Ping your Opponents Trim-Style With a Mighty Merfolk Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><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> | Art By <a href="https://www.artstation.com/burmak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dmitry Burmak</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <i>Archetypes of Imagination</i>, the series in which we build decks based on popular Commander archetypes. I'm back with another unhinged addition to this otherwise very normal series. Let's look at how best to shove our commander in a cannon and blast him at our opponents by making a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/fling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fling deck</a>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fling"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks are built around the eponymous spell's effect of sacrificing a creature to deal damage equal to its stats to another player or permanent.</p>
<p>Decks with this strategy try to take opponents down with noncombat damage, either by flinging lots of different creatures via a commander that has the ability - see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brion Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Brion Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ziatora, the Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Ziatora, the Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - or by making a commander so absolutely massive that one fling from it will end someone's game on the spot - like absolute chungus, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thromok the Insatiable" href="#" target="_blank">Thromok the Insatiable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brion Stoutarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ziatora, the Incinerator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thromok the Insatiable"></div></div>
<p>I'll be using <a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scryfall's tagging system</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EDHREC's Tag pages</a> to build a deck around our theme, using a commander that actually manages to combine the two methods together all wrapped up in a sacrifice matters sub-theme.</p>
<h2>Skewer the Critics, and Your Opponents!</h2>
<p><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 a two-cost, Rakdos (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) legendary creature with just one power and toughness each. However, whenever you sacrifice any kind of permanent, Juri will get a +1/+1 counter added to him.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Juri, Master of the Revue"></div></div>
<p>You might know Juri as the head honcho of The Cult of Rakdos' premier, blood-soaked, cursed clown circus on the plane of Ravnica. When I play my own personal build of him, I like to refer to Juri as the O.B.L. (the Orbital Death Laser).</p>
<p>The strategy is incredibly simple with this deck. We sacrifice as many of our permanents for value as possible and all the while, Juri gets more and more swole. Then, when Juri dies for any reason (usually because we sacrificed him) he deals damage equal to his power to any target of our choice.</p>
<h3>Forking the Fling</h3>
<p>One of the troubles of a Fling deck is trying to find a card in your deck that delivers the effect. Whether it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> itself or one of the other cards that have been printed that delivers the same effect. This is usually why people like to go for a commander that has the effect stapled on them, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brion Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Brion Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But the problem with those cards is the fact that they then need to find and cast something big to actually fling.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fork"></div></div>
<p>Juri allows us to eat our cake and have it too, not only by having the ability to get super large with a load of sacrifices in our deck, but also by flinging himself whenever he dies.</p>
<p>The fun thing about this effect being triggered by Juri dying though is that by sacrificing him to a card like Fling, we actually get to double dip. We get two different instances of damage going to any target equal to Juri's power.</p>
<p>In an ideal final turn of the game we could potentially swing Juri in to one of our opponents, dealing lethal commander damage, then cast Fling and deal lethal noncombat damage to both of the other players at the table.</p>
<p>That might seem ambitious but it's in fact very achievable. I've done it multiple times before!</p>
<h2>Charging Up the Laser</h2>
<p>Before we can start shooting the laser at our opponents, we gotta charge it up first. And that means making some sacrifices. Not of any great loss to us of course, as we'll be sacrificing pretty much everything we have for value to add counters to our commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fabled Passage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terramorphic Expanse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evolving Wilds"></div></div>
<p>There's a huge amount of things we can sacrifice in Commander, and Juri doesn't really care what we're sacrificing when we're triggering his ability. Even just sacking a land like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terramorphic Expanse" href="#" target="_blank">Terramorphic Expanse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will net us a +1/+1 counter.</p>
<p>As we're in Rakdos (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-br" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) colors, it would be downright senseless of us to ignore <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens. Most people who've played one or two games of Commander, especially against <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will know how busted they can be in the format. There's a reason they banned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Reaver Cleaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Dispute"></div></div>
<p>There's plenty of great cards that can dump out Treasure tokens for us during the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaver Cleaver" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaver Cleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an absolutely terrifying thing to put on a giant commander as it is, but when you can also make that commander even bigger with the Treasures it makes, it gets even worse. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow us to see card draw, sac a creature, and make a Treasure to sac later all in one card.</p>
<h3>Keeping Momentum</h3>
<p>One of the common pitfalls of a strategy like this is running out of things to sacrifice and floating around with a midsized Juri and no good targets.</p>
<p>When you're picking your sac outlets, try and look for cards that not only sacrifice stuff but also give you other bits of sac fodder in return.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warren Soultrader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcish Bowmasters"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ophiomancer"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warren Soultrader" href="#" target="_blank">Warren Soultrader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a perfect bit of tech, allowing you to not only blend up your chaff creatures but also get a Treasure token for your troubles. These double value cards will get your Juri snowball rolling much faster in the long run.</p>
<p>To make sure you have good access to expendable creatures, a few token generators will definitely come in handy. It's a <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a>, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcish Bowmasters" href="#" target="_blank">Orcish Bowmasters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will put in serious work. Or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophiomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ophiomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also provide plenty of access to bodies as well.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghoulcaller Gisa"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghoulcaller Gisa" href="#" target="_blank">Ghoulcaller Gisa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works perfectly in a Juri deck as it not only works as a sacrifice trigger, and a way to sac Juri himself, but it also can turn Juri's huge statline into an army of 2/2 Zombie tokens.</p>
