<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonus, the Saboteur" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonus, the Saboteur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/voltastudio">Volta Creation</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Epic Preparations</h1>
<p style="text-align: left;">Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This week, let's talk about a Transformers card!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonus, the Saboteur"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Since we're dealing with a double-faced card, let's discuss each side individually.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's creature side is a bit expensive for a flyer that <em>Connives </em>on combat damage, but it has many available synergies: <em>Madness</em>, <em>Flashback</em>, and reanimation are just a few possibilities, and that's without even looking at artifacts and their inherent synergies with counters.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's Vehicle side is very powerful, giving us an entirely new beginning phase (which comes with a new set of untap, upkeep, and draw steps). Getting to untap lands again is great in a color combination that has such powerful instant-speed interaction. Getting a new batch of upkeep triggers can be especially strong if we're building around this effect. Like, you know a card is strong when its 'weaker' effect is card draw. Another interesting side effect of this side being a Vehicle is that we're immune to creature-based board wipes, so if we're able to keep Cyclonus consistently converted, we're immune to board wipes every few turn cycles.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus' main drawback is its slowish nature. To flip to the Vehicle side, we need our commander to have 5 power after the <em>Connive </em>trigger, which, without any support, means that we need to attack three times. Either that or pay a heftier mana cost! With that in mind, I think it's easy to see how Cyclonus tends to be drawn into more aggressive shells where we'd want to actively buff its power and get to that state where we can convert it every turn as soon as possible.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warden of Evos Isle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windreader Sphinx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's kit rewards aggression and aims to get him to flip into his Vehicle form as often as possible. Being a Robot means that we won't get any creature type synergies synergies, but as a flyer, we can still find plenty of <em>other </em>support!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Flying theme decks have a deep pool of possible threats and helpers to choose from. Normally the 'flying matters' strategy is found in blue and white, but blue and black can still make a lot of magic happen in the air! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warden of Evos Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Warden of Evos Isle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> powers out our creatures much more quickly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Donal, Herald of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Donal, Herald of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles our body count and gives us extra ETB and 'Lord' effects for any flying creatures that pump each other up. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siani, Eye of the Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Siani, Eye of the Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not seem like much at first, but it fits right into an aggressive deck that wants to draw exactly the right cards to continue the onslaught. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tide Skimmer" href="#" target="_blank">Tide Skimmer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windreader Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Windreader Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> each give us and impressive body-plus-card-draw-engine combination.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drana, Liberator of Malakir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rankle, Master of Pranks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiler of Dreams"></div></div></p>
<p>A lot of those classic cards are blue, so what does black bring to the table? Tons of stuff!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drana, Liberator of Malakir" href="#" target="_blank">Drana, Liberator of Malakir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can spread counters to the team, and her first strike allows us to get the benefits out of the pump mid-combat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help control the board and even to control peoples' hands, giving us a ton of versatility. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a solid swing in board state by sniping any 1-toughness creatures, and he can make it easier to for us to attack without worrying about enemy blockers. I really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, too. It's just a great card to slot into aggressive shells, allowing us to hurt two enemies at the same time, doubling our combat potential.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Favorable Winds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windstorm Drake"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Anthem effects that give our team +X/+X are a great way to kick a 'go-wide' deck into overdrive, and this deck loves to go wide! Not only that, anthems will also help us get more value out of our commander, because we want to convert Cyclonus to its Vehicle side as much as possible. Keeping Cyclonus above 5 power is key, so the classic flying pumps help us out a ton here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitational Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitational Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive card in both the offensive and defensive departments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Favorable Winds" href="#" target="_blank">Favorable Winds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is expected but well-loved. We can even afford to pay a bit of extra mana for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to pump up most of our creatures by +1/+1, and to give our commander +2/+2!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Cyclonus Flyers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Cyclonus, the Saboteur
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Faerie Seer
*Signal Pest
*Siren Stormtamer
*Spectral Sailor
*Thousand-Faced Shadow
*Aven Heartstabber
*Baleful Strix
*Containment Construct
*Esior, Wardwing Familiar
*Ledger Shredder
*Thieving Skydiver
*Thrummingbird
*Warkite Marauder
*Aether Channeler
*Bazaar Trademage
*Brazen Borrower
*Drana, Liberator of Malakir
*Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
*Loyal Drake
*Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
*Thief of Sanity
*Warden of Evos Isle
*Donal, Herald of Wings
*Glen Elendra Archmage
*Glen Elendra Liege
*Rankle, Master of Pranks
*Siani, Eye of the Storm
*Sower of Temptation
*Tide Skimmer
*Vanguard Supressor
*Defiler of Dreams
*Iymrith, Desert Doom
*Mulldrifter
*Windstorm Drake
*Archetype of Imagination
*Consecrated Sphinx
*Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*Sower of Discord
*Windreader Sphinx
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Dimir Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Talisman of Dominance
*Hall of Triumph
*Heraldic Banner
*Gilded Lotus
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Bitterblossom
*Favorable Winds
*Drake Haven
*Gravitational Shift
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Countersquall
*Cyclonic Rift
*Infernal Grasp
*Memory Deluge
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Feed the Swarm
*Toxic Deluge
*Winged Words
*Damnation
*Deep Analysis
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Choked Estuary
*Clearwater Pathway
*Command Tower
*Creeping Tar Pit
*Demolition Field
*Drowned Catacomb
*Exotic Orchard
*Faerie Conclave
*Ghost Quarter
*Hall of the Storm Giants
*Morphic Pool
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Sunken Hollow
*Sunken Ruins
*Temple of Deceit
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*13 Island
*6 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">In addition to all the attacking in the air, Cyclonus will hopefully <em>Connive </em>every other turn, and we'd be fools not to extract some value from that effect! <em>Flashback</em> spells like <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are excellent choices to get some card draw stashed under the mattress. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drake Haven" href="#" target="_blank">Drake Haven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help us be more action-oriented, trading mana for more bodies to go wide and to avoid getting blown out by board wipes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Containment Construct" href="#" target="_blank">Containment Construct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will act as a card advantage engine and can be used as a way to completely negate the loss of a card.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Methodology</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">This is an aggressive deck, but we're pretty flexible as far as opening hands go. We aren't as aggressive as, say a Goblin deck, but our threats are all evasive, which gives us a nice amount of extra reach even if the board gets clogged with creatures in the later portions of the game. By the mid-game, we want to dig for any of our support cards and payoffs, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitational Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitational Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heraldic Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Heraldic Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is the point of the game when we start being able to flip our commander every other turn, which will grant us a huge boon in mana to help us snowball even further.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Our late game is good for an aggressive deck because we have more card velocity than most aggro shells. If the game boils down to a top-deck war, we're better suited to grind out a win. With our commander granting additional untap and draw steps, we can even gain additional threats by animating our creature lands like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Conclave" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Conclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since our mana will untap again anyways! These little tricks all add up to keep us chugging even when enemies expect an aggro deck to stall out, so Cyclonus will truly sabotage our opponents.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Cyclonus

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra, Eminent One" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra, Eminent One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/vargasni">Randy Vargas</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Epic Preparations</h1>
<p style="text-align: left;">Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mishra, Eminent One"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">It's easy to see how powerful Mishra is. He combines a crazy amount of value with a decent clock, and he's also in the right color combination to instigate some real shenanigans. There are a few layers to Mishra's power, so let's dive a bit deeper.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">On the first layer, we have an artifact creature token entering the battlefield. This opens a lot of powerful 'creatures and artifacts entering the battlefield' support, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <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>, and the extra body can be used to fuel sacrifice effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Welder" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Welder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The second layer is about the type of targets that we use this ability on. I'll list just a few types that came to my mind when writing this article:</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with ETBs and/ or LTBs</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">These artifacts are easy inclusions for most Mishra lists because they work great on their own and Mishra allows us to play our game like a blink deck. There are a few of those that act both when entering and when leaving, which gives us an impressive amount of value for such low-cost investments.</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prized Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Prized Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with Self-Tap Abilities</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with tapping abilities tend to be more powerful, given their limited use. Mishra's ability allows us to get another copy of those on the field which very can effectively turn into "double activations".</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smelting Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Smelting Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wishclaw Talisman" href="#" target="_blank">Wishclaw Talisman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with Self-Sacrificing Abilities</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Like the previous category, these artifacts were balanced around being single-use. Having our commander clone them allows us to have access to that effect without having to spend the actual card.