Which Commanders Are Most Affected by the New Game Changers?

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/otj/11/final-showdown">Final Showdown</a> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CIzzy%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Izzy</a>)</h6>
<p>Welcome back to the finale of the March Magic Madness. Unfortunately, the tournament had to be delayed due to a massive unforeseen Dragonstorm that opened up in the skies above <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strixhaven Stadium" href="#" target="_blank">Strixhaven Stadium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Nevertheless, we will play on and what a final we have for everyone out there. Isn't that right?</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Arena Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: That is indeed right. I am so pumped up for this finale, and I think any of the four remaining teams could take home the trophy. What do you say we stop dragging it out and get down and meet our final four teams?</p>
<p>I think that is an excellent idea. Let's get into it and meet the teams.</p>
<h2>Scoring:</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Color Multipliers</strong>
<ul>
<li>Colorless 1.6x</li>
<li>Mono 1.5x</li>
<li>Two-color 1.4x</li>
<li>Three-color 1.3x</li>
<li>Four-color 1.2x</li>
<li>Five Color 1.1x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deck Count &lt; or &gt; 15 Thousand</strong>
<ul>
<li>&gt; 15 Thousand 15.1x</li>
<li>&lt; 15 Thousand 14.9x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Original Print Date</strong>
<ul>
<li>Over five years ago, 5.9x</li>
<li>Printed in 202, 5.5x</li>
<li>Printed less than five years ago, 5.1x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Was it a "Design Mistake"</strong>
<ul>
<li>Yes 6.9x</li>
<li>No 7x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Game Changer</strong>
<ul>
<li>Yes 2.5x</li>
<li>No 7x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Salt Score &lt;, &gt; or = 1.2</strong>
<ul>
<li>&lt; 1.2 avg. Salt score 2.1x</li>
<li>&gt; 1.2 avg. Salt score 1.9x</li>
<li>= 1.2 avg. Salt score 2x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Basketball scores are made with a generator to align with the "math" used.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h2>Final Four.</h2>
<h3>Wedge Region vs. Guild Region</h3>
<p>(2) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (13) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord High Artificer"></div></div>
<p>The Ninjas, the highest-ranked team left in the tournament and the winners of the Wedge Region, are led by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They have cakewalked through this tournament so far, with no match being close. It's safe to say that they're the strongest team left in the tournament and the one to beat, led by an all-star lineup featuring</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fallen Shinobi"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silver-Fur Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ninja of the Deep Hours"></div></div>
<p>And a strong bench squad with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nashi, Moon Sage&#039;s Scion" href="#" target="_blank">Nashi, Moon Sage&#039;s Scion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and newcomer <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Changeling Outcast" href="#" target="_blank">Changeling Outcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This team has tricks that will make their opponents sick, they have moves that will bring out the a chorus of boos, and their leader is a design mistake that makes their enemies quake, but don't let any of this give you too much confidence, sports fans, because the winners from the Guild Region led by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are not planning to roll over.</p>
<p>The High Artificers have had as dominant of a tournament as their opponents, making this match-up a battle of behemoths rather than a lopsided affair. Seeds mean nothing this late in the tournament, and Urza and the High Artificers plan to make people remember that. No team in the tournament knows the ins and outs of the rules like the High Artificers. Who would have ever thought about tapping their <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howling Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Howling Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Or when they ran their <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-0" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-cost lineup featuring</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lotus Petal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spellbook"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Welding Jar"></div></div>
<p>Their unsung hero of the tournament <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Simulacrum Synthesizer" href="#" target="_blank">Simulacrum Synthesizer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showed what a new card can do. It gave extra reach to this team that it did not have in years past and pulled its weight and then some in the tournament. So, with all this out of the way, let's see how this game goes.</p>
<p><strong>End of First Quarter:</strong> Ninjas 25 - High Artificers 18.</p>
<p><strong>End of Second Quarter:</strong> Ninjas 55 - High Artificers 56.</p>
<p><strong>End of Third Quarter:</strong> Ninjas 77 - High Artificers 69.</p>
<p><strong>Final:</strong> Ninjas 103 - High Artificers 98.</p>
<p>It was a fantastic battle all the way through, and after the second quarter, it looked like the High Artificers would take this one home. However, a well-timed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commandeer" href="#" target="_blank">Commandeer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a perfectly cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curtains&#039; Call" href="#" target="_blank">Curtains&#039; Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brought down the proverbial curtain on Urza and his High Artificers. Punching their way to the Finals of the March Magic Madness tournament is</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow|CMM|690"></div></div>
<h3>Shards Region vs. Blind Eternities Region</h3>
<p>(8) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (13) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"></div></div>
<p>The one and only Universes Beyond commander Ghyrson Starn leads the Kelermorphs out of the Shards Region. Their path was not as easy as Yuriko's or Urza's, but they dispatched all their opponents fairly. The Kelermorphs play with a fast and furious gameplan, embodying the "death by a thousand cuts" style of victory. The key to their victory is often <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flame Fusillade" href="#" target="_blank">Flame Fusillade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes every player on their team lethal. Every match, the Kelermorphs try to make their opponents <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fear, Fire, Foes!" href="#" target="_blank">Fear, Fire, Foes!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and turn every <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Playful Shove" href="#" target="_blank">Playful Shove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> punch above their weight.</p>
<p>As the only Universes Beyond representative, it was unsurprising that they came into this game with an all-UB lineup.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magnus the Red"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pink Horror"></div></div>
<p>Kinnan and the Prodigies had the most challenging path to the Final Four. This team knows close games and tough battles, but they can close out with one big flip every time, but since big flips are the name of the game for the Prodigies, they come in as the biggest lineup left in the tournament.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tidespout Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Koma, Cosmos Serpent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossal Skyturtle"></div></div>
<p>Often, in close games, the Prodigies had to rely on their Praetorial Powerhouses of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Big Flips = Big Victories for the Prodigies, but how will they stack up against this undersized but fiercely fast lineup fielded by the Kelermorphs? Let's find out.</p>
<p><strong>End of First Quarter:</strong> Kelermorphs 22 - Prodigies 16.</p>
<p><strong>End of Second Quarter:</strong> Kelermorphs 49 - Prodigies 35.</p>
<p><strong>End of Third Quarter:</strong> Kelermorphs 88 - Prodigies 59.</p>
<p><strong>Final:</strong> Kelermorphs 122 - Prodigies 89.</p>
<p>In the end, no matter how big the Prodigies went with their lineup, they eventually fell to the quick gun gaming of the Kelermorphs. They were in control from the start of the game, and with early and often pinging of their opponents set up pieces, the Final is now set with our second entry.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph|40K|124★"></div></div>
