<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Chief Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Chief Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://gawelbartlomiej.com/">Bartlomiej Gawel</a>)</h6>
<p>Hello all! This is Bert, coming from the Scrap Trawlers channel where we do EDH on a budget. Last time I was here we were looking at the Urza’s Iron Alliance precon from the new The Brothers' War set, giving you an idea on what the deck plays like straight out of the box. Well today, we’re going to be taking you through some amazing upgrades that you can add to your deck to increase function and those all-important synergies. Let’s get into it.</p>
<p>Here is the original decklist:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Urza&#039;s Alliance" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Urza, Chief Artificer
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Alela, Artful Provocateur
*1 Angel of the Ruins
*1 Armix, Filigree Thrasher
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Bronze Guardian
*1 Chief of the Foundry
*1 Chrome Courier
*1 Darksteel Juggernaut
*1 Digsite Engineer
*1 Etched Champion
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Ethersworn Adjudicator
*1 Filigree Attendant
*1 Hexavus
*1 Indomitable Archangel
*1 Losheel, Clockwork Scholar
*1 Marionette Master
*1 Master of Etherium
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Noxious Gearhulk
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Sanwell, Avenger Ace
*1 Scholar of New Horizons
*1 Sharding Sphinx
*1 Sharuum the Hegemon
*1 Shimmer Dragon
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Steel Overseer
*1 Tawnos, Solemn Survivor
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 Thought Monitor
*1 Vedalken Humiliator
*1 Whirler Rogue
*1 Wire Surgeons
*1 Wreck Hunter
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Goldmire Bridge
*4 Island
*1 Mistvault Bridge
*1 Orzhov Basilica
*1 Path of Ancestry
*4 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Razortide Bridge
*1 River of Tears
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Skycloud Expanse
*1 Spire of Industry
*1 Sunken Hollow
*3 Swamp
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Vault of Whispers
[/Lands]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Cranial Plating
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Kayla&#039;s Music Box
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Relic of Progenitus
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thopter Shop
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 March of Progress
*1 One with the Machine
*1 Phyrexian Rebirth
*1 Preordain
*1 Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast
*1 Vindicate
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Despark
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unbreakable Formation
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Tempered Steel
*1 Thopter Spy Network
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>

<h2><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Fresh off the Assembly Line</span></strong></h2>
<p>Our face commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Chief Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Chief Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, whose abilities really want us to focus on artifact creatures and having artifacts on the battlefield. There are a good bit of cards in the deck that will help us out with this strategy; even our secondary commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tawnos, Solemn Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Tawnos, Solemn Survivor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can do some sweet things when it comes to copying our "Karn-structs", Thopters and Myrs. So there's really no reason to remove them straight out of the gate this time around.</p>
<p>So what is the deck missing? What can make our gears mesh better? Well in my time playing the deck there were no obvious shortcomings. With that being said, we will just be shoring up our deck so that it flows a bit better, adding in recursion, a bit of card draw or card advantage, a bit of removal, and just some cards to add to the deck's overall theme.</p>
<p>With any additions there have to be cuts so we will be removing cards that don't quite offer as much power or utility as the ones that we'll be adding. Our goal is to add cards that will fortify our strategy of aggressive artifact creatures. Let’s take a look at the additions!</p>
<h2><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Customizing Our Robo</span></strong></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Research Thief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dance of the Manse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Flesh is Weak"></div></div>
<p>First we'll be adding some cards that will help out our card draw. Brother Mishra’s deck actually came with it, so let's add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtcast" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> so we can take advantage of the Affinity for artifacts here. On that same vein with the high number of artifacts that we have, running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thirst for Knowledge" href="#" target="_blank">Thirst for Knowledge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems like another good fit as well. Barely counting as card draw, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Padeem Consul of Innovation" href="#" target="_blank">Padeem Consul of Innovation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us some amazing protection as well as giving us a possible card every turn. While I don’t expect for us to be drawing too often from our tokens and other miscellaneous artifacts, its just good for a possible upside. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reality Chip" href="#" target="_blank">The Reality Chip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides us with a bit of card advantage and gets powered up just like all our other artifact creatures. Saving this duo for last, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Research Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Research Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canoptek Spyder" href="#" target="_blank">Canoptek Spyder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both have card draw effects, one on damage and the other on ETB.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrodin Besieged"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrap Trawler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buried Ruin"></div></div>
<p>Next I have some cards to just add to the overall flow of the deck. Starting off, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrodin Besieged" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrodin Besieged</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds some possible token creation so we can power up our board, remembering that they get menace from Urza and any other buffs that our artifacts convey. Our namesake <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Trawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Trawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds some much needed recursion to the deck so that we can continually cause problems for our opponents. In that same vein one of my favorite cards is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dance of the Manse" href="#" target="_blank">Dance of the Manse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which enables you to pick up some much needed artifacts from the yard and breathe life into them once more. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Ruin" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a good utility land that gives us options for the late game. And to have a backup play just in case we get jealous of our opponents' creatures, we can <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Metamorph" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Metamorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get in on that good creature action while making it an artifact so that we can power it up. This little gem <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Flesh is Weak" href="#" target="_blank">The Flesh is Weak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was included in the Warhammer decks and is really cheap at the moment, and it just seems to scream the same theme of what this deck wants to do.</p>