</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindslaver" href="#" target="_blank">Mindslaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Stasis Coffin" href="#" target="_blank">The Stasis Coffin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Mana Rocks</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mana rocks that add more than one mana are surprisingly effective targets for cloning, as they give us a huge bump in mana that can be used to strengthen our board position.</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedron Archive" href="#" target="_blank">Hedron Archive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mishra's ability to produce value is so good that I feel we must trigger it more times. The Sakashima duo (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima the Impostor" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima the Impostor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great ways to clone without worrying about the silly legend rule.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Polymorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spark Double"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">However, that's a very small set of creatures, so we need more consistency to make sure we get them into play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects are the key to getting our clones. With them, we get access to five extra cards' worth of redundancy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Proteus Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Proteus Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a reusable polymorph effect that's also an artifact, so we could theoretically use it multiple times a turn if we animate it with our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divergent Transformations" href="#" target="_blank">Divergent Transformations</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very mana-efficient, being an instant, and gives us two extra creatures out of nowhere. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrify" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Mutation" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Mutation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are fairly straightforward. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast" href="#" target="_blank">Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit delicate. On the one hand, it's another reusable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but on the other, he's a bit limited, and the targeted creature needs to have a mana value lower than four, otherwise he won't get anything in our deck.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">To get our special clones into play, we have two main types of targets to morph with all these effects: the incidental tokens created by our cards, and the Mishra's Warform token from our commander. The first type is usually better to target because they allow us to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before the combat step, which gives us another trigger and even more immediate value. The second, while not as explosive as the first, is considerably more reliable and can be counted on 100% of the games, since the Warforms come with our commander.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichor Wellspring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oni-Cult Anvil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wishclaw Talisman"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Getting multiple Mishras is just one piece of the puzzle, and the others are our value artifacts. Even if our gameplan is stopped, we still have strong effects at our disposal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycosynth Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Mycosynth Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide some amazing value when targeted by our commander, providing two triggers per clone. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wishclaw Talisman" href="#" target="_blank">Wishclaw Talisman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun target to clone because we can tutor for whatever card we want without giving an opponent a chance to do the same. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderhawk Gunship" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderhawk Gunship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night Scythe" href="#" target="_blank">Night Scythe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are efficient ways to get extra bodies that can either be used to fuel future <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s or just plain old combat.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Many-Mishras Workshop" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Mishra, Eminent One
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
*Sakashima the Impostor
*Spark Double
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Soul-Guide Lantern
*Arcane Signet
*Elsewhere Flask
*Fellwar Stone
*Ichor Wellspring
*Metalspinner&#039;s Puzzleknot
*Mirror of the Forebears
*Mycosynth Lattice
*Nimblewright Schematic
*Oni-Cult Anvil
*Prized Statue
*Prophetic Prism
*Servo Schematic
*Talisman of Creativity
*Talisman of Dominance
*Talisman of Indulgence
*Wishclaw Talisman
*Mirage Mirror
*Night Scythe
*Proteus Staff
*Sculpting Steel
*Skyclave Relic
*Machine God&#039;s Effigy
*Panharmonicon
*Smelting Vat
*Forsaken Monument
*Gilded Lotus
*Knight Paladin
*Mindslaver
*Thunderhawk Gunship
*Spine of Ish Sah
*Portal to Phyrexia
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Determined Iteration
*Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
*Mirrormade
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Cyclonic Rift
*Terminate
*Cackling Counterpart
*Chaos Warp
*Thirst For Knowledge
*Big Score
*Chaos Mutation
*Divergent Transformation
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*Daretti, Scrap Savant
*Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast
*Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Vandalblast
*Dreadbore
*Feed the Swarm
*Fortuitous Find
*Seize the Spoils
*Toxic Deluge
*Damnation
*Polymorph
*Terisiare&#039;s Devastation
*Transmogrify
*Thoughtcast
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Bojuka Bog
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Crumbling Necropolis
*Exotic Orchard
*Ghost Quarter
*Haunted Ridge
*Inventors&#039; Fair
*Luxury Suite
*Mana Confluence
*Morphic Pool
*Phyrexian Tower
*Polluted Delta
*Scalding Tarn
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Shivan Reef
*Steam Vents
*Stormcarved Coast
*Sulfurous Springs
*Tectonic Edge
*Training Center
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*Xander&#039;s Lounge
*3 Island
*4 Mountain
*2 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">Clones tend to be a bit on the win-more side if we're not careful, but if we play our cards right, we won't just have <em>one </em>extra copy of Mishra. We need to clone our commander with either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and then we can make even <em>more </em>copies with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Machine God&#039;s Effigy" href="#" target="_blank">Machine God&#039;s Effigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <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>. With cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrormade" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrormade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirage Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Mirage Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we can copy other important artifacts we have in play already, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Over time, an army of copies will bury our opposition.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forsaken Monument"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderhawk Gunship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Portal to Phyrexia"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We're pretty varied as far as win conditions go. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindslaver" href="#" target="_blank">Mindslaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might get a few ugly looks on some tables, but it's not hard to keep controlling more than one opponent's turn per cycle. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Knight Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ETB can very easily put us over the edge when we're constantly making a bunch of copies of it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forsaken Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Forsaken Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun target, given that Mishra's cloning ability gives it a new name, so that gives our team +4/+4 for the turn. Oh, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portal to Phyrexia" href="#" target="_blank">Portal to Phyrexia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nasty control tool that can maintain an empty board while also providing us threats and resurrecting any of our Clones that happened to fall in battle!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Methodology</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">For our opening hand, we're looking for one or two mana rocks to help us accelerate to our commander and, if possible, any value artifact so that we start getting value once Mishra enters the battlefield. Note that mana rocks can be effective Mishra targets if we want to accelerate.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The mid-game starts right about the time when we manage to land Mishra. This is where we get to shine because we can get immediate value out of all the cheap artifacts in our deck that will already be in play before Mishra arrives. It helps a lot to have a random creature token to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before the combat step. Otherwise, we have to wait for our commander's ability to copy an artifact to give us a token to target, but regardless, once we start chaining powerful ETB abilities, it's hard to beat it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Our late game is pretty good. Really, it's a snowball. Even if we don't get to stick our main synergy and make copies upon copies, our artifacts provide a lot of inherent value all on their own! If our Clone strategy doesn't work, we just get to do regular awesome Mishra things! This gives us inevitability in addition to the potential to kick things into overdrive.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Santa's Workshop is Open</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Mishra

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jodah, the Unifier" href="#" target="_blank">Jodah, the Unifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.ryanpancoast.com/">Ryan Pancoast</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Epic Preparations</h1>
<p style="text-align: left;">Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jodah, the Unifier"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jodah, the Unifier" href="#" target="_blank">Jodah, the Unifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a powerful legendary <em>Cascade</em>-esque ability, and to complement it, Jodah also pumps up every legendary creature we control - including himself! This combination of strong abilities makes Jodah a serious threat that can very easily take over the game.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Getting card advantage in Commander is nothing out of the ordinary, and when we combine this with inherent card selection (since Jodah's ability only hits other legendary cards) and the fact that we also get to play that card for free (which technically also counts as mana acceleration) we can accumulate a truly astounding board presence. In a format where we have such a deep card pool, a 'legendary only' restriction is frankly quite close to having <em>no</em> restriction, especially with a five-color commander!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">While the pump effect may at first seem overshadowed by the <em>Cascade</em> ability, believe me, it adds up quickly. That's exponential damage growth! The extra bump in power can even be useful for a Voltron win condition if you don't want to invest in playing a ton of other legendary creatures.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p><em>Cascade</em> is quite an intriguing ability for people that enjoy messing around with the brewing process, and Jodah gives us a unique spin on the mechanic. Usually, when building around <em>Cascade</em>, we need to decide if we're digging for a specific card to hit off a <em>Cascade </em>trigger, or if we're just using it for straight-up value. Many Jodah decks go for the value, but this is <em>Epic </em><em>Experiment, </em>and oh boy, I have just the right target to <em>Cascade </em>into!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jegantha, the Wellspring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Norin the Wary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norin the Wary" href="#" target="_blank">Norin the Wary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not seem all that much of a threat, but in the right shell, he's a hard-to-remove threat that can fuel ETB-based decks all by himself.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">So that's the 'what', but now let's address the 'how'. Jodah can guarantee us access to Norin if we build our deck such that we don't have any other one-mana (or less) legendary cards in the 99, which isn't very difficult to do, to be honest. A key way to make sure we can achieve a guaranteed legendary <em>Cascade </em>is to also have a Companion. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits in nicely here, since the Companion restriction is rather mild, and the extra mana it provides is very welcome.