<h2>Championship</h2>
<p>The stage is set, and the combatants are ready to go. The first combatant is the most dominant team from the entire tournament. They are a design mistake and one of the most incredible creatures around. You won't see them until it is too late as they strike from the shadows, and the moment you think you have pinned them down, you will learn that it was too late. We welcome <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow|CMM|690" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from the Wedge Region.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow|CMM|690"></div></div>
<p>From the Shards Region, we have the creature that might not put the UB in Universes Beyond, but they do put damage into an opponent's face. We welcome <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph|40K|124★" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph|40K|124★"></div></div>
<p>Nanjas versus Kelermorphs. UB (blue-black) versus UB (universes beyond). This one is a battle for the ages. This one is for all the marbles. Let's get into the game and break it down.</p>
<h3>First Quarter</h3>
<p>The first quarter was a tight battle. Yuriko and the Ninjas got on the battlefield early with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gingerbrute" href="#" target="_blank">Gingerbrute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triton Shorestalker" href="#" target="_blank">Triton Shorestalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Setting up for a commander ninjutsu play, the following turn, the Kelermorphs countered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Electrolyze" href="#" target="_blank">Electrolyze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Seeing that the game's speed favored the Kelermorphs, the Ninjas decided to deploy a slower strategy near the end of the first quarter.</p>
<p><strong>End of First Quarter:</strong> Ninjas 22 - Kelermorphs 23.</p>
<h3>Second Quarter</h3>
<p>With a slower strategy in mind, the Ninjas decided it was time for a bit of a secret weapon: the dual threat of Ninja planeswalkers in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito, Bane of Nightmares" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito, Bane of Nightmares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito Shizuki" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito Shizuki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With a way to get a steady stream on ninjas and an emblem giving some breathing room to the constant single-digit damages being thrown their way, the ninjas were setting up for a big second quarter.</p>
<p>The Kelermorphs were not going to take this sitting down, and with some chaining of card-damage-based card draw, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flick a Coin" href="#" target="_blank">Flick a Coin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Needle Drop" href="#" target="_blank">Needle Drop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they found their way into a well-timed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flatline" href="#" target="_blank">Flatline</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>... or so they thought. While it is risky, Yuriko met Ghyrson with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse" href="#" target="_blank">An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to save their board before the half.</p>
<p><strong>End of Second Quarter:</strong> Ninjas 45 - Kelermorphs 40.</p>
<h3>Third Quarter</h3>
<p>While unable to stop the constant barrage of one damage being thrown at their small creatures, the Ninjas decided that they would be at least able to get value out of the onslaught of spells being thrown at them. The duo of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Remora" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Remora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> slowed down the Kelermorphs to a grinding halt. Not out of the game thoroughly, thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksilver Dagger" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksilver Dagger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabarbs" href="#" target="_blank">Manabarbs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Kelermorphs knew that this game was slipping away.</p>
<p><strong>End of Third Quarter:</strong> Ninjas 70 - Kelermorphs 62.</p>
<h3>Fourth Quarter</h3>
<p>As a last-ditch play, the Kelermorphs pulled out a bit of a strange strategy in playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Charisma" href="#" target="_blank">Charisma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The plan was to stall and try to hit a last-second play with the help of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thousand-Year Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Thousand-Year Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the chaining together of enough game changers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Breach" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Breach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to claim victory. Unfortunately for them, the plan was all for naught.</p>
<p>Yuriko knew what they had to do to lead their team to victory. Thanks to all the resources they had gathered across the game, one more attack gave them the Yuriko triggers they needed to close it out. They found some of their game changers in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chrome Mox" href="#" target="_blank">Chrome Mox</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While it was not the flashy finish that they wanted, they were able to establish a well-known game-winning play with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa&#039;s Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Pact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This sealed the deal for the ninjas as they claimed the hardest-fought victory of their tournament to date.</p>
<p><strong>Final:</strong> Ninjas 100 - Kelermorphs 93.</p>
<h2>Winner and Champion</h2>
<p>Congratulations to your winner and this year's March Magic Madness champions <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow|CMM|690" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the Ninjas! From all of us here at the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strixhaven Stadium" href="#" target="_blank">Strixhaven Stadium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and on behalf of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Arena Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we want to thank you for a great tournament season.</p>
<p>We hope to see you next year to find out if Yuriko will be defending their crown or if someone from a new universe can step up to the challenge.</p>
<p>As always, I've been Nic, and you can find me here on EDHrec. Don't forget to look at all the other fantastic content here and everywhere from the many great minds behind EDHrec.</p>


March Magic Madness - Final Four and National Champion

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Cabal Minion" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Cabal Minion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CEric+Peterson%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Eric Peterson</a>)</h6>
<p>If there's one thing a commander player loves, it's new cards. There is, however, possibly one thing that they love even more than that<em>: unbanned</em> cards. With the latest update to the format, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-bracket-system-updates-and-unbans-april-2025">five cards were freed</a> from the prison known as the Commander Banned List.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gifts Ungiven"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sway of the Stars"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coalition Victory"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Panoptic Mirror"></div></div>
<p>Four of these cards are very cool in their own right, and I won't lie to you and say I am not excited about the possibilities of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panoptic Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Panoptic Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gifts Ungiven" href="#" target="_blank">Gifts Ungiven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'm even happy to lose the game for the first time to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coalition Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Coalition Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There is one card, and one card alone, that we will discuss today, and that is the big baddie with the <strong>braids</strong>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braids, Cabal Minion"></div></div>
