<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eutropia the Twice-Favored" href="#" target="_blank">Eutropia the Twice-Favored</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/sarawintersart">Sara Winters</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is Epic Experiment, 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.
In today's article we'll be looking into a commander that was eclipsed by all the other goodies that was released along with Theros Beyond Death. She's a three-mana build-around with a lot of potential in enchantress shells, but the loss of white might make people stay away from her: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eutropia the Twice-Favored" href="#" target="_blank">Eutropia the Twice-Favored</a>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eutropia the Twice-Favored"></div></div>
Constellation — Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. That creature gains flying until end of turn.
Observation 1:
I really like Eutropia. She's a cheap engine that's versatile enough to enable multiple builds, and her kit is strong enough to reward us for building smart.
Observation 2:
She has some potential as a Voltron commander; being able to come down on turn two while having a way to grow and natural evasion is something that shouldn't be overlooked. However, given the nature of her growth (+1/+1 counters) and her likely power-up suite (Auras), she has a rather risky nature and does get shut down by some timely removal.
Observation 3:
As a less-obvious choice, Eutropia could be a pretty interesting Modular commander. Even if we aren't focusing on playing enchantments, just by playing Aura mana acceleration and some enablers, we'll be able to grow our creatures.
Observation 4:
Losing white is definitely a downside when playing an enchantment-heavy deck.
&nbsp;
<hr />
<h2></h2>
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Eutropia-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-48231" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Eutropia-Sig-1024x339.png" alt="" width="1024" height="339" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Eutropia-Sig-1024x339.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Eutropia-Sig-300x99.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Eutropia-Sig-768x254.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Eutropia-Sig.png 1401w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
It's not a surprise to see this particular list of High Synergy cards, as it could simply be called Simic list of enchantment staples. However, looking a little bit closer, we can see that there's more things going on than this initial analysis might suggest: there's a high priority on aggressive cards, such as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ordeal of Nylea" href="#" target="_blank">Ordeal of Nylea</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Mask" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Mask</a>, which shows that we're looking at a deck centered around creatures with enchantments as support.
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glistener Elf"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curious Obsession"></div></div>
Eutropia's ability to not only grow our creatures but also making them harder to block is extremely valuable for many archetypes, but the archetype that benefits the most from this is, arguably, Infect. It's not hard for Infect to trigger Eutropia's Constellation ability by constantly playing Auras. The fact that Eutropia can both grow and give evasion to our creatures takes the pressure off of our Aura suite, which is amazing because it allow us to have a more utility-focused kit.
Whenever someone criticizes Infect or argues that it should be nerfed, I recommend showing our creature suite or to ask for a top five infect list. Infect, as a secondary win condition, is quite powerful; however; the cards that give strength as a backup plan aren't the de facto Infect cards in the format. You see, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a> is more combo-/ramp-oriented, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triumph of the Hordes" href="#" target="_blank">Triumph of the Hordes</a> is a mid-range/aggro haymaker. That being said, Infect is much more than the sums of its parts, so let's go through those parts: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Hydra</a> is an expensive beater but has the benefit of needing almost no support to be a straight OHKO; <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpse Cur" href="#" target="_blank">Corpse Cur</a> is pretty much an on-theme <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravedigger" href="#" target="_blank">Gravedigger</a>, which, while not very exciting for most decks, can help us by providing an on-board threat; <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Swarmlord" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Swarmlord</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viral Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Viral Drake</a> are there for grinding our opponents out of the game, as they can provide threats even without the combat step. The rest of our creatures are basically french vanilla, sometimes with minor upsides like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichorclaw Myr" href="#" target="_blank">Ichorclaw Myr</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ordeal of Thassa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bear Umbra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Setessan Training"></div></div>
The Aura suite is quite interesting because Eutropia is great at growing our creatures and giving them evasion as long as we keep casting enchantments. This means that we get to play <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a> effects, which is great for our aggressive play style. The Ordeal cycle from original Theros is also a pretty great addition; both <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ordeal of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Ordeal of Thassa</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ordeal of Nylea" href="#" target="_blank">Ordeal of Nylea</a> provide a solid bonus to our threats (we have to remember that we only need to count to ten), and their effects are quite powerful for the mana cost that we're paying. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stratus Walk" href="#" target="_blank">Stratus Walk</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Setessan Training" href="#" target="_blank">Setessan Training</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cartouche of Knowledge" href="#" target="_blank">Cartouche of Knowledge</a> are cheap cards that provide some small value; however, their real value is that they replace themselves, which is pretty important. As a general rule, we should focus on cheaper enchantments, and if it's going to cost more than two mana, it needs to pull double duty, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boar Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Boar Umbra</a>.
