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Title: How do you build an EDH deck???
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 6:07pm

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

How???

It seems too confusing. Choosing 100 cards that work well together. I really need help. . .
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 6:41pm

Zark-the-Damned
Posts: 523
Joined: 24-Feb-10

Saw the title and thought you were asking for the rules of the deckbuilding, ah well :)

First, choose your General / Commander, as the rest of the deck pivots around them (literally, you cannot include any cards which feature mana symbols not in your General's cost).

Usually this will feature abilities which suggest various synergies, and you need to build around those - while still leaving enough room for answers.

As an example, we have a few EDH decks in our local group:

* A Uril the Mistslaker deck, which features lots of cheap auras and mana acceleration to get Uril out ASAP and load him up with stuff.

* A Niv Mizzet deck which focuses on a) creatures which tap to deal damage and b) card drawing.

* A Rhys the Redeemed deck which focusses on token generation and overrun style antics.

* A Jhoira of the Ghitu deck with lots of really expensive cards for her to suspend plus Clockspinning and similar mechanics.

-

Basically pick a theme, and add cards to support the theme.
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 6:45pm

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

Maybe I just don't have enough cards. I'm trying to build a Sharuum, the Hegemon one.
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 7:05pm

Zark-the-Damned
Posts: 523
Joined: 24-Feb-10

I started building a Sharuum one myself a while back, though it was well before Scars was announced so it's a bit lacking at the moment :)

Master Transmuter should be an auto include for you. For one Blue Mana and tapping, the ability to 'flicker' Sharuum to recover an artifact from your Graveyard is pretty awesome.

Since you will probably have a lot of artifact creatures anyway, add Master of Etherium and Tempered Steel.

Voltaic Key is a great card as it allows you to use the Transmuter twice per turn. Puppet strings is more expensive but a good backup.

Intruder Alarm could be a great addition to the Sharuum / Transmuter combo, especially with Silver Myr in play as you will be able to use them as often as you like to bring back your graveyard.

Skeletal Shard and Crystal Shard will help you recur and rescue your creatures.

You got an insane boost recently with the addition of Proliferate. This goes well with an absurd number of existing artifacts which will fit in the deck, including Pentad Prism, Gemstone Array, Triskellion, Pentavus, etc. Especially nasty with Tezzeret and any other Planeswalkers you pack in.

Since you are recurring artifacts anyway, add in Arcbound Crusher as he will get pretty damn huge if left unchecked.

But the true star of a Sharuum deck is Mindslaver. Especially when you get the Transmuter bounce engine going, the ability to effectively stop an opponent doing anything in their own turn for the rest of the game is downright sadistic. Any other artifacts which you can sacrifice for an effect will be handy too when you recur them with Sharuum.

Hope that helps!

(note: written from the standpoint of you being able to get these cars; I apologise if this is not the case but hope it gives you some ideas)
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 7:39pm

scottymandingo
Posts: 845
Joined: 13-Jul-09

Okay, I'm asking for the rules because I see these all the time and don't know how to play EDH decks. Can't there be only one of each card (except land)? And, what sets can you have cards from? What about Instants, Sorceries, etc.?
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 7:58pm

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

From EDH Rules

Deck Construction Rules

Players must choose a legendary creature as the "General" for their deck. Details
The General's mana cost defines what colour of mana symbols may appear on cards in the deck. Details

An Example of what cards are/aren't allowed in a three colour deck.

A deck may not generate mana outside its colours. If an effect would generate mana of an illegal colour, it generates colourless mana instead.
An EDH deck must contain exactly 100 cards, including the General.

With the exception of basic lands, no two cards in the deck may have the same english name.
EDH is played with vintage legal cards, with two exceptions:
cards are legal as of their set's prerelease
Shahrazad is legal for play in EDH.

Play rules

The start of game procedure for EDH is as follows:
Players announce their choice of General and move that card to the command zone.
Players may then sideboard if the optional rules for sideboards are being used.
Each player draws a hand of seven cards.
Players may mulligan, using the modified "Partial Paris" method.
Being a General is not a characteristic[MTG CR109.3], it is a property of the card. As such, "Generalness" cannot be copied or overwritten by continuous effects, and does not change with control of the card.
Examples

If a player has been dealt 21 points of combat damage by a particular General during the game, that player loses a game.

While a General is in the command zone, it may be cast. As an additional cost to cast a General from the command zone, its owner must pay {2} for each time it was previously cast from the command zone. (ie: it costs 6WW to cast for the third time.) Details

If a General would be put into a graveyard or exile from anywhere, its owner may choose to move it to the command zone instead. Details

Players begin the game with 40 life.

