Power Sink - Brago's Royal Army

Pieces of the Puzzle - Displacer Kitten

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/indus">Yongjae Choi</a>)</h6>
<h2>The Latest Hotness 7/29/2022</h2>
<p>Welcome to <em>The Latest Hotness</em>! I’m Jeremy Rowe, also known as Coach J Ro and the Unsummoned Skull. This is a Power Rankings series, based on the week-to-week shifts in popularity in terms of the number of decks built and recorded through EDHREC’s data collection process. I'll describe any new decks that come up, explain shifts in popularity, give examples of cards that may account for this (either new printings or cards with renewed interest), and show the decks one is likely to see in a random pod. Always remember, though, that one of the things that makes EDH such an incredible format is that players play what they love, whether it's popular or not!</p>
<p>Let's look at which commanders have been the most frequently built in the last week!</p>
<hr />
<h3>1: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 1)<br />
631 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Once again, Miirym is on top, and by a decent margin! It turns out the confluence of a popular creature type, strong evasive beaters, blue card draw, and green ramp, with none of the colored mana issues of a five-color commander, make for a potent combination! New cards and tech from <em>Battle for Baldur’s Gate</em> continue to influence builds and provide new directions for this powerful commander. In particular, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy" href="#" target="_blank">Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> burns any target for the mana value of a dragon spell on cast. This gives the deck a non-combat dimension, and it gets that much more deadly when Lozhan is copied with Miirym’s ability, which bypasses the legend rule. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won’t save you from the Dragons’ wrath!</p>
<hr />
<h3>2: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isshin, Two Heavens as One" href="#" target="_blank">Isshin, Two Heavens as One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 6)<br />
408 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Isshin, Two Heavens as One"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>While the amount of Isshin decks has remained largely the same, its spot on the rankings has soared since its appearance on Extra Turns in the hands of Ladee Danger. The commander was already powerful, but has found new life with discoveries from <em>Battle for Baldur’s Gate</em>. The added focus on the <em>Myriad</em> mechanic really helps Isshin explode, because he helps those creatures create <em>two </em>tokens per opponent instead of just one! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Battle Angels of Tyr" href="#" target="_blank">Battle Angels of Tyr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance, is a powerful and efficient follow-up to Isshin that represents 20 evasive damage across 3 players. Not only does it create a huge swing in life, but each copy has a combat damage trigger, which can result in drawing cards, creating Treasures, or gaining life, depending on the situation! Isshin may be Two Heavens as One, but he’s Hell on opponents!</p>
<hr />
<h3>3: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 2)<br />
402 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>The Ur-Dragon drops a spot, as the competition for Dragon supremacy has been fierce. While The Ur-Dragon is more all-inclusive and holds the potential to empty its hand faster, Miirym's doubling effect has really taken folks by storm, and that effect is seems powerful enough to offset the losses of black and white, which aren’t Dragon-heavy colors anyways. Still, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a major reason to be in five colors, as a five-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plague Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Plague Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can supply a huge swing. After all, what are giant, scaly, winged lizards known for if not big swings?</p>
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<h3>4: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathril, Blade of the Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Lathril, Blade of the Elves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 5)<br />
399 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathril, Blade of the Elves"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Lathril jumps up a spot, as according to deckbuilding sites, slightly more Lathril decks were made this week than were made last week. The addition of Backgrounds created a cool Voltron sub-strategy for Elfball, further separating Lathril from other Elf decks. Elves, like Dragons, are a popular tribe that got a boost from <em>Battle from Baldur’s Gate</em>, although it was less of a raw power boost and more of a creative deck building direction. Another new direction, however, is Elven Aristocrats! With the addition of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viconia, Drow Apostate" href="#" target="_blank">Viconia, Drow Apostate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which returns a random Elf from grave to hand each turn, regular Elfball decks can hedge against board wipes and open the door to strategies that want to abuse enter-the-battlefield effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shaman of the Pack" href="#" target="_blank">Shaman of the Pack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! Elves may be an old strategy, but they’re still learning new tricks!</p>
