Back to Basics - The Top 10 Most Played Azorius Cards in Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=released&amp;q=%21%22Baylen%2C+the+Haymaker%22+include%3Aextras&amp;unique=prints">Baylen, the Hammer</a> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CKemonomichi%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Kemonomichi</a>)</h6>
<h1>Silly Rabbit Trix Are For Kids</h1>
<p>Cereal is delicious. Most people would agree on this enough to call it a fact. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Another fact is that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baylen, the Haymaker|BLB|345" href="#" target="_blank">Baylen, the Haymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, is the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/blb">most built Commander</a> in <em>Bloomburrow </em>when writing this piece</span>.</span> Another fact is that I have teched a deck that is so unique that there are no other entries on the site that have the Bonk Bunny and a particular ten-mana sorcery in the 99. Venture into the land of adorable woodland creatures with me, Nick, for another outside-the-box deck tech.</p>
<h2>Why Does This Deck Look So Weird?</h2>
<p>Baylen, the Haymaker is undoubtedly powerful. The card does everything anyone wants and stays nice and safe in the command zone. All versions of Baylen will utilize tokens to an extent, but how we use those tokens is the key. Are we making mana? Drawing cards? Or making the single biggest bunny anyone has ever seen and swinging for lethal? If I told you none of these are true, you'd stop reading this article and move on, so I won't say that. I can say the ability to pump up Baylen is something I am trying never to have to use in this deck. Using that ability to kill someone is plan Z in the "ways, this deck wants to win the game" handbook.</p>
<p>I can say that the ability to draw a card and, to a lesser extent, make mana is vital to this deck's ability to win the game. Card draw is always crucial to commander decks, and it is no surprise that commanders who can draw cards are often "better" than those who can't. This deck is also a bit mana intensive; remember, we built around a ten-mana card. We also have green, so mana production isn't as hard to come by as with other colors.</p>
<h2>One, Two, Punch</h2>
<p><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=type%3Asorcery+commander%3AWRG+%28game%3Apaper%29+cmc%3D10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nine</a> legal sorceries cost ten CMC, which we could build around in this deck. Five of them wrath the board in one way or another. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Explosive Singularity" href="#" target="_blank">Explosive Singularity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deals damage.<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apex of Power" href="#" target="_blank">Apex of Power</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can let you cast more spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes pegasi. But there is one card that makes our deck unique: <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Surge"></div></div>.</p>
<p>Some of you may have seen a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck before. Most often, it's in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nikya of the Old Ways" href="#" target="_blank">Nikya of the Old Ways</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruric Thar, the Unbowed" href="#" target="_blank">Ruric Thar, the Unbowed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both cards actively force you to run very few to no other non-permanents outside of the surge itself. I've always wanted to make a deck using Primal Surge as the win condition, and I think Baylen is a sneaky way to do it. There is no small list of permanents that reward you, HEAVILY, for making tokens. Almost every commander player has seen one, if not all, of these cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doubling Season"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Parallel Lives"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anointed Procession"></div></div>
<p>These three are the most popular. They are often the best of the bunch. Four CMC for Anointed Procession and Parallel Lives means they come down faster, and Doubling Season has a historic pedigree and extra synergy with planeswalkers. But let me introduce you to the B-Team of these effects.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Vigor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dual Nature"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation"></div></div>
<p>The CMC and added effects bring down the ratings for all these cards: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation" href="#" target="_blank">Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dual Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Dual Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only affect creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the slight drawback of giving benefits to your opponents, not just you. As someone who has gotten many more Bs in my academic career than As, these will do just fine. One more card in the deck can make between zero and an indeterminate amount of tokens. It just depends on if you feel lucky, punk, do you?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirror March"></div></div>
<p>But how do we get to cast all these spells, and more importantly, how do we get to cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, with its high cost? Dorks, lots of dorks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birds of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Circle of Dreams Druid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faeburrow Elder"></div></div>
<h2>How We Build It</h2>
<p>We need to make a lot of mana and fast. If you are flush with cash or have access to specific pieces of technology, like a sharpie, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be a boon to this deck. Land enchantments like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utopia Sprawl" href="#" target="_blank">Utopia Sprawl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help ramp and color fix. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selvala, Explorer Returned" href="#" target="_blank">Selvala, Explorer Returned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selvala, Heart of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Selvala, Heart of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both give us access to more cards, more mana, and a small amount of lifegain. And since we can't run the typical green staple cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama&#039;s Reach" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama&#039;s Reach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Visits" href="#" target="_blank">Three Visits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we're running all three of the Signets:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boros Signet|SLD|291"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gruul Signet|SLD|288"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selesnya Signet|SLD|290"></div></div>
