Building a Jodah, the Unifier Deck Tech With Legendary Permanents

<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><i><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gogo, Mysterious Mime" href="#" target="_blank">Gogo, Mysterious Mime</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CLee+Woo-chul%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Lee Woo-chul</a></i> | <i><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karlach, Fury of Avernus|SLD|1802" href="#" target="_blank">Karlach, Fury of Avernus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMila+Pesic%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Mila Pesic</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm|FDN|391" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CRaymond+Swanland%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Raymond Swanland</a></i></span></p>
<p>Hey nerds! I’m back with another <i>Final Fantasy </i>deck tech featuring one of the underrated commanders from the precons, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gogo, Mysterious Mime" href="#" target="_blank">Gogo, Mysterious Mime</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gogo, Mysterious Mime"></div></div>
<p>While he might not be flashy or beloved like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, he provides a fun gameplay loop that will keep games moving while showing off the power of turning creatures sideways.</p>
<h2>Gogo, Mysterious Mime</h2>
<p>Simply put, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gogo, Mysterious Mime" href="#" target="_blank">Gogo, Mysterious Mime</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns into other creatures you control until the end of the turn, gives himself and that creature haste, a small bump in power, and forces you to attack. Thankfully, he does keep his name, so you can copy legendary creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar" href="#" target="_blank">Ilharg, the Raze-Boar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for some insane value.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for a similar commander with more colors, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isshin, Two Heavens as One" href="#" target="_blank">Isshin, Two Heavens as One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a solid option. Both are combat-focused commanders that are a blast to play and will have some overlap in pieces. But I prefer the obscure over the “mainstream,” which is why Gogo gets my vote.</p>
<p>When I first started building Gogo, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. One idea was a Pirate deck, but I wanted to take advantage of some of the big red creatures. So I decided to build mono-red midrange. Let’s just take all of the most fun red creatures, slam them into a deck and turn them sideways.</p>
<p>Gogo also makes a great pile deck commander. A pile deck is when you have a random pile of cards that you shuffle into your deck each game. My Gogo list has 32 creature slots, so you could shuffle in 32 random red creatures you love each game.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Gogo, Mysterious Mime</h2>
<p>For this article, I wanted to have an actual 99 you could look at, so I had to make some choices in the cards I added. Of the 32 creatures, there are several that should be played in most, if not all Gogo decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overlord of the Boilerbilges"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a creature that I’ve loved but has often disappointed me when I’ve tried it outside of my Dinosaur deck. The lack of haste and the big threat it poses will make it or its controller a target. But with Gogo, Etali can attack the turn it comes down and doubles the attack trigger.</p>
<p>Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar" href="#" target="_blank">Ilharg, the Raze-Boar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great at cheating big creatures into play for a turn. If a creature is put into play with Ilharg’s ability, it doesn’t get its attack trigger. Which is why I made sure to add creatures with enters abilities like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overlord of the Boilerbilges" href="#" target="_blank">Overlord of the Boilerbilges</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as prime candidates for being snuck in.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sneak Attack"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of sneaking, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is more affordable than ever and still one of the most fun red cards ever printed. And it isn’t just a powerful way to cheat on mana in this deck.</p>
<p>I treat Sneak Attack as a protection spell. We want our creatures to attack, and it's not like red has a ton of vigilance creatures. So instead of leaving our key threats in play to be removed, they get put back into hand, for use later. Also, because of how Sneak Attack is worded, if you wait until the end step right before your turn, you can use your open mana to sneak creatures in before your turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karlach, Fury of Avernus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fear of Missing Out"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moraug, Fury of Akoum"></div></div>
<p>What kind of red deck would I be without extra combats? The answer is not a fun one. I didn’t add any extra combat enchantments or spells. I decided to make this a creature-focused deck, which means I added everyone’s favorite girl, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karlach, Fury of Avernus" href="#" target="_blank">Karlach, Fury of Avernus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. She gives two extra combats if copied with Gogo, which is more than fair.</p>
<p>One of the newest extra combat members to <i>Magic,</i> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fear of Missing Out" href="#" target="_blank">Fear of Missing Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> felt like a no-brainer. I might need to add more ways to get <em>delirium</em> online, but extra combat for two mana is powerful enough to test out.</p>
