<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&amp;artist=[%22Daniel%20Gelon%22]">Art by Daniel Gelon</a></h6>
<h1>Old Mister Johnson Had Troubles of His Own</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>, where I bend the singleton rules of Commander by building decks with as many functional reprints of a certain card as possible. This week we are taking a look at a card with a lengthy pedigree in other formats. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was the original aggressive one-drop, headlining White Weenie decks before red became the go-to aggro color. In the days when creatures were bad and games started slowly, a 2/1 on turn one demanded an answer, fast.</p>
<p>The Cat itself has dropped off some in the last thirty years, but it started a powerful lineage. Standard aggro decks live or die by the quality of their one-drops, and 2/1s often tie these decks together. Even at a time when White Weenie isn't at the top of any format, these little guys see play in Standard Soldier decks and Pioneer Humans decks. Outside of white, there's a certain <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">monkey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that shows up all over Modern.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savannah Lions"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Recruitment Officer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"></div></div>
<p>2/1 for one mana has continued to be an efficient rate in sixty-card <em>Magic</em> through decades of power creep, even if these days you're hoping for some real upside tacked on. Sadly, this is not the kind of efficiency that holds up well in Commander. Aggression in the form of small fast creatures doesn't pan out well against multiple opponents at 40 life each. Aggro decks can succeed, but they need some sort of engine that can snowball to be able to keep up with the rest of the table's development. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees play in 1,702 decks, but that number is buffered by a lot of Cat decks and the iconic status of the card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elite Vanguard" href="#" target="_blank">Elite Vanguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another vanilla version, only sees 733 decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expedition Envoy" href="#" target="_blank">Expedition Envoy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which should also have the creature type boost as an Ally, only sees 681 decks. If we're going to make an engine out of these cards, we're going to need to do more than attack with them.</p>
<hr />
<h2>He Had a Yellow Cat That Wouldn't Leave His Home</h2>
<p>Every time I start thinking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants, my mind starts wandering over to the dark side. Specifically, into the color black. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodsoaked Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodsoaked Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dread Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">Dread Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gutterbones" href="#" target="_blank">Gutterbones</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? <em>These</em> are cards I would play in Commander! Recursive bodies can fuel all sorts of shenanigans, from Aristocrats strategies to <em>Dredge</em> decks. Now, for this to be a true <em>Shmingleton</em> deck, we'll have to care about more than just their general utility.</p>
<p>Anyways, here's a list of 2/1s for one in black that can recur themselves.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="He Tried and He Tried to Give the Cat Away" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="Creature
*1 &#039;Lifetime&#039; Pass Holder
*1 Bloodsoaked Champion
*1 Cult Conscript
*1 Dread Wanderer
*1 Dungeon Crawler
*1 Gravecrawler
*1 Gutterbones"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>This isn't quite enough to count on always having one, but once we add in cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodghast" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodghast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dregscape Zombie" href="#" target="_blank">Dregscape Zombie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we're starting to reach critical mass. The best of these "lions" are quite popular, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravecrawler" href="#" target="_blank">Gravecrawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in 39,794 decks and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodsoaked Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodsoaked Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at 17,700 decks. The worst by far is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dungeon Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Dungeon Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since we're definitely not going to put in the work for any dungeons, and it looks like no one else will either, as it sees play in only 748 decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="&quot;Lifetime&quot; Pass Holder"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>He Gave it to a Man Going Far Far Away</h2>
<p>We still need a way to turn these cards into an engine, but luckily there's a perfect payoff that we can run in the command zone. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anhelo, the Painter" href="#" target="_blank">Anhelo, the Painter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us use our tiny creatures to copy spells. Since these creatures are cheap and we can get them back, that's almost like getting a bunch of free spells! I'm surprised to find so few of these reusable 2/1s on Anhelo's EDHREC page. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodsoaked Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodsoaked Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is only in 20% of his decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cult Conscript" href="#" target="_blank">Cult Conscript</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is only in 11%. These are perfect enablers for him to start copying spells every turn. Now all we have to do is fill the rest of the deck with powerful spells, and we'll be good to go.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anhelo, the Painter"></div></div>
<p>Yes, using this commander means we don't get to use the namesake <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but like I said before, I can't help turning to the dark side!</p>
<p>Also, if we're truly investigating the power of consistency, shouldn't we also fill the deck with a lot of copies of the same <em>type </em>of spell? Something that can keep the engine going? Something that always feels good? That's right, this is going to become the first double episode of <em>Shmingleton</em>, because that card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divination" href="#" target="_blank">Divination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Divinations" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*1 Archmage&#039;s Charm
