Spellslinger Silliness

Hello fellow brewer and welcome back to Brew For Your Buck, where we swap out the top 10 most expensive cards in a deck with 10 budget cards that add a unique twist. Last time, you all had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to our Squirrels deck with multiple commanders. I'm going to call these "Mayhem" articles for now, but I'm open to a better name. Anyways, when you're reading this it'll be smack in the middle of Duskmourn spoilers, so we're at a bit of a weird spot as far as selecting a topical deck. I wanted to do another Mayhem list, plus I noticed that blue and red are slacking a bit compared to the other colors featured in my articles this year. Izzet (blue-red) Spellslinger is one of the dead horses that Wizards has beaten the most, so I think that'll give us a good foundation to look at a Mayhem list. I wanted to focus a bit more on using the multiple commanders aspect to make adjustments for power level, so enter our baseline commander for today:

Let's cut to the chase: Vadrik can go infinite pretty easily with Buyback spells and a way to generate some mana, as illustrated by our friends at Commander's Spellbook:

The idea is to use cards that pump Vadrik's power, thus reducing the cost of instants and sorceries (mainly cards with Buyback) to a point where we only need colored mana to cast them. Combine this with something like Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist and now you can cast those spells an infinite amount of times. From there, we can use something like GrapeshotGrapeshot to kill the table with an infinite storm count, or (with enough creatures) use the Buyback spells like Haze of RageHaze of Rage to make the creatures infinitely large an attack for the win. The latter is exactly what we'll focus on with our alternate commanders. Sure maybe the creatures won't be infinitely large, but +8/+0 is probably enough to end a game, right?

So we'll use Vadrik's $171.86 average list as a starting point, remove the following cards, then see who else we can put in the Command Zone to make adjustments to the power level of the deck depending on your playgroup. Then we'll add budget cards that work with any of the potential commanders!

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift ($30.68)
               2. Jeska's WillJeska's Will ($19.06)
               3. UrabraskUrabrask ($17.46)
               4. Birgi, God of StorytellingBirgi, God of Storytelling ($13.23)
               5. Ral, Crackling WitRal, Crackling Wit ($8.40)
               6. Sink into StuporSink into Stupor ($4.83)
               7. Crackle with PowerCrackle with Power ($3.33)
               8. ReiterateReiterate ($3.16)
               9. Mana GeyserMana Geyser ($2.58)
               10. Archmage EmeritusArchmage Emeritus ($2.45)

Total Value of Cuts: $105.18

Replacing the expensive lands (only three!) leads to an additional $27.64 in savings, for a total of $128.38.

Now let's introduce our alternate commanders: Balmor, Battlemage CaptainBalmor, Battlemage Captain is already in the list, which is great since Vadrik and Balmor both care about using instants and sorceries to pump creatures.

...and that's it. There aren't any additional legendary creatures in the current average list that can also be a commander (Livaan, Cultist of TiamatLivaan, Cultist of Tiamat is there but without a blue background). Never fear, we're adding an additional commander right away.

Additions

Anotha One

Okay, so we said both Vadrik and Balmor care about spells and pumping creatures. Vadrik is a cost reducer while Balmor is an anthem, so let's add a commander that makes creatures! We could go with Ovika, Enigma GoliathOvika, Enigma Goliath, but at seven mana I just think it's too expensive, so we're going with Eris, Roar of the StormEris, Roar of the Storm ($1.03).

Eris can come down cheap as long as you've got a good spread of mana value over your instants and sorceries, and pops out a Dragon every time we double spell on a turn, including your opponents'. With the Dragons also having prowess, you can end the game in no time with Eris in the command zone or in the 99.

