Hive Mind Is Our General
Originally published July 20th, 2009
Forum thread
There are so many insane things that can happen when Hive Mind is in play, it's a shame that it's only one card out of one hundr-
Forum thread
There are so many insane things that can happen when Hive Mind is in play, it's a shame that it's only one card out of one hundr-
Okay, so this is my version of the deck that actually wins the game. Play card draw and try not to die while searching for your Dream Halls (ideally) or a big High Tide, which should give you enough mana to draw into Dream Halls. Once it's down, play all of your draw spells for free, draw into more card advantage, and finish with a giant Mind's Desire into Brain freeze! If your opponents are still not dead, Stroke them out of the game.
The problem with this decklist is that I got all excited about making an awesome Dream-Halls-storm deck and I forgot why Hive Mind is the general, so
Fuck.
That.
The problem with this decklist is that I got all excited about making an awesome Dream-Halls-storm deck and I forgot why Hive Mind is the general, so
Fuck.
That.
I put a stronger focus on the copy/replay instants and sorceries theme, which has given the deck more personality. Cast Through Time is by far my favourite card in the deck. I had a few cantrips like Preordain and Serum Visions, because they're awesome when you get them two or three times, but Ponder is the only one that has survived. This package is also the reason why Mnemonic Wall et al. got cut.
The "Defense" section is boring but important, to let you actually interact with opponents in a Magic-like way, to keep the game resembling a game. The "Big Mana" and "Headaches" sections, on the other hand, let you absolutely abuse it. I can't stress enough that you can't play this deck more than once every few sessions. It makes for really crazy games, but whether you win or not it always dominates the table, and it is extremely strenuous both to pilot and to play against.
Now, unlike a lot of my decks, I've never felt the urge to keep this deck "optimal", or hunt down cards that I'm missing. There are a lot of card choices that could easily be swapped and/or upgraded. Also, there are a bunch of cards that I know I'd want for the deck, but don't have on hand.
There are a few notable cards that I would not include, not because they're too weak, but because they're too strong. If you don't like combo decks, this list is already pushing the limits, and there are a few cards that just makes it too easy to win once you get rolling. Play most or all of the above if you're building the win-the-game storm version, I think:
If you or your group doesn't like breaking the rules of EDH so badly, you've got a few good options for a legendary creature to lead this thing. The commander I use most often in those situations is Thada Adel, Inquisitor, as a great source of ramp. Steal everyone's Sol Rings and Thran Dynamos to really accelerate your game. Kaho, Minamo Historian is an under-used source of quality card advantage. My favourite, though, is probably Kami of the Crescent Moon, just for how on-point that impish little fellow is. Either way, if you're looking for something that blurs the line between group-hug and griefer, combo and casual, and you're prepared for an actual, physical headache, Hive Mind is ready for you.
The "Defense" section is boring but important, to let you actually interact with opponents in a Magic-like way, to keep the game resembling a game. The "Big Mana" and "Headaches" sections, on the other hand, let you absolutely abuse it. I can't stress enough that you can't play this deck more than once every few sessions. It makes for really crazy games, but whether you win or not it always dominates the table, and it is extremely strenuous both to pilot and to play against.
Now, unlike a lot of my decks, I've never felt the urge to keep this deck "optimal", or hunt down cards that I'm missing. There are a lot of card choices that could easily be swapped and/or upgraded. Also, there are a bunch of cards that I know I'd want for the deck, but don't have on hand.
- Uba Mask forces people to play their cards. It might be disruptive to you as well, especially the Dream Halls plan, but I've always thought Uba Mask is fun in a really aggravating sort of way.
- Snapcaster Mage obviously belongs in the deck. He belongs in a few of my EDH decks, actually. At close to half the price of a revised dual, though, I've got higher priorities for my card budget.
- Chancellor of the Spires is similar, but even better (if a ton more expensive, cmc). Cheap enough (dollars) that I'd obviously pick it up in a trade if I find the opportunity.
