(MTG) Dimir Devastator Deck (DDD) (EDH/Commander Deck)

Phelphor, of the Deep · October 10, 2018

Hello, and welcome to Dimir Devastator another edition of Ultra Budget Brews, this article that builds entire EDH decks on the cheap. Wrong cheep, Tommy. By cheap, we’re talking $1 or less. If you’ve been playing Magic for any time at all, you know it doesn’t get much cheaper than that. So I hope you guys are really excited to see Taigam, you all really didn’t want to see the others members make threads like this, or you all just like seeing unpopular members building MTG EDH decks on a yugioh centered forum. I’ll admit that I’m very glad I am not building Edric on account of someone in my EDH playgroup built him. I’ve played against that deck a lot recently, and getting your teeth kicked in by a bunch of evasive 1/1’s is way worse than it sounds. Picture an army of mana dorks and counterspells teaching you the true meaning of misery. Enough about Edric. We’re here to talk about Taigam.

Our Win Con?: Lethal battle damage for starts, tapping and uptapping our commander to control the board, go into Infinite mana to do stuff and etc.

Our Commander

Taigam, Sidisi’s Hand

Converted mana cost: 5

(3)(B)(U)

Type: Legendary Creature — Human Wizard

Sets: Commander 2017

Colors: Black mana, Blue mana

Illustrators: Simon Dominic

Game: Magic: The Gathering

Effect of card: Skip your draw step.

At the beginning of your upkeep, look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.

{B}, {T}, Exile X cards from your graveyard: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn.

Pros:

•Repeatable removal

•The removal is flexible (particularly good at knocking off small creatures) and gets around indestructible

•Great card selection

•Fills the graveyard

Cons:

•5 mana is quite a bit

•Bojuka Bog, Rest in Peace, and friends make you a sad panda.

•The Scarab God exists, does a similar thing, and, if were being completely objective, is probably just better

•If Game of Thrones has taught us anything, being The Hand can lead to an early and unfortunate death

As alluded to earlier, Taigam is pretty unpopular, leading a mere 71 decks. I think that there are a few reasons for this. Our Taigam kind of pales in comparison to Taigam, Ojutai Master. While the our Taigam may not be as generically powerful, I do think he’s a ton more interesting. I mean, we’ve all either played with or against a deck that does nothing but take extra turns, and I’m not sure exciting, original, or interesting are words that would be used to describe them.

I also think part of his unpopularity can be attributed to the very first line of text. “Skip your draw step” is not a phrase that typically makes you get excited about building a commander. In fact the very first thing it makes me do is brainstorm ways to donate it to my opponents. Drawing cards just so happens to be a pretty important of playing Magic. If we skip an entire phase, the tradeoff better be pretty powerful! Thankfully, it is.

The ability to look at the top 3 cards of our library and choose which we want is very powerful and is something I’m more than happy tradeoff for my draw step. Thankfully, it gets even better. You throw the other cards in to your graveyard. I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded, but were playing black. Black loves a stocked graveyard and has innumerable ways to get things back to your hand from the graveyard or to get creatures directly on to the battlefield.

Taigam also gives us a powerful way remove opponents’ creatures. For a single black mana, you exile X cards from your graveyard and you give target critter -X/-X. There will be cards that get dumped in to your graveyard that you want nothing to do with, such as lands and some instants and sorceries. This allows you to turn these into a resource. Targeted removal is something that every deck needs. This happens to be repeatable and even gets around indestructible creatures. It’s also perfect for picking off small important utility creatures like Oracle of Mul Daya and Baral, Chief of Compliance. With all of this in mind, lets check out our deck.

Commander (1)

1 Taigam, Sidisi’s Hand

Lands (37)

1 Dimir Aqueduct

1 Dimir Guildgate

1 Dismal Backwater

1 Dreadship Reef

1 Drownyard Temple

1 Evolving Wilds

1 Grixis Panorama

12 Island

1 Jwar Isle Refuge

1 Myriad Landscape

1 Nephalia Drownyard

1 Submerged Boneyard

13 Swamp

1 Terramorphic Expanse

Creatures (22)

