Beauty stolen: Witch hunters and the black market trade

Witch hunters, throughout history, have often been depicted as fearsome figures who ruthlessly convicted and executed individuals accused of witchcraft. They have been portrayed as individuals driven by fear and superstition, carrying out their grim duties without remorse. However, overlooked in the shadow of these notorious witch hunters is a tragic tale of stolen beauty. In many instances, women accused of witchcraft were selected by these witch hunters based on their appearance. It was believed that witches possessed a sinister beauty that allowed them to enchant and bewitch those around them. This concept stemmed from the idea that a woman's physical beauty was dangerous and could lead men astray.

I could be wrong, but I think Arcane Adaptation is usually better than Xenograft. I think Maskwood Nexus is also better. I think you could find much better cards than Ugluk, including many that are lower to the ground. Foray of Orcs is not very high impact for the mana when there are cards that can just remove any creature for less mana, or cards like Fateful Showdown for similar. I would even play Fire Covenant over it. Torment of Golum sounds to me like an outright bad card, ymmv, but I think you can find something that works similar for less. I'm also unsure if Surrounded by Orcs is worth casting, adding only 3 power isn't very impressive, and if the army dies you lose the buff forever.

Essence Flux Dauthi Voidwalker are also really great here, some Reanimator pieces like Reanimate , Animate Dead Necromancy could help maximize on Xander s 2nd triggered ability. You can certainly shave some lands if you add more ramp sources, though I wouldn t go below 36 lands with a 6 mana Commander that needs 3 colours to cast.

This concept stemmed from the idea that a woman's physical beauty was dangerous and could lead men astray. As a result, countless innocent women who were deemed too beautiful or intriguing were accused of witchcraft and subjected to brutal trials. Their beauty became their downfall, as they were seen as threats to society simply due to their physical appearance.

Talisman of Dominance

: Add or . Talisman of Dominance deals 1 damage to you.

sprink7 on HELP! NEWB DECKBUILDER CANT FIGURE IT OUT -Toxrill

1 week ago

Some simple swaps I'd recommend which are low budget (I think?). These are things that directly serve the same purpose, but better.

Armilliary Sphere => Thaumatic Compass Flip Thaumatic Compass serves the purpose you're using the sphere for, probably?, but with the bonus of extending in strength into the mid to late game as it turns into a Maze of Ith.

Sign in Blood => Tezzeret's Gambit 1 more mana, but proliferate and easier mana requirement. Or two more mana and no life cost.

Sisay's Ring => Thran Dynamo Self explanatory.

Fleetfeather Sandels => Swiftfoot Boots Hexproof is usually better than flying. The Equip cost is lower.

Leaden Myr => Dimir Signet Doesn't die to the next field wipe, which could be yours.

Some general cuts that are either working against you, not doing enough, or just to make space for other things. Cuts:

• Crowded Crypt (Meh mana rock, not stellar token maker)
• Illness in the Ranks (kills your slugs, could be kept with the right win cons)
• Infernal Genesis (too expensive, opponents get to use it first)
• Genesis Chamber (expensive, gives opponents creatures before you)
• Gifted Aetherborn (too small, low impact)
• Royal Assassin (Same)
• Cabal Ritual (-1 card for speed. Gotta get a lot out of this for it to be in deck.)
• Dark Ritual (Same)
• Mana Leak (Great early game, but dead draw midway and on usually.)
• Dispel (Good enough, but I needed to make space)
• Fuel for the Cause (Same)
• Dramatic Reversal (I don't see a combo with this in deck)
• Morbid Opportunist (slow draw)
• Altar's Reap (I don't see enough excess creatures until commander is in play, so you might as well turn it into a draw engine instead, see below)
• Village Rites (Same)

Add: 6 lands. Duals are preferable, but basics are just fine as well. Harvester of Souls (draw engine) Vampiric Rites (draw engine) Mass Diminish (wipe) Mirkwood Bats (win con) Zulaport Cutthroat (win con) Bastion of Remembrance (win con) 2+ Mana rocks from list below

Slightly Higher cost stuff that goes really well with what you're doing.

