<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves" href="#" target="_blank">Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://ryanpancoast.com/">Ryan Pancoast</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 take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves" href="#" target="_blank">Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves"></div></div>
<p>Tolsimir is an all-time favorite commander of mine. This card is just awesome, from its concept to its art and abilities.</p>
<p>Tolsimir is a versatile commander who's a bit of a mid-range king. From the get-go, we have a five-mana creature that gains us life and comes with a removal stapled to it, but that's only the beginning. For each Wolf that enters the battlefield afterward, we get those triggers again and again, which makes controlling the battlefield an easy task. This impressive kit allows Tolsimir to capitalize on different strategies: Wolves entering the battlefield can be abused by blink effects, the lifegain can be used for life-matters payoffs, and Wolves' natural token synergies play into the classic green-white tokens archetype.</p>
<p>However, there are still two main issues that need to be addressed when building Tolsimir. First, a five-mana commander is a bit on the expensive side, which can quickly lock us out of playing him if he's removed too often. The second issue is that without proper support, it's pretty hard to get value out of the fight trigger and keep our creature, which means that we need to do a lot of set up before getting full value from our commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Astral Slide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarulf&#039;s Packmate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Forcemage"></div></div>
<p>Out of the many ways to have a constant flow of creatures to trigger our commander, <em>Cycling</em> seems to have fallen under the radar. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Slide" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Slide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Drift" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Drift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both amazing engines that allow us to keep triggering our commander while also digging us for more action.</p>
<p>As a tribe, Wolves have a surprisingly good number of solid ETB creatures to blink, so much so that we have the luxury of selecting mostly for their effect instead of having to fill in with beefier creatures for the fight ETB. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cemetery Prowler" href="#" target="_blank">Cemetery Prowler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a graveyard hate effect that has the added benefit of giving us a slight discount on some of our spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ferocious Pup" href="#" target="_blank">Ferocious Pup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irregular Cohort" href="#" target="_blank">Irregular Cohort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are versatile cards since they give us two triggers to play around with. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howling Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Howling Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tovolar&#039;s Huntmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Tovolar&#039;s Huntmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Somberwald Beastmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Somberwald Beastmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are our top-end targets that flood the board with more tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drannith Healer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forsake the Worldly"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Vengeance"></div></div>
<p>We have every one-mana <em>Cycling</em> card available at our disposal, but as a two-colored <em>Cycling</em> deck, we quickly have to rely on more expensive ones, which isn't too bad, since we also have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fluctuator" href="#" target="_blank">Fluctuator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. One nice thing about <em>Cycling</em> strategies is that we can pack a myriad of different card effects among the different <em>Cycling</em> cards. We've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forsake the Worldly" href="#" target="_blank">Forsake the Worldly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilt" href="#" target="_blank">Wilt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for artifacts and enchantments, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Radiant&#039;s Judgment" href="#" target="_blank">Radiant&#039;s Judgment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for creatures, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes care of anything barring planeswalkers.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tolsimir Cycling" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Ascendant Packleader
*Flourishing Fox
*Young Wolf
*Drannith Healer
*Masked Vandal
*Valiant Rescuer
*Cemetery Prowler
*Eternal Witness
*Ferocious Pup
*Primal Forcemage
*Briarpack Alpha
*Irregular Cohort
*Nightpack Ambusher
*Pack Guardian
*Sarulf&#039;s Packmate
*Oketra&#039;s Attendant
*Skalla Wolf
*Timeless Dragon
*Wolfir Silverheart
*Elvish Aberration
*Hollowhenge Overlord
*Imposing Vantasaur
*Orchard Strider
*Pale Recluse
*Tovolar&#039;s Huntmaster
*Winged Shepherd
*Howling Giant
*Somberwald Beastmaster
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Mark of Asylum
*Sterling Grove
*Astral Drift
*Astral Slide
*Howling Moon
*Howlpack Resurgence
*Sigil of the Nayan Gods
*Anointed Procession
*Cast Out
*Parallel Lives
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Flucuator
*Bow of Nylea
[/Artifact]
[Instant]
*Enlightened Tutor
*Angelsong
*Clear
*Dissenter&#039;s Deliverance
*Djeru&#039;s Renunciation
*Lull
*Repopulate
*Wilt
*Akroma&#039;s Blessing
*Forsake the Worldly
*Radiant&#039;s Judgement
*Sylvan Reclamation
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*The Wanderer
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Edge of Autumn
*Beneath the Sands
*Idyllic Tutor
*Marshaling Cry
*Migration Path
*Wrath of God
*Akroma&#039;s Vengeance
*Austere Command
*Plea for Guidance
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Ash Barrens
*Bountiful Promenade
*Branchloft Pathway
*Brushland
*Canopy Vista
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Mana Confluence
*Overgrown Farmland
*Scattered Grove
