a reanimation spell. By the time I can cast Transmuter, I can just cast/fetch accel that lets me drop the cards anyway at the same time, without the risk of it getting blown up. It feels like a 'win more' for what I encounter. Same issue with Arcum. Steel seems like an easy combo, but seems easy to disrupt due to spot removal.

+Memnarch
+Expedition Map
+Mindslaver
+Sphinx Summoner
+Rhystic Study
+Rite of Replication
+Darksteel Forge
+Strip Mine
+Tolaria West
+Crucible of Worlds
-Twincast
-Attunement
-Enigma Sphinx
-Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
-Weathered Wayfarer
-City of Brass
-Diabolic Tutor
-Hapless Researcher
-Reliquary Tower
-Merfolk Looter

[MattH]

Ohhhh I'd add Reliquary Tower back. I often go up over 7 cards...

You're still underestimating Master Transmuter. It's not JUST to get a guy into play cheaply, he does so much more. He also PROTECTS your guys from removal (bounce in response to STP), and reuses their CIP abilities. Imagine picking up Sundering Titan and putting it right back into play, at instant speed, every turn, for :u:. Or Filligree Angel, or Sharuum herself, or Magister Sphinx.

Also cheats Darksteel Forge in, which reanimation can't do.

[Dilettante]

Alright. I'll give both a whirl. I also put in Debtor's Knell and Crystal Shard. Subtracted Agadeem, Smallpox, Zombify, and Exhume.

[MattH]

Debtor's Knell is fucking awesome, I support that 100%.

[yawg07]

yawg07 has a ridiculous Sharuum list. Maybe he'll post it...

I will :) But I won't hijack this thread, I'll post my own.

[Nihlistdeathtrip]

I will :) But I won't hijack this thread, I'll post my own.

but his list has the gay all over it :eek:

[Malchar]

I just started playing EDH, and I happen to also play with Sharuum the Hegemon. I'm wondering about which cards are EHD "staples" for a WUB deck. Also, after looking at the OP list, I'm not sure about how much land/mana producers to use. I would have thought to use a little more land than 30.

[freakish777]

Discarding Possessed Portal (Thirst for Knowledge, Careful Study, etc) and bringing it back with Sharuum can be pretty back breaking too (assuming you have ways to break the symmetry, such as Future Sight or Magus of the Future, having enough mana to replay Sharuum).

You don't hardlock with it obviously, but it can be really hard to beat.