The 600 - Predicting the Popularity of War of the Spark Commanders

The Knowledge Pool - Karametra, God of Harvests

<h2 style="text-align: center;">Mortify: To <span class="hvr">undergo</span> <span class="hvr">tissue</span> <span class="hvr">death</span> or <span class="hvr">become</span> <span class="hvr">gangrenous</span></h2>
<p>Currently, there are 21,123 decks in the EDHREC database running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortify" href="#" target="_blank">Mortify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and not a single one of them should have it as part of the 99.</p>
<p>Welcome to <em>In the Margins, </em>a bi-monthly series where I swipe left on the card choices you make for decks. Am I needlessly cruel? Maybe. But listen, if your Tinder profile has a selfie of you wearing a trilby you've mistaken for a fedora and a <em>Big Bang Theory</em> quote where you spelled the word 'science' then I don't need to check your decklist to see if you're still running Mortify.</p>
<p>It's okay though! All hope is not lost! We're here to rebuild you. We have the technology. Better. Stronger. Faster. Less hats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mortify"></div></div>
<p>First though, Mortify. Mortify burst onto the scene in February of 2006 in the <em>Guildpact</em> set as the other half of a similarly-named card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Putrefy" href="#" target="_blank">Putrefy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which was released just months before. It's been reprinted ten times since, including in multiple Commander precons, and even a printing as recent as January of 2019 in <em>Ravnica Allegiance</em>. During the early part of that run, the card was probably an absolute house.</p>
<p>Time, unfortunately, didn't stop in 2006. If it did, Will Smith's filmography would be way less embarrassing. No, the passage of time is the real monster at the end of this book. The years have brought us cards that are just generally better than Mortify and have displaced it from a slot in your deck, similar to how your step-siblings have displaced you from the loving place in your mother's heart. They're just better, more attractive people, and the love she has to give is finite. And yes, if you haven't caught on by now, I am in fact trying to mortify you in this article about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortify" href="#" target="_blank">Mortify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I'll note here that there are non-power reasons to run Mortify. There's a <a href="https://www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/promotional/mortify-textless">creepy textless version</a> that looks pretty great, though it makes it easy for people to forget whether the card hits artifacts or enchantments. That art's legit. Some people just like to run cards for nostalgic or flavor reasons, too, and I'll never argue with that. Lastly, some of the cards that have supplanted Mortify's spot in the Commander canon are priced north of $5, and it's sometimes easy to forget that such a price can be a decent amount of money for a piece of cardboard. If you like art, Ravnica-themed decks, or brew with a budget, then yes, run Mortify. If none of those reasons are why you're running it, though, you should fix that, and here're the cards that should probably take its place.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span class="hvr">Anguish: Agonizing</span> <span class="hvr">physical</span> or <span class="hvr">mental</span> <span class="hvr">pain;</span> <span class="hvr">torment</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vindicate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utter End"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anguished Unmaking"></div></div>
<p><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> was a $20 dollar card not too many years ago, and even today the least expensive versions hover near $5. It's also a sorcery, so it's not a strictly better alternative. It does hit any target, though. Not just creatures and enchantments, but lands, artifacts and planeswalkers, at the exact same CMC. Destroying a land is the really important one to note, though being able to gank a planeswalker isn't nothing in the wake of <em>War of the Spark</em>. Important lands have cropped up all over the format, though, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Wolf Run" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Wolf Run</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Once upon a time, Vindicate was a card you ran in conjunction with Mortify, but now? Now it's the competition, residing in 12,077 decks. The top commander on EDHREC running Mortify is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with just under 2,000 decks, and of those decks, 1,743 are running Mortify and not running Vindicate. Is Vindicate a flatly better option than Mortify? Not necessarily, given the usefulness of removal at instant speed, but you should consider it as an option for one of your precious deck slots. Consider strongly which types of permanents you most often need to be able to remove, and when they need removing.</p>
<p><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anguished Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Anguished Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> is probably the closest card we have in terms of an apples-to-apples comparison. It's the exact same CMC, is also an instant, it exiles the target, and also hits planeswalkers and artifacts. That's a pretty huge upside at the cost of a mere three life in the two best lifegain colors in the game. Don't forget how important exiling is when compared to destruction, too; not only does it evade indestructibility, but Meren, Muldrotha, and Daretti can't revive things when they're sent beyond the grave.</p>
<p>It's currently in 26,426 decks on EDHREC. Three of the top five most popular commanders of all time are capable of running Anguished Unmaking: Atraxa, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breya, Etherium Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Breya, Etherium Shaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic" href="#" target="_blank">Oloro, Ageless Ascetic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Of those, 23% of Atraxa decks, 11% of Breya decks, and 16% of Oloro decks are running Mortify and not Anguished Unmaking. I'll note here that the Atraxa precon did come with Mortify in the list, which is probably why that number is higher. But the number should not be higher. Make the change.</p>
<p><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utter End" href="#" target="_blank">Utter End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> is four mana vs three, and four mana is a lot for an instant-speed single-target removal spell. Frankly, three is a lot, too, but four is a <em>lot</em> lot. Still, it exiles anything that isn't a land, and it doesn't cost you life like Anguished Unmaking. So is it better than Mortify? Probably? There's no way to mathematically say that paying one more mana is worth being able to exile what you hit, and to also hit planeswalkers and enchantments, but for me personally, I think it is. If you draw a Mortify against an artifact player, you're in trouble, but if you draw an Utter End, you know you can deal with almost any problem, and you can deal with it in a way that's almost impossible for your opponent to recur.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Oblation: A <span class="hvr">religious</span> <span class="hvr">offering,</span> <span class="hvr">either</span> as <span class="hvr">charity</span> or to a <span class="hvr">god</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oblation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Despark"></div></div>