- Caged Sun is just another mana doubler. Not quite as good as the others since it's on the mana curve competing with Hive Mind, but it's still probably worth it.
- Leyline of Anticipation is an upgrade to Vedalken Orrery at the very least. It's probably worth playing both.
- Cyclonic Rift is on the edge of OP and might cause a lot of annoying board stalls, but slightly more competitive versions of Hive Mind could really get mileage out of it.
- Stolen Goods is just the type of fun, random, yet powerful card this deck loves, and forces people to cast a bunch of stuff.
- Arcane Melee is something that this deck is really missing. It generates a ton of mana for the deck, but even better it encourages opponents to play their spells into Hive Mind in a friendly way. People naturally love to take advantage of opponents permanents, but are always reluctant to give away spell copies. I think that Arcane Melee will really tip the scales toward its namesake!
There are a few notable cards that I would not include, not because they're too weak, but because they're too strong. If you don't like combo decks, this list is already pushing the limits, and there are a few cards that just makes it too easy to win once you get rolling. Play most or all of the above if you're building the win-the-game storm version, I think:
- Omniscience is too easy to cast and too asymmetrical for this deck.
- Consecrated Sphinx broken with draw 7s, and Hive Mind means that you've got like 20 of them.
- Witchbane Orb just reduces interactivity. I cut Shell of the Last Kappa for the same reason. They're both really good for protecting yourself from your own spells, but I found the deck was a lot more fun when I had to play around my landmines like everyone else. Plus, it messes with the Eternal Dominion plan.
- Paradigm Shift always made me feel like I was cheating, so I cut it. It's a powerful win condition but I never had fun casting it, and the deck doesn't really need it anyway. Bending the rules of EDH is often okay, and comboing off is often okay, but bending the rules of EDH to combo off is dummmmb.
- I was actually surprised to see that Meishin, the Mind Cage isn't in my deck anymore. I don't remember cutting it, but I can guess why I did. Meishin is a very powerful defensive effect, but if you can keep as many cards as this deck generates, the game completely stalls when it's in play. Hive Mind is designed to make the game revolve around it, but I never really want to stop other people from running their lines of play. Meishin always made my opponents' stuff too irrelevant, which is a fine line this deck is always balancing on.
- Laboratory Maniac. One of the main difficulties when playing this pile is finding a good time to cast Tolarian Winds, so that everyone else decks out but your hand is small enough so you survive. Especially with Dream Halls out, drawing into draw spells to draw more draw spells would be pretty trivial, and I think that you'd win pretty consistently the turn you play it.
If you or your group doesn't like breaking the rules of EDH so badly, you've got a few good options for a legendary creature to lead this thing. The commander I use most often in those situations is Thada Adel, Inquisitor, as a great source of ramp. Steal everyone's Sol Rings and Thran Dynamos to really accelerate your game. Kaho, Minamo Historian is an under-used source of quality card advantage. My favourite, though, is probably Kami of the Crescent Moon, just for how on-point that impish little fellow is. Either way, if you're looking for something that blurs the line between group-hug and griefer, combo and casual, and you're prepared for an actual, physical headache, Hive Mind is ready for you.
Appendix.
I had taken notes back in the day, when I played my first few games with this deck. It was a different version, but here's this, to show you what this thing's like.
Game 1: Played 1v1 against Sharuum the Hegemon to test. Twincasted Eternal Dominion (Hive Mind in play) through Posessed Portal + Master Transmuter. Had Shell of the Last Kappa in play. Won game*.
Game 2: 1v1 vs Jenara, Asura of War. By turn seven I have Hive Mind in play (and a bunch of blue cards in my graveyard) and I'm one hit away from 21 general damage. High Tide -> Eye of the Storm -> Rush of Knowledge -> Dream Halls. At that point, we spent about ten or fifteen minutes discussing exactly how the stack works. Oblations, Time Spirals, Bant Charms and Repeals start flying literally everywhere, and both Eye of the Storm and Dream halls end up as casualties of war. It was too late, however, since I had Mind's Desire in hand. I flipped over every card in my library, shuffled our graveyards away and killed him with Paradigm Shift.