<h2>Typical Mono-Black Nonsense</h2>
<p>Braids is a reasonably simple card, especially by 2025 design standards. It's a stax piece in the command zone that is meant to punish your opponents for playing permanents.</p>
<p>Unless your entire deck is enchantments, planeswalkers, or battles, you are going to be losing a permanent to Braids every upkeep.</p>
<p>The most common idea is to turbo out Braids as soon as possible with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and fast mana, such as <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>, and then lock your opponents out from playing the game until they concede.</p>
<p>BUT THAT'S BORING! All screaming aside, if this is what you want to do, go ahead. I'm not here to stop you. Play the game however you want, as long as everyone is having fun.</p>
<p>What I want to do is the cruelest trick of them all: make the table agree that Braids is...helping? Well, maybe not helping, but not hurting until it's too late.</p>
<h2>It's Braids, But <em>Backwards</em></h2>
<p>What's one of the most essential things needed in any Braids deck, regardless of the strategy? <strong>Trash</strong>. Things to throw away to her effect so that you're not caught in a loop of recasting your commander every two turns and doing nothing else until you lose the game.</p>
<p>So, what type of things make the best trash-producers? Tokens and cards that put other trinkets onto the board.</p>
<h3>Trinkets For Us, Trinkets For The Table</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dreadhorde Invasion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Greedy Freebooter"></div></div>
<p>While the deck might be backwards, we do need some cards that can allow us to put on the facade that we are a regular Braids deck.</p>
<p>We also have cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia" href="#" target="_blank">Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana, Heretical Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana, Heretical Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that have situational ways of providing us with a token.</p>
<p>Some cards in the deck even give all players tokens or at least an option to get tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tombstone Stairwell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plague of Vermin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infernal Genesis"></div></div>
<h3>Horrors, Horses, and Trolls Oh My!</h3>
<p>The real driving force of the deck is, however, is what we have that gives our opponents the direct counter to what's expected of the deck. Some of these cards you might be familiar with:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tribute to Horobi"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clackbridge Troll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Bonebrute"></div></div>
<p>What do you mean you've never seen these cards? But you know these next few, I bet.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slaughter Specialist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Horror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroan Horse"></div></div>
<p>Odds are, most of these cards have never crossed your sightline and have almost certainly never been put into a sleeve and jammed into a deck box.</p>
<p>These are the keys to the deck. These are the puzzle pieces that will make our opponents forget we're playing Braids.</p>
<p>Why would you want to attack the Braids player when I can blink my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conjurer&#039;s Closet" href="#" target="_blank">Conjurer&#039;s Closet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and give you more Centaurs? These are the thoughts I'm trying to plant in the table's mind.</p>
<h3>Profit?</h3>
<p>So, after we successfully flood the board of our opponents with Myr, Centaur, Goats, and Soldiers, what do we do? We spring the trap.</p>
<p>This is the point in the game that we show our opponents how mean we can truly be. We show them that they never should have underestimated Braids.</p>
<p>First, it'll be something small, like another version of Braids. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Arisen Nightmare" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Arisen Nightmare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have opponents throwing away the tokens to prevent us from drawing cards, sure, but this is exactly what we want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braids, Arisen Nightmare"></div></div>
<p>Second, we add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist" href="#" target="_blank">Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the table to start gaining small amounts of mana.</p>
<p>Third, if our opponents haven't caught on by this point, start to tip your hand with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sangromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Sangromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; it's amazing how fast three life adds up.</p>
<p>Finally, we hit them with a card that will feel like getting slammed with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Massacre Girl"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Massacre Wurm"></div></div>
<p>Cards with the word "massacre" in the title and a decimating opponent's board full of creatures have always been a match made in heaven.</p>
<p>Another classic for black-centric decks is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In this deck, it's especially easy to profit from paying as little as one life to wipe a board away.</p>
<p>While the Girl and the Deluge are skilled at killing boards, they struggle to turn that into a personal advantage. That is where some old classics and new players come in.</p>
<h3>Classics</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Falkenrath Noble"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Konrad, the Grim"></div></div>
<p>Staples in back decks often focus on an Aristocrat-ic vibe, these are how we best turn the cards given to our opponents into their downfall.</p>
<p>The Artist and the Noble do double duty by keeping our life total nice and high because no matter what we do in this deck, we should expect a healthy dose of retaliation.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, the designers have decided over the years that more cards of this nature were needed.</p>
<h3>New Players</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Seeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of the Dross"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vein Ripper"></div></div>
<p>Creatures have seen a significant increase in the arbitrage of gaining value by eliminating an opponent's board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of the Dross" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of the Dross</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vein Ripper" href="#" target="_blank">Vein Ripper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even became powerhouses in multiple 60-card formats.</p>
<p>But one card stands above the rest when it comes to the new players, and it might even rival some of the old classics. I am, of course, talking about:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Meathook Massacre"></div></div>
<p>This card is so powerful that it had to be banned in Standard. Now, without having a board of our own, this card won't be enough to win us the game, so we need to use some cards that are more typical of mono-black strategies that your opponents are used to seeing.</p>
<h3>Familiar Faces</h3>
<p>Call it a backup plan or call it filling out the curve, either way, the deck needs to be 100 cards, so these are making it into the list. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is possibly the most classic card in a mono-black deck if there ever was one.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gray Merchant of Asphodel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion of Remembrance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zulaport Cutthroat"></div></div>
<p>At this point, it might as well be the first card added to any of those decks, even before the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swamp" href="#" target="_blank">Swamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion of Remembrance" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion of Remembrance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make sure that if an opponent decides they no longer want us to have a board, it's going to cost them dearly.</p>
<h3>Nice to Have</h3>
<p>A deck like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Cabal Minion" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Cabal Minion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lends itself to being able to run cards not often seen anywhere else, and when you see those cards at the table, you can't help but to audibly exclaim, "Nice".</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prized Statue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichor Wellspring"></div></div>