<hr />
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div>
[Commander]
*Eutropia the Twice-Favored
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring 
*Swiftfoot Boots 
*Sword of Truth and Justice
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Birds of Paradise 
*Glistener Elf 
*Blight Mamba 
*Blighted Agent 
*Ichorclaw Myr 
*Necropede 
*Plague Myr 
*Cystbearer 
*Phyrexian Digester 
*Rot Wolf 
*Viridian Corrupter 
*Core Prowler 
*Corpse Cur 
*Viral Drake 
*Phyrexian Hydra 
*Phyrexian Juggernaut 
*Phyrexian Swarmlord 
*Spinebiter 
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Aqueous Form 
*Concordant Crossroads 
*Curiosity 
*Curious Obsession 
*Hardened Scales 
*Rancor 
*Sixth Sense 
*Spider Umbra 
*Utopia Sprawl 
*Wild Growth 
*Canopy Cover 
*Cartouche of Knowledge 
*Fertile Ground 
*Omen of the Sea 
*Ordeal of Nylea 
*Ordeal of Thassa 
*Seal of Primordium 
*Setessan Training 
*Stratus Walk 
*Wolfwillow Haven 
*Boar Umbra 
*Snake Umbra 
*Vow of Flight 
*Vow of Wildness 
*Bear Umbra 
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Blossoming Defense 
*Opt 
*Peek 
*Pongify 
*Rapid Hybridization 
*Stubborn Denial 
*Swan Song 
*Arcane Denial 
*Cyclonic Rift 
*Heroic Intervention 
*Negate 
*Reality Shift 
*Force of Negation 
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Gitaxian Probe 
*Ponder 
*Preordain 
*Serum Visions 
*Sleight of Hand 
*Sorcerous Sight 
*Scour All Possibilities 
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Command Tower 
*Breeding Pool 
*Waterlogged Grove 
*Yavimaya Coast 
*Botanical Garden 
*Hinterland Harbor 
*City of Brass 
*Mana Confluence 
*Temple of Mystery 
*Prismatic Vista 
*Fabled Passage 
*Llanowar Reborn 
*Karn's Bastion 
*Inkmoth Nexus 
*Alchemist's Refuge 
*8 Forest 
*10 Island 
[/Land]
[/Deck]

<hr />
Eutropia provides quite a challenge to balance out all of its parts, such as interaction, threats, mana acceleration, and enablers. To make the deck more consistent, I glued it together with a "Xerox" shell, which is a shell that uses the power of cheap cantrips to dig through our deck. This type of shell allow us to have fewer copies of each effect, using the digging potential of our cantrips to find what we need. Xerox is hard to do in EDH because, unlike the non-highlander formats, we lack the sheer number of good cantrips; however, this doesn't stop us from using them as an early-game tool to get us started.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Negation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heroic Intervention"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blossoming Defense"></div></div>
Another key aspect of Infect is the reliance on interaction due to the small number of threats that we're bringing. Counterspells and combat tricks are a natural fit in a Xerox shell, and they play well into the "do they have it?" mind game; knowing when to leave mana open is a necessary skill, as the punishment can be game-ending.
<hr />
<div class="edhrecp__cards">
<h2>Methodology</h2>
</div>
Our opening hands are a bit trickier than the usual lists, as we're carrying a bunch of one-mana cantrips and just 33 lands. Overall, we need a hand with at least one cheap threat and the combination of either a few cantrips, counterspells, or Auras.
