<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas" href="#" target="_blank">Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="http://www.jasonchanart.com/">Jason Chan</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! 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 build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Today let's talk about the most underplayed experience counters commander out there. She's quite the late-game threat, and had she been in a color combination that supported her kit, she could've been one of the strongest aggro commanders out there: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas" href="#" target="_blank">Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas"></div></div>
<p><strong>Double strike, vigilance </strong></p>
<p><strong>Whenever you cast a creature spell with converted mana cost 5 or greater, you get an experience counter.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas gets +1/+1 for each experience counter you have.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>Kalemne got the short end of the stick with the whole experience counter mechanic. Her ability is both the most restrictive and the least powerful of the bunch.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>Even though she's underpowered when compared to her peers, we can't sleep on a double striking commander, especially one that gets permanently bigger.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>Haste would give her a much better impact.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>Boros does have access to plenty of good, expensive beaters, but it lacks the late-game capabilities that the other color combination have, which means our late-game abilities may lack consistency.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Kalemne-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-44040" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Kalemne-Sig.png" alt="" width="904" height="417" /></a></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas" href="#" target="_blank">Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Giant, an underplayed tribe that doesn't really have a lot of support that cares about casting other big creatures, which makes her the go-to Giant tribal commander. The biggest problem with the tribe for Kalemne is that most of them are just expensive bodies without any kind of ETB value, or even haste.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>It's no secret that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas" href="#" target="_blank">Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s kit has some deckbuilding costs attached to her. Because of that, I do think that we should be trying to maximize the effectiveness of all those creatures, and tribal is a good place to start.</p>
<p>Dragons are a great red-based tribe, with plenty of great 5-CMC creatures and multiple support pieces for our commander. However, they tend to lack in the ol' utility department, with most of them being either efficient beaters or beater generators. Angels, on the other hand, are a tribe that doesn't really have all that much in support, but they are much more utility-based than their firebreathing counterparts.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avacyn, Angel of Hope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aurelia, the Warleader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel of Thune"></div></div>
<p>As an aggressive deck that relies on its high end of the curve, we can't afford to just play beaters. This is a losing battle, as the imminent threat of board wipes will destroy our creatures and, since they're so expensive, we don't have the time to play defensive support spells and then deploy them. This is where cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archangel Avacyn" href="#" target="_blank">Archangel Avacyn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come through.</p>
<p>While Angels tend to have lower stats than Dragons, we do have some great threats that can put us into overdrive: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurelia, the Warleader" href="#" target="_blank">Aurelia, the Warleader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gisela, Blade of Goldnight" href="#" target="_blank">Gisela, Blade of Goldnight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two of the most powerful creatures that Boros has to offer, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lyra, Dawnbringer" href="#" target="_blank">Lyra, Dawnbringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archangel of Thune" href="#" target="_blank">Archangel of Thune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Invention" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Invention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are some great, supportive threats that have the potential to beat face.</p>
<p>We have plenty of utility-based creatures within our tribe: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Finality" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Finality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is much-needed graveyard hate, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Jubilation" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Jubilation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Linvala, Keeper of Silence" href="#" target="_blank">Linvala, Keeper of Silence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great at slowing down our opponents' plans, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Sanctions" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Sanctions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunblast Angel" href="#" target="_blank">Sunblast Angel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are removal on a stick.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Kalemne Angel Tribal" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Creature]<br />
*Angel of Vitality<br />
*Resplendent Angel<br />
*Angel of Finality<br />
*Angel of Jubilation<br />
*Gisela, the Broken Blade<br />
*Linvala, Keeper of Silence<br />
*Angel of Invention<br />
*Angel of Sanctions<br />
*Archangel Avacyn<br />
*Archangel of Thune<br />
*Baneslayer Angel<br />
*Herald of War<br />
*Karmic Guide<br />
*Lyra, the Dawnbringer<br />
*Adarkar Valkyrie<br />
*Angelic Guardian<br />
*Angelic Skirmisher<br />
*Aurelia, the Warleader<br />
*Dawnbreak Reclaimer<br />
*Deathless Angel<br />
*Linvala, the Preserver<br />
*Sunblast Angel<br />
*Angel of Serenity<br />
*Bruna, the Fading Light<br />
*Gisela, Blade of Goldnight<br />
*Sephara, Sky's Blade<br />
*Avacyn, Angel of Hope<br />
[/Creature]</p>
<p>[Artifact]</p>
<p>*Everflowing Chalice<br />
*Sol Ring<br />
*Wayfarer's Bauble<br />
*Arcane Signet<br />
*Boros Signet<br />
*Fellwar Stone<br />
*Lightning Greaves<br />
*Mind Stone<br />
*Prismatic Lens<br />
*Talisman of Conviction<br />
*Sunforger<br />
*Sword of Light and Shadow<br />
*Urza's Incubator<br />
*Hedron Archive<br />
*The Immortal Sun<br />
[/Artifact]</p>
<p>[Instant]</p>
<p>*Path to Exile<br />
*Swords to Plowshares<br />
*Boros Charm<br />
