<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kefka, Court Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kefka, Court Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.yoshitakaamano.com/">Yoshitaka Amano</a></em></p>
<p>When someone asks an expert in the <em>Final Fantasy</em> series about its most detestable villain, Kefka Palazzo will often come to mind. After all, Kefka has committed a vast multitude of crimes that, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YJgM16uaq0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to paraphrase another RPG clown</a>, would make the Geneva Convention look more like "Geneva Suggestions." The role of Court Mage of the Gestahlian Empire and, later, as the God of Magic are, understandably, extremely oppressive titles to hold. Kefka achieves his goals with aplomb and fanfare, often to the chagrin of the protagonists of <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>.</p>
<p>Therefore, it may come as no surprise that this deck tech is almost certain to bring pain and despair to many a table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kefka, Court Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kefka, Court Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (and its rear face, Kefka, Ruler of Ruin) is extremely powerful as a commander. This commander wants to do multiple different things, but in a way that allows us to seamlessly pivot from one task to another as needed. By no means is this deck ever <em>not</em> going to be a "group slug" build; the deck wants to oppress the table at every turn. But, at the same time, you ought to have a little fun doing it, right? It's exactly what Lord Kefka would want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kefka, Court Mage"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Kefka, Court Mage Do?</h2>
<p>Kefka, Court Mage is a legendary Human Wizard. His stats are relatively innocuous for his cost. He's a 4/5 for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" 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><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, which isn't much to shout about. However, it's his abilities that allow Kefka to shine. On entry and whenever Kefka, Court Mage attacks, each player discards a card, then you get to draw a card for each card type among the discarded cards. For emphasis, this doesn't include subtypes or supertypes, but you'll often draw at least two cards with each resolution of this ability. Such is the way of forced discard!</p>
<p>To transform Kefka into his Ruler of Ruin iteration, you must pay a hefty eight generic mana. However, in addition to transforming Kefka, the ability also forces each opponent to sacrifice a permanent. This could be something as innocuous as a token or as impactful as a land, but that's at the whims of your opponents. Even so, ruination comes forth!</p>
<p>Kefka's rear face, the Ruler of Ruin, is a 5/7 with flying. He's now on rate, even considerably better, for his five-mana cost, but those stats don't make him worth eight. However, his triggered ability, which reads "Whenever an opponent loses life during your turn, you draw that many cards," fully makes up for this.</p>
<h3>A Contrapositive Nekusar?</h3>
<p>At the point where you read the front face of Kefka, you may be thinking to yourself, "This clown seems a <em>lot</em> like <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/nekusar-the-mindrazer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a>!" And to that, I fully agree with you. After all, Kefka also draws you cards, and is built to cater to group slug strategies. But there's something slightly off about this line of thought. To that end, I say Kefka, Court Mage is a contrapositive to Nekusar. By that, I mean they affirmatively complement each other, but are still very different. You <em>could</em> always group them into the same deck, but to achieve similar results, it's actually not necessary.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nekusar, the Mindrazer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arjun, the Shifting Flame"></div></div>
<p>When you pivot over to Kefka, Ruler of Ruin, the commander that ensues does a good job at imitating <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/arjun-the-shifting-flame" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arjun, the Shifting Flame</a>. To an even slightly careless Arjun pilot, one slip-up might spell the difference between drawing your deck and winning, or drawing your deck and losing. The same is true of Kefka, Ruler of Ruin, except we have more fail-safe options to mitigate that possibility. Namely, we have the addition of sacrifice outlets to help us in case Kefka goes a little too mad with draw power. This deck tech doesn't utilize many black sacrifice outlets, but know that you <em>can</em>, and it might make a difference for you.</p>
<h3>Plans Befitting Ruination</h3>
<p>This deck tech will showcase a "group slug" strategy, as mentioned previously. This means affecting opponents in a relatively equal, very net-negative manner. This will be achieved through group discard and punishing card draw for opponents. Additionally, we'll utilize a plethora of triggered abilities that proc off of either draw or self-discard. Finally, when we transform Kefka into his Ruler of Ruin face, we'll aim to win by maximizing the extent of our triggers off card draw.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Kefka, Court Mage</h2>
<p>A few cards make this deck tick exceptionally well. These cards can be divided into three groups:</p>
<h3>#1. Fail-Safes</h3>
<p>Before we get into the fun parts of running this deck, we need to discuss the fail-safes to keep you from losing by your own (literal) hand. Very often, you may find yourself in a situation where you're about to draw too many cards all at once. This is typically a bad situation, but it can be salvaged! For one, we run instant-speed enablers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Anticipation" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Anticipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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> to ensure we can fix things quickly if they were to go awry.</p>