<h2>Pull the Trigger</h2>
<p>When we've got Juri suitably fattened up for the cannon, it's time to light the fuse and fling for the win.</p>
<p>As I've mentioned before, the benefit of this commander is that it comes pre loaded with its Fling effect. We can have Juri die to any effect at all to blast his power into someone's face at instant speed. But having Juri die to one of those Fling effects will effectively double the amount of damage he can do.</p>
<p>For that reason, we definitely want to include some of those cards in our list. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works great of course but we can also use some other options to achieve the same goal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Callous Sell-Sword"></div></div>
<p>The adventure spell on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Callous Sell-Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Callous Sell-Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Burn Together, trades instant speed for one less mana. It also has the potential benefit of only sacrificing Juri if the spell actually resolves, rather than it being a casting cost. At least if it gets countered, we won't miss out on our double damage!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Voldaren Thrillseeker"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voldaren Thrillseeker" href="#" target="_blank">Voldaren Thrillseeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my personal favorite picks using the currently set-exclusive mechanic of Backup which puts two +1/+1 counters on Juri and gives him the Fling text as an activated ability until end of turn for the price of one mana. And of course you can even fling the Thrillseeker herself!</p>
<h2>Backup Cannon Fodder</h2>
<p>One thing to bear in mind when building this deck is that it (like pretty much everything I build, honestly) is very commander centric. This deck doesn't really do a whole lot if Juri isn't on the board.</p>
<p>Luckily our commander is super cheap at only two mana to cast, so we can get a few instances of him out through the course of a game. But if we started getting loaded up with commander tax, it would be good to get some alternate options to fling.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm-Kiln Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plumb the Forbidden"></div></div>
<p><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> works as a nice combo with Juri, not only providing us Treasures whenever we cast or copy instants and sorceries, but also getting more and more power with each artifact we have on the board. If Juri is out we can sac the Treasures to make him bigger. If he isn't, then we can keep the Treasures around and think about flinging the artist instead.</p>
<p>This card pairs so well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plumb the Forbidden" href="#" target="_blank">Plumb the Forbidden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (shock horror, they're from the same set) as we dump a ton of card draw, sacrifice triggers, and Treasures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crime Novelist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blackblade Reforged"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crime Novelist" href="#" target="_blank">Crime Novelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is like a sort of soft-Juri clone. He can't fling himself but he does get bigger whenever we sacrifice an artifact - not to mention he'll provide us with an extra red mana for each of our spent treasure Tokens. Double mana Treasures can provide us with some explosive turns, and this creature once again gives us some redundancy for our strategy.</p>
<p>I'll also give a quick mention to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blackblade Reforged" href="#" target="_blank">Blackblade Reforged</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and other such Equipment cards that give a huge boost to our creatures. These can make fling fodder out of pretty much anything.</p>
<h2>Build It Yourself</h2>
<p>Fling decks are pretty simple to put together and a ton of fun to play. Taking out an entire table in one fell swoop feels unreal when you pull it off and even the sorest of losers will at least be treated to some spectacle. Just like the Cult of Rakdos would have wanted.</p>
<h2>Juri, Master of the Revue Fling Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>If you want to build Juri for yourself, here's a list I've played before below with some pretty good results.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fling - Archetypes of Imagination" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Juri, Master of the Revue
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ayara, Widow of the Realm // Ayara, Furnace Queen
*1 Bladewing, Deathless Tyrant
*1 Callous Sell-Sword // Burn Together
*1 Captain Lannery Storm
*1 Crime Novelist
*1 Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste
*1 Enterprising Scallywag
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
*1 Goblin Cratermaker
*1 Hoard Robber
*1 Hoarding Ogre
*1 Kalain, Reclusive Painter
*1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
*1 Lagomos, Hand of Hatred
*1 Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
*1 Mahadi, Emporium Master
*1 Marching Duodrone
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Ophiomancer
*1 Orcish Bowmasters
*1 Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink
*1 Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded
*1 Rankle and Torbran
*1 Redcap Gutter-Dweller
*1 Soulcoil Viper
*1 Storm-Kiln Artist
*1 Stormclaw Rager
*1 Tangled Colony
*1 Tavern Scoundrel
*1 The Balrog, Durin&#039;s Bane
*1 Voldaren Thrillseeker
*1 Warren Soultrader
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Beamtown Beatstick
*1 Blackblade Reforged
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Oni-Cult Anvil
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Tenza, Godo&#039;s Maul
*1 The Reaver Cleaver
*1 Urabrask&#039;s Forge
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Fanatical Offering
*1 Feign Death
*1 Flare of Duplication
*1 Fling
*1 Nasty End
*1 Orcish Medicine
*1 Plumb the Forbidden
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Blasphemous Edict
*1 Bloodsoaked Insight // Sanguine Morass
*1 Burn Down the House
*1 Furnace Reins
*1 Lash of the Balrog
*1 Lich-Knights&#039; Conquest
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Scavenger&#039;s Talent
*1 Shiny Impetus
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Blackcleave Cliffs
*1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Dwarven Mine
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Fountainport
*1 Graven Cairns
*1 Great Hall of the Citadel
*1 Mount Doom
*8 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Raucous Theater
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*8 Swamp
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>


How to Make a Fling Deck, With Juri, Master of the Revue

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirko, Obsessive Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Mirko, Obsessive Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CHeonhwa+Choe%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heonhwa Choe</a></em></p>
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<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?</p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a></p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza, aka Mark Carbonza, and now I have <em>Final Fantasy </em>names stuck in my head like earworms!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tataru Taru"></div></div>
<p><i>GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD!</i></p>
<p>This week: a bad taste in your mouth?</p>
<p>(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)</p>
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<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
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<p><em>Hi Mike,</em></p>
<p><em>I'm curious whether I'm the antagonist here for really not liking my fellow player and not calling him out on his misplays.</em></p>