<p>And of course, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moraug, Fury of Akoum" href="#" target="_blank">Moraug, Fury of Akoum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> found a home here. Moraug can usually be found in green decks where <em>landfall</em> is easy to trigger. But fret not, red has some great <em>landfall</em> tools to get a bunch of combats.</p>
<p>The new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zell Dincht" href="#" target="_blank">Zell Dincht</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brewing-a-landfall-commander-deck-with-zell-dincht" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who deserves their deck tech</a>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Forge and Frontier" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Forge and Frontier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Notably, Sword of Forge and Frontier will prevent Gogo from copying the creature equipped with it. But it's still a powerful card, so the nonbo is worth including.</p>
<h2>How Does This Gogo, Mysterious Mime Deck Win?</h2>
<p>Winning with the deck is easy enough: You either turn creatures sideways or abuse the burn effects red has.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyreheart Wolf"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frontier Warmonger"></div></div>
<p>Turning creatures sideways gets easier with the help of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyreheart Wolf" href="#" target="_blank">Pyreheart Wolf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frontier Warmonger" href="#" target="_blank">Frontier Warmonger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Turns out giving creatures menace makes them harder to block, especially if they already have flying or first strike. Trample creatures already get blocked by multiple bodies, so nothing changes there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonhawk, Fate&#039;s Tempest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drakuseth, Maw of Flames"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thundering Raiju"></div></div>
<p>Option number two is burn baby burn. Traditional burn decks don’t work great in Commander given the larger life totals and being a singleton format. Casting a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the face doesn’t hit the same when you need to deal 40. But when you have multiple instances of three, four, or five damage to everyone, it will quickly add up.</p>
<p>Aside from the two burn creatures mentioned above, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonhawk, Fate&#039;s Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonhawk, Fate&#039;s Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which isn’t just burn, but also card advantage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drakuseth, Maw of Flames" href="#" target="_blank">Drakuseth, Maw of Flames</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has also been a big Timmy card that pumps out so much damage. And a creature I’m surprised not to see more often is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thundering Raiju" href="#" target="_blank">Thundering Raiju</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It not only grows Gogo, or other creatures in play, but also burns all opponents on attack.</p>
<p>I floated the idea of adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grafted Exoskeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Grafted Exoskeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the deck to make the burn creatures more effective, but that's too mean for my liking.</p>
<h2><i>Gogo, Mysterious Mime </i>Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Mono Red Midrange" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Gogo, Mysterious Mime
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Big Score
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Fire Magic
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Spikefield Hazard // Spikefield Cave
*1 Thunder Magic
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Explorer&#039;s Scope
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Genji Glove
*1 Hazoret&#039;s Monument
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of Forge and Frontier
*1 Tenza, Godo&#039;s Maul
*1 The Fire Crystal
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Wrecking Ball Arm
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Balor
*1 Combat Celebrant
*1 Crimson Caravaneer
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Dragonhawk, Fate&#039;s Tempest
*1 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
*1 Dreadhorde Arcanist
*1 Elturel Survivors
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Fear of Missing Out
*1 Flamerush Rider
*1 Frontier Warmonger
*1 Ilharg, the Raze-Boar
*1 Inferno Titan
*1 Karlach, Fury of Avernus
*1 Laelia, the Blade Reforged
*1 Lightning, Security Sergeant
*1 Moraug, Fury of Akoum
*1 Oliphaunt
*1 Overlord of the Boilerbilges
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Pyreheart Wolf
*1 Rose, Cutthroat Raider
*1 Ryan Sinclair
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Squee, Dubious Monarch
*1 Star Athlete
*1 Synth Eradicator
*1 Tersa Lightshatter
*1 Thundering Raiju
*1 Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor
*1 Vincent, Vengeful Atoner
*1 Wildfire Eternal
*1 Zell Dincht
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
*1 Suplex
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Count on Luck
*1 Gimli&#039;s Reckless Might
*1 Sneak Attack
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Maze of Ith
*33 Mountain
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Overall, if you’re looking for a fun and unique combat-focused deck, Gogo is exactly what you want. It was a blast picking which creatures I wanted to add. But I think Gogo’s real draw will be how open-ended he is. You can play all of your favorite red creatures in this deck and not be disappointed. Heck, you could even build an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Act of Treason" href="#" target="_blank">Act of Treason</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and copy creatures you steal from your opponents.</p>
<p>Alrighty nerds, I’ll see you in the next one!</p>