<p>The solutions themselves include sacrifice outlets, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimir House Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Dimir House Guard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in case we need to remove Kefka from the field. They also include cards that halt draw in some fashion, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obstinate Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Obstinate Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Words of Waste" href="#" target="_blank">Words of Waste</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ormos, Archive Keeper" href="#" target="_blank">Ormos, Archive Keeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a really good job of accruing +1/+1 counters instead of drawing in the worst case scenario - an empty library.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obstinate Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dimir House Guard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ormos, Archive Keeper"></div></div>
<h3>#2. Card Draw Payoffs</h3>
<p>There are plenty of cards in this deck that pay off from drawing cards. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Locust God" href="#" target="_blank">The Locust God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a ton of Insect tokens with haste with even one Kefka, Court Mage trigger. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage" href="#" target="_blank">Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could mill a player out quite handily in here if you've transformed Kefka. And, quite notably, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychosis Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Psychosis Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starving Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Starving Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> imitate the old <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-plus-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combo with Ruler of Ruin on the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starving Revenant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Locust God"></div></div>
<h3>#3. Discard Payoffs</h3>
<p>This deck runs various ways to profit off of discard. This applies to opponents' discard, sure, but also self discard. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waste Not" href="#" target="_blank">Waste Not</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Miser" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Miser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work to create versatile and worthwhile situations. Through these scenarios, your opponents will ultimately suffer more than you. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Ifnir" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Ifnir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a straight-up one-sided board wipe if you can freely discard enough cards. And don't even get me started on the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megrim" href="#" target="_blank">Megrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effects in this deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Miser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tergrid, God of Fright"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Waste Not"></div></div>
<p>But special attention should be paid to the key reason this deck is Bracket 3 in letter as well as intent. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tergrid, God of Fright" href="#" target="_blank">Tergrid, God of Fright</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a seriously intimidating card. It will do you absolutely no favors with how oppressive the card is. If you wish to tone the deck down at all, this should feasibly be the first card to consider cutting.</p>
<h2>How Does Kefka, Court Mage Win?</h2>
<p>Kefka, Court Mage wins a typical Commander game in a variety of different ways. One more apparent way is through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">Laboratory Maniac</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Lab Man is a tried and true method of winning, and it isn't a bad one here. It also doesn't hurt that it can eat spot removal when you can use another method of winning.</p>
<p>Another method to win the game includes using Kefka, Ruler of Ruin to combo with Psychosis Crawler or Starving Revenant. This is a less effective means to win as it requires far more math, especially via Psychosis Crawler. The trajectory goes like this: with Kefka, Ruler of Ruin and Psychosis Crawler in play, when you draw a single card, each opponent loses one life. In a three-opponent game, that means you draw three cards. Psychosis Crawler causes your opponents to each lose three life, for nine life lost in total. You draw nine cards. They each lose nine life. You draw 27. If the next instance of 27 life lost can't defeat them all, you'd best have Ormos or a Lab Man handy. Starving Revenant does similarly, but on a 1-to-1 level of lifeless to draw as opposed to exponential degrees.</p>
<p>But overall, there are plenty of other means with which to win the game. This includes punisher effects and the potential for a go-wide strategy as well. The possibilities are endless!</p>
<h2>Kefka, Court Mage Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Kefka, Court Mage" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kefka, Court Mage // Kefka, Ruler of Ruin
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Bedevil
*1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
*1 Forbid
*1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
*1 Pongify
*1 Rakdos Charm
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Slip Out the Back
*1 Withering Torment
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archfiend of Ifnir
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Bone Miser
*1 Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
*1 Chainer, Nightmare Adept
*1 Davros, Dalek Creator
*1 Dimir House Guard
*1 Fate Unraveler
*1 Glint-Horn Buccaneer
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Kederekt Parasite
*1 Laboratory Maniac
*1 Magus of the Jar
*1 Molten Gatekeeper
*1 Nightscape Familiar
*1 Obstinate Familiar
*1 Ormos, Archive Keeper
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Razorkin Needlehead
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Scrawling Crawler
*1 Screaming Nemesis
*1 Starving Revenant
*1 Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid&#039;s Lantern
*1 The Locust God
*1 Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls
*1 Warren Soultrader
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Leyline of Anticipation
*1 Liliana&#039;s Caress
*1 Megrim
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage
*1 Teferi&#039;s Ageless Insight
*1 Teferi&#039;s Tutelage
