<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tedrick94" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Tedrick</a></em></p>
<p>In today’s current meta, commanders that sit around the seven mana mark tend not to be built too often. But every once and a while, we get a legend that breaks the status quo by capturing player’s imaginations, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> did just that.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment"></div></div>
<p>Having an enters and attack trigger as powerful as this creature has sparks a lot of creativity, which opens it up to all kinds of directions to go in.</p>
<p>With the start of this list, I wanted to focus on some great cards that help set up Sin’s ability by filling up the graveyard. Then we'll close things out by showcasing some great payoffs for all those copy tokens hitting your board.</p>
<p>This deck might be a little bit of an all-in strategy, but that’s what Commander is all about, right?</p>
<h2>Sin, Spira's Punishment</h2>
<p>This deck wants to do one thing: have your commander enter and attack. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can cheat in a huge number of permanents and specifically relies on you hitting lands to repeat the process.</p>
<p>Including plenty of instant and sorcery ways to fill your graveyard will be important, since your commander's effect will ignore them in the bin, thus increasing your chances of hitting a land to keep the chain going.</p>
<p>Recently, fellow EDHREC writer Jeff Girten released an article covering a decklist for Sin with no non-land permanents that I highly recommend you <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-sin-spiras-punishment-with-no-nonland-permanents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out here</a>. As you will see in this list, I did include some payoff permanents to help the deck flow, and could give you more options to build the rest of this 99 on a budget.</p>
<p>With that being said, here are the <em>fourteen cards for under $14</em> you can pick up to get a jumpstart on a new deck!</p>
<h3>Grisly Salvage</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grisly Salvage"></div></div>
<p>Kicking off our list is the classic graveyard filling spell, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grisly Salvage" href="#" target="_blank">Grisly Salvage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Two mana to dig five cards deep, pick out the best creature or land from among them, and put the rest in the bin is exactly what you want in this deck.</p>
<p>As I mentioned before, instant and sorcery spells dodge Sin’s trigger, since it looks for a random permanent. That allows you to hit as many lands as possible, without breaking the chain.</p>
<h3>Doom Whisperer</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doom Whisperer"></div></div>
<p>Next up, we have a creature you would love to hit with the first card on the list: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A flying, trampling 6/6 for only five mana is an incredible rate, but the star of the show for this spell is that surveil ability.</p>
<p>With this creature out, you can pay as much life as you want and fill up your graveyard in preparation for your commander’s arrival. All while being a great attacker and blocker in the air!</p>
<h3>Flux</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flux"></div></div>
<p>Another great way to fill up your graveyard is with wheel effects. While a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will do great work in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flux" href="#" target="_blank">Flux</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here to give you a little more selection.</p>
<p>Making sure you fill your graveyard with lands and your hand with spells is paramount for this deck’s strategy. Being able to do that by turn three will just set you up for success as the game goes on.</p>
<h3>Drown in Dreams</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drown in Dreams"></div></div>
<p>Depending on where you are in the game, a spell like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drown in Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Drown in Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be exactly what you need in the moment. Whether you need to fill your hand, or your graveyard before Sin comes out, it's here to help.</p>
<p>Then, once your commander is on the board, you can do both! Since it can be cast at instant speed you can play it right before your turn, which then sets you up for a big attack trigger to move yourself towards the endgame.</p>
<h3>Otherworldly Gaze</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Otherworldly Gaze"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of instant-speed graveyard fillers, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otherworldly Gaze" href="#" target="_blank">Otherworldly Gaze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets you surveil 3, and has flashback for only two mana. Holding this up and casting it just before your commander can help you catch your opponents by surprise, since you can add a few more lands to your graveyard that your opponents weren't ready for.</p>
<p>Plus, that flashback cost is pretty cheap, so it can easily be cast again whenever you need it.</p>
<h3>Stargaze</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stargaze"></div></div>
