Commander Showdown - Pir &#038; Toothy vs Vorel

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Khorvath Brightflame" href="#" target="_blank">Khorvath Brightflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.toomanylayers.com/illustration">Carmen Sinek</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Good morning, 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 cards, effectively 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 in front of your own face is half the fun.</p>
<p>In this article we'll be exploring the Boros-colored Battlebond <em>Partner</em> commanders: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Khorvath Brightflame" href="#" target="_blank">Khorvath Brightflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvia Brightspear" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvia Brightspear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at their kit:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Khorvath Brightflame"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sylvia Brightspear"></div></div>
<p><strong>Knights your team controls have Flying and Haste</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dragons your team controls have double strike</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1: They are an interesting twist in the tribal formula, because if we go into either tribe, the commander we care about is the one from the <em>other</em> tribe</p>
<p>Observation 2: Sylvia a better tribal commander than Khorvath; a mono-red Dragons deck splashing white is considerably better than a mono-white Knights deck splashing red.</p>
<p>Observation 3: Sylvia's bonus to Dragons is also much better than Khorvath's. She also curves really well into aggressive four-drop Dragons</p>
<p>Observation 4: Getting both commanders out is quite strong, as they represent 10 power in the air with haste.</p>
<hr />
<h1>The Old Formula</h1>
<p>With that in mind, let's see how this Boros pair is usually built:</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-31156" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/KhorvathSylvia-Sig.png" alt="" width="588" height="286" /></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-31157" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/KhorvathSylvia-Top.png" alt="" width="570" height="281" /></p>
<p>This is a fun one! We can see that both tribes have their grasp in the average lists, and it leads to a strange dual tribal mixture.</p>
<p>I personally dislike going this route in Boros because we lack the card draw to reliably access our relevant pieces, and getting stuck drawing enablers for one tribe while needing the other is game-ending.</p>
<hr />
<h1>The Epic Ingredients</h1>
<p>We established that, once they are both out, this duo can do some real damage to people, and what's the most efficient way to kill people with our commander? If you guessed Voltron, you're right!</p>
<p>One of Voltron's main challenges is ending the game after killing the first player. It's usually very easy to eliminate one player, but as the game progresses (and people get scared of you) it becomes harder and harder, to the point that even an 11-power commander that represents a two turn clock won't be fast enough with our single attack step each turn.</p>
<p>This is where having a second Voltron commander really helps; we can grow Sylvia in the early game and quickly take someone out. Then, by the mid/late game, we get to attack the remaining players with both our commanders separately.</p>
<p>Voltron decks usually revolve around building one creature as large as it can get, so it can dish out 21 commander damage ASAP. They usually do that by using a bunch of Auras and Equipment, but since we have two possible targets, we can't reliably make that strategy work. Instead of using single-target pumps, we have to focus on broader anthem effects.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Day of Destiny"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion Protector"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer"></div></div>
<p>Anthem effects are usually more effective in go-wide token decks, where the power boost is made more impactful with multiple bodies in play. Even with only our two commanders, though, anthems are great for us. With double strike, every point of damage is twice as effective, and with both commanders in play, it could even become four times more powerful. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Day of Destiny" href="#" target="_blank">Day of Destiny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glory of Warfare" href="#" target="_blank">Glory of Warfare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer" href="#" target="_blank">Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a quick way to provide sheer damage, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Always Watching" href="#" target="_blank">Always Watching</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodsworn Steward" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodsworn Steward</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give some utility while still offering some additional power to our commanders.</p>
<p>Even though we're not focusing on Equipment, there're still some very good inclusions. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the protection trio that help our commanders stick around long enough. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunforger" href="#" target="_blank">Sunforger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a value engine that also gives a huge +4 power boost. Then there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is an excellent ramp tool that plays well into our gameplan, because we'll be playing spells before combat, but will want mana afterward too.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Territorial Hellkite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Charger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tyrant&#039;s Familiar"></div></div>
<p>Aside from the Voltron package, we are also packing a few Dragons for that sweet midrange value. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Territorial Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Territorial Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a loose cannon, but playing it with Sylvia on the battlefield is so strong that the RNG aspect of the card can be put aside. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Verix, Bladewing" href="#" target="_blank">Verix, Bladewing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a decent body as a four drop, but has the benefit of becoming insane when played with <em>Kicker</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Igniter" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Igniter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hits like a truck and out of nowhere, it's very helpful in eliminating players because of its huge burst.</p>
<hr />
<h1>The Mixture</h1>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Khorvath and Sylvia Voltron" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]</p>
<p>*Khorvath Brightflame</p>
<p>*Sylvia Brightspear</p>
<p>[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Artifact]</p>
<p>*Everflowing Chalice<br />
*Sol Ring<br />
*Wayfarer's Bauble<br />
*Blackblade Reforged<br />
*Boros Signet<br />
*Fellwar Stone<br />
*Lightning Greaves<br />
*Mind stone<br />
*Prowler's Helm<br />
*Swiftfoot Boots<br />
*Sword of the Animist<br />
*Trailblazer's Boots<br />
*Treasure Map<br />
*Commander's Sphere<br />
*Crawlspace<br />
*Darksteel Plate<br />
*Loxodon Warhammer<br />
*Sunforger<br />
*Sword of Feast and Famine<br />
*Hedron Archive<br />
*Gilded Lotus<br />
*Mind's Eye<br />
*The Immortal Sun</p>
<p>[/Artifact]</p>
