From the Brim to the Trim - Copying Opponents Without Mimicking Their Budget

(Re)Brew For Your Buck - Ratadrabik's Rings

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art By <a href="https://izzymedrano.artstation.com/">Izzy</a>)</h6>
<h1>That Sinking Feeling</h1>
<p>Welcome back to our lesson on mana sinks. In this article, we’re going to be covering the remainder of the color pie, starting with black. If you missed part one of this series, where I cover white and blue as well as an introduction to why mana sinks are important in Commander, I encourage you to check out the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/preview-review-mana-sinks-part-one/">first part in this miniseries</a> before moving on to this one!</p>
<p>Don’t worry, I’ll wait... Right, you’re back? Great!</p>
<h2>Black</h2>
<p>Moving through the colors of <em>Magic: The Gathering,</em> we're coming to black.</p>
<p>As I mentioned in the last article, some colors have it easier than others when it comes to making use of your spare mana. Black will reward you with plenty of options to turn that mana into mischief, you just might have to pay a little life to go with it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Greed"></div></div>
<p>Let’s start with an old favorite, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> goes all the way back to the <em>Fourth Edition</em> of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. Since 1995, we’ve been able to slot <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our decks and turn our excess life and mana into more cards. If you’re new to the game, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the epitome of the advantages a black card can grant you. You’re able to pay a small amount of mana coupled with a little bit of life to get that extra card. You can try to draw the key removal piece you need or your next land drop. What makes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> truly black though is the temptation. It’s only one mana, it’s only two life. How deep are you prepared to go to get what you want? (Don’t answer that question, that’s why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ad Nauseam" href="#" target="_blank">Ad Nauseam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card) That is black magic.</p>
<p>Many of these effects exist in black, you can find the same ability tacked on to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erebos, God of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Erebos, God of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A very powerful commander in their own right, although one you see less and less of these days. Erebos slots nicely into the 99 of any deck that wants to make a lot of mana and have a place to spend it; with the added bonus that your opponents can’t gain life attempt to claw back the life they’ve lost. The added utility plus the fact that it’s stapled onto an indestructible enchantment that has the potential to become a creature is why you’re paying an additional mana here over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erebos, God of the Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dockside Chef"></div></div>
<p>A modern rendition of the same effect is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Chef" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Chef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While it pays a lot less to be a chef than an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, card draw is nothing to be sniffed at. Rather than life, you’re looking to sacrifice other creatures or artifacts. If you’re looking for a way to shoehorn this effect into your deck at a lower mana value, the chef absolutely performs to a T. If your deck is running disposable artifact tokens like Clues, Treasures and Food, it’s easy to turn tokens card draw when you need them.</p>
<p>Now, it's worth knowing that black can do more than just draw you cards with your excess mana. There's no better way to invalidate your opponents' removal than ensuring that your creatures don't stay dead!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Reclamation"></div></div>
<p>Black has numerous ways for you to get creatures back from the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will allow you to return creature cards from your graveyard to your hand for two mana and two life. Once again, it works at that standard rate of two mana and two life for a card that black seems so fond of. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also allows you to reuse your best enter the battlefield effects: being able to sacrifice and recur your own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and drain the table for life. That life can then be used to refuel <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and potentially close out a game very quickly, much to the chagrin of your opponents.</p>
<h2>Red</h2>
<p>I have been so excited to write about red for this article. Black and the notion of paying mana for card advantage is a tale as old as time. Red is all about paying mana to give your creatures more power. Now, the purpose of this article series is to encourage the effective use of your mana.‘Firebreathing’ effects, like the ones listed on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shivan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Shivan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the namesake card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebreathing" href="#" target="_blank">Firebreathing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are great at pushing through excess damage on your turn. They can also be used to surprise your opponent during combat as you block their creature and increase your creature’s power to ensure a trade. I don’t want to cover those effects though, as frankly, I believe modern red can do a lot better. There is an effect that will allow you to make better use of holding up your mana than spending it all on firebreathing on your turn. That effect is Goad, and it is far more useful than you think.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shivan Dragon"></div></div>
<p>When I talk about Goad, I’m not talking about Goad itself or forced-combat themed decks. I’m talking about the inclusion of cards that can give out Goad's effect at instant speed and the utility that it provides.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farid, Enterprising Salvager"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content=", Enterprising Salvager" href="#" target="_blank">, Enterprising Salvager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card from the recent set, <em>The Brothers’ War: Commander</em>. has a static ability that creates colourless artifact tokens whenever non-token artifacts are put into the graveyard from the battlefield. This is great for effects that care about artifacts in your deck that may already exist. The ability that really makes this card shine, however, is its activated ability.</p>