<p>One of my favorite cards from last year is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stargaze" href="#" target="_blank">Stargaze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since it offers an incredible level of card selection all in one go.</p>
<p>Say you cast this spell the turn before your commander, where X is equal to four. That allows you to dig a whole eight cards deep, putting the cards you want right now into your hand, and most likely a chunk of lands into the bin that you’ll be ready to copy once Sin hits the board.</p>
<h3>Malevolent Rumble</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malevolent Rumble"></div></div>
<p>Next up we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malevolent Rumble" href="#" target="_blank">Malevolent Rumble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that gives you both a little bit of ramp and card advantage.</p>
<p>While it’s nothing too flashy, two mana to mill three cards, while giving you a necessary permanent and an Eldrazi Spawn, is nice at any point in the game. On top of that, you can then sacrifice that Spawn to help get your commander out a turn earlier than people are ready for.</p>
<h3>Harrow</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harrow"></div></div>
<p>Let's keep this ramp train rolling with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harrow" href="#" target="_blank">Harrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. At instant speed you can sacrifice a land to go search for two basics and put them on the field untapped.</p>
<p>As I mentioned with the last card on the list, getting Sin out early can help throw the tempo of the table off. Doing that while also adding a land to your graveyard is just icing on this recursion cake.</p>
<h3>Foreboding Landscape</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Foreboding Landscape"></div></div>
<p>If you plan on putting this deck together, adding as many lands to the deck that either cycle or sacrifice themselves for any reason will be great to keep your engine going. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foreboding Landscape" href="#" target="_blank">Foreboding Landscape</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the perfect land to represent those effects.</p>
<p>Even though it’s a common it still packs a major punch in this deck, since it has two ways to get into your graveyard, while also just tapping for mana if you really need it at the time.</p>
<h2>Payoff Cards</h2>
<p>Now let’s take a look at some of the great payoff cards we can run in this deck to ensure that when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hits the battlefield it’s even more impactful.</p>
<h3>Tireless Provisioner</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tireless Provisioner"></div></div>
<p>One of the best Landfall cards in the game is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Provisioner" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Provisioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Creating a Food or a Treasure whenever a land hits your field is a powerful effect at its base level, letting you build up your board as early as turn three.</p>
<p>However, if your commander hits the table while this is out, you could be making a huge number of tokens for each land copy you make. If you make Treasures with the Provisioner, that helps you dodge the drawback of those copy tokens entering tapped, since you can use that new mana right away.</p>
<h3>Kheru Goldkeeper</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kheru Goldkeeper"></div></div>
<p>If Treasures is what you want, then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kheru Goldkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kheru Goldkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help you get them! Since Sin’s exile ability could repeat over and over again, you’ll make a Treasure for every card that left your bin when all those triggers resolve.</p>
<p>On top of that, if this creature ends up in your graveyard, and you want to get it out of the way for your commander’s ability, it has its own way to exile itself with that Renew effect.</p>
<h3>Spelunking</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spelunking"></div></div>
<p>A card that's found a home in plenty of deck lists since its release is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spelunking" href="#" target="_blank">Spelunking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (even if they don’t include any Caves). The main text that people have fallen in love with for this enchantment is allowing your lands enter play untapped.</p>
<p>If Sin’s ability does make you a whole chunk of land tokens, they will unfortunately be tapped, which is why Spelunking can be so pivotal, giving you the chance to use all that mana right then and there.</p>
<h3>Iridescent Vinelasher</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Iridescent Vinelasher"></div></div>
<p>Another way to utilize those lands is with Iridescent Vinelasher, since it turns all of those <em>landfall</em> triggers into direct damage to your opponents life totals.</p>
<p>Since Sin’s ability happens when it enters and attacks, you could get yourself in a spot where you regularly fill your graveyard, move to combat, and then make a whole bunch of land copies turn after turn. Also, don’t overlook that offspring ability, since that can speed up the burn process if you really need it.</p>
<h3>Second Harvest</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Second Harvest"></div></div>
