It’s time to saddle up for another precon guide here on EDHREC. Today we’re upgrading Quick Draw, the Commander deck from Outlaws of Thunder Junction. In case you missed it, go check out my review, where we looked at what the deck does and how to play it.

I really liked the commanders of the deck, and its ability to draw a lot of cards. But what the deck lacked the most was a significant way to win games. So that’s what we’ll be correcting today.

Let’s tune up.

What’s in the Original Deck?

This deck is red and blue, and led by Stella Lee, Wild Card. Stella’s a 2/4 Human Rogue for three mana that exiles the top card of your library when you cast your second spell each turn, and you can play that card until the end of your next turn. She can also be tapped to copy an instant or sorcery spell you control, but only if you’ve cast at least three spells this turn. The backup commander is Eris, Roar of the Storm, a 4/4 Elemental Warlock for 10 mana, with a cost reduction of two generic for each different mana value among instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard. They have flying and Prowess, and when you cast your second spell in a turn you create a 4/4 flying Dragon token with Prowess.

Here’s the original deck list:

What Budget Cards Can We Add to Quick Draw?

As always, we’ll break this upgrade into two sections, one for the budget-conscious ($5 or less per card) and one for the big spenders ($5+).

So let’s talk about how we win. In playtesting the deck, I saw that it has crazy amounts of card draw. In fact, that’s really what the deck does best. But there was no way to turn that to a win condition, outside of dealing damage with Niv-Mizzet, Parun, who isn't the easiest creature to cast. So that got me thinking of other ways to win by drawing cards. I could beef up the token strategy with cards like The Locust God, but I think that’s a little too obvious, and too been-there-done-that for a precon (see here and here for examples). So what else is there?

The answer is Psychic Corrosion. Yes, with this Spellslinger build, we could easily assemble a mill engine to get our opponents completely out of cards within a few turns. With Stella Lee on the board copying our biggest spells, this could definitely work.

Unfortunately, Psychic Corrosion’s price spiked recently, and we can’t afford it for the budget upgrade. But there are plenty of other mill cards that can do the job. We do have Traumatize, which takes out half of a player’s library. Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, though it isn’t technically mill since it exiles, gets rid of a fair number of cards from each opponent’s deck. Bond of Insight mills four and brings back two spells for us to re-cast. Fractured Sanity mills for 14, and Talent of the Telepath hits someone for seven. Jace’s Erasure and Sphinx’s Tutelage act as our budget replacements for Psychic Corrosion. Psychic Spiral keeps us flush with cards if we’re getting low ourselves, and mills an opponent in the process. There’s also Folio of Fancies, a highly underrated card, that can mill players each turn for the number of cards they have in hand. 

That’s not enough, is it? Traumatize, by itself, doesn’t end games. This is where spell copying comes in. And while Stella Lee does this once per turn, we need to add a bit more. Twinning Staff was sadly missing from the original deck, and is perfect here since it’ll make an extra copy whenever we copy spells. And that’s not just for instants and sorceries! Increasing Vengeance is a nice cheap spell that gives us a copy when we cast it from hand, and two if we cast it from the yard with Flashback. Return the Favor, from the new set, can copy an instant or sorcery, as well as an activated or triggered ability. It can also change the target of a spell, or do both if you have the mana. And last is Thousand-Year Storm. While the mana value is high on this one, what it does makes it indispensable to our deck. We know we already want to cast multiple spells each turn, so having this enchantment on the field to make more copies ensures that our mill spells can get the job done.

The deck needed more effective ways to get the storm count up, and that means more spells that net us positive or even on mana. Frantic Search is perfect here as a spell that pays for itself and digs through our deck to get to our most prized cards. Snap gets rid of a threat and untaps lands. Tormod’s Crypt is a free spell that deals with any opponent who might be taking advantage of their enlarged graveyards. We also have Mana Geyser and Seething Song to pump us full of extra mana for more spells.

Sadly we’re not in the right colors for Jeskai Ascendancy, which would be completely broken with Stella’s copy ability. So we’ll have to settle for Chakram Retriever. Once we cast our third spell, assuming it’s an instant or sorcery, we put Retriever’s ability on the stack, tap Stella to copy the spell, then untap her with Retriever, and tap her to copy the spell again. And you can keep doing that as long as you have the mana to keep casting spells.

For the last few additions, we’ve got Swiftfoot Boots, Thought Vessel, and Wayfarer’s Bauble.

That’s a lot of cards added, but it was needed to enact this new game plan. And, of course, if cards go in, cards gotta come out. Say goodbye to: Baral’s Expertise, Bloodthirsty Adversary, Crackling Spellslinger, Cursed Mirror, Deep Analysis, Dig Through Time, Elemental Eruption, Epic Experiment, Finale of Promise, Finale of Revelation, Guttersnipe, Leyline Dowser, Murmuring Mystic, Niv-Mizzet, Parun, Octavia, Living Thesis, Pteramander, Pyretic Charge, Smoldering Stagecoach, Talrand, Sky Summoner, Tezzeret’s Gambit, Third Path Iconoclast, Treasure Cruise, Young Pyromancer

Here’s the budget upgraded list for Quick Draw:

And some other cards to consider that I couldn’t find room for: Aminatou’s Augury, Baral and Kari Zev, Brain in a Jar, Collected Conjuring, Diluvian Primordial, Errant, Street Artist, Firebrand Archer, Horizon Stone, Leyline of Anticipation, Mercurial Spelldancer, Mnemonic Deluge, Otherworldly Gaze, Reenact the Crime, Spelltwine, Vantress Gargoyle

What Are Some Good Expensive Cards We Can Add to Quick Draw?

Here’s where we hit the best of the best of blue mill spells. Let’s add Psychic Corrosion, Jace’s Archivist (not really a mill spell, but still depletes your opponents’ libraries), Brain Freeze, and my favorite, Maddening Cacophony. I’ve been in love with Maddening Cacophony since the day it was previewed, and immediately put it in my Kess, Dissident Mage deck. Cacophony Kicked is a huge upgrade on Traumatize, but Kicked and copied is chef’s kiss.

To get us richer with mana, we’ll add Birgi, God of Storytelling, Dockside Extortionist, and Jeska’s Will.

Last we’ll add Fierce Guardianship for some free protection, and Underworld Breach to use our yard to storm off.

Here’s our non-budget upgraded list:

And some further considerations: Bria, Riptide Rogue, Deflecting Swat, Isochron Scepter, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Omniscience, Passionate Archaeologist

A Truly Stella-r Upgrade

That’s it for the Upgrade Guide for Quick Draw. What do you think? Was I right to take it in the mill direction? Any cards I missed? How are you upgrading the deck? Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget to check back often for more precon guides, here on EDHREC.

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