Kresh, the Bloodbraided

[Matt]

So this is my Kresh EDH list. Originally I had a token-based build, abusing things like Attrition and Doubling Season, but it wasn't performing well. I realized that making a bunch of tokens and killing them (for profit) to grow Kresh was taking the long way around, and it would be much simpler to just kill the opponent's dudes. So I rebuilt it:



//General
Kresh, the Bloodbraided


//Equipment
Lightning Greaves - Kresh is a VERY attractive target for control magic-type effects
Whispersilk Cloak - same as Greaves, but making Kresh unblockable is stupid good


//Sweeps & other mass removal
Ascendant Evincar
Bloodfire Colossus
Crater Hellion
Deathbringer Thoctar
Defiler of Souls
Fleshbag Marauder
Kagemaro, First to Suffer - Sadly, things that die to this have 0 power and so do not pump Kresh. FROWNTOWN! Also, I hate topdecking this after playing out all my lands and having few cards in hand.
Magma Phoenix - I might cut this, not being able to die on command like Shard Phoenix is annoying
Shard Phoenix - I am NEVER cutting this, he is Kresh's best friend and it's not even close...
Thrashing Wumpus - ...unless The Wump is better, I haven't actually ever drawn this yet
Woebringer Demon
Grave Pact


//The last remnants of the token build
Ant Queen - Unlike Liege below, this survives even Crater Hellion, so it can stay.
Creakwood Liege - crazy dis-synergistic, probably next on the chopping block
Pentavus - still crazy good with Grave Pact and V.Shadows
Sprouting Thrinax - need some early plays, he certainly qualifies


//Utility and Bomb Spells
//I may need more of this, Calming Verse is looking pretty strong now that Zur has reared his head.
Kik-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Ingot Chewer
Shriekmaw
Spitebellows

Gleeful Sabotage
Hull Breach
Jund Charm
Necrogenesis - holy fuck does this mess with people. This was one of the best cards in the token build, and is so here, too. I essentially had control of two different Debtor's Knells last week, that weren't even mine!

Insurrection
Vicious Shadows
Wound Reflection


//Draw
Drumhunter - flies under the radar, but strong!
Yavimaya Elder
Demonic Tutor - possibly gonna cut this, but not for power reasons: it's just that my decision trees take too long!
Cream of the Crop - Soooo easy to guys into each other here
Greater Good - newest addition, seems strong
Lurking Predators - incredible with Cream of the Crop
Phyrexian Reclamation - insane with some guys (Elder zomg), weak with others
Sylvan Library - 40 life is too much


//HUGE MEN
Bloodshot Cyclops - heh, Kresh <3
Charnelhoard Wurm
Forgotten Ancient
Hamletback Goliath - Kresh #2?
Hellkite Overlord
Kaervek the Merciless - his capacity for teaming up with another player against a third keeps him alive a lot longer that I expected
Lim-Dul the Necromancer - he doesn't have to be in play when his ability resolves, right? If so, very strong with a Crater Hellion or similar.
Puppeteer Clique - was better in the deck with all the sac outlets like Spawning Pit, but still good here, as much for exile as the big hit
Symbiotic Wurm
Taurean Mauler
Thicket Elemental
Verdant Force
Woodfall Primus


//Acceleration - pretty standard package, plus some tech
Sol Ring
Fellwar Stone
Coalition Relic
Darksteel Ingot
Solemn Simulacrum

Carpet of Flowers - Usually Sol Ring #2, sometimes much, much more. Benefitted massively from M10.
Search for Tomorrow
Rampant Growth
Kodama's Reach
Explosive Vegetation
Skyshroud Claim - works awesomely with duals. ETB untapped!
Sakura-Tribe Elder

Seedguide Ash - also crazy strong with duals
Elvish Piper
Quicksilver Amulet - besides color fixing, giving things flash, and cheapening some of the huge dudes, not having to throw your entire turn's mana into a spell only to see it hit with a counterspell is awesome.


//Utility Lands
Kher Keep - things to do with spare mana
Mosswort Bridge - easy as anything
Shizo, Death's Storehouse - Kresh evasion
Skarrg, the Rage Pits - Kresh evasion
Spinerock Knoll
Volrath's Stronghold


//Mana Lands
Badlands
Bayou
Blood Crypt
Bloodstained Mire
Forest
Forest
Forest
Forest
Forest
Golgari Rot Farm
Graven Cairns
Gruul Turf
Mountain
Mountain
Mountain
Mountain
Mountain
Overgrown Tomb
Rakdos Carnarium
Savage Lands
Shivan Oasis
Swamp
Swamp
Swamp
Swamp
Taiga
Thawing Glaciers - I don't understand why this isn't in every EDH deck
Wooded Foothills




"Sideboard" cards that juuuust missed the cut: Reap, Compost, Fault Line, Call of the Wild, Viashino Heretic

Cards I would include if I owned them: Defense of the Heart, Lord of Extinction, possibly Spiritmonger

I'm thinking about adding the Survival/Squee/Anger/Brawn/Genesis package, but it's a lot of slots and takes a long time to play out (shuffling, boo), so I'd probably just use Buried Alive and the Incarnations (sounds like a New Wave band!).

[Anusien]

I am confused, I thought Duplicant, Mindslaver, Nevinyrral's Disk, and Oblivion Stone were auto-includes in every EDH deck.

Have you thought about Oversold Cemetery?  I've been constantly disappointed in it, but I wonder if you'd tried it.

I really really love Ink-Eyes and Nezumi Graverobber.

I would look into Winding Canyons.  The R and G hideaway lands are really good, and I love resetting them with bouncelands.  The best part about the red one is that other people can trigger it for you.

[Matt]

I haven't tried Cemetary yet. I think I want it more in Thraximundar than here, but since your deck is more built to stock the yard (CorpseC, Survival), if you don;t find it useful I'm unlikely to either.

Ink Eyes: I don't have a lot of guys that go unblocked, since they're mainly fairly hefty. Nezumi is definitely cool, though, he's in my alternates list. I'm probably going to rework Kresh a bit tonight, I didn't like how it was flowing in the EDH game after the wackydraft yesterday, and I'll try to work that in. My main goal is to give Buried Alive -> Anger, Brawn, Shard Phoenix a try.

I think I like the look of Canyons. I was also lamenting my lack of instant-speed plays.

I am confused, I thought Duplicant, Mindslaver, Nevinyrral's Disk, and Oblivion Stone were auto-includes in every EDH deck.

Well first off, I don't like the idea of "auto-includes" in general, because it's boring. Sorry vintage, I'm just not that into you.

Second, Slaver has no synergy with anything here. Meh, I'll leave that for Sharuum. The sweepers kind of ruin my plan of, "build a giant dude and smash with it". Duplicant is okay I guess, but whenever other people play it, it's usually just a six-mana Bone Shredder.