[EDH / Commander] Another Abzan Commander deck

[Commander Morgan]

Another Abzan Commander deck

I want to use and abuse +1/+1 counters, which is why I want Reyhan always available, so that nothing except a total board wipe (or Solemnity) should be able to force me to rebuild from scratch. Ravos is there for the extra color and his utility abilities (the latter is why I chose him over Ishai, who doesn't really do anything except look threatening after gaining a few counters). The mana base I listed is a rather expensive pipe dream, but I figured I might as well show how I think it would look at its best if I had all the cards. Did I go overboard on trying to pack in +1/+1 counter synergies, or do I need to add more ways to get counters?

[Soren841]

The checklands were apparently reprinted in Ixalan so they're suddenly dirt cheap now. Dragonskull Summit isn't your colors but it's the only one I know. I'm sure u know which ones

[ApothecaryGeist]

Your +1/+1 counters look good.  You don't have much mana ramp.  I only saw Rampant Growth, Burgeoning, and Verdant Confluence.  Rampant Growth is good.  Burgeoning only helps if you are drawing a bunch of cards.  I don't typically count Verdant Confluence as mana ramp, because once you have the 6 mana to cast it, you'll most likely be using other modes.  I would suggest a lot more ramp ... Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradise, Commander's Sphere, Krosan Verge, Kodama's Reach, Cultivate, Dark Ritual.  Take your pick.  I usually like to run at least 10 mana ramp cards of any kind ... rocks, dorks, or spells that put more lands on the field.

[Razalar]

I could be wrong, but I don't think you could use either of those Commanders in this deck, they do not have all 3 colors on the card.

Edit: Nevermind, I was wrong. I missed the bottom Keyword. Sorry about that.

[Commander Morgan]

ApothecaryGeist, I agree with you on Verdant Confluence, and applied the same logic to Realm Seekers' land-find ability (If I use it at all, I would be using it to search for specific lands rather than just getting my land count up). However, in addition to Rampant Growth and Burgeoning, I was also counting Sol Ring; Crystalline Crawler; Fertilid; Gyre Sage; and Rishkar, Peema Renegade towards my mana ramp count. I know that's still not 10, but I'm also not sure which cards to cut in order to put in any more, and since I don't actually own many of these cards yet (I put this list up to try to get feedback so I could refine the idea before I went and spent money on it), I can't actually play the deck out to see which cards work better or worse than I expect. Advice?

[ApothecaryGeist]

You currently have #38 lands.  I find that with adequate ramp, you only need about 35.  I've never liked Murmuring Bosk, except maybe in a treefolk tribal deck.  Pain lands a so unnecessary.  High Market is another overrated card.  One life is not very useful in Commander.  And you're not looking for sac outlets.  You don't seem to be trying to target your opponents things.  Arcane Lighthouse may be of limited utility to you.  And Vesuva is only going to help you if your play group play a lot of utility lands that you would like to copy. 

I put Fertilid in the same category as Realm Seekers.  It is 5 mana before you get your first land out of it.  Gyre Sage is similar in that it will need to be evolved a couple times before you are ramping mana.  Crystalline Crawler is good in that it can regenerate its counters (and you're in a counters deck).  A key to successful mana ramp is minimal mana investment.  Here are my favorites: (for black/white/green)

Birds of Paradise - CMC=1; makes mana of any color
Rampant Growth - 1 land for only 2 mana
Kodama's Reach - 2 lands for only 3 mana
Cultivate - 2 lands for only 3 mana.  (Same rules texts as Kodama's Reach)
Tempt with Discovery - 1 land (need not be basic!) for each player at the table - disclaimer: only works if your play group is actually tempted.
Land Tax - CMC=1; gets basics every upkeep if you want
Commander's Sphere - while not hugely effecient, it does draw you a card if you don't need the mana
Solemn Simulacrum - land fetch and card draw!
Krosan Verge - 2 land fetch

Most mana ramp only gets basics, so you need to keep your basic land count up for maximum effect.  I find that 4 of each color (total of 12) is usually good.  Go higher if you want.   With this strategy you also won't need such a critical mass of duals.  Evolving Wilds and Terramorphic Expanse also work well when you have a bunch of basics.

With this type of build strategy, a bunch of basics and a handful of lands that make mana of any color (like Transguild Promenade and Rupture Spire) along with just a handful of duals can be just as effective as a mana-base with all the expensive duals and fetches.

Also, always (even more-so than Sol Ring) play the 2-mana bounce lands from the Ravnica Blocks.  For you, those are Golgari Rot Farm, Orzhov Basilica, and Selesnya Sanctuary.

Hope this helps. 

[Soren841]

Sol Ring Mana Crypt Thran Dynamo and all the Signets are staples for commander (Crypt only if u can afford it)

[ApothecaryGeist]

Ooh.  I forgot about Thran Dynamo.  That's one of my favorites too.
Armillary Sphere is also good for land ramp - fetches 2 lands.

[Soren841]

2 lands to your hand for 4 mana is bad though.. a basic ramp package is something like:
Sol Ring,
Commander's Sphere,
Thran Dynamo,
Signets in your colors,
Mana Crypt if possible,
Potentially talismans,
Chromatic Lantern (in 3 or more colors),
Kodama's Reach,
Cultivate

[Soren841]

Deck: Another Abzan Commander deck
Tweaked it some and got this

[Soren841]

Might wanna invest in Sylvan Library also