1 Archaeomancer

1 Archfiend of Depravity

1 Artisan of Kozilek

1 Body Double

1 Demon of Dark Schemes

1 Deranged Assistant

1 Diluvian Primordial

1 Fleshbag Marauder

1 Inkwell Leviathan

1 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder

1 Krovikan Sorcerer

1 Kuro, Pitlord

1 Merciless Executioner

1 Mindleech Mass

1 Pestilence Demon

1 Phyrexian Delver

1 Ravenous Chupacabra

1 Shadowborn Demon

1 Tomb Robber

1 Ulamog’s Crusher

1 Vizier of Many Faces

1 Xathrid Demon

Artifacts (11)

1 Charcoal Diamond

1 Commander’s Sphere

1 Dimir Cluestone

1 Fellwar Stone

1 Hedron Archive

1 Key to the City

1 Mind Stone

1 Omen Machine

1 Uba Mask

1 Wayfarer’s Bauble

1 Worn Powerstone

Sorceries (13)

1 Compulsive Research

1 Dread Return

1 Ever After

1 Extract from Darkness

1 Infernal Offering

1 Necromantic Selection

1 Night’s Whisper

1 Pilfered Plans

1 Profane Command

1 Read the Bones

1 Stitch Together

1 Victimize

1 Windfall

Instants (12)

1 Ancient Excavation

1 Disdainful Stroke

1 Fact or Fiction

1 Forbidden Alchemy

1 Insidious Will

1 Memory Plunder

1 Moonlight Bargain

1 Murderous Cut

1 Mystical Teachings

1 Reality Shift

1 Silumgar’s Command

1 Thought Scour

Enchantments (3)

1 Diabolic Servitude

1 Psychic Possession

1 Soul Ransom

I want to put in some infinite mana and untapping (Have the mana to pay for commander's ability and the un-tapping ability to keep un-tapping him so we can wipe board clean. Having access to instant speed field wipe at all given times is handy when need to go for lethal battle damage or buying time until we get a second win con.

For infinite mana (things like Drake and/or Dead-Eye Nav) and for uptapping (Things like Dramatic Reversal Dream's Grip and/or Reality Spasm)

(GigaDrillBreaker) · October 10, 2018

Every card $1 or lower? Sure, I'll bite.

I am assuming you are dead-set on using this commander, so I won't go too far into the issues with him. The main bit is that the problem has nothing to do with skipping your draw step. He replaces your draw step with something that is functionally better, so that shouldn't be treated as a loss. The problem with Taigam is that he is a 5 drop that does absolutely god damn nothing until the turn after you play him, and even then he isn't affording you too terribly much.

But funk it, let's build Taigam.

[spoiler=Lands]

So, honestly you did a pretty decent job here. You included most of the dual lands that came to mind for me, and excluded a lot of the bad options. That being said, your current build is shifted considerably more toward black than blue, so replacing some of the islands with swamps would be a good idea. Here is a quick list of some nonbasic lands that could benefit your deck:

Desert of the Glorified

Desert of the Mindful

Dunes of the Dead

Ipnu Rivulet

Peat Bog

Saprazzan Skerry

Lonely Sandbar

Barren Moor

Blighted Cataract

Blighted Fen

Temple of the False God

Bojuka Bog

Memorial to Genius

Memorial to Folly

Obviously, Rivulet is only worthwhile if you have the other deserts, but it's a pretty useful package altogether. Other stuff is just to give you more utility, or to speed up your mana a bit to make up for your lack of powerful ramp.

Now, for the nonlands, I am going to go a different route. I will list the cards that I don't believe have a place in your deck (with short explanations as to why) and go over some other stuff that I think could do your deck a good service.

[spoiler=Bad stuff]

Archfiend of Depravity - I don't like this card, nor have I ever. It only gets rid of the weaker creatures, as each opponent is allowed to keep their two best guys. This pairs poorly with the delay in the wipe, as anything else can still attack or do whatever over the course of the opponent's turn, and you damn well know those attacks will be aimed at you. With a body that dies to Char, Mizzium Mortars, Hour of Devastation, Cutt//Ribbons, Flametongue Kavu, and Flame Slash (not to mention multitudes of -X/-X black removal, including Languish) it just doesn't carry its weight.

Demon of Dark Schemes - Even in two colors, making triple black is a bit tough at your budget level. Now, you can reanimate this, but even then I am not too confident in its power. At face value, it seems quite strong, wiping the board and helping you to reanimate more of your powerful creatures, but at the end of the day the blanket -2/-2 will only kill so much, and since you are lacking any further energy-based synergy, the activated ability loses a bit too much usefulness in my eyes. If you choose to add more energy production, such as Live Fast and/or Glimmer of Genius (both of which are very good cards) then this gets a bit better.

