Diabolic Intent - Infinity Gauntlet

<h1>The Cutest EDH Player</h1>
<p>Happy New Year, everyone!</p>
<p>Welcome to 2020! Anyone have any New Years resolutions? I know I do, but to go through all my self-imposed false promises would take more than my 2,000 word limit would allow. Instead of boring everyone with those, I would like to give thanks to yet another year with that certain special someone. I thought today's article would be a perfect chance to look into the past of some of my favorite moments with the love of my life, as we jump together into the new year!</p>
<p>And who is this magic someone, you ask? My significant other, you say? Oh no, we had this conversation <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/combining-hobbies-etrata-the-night-haunter/">last month</a>. We're not letting that go, are we readers? Not until every Night Lord is bought and assembled. No, this article is dedicated to the cutest girl around!</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80697427_579299209468301_7556207054151483392_n.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43263" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80697427_579299209468301_7556207054151483392_n.jpg" alt="" width="373" height="466" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>That's right! You all know her and it's about darn time we introduce her properly! Meet Clementine, my little EDH helper! Here she was posing with our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that we created in a previous <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/commander-2019-preview-card/">article</a>.</p>
<p>Oh, and what better way to remember 2019 than our very own <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/commander-2019-preview-card/">preview card</a> from <em>Commander 2019</em>! Fun fact, Clementine broke the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aeon Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Aeon Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> 10 minutes after it was made. Was it an oopsie? Or did she psychically collect the world's reaction to our preview card and attempt to correct a horrible, horrible mistake? You decide.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80692638_2641263849276008_5981858002636898304_n-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43269" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80692638_2641263849276008_5981858002636898304_n-1.jpg" alt="" width="304" height="371" /></a></p>
<p>She insists that the dog did it. We don't own a dog.</p>
<p>Anyways, she's not always the best helper, but she's been with me since before I started writing for EDHREC and made an appearance in my articles near the very beginning. She's even slowly creeping her way to become the unofficial EDHREC mascot on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6beY0LnG6I/">Instagram</a>. Only a few are aware, but she even plays EDH and has her very own deck. To think it's been over 2 years without her getting her very own article! As Clementine would say, "You got to be kitten me"!</p>
<p>Well don't worry my little sunshine, we're going to show the world what a great EDH player you are!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Enter Clementine, Master of Cat-Fu</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/81098493_2522888387986821_1847441420294553600_n.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43265" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/81098493_2522888387986821_1847441420294553600_n.jpg" alt="" width="575" height="425" /></a></p>
<p>As mentioned briefly, Clementine has actually been a longtime EDH player. Why haven't you seen her around? Well, she will only play in dimly lit rooms and high-stakes tables where the talented fight for the privilege of being number one. That, and wherever there's tons of catnip.</p>
<p>Clementine enjoys kitchen table action, especially when guests are over. She can get a little moody when her board state gets touched, though, and quickly throws the game with the flick of her tail. However, don't be misled by her pretty face and peerless charm - she plays one heck of a deck! And who sits at the helm of her devastating collection of EDH cards?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arahbo, Roar of the World"></div></div>
<p>Well I'm sure it's not a surprise to anyone. To be fair, we tried to get her to play blue, but every time she played <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> she would ask everyone if they "pet one more" on every cast.</p>
<p>Anyways, Arahbo was one of my favorite <em>Eminence</em> cards from <em>Commander 2017</em>. It gives a simple combat buff to any Cat and doubles the attack of any Cat for just three mana! With trample to boot! This means that any Cat can easily get at least +6/+6 at any moment. Although the buff is nice, it definitely isn't one of the more broken <em>Eminence</em> abilities that some folks take umbrage with (looking at you, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). I personally hope Eminence comes back with similar effects as Arahbo, restrictive enough on the overall deck that the free effect from the command zone isn't too overbearing.</p>
<p>More importantly, Arahbo helps bring something EDH will always need more of a push of: combat decks. Not mass token spam. Not Voltron decks. Not <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> flashes. Not <em>Infect</em> shenanigans. Just pure, simple combat. Being the leader of Cat Tribal, Arahbo definitely adds in a sharp edge to every Cat's claw and fang, and that's how Clementine enjoys playing EDH the most!</p>
<hr />
<h2>It's Raining Cats... and Cats!</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jazal Goldmane"></div></div>
<p>There are a lot of powerful Cats worthy of Clementine's affection. The best part is that you have quite a few options of you're ever bored of your commander and want a quick switch!</p>
