Strixhaven Set Review - Prismari and Blue

Strixhaven Set Review - Silverquill and White

Ranking Every Equipment with EDHREC – Part 6: I Put a Spell on You.

Too-Specific Top 10 - Ctrl+C

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spirit of the Night" href="#" target="_blank">Spirit of the Night</a> | Art by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Nielsen">Cliff Nielsen</a>)</h6>
<h1>Introduction</h1>
We find ourselves in a transitory place. A place that marks the arrival, or the passing, of a great scholar or fabled ruler. This ephemeral land is heralded by the qilin, or Kirin. The Dragon Giraffe. They inhabit a duality of space, for the transmundane quickly descends back to grounded earth. For that brief auspicious hour that they do appear, they are arbiters of chiaroscuro perception - they are at once scaled in dazzling jewels, precious metals, and the fragments of stars - and modestly unadorned, armored by mud and the austere bells of mountain ascetics.
They are fearsome and exactingly just. They see guilt or innocence, good or evil, but not the humanity between.
Perfect for a Dual Shot.
And welcome to this latest experiment, where we brew two decks at the same time... in one deck. Our Kirin commander today is not quite as auspicious as the myths would hold - this one has been twisted, its voice of bells now detuned. Our deck-within-a-deck is led by <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Kirin</a>, and it would have us play a proper divergence.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infernal Kirin"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1>Any Color You Want... So Long as it's Black</h1>
All of the <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28type%3Alegendary+type%3Akirin%29">Kirin Legends</a> want us doing multiple things. Most immediately in that manner particular (and parasitic) to Kamigawa, whereby Spirit and Arcane are lumped together. But then they each do something else. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bounteous Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Bounteous Kirin</a> gains you life, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudhoof Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudhoof Kirin</a> mills. So firstly, you have the instances of overlap between <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/spirits">Spirit</a> creatures and Arcane spells.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Devouring Greed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullmane Baku"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of the Waning Moon"></div></div>
Effects like Splice and Soulshift are very clearly predicated on this. But each Kirin allows us to go beyond this encouraged combination of subtypes. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Kirin</a> wants us to play <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/discard">discard</a>, and to that end, there are bridges to be seen through the mist.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kemuri-Onna"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="He Who Hungers"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Banshee of the Dread Choir"></div></div>
As our commander's discard effect is quite specific, and targeted, it's not advisable to rely on that channel for hand hate, and indeed, one might consider utilizing the abilities of this Kirin - or any of its peers - in an incidental capacity. So although we're running several discard effects as Arcane sorceries or Spirit creature abilities, our discard payoffs are minimal. We look to prioritize our winning strategy through mass mana generation into something like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a>, and by generating a wide board state full of Spirits to sink into <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devouring Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Devouring Greed</a>. All the while nattering away at our opponents' longevity with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thief of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Thief of Hope</a>, or heavier guilts like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choice of Damnations" href="#" target="_blank">Choice of Damnations</a> and the black classic <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Dragon Giraffe" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Infernal Kirin
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Kami of the Waning Moon
*1 Kyoki, Sanity&#039;s Eclipse
*1 Kemuri-Onna
*1 Skullmane Baku
*1 Thief of Hope
*1 He Who Hungers
*1 Balthor the Defiled
*1 Iname, Death Aspect
*1 Akuta, Born of Ash
*1 Spirit of the Night
*1 Banshee of the Dread Choir
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Ghost-Lit Stalker
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Graveborn Muse
*1 Hypnotic Specter
*1 Tergrid, God of Fright
*1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
*1 Orzhov Racketeers
*1 Orzhov Enforcer
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 God-Eternal Bontu
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Baku Altar
*1 Maskwood Nexus
*1 Nihil Spellbomb
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Cabal Ritual
*1 Goryo&#039;s Vengeance
*1 Horobi&#039;s Whisper
*1 Soulless Revival
*1 Hideous Laughter
*1 Broken Visage
*1 Songs of the Damned
*1 Seize the Soul
*1 Call for Blood
*1 Sickening Shoal
*1 Soul Shatter
*1 Price of Fame
*1 Doom Blade
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Devouring Greed
*1 Choice of Damnations
*1 Cranial Extraction
*1 Footsteps of the Goryo
*1 Swallowing Plague
*1 Sink into Takenuma
*1 Waking Nightmare
*1 Three Tragedies
*1 Kindred Dominance
*1 Languish
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Exsanguinate
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Black Market
*1 Dawn of the Dead
*1 Raiders&#039; Wake
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 The Eldest Reborn
*1 Underworld Connections
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage
*1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Hagra Mauling
*1 Pelakka Predation
*25 Swamp
*1 Everglades
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bottomless Vault
*1 Shizo, Death&#039;s Storehouse
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Field of Ruin
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Castle Locthwain
*1 Cabal Stronghold
[/Lands]"></div>