<p>Closing out the list today, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Second Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Second Harvest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. When Sin exiles all those cards from your graveyard, they enter as token copies. So, that just means you can wait for when the time is right and fire this off at instant speed, making you a copy of every token you've made over the course of the game to surprise the table.</p>
<p>This spell also works great with all the Treasures, Food, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iridescent Vinelasher" href="#" target="_blank">Iridescent Vinelasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offspring tokens you made along the way!</p>
<h2>In Closing</h2>
<p>Well, there you have it, <em>fourteen cards for under $14</em> you can pick up to get you started on your very own deck built around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Let me know in the comments which cards you would add to this list, that way we can help our fellow players build out their 99s. Also, be sure to check out my <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/tyler-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent <em>Bulk Up</em> articles</a>, where I cover the best commons &amp; uncommons from the new <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Final Fantasy</a></em> set.</p>
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Don&#039;t Let These Final Fantasy Bulk Cards Collect Dust&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/dont-let-these-final-fantasy-bulk-cards-collect-dust/embed/#?secret=yTdRbPr2TF#?secret=Dd8yeeCUDa" data-secret="Dd8yeeCUDa" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Nx6jkC51Fx"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/amazing-commons-uncommons-from-the-final-fantasy-set/">Amazing Commons &#038; Uncommons from the Final Fantasy Set</a></p></blockquote>
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Building A Sin, Spira's Punishment Deck on a Budget

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.juliedillonart.com/">Julie Dillon</a> | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to a recent article on DailyMTG, <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>'s main news hub, beginning with <em>Edge of Eternities</em>, art cards will no longer be included in Play Boosters. Instead, you can now only find art cards in Collector Boosters.</p>
<h2>The "Collecting <em>Edge of Eternities</em>" Article</h2>
<p>The article states the following about the rates for pulling art cards in Collector Boosters (section in <strong>bold</strong> typeface for relevance):</p>
<blockquote><p>Each <i>Edge of Eternities</i> Collector Booster box contains 12 Collector Boosters, each of which contains the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>15 <i>Magic: The Gathering</i> cards
<ul>
<li>5 Traditional foil commons</li>
<li>4 Traditional foil uncommons</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil or galaxy foil celestial basic land</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil rare or mythic rare</li>
<li>1 Non-foil extended-art or borderless <i>Edge of Eternities</i> Commander card</li>
<li>1 Non-foil Booster Fun card</li>
<li>1 Land from the Stellar Sights bonus sheet
<ul>
<li>Non-foil, traditional foil, and galaxy foil lands appear in this slot.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>1 Foil Booster Fun card</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>1 Art card or traditional foil double-sided token</strong>
<ul>
<li>A traditional foil double-sided token appears in 65% of Collector Boosters.</li>
<li><strong>1 of 54 Art cards can appear in 30% of Collector Boosters. An additional 5% of Collector Boosters can have an art card with a gold-stamped artist signature or Planeswalker symbol.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<h2>The Internet's Reaction</h2>
<p>This change is largely ambivalent to whether fans like the cards or not. Many players actually <em>liked</em> art cards. However, they originally seemed to be firmly in the minority among players who had an opinion of the cards. According to one Redditor, "As the one person at my LGS who collects art cards this makes me very sad. Usually during drafts people just give me the art cards they open cause nobody else wants them, so I get why WotC is doing it. But still. Pain." Another said, "Oh, I must be part of the few that actually likes them, I have tons of tokens and can make more but the art cards feel distinctive and cool."</p>
<p>Despite my earlier statement, it seems that these comments were not drowned in an ocean of approval. This potentially leads us to believe that more players liked these cards than the public lets on. Nevertheless, you can now find art cards at a rate of approximately 1 in every 3 Collector Boosters. This potentially raises the scarcity of these aesthetic add-ins.</p>
<p>And speaking of add-ins, Wizards of the Coast has also officially announced <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/collecting-edge-of-eternities">an end to ad cards in Play Boosters</a> as well. Silver linings, one could suppose!</p>
<p>And now, we'd like to ask you: How do you feel about <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>'s art cards? Was this a good move by Wizards of the Coast? Finally, with its gorgeous space-age landscapes, was <em>Edge of Eternities</em> the place for this change? Sound off below!</p>


Edge Of Eternities Discontinues Play Booster Art Cards

Final Fantasy Deck Tech: Professor Hojo

