Maralen Tableflip

[lazylantern]

I was looking to expand my Mardu goblins deck to be a "Lok'Tar Ogar! For the Horde!" deck with creatures from Trolls, Minotaurs, Orcs, Undeads, Elves and goblins. (Less efficient but more flavorful). When looking for a black legendary elf to be Sylvanas, I stumbled on this lady I didn't know



I fell in love and immediately taught of a dumb combo with this fella from M15



I can't possibly be the only one that wanted to "live the dream" of having this combo on the table by turn 3 and have the oponent at the table quit, and stop being your friend... Don't judge my dreams!

Keeping in mind I'm not rich, I will grab a black commander starter, and purchase some cards to make the following deck for a total value of less than 100$. I'm open to suggestion, but please keep it under 10$ Sorin Markov is currently the most expansive non-starter card of the deck that I don't already own. (according to Cardkingdom becaue they don't sponsor me and I still love them!)

Without further adieu, here is the list
Maralen, the friendship ender

Commander: Maralen of the Mornsong
Creatures (35)
Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
Ob Nixilis, The Fallen
Demon of Wailing Agonies
Skirdag High Priest
Runescarred Demon
Crypt Ghast
Magus of the coffer
Mikaeus, the unhallowed
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Ghoulcaller Ghisa
Grave Titan
Reaper of the abyss
Pontiff of blight
Butcher of malakir
Oversear of the damned
Demon of death's gate
Eater of hopes
Halo Hunter
Harvester of souls
Indulgent Tormentor
Lord of the void
Master of the feast
Reiver Deamon
Nantuko Shade
Tombstalker
Abyssal Persecutor
Avatar of woe
Blood Speaker
Filth
Geth, Lord of the vault
Wurmcoil Engine
Hell's Caretaker
Lord of the Pit
Pit Spawn
Seizan, perverter of truth

Planeswalker (3)
Liliana of the dark Realms
Ob Nixilis of the black oath
Sorin Markov


Enchantments (3)
Bad Moon
Retribution of the ancients
Endless ranks of the damned

Sorceries (13)
Army of the damned
Empty the pits
Victimize
Dread return
Rise of the dark realms
Mutilate
Aether Snap
Promise of power
Black sun zenith
Profane command
Exsanguinate
Plague Wind
Beacon of unrest

Instants (6)
Tragic Slip
Malicious Affliction
Sudden Spoiling
Tendrils of corruption
Wake the dead
Spoils of blood

Artifacts (7)
Sol ring
Swiftfoot boots
Lightning Greaves
Whispersilk Cloak
Lashwrithe
Whip of Erebos
Elbrus, the binding blade

Land (32)
Urborg, tomb of Yagmoth
Cabal Coffers
Crypt of agadeem
Reliquary tower
Nykdos, Shrine to Nyx
Barren Moor
Polluted Mire
Bojuka Bog
24 swamps

[ForOhFor Error]

The problem is that you play Maralen, everyone gets their removal, and she gets removed before you get your tutor.

[AdmiralMemo]

Unless you can flash her in on someone else's turn somehow...

[lazylantern]

Removal is the reason lightning greaves are in
Can technically drop em turn 1 with the sol ring and equip as soon as you summon her, making her shroud

[Volafortis]

Even with Maralen, I'd still run some number of Demonic Tutor, Diabolic Revelation, and Liliana Vess, even if only to get the boots.

Imagine getting to Diabolic Revelation for Ob Nix, Greaves, and Boots, and then, the next turn have the entire lock set up and protected.

Also, I'd consider Defense Grid. You're mainly sorc speed anyway, and you have plays to protect.

[lazylantern]

Very good points Volafortis

Also, someone tell me I'm wrong...
Exquisite blood + sanguine bond is autowin?

[korvys]

Correct.

[Volafortis]

Yeah, but the moment you play one or the other, you're getting focused like nothing else.

Still, it never hurts to have alternate wincons. Just make sure you hold onto them until you can use them both to win right away.

[Root potato]

Omg, I love this deck, my black deck is about 70% similar, I just need a few demons, and maralen. Lol. Thought of this ages ago, just didn't know how to make it work. Thanks!

[JayBlanc]

Played against a Maralen of the Mornsong EDH deck before.

After she came out, my turn I tutored into Darksteel Mutation. "Nice commander you have there. She's a bug now." (Edit: Pretty sure that Darksteel Mutation is a commander specific card they created as an answer for the self-powering snowball commander like Maralen.)