<p><em>So I'm at my LGS a few days ago, and I sit down to join a pod. The guy across from me is playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The person next to me is playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirko, Obsessive Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Mirko, Obsessive Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the last guy is playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ganax, Astral Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Ganax, Astral Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Acolyte of Bahamut" href="#" target="_blank">Acolyte of Bahamut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</em></p>
<p><em>The Mirko guy immediately starts getting salty at me because I am running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Now, I probably did deserve a little bit of hate for playing Jin, but I really like his copy ability and while I wish he didn't have the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> clause, he does and he is sadly a pretty salty card. Anyway, the Mirko player starts being rude to me - aggressively reminding me about mulligan rules, checking to see if I'm tapping my mana correctly, and telling me to stop talking because "he needs to think."</em></p>
<p><em>Beyond this, the Mirko player also didn't seem to understand how his commander worked, putting counters on him equal to surveil value rather than whenever he surveils. When I tried to tell him that that isn't how Mirko works, he starts arguing with me and I drop the subject, not calling a judge because I don't want to antagonize him more.</em></p>
<p><em>Eventually Jin gets removed by the Mirko player's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which I only realize later he cast on his opponent's turn, even though it doesn't have flash. I end up killing Mirko, partly so I don't have to deal with the misplay issue. The Ghyrson player proceeds to combo off with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Parun" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Parun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tandem Lookout" href="#" target="_blank">Tandem Lookout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, winning the game. We move onto a second game, and the Mirko player switches to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Ghyrson guy changes over to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain N&#039;ghathrod" href="#" target="_blank">Captain N&#039;ghathrod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta and Mavren" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta and Mavren</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</em></p>
<p><em>Pretty early on, the N'gathrod player gets out a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sludge Monster" href="#" target="_blank">Sludge Monster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and puts a slime counter on Anim, turning her into a vanilla 2/2. The Anim guy rage-quits over this, and leaves, saying he can't do anything without his commander.</em></p>
<p><em>My LGS does random seating arrangements on Commander nights. However, I'm honestly tempted to ask not to be seated with the Mirko player again. He just made the entire experience very uncomfortable for me, and I don't feel any desire to play Magic with him again.</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Am I the Bolas for being mad at this guy, or not pointing out his misconduct rules-wise?</strong></em></p>
<p><em>Sincerely frustrated,</em></p>
<p><em>#1 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mossbridge Troll" href="#" target="_blank">Mossbridge Troll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Fan</em></p>
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<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirko, Obsessive Theorist"></div></div>
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<h2>VERDICT</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column. So if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p>Look, I'm going to be super blunt. Some weeks, the submissions are just gimmes - easy to judge and more than likely already covered in another article. However, we do get some different nuances to discuss in these so they serve as more of a springboard to chat about something that sticks out.</p>
<p>So, let's get this out of the way: You're not the Bolas for not wanting to play with someone again if you didn't have a good time playing with them.</p>
<p>From what you've told us, there's a few things that would be frustrating to deal with. Obviously, we're only getting your side and if I heard from the Mirko player, I'd probably hear all about the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and whatnot. But the misplays are really where I'm on your side.</p>
<p>One of my biggest <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> pet peeves is people who don't engage in good faith discussions about how their cards work - and then doubling down.</p>
<p>I know you missed the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not having flash, but, excuse me, if someone were to point out my commander doesn't work the way I think it does, I'd hopefully have the humility to at least verify the claim, whether by judge or checking online.</p>
<p>What's the worst that can happen if you're really right? You get to teach a player who misunderstood your card how it works? Or worse - What if you're wrong? Aren't you grateful for someone having pointed that out so you can correct your gameplay and adjust your deck since your commander is <em>basically a different card? </em>I mean, come on!</p>
<p>If you are sitting at a table and somebody tells you a card doesn't do what you think it does, call a judge. Do it. It's worth it. If you're in an environment where they are available, call one. You can use the online judge chat, too. Leave no ambiguity if both opinions are opposed.</p>
<p>Of course, if they point it out and you see what they're saying, then yeah, go with that read of the card. Be a good person playing <em>Magic</em>, read the card, and if you're deadlocked, phone a friend ("Judge!") to get you sorted.</p>
<p>I don't really want to say much about the Anim Pakal being Sludged thing. Somebody storming off because their commander is "turned off" after having played (correction: misplayed) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - that's pretty rich.</p>
<p>It's not like you can't hold up the Sludged commander to block so you can cast it again. It's not like you can't make a deal with another player at the table to kill your 2/2 commander so you can have it back. There are more options.</p>
<p>This guy's got real "my way or the highway" energy and that's unpleasant enough for me to not want to play with them again, too. Not the Bolas for not wanting to play with them again.</p>
<p>I'll say this, though. I know <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't a <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer on the official list</a> and all, but Jin's a card that might be worth mentioning in the rule zero chat. Is it necessary? No, but I think it's worth mentioning.</p>
<p>I'm surprised the Reanimator deck had a problem with it though. Get your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Chupacabra" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Chupacabra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the graveyard, you only needed Mirko to have surveilled twice to get it back!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant"></div></div>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="mVCln3Z49q"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-bracket-3-fun-decks/">Am I the Bolas? - Bracket 3 "Fun" Decks</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="WqgynN9UZU"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-forestwalking-the-only-other-green-player/">Am I The Bolas? - Forestwalking the Only Other Green Player</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Am I The Bolas? - Forestwalking the Only Other Green Player&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-forestwalking-the-only-other-green-player/embed/#?secret=M66RosUWVq#?secret=WqgynN9UZU" data-secret="WqgynN9UZU" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0Fm3pfXAkQ"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-tanking-for-new-players/">Am I The Bolas? - Tanking for New Players</a></p></blockquote>
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Am I the Bolas? - Do We Have to Do This?

