<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonus, the Saboteur" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonus, the Saboteur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/voltastudio">Volta Creation</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Epic Preparations</h1>
<p style="text-align: left;">Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This week, let's talk about a Transformers card!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonus, the Saboteur"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Since we're dealing with a double-faced card, let's discuss each side individually.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's creature side is a bit expensive for a flyer that <em>Connives </em>on combat damage, but it has many available synergies: <em>Madness</em>, <em>Flashback</em>, and reanimation are just a few possibilities, and that's without even looking at artifacts and their inherent synergies with counters.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's Vehicle side is very powerful, giving us an entirely new beginning phase (which comes with a new set of untap, upkeep, and draw steps). Getting to untap lands again is great in a color combination that has such powerful instant-speed interaction. Getting a new batch of upkeep triggers can be especially strong if we're building around this effect. Like, you know a card is strong when its 'weaker' effect is card draw. Another interesting side effect of this side being a Vehicle is that we're immune to creature-based board wipes, so if we're able to keep Cyclonus consistently converted, we're immune to board wipes every few turn cycles.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus' main drawback is its slowish nature. To flip to the Vehicle side, we need our commander to have 5 power after the <em>Connive </em>trigger, which, without any support, means that we need to attack three times. Either that or pay a heftier mana cost! With that in mind, I think it's easy to see how Cyclonus tends to be drawn into more aggressive shells where we'd want to actively buff its power and get to that state where we can convert it every turn as soon as possible.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warden of Evos Isle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windreader Sphinx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's kit rewards aggression and aims to get him to flip into his Vehicle form as often as possible. Being a Robot means that we won't get any creature type synergies synergies, but as a flyer, we can still find plenty of <em>other </em>support!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Flying theme decks have a deep pool of possible threats and helpers to choose from. Normally the 'flying matters' strategy is found in blue and white, but blue and black can still make a lot of magic happen in the air! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warden of Evos Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Warden of Evos Isle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> powers out our creatures much more quickly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Donal, Herald of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Donal, Herald of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles our body count and gives us extra ETB and 'Lord' effects for any flying creatures that pump each other up. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siani, Eye of the Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Siani, Eye of the Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not seem like much at first, but it fits right into an aggressive deck that wants to draw exactly the right cards to continue the onslaught. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tide Skimmer" href="#" target="_blank">Tide Skimmer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windreader Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Windreader Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> each give us and impressive body-plus-card-draw-engine combination.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drana, Liberator of Malakir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rankle, Master of Pranks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiler of Dreams"></div></div></p>
<p>A lot of those classic cards are blue, so what does black bring to the table? Tons of stuff!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drana, Liberator of Malakir" href="#" target="_blank">Drana, Liberator of Malakir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can spread counters to the team, and her first strike allows us to get the benefits out of the pump mid-combat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help control the board and even to control peoples' hands, giving us a ton of versatility. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a solid swing in board state by sniping any 1-toughness creatures, and he can make it easier to for us to attack without worrying about enemy blockers. I really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, too. It's just a great card to slot into aggressive shells, allowing us to hurt two enemies at the same time, doubling our combat potential.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Favorable Winds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windstorm Drake"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Anthem effects that give our team +X/+X are a great way to kick a 'go-wide' deck into overdrive, and this deck loves to go wide! Not only that, anthems will also help us get more value out of our commander, because we want to convert Cyclonus to its Vehicle side as much as possible. Keeping Cyclonus above 5 power is key, so the classic flying pumps help us out a ton here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitational Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitational Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive card in both the offensive and defensive departments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Favorable Winds" href="#" target="_blank">Favorable Winds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is expected but well-loved. We can even afford to pay a bit of extra mana for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to pump up most of our creatures by +1/+1, and to give our commander +2/+2!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Cyclonus Flyers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Cyclonus, the Saboteur
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Faerie Seer
*Signal Pest
*Siren Stormtamer
*Spectral Sailor
*Thousand-Faced Shadow
*Aven Heartstabber
*Baleful Strix
*Containment Construct
*Esior, Wardwing Familiar
*Ledger Shredder
*Thieving Skydiver
*Thrummingbird
*Warkite Marauder
*Aether Channeler
*Bazaar Trademage
