Jodah, Archmage Eternal BRAWL deck!

If you’re anything like @eveuncovered, you’ve been thinking, “Dammit, @kommienezuspadt, when are you going to post your next Magic: The Gathering deck build?!”. Good news! Today is the day. I’ve been trying to make time to do this Steemit post for weeks. I couldn’t even start it until I finished a few clients and announced the new Trial by Comics theme, but this rainy Minnesota morning is finally here. There are so many great formats in Magic, but our @caffetto group typically plays EDH, Modern and as of May of this year, the newest format sanctioned by Wizards of the Coast, BRAWL. This is a BRAWL deck. THE BRAWL DECK!

You can go back and read @tarotbyfergus’ previous MTG post, “Bane of @kommienezuspadt MTG Commander Deck”. That was a bad time in my Magic playing career […even worse is that I gave him that Bolas planeswalker as a birthday present]. @tarotbyfergus bent the EDH rules […which is okay, considering it’s a fan created format] using Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh. I was losing to that deck often enough, I was about to refuse to play it with him as the Commander […Commanders are suppose to be Legendary Creatures or planeswalkers, only if it states “…this planeswalker can be your Commander” designated on the card].

Things changed when BRAWL was announced, and shortly after that, the Core Set 19 expansion was released. @tarotbyfergus had a chance to get the Legendary Creature, Nicol Bolas, the Ravager. A card he could legally play as his Commander in EDH, and in the BRAWL rulings, any planeswalker could be your general. It made our games more competitive. BRAWL became a format that our group adopted as a lighter weight version of EDH. It also added a ton of value to the thousands of dollars we’d all spent on Standard cards going back to Kaladesh.

My star BRAWL deck is based around Angrath, the Flame-Chained. It’s been great and you can look at the deck list in my previous post, “My first Magic: The Gathering BRAWL champion: Angrath, The Flame-Chained!”. A few weeks ago, though, I decided to pile up my unused Standard cards and that became what is now my Jodah, Archmage Eternal BRAWL deck. It is a serious force to be reckoned with, which was a pleasant surprise […I didn’t have high expectations due to the complex mana requirements for it to work properly].

As it turns out, it isn’t that hard to achieve. In fact, it’s remarkably consistent. One thing that made me to decide to build this deck is the stack of non-basic duel lands, most of which are still Standard. Mixed with basic lands of each color, a few mana rocks and Navigator’s Compass […tap to turn a land the color of your choice], you’re in business by turn five in most cases, assuming Jodah is on the battlefield of course. Let’s take a look at what kind of madness can happen under those conditions.

The arrangements that breaks the game in ways typically only seen in Commander, is casting Omniscience on turn five. If that happens, it’s time to concede. In almost all cases that I’ve pulled that off, whatever awful cards I’m holding in my hand enter the battlefield at no cost. Often times, planeswalkers and massive Legendary Creatures. Artifacts that ramp mana […on the narrow chance Omniscience is destroyed]. Either way, that condition, if allowed to resolve, puts you 4 - 5 turns ahead of your opponent.

The planeswalkers are a big part of this deck. Chandra, Torch of Defiance and Tezzert, the Schemer are both meant as mana ramps. Chandra can go up +1 and give you two red mana. Tezzert can give you an etherium cell which can be sacrificed for any color mana at any time. Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver and Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh are some of the most versatile planeswalkers in the game with the abilities to do damage, make your opponent discard cards, steal their shit or destroy creatures. Secretly, they’ll also there to distract your opponents from the real threat, which is Jodah.

There are some brutal Sorceries in this deck as well. Dark Intimations, used properly, can be a card that changes the tide […typically, by turn four, in this deck, you’re getting beat up]. Casting Dark Intimations, especially if they only have one creature on the battlefield, forcing them to sacrifice their strength and discard a card. Meanwhile, I am returning a creature or planeswalker to my hand and drawing a card. If and when I cast either Bolas planeswalker, they both coming in with an additional loyalty counter to their already ridiculously high loyalty count.

