PowerbalancePowerbalance | Art by Steve Ellis

Welcome back 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. 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 some insight into how the format's players are thinking about new cards, and hopefully give you some cool tech for your favorite commander's list.

Last week, we asked you to pick which commanders we'd take a look at for this week's article. As of the time of writing, Alesha, Who Smiles at DeathAlesha, Who Smiles at Death took home 43.09% of the vote and Nine-Fingers KeeneNine-Fingers Keene nabbed 33.33% of the vote, making them today's lucky winners. Saheeli, Radiant CreatorSaheeli, Radiant Creator was a distant third, with just 23.58% of the vote.

Now that we've got two awesome commanders to analyze, let's see what's hot and what's not for Alesha and Keene. And, as per usual, stick around till the end of this article to vote on next week's commanders.

Alesha, Who Smiles at DeathAlesha, Who Smiles at Death

Hot and Cold Cards for Alesha, Who Smiles at Death

Alesha is an awesome commander, with a powerful attack trigger than we can use to bring small creatures back from the graveyard. Despite releasing 10 years ago in Fate Reforged, she's remained popular as the #307 commander on EDHREC.

Among the most popular cards in Alesha decks are Master of CrueltiesMaster of Cruelties (a creature with game-ending upside, in 42% of decks), Welcoming VampireWelcoming Vampire (a sweet card draw engine, in 47% of decks), and Thrill of PossibilityThrill of Possibility (a cheap discard outlet, in 44% of decks).

What's Fiery for Alesha Decks?

Alesha's hottest card is Smile at DeathSmile at Death, with a Fire Score of 3.74. This enchantment is here for a few reasons. First off, it synergizes perfectly with the deck's small-creature-reanimator game plan. And second, it shares a name with our commander!

Players in search of includes that are powerful and/or flavorful seem to have flocked to it.

Next up is Voice of VictoryVoice of Victory, a powerful card from Tarkir: Dragonstorm with a Fire Score of 3.30. Again, this Warrior fits the deck from a power and flavor standpoint. It's a super strong one-power creature that can be reanimated by Alesha, and it's a member of the modern Mardu clan.

I imagine that most players have included it for its SilenceSilence-esque effect, but its Mardu status is of note, too. Same goes for our next Fiery card, Avenger of the FallenAvenger of the Fallen. Because we'll be filling our yard with tons of creatures as targets for our commander, this three-drop will routinely make a dozen or more 1/1 Warrior tokens.

Plus, this creature is part of the new-age Mardu!

Our last hot card for Alesha is... Alesha! To be clear, I'm referring to Foundations' Alesha, Who Laughs at FateAlesha, Who Laughs at Fate, with a Fire Score of 2.66. New Alesha (New-lesha?) is a perfect fit for the deck. We're an aggressive, low-to-the-ground Mardu deck that new Alesha finds a perfect home in.

Whether we're reanimating this creature with our commander or just casting it, it's always fun to have two Aleshas on the board at once.

What's Icy for Alesha Decks?

Now, let's take a look at a few older cards that are losing popularity with.

Three of our coldest cards are usually part of combos, and it appears that Alesha pilots are leaning towards more synergistic gameplay in favor of immediately ending gams.

For that reason, Murderous RedcapMurderous Redcap (frequently part of combos that add +1/+1 counters to creatures that enter the battlefield) has an Ice Score of -2.03, Fiend HunterFiend Hunter (often part of combos involving other Oblivion RingOblivion Ring effects) has an Ice Score of -2.26, and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror BreakerKiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker (usually part of combos that untap creatures on ETB) has an Ice Score of -2.73.

These cards are still good standalone pieces, but seem significantly less appealing if you're not trying to go infinite with them.

Altar of DementiaAltar of Dementia is also cold for Alesha decks, with an Ice Score of -2.65. This artifact can fill up our graveyard efficiently, but may feel too strong at some Bracket 3 tables. Even though most creatures in the 99 of an Alesha list will be small, Altar of Dementia's mill capabilities are still incredible.

Our last Icy card for Alesha is Anafenza, Kin-Tree SpiritAnafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit, with an Ice Score of -2.29. While this two-drop is certainly interesting, it's just been outpaced by some recent releases. Notably, a new version of the same character, Anafenza, Unyielding LineageAnafenza, Unyielding Lineage, is likely stronger in this strategy.

What's in a Alesha, Who Smiles at Death Deck?