<p><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblation" href="#" target="_blank">Oblation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> is an old-school removal spell that flourished back when tuck was a thing, and has fallen off in recent years. Still, I'd be remiss not to at least mention it as an option, particularly since it can often be a secretly modular card; it does technically double as a draw spell if you're desperate, or have disposable tokens, or one of your creatures is about to die or get stolen. This <em>Onslaught</em> classic currently resides in 8,695 decks, and it shuffles away any nonland permanent, avoiding indestructibility, death triggers, and making recursion quite challenging. Yes, your opponent draws two cards, and that's not great, but it beats then doing whatever degenerate thing they were about to do that necessitated instant speed targeted removal. Plus, it can function as a white <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Costly Plunder" href="#" target="_blank">Costly Plunder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a pinch. At least file it away in the back of your mind as a potential option.</p>
<p><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Despark" href="#" target="_blank">Despark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> is our newest addition to the list of cards that may make Mortify obsolete. It probably doesn't make the cut at the cEDH or near-cEDH level, as the average CMC of permanents tends to be too low to the ground in those cricles. Everywhere else, though? Here's what Despark hits off EDHREC's most popular of all time lists for each permanent type:</p>
<ul>
<li>Commanders
<ul>
<li>5 of the top 5</li>
<li>9 of the top 10</li>
<li>17 of the top 20</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Creatures
<ul>
<li>3 of the top 5</li>
<li>62 of the top 100</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Artifacts
<ul>
<li>34 of the top 100</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Enchantments
<ul>
<li>45 of the top 100</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Planeswalkers
<ul>
<li>86 of the top 100</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>It also hits five of the <em>Ixalan</em> block's transform lands. Since a transform card's back has the same CMC as the front, and Despark doesn't say 'nonland', it can hit any of those <em>Ixalan</em> transform lands even after they've flipped if the front side cost four or more to cast. In this case, it can specifically exile <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gold-Forged Garrison" href="#" target="_blank">Gold-Forged Garrison</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vault of Catlacan" href="#" target="_blank">Vault of Catlacan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conqueror&#039;s Foothold" href="#" target="_blank">Conqueror&#039;s Foothold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spitfire Bastion" href="#" target="_blank">Spitfire Bastion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That's not a reason to run it, but it's worth noting when considering making a move.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Plowshare: A <span class="hvr">steel</span> <span class="hvr">wedge</span> <span class="hvr">that</span> <span class="hvr">cuts</span> <span class="hvr">loose</span> <span class="hvr">the</span> <span class="hvr">top</span> <span class="hvr">layer</span> of <span class="hvr">soil</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Path to Exile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div></div>
<p><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> and <strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> are the two cards that complicate things here. They aren't multi-purpose tools like all the cards listed above as they only hit creatures, but both are so efficiently costed and good at what they do that it's really, really hard to not run both in any deck that can, and that further limits the available slots for Mortify. Path is in 45,869 decks and Swords is in 79,524 and both those numbers are probably too low. Are black-white decks running Mortify also already running these? Yes. But can they afford to keep running Mortify for creature removal when they already have these two options, and the options above offer so much more versatility? No, probably not.</p>
<p>Opening up your colors further complicates things even more, and completely pushes Mortify down and down. In Abzan, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assassin&#039;s Trophy" href="#" target="_blank">Assassin&#039;s Trophy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can hit any target at instant speed. Mardu adds <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the mix, and Esper brings in some Swords- and Path-esque single-target creature removal options like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pongify" href="#" target="_blank">Pongify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rapid Hybridization" href="#" target="_blank">Rapid Hybridization</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Conclusion: <span class="hvr">The</span> <span class="hvr">close</span> or <span class="hvr">last</span> <span class="hvr">part;</span> <span class="hvr">the</span> <span class="hvr">end</span> or <span class="hvr">finish</span></h2>
<p>If you’re still running Mortify, odds are good that one of these options will work a little better for you, and over time, a bunch of little betters adds up to a lot better. There are just too many other options fighting for a finite amount of space. Mortify's flexibility is outdone by a lot of other cards, which means it's often relegated to a form of creature removal, and both black and white have better options in that slot. If you’ve got an argument for Mortify, though, I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment below and make your case, or just leave a compliment about how the masculine yet sensitive tone of my prose and rhetoric is making you question some very basic bio-mechanical truths about yourself you'd once considered long settled.</p>
<p>Until next time, I’m Dana and I’ll see you <em>In the Margins</em>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Selenia Swapping" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]Selenia, Dark Angel[/commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirror Universe
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Phyrexian Processor
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Soul Conduit
*1 Tainted Sigil
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Children of Korlis
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Defiant Bloodlord
*1 Doom Whisperer
*1 Erebos, God of the Dead
*1 Evra, Halcyon Witness
*1 Grand Abolisher
*1 Magus of the Mirror
*1 Platinum Angel
*1 Tree of Perdition
*1 Vizkopa Guildmage
*1 Wall of Blood
[/Creatures]
[Enchantment]
*1 Arguel&#039;s Blood Fast
*1 Axis of Mortality
*1 Blind Obedience
*1 Exquisite Blood
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Greed
*1 Land Tax
*1 Near-Death Experience
*1 Necropotence
*1 Pestilence
*1 Phyrexian Arena
*1 Phyrexian Unlife
*1 Sanguine Bond
*1 Tainted Remedy
*1 Wound Reflection
[/Enchantments]
[Instant]
*1 Ad Nauseam
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Hatred
*1 Necrologia
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Return to Dust
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Sudden Spoiling
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Utter End
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Ancient Craving
*1 Austere Command
*1 Council&#039;s Judgment
*1 Damnable Pact
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Merciless Eviction
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Repay in Kind
*1 Reverse the Sands
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Vindicate
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Concealed Courtyard
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Glacial Chasm
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Homeward Path
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Kor Haven
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Orzhov Basilica
*6 Plains
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Scrubland
*1 Strip Mine
*6 Swamp
*1 Tainted Field
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Terrain Generator
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
81 Wasteland
[/land]"></span></div>



