Dragon Combo

[Kapu]

Here's the deck I played yesterday:


Combo
Hermit Druid
Krosan Reclamation

Gigapede

Worldgorger Dragon
Bloodrite Invoker

Kiki Jiki
Pestermite
Karmic Guide

Trench Gorger
Anger

Reanimation
Reanimate

Stitch Together
Apprentice  Necromancer
Life/Death
Exhume
Animate Dead
Shallow Grave
Dance of the Dead

Necromancy
Footsteps of the Goryo
Corpse Dance

Draw
Gitaxian Probe
Peek
Sorcerous Sight
Clairvoyance
Brainstorm
Ponder
Preordain
Portent
Careful Study

Peer through Depths
Impulse
Diabolic Vision
Worldly Counsel
See Beyond
Lat Nams Legacy

Frantic Search

Tutor
Sylvan Tutor
Worldly Tutor
Green Sun's Zenith
Personal Tutor

Lim Duls Vault
Merchant Scroll
Demonic Tutor

Drift of Phantasms
Perplex
Dimir Machinations
Grim Tutor
Cruel Tutor
Rhystic Tutor
Buried Alive
Intuition

Gifts Ungiven

Protection
Chain of Vapor
Duress
Thoughtseize
Inquisition of Kozilek
Xantid Swarm

Distress
Mesmeric Fiend

Miscalculation
Force of Will

Mana
Chrome Mox
Mox Diamond
Birds of Paradise

Lands (34)
9xFetch (excluding Arid Mesa)
City of Brass
Gemstone Mine
Tendo Ice Bridge
Reflecting Pool
Bayou
Badlands
Underground Sea
Volcanic Island
Tropical Island
Taiga
Overgrown Tomb
Blood Crypt
Watery Grave
Breeding Pool
Steam Vents
Sunken Ruins
River of Tears
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Drowned Catacomb
Yavimaya Coast
Llanowar Wastes
Twilight Mire
Underground River
Darkslick Shores
Darkwater Catacombs
Gemstone Mine
Flooded Grove

How the deck works:
You either play Intuition or Buried Alive (or Gifts), searching for (Gigapede/ Dragon/ Bloodrite Invoker) or (Gigapede/ Trench Gorger/ Anger) or (Kiki/ Karmic Guide/ Pestermite ,this pile obv. works only with Buried Alive). Then one of the reanimation spells wins the game.
Another way to win is to play Hermit Druid, mill your library, Krosan Reclamation back two reanimation spells and win from there on.


The deck went 4-0 (8-3 in games, although it could have been an 8-2 because I misplayed vs Jochen) and maybe has some potential. Comments and critics are wellcome.

[pyyhttu]

Welcome to the forums.

I had a little bit different approach of the deck, which was taken more to the edge: http://iki.fi/~pyyhttu/magic/highlander/hermit_druid_combo.txt

I haven't had time to test after that build was put together earlier this summer. In that one I strove to keep the combo package tight, nothing extra. But maybe more slow and utility based approach would have been more efficient. I don't know yet. In any case I want to win instantly and skip the attack phase. Karmic Guide/Kiki-Jiki/Pestermite-package was fragile in my tests (btw. replace Pestermite with Deceiver Exarch.

In any case, this is not a tier-1 deck as it can still be hated out quite easily. Dread Return would give a boost, but whether it's sane to have Hermit Druid and it at the same in the format is unknown at this point. I think it would bear it.

But in any case, hopefully this gave you some insights where to go with your build.

[MarcMagic]

I think merging Worldgorger Dragon into a Cephalid Breakfast pile could work out as well. Cephalid Breakfast is quite fragile w/o Dreads Return but if you play it right it has some potential.

[peeler]

Whats your avarage goldfish?
I see a problem to win agianst fast aggro decks, cause you have  nothing to hinder them so it is your goldfish agianst there goldfish and i think they are faster?!

[malz77]

I think you need more protection. What I miss is: Pact of Negation, Abeyance, Orims Chant, Silence (I know that there is no white in your deck but with those lands there should be no problem of including some duals)

For those four cards I would cut: Xantid Swarm, Sorcerous Sight and probably one combo set (2 sets are indeed better than only one). I would chose Trench Gorger and Anger for cutting (Anger needs a mountain, and Gorger has to attack).

[Kapu]

So first things first: The deck indeed has problems against "hate" that includes:
1) Magus of the Moon/Blood Moon
2) Counterspells
3) Discard
4) Instant speed removal

Most of the the time it is possible to win through one "hate" spell, but two or more is usually enough to destroy this deck (unless your opponent misplays). Average goldfish seems around turn 5, maybe a bit earlier. That on the other hand means that "fast" aggro (like RDW or WW) could be a seriuos issue (I didnt play against any fast aggro; I played vs Bant (very tough match), Jund (easy match), Elves (very tough match again, thanks to Gerrys version with discard) and 5C (again easy)).

The biggest upside of this deck is probably its "rogue factor". That means opponents do not exactly know how to play against this deck.

I agree that there are probably to many combo cards, but the "weakest" combo of the three included seemed to be the Kiki/Pestermite (or Deceiver Exarch). I think I would cut this first. Trench Gorger has won me quite a couple of games and using an attack step was never an issue.

[malz77]

one of the best tutors is missing as well: Insidious Dreams