Sliver Overlord EDH help

[superduperbeans]

So my playgroup has decided to give proxied edh a shot to see how we enjoy the format, and of course I want to be THAT guy lol I have a sliver deck put together, but I have too many cards. Feel free to give it a comb over and let me know where you would make the cuts, and if there are better options I have missed. I want it to be toolbox-y, then shift into an aggro finish once I have a solid board state built up. Not really looking for anything too combo-y.

https://deckstats.net/decks/118906/1218085-sliver-overlord/en

[Melriken]

If you are looking for cards to cut, I would cut Venser's Journal, Heartstone, Library of Leng, Exquisite Blood, Anointed Procession and Chromatic Lantern.

I would add Mana Acceleration cards, Look for things that cost 1 or 2 and add a mana or more every turn (Signates, and green fetch spells are going to be the big ones here).  3 to 5 of these should be a good number, if you add the full 5 you could even cut a land or two.

Speaking of cutting lands... my experience is that your mana base is too painful, even for EDH, and also needs more basics.  I would cut half the fetch lands and half the shock lands.  If you cut the enemy cycle of one and the ally cycle of the other that is probably the best way to do it, though you could cut the non-green fetches other than Arid Mesa and all the enemy shocks (green is most of your deck, so keep the green fetches and the non-green fetch that can get the green ally lands) to better fit your deck's colors.  Either way use that space to add 10 basic lands, two of each color is reasonable, one mountain and two forests might work better though.

Take a look at my Tribal Soup deck for how I did my mana base for a 5 color deck that is similar, but with totally different actual cards. https://deckstats.net/decks/115910/1092178-tribal-soup

[Melriken]

If you are looking for cards to cut, I would cut...

I just realized I didn't actually give you the list of reasons, so here it is.

Venser's Journal

This is just a bad card for this deck, you aren't drawing enough cards to need the handsize, and you shouldn't really need the life either (and it isn't that much).  You have better things to do with 5 mana.

Heartstone

I have used this card a lot... it has never worked out well for me.  It helps everyone and usually everyone else first.  It might be worth it with Sliverqueen, but she isn't your commander and will be hated on.  You are better off with something else here.

Library of Leng

Why so much hand protection? This isn't a great card and nothing in this deck looks to want it particularly.

Exquisite Blood

Again, this just feels out of place in this deck, if you want lifegain there are better options, and you aren't comboing with it, but everyone will assume you are and hate you out.

Anointed Procession

You aren't making that many tokens, doesn't seem worth it for this deck.

Chromatic Lantern

Your mana base is complex enough that you shouldn't need the ability to tap for any color and it just encourages you to get lazy and tap/fetch wrong then have it destroyed and end up lacking a critical color.  Use Coalition relic or other 3 mana stones instead.

[Morganator 2.0]

Proxies? No limitations except it can't use combos (I think I know what that means)? Let's do this.

First off, you need to improve your mana package. You need stuff that taps for any color of mana. You absolutely should include Mox Diamond, Chrome Mox, Birds of Paradise, Lotus Petal, Arbor Elf, Fellwar Stone, Mana Crypt, and Carpet of Flowers. If you end up having a lot of artifacts by the end of this (unlikely but possible), consider adding Mox Opal. Your lands are almost perfect, you just need Tarnished Citadel, Gemstone Caverns and Exotic Orchard (you can take out Alchemist's Refuge, Ancient Ziggurat, Unclaimed Territory, and maybe Reliquary Tower).

The great thing about Sliver Overlord, is that he provides card advantage; but you could still use some more card draw. Because (I'm assuming) no one is going for the fast win, you're going to want the card draw to be continuous. Rhystic Study and Mystic Remora are both staples, but I would also suggest Elemental Bond, Beast Whisperer, Runic Armasaur, and Verity Circle (those last two are a little meta-dependent).

For some cards to eliminate, I would go with... everything Melriken said, as well as Darksteel Ingot (weak ramp), Thought Vessel (same reason), Asceticism (there is a sliver that does this), and Praetor's Council (Impractical mana cost).

[superduperbeans]

Sorry I didn't give much context on the meta I'm currently in. One of the people I play with has decided Jin Gitaxis is his commander, and thrown in as many group card draw spells as he could fit. Hence the hand protection. Another has a jund deck that just loves turning his things sideways, hence the life gain pieces. I do like the advice about the mana base though, and hadn't even paid attention to the fact I favored green and had no basics. If I cut down on the shocks and fetches, should the majority of my basics be green so that I can use the rampant growths and such a bit more reliably?

[superduperbeans]

Also, darksteel ingot was for whenever harmonic sliver is out and my opponents don't have any other targets. Since it's not a may ability, I figured having something indestructible to point at it would be a good safeguard from blowing up my own stuff

[Morganator 2.0]

Don't bother with basic lands; you're playing five colors without a budget, you'll be fine. If you don't like Jin-Gitaxias, use creature removal to keep him down. If attacking creatures are a problem, pillowfort works better than lifegain.

[superduperbeans]

Morganator, thanks for the comment lol I used your "best of edh" guides for a lot of other deck ideas. So you would say, run the OG Duals, shocks, and fetches and not worry about basics?

[superduperbeans]

Most recent draft

https://deckstats.net/decks/118906/1218085-sliver-overlord/en

[Morganator 2.0]

Close but not quite. Gateway Plaza, Rupture Spire, and Transguild Promenade are terrible lands. You should take them out and put the fetch lands you had before back in. You also don't need those other cards that search for lands (Farseek, Shard Convergence).

I don't think you have enough artifacts to make Mox Opal work (it was a dead card when I tested this deck a little) so you can replace it with Chrome Mox. I also forgot Bloom Tender; try to find a spot for it if possible.

Once the mana base is fixed up, this deck will need to be tested against your friends. Get a feel for the deck, find out which slivers are your go-to choices, and try to see the weaknesses of your deck, so it can be patched up later.

[Soren841]

You should be running all 10 fetches, at least 9 og duals (most 5c decks are focused on 3 colors, u can remove the one thats the 2 off colors) and a full complement of like 4 or 5 rainbows. That leaves you with 7-9 card slots for utility and for shocks.

[Siberian89]

Since the disussion is moving in this direction, here's my opinion about manabase for 5c. Playing 5c Allies and 5c Slivers I found myself confortable with 10 fetchlands, 10 shocklands, 5/7 all color lands, 7/8 basics and little to none utility for a total of 37/38 lands.

Playing all the shocks, cards like Nature's Lore or Fareseek are really sweet, searching for the color I need the most. Personally i keep playing Chromatic Lantern because my playgroup loves Blood Moon and land distruction effect and with Lantern I can save myself from color screw.

For the other cards, I don't see to much use for Vedalken Orrery as for Shard Convergence, instead I always loved Cryptolith Rite and Song of Freyalise

[superduperbeans]

-1 Gateway Plaza   
-1 Mox Opal   
-1 Rupture Spire   
-1 Transguild Promenade
-1 Steam Vents

+1 Bloodstained Mire   
+1 Bloom Tender
+1 Chrome Mox
+1 Marsh Flats
+1 Polluted Delta

[superduperbeans]

-1 Vedalken Orrery   
-1 Virulent Sliver   
+1 Impact Tremors
+1 Purphoros, God of the Forge

[superduperbeans]

-1 Farseek
+1 Shared Animosity