*Disenchant<br />
*Thrill of Possibility<br />
*Chance for Glory<br />
*Chaos Warp<br />
*Teferi's Protection<br />
*Wear // Tear<br />
*Settle the Wreckage<br />
[/Instant]</p>
<p>[Sorcery]</p>
<p>*Faithless Looting<br />
*Magmatic Insight<br />
*Tormenting Voice<br />
*Day of Judgment<br />
*Wrath of God<br />
*Austere Command<br />
[/Sorcery]</p>
<p>[Enchantment]</p>
<p>*Land Tax<br />
*Angelic Renewal<br />
*Tectonic Reformation<br />
*Smothering Tithe</p>
<p>[/Enchantment]</p>
<p>[Land]</p>
<p>*Command Tower<br />
*City of Brass<br />
*Mana Confluence<br />
*Sacred Foundry<br />
*Battlefield Forge<br />
*Inspiring Vantage<br />
*Clifftop Retreat<br />
*Rugged Prairie<br />
*Temple of Triumph<br />
*Unclaimed Territory<br />
*Wind-Scarred Crag<br />
*Emeria, the Sky Ruin<br />
*Forgotten Cave<br />
*Secluded Steppe<br />
*Myriad Landscape<br />
*Ghost Quarter<br />
*Tectonic Edge<br />
*14 Plains<br />
*6 Mountain<br />
[/Land]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>
<hr />
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunforger" href="#" target="_blank">Sunforger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is usually, to me, one of the main selling points for playing Boros, and this hammer can do some work in this deck! Our evasive bodies do love the power boost, and our commander is quite a scary threat if she goes unblocked. And that's just the <em>least </em>important part of the card. It can also get us spells! Our two main targets are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boros Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Boros Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which both protect our expensive field against board wipes. We also get access to most of our removal suite, which can help in a pinch. The real spice, however, is in the addition of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chance for Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Chance for Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the ultimate haymaker, and a card only to be used to push out some unexpected damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Renewal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bruna, the Fading Light"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Light and Shadow"></div></div>
<p>We are packing a lot recursion pieces since they're somewhat important for this strategy. Our card quality is high, but being in Boros, we don't have access to that many draw effects, so recursion helps shore up that weakness. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Light and Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Light and Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap, constant way to get things back from the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Renewal" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Renewal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adarkar Valkyrie" href="#" target="_blank">Adarkar Valkyrie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are some "preemptive" ways to get some recursion, and they're a great way to curve out.</p>
<hr />
<div>
<div>
<h2>Methodology</h2>
</div>
</div>
<p>This deck plays out as an aggressive Boros mid-range deck, trying to develop and control until the mid game when we start dropping bombs. As such, our ideal opening hands are pretty much your average rocks and early plays.</p>
<p>Our early game is pretty weak and we want to pretty much speed our way through it by playing mana rocks. We do have some early aggressive creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Vitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that can act as early threats, but they're usually just fillers for mana rocks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Vitality"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Greaves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bruna, the Fading Light"></div></div>
<p>The mid game is where things start to get interesting for us, but knowing how to curve out is still a bit tricky (and punishing if done wrong). We've got the mana and cards to start playing some creatures. However, time is not on our side, and the lack of reliable draw sources really hurt this deck's longevity. This is where our commander truly shines, as she's a readily available threat that we can use to test the waters before committing any of our cards.</p>
<p>In the late game we're either avoiding board wipes and are in a commanding position, or we're grasping for some air going into dig mode. If the former is true, great! Otherwise, there're still things that we can do to come back, such as playing our commander with some experience counters (especially post-board wipe with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), having one of our bigger reanimation spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruna, the Fading Light" href="#" target="_blank">Bruna, the Fading Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karmic Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Karmic Guide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Moon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Red Elemental Blast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion"></div></div>
<p>This deck idea was conceived some time before the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iona, Shield of Emeria" href="#" target="_blank">Iona, Shield of Emeria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ban, otherwise it would have had a bit more on the lock department. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chancellor of the Annex" href="#" target="_blank">Chancellor of the Annex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rule of Law" href="#" target="_blank">Rule of Law</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-type of effects could help us slow down the game after we've played our threats.</p>
<p>Adjusting the Sunforger package to your local meta is always a necessity. Need to fight through counterspells? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Red Elemental Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Red Elemental Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Lots of enchantments/artifacts? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return to Dust" href="#" target="_blank">Return to Dust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an interesting option.</p>
<p>We could also add some planeswalkers to add more protection against board wipes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Knight-Errant" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Knight-Errant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both great as different kinds of threats. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Harbinger" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Harbinger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good way to filter cards, and her ultimate is pretty good as a way to tutor for creatures.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Kalemne Angel Tribal

The 600 – Predicting the Popularity of Theros Beyond Death Commanders

Archetune-Up - Keep on Yarok-ing on! ?

