<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl" href="#" target="_blank">Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/campbellwhite">Campbell White</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, 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>In this article, we'll be taking a look at an impressive Bant commander. Its ability to dominate the battlefield with its titanic effects while also providing a solid cover against single target removal allows him to be a force to be reckoned with. It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl" href="#" target="_blank">Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl"></div></div>
<h2>Observations</h2>
<ul>
<li>Storvald is a powerful creature enabler, and as such, can lead a myriad of creature-based strategies. Since most of his damage relies on combat, passing him around with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assault Suit" href="#" target="_blank">Assault Suit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could provide deadly results.</li>
<li>Although his <em>Ward</em>-granting ability is a great deterrent against single-target removal, the multiplayer nature of the format makes this a bit less desirable, given the prevalence of board wipes.</li>
<li>He costs a whopping seven mana just on the first cast. His high mana cost is a huge downside, especially since he's so threatening-looking and will draw attention. This relegates him to more of a support role, offering benefits for a specific strategy, rather than being the main point of a deck.</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emeria Angel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Empyrean Eagle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trygon Predator"></div></div>
<p>When building Storvald, we need to choose which creatures we're trying to buff. Evasive creatures get more bang for our buck, but it's not a must-have, since we also get the debuff effect with the attack trigger. 'Flying Matters' is an archetype that's been gaining some more steam lately, and is a great pseudo-tribal strategy that works pretty decently without our commander's help.</p>
<p>We have plenty of anthem effects to use, which stack pretty quickly with our evasive threats, and also work great with our commander, who doesn't override the buffs, but just changes base power and toughness. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderclap Wyvern" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderclap Wyvern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empyrean Eagle" href="#" target="_blank">Empyrean Eagle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thraben Watcher" href="#" target="_blank">Thraben Watcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are simple buffs, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee, Sky Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee, Sky Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a bit more situational, but also tend to be cheaper. We also have some noncreature helpers, like <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>. They can be a bit less effective than their creature counterparts, since they can't attack, but on the other hand, they're more resilient against board wipes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overcharged Amalgam"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hanged Executioner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glorious Protector"></div></div>
<p>Flying creatures are spread all throughout <em>Magic</em> history, which means we have plenty of powerful utility options for our deck. As we'll soon see, this deck can draws a lot of cards, so having access to a huge amount of threat density is great. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gryffwing Cavalry" href="#" target="_blank">Gryffwing Cavalry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wingcrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Wingcrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow our commander to fly, which, with his 7 power, can get out of hand pretty quickly, opening up a nice secondary win condition. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hanged Executioner" href="#" target="_blank">Hanged Executioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trygon Predator" href="#" target="_blank">Trygon Predator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Remorseful Cleric" href="#" target="_blank">Remorseful Cleric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are removal on a stick, which is a great way to continually apply pressure while making it harder for the game to spiral out of our control.</p>
<p>Being a creature-based go-wide deck, it's important to have a defensive suite of creatures to avoid getting blown out. Our commander gives us a nice buffer against single-target removal, and together with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jubilant Skybonder" href="#" target="_blank">Jubilant Skybonder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Judge&#039;s Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Judge&#039;s Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they make removing our creatures very taxing. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate" href="#" target="_blank">Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glorious Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Glorious Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all, to some degree or another, play a crucial role protecting against board wipes.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Storvald Flying Matters" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Birds of Paradise
*Gilded Goose
*Judge&#039;s Familiar
*Noble Hierarch
*Spectral Sailor
*Wingcrafter
*Cartographer&#039;s Hawk
*Ice-Fang Coatl
*Maraleaf Pixie
*Pride of Clouds
*Remorseful Cleric
*Selfless Spirit
*Skycat Sovereign
*Watcher of the Spheres
*Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
*Empyrean Eagle
*Hanged Executioner
*Jubilant Skybonder
*Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant
*Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
*Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate
*Loyal Drake
*Trygon Predator
*Warden of Evos Isle
*Welcoming Vampire
*Angelic Field Marshal
*Donal, Herald of Wings
*Emeria Angel
*Glorious Protector
*Gryffwing Captain
*Overcharged Amalgam
*Shalai, Voice of Plenty
*Thraben Watcher
*Thunderclap Wyvern
*Tide Skimmer
*Kangee, Sky Warden
*Mulldrifter
*Archetype of Imagination
*Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Bident of Thassa
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Favorable Winds
*Always Watching
*Coastal Piracy
*Reconnaissance Mission
*Gravitational Shift
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Nature&#039;s Claim
*Path To Exile
*Swords to Plowshares
*Arcane Denial
*Dovin&#039;s Veto
*Heroic Intervention
*Negate
*Teferi&#039;s Protection