*1 Waste Not
*1 Words of Waste
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Dark Deal
*1 Demonic Counsel
*1 Disrupt Decorum
*1 Ringsight
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Whispering Madness
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crosis&#039;s Catacombs
*1 Crumbling Necropolis
*1 Drossforge Bridge
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Haunted Ridge
*1 Homeward Path
*2 Island
*1 Mistvault Bridge
*1 Mountain
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Raucous Theater
*1 Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Silverbluff Bridge
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*2 Swamp
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Undercity Sewers
*1 Underground River
*1 Valgavoth&#039;s Lair
*1 Vault of Whispers
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Xander&#039;s Lounge
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>The End Comes, Beyond Chaos</h2>
<p>This deck is, in a couple of words, certifiably evil. This is befitting of the good (read: despicable) name of Kefka Palazzo. It provides all manner of strong synergies with draw and discard effects. It's also readily able to pivot strategies to full-send draw payoffs as needed. Much like Kefka himself, this deck is sure to drive your opponents entirely up the wall, each scrambling in many ways to handle their inevitable collective demise. Just don't go dancing mad with too much power, or you'll fall to ruination yourself.</p>
<p>Finally, I hope you liked this deck tech and its diabolical fool of a commander. If you did, consider playing <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Final Fantasy VI</em></a> for yourself. It's an expansive title and does amazing things for the series at large.</p>


Group-Slugging With Kefka, Court Mage

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
<p>On Monday, May 12th, at approximately 9 AM Pacific (Noon Eastern), Wizards of the Coast will drop <em>The Ultimate Pencil Superdrop</em> for <em>Secret Lair</em>. We broke down <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-reveals-the-ultimate-pencil-superdrop">the contents of this drop</a> for you back in April, but we felt it was keen to remind you on that day. Since that day is today, let's dive into it!</p>
<p>As a quick reminder, <em>Secret Lair</em> drops now operate on a limited print run system. This means they're no longer printed to demand. Therefore, if you want any particular drop, you should plan to get it soon.</p>
<p>But there's another important thing to keep in mind. As is the case for each superdrop, the cards in these drops come in two or three different styles. Why does this matter? Simply put, it's a matter of price. If you misclick on something, you could be paying between $10 and $60 more. For some reason, the raised foil versions of <em>Everything Is On Fire</em> and <em><i>VroooOOOMMMMMM!</i></em> are both $99.99. To this end, we noted back in April that it's a lot of money, but not enough to solely cover free shipping. Ideally, the bonus card in each of those drops would make up the financial slack. However, that's never a sure bet at this time of the drop's release cycle. You'll have to wait to learn more about the bonus cards in question.</p>
<div id="attachment_152383" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Underworld-Breach-raised.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152383" class="wp-image-152383" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Underworld-Breach-raised.jpg" alt="The render for the raised foil copy of Underworld Breach from The Ultimate Pencil Superdrop for Secret Lair. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="400" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Underworld-Breach-raised.jpg 744w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Underworld-Breach-raised-215x300.jpg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Underworld-Breach-raised-733x1024.jpg 733w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-152383" class="wp-caption-text">The render for the raised foil copy of Underworld Breach from <em>The Ultimate Pencil Superdrop</em> for <em>Secret Lair</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</p></div>
<h2><em>Secret Lair</em> Abridged Financial Breakdown</h2>
<p>Speaking of prices, nonfoil copies of each of these drops are $29.99, while rainbow foil drops are $39.99. Mechanically speaking, only a handful of these drops come close to hitting either of those marks. Most notably, the drop titled <em>Secret Lair x KEXP: You Are Not Alone</em> stands out as a great value acquisition. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Font of Mythos|SLD|2075" href="#" target="_blank">Font of Mythos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Concordant Crossroads|SLD|2073" href="#" target="_blank">Concordant Crossroads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are still fairly expensive cards at around $17 apiece. A foil copy of Font of Mythos almost costs the same as a rainbow foil copy of that drop.</p>
<p>Additionally, <em>Featuring: Jay Howell</em> would be worth buying in rainbow foil for the copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasonous Ogre|SLD|2007" href="#" target="_blank">Treasonous Ogre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> alone. Currently, that card stands at a whopping $56.50 in its sole foil iteration from <em>Conspiracy</em>.</p>
<p>But that seems to be where the value drops off for these drops, if you'll excuse the wordplay. Are they still worth it? Yes, if you value the art, but not if you'd prefer one specific card or printing. Raised foils notwithstanding, a lot of these cards will likely be affordable in the future as singles.</p>
<h2>Penciling It In</h2>
<p>At the time of writing, you have about two hours to get your plans in for this drop. Generally speaking, queues fill up quickly on the day of a drop, so be prepared to potentially wait a bit.</p>
<p>Either way, you can find <em>The Ultimate Pencil Superdrop</em> on <a href="https://secretlair.wizards.com/us">the <em>Secret Lair</em> website</a>. And now, let's hear from you. Are you excited to buy any of the drops in this one? Which one is your favorite? What looks the coolest to you? Sound off below!</p>


Secret Lair: The Ultimate Pencil Superdrop Launches 5/12

Adapting Your Decks to the Exhibition Bracket (1)

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.lucasgraciano.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lucas Graciano</a></em></p>