<h2><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Scrapped from the Yard</span></strong></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alela, Artful Provocateur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whirler Rogue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etched Champion"></div></div>
<p>Now that we have talked about the additions its time to go over what has to be thrown in the scrapyard.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scholar of New Horizons" href="#" target="_blank">Scholar of New Horizons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fine card in its own right, It even puts a counter on itself so that you can activate it once on its own. If we had more counter synergies in our shell I would definitely leave it as it doesn't even say basic, meaning we could go fetch up those all important shock lands.</p>
<p>We added in the hexproof variant of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Indomitable Archangel" href="#" target="_blank">Indomitable Archangel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which means we don't have to wait for three artifacts to be out to be able to protect our things. It seems like a good cut if I've ever seen one. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethersworn Adjudicator" href="#" target="_blank">Ethersworn Adjudicator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cool card but is pretty clunky and just isn't what we want to see overall. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Shop" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Shop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kayla’s Music box" href="#" target="_blank">Kayla’s Music box</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both newly printed cards but don't seem to offer much when it comes to utility. Possibly in a color combination that doesn't have as many options then they would be able to thrive.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card but not so much here where we aren't really influencing the top of our deck at all. So we are better off adding one of the draw spells mentioned earlier to take its place. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Rebirth" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Rebirth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a board wipe with upside, but the deck already has a couple, so I just cut the weakest one. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chrome Courier" href="#" target="_blank">Chrome Courier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just another card we can replace with a draw spell and call it a day, but if you want something in your deck that can count as the little engine that could, this would be it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etched Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Etched Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another low impact artifact creature that can give itself protection from all colors but on its own its just a 2/2 so we are looking for something with more to offer. Our last three cards are going to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whirler Rogue" href="#" target="_blank">Whirler Rogue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armix, Filigree Thrasher" href="#" target="_blank">Armix, Filigree Thrasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Whirler Rogue is an outlet to use our artifacts to make another unblockable, but feels like a bit overkill since we already have giant constructs with menace. Armix is just a clunky bit of removal so we definitely can find an easy replacement for it. Alela is a really sweet include but doesn't jam with our theme on every level. If she made artifact creatures she would be perfect.</p>
<h2><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Treasure your Artifacts</span></strong></h2>
<p>Each article we always suggest some high dollar cards you can add to your deck if that is the kind of thing that you are going for. Shock lands are always a good start, in this case <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hallowed Fountain" href="#" target="_blank">Hallowed Fountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Godless Shrine" href="#" target="_blank">Godless Shrine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> , and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Watery Grave" href="#" target="_blank">Watery Grave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all solid includes that will take your mana base to the next level.</p>
<p>Next I just have a couple of cards to add some extra steel to your constructs. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wurmcoil Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Wurmcoil Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds a power house to our deck while giving us a bit of insurance if it dies. Another iteration of Urza in that of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only gives us another "Karn-struct," but also gives our artifacts the ability to tap for a blue. Lastly another card that's spicy in price is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycosynth Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Mycosynth Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has Affinity for artifacts and gives our other artifact creature spells Aaffinity as well!</p>
<p>So here is a look at the upgraded deck list</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Urza&#039;s Alliance" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Urza, Chief Artificer
[/Commander]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Goldmire Bridge
*4 Island
*1 Mistvault Bridge
*1 Orzhov Basilica
*1 Path of Ancestry
*4 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Razortide Bridge
*1 River of Tears
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Skycloud Expanse
*1 Spire of Industry
*1 Sunken Hollow
*3 Swamp
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Vault of Whispers
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
*1 Angel of the Ruins
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Bronze Guardian
*1 Canoptek Spyder
*1 Chief of the Foundry
*1 Darksteel Juggernaut
*1 Digsite Engineer
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Filigree Attendant
*1 Hexavus
*1 Losheel, Clockwork Scholar
*1 Marionette Master
*1 Master of Etherium
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Noxious Gearhulk
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Research Thief
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Sanwell, Avenger Ace
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Sharding Sphinx
*1 Sharuum the Hegemon
*1 Shimmer Dragon
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Steel Overseer
*1 Tawnos, Solemn Survivor
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 The Reality Chip
*1 Thought Monitor
*1 Vedalken Humiliator
*1 Wire Surgeons
*1 Wreck Hunter
