<h6 style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://scryfall.com/card/sld/1755/saw-in-half">Saw in Half</a> |Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/maniaks">Slawomir Maniak</a></h6>
<h6 style="text-align: right;"></h6>
<h1>A Deadly Distraction</h1>
<p>I'm sure the hypes and vibes are everywhere right now. <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> just released a few days ago, and everyone's having a blast! In fairness, I am, too. As a precon connoisseur, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/temur-roar-precon-guide-tarkir-dragonstorm">I cannot get over how well built those precons are</a>. Why, I got the set of them with no higher than five upgrades each sleeved up and ready.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, tragedy had to strike and I fell ill, but I'm coming out of it as I'm writing this article. That being said, I'm looking forward to getting some games in with them and enjoying them before that massive meteorite known as <em>Final Fantasy</em> hits shelves. I'm trying really hard to distract myself from it.</p>
<p>Oh, but what's this? Another distraction? That's right.</p>
<h1>April Pools! ...Or is it?</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadpool, Trading Card"></div></div>
<p>Well, well. I guess Tarkir was not the only talk of the town after all. We had our sixth <em>Marvel</em>-themed <em>Secret Lair Drop</em> in Deadpool, the big bad merc who just loves to break the fourth wall. Does he? Let's find out together.</p>
<p>Deadpool was originally an antagonist of the X-Force and the New Mutants but has evolved over time into an anti-hero character, where he enjoys an incredible amount of popularity, even in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, for those who don't know).</p>
<p>In addition, he comes with a regeneration factor alongside a mastery for close combat (including swords and martial arts). Deadpool also boasts superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes among other things. But, let's face it, his greatest superpower is breaking the fourth wall, but I'm getting ahead of myself.</p>
<p>His card could very well be the most complicated card I've had to work with for an article. For starters, his textbox-swapping ability is seen on only one other card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exchange of Words" href="#" target="_blank">Exchange of Words</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is surprisingly legal. Consequently, he's going to be a rules nightmare for the uninitiated.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the other abilities rarely matter to you; that's for your opponents to worry about instead. Unless, somehow, Deadpool failed to switch textboxes. All this raises the question: how do we get him to work?</p>
<h1>Draw Me Like One of Your Scam Artists</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flamerush Rider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Master, Multiplied"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saw in Half"></div></div>
<p>Firstly, it's worth noting that Deadpool won't work once you switch the textboxes. Think of him as a clone effect with an extra twist. When I started to make a list, my first attempt was to build it like one of those infamous Scam decks from 60-card formats, but the <em>UB</em> card pool was not in my favor. Then, it hit me eventually: what if I copied Deadpool?</p>
<p>The selection there isn't much, but it'll get us going. Effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Friends to the End; 82978 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flamerush Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Flamerush Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (26,976 decks) create temporary copies of Deadpool, so you'll get more chances to steal some textboxes.</p>
<p>The tokens made will be legendary, so they will be sacrificed as part of state-based effects. However, that's not before the text swap happens, so you're essentially "eliminating" a threat in an unorthodox way.</p>
<p>You can also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saw in Half" href="#" target="_blank">Saw in Half</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (91,161 decks) your own Deadpool, so you can text-swap two creatures for the price of three mana.</p>
<p>That said, the best card in the deck is easily <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Master, Multiplied" href="#" target="_blank">The Master, Multiplied</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (21,148 decks). The card spiked in price for a reason, after all. The "legend rule" no longer applies to the Deadpool tokens you create, so they're around forever, and they'll have myriad, ensuring you create even more tokens and become a real headache to your opponents.</p>
<p>Consequently, you likely will have swapped the textboxes to get that effect, so you'd have to get rid of the Deadpooled Master somehow.</p>
<p>Even if you don't have him, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (84,636 decks) does a good impression, for a whopping nine mana. If you can pay that much and protect both Deadpool and the Equipment, you're off to the races.</p>
<h1>A Thrilling Encore</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harmless Offering"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Too Greedily, Too Deep"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Incarnation Technique"></div></div>
<p>With a small card selection for making copies of Deadpool, I had to turn to some grave means: we're going to reanimate Deadpool over and over again.</p>
<p>Most importantly, if Deadpool were to kick the bucket, send him to the graveyard (don't worry if someone <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s you; you're still able to send him back into the command zone to cast again), then use a reanimation spell to get him back.</p>
<p>You can also do this to any creature you Deadpooled, because it'll have its original textbox back. Failing that, you can always use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harmless Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Harmless Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (12,387 decks) to send it to an opponent.</p>
<p>Moreover, we've got a good selection of reanimation spells, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (155,419 decks) to the lowly <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (484,613 decks).</p>
<p>Secondly, we've also got access to some reanimation spells unique to <em>UB</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Too Greedily, Too Deep" href="#" target="_blank">Too Greedily, Too Deep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (15,420 decks) wipes the board while bringing something back, clearing the way for an attack. If you can connect with Deadpool, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restart Sequence" href="#" target="_blank">Restart Sequence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (17,997 decks) can be cast for half off its original cost.</p>
