Ice OutIce Out | Art by Olivier Bernard

Welcome to Fire and Ice, everyone's favorite data-driven series that's named after a split card from 2001a split card from 2001! In this series, I'll go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks and talk about why these cards 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. Here, 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.

As per last week's poll, we'll be focusing today's article on Aminatou, the FateshifterAminatou, the Fateshifter (45.26% of the vote as of writing) and Kelsien, the PlagueKelsien, the Plague (35.77%). Sadly, the partner pairing of Tymna the WeaverTymna the Weaver (whose name is spelled without a comma, for some reason) and Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero got less than 20% of the vote.

It seems that most of you aren't too interesting in seeing a cEDH focused edition of Fire and Ice. But, if you would like to see something focused on a different competitive Commander deck in the future, let me know in the comments below!

If you'd to help us pick which commanders are next, stick around to the end of this article for another poll. For now, let's jump into today's edition of Fire and Ice and see what's hot and what's not for Aminatou and Kelsien.

Aminatou, the FateshifterAminatou, the Fateshifter

What's hot and cold for Aminatou, the Fateshifter?

Aminatou was, at one point, the leader of a slick precon released in Commander 2018. The Subjective Reality deck was amazing, and brought us some Commander staples like Loyal ApprenticeLoyal Apprentice. But this article isn't a history lesson; we're here to talk about popular and unpopular Magic cards.

Aminatou is a blink-focused commander that also lets us stack the top of our library. This planeswalker encourages us to play some of the best cards that Esper () has access to, and is currently the #299 commander on EDHREC.

Among her most popular cards are Felidar GuardianFelidar Guardian (in 58% of decks), SoulherderSoulherder (in 52%), and TerminusTerminus (in 44%). Aminatou is also part of some game-ending combos, which you can find more info about on Commander Spellbook.

What's Fiery for Aminatou Decks?

Aminatou's got a huge number of Fiery cards. I'll break them up into groups so that they can be more easily understood.

Blink

This is a Blink deck, through and through, so it makes sense that pilots want more ways to exile and return permanents than just Aminatou. Among the best options available is Displacer KittenDisplacer Kitten, with a Fire Score of 2.97. This Cat is super strong, letting us blink creatures multiple times per turn (and can even protect a permanent from a removal spell if we've got a timely noncreature spell).

A new card from Spider-Man has made its way into Aminatou lists too: Hide on the CeilingHide on the Ceiling, with a Fire Score of 2.32. This is a cheap, instant-speed way to blink any number of artifacts or creatures. It's hard to beat the rate of , and I expect this spell to become a staple of blue decks in the future.

Blink Targets

Without some good ETB abilities, a blink deck is worthless. Some new cards, like Cryogen RelicCryogen Relic (Fire Score of 4.23), have made old cards like Ichor WellspringIchor Wellspring look like relics of the past (sorry). But, seriously, this artifact is incredibly strong. It draws us a card when it enters and another when it leaves, and its got a way to sacrifice itself for some board control.

Another artifact has made its way onto our hot card list: Cryptic CoatCryptic Coat (Fire Score of 2.95). This Equipment, released in Murders at Karlov Manor, hasn't found a solid home in Commander yet. But, it's a great card selection engine that comes along with an unblockable creature. Plus, if we don't have a way to flicker it, it can return itself to our hand for just !

Card Advantage

Also a fantastic target for blink spells, Tivit, Seller of SecretsTivit, Seller of Secrets has a Fire Score of 2.38. This Sphinx can net us tons of TreasureTreasures and ClueClues if we attack with him and blink him on the same turn, meaning he's fantastic for both card advantage and mana advantage.

We've got another new card, too: Mister NegativeMister Negative (Fire Score of 3.61). If we can cast this creature once, he's good. If we can have him enter the battlefield multiple times, he's great. This seven-drop is a natural fit in Aminatou decks, and is a super cool design.

Finally, we've got a Game Changer: Consecrated SphinxConsecrated Sphinx (Fire Score of 2.24). This six-mana creature doesn't synergize directly with our game plan, but it is a ridiculously strong card advantage engine that higher-power -based decks can make great use of.

Interaction

First is EvacuationEvacuation with a Fire Score of 3.07. This board wipe, conveniently, lets us keep Aminatou on the battlefield. That means we can start building advantage right away after getting rid of our opponents' biggest threats.

Next up is GriefGrief (2.33), a card that scam players will be intimately familiar with. We can evoke this creature at basically no cost, then, use our flicker spells to re-use its ETB and keep its 3/2 menace body around permanently.