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Cranial Plating
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Relic of Progenitus
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Dance of the Manse
*1 March of Progress
*1 One with the Machine
*1 Thoughtcast
*1 Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast
*1 Vindicate
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Despark
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Thirst for Knowledge
*1 Unbreakable Formation
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Mirrodin Besieged
*1 Tempered Steel
*1 The Flesh Is Weak
*1 Thopter Spy Network
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>

<p>Well I for one had a ton of fun building this list and finding ways to increase our robot army. From here its up to you to come up with upgrades and synergies. Were there any that I missed? Please let me know in the comments.</p>
<p>Hit us up on <a href="https://twitter.com/scraptrawlers">Twitter</a>, or find our other content on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/scraptrawlers">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/scraptrawlers">Twitch</a>. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for more precon content from my fellow Scrap Trawlers right here on EDHREC.</p>


Urza's Iron Alliance - Upgrade Guide

Mishra's Burnished Banner - Upgrade Guide

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra, Eminent One" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra, Eminent One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://vargasni.com/">Randy Vargas</a></h6>
<h1>His Eminence</h1>
<p>Welcome back everyone, to another EDHREC precon primer. Today we're reviewing the <em>Mishra's Burnished Banner</em> deck released with <em>Brother's War Commander</em>. Naturally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra, Eminent One" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra, Eminent One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is leading the charge.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mishra, Eminent One"></div></div>
<p>Mishra is a 5/4 human artificer for five mana that makes a token copy of a noncreature artifact you control every turn, except it's a 4/4 creature with haste named Mishra's Warform you have to sacrifice at end of turn. This is useful to get more mileage out of value artifacts and it doesn't hurt to run a decent sized creature you were going to lose anyway into your opponent's board. The ability had some interesting applications and makes some previously underwhelming cards worth playing, but at five mana I find myself wanting just a little more from this commander.</p>
<p>If Mishra isn't appealing, you can always swap him out for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod the Uncaring" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod the Uncaring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who has a powerful ability in her own right and strictly more fabulous hair. Ashnod copies the ability of an artifact or creature if a permanent was sacrificed to activate it. Doubling up on effects from things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is powerful, but there are only 16 such cards in the deck so I recommend playing Mishra out of the box. Speaking of which, let's take a look at the contents of the deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Mishra&#039;s Burnished Banner" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Mishra, Eminent One
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Executioner&#039;s Capsule
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Lithoform Engine
*1 Machine God&#039;s Effigy
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirrorworks
*1 Mnemonic Sphere
*1 Mycosynth Wellspring
*1 Nihil Spellbomb
*1 Oblivion Stone
*1 Oni-Cult Anvil
*1 Prophetic Prism
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Servo Schematic
*1 Smelting Vat
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Spine of Ish Sah
*1 Strionic Resonator
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Trading Post
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Wondrous Crucible
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Ashnod the Uncaring
*1 Audacious Reshapers
*1 Blast-Furnace Hellkite
*1 Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer
*1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
*1 Fain, the Broker
*1 Farid, Enterprising Salvager
*1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
*1 Glint Raker
*1 Hellkite Igniter
*1 Herald of Anguish
*1 Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain
*1 Master Transmuter
*1 Metalwork Colossus
*1 Muzzio, Visionary Architect
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*1 Scavenged Brawler
*1 Silas Renn, Seeker Adept
*1 Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer
*1 Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
*1 Workshop Elders
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Expressive Iteration
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Terisiare&#039;s Devastation
*1 Thoughtcast
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crumbling Necropolis
*1 Darkwater Catacombs
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Drossforge Bridge
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Great Furnace
*5 Island
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*1 Mistvault Bridge
*4 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rakdos Carnarium
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Shadowblood Ridge
*1 Silverbluff Bridge
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*4 Swamp
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Temple of Epiphany
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Vault of Whispers
[/Lands]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Bedevil
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 Thirst for Knowledge
[/Instants]"></span></div>

<h2>The Battle Plan</h2>
<p>The main strategy of this deck is tough to pin down. I'd say it's mostly a value engine deck based around non creature artifacts. It's looking to build cards in hand and on the battlefield through Mishra's copying effect along with the numerous sacrifice effects in the deck. We already have plenty of options if we're looking to junk our artifacts, but this deck comes with a few new toys I want to talk about. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farid, Enterprising Salvager" href="#" target="_blank">Farid, Enterprising Salvager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes artifact tokens whenever you lose a non token artifact. While the scraps do nothing on their own, Farid can sacrifice them to dig for cards, goad a creature, or get bigger and there are numerous other cards we can use those scraps for. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smelting Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Smelting Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to get more stuff on board by letting you sacrifice an artifact to look through the next eight cards and find up to two artifacts with the same total cost. Keep in mind the token copy Mishra makes will keep the mana value of the original, so you want to copy your high cost stuff for this. Aside from sacrificing for value, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wondrous Crucible" href="#" target="_blank">Wondrous Crucible</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides some protection for all your permanents and potentially gives you free spells at your end step, which means if Mishra makes a copy it will stick around long enough to give you that benefit.