<p>Although most EDH precons aim for this, few do it as well as our lovely little kitties. Your playgroup a little too aggressive? We have Mirri, who will be happy to slow down the game! Want to focus more on artifacts because your playgroup has a habit of board wipes? Well don't fall for that cat-astrophe, put Nazahn at the helm and equip a good old <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>! Then of course even within our 99 we have some game-ending Lions and Tigers such as Jazal, who will be happy to end the game for their fluffy overlords.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Becoming a Crazy Cat Lady</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brimaz, King of Oreskos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pride Sovereign"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kemba, Kha Regent"></div></div>
<p>Of course, sticking with our current commander, we have a lot of Cat creatures who love having company! This can get especially risky when you have cards like Jazal in your deck! All is fair here though, as Jazal wont surprise anyone, unlike some flash cards or instants.</p>
<p>Although we all love having one or two really scary tigers on the field, sometimes it's important to remember that the collective noun for a group of cats is called a 'glaring' for good reason! One of the biggest frustrations with a combat-focused deck is having to deal with boardwipe after boardwipe. Well, these little Cats will be happy to keep you company soon after losing it all! After all, if life gets you down, just get more cats!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Every Year is a Great Year When You're a Cat!</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonin Warleader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="King of the Pride"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Keeper of Fables"></div></div>
<p>To celebrate our New Year, let's look at some of the new cards that came out in 2019! We got quite a few new powerful Cats to really up the power level of our Cat deck. Even a simple three-mana card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="King of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">King of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make a huge difference with Jazal. Combine it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Caracal" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Caracal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and suddenly even our little 1/1s have become 4/3s! Add in our commander's buff ability and now we have little <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adorned Pouncer" href="#" target="_blank">Adorned Pouncer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> smacking people like an Elder Dragon! Pay three mana and now that Pouncer is pouncing Nicol Bolas, just like this:</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80692638_2641263849276008_5981858002636898304_n.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43262" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80692638_2641263849276008_5981858002636898304_n.jpg" alt="" width="279" height="473" /></a></p>
<p>Poor little Bolas. He didn't expect Ajani's older sister to have his back. Fun fact, Clementine has broken a total of four Bolas statues as of this day. We no longer have anything Bolas in this house, out of fear. She says "you're welcome for protecting the multiverse". She'll come back to you when we find a way to fit Catnip in Paypal transactions.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Sneaky Like a Lion</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonin Arbiter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alms Collector"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stalking Leonin"></div></div>
<p>One of the great things about Cat tribal is that we have a lot more available to us than just attacking, pumping, and generating tokens. We have tricksy little kitties who love to lure their prey into a false sense of safety.</p>
<p>Why did we get a mono-white <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Notion Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Notion Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-esque Cat like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alms Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Alms Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Because Cats own everything, including design spaces, that's why. They make the purrrfect versions of any of our famous <em>Magic</em> cards. What? That <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Windborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Not fluffy enough, bring in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leonin Arbiter" href="#" target="_blank">Leonin Arbiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to show everyone how a Cat taxes people! We'll show those pesky blue players that colors like green and white can be just as crafty if they want to! Without being overly oppressive, we can bring some twists and turns to the game that keep Clementine's opponents on their toes!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Fangs of the Tiger</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hammer of Nazahn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Behemoth Sledge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Fire and Ice"></div></div>
<p>Ever wondered what happened to all my Swords after I broke apart some of my older decks? Well, Clementine now owns the full set. She won or stole them fair and square, depending on who you ask. However she got them, she's sure as heck happy she can protect her creatures from various nasty blue and red spells with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Fire and Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Fire and Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or any other color with the other Swords.</p>
