<div id="attachment_155871" class="wp-caption alignright">
<p id="caption-attachment-155871" class="wp-caption-text"><em>The EDHRECast live at Magic Con Chicago 2025, photo credit: Nick Wolf</em></p>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What Is the International Day of Play?</h2>
<p>On June 11, 2025, EDHREC is happy to celebrate International Day of Play (IDOP)!</p>
<p>Marking the importance of play in children's lives is the primary goal of IDOP. Even for adults, making some time to move away from screens into the open-world RPG that is life is a great way to celebrate the holiday through in-person play.</p>
<p>Various organizations across the globe are celebrating IDOP. Even the United Nations is taking part in this holiday!</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.un.org/en/delegate/international-day-play-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their press release on the subject</a>, 2025 marks the second year of the celebration of a person's right to engage in play. Their release goes on to say:</p>
<blockquote><p>Building on the success of the inaugural International Day of Play in 2024 and the adoption of the General Assembly resolution recognizing every child’s right to play, we are pleased [...] to participate in the 2025 celebration of the International Day of Play (IDOP) [...] This year’s celebration will move from conversation to commitment. We hope to see broad and meaningful participation from Member States to help advance the right to play in practical and visible ways.</p></blockquote>
<p>International Day of Play is a worldwide holiday that emphasizes a child's right to play.</p>
<p>However, everyone needs some time for their own leisure and play now and again.</p>
<h3>What Are Some Ways I Can Participate?</h3>
<p><a href="https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-celebrates-international-day-play-global-initiatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hasbro has announced</a> family-friendly, in-person Dungeons &amp; Dragons events at over 300 local gaming stores (LGS) nationwide.</p>
<p>Plus, with <em>Magic: The Gathering's</em> tentpole<em> Final Fantasy</em> set releasing on June 13th, many gamers are looking forward to a jam-packed weekend of play.</p>
<div id="attachment_155873" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-155873" class="wp-image-155873" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-225x300.jpg 225w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-155873" class="wp-caption-text">Matt Morgan of the EDHRECast's Final Fantasy Sealed deck</p></div>
<p>In addition, Hasbro is teaming up with the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America to spearhead multiple <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em> campaigns at after-school programs. According to Hasbro's release:</p>
<blockquote><p>Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast is piloting official afterschool D&amp;D clubs at 10 <a id="modalLink" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bgca.org%2F&amp;esheet=54271231&amp;newsitemid=20250609564065&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Boys+%26amp%3B+Girls+Clubs&amp;index=4&amp;md5=43f6949839d0d8e359f3ea9a70f78cce" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" shape="rect">Boys &amp; Girls Clubs</a> nationwide, complete with mini libraries, game materials, and support to train the next generation of Dungeon Masters. To celebrate, Hasbro volunteers will be visiting a local Boys &amp; Girls Club to bring the fun in person.</p></blockquote>
<p>Meanwhile, <em>Magic</em><em>: The Gathering</em> is also a great way to play! Here at EDHREC, we encourage you to take your best and most fun Commander decks to your LGS and see if you can make new friends, sling some spells, and enjoy the gathering that makes <em>Magic</em> so great.</p>
<h2>Play Alongside the EDHRECast at MagicCon Las Vegas</h2>
<p>MagicCon Vegas is just around the corner, so if you're looking to play at the event, the EDHRECast's got you covered! <strong>Joey Schultz</strong>, <strong>Dana Roach</strong>, and <strong>Matt Morgan</strong> will be available for <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/panels-and-events/panel-information.html?gtID=901484&amp;panel-name=Meet-EDHRec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meet and greets on Saturday, June 20th</a>, from 10:30am to 12pm!</p>
<p>And speaking of in-person play, you'll also be able to <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/panels-and-events/panel-information.html?gtID=898650&amp;panel-name=EDHRECast-Live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Challenge the Stats in person</a> with the Cast at MagicCon Las Vegas!</p>
<div id="attachment_155946" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-155946" class="wp-image-155946 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1024x698.jpg" alt="edhrecast photo at magic con chicago 25" width="1024" height="698" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-300x205.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-768x524.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1536x1047.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-2048x1396.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-155946" class="wp-caption-text">The EDHRECast live at Magic Con Chicago 2025, photo credit: Nick Wolf</p></div>
<p>Stop by the Spindown Panel Room S224, June 21 at 4 pm, to showcase your data knowledge and chat with the cast LIVE! Test your chops against our panelists.</p>
<blockquote><p>In this live version of our popular Challenge the Stats segment, audience members will be given a chance to go head to head against one of the show hosts to guess various stats on cards and decks from the EDHREC database. Do you know better than the Necromancer himself Joey Schultz what the most popular graveyard commander is in Boros? Can you out-guess Mr. Selesnya Matt Morgan about which green/white card shows up highest among the most popular cards on the site? Will you out-hipster Dana Roach by correctly naming the most-built commander from Ice Age? This is your chance to challenge our stats and see what we know live and in person.</p></blockquote>
<p>This event requires no pre-registration and is first-come, first-serve, so make sure you get to the Panel Room S224 in time to grab a seat and get ready to play!</p>


EDHREC Celebrates International Day of Play 2025

The Best Graveyard Cards in Final Fantasy

