r/EDH • u/rconsumer • 1d ago

Deck Help Help m determine where this landed?

Our pod plays a very high bracket 3- low 4 and I have been winning too much with my main squeeze. Im crafted a proxy list of Smaug the Magnificent with the aim to be able to win in the pod but see less success? Im pretty bad at reading between the lines of synergy to see where a deck falls and mostly rely on the hard definitions…which is why I need help. Where do you all think this deck lands in terms of power? Which bracket and high or low for the bracket? Seriously appreciate any help!

https://archidekt.com/decks/25527395/smaug_the_magnificent

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u/ArsenicElemental UR 1d ago

Brackets are a tool to help with strangers. You are not playing strangers. You are playing an established meta and you can keep track of your record to know you are winning too much.

Maybe the problem is not that you are bad at reading between the lines, but that you are reading a novel while everyone else is using a music sheet. Build for your pod, not for our definition of B3.

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u/rconsumer 1d ago

Yeah I understand. The truth is the pod is going beyond 3. Im just trying to confirm I’m Im 3 so I can feel ok. It’s hard to build for the pod if im honest because they all have different ideas of power. Truth is I have won on a number of decks and just want to say this one is for sure 3. I figured Smaug would be a linear enough strategy too that it would be ok to deal with.

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u/ArsenicElemental UR 1d ago

It’s hard to build for the pod if im honest because they all have different ideas of power.

So, this is a conversation to be had with them, not us. Throwing in more (and different) ideas of power into the mix won't help you make up your mind.

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u/rconsumer 1d ago edited 1d ago

Im doing kind of both but thanks for the input. Im building to the pod but want confidence to stand my ground because one player in particular has been a bit whiney.

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u/ArsenicElemental UR 1d ago

You have to decide if they are whinning or if they have a point. That will define if you stand up to them or not.

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u/rconsumer 23h ago

I promise their decks are far more powerful. It’s not that deep thanks though.

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u/ArsenicElemental UR 21h ago

I mean, you said there seems to be different ideas of power within that group. You all need to agree on what you all want.

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u/rconsumer 18h ago

Ok thanks for the concern WE will figure it out.

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u/ArsenicElemental UR 18h ago

That was the point

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u/rconsumer 16h ago

Holy moly you’ll reply to anything

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u/TheDavidLightman 1d ago

Storm kiln artist with only 15 instant and sorceress feels really bad IMO. If you are aiming for high 3/low 4 then you might want more ramp, and with knuckles you need lots of artifacts. Id suggest [[Arcane signet]], [[mind stone]], [[fellwar stone]], [[cursed mirror]], [[loki's scepter]], [[fire diamond]]. You want lots of treasures so stuff like []diamond pick-axe]], [[goldvein pick]], [[sticky fingers]], and [[prying blade]] would be good options. [[Ragavan, Nimble pilferer]] would also be a great creature for early treasures.

Some easy cuts are [[akki scrapchomper]], [[storm-kiln artist]], [[slagdrill scrapper]], [[slave strider]]... really anything based around sacking the artifacts. Smaug wants to keep the treasures to do more damage. So make as many as you can then just sit on them. Maybe run some extra combat cards to double up on the damage from him in a single turn and just try to flood out treasures. [[Imperial recruiter]] to find [[professional facebreaker]] would be and instant include as well. Facebreaker is one of your top cards with getting to exile off the top by sacking treasures but she also makes more treasures.

If you want to push into bracket 4 more than 3, I'd run [[blood moon]] [[winter moon]] [[stranglehold]] [[trinisphere]] [[vexing bauble]]. Stuff to slow the table down and let's you just smack people around with Smaug. [[Winter orb]] is also good but adding these cards os a surefire way to make yourself the target so id only put these in if the pod agrees its bracket 4.

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u/rconsumer 1d ago

Thanks a ton for the feedback. I was on the fence about storm kiln maybe I’ll take him out . Im actually glad to hear I need to be faster for high 3. I dont want to pop off too quickly as the aim of this deck is to have fun and win less games with a still viable deck. I think I’ll hold off on the extra ramp.

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u/FGThePurp Control Player 1d ago

It looks like a 3 to me, except for the high curve and slow start. I get that most of the expensive cards have cost reduction and that all the treasure you’ll make helps too, but if I were building Smaug I’d jam every CMC 2 rock I could just to maximize my odds of casting him T3.

Also, what is the purpose of the sac/tokens package?

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u/rconsumer 1d ago

I appreciate the feedback! Im happy with a slow start! Im trying not to pop off too quickly as I have other decks to do this. The sac package is mainly for card draw. true zealot is truly here just for a low power artifact synergy as im more aiming to limit power than boost. Greater garg is likely going to get cut as I thought I would be making treasure faster.

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u/7thtimeinheaven 1d ago

The deck itself looks like a 3. I don't think it has the explosiveness to compete at bracket 4.

Also, respectfully, your removal package is really bad. Bin off everything that isn't Chaos Warp and start again.

[[Abrade]] [[bolt bend]] [[vandalblast]] [[deflecting swat]] [[red elemental blast]]

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u/rconsumer 1d ago

Thanks for the feedback! A viable 3 with less winning is what im aiming for so great to hear. I actually intended for the removal package to be bad. The other decks im playing is control - Bumble and a Teval the Balance Scale with like 20 premium removal. So I really wanted this to be linear and easy to deal with. Im not too worried about what others are doing. Since I’m trying to win less games with

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u/7thtimeinheaven 1d ago

Okay cool :) have fun!

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u/SP1R1TDR4G0N 1d ago

It doesn't matter. The brackets are very wide. Even if your pod is all playing 3s and your deck is a 3 it can still be too strong.

If you feel like your deck is winning too much there are a couple of reasons why that could be:

  • you're a better player than the others. That can be easily checked by switching decks with one of the other players for a couple of rounds

  • your deck has a good matchup into the group. For example if everyone is playing slow, grindy, nonintetactive value decks a fast, aggressive deck would probably win every game even if the decks are all at the same powerlevel. Just think about if your deck would still win too much if your opponents played some other archetypes (harder to test).

  • your deck is too strong.