Too-Specific Top 10 - 20/20

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abzan Ascendancy" href="#" target="_blank">Abzan Ascendancy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.originalmagicart.store/collections/mark-winters">Mark Winters</a>)</h6>
<h1 class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">Backstory, Please!</span></strong></h1>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/historically-speaking-the-mardu-vs-the-temur/">Last time</a> on <em>Historically Speaking, </em>we examined the hypothetical battle that might take place if the Mardu decided to attempt to take over the territory that belongs to their rival clans, using real-world historical precedent to examine how these battles might play out. Today, we're revisiting this idea by following the Mardu in their next target: the Abzan.</p>
<p>First, let's revisit the events and conclusions we reached in the previous article, where the Mardu fought the Temur.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zurgo Helmsmasher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Surrak Dragonclaw"></div></div>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Mardu Empire under <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zurgo Helmsmasher" href="#" target="_blank">Zurgo Helmsmasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has seized the Temur territory of Qal-Sisma. The Temur are the least organized of Tarkir’s five clans—hardy, fierce, unflinching, but also chaotic, and, without their khan, at best only able to mount a guerrilla campaign against the Mardu. The Mardu Horde have swollen their numbers with Temur recruits and conscripts, having been promised glory in the new Mardu Empire. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surrak Dragonclaw" href="#" target="_blank">Surrak Dragonclaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is dead or fled to the northern glaciers with the last Temur holdouts: the shamans, hardliners, and those who are too young to hold a spear.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The acquisition of Qal Sisma increases the Mardu potential resource base—wood for bows and carts, grazing lands for horses. It has also added more mouths to feed on his campaign, and thus urgency. The Mardu couldn’t conquer all the Temur lands—why would they need to? The Temur that march with them are hungry, either for the glory of battle, to see distant lands, or simply follow the strongest. Some are there unwillingly, for all that that matters.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zurgo Helmsmasher" href="#" target="_blank">Zurgo Helmsmasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is building an empire, and the next building block is the Abzan Houses of the desert. He’s already seized a few trade caravans—proof of concept that his empire is working. The Abzan are specialists in deflecting Mardu and Sultai raids; the Temur auxiliaries and their unfamiliar magics of ice and colossal beasts scatter the Abzan caravans, imbuing the newly strengthened horde with confidence and booty.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ambush Krotiq"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Where We Are Now</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Mardu horde, newly reinforced by Temur auxiliaries, comes closer and closer to core Abzan territory. Ainok archers and shamans march side-by-side with bear-cavalry, who rub elbows with orcs, goblins, and humans atop horseback. Ogres cast long shadows as they trudge across the steppes. The horse-mounted archers and heavy cavalry are the core of the Mardu, the secret to their culture’s survival. Without their speed, or the courage of their riders, there would be no Mardu Horde.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The strengthened horde moves from the steppes to the desert. Full Abzan territory. They have enough supplies for some time... but do they have enough supplies to last a siege? </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The Horde comes upon the Sandsteppe Gateway. <em>The Planeswalker’s Guide to Tarkir</em> describes the Sandsteppe Gateway as follows:</span></p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i><strong>“Close to the border of Mardu territory, where the desert gives way to the rolling steppe, sits the great Sandsteppe Gateway. It is a fortress bridge spanning the gap between two mountains that are divided by a river, which flows out from Abzan lands.”</strong></i></span></p>
</blockquote>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandsteppe Citadel"></div></div>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Mardu stop well outside the Gateway. Scouts on horseback are sent out for reconnaissance. Time passes, and the Horde waits.<br />
</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The scouts return before evening falls and report. No sign of reinforcements or ambushes. The citadel has geared up to repel invaders. The next day, the siege will begin. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Zurgo Helmsmasher means to do what no Mardu Khan has ever done before and take an Abzan city by force. Instead of rushing the walls with ladders or building siege engines, Zurgo has a more audacious plan: diverting the river to undermine the twin fortresses. He has more than enough strong backs to drown this proud Abzan stronghold—the first of many to fall to his new empire.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1">Who are the Abzan?</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abzan Banner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unyielding Krumar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anafenza, the Foremost"></div></div>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Abzan Houses are a coalition of families that live in Tarkir’s deserts. Like the Temur, they also have some ainok members, as well as krumar—children from other clans whose parents died fighting the Abzan but are raised as full members of the clan. This is how the majority of orcs originally entered the Abzan Houses.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Abzan Houses are led by Anafenza. Unlike Zurgo, Anafenza doesn’t rule through fear or intimidation, but through acclaim. She has managed to rule the Abzan capably. She protects the trade routes that are the lifeblood of the Abzan way of life from attacks from the Mardu and Sultai, according to the Planeswalker’s Guide to Tarkir.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"> We will be examining the Abzan’s primary strengths. The principle advantages of the Abzan Houses under Anafenza are threefold:</span></p>
<ol>
<li>Political unity and social cohesion. The Abzan houses are ordered along the principle of family. Treason or betrayal are known to happen, of course, but they are the exception rather than the norm. The Abzan are a unified, organized front, in contrast to the Mardu or the Temur.</li>
<li>Fortified positions (and knowing how to use them efficiently). Even when the Abzan go to war, they take the high ground with them. To use a few tropes—the Abzan are the mighty glacier of Tarkir’s factions, and the Mardu are glass cannons. One is made for survivability above all else, and the other one prioritizes a devastating first strike and neglects its own defenses as a result. On their home turf, the Abzan are difficult at best to confront.</li>
<li>And lastly, what their clan is renowned for, the thing they took as inspiration from the Elder Dragons and made it their own: endurance. The Abzan will wait as long as is necessary to wear down their opponents. Before committing to battle, the Abzan will ensure that they are better supplied, better armed, and better prepared than their foes.</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h2><span class="s2">History, History</span></h2>
<p><span class="s1"><em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has claimed that the Abzan are based on the Ottoman Empire, and that may be so. For our purposes, however, we will be examining the Abzan Houses through the context of the early Mongol Empire. For our purposes, they will be analogous to the Western Xia and Northern Jin empires of northern China, and the first settled societies that Genghis Khan’s newborn Mongol empire attacks. Like the Jin and the Western Xia, the Abzan Houses are technologically advanced, have intricately walled cities and advanced agriculture. Against walled cities, in the early years, the Mongols had no recourse, since they had no siege engines.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege Rhino"></div></div>
<p><span class="s1">The Mongols under Genghis Khan won by defeating the Tangut and Jin armies in the field. The first campaign against the Tanguts of the Western Xia dynasty ended in a draw—the Mongols could beat the Tanguts in pitched battles, but were hopeless at sieges. To quote historian John Man:</span></p>