<hr />
<h3>5: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 4)<br />
386 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prosper, Tome-Bound"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>There were only about five fewer Prosper decks built this week compared to last week, and that slight drop-off meant this commander couldn’t hold off the rise of the Elves. Prosper has essentially been resting on its laurels after <em>Streets of New Capenna, </em>causing this grindy value deck to get buried by synergistic tribal decks and a cavalcade of combat triggers. Admittedly, Prosper has enabled an unprecedented amount of ramp and card advantage for Rakdos.</p>
<hr />
<h3>6: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver" href="#" target="_blank">Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 3)<br />
374 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Wilhelt drops three spots this week, with about 30 fewer decks built compared to last week. While that usually wouldn’t precipitate such a big drop in the ranks, the concurrent rise of tribal and combat-focused decks have buried the Zombies - but not too far down! If the top decks continue to be those whose strategies are vulnerable to mass removal, players might just leave their graveyard hate at home, and if that happens, the dead may rise again….</p>
<hr />
<h3>7: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 8)<br />
368 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Yuriko rises a spot, stealthily digging in her claws and rising up the rankings. Almost 30 more Yuriko decks were built this week than last week. It’s somewhat surprising, as the deck has received minimal additions since <em>Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty</em>. One of the more subtle reasons the deck may be seeing an uptick is accessibility of the commander herself. In addition to Judge Foil Year of the Tiger, Love your LGS, and Commander Legends Etched Foil treatments, Yuriko was added to Mystery Boosters. As a result, the price has gone from about $15 to less than $9. With an increase in printings and availability, Yuriko has snuck her way into collections!</p>
<hr />
<h3>8: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Creation" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Creation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: Unranked)<br />
348 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omnath, Locus of Creation"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Omnath rises back into the ratings, proving the embodiment of mana is back in its element! One reason for its rise is the newly-revealed textless version, which has some people looking to brew a deck to use the gorgeous treatment. It certainly seems funny to see a card go from a veritable novel of rules text to no text at all! Omnath, like Isshin, also benefits from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OErPKHLnuT0">Extra Turns</a> influence, as the version played by Jake Boss was VERY spicy! What’s nastier than a Standard-format-breaking monster of a card advantage engine? Copying it with cards that invalidate the legend rule, letting you stack up the Landfall triggers!</p>
<hr />
<h3>9: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Last Week: 7)<br />
347 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Hopefully, the Dominarians have packed their Dragons, because that seems to be the solution to keeping Phyrexians like Atraxa down. While the <em>Double Masters</em> reprint did drop the price about $5, there were fewer decks built around Atraxa this week as compared to last week. There are a variety of builds, ranging from Superfriends to keywords to Angel tribal, and even to Elf tribal! A commander with such a myriad of options will always be popular, but Atraxa’s time on the list may be wavering without a powerful, specific direction.</p>
<hr />
<h3>10: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (First Appearance)<br />
324 Decks</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaalia of the Vast"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Kaalia flies into the list, escorted by a cadre of Demons, Angels and… Dragons? Could it be? Is there a <em>third </em>Dragon commander on the list? Either way, this Mardu menace combines the attack triggers of Isshin, who can be played in the deck, with the red Dragons of Miirym and the support cards of The Ur-Dragon. Bypassing mana costs, soaring through the air, and taking advantage of three powerful creature types, which are united by color, evasion, and ubiquity, Kaalia rules the skies and has enough diversity in builds to maintain a spot!</p>
<hr />
<p>Dropped Out: <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shorikai, Genesis Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Shorikai, Genesis Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>These are the 10 most popular decks on EDHREC as of this week. Which ones have you built? What are some interesting ways you’ve seen them taken? What’s the Latest Hotness inspiring you?</p>
<p>‘Til next week!</p>


