[EDH] Rith, the Tokener

[Jak]

Aight so I have been using some pretty powerful decks in EDH: Intet and Maga. Both of them are pretty non-interactive (unless to counter spells or removal a players hand/wipe the board). They both win in pretty lame ways as well, ie Kiki/Pestermite combo or an uncounterable Drain Life. Now, I like the decks but I am trying to build something that has a main goal of winning through the red zone. The best deck to do this? A deck that plays neither blue or black is what I decided. So I chose Rith. The deck is fair and busted at the same time. No one is going to get pissed if you are winning via attacking, but the deck is still broken and can spew out tokens all over the place, pump them up, and just win. It has a ton of broken enchantments to go along with them as well. Here is the 105 card list.


General - 1
1 Rith, the Awakener

Lands - 37
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Taiga
1 Stomping Ground
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Gruul Turf
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Rugged Praire
1 Boros Garrison
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Arid Mesa
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Krosan Verge
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Vitu-Ghazi, the City Tree
1 Nantuko Monastery
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
1 Pendelhaven
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Mosswort Bridge
3 Forest
3 Plains
2 Mountain

Creatures - 30
1 Rhys the Redeemed
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Wood Elves
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Eternal Witness
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Mirror Entity
1 Loaming Shaman
1 Stonecloaker
1 Anger
1 Forgotten Ancient
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Nullmage Shepherd
1 Wilt-Leaf Liege
1 Boartusk Liege
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Genesis
1 Dragon Broodmother
1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
1 Silklash Spider
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Ant Queen
1 Mycoloth
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Nemata, Grove Guardian
1 Captain of the Watch
1 Multani, Maro Sorceror
1 Symbiotic Wurm
1 Verdant Force

Artifacts - 7
1 Sol Ring
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Mind's Eye
1 Coat of Arms
1 Eldrazi Monument

Enchantments - 13
1 Earthcraft
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Luminarch Ascension
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Aura Shards
1 Sqirrel's Nest
1 Mobilization
1 Beastmaster Ascension
1 Glare of Subdual
1 Breath of Fury
1 Doubling Season
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Vicious Shadows

Planeswalkers - 4
1 Garruk
1 Elspeth
1 Ajani
1 Sarkhan Vol

Instants - 4
1 Crop Rotation
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Naya Charm
1 Seed Spark

Sorceries - 12
1 Regrowth
1 Martial Coup
1 Retribution of the Meek
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 Decree of Justice
1 Overrun
1 Austere Command
1 Titanic Ultimatum
1 Hour of Reckoning
1 Storm Herd

The synergy is something I like as well. It doesn't just throw a bunch of good cards in but uses sweepers like Hour of Reckoning, Retribution of the Meek, etc to not hit your tokens.

I still need to trim five cards but I still find myself wanting to add more, most notably Duplicant as some tutorable removal for Survival. Any thoughts on what to kick out?

[JeroenC]

I don't immediately like cards like Captain of the Watch or Siege-Gang in this kind of deck. They don't really function as they can't make repeated tokens (Ant Queen, Mycoloth) or make a lot of them (Symbiotic Wurm).

Fires of Yavimaya seems underpowered if you're already running Sarkhan Vol. If you run Survival+Anger, that should be all you need, definitely with Sarkhan Vol in the same deck.

Sylvan Scrying seems less dangerous than Crop Rotation.

[Dilettante]

Cards on the bubble:
Sprout Swarm (too slow)
Vigor (instant vulnerable target, can be in trouble if you depend on it)
Titanic Ultimatum (really hard to manafix, though less on the bubble compared to the others)
Mobilization (only efficient with seedborn muse, not as many soldiers compared to other types, would replace with Akroma's Memorial, you have a lot of other mana based generators)
Siege Gang Commander (lack of goblins)

Possible cards to add:
Scapeshift
Crucible of Worlds
Defense of the Heart
Oblivion Stone
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
Mana Crypt
Akroma's Memorial
Coat of Arms
Night Soil
Breath of Fury (kill everyone)
Sylvan Library

[Jak]

I don't immediately like cards like Captain of the Watch or Siege-Gang in this kind of deck. They don't really function as they can't make repeated tokens (Ant Queen, Mycoloth) or make a lot of them (Symbiotic Wurm).

Fires of Yavimaya seems underpowered if you're already running Sarkhan Vol. If you run Survival+Anger, that should be all you need, definitely with Sarkhan Vol in the same deck.

Sylvan Scrying seems less dangerous than Crop Rotation.