<blockquote><p><em><span class="s1">“Now [the Mongols] faced a problem. Yinchuan was a well defended city, and the Mongols were fast moving nomadic cavalrymen. They had never tried to take a city before. They had no siege bows, catapults, incendiary bombs or flamethrowers. A remedy lay to hand: Yinchuan’s ancient canal system, which led water from the Yellow River to Irrigate Western Xia’s fields. The Mongols broke the dykes and tried to flood the city into surrender. This was not a good idea. Yinchuan’s surrounding agricultural land is as flat as Holland. Flood waters spread far, but remained shallow. Buildings stand clear of shallow floods. But horses and tents do not. The Mongols flooded themselves out and were forced back to higher ground.” </span></em></p></blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Mongols declared victory and struck an unsatisfactory trade deal with the Tanguts—Genghis Khan never forgave the Tanguts for refusing to strengthen the Mongol war-machine by providing auxiliaries. They retreated back to the steppes for the moment.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mongol-invasion.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-41927" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mongol-invasion.png" alt="" width="436" height="304" /></a></p></blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">But how the Mongols defeated the Jin is a complicated picture. Genghis Khan was a leader who absolutely did everything possible—diplomatic, economic, what would now be called espionage—to give himself an edge over his opponents. That wasn’t necessary yet for the Jin—they weren’t having a good 13th century. Even still, according to Frank McLynn, Genghis took no chances:</span></p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><em>“Even with all the considerable advantages the Khitan revolt and internal turmoil in the Jin empire handed him, he waited until the famine of 1210-11 had bitten deeply before he crossed the Chinese front.”</em><br />
</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Jin, in short, were riven by internal divisions that made them vulnerable. Their military was demoralized by a sketchy recent record. The Jin couldn’t be more ripe for invasion if the branch holding the dynasty was bent like a bow. All of this is m</span><span class="s1">ade worse by the fact that the Mongols made a strong showing against the Jin on the battlefield, prompting several of their most experienced and capable generals to defect (with their armies, siege equipment, and knowledge of how to make said siege equipment) to the Mongols.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Mongols would be fighting in North China—Jin China—for the next two decades. It would be long and brutal. But the Jin ultimately fell before the Mongols.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2 class="p1"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Back</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> at the Sandsteppe Citadel</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The Mardu may be the faction <em>based</em> on the Mongols, but they clearly are not the Mongols. A quote from the ever-quippy HG Wells seems appropriate here that applies to the Mardu in this context:</span></p>
<blockquote><p><em><span class="s1">“The career of conquest of Genghis Khan and his immediate successors astounded the world and probably astounded no one more than these Mongol Khans themselves…” </span></em></p></blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> Zurgo Helmsmasher is not Genghis Khan. Even if we swapped their places, I doubt Genghis leading the Mardu could have defeated the unified Abzan Houses. The Mongols never had ogres to light on fire or suicidal goblin charges, for starters.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roar of Challenge"></div></div></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">For all their advantages—the Temur recruits, the newly found political cohesion, the focus on a larger goal—the fact is that the Mardu can’t win an effective war of conquest against the Abzan Houses. The Mongols were both skilled at creating and exploiting political discord in their enemies before launching assaults. The Mardu were effectively handed a freebie with the Temur. Even with the Temur auxiliaries' undoubted battle prowess, I don't believe they would be enough to turn the tide of a siege into the Mardu's favor. Open battle, maybe, but the Abzan are practiced at not committing to open battle till victory is certain.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Abzan also have no political divisions for the Mardu to exploit, unlike the Temur. The Abzan political system is stable, their whole clan being based around the idea of family, found or otherwise. The Abzan would likely be more than content to wait and outwit the Mardu, where even at their best the Mardu prefer a lightning strike and dislike a long campaign.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abzan Ascendancy"></div></div>
<p>To summarize: the Abzan's greater military sophistication, patience, and political unity gave them insuperable advantages over the Mardu attempted siege of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sandsteppe Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Sandsteppe Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They had no real weaknesses for the Mardu to exploit, unlike what the Mongols had with the Northern Jin: no defecting armies, no quislings willing to roll the dice to see if life as part of the Mardu Empire would be any more profitable than Anafenza's reign.</p>
<p>Zurgo's forces dug for days at the river by Sandsteppe Citadel. There was no sign of Abzan reinforcements to relieve the outpost. Slowly the river altered course, and it seemed as if this mad plan would work after all, that it would undermine the Abzan's defenses. But the Mardu awoke one morning to find their entire camp flooded. The river they had worked so hard to divert had turned on them. Whether it had been a miscalculation on their part or whether the masterful Abzan siege engineers had re-routed the river made no difference; the majority of the plundered supplies taken from the Abzan caravans were now useless.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="flood"></div></div>
<p>Zurgo was of course furious at this setback, but realized his whole enterprise was in danger of falling apart. A defeat like this could spell the end of his imperial ambitions. So he would most likely do what any good leader would do with a horde of sodden, mutinous troops: declare victory and attack another, apparently more vulnerable target.</p>
<p>Like, for example, the Sultai Brood.</p>
<p><em>To be continued....</em></p>
<hr />
<p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">Sources:</span></strong></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Planeswalker’s Guide to Tarkir 1: <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/planeswalkers-guide-khans-tarkir-part-1-2014-09-03"><span class="s2">https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/planeswalkers-guide-khans-tarkir-part-1-2014-09-03</span></a></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Man, John. </span><span class="s2">The Mongol Empire: Genghis Khan, his Heirs and the Founding of Modern China</span><span class="s1">. Corgi Books. 2014.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">McLynn, Frank. </span><span class="s2">Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy.</span><span class="s1"> Da Capo Press. 2015.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Ratchnevsky, Paul </span><span class="s2">Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy</span><span class="s1">, Blackwell Publishers, New York 1991.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Wells, HG. </span><span class="s2">The Outline of History</span><span class="s1">. Doubleday Press 1970.</span></p>


Historically Speaking - The Mardu vs. The Abzan

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dual Shot" href="#" target="_blank">Dual Shot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.sarabwintersart.com/">Sara Winters</a>)</h6>
<h1>Introduction</h1>
<p>We find ourselves in a foundational place. The experiment’s inauguration. The ground isn’t exactly unbroken, but it is covered in a low fog, obscuring patches of what might’ve once been footprints.</p>
<p>This is <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we hide decks inside of other decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dual Shot"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>What We’re Up To</h2>
<p>Now, before the obvious dub of "deck-ception" is applied, I would remind you that “inception” referred not to the nesting of dreams within dreams, but to the implantation of an idea. With any luck, I can do both. However, the layers don’t go limbo-deep. Just two steps:</p>
<p>Pick a deck, or rather, the outline of a deck. The theme, the archetype, the plan of attack. What kind of deck do you want?</p>
<p>Now pick another sort of deck. Got it? All set.</p>
<p>The plan is this: take a deck theme or archetype as it is typically built, and then see how much of it we can remove while keeping the identity of the deck intact. Then we fill that new space with a different deck’s strategy, presenting now as a subtheme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Submersible"></div></div>