Which Planes Should We Revisit After the Omenpath Arc? Part 1

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CShiyu%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shiyu</a></em></p>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">With only <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/mill/azorius" target="_blank" rel="noopener">708 Azorius mill decks</a> on the site, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brings a fresh look to the archetype by combining it with another, much more popular one: life gain. It's so popular that <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lifegain/azorius" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Azorius has 4.4 thousand</a> decks on the site!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hope Estheim"></div></div>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A fresh take with a fresh-faced commander means only one thing left to do: dive in, and remind you that while I have never finaled a fantasy, I'm always <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nicnax96.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick</a>. And this is <em>Tech The Deck</em>.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for Hope Estheim</h2>
<h3>So Enchanting</h3>
<p>Today, I must go out of order when discussing cards. The reason is to shout out your Commander Mechanic and mine...Commander Mechanic. After seeing a <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/cmdrmechanic.bsky.social/post/3lpxhwh3vlc2q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post about Hope's synergy with two of my favorite cards</a>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delusions of Mediocrity" href="#" target="_blank">Delusions of Mediocrity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it only makes sense that they would inspire this deck.</p>
<p>They also did <a href="https://youtu.be/gT5rKB9CE54?si=w78Hbv50exbIrq1n" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an excellent video</a> on their version of the deck that everyone should watch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Illusions of Grandeur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delusions of Mediocrity"></div></div>
<p>Both cards seem to have too much risk and not enough reward. Most players might not even know these are real cards. Even fewer would believe me when I tell them that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was part of a <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/trix-2008-09-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-tier deck named Trix</a>.</p>
<p>For two cards I think about far too often, I'm ashamed that their synergy with Hope slipped my mind. Now they will only slip inside a sleeve as I put them into this deck.</p>
<p>The ability to gain 10 or 20 life off only one card would typically be worth nothing in the Commander format. But when that turns into the rest of the table getting milled for 10 to 20 cards, we're on to something. What would be even better for us would be finding a way to do it more than once.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Copy Enchantment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrormade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Estrid&#039;s Invocation"></div></div>
<p>One great thing about enchantments is that they love to find ways to make copies of other enchantments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Copy Enchantment" href="#" target="_blank">Copy Enchantment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card whose name tells you exactly what the card does: It copies an enchantment. You can use this to get a copy of an opponent's enchantment, but they won't have anything as good as an Illusion or Delusion.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrormade" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrormade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes with the added benefit of duplicating an artifact, and, like above, the table certainly won't have anything as good as we're working with, but if they do, we get one too.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Estrid&#039;s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Estrid&#039;s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems to be tailor made for this deck. Not only does it copy an enchantment for us, but it can do it every time we get an upkeep - every upkeep, gaining 20 life and milling 60 cards total from the table. Yes please.</p>
<p>We have one last way to get copies of enchantments from our enchantments in this deck: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extravagant Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Extravagant Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. At <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, this card is at the higher end of our mana value, but after just a few turns, it might get us everything we need to win the game.</p>
<p>It will also do a fine job of giving us extra copies of a few of the next set of cards.</p>
<h3>Twice As Much Instead</h3>
<p>Mill decks over the years have been no strangers to powerful artifacts, with possibly the most well-known being the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mesmeric Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Mesmeric Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While the Orb doesn't make the 99 of this deck, some other powerful artifacts do.</p>
<p>The first is a card most people ignore until it's too late: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venser&#039;s Journal" href="#" target="_blank">Venser&#039;s Journal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Giving no maximum hand size as an effect is often a bonus for cards with something better to do. When it comes to the Journal, it's a key part of why the card is good.</p>
<p>If this card capped out at gaining seven life, it might still get some play, but having an upper end defined by how many cards you can draw guarantees it gets in decks.</p>
<p>A newcomer to the lifegain suite of cards comes courtesy of <em>Final Fantasy, </em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wind Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Wind Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span><em>. </em>Cost reduction on white spells, which make up 63% of the deck, doubling up our lifegain and, in turn, our milling, makes it an easy inclusion.</p>
<p>Finally, some oldie but goodies from Commander games of the past.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Well of Lost Dreams"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well of Lost Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Well of Lost Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a key to this deck turning something like a trigger off of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delusions of Mediocrity" href="#" target="_blank">Delusions of Mediocrity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into possibly ten fresh cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive" href="#" target="_blank">Alhammarret&#039;s Archive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a mainstay in Lifegain decks, so it's a mainstay in this deck. Both cards will be out simultaneously, keeping our cards flowing and our opponents drawing on an empty deck.</p>
<h3>Enchanting</h3>
<p>The core of this deck acts as a typical Enchantress deck. So, the creatures within will look different from those in a typical Lifegain lineup.</p>
<p>The first thing every Enchantress deck needs is the Enchantress creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inquisitive Glimmer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entity Tracker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starfield Mystic"></div></div>
<p>Every Enchantress worth their salt does one of two things: they draw a card whenever we play an enchantment or when one enters, or they reduce how expensive our enchantments are to cast. Sadly, none of these creatures do both.</p>
<p>Our other non-Enchantress creatures in the deck also do their best to help.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will, Scion of Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Will, Scion of Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, helps turn our lifegain into cost reduction on spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides us with an army to keep up the pressure and keep our life high, and giving Pegasus creatures lifelink has never been more relevant than in this deck. This deck runs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and likes it.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, Sun-Crowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, the Radiant Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, the Radiant Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not be the best of friends with one another, but they do love the rest of the characters in this deck.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gogo, Master of Mimicry" href="#" target="_blank">Gogo, Master of Mimicry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be from a different game in the franchise, but they do work great with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Gogo copying Hope's ability multiple times a turn is an easy way to win a game out of nowhere on any turn where we can gain a substantial amount of life.</p>
<h3>Clerical</h3>
<p>One creature in this deck must be highlighted. Not only does it give us life; not only is it cheap to cast; not only does it provide us with a combo angle for the deck; it also has some killer art.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faith Healer"></div></div>