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Farseek
*Nature&#039;s Lore
*Rampant Growth
*Three Visits
*Harvest Season
*Winged Words
*Beck // Call
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Adarkar Wastes
*Barkchannel Pathway
*Bountiful Promenade
*Branchloft Pathway
*Breeding Pool
*Brushland
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Exotic Orchard
*Fabled Passage
*Flooded Strand
*Hallowed Fountain
*Hengegate Pathway
*Mana Confluence
*Polluted Delta
*Prismatic Vista
*Rejuvenation Springs
*Sea of Clouds
*Seaside Citadel
*Temple Garden
*Windswept Heath
*Wooded Foothills
*Yavimaya Coast
*5 Forest
*3 Island
*6 Plains
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Our strategy relies on going wide, so card draw is very, very important. With more cards, we can access more creatures, going even wider, but we also just need more creatures in hand in case we need to recover from an opponent's board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reconnaissance Mission" href="#" target="_blank">Reconnaissance Mission</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are efficient ways to get a consistent flow of cards, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Sailor" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Sailor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beck // Call" href="#" target="_blank">Beck // Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winged Words" href="#" target="_blank">Winged Words</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow us to recover or to develop even when we're not fully online yet. This is important, since we can't count on always having a small army at every point of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birds of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warden of Evos Isle"></div></div>
<p>Having on-theme ways to accelerate our mana is great, especially when we're combining them with our impressive card draw suite. The best part is that they never truly feel like dead cards; in the early game we can use the extra mana to our advantage, while later on they can still attack, either with our Anthems or with our commander pumping them up! A 7/7 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a sight to behold. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Derevi, Empyrial Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible addition to the list, providing a solid burst in mana, like our very own version of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Watcher of the Spheres" href="#" target="_blank">Watcher of the Spheres</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are impressive pieces of acceleration that not many tribes have access to, and they can get out of hand when combined with our card draw.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we're looking mostly for a solid curve of threats, which isn't that hard, given how many of them we have. With the number of helpful <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> effects, and the number of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects that are ready to buff them, we're pretty fast at building a decent-sized board state, so utilizing this early lead to our advantage is crucial if we want to succeed.</p>
<p>In the early game, we're mostly just poking at our opponents with our creatures. This is an important step because every point of damage pressures our opponents further down the line (especially when considering our commander).</p>
<p>By the mid-game we'll have plenty of powerful draw triggers off our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enchantments that can help us take over the board. Our Anthem effects provide a solid clock, which means our threats will need to be answered quickly, or our opposition will never recover. Don't neglect the importance of tempo! Our commander is a nice catch-up in games where we aren't as fast as we wish.</p>
<p>We have a lot of potential when we reach the late game. On the one hand, our commander allows for a sudden burst of damage even if we're behind, dealing 14 damage with just one other creature. On the other hand, we tend to have ways of building boards that are very hard to answer when we've pulled ahead. One thing that we lack, however, is that big <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-like effect. Don't get me wrong, we do have plenty of powerful draws that gives this type of punch, but it's never of the Hoof magnitude. Our end-of-game plans rely very much on the continual pecking at enemy life totals from the very start of the game.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avacyn, Angel of Hope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thieving Skydiver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigardian Savior"></div></div>
<p>There are a lot of great fliers that we could add to the list if we wanted to keep exploring this experiment! <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>'s additional protection against board wipe comes in handy quite often. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consecrated Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Consecrated Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an EDH staple for a good reason, and adding it to our list will help us keep our grip full. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thieving Skydiver" href="#" target="_blank">Thieving Skydiver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice little addition, stealing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and other useful artifacts while also being a cheap body.</p>
<p>One subtheme that might be worth investing in is recursion. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigardian Savior" href="#" target="_blank">Sigardian Savior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very efficient 3-for-1 that can be played after a board wipe and very easily pay for itself with its ETB.</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 <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Storvald

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcus, Prince of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Orcus, Prince of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/andrewkmar">Andrew Mar</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, 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>Today let's take a look into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcus, Prince of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Orcus, Prince of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a somewhat underpowered commander. Don't get me wrong, it does have its moments, but this commander has a few obstacles in its design that tend to make it hard for it to shine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcus, Prince of Undeath"></div></div>
<h3>Observations:</h3>
<ul>
