(Magma OpusMagma Opus | Art by Liiga Smilshkalne)

The Izzet learn something from every lesson they teach.The Izzet learn something from every lesson they teach.

Back to Basics is back, baby! After a bit of a holiday hiatus, I have returned to bring you the penultimate list of most played cards in each color pair. Last time, I covered (or uncovered, thematically) the top 10 most played Golgari cards.

It's Izzet's () time today, and we'll be wrapping up this run of articles with Selesnya soon (. Let's dive right in!

10. Brudiclad, Telchor EngineerBrudiclad, Telchor Engineer - 43,783 decks, 5,085 as commander

This terrifying Phyrexian Artificer has a bunch of combo applications that make it an attractive option to lead Izzet decks. The most popular one on Commander Spellbook gets you infinite turns with with Mishra, Eminent OneMishra, Eminent One and Gonti's Aether HeartGonti's Aether Heart. Just make sure you read the steps thoroughly, because there are a lot of triggers involved!

Even if infinite isn't your thing, you can still put a ton of cardboard (or dice, I'm not here to tell you what material to use to represent tokens) on the table and set up a win for the following turn with Brass's BountyBrass's Bounty and Mechanized ProductionMechanized Production.

And while Brudiclad is an artifact and works well with Treasures, Clues, and other gray tokens, the 4/4 is quite flexible and can set you up to deal a lot of damage with beefy token generators like Idol of OblivionIdol of Oblivion and Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere.

And, because Brudiclad gets your tokens to become other tokens, you can do really fun stuff with spells that create token copies of creatures you control.

Imagine making a bunch of the aforementioned Battlespheres wreaking havoc on the entire table with Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication!

As a card in the 99, he helps set you up for shenanigans with other commanders that synergize with artifacts, like Mishra, Breya, Etherium ShaperBreya, Etherium Shaper, Urtet, Remnant of MemnarchUrtet, Remnant of Memnarch.

9. Thousand-Year StormThousand-Year Storm - 53,790 decks

Is this a list about the most played Izzet cards or the most played six-mana combo win conditions?

It's the same picture! Either way, this list lets me plug Commander Spellbook and emphasize how useful a tool it is for (particularly less experienced) deckbuilders and EDH enthusiasts.

In this case, you only need to breathe in the direction of Thousand-Year StormThousand-Year Storm to win the game, but it's nice to know have all the best combos involving it on one list. It's also interesting to see which engines are the most popular.

For example, the enchantment combined with Narset's ReversalNarset's Reversal and Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist figure in almost 9,000 EDHREC decks! It's a pretty tight combo that gets you a infinite-everything despite being pretty convoluted.

Meanwhile, combo hipsters out there may be more interested in Storm + SpelljackSpelljack, which does some of what the previous combo does but in under a hundred decks. Gotta get those numbers up!

It's also worth noting that a lot of these combos simply set you up for the win. But, once you have infinite resources, making your opponents scoop can be as simple as having a GuttersnipeGuttersnipe, Young PyromancerYoung Pyromancer, or their ilk in play or by showing them a Lightning BoltLightning Bolt once you get your engine going.

8. The Locust GodThe Locust God - 55,924 decks, 5,654 as commander

Sometimes "comboing off" is easy, I promise! Locust God (TLG) and Sage of the Falls combine to threaten eliminating opponents through tens of hasty 1/1 Insect tokens.

You can only make as many attackers as you have cards in your library though, so watch out for that. Throwing Psychosis CrawlerPsychosis Crawler into the mix helps you get the job done.

In my article on most played Boros cards, I highlighted a type of deck that pays you off for putting a bunch of tokens into play without needing to attack with them.

TLG gives you a way to build that deck in Izzet by combining it with payoffs like Impact TremorsImpact Tremors and Molten GatekeeperMolten Gatekeeper, among others.

SkullclampSkullclamp is incredible in pretty much any build of TLG, thanks to the card draw giving you ever more fodder for equips. Meanwhile, CuriosityCuriosity attached to a creature "pinger" like Gatekeeper or Witty RoastmasterWitty Roastmaster sets you up for the win.