<p>So now, let’s think about why instant speed Goad is important:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightsteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chaos Warp"></div></div>
<ul>
<li>Let’s say there’s a huge scary creature in play, like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
<li>You have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand, you could remove the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> immediately, and you don’t have to worry about being hit.</li>
</ul>
<p>In this scenario, you hold up the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> until the player with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> attacks you which could be first, could be third but either way, the threat is dealt with and it’s onto the dealing with the next threat from the next player.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightsteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chaos Warp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name=", Enterprising Salvager"></div></div>
<p>Or, with :</p>
<ul>
<li>Let’s say there’s a huge scary creature in play, like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li>You have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand, you could remove the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> immediately, and you don’t have to worry about being hit.</li>
<li>Instead, you decide to hold up two mana to activate in response to that player moving to combat. You are now not getting hit, guaranteed.</li>
<li>The player with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> must attack the other players and begins the process of removing your opponents for you.</li>
<li>It is now in the other player's best interest to remove the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> instead of you. If they don’t have the removal, they are at threat of dying from Infect. If they do have the removal, the Blightsteel is removed and you still have the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
</ul>
<p>In this scenario, you have dealt with the Blightsteel for a potential of several turns for a two mana investment. Even if you didn’t have the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you have extra turns to try to draw the interaction you need to answer the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when the other players are dead.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laurine, the Diversion"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laurine, the Diversion" href="#" target="_blank">Laurine, the Diversion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the same ability printed on her, albeit she’s able to sacrifice both artifacts and creatures, widening her flexibility. She offers no way to generate either, due to her initial printing with her Partner commander <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kamber, the Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Kamber, the Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Remember that Laurine’s ability can be paid with generic mana (making her the more flexible card to activate), so it’s up to you which to run!</p>
<p>That wraps up part two of our series on the different types of mana sinks in Commander. Hopefully this article points you in the direction of some useful cards to spend all that excess mana. In the final part of this article series, we will be looking at green and some artifacts that can find a home in any deck. This quick look at colors should hopefully allow us to identify each color's weaknesses. So I'll be recommending some artifacts you might want to include in white, blue, black, red and green!</p>
<p>In the meantime, I received a lot of great feedback from you all with suggestions for your favorite mana sinks. Why not drop a couple more down in the comments below? Or you can discuss them with me on Twitter (Yep, it's still called Twitter to me) at <a href="https://twitter.com/PrinceofBielTan">PrinceofBielTan</a>.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next one!</p>
<h3>Read more:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/preview-review-mana-sinks-part-one/">Preview Review - Mana Sinks (Part One)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/too-specific-top-10-mana-positive/">Too-Specific Top 10 - Mana Positive</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/solve-the-equation-mana-efficiency-vs-sequencing/">Solve the Equation - Mana Efficiency VS Sequencing</a></li>
</ul>


Preview Review - Mana Sinks (Part Two)

Too-Specific Top 10 - Fwip-Flumph

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyome, Master Chef" href="#" target="_blank">Gyome, Master Chef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art By <a href="https://www.originalmagicart.store/collections/steve-prescott">Steve Prescott</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Discussion Over Dinner</h1>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyome, Master Chef" href="#" target="_blank">Gyome, Master Chef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the best black green politics commander, and lifegain/artifact builds have been holding him back. Despite popularity for meme flavor builds, Gyome isn't particularly powerful. There were 13 new legendaries that create Food tokens printed in <em>The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth </em>(LOTR). These new commanders have somewhat diminished the novelty of Food decks and the cards that support them. This further reduces the reason to build Gyome for its unique niche and look for something better instead.</p>
<p>For those on the fence, I want you to give Gyome another look. While most build Gyome to abuse his end step trigger (a trigger now outclassed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Samwise Gamgee" href="#" target="_blank">Samwise Gamgee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), this build focuses on Gyome's activated ability. There's no exaggeration when I say Gyome has the most versatile activated ability in the format.</p>
<p>Let me explain.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gyome, Master Chef"></div></div>
