<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barrin, Master Wizard" href="#" target="_blank">Barrin, Master Wizard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.mikesutfin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Sutfin</a></em></p>
<p>As <em>Magic</em> players, we've all been there: the aristocrats player waits for the perfect moment to unleash a long string of sacrifice effects that ends the game. On one hand, it's impressive to watch; it feels like a complex puzzle being assembled before your eyes. On the other hand, it can feel like an unsatisfying way to lose, essentially having your game plan amount to nothing.</p>
<p>Whatever your feelings may be on aristocrats, there's no denying their popularity within <em>Magic</em>, especially in Commander. According to EDHREC data, there are over 100 thousand <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aristocrat decks in their database</a>. This huge amount of popularity means that there are only six deck "themes" or strategies that are more popular than it on EDHREC.</p>
<p>Most aristocrat decks are heavily associated with the color black, as it provides the most support for both sacrifice outlets and cards that benefit from creatures dying. However, there are plenty of great aristocrat cards outside of black, and this mini-series of articles covers the best options for aristocrat players in every color!</p>
<p>We began this series over on <a href="https://commandersherald.com/the-best-aristocrat-cards-in-commander-green-edition/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Commander's Herald with green</a>, and continued our "mini-series" <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-white-aristocrat-cards-in-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here last week with white</a>, which brings us to our 3rd excursion: blue.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geralf, Visionary Stitcher" href="#" target="_blank">Geralf, Visionary Stitcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geralf, Visionary Stitcher"></div></div>
<p>We start off this list with a commander that many people may have overlooked, but one that's very interesting nonetheless. While Geralf is not a "repeatable" effect unless you can untap him, he gives us one of the main things that aristocrat decks are looking for: ways to turn disposable creatures into something more effective. Even if we only have a 1/1 to sacrifice, it turns that 1/1 into a <em>flying</em> 1/1, as well as triggering any death triggers that our deck is bound to have.</p>
<p>Side note: this card is also an amazing include in any <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/defenders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defender-themed deck</a>, as it turns Walls into huge flying attackers.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Homarid Spawning Bed" href="#" target="_blank">Homarid Spawning Bed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Homarid Spawning Bed"></div></div>
<p>This one fits in a weird position in an aristocrat deck, but it can still act as a great way to create disposable bodies. Being able to sacrifice a creature to make an amount of 1/1 creatures equal to its mana value is very strong, especially as a response to targeted or mass removal. The only reason I could see people being hesitant to include this in an aristocrat deck is the fact that it limits the creatures that are created to <em>mana value</em>, which means that sacrificing tokens does nothing.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barrin, Master Wizard" href="#" target="_blank">Barrin, Master Wizard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barrin, Master Wizard"></div></div>
<p>Barrin acted as a popular boogeyman of cEDH when <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> was still running around, as it could sacrifice a Treasure to bounce Dockside back to your hand, rinse and repeat. Dockside is gone now (RIP), but this card is still a great piece of control at its floor. Sacrificing any permanent to return a creature to its controller's hand is very good, especially in a format where decks are based around a specific creature.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drowned Rusalka" href="#" target="_blank">Drowned Rusalka</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drowned Rusalka"></div></div>
<p>If you read the white edition of this article series, you'll recognize the Rusalka creature cycle making its return. This card is a great way to cycle through cards that we may not want, as long as we have cards in our hand to begin with. A single blue to cycle a card is a great effect, especially if you're just looking for that final piece of the aristocrat puzzle.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jason Bright, Glowing Prophet" href="#" target="_blank">Jason Bright, Glowing Prophet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jason Bright, Glowing Prophet"></div></div>
<p>This card occupies an interesting space, as it can allow us to be aggressive, which is usually not something that aristocrat players are trying to be. Granting a creature a boost in power, as well as temporarily granting flying, may not seem very strong, but all it takes is a few pumps to really make a difference in combat. Also, if we have any Zombies or Mutants, Jason can draw us cards when those creatures die, which is a great bonus!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stitcher&#039;s Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Stitcher&#039;s Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stitcher&#039;s Apprentice"></div></div>
<p>I know you're probably looking at this card and going "Huh?" Well, let me explain. This card does two things well: it creates a disposable body, and it is <em>technically</em> a sacrifice outlet. Since most aristocrat decks have creatures that want to die, Apprentice allows us to trigger those effects while creating a 2/2 creature token.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vodalian Hexcatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Vodalian Hexcatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vodalian Hexcatcher"></div></div>