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farid, Enterprising Salvager"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smelting Vat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wondrous Crucible"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Despite all the value engines in the deck, it's still looking to close out the game with combat. There are a few token producers in the deck, so having <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shift them into whatever Mishra copied is a great way to get an army of 4/4's out of nowhere. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Workshop Elders" href="#" target="_blank">Workshop Elders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives artifact creatures flying and can animate something every turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scavenged Brawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scavenged Brawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a new card that can be exiled from the graveyard to put four counters along with flying, vigilance, trample, and lifelink. This is great for turning the commander into a legitimate threat or powering up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traxos, Scourge of Kroog" href="#" target="_blank">Traxos, Scourge of Kroog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Igniter" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Igniter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Finally <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blast-Furnace Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Blast-Furnace Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be cast at instant speed thanks to the artifact offering ability, surprising an opponent with suddenly double striking attackers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Workshop Elders"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Igniter"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Playing the Deck</h2>
<p>Like many engine based decks, this one takes a while to get going. A lot of the early cards are either ramp, or something for Mishra to copy later on like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and most of the creatures being either high cost or in for utility, so don't expect to participate in combat early on. Things really start to get going once you land the commander. Making copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mnemonic Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Mnemonic Sphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to draw cards or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to ramp is all well and good, but you really start to be a problem when you're destroying things every turn by copying <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spine of Ish Sah" href="#" target="_blank">Spine of Ish Sah</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> then sacrificing the token to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Audacious Reshapers" href="#" target="_blank">Audacious Reshapers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smelting Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Smelting Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get more artifacts. Don't be afraid to sacrifice your non token stuff since there are ways to get your artifacts back like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emry, Lurker of the Loch" href="#" target="_blank">Emry, Lurker of the Loch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silas Renn, Seeker Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Silas Renn, Seeker Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In the mid to late game it's easy to build a frightening board, so you want to get there quickly. In starting hands I'd advise trying to get four mana producers, ideally three lands and a mana rock you can cast. I also think it's a good idea to be looking out for cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycosynth Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Mycosynth Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Servo Schematic" href="#" target="_blank">Servo Schematic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that come down early and make decent targets for the commander later.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichor Wellspring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spine of Ish Sah"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Audacious Reshapers"></div></div>
<p>The deck is capable of generating a lot of value and can fill the board with artifacts, but that doesn't necessarily translate into a win. It's quite possible to spend a lot of time taking game actions, and drawing cards without actually moving toward a way to close out the game. The focus on non creature artifacts can also be a problem because the deck ends up being light on defense. The creatures tend to be top end finishers or utility pieces that feel bad to block with so you're likely to end up taking a few hits throughout the game. More aggressive decks can put you in the danger zone before you're ready to develop your plan and because this deck can take so many game actions, there's a good chance those aggressive decks will be nervous about what you're doing. I found this to be the case playing against the <em>Urza's Iron Alliance </em>deck. My deck did a lot, but ultimately struggled to defend against Urza's construct army.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>New Toys</h2>
<p>Mishra comes with some awesome new toys, aespecially for artifact decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terisiare&#039;s Devastation" href="#" target="_blank">Terisiare&#039;s Devastation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fantastic new board wipe for artifact decks. It gives creatures -1/-1 for each artifact you control so it gets around indestructible, and if you need to increase that number, you can pay into the X cost to get some powerstones. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Machine God&#039;s Effigy" href="#" target="_blank">Machine God&#039;s Effigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an interesting new mana rock. It copies a creature like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only the effigy doesn't become a creature. Notably this is an infinite mana combo with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devoted Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Devoted Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this card is also very useful if you want to have a copy of a creature that is spared the myriad ways creatures get killed in a game of Commander. It's going to be great for artifact decks and clone decks alike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wondrous Crucible" href="#" target="_blank">Wondrous Crucible</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>is a lot at seven mana, but there are plenty of decks out there that would be interested in the self mill, and the extra protection from Ward 2 is more impactful than it seems and many opponents will be caught off guard by it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blast-Furnace Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Blast-Furnace Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is far and away the my favorite new card in this deck. I'm already sold at giving double strike to creatures attacking your opponents, but this card has icing on the cake with artifact offering. Not can you reduce the cards hefty cost, but you can cast it at instant speed turning yours or an opponents attack suddenly lethal. This is a great fit for all those goad commanders we've seen lately and I expect to see it pop up in dragon decks, but it's a great fit for any combat focused deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terisiare&#039;s Devastation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Machine God&#039;s Effigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blast-Furnace Hellkite"></div></div>