The Latest Hotness - 7/24/2022-7/29/2022

Single Combat - Hapax Magic, a True Singleton Format

Ranking Every Battlecruiser Card (8 CMC+) with EDHREC – Part 29: Clash of the Titans

Too-Specific Top 10 - Mana Positive

Evasive Maneuvers — Iron Chef Burakos

Do Your Worst - Azorius Treasures

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isshin, Two Heavens as One" href="#" target="_blank">Isshin, Two Heavens as One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.ryanpancoast.com/">Ryan Pancoast</a>)</h6>
<h1>The Latest Hotness: 7/22/2022</h1>
<p>Welcome to <em>The Latest Hotness</em>! I'm Jeremy Rowe, also known as Coach J Ro and the Unsummoned Skull. This is a Power Rankings series, based on the week-to-week shifts in popularity in terms of the number of decks built and recorded through EDHREC’s data collection process. I'll describe any new decks that come up, explain shifts in popularity, give examples of cards that may account for this (either new printings or cards with renewed interest), and show the decks one is likely to see in a random pod. Always remember, though, that one of the things that makes EDH such an incredible format is that players play what they love, whether it's popular or not!</p>
<p>Let's look at which commanders have been the most frequently built in the last week!</p>
<hr />
<h3>1: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #1)<br />
702 New Decks This Week</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Dragon decks are all the rage, and Miirym still rules the roost! Last week it received over 870 new decks, and even though this week's number for Miirym is down by over 150 decks, it's <em>still </em>the most popular commander on deckbuilding sites right now! The ability to clone Dragons whenever they enter the battlefield is an incredibly powerful effect, and would be impactful even without its ability to remove the legendary supertype. Its ability doesn't care about how the creature enters the battlefield, so cheating mana costs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or blinking the Dragons, makes tons of useful copies. Copying all those legends is what really kicks this commander into overdrive. Have you ever attacked with multiple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrakkus the Butcher" href="#" target="_blank">Thrakkus the Butcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s? Quadrupling is the new doubling!</p>
<hr />
<h3>2: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #2)<br />
453 New Decks This Week</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Like its three-color counterpart, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still relishing one of the top spots. Also like Miirym, this draconic commander received 100 fewer new decks than last week. In particular, lists are starting to feature more of the Dragons from <em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Copper Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Copper Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an especially noteworthy powerhouse, creating a d20's worth of Treasures each time it connects. With the generic cost reduction from the <em>Eminence</em> ability, not only does the Copper Dragon come out a turn earlier, but it also enables a bevy of post-combat plays! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Gold Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Gold Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a similarly game-altering card, serving as a way to split the strategy between going big and going wide, bowling over opponents with its 7/10 stats and its token-making ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is definitely enjoying its new toys.</p>
<hr />
<h3>3: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver" href="#" target="_blank">Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #3)<br />
406 New Decks This Week</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>In general, there wasn't a lot of movement among the top decks, and Wilhelt held his position from last week. I suppose shambling, decaying Zombies can thrive in an environment when everything else is slowing down. I notice that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse" href="#" target="_blank">An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has cropped up in about a third of new Wilhelt decks that have been built since <em>Streets of New Capenna </em>released. One-mana counterspells are solid role players, and definitely worth the price of giving an opponent a couple of Treasure tokens. Speaking of which, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agent of the Iron Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Agent of the Iron Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s appearing in about a fifth of Wilhelt decks that have been built or upgraded since <em>Baldur's Gate </em>released, and I'm interested to see whether that number continues to climb for this very sacrifice-happy commander!</p>
<hr />
<h3>4: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #4)<br />
392 New Decks This Week</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prosper, Tome-Bound"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Prosper also holds his #4 spot this week, despite almost 100 fewer decks being built with him as commander compared to last week. This unique brand of card advantage and ramp continues to be powerful and popular, and the cards in Prosper's 99 demonstrate why. For instance, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Professional Face-Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Professional Face-Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants Prosper tons of Treasures <em>and </em>lets him use them for even more card advantage, and whenever Prosper plays those cards the Face-Breaker found, he gets <em>even more Treasures! </em>Additionally, this Tiefling also loves the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urabrask, Heretic Praetor" href="#" target="_blank">Urabrask, Heretic Praetor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, whose tip-the-scales impulse draw effect assists the exile-based strategy while also hampering enemies and imperiling their instant-speed plays. <em>Streets of New Capenna </em>gave Prosper too many toys for him to fall far down the rankings anytime soon.</p>
<hr />
