Of all the various themes, tribal decks are the most difficult to build because they require a delicate trade-off between strict theme and function.
Today, we're saluting our favorite types, and our favorite creatures in these tribes. So let's get to it!
This is how we Stacked.
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Venser's Journalist- NOT SURE
I'm a big fan of tribal decks that have the potential to be unstoppable. I have a pretty sweet modern deck with four of these bad boys in them. Once you get two DS Captains out, all your spirits are Hexproof! And a 2/2 flyer for 1WU ain't bad either.
The reason I'm on the fence about this card for commander is that in most tribal situations, I'd want at least the potential to have multiple DS Captains on the field at any given time. Sure, you could fill a deck with clone-variants and a Cackling Counterpart, but those cards could have much better applications. The fact of the matter is that a lone one of these guys is only pretty good; you'd have to find some way to protect him if you're banking on beefing up all your spirits for an extended period of time.
I'd be more willing to give him a thumbs up as a Pauper General, but the same situation above would apply. Of course, in Pauper the playing fields are usually a bit more equalized.
Johnny Confidant- *PAUPER* THUMBS UP
In Pauper Commander, These Captains along with the Guild Mages (or Gold Mages) are very great starting points to get into the format. Not like it's extremely hard or competitive to get into this format, but for anyone who wants to get a similar feel to regular EDH its a good middle ground. they give a solid boost, good color pairing, and usually some good effects off of the Mages.
I can see myself playing off a Captain but I'd choose the Zombie Cap'n. Deathtouch and retaliation in your general's effects are solid.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS DOWN
Not something I'd play, but it's a good card, as JC and VJ have mentioned, in Pauper and the 60-card formats it's been in. I really like the artwork a lot. It's gritty, elegant, and there's a nice historical connectivity created by the art style and the Captain's clothing style that makes it feel real.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
Yea, not much to say. Not a playable card in Commander, but was a sweet card in on of the sweetest limited formats in recent memory. As for its time in the 60 Standard spotlight, it shouldn't have come as a big surprise that Hexproof proved dominant and abusive in a format with no true Wrath effect, but then the archetype disappeared off the map entirely when Supreme Verdict was printed. This highlights the power of the namesake mechanic, but also shows the absurdity of the 'spiral' power creep within the game.
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
Thumbs down because I would never start this in Commander. I love Specters though and I am eagerly awating the day that a B/R/U Specter lord gets printed so I can finally have a tribal Commander deck that I care about building.
The reason I like this card so much is that it fits into a larger category of value creatures that I just can't get enough of. Getting an efficient body for three mana is nice, but nothing too special in constructed. The thing that sets these creatures apart is that they net you a card when they come into play. We are talking about Eternal Witness, Lifebane Zombie, Sin Collector, etc. These should have their own tribe.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
I've played with Lily's Specter once upon a time in my Vela deck and i loved it, U/B Blink with copy effects and had fun while my opponents tried to recover and survive off of top decks. This card is no Mindslicer but at least he doesn't force you to dump your hand as well. Perhaps you'd have to play Black Myojin for that.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
This card is a cog in my Nath of the Gilt Leaf discard deck and I love it. This and Conjurer's Closet are a great duo. Come to think of it, many things with Conjurer's closet are a great duo. But the specter is still awesome because a flying creature that makes everyone else lose some hand advantage is doing double duty. I want my cards to do things and then do more things, you know.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Unlike GG, I am playing this card. Combined with Geth's Grimoire and various reanimate spells, I've been able to assemble decent value in multiplayer, which probably explains why he's not playing it. This card scales a little better, and when you can build your own Syphon Mind, it's a little more worth your while.
JOHNNY CONFIDANT'S PICK
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
I love me some Shamans, they always have my favorite abilities and I plan to make a tribal shaman deck sometime soon. Among my favorite shamans I have Kiki-jiki, Deathrite Shaman, and Oracle of Mul Daya but hands down favorite is E-Wit.
To me Shamans are a cornerstone of EDH deckbuilding that often goes unnoticed. Sure we may see the Goblin, Human or the Elf primary type but not often do we appreciate the Second type.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I've talked a lot about my thoughts on this card, but she really does speak for herself. Sweet card. Perhaps the only true staple in Magic, in my opinion.