<p>Artifacts aren't safe from the wrath of Braids, and for us, that can be to our advantage. More specifically, card advantage and mana advantage.</p>
<p>Lands also allow us to do silly things. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drownyard Temple" href="#" target="_blank">Drownyard Temple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us in a pinch when the board has gone bad, and the best thing for us to do is throw away a land. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gods&#039; Eye, Gate to the Reikai" href="#" target="_blank">Gods&#039; Eye, Gate to the Reikai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might only see play in a Braids deck, and it happens to be perfect.</p>
<h3>Hidden Commander</h3>
<p>One final card that deserves special attention for the deck:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trespasser&#039;s Curse"></div></div>
<p>For this deck, I wish there were four or five different versions of this card. Sadly, we only have one. The card can be tutored up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterheart Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterheart Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the sacrifice effect on Braids feeds into finding this card nicely.</p>
<p>I didn't want any of the other mono-black Curses in the deck, so the Witch did not make the cut. Sometimes, the thrill of drawing this card at the right time will be the reason to come back to the table and shuffle up for another game. Or we just cast our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and grab it when the time is right.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>Is this the best version of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Cabal Minion" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Cabal Minion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck to ever hit the table? No, it certainly is not. Is the ideal strategy still going to be turboing out Braids with fast mana, slamming down a token producer for yourself, and loading up on other cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smokestack" href="#" target="_blank">Smokestack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>Most likely yes. That deck, however, builds itself, and if I am going to bring you a <em>Tech the Deck</em> article, I want to do my best to think outside the box to the degree in which I can without going completely insane. You know. Like Braids.</p>
<p>Braids as a commander is not my cup of tea. I would sit down at a table and, depending on the day, agree to play against your deck no questions asked. I even claimed that this card should be unbanned when discussing bringing back the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-should-we-bring-back-banned-only-as-commander-3">Banned as Commander</a> rule in January of this year.</p>
<p>Whatever the case, I hope you find this Braids deck interesting at the very least. Someday, if you ever set up a Braids lock across the table from me as you recur your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strip Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Strip Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I will shake your hand and shuffle up for another game, hopefully against a non-Braids deck. Unless it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Conjurer Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Conjurer Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because nothing can go wrong if she's your Commander.</p>
<h2>Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="ƨbiɒяꓭ Backwards" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Braids, Cabal Minion
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Akroan Horse
*1 Archfiend of the Dross
*1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Blood Seeker
*1 Bloodghast
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Clackbridge Troll
*1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
*1 Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist
*1 Falkenrath Noble
*1 Gravecrawler
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Greedy Freebooter
*1 Hunted Bonebrute
*1 Hunted Horror
*1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
*1 Liliana, Heretical Healer // Liliana, Defiant Necromancer
*1 Massacre Girl
*1 Massacre Wurm
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Reassembling Skeleton
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Slaughter Specialist
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 Vein Ripper
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Darkness
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Fake Your Own Death
*1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Withering Torment
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Awaken the Erstwhile
*1 Decree of Pain
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Living Death
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Plague of Vermin
*1 Reanimate
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Toxic Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*1 Crucible of Worlds
*1 Genesis Chamber
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Prized Statue
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Bitterblossom
*1 Black Market
*1 Dreadhorde Invasion
*1 Infernal Genesis
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Quest for the Gravelord
*1 The Meathook Massacre
*1 Tombstone Stairwell
*1 Trespasser&#039;s Curse
*1 Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death&#039;s Wail
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barad-dûr
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Stronghold
*1 Command Tower
*1 Drownyard Temple
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Field of Ruin
*1 Forbidden Orchard
*1 Fountainport
*1 Gods&#039; Eye, Gate to the Reikai
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Mortuary Mire
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Springjack Pasture
*12 Swamp
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Witch&#039;s Cottage
[/Lands]"></span></div>


Tech The Deck - Braids, Cabal Minion

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Play of the Game" href="#" target="_blank">Play of the Game</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJung+Park%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Jung Park</a>)</h6>
<p>We are almost in the endgame of our March Magic Madness tournament. The final round, which takes place inside our regions, is upon us. By now, you know the teams and the matchups, and I do not want to delay the action any longer.</p>
<p>So I will send it to our other esteemed announcer the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Arena Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for any final words before we dive into the matchups.</p>
<p>Arena Rector: All I can say about these matchups is that they will be explosive. We have some incredibly intriguing matchups that should be fun for everyone involved. Without anything further, let's go down to the action for the Elite 8.</p>
<h2>Scoring:</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Color Multipliers</strong>
<ul>
<li>Colorless 1.6x</li>
<li>Mono 1.5x</li>
<li>Two-color 1.4x</li>
<li>Three-color 1.3x</li>
<li>Four-color 1.2x</li>
<li>Five Color 1.1x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deck Count &lt; or &gt; 15 Thousand</strong>
<ul>
<li>&gt; 15 Thousand 15.1x</li>
<li>&lt; 15 Thousand 14.9x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Original Print Date</strong>
<ul>
<li>Over five years ago, 5.9x</li>
<li>Printed in 202, 5.5x</li>
<li>Printed less than five years ago, 5.1x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Was it a "Design Mistake"</strong>
<ul>
<li>Yes 6.9x</li>
<li>No 7x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Game Changer</strong>
<ul>
<li>Yes 2.5x</li>
<li>No 7x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Salt Score &lt;, &gt; or = 1.2</strong>
<ul>
<li>&lt; 1.2 avg. Salt score 2.1x</li>
<li>&gt; 1.2 avg. Salt score 1.9x</li>
<li>= 1.2 avg. Salt score 2x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Basketball scores are made with a generator to align with the "math" used.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h2>Shards Region</h2>
<p>(8) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (6) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, the Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades, the Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcades, the Strategist"></div></div>
<p>What a matchup to kick off the Elite 8 here today. The Kerlmorphs, led by Ghyrson Starn, is the only remaining Universes Beyond team in the tournament. This team beats you with a "death by a thousand cuts" style.</p>