<p>[Creature]</p>
<p>*Mother of Runes<br />
*Weathered Wayfarer<br />
*Selfless Spirit<br />
*Bastion Protector<br />
*Bloodsworn Steward<br />
*Territorial Hellkite<br />
*Verix Bladewing<br />
*Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer<br />
*Hellkite Charger<br />
*Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite<br />
*Hellkite Igniter<br />
*Tyrant's Familiar<br />
[/Creature]</p>
<p>[Enchantment]<br />
*Authority of the Consuls<br />
*Curse of opulence<br />
*Land Tax<br />
*Blind Obedience<br />
*Always Watching<br />
*Day of Destiny<br />
*Glory of Warfare<br />
*Smothering Tithe<br />
*Gratuitous Violence<br />
[/Enchantment]</p>
<p>[Instant]</p>
<p>*Enlightened Tutor<br />
*Path to Exile<br />
*Swords to Plowshares<br />
*Boros Charm<br />
*Chaos Warp<br />
*Teferi's Protection<br />
*Wear // Tear<br />
*Return to Dust<br />
[/Instant]</p>
<p>[Sorcery]</p>
<p>*Faithless Looting<br />
*Vandalblast<br />
*Mine Excavation<br />
*Tormenting Voice<br />
*Cleansing Nova<br />
*Austere Command<br />
*Blasphemous Act<br />
[/Sorcery]</p>
<p>[Planeswalker]</p>
<p>*Chandra, Torch of Defiance<br />
*Chandra, Pyromaster<br />
*Nahiri, the Harbinger</p>
<p>[/Planeswalker]</p>
<p>[Land]</p>
<p>*Command Tower</p>
<p>*Sacred Foundry<br />
*Clifftop Retreat<br />
*Inspiring Vantage<br />
*Rugged Prairie</p>
<p>*Battlefield Forge<br />
*Temple of Triumph<br />
*Forgotten Cave<br />
*Great Furnace<br />
*Secluded Steppe<br />
*Ancient Den<br />
*Darksteel Citadel<br />
*Ghost Quarter<br />
*Tectonic Edge<br />
*Myriad Landscape<br />
*Slayers' Stronghold<br />
*11 Mountain<br />
*10 Plains<br />
[/Land]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<p>When building Boros, one has to REALLY think about those two inherent flaws of the color combination. Yeah, I'm talking about ramp and card draw.</p>
<p>The first part, ramp, is relative easy to fill out; we have both the usual artifact ramp package and some of the white land "fetch" cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Land Tax" href="#" target="_blank">Land Tax</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weathered Wayfarer" href="#" target="_blank">Weathered Wayfarer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. To stay ahead of the rest of the table, we're also using a minor Treasure package: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Map" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pulls triple duty as a card filtering, ramp, <em>and </em>draw when it flips. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good way to quickly generate a lot of mana in multiplayer games and has obvious synergy with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Map" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't produce Treasure, per se, but is functionally close enough, and is a cheap way to get some value throughout the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Map"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunforger"></div></div>
<p>Getting good sources of card draw is tough in Boros; most of the red rummaging spells get pretty weak if we don't have graveyard synergies, or when we start to lose cards. This is where creativity pays off; we must use the few tools at our disposal to find what we need. For example, fetching a bunch of lands to hand with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Land Tax" href="#" target="_blank">Land Tax</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us tons of fodder for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathartic Reunion" href="#" target="_blank">Cathartic Reunion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and friends.</p>
<p>Another good source of card filtering/card advantage are planeswalkers. Even though we are not good at defending them, if we only get a couple of activation it's already good enough to include them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunforger" href="#" target="_blank">Sunforger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also an interesting source of card advantage that has almost no opportunity cost, as most of its targets are good enough on their on to be included anyways.</p>
<div>
<hr />
<h1>Methodology</h1>
<p>Opening hands are usually very generous, as we have a three-drop commander that hits hard. The tough part is being able to maintain that early game pressure throughout the remainder of the game. Our opening plays need to lead us somewhere, whether by being aggressive or by being able to ramp and draw into later threats. Either way we need to commit to a plan, and fast. This is very important as we don't have the card draw to get us out of bad decisions.</p>
</div>
<p>For the early game, we should try to find our first target. Since we don't have that many cheap evasion enablers, hitting the opponent with the lowest creature count is usually a good place to start. Sylvia is great as a three-drop, and turns four-drop Dragons and power-pumping or damage-doubling spells into great draws on the following turn. The usual amount of time we need to kill out first target this early in the game will be 3-4 unblocked attacks. It may seem like a lot, but the snowball aspect of Voltron can't be overlooked.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gratuitous Violence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Igniter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite"></div></div>
<p>By the mid game we should have eliminated (or be close to eliminating) the first target. This is the break-off point, because it's about this time where people start casting their Wraths and, for each remaining player, the chances of them having interaction increases. By now we can play Khorvath and have our wombo combo, which will help eliminating the remaining players. Since Sylvia is so cheap, it's not the end of the world for her to be destroyed after she did her job eliminating the first player, as we can play her again after Khorvath is out, where she'll be swinging with haste.</p>
<p>Late game is not as bad for us as for other Voltrons, because we get to avoid taxes by playing two commanders! If Khorvath is too expensive, play Sylvia instead and rack up her commander damage. Keep in mind, though, that we only have a select few cards that are super big, so by the late game, it's possible for us to be stopped by another player's huge random creature(s). Fortunately, we have a few ways to grab the victory from our opponents' grasp. Normally, these ways will include firebreathing lizard things coming out of nowhere and dealing lots of damage, which is pretty darn awesome.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Epic Results</h1>
<p>This is a different take on the Voltron formula, and because of that, it feels specially flexible. There are many ways that one might try to experiment with the build. By adding more top-end Dragons we could get around our late-game problems. Just be careful to not add so many that it affects the deck's early game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one scary dude, specially when its tokens get double strike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great at controlling the board and plays well with planeswalkers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyline Despot" href="#" target="_blank">Skyline Despot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is kind of a hit or miss, but he has the potential to draw cards and make dudes.</p>
<p>Another possible addition to the list are extra combat steps spells. They are specially effective because often people will misjudge our damage and it's very easy to suddenly to burst people out with commander damage.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think about this Voltron experiment? 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>