Forgotten Harvest - Ragnar Regenerates

Ranking Every Land with EDHREC – 2019 Edition

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.ericdeschamps.com/">Eric Deschamps</a> )</h6>
<h1>Slip in the Back Door</h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome to <em>Monomania Takes on Theros</em>. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy, challenging staples and misconceptions about the color pie. For the next few weeks, we're diving into <em>Theros Beyond Death</em>. I've been surprised by the number of mono-colored generals that have been packed into this set! Today’s commander is a new version of an old favorite. He's creeping around in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to call in friends and kick down the back door.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded"></div></div>
<p>Purphoros 2.0 is indeed worthy of his namesake. While <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> is one of the most potent game-enders in EDH, Bronze-Blooded fulfills a few different roles and seems to perform them well. Just like the old Purphoros, this new Purphoros is as hard to kill as Steven Seagall. Not only is this commander indestructible, but when our devotion to red is less than five, it isn’t a creature—only liable to enchantment removal. Enchantment removal is, coincidentally, the least common form of removal in our format. In addition to being slippery, Bronze-Blooded combines two highly-desirable effects in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sneak Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar"></div></div>
<p>This general is feigning <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a creature, an effect that is famously powerful and competitive in other formats. While the sticker price and activation costs are higher, Bronze-Blooded in the command zone gives us access to this effect at all times, allowing us to build around it. Outside of his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> impersonation, the new Purphoros also has <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fervor" href="#" target="_blank">Fervor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> stapled on. Even if we choose to hard-cast a hefty creature instead of sneak it in, it'll have haste. This Purphoros reminds me of a supercharged version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar" href="#" target="_blank">Ilharg, the Raze-Boar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of my favorite commander options from last year.</p>
<p>Bronze-Blooded has everything I look for in a mono-colored commander option: he's sticky, opens up a new avenue for a general in his color, and does multiple things well. We should be wary, however, of a few very specific words in his text box. Bronze-Blooded specifies that we may only sneak red or artifact creatures onto the field. That means no Eldrazi. While Kozilek, Ulamog, and Emrakul wouldn’t be superb here either way because their best effects trigger on cast, we will miss <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It That Betrays" href="#" target="_blank">It That Betrays</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artisan of Kozilek" href="#" target="_blank">Artisan of Kozilek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I’m already excited, so let’s jump in and see what we can come up with for this yet-to-be-released commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Surveillance Equipment</h2>
<p>There are two important concerns we must address while designing a ramp package for this deck. First, speed is our greatest ally with Purphoros. If we can power out our commander early, we can make a huge swing early in the game. We want a few low-cost ramp effects to reach five mana early. Second, our deck really wants to have the ability to cast our big creatures when necessary, so we want ramp effects that can help us leap up the mana curve. To fulfill our first need, I have included several mana rocks, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Diamond" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Diamond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coldsteel Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Coldsteel Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Star Compass" href="#" target="_blank">Star Compass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gilded Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nyx Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Extraplanar Lens"></div></div>
<p>To fulfill the second need, cards like the ones featured above will do perfectly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a staple of our format and can provide us with a steep mid-game power spike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extraplanar Lens" href="#" target="_blank">Extraplanar Lens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is my preferred mana-doubling effect, but we could also consider <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caged Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Caged Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gauntlet of Power" href="#" target="_blank">Gauntlet of Power</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here.</p>
<p>The new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyx Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Nyx Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a low floor, potentially only generating zero mana, but it could also potentially produce five or more mana. That kind of mana production will ensure that we can cast anything we may have in our hand under the right circumstances. I'm not overly fond of this card, but in this deck we can construct plays in which it is decent even without much <em>Devotion</em> on the field at the start of our turn. Consider for example, activating Purphoros twice in a turn to drop <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyrant of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Tyrant of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto the field. Suddenly we can tap our Lotus for six mana.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Getting the Gang Together</h2>
<p>To fully take advantage of this commander, we will need a potent card advantage engine to ensure that we actually have creatures in hand to cheat into play. Unlike most mono-red commanders, impulsive draw isn’t particularly powerful in our deck. Because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only abuses cards in our hand, exiling cards from the top of our deck doesn’t advance our overall strategy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandstone Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knollspine Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Mage"></div></div>
<p>These three cards play into our general’s particularities quite well, each drawing a significant number of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sandstone Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Sandstone Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible card in mono-red. As the red player, we will almost never be the player with the highest number of cards in hand.</p>