<li>As a commander, Orcus suffers pretty badly from diminishing returns. Unlike the more streamlined X-cost commanders, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyrus, Waker of Corpses" href="#" target="_blank">Gyrus, Waker of Corpses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which counts <em>all</em> the mana spent to cast it, Orcus only counts the X for its ETB (enters-the-battlefield) ability. This makes Orcus a 4+ mana investment at minimum, and every subsequent cast become less effective, which isn't a good place to be when you're an ETB-based commander.</li>
<li>Orcus' ETB has two different modes and both can be useful in their own right:
<ul>
<li>The first mode is a board wipe for every creature except our commander. With the right support, this can be a huge tempo swing in our favor, clearing the board for a possible Voltron threat. However, given that our commander already costs four mana, we're talking about an investment of at least six to seven mana to clear away some blockers, and again, that's just on Orcus's <em>first </em>cast.</li>
<li>The second mode has the highest potential, a reliable mass reanimation effect in a color combination that has the tools to capitalize on that explosiveness. The biggest challenge is this mode's wording: it limits the number of targets and the available targets that we can choose from. This double restriction makes it hard to go bonkers with it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>So, let's switch up the formula and see what we can make work with Orcus!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Skelemental"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s are effective beaters that have the downside of being sacrificed at end of turn. They're very cheap to cast, and thus are great targets for Orcus' second ETB trigger. This'll be tricky for Orcus, since we'll have only a couple of opportunities to use our commander to bring back these kinds of creatures, but that means we're playing an exciting feast-or-famine strategy. What we lack in consistency we gain in sheer explosive potential, having the ability to dish double digit damage our of absolutely nowhere when our commander comes down and resurrects a pile of cheap, powerful, hasty threats.</p>
<p>Most of our beaters are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variations, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arc Runner" href="#" target="_blank">Arc Runner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Elemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we have some interesting targets that are more noteworthy to discuss. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogis, God of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Mogis, God of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an excellent resilient beater that scales decently in multiplayer. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not synergize at all with our commander (at least not the <em>Escape</em> part), but it's still a cheap threat, and we do tend to build a somewhat decent graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works both as an effective beater and a Treasure creator (more on that later). Its attack restriction isn't all that backbreaking since we're packing a few mana rocks and Treasure tokens, and we're more than happy to leave it on the battlefield giving us value.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Egon, God of Death" href="#" target="_blank">Egon, God of Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a funny card because it actively goes against what our commander is trying to do - load the graveyard. However, all we need is a cheap body that Orcus can revive and haste up! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combat Celebrant" href="#" target="_blank">Combat Celebrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s potential to finish off defenseless players gives this card a tool boxy feature that is great for a recursion-based commander to have.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dictate of the Twin Gods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing"></div></div>
<p>Red gives us access to some very effective support that allows our creatures to shine. While they're a bit on the expensive side and can be tough to find the right timing window to deploy them, they are the real deal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of the Twin Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of the Twin Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a damage doubler that can be flashed in on the end step right before our turn, giving us even <em>more</em> explosive potential and some much-needed unpredictability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserkers&#039; Onslaught" href="#" target="_blank">Berserkers&#039; Onslaught</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is similar to any damage doubler effect, but we shouldn't take for granted its combat trick potential, which can be make blocking even harder for our opponents.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flameshadow Conjuring" href="#" target="_blank">Flameshadow Conjuring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an effective way to get additional value from our creatures. Not only do we get extra damage, we also get more value out of any potential Aristocrat payoffs we use, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! The Flameshadow says to exile the token, but remember, many of the creatures we're copying, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Skelemental" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Skelemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will have their own end-step sacrifice trigger to make sure we <em>do </em>get the death triggers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great control tool for any deck that has the means to actually proc its damage triggers, and with a bunch of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rotting Regisaur" href="#" target="_blank">Rotting Regisaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmic Larva" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmic Larva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it turns out we can make that happen for very little mana!</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Orcuss Lightning Ball" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Orcus, Prince of Undeath
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Rakdos Signet
*Talisman of Indulgence
*Skyclave Relic
*Hedron Archive
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Spark Elemental
*Dockside Extortionist
*Hellspark Elemental
*Kalain, Reclusive Painter
*Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger
*Wily Goblin
*Arc Runner
*Ball Lightning
*Combat Celebrant
*Cosmic Larva
*Egon, God of Death
*Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
*Hell&#039;s Thunder
*Lightning Skelemental
*Phyrexian Soulgorger
*Rotting Regisaur
*Seasoned Pyromancer
*Anger
*Blistering Firecat
