<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kheru Goldkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kheru Goldkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://vargasni.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randy Vargas</a></em></p>
<p>Today I'm tackling a commander that I've wanted to do for a while, ever since <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> came out. When I was reviewing this set I immediately singled out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kheru Goldkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kheru Goldkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a unique Pauper commander that does a few things I've never seen before.</p>
<h2>What Does Kheru Goldkeeper Do?</h2>
<p>First, it mixes graveyard and artifact strategies. Technically, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kheru Goldkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kheru Goldkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't say anything about artifacts, but it makes Treasure tokens, and that really incentives us to lean into some cards that trigger off of artifacts being created or sacrificed. Second, it asks us to remove cards from our graveyard. That's pretty unusual, as most cards you see care about cards entering your graveyard, or dying in some way. Thanks to these oddities, building around this commander is going to be quite the interesting challenge. So let's see what's up.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kheru Goldkeeper"></div></div>
<p>Let's get our priorities in order. We need cards in our graveyard. Then we need cards that remove either themselves or other cards from the graveyard. After that, we want some stuff that takes advantage of the artifacts we're making. We could just use the Treasures for more mana, but that'd be boring, and I'm certain there's some advantage to be gained from treating this like an artifact deck, so I'm gonna insist on it. Finally, we need a way to win with all this stuff. That's the part I'm most concerned about, but we'll figure it out when we get there.</p>
<h2>Self Mill</h2>
<p>Milling ourselves is pretty simple. I'm fond of cards that sit around and do their thing, like:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of Halaster" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of Halaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crawling Infestation" href="#" target="_blank">Crawling Infestation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronic Flooding" href="#" target="_blank">Chronic Flooding</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Bloody Tome" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Bloody Tome</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p>Yes, there's the risk of that Curse just killing us, but I'm sure it's a risk we can take. Yeah, I totally won't regret casting that on myself. But anyways, we've also got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deranged Assistant" href="#" target="_blank">Deranged Assistant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghoulcaller&#039;s Bell" href="#" target="_blank">Ghoulcaller&#039;s Bell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a bit more, and if we really need some cards in the graveyard ASAP, we can cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tome Scour" href="#" target="_blank">Tome Scour</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of the Bloody Tome"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deranged Assistant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tome Scour"></div></div>
<h2>Triggering Kheru Goldkeeper</h2>
<p>Next up, cards leaving the graveyard. Ok, I can think of several ways to do that. The first is exiling cards from graveyards. Basically, we're just gonna play a bunch of graveyard hate cards, and then use them on our own graveyard.</p>
<p>But because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kheru Goldkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kheru Goldkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> says "One or more cards," <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tormod&#039;s Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Tormod&#039;s Crypt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is no good here. We don't want to sacrifice our entire graveyard for just one Treasure token, now do we? Instead, we'll happily take <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Progenitus" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Progenitus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which we can tap every turn to produce a Treasure. Does that mean it's basically just a one-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that's fueled by our graveyard? Yes, but when we get some cards that trigger off of artifacts entering, it'll prove to be quite strong. We'll also run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merrow Bonegnawer" href="#" target="_blank">Merrow Bonegnawer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the same purpose.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relic of Progenitus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merrow Bonegnawer"></div></div>
<p>We can also trigger our commander by returning cards from our graveyard to our hand, and that's certainly more efficient than exiling cards. So I quickly started adding cards that would return targets. But what I noticed was that there were a lot of instants and sorceries that returned creatures, and a lot of creatures that returned instants and sorceries. Huh. Well, the solution here is pretty obvious. We can't run either group exclusively, so we'll just run both sets of cards, and then they can return each other. It means the cards are less likely to have targets than if we were able to run creatures that returned creatures, but we can't do that, so this'll work just fine.</p>
