Identity Theft

With the release of Guilds of Ravnica, the Dimir guild grows ever more mysterious. The more we learn about them, the more and more elusive they become. Though we all know and love Lazav, Dimir MastermindLazav, Dimir Mastermind and his Jaqen H'ghar impersonation, this faceless man has changed his identity once again, now sporting the title Lazav, the MultifariousLazav, the Multifarious.

A succinct two-mana commander, Lazav has shifted his scope from his enemy's graveyards to his own. How do these changes affect this Dimir guildleader's strategy and deck composition? Let's take a look!

Mastermindfulness

We'll begin with the commander we know. Lazav, Dimir MastermindLazav, Dimir Mastermind is a color-intensive four-drop with natural hexproof and the uncanny ability to reshape his identity. Whenever an opponent's creature hits the graveyard from anywhere, whether they've been milled or killed, Lazav can assume their form while retaining his name and shrouded composure. Lazav has enjoyed a top spot among Dimir commanders for quite some time. With 1,057 decks to his name, he's presently fourth in line behind Phenax, God of DeceptionPhenax, God of Deception, Gisa and GeralfGisa and Geralf, and The Scarab GodThe Scarab God. This is fitting for the Dimir, of course; lay low, so no one sees your master plan until it's too late!

The commanders in front of Lazav do provide an interesting counterpoint to his distinct strategy. Though all four of these commanders enjoy filling up graveyards, Gisa and GeralfGisa and Geralf and The Scarab GodThe Scarab God provide an intense focus on creature-based gameplay, while Phenax, God of DeceptionPhenax, God of Deception devotes himself more thoroughly to a mill strategy, decking out his opponents by emptying their libraries. Lazav, meanwhile, is caught somewhere in the middle of these two blue-black focuses.

At his core, Lazav loves to see his opponents' libraries whittle away, because every creature card milled is a new opportunity for him to adjust his costume. However, he also wants to maintain an imposing board state by becoming an amazing creature. Too great a focus on mill distracts from the fact that he could become an Avacyn, Angel of HopeAvacyn, Angel of Hope or a Gisela, Blade of GoldnightGisela, Blade of Goldnight and bash face.

So how does this divided focus affect Lazav's deck construction? Let's take a look at an Average Lazav Deck, as configured by data here on EDHREC.

A Clamor of Clones

An immediate observation from Lazav's Average Deck is the above-average density of CloneClones, from the original to Stunt DoubleStunt Double all the way to Vizier of Many FacesVizier of Many Faces. What are these about?

Simply put, Lazav cannot copy enemy commanders. Unless an opponent willingly allows their commander to hit the graveyard instead of returning it to the command zone, that creature never 'dies,' which puts it out of Lazav's reach. Thus, CloneClones are here to shore up that restriction.

Alongside all the copycats are the graveyard-based cards we'd expect. Consuming AberrationConsuming Aberration, Sword of Body and MindSword of Body and Mind, and Mind GrindMind Grind load the yards up with teeming piles of dead creatures to be Body DoubleBody Doubled, Extract from DarknessExtract from Darknessed, and Rise of the Dark RealmsRise of the Dark Realmsed back into play. Quintessential reanimator strategies are extra-special with Lazav, because he can become a copy of a milled creature, then revive that same creature for twice the effect! Since Lazav is already in play and simply changes form, he won't get any enters-the-battlefield abilities, which makes revival and cloning such a keen strategy.

Even more importantly, Lazav retains his own name and abilities. If you mill a legendary creature, Lazav can become a copy of that legendary creature, and you can still Animate DeadAnimate Dead it onto your side of the battlefield to get an additional copy. He's like a Helm of the HostHelm of the Host in your command zone. Combined with his persistent hexproof and a smattering of DisallowDisallows and Insidious WillInsidious Wills, he's exceptionally well protected.

To make a long story short, the original Lazav is exactly what you'd expect from a blue-black graveyard strategy. He certainly has the option of focusing on mill as a win condition, but it's much simpler to fill graveyards up and pilfer through them with Diluvian PrimordialDiluvian Primordials and friends. Lazav is practically a Dimir version of Gonti, Lord of LuxuryGonti, Lord of Luxury, and a true expert at playing his opponents' cards.

Nefarious and Vicarious

So how does the new Lazav, the MultifariousLazav, the Multifarious compare? In a supremely un-Dimir twist, there's really no secret. The new Lazav doesn't give a hoot about his opponents' graveyards. He has eyes only for his own pile of discarded treasures, even allowing you to Surveil 1 when he arrives on the scene, to help get the ball rolling.

Our new Lazav is half the cost, which is important. Though he's lost his natural hexproof, the smaller cost is much, friendlier to your mana base, which is also its own form of protection. Even on the second cast, he's easier to cast than the original Lazav, who requires double blue and double black. This new version lets your mana base breathe, and allows you to play more colorless-producing utility lands without fear of missing your colors and failing to cast your commander on time.

Finally, this Lazav is more freely able to change his shape at will. His old self had to remain on the battlefield and personally witness an enemy creature hit the graveyard before he had any effect. Now he only requires a little mana, and he can shift around as many times as you like. The key is to find ways to fill your own graveyard with fun targets.

Luckily, black and blue are full to the brim of excellent ways to fill not only their enemy's graveyards, but also their own. Buried AliveBuried Alive and EntombEntomb are particular standouts, but Final PartingFinal Parting and Corpse ConnoisseurCorpse Connoisseur are also impressive.

So what creatures will Lazav be changing into? Let's take a look.

If You're Two-Faced, at Least Make One of Them Pretty

This is not your typical reanimator deck. The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm and Meren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth like to dabble with their own graveyards quite a bit, but very few of the black spells used in those lists show up here. Instead, the focus is on the unique sequences you can enact with Lazav's abilities - almost like he's Mairsil, the PretenderMairsil, the Pretender.

