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By: Neo001992, Austin Ribbe
Feb 14 2013 9:46am
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Hello everyone, and welcome to a long overdue Taking Command article. This week I am going to go over one of my favorite color combinations to play in edh, the Grixis shard. Like most of the other shard and wedge color combinations you can build your deck to suit almost any play style, and since I enjoy playing decks that are more control based that’s how I decided to build the deck. The next thing I had to do after deciding what colors and style I wanted to play was choose a general to lead the deck. The Grixis shard has ten legendary creatures to choose from all with varying levels of playability, but for this deck I decided to go with Thraximundar.

Thraximundar

Thraximundar ranks pretty high on the playability scale in my opinion because he has three major things going for him which are that he has haste so he can immediately make an impact on the board once you play him, he edicts a player every time he attacks getting +1/+1 counters as a bonus, and since he can usually kill a player in three hits he is a big threat that can force a player to either produce an answer or lose very quickly. Although Thraximundar does have one drawback in that he cost seven mana to cast so if your opponents can answer him multiple time you may be forced to look for other means to win the game.  Next up after selecting a general we have to build the rest of the deck, and this article I'm going to do something a little bit different because instead of giving you the deck and breaking it down I'm going to go over the deck as I put it together in parts. I like to start with the mana base so that is where we’re going to start.

The Mana Base

Flooded StrandPolluted DeltaBloodstained MireWooded FoothillsMarsh FlatsScalding TarnVerdant CatacombsArid MesaMisty Rainforest

The first thing I do when building a mana base for a three color deck is add all the Onslaught and Zendikar fetch lands that are capable of searching up a basic land in the deck, which leaves Windswept Heath as the odd land out. So the nine other fetch lands Arid Mesa, Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Verdant Catacombs, and Wooded Foothills are what make up the first 9 cards in the deck.

Watery GraveBlood CryptSteam VentsDrowned CatacombDragonskull SummitSulfur Falls

After adding the fetch lands I usually add in some number of dual lands to make it so you aren’t purely reliant on basic lands, but I don’t want to go overboard on them either and lose to the random Back to Basics, Blood Moon, or Ruination. Two sets of dual lands should be enough for the deck as long as I don’t go too overboard with the mana requirements in the rest of the deck. The shock lands Blood Crypt, Steam Vents, and Watery Grave along with the buddy lands Dragonskull Summit, Drowned Catacomb, and Sulfur Falls are the dual lands I selected for this deck. The original ABU dual lands would be in the deck in place of the buddy lands, but I do not currently have access to them. After adding the dual lands to the deck that brings the deck count up to 15 cards.

Ancient TombGhost QuarterTectonic Edge

With the fetches and dual lands in the deck that doesn’t leave much room for utility lands with the amount of basic lands I would like to run so I am going to narrow it down and only run Ancient Tomb, Ghost Quarter, and Tectonic Edge. Ancient Tomb isn’t really a utility land as much as it’s just a really good land that can lead to some pretty broken early game plays. Ghost Quarter and Tectonic Edge are pretty standard utility lands in my decks that help you keep some of the broken lands like Academy Ruins, Cabal Coffers, or Volrath's Stronghold from getting out of hand. After adding these three lands that brings the deck count up to 18 cards, but I’m going to raise it again by adding six of each basic land for the colors to end the list of lands bringing the count up to 36. Eighteen basic lands may be a lot for a tricolor deck, but as I mentioned before I don’t like losing to random non-basic hate so I try to have my land count be around 40-50% basics. Thirty-six lands may be a little low for a deck, but the mana rocks I plan on adding later in the deck can pick up the slack for playing slightly less lands than what I usually do. After adding lands to the deck I like to add some cards that are unique to the color combination before I start adding in the more general staple cards.

Color Specific Cards

Cruel UltimatumNicol Bolas, Planeswalker

Cruel Ultimatum and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker are going to be the first two spells that go into the deck since they are a large part of why I wanted to build a Grixis deck in the first place. Cruel Ultimatum may be the very definition of a color intensive card, but for its crazy color requirements you do get to 9 for 1 one of your opponents when you cast it which can be very backbreaking. Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker does everything I could ask for from an eight mana card because he can either destroy the biggest non-creature threat, steal the biggest creature in play to defend himself, or flat out remove one player from the game with his backbreaking ultimate which I’ve seen go off more than you’d think.