<p>The game doesn't have many ways to sacrifice an enchantment, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faith Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Faith Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does this with no downside. It's not restricted to sorcery speed only, and no mana or life has to be paid to activate it either. The card <em>gains us life</em>.</p>
<p>The combo aspect this card allows us is the primary focus for its inclusion. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will eventually put itself into the yard, not all of our enchantments have that same ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faith Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Faith Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> saves the day.</p>
<p>But why are we putting these cards into the yard? To bring them all back, of course.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dance of the Manse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Open the Vaults"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Second Sunrise"></div></div>
<p>Sending our enchantments to the graveyard looks silly until any of these cards end up in our hands while we do it. While not the most potent combo ever assembled and not the best example of just how powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Second Sunrise" href="#" target="_blank">Second Sunrise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be as a card, this will catch a table off guard.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Resplendent Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Resplendent Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Famished Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Famished Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can combine to mill an entire table out all at once.</p>
<h3>Spice Rack</h3>
<p>No Commander deck is complete without a few spicy inclusions. And this deck is no stranger to spice.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ondu Spiritdancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ondu Spiritdancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets themselves onto the copy train every turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Destiny" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Destiny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to win the game with an alternative plan after opponents catch on to the primary strategy.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Congregate" href="#" target="_blank">Congregate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can gain the most absurd amount of life of any card ever printed, and at the low cost of not blowing up the board. And possible new Lifegain staple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elixir" href="#" target="_blank">Elixir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shuffles back all the good stuff so you can use it again.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>The <em>Final Fantasy</em> set is a strange one for me. I have no connection with the characters, and haven't played any of the games. But at the same time, I'm connected to so many of these cards because of how cool they are for the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> took me a few reads to understand just how cool it is, and I feel that will be happening with many of these cards for years to come.</p>
<p>Thanks to the set, I know that many amazing strategies are coming for the first time, and many more are getting new toys to play with. If you want to see those strategies and the cards that help them, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-commander-deck-techs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of the great content</a> by our fantastic group of writers.</p>
<p>If you want to know my thoughts on more cards, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/nicholas-lucchesi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all my articles here</a>. With <em>Edge of Eternities</em> on the horizon and trips to New York (Spider-Man) and the Fire Nation (Avatar), I'll have no shortage of cool cards to discuss.</p>
<p>As always, I have been Nick. This has been <em>Tech The Deck</em>, and you can find me anywhere you can spell nicnax96 on the internet.</p>
<h2>Hope Estheim Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck - Hope Estheim" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hope Estheim
[/Commander]
[Instant]
*1 Absorb
*1 Beacon of Immortality
*1 Congregate
*1 Faithful Mending
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Heliod&#039;s Intervention
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Restoration Magic
*1 Revitalize
*1 Second Sunrise
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 Thirst for Meaning
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*1 Alhammarret&#039;s Archive
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Elixir
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 The Wind Crystal
*1 Venser&#039;s Journal
*1 Well of Lost Dreams
*1 Zuran Orb
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*1 Angel of Destiny
*1 Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace
*1 Drogskol Reaver
*1 Entity Tracker
*1 Faith Healer
*1 Famished Paladin
*1 Ghostly Dancers
*1 Gogo, Master of Mimicry
*1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
*1 Heliod, the Radiant Dawn // Heliod, the Warped Eclipse
*1 Inquisitive Glimmer
*1 Kwain, Itinerant Meddler
*1 Ondu Spiritdancer
*1 Resplendent Mentor
*1 Rhox Faithmender
*1 Shabraz, the Skyshark
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Will, Scion of Peace
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Copy Enchantment
*1 Delusions of Mediocrity
*1 Estrid&#039;s Invocation
*1 Extravagant Replication
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Grasp of Fate
*1 Illusions of Grandeur
*1 Land Tax
*1 Mirrormade
*1 Propaganda
*1 Sigil of the Empty Throne
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Sphere of Safety
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Dance of the Manse
*1 Fumigate
*1 Idyllic Tutor
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Sanctify
*1 Storm Herd
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Adventurer&#039;s Inn
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith &amp; Grief
*7 Island
*1 Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture
*1 Kabira Crossroads
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Nimbus Maze
*9 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Radiant Fountain
*1 Sea of Clouds
[/Land]"></span></div>


Building an Azorius Mill Commander Deck With Hope Estheim

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>FlyQuest x Archidekt Duel Land event hosts | image still from livestream day 2</em></p>
<p><a href="https://flyquest.gg/pages/duelland">FlyQuest'sDuel Land celebrity charity event</a> has concluded, with two teams each winning a $5,000 prize to the charity of their choice!</p>
<p>The format was <em>Final Fantasy</em> Two-Headed Giant Sealed, with sixteen players paired up over two days of epic livestreamed matches.</p>
<p>We'll reveal the winners at the end of this article, so if you don't want to be spoiled, be sure to check out our livestream embeds below!</p>
<h2>Where Can I Watch the Duel Land Charity Event?</h2>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41.webp"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-156585" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1024x576.webp" alt="player roster for duel land charity event" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-300x169.webp 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-768x432.webp 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1536x864.webp 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41.webp 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<p>Sixteen players (minus <strong>Rachel Weeks</strong>, shown in the image above) gathered at the Flyquest headquarters in Los Angeles for an epic weekend of <em>Final Fantasy</em> Sealed.</p>
<p>Each day was filled with epic matches (and two collector booster box openings!), plenty of laughs, and a ton of hype for the new <em>Final Fantasy</em> cards.</p>
<h3>Day One</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T5JkCdHGL_s?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>There were a total of six 45 minute rounds of Two-Headed Giant for Day One.</p>
<div id="attachment_156586" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156586" class="wp-image-156586 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1024x567.png" alt="taalia vess and brodin plett" width="1024" height="567" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1024x567.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-300x166.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-768x425.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1536x851.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa.png 1820w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156586" class="wp-caption-text">Taalia Vess and Brodin Plett in round 4</p></div>
<h3>Day Two</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o8tbKRzXFUo?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>Day Two saw the semi-finals and finals matches, along with a sweet Commander precon showdown with none other than<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/joseph-schultz" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Joey Schultz</strong></a>!</p>