<p>We'll even throw in some sacrifice outlets so that we can get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> style cards into the graveyards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mnemonic Wall" href="#" target="_blank">Mnemonic Wall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can return <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revive the Shire" href="#" target="_blank">Revive the Shire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can return <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shipwreck Dowser" href="#" target="_blank">Shipwreck Dowser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can return <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pulse of Murasa" href="#" target="_blank">Pulse of Murasa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can return <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Salvager of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Salvager of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can return <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Manipulation" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Manipulation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can return <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mnemonic Wall" href="#" target="_blank">Mnemonic Wall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Perfect!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archaeomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mnemonic Wall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Manipulation"></div></div>
<p>Finally, the best way to trigger our commander is with flashback and unearth. Both of these are great mechanics that can actually have more of an effect than just making a treasure. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otherworldly Gaze" href="#" target="_blank">Otherworldly Gaze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can mill us a bit, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eviscerator&#039;s Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Eviscerator&#039;s Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Think Twice" href="#" target="_blank">Think Twice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can draw us some cards. One of my personal favorites is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moment&#039;s Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Moment&#039;s Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that will catch our opponents unaware one time, then ward them away for a long while afterwards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dream Twist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eviscerator&#039;s Insight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moment&#039;s Peace"></div></div>
<h2>How to Win With Kheru Goldkeeper</h2>
<p>Now that we've got a solid engine triggering our commander over and over again, let's try and take advantage of those artifacts, and maybe turn all that cycling into a win.</p>
<p>Now what can we do with Treasures? We can sacrifice them to cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Reckoner&#039;s Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Card advantage is always fantastic, and this is a pretty good way to do it. But usually artifact decks will use cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Fireweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Fireweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to turn Treasures into raw damage. We can do something similar with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of the Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of the Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; it's a bit slower, but it still gets the job done.</p>
<p>And because Treasures are tokens, we can also use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Bats" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Bats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nadier&#039;s Nightblade" href="#" target="_blank">Nadier&#039;s Nightblade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to thrash our opponents life totals.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Dispute"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirkwood Bats"></div></div>
<p>And with all of that ready, we can just toss in some ramp and removal, and call it good!</p>
<h2>Is This Kheru Goldkeeper pEDH Deck Good?</h2>
<p>Ok, so as you were reading this article, I'm sure you noticed a bit of a flaw with this deck. The whole thing is built around spending two mana to cast something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raise the Draugr" href="#" target="_blank">Raise the Draugr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and return a creature to hand, making a Treasure that sacrifices itself for one mana. Do you see the problem? Yeah, half the time, we're spending upwards of three mana to make one. The term "spinning your wheels" applies to this deck. I've crafted a library around triggering our commander purely to trigger our commander. A few good cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Progenitus" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Progenitus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make us free mana, but most of the cards in this deck do nothing but make mana disappear.</p>
<p>That being said, I don't think this deck is a complete wreck. While it does a lot of nothing, eventually, that nothing can be converted into card advantage and damage. And that's what wins games. I'm not certain that there's enough density of damage dealing cards in here to really be consistent, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Bats" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Bats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> absolutely can take us to victory. And because we're running so much recursion, our few important pieces are really difficult for our opponents to deal with.</p>
<p>In a long game, this deck really has a good shot.</p>


Brewing a Pauper Commander Deck With Kheru Goldkeeper

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress" href="#" target="_blank">Ultimecia, Time Sorceress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMikio+Masuda%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mikio Masuda</a></em></p>
<p>Five-mana Dimir legend, surveils two when it enters and attacks, yeah yeah, whatever. It has a transform cost for eight mana that you can activate if you exile eight cards from your graveyard. Is there anything interesting that this card does? What's the backside? 7/7, menace, ok cool. TAKE AN EXTRA TURN?! What the heck is this? Never before has it been possible to take an extra turn in pEDH (or Pauper Commander), as there's never been a common or uncommon card with that effect. But with the arrival of <em>Final Fantasy</em>, we've got a commander that can stretch time out for us.</p>