*1 Counsel of the Soratami
*1 Distorted Curiosity
*1 Divination
*1 Field Research
*1 Jace&#039;s Triumph
*1 Of One Mind
*1 Secrets of the Golden City
*1 Winged Words"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>I'm surprised that <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> is the most played of these cards, even above <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archmage&#039;s Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Archmage&#039;s Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but two mana to draw two always feels good, I suppose. Personally I like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Of One Mind" href="#" target="_blank">Of One Mind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> the most, because two cards for one mana is a serious discount, and the stipulation isn't all that hard in the right deck. If you run any Humans that produce tokens, most of those tokens will be non-Human, and if you care about a creature type like Wizard or Rogue, you'll get a good mix of Humans and non-Humans in the deck just by accident!</p>
<p>This many <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divination" href="#" target="_blank">Divination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s can really churn through our deck, finding more 2/1s or more <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divination" href="#" target="_blank">Divination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s to keep the engine running. Even better are the four other draw-twos we'll play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Score" href="#" target="_blank">Big Score</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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> work perfectly with copy effects; we only have to pay the additional cost once, but we get twice the draws and twice the Treasure. All but <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> end up being mana-neutral, so we can play whatever we've drawn right away!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Big Score"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pirate&#039;s Pillage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seize the Spoils"></div></div>
<p>Now that we have an engine, we need to figure out what to do with it. This is one of the problems that I fall into most often in Commander: I find a way to generate value, but I don't have a next step. It feels crude to just dig into a combo or into a ridiculous finisher. Cards like <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> win the game definitively, but their power often makes it feel like they devalue all of the decisions and actions that led up to the point in the game where they're cast. I find myself wanting the endgame to be just as fun as the journey. This is a deck that draws a lot of cards, so our payoff should be a celebration of drawing cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chasm Skulker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alandra, Sky Dreamer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nadir Kraken"></div></div>
<p>This is a deck that can play a grindy attrition game quite well. We can trade resources before anything spirals out of control and then keep on refilling our hands, but the deck can struggle if another player gets momentum going, and individual spot removal and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s stop being enough to slow things down. Many of our threats grow when we draw cards, so they can get to be pretty large, but this deck isn't built to go over the top the way some decks are.</p>
<p>The engine itself feels so good. Drawing cards is its own reward, and we can feel clever while doing it. It's actually not too hard to bring most of our 2/1s back, and they put in work as pesky attackers and as bodies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will never take over Commander, but this deck successfully exploits the stats of these kinds of creatures over and over again.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="But the Cat Came Back, the Very Next Day" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Anhelo, the Painter
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 &#039;Lifetime&#039; Pass Holder
*1 Alandra, Sky Dreamer
*1 Bloodghast
*1 Bloodsoaked Champion
*1 Champion of Wits
*1 Chasm Skulker
*1 Cult Conscript
*1 Dread Wanderer
*1 Dregscape Zombie
*1 Dungeon Crawler
*1 Ghoulsteed
*1 Gixian Puppeteer
*1 Gravecrawler
*1 Gurgling Anointer
*1 Gutterbones
*1 Haunted Dead
*1 Jace&#039;s Projection
*1 Mad Ratter
*1 Minn, Wily Illusionist
*1 Nadir Kraken
*1 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
*1 Oneirophage
*1 Oona&#039;s Gatewarden
*1 Prized Amalgam
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Razorlash Transmogrant
*1 Scrapheap Scrounger
*1 Scrapwork Mutt
*1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
*1 Skyclave Shade
*1 The Locust God
*1 Thopter Mechanic
*1 Tolarian Kraken
*1 Toothy, Imaginary Friend
*1 Tormented Hero
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Archmage&#039;s Charm
*1 Big Score
*1 Counterspell
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Tainted Indulgence
*1 Thirst for Discovery
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Chart a Course
*1 Compulsive Research
*1 Counsel of the Soratami
*1 Distorted Curiosity
*1 Divination
*1 Field Research
*1 Ghastly Discovery
*1 Jace&#039;s Triumph
*1 Of One Mind
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Secrets of the Golden City
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Winged Words
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Improbable Alliance
*1 Ominous Seas
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim
[/Planeswalker]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crumbling Necropolis
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Flooded Strand
6x Island
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mountain
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sunken Hollow
5x Swamp
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Xander&#039;s Lounge
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fencing Ace"></div></div>
<p>Next time, we'll be focusing on a small creature with a very strong ability: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fencing Ace" href="#" target="_blank">Fencing Ace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Did you know there are ten functional reprints of this card? We'll see if we can break them!</p>


Singleton Shmingleton - Savannah Lions

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CharlesUrbachArt">Charles Urbach</a></h6>