Diluvian Primordial - It is easy to misread this and think it casts something from your Graveyard. It does not. It might still be good, depending on your playgroup and whether they run reanimator spells in other decks (chaining this into another reanimation is actually really strong) but it has never really felt justified to me. Keep in mind my playgroup is far more competitive than most, so take this advice with a grain of salt.

Inkwell Leviathan - Alright. This one I am conflicted on. On one hand, it's just a big dude. On the other, it is really funking good at being "just a big dude". Keep him if >40% of the decks in your playgroup include islands, because this thing can exert a hell of a lot of pressure.

Pestilence Demon - This absolutely depends on how many small creatures run around in your playgroup. Frankly, this plays out a lot like Demon of Dark Schemes but vastly better, but even then the utility is questionable. If you see a lot of creatures with 1-3 toughness (low enough for taigam to survive) feel free to keep on jamming this guy. If nothing else, it is a classic for EDH.

Shadowborn Demon - This guy is really bad. You don't field a lot of creatures, so the drawback will hit you hard, and avoiding it could mean refusing to reanimate a power creature or activate Taigam's ability. Not to mention that the ETB kill isn't really even a strong one.

Ulamog's Crusher - It's just a big guy, and unlike Inkwell, it dies to funking everything. I am sure a bulky body like this is appealing to a newer player, but it's just an 8/8 mass of mediocrity.

Xathrid Demon - This card sucks. More often than not, you will be forced to sacrifice Taigam, and that burn for 3 isn't going to feel great.

Infernal Offering - This is a bad reanimator spell. It is overcosted, and unlike some of your other overcosted reanimator spells, this one comes with downside, rather than upside.

Necromantic Selection - Jesus funking christ 7 mana is a lot to not even be able to reanimate a creature you milled.

Key to the City - I get the appeal of discarding something for you to later reanimate, but this card works way too hard to do something ultimately unspectacular.

Omen Machine - Hard nonbo with stuff like read the bones, and honestly sucks even if your deck was built around it, which, for the record, it is not.

Uba Mask - I get what you are going for with Omen Machine and this, trying to stack downsides with Taigam and other cards, but this card doesn't do sheet for you.

Insidious Will - It looks like this card can do all sorts of cool stuff, but as it turns out none of them are really worth 4 mana.

Soul Ransom - This card is terrible.

[spoiler=Good Stuff]

Forgotten Creation - As a 4-drop, this comes in mid-game and helps you fill up your graveyard for your various synergies to get going.

Endbringer - Solid creature that gains power with a good chunk of the lands I suggested. It provides steady card advantage, along with bits of removal and disruption. Seriously, it's really great.

Eternal Scourge - funk YEAH, EXILE SYNERGY. Seriously though, exiling this with Taigam opens it up to be cast at a later date, and that's free card advantage right there.

Baleful Force - Here is a good reanimator target. Huge body, and rakes in massive card advantage.

Tromokratis - Similar to Inkwell Leviathan, this is a creature that doesn't do much aside from be big, while also being really good at being big. It makes the combat step that much more difficult for the defending player when you swing in with a team of big dudes.

Fleet Swallower - Target yourself.

Grozoth - Searches for Artisan of Kozilek, Inkwell Leviathan, and Kuro, Pitlord on ETB. I'd say that's a pretty good amount of value.

Havoc Demon - Kills sheet dead. Synergy with Dread Return and Victimize.

Meteor Golem - It does what shadowborn demon did, but much much better.

Ixidron - This is a good boardwipe that can be reanimated. It doesn't look like a boardwipe, but it is one.

Sphinx of Uthuun - I see you are already running Fact or Fiction, so you can see how this would be valuable.

Sutured Ghoul - I'm not saying this card is good (in this deck), but I am saying it's better than Ulamog's crusher.

Torgaar, Famine Incarnate - Jesus Christ this guy hits like a truck. Sac early game utility creatures to land him sooner, then go in for the kill.

Trench Gorger - Exile every land from your deck, now you have a big guy with trample, and don't need to worry about drawing lands when you would prefer anything but.

Vampire Charmseeker - If you can play a bit of politics, this can be played for as little as 2 mana, and even when hardcasted or reanimated it gets you some useful value.