<p>Is thirteen mana and eight cards from our graveyard a good price to pay for an extra turn? Absolutely not. But come on, it's an extra turn. We've got the opportunity to do something never done before. So let's not waste any time!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress" href="#" target="_blank">Ultimecia, Time Sorceress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress"></div></div>
<p>Ok, so what exactly are we gonna do with Ultimecia? Well, we're gonna take as many extra turns as possible. What else would we do with her? Our goal here is just to trigger her ability over and over again. Once we do that, we'll just win with the insane advantage that extra turns give.</p>
<p>Conveniently, I instantly spotted an easy way to retrigger Ultimecia. Even though the card is designed to only do it's thing once, if we blink it while it's transformed, it'll go back to the front face, and then all we have to do to get that extra turn is retransform it. Simple enough, and there's no shortage of cards that'll do that for us. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displace" href="#" target="_blank">Displace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Time Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Time Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siren&#039;s Ruse" href="#" target="_blank">Siren&#039;s Ruse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a few others will do nicely. In total, we have eight cards that can be used to blink our commander, that range from the efficiency of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Flux" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Flux</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyskipper Duo" href="#" target="_blank">Skyskipper Duo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Flicker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Essence Flux"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyskipper Duo"></div></div>
<p>Now eight isn't a whole lot, and I did consider adding cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>to the mix. This is part of a trick I've used many times, and it involves casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then sacrificing the targeted creature, essentially replicating a blink effect. It basically doubles the amount of blink spells you can have in a blue-black deck, and the only cost is having to play some sacrifice outlets. But here we have enough card advantage to find our blink spells. And if not, we're running a few transmute tutors like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muddle the Mixture" href="#" target="_blank">Muddle the Mixture</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muddle the Mixture"></div></div>
<p>Still, the only thing we're doing is taking extra turns for an absurd cost, so it's not like we're losing a lot if we can't do that ten times.</p>
<h2>Fueling the Ultimecia Extra Turns Engine</h2>
<p>The next thing to figure out is how we're gonna get eight cards into our graveyard every time we want to activate Ultimecia. I thought it wouldn't be a difficult task, but consistent mill is surprisingly difficult to find in pEDH. Our commander surveils two cards every time it enters, so all we really need to do is find six more cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sage&#039;s Row Denizen" href="#" target="_blank">Sage&#039;s Row Denizen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would add two every time we blink our commander, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sinister Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sinister Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deranged Assistant" href="#" target="_blank">Deranged Assistant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could also do some work. But the only other thing we could really rely on would be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tome Scour" href="#" target="_blank">Tome Scour</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that's pretty inefficient.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sage&#039;s Row Denizen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deranged Assistant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tome Scour"></div></div>
<p>So after coming to the conclusion that I didn't really want to run a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pelargir Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Pelargir Survivor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I jumped to a solution I knew would work, even if it came with some downsides. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are absolutely incredible at milling. Get four of them on the board, and you can mill twelve cards every single turn. That's nuts! And as a little bonus, the numbers line up so that you'd only have to activate them twice to fuel our commander for three turns. Perfect!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div></div>
<p>But about that downside I mentioned. Because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are so reliant on each other, you need to absolutely guarantee that you're gonna find four of them every single game. Twenty-eight copies is my personal minimum. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem at all, because milling would be your primary game plan, but here, we're only using it to supplement our primary strategy of blinking our commander for extra turns. That means we're taking up a lot of space with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that we'd rather use on blink spells, or ramp.</p>
<p>The upsides of the Petitioners definitely outweigh the downsides, but it means we're gonna have to really make the most out of our other 43 cards, if we're running 31 lands. Sorry, 30 cards. We're using 13 slots for blink cards and tutors for blink. I think I want to use ten of those slots for ramp, and maybe five of them for card draw like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night&#039;s Whisper" href="#" target="_blank">Night&#039;s Whisper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Oh and another five for removal and stuff. Can't forget the important things in a deck! But that only leaves us ten cards for figuring out how to win.</p>
<h2>How Does Ultimecia, Time Sorceress Win?</h2>
<p>Yeah, we still have to do that. Believe it or not, taking extra turns over and over again doesn't actually win, it just annoys the heck out of our opponents. Luckily, I have a plan.</p>