<p><em>Murders at Karlov Manor</em>… Anytime that set is mentioned, it will likely be met with some form of criticism. Whether their ire is directed towards its complicated mechanics or Ravnica fatigued, the target of most people's frustration is the theme. A murder mystery set sounded interesting on paper, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem to translate well with the large scale of an entire set.</p>
<p>Even though this set wasn’t a fan favorite, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any hidden gems just laying low in your bulk. Sure, I could highlight cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demand Answers" href="#" target="_blank">Demand Answers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Escape Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Escape Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snarling Gorehound" href="#" target="_blank">Snarling Gorehound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and many other budget singles that have made their way into plenty of decks. However, this rag-tag list of lesser played cards could just be the perfect accomplice for your favorite commander!</p>
<p>My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and on today’s edition of <em>Bulk Up</em> we're taking a look at the much-maligned crime scene known as <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/mkm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Murders at Karlov Manor</em></a>.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage"></div></div>
<p>First up, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that a lot of people thought would take Commander by storm. However, it’s only showing up in 0.65% of possible decks on EDHREC. Here’s a question: when was the last time you saw a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vandalblast" href="#" target="_blank">Vandalblast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cast for only one target? It’s usually played for its overload cost, which is five mana, the same as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. So, if you have a deck where you could benefit from cheating out a big creature, this might be the spell for you!</p>
<p>In terms of a deck I'd suggest you run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in, let’s take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ureni of the Unwritten" href="#" target="_blank">Ureni of the Unwritten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This commander loves cheating big Dragons into play, so their decks are packed full of nasty threats just waiting to hit the battlefield. Since Ureni is a whopping seven mana, you could cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a few turns before your Spirit Dragon comes out, setting your opponents behind, while slamming down a big threat. Everything your deck loves to do!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treacherous Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Treacherous Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treacherous Greed"></div></div>
<p>Our next card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treacherous Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Treacherous Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, synergizes perfectly with the new mobilize mechanic from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Dragonstorm</em></a>. Three mana to draw three, gain three, and drain three from your opponents is an amazing rate. When paired with those temporary Warrior tokens you’re making, it can help refill your hand out of nowhere. The fact that it's an instant allows you to cast it at the end of combat, then move into your second main phase with even more options than before!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zurgo Stormrender" href="#" target="_blank">Zurgo Stormrender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of the commanders from the recent <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/mardu-surge-precon-guide-tarkir-dragonstorm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mardu precon</a>, allows you to be even trickier with this spell. If you sacrifice one of your tokens at the end of combat, it's still considered an “attacking” creature in the rules of the game. So Zurgo will also draw you a card on top of the ones you get with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treacherous Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Treacherous Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Three mana draw four sounds like good value to me.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fae Flight"></div></div>
<p>Evasion and protection are two important facets to include in a lot of decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> assists with both. When this Aura enters, the enchanted creature gains hexproof until end of turn, which can catch an opponent off guard after they target your commander with removal. Plus, giving flying and a little power boost will help you chip in for damage more freely as the game goes on.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-kotis-the-fangkeeper-enchantress-on-a-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Last week, I wrote about</a> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kotis, the Fangkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kotis, the Fangkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in that list. That's a perfect example of how useful this spell could be. Even though Kotis has indestructible, giving hexproof for a turn will still save you from getting your commander locked down, halting your game plan in the process. That flying also helps any deck that’s centered around connecting with creatures, especially when that results in stealing your opponent's cards.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Stashed Skeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Stashed Skeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Case of the Stashed Skeleton"></div></div>
<p>Many Commander players shy away from including tutors in their decks, since it can defeat the singleton nature of the format. However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Stashed Skeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Stashed Skeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has some quirks that will still appeal to those players. In a deck centered around Aristocrats or aggro, this card can slot right in. Making you a token and then allowing you to find any card in your deck once that token disappears feels like the perfect crime.</p>
