Forceful DenialForceful Denial | Art by Volkan Baģa

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.

We'll be doing things a little bit differently today. Instead of focusing on two commanders, we'll look a little bit more closely at the Fiery and Icy cards for one commander. As per last week's poll, we'll be looking today at Shilgengar, Sire of FamineShilgengar, Sire of Famine. He got 43.22% of the vote, with Gyome, Master ChefGyome, Master Chef (36.44%) and Basim Ibn IshaqBasim Ibn Ishaq (20.34%) unfortunately not quite making the cut.

If you'd like a chance to pick which commander we'll focus on next week, make sure to vote on the poll at the end of this article. For now, though, let's jump into today's edition of Fire and Ice and see what's cooking with everyone's favorite Elder Demon.

Shilgengar, Sire of FamineShilgengar, Sire of Famine

What's Hot and What's Not for Shilgengar

This five-drop is one of my favorite cards from Modern Horizons 3. It's got some awesome lore associated with it, fantastic artwork by Chris Rallis, and a really interesting set of abilities to boot.

For , Shilgengar is a 6/6 flying creature. He lets us sacrifice a creature to make a Blood token, and can actually create multiple tokens if we sacrifice an Angel. Then, by spending and six Blood tokens, we get to bring every single creature from our graveyard back onto the battlefield with finality counters.

Shilgengar combines artifact synergies, Angel typal synergies, and reanimation in one slick package. Plus, even if we cast him with an empty board, he's still an evasive beater.

Among this commander's most popular cards are Renegade ReaperRenegade Reaper (59% of decks), Rampage of the ValkyriesRampage of the Valkyries (57% of decks), and Buried AliveBuried Alive (61% of decks). This trio paints a pretty clear picture of Shilgengar's game plan. We want to fill the board with Angels that have relevance beyond their type line and fill the graveyard with valuable reanimation targets.

What's Fiery for Shilgengar Decks?

First, let's talk about the newest Angels. Edge of Eternities brought us some powerful picks. First up is Exalted SunbornExalted Sunborn (Fire Score of 6.15). This Angel Wizard is a great fit here; it can be cast, and sacrificed, for just , or stick around as a token doubler for . Either way, this creature packs a serious punch for Shilgengar pilots who are looking towards newer cards.

Our next card is Starfield ShepherdStarfield Shepherd (Fire Score of 6.03). This Angel has a powerful ETB ability that we can take advantage of at a reduced cost. In higher power decks, its ability can find something as powerful as Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel. But, even at lower Brackets, this Angel's ability to fetch a PlainsPlains into our hand can ensure a smooth curve-out.

Shocking absolutely nobody, we've got a third creature from the same set: Astelli ReclaimerAstelli Reclaimer (Fire Score of 4.40). Letting us bring back a moderately large noncreature, nonland permanent, while also boasting a 5/4 stat line, Astelli Reclaimer is stellar. While I'm somewhat concerned that this Angel doesn't let us reanimate a creature, there are a few permanents in the typical Shilgengar list that merit this card's inclusion.

Some older Angels are seeing a surge in popularity too. A classic game-ender for Commander, Serra's EmissarySerra's Emissary has a Fire Score of 2.95. While is admittedly a high mana cost for this creature, it's certainly on theme for this list. It seems that many players are taking their Shilgengar lists to Bracket 3 tables, where plays like this are somewhat more acceptable.

On the other hand, this Angel is a sweet reanimation target. Activating our commander's second ability to bring Serra's Emissary (and a bunch of other creatures) back from the dead before swinging in for a protected win does sound pretty good.

I have much the same feedback about Herald of Eternal DawnHerald of Eternal Dawn (Fire Score of 2.05). It's great as either a curve-topper in casual decks, or a reanimation target, but struggles elsewhere.

On the lower end of the curve, we've got Dazzling AngelDazzling Angel (Fire Score of 2.20). For a color combination like that uses its life points as a resource so frequently, this is a fantastic on-theme version of Soul WardenSoul Warden. While it's certainly not as efficient as the soul sisters, its typing is valuable.

For those of you who don't mind making a few enemies around the table, Drana and LinvalaDrana and Linvala (Fire Score of 2.37) is a great choice. It can hit the board the turn before our commander, and act as a mana dork, removal spell, or even a win condition depending on what our opponents play. While this creature's effectiveness will vary from game to game, it's still a valuable include.