*Brazen Borrower
*Drana, Liberator of Malakir
*Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
*Loyal Drake
*Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
*Thief of Sanity
*Warden of Evos Isle
*Donal, Herald of Wings
*Glen Elendra Archmage
*Glen Elendra Liege
*Rankle, Master of Pranks
*Siani, Eye of the Storm
*Sower of Temptation
*Tide Skimmer
*Vanguard Supressor
*Defiler of Dreams
*Iymrith, Desert Doom
*Mulldrifter
*Windstorm Drake
*Archetype of Imagination
*Consecrated Sphinx
*Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*Sower of Discord
*Windreader Sphinx
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Dimir Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Talisman of Dominance
*Hall of Triumph
*Heraldic Banner
*Gilded Lotus
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Bitterblossom
*Favorable Winds
*Drake Haven
*Gravitational Shift
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Countersquall
*Cyclonic Rift
*Infernal Grasp
*Memory Deluge
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Feed the Swarm
*Toxic Deluge
*Winged Words
*Damnation
*Deep Analysis
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Choked Estuary
*Clearwater Pathway
*Command Tower
*Creeping Tar Pit
*Demolition Field
*Drowned Catacomb
*Exotic Orchard
*Faerie Conclave
*Ghost Quarter
*Hall of the Storm Giants
*Morphic Pool
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Sunken Hollow
*Sunken Ruins
*Temple of Deceit
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*13 Island
*6 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">In addition to all the attacking in the air, Cyclonus will hopefully <em>Connive </em>every other turn, and we'd be fools not to extract some value from that effect! <em>Flashback</em> spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are excellent choices to get some card draw stashed under the mattress. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drake Haven" href="#" target="_blank">Drake Haven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help us be more action-oriented, trading mana for more bodies to go wide and to avoid getting blown out by board wipes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Containment Construct" href="#" target="_blank">Containment Construct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will act as a card advantage engine and can be used as a way to completely negate the loss of a card.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Methodology</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">This is an aggressive deck, but we're pretty flexible as far as opening hands go. We aren't as aggressive as, say a Goblin deck, but our threats are all evasive, which gives us a nice amount of extra reach even if the board gets clogged with creatures in the later portions of the game. By the mid-game, we want to dig for any of our support cards and payoffs, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitational Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitational Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heraldic Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Heraldic Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is the point of the game when we start being able to flip our commander every other turn, which will grant us a huge boon in mana to help us snowball even further.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Our late game is good for an aggressive deck because we have more card velocity than most aggro shells. If the game boils down to a top-deck war, we're better suited to grind out a win. With our commander granting additional untap and draw steps, we can even gain additional threats by animating our creature lands like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Conclave" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Conclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since our mana will untap again anyways! These little tricks all add up to keep us chugging even when enemies expect an aggro deck to stall out, so Cyclonus will truly sabotage our opponents.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Cyclonus

Achievement Unlocked - Which Alt Win Cons Are the Most Satisfying to Win With? Part 2

<h2>A Ring For Every Mood</h2>
<p>When it comes to Commander, there are certain cards that serve as the hallmark of the format. Whether you've been playing for ten years or ten days, it's likely that you're already familiar with some of the entries in the following list.</p>
<p>According to EDHREC, there are a handful of cards that see play in more than 40% of all decks logged with the site. <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>, for example, is in 42% of all decks that can play it, a total of 366,395 lists that reserve space for the versatile removal spell. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> appear in 49% and 42% of lists that can play them, respectively, and of all decks playing even just a touch of white, 58% make room for <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>. And <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>? Of the 1.8 million decks catalogued by EDHREC, 65% play Signet. That's 1.2 million decks.</p>
<p>Too bad there isn't a more ubiquitous card than that, huh?</p>
<p>Even still, there were plenty of reprints this year that add to the copies floating around of Commander staples. <em>Wizards</em> carefully selected cards that, when introduced to players in a greater number, will make an impact on the format regardless of power level and budget. Let's take a look at the Top Ten, shall we?</p>
<hr />
<h3>10. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-251-sol-ring-1.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-92717 size-medium" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-251-sol-ring-1-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-251-sol-ring-1-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-251-sol-ring-1.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>The <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> that appears in the <em>Warhammer 40,000 </em>Commander deck for the Forces of the Imerium is not a ring at all, but an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astrolabe" href="#" target="_blank">Astrolabe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A Sol Ring must be two things: a trap for sunlight, and a ring. While we can't say for certain this particular Sol Ring does not fulfill that first requirement, it's pretty easy to condemn it for failing that second requirement.</p>
<hr />
