MTG - Niv-Mizzet, Guildpact - Permanently two-colours - Deck Primer

Deck Primer - Niv-Mizzet, Guildpact - Permanently Two-Colours

Deck Primer - Niv-Mizzet, Guildpact - Permanently Two-Colours

Why did I chose to build this deck?

The reason was quite simple, I didn't have a 5-colour commander deck yet and I wanted something that was not simply a 3 mana value-commander with WUBRG mana symbols in its oracle text. I wanted a commander whose mana cost was at least WUBRG and there were at that time 27 possibilities, now 32, but, out of those 32, we had:

  • 19 typal commanders - Which was not what I was looking for.
  • 1 was Progenitus - Not really what I was looking for.
  • 6 of them are oppressive commanders.

Out of those remaining 6:

  • Niv-Mizzet, SupremeNiv-Mizzet, Supreme - Jump-start doesn't seem like a particularly fun or strong mechanic to build around.
  • Infinite Guideline StationInfinite Guideline Station - Wasn't released back then but Spacecrafts were not things I liked, specially one that allows for an instant +12 station if you have around 3 multicolored permanents. Would always look scary to other players.
  • Jared CarthalionJared Carthalion - Not really a particularly fun commander for two reasons: 1 - it is a colour matters commander that has all of its value tight to its -3 ability. 2 - It is a 5 mana planeswalker that doesn't protect itself, will die pretty often.
  • Niv-Mizzet RebornNiv-Mizzet Reborn - WUBRG: Draw 10 is its ceiling but its floor is WUBRG: Draw 1 with a 6/6 flyer. It doesn't hold much unless you can flick it but you'd still need to think on what cards are exactly two colours that can win me the game right away? Not many, specially on the lower mana cost side of things.
  • CromatCromat - Totally buildable for bracket 2 or 3 but not really what I was looking for. Specially because it is very mana hungry.

Then finally:

  • Niv-Mizzet, GuildpactNiv-Mizzet, Guildpact - Seems like the more versatile of the bunch, even though it is still very niche.

There are a couple of ways to build a deck with Niv-Mizzet, Guildpact as the commander. The path I chose was one where multicolour matters where we play good-stuff 2 colour and by the time our commander hits the board, we would ideally have at least 3 different colour pairings that offer some value, it being protection or ramp.

How do we win?

Niv-Mizzet if stays on board, can yield phenomenal value with card draw alone but if you add life gain and damage to any target as extra values, you can have a good control over the board. There are 6 ways that we can increase the effectiveness of Niv-Mizzet:

Base Value:

  1. More colour pairings - Having 4 different colours on turn 5 is extremely good but kind of hard to do on turn 5. But 5 different pairings on turn 6 is very feasible, allowing us to have: 5 damage, 5 life and 5 draws on a single trigger.

Exponential Value:

  1. Trigger doublers
  2. Double strike
  3. Multiple combats
  4. Token copies of Niv-Mizzet
  5. Transforming lifegain into damage

This deck aims to have between 5 and 7 colour pairings and between 2 and 3 of the exponential value, taking us to between 15 to 30 damage, life and draws.

Land Base

This will be a short explanation. I started to work on this deck with the idea of reaching the limit of 100 euros for the whole thing, lands included. The only way I could have completed the deck within that budget, was to have the mana base to be as cheap as humanly possible while trying to have it usable. On a 5 colour commander deck, it is objectively hard and you may feel like the land base is betraying you from time to time. This is clearly the easiest part of the deck to upgrade but that can quickly jack the prices above 3/400 euros.

The solution to a cheap 5 mana deck is.... Gates. By far the best cohesive solution around 20 euros. With Gond GateGond Gate, which allow for gates to come in untapped, and Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate that once you have 4 or more gates in the battle field it nets you 1 extra mana (Of a single colour).

Ramp

Before I talk about the ramp package on this deck, be sure to read the section related to Land Base. Why that matters for the ramp section? Because I am considering cards that allow our lands to come in untapped as ramp cards as it essentially accelerates us at least 1 extra land every turn. We have 2 types of ramp:

Non-colour pairing ramp

  • Chromatic LanternChromatic Lantern - For non-optimal land bases, this is still a top tier piece of ramp and mana fixing.
  • Horizon ExplorerHorizon Explorer - Allowing lands to enter untapped really speeds it up.
  • SpelunkingSpelunking - Extra land and untapped lands, really powerful.