Grandpa Growth - THUMBS UP
True candidate for one of the best value cards ever. It is among a handful of cards that, as I say, make it wrong not to play Green. Tribal shamans may not be a deck, but if there 30 more shamans with this power level I'd be singing a different tune.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
I like the Eternal Witness. It's a classic retrieval card good for just about anything with Green in it. I must admit, JC makes a good point about most not noticing the "second type" of subtype. I do, however, prefer the Witness just as a stand alone card, not necessarily a tribal-specific card.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Spirit has been my favorite tribe since I first started playing Magic. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the Kamigawa surrealism.
As far as Spirits go, White Myojin is pretty okay. I don't have a clear cut favorite Spirit, but most of them are white, and there are a lot of things to like about it and its Cleansing Fire. Divinity Counters are relevant, and having an attacker when the rest of the field is gone generates some nice tempo late in the game, which is really the only time he's gonna get cast.
I've made a real effort to play less 7+ CMC cards in the last year or so, but the Myojin cycle is a serious exception, and this one is worth it.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
A lot of spirits here so i guess i'm lucky to pick my favorite of the bunch and i've chosen the Myojin's. Truely some strong abilities once you pull away their Immortality (aka Divinity) counter. While the White one is good for a wrath effect i don't know if i'd play it, although there are some, specifically the Black and Green ones because sometimes i'm a jerk like that or i'm a timmy like that haha.
I just liked the flavor of Kamigawa with the Spirit war and the idea that black was more of the "hero" in the color pie. Probably the same reason why i liked the flavor of Ravnica and how Grand Arbitor of the Azorius was more or less the villian.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I have played a bunch of this card. Maybe not so much as I started to really get into the format, but it is solid value and it does the things you want it to do. It is not a runnaway game-stealer like some other expensive cards, but I hear 'fairness' appeals to some people. Spirits are pretty sweet though. Kamigawa was one of my favorite sets, no two ways about it. It was also home to my favorite gimmick draft format Triple Betrayers! Go ninja go ninja GO!
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Like UL, I too put spirits at the top of my tribal list (with merfolk a close second), and I think that the Myojin certainly have earned their place in the spirit realm. Cleansing Fire is a great wrath effect that gives an incredible bonus to the controller.
We mustn't forget how this can also become quite broken if your spirit deck has any type of proliferate (because I want seven divinity counters) in it. Or you can abuse the divinity by bouncing it back to your hand, but that's less economical and proliferate tends to be more rewarding in a clockwork sense.
That's all we got today. Until next time, have an A1 Day.
-UL and the TGZ Gang
I'm a big fan of tribal decks that have the potential to be unstoppable. I have a pretty sweet modern deck with four of these bad boys in them. Once you get two DS Captains out, all your spirits are Hexproof! And a 2/2 flyer for 1WU ain't bad either.
The reason I'm on the fence about this card for commander is that in most tribal situations, I'd want at least the potential to have multiple DS Captains on the field at any given time. Sure, you could fill a deck with clone-variants and a Cackling Counterpart, but those cards could have much better applications. The fact of the matter is that a lone one of these guys is only pretty good; you'd have to find some way to protect him if you're banking on beefing up all your spirits for an extended period of time.
I'd be more willing to give him a thumbs up as a Pauper General, but the same situation above would apply. Of course, in Pauper the playing fields are usually a bit more equalized.
Johnny Confidant- *PAUPER* THUMBS UP
In Pauper Commander, These Captains along with the Guild Mages (or Gold Mages) are very great starting points to get into the format. Not like it's extremely hard or competitive to get into this format, but for anyone who wants to get a similar feel to regular EDH its a good middle ground. they give a solid boost, good color pairing, and usually some good effects off of the Mages.
I can see myself playing off a Captain but I'd choose the Zombie Cap'n. Deathtouch and retaliation in your general's effects are solid.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS DOWN
Not something I'd play, but it's a good card, as JC and VJ have mentioned, in Pauper and the 60-card formats it's been in. I really like the artwork a lot. It's gritty, elegant, and there's a nice historical connectivity created by the art style and the Captain's clothing style that makes it feel real.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
Yea, not much to say. Not a playable card in Commander, but was a sweet card in on of the sweetest limited formats in recent memory. As for its time in the 60 Standard spotlight, it shouldn't have come as a big surprise that Hexproof proved dominant and abusive in a format with no true Wrath effect, but then the archetype disappeared off the map entirely when Supreme Verdict was printed. This highlights the power of the namesake mechanic, but also shows the absurdity of the 'spiral' power creep within the game.
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
Thumbs down because I would never start this in Commander. I love Specters though and I am eagerly awating the day that a B/R/U Specter lord gets printed so I can finally have a tribal Commander deck that I care about building.