<p>The ability is deceptively simple. It reads:</p>
<p>Pay 1, Sacrifice a Food: Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. Tap it.</p>
<p>This is reminiscent of Regenerate. Likely, this is specifically referencing other Trolls getting Regenerate. Gyome's activated ability is much more open-ended and can benefit you in several ways. You can:</p>
<ol>
<li>Protect your creature from removal</li>
<li>Stop an opponent's creature from blocking</li>
<li>Prevent your attacking creature from dying in combat</li>
<li>Prevent your blocking creature from dying in combat</li>
<li>Interfere with a creature's tap ability</li>
<li>Prevent an opponent's creature from attacking</li>
<li>Safely trigger effects like <em>Inspired</em></li>
</ol>
<p>Most decks use this ability to protect their own game plan. This build uses it as political leverage, effectively doubling its use cases/value. Of course, Commander is a game of value. There's nothing better than being able to leverage player actions for a few carefully placed ability words.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Gyome Politics" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander] *1 Gyome, Master Chef [/Commander] [Creatures] *1 Academy Manufactor *1 Beast Whisperer *1 Birds of Paradise *1 Blossoming Bogbeast *1 Caustic Caterpillar *1 Disciple of the Vault *1 Dockside Chef *1 Elanor Gardner *1 Elves of Deep Shadow *1 Elvish Mystic *1 Farhaven Elf *1 Fyndhorn Elves *1 Gilded Goose *1 Gingerbrute *1 Gollum, Scheming Guide *1 Haywire Mite *1 Heartwood Storyteller *1 Horobi, Death&#039;s Wail *1 Jaheira, Friend of the Forest *1 Kaervek, the Spiteful *1 Keen Duelist *1 King Macar, the Gold-Cursed *1 Llanowar Elves *1 Manglehorn *1 Masked Vandal *1 Massacre Wurm *1 Meriadoc Brandybuck *1 Motivated Pony *1 Nullmage Advocate *1 Pain Seer *1 Peregrin Took *1 Pippin, Warden of Isengard *1 Reassembling Skeleton *1 Reclamation Sage *1 Rhonas the Indomitable *1 Rug of Smothering *1 Runic Armasaur *1 Sakura-Tribe Elder *1 Sarinth Steelseeker *1 Savvy Hunter *1 Silversmote Ghoul *1 Skullwinder *1 Thrashing Wumpus *1 Tireless Provisioner *1 Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root *1 Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire *1 Vhati il-Dal *1 Wandering Archaic // Explore the Vastlands [/Creatures] [Artifacts] *1 Coercive Portal *1 Idol of Oblivion *1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk *1 Victory Chimes *1 Wishclaw Talisman *1 Worldslayer [/Artifacts] [Instants] *1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy *1 Berserk *1 Heroic Intervention *1 Tainted Strike [/Instants] [Sorceries] *1 Revive the Shire *1 Scheming Symmetry [/Sorceries] [Enchantments] *1 Trail of Crumbs *1 Viridian Revel [/Enchantments] [Lands] *1 Arcane Lighthouse *1 Bojuka Bog *1 Command Tower *1 Field of Ruin *16 Forest *1 Ghost Quarter *1 Gingerbread Cabin *1 Golgari Rot Farm *1 High Market *1 Llanowar Wastes *1 Maze of Ith *9 Swamp *1 Temple of Malady *1 The Shire [/Lands]"></span></div>   </p>
<h2>Threat of Snacktivation</h2>
<p>Say Opponent One is ready to attack with something scary. Let's say <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in this case. As a Gyome player, it takes three words to launch your game plan.</p>
<p>"Before you declare attackers..."</p>
<p>You have to act <em>now</em> because after someone declares attackers, Gyome can't prevent the swing. You need to make it very clear to your opponent you can activate Gyome to stop <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from coming your way.</p>
<p>But you don't want to have to do that, and neither does Opponent One. They'll want to get a swing in, or at least keep a scary blocker. As the Gyome player and experienced politician, you have a solution that works for both of you.</p>
<p>You and Opponent One agree they should swing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at Opponent Two.</p>
<p>If all goes well, Opponent Two dies to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Without Opponent One knowing it, you've effectively goaded their <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for free. Not one mana nor one card spent. Who says <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disrupt Decorum" href="#" target="_blank">politics and dinner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> don't mix?</p>
<h2>Talking is a Free Action</h2>
<p>As the Gyome player, you're playing a fifth dimensional value game. You should be looking for opportunities to change the tide of battle. Your turn will be spent playing a few value pieces then ending by leaving mana open and a few Food tokens laying around. You then start making plays during your opponent's turns:</p>
<ul>
<li>Offer to save your opponent's commander from a board wipe.</li>
<li>Offer to take out a blocker for an opponent.</li>
<li>Offer to change the outcome of a combat step gone sour.</li>
</ul>
<p>Of course, there's no free lunch, but there <em>is</em> still plenty you could ask for to keep an opponent's game plan on track:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ask for "immunity", where the opponent promises not to attack you or harm your board.</li>
<li>Ask them to deal with a problem permanent.</li>
<li>Ask them to take a hit from one of your creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savvy Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Savvy Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you have Food and mana leftover, you can turn that into card advantage with one of several engines in the deck. Of course, you can also "eat" the tokens as a treat.</p>
<h2>Kitchen Staff</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhonas the Indomitable"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vhati il-Dal"></div></div>
<p>The most unique part of the deck is its suite of political cards. These cards are traditionally used on your own creatures, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Strike" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Strike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserk" href="#" target="_blank">Berserk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are just as lethal to opposing creatures.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhonas the Indomitable" href="#" target="_blank">Rhonas the Indomitable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can attack and block with your commander out. Deathtouch and indestructible make for an excellent deterrent. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhonas the Indomitable" href="#" target="_blank">Rhonas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can pump and grant trample to an opponent's creature if they promise to swing it elsewhere (perhaps for a turn of immunity if it's not too much trouble).</p>