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Today is Wednesday, June 11th, the second-to-last day before <em>Final Fantasy</em>'s <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> set officially releases! As such, it's time to continue our Count-Up series. Each day leading up to Friday, June 13th, I've been compiling the best and most flavorful cards from each mainline game in the series. Yesterday, we looked at <em>FFXIV</em>, and today we'll be covering <em>Final Fantasy XV</em>!</p>
<p>To refresh you about the criteria I'm using to rank cards from each game subset:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. Today's list will have three cards.</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's hit the road and delve into the wide world of <em>FFXV</em>!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prompto Argentum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gladiolus Amicitia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ignis Scientia"></div></div>
<p>I chose Noctis's retainers/friends as <em>FFXV</em>'s Honorable Mentions. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prompto Argentum" href="#" target="_blank">Prompto Argentum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gladiolus Amicitia" href="#" target="_blank">Gladiolus Amicitia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ignis Scientia" href="#" target="_blank">Ignis Scientia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all interesting cards individually. They each have their own niche usage in the context of <em>Magic</em>, just as in <em>Final Fantasy XV</em>. But they're also best evaluated as a team (and especially alongside Noctis). Where <em>is</em> Noctis, you may ask? You'll see later. But because of this grouping, they're best as our Honorable Mentions.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ardyn, the Usurper"></div></div>
<p>My Best as a Commander pick is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Ardyn is a fabulous Demon-kindred commander option in mono-black, despite not being a Demon himself. He instead brings out the very worst in everyone, turning the dead into Demon creatures with a bunch of extra keywords. You can read <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-demon-typal-deck-with-ardyn-the-usurper">our deck tech on Ardyn here</a> to find out more about how absolutely <em>awesome</em> Ardyn is. You don't have to take my word for that. And granted, he costs 8 mana, but that's an easy enough cost to pay in black.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">The Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<p>We are really focusing on a lot of legendary cards in this Count-Up entry, huh? The Regalia is a powerful Vehicle card that can quickly get you ramping on lands. While it costs a somewhat-frustrating 4 mana to cast, having haste and the low, low crewing cost of 1 means it'll be useful soon thereafter. Vroom, vroom!</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Adamantoise"></div></div>
<p>Creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Adamantoise" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Adamantoise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are decidedly very easy to encounter in the context of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. Note that I don't mean based on what it does; rather, I mean its level of impact on the game. However, Ancient Adamantoise is a 20-hour fight in <em>Final Fantasy XV</em> and rightly so. Its defenses are nigh-impenetrable. So, too, will this creature protect you in a huge way in a given Commander game. That in itself is enough to give this titanic Turtle the Most Flavorful distinction for this subset.</p>
<p>And so, that brings us to my Best In Show. What card could it be?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy XV</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Noctis, Prince of Lucis"></div></div>
<p>It's no surprise that our Best In Show is Noctis! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Noctis, Prince of Lucis" href="#" target="_blank">Noctis, Prince of Lucis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful white-blue-black commander that's firing on all cylinders immediately out of the gate. He's a fantastic card that even has some cEDH potential (due to his ability's interactions with cheap, instantaneously-countered artifacts and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). Noctis has shown himself to be a competent card in the format and is our Best In Show primarily for that reason.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, he can't join his comrades/retainers in a given deck led by any of them. However, he has a <em>Through the Ages</em> reskin wherein he is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who <em>can</em> field them all, even this iteration of Noctis as well.</p>
<p>With that, we conclude our Count-Up entry on <em>Final Fantasy XV</em>! Have you ever played <em>FFXV</em>? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below. And, if you like this series so far, please stay tuned as tomorrow we go over <em>FFXVI</em>, the final entry in this series! The rest of the articles can be found in the links below!</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 7: <em>FFVII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>FFVIII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 9: <em>FFIX</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 10: <em>FFX</em></a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 11: <em>FFXI</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 12: <em>FFXII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 13: <em>FFXIII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fourteen-ffxiv">Day 14: <em>FFXIV</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Fifteen: FFXV

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rocco, Street Chef|mat|94" href="#" target="_blank">Rocco, Street Chef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJack+Hughes%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jack Hughes</a></em></p>
<hr />
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?</p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a></p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza, aka Mark Carbonza, and I have no idea who this lil guy is, but I can't stop saying his name over and over and over again.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Papalymo Totolymo"></div></div>
<p><em>Papalymo Totolymo! Papalymo Totolymo! Papalymo Totolymo!!!</em></p>