Sedraxis SpecterFire-Field OgreGem of BecomingSlave of Bolas

Fire-Field Ogre, Gem of Becoming, Sedraxis Specter, and Slave of Bolas are the last four color specific cards that are going to be in the deck. Slave of Bolas is one of the best threaten effects in the format because killing the creature you steal is a built in feature of the card. Gem of Becoming may be a little bit slower than Armillary Sphere by the numbers, but in effect searching up three lands can have a greater effect in game because it can guarantee your next three land drops instead of just your next two which can make a difference since there is only thirty-six land in the deck. Fire-Field Ogre is the next card that is going in the deck and it may be a little strange card to see in an edh deck since Fire-Field Ogre probably hasn’t seen play since Alara block limited, but in practice Fire-Field Ogre is a great wall since a 4/2 with first strike can be pretty hard for your opponents to attack past early to mid game. The last color specific card that’s going in the deck is Sedraxis Specter which is another odd choice for an edh deck since specter creatures generally aren’t very effective in a multiplayer setting, but the fact that you can pop him out of the grave for one last attack later in the game once he hits the graveyard makes him good enough to give a spin. Adding the six color specific cards to the deck brings the count up to 42. After adding the color specific cards the next step in building the deck is adding some artifact acceleration since being able to keep up with the green decks ramp is a very important part of the format for any non-green deck.

Acceleration

Solemn SimulacrumMana CryptSol Ring

Solemn Simulacrum, Mana Crypt, and Sol Ring are all format staples because they can improve most decks they are added to, and I doubt this deck will be any different.

Dimir SignetRakdos SignetIzzet Signet

Dimir Signet, Izzet Signet, and Rakdos Signet are going to round out the rest of the acceleration package because not only do they ramp you by one mana they also help fix colors, but I’m sure this isn’t anything that you don’t already know since the signets are staples in decks that don’t have green in them. Now with the addition of the mana acceleration the deck count is up to 48. After adding the mana acceleration to the deck the next thing I usually add to my decks is a package of tutors so that I can find answers or threats in a timely manner.

Tutors

Demonic TutorGrim TutorImperial SealVampiric Tutor

Since black is part of the Grixis shard you have access to all of the best tutors from the games history and because of that Demonic Tutor, Grim Tutor, Imperial Seal, and Vampiric Tutor are going to be the core tutors in the deck. All four of these tutors are black staples because they give you access to any answer or threat you need at any stage of the game.

Imperial RecruiterMystical TutorTrinket Mage

Imperial Recruiter, Mystical Tutor, and Trinket Mage are going to fill out the rest of the tutor package bringing the tutor count up to seven, and even though they are more restrictive in what they can find when compared to the black tutors they still perform very well in practice. None of these three tutors have many targets in the deck yet, but because of the way I tend to build decks more likely than not they will both have a nice selection of cards to tutor up. With the tutors added into the deck we are now up to 55 cards so we are just a little over half way done with the deck, and since this is a blue deck I think now would be a great time to add a counter suit to the deck.

Counters

CounterspellMana Drain

When adding counters to a deck Counterspell and Mana Drain are always my first choices because they are the most mana efficient hard counters in the game, and even though they don’t do anything flashy they do always do what you need them to do.

CountersquallNegate

Countersquall and Negate are next up in the list of counters I want for this deck because like Counterspell and Mana Drain they’re very mana efficient, and most of the time in edh it’s the non-creature spells that can do the most damage.

CounterfluxEnvelop

Since I don’t like to go too overboard with the counters Counterflux and Envelop are going to round out the counters to make it where the deck has three hard counters and three conditional counters. Counterflux is the newest playable three mana hard counter that Wizards has printed since I think Double Negative back in Alara Reborn, and on top of being three mana it can’t be countered so I definitely think it’s a solid card if you don’t mind its strict color requirements. Lastly there is Envelop which is a pet card of mine because most of the huge game ending spells that get played in edh are sorceries and only having to leave up a single blue mana to stop them means you can really ruin someones day when they try to cast an Exsanguinate or Genesis Wave for an arbitrarily high number. With the counters added into the deck we’re up to 61 cards which brings the deck just under being two thirds complete, and now I think the deck needs some card draw because what deck doesn’t like having extra cards to work with.