Epic Experiment - Khorvath &#038; Sylvia Voltron

Conditions Allow - Mangara of Corondor

Heart of the Cards – Rakdos, the Showstopper

<h6 class="western" align="RIGHT">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unlikely Alliance" href="#" target="_blank">Unlikely Alliance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.studiofoglio.com/">Phil Foglio</a>)</h6>
<h2 class="western">Snakes. Why Couldn't They Have Been Snakes?!</h2>
<p>Welcome to the Unlikely Alliance column! This series investigates the Commander format’s least played Partner combinations. While many Partner combinations lead to obvious builds – or are just obviously strong – we’re here to build fun lists that most others haven’t explored.</p>
<p>This time around we will be building with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who is the least-built Partner commander. We'll be pairing her with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-30832" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ikra_kydele_art.png" alt="" width="700" height="255" /><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-32652" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ikra_kydele_art.png" alt="" width="300" height="109" /></p>
<h6 class="western" align="RIGHT">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://josuoh.com/">Josu Hernaiz</a>) and (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://deharme.artstation.com/">Bastien L. Deharme</a>)</h6>
<hr />
<h2 class="western">Inexpensive Builds</h2>
<p>A goal of this column is to build deck lists that are inexpensive. That’s not to say they are budget builds, but we won’t be using much that costs more than $10 unless those cards are absolutely on-theme and we can’t find suitable alternatives. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive" href="#" target="_blank">Alhammarret&#039;s Archive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> synergizes with both of our commanders, so goes into the deck despite being a $14+ card.</p>
<hr />
<h2 class="western">Soapbox</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unfortunate card. From a Mel's perspective it is unfortunate that the Naga creature type was introduced, despite an existing precedent for Snake people in the Orochi from Kamigawa. Naga should have been given the Snake creature type, and while <a href="https://twitter.com/maro254">Mark Rosewater</a> agrees, apparently not everyone at WotC does.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="LEFT"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-30835" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/maro_naga_snake.png" alt="" width="616" height="301" /></p>
<p>Maybe someday we'll be lucky enough to get a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for Snakes, Gorgons, and Naga. Or maybe an Ur-Ophidian with an <em>Eminence</em> ability that cares about all three creature types, because it seems unlikely that there will ever be another <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/grand-creature-type-update-2007-09-26">Grand Creature Type Update</a>.</p>
<p>From a Vorthos's perspective, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ikra Shidiqi, the Usrurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ikra Shidiqi, the Usrurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was as much of a flavor-fail as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist" href="#" target="_blank">Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Ludevic just has a larger fan-base. The Ikra Shidi that we were given is from Tarkir's new timeline; the timeline when she has helped a Dimir-colored <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonlord Silumgar" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonlord Silumgar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> overthrow the Sultai, purging the clan's survivors of their <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=type%3Anaga+%28set%3Afrf+OR+set%3Aktk%29">green, shamanistic ways</a>.</p>
<p>So why, as the highest-ranked member of Silumgar's entourage, is she green? There are <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=wm%3ASilumgar">no green cards bearing Silumgar's watermark</a>, <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?&amp;q=type%3Anaga+set%3Adtk">nor any green Naga</a> in the new timeline, so what gives? Why is she wielding life-magic when the Naga Wizards from her timeline are mostly necromancers who sacrifice creatures? In the original timeline only one Naga granted life, but even that was required a creature's death.</p>
<p>Here's what I think happened. Someone designed a toughness-matters Gorgon; Gorgons often have high-toughness to go along with their Deathtouch / “death gaze” abilities. However, when it came time to put a face on the card, they couldn't find a Gorgon in the lore to fill that slot. The only living, named Gorgon who is lacking a card is <a href="https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Sisters_of_Stone_Death">Ludmilla</a>, the sole survivor from among the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sisters of Stone Death" href="#" target="_blank">Sisters of Stone Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. She is likely too important to Ravnican lore to have her solo debut card come from a supplemental product. So we got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2 class="western">Commander Analysis</h2>
<p>Enough with the preaching, let's see what our Partners bring to the table.</p>
<h3 class="western">Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper"></div></div>
<p>Ikra is a toughness-matters, lifegain commander who is most commonly paired with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa" href="#" target="_blank">Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, when you realize that Ikra is only Kondo's 3rd-most common pairing, you start to understand just how unpopular Ikra Shidiqi really is.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-30833" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ikra_partners.png" alt="" width="361" height="292" /></p>
<p align="LEFT">While <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lifegain">lifegain is a popular theme</a>, the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/toughness">toughness theme</a> is much more difficult to build, and in fact Ikra Shidiqi is more likely to end up in the 99 of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doran, the Siege Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Doran, the Siege Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, than at the helm of her own. To build her, maybe we can find a class of creature that lends itself to a toughness-matters theme, without needing to go all-in.</p>
<h3 class="western">Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix"></div></div>
<p>Kydele is a mana source that scales with our ability to draw cards. More cards means more mana, and people like both. It goes without saying then, that her ability elevates her into the top 5 most popular Partner commanders list, and that her most common pairings are with the other most popular Partner commanders.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-30834" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/kydele_partners.png" alt="" width="358" height="286" /></p>
<p align="LEFT">Kydele is frequently built as the leader for a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/wheels">Wheels</a> or <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/draw">Card Draw</a> themed-deck, but I think we can do something more interesting than that, or at the very least, more thematically refined.</p>
<h3 class="western">The Intersection</h3>
<p>Initially there seems to be little overlap between these two commanders. While we'll include some cards that allow exchanging life for card draw, it's not much of a theme. More importantly, Ikra Shidiqi wants a deck full of attackers and Kydele wants a deck full of card draw. The question becomes, "Are there creatures that we can attack with that also happen to draw us cards?"</p>
