The Over/Under - A Review of MKM Predictions

Commander Fusion: Innistrad Remastered Edition!

Brew For Your Buck - Budget Giada &#038; Series News

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marchesa, Dealer of Death" href="#" target="_blank">Marchesa, Dealer of Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.ryanpancoast.com/">Ryan Pancoast</a></h6>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Bottom of the Barrel</em>! This is a series where we pick a theme from EDHREC and look at the “bottom of the barrel.” This means that we look at the least played color-combination and pick a commander in those colors to brew a spicy new deck around!</p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">Today's theme is one that came up pretty organically for me, as I've been trying to brew around the old legend, Ramses Overdark, <em>forever.</em></p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ramses Overdark"></div></div></p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">Ramses is <em>not</em> our commander today, but we <em>are</em> building a deck heavily inspired by the old guy. For that reason, today's theme is: Auras. Auras is extremely popular in decks that have white in their color identity, as white is the primary enchantment support color. This is what made old Ramses so intriguing to me; he was an Aura focused commander <em>not using white. </em></p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">Thus brings me to the stats: with 176 decks on EDHREC, the Grixis color combination (Red, Black, and Blue) was one of the lowest built color combos for Auras (the lowest overall being Jund (red, green, and black) at 42 decks). I brewed around Jund at first, but I couldn't stop thinking about old Ramses.</p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">On EDHREC, only 5 Aura-based lists are focused around Machesa, Dealer of Death, so that seemed like the perfect option!</p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marchesa, Dealer of Death"></div></div></p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">Marchesa is great for 2 reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li data-slot-rendered-content="true">We're leaning into Ramses Overdark's want of enchanting our <em>opponents' </em>creatures, so our entire gameplan is built around "committing crimes".</li>
<li data-slot-rendered-content="true">She provides terrific card selection when we run out of steam. (There's only 1 "enchantress" effect in Grixis colors, you know!)</li>
</ol>
<p>Enchanting our opponents' creatures comes at a cost, but that leads us into our first category...</p>
<h2>Category #1: Goad/Incentivizing Combat</h2>
<p>I know the goad mechanic isn't for everyone, but this style of deck <em>thrives</em> off of it. Why enchant our opponents' creatures if they're just going to attack <em>us</em> with them? Luckily for us, there are a few Auras that goad the creature its attached to.</p>
<p>Shiny Impetus can help us ramp; Ghoulish Impetus is an underrated Aura that can keep recurring itself throughout the game (unless the creature is exiled); Parasitic Impetus can help us drain an opponent who may have a high life total; The Sound of Drums turns an opponent's threat into twice the problem ; and the new Incriminating Impetus gives a creature menace while taking away its ability to block.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shiny Impetus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghoulish Impetus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Parasitic Impetus"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Sound of Drums"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Incriminating Impetus"></div></div>
<p>Outside of Auras that goad our opponents' creatures, there are other ways that we can incentivize combat. Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant draws us cards when our opponents attack each other; Vengeful Ancestor goads creatures and deals damage when goaded creatures attack; and Bothersome Quasit goads creatures whenever we cast noncreature spells, which is great considering Auras are noncreature spells!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vengeful Ancestor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bothersome Quasit"></div></div>
<h2>Category #2: Protecting Ourselves</h2>
<p>We can't always guarantee we won't be attacked, so we need to have ways that ensure opponents have a hard time attacking us. Baleful Strix is a great blocker that comes down early and draws us a card; Giggling Skitterspike deals damage to our opponents whenever it blocks or is targeted; Brash Taunter is arguably the best blocker ever printed; Backfire redirects any damage dealt to us to the enchanted creature's controller; Propaganda forces opponents to use mana to attack us; and Ragged Veins deals damage to an opponent if their enchanted creature becomes blocked.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baleful Strix"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giggling Skitterspike"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brash Taunter"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Backfire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Propaganda"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragged Veins"></div></div>
<h2>Category #3- "Borrowing" Threats</h2>
<p>Forcing our opponents' threats to attack is fun, but we need a way to <em>win</em>, eventually. This is where our "borrowing" category is the most important. Cards like: Corrupted Conscience can KO someone out of nowhere; Fealty to the Realm is not a "hard steal" spell, so hopefully people won't be too mad about their creature being borrowed; Willbreaker is a little more mean, but it can finish the game; Fool's Demise is a repeatable way to gain control of creatures; Abduction temporarily "borrows" a creature; and Virtue of Persistence can act as an endgame reanimation haymaker.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Corrupted Conscience"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fealty to the Realm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Willbreaker"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fool&#039;s Demise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abduction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Persistence"></div></div>
