FlameskullFlameskull | Art by Xavier Ribeiro

Welcome once again to a particularly spooky edition of Fire and Ice! This is the ghoul-focused, ghost-centric, 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 week's poll was particularly close! Ms. BumbleflowerMs. Bumbleflower came out on top with 43.68% of the votes, but second place was a close contest between Raphael, Fiendish SaviorRaphael, Fiendish Savior and Tasigur, the Golden FangTasigur, the Golden Fang. Raphael got 28.42% of the vote barely beating out Tasigur at 27.89%.

So, our winners for today are Bloomburrow's Bumbleflower and Baldur's Gate's Raphael, but I'm sure that Fate Reforged's Tasigur will have its time to shine soon.

If you'd like to help us pick which commanders are next, make sure to vote on the poll at the end of this article! For now, though, let's get right into today's edition of Fire and Ice and see what our poll's winners have in store.

Ms. BumbleflowerMs. Bumbleflower

Hot and Cold Cards for Ms. Bumbleflower

Ms. Bumbleflower helmed a Group Hug themed precon that released about a year ago, and has quickly become one of EDHREC's top commanders. Sitting as the 20th most popular commander ever, and the #1 Bant commander, players seem to love this Rabbit!

She provides some really interesting decisions for her pilot to make, and is a super powerful card for deckbuilders with a keen eye.

Having led a precon, her popular cards are slightly skewed, Nevertheless, her most popular cards include Selvala, Explorer ReturnedSelvala, Explorer Returned (51% inclusion), Faerie MastermindFaerie Mastermind (41% inclusion), and Wizard ClassWizard Class (63% inclusion). Precon staples like Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares are in the vast majority of lists, too.

What's Fiery for Bumbleflower Decks?

Three of our hot cards come from Edge of Eternities. It feels like I talk about some of these cards every week! TerrasymbiosisTerrasymbiosis (Fire Score of 4.23) and OuroboroidOuroboroid (3.28) are some of the biggest hits from this set, and Cosmogrand ZenithCosmogrand Zenith (3.97) is a nice include too.

Each of these cards does something we want: Terrasymbiosis will help us draw at least two cards per turn, Ouroboroid will turn any counters on it into counters on our whole team, and Cosmogrand Zenith will make sure our second spell each turn is even more impactful.

We see two more Fiery new cards. Tataru TaruTataru Taru and Uthros PsionicistUthros Psionicist have Fire Scores of 6.25 and 2.82, respectively, and they're both great cards in this deck's 99.

Tataru Taru (try to say that 10 times fast) fits right into our Group Hug game plan, and will let us make TreasureTreasure tokens whenever we decide to gift cards to our opponents. The Psionicist will always provide us with at least a discount per table rotation, but can give us as much as if we're casting two or more spells on each of our opponents' turns, too.

Our final Fiery cards are here for their generic strength and low mana cost. Hardened ScalesHardened Scales has a Fire Score of 2.23, and its cost of just means we can follow it up with another spell for even more +1/+1 counter goodness.

Path to ExilePath to Exile has a Fire Score of 2.40, and its low mana cost and instant typing mean we can cast it for cheap on an opponents' turn to trigger Ms. Bumbleflower more than once per rotation.

What's Icy for Bumbleflower Decks?

Our first big group of Icy cards is centered around our Group Hug game plan. While many of these cards are great, it seems that Ms. Bumbleflower pilots are trying to win the game instead of just accelerating all players at the table.

Putting aside the precon she came in, Ms. Bumbleflower is a remarkably powerful commander, with strong card draw and +1/+1 counter providing abilities. So, let's see what Group Hug cards are falling out of favor.

First up is Loran of the Third PathLoran of the Third Path, with an Ice Score of -2.53. This Human Artificer is one of the most powerful creatures we've ever seen, but its power does certainly dwindle if we don't care much about our opponents drawing extra cards. Cards like Tataru TaruTataru Taru and Faerie MastermindFaerie Mastermind would let us benefit from her ability, but we often won't have the critical mass of those effects that we'll need.

Next up is Intellectual OfferingIntellectual Offering with an Ice Score of -2.45. This was printed in the original precon, and was probably one of the first cuts that many players made. We're not too heavily focused on mana dorks or mana rocks, so letting us untap each of our nonland permanents won't really do much for us. So, that means we're often paying to let us and an opponent each draw three cards. That's far from a good rate.