<h3>5: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathril, Blade of the Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Lathril, Blade of the Elves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #5)<br />
382 New Decks This Week</h3>
<h3><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathril, Blade of the Elves"></div></div></h3>
<hr />
<p>Lathril also holds steady as the 5th most-popular commander built in the last week, and with some juicy new additions. One of these additions shifts the way Lathril decks can be built: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultist of the Absolute" href="#" target="_blank">Cultist of the Absolute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an excellent Background for Lathril, pumping the commander and granting it evasion for the low, low price of sacrificing a creature each upkeep - which is easy to pay when your commander makes creatures as a result of combat! Cards like this open the door for even more Voltron-style builds of Lathril, giving the Elf commander even greater versatility.</p>
<hr />
<h3>6: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isshin, Two Heavens as One" href="#" target="_blank">Isshin, Two Heavens as One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #6)<br />
380 New Decks This Week</h3>
<h3><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Isshin, Two Heavens as One"></div></div></h3>
<hr />
<p>The final commander holding his spot is Isshin, a popular combat-oriented commander, who got a mid-week boost from being featured in an <a href="https://youtu.be/OErPKHLnuT0">Extra Turns episode</a> expertly helmed by <a href="https://twitter.com/Brttnymchlle">Ladee Danger</a>. The deck is capable of extremely fast starts and tremendous resiliency. I'm happy to see 40% of the 2,000+ Isshin decks that have been brewed since <em>Streets of New Capenna </em>playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rabble Rousing" href="#" target="_blank">Rabble Rousing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is an impressive source of token creation, especially when Isshin copies it!</p>
<hr />
<h3>7: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #8)<br />
361 New Decks This Week</h3>
<h3><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div></div></h3>
<hr />
<p>Atraxa has moved up a spot! The former #7 commander has slipped down a few ranks, and we'll get to that in just a moment. The growing threat of Phyrexians to the Multiverse has certainly enabled the voice of the Praetors to capitalize on collecting planeswalkers, even if Compleating them isn't a gameplay action yet (sorry, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Compleation" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Compleation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<hr />
<h3>8: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Rank Last Week: #9)<br />
341 New Decks This Week</h3>
<h3><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div></div></h3>
<hr />
<p>Like Atraxa, Yuriko also benefitted from another commander's downshift, and like Lathril, about a fifth of recent Yuriko brews are trying out some new Backgrounds in the 99. In Yuriko's case, the card in question appears to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword Coast Sailor" href="#" target="_blank">Sword Coast Sailor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which grants unblockability to a commander attacking the opponent with the most life (or tied for the most life). Getting Yuriko to slip through for damage can sometimes be tricky for this deck; usually it has to return Yuriko to hand so she can <em>Ninjutsu </em>out again somehow. Plus, most blue unblockability enchantments are usually Auras, so I'd bet this Background is subtly pulling a lot of weight for the folks who've tried it out so far.</p>
<hr />
<h3>9: <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> (Rank Last Week: #7)<br />
336 New Decks This Week</h3>
<h3><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King"></div></div></h3>
<hr />
<p>Korvold had the biggest relative slide of any deck on this list, as fewer people built around him in the last week than the week before. In fact, there were about 100 fewer new Korvold lists added to deckbuilding sites in the last week. Korvold did recently gain a new Dragon counterpart for the 99 in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ziatora, the Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Ziatora, the Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who blasts enemy life totals and provides tons of mana and sacrifices for Korvold's card-drawing and pumping-up abilities. However, is Ziatora potentially competing with Korvold as a contender for a Jund sacrifice deck of its own, and might that draw attention away from the already-well-known Fae-Cursed King?</p>
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<h3>10: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shorikai, Genesis Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Shorikai, Genesis Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (First Appearance)<br />
328 New Decks This Week</h3>
<h3><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shorikai, Genesis Engine"></div></div></h3>
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<p>Finally, some fresh blood! Or rather, metal! Shorikai was an exciting addition to the pool of Azorius commanders, and its motif is reminiscent of giant mecha shows like <em>Mobile Suit Gundam</em>, <em>Big O</em>, and <em>Neon Genesis Evangelion</em>. This mech makes its own Pilots as part of a powerful card-filtering activated ability. One mana for a <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>-style effect that actually nets you card advantage <em>and </em>makes a token? Excellent. Far and away, the most popular build path for Shorikai is centered around Vehicles, though some folks view the commander primarily as a combo or value engine, too. Either way, it's a breath of fresh air for the blue-white color combo.</p>
<hr />
<h2>That's It This Week!</h2>
<p>Dropped Out of the Top 10 Most-Built Commanders of the Past Week: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myrkul, Lord of Bones" href="#" target="_blank">Myrkul, Lord of Bones</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>These are the 10 most popular decks on EDHREC as of this week. Which ones have you built? What are some interesting ways you've seen them taken? What's the Latest Hotness that's inspiring you?</p>
<p>Until next week!</p>