In the 99, TLG is a scary six-drop finisher in card-draw-themed decks like Nekusar, the MindrazerNekusar, the Mindrazer (one of most popular commanders of them all), Xyris, the Writhing StormXyris, the Writhing Storm, and Niv-Mizzet, ParunNiv-Mizzet, Parun.

7. Izzet CharmIzzet Charm and Prismari CommandPrismari Command - 62,018 and 56,790 decks

Moving away from the win-cons, we get our customary "flexible spell" star performers. It really cannot be overstated how important it is to have both interactive and flexible spells in this format.

Things aren't going to go your way all the time, so having ways to disrupt your opponents' game plans is incredibly valuable. It's even better when one spell can answer different types of problems!

Spells like this also get extra value in Izzet decks, because many decks playing blue and red love it when you cast spells.

We'll get to most common non-infinite spell payoffs a bit later, but let's get some honorable mentions out there: Balmor, Battlemage CaptainBalmor, Battlemage Captain, Kykar, Wind's FuryKykar, Wind's Fury, Ovika, Enigma GoliathOvika, Enigma Goliath, and Rite of the DragoncallerRite of the Dragoncaller are all EDH-playable cards that ask you to play a lot of spells.

6. Veyran, Voice of DualityVeyran, Voice of Duality - 53,830 decks, 8,429 as commander

If six-mana Spellslinger win conditions are good, what do we think of the ones at half the cost? Veyran is especially tasty with Thousand-Year Storm and other copy effects, given that the Magecraft keyword indicates synergy with copied spells rather than just only cast spells.

And, even if you'll often have the win rolled up with a Bolt or something similar after a Storm combo attempt, an arbitrarily large Veyran will pose a different type of threat.

You'll often see Veyran played alongside other creatures that key off spells and that get supercharged by her second ability that acts as a PanharmoniconPanharmonicon for spell-based triggers. GuttersnipeGuttersnipe, Storm-Kiln Artist, and Archmage EmeritusArchmage Emeritus are just three examples of payoffs that go bananas with Veyran even without an infinite combo engine in play.

Throw in Harmonic ProdigyHarmonic Prodigy for some wild turns and unexpected lethal sequences.

5. Jhoira, Weatherlight CaptainJhoira, Weatherlight Captain - 69,934 decks, 6,017 as commander

This 3/3 originally printed in Dominaria can be utilized pretty differently whether she's the commander or she's in your 99.

This versatility is due to the inclusive nature of the Historic keyword, which triggers off artifacts, Saga enchantments, and anything with the Legendary supertype).

As a member of the supporting cast, Jhoira shines in Legends-matter decks where she carries buffs and bonuses herself, while keeping your hand full.

Having a deck chock full of Legends is crucial for commanders like Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain and Jodah, the UnifierJodah, the Unifier to operate at max potential.

As a commander, she's ideal for a more focused Artifacts-matters or "Cheerios" theme deck, which take full advantage of zero-cost trinkets like OrnithopterOrnithopter, MemniteMemnite, and Mishra's BaubleMishra's Bauble, among many others.

EDHREC users like to pair her with mana generators like Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor and Foundry InspectorFoundry Inspector, which make it that much easier to go off with Mystic ForgeMystic Forge, Crystal Skull, Isu SpyglassCrystal Skull, Isu Spyglass, and Paradoxical OutcomeParadoxical Outcome.

4. Expressive IterationExpressive Iteration - 75,997 decks

This two-mana sorcery is simply one of the best card selection spells in the format. That might be a bold claim, considering Iteration shares a card pool with BrainstormBrainstorm, PreordainPreordain, and others.

But, letting you draw two most of the time while only costing two really propels it into the mix of the best spells.

It's even great alongside the one-mana "cantrips," because the cheaper your cards are, the more likely you are to get a second hit off it. It's especially handy both when you need to make a land drop and when you're looking for more gas to continue a combo. Play this card in your Izzet decks, people!