Here's a decklist for Alesha, with all of her hot cards included and all of her cold cards excluded!

Nine-Fingers KeeneNine-Fingers Keene

Hot and Cold Cards for Nine-Fingers Keene

Keene is, arguably, the premier Gates deck in EDH. She's an evasive, hard-to-remove creature that lets us slam extra Gates onto the battlefield when she connects with a player. Plus, her three-color identity lets us access a full 14 gates!

Among Keene's most played cards are Sylvan ScryingSylvan Scrying (to let us tutor up specific gates, in 69% of decks), Sage of the MazeSage of the Maze (a tailor-made creature, in 59% of decks), and Gate ColossusGate Colossus (often a free 8/8, in 58% of decks).

What's Fiery for Keene Decks?

The hottest card for Nine-Fingers Keene, by far, is Ignis ScientiaIgnis Scientia with a Fire Score of 3.79. This card isn't anything remarkable, but it seems strong due to it being an outlet for the excess of mana this deck can create. This is a Sultai lands list without a dedicated way to spend mana in the command zone, so creatures like this one that let us hold up extra mana for interaction or an activated ability are always good includes.

Plus, Ignis lets us dig for a Gate when he enters!

Our next hot card is SpelunkingSpelunking, with a Fire Score of 2.78. Gate-centric decks always need a few good ways to untap their lands, and this enchantment does just that while also providing an extra land drop. There's a lot to love about Spelunking, so its popularity isn't surprising at all.

Our next two hot cards are both removal spells: Assassin's TrophyAssassin's Trophy with a Fire Score of 2.72 and Death Begets LifeDeath Begets Life with a Fire Score of 2.10.

Let's talk about Assassin's Trophy first. It's just about the most efficient removal that a deck has access to, so it's a solid inclusion.

Death Begets Life, though, is quite pricey for a board wipe. This deck makes a lot of mana and can easily reach the high casting cost that this spells requires, though, so it's another strong card from a recent set.

Our last two hot cards are lands. Deserted TempleDeserted Temple has a Fire Score of 2.35, and The Black GateThe Black Gate's got a Fire Score of 2.27. Deserted Temple is particularly useful with some of the utility lands in this deck, which either tap for more than one mana or provide some other form of advantage to the player.

The Black Gate is one such utility land, letting our commander (or any other creature of our choosing) become unblockable. These two make a good pair, so their similar Fire Scores check out.

What's Icy for Keene Decks?

Many of this deck's coldest cards are generic Simic pieces that have a slot in most land-centric decks. But, much like Alesha pilots, it seems that Keene pilots are keen to explore the synergies available to them.

Three of our coldest cards, Eureka MomentEureka Moment (Ice Score of -2.71), Rampant GrowthRampant Growth (Ice Score of -2.35), and Ramunap ExcavatorRamunap Excavator (Ice Score of -2.15) are all staples in Simic decks.

These cards are great, but somewhat uninspired. With all the cool ramp pieces, board wipes, and mana outlets that commander players have access to, it seems that many are searching for more exciting gameplay.

Our next two cold cards are also considered EDH staples, but fit a little bit more closely with this deck's game plan.

Eternal WitnessEternal Witness has an Ice Score of -2.04, despite its usefulness in fetching tutors back from the graveyard. Although it's a mana-intensive line, being able to recast a copy of Crop RotationCrop Rotation or Sylvan ScryingSylvan Scrying can be an easy way to ensure a land-based victory.

And then there's Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots, with an Ice Score of -2.06. This Equipment protects Keene from removal and lets her attack a turn earlier, both traits that this deck wants. But, because our plan doesn't revolve entirely around our commander, many pilots seem to think that these fancy shoes may not be necessary.

Our final cold card for this week is Archelos, Lagoon MysticArchelos, Lagoon Mystic. While this tortoise is certainly a cool include, four mana is a lot to ask for an Amulet of VigorAmulet of Vigor effect. Especially with the recent release of Horizon ExplorerHorizon Explorer, there's better options for EDH players to choose.

What's in a Nine-Fingers Keene Deck?

Here's a Keene list that includes all of her Fiery cards and none of her Icy cards:

Conclusion

Thanks so much for reading this week's edition of Fire and Ice! Please take a moment to respond to the poll below to help us choose next week's commanders. All of these guys were in previous polls but didn't quite make the cut, so we're giving them another chance at the spotlight.