<p>Otherwise, four mana isn't too shabby. Some others from the original IP include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Incarnation Technique" href="#" target="_blank">Incarnation Technique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> [reskinned as Escape Containment (31,814 decks)], which fills our graveyard and reanimates a creature, and, if you take advantage of the demonstrate ability, we can do it again.</p>
<p>In addition, don't worry if your opponents don't have anything worth text-swapping because we can do it to our own creatures, too. That said, Deadpool should be the number one reanimation target. If there's nothing worth copying, feel free to bring out some other beater and hammer your opponents that way.</p>
<p>Lastly, Don't be afraid to use cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Alive" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Alive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Bring Out Your Dead!; 167,946 decks) to ditch some big monsters into your 'yard.</p>
<p>You'd be able to reanimate them on a later turn or, if you're lucky, the same turn! If it's not in your graveyard when you cast it, find that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anger" href="#" target="_blank">Anger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (167,616 decks) and get it in there, so your creatures don't become sitting ducks, waiting a full turn to attack.</p>
<h1>Deadpool's Cinema</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-&#039;Pooling Around" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Deadpool, Trading Card
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Beacon of Unrest
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Buried Alive
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Dread Return
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Harmless Offering
*1 Incarnation Technique
*1 Lidless Gaze
*1 Living Death
*1 Reanimate
*1 Restart Sequence
*1 Too Greedily, Too Deep
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Twinflame
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Wake the Dragon
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 The Ruinous Powers
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Anger
*1 Bloodthirster
*1 Cavern-Hoard Dragon
*1 Chaos Defiler
*1 Crimson Caravaneer
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Flamerush Rider
*1 Gimli of the Glittering Caves
*1 Grave Titan
*1 Humble Defector
*1 Inferno Titan
*1 Kardur, Doomscourge
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Shard of the Void Dragon
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 The Balrog of Moria
*1 The Master, Multiplied
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Billiard Room
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Canyon Slough
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Haunted Ridge
*1 Lavaclaw Reaches
*9 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Shadowblood Ridge
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*9 Swamp
*1 Tainted Peak
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 War Room
[/Lands]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Blade of Selves
*1 Cloudstone Curio
*1 Confession Dial
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Resurrection Orb
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Bituminous Blast
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Crypt Incursion
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Deadly Rollick
*1 Dismember
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Saw in Half
*1 Terminate
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]"></span></div>
<h1>Deadpool? More like Deadcool, Am I Right?</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodthirster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grave Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Balrog of Moria"></div></div>
<p>This decklist tells us one thing: a reanimator deck is absolutely possible within the <em>UB</em> card pool thanks to the <em>Hosts of Mordor</em> precon that came with <em>The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth </em>release.</p>
<p>Consequently, it also gave us some of the beefiest reanimator targets. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavern-Hoard Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Cavern-Hoard Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (67,106 decks) can potentially get us a lot of Treasures. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of the Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of the Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirster" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (65,971 and 44,009 decks respectively) can also give us extra combat phases, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (41,661 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as West Tek Tyrant; 68,587 decks) do something when they come in or attack, so they're valuable to have.</p>
<p>Further, it's perhaps best to treat Deadpool as yet another reanimation target, like I mentioned in the previous section. Chances are, you'll end up with a weaker version of your own creature if you Deadpool it, since he'll retain his stat line.</p>
<p>However, there are a few exceptions to this. Copying <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crimson Caravaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Crimson Caravaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (5,825 decks) would enable Deadpool to gain double strike and trample, plus give us Junk tokens to impulse draw when we need it.</p>
<p>The only other exception in the deck list is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli of the Glittering Caves" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli of the Glittering Caves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (27,572 decks), who also gives him double strike, but also the ability to make Treasure tokens when he hits.</p>
<p>That said, we can always return him to our hand if we need to. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Sorry Jack...Chucky's Back; 96,674 decks) can fish it out of our 'yard.</p>
<p>This is especially useful if someone decides to exile your graveyard. Another way is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Elessar, the Eflstone; 52,062 decks), which will send Deadpool back to our hand if another creature of ours comes in.</p>
<p>Its application here is more limited, since you ideally don't want to be bouncing your big stuff to your hand. Then again, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Balrog of Moria" href="#" target="_blank">The Balrog of Moria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (23,846 and 784,945 decks, respectively) are your other best targets for the Curio.</p>
<h1>A Merc's Job Done</h1>