<h1>That's a Big Rock</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>, where I bend the singleton rules of Commander by building decks with as many functional reprints of a certain card as possible. This week we're taking on one of the old guards of the format, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There was once a time when you could find this rock in every unsleeved Commander deck, and I've probably tapped it for a hundred mana over the years.</p>
<p>Except maybe I haven't? Looking through my cards, I don't even own a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I think my friends were probably playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Ingot" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Ingot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boros Cluestone" href="#" target="_blank">Boros Cluestone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is a sign that this is a perfect card for this series. It's an iconic card, one of the first ones I think of when I think of Commander, and yet I can't even tell it and its functional reprints apart. This is going to be fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manalith"></div></div>
<p>But first I have to ask: why do stone pillars produce mana? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a pun, but it hearkens back to earlier obelisks, the first being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There's no explanation for why this mound of igneous rock makes so much mana, nor why you have to pay to untap it. Maybe you store your mana in the rock somehow? This design was repeated in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is the same idea, but I guess grim because the costs aren't balanced? You get more than you store once, but then you have to pay extra later. And it has scary art. Very grim.</p>
<p>Anyways, there are a <em>lot</em> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants. Here's a list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*1 Altar of the Pantheon
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Coalition Relic
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cryptolith Fragment
*1 Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Elementalist&#039;s Palette
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Honored Heirloom
*1 Lantern of Revealing
*1 Letter of Acceptance
*1 Mana Geode
*1 Manalith
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Phyrexian Atlas
*1 Relic of Legends
*1 Replicating Ring
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Spectral Searchlight
*1 Spinning Wheel
*1 The Celestus
*1 Ticket Turbotubes
*1 Vessel of Endless Rest
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Wanna See My Rock Collection?</h2>
<p>Most of these have minor upsides, often in the form of a second activated ability or a free bonus somewhere. Before you fight me, I know that <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptolith Fragment" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptolith Fragment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are not pure <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, as the former commits you to one color and the latter makes you lose life, but they're close enough. Also, isn't it weird that out of these thirty cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vessel of Endless Rest" href="#" target="_blank">two</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decanter of Endless Water" href="#" target="_blank">them</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> follow the naming format "[Noun] of Endless [Noun]"?</p>
<p>The two most-played <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, by an enormous margin, are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander&#039;s Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Commander&#039;s Sphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, at 399,900 decks, followed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, at 206,935 decks. These two are staples, they've each seen multiple reprints, and have each appeared in preconstructed decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> itself slots into 9,586 decks, which puts it at twentieth out of these thirty rocks. That's pretty darn respectable, considering that all the cards it's beating out are strictly better! The least played of these rocks is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ticket Turbotubes" href="#" target="_blank">Ticket Turbotubes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which only makes the cut in 304 decks. It's recent, its upside does nothing without support, and many people don't want Un-set cards in their games. Makes sense.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Sphere"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ticket Turbotubes"></div></div>
<p>But I don't know if thirty rocks is enough. If we want to expand our definition to any three-mana artifact that makes one mana, here're a few more of my favorites:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="More Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Orazca Relic
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Serum Powder
*1 Strixhaven Stadium
*1 Unstable Obelisk"></span></div>

<hr />
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pristine Talisman" href="#" target="_blank">Pristine Talisman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just feels so good. I've put it in way too many decks because that free life gain is more fun than winning, and 34,137 people appear to agree with me. Also, more people should play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Powder" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Powder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I know the free mulligan is less useful in multiplayer, where you already get a free mulligan, but if your deck is built around finding one of a select few cards in your deck, this effect is still very useful. I'm not saying it should be a staple, but more than the 649 decks it currently has would be happy with the extra consistency.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Who Will Lead This Army of Stones?</h2>
<p>Usually I build a deck and then choose a general to lead it, but this time there was only ever one choice. There's only one legend with the word Manalith on it, after all.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Svella, Ice Shaper"></div></div>
<p>The womanalith herself! Svella is perfect for this deck. She provides her own rocks if we ever run out, and she acts as a mana sink later on, and we <em>need</em> mana sinks, because this deck has over 40 mana rocks. In fact, there's very little room for anything else. Well, we can't let <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability go to waste, can we? We'll have to add in some ramp payoffs.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artisan of Kozilek"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pathrazer of Ulamog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div></div>
