Enchanter's BaneEnchanter's Bane | Art by Steve Prescott

Welcome once again to Fire and Ice! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article!

EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight into how the format's players are thinking about new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.

Last time, you got to choose which commanders we'd take a look at for this article. From 163 responses, Valgavoth, Harrower of SoulsValgavoth, Harrower of Souls got 42.33% of the vote and Alela, Artful ProvocateurAlela, Artful Provocateur got 34.36% of the vote, making them the lucky winners.

Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss was a distant third, with just 23.31% of the vote.

So, let's jump into today's edition of Fire and Ice and see what our poll's winners have in store.

Valgavoth, Harrower of SoulsValgavoth, Harrower of Souls

Hot and Cold Cards for Valgavoth

Valgavoth led the Endless Punishment precon from Duskmourn, and has quickly become one of the format's most popular cards. Usually leading a group slug deck, this Elder Demon is the #37 commander on EDHREC.

Given that this commander once led a preconstructed deck, some cards are in an extremely high number of lists. Kederekt ParasiteKederekt Parasite and Mogis, God of SlaughterMogis, God of Slaughter, for example are in 93% and 89% of decks, respectively. These cards are perfect fits for Valgavoth, and are complimented by powerful Rakdos () staples like Rakdos CharmRakdos Charm (in 81% of decks).

What's Fiery for Valgavoth Decks?

First up, we see two newer cards rising in the rankings. Deadpool, Trading CardDeadpool, Trading Card and Avalanche of Sector 7Avalanche of Sector 7 have Fire Scores of 3.13 and 2.04, respectively. Deadpool is one of the strongest Rakdos cards that Wizards has ever made, and is seeing play in a ton of stronger Commander decks. It's even seeing some action in cEDH, much to the chagrin of Universes Beyond haters.

Avalanche of Sector 7 isn't quite as powerful as Deadpool, but it's a fantastic roleplayer in this deck. At higher levels of play, our opponents will be reliant on artifacts for a lot of their mana. This Human Rebel lets us capitalize on that fact for more Valgavoth triggers.

Next up, we've got a pair of removal spells gaining ground. Deadly RollickDeadly Rollick is our hottest card for Valgy, with a Fire Score of 4.14. This deck is focused heavily on its commander, meaning we're likely to have it on board for most of the game. Plus, its ward cost means it's more likely to stick around and enable a free cast of Deadly Rollick.

We're also seeing Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition with a Fire Score of 3.45, likely due to its synergy with Valgavoth's +1/+1 counter-gaining ability. Because our commander gets so big so fast, this five-mana spell can be a semi-one-sided wipe pretty frequently.

I'd also like to talk about two cards that have to do with . Dark RitualDark Ritual is a staple of all -based decks, regardless of format. It's got a Fire Score of 2.85, and I'm surprised it wasn't already in nearly every Valgavoth list.

And, if we want to spend all three of that black mana in one place, we should look no further than Underworld DreamsUnderworld Dreams. This enchantment has a Fire Score of 2.54, and is a fantastic card in any group slug deck. If we manage to cast a Wheel of MisfortuneWheel of Misfortune or something similar, this hate piece goes from good to great.

Next up, we've got two powerful red creatures seeing more play. Solphim, Mayhem DominusSolphim, Mayhem Dominus is one of the coolest damage doublers in all of Magic, and should prove extremely useful with all the pinging we'll be doing. This Phyrexian turns the aforementioned Underworld Dreams into a potent clock for our opponents, and it's got a Fire Score of 2.54.

Screaming NemesisScreaming Nemesis is also here as a nice piece of anti-lifegain tech. This creature is fearsome in Standard's many red decks, strong in most levels of Commander play, and has a Fire Score of 2.06

Our last hot card for today is Bojuka BogBojuka Bog, with a Fire Score of 2.38. I firmly believe that every deck needs at least one piece of graveyard hate, given how pervasive graveyard-based strategies have become in EDH. This land can fill that role at almost no deckbuilding cost, and I'm a big advocate for its inclusion in even more decks.

What's Icy for Valgavoth Decks?

First up, let's talk about some removal that's becoming less popular. Chaos WarpChaos Warp is our coldest card, with an Ice Score of -3.12. I am a Chaos Warp hater, especially in multicolor decks. -based decks are getting better and better at removing enchantments, with cards like Withering TormentWithering Torment being printed, and -based decks are already stellar at removing artifacts. This color combination covers all the removal we could need, so there's no reason to run this subpar instant.

Suspended SentenceSuspended Sentence is Icy too, with an ice Score of -2.03. This kill spell was in the original precon that Valgavoth led, so its no surprise that deckbuilders are turning on it as they upgrade. This card is too slow if we want to spend on it, and too costly if we want to spend on it. It's bad on both sides, and is an easy cut for savvy Valgy pilots.

We've also got a duo of powerful board wipes seeing less play. Toxic DelugeToxic Deluge has an Ice Score of -2.39 and Blasphemous EdictBlasphemous Edict has an Ice Score of -2.14. Once in a while, I'll disagree with a card being cut from a list. Here, I disagree quite firmly. These are two of the strongest available board wipes in all of casual EDH, and I wouldn't dare remove them from a Valgavoth list in Bracket 3 or higher.