<p>And the answer is... Snakes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ohran Viper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ophidian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Broodbirth Viper"></div></div>
<p>As it turns out, what Magic R&amp;D refers to as the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ability <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/few-more-words-rd-2016-11-07">was originally called the Ophidian ability</a>. Even better for us, many of the creatures that possess a variant of these abilities exchange power for toughness. So in honor of the fact that Naga are Ophidian in appearance, let's make an “Ophidian” tribal deck.</p>
<p>Now the Vorthos players among you may be asking, “How do you justify Kydele in an “Ophidian” theme? She's no Snake!” The thing is, she has 4 arms and 2 legs, just like all the best Snakes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakiko, Mother of Summer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaseto, Orochi Archmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seshiro the Anointed"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2 class="western">Narrative</h2>
<p>I normally like to summarize a deck’s narrative before fleshing out the details, but this deck is more of a puzzle than it is a story. All we have today is: attack and burn life to draw cards, then cast big spells and win.</p>
<hr />
<h2 class="western">EDHREC Resources</h2>
<p>Here are links to the EDHREC resources I used to figure out the contents and workings of our deck:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/ikra-shidiqi-the-usurper-kydele-chosen-of-kruphix">Ikra Shidiqi &amp; Kydele</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/snakes">Snake tribal</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/draw">Card Draw theme</a></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2 class="western">The Deck</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ikra // Kydele – Ophidian Tribal" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix
*1 Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Pharika&#039;s Chosen
*1 Wasteland Viper
*1 Ambush Viper
*1 Coiling Oracle
*1 Hooded Hydra
*1 Kiora&#039;s Follower
*1 Mindblade Render
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Kaseto, Orochi Archmage
*1 Lorescale Coatl
*1 Ohran Viper
*1 Ophidian
*1 Pharika, God of Affliction
*1 Prowling Serpopard
*1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
*1 Skullwinder
*1 Thassa, God of the Sea
*1 Winged Coatl
*1 Erebos, God of the Dead
*1 Mystic Snake
*1 Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro
*1 Thassa&#039;s Emissary
*1 Broodbirth Viper
*1 Kruphix, God of Horizons
*1 Serpent Assassin
*1 Sturmgeist
*1 Deepfathom Skulker
*1 Gleancrawler
*1 Honored Hydra
*1 Nemesis of Mortals
*1 Sakiko, Mother of Summer
*1 Seshiro the Anointed
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Burgeoning
*1 Curiosity
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Arguel&#039;s Blood Fast
*1 Unfulfilled Desires
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Coastal Piracy
*1 Greed
*1 Kindred Discovery
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Sultai Charm
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bond of Agony
*1 Exsanguinate
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Villainous Wealth
*1 Circuitous Route
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Blade of Selves
*1 Credit Voucher
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
*1 Sword of the Paruns
*1 Well of Lost Dreams
*1 Alhammarret&#039;s Archive
*1 Book of Rass
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Refuge
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dimir Guildgate
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*7 Forest
*1 Gateway Plaza
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Golgari Guildgate
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*6 Island
*1 Morphic Pool
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Simic Guildgate
*1 Sunken Hollow
*5 Swamp
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Woodland Cemetery
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2 class="western">Spotlights</h2>
<p>Let's walk through some more of the deck's most important cards.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">"Ophidian" / Curiosity</h3>
<p>While we'll have plenty of creatures that do this on their own, the effect stacks, so let's make sure all of our creatures are able to draw us cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coastal Piracy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bident of Thassa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deepfathom Skulker"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Evasion</h3>
<p>Our creatures only draw us cards and grant us life when not blocked, so let's make sure they get through.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thassa, God of the Sea"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whispersilk Cloak"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Recursion</h3>
<p>We want to attack aggressively when our commanders are in play, but that often mean that our creatures will die. Getting them back is easier than trying to tutor for replacements.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Reclamation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullwinder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gleancrawler"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Paying Life</h3>
<p>Ikra's life gain can be channeled into card draw that pumps Kydele's mana output.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Book of Rass"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Greed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erebos, God of the Dead"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">"X" Win-Cons</h3>
<p>We want a few explosive plays that can take advantage of having lots of mana and/or life.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bond of Agony"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exsanguinate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Villainous Wealth"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Big Beats</h3>
<p>Sometimes we just need some big dumb creatures to finish off an opponent.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Honored Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hooded Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nemesis of Mortals"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Commander Synergy</h3>
<p>Let's include some cards that work well with both of our commanders.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of the Paruns"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kiora&#039;s Follower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Surprise!</h3>
<p>The threat of instant-speed bodies with benefits is almost more important than actually playing these cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Snake"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Winged Coatl"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wasteland Viper"></div></div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Utility</h3>
<p>Let's not forget some value engines.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blade of Selves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burgeoning"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kruphix, God of Horizons"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2 class="western">The End</h2>
<p>Thanks for exploring <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/ikra-shidiqi-the-usurper-kydele-chosen-of-kruphix">Ikra Shidiqi // Kydele</a> with me; as always, it's been awesome!</p>
<p>Until next time, keep having fun!</p>