Finally, there's Massacre WurmMassacre Wurm with a Fire Score of 2.13. If we can blink this Phyrexian a few times, it's essentially a cheaper In Garruk's WakeIn Garruk's Wake that'll cause our opponents to lose a bunch of life.

Tutors

We see three tutors gaining steam for Aminatou, indicating to me that pilots may be trying to play at higher power tables. Lim-Dûl's VaultLim-Dûl's Vault (Fire Score of 2.73) and Praetor's GraspPraetor's Grasp (2.47) are generic high-power staples, while Rune-Scarred DemonRune-Scarred Demon (2.13) fits a bit closer with our blink-centric game plan.

Miscellaneous

We've got a few clones in this list: Flesh DuplicateFlesh Duplicate (Fire Score of 2.68) and Phyrexian MetamorphPhyrexian Metamorph (2.33). Both of these cards are cheaper than the average CloneClone, making them among the best versions of this effect. Even though Flesh Duplicate will leave the board after a few turns and Phyrexian Metamorph costs us , these are costs we're willing to pay for the ability to make copies of our best creatures.

Virtue of KnowledgeVirtue of Knowledge has a Fire Score of 2.53, and it's basically a better version of PanharmoniconPanharmonicon. Both of these cards copy our enters abilities, but Virtue also has an Adventure that lets us copy a single activated or triggered ability for .

What's Icy for Aminatou Decks?

There's a ton of Icy card for this commander too, so I'll break them up into manageable categories again.

Interaction

First up is Ghost QuarterGhost Quarter, a staple of Commander from a few years ago with an Ice Score of -3.85. This land plays its role well, but fails to replace itself (like Demolition FieldDemolition Field does). Plus, it only taps for . That's not good enough for most high-power decks these days.

Then there's TerminusTerminus with an Ice Score of -3.66. First printed in Avacyn Restored, this board wipe seems purpose-built for an Aminatou list. But, it can feel like you're basically restarting the game a la Sway of the StarsSway of the Stars when it resolves. It's strong, but doesn't lead to fun gameplay much of the time.

Finally, there's Ravenous ChupacabraRavenous Chupacabra with an Ice Score of -3.14. This Beast Horror can change the game when it hits the board, representing a MurderMurder with every blink spell. But, it costs a full . If you need a threat gone fast, that's a high price to pay.

Blink

Our first cold blink spell is SoulherderSoulherder with an Ice Score of -2.17. This Spirit has some fantastic art, and is a nice payoff for all the flickering we'll do. Its decline in popularity is actually puzzling to me, as I'd expect it to have a home in most decks that can run it.

Splash PortalSplash Portal (-2.14), on the other hand, seems like a weaker version of EphemerateEphemerate. It can't be cast in response to a removal spell, and it often won't draw us a card given the distribution of creature types in our 99.

Our final card for this category is Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal (Ice Score of -2.05). Brago is strong, no doubt about it. But that strength has earned him a reputation as kill-on-sight. Many Aminatou pilots would rather spend their mana on something other than a removal magnet, it seems.

Blink targets

We've got some blink targets that are declining in popularity too. Write into BeingWrite into Being, with an Ice Score of -3.08, finds itself in just eight Aminatou lists. This card is bad. For , we get a 2/2 creature that we can blink to reveal the true nature of if it's a creature. But, paying at sorcery speed for a chance at a "free" creature just won't cut it in today's Commander games.

There's two more cards that cost too much mana for their effect. Angel of IndemnityAngel of Indemnity (Ice Score of -2.54) and Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum (-2.09) are both on our Icy card list. Both of these cards are strong, and would make for good includes in a Bracket 3 or lower version of Aminatou. But, if we want to hang at Bracket 4 tables, we can't be paying and , respectively, for their underwhelming effects.

Planeswalker Synergy

Our last cold card for Aminatou is Oath of TeferiOath of Teferi, an enchantment with an Ice Score of -2.69. This enchantment does make up one third of an infinite combo with our commander, and gives us a blink when it enters the battlefield.

But it costs . That's a prohibitively high price, regardless of its combo potential.

What's in an Aminatou, the Fateshifter Deck?

Here's an Aminatou list with Fiery cards added and Icy cards removed.

Kelsien, the PlagueKelsien, the Plague

For inexperienced Commander players, Kelsien seems somewhat harmless. He might ping off a small creature every now and then, but how much harm could one Human Assassin do?

When paired with deathtouch, the answer is: a lot.