Yawgmoth’s Vile Offering, assuming you do have a Legendary creature or planeswalker on the battlefield, tends to be a card that breaks your opponent’s will. You can destroy something of theirs and get something of yours […or their’s] back to the battlefield. Primeval Glorious Rebirth is another soul crushing card. It’s a Legendary Sorcery, but if you pull it off late game, everything they’ve fought so hard to destroy for the entire game […in this deck at least] returns to the battlefield.

The creatures in this deck are all heavy hitters, most of which can be cast long before you come up on their converted mana cost. Razaketh, the Foulblooded, Demonlord Belzenlok, Shalai, Voice of Plenty […she’s crucial to keeping everything safe. Stick Curator’s Ward on her as soon as you can, and you’re set other than board wipes], Chromium, the Mutable, Raff Capashen, Ship’s Captain and a Llanowar Elf to cheat the ramp […you’d be surprised how often this is the creature your opponent spends their removal on.

Ultimately, this thing cheats it’s way out of paying required mana. Sometimes, at half the cost or less, and sometimes, not at all. I even have a Thran Temporal Gateway to drop planeswalkers and big creatures on turn five […assuming Jodah doesn’t survive the turn]. Also, let’s not forget about Jodah! He’s a 4/3 flyer for four mana. He’s a Wizard, so there are some great interactions in Standard, i.e. Wizard’s Retort costs one less if you have a Wizard in play. Okay. Here’s the deck list. 

General 1 x Jodah, Archmage Eternal
 

Lands 1 x Forest

2 x Plains

2 x Mountains

2 x Islands

2 x Swamps

1 x Reliquary Tower

1 x Detection Tower

1 x Rupture Spires

1 x Fetid Pools

1 x Submerged Boneyard

1 x Woodland Stream

1 x Timber Gorge

1 x Stone Quarry

1 x Tranquil Expanse

1 x Meandering River

1 x Highland Lake

1 x Cinder Barrens

1 x Woodland Cemetery 

1 x Forsaken Sanctuary

Creatures

1 x Razaketh, the Foulblooded

1 x Demonlord Belzenlok

1 x Shalai, Voice of Plenty

1 x Chromium, the Mutable

1 x Raff Capashen, Ship’s Captain 

1 x Llanowar Elf

1 x Nicol Bolas, the Ravager

1 x Herald of Anguish

Planeswalkers

1 x Chandra, Torch of Defiance

1 x Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver

1 x Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh

1 x Tezzeret the Schemer

Spells

1 x Overwhelming Splendor

1 x Omniscience

1 x Sandwurm Convergence

1 x Cruel Reality

1 x Oath of Teferi

1 x Curator’s Ward

1 x In Bolas’s Clutches

1 x Primeval’s Glorious Rebirth

1 x Fumigate 1 x Dark Intimations

1 x Baral’s Expertise

1 x Kefnet’s Last Word

1 x Yawgmoth’s Vile Offering

1 x Heroic Intervention

1 x Unwind

1 x Abrade

1 x Disallow

1 x Essence Scatter

1 x Wizard’s Retort

1 x Negate

Artifacts

1 x Than Temporal Gateway

1 x Gilded Lotus

1 x Manalith

1 x Navigator’s Compass 

That’s it! There isn’t much of a side-board for this because it’s done really well against all kinds of decks. Lately, @tarotbyfergus has been running a really aggro brew and Pacification Array has been a priceless addition to slow down haste. There’s a few things that can be swapped out for more counter spells, but really, this Jodah build has great synergy.

Thanks for reading this entire post […if you’ve made it this far]. These posts are SO much work for me, and I know there are only a handful of Magic: The Gathering players actively in my Steemit circle. They’re fun, though. They also give me blockchain based documentation incase I think I’m clever and want to make changes […that typically don’t work as good as the original]. At least I can always come back and reference this post. For more games, photography, art and illustration, follow me here @kommienezuspadt!