Waitaminute Kage

I have to admit, I'm starting to get a little bummed out on this deck. The concept seemed like such a solid one but so few of my games have supported it. And it hasn't, for the most part, been the weakness that was initially scoped out: the need for mass creature removal.

No, it's just been a frustrating lack of 'getting there', as though recurring unblocked 2/2s and 4/4s just aren't enough. They should be. My direct damage is cheap enough and mana issues are rare. I've out drawn opponents and still not been able to get enough damage to win.

I should be able to outrun a Pyrexian Processor, damnit.

Jason suggested something that let my red stuff do more damage. Hey, let's take a look at underwhelming: Akki Lavarunner. Sulfuric Vapors. Embermaw Hellion.

Of those, Akki is fragile as hell, Vortex only works for my spells and Hellion costs 5.

On the other side, cards that just double all damage, like Dictate of the Twin Gods, have a downside that is far too great for me. Rize isn't fast enough to close out like that, nor does it have any way to mitigate that downside.

I'm considering running Omen of Fire or Anarchy. That's how bad things have felt against white decks. Those cards might be useless vs non-white decks but I can always just pitch them to Wild Guess, right?

Sigh. That idea is terrible but it's reflective of how discouraged I've been feeling. Against Lauriel's B/W spirits deck, my creatures were removed by Path to Exile (to be expected) and Oblivion Ring. Those are good removal cards, so I'm not upset about that but when three copies of Intangible Virtue arrive I have no way to interact with them at all.

In game three, I could not find a direct damage spell, despite drawing an extra ten cards, (10 freakin' cards!) I could not find a removal spell for Twilight Drover.

It's things like this that make me feel like decks are pets. Once you get it tuned right, it behaves like a good pet but until you do, it's more than happy to pee all over the floor and your hopes and dreams.

Lauriel suggested adding sacrifice effects. I like this idea-Goblin Bombardment, Barrage of Expendables, these are good ways to get around effects like Pacifism or even Oblivion Ring.

But they wouldn't stop Ghostly Prison, Sigil of the Empty Throne or Intangible Virtue. I really don't want to add in something like Nevinyrral's Disk because it blows any attempt I have at metalcraft out of the water. At the same time I am frustrated by my inability to handle the problem I'm confronted with given the tools I have.