<hr />
<h1>Transitory Lands</h1>
Ah, speaking of lands, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt of Agadeem" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt of Agadeem</a> is one part of a powerful and elaborate win condition for us. Elsewise, the lands in this list provide pretty typical utility and, uh, black mana, but together with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Songs of the Damned" href="#" target="_blank">Songs of the Damned</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt of Agadeem" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt of Agadeem</a> can do some pretty vile things with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iname, Death Aspect" href="#" target="_blank">Iname, Death Aspect</a>. We can fuel <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a> or even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swallowing Plague" href="#" target="_blank">Swallowing Plague</a> if we need to deal with something, or we can pivot into something more traditionally aggressive with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balthor the Defiled" href="#" target="_blank">Balthor the Defiled</a>, with the hopes of creating a greatly asymmetrical board state in our favor. At a smaller scale, you can churn the dead souls of the past with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goryo&#039;s Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Goryo&#039;s Vengeance</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn of the Dead</a>, playing with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundial of the Infinite" href="#" target="_blank">Sundial of the Infinite</a> to cheat impermanence.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crypt of Agadeem"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Kirin</a> does a good job of performing hand hate and disrupting combos, but we're not really trying to win with discard - instead, our general tends to glide more along the lines of interruption. Also, for one added boon, shout-out to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrgBD_tuz9f7qIiooB8LVLQ/featured">EDH Deckbuilding</a> for the Iname + Maskwood <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES6kHlqPEmU">idea</a>, which ricocheted into our Rogues and Specters and Gods becoming Spirits, pleasing our Kirin, and enabling Balthor to pump our whole board, since with Maskwood, everything is a Minion!
Even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon</a> will be a Minion! Skittles is as robust an alternate win condition as ever, but everyone's favorite Dragon Skeleton costs half as much as THPS1+2 for the PS4 (or costs as much as half a copy, if you're in the market for something like THPS1+2-2).
I, uh... look, if you want to replace it, start by bolstering the discard strategy with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana&#039;s Caress" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana&#039;s Caress</a>, or if you want to replace that, then <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megrim" href="#" target="_blank">Megrim</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Megrim"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Painful Quandary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tinybones, Trinket Thief"></div></div>
You can go pretty nuts with upgrading the discard side of the deck, with big movers like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waste Not" href="#" target="_blank">Waste Not</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Painful Quandary" href="#" target="_blank">Painful Quandary</a>, but then you run the risk of just streamlining, leaning hard into optimization, and turning into a Tinybones deck, and we wouldn't want that. (Wait, wouldn't we?)
<hr />
<h1>Conclusion</h1>
That's it for this experiment. Finding cards that act as powerful bridges between themes is integral when trying to do everything a busy commander might have you doing. You can easily (and perhaps responsibly) pilot <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a> as a flying tribal or Faerie tribal commander, and rely on her <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/dual-shot-true-duality/">other abilities</a> for incidental value - you were going to run <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banishing Light" href="#" target="_blank">Banishing Light</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a> anyway, right? But finding cards that ford those rivers allows room for interesting, undiscovered synergies - not to mention added elegance and enjoyment of the game.
Here, cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baku Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Baku Altar</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kemuri-Onna" href="#" target="_blank">Kemuri-Onna</a> proved to be capable unifiers, where <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akuta, Born of Ash" href="#" target="_blank">Akuta, Born of Ash</a> seems an obvious first cut. And the interplay between <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iname, Death Aspect" href="#" target="_blank">Iname, Death Aspect</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maskwood Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maskwood Nexus</a> allows us to get a lot stranger with this list. Just keep in mind that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Kirin</a> rewards a variety of converted mana costs (or, mana values). What unexpected synergies have you gleaned from pseudotribal commanders like the Kirin? What about from abilities generally considered to be parasitic, like Splice? Let us know in the comments! Til next time.