*Bloodsworn Steward
*Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
*Fanatic of Mogis
*Impetuous Devils
*Mogis, God of Slaughter
*Pitiless Plunderer
*Purphoros, God of the Forge
*Skizzik
*Treasonous Ogre
*Goldspan Dragon
*Phyrexian Delver
*Thunderblust
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Flameshadow Conjuring
*Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing
*Berserkers&#039; Onslaught
*Dictate of the Twin Gods
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Village Rites
*Deadly Dispute
*Terminate
*Thrill of Possibility
*Chaos Warp
*Hurl Through Hell
*Unexpected Windfall
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Strike it Rich
*Vandalblast
*Feed the Swarm
*Tormenting Voice
*Seize the Spoils
*Toxic Deluge
*Victimize
*Damnation
*Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blightstep Pathway
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Canyon Slough
*Command Beacon
*Command Tower
*Dragonskull Summit
*Foreboding Ruins
*Graven Cairns
*Luxury Suite
*Polluted Delta
*Sulfurous Springs
*Temple of Malice
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Wooded Foothills
*15 Mountain
*7 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div>

<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wily Goblin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldspan Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pirate&#039;s Pillage"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldspan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Goldspan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good beater that doubles the value of our Treasure tokens while also providing extra mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalain, Reclusive Painter" href="#" target="_blank">Kalain, Reclusive Painter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap creature that provides a Treasure token and a nice payoff for using them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pirate&#039;s Pillage" href="#" target="_blank">Pirate&#039;s Pillage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seize the Spoils" href="#" target="_blank">Seize the Spoils</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great mid-game plays that act both as a way to filter our hand and as a possible setup for a future turn.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>In terms of opening hands, we don't want to keep anything too slow. Our goal is to start applying pressure to opponents with our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creatures on turn three. This will set the pace for our early game, keeping up a string of one-turn threats, and restocking our hand with draw spells.</p>
<p>In the mid game, we can start to look for opportunities to set up our commander's grand entrance. Extra Treasure tokens here and there will help tremendously with this. There are a few mana milestones that we want to keep track of throughout the game (the 7 mana milestone and 10 mana milestone are crucial ones, to help bring back a decent number of creatures), but it's also useful to know when to adapt that plan according to the game state.</p>
<p>In the late game, after we've deployed Orcus and he's caused some havoc, we can lose a bit of our oomph. We're never completely out of it, though; with so many hasty threats, and so many ways to make them more effective, such as doubling their damage or gleaning rewards from their sacrifices, our opponents always have to stay on guard for any other stockpile of hasty creatures we rush out later on. Given enough time and mana, replaying our commander will always be a big late-game blowout.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Epic Results</h1>
<p>There are many ways to continue expanding and evolving the strategy from this point and I think that they tend to go towards three paths: beaters, payoffs, and subtheme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Immolating Souleater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ogre Battledriver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manabarbs"></div></div>
<p>There are many cost-effective beaters out there to try, and one in particular that got me very intrigued was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immolating Souleater" href="#" target="_blank">Immolating Souleater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The life trade might seem bad, but when considering that we're a very aggressive deck, it's easy to see how losing life for additional damage could really pay off for such a swift strategy.</p>
<p>Evolving the payoffs part of the deck will likely depend on personal flair; one player might prefer the sheer power of <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>, while another might like the low cost of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, a great subtheme for this deck to potentially explore further would be some Group Slug cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabarbs" href="#" target="_blank">Manabarbs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which either slow our opponents down or make them lose a bunch of life. This, of course, accelerates our plans perfectly.</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 <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Orcus's Lightning Ball

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosima, God of the Voyage" href="#" target="_blank">Cosima, God of the Voyage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.micahepsteinart.com/">Micah Epstein</a></h6>
<h1>Epic Preparation</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, 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>In this article, let's take a look at one of the Gods from <em>Kaldheim.</em> Dual-faced commanders have always intrigued me, since the added flexibility gives us space to play around with both aspects of the card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosima, God of the Voyage" href="#" target="_blank">Cosima, God of the Voyage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful commander with two separate sides that are very synergistic with each other, but you can also build with only one of them in mind.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cosima, God of the Voyage"></div></div>
<h3>Cosima Side</h3>
<p>Cosima's side is quite the powerhouse, providing a slow-building clock that will even give us cards to protect itself in the process. It plays better in a control shell where we're guaranteed to have consistent land drops and can play it early and leave it exiled for a few turns to restock our hand afterward. It's worth noting that while the Vehicle side does offer synergy with Cosima, it might be too slow to try to keep switching between sides.</p>
<h3>Omenkeel Side</h3>
