Hey all, long time lurker first time poster.

I've been playing with modifying my old Grixis control build from last season to include Drake Haven. Here's what I have so far:

3x Fatal Push
2x Pull From Tomorrow
3x Censor
4x Take Inventory
4x Cathartic Reunion

3x Sphinx's Tutelage
2x Drake Haven
2x Fevered Visions
2x Forgotten Creation
2x Dynavolt Tower

2x Cut // Ribbons
2x Never // Return
2x Dark Intimations

3x Mountain
3x Island
3x Swamp
2x Wandering Fumerole
2x Smoldering Marsh
2x Sunken Hollow
2x Drowned Catacomb
2x Sulfer Falls
2x Dragonskull Summit
3x Aether Hub

While I am posting the deck partially to ask for suggestions, the main point of creating this topic is broader: Where is the best place for Drake Haven? Last season's build of this deck was pure Grixis control, with no Tutelage sub theme and the Planeswalkers and big bombs of the colors as the win conditions. Now I feel like I'm taking it in too many directions at once. Is Tutelage the problem? If I'm playing Drake Haven, should I be going more towards a lean madness burn build?

Here are the changes that I am thinking of in that case:
-2x Dark Intimations -- Looking at this now I'm not sure why I included it in the first place.
-3x Tutelage -- This deck has way too many 3 drop enchantments/artifacts it wants to play.
-2x Forgotten Creation -- While THE DREAM is to curve out into this immediately after playing Drake Haven and just keep making Drakes forever, it hasn't worked out so well in practice. Major removal magnet.


+3x Fiery Temper
+2x Key to the City
+3x Enigma Drake


Does anyone have any thoughts? Have you all had any success with Drake Haven? I want to use it because it's just so conceptually cool, but I also don't know if it's that good in practice. It always seems that I'm holding up the mana for removal or Censor instead of wanting to pay it for a 2/2 Drake. Is adding Enigma Drake just a bad idea?

I've played Drake Haven in a dimir madness shell, and a Grixis recursion shell. I've been happy with it in both.

Here's the Grixis version:
My Archfiend Drake


I think it's best when your deck has digging/filtering that will help you draw it, but doesn't need it to win. Like it should be A win con, but not The win con.


I can't speak for any of these (not having played them myself), but here are some more takes from the constructed subforum:

Izzet Drakes w/ gameplay footage: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18720

A few different Grixis takes in this tread: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18606

A few more Grixis lists (with zombies): viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18662

An Esper version: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18674

A Jeskai version: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18597

Another Grixis version: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18616

My Dimir Ifnir/Haven build is as good as any other of my builds build in the ladder viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18662&hilit=ifnir+haven#p559051

And also the Izzet one, which is quite similar to a Reid Duke's build: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=18538&p=555063&hilit=izzet+drakes#p555063

Both are good, imo

my drake haven deck was a strict upgrade to my cathartic reunion, haunted dead, scrapheap, lightning axe, key to the city madness deck.

its great on turn 4 to call a haunted dead from the graveyard for 5/5 flying power and toughness over 3 bodies and a 2/2

or to key away your worst card for a 2/2 flyer and then draw a card next turn for just 3 mana...

I'm glad you said it, because that was my first thought. The deck looks good (not my style, but objectively good) but you have much better options than that card. It's the only "must cut" in the list imo.