Kelsien leads some of the best Mardu () control decks in Commander, and currently sits as the #382 commander on EDHREC. He was first printed in a Commander 2020 deck, but wasn't the face commander of his deck.

Among his most popular cards are Basilisk CollarBasilisk Collar (in a whopping 89% of decks), Minthara, Merciless SoulMinthara, Merciless Soul (in 73% of decks), and Sting, the Glinting DaggerSting, the Glinting Dagger (in 61% of decks). Much like Aminatou, Kelsien is part of some extremely strong combos that you can learn all about on Commander Spellbook.

What's Fiery for Kelsien Decks?

Our hottest card is Darksteel CitadelDarksteel Citadel, with a Fire Score of 10.99. Strangely enough, this artifact land is only in seven Kelsien decks. I suspect its here to skirt around some of the new land destruction tech like Price of FreedomPrice of Freedom and Planetary AnnihilationPlanetary Annihilation that's becoming more popular in Commander. I've never been a fan of lands that produce , especially in high-color decks like this one.

Another one of our hot cards has a low total number of decks. Bloodthirsty BladeBloodthirsty Blade, with a Fire Score of 3.97, is only in 12 Kelsien lists. This one makes a bit more sense. It's a repeatable crime, triggering cards from Outlaws of Thunder Junction that care when we target our opponents or their permanents, and it's a nice way to ensure our life total remains high.

Kelsien pilots are often the target of hatred in combat due to the board control the deck exudes, so including a way to force our opponents' best attacker to hit someone else is a nice way to stay in the game.

Next up is Open the ArmoryOpen the Armory, a sweet way to grab Basilisk CollarBasilisk Collar or Gorgon's HeadGorgon's Head. It's got a Fire Score of 2.91. These Equipment supercharge our game plan, so having consistent access to them is key to our success.

Then there's Bounty AgentBounty Agent, a sneaky good piece of on-board interaction with a Fire Score of 2.46. This creature can discourage our opponents from playing out their high-cost commanders, and their best artifacts or enchantments. It's tricky to value, because the looming threat of removal often prevents our opponents from making the optimal play or attacking us with a legendary creature.

I love cards like this and Haywire MiteHaywire Mite, because although they only have the capability to remove one thing from the board they often have an outsized effect on the game.

Our final hot card of the day is Tribute to HorobiTribute to Horobi, a transforming Saga from Neon Dynasty with a Fire Score of 2.36. The front side of this two-mana enchantment will make a total of six 1/1 Rat Rogues for our opponents, easy targets for us to pick off with our commander. That'll let us trigger Blood ArtistBlood Artist effects with ease.

And if we choose not to destroy the rodents, the back side of this Saga will let us gain control of them to sacrifice for card advantage. This is an all-star if played early in the game, and I think it should have a slot in even more Kelsien lists.

What's Icy for Kelsien Decks?

We've only got three Icy cards for Kelsien! First up is Opposition AgentOpposition Agent, with an Ice Score of -2.55. This Rogue is one of the strongest creatures ever printed. It not only prevents opponents from searching their library, turning any tutors or fetch lands into dead cards, but it also immediately gets us whatever card they were tutoring for if we flash it in with a search on the stack.

This creature dominates higher levels of play, and has a slot in most every competitive -based deck across all formats. But, its strength is also likely why its losing popularity. It's a Game Changer, so its presence in your 99 means you can't play at certain tables. Its decline in popularity shows me that many Kelsien pilots are looking to "bracket down" their lists.

Our next cold card is Feast of the Victorious DeadFeast of the Victorious Dead (Ice Score of -2.17), an underappreciated enchantment from the oft-criticized Aftermath "set." It lets us gain some life and spreads +1/+1 counters among our creatures, dependent entirely on how many creatures died on our turn.

I think that last "on our turn" bit is why this card is seeing a decline. It's often better to hold up Kelsien activations until our opponents' turns, to ensure that we kill the best creatures. Feast asks us to do all of our killing on our turn, which is in direct contrast to our typical game plan.

Our final Icy card for the day is VandalblastVandalblast, a one-sided artifact wipe with an Ice Score of -2.10. This is a powerful sorcery, with the ability to get rid of all our opponents' artifacts while leaving ours untouched. Nowadays, at sorcery speed is a lot to ask for. This removal spell is still one of the most highly-played cards in all of Commander, but I expect its popularity to wane as power creep makes its overload cost a liability.

What's in a Kelsien, the Plague Deck?

Here's a Kelsien list with Fiery cards added and Icy cards removed.

Conclusion

That's all for this week, folks! Before you go, please take a moment and help us pick which commanders we'll see next week.

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