Game 3: Hive Mind vs Reaper King vs Merieke Ri Berit. I got an early Gauntlet of Power and put an Oblivion Stone next to it. Legacy Weapon forced me to blow everything up (aside from power glove), then Hive Mind showed up. After casting High Tide, I asked how many cards each of them would like to draw ('about a dozen' was the relpy). Obliged, I cast Prosperity for 12. Out of my 36 new cards, I dropped Reliquary Tower and Dream Halls, then passed the turn to see what would happen. Then, some stuff happened, and Reaper King quit the game out of frustration. An Evacuation eventually got forced past Adarkar Valkyrie + Pemmin's Aura + Glen Elandra Archmage (big props to Voidmage Husher), but I was immediately killed by Memory Plunder targetting my Tolarian Winds. I really need a Vedalken Orrery in this deck, by the way.
* It was actually a lot more complicated than that. His first grab was Nevinyrral's Disk, but I got Magister Sphinx and Darksteel Forge to negate it. Shell was tapped from countering one of his epic copies so he got a second permanent on his upkeep, and he brilliantly chose Parallel Thoughts to cap himself for seven. Fortunately for me, he didn't draw the Mindslaver (Sharuum + Master Transmuter is a slaver lock) and he overlooked Oblivion Stone in his deck, so that was that.
I had taken notes back in the day, when I played my first few games with this deck. It was a different version, but here's this, to show you what this thing's like.
Game 1: Played 1v1 against Sharuum the Hegemon to test. Twincasted Eternal Dominion (Hive Mind in play) through Posessed Portal + Master Transmuter. Had Shell of the Last Kappa in play. Won game*.
Game 2: 1v1 vs Jenara, Asura of War. By turn seven I have Hive Mind in play (and a bunch of blue cards in my graveyard) and I'm one hit away from 21 general damage. High Tide -> Eye of the Storm -> Rush of Knowledge -> Dream Halls. At that point, we spent about ten or fifteen minutes discussing exactly how the stack works. Oblations, Time Spirals, Bant Charms and Repeals start flying literally everywhere, and both Eye of the Storm and Dream halls end up as casualties of war. It was too late, however, since I had Mind's Desire in hand. I flipped over every card in my library, shuffled our graveyards away and killed him with Paradigm Shift.
Game 3: Hive Mind vs Reaper King vs Merieke Ri Berit. I got an early Gauntlet of Power and put an Oblivion Stone next to it. Legacy Weapon forced me to blow everything up (aside from power glove), then Hive Mind showed up. After casting High Tide, I asked how many cards each of them would like to draw ('about a dozen' was the relpy). Obliged, I cast Prosperity for 12. Out of my 36 new cards, I dropped Reliquary Tower and Dream Halls, then passed the turn to see what would happen. Then, some stuff happened, and Reaper King quit the game out of frustration. An Evacuation eventually got forced past Adarkar Valkyrie + Pemmin's Aura + Glen Elandra Archmage (big props to Voidmage Husher), but I was immediately killed by Memory Plunder targetting my Tolarian Winds. I really need a Vedalken Orrery in this deck, by the way.
* It was actually a lot more complicated than that. His first grab was Nevinyrral's Disk, but I got Magister Sphinx and Darksteel Forge to negate it. Shell was tapped from countering one of his epic copies so he got a second permanent on his upkeep, and he brilliantly chose Parallel Thoughts to cap himself for seven. Fortunately for me, he didn't draw the Mindslaver (Sharuum + Master Transmuter is a slaver lock) and he overlooked Oblivion Stone in his deck, so that was that.