The Top 10 Most Played Commander Cards from Lord of the Rings

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel|FIN|249" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/pencillien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thanh Tuan</a></em></p>
<p>Friendly greetings and welcome to an Exhibition (Bracket 1) deck tech for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! I'm John Sherwood, and I <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28game%3Apaper%29+legal%3Acommander+is%3Abear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bear</a> tidings of low-power, five-color fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Minstrel|FIN|403"></div></div>
<p>I love set mechanics, and this deck is full of them. Instead of foraging for pieces to support a single set mechanic, I built a deck that snatches the set mechanic picnic basket.</p>
<h2>What Does The Wandering Minstrel Do?</h2>
<p>The Wandering Minstrel hits a trifecta with static, triggered, and activated abilities. First, the static ability causes your lands to enter untapped, which is fantastic for a budget five-color mana base.</p>
<p>Next, the triggered ability makes a token creature as a payoff for controlling five or more Towns. Of the 23 new Town lands, 17 always enter tapped. In other words, The Wandering Minstrel overules the Towns' primary downside, then rewards having the Towns with incremental value.</p>
<p>Then there's the activated ability. The Wandering Minstrel is an <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=%28game%3Apaper%29+legal%3Acommander%28invoker%29&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invoker</a>, with an activation cost of <em>eight</em> mana. Three generic plus WUBRG is a lot for an activation, but the payoff is a hearty +X/+X to the whole team.</p>
<p>Immediately after reading this card, I felt an urge to build a deck that's been simmering on my backburner. Truth be told, Sealed is my favorite way to play <em>Magic</em>, and one pillar of limited play is the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic" href="#" target="_blank">Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic"></div></div>
<p>The bears (2/2s for two mana) that inspired my favorite meme card appear in every <em>Magic</em> set to support limited deck archetypes. As a two-drop that cares about a <em>Final Fantasy</em> set mechanic, The Wandering Minstrel is two-thirds of the way to singing the bear necessities. Sadly, the Wandering Minstrel is not a 2/2, so the commander can't fully commit to the bear bit.</p>
<h2>Bear Necessities</h2>
<p>I committed to including every Town in the deck, to capitalize on The Wandering Minstrel's triggered and activated abilities. With the 23 Towns from <em>Final Fantasy</em>, plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thespian&#039;s Stage" href="#" target="_blank">Thespian&#039;s Stage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Planar Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Planar Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, over a quarter of the deck supports the commander just by making land drops. With the bulk of the mana base solved, I moved on to creatures.</p>
<p>There are hundreds of bears to choose from. Of the creatures that made the final cut, these are some of the ones I consider essential to the deck:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conclave Guildmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skarrg Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Two of Ravnica's three Guildmage cycles are in the list, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conclave Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Conclave Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skarrg Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Skarrg Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are key. They grant trample, pairing with The Wandering Minstrel's power/toughness boost for a build-a-bear overrun. Other bears grant evasion, but these are the most efficient.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s activated ability is an odd sort of card advantage in this deck. Conveniently, there's no need to pay anything into Grenzo's X cost because every creature in the deck is power 2. With the number of creatures that made the final cut, Grenzo will hit frequently.</p>
<h2>Picnic Baskets</h2>
<p>Initially, I picked about 80 bears with set mechanics, intending to find synergies and work out a secondary theme for the deck. As I curated that list of creatures, I connected five dots that led me in a new direction.</p>
<ol>
<li>Bears have a mana value of two.</li>
<li>Many bears have different mana symbols in their casting cost.</li>
<li>All bears are creatures.</li>
<li>Two is an even number.</li>
<li>Plenty of bears have activated abilities.</li>
</ol>
<p>Spelled out another way:</p>
<ol>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umori, the Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Umori, the Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ol>
<p>My name might be John, but I'm not cut out to be a ranger. I'm Yogi in this over-played metaphor, and I'm not listening to Boo-Boo.</p>
<p>When I say I'm getting a picnic basket, I mean the final version of this deck meets the building restrictions for five different <a href="https://edhrec.com/companions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">companions</a>. Paying three mana to put a companion in hand fits neatly into the mana curve of a deck with no three-drops. I think it would be fun to embrace variety and pick a different companion at random every time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zirda, the Dawnwaker"></div></div>