<h2>Hand Me Downs</h2>
<p>At first glance, I was unsure about the reprint value in this set. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lithoform Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Lithoform Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> commands the most value among reprints and is useful in many decks, but even then it's only going for about $7. On a closer look, though the deck has many staple cards that always seem to end up being a few dollars like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bedevil" href="#" target="_blank">Bedevil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expressive Iteration" href="#" target="_blank">Expressive Iteration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is powerful enough to be banned in Pioneer, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun mana rock with a ton of applications.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Act"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expressive Iteration"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cursed Mirror"></div></div>
<p>In addition to general use cards, there are a lot of excellent reprints geared toward artifact decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silas Renn, Seeker Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Silas Renn, Seeker Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emry, Lurker of the Loch" href="#" target="_blank">Emry, Lurker of the Loch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Eldraine was three years ago), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Padeem, Consul of Innovation" href="#" target="_blank">Padeem, Consul of Innovation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silas Renn, Seeker Adept"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emry, Lurker of the Loch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Padeem, Consul of Innovation"></div></div>
<p>Since the <em>Brother's War </em>preconstructed decks are printed entirely with the old frame, many of the reprints are going to be unique versions of the cards which might be of interest to collectors or to people with Commander decks that only use the old frame cards.</p>
<h2>Final Verdict</h2>
<p>Overall, <em>Mishra's Burnished Banner</em> is a great deck, if a little bit of a grind. I think it could be made much better with a some tricks to keep your opponents at bay along with a few more ways to get in for damage. It's a great place to start on building an artifact deck as it has a lot of great cards for the strategy and potential commanders for a deck if you decide not to use Mishra or Ashnod. It's a good value as it gives you unique printings of classic Commander cards. Those are my thoughts on <em>Mishra's Burnished Banner</em>, feel free to drop yours in the comments. Stay tuned for my upgrade guide coming soon and remember to budget before you buy it.</p>


Mishra's Burnished Banner - Precon Primer

Too-Specific Top 10 - Commanding Charms

Recross the Paths - Winota, Joiner of Forces

<h1>Get REC'd!</h1>
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<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan">Wisnu Tan</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King"></div></div>
<p>By this point, we all know Korvold is a must-answer threat and how easy it is to break his card draw ability. Korvold lets us draw a card for every permanent we sacrifice, whether it be a Treasure token, a fetch land, or cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbridled Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Unbridled Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, giving us two cards for one mana. This flexibility allows him to be the perfect commander for almost every permanent-based Jund strategy. The indiscriminate draw enables him to go over the top and makes it almost impossible to defeat him in an attrition battle.</p>
<p>Given Korvold's power level, it's not that much of a stretch to think that he's going to become the target of removal from the other side of the table. This means that it's important to either get enough value from his arrival (which is easy) or to play in such a deliberately tamed shell that we might convince the table that we're not as much of a threat.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterheart Witch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Disturbance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Opulence"></div></div>
<p>It's a bit of a challenge to find a niche for such a popular commander. Luckily for me, the answer was pretty much in the name: Fae-Cursed. Curses are an interesting archetype to pair with Korvold because they provide a steady flow of tokens and an efficient timing window to sacrifice them with our commander's attack trigger.</p>
<p>One of the best aspects of a Curse-heavy deck is the ability to pinpoint our hate effects, which helps us avoid potential backlash from other players. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Death&#039;s Hold" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Death&#039;s Hold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can hold off tokens and go-wide strategies before they get to their anthems. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cruel Reality" href="#" target="_blank">Cruel Reality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great against decks that are trying to stick a big threat into play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice way to put control decks on a clock, and it's also very good against certain Spellslinger shells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Clinging Webs"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of the Restless Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captive Audience"></div></div>
<p>There are a lot of token-producer Curses that feed our commander rather nicely. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Clinging Webs" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Clinging Webs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to fight recursion-based decks and is very nice to have after a board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Restless Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Restless Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> punishes greedy green players and provides useful self-sacrificing tokens. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Disturbance" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Disturbance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> play nicely with Korvold's sacrifice trigger timing by being able to sacrifice the freshly created token.</p>
<p>While not necessarily Curses, Group Slug cards certainly fit the Curses style of death by a thousand cuts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred, the Apocalypse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive threat that acts as a global <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arasta of the Endless Web" href="#" target="_blank">Arasta of the Endless Web</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides lots of useful bodies that can be used to either clog our board or feed Korvold. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captive Audience" href="#" target="_blank">Captive Audience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is as close to an Aura as a card can get, and its effects are nasty and should be considered mostly as a way to deal with archenemy scenarios.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Korvold, Curse King" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Birds of Paradise