<p>Another way to ensure “you control no suspected Skeletons” is with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One" href="#" target="_blank">Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Giving that token away to someone else not only helps you solve the case, but it continues your plan of forcing your opponents to attack each other. What would you go searching for in this deck? If it was me, I'd go find one of my favorites, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abyssal Persecutor" href="#" target="_blank">Abyssal Persecutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Officious Interrogation" href="#" target="_blank">Officious Interrogation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Officious Interrogation"></div></div>
<p>Hear me out; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Officious Interrogation" href="#" target="_blank">Officious Interrogation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not go in every deck, but it can be an absolute bomb with a lot of commanders. There’s plenty of token decks floating around nowadays, so the fact that this spell is at instant speed means that you could stock up on a whole lot of Clues to piggyback off of your opponents' value. Pairing this with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspiring Statuary" href="#" target="_blank">Inspiring Statuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise and Shine" href="#" target="_blank">Rise and Shine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can push your board straight into the late game.</p>
<p>An absolute classic commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breya, Etherium Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Breya, Etherium Shaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and she works perfectly with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Officious Interrogation" href="#" target="_blank">Officious Interrogation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Once you have a board full of Clues, leaving just two mana up means you can crack one of them to draw a card or activate one of Breya’s many abilities at any time. This can throw your foes off their game, especially if you have a big pile of Clues just sitting there… <em>menacingly.</em></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wispdrinker Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Wispdrinker Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wispdrinker Vampire"></div></div>
<p>We’ve gotten so many cards that care about smaller creatures lately, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wispdrinker Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Wispdrinker Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one that's seemed to slip under the radar. Draining the table any time a creature with power two or less enters lets you keep your game plan going, while setting your own life total head and shoulders above the rest. Even though that final ability may be expensive, it could just save the game for you with a big attack, or a surprising block.</p>
<p>Adding the Wispdrinker in a deck helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might just put the table on a clock they can’t outrun. Creating small tokens, draining the table, and then making even more on each end step could push your match into the endgame. Then give all those Spirits lifelink and deathtouch to add insult to injury.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Break Out" href="#" target="_blank">Break Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Break Out"></div></div>
<p>Our next spell is a bit of a head-scratcher. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Break Out" href="#" target="_blank">Break Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a two-mana spell that lets you look at the top six cards of your library, and either put a big creature into your hand, or small creature right into play with haste. Now, two mana to draw one creature, with the possibility of whiffing, is a little risky. However, the fact that you could get something out for free is the real star of the show. On top of that, it can make for a fun story to tell at the end of the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> loves mana creatures, which tend to be on the smaller side. Plus, giving one of them haste would be a great way to follow up with another spell on the same turn. Since your commander buffs your mana creatures when they hit the board, you don’t care if they have power two or less in your library. You know that once they're out, they can become big beaters.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Uneaten Feast" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Uneaten Feast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Case of the Uneaten Feast"></div></div>
<p>Our final card this week is one that most likely suffers from the issue of people giving up on reading the card halfway through. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Uneaten Feast" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Uneaten Feast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only gains you life when creatures enter your board, but once you solve the case, you can cast any creatures in your graveyard for a turn. The value of that effect is incredible, so if this is in a token deck or life gain strategy, you could hit that final ability faster than expected.</p>
<p>It feels like this case and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amalia Benavides Aguirre" href="#" target="_blank">Amalia Benavides Aguirre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are made for each other. Not only will it consistently trigger your commander, but if Amalia wipes the board, you can cast some of the creatures you lost all over again! Also, since Amalia is two mana, and this enchantment is one, they curve perfect for an amazing first couple turns.</p>
<h2>The Wrap Up</h2>
<p>Listen, I know looking at this set again might have brought back too many grisly memories, but I'm proud of you for being brave enough to make it to the end of the article. Who knows, maybe there’s a few of you out there who were morbid enough to love this set, and I for one give all my respect to those players.</p>
<p>So, whether you loved it, hated it, or landed somewhere in between, let me know what you thought of this list in the comments below. Will you be adding any of these cards to your decks, or do you consider this set a closed case? Alright, that’s enough crime puns for one day…</p>


Are There Hidden Gems From Murders at Karlov Manor?