So we have Vadrik, Balmor, and Eris as our potential commanders. Vadrik has everything we need to combo off at a high power table: Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist to generate mana, Haze of RageHaze of Rage and Seething AngerSeething Anger to cast over and over, GrapeshotGrapeshot or good old fashioned beat down to end the game, and Solve the EquationSolve the Equation to find pieces. Then, we can swap in Balmor or Eris (I think in that order) to decrease the power level but still make use of everything Vadrik is doing. Now let's find some more cards that help all three commanders do their thing!

Spelling Doom

The obvious starting point is more spells. Eris really likes those Dragons so I thought Elemental EruptionElemental Eruption ($1.09) would also be a good fit for the deck. Cast it cheap with Vadrik, double pump the tokens with Balmor (thanks to prowess) and get an extra Dragon with Eris. Definitely checks the boxes and gives the deck a finisher no matter who's in command. Speaking of Storm, we'll go with one of the oldest payoffs for the archetype: Empty the WarrensEmpty the Warrens ($0.15). It's a finisher in our deck for the same reasons as Elemental Eruption: more castable with Vadrik, goes wide for Balmor, and adds to the board with Eris.

Since we're planning on having multiple possible commanders, cards that give you options really shine. Enter You See a Pair of GoblinsYou See a Pair of Goblins ($0.20) and Goblin War PartyGoblin War Party ($0.18). Want to pump Vadrik's power? Choose that mode. Need creatures for Balmor? You can do that too. Want to give those Dragons and Goblins haste? All set. Modular cards for modular decks - always a good choice when building a Mayhem list.

Moving on, you'll notice that the list has a bunch of X spells, presumably to take advantage of the big cost reduction from Vadrik. One that really works here is Open into WonderOpen into Wonder ($0.41). Cast this for a lot of damage and to refill your hand, assuming you don't just win on the spot. Another X spell is a great one from Khans of Tarkir Limited, Icy BlastIcy Blast ($0.62). With all three commanders, we'll almost always have Ferocious turned on, and it being an instant means we can cast it to tap down everyone's key blockers before our turn then swing out with Dragons and Goblins or a gigantic commander at will.

Honestly, there are so many ways that we can find crossovers for these commanders, especially with the selection of spells we have. More Ferocious cards such as Barrage of BouldersBarrage of Boulders, or pumping effects like Surge to VictorySurge to Victory come to mind as honorable mentions, and you can really go wild with the customization options here. Let me know in the comments if you have some favorites that I missed!

Easy Peezy

The last few cards are self-explanatory: we need creatures to pump, especially if Eris isn't in the command zone for a game. Young PyromancerYoung Pyromancer ($0.27) and his friends Murmuring MysticMurmuring Mystic ($0.27) and Talrand, Sky SummonerTalrand, Sky Summoner ($0.22) all trigger from doing what the deck is really great at: casting instants and sorceries. A little extra redundancy helps the deck push damage, and doesn't rely on any of the commanders. Cast a few spells followed up by a Haze of RageHaze of Rage and you can end the game without any of your legendary creatures (except Talrand, I guess) on the board.

Wrap Up & Savings

Let's see what we saved:

Under $50?! for three (-ish) decks? I love to see it and I really hope you do too; we'll definitely do more of these Mayhem articles in the future. Until then, enjoy Duskmourn spoilers, and check back here on EDHREC and over at Commander's Herald for all of our reviews on the new cards. Next time, we'll be building a Duskmourn commander, so let me know down below or on Twitter if there's anyone you'd like to see. You can also give me a heads up on cards I might have missed or alternate commanders that would go well for this list (and please a better name than Mayhem). Let me know in the comments and I'll see you next time when we brew for your buck!

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Please note: card prices listed in this article are accurate at the time of writing, but prices can vary over time and between locations.

Brian Cain

Brian played Magic intermittently between 2003 and 2017 when he fully embraced his love for Commander. Finding ways to maximize the value of each piece of cardboard in the deck is one of his favorite things to explore, especially if it involves putting lands in the graveyard! Outside of Magic, Brian works as a consultant in the marine industry, turning his passion for boats and ships into a career.