<p>On any given turn, we can activate Purphoros once and drop a terrifying creature, hit an opponent, then sneak in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knollspine Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Knollspine Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to draw a fistful of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also acts as an extremely powerful wheel effect. At seven mana, each of these would be difficult to cast on their own, but with our commander, we can take advantage of these effects for three mana each.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hoarding Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div></div>
<p>In this deck we can circumvent the downsides of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well. When we sacrifice <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the end of turn using Bronze-Blooded's ability, we draw the card we searched out earlier. To summarize, in addition to its flat-rate mode, this Dragon can act as a three-mana tutor that also deals four damage to something. Etali is also exceptional here. Whether we sneak her in or pay in full, we avoid her greatest weakness: the lack of haste. With Purphoros, we're all but guaranteed three cards off the top of our opponents’ decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pilgrim’s Eye"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyscanner"></div></div>
<p>Finally, creatures that can replace themselves fit nicely in this deck, especially as artifacts. Because we're naturally running cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorworks" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this type of effect is a low-risk option that can turn into a decent little engine. Putting one of these under a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a good mid-game option to keep up on cards in red.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>Now that we have strategies for ramping and drawing, let’s put it all together and see how we’ll make this new Purphoros sing and how he’ll compete with his stellar previous iteration. As always, season to taste.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erratic Portal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warstorm Surge"></div></div>
<p>Among the other notable inclusions, we have cards that try to minimize the downside of sacrificing our giant monsters at the end of turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for one, can allow us to return our most powerful Purphoros targets to our hand, allowing us to reuse threats each turn. While only a one-shot effect, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can fill a similar role and help us double up on important creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundial of the Infinite" href="#" target="_blank">Sundial of the Infinite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can keep the creatures in play by ending the urn in response to Purphoros's sacrifice trigger at the end of the turn! Meanwhile, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flameshadow Conjuring" href="#" target="_blank">Flameshadow Conjuring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minion Reflector" href="#" target="_blank">Minion Reflector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are powerhouses here. Whenever we sneak in a big creature, we can duplicate it for a low cost. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of our more powerful game-ending effects in this deck and will help us dome our opponents for large chunks of damage at a time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sneakers and Creepers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Dockside Extortionist
*1 Filigree Familiar
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Skittering Surveyor
*1 Skyscanner
*1 Ancestral Statue
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Cavalier of Flame
*1 Clone Shell
*1 Hoarding Dragon
*1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
*1 Malignus
*1 Mindclaw Shaman
*1 Duplicant
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Fiendish Duo
*1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
*1 Balefire Dragon
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Knollspine Dragon
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Spawn of Thraxes
*1 Terror of Mount Velus
*1 Tyrant of Discord
*1 Avatar of Slaughter
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Arcbond
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Savage Beating
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Chain Reaction
*1 Relentless Assault
*1 World at War
*1 Blasphemous Act
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Star Compass
*1 Thaumatic Compass
*1 Treasure Map
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Victory Chimes
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Erratic Portal
*1 Nyx Lotus
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Minion Reflector
*1 Mirrorworks
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Tectonic Reformation
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Flameshadow Conjuring
*1 Mirror March
*1 Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Desert of the Fervent
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scrying Sheets
*1 Smoldering Crater
*26 Snow-Covered Mountain
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>So what do you all think? Have you built a <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> deck before? Does this Bronze-Blooded God excite you enough to build a deck? What sorts of creatures would you want to abuse? What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below! Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


Monomania Takes on Theros – Sneakers and Creepers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is the complete guide to successfully piloting the Prismari Performance preconstructed deck, commanded by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaffai, Thunder Conductor" href="#" target="_blank">Zaffai, Thunder Conductor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This guide contains everything needed to pilot the deck to victory straight out of the box!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zaffai, Thunder Conductor"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At first glance, Prismari Performance may seem like a spellslinger deck looking to resolve giant spells, but the instants and sorceries actually mostly exist to support and create creatures which the deck will eventually beat down with. Zaffai himself will primarily be creating 4/4 Elemental tokens rather than dishing out 10 damage, since the deck only contains 3 spells capable of meeting that requirement. This is a critical part to understanding the deck: recognizing that creature beatdown will be the primary win condition.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zaffai wants spells that go pretty big, with a mana value of at least 5, and this deck has 20 of them. This first grouping contains the better half of them:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aether Gale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dig Through Time"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Gale" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Gale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and to a lesser extent, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherspouts" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherspouts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, serve as playable interaction that can keep pressure off while also creating 4/4 Elementals via Zaffai. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Volcanic Vision" href="#" target="_blank">Volcanic Vision</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a one-sided board wipe that also returns the best instant or sorcery from the graveyard for a second use and is one of the best cards in the precon. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes an appearance as well as a stellar board wipe and one of the strongest cards included in the precon.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass’s Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Brass’s Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make large amounts of mana that will be used to power out even larger spells later, and are usually free to cast.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dig Through Time" href="#" target="_blank">Dig Through Time</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won’t be at their finest in this deck, but they’ll still pull their weight and help the deck churn through its library. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apex of Power" href="#" target="_blank">Apex of Power</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds mana and gives its caster card to use it on, and importantly triggers Zaffai’s final magecraft ability.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The remainder of 5 mana value spells tend not to provide as much value and should most likely be prioritized lower than those listed above:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Creative Technique"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inspiring Refrain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Call the Skybreaker"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Creative Technique" href="#" target="_blank">Creative Technique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a lot of mana to gamble on a random spell, and won’t often be worth it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Fall" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Fall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traumatic Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Traumatic Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might as well be cantrips that always draw lands, because casting either one feels pretty miserable, even when getting a 4/4 token.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Encore" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Encore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind’s Desire" href="#" target="_blank">Mind’s Desire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are part of the reason players miscategorize Prismari Performance as a spellslinger deck: they encourage Storm, but the deck itself doesn’t, meaning these cards will perform rather poorly.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rousing Refrain" href="#" target="_blank">Rousing Refrain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspiring Refrain" href="#" target="_blank">Inspiring Refrain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feel a little overcosted and won’t make too big of a splash; the Suspend 3 clause makes them glacially slow.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call the Skybreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Call the Skybreaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elemental Masterpiece" href="#" target="_blank">Elemental Masterpiece</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just create big tokens; the deck is already doing that with Zaffai out, and having redundancy is nice, but these are certainly subpar Commander cards, even at the preconstructed deck power level.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those expensive spells will be supporting the handful of win conditions the deck has access to. Combining extra 4/4’s with these effects can lead to powerful swings.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Talrand, Sky Summoner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rionya, Fire Dancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swarm Intelligence"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><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="Metallurgic Summonings" href="#" target="_blank">Metallurgic Summonings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> spew out even more tokens so the deck can swarm opponents and build lethal attacks even through blockers.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rionya, Fire Dancer" href="#" target="_blank">Rionya, Fire Dancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only requires one or two spells to be cast prior and always creates at least one token copy of a creature, so even a 4/4 Elemental can cause some heavy damage to be thrown around. This is especially dangerous with a giant monster like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Project" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Project</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swarm Intelligence" href="#" target="_blank">Swarm Intelligence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Veyran, Voice of Duality" href="#" target="_blank">Veyran, Voice of Duality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give the deck some needed “oomph,” and basically double up Zaffai’s magecraft triggers for an even bigger board.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surge to Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Surge to Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an interesting finisher that wants its caster to go wide, and once they do, it heavily rewards them with multiple copies of some giant spell, while also creating game-ending power boosts and lots of 4/4’s post-combat with Zaffai.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deck doesn’t entirely rely on Zaffai and spell backup; it also has a few Commander cards that are entirely threatening on their own, which usually isn’t the case for many precons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diluvian Primordial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunbird’s Invocation"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> simply needs to attack once before its controller gains a stranglehold on the game. It provides so much free card advantage and mana advantage that it can dominate games if protected properly.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diluvian Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Diluvian Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> copies the best spell each opponent has cast that game, which can steal wins almost entirely on its own, depending on the power of the exiled cards. It doesn’t require any building around and will pack a punch whether Prismari Performance is doing its thing or not.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunbird’s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Sunbird’s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns every future spell into two spells, and it can run away with games given enough time. It’s a rock solid card advantage engine that doesn’t need any spellslinger synergy to function.