<h3>9. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sld-1011-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92718 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sld-1011-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sld-1011-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sld-1011-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p><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>s are for everyone, and this particular reprint is clear in that regard. However, this Sol Ring from the <em>Pride Across the Multiverse Secret Lair </em>is not a ring. It's tough to say for sure, but compared to the size of the objects in the background, it feels safe to say this is likely a necklace. It's also implied that the power of this artifact comes not from the sun or other stars, but from the "light of love," which again is admirable but clearly not celestial.</p>
<hr />
<h3>8. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/449014-1.webp"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92719 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/449014-1-216x300.webp" alt="" width="216" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/449014-1-216x300.webp 216w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/449014-1.webp 314w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" /></a></p>
<p>While yes, it's definitely very clear that this <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> is both Sol and Ring, the version from the <em>Magic 30 Anniversary Edition </em>fails in another very important way, which is that it's gross. We don't need to get into the whole <em>M30A </em>quagmire, but it's interesting to see that a reprint of the original Sol Ring can go so wrong.</p>
<hr />
<h3>7. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-250-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92720 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-250-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-250-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-250-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>Another <em>Warhammer 40,000 </em>Commander deck <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>, the version from the Chaos deck, the <em>Ruinous Powers</em>, again fails in depicting what is truly a Sol Ring. While we get a mention of Sol, in this context meaning our real human sun right up there in the sky as we speak, we don't see that depicted. What we do see is some chaos zaps and a chaos eight-pointed star, which is certainly on-brand but not what we want in our format's mascot.</p>
<hr />
<h3>6. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/dmc-190-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92722 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/dmc-190-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/dmc-190-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/dmc-190-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>One way to say how long you've played Commander without saying how long you've played Commander is to share how many copies of <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> you have that look exactly like this outside of the set symbol. The version here, from <em>Dominaria United Commander, </em>is technically fulfilling its duties as a Sol Ring -- it's trapping starlight and it's a ring, though it could be argued that it's more like a ring you'd find in the Green Hill Zone than on someone's finger.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Bored of the Rings? <a href="https://commandersherald.com/top-ten-commander-reprints-of-2022/">Read the <em>real </em>review.</a></span></h3>
<hr />
<h3>5. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-252-sol-ring-1.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92723 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-252-sol-ring-1-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-252-sol-ring-1-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-252-sol-ring-1.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>The third of four <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>s from <em>Warhammer 40,000, </em>this one from the <em>Necron Dynasties</em> deck rambles about some C'tan lore that means nothing in my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse" href="#" target="_blank">Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, but there's a bunch of green in the art, so why not. Neither a ring nor sol in any way, it's pretty clearly described as a "shard" powering "our great machines", which in my world is a fancy way to say Duracell powering "our TV remotes."</p>
<hr />
<h3>4. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cc2-7-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92724 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cc2-7-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cc2-7-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cc2-7-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>Check it out, it's a ring. The version we got at the beginning of the year in <em>Commander Collection: Black </em>is definitely a ring, there's no doubt about that. It loses a few points, however, for two reasons. One, even though the card came out in 2022, it still has a trademark from 2021, which makes me look dumb for including it on this list. And two, despite its beautiful ring-ness, it fails utterly at the Sol part, going in the completely opposite direction in putting the ring in a cave and bragging about eating light. That's not what Sol Rings do.</p>
<hr />
<h3>3. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-249-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92725 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-249-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-249-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40k-249-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>I don't hold a particular affinity for Tyranids or anything, but the final entry in the quartet of <em>Warhammer 40,000 </em><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>s finds itself so high on the list because unlike its brethren, there's actual sunlight here. It should be noted that the flavor text indicates that the light of the stars will be "swallowed," which means that this Sol Ring would hypothetically stop working. Next time you see this one played in a game of Commander, feel free to call a judge about that interaction. Oh, and it's still not a ring, but I'll give it a bonus point for leaning so hard into the "Sol" part of Sol Ring with a sun-shaped icon.</p>
<hr />
<h3>2. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/brc-160-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92726 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/brc-160-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/brc-160-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/brc-160-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>Thanks to <em>The Brothers' War Commander, </em>we've been gifted a retro-frame <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>. We've had them before, even in this art, but unlike the previous retro versions, this one's both black-bordered (as opposed to white or gold) and is still only a dollar. The commentary from the previous Sol Rings of this style still count here, but printing it in all its brown glory catapults it to near the top of this list.</p>
