[EDH] Angels - A song of wings and swords

[Seraph2k]

At the moment I am going to built a new 1vs1 EDH. Unfortunately I am not sure which way I should go cause I got three amazing ideas.

My first idea is a Mono-W Angel EDH where I can play all my favorite cards like Iona, Reya and Friends.

The second idea is a Kaalia EDH. She gives me the opportunity to play the good black and red angels and add nice demons and dragons.

The thirst idea is a Scio of the Ur-Dragon EDH. He enables a 5C angel, demon and dragon deck with nice additions like empyrial or Karrthus.

The first idea seems to be the one wih the most style but I fear it is too weak to win. I built a first version, maybe you can share your thoughts . Is that enough or should I splash a 2nd/3rd/4th color?

Commander
Avacyn, Angel of Hope

Angels (24)
Angel of Jubilation
Emeria Angel
Restoration Angel
Voice of All
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Sublime Archangel
Archangel of Thune
Baneslayer Angel
Battlegrace Angel
Serra Angel
Radiant, Archangel
Karmic Guide
Blinding Angel
Admonition Angel
Aegis Angel
Exalted Angel
Deathless Angel
Angelic Arbiter
Twilight Shepherd
Adarkar Valkyie
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Archangel of Strife
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Reya Dawnbringer

other creatures (9)
Stoneforge Mystic
Aven Mindcensor
Academy Rector
Phyrexian Metamorph
Stonehewer Giant
Duplicant
Eternal Dragon
Purity
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Artifacts (11)
Mana Crypt
Sol Ring
Scroll Rack
Coldsteel Heart
Mind Stone
Gilded Lotus
Umezawas Jitte
Coalition Relic
Lightning Greaves
Tawnos's Coffin
Batterskull

Enchantments (5)
Luminarch Ascension
Aura of Silence
Endless Horizons
Spear of Heliod
Moat

Instant (6)
Path to Exile
Swords to Plowshares
Enlightened Tutor
Oblation
Condemn
Exile


Sorcery (11)
Day of Judgment
Wrath of God
Cataclysm
Hallowed Burial
Rout
Final Judgment
Terminus
Planar Cleansing
Akroma's Vengeance
Catastrophe
Austere Command

Planeswalker (1)
Elspeth, Knight-Errant


Lands (37)
Thawing Glaciers
Drifting Meadow
Nykthos
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Flagstones of Trokair
Secluded Steppe
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Seraph Sanctuary
Mouth of Ronom
Scrying Sheets
26 Snow-Covered Plains

104 Cards (you see still a concept)

[Bed Decks Palyer]

I'd try mono-Angels, Kaalia is so boring...

[Seraph2k]

I know. There are tons of kaalia EDH out there, but MonoW or Angel EDH are very rare.
There are so many other good Angels which I can't play in MonoW like:

Empyrial Archangel
Jenara, Asura of War
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Stoic Angel
Maelstrom Archangel
Basandra, Battle Seraph
Angel of Despair

Useful cards in a angel deck, but there is no general with style who gives me access to them.

[Davran]

I think mono-white angels is actually somewhat interesting as opposed to a cookie cutter Kaalia deck or a 5-color "good stuff" type list.

A few suggestions in no particular order:

Seraph Sanctuary is a mostly "free" inclusion since you're mono-colored. With all of your angels it should gain you a decent chunk of life, which may be helpful vs. more aggressive decks.

Mouth of Ronom is another "free" inclusion that can give you an extra little bit of removal.

Homeward Path may offer you some protection if you expect creature theft (i.e. Bribery) in your meta.

Deathless Angel sort of a mini-Avacyn for your other angels. The cost/benefit might be too high...but it could be worth a look.

Blinding Angel is a pretty solid control card with a somewhat unique effect. It's probably more useful than Serra Angel.

Angelic Arbiter is another solid control card.

[Seraph2k]

I think mono-white angels is actually somewhat interesting as opposed to a cookie cutter Kaalia deck or a 5-color "good stuff" type list.


That is exactly what I am thinking ;)
The cards you posted are interesting. The mouth and blinding angel are autoincludes.

I already thought about the two other angels. Somehow I don't see their strength. Deathless and Arbieter seem to be not so gamebreakting like baneslayer and archangel, but maybe I am wrong...

How many removals and other protection spells would you include?

[Davran]

How many removals and other protection spells would you include?

I suppose it would depend on what I was expecting to face. If there are going to be a lot of aggressive creature based decks, I'd run quite a few. If it's more of a control meta, I'd run less. To me, the trick is to diversify...which it looks like you've done.

The only thing I really question is Exile - is Condemn just better?