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prismari Performance does perform well as a beatdown deck backed up by spellslinging subthemes, but some of the creatures in the deck won’t be pulling their weight a decent amount of the time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Lore"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sly Instigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Radiant Performer"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deck has almost no way to sneak <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Lore" href="#" target="_blank">Living Lore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> through opposing defense, and even then, all it does is essentially give a spell flashback on a delay.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sly Instigator" href="#" target="_blank">Sly Instigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just has nothing to do with the game plan of this particular deck, but could do a good job elsewhere.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Radiant Performer" href="#" target="_blank">Radiant Performer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naru Meha, Master Wizard" href="#" target="_blank">Naru Meha, Master Wizard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are expensive to set up and won’t offer much of a reward. The deck isn’t very interested in the weak bodies they offer, and the upside of resolving them at the right time just isn’t there in this deck.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a whole, the Prismari Performance precon may look like a spellslinger deck at first glance, but digging deeper reveals its core of large creatures, splashy spells, and high damage output. Mastering the deck’s strengths and preparing for its weaknesses can mean the difference between a victory and a loss.</span></p>


How to Play the Prismari Performance Precon in EDH

Silverquill Statement Upgrade Guide

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is the complete guide to playing the Spirit Squadron preconstructed deck, commanded by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millicent, Restless Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Millicent, Restless Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This guide contains all the information needed to pilot the deck to victory straight out of the box!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Millicent, Restless Revenant"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The main game plan for the Spirit Squadron deck is to build up an early boardstate of evasive Spirits in order to cast Millicent for two mana, and then pump its Spirit army to deliver lethal damage to its opponents.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Millicent is very expensive to cast, but with its cost reduction ability, it can actually be the cheapest commander at the table, even after multiple commander taxes are applied. Even in the event of a board wipe, all Spirits that die alongside Millicent will leave behind a 1/1 Spirit token with Flying. These two factors highly incentivize building a board full of nontoken Spirits. This deck is fully capable of getting on board before turn 5, and a common play pattern afterwards will be to land a two mana Millicent and generate multiple Spirit tokens by dealing combat damage right away. At that point, if Millicent is destroyed, the extra Spirit tokens it provided will feed its own cost reduction ability, meaning Spirit Squadron is tough to stop once it gets going.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s important to get the initial batch of Spirits onto the board quickly so Millicent can hit the board sooner and begin the endless chain of Spirits.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spectral Sailor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Pilferer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hanged Executioner"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Sailor" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Sailor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the cheapest nontoken Spirit this deck can offer; flash and the card draw ability are extra upsides.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For cheap, evasive two drops, the deck has <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Remorseful Cleric" href="#" target="_blank">Remorseful Cleric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shacklegeist" href="#" target="_blank">Shacklegeist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rattlechains" href="#" target="_blank">Rattlechains</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, all with significant upsides.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hanged Executioner" href="#" target="_blank">Hanged Executioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides an extra Spirit token upon entry and doubles as expensive removal later on.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another big strength of this deck is its ability to profit from its massive amount of Spirits, either with an effect that helps future Spirits, or with a continuous buff.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drogskol Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Supreme Phantom"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For power boosts, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drogskol Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Drogskol Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Supreme Phantom" href="#" target="_blank">Supreme Phantom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drogskol Reinforcements" href="#" target="_blank">Drogskol Reinforcements</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grant solid bonuses at the precon level, and will allow this deck’s board of Spirits to close out games much more quickly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drogskol Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Drogskol Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even gives hexproof, which will cause headaches across the table.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens" href="#" target="_blank">Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sire of the Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Sire of the Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nebelgast Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Nebelgast Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give bonuses when Spirits are cast, helping to power out future plays and increase the deck’s synergy.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Flight Alabaster" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Flight Alabaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Distant Melody" href="#" target="_blank">Distant Melody</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> round out the remaining Spirit tribal support, with an additional honorable mention going to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reconnaissance Mission" href="#" target="_blank">Reconnaissance Mission</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for paying off a large board of fliers with repeatable card advantage.