<p>Thanks to legendary options like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith" href="#" target="_blank">Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or other creatures such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taj-Nar Swordsmith" href="#" target="_blank">Taj-Nar Swordsmith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can grab any Equipment we want and start swinging those extra sharp claws! This is another reason Clementine and like-minded EDH players love Cat decks, as Equipment fits into a nice subtheme of the deck as well. By balancing your Equipment and Cats, you'll dominate the battlefield! After all what's a better sight in this world then a Clementine in shining armor?</p>
<hr />
<h2>Winner Winner, Chicken- Oh... the Cat Ate It</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Felidar Sovereign"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lost Leonin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triumph of the Hordes"></div></div>
<p>Okay so... remember when I complained about <em>Infect</em> a moment ago? Well... I also recall mentioning Clementine doesn't like losing. In fact, she's an oddly spiteful little cat. Just look at her reaction above to the idea of losing her commander!</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80773614_2492140957549974_662157577630515200_n.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43264" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80773614_2492140957549974_662157577630515200_n.jpg" alt="" width="338" height="464" /></a></p>
<p>She doesn't even know what's coming next, the poor thing. So how does she justify such evil cards? Well, she doesn't <em>search</em> for these cards (I'm sure you've heard that excuse before), there are just a few win conditions hidden in the deck so she can eventually win after a good drawn-out game. <em>Infect</em> too much, you say? We have a few lifegain options in our deck, so winning with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice option as well!</p>
<p>Then again, some folks get just as salty about Felidar as they do about <em>Infect.... </em>Oh, what's a poor little demonic kitty to do?</p>
<p>Anyways, without further stalling, let us show off Clementine's decklist:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rawr of a Thousand Meows" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Arahbo, Roar of the World
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Keeper of Fables
*1 Felidar Sovereign
*1 Lost Leonin
*1 Taj-Nar Swordsmith
*1 Qasali Slingers
*1 Regal Caracal
*1 King of the Pride
*1 Qasali Pridemage
*1 Prowling Serpopard
*1 Pride Sovereign
*1 Jazal Goldmane
*1 Nazahn, revered Bladesmith
*1 Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist
*1 Leonin Warleader
*1 Leonin Arbiter
*1 Adorned Pouncer
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Kemba, Kha Regent
*1 Alms Collector
*1 Sacred Cat
*1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
*1 Stalking Leonin
*1 Leonin Relic-Warder
*1 Raksha Golden Cub
*1 Hungry Lynx
*1 Temur Sabertooth
*1 Jareth, Leonine Titan
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Kindred Summons
*1 Heroic Intervention
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Catastrophe
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Triumph of the Hordes
*1 Harmonize
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Open the Armory
*1 Steelshaper&#039;s Gift
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Traverse the Outlands
*1 Hunter&#039;s Prowess
*1 Cultivate
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Heirloom Blade
*1 Icon of Ancestry
*1 Loxodon Warhammer
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
*1 Sword of Truth and Justice
*1 Sword of Body and Mind
*1 Sword of War and Peace
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Sinew and Steel
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow
*1 Coat of Arms
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Guardian Project
*1 Mirari&#039;s Wake
*1 Aura Shards
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 selesnya sanctuary
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Fortified Village
*1 Temple of Plenty
*1 Wooded Bastion
*1 Temple of the False God
*13 Plains
*13 Forest
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>So what did everyone think? Does anyone else have any decks for their little fluffy friends? To those wondering, by the way, this is in fact Clementine's deck and she does play with us. We have her sniff the cards she wants to play from her paw - I mean, hand. Although somehow she keeps "accidentally" picking the high-cost cards on turn one...</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80773614_2492140957549974_662157577630515200_n-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-43273" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80773614_2492140957549974_662157577630515200_n-2.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>And hey, does anyone have any <em>Magic-</em>themed New Years Resolutions? Let me know in the comments below! Oh and quickly before the heads of EDHREC catch on... a small little poll if you have a moment... don't worry about what I'm planning to do with it:</p>
<a name="pd_a_10486262"></a>
<div class="CSS_Poll PDS_Poll" id="PDI_container10486262" style="display:inline-block;"></div>
<div id="PD_superContainer"></div>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" src="//static.polldaddy.com/p/10486262.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://poll.fm/10486262">Take Our Poll</a></noscript>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Until next time,</p>
<p>Kya</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ps: Odin just found out Clementine got her own article and wants one too!</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80692638_2641263849276008_5981858002636898304_n-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43272" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/80692638_2641263849276008_5981858002636898304_n-2.jpg" alt="" width="312" height="308" /></a></p>


Bringing Magic to Life - Playtime with Clementine!