<div id="attachment_156594" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156594" class="wp-image-156594 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1024x574.png" alt="joey schultz as the monarch" width="1024" height="574" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1024x574.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-300x168.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-768x430.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1536x860.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz.png 1810w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156594" class="wp-caption-text">Joey Schultz and Joel are Magic</p></div>
<h3>Final Fantasy 2HG Sealed Pools and Deck Lists</h3>
<p>Duel Land event teams graciously posted their Sealed pools and deck lists on Archidekt for each day.</p>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/u/FlyQuest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out what your favorite players opened and sleeved up on Archidekt!</a></p>
<h3>Celebrating the Magic of esports</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-156588" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1024x576.jpeg" alt="brodin plett and taalia vess as duel land winners" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners.jpeg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<p>Finalists <strong>Brodin Plett</strong> and <strong>Taalia Vess</strong> ended up taking the winner's crown on Day Two, with a $5,000 charity gift to Village Enterprise, notable for "Equipping women, refugees, and youth in rural Africa to launch small businesses and break the cycle of extreme poverty."</p>
<p>Not to be outdone, Archidekt donated an additional $5,000 to the runners up, <a href="https://x.com/Theasianavenger?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The</strong> <strong>Asian Avenger</strong> </a>(Crim Nguyen) and <a href="https://x.com/heybillierae?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Billie Rae</strong></a>, and their charity of choice, The Tourette Association of America, which "<span class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-rjixqe r-16dba41" dir="auto"><span class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3">is dedicated to making life better for all people affected by Tourette, Tic Disorders, and associated conditions."</span></span></p>
<p>Duel Land was a successful charity event, with esports and MTG players at max hype all weekend. Who was your favorite to watch? Are you ready to see the next FlyQuest x Archidekt streaming event? Shout us out below or on social media with your thoughts!</p>


FlyQuest x Archidekt Draws Thousands to Watch Celebrity MTG Stream Event

How Fun Are the Final Fantasy Main Set Commanders?

Rebuilding Inalla, Archmage Ritualist With Final Fantasy Cards

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer|fin|412" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://davidastruga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Astruga</a></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Final Fantasy</em></a> is here and just as predicted, it's an incredibly popular set. Sure, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traveling Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Traveling Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are dominating the spotlight, but let’s take a look at some of the gems from the set that may be hidden in your bulk. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and it’s my duty to look through your stacks of commons &amp; uncommons so you don’t have to. On today’s Bulk Up, I present to you some amazing cards you might have overlooked, just waiting to be added to your decks.</span></p>
<h3>Blitzball</h3>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s kick things off this week with everyone’s favorite game: Is this three mana rock good enough in Commander? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blitzball" href="#" target="_blank">Blitzball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> taps for a mana of any color, but it can also tap and sacrifice itself to draw two cards if a legendary creature has dealt combat damage to an opponent that turn. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This card is great in aggressive strategies, especially when you have an expensive commander who loves to get into combat, since those kinds of decks usually need help with refilling their hand.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In terms of a deck suggestion for this card, let’s pair it up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slicer, Hired Muscle" href="#" target="_blank">Slicer, Hired Muscle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Decks built around this commander are centered around powering out Slicer, and then passing it around. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you notice, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blitzball" href="#" target="_blank">Blitzball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be sacrificed to draw those cards whenever an opponent is dealt damage by any legendary creature, you don’t have to be the one to control it. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, be sneaky and hold this up until it’s just right for you to draw those cards when no one is expecting it. </span></p>
<h3>Restoration Magic</h3>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Every deck needs to protect its key pieces, especially since more and more removal gets added to the format each year. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restoration Magic" href="#" target="_blank">Restoration Magic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being a tiered spell that can save a valuable permanent makes it incredibly useful at any point in the game. Since some matchups can be a war of attrition, the option to save your whole board while also gaining six life can be just the thing to put you out of kill-range!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amalia Benavides Aguirre" href="#" target="_blank">Amalia Benavides Aguirre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a life gain commander that, when left unchecked, can turn into a board wipe. So, she often becomes a lightning rod for removal, which is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restoration Magic" href="#" target="_blank">Restoration Magic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can come to the rescue. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, you can get extra tricky with these two cards, and here’s how: When Amalia is one counter away from sweeping the table, cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restoration Magic" href="#" target="_blank">Restoration Magic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for its five mana level, giving your board indestructible and gaining you life. If Amalia gets that final counter, then she'll destroy every creature except for yours.</span></p>
<h3>Sazh's Chocobo</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sazh&#039;s Chocobo"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">+1/+1 counter decks are incredibly popular in Commander, totaling over one hundred and sixty thousand decks <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/plus-1-plus-1-counters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here on EDHREC</a>. Which is why you could hear a collective cheer during preview season when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sazh&#039;s Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Sazh&#039;s Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was revealed. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A one-mana creature that gets a counter every time a land enters your board may not seem flashy, but when your deck just wants to build up counters as quickly as possible, starting that engine on turn one is exactly what you’re looking for. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A mono-colored legend that loves modified creatures is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the West Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the West Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The one thing that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sazh&#039;s Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Sazh&#039;s Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is missing is some way to punch that damage through, which is where Kodama comes in. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Giving your little chick trample, then ramping lands when it hits is exactly the type of synergy we love to see. So, if you already have a Kodama deck, be sure to go looking for this li'l friend in your boosters.</span></p>
<h3>Al Bhed Salvagers</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Al Bhed Salvagers"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our next card not only fits in with <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aristocrat decks</a>, but it also makes Clues, Food, Treasures and more even better; it’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Al Bhed Salvagers" href="#" target="_blank">Al Bhed Salvagers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We've seen several different variations of this type of card over the years, but the new spin this time around is that it triggers on both creatures and artifacts, making it perfect to pair up with anything that wants to sacrifice itself for your cause.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A commander that consistently makes artifacts that will feed the Salvagers is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff" href="#" target="_blank">Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He makes you a Treasure whenever a player casts their second spell, which is a great ability, however it does cost you one life in the process. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is what makes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Al Bhed Salvagers" href="#" target="_blank">Al Bhed Salvagers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> such a great fit in the deck, since you can then use that token for mana, gain your life back, and drain someone else.</span></p>