<p>No, not a Submersible, a subtheme. For instance, if you're building an Aura deck like it’s... well, an Aura deck... then it’s shaped like itself, isn’t it? It works more or less as intended, with all the expected variance of a game of EDH. Your opponents see you piloting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Estrid, the Masked" href="#" target="_blank">Estrid, the Masked</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and they can immediately begin to guess at which cards you’ll be playing and how you’ll be playing them.</p>
<p>If you go to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes">Themes</a> page, you’ll find that Estrid makes for one of the most popular commanders within the Aura archetype, standing at the helm for 12.6% of submitted Aura decks. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that she makes for one of the <em>least</em> popular generals for a planeswalker theme, commanding a paltry 0.65% of those deck submissions.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Estrid, the Masked"></div></div>
<p>Estrid is an unpopular Superfriends general simply because there are much better options for that particular theme. Still, she is a planeswalker, and Bant certainly enables <em>some</em> of the typical superfriends EDH strategies.</p>
<p>But I’m not suggesting that you build Estrid as a Superfriends commander instead of an Aura commander.</p>
<p>I’m saying, “Do both!”</p>
<p><em>At the same time.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancestral Mask"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tamiyo, Field Researcher"></div></div>
<p>The obvious problem is this: a good Aura deck will have most (if not all) of the 99 in direct support of that strategy. The same is true for pretty much any “good” deck. By taking what amounts to half of an Aura deck and mixing it with half of a planeswalker deck, you’re weakening both strategies. You’re reducing your likelihood to draw components for either gameplan, and you’re reducing the number of functional pieces for either approach.</p>
<p>That all sounds bad, but what if...</p>
<hr />
<h2>Flex Tape®</h2>
<p>...what if we minimize that huge drawback? We’ll get to the “how” in a moment. If we can reduce the disadvantages of effectively splitting our deck, we have created a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon scenario (as film metaphors go, this one is a bit ungainly, so bear with me) in that we are hiding our deck’s true purpose.</p>
<p>All right, so it’s not the deck’s <em>true</em> purpose; rather, a secondary purpose. Something greater than an alternate win condition, but without becoming so unwieldy as to be a hindrance to the deck’s main goal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Chain Veil"></div></div>
<p>This allows you to keep your opponents on their toes and guessing. Perhaps they’ll be thinking, “Oh, an Estrid deck. Auras and enchantments, sure, nothing new. Oh, wait, is that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? I guess they’re doing some hipster Superfriends brew. Oh, no, they’re still playing enchantments-matter cards. Maybe they don’t know what they’re doing....”</p>
<p>And maybe we don’t. But <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ObfuscatingStupidity">obfuscating stupidity</a> is certainly a viable tactic!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Licking Our Wounds</h2>
<p>By using simple metrics on EDHREC, we can find inclusion rates for cards in various archetypes. With high enough percentages, it’s safe to call certain cards “staples” within particular themes. Sometimes there’s overlap. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flux Channeler" href="#" target="_blank">Flux Channeler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> each show up with a 40%-60% inclusion rate in recommendations for planeswalker decks, +1/+1 counters decks, and <em>Infect</em> decks. It’s reasonable to infer that these are flexible cards that work well with a variety of strategies.</p>
<p>There exist similar overlaps for cards across the recs on this site, and while they’re not always quite so robust, they do provide a starting point. Combine that with a flexible commander, and you’ve found yourself a launch pad for a <em>Dual Shot</em> at brewing!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Crowd Goes Wild"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deafening Silence"></div></div>
<p>(Depending on your predilections, your reaction is likely somewhere along the lines of one of the two cards depicted above)</p>
<p>Anyway, in addition to potentially flummoxing your opponents, incorporating a secondary theme (or subtheme) into the brewing process can unveil some unexpected cross-theme synergies. Earlier this year, <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/mechanically-minded-gates/">Kyle Massa wrote an article</a> on EDHREC about building around a Gates theme. Incredibly, a functional deck is built out of something that <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/gates">doesn’t even have a Theme page</a> on the site. There aren’t many Gates, and there aren’t many Gates-matter cards. In this sense, something like Gates looks to be a perfect subtheme to include, as it’s already extremely difficult to present as a primary theme in itself, and it has a number of good payoffs and alternate win conditions.</p>
<p>Taking one established theme and merging it with another requires a bit more restraint, and perhaps a lowering of expectations. In any case, in the spirit of obfuscation, here’s Estrid:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Estrid, the Enchantress (Who Moonlights as a Planeswalker)" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Estrid, the Masked
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Tuvasa the Sunlit
*1 Kestia, the Cultivator
*1 Hanna, Ship’s Navigator
*1 Captain Sisay
*1 Satyr Enchanter
*1 Bioessence Hydra
*1 Elderwood Scion
*1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
*1 Heavenly Blademaster
*1 Arena Rector
*1 Ajani&#039;s Chosen
*1 Celestial Ancient
*1 Djeru, With Eyes Open
*1 Mesa Enchantress
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lancers
*1 Spark Double
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Nylea&#039;s Colossus
*1 Verduran Enchantress
*1 Herald of the Pantheon
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Sterling Grove
*1 Oath of Teferi
*1 Soul Snare
*1 Oath of Ajani
*1 Oath of Gideon
*1 Sage&#039;s Reverie
*1 Sphere of Safety
*1 Unquestioned Authority
*1 Humility
*1 Starfield of Nyx
*1 Oath of Jace
*1 Mirrormade
*1 Ever-Watching Threshold
*1 Eel Umbra
*1 Oath of Nissa
*1 Fertile Ground
*1 New Horizons
*1 Unbridled Growth
*1 Ancestral Mask
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Bant Charm
*1 Dovin&#039;s Veto
*1 Ignite the Beacon
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Fuel for the Cause
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Call the Gatewatch
*1 Winds of Rath
*1 Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 Contagion Clasp
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Mana Geode
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Tamiyo, Field Researcher
*1 Ajani Unyielding
*1 Ajani, the Greathearted
*1 Kiora, the Crashing Wave
*1 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales
*1 The Wanderer
*1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
*1 Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor
*1 Garruk Wildspeaker
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Interplanar Beacon
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Serra&#039;s Sanctum
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Yavimaya Coast
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Cascading Cataracts
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Temple of Mystery
*1 Blossoming Sands
*1 Thornwood Falls
*5 Plains
*4 Island
*9 Forest
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Trying to go 50/50 with this approach to merging decks <em>does not work</em>. The consistency for either tactic plummets – you’re missing components for each half-deck, and you’re less likely to find what remains. By aiming for something that approximates more of an 80/20 split, and by trying to reconcile the dual nature of the end product by including “cross-theme staples,” you can get a functional deck that’ll make your playgroup ask you if everything is okay.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oath of Teferi"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eidolon of Blossoms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil of the Empty Throne"></div></div>