<p>The tutors in this deck can grab one of your viable toolbox answers. But you can also use them on your opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire" href="#" target="_blank">Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampiric Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Vampiric Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for your opponent. This is a big deal. You aren't going give someone one of the most powerful effects in the game for nothing. Ask for several turns of immunity, a permanent answer to another player, or a way to keep your opponent from winning next turn. Other tutors should be used in the same way.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vhati il-Dal" href="#" target="_blank">Vhati il-Dal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a halfway decent impression of Gyome. You can make deals with his activated ability in the same way as Gyome allowing more political actions a turn cycle. There is value in not needing mana or Food lying around for use. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maze of Ith" href="#" target="_blank">Maze of Ith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be used the similarly.</p>
<h2>Did You Bring Enough Value to Share with Everybody?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrashing Wumpus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wandering Archaic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heartwood Storyteller"></div></div>
<p>Gyome has the most pronounced leverage over huge, singular beaters. However, there are several other strategies you can't easily manipulate. Some of the deck is built to punish other strategies that Gyome can't take political control over. This is why the deck features several punishing pieces. You could add hard <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/stax">Stax</a> pieces and <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/hatebears">Hate Bears</a>. I've opted for pieces that don't stop your opponents, but punish them. Besides, Stax and Hate Bears draw too much ire. The best part of the punishing pieces in this deck is that they're much harder to remove because of Gyome.</p>
<p>Against go-wide strategies there are a few good options. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaervek, the Spiteful" href="#" target="_blank">Kaervek, the Spiteful</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can wipe a board of tokens or buy enough time to stop the token player. With enough mana, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrashing Wumpus" href="#" target="_blank">Thrashing Wumpus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> becomes a one-sided board wipe alongside Gyome's activated ability.</p>
<p>Spellslinger decks have to really think about their game plan with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wandering Archaic" href="#" target="_blank">Wandering Archaic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rug of Smothering" href="#" target="_blank">Rug of Smothering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the battlefield.</p>
<p>Other artifact token decks could stand to drop a peg. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manglehorn" href="#" target="_blank">Manglehorn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> slows Treasure decks down. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of the Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of the Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a good job lowering life totals to where even Gyome himself could finish off an opponent.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heartwood Storyteller" href="#" target="_blank">Heartwood Storyteller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible source of card advantage. Because this deck is creature-focused, your opponents won't benefit as much as you will. Your opponents are disincentivized to attack you since you're keeping their hand full. Also, non-creature strategies will be forced to fight upward through full hands from each player. Giving your opponents card advantage is all upside for this deck.</p>
<p>This deck packs little punch in terms of raw game pieces. Tuned decks will be able to overwhelm you with value. However, this is a hidden strength of this deck. You will seldom be perceived as a "real" threat. I recommend keeping anything that could <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldslayer" href="#" target="_blank">draw attention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand unless you're winning with it or can fully redirect the table's attention.</p>
<p>By the time it's you and your last opponent, you've had plenty of time to amass resources. Thus, there are a few <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blossoming Bogbeast" href="#" target="_blank">finishers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that will get the job done. Amassed Food tokens can also be used to keep your opponent from ever getting to attack or block in a meaningful way.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>The best political commander from Strixhaven isn't <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breena, the Demagogue" href="#" target="_blank">Breena</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadrix Silverquill" href="#" target="_blank">Shadrix Silverquill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyome, Master Chef" href="#" target="_blank">Gyome, Master Chef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This is the kind of deck you want to talk to your playgroup about first. The key weakness to this deck (as with most politics) is betrayal. If an opponent doesn't hold their end of the bargain, you're toast. You can retaliate to show you can't be taken advantage of before things get too hairy. Also, you can try to get your other opponents to attack the one who betrayed you. But if the whole group doesn't care to play politics, it's done. Your opponents will walk into your kitchen, eat, then leave without paying.</p>
<p>If your playgroup is game, people generally enjoy playing against this deck. It gives more resources to the table. You get to make schemes and feel clever, but so do your opponents. It makes for sociable, memorable games.</p>