[FTW]

I would make your commander Avacyn, Angel of Hope. Pretty hard to deal with and protects your team. It also lets you cast all those Wrath effects freely without effecting your side of the board. (well, assuming you have some instant tricks to protect Avacyn from targetted exile... Brave the Elements, Apostle's Blessing, the new scry one, and Greaves+Boots seems solid)

Radiant is good, but I think you will get more mileage out of Avacyn despite the high cost. I would just play Radiant in the 99. She's just vanilla fat, and fat angels aren't that pretty...

Crovax, Ascendant Hero as a pseudo-angel maybe?

Divinity of Pride is not mono W and cannot be in the deck.

I'm a big fan of Angelic Arbiter and play it in Kaalia. I also play Archangel of Strife, although Kaalia is a much more aggressive deck so the "war" option is quite overpowering. I am not sure if you would necessarily want it in this deck (for fear of Rith tokens choosing War :s) but it can be a strong angel.

I would play Nykthos, the devotion land, because why not? You're mono-colored and it helps cast expensive things.

I recommend more mana acceleration like Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Mind Stone. Again, you're playing fatty.tribal.dec so you want to be able to cast stuff.

Also, Spear of Heliod is good. I wouldn't play the god herself since she, well, sucks.

[Seraph2k]

I am expecting a lot of aggro and mindrange builts. Thats why I buit it that way.
I first took exile cause I own it and I don't have a foil condem.... I will buy one and then add it.

Any other ideas concering my deck?

Edit: Ok Deck updated

[Seraph2k]

No other ideas or imput? I will post the new list in a few days when all the letters with the foil angels will arrive here ;)

[FTW]

Mass Calcify and Brave the Elements seem decent in monowhite tribal.

[Seraph2k]

So here is my updated list. A lot of "bad" are now removed from the deck.

Commander
Avacyn, Angel of Hope

Angels (19)
Angel of Jubilation
Emeria Angel
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Sublime Archangel
Archangel of Thune
Baneslayer Angel
Battlegrace Angel
Karmic Guide
Blinding Angel
Admonition Angel
Aegis Angel
Exalted Angel
Angelic Arbiter
Twilight Shepherd
Adarkar Valkyie
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Archangel of Strife
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Reya Dawnbringer

other creatures (14)
Stoneforge Mystic
Aven Mindcensor
Academy Rector
Phyrexian Metamorph
Stonehewer Giant
Duplicant
Steel Hellkite
Wurmcoil Engine
Eternal Dragon
Purity
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Kor Cartographer
Solemn Simulacrum
Burnished Hart

Artifacts (13)
Mana Crypt
Sol Ring
Scroll Rack
Coldsteel Heart
Mind Stone
Everflowing Chalice
Caged Sun
Gilded Lotus
Coalition Relic
Lightning Greaves
Swiftfoot Boots
Tawnos's Coffin
Batterskull

Enchantments (4)
Luminarch Ascension
Endless Horizons
Moat
Land Tax

Instant (5)
Path to Exile
Swords to Plowshares
Enlightened Tutor
Oblation
Condemn


Sorcery (11)
Day of Judgment
Wrath of God
Cataclysm
Hallowed Burial
Rout
Final Judgment
Terminus
Planar Cleansing
Akroma's Vengeance
Catastrophe
Austere Command

Planeswalker (3)
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Karn Liberated
Gideon Jura

Lands (30)
Thawing Glaciers
Drifting Meadow
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Homeward Path
Flagstones of Trokair
Secluded Steppe
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Mouth of Ronom
Scrying Sheets
20 Snow-Covered Plains

The important changes are: + Karn, Gideon, wurmcoil, steel hellkite and Manaartifacts; cuts are cryppy lands, and some angels like serra angel. the restoration will return when I will finde a german foil one. Then I can add it.

[TsumiBand]

So I can't believe I'm going to recommend this, but ah… if you're aching to play those non-White angels, and you want something thematically interesting, you could consider Karona, False God.

You're playing tribal, so Karona's ability is relevant. You're under no obligation to turn the deck into 5-color GoodStuff; let it be as Angel-donkulous as you like. It's also, IMHO, 'thematically interesting' because if one were so inclined, one could approach it from the angle of a bunch of Angels blindly and incorrectly serving a false god. You'd want some way to sacrifice Karona so that she doesn't jib you in the face, since she herself can attack unassisted for 8 (which is of course a 3-turn clock for commander damage, and in a 4-player-or-more game of EDH it would be embarrassingly easy to lose to one's own commander, hah).

At least, if it were me, I might be compelled to do such a thing.

[Aggro_zombies]

Phyrexian Metamorph is technically a blue card, and thus isn't allowed in an Avacyn deck.

[oldmanhoody]

Since your General is mono white wouldn't this card be illegal?

Phyrexian Metamorph

[Seraph2k]

Exactly what Aggro_ZOmbies mentioned a few houres ago... The card was in my last normal highlander, just misead the ruling.
The metamorph will be removed.