Alibou, Ancient Witness | Upping the Average

[@plain6677]

I like that you and the Nitpicking Nerds have different but complementary views. Both of your channels help my deck building process and I built 15 decks from scratch following your advices, then adjusted them to my meta and my own opinion on cards and strategies (I run more threats but no 3 mana or above instant speed interaction). Big thanks!

[@willstebbins5338]

Love the Nerds!

[@legomann9092]

Wow we actually had a lot of the same ideas when building this deck. Alibou is one of my favorite commanders I’ve built. A newer card that came out after this video was made that I find synergizes really well with alibou is rose, cutthroat raider. She’s already an artifact and she actively wants to be attacking your opponent and since you’re scrying so much with alibou you can basically choose what cards her junk tokens hit.

[@PraetorGix]

Alibou is one of the Legendaries I'm building, so this was very welcome, thanks for the episode!

[@Chris-ro2pu]

I love this series so much, please never stop

[@ethanwiggen3567]

Just watched extra-turns with you and chase, how topical.

[@jobasniac]

Funny how that works, huh? It's almost like advertisement.

[@jamescooley5241]

I went and watched it too. Was a hoot

[@Sinfamous81]

Came here to make this comment, seen it was already made lol

[@kuroshinko427]

Not exactly the best showing since nobody challenged that one problematic card. I'd like to see how a deck performs against tough opposition.

[@tonytopol8092]

I LOVE Alibou. She is my favorite deck, and I have to shout out what I have found as her best one-card win-con that was not mentioned here: MYR INCUBATOR. Play it. Crack it. Exile all the artifacts remaining in your deck. Swing like 40 hasted 1/1 myrs at someone and just instakill someone else. Just make sure that the last person you leave alive isn't the damn blue player with the Cyclonic rift.

[@Shulwelld]

That and Approach of the Second sun are my favorite wins in my alibou deck

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

OMG. Now I understand why people have Myr Incubator in that deck. That is... gross...

[@GinjaNinja-qy6nj]

Approach of the second sun is actually bonkers in this deck. With Alibou's insane scry potential. You'll have no problem digging it up. Pair that with some mana rocks and you'll have no problem casting Approach.

[@joaovitornonaka2591]

There is one card that for me is a must in this deck (or any deck where the commander plans to deal a Lot of damage). Witch's Clinic can give Alibou lifelink, making your life total skyrocket out of nowhere

[@quayo90]

Myr turbine and clock of Omens is game over in my Alibou deck. In the words of Jimmy and Josh, you don’t have to go infinite, you just need to go a lot.

[@calvinthoma1314]

I run this deck! Good to see the support for Alibou. My version is a myr tribal/mycosynth lattice combo deck. Good to see a different version!

[@frandynamo2143]

I seemed to have tricked myself into thinking it was called Malibu... And now whenever I see this commander I think of the song with the same name by Kim Petras LOL Anywayyyy cool deck and I love what Strixhaven did for boros. If I wasn't already set on my Boros Avacyn deck and my Feather deck I'd love to make this also. The abilities on this commander are just kinda nutty and very unique for the colour combo. Keep up the great work.

[@lokumo13]

Joey, while I think Rebbec, Architect of Ascension is a great addition and is a solid protection, I worry that it may shut off some interaction we might try to have with our own board. Also, what are your thoughts on Magda Brazen Outlaw for this deck? I see a few dragons this deck might wanna tutor out quick, and MANY great artifact targets. It does depend on some treasure creation and while the lack of dwarves might limit that, Smothering Tithe, Dockside Extortionist (these two are not that budget) & Treasure Vault are some decent treasure creators. A Brass's Bounty might be added as well for a Magda synergy. Would love to hear your and Chase's thoughts.

[@launchpadmcquack24]

I built this deck maybe a month ago, although I'm playing a self mill package with things like Millikin, Perpetual Timepiece, and Codex Shredder to get huge value off effects like Brilliant Restoration and Wake the Past. It's been a ton of fun, and I love the deck!

[@Andrew_Venn]

Alibou has been my favorite comander for a while. I built completely different, but with a few of the same cards, speed was my goal, and artifact animation.

[@itsmeadamg]

I feel like Clown Car fits well in this deck, creates artifact tokens for you to tap and lets you over-crew a vehicle

[@eoin5169]

Gosh, I needed this. Alibou is my fourth of four decks and definitely the worst one. I can't decide how I want to play it... Tapped artifacts, obviously, but I feel like I want to make regular use of that Scry... But that means using the beam, which makes them a target, and at 5 mana, in Boros, and weak to two kinds of removal... blagh! But I love it all the same and will keep trying to get it so that it doesn't fall over after a round of serious artifact hate.

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Alibou certainly needs protection, but keep in mind you can use a number of artifact recursion cards on Alibou.

[@eoin5169]

@@ChristopherSmithGPlus for sure! It's tricky to know how much is too much and what kinds, though, particularly when Alibou doesn't abuse the graveyard otherwise like Osgir does.

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

@@eoin5169 You don't need much. Alibou is fast and furious enough that people don't get time to do much removal.

[@Solairethebased]

"artifacts are the bread and butter of this deck." *Me buttering my bread*

[@rexone9564]

Alibou is criminally underplayed!! And she’s so much fun. I do play faithless looting in my list just because it’s too good. Also, watch out for Farewell!! I had to include Tef protection and Tibalts trickery to my list just so I had a chance against decks with farewell.

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Don't forget Lapse of Certainty & Warping Wail.

[@toastradamus4941]

Any recent updates, I love this deck and wanna keep it updated

[@PaulissVegan]

digsite engineer is so nice

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Even better with Karn & Urza's Saga...