*Secluded Steppe
*Sunpetal Grove
*Temple Garden
*Temple of Plenty
*Tranquil Thicket
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*10 Forest
*9 Plains
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>There are plenty of great support cards for Tolsimir, although since we're a bit slot-starved between our Wolves and our <em>Cycling</em> cards, we have to be choosey with them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mark of Asylum" href="#" target="_blank">Mark of Asylum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">The Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are ways to avoid losing our Wolves to our fight triggers, for instance. In a deck with so many token-generators, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointed Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Anointed Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parallel Lives" href="#" target="_blank">Parallel Lives</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> quickly put us over the edge. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Forcemage" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Forcemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s pump is a really efficient way to both protect from and rip apart our opponents' threats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mark of Asylum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anointed Procession"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wanderer"></div></div>
<p>We need to find our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Drift" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Drift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/ <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Slide" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Slide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as fast as possible, and while we have some drawing power with our <em>Cyclers</em>, we still need to have a few tutors. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enlightened Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Enlightened Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap tutor that can be used either before our draw step or together with our <em>Cyclers</em> to get one of our enchantments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idyllic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Idyllic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit expensive, but it gets it into our hands, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sterling Grove" href="#" target="_blank">Sterling Grove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is versatile and can either find or protect our key enchantments.</p>
<p>Our early game is a bit slow, with a few turns dedicated to setting up our board. This means that we're either digging for the <em>Cycling</em> enchantments or playing some of our support cards. It's also worth keeping in mind that since we lack the sheer number of <em>Cycling</em> cards as most of our decks usually have, it's good to consider holding out some <em>Cyclers</em> so that we have them available for when we start going off.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wilt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Astral Slide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Blessing"></div></div>
<p>While our game plan revolves around those the <em>Cycling</em> enchantments, we're no slouches if we don't find them. Our commander is a strong mid-range threat and, together with our Wolves, he can help us control the board and give us some breathing room to find what we're looking for.</p>
<p>If we get to keep our board, then by the late game we're pretty well set. The advantage of having a lot of cards that cantrip is that we can redraw and get ahead on board at the same time. We're a bit lacking in the bombs department, so to win, we'll need to do a bit of grinding. At that point, though, even just casting our beefiest can also be a pretty decent gameplan if we need a board state! The benefit of a grindy strategy is that it's slow to build up, but just as difficult to completely dismantle!</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 - Tolsimir

Too-Specific Top 10 - Great Ability

Nearly Identical - Kykar or Elsha?

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One" href="#" target="_blank">Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/igorgrechanyi">Igor Grechanyi</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="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One" href="#" target="_blank">Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One"></div></div>
<p>Jon Irenicus is a fun take on Dimir Politics, where we give out "loans" to the rest of the table and collect the profits during the following turns.</p>
<p>There are a few different ways to build around this kit. Creatures with unwanted effects, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master of the Feast" href="#" target="_blank">Master of the Feast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are great to pass around. Alternatively, we could invest in passive token-makers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Spy Network" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Spy Network</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and not have to worry about playing a creature. We could even make our opponents do our dirty work for us with by playing <em>Infect</em> creatures, which become a sizeable threat with the two +1/+1 counters and the pseudo-haste that we get.</p>
<p>While the first part of Jon Irenicus's kit is the fun aspect of the card, the draw trigger is where most of his power comes from. This ability is pretty easy to trigger, as the creature only needs to attack, so it's very quick to snowball out of control.</p>
<p>With that being said, there are two main issues with Jon Irenicus: the first is the tempo loss for spending mana to give a threat to an opponent, and the second is the aftermath of our gameplan, which is the awkward position that we're left behind when the 1v1 scenario comes around.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relentless Rats"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cover of Darkness"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coat of Arms"></div></div>