Apprentice Necromancer - You want reanimation? This card is pretty damn great at it. Giving the reanimated creature haste is a plus. Even though you have to sacrifice the reanimated creature, that simply gives you the opportunity to reanimate them again, for further use of whatever ETB ability they may have.

Betrayal of Flesh - Instant speed is a huge up on many other reanimation spells, allowing you to use ETB abilities in response to the opponent's actions. In a pinch, this can work as serviceable, albeit overcosted, removal. For a game-changing play, you can entwine (notably requiring no additional mana) to plus to significantly shift the board state.

Body Snatcher - this holds synergies with Victimize and Dread Return, allowing you to get more bang for your buck. It also can ward off attacks, as the threat of this blocking and turning into, say, an Inkwell Leviathan, is nothing to joke about. Worst case scenario, you exile a few cards from your Graveyard and use Taigam to kill it, giving you instant-speed reanimation on the fly.

Connive // Concoct - A new card from Guilds of Ravnica, this can reanimate a creature while also filtering your next few draws. Connive is also a neat little trick to have around, especially since it is attached to a card that already rises above the bar for playability in this deck.

Corpse Connoisseur - Selective mill. While the creature is a bit on the pricey side, the typeline is a huge boon for various synergies, and the unearth gives it a free extra use.

Extractor Demon - Fairly simple. It benefits you by allowing you to self-mill more, especially against sacrifice-heavy opponents or when paired with removal spells. If you are against a combo that involves infinite or otherwise large amounts of sacrificing, this can mill a player out entirely, giving you the win if they don't already have it.

Fated Return - This is what a 7-drop reanimator spell should look like. It isn't actually particularly good, but in this deck it more than gets the job done.

Makeshift Mannequin - More instant-speed reanimation. The downside is a bit annoying, but being able to land the creature at instant speed is usually more than enough to make up for it.

Rescue from the Underworld - You will notice a recurring theme of instant-speed reanimation. I'm not saying you should run all of it, because that will throw your balance way off, but you should definitely look into each of these, consider what they do for you, and run a decent chunk of them.

Strands of Night - If your playgroup doesn't have much enchantment removal, this feels really powerful. It would definitely require a shift even further toward black to be functional, but I am pretty sure that is the direction most of my suggestions lean anyway.

Wake the Dead - I promise this card is broken. It doesn't look like much, but seriously it's pretty insane.

Deep Analysis - Card Advantage is good.

Chemister's Insight - Reliable card-draw, and the jump-start cost synergizes with your grave-based stuff.

Necroplasm - This was one of the few dredge cards within your budget. Dredge is monstrously powerful, and necroplasm actually can put in some work here. First turn, it takes out memnite I guess. Second turn, it takes out mana dorks. Third turn, it takes out utility creatures. Fourth turn, it takes out even more utility, along with itself so that it may be dredged up again for free mill.

Stinkweed Imp - Similar to Necroplasm, but replace that long explanation with "block". Needless to say, dredge 5 is much better than dredge 2.

I gave plenty more suggestions to add than I did to cut, so that leaves you with a lot of freedom on how you want your deck to operate. I gotta say, it was tough when the budget is this extraordinarily low, but everything I suggested has SCG prices of 99 cents or lower. Some are out of stock, but funk that, you can find another vendor yourself.

Phelphor, of the Deep · October 14, 2018

Archfiend of Depravity - I don't like this card, nor have I ever. It only gets rid of the weaker creatures, as each opponent is allowed to keep their two best guys. This pairs poorly with the delay in the wipe, as anything else can still attack or do whatever over the course of the opponent's turn, and you damn well know those attacks will be aimed at you. With a body that dies to Char, Mizzium Mortars, Hour of Devastation, Cutt//Ribbons, Flametongue Kavu, and Flame Slash (not to mention multitudes of -X/-X black removal, including Languish) it just doesn't carry its weight.

Demon of Dark Schemes - Even in two colors, making triple black is a bit tough at your budget level. Now, you can reanimate this, but even then I am not too confident in its power. At face value, it seems quite strong, wiping the board and helping you to reanimate more of your powerful creatures, but at the end of the day the blanket -2/-2 will only kill so much, and since you are lacking any further energy-based synergy, the activated ability loses a bit too much usefulness in my eyes. If you choose to add more energy production, such as Live Fast and/or Glimmer of Genius (both of which are very good cards) then this gets a bit better.