In the Margins - Mortify

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elven Warhounds" href="#" target="_blank">Elven Warhounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Kev Walker)</h6>
<h1>Won't You Be My Neighbor?</h1>
<p>Hello neighbor! Welcome back to another instance of <em>Forgotten Harvest</em>, where I construct a deck using some of the most underplayed cards on EDHREC. This go-round, I'll be taking a turn with the gruesome twosome: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtus the Veiled" href="#" target="_blank">Virtus the Veiled</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorm the Great" href="#" target="_blank">Gorm the Great</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtus the Veiled"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gorm the Great"></div></div>
<p>I've seen a lot of takes on this duo since they debuted in <em>Battlebond, </em>and to be honest, I've been disappointed with the various builds. Virtus and Gorm decks usually break down into one of three categories:</p>
<ul>
<li>Deathtouch-tribal</li>
<li>Lifechop-tribal (my term for Virtus's triggered ability)</li>
<li>Voltron-esque Equipment-based builds</li>
</ul>
<p>All of these versions focus heavily on the themes of the better of the two commanders: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtus, the Veiled" href="#" target="_blank">Virtus, the Veiled</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Virtus is played in 328 decks on EDHREC, while Gorm is in about a hundred less (219 to be exact). And I get it! Gorm's ability requires at least one other card to be effective, while Virtus just needs a single, unimpeded attack to be worth the cost. But the interaction of the two cards is so much deeper than the ideas above.</p>
<p>My different take borrows from the themes of all three of the above versions, coalescing into a deck focused on controlling the combat step. I make sure the creatures I want blocked face off against a defending creature, and the attackers I want unblocked actually make it through the line. In doing this, I don't overly rely on Equipment or Auras, instead dedicating deck space to options that work in a multitude of board states. This could be cards that force combat interactions, or have benefits when blocked or unblocked.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Block Captains</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ochran Assassin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Matsu-Tribe Decoy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lurking Arynx"></div></div>
<p>Ever since the days of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Bard" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Bard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, green has been an expert at forcing blocks. Carrying on that legacy in Standard today is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ochran Assassin" href="#" target="_blank">Ochran Assassin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. So far, this deathtoucher is only seeing play in 143 decks. I'm sure that number is bound to go up, but for now it's low enough that I get to talk about the card, so neener-neener! I'm not crazy about the five mana it costs me to put an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Bard" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Bard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into play, so I tend more toward the Assassin and other "Hey! Block me!" creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taunting Elf" href="#" target="_blank">Taunting Elf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>There's also a contingent of green creatures that don't require <em>every</em> creature to hug them, but do single out a specific buddy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Matsu-Tribe Decoy" href="#" target="_blank">Matsu-Tribe Decoy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (196 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurking Arynx" href="#" target="_blank">Lurking Arynx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (43 decks) both pick out a creature of their choice and force a block during combat. Sure, there's always the chance that the creature could become tapped come the combat step, no longer making it a legal blocker, but the point here is clearing a path for Virtus and his crew, so who cares!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Satyr Piper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rimehorn Aurochs"></div></div>
<p>This deck contains a fair number of creatures just begging to be blocked (see next section). To help them partner up in combat, here comes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Satyr Piper" href="#" target="_blank">Satyr Piper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Played in only 45 decks on EDHREC, this musical goat-man ensures that your "when this becomes blocked" triggers go off. The only downside is that the Piper doesn't specify which creature must block.</p>
<p>That's why we're also running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rimehorn Aurochs" href="#" target="_blank">Rimehorn Aurochs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. How on Earth is this card only played in <em>eight</em> decks?!?!? It's totally worth it to play snow lands to get access to that sweet activated ability. And as a bonus, it doesn't specify that either target be one of your creatures. You can use this card as a political tool in combat all over the battlefield! Please give this ungulate a look the next time you play green, and don't limit it to the eight Aurochs-themed decks on EDHREC. Please!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Blocking Problems</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elven Warhounds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rust Scarab"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Corrupt Official"></div></div>
<p>Now that we've covered the means to force blocks during combat, let's get into some of the creatures that are begging to be blocked. First up, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elven Warhounds" href="#" target="_blank">Elven Warhounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (32 decks) usually feels a little overpriced for its 2/2 body, but when we can all but guarantee a block on the battlefield, combined with the fact that this creature doesn't die in combat, it looks pretty great for this kind of deck. Plus, it looks great wearing a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nemesis Mask" href="#" target="_blank">Nemesis Mask</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>From <em>Gatecrash</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rust Scarab" href="#" target="_blank">Rust Scarab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide us with some artifact or enchantment removal when blocked. In 191 decks on EDHREC, the Scarab becomes a part of this deck's removal package. Given its size, the Insect might also be able to take out a defending creature in the process.</p>
<p>Green isn't the only color with excellent "when blocked" abilities. Black provides <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corrupt Official" href="#" target="_blank">Corrupt Official</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Mercadian Masques</em>. Played in only 32 decks, I can see how the high mana cost may drive some people away, but with regeneration and forcing the discard of a random card when blocked, I think the cost is well worth it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thresher Beast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunstone"></div></div>