<p>While Cosima is a slower and more control-ish card, The Omenkeel is better suited for aggressive decks that want to abuse its land-stealing ability and play fewer lands. A Vehicle that cares about other Vehicles is also pretty new for this color, since Vehicles-matter effects are usually either white, red, or Boros. This offers us some cool interactions that we often don't see in the archetype, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ensoul Artifact" href="#" target="_blank">Ensoul Artifact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mindcrank"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Body and Mind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maddening Cacophony"></div></div>
<p>The Omenkeel is interesting because, while its kit is designed to find lands for its controller to play, it can also be used as a way to mill our opponents by exiling their cards. The best part is that since the lands are already exiled, we don't need to worry about graveyard-based synergies.</p>
<p>However, with a one-to-one damage-to-card ratio, we won't be that effective; after all, each player starts with 40 life vs. 99 cards in a deck. They'd lose to damage long before losing to mill! Luckily for us, there's a lot of support that can help us out, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindcrank" href="#" target="_blank">Mindcrank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Body and Mind" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Body and Mind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In other words, if we're deciding between good mill and good combat, we can just say: why not both?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smuggler&#039;s Copter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weatherlight"></div></div>
<p>Our Vehicle suite must therefore be very aggressive, since it helps us to get the ball rolling in the mill department. Vehicles are almost always very aggressively costed, which allows for our early game to be quite powerful, although they can get out-scaled if we don't draw our support cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aethersphere Harvester" href="#" target="_blank">Aethersphere Harvester</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heart of Kiran" href="#" target="_blank">Heart of Kiran</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sky Skiff" href="#" target="_blank">Sky Skiff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 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> are cheap, evasive beaters that are great to put the pressure on most stages of the game. <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 an impressive role-player in this type of shell, being both a mana rock and beater, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skysovereign, Consul Flagship" href="#" target="_blank">Skysovereign, Consul Flagship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weatherlight" href="#" target="_blank">Weatherlight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide a lot of utility while being great top-end.</p>
<p>Our pilots provide a lot of passive utility, either by having useful ETBs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amphin Mutineer" href="#" target="_blank">Amphin Mutineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or by providing constant value, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diligent Excavator" href="#" target="_blank">Diligent Excavator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dreamborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Dreamborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sage&#039;s Row Denizen" href="#" target="_blank">Sage&#039;s Row Denizen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have the added benefit of also acting as constant mill sources, which are an important part of an unconventional mill deck like ours. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chief of the Foundry" href="#" target="_blank">Chief of the Foundry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etherium Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Etherium Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foundry Inspector" href="#" target="_blank">Foundry Inspector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Padeem, Consul of Innovation" href="#" target="_blank">Padeem, Consul of Innovation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a pretty decent "Artifacts Matter" pilot suite.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fractured Sanity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mesmeric Orb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diligent Excavator"></div></div>
<p>Aside from our beatdown plan, we still want to have a few mill cards that aren't reliant on combat, both to boost our mill potential and act as a back-up in those games where our beatdown might otherwise be lacking.</p>
<p>We have two different types of mill cards: one-shot and constant effects. The first type is great at bursting down libraries and providing an immediate return on our mana investment; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fractured Sanity" href="#" target="_blank">Fractured Sanity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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="Tasha&#039;s Hideous Laughter" href="#" target="_blank">Tasha&#039;s Hideous Laughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are very cost-effective global mill spells that won't get in the way of our main gameplan. The second type is crucial for our success; after all, milling in Commander is more of a marathon than a sprint. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altar of the Brood" href="#" target="_blank">Altar of the Brood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedron Crab" href="#" target="_blank">Hedron Crab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruin Crab" href="#" target="_blank">Ruin Crab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychic Corrosion" href="#" target="_blank">Psychic Corrosion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> consistently put pressure on our opponents and can also act as a lightning rod for potential removal spells.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Cosima Mill" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Cosima, God of the Voyage
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Hedron Crab
*Overwhelmed Apprentice
*Ruin Crab
*Siren Stormtamer
*Diligent Excavator
*Etherium Sculptor
*Vantress Gargoyle
*Animating Faerie
*Chief of the Foundry
*Foundry Inspector
*Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar
*Sage&#039;s Row Denizen
*Sai, Master Thopterist
*Skilled Animator
*Tribute Mage
*Trinket Mage
*Amphin Mutineer
*Dreamborn Muse
*Glen Elendra Archmage
*Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
*Sakashima the Impostor
*Sower of Temptation
*Whirler Rogue
*Archetype of Imagination
*Sphinx Mindbreaker
*Workshop Elders
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Ensoul Artifact
*Psychic Corrosion
*Levitation
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Cyclonic Rift