<p>For example, in the above decklist, the Oaths function as staples for the Superfriends package while also at the very least supporting your commander (if you don’t draw any walkers) and checking enchantment triggers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is such a common inclusion for this archetype that it feels silly to ignore it, even if it will wind up as a truly dead card for many of your games. There will be plenty of matchups where you draw into Oaths with no walkers on board or in hand. However, they can still provide utility by drawing cards through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eidolon of Blossoms" href="#" target="_blank">Eidolon of Blossoms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tuvasa the Sunlit" href="#" target="_blank">Tuvasa the Sunlit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and other Enchantresses, or by widening the board state through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of the Empty Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of the Empty Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani’s Chosen" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani’s Chosen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>There is also the less obvious drawback of an 80/20 split to be considered: the inconsistency of the “20” side. It is meant to be an alternate approach to gameplay, and if you draw into it, great; if not, there can be some feel-bads. As an example, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deploy the Gatewatch" href="#" target="_blank">Deploy the Gatewatch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> simply do not work. A card like that works better when the risk is much lower, helping to ensure the reward (e.g., in a dedicated Superfriends deck). In the spirit of planeswalking with pals, you should use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call the Gatewatch" href="#" target="_blank">Call the Gatewatch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> instead.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Once your playgroup realizes what you’re doing, you may remain wily! The thing is, doing something like this doesn’t attract a lot of attention. At least, not the dangerous kind of attention. While you can win games through attrition, Group Hug strategies, and letting everyone else fight while you timidly set up esoteric win conditions, these things are relatively difficult and require patience and politicking.</p>
<p>This Estrid Deck (Prepared Two Ways) was extremely fun to pilot, providing a radically different kind of variance. Some games, you're simply playing another deck than you were the game before. Some games you’re spread too thin, and the element of surprise really only works once. This brew is very susceptible to removal (though <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sterling Grove" href="#" target="_blank">Sterling Grove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps), but it fares very favorably in combat – cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ever-Watching Threshold" href="#" target="_blank">Ever-Watching Threshold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphere of Safety" href="#" target="_blank">Sphere of Safety</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should provide just enough cover to keep you entrenched while keeping apace through Enchantress card draw.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ever-Watching Threshold"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sphere of Safety"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garruk Wildspeaker"></div></div>
<p>Eventually, assuming there aren’t any Turn-4 win conditions at the table, you can overwhelm the opposition by going wide enough and/or tall enough in typical Enchantress fashion. The planeswalker package here generally only provides utility and keeps you alive long enough to win through damage, but it might provide some spectacular moments (like getting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk Wildspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk Wildspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ultimate to go off with a couple of Kiora’s Krakens and about a dozen 2/2 Cat tokens on board).</p>
<p>It’s worth mentioning that this was all tested in casual environments with friends, and in less-than-competitive queues on MTGO. Ultimately, these brewing experiments have proven to provide a great deal of entertaining variance (as opposed to the regular kind of variance), and to be, eh, <em>somewhat</em> reliable.</p>
<p>I’d had this idea for subthematic brewing a long time ago, and it arose from necessity – that is, not having enough cards to build the decks I wanted. Over time, it turned into something a bit less fumbling than that, but I’m happy just to have given it a shot... a <em>dual </em>shot<em>....</em></p>
<p>Oh, <em>Theros</em> Gods, give me strength.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baffling End"></div></div>
<p>That's the baffling end of this installment of <em>Dual Shot! </em>Let me know about any decks where you've managed to simultaneously play two different themes in the comments below!</p>


Dual Shot - Masks

Conditions Allow - Haakon, Stromgald Scourge

<h1>Tribes, Themes, Colors</h1>
<p>EDHREC recently added some new functionality to the tribes, themes, and colors pages, so to start off the new year, we'd like to give you a quick rundown on how to best use these new features!</p>
<p>First, we'll talk about the "Related Info" block that cross-references popular combinations for decks that focus on more than one of these qualities. Second, we reorganized the main Themes page to make it easier to navigate the large number of themes we use to classify decks. To introduce these features, let's walk through some examples on how to use them.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Setting the Example</h2>
<p>Suppose that we want to build a deck for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. (Side note, "Alela" is also one of the few legendary creatures with a palindromic name, meaning her name is spelled the same way when written backwards, so bonus points for that. Can you think of another palindromic legendary creature before reading to the end of this article? Let's find out, together.)<br />
<a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/alela-artful-provocateur"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-42914 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/alela-panels.png" alt="" width="529" height="613" /></a><br />
Looking at <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/alela-artful-provocateur">Alela's commander page</a>, we can see which themes are already popular for Alela decks, as seen above in the section between "View" and "Budget". <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/enchantments">Enchantments</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/artifacts">Artifacts</a> each make sense, since both of those words literally appear in Alela's rules text in a beneficial way. Likewise, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/faeries">Faerie (Tribal)</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/flying">Flying</a> also make good things happen in Alela's text box. <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/auras">Auras</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/equipment">Equipment</a> make sense since they are subtypes of the aforementioned permanents, and the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/cantrips">Cantrips</a> theme tends to show up for commanders who have the words "Whenever you cast" in their text. <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/stax">Stax</a> is... a choice that some deckbuilders make sometimes, especially in Esper colors, and we'll leave it at that.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Related Info</h2>
<p>Now suppose we want to make an Alela deck that uses different themes and/or tribes than the popular builds. One way to approach this is to consider which tribes and/or themes are strong in Alela's colors, but haven't received much popular attention in Alela decks. We can find this information by using the navigation bar at the top of the page and selecting <strong>Commanders</strong>, <strong>3 Color</strong>, and <strong>Esper</strong>, like so:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/wub"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-42910 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/navbar-esper.png" alt="" width="664" height="457" /></a></p>
<p>This will take us to the Esper page which features popular commanders and cards used in Esper decks.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/wub">edhrec.com/commanders/wub</a></p>
<p>Near the top of this page, there should be a button saying "Related Info (Click to expand)". If we click it, we get to see what tribes and themes are well-established in the chosen colors, like so:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/wub"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-42905 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/related-commanders-wub.png" alt="" width="256" height="568" /></a></p>
<p>From these lists, for the sake of an example, let's look into building Esper Zombie Tribal with Esper Curses.</p>
<p>If we click Zombies from that list, it will bring us to a page of Zombie Tribal decks in the specific white/blue/black colors we want, without having to visually sift out the green and red cards, like picking the broccoli and chili peppers out of your blueberry squid ink pasta. The Esper Zombie Tribal page has its own relevant information:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/zombies/wub">edhrec.com/tribes/zombies/wub</a></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/zombies/wub"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-42903 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/related-zombies.png" alt="" width="257" height="379" /></a></p>