• Black Sun's Zenith => Infest (It's better usually, even at 3 mana)
• Massacre Wurm => Vampire Nighthawk (Vampire is good enough, just not pulling weight at this point)
• Asinine Antics => Grim Affliction (Another Polymorphist's Jest, but permanent)
• Skullclamp => Slum Reaper (You already kill everything consistently, and this gives a S* load of draw) (Add a Trinket Mage to tutor it)

DreadKhan on Sauron The Grixis Lord

2 weeks ago

If you want to keep your budget fairly low, there are the signets ( Rakdos Signet , Izzet Signet , and Dimir Signet ) and the talismans ( Talisman of Dominance , Talisman of Indulgence , and Talisman of Creativity ) to start with, but Grixis has access to a really good new option, Relic of Sauron , which I think is great. I'm not sure if it's really a good card, but Firemind Vessel exists. There is also Myriad Landscape , which can find a colour you don't have yet (and gets 2 of that colour). An option if you keep your fairly high (which is fine btw) land count would be to replace a land with Temple of the False God .

Since you actually need to ramp a few times from 3 mana to cast Sauron, you might run something weird like Dreamscape Artist , that can help get you to Sauron mana to get your deck online, including fixing your mana. It's incredibly janky, but Apprentice Wizard can help cast Sauron's colourless cost.

I could be wrong, but I think Arcane Adaptation is usually better than Xenograft. I think Maskwood Nexus is also better. I think you could find much better cards than Ugluk, including many that are lower to the ground. Foray of Orcs is not very high impact for the mana when there are cards that can just remove any creature for less mana, or cards like Fateful Showdown for similar. I would even play Fire Covenant over it. Torment of Golum sounds to me like an outright bad card, ymmv, but I think you can find something that works similar for less. I'm also unsure if Surrounded by Orcs is worth casting, adding only 3 power isn't very impressive, and if the army dies you lose the buff forever.

You can certainly shave some lands if you add more ramp sources, though I wouldn't go below 36 lands with a 6 mana Commander that needs 3 colours to cast. You can sneak that lower with a better mana base, but that increases the cost. If you lower your land count to 36, you could also look at the Guild Bounce lands, Dimir Aqueduct , Rakdos Carnarium and Izzet Boilerworks , each of these is a dual land that is cheap and helps you hit more land drops. They aren't great if you have lots of 'Enters tapped' lands, but without mostly Basics they are solid in a 3 colour deck. Guildless Commons also exists, but in a 3 colour deck I'd be more leery of it.

Azoth2099 on Xander's Nightmare Roulette

3 weeks ago

Hey man, have you considered adding more rituals & mana rocks to this list? With the Commander being a 7-drop, you need all the mana you can get.

Essence Flux & Dauthi Voidwalker are also really great here, & some Reanimator pieces like Reanimate , Animate Dead & Necromancy could help maximize on Xander's 2nd triggered ability.

E a r _ W y r m on Shadow in the East

1 month ago

omnath_or_azusa As far as the Orc Army goes, I cut a lot of the amass to focus on the ring tempting as it really fuels the deck to always have cards. I cut the siegemaster specifically to be replaced by Morgul-Knife as the trample and lifelink are much more useful and can be given to my Nazgul as well. I have only one Bow Master, and while it would certainly be good to add, I don't feel that it synergizes super well with the direction I went with the deck.

There are a few others like Shipwreck Marsh , Talisman of Dominance , Succumb to Temptation and a few others. Endless Evil synergizes extremely well with Nazgul as they all get bigger faster the more of them you have. It also is a nod to the persistent evil of Sauron, though it will likely be cut as the November LotR boxes will have some additional new cards the deck would love.

I've not really done a ton of other precon upgrades where it sticks to such ridged themes. This one is something of a restriction anomaly as I have long been a LotR fan, and trying to keep the deck to that as a theme has been both flavorful and fun for me as an odd restriction.

I'm glad you like my builds, they have been fun for me and keeping them fairly organized and detailed has definitely made it easier to tweak and refine the decks. I do like the suggestion of sorting each category by Converted cost, I think you are right that it will help. I'm gonna make that change now!

L a s t _ L a u g h on Wilhelt and Sheoldred unite!

1 month ago

Plumb the Forbidden over Read the Bones. Instant speed makes this card.