<p>The next two cards on this list are focused on specific creature types, so they aren't as generically good, but they certainly pack a punch. This one is amazing in Merfolk decks, as it turns each Merfolk we control into a way to potentially counter a game-changing spell. Having your Merfolk tokens become a way to counter something like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems very good.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleaver Skaab" href="#" target="_blank">Cleaver Skaab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleaver Skaab"></div></div>
<p>This card might be the best sacrifice outlet for any Zombie deck, even if we include potential black sacrifice outlets. Creating two token copies of a Zombie we control is a crazy. Even if we turn one 2/2 Zombie token into two 2/2 Zombie tokens, this card is crazy. But copying something like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> twice? Yikes.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Archmage"></div></div>
<p>Similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vodalian Hexcatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Vodalian Hexcatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this creature acts as a repeatable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. The best part about this card? It has persist, which means we can repeatedly use its sacrifice ability to counter any troublesome spells. This card particularly shines in decks like <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cayth, Famed Mechanist" href="#" target="_blank">Cayth, Famed Mechanist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as these commanders allow you to negate the -1/-1 counter with a +1/+1 counter.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jalira, Master Polymorphist" href="#" target="_blank">Jalira, Master Polymorphist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jalira, Master Polymorphist"></div></div>
<p>Our final inclusion comes in the form of a strong <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effect. While the effect is only usable once each turn (unless we can untap her), it still grants us the ability to turn our plethora of disposable creatures into a potentially game-ending threat. Yes, a four-mana activation cost is a lot, and only flipping into a nonlegendary creature means the ability isn't as strong as it could be, <em>but </em>the amount of times I've seen this flip into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is insane.</p>
<p>That concludes my list for the color blue. I hope all you aristocrat players out there learned something new today. Stay tuned for my exploration into the remaining colors, all while saving the best (black) for last!</p>


The Best Blue Aristocrat Cards in Commander

Seeking (Birds of) Paradise: Building Choco, Seeker of Paradise in EDH

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adamaro, First to Desire" href="#" target="_blank">Adamaro, First to Desire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://paoloparente.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Parente</a></em></p>
<p>I need to say a few things about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adamaro, First to Desire" href="#" target="_blank">Adamaro, First to Desire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. First, he's shredded like wheat. Second, the man is way too thirsty. I mean, he is down bad. I mean, it's such a known factor that he's named for it. I'll let you decide if that's good or bad, but acknowledging it does allow me to suggest to our editors we include this meme I just made:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-46456 size-full" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/9pvpaj.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500" /></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adamaro, First to Desire" href="#" target="_blank">Adamaro, First to Desire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adamaro, First to Desire"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adamaro has only one printing, from <em>Saviors of Kamigawa</em> (2005). His ability reads: <em>"<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adamaro, First to Desire" href="#" target="_blank">Adamaro, First to Desire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in the hand of the opponent with the most cards in hand."</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Much like wine, Matthew McConaughey, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maze&#039;s End" href="#" target="_blank">Maze&#039;s End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Adamaro has gotten better with age. Thanks to the influx of card draw in Commander, he reliably hits the board as a 6+ power beater. This brew doubles down on his over-statted beef by being a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/voltron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voltron</a> strategy at heart, but with a twist that makes for a unique Commander deck. By encouraging opponents to draw cards, we fuel Adamaro, turning their advantage into our win condition.</span></p>
<h2>Strategy One: Voltron</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unquenchable Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Reaver Cleaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Spear of Leonidas"></div></div></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adamaro can come down fast, and with haste enablers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, he can attack as soon as turn three. The <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/voltron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voltron</a> plan is supported with <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/equipment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equipment</a> like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaver Cleaver" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaver Cleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Embercleave" href="#" target="_blank">Embercleave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to help our thirsty friend trample over blockers. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unquenchable Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Unquenchable Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, fittingly from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/neo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty</em></a>, is a recurrable Aura that ensures Adamaro is dishing out damage whenever he turns sideways. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, it plays into our subtheme of punishing card draw.</span></p>
