Not your normal tribal deck

Building the zombie tribal deck was a lot of fun. As I said tribal is one of my favorite themes. Today's deck is not a legal tribal deck, though it may be able to qualify with some tweaking. This deck is just tribal themed. You may be asking, "But Jake, what is the tribe for this deck?"

All of them.



I originally got this idea from a forum member on the Commander forums named Jest. The idea is to make a deck that takes advantage of the many tribal lords and cards that effect certain tribes and combine them with changelings. There is no specific commander that will fit this theme, but we do know that we will want it to be 5 colors, in order to get all the changelings we want to play. While there are a few other 5 color generals there are a few that stand out as tribal commanders.

(If a card does not have a number by its name it's not going in the deck, but I felt it should be reviewed)

Karona, False God - This general is a bit dangerous. I don't plan to use her, but she is a viable pick when you are in the lead or alpha striking for the win.

1) Horde of Notions - 5 mana to play your "elementals" back from your graveyard is great. This card combines well with Conspiracy as well as combining with Crib Swap and Nameless Inversion. I will run this as a card in the deck, but not as the general.

2)Reaper King - Gives +1/+1 to a tribe and has an effect whenever one of your changelings comes into play. Works well with Conspiracy and Xenograft. Again he will be one of the 99, but not the commander.

3) Sliver Overlord- My favorite pick. With him as our general we can use a toolbox of Crib Swap, Nameless Inversion, Harmonic Sliver, or Necrotic Sliver to use as removal. Also he can find us any of our changelings at will.

 Note: any of these 3 generals can be changed at will between games.


Changelings: Starting with what makes this deck gel together.
4) Amoeboid Changeling - Best in a deck with Overlord at the helm. Amoeboid changes opposing creature to a sliver, overlord commands it to join us. Repeated use of this can be seen as a dick move in some groups. In mine I use the threat more than the actual move itself.
5) Avian Changeling - He is filler. Flying is fine, but he does nothing spectacular. It's here for numbers.
6) Blades of Velis Vel - double use in this deck. It can make some of your off tribe cards on tribe (lords and such) or it can be used with overlord to steal some creatures. limited use vs amoeboid supposedly makes it more fair. Don't worry we will make it reusable.
7) Cairn Wanderer - Here more for body than his various abilities. They will sometimes be relevant, but not often.
8) Chameleon Colossus - a great card in a vacuum, will be a star player in this deck. Pro black is often relevant, and doubling its size is awesome.
9)Changeling Berserker, 10) Changeling Hero, and 11) Changeling Titan - Will be better when we add flash to the mix. great at saving creatures from targeted removal.
12) Crib Swap and 13) Nameless Inversion - useful removal and on theme for the deck.
14) Game-Trail Changeling 15) Ghostly Changeling- Solid bodies
16) Mirror Entity- All star in this deck. Makes all your lord type creatures gain all the lord effects.
17) Shapesharer- Can copy lords, or opposing legends to remove them.
18) Taurean Mauler - Will likely eat removal spells, because if it sticks around it kills people.
19) Wings of Velis Vel- flying is relevant, gives any creature the changeling ability too.
20) Shields of Velis Vel - another way to make all your creatures changelings.
21-24)Woodland Changeling, War-Spike Changeling, Skeletal Changeling, Mothdust Changeling- Nothing spectacular, but we need some more filler in this section.

+2/+2 Lords: When +1/+1 just isn't enough
25) Lovisa Coldeyes Gives +2/+2 and haste - note while she gives other barbarians her abilities, if she becomes a warrior she does benefit.
26) Might Sliver Vanilla +2/+2
27) Seshiro the Anointed- "Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?" I hear drawing cards is good?

28) Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - May not be tribal but I want to play it...

29) Sakashima the Impostor - I put here because copying one of these is a great use for her.

30) Bloodline Keeper- will win game solo if ignored

 

Raksha Golden Cub The need for equipment turns me off to this guy. otherwise he is an auto include.
Sunrise Sovereign - Vanilla and expensive.

+1/+1 with perks.
31) Drogskol Captain - Hexproof is awesome
32) Goblin Chieftain - Haste is fun
33) Knight Exemplar - Indestructible is a nice keyword
34) Lord of the Unreal - more Hexproof
35) Mayor of Avabruck - on the backside makes a lot of tokens
36) Mirari's Wake - cant justify not running this here.
37) Timber Protector Indestructible again.
38) Captain of the Watch - Brings his own friends and vigilance is nice.
39) Elvish Champion- Forestwalk is handy
40) Goblin King - as is mountainwalk
41) Lord of Atlantis - Islandwalk too!
Other:
42) Kinsbaile Cavalier- Double strike knights!
43) Azami, Lady of Scrolls - yay for card draw!
44) Haakon, Stromgald Scourge - Discarding him may be difficult, but we'll find a way
45) Ezuri, Renegade Leader - Overrun dude.
46) Joraga Warcaller - at 3 counters will give our guys the largest boost on its own
47) Crystalline Sliver - Shroud is good, we don't target too much
48) Mindlash Sliver - Fetchable way to discard Haakon49) Lullmage Mentor - Countering spells is mean

50) Higure, the Still Wind - Finds any of our changelings, makes targets unblockable
51) Quick Sliver- gives changelings flash

Clones: many of these lord effects are better in multiples.
52) Body Double- copies dead guys
53) Cackling Counterpart - can copy twice
54) Cryptoplasm - copies the best target
55) Cytoshape - temporarily copy
56) Followed Footsteps - on any lord will get ridiculous
57) Infinite Reflection - All my guys just became copies of ...... oops, I win
58) Rite of Replication - Why copy only once?
59) Riku of Two Reflections - copy when I play them

Xenographt
60) Xenograft- makes all creatures a chosen type

Land:
Mana fixers
61) Ancient Ziggurat- the deck is mostly creatures
62) Command Tower- 5 colors, no drawback
63) Exotic Orchard - sometimes it will be better than others.
64) Forbidden Orchard - giving them dudes is sometimes worth it, can be used politically too.
65) Reflecting Pool - great 5 color option
66) Rupture Spire- pay 1 time then 5 color
67-71)Vivid Crag, Vivid Creek, Vivid Grove, Vivid Marsh, and Vivid Meadow
72-76)Arcane Sanctum, Crumbling Necropolis, Jungle Shrine, Savage Lands, and Seaside Citadel

Colorless stuff
77)Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace- only used to discard haakon
78)Desolate Lighthouse- draw and discard outlet
79)Mutavault - it's a changeling
80)Swarmyard - regen target rat!
81)Vault of the Archangel- lifelink and deathtouch to all your guys

19 left. a few fetches and duels are best, but Evolving Wilds, Terramorphic Expanse, and Thawing Glaciers with 16 basics works fine too.