<h2>Category #4- Secret Spice</h2>
<p>As always, we have our "secret spice" for the deck, and to no one's surprise it comes in the form of the old man himself, Ramses Overdark. Ramses is an amazing way to ensure that the creatures we enchant never become too much of a threat <em>to us. </em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ramses Overdark"></div></div>
<p>Aside from Ramses, there's another "secret commander" of the deck that we can load up with Auras and pass around the table to sow chaos: Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos"></div></div>
<p>Alexios is very similar to Slicer, Hired Muscle, but, in my opinion, is a bit stronger. Giving it trample <em>and</em> making it bigger every single turn is hugely effective, even without a single Aura attached to it.</p>
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>Overall, this deck started as a thought-experiment/love letter to Ramses Overdark, and turned into a very political and interactive deck. I know this kind of deck is not for everyone, but for those that love to be a "political puppet-master", this is the perfect thing to build!</p>
<p data-slot-rendered-content="true">This brings us to the end of our fourth edition of <em>Bottom of the Barrel</em>! I hope you enjoyed exploring a lesser-played color-combination in the world of Auras!</p>
<p>Check out my decklist below!</p>
<p><em><strong>An important note about budget:</strong> I found that if you have a budget-friendly mana base, this deck can be extremely cheap to build effectively. Most of the Auras have either been reprinted into oblivion, or are just forgotten commons from older sets. Ramses is a little on the expensive side, so if you wanted to run the deck without him, that is doable, I just couldn't bring myself to cut the old guy.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bottom of the Barrel - Marchesa, Dealer of Death" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Marchesa, Dealer of Death
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Abduction
*1 Amphibian Downpour
*1 Animate Dead
*1 Backfire
*1 Betrayal
*1 Binding Agony
*1 Captivating Glance
*1 Corrupted Conscience
*1 Curse of Opulence
*1 Dead Man&#039;s Chest
*1 Draconic Destiny
*1 Estrid&#039;s Invocation
*1 Fall from Favor
*1 Fealty to the Realm
*1 Followed Footsteps
*1 Fool&#039;s Demise
*1 Frenzied Fugue
*1 Ghoulish Impetus
*1 Grievous Wound
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon
*1 Incriminating Impetus
*1 Leyline of Anticipation
*1 Nurgle&#039;s Rot
*1 Parasitic Impetus
*1 Propaganda
*1 Psychic Impetus
*1 Public Enemy
*1 Ragged Veins
*1 Shiny Impetus
*1 Sleeper&#039;s Robe
*1 Sticky Fingers
*1 The Sound of Drums
*1 Vampiric Link
*1 Virtue of Persistence // Locthwain Scorn
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Bothersome Quasit
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Entity Tracker
*1 Fiendish Duo
*1 Giggling Skitterspike
*1 Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
*1 Keen Duelist
*1 Life of the Party
*1 Nettling Nuisance
*1 Protean Thaumaturge
*1 Ramses Overdark
*1 Rassilon, the War President
*1 The Rani
*1 Vengeful Ancestor
*1 Willbreaker
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Crystal Chimes
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Helm of the Gods
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Misleading Signpost
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Disrupt Decorum
*1 Spectacular Showdown
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*1 Detection Tower
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*5 Island
*1 Luxury Suite
*1 Maestros Theater
*1 Maze of Ith
*1 Morphic Pool
*3 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Raucous Theater
*1 Roadside Reliquary
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*3 Swamp
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Training Center
*1 Undercity Sewers
*1 Underground River
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Xander&#039;s Lounge
[/Lands]"></span></div>


Bottom of the Barrel - Marchesa, Dealer of Death

Under the Radar - Hurska Sweet-Tooth

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares|J13|1" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://samwolfeconnelly.com/">Sam Wolfe Connelly</a></h6>
<h1>Threats and Resource Management</h1>
<h4><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-build-a-commander-deck" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Article 1: How to Build a Commander Deck</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-commander">Article 2: How to Choose Your Commander</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beginner-content-how-to-win-a-commander-game">Article 3: How to Win a Commander Game</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-mana-curves-for-beginners">Article 4: Commander Mana Curves</a> |</h4>
<p>Hello there, and welcome to the world of Commander, <em>Magic: The Gathering's </em>most popular format! My name is Brian, and I aim to be your guide for navigating this format that we at EDHREC know and love so much. In this series, we're focused on helping out players new to the format get started. If you missed the previous articles, make sure to check out the links above.</p>
<p>Today, we're talking about two somewhat related topics: threat assessment and managing your resources. The former has a big effect on the latter; if you're going to spend resources to deal with a threat, you need to make sure it's worthwhile. We touched on these a bit in Article 3, but I wanted to expand on them a bit further to hammer home their importance to your gameplay.</p>
<h3>Definitions</h3>
<p>I'm going to define a "threat" in two ways. The first is anything that will make you lose the game. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. The other type of threat is something that stops you from winning the game, like an opponent playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> against your graveyard deck. Both types of threats need to be dealt with ASAP if you're planning on winning (or not losing) the game. We'll get into how and when they're dealt with in more detail below.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rest in Peace"></div></div>