<p>Oh yeah, these cards are so big. I filled out the rest of the deck with some of my favorite baddies. I didn't include any of the Eldrazi Titans, but only because I like the less-played Eldrazi better. You can put in whatever top end you want, since we sacrificed power for theme long ago. My only rule for myself was to make every payoff cost eight or more; otherwise we wouldn't be cheating on cost with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ability!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Manalith Math</h2>
<p>One of the reasons three-mana rocks are so much less desirable than two-mana rocks is that their sequencing is clunkier. If you play an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on turn two, then on turn three you have four mana, which you can tap for two more two-mana rocks, which you can tap for another two-mana rocks. With a hand full of three-mana rocks, the inefficiency multiplies when we try to sequence them. On turn three we get a rock, then on turn four we can play another and tap both and our fourth land to play a third. That's three rocks on turn four instead of four on turn three.</p>
<p>Unless we draw <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>, we won't be able to activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability until at least turn six, and even then it has a 47% chance of not hitting a big creature payoff. Our consolation prize is that we will almost always (85%) hit another <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so at least we won't have to regret using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability rather than her first.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fountain of Ichor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spinning Wheel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Honored Heirloom"></div></div>
<p>Another fun part of the deck is that the abilities tacked onto our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s do come up. If we don't have anything going on, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fountain of Ichor" href="#" target="_blank">Fountain of Ichor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can block just fine, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonder&#039;s Ornament" href="#" target="_blank">Bonder&#039;s Ornament</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can draw into action. We can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spinning Wheel" href="#" target="_blank">Spinning Wheel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> almost as removal, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Honored Heirloom" href="#" target="_blank">Honored Heirloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to annoy graveyard decks. This is a perfect deck to showcase these overcosted abilities since we're running almost exclusively ramp! Filling the deck with air really brings out the subtler aromas.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Couple of Card Spotlights</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metalwork Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Metalwork Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so good in this deck. With three <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s out it costs two, and with four or more it's free. It can keep coming back if we run out of gas, and it's simply huge. It's worth remembering that the Icy Manalith tokens that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes have a mana value of zero even though they cost three to make, so there's no discount there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Metalwork Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seedborn Muse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Aurora"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> untaps <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and all of our rocks every turn. If we have three mana rocks, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> first ability every turn, which will quickly ramp us into using her second ability every turn instead.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Aurora" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Aurora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perfect in this deck because we have a mix of small replaceable permanents and big payoffs. If we have no creatures out, we can cast this and not have to worry about downgrading any of our stuff. We're also running almost only permanents (you could turn this into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck easily if that's your jam), so we'll get to dump more of our hand than most other decks.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Svella and her Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Svella, Ice Shaper
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Altar of the Pantheon
*1 Basalt Monolith
*1 Battlemage&#039;s Bracers
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Coalition Relic
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cryptolith Fragment
*1 Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Firewild Borderpost
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Glittering Stockpile
*1 Gruul Keyrune
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Honored Heirloom
*1 Illusionist&#039;s Bracers
*1 Lantern of Revealing
*1 Letter of Acceptance
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mana Geode
*1 Manalith
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Orazca Relic
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Phyrexian Atlas
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Relic of Legends
*1 Replicating Ring
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Serum Powder
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Spectral Searchlight
*1 Spinning Wheel
*1 Strixhaven Stadium
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 The Celestus
*1 Ticket Turbotubes
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Vessel of Endless Rest
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Apex Devastator
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Darksteel Colossus
*1 Desolation Twin
*1 It That Betrays
*1 Metalwork Colossus
*1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
*1 Seedborn Muse
*1 Spawnsire of Ulamog
*1 Terastodon
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Verdant Force
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Woodfall Primus
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 The Great Aurora
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Blighted Woodland
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*14 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Highland Forest
*12 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Temple of Abandon
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savannah Lions"></div></div>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this truly classic battlecruiser deck. Next time I'll be going lower to the ground with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the headliner of <em>Magic</em>'s original aggro deck. Let's see if a stack of them can hold up against three opponents and 120 life!</p>