<p>I will always shout out the card <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>, especially when it is so good in this deck.</p>
<h2>Gotta Go Fast</h2>
<p>As the saying goes, "haste makes waste." I want to make waste of the other players at the table, so haste seems essential to this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Concordant Crossroads" href="#" target="_blank">Concordant Crossroads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhythm of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Rhythm of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Samut, Voice of Dissent" href="#" target="_blank">Samut, Voice of Dissent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But haste often comes with attacking, as does making a massive board of tokens. But why would I not care about how big Baylen can get if that is the case? Why would I not want to use the Bonk Bunny?</p>
<p>Because I've been lying to you this entire time, readers.</p>
<h2>Burn it Down</h2>
<p>We are not "just" built around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We are also the only Baylen deck with the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flame Fusillade" href="#" target="_blank">Flame Fusillade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Attacking with creatures is so 2014; we're all about tapping creatures in 2024. Firstly, this causes a problem for our deck. It stops the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as it's not a permanent. This is what makes Baylen's ability to draw cards so good. It can help us find both sorceries in the deck so that the surge does not stop. Once we <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surge_(drink)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surge</a> our deck like 1995, we can tap dance our way to victory unless we are playing against a table full of pesky <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lifegain">lifegain</a> decks. Then, once again, we turn to our furry friend, make some mana, and activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aggravated Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Aggravated Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as many times as necessary.</p>
<h2>In Conclusion</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baylen, the Haymaker" href="#" target="_blank">Baylen, the Haymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is one of the strongest commanders I've seen recently, which says a lot. It's a Swiss army knife of a card living in your command zone. But truthfully, to me, it is a bit boring. I wanted to stretch the limits on this card in a way that still takes advantage of what the deck is trying to do at its heart but also catches people by surprise. The deck runs many expensive to cast and "not very strong" token-making creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trostani&#039;s Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Trostani&#039;s Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Godsire" href="#" target="_blank">Godsire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but that's the point. There's also three different <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects if we ever lose our wincons.</p>
<p>There's one type of card I did omit from this deck for many reasons. Those would be the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creatures, famously <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Should it be in the deck for efficiency's sake? Yes, it should. Is it super predictable and somewhat played out? I think so. But this is my build of the deck and I'm wearing my hipster hat, so if you sleeve up Baylen, put in whatever cards make you happy. If you want to see any other deck techs I have done, set reviews where I undoubtedly judged a card wrong, or the many things I have said about Planeswalkers, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/nicholas-lucchesi/">my previous articles on EDHREC</a> under my name or the <em>Myth Realized</em> series.</p>
<h2>Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Silly Rabbit Trix are for Kids" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Baylen, the Haymaker
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Adipose Offspring
*1 Angel of Invention
*1 Avacyn&#039;s Pilgrim
*1 Avenger of Zendikar
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bloom Tender
*1 Canoptek Scarab Swarm
*1 Chancellor of the Forge
*1 Circle of Dreams Druid
*1 Cloudgoat Ranger
*1 Deep Forest Hermit
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Deranged Hermit
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Faeburrow Elder
*1 Fanatic of Rhonas
*1 Ghired, Mirror of the Wilds
*1 Godsire
*1 Hornet Queen
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Loran of the Third Path
*1 Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation // Temple of Civilization
*1 Preston, the Vanisher
*1 Prosperous Innkeeper
*1 Rampaging Baloths
*1 Rhys the Redeemed
*1 Rose Room Treasurer
*1 Samut, Voice of Dissent
*1 Selfless Squire
*1 Selvala, Explorer Returned
*1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
*1 Skullwinder
*1 Timeless Witness
*1 Trostani&#039;s Summoner
*1 Ulasht, the Hate Seed
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Anointed Procession
*1 Concordant Crossroads
*1 Cryptolith Rite
*1 Doubling Season
*1 Dual Nature
*1 Felidar Retreat
*1 Fertile Ground
*1 Guardian Project
*1 Mirari&#039;s Wake
*1 Mirror March
*1 Parallel Lives
*1 Primal Vigor
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Utopia Sprawl
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Gruul Signet
*1 Selesnya Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sonic Screwdriver
[/Artifact]
[Sorcery]
*1 Flame Fusillade
*1 Primal Surge
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Bountiful Promenade
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Castle Garenbrig
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Commercial District
*1 Exotic Orchard
*7 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Jetmir&#039;s Garden
*1 Jungle Shrine
*1 Lush Portico
*1 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Farmland
*1 Plains
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Selesnya Sanctuary
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
[/Land]
&nbsp;"></span></div>


<hr />
<h4>Read more:</h4>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bonk Bunny - Baylen, the Haymaker Deck

Under the Radar - Breeches, the Blastmaker

Brew For Your Buck - Squirrels Budget Mayhem!