<p>If you wanted to know which other color combinations have more than one commander making Zombie Tribal decks, there they are. If you wanted to know which themes are popular with Zombie Tribal decks, that information is also there.</p>
<p>Let's look at a theme page now: Curses!</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/curses/wub">edhrec.com/themes/curses/wub</a><br />
<a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/curses/wub"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-42936 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/related-curses.png" alt="" width="290" height="258" /></a></p>
<p>Likewise, the theme pages have their own color-specific filters as long as enough decks were built with those constraints. If there were particular tribes that specialized in Curses, they would also be listed, but there aren't, because those decks haven't been built yet; we can't show you data that doesn't exist, but we can show you the Enchantments theme, which illustrates an existing Tribal example:</p>
<p><a href="http://edhrec.com/themes/enchantments/wub">edhrec.com/themes/enchantments/wub</a><br />
<a href="http://edhrec.com/themes/enchantments/wub"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-42904 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/related-enchantment.png" alt="" width="344" height="395" /></a></p>
<p>It turns out that God Tribal decks enjoy playing enchantment-heavy builds from time to time. Since the old-timey <em>Theros</em>-block Gods were enchantment creatures, themselves (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example), this also makes sense. If we click on "Gods" here, then we go to a page of card statistics for the precise overlap of decks that are both enchantment themed and God Tribal.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/enchantments/gods">edhrec.com/themes/enchantments/gods</a><br />
<a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/enchantments/gods"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-42957 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/related-ench-gods.png" alt="" width="342" height="279" /></a></p>
<p>Hopefully these info blocks will help you with building and brainstorming in the colors you want, bringing easier access to related ideas, and showing tribes and themes that synergize with whatever strategy you are attempting.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Main Theme Hub</h2>
<p>In addition to Related Info, <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes">the main Themes page</a> has also been reorganized. Instead of a solid wall of card pictures, the big list of themes has been organized into smaller appropriate categories.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>By Card Type</strong> - themes that are based on information in the card's type line</li>
<li><strong>By Card Name</strong> - themes based around a specific named card</li>
<li><strong>For Creatures</strong> - themes that require or imply a significant number of creatures</li>
<li><strong>For The Library</strong> - themes defined by cards going into or out of the library</li>
<li><strong>For The Hand</strong> - themes defined by cards going into or out of the hand</li>
<li><strong>For The Field</strong> - themes defined by cards going into or out of the battlefield</li>
<li><strong>For The Graveyard</strong> - themes defined by cards going into or out of the graveyard</li>
<li><strong>By Strategy</strong> - themes that don't quite fit into the above categories</li>
</ul>
<p>Some themes appear in more than one category. For example, Aristocrats involves sacrificing creatures, which implies creatures, cards leaving the field, and cards entering the graveyard, so it will appear in "For Creatures", "For The Field", and "For The Graveyard". This is intentional.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Silly Alela Deck</h2>
<p>For your entertainment, here's a pile of a deck based on picking fun artifacts and enchantments from <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lifegain/wub">Esper Lifegain</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/curses/wub">Esper Curses</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/sphinges/wub">Esper Sphinges</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/treasure/wubr">Yore-Tiller Treasure</a>, and <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/sydri-galvanic-genius-vehicles-theme">Sydri Vehicles</a>. Enjoy!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Alela Cursed Lifegain Treasure Vehicle Sphinges" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
1 Alela, Artful Provocateur
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
1 Hangarback Walker
1 Baleful Strix
1 Adaptive Automaton
1 Junk Diver
1 Crashing Drawbridge
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Stuffy Doll
1 Perplexing Chimera
1 Ethersworn Adjudicator
1 Magister Sphinx
1 Enigma Sphinx
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
1 Idol of Oblivion
1 Arcane Signet
1 Azorius Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Dimir Signet
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Talisman of Hierarchy
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Heraldic Banner
1 Treasure Map
1 Prying Blade
1 Blackblade Reforged
1 Mace of the Valiant
1 Konda&#039;s Banner
1 Sword of the Animist
1 Sigil of Valor
1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
1 Coat of Arms
1 Smuggler&#039;s Copter
1 Weatherlight
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
1 Parhelion II
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
1 Curse of Disturbance
1 Curse of Verbosity
1 Curse of Exhaustion
1 Torment of Scarabs
1 Smothering Tithe
1 Revel in Riches
1 Mechanized Production
1 Anointed Procession
1 All That Glitters
1 Edge of the Divinity
1 Octopus Umbra
1 Sanguine Bond
1 Exquisite Blood
1 Authority of the Consuls
1 Blind Obedience
1 Back to Basics
1 Thopter Spy Network
1 Etchings of the Chosen
1 Intangible Virtue
1 Favorable Winds
1 Sleeper&#039;s Guile
1 Mirrormade
1 Bereavement
1 Flooded Woodlands
1 Absolute Law
1 High Seas
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
12 Island
12 Plains
12 Swamp
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Evolving Wilds
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<hr />
<h3>PS: The Palindrome Answer</h3>
<p>Did you guess what the other legendary palindrome commanders were?</p>
<p>*<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun" href="#" target="_blank">Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Temmet = temmeT. Palindrome!<br />
**Also, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nin, the Pain Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Nin, the Pain Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Nin = niN!</p>


New EDHREC Features - Tribes, Themes, &#038; Colors Update

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sedris, the Traitor King" href="#" target="_blank">Sedris, the Traitor King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paulbonnerart/">Paul Bonner</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 we're going to talk about one of the most interesting commanders in Grixis. He has a powerful ability that allows us to temporarily reanimate any creature in our graveyard. Yes, we're going to build a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sedris, the Traitor King" href="#" target="_blank">Sedris, the Traitor King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sedris, the Traitor King"></div></div>
<p><strong>Each creature in your graveyard has unearth {2}{B}. <em>({2}{B}: Return the card to the battlefield. The creature gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)</em><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>Sedris tends to lose out on popularity when compared to similar commanders. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marchesa, the Black Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Marchesa, the Black Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is generally more favored as a creature-based Grixis commander, and in terms of direct reanimation, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainer, Nightmare Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Chainer, Nightmare Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karador, Ghost Chieftain" href="#" target="_blank">Karador, Ghost Chieftain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have a more abusable version of the same effect. However, we do have the advantage of cheating on mana costs.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>Being a six-mana nongreen commander is pretty rough, especially when we then have to pay another three mana to actually start getting value from him.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>Given the previous factor, one should carefully consider before building around Sedris, since he paints a big red target on himself when he's out on the battlefield. On the other hand, he can be a great support for creature-based strategies because he offers a <em>Flashback</em> type of strategy.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>Sedris offers many great lines when played as a creature-based combo commander, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entomb" href="#" target="_blank">Entomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + the <em>Unearth</em> ability becoming a very efficient way to put any creature in our deck into play.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Sedris-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43079" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Sedris-Sig.png" alt="" width="1159" height="534" /></a></p>
