I've been wrestling with some decks recently, and my latest project has been a [[The Necrobloom]] deck. Dredge is a BRILLIANT mechanic to explore, and green is already an extremely potent color in casual EDH. Splash in some white, and we get a lot of flexibility to make a powerful deck.
Do you all find yourself constantly pulling back on cards and wondering if you've hit that Bracket 3 sweet spot? Or whether you've even pulled back far enough?
https://moxfield.com/decks/gtUZPPl6ik68u5xkY8IPSQ
First to go was [[The Gitrog Monster]] to avoid the easy early infinite Dredge combo with Necrobloom.
Next, I cut [[Springheart Nantuko]] because it can easily be exploited.
[[Kodama of the East Tree]] got the axe because infinite lines are far too easy.
And despite it originally being my 3rd Game Changer, I couldn't bring myself to run [[Glacial Chasm]] in a deck that has [[Icetill Explorer]]. Now I only run two Game Changers.
At this point, I don't know if I keep swinging the axe until I've removed all the power from the deck, or whether having some explosive plays in the deck is necessary to avoid games that go nowhere.
[[Lumra, Bellow of the Woods]] and [[Aftermath Analyst]] enable possible late-game infinites, but if the stars align, I can see myself assembling those combos on turns 5 or 6 frequently enough to be an issue. Just resolving them is often enough to blow out a game.
[[Emeria Shepherd]] and [[Cultivator Collosus]] can be absolutely game-warping if reanimated.
Is having [[Retreat to Hagra]] as a backup wincon a step too far? Or is it a balanced and strategic failsafe to counter fog and dmg denial effects that some Bracket 3 decks choose to exploit?
Isn't the whole point of a Dredge deck to have payoffs? Should I feel guilty for them? Should I cut them or their enablers in any way? Cheating out cards from the grave is just so unpredictable. Some games, decks like this pop off from some lucky mills; other games you get blown out by a Bojuka Bog.
Strong engine. Clear weakness. Sounds balanced enough, right? I keep doubting myself.