Dual Shot - The Dragon Giraffe

<h1>The Truth Comes Out At Last</h1>
Sunlight streams in through the high windows of the mansion to illuminate the grand ballroom before me. Seated in the largest of the lavish plush armchairs, Don Miner, creator of EDHREC, sighs contentedly as he gently nibbles his caviar.
“Yes, a scam,” he says, his feet lazily propped up on an ottoman made out of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah</a>s. “The goal of EDHREC is, and always was, a get-rich-quick scheme that would dismantle the entire Commander format from the inside out.”
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/expropriate-art.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-63847 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/expropriate-art.png" alt="" width="550" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/expropriate-art.png 550w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/expropriate-art-300x164.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></a>
According to the now-billionaire Miner, the website EDHREC, long believed to be a Commander deckbuilding assistance tool for the benefit of the entire Magic: the Gathering community, was never intended to help anyone but himself.
“I’m astonished the idea worked in the first place, to be honest,” Miner says as he counts his 500th pile of $100-bills. “A website that purports to collect data from deckbuilding websites and compile it to show everyone the most common cards played for any given commander? It’s absurd on its face. But all you have to do is say, ‘It helps make sure you don’t forget about obvious cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a>,’ and people lap it up.”
When questioned about the members of the Magic community who have accused EDHREC of homogenizing the format, Don chuckles appreciatively and sets his drink down on the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a> he uses as a coaster. “Of course it is. We use subliminal messaging in the frame of every single part of the website that forces players into using the cards we want them to. There’s no personal choice involved whatsoever.”
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/illusion-of-choice-art.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-63848 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/illusion-of-choice-art.jpg" alt="" width="510" height="296" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/illusion-of-choice-art.jpg 510w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/illusion-of-choice-art-300x174.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px" /></a>
“The data is made up, obviously,” he continues as he sprinkles gold flakes on his steak tartare, which a butler serves to him on a platter made out of Kaladesh Masterpieces. “There’s no algorithm in the world that could come up with all that fluff. The numbers all originate from the brains of my cohorts. In fact, you have no idea how far up this goes.”
The format-ruining monster appears to derive a great deal of delight from withholding precisely what he means by this statement, but eventually he relents.
“I have people inside Wizards of the Coast who decide on the numbers for me. When they want some set to sell, they send me encrypted messages, asking me to tweak the data. All I have to do is press a couple of buttons, and bam. Suddenly <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golos, Tireless Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Golos</a> is #1, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa</a>, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha</a>. Now everyone is encouraged to go buy more packs from some new set, or rushes to get the latest precon.”
“Naturally, it’s not just about feigning popularity,” he continues after notifying his assistant to refuel his second yacht. “When they don’t want people to think white is any good in Commander, for instance, we suppress the data for all the new Boros legends. Sultai is actually extremely unpopular in paper, but I guess someone at WotC loves making Sultai commanders, so we make sure to always pump up the numbers on them.”
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sultai-art.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-63851 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sultai-art.jpg" alt="" width="603" height="230" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sultai-art.jpg 1017w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sultai-art-300x114.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sultai-art-768x293.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px" /></a>
When asked for specific names within Wizards of the Coast that have assisted him in this elaborate ruse, Don hesitates between puffs of his Wyrmwood-crafted smoking pipe.
“I won’t name names, but if they have #WotCStaff in their profiles, I’d be wary if I were you.” He exhales, eventually extinguishing his pipe by gently stuffing unused Dragonshield matte sleeves into it. “Wizards hates Commander, always has. All those Commander-oriented cards that get banned in other formats, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Creation" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath</a>, or the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream Den" href="#" target="_blank">Companions</a>? It’s all a part of the plan, to help get Standard and Modern players to hate Commander-focused cards, too.”
Spying the shocked expression on my face, Mr. Miner can’t help but chortle.
“You all really have no one to blame but yourselves,” he insists, curtly blowing his nose on a handkerchief made out of the original art print for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underground Sea" href="#" target="_blank">Underground Sea</a>. “It’s been right there in your faces the whole time. Why do you think it’s called EDHREC? It’s here to wreck the format.” 
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/erratic-explosion-art.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-63849 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/erratic-explosion-art.jpg" alt="" width="417" height="305" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/erratic-explosion-art.jpg 417w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/erratic-explosion-art-300x219.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px" /></a>
Mr. Miner briefly pauses our interview to sign the deed to his fourth private island. When he returns, the conversation turns to alternative names for the website. 
“We considered EDHCON for a while, which we’d allege stood for deck ‘Construction’ but it just didn’t fit. We definitely didn’t want to use “Commander” in the name at all, or else people might correctly deduce that we, just like the Rules Committee, were deep in the company’s pockets. Using ‘EDH’ provided a small but significant mental barrier that kept everyone from uncovering the truth.” 
He smiles to himself, eyes glittering with a malice that only the ownership of 85% of the world’s supply of Reserved List cards can provide.
“In fact, I bet none of you peons ever cracked the code. EDHREC doesn’t stand for Elder Dragon Highlander Recommendations at all. It stands for Everyone Dumbly Homogenizing my Ridiculously Expensive Cash-Cow.”
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cow-art.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-63850 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cow-art.jpg" alt="" width="543" height="397" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cow-art.jpg 900w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cow-art-300x219.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cow-art-768x561.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 543px) 100vw, 543px" /></a>
Eventually, I find myself left with only one question to ask: Why? Why do this?
“Because once, a long time ago, I played against someone who used a card in her deck that I’d never heard of before, and I never got over my incessant need to outsmart everybody else and tell them what to do.” He crosses his arms and gives me a pouty glare from across the table, which is propped up by a stack of dozens of stolen trading binders. 
I was informed later by his limousine driver that the card in question that Mr. Miner had never heard of before was an obscure, esoteric card called ‘<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plains" href="#" target="_blank">Plains</a>’. Though I have reached out to Wizards of the Coast to ask if there are any formats where this card sees play, they have declined to comment.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plains"></div></div>
It’s safe to say I learned a lot from my interview at the Miner mansion. Though I have been assured by Mr. Miner that my reporting is unlikely to land me in hot water with Wizards of the Coast, I confess that I did spy a higher-than-average number of cars following me home with conspicuously Magic-related license plates and bumper stickers, such as “Simic 4 Life”, “JACELVR”, and the word “Coexist” written entirely in Phyrexian script.
But now you know the truth. One can only hope this scandal will bring men like Miner to justice. For now, I am left with nothing but a vague sense of fear and hope, as well as the memory of Mr. Miner’s final comments to me, when he told me to keep an eye out for his upcoming projects, WOWREC, LOLREC, and POKE-REC.