*Reality Shift
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Maddening Cacophony
*Rise and Shine
*Fractured Sanity
*Ravenform
*Tasha&#039;s Hideous Laughter
*Baral&#039;s Expertise
[/Sorcery]
[Artifact]
*Altar of the Brood
*Sol Ring
*The Blackstaff of Waterdeep
*Funeral Longboat
*Guardian Idol
*Heart of Kiran
*Key to the City
*Mesmeric Orb
*Mindcrank
*Sky Skiff
*Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*Aethersphere Harvester
*Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*Fountain of Ichor
*Mobile Garrison
*Renegade Freighter
*Sleek Schooner
*Sword of Body and Mind
*Fleetwheel Cruiser
*Thundering Chariot
*Untethered Express
*Weatherlight
*Ballista Charger
*Dusk Legion Dreadnought
*Enchanted Carriage
*Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
[/Artifact]
[Land]
*Castle Vantress
*Crawling Barrens
*Dread Statuary
*Faceless Haven
*Faerie Conclave
*Mishra&#039;s Factory
*Mobilized District
*Mutavault
*Hall of Storm Giants
*26 Snow-Covered Island
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<hr />
<p>We're also packing some cards that turn our artifacts into creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ensoul Artifact" href="#" target="_blank">Ensoul Artifact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are a bit of a double-edged sword. They provide some quality-of-life improvement, making it so that we don't have to worry about the <em>Crew </em>costs of our Vehicles, but they also leave us more vulnerable to board wipes, which are normally a non-issue for Vehicles. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Blackstaff of Waterdeep" href="#" target="_blank">The Blackstaff of Waterdeep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animating Faerie" href="#" target="_blank">Animating Faerie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skilled Animator" href="#" target="_blank">Skilled Animator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ensoul Artifact" href="#" target="_blank">Ensoul Artifact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise and Shine" href="#" target="_blank">Rise and Shine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide a solid base for this type of effect and are great early-game ways to further accelerate our already aggressive gameplan.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skilled Animator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ensoul Artifact"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Animating Faerie"></div></div>
<p>The last piece of the puzzle is ways to give our Vehicles evasion, which is very important for a deck that wants to deal combat damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archetype of Imagination" href="#" target="_blank">Archetype of Imagination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while a bit on the expensive side, basically makes our creatures unblockable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Workshop Elders" href="#" target="_blank">Workshop Elders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pulls double duty as both an animator and evasion-granter. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whirler Rogue" href="#" target="_blank">Whirler Rogue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a few key creatures unblockability while also creating a few bodies we can use to pilot our vessels. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Levitation" href="#" target="_blank">Levitation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just <em>borderline</em> playable, but I think the extra redundancy is worth this somewhat lackluster effect.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For opening hands, we're mainly looking for a Vehicle and a pilot or two. It's important to start putting pressure as soon as turn 3, when we untap with our commander, because those early turns are less likely to have blockers, so we get to rain down some terror before we start having to worry about evasion.</p>
<p>Our deck plays like an Aggro deck, which means that our early game is where we'll be doing the most damage. Being able to curve out effectively is important, and having an aggressive curve is usually recommended. However, there are some inclusions that make our deck stronger than the average combat-centric list.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, our creatures might start losing a bit of their spark, but luckily for us our threats are very resilient to board wipes, thriving in the post-board-wipe battlefields (especially since our creatures can <em>Crew</em> on the same turn they enter play). That being said, this is the point of the game where evasion starts making the most difference.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rise and Shine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tasha&#039;s Hideous Laughter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hall of Storm Giants"></div></div>
<p>The late game isn't as bad as it might seem. Here, our "Plan B" cards work great, allowing us to flip the switch and play a bit more like a conventional mill strategy for anyone we haven't already worn down. Plus, we have a lot of creature lands to go full aggro if all else fails. Our biggest weakness is the lack of good control elements, which can mean that we might get taken out by an unanswered threat that overstays its welcome.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Endless Possibilities</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bident of Thassa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grand Architect"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Court of Cunning"></div></div>
<p>The deck already has a lot of different packages, so it's hard to keep a streamlined list without sacrificing a bit of versatility. One package that I felt didn't play out that well, but had potential, were the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects that draw cards on combat damage. These cards could be played in a more tempo-oriented shell, but I feel that we'd need be a bit faster than we are right now.</p>
<p>The pilot suite is very flexible too, and there's always plenty of room for changes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grand Architect" href="#" target="_blank">Grand Architect</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a great card for this type of shell, providing solid mana and the anthem effect. Our mill suite can be very easily changed, too! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Cunning" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Cunning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be great on less aggressive metas, where we could try to maintain <em>Monarch</em> for one or two turns during the game. Mixing mill and combat keeps our enemies on their toes, and this could also be explored further by other Omenkeel voyagers.</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 <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Cosima Mill