<p>This week, why it's important to have a rule zero chat.</p>
<p>(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)</p>
<hr />
<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
<div dir="auto">
<p><em>Hi Mary Carbonara,</em></p>
<div><em>Got a story where I'm trying to determine whether I broke social rules or if someone spilled the salt shaker on his playmat.</em></div>
<div></div>
<div><em>I play mostly on Spelltable recently and found myself in a lobby titled "Bracket 3 Fun Decks". I pull out my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rocco, Street Chef" href="#" target="_blank">Rocco, Street Chef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <a href="https://moxfield.com/decks/joLFwCA-8kOw_O2vQfGe5Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deck</a> before the other players take out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadpool, Trading Card" href="#" target="_blank">Deadpool, Trading Card</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kambal, Consul of Allocation" href="#" target="_blank">Kambal, Consul of Allocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There was not much of a pre-game discussion and "fun decks" is subjective, but a stax deck, a stax deck, and Eminence reads relatively powerful in my mind.</em></div>
<div><em><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadpool, Trading Card"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kambal, Consul of Allocation"></div></div></em></p>
</div>
<div></div>
<div><em>My Rocco deck has various win lines, but it does have two combo packages: one centered around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All Will Be One" href="#" target="_blank">All Will Be One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Red Terror" href="#" target="_blank">The Red Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-type effects and the other around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rosie Cotton of South Lane" href="#" target="_blank">Rosie Cotton of South Lane</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scurry Oak" href="#" target="_blank">Scurry Oak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. Notably, neither of these combos are two-card combos, it needs another piece to end the game, and I run a single tutor in the deck: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer" href="#" target="_blank">Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for flavor reasons (pun extremely intended). To me, this makes the combos fair game in a Bracket 3 game. But this was not discussed before mulligans.</em></div>
<div></div>
<div><em>The game starts off well enough. An early <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives me a turn-two commander, and every player benefits from it on that turn rotation. By the next turn though, Deadpool comes out and turns off my Rocco, but gives everyone another impulse draw. A turn or so after that, I stick Rosie Cotton on the field and have my one and only tutor on an impulse draw with only a single turn to cast it. I do some quick maths, then move to my turn.</em></div>
<div></div>
<div><em>My draw for turn is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrin Took" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrin Took</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Given my mana situation, I am able to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer" href="#" target="_blank">Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tutor <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scurry Oak" href="#" target="_blank">Scurry Oak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the field, play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrin Took" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrin Took</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which starts the loop:</em></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scurry Oak" href="#" target="_blank">Scurry Oak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s evolve trigger puts a counter on it, making a Squirrel</em></li>
<li><em>The Squirrel triggers <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrin Took" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrin Took</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, making a Food</em></li>
<li><em>Each token triggers Rosie Cotton to put a counter on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scurry Oak" href="#" target="_blank">Scurry Oak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></em></li>
<li><em>Rinse and repeat</em></li>
</ul>
<div><em>I demonstrate the loop to the table, signaling points to interact, of which the table has none. Deadpool player asks rather assertively whether there is a "may" on any of the triggers. I begin to explain that no, but I can choose to put the counters elsewhere, but I get interrupted by him again before I can finish, asking the same question. I shorten my explanation and end the loop, ending with 69,420,000,000 Foods and Squirrels. I demonstrate drawing most of my deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrin Took" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrin Took</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a rather clear line in mind.</em></div>
<div><em> </em></div>
<div><em>Before I can make a play though, the Deadpool player again interrupts saying "Okay I scoop. I'm not about to wait here for ten minutes while you figure out what your lines are." Before I can reply, he alt+F4s, as does the Edgar player. Kambal sticks it out while I ramp out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night of the Sweets&#039; Revenge" href="#" target="_blank">Night of the Sweets&#039; Revenge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, buff my board and swing out. </em></div>
</div>
<div><em> </em></div>
<div><em>The rage quitting here is what has me questioning my Bolas status. I can't determine whether the reaction was due to losing, or an unexpected combo, or because he really thought I would take too long to round out the game. So my question is: Am I the Bolas for playing a three-card combo in Bracket 3 without discussing it beforehand? And do the decks I'm playing against justify me playing more cutthroat than I might if I was against more "socially fun" decks? </em></div>
<div><em> </em></div>
<div><em>Thanks for your time, </em></div>
<div><em> </em></div>
<div><em>BluePaint</em></div>
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<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scurry Oak"></div></div>
