So I have played about 2 dozen games with Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale on Arena, and I gotta say she is a lot of fun. I have noticed several things that need to be improved, mostly the mana base and card draw. Once she is online you can at least draw one extra card a turn, but 6 mana usually means you waiting until at least turn 5 without green. Also the removal package is kinda weak. I plan on putting in at least 1-2 more spot removal and 1-2 more mass removal along with removing cards like Ob Nixilis's Cruelty.

Bond of Discipline is a blow out 1v1 but may not be worth a card in multiplayer, does anybody have any experience?



There are some cards that are auto-includes such as:
Aryel, Knight of Windgrace
Crusading Knight
Errand of Duty
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
History of Benalia
Kinsbaile Cavalier
Knight Exemplar
Knight of the White Orchid
Knights of the Black Rose
Marauding Knight
Valiant Knight

Some cards that might get included:
Balan, Wandering Knight
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Gideon's Phalanx
Josu Vess, Lich Knight
Knight Of Dawn
Knight of Dusk
Knight of the Holy Nimbus
Militant Angel
Sorin, Grim Nemesis

As far as equipment goes, is this the deck for my Sword of X & Y? I mean it fits thematically, and could help with card flow issues, turning any creature I drop into threats.

I still have not found a play group, but hoping to go to another shop today that is about 20 minutes away. I am wanting this to be a decent deck but not as crazy as the Edgar Markov decks running around are. All my O.G. duals and fetchs are already in decks, but I might pull apart some of the decks (Lord Windgrace hasn't been as fun as I hoped.) so feel free to offer whatever suggestions you have. Thanks!

Gwyn is kinda weird; it sorta seems like she should be some sort of weenie deck commander, but she's a lot of mana. She's also really different from other equipment commanders, since she encourages you to spread the equipment wide instead of Voltron-ing (so I don't think a card like Balan is good).

Out of the cards listed, I like Gideon's Phalanx, Josu Vess, and Militant Angel. Haakon seems really good too.

Couple other strategies I think would be good:
-- "Legends matter": There's a lot of good legendary knights and legendary equipment, which opens up cards like Arvad, Urza's Ruinous Blast, and Primeval's Glorious Rebirth.
-- Sunforger: Free casts with my commander? Seems great!
-- Reanimator: I feel like there's big turns to be had with Scrap Mastery, grabbing a field of equipment and then drawing a new hand

So I might do "legends matter later" but for now, I have the following cards sleeved and waiting for the preordered Brawl deck:

Nomad Outpost
Evolving Wilds
Terramorphic Expanse
Bojuka Bog
Luxury Suite
Ash Barrens
Sanctum of Eternity
Geier Reach Saintarium

Dauntless Bodyguard
Knight of Grace
Danitha Capashen, Paragon
Knight of Dusk
History of Benalia
Knight of Dawn
Knight Exemplar
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
Smothering Tithe
Kwende, Pride of Femeref
Valiant Knight
Kinsbaile Cavalier
Josu Vess, Lich Knight
Marauding Knight
Crusading Knight
Knights of the Black Rose
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Wayfarer's Bauble
Explorer's Scope
Rakdos Signet
Orzhov Signet
Boros Signet
Boros Charm
Terminate
Blackblade Reforged
Errand of Duty
Darksteel Ingot
Gravepurge
Chromatic Lantern
Sword of Body and Mind
Sword of War and Peace
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Dungeons & Dragons
Return to Dust
Syphon Mind

I am going to need to add some more lands and cut some of the cards from the deck. I think I am cutting the following cards:

Response // Resurgence
Ob Nixilis's Cruelty
Despark
Integrity // Intervention
Ancestral Blade
Mask of Immolation
Marauder's Axe
Skyknight Vanguard
Skyknight Legionnaire
Shining Armor
Fireborn Knight

I don't really want to cut cards before I try them out, but this deck got tight really fast. I want to find room for Sunforger and Scrap Mastery but not sure what more to cut. I also feel wierd not having White Knight, Black Knight, Silver Knight and Blood Knight in here. Mirran Crusader and Phyrexian Crusader might also need a spot, but that is a lot of 2/2s in a format that has dragons regularly.

I disagree. It's true that she encourages the wide play, but a card like Balan is great for after a wrath to pick up all the swords that are lying around and just wreck some face with them.

So I picked up a box and my Brawl deck, I opened up some good stuff. Here is the actual sleeved up list. I do plan on improving the mana base so I won't bother typing it up, suffice to say it is not as optimized as it could be. If you have ideas on what to improve or general questions I would be happy to hear them. I think this will be the deck that I will try to get foils and or alternate art etc. for it assuming it is fun to play with and against.


