Game #213.9: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.8: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2017-08-01
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland OR
Vs. Azusa; Breya; Gahiji
Result:   Fun Win

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vs

Hit the Zombie Achievement (Finally) by casting and flashing back the 13-zombie spell. I also started by copying Azusa with Vizier of Many Faces. I also nuked the board right before getting the zombies, and managed to win the game while hitting all previous achievements, thus earning 5 swaps (TBD). It was a really fun game: Burgeoning happened, Kydele generated a ton of mana, Glint-Eye Nephilim drew me a ton of cards (And discarded a Wonder to pump itself). Azusa put on some huge early pressure (and Kiki Jiki couldn’t get going)

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Game #213.8: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.8: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2017-04-25
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland OR
Vs. Bruse/Kraum(?); UG – Partners
Result:   Neutral Loss

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vs(/),(/)

Again, I didn’t hit my Zombie achievement, so only 2 swaps. All I noted is that someone killed my Kruphix for no great reason, and then the next turn the other player won via Labratory Maniac.

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Game #213.7: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.7: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2017-04-25
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland OR
Vs. Anafenza; Eight-and-a-half Tails
Result:   Neutral Win

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vsEight-and-a-Half-Tails, Magic, Champions of KamigawaAnafenza, the Foremost, Magic, Khans of Tarkir

I had Waste Not , but made 0 discards happen. I did not hit the zombie achievement, so only get two swaps.  8.5 Tails had a World Queller and a turn 1 Serra Ascendant, but my notes say that I won this one.

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Game #213.6: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.6: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2017-03-21
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland OR
Vs. Kynaios; Kiki Jik
Result:   Neutral Loss

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vsKynaios and Tiro of Meletis, Magic, Commander 2016Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Magic, Champions of Kamigawa

I had Waste Not on turn 2 and a Wheel in hand, but it got killed by an Aura Shards (hate that card).  Then I Decimated the Shards.  I did not hit the 20 zombies achievement, so I only earned two swaps.   Also, the Kynaios player complained that I took long turns, and that my deck didn’t “do anything” because Cascade was just diddly.  I took offense to that; I always take my turns with purpose when playing this deck, and I don’t actually always just cascade.

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Game #213.5: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.5: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2017-01-31
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland OR
Vs. Atraxa +; Doran, the Siege Tower; Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Result:   Fun Loss

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vsBorborygmos Enraged, Magic, Gatecrash,Radha, Heir to Keld, Magic, Planar Chaos

Something happened with Boompile, but I hit all achievements:  Play a Game, Cast Yidris, Commander damage an opponent, Commander damage EACH opponent, Cascade twice in a turn.

 

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Game #213.4: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.4: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2017-01-10
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland, OR
Vs.Kynaios; Atraxa+
Result:   Fun Loss

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vsKynaios and Tiro of Meletis (Commander 2016), Magic, Oversize Cards

Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, Magic, Commander 2016

Had to Leave Early, didn’t hit any new achievements. Lots of Cyclonic Rifts and Evacuations.

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Game #213.3: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.3: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2017-01-03
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland, OR
Vs.Kynaios+; Daxos, something else maybe?
Result:   Fun Loss

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vsKynaios and Tiro of Meletis (Commander 2016), Magic, Oversize CardsDaxos of Meletis, Magic, Theros

I came really close to having a chance at winning, but Kynaios had a kill spell. I didn’t manage to damage all of my opponents.  Cool stuff happened though!

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Game #213.1: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

Game #213.1: Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Date: 2016-11-29
Location: Red Castle Games, Portland OR
Vs. Atraxa +; Doran, the Siege Tower; Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Result:   Fun Loss

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder, Magic, Commander 2016vsAtraxa, Praetors' Voice, Magic, Commander 2016Doran, the Siege Tower, Magic, LorwynSydri, Galvanic Genius, Magic, Commander 2016

Things were pretty crazy in this one.  The last 5 games were played against an Atraxa deck that started as a stock pre-con and got to swap out a card for each game it played and each game it won.  Atraxa is already a beast, and this one kept getting better (winning 4 of the last 5 games I played against it!).  I liked that idea enough that I decided before this game to steal/adapt its methods. I brought Yidris as a deck to just play, but upgraded it to an official “deck”.   You can read the rules for the project HERE, and see the changing decklist HERE.   The achievement I set for this game was to Cascade at least twice in one turn.