<p>Resources are a little more straightforward. In <em>Magic,</em> there are two main resources: mana and cards. Some players (especially black mages like me) might argue that your life total is also a resource, but we'll focus on the first two for today's article. Mana and cards go hand in hand. If you have a lot of mana and no cards (commonly called mana flood), you can't do much of anything.</p>
<p>Conversely, if you have a lot of cards but no mana to play them (mana screw), you'll be outpaced by your opponents.</p>
<p>Some of the most popular and powerful commanders are cards that increase access to these resources. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives you access to more cards, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reduces the cost of your Dragons, giving you access to more mana.</p>
<p><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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait" href="#" target="_blank">Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are examples of commanders that give you both, probably why they're so popular!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muldrotha, the Gravetide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait"></div></div>
<h3>Threats</h3>
<p>Threat assessment is an important part of Commander, especially given the multiplayer nature of the format. You'll have to be on the lookout for threats from three different opponents, all of whom need to be watching out for the threats coming from you and the rest of the table.</p>
<p>This means everyone will be adding and removing threats to the game. The tough part is deciding when <strong>you</strong> should be the one to deal with a threat.</p>
<p>Let's go back to the Krenko example. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will become a problem real fast if the Krenko player can untap with it. All three of that player's opponents should consider it threat level midnight, and use their combined resources to take it out before it wins the Krenko player the game. It's an easy example, but as we'll see when we get to resources, it's important to asses it properly.</p>
<p>Other cases might have a little more nuance. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be a threat to your graveyard deck but not to the other players. You can't rely on them to deal with it for you. After all, why should they spend the resources to help you? For this reason you need to save resources for cards that really impede YOUR gameplan.</p>
<p>Of course, you probably won't have the luxury of dealing with only one threat at a time so prioritizing them is another skill you need to practice. Let's say you're playing your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck against <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You've got ways in your deck to deal with both. In this case, I might aim for the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> first. Once it's gone, I can use leverage my commander's ability to then deal with the Krenko player while simultaneously opening up my avenue to win the game. In the meantime, my opponents might deal with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, saving me the need to do so.</p>
<p>As a game evolves, threats will come and go, shift their level of importance, and be the topic for table politics. Commander games can get very complicated for this exact reason, and there isn't really a "correct" formula. A lot of it will come from playing your deck and experiencing how other decks operate. Get into the habit of asking yourself "what stops me from winning?" and you'll get better and better at threat assessment.</p>
<h3>Resource Management - Gameplay</h3>
<p>Outside of win conditions, ramp and card velocity are the most important aspects to a Commander deck. Why? They give you access to more resources, which you desperately need. At the start of the game, it's your 100 cards versus your opponents' collective 300. At the beginning of turn 2, it's your one land versus your opponents' collective three.</p>
<p>This wild imbalance means you need to catch up fast, and if your opponents are good players, they'll be wanting to do the same thing. You can't just sit there and amass mana and cards without using them, (despite what many blue players might think) so let's look at a few ways to effectively use the resources you have access to.</p>
<p>This is where threat assessment plays a big part. Let's say you're holding a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand, and your opponent has some big monster like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Primal Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Primal Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on their board. Do you fire off the Swords right away?</p>
<p>Heck, no! Ghalta might seem threatening, but I'd rather not spend my card to deal with it unless I absolutely have to. If it's likely to hit one of my opponents, I'm happy to sandbag my card and force my opponent to deal with the big Dino.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghalta, Primal Hunger"></div></div>
<p>Here's another example: It's turn two, I've got five cards in hand and two lands on the battlefield. One of my cards is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a very efficient card velocity spell. If you've got nothing else to do on turn 2, it might be tempting to fire it off. But it's really unlikely that I'll be able to do anything with those exiled cards by the end of my next turn. It's probably better to take the turn off and wait to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> later when it's more likely to be more impactful.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckless Impulse"></div></div>
<p>Both of these examples are simplified, but they work to demonstrate the concept of resource management during a game. Remember it's your cards and mana versus three times that, so keep it in mind during a game to maximize what you have!</p>
<h3>Resource Management - Deckbuilding</h3>
<p>If you didn't read Article 3 (and you should) we used the example of casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> versus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Using Swords will actually be resource negative for you: you spent your mana and card to deal with one opponent's creature, but the other two players spent no mana and no cards. On the other hand, casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into a big board allows you to spend four mana and a card to deal with far more than that from your opponents.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utter End"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of God"></div></div>