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<h2>VERDICT</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p>I like this one so much I might bring it on the podcast this week.</p>
<p>For simplicity's sake, <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-brackets-beta-update-april-22-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here's the most recent bracket breakdown</a> we got in April 2025 from Gavin.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tHg5ycJPfJ.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-155774 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tHg5ycJPfJ-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="649" height="366" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tHg5ycJPfJ-300x169.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tHg5ycJPfJ-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tHg5ycJPfJ-768x432.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tHg5ycJPfJ-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tHg5ycJPfJ.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 649px) 100vw, 649px" /></a></p>
<p>Bracket 3 states that it's the Upgraded bracket with the following expectation:</p>
<p><em>"Decks are thoughtfully designed, full of synergistic or strong cards. Games could end out of nowhere with powerful spells and late-game combos." </em>It forbids mass land denial and chaining extra turns while allowing specifically <em>late-game</em> two-card infinite combos. Notably, the stipulation of "few tutors" disappears in Bracket 3, which we assume means that tutors are good to go in the bracket as long as they aren't Game Changers that surpass the amount you're allowed to have to remain in this bracket. Up to three Game Changers are allowed, but this isn't important here.</p>
<p>Suffice it to say, there's an expectation that you'll be playing with <em>some</em> power and you can expect some games to end abruptly if a deck gets there. If you label games as Bracket 3, these are the things we've come to agree upon. If there's anything that you disagree with in the Bracket 3 breakdown, it should be mentioned in a rule zero discussion. While I don't like tutors for myself, I don't impose that rule on others, so I don't bring it up. However, two-card infinite combos are a bummer no matter when the game comes together. At least three pieces and even then, I'd rather die to a seven-piece combo I've never seen before - and that's just a takeout order! BADUM TSS!</p>
<p>I can see where the others are coming from in the sense that the tutor got the final piece to a combo that essentially wins you the game, but that doesn't take into account the fact that you had to draw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrin Took" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrin Took</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, too. This is now a three-card combo that allows you to draw into a win pretty effectively. There are interaction points, but I'll forgive Bracket 3 for not packing the instant-speed board wipe heat.</p>
<p>There's a bit of a "technically it's Bracket 3" thing happening here where, while it's not the late-game per se, considering the story might take place at turn four or five, it's not a <em>two</em>-card combo, it's a <em>three</em>-card combo. It's still in early stages of the game, but it meets the requirement of not being a <em>two</em>-card combo.</p>
<p>It still ended the game sooner than the others expected, but technically falls within Bracket 3. I think considering the information you had, plus, let's face it, a Kambal and Edgar are at the table along with a new commander that threatens to turn your own commander off, you played within the rules. The hesitance or reluctance to have a rule zero discussion is what led to this and should be a learning moment for the Edgar and Deadpool players. Have the conversation.</p>
<p>It's also totally fair to not want to play with someone who plays combos with so few pieces that go off so early. The way they went about it was dumb and sad, really. You'd figure the Deadpool player (who must've gotten it hot off the presses considering when this submission was made) would find a way to have a laugh about it. This is something to bring up in the rule zero conversation and if that's not been discussed then leaving abruptly, while well within your right, wouldn't make me want to play with you again either. The assumption that you didn't know what you were digging for after explaining the combo clearly is also bananas to me. Why wouldn't you stick around and hear someone out or say "okay, I scoop, but for the next one, how about no infinite combos until later in the game"? It seems so petty and (I've been trying to avoid this word) childish to storm off without hearing about what you're looking for and saying you expect a ten-minute wheel-spinning turn. I see somebody comboing out like that, I'll ask if they know what they're looking for and scoop when they say it's coming.</p>
<p>I think the other thing this highlights is that there's a yearning for the "my deck is a seven" crowd to find a space that lets them build at Bracket 3, but play at Bracket 2 - longer games with no abrupt endings, but they can still use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You're not the Bolas. I will encourage you to speak up and insist on the rule zero chat and to bring up stuff like this in the future so everybody is clear. That said, this is within the bracket rules and seems like it would have been a hurdle game at worst at most tables - a game you have where you find out that maybe you're not all on the same page but now it's time to chat and get on the same page, pull out new decks and get another going.</p>
<p>Thanks again for writing in!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rocco, Street Chef|mat|94"></div></div>


Am I the Bolas? - Bracket 3 "Fun" Decks

Building an Artifact Deck With Golbez , Crystal Collector

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CShishizaru%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shishizaru</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome to <em>Technically Playable</em>, where our mission statement is "Every commander is <em>technically</em> playable" (the best kind of playable). The way this works is every article will have a commander generated using EDHREC's random button, I'll talk through the card, then write about how we can build around it!</p>