*Caustic Caterpillar
*Gilded Goose
*Ignoble Hierarch
*Burglar Rat
*Destiny Spinner
*Elderfang Disciple
*Herald of the Pantheon
*Sanctum Weaver
*Tangled Florahedron
*Virus Beetle
*Weaver of Harmony
*Bothersome Quasit
*Demon&#039;s Disciple
*Gloomshrieker
*Plaguecrafter
*Arasta of the Endless Web
*Ravenous Chupacabra
*Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
*Silent Arbiter
*Bitterheart Witch
*Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
*Shriekmaw
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Curse of Opulence
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Wild Growth
*Cindervine
*Curse of Shaken Faith
*Fertile Ground
*Trespasser&#039;s Curse
*Wolfwillow Haven
*Curse of Chaos
*Curse of the Clinging Webs
*Curse of Disturbance
*Curse of Hospitality
*Curse of the Restless Dead
*Descent into Avernus
*Maddening Hex
*Myth Unbound
*Overgrowth
*Vow of Lightning
*Vow of Malice
*Vow of Torment
*Vow of Wildness
*Weirding Woods
*Curse of Oblivion
*Curse of Bloodletting
*Curse of Death&#039;s Hold
*Curse of Misfortune
*Curse of Thirst
*Rite of the Raging Storm
*Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom
*Captive Audience
*Cruel Reality
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*Hagra Mauling
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Crawlspace
[/Artifact]
[Sorcery]
*Shatterskull Smashing
*Agadeem&#039;s Awakening
*Bala Ged Recovery
*Toxic Deluge
*Damnation
*Turntimber Symbiosis
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Bojuka Bog
*Command Tower
*Fire-Lit Thicket
*Ghost Quarter
*Grave Cairns
*Grove of the Burnwillows
*Llanowar Wastes
*Luxury Suite
*Nurturing Peatland
*Overgrown Tomb
*Polluted Delta
*Prismatic Vista
*Riveters Outlook
*Savage Lands
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Sulfurous Springs
*Tectonic Edge
*Twilight Mire
*Undergrowth Stadium
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Verdant Catacombs
*Windswept Heath
*Wooded Foothills
*Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
*Zitora&#039;s Proving Ground
*3 Forest
*2 Swamp
*Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<hr />
<p>Our commander is an important tool for this list, which means we need to have a few cheap permanents to get more mileage out of it. Most of our removal suite being creatures can help us with this. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burglar Rat" href="#" target="_blank">Burglar Rat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elderfang Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Elderfang Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virus Beetle" href="#" target="_blank">Virus Beetle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s discard ETBs are very useful for us to slow down the game to get more value out of our Curses. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Chupacabra" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Chupacabra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shriekmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Shriekmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide targeted creature removal, and together with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plaguecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Plaguecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demon&#039;s Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Demon&#039;s Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we get a pretty decent creature removal suite.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rite of the Raging Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vow of Malice"></div></div>
<p>It's important to make sure that everyone tries to get value out of our attack-based Curses, whether they want it or not. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to cover all bases; it provides everyone with another incentive to hit each other with, and the goad on attack is a nice bonus. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bothersome Quasit" href="#" target="_blank">Bothersome Quasit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plays well with our Curses by both providing a forced attack and by clearing the way for potential combatants. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of the Raging Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of the Raging Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives everyone a "why not" attacker, which, together with beneficial Curses like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Hospitality" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Hospitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can provide a nice amount of "incidental" damage.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our early game tends to be a bit slow if we don't know what everyone else is playing. If that's the case, we should consider holding out our Curses so that we can properly gauge each deck and avoid king-making. If we know our opponents' strategies pretty well right off the bat, then we can instead start casting our Curses right away. We need to have a dedicated card to sacrifice when our commander comes down, so as to avoid losing a land. Don't get me wrong, we should still play Korvold even if we need to lose a land, but we don't want to get blown out by removal too badly.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should have our commander online and have a couple of Curses placed, but this is the pivotal point where the game tends to change depending on the harmful Auras we've managed to play. Curses that create tokens, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Restless Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Restless Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tend to accelerate our gameplan, while Curses that punish our opponents, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Death&#039;s Hold" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Death&#039;s Hold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Shaken Faith" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Shaken Faith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tend to slow the game down.</p>
<p>Between our Curses, slugs pieces, and commander, we grind pretty well in the late game, though we do lack a bit in sheer power and instead rely on incremental advantages, which can lose us some top deck wars. The most important thing to do to win the late game is to make sure that, by this point, everyone is weakened by a full game's worth of conflicts!</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Korvold