Deep Analysis - Superfriends

Epic Experiment - Tiamat

Deep Analysis - Infect

Deep Analysis - Enchantress

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">Octavia, Living Thesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/simondominic">Simon Dominic</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparation</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, 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>In this article, let's talk about one very powerful yet underplayed tempo commander: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">Octavia, Living Thesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Octavia, Living Thesis"></div></div>
<p><strong>Observation 1</strong></p>
<p>Octavia is quite the powerhouse! She's exactly what the doctor ordered: a solid tempo commander who offers a cheap aggressive body that can pump other creatures.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 2</strong></p>
<p>While the cost reduction really turns Octavia into a viable tempo commander, it's not as easy as one might think. By playing a fast deck, we need to get our commander online ASAP, but requiring eight instants/sorceries in the 'yard can slow us down quite a lot.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 3</strong></p>
<p>It's a shame that there aren't enough <em>Infect</em> creatures to build a proper mono-blue <em>Infect</em> deck, but they are a nice alternative win condition to have against lifegain decks, since Octavia can buff them up so well.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 4</strong></p>
<p>Octavia's <em>Ward</em> means we're covered against most forms of spot removal, barring counterspells. This makes us a lot safer, since board wipes are far less common than single-target removal.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 5</strong></p>
<p>Octavia's ability can target <em>any </em>creature, not just ours.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<h2><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-67557" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-1024x516.png" alt="" width="1024" height="516" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-1024x516.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-300x151.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-768x387.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig.png 1225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></h2>
<p>As we can see, a lot of folks use Octavia as a way to pump up cheap, evasive bodies, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Looter Il-Kor" href="#" target="_blank">Looter Il-Kor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to play a tempo game against the opposition. This makes the deck even more reliant upon getting those eight instants/sorceries in the graveyard, since these critters don't exactly end a game without our commander buffing them up. However, because these are taking up spell slots, it gets even trickier to fill the graveyard in the first place! This increases the importance of looting and mill effects to get our commander online as soon as possible.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>Most folks think about Octavia's <em>Magecraft</em> trigger as an opportunity to pump cheap evasive bodies, but one thing that always let me down about this strategy was its play pattern. There's so much setup here: we need to fill the graveyard with instants or sorceries, put small creatures into play, <em>then</em> we can cast our commander, <em>then </em>cast a spell to trigger the <em>Magecraft,</em> and after all that, we can finally attack with a beefed-up creature. This is a lot of set up for a tempo-oriented shell that relies so heavily on their commander.</p>
<p>What if we could make our opponents do the job for us, and, thus, solely relying on them to help get our commander online more consistently? How, you ask? By using our <em>Magecraft</em> triggers as political tools to incentivize our opponents to attack each other!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pendant of Prosperity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temple Bell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroan Horse"></div></div>
<p>That's right, it's Octavia Group Hug time. Group Hugs are even better when your commander has eight arms! Octavia's ability can work on <em>any </em>creature, not just ours. If we give favors to our opponents, we can empower their creatures to take each other down. The best part about this political strategy is that it becomes much easier to close games out (and avoid kingmaking scenarios). After all, our commander can turn any leftover token into a late-game threat.</p>
<p>That being said, we still need some ways to show our opponents that <em>we're</em> not a threat. We do this by being the friendliest person on the table, either by drawing everyone cards with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Folio of Fancies" href="#" target="_blank">Folio of Fancies</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horn of Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Horn of Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or by providing some additional bonus for our presence, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pendant of Prosperity" href="#" target="_blank">Pendant of Prosperity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tempting Contract" href="#" target="_blank">Tempting Contract</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While these effects might make it seem like we're not actually trying to win, all of those effects are crucial for our own gameplan, because we need a stacked graveyard to reliably cast our commander.</p>
<p>Aside from that, we have some more indirect ways of "helping" our opponents. By giving everyone tokens (which we can pump with our commander), the game becomes a lot bloodier, which works great for us because it softens our opposition while placing everyone else in an aggressive position. Spite is a powerful tool.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crawlspace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dissipation Field"></div></div>
<p>Sometimes, players aren't willing to play ball. We have two main ways of dealing with them: the first is trying to convince the two other players to help us, but if that fails, there are always cards that deter our opponents from trying to take a swing at us. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crawlspace" href="#" target="_blank">Crawlspace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silent Arbiter" href="#" target="_blank">Silent Arbiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> completely stop go-wide decks, and our commander can help us cover bigger creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dissipation Field" href="#" target="_blank">Dissipation Field</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't prevent strikes, but they do impose a small tax for attacking us, and couple that with the fact that we're accelerating everyone else and the losses might become too much to bear.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Octavia Group Hug" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Octavia, Living Thesis