<p>After it's transformed, our commander has seven power, a number that spells doom for our opponents in just three hits. And keep in mind that because we're taking an extra turn, our commander will be able to attack without summoning sickness. Then, we can blink it again, reactivate it, and attack on our next extra turn as well. The only thing we need to make this work is evasion, and Pauper has no shortage of spells that make a creature unblockable. These will all do the trick:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slip Through Space" href="#" target="_blank">Slip Through Space</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Distortion Strike" href="#" target="_blank">Distortion Strike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artful Dodge" href="#" target="_blank">Artful Dodge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="You Come to a River" href="#" target="_blank">You Come to a River</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slip Through Space"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artful Dodge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="You Come to a River"></div></div>
<h2>Ultimecia, Time Sorceress Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress - Pauper Commander" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ultimecia, Time Sorceress // Ultimecia, Omnipotent
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Blur
*1 Counterspell
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Displace
*1 Dizzy Spell
*1 Essence Flux
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Muddle the Mixture
*1 Perplex
*1 Planar Incision
*1 Siren&#039;s Ruse
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 You Come to a River
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archaeomancer
*1 Deranged Assistant
*1 Dreamscape Artist
*1 Mulldrifter
*28 Persistent Petitioners
*1 Sinister Starfish
*1 Skyskipper Duo
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Artful Dodge
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Distortion Strike
*1 Enter the Enigma
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Slip Through Space
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*15 Island
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*15 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>And with that, I think we've got a great deck. Ok, maybe great is too strong of a word. We've got a wild deck, that's for sure. It's more than capable of taking multiple extra turns in a row, cause once you have around ten mana on board, you can really get rolling. But is ten mana, four <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on board, a few blink spells, and a few unblockable spells in hand too much to ask? Yeah, totally. But who really cares? We're taking extra turns in Pauper. It's something that's never been done! We're really pioneering here.</p>
<p>We may be making our way to an Artic wasteland, but progress is progress.</p>


Ultimecia, Time Sorceress - Taking Extra Turns In Pauper Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jsraphael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joshua Raphael</a></em></p>
<p>Well, this is about the most up to date I've ever been in terms of new releases. As of the day I'm writing this, May 7th, the commander I'm doing a deck tech for hasn't even made it's way into the EDHREC database. But <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just too interesting to not write about immediately. She's just been spoiled for the new Final Fantasy Set, and while I don't know a single thing about Final Fantasy, I do know a good deckbuilding challenge when I see one. So lets dive right into this weird spellslinger commander.</p>
<h2>Shantotto, Tactician Magician</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shantotto, Tactician Magician"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the amount of mana spent to cast that spell. If X is 4 or greater, draw a card.</em></p>
<p>Ok, so I've done more than a few spellslinger commanders on this series. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adeliz, the Cinder Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Adeliz, the Cinder Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Third Path Iconoclast" href="#" target="_blank">Third Path Iconoclast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they're all blue-red commanders that care about casting noncreature spells. It's a pretty basic formula. All you need for those decks is a bunch of cheap instants and sorceries that can draw cards or buff your team or whatever is helpful. Then you get a bunch of creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that'll ping your opponents whenever you cast one of those spells. It's a pretty tried and true formula, but I've built it a few too many times at this point. I've gotten quite bored of the whole game plan, and I need a challenge.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balmor, Battlemage Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Third Path Iconoclast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kessig Flamebreather"></div></div>
<h2>How Is Shantotto Different From Other Izzet Spellslinger Decks?</h2>
<p>So that's why I was elated when my editor recommended that I check out Shantotto. Yes, at the surface level, it's just another Izzet spellslinger commander. But there's a bit more to it than that. Rather than request the usual one-drop suspects of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and all those other crummy cantrips, Shantotto wants us to play spells with mana value four or greater. That's certainly a big difference from what other commanders want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Preordain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<p>Shanotto doesn't technically require us to play big spells, but we draw a card whenever we do, and I'm certainly not one to turn down card advantage. Other than that, the only thing she does is get bigger when we play spells. But, man does she get a lot bigger. So let's build a deck around big noncreature spells and one big creature. I think that's pretty doable, and even if it's not, I'm sure it'll be interesting.</p>
<p>As with any big mana deck, the question is: how much? How big can our average mana value get before it becomes unmanageable? Well, there's a pretty clear minimum we have to follow. If we want to take advantage of our commander's ability throughout the game, we need to be drawing a four-drop every three cards or so. Because otherwise, our commander's ability is just gonna be a random bonus that occurs every once in a while. It would be like playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and only cloning a Dragon every other turn. We've got a cool commander, let's use it.</p>