Singleton Shmingleton - Manalith

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="http://www.carlcritchlow.com/">Art by Carl Critchlow</a></h6>
<h1>Rats, Baby!</h1>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>, where I bend the singleton rules of Commander by building decks with as many functional reprints of a certain card as possible. This week we're going to be talking about a classic engine of redundancy, everyone's favorite Rat. Or maybe <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rat Colony" href="#" target="_blank">second favorite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Rats" href="#" target="_blank">third favorite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marrow-Gnawer" href="#" target="_blank">Fourth favorite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Whatever, it's in the top twenty.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ravenous Rats"></div></div>
<p>That's right, this week we're building around the most underwhelming two-for-one imaginable, the card that has been filling out draft decks since <em>Urza's Destiny</em>. Two mana gets us a 1/1 and makes the opponent discard. They've printed three new versions of this effect within the last two years, which brings us up to five, which is fine but nothing to brag about.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rats" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*Burglar Rat
*Corrupt Court Official
*Elderfang Disciple
*Ravenous Rats
*Virus Beetle"></span></div>

<p>But this is a design space they've been playing around in for a long time, and there's plenty of redundancy if we widen the scope just a little bit. Here's a non-exhaustive list of cheap creatures that take a card from an opponent's hand when they enter the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rats" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*Acquisitions Expert
*Brain Maggot
*Chittering Rats
*Elite Spellbinder
*Kitesail Freebooter
*Mardu Skullhunter
*Mesmeric Fiend
*Miasmic Mummy
*Mindleech Ghoul
*Nimble Larcenist
*Rotting Rats
*Sin Collector
*Thought-Knot Seer
*Tidehollow Sculler
*Tourach, Dread Cantor
*Vendilion Clique"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Some versions of this effect are better than others. Some target an opponent, while some make each opponent discard. Some give the card back when they leave play, some make us discard as well. The nice thing is that we actually have room to be picky when building because there are twenty-one of these cards!</p>
<p>None of them see enormous amounts of play, with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Rats" href="#" target="_blank">original</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showing up in 2966 decks and the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mardu Skullhunter" href="#" target="_blank">least popular</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only seeing play in 94 decks. One card that is surprisingly low is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miasmic Mummy" href="#" target="_blank">Miasmic Mummy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which forces you to discard as well but is also a Zombie. Zombie decks are perfect for breaking the symmetry of this effect by abusing their graveyards, and this little guy deserves more than 2870 decks. <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="Burglar Rat" href="#" target="_blank">Burglar Rat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> see the most play since they say "each opponent," 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> is catching up with them fast. All three slot into decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tergrid, God of Fright" href="#" target="_blank">Tergrid, God of Fright</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tinybones, Trinket Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Tinybones, Trinket Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Raven Man" href="#" target="_blank">The Raven Man</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Those are all fine homes, but I wonder if mono-black really has the tools to capitalize on what these little critters offer.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elderfang Disciple"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tinybones, Trinket Thief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tergrid, God of Fright"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>What Do They Offer?</h2>
<p>All of these creatures provide disruption and a small amount of pressure. In twenty-life formats, 1/1s and 1/2s can eventually add up to a good chunk of damage, but in Commander these stats are basically negligible, so we'll have to take advantage of the bodies in other ways.</p>
<p>A tried and true way to take advantage of enter-the-battlefield abilities is to blink our Rats, both individually with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or en masse using cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostway" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With enough redundancy, we can blink our Rats until our opponents are emptyhanded.</p>
<p>What's cool about this interaction is the ability to force our opponents to discard at instant speed. Outside of weird cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Piracy Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Piracy Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there are very few instant-speed ways to interact with people's hands. It's why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vendilion Clique" href="#" target="_blank">Vendilion Clique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so special in 60-card formats. One play pattern that comes up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vendilion Clique" href="#" target="_blank">Vendilion Clique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and almost no other card is to play the Clique in the opponent's draw step in order to be able to nab whatever they drew before they can play it. We can replicate this pattern with our blink spells, casting them just as our opponents draw and before they can play anything, effectively locking them out of playing any sorcery-speed cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vendilion Clique"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Some Sweet Interactions</h2>
<p>The best card in our deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadeye Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Deadeye Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That won't come as a surprise to anyone who was around when players were asking for it to catch a ban, nor even for anyone who has just seen the card work. Deadeye and a Rat form the strongest engine in the deck, as with just two mana for each opponent we can stop their draws without spending any cards of our own.</p>