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Kami of the Crescent Moon
*Akroan Horse
*Murmuring Mystic
*Silent Arbiter
*Talrand, Sky Summoner
*Pursued Whale
[/Creature]
[Instant]
*Mental Note
*Opt
*Peek
*Pongify
*Rapid Hybridization
*Swan Song
*Thought Scour
*Visions of Beyond
*Whispers of the Muse
*Arcane Denial
*Counterspell
*Curate
*Cyclonic Rift
*Deliberate
*Jwari Disruption
*Negate
*Reality Shift
*Resculpt
*Thassa&#039;s Intervention
*Vision Skeins
*Fierce Guardianship
*Oona&#039;s Grace
*Silundi Vision
*Supreme Will
*Aetherize
*Engulf the Shore
*Aetherspouts
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*Search for Azcanta
*Dictate of Kruphix
*Propaganda
*Rhystic Study
*Dissipation Field
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Sol Ring
*Fellwar Stone
*Folio of Fancies
*Mind Stone
*Sky Diamond
*Thaumatic Compass
*Thought Vessel
*Crawlspace
*Horn of Greed
*Pendant of Prosperity
*Skyclave Relic
*Temple Bell
*Tempting Contract
[/Artifact]
[Planeswalker]
*Jace Beleren
*Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Careful Study
*Gitaxian Probe
*Multiple Choice
*Ponder
*Portent
*Preordain
*Serum Visions
*Sleight of Hand
*Scour All Possibilities
*Ingenious Mastery
*Ravenform
*Sea Gate Restoration
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blinkmoth Nexus
*Crawling Barrens
*Faceless Haven
*Faerie Conclave
*Forbidden Orchard
*Inkmoth Nexus
*Mobilized District
*Mutavault
*25 Island
[/land]"></span></div></p>

<hr />
<p>Our commander needs us to have a full graveyard, so we need a sufficient number of instants/sorceries to reliably cast her. Aside from that, it's also important to keep a steady flow of cards, both to get to that threshold and to keep triggering our commander's <em>Magecraft</em>. Cantrips are a great way to do this, as they allow us to cut a bit of lands and have a higher instants/sorceries count in our deck. It feels pretty good to cast an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for value that will also help turn someone else's unblocked 1/1 Thopter into a surprise 8/8!</p>
<p>The rest of the deck is dedicated to controlling the pace of the game, which is very important because we're accelerating combat steps, and we can't get drowned by our own gameplan. Mono-blue isn't always the best choice for combative matters, but we have plenty of tools to deal with troublesome creatures, and the combination of bounce effects and counterspells can cover the rest.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we are mostly looking for a way to get our commander's discount online and some of our group hug pieces. Our deck is filled with card draw, so we can be quite loose with opening hands as long as they are at least a bit functional. The most important ones are definitely <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thought Scour" href="#" target="_blank">Thought Scour</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curate" href="#" target="_blank">Curate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, to filter our draws <em>and </em>get the ball rolling.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mental Note"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thought Scour"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curate"></div></div>
<p>Our early game is all about developing, either by playing mana rocks, group hug pieces, or even digging for some of those with our cantrips. Unlike the standard tempo builds, we aren't in a hurry to get our commander out right away. We can take our time and wait for others to develop a board, so that when we <em>do </em>cast our commander, we actually have creature targets to pump up.</p>
<p>The mid-game is where things start getting more explosive. By this time we should have landed a Group Hug piece (such as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temple Bell" href="#" target="_blank">Temple Bell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horn of Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Horn of Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and should be able to make small deals. Eliminate a mutual threat with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in exchange for pumping their double-striker. Give them the benefit of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ingenious Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Ingenious Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get them enough mana to deploy a powerful creature. Getting our commander online starts to become a priority at this point because it's the best way to do some damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ingenious Mastery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murmuring Mystic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Conclave"></div></div>
<p>By the late game, we should probably be looking to flip the switch and become the aggressor. By the later stage of the game, this won't be hard, because our commander will be a cheap Voltron threat. Not only that, but the mana base of this deck is loaded with lands that can turn into creatures! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkmoth Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Inkmoth Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, we can craft our own surprise lethal threats without taking spell slots in the deck by stuffing it with little creatures. Plus, the fact that our deck is chock full of so many cantrip effects means we'll come out way ahead if the game whittles down to a top-deck war, because we get to see a lot more cards than they do.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thopter Spy Network"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrong Turn"></div></div>
<p>Octavia presents some deckbuilding considerations, especially when playing for instant-speed <em>Magecraft</em> triggers. But there are always other ways this commander could improve, and new lessons she could explore.</p>
<p>For example, if you don't want to rely upon creature lands, you could find room for a steady source of token production in the deck, especially ones that go under-the-radar and don't tip enemies off that you might be planning a big backstab. Alternatively, this deck could also invest more into control-switching effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrong Turn" href="#" target="_blank">Wrong Turn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to help get enemies onto our side much faster. These also play rather nicely, because they help us fill our graveyard quota.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think about this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Bernardo Melibeu