<p>This is not me saying that you should never play targeted removal like Swords. In fact, Swords is one of the best ways to deal with a single threat <em>because</em> it only costs one mana. Imagine if the example was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utter End" href="#" target="_blank">Utter End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> versus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> instead. Would you rather pay four mana and a card to deal with one thing or a lot of things? It becomes a lot more clear which one is better.</p>
<p>In this way you can "manage" your resources via deckbuilding choices. Unless I'm paying a premium for flexibility, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I want my single-target removal under three mana. Otherwise, I want to be able to hit more than one target; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Casualties of War" href="#" target="_blank">Casualties of War</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for example.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Within"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Casualties of War"></div></div>
<p>I want to write an entire article comparing types of interaction, so I'll leave it there for now. The lesson is to think about how you can include and use certain cards that will negate your starting 1:3 resource deficit, while simultaneously allowing you to deal with opposing threats</p>
<h3>Wrap Up</h3>
<p>Alright, I know that was a lot more conceptual than the previous beginner content you might have seen from me or other writers. If you want me to expand or clarify anything, drop me a comment below. Threat and resource management are skills that take practice, but I'll leave you with the two main things to consider:</p>
<ol>
<li>What stops you from winning the game?</li>
<li>What is the best way to negate the resource imbalance between you and your opponents?</li>
</ol>
<p>Look out for more beginner articles from me soon, and if you're looking for cheap and effective decks, check out my other series <em>Brew For Your Buck</em> here on EDHREC. Until the next time, have fun assessing threats and managing resources!</p>


Threats and Resource Management

Borderland Explorer – Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper

Top 10 Multi-Colored Cycles

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine|MH3|366" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar, Sire of Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.jack-hughes.com/">Jack Hughes</a></h6>
<h1><b>Black and white cookies</b></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hi again! Welcome back to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">EDHighlights</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the series where I build decks for 2024's most popular commander for each color combination. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that 2024's set releases have wrapped up, I'll be taking a look at the most popular legendary creatures that were released in the past year, talking a bit about them, and finally building hopefully-slightly-unique decks around them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week, I'm taking a look at 2024's most popular Orzhov commander, which means we'll be working with … <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar, Sire of Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> received a good bit of attention, with 4072 decks to his name as of the time of writing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Interestingly, there was another popular commander from </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Modern Horizons 3</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin of House Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin of House Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to my very limited knowledge of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">'s lore (</span><a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Shilgengar%27s_Ritual"><span style="font-weight: 400;">and the MTG Wiki</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), Shilgengar is (at least partially) responsible for Sorin's bloodline of Vampires coming into being and for the ignition of Sorin's spark. But, you're not here because you care about </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTG</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> lore. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You're here because you care about EDH deck building. So, let's get on with it already.</span></p>
<h2><b>Not everything is black and white</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 6/6 Elder Demon with Flying for 5 mana. He's got two other abilities, too. We can sacrifice a creature to make a Blood token or several Blood tokens if the sacrificed creature was an Angel. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, by paying <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wb" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wb" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wb" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and sacrificing six Blood tokens, we can reanimate every creature from our graveyard. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are pretty powerful abilities. Free sacrifice outlets are always powerful, especially sacrifice outlets that create something beneficial like a Blood token. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, once we've sacrificed enough creatures to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (or discarded them to our Blood tokens), we can use his ability to bring them all back at a pretty low cost. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This presents a pretty solid Aristocrats gameplan, with a low-cost mass reanimate ability to finish out games stapled onto our commander too.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> But, I want to add another way to win: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Let's talk about the deck, ways to trigger that alternate win condition, and other cards that make the deck tick.</span></p>
