Mereike Ri Berit

[Demonic Attorney]

So this is just a rough concept sketch at this point, but I think it could be good.  The main idea is this:  People have said (correctly from what I've seen) that cards which move things into a player's library are very powerful in this format, because generals can't be saved from those effects.  Well, after thinking about it for a while, I realized that stealing a general likewise gets around moving it to the "on-deck" zone, and could create a bigger swing in terms of position.  

And so, my first cut at an EDH deck:

Mereike Ri Berit

Counterspell
Dismiss
Hinder
Forbid
Force of Will
Desertion
Cryptic Command
Ertai, Wizard Adept

Capsize
Stonybrook Angler
Puppeteer
Temporal Adept
Turnabout
Tradewind Rider

Sower of Temptation
Blatant Thievery
Dominating Licid
Control Magic
Abduction
Clone
Vesuvan Doppleganger
Treachery

Mulldrifter
Trinket Mage
Whispers of the Muse
Mystical Teachings
Mystical Tutor
Stroke of Genius
Fact or Fiction
Thirst for Knowledge
Deep Analysis
Concentrate
Brainstorm
Ponder

Time Warp


(34 blue)

Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
Disenchant
Dismantling Blow
Wrath of God
Hallowed Burial
Argivian Archaeologist
Mother of Runes
Land Tax
Mobilization
Pursuit of Knowledge
Mageta, the Lion
Oblation

(13 white)

Vampiric Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Yawgmoth's Will
Mind Twist
Attrition
Terror
Bone Shredder

(7 black)

Solemn Simulacrum
Chimeric Staff
Crucible of Worlds
Nevinyraal's Disk
Oblivion Stone
Sensei's Divining Top
Scroll Rack
Duplicant
Panoptic Mirror  BANNED like JudasKilled.  Probably Mindslaver instead, but I want to work Thousand-Year Elixir in here somewhere, too.

(8 artifact non-mana)

And the mana I haven't gotten to yet.  I'll use all the usual suspects, like duals, fetches, tri-land, sigils, etc.  As for unusual cards, I want to use Kjeldoran Outpost, as I used to love that card way back in 1996.  Haven't thought of much else that's far off the beaten path, though.

[Matt]

Empress Galina is another cute one.

Counterspell is a little underpowered...try Draining Whelk! Or Ertai's Meddling if you want to be fun, or Mindbreak Trap/Time Stop if you want to REALLY say NO.

Also, Panoptic Mirror is banned. I suggest Mindslaver instead.

[Demonic Attorney]

Holy crap, yes.  I had no idea that card even existed.  For some reason it didn't come up in my gatherer search for "target legendary."

Panoptic Mirror's banned?  Man.  First my great plan to use Karakas is foiled, and now this.  Yeah, I guess Mindslaver and Argivian Archaeologist is pretty good.

[Matt]

This deck may benefit from Weathered Wayfarer, the land tax for nonbasics...

Also, you know what cards are just ungodly strong with your general? Thousand-Year Elixir and Minamo, School at Water's Edge. Remember, Merike doesn't untap herself...

When it comes to the manabase, remember to include a Reliquary Tower. And a Thawing Glaciers, whoop whoop go Alliances rare lands!

[BC]

Counterspell is a little underpowered...try Draining Whelk! Or Ertai's Meddling if you want to be fun, or Mindbreak Trap/Time Stop if you want to REALLY say NO.

Whelk costs 6, otherwise it would be kinda good.  I think he meant to say MANA DRAIN!!... which is legal for some reason.  Commandeer is also the nuts.  Time Spiral is so good that you'll mess your pants.

[Demonic Attorney]

Yeah, I was running Turnabout and the tap/untap creatures to go with Mereike for that reason.  Minamo sure seems like it would fit into that game plan pretty nicely though, doesn't it?  Elixir seems quite strong too, in view of all the guys I run with tap abilities, plus Elixir + Mereike's ability to be nuts.

Is Time Spiral not banned?  Wow, I need to go over the B/R list again.  Some of this does not make sense to me.

I have never kept any of the extra Mana Drains I've won in tournaments, sadly, and I use the 4 I have in my Vintage deck.  I like EDH, but not enough to invest in a fifth Mana Drain.  

[The Atog Lord]

Time Spiral and Mana Crypt are both somehow not banned in this format.

[Joblin Velder]

Time Spiral and Mana Crypt are both somehow not banned in this format.

Draw 7s get significantly weaker when you have 3 other people getting new grips.

With how long games go in EDH, killing yourself with crypt is a serious possibility.



This is almost exactly how I imagined your EDH deck would look. I look forward to having my junk rares countered or stolen.

[BC]

With how long games go in EDH, killing yourself with crypt is a serious possibility.

Yeah, but you start at 40.  Play Mana Crypt.  

EDIT:

Draw 7s get significantly weaker when you have 3 other people getting new grips.