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This means, however, that we can't play any other legendary cards with a mana value less than five. If we cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we need it to hit [e]Norin, the Wary[/el] 100% of the time. Note that Jegantha isn't the <em>only </em>way we can dig for Norin; Jegantha is here for the small extra consistency rather than for speed, which often means we don't even have to play it to get our strategy underway.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Warden"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Genesis Chamber"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gala Greeters"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">To get the most out of Norin, we need to build an engine dedicated to getting value out of creatures entering and leaving the battlefield. 'Soul Sisters' like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a great starting point, giving us both a starting direction and a high level of consistency through the sheer number of available variants out there. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genesis Chamber" href="#" target="_blank">Genesis Chamber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us a steady stream of bodies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gala Greeters" href="#" target="_blank">Gala Greeters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an all-around powerful addition to the archetype, mostly providing two <em>Alliance </em>triggers on our turn and, generally, a Treasure token on everyone else's turn.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warstorm Surge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vela the Night-Clad"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marauding Blight-Priest"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We also have a lot of direct damage sources, which are essential to our plan to keep the pressure on our anamies while avoiding combat ourselves. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic Norin staple that loves to watch him arrive at the party, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vela the Night-Clad" href="#" target="_blank">Vela the Night-Clad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> loves to watch him leave! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpse Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Corpse Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Witty Roastmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Witty Roastmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are essentially reverse Soul Sister effects, which stack pretty quickly when Norin's constantly going on and off the battlefield. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Outpost Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Outpost Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s LTB triggers are less frequent than the usual ETB triggers, the versatility to act either as a poking tool or as a draw engine is useful enough to warrant inclusion here.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We run a bit low on lifegain payoffs, since we're also trying to balance out the 99 with a bunch of Soul Sister effects, ETBs, LTBs, and legendary cards, as well as the normal necessities like removal, mana acceleration, or card advantage. Still, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cliffhaven Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Cliffhaven Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marauding Blight-Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Marauding Blight-Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Indulging Patrician" href="#" target="_blank">Indulging Patrician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, combined with our other pingers, will all give us a steady amount of damage output, putting a clock on our enemies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trudge Garden" href="#" target="_blank">Trudge Garden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griffin Aerie" href="#" target="_blank">Griffin Aerie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us some beefier tools that we can use to smash face. And for a personal favorite, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blossoming Bogbeast" href="#" target="_blank">Blossoming Bogbeast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a repeatable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect that works extremely well with all our lifegain!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Jodah Norinfall" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Jodah, the Unifier
[/Commander]
[Companion]
*Jegantha, the Wellspring
[/Companion]
[Creature]
*Essence Warden
*Lunarch Veteran
*Norin the Wary
*Soul Warden
*Soul&#039;s Attendant
*Bloom Tender
*Corpse Knight
*Gala Greeters
*Prosperous Innkeeper
*Suture Priest
*Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
*Imperial Recruiter
*Indulging Patrician
*Marauding Blight-Priest
*Mentor of the Meek
*Recruiter of the Guard
*Witty Roastmaster
*Cliffhaven Vampire
*Rose Room Treasurer
*Saltskitter
*Blossoming Bogbeast
*Celestine, the Living Saint
*Yarok, the Desecrated
*Oloro, Ageless Ascetic
*Vela the Night-Clad
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Genesis Chamber
*Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*Panharmonicon
*Well of Lost Dreams
*The Mightstone and Weakstone
*Timeless Lotus
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Ajani&#039;s Welcome
*Dawn of Hope
*Griffin Aerie
*Impact Tremors
*Aura Shards
*Tocasia&#039;s Welcome
*Trudge Garden
*Guardian Project
*Outpost Siege
*Pandemonium
*Mirari&#039;s Wake
*Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Path to Exile
*Swords to Plowshares
*Despark
*Rite of Harmony
*Tear Asunder
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Explore
*Farseek
*Nature&#039;s Lore
*Three Visits
*Skyshroud Claim
*Iridian Maelstrom
*Urban Evolution
*Merciless Eviction
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Arid Mesa
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Breeding Pool
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Flooded Strand
*Godless Shrine
*Hallowed Fountain
*Indatha Triome
*Jetmir&#039;s Garden
*Ketria Triome
*Mana Confluence
*Marsh Flats
*Misty Rainforest
*Overgrown Tomb
*Polluted Delta
*Prismatic Vista
*Raffine&#039;s Tower
*Raugrin Triome
*Sacred Foundry
*Savai Triome
*Scalding Tarn
*Spara&#039;s Headquarters
*Steam Vents
*Stomping Ground
*Temple Garden
*The World Tree
*Verdant Catacombs
*Watery Grave
*Windswept Heath
*Wooded Foothills
*Xander&#039;s Lodge
*Zagoth Triome
*Zitora&#039;s Proving Ground
*3 Forest
*2 Plains
* Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">Our card draw is good once we get Norin out. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tocasia&#039;s Welcome" href="#" target="_blank">Tocasia&#039;s Welcome</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian Project" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian Project</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> passively draw at least four cards per turn cycle just from the usual Norin shenanigans alone. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic" href="#" target="_blank">Oloro, Ageless Ascetic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are very easy to trigger and can be useful mana sinks for when we're lacking other options or when we don't want to commit more to the board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Harmony" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Harmony</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a more explosive card draw that can help us restock our hand for two turns.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tocasia&#039;s Welcome"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guardian Project"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yarok, the Desecrated"></div></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">We have a few other legendary cards in the 99 too, that way we don't always have to rely on Jegantha to help dig for Norin in the first place. Note again that any legendary cards in the deck must have a mana value of five or higher, and they can't have multiples of the same colored pips in their mana costs. This somewhat limits our options, but the ones we can play are truly excellent. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mightstone and Weakstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Mightstone and Weakstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Timeless Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Timeless Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are big mana rocks that help us rocket ahead in the late game while also providing a chance for a <em>Cascade</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestine, the Living Saint" href="#" target="_blank">Celestine, the Living Saint</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides some recursion for our smaller creatures, which we have tons of, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yarok, the Desecrated" href="#" target="_blank">Yarok, the Desecrated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is yet another copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, doubling up all our Norin shenanigans!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Be Wary!</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Jodah

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan">Wisnu Tan</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King"></div></div>
<p>By this point, we all know Korvold is a must-answer threat and how easy it is to break his card draw ability. Korvold lets us draw a card for every permanent we sacrifice, whether it be a Treasure token, a fetch land, or cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbridled Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Unbridled Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, giving us two cards for one mana. This flexibility allows him to be the perfect commander for almost every permanent-based Jund strategy. The indiscriminate draw enables him to go over the top and makes it almost impossible to defeat him in an attrition battle.</p>
<p>Given Korvold's power level, it's not that much of a stretch to think that he's going to become the target of removal from the other side of the table. This means that it's important to either get enough value from his arrival (which is easy) or to play in such a deliberately tamed shell that we might convince the table that we're not as much of a threat.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterheart Witch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Disturbance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Opulence"></div></div>
<p>It's a bit of a challenge to find a niche for such a popular commander. Luckily for me, the answer was pretty much in the name: Fae-Cursed. Curses are an interesting archetype to pair with Korvold because they provide a steady flow of tokens and an efficient timing window to sacrifice them with our commander's attack trigger.</p>
<p>One of the best aspects of a Curse-heavy deck is the ability to pinpoint our hate effects, which helps us avoid potential backlash from other players. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Death&#039;s Hold" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Death&#039;s Hold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can hold off tokens and go-wide strategies before they get to their anthems. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cruel Reality" href="#" target="_blank">Cruel Reality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great against decks that are trying to stick a big threat into play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice way to put control decks on a clock, and it's also very good against certain Spellslinger shells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Clinging Webs"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of the Restless Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captive Audience"></div></div>
<p>There are a lot of token-producer Curses that feed our commander rather nicely. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Clinging Webs" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Clinging Webs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to fight recursion-based decks and is very nice to have after a board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Restless Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Restless Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> punishes greedy green players and provides useful self-sacrificing tokens. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Disturbance" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Disturbance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> play nicely with Korvold's sacrifice trigger timing by being able to sacrifice the freshly created token.</p>
<p>While not necessarily Curses, Group Slug cards certainly fit the Curses style of death by a thousand cuts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred, the Apocalypse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive threat that acts as a global <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arasta of the Endless Web" href="#" target="_blank">Arasta of the Endless Web</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides lots of useful bodies that can be used to either clog our board or feed Korvold. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captive Audience" href="#" target="_blank">Captive Audience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is as close to an Aura as a card can get, and its effects are nasty and should be considered mostly as a way to deal with archenemy scenarios.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Korvold, Curse King" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Birds of Paradise
*Caustic Caterpillar
*Gilded Goose
*Ignoble Hierarch
*Burglar Rat
*Destiny Spinner
*Elderfang Disciple
*Herald of the Pantheon
*Sanctum Weaver
*Tangled Florahedron
*Virus Beetle