<p>A point or two at a time is all they need to make sure that they get the win. A key product of the Universes Beyond region <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch" href="#" target="_blank">Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showed what this lesser known division is really about this game.</p>
<p>Backed up with game changers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystical Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Mystical Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Kerlmorphs came out the gate fast and furious, relying on a strategy built around <a target="_blank" rel="noopener">pingers</a>.</p>
<p>Not to go down without a fight, Arcades leads the long-standing Walls. Unlike past tournaments, Arcades took a more<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=arcades"> strategic approach</a>, which served them well until now.</p>
<p>Early on, with a well-timed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crystal Barricade" href="#" target="_blank">Crystal Barricade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it looked as if the walls would stand the test of time yet again. Unfortunately for them, a good, or in their case, a great defense was not enough, and the <a href="https://scryfall.com/card/eld/114/blow-your-house-down">Walls started to crumble</a>.</p>
<p>The Kelermorphs finished off this contest with a potent combo of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Parun" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Parun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enchanted with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophidian Eye" href="#" target="_blank">Ophidian Eye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They will be moving on to the Final Four as the champion of the Shards Region.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> Kelermorphs 147 - Walls 101.</p>
<h2>Wedge Region</h2>
<p>(9) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir" href="#" target="_blank">Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (2) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div></div>
<p>A battle of design mistakes. Commander Ninjutsu vs. <em>Eminence</em>: Who will come out on top? These teams know how to gain an advantage from their game plans.</p>
<p>Yuriko and the Ninjas make you have to guard every angle of attack or suffer the consequences. Sidar Jabari and the Knights make card after card work in their favor and can make all of your removal feel like it is a part of a losing battle.</p>
<p>The Ninjas controlled this battle from the very start. No other team has come close to dealing with the idea of presenting too many threats for an opponent to deal with all tournament long. Led by a fiecersome foursome of Yuriko themselves and three key players</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Universal Automaton"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silver-Fur Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Satoru, the Infiltrator"></div></div>
<p>The Ninjas quickly became too much to handle. They rounded out their starting five with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fallen Shinobi" href="#" target="_blank">Fallen Shinobi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who picked off key cards when it mattered most and did not allow the Knights to close the gap.</p>
<p>The Knights did come with a good game plan; they just ran into a bad matchup.</p>
<p>Built around the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monument to Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Monument to Endurance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Knights did their best to leverage newcomer <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vodalian Wave-Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Vodalian Wave-Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knights&#039; Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Knights&#039; Charge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to overwhelm the opposition.</p>
<p>Against most opponents, this would have been a winning strategy, but without finding the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of Hoofbeats" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of Hoofbeats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fatal Blow" href="#" target="_blank">Fatal Blow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was unable to land.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> Ninjas 138 - Knights 95.</p>
<h2>Guild Region</h2>
<p>(13) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (14) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic" href="#" target="_blank">Oloro, Ageless Ascetic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord High Artificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic"></div></div>
<p>A battle of two double-digit seeds to see who will escape from the wildest quadrant of the tournament we have ever seen. If you know your magic history, you will agree that this is a battle of giants against one another.</p>
<p>Urza and his High Artificers look to lock down the competition with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trinisphere" href="#" target="_blank">Trinisphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Olor and the Giants also like to make life difficult for the opposition thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aura of Silence" href="#" target="_blank">Aura of Silence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The Giants found themselves on the side of David against Goliath as Urza was not going home without the win.</p>
<p>Even with a variety of taxes being levied against his team, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a unique way of taking even his stax pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pithing Needle" href="#" target="_blank">Pithing Needle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Static Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Static Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a way to generate resources.</p>
<p>After overcoming the lock pieces, Urza utilized the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Simulacrum Synthesizer" href="#" target="_blank">Simulacrum Synthesizer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to march to victory and a spot in the Final Four.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> High Artificers 121 - Giants 91.</p>
<h2>Blind Eternities Region</h2>
<p>(13) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (7) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teysa Karlov"></div></div>
<p>The final battle before the Final Four features Kinnan and the Prodigies against Teysa Karlov and the Oligarchs. These two teams could not be more opposite in their play.</p>
<p>With Kinnan, it is all about the big play all the time. It is the epitome of the go big or go home game plan. With Teysa, small bodies are being used and reused to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eliminate the Competition" href="#" target="_blank">Eliminate the Competition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with an onslaught of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Attrition" href="#" target="_blank">Attrition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This game was tight. Teysa and the Oligarchs played a beautiful game from the first whistle, and key contributors <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showed they were not to be underestimated.</p>
<p>Kinnan, however, got off to a lightning-fast start thanks to Enduring Vitality letting all the entire team pitch in so that the big flips off the top got out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidespout Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Tidespout Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Koma, Cosmos Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Koma, Cosmos Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> way ahead of schedule.</p>
<p>The Oligarchs could clean up the battlefield time and time again thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the sacrificing of creatures secretly doomed them to defeat.</p>
<p>The unlikely combination of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fade Away" href="#" target="_blank">Fade Away</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with an on board <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It That Betrays" href="#" target="_blank">It That Betrays</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turned the tide for the Prodigies, and they never looked back.</p>
<p>In the closest finish and the only competitive bout from start to finish in this Elite 8, Kinnan and the Prodigies punch their way into the final spot in the Final Four.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> Prodigies 87 - Oligarchs 80.</p>
<h2>Once More Into the Breach</h2>
<p>Wow, what a way to take us to the Final Four. The penultimate field is set with competitors who proved they are their region's champions. We have as follows:</p>