<h2>Strategy Two: Punish Card Draw</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Razorkin Needlehead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrawling Crawler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howling Mine"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Part of the joy in brewing a fun Commander deck is finding the little ways your commander supports multiple strategies. Since Adamaro already punishes opponents for having a lot of cards in hand, let's lean into that. It is, after all, the closest thing our man has to an identity (outside of floating decapitated heads and Dracula-levels of thirst). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anyway, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Razorkin Needlehead" href="#" target="_blank">Razorkin Needlehead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrawling Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scrawling Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both punish our opponents drawing cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howling Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Howling Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temple Bell" href="#" target="_blank">Temple Bell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> force our opponents to draw cards. Savvy?</span></p>
<h2>Mono Red Card Advantage; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Monarchy</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emberwilde Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Court of Embereth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coveted Jewel"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adamaro and the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/monarch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monarchy</a> are made for each other. If your opponent takes it from you, they're drawing more cards, fueling Adamaro and your other draw hate. Of course, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Embereth" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Embereth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Ire" href="#" target="_blank">its sister court</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are here, but the real star is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emberwilde Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Emberwilde Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card is doing everything our deck wants by introducing the monarchy </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">punishing our opponents' hand size. <em>Simpatico</em>! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coveted Jewel" href="#" target="_blank">Coveted Jewel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here. </span></p>
<h2>Goad to Hell</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bothersome Quasit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vengeful Ancestor"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is where I had a big-brain moment. If <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howling Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Howling Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coveted Jewel" href="#" target="_blank">Coveted Jewel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are drawing opponents extra cards, they're likely playing creatures to the board. And, Adamaro is already incentivizing our opponents to dump their hands, so we can anticipate the board might get clogged pretty quickly. Now, if we also want to play to the board, what is the perfect mechanic to keep us alive without having to wipe our own creatures? </span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-46462 aligncenter" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-05-212152-300x217.png" alt="" width="300" height="217" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Enter: goad. <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/goad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goad</a> is the perfect mechanic to clear messy boards, damage our opponents, and strengthen our own position. Using cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer" href="#" target="_blank">Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vengeful Ancestor" href="#" target="_blank">Vengeful Ancestor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can force our opponents to attack each other instead of us. It also ensures our opponents' creatures are tapped and unable to block the Spirit of Bodybuilders Past. This means that in many board states, goading is better than wiping the board. Trust me, I did the math on this. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Sound of Drums"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also, I found this hidden gem: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Sound of Drums" href="#" target="_blank">The Sound of Drums</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. From the <em>Doctor Who</em> set, this is the perfect card for Adamaro. It can goad an opponent's creature, or we can suit up our commander to double its damage! </span></p>
<h2>Ramping in Style in Mono-Red</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Opulence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laser Screwdriver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Irencrag"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, we're running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But I'll also highlight some flavorful, on-theme ramp picks.</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> supports our primary crash-out plan and incentivizes our opponents to hit each other. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laser Screwdriver" href="#" target="_blank">Laser Screwdriver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can goad creatures, which ties in to our defense strategy. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Irencrag" href="#" target="_blank">The Irencrag</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a mana rock in the early game that can turn into an Adamaro-pumping Equipment when you no longer need the ramp. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liquimetal Torque" href="#" target="_blank">Liquimetal Torque</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns all our artifact removal into permanent removal. </span></li>