Feed the Swarm is your only answer to enchantments in black.

azja on yuriko edh 500

2 months ago

Hey thanks again for your comments on my primer :)

A few suggestions I have:

1. Replace 2 mana enablers with weak/no abilities (such as Dimir Infiltrator and Gurmag Swiftwing ) with 1 mana enablers (like Gudul Lurker ) or stronger 2 mana enablers (i.e., Baleful Strix , Augury Owl ).
2. Replace 3 mana ramp (like Basalt Monolith , Dimir Locket ) with 2 mana ramp (i.e., Dimir Signet or Talisman of Dominance ).
3. Soft permission spells such as Spell Pierce and Mana Leak are usually weak in budget/lower-powered pods because the games go longer. Some potential replacements could be Misdirection , Drown in the Loch .
4. Cancel , Murder , Hero's Downfall , Perplex , Connive / Concoct and Rite of Undoing seem quite weak to me. Some budget-friendly cards I like that you might want to play are Curtains' Call , Portent , Far / Away , Discovery / Dispersal , Submerge , and Murderous Cut .

Good luck in your tournament!

N e m e s i s on Sharuum's Salvaged Strikeforce

2 months ago

thefiresoflurve on Praetor Tribal

3 months ago

Drop your ramp spells Cultivate and friends, replace with Dimir Signet / Talisman of Dominance cycles of mana rocks. With your land base being what it is, you're a lot more likely to be able to cast artifacts.

Additionally, if you replace your ramp spells, there's no longer any reason to run basics and you can replace them with good duals like the Sea of Clouds cycle (commander simp card).

Since you actually need to ramp a few times from 3 mana to cast Sauron, you might run something weird like Dreamscape Artist , that can help get you to Sauron mana to get your deck online, including fixing your mana. It's incredibly janky, but Apprentice Wizard can help cast Sauron's colourless cost.

The irony lies in the fact that these accused witches were often not practitioners of magic or involved in any nefarious activities. They were merely victims of prejudice and manipulated by those in power. It is disheartening to think about the countless lives and potential that were lost due to the vanity and fear-driven motivations of witch hunters. These women, robbed of their beauty and ultimately their lives, had no means to defend themselves against baseless accusations. They were sentenced based on the whims and biases of those in authority, shattering their lives and leaving behind a legacy of injustice. In examining the history of witch hunts, it becomes evident that this stolen beauty was not limited to physical appearance alone. These women were also stripped of their identities, their voices silenced, and their stories forgotten. The impact of witch hunters extended far beyond their physical persecution and forever altered the lives of these accused individuals. It is important to remember that the concept of beauty is subjective and should never be used as a basis for persecution or discrimination. The tragic tale of stolen beauty serves as a reminder of the dangers of prejudice and the need for empathy and understanding. By recognizing and challenging such biases, we can strive to create a more just and compassionate society, in which no one's beauty or identity is weaponized against them..

Reviews for "Caught in the crossfire: One woman's encounter with witch hunters"

1. John - 1 star

As a fan of fantasy novels, I was excited to dive into "Witch Hunters Stolen Beauty." However, I found myself sorely disappointed. The plot lacked depth and failed to engage me from the start. The characters were one-dimensional, and their actions felt predictable. The writing style was also quite dull, with little descriptive imagery or captivating dialogue. Overall, this book fell short of my expectations, and I wouldn't recommend it to fellow fantasy lovers.

2. Sarah - 2 stars

While "Witch Hunters Stolen Beauty" had an interesting concept, the execution left much to be desired. The pacing was incredibly slow, and it took far too long for the story to pick up and become engaging. Additionally, the world-building was lacking, and I found myself confused about certain aspects of the magical system and the history of the witch hunters. The main character, despite being portrayed as strong and independent, often made foolish decisions that left me frustrated. Overall, this book had potential but failed to deliver an enjoyable reading experience.

3. Emma - 2 stars

I had high hopes for "Witch Hunters Stolen Beauty," but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The writing felt disjointed, with abrupt transitions and inconsistent pacing. I struggled to connect with the characters, as their motivations and emotions were not well-developed. The romance aspect of the story felt forced and unrealistic, detracting from the overall plot. Despite the interesting premise, this book failed to hold my attention, and I found myself losing interest as the story progressed. Overall, I was left feeling disappointed by this lackluster fantasy novel.

The stolen beauty conspiracy: Witch hunters unmasked