Mono Red Beat Face: Gogo, Mysterious Mime

How Fun Are the Final Fantasy Main Set Commanders?

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emet-Selch of the Third Seat" href="#" target="_blank">Emet-Selch of the Third Seat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMagali+Villeneuve%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Magali Villeneuve</a><br />
</i></p>
<p>Hey, nerds! Welcome to my first <i>Final Fantasy </i>$50 budget deck tech featuring <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emet-Selch of the Third Seat" href="#" target="_blank">Emet-Selch of the Third Seat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (excluding the cost of the commander). I’ve been looking for an interesting spellslinger commander for years now. My first spellslinger deck was a pile of cards I opened from <i>Guilds of Ravnica </i>and bulk I owned featuring <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Parun" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Parun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It was a hot mess that kind of functioned, but it wasn’t great. Then I got gifted a budget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark, the Thumbless" href="#" target="_blank">Krark, the Thumbless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> // <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> partner deck one Christmas. It was such a fun deck, but it only came out on occasion since the turns would take longer than I wanted, so I put it back on my shelf and accepted the fact I’d never find a spell commander that jived with me.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emet-Selch of the Third Seat"></div></div>
<p>That was until <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emet-Selch of the Third Seat" href="#" target="_blank">Emet-Selch of the Third Seat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was spoiled.</p>