<p>Shards Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Wedge Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Guild Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Blind Eternities Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Who comes out on top? Will the two-seed Yuriko continue their dominant and seemingly unstopable run through the tournament?</p>
<p>Will the only remaining Universes Beyond representative in Ghyrson Starn take it home?</p>
<p>Or will either of our 13-seed teams, the Prodigies or the High Artificers, pull off the biggest upset and make their way to the finale, potentially against one another?</p>
<p>Join us as we move into the final battlefield inside the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strixhaven Stadium" href="#" target="_blank">Strixhaven Stadium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as we come closer to crowning a champion of March Magic Madness.</p>


March Magic Madness - Elite 8

March Magic Madness - Sweet 16

March Magic Madness - Round of 32

March Magic Madness - Top 64 Challenge

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/exo/129/survival-of-the-fittest">Survival of the Fittest</a> | <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CPete+Venters%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Pete Venters</a>)</h6>
<p>A voice comes over an intercom: "Now boarding Group One." It's time to check your bag one last time before you board your plane. You see a fresh box of sleeves, a brand new deck box, and all 25 of your freshly-made Commander decks.</p>
<p>Have you ever played any of them? No, but that is what a Magic Con is for, right?</p>
<p>Plus, you must have all of these decks when taking a break between your seven events booked between Friday and Saturday. And how could you forget your front bag pocket with all of your triple sleeve and slabbed cards that you need to get signed by 15 artists there? All this leaves plenty of room for you to come home with that oversized card from the prize wall.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="What (Not) to Bring to MagicCon | Magic: the Gathering | Commander" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B6Eo_FhnT3E?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>This might sound like a great idea, but I promise it will only make your weekend a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dismal Failure" href="#" target="_blank">Dismal Failure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I have been to a few Magic Cons and thought I would share some things I have learned to help you best "survive" a Magic Con.</p>
<p>My name is Nick, and you do not have to listen to all my tips and tricks, but hopefully, one of them will lead you on the road to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Success!" href="#" target="_blank">Success!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Success"></div></div>
<h2>Hatching Plans</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hatching Plans"></div></div>
<p>The best advice I can give anyone outside of having fun is to put a plan together for your trip. You do not need to have a full detailed itinerary planning out every minute of your day down to what time you will draw a card, but in my opinion, you should come in with at least a basic outline of how you would like your day(s) to go, otherwise you'll get overwhelmed and overplan. You may have to rely on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Backup Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Backup Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Change of Plans" href="#" target="_blank">Change of Plans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and maybe even a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contingency Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Contingency Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by the time you get to the convention.</p>
<p>One of the best things I took advantage of for this year's Magic Con Chicago was to have an idea of what I wanted out of each day I was there.</p>
<p>I was confident in my plans, and even then, I still learned by the end that my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Game Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Game Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was not foolproof. For an event like this, things must be done in advance, so even the most well-thought-out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Long-Term Plans" href="#" target="_blank">Long-Term Plans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will not always result in success.</p>
<h2>Playable</h2>
<p>Magic Cons offers many options for many different types of people. Most people go to Magic Cons to do one thing above all else: sit down and play <em>Magic: The Gathering. </em>Heck yeah.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Assemble the Players"></div></div>
<p>It doesn't matter if you're in the tank and sweating it out to try and win a last-chance qualifier or the Secret Lair Showdown. Maybe you're doing a full box Sealed or Two-Headed Giant with your best mate after a long travel day. Most people are there to sling spells, play a turn-one <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>, or expertly read all the signals in the triple <em>Homelands</em> draft running Sunday morning.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-146174" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-300x225.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-768x576.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">Good times at the Commander table</h6>
<p>This year, I knew that there were three particular things I wanted to play: Commander, Canadian Highlander, and Gavin's Mystery Event. I prioritized time each day to do these things and packed accordingly.</p>
<p>This leads me to my downer point for this topic: you <strong>cannot</strong> play everything you want. That might be decks, events, or even with specific individuals.</p>
<p>I won't tell you not to bring all 25 of your commander decks, but do yourself a favor and don't bring all 25 of your commander decks. You have a finite amount of time at these, so I urge people to take advantage and make their best personal impression of the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Stretch" href="#" target="_blank">Time Stretch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Paint Me Like One Of Your French Cards</h2>
<p>At this year's Magic Con Chicago, I hit what I will consider the artistic jackpot. I had a small list of cards I wanted to get signed, and if you have ever been to one of these, you know that sometimes that is daunting.</p>
<p>While I missed out on the incredible Tyler Jacobson, I got all the other cards and more signed by various artists and MTG personalities. I commend you if this is why you go to Magic Cons, and honestly, you might be the strongest among us at these events, outside of the cosplayers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abstract Iguanart"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artist&#039;s Talent"></div></div>
<p>Many people in the art sphere of the game have great tips and tricks and even complete Scryfall lists of all the artists going so that you do not have to dig through your deck boxes while standing in line looking for cards to get signed.</p>
<p>Just know the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artist&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Artist&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does not come cheap when considering the time it can take for some lines. If you are like me this year, even your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well-Laid Plans" href="#" target="_blank">Well-Laid Plans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be hit by the ticking clock of another commitment.</p>
<h2>It's a Mystery</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trail of Mystery"></div></div>
<p>I have told you a thing or two I would suggest not doing. I have also mentioned the downside to some of those choices, but there is one thing above all of these events that I have and will not recommend to everyone who attends.</p>
<p>That is the Gavin Verhey Mystery Event. For years, Gavin has put on a fantastic event with a cool and unique twist, all while tricking everyone into playing the largest paper brawl event of all time.</p>
<p>This year was no different. Sealed decks built from <em>Mystery Booster 2</em> and what I have been calling the "Gavin Pack." A pack of unique playtest cards that are everything from super funny to extremely broken to loving tributes to those who make the community great.</p>
<p>I never have as much fun as I do playing at this event, and it's something I will always sign up for. Highly recommended, but try to get your tickets fast as they <em>will</em> sell out, even long before the event.</p>