<p>I quite enjoyed the semi-unique spin on Deadpool. Where with in-universe cards, you're making copies of him like he's a rabbit, we're out here reanimating him and other beefy creatures to get the job done. Hopefully one day, a full-on copy/scam build a truly possible with Deadpool, but only time will tell if that can be done.</p>
<p>With Marvel being a long-term crossover, we can expect more content centered on it. However, I'm going to cover as many of the Marvel legends from the first wave as I can. Maybe I can get them out before <em>Final Fantasy </em>hits shelves, but I doubt that. I do have others I want to cover before then, too, especially one that's on my shortlist.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, next time won't be Marvel... but it can be? I could make it a double decklist article, like I did with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eivor, Battle-Ready" href="#" target="_blank">Eivor, Battle-Ready</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kassandra, Eagle Bearer" href="#" target="_blank">Kassandra, Eagle Bearer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> the other week.</p>
<p>Let me know in the comments if you want me to do that next week If not, it won't be until around June that I get to it next. In any case, tune in next time when we get up to some wizardry shenanigans. Lastly, bonus internet points to any of you reading this article while eating a chimichanga.</p>


Beyond the Multiverse-Deadpool, Trading Card

Best Free Red Spells for Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">Octavia, Living Thesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/simondominic">Simon Dominic</a></h6>
<h1>Octavia &amp; the Unbloctopuses</h1>
<p>Hello! Hi! How are you? Welcome back to Archetypes of Imagination, the series where I build decks based on popular Commander archetypes. I'll be using <a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/">Scryfall's tagging system</a> and<a href="https://edhrec.com/tags"> EDHREC's Tag pages</a> to build around a new theme each week.</p>
<p>Scryfall has a really cool way of categorizing cards, where each card has specific labels attached to it for later reference. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the ramp tag, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the removal tag. EDHREC's tag system is really cool, too, letting users see popular cards associated with a given strategy.</p>
<p>For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm-Kiln Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Storm-Kiln Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great in Spellslinger decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Juri, Master of the Revue" href="#" target="_blank">Juri, Master of the Revue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great in sacrifice decks. These tagging systems are great ways to get inspiration for certain deck archetypes, and I often start there when it's time for me to build a new deck!</p>
<p>This week, we'll be building a deck focused on unblockable creatures. Magic's combat system can be so complicated sometimes… wouldn't it be nice to not have to worry about any of that?</p>
<p>I think the answer to that question is a resounding yes, so this week, I'll be focusing this week's edition of Archetypes of Imagination on creatures that are hard or impossible for our opponents to block, and then taking advantage of that unblockability. To that end, our commander this week is… <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">Octavia, Living Thesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Octavia, Living Thesis"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite commanders, letting us turn some do-nothing 1/1 creatures into eight power beaters that'll take our opponents down quickly.</p>
<p>A good <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck needs a few key ingredients: unblockable creatures, instants and sorceries to ensure those creatures are huge, and ways to fill the graveyard with instants and sorceries (so we can cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for just <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-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>). It seems like we've got our work cut out for us, so let's get going with this octo-centric deck!</p>
<h2>Slipping through your fingers</h2>
<p>We certainly aren't starved for unblockable creature options. There's <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=otag%3Aunblockable+commander%3Ablue+order%3Aedhrec&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=edhrec">108 creatures in our commander's color identity that are unblockable</a>, and even more that have some sort of evasion. But, we're here to take the best evasive creatures and throw them into the 99 of this deck, so let's talk about some of them.</p>
<p>First,there's the evasive creatures that provide some sort of card advantage or card selection. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ledger Shredder" href="#" target="_blank">Ledger Shredder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a growing evasive flyer that can fill our graveyard with instants and sorceries, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shoreline Looter" href="#" target="_blank">Shoreline Looter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a similar card selection engine that turns into a card advantage engine as the game goes on, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card advantage engine, unblockable creature, and discard outlet all-in-one.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ledger Shredder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shoreline Looter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Pilferer"></div></div>
<p>There's also other evasive creatures that provide some sort of benefit beyond being hard to block. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siren Stormtamer" href="#" target="_blank">Siren Stormtamer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a neat pseudo-counterspell that protects whatever our best creature on board is, ensuring that we feel safe suiting one of our creatures up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s 8-power buff. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invisible Stalker" href="#" target="_blank">Invisible Stalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a similar amount of safety to go along with unblockability, ensuring it'll be safe from our opponents' single-target removal.</p>
<p>Lastly, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mercurial Spelldancer" href="#" target="_blank">Mercurial Spelldancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is one of my favorite cards from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. It can very easily provide copies of noncreature spells, which can combine extremely well with some high-mana-cost spells I'll touch on later in this writeup.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siren Stormtamer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invisible Stalker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mercurial Spelldancer"></div></div>