 

Card Draw

Ancestral VisionCompulsive ResearchJace's Ingenuity

Ancestral Vision, Compulsive Research, Jace's Ingenuity are solid additions to a blue deck because they all do a good job of giving you more cards once you find yourself running low. Ancestral Vision may be a little slow to fire off, but at the speed this deck is most likely going to play that shouldn’t be a problem. Compulsive Research is a nice draw spell because it can be played early game to help you find more spells in a fast hand or it can help you dig for more lands if you kept a land light hand. Another thing about Compulsive Research is that it seems like its very underplayed because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a player cast it which is sad because it really is an amazing card. Jace's Ingenuity is a card that I’ve played in a number of decks, and I really enjoy having it come up in games because it allows you to leave mana up for other things so you can play it at the most convenient time for you.

Jace BelerenPhyrexian Arena

Jace Beleren and Phyrexian Arena are my go to sources of card draw in a lot of my blue and black decks because after you cast them they get to sit on the board and passively give you extra cards. Jace Beleren is a nice political way to draw extra cards because as long as you are using his + ability most players won’t bother to attack him. Phyrexian Arena is a black staple so there isn’t anything I can tell you about it that I assume you don’t already know because 1 life for 1 card is always a good deal.

Dark ConfidantGraveborn MuseShadowmage Infiltrator

Right now the deck is a little low on creatures so what better way to fix that than to add some creatures that draw cards for you like Dark Confidant, Graveborn Muse, and Shadowmage Infiltrator. Dark Confidant is a little strange in a format that is in theory battle cruiser magic, but I just don’t enjoy building my decks to be super top heavy so the way I tend to build decks Dark Confidant isn’t going to do too much damage to you. Graveborn Muse is another widely played card that’s good for the same reasons Phyrexian Arena is good, but in this deck it can be even better because you always have at least one other zombie available to you because of Thraximundar. Shadowmage Infiltrator is a little less reliable as card draw because you have to connect with an attack, but because he has fear most of the time that shouldn’t be a problem.

Wheel of Fortune

The last card draw spell that is going into the deck is going to be Wheel of Fortune because sometime you just need to draw seven new cards, and it also doubles as hand disruption if you really need it to. After adding the card draw to the deck the deck count is up to 70, and now it’s time to add some removal to the deck so you can have some answers to problems in game.

Removal

Fleshbag MarauderSlum ReaperConsuming Vapors

Fleshbag Marauder and Slum Reaper are the first pieces of removal that are going into the deck because being able to edict everyone for three or four mana is pretty nice since you get to set it up to be most effective, and as a bonus for every creature sacrificed Thraximundar grows. Consuming Vapors may be a little odd since targeted edicts normally aren’t that great in the format, but I’ve played vapors in one of my other decks and have never been unhappy to see it so I think it’s worth giving a shot in this deck also.

DreadboreSlaughter PactTerminate

Dreadbore, Slaughter Pact, and Terminate are up next and they were chosen over all the other 1 for 1 targeted removal I could have chosen because of how mana efficient they are at dealing with whatever creature may be giving you a problem.

Flametongue KavuInferno TitanMizzium Mortars

Since red is one of the colors in this deck I felt it would be weird if I didn’t have some burn based removal, and because of that Flametongue Kavu, Inferno Titan, and Mizzium Mortars all have slots in the deck. Flametongue Kavu is an old classic that is still just as good as he ever was because 4 damage kills a lot of things that get played in the format, and you can also kill larger things post combat depending on how blocks were done. Next up is Inferno Titan which is in my opinion the second best titan now that Primeval Titan is banned. Inferno Titan is a card I love putting in my red decks because he is a nice threat that continues to get value turn after turn just for attacking. Lastly you have Mizzium Mortars which is just a simple burn spell that turns into a Flame Wave that hits all your opponents late in the game, and once you do overload mortars whatever it doesn’t burn away most likely won’t be able to effectively block that turn.