Snackrifice - Ygra, Eater of All Deck

<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://player.twitch.tv/?video=2234038985&amp;parent=edhrec.com" width="620" height="378" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start">﻿</span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start">﻿</span></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>We're back with another EDHREC Sunday Stream, where we've brewed another budget deck, this time around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xavier Sal, Infested Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Xavier Sal, Infested Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, your One-Stop Token-Counter Conversion Shop.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Xavier Sal, Infested Captain</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xavier Sal, Infested Captain"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/8954970/xavier_sal_infested_captain">Archidekt Link</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This week, Jason and I ventured yet again into uncommon territory, this time the swamps (and islands and forests) of Sultai. Xavier has two tap abilities.</p>
<p>The first allows you to remove a counter (of any variety) in order to Populate, which means we create a copy of a creature token we control.</p>
<p>The second ability allows you to sacrifice a creature (either token or non-token) in order to Proliferate, which lets us add a counter of any type to any permanent on the board which that permanent already has. In short, Xavier turns counters into creatures, and creatures into counters.</p>
<p>So which direction is better to go? Tokens and counters are both strong strategies on their own, but we wanted to use Sagas to generate lots of passive value while we sacrifice those lore counters to Populate, triggering a Saga chapter again and letting us make another creature token.</p>
<p>We also have the option to sacrifice a creature to add a lore counter to every saga we have, letting us turbo through all of those chapter abilities and get our value back even faster. This deck ideally would function similarly to many <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tom Bombadil" href="#" target="_blank">Tom Bombadil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks which add and remove lore counters at will to get outrageous value out of Sagas.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>The Sagas</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Binding the Old Gods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vault 87: Forced Evolution"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="King Narfi&#039;s Betrayal"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Song of Eärendil"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Binding the Old Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Binding the Old Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the strongest Sagas in the game, solves a lot of problems for us. The first chapter destroys any nonland permanent an opponent controls, which is obviously useful. The second chapter allows us to search for any forest and put it on the battlefield.</p>
<p>If we can remove a counter from Binding right after our ramp effect resolves, we can go right back to the first chapter and do it all again. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Huntsman&#039;s Redemption" href="#" target="_blank">The Huntsman&#039;s Redemption</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another great ramp-based Saga that goes in this deck and behaves similarly to Binding when we can remove counters from it.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vault 87: Forced Evolution" href="#" target="_blank">Vault 87: Forced Evolution</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a genre of Saga that plays nicely in decks that can remove lore counters, because it allows you to keep it on the board and keep that stolen creature for much longer than you ordinarily would be able to. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Phasing of Zhalfir" href="#" target="_blank">The Phasing of Zhalfir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another Saga in this vein that we can exploit.</p>
<p>If you've followed this stream for very long, you know that we love stealing other people's stuff. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="King Narfi&#039;s Betrayal" href="#" target="_blank">King Narfi&#039;s Betrayal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Trickster-God&#039;s Heist" href="#" target="_blank">The Trickster-God&#039;s Heist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both let us do silly things that give us access to cards and creatures from our opponents' libraries.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of Eärendil" href="#" target="_blank">Song of Eärendil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of Freyalise" href="#" target="_blank">Song of Freyalise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both huge value pieces that can help us keep our gameplan moving along via ramp and card draw, even if we aren't able to pull lore counters off of them.</p>
<p>Speaking of...</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Removing Counters</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldberry, River-Daughter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clockspinning"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrull Parasite"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chisei, Heart of Oceans"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldberry, River-Daughter" href="#" target="_blank">Goldberry, River-Daughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is functionally a duplicate of Xavier, but she doesn't need to sacrifice a creature to make it work. Getting her on the board may be even more valuable than Xavier himself.</p>
<p>Clockspinning is a repeatable instant with Buyback that allows us to remove counters from permanents and suspended cards. This is a great backup in case we don't have any creatures on board.</p>
