Three-Color Shards on the Borderlands

Investigating and Clues Matter

The Rani has the potential to investigate many times per turn cycle, which leads to synergies with cards that care about Clues, artifacts in general, and tokens.

Auras Matter

Besides repeatedly investigating, The Rani also creates Mark of the RaniMark of the Rani tokens turn after turn if left unchecked. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of Aura or enchantment synergies in a color combination that doesn't include white or green, but Entity TrackerEntity Tracker and Hateful EidolonHateful Eidolon can help draw extra cards, and Aura FinesseAura Finesse can move Mark of the RaniMark of the Rani tokens around at instant speed to take advantage of combat situations. The mass shrinkage spell Asinine AnticsAsinine Antics also has great synergy with these few cards that care about Auras.

Thematic Disruption and Removal

The Rani does best when you can put her Mark on evasive creatures. Luckily, blue has many ways to disrupt your opponents while giving them a flying creature in return. Blue removal, like Reality ShiftReality Shift and ResculptResculpt, alongside red removal, like Wild Magic SurgeWild Magic Surge and Chaos WarpChaos Warp, can also hamper your opponents' plans while still leaving a creature behind to goad later.

Inclusions

This land is played in around 16% of decks, but it should be 100%! There pretty much isn't any downside as long as you're not worried about nonbasic land hate and don't mind having dice on your lands.

Included in around 2.5% of decks, this Merfolk allows you to repeatedly gain control of creatures enchanted with Mark tokens once they have served the purpose of damaging your opponents – or if there's only one opponent left.

These cards both are not on The Rani's page. Both types of tokens this commander enables are great targets for exchanges: Marks will just stay attached to their creatures, and you'll be able to gain control of a powerful enchantment, or maybe you can trade a ClueClue for an imposing artifact creature or useful Equipment.

Not on The Rani's page. While Painful TruthsPainful Truths is a common inclusion in many three-color Commander decks with black, the Insight is very thematic for this strategy. It seems like drawing three cards should be a consistent baseline (0-mana value Clue/Mark tokens + 2-mana value mana rock + 4-mana value commander shouldn't be too hard to assemble).

Not on The Rani's page. This is my "Challenge the Stats" pick. Between Clues and Marks, you will often have a bunch of tokens lying around in the that you can turn into a lethal army of 2/1s.

I had to look into some weird interactions with this card. For example, what happens if you turn Mark of the RaniMark of the Rani tokens into 2/1s or ClueClue tokens? This works due to the following rule:

704.5p If a... creature is attached to an object or player, it becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield. Similarly, if any... noncreature permanent that (isn't an Aura) is attached to an object or player, it becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield.

But what happens if you try to turn your creature tokens and Clues into Mark of the RaniMark of the Rani tokens? This doesn't work due to the following rule:

704.5m If an Aura is... not attached to an object or player, that Aura is put into its owner’s graveyard.

Exclusions

These creatures are often included with this commander, but, while they do fit into the "opponents attacking each other" theme, they do not trigger your commander's investigate ability. However, if you want to lean into a "group slug" strategy, these are great picks!

As I mentioned last week, it's often fun to think about unique removal that fits with each specific commander's strategy instead of slapping cards like these into every on-color deck. I laid out some options for more thematic removal and disruption above, cards that frustrate your opponents' plans but give them additional creatures that can continue to be goaded.

Decklist

Deck Checklist

• 50 mana sources (33 lands, 13 artifacts, 3 creatures, 1 mdfc)
• 12 card draw
• 10 cards that goad
• 13 removal spells, including 1 mass removal and 1 mass Donkify!
• 2 finishers

Mid-Budget Upgrades

If you want to lean even more heavily into a goad-focused strategy, there are many options, including Maeve, Insidious SingerMaeve, Insidious Singer, Mocking DoppelgangerMocking Doppelganger, Bothersome QuasitBothersome Quasit, Komainu Battle ArmorKomainu Battle Armor, Life of the PartyLife of the Party, Baeloth Barrityl, EntertainerBaeloth Barrityl, Entertainer, Slicer, Hired MuscleSlicer, Hired Muscle, and Ghoulish ImpetusGhoulish Impetus.

Displacer KittenDisplacer Kitten is a versatile option that allows you to repeatedly blink your commander and go wild with Mark of the RaniMark of the Rani tokens.

Forensic GadgeteerForensic Gadgeteer and Braids, Arisen NightmareBraids, Arisen Nightmare lean into a more token-heavy strategy.

PongifyPongify, Rapid HybridizationRapid Hybridization, and especially Swan SongSwan Song (flying!) are additional cost-efficient removal spells that tie perfectly into a goad-focused strategy.

Untimely MalfunctionUntimely Malfunction is a versatile artifact removal spell that can also protect The Rani or clear out opposing blockers to set up a lethal attack from you (or an opponent).

No MercyNo Mercy and Maze of IthMaze of Ith can ensure you don't die to the opposing creatures you enhanced. The classic Maze can double as a way to keep making Marks with your commander without worrying about losing her in combat.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading this week's article! Join me next week when I find a Jund commander that is right on the border of popularity. See you then.