<p>As we can see, the average Sedris list try to play the grindy game, with lots of great ETB triggers. This is a bit confusing since we lose the body at end of turn, which means that we can't really abuse them. That being said, I love <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Veil" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a way to get around <em>Unearth</em>'s downside.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>When building my last article (<a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/epic-experiment-lich-mastery-sidisi/">Lich's Mastery Sidisi</a>), I considered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but quickly threw down the idea. Ever since then, though, I've been in a Belcher mood, so here we are.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Charbelcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Recruiter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Severance"></div></div>
<p>If we play a deck with a critical number of Goblins and we trigger <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ETB, we can stack the top of our deck with Goblins and then activate the Charbelcher, guaranteeing a whole lot of damage to a single target. If we'd like to go whole-hog, we can also use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Severance" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Severance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to remove all the lands from our own deck, guaranteeing we get a lethal hit from the Belcher! This combo is a fun way to reconcile flavor and functionality, since we're shooting Goblins at our enemies! It isn't a guaranteed one-hit K.O., but for an aggro deck like Goblins, chances are good that this chunk of damage will finish someone off.</p>
<p>By this point you might be wondering about Sedris's role in this plan. It's simple: he provides support by reanimating key Goblins. There are plenty of great Goblins that fuel this deck other than just <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Engineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, can help us find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which our other cards can more easily scoop out of the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to chain key ETB effects. Even cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skirk Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Skirk Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us get to the very important seven-mana mark (the amount of mana we need to cast and activate Charbelcher in the same turn).</p>
<p>I may have buried the lead here a bit, but the best thing about this deck is that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just the Plan B. You read that right, the Belcher is our backup plan. Our main plan is to beat face with our Goblins. Playing Belcher dictates a certain structure for the deck to help support it, but that doesn't mean this structure gets to have no life of its own. In our case, it has plenty of great tribal support.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dockside Extortionist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Munitions Expert"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Matron"></div></div>
<p>Goblins, as a whole, are a great tribe for this type of build because they get plenty of utility on relevant bodies. For removal, we have many great options like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gempalm Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Gempalm Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Cratermaker" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Cratermaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Trashmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Trashmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Munitions Expert" href="#" target="_blank">Munitions Expert</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For mana advantage we have a few choices: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Nabber" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Nabber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wily Goblin" href="#" target="_blank">Wily Goblin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, are some cheap ways to not get behind on mana.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sedris, Goblins, and Belchers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Sedris, the Traitor King
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Goblin Lackey
*Goblin Welder
*Legion Loyalist
*Skirk Prospector
*Dimir Infiltrator
*Dockside Extortionist
*Frogtosser Banneret
*Goblin Cratermaker
*Goblin Engineer
*Goblin Lookout
*Goblin Piledriver
*Goblin Recruiter
*Munitions Expert
*Stingscourger
*Warren Instigator
*Wily Goblin
*Boggart Harbinger
*Gempalm Incinerator
*Goblin Chieftain
*Goblin King
*Goblin Matron
*Goblin Sharpshooter
*Goblin Warchief
*Mad Auntie
*Pashalik Mons
*Treasure Nabber
*Boggart Mob
*Caterwauling Boggart
*Goblin Trashmaster
*Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
*Krenko, Mob Boss
*Moggcatcher
*Sling-Gang Lieutenant
*Volley Veteran
*Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
*Siege-Gang Commander
*Skirk Fire Marshal
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Skullclamp
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Izzet Signet
*Rakdos Signet
*Talisman of Creativity
*Talisman of Indulgence
*Commander&#039;s Sphere
*Goblin Charbelcher
*Hedron Archive
*Bolas&#039;s Citadel
[/Artifact]
[Sorcery]
*Diabolic Intent
*Dreadbore
*Mana Severance
*Fabricate
*Trash for Treasure
*Diabolic Tutor
*Distant Melody
*Beacon of Unrest
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
*Entomb
*Swan Song
*Cyclonic Rift
*Shred Memory
*Whir of Invention
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*Daretti, Scrap Savant
[/Planeswalker]
[Enchantment]
*Kindred Discovery
[/Enchantment]
[Land]
*Command Tower
*City of Brass
*Mana Confluence
*Exotic Orchard
*Path of Ancestry
*Crumbling Necropolis
*Blood Crypt
*Steam Vents
*Luxury Suite
*Dragonskull Summit
*Sulfur Falls
*Shivan Reef
*Sulfurous Springs
*Spirebluff Canal
*Smoldering Marsh
*Temple of Epiphany
*Temple of Malice
*Arid Mesa
*Bloodstained Mire
*Scalding Tarn
*Wooded Foothills
*Prismatic Vista
*Fabled Passage
*Academy Ruins
*Buried Ruin
*Inventors&#039; Fair
*Snow-Covered Island
*Snow-Covered Swamp
*7 Snow-Covered Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div></div>
<div>
<div></div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<p>As you can see, we're an aggressive deck at heart, with a very live combo gameplan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Severance" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Severance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an almost free support in this build, since it has the same CMC as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which means we get some extra value from <em>Transmute</em> cards) and it also makes it easier to "reload" the Belcher once we fire.</p>
<p>We're also rocking a pretty good artifact reanimation suite, with many efficient one-shot effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beacon of Unrest" href="#" target="_blank">Beacon of Unrest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trash for Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Trash for Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These effects and the artifact tutors are great at finding Belcher, however we need a backup target, otherwise they can go to waste pretty quickly. Enter <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> one of the best ways to accelerate our aggro plan.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Goblins are good on their own, which releases us from the typical burden of combo decks that feel the pressure to assemble the combo as quickly as possible. This makes outright aggro an acceptable strategy for us while also prolonging the life expectancy of the deck, since multiple games can have very different outcomes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frogtosser Banneret"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Distant Melody"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<p>Early game, we hit the ground running, filling the board with all the Goblins we want; any that die to nasty <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> effects can be brought back with Sedris later. This doesn't mean that we should be completely careless with the lives of our Goblins; when to play which Goblins is still an important element for our threat assessment and longevity.</p>