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magnetic Mountain" href="#" target="_blank">Magnetic Mountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by</span> <a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&amp;artist=[%22Susan%20Van%20Camp%22]"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Susan Van Camp</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></h6>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Lose Friends and Irritate People</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Feel like your deck just is not coming together? Welcome to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Solve the Equation</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, where we take a look at the numbers and see what's making your deck and in-game decision-making fall flat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In honor of the recent update of the salt scores, I wanted to take a look at a genre of cards that is sure to be salt-inducing to many of you out there: color-hosers. Color-hosers are cards that restrict or affect only cards of a given color, or in some cases lacking a given color.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The irritating effect of these cards comes down to two main factors. First and foremost, they often will have an asymmetrical effect on the playgroup, only affecting certain players.The second factor is the absolute brutal effect of some of these cards. Early <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> design was not considering the impact of long multiplayer games when they printed cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Acid Rain" href="#" target="_blank">Acid Rain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Acid Rain"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, all that said, I think these cards have a place in Commander and are often underplayed. I often forget these cards or ignore them because of the risk that they could be dead in my hand if no players are playing a certain color. I wanted to take a deeper dive to see what the odds were that these cards would have a target.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What are the Odds?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sure, we can never predict exactly what commanders we'll come up against, but in order to best estimate the color combinations I could face, I turned to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders">top 100 commanders of the last 2 years</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The top 100 commanders have an average number of colors in their color identity equal to 2.77, with just 11 commanders featuring 1 or fewer colors. Below is a complete breakdown of what colors commanders have within their color identity.</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">White: 52%</span></li>
<li>Blue: 62%</li>
<li>Black: 60%</li>
<li>Red: 56%</li>
<li>Green: 47%</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yes, I too was shocked to find that green was the only color that featured in less than 50% of the top EDHREC generals. However, the biggest takeaway is how high all these numbers are. If you randomly selected any top 100 commander, there is a ⅗ chance that it has black within its color identity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That's just the odds of one commander being that color, but most of our commander games feature 3 opponents. Let's take a look at the odds that <em>at least</em> one of our three opponents will have a commander of any given color.</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">White: 89%</span></li>
<li>Blue: 95%</li>
<li>Black: 94%</li>
<li>Red: 92%</li>
<li>Green: 86%</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The odds that we run into a certain color are much higher than I would've guessed. That makes the “dead card” draws we risk by playing color-hosers are a lot less likely. The times they're dead are painful and definitely more memorable, but that doesn't mean we should write off these cards. There are plenty of steps we can take to mitigate the downsides.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">No Card Left Behind!</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can mitigate the fail-case of these cards in many ways. First, sometimes our commander can give us extra benefit for casting spells, so even if the card doesn't achieve its intended goal, we still benefit. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deekah, Fractal Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Deekah, Fractal Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talrand, Sky Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Talrand, Sky Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will create tokens no matter what our card does. However, if we do go this route, it's important we find cards that <em>do not</em> need a target: we cannot cast a spell that targets without a legal target. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blue Elemental Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Blue Elemental Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will occasionally be uncastable, but we can always cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hibernation" href="#" target="_blank">Hibernation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deekah, Fractal Theorist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blue Elemental Blast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hibernation"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Second, we can use looting and rummaging effects to sculpt our hand and ditch dead cards. These cards have a very low opportunity cost, as many of them are powerful cards that already see substantial play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faithless Looting" href="#" target="_blank">Faithless Looting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frantic Search" href="#" target="_blank">Frantic Search</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrill of Possibility" href="#" target="_blank">Thrill of Possibility</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> already see play in over 10% of eligible decks. These cards will power up your deck whether or not you intend to ditch certain cards.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faithless Looting"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frantic Search"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrill of Possibility"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Third, not all color-hosers are created equal. Watch out for cards that can affect more than one color. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omen of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Omen of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is absolutely brutal and will punish any control deck you come up against. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Wrath" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Wrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will punish any Dimir opponents, and it fits great in an enchantment-based deck such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand" href="#" target="_blank">Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Other cards affect all colors but have a particularly backbreaking effect on some, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elephant Grass" href="#" target="_blank">Elephant Grass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another great inclusion for enchantment decks.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omen of Fire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nature&#039;s Wrath"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elephant Grass"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other cards leave nothing to chance and allow us to pick a color to hate on. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wash Out" href="#" target="_blank">Wash Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Moat" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Moat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dromar, the Banisher" href="#" target="_blank">Dromar, the Banisher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all give us the option to use them flexibly. Just remember, these cards affect you as well, which means Dromar might send itself back to your hand.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wash Out"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi&#039;s Moat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dromar, the Banisher"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If our opponents don't have a certain land type, we can change that! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the more recently printed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us leverage cards that care about our opponents' <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swamp" href="#" target="_blank">Swamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forest" href="#" target="_blank">Forest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Acid Rain" href="#" target="_blank">Acid Rain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all of a sudden becomes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kormus Bell" href="#" target="_blank">Kormus Bell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> opens up all lands to a board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stern Judge" href="#" target="_blank">Stern Judge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can deal out a boatload of damage when paired with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Did I Miss?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Turns out Marit Lage hates Izzet decks. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Marit Lage" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Marit Lage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of Marit Lage" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of Marit Lage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can shut down blue and red decks respectively. Actually, a lot of cards hate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Island" href="#" target="_blank">Island</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and blue permanents. I guess <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> realized pretty quickly what color was getting a little too much love. Blue mages, be on the lookout for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boil" href="#" target="_blank">Boil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boiling Seas" href="#" target="_blank">Boiling Seas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tsunami" href="#" target="_blank">Tsunami</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choke" href="#" target="_blank">Choke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to shut down your mana production while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magnetic Mountain" href="#" target="_blank">Magnetic Mountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes care of your other permanents.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Marit Lage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of Marit Lage"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not to be outdone, blue has a number of mana-restricting cards targeted at its enemy colors of red and green. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chill" href="#" target="_blank">Chill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will slow down your aggro opponents, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Tides" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Tides</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make sure your green opponent's biggest creatures can't hit you more than once.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chill"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dream Tides"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The black and white portions of the color pie are also not fans of each other. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gloom" href="#" target="_blank">Gloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will shut down any white deck, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Major Teroh" href="#" target="_blank">Major Teroh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can even sit in your command zone and come in just to blow out the players with black creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Perish" href="#" target="_blank">Perish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Ruin" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtue&#039;s Ruin" href="#" target="_blank">Virtue&#039;s Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all color-based board wipes at black's disposal for a cut rate cost of just three mana.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Major Teroh"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gloom"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I know much of this article has focused on the heavy hitters and cards with high salt scores, but there are plenty of less egregious cards that fall into the color-hoser category that shouldn't lose you any friends. Most of these cards are predicated on giving you a reward rather than punishing your opponent. For many playgroups this will be much more palatable.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay, Okay, No More Land Destruction</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let me take a break from sharing cards that will get you kicked out of your playgroup to share a variety of cards with huge effects against the right opponent. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Veil of Summer" href="#" target="_blank">Veil of Summer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees play in a variety of formats and fits right at home in Commander. It protects you against both blue and black, making it incredibly unlikely that this card misses. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Regrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees play in 7% of eligible decks, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reap" href="#" target="_blank">Reap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees less than 1%. Reap can have a much bigger effect and at instant speed with even an opponent with a few black permanents.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Veil of Summer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reap"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carpet of Flowers" href="#" target="_blank">Carpet of Flowers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so dang efficient! For just a single mana, this card can create so much mana against decks with one of <em>Magic</em>'s most popular colors. Once you have all that mana, you can use it on the cards that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Compost" href="#" target="_blank">Compost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can gain you. Your red decks can close out a game by pushing through damage against white decks with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Havoc" href="#" target="_blank">Havoc</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or against white and blue with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magistrate&#039;s Veto" href="#" target="_blank">Magistrate&#039;s Veto</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carpet of Flowers"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Compost"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magistrate&#039;s Veto"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don't count out a card just because it looks like it might be a dead card in some games. We aren't hesitant to include expensive bombs in our deck even though the'll be dead for most of the game. We can apply that same leniency to these cards. With smart deckbuilding, we can rely on the odds that we are likely to face at least one opponent playing the color our cards hate. Give some of these cards a second look, and remember to discuss with your playgroup before pulling out a deck that will blow up all their <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Island" href="#" target="_blank">Island</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s.</span></p>


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