Venser, Shaper SavantCyclonic RiftJilt

Venser, Shaper Savant, Cyclonic Rift, and Jilt are next because just like with the burn in red it would feel weird to play blue and not have at least a little bounce in the deck. Venser, Shaper Savant is a combination of Boomerang and Remand stapled onto a 2/2 body, and because of that he is a very versatile card that can temporarily answer almost anything. Next up is Cyclonic Rift which is a pretty binary card because it is either a Disperse which is passable in edh or it’s a Devastation Tide that hits everyone except yourself which is borderline insane, and because of that I really try not to use it as a Disperse unless I really have to since overloading it can really turn the game in your favor.  Lastly there is Jilt which is another old card that you don’t see anymore, but I’ve found so many uses for it in games that it’s really hard for me to find a reason not to play it in decks.

Rakdos CharmVandalblast

Rakdos Charm and Vandalblast are in the deck because artifacts do get played a lot, and having answers to some of them is nice. Rakdos Charm may be the best charm for edh because artifact and graveyards are always relevant in games so it will almost never be a dead card, and its third mode in theory punishes token decks pretty hard once they flood the board. Then there’s Vandalblast which like Cyclonic Rift is very binary because it is either a Shatter which is a playable card or it’s a Shatterstorm that hits everyone but you, and just like with rift that can be borderline insane at times.

Damnation

Damnation is the last piece of removal going into the deck, and is the decks lone wrath. All I can say about Damnation is that sometimes all the creatures just need to die and Damnation always gets the job done. After all the removal is added into the deck we’re up to 85 cards, and now I think it’s time to add some recursion to the deck because being able to reuse cards is always a good thing.

 

Recursion

Snapcaster MageGrim DiscoveryPhyrexian ReclamationPsychic Spiral

Since there isn’t much room left in the deck I’m going to keep the recursion to a minimum and only run Snapcaster Mage, Grim Discovery, Phyrexian Reclamation, and Psychic Spiral. Snapcaster Mage is in the deck because like every other format he’s legal in he does sweet things, but since this is edh the idea of flashing back Cruel Ultimatum isn’t out of the question. Grim Discovery should usually be able to always return two cards because of the nine fetch lands in the deck along with Ghost Quarter and Tectonic Edge. Phyrexian Reclamation may be a little out of place in this deck since the creature count isn’t that high, but the creatures that are in the deck are definitely worth trying to reuse. The last piece of recursion is Psychic Spiral which is something I’ve never played before I put this deck together, but sometimes games can drag on and being able to reset your deck can come in handy. Psychic Spiral also plays very well with graveyard hate to exile a large chunk of someone’s library while resetting your own. The deck count is now up to 89 so we’re down to the final ten deck slots which are going to consist mainly of cards that work well with a card already in the deck or that is just a good standalone card.

General Inclusions

Basilisk CollarNihil SpellbombSensei's Divining Top

Basilisk Collar, Nihil Spellbomb, and Sensei's Divining Top are going to be the first thee general inclusions in the deck, and they all play well with Trinket Mage. Basilisk Collar is a good card by itself, but when you combine it with Inferno Titan you can force your opponents to come up with an answer to the titan or the collar very quickly because you are going to be able to shoot down three creatures every combat while gaining large amounts of life. Next up is Nihil Spellbomb which is always a solid addition to any black deck since it deals with a graveyard and replaces itself. Lastly there’s Sensei's Divining Top which I don’t usually like to jam into decks without a reason, but in this deck there are three reasons that justify top because it works very well with Dark Confidant, its fetch able with Trinket Mage, and lastly I know it bugs my buddy Tarasco when top is played which has to be the most important reason.

Phantasmal ImagePhyrexian Metamorph

Phantasmal Image and Phyrexian Metamorph are going to take up the next two slots in the deck because Clone effects are usually a nice thing to have available, and they are also the most effective way of killing some of the generals that get played.

Baleful StrixVampire Nighthawk

Baleful Strix and Vampire Nighthawk are being added to the deck because they are great rattlesnake cards that make people think twice before they send their creatures your way. They both also have other minor effects since strix cantrips when it enters play, and nighthawk can give you a small life buffer with his lifelink.