Archetune-Up - Whips and Chainers Excite Me

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mausoleum Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Mausoleum Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.adampaquettemtg.com/2018/12/10/mausoleum-secrets">Adam Paquette</a> )</h6>
<h1>Prologue</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome to another installment of <em>Lore Seeker, </em>an article series devoted to the legendary creatures to whom <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> forgot to give a story. I’ll guide you through each aspect that makes up a legendary creature and finally give them a little extra background attention. This time around I’ll be highlighting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1>Story Circle</h1>
<p>Mazirek, now dead, was a Golgari death priest from the plane of Ravnica. He was a powerful necromancer and the leader of the Kraul, an insectoid race that dwells in the undercity. Mazirek's power swells simply from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death&#039;s Presence" href="#" target="_blank">proximity to death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He temporarily allied with Vraska to overthrow the previous Golgari guild leader, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Jarad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the undead Elf lich, so Vraska could take control. Soon after this change in leadership, Mazirek allied himself with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nicol Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Nicol Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which eventually lead to his demise at the hands of one of his own creations.</p>
<p>His most notable claim to fame is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Awaken the Erstwhile" href="#" target="_blank">raising the Erstwhile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the lead-up to <em>War of the Spark</em>. The Erstwhile are a dead faction of Devkarin Elves, laid to rest in a deep mausoleum long ago. The most powerful of these undead Elves is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storrev, Devkarin Lich" href="#" target="_blank">Storrev, Devkarin Lich</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who became the de facto leader of the Erstwhile. Though the Erstwhile could not disobey a direct order from Mazirek, Storrev (with assistance from Vraska and motivated by his anger at being enslaved) tricked Mazirek into the trap that killed him.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Awaken the Erstwhile"></div></div>
<p>Awaken the Erstwhile is the primary build-around for the deck; it's a symmetrical effect, so we're going to look for ways to break the symmetry by keeping fewer cards in our opponents' hands. When possible, we're looking for discard outlets that are repeatable and that rely on sacrificing creatures to interact favorably with Mazirek's ability.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Therapist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sadistic Hypnotist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mind Slash"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Card Analysis</h1>
<hr />
<h2>Name:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekName.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-43348 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekName.jpg" alt="" width="471" height="89" /></a></p>
<p>The title of Priest carries a connotation of religious affiliation; they're figures that possesses the authority to perform rites and administer sacraments. The rites of the Golgari Swarm are likely sacrificial in nature. Though not from Ravnica, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whisper, Blood Liturgist" href="#" target="_blank">Whisper, Blood Liturgist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> illustrates the exact flavor we're looking for here; a liturgist, a practitioner of religious worship, whose particular brand of worship involves sacrifice. Her flavor text puts it best: <em>"Look how they beg for the knife!" </em>These are the kind of devout followers Mazirek needs for his church of death.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whisper, Blood Liturgist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodghast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vindictive Lich"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Mana Cost//Color Identity:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekCost.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-43345 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekCost.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="110" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Black:</strong> Amorality and pragmatism; no waste, no qualms, and no feelings.</p>
<p><strong>Green:</strong> Survival of the fittest, pure and simple. What lives will die.</p>
<p><strong>Golgari (green/black):</strong> The colors of the graveyard, rot, and necromancy. The Golgari appreciate the natural cycle more than anyone else; what dies can and will be brought back and re-purposed it <em>will</em> live once more.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Art:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekArt.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-43367 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekArt.jpg" alt="" width="572" height="418" /></a></p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">(Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/KRlEG">Mathias Kollros</a>)</h6>
<p>Decay and rot are the Golgari way. Mazirek has transformed his section of the undercity into a fungus-ridden hive, perfect for necromantic experimentation. Kraul are an alien race to begin with, but it seems that Mazirek has intensified the dissimilarity by adopting some plantlike qualities. Perhaps this comes from self-experimentation? Perhaps this is not his first body, and the betrayal of Storrev was not the first time he has died. Whether the ground around him regrew his body or he grew a clone from the loam, something is very off. Nevertheless, this is a strong indicator of his power, and another direction for the deck to travel down. Golgari is very graveyard-focused, and it would be an incredible handicap to avoid abusing it. With the amount we want to sacrifice creatures, we'll need just as many ways to get them back as we can find.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sheoldred, Whispering One"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reanimate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Type Line:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekType.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-43350 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekType.jpg" alt="" width="622" height="86" /></a></p>
