[EDH] Gonti, Lord of Luxury

[Davran]

I made this deck to screw around with Gonti, and it turned out to be pretty fun. The basic idea is to "borrow" my opponent's stuff by blinking or otherwise recasting Gonti and copying his ETB trigger. I've also included a bunch of other useful ETB effects and random theft spells. I hope to eventually pimp this out as a true Lord of Luxury must be surrounded by it at all times. Suggestions are certainly welcome.

Commander
Gonti, Lord of Luxury

Creature (21)
Big Game Hunter
Chainer, Dementia Master
Crypt Ghast
Fleshbag Marauder
Geth, Lord of the Vault
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Lord of the Void
Massacre Wurm
Necrotic Ooze
Nekrataal
Ophiomancer
Overseer of the Damned
Phyrexian Delver
Phyrexian Gargantua
Puppeteer Clique
Sepulchral Primordial
Sidisi, Undead Vizier
Solemn Simulacrum
Vampire Hexmage
Viscera Seer
Withered Wretch

Instant (8)
Corpse Dance
Hero's Downfall
Imp's Mischief
Scour from Existence
Sudden Spoiling
Vampiric Tutor
Wake the Dead
Wretched Confluence

Sorcery (10)
Beacon of Unrest
Damnation
Decree of Pain
Demonic Tutor
Night's Whisper
Praetor's Grasp
Read the Bones
Rise of the Dark Realms
Ritual of the Machine
Sins of the Past

Artifact (18)
Ashnod's Altar
Blade of Selves
Commander's Sphere
Conjurer's Closet
Crucible of Worlds
Erratic Portal
Expedition Map
Lux Cannon
Mimic Vat
Mind Stone
Nim Deathmantle
Panharmonicon
Sculpting Steel
Sol Ring
Strionic Resonator
Tawnos's Coffin
Unstable Obelisk
Wayfarer's Bauble

Enchantment (4)
Animate Dead
Attrition
Grave Betrayal
Phyrexian Arena

Planeswalker (1)
Liliana of the Veil

Land (37)
Arcane Lighthouse
Barren Moor
Bloodstained Mire
Bojuka Bog
Buried Ruin
Cabal Coffers
Command Beacon
Deserted Temple
Marsh Flats
Polluted Delta
Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Strip Mine
20 Swamp
Temple of the False God
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Volrath's Stronghold
Westvale Abbey

[H]

No Corpse Dance?

Gonti plus that, plus a sac outlet seems pretty good, especially if you had something like Ashnod's Altar.

Even with just Visera Seer, it's pretty damn good, I think Danse is near a must-include.

[Davran]

No Corpse Dance?

Gonti plus that, plus a sac outlet seems pretty good, especially if you had something like Ashnod's Altar.

Even with just Visera Seer, it's pretty damn good, I think Danse is near a must-include.

Adding Corpse Dance means maintaining graveyard order, and that sounds like work. Kidding aside, that is probably much better than Victimize in this deck, though I'm not sure I have enough sacrifice outlets. Currently there's really only Viscera Seer and Attrition, so I'd probably have to add at least one or two more. I'll give that some more thought.

[H]

Adding Corpse Dance means maintaining graveyard order, and that sounds like work. Kidding aside, that is probably much better than Victimize in this deck, though I'm not sure I have enough sacrifice outlets. Currently there's really only Viscera Seer and Attrition, so I'd probably have to add at least one or two more. I'll give that some more thought.

I hear that often, is it just that the idea of maintaining it is so ingrained in me that I don't even notice I'm doing it?

Corpse Dance also "combos" with Conjurer's Closet as well (and Erratic Portal), not just sac effects, even though the Altar might well be good to include for "ramp" purposes using creatures that have done their jobs (ETB trigger).

[Davran]

I hear that often, is it just that the idea of maintaining it is so ingrained in me that I don't even notice I'm doing it?

I do it too most of the time. The problem is when someone else looks at your yard for some reason and doesn't bother keeping it, but I guess this is a casual format so whatever.

Corpse Dance also "combos" with Conjurer's Closet as well (and Erratic Portal), not just sac effects, even though the Altar might well be good to include for "ramp" purposes using creatures that have done their jobs (ETB trigger).

It does and it doesn't. You get around the exile clause by using the stack like a pro...but you still need to put the thing in the bin in the first place for Corpse Dance to do anything. Having Closet/Portal/Coffin is a different way to accomplish the same thing.

The sac outlets are what make Corpse Dance worth it, since with buyback you could theoretically cast it multiple times per turn. To that end, Altar is certainly the best of them, as it would become per ETB ability you want and at instant speed.


Seems like I've convinced myself. I'll make some room for this for sure.

[H]

I do it too most of the time. The problem is when someone else looks at your yard for some reason and doesn't bother keeping it, but I guess this is a casual format so whatever.

Yeah, I mean, shit happens. You could tell them, "don't rearrange my damn 'yard! M-F" which sounds like something I would do with our group.

It does and it doesn't. You get around the exile clause by using the stack like a pro...but you still need to put the thing in the bin in the first place for Corpse Dance to do anything. Having Closet/Portal/Coffin is a different way to accomplish the same thing.

The sac outlets are what make Corpse Dance worth it, since with buyback you could theoretically cast it multiple times per turn. To that end, Altar is certainly the best of them, as it would become per ETB ability you want and at instant speed.


Seems like I've convinced myself. I'll make some room for this for sure.

That's true, but since Gonti has deathtouch, it sometimes might be good to block and then return him.

I think Dance is better than Vicitimize. Possibly Altar for Imp's Mischief, but I'm less sure on that.

[Davran]

That's true, but since Gonti has deathtouch, it sometimes might be good to block and then return him.

Maybe it's my group, but I tend to find that random deathtouch guys are often significant deterrence from getting attacked. No one wants to trade their big dumb idiot for my 2/3. That said, blocking (or attacking into less than favorable blocks) is certainly one of the more attractive elements to having a commander with deathtouch.

I think Dance is better than Vicitimize. Possibly Altar for Imp's Mischief, but I'm less sure on that.

Corpse Dance and Victimize are swapping for sure, that one's easy.

As for Altar, I was thinking of cutting Myriad Landscape for it. It's far and away the worst land in the deck, and for the moment anyway I'm happy with everything else. I don't think I'll miss the land all that much, and Altar is more or less "ramp" anyway in a pinch.

[H]

Maybe it's my group, but I tend to find that random deathtouch guys are often significant deterrence from getting attacked. No one wants to trade their big dumb idiot for my 2/3. That said, blocking (or attacking into less than favorable blocks) is certainly one of the more attractive elements to having a commander with deathtouch.

Yeah, attacking would probably have been a better example, especially attacking Planeswalkers.

Corpse Dance and Victimize are swapping for sure, that one's easy.

As for Altar, I was thinking of cutting Myriad Landscape for it. It's far and away the worst land in the deck, and for the moment anyway I'm happy with everything else. I don't think I'll miss the land all that much, and Altar is more or less "ramp" anyway in a pinch.

Yeah, that seems good. Skimping slightly on lands in multiplayer is probably one of the best strategies, honestly, since the games go long, you'll probably get to enough mana in due time.

[Davran]

Cut Custodi Lich for Lux Cannon. Lich is cute and all, but it doesn't do much overall. As for cannon, I figure that a Lord of Luxury obviously has access to a giant space laser, plus it gives me some artifact and enchantment removal (even if it is super slow).

I'm also looking to pick up a Helm of Possession in the near future. I stole one with Gonti the last time I played the deck, and it was quite useful. On theme, too.