Fun with Reptiles

M

Mr Dark

Guest
Just thought I'd make a sort of Hello everyone post. Anyway I just joined the CPA, and I think its a great organization. Here is a deck that my fevered mind concocted some day at about 3 in the morning, I was just flipping through my card binder and I came across the card Tolarian Serpent, after looking at the card, my face just lit up in a bright smile =D, and I knew I wanted to build a deck around it; also it kind of follows my strategy of trying to build decks that are more fun than competative. Decks i design usually only end up winning 20% of the time, but I usually have a lot of fun playing them, <shrug> I dunno, i think if you take the fun out of magic, there'd be nothing to motivate me to keep playing. Anyway Here's the deck, any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Tolarian Peace Offering

4x Gaea's Blessing

4x Donate
3x Delusions of Mediocrity
4x Tolarian Serpent
3x Propaganda
2x Capsize
3x Zur's Weirding
4x Power Sink
4x Arcane Denial

4x Disenchant
4x Convelescence
3x Arrest
3x Peacekeeper

11x Island
9x Plains
1x Kor Haven

Thank you for your time =)
 
D

Dune Echo

Guest
How exactly does the deck work? Is it multiplayer or duel?

I kinda see the point, but I need more info.
 
M

Mr Dark

Guest
Ok Dune Echo, well basically the goal of the deck is to get out a Tolarian Serpent, Donate it to an opponent, and keep them from using it against me untill they lose because of its upkeep. I can also just get a serpent out and use it for beat down because its drawback doesn't hurt my deck. I believe I need to improve the speed of the deck, so any suggestions towards that end would be welcome. :D
 
D

Dune Echo

Guest
I thought that's what it was, but I wasn't sure.

Speed, huh? Well, first off, since you don't plan on having any lands when you're using the Serpent, have you considered depletion lands?

I also agree with Galtwish, if you're going to Donate, throw them a Illusions of Grandeur instead of the Delusions. It's more deadly anyway.

What kind of environment do you play in? If you're allowed just about anything, wouldn't Rainbow Vale be interesting in that your opponent couldn't use it if it's phases out?

What does Convelescence do again? I'm not familiar with that. I think life gain or something.

Wand of Denial is less expensive than Zur's Weirding, does not work against you, and is colorless. You may want to consider it.

Would the cheaper Pacifism work as well as Arrest? Or is the Arrest there to stop Masticore/Flowstone Overseer?

Dude, I like the idea, it just needs a little more speed. I hate slow decks! :)
 
S

Spaceman Spiff

Guest
Donate, *shrugs*
sick...and.....tired..of that card
 
M

mogg bomber

Guest
Dune, you're thinking of Taniwha, which phases land out during upkeep. Tolarian Serpent has cumulative upkeep: put the top card of your deck in the graveyard.
 
G

Gryphonclaw

Guest
Although correct in essence, you are wrong in thinking that the upkeep is cumulative. The upkeep is actually a millstone effect on yourself, 7 cards I think.
 

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
Not that I know anything about building decks :), but if you use Delusions, isn't that turning the deck slowly into the PT one? I think it's great that Mr. Dark's trying to build a deck that Donates a different card.
 
D

Dune Echo

Guest
Oh, okay. I like the Millstone thing then and the Gaea's Blessings are suddenly glaringly obvious as to why they're there.

I would just try the depletion lands then. I'd also cut out a Convelescence and replace it with another thing to protect yourself. Another Kor Haven or Maze of Ith, or even an Energy Field.
 
M

mogg bomber

Guest
Sorry about that. I've never actually used a Tolarian Serpent, and was coming up with the card abilties off the top of my head.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Donate a Tolarian Serpent.
TS has 'CU: Remove the top card of your library from the game'.

Why wouldn't an opponent simply opt NOT to pay the upkeep, and let the Tolarian Serpent die?
 
C

Chaos Turtle

Guest
No, Thoughtlash has the CU of removing the top card from the game.

Tolarian Serpent has the upkeep ability, Put the top seven cards of your library into your graveyard. Fine for Donating as long as the opponent isn't playing Gaea'a Blessing.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Why wouldn't an opponent simply opt NOT to pay the upkeep, and let it die?
 
C

Chaos Turtle

Guest
Tolarian Serpent doesn't give sacrificing it as an option. You just put the cards in the graveyard, and that's it.

With Thought Lash, by the way, if you don't pay the CU, you have to remove your entire library.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
That's pretty brutal. Play with Fog Bank, and sit back and watch.
 
M

Mr Dark

Guest
:D
Thanks everyone so far for their posts in regard to my deck, both the fog banks, and even thought lash might make their way into my deck. If you think of anything else, please come back and post it up, I'll check back here every few days, thanks again.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Add Phyrexian Furnace to your deck to get rid of those pesky cards that just might make their way back into play or into your opponent's library from the graveyard, and for card-drawing in a pinch. (Hey, you're playing with Tolarian Serpent, you're already into Extended.)
 
G

Gryphonclaw

Guest
My version of this deck featured some hermit druids, these guys can really accelerate your mana, especially with the blue evasion tactics that are currently available.
While your working this sort of deck, why not throw in a grindstone, and maybe a deep spawn, they could be fun.
 
Top