Hello readers,

 

I received a follow-up message to a recent fix. I don't often hear back from people after my work, so this was a nice surprise. While I wish I could say that all my fixes cause the deck to work perfectly, that's just not the way Magic works. Building a deck is a process with some trial and error. In this case, it looks like there are some more changes needed. 

 

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Hey Mattedesa –

 

So I got a Kahns intro deck (Sultai Schemers) and used your recommended adjustments to improve its playability. I liked the idea but, when I try to play the deck against other Kahn decks 85% of the time it’s a non-starter. Unless I luck some early Hooting Mandrills and the opponents deck starts slow I am just dead in the water. Plus it feels as though there is little I can use to slow the deployment of opposition strategy. Is there anything I can do to get the deck going sooner but not lose the flavor of your redesign intention? 

 

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Thanks, Tim, for your follow up to this deck. Looking back through what we worked on before, I can see now how this might be a little bit too slow. I think I advised you a little too heavily on putting things in your graveyard. While it's fun to use the delve mechanic to it's full extent, sometimes it's better to just play cheap, efficient spells. There are two main things you mentioned that are the problem:

 

1) "Unless I luck some early Hooting Mandrills and the opponents deck starts slow I am just dead in the water"

 

and 

 

2) "Plus it feels as though there is little I can use to slow the deployment of opposition strategy."

 

I think the first thing to do is cut down on the number of cards designed primarily to put cards in your graveyard. Scout the Borders is the slowest of these cards. Then, since we're putting fewer cards into your graveyard, let's drop a slower, less efficient creature in Gravedigger. In their place, let's try a Journey Into Nyx card that does both: Nyx Weaver. It puts cards in your graveyard to delve, it can return a key piece from the graveyard, and it can be a serviceable blocker with reach. Sounds like a perfect fit!

 

-3 Scout the Borders

-2 Gravedigger

+3 Nyx Weaver

 

Secondly, I would like to add back one of the cards we took out. Let's put back in some Typhoid Typhoid Rats. They give you something to do with your first turn mana as well as provide a deterrent for aggressive attackers. They also provide another creature that's likely to go to the graveyard to help that theme. I would probably take out one copy of Become Immense and either Sultai Scavenger or Necropolis Fiend. To make sure you still have enough late game power, I'd lean towards keeping the Fiend and dropping the Scavenger, but that's a close call. With the one remaining spot, I'd like to suggest Pharika, God of Affliction. While he may not often be a creature, he gives you another use for your graveyard cards. Those little deathtouch snakes are a real hurdle for opponents.

 

-1 Become Immense

-2 Sultai Scavenger

+4 Typhoid Rats

+1 Pharika, God of Affliction

 

The only other thing I would say is that I would keep an eye out for any of the Khans fetch lands you can find. They are a bit pricy, but if you can get any, they support your graveyard theme very well, and help make sure you get the color mana you need. 

 

Try out these changes and see if they don't take things in the right direction. You have 4 more creatures than before now, so hopefully that will give you a better board presense. Best of luck!

 

Lands (23)

5 Swamp

6 Forest

4 Island

2 Jungle Hollow

2 Opulent Palace

2 Thornwood Falls

2 Dismal Backwater

 

Creatures (21)

4 Typhoid Rats

4 Satyr Wayfinder

3 Rakshasa Vizier

3 Nyx Weaver

4 Hooting Mandrills

2 Necropolis Fiend

1 Pharika, God of Affliction

 

Other spells (16)

4 Taigam’s Scheming

4 Sultai Charm

4 Murderous Cut

2 Become Immense

2 Treasure Cruise