*Weaver of Harmony
*Bothersome Quasit
*Demon&#039;s Disciple
*Gloomshrieker
*Plaguecrafter
*Arasta of the Endless Web
*Ravenous Chupacabra
*Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
*Silent Arbiter
*Bitterheart Witch
*Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
*Shriekmaw
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Curse of Opulence
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Wild Growth
*Cindervine
*Curse of Shaken Faith
*Fertile Ground
*Trespasser&#039;s Curse
*Wolfwillow Haven
*Curse of Chaos
*Curse of the Clinging Webs
*Curse of Disturbance
*Curse of Hospitality
*Curse of the Restless Dead
*Descent into Avernus
*Maddening Hex
*Myth Unbound
*Overgrowth
*Vow of Lightning
*Vow of Malice
*Vow of Torment
*Vow of Wildness
*Weirding Woods
*Curse of Oblivion
*Curse of Bloodletting
*Curse of Death&#039;s Hold
*Curse of Misfortune
*Curse of Thirst
*Rite of the Raging Storm
*Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom
*Captive Audience
*Cruel Reality
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*Hagra Mauling
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Crawlspace
[/Artifact]
[Sorcery]
*Shatterskull Smashing
*Agadeem&#039;s Awakening
*Bala Ged Recovery
*Toxic Deluge
*Damnation
*Turntimber Symbiosis
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Bojuka Bog
*Command Tower
*Fire-Lit Thicket
*Ghost Quarter
*Grave Cairns
*Grove of the Burnwillows
*Llanowar Wastes
*Luxury Suite
*Nurturing Peatland
*Overgrown Tomb
*Polluted Delta
*Prismatic Vista
*Riveters Outlook
*Savage Lands
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Sulfurous Springs
*Tectonic Edge
*Twilight Mire
*Undergrowth Stadium
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Verdant Catacombs
*Windswept Heath
*Wooded Foothills
*Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
*Zitora&#039;s Proving Ground
*3 Forest
*2 Swamp
*Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<hr />
<p>Our commander is an important tool for this list, which means we need to have a few cheap permanents to get more mileage out of it. Most of our removal suite being creatures can help us with this. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burglar Rat" href="#" target="_blank">Burglar Rat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elderfang Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Elderfang Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virus Beetle" href="#" target="_blank">Virus Beetle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s discard ETBs are very useful for us to slow down the game to get more value out of our Curses. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Chupacabra" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Chupacabra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shriekmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Shriekmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide targeted creature removal, and together with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plaguecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Plaguecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demon&#039;s Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Demon&#039;s Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we get a pretty decent creature removal suite.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rite of the Raging Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vow of Malice"></div></div>
<p>It's important to make sure that everyone tries to get value out of our attack-based Curses, whether they want it or not. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to cover all bases; it provides everyone with another incentive to hit each other with, and the goad on attack is a nice bonus. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bothersome Quasit" href="#" target="_blank">Bothersome Quasit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plays well with our Curses by both providing a forced attack and by clearing the way for potential combatants. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of the Raging Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of the Raging Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives everyone a "why not" attacker, which, together with beneficial Curses like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Hospitality" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Hospitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can provide a nice amount of "incidental" damage.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our early game tends to be a bit slow if we don't know what everyone else is playing. If that's the case, we should consider holding out our Curses so that we can properly gauge each deck and avoid king-making. If we know our opponents' strategies pretty well right off the bat, then we can instead start casting our Curses right away. We need to have a dedicated card to sacrifice when our commander comes down, so as to avoid losing a land. Don't get me wrong, we should still play Korvold even if we need to lose a land, but we don't want to get blown out by removal too badly.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should have our commander online and have a couple of Curses placed, but this is the pivotal point where the game tends to change depending on the harmful Auras we've managed to play. Curses that create tokens, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Restless Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Restless Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tend to accelerate our gameplan, while Curses that punish our opponents, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Death&#039;s Hold" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Death&#039;s Hold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Shaken Faith" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Shaken Faith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tend to slow the game down.</p>
<p>Between our Curses, slugs pieces, and commander, we grind pretty well in the late game, though we do lack a bit in sheer power and instead rely on incremental advantages, which can lose us some top deck wars. The most important thing to do to win the late game is to make sure that, by this point, everyone is weakened by a full game's worth of conflicts!</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Korvold

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator" href="#" target="_blank">Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/ninovecia">Nino Vecia</a></h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator" href="#" target="_blank">Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator"></div></div>
<p>Vohar is a surprisingly powerful commander for its cost. In a way, he works very similar to <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we get a more front-loaded value effect from the <em>Flashback</em> effect in exchange for the flexibility of JVP's flipped side. The card filtering aspect alone can more than replace the need to play cheap cantrips, and while the ping damage won't make that much difference, gaining a few points of life can make the difference throughout a longer game.</p>
<p>The biggest draw to Vohar, however, is his second activated ability. The ability to play an instant or sorcery from the graveyard is very powerful and easy to build around. Even when going for a more 'goodstuff' type of build, it's possible, together with strong self-mill support, to build a toolbox that's just hanging out in our graveyard waiting for us to need it.</p>
<p>One of the most impressive things about Vohar is how both parts of his kits complement each other and his color combination. Reanimation decks, for example, get to <em>Dredge</em> away without the fear of milling a reanimation spell.</p>
<p>So, how will we give Vohar a twist?</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gyruda, Doom of Depths"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maddening Cacophony"></div></div>
<p>I'm a bit surprised that we don't have all that many <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Companion</em> Vohar decks out there. This combination seems so good! They both straightforwardly complement each other, making up for each other's deficits.</p>
<p>The core of the deck (as is the case in many Gyruda lists) is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects to duplicate the Gyruda effect over and over, constantly grabbing new copies to redo the effect and churn through tons of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may be the most important Clones because they allow us to keep more than one Gyruda on the board. Damage isn't our main gameplan, but multiple blockers or 6/6 attackers is a nice way to stay safe or eliminate players with damage if we need a backup plan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undercover Operative" href="#" target="_blank">Undercover Operative</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s shield counter makes it a lot safer to pass the turn, which can help us go off when we untap, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorhall Mimic" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorhall Mimic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vizier of Many Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Vizier of Many Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide value when they hit the graveyard.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evil Twin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undercover Operative"></div></div>
<p>Once we've triggered Gyruda a few times, we're ready to start phase two, which is to finish milling our opponents with the big mill spells that wound up in our graveyard from all the Gyruda milling. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maddening Cacophony" href="#" target="_blank">Maddening Cacophony</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cut Your Losses" href="#" target="_blank">Cut Your Losses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> mill a ton of cards, and a big <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Grind" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Grind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a lot of variance, but usually does the trick. We're also packing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mesmeric Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Mesmeric Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindcrank" href="#" target="_blank">Mindcrank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as other mill sources, which are particularly useful to finish players off after playing our big spells.</p>
<p>It's often best to let Gyruda die to the legend rule to avoid leaving it open to exile-based removal. This makes it important to include some reanimation effects in the deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood for Bones" href="#" target="_blank">Blood for Bones</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful effect that gives us access to two creatures, one to hand and one to the battlefield, and this can be used to put Gyruda safely into our hand to dodge graveyard exile effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit expensive, but the power-to-card ratio makes it a great option to top deck or to use our commander's ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persist" href="#" target="_blank">Persist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exhume" href="#" target="_blank">Exhume</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are cheap reanimation effects with a few small disadvantages, but given how our deck operates, we tend to either pass over them very quickly or just go over the top of their downsides (for instance, using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persist" href="#" target="_blank">Persist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to copy the Gyruda we already have in play).</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Voharuda" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator
[/Commander]
[Companion]
*Gyruda, Doom of Depths
[/Companion]
[Creature]
*Phantasmal Image
*Snapcaster Mage
*Clone
*Evil Twin
*Gigantoplasm
*Mirrorhall
*Mocking Doppelganger
*Phyrexian Metamorph
*Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
*Sakashima the Impostor
*Sakashima&#039;s Student
*Spark Double
*Stunt Double
*Undercover Operative
*Vizier of Many Faces
*Wall of Stolen Identity
*Wonder
*Sakashima&#039;s Protege
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Mox Amber
*Arcane Signet
*Coldsteel Heart
*Dimir Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Liquimetal Torque
*Mesmeric Orb
*Mind Stone
*Mindcrank
*Talisman of Dominance
*Hedron Archive
*Panharmonicon
*Thran Dynamo
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Animate Dead
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Cyclonic Rift
*Drown in the Loch
*Infernal Grasp
*Mission Briefing
*Narset&#039;s Reversal
*Negate
*Twin Cast
*Empty the Pits
*Memory Deluge
*Wheel and Deal
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Exhume
*Feed the Swarm
*Maddening Cacophony
*Mind Grind
*Persist
*Scour All Possibilities
*Stitch Together
*Blood for Bones
*Bond of Insight
*Damnation
*Deep Analysis
*Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication
*Rite of Replication
*Blood on the Snow
*Cut Your Losses
*Ever After
*Army of the Damned
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Bojuka Bog
*Command Tower
*Creeping Tar Pit
*Drowned Catacomb
*Faerie Conclave
*Fetid Pools
*Ghost Quarter
*Hall of Storm Giants
*Hive of the Eye Tyrant
*Morphic Pool
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Sunken Hollow
*Tainted Isle
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Deceit
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*10 Snow-Covered Island