<h2><b>Is that a Mortal Kombat reference?</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let's start by talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This four mana enchantment asks that we have 20 creatures in our graveyard at the beginning of our upkeep, so we're gonna need a lot of ways to fill that graveyard. Our commander can help with that, but here are a few of my other favorites:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firja, Judge of Valor" href="#" target="_blank">Firja, Judge of Valor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will provide card advantage while filling the graveyard, and it's also an Angel (which works well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ability). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ripples of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Ripples of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very similar, but it can be cast for just two mana.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dogged Detective" href="#" target="_blank">Dogged Detective</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a repeatable way to fill our graveyard once we have a sacrifice outlet (like our commander) on the field.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firja, Judge of Valor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ripples of Undeath"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dogged Detective"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once we've got a full graveyard, we do need to fetch up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the win. While more traditional tutors do work well here, there's a few special includes I wanted to show off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimir House Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Dimir House Guard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can either be transmuted to find our win condition (thus adding another card to the graveyard for its 20-card requirement) or act as a sacrifice outlet to fill the graveyard with what we've already got on board. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beseech the Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Beseech the Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which can sacrifice a Blood token to get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> down directly.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dimir House Guard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beseech the Mirror"></div></div></span></p>
<h2><b>An Orzhov aristocrats deck? Unheard of!</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, because it's an Orzhov deck with a sacrifice outlet in the command zone, there's good few cards to support that strategy in the 99. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz" href="#" target="_blank">Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher" href="#" target="_blank">Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are standouts here, triggering when we sacrifice creatures, tokens, and even fetch lands.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Arisen Nightmare" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Arisen Nightmare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works very well too, as it can sacrifice either a Blood token or a spare creature, whichever is most strategic at each of our end steps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braids, Arisen Nightmare"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because this deck has a lot of Angels in it, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bishop of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Bishop of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will provide a lot of life gain and a lot of Spirit tokens. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampage of the Valkyries" href="#" target="_blank">Rampage of the Valkyries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will do a pretty good impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Pact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, last but not least, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liesa, Forgotten Archangel" href="#" target="_blank">Liesa, Forgotten Archangel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will rebuy each of our creatures while ensuring that our opponents' dead creatures stay dead.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bishop of Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampage of the Valkyries"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liesa, Forgotten Archangel"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of Angel synergies, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firja&#039;s Retribution" href="#" target="_blank">Firja&#039;s Retribution</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes Angels, can provide a ton of removal, and even end games if we've got enough Angels on board. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The recently-reprinted <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Righteous Valkyrie" href="#" target="_blank">Righteous Valkyrie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will provide life gain and act as a sweet anthem once we cast enough Angels, and (as always) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giada, Font of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Giada, Font of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does most everything that an Angel-centric deck wants for just two mana.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firja&#039;s Retribution"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Valkyrie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giada, Font of Hope"></div></div></span></p>