<p>Depending on the chosen companion, the deck pivots into very different play patterns. My top picks would be Zirda, Lurrus, or Jegantha, in that order.</p>
<p>The six-mana investment to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will quickly pay for itself with the discount on activated abilities. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice insurance policy, and there are some sacrifice outlets in the deck to develop a reanimator engine.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> practically guarantees enough mana to activate The Wandering Minstrel's pump ability.</p>
<h2>How Does The Wandering Minstrel Win?</h2>
<p>The primary game plan is go wide to go tall. The commander should always be out on turn two, helping to smooth the tempo before producing creature tokens.</p>
<p>Casting other creatures is a priority until there's enough mana to leverage activated abilities in combat. The best-case scenario is overrunning opponents with multiple pumped creatures. However, decks with this many activated abilities can adapt.</p>
<p>An evasionless, one-power creature is not a a realistic commander damage threat. Fortunately, there are enough combat trick abilities in this deck to make The Wandering Minstrel a sneaky combatant. Many of the deck's creatures either make target creature bigger, grant evasion, or both, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korozda Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Korozda Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korozda Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Three mana is a poor rate for a temporary +1/+1; that cost is too high for Voltron to be a primary game plan. However, this deck's curve is really low. There should be plenty of mana available to chain activated abilities together, or play a key ability on repeat.</p>
<p>When the life totals are low and the win is on the line, a little threat of activation makes a big difference.</p>
<p>As much as I love the combat phase, there are some edge cases in the deck to watch out for. Some of the activated abilities may occasionally tip the scales toward victory. There are eight cards in the deck with non-combat methods of reducing opponents' life totals.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rix Maadi Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Rix Maadi Guildmage might be creature or player removal if needed. Eliminating a player with a card like this is a fun achievement to unlock.</p>
<h2>The Wandering Minstrel Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>I'll keep hoping for the bear commander of my dreams, but I could see myself sleeving this up in the mean time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Wandering Minstrel Bears" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Wandering Minstrel
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Arcus Acolyte
*1 Biomancer&#039;s Familiar
*1 Black Market Tycoon
*1 Bonebind Orator
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Butch DeLoria, Tunnel Snake
*1 Cartel Aristocrat
*1 Caustic Bronco
*1 Clan Guildmage
*1 Cliffside Rescuer
*1 Combine Guildmage
*1 Conclave Guildmage
*1 Cult Guildmage
*1 Dawntreader Elk
*1 Dismissive Pyromancer
*1 Duskmantle Guildmage
*1 Goblin Cratermaker
*1 Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
*1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
*1 Heartfire Immolator
*1 House Guildmage
*1 Intrepid Paleontologist
*1 Jenson Carthalion, Druid Exile
*1 Kiora&#039;s Follower
*1 Korozda Guildmage
*1 League Guildmage
*1 Legion Guildmage
*1 Legion Vanguard
*1 New Prahv Guildmage
*1 Nivix Guildmage
*1 Osteomancer Adept
*1 Pippin, Guard of the Citadel
*1 Priest of Fell Rites
*1 Qasali Pridemage
*1 Ragged Playmate
*1 Raucous Entertainer
*1 Rix Maadi Guildmage
*1 Rootcoil Creeper
*1 Saheeli, the Sun&#039;s Brilliance
*1 Senate Guildmage
*1 Skarrg Guildmage
*1 Sprouting Goblin
*1 Sunhome Guildmage
*1 Swarm Guildmage
*1 Syndicate Guildmage
*1 Tender Wildguide
*1 Thraxodemon
*1 Treasure Dredger
*1 Twitching Doll
*1 Undergrowth Leopard
*1 Vermin Gorger
*1 Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
*1 Vizkopa Guildmage
*1 Voracious Varmint
*1 Wight of the Reliquary
*1 Zameck Guildmage
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Adventurer&#039;s Inn
*1 Balamb Garden, SeeD Academy // Balamb Garden, Airborne
*1 Baron, Airship Kingdom
*1 Cactus Preserve
*1 Capital City
*1 Cascading Cataracts
*1 Clive&#039;s Hideaway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crossroads Village
*1 Crystal Quarry
*1 Dark Depths
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Eden, Seat of the Sanctum
*1 Escape Tunnel
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Forest
*1 Gohn, Town of Ruin
*1 Gongaga, Reactor Town
*1 Guadosalam, Farplane Gateway
*1 Insomnia, Crown City
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith &amp; Grief
*1 Island
*1 Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture
*1 Lindblum, Industrial Regency // Mage Siege
*1 Maze of Ith
*1 Midgar, City of Mako // Reactor Raid
*1 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Plains
*1 Planar Nexus
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Rabanastre, Royal City
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Sharlayan, Nation of Scholars
*1 Starting Town
*1 Swamp
*1 The Gold Saucer