Building a Powerful Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient Commander Deck

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jsraphael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joshua Raphael</a></em></p>
<p>Well, this is about the most up to date I've ever been in terms of new releases. As of the day I'm writing this, May 7th, the commander I'm doing a deck tech for hasn't even made it's way into the EDHREC database. But <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just too interesting to not write about immediately. She's just been spoiled for the new Final Fantasy Set, and while I don't know a single thing about Final Fantasy, I do know a good deckbuilding challenge when I see one. So lets dive right into this weird spellslinger commander.</p>
<h2>Shantotto, Tactician Magician</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shantotto, Tactician Magician"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the amount of mana spent to cast that spell. If X is 4 or greater, draw a card.</em></p>
<p>Ok, so I've done more than a few spellslinger commanders on this series. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adeliz, the Cinder Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Adeliz, the Cinder Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Third Path Iconoclast" href="#" target="_blank">Third Path Iconoclast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they're all blue-red commanders that care about casting noncreature spells. It's a pretty basic formula. All you need for those decks is a bunch of cheap instants and sorceries that can draw cards or buff your team or whatever is helpful. Then you get a bunch of creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that'll ping your opponents whenever you cast one of those spells. It's a pretty tried and true formula, but I've built it a few too many times at this point. I've gotten quite bored of the whole game plan, and I need a challenge.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balmor, Battlemage Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Third Path Iconoclast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kessig Flamebreather"></div></div>
<h2>How Is Shantotto Different From Other Izzet Spellslinger Decks?</h2>
<p>So that's why I was elated when my editor recommended that I check out Shantotto. Yes, at the surface level, it's just another Izzet spellslinger commander. But there's a bit more to it than that. Rather than request the usual one-drop suspects of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and all those other crummy cantrips, Shantotto wants us to play spells with mana value four or greater. That's certainly a big difference from what other commanders want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Preordain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<p>Shanotto doesn't technically require us to play big spells, but we draw a card whenever we do, and I'm certainly not one to turn down card advantage. Other than that, the only thing she does is get bigger when we play spells. But, man does she get a lot bigger. So let's build a deck around big noncreature spells and one big creature. I think that's pretty doable, and even if it's not, I'm sure it'll be interesting.</p>
<p>As with any big mana deck, the question is: how much? How big can our average mana value get before it becomes unmanageable? Well, there's a pretty clear minimum we have to follow. If we want to take advantage of our commander's ability throughout the game, we need to be drawing a four-drop every three cards or so. Because otherwise, our commander's ability is just gonna be a random bonus that occurs every once in a while. It would be like playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and only cloning a Dragon every other turn. We've got a cool commander, let's use it.</p>
<h2>Big Pauper Spells for Shantotto</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, there's a slight problem. I'm not sure if there are enough great four-drops to play in Pauper. Yeah, you've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pirate&#039;s Pillage" href="#" target="_blank">Pirate&#039;s Pillage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Score" href="#" target="_blank">Big Score</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are all fantastic, but I don't think there are 30+ four drops that are worth playing. I certainly don't want to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Airborne Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Airborne Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just to draw a card. There are a decent number of good cards though, so let's check those out first before giving up.</p>
<p>We've got plenty of card draw, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Behold the Multiverse" href="#" target="_blank">Behold the Multiverse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is worthwhile here. Then there's some red aggression in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Party" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Party</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hazardous Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Hazardous Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empty the Warrens" href="#" target="_blank">Empty the Warrens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Are Goblins particularly useful to us? Nah, but every deck needs chump blockers, and we'd rather create them with noncreature spells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unexpected Windfall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Behold the Multiverse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Party"></div></div>
<p>After that, we have to reach into five-mana spells. Luckily, there are a few that are great inclusions even if our commander didn't ask for it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lórien Revealed" href="#" target="_blank">Lórien Revealed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a handy card to have, early and late game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Fissure" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Fissure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can decimate a board state. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just makes a ridiculous amount of mana. Then, even more expensive than those is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Eight Mana? How could that possibly be worth it? Oh, hold up, it's got delve. Basically, it's castable for just a single mana. And it'll still trigger our commander! Right?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lórien Revealed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<h2>This Commander Got Nerfed</h2>
