EDH Evolution: Listening to Licia - Initial Deck Build
- Benjamin Thomas
- Feb 3, 2019
- 3 min read
The EDH Evolution Series memorializes the life of an EDH deck. It starts with the initial build, continues through gameplay in the pod, and ends when the deck is dismantled. Listening to Licia series focuses on the Mardu Commander Licia, Sanguine Tribune.
Why Licia, Sanguine Tribune
I wanted to play a life gain deck. Specifically, I wanted interactive, in-your-face life gain. I didn't want to collect one and two points of life here and there. I wanted my life total to jump by numbers so large it would elicit panicked whispers from my opponents. I thought I could accomplish that with Licia, Sanguine Tribue. I was correct.
Building Licia, Sanguine Tribune for Speed
The full and current Deckstats page is here. I also keep my personal notes there. Hopefully, this series is a less boring consolidation of those notes.
After assembling Mardu the shell, I started with the following deck building cores.
Life Gain Effects
Spending Life
Effects on Life Gain
I started with life gain core by selecting a basic "staples" from the Licia and Life gain EDHRec pages. I quickly came to the conclusion that my own understanding and the examples were wrong. The deck wasn't casting Licia quickly enough. (If you would like to follow along in Deckstats, I started computer goldfishing the deck by at revision 15.)
To bring Licia out earlier, I removed effects that wouldn't always occur in my first main or combat phase. These removals included Sangromancer; Suture Priest, and Blood Artist. I brought in cards that gained life anytime on my turn prior to my second main phase. These additions included Agent of Masks; Danitha Capashen, Paragon; and Gisela, the Broken Blade.
After even more computer goldfishing, I determined my changes still were not enough. I wanted Licia on the board on turn 5 or earlier. To achieve that, I started looking for life gain on turns three, four, and five. It was also clear that the mana base needed updating.
The next set of substitutions corrected the mana fixing problem and dialed up the early game life gain even more. This time I stuck my hand deep into the ScryFall barrel and pulled out non-creature effects too. In came Chaplain's Blessing; Healing Grace; Healing Salve; Lightning Helix, and my new favorite Hide//Seek. I started goldfishing the deck on the computer again at revision 17.
The benchmarks from revision 17 were much better. The average turn Licia hit the board dropped from 6.9 to 4.5. I even saw a few turn 3 casts. The initial build was ready, I loaded up a TCGPlayer cart for the cards I didn't own. Play testing would tell me where I needed to go next.
Licia's First Game - 12/01/18
No paper goldfishing prior to its maiden run. It came off the shelf unexpectedly. It was one of those games that really shouldn't have even started. You know the type. The game that starts at 2:00 am because everyone has had just enough alcohol to convince themselves that starting one more game is a good idea.
A friend borrowed my Arahbo, Roar of the World deck for this game. (Deckstats link) I don't normally enjoy lending out my decks for multiple reasons, but it did mean that I wouldn't be playing the fastest deck at the table. My Arahbo deck hits opponents fast, hard, and immediately. An Edgar Markov and Odric, Lunarch Marshal deck took the other two seats.
Seated across from me, piloted by my friend, my Arahbo deck almost took out the Edgar Markov deck to my left with infect. He drew into the Lost Leonin, Sword of Feast and Famine, Rogue's Passage combo.
Rather than wait to be his next victim, I used a Boros Charm to knock him out with commander damage. After the dust settled, both my remaining opponents teamed up and pulled me from the top of the mountain. Licia stood tall for a bit . Even with an Edgar and Odric deck bearing down upon her, Licia was able to hold them back 3 turns by gaining around 40, 60, and 80 life on consecutive turns. I just couldn't find the combo pieces to close the game out with that kind of life pool. No Aetherflux Reservoir, no combo pieces, no trample. After the Odric deck took me out my opponents high fived each other and scooped up their cards.
Licia is going to be a fun deck to pilot. There are going to be several ways to close out games. The fun will be figuring out which is most effective to the current situation.
I'll keep you posted on how it goes,
Benjamin Thomas
This was a really engaging post and I enjoyed learning more about the initial build and creative direction behind the project. I like how the article highlights the process, dedication, and attention to detail involved because those elements are what make creative work feel authentic and memorable. Content like this gives readers a better appreciation for the effort and vision required to turn ideas into something meaningful and visually impactful. It is interesting how craftsmanship and strong presentation are valued not only in creative projects but also in fashion and personal style where quality materials and timeless design matter. People who appreciate refined style and durability often look for options like a premium black leather coat mens collection, which combines premium…
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This really resonates with me — that moment of realizing your deck isn't hitting fast enough and having to rethink everything from the ground up is such a universal deckbuilding experience. One of the best sentence starters for essays on Commander strategy is "After testing, I discovered..." because that iterative mindset is exactly what separates good brews from great ones, and your jump from a 6.9 to 4.5 average cast turn through disciplined goldfishing is a perfect example of that in action. The decision to swap out slower triggers like Blood Artist for guaranteed early life gain in cards like Gisela shows real self-awareness about what the deck actually needed versus what felt thematically cool. And that chaotic 2am maiden…
This is such a relatable build journey — that moment when you realize your deck isn't casting the commander fast enough and you have to rethink everything from scratch really hits home. The iterative goldfishing process you described, dropping Licia's average cast turn from 6.9 to 4.5, is exactly the kind of methodical refinement that separates good deckbuilding from great deckbuilding. Honestly, it reminds me of how I approach complex assignments — whether it's optimizing a Commander deck or working through legal case studies with help from a Law Assignment Writing Service UK, the key is always testing, adjusting, and not being afraid to cut what isn't working. That late-night maiden game sounds chaotic in the best way, and the…
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