The Latest Hotness - 7/17/2022-7/22/2022

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chishiro, the Shattered Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Chishiro, the Shattered Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lasahido">Lius Lasahido</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="Chishiro, the Shattered Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Chishiro, the Shattered Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chishiro, the Shattered Blade"></div></div>
<p>Chishiro is the real deal! A four-mana 4/4 that has two impactful abilities is already pretty good, but when you factor the ways that these abilities complement each other, we see Chishiro's true potential as a commander. Creating a 2/2 token for each Aura/Equipment that enters the battlefield is a pretty good rate, especially since there are many zero-mana Equipment, and Auras are well-known for their sheer versatility. The end-of-turn trigger can also be pretty powerful and can snowball pretty hard if we invest in counters synergies, since +1/+1 counters counts as modifications.</p>
<p>Red is perfect for going wide, and it offers cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for token-centric builds, while green has counter-based support, which we can use to leverage Chishiro's second ability for a more go-tall build.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>Chishiro's kit tends to point towards a go-wide strategy, and leveraging all the extra value from our spells to build a giant board - but what if we instead used our threats to go <em>taller</em>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thundersteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aradara Express"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Esika&#039;s Chariot"></div></div>
<p>Vehicles are cost-effective threats that have an implicit cost of needing other creatures to <em>Crew</em> them (I'll refer to those as 'pilots'). Chishiro provides a constant stream of 2/2s while still allowing us to advance our board by playing Aura-based mana acceleration or removal. It may sound suspicious at first, but the end result is a surprisingly smooth playstyle!</p>
<p>For our Vehicle selection, a good place to start is by looking at <em>Crew</em> costs that come in multiples of 2. For instance, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika&#039;s Chariot" href="#" target="_blank">Esika&#039;s Chariot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an efficient way to make more tokens while maintaining a clock, and we have almost no trouble activating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mighty Servant of Leuk-o" href="#" target="_blank">Mighty Servant of Leuk-o</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s <em>Crew</em> trigger, so it becomes a reliable source of card advantage that also smashes faces. Given that most of our cards are noncreatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzium Tank" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzium Tank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a freebie that also grows, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thundersteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Thundersteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an exciting top-end threat that can easily push through that last bit of damage that we need.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nylea&#039;s Presence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Mantle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kenrith&#039;s Transformation"></div></div>
<p>Our commander doesn't care who or what our Auras are placed on, merely that they enter the battlefield under our control. As such, we can play around with different effects to fill our Aura quota. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overgrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Overgrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects are usually less popular than their traditional ramp counterparts, but they allow us to play a large number of Auras and create lots of 2/2 tokens without sacrificing precious deck space. These Auras come in two different types: the vanilla, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fertile Ground" href="#" target="_blank">Fertile Ground</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are early-to-mid-game-focused and provide more ramp for less mana; and the utility Auras, which come with small benefits attached to them, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith&#039;s Transformation" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith&#039;s Transformation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are good draws all around, and they're even better when they knock down a terrible threat <em>and </em>create a creature for us!</p>
<p>Cheap cantripping Auras, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Mantle" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Mantle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frog Tongue" href="#" target="_blank">Frog Tongue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are the lifeblood of our deck, acting as decent draw effects with excellent upside. One mana to draw a card and create a 2/2 token is dang powerful. We don't even care all that much about any further effects when these cheap enchantments draw cards!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reclamation Sage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Professional Face-Breaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quicksmith Genius"></div></div>
<p>One of the best things about Vehicle decks is that the usual utility creatures become pilots, so there's a lot of space to play around. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of Lambholt" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of Lambholt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card for Chishiro in general and gives evasion to our already beefy threats. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Professional Face-Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Professional Face-Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us an impressive combination of both mana ramp and card draw, which helps us in the early to mid-game, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksmith Genius" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksmith Genius</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great at filtering cards in our hand.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="header"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Chishiro Vehicles" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Chishiro, The Shattered Blade