I agree with you on the one time token makers. However, I forgot to include Kiki-Jiki which does make them better.

Fires of Yavimaya is an old favorite of mine. It's in for nostalgia so it is hard to justify cutting it. It does serve an important function as well.

Sylvan Scrying is nice, but it totally gives people time to search up that Wasteland effect or wait until I play my Cradle.

Dilettante

Cards on the bubble:
Sprout Swarm (too slow)
Vigor (instant vulnerable target, can be in trouble if you depend on it)
Titanic Ultimatum (really hard to manafix, though less on the bubble compared to the others)
Mobilization (only efficient with seedborn muse, not as many soldiers compared to other types, would replace with Akroma's Memorial, you have a lot of other mana based generators)
Siege Gang Commander (lack of goblins)

Sprout Swarm probably is too slow.

I like Vigor because it hoses damage based sweepers and people don't attack me. I don't necessarily depend on it, but it is a good creature.

Titanic Ultimatum isn't hard to cast. I have good mana fixing.

Mobilization is slow, but I want more permanent token generators. This fits the bill.


And I meant to put this in the opening post, but I do have a watch list.

Sprout Swarm
Fires of Yavimaya
Mind's Eye
Vigor

[Dilettante]

For additional board sweepers, here are some options:

Righteous Fury
Guan Yu's 1000-Li March

If you have Glare, sacrificing a few tokens for superior board position with either of these is crazy and sets you up to mass-kill with any boost. Just beware of Cryptic Command... and doesn't kill off your biggies.

[Nihil Credo]

Seems you aren't actually getting that much use out of your red mana. Going straight G/W is an option, but it could be more interesting to play G/W/B (Teneb or Doran) and use all those tokens with Black's many sacrificial tool.

[JeroenC]

Except for the fact that Rith is the single best token general, and it does offer some very powerful options (even if they are limited).

[Jak]

Seems you aren't actually getting that much use out of your red mana. Going straight G/W is an option, but it could be more interesting to play G/W/B (Teneb or Doran) and use all those tokens with Black's many sacrificial tool.

Haste is so good with tokens and that just makes the deck all that better. Vicious Shadows is also ridiculous.

[MattH]

Ooh ooh ooh, I love Rith! It is my latest and possibly favorite EDH deck. Below I have bolded the best cards you aren't running, for your consideration.

//General
Rith, the Awakener

//Defense
Dauntless Escort
Glare of Subdual
Privileged Position

//Draw and tutor
Collective Unconscious
Enlightened Tutor
Eternal Witness
Regal Force
Skullclamp
Slate of Ancestry
Sterling Grove
Sylvan Library
Warp World

//Misc.
Behemoth Sledge
Loxodon Warhammer
Vicious Shadows

//mana lands
35 lands that only make mana

//Utility lands
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
Reliquary Tower
Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree

//Mana fix & accel
Farhaven Elf
Primal Growth
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Search for Tomorrow
Sol Ring
Trace of Abundance
Wood Elves
Yavimaya Elder

//mass pump
Akroma's Memorial
Beastmaster Ascension
Coat of Arms
Eldrazi Monument
Mirror Entity
Shared Animosity
Sigil Captain
Titanic Ultimatum
Wilt-Leaf Liege

//Removal
Goblin Bombardment
Helm of Possession
Hour of Reckoning
Volcanic Wind

//Token makers
Ant Queen
Doubling Season
Dragon Broodmother
Mycoloth
Nemata, Grove Guardian
Rhys the Redeemed
Saproling Symbiosis
Selesnya Evangel
Selesnya Guildmage (doubles as pump)
Spontaneous Generation
Sprout Swarm
Symbiotic Wurm
Ulasht, the Hate Seed (doubles as removal)
Verdant Force

//Utility
Artifact Mutation
Aura Mutation
Aura Shards
Gleeful Sabotage (possibly should be Hull Breach)
Naya Charm
Night Soil
Nullmage Mentor
Nullmage Shepherd
Seed Spark
Shattering Pulse
Soltari Visionary

Some of my choices are more for fun or tuned to my local meta (Soltari Visionary and Nullmage Mentor for example). If I had a Gaea's Cradle it would be in here along with Crop Rotation to find it. I need a Mirari's Wake too.

The two equipments are there to ensure that Rith connects. They're also just generally good, letting tokens trade up very well.

There are so many incredible enchantments that I almost want to put Idyllic Tutor in.

I don't actually like Wilt-Leaf Liege that much, but then, my tokens are all green and very few white.