<p>I know there are some people who really don't like land destruction in EDH. There are others that will flip the table when a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strip Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Strip Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hits play. So, I suggest <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thresher Beast" href="#" target="_blank">Thresher Beast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with the warning that not everyone will like it. It only sees play in 63 decks right now, so I hope you do give it a try, but I'll understand if you'd rather keep your friends. At least they choose which land hits the bin when they block.</p>
<p>Finally, I have to assume that there are some decks out there running combat tricks which could require us to have an escape plan. It could also be wise to have a line of defense, should we swing in with our army and leave no creatures up to block. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunstone" href="#" target="_blank">Sunstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great addition to help in both cases, and works well with the snow lands in the deck for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rimehorn Aurochs" href="#" target="_blank">Rimehorn Aurochs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's only seeing play in 263 decks, but that could certainly go up.</p>
<hr />
<h2>You Cannot Block My Style!</h2>
<p>I would be remiss if I went this whole article without squeezing in one gif:</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-33196" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IxWsd91.gif" alt="" width="320" height="244" /></p>
<p>There! Thanks for letting me get that out of my system. Anyway, here are some creatures your opponents aren't going to want in their quiet little town.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emperor&#039;s Vanguard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caustic Wasps"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Woebearer"></div></div>
<p>Providing some deck filtering upon connection, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emperor&#039;s Vanguard" href="#" target="_blank">Emperor&#039;s Vanguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only sees play in 83 decks. I think it's a great card for the cost, and with a 4/3 body that is only going to grow, we can force it to be blocked later in the game, as a means of taking out defending creatures.</p>
<p>Almost the inverse of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rust Scarab" href="#" target="_blank">Rust Scarab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> above, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caustic Wasps" href="#" target="_blank">Caustic Wasps</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> blows up an artifact after drawing blood. The flying will come in handy to help get this little fella through any defenders, especially in the early game when you can use it to pick off any mana rocks that could lead to trouble.</p>
<p>Hailing from <em>Mirrodin, </em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Woebearer" href="#" target="_blank">Woebearer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards when playing Zombie tribal, and it should see more play than the 181 decks it's currently in. Having evasion baked in along with a continuous source of slow-reanimation makes this card a real all-star in creature-centric builds. It was a superhero in my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thraximundar" href="#" target="_blank">Thraximundar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, and I highly recommend it!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Dancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rime Transfusion"></div></div>
<p>While you'll likely not have it deal combat damage when it connects, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Dancer" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Dancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a wonderful means of building up an army from fallen foes. Being able to target specific creatures to block means that graveyards should be ripe with targets. Just pick your favorite and clear a path for the Dancer. I'm shocked this is only in 282 decks given the power of reanimation in EDH.</p>
<p>Finally, since we're playing snow lands, it felt appropriate to sneak in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rime Transfusion" href="#" target="_blank">Rime Transfusion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (64 decks). While somewhat narrow in scope, this Aura seems perfect for what we're trying to accomplish in this deck: getting Virtus and friends through the line. I don't know if it has viability outside of these kinds of builds with reasons to play snow lands already baked in, but it'll work in this deck.</p>
<p>Now, let's have a look at everything all together:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Gorm and Virtus Block Party" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]<br />
*1 Virtus the Veiled<br />
*1 Gorm the Great<br />
[Commander]</p>
<p>[Creatures]<br />
*1 Taunting Elf<br />
*1 Bone Dancer<br />
*1 Caustic Wasps<br />
*1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir<br />
*1 Graveblade Marauder<br />
*1 Matsu-Tribe Decoy<br />
*1 Ochran Assassin<br />
*1 Satyr Piper<br />
*1 Elven Warhounds<br />
*1 Emperor's Vanguard<br />
*1 Mirri the Cursed<br />
*1 Storrev, Devkarin Lich<br />
*1 Tangle Angler<br />
*1 Yeva, Nature's Herald<br />
*1 Banshee of the Dread Choir<br />
*1 Corrupt Official<br />
*1 Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper<br />
*1 Lurking Arynx<br />
*1 Raving Dead<br />
*1 Rimehorn Aurochs<br />
*1 Rust Scarab<br />
*1 Woebearer<br />
*1 Archetype of Finality<br />
*1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni<br />
*1 Nacatl War-Pride<br />
*1 Necropolis Regent<br />
*1 Sisters of Stone Death<br />
[/Creatures]</p>
<p>[Instants]<br />
*1 Giant Growth<br />
*1 Assassin's Trophy<br />
*1 Go for the Throat<br />
*1 Arachnogenesis<br />
*1 Beast Within<br />
*1 Hunter's Insight<br />
*1 Krosan Grip<br />
*1 Maelstrom Pulse<br />
*1 Putrefy<br />
*1 Sudden Spoiling<br />
*1 Stonewood Invocation<br />
*1 Thrilling Encore<br />
[/Instants]</p>
<p>[Sorceries]<br />
*1 Into the North<br />
*1 Cultivate<br />
*1 Damnation<br />
*1 Languish<br />
[/Sorceries]</p>
<p>[Artifacts]<br />
*1 Infiltration Lens<br />
*1 Sol Ring<br />
*1 Dolmen Gate<br />
*1 Golgari Signet<br />
*1 Lightning Greaves<br />
*1 Trailblazer's Boots<br />
*1 Commander's Sphere<br />
*1 Nemesis Mask<br />
*1 Sunstone<br />
[/Artifacts]</p>
<p>[Enchantments]<br />
*1 Rime Transfusion<br />
*1 Sylvan Library<br />
*1 Journey to Eternity<br />
*1 Phyrexian Arena<br />
*1 Wilderness Reclamation<br />
[/Enchantments]</p>
<p>[Planeswalkers]<br />
*1 Vraska, Golgari Queen<br />
*1 Vraska the Unseen<br />
[/Planeswalkers]</p>
<p>[Lands]<br />
*1 Blooming Marsh<br />
*1 Command Tower<br />
*1 Golgari Rot Farm<br />
*1 Jungle Hollow<br />
*1 Llanowar Wastes<br />
*1 Mouth of Ronom<br />
*1 Overgrown Tomb<br />
*1 Rogue's Passage<br />
*1 Scrying Sheets<br />
*14 Snow-Covered Forest<br />
*12 Snow-Covered Swamp<br />
*1 Temple of Malady<br />
*1 Twilight Mire<br />
*1 Verdant Catacombs<br />
*1 Woodland Cemetary<br />
[/Lands]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<h2>What a Blockhead!</h2>
<p>That about does it for this build on <em>Forgotten Harvest</em>. What are some of your favorite underplayed cards that deal with the combat step? Are there any commanders that you think have more versatility than what the typical deck demonstrates? Any other questions, comments, or snide remarks? Let's talk about it below. I'll be on there to talk about the greatness of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rimehorn Aurochs" href="#" target="_blank">Rimehorn Aurochs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and, in keeping with this article's theme, will block you if you disagree with me. Just kidding! But I will be there to get into the underplayed cards you'd like to see featured in this series in future articles. Until next time!</p>