The early game is the most crucial for us. I'm not gonna lie: we fall off pretty hard as an aggressive deck. Our gameplan varies a lot depending on our keep: do we have two cheap threats in our hand? Then we can afford to tap out. Did we keep a one-lander? We could either dig for more with our cantrips, or we could try to spend the initial turns accelerating our mana. Either way, we need to have a threat online by turn two, or three if we have a good hand, to start putting pressure on our opponents. Eutropia is great both early to trigger off of a bunch of Auras from our hand or as a late-game engine to push those last bits of damage through. I'd recommend waiting to play her until we have another creature online and we have enough mana to cast an Aura.
By the mid game we have to be either fast or disruptive because this is the time where board wipes start coming down. The mentality of going fast is to use player elimination as a sort of a crowd control by eliminating the person who's more likely to disrupt us (I'm looking at you, Oloro player; hopefully they won't have enough creatures to block. The earlier we eliminate a player, the easier it is for us to snowball. If we go the other route, we should play a more tempo-oriented game, being careful to not tap out and holding interaction (or bluffing them).
In the late game, we'll probably be on life-support as we have a bunch of possible "dead draws" (they aren't really dead cards, just drawn at the wrong time). The one thing we'll hopefully have going for us is the combination of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Concordant Crossroads" href="#" target="_blank">Concordant Crossroads</a> plus surprise creatures or using <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn&#039;s Bastion" href="#" target="_blank">Karn&#039;s Bastion</a> (or even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a> on our commander) to do some Proliferation. Either way, the priority is holding cards as long as possible to try to assemble a game-winning string of cards.
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hadana&#039;s Climb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Berserk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Season of Growth"></div></div>
Infect plus Eutropia is such a fun combination that has so many possible themes that we could've build around! Here are some suggestions:
If you want to be better at grinding in the late game I would suggest cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hadana&#039;s Climb" href="#" target="_blank">Hadana&#039;s Climb</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Light and Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Light and Shadow</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Putrefax" href="#" target="_blank">Putrefax</a>. Going harder on the Proliferate theme could also help, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrummingbird" href="#" target="_blank">Thrummingbird</a> that can act as a pseudo-Infect creature.
Cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Season of Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Season of Growth</a> could help us in the mid game by giving us plenty of card advantage. Early game cards might be a bit of a coin flip, but given the nature of the deck we wouldn't be sacrificing all that much to begin with, say, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spell Pierce" href="#" target="_blank">Spell Pierce</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserk" href="#" target="_blank">Berserk</a> as two great examples of good early-game cards.
Alternatively, if you prefer a more straightforward approach to the archetype, we could ditch the Xerox shell and build it more like a traditional deck. I'd strongly recommend to not do this, however, since this type of deck is starved for space, while the cantrip suite allows us to have fewer of each card type.
That’s it for this Epic Experiment! What do you think about this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!

Epic Experiment - Eutropia Infect

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eutropia the Twice-Favored" href="#" target="_blank">Eutropia the Twice-Favored</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/sarawintersart">Sara Winters</a>)</h6>
<h1>So Nice, She's Favored Twice!</h1>
Hello, again, Commander faithful! I must get this out of the way early: it is GOOD to be back to writing about some of the coolest commanders in the format, those unique silver-rarity-stamped cards that we call Uncommonders!
That’s right, the series inspired by the twenty uncommon legendary creatures printed all the way back in Dominaria is back, with a vengeance, thanks to Replacement Commanders coming to an end for the Commander 2019 product. I should mention, however, that we may only get a few Uncommonders articles out as there is another Commander product coming out in parallel with Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, but it seems that Wizards of the Coast has enjoyed releasing new uncommon commander-capable cards in sets more regularly, so the series will go on! Having said that, Wizards gave us plenty to work with since we put Uncommonders on hiatus, with fourteen new Uncommonders in the past couple of sets!