Same goes for Secret RendezvousSecret Rendezvous, with its Ice Score of -2.00. Because many upgraded Bumbleflower lists don't really care if our opponents draw extra cards, paying at sorcery speed to draw three is often too much to ask.

Next up is an enchantment that I feel should remain in most lists. Communal BrewingCommunal Brewing has an Ice Score of -2.21, likely because it lets our opponents draw cards. But, letting each opponent draw one card is a small price to pay for three +1/+1 counters on each creature for the remainder of the game (or until this enchantment is removed). I love Communal Brewing, and clearly have a different conception of its value than many Bumbleflower pilots.

Our next two Icy cards are both creatures that let us draw cards. Sphinx of EnlightenmentSphinx of Enlightenment (Ice Score of -2.07) and Mangara, the DiplomatMangara, the Diplomat (-2.14), were both part of Ms. Bumbleflower's preconstructed deck. Sphinx of Enlightenment, at least in this deck, isn't very good. Even if we cared about our opponents drawing excess cards, is a crazy high price to pay for the effect that this Sphinx provides.

As for Mangara, I think two factors are driving his drop in popularity. First, he occupies the same slot on our mana curve as our commander. Because our deck wants to cast more than one spell each turn, that means it'll be hard to find the right time to cast this four-drop while having mana for something else.

Second, and more importantly, Mangara stifles our opponents' plans. We're giving our opponents a lot of resources because we want to speed the game up, not slow it down. If our opponents are disincentivized from casting their second spell in a turn, or attacking with more than one creature, the game just won't be as fun.

Our final grouping of Icy cards is full of holdovers from the Peace Offering preconstructed deck. Our first Icy card here is Tempt with BunniesTempt with Bunnies, with an Ice Score of -2.59. If our opponents don't take the bait, which they often won't, then we've just paid for a 1/1 and a card. By the standards of Bracket 2 and higher, that's unacceptable.

Next up is OctomancerOctomancer, with an Ice Score of -2.75, which is a significantly more interesting design. But, it asks us to rely on our opponents creating strong tokens for us to reap any benefit. If they're not playing a deck that does this, this Frog Druid just isn't as cool as it seems.

Then there's Perch ProtectionPerch Protection, with an Ice Score of -2.90, which is doing its best Teferi's ProtectionTeferi's Protection impression. Even if they can't directly hurt us during it, it's often a terrible idea to let an opponent have an extra turn. Sure, they may not be able to attack us, but they can still develop their board state into something that we can't overcome.

Our final cold card is Generous GiftGenerous Gift, with an Ice Score of -2.19. This is a strong removal spell, but its high mana cost of will often make it harder to double spell.

What's in a Ms. Bumbleflower Deck?

Here's a sample Ms. Bumbleflower list, with all of her Fiery cards and none of her Icy cards:

Raphael, Fiendish SaviorRaphael, Fiendish Savior

Hot and Cold Cards for Raphael, Fiendish Savior

Raphael is a sweet Rakdos commander that combines several hellish creature types in one deck. He cares about Demons, Devils, Imps, Tieflings, and creature cards entering our graveyard. That leaves a lot of room for creativity, and Raphael's been quite popular as the 433rd most played commander on EDHREC.

His most popular cards include Zurzoth, Chaos RiderZurzoth, Chaos Rider in 70% of decks, Mahadi, Emporium MasterMahadi, Emporium Master in 73% of decks, and Rakdos, the ShowstopperRakdos, the Showstopper in 61% of decks.

What's Fiery for Raphael Decks?

Our first hot card is Ardyn, the UsurperArdyn, the Usurper, with a Fire Score of 4.00. This eight-mana creature from Final Fantasy is a fantastic fit in this deck, providing most of our creatures with some relevant keyword abilities and even letting us bring our best creatures back from the graveyard.

With all the self-milling, sacrificing, and discarding that we'll be doing, that second ability is extremely relevant.