<p>We don't get symmetrical effects that hit all players like we used to (and for a good reason). Usually, they lead to feel-bad situations where we can get blown out by our own card's effect. However, given that our commander wants to pass around creatures anyway, why not use symmetrical designs to our advantage? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the perfect card for this type of strategy, since it has a built-in global growth effect and, like any non-singleton strategy, they appreciate the draw support that Jon Irenicus provides.</p>
<p>We have a split between tribal and non-singleton support. Since our threats have an inherent anthem effect, we don't need that many straight power boosts, so having a suite that provides evasion and more cards is crucial for our success (though our commander helps a bit with the latter). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marrow-Gnawer" href="#" target="_blank">Marrow-Gnawer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cover of Darkness" href="#" target="_blank">Cover of Darkness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are efficient sources of evasion that affect our opponents' Rats as well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts a bit as the opposite of our commander: it draws us cards for when we attack with our Rats as opposed to when someone does it for us. This kind of coverage helps us avoid some feel-bad situations where we must wait for someone else's turn to draw. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrumming Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Thrumming Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card for any non-singleton list and can be a great way to recover after getting blown out by removal.</p>
<p>While strict power boost cards aren't exactly what we're looking for, there are still a few cards that stand out. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes every <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at least twice as effective, which turns them into an even faster clock. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Box" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Box</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't as explosive as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but by only affecting our Rats, it's especially useful when it comes down to the 1v1 situation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reflections of Littjara"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quasiduplicate"></div></div>
<p>Clone effects, while a bit on the win-more side of the spectrum, can be an efficient way to get a different kind of card without diluting our deck too much. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reflections of Littjara" href="#" target="_blank">Reflections of Littjara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful payoff that negates the biggest drawback from our commander: giving up a creature every time we pass them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Image" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Image</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is, effectively, a two-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can come out as another creature on the battlefield in a pinch. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quasiduplicate" href="#" target="_blank">Quasiduplicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit blue-heavy and costs as much as a Relentless Rats, but it's very card-efficient and gives us two Rats after the <em>Jump-Start</em>.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Jon Irenicus Rats" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]</p>
<p>*Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</p>
<p>[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Creature]</p>
<p>*Phantasmal Image<br />
*38 Relentless Rats<br />
*Marrow-Gnawer<br />
[/Creature]</p>
<p>[Artifact]</p>
<p>*Sol Ring<br />
*Arcane Signet<br />
*Fellwar Stone<br />
*Jet Medallion<br />
*Talisman of Dominance</p>
<p>*Herald's Horn<br />
*Mirror Box<br />
*Coat of Arms<br />
*Thrumming Stone</p>
<p>[/Artifact]</p>
<p>[Enchantment]</p>
<p>*Phyrexian Reclamation<br />
*Cover of Darkness<br />
*Kindred Discovery<br />
*Reflections of Littjara</p>
<p>[/Enchantment]</p>
<p>[Instant]</p>
<p>*Stubborn Denial<br />
*Arcane Denial<br />
*Cyclonic Rift<br />
*Baleful Mastery</p>
<p>[/Instant]</p>
<p>[Sorcery]</p>
<p>*Feed the Swarm<br />
*Quasiduplicate<br />
*Ravenform<br />
*Damnation<br />
*Patriarch's Bidding</p>
<p>[/Sorcery]</p>
<p>[Land]</p>
<p>*Bloodstained Mire<br />
*Bojuka Bog<br />
*Cabal Coffers<br />
*Choked Estuary<br />
*City of Brass<br />
*Clearwater Pathway<br />
*Command Tower<br />
*Drowned Catacomb<br />
*Mana Confluence<br />
*Marsh Flats<br />
*Morphic Pool<br />
*Polluted Delta<br />
*Shipwreck Marsh<br />
*Sunken Hollow<br />
*Sunken Ruins<br />
*Swarmyard<br />
*Tainted Isle<br />
*Temple of Deceit<br />
*Underground River<br />
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth<br />
*Verdant Catacombs<br />
*Watery Grave<br />
*15 Swamp<br />
[/Land]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our deck is pretty consistent, since we have 38 of the same card. We're trying to cast a Rat on turn three and our commander on turn four, so any hand that has three mana and just one blue source is functional enough to work. Once we start getting things going, we need to be able to read the table to know how we're going to use our commander's ability to get ahead in the game. Spreading out our creatures might be the more politically neutral approach, but often we have to focus on a problematic player that all our Rats will be pointed towards.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should have access to one of our payoff cards and can start doing some real damage. We usually can grind a bit against board wipes since we have our commander to make up for our losses. However, we should still avoid overcommitting once we have a reasonable board state.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Patriarch&#039;s Bidding"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Reclamation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrumming Stone"></div></div>
<p>The later stages of the game can be a bit tricky because we need to have a certain number of Rats to be effective, and, as the game goes on, it gets increasingly harder to recover each board wipe. That being said, we still have some great cards to help us fight against this, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which isn't exactly the faster card out there, but it gives us a steady flow of threats to play.</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 Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


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