<p>Well, actually, there's something unusual about our commander that I've concealed. I said that Shantotto checks the mana value of your cards when deciding what X is, but actually, she checks how much mana is spent. That means that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't give Shantotto +8/+0, it gives Shantotto +1/+0 if you delve away all the generic mana. That's super disappointing, especially considering that Shantotto is one of the first commanders to be worded like this. I'm sure it was a balancing decision, but honestly the result of it is that Shantotto is extremely underpowered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<p>This is the reason that I haven't been including cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Normally, for a commander that checks mana value, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be great because it can be cast for less than its advertised cost, but still trigger an ability. But here, if we don't pay any mana, we don't get any value. This is also the reason that I'm not including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, despite it being one of the best spellslinger staples of all time. If it reduces a four-cost card to three mana, we just don't get the card draw from Shantotto.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meeting of Minds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Electromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mocking Sprite"></div></div>
<p>The most I can do to patch this deck up is add a ton of ramp and some stuff to make Shantotto unblockable, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artful Dodge" href="#" target="_blank">Artful Dodge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Maybe we'll also add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Battle Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Battle Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the mix, because double strike on our commander sounds pretty intimidating. But I think that's about all I can do. Unfortunately, all we have right now is a deck with an absurdly high average mana value, and a pretty lousy payoff for it. I know I made a comparison to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> earlier in this article, but anyone with eyes can see that drawing a card for casting a four-mana spell is not the same as making a copy of a Dragon for two mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firemind Vessel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artful Dodge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div></div>
<h2>Shantotto Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Shantotto, the Radical Lady" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Shantotto, Tactician Magician
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Behold the Multiverse
*1 Big Score
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Choking Tethers
*1 Counterspell
*1 Fling
*1 Foil
*1 Frantic Firebolt
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Into the Roil
*1 Izzet Charm
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Mizzium Skin
*1 Negate
*1 Psychotic Fury
*1 Raking Claws
*1 Resculpt
*1 Rewind
*1 Shadow Rift
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Teach by Example
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Trip Up
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Unfathomable Truths
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Brass Knuckles
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Firemind Vessel
*1 Hulldrifter
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Neurok Stealthsuit
*1 Sisay&#039;s Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Artful Dodge
*1 Assault Strobe
*1 Daring Discovery
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Distortion Strike
*1 Empty the Warrens
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Goblin War Party
*1 Hazardous Blast
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany
*1 Temporal Fissure
*1 Treason of Isengard
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Apprentice Wizard
*1 Goblin Electromancer
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Kiln Fiend
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Nivix Cyclops
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*19 Island
*18 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>I'm not gonna lie, this deck is hilariously bad. A lack of good four-drops wasn't even my biggest problem, because trying to take advantage of the four mana clause was just a terrible idea when the payoff is so bad. I think this deck would be better off if you just played a bunch of one-drops, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But then you should just play Balmor.</p>
<p>The one thing that could've saved this deck would've been <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the wording of Shantotto makes that card actively detrimental. I understand why the card is phrased like that, and it'll probably make some future legend much less abusable. But here, it just makes the commander mediocre.</p>


Does Shantotto Work as a Pauper Commander?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.adamrex.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Rex</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, the series where I give advice to new players, from a new player. If you’re here because you’ve never played <em>Magic</em> before but you saw the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card and now find yourself in the middle of a 15-hour <em>Magic</em> researching fugue state, go get some sleep! For the rest of you, welcome in. Today we're talking about how to cut cards from your Commander deck when you have more than 100.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flubs, the Fool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laboratory Maniac"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Ok, so, let me start with an anecdote. My friend, very graciously, gave me a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when he found out I was getting into Commander. He was right to do so. I fell in love instantly. All the fun of playing <em>Magic</em> without all the confusion of having to make decisions?? That sort of thing’s perfect for a guy like me.</p>
<p>So I went into my collection that weekend. I have a lot of random bulk from various other dalliances with <em>Magic</em> in my past, including a full collection of the <em>Fallout</em> precons, so I had a lot to work through. Obviously I wanted things that would support <em>landfall</em>, since Flubs let me play extra lands. I also decided I wanted to do +1/+1 counters, since I saw that recommended for Flubs decks somewhere online. And obviously I wanted some things to help play cards from exile, since that synergizes very well with Flubs’ card draw ability.</p>
<p>By the time I got all of my candidates together, I was at over 200 cards. Not including lands. In what was going to be a <em>landfall</em> deck.</p>
<p>At least a couple of these had to go.</p>
<p>But which ones? How could I bear to cut any of my new friends? I had read every single one of these cards and imagined the dream scenario in which they would single-handedly win me the game. Now how could I possibly be expected to relegate some, or even most of them, back into the disorganized maelstrom which roils inside the big white box next to my desk? It’s scary in there. It’s certainly not the kind of place for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma" href="#" target="_blank">Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As my elder, she deserves my respect.</p>