Forgotten Harvest - Block Party with Virtus and Gorm

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive" href="#" target="_blank">Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/vargasni">Randy Vargas</a>)</h6>
<h1>Blocking is for Chumps</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to another installment of <i>Strategic Planning,</i> a column where we goldfish a commander's EDHREC Average Decklist to get a better sense of what works and what doesn’t before brewing them ourselves.</p>
<p>The commander we’ll be building around today is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive" href="#" target="_blank">Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a mono-blue legend from <em>Dominaria</em>, and the 23<sup>rd</sup> most popular mono-blue commander, with 165 decks at the time of this writing. Let’s take a look at what we’re working with.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive"></div></div>
<p>Two mana is easily manageable, even in a color as starved for efficient ramp as mono-blue. We can reasonably count on having our commander available early and often, making a focused build that abuses Tetsuko’s ability much less risky.</p>
<p>She has a powerful build-around unblockability, her 1/3 stats allow it to affect her herself as well. The fact that Tetsuko’s ability affects power <em>or</em> toughness allows us much more versatility. We can emphasize creatures with 1 power and useful on-hit effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cephallid Constable" href="#" target="_blank">Cephallid Constable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and we can also use creatures with 1 toughness and higher power, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ovalchase Dragster" href="#" target="_blank">Ovalchase Dragster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to push more damage through.</p>
<hr />
<h3><u>The Average List:</u></h3>
<p>The EDHREC average list for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive" href="#" target="_blank">Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is as follows:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tetsuko, Average Fugitive" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Blighted Agent
*1 Cephalid Constable
*1 Chasm Skulker
*1 Daring Saboteur
*1 Eternal of Harsh Truths
*1 Gateway Sneak
*1 Illusory Ambusher
*1 Jhessian Thief
*1 Looter il-Kor
*1 Master of Waves
*1 Mindshrieker
*1 Mistblade Shinobi
*1 Neurok Commando
*1 Nightveil Sprite
*1 Nimble Obstructionist
*1 Phyrexian Digester
*1 Plague Myr
*1 Raven Guild Master
*1 Riptide Entrancer
*1 Riptide Pilferer
*1 Rootwater Thief
*1 Scroll Thief
*1 Siren Stormtamer
*1 Skyship Plunderer
*1 Surrakar Spellblade
*1 Tandem Lookout
*1 Thrummingbird
*1 Wharf Infiltrator
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Aetherspouts
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Counterspell
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Devious Cover-Up
*1 Negate
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Swan Song
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Arm with Aether
*1 Curse of the Swine
*1 Knowledge Exploitation
*1 Notorious Throng
*1 Stolen Identity
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
*1 Captain&#039;s Claws
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Loxodon Warhammer
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Ovalchase Dragster
*1 Quietus Spike
*1 Rogue&#039;s Gloves
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Umezawa&#039;s Jitte
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Coastal Piracy
*1 Military Intelligence
*1 Psychic Corrosion
*1 Sigil of Sleep
*1 Thopter Spy Network
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Desert of the Mindful
*1 Faerie Conclave
*1 Halimar Depths
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*29 Island
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<p>This list has an average CMC of 2.69 and a retail price of $150.17 through TCGplayer. Let's take it for a spin!</p>
<hr />
<h2><b>Tests Results and Fine Tuning:</b></h2>
<h3><b>1. Getting the engine running</b></h3>
<p>Tetsuko’s cheap cost and the density of cheap creatures with powerful on-hit triggers in the average list meant that many opening hands allowed us to start drawing cards from creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Neurok Commando" href="#" target="_blank">Neurok Commando</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scroll Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Scroll Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> early in the game. Opening hands with an on-hit damage effect (and enough lands to cast it) were by far the most reliable, and the snowballing effect of our extra draws often drew us even more on-combat effects. In other words, we could simultaneously develop an impressive board state while maintaining a full hand of cards throughout the early game. Given how powerful this was in testing, and to maximize the power of our card draw creatures, we’ll make sure to include an even higher density of them in our final build, with some new additions like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deepfathom Skulker" href="#" target="_blank">Deepfathom Skulker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tandem Lookout" href="#" target="_blank">Tandem Lookout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, making sure we draw fistfuls of cards every time we turn our creatures sideways.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue’s Gloves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tandem Lookout"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bident of Thassa"></div></div>
<p>Another powerful effect that was often able to generate value in the first few turns came in the form of our 1-power or 1-toughness creatures with on-hit disruption effects. Creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riptide Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Riptide Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistblade Shinobi" href="#" target="_blank">Mistblade Shinobi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help to ensure none of our opponents get too explosive a start, and creature theft on combat damage like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalakos Deceiver" href="#" target="_blank">Thalakos Deceiver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riptide Entrancer" href="#" target="_blank">Riptide Entrancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us defend ourselves from counterattack by stealing beefy creatures, or sabotage our opponents strategies by stealing a commander. Enchantments that add this disruption are helpful too, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of Sleep" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of Sleep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so they'll definitely make the final build.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cephalid Constable"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Riptide Entrancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil of Sleep"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3><b>2. Keeping the engine running</b></h3>
<p>Though the average list was reliably able to construct a card advantage engine from its opening hand, simulated board wipes and to a lesser extent targeted removal hit us hard and were sometimes difficult to recover from. To ensure the creatures we stick on the field will generate as much value as possible while they’re out, we’ll be including a suite of Equipment that can turn even a single unblockable weenie into a must-answer threat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quietus Spike"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Umezawa’s Jitte"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodforged Battle-Axe"></div></div>
<p>Some of the strongest performers from our Equipment suite are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which allows us to double up on any of our combat damage triggers, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quietus Spike" href="#" target="_blank">Quietus Spike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which allows any of our weenies to do a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtus the Veiled" href="#" target="_blank">Virtus the Veiled</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> impression, and the self-copying <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodforged Battle-Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodforged Battle-Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which we can use to buff the power of our 1-toughness creatures without them losing unblockability. We’ll also include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whispersilk Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Whispersilk Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to provide protection for key creatures, and to ensure we can still attack with at least one unblockable creature if our commander is offline. To ensure we have access to these Equipment, we’ll also include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trinket Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Trinket Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trophy Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Trophy Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadeye Quartermaster" href="#" target="_blank">Deadeye Quartermaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our final brew. Trinket Mage also comes with the added utility of being able to fetch <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meekstone" href="#" target="_blank">Meekstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an effect that misses nearly every creature we’re running while causing serious problems for our opponents.</p>
<p>Given our commander, one of the most versatile and flavorful Equipment we could run is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umezawa’s Jitte" href="#" target="_blank">Umezawa’s Jitte</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It can stockpile charge counters to buff our equipped creature, snipe down our opponents' utility creatures, or in a pinch, bolster our own life totals.</p>
<p>Another effect made much more powerful by Tetsuko’s unblockability is <i>Cipher</i>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stolen Identity" href="#" target="_blank">Stolen Identity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to either copy our own creatures for even more damage triggers or fashion ourselves a copy of the biggest threat on the board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hidden Strings" href="#" target="_blank">Hidden Strings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can tap down our opponents' problematic permanents or provide pseudo ramp in blue by untapping our own lands or mana rocks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stolen Identity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hidden Strings"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3><b>3. Closing out the game</b></h3>
<p>While the two or three combat damage dealt to our opponents every turn does start to add up faster than you’d expect, in a four player format where victory via combat requires us to do 120 points of damage across the table, combat damage isn’t a particularly viable win condition unless we’re able to prey on opponents who’ve already taken large chunks of damage from other sources. Since we can’t count on that, we’re going to steer into the infamous <i>Infect</i> mechanic to finish our opponents off before they have time to stop us. Since our commander turns every <em>Infect</em> creature with 1 power or toughness into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blighted Agent" href="#" target="_blank">Blighted Agent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we have a good number of options, and we’ll be running most of them in our final brew.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blighted Agent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Digester"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Viral Drake"></div></div>
<p>These creatures have the added bonus of being excellent candidates for our Equipment suite; an <em>Infect</em> creature with double strike from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a power boost from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodforged Battleaxe" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodforged Battleaxe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umezawa’s Jitte" href="#" target="_blank">Umezawa’s Jitte</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> puts our opponents on a very short clock.</p>
<hr />
<h2><b>Our final results:</b></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tetsuko’s Infectious Good Mood" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Blighted Agent
*1 Cephalid Constable
*1 Chasm Skulker
*1 Deadeye Quartermaster
*1 Deepfathom Skulker
*1 Eternal of Harsh Truths
*1 Gateway Sneak
*1 Ichorclaw Myr
*1 Looter il-Kor
*1 Marchesa’s Infiltrator
*1 Mistblade Shinobi
*1 Necropede
*1 Neurok Commando
*1 Ophidian
*1 Phyrexian Digester
*1 Plague Myr
*1 Riptide Pilferer
*1 Scroll Thief
*1 Silver Myr
*1 Siren Stormtamer
*1 Surrakar Spellblade
*1 Tandem Lookout
*1 Thalakos Deceiver
*1 Thrummingbird
*1 Trinket Mage
*1 Viral Drake
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Counterspell
*1 Dissolve
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Sinister Sabotage
*1 Spell Swindle
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Arm with Aether
*1 Curse of the Swine
*1 Hidden Strings
*1 Notorious Throng
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Stolen Identity
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Explorer&#039;s Scope
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Meekstone
*1 Mind stone
*1 Ovalchase Dragster
*1 Quietus Spike
*1 Rogue&#039;s Gloves
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Sky Diamond
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Umezawa&#039;s Jitte
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Coastal Piracy
*1 Curiosity
*1 Sigil of Sleep
*1 Thopter Spy Network
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jace, Cunning Castaway
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Coral Atoll
*1 Desert of the Mindful
*27 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Remote Isle
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Terrain Generator
*1 Throne of the High City
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>At an average CMC of 2.66 and a TCGPlayer retail price of $138.48, we’ve cut down a bit on our mana cost and how much money we’ll have to spend to achieve our dream of losing all our friends with mono-blue <em>Infect</em> aggro.</p>
<p>While goldfishing our revised brew I was pleased with the added consistency our Equipment tutors added to our threat production. Also of note, our higher density of <em>Infect</em> creatures increased our chances of being able to suit one up and swing in with it before our opponents realized how much trouble they’re in. Don’t expect to swing in for five unblockable <em>Infect</em> damage by turn 6 without cementing yourself as the archenemy of the table for the rest of the game - that's inadvisable unless you think you can finish the other three players in short order - but with careful planning and threat assessment, we can find our opponents in a moment of weakness and use Tetsuko to sneak ourselves to victory.</p>
<p>That’s it for this week! Please let me know in the comments if you think there’s anything I missed or if there’s a particular commander you’d like to see on a future installment of <i>Strategic Planning!</i></p>