Generals are subject to the Legend rule; they will be put into the graveyard or command zone at the same time as any other Legendary creatures with the same name.

New: Abilities which refer to other cards owned outside the game (Wishes, Spawnsire, Research, Ring of Ma'ruf) do not function in EDH unless the optional sideboard rule is in use. If sideboards are used, wishes and similar cards may retrieve sideboard cards.

EDH is designed to promote social interaction.
It is founded (and dependant) on a social contract, otherwise known as a gentleman's agreement. Unsporting conduct (whether extreme or simply "being a jerk") should not be tolerated by players. Refusing to play with antisocial persons is the fastest way to better EDH community.

However, because players have varied opinions of what constitutes fair and/or fun play, a recommended banned list is maintained to help guide players towards a good social experience. House rules or "fair play" exceptions are always encouraged if they result in more fun for the local community.

If you want to enjoy the type of games you've heard associated with EDH, avoid cards like these:

Banned List:

Ancestral Recall
Balance
Biorhythm
Black Lotus
Coalition Victory
Fastbond
Gifts Ungiven
Grindstone (Unbanned as of 2009-12-01)
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Karakas
Library of Alexandria
Limited Resources
Lion's Eye Diamond
Tolarian Academy *NEW*
Channel *NEW*
Metalworker
Mox Sapphire, Ruby, Pearl, Emerald and Jet
Panoptic Mirror
Protean Hulk
Recurring Nightmare
Riftsweeper (Unbanned as of 2009-09-10)
Sway of the Stars
Time Vault
Time Walk
Tinker
Upheaval
Worldgorger Dragon
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Painter's Servant
Staff of Domination *NEW*
Additionally the following legends should not be used as a

General:

Braids, Cabal Minion (Effective 2009-06-20)
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary (Effective 2010-06-20)

[Edited by shakii23 on 25/Oct/10 at 8:03PM]
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 8:05pm

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

And one more thing...

the numbers to remember for EDH are:
WHY
100 = you must have exactly 100 cards including the general
40 = starting life
21 = general damage
and
1 = 1 general, 1 of each card except basic lands, most restricted cards are banned in edh...
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 8:14pm

scottymandingo
Posts: 845
Joined: 13-Jul-09

Do you start the game with your General out? Is the General like a planeswalker?


[Edited by scottymandingo on 25/Oct/10 at 8:14PM]
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 8:20pm

RedPanda
Posts: 174
Joined: 27-Aug-10

You can also combo out with Sculpting Steel copying/returning Sharuum and finish with Bitter Ordeal/Disciple of the Vault.

Anyways, rules... Here:
http://www.dragonhighlander.net/rules.php
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 8:28pm

RedPanda
Posts: 174
Joined: 27-Aug-10

So slow...

You start the game with your general in a seperate zone called a Command Zone before you shuffle. You can play your general from the command zone as though he were in your hand, only every time you do it will cost an additional 2 generic mana.

Whenever your general would be put in the graveyard or RFG you can send them to the command zone as a replacement effect.

I won't sugar-coat it... casting Hinder on someone's general is just as cruel as it sounds. :)
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 9:31pm

JimTilson
Posts: 160
Joined: 07-Jul-09

Turbine,

Here's a good website with some examples of EDH decks: http://www.essentialmagic.com/ .

Just use the deck search pull-down menu and look at the casual/fun deck list for EDH decks.

BTW: I built a U/W Bird Soldiers EDH deck using Grand Arbiter Augustin IV as my general which you can view and rate @ http://www.essentialmagic.com//decks/View.asp?ID=830637.

.


[Edited by JimTilson on 3/Nov/10 at 12:37PM]
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 10:10pm

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

I would like to build a deck with Isamaru, hound of Konda...

I love that general...

Equipment based deck...
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 10:14pm

JMDin83
Posts: 880
Joined: 30-Jul-09

Sharuum the Hegemon deck needs, NEEDS Grand Architect.
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 10:40pm

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

that's overpowered...
Date Posted: Mon Oct/25/10 at 10:59pm

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

Let's play edh in mws...
Date Posted: Tue Oct/26/10 at 9:36am

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

I'm building one in real life though. . .
Date Posted: Wed Oct/27/10 at 4:28am

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

experiment kraj is my real life edh general... go elves...
Date Posted: Wed Oct/27/10 at 7:31pm

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

these, i think, are the things to remember when building an EDH deck...
add more if you think i forgot something...

1. your general must have an ability that is somewhat common to other cards or somewhat related to other cards...

For example: Wort, Boggart Auntie... it gives green and red spells conspire... so your main concept should be green and red spells and of course red and green creatures... i did two types of deck on Wort.... one is a land destruction deck(almost all of my opponent hated this deck), a second turn land destruction... and the other one, is a somewhat R/G aggro deck, uses a few pump ups and huge creatures...
as you can see conspire has very little problem with counter decks as it can conspire the spell even if it's countered...