<h2>Big Pauper Spells for Shantotto</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, there's a slight problem. I'm not sure if there are enough great four-drops to play in Pauper. Yeah, you've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pirate&#039;s Pillage" href="#" target="_blank">Pirate&#039;s Pillage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Score" href="#" target="_blank">Big Score</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are all fantastic, but I don't think there are 30+ four drops that are worth playing. I certainly don't want to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Airborne Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Airborne Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just to draw a card. There are a decent number of good cards though, so let's check those out first before giving up.</p>
<p>We've got plenty of card draw, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Behold the Multiverse" href="#" target="_blank">Behold the Multiverse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is worthwhile here. Then there's some red aggression in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Party" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Party</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hazardous Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Hazardous Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empty the Warrens" href="#" target="_blank">Empty the Warrens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Are Goblins particularly useful to us? Nah, but every deck needs chump blockers, and we'd rather create them with noncreature spells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unexpected Windfall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Behold the Multiverse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Party"></div></div>
<p>After that, we have to reach into five-mana spells. Luckily, there are a few that are great inclusions even if our commander didn't ask for it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lórien Revealed" href="#" target="_blank">Lórien Revealed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a handy card to have, early and late game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Fissure" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Fissure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can decimate a board state. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just makes a ridiculous amount of mana. Then, even more expensive than those is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Eight Mana? How could that possibly be worth it? Oh, hold up, it's got delve. Basically, it's castable for just a single mana. And it'll still trigger our commander! Right?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lórien Revealed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<h2>This Commander Got Nerfed</h2>
<p>Well, actually, there's something unusual about our commander that I've concealed. I said that Shantotto checks the mana value of your cards when deciding what X is, but actually, she checks how much mana is spent. That means that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't give Shantotto +8/+0, it gives Shantotto +1/+0 if you delve away all the generic mana. That's super disappointing, especially considering that Shantotto is one of the first commanders to be worded like this. I'm sure it was a balancing decision, but honestly the result of it is that Shantotto is extremely underpowered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<p>This is the reason that I haven't been including cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Normally, for a commander that checks mana value, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be great because it can be cast for less than its advertised cost, but still trigger an ability. But here, if we don't pay any mana, we don't get any value. This is also the reason that I'm not including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, despite it being one of the best spellslinger staples of all time. If it reduces a four-cost card to three mana, we just don't get the card draw from Shantotto.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meeting of Minds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Electromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mocking Sprite"></div></div>
<p>The most I can do to patch this deck up is add a ton of ramp and some stuff to make Shantotto unblockable, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artful Dodge" href="#" target="_blank">Artful Dodge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Maybe we'll also add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Battle Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Battle Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the mix, because double strike on our commander sounds pretty intimidating. But I think that's about all I can do. Unfortunately, all we have right now is a deck with an absurdly high average mana value, and a pretty lousy payoff for it. I know I made a comparison to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> earlier in this article, but anyone with eyes can see that drawing a card for casting a four-mana spell is not the same as making a copy of a Dragon for two mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firemind Vessel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artful Dodge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div></div>
<h2>Shantotto Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Shantotto, the Radical Lady" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Shantotto, Tactician Magician
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Behold the Multiverse
*1 Big Score
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Choking Tethers
*1 Counterspell
*1 Fling
*1 Foil
*1 Frantic Firebolt
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Into the Roil
*1 Izzet Charm
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Mizzium Skin
*1 Negate
*1 Psychotic Fury
*1 Raking Claws
*1 Resculpt
*1 Rewind
*1 Shadow Rift
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Teach by Example