Strategic Planning - Mono Blue Aggro

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tin Street Market" href="#" target="_blank">Tin Street Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://noahbradley.com/">Noah Bradley</a>)</h6>
<h1>War of the Legendary Creatures</h1>
<p>Hello, everyone! Welcome to another edition of the <em>Underdog's Corner</em>! If this is your first time reading, I'm going to spend the next thousand or more words telling you about a legendary creature that's getting less attention than he should. With <em>War of the Spark</em>, we saw a staggering 16 legendary creatures enter into the fold for EDH. A few have immediately risen above the rest, as we're seeing with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feather, the Redeemed" href="#" target="_blank">Feather, the Redeemed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet Reborn" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet Reborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even some like <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> have jumped into the upper echelon unexpectedly. Then there are the legends that lag behind - the ones I love to talk about! Today we'll cover a legend that I'm surprised is in the bottom 25%. Let's meet our newest Underdog!</p>
<h2>Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin"></div></div>
<p>Hmm... That name looks familiar.</p>
<p>Krenko looks pretty different since we last saw him. His last iteration, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a personal boogeyman of mine and a combo machine. Honestly, the main thing they have in common is being able to create ludicrous amount of Goblin tokens while also being Goblins themselves.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<p>Let's look at what the <em>new</em> Krenko brings to the table.</p>
<h4>"Whenever Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it..."</h4>
<p>A three mana 1/2 isn't all that impressive, but once we enter combat the first time, Krenko bumps up to a 2/3. Three toughness tends to turn the corner in terms of survivability in the early game; using <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=cmc%3C%3D3+t%3Acreature&amp;order=edhrec&amp;as=grid&amp;unique=cards">Scryfall's EDHREC filter</a> we can see the most popular creatures with CMC three or less that would be able to block Krenko in the early game, and of the top 60, only 9 would be able to block and kill him, which means he's got great odds for attacking and surviving in the beginning of the game. That's just the first time he attacks, too; once he attacks again, he becomes increasingly more resilient in combat.</p>
<h4>"...then create a number of 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens equal to Krenko’s power."</h4>
<p>This is where Krenko's power comes from, and in turn, the Goblins come from his power. We've seen a few legends in the past create tokens based on power, but Krenko is the first red commander with this ability. Arguably, Krenko has the most potential to take advantage of this ability thanks to red's ability to quickly and easily boost power. Finally, while Goblin tribal is a valid and powerful strategy, I want to look beyond tribal. We won't ignore it completely, but we're not going to be tethered to it either.</p>
<p>This new Krenko is still powerful, but I think if we try to compare to the two side by side, we will end up disappointed. Rather than being an alternative for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I want <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to stand on his own. Rather than continue this comparison, let's look at another red legend that has more in common with new Krenko: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valduk, Keeper of the Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Valduk, Keeper of the Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valduk, Keeper of the Flame"></div></div>
<p>Released in <em>Dominaria</em>, Valduk has gained a nice cult following over the year since his release. Both he and Krenko create tokens, with different conditions. Valduk creates a number of temporary 3/1 Elementals based on the number of Auras and Equipment attached to him. Krenko creates a number of 1/1 Goblins equal to his power. While at first glance these abilities aren't terribly similar, I think their deckbuilding choices will greatly mirror each other. With over 200 decks, Valduk offers a lot of data, so let's lean into Valduk's EDHREC's page to find suggestions.</p>
<hr />
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Keeper of Tin Street</h2>
<p>The top end of Valduk's page unsurprisingly contains a lot of Equipment. Most of them are cost-efficient, intended to get the most of his ability quickly. While we won't want all of them, let's check out the major players.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tenza, Godo&#039;s Maul"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bravado"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stoneforge Masterwork"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tenza, Godo&#039;s Maul" href="#" target="_blank">Tenza, Godo&#039;s Maul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has one of the highest stats-to-cost ratios of Equipment available to us. Creating an additional three tokens per combat is massive, and let's not forget that it also will give Krenko trample. Even on his first swing, Krenko will be a 5/6. While that can be chump blocked, we still make a ton of tokens. Besides, once we add trample to the mix, things become more complicated.</p>
<p>Found in 50% of Valduk decks, we have the Aura <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bravado" href="#" target="_blank">Bravado</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from the venerated <em>Urza's Saga</em>. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bravado" href="#" target="_blank">Bravado</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't immediately buff Krenko in combat like our Equipment will, it does offer a higher ceiling. Let's assume that we enchant Krenko with Bravado, and then attack. We'll only make two tokens, but Krenko will then become a 4/5. When Krenko attacks the next turn, he'll create five tokens, and then become a 10/11. That's a massive amount of stats over only two turns. If left unchecked, that could easily spell doom for our opponent as we overwhelm them with Goblins. While it doesn't have quite the same ceiling, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stoneforge Masterwork" href="#" target="_blank">Stoneforge Masterwork</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pennon Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Pennon Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great second and third copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bravado" href="#" target="_blank">Bravado</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and will produce very similar results.</p>
<hr />
<h2>All-Out Assault</h2>
<p>Once we've made all of these tokens, what do we do with them? For a mono-red deck, the answer is easy and somewhat formulaic. Without a diversity of options, we're going to lean on some tried and true staples.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Bombardment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Outpost Siege"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Bombardment" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Bombardment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best sacrifice outlets in the game. It's cheap, it's free to use, and it's a more resilient permanent type than a lot of its brethren. Even without any buffs to our army, we can use this enchantment to double our damage output whenever we swing all-out against an enemy, just in case we need the extra few points to get there. What's more thematic than throwing these fiends to their gleeful deaths?</p>
<p>If we want a redundant effect for that functionality, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavalcade of Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Cavalcade of Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> really pumps out the damage with small tokens. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Outpost Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Outpost Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is often played for its impulse-draw mode, but don't forget that it can also ping opponents whenever a creature we control leaves the battlefield. Not just when they die, but when they leave the battlefield. This can be a massive deterrent for a board wipe in the right situation, especially if we can play it into a developed board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, God of the Forge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div></div>
<p>I won't say much about these two, since you've likely faced down these terrors yourself if you've played with or against any token decks that include red. Appearing in 17,500 and 10,500 decks respectively, both <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will end the game in short order if left untouched. If you're playing these, be prepared to protect them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marton Stromgald"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mercadia&#039;s Downfall"></div></div>
<p>Let's discuss a few lesser-played gems though. This is a series about lesser-played commanders, so what better way to show them off? First up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marton Stromgald" href="#" target="_blank">Marton Stromgald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who appears in a measly 700 decks. As someone who has been on the receiving end of this card before, I will assert this number is too low. While Marton is a very fragile card, attacking once with him will often spell doom for our opponents' life totals. Even attacking with three creatures will grant a hardy +3/+3 bonus to those creatures. Note that Marton does not count himself nor buff himself with his ability, so he will always be a 1/1. However, note also that we can stack this trigger to resolve before Krenko's triggered ability to supercharge our Goblin output. If you want a similar effect, check out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Veteran&#039;s Armaments" href="#" target="_blank">Veteran&#039;s Armaments</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It puts your board at risk, but it will pay back the investment at minimum.</p>
<p>For another team buff we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mercadia&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Mercadia&#039;s Downfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card is only currently played in 86 decks, but I think it's potential impact is worth more than that. For three mana, we can pump the power of attacking creatures by the number of nonbasic lands the defending player controls. Note that this affects any attacking creatures, not just our own, so there's a potential to use this card politically. This card can fill a similar role to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserk" href="#" target="_blank">Berserk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which we discussed in my <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/underdogs-corner-arixmethes-slumbering-isle/">last article</a>. For special notes on this card, it will only count nonbasic lands for the player each creature is attacking. A creature attacking Player A, who has five nonbasic lands, will get +5/+0, while a creature attacking Player B, who has two nonbasic lands, will get +2/+0. Let's be clear, though - nonbasic lands run rampant in EDH, so you'll never attack someone who only has 2. You're more likely to attack someone who has nothing <em>but </em>nonbasic lands!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coat of Arms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shared Animosity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obelisk of Urd"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, we have the big guns. Tribal has been a fairly supported archetype over the years, and we have several cards to push us over the edge. We're not wholly going to dive into Goblin tribal, but it would be remiss to ignore these powerful pieces. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shared Animosity" href="#" target="_blank">Shared Animosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> stacks well with Krenko's triggered ability, and it will let us turn many of our tokens into killing machines. If we attack with five Goblins, they each get +4/+0. Attacking with a 1/1 is a nuisance, but attacking with multiple 5/1s makes blocks difficult. <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> is another great tool in our arsenal as well, and it can even help our survivability. (Watch out for other tribal decks, though, as it is a purely symmetrical effect.) Finally, while I typically don't like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obelisk of Urd" href="#" target="_blank">Obelisk of Urd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I can actually see it pulling weight in this deck. I love that Krenko plays well with anthem effects. If we are able to attack twice with Krenko, we'll almost be able to play it for free just off of Krenko's Goblins!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Brothers and Sisters in Arms</h2>
<p>Before we move onto the decklist, I'd like to say that this commander finally gave a me a way to build in a direction that I've been struggling with. I've always wanted to build decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor" href="#" target="_blank">Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valduk, Keeper of the Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Valduk, Keeper of the Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I've always been turned off by their relative lack of similar effects. Writing about Krenko, I realized all three of them can be included in the same deck and function as alternate commanders for one another. Many of the tricks that work with Krenko, such 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> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shared Animosity" href="#" target="_blank">Shared Animosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, also work incredibly well with Varchild's Survivors and Valduk's Elementals. It's a direction that I'm happy to have discovered, and I think gives this deck more legs rather than relying on primarily on its commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Goblins New Groove" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Captain Lannery Storm
*1 Dark-Dweller Oracle
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Goblin Banneret
*1 Goblin Trashmaster
*1 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
*1 Hanweir Garrison
*1 Hellrider
*1 Krenko, Mob Boss
*1 Legion Loyalist
*1 Marton Stromgald
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Moonveil Dragon
*1 Neheb, the Eternal
*1 Ogre Battledriver
*1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
*1 Siege-Gang Commander
*1 Treasure Nabber
*1 Valduk, Keeper of the Flame
*1 Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*1 Blackblade Reforged
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
*1 Coat of Arms
*1 Dragon Throne of Tarkir
*1 Eldrazi Monument
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Hammer of Purphoros
*1 Heirloom Blade
*1 Konda&#039;s Banner
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Obelisk of Urd
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Stoneforge Masterwork
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Tenza, Godo&#039;s Maul
*1 Veteran&#039;s Armaments
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifact]
[Instant]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Electrodominance
*1 Mercadia&#039;s Downfall
*1 Tears of Rage
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*1 Bravado
*1 Break Through the Line
*1 Breath of Fury
*1 Experimental Frenzy
*1 Goblin Bombardment
*1 Impact Tremors
*1 Outpost Siege
*1 Quest for the Goblin Lord
*1 Shared Animosity
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Burn at the Stake
*1 Chain Reaction
*1 Descent of the Dragons
*1 Gamble
*1 Kindred Charge
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorcery]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalker]
[Land]
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Goblin Burrows
*1 Hanweir Battlements
*1 Looming Spires
*30 Mountain
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Spinerock Knoll
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Thanks for reading, and thank you for joining me in the <em>Underdog's Corner</em>!</p>