<p>Because so many of our creatures will be punching through for combat damage consistently, I added a few “saboteur” effects to this deck: cards that have an effect when a creature deals combat damage to a player. My personal favorite is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drake Hatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Drake Hatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Although this creature doesn't have much built in evasion, the threat of it becoming an 8/8 (or possibly even larger if we can trigger its prowess ability) is usually enough to let it connect with an opponent. When it does, we get rewarded with 2/2 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Drake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens.</p>
<p>If my math is correct, this creature will be a 9/9 after we trigger <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s Magecraft ability and the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drake Hatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Drake Hatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s prowess ability, meaning it'll provide us with 3 2/2 tokens after just one combat step. That's a lot of value attached to one creature.</p>
<p>I also really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silent Hallcreeper" href="#" target="_blank">Silent Hallcreeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although it can only use each of its abilities once, those abilities are all really strong. Plus, it's naturally unblockable, meaning it'll always get to deal combat damage to a player.</p>
<p>Rounding out this group are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Indomitable" href="#" target="_blank">The Indomitable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both of these provide card draw and some other upside (forced combat for the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">“Bident”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a 6/6 trampling body for the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Indomitable" href="#" target="_blank">“Pirate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), meaning they'll have some utility beyond extra card advantage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drake Hatcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Hallcreeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Indomitable"></div></div>
<h2>Mill AND discard</h2>
<p>This deck really excels with its commander on the battlefield, as its built around buffing evasive 1/1 creatures into much bigger threats. To get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto the battlefield early, we need lots of ways to fill the graveyard.</p>
<p>Two of my favorites are the pair of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deranged Assistant" href="#" target="_blank">Deranged Assistant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millikin" href="#" target="_blank">Millikin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are mana rocks (every deck needs ramp), creatures (meaning <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can turn them into 8/8s), and they mill us one card per turn (meaning they get us that much closer to casting our commander).</p>
<p>I've also included a selection of some of Magic's best looters, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kitsa, Otterball Elite" href="#" target="_blank">Kitsa, Otterball Elite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">“Jace”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> flips into a powerful planeswalker, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kitsa, Otterball Elite" href="#" target="_blank">“Kitsa”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide copies of our best spells.</p>
<p>Speaking of planeswalkers, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi, Master of Time" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi, Master of Time</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works beautifully in this deck. He can fill the graveyard, control our opponents' best threats, and even allow us to take some extra turns should he survive long enough.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deranged Assistant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kitsa, Otterball Elite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi, Master of Time"></div></div>
<p>There's also a few spells that can fill the graveyard, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fact or Fiction" href="#" target="_blank">Fact or Fiction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intrude on the Mind" href="#" target="_blank">Intrude on the Mind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intrude on the Mind" href="#" target="_blank">Intrude on the Mind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> token that the spell makes can be another evasive threat for our commander to buff up.</p>
<p>There's also the normal suite of cantrips (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consider" href="#" target="_blank">Consider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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="Brainstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, etc.) that can provide some nice card selection while also being cheap enough to cast early and stick around in our graveyard.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fact or Fiction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Intrude on the Mind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consider"></div></div>
<p>Here's the full decklist:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Unblockable Creatures Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Octavia, Living Thesis
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Careful Study
*1 Chart a Course
*1 Cosmic Epiphany
*1 Gitaxian Probe
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Mists of Lórien
*1 Rush of Knowledge
*1 Spectral Deluge
*1 Traverse Eternity
*1 Treasure Cruise
*1 Will of the Temur
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Archmage Emeritus
*1 Blighted Agent
*1 Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft
*1 Deranged Assistant
*1 Drake Hatcher
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Ghostly Pilferer
*1 Giggling Skitterspike
*1 Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore
*1 Invisible Stalker
*1 Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound
*1 Kitsa, Otterball Elite
*1 Ledger Shredder
*1 Looter il-Kor
*1 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
*1 Mercurial Spelldancer
*1 Millikin
*1 Mist-Cloaked Herald
*1 Nightveil Sprite
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Pteramander
*1 Shoreline Looter
*1 Silent Hallcreeper
*1 Siren Stormtamer
*1 Slither Blade
*1 Spectral Sailor
*1 Threefold Thunderhulk
*1 Triton Shorestalker
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Demolition Field
*27 Island