The reason I like this card so much is that it fits into a larger category of value creatures that I just can't get enough of. Getting an efficient body for three mana is nice, but nothing too special in constructed. The thing that sets these creatures apart is that they net you a card when they come into play. We are talking about Eternal Witness, Lifebane Zombie, Sin Collector, etc. These should have their own tribe.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
I've played with Lily's Specter once upon a time in my Vela deck and i loved it, U/B Blink with copy effects and had fun while my opponents tried to recover and survive off of top decks. This card is no Mindslicer but at least he doesn't force you to dump your hand as well. Perhaps you'd have to play Black Myojin for that.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
This card is a cog in my Nath of the Gilt Leaf discard deck and I love it. This and Conjurer's Closet are a great duo. Come to think of it, many things with Conjurer's closet are a great duo. But the specter is still awesome because a flying creature that makes everyone else lose some hand advantage is doing double duty. I want my cards to do things and then do more things, you know.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Unlike GG, I am playing this card. Combined with Geth's Grimoire and various reanimate spells, I've been able to assemble decent value in multiplayer, which probably explains why he's not playing it. This card scales a little better, and when you can build your own Syphon Mind, it's a little more worth your while.
JOHNNY CONFIDANT'S PICK
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
I love me some Shamans, they always have my favorite abilities and I plan to make a tribal shaman deck sometime soon. Among my favorite shamans I have Kiki-jiki, Deathrite Shaman, and Oracle of Mul Daya but hands down favorite is E-Wit.
To me Shamans are a cornerstone of EDH deckbuilding that often goes unnoticed. Sure we may see the Goblin, Human or the Elf primary type but not often do we appreciate the Second type.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I've talked a lot about my thoughts on this card, but she really does speak for herself. Sweet card. Perhaps the only true staple in Magic, in my opinion.
Grandpa Growth - THUMBS UP
True candidate for one of the best value cards ever. It is among a handful of cards that, as I say, make it wrong not to play Green. Tribal shamans may not be a deck, but if there 30 more shamans with this power level I'd be singing a different tune.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
I like the Eternal Witness. It's a classic retrieval card good for just about anything with Green in it. I must admit, JC makes a good point about most not noticing the "second type" of subtype. I do, however, prefer the Witness just as a stand alone card, not necessarily a tribal-specific card.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Spirit has been my favorite tribe since I first started playing Magic. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the Kamigawa surrealism.
As far as Spirits go, White Myojin is pretty okay. I don't have a clear cut favorite Spirit, but most of them are white, and there are a lot of things to like about it and its Cleansing Fire. Divinity Counters are relevant, and having an attacker when the rest of the field is gone generates some nice tempo late in the game, which is really the only time he's gonna get cast.
I've made a real effort to play less 7+ CMC cards in the last year or so, but the Myojin cycle is a serious exception, and this one is worth it.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
A lot of spirits here so i guess i'm lucky to pick my favorite of the bunch and i've chosen the Myojin's. Truely some strong abilities once you pull away their Immortality (aka Divinity) counter. While the White one is good for a wrath effect i don't know if i'd play it, although there are some, specifically the Black and Green ones because sometimes i'm a jerk like that or i'm a timmy like that haha.
I just liked the flavor of Kamigawa with the Spirit war and the idea that black was more of the "hero" in the color pie. Probably the same reason why i liked the flavor of Ravnica and how Grand Arbitor of the Azorius was more or less the villian.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I have played a bunch of this card. Maybe not so much as I started to really get into the format, but it is solid value and it does the things you want it to do. It is not a runnaway game-stealer like some other expensive cards, but I hear 'fairness' appeals to some people. Spirits are pretty sweet though. Kamigawa was one of my favorite sets, no two ways about it. It was also home to my favorite gimmick draft format Triple Betrayers! Go ninja go ninja GO!
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Like UL, I too put spirits at the top of my tribal list (with merfolk a close second), and I think that the Myojin certainly have earned their place in the spirit realm. Cleansing Fire is a great wrath effect that gives an incredible bonus to the controller.
We mustn't forget how this can also become quite broken if your spirit deck has any type of proliferate (because I want seven divinity counters) in it. Or you can abuse the divinity by bouncing it back to your hand, but that's less economical and proliferate tends to be more rewarding in a clockwork sense.
That's all we got today. Until next time, have an A1 Day.
-UL and the TGZ Gang
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