<h3>Opera Love Song</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opera Love Song"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Red’s card advantage has come a long way, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opera Love Song" href="#" target="_blank">Opera Love Song</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just more proof of that. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sure, it could pump up a couple of your creatures for a turn, but more importantly, it gives you access to the top two cards of your library at instant speed. The rate of this is just amazing, especially since you can hold up that mana as your opponents take their turns, then surprise them with this spell right before your turn.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you picked up the <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/exit-from-exile-precon-primer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Exit From Exile</a></em> precon back in the day, then your commander <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just champing at the bit for this new spell. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, casting spells from exile is something that keeps your engine running, but that power buff is something that could come up when the time is right. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With all those Wolf tokens you have sitting around, you can turn a chump block into a gotcha-style combat trick! </span></p>
<h3>Stolen Uniform</h3>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At first glance, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stolen Uniform" href="#" target="_blank">Stolen Uniform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might seem like a pretty narrow Equipment-matters card. While it does rely on an Equipment being on the field, it has a few tricks up its stolen sleeves. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First off, you can steal an opponent’s pivotal protection piece, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, allowing you to finally target the creature with removal. On top of that, it can also just allow you to attach an Equipment on your side of the field for only one mana, getting around expensive equip costs (I’m looking at you, <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>…)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A commander that can add even more tricks to the mix is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain" href="#" target="_blank">Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you steal an Equipment from one of your opponents, all you need to do is attack with the creature you attached it to, which will then trigger Arna. That'll create a copy of the Equipment you stole, which you get to keep even after you give back what you borrowed. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not bad for only one mana! </span></p>
<h2>Great Uncommon Legends</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next up, let’s take a look at a few uncommon legendary creatures that could make for great commanders themselves, but can do some major work in the 99 of another deck.</span></p>
<h3>Black Waltz No. 3</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Waltz No. 3"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a certified staple in the Commander format, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Waltz No. 3" href="#" target="_blank">Black Waltz No. 3</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits a similar role. Dealing two damage to each opponent whenever you cast a noncreature spell is amazing, and can fit in a few places <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn’t. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Decks centered around artifacts, enchantments, or even planeswalkers can tend to spin their wheels, but that’s where this Black Mage can help. Plus, don’t discount this in Standard spellslinger decks, since it can weaponize your value plays.</span></p>
<h3>Ignis Scientia</h3>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For people who have followed my <em>Bulk Up</em> series for a while, you’ll know I love the type of ramp found on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ignis Scientia" href="#" target="_blank">Ignis Scientia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Instead of picking up your deck, searching for a land, then shuffling; you just look at the top six cards of your library and pick the best land. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This helps speed up the game, as well as gives you the ability to hit nonbasics. Sure, it makes fixing your mana a little harder, but the ease of use is worth the risk. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep an eye out for this guy and his delicious treats while you’re opening packs from this set!</span></p>
<h3>The Emperor of Palamecia</h3>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of ramp, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Emperor of Palamecia" href="#" target="_blank">The Emperor of Palamecia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here to help you cast your noncreature spells, coming down as early as turn two. Even though that mana does come with a restriction, when paired with the right deck, The Emperor can end up feeling like any other mana source. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On top of all of that, it can grow with counters as the game goes on, and transform into a nasty repeatable burn outlet on its flip side. Which makes it great not only in the setup phases of your game, but also when you need to close things out in a match. </span></p>
<h3>Cid, Timeless Artificer</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Closing things out this week with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which comes with everyone's favorite text “A deck can have any number of cards named <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=released&amp;q=%21%22Cid%2C+Timeless+Artificer%22+include%3Aextras&amp;unique=prints" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a>.” Since it has that clause, this is an uncommon that will most likely fetch a higher price for a long time. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">It also has the benefit of being a card with alternate art for each version of Cid in the games, adding more value to whichever variant of the card you get. Plus, it’s just a cool design, helping both Heroes and artifact creatures you control. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With this set, and all the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/spe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marvel cards to come</a>, supporting Heroes will become more valuable as time goes on. </span></p>
<h2>The Wrap Up</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whether you went to a prerelease, draft, or just picked up boosters from this set, you’re bound to find some of the amazing cards we talked about today hidden in your bulk. So, before you let those stacks of cards sit too long, sift through them one more time, because a future staple might be waiting for you. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you want to see more great commons &amp; uncommons from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Final Fantasy</em></a>, I did another edition of <em>Bulk Up</em> a few weeks ago that you can <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/amazing-commons-uncommons-from-the-final-fantasy-set" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out here</a>.</span></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="bOM7jQlAvx"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-mechanical-magic-of-final-fantasy/">The Mechanical Magic of Final Fantasy</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="lH2ScRZqUS"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-graveyard-cards-in-final-fantasy/">The Best Graveyard Cards in Final Fantasy</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="HLzhtVOCCB"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/meld-ragnarok-with-fang-and-vanille-in-pauper-commander/">Meld Ragnarok With Fang and Vanille In Pauper Commander</a></p></blockquote>
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Don't Let These Final Fantasy Bulk Cards Collect Dust

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zell Dincht" href="#" target="_blank">Zell Dincht</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kevin_sidharta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Sidharta</a></em></p>
<p>"My weapons are these fists of mine!" is amazing flavor text for a <em>Magic</em> card, and these words aren't far from the truth for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zell Dincht" href="#" target="_blank">Zell Dincht</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zell Dincht"></div></div>