<p>Lastly, the flavor of the deck is arguably best in a political deck. Offering life-saving sustenance to doomed creatures or distracting a creature with a cauldron of soup is such a flavor win. The ceaseless silliness of game mechanic "flavor" and the flavor of Food is a true joy. It's not an obvious direction to build at first glance. The politics theme doesn't even show up on Gyome's EDHREC page, nor do many of the cards in this deck. I think players are missing out on a genuinely unique way to play. If you wanted to build a value Food deck, I suggest you look to one of the 13 new Food-centric commanders you could build with and around. If you want to try a taste of politics right now, give Gyome a chance.</p>


The Other Ability - Gyome, Political Mastermind

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/sta/21/tezzerets-gambit">Tezzeret's Gambit</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJason+Felix%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Jason Felix</a>)</h6>
<h1>Di-mind your own business. I did not Ashiok you a question. Do you wanna get Tezzer-wrecked, son?</h1>
<p>The question of planeswalkers as commanders has been brought up in <em>Magic</em> discourse an infinite number of times. People say it would kill EDH as a format, and others say it will do nothing but give more options to an endless pool of commanders. I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. My name is Nick, and the eighth installment of <em>Myth Realized</em> will cover Dimir (blue, black) cards and how they would each ruin (or not ruin) your favorite 100-card singleton format.</p>
<p>If you have stuck around with me until this article, you know what cards to look out for in this color combination. If not, check out the individual articles I did in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-blue-pt-1/">blue</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-black/">black</a> to see the cards I've shouted out in these colors.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Dream Render" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Dream Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1UU</strong>/<strong>1BB</strong>/<strong>1UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Dream Render"></div></div>
<p>One of the best Planeswalkers from <em>War of the Spark</em> and a sideboard staple in various 60-card formats when "deck thinning" is meta. The best part about this card is that all the abilities are beneficial to you and detrimental to your opponents (as cards should be). Graveyard decks want Ashiok, mill decks want Ashiok, control decks want Ashiok, and you should want Ashiok...at the head of your Commander deck.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Nightmare Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Nightmare Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 3UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Nightmare Muse"></div></div>
<p>A few more mana with this interaction of Ashiok and a few more abilities to go along with it. Ashiok looks better now than it did during <em>Theros Beyond Death</em> with the influx of exile-matters cards in this color pair, but during its release Ashiok needed to be answered fast if it hit the board across from you. It's much better in a 1v1 setting, but it would be an exciting commander for a Dimir exile deck as it's less punishing than other options. Five loyalty and the ability to make a 2/3 token allows Ashiok to stay on the board for a time, but your opponents will not let you get the ultimate off.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver"></div></div>
<p>If I made this claim before, there's a big chance I lied. This is almost certainly my favorite planeswalker of all time. The official title might be the Nightmare Weaver, but I will always know them as Splashiok. A card revered as being so good in 1v1 formats that you would "splash" a color (usually black) to play this in your deck. Sadly, this card is laughably bad in multiplayer. If you're a die-hard sicko like me, you'd be the only other person to head up a deck of counterspells, permission, card draw, and removal. For better or worse, I'll always pick this in a cube. Even if I'm mono-green and there's a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> staring me in the face I'll still pause and pick this Nightmare.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 4UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears"></div></div>
<p>As we see, Ashiok has many talents, from weaving to sculpting to dreams and nightmares. We also see a rare case when the planeswalker deck version of the card might be better when talking about Commander than the standard set release version. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> costs one more mana compared to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Nightmare Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Nightmare Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it also comes with one more loyalty and potentially better abilities. While making tokens is nice, I would almost always want to draw cards, and with this card I can. Any graveyard reanimation effect is nothing to sneeze at, and the ability to steal a player's creatures forever could be a game winning strategy assuming you can keep Ashiok alive that long.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito, Dancing Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito, Dancing Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span><strong> - 2UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaito, Dancing Shadow"></div></div>
<p>One of the newer additions to the pantheon of planeswalkers, Kaito, is clear cut when reading their abilities. I often talk about how planeswalkers have abilities that do not synergize with one another, and we have a bit of that going on here. Still, Kaito's abilities work more like pieces of a larger puzzle rather than individual powerful options. Evasion is the name of the game with everything Kaito can do. The passive, the +1, and in a strange way, the -2 all provide or benefit from having creatures that cannot be blocked or that your opponent(s) don't want to block. This card screams "can lead a Ninja deck", but there's something more interesting just below the surface of this card waiting for someone with a much bigger brain than myself to dredge it up.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito Shizuki" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito Shizuki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaito Shizuki"></div></div>