3. Third Path IconoclastThird Path Iconoclast and Saheeli, Sublime ArtificerSaheeli, Sublime Artificer - 77,700 and 52,778 decks

While Iconoclast and Saheeli are among the most popular payoffs, this section could really be about any of the permanents (usually creatures) that create tokens or deal damage when you cast spells.

Magic is great because everything has an answer, even busted spells decks, so it's not always a good idea to go completely all-in on spells.

Playing this type of card gives you powerful alternate win conditions that require a different sort of answer. Monastery MentorMonastery Mentor and the gang also aren't picky — they don't ask you assemble a game winning combo; they give you material to work with even when you're in your buildup phase, or when things haven't gone your way.

They also give you alternate angles of attack: The 1/1 token makers work with Impact Tremors, while Guttersnipes triggers can be copied or amplified (see Ojer Axonil, Deepest MightOjer Axonil, Deepest Might or Solphim, Mayhem DominusSolphim, Mayhem Dominus).

It's a newer and thus less popular card, but StormsplitterStormsplitter is another unique twist on this type of payoff, and Jeskai AscendancyJeskai Ascendancy is worth mentioning as a card that ties the room full of spells and these payoffs together.

2. Goblin ElectromancerGoblin Electromancer - 107,308

After discussing the creature payoffs for Spellslinger decks, I'm glad we also get to highlight the creature enablers for the theme. Goblin ElectromancerGoblin Electromanceris a simple, clean version of the effect that also has a relevant creature type, but there are a bunch of others you can run, each with their own little bonuses.

Thunderclap DrakeThunderclap Drake offers you a buy-out when you want to go big, Goblin AnarchomancerGoblin Anarchomancer is a sweet Gruul riff that still helps out more color-intensive Storm decks, and Baral, Chief of ComplianceBaral, Chief of Compliance has some neat trinket text.

Now, you can mix and match spells, creature enablers, and the payoffs however you see fit, but you should think about how the balance of your deck influences the win conditions you play.

Jeskai Ascendancy works well with a bunch of creatures, but you can also go off with it and a lean squad of token makers. Thousand-Year Storm probably wants you to lean into spells more, while Bria, Riptide RogueBria, Riptide Rogue offers the fun angle of Otter kindred while also just being good with Iconoclast and company.

1. Niv-Mizzet, ParunNiv-Mizzet, Parun - 95,230 decks, 14,829 as commander

Here he is, the big Dragon daddy of Spellslinger payoffs! Where do we start, but with the classic combo with CuriosityCuriosity and similar effects like Ophidian EyeOphidian Eye, Tandem LookoutTandem Lookout, and even Niv-Mizzet's VisionaryVisionary alter-ego.

Having a combo that needs only your commander, a one-mana spell in the case of Curiosity, and a way to draw a card means Niv decks will demand your opponents be vigilant at all times. You can lean into spell combos, or you could opt to play a more controlling deck that revolves around keeping the board clear, casting Niv, and protecting him and riding him (figuratively, I doubt he'd deign to become a mount) to victory. I'm not much of a combo player, but I absolutely adore Izzet control.

Looking through the EDHREC page for Niv and seeing him played frequently alongside CounterspellCounterspell, NegateNegate, and Arcane DenialArcane Denial makes me excited to build around him. He is well-loved in general, being currently the 37th most-played commander on the site.

The mind can only expand so far before it flies apart.The mind can only expand so far before it flies apart.

Remember when I said that Boros () gets a bad rap for being a one-note, aggro color pair? Well, Izzet might be pretty competitive with red-white in terms of guilds that love doing a certain thing.

Many heavily played Izzet cards in Commander key off spells, though artifacts is a legitimate alternative theme thanks to Brudiclad and blue buildarounds like Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer.

This isn't a bad thing by any means; slingin' spells with red and blue cards will always be one of the most enjoyable experiences in Magic whether it's in a game of EDH or a draft.

Nick Price