<p>I know next to nothing about <em>Final Fantasy</em>, but when seeing this legendary creature relatively early on in spoiler season, I was immediately intrigued.</p>
<p>Was it the most powerful commander I've ever seen? No. Was it the most unique commander I've ever seen? Also no, but it's pretty close. Mono-red Landfall? There's got to be some way to break that, right?</p>
<p>I've covered Landfall and Lands Matter themes in my <em>Bottom of the Barrel</em> series before, so I'm no stranger to "off-color" Landfall decks. An "off-color" <em>mono-color</em> Landfall deck, however, seems like the perfect challenge.</p>
<p>On its face, this commander seems like it's trying to lead you in one specific direction, but I've decided to take this brew and sculpt it like my old "Power Throw" <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> deck. With this in mind, we really only need a few lands on board for our commander to do ridiculous amounts of damage.</p>
<p>Allow me to explain...</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Zell Dincht</h2>
<h3>Category #1: "Pump It Up"</h3>
<p>As previously mentioned, I'll be basing this brew on a <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> list that I loved dearly, largely inspired by my fellow EDHREC writer, Dana Roach. Dana's build of Juri focused specifically on Treasures as a way to make Juri as big as possible, as fast as possible.</p>
<p>I don't have the Treasure synergies here, but I <em>do </em>have the pump spells that made Juri sing. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wine of Blood and Iron" href="#" target="_blank">Wine of Blood and Iron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a repeatable way to double our commander's power, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fatal Frenzy" href="#" target="_blank">Fatal Frenzy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles power <em>and gives trample</em>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Battle Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Battle Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants double strike and trample.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wine of Blood and Iron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fatal Frenzy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div></div>
<p>These spells are only a small sample of what makes our deck really cook. A few more examples include: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Granite Grip" href="#" target="_blank">Granite Grip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give our commander twice the boost from our lands, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Downhill Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Downhill Charge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give our commander an instant-speed boost, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overblaze" href="#" target="_blank">Overblaze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to double the damage our commander will deal no matter their power.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Granite Grip"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Downhill Charge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overblaze"></div></div>
<p>We can pump our commander all we want, but if we can't hit someone for damage, what do we do?</p>
<h3>Category #2: Dealing Direct Damage</h3>
<p>I like to describe the cards in this category as "Fling" and "Fling Adjacent" because they allow our pumped commander to deal direct damage. Hopefully, it'll be enough to kill an opponent in one shot.</p>
<p>The most obvious inclusion in this category is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as it's a way for our big commander to be "thrown" at an opponent. Other great inclusions are: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Soul&#039;s Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as way to deal damage without sacrificing our commander, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a way to kill everyone (hopefully).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul&#039;s Fire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra&#039;s Ignition"></div></div>
<p>Outside of direct damage, we need to include plenty of ways to give our commander evasion...</p>
<h3>Category #3: Granting Evasion</h3>
<p>Yes, getting a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> kill would be amazing, but it's not always guaranteed.</p>
<p>There are few ways we can push damage in this deck, whether it be through granting flying with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ebony Fly" href="#" target="_blank">Ebony Fly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, granting trample with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archetype of Aggression" href="#" target="_blank">Archetype of Aggression</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadowspear" href="#" target="_blank">Shadowspear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or making it unblockable with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ebony Fly"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archetype of Aggression"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shadowspear"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brotherhood Regalia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div></div>
<h3>Category #4: Burn</h3>
<p>Outside of the Voltron plan, we have a small Burn package as our backup plan.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sabotender" href="#" target="_blank">Sabotender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tunneling Geopede" href="#" target="_blank">Tunneling Geopede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both provide damage when our lands enter;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Koth, Fire of Resistance" href="#" target="_blank">Koth, Fire of Resistance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can ultimate and provide us with a game-ending emblem;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Themberchaud" href="#" target="_blank">Themberchaud</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can act as a board wipe and great source of burn;</li>
<li>And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns every Mountain we play into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sabotender"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tunneling Geopede"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Koth, Fire of Resistance"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Themberchaud"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Bolt"></div></div>
<h2>Zell Dincht Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>Check out my deck list below!</p>
<div>
<div>
<div id="deck_for_archidekt_scraper"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Zell Dincht" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zell Dincht
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Claws of Valakut
*1 Glacial Crevasses
*1 Granite Grip
*1 Retreat to Valakut
*1 Tectonic Reformation
*1 Valakut Exploration
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Downhill Charge
*1 Fatal Frenzy
*1 Fling
*1 Kazuul&#039;s Fury // Kazuul&#039;s Cliffs
*1 Overblaze
*1 Rush of Blood
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Soul&#039;s Fire
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Untimely Malfunction
*1 Valakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge
*1 Wild Magic Surge
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archetype of Aggression
*1 Bonehoard Dracosaur
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Embodiment of Fury
*1 PuPu UFO
*1 Sabotender
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Themberchaud
*1 Tunneling Geopede
*1 Walking Atlas
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Adventuring Gear
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bitterthorn, Nissa&#039;s Animus
*1 Blackblade Reforged
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Ghirapur Orrery
*1 Hithlain Rope
*1 Horn of Greed
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Realmbreaker, the Invasion Tree
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Forge and Frontier
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Thaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Wine of Blood and Iron
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Koth, Fire of Resistance
[/Planeswalkers]
[Sorceries]
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Cleansing Wildfire
*1 Crash Through
*1 Nahiri&#039;s Lithoforming
*1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
*1 Wheel of Misfortune
[/Sorceries]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Kaldheim // Pyre of the World Tree
[/Battles]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Diamond City
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Field of the Dead
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Glacial Chasm
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Horizon of Progress
*1 Maze of Ith
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*20 Snow-Covered Mountain
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
*1 Vesuva
*1 War Room
*1 Witch&#039;s Clinic
[/Lands]"></span></div></p>
<h2>Closing Thoughts on Zell Dincht</h2>
<p>That will do it for our deck tech on Zell Dincht. It was so cool to explore a Voltron space with a Landfall flavor, and I hope this inspires you to make your own brew around Zell Dincht!</p>


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