<hr />
<h2>What Does Emet-Selch of the Third Seat Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emet-Selch of the Third Seat" href="#" target="_blank">Emet-Selch of the Third Seat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reduces the cost of any spell you cast from your graveyard by two. This effect might seem innocuous, but cheating on mana is one of the strongest things you can do in a game. If you only cast two spells from your graveyard, it's like you got to cast Emet for free. However, that second ability is what drew me in. There are two key things to note about this ability. First, you don’t need to be the one to deal the damage. Second, the spell would only be exiled if it were put back into the graveyard.</p>
<p>The first idea I had was a Dimir Buyback deck. Buyback is an additional cost, which Emet would reduce. Let’s say you cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clockspinning" href="#" target="_blank">Clockspinning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from your graveyard and pay for the buyback cost. Instead of being exiled, it would return to your hand, since Emet’s second ability only exiles the spell if it goes back to your graveyard. However, there are only 18 spells with buyback in Dimir, and that isn’t enough to build a dedicated deck.</p>
<p>That was when I remembered a deck I played a few weeks ago. My best friend built a budget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord of the Nazgûl" href="#" target="_blank">Lord of the Nazgûl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Dimir spells deck. He wanted some feedback, so I took it for a spin. After playing it, it got me thinking about how to improve the deck. One idea I had was to use it as a Spellslinger Aristocrat deck. The deck makes tokens that can be sacrificed for value, and black has plenty of cards that drain when creatures die.</p>
<p>So instead of doing a buyback deck or some generic Dimir spells deck, I want to build a Dimir Tokens deck. The idea is simple. You play instants, sorceries, and creature-token-generators, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects for value when your creatures die, and sacrifice outlets to enable the deaths of said creatures, plus some other key cards you’ll play in any Emet deck.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Key Cards for Emet-Selch of the Third Seat</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lab Rats"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cackling Counterpart"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geralf, the Fleshwright"></div></div>
<p>The first set of spells is the token-generators. These spells either make their own tokens, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lab Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Lab Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Retrieve the Esper" href="#" target="_blank">Retrieve the Esper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otterball Antics" href="#" target="_blank">Otterball Antics</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, make token copies of your creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cackling Counterpart" href="#" target="_blank">Cackling Counterpart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quasiduplicate" href="#" target="_blank">Quasiduplicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Self-Reflection" href="#" target="_blank">Self-Reflection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or creatures that are payoffs for casting spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord of the Nazgûl" href="#" target="_blank">Lord of the Nazgûl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sedgemoor Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Sedgemoor Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geralf, the Fleshwright" href="#" target="_blank">Geralf, the Fleshwright</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. When choosing token-generators, I prioritized cards that we could cast from the graveyard without Emet’s ability.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nasty End"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Corrupted Conviction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yahenni, Undying Partisan"></div></div>
<p>Next are value sacrifice spells. These are usually cheap instants that require us to sacrifice a creature to draw cards. Cheap cantrips, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nasty End" href="#" target="_blank">Nasty End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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="Corrupted Conviction" href="#" target="_blank">Corrupted Conviction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are great here. Because of how the stack works, you won’t be able to cast a Deadly Dispute from your graveyard the same turn you cast it, unless you have your opponent lose life again, since it won’t be in the graveyard to target, which is why I’d add more sacrifice outlets, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion Feeder" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion Feeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viscera Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Viscera Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yahenni, Undying Partisan" href="#" target="_blank">Yahenni, Undying Partisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lier, Disciple of the Drowned"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Taigam, Master Opportunist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oona&#039;s Grace"></div></div>
<p>Now, before we get into the Blood Artist effects, I wanted to share five cards I think are worth considering in nearly every Emet deck, those being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lier, Disciple of the Drowned" href="#" target="_blank">Lier, Disciple of the Drowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="River Kelpie" href="#" target="_blank">River Kelpie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taigam, Master Opportunist" href="#" target="_blank">Taigam, Master Opportunist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oona&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Oona&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syphon Life" href="#" target="_blank">Syphon Life</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Lier turns Emet into a powerful mana acceleration tool, allowing you to recast your instants and sorceries for cheaper. River Kelpie provides card advantage by just existing, and persist makes it a bit harder to kill. Taigam can put spells you cast from your graveyard with Emet’s ability suspend instead of them getting exiled forever. This interaction works great with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clockspinning" href="#" target="_blank">Clockspinning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Oona's Grace essentially gives lands in your hand cycling for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> if Emet is in play, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syphon Life" href="#" target="_blank">Syphon Life</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a consistent way to trigger Emet’s ability at the cost of a land.</p>
<hr />
<h2>How to Win with Emet-Selch of the Third Seat</h2>
<p>There are three ways to win with the deck. First are the aforementioned Blood Artist effects. These are cards that ping to our opponent when creatures die, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Al Bhed Salvagers" href="#" target="_blank">Al Bhed Salvagers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion of Remembrance" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion of Remembrance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They make great kicked <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> targets.</p>
<p>The second option is just to beat face with the tokens. Many of the tokens have some evasion, either flying or menace. I even toyed around with the idea of adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maskwood Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maskwood Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Adaptation" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Adaptation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to make <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord of the Nazgûl" href="#" target="_blank">Lord of the Nazgûl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geralf, the Fleshwright" href="#" target="_blank">Geralf, the Fleshwright</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> better, but that interaction is too cute and doesn’t help the main gameplan enough.</p>
<p>Finally, I always like adding one generically powerful win condition to a deck. Sometimes your key cards are exiled, or you’re too behind on the board. My go-to budget option is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It can get your opponents low enough to finish off with drain effects, or if you have enough mana, just end the game on its own.</p>
<h2>Emet-Selch of the Third Seat Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Budget Emet-Selch Spellslinger Sacrifice" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Emet-Selch of the Third Seat
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Al Bhed Salvagers
*1 Archmage of Runes
*1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Boggart Trawler // Boggart Bog
*1 Carrion Feeder
*1 Geralf, the Fleshwright
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
*1 Lord of the Nazgûl
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Osteomancer Adept
*1 River Kelpie
*1 Sedgemoor Witch
*1 Skyclave Shade
*1 Taigam, Master Opportunist
*1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
*1 Viscera Seer
*1 Wizards of Thay
*1 Yahenni, Undying Partisan
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Case of the Ransacked Lab
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Cackling Counterpart
*1 Corrupted Conviction
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Drag the Canal
*1 Fanatical Offering
*1 Filter Out
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Infernal Grasp
*1 Jwari Disruption // Jwari Ruins
*1 Nasty End
*1 Oona&#039;s Grace
*1 Plumb the Forbidden
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Rotten Reunion
*1 Szat&#039;s Will
*1 Village Rites
*1 Waterlogged Teachings // Inundated Archive
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Exsanguinate
*1 Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication
*1 Lab Rats
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Otterball Antics
*1 Quasiduplicate
*1 Retrieve the Esper
*1 Ringsight
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Self-Reflection
*1 Syphon Life
*1 Unending Whisper
*1 Winternight Stories
[/Sorceries]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia
[/Battles]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Choked Estuary
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darkslick Shores
*1 Darkwater Catacombs
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fetid Pools
*1 Field of Ruin
*8 Island
*1 Murky Sewer
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Sunken Hollow
*7 Swamp
*1 Tainted Isle
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Underground River
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I love playing decks that break the norms of what people expect, and this particular build of Emet is exactly that. I wouldn’t put it up against any Bracket Four decks, but if you’re looking for a solid middle-of-the-road deck that can have insane turns and is always doing something, I’d try Emet.</p>
<p>I’d love to hear your thoughts on this list below. Do you think I missed any cards? What upgrades would you make? Alrighty nerds, I’ll see you in the next one!</p>


Benjamin Levin

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