<p>This week's random commander is:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama of the North Tree"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a really weird commander. With six power, it's fairly clear that you want to be beating down your opponents with commander damage, but at the same time it has shroud, so it can't be targeted by any Auras or Equipment to make it bigger.</p>
<h2>Bringing The Power</h2>
<p>So, without the ability to attach <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with Auras or Equipment, we have to look at some workarounds to make Kodama stronger. The main ways of doing this are anthems and effects that have the word "all" in them.</p>
<h3>Anthems</h3>
<p>An "anthem" is a term originating from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glorious Anthem" href="#" target="_blank">Glorious Anthem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and effectively relates to any card that buffs all of your creatures' power or toughness. While the majority of these are in white, green does have a few options.</p>
<p>The most typical of these are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Anthem" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Anthem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Anthem" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Anthem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but since we're mono-green, we can run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaysa" href="#" target="_blank">Kaysa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hall of Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Hall of Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, too. These are what I would consider "traditional" anthems, as close as possible to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glorious Anthem" href="#" target="_blank">Glorious Anthem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as possible with some minor tweaks. These all work amazingly with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, buffing its power and toughness without needing to target it. In addition, you only need one of these to get to that magic seven power.</p>
<p>But we also have some less typical but arguably more powerful anthems. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beastmaster Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Beastmaster Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderfoot Baloth" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderfoot Baloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldrazi Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Eldrazi Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all fall under this umbrella. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderfoot Baloth" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderfoot Baloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is probably the closest to our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Anthem" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Anthem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style cards, but with the necessity of having your commander in play to get the benefit (spoiler: we always want our commander in play in this deck). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beastmaster Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Beastmaster Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldrazi Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Eldrazi Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, are where we start to stray from our typical idea of what an anthem is, with the Ascension not even doing anything until you attack with enough creatures and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldrazi Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Eldrazi Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> needing you to sacrifice your own creatures. These both work amazingly well with tokens, an archetype that often works really well with anthems, but I'll talk more about that later.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sylvan Anthem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gaea&#039;s Anthem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beastmaster Ascension"></div></div>
<h3>Technically Not "Anthems"</h3>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum, we have board-wide buffs that work amazingly well but that really stray from that idea of what an "anthem" is. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unnatural Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Unnatural Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus" href="#" target="_blank">Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two really good examples of this, cards that buff your whole board immensely but that only work when your creatures are already fairly large. This works well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s already sizable stats and only gets better the more other anthems we have (essentially doubling the buffs from our other anthems).</p>
<p>This can also be extended to some of the +1/+1 counter cards that use the word "all". <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nissa, Voice of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Nissa, Voice of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loyal Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Loyal Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both give permanent buffs to your board even if they're removed, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defiler of Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Defiler of Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both buffs your board while also making your spells cheaper to cast (we've got 40 life, no need to fret about spending a few of it on our spells).</p>
<p>And even further straying from the idea of an anthem are cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ohran Frostfang" href="#" target="_blank">Ohran Frostfang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Asceticism" href="#" target="_blank">Asceticism</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Frostfang doesn't buff your board's power or toughness but does provide a powerful keyword <em>and</em> card advantage. Both of these effects are amazing with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s trample ensuring you can get damage through no matter the size of the blocker thanks to the deathtouch and trample combo while also drawing extra cards. In a similar vein, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Asceticism" href="#" target="_blank">Asceticism</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us a way to keep our already hard-to-kill commander alive by allowing us to regenerate through any non-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> board wipes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unnatural Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loyal Guardian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ohran Frostfang"></div></div>