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
[/Lands]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Consider
*1 Counterspell
*1 Cryptic Command
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Into the Flood Maw
*1 Intrude on the Mind
*1 Jwari Disruption // Jwari Ruins
*1 Mental Note
*1 Not of This World
*1 Opt
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Reenact the Crime
*1 Resculpt
*1 Silundi Vision // Silundi Isle
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Thought Scour
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 The Indomitable
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Search for Azcanta // Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Arcavios // Invocation of the Founders
[/Battles]
&nbsp;
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Teferi, Master of Time
[/Planeswalkers]
&nbsp;"></span></div>
<h2>Avenged EIGHTfold</h2>
<p>Thanks for reading this week's column, everyone! Before you go, I wanted to talk about a few ways to take advantage of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">“Octavia”</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s super high mana value. Although we'll usually be casting her for just <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-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, she still technically costs 10 mana.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traverse Eternity" href="#" target="_blank">Traverse Eternity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rush of Knowledge" href="#" target="_blank">Rush of Knowledge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will of the Temur" href="#" target="_blank">Will of the Temur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can each draw us a truly absurd number of cards should they resolve. My favorite among these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will of the Temur" href="#" target="_blank">Will of the Temur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, partially because I love Tarkir so much but also because it provides utility beyond simple card draw.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Traverse Eternity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rush of Knowledge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Will of the Temur"></div></div>
<p>Thanks once again for reading! I'll see you all next week, for my next contribution to this series: a group hug deck!</p>


Archetypes of Imagination - Making an Unblockable Creatures Deck

Top 10 Outpost Sieges, Revisited

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Cloud Strife and Sephiroth Final Fantasy x MTG key art | art by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magali_villeneuve/?hl=en">Magali Villeneuve</a></h6>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.wargamer.com/magic-the-gathering/best-selling-final-fantasy-sales">Wargamer</a>, during the Q1 earnings call from Hasbro on April 24th, 2025, CEO <strong>Chris Cocks</strong> reiterated the financial success of Final Fantasy's upcoming <em>Magic</em> release:</p>
<p>“Final Fantasy will be the best-selling set of all time on day one. It already is,” he said. Preorders for Final Fantasy products on Amazon sold out almost immediately after the initial preview stream, and most retailers are marking up Collector Boosters and Collector's Edition Commander decks to $600+ apiece.</p>
<p>Final Fantasy's new best-selling status will no doubt further entrench the decision to make Universes Beyond mainline set releases and products more frequent.</p>
<p>“It’s very clear to us that Universes Beyond as a strategy has increased the total active install base of <em>Magic</em> players, both in terms of reigniting lapsed fans as well as bringing in new fans,” Cocks said.</p>
<h2>What's behind the growth in Hasbro's MTG earnings?</h2>
<p>“It’s difficult to identify just one thing. Really what we’re seeing is an expansion of the playerbase,” Cocks explained. Many players could speculate the rise in Chaos Vault and Secret Lair drops have changed the model for MTG products in between mainline set releases.</p>
<p>As well as this, we can count on recent "nostalgia" sets like Tarkir: Dragonstorm having brought longtime players back into the fold to see fresh takes on old characters, game mechanics and settings.</p>
<p>One thing remains sure, Final Fantasy is bound to have some of the most popular Secret Lair drops of all time, leading to an even greater sales expectation for Wizards' current license of the franchise.</p>
<h3>What Makes the Final Fantasy MTG set so popular?</h3>
<p>Final Fantasy (FF) premiered in Japan in 1987, and with over 30 years' worth of game release across the world and console generations, there are legions of fans who are eager to get their hands on anything FF related. Final Fantasy's many characters and world settings also makes it a perfect fit for <em>Magic's</em> game system.</p>
<h2>When Does the Final Fantasy MTG set Release?</h2>
<p>With a scheduled prerelease date of June 6th and release date of June 13th, Final Fantasy and <em>Magic</em> fans don't have long to wait to meld their favorite franchises together with one of the world's best game systems.</p>
<p>Have you managed to preorder any Final Fantasy product yet? What games or characters are you hoping get the best representation? Let us know below!</p>


Final Fantasy is the Best-Selling MTG Set Before Official Release Date

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credits: Legendary Entertainment &amp; Hasbro</h6>
<p>It looks like <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> fans have yet another reason to rejoice! The currently untitled <em>Magic</em> film, produced by Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment, is now in its development stages. We currently don't know what stage of pre-production the movie is in. However, we know it's now past the development stage, meaning this is a very real prospect for the brand.</p>
<h2>The Details Of The <em>Magic</em> Film We Have So Far</h2>
<p>According to the Film and Television Industry Alliance's website <a href="https://productionlist.com/production/magic-the-gathering/">ProductionList.com</a>, here's what we know so far about the stage of pre-production the film is in:</p>
<ul>
<li>The <em>Magic</em> film has three producers named so far: <strong>Simon Kinberg</strong>, <strong>Josh Feldman</strong>, and <strong>Aditya Sood</strong>.
<ul>
<li>Kinberg has several other projects in the works, including <em>Deadpool 3</em> and <em>Neuromancer</em>, and helped produce<em> Death on the Nile</em><em>.</em></li>
<li>Feldman is also currently working on <em>Haunted Heist</em>, which is also in pre-production but has already cast <strong>Tiffany Haddish</strong>.</li>
<li>Sood has production credits for a few projects as well, including the up-and-coming cult film <em>Cocaine Bear</em>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>At this time, <strong>Bryan Cogman</strong> is listed as the <em>Magic</em> movie's writer.