<p>While it can't put counters on permanents, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrull Parasite" href="#" target="_blank">Thrull Parasite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can remove them for the low cost of two life.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chisei, Heart of Oceans" href="#" target="_blank">Chisei, Heart of Oceans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another trigger that happens each turn which will allow us to remove any type of counter.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Counter Payoffs</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Master Biomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gruff Triplets"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herd Baloth"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scurry Oak"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master Biomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Master Biomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic Simic +1/+1 counter piece that makes everything on the board better just because they're entering the battlefield.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gruff Triplets" href="#" target="_blank">Gruff Triplets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit of a cult classic for the Sunday Stream, and it feels almost tailor-made for this deck. It automatically creates two copies of itself on entering, which are tokens that can be populated.</p>
<p>If we sacrifice one of those tokens to Xavier, every other copy of Gruff Triplets gets +1/+1 counters equal to the power of the one that died. I'm sure you can figure out the cycle here.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herd Baloth" href="#" target="_blank">Herd Baloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the potential to make tons of 4/4 Beast tokens will getting very large itself. We can either use those as beaters, or as fodder for Xavier.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scurry Oak" href="#" target="_blank">Scurry Oak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic combo piece and this deck might be the first time this card has ever been used without an infinite combo in mind. Like Herd Baloth, this will generate lots of tokens to use as fodder for Xavier.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Battles</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invasion of Arcavios"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invasion of Fiora"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invasion of Segovia"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invasion of Shandalar"></div></div>
<p>Battles?!? Absolutely. Some battles have very solid Enters effects and can flip into a powerful creature or enchantment, and we can remove counters from them without even attacking.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion of Arcavios" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion of Arcavios</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has an ETB effect that lets us search any zone for an instant or sorcery and put it in our hand, then flips into an enchantment that lets us copy instants and sorceries.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion of Fiora" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion of Fiora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has an asymmetric board wipe as an ETB, then flips into Marchesa, Resolute Monarch, which can remove <em>all</em> of the counters from a permanent when she attacks, allows us to reset a Saga or flip another battle.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion of Segovia" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion of Segovia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the strongest Battles and has an ETB that creates two tokens, and flips into a creature that lets us untap four creatures on our end step and gives all of our noncreature spells convoke, which is very strong in a deck that wants to create tokens.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion of Shandalar" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion of Shandalar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ETB lets us put three permanents from our graveyard back into our hand, and flips into an enchantment that returns one permanent from a graveyard into your hand every turn.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Populate Targets</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jyoti, Moag Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Splash Lasher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tender Wildguide"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jyoti, Moag Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Jyoti, Moag Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creates a 1/1 Forest Dryad on Enter, which is essentially a land that we can make copies of. We'd love to make lots of copies of this.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Splash Lasher" href="#" target="_blank">Splash Lasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ETB taps an opponent's creature and gives it a stun counter, which prevents it from untapping. The Offspring mechanic allows us to make a token copy, which could be Populated, and those stun counters can be Proliferated.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tender Wildguide" href="#" target="_blank">Tender Wildguide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an any-color mana dork with that same Offspring mechanic, allowing us to create more and more mana dorks with our Populate ability. As a side bonus, Tender Wildguide can also tap to put a counter on a creature.</p>
<p class="cardDetailsOverlay_title__6Xo0r "><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication" href="#" target="_blank">Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a token copy of any creature you control, which will allow us to get token copies of creatures that we wouldn't ordinarily have access to.</p>
<p>While I'm not going to list it in its own section, this a Sunday Stream deck, which means that it gets a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>if there's any possible way to justify it. Mimic Vat obviously makes token copies of the creature exiled with it and those can be Populated, which is clearly powerful.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Closing Sumarrrrrrrry</h3>
<p>Oh, you thought you were getting through this whole article without a pirate pun? You fool. Anyways, this deck has the potential to take some very interesting synergy and turn it into a win via lots of accumulated value over the course of the game rather than through any one explosive turn. However, if you're able to acquire a large number of Gruff Triplets, your opponents could be entering choppy seas.</p>


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