<hr />
<h3>1. Sol Ring</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/plg22-1-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92727 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/plg22-1-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/plg22-1-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/plg22-1-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>I know this one looks a hell of a lot like the last one, and it basically is the last one, but foil. But that's a big deal: a foil, brown <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> had never existed before this version, a promo designed to try enticing players to shop at their Local Game Store. Some people might not have an LGS and were forced to still buy this from a website, but it's the thought that counts. We don't waste time with flavor text or esoteric set symbols here. Just a shooting star to indicate the Sol, and the ring to indicate the, well, Ring. Simple, clean, and more than a little handsome. That's what you want in your best Sol Ring of 2022.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Honorable Mentions</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/nec-161-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92728 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/nec-161-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/nec-161-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/nec-161-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/phed-67-sol-ring-1.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92730 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/phed-67-sol-ring-1-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/phed-67-sol-ring-1-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/phed-67-sol-ring-1.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ncc-379-sol-ring.jpeg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-92731 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ncc-379-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg" alt="" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ncc-379-sol-ring-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ncc-379-sol-ring.jpeg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a></p>
<p>What was your favorite reprint of 2022? Was it <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>? Oh, and if you're wondering, Sol Ring is in 1.5 million decks out of 1.8 million logged in EDHREC. That's 84%. So if you're an owner of one of the 16% of decks that don't have Sol Ring, 2022 was a terrible year for you. Just look at all these Sol Rings. There are more Sol Rings than most people have fingers. I bet it's hard to continue being a Sol Ring contrarian when there are just so many Sol Rings floating around out there. Do you want one? I'll mail you one. I have several. That's not a brag, I've just been playing for a long time.</p>
<p>Anyway, where do you set the over/under on the number of Sol Rings in 2023? I guess we'll soon find out!</p>
<h3><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Too much of a good Ring? <a href="https://commandersherald.com/top-ten-commander-reprints-of-2022/">Read the <em>real </em>review on Commander's Herald</a>.</span></span></h3>


Top Ten Commander Reprints of 2022

Too-Specific Top 10 - White Landfall

The 600 - Predicting the Popularity of Jumpstart 2022 Commanders

Do Your Worst - These Archetypes Aren't Actually the Worst Anymore (A 2022 Retrospective)

Too-Specific Top 10 - Bananarama

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Back for More" href="#" target="_blank">Back for More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.daarken.com/">Daarken</a>)</h6>
<h1>Unleash the Beast</h1>
<p>Hello! Welcome to another installment of <em>Nearly Identical</em>, a series where I take a look at two commanders with similar designs and archetypes, figure out what sets them apart, and help you find your next commander. Today, I'm taking a look back all the way to <em>Streets of New Capenna</em> and comparing two powerful Jund commanders: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre" href="#" target="_blank">Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ziatora, the Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Ziatora, the Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ziatora, the Incinerator"></div></div>
<p>Jund offers the perfect blend of the kind of chaos we want: green for the stompy creatures we want to bring down, red to burn and deal tons of damage to our opponents, and black to reanimate our threats and do it all over again. When Henzie and Ziatora were previewed, it was pretty clear that these were strong and efficient commanders that enabled the exact thing Jund Sacrifice decks want to do, and both benefit you for playing these high-powered, high-mana-cost creatures that would otherwise be difficult to get down, much less build multiple into a single deck.</p>
<p>Henzie offers an alternate cost to casting creatures with mana value four or greater, allowing them to come down and attack sooner than they should, but we'll lose them at the end of the turn and draw a card. Ziatora, on the other hand, will let us <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creatures and will even give us three Treasures for doing so. Drawing cards or making Treasures are both great ways to recover from losing a creature, and it helps us keep our momentum going in the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solemn Simulacrum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disciple of Bolas"></div></div>
<p>While we won't need to have every creature that has a death trigger, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky" href="#" target="_blank">Atsushi, the Blazing Sky</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of a creature that we want to sacrifice, as it'll actually benefit us when it does. The same goes for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While we don't need Solemn in our green decks, he works smoothly in Henzie, coming down for three mana and drawing us two cards at the end of turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another good example of what other synergies we can have if we're already planning on sacrificing creatures in the first place.</p>
<p>Based on data provided by <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/mtgds/">MtGDS</a>, Henzie and Ziatora have a similarity coefficient of 81%, so for any card that can be found in a Henzie deck, there's an 81% chance that that same card is also in a Ziatora deck. We were offered a lot of new Jund cards in <em>Streets of </em><em>New Capenna,</em> and out of all the Jund commanders they made, these two were the ones that captured player's attention, but how do we plan on defining them?</p>