Colour pairing ramp

Protection

We have soft and hard protection. Soft in the form of Gold-Forged ThopteryxGold-Forged Thopteryx and Legion's InitiativeLegion's Initiative and hard protection in Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots, Hajar, Loyal BodyguardHajar, Loyal Bodyguard and Shield of the OversoulShield of the Oversoul. There might be better options for protection but none that I could find that would also help us progress our goal of having the colour pairing permanents.

Progression

Trigger Doublers

  • Annie Joins UpAnnie Joins Up - A fantastic card for this deck as it serves as both interaction and trigger doubler. For it to be better, only if it was 2 colours.
  • Felix Five-BootsFelix Five-Boots - It is the only trigger doubler for combat damage. The bad thing about it is that it creates pressure on that 5 mana drop tempo with the commander also being 5 colours.
  • Kirol, Attentive First-YearKirol, Attentive First-Year - Quite simple and really hard to get to turn 5 without two extra creatures to copy it.

Double Strike

It is very expensive to add double strike to a creature, specially when we want to have it in a colour pairing.

  • Trostani, Three WhispersTrostani, Three Whispers - This is the "cheapest" version of this effect with only 3 manas but it will need another 3 manas to activate.
  • Runes of the DeusRunes of the Deus - The best option of the bunch because it gives both Trample and Double Strike but also creates pressure on the 5 drop tempo.
  • Squall, SeeD MercenarySquall, SeeD Mercenary - 4 mana for double striking is a really good rate, specially if we don't yet have an orzhov permanent.

Multiple Combats

  • Both Raph & Leo, Sibling RivalsRaph & Leo and Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader providing extra combats along with progression towards our colour pairings.
  • Anzrag, the Quake-MoleAnzrag, the Quake-Mole was removed mainly because it is hard to get value out of it and 90% of the time you don't have the mana for it and people understand that taking 8 damage is better than letting Niv-mizzet swing again.

Copies

  • There are very few ways to copy a legendary creature and the best ones for this deck are Shaun, Father of SynthsShaun and Helm of the HostHelm of the Host. These are very mana intensive so removing this cards could yield a better deck but I personally like them. Specially Helm of the Host that can go infinite with Aurelia.

Lifegain as Damage

  • For that we have both Professor Dellian FelProfessor Dellian Fel and Vizkopa GuildmageVizkopa Guildmage that transform the life gain from Niv-mizzet into damage and, when properly set up, can take out a player in a single swing.

Good Stuff

This is a self explanatory section, we need colour pairings and we are also trying to levarage the best of each combination.

S tier:

  • General Ferrous RokiricGeneral Ferrous Rokiric - By far the single most powerful card in this deck. If unchecked, it can swarm the board with 4/4s in 3 turns.
  • Lavinia, Azorius RenegadeLavinia - Really good to help out against tempo decks.
  • Lotho, Corrupt ShirriffLotho - It gets weaker the lower the power level of the table but on a power level 3, it can easily yield 1 to 2 treasure tokens per turn cycle.

A tier:

  • Frostcliff SiegeFrostcliff Siege - Really cheap and helps with haste and trample, making our commander attack as it hits the bord.
  • Vial Smasher the FierceVial Smasher - Cheap to hit the board and helps out in spreading damage.
  • Cadaverous BloomCadaverous Bloom - It is not S tier because it adds pressure to the 5 mana but it can bring you up to 20 mana on turn 6 if Niv-mizzet has had the chance to hit somebody.

Interaction

This is where it gets tricky as we don't have access to instants and sorceries due to our self-imposed limitation. Because of that, we have very limited options for it.