[tamaness]

Very good points Volafortis

Also, someone tell me I'm wrong...
Exquisite blood + sanguine bond is autowin?

exactly why I never run both in the same deck.

[lazylantern]

I don't ever plan on using the autowin thing... Def plan on finding room for exquisite blood as gaining 13 on each of my oponents' draw step seems good. So far, for win cons I have the combo that inspired the deck, then bog and resilient demons / reusable wurncoil engine, then a zombie token tertiary sub theme. I'm thinking of removing the zombie subtheme entirely. I had it in mostly because I already had the Army of the damned and Empty the pits, plus the starter came with many other ways to put zombie tokens on so I just added an endless rank of the dead.

@robot potato. Thanks man, this is my first kick at monoblack.
@JayBlanc that's why you drop the Lightning greaves or swiftfoot boots and equip them as soon as you can. on a good hand of 2+ swamps and a sol ring, you can have either equipped on her at turn 2. There is also a lot of sacrifice outlet in the deck to deal with Darksteel mutation. Out of all the removal possible, this one is not the one I'm worried about.

I'm getting my hands on a Liliana Vess soon. I feel like in this particular deck, Of the dark Realms is more powerful since I run the broken Ob Nixilis, the Fallen too, but Vess seems to have too much raw power to pass upon.
I like the suggestions for a bit more tutoring. I'll play around with more or less and keep you all informed.

[JayBlanc]

Even having lightning greaves in your opening hand only means someone will use their naturalise.

Maralen isn't problematic just because she's a big must-be-removed threat, it's because she gives all the other players one turn of tutoring to go look for that removal, and agree amongst themselves who targets the greaves and who targets Maralen... The card distorts a multiplayer game, but not in your favour. If there's someone with a life gain deck on the table, you're actually helping them win, by soaking up all the removal and giving them a life total advantage.

[lazylantern]

Politics in a game of commander only depends on the charisma and argunents a player can make. There are very good arguments to leave her on the table for oponents. you can woo the combo player to not care as he will be sure to hit all his pieces, or the mudrange deck that she poses no threat.
If your follow up play is immediately to drop Obnix unshak then heah... You are painting a huge target on yourself and deserve any punishment you get, but thats the dream. In reality, follow up play should be sonething of medium threat like a liliana of the dark realms to make it look like you are durdling around for lands to cast huge black spells.
I'm not saying that the deck or the card is unbeatable, but once you bring the "oh but players will discuss who does what" argument, you basically insinuate I can't bring my 2 cents to the discussion.

I'm looking for ways to improve the deck in this thread.
Thank you

[Root potato]

Some thing to think on,
My deck is slowly turning into a synergistic black deck based on etb affects,
I think if you took your zombie sub theme and turned it into a sac/reanimate sub theme you could get some serious value.

My favorite play was, sacking overseer of the damned to deciple of bolas, then casting dread return, on overseer, killing a guy, , triggering morbid, attacking for tons of damage, sacking with the new ob nixilis ultimate, in response to a decree of pain, drawing stupid cards, playing my hand out, then reanimating everything in various ways, all with help of cabal coffers, and friends. Then passing the turn, and seeing the look in their faces. lol

[fantôme]

I think Maralen has the potential to be a really interesting card in Tiny Leaders. Particularly since the searched card is not revealed, in a deck of hand attack & board control, she could create a game of cat & mouse.

Despises & Duresses. Nyxathid, Nocturnus, Nihil, etc. for win conditions. A toolbox of board control. Whilst one-for-one-ing, something like a Desolation + Crucible of Worlds combo could be good. And of course Apocalypse Chime for the sideboard.

[fantôme]

But on the EDH side of things, there is Blanket of Night if you want a second Urborg, Nirkana Revenant for more mana. And of all the hexproofing equipments, I prefer Mask of Avacyn for the toughness boost.

ps. Your deck is ridiculous, I love it.

[Root potato]

Black sun's zenith.
Nuff said.

[egyptcraze]

I actually just bought 3 Maralen and 2 Unshackled. I already had an Unshackled in my Thraximundar Demon tribal EDH deck, and wanted to have the force-search available, and I'm putting this combo in both my BR Mogis "I hate Everyone" EDH and mono-black Skittles decks I'm making. Because I hate people. lol