<h2>Making the Most of Your Buffs</h2>
<p>While our main gameplan is to dump a bunch of buffs and then crash in with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get to that 21 commander damage threshold, it's always good to have a backup plan for when your Orzhov opponent casts their eighth <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damnation" href="#" target="_blank">Damnation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As I mentioned above, one of the best ways to leverage the buffs from having a bunch of anthems or other buffs in play is to generate a bunch of tokens and try to go wider than your opponents; luckily, green offers a smorgasbord of ways to make tokens. When you look at the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/tokens/mono-green">mono-green tokens page</a> on EDHREC, we are immediately met with the goofy little <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shroofus Sproutsire" href="#" target="_blank">Shroofus Sproutsire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Now, not only is his name amazingly fun to say, he also synergizes super well with our anthem core, using the buffs to make more tokens, which then also benefit from the board-wide buffs, with trample to top it all off. In terms of other good synergies with our anthems, we can also use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tendershoot Dryad" href="#" target="_blank">Tendershoot Dryad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Verdant Force" href="#" target="_blank">Verdant Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get tokens in everyone else's turn, too.</p>
<p>If you decide to go down the +1/+1 counter route, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycoloth" href="#" target="_blank">Mycoloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a huge player in these kinds of decks, and with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defiler of Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Defiler of Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Bristly Bill, Spine Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you can easily take over a game. If you decide to do this, I'd definitely focus more on the Saproling archetype and get cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brightcap Badger" href="#" target="_blank">Brightcap Badger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to make the most out of each token. For a counter-focused deck <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aeve, Progenitor Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Aeve, Progenitor Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also does a lot of work by giving you a large threat that you can use at instant speed to get value out of any spellslinger player's big turns, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruxa, Patient Professor" href="#" target="_blank">Ruxa, Patient Professor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes advantage of the fact that the majority of tokens have no abilities giving you some evasion to get damage through any board stalls that may form.</p>
<p>I could also talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scute Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Scute Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here, but I feel like I don't really need to go into much detail about them. They're obviously very good in token decks, run them.</p>
<p>But buffing a bunch of tokens isn't our only way to take advantage of our buffs. My normal go-to card draw in a deck that buffs like this would be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last March of the Ents" href="#" target="_blank">Last March of the Ents</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s power is quite a lot higher than its toughness, it's actually better to use cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rishkar&#039;s Expertise" href="#" target="_blank">Rishkar&#039;s Expertise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Majesty" href="#" target="_blank">Soul&#039;s Majesty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. What makes Rishkar's Expertise particularly good is that it allows you not only the draw but also the ability to play <em>almost</em> all of your anthems, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderfoot Baloth" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderfoot Baloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being the only one that's too expensive. I'm a huge fan of all of these cards that draw you exponentially more cards based on a creature's power, or the number of creatures in play, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Become the Avalanche" href="#" target="_blank">Become the Avalanche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one that I'll likely look to grab a couple of copies of. In this deck, it acts as a perfect finisher alongside a couple of anthems since they will bring any of your smaller creatures up to the four power needed to draw. In a dream scenario, you'll want to cast this <em>after</em> a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Majesty" href="#" target="_blank">Soul&#039;s Majesty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-type effect to really make your board a huge threat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shroofus Sproutsire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mycoloth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Become the Avalanche"></div></div>
<p>As with all <em>Technically Playable</em> articles, this was a very quick look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a commander, and a few of the cards that can really make a deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the commander tick. Let me know in the comments below if you play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if you want to build a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the North Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the North Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, or even if you just enjoyed this article!</p>


