Hunding Gjornersen
08-07-2012, 12:59 PM
This deck requires a little bit of context. Way back in 1998 at the Urza's Saga pre-release, while everyone else was agape at cards like Time Spiral, Stroke of Genius, and Tolarian Academy, I fell in love with the Horseshoe Crab // Hermetic Study combo. After the sealed event I made some trades and had a deck together in time for school on Monday. It was awesome. The machine gun effect allowed my mono-blue deck to deal with creatures and players while holding up mana for Counterspell. The good times kept rolling with the printing of first Sigil of Sleep and then Charisma. Eventually, though, my playgroup evolved beyond the point where such nonsense could actually be considered good.
Flash forward 12 years and suddenly I have a new venue for an old favorite: EDH. Thanks to the untap symbol in Lorwyn block, I was pretty much settled on WUR for colors. At the time Numot, the Devastator was the only general in the right colors, but he just didn't fit the theme. I was overjoyed when Zedruu the Greathearted was spoiled and immediately put together the classic-themed deck which now looks like:
Zedruu the Greathearted
Horseshoe Crab
Puresight Merrow
Pili-Pala
Leech Bonder
Morphling
Torchling
Silkbind Faerie
Patrol Signaler
Pemmin's Aura
Hermetic Study
Power of Fire
Psionic Gift
Heavy Arbalest
Quicksilver Dagger
Arcane Teachings
Lightning Prowess
Hypervolt Grasp
Opposition
Sun Titan
Hanna, Ship's Navigator
Reveillark
Faith's Reward
Mother of Runes
Swiftfoot Boots
Greater Auramancy
Mana Flare
Paradox Haze
Statecraft
Magus of the Moat
Grafdigger's Cage
Bazaar of Wonders
Meekstone
Faith's Fetters
Oblivion Ring
Journey to Nowhere
Exclusion Ritual
Spine of Ish Sah
Encrust
Enlightened Tutor
Drift of Phantasms
Intuition
Wild Research
Three Dreams
Academy Rector
Fabricate
Sensei's Divining Top
Hinder
Spell Crumple
Muddle the Mixture
Hindering Light
Forbid
Sol Ring
Azorius Signet
Izzet Signet
Fellwar Stone
Coldsteel Heart
Talisman of Progress
Armillary Sphere
Darksteel Ingot
Wayfarer's Bauble
Gilded Lotus
Serra's Sanctum
Marsh Flats
Flooded Strand
Misty Rainforest
Bloodstained Mire
Windswept Heath
Scalding Tarn
Arid Mesa
Plateau
Volcanic Island
Tundra
Adarkar Wastes
Shivan Reef
Command Tower
Clifftop Retreat
Sulfur Falls
Boros Garrison
Azorius Chancery
Izzet Boilerworks
City of Brass
Haunted Fengraf
Strip Mine
Eiganjo Castle
Reflecting Pool
Ancient Tomb
7 Island
4 Plains
2 Mountain
Besides being the right colors Zedruu lets me donate auras for profit, since they say "enchanted creature gains 't: do something sweet.'" Now, I didn't write this post just to brag; the deck has some problems. For starters, it definitely needs more ways to interact with things that aren't ping-able creatures. In particular, Aura Shards is such a savage beating it's not even funny. Even a timely Krosan Grip can leave me in top-deck mode with just a 1/1 dork in play. I'm looking to add in Replenish and Eight-and-a-Half-Tails for more robustness, but am unsure what to cut for them.
The deck is also insanely mana hungry, but my mana rocks are making me even more vulnerable to Akroma's Vengeance, Pernicious Deed, and the like. Right now, the deck isn't dependent on Zedruu staying in play, but can take full advantage of her when she does. That's a quality I'd like to retain.
There are plenty of combos with Zedruu, like Transcendence and Thought Lash, but I'm not interested in using things like that here.
Obviously, Moat and The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale would be good here, but they're far out of my budget. Other than that, I'm willing to invest in this deck so any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Flash forward 12 years and suddenly I have a new venue for an old favorite: EDH. Thanks to the untap symbol in Lorwyn block, I was pretty much settled on WUR for colors. At the time Numot, the Devastator was the only general in the right colors, but he just didn't fit the theme. I was overjoyed when Zedruu the Greathearted was spoiled and immediately put together the classic-themed deck which now looks like:
Zedruu the Greathearted
Horseshoe Crab
Puresight Merrow
Pili-Pala
Leech Bonder
Morphling
Torchling
Silkbind Faerie
Patrol Signaler
Pemmin's Aura
Hermetic Study
Power of Fire
Psionic Gift
Heavy Arbalest
Quicksilver Dagger
Arcane Teachings
Lightning Prowess
Hypervolt Grasp
Opposition
Sun Titan
Hanna, Ship's Navigator
Reveillark
Faith's Reward
Mother of Runes
Swiftfoot Boots
Greater Auramancy
Mana Flare
Paradox Haze
Statecraft
Magus of the Moat
Grafdigger's Cage
Bazaar of Wonders
Meekstone
Faith's Fetters
Oblivion Ring
Journey to Nowhere
Exclusion Ritual
Spine of Ish Sah
Encrust
Enlightened Tutor
Drift of Phantasms
Intuition
Wild Research
Three Dreams
Academy Rector
Fabricate
Sensei's Divining Top
Hinder
Spell Crumple
Muddle the Mixture
Hindering Light
Forbid
Sol Ring
Azorius Signet
Izzet Signet
Fellwar Stone
Coldsteel Heart
Talisman of Progress
Armillary Sphere
Darksteel Ingot
Wayfarer's Bauble
Gilded Lotus
Serra's Sanctum
Marsh Flats
Flooded Strand
Misty Rainforest
Bloodstained Mire
Windswept Heath
Scalding Tarn
Arid Mesa
Plateau
Volcanic Island
Tundra
Adarkar Wastes
Shivan Reef
Command Tower
Clifftop Retreat
Sulfur Falls
Boros Garrison
Azorius Chancery
Izzet Boilerworks
City of Brass
Haunted Fengraf
Strip Mine
Eiganjo Castle
Reflecting Pool
Ancient Tomb
7 Island
4 Plains
2 Mountain
Besides being the right colors Zedruu lets me donate auras for profit, since they say "enchanted creature gains 't: do something sweet.'" Now, I didn't write this post just to brag; the deck has some problems. For starters, it definitely needs more ways to interact with things that aren't ping-able creatures. In particular, Aura Shards is such a savage beating it's not even funny. Even a timely Krosan Grip can leave me in top-deck mode with just a 1/1 dork in play. I'm looking to add in Replenish and Eight-and-a-Half-Tails for more robustness, but am unsure what to cut for them.
The deck is also insanely mana hungry, but my mana rocks are making me even more vulnerable to Akroma's Vengeance, Pernicious Deed, and the like. Right now, the deck isn't dependent on Zedruu staying in play, but can take full advantage of her when she does. That's a quality I'd like to retain.
There are plenty of combos with Zedruu, like Transcendence and Thought Lash, but I'm not interested in using things like that here.
Obviously, Moat and The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale would be good here, but they're far out of my budget. Other than that, I'm willing to invest in this deck so any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.