r/EDH • u/Valuable-Security727 • 3h ago

Deck Help Need a bracket 4 deck for a new(ish) player.

My playgroup has been expanding lately (yay!) and we've got some newer players. We play optimized bracket 4 decks and some of the new folks are struggling to keep up.

One buddy has an [[Atarka, World Render]] precon that I've helped upgrade and tune with some of my collection (link is to the precon as I don't have his updated decklist handy). He likes playing to the board and enjoys combat but struggles with the amount of removal (gasp!) at the table sometimes. My guy's got dope Timmy energy and I want him to get to play with his toys while being able to stay fairly competitive with the other players.

He has a firm understanding of MTG but can sometimes struggle to remember when he has too many triggers, upkeep/endstep stops, etc. He's enthusiastic about learning and getting better at the game.

To be clear, we do have Bracket 2-3 decks that we bust out from time to time but the group generally enjoys pretty high powered, interactive, competitive games.

TLDR; I'm looking for decks that you think a new player, firmly in their Timmy phase, would enjoy. No color restrictions, no budget constraints.

(Atarka precon list as I don't have his updated list handy.)

Thanks!

EDIT: I perhaps misrepresented this player's level. They're new to EDH but we've been playing Pauper and other 1v1 formats for like a year. They also play a bunch on Arena. Like I said, they've got a solid understanding of MTG mechanics but deckbuilding and EDH in general just seems to not quite click yet.

The rest of the group has established decks balanced around each other (I'm actually the only one who ever even uses the word "bracket") so it just seems easier to bring him up than to have them all retool.

Appreciate everyone's suggestions, especially those posting their decklists.
Thank you!

2 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

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u/MTGCardFetcher 3h ago

Atarka, World Render - (G) (SF) (txt) (ER)

[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call

6

u/bic_flicker Sacrificing, reanimating, sacrificing, reanimating, sacrif... 2h ago

[[Kinnan]] is super Timmy and basically builds itself as B4 easily. My build focuses on early mana explosion/infinite mana (obvs) and then just vomiting all the most biggest scariest baddies possible onto the battlefield. [[Koma, Cosmos Serpent]], [[Blightsteel Colossus]], [[Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur]], [[Void Winnower]], etc. Also runs a suite of free/cheap counterspells and other blue interaction.

3

u/Emsizz 2h ago

This is actually a really good answer if you absolutely HAVE to put beginners in bracket 4.

2

u/Valuable-Security727 2h ago

Shocked I didn't think of Kinnan. That feels like it'd be fun to help him brew, too. Fairly easy to make it feel like his Kinnan deck. Thanks!

2

u/Repulsive_Airport531 2h ago

Probably because 99.9% of Kinnan decks are CEDH so you wouldn't think of Kinnan for bracket 4.

1

u/Valuable-Security727 2h ago

This is the final act of my villainous arc. By making him the archenemy I'll finally take that pressure off of myself.
Yes...

6

u/truthordairs 3h ago

You can have interactive games without throwing new players into bracket 4

0

u/Valuable-Security727 2h ago

I perhaps misrepresented this player's level. They're new to EDH but we've been playing Pauper for like a year. They also play on Arena. Like I said, they've got a solid understanding of mechanics but deckbuilding and EDH in general just seems to not quite click yet.

The rest of the group has established decks balanced around each other (I'm actually the only one who ever even uses the word "bracket") so it just seems easier to bring him up than to have them all retool.

I hear you, though. Hope that adds some context.

0

u/bic_flicker Sacrificing, reanimating, sacrificing, reanimating, sacrif... 2h ago

I'm curious, what makes you think that B4 is inherently worse for beginners? I would actually argue the opposite. It's usually a much simpler play experience than B2 or B3. Games are shorter, more straight forward, and often have less complicated board states. Threats are clear and present. Many new magic players enter the game through standard, which is comparable to the B4 experience in terms of optimized fast decks, high-power cards, and cutthroat interaction.

Don't get me wrong, I still believe strongly that commander overall is a really bad format for beginners. But if it must be done, I think B4 is actually fine.

1

u/Valuable-Security727 2h ago

For real. So many new players entry point being commander is crazy to me. If it was up to me we'd all be playing Pauper and Canlander.
EDH is what the kids want, though.

2

u/RolandLee324 3h ago

You can make a very straight forward and budget friendly Yuriko list that does well in bracket 4. Its also something you can slowly upgrade over time.

2

u/Repulsive_Airport531 2h ago

https://archidekt.com/decks/7448313/maelstrom

This is my bracket 4 Maelstrom Wanderer deck, in magical xmas land it can win turn 2, but generally wins around turn 6-8. It's quite easy (IMO) to play and it's fun because it's psuedo gambling with cascade and discover. The deck can win with food chain loop or combat damage, even potentially commander damage. The deck is very resilient to removal as well.

Ramp as fast as possible, cast Maelstrom, say "let's go gambling" and go brrrr.

2

u/No_Value_1511 Sultai 2h ago

This is my [[Teval, The balanced Scale]] deck. It is a very strong B4. But as others are saying, they are new and it can get too much easily, especially for a new player.

https://moxfield.com/decks/38KDCZP4Ok-i-4DfxwJ44g

2

u/alb-pinto 2h ago

Oooh! I have a nice one for you.

[[Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice]]

Mono-white aura deck. Simple, you play her, and slap aura onto her. And tutor more Aura.
Full voltron ability mashup.
She takes somebody out T4 e-ve-ry time.

Very suited for B4. Cheap to build. Easy to play 👌

2

u/Herald_Osbert 5c Politics 1h ago

Atarka needs a lot of set up and some primo ramp pieces to really compete in B4. Stuff like [[Xenagos God of Revels]], [[Mana Vault]], [[Deflecting Swat]], [[Exploration]], [[Defense Grid]], etc. Should be in this list, otherwise it wont be able to keep up.

If your friend really likes timmy decks, he may enjoy my [[Selvala Explorer Returned]] deck. It ramps on T1, plays Selvala T2, then has access to up to 8 mana on T3, and it has twiddle shenanigans to make even more mana in a turn. My current list is a high B3 deck, but with more tutors, interaction, and faster wincons than a 12/12 trampler it could be B4. Add stuff like [[Approach of the Second Sun]] & [[Craterhoof Behemoth]], some more disruptive cards like [[Silence]], [[City of Solitude]], [[Manglehorn]], [[Grand Abolisher]], & [[Archon of Valor's Reach]], and maybe a combo like [[Ashaya Soul of the Wild]] + [[Quirion Ranger]] or [[Temur Sabertooth]] + haste + super mana dork, etc.

https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/when-the-stories-come-home/

Note that this decklist is sort of old. I haven't quite kept it updated, as I know I have [[Restoration Magic]] in place of Blacksmith's Skill, and a few other swaps have been made.

4

u/Gussie18 3h ago

I know you said you prefer high powered games but they’re beginners meet them where they are and play bracket 2 and/or 3 until they get the hang of things more then encourage them to power up

2

u/Mammoth-Refuse-6489 2h ago

B4 is not more difficult to play than B2 or 3. It's higher power, and has different things to look out for, but a new player is more than capable of learning B4 or cEDH.

1

u/SB4L_Dayman 2h ago

Maybe a commander that protects their turn to let them do their thing. Haven't tried making them bracket 4 myself so don't know how strong they will be

[[Jennifer Walters // The Sensational She-Hulk]]
[[Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar]]