The Truth REVEALED - EDHREC Creator Confesses Plot to Destroy Format

(Non)Evasive Maneuvers — Banding

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathril, Blade of the Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Lathril, Blade of the Elves</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/carolinegariba">Caroline Gariba</a>)</h6>
<h1></h1>
<h1>Epic Preparation</h1>
Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is Epic Experiment, 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.
For this article, we'll be taking a look at one of the two commanders from the Kaldheim Commander product: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathril, Blade of the Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Lathril, Blade of the Elves</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathril, Blade of the Elves"></div></div>
Menace
Whenever Lathril, Blade of the Elves deals combat damage to a player, create that many 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature tokens.
{T}, Tap ten untapped Elves you control: Each opponent loses 10 life and you gain 10 life.
Observation 1
Lathril is a powerful Elf commander. It has a bunch of powerful synergies that get out of hand fast if left unchecked.
Observation 2
Lathril has two strong abilities. The first is a powerful token-making ability that can go completely crazy with cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alpha Status" href="#" target="_blank">Alpha Status</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a>. The second is a big life drain effect that is a great source of reach for the archetype as a whole.
Observation 3
The first ability, while strong, offers a bit of a challenge. In order for it to be effective, we need to build around it, which makes the Elfball-style list a bit less consistent.
Observation 4
The second ability is easier to integrate into standard Elfball strategies. It's very easy to turn Lathril's activated ability into a combo finisher; cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quest for Renewal" href="#" target="_blank">Quest for Renewal</a> can single-handedly finish a table.
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lathril-Sig.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-63610" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lathril-Sig-1024x519.png" alt="" width="616" height="312" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lathril-Sig-1024x519.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lathril-Sig-300x152.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lathril-Sig-768x389.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lathril-Sig.png 1229w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" /></a>
It's no surprise that most lists out there are tribal-focused. Lathril is an exciting commander with plenty of room to work with.
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fireshrieker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gaea&#039;s Embrace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rime Transfusion"></div></div>
Both Lathril's kit and the Elf archetype want the same thing: to swarm our board with cheap creatures and to eventually use them to leverage a win, either by play big haymakers like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a> or by using effects like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shaman of The Pack" href="#" target="_blank">Shaman of The Pack</a>. While this gameplan usually involves playing creatures cards, Lathril provides an alternative: beating our opponents to make our army. By investing in this beatdown path, not only do we get the obvious Voltron win condition, we also get two secondary win conditions: token beatdown and life drain. Usually in Voltron, there are three key elements that we need to balance: Power, Evasion, and Protection. We lack all those elements, which means that our Voltron suite needs to be as versatile as possible in order to cover more ground as quick as possible.
Most of our cards grant power since it's the stat that our commander most cares about, but there are a few that are specifically here for it. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grafted Wargear" href="#" target="_blank">Grafted Wargear</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rosethorn Halberd" href="#" target="_blank">Rosethorn Halberd</a> work pretty similarly, they're both cheap spikes in power that can be Equipped for free. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inquisitor&#039;s Flail" href="#" target="_blank">Inquisitor&#039;s Flail</a> are some of the most effective ways to pump our commander, while in most cases they work the same way, there are a few instances where having first strike damage makes all the difference, such as with cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alpha Status" href="#" target="_blank">Alpha Status</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a>. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fallen Ideal" href="#" target="_blank">Fallen Ideal</a> is a great top deck later on when it can act as a combo finisher or even as a source of grind.