*10 Snow-Covered Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>With the amount of self-mill we're doing, it's important that we don't overwork our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snapcaster Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Snapcaster Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mission Briefing" href="#" target="_blank">Mission Briefing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are copies of our commander's sacrifice ability, and they give us the opportunity to access our spells effect even without Vohar around.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snapcaster Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mission Briefing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deep Analysis"></div></div>
<p>In addition, <em>Flashback</em> effects are great ways to help us grind through some types of interactions. Card draw spells, like <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can help us dig for any other cards we need. Oh, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Army of the Damned" href="#" target="_blank">Army of the Damned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a neat opportunistic threat stored in our back pocket.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our opening hands are very forgiving; we mostly just don't want to have many <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. Between playing our commander and paying the <em>Companion</em> tax, we're pretty much tied up in the early turns.</p>
<p>Our first Gyruda trigger is a key moment in the game; most games we'll chain into a couple of Clone effects and keep one, but, if we hit any of our nonlegendary Clones, we can also gather a small army. Getting to untap with a Gyruda out can be pretty good, but we can always use one of our reanimation spells to get the chain started all over again.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Empty the Pits"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Memory Deluge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bond of Insight"></div></div>
<p>Our late game is great, too! Between our commander and some of our graveyard recursion effects, we have a lot of potential for winning the attrition war. Just watch out for graveyard hate! That's the main way this deck shuts down, and losing access to Gyruda can be a challenge to overcome. As long as we stay focused, though, our commander and our <em>Companion </em>will help us 'even' the odds!</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Vohar

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky" href="#" target="_blank">Atsushi, the Blazing Sky</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/victoradameart">Victor Adame Minguez</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky" href="#" target="_blank">Atsushi, the Blazing Sky</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky"></div></div>
<p>Atsushi suffers from being a better card in the 99 than as a commander. While the commander death rule change made it a lot easier to use commanders with these types of abilities, we still have to deal with an ever-increasing commander tax without any of the proper tools to deal with it. This goes double for pure-value-based commanders such as Atsushi, since we want to trigger them as often as possible.</p>
<p>That being said, once we accept our commander's shortcomings, we have a powerhouse of a tool for mono-red. Both modes on Atsushi's death trigger are solid, providing either mana or card draw, two things that mono-red always looks for.</p>
<p>While red won't be the best color to support a detah trigger commander, there are still plenty of good clone effects to copy our commander, forcing the copy to die to the legend rule. Bear in mind that these cards should be used mainly as support or a secondary theme, since it would be awkward to spend resources just to get more resources.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>So, how will we give this Dragon a brand new twist?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrathful Red Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blazing Sunsteel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Act"></div></div>
<p>One of the biggest challenges when using the '<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects + gigantic damage spell' interaction is, of course, choosing the right commander. These strategies often get stuck in a situation where they need to deal tons of damage to the whole table to trigger <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cards, which of course kills their own commander, making it impossible to choose a ocmmander that you rely upon for help with that game plan. Atsushi negates this problem altogether! Our commander's death will only bring rewards! Atsushi's trigger is exactly what we need to either rebuild with a quick bump of extra mana to help replay our threats, to use the pseudo-draw to help us find them.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrathful Red Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Wrathful Red Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive addition to our deck, as the tribal synergies with our commander could certainly be the difference between whether we can OHKO an opponent or not. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a more flexible <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and is an all-star in our list for its reliability, and for being so easily tutorable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blazing Sunsteel" href="#" target="_blank">Blazing Sunsteel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a versatile card that makes any creature into a Stuffy Doll, turns our commander into a decent Voltron threat, and goes infinite with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toralf, God of Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Toralf, God of Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Repercussion" href="#" target="_blank">Repercussion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are excellent at punishing people for having too wide of a board.</p>
<p>The other part of our 'combo' is filled with some common red board wipes. This is a big upside when playing this type of strategy: we're able to fill both the interaction and synergy slots with cards that we'd want to play anyway, which opens up a lot in terms of deck slot economy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the benchmark effect, as it's cheap and does a lot of damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundering Stroke" href="#" target="_blank">Sundering Stroke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very consistent in a mono-red deck and does a lot of damage, with or without our creatures on the board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shatterskull Smashing" href="#" target="_blank">Shatterskull Smashing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> goes even further on the versatility, working as either a combo piece, a removal spell, or a land.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sulfuric Vortex"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burning Earth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ankh of Mishra"></div></div>
<p>While our deck wants to 'combo' off, we lack the consistency to make it our primary win condition. Enter the group slug package. <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/group-slug">Group slug</a> is a perfect theme to complement our strategy because it helps us lower everyone's life total low enough that our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combination will actually threaten lethal damage. Our deck is very mana-hungry, so having a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Descent into Avernus" href="#" target="_blank">Descent into Avernus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can both ramp us and deal damage is very good, even if the ramp is symmetrical. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabarbs" href="#" target="_blank">Manabarbs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning Earth" href="#" target="_blank">Burning Earth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spellshock" href="#" target="_blank">Spellshock</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> punish players for casting spells in one way or another, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magus of the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Magus of the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> punish players for being too greedy with their mana base.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Atsushi Piñata" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Goblin Engineer
*Mogg Maniac
*Goblin Matron
*Imperial Recruiter
*Magus of the Moon
*Spiteful Sliver
*Defiler of Instinct
*Ill-Tempered Loner
*Jaxis, the Troublemaker
*Toralf, God of Fury
*Brash Taunter
*Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
*Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
*Stuffy Doll
*Wrathful Red Dragon
*Coalhauler Swine
[/Creature]
[Sorcery]
*Earthquake
*Faithless Looting
*Magmatic Insight
*Rolling Earthquake
*Shattering Spree
*Vandalblast
*Crackle with Power
*Shatterskull Smashing
*Seize the Spoils
*Chain Reaction
*Shivan Meteor
*Star of Extinction
*Sundering Stroke
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
*Price of Progress
*Thrill of Possibility
*Wild Magic Surge
*Arcbond
*Chaos Warp
*Valakut Awakening
*Big Score
*Unexpected Windfall
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*Roiling Vortex
*Blood Moon
*Descent into Avernus
*Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
*Repercussion
*Spellshock
*Sulfuric Vortex
*Burning Earth
*Furnace of Rath
*Manabarbs
*Dictate of the Twin Gods
*Fiery Emancipation
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Sol Ring
*Ankh of Mishra
*Blade of Selves
*Blazing Sunsteel
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Ruby Medallion
*Cursed Mirror
*Skyclave Relic
*Sword of Light and Shadow
*Hedron Archive
*Caged Sun
[/Artifact]
[Land]
*Tectonic Edge
*Ghost Quarter
*34 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>We've assembled a decent tutor suite for mono-red. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Engineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can grab <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blazing Sunsteel" href="#" target="_blank">Blazing Sunsteel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if we want to go off even without a proper <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creature, or it can grab <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Light and Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Light and Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if we want to rebuild after combing off, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can be great in the right circumstances. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Matron" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Matron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can fetch our key creatures, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogg Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">Mogg Maniac</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can grab enablers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or it can chain tutors together by getting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Engineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. My favorite one, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperial Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Imperial Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is more flexible than the Matron, being able to tutor for any Goblin and even some of our cheaper non-Goblin 'combo' creatures, plus some heavy hitters like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magus of the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Magus of the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaxis, the Troublemaker" href="#" target="_blank">Jaxis, the Troublemaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Engineer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Matron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imperial Recruiter"></div></div>
<p>Oh, and did I mention? Damage multiplier effects are great here because a <em>lot</em> of our cards deal a <em>lot </em>of damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> goes buck wild, tripling our own damage to our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which then deal an <em>additional </em>triple damage to an opponent! Bear in mind that these types of cards take extra time to get into play, and attract a lot of attention, so opponents may gang up on us to remove them. To create a big explosion, we have to time the ignition just right.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our early game strategy should focus more on building a reliable foundation, rather than trying to goldfish our way through the game. As such, we should prioritize hands that offer early board interaction or mana. Our commander is a good failsafe for when we're lacking relevant plays. The mid-game is where we start tutoring to get our key pieces ready. This telegraphs our plan, but flexible deck searches will set us up quickly, and once we land a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a big blowout damage spell, our opponents might not be able to survive the initial blast.</p>
<p>If they do survive, that's no problem - our late game is pretty good, and that's where the group slug cards come in handy! Life totals will be low, so even if our damage multipliers didn't secure the win, we can nickel and dime our way to victory... or set up for another explosion! Even games where we don't set up very well can end with a combination of damage multipliers and burn spells.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Atsushi