  • Professor Dellian FelProfessor Dellian Fel - If really needed, you can destroy target creature but his ultimate ability is very powerful so a trade-off needs to be made.
  • Pernicious DeedPernicious Deed - Not the best board wipe but counts towards our colour pairings and allows us to have some asymetric board wipe.
  • Glissa SunslayerGlissa Sunslayer - Not a guarantee to hit but you don't need to hit the person who owns the target so you can politic your way into a hit.
  • Assimilation AegisAssimilation Aegis - Mostly a removal spell but can be used offensively as an alternate wincon depending on what you exile.
  • Grasp of FateGrasp of Fate - One of my favourite removals in the game, 3 for 1. People can get the things back if they have enchantment removal but that means that the opponent would also have to deal with whatever you exiled from the other players as well and, from my experience, most of the time they don't.
  • Annie Joins UpAnnie Joins Up - 5 damage for 4 mana is a bad rate but it is an excellent rate if you account that you would had payed 4 mana for the trigger doubler alone so free 5 damage is insane.
  • Buried in the GardenBuried in the Garden - This is interaction first and ramp second. I wouldn't consider this ramp even though it can help.
  • Detention SphereDetention Sphere - Really powerful against token strategies.
  • Knight of AutumnKnight of Autumn - Artifact/Enchantment removal for 3 mana, not that bad.
  • Nevinyrral's DiskNevinyrral's Disk - Solid but telegraphed wipe. Needs to be careful.

What is a good hand?

We have some solid ramp options with Prosperous PartnershipProsperous Partnership, Hermitic HerbalistHermitic Herbalist/Kiora's FollowerKiora's Follower/Rootcoil CreeperRootcoil Creeper, SpelunkingSpelunking or Horizon ExplorerHorizon Explorer so any hand with one of those + 3 lands are a god send. Prosperous PartnershipProsperous Partnership + two lands can be acceptable but aside from these options, you're looking for 3 lands of different colours + low curve.

This deck has somewhat of a higher curve so getting 3 lands + 4 low cmc cards is not easy so having 3 lands + 2 low cmc cards is acceptable but 3 lands + 3 low cmc cards is more than good.

Card Scores by Pairing

On the following sections, I'll go over each card for each colour pairing with a rating between 1 to 5. 1 being completely replaceable with another card and 5 being really hard to replace with another card on that colour pairing. Hover over the rating to see the explanation.

Azorius

Boros

Dimir

Dimir as a whole doesn't offer many options with low cmc that helps us in our goal so:

  • Baleful StrixBaleful Strix 4/5Cheap and provides board protection for the start of the game
  • Basim Ibn IshaqBasim Ibn Ishaq 5/5Cheap and drawing on historic cast is absolutely incredible
  • Disciple of DeceitDisciple of Deceit 3/5Tutor on untapping is insane if it can be done but it won't always be the case
  • Talion, the Kindly LordTalion, the Kindly Lord 2/5Just one of the best value pieces in the deck but not a mandatory one

Golgari

  • Cadaverous BloomCadaverous Bloom 3/5If it sticks to the board, it can generate a lot of value but an insane amount since our deck is a 5 colour deck
  • Glissa SunslayerGlissa Sunslayer 4/5Not many cards that can replace this as interaction, specially at this cmc
  • Grim FeastGrim Feast 2/5I like this for ealy games where creatures start dying and you slowly get life out of it to keep you topped up
  • Pernicious DeedPernicious Deed 4/5One of the 2 board wipes we have and it is a cheap card to play
  • Professor Dellian FelProfessor Dellian Fel 4/5Interaction and progression for 4 mana is an unbeatable value

Gruul

  • Black Market TycoonBlack Market Tycoon 4/5I really helps when you get mana starved, for 4 damage it allows you to cast your commander turn 4 which is really good.
  • Hajar, Loyal BodyguardHajar, Loyal Bodyguard 5/5The best protection in the deck at only 2 cmc
  • Ruby, Daring TrackerRuby, Daring Tracker 4/5Mana dork in gruul, can't get much better than that
  • Runes of the DeusRunes of the Deus 4/5Double strike + trample for 5, if you want to go away from double striking, easily replaceable. If not, than 4

Izzet

Same as Dimir, Izzet doesn't offer us much sinergy so these are the best cards (aside from Vivi Ornitier)

Orzhov

Rakdos

Same as Dimir and Izzet, Rakdos is really hard to have sinergy.

Selesnya

Simic

Non-Colour Pairing Cards
|Lucas Arpini

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