The free EDH Braids deck desperately needs some tweaks

[Typal_Tribal]

I think it's awesome that we are now offering free decks for new players to try out. As someone who exclusively play 4-player casual EDH on MTGO I have seen a lot of the new Braids deck for new players, and while I genuinely love the idea, I think the deck itself needs some tweaks. My main issues with the deck are as follows:

1. It lacks a strong focus on a win-condition, leading to prolonged games that turn into boring slog-fests that people end up not enjoying
2. It focuses too much on forced discard, while completely failing to synergize with this strategy. This again leads to prolonged games where opponents are unable to play their hands (not fun), while at the same time not providing any way to close out the game.
3. The deck is focused around sacrificing your own cards, and while there's a huge amount of cards in the deck that are great targets to be sacrificed, there's far too few sacrifice outlets in the deck. Braids, the commander itself is the only real card in the deck that can reliably sacrifice cards, and Braids can only sacrifice a single card each turn. This leads to too many cards in play that want to be sacrificed, without enough cards to actually sacrifice them.

My suggestions to fix this are as follows:

1. Add more sacrifice outlets that can sacrifice multiple cards per turn.
2. Completely remove the forced discard aspect. It just isn't fun and doesn't synergize with the main deck strategy at all.
3. Add more aristocrat style cards that provide a true win-condition by sacrificing your own cards.

I have actually spent a long time revamping this deck into something I think will fit into the main theme and playstyle of this deck, but at the same time will result in more fun, fast-paced games with a true win-condition. I really think this will make for a deck that's more fun for everyone involved, and in turn provide a better, more positive experience for our new players and better encourage them to stick around. So I'm going to be splitting this post up into the current deck, and my suggestion to how it can be changed into a deck that's more fun for all players involved (and I think more powerful, too). Because I think people don't mind losing, but they hate playing games that turn into stalemates where nothing happens.

 

[Typal_Tribal]

Okay, so here's the current deck, which I have split up into what I think each card does:

Braids, Arisen Nightmare

Removal:
Bone Shredder
Butcher of Malakir
Demon's Disciple
Fleshbag Marauder
Gravelighter
Massacre Girl
Plaguecrafter
Ravenous Chupacabra
Feed the Swarm
Spine of Ish Sah

Ramp:
Sol Ring
Solemn Simulacrum
Dark Ritual
Charcoal Diamond
Mind Stone
Mycosynth Wellspring
Prized Statue
The Irencrag
Wayfarer's Bauble

Cost Reduction:
Defiler of Faith

Card Advantage:
Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
Fell Stinger
Grim Haruspex
Midnight Reaper
Morbid Opportunist
Smothering Abomination
Coercive Portal
Ichor Wellspring
Spare Supplies
Treacherous Blessing

Lifedrain:
Ayara, First of Locthwain
Blood Artist
Gixian Puppeteer
Gray Merchant of Asphdel
Syr Konrad, the Grim
Zulaport Cutthroat
Bontu's Monument


Forced Discard:
Burglar Rat
Elderfang Disciple
Elvish Doomsayer
Nezumi Informant
Virus Beetle
Grafted Wargear
Implement of Malice

Sacrifice Fodder:
Cult Conscript
Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
Pawn of Ulamog
Reassembling Skelton
Shambling Ghast
Sifter of Skulls
Voldaren Bloodcaster
Blood Fountain
Nimblewright Schematic
Servo Schematic
Ugin's Nexus
Dreadhorde Invasion

Recursion:
Nightmare Shepherd
Unearth
Victimize
Supernatural Stamina
Vat of Rebirth
Omen of the Dead

Lands: - 37
Basic: - 34
Utility:
Drownyard Temple
Reliquary Tower
Witch's Cottage

 

[Typal_Tribal]

Here's my suggestion for a more balanced, more fun deck that has a true focus on a win-con (sacrificing your cards in able to drain the life of your opponents)

Braids, Arisen Nightmare

Removal:
Bone Shredder
Butcher of Malakir
Demon's Disciple
Fleshbag Marauder
Accursed Marauder
Massacre Girl
Plaguecrafter
Ravenous Chupacabra
Feed the Swarm
Spine of Ish Sah

Ramp:
Sol Ring
Solemn Simulacrum
Dark Ritual
Charcoal Diamond
Mind Stone
Mycosynth Wellspring
Prized Statue
Thought Vessel
Wayfarer's Bauble
Crypt Ghast

Cost Reduction:
Defiler of Faith
Jet Medallion

Card Advantage:
Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
Fell Stinger
Grim Haruspex
Midnight Reaper
Morbid Opportunist
Smothering Abomination
Unscrupulous Contractor
Ichor Wellspring
Skullclamp
Treacherous Blessing

Lifedrain:
Ayara, First of Locthwain
Blood Artist
Gixian Puppeteer
Gray Merchant of Asphdel
Syr Konrad, the Grim
Zulaport Cutthroat
Bontu's Monument
Bastion of Remembrance
Vraan, Executioner Thane
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Marionette Apprentice

Aristocrats:
Pitiless Plunderer
Sifter of Skulls
Pawn of Ulamog

Sacrifice Fodder:
Cult Conscript
Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
Reassembling Skelton
Nimblewright Schematic
Servo Schematic
Dreadhorde Invasion

Recursion:
Nightmare Shepherd
Unearth
Victimize
Kaya's Ghostform
Vat of Rebirth
Whisper, Blood Liturgist

Sacrificers:
Bloodghast
Viscera Seer
Woe Strider
Spawning Pit

Lands - 37
Basic: 27
Utility:
Drownyard Temple
Reliquary Tower
Witch's Cottage
Bojuka Bog
Mortuary Mire
Malakire Mire
Boggart Trawler
Fell the Profane
Cabal Stronghold
Sacrifice:
Myriad Landscape

Replacements:
Shambling Ghast > Crypt Ghast
Ugin's Nexus > Bloodghast
Voldaren Bloodcaster > Pitiless Plunderer
Blood Fountain > Bastion of Remembrace
Burglar Rat > Vraan, Executioner Thane
Elderfang Disciple > Kokusho, the Evening Star
Elvish Doomsayer > Viscera Seer
Nezumi Informat > Woe Strider
Coercive Portal > Unscrupulous Contractor
Implment of Malice > Jet Medallion
Grafted Wargear > Spawning Pit
Supernatural Stamina > Kaya's Ghostform
Omen of the Dead > Whisper, Blood Liturgist
Virus Beetle > Marionette Apprentice
The Irencrag > Thought Vessel
Spare Supplies > Skullclamp
Gravelighter > Accursed Marauder
Swamp > Bojuka Bog
Swamp > Myriad Landscape
Swamp > Mortuary Mire
Swamp > Malakir Mire
Swamp > Boggart Trawler
Swamp > Fell the Profane
Swamp > Cabal Stronghold

 

[Typal_Tribal]

I have completely removed the forced discard aspect of the deck, while adding more life-drain effects from sacrificing your own cards, and also providing more ways to sacrifice your own cards. I have also provided more variation in the lands by adding more utility lands and MFDC lands.

 

[Typal_Tribal]

I should add that I have also made a determined effort to keep this as a budget deck with nothing costing more than .01 tickets per goatbots

 

[Typal_Tribal]

Sorry too late to edit but Bloodghast should be replace with Carrion Feeder