Unlikely Alliance – Ikra Shidiqi &#038; Kydele

60 to 100 - Gruul Invades the Invitational!

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thran War Machine" href="#" target="_blank">Thran War Machine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&amp;artist=[%22Pete%20Venters%22]">Pete Venters</a>)</h6>
<h1>Feeling Better Thran Ever</h1>
<p>Hey everyone, Kya once here again!</p>
<p>If you haven't noticed yet, I've gone a little insane since my last article. I've been spending a lot of my time listening to lore videos of various hobbies, and a good chunk of it has been <em>Warhammer</em> and <em>Magic: the Gathering.</em> As fun as it is, you can lose your sanity when you're alone in a dark room for hours on end listening to anything for too long, but especially when listening to a bunch of fantasy lore!</p>
<p>Now listening to various lore videos can be fun, but there's nothing quite like the real thing. <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> novels are a fun treasure to find in older bookstores when I travel out of town. Here are two books I found in Seattle, for instance.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-31045" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/00.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="335" /></p>
<p>I'm slowly gathering a collection! However, as fun as it is to search for older <em>Magic</em> books, I'm definitely not finding them fast enough to satiate my appetite for more lore.</p>
<p>So what's a girl to do? Well in my search, a friend - or should I say <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://twitter.com/thecardbazaarCC">Coach</a> -</span> approached me with some audio books he created on Youtube. They were really good. You can his set on The Thran <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8xsnTuRKvg-JGA5OM0uIvSP_VA-IalKp&amp;app=desktop">here</a>.</p>
<p>If you were interested in what the <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> story looked like before 2000, you are in for a treat with <a href="https://mtg.gamepedia.com/The_Thran">The Thran</a>. In our return to <em>Dominaria</em> we saw some slight mentions to these stories in flavor text and card titles. Say what you want about <em>Wizards,</em> but one of my favorite aspects about them is their consistent and light brushes to the past. Here is an example of what I mean:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fall of the Thran"></div></div>
<p>I bet many newer players didn't fully appreciate the name of this card or its meaning upon first glance. I won't ruin it for you, so when you have the time take a listen to Coach's audio. If you liked it, be sure to try and hunt down a copy of the book for your very own collection!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Mishra Did Nothing Wrong!</h2>
<p>I know what you're thinking. "Cool story bro, but what does that have to do with EDH?" Well, sometimes you need to find some motivation for deck creation. If you've been the unfortunate victim of reading my articles in the past, you know I'm a sucker for lore and meaning behind my decks. In the past I've had a habit of twisting that lore to bend to my personal life experiences or comparing it to other hobbies, but I don't believe I've yet made a lore deck for <em>Magic </em>lore!</p>
<p>Surprisingly, I had more difficulty finding the deck that was perfect for this story. I could have caved in and made a deck of Nicol Bolases, or a five-color deck full of Sagas, but that's too simple. I want a challenge. I want the underdog! I wan't the little brother of -</p>
<p>That's it!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mishra, Artificer Prodigy"></div></div>
<p>Let's make a deck out of Urza's lesser known little brother. Originally a man of the people, Mishra's fall began as he studies the ruins the Thran left behind. It's strange that Mishra became the bad guy in all this, considering what a jerk Urza was.</p>
<p>Anyways, what are we going to do with this angry little Artificer? His ability is definitely a strange one for EDH. He REALLY wants to find multiple copies of the same card... but we're a one-card format. I'm sure many of you are instantly turned off on the idea of having such a seemingly useless commander. Well don't worry, Kya is going to shed some light on some fancy tricks with him.</p>
<hr />
<h2>It's Not Chaos! I Swear!</h2>
<p>I know I preach chaos decks all the time, and many might not believe me when I say that this isn't a chaos deck, especially after I show you this card. Well, here goes nothing:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Possibility Storm"></div></div>
<p>Don't attack me yet! I promise this isn't for chaos this time! This is actually a really amazing card with Mishra. Why? Because you can manipulate the stack to decide how you want the triggers to go off. When you cast your artifact spell, you can resolve the Possibility Storm first. Then, when it's been tucked back into your library, Mishra's ability will go and search your library for a card with the same name as the artifact you cast in the first place!</p>
<p>Instead of your artifact turning into any random artifact from Possibility Storm, you get both the original <em>and </em>a free artifact! Imagine casting a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and getting a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Collosus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Collosus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for free!</p>
<p>It's far more involved, though. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra, Artificer Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra, Artificer Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> actually protects your artifacts. Imagine that someone tries to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> your artifact. How rude! Well, by the time that counter-insult is completed, Mishra will then look for a card with the name of the spell you cast in your deck <em>and </em>in your graveyard. Oh look! There it is, in the graveyard, because it was countered! A counterspell wasted and an artifact now on the field! Your opponents will have to be clever about the timing here, waiting until Mishra's trigger finishes resolving before they attempt to mess with your cards, which is nice insurance if your opponents aren't paying attention.</p>
<hr />
<h2>I Said It's Not Chaos!</h2>
<p>Pretty cool so far, right? Well, we can take it a step further. Surprisingly, there're a number of cards you can play that will automatically counter everything people cast. Since Mishra doesn't care about such things, it's amazing to watch. Here's an example:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Planar Chaos"></div></div>
<p>I swear I'm not doing this on purpose. I know, another chaotic card, but it's actually very good! Let everyone else sigh in dismay as you laugh and pick up any artifact you cast from the graveyard and put it right into play!</p>
<p>But wait! There's more!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Funnel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nether Void"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nullstone Gargoyle"></div></div>
<p>Isn't it great? There are so many routes you can take with this seemingly useless commander. Best of all, he's fairly unique. Not many players run him because of his weak appearance, but the tricks he has up his sleeve make him a great sleeper hit.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Sneaky Sneaky</h2>