<p>For Henzie, I wanted to focus more on the graveyard and add more reanimation synergies, giving us a clear line to victory, and for Ziatora, I thought it'd be fun if Ziatora flung artifact creatures that would break and turn into scrap metal (aka Treasure) that Ziatora then used to make more artifact creatures. It's a bit more thematic than Henzie, but I still think there are some cool things we can do with him. But first, let's see what we're including in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre" href="#" target="_blank">Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Our Troublemakers</h2>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Adephage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaxis, the Troublemaker"></div></div></p>
<p>How better to break <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> than to make it cheaper to cast and give it haste? Etali can provide a huge swing if we manage to get anything off the top of everyone's library. Plus, it's not the worst thing in the world to sacrifice it the end of the turn, given that Etali probably wouldn't be allowed stick around anyway. She's premier removal bait.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Adephage" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Adephage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also another terrifying creature that gets dangerous with haste, and since it has trample, we're almost guaranteed to have it deal combat damage to at least one player and get a second Adephage that will stick around. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaxis, the Troublemaker" href="#" target="_blank">Jaxis, the Troublemaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts as our second <em>Blitz-</em>enabler by copying one creature and giving that token copy haste and<em> Blitz</em>.</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Back for More"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Brass Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Back for More" href="#" target="_blank">Back for More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks like a good reanimation effect that can surprise an opponent. We can reanimate a creature to fight something else, get a blocker, a useful ETB, or get a creature on someone's end step so that we can untap with it, like an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avenger of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Avenger of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and all the Plant tokens it'll make. Six mana is a lot to hold up, but if we know we're wanting to get something out at instant speed, it could prove to be effective.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Brass Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Brass Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can come down fast and possibly reanimate multiple creatures from our graveyard to the battlefield. We might whiff, but being able to <em>Blitz </em>it is better than hard casting it and then possibly getting removed. Finally, we plan to win with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of the Dark Realms" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of the Dark Realms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can bring a huge swing to our gameplan. Here's the list!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Henzie, the Debt Collector" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Acolyte of Affliction
*1 Ancient Brass Dragon
*1 Apex Devastator
*1 Archon of Cruelty
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
*1 Avenger of Zendikar
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Chainer, Nightmare Adept
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Daemogoth Woe-Eater
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Doomed Necromancer
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Giant Adephage
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Ignoble Hierarch
*1 Inferno Titan
*1 Jaxis, the Troublemaker
*1 Junji, the Midnight Sky
*1 Kardur, Doomscourge
*1 Noxious Gearhulk
*1 Phyrexian Delver
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Somberwald Sage
*1 Timeless Witness
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
*1 Ziatora, the Incinerator
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Corpse Explosion
*1 Culling Ritual
*1 Cultivate
*1 Damnation
*1 Dread Return
*1 Farseek
*1 Incarnation Technique
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Life&#039;s Legacy
*1 Living Death
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Persist
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rise of the Dark Realms
*1 Riveteers Confluence
*1 Sinister Waltz
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cauldron of Souls
*1 Crowded Crypt
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Back for More
*1 Harrow
*1 Reckoner&#039;s Bargain
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Evolutionary Leap
*1 Greater Good
*1 Industrial Advancement
*1 Protection Racket
*1 Riveteers Ascendancy
*1 Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deathcap Glade
*1 Exotic Orchard
*8 Forest
*1 Haunted Ridge
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*1 Mosswort Bridge
*5 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Stomping Ground
*7 Swamp
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Temple of Malady
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2 class="p1">Our Scrap Metal</h2>
<p>Now to Ziatora! How would we go about building this Dragon Demon?</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wurmcoil Engine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Triniform"></div></div></p>
<p>Our main gameplan is to throw artifact creatures at our opponents or other creatures. If we're planning on losing some creatures, then we can include powerhouse artifact creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wurmcoil Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Wurmcoil Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that'll make us tokens when they die. There are others similar to Wurmcoil with this effect, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triplicate Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Triplicate Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Triniform" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Triniform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These will all give us creature tokens that will then either be fodder for Ziatora or decent attackers. This makes up the basic idea of what we want to be doing, but what type of value can we find in an artifact-focused Ziatora build?</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mimic Vat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonspark Reactor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wire Surgeons"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will trigger when anything dies, so if our opponents have anything worth stealing, we can kill it with Ziatora, then pay three with the Treasures we get and make a copy of the creature. Or, since we have so many big creatures of our own, we can simply make new token copies of Wurmcoil and then fling it with Ziatora, that way we still get the two tokens it makes before the copy would be exiled.</p>