Evasion is also crucial for our commander; after all we need to connect to get our Elves. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haunted Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Haunted Cloak</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Vengeance</a> give us a bunch of keywords, but most importantly they give Lathril trample. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Embrace" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Embrace</a> is a powerful Aura that not only is very cost-effective, granting three power and flying for three mana, but it can be played from the graveyard. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune of Might" href="#" target="_blank">Rune of Might</a> is a cool new addition: two mana for one extra power and trample that even cantrips; it's also a bit safer than the average Aura because it can target a Equipment piece instead of Lathril
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Champion&#039;s Helm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Plate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider Umbra"></div></div>
Since we plan on having our commander stick around, protection is a must-have. One thing to note is that, out of those three elements, this one scales the best in multiples. Sure, we need a lot of Power to knock people out and make our tokens, but there are a few damage threshold (like 7/11/21 power) that limit our clock. But when we get to mix indestructible, hexproof, Totem Armor, and Regenerate, it gets exponentially harder to remove our commander. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alpha Authority" href="#" target="_blank">Alpha Authority</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canopy Cover" href="#" target="_blank">Canopy Cover</a> all give hexproof, which is usually step one into getting our commander to stick around. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander&#039;s Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Commander&#039;s Plate</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Fire and Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Fire and Ice</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a> give us protection against white, blue, and red (having protection from either of our colors is a bit dangerous because we risk losing our Auras).
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Lathril Voltron" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Lathril, Blade of the Elves
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Cliffhaven Kitesail
*Commander&#039;s Plate
*Rosethorn Halberd
*Shadowspear
*Sol Ring
*Inquisitor&#039;s Flail
*Swiftfoot Boots
*Champion&#039;s Helm
*Fireshrieker
*Grafted Wargear
*Haunted Cloak
*Sword of Fire and Ice
*Sword of Truth and Justice
*Sword of Vengeance
*Hammer of Nazahn
*Coat of Arms
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Birchlore Rangers
*Boreal Druid
*Elves of Deep Shadow
*Elvish Mystic
*Fyndhorn Elves
*Heritage Druid
*Llanowar Elves
*Devoted Druid
*Incubation Druid
*Priest of Titania
*Elvish Archdruid
*Ezuri, Renegade Leader
*Timberwatch Elf
*Toski, Bearer of Secrets
*Seedborn Muse
*Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
*Regal Force
*Craterhoof Behemoth
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Concordant Crossroads
*Rancor
*Spider Umbra
*Alpha Authority
*Canopy Cover
*Rime Transfusion
*Rune of Might
*Alpha Status
*Beastmaster Ascension
*Demonic Embrace
*Fallen Ideal
*Snake Umbra
*Vow of Malice
*Vow of Wildness
*Bear Umbra
*Gaea&#039;s Embrace
*Gift of Doom
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Summoner&#039;s Pact
*Malakir Rebirth
*Nature&#039;s Claim
*Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*Chord of Calling
*Hero&#039;s Downfall
*Khalni Ambush
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Agadeem&#039;s Awakening
*Bala Ged Recovery
*Toxic Deluge
*Damnation
*Natural Order
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blooming Marsh
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Darkbore Pathway
*Llanowar Wastes
*Mana Confluence
*Overgrown Tomb
*Temple of Malady
*Twilight Mire
*Undergrowth Stadium
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Woodland Cemetery
*17 Snow-Covered Forest
*7 Snow-Covered Swamp
[/Land]"></div>