</ul>
<h2>Oddities and Hidden Gems</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Woah there! I see you side-eyeing the deck list. I know it looks a little weird. Let me explain some of the hidden tech in this Commander deck tech. </span></p>
<h3>Breaking Symmetry</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expedited Inheritance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Share the Spoils"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Hospitality"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These three odd-ball enchantments come from my love of breaking symmetrical effects. The idea here is that we can encourage our opponents to keep cards in their hand by tempting them with impulse draw. And of course, we can get some card advantage from them as well. I don't know if it's the most effective way to spend these slots, but I've been looking for a home for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expedited Inheritance" href="#" target="_blank">Expedited Inheritance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> since it was printed. </span></p>
<h3>Land Destruction? How Did You Get In Here?</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Volcanic Offering"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruination"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hey! Woah! Hey! Who put land destruction in this list? That's weird. But now that it's here, a little land hate would slow down the rate at which our opponents could play cards, meaning their hands might be more full for Adamaro. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On that note, any artifact hate like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shattering Spree" href="#" target="_blank">Shattering Spree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balor" href="#" target="_blank">Balor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be used to target mana rocks, similarly slowing down our opponents. Hmm... </span></p>
<h3>Hater Blockers</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deflecting Swat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Untimely Malfunction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Plate"></div></div> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>It's dangerous to Adamaro alone! Take these.</em> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When optimizing decks for the Commander format, I like protection pieces that have utility. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Untimely Malfunction" href="#" target="_blank">Untimely Malfunction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the perfect example of a card that can protect our commander, but also remove troublesome blockers for a turn, or destroy an artifact. Incidental artifact hate like this is a great argument for making <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liquimetal Torque" href="#" target="_blank">Liquimetal Torque</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a must-run in any red deck. </span></p>
<h3>Pillow Fort, But Mono-Red</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brash Taunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'm not sure if you can tell, but I don't like to die. Voltron decks draw a lot of heat, and Adamaro isn't killing folks so quickly that we don't have a need to play defense. Thankfully, if anyone likes playing D, it's probably the guy named Adamaro.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adamaro, First to Desire" href="#" target="_blank">Adamaro, First to Desire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: a Surprisingly Threatening Voltron Commander</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck requires a little bit of politicking and strategizing to make it to the end game, but it's a lot of fun fitting all the pieces together. With a mix of Voltron pieces, draw punishment, and goad effects, Adamaro becomes a surprisingly consistent and threatening Voltron option.</span></p>


Is Adamaro, First to Desire a Voltron Hidden Gem?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</em></p>
<p>This past week was full of previews from <em>Final Fantasy</em>, the newest <em>Universes Beyond</em> set for <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. Because of the longevity of the beloved <em>Square Enix</em> video game series, the set is extremely expansive. In fact, this set is so comprehensive that its spoiler season will last about three weeks altogether! With that, here are some of the most interesting and impactful cards to grace the set, released this past week.</p>
<h2>May 12th <em>Final Fantasy</em> Previews</h2>
<p>The scarcity of new content on May 11th made the following day's previews feel extremely refreshing. Plus, we got a handful of cool cards, both new and reprinted alike. However, let's choose just one really good one from the set proper as well as the <em>Through the Ages</em> bonus sheet.</p>
<h3>Matoya, Archon Elder</h3>
<p>Our nomination for the coolest new preview from the main set goes to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Matoya, Archon Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Matoya, Archon Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While not an Archon <em>nor</em> an Elder in creature type, Matoya is still a very strong Human Warlock. It exceeds the power of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eligeth, Crossroads Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Eligeth, Crossroads Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not by sheer force or effectiveness of ability, but by costing far less mana for an ability that is above rate in comparison. It's quite good in decks that want to scry or surveil to your heart's delight.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Matoya, Archon Elder"></div></div>
<p>Beyond this, there weren't a <em>ton</em> of extremely impactful new cards revealed this past Monday. However, we <em>did</em> get a cool card from <em>Through the</em> Ages.</p>
<h3>Syr Konrad, the Grim as "Golbez, Clad in Darkness"</h3>