Knight of the Ebon Legion
Embereth Shieldbreaker
Order of Midnight
Corpse Knight
Knight of Grace
Rimrock Knight Foil Alternate Border
Smitten Swordmaster Foil Alternate Border
Inspiring Veteran
Worthy Knight
Midnight Reaper
Knight of Dusk
Knight of Dawn
Knight Exemplar
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
Danitha Capashen, Paragon
Acclaimed Contender
Belle of the Brawl
Oathsworn Knight
Embereth Skyblazer
Kwende, Pride of Femeref Prerelease
Valiant Knight
Kinsbaile Cavalier
Josu Vess, Lich Knight
Marauding Knight
Crusading Knight
Ogre Errant
Knights of the Black Rose
Syr Konrad, the Grim
Silverwing Squadron
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Colossus Hammer
Explorer's Scope
Blackblade Reforged
Steelclaw Lance
Sword of Dungeons & Dragons
Sword of Body and Mind
Sword of War and Peace
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Feast and Famine
Mace of the Valiant
Embercleave Foil


Wayfarer's Bauble
Arcane Signet
Errand of Duty
Rakdos Signet
Orzhov Signet
Boros Signet
Boros Charm
Terminate
Forever Young
Joust
Knights' Charge
Icon of Ancestry
History of Benalia
Gravepurge
Chromatic Lantern
Darksteel Ingot
Return to Dust
Syphon Mind
True Love's Kiss
The Circle of Loyalty

Don't you want some equipment that makes your stuff indestructible? Something like Darksteel Plate or Hammer of Nazahn? People play sweepers in this format, and wrath right before combat is my idea of fun (sorry).

I do have a Darksteel Plate that needs a home, I need to grab a Hammer of Nazahn. I have only played one game and I only got one piece of equipment Blackblade Reforged which my son played Shattering Spree the following turn to kill it and 2 signets. I think I need something to get back the equipment too. And maybe some more card draw.

Nahiri? Scrap Mastery? Sun Titan?



Skullclamp?

Skullclamp doesn't sound half bad. I put it in every deck anyway. Perhaps you could look for a secondary theme to support the lack of draw/not enough equipment. Wheels? Reanimator? I put Living Death in every deck as well Something with Faithless Looting.

I think I'd include Sword of the Animist for ramp and Bloodforged Battle-Axe for, well, enough equipment.

Re: Cards like Balan

I think they're not only good, but necessary. Gwyn is going to get removed. There's a lot of advantage on the card, in terms of free mana through negated equip costs, and cards from her attack trigger. After two deaths, unless you're mitigating it somehow (with reanimation, maybe?) you're looking at 10 mana to table her in a non-green deck.

Circumventing equip costs is probably a very good idea. I will certainly play Balan and Puresteel Paladin, and I'm sorely tempted to play Sigarda's Aid and Heavenly Blademaster.

I do need to get like 145 more Skullclamp, it is something that just fits in 99% of decks. I don't think I will be running Sun Titan as he isn't a Knight and he is destined for my Kalemne deck that is under construction. Thanks for the ideas! It is kinda sad that I forget some staples sometimes... I am pretty sure I have a Bloodforged Battle-Axe that needs a home, and I think Sword of the Animist is still cheap... have to check later.



/agree now I just have to grab some of them.

Grixmas is just around the corner... just sayin'...

Finally got to play tonight, went to Cool Stuff Games in Jacksonville, and it seems like a great place to go. Ended up playing againts Roon of the Hidden Realm, Sai, Master Thopterist, and Varina, Lich Queen.

I got destroyed. Part of the issue was I only saw 2 equipment Sword of War and Peace and Sword of Fire and Ice both got hit by Roon flickering Acidic Slime. I killed that and so he started flickering Stonehorn Dignitary. Finally got rid of that and then he got Sun Titan and Spore frog. Varina won because of Shepherd of Rot.

It was a frustrating game, I left feeling like breaking apart this deck. I ordered a Sword of Sinew and Steel and Sword of Truth and Justice, but was really thinking of building Sram or something... just really disappointing. I will say the people were good, and interesting. The Sai player even apologized at end of game because he felt that I was so underpowered. When you look at the deck do you think this is an underpowered strategy? I mean I know it isn't cEDH or anything but I figured I could hang with most 6-8 level decks.

I played against a guy in my LGS who was using Gwyn and he just played her as a voltron deck. Thing is, if you have enough equipment to really benefit from her drawing ability, you probably have enough equipment to just murder someone with commander damage. The deck has white and black, so he just added black draw and lifelink, give the girl indestructible via Darksteel Plate or something, Wrath the board, go.

He's dismantled the deck since, however. IIRC he said because it was too swingy. Nothing nothing kill.

I'm trying to make an equipment deck work right now, it's Kykar, it's right below this thread if you wanna take a look.

Yeah, that seems to be the way of things. My creatures are either too small to make profitable attacks or I just overpower quickly. I think Kykar could be interesting and I have been lurking on that decklist quite a bit. I already have 2 R/U decks so making a Jeskai deck will really cause me to go budget (like guildgates or worse) on the mana base. I might leave it alone for a while, but overall just wish Syr Gwyn didn't cost 6.

The ability to cheat equip costs is, at least in my mind, quite insane. The problem with Gwyn is that no matter how casually you build the deck, 90% of the time the correct play will be "stick everything on Gwyn and wreck face". When you have Embercleave and Loxodon Warhammer, would you rather give one to Gwyn and the other to a random Knight, or would you rather give both to Gwyn to gain exponential benefits?