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Accorder&#039;s Shield
*Bone Saw
*Cathar&#039;s Shield
*Kite Shield
*Paradise Mantle
*Sigil of Distinction
*Spidersilk Net
*Sol Ring
*Heart of Kiran
*Lightning Greaves
*Reckoner Bankbuster
*Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*Swiftfoot Boots
*Unlicensed Hearse
*Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*Darksteel Plate
*Mighty Servant of Leuk-o
*Mizzium Tank
*Renegade Freighter
*Esika&#039;s Chariot
*Fleetwheel Cruiser
*Hoard Hauler
*Nautiloid Ship
*Smuggler&#039;s Buggy
*Surgehacker Mech
*Untethered Express
*Weatherlight
*Aradara Express
*Ballista Charger
*Enchanted Carriage
*Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*Thundersteel Colossus
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Speedway Fanatic
*Champion of Lambholt
*Eternal Witness
*Foundry Inspector
*Professional Face-Breaker
*Quicksmith Genius
*Reclamation Sage
*Shimmer Myr
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Abundant Growth
*Dragon Mantle
*Frog Tongue
*Rancor
*Spider Umbra
*Unbridled Growth
*Utopia Sprawl
*Wild Growth
*Fertile Ground
*Kenrith&#039;s Transformation
*Lignify
*Nylea&#039;s Presence
*Rune of Might
*Rune of Speed
*Wolfwillow Haven
*Grafted Growth
*Overgrowth
*Song of Dryad
*Weirding Wood
*Market Festival
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Chaos Warp
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Copperline Gorge
*Cragcrown Pathway
*Exotic Orchard
*Game Trail
*Ghost Quarter
*Inventors&#039; Fair
*Karplusan Forest
*Mana Confluence
*Rootbound Crag
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Abandon
*12 Forest
*9 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<p>Aside from our ramp Auras pulling a two-for-one when our commander is out, we also get plenty of value from our utility-based Vehicles: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoard Hauler" href="#" target="_blank">Hoard Hauler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are good ways to get ahead in mana, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unlicensed Hearse" href="#" target="_blank">Unlicensed Hearse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nautiloid Ship" href="#" target="_blank">Nautiloid Ship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are "free" sources of graveyard hate, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckoner Bankbuster" href="#" target="_blank">Reckoner Bankbuster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Copter" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Copter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide more card draw, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surgehacker Mech" href="#" target="_blank">Surgehacker Mech</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skysovereign, Consul Flagship" href="#" target="_blank">Skysovereign, Consul Flagship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are solid creature and planeswalker removal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Saw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unlicensed Hearse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Plate"></div></div>
<p>Our Equipment suite is a lot less flashy than our Aura suite, but don't sleep on them. We have two types of Equipment: 'cheerios' and protection pieces. The first type, cheerios, are zero-mana Equipment, which serve as a great way to fill our board with tons of tokens all at once. I recommend sandbagging cheerios, holding them in hand to help rebuild after someone plays a board wipe and we need to reestablish our board. The second type are the usual protection Equipment, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are crucial because they help us keep our commander around, and we need that extra time for Chishiro to spit out all those pilots!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we're mostly looking for some cheap threats and enablers (Auras and Equipment). While it's true that our gameplan starts after we get our commander into play, that doesn't mean we have zero meaningful choices in the prior turns. Setting up our board by playing our Vehicles is one important step, and so is knowing when to commit our commander to the board. Usually, it's better to wait until we can cast him <em>and </em>several Auras on the same turn, to get immediate value out of him.</p>
<p>By the mid game, we should have a couple of Vehicles out and should start pressuring our opponents by activating them and attacking frequently. Usually, this stage of the game is when the board wipes start coming out, but this is why Vehicles work so nicely with Chishiro in the first place - our pilots are destroyable, but our actual threats dodge board wipes extremely well. We only need to care about keeping our commander safe. If he's removed too many times, we may have a rough go of it, but since so many of our Auras are also cantrips, it's hard for this deck to ever run out of steam!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enchantress&#039;s Presence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daretti, Scrap Savant"></div></div>
<p>Chishiro is a versatile commander, and many readers may see the decklist and seek to make some adaptations. There are two main directions I think the list above could take when deciding upon future upgrades and evolutions: artifact/Equipment matters, and enchantments/Aura matters. I went for a more balanced build between the two, but there's plenty of power to be had when streamlining along just one of these themes.</p>
<p>The enchantment route has plenty of draw power, especially with Enchantress cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enchantress&#039;s Presence" href="#" target="_blank">Enchantress&#039;s Presence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Setessan Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Setessan Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes the ramp and removal suite even more effective. Meanwhile, the artifact route feels a bit better against removal-heavy games, since it gets a lot of recursion pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Making tons of 2/2 tokens after a huge <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does sound pretty wild. Enchantment themes lean into green's strengths, while artifact themes lean into red's, so the choice of streamlining the deck may depend upon your favorite color for modifications!</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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