Dragonmaster OutcastGilded DrakeMind Twist

Dragonmaster Outcast, Gilded Drake, and Mind Twist are going to be the decks last three cards. Dragonmaster Outcast is a card I love playing because late game he’s a one mana threat that either starts giving you 5/5 dragons or forces an opponent to burn a removal spell on a 1/1. Next up is Gilded Drake which is in the deck because it’s a two mana Control Magic with a minimal drawback in this format and that seems pretty good to me. The last card in the deck is going to be Mind Twist which I know some people won't like, but sometimes in games there is just one player that may be out of control and Mind Twist does a great job of bringing them back down to earth. Mind Twist also does a good job of putting the final nails in the coffin in game if you’re in the lead by crippling the most threatening player to your position.

Thraximundar
By Neo001992
Creatures
1 Baleful Strix
1 Dark Confidant
1 Dragonmaster Outcast
1 Fire-Field Ogre
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Gilded Drake
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Imperial Recruiter
1 Inferno Titan
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sedraxis Specter
1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
1 Slum Reaper
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Trinket Mage
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
20 cards

Other Spells
0 [Artifacts]
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Dimir Signet
1 Gem of Becoming
1 Izzet Signet
1 Mana Crypt
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
0 [Enchantments]
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
0 [Instants]
1 Counterflux
1 Counterspell
1 Countersquall
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Envelop
1 Jace's Ingenuity
1 Jilt
1 Mana Drain
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Negate
1 Psychic Spiral
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Terminate
1 Vampiric Tutor
0 [Planeswalkers]
1 Jace Beleren
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
0 [Sorceries]
1 Ancestral Vision
1 Compulsive Research
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Cruel Ultimatum
1 Damnation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dreadbore
1 Grim Discovery
1 Grim Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Mind Twist
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Slave of Bolas
1 Vandalblast
1 Wheel of Fortune
43 cards
Lands
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Arid Mesa
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Flooded Strand
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
1 Wooded Foothills
6 Island
6 Swamp
6 Mountain
36 cards

Sideboard
1 Thraximundar
1 cards
Thraximundar

Final Thoughts

So that’s the entire deck laid out how I generally go about building all of my decks. A deck like this is very customizable to personal play style preferences if someone wants to try the deck out. Since this article is already running longer than I thought it was going to be I’m going to end it here without going over a game this time. Thanks for reading and any comments or feedback would be appreciated.

2 Comments

Nice breakdown. So how often by Leviathan at Thu, 02/14/2013 - 17:28
Leviathan's picture
5

Nice breakdown. So how often to you run Dark Confidant out there without SDT? And what happens when you do? Although you start off by noting the high CMC cards in your deck, it looks like overall your average CMC is pretty low. I think that you're one of only 2 people I've ever seen use the card. And you're right, I do hate SDT soooo much.

Psychic Spiral is interesting, I never really gave it much consideration. Graveborn Muse is obviously doubly nice due to the synergy with Thrax. Don't know if I can get behind Fire-Field Ogre though. Just seems like a color heavy 4 drop without much in the way of special abilities.

No Oblivion Stone? Seems like a Grixis staple as a way of dealing with enchantments that get through the counters.

I will run Dark Confidant out by Neo001992 at Thu, 02/14/2013 - 22:30
Neo001992's picture

I will run Dark Confidant out 100% of the time regardless of top because short of flipping Inferno Titan, Cruel Ultimatum, or Nicol Bolas, PLaneswalker bob just doesn't do much damage to me. The only exception to this is if I'm at a really low life total (around 12 or less).

Psychic Spiral has actually been pretty good in practice because for some reason I always have a way to exile whatever I mill right away. Graveborn Muse hasn't come up much in games, but I don't have to see it much in game to know it will be good. Fire-Field Ogre is something I'm going to have to convince you is good because every time I've played him he has stone walled everything that people randomly wanted to send my way.

No Oblivion Stone. I know it is good and Grixis probable does need it, but I am willing to accept that this deck is a little week to enchantments.