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Treno, Dark City
*1 Vector, Imperial Capital
*1 Windurst, Federation Center
*1 Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis // Lasting Fayth
[/Lands]
[Companions]
*1 Gyruda, Doom of Depths
*1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
*1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
*1 Umori, the Collector
*1 Zirda, the Dawnwaker
[/Companions]"></span></div>
<h2>The Berenstain Bard</h2>
<p>The moral of this story is versatility. The Wandering Minstrel isn't just another set mechanic commander. The Town mana base takes up a mere quarter of the deck, leaving seventy-five cards that could be anything. The Wandering Minstrel isn't a mainstage headliner like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golos, Tireless Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Golos, Tireless Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (RIP), but they jam to the same music.</p>
<p>If smooth mana production and open ended brewing potential are on your playlist, then give The Wandering Minstrel a chance. Tell us about your Minstrel brews in the comments below.</p>
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The Wandering Minstrel Exhibition Deck Tech

Balthier and Fran Gruul Vehicles Commander Deck Tech

The Best Wizard Combos in Commander

<p>On Saturday, June 21st, Wizards of the Coast officially announced the dates and locations of their MagicCon events for 2026. What's more, they did it in a YouTube video, which may or may not have had a few <em>Secret</em> easter eggs hidden in it. What are the dates and locations, and what do the easter eggs mean? Let's dive into this!</p>
<h2>MagicCon Dates and Locations</h2>
<p>According to the official event site <a href="https://www.mtgfestivals.com/global/en-us.html">MagicFestivals.com</a>, the dates and locations for MagicCon in 2026 list the following pieces of information:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><span class="text--xlarge">MagicCon: Las Vegas 2026: May 1–3, 2026</span></li>
<li><span class="text--xlarge">MagicCon: Amsterdam 2026: July 17–19, 2026</span></li>
<li><span class="text--xlarge">MagicCon: Atlanta 2026: November 13–15, 2026</span></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>These event locations aren't anything too terribly new. However, it's worth noting that the conventions will return to these places again, especially for those in the area.</p>
<p>Now, we don't have any promo card information nor any confirmation one way or another. But, the YouTube video promoting these dates may hold a secret or more within it.</p>
<h2>A <em>Secret Lair</em> Teaser?</h2>
<p>As mentioned above, a YouTube video accompanied the location and date information for next year's set of MagicCon events. In that YouTube promo video, we see multiple references to the Elder Dragons of the <em>Legends</em> expansion.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Announcing the 2026 MagicCon Lineup" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aC7lecbmXvE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Check this screenshot out again:</p>
<div id="attachment_156909" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-scaled.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156909" class="size-full wp-image-156909" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-scaled.png" alt="A still from the MagicCon 2026 promo video. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="2560" height="1429" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-scaled.png 2560w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-300x168.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-1024x572.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-768x429.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-1536x858.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/palladia-more-and-chromiyums-2048x1144.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156909" class="wp-caption-text">A still from the MagicCon 2026 promo video. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</p></div>
<p>Pausing this, you can see posters for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Palladia-Mors" href="#" target="_blank">Palladia-Mors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromium" href="#" target="_blank">Chromium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nicol Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Nicol Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In an earlier still, you can see an ad for "Arcades' Arcade", a reference to the Elder Dragon <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades Sabboth" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades Sabboth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These poster-style ads are in various art styles befitting of a <em>Secret Lair</em> drop. Does this mean that players will have copies of these cards in a drop? Will it be Commander-At-Home for 2026? This is entirely plausible, but as we don't have concrete confirmation, you are best off taking this as a rumor for now.</p>
<p>Overall, players are probably super-excited to attend MagicCon in 2026. Are you? Will you be attending any of these events, or even Atlanta's event later this year? Sound off below!</p>


MagicCon 2026 Dates, Locations Officially Announced

