Extended Cruelty

Thicket · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 80

Extended Cruelty

Hey guys, I wanted to run a deck idea by you and see what kind of input/suggestions you had for the list/concept. It borrows from some themes from several other known deck types, but after messing with it I think it has some nice synergy. You don't see much Cruel Ultimatum in extended, I imagine, because it's relatively slow for the format, but this idea is designed to make it a viable end game card if the early threats don't put the nail in the coffin. I'd like a nice helpful black spell in place of the Manamorphose, but until I(or you guys) can think of something really helpful here, the 'morphose is something of a place holder since it helps the colors. Though I do have a couple thoughts which I'll get to after the list...

Artifacts:
4 Lotus Bloom

Creatures:
4 Demigod of Revenge
4 Deus of Calamity

Spells:
4 Rite of Flame
4 Desperate Ritual
4 Seething Song
2 Cruel Ultimatum
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Terminate
2 Manamorphose

Land:
4 Spinerock Knoll
4 Vivid Marsh
4 Vivid Crag
4 Reflecting Pool
4 Cascade Bluffs
4 Graven Cairns

Sideboard:
Didnt really think it out yet honestly, though I think at least 2 Shattering Spree is par for the course, maybe replacing the Manamorphoses depending on the matchup. Could Thoughtseize be helpful in this deck? Or a distraction from what it's trying to do?

The ideas here are probably pretty obvious. It was a response to a friend asking me for help thinking of a black red deck. All-in red-esque quickness on Deus and Demigod, Bolts to speed up the kill or as removal for defense, and if they survive all that, we should have the mana(or Knoll) to threaten an Ultimatum.

Though if there's one big weakness I see, it's that the deck is almost entirely red. Not that red is weak, I just want the black splash to invoke a "nice!" and not a "why?" Though I do like the Terminate and Ultimatum, I'd like to replace the Manamorphose with something black and helpful to make the black splash feel more integral. Admittedly with the afore-mentioned friend we play casual and I have Dark Rituals in the Morphose spots. But I know to be a good extended deck it has to be, well, extended. Smile

So any thoughts on something nice n Black to really add an exclamation mark to the deck? I'm thinking something that does damage so as to provide more angles for opening up the Spinerocks? Death Cloud? Or perhaps something else to take advantage of the slight use of Blue like a Peer Through Depths? <double shrug>

I feel like I'm "on to something" here, but would love some expert opinions. Thanks guys! Smile

-Jesse/Thicket

Akeldyma · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 108

So, rather than playing a card that WINS you the game when you play it; you'd rather ramp into something that is a mere inconvenience?

Yeah, lemme know how that works out for you.

Thicket · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 80

Or you could suggest something else rather than be a dick? I'm obviously open to ideas..

Not to mention aside from the Blood Moon stuff, it's got the same "cards that WIN" as all-in red. The ultimatum is just icing, not the only goal.

Akeldyma · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 108

Well, sir. You suck. The end.

Thicket · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 80

Pillar of the community.

Anyone with anything constructive to offer?

stone_d · Joined: 19 May 2006 Posts: 72

He's kinda right... why would you splash 2 more colors for a card that doesn't even win the game and has like no synergy with ur deck? Splashing akroma would probable be a better idea then this.

But if you want construcitve critisism that badly:
Lightning bolt doesn't fit into the plan of you deck (get fatty/other wincondition onboard T1/2) you can use it to stall games by killing something. But lategame ur deck doesn't do much compared to other decks.
Terminate is even worse for same reason.

Your lands to, you have nothing where you can go off turn 1.

Thicket · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 80

That's cool. Was just a thought. I'm not really married to the Ultimatum, just seemed like an interesting addition to something black red. Like I said, a friend asked me to think up a Black Red deck for em. I like TEPS and Dragonstorm, myself.

And I'd been interested in All-In red, so one thing lead to another. But if there's better stuff that could go well with the rituals+deus+demigod shell that involves black, I'm all ears. All-in red is excellent, but the magus, bloodmoon, arc slogger, etc cant be the only effective support that shell has. Though if Black isnt a good companion color for it, so be it. I was just trying to appease a buddy who seems sold on black-red.

Thanks for the input Smile

Lynolf · Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 321

Two words for you:

Chandra Ablaze. Mr. Green

clayparson · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 54

if you're going to continue with this idea, the first step is to fix that mana.

Lands that come into play tapped are awful for this sort of strategy. Try fetchlands+shocklands.

and the previous posters are right, one-for-one removal like terminate and lightning bolt are not what you want.

Thicket · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 80

Makes sense. So what could be some good stuff aside from all-in red as is that could go well with the deus/demigod/ritual shell?

at this point from seeing the criticism on this thread, i dont even care if it involves black at this point. Now I'm just trying to think of a way to run those threats without just copying the all-in red list.

thanks for the tips. and if it turns out that all-in red is the absolutely most optimized way to play those cards, ill tell my buddy to just use all in red lol