<ul>
<li>Cogman currently has no credits on ProductionList.com.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>As of April 22nd, 2025, the film is in development with pre-production dates pending an announcement. The film has not cast any actors yet, and we have no information about the film's setting or lore timeline. We also don't yet know if this film will have a fully-original plot or if it will adapt any of the pre-established lore.</p>
<p>All that said, we do have a project summary for the film:</p>
<blockquote><p>Set in the expansive multiverse of <em data-start="35" data-end="57">Magic: The Gathering</em>, the film will explore the epic battles of Planeswalkers—powerful mages who traverse diverse realms, wielding spells and summoning creatures to confront formidable adversaries.</p></blockquote>
<h2>Cinema <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p>As with all Hollywood blockbusters, the <em>Magic</em> film will take some time to get rolling. However, this news seems to bode well for that timeline. We won't have to wait too much longer, in a relative sense. This isn't <em>Mad God</em> or anything. This film will soon have a team of designers, a director, actors, cinematographers, editors, and everyone else needed to bring it to fruition. Stay tuned as we will update with any new developments in this story!</p>


Magic Film Is Now In Pre-Production Development Stages

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credits: Hasbro &amp; Disney</h6>
<p>On Thursday, April 24th, Hasbro announced that it renewed its longstanding licenses with The Walt Disney Company for Disney's Marvel and <em>Star Wars</em> properties. The license extension spans multiple years and will allow Hasbro to continue producing toys, games, and collectibles related to these properties. How will this affect <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>? Read on, and we will explain how this could affect <em>Universes Beyond</em>.</p>
<h2>Hasbro's Dealings With Disney</h2>
<p>According to the press release made on April 24th, Hasbro has historically produced many kinds of toys and games for the <em>Star Wars</em> and Marvel brands. They have made Lightsabers and a plethora of <em>Star Wars</em> action figures, while on the Marvel end of things, they've produced <em>Marvel Legends</em>, preschooler toys based on <em>Spidey and his Amazing Friends</em>, and, of course, <em>Universes Beyond</em>. Under this new extension, Hasbro will continue to be able to produce these toys and games for years to come.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wolverine, Best There Is"></div></div>
<h2>Statements From Hasbro and Disney Executives</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-extends-long-running-strategic-relationship-disney">press release</a> continues with some quotes from execs at Hasbro and Disney Consumer Products:</p>
<blockquote><p>"It’s an honor to be able to deepen our relationship with Disney Consumer Products to create even more magical play experiences for consumers across the globe," said <strong>Tim Kilpin</strong>, Hasbro's President, Toys, Board Games, Licensing and Entertainment. “<em>Star Wars</em> and Marvel provide an extensive array of captivating content that gives us an unlimited trove of fresh ideas to create from. Our collaboration spans more than half a century, and we look forward to strengthening our relationship by bringing consumers everywhere brand-new play experiences tied to the exciting universes and characters of <em>Star Wars </em>and Marvel.”</p>
<p>"We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Hasbro to evolve our expansive portfolio of <em>Star Wars</em> and Marvel toys that bring these iconic adventures into daily life,” said <strong>Paul Gitter</strong>, Executive Vice President of Global Brand Commercialization at Disney Consumer Products. "From must-have collectibles to Lightsaber toys, we aim to push the boundaries of creativity to deliver innovative products and engaging play experiences that bring our fans closer to their favorite stories and characters.”</p></blockquote>
<h2>Hold Your Horses, <em>Star Wars</em> Fans!</h2>
<p>This licensing extension looks extremely promising for <em>Universes Beyond</em> fans, especially with <em>Edge of Eternities</em> looming on the horizon. However, it is extremely unclear whether <em>Star Wars</em> will receive any <em>Universes Beyond</em> treatments. Yes, <em>Edge of Eternities</em> is a space opera setting, just like <em>Star Wars</em>. However, this extension is fresh. We also know Wizards of the Coast works approximately 2.5 years in advance, sometimes longer, on <em>Magic</em> sets. As such, getting a <em>Universes Beyond</em> license is a tricky prospect. Furthermore, with the <em>Star Wars Unlimited</em> card game gaining traction and popularity, <em>Magic</em> may not get a collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd., even if this license allows Hasbro to produce <em>Star Wars</em> toys.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, Marvel's continued collaboration with <em>Magic</em> is full steam ahead. As such, we are excited for the upcoming <em>Spider-Man</em> set and all that will entail!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sensational Spider-Man"></div></div>
<p>And now, let's open the floor to you, dear readers. How do you feel about this continued rendezvous between Hasbro and the House of Mouse? Are you excited to see what could come of this license extension? Sound off below!</p>


Hasbro Renews Licenses With Disney For Marvel And Star Wars

Technically Playable - Sauron, the Necromancer

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Cabal Minion" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Cabal Minion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CEric+Peterson%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Eric Peterson</a>)</h6>
<p>If there's one thing a commander player loves, it's new cards. There is, however, possibly one thing that they love even more than that<em>: unbanned</em> cards. With the latest update to the format, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-bracket-system-updates-and-unbans-april-2025">five cards were freed</a> from the prison known as the Commander Banned List.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gifts Ungiven"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sway of the Stars"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coalition Victory"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Panoptic Mirror"></div></div>
<p>Four of these cards are very cool in their own right, and I won't lie to you and say I am not excited about the possibilities of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panoptic Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Panoptic Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gifts Ungiven" href="#" target="_blank">Gifts Ungiven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'm even happy to lose the game for the first time to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coalition Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Coalition Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There is one card, and one card alone, that we will discuss today, and that is the big baddie with the <strong>braids</strong>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braids, Cabal Minion"></div></div>
<h2>Typical Mono-Black Nonsense</h2>
<p>Braids is a reasonably simple card, especially by 2025 design standards. It's a stax piece in the command zone that is meant to punish your opponents for playing permanents.</p>