2. don't forget the mana symbol rule... any card that has a colored mana symbol on it that is not included on the general's color, it can't be included on the deck... so your general's ability must also be common to that color, to be effective...

3. don't forget the numbers, 100, 21, 1 and 40... it is key on choosing a general...

4. one of the trickiest reminder for you... your general doesn't even have to be played for you to win the game... it means that your general only needs to provide the color needed for all the other 99 cards to come together to form a winning combo... i played many decks like that... it also can act as mind games... it makes your opponent think what type of deck does this guy play because of this general...

5. don't forget the two banned generals... Rofellos and Braids (the black one)...

6. don't forget the banned cards... most of them are restricted cards.... for example the p9 are banned... time vault and such...

7. don't use a general that's impossible to play...
an example is Haakon...
Date Posted: Wed Oct/27/10 at 8:03pm

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

Why is Braids banned?
Date Posted: Wed Oct/27/10 at 10:27pm

gericault5
Posts: 2788
Joined: 13-Oct-09

Turbine-there is actually no official banned list for edh, there are only recommended cards that should be banned because they are too powerful in edh or no fun, being braids kills a creature each upkeep and their is only 1 of each in a deck, she breaks combos, which makes it no fun 

All in all while many go with the recommended list, it is up to the house to determine.  So if you are playing at a place you need to find out their list
Date Posted: Wed Oct/27/10 at 10:54pm

RedPanda
Posts: 174
Joined: 27-Aug-10

Braids? Don't be silly. She's banned as a general because she can very consistently get a lock online by turn 2... Disrupting combos has nothing to do with her being "unfun" plenty of generals disrupt combos with plenty efficiency via removal or otherwise.
Date Posted: Wed Oct/27/10 at 11:01pm

RedPanda
Posts: 174
Joined: 27-Aug-10

You can play her in your deck, though, still abiding the list.

I have also seen lists that don't ban her, usually based off trying to balance 1v1 competitive dueling, whereas the main list was built for multiplayer.
Date Posted: Wed Oct/27/10 at 11:15pm

scottymandingo
Posts: 845
Joined: 13-Jul-09

I want to make an EDH deck with Chromium as my general. I think that deck could be badass...
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 12:16am

RedPanda
Posts: 174
Joined: 27-Aug-10

...how would you abuse Chromium?
The only thing he has going for him is he's in esper colors and you get to play an actual elder dragon. Other than that he's French vanilla with an upkeep. :/

Esper is a good piece of the color pie, though. Sharuum and Zur are up there in terms of power level. I have a pretty nasty Zur deck myself. Sen Triplets is probably just a tier down, then maybe Ertai...

[Edited by RedPanda on 28/Oct/10 at 12:17AM]
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 12:26am

scottymandingo
Posts: 845
Joined: 13-Jul-09

Just because Chromium is my favorite Elder Dragon. That's my only reason haha. :)
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 4:08am

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

for me, i still like Experiment Kraj... so many abusing possibilities...

have you tried using mono colored general?

Rofellos is the most imbalanced general... a second turn drop... at turn 3, you could produce at least 4 green mana... at most around 6 to 7 mana... now that imbalanced...
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 4:11am

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

and turbine don't forget one of the most important thing in edh, not all cards that's strong on other formats, is strong in edh... for example the burst cycle... Muscle, Flame, Life, Aether and Mind... you can't really abuse those cards in edh or in highlander for that matter....
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 5:43am

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

Well, that is kind of obvious. . .
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 7:52am

Seraphic
Posts: 123
Joined: 03-Apr-09

Hey shakii23......


It's Wort, the Raidmother..... btw.
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 12:19pm

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

I noticed that, but forget to tell him. . .
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 7:01pm

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

oh sorry about that... always got confused with the two...
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 8:17pm

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

De nada.
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 8:23pm

RedPanda
Posts: 174
Joined: 27-Aug-10

Both are pretty sick generals... but I prefer Auntie.
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 8:37pm

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

Depends what type of deck. I would prefer the Raidmother. Auntie works well with Fodder Launch.
Date Posted: Thu Oct/28/10 at 9:54pm

RedPanda
Posts: 174
Joined: 27-Aug-10

And Goblin Recruiter
Date Posted: Fri Oct/29/10 at 6:22am

shakii23
Posts: 5711
Joined: 08-Sep-09

or goblin food chain...
Date Posted: Fri Oct/29/10 at 2:38pm

Turbine
Posts: 10194
Joined: 26-Oct-09

Yep. . .



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