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Trip Up
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Unfathomable Truths
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Brass Knuckles
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Firemind Vessel
*1 Hulldrifter
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Neurok Stealthsuit
*1 Sisay&#039;s Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Artful Dodge
*1 Assault Strobe
*1 Daring Discovery
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Distortion Strike
*1 Empty the Warrens
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Goblin War Party
*1 Hazardous Blast
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany
*1 Temporal Fissure
*1 Treason of Isengard
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Apprentice Wizard
*1 Goblin Electromancer
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Kiln Fiend
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Nivix Cyclops
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*19 Island
*18 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>I'm not gonna lie, this deck is hilariously bad. A lack of good four-drops wasn't even my biggest problem, because trying to take advantage of the four mana clause was just a terrible idea when the payoff is so bad. I think this deck would be better off if you just played a bunch of one-drops, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But then you should just play Balmor.</p>
<p>The one thing that could've saved this deck would've been <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the wording of Shantotto makes that card actively detrimental. I understand why the card is phrased like that, and it'll probably make some future legend much less abusable. But here, it just makes the commander mediocre.</p>


Does Shantotto Work as a Pauper Commander?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Ekaterina Burmak</em></p>
<p>A pauper EDH deck built around a commander who cares about high mana values? There's no way that would ever work, right? I've been assuming that's the case for months now, and I've stubbornly avoided this commander. I've built decks that desperately want high mana value cards before, and they've never worked out. Not once. Pauper just doesn't have enough strong, big spells. It doesn't matter if your Pauper deck makes a million mana; if the best thing to spend that mana on is an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Crusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you're not winning. But that's what happens when the big spells are your payoff. What if instead of them being the payoff, they were the strategy? You wouldn't need those spells to win the game, you'd just need them to carry you through it.</p>
<p>That's exactly what <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does. She gives every spell you cast with mana value six or greater cascade, so all you have to do is play big dudes, and you get rewarded. She offers the payoff of card advantage, and merely requires those large spells to create it. And while Pauper may not have game winning monsters, the format certainly has enough big stuff to fuel Imoti's game plan. So this might work out!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty"></div></div>
<h2>Big Spells to Play With Imoti</h2>
<p>We might as well start with the bulk of the deck. Which plus-size cards to use? Imoti requires us to play cards with mana value six, minimum, and since it's always best to keep our mana curve low, you'd think we'd want to play exclusively six-mana cards, and nothing larger. But if we did that, then the maximum mana value of a card we could hit with cascade would be five. And we don't want to play five-mana cards, because they don't trigger Imoti. So instead, our spells are going to cost anywhere from six to nine mana. That way, when we cast a seven-, eight-, or nine-mana spell, the chances of it cascading into another fairly sizeable spell go up significantly. Yeah, this strategy increases our average mana value, but it was gonna be huge anyways, so who cares? Don't worry, we'll have plenty of ramp to make up for it.</p>
<p>But what are the actual cards? How about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Annoyed Altisaur" href="#" target="_blank">Annoyed Altisaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? The more cascade, the better, right? Maybe we'll take the immense <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Crusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for that satisfying annihilator trigger. Perhaps we'll grab a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It of the Horrid Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">It of the Horrid Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because Eldrazi are just kind of menacing in general. There are at least a few big Pauper cards that do cool things, and these are all among them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="It of the Horrid Swarm"></div></div>
<p>But they won't make up the bulk of our horde. Instead, most of our cards are going to be spells that can be cast for six or more mana, but can also be used for much less. Think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorshell Crab" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorshell Crab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Yes, the card itself is a fearsome crab that would trigger Imoti, but earlier in the game, it can be used as a very effective counterspell.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has been printing cards like this left and right. Ever since <em>March of the Machine</em>, there's been a cycle of cards in every set that costs six or seven mana, but can be land-cycled for two. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Timberland Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Timberland Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Ent" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Ent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Topiary Panther" href="#" target="_blank">Topiary Panther</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidal Terror" href="#" target="_blank">Tidal Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all examples of this. And there's more, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword Coast Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Sword Coast Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that can go on an adventure, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krosan Tusker" href="#" target="_blank">Krosan Tusker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can find a basic land and draw a card when cycled.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrorshell Crab"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Timberland Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword Coast Serpent"></div></div>