<hr />
We have an array of silver bullets (and a tutor suite to fetch them) that can support us in all sorts of board states. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a> is great at finishing off one or two players in a single attack, and the extra tokens that we get are also pretty nice if the game goes on longer. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezuri, Renegade Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Ezuri, Renegade Leader</a> is a great grinding finisher, providing a solid source of protection and a constant anthem effect that, if left unchecked, can take over the game. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a> is really powerful; in fact, once we get enough creatures to activate Lathril, it's basically one kill per turn cycle! Finally, there's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon</a>, a secondary Voltron threat that's always nice to have, and the fact that it has built-in haste helps out a lot.
We are packing an Elfball mana package for two reasons: we need the extra mana to play our commander, which is quite expensive for a Voltron commander, and our Equipment; and the fact that our commander appreciates the extra Elves in play. Most of our one-mana dorks are the usual <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Llanowar Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Llanowar Elves</a> variant, with the exception of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birchlore Rangers" href="#" target="_blank">Birchlore Rangers</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heritage Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Heritage Druid</a>, which are, quite frankly, crazy mid-game mana sources that, unlike <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Archdruid" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Archdruid</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Priest of Titania" href="#" target="_blank">Priest of Titania</a>, don't need to wait a full turn cycle for us to get their value's worth.
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
For opening hands, we're mostly looking for an early mana piece and a few Voltron pieces; we should prioritize either evasion or protection.
In the early game, our priorities are to develop our mana and prepare our board for our commander. Having a four-mana commander is a bit awkward with all of our one-mana acceleration, but we can use downtime to put some Equipment into play. Once Lathril is in play, we need to look for a target to focus on. That choice might be one of convenience, like choosing the player that's open, but we need to make sure that we find the right target.
By the mid-game, we should have our gameplan going. Our tokens can put a lot of work at this point in the game, and they help us mitigate some of that classic Voltron problem of being only able to deal with one opponent at a time. While they probably won't eliminate someone from the game, if we lower their life low enough we might not even need to do the full 21 points of commander damage later on.
Our late game isn't all that exciting, to be honest. However, we do have a few aces in our sleeves, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toski, Bearer of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Toski, Bearer of Secrets</a>, that can help us grind out the last part of the game. Hopefully, by this point we should have eliminated a player or two, so we only need to care about one opponent.
<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="Ancestral Mask"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quest For Renewal"></div></div>
Card draw is a bit lacking so going for a more enchantress-focused build might be something worth looking into. We also get the benefit of having some dedicated pay-off cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Mask" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Mask</a>.
Investing a bit more on the tap ability might be a way to cover some of our deck's weakness, but it might also make it a bit less consistent. Cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quest for Renewal" href="#" target="_blank">Quest for Renewal</a> or even common token-doublers like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parallel Lives" href="#" target="_blank">Parallel Lives</a> can make our Plan B that much more efficient.
That’s it for this Epic Experiment! What do you think about 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!

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