<p>In the mid-game, if our aggro plan is working - say, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has made so many Goblins our opponents can't keep up, or our <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> has kept our coffers stocked - we can, of course, continue to just smash. However, we can also start looking for a piece or two of the Belcher combo, especially if there's one opponent whose <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> has prevented us from attacking them. This is the out-of-nowhere way our aggressive deck can take out an unwary opponent who thought themselves safe from our army. Keep in mind, though, that the proper Charbelcher combo is a one-time deal.</p>
<p>Sedris himself is the late-game play. If our Gobbos have perished, he can bring them back in spectacular fashion for one final hurrah. Don't rush to play this commander; save him for later, when your opponents think the coast is clear.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, the Seeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wort, Boggart Auntie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buried Alive"></div></div>
<p>Balancing out the high number of Goblins together with some of the Belcher support was pretty difficult. I can't really tell if we have the correct ratio, so tinkering with this list may prove useful if you would like to take up this strategy. Lowering the mana curve by cutting out some of our bigger Goblins and go all-out in the aggro plan, for instance, may allow us to cut a land or two, which helps the Belcher's odds ever so slightly.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Alive" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Alive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with our commander can provide a very useful toolbox. I don't personally think that this is a reliable synergy, but it's a staple in Sedris for a reason. Additionally, more artifact tutors to lean into the combo elements of the deck could help improve its performance. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, the Seeker" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, the Seeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can tutor for Charbelcher right away, for instance.</p>
<p>Finally, if Sedris isn't your cup of tea, but you still want to Belcher people to death, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wort, Boggart Auntie" href="#" target="_blank">Wort, Boggart Auntie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do a pretty good impression. We'll lose <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Severance" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Severance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and some of the artifact tutors, but it's nothing that a few other black tutors can't handle!</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Did you have a blast ? 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 - Sedris, Goblins, and Belchers

Superior Numbers - Power Begets Power

Archetune-Up - Licia, Durdle-less Lifegain

Forgotten Harvest - The 2019 Crop

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<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> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/morano">Tomaz Jedruszek</a>)</h6>
<h1><strong>A Hands-On Approach</strong></h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to <em>Monomania</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. Today’s featured commander is a rapacious tentacle man, and all he wants to do is poke an opponent once. What's in our hand? Is it an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undertaker" href="#" target="_blank">Undertaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or an <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>? That's the line between life and death.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Volrath the Fallen"></div></div>
<p>Volrath the Fallen and I have a history. I built a budget-friendly version of this deck years ago, played it a few times, and realized that the deck’s fun factor is fairly dependent on cards that cost $10 or more. Some black decks just need <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vesuva" href="#" target="_blank">Vesuva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I dismantled the deck and largely forgot about the commander until recently. In this article, I’m revisiting the first Volrath, entering a shadow dimension of unrestricted budgets, and seeing what I can put together.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shriekmaw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sibsig Muckdraggers"></div></div>
<p>The concept is simple and compelling: we want high-CMC creatures that we can pitch to pump Volrath. First and foremost, we’re hoping to kill our opponents with commander damage. However, this commander also gestures in two other directions as well. First, because we will be discarding big creatures, we might as well reanimate them afterward. This deck wants cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Delver" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Delver</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>. Secondly, because we’re running such expensive creatures, a big mana package is a great contingency plan to cast some of these game-ending monsters from our hand in case Volrath is no longer an option. Our build is creature-focused and loves cheating mana costs. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shriekmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Shriekmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sibsig Muckdraggers" href="#" target="_blank">Sibsig Muckdraggers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Stone Idol" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Stone Idol</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may not be amazing on their own, but they have increased utility here because they work two shifts as big buffs on our commander or utility effects.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Volrath the Fallen" href="#" target="_blank">Volrath the Fallen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only leads 58 decks listed on EDHREC but deserves a more careful eye. Because he can activate his ability more than once in a turn, it will be easy to one-shot a single opponent. Unlike other Voltron strategies, this deck also has the ability to transition into a big-creature build. Let’s get into it and see what cards will most successfully support what Volrath is trying to do.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Wind Up</strong></h2>
<p>I’ve mentioned this before on Monomania, but the big mana package available to mono-black is difficult to exclude. Unless you are pursuing a low-to-the-ground, aggressive strategy, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vesuva" href="#" target="_blank">Vesuva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deserted Temple" href="#" target="_blank">Deserted Temple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are almost always powerful additions. Here, they are imperative. When Volrath is inevitably removed from the board, we want the ability to cast cards that cost 10 mana or more for their sticker price. Big mana is an essential component of our ramp package for this reason.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bog Witch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crypt of Agadeem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oblivion Sower"></div></div>
<p>Above we have three flex inclusions that I have chosen to supplement our other ramp strategies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bog Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bog Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite underrepresented cards to champion. This card fits into more decks than one may think. As is typical of the Spellshaper creature type, we have to discard a card in order to activate its ability, but in any deck that wants a discard outlet, this isn’t a cost as much as it is an extra benefit. In our deck, this creature can both discard a bomb to the graveyard as well as produce mana necessary to cast a reanimation spell. It only sees play in 496 decks listed on EDHREC and I’m positive there are more graveyard-based decks that want this card.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt of Agadeem" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt of Agadeem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perfect for our build as well, since we'll be pitching creatures to the yard with our commander or cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bog Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bog Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another powerful flex creature in our deck. While exiling four cards in the hopes of hitting one or two lands isn’t an amazing rate for six mana, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a few exceptional use cases that push it over the top. First, if you hit three or four lands from the top of your opponent’s deck, this is suddenly an exceptional ramp effect. Second, graveyard hate is very common in certain metas, including my own. In almost every game I play, a graveyard becomes exiled at some point. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn’t care if a land was exiled with its ability or with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. if it’s in exile, we can snag it. Using this card to target the <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> player, I've been able to sneak nine lands onto the battlefield.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Reload</strong></h2>
