[Duel Commander] Xira Arien: Legacy-Like Jund

[AngryTroll]

I like to say that I play Legacy competatively and EDH for fun. That worked very well when there was a local Legacy scene, but hasn't worked for me since I moved to a place without Legacy. I'm still working on aquiring a modern Jund manabase, so for the moment Modern is out. Tiny Leaders is a neat format, but I want a place to cast Garruk Relentless, Arlinn Kord, and Bloodbraid Elf.

With that said, here's my Xira Arien Duel Commander list. I'd appreciate any or all feedback on it. I'm aiming for something competative but full of cool cards from Legacy and cards that used to be good enough for Legacy. I'd like to be able to cut the commander and play it against Modern decks, but that's probably a stretch in terms of power level.

Constraints: I'd like to abide by the Legacy, Duel Commander, and EDH banned lists. I'm not a big fan of tutoring, so fetchlands made it in here but Green Sun's Zenith and Traverse the Ulvenwald got cut. If this is underpowered they'd be the first two cards on the list to go back in.

I picked Xira over Adun Oakenshield for two reasons: First, the price difference buys me a Raging Ravine, good for this and the Modern version. Second, opposing Scavenging Oozes are already pretty good against this deck-no need to let them neuter my commander as well.

Xira Arien

Deathrite Shaman
Grim Lavamancer
Gnarlwood Dryad
Nimble Mongoose
Bloodhall Ooze
Sylvan Safekeeper
Thunderscape Apprentice
Werebear
Deathcap Cultivator
Lotus Cobra
Brain Maggot
Mesmeric Fiend
Tarmogoyf
Dark Confidant
Scavenging Ooze
Rakshasa Deathdealer
Putrid Leech
Hypnotic Specter
Vampire Nighthawk
Glissa, the Traitor
Courser of Kruphix
Liliana, Heretical Healer
Sprouting Thrinax
Thrun, the Last Troll
Blazing Specter
Flametongue Kavu
Bloodbraid Elf
Huntmaster of the Fells
Meren of Clan Nel Toth
Shriekmaw
Savageborn Hydra

Liliana of the Veil
Garruk Relentless
Arlinn Kord
Xenagos, the Reveler

Lightning Bolt
Terminate
Go for the Throat
Diabolic Edict
Dismember
Putrefy
Fire Covenant
Chain Lightning
Dreadbore
Maelstrom Pulse

Thoughtseize
Duress
Hymn to Tourach
Wrench Mind
Blightning
Raven's Crime

Collective Brutality
Golgari Charm
Rakdos Charm
Kolaghan's Command
Jund Charm
Darigaaz's Charm

Cursed Scroll
Sylvan Library
Phyrexian Arena
Painful Truths
Skeletal Scrying

Kaerveck's Torch
Crater's Claws

-----35 Land-----
3 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Mountain
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Treetop Village
Raging Ravine
Hissing Quagmire
Temple of Malady
Temple of Malice
Temple of Abandon
Woodland Cemetery
Rootbound Crag
Dragonskull Summit
Polluted Delta
Windswept Heath
Misty Rainforest
Wooded Foothills
Bloodstained Mire
Verdant Catacombs
Overgrown Tomb
Stomping Ground
Blood Crypt
Bayou
Badlands
Taiga
Command Tower
Volrath's Stronghold
Kessig Wolf Run
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
Wasteland
Dust Bowl

Cards that didn't quite make the list that I wanted to play include:
Magma Jet
Abrupt Decay
Smother (These two are metagame dependent-obviously amazing if I play Tiny Leaders or Duel Commander, but against competative EDH decks I'm afraid they'd be target-less most of the time)
Pernicious Deed
Skinshifter
Grim Flayer (I'm not sure exactly where the line is for me, but this card is over it on the creepy scale.)
River Boa
Goblin Rabblemaster
Inexorable Blob
Autumnal Gloom
Call of the Herd
Assault // Battery (I'm a sucker for flexibility)
Troll Ascetic
Tombstalker
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet (price)
Liliana, the Last Hope (price)
Avalanche Riders
Fulminator Mage (price)

Other considerations: Should I be running the fast lands (Blackcleave Cliffs, Blooming Marsh, and Copperline Gorge? There's not tons of room for more nonbasics if I want to run a few basics.

Did I miss any cool cards in these colors?

What are the weakest three (or your own arbitrary number) cards in the deck? I'd probably point at Thunderscape Apprentice, Darigaaz's Charm, and Gnarlwood Dryad or Nimble Mongoose.

Of the cards I haven't added for price reasons, which would be the most bang for.my buck? Bonus points if it goes in the modern version of Jund.

[Aggro_zombies]

I'm surprised you're not running Chainer's Edict. It seems right up this deck's alley.

Thunderscape Apprentice strikes me as being really weak. The ping ability isn't that great and there are better pump creatures out there.

Your creature profile suggests you want to be aggressive, but your high spell count, commander choice, and manabase suggest you want to play the value game and be in this for the long haul. I don't know a lot about Deul Commander - are aggressive decks prevalent there? If not, I'd consider taking out some of the early-game beaters like Goose, Dryad, and Werebear and run more value-added creatures like Wall of Blossoms. You don't have a high enough density of pressure cards to get your beatdowns on.

[AngryTroll]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm not sure about the Duel Commander metagame, to be honest. I found a few friends locally that play EDH and thought it'd be fun to play against them.