Throne of Eldraine gave us the five mono-colored Knights and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grumgully, the Generous" href="#" target="_blank">Grumgully, the Generous</a>, while Theros Beyond Death featured the five mono-colored Demigods with three other Uncommonders tossed in. With so many new possibilities, I had no idea which one to start with, so I asked you, the readers, via my Twitter account. I got almost thirty responses in a single day, and while it was a close running, the one card that was requested the most is our star (no pun intended) today…
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Eutropia the Twice-Favored</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eutropia the Twice-Favored"></div></div>
I love Eutropia! I’ve come to terms with the fact that Enchantress decks fall within my wheelhouse, despite normally being my wife’s thing. Eutropia fits the bill in every way, combining a plethora of benefits into a single package. Obviously, she cares about enchantments due to her Constellation trigger, which is already well-supported by green. She hands out +1/+1 counters, which falls within the Simic identity, as precedented with commanders like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca" href="#" target="_blank">Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezuri, Claw of Progress" href="#" target="_blank">Ezuri, Claw of Progress</a>, the duo of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pir, Imaginative Rascal" href="#" target="_blank">Pir, Imaginative Rascal</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toothy, Imaginary Friend" href="#" target="_blank">Toothy, Imaginary Friend</a>, and many others. Finally, she even grants evasion in the form of flying, something that has worked well in blue decks in the past to get that crucial game-ending damage onto our opponents!
Since we’re mentioning her color identity, Eutropia does all these different things while getting the benefit from green's ramp potential and semi-decent suite of removal and the card advantage and control characteristics of blue.
Thinking about everything, I struggled to nail down what I wanted to do with an Eutropia deck outside of “have Enchantresses, cast enchantments, hit people hard in the air” until I realized that two of the deadliest enchantments could fit into this deck. Of course, I’m referencing <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldrazi Conscription" href="#" target="_blank">Eldrazi Conscription</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corrupted Conscience" href="#" target="_blank">Corrupted Conscience</a>! With bringing together two of the most hated mechanics, Annihilator and Infect, call me Dr. Frankenstein because we are going to…
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Build a Better Monster</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eldrazi Conscription"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Destiny Spinner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Corrupted Conscience"></div></div>
I’m sure that some people are groaning and/or rolling their eyes at seeing both Infect and Annihilator in the same deck, but, in my defense, losing out on white in the color identity means that there are fewer tutors for enchantments. This makes the deck feel “fairer”, though I do acknowledge that the amount of draw power in a deck like this will make it feel like we can basically tutor anything up by drawing into it. For the most part, I don’t think we need to cover our methods of obtaining card advantage since you’ll see all the normal Enchantress effects in the list below. I do want to highlight some of the cards that I feel are more important supportive cards for this deck since both of our key enchantments are going to be high-value targets. This is one of the major reasons I have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Destiny Spinner" href="#" target="_blank">Destiny Spinner</a> featured, above, as it protects us against control players who may be looking to counter our more important enchantments.
Unfortunately, without white, we miss out on some of the more prominent cards that help protect our enchantments, specifically, so the next best thing is to have ways to get them back when they are removed. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Witness</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Regrowth</a> are good single-target recursion effects, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Creeping Renaissance" href="#" target="_blank">Creeping Renaissance</a> will bring back all of our favorite permanent type.
When it comes to wrath effects, decks that like Auras struggle after losing them when the creatures die. Luckily, blue has effects that bounce both creatures and the permanents attached to them! <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flood of Tears" href="#" target="_blank">Flood of Tears</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displacement Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Displacement Wave</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devastation Tide" href="#" target="_blank">Devastation Tide</a> are all the kinds of wraths we’re looking for, letting us replay our Auras over and over again!
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Monsters From the Stars</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arasta of the Endless Web"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nylea’s Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archetype of Imagination"></div></div>
When it comes to Enchantress decks, something I’ve become fond of doing during deck construction since the original Theros block is trying to include as many sensible enchantment creatures as I can. We get the benefits of our creatures now triggering our Enchantress effects: any protection that we play that protects enchantments will also protect our creatures, and nowadays there are some very powerful creatures printed with the starry border. The inclusion of two of the cards shown above should be obvious, but I do want to touch on the inclusion of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arasta of the Endless Web" href="#" target="_blank">Arasta of the Endless Web</a>. For one, I love Arasta and think she's a fantastic new card. She brings tons of incidental value to the board, even if she only spits out a couple of Spider tokens.