Underdog's Corner - Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin

Ranking Every Land with EDHREC - Part 2: Banding is too OP

Playgroup Brews - War of the Spark (Pt 1)

Making the Cut - Oops, All Creatures!

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tibor and Lumia" href="#" target="_blank">Tibor and Lumia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://jimmurrayart.blogspot.com/">Jim Murray</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p><span id="m_7985745279735501680gmail-docs-internal-guid-971aaafd-7fff-35c2-bef7-2bbb00875c9e">Hello, EDHREC! I’m Bernardo Melibeu 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 play 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.</span></p>
<p>In this article, let's talk about the most iconic Izzet powercouple: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tibor and Lumia" href="#" target="_blank">Tibor and Lumia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Let’s start by taking a quick look at their kit:</p>
<p><strong><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tibor and Lumia"></div></div></strong></p>
<p><strong>Whenever you cast a blue spell, target creature gains flying until end of turn.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Whenever you cast a red spell, Tibor and Lumia deals 1 damage to each creature without flying.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1: It's hard to keep triggering both abilities. First, we need to cast about 1.5 spells a turn. Second, in Commander (especially while not playing green) we have a natural reliance on artifacts, meaning that when we factor in lands, our deck will be about 50% colorless cards, triggering neither ability on our commander.</p>
<p>Observation 2: While their kit is really open, it heavily favors control strategies, since there're a lot pieces that help enhance the red trigger ability and keep non-flying creatures off the board.</p>
<p>Observation 3: Because of the aforementioned pieces, we need to keep Tibor and Lumia in the air so they don't get friendly fired, which means that either we have lots of blue spells in hand, or we need flying enablers.</p>
<p>Observation 4: It's hard to find a balance between blue and red spells, but some concessions must be made to get the most out of each trigger.</p>
<hr />
<h1>The Old Formula</h1>
<p>Let's take a quick look on their EDHREC page:</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-32978" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Tibor-and-Lumia-Sig.png" alt="" width="592" height="302" /></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-32979" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Tibor-and-Lumia-Top.png" alt="" width="591" height="320" /></p>
<p>As we can see, their Top and Signature Cards revolve around the ability to lock creatures down. This is done with effects like with spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Charisma" href="#" target="_blank">Charisma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which allows you to gain control of an enemy creature when Tibor gives it flying, or with effects like and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basilisk Collar" href="#" target="_blank">Basilisk Collar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which destroys all the creatures Lumia deals 1 damage to. The remaining cards either keep the commanders flying themselves, to stay out of range of danger, or are simply generic UR Spellslinger cards.</p>
<hr />
<h1>The Epic Ingredients</h1>
<p>There's a saying that goes, "When in Rome, do as Romans do," which was kind of the inspiration for this particular article. What's the newest set? <em>War of The Spark</em>. What's it about? <em>Planeswalkers fighting each other</em>. Welp, that was a freebie!</p>
<p>Planeswalkers are usually a risky proposition in multiplayer games. Their usual kit of card advantage/removal/game changing ultimate doesn't translate well against multiple players and they are easily an aggro magnet. Fortunately, we are playing a very control-centric deck, with a build-your-own-board-wipe in the command zone, so we can reliably protect our walkers from aggression! For this plan to work, we need some moving parts. The two most important pieces are the planewalkers suite (AKA the payoff) and the lock pieces (AKA the enablers).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ral, Izzet Viceroy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saheeli, Sublime Artificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan, the Masterless"></div></div>
<p>For planeswalkers, we got a lot of new toys to play with! In fact, aside from the Jaces and Dack, all these other planeswalkers are from last year alone!</p>
<p>Since we are playing blue, starting with the Jaces seems like an adequate choice. We currently have three of them: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Architect of Thought" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, Architect of Thought</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Unraveler of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, Unraveler of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While they don't seem very similar, the three help us with card advantage and can keep creatures at bay. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaya Ballard" href="#" target="_blank">Jaya Ballard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ral, Izzet Viceroy" href="#" target="_blank">Ral, Izzet Viceroy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are amazing when paired together, as their kit merge extremely well with each other (and to our deck).</p>
<p>There's also the need for a special mention for two planeswalkers in particular: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Artifice Master" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Artifice Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan, the Masterless" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan, the Masterless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <em>M19's</em> Tezzeret is crazy powerful even in non-artifact decks, it's very easy to achieve the pseudo-<em>Metalcraft</em> on his middle ability. Plus, his ultimate can grab other planeswalkers. The new Sarkhan is a great new tech to Superfriends lists, as he helps protect our planeswalkers (with his -3 and his static ability) and he is a fast clock with his +1.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basilisk Collar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Charisma"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dismiss Into Dream"></div></div>
<p>The second key element to our strategy, the lock pieces, are standard in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tibor and Lumia" href="#" target="_blank">Tibor and Lumia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s list. Let's do a quick rundown. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basilisk Collar" href="#" target="_blank">Basilisk Collar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorgon&#039;s Head" href="#" target="_blank">Gorgon&#039;s Head</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are cheap ways to give our commanders deathtouch, so every red trigger will guarantee to kill every nonflying creature. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Neko-Te" href="#" target="_blank">Neko-Te</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can very easily perma-tap everyone's creatures. While its effect is more expensive and can be bypassed, not having to worry about our commanders pinging themselves with deathtouch, and instead just staying tapped, is quite helpful.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Charisma" href="#" target="_blank">Charisma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very tilting with our commanders because it lets us steal everyones' creatures when we give them flying, which has the added bonus of helping us defend our planeswalkers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dismiss Into Dream" href="#" target="_blank">Dismiss Into Dream</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while more on the expensive side and less explosive than the other alternatives, helps with sniping down enemy flying creatures, indestructible creatures, and it even hoses the odd Voltron deck at the table.</p>
<p>We are also rocking out some planeswalker-enabling cards like the two <em>Proliferate-</em>on-demand engines, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inexorable Tide" href="#" target="_blank">Inexorable Tide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flux Channeler" href="#" target="_blank">Flux Channeler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the ever-powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, although we're using it in the "fair" way (it's not really fair, though).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Niv-Mizzet, Parun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consecrated Sphinx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murmuring Mystic"></div></div>
<p>For nonplaneswalker, standalone threats, we're a running the token duo <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talrand, Sky Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Talrand, Sky Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murmuring Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Murmuring Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the anti-flying tech that they provide. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Parun" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Parun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (a card that could very easily helm a very similar deck) helps us draw cards and can also act as a second copy of our commander if we can't cast them. Finally, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consecrated Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Consecrated Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because... well, because it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consecrated Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Consecrated Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h1>The Mixture</h1>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tibor and Lumia Superfriends" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Tibor and Lumia
[/Commander]
[Planeswalker]
*Dack Fayden
* Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
* Jace, Architect of Thought
*Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
* Jaya Ballard
* Ral, Izzet Viceroy
* Sarkhan the Masterless
* Tezzeret, Artifice Master
*Rowan Kenrith
* Ugin, the Ineffable
* Will Kenrith
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
* Crash Through
* Faithless Looting
* Flame Jab
* Ponder
* Preordain
* Serum Visions
* Sleight of Hand
* Vandalblast
* Warlord&#039;s fury
* Cathartic Reunion
* Tormenting Voice
* Deep Analysis
* Pirate&#039;s Pillage
* Treasure Cruise
* Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
* Lightning Bolt
* Opt
* Arcane Denial
* Counterspell
* Cyclonic Rift
* Disdainful Stroke
* Izzet Charm
* Mission Briefing
* Negate
* Shattering Pulse
* Cerebral Vortex
* Chaos Warp
* Polymorphist&#039;s Jest
* Dig Through Time
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
* Everflowing Chalice
* Basilisk Collar
* Gorgon&#039;s Head
* Sol Ring
* Fellwar Stone
* Izzet Signet
* Mind Stone
* Thought Vessel
* Chromatic Lantern
* Neko-Te
* The Chain Veil
* Gilded Lotus
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
* Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy
* Flux Channeler
* Murmuring Mystic
* Talrand, Sky Summoner
* Wonder
* Archetype of Imagination
* Consecrated Sphinx
* Niv-Mizzet, Parun
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
* Charisma
* Inexorable Tide
* Dismiss Into Dream
[/Enchantment]
[Land]
* Command Tower
* Steam Vents
* Shivan Reef
* City of Brass
* Mana Confluence
* Cascade Bluffs
* Sulfur Falls
* Spirebluff Canal
* Temple of Enlightenment
* Wandering Fumarole
* Swiftwater Cliffs
* Izzet Guildgate
* Karn&#039;s Bastion
* Desolate Lighthouse
* Ghost Quarter
* Tectonic Edge
* Great Furnace
* Seat of the Synod
*11 Island
*7 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div></p>