<p>Let's make Mishra even more frightening! Thanks to his ability, we have an opportunity to steal other people's cards and then get our own versions!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Praetor&#039;s Grasp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thada Adel, Acquisitor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muse Vessel"></div></div>
<p>Hehe. Did someone say ALL the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s? EDH players can be very uniform in some of the artifacts they play - <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, etc. - so you'll find yourself stealing their belongings and pulling a fresh copy right out of your deck very often! It should be no surprise that artifacts can be very expensive in this game, since they're so prolific. Mishra can take advantage of that in a really fantastic and devious way.</p>
<hr />
<h2>It's More Thran Just Artifacts</h2>
<p>As mentioned before, this is a deck I want to hit home in terms of lore. Mishra wouldn't have gone far if it wasn't for his search for Thran artifacts, so it only makes sense we add some! What's great is that some are actually pretty helpful!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thran Dynamo"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thran Temporal Gateway"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mightstone"></div></div>
<p>Okay, the last one was a joke. Technically it's on-theme for the lore, but this deck is for fun purposes, and I'm willing to make cuts on lore cards that won't help the deck actually function (or in the case of the weird-looking <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mightstone" href="#" target="_blank">Mightstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, cards that could actively help other players more than it helps us). If you only knew how sad I was Mishra wasn't in white for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fall of the Thran" href="#" target="_blank">Fall of the Thran</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>I'm a little upset I couldn't find more love for Thran among <em>Magic's</em> many cards and flavor texts. There are a few cards that mention the Thran, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damping Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Damping Sphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Su-Chi" href="#" target="_blank">Su-Chi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both can be somewhat interesting cards, but I personally didn't find much of a use for them. I laughed out loud when I saw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fractured Powerstone" href="#" target="_blank">Fractured Powerstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also had a Thran reference.</p>
<p>At least I have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Antiquities War" href="#" target="_blank">The Antiquities War</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to add to the deck!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Spoiler - Mishra Wins</h2>
<p>At the end of Mishra's tale, he time travels back in time and slaps Urza silly. Urza realizes what a monster he was and gives Mishra a Snickers to make up for going to war with him. Don't look it up. Just take my word for it.</p>
<p>As fun as this deck is, we need to build in some wins for our favorite brother.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Forge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mycosynth Lattice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk"></div></div>
<p>I know it's not original. It works, though! Turn everything into an artifact, give all your artifacts indestructible, and destroy all artifacts. Your opponents lose everything - even their lands, which are now made of metal too - and you lose nothing. No way to lose from that position. Unless you're very, very bad at <em>Magic, </em>I suppose.</p>
<p>Besides, this combo takes quite a bit of setup, so if you win with this, it's everyone else's fault for not seeing it coming by now.</p>
<p>Other essential rude win-cons with Mycosynth include:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Nabber"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karn, Silver Golem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Tyrant"></div></div>
<p>Opponents tapping lands for mana? Those are artifacts now! Treasure Nab them! Managed to hit someone with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Gain control of <em>everything they own! </em></p>
<p>Pepper in some excellent blue and black artifact synergies (and maybe even another combo or two among them), plus a few more Mishra-depicting or Mishra-referencing cards, and we have ourselves a deck! I'd call them out explicitly, but just like Mishra, I think it'll be more fun if you have to go searching for the artifacts and interactions, to prove you're clever enough to handle the power of the Thran! Some will be apparent, some will be a little hidden! See if you can find them in the deck list below!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Mishra, Trickster of Artifacts" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Trophy Mage
*1 Goblin Welder
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Master Transmuter
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
*1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
*1 Blightsteel Colossus
*1 Nullstone Gargoyle
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Arcum Dagsson
*1 Silent-Blade Oni
*1 Treasure Nabber
*1 Metalworker
*1 Trinket Mage
*1 Thopter Assembly
*1 Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
*1 Karn, Silver Golem
*1 Duplicant
*1 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
*1 Scrap Trawler
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Vampiric Tutor
*1 Counterspell
*1 Mana Leak
*1 Damnation
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Artifact Blast
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Gamble
*1 Mystical Tutor
*1 All is Dust
*1 Praetor&#039;s Grasp
*1 Urza&#039;s Guilt
*1 Scrap Mastery
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Darksteel Forge
*1 Mycosynth Lattice
*1 Chalice of the Void
*1 Time Sieve
*1 Grinning Totem
*1 Staff of Domination
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Thran Temporal Gateway
&quot;1 Sol Ring
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Sensei&#039;s Divining Top
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mishra&#039;s Helix
*1 Gilded Lotus
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Possibility Storm
*1 Blood Funnel
*1 Rhystic Study
*1 Nether Void
*1 Ice Cave
*1 The Antiquities War
*1 Storm the Vault
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
[/Planeswalker]
[Lands]
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Vault of Whispers
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Spire of Industry
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Underground River
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*1 Morphic Pool
*1 Reflecting Pool
*1 Command Tower
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Mishra&#039;s Workshop
*1 Mishra&#039;s Factory
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*3 Mountain
*4 Island
*3 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>I have to be completely honest with everyone: the more decks I create, the more satisfied I am with making silly decks, and tiny throwbacks are just another version of silliness that I hope to continue exploring. What decks have you created as an ode to <em>Magic </em>lore? Have you read or listened to The Thran? Are there other Magic the Gathering novels you like? I would love to hear your thoughts!</p>
<p>Until next time!</p>
<p>Kya</p>