<p>According to Scryfall, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Konrad, the Grim" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Konrad, the Grim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is getting a reskin in <em>Through the Ages</em> as Golbez, the big bad from <em>Final Fantasy IV</em>. While the card's render isn't available in English so far, the stunning art by legendary concept artist <strong>Yoshitaka Amano</strong> is worth mentioning here.</p>
<div id="attachment_153055" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153055" class="wp-image-153055" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness.jpg" alt="Syr Konrad, the Grim as FFIV antagonist Golbez, with a classic piece of art by famed Final Fantasy illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153055" class="wp-caption-text">Syr Konrad, the Grim as <em>FFIV</em> antagonist Golbez, with a classic piece of art by famed <em>Final Fantasy</em> illustrator <strong>Yoshitaka Amano</strong>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>With that, let's go forth to Tuesday, May 13th!</p>
<h2>May 13th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>The previews from May 12th were fun, but Tuesday, May 13th, is where the previews for the week really started to pick up. The <a href="http://twitch.tv/magic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WeeklyMTG live stream on Twitch</a> showcased quite a few cool things in an "Ultima" theme. This included the 2-player Starter Set for the expansion as well as many, many promo cards. However, one card from that stream stood out above the rest:</p>
<h3>Ultima, Origin of Oblivion</h3>
<p>To round out the awesome theme that the stream showed off, <strong>Blake Rasmussen</strong> and <strong>Gavin Verhey</strong> showed the public <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Ultima, Origin of Oblivion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion"></div></div>
<p>Ultima is a fantastic colorless creature that likely qualifies as "mass land denial" for those keeping track of the Brackets for their Commander decks. It'll find a home in many decks run by Eldrazi or other colorless commanders. It might even be good enough to take over as the commander of those decks. Time will tell if players will be responsible about using Ultima respectfully at their tables!</p>
<p>Moving on, there was only one <em>Through the Ages</em> reprint for May 13th (not counting promo cards), but it was pretty cool:</p>
<h3>Brainstorm as "Endwalker"</h3>
<p>Endwalker, a reskin of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, shows a scene of the party from <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>. Having Brainstorm as a reprint in the bonus sheet of this expansion is honestly really fun. Many players haven't gotten to experience the sheer power of Brainstorm in a Limited environment; now, provided they can afford it, many will!</p>
<div id="attachment_153057" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153057" class="wp-image-153057" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker.jpg" alt="Endwalker, a reskin of Brainstorm from the Through the Ages bonus sheet from Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153057" class="wp-caption-text">Endwalker, a reskin of Brainstorm from the <em>Through the Ages</em> bonus sheet from <em>Final Fantasy</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<h2>May 14th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>Wednesday, May 14th had even <em>more</em> previews than the previous day. When we say that spoiler season really started ramping up, we aren't kidding. Therefore, it started getting difficult to choose just one great new card and reprint from the day. However, we (probably) nailed it.</p>
<h3>Choco, Seeker of Paradise</h3>
<p>When they revealed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bartz and Boko" href="#" target="_blank">Bartz and Boko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> during the debut of preview season, players speculated as to the best possible commander for the duo. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco, Seeker of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Choco, Seeker of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it seems, is that commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div></div>
<p>This bird synergizes with many of the other Chocobo-themed cards shown so far. It facilitates <em>landfall</em> triggers in an influential way to the game. Plus, it even has a minor payoff for achieving <em>landfall</em>. Not to mention, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traveling Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Traveling Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> elevates Choco to an absurd degree. Hands down, Choco is the Bird commander that people wanted in <em>Final Fantasy</em>.</p>
<h3>Yawgmoth, Thran Physician as "The Emperor, Hell Tyrant"</h3>
<p>The Emperor is one of the scariest antagonists in <em>Final Fantasy</em>, originally from <em>FFII</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician" href="#" target="_blank">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the scariest (if not <em>the</em> scariest) big-bads of <em>Magic</em>. Therefore, this merging of properties makes a ton of sense for the <em>Through the Ages</em> sheet. Behold!</p>
<div id="attachment_153058" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153058" class="wp-image-153058" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician.jpg" alt="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, as The Emperor, Hell Tyrant. Originally illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano for FFII. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153058" class="wp-caption-text">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, as The Emperor, Hell Tyrant. Originally illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano for <em>FFII</em>. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<h2>May 15th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>On Thursday, May 15th, we got fewer big-deal previews from within the set proper, but we got a bunch of cool <em>Through the Ages</em> reveals. While there's much potential for debate over the coolest <em>TTA</em> card from May 15th, there is no contest about that within the new cards from the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set at large:</p>
<h3>Triple Triad</h3>