I stared the game with a 2 land hand. Atraxa started with a Plains-Sol Ring- Felwar stone… into a Citadel Siege, Rhystic Study and Ishai and Astral Cornucopia!  Sydri’s opening included a Solemn Simulacrum, and Doran had some walls.

My life was made easier by a Chromatic Lantern and a Coiling Oracle (hitting a land) on turn 4. On turn, I tried to play a Frenzied Fugue on Atraxa, but it was Mana Drained (upgrade!).  Doran cast Day of Judgement (Board Wipe 1), and followed it up with a Dromoka.

On turn 6 I cast Yidris, and on turn 7 a Guilt Feeder, cascading into a Chain of Vapor to bounce Atraxa.  Sydri threw a Solemn Simulacrum under a Prototype Portal.  Atraxa cast a Merciless Eviction (Creatures, not Artifacts for once). Board Wipe 2.

On turn 8 I cast a Burgeoning (first time ever, and boy do I love it) which I somehow cascaded into  the suspend wheel (Yidris must have come back with haste or something), and then a Vial Smasher cascading into a Rakdos Charm (blowing up the Astral Cornucopia) [Cascade twice achievement].  Sydri played a Muzzio.  Doran played a Luminate Primordial and hit my Ydris.

Turn 9 I played an Etherium-Horn guy into Kydele, and then cast another Wheel into a bunch of lands (which Burgeoning let me play out). Turn 10 I cast Garruk’s Wake (mostly wiped Board 3) and followed it up with Thrasios — all three sub-commanders are in play at the same time.

Sydri had out voltaic key and construct and Doran was playing with a Sapling of Colfenor and a Nissa (and had played a good number of other creatures). Atraxa, meanwhile, has been building up large creatures attempting attacks and then being thwarted.  On turn 11 I cast Ghastly Conscription getting 9 creatures from Doran’s ‘yard  after having exiled a Runehorn Hellkite from my yard to Wheel again.  Then I cast Waste Not (yay!) and I morph a Wardscale dragon.

Sydri achieves infinite mana an infinite creatures ( but no haste) using Voltaic Construct and a Gilded Lotus and something else.  Atraxa’s player has to leave, but finishes his last turn with a Duneblast, saving our lives (Board Wipe 4).

On turn 12 I Volcanic Vision for a Wheel and then cast a Spelltwine getting a Garruk’s Wake and something to exile an artifact from Sydri. (Board mostly wiped 5).

Sydri plays an Altar of Shadows and has 3 of 4 of the Stations and is using them slowly.  Doran plays an Anafenza.  My turn 13, i try to cast Devestation Tide (into a Windfall), but the Tide is countered AND Doran kills my Waste Not (only got me 2 zombies, but a lot of mana) and exiles my Yidris.  Sydri  Altars away a 46/46 Consuming Aberration.

Sydri gets out Caltrops, meaning anything that attacks dies if mana is available.  I get the opportunity to attack with Yidris (With a whispersilk cloak) again on turn 14 somehow (and caltrops isn’t active), putting Sydri at 18 commander damage and then get a Boompile.  Someone attacks me. I Boompile (board wipe 6).    Yidris happens again somehow, and I cast  a Bloodbraid Elf into a Fellwar Stone.

On turn 15 I cast Cruel Entertainment (just because.  By this point I’m basically dead).  Sydri’s player is able to use Doran’s creatures to do exactly 32 damage (I’m at 32 life) with some Daghatar/ Dragon-that-gets-counters trickery.

Next turn Sydri wins with a full complement of all 4 stations.  Crazy Game. Many hours. Lots of fun. I like Yidris.

About the Deck (http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/   )

There’s a page that talks about it here, and one here too.