Technically Playable - Kodama of the North Tree

The Emperor of Palamecia - Self-Mill Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie" href="#" target="_blank">Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/simondominic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simon Dominic</a></em></p>
<h2>A New Meld Commander?</h2>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em>'s release date is coming up and I'm quite eager to write about some of these new commanders. There's so much neat stuff for Pauper in here! I haven't even looked at the whole list, but I've already got a few I want to write about, the first of which are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie" href="#" target="_blank">Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanille, Cheerful l&#039;Cie" href="#" target="_blank">Vanille, Cheerful l&#039;Cie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The last time we saw the meld mechanic was in <em>The Brother's War</em>, and we got some of the coolest commanders we've ever had in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titania, Voice of Gaea" href="#" target="_blank">Titania, Voice of Gaea</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra, Claimed by Gix" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra, Claimed by Gix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. So does this new pair of melding legends live up to the hype of the past set?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vanille, Cheerful l&#039;Cie"></div></div>
<p>Well, they're not quite as cool. Unfortunately, the flip side of this meld pair is just a big avatar with some keywords and a death trigger. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance" href="#" target="_blank">Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is mostly just a beat stick. It doesn't do a whole lot, but hey, it is cool, and we're gonna try and make something fun with it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance"></div></div>
<h2>Rule Zero</h2>
<p>But first, I need to establish a few ground rules about this deck. Mainly the fact that I'm going to rule zero <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie" href="#" target="_blank">Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the command zone, along with Vanille, as if they were partners with each other.</p>
<p>I'm not doing this because of color identity issues preventing us from running both otherwise; Vanille has both a black and green pip in her textbox, and could lead the deck by herself legally. But the problem is that we'd never be able to find Fang if we did that. And trust me, I've tried everything. Generic tutors? They just don't exist in pauper. Transmute cards? None of them can find creatures with mana value three. Milling our deck until we mill Fang, then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dread Return" href="#" target="_blank">Dread Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>ing her? I couldn't find a way to mill the whole deck without just losing. Cascading for a mana value of three? We can't afford to play no other three-, two-, or one-drops.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fierce Empath"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dimir House Guard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Natural Reclamation"></div></div>
<p>I swear I tried to figure this one out, but I came to the conclusion that even if there were some convoluted way of pulling Fang out of our deck like a rabbit out of a hat, it would take up way too much deck space anyways. And all I really wanted to do was build a cool graveyard deck with the opportunity to meld. So because this deck isn't gonna be great either way, I decided to go with the more fun route, and treat them like they have partner.</p>
<h2>The Game Plan With Fang and Vanille</h2>
<p>Now for the actual strategy of the deck. We have a few things to consider: our commanders on the front, and our commander on the back. On the front, we've got Vanille, who doesn't do anything more than a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grapple with the Past" href="#" target="_blank">Grapple with the Past</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a fairly potent card advantage engine in Fang. On the back, we've got a big monster. So our strategy shapes itself pretty well: we use Fang to sculpt our hand and collect assets for the first half of the game, then we merge our two commanders together and beat face, taking advantage of the cards we've hoarded.</p>
<p>So how are we gonna get that card advantage out of Fang? Fang is phrased really similarly to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brewing-a-pauper-commander-deck-with-kheru-goldkeeper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a card I wrote about a week ago</a>; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kheru Goldkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kheru Goldkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a Treasure every time a card leaves our graveyard, and Fang draws us a card whenever the same happens. So many of the cards that worked there will be just as good here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Progenitus" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Progenitus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merrow Bonegnawer" href="#" target="_blank">Merrow Bonegnawer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in particular are spectacular, giving us a card every turn for the low cost of a tap.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relic of Progenitus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merrow Bonegnawer"></div></div>