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ryu, World Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Ryu, World Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.jasonrainville.com/">Jason Rainville</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ryu, World Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Ryu, World Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ryu, World Warrior"></div></div>
<p>Ryu has a bit of an identity crisis. On the one hand, he's a cheap creature that rewards us for attacking by buffing himself up. On the other hand, the untap ability payoff is better used in a slower, non-aggro strategy, where paying five mana for a damage-based ping won't get in the way of our mana curve.</p>
<p>Ryu's activated ability has three costs attached that must be addressed: the heavy mana cost, the tap cost, and the support cost.</p>
<p>The first cost is the most obvious: paying five mana for some damage is a bad deal when our three opponents each have a starting life total of 40. Something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could help mitigate this, but it's still a big setup. The second cost is not so obvious: to use his untap effect, we have to tap him in the first place. Attacking to tap him is the obvious choice, but it lacks the flexible timing of a tap ability and relies on us finding neutral attack on the board to make sure Ryu doesn't perish just because we want to use his ability. The last cost is more of a deckbuilding one: growing Ryu naturally through <em>Training</em> triggers is a losing battle in out format, so we need to either increase his power with outside sources, or give his damage an extra bit of pizazz, such as by giving him deathtouch. This isn't as much of a problem as the other two costs, but it limits our deck choices and likely skews our gameplay.</p>
<p>After we address all these issues, we'll get a fun commander to build around. It's fun to blast creatures with Ryu, and untap abilities are so easy to abuse that we can probably find a few neat interactions to play around. After all, Ryu seems like he might be a pretty good pilot, popping in to <em>Crew </em>Vehicle cards. But maybe we can go even deeper than that!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invoke Justice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gisela, Blade of Goldnight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaxis, the Troublemaker"></div></div>
<p>What if we use Ryu's discard as a way to fill our graveyard with creatures for reanimation spells? By using our commander's ability to control the board, we have a reliable discard outlet that gives us the time needed to stabilize.</p>
<p>The lack of black means that we are going to lose some of the better reanimation spells in the format, but that's fine! White has a decent enough repertoire of reanimation spells, and they seem to be printing more of them all the time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breath of Life" href="#" target="_blank">Breath of Life</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defy Death" href="#" target="_blank">Defy Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Late to Dinner" href="#" target="_blank">Late to Dinner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Resurrection" href="#" target="_blank">Resurrection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are vanilla-lite reanimation spells that get the job done. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invoke Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Invoke Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't just revive, it also distributes +1/+1 counters, so it plays very well with our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Profound Journey" href="#" target="_blank">Profound Journey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit expensive, but the sheer impact of getting two creatures from one spell shouldn't be underestimated.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avacyn, Angel of Hope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reya Dawnbringer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combustible Gearhulk"></div></div>
<p>Between red and white, we have plenty of big threats to reanimate. An early <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zetalpa, Primal Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Zetalpa, Primal Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets out of hand pretty fast, and it's also a pretty safe threat against most non-exile-based removals. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides enough board protection to give time for our other threats to take over the game, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is good at snowballing games where our opponents fail to find an answer for it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gisela, Blade of Goldnight" href="#" target="_blank">Gisela, Blade of Goldnight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fast clock that also benefits our commander's activated ability.</p>
<p>Aside from those baddies, we also have a more utility-based creature suite that's meant to bridge the gap between threats and nonthreats. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combustible Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Combustible Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can put an unlucky opponent in check by either giving us three new cards or risk getting burned, and we also appreciate having cards thrown into our graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Luminate Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Luminate Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are strong removal options too, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra&#039;s Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Serra&#039;s Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just pure awesomeness.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ryunimator" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Ryu, World Warrior
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Fissure Wizard
*Raffine&#039;s Informant
*Seasoned Pyromancer
*Zirda, the Dawnwaker
*Jaxis, the Troublemaker
*Solemn Simulacrum
*Karmic Guide
*Combustible Gearhulk
*Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
*Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
*Luminate Primordial
*Meteor Golem
*Sandstone Oracle
*Serra&#039;s Emissary
*Avacyn, Angel of Hope
*Utvara Hellkite
*Zetalpa, Primal Dawn
*Reya Dawnbringer
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Basilisk Collar
*Gorgon&#039;s Head
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Mind Stone
*Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*Talisman of Conviction
*Unlicensed Hearse
*Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*Worn Powerstone
*Hedron Archive
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Epiphany Storm
*Prophetic Ravings
*Taste for Mayhem
*Dual Casting
*Madcap Skills
*Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
*Sneak Attack
*Burning Anger
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Path to Exile
*Swords to Plowshares
*Cathartic Pyre
*Faithless Salvaging
*Thrill of Possibility
*Chaos Warp
*Wear // Tear
*Big Score
*Unexpected Windfall
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Cathartic Reunion
*Thrilling Discovery
*Tormenting Voice
*Seize the Spoils
*Breath of Life
*Late to Dinner
*Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*Resurrection
*Defy Death
*Invoke Justice
*Farewell
*Profound Journey
*Vanquish the Horde
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Axgard Armory
*Battlefield Forge
*Clifftop Retreat
*Command Tower
*Exotic Orchard
*Ghost Quarter
*Needleverge Pathway
*Prismatic Vista
*Rugged Prairie
*Sacred Foundry
*Spectator Seating
*Sunbaked Canyon
*Sundown Pass
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Triumph
*11 Mountains
*11 Plains
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Since we're not planning on triggering Ryu's <em>Training</em> all that much, having ways to maximize our activated ability is crucial if we want to destroy some creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basilisk Collar" href="#" target="_blank">Basilisk Collar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorgon&#039;s Head" href="#" target="_blank">Gorgon&#039;s Head</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give our commander deathtouch, which allows us to both snipe any creature on board and draw a card from it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Madcap Skills" href="#" target="_blank">Madcap Skills</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taste for Mayhem" href="#" target="_blank">Taste for Mayhem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two cheap attack boosts that are <em>just</em> efficient enough to be worth consideration.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prophetic Ravings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dual Casting"></div></div>
<p>We're also packing a few alternative ways to tap our commander. Having a few good Vehicles can be handy for two reasons: they tend to have a high stat line, and they provide some board-wipe-safe utility before we need them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can be a threat in a clutch, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unlicensed Hearse" href="#" target="_blank">Unlicensed Hearse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is powerful graveyard hate in a format where graveyard interactions are plenty, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Copter" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Copter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another consistent source of looting.</p>
<p>Aside from these Vehicles, we have a few Auras that also give our commander a tap ability: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Epiphany Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Epiphany Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prophetic Ravings" href="#" target="_blank">Prophetic Ravings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow us to cheaply dig for more cards and shape our graveyard; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning Anger" href="#" target="_blank">Burning Anger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another copy of Ryu's activated ability, which gives us a lot of flexibility in both sniping smaller creatures or take down bigger ones more easily; and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dual Casting" href="#" target="_blank">Dual Casting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is amazing in a deck that has powerful spells like our reanimation but also plays well with our many "Rummaging" effects, like Thrill of Possibility.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our opening hands are flexible because we have a lot of digging power with our many cheap looting/rummaging effects, so even hands that might not have anything special going can turn on very quickly with some patience and a bit of luck. In general, we want to have at least one looting effect and a mana rock in our opening hand to get things going, but it helps a lot if we also have a huge creature to put in the graveyard, or if we start the game holding one of the reanimation spells to get it back.</p>
<p>Our early game is just about setup. We can cast Ryu early, but he doesn't do anything but look pretty for a little while. We aim for action in the mid-game, where we can finally start discarding and reanimating our huge threats while sniping our opponents' most pernicious creatures. By the late game, we won't need the reanimation spells to cheat mana costs anymore, since we can just hard cast our big baddies. Don't get me wrong, though - they don't become dead cards at all! If someone removes our creatures, we'll just bring them right back. And along the way, maybe we'll be able to have some snazzy fun with cheating those creatures into play in other ways... or perhaps even copying them!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sneak Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fable of the Mirror-Breaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaxis, the Troublemaker"></div></div>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Ryu

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves" href="#" target="_blank">Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://ryanpancoast.com/">Ryan Pancoast</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves" href="#" target="_blank">Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves"></div></div>
<p>Tolsimir is an all-time favorite commander of mine. This card is just awesome, from its concept to its art and abilities.</p>
<p>Tolsimir is a versatile commander who's a bit of a mid-range king. From the get-go, we have a five-mana creature that gains us life and comes with a removal stapled to it, but that's only the beginning. For each Wolf that enters the battlefield afterward, we get those triggers again and again, which makes controlling the battlefield an easy task. This impressive kit allows Tolsimir to capitalize on different strategies: Wolves entering the battlefield can be abused by blink effects, the lifegain can be used for life-matters payoffs, and Wolves' natural token synergies play into the classic green-white tokens archetype.</p>
<p>However, there are still two main issues that need to be addressed when building Tolsimir. First, a five-mana commander is a bit on the expensive side, which can quickly lock us out of playing him if he's removed too often. The second issue is that without proper support, it's pretty hard to get value out of the fight trigger and keep our creature, which means that we need to do a lot of set up before getting full value from our commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Astral Slide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarulf&#039;s Packmate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Forcemage"></div></div>