The single-shot guys like SGC and Captain otW aren't very good, it's easier and better to just concentrate on Saprolings, which also makes Coat of Arms incredible. It's almost always the best of the pump permanents. I used to have about 9 types of tokens in the deck; now it's 4, and two of those are only on one card (elf warrior from Rhys, and Broodmother's spawn) and the third (insects) is only on two cards, Ant Queen and Symbiotic Wurm. Everything else makes Saprolings, although I should probably find room for a Martial Coup.

A few cards which did not make the cut were:
1. Snake Basket, which is really good late-game.
2. Rise of the Hobgoblins is a good one if you face a lot of counters; because you don't have to lose your whole turn if it gets countered, it makes a great bait spell.
3. Decree, cut mainly for being a weird creature type. Also, counters are at a low ebb locally, so I don't feel much need for it.

I also don't hugely care for stuff like Overrun, preferring the permanent-based boosts. I guess it's a function of how many instant-speed disenchants you come across; I see very few.

[umbowta]

Jak. MattH. Do you guys not know about Squirrel Nest/Earthcraft or are you just choosing to ignore it for some reason?

[Jak]

Jak. MattH. Do you guys not know about Squirrel Nest/Earthcraft or are you just choosing to ignore it for some reason?

No, I know about it. I guess I just didn't feel like trying to fit two cards in that are pretty bad on their own. Well, not bad, just not as good as running other things. I might have to rethink it though.

[MattH]

Earthcraft was my secret tech. I don't own one, but when I do, it's going in.

I don't like winning in EDH via infinite combo (I took Mana Echoes/Pentavus out of the deck for just this reason, they were underpowered without the combo and I needed room for more disenchant utility). With Earthcraft in the deck there will still be a few (Earthcraft + Mirari's Wake/Doubling Season + Guildmage/Nemata/Ant Queen), but they're complicated at three cards and won't come up much outside of a massive Warp World.

Plus, all those other combo pieces are good enough on their own; Squirrel Nest is not. Nest is like a Selesnya Evangel that, instead of drawing applause or indifference, makes everyone want to kill you dead. Earthcraft is good enough to justify itself, being very similar to a 2cc Mana Reflection.

[xXxBretWeedxXx]

Earthcraft is amazing on it's own in Rith. One of the best cards in the deck. Squirrels Nest is good because I built my deck around Doubling Season.

[Jak]

General - 1
1 Rith, the Awakener

Lands - 37
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Taiga
1 Stomping Ground
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Gruul Turf
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Rugged Praire
1 Boros Garrison
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Arid Mesa
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Krosan Verge
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Vitu-Ghazi, the City Tree
1 Nantuko Monastery
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
1 Pendelhaven
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Mosswort Bridge
4 Forest
3 Plains
2 Mountain

Creatures - 26
1 Rhys the Redeemed
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Wood Elves
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Eternal Witness
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Mirror Entity
1 Stonecloaker
1 Anger
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Wilt-Leaf Liege
1 Boartusk Liege
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Genesis
1 Dragon Broodmother
1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
1 Silklash Spider
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Ant Queen
1 Mycoloth
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Nemata, Grove Guardian
1 Captain of the Watch
1 Symbiotic Wurm
1 Verdant Force

Artifacts - 8
1 Sol Ring
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Mind's Eye
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Coat of Arms
1 Eldrazi Monument

Enchantments - 10
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Luminarch Ascension
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Aura Shards
1 Beastmaster Ascension
1 Glare of Subdual
1 Breath of Fury
1 Doubling Season
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Vicious Shadows

Planeswalkers - 4
1 Garruk
1 Elspeth
1 Ajani
1 Sarkhan Vol

Instants - 4
1 Crop Rotation
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Naya Charm
1 Seed Spark

Sorceries - 14
1 Regrowth
1 Martial Coup
1 Retribution of the Meek
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Skyshroud Claim
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 Harmonize
1 Decree of Justice
1 Overrun
1 Austere Command
1 Collective Unconscious
1 Titanic Ultimatum
1 Hour of Reckoning
1 Storm Herd

103 cards.

[Jak]

Deck is so crazy awesome. Played some 1v1 games and was able to swing with 12 5/5s in one turn. Spent most of the game building up mana via Wood Elves, Sakura, Kiki copying Wood Elves, etc. I also played a turn 2 Survival, grabbing Anger, who got Mirror Entity. Turn 6 I play Derranged Hermit, copying it with Kiki and then using my 3 remaing lands to make them 3/3 who get pumped twice by the Hermits. It was awesome.