[Primer] Draw till you die - Nekusar, the Mindrazer

[hollaz90]

Hello!

At first I wanna say, I'm german so please excuse me if something sounds funny or is not spelled the correct way.

I want to submit my Nekusar Deck for Primer:)

https://deckstats.net/decks/197891/2684478-draw-till-you-die-nekusar-the-/#show_description

I'm looking forward for your review!

Thank you!

[Morganator 2.0]

I have some questions about the primer. First, about how fast is this deck? How many turns does it take to do the setup? On what turn do you typically play Nekusar? How long after that does it take you to win?

When you're in the setup phase, won't your opponents' catch on to what you're doing when you start playing Fiery Emancipation and the punishment cards? Like, it's pretty obvious, and Nekusar is a very well-known commander. How do you keep the pressure off? You have a few pillowfort and "defence" cards, but that will only protect you from aggro strategies? How do you deal with other strategies that deal incremental damage through non-combat? Are you able to deal more damage than what a dedicated life gain deck can regain?

How badly is this deck hurt by stax pieces that limit card draw, like Spirit of the Labyrinth (among others)? How would you deal with this situation?

How important is it to have no max hand size? Most of your draw effects are wheels, so you discard your hand anyway.

What are your go-to targets for Demonic Tutor, Imperial Seal, and Mystical Tutor? What are your priority searches?

What does Lotus Field do for this deck? I don't see any ways of untapping it, so wouldn't any other land be better?

I'd also like to know a little more about why you're not using these cards:

• Bone Miser
• Dockside Extortionist
• Echo of Eons
• Lightning Greaves (Isn't this just better than Swiftfoot Boots in your case?)
• Magus of the Wheel
• Thought Vessel (Unless the life gain from Venser's Journal is really that important)
• Time Reversal
• Vampiric Tutor
• Whirlpool Warrior

[hollaz90]

Thank you for your comments!

I revised the complete instructions and description again and added some more sections like tutor targets or ways to win. In addition, I have completely revised and redesigned the single card discussion.

Based on your comments, I would suggest the following changes:

Out: Lotus Field -> In: Urza's Saga
Out: Venser's Journal -> In: Mana Vault
Out: The Locust God -> In: Echo of Eons
Out: Fiery Emancipation -> In: Time Reversal
Out: Spark Double -> In: Bone Miser
Out: Swiftfoot Boots -> In: Lightning Greaves
Out: Harmonic Prodigy -> In: Magus of the Wheel
Out: Nightscape Familiar -> In: Dockside Extortionist
Out: Master of the Feast -> In: Whirlpool Warrior
Out: Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind -> In: Mystic Remora
Out: Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted -> In: Grafted Exoskeleton
Out: Demonic Tutor -> In: Vampiric Tutor
Out: Imprisoned in the Moon -> In: Bedevil
Out: Decanter of endless water -> In: Lotus Petal

Your questions:

1. How fast is this deck? How many turns does it take to do the setup? On what turn do you typically play Nekusar? How long after that does it take you to win?
* Hard to answer because I usually play the underdog till I have enough mana to kill somebody. But I've made some changes like Mana Vault, Mystic Remora, Dockside Extortionist and Urza's Saga to bring down the CMC. That's also the reason why I cut out cards like Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind or Fiery Emancipation.

2. How do you keep the pressure off?
* Really good question. The answer is - politics - because I'm always trying to put the focus on an opponent and away from me.
Also I'm trying to play my wincons as late as possible.

3. You have a few pillowfort and "defence" cards, but that will only protect you from aggro strategies?
* Like I said in my "Bad matchup" - this is a strategy which is very hard to beat with my nekusar deck.

4. How do you deal with other strategies that deal incremental damage through non-combat?
* I'm trying to remove the pieces that hurt me or counter the key cards.

5. Are you able to deal more damage than what a dedicated life gain deck can regain?
* Yes I am with Grafted Exoskeleton.

6. How badly is this deck hurt by stax pieces that limit card draw, like Spirit of the Labyrinth (among others)? How would you deal with this situation?
* Good question. At one side, the opponents doesn't have any cards left on their hands when I played a wheel - which kills their interaction. But I have added Bedevil, which can kill for example Narset, Parter of Veils or Spirit of the Labyrinth.

7. How important is it to have no max hand size? Most of your draw effects are wheels, so you discard your hand anyway.
* Not important, I cut the cards out.

8. What are your go-to targets for Demonic Tutor, Imperial Seal, and Mystical Tutor? What are your priority searches?
* Depends on the situation and my starting hand. I would say the missing pieces to have the perfect setup for wheeling. That would be a draw and  a discard punsihment. But I will give examples in the single card breakdown.

9. What does Lotus Field do for this deck? I don't see any ways of untapping it, so wouldn't any other land be better?
* You are right - Its out.

What do you think about my changes?
Thank you!