<p>The Kraul are the insect humanoids we have only seen on Ravnica. They identify largely with the Golgari, but exclusively so affiliated; some instead choose to remain unaligned. The rest of the guilds of Ravnica generally avoid the Kraul, and the Kraul rarely attempt to venture to the surface. It is this not-so-subtle mutual avoidance that pushes them into the arms of the Golgari Swarm.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golgari Signet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golgari Locket"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Rules Text:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekRules_2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-43362 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekRules_2.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>True to his story blurb, Mazirek makes himself and his followers more powerful by simply witnessing death. It is very possible to knock people out with Commander damage, but it'll be a grind. We're going to be more reliant on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Pact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-like effects to control the board and slowly accrue value, letting the counters propagate and accumulate naturally. There are easy cuts that could be made to some of the flavor inclusions, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mausoleum Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Mausoleum Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for classic Mazirek cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hardened Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Hardened Scales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winding Constrictor" href="#" target="_blank">Winding Constrictor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; these I would recommend trying to squeeze into your builds.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grave Pact"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dictate of Erebos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Winding Constrictor"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Flavor Text:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekFlavor.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-43346 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekFlavor.jpg" alt="" width="529" height="99" /></a></p>
<p>Mazirek did a lot for the Kraul, regardless of how corrupt or evil he was. He was their leader because they wanted him to be, not because he asked for it. We know on a meta level that Mazirek was evil; he sided with Bolas in the end and raised and enslaved the Erstwhile. Was he evil when he was placed in the position of death priest, or did his power overtake and corrupt him? I don't think we'll ever get an answer, but I'd like to believe the latter.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>"Power tends to corrupt;<br />
absolute power corrupts absolutely"<br />
-Lord Acton</em></h3>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Deck</h1>
<hr />
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekBasics.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-43428 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mazirekBasics.png" alt="" width="530" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Whenever I build a deck around a character from Ravnica, I have a hard time finding better basic lands to use than the Guild Kit basics, and this deck is no exception. They're specially-made to represent the guild, and they even have a watermark of the guild symbol.</p>
<p>This build has a lot in common with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nath of the Gilt-Leaf" href="#" target="_blank">Nath of the Gilt-Leaf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck: discard for profit and work towards an advantageous opportunity to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Awaken the Erstwhile" href="#" target="_blank">Awaken the Erstwhile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I took a lot of inspiration from the EDHREC pages for <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/nath-of-the-gilt-leaf">Nath</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/meren-of-clan-nel-toth">Meren</a>, and <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/mazirek-kraul-death-priest">Mazirek</a>. I find that searching through similar decks, even if their only similarity is that they share the same colors, doing so helps to more quickly find the high-impact cards. I ignored the Elf tribal cards on Nath's page and instead focused on the discard synergies, Meren's page provided aristocrats synergies, and Mazirek's page featured primarily counter synergies (which I mostly ignored) but also had sacrifice synergies. The biggest discovery came from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wave of Vitriol" href="#" target="_blank">Wave of Vitriol</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its interaction with Mazirek. This is a fantastic way to get through a pillowfort player's defenses while simultaneously adding an immense amount of power to the board, whether we lose a lot or not. I included a few more nonbasic lands in the list because we want to sacrifice them and replace them with the wave. Really, it acts like an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in this deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Golgari Swarm" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Hangarback Walker
*1 Cabal Therapist
*1 Caustic Caterpillar
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Bloodghast
*1 Burglar Rat
*1 Gyre Sage
*1 Miasmic Mummy
*1 Rotting Rats
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Fleshbag Marauder
*1 Ophiomancer
*1 Pawn of Ulamog
*1 Plaguecrafter
*1 Springbloom Druid
*1 Undercity Informer
*1 Weaponcraft Enthusiast
*1 Meren of Clan Nel Toth
*1 Rankle, Master of Pranks
*1 Vindictive Lich
*1 Whisper, Blood Liturgist
*1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
*1 God-Eternal Bontu
*1 Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
*1 Sadistic Hypnotist
*1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
*1 The Haunt of Hightower
*1 Abhorrent Overlord
*1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
*1 Myojin of Night&#039;s Reach
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Spawning Pit
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Golgari Locket
*1 Eldrazi Monument
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Reanimate
*1 Dark Deal
*1 Eldritch Evolution
*1 Victimize
*1 Pir&#039;s Whim
*1 Awaken the Erstwhile
*1 Living Death
*1 Wave of Vitriol
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Mausoleum Secrets
[/Instants]
[Enchantment]
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Waste Not
*1 Mind Slash
*1 Necromancy
*1 Pernicious Deed
*1 Grave Pact
*1 Tombstone Stairwell
*1 Dictate of Erebos
*1 Death&#039;s Presence
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Vraska, Golgari Queen
[/Planeswalker]
[Lands]
*1 Blast Zone
*1 Blighted Woodland
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Field of Ruin
*10 Forest
*1 Golgari Guildgate
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 High Market
*1 Memorial to Folly
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nurturing Peatland
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Petrified Field
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Strip Mine
*11 Swamp
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Woodland Cemetery
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h1>Epilogue</h1>
<p>Overall I think Nath would make a more effective commander for this deck, but the flavor is what it's all about! If you enjoy the list, I would check Mazirek out. This was yet another reader suggestion, and I'm always on the lookout for more, so let me know which legendary characters you’d like to see get the story spotlight in the future!</p>
<p>Thank you for reading!</p>


Lore Seeker - Creepy Kraul-y

Ranking Every Land with EDHREC – Part 22: Making the 20/20s Your Own!

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>


Articles