While some graveyard decks like to pluck the biggest baddies from the grave, Lazav wants creatures with extremely low mana costs. By turning into a Vector AspVector Asp, using his new activated ability to give himself Infect, then turning into the 12/12 Phyrexian DreadnoughtPhyrexian Dreadnought (and avoiding its crummy enters-the-battlefield effect) he can wipe out any player in a single turn. Don't forget, Lazav can also activate this ability at any time. You can make him into an unbloackable creature such as Dimir InfiltratorDimir Infiltrator, wait until your opponents have declared blockers and let Lazav through, then switch him back into a huge beater for tons of damage.

Yeah. That's nutso. Even though Lazav doesn't have his hexproof anymore, that doesn't mean he can't protect himself. Path to ExilePath to Exile aimed his way? Suddenly he's the untargetable Invisible StalkerInvisible Stalker. DamnationDamnation about to land? Now he's Bontu, the GlorifiedBontu, the Glorified, completely indestructible. If your opponent is about to swing at you with a 20/20, transform into Phyrexian ObliteratorPhyrexian Obliterator and dare them to attack you.

Oh, and we can't forget how combo-tastic Lazav is, either.

If Lazav becomes a copy of Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze, he gets all activated abilities of all cards in graveyards. So if you have, say, Bloodline KeeperBloodline Keeper and Grimgrin, Corpse-BornGrimgrin, Corpse-Born in play, you can tap to create a creature token, then sacrifice it to untap your commander and give him a +1/+1 counter as many times as you want. All you need to do now is swing for lethal! Luckily, Lazav keeps his counters even if he changes into a new creature, so you can make him unblockable and deal a killing blow with infinite commander damage in no time flat. (Or you could just remove all those counters with TriskelionTriskelion's ability too.

In short, Lazav and Lazav have almost nothing in common. While they both share a name and a love of identity theft, their focuses lie in entirely opposite directions. The original Lazav fills graveyards en masse, playing with his enemy's toys. His games will likely go long as he takes the time to protect himself, mill his opponents, steal all their best stuff, and clone the crap out of them. By contrast, the new Lazav only wants to fill his graveyard with a few specific objects, instruments of precision that he'll use to knock out his enemies as swiftly as possible. One will cheat big things into play for cheap, and the other will arrange devastating combinations. That's the Dimir guildleader for you; no matter what, he's not going to play fair.

Cards to Consider

Let's finish up by discussing a few key cards you should take an extra-careful look at when brewing either of these dastardly commanders.

Mastermind

• SpelltwineSpelltwine: It's no fun to only steal enemy creatures. You should absolutely steal their spells too! This deserves way more play than 16% of Lazav decks.
• Mnemonic BetrayalMnemonic Betrayal: I'm thoroughly convinced that this spell was created explicitly for this deck.
• NecromancyNecromancy: If Animate DeadAnimate Dead can show up in 33% of Lazav decks, then this can too. It's unconscionable that this doesn't appear on Lazav's page at all.
• Hammer of NazahnHammer of Nazahn: Lazav has hexproof already. He should also have indestructible. Outliving board wipes and copying any creature he outlasts is just sublime. See also: Darksteel PlateDarksteel Plate.
• Talisman of DominanceTalisman of Dominance: You need to be able to cast Lazav on time, which means you need more than just your typical Dimir SignetDimir Signet. I heartily suggest the Talisman, as well as Coldsteel HeartColdsteel Heart, Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble, and frankly even Charcoal DiamondCharcoal Diamond and Sky DiamondSky Diamond.

Multifarious

• Fact or FictionFact or Fiction: We've only just started to pull data for Guilds of Ravnica legends, but so far, this hasn't shown up in any Lazav lists. It definitely should.
• Mirage MirrorMirage Mirror: Why let Lazav have all the transforming fun? Let your artifact join in too! When you have a board that can realign its composition at a moment's notice, it becomes almost impossible for your opponents to mess with your stuff.
• Far // AwayFar // Away: This is a supremely underrated removal spell. These can be aimed at the same person or two separate people, with only one half, the other, or both at once. That kind of versatility at instant speed should not be overlooked.
• Training GroundsTraining Grounds: Why yes, I would like to make it cheaper to change Lazav's form multiple times in one turn, thank you for asking!
• Chart a CourseChart a Course: The more I've played this spell, the more impressed with it I've become. If you trigger Raid, awesome. But if you don't, and you need a way to discard a useful creature, even better.

A Man Has No Name

Lazav, in his most Dimir tendencies, is certainly keeping us on our toes. One moment he's stealing from everyone else's graveyards, the next he's using his own. Though these commanders do not have much in common aside from their colors and lore character, they both bring exciting dynamics to the table, forcing your enemies to stay on their guard, lest they fall prey to an unforeseen and shadowy maneuver. Go forth, fellow agent, and obtain victory for House Dimir!

Oh, and don't forget to vote for the commanders you'd like to see on the next Commander Showdown! 

• Rhys the RedeemedRhys the Redeemed vs Emmara, Soul of the AccordEmmara, Soul of the Accord: The very first Commander Showdown was a Selesnya tokens extravaganza! Is it time to revisit that matchup?
• Niv-Mizzet, ParunNiv-Mizzet, Parun vs Niv-Mizzet, the FiremindNiv-Mizzet, the Firemind: Is it Dragon?
• Vela the Night-CladVela the Night-Clad vs Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow: There's plenty more Dimir sneakiness to observe!
• Muldrotha, the GravetideMuldrotha, the Gravetide vs Tasigur, the Golden FangTasigur, the Golden Fang: Intense Sultai value trains! But how do they compare?

Cast your votes!

Til next time!