<p>This is the only planeswalker that's guaranteed to make it around the table if it resolves. Once again, Kaito works like a magic eye puzzle. You have to squint your eyes and tilt your head to figure out what's happening with this planeswalker. Three-mana walkers are always worth a second look over. Still, compared to their later form (canonically and previously in this article), this would be better inside of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito, Dancing Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito, Dancing Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck rather than leading one. Though it cannot die the first time out thanks to phasing, it does slow down getting to the ultimate of <span style="color: #000000;">this</span> card. In a deck like Ninjas or a Dimir deck in the style of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the two places I see this card fitting, this card's ultimate doesn't excite me. The other abilities of this card are decent but a bit weak to really get the juices flowing.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas"></div></div>
<p><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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Aeons Torn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. What do these masterful, mythic, mac daddies of evil have in common? <strong>THEY WILL SOON PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE MIGHT OF TEZZERET</strong>. Excuse me, I'm not sure what came over me there. While it might be a personal hope of mine for Tezzeret to have his day in the sun as an actual evil befitting of <em>Magic</em> lore, at least he got a good card when he was serving Bolas. Card filtering, protection/aggression, and a solid ultimate, Tezzeret looks to be the real deal. The fact that with one point of proliferation this card can ultimate when it comes down is ridiculous, and "twice the number of artifacts you control" makes it much easier to defeat opponents with a very high life total.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Master of Metal" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Master of Metal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 4UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Master of Metal"></div></div>
<p>What happens if we take everything the first Tezzeret was doing and make it a bit worse? We get one of the most rock 'n' roll planeswalker names in <em>Magic</em>. More mana and loyalty go hand in hand regarding planeswalker deck retrains in Dimir colors. One thing Master of Metal guarantees you is an artifact with its +1. Now the odds you would whiff with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, isn't high, but there's no guarantee when you're only seeing five cards. The minus is not as efficient since it's only equal<em> to</em> your artifacts and not double. Finish up with an ultimate reliance on others playing artifacts (who am I kidding, it's Commander; everyone has artifacts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, anyone?), and you get something of a personal choice between which Tezzeret leads your deck.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 4UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge"></div></div>
<p>This is a planeswalker to build a deck around. Everything about this card screams "Make me your commander!" A fantastic passive ability that allows you to go in multiple directions, an ability seen on two other versions of Tezz; but this time, on a plus rather than a minus. A solid -3 and to cap it off, a quick-to-achieve ultimate that can win the game at best and at worst give you a massive field advantage. Of all these cards, this would be my pick for the card I would build around if a rule change were to occur. Sorry, Ashiok.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret the Schemer" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret the Schemer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret the Schemer"></div></div>
<p>This Tezzeret looks the most "pirate captain" in comparison to the rest. Other than that, he doesn't do much. He's only four mana, unlike many other planeswalkers in this series, so he's not the worst. But making a single mana artifact and not-guaranteed-removal paired with a relatively bad ultimate makes this schemer lackluster compared to other versions of Tezzeret and other Dimir walkers.</p>
<h2><strong>Wrap Up</strong></h2>
<p>Dimir is...disappointing. To be fair to one of the most unfair color pairs, it cannot scale well to multiplayer. There isn't much in terms of raw card advantage, be it draw or filtering, it's surprisingly light on removal. I mentioned the greatness that more than a few of these once had in 1v1 formats; even that greatness is a thing of the past. Dimir has always been a color pair feared by those who come against it, but I think that fear is often met with overwhelming force by others at the table. I believe <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Dream Render" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Dream Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be the strongest of the lot, but not because of its ability to mill and exile a graveyard. Rather its built-in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindlock Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Mindlock Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect from the command zone only affects your opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can grant affinity to your artifact creatures, and this can get out of control, but to maximize this and the six mana it will cost you to cast is a big deck building decision.</p>
<p>When all said and done, Dimir is lackluster when comparing the potential of its planeswalkers to the power of the creatures it already has. When your two-color pair has the number <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/yuriko-the-tigers-shadow">four</a> (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and number <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/wilhelt-the-rotcleaver">five</a> (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver" href="#" target="_blank">Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), commanders of the past two years, according to EDHREC, you don't have to look too far for success. If you liked this, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/joshua-wood/">check out my other monocolor and Azorius articles</a>. Be on the lookout for when we visit the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rakdos Carnarium" href="#" target="_blank">Carnarium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and look at Rakdos.</p>


Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Dimir)

Do Your Worst - Mono-Black Blink

Nearly Identical - Kwain or The Council of Four?