<p>With all the artifacts and Treasures coming into play, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspark Reactor" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspark Reactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will rack up a ton of charge counters and make our opponents sweat. Four mana to just remove one creature isn't always the best play, but being able to also deal that damage to an opponent as well, on top of Ziatora's ability, could easily kill the biggest threat at the table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wire Surgeons" href="#" target="_blank">Wire Surgeons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card I've wanted to find a home for since it was printed, and it fits beautifully here. Any creature we've sacrificed can now come back with <em>Encore,</em> not only getting as many copies of that creature equal to the number of opponents, but also getting to fling them again with Ziatora. Plus, since so many of our creatures have death triggers, anyway, that we'll overwhelm the board with our creatures. While these all sound like great things the deck can do, how do we finish the game?</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fathom Fleet Swordjack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swashbuckler Extraordinaire"></div></div></p>
<p>With the number of Treasures we can get, getting to twenty artifacts with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shouldn't be an issue, but if we can't get there, being able to steal artifacts might be a necessary evil that can help push us forward. We continue with the <em>Encore</em> theme with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fathom Fleet Swordjack" href="#" target="_blank">Fathom Fleet Swordjack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can be brought back from the dead and deal damage to our opponents equal to how many artifacts we have. This is a sneaky wincon that more artifact-focus decks should be running. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swashbuckler Extraordinaire" href="#" target="_blank">Swashbuckler Extraordinaire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offers us the chance to win through combat by giving one or more creatures double strike. Ziatora is a 6/6 flier, so giving him double strike isn't something to sleep on.</p>
<p>And here's the deck! This was pretty fun to work on and see it all come together. Initially, Ziatora didn't grab me at all, especially amongst all the other Treasure stuff going on at the time, but giving it a bit more of a theme and flavor helped bring out a more fun and synergistic deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ziatora&#039;s Scrap Metal" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ziatora, the Incinerator
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Disciple of the Vault
*1 Fathom Fleet Swordjack
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer
*1 Ingenious Artillerist
*1 Iron Myr
*1 Junkyard Genius
*1 Lodestone Myr
*1 Marionette Master
*1 Marut
*1 Mayhem Devil
*1 Mishra&#039;s Self-Replicator
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Myriad Construct
*1 Phyrexian Triniform
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Scrap Welder
*1 Shimmer Myr
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Wire Surgeons
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blood Money
*1 Farseek
*1 Inspired Tinkering
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Three Visits
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Infernal Grasp
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Putrefy
*1 Rushed Rebirth
*1 Tear Asunder
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Clock of Omens
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dragonspark Reactor
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Mechtitan Core
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Reckoner Bankbuster
*1 Sculpting Steel
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Soul Foundry
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Arms Race
*1 Rain of Riches
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*4 Forest
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*1 Mosswort Bridge
*6 Mountain
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Stomping Ground
*5 Swamp
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 Temple of Malady
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Tree of Tales
*1 Vault of Whispers
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Precious Treasures</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre" href="#" target="_blank">Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has amassed 4,600 decks on EDHREC just before the year's end, making him the third most built Jund commander, and it's easy to see why. In a way, he does provide ramp and card draw, and having both tacked on to a commander has proven to be strong, e.g., <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>. But it's specific in that we're only getting that value by playing high-mana-value creatures, and I haven't even mentioned the fact that the cost reduction gets better the more we cast him, so we're not even upset if he gets removed.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ziatora, the Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Ziatora, the Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the 5th most built Jund commanders with 3,500 decks. These two came out at the same time, so why is one more popular than the other?</p>
<p>The first conclusion is simply that Henzie was the front-facing commander for the Riveteers Precon deck. I think that answer would be simple enough, but I do think there are other factors in play. Henzie's a cheaper commander to cast that does allow you to play higher mana creatures. He exemplifies what a Timmy commander looks like. That play pattern probably captured more players' attention than another commander that makes Treasures, and Ziatora being six mana to cast is sometimes enough for players to not even bother.</p>
<p>But what do you think? Which commander do you enjoy more? Do you prefer to reanimate your massive creatures? Or fling your strongest artifacts and making tons of Treasures? Let me know in the comments below!</p>


Nearly Identical - Henzie or Ziatora?

