We’re back to Nephilim this week, and now we’re going to be looking at the most interesting combat-oriented Nephilim, Glint-Eye Nephilim. It grows by discarding cards, and then draws you a card for each damage it does to your opponent. It’s clear that any deck using this creature is going to have to turn its obvious weakness into a strength.

So, how do you cheat a discard? That’s simple: play the spell anyway! Glint Eastwood is ready to fight and is taking no prisoners in this week's Raiding the Dollar Bins!

I want to thank all the readers that have been sticking with me these past three years. Raiding the Dollar Bins has been my labor of love since around this time 2005, and over the past few years, I’ve gotten some amazing suggestions through deathbybeebles@yahoo.com. If you have a suggestion or a deck idea that you’d like me to cover on Raiding the Dollar Bins, send me an email, or even a PM in the MDV forums. I’m glad to see what you guys have cooked up.

While I wait for those emails, it’s time to get back to work; but, as the old adage goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. That’s why, if you have a chance, check out the upcoming Eventide Release parties. The prerelease has just finished, and another weekend of Shadowmoor/Eventide sealed will never hurt anyone. Get out there and support your friendly local game store, and get a chance to win some great prizes.

Speaking of Eventide, I have to say that I’m fairly excited about all of the amazing cards that have been printed for casual players. For me, I’m especially excited about getting my hands on a few rares to build decks around. Both Evershrike and Crackleburr are just waiting to be abused. Along with all the fun rares, there are plenty of uncommons and commons that are quite good too! Check back to see some of those uncommons in action in my next Raiding the Dollar Bins Lite Edition.

This week, like I’ve already mentioned, we’re going to be working with Glint-Eye Nephilim. His discard ability is kind of a hinderance, so I’ve tried to make the best of a bad thing by using cards that would always like for you to discard them.

Please note the "Madness"...

Madness is the perfect tool to counteract the negatives of Glint-Eye Nephilim’s ability. You get to discard your cards, and play them too! I decided that the best way to do madness with this deck is to go straight for the jugular; Red cards all the way, burning your opponent while your creatures get ever stronger. Let’s take a look at the list.

This deck runs on a fairly simple concept: use your Nephilim and “discard” creatures to play your madness cards at low cost, and slowly eat away at your opponent’s life total. Glint-Eye Nephilim, the key creature of the deck, allows you to discard your madness cards and useless lands while pumping its stats. Whenever Glint-Eye connects, you are going to be drawing a whole new mitt-full of cards, which allows you to continue the vicious cycle until your opponent croaks.

Glint-Eye Nephilim can’t hold the game by itself though, so I’ve taken the liberty of adding other creatures that can help you in your quest to discard cards. The most useful and combat-oriented of these cards is Aquamoeba. It can get you early madness with Fiery Temper to get in some early damage, and it’s a great discard outlet that works wonders for you until you can get a more powerful creature. Jaya Ballard, Task Mage just happens to be one of those “more powerful creatures.” Her three abilities are all very powerful, and there’s nothing better than paying for her Incinerate ability and discarding Fiery Temper to it for its madness cost. Cephalid Inkshrouder fills out the list of discarding creatures, and Reckless Wurm is a great madness creature that will often see a third turn play off of Aquamoeba.

For the other madness cards in the deck, I decided to stick with the older Torment cards (which included all the colors) instead of the new Time Sprial Black madness. Violent Eruption and Fiery Temper are both great spells that keep the board clear for your Nephilim to get through some damage, and Circular Logic is an amazing counterspell that keeps opposing players on their toes.

Instead of using mana fixing cards, I’ve decided to try a different route with this deck. I’ve chosen Accumulated Knowledge and Deep Analysis as card drawers that will allow you to fill up your hand and find the lands you need quickly. Terramorphic Expanse will still allow you to find the lands you need throughout the game, but you should be able to draw into the Swamps and Forests for the Nephilim just through your drawing power.

Things to Remember

1) Reckless Wurm also has Flash, so use it as a surprise blocker. Well, technically it doesn’t have flash; however, if you discard it to your Aquamoeba during your opponent’s declare attackers step, you can play it for its madness cost and then block with it. So in a way, you can play it as an instant (provided you can discard it). Trick your opponents to get some card advantage with this little trick.

2) In the early game, discarding Deep Analysis can be key. Discarding Deep Analysis is never a waste, because of its impressive flashback cost. For 1U and three measly life, you can get an extra two cards, giving you the boost you need to get that Nephilim on the board on turn four or five.

3) You can still play your madness cards at retail cost. Just because they have madness doesn’t mean that you always HAVE to use them for madness. If you are having a hard time and cannot get any discard creatures, playing your madness spells as regular spells may be your key to victory.

Card Suggestions

The new Hybrid lands from Shadowmoor block are quite nice, especially now that the opposing mana lands have come out in Eventide. I’d try out Graven Cairns and Fire-Lit Thicket, or perhaps Flooded Grove and Sunken Depths. If you’ve got ‘em, use ‘em.

If you find that you need more mana fixing for the deck, I suggest using cards like Pentad Prism or Prismatic Lens. Pentad Prism is an especially good card because it not only fixes your mana, but it also accelerates it, giving you a possible Nephilim on turn 3. Not a bad way to start the game, if you ask me.

That’s all for this week. Until next time, check out those dollar bins. You’ll never know what you might find.

~Death_By_Beebles

Alex Hoffman has been parading around with the pseudonym of Death_By_Beebles for three years now. He’s a writer for Magic Deck Vortex, and can often be found tinkering with his latest decks and studying for biochemistry. He is the author of Raiding the Dollar Bins and Going Blind series at MDV, and the recent startup series Pauper Chronicles. Alex likes kittens, reading, and generally enjoying life. He doesn’t like Brussels sprouts. You can send him deck ideas, combos and suggestions at deathbybeebles@yahoo.com.

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A Fresh Perspective: Stasis - Part One.
The Apprentice Magician - Part Six.
Design on a Dime: The Lunch Meat Edition!
Fit the Flavor 2008 - FINALE!
The Games People Play - Market & EDH.
More Evil Than Evil.
Pauper Chronicles: Top O' the Morningtide to You!
Sarpadian Empires, Vol VII: Foreword.
Words from the Streetz: Uncommon and Common Magical Treasures.
The Writers Guild: The Inside Scoop.