<h2><b>Blood is thicker than water</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I included a few more ways to take advantage of our use of Blood tokens too, starting with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marionette Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Marionette Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card triggers off of both Blood tokens and creatures leaving the battlefield, pulling double duty here. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oltec Matterweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Oltec Matterweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards from the past year, and it'll help add to our blood collection as the game drags on. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonstone Eulogist" href="#" target="_blank">Moonstone Eulogist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which feels purpose built for this deck. It'll become a huge flying threat in no time, and probably make a few extra Blood tokens along the way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marionette Apprentice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oltec Matterweaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonstone Eulogist"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And here's the full decklist…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="2024&#039;s EDHighlights - Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Shilgengar, Sire of Famine
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Angel of Despair
*1 Angel of Indemnity
*1 Angel of Suffering
*1 Angel of the Ruins
*1 Angelic Sell-Sword
*1 Battle Angels of Tyr
*1 Bishop of Wings
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher
*1 Dazzling Angel
*1 Dimir House Guard
*1 Disciple of the Vault
*1 Dogged Detective
*1 Fain, the Broker
*1 Firja, Judge of Valor
*1 Fleshwrither
*1 Giada, Font of Hope
*1 Golgari Thug
*1 Guardian of Ghirapur
*1 Herald of the Host
*1 Karmic Guide
*1 Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
*1 Loran of the Third Path
*1 Marionette Apprentice
*1 Millikin
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Moon-Blessed Cleric
*1 Moonstone Eulogist
*1 Oltec Matterweaver
*1 Overlord of the Balemurk
*1 Renegade Reaper
*1 Restoration Angel
*1 Righteous Valkyrie
*1 Sanctuary Warden
*1 Scholar of New Horizons
*1 Serra Paragon
*1 Shepherd of the Cosmos
*1 Starnheim Aspirant
*1 Stinkweed Imp
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz
*1 Woe Strider
*1 Youthful Valkyrie
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Beseech the Mirror
*1 Blasphemous Edict
*1 Damn
*1 Demonic Counsel
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Incarnation Technique
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Palantír of Orthanc
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Firja&#039;s Retribution
*1 Mortal Combat
*1 Rampage of the Valkyries
*1 Ripples of Undeath
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Tower
*1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Nesting Grounds
*7 Plains
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Seraph Sanctuary
*1 Shadowy Backstreet
*1 Shattered Sanctum
*1 Silent Clearing
*1 Snowfield Sinkhole
*1 Sunlit Marsh
*5 Swamp
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Vault of Champions
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Windswept Heath
[/Lands]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2><b><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inevitable End" href="#" target="_blank">Inevitable End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks for reading, folks! I didn't touch on it earlier, but when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reanimates creatures with his second ability, he put a finality counter on each of them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> I included a few ways to get rid of those counters, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scholar of New Horizons" href="#" target="_blank">Scholar of New Horizons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to turn finality counters into lands, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fain, the Broker" href="#" target="_blank">Fain, the Broker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to turn counters into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanctuary Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Sanctuary Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to turn them into 1/1 creatures and card advantage.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scholar of New Horizons"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fain, the Broker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sanctuary Warden"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before I go, I also wanted to talk about a few other Angels that work really well with the overall game plan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shepherd of the Cosmos" href="#" target="_blank">Shepherd of the Cosmos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can bring back something we’ve sacrificed, and can even grab a fetch land for some sneaky ramp.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is fine as a french vanilla 4/4 for five mana, but because the myriad tokens can be sacrificed to our commander, this creature becomes a lot stronger here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> And, because of the high creature count in this deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Sell-Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Sell-Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can produce a boatload of tokens.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shepherd of the Cosmos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald of the Host"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Sell-Sword"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'll see you all next week, when we take a look at 2024's most popular Izzet commander.</span></p>


2024’s EDHighlights -  Shilgengar, Sire of Famine

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/zen/146/runeflare-trap">Runeflare Trap</a> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CFranz+Vohwinkel%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Franz Vohwinkel</a>)</h6>
<h2>Have You Ever Set A Trap?</h2>
<p>Have you ever laid low before in a game of Commander? Have you sowed discourse and discord during a game? Have you forced the table to identify others as a threat rather than yourself?</p>
<p>If so, then this deck could be something for you. Welcome to <em>Tech the Deck</em>, my name is Nick, and this article is a bit special. We are going to dive into one of my decks led by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist" href="#" target="_blank">Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>A Very Tight Hug</h2>