We've also got two Demons making an appearance. Vilis, Broker of BloodVilis, Broker of Blood's got a Fire Score of 2.23 and Rakdos, Patron of ChaosRakdos, Patron of Chaos has a Fire Score of 3.27. Both of these cards have some synergy with our game plan, but are mostly here for their typing. Vilis and Rakdos are both neat advantage engines, but they likely wouldn't have spots in this list if they weren't Demons.

Our next two Fiery cards let us bring creatures back from the graveyard. Takenuma, Abandoned MireTakenuma, Abandoned Mire and ReanimateReanimate have Fire Scores of 2.17 and 2.72, respectively, and they're super efficient ways to recur our best creatures. It's hard to beat the low deckbuilding cost of Takenuma, and it's hard to beat the low mana cost of ReanimateReanimate.

These cards are among the best cards out there, so their popularity is no surprise.

Our last hot card is Black Market ConnectionsBlack Market Connections, with a Fire Score of 2.69. This is, partially, here for its status as one of the best cards printed in recent memory. It also makes ShapeshifterShapeshifter creature tokens that fit into our multi-typal strategy!

What's Icy for Raphael Decks?

We've got a ton of cold cards, starting with a large collection of Devils. Sin ProdderSin Prodder has an Ice Score of -2.19, and its falling popularity represents an evolution in how Raphael players are putting their 99s together. The card seems interesting: It makes our opponents choose between a small life drain or letting us draw a card. But that's exactly the problem: It lets our opponents choose.

It's often better to take agency away from our opponents, not provide them more of it.

Next up is Torch FiendTorch Fiend, with its Ice Score of -2.24. Much like Sin ProdderSin Prodder, it does a little bit of everything we want in this deck. It's a Devil, it sacrifices itself, and it provides us with some on-demand removal. But it costs to remove any one artifact, which other red cards can do for as little as just .

Gibbering FiendGibbering Fiend is our next Icy card, with an Ice Score of -2.33. This creature appears much better than it actually is. It asks us to ensure that our opponents have more than four card types in their graveyard to operate at maximum effectiveness, which is something we can't often control. Without that clause, this Devil isn't so scary.

Reaper from the AbyssReaper from the Abyss is here too, with an Ice Score of -2.38. This creature seems so cool! It can let us destroy up to four creatures per turn rotation, if only we can ensure a creature dies every turn! But it also costs and it can be surprisingly hard to trigger its morbid ability without a sacrifice outlet. Those two restrictions certainly put a damper on its power.

Let's talk next about two legends: Hidetsugu, Devouring ChaosHidetsugu, Devouring Chaos (Ice Score of -3.05) and Orcus, Prince of UndeathOrcus, Prince of Undeath (-2.75) are both interesting designs on their own, but they ask pilots for a lot of investment to unlock their full power. These cards are better in the command zone of their own decks, not in the 99 of this one.

Next up are Spiteful PranksterSpiteful Prankster and Elturel SurvivorsElturel Survivors, with Ice Scores of -3.13 and -2.82, respectively. I don't think that either of these cards should be removed from this list, to tell you the truth. They both interact extremely favorably with the lifelink granted by Raphael, and have relevant creature types.

If you've got any insight into why these cards may be losing popularity, please do let me know in the comments.

MurderMurder, with its Ice Score of -2.49, is Icy too. This is simply power creep. Cheaper spells, like Infernal GraspInfernal Grasp, Go for the ThroatGo for the Throat, and even FellFell are gaining popularity in Commander, which means Murder is being pushed out of many players' arsenals.

Our last group of Icy cards are part of the deck's Aristocrats package. Rapid fire, we've got:

• Impact TremorsImpact Tremors (Ice Score of -2.74)
• Mayhem DevilMayhem Devil (-2.74)
• Harvester of SoulsHarvester of Souls (-2.75)
• Village RitesVillage Rites (-3.02)
• Goblin BombardmentGoblin Bombardment (-3.07).

While each of these cards has its own drawbacks, like Harvester of Souls' high mana cost, these cards points to a general shift among Raphael pilots. It seems that players are leaning more towards self-mill and reanimation focused gameplay, rather than sacrifice and token centric strategies.

What's in a Raphael, Fiendish Savior Deck?

Here's a sample Raphael list with all of his hot cards included and cold cards excluded:

Conclusion

That's all for this week! As promised, here's your opportunity to pick which commanders we'll write up next:

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