<p>But while those are the best, there's plenty more that'll put in work. For instance, any card that returns something from the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tortured Existence" href="#" target="_blank">Tortured Existence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revive the Shire" href="#" target="_blank">Revive the Shire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all great ways to get back lost pieces, and they draw us a card with Fang. Or, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grisly Salvage" href="#" target="_blank">Grisly Salvage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have a similar effect, milling, then snatching something out of the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulch" href="#" target="_blank">Mulch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winding Way" href="#" target="_blank">Winding Way</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cache Grab" href="#" target="_blank">Cache Grab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commune with the Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Commune with the Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and plenty more are card advantage fountains. Some grab a land, some grab a creature, some even grab enchantments, but they all draw cards with our commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tortured Existence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grisly Salvage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulch"></div></div>
<p>And because we've got all this card advantage, we might as well throw in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thought Vessel" href="#" target="_blank">Thought Vessel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decanter of Endless Water" href="#" target="_blank">Decanter of Endless Water</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to preserve it while we move to the next stage of our plan.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thought Vessel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Decanter of Endless Water"></div></div>
<p>Which is, of course, just beating face with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance" href="#" target="_blank">Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I won't lie, there's not a whole lot special going on here, just the typical Auras and Equipment to add things that aren't already covered by our commander's keywords. (I was briefly running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haunted Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Haunted Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before I realized that Ragnaraok already has all three keywords that the Cloak grants.) We'll take some flying from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cliffhaven Kitesail" href="#" target="_blank">Cliffhaven Kitesail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, some double strike from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass Knuckles" href="#" target="_blank">Brass Knuckles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and some shroud from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whispersilk Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Whispersilk Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampiric Link" href="#" target="_blank">Vampiric Link</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives lifelink, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snake Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Snake Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives umbra armor. Everything has something to help.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cliffhaven Kitesail"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brass Knuckles"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snake Umbra"></div></div>
<p>And then, because we don't want our really cool, awesome commander to die, we're gonna run a bunch of stuff to keep Ragnarok safe: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> kinda stuff that'll grant indestructible. There are a good amount of cards to choose from, which range from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armor of Shadows" href="#" target="_blank">Armor of Shadows</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can also use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, although those cards have the downside of returning our commanders to the battlefield split up. But hey, in that case, we can just pay five mana and meld them again. Or alternatively, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be used to trigger Fang early in the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gaea&#039;s Gift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undying Evil"></div></div>
<h2>Fang and Vanille Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Fang and Vanille" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie
*1 Vanille, Cheerful l&#039;Cie
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Brass Knuckles
*1 Cliffhaven Kitesail
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Ghoulcaller&#039;s Bell
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Kitesail
*1 Relic of Progenitus
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
*1 Wings of Hubris
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Blanchwood Prowler
*1 Circle of the Land Druid
*1 Eccentric Farmer
*1 Glowspore Shaman
*1 Masked Vandal
*1 Merrow Bonegnawer
*1 Patient Naturalist
*1 Persistent Specimen
*1 Pothole Mole
*1 Satyr Wayfinder
*1 Scaretiller
*1 Town Greeter
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Armor of Shadows
*1 Cache Grab
*1 Corrupted Conviction
*1 Costly Plunder
*1 Evolution Charm
*1 Feign Death
*1 Gaea&#039;s Gift
*1 Grapple with the Past
*1 Grisly Salvage
*1 Harrow
*1 Heritage Reclamation
*1 Moment&#039;s Peace
*1 Not Dead After All
*1 Orcish Medicine
*1 Pulse of Murasa
*1 Raise the Draugr
*1 Supernatural Stamina
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping
*1 Undying Evil
*1 Undying Malice
*1 Village Rites
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Crawling Infestation
*1 Eternal Thirst
*1 Lignify
*1 Scion of Halaster
*1 Snake Umbra
*1 Tortured Existence
*1 Vampiric Link
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Commune with the Gods
*1 Cultivate
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Mulch
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Revive the Shire
*1 Unearth
*1 Urborg Repossession
*1 Walk with the Ancestors
*1 Winding Way
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Evolving Wilds
*17 Forest
*15 Swamp
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Tranquil Thicket
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>That's pretty much the whole deck, minus a bit of ramp and removal. There are just two phases to our game plan: get ready to fight, and fight! While this deck isn't legal, it is a lot of fun, and I doubt I'd have any trouble playing with it in a pod. One thing I'm curious about, however, is how lore accurate these commanders are. <em>Final Fantasy</em> players, do these two seem right? And if not, how would you have designed them? Let me know in the comments.</p>


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