<p>Have you ever received a hug that is just a bit too tight? While it can be enjoyable initially, it quickly becomes uncomfortable and may even become painful. This is my preferred way to play the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/group-hug">Group Hug</a> strategy in Commander.</p>
<p>The deck idea is focused around one of my favorite cards from a Standard format long past and a deck long before my time of ever tapping a land. Those two cards are</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fevered Visions"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ebony Owl Netsuke"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fevered Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Fevered Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was the slow-acting win condition in a hardcore Izzet control deck during a standard format featuring cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torrential Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Torrential Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This deck was not fun to play against from the opposite side of the table, but something about it connected deeply with me. I have never returned to that style of deck in any format, and I do not know if I ever would, but something about this deck has always stuck with me.</p>
<p>With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ebony Owl Netsuke" href="#" target="_blank">Ebony Owl Netsuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the feeling was of something I missed out on. The deck name "Owling Mine" might ring a bell in some older players' minds.</p>
<p>A deck built around causing your opponent to draw extra cards with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howling Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Howling Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and cards like it while dealing damage to them with the namesake <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ebony Owl Netsuke" href="#" target="_blank">Ebony Owl Netsuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This was a deck I was aware of as a player and one that I have heard stories of from people during my early years of learning the game.</p>
<p>I understand how both of these cards can work well when combined. But like Ben Franklin and some origin stories of Barry Allen becoming The Flash, it took a storm and lightning to kickstart my deckbuilding mindset.</p>
<h2>Storm Seeker</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm Seeker"></div></div>
<p>What a simple effect on a card I had never heard of until one fateful day. I do not even remember where I was first shown this card. It could have been a stream, a random social media post, or even in someone's deck at a convention.</p>
<p>Suddenly, I was deep into a Scryfall search for similar effects, and to my surprise there is quite a few.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sudden Impact"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gaze of Adamaro"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runeflare Trap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Iron Maiden"></div></div>
<p>One thing ties these cards together: no one knows they exist. I jest, but many players have followed up with me reading a card's name out when I cast it with an outburst of "What?".</p>
<p>Truthfully, it is the fact that none of these cards care about how many cards are in my hand, and that is where the group hug aspect of this deck comes into play.</p>
<h2>You Get A Card, and You Get A Card! Everyone Gets A Card!</h2>
<p>There are no <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/wheels">wheel </a>effects in this deck. I want you to keep every single card you draw. Why wouldn't I? After all, I am a nice guy from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of the Crescent Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of the Crescent Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temple Bell" href="#" target="_blank">Temple Bell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horn of Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Horn of Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; the cards will be flowing like a river.</p>
<p>I will even throw in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Font of Mythos" href="#" target="_blank">Font of Mythos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anvil of Bogardan" href="#" target="_blank">Anvil of Bogardan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I even have a slew of enchantments to ensure you don't spend the game just staring at your cards without being able to cast them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heartbeat of Spring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Flare"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rites of Flourishing"></div></div>
<p>Unfortunately, I need something to keep people away from my life and allow them to draw cards.</p>
<h2>Breaking Parity</h2>
<p>Outside of hitting people at instant speed and damage effects, sometimes some players will not let you sit there and enjoy drawing cards with friends. When that happens, I turn to tokens, life gain, and a few well-timed counterspells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xyris, the Writhing Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Homunculus Horde"></div></div>
<p>Both cards allow me to assemble a horde, pun intended, of blockers to prevent pesky opponents from pecking at my life points.</p>
<p>And yes, technically, Xyris does have the ability to wheel me and the opponent that I hit, but I never have the intention of attacking. That is not what this deck is about.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venser&#039;s Journal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marina Vendrell&#039;s Grimoire"></div></div>
<p>Not only are books in <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> magical, but they also gain me life and draw me cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Denial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dream Fracture"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invert Polarity"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, there is a tiny amount of counterspells for emergencies.</p>