Too-Specific Top 10 - Colorless Spells

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artpad.org/">Jaime Jones</a></h6>
<h1>It's Token Time!</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>, where I bend the singleton rules of Commander by building decks with as many functional reprints of a certain card as possible. This week, I'm tackling <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that has found a home as a support card in many strategies, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin decks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zada, Hedron Grinder" href="#" target="_blank">other Goblin decks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wort, the Raidmother" href="#" target="_blank">even more Goblin decks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Two mana for two bodies with a relevant creature type is perfect for filling curves and adding consistency, especially in decks that care about having a critical mass of tokens, but it's never an exciting rate. No one has ever jumped for joy to see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in their opening hand... until now. Two bodies for two mana had better pull some serious weight, because I'm about to build a deck that plays 11 functional copies of the card.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Fodder"></div></div>
<p>Here's a list of cards that create two creatures for two mana. Only a few of them create Goblins however, so if we want to play as many of these cards as possible we can't be too picky about type.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Dragon Fodders" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Sorceries]
*1 Clowning Around
*1 Dragon Fodder
*1 Forbidden Friendship
*1 Gather the Townsfolk
*1 Join the Dance
*1 Krenko&#039;s Command
*1 Ral&#039;s Reinforcements
*1 Rally at the Hornburg
*1 Saproling Migration
*1 Servo Exhibition
*1 Shadow Summoning
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Raise the Alarm
*1 Verdant Command
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Goblin Instigator
*1 Mogg War Marshal
*1 Resolute Reinforcements
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fists of Ironwood
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>


<p>Most of these cards center around red and white, with the third most common color being green. This makes sense, as those are the three colors that care most about making tokens. While 17 functional versions of this card is impressive, especially since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">only</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko&#039;s Command" href="#" target="_blank">two</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of them are <em>exactly</em> the same, the most played of these effects is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the original, at 27,993 decks. Following close behind are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko&#039;s Command" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko&#039;s Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with 26,261 decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogg War Marshal" href="#" target="_blank">Mogg War Marshal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with 22,326 decks. The Goblin creature type gives these cards a clear boost over any other version of this effect, and that makes sense: Goblin decks need to build an early army of disposable dorks, and they have enough synergy that the two tokens are worth the actual cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Fodder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mogg War Marshal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clowning Around"></div></div>
<p>The least played of these cards (besides <em><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28type%3Acreature+type%3Agoblin%29+%28game%3Apaper%29+set%3Altr">The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth</a> ones</em>, which just came out) is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clowning Around" href="#" target="_blank">Clowning Around</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at 1,028 decks. It's not a bad card at all. In fact, the rate of about 2.33 bodies for two mana puts it well above most of the other cards on this list. But the Un-set effect has kept it well below its counterparts. When I was making this list, I scrolled past it three times before remembering that it was actually legal in our format.</p>
<h2>1/1s Galore</h2>
<p>Okay, so now we have a way to consistently generate several 1/1s. I don't know how games usually go at your tables, but where I play that doesn't sound very impressive. To make our bad cards useful we need to turn them into an engine, and to make an engine we need to use them to generate mana and/or cards. Mana and cards are the two most important resources in the game, and in Commander the player who can generate the most of both usually wins.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm still fresh off of the <em>March of the Machine</em> play pattern of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ral&#039;s Reinforcements" href="#" target="_blank">Ral&#039;s Reinforcements</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preening Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Preening Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the first thing I want to do with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s is Convoke. By tapping the tokens for Convoke costs, we can use them as effectively mana sources, ramping out big spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City on Fire" href="#" target="_blank">City on Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transcendent Message" href="#" target="_blank">Transcendent Message</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Since our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes two bodies for two mana, if we cast them into a Convoke spell on the same turn, they can be mana-neutral and start to build mana the next turn.</p>
<p>This play pattern reminds me of the recent Pioneer Convoke deck that looks to dump its hand early and use its creatures to accelerate out either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venerated Loxodon" href="#" target="_blank">Venerated Loxodon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight-Errant of Eos" href="#" target="_blank">Knight-Errant of Eos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venerated Loxodon" href="#" target="_blank">Venerated Loxodon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can often give enough of a boost to threaten lethal the next turn, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight-Errant of Eos" href="#" target="_blank">Knight-Errant of Eos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can dig deeper to keep the train rolling. In Commander, raw stats often can't close out a game on their own, but card advantage is even more important, so we want to find something to replace the draw engine of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight-Errant of Eos" href="#" target="_blank">Knight-Errant of Eos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ornithopter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venerated Loxodon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knight-Errant of Eos"></div></div>
<p>Well, there certainly is one, and we can even play it in the command zone. Say hello to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kasla, the Broken Halo" href="#" target="_blank">Kasla, the Broken Halo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I don't often build around commanders from preconstructed decks because they usually define their own strategy, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kasla, the Broken Halo" href="#" target="_blank">Kasla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the perfect missing piece to make our engine run.</p>