[@vryxiaz]

I bought the preconstructed because of Alibou and they're my baby since then. As a "Fair Magic" player, mainly because of self-imposed rules, I went for a "copy all the triggers" aproach and I must say that it's hilarious to pump 3 triggers dealing 20 damage and scrying 20 consistently.

[@Hexatomb]

Alibou is Ali-bae

[@Explosive371]

When I saw an Upping the Average for Alibou I half expected to see Matt's face for this week's episode.

[@xOptoger]

I just made this deck, how did they know?

[@RedCometNurse]

Another week, another request for Elsha of the Infinite for Upping the Average. Also, watched Chase's Alibou deck on Extra Turns. Holy crap was her deck BRUTAL! Alibou is going into my Breya Vehicles deck. Tap all the artifact creatures to crew those haste-y vehicles and then punish other players for it.

[@Lumautis]

With the heavy amount of scry I wonder if Goblin Charbelcher would be a good budget option.

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

It can work as kind of another burn tool, but it's kind of backwards, because you want to tap it *before* Alibou's triggered ability resolves.

[@thony_reis]

I felt like Weatherlight got in my way with the Alibou's scrys and its own "card selection" effect

[@joshuaordonez1113]

It does kinda stumble over itself. It does dig super hard for a specific card you may need or for some good key pieces if Alibou happens to not be on board

[@SmashAdams]

Ive had mycosynth lattice backfire when an opponent casts vandalblast overloaded

[@frankyphanthum]

My breakdown of alibou is a mix of artifact creatures mana rocks and pretty good utility because you gotta keep in mind artifact shut downs are going to inevitably be a big blowout

[@spurcalluth6300]

If you are playing a Mycosynth Lattice, you might as well run a Treasure Nabber as well.

[@AlexOvTheAbyss]

How exactly do Karn and Mycosynth Lattice work together, because I've heard conflicting things. I've heard it makes it so opponents can't tap lands for mana, that their creatures can't attack, and then that neither of those are true.

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Depends on which Karn, but yeah Karn, the Great Creator says activated abilities of artifacts your opponents control can't be activated. Mycosynth makes the lands artifacts, and tapping for mana is an activated ability. *Attacking* isn't an activated ability, so they can still do that, but otherwise it is horribly crippling.

[@AlexOvTheAbyss]

@@ChristopherSmithGPlus Ahh ok, so basically they can't tap for mana, but can attack and cast spells (assuming the spells are free)?

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

@@AlexOvTheAbyss Yeah, they can cast spells if they can find the mana. (There are also things that produce mana as triggered, rather than activated abilities.).

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Other nice side benefit of Karn, the Great Creator is you can return your exiled artifacts back to your hand.

[@HauntedOnee]

Loved the video Joey! I'm hoping I can persuade you into doing a Korvold redux?

[@Doxicyclin]

No gisela blade of goldknight? :D

[@yoitsgunattack]

what about an "upping the average kemba kha regent" it feels like that was an interesting deck that has an extremely fine balance between voltron and tribal that never really gets solved. I have been fine tuning my for about 6 years now and I have never seen anyone play the deck and truly have it flow perfectly.

[@rodgerlang884]

I have a question that keeps coming to my mind when I see Wear/Tear in any tech: why run that over Disenchant?

[@tlowndes2]

Because you can use it to destroy an artifact AND an enchantment.

[@crawdaddy1234]

No Lodestone Golem?

[@redhotchikapepr8978]

I have an upgraded Osgir deck myself but I have continually wanted to shift it to an Alibou since every time he gets played he starts slapping everyone on the table

[@didupaytheone2678]

It was a great games..u won like that lol..gg chase

[@PSroka]

can we getToski plz 🙏

[@monomanamaniac]

Don't take forsaken monument out! Combine it with basalt monolith for infinite mana, and there's a ton of colorless rocks that love it, and utility lands. It's a great card

[@okgut2033]

Alibou? More aliBOOM!!!! 😂

[@manu_j_]

Could you make a video about esix? It would fantastic!

[@kennethstagnolia7151]

First comment yes I’m glad you all did this commander

[@supernova86]

No darksteel forge?

[@EDHRECast]

Forge is already in the deck :)

[@supernova86]

@@EDHRECast Ahh crap xD Musta missed it! Good to hear :)

[@Strung0ut79]

Wait a seconndddddddd....

[@bamjo9]

I Love you!

[@GoyfAscetic]

Please up Mayael the Anima's average

[@nbblerxc]

its funny I just made my friend and Alibou vehicle deck

[@danjohnson1050]

Lost a bet and had to do a upping average on alabou deck lol

[@normified]

Its funny because this deck ONLY gets better with time. More artifact lands released, more artifacts that do cool shit when tapped...

[@frankyphanthum]

Forsaken monument is more for a different build of alibou in all honesty

[@reonyx6328]

Yeah thats why you remove the smothering tithe but wow not just mana but extra damage and infect ftw

[@reaumwingblade5783]

I can't believe you didn't give a mention to the Clock of Omens in the deck. its Literally like the best card

[@EDHRECast]

4:33 ;)

[@camfunme]

"We don't wanna play the big bads", not 2 mins later "turns out we always have mana to spare"..., confusing messaging. My playgroup has an Alibou in it, playign Kuldotha Forgemaster and Helm of the Host. For him: 1. Steel Hellkite with haste is an effective way to hate on your opponent, or remove hate pieces. 2. Reckless Fireweaver tends to do sneaky damage. 3. Hangarback Walker is a good pick for go-wide. 4. Basilisk's Collar, etc. give Alibou deathtouch to ping creatures early, and lifelink for a healthy late game life total.