<p>Unless your entire deck is enchantments, planeswalkers, or battles, you are going to be losing a permanent to Braids every upkeep.</p>
<p>The most common idea is to turbo out Braids as soon as possible with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and fast mana, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and then lock your opponents out from playing the game until they concede.</p>
<p>BUT THAT'S BORING! All screaming aside, if this is what you want to do, go ahead. I'm not here to stop you. Play the game however you want, as long as everyone is having fun.</p>
<p>What I want to do is the cruelest trick of them all: make the table agree that Braids is...helping? Well, maybe not helping, but not hurting until it's too late.</p>
<h2>It's Braids, But <em>Backwards</em></h2>
<p>What's one of the most essential things needed in any Braids deck, regardless of the strategy? <strong>Trash</strong>. Things to throw away to her effect so that you're not caught in a loop of recasting your commander every two turns and doing nothing else until you lose the game.</p>
<p>So, what type of things make the best trash-producers? Tokens and cards that put other trinkets onto the board.</p>
<h3>Trinkets For Us, Trinkets For The Table</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dreadhorde Invasion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Greedy Freebooter"></div></div>
<p>While the deck might be backwards, we do need some cards that can allow us to put on the facade that we are a regular Braids deck.</p>
<p>We also have cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia" href="#" target="_blank">Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana, Heretical Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana, Heretical Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that have situational ways of providing us with a token.</p>
<p>Some cards in the deck even give all players tokens or at least an option to get tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tombstone Stairwell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plague of Vermin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infernal Genesis"></div></div>
<h3>Horrors, Horses, and Trolls Oh My!</h3>
<p>The real driving force of the deck is, however, is what we have that gives our opponents the direct counter to what's expected of the deck. Some of these cards you might be familiar with:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tribute to Horobi"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clackbridge Troll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Bonebrute"></div></div>
<p>What do you mean you've never seen these cards? But you know these next few, I bet.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slaughter Specialist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Horror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroan Horse"></div></div>
<p>Odds are, most of these cards have never crossed your sightline and have almost certainly never been put into a sleeve and jammed into a deck box.</p>
<p>These are the keys to the deck. These are the puzzle pieces that will make our opponents forget we're playing Braids.</p>
<p>Why would you want to attack the Braids player when I can blink my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conjurer&#039;s Closet" href="#" target="_blank">Conjurer&#039;s Closet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and give you more Centaurs? These are the thoughts I'm trying to plant in the table's mind.</p>
<h3>Profit?</h3>
<p>So, after we successfully flood the board of our opponents with Myr, Centaur, Goats, and Soldiers, what do we do? We spring the trap.</p>
<p>This is the point in the game that we show our opponents how mean we can truly be. We show them that they never should have underestimated Braids.</p>
<p>First, it'll be something small, like another version of Braids. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Arisen Nightmare" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Arisen Nightmare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have opponents throwing away the tokens to prevent us from drawing cards, sure, but this is exactly what we want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braids, Arisen Nightmare"></div></div>
<p>Second, we add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist" href="#" target="_blank">Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the table to start gaining small amounts of mana.</p>
<p>Third, if our opponents haven't caught on by this point, start to tip your hand with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sangromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Sangromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; it's amazing how fast three life adds up.</p>
<p>Finally, we hit them with a card that will feel like getting slammed with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Massacre Girl"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Massacre Wurm"></div></div>
<p>Cards with the word "massacre" in the title and a decimating opponent's board full of creatures have always been a match made in heaven.</p>
<p>Another classic for black-centric decks is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In this deck, it's especially easy to profit from paying as little as one life to wipe a board away.</p>
<p>While the Girl and the Deluge are skilled at killing boards, they struggle to turn that into a personal advantage. That is where some old classics and new players come in.</p>
<h3>Classics</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Falkenrath Noble"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Konrad, the Grim"></div></div>
<p>Staples in back decks often focus on an Aristocrat-ic vibe, these are how we best turn the cards given to our opponents into their downfall.</p>
<p>The Artist and the Noble do double duty by keeping our life total nice and high because no matter what we do in this deck, we should expect a healthy dose of retaliation.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, the designers have decided over the years that more cards of this nature were needed.</p>
<h3>New Players</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Seeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of the Dross"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vein Ripper"></div></div>
<p>Creatures have seen a significant increase in the arbitrage of gaining value by eliminating an opponent's board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of the Dross" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of the Dross</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vein Ripper" href="#" target="_blank">Vein Ripper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even became powerhouses in multiple 60-card formats.</p>
<p>But one card stands above the rest when it comes to the new players, and it might even rival some of the old classics. I am, of course, talking about:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Meathook Massacre"></div></div>
<p>This card is so powerful that it had to be banned in Standard. Now, without having a board of our own, this card won't be enough to win us the game, so we need to use some cards that are more typical of mono-black strategies that your opponents are used to seeing.</p>
<h3>Familiar Faces</h3>