<p>With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kasla, the Broken Halo" href="#" target="_blank">Kasla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play, our Convoke cards will draw us a card, making them card-neutral. Since our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s are mana-neutral and our Convoke cards are card-neutral, we should be able to build a formidable board very quickly. Throw in other payoffs like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mentor of the Meek" href="#" target="_blank">Mentor of the Meek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opposition" href="#" target="_blank">Opposition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and we can hopefully get out of control before anyone finds a board wipe to nerf us.</p>
<h2>Play Patterns</h2>
<p>Our first goal is usually to resolve <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kasla, the Broken Halo" href="#" target="_blank">Kasla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With a one drop on turn one and a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on turn two, we can put her out on turn three, but usually we'll have to wait until the fourth turn. A more "glass cannon" build of this deck might include extra one-drop creatures to try to power out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kasla, the Broken Halo" href="#" target="_blank">Kasla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as soon as possible, but I stuck with just a couple all stars.</p>
<p>Once we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kasla, the Broken Halo" href="#" target="_blank">Kasla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play, we can chain together as many Convoke cards as possible until we run out of mana. Then an opponent casts a board wipe, we laugh, and we start over again. It's often best to keep a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand in order to recover faster, since our strategy is fragile. Such are the risks of playing a go-wide creature deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of God"></div></div>
<h2>Card Spotlights</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shared Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Shared Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: The secret Convoke card! In our deck this finally lives up to its dreams of being almost <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Recall" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Recall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I've been looking for a home for it for years, and I finally found one. There's never been a better time for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shared Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Shared Disco</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="To Arms!" href="#" target="_blank">To Arms!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This card is swingy; sometimes it effectively generates five mana and draws a card, and sometimes it cycles away for no value. I want to keep trying it out. Also, I didn't know that there was a card with punctuation in the name as early as <em>Guildpact </em>(!)<em>.</em></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burn at the Stake" href="#" target="_blank">Burn at the Stake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Oh my goodness, pulling this off feels crazy every single time. It is so easy to kill someone with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burn at the Stake" href="#" target="_blank">Burn at the Stake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that it's often best to wait until the last moment possible, just so you know who to kill. There's a sense of security that comes from playing with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Door to Nothingness" href="#" target="_blank">Door to Nothingness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> up your sleeve.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shared Discovery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="To Arms!"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burn at the Stake"></div></div>
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Dragon Fodder" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kasla, the Broken Halo
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Bennie Bracks, Zoologist
*1 Chasm Skulker
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Flockchaser Phantom
*1 Goblin Instigator
*1 Halo Hopper
*1 Interdisciplinary Mascot
*1 Junk Winder
*1 Knight-Errant of Eos
*1 Kykar, Wind&#039;s Fury
*1 Martyr&#039;s Soul
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Mogg War Marshal
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Prince Imrahil the Fair
*1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
*1 Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart
*1 Resolute Reinforcements
*1 Saint Traft and Rem Karolus
*1 Stonybrook Schoolmaster
*1 Third Path Iconoclast
*1 Thraben Inspector
*1 Venerated Loxodon
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Wildfire Awakener
*1 Young Pyromancer
[/Creatures]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Segovia
[/Battles]
[Artifacts]
*1 Moonsnare Prototype
*1 Obelisk of Urd
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Throne of the God-Pharaoh
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Artistic Refusal
*1 Call the Coppercoats
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Meeting of Minds
*1 Raise the Alarm
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 To Arms!
*1 Transcendent Message
*1 Wear // Tear
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Burn at the Stake
*1 Clowning Around
*1 Dragon Fodder
*1 Forbidden Friendship
*1 Forth Eorlingas!
*1 Gather the Townsfolk
*1 Hard Evidence
*1 Hour of Reckoning
*1 Krenko&#039;s Command
*1 Ral&#039;s Reinforcements
*1 Rally at the Hornburg
*1 Servo Exhibition
*1 Shared Discovery
*1 Triplicate Spirits
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 City on Fire
*1 Conclave Tribunal
*1 Intruder Alarm
*1 Jeskai Ascendancy
*1 Opposition
*1 Skrelv&#039;s Hive
*1 Tocasia&#039;s Welcome
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*7 Island
*5 Mountain
*1 Mystic Monastery
*4 Plains
*1 Raugrin Triome
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Training Center
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<p>This deck is fast and explosive, and the variation in the payoff cards makes it feel fresh for a long time. On the other side of the coin, this deck is fragile and not very interactive. It doesn't just fold to a board wipe, but it's definitely hoping to dodge them, and if another player starts doing something broken the only thing we can do is try to go faster than them. One of this deck's biggest strengths is the stack of tokens you get to carry around with it: Two Servos, three Clowns, one Dinosaur, two blue and red Elementals, and <em>a lot</em> of Goblins, and that's not even getting into the 1/1 Krakens with trample.</p>
<p>In terms of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s themselves, they pull their weight. They double as ramp and pressure, and it very rarely feels like we've drawn too many of them. It's a good feeling when your opponents are playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s while you're casting your six-drop commander on turn three on top of an already-wide board. Since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kasla, the Broken Halo" href="#" target="_blank">Kasla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a precon commander, I also want to note that this deck doesn't play like a preconstructed deck at all. The engine adds a fun Storm feel to the game, and the plan feels much more focused.</p>
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braingeyser"></div></div>
<p>Who doesn't love drawing cards? Since the very beginning of <em>Magic</em>, these X-spell draw effects have tickled the imagination of those who want <em>all</em> the cards. With over a dozen of these cards now in print, the only question remaining is "how big is X?" Join me to find out next time on <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>!</p>
<p>Would you like to read about another Convoke strategy? Check out our recent article, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brew-for-your-buck-tap-down-flashback/">Brew For Your Buck - Tap Down, Flashback</a>.</p>


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