Achievement Unlocked - Which Alt Win Cons Are the Most Satisfying to Win With? Part 1

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra, Eminent One" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra, Eminent One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/vargasni">Randy Vargas</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Epic Preparations</h1>
<p style="text-align: left;">Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mishra, Eminent One"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">It's easy to see how powerful Mishra is. He combines a crazy amount of value with a decent clock, and he's also in the right color combination to instigate some real shenanigans. There are a few layers to Mishra's power, so let's dive a bit deeper.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">On the first layer, we have an artifact creature token entering the battlefield. This opens a lot of powerful 'creatures and artifacts entering the battlefield' support, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <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>, and the extra body can be used to fuel sacrifice effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Welder" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Welder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The second layer is about the type of targets that we use this ability on. I'll list just a few types that came to my mind when writing this article:</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with ETBs and/ or LTBs</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">These artifacts are easy inclusions for most Mishra lists because they work great on their own and Mishra allows us to play our game like a blink deck. There are a few of those that act both when entering and when leaving, which gives us an impressive amount of value for such low-cost investments.</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prized Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Prized Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with Self-Tap Abilities</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with tapping abilities tend to be more powerful, given their limited use. Mishra's ability allows us to get another copy of those on the field which very can effectively turn into "double activations".</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smelting Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Smelting Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wishclaw Talisman" href="#" target="_blank">Wishclaw Talisman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Artifacts with Self-Sacrificing Abilities</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Like the previous category, these artifacts were balanced around being single-use. Having our commander clone them allows us to have access to that effect without having to spend the actual card.</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindslaver" href="#" target="_blank">Mindslaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Stasis Coffin" href="#" target="_blank">The Stasis Coffin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Mana Rocks</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mana rocks that add more than one mana are surprisingly effective targets for cloning, as they give us a huge bump in mana that can be used to strengthen our board position.</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedron Archive" href="#" target="_blank">Hedron Archive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mishra's ability to produce value is so good that I feel we must trigger it more times. The Sakashima duo (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima the Impostor" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima the Impostor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great ways to clone without worrying about the silly legend rule.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Polymorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spark Double"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">However, that's a very small set of creatures, so we need more consistency to make sure we get them into play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects are the key to getting our clones. With them, we get access to five extra cards' worth of redundancy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Proteus Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Proteus Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a reusable polymorph effect that's also an artifact, so we could theoretically use it multiple times a turn if we animate it with our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divergent Transformations" href="#" target="_blank">Divergent Transformations</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very mana-efficient, being an instant, and gives us two extra creatures out of nowhere. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrify" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Mutation" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Mutation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are fairly straightforward. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast" href="#" target="_blank">Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit delicate. On the one hand, it's another reusable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but on the other, he's a bit limited, and the targeted creature needs to have a mana value lower than four, otherwise he won't get anything in our deck.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">To get our special clones into play, we have two main types of targets to morph with all these effects: the incidental tokens created by our cards, and the Mishra's Warform token from our commander. The first type is usually better to target because they allow us to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before the combat step, which gives us another trigger and even more immediate value. The second, while not as explosive as the first, is considerably more reliable and can be counted on 100% of the games, since the Warforms come with our commander.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichor Wellspring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oni-Cult Anvil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wishclaw Talisman"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Getting multiple Mishras is just one piece of the puzzle, and the others are our value artifacts. Even if our gameplan is stopped, we still have strong effects at our disposal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycosynth Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Mycosynth Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide some amazing value when targeted by our commander, providing two triggers per clone. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wishclaw Talisman" href="#" target="_blank">Wishclaw Talisman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun target to clone because we can tutor for whatever card we want without giving an opponent a chance to do the same. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderhawk Gunship" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderhawk Gunship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night Scythe" href="#" target="_blank">Night Scythe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are efficient ways to get extra bodies that can either be used to fuel future <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s or just plain old combat.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Many-Mishras Workshop" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Mishra, Eminent One