<p>Call it a backup plan or call it filling out the curve, either way, the deck needs to be 100 cards, so these are making it into the list. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is possibly the most classic card in a mono-black deck if there ever was one.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gray Merchant of Asphodel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion of Remembrance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zulaport Cutthroat"></div></div>
<p>At this point, it might as well be the first card added to any of those decks, even before the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swamp" href="#" target="_blank">Swamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion of Remembrance" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion of Remembrance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make sure that if an opponent decides they no longer want us to have a board, it's going to cost them dearly.</p>
<h3>Nice to Have</h3>
<p>A deck like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Cabal Minion" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Cabal Minion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lends itself to being able to run cards not often seen anywhere else, and when you see those cards at the table, you can't help but to audibly exclaim, "Nice".</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prized Statue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichor Wellspring"></div></div>
<p>Artifacts aren't safe from the wrath of Braids, and for us, that can be to our advantage. More specifically, card advantage and mana advantage.</p>
<p>Lands also allow us to do silly things. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drownyard Temple" href="#" target="_blank">Drownyard Temple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us in a pinch when the board has gone bad, and the best thing for us to do is throw away a land. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gods&#039; Eye, Gate to the Reikai" href="#" target="_blank">Gods&#039; Eye, Gate to the Reikai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might only see play in a Braids deck, and it happens to be perfect.</p>
<h3>Hidden Commander</h3>
<p>One final card that deserves special attention for the deck:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trespasser&#039;s Curse"></div></div>
<p>For this deck, I wish there were four or five different versions of this card. Sadly, we only have one. The card can be tutored up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterheart Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterheart Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the sacrifice effect on Braids feeds into finding this card nicely.</p>
<p>I didn't want any of the other mono-black Curses in the deck, so the Witch did not make the cut. Sometimes, the thrill of drawing this card at the right time will be the reason to come back to the table and shuffle up for another game. Or we just cast our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and grab it when the time is right.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>Is this the best version of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Cabal Minion" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Cabal Minion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck to ever hit the table? No, it certainly is not. Is the ideal strategy still going to be turboing out Braids with fast mana, slamming down a token producer for yourself, and loading up on other cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smokestack" href="#" target="_blank">Smokestack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>Most likely yes. That deck, however, builds itself, and if I am going to bring you a <em>Tech the Deck</em> article, I want to do my best to think outside the box to the degree in which I can without going completely insane. You know. Like Braids.</p>
<p>Braids as a commander is not my cup of tea. I would sit down at a table and, depending on the day, agree to play against your deck no questions asked. I even claimed that this card should be unbanned when discussing bringing back the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-should-we-bring-back-banned-only-as-commander-3">Banned as Commander</a> rule in January of this year.</p>
<p>Whatever the case, I hope you find this Braids deck interesting at the very least. Someday, if you ever set up a Braids lock across the table from me as you recur your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strip Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Strip Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I will shake your hand and shuffle up for another game, hopefully against a non-Braids deck. Unless it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Conjurer Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Conjurer Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because nothing can go wrong if she's your Commander.</p>
<h2>Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="ƨbiɒяꓭ Backwards" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Braids, Cabal Minion
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Akroan Horse
*1 Archfiend of the Dross
*1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Blood Seeker
*1 Bloodghast
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Clackbridge Troll
*1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
*1 Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist
*1 Falkenrath Noble
*1 Gravecrawler
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Greedy Freebooter
*1 Hunted Bonebrute
*1 Hunted Horror
*1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
*1 Liliana, Heretical Healer // Liliana, Defiant Necromancer
*1 Massacre Girl
*1 Massacre Wurm
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Reassembling Skeleton
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Slaughter Specialist
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 Vein Ripper
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Darkness
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Fake Your Own Death
*1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Withering Torment
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Awaken the Erstwhile
*1 Decree of Pain
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Living Death
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Plague of Vermin
*1 Reanimate
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Toxic Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*1 Crucible of Worlds
*1 Genesis Chamber
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Prized Statue
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Bitterblossom
*1 Black Market
*1 Dreadhorde Invasion
*1 Infernal Genesis
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Quest for the Gravelord
*1 The Meathook Massacre
*1 Tombstone Stairwell
*1 Trespasser&#039;s Curse
*1 Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death&#039;s Wail
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barad-dûr
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Stronghold
*1 Command Tower
*1 Drownyard Temple
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Field of Ruin
*1 Forbidden Orchard
*1 Fountainport
*1 Gods&#039; Eye, Gate to the Reikai
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Mortuary Mire
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Springjack Pasture
*12 Swamp
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Witch&#039;s Cottage
[/Lands]"></span></div>


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