<p>The card advantage package is really where our deck finds some interesting, off-the-wall inclusions. We want to keep the focus on high-cost creatures and the graveyard while also including powerful card advantage effects.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandstone Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baleful Force"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kozilek, the Great Distortion"></div></div>
<p>These three inclusions embody our primary theme. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sndstone Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Sndstone Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a low floor but also a very high ceiling. We have several discard outlets in our deck, which means we will normally be playing with a smaller hand and have a higher chance of drawing three, four, five, or more cards.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baleful Force" href="#" target="_blank">Baleful Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is secretly a decent card. Given a full turn rotation at a four-player pod, you will draw four cards in exchange for four life. The real advantage of this card is actually how unassuming it is. If you play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vilis, Broker of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Vilis, Broker of Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an opponent may get spooked immediately and remove it on sight. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baleful Force" href="#" target="_blank">Baleful Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, however, is just innocuous enough to avoid attention. Finally, the new and old Kozileks can also help us draw through our deck. The Great Distortion could even be another discard outlet for us if necessary.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oversold Cemetery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undead Gladiator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grave Scrabbler"></div></div>
<p>Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oversold Cemetery" href="#" target="_blank">Oversold Cemetery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tortured Existence" href="#" target="_blank">Tortured Existence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fill a particular role in our deck, cycling creatures in and out of our graveyard. These are important pieces because they will help us repeatedly pump Volrath with the same high-cost creatures. Or, if we’re at that stage in the game, we could play a bomb like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Promised End" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Promised End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> every turn and force our opponents to remove it again and again.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undead Gladiator" href="#" target="_blank">Undead Gladiator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Scrabbler" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Scrabbler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> don’t provide us with card advantage directly, but do fulfill that very important role in our deck, once again cycling cards in and out of the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undead Gladiator" href="#" target="_blank">Undead Gladiator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another underrepresented card in our format, only seeing play in 437 decks. This card can help fill in gaps and sculpt bad hands into better ones. You can discard irrelevant cards or a creature you want to reanimate. Whatever you use the Gladiator for, he fits right in with Volrath.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>With all that set and settled, let’s take a look at the deck as a whole. Ramp and draw take up an outsized proportion of slots here because we want to ensure that we play our six-mana commander early and power out beaters as fast as possible. There are still other notable inclusions, however, that we can dive into. As always, season to taste.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emrakul, the Promised End"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Delver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Empty the Catacombs"></div></div>
<p>Emrakul is at the top of her class in this deck. While she doesn’t pump Volrath to lethal, she does everything we want—she provides a significant buff, has a discount effect, and can hose a player out of the game in a pinch. In addition to this, I’ve also included many other Eldrazi such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Void Winnower" href="#" target="_blank">Void Winnower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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="Pathrazer of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Pathrazer of Ulamog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These cards can sneak a win all on their own if necessary. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Delver" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Delver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> leads the team of reanimation effects present here, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entreat the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Entreat the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood for Bones" href="#" target="_blank">Blood for Bones</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Finally, I’m highlighting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empty the Catacombs" href="#" target="_blank">Empty the Catacombs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here to advocate for its inclusion both with our commander and with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Conrad, the Grim" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Conrad, the Grim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card can refill your hand with fodder for Volrath. In a well-tuned Syr Conrad deck it could just end the game on the spot. I can’t believe this only sees play in 185 decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Tentacular Now" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Volrath the Fallen
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Undertaker
*1 Bog Witch
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Fleshbag Marauder
*1 Merciless Executioner
*1 Plaguecrafter
*1 Undead Gladiator
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Dread Presence
*1 Filth
*1 Grave Scrabbler
*1 Ravenous Chupacabra
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Magus of the Coffers
*1 Phyrexian Delver
*1 Shriekmaw
*1 Nirkana Revenant
*1 Oblivion Sower
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
*1 Baleful Force
*1 Razaketh, the Foulblooded
*1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Sibsig Muckdraggers
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Ancient Stone Idol
*1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
*1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
*1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
*1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
*1 It That Betrays
*1 Emrakul, the Promised End
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Dead of Winter
*1 Entreat the Dead
*1 Blood for Bones
*1 Empty the Catacombs
*1 Mutilate
*1 Decree of Pain
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Key to the City
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Thran Dynamo
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Tortured Existence
*1 Animate Dead
*1 Dance of the dead
*1 Oversold Cemetery
*1 Dauthi Embrace
*1 Strands of Night
*1 Whip of Erebos
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Stronghold
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*1 Desert of the Glorified
*1 Deserted Temple
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Polluted Mire
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scrying Sheets
*22 Snow-Covered Swamp
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Vesuva
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<p>What do you think of the old Volrath? Does this style of deck have a chance or is it just too slow? What did I miss? Where have I gone wrong? 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>


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