<p>Some of our Rats don't work very well with blink. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kitesail Freebooter" href="#" target="_blank">Kitesail Freebooter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only takes a card until it leaves play, so it's the worst one. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mesmeric Fiend" href="#" target="_blank">Mesmeric Fiend</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidehollow Sculler" href="#" target="_blank">Tidehollow Sculler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are worded differently, though, since they have two triggered abilities instead of one. If we blink them in response to their enter-the-battlefield trigger, the second ability resolves first and attempts to give the card back before we take it. Then the first ability takes the card for good. This won't help when we need to time our blinks to our opponents' draw steps, but it can help when people still have multiple cards in hand.</p>
<p>Once we get our engine running, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherize" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rebuild" href="#" target="_blank">Rebuild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> become very strong. Returning cards to hand is usually a tempo play that doesn't actually gain card advantage, but we can use our Rats to make our opponents discard all of the goodies they just picked up. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s single-target mode can basically be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our deck (not that Cyclonic Rift needed to get better).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherize"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rebuild"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Some Realism</h2>
<p>If all of this sounds a little optimistic to you, you're exactly right. This deck suffers the same problem that other discard decks face: if our opponents get ahead on board or find some other way to gain card advantage, they can overpower us. We put a target on our heads by making our opponents discard those fun cards they wanted to cast, even if we aren't doing anything broken. Our lock isn't incredibly strong; it relies on us drawing blink spells for every opponent every turn, and many of our Rats give cards back when they die.</p>
<p>But maybe our weakness is a hidden strength (it's funny how you can say that in multiplayer). We can use our disruption politically, lock down the draws of the opponent who's farthest ahead, then give the rest of the table the ability to catch up. We can slow the game down very well, but we still need a way to win.</p>
<p>Here's where we can turn to a combo I've been putting in a lot of decks recently. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindcrank" href="#" target="_blank">Mindcrank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes our opponents mill when they lose life, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duskmantle Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Duskmantle Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ability makes them lose life when they mill. I like this combo because it's very compact. Both pieces cost two mana, so they can sneak in whenever there's a window. Our deck is also full of two-drops, so we can add a <em>Transmute</em> package easily.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duskmantle Guildmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mindcrank"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muddle the Mixture"></div></div>
<p>If you're not a fan of combos, you can try to grind opponents out with Rats and beat down with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yorion, Sky Nomad" href="#" target="_blank">Yorion, Sky Nomad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soulherder" href="#" target="_blank">Soulherder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It will be a lot harder, but it does sound like a heckuva good time. Rounding out the deck we have some ways to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mentor of the Meek" href="#" target="_blank">draw cards</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, some ways to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return to the Ranks" href="#" target="_blank">recur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> our Rats if they get killed, and some general purpose answers.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Which Card? Discard." site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Aminatou, the Fateshifter
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Abdel Adrian, Gorion&#039;s Ward
*Acquisitions Expert
*Agent of Treachery
*Brago, King Eternal
*Burglar Rat
*Bygone Bishop
*Charming Prince
*Chittering Rats
*Corrupt Court Official
*Deadeye Navigator
*Dimir Infiltrator
*Displacer Kitten
*Duskmantle Guildmage
*Elderfang Disciple
*Kitesail Freebooter
*Lurrus of the Dream-Den
*Mardu Skullhunter
*Mentor of the Meek
*Mesmeric Fiend
*Miasmic Mummy
*Mindleech Ghoul
*Mistmeadow Witch
*Nimble Larcenist
*Ravenous Rats
*Rotting Rats
*Sin Collector
*Soulherder
*Sun Titan
*Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
*The Raven Man
*Tidehollow Sculler
*Tinybones, Trinket Thief
*Tourach, Dread Cantor
*Vendilion Clique
*Virus Beetle
*Welcoming Vampire
*Yorion, Sky Nomad
[/Creature]
[Instant]
*Acrobatic Maneuver
*Aetherize
*Blur
*Cloudshift
*Cyclonic Rift
*Eerie Interlude
*Ephemerate
*Ghostly Flicker
*Ghostway
*Illusionist&#039;s Stratagem
*Lae&#039;zel&#039;s Acrobatics
*Momentary Blink
*Muddle the Mixture
*Path to Exile
*Predict
*Rally the Ancestors
*Rebuild
*Semester&#039;s End
*Shred Memory
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Ascend from Avernus
*Return to the Ranks
[/Sorcery]
[Artifact]
*Arcane Signet
*Mindcrank
*Panharmonicon
*Sol Ring
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Mind Slash
*Tocasia&#039;s Welcome
[/Enchantment]
[Land]
*Arcane Sanctum
*Ash Barrens
*Command Tower
*Dimir Aqueduct
*Dismal Backwater
*Drowned Catacomb
*Evolving Wilds
*Glacial Fortress
*4x Island
*Isolated Chapel
*Orzhov Basilica
*7x Plains
*Scoured Barrens
*8x Swamp
*Tainted Field
*Temple of Deceit
*Temple of Enlightenment
*Temple of Silence
*Terramorphic Expanse
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manalith"></div></div>
<p>You don't want to miss this next one, folks. I'm going to take on one of the pillars (get it?) of the format to see if I can make a functional deck out of nothing but overcosted ramp. If <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> wasn't already the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/too-specific-top-10-manaliths/">most</a>-<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/in-the-margins-manalith/">written</a>-<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/ranking-every-mana-rock-with-edhrec-part-8-two-ramp-or-not-two-ramp/">about</a> <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/too-specific-top-10-common-core/">card</a> on this website, it will be now.</p>