<p>According to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/morgan-sanchez" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Morgan Sanchez</strong></a>, our Content Operations Manager here at EDHREC, "[They] put a card game into your card game so you can card game while you card game." Truer words could not have been spoken, Chief. Here's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triple Triad" href="#" target="_blank">Triple Triad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, revealed by <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/amazonian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazonian</a>:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triple Triad"></div></div>
<p>Thinking more about this riff on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunbird&#039;s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Sunbird&#039;s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it feels somehow sacred to have the layers that Triple Triad does, in a flavor sense. In the <em>Final Fantasy</em> video game series, Triple Triad is a collectible card game minigame. This card is now in a set based on that video game. And to make matters even more funny, it causes a really cool minigame-style scenario! The layers are <em>deep</em>, dear reader!</p>
<h3>Rhystic Study as "Stay with Me"</h3>
<p><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> is a card that basically <em>always</em> needs a reprint from a standpoint of card accessibility. However, for reasons of Constructed destabilization, it's remarkably difficult to insert into a set. Fortunately, <em>Final Fantasy</em> has a great bonus sheet opportunity with <em>Through the Ages</em>.</p>
<div id="attachment_153059" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153059" class="wp-image-153059" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study.jpg" alt="Stay with Me, a reskin of Rhystic Study with art from FFX. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153059" class="wp-caption-text">Stay with Me, a reskin of Rhystic Study with art from <em>FFX</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>Rhystic Study is as oppressive as ever, but its inclusion on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a> list may cause it to see a bit less play. However, with more players opening the card than they have been previously, some players might want to use their shiny new card. Time will tell!</p>
<h2>May 16th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>That brings us to Friday, May 16th. While the day isn't quite over yet, the cards previewed so far are plentiful. We have seen a fair few cards from the set proper and even more <em>Through the Ages</em> cards. These are the two cards that might be the coolest spoilers for the day.</p>
<h3>Summon: Knights of Round</h3>
<p>Many players across social media had highly anticipated Summon: Knights of Round. While it's slow for a creature card, as a Saga card, it's quite competent. This is especially true in formats like Commander where Sagas have more value to them due to increased synergies.</p>
<div id="attachment_153069" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153069" class="wp-image-153069" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round.jpg" alt="Summon: Knights of Round, a new card from Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153069" class="wp-caption-text">Summon: Knights of Round, a new card from <em>Final Fantasy</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>Also, that last ability is <em>extremely</em> powerful. It could even lead to the end of games with a big enough board state!</p>
<h3>Tymna the Weaver as "Cecil Harvey"</h3>
<p>The last <em>Through the Ages</em> card we will go over in this recap is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tymna the Weaver" href="#" target="_blank">Tymna the Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, here reskinned in <em>Final Fantasy IV</em> regalia as Cecil Harvey. Tymna is a fantastic and potent cEDH commander due to its colors, its Partner ability, and the way it accrues card advantage.</p>
<div id="attachment_153063" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153063" class="wp-image-153063" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver.jpg" alt="Tymna the Weaver, here reskinned as Cecil Harvey from FFIV. Illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153063" class="wp-caption-text">Tymna the Weaver, here reskinned as Cecil Harvey from <em>FFIV</em>. Illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>Speaking of cEDH and partners, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Tymna's most notorious partner in the competitive scene, is also in this bonus sheet, as Tidus, Zanarkand Fayth. <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has pulled no punches with this bonus sheet, so far!</p>
<h2>What Will Next Week Bring?</h2>
<p>The previews were so cool this week that it's hard to believe that the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set's spoiler season has two more weeks to go! Still, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> probably has a bunch of cool things left in store for us.</p>
<p>While we wait for the next week of previews, let's open the floor to you, dear readers. Are you excited for more previews in the coming weeks? Is there anything that hasn't been represented in the set or bonus sheet yet that you'd like to see? Sound off below!</p>


Best Final Fantasy Spoilers From May 12th-15th

Building Two Legendary Matters Commander Decks