Combining Hobbies - Nothing is Better Thran Artifacts!

Will War of the Spark Make "Oops, All Planeswalkers" Viable in All Colors?

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sosuke, Son of Seshiro" href="#" target="_blank">Sosuke, Son of Seshiro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.carlcritchlow.com/">Carl Critchlow</a>)</h6>
<h1>It Runs in the Family</h1>
<p>Hello again, all of you fine Commander-loving friends! Welcome to the newest installment of the <em>Uncommonders</em> series, presented by yours truly! My name is Seth Cross, but as my friends, you can call me DM. As always, I am excited to spotlight legendary creatures who are printed at the uncommon rarity.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/uncommonders-sachi-makes-a-million-mana/">Last month</a>, we discussed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro" href="#" target="_blank">Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and realized that she has an uncommon-stamped brother. Instead of doing my normal Twitter poll for folks to vote on which uncommon legend they'd like to see, I decided that we could close out the loop on the Seshiro family by looking at…</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Sosuke, Son of Seshiro!</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sosuke, Son of Seshiro"></div></div></p>
<p>Sosuke shares a unique quality with Sachi in that, while they do have lord effects for Snake creatures, they mostly support a secondary creature type with their abilities. While Sachi was a Shaman-tastic commander, Sosuke feels right at home leading an army of green Warriors. If we wanted to get the most amount of value from Sosuke, we could say we want to run all the Snake Warriors in <em>Magic</em> so that they can be both swole snakes and pseudo-deathtouch Snakes.</p>
<p>However, the sad reality is there are only nine total mono-green Snake Warrior creatures - thirteen if you include <em>Changeling </em>creatures. If we review the data from EDHREC for Sosuke, it looks like most people are running the deck as a Snake tribal deck, making sure to include the father of the family, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seshiro the Anointed" href="#" target="_blank">Seshiro the Anointed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for even bigger Snakes that can also draw cards when they connect with a player.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-30769 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Signature_Sosuke.png" alt="" width="589" height="338" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>While this is not a bad strategy by any means, I was curious why people were not running Sosuke with Warriors, so I did some quick searching on our favorite search engine, Scryfall.com, using the 'EDHREC ranking' sorting tool to see the format’s favorite Warriors first.</p>
<p>One of the first things I noticed is that the Warrior subtype tends most often to be centralized in the Human and Elf creature type, with a smattering of other types mixed in as well. Another trait I noticed many of the cards had in common was that they either cared about or created +1/+1 counters. Being married to a mono-green Elf player, I know that these two strategies can meet in the middle, so, as I am known to do, I decided to throw the deck a curveball.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Or should I say an Elfball?</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sylvan Offering"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yeva, Nature&#039;s Herald"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lys Alana Huntmaster"></div></div></p>
<p>Since so many Elves are also Warriors, it just makes good sense to lean into that strategy! "Just a few Elf creatures" can quickly surprise the table by swarming the field and becoming the biggest creatures in play. How do we create that army? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Promenade" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Promenade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make tons of Elf Warrior tokens, serving two strategies at the same time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lys Alana Huntmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Lys Alana Huntmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns each of our Elf spells into a token generator. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperious Perfect" href="#" target="_blank">Imperious Perfect</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an Elf lord that can sit in the background and make us some incremental value each turn, which we can ramp up by including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parallel Lives" href="#" target="_blank">Parallel Lives</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and definitely <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for both extra tokens and counters.</p>
<p>Even looking through all the best green Warriors via Scryfall, I realized early on that I was going to have to be somewhat flexible with the mission statement “Warrior tribal Elfball” for this deck. In several cases, we had to make sacrifices on one creature type or another. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tuskguard Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Tuskguard Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trollbred Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Trollbred Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, aren't Elves, but are both Warriors that can provide trample effects. Additionally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yeva, Nature&#039;s Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Yeva, Nature&#039;s Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide us with an instantaneous deathtouching Warrior blocker thanks to Sosuke, so she warrants inclusion even if her creature type is Shaman.</p>
<p>I enjoy these kinds of mix-and-match strategies because it can surprise the whole table, and lead us to victory by tricking our opponents, who aren't sure what we're up to and will therefore find it more difficult to evaluate which cards are our best cards, and more difficult still to disrupt that strategy as a result.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Keep it Up!</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oketra&#039;s Monument"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Whisperer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Armorcraft Judge"></div></div>
<p>Okay, so if you are like me and you've already scrolled down to look at the list, you may have spotted an odd card for a mono-green Elf deck. I want to highlight it here very quickly because it has been my secret tech in so many of my decks and once you see it work, you will definitely agree. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oketra’s Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Oketra’s Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does not benefit our mono-green deck at all, reducing the cost of none of our spells. However, I have learned that Monument is indeed a monumental addition to decks that care about tokens, especially a deck that cares about Warrior tokens. Under Sosuke’s command, they can be plenty scary and very deadly!</p>
<p>To bring things back to a very green place, I also briefly want to highlight how good green has gotten at drawing cards. I can't stop singing the praises of new additions to this color's repertoire, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian Project" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian Project</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while still enjoying the classics like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shamanic Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Shamanic Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lifecrafter’s Bestiary" href="#" target="_blank">Lifecrafter’s Bestiary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul of the Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Soul of the Harvest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zendikar Resurgent" href="#" target="_blank">Zendikar Resurgent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are nothing to laugh at either, especially since the latter's big mana is so scary in a deck full of so many creatures.</p>
<p>Oh, and as we'll see in a moment, this deck likes +1/+1 counters, which means we get to make excellent use of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armorcraft Judge" href="#" target="_blank">Armorcraft Judge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspiring Call" href="#" target="_blank">Inspiring Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Power Up, Green Ranger - I mean, Green Creatures!</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rishkar, Peema Renegade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Durable Handicraft"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joraga Warcaller"></div></div></p>