That's why Timetwister (also not banned) isn't as good in EDH, but with Time Spiral you get to play all your new cards first.  It's broken.

[Joblin Velder]

I was not advocating the exclusion of these cards, simply explaining why they aren't banned.

[TheShop]

Thread Necro!

I decided to take up EDH as of last week and I know I want to play UBW.  Zur seems a little strong to me for the group I will be able to play with, but I LOVE the merieke idea.

Sorry for reviving an old thread, but what did yours end up looking like??? I think I will be in multiplayer and here are some neat ideas I had:
Intruder alarm
Academy rector + mind over matter
Grave pact(haven't seen the oracle, but I think that this will be rather busted)

What's is your list and are these ideas viable?

[Demonic Attorney]

So I recently had occasion to play EDH a couple of weekends ago. It was probably my 7th time playing EDH since ever, and my 5th time playing Constructed in about a year. What struck me was the difference in the experience of playing mutliplayer EDH, when compared to my normal drafts, sealed events, or Vintage tournaments. The cognitive stress associated with competitive playing isn't there. In its place was a relaxed, low-stakes exercise in enjoying the flavor of the game. Something I hadn't had since high school.

Anyways, suffice to say I have a renewed appreciation for EDH, and with it, I want to make a renewed effort to finish my deck. After a few test runs, I've made some changes to my original list. As it stands, the list is roughly 10 cards over the limit. Since what appealed to me so much about EDH was its spirit of social, community activity, I thought I would ask the members of the TMD community for their input on my list. What cards would you cut from this? Are there any I've missed?

Mereike Ri Berit

Creatures: (27)

Keiga, the Tide Star
Bane of the Living
Tradewind Rider
Trinket Mage
Meloku, the Clouded Mirror
Solmen Simulacrum
Azorius Guildmage
Dimir Guildmage
Ethersworn Adjudicator
Elspeth, Knight Errant (generates tokens)
Magister Sphinx
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (generates tokens)
Temporal Adept
Mother of Runes
Kira, Great Glass Spinner
Dominating Licid
Vesuvan Doppleganger
Cryptoplasm
Clone
Duplicant
Tidehollow Strix
Weathered Wayfarer
Empress Galina
Godhead of Awe
Divinity of Pride
Sower of Temptation
Serra Ascendant

Draw/Filter: (11)

Brainstorm
Sensei's Divining Top
Night's Whisper
Thirst for Knowledge
Fact or Fiction
Blue Sun's Zenith
Rhystic Study
Concentrate
Demonic Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
Mystical Teachings

Counters: (10)

Counterspell
Mana Drain
Force of Will
Hinder
Desertion
Dismiss
Cryptic Command
Draining Whelk (also a creature, I guess)
Dissipate
Misdirection

Removal: (13)

Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
Executioner's Capsule
Rout
Phyrexian Rebirth
Oblivion Stone
Nevinyrral's Disk
Oblation
Hallowed Burial
Vindicate
Disenchant
Dismantling Blow
Capsize

Steal Effects: (6)

Control Magic
Abduction
Legacy's Allure
Treachery
Debt of Loyalty
Reins of Power

Miscellaneous: (3)

Sword of the Ages
Thousand-Year Elixir
Mindslaver

Mana: (40)

Flooded Strand
Polluted Delta
Marsh Flats
Verdant Catacombs
Misty Rainforest
Tundra
Underground Sea
Scrubland
Adarkar Wastes
Underground River
Caves of Kolios
Watery Grave
Godless Shrine
Hallowed Fountain
Arcane Sanctum
Minamo, School at Water's Edge
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Kjeldoran Outpost
Thawing Glaciers
Sol Ring
Mana Vault
Talisman of Dominance
Talisman of Progress
Dimir Signet
Azorius Signet
Orzhov Signet
Darksteel Ingot
Coalition Relic
Fellwar Stone
Celestial Fountain
Creeping Tar Pit
Strip Mine
(Remainder filled out by basic lands)

To anyone who invests the time to read this old thread and look up any obscure cards here, thanks!

[TheShop]

Mereike was my first edh deck as a result of this thread!!! A few of my favorites are-
Intruder alarm(is bonkers)
Academy rector
(I know I listed these in an above post)

Skeletal scrying
Ponder
Preordain
...are rather boring, but they have made their way into all of my blue decks in those colors.  Frantic search is actually pretty decent also.

Here is a list of cards that you likely shouldn't play, but are hillarious anyway: amnesia, commandeer, retribution of the meek...

I love when things get rolling with skullcamp and mind over matter!!!  Thanks for posting in the old thread, and for creating it in the first place.

[Wagner]

I would definitively play Tolaria West in there, Minamo is such a beast with your general that a tutor for it would be good.

Also, play Norrit for some awesome old-school flavor.

[TheShop]

Pemmin's aura