<p>Out of the many ways to have a constant flow of creatures to trigger our commander, <em>Cycling</em> seems to have fallen under the radar. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Slide" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Slide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Drift" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Drift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both amazing engines that allow us to keep triggering our commander while also digging us for more action.</p>
<p>As a tribe, Wolves have a surprisingly good number of solid ETB creatures to blink, so much so that we have the luxury of selecting mostly for their effect instead of having to fill in with beefier creatures for the fight ETB. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cemetery Prowler" href="#" target="_blank">Cemetery Prowler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a graveyard hate effect that has the added benefit of giving us a slight discount on some of our spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ferocious Pup" href="#" target="_blank">Ferocious Pup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irregular Cohort" href="#" target="_blank">Irregular Cohort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are versatile cards since they give us two triggers to play around with. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howling Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Howling Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tovolar&#039;s Huntmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Tovolar&#039;s Huntmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Somberwald Beastmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Somberwald Beastmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are our top-end targets that flood the board with more tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drannith Healer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forsake the Worldly"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Vengeance"></div></div>
<p>We have every one-mana <em>Cycling</em> card available at our disposal, but as a two-colored <em>Cycling</em> deck, we quickly have to rely on more expensive ones, which isn't too bad, since we also have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fluctuator" href="#" target="_blank">Fluctuator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. One nice thing about <em>Cycling</em> strategies is that we can pack a myriad of different card effects among the different <em>Cycling</em> cards. We've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forsake the Worldly" href="#" target="_blank">Forsake the Worldly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilt" href="#" target="_blank">Wilt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for artifacts and enchantments, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Radiant&#039;s Judgment" href="#" target="_blank">Radiant&#039;s Judgment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for creatures, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes care of anything barring planeswalkers.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tolsimir Cycling" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Ascendant Packleader
*Flourishing Fox
*Young Wolf
*Drannith Healer
*Masked Vandal
*Valiant Rescuer
*Cemetery Prowler
*Eternal Witness
*Ferocious Pup
*Primal Forcemage
*Briarpack Alpha
*Irregular Cohort
*Nightpack Ambusher
*Pack Guardian
*Sarulf&#039;s Packmate
*Oketra&#039;s Attendant
*Skalla Wolf
*Timeless Dragon
*Wolfir Silverheart
*Elvish Aberration
*Hollowhenge Overlord
*Imposing Vantasaur
*Orchard Strider
*Pale Recluse
*Tovolar&#039;s Huntmaster
*Winged Shepherd
*Howling Giant
*Somberwald Beastmaster
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Mark of Asylum
*Sterling Grove
*Astral Drift
*Astral Slide
*Howling Moon
*Howlpack Resurgence
*Sigil of the Nayan Gods
*Anointed Procession
*Cast Out
*Parallel Lives
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Flucuator
*Bow of Nylea
[/Artifact]
[Instant]
*Enlightened Tutor
*Angelsong
*Clear
*Dissenter&#039;s Deliverance
*Djeru&#039;s Renunciation
*Lull
*Repopulate
*Wilt
*Akroma&#039;s Blessing
*Forsake the Worldly
*Radiant&#039;s Judgement
*Sylvan Reclamation
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*The Wanderer
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Edge of Autumn
*Beneath the Sands
*Idyllic Tutor
*Marshaling Cry
*Migration Path
*Wrath of God
*Akroma&#039;s Vengeance
*Austere Command
*Plea for Guidance
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Ash Barrens
*Bountiful Promenade
*Branchloft Pathway
*Brushland
*Canopy Vista
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Mana Confluence
*Overgrown Farmland
*Scattered Grove
*Secluded Steppe
*Sunpetal Grove
*Temple Garden
*Temple of Plenty
*Tranquil Thicket
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*10 Forest
*9 Plains
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>There are plenty of great support cards for Tolsimir, although since we're a bit slot-starved between our Wolves and our <em>Cycling</em> cards, we have to be choosey with them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mark of Asylum" href="#" target="_blank">Mark of Asylum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">The Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are ways to avoid losing our Wolves to our fight triggers, for instance. In a deck with so many token-generators, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointed Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Anointed Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parallel Lives" href="#" target="_blank">Parallel Lives</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> quickly put us over the edge. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Forcemage" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Forcemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s pump is a really efficient way to both protect from and rip apart our opponents' threats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mark of Asylum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anointed Procession"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wanderer"></div></div>
<p>We need to find our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Drift" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Drift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/ <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Slide" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Slide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as fast as possible, and while we have some drawing power with our <em>Cyclers</em>, we still need to have a few tutors. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enlightened Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Enlightened Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap tutor that can be used either before our draw step or together with our <em>Cyclers</em> to get one of our enchantments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idyllic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Idyllic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit expensive, but it gets it into our hands, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sterling Grove" href="#" target="_blank">Sterling Grove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is versatile and can either find or protect our key enchantments.</p>
<p>Our early game is a bit slow, with a few turns dedicated to setting up our board. This means that we're either digging for the <em>Cycling</em> enchantments or playing some of our support cards. It's also worth keeping in mind that since we lack the sheer number of <em>Cycling</em> cards as most of our decks usually have, it's good to consider holding out some <em>Cyclers</em> so that we have them available for when we start going off.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wilt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Astral Slide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Blessing"></div></div>
<p>While our game plan revolves around those the <em>Cycling</em> enchantments, we're no slouches if we don't find them. Our commander is a strong mid-range threat and, together with our Wolves, he can help us control the board and give us some breathing room to find what we're looking for.</p>
<p>If we get to keep our board, then by the late game we're pretty well set. The advantage of having a lot of cards that cantrip is that we can redraw and get ahead on board at the same time. We're a bit lacking in the bombs department, so to win, we'll need to do a bit of grinding. At that point, though, even just casting our beefiest can also be a pretty decent gameplan if we need a board state! The benefit of a grindy strategy is that it's slow to build up, but just as difficult to completely dismantle!</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Tolsimir

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One" href="#" target="_blank">Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/igorgrechanyi">Igor Grechanyi</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One" href="#" target="_blank">Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One"></div></div>
<p>Jon Irenicus is a fun take on Dimir Politics, where we give out "loans" to the rest of the table and collect the profits during the following turns.</p>
<p>There are a few different ways to build around this kit. Creatures with unwanted effects, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master of the Feast" href="#" target="_blank">Master of the Feast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are great to pass around. Alternatively, we could invest in passive token-makers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Spy Network" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Spy Network</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and not have to worry about playing a creature. We could even make our opponents do our dirty work for us with by playing <em>Infect</em> creatures, which become a sizeable threat with the two +1/+1 counters and the pseudo-haste that we get.</p>
<p>While the first part of Jon Irenicus's kit is the fun aspect of the card, the draw trigger is where most of his power comes from. This ability is pretty easy to trigger, as the creature only needs to attack, so it's very quick to snowball out of control.</p>
<p>With that being said, there are two main issues with Jon Irenicus: the first is the tempo loss for spending mana to give a threat to an opponent, and the second is the aftermath of our gameplan, which is the awkward position that we're left behind when the 1v1 scenario comes around.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relentless Rats"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cover of Darkness"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coat of Arms"></div></div>
<p>We don't get symmetrical effects that hit all players like we used to (and for a good reason). Usually, they lead to feel-bad situations where we can get blown out by our own card's effect. However, given that our commander wants to pass around creatures anyway, why not use symmetrical designs to our advantage? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the perfect card for this type of strategy, since it has a built-in global growth effect and, like any non-singleton strategy, they appreciate the draw support that Jon Irenicus provides.</p>
<p>We have a split between tribal and non-singleton support. Since our threats have an inherent anthem effect, we don't need that many straight power boosts, so having a suite that provides evasion and more cards is crucial for our success (though our commander helps a bit with the latter). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marrow-Gnawer" href="#" target="_blank">Marrow-Gnawer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cover of Darkness" href="#" target="_blank">Cover of Darkness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are efficient sources of evasion that affect our opponents' Rats as well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts a bit as the opposite of our commander: it draws us cards for when we attack with our Rats as opposed to when someone does it for us. This kind of coverage helps us avoid some feel-bad situations where we must wait for someone else's turn to draw. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrumming Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Thrumming Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card for any non-singleton list and can be a great way to recover after getting blown out by removal.</p>
<p>While strict power boost cards aren't exactly what we're looking for, there are still a few cards that stand out. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes every <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at least twice as effective, which turns them into an even faster clock. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Box" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Box</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't as explosive as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but by only affecting our Rats, it's especially useful when it comes down to the 1v1 situation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reflections of Littjara"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quasiduplicate"></div></div>