Project Yidris

I recently played a series of games (#208 -213) against a player who was doing a “RPG / Level-Up” style enhancement of a stock  Atraxa Pre-Con. For each game he played he could swap out one card, and for each game he won, he could swap a second card. Making the already “Wins EDH Games Right Out of the Box” deck successively better.

Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder (Commander 2016), Magic, Oversize CardsI had packed the Yidris deck to just play for fun, but decided to borrow the “advancement” and slowly transform the “Entropic Uprising” into the Yidris deck that I’d likely want to play.  I didn’t steal the concept exactly, because I don’t tend to focus on playing one deck, and because a reward for “winning” is antithetical to my EDH philosophy.  I bounced around a few ideas as I was talking to the people I was playing with (including the Atraxa player). Some were simple, some were crazy (“once a card is removed from the deck, it can never be returned”, “no ‘new’ card can leave the deck until all of the ‘old’ cards are out”,  ideas that had me swapping large numbers of cards each time, and not being allowed not to).  After mulling it over, here’s what I’ve come up with…

Card Swap Conditions

  • Finish a Game with The Deck: 1 card
  • Cast Yidris at least once*: 1 card
  • Meet a new predetermined achievement : 1 card
  • If the new achievement is met, and a prior un-met achievement is also met during the game (on a different stack / play): 1 card  OR
  • if the new achievement is met and there are no other un-met achievements and a prior achievement is also met sometime during the game: 1 card
  • Meet every achievement on the achievement** list in a single game: 1 card
  • Maximum of 5 Cards, Minimum 1
  • * (this may change to “Cascade due to Yidris”)
  • **(if achievements contradict each other (ex. “Win by Milling all opponents” & “Kill an opponent with Commander Damage”) only one need be met)

Other Rules

  • I have to swap the cards.
  • I can’t swap back a removed card until all of the original non-land, non-Yidris, cards have left the deck. That is goal 1.
  • Once the deck is a totally different deck, restrictions on swapping requirements are lifted and I can put back cards that have been removed to build the deck into what I decide I want it to ultimately be.
  • If it becomes too much of a slog, I can adjust the achievement rules to skew towards the maximum rate of switching.

Acheivements

  1. Cascade twice in a single turn.   MET:  Game #213.1 (29 Nov. 2016)
  2. Damage each opponent with Yidris.  ~MET : Game #213.2 (Dec. 2016  *1v1 game).
  3. Damage each opponent with Yidris in a MULTIPLAYER game. MET: Game 213.5 (31 Jan 2017)
  4. Control 20+ Zombies: MET: Game 213.9 (1 Aug 2017)
  5. Generate 30+ Mana in a single turn:  UNMET

 

A few philosophical notes about my deck-building goals.

  1. The deck needs to be fun for me to play AND opponents to play against.
  2. I would like to build towards “Wheels” and “Cascade” craziness.
  3. The ‘Nekusar’ Rule“: I want to minimize punishing my opponents due to discards and draws (by me or them). Losing their hands is punishment enough. It’s not forbidden as a win condition, but should not take up more than a single slot.  Other offenders include things like Psychosis Crawler, Leovold, etc.
  4. The ‘Waste Not’ Rule“: I want to maximize rewarding me due to discards and draws (by me or them). Geth’s Grimoire, Kydele, Horizon Chimera, etc.
  5. The ‘Memory Jar Rule“: I hate that card (but it doesn’t strictly break The ‘Nekusar’ Rule,  so I might play it).
  6. I’d like to avoid straight “discard” unless Waste Not brings me there when the wheels are gone.
  7. I’d also like to maximize Cascade triggers: ensuring Yidris gets through, double strike, etc.
  8. I reaaaally like Burgeoning and Waste Not.  They may hang around
  9. As the deck shifts, I can see it possibly going towards being more mill based, and/or more Voltron.
  10. The deck needs to be fun for me to play AND opponents to play against. (yes, 1 and 10 are the same).

I will be posting changes to the deck list, both here and on TappedOut ( http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/project-yidris/ ) as I make them.  I will be posting brief game summaries — highlights only — as Game #213.X.