Chainer's Edict: I had this in the pile originally, but I'm running a fewer lands than a normal EDH deck (35 vs 38) and have no ramp spells and very limited mana creatures (Werebear, Deathcap Cultivator, and Lotus Cobra). Raven's Crime and Dust Bowl give me something to do with the mana besides putting it in play. I'll keep it in mind, though, and see how often I hit seven mana. Edict did remind me of a few other old flashback cards, though: Call of the Herd and Firebolt

Thunderscape Apprentice: This is no Deathrite Shaman. I've cast it a few times now and put it back into my neat foils binder. -1 Apprentice.

Role Missasignment = Game Loss (http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/fundamentals/3692_Whos_The_Beatdown.html): Like Legacy Jund, I'm aiming for the midrange value deck role. Against full size EDH decks, that means I come on under them and win. Against Tiny Leaders decks, I probably need to be the control deck.

Nimble Mongoose: I tend to think of Nimble Mongoose in the lens of the old Threshold vs. Goblins or Landstill lens: In those matchup, Mongoose was an amazing answer to Goblin Lackey and Standstill. In EDH land, though, it's probably not as valuable a midrange card. -1 Mongoose.

Gnarlwood Dryad: Amazing blocker on turn 1, great attacker a few turns later. I'm going to give this one a few more games.

Werebear: I'm a fan of Werebear as a ramp card that turns into a 4/4 late in the game. I think Werebear is probably fine (as opposed to Seton's Scout, which didn't make the list. That does make me question Putrid Leech, though...).

Crater's Claws: I actually don't have that many four-power creatures: Tarmogoyf, Thrun, Bloodbraid Elf, Putrid Leach, Werebear and Huntmaster (some of the time), Apocolypse Hydra if it sits in play for a while...this slot might be more valuable as a different burn spell.

Proposed changes so far:
-1 Nimble Mongoose
-1 Thunderscape Apprentice
-1 Crater's Claws
+1 Magma Jet
+1 Call of the Herd
+1 ?

The last card could be a Firebolt, Banefire, Pernicious Deed, Goblin Rabblemaster, or a Skinshifter...I'm a bit light on one drops, but I have 3 Temples, 2 Manlands, 3 Shocks and 6 fetchlands that can all take advantage of a free turn.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Goblin Cabdriver]

Bloom Tender pays for Xira's activation on it's own, I used to like it in my version of Xira, which was more of a Stax deck but might be good here.

[AngryTroll]

Updated list! Small changes to the removal, disruption, and creature suites aimed at making the deck more interactive.


Xira Arien
Deathrite Shaman
Grim Lavamancer
Gnarlwood Dryad
Bloodhall Ooze
Sylvan Safekeeper
Twinblade Slasher
Werebear
Deathcap Cultivator
Lotus Cobra
Tarmogoyf
Dark Confidant
Scavenging Ooze
Rakshasa Deathdealer
Putrid Leech
Hypnotic Specter
Vampire Nighthawk
Glissa, the Traitor
Courser of Kruphix
Liliana, Heretical Healer
Sprouting Thrinax
Tireless Tracker
Goblin Rabblemaster
Call of the Herd
Blazing Specter
Flametongue Kavu
Bloodbraid Elf
Huntmaster of the Fells
Meren of Clan Nel Toth
Shriekmaw
Savageborn Hydra

Liliana of the Veil
Garruk Relentless
Arlinn Kord

Lightning Bolt
Burst Lightning
Terminate
Go for the Throat
Magma Jet
Putrefy
Consume Strength
Fire Covenant
Chain Lightning
Assault // Battery
Dreadbore
Cut // Ribbons
Maelstrom Pulse

Thoughtseize
Duress
Hymn to Tourach
Wrench Mind
Chain of Smog
Blightning
Unburden

Collective Brutality
Golgari Charm
Rakdos Charm
Kolaghan's Command
Jund Charm
Darigaaz's Charm

Cursed Scroll
Sylvan Library
Phyrexian Arena
Painful Truths
Skeletal Scrying


-----35 Land-----
3 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Mountain
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Treetop Village
Raging Ravine
Hissing Quagmire
Temple of Malady
Temple of Malice
Temple of Abandon
Woodland Cemetery
Rootbound Crag
Dragonskull Summit
Polluted Delta
Windswept Heath
Misty Rainforest
Wooded Foothills
Bloodstained Mire
Verdant Catacombs
Overgrown Tomb
Stomping Ground
Blood Crypt
Bayou
Badlands
Taiga
Command Tower
Volrath's Stronghold
Kessig Wolf Run
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
Wasteland
Dust Bowl

Cards that are in the list at the moment that may not stay there:
Twinblade Slasher, Chain of Smog
I'm testing these two, but they may not actually be good enough to stay in the deck.

The weakest cards in the list are probably Consume Strength, Assault // Battery, and Call of the Herd. These three are clearly underpowered, but I really enjoy drawing and casting them, so they get to stay.

Cards that have been in and out of the list and are still looking for slots or are vying to be promoted from the "Maybe" pile to the deck include:
Removal: Funeral Charm, Diabolic Edict, Dismember, Chainer's Edict
Creatures: Nimble Mongoose, River Boa, Pain Seer, Falkenrath Aristocrat, Hellhole Rats, Avalanche Riders, Thrun, the Last Troll
Planeswalkers: Chandra, Pyromaster

Cards that would be in here if my opponents played with similar decks (low curve, highly efficient, Legacy-like decks):
Liliana, the Last Hope, Inquisition of Kozilek, Smother, Abrupt Decay

Cards that I missing due to cost:
Fulminator Mage, Liliana, the Last Hope, Chandra, Torch of Defiance

Am I missing anything pretty sweet in these colors with this kind of mana curve?