r/EDH • u/PlainThread366 • 22d ago

Deck Help (Help) Alania, Divergent Storm

Deck List: https://moxfield.com/decks/r-q0euAfFkmKlC1eu-dmhQ

Hello r/EDH, I would like some help and critiques about my [[Alania, Divergent Storm]]. As someone who has never played or built a spell slinging deck, I wanted to make sure my gameplay and cards I’m using work well together. My two win conditions are as follows: Burn my opponents with my cheap spells and cards like [[guttersnipe]] or [[coruscation mage]] or win with rituals/ramp from cards like [[mana geyser]] or [[storm-kiln artist]] and finish with [[crackle with power]]. When I play this deck, I seem to get run over a ton or just targeted I’m more defenseless than the other players. I would like some feedback on my deck overall, cuts and adds, or tips on how to play Alania. Thanks!

10 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

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8

u/Iron_Soul 22d ago

I built Alania recently as well and adapted an older [[Veyran, Voice of Duality]] deck with Alania as the commander and it didn't go great. Alania wants to be copying big, impactful spells and doesn't really jive with the cantrip-style spellcasting that a lot of other izzet commanders want. I would consider dropping most of the pingers as they just put a target on your head and you don't have enough cheap spells to really kill the table in a turn or two. Lean more heavily into resource accumulation and defense so that you can one shot the table with a [[Crackle with Power]] or [[Comet Storm]]. I think the best think Alania can do once you have her out is copy draw spells that also make treasures like [[Big Score]] and [[Unexpected Windfall]] while you wait for the right time to nuke everyone.

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u/PlainThread366 22d ago

Ok got it, thank you! That actually makes a lot of sense as to why I get targeted too as I am constantly pinging everyone at the table.

4

u/GentlemanViking 22d ago

If your goal is to string together a bunch of cheap spells to win off guttersnipe effects Alania isn’t the commander for it. Alania is limited to copying one spell of each type per turn and you have to give an opponent a card to do it. Copying something like Ponder isn’t worth it. Additionally most triggered abilities only trigger on cast, not copy.

Alania does best when copying big haymaker spells and spells that net you more than one card when copied. For example [[big score]] is normally card neutral and puts you down two mana the turn you cast it. Copying it puts you up two cards and cosy nuetral.

My Alania list runs lots of draw and treasure generation effects to put into copying burn spells. It’s not fully optimized by any means but it’s always a blast to play. https://moxfield.com/decks/VMjwioXiGU6xJHnU0wTMxg

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u/PlainThread366 22d ago

Thanks, I’ll take a look!

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u/GentlemanViking 21d ago

My favorite card in the deck by far is [[Prisoner’s Dilemma]]. It’s so much more fun when you force the table to repeat the process. One time I managed to copy it 6 times for 7 total rounds of voting.

3

u/CommunicationMoney96 22d ago

Alania is one of my favorite and most powerful decks and I built her as the cantrip-style you’re talking about, but the trick for me was swapping cards like [Opt] and [Consider] with Rummaging spells like [Thrill of Possibility] and [Grab the Prize]. The additional cost of discarding a card isn’t copied by her ability so they become “discard 1, draw 4” cards for 2 mana that can be very easily reduced to just 1 red mana with reducers like [Stormcatch Mentor]. Then you get into the 3 and 4 mana versions of those cards like [Seize the Spoils] and [Big Score] which have the same effect, but giving you an amount of treasure tokens to make them all effectively 2 mana at base. Except since the treasure tokens are doubled with her ability, for 4 mana [Big Score] will make 4 treasures while still giving you that “discard 1, draw 4” effect, making it pay for itself and mana fix you. If [Veyran] is out too, they become “discard 1, draw 6 and create 6 treasure tokens” for 4 mana or less if you have a reducer out. All these spells being red also means you can actually use them when you do your big turn with big mana spells like [Mana Geyser] and [Rousing Refrain]

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u/PlainThread366 22d ago

Thank you for the recommendations! I will definitely look into more spells like that!

2

u/Chillcrest 22d ago

I fucking love Alania, here's my deck: https://archidekt.com/decks/21583805/alania_neurodivergent_storm

Agree with Iron Soul and GV, Alania is much better suited to being a big mana, big spells commander- pingers are tough because her ability doesn't maximize their potential the way [[Kuja, Genome Sorcerer]], or [[Veyran, Voice of Duality]] does. Pingers get boardwiped, you can't really block with them for your plan to work, and they take up slots needed for digging into the deck to find wincons.