<p>Then there are cards that will trigger Imoti, but won't actually cost us anything close to six mana. For example, there are the Eldrazi with emerge costs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wretched Gryff" href="#" target="_blank">Wretched Gryff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wretched Gryff" href="#" target="_blank">Wretched Gryff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be cast for it's emerge cost, minus the cost of a creature that you sacrifice. Essentially, what this means is that you can trigger Imoti, and cascade for a mana value of six, while only paying a single mana.</p>
<p>There are plenty more cards that have the same effect, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has delve, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Siege Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has convoke. Honestly, it's fairly easy to play cards for less than their advertised cost. Delve, convoke, affinity, emerge, and evoke are all ways that <em>Wizards</em> has made it possible to trigger Imoti for less than six mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wretched Gryff"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege Wurm"></div></div>
<h2>Top Deck Manipulation</h2>
<p>So that's pretty much a summary of the big cards we're playing. But there's another aspect of this deck that I think is underexplored: top deck manipulation. Of course, right? Cascade flips cards off the top of your library, so if you can stack the deck, you'll have much more success. So why is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not a staple of this deck? The ability to check what's on top before you cast a big spell is so incredibly handy, because you're optimizing your cascades by a significant percentage when you send an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the bottom of your deck in hopes of an Eldrazi. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does that for free, but I'm willing to pay one or two mana to do that that every turn with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Pendant" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Pendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seer&#039;s Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Seer&#039;s Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>And of course, we can run the classic cantrips, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The top of our deck will never be left to fate.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigiled Starfish"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Pendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<h2>Other Spells for Imoti</h2>
<p>The rest of the deck is some removal in the form of bounce spells and counters, and a heck of a lot of ramp, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama&#039;s Reach" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama&#039;s Reach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and all the mana rocks we can run. We're even playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Aberration" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Aberration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is overkill in almost every situation, but is fairly fitting here. We certainly don't want to be running out of mana when our average mana value is... 4.12?! Damn, that's pretty high. But whatever, this deck can handle it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama&#039;s Reach"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampant Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elvish Aberration"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Counterspell
*1 Eureka Moment
*1 Growth Spiral
*1 Negate
*1 Opt
*1 Scour from Existence
*1 Unsummon
*1 Vapor Snag
*1 You Find the Villains&#039; Lair
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Aethersnipe
*1 Annoyed Altisaur
*1 Coiling Oracle
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Elvish Aberration
*1 Etherium Spinner
*1 Fierce Empath
*1 Gearseeker Serpent
*1 Generous Ent
*1 Greater Sandwurm
*1 Greater Tanuki
*1 It of the Horrid Swarm
*1 Krosan Drover
*1 Krosan Tusker
*1 Llanowar Visionary
*1 Maelstrom Colossus
*1 Mirrorshell Crab
*1 Orchard Strider
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Siege Wurm
*1 Sigiled Starfish
*1 Slavering Branchsnapper
*1 Snapping Voidcraw
*1 Spire Golem
*1 Sword Coast Serpent // Capsizing Wave
*1 Tangle Golem
*1 Thunderhead Squadron
*1 Tidal Terror
*1 Timberland Ancient
*1 Topiary Panther
*1 Ulamog&#039;s Crusher
*1 Walker of the Grove
*1 Will-Forged Golem
*1 Wretched Gryff
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Darksteel Pendant
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Edge of Autumn
*1 Elven Farsight
*1 Energy Tap
*1 Explore
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Preordain
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rush of Knowledge
*1 Serum Visions
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aqueous Form
*1 Utter Insignificance
*1 Witness Protection
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*15 Forest
*16 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Tranquil Thicket
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>What do you think of this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> list? Is this finally a Pauper deck that thrives with high mana values? Or does it fall victim to all the typical problems that an average mana value of four would face? It's a pretty ridiculous deck when you think about it, given that it waits till turn five to do anything really significant. But there's certainly a lot of power in there. What's your opinion?</p>


Alejandro Fuentes

Alejandro Fuentes

Brewing a Pauper Commander Deck With Kheru Goldkeeper

Ultimecia, Time Sorceress - Taking Extra Turns In Pauper Commander

Does Shantotto Work as a Pauper Commander?

Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty - Pauper Commander Deck

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Set Review - Budget