<p>I ran into this constantly when I was beginning my Commander journey. There’s just so many fun <em>Magic</em> cards which can support all kinds of different plans. But you need to sit down at the table with just 100 of them. Here’s how I learned to do that.</p>
<h2>Step 1: Start With a Guide</h2>
<p>There are so many excellent guides out there for how to set up your Commander deck. They’re fantastically helpful when determining how many lands to run, how much removal, how many mana artifacts, etc. So which one should you choose?</p>
<p>There’s an extremely easy answer: any of them. Absolutely any of them will be fine. These are great places to start when building your deck, but will absolutely differ from deck to deck and from player to player. So just find one to look at and start setting your deck up using those numbers. For this guide, we’ll be using this one that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNV6224cHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Command Zone</a> recently put together. Do I agree with every part of it? No. And that’s why it’s a perfect place to start.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-150362" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png" alt="" width="753" height="354" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1024x483.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-768x362.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1536x724.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png 1910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px" /></a></p>
<h2>Step 2: Add the Lands</h2>
<p>This guide wants you to run 38 lands. I’ve heard many other players say that's a great target number. It will absolutely ensure that from your opening draw, you should have enough lands to not miss any land drops and be able to do all of the wonderful things you want your deck to do.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Don’t Touch The Lands</h2>
<p>Set those lands far away. Face down. Don’t look at them. Have your partner or roommate hide them from you if need be. Don’t touch those things. Consider them a foundational cornerstone of your deck. Put a post it note on your desk with “38” written on it so you don’t forget the number and move on to the rest of the guide. You’re going to want a good read on how the cards in your deck play together, and in order to do that, you’ll have to actually play them. So just go with a little more mana than you think you might need, at least for your first couple of games.</p>
<h2>Step 4: Fill In the Rest of the Guide</h2>
<p>Go through and, to the best of your collection's ability, follow the guide you’re using to the letter. Do exactly what it instructs you to do. As you’re going through, do you feel like 10 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">mana rocks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are too much for your three-cost commander? Are you building a group hug deck and feel like maybe 18 disruption cards will sort of counteract what you’re trying to do at the table? Good. Those are useful feelings to have. Keep those with you as you fill out the nonland cards in your deck to the specifications in your guide of choice.</p>
<h2>Step 5: One In, One Out</h2>
<p>Now that you’ve got a sense for your whole deck, start to make some of those changes you were leaning towards before. But do it on a one in, one out basis. You can cut one card to swap in one other card. When you start to do this in sweeping moves or go too fast you’ll start to lose count, and soon you’ll find yourself deep in the dregs of everyone’s least favorite deckbuilding activity: counting through a big stack of cards (and then having it come up different when you do it again). Slow and steady wins the race here.</p>
<p>Take into consideration what you want in your deck. Personally, the “Plan Cards,” as they’re listed here, are my favorite part of EDH deckbuilding, and I have a really hard time keeping those down to just 30. So I’ll usually cut some disruption, and possibly some ramp, to fit in some of those cards that bring me joy every time I draw them. And what’s more, at this point, <em>I don't know</em> what’s going to be good yet! So I’m going to include everything I might want to try out and deal with the consequences later.</p>
<h2>Step 6: Cut a Couple Lands, as a Treat</h2>
<p>Look, 38 lands sounds really great, but I almost always go a little lower. If you’re playing, for example, Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) or like to live dangerously (Izzet, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), you can definitely cut a few. You’ve been very good so far, you deserve a little bit of self care. After all, if you draw dry in a game, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself!</p>
<h2>Step 7: Play The Deck</h2>
<p>The <em>most</em> important step in this process is actually going to the game store and trying the deck out! Getting it out on the table is the only way you’ll be able to evaluate which cards should stay or go. It’s sometimes useful even to goldfish it (this is stolen advice from Am I The Bolas, and it means dealing yourself a hand and playing by yourself on your own table, just to see how things might shake out in a real game), maybe even more than once.</p>
<p>One other thing I like to do is take a small sideboard with a few cards you wanted to include but didn’t make the cut. Swap them in between games for some cards which seemed underwhelming in the first game. Continue to tinker like this to your heart’s content and <a href="https://youtu.be/Sr2PlqXw03Y?si=3Jcg5s9i36vT5hbJ&amp;t=11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby, you got a Commander deck going!</a></p>
<hr />
<p>To close the loop, as we fast forward to about six months from the day where I had to cut about 150 cards for my 100 card Flubs deck, I’d wager that maybe seven or eight of those cards are still there. It’s now a deck I call “Doctor Flubsenstein’s Monster” which seeks to reunite Flubs with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">his creator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and win by playing through the rest of the deck. It no longer places +1/+1 counters. It deals some with playing cards from exile. Honestly, even most of the <em>landfall</em> triggers have fallen out. This deck isn't concerned with things like damage or combat. Now it’s a timeless tale about mankind’s yearning for the one thing that cannot be produced in a lab: love.</p>
<p>But you don’t get to tell a whimsical sci-fi tale of tragedy, yearning, and man’s reach exceeding his grasp if you don’t get those 100 cards to the table. So use a guide, try it out, and rework the deck if it isn’t working. Whenever the process gets tiring, start over with a different deck idea.</p>
<p>Congratulations, you’re now a Commander player.</p>


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