<p>Clone effects, while a bit on the win-more side of the spectrum, can be an efficient way to get a different kind of card without diluting our deck too much. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reflections of Littjara" href="#" target="_blank">Reflections of Littjara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful payoff that negates the biggest drawback from our commander: giving up a creature every time we pass them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Image" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Image</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is, effectively, a two-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can come out as another creature on the battlefield in a pinch. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quasiduplicate" href="#" target="_blank">Quasiduplicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit blue-heavy and costs as much as a Relentless Rats, but it's very card-efficient and gives us two Rats after the <em>Jump-Start</em>.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Jon Irenicus Rats" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]</p>
<p>*Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</p>
<p>[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Creature]</p>
<p>*Phantasmal Image<br />
*38 Relentless Rats<br />
*Marrow-Gnawer<br />
[/Creature]</p>
<p>[Artifact]</p>
<p>*Sol Ring<br />
*Arcane Signet<br />
*Fellwar Stone<br />
*Jet Medallion<br />
*Talisman of Dominance</p>
<p>*Herald's Horn<br />
*Mirror Box<br />
*Coat of Arms<br />
*Thrumming Stone</p>
<p>[/Artifact]</p>
<p>[Enchantment]</p>
<p>*Phyrexian Reclamation<br />
*Cover of Darkness<br />
*Kindred Discovery<br />
*Reflections of Littjara</p>
<p>[/Enchantment]</p>
<p>[Instant]</p>
<p>*Stubborn Denial<br />
*Arcane Denial<br />
*Cyclonic Rift<br />
*Baleful Mastery</p>
<p>[/Instant]</p>
<p>[Sorcery]</p>
<p>*Feed the Swarm<br />
*Quasiduplicate<br />
*Ravenform<br />
*Damnation<br />
*Patriarch's Bidding</p>
<p>[/Sorcery]</p>
<p>[Land]</p>
<p>*Bloodstained Mire<br />
*Bojuka Bog<br />
*Cabal Coffers<br />
*Choked Estuary<br />
*City of Brass<br />
*Clearwater Pathway<br />
*Command Tower<br />
*Drowned Catacomb<br />
*Mana Confluence<br />
*Marsh Flats<br />
*Morphic Pool<br />
*Polluted Delta<br />
*Shipwreck Marsh<br />
*Sunken Hollow<br />
*Sunken Ruins<br />
*Swarmyard<br />
*Tainted Isle<br />
*Temple of Deceit<br />
*Underground River<br />
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth<br />
*Verdant Catacombs<br />
*Watery Grave<br />
*15 Swamp<br />
[/Land]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our deck is pretty consistent, since we have 38 of the same card. We're trying to cast a Rat on turn three and our commander on turn four, so any hand that has three mana and just one blue source is functional enough to work. Once we start getting things going, we need to be able to read the table to know how we're going to use our commander's ability to get ahead in the game. Spreading out our creatures might be the more politically neutral approach, but often we have to focus on a problematic player that all our Rats will be pointed towards.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should have access to one of our payoff cards and can start doing some real damage. We usually can grind a bit against board wipes since we have our commander to make up for our losses. However, we should still avoid overcommitting once we have a reasonable board state.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Patriarch&#039;s Bidding"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Reclamation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrumming Stone"></div></div>
<p>The later stages of the game can be a bit tricky because we need to have a certain number of Rats to be effective, and, as the game goes on, it gets increasingly harder to recover each board wipe. That being said, we still have some great cards to help us fight against this, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which isn't exactly the faster card out there, but it gives us a steady flow of threats to play.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Jon Irenicus

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jason_engle">Jason A. Engle</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>This week, it's all about the Dread Wolf Herald!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive commander. For three mana we get a token-maker that also works as a draw engine. It's also surprisingly easy to create tokens with Faldorn! Exile effects, <em>Suspend</em>, <em>Foretell</em>, and <em>Rebound</em> are just a few ways to create tokens while also getting extra value, and we even get an infinite combo with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squee, the Immortal" href="#" target="_blank">Squee, the Immortal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Food Chain" href="#" target="_blank">Food Chain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>With that said, the second part of Faldorn's kit, while a good standalone enabler, can be a bit awkward at times, since it's easy to get an uncastable card. Some of those effects, such as <em>Suspend, </em>have alternative costs or abilities that won't work when they themselves wind up in exile from an effect like Faldorn's.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arrogant Wurm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basking Rootwalla"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insatiable Gorgers"></div></div>
<p>The problem with making obvious 'best-in-show' commanders for certain mechanics is that we often stop looking at that archetype for other commanders. <em>Madness</em> is a fun archetype that I feel got sucked into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anje Falkenrath" href="#" target="_blank">Anje Falkenrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s shadow, but Faldorn could make great use of it too! <em>Madness </em>is usually shortcutted to 'you can cast this card when you discard it' but the mechanic actually puts the card into exile, so Faldorn will make tons of Wolf tokens from <em>Madness </em>cards!</p>
<p>Not only that, Faldorn is a great discard outlet! She's perfect for <em>Madness</em> decks that want to be more stompy. How about getting two 2/2 Wolf tokens, one 1/1 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rootwalla" href="#" target="_blank">Rootwalla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, plus the extra card that we get with our commander, for just one mana (plus the exiled card's cost)? This leads to a very aggressive value-based strategy, as we get to put a lot of bodies on the battlefield very fast, and being Gruul means having a great stompy support suite to get maximum value out of them.</p>
<p>The lack of black can be a bit scary when considering a <em>Madness</em> deck, since a lot of the archetype is concentrated between it and red. However, our green cards feel like they were tailored to our needs. Cheap <em>Madness</em> creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basking Rootwalla" href="#" target="_blank">Basking Rootwalla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blazing Rootwalla" href="#" target="_blank">Blazing Rootwalla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are great cards to be discarded with Faldorn's ability since they reduce the chance of not being able to cast the card that we exile. While big creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Incorrigible Youths" href="#" target="_blank">Incorrigible Youths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arrogant Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Arrogant Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, usually aren't really all that relevant in the format, having them come out with up to two extra bodies and a card can really accelerate the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonecrusher Giant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scorn Effigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trumpeting Herd"></div></div>
<p>Besides <em>Madness</em>, there are a few ways of triggering our commander, which is important for making our gameplan more consistent. Our <em>Foretell</em> cards can be efficient "curve fillers", but between our commander's activated ability and the <em>Madness</em> costs that we're paying, we tend to be pretty mana-intensive anyways.</p>
<p>Then, we have plenty of heavy-hitting payoffs. It's a bit hard to find a balance between having enough of them to be able to consistently hit them, but not so many that we get flooded, or even hit them with our commander's activated ability, since they tend to be on the more expensive side of our curve. Damage-multipliers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are an easy way to instantly improve our all-in potential, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unnatural Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Unnatural Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an honorable mention that, while not a true damage multiplier, acts enough like it to be included here. Since we're putting a lot of bodies on the field, effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us a nice amount of reach.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Faldorn Madness" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Basking Rootwalla
*Birds of Paradise
*Blazing Rootwalla
*Boreal Druid
*Elvish Mystic
*Fyndhorn Elves
*Llanowar Elves
*Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*Conspiracy Theorist
*Fauna Shaman
*Anje&#039;s Raveger
*Birgi, God of Storytelling
*Bloodmad Vampire
*Bonecrusher Giant
*Green Slime
*Scorn Effigy
*Skophos Reaver
*Stromkirk Occultist
*Anger
*Insatiable Gorgers
*Purphoros, God of the Forge
*Sarulf&#039;s Packmate
*Arrogant Wurm
*Incorrigible Youths
*Reckless Wurm
*Terror of the Peaks
*Doomskar TItan
[/Creature]

[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*The Great Henge
[/Artifact]



[Enchantment]
*Senseless Rage
*Elemental Bond
*Fires of Yaviamaya
*Furnace of Rath
*Parallel Lives
*Gratuitous Violence
*Unnatural Growth
*Fiery Emancipation
*Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Nature&#039;s Claim
*Cathartic Pyre
*Faithless Salvaging
*Thrill of Possibility
*Abandon Reason
*Chaos Warp
*Demon Bolt
*Fiery Temper
*Violent Eruption
*Return of the Wildspeaker
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*Domri, Anarch of Bolas
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Avacyn&#039;s Judgement
*Distemper of the Blood
*Farseek
*Hull Breach
*Nature&#039;s Lore
*Rampant Growth
*Three Visits
*Chain Reaction
*Dwarven Reinforcements
*Malevolent Whispers
*Trumpeting Herd
*Alchemist&#039;s Greeting
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Copperline Gorge
*Cragcrown Pathway
*Exotic Orchard
*Ghost Quarter
*Grove of the Burnwillow
*Karplusan Forest
*Mana Confluence
*Rockfall Vale
*Rootbound Crag
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Abandon
*Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
*10 Forest
*10 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Having a suite of cards that gives us an alternative source of advantage is important because we won't always have our commander available. When we <em>do </em>have them in play with our commander, things get really spicy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fauna Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Fauna Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works both as a <em>Madness</em> discard outlet and as a tutor that allows us to chain multiple creatures a turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is pretty similar to the second half of our commander, and together with her, it turns all of our looting effects into possible Wolf tokens.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our ideal opening hand probably involves having a one-mana dork to be able to cast our commander on turn two. Our gameplan starts once we're able to tap our commander and start playing our <em>Madness</em> threats. We can also opt to delay this a bit if we want to play some of our "slow" effects, like <em>Rebound</em> and <em>Foretell</em>, so that we have a more explosive turn later on.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should be starting to get a sizeable army. At this point we should start looking for one of our bigger payoffs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gratuitous Violence" href="#" target="_blank">Gratuitous Violence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to start enhancing our damage potential. The normal turn structure can be a bit wonky since our commander is a wild card, so that usual pattern of playing lands first or even casting in the main phase #2 can lead to bad results if we start autopiloting the deck.</p>
<p>For an aggro deck, we're surprisingly good at rebuilding our board. It can be a bit draw-dependent, but we do have some ways to quickly rebuild or get back into the game after a setback; any of our looting effects can lead into a moderate board state, and some burn spells can be used to push for that last bit of damage, especially with any of our damage multipliers.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Plate"></div></div>
<p>Faldorn has a ton of directions to upgrade into. Top-deck manipulation might help us avoid bad hits with our commander, for instance. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei&#039;s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Library" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Library</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a good starting point for luxurious upgrades.</p>
<p>Increasing the number of standalone threats could also improve the deck's consistency and allow us to play getting our commander removed. <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> is a good standalone threat because it's powerful even without Faldorn in play. However, we should consider their mana costs before stuffing too many of these big threats into our deck. Oh, and if removal is something you're worried about, adding in more protective Equipment/Auras might help keep Faldorn alive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Spider Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are ways to avoid board wipes, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are effective against single target removal.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Bernardo Melibeu