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
*Sakashima the Impostor
*Spark Double
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Soul-Guide Lantern
*Arcane Signet
*Elsewhere Flask
*Fellwar Stone
*Ichor Wellspring
*Metalspinner&#039;s Puzzleknot
*Mirror of the Forebears
*Mycosynth Lattice
*Nimblewright Schematic
*Oni-Cult Anvil
*Prized Statue
*Prophetic Prism
*Servo Schematic
*Talisman of Creativity
*Talisman of Dominance
*Talisman of Indulgence
*Wishclaw Talisman
*Mirage Mirror
*Night Scythe
*Proteus Staff
*Sculpting Steel
*Skyclave Relic
*Machine God&#039;s Effigy
*Panharmonicon
*Smelting Vat
*Forsaken Monument
*Gilded Lotus
*Knight Paladin
*Mindslaver
*Thunderhawk Gunship
*Spine of Ish Sah
*Portal to Phyrexia
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Determined Iteration
*Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
*Mirrormade
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Cyclonic Rift
*Terminate
*Cackling Counterpart
*Chaos Warp
*Thirst For Knowledge
*Big Score
*Chaos Mutation
*Divergent Transformation
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*Daretti, Scrap Savant
*Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast
*Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Vandalblast
*Dreadbore
*Feed the Swarm
*Fortuitous Find
*Seize the Spoils
*Toxic Deluge
*Damnation
*Polymorph
*Terisiare&#039;s Devastation
*Transmogrify
*Thoughtcast
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Bojuka Bog
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Crumbling Necropolis
*Exotic Orchard
*Ghost Quarter
*Haunted Ridge
*Inventors&#039; Fair
*Luxury Suite
*Mana Confluence
*Morphic Pool
*Phyrexian Tower
*Polluted Delta
*Scalding Tarn
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Shivan Reef
*Steam Vents
*Stormcarved Coast
*Sulfurous Springs
*Tectonic Edge
*Training Center
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*Xander&#039;s Lounge
*3 Island
*4 Mountain
*2 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">Clones tend to be a bit on the win-more side if we're not careful, but if we play our cards right, we won't just have <em>one </em>extra copy of Mishra. We need to clone our commander with either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and then we can make even <em>more </em>copies with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Machine God&#039;s Effigy" href="#" target="_blank">Machine God&#039;s Effigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cackling Counterpart" href="#" target="_blank">Cackling Counterpart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrormade" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrormade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirage Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Mirage Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we can copy other important artifacts we have in play already, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Over time, an army of copies will bury our opposition.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forsaken Monument"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderhawk Gunship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Portal to Phyrexia"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We're pretty varied as far as win conditions go. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindslaver" href="#" target="_blank">Mindslaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might get a few ugly looks on some tables, but it's not hard to keep controlling more than one opponent's turn per cycle. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Knight Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ETB can very easily put us over the edge when we're constantly making a bunch of copies of it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forsaken Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Forsaken Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun target, given that Mishra's cloning ability gives it a new name, so that gives our team +4/+4 for the turn. Oh, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portal to Phyrexia" href="#" target="_blank">Portal to Phyrexia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nasty control tool that can maintain an empty board while also providing us threats and resurrecting any of our Clones that happened to fall in battle!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Methodology</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">For our opening hand, we're looking for one or two mana rocks to help us accelerate to our commander and, if possible, any value artifact so that we start getting value once Mishra enters the battlefield. Note that mana rocks can be effective Mishra targets if we want to accelerate.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The mid-game starts right about the time when we manage to land Mishra. This is where we get to shine because we can get immediate value out of all the cheap artifacts in our deck that will already be in play before Mishra arrives. It helps a lot to have a random creature token to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before the combat step. Otherwise, we have to wait for our commander's ability to copy an artifact to give us a token to target, but regardless, once we start chaining powerful ETB abilities, it's hard to beat it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Our late game is pretty good. Really, it's a snowball. Even if we don't get to stick our main synergy and make copies upon copies, our artifacts provide a lot of inherent value all on their own! If our Clone strategy doesn't work, we just get to do regular awesome Mishra things! This gives us inevitability in addition to the potential to kick things into overdrive.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Santa's Workshop is Open</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


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