<p>Deathtouching Warriors are great and all, but we also want ways to pump up the team, and as it turns out, a lot of Elves and Warriors (and other excellent green cards aside) are fantastic at providing +1/+1 counters to our army. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rishkar, Peema Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">Rishkar, Peema Renegade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great source of both buffs and mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Durable Handicraft" href="#" target="_blank">Durable Handicraft</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can throw counters around too, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joraga Warcaller" href="#" target="_blank">Joraga Warcaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is happy for any additional counters we can give it.</p>
<p>I like the idea of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> giving our leafy army Forestwalk, then using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of Dryads" href="#" target="_blank">Song of Dryads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to both incapacitate a threat and give us a way to hit the big nongreen player at the table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loyal Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Loyal Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a new card from the latest <em>Commander 2018</em> set that gives us more counters each turn. I debated adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ridgescale Tusker" href="#" target="_blank">Ridgescale Tusker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the list but ultimately decided against it because there did not seem to be enough bounce or recursion to justify it.</p>
<p>Another new card I think works well with this deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Crowd Goes Wild" href="#" target="_blank">The Crowd Goes Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which gives counters to our friends and also gives them trample. However, note the way that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sosuke, Son of Seshiro" href="#" target="_blank">Sosuke, Son of Seshiro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> interacts with trample - he doesn't give Warriors <em>actual </em>deathtouch, but a delayed version of it, so the "one point of deathtouch damage to the blocker, and the rest of the damage tramples over" trick wouldn't actually work with him.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Finish It!</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Song of Freyalise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="End-Raze Forerunners"></div></div></p>
<p>In case folks still worry that the deck has lost its way along the "Warrior tribal Elfball" theme, I should point out that many closers for traditional Elf decks are often not actually Elves themselves. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, is a traditional closer for an Elf deck. The same will be true here, but we can still be sure to add folks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezuri, Renegade Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Ezuri, Renegade Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the mix as well.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triumph of the Hordes" href="#" target="_blank">Triumph of the Hordes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can turn a few small creatures into Victory. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tribal Unity" href="#" target="_blank">Tribal Unity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unexpected instant that has a tribal-based pump, and with both Elf and Warrior tribes, we can be flexible when we need to get the most value. The new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="End-Raze Forerunners" href="#" target="_blank">End-Raze Forerunners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been called “baby Craterhoof,” and while some people are disputing its value, I do think it is well balanced, making up for a smaller power buff by providing vigilance so that we never leave ourselves defenseless. In this same thought process, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of Freyalise" href="#" target="_blank">Song of Freyalise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does the same thing for the third chapter.</p>
<p>If we toss in a few more staples like removal, ramp, and some rambunctious Elf-folk, the deck turns out looking like this:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sosuke, the Elf Warrior Surprise" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sosuke, Son of Seshiro
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Armorcraft Judge
*1 Beast Whisperer
*1 Bloodspore Thrinax
*1 Champion of Lambholt
*1 Craterhoof Behemoth
*1 Cultivator of Blades
*1 Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen
*1 Elvish Archdruid
*1 Elvish Champion
*1 Elvish Vanguard
*1 End-Raze Forerunners
*1 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
*1 Imperious Perfect
*1 Joraga Warcaller
*1 Kalonian Hydra
*1 Loyal Guardian
*1 Lys Alana Huntmaster
*1 Marwyn, the Nurturer
*1 Priest of Titania
*1 Primordial Sage
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Soul of the Harvest
*1 Trollbred Guardian
*1 Tuskguard Captain
*1 Viridian Zealot
*1 Wellwisher
*1 Wren&#039;s Run Packmaster
*1 Yeva, Nature&#039;s Herald
[/Creature]
[Sorcery]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Elvish Promenade
*1 Grow from the Ashes
*1 Harvest Season
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Sylvan Offering
*1 The Crowd Goes Wild
*1 Triumph of the Hordes
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Inspiring Call
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Tribal Unity
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*1 Emerald Medallion
*1 Lifecrafter&#039;s Bestiary
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Oketra&#039;s Monument
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*1 Asceticism
*1 Beastmaster Ascension
*1 Cryptolith Rite
*1 Doubling Season
*1 Durable Handicraft
*1 Guardian Project
*1 Parallel Lives
*1 Song of Freyalise
*1 Song of the Dryads
*1 Sylvan Library
*1 Zendikar Resurgent
[/Enchantment]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Vivien Reid
[/Planeswalker]
[Land]
*1 Cavern of Souls
*27 Forest
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Llanowar Reborn
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Slippery Karst
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Tranquil Thicket
*1 Wirewood Lodge
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Slithering Away</h3>
<p>My favorite comment from last week’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hallar, the Firefletcher" href="#" target="_blank">Hallar, the Firefletcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> article was written on /r/edh by /u/ManaBuilt, who said:</p>
<blockquote><p>I actually made a Hallar deck recently but ran into the very issue mentioned; I threw in almost nothing but Kicker spells and ended up in a bind when my strategy got knocked off balance even slightly. Looking forward to improving that deck as it’s a super fun commander.</p></blockquote>
<p>When building decks, I am a big soapbox speaker on not tunnel-visioning with your commander. It's fun to build around a specific strategy, but over-reliance on a commander could mean the deck fails to function without them on the field, or it uses so many thematic cards and foregoes effects that will actually help make the deck function. I know I personally gravitate toward commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha, the Gravetide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord Windgrace" href="#" target="_blank">Lord Windgrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for this reason, to make sure the deck can stand on its own.</p>
<p>Sosuke is like that. Sure, having him on the field means our Warriors are scarier. If you want to run tribal Snakes, he has a nice pump effect for that too. Overall, though, it's wise to find a strategy that synergizes with him, rather than one that <em>depends </em>on him. True to Elves, the deck above does not rely on any one creature to win the game, and I think that's a pretty cool lesson to learn from the Son of Seshiro.</p>
<p>If you want to hear more of my ramblings, you can <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">follow me on Twitter</a>, check out my <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/praetormagic">weekly streams on Twitch</a>, catch the weekly podcast that I co-host or join my <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">public Praetor Magic Discord</a>! Until the next article, keep casting those big bomb spells! Peace.</p>


Articles

Commander Showdown - Pir & Toothy vs Vorel

Epic Experiment - Khorvath & Sylvia Voltron

Conditions Allow - Mangara of Corondor

Heart of the Cards – Rakdos, the Showstopper

Unlikely Alliance – Ikra Shidiqi & Kydele

60 to 100 - Gruul Invades the Invitational!

Combining Hobbies - Nothing is Better Thran Artifacts!

Will War of the Spark Make "Oops, All Planeswalkers" Viable in All Colors?

Uncommonders - No Swole Snakes in this Forest!

Ultra Budget Brews - Mairsil, the Pretender