<h2>Mistakes Were Made</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mistakes Were Made"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistakes Were Made" href="#" target="_blank">Mistakes Were Made</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is the secret of my Magic Con experience this year. I still made some errors in the tips I tried to follow and thought I had done everything correctly. The first mistake was packing my schedule too tightly from Saturday to Sunday.</p>
<p>I did not realize how a late night and lousy sleep on Saturday would lead to one of the most miserable experiences I have had while participating in a Commander Sealed event on Sunday.</p>
<p>It made me reconsider many life decisions during an event I was genuinely pumped to join in. I also made the classic blunder of waiting till the last day to try and use my little tickets at the prize wall and walked away empty-handed.</p>
<p>Secondly, I did not play as much Commander with friends or randoms as I wanted. I should've used my Sunday for this instead of deckbuilding and waiting for seat pairings to be announced.</p>
<p>Lastly, I did not get to enough panels. This was a new mistake, but it might be my second recommendation for people going. The live EDHRECast was a blast, and while I did not win my challenge against the stats, it was a great time.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-146173" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-1024x478.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="327" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-1024x478.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-300x140.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-768x359.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-1536x717.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-2048x956.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">The first Live EDHRECast challenged the hosts' knowledge of the stats! Photo credit: Nick Wolf</h6>
<p>Try to play as much as you can and want and get to all the artists, meetings, and greets, but don't make my mistake of missing out on the great panels people put on in the IRL meet space rather than online.</p>
<h2>Exceeding Expectations</h2>
<p>I won't bore anyone with "normal" travel suggestions. Everyone is already prepared with their food plans, and people often know where they will be for the always fun "Lobby Cons" in the various hotel lobby and bar areas after the convention hall closes for the night. And while this might be a fun little article about "surviving" Magic Cons, this year did not run super smooth for me by comparison.</p>
<p>Luckily, this led me to some <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Results" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Results</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as Magic Con Chicago was full of... <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Potential" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Potential</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I got to chill with friends, new and old; p<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">lay games with creators like Rachel Weeks and notable artists like <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJesper+Ejsing%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jesper Ejsing</a> and <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CEvyn+Fong%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evyn Fong.</a> </span></p>
<p>In my mind, the most important thing about going to one of these events is maximizing the defining statement of a Magic Con: It's not about the <em>Magic</em>; it's about <em>The Gathering</em>.</p>
<p>I hope to gather with you at a Magic Con soon, and if you can make one, I suggest you try your best to make it out. If you want to tell me how your Magic Con went or show me what cards you got signed, you can find me here or elsewhere on the internet as nicnax96.</p>
<p>Check out all the other great articles here, and as a treat, if you happen to be in the venn diagram of sports fans and <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> fans, stay tuned in during the start of March Madness...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mandatory Friendship Shackles"></div></div>


Your Swiftfoot Boots-on-the-Ground Guide to Surviving Magic Con

Tech The Deck - AristoGnats

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/dft/364/kolodin-triumph-caster"> Kolodin, Triumph Caster</a> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJohn+Stanko%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">John Stanko</a> )</h6>
<p>One often needs the fastest car and a steely resolve to win a race. We might not be racing for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Aetherspark" href="#" target="_blank">The Aetherspark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we are racing to see who can finish first in a game of Commander.</p>
<p>There are a ton of great commanders in the upcoming set <em>Aetherdrift</em>, but one that emphasizes putting the pedal to the metal is <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kolodin, Triumph Caster"></div></div>.</p>
<p>Buckle up as we hit the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muraganda Raceway" href="#" target="_blank">Muraganda Raceway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and pump up the volume on our interplanar radio while we listen to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Country Roads" href="#" target="_blank">Country Roads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Today, I will be your driver, and like always, my name is Nick. This deck might not be about family, but get ready to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Start Your Engines" href="#" target="_blank">Start Your Engines</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and enjoy another <em>Tech The Deck</em>.</p>
<h2>Pit Crew</h2>
<p>The first step to having a good racing team is having a good pit crew along for the ride. And what better way to introduce the crew than by talking about the commander of the deck, our crew chief, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolodin, Triumph Caster" href="#" target="_blank">Kolodin, Triumph Caster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>Why is Kolodin in charge of this deck over other classic vehicle cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Depala, Pilot Exemplar" href="#" target="_blank">Depala, Pilot Exemplar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? To me, Kolodin is very special and interesting.</p>
<p>The ability to allow any vehicle (or mount) that enters to become crewed (or saddled) is a great way to get around the most annoying parts of a deck that wants to run vehicles (or mounts).</p>
<p>But sometimes, people want to cause problems for our crew chief, who must rely on the team he has assembled to help win the race.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Depala, Pilot Exemplar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Astor, Bearer of Blades"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hotshot Mechanic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Interface Ace"></div></div>
<p>First up, the former crew chief of the vehicle archetype is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Depala, Pilot Exemplar" href="#" target="_blank">Depala, Pilot Exemplar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. She allows us to drive a bit beefier of a machine thanks to giving all vehicles +1/+1 and can allow us to dig deeper into our deck whenever she becomes tapped.</p>
<p>This means we do not even have to attack with Depala, and thanks to having three power, she does a good job at driving most of the vehicles we have at our disposal.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astor, Bearer of Blades" href="#" target="_blank">Astor, Bearer of Blades</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, has some text that is thoroughly irrelevant to us in this deck. What they do have is a great way to grab whatever vehicle in the top seven cards of our deck and take some of these hard-to-handle machines with large crew requirements and simplify them so that anyone or anything in our deck can sit nicely behind the wheel.</p>
<p>The best racers out there owe much of their success to a group or sometimes one single <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hotshot Mechanic" href="#" target="_blank">Hotshot Mechanic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card looks unassuming, but once the other racers (our opponents) catch on to how vital Kolodin is to this deck running smoothly, a one-drop creature that can crew anything costing Crew 1 - Crew 4 can keep our wheels turning.</p>
<p>Occasionally, a driver might face a tough choice of which car to take for a spin around the track. That is when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Interface Ace" href="#" target="_blank">Interface Ace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes in to save the day.</p>