<hr />
<p>As we can see, the list is in between a standard blue-red Spellslinger and an Izzet Superfriends list. Some concessions were made to please <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tibor and Lumia" href="#" target="_blank">Tibor and Lumia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The first is the shortage of board wipes and straight-up creature removal; since a lot of our slots are dedicated to hose creatures, having more of these effects seems redundant and counterproductive. The second is the addition of some "funky" cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flame Jab" href="#" target="_blank">Flame Jab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cerebral Vortex" href="#" target="_blank">Cerebral Vortex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which, while not particularly powerful in a vacuum, help increase our red spell total.</p>
<p>This list is designed to dig through our deck, dumping every nonessential card (like extra lands and irrelevant spells) while keeping creatures strategies down. Then, turn by turn, our advantage grows by activating our planeswalkers, who are free from the burden of having to defend themselves against enemy aggressors. Sometimes there'll be hard choices that might cost us the game, but this just goes to show that it's not an easy deck to pilot.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Methodology</h1>
<p>Now that we've got our bases cover, let's get on how to play the list. We have varying degrees of acceptable opening hands, since we're playing lots of cantrips, but it's usually wiser to try to keep a hand with at least a planeswalker or a lock piece. This way, the chance of us bricking is considerably smaller. Hands with lots of mana and card draw can also be okay, since we'll need some mana to start things rolling, and drawing any planeswalker can provide the card advantage we need.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ponder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tormenting Voice"></div></div>
<p>For the early game, we need to either set up for a planeswalker, or ramp/draw into this set up. It's very important to consider when starting deploying our planeswalkers, because it's very easy to become the target after dropping an early walker onto the table. This doesn't mean that it's wrong to play them without a proper protection - in fact, in the very early stages of the game, where no one has any creatures, that's technically when they are the most protected, and playing them can start an early snowball. This goes to show that it'll all depend on the game, but the usual question we should ask ourselves is, "Can I get away with playing this without protection?" If we can, we probably should be playing them, but otherwise, we should consider the overall importance of the card to the game.</p>
<p>In the mid game we should already have played or be close to playing a planeswalker. Even if we can't protect them, the longer the game goes, the harder it is to protect them. We should also try to space out our spells (mostly our red ones). It would feel bad when we have everything set up on the table and we can't activate our commander's triggered ability because we lack the color to do so. Again, this is where the raw card advantage provided by our planeswalkers is crucial. It might be the difference between having access to that random red spell or not, or even the ability to do much of anything on our turn at all.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Will Kenrith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Chain Veil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaya Ballard"></div></div>
<p>By the late game we should have the mana necessary to both play and protect our board, and cards won't really be a problem with many of our possible draws having card draw stapled into them. Just watch out for enemy flying creatures, and opposing planeswalkers, too. This is truly our time to shine, and although it might take some time to close the game out, we can definitely get there.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div id="mtgh_bbd78" class="mtgh">
<div class="header">
<p>Between managing a bunch of mid-costed planeswalkers and having to balance out the number of blue and red spell, this list felt really like an optimization puzzle. I tried my best, but I know that there were some concessions made along the way. Because of that, we've got to be extra careful when adding and removing cards, as we have to keep in mind that we need that balanced number of spells.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p>For potential improvements, the obvious thing that could change is the planeswalker suite. There're some notable exclusions, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, the Mind Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, the Mind Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which were left out just because of their price tag. If you can add them, do so, but if not, don't worry about them. One could also potentially add effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Time Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to this list, to trigger our commanders and provide an extra activation on loyalty abilities. If you want to be mean - and I mean <em>mean</em> - you could also go the obnoxious route and add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obliterate" href="#" target="_blank">Obliterate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jokulhaups" href="#" target="_blank">Jokulhaups</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which don't affect our walkers (though by that point we might consider changing commanders to something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jhoira of the Ghitu" href="#" target="_blank">Jhoira of the Ghitu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think about this Superfriends concoction? Please fell free to leave any suggestions in the comments section. Do you have any questions about the list? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know!</p>


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