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort|blb|329" href="#" target="_blank">Clement, the Worrywort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.corygodbey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cory Godbey</a></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello there! Welcome back to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Archetypes of Imagination</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the series where we build decks based on popular Commander archetypes. I'll be using </span><a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scryfall's tagging system</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and</span><a href="https://edhrec.com/tags" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> EDHREC's Tag pages</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to build around a new theme each week. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week, we'll be building a deck focused on bouncing creatures. But, a deck focused on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants likely wouldn't be fun to play (and it definitely wouldn't be fun to play against). So, we'll be focused on bouncing our own creatures! Why would we do that? To recast them, and get value from cast triggers and enters triggers. Getting value from taking normal game actions is, definitively, a Simic trait. So, in case you hadn't guessed yet, this deck will be led by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement, the Worrywort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clement, the Worrywort"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is from my favorite set in recent memory: </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bloomburrow</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This frog's got some serious legs, too. For just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we get a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptolith Rite" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptolith Rite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a stick, the ability to send a small creature back to our hand every time that one of our creatures enters, and a 3/3 vigilant creature. This card does so much for us, and asks for so little mana investment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, we'll be casting cheap creatures, most of them Frogs for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s sake, and then recasting them later for even more value. This deck can string together some super impressive game actions once we've got a critical mass of mana available, and I'm really excited to show you all what I've come up with. Let's hop to it!</span></p>
<h2>They've Got Hops</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck will, hopefully, be casting a ton of creatures. It's got a full 39 of them, but we'll be returning them to our hand so often that it'll feel like a lot more. To that end, let's talk about the best enters and cast triggers that this deck has to offer. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are classic green cards, providing huge amounts of card advantage over the course of the game. These cards are hard to beat, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be easy to cast with the mana that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides us. Next, I think I finally found the perfect deck for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haze Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Haze Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not only does this guy fit into our pre-existing typal shell, but a repeatable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a Frog (see what I did there?) can be backbreaking for our opponents.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Whisperer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Henge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haze Frog"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let's talk about a few other creatures with powerful cast triggers. The somewhat newly printed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Octomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a repeatable source of 8/8 beaters, ending the game in short order if we can find a way to recast him multiple times in one turn. And, although it doesn't have a cast trigger itself, I wanted to shout out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silverback Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Silverback Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The ramp, removal, and lifegain provided by this card are hard to beat, and the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> in his casting cost can easily be handled by our commander. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of our commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intruder Alarm" href="#" target="_blank">Intruder Alarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do some absolutely bonkers things with him out. This card feels very, very strong with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board, but it may lead to solitaire-style gameplay. Your mileage may vary, so I suggest a bit of caution including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intruder Alarm" href="#" target="_blank">Intruder Alarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Octomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silverback Elder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Intruder Alarm"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, I wanted to talk a bit about some special items in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murkfiend Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Murkfiend Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valley Floodcaller" href="#" target="_blank">Valley Floodcaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combined with either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Final-Word Phantom" href="#" target="_blank">Final-Word Phantom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Fae Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">High Fae Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can essentially let us share each of our opponents' turns with them. Given the huge amount of mana that our commander can provide to us with a board full of kindred creatures, these cards can be extremely powerful. But, like I said with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intruder Alarm" href="#" target="_blank">Intruder Alarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that sort of play style isn't for everyone. Just something to keep in mind.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murkfiend Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valley Floodcaller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Final-Word Phantom"></div></div></span></p>