<p>This creature allowed you to crew up two vehicles simultaneously on all your turns. If the worst part about this card is that I can only crew one car on another racer's turn, they are welcome on my crew any race day.</p>
<h2>High Octane Racing</h2>
<p>A part of racing that is never discussed is that sabotage is one of the greatest dangers to a racing team—sabotage in the form of our opponents sending our vehicles to the scrapyard, aka... the graveyard.</p>
<p>When that happens, we have a few ways to get our team back on track. The first thing to do is to give one of our vehicles a bit of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tune Up" href="#" target="_blank">Tune Up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>After we do some work, we will never need to get behind the wheel of that vehicle ever again.</p>
<p>If our entire garage gets sent to the junkyard, then as a crew, we only have one option: cross the finish line first. That one trick is to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Push the Limit" href="#" target="_blank">Push the Limit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on what we know as racing.</p>
<p>All joking aside, this is an all-star card in this deck. Mass reanimation is something that many decks look for when constructing their 99.</p>
<p>On top of bringing all your vehicles and mounts back to the battlefield, it turns them into creatures and gives all creatures you control, NOT just the ones you got back, haste for a turn.</p>
<p>Finally, if we get stranded on the mid-race track, we must remember to re- <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Start Your Engines" href="#" target="_blank">Start Your Engines</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>If we find ourselves without a crew to drive, pilot, or steer any of our various vehicles, this card will let them run wild. The +2/+0 is a nice bonus that I won't scoff at.</p>
<h2>Cards We Run So We Don't Crash</h2>
<p>A good racer must know that being out on the track can get dangerous. But the first thing a racer needs to be aware of is how much life they have left to use for fuel. To help with this, we run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armed and Armored" href="#" target="_blank">Armed and Armored</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to let us surprise our opponents with a massive board of blockers or as a way to finish them off at instant speed.</p>
<p>It will be no surprise to us that our vehicles will be the first thing that the rest of the table attempts to get rid of, and rightfully so.</p>
<p>So we need some ways to protect them from a removal spell. I choose to outfit the pit crew with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blacksmith&#039;s Skill" href="#" target="_blank">Blacksmith&#039;s Skill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clever Concealment" href="#" target="_blank">Clever Concealment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These allow us to save key vehicles or the entire fleet from our opponents' attempts to slash your tires.</p>
<h2>Sick Whips</h2>
<p>The most important part of the deck outside of our commander is our litany of vehicles and the "mods" we have for them. The deck runs 27 vehicles, and instead of talking about each and everyone, I will show off a few of my favorites.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reaver Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Midnight Crusader Shuttle"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mobile Homestead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mechtitan Core"></div></div>
<p>To me, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reaver Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Reaver Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the most underrated vehicles in the game. It's a massive 10/10, blasts everyone for five damage on the attack, and is hard to get off the board thanks to its <em>Void Shields</em>.</p>
<p>Understandably, it was not a card many people would have seen because it was in <em>Warhammer 40,000 Commander.</em> At Crew-4, this card is reasonable even if we do not have Kolodin on the board, but it gets so much better when he is.</p>
<p>Another vehicle from a <em>Universes Beyond Commander</em> product, this time courtesy of <em>Doctor Who</em>, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midnight Crusader Shuttle" href="#" target="_blank">Midnight Crusader Shuttle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes an opponent face a villainous choice.</p>
<p>Either option will give them one less blocker to try and stop us with, but they at least get to decide if they loan us a creature or if it gets sent to their scrapyard instead.</p>
<p>A Vehicle that cares about Mounts, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mobile Homestead" href="#" target="_blank">Mobile Homestead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not significantly damage our opposition, but it will help us keep playing on a curve and not go off the track as we take another left turn at high speeds.</p>
<p>Cheap and efficient is the game's name with this mobile home, and sometimes, that's just what a good racing team needs.</p>
<p>Lastly, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mechtitan Core" href="#" target="_blank">Mechtitan Core</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just one of the most fabulous cards around regarding Vehicles. We should have plenty of other vehicles to send inside our deck to do their best impression of a transformer.</p>
<h2>The Mods</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege Modification"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aerial Modification"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri&#039;s Resolve"></div></div>
<p>We only have two modifications that we can give to any of our various "rides" in this deck. Whether it be siege or aerial, the purpose is another way to let a vehicle circumvent the need to be crewed or have a way to function without our commander.</p>
<p>One reason I wanted to take a closer look at this deck outside of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolodin, Triumph Caster" href="#" target="_blank">Kolodin, Triumph Caster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that I thought was junk. That card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri&#039;s Resolve" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri&#039;s Resolve</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It might have been the decks that I played or looked at for different articles.</p>
<p>It might have been the standard environment where this five-mana "do nothing" enchantment premiered, or maybe it was a multi-year plant.</p>
<p>I am not sure if I could have made a more perfect card for this deck without making it too strong if I tried.</p>
<p>Pumping our creature's power and giving them haste are two of the most important things when playing an aggressive strategy and, in our case, running an aggressive race.</p>
<p>The timing of when your artifacts return to the battlefield synergizes so well with Kolodin. As long as we can keep our commander alive, the resolve will let us swing with all our Vehicles and Mounts every single turn without needing them to be crewed. It is by far my favorite card for this deck.</p>
<h2>Crossing The Finish Line</h2>
<p>Sometimes, the best way to win a race is to drive faster than the competition. It's nothing fancy, just good old-fashioned racing. That is precisely what we are trying to do with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolodin, Triumph Caster" href="#" target="_blank">Kolodin, Triumph Caster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> behind the wheel.</p>
<p>It is a straightforward RW aggressive strategy, but instead of using creatures in the traditional sense, we are using things like the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderhawk Gunship" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderhawk Gunship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><em>Aetherdrift</em> looks like an exciting set of cards for all commander players, but I want to hear if you share that thought or if you think this set will spin out at the starting line.</p>
<p>Let me know what you think of Kolodin, the set as a whole, or your favorite vehicle, even if it did not make the list. Maybe you feel the deck should focus on Mounts instead.</p>
<p>Either way, let me know, and try not to get run over by a speeding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bomat Bazaar Barge" href="#" target="_blank">Bomat Bazaar Barge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spire Mechcycle" href="#" target="_blank">Spire Mechcycle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I have been and will continue to be Nick; this has been another deck we have teched.</p>


Nicholas Lucchesi