Singleton Shmingleton - Ravenous Rats

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lay of the Land" href="#" target="_blank">Lay of the Land</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lukacs">Art by Chuck Lukacs</a>)</h6>
<h1>In Search of New Engines</h1>
<p>Hello! I’m Jesse, and welcome to the first installment of <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>! Since the first days of Commander, one of its biggest draws has been its singleton nature. Playing with 100 unique cards creates once-in-a-lifetime game states and stories, and everyone can find room for their favorite pet cards. Commander can be a break from every game revolving around the same few cards.</p>
<p>Except that’s not quite true. An equally alluring aspect of Commander is, well, the commander, the card (or two) you get to see every game. Despite raving over the variety of the format, players sure do like their consistency, and ever since the start of the format, players have sought consistency in the 99 as well as the command zone. For example, one of the early scourges of the format was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a deck that played dozens of evasive one-drops to synergize with the commander. The deck also played enough <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Time Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s to be able to draw one every turn after the engine started running. By taking so many turns from then on, the Edric player could pick opponents off with the measliest of threats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edric, Spymaster of Trest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flying Men"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Time Warp"></div></div>
<p>That was a blood-chilling deck that killed people with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flying Men" href="#" target="_blank">Flying Men</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a French-vanilla 1/1. Other decks also rely on engines built on unassuming cards with many functional reprints. Elves decks run on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Llanowar Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Llanowar Elves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and friends, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zada, Hedron Grinder" href="#" target="_blank">Zada, Hedron Grinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expedite" href="#" target="_blank">Expedite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its assorted variants, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talrand, Sky Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Talrand, Sky Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks use many different forms of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ponder" href="#" target="_blank">Ponder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>In this series I want to discover new engines that use consistency to replace power. At this point there are dozens of cards with enough functional reprints that we can see a copy every game, and I’m going to test as many of them as possible. Commander is a format of dreams, and the worse the card is, the sweeter its engine will be.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Reclaim the Waste</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reclaim the Wastes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lay of the Land"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Attune with Aether"></div></div>
<p>This brings me to this week’s card: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lay of the Land" href="#" target="_blank">Lay of the Land</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For one green mana, it searches for a basic land and puts it into our hand. A new version of this effect comes along every once in a while, and by now we have nine. Here’s the list of one-mana green sorceries that search up a basic land from our library to our hand:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Lays of the Land" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Sorceries]
*1 Open the gates
*1 Attune with Aether
*1 Caravan Vigil
*1 Reclaim the Wastes
*1 Lay of the Land
*1 Bushwhack
*1 Thirsting Roots
*1 Traverse the Ulvenwald
*1 Dig Up
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traverse the Ulvenwald" href="#" target="_blank">Traverse the Ulvenwald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dig Up" href="#" target="_blank">Dig Up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> see a decent amount of play, in 6,032 and 19,169 decks, respectively, but only because they can turn into better tutors later in the game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bushwhack" href="#" target="_blank">Bushwhack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has only been out a few months, but is already in nearly 3,000 decks due to its flexibility. These are the best of the bunch. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Open the Gates" href="#" target="_blank">Open the Gates</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in 9,962 decks, but that’s because it does exactly what Gates decks want to do.</p>
<p>The <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lay of the Land" href="#" target="_blank">original</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and most vanilla version has made its way into 2,402 decks since its printing in <em>Apocalypse</em>, with most of them being <em>Landfall</em> or otherwise land-related decks. Its top commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sasaya, Orochi Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Sasaya, Orochi Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes sense, as it's a fine way to stock lands in your hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Charbelcher"></div></div>
<p>One card I failed to find in the High Synergy category for these effects was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That’s some untapped potential right there! You see, there’s a hidden mode to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lay of the Land" href="#" target="_blank">Lay of the Land</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: in addition to putting a land into our hand, it removes a land from our deck. With enough redundant copies, we can use it as a land replacement, dropping our land count nearly to zero. Once we’ve gotten almost all of our lands out, we can use cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get rid of opponents one by one.</p>
<p>To achieve that kind of consistency, we need a few more copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lay of the Land" href="#" target="_blank">Lay of the Land</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Here’s a list of some more cards that will also put lands from our deck into our hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Redundant Effects" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Creatures]