<h2>Up and Down, Up and Down…</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck isn't just about casting creatures and getting payoffs when they enter the battlefield. It's also about returning creatures to our hand so they can be played over and over again. One of the best ways to do this is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dour Port-Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dour Port-Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, providing a relatively cheap way to bounce something we control and drawing cards along the way. For just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, this can even hit the battlefield before our commander for a sweet curve-out. I'm also a big fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Run Away Together" href="#" target="_blank">Run Away Together</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough" href="#" target="_blank">This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - removal spells we don't mind the downside of. And, as a one-mana 2/2 with upside, it's hard for me to not include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistbreath Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Mistbreath Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dour Port-Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Run Away Together"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mistbreath Elder"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, there's a few cards that I couldn't leave out of this write-up: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Tree Scribe" href="#" target="_blank">Three Tree Scribe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barrin, Tolarian Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Barrin, Tolarian Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gossip&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Gossip&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I really love cards like this; they provide us with several small advantages that add up to one solid card. My favorite among the bunch is probably <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gossip&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Gossip&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although it doesn't let us recast the creature, it does let us get repeatable ETB (enter the battlefield) triggers, card selection, and evasion for our creatures. It's got many less notable, but powerful, effects that this deck really wants consistent access to.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Tree Scribe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barrin, Tolarian Archmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gossip&#039;s Talent"></div></div></span></p>
<h2>Clement, the Worrywort Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, here's the full decklist:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Archetypes of Imagination - Building a Bounce Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Clement, the Worrywort
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aeve, Progenitor Ooze
*1 Barrin, Tolarian Archmage
*1 Beast Whisperer
*1 Champion of Lambholt
*1 Clifftop Lookout
*1 Coiling Oracle
*1 Destiny Spinner
*1 Disciple of Freyalise // Garden of Freyalise
*1 Dour Port-Mage
*1 Dreamdew Entrancer
*1 Dryad Arbor
*1 Essence Warden
*1 Final-Word Phantom
*1 Froghemoth
*1 Grolnok, the Omnivore
*1 Haze Frog
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
*1 Lilysplash Mentor
*1 Long River Lurker
*1 Masked Vandal
*1 Mistbreath Elder
*1 Murkfiend Liege
*1 Octomancer
*1 Pollywog Prodigy
*1 Pond Prophet
*1 Rampant Frogantua
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Shrieking Drake
*1 Silverback Elder
*1 Spore Frog
*1 Stickytongue Sentinel
*1 Sunshower Druid
*1 Three Tree Scribe
*1 Twenty-Toed Toad
*1 Valley Floodcaller
*1 Valley Mightcaller
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Beast Within
*1 Counterspell
*1 Mystic Reflection
*1 Polliwallop
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Simic Charm
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Emerald Medallion
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 The Great Henge
*1 Urza&#039;s Incubator
*1 Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
*1 Farseek
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Raise the Palisade
*1 Season of Weaving
*1 Splash Portal
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Gossip&#039;s Talent
*1 Intruder Alarm
*1 Kindred Discovery
*1 Leyline of Abundance
*1 Reflections of Littjara
*1 Virtue of Knowledge // Vantress Visions
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Flooded Grove
*9 Forest
*1 Hedge Maze
*9 Island
*1 Lilypad Village
*1 Oakhollow Village
*1 Overflowing Basin
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Three Tree City
*1 Waterlogged Grove
*1 Willowrush Verge
[/Lands]"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>A Positively Ribbiting Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before I end this article, there's a few more cards I'd like to talk about. This deck is mostly Frogs, so there's room for some sweet typal payoffs. We've got plenty of on-theme card advantage, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grolnok, the Omnivore" href="#" target="_blank">Grolnok, the Omnivore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even on-theme removal like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polliwallop" href="#" target="_blank">Polliwallop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kindred Discovery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grolnok, the Omnivore"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Polliwallop"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But my favorite card in this whole deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Long River Lurker" href="#" target="_blank">Long River Lurker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card does basically everything we want. It's a Frog, so it taps for mana. It protects all of our other Frogs. And it provides evasion to our best attacker every single time it enters the battlefield. This card is fantastic, and I think it works perfectly in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Long River Lurker"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks once again for reading! I'll see you all next time, for another edition of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Archetypes of Imagination</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">: a fling deck!</span></p>


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