We've got three more aging Angels to talk about. First up is a super-efficient, and super-underplayed, recursion engine. Serra ParagonSerra Paragon (Fire Score of 2.51) lets us either replay a land or a small permanent from the graveyard once per turn. This Conduit of WorldsConduit of Worlds-like effect does force us to exile those creatures when they die, but that's not too much of a drawback. Serra Paragon even lets us gain life when those cards leave the battlefield, which provides a nice cushion against our opponents' threats. It's only in 0.89% of eligible decks on EDHREC, and it deserves far more love than that.

Then we've got Starnheim AspirantStarnheim Aspirant, a staple for any deck that cares about casting Angels. While it's not an Angel itself, the cost reduction of is ridiculously strong in this list.

Next up is a creature that lets us fill our graveyard with targets for Shilgengar's second ability. Angel of SufferingAngel of Suffering (Fire Score of 2.32) is a great card for any graveyard-focused deck, but I've yet to witness its effectiveness in-person. Do players simply not attack you, turning Angel of Suffering into a Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison? Do they swing into you anyways, making this creature worth its price tag? Or is this Nightmare just a lightning rod for removal? Let me know your experiences in the comments below.

We see two generically good cards on this list. Dark RitualDark Ritual (Fire Score of 3.75) is one of the best cards ever printed. Here, it's especially good for its ability to cast our commander, or any large creature, two turns early. Similarly, Path to ExilePath to Exile (2.90) is one of the best cards ever printed. It's a great removal spell, perfect for the casual pods that this deck typically sits at.

There's also four hot cards that I don't think are great fits for this list. These cards are better suited for Bracket 2 lists, or decks that generally want a slower pace of play. First up is Cradle of VitalityCradle of Vitality, with a Fire Score of 2.36. This enchantment costs and does nothing immediately. When we gain life (which we won't always be able to do), we can pay more for a few +1/+1 counters. To put it charitably, that's suboptimal.

Hazel's NocturneHazel's Nocturne (Fire Score of 2.36) is a four-mana instant that gives us two Raise DeadRaise Deads and an improved Vampiric TouchVampiric Touch. That's admittedly a clunky analogy, but I think my point still shines through. While this card does a few different things, it doesn't do any of those things well. There are cheaper recursion spells, and more effective life drain spells.

Finally, we come to two lands: Temple of the False GodTemple of the False God (Fire Score of 2.34) and Ghost QuarterGhost Quarter (2.12). These two are part of what I consider an antiquated way of building mana bases. Before consistent mana acceleration like Arcane SignetArcane Signet became available, Temple of the False God was a viable option. And, before land destruction got upgraded with Demolition FieldDemolition Field and Field of RuinField of Ruin, Ghost Quarter reigned supreme. Now, though, these cards don't stack up the same way they used to.

What's Icy for Shilgengar Decks?

We've got significantly fewer cold cards to cover. And, notably, most of them are here for their ability to remove the finality counters that Shilgengar puts on our reanimated creatures.

Fain, the BrokerFain, the Broker (Ice Score of -2.68) lets us turn those counters into value, which is an interesting proposition. But, to use him more than once per turn cycle we've got to invest far too much mana. He just doesn't do enough to justify his mana cost.

Then there's GhostwayGhostway, a mass blink spell with an Ice Score of -2.59. This one was first printed in Guildpact, nearly 20 years ago. Despite its utility in our 99, re-triggering our ETBs and removing those pesky finality counters, I imagine that its decline has something to do with its age.

Finally, there's Nesting GroundsNesting Grounds (Ice Score of -2.06). This is the only cold card on our list that I disagree with. For a very low deckbuilding cost, we're able to move a finality counter from one of our creatures to one of our opponents' creatures. That can make any opponents who want to play with their graveyard a bit more hesitant in the combat step, buying us the time we'll need to win.

Our next three cold cards of the day are all vestiges of unsupported subthemes. Midgar, City of MakoMidgar, City of Mako (Ice Score of -2.10) seems to fit best in an Aristocrats-style Orzhov list. But this deck wants to sacrifice creatures to its commander more than it wants to sacrifice them to this land's Adventure. Given its low deckbuilding cost, I'd still put Midgar in my personal list.

Then, there's Kambal, Profiteering MayorKambal, Profiteering Mayor (Ice Score of -2.68). This Human Advisor is best suited at the helm of his own deck, or in the 99 of a more token-centric list. Here, he's just floating around in our 99. I think his slot could, and should, go to a more deserving card.

Our final cold card of today is Angel of VitalityAngel of Vitality (Ice Score of -2.38). This Angel, recently reprinted in Foundations, fits well in lifegain decks. There, it's a life gain amplifier and Serra AscendantSerra Ascendant-style beatstick. But in this list, where we don't have many ways to gain life, it's often going to be a French vanilla 2/2. We can do better!

What's in a Shilgengar, Sire of Famine Deck?

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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