If you've got any insight into these cards' dwindling popularity, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Next up are Theater of HorrorsTheater of Horrors and Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum with Ice Scores of -3.04 and -2.91, respectively. These cards are fine, but get quickly outclassed by stronger ramp or card advantage engines. Theater of Horrors is a more restrictive version of Phyrexian ArenaPhyrexian Arena, with very little upside. And Solemn Simulacrum isn't good in a deck that can't easily sacrifice and/or recur it consistently.

Both of these cards are fine, but pilots seem to be looking for more synergistic plays.

Then we've got two group slug cards: Harsh MentorHarsh Mentor with an Ice Score of -2.21 and Kardur, DoomscourgeKardur, Doomscourge with -2.05. These are both fine cards, but seem to have been replaced for stronger pingers. Harsh Mentor is likely being swapped out for Avalanche of Sector 7, and Kardur isn't very good in a deck focused on noncombat damage (in place of a combat-centric group slug build).

Both of these cards were part of the original preconstructed deck, so their recent loss in popularity indicates some upgrades being made to those original lists.

Finally, our last Icy cards are Light Up the StageLight Up the Stage with an Ice Score of -2.53 and Mask of GriselbrandMask of Griselbrand with -2.33. These are interesting and synergistic card advantage pieces, which are (once again) in the Endless Punishment precon.

Light Up the Stage is cool, but ultimately just a slightly better version of Wrenn's ResolveWrenn's Resolve. While the card isn't bad by any means, EDH players tend to prefer repeatable card advantage over one-time bursts.

Mask of Griselbrand, on the other hand, is a fun Equipment that requires a bit too much setup. The lifelink it provides is certainly nice, but it's not fun to have to let a big creature die, then re-equip the Mask to something else to continue getting value from it.

What's in a Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls Deck?

Here's a Valgavoth list, with all of his hot cards and none of the cold:

Alela, Artful ProvocateurAlela, Artful Provocateur

Hot and Cold Cards for Alela

Alela is a super cool commander, encouraging pilots to run powerful artifacts and enchantments, providing some flying tokens as a payoff. She's also extremely popular, finding herself as the #77 commander on EDHREC.

Some of Alela's most popular cards are enchantments, like Intangible VirtueIntangible Virtue and Favorable WindsFavorable Winds, which synergize with the flying tokens she creates. These cards are in 58% and 51% of decks, respectively.

Faerie typal payoffs are popular too, with cards like Tegwyll, Duke of SplendorTegwyll, Duke of Splendor seeing play in 52% of Alela decks.

What's Fiery for Alela Decks?

Let's talk about the two newest cards first. Moonlit MeditationMoonlit Meditation and Exalted SunbornExalted Sunborn have Fire Scores of 9.35 and 7.43, respectively, and are both perfect fits in this deck.

We'll be making a ton of tokens, and being able to copy our best artifact or creature with Moonlit Meditation can be game-changing. Same goes for Exalted Sunborn, which can let us quickly accelerate into a wide board of scary flying creatures.

Both of these cards certainly deserve their popularity.

We've also got three fiery pieces of card draw: Kindred DiscoveryKindred Discovery (Fire Score of 2.71), SkullclampSkullclamp (2.10), and Caretaker's TalentCaretaker's Talent (2.00). Each of these spells fits perfectly into our game plan.

First off, all of them are artifact or enchantments. That means we'll make Faeries with our commander on cast. Kindred Discovery and Caretaker's Talent also both abut our commander on the mana curve, meaning it'll be easy to cast them and generate value immediately. Caretaker's Talent is my favorite among these three, because each of its three chapters provides so much value to our token-centric strategy.

Our last Fiery card is Hall of Heliod's GenerosityHall of Heliod's Generosity, a sweet utility land with a Fire Score of 2.14. This is a three-color deck, meaning that there's not much room for lands that only produce . But it seems the ability to regrow an enchantment is too much for deckbuilders to pass up.

What's Icy for Alela Decks?

Two of our cold cards are here to reduce the cost of our artifact spells, but it seems that Alela pilots are leaning harder into enchantments. Foundry InspectorFoundry Inspector has an Ice Score of -2.70 and Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor has an Ice Score of -2.21, likely having been replaced by the enchantments that so many Alela pilots seem interested in.

Our next two cold cards are, paradoxically, here because they're too good. Bracket 3 pilots may be moving on from these cards because of their strength.

Rhystic StudyRhystic Study, the best card draw engine in all of EDH, has an Ice Score of -2.69. Although it does synergize well with our commander, this Game Changer is just too strong for most low bracket gameplay.

And Talion, the Kindly LordTalion, the Kindly Lord, a nice card draw engine that happens to be a Faerie, has an Ice Score of -2.07. Although this Faerie does work well with our kindred strategy, it's probably too generically powerful for many pilots' tastes.

Alela's last cold card is Spell StutterSpell Stutter, with an Ice Score of -2.71. This is a counterspell that gives our opponents options - something I never like doing in EDH. It's just ok at all stages of the game. In the early game, we'll have a few Faeries so we won't be able to tax our opponents too much. But, our opponents won't have as much mana available. In the late game, if we don't have enough Faeries, this spell does nothing. If we have enough Faeries, it may be better to play something like Spellstutter SpriteSpellstutter Sprite in its place.

I'm not a huge fan of Spell Stutter in Commander, so I'm glad to see deckbuilders move on from it

What's in an Alela, Artful Provocateur Deck?

Here's an Alela list, with all of her Fiery cards and none of her Icy cards:

Conclusion

That's it for this week, folks. Before you go, though, please take a moment and let me know what commander you'd like to see next week!

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