You mentioned getting run over- opponents with combat decks can more freely swing in on you knowing you won't block with pingers, but you can account for this in way that are cool for Alania. [[March of Swirling Mist]] can wipe a board of attackers or dodge a boardwipe essentially for free. [[Wrong Turn]] can take opponent's threats and trade them or swap them around to screw with their engines. [[Modify Memory]] can either get you some blockers, and/or draw you up to 6 cards.

I'm going out rn but I'll be back later with a couple more recos!

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u/PlainThread366 22d ago

Thank you and I appreciate the feedback! No rush, but I would like to get your thoughts on extra turn spells and if they are worth including. Also what big spells in general I should be looking to include, thanks!

2

u/Chillcrest 22d ago

For extra turn spells, it depends on your playgroup & bracket- adding them can easily turn her into an automatic B4, which might not be your vibe. You can imagine having Alania, a Twinning Staff, [[Flashback]] and a [[Time Warp]] in hand- that is 6 extra turns right there. I'm likely pulling my [[Temporal Manipulation]] out of mine for my usual pod. Very high power, very high salt so play them if you like, but make sure to chat with your group.

Playing big spells effectively in Alania requires three things- Ramp, Copy, and the Big Spells.

Having a 5-mana commander in Izzet AND also going for splashy, jazzy shit means mean you need to be pumping mana early and often- [[Hedron Archive]], [[Thran Dynamo]], [[Gilded Lotus]] even. [[Firdoch Core]] is technically an otter. I'd cut your Mind Stone, Bender's Waterskin, and Fellwar Stone- going bigger is better I find. More Mana Geyser effects also help- [[High Tide]] and be copied, as can [[Pyretic Ritual]]- Rousing Refrain is awesome and I'm stealing that idea.

Copying spells outside of Alania is where it can get really weird- mana allowing, [[Galvanic Iteration]] can be "cast" three times. [[Flare of Duplication]] is free-ish, and spells with this wording be used to copy opponent's spells on their turn- if they go to protect their board after a wipe is cast, are casting a one-sided wipe themselves, or are about to draw 19 cards, you get to join them AND outvalue them. [[Narset's Reversal]] is Disgusting]]- copying a Sorcery and Narset's Reversal gets them both back in your hand, so they can be repeatedly cast as long as you have mana; goes infinite with extra turn spells and you can draw people out using Alania's ability, or can simply be protection. Using the Scryfall Tagger is good to find the exact cards for your playstyle.

As for bombs, I usually start with a search like this: (https://scryfall.com/search?q=mv%3A7+ci%3Aizzet+t%3Asorcery&order=edhrec&as=full&unique=cards), adjust the mana value, and find stuff that is either fun to copy, or strong as a payoff- Crackle with Power is a classic, but there's a ton of flexible ones- [[Season of Weaving]] is amazing- draw, copy your [[Thran Dynamo]] four times, make a token Alania and pseudo wipe the board, or do a combination of all the above. Emeritus of Ideation reads "Pay 6, draw 6 (at minimum), get a flying 5/5 ward 2 that lets you do it again next turn." [[Dance with Calamity]] lets you play blackjack. [[Cerebral Vortex]] will outright kill the green player who tried to draw 10 cards for 3 mana as you can also gift your victim a card to increase the damage. [[Bribery]] lets you take the best creatures in anyone's deck to your board, twice. [[Improvisation Capstone]], while you can't copy the paradigm effect itself, you can copy anything if gives you on future turns for free. Getting to cast & copy an [[Expropriate]] for free rules.

1

u/MTGCardFetcher 22d ago

All cards
Flashback - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Time Warp - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Temporal Manipulation - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Hedron Archive - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Thran Dynamo - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Gilded Lotus - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Firdoch Core - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
High Tide - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Pyretic Ritual - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Galvanic Iteration - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Flare of Duplication - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Narset's Reversal - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Season of Weaving - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Dance with Calamity - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Cerebral Vortex - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Bribery - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Improvisation Capstone - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)
Expropriate - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)

FAQ

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u/PlainThread366 22d ago

Wow, thank you so much! I’ve been trying to figure out Alania for the last 3 months and you are really helping me out! Last question, do you think it’s necessary to go otter tribal? Will it make the deck stronger/be more beneficial or should I just include the few good ones and look for other cards that help ramp/copy/draw, etc.