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Parhelion II | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.adampaquettemtg.com/">Adam Paquette</a> | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>On Friday, June 20th, Wizards of the Coast announced a momentous Commander rules change. Starting with <em>Edge of Eternities</em>, legendary Vehicles and Spacecraft with a power/toughness box can be your commander! This change is massive and opens up a ton of design space for <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_156844" style="width: 780px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156844" class="wp-image-156844" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_.jpg" alt="RMS Titanic. Illustrated by Henry Peters. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="770" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_.jpg 551w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_-300x218.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156844" class="wp-caption-text">RMS Titanic. Illustrated by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/htkpeh"><strong>Henry Peters</strong></a>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</p></div>
<h2>Why This Change?</h2>
<p><em>Magic</em> Designer <strong>Gavin Verhey</strong> sums up the change to the Commander format with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w75DcnrdoTc">a six-minute Good Morning Magic video on YouTube</a>:</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Why Are We Changing the Rules of Commander with Edge of Eternities?? | Magic Vehicles &amp; Spacecraft" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w75DcnrdoTc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>In short, the rules change is one that Wizards wanted to apply for a while, but for a series of different reasons at different times, the format's shift had to wait until <em>Edge of Eternities</em>. Additionally, we have learned through this video that both precons from the new set contain a legendary Spacecraft to use as an alternate commander.</p>
<div id="attachment_156846" style="width: 915px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156846" class="wp-image-156846" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine.jpg" alt="Shorikai, Genesis Engine. Illustrated by Wisnu Tan. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="905" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine.jpg 745w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine-300x185.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156846" class="wp-caption-text">Shorikai, Genesis Engine. Illustrated by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan"><strong>Wisnu Tan</strong></a>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</p></div>
<h2>What is the Rule Change?</h2>
<p>While the Comprehensive Rules have yet to officially update with these rules, here is the main idea:</p>
<ul>
<li>Starting with <em>Edge of Eternities</em>, legendary Vehicles and Spacecraft cards will be eligible to lead a Commander deck.</li>
<li>To be fully eligible, the card has to be legendary and have a power/toughness box in its card rules.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Is This Impactful?</h3>
<p>In a word, this is currently not a highly impactful change. It's largely just for fun, but <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">it<em>'s</em> still foreseeable as a</span> permanent change to the format. This doesn't change <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shorikai, Genesis Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Shorikai, Genesis Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s functionality, but it allows other Vehicles printed previously to share in that design space.</p>
<div id="attachment_156847" style="width: 753px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156847" class="wp-image-156847" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot.jpg" alt="Esika's Chariot. Illustrated by Raoul Vitale. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="743" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot.jpg 1080w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot-300x226.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot-768x578.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156847" class="wp-caption-text">Esika's Chariot. Illustrated by <a href="https://www.raoulvitaleart.com/"><strong>Raoul Vitale</strong></a>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</p></div>
<p>Some of the Vehicles now affected by this change are pretty cool, though. For one, you can now play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika&#039;s Chariot" href="#" target="_blank">Esika&#039;s Chariot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a commander, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="RMS Titanic" href="#" target="_blank">RMS Titanic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parhelion II" href="#" target="_blank">Parhelion II</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In fact, one interviewee I spoke with in the past for <a href="https://commandersherald.com/interview-dr-wendi-sierra-bethesda-scholar-on-the-new-fallout-decks/">Commander's Herald</a>, <strong>Dr. Wendi Sierra</strong>, has a Parhelion II "Big Angel Party Bus" deck. Frankly, I'm sure she's thrilled about this new change to the rules.</p>
<p>In any event, we'd like to open the floor to you, dear readers! How do you feel about this new change? Are you already planning a new Vehicle-led Commander deck? Which ones if so? Sound off below, and stay tuned for a slew of new Vehicle-centric deck techs from EDHREC in the coming weeks!</p>


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