*1 Sylvan Ranger
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Renegade Map
*1 Wanderer&#039;s Twig
*1 Wayfarer’s Bauble
*1 Traveler&#039;s Amulet
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Abundant Harvest
*1 Land Grant
*1 Sylvan Scrying
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>With this many options, we can hit our land drops easily if we draw just a single land. The <em>Zendikar Rising</em> modal double-faced lands are perfect here, as they give us that starting land without counting as a land card in our deck. Depending on budget, other pieces of fast mana also make the deck faster and more consistent.</p>
<hr />
<h2>And Then What?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great payoff for having a deck with no lands in it, but that’s only one card. We need some consistency in our payoffs as well, and we can draw from "Oops! All Spells" decks in other formats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hermit Druid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balustrade Spy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undercity Informer"></div></div>
<p>With very few lands in the deck, these cards (and their underrated cousin, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avenging Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Avenging Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) will put large chunks of our deck into the graveyard, which in turn can enable some fast wins as long as we put some recursive critters in the deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Narcomoeba"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prized Amalgam"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichorid"></div></div>
<p>Once we get three of these cards back to play, we can cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dread Return" href="#" target="_blank">Dread Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for free. From there, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">Laboratory Maniac</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can get the job done, or if we have enough cards left in our deck we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necrotic Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Necrotic Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Ballista" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Ballista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the graveyard to turn our library into damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necrotic Ooze"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Devourer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Walking Ballista"></div></div>
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Lay of the Land Combo" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Avenging Druid
*1 Balustrade Spy
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bloodghast
*1 Borderland Explorer
*1 Dimir House Guard
*1 Elvish Spirit Guide
*1 Hermit Druid
*1 Ichorid
*1 Kazandu Mammoth
*1 Laboratory Maniac
*1 Narcomoeba
*1 Necrotic Ooze
*1 Nether Shadow
*1 Phyrexian Devourer
*1 Prized Amalgam
*1 Quirion Ranger
*1 Salvage Titan
*1 Sylvan Ranger
*1 Tangled Florahedron
*1 Thassa&#039;s Oracle
*1 Undercity Informer
*1 Walking Ballista
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Abundant Harvest
*1 Agadeem&#039;s Awakening
*1 Attune with Aether
*1 Buried Alive
*1 Bushwhack
*1 Caravan Vigil
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Diabolic Tutor
*1 Dig Up
*1 Dread Return
*1 Fabricate
*1 Farseek
*1 Gitaxian Probe
*1 Green Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Grim Tutor
*1 Ill-Gotten Gains
*1 Lay of the Land
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Open the Gates
*1 Profane Tutor
*1 Reanimate
*1 Reclaim the Wastes
*1 Regrowth
*1 Sylvan Scrying
*1 Thirsting Roots
*1 Traverse the Ulvenwald
*1 Treasure Cruise
*1 Turntimber Symbiosis
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Animate Dead
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Chromatic Star
*1 Chrome Mox
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Goblin Charbelcher
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Grim Monolith
*1 Lotus Bloom
*1 Lotus Petal
*1 Mana Crypt
*1 Mana Vault
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Mistvein Borderpost
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Pentad Prism
*1 Renegade Map
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sol Talisman
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Traveler&#039;s Amulet
*1 Wanderer&#039;s Twig
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Wishclaw Talisman
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Crop Rotation
*1 Entomb
*1 Khalni Ambush // Khalni Territory
*1 Muddle the Mixture
*1 Perplex
*1 Rain of Filth
*1 Silundi Vision
*1 Songs of the Damned
*1 Vampiric Tutor
*1 Vastwood Fortification
*1 Worldly Tutor
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*3 Forest
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 Island
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Swamp
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Zagoth Triome
[/Lands]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Tezzeret the Seeker
[/Planeswalker]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>This is a combo deck, and like any combo deck, it will get old, but what I like about it is that there’s a stage when it plays like a midrange strategy. It can get down to five or six lands in the deck pretty fast, so for a while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deals about 15 damage and is best used on creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hermit Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Hermit Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will almost never mill our whole library at once on the first go, and we’ll end up with half our recursive creatures out with no payoff yet. Going off halfway paints a big target on our backs, and we have to get scrappy to survive with whatever we have until we can go for the full combo. Shout out to <a href="https://twitter.com/BWheelerMTG?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@bwheelermtg</a> for being the first person I had ever heard of playing Belcher in 100-card <em>Magic</em>!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ravenous Rats"></div></div>
<p>This week I focused on a combo deck, but next week I’ll look at a much fairer engine centered around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its horde of functional reprints. Make sure to tune in then for some more <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>!</p>


Jesse Barker Plotkin

Singleton Shmingleton - Savannah Lions

Singleton Shmingleton - Manalith

Singleton Shmingleton - Ravenous Rats

Singleton Shmingleton - Lay of the Land