<p>There is another thing I rely on in this deck to break the parity of mass card draw and massive amounts of mana that this deck can provide to the table: the ability to give things flash.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seedborn Muse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wilderness Reclamation"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leyline of Anticipation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alchemist&#039;s Refuge"></div></div>
<p>Flash allows me to use my mana when other players least expect it, and cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilderness Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Wilderness Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> act as a potent one-two punch. If only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prophet of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Prophet of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was not banned 🙁</p>
<h2>One Last Hit of Spice</h2>
<p>When all else fails, there is one last personal throwback that I managed to "shove" into this deck. After spending a long, long time trying to crack the puzzle that was this deck.</p>
<p>What colors should I make it? Who should the Commander(s) be for the deck? How much should I lean into the theme by running cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyscribing" href="#" target="_blank">Skyscribing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>After landing in the Temur color combination, I wanted a slightly better way to close out a game. If someone has too much life or if I cannot make people draw cards, what can I do to win? I can hit them with a combo kill straight from the Modern format.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hive Mind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enter the Infinite"></div></div>
<p>While this does not immediately kill any of my opponents due to the lack of a pact spell like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pact of Negation" href="#" target="_blank">Pact of Negation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this is possibly my favorite two-card combo. It is funny as much as it is memorable and gives my opponents one last turn with everything at their disposal to try and win the game.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, I have lost after pulling this combo off to none other than Commander Herald's Nick Wolf and his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan, Soul Aflame" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan, Soul Aflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</p>
<h2>So What Was The Point?</h2>
<p>So why did I tell you about this deck? Because I wanted to. I believe that as much as a person who plays this game can appreciate the fine-tuning of a "meta" deck, there is just as much that can be enjoyed from some monstrosity like what I have presented here for you.</p>
<p>Also, there is a slight lull before the next new set is released, so if not now, when would I get the chance?</p>
<p>Anyway, that is all for this <em>Tech the Deck</em> entry, and hopefully, at an upcoming convention, you might get to activate my trap cards yourself.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-143971 size-medium" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/67d05bbf3c35f88b82a4c19ea16d270694721395a658f0cf2d2870799c2c3c04_1-300x260.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="260" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/67d05bbf3c35f88b82a4c19ea16d270694721395a658f0cf2d2870799c2c3c04_1-300x260.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/67d05bbf3c35f88b82a4c19ea16d270694721395a658f0cf2d2870799c2c3c04_1.jpg 580w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
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<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="IT&#039;S A TRAP" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix
*1 Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Anvil of Bogardan
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Ebony Owl Netsuke
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Font of Mythos
*1 Horn of Greed
*1 Howling Mine
*1 Iron Maiden
*1 Ivory Tower
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Library of Leng
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Marina Vendrell&#039;s Grimoire
*1 Mindsplice Apparatus
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Temple Bell
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Venser&#039;s Journal
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Cerebral Vortex
*1 Dream Fracture
*1 Drown in Dreams
*1 Gaze of Adamaro
*1 Invert Polarity
*1 Obscuring Haze
*1 Planar Genesis
*1 Reiterate
*1 Runeflare Trap
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Storm Seeker
*1 Stroke of Genius
*1 Sudden Impact
*1 Vision Skeins
Words of Wisdom
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Braingeyser
*1 Enter the Infinite
*1 Farseek
*1 Fascination
*1 Finale of Revelation
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Prosperity
*1 Skyscribing
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Burgeoning
*1 Dictate of Kruphix
*1 Fevered Visions
*1 Heartbeat of Spring
*1 Hive Mind
*1 Leyline of Anticipation
*1 Mana Flare
*1 Ominous Seas
*1 Rites of Flourishing
*1 Wilderness Reclamation
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Homunculus Horde
*1 Kami of the Crescent Moon
*1 Keranos, God of Storms
*1 Kruphix, God of Horizons
*1 Nivix Guildmage
*1 Red Death, Shipwrecker
*1 Scrawling Crawler
*1 Seedborn Muse
*1 Xyris, the Writhing Storm
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Refuge
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Command Tower
*1 Commercial District
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Forest
*1 Forest
*1 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Hedge Maze
*1 Island
*1 Island
*1 Island
*1 Island
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*1 Ketria Triome
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mountain
*1 Mountain
*1 Mountain
*1 Reflecting Pool
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Simic Growth Chamber
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Training Center
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>


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