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck also contains a nice supporting cast of redundant board wipe insurance, in case Millicent isn’t around.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Denial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haunted Library"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sudden Salvation"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Denial" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Denial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the only counterspell in the deck, and it’ll be there to stop game-ending threats and certain board wipes.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haunted Library" href="#" target="_blank">Haunted Library</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Promise of Bunrei" href="#" target="_blank">Promise of Bunrei</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Field of Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all grant extra Spirits when certain creatures die, and they allow this deck to commit harder to the board with less fear of losing everything. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hallowed Spiritkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Hallowed Spiritkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an army in a can that practically undoes a wrath effect upon its death.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sudden Salvation" href="#" target="_blank">Sudden Salvation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can save a few key nontoken creatures, including Millicent, and will do a decent job at helping the deck rebound from a board wipe, but at the precon level it’s tough to squeeze more advantage out of.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spirit Squadron has an average mana value of 3.32, meaning the average nonland card in the deck costs a little bit more than three mana to play. That is a pretty good rate for a precon, and it’s good that the deck doesn’t have too many clunky spells detracting from its main game plan.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, one weakness this deck does suffer from is a poor selection of mass removal, which is ironic considering its awesome suite of board wipe insurance. Answering a single threat is very doable, but this deck can become overwhelmed by multiple large creatures and be faced with awkward scenarios that involve resetting its own board.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kirtar’s Wrath"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flood of Tears"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fell the Mighty"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kirtar’s Wrath" href="#" target="_blank">Kirtar’s Wrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is already expensive for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variant, but the only thing it offers in return is three Spirits with threshold, something this deck won’t even be that good at obtaining.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flood of Tears" href="#" target="_blank">Flood of Tears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is honestly bad in a token deck, not only because any tokens will cease to exist without providing any value to their controller, but because bouncing the nontoken Spirits isn’t much of an upside either. Board wipes in this deck should keep some of its Spirits intact while eliminating most of the creatures controlled by opponents.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fell the Mighty" href="#" target="_blank">Fell the Mighty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fails as a board wipe, because the “target creature” requirement opens this spell up to be fizzled by an opposing removal spell. This won’t be reliable unless each opponent is virtually tapped out, and even then, the power and toughness of creatures in play might not work out favorably.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the deck is lacking in the board wipe department, overall it is an efficient Spirit-making machine. Listed below are some of its strongest overperformers, cards that are worth protecting that can contribute heavily to a victory, especially in the precon environment.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ethereal Investigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mentor of the Meek"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Benevolent Offering"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethereal Investigator" href="#" target="_blank">Ethereal Investigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides both board advantage and card advantage, which is an impressive feat considering its mana cost. In a four player game, it already comes with three Clues, and they help fuel its second ability, which pumps out even more 1/1 Flying Spirit tokens for the deck to utilize. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mentor of the Meek" href="#" target="_blank">Mentor of the Meek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will see all the 1/1 tokens entering the battlefield and help keep Spirit Squadron full on cards, especially with Millicent in Play. If Mentor of the Meek survives long enough, this deck will be too far ahead to stop.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a very powerful card at this power level. It bolsters the deck’s life total, provides relevant bodies, and even hands out some advantage that can curry favor with other players.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Overperformers in preconstructed decks usually come alongside underperformers, and Spirit Squadron is no exception.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Prison"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of the Crescent Moon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haunting Imitation"></div></div></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Prison" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Prison</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, along with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Windborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, serve virtually no purpose in this deck other than to divert attackers, but offering opponents a choice and being nothing more than a speedbump means there are plenty of better options out there.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of the Crescent Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of the Crescent Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a group hug card, and offering free cards isn’t something this deck is interested in, especially when its controller is the last person to benefit.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haunting Imitation" href="#" target="_blank">Haunting Imitation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks decent, but performs so poorly that it is better saved as the final spell cast in a hand, when there’s nothing else to do. There’s no way to control the outcome, and when it’s unfavorable or whiffs, the tempo loss is just too high.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses of Spirit Squadron will help keep games streamlined, lead to less feel-bad moments, and contribute to many more victories!</span></p>


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