There are many other great cards to talk about, though. The new <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa, Deep-Dwelling" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa, Deep-Dwelling</a> can target other enchantment creatures to trigger our Constellation effects, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riptide Chimera" href="#" target="_blank">Riptide Chimera</a> can continually bounce enchantments back to our hand to be replayed and get those same triggers back on the stack. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Courser of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Courser of Kruphix</a> creates incremental ramp and life gain, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Renata, Called to the Hunt" href="#" target="_blank">Renata, Called to the Hunt</a> helps Eutropia’s counter game snowball even faster. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nylea’s Forerunner" href="#" target="_blank">Nylea’s Forerunner</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nylea, God of the Hunt" href="#" target="_blank">Nylea, God of the Hunt</a> both grant our field trample, which will be important when we want to get damage through to land those 10 poison counters.
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Remember: Broaden Your Vision and Don’t Tunnel!</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krosan Grip"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Henge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultivate"></div></div>
I’m going to preface this part of the article with a slight disclaimer/warning: this is going to seem a little weird.
I've noticed something while looking at the EDHREC page for Eutropia, and it made me think of something that I commonly see people doing when building a deck like this. I’ve even been guilty of it myself, and it’s called tunnel vision: looking at the numbers for the cards displayed above, and even for things like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a>, and comparing them to cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seal of Primordium" href="#" target="_blank">Seal of Primordium</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Wild Growth</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bred for the Hunt" href="#" target="_blank">Bred for the Hunt</a>, it seems strange to see what cards are more popularly included over some well-known, tried-and-true staples. Don’t get me wrong, unique card choices are not automatically worse than staples, and I’ll never hold it against anyone for not jamming every staple card into their deck. But I have personally focused so hard on building around “the thing” that I have forgotten that not everything has to tie directly into “the thing” with my card selections.
For instance, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a> is only in 12% of Eutropia decks at the time of writing this article. It’s a great removal spell in decks that aren’t running the best color for removal (white), but people seem to be running so many variations of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a>, which appears in 35% of decks. Nearly three times as many! Again, finding unique ways to get Constellation triggers is just fine, but hopefully we aren’t doing it at the cost of efficiency in our deck. (Of course, if your deck is a thematic/flavorful build, ignore this section completely and enjoy your referencing-making throughout the game!)
Having said all of that, I do mix in my fair share of support cards that I feel do the best job, and the list pops out looking something like this:
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div> 
[Commander] 
*1 Eutropia the Twice-Favored 
[/Commander] 
[Creature] 
*1 Arasta of the Endless Web 
*1 Archetype of Imagination 
*1 Argothian Enchantress 
*1 Blighted Agent 
*1 Courser of Kruphix 
*1 Destiny Spinner 
*1 Eidolon of Blossoms 
*1 Eternal Witness 
*1 Evolution Sage 
*1 Fathom Mage 
*1 Fertilid 
*1 Master Biomancer 
*1 Nylea, God of the Hunt 
*1 Nylea's Colossus 
*1 Nylea's Forerunner 
*1 Renata, Called to the Hunt 
*1 Riptide Chimera 
*1 Setessan Champion 
*1 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling 
*1 Verduran Enchantress 
*1 Whitewater Naiads 
[/Creature] 
[enchantment] 
*1 Ancestral Mask 
*1 Aqueous Form 
*1 Bred for the Hunt 
*1 Corrupted Conscience 
*1 Eldrazi Conscription 
*1 Enchantress's Presence 
*1 Estrid's Invocation 
*1 Kenrith's Transformation 
*1 Omen of the Hunt 
*1 Rancor 
*1 Rhystic Study 
*1 Shimmering Wings 
*1 Snake Umbra 
*1 Wild Growth 
[/enchantment] 
[Artifact] 
*1 Bident of Thassa 
*1 Simic Signet 
*1 Sol Ring 
*1 Swiftfoot Boots 
*1 The Great Henge 
[/Artifact] 
[Instant] 
*1 Arcane Denial 
*1 Beast Within 
*1 Counterspell 
*1 Cyclonic Rift 
*1 Growth Spiral 
*1 Heroic Intervention 
*1 Inspiring Call 
*1 Krosan Grip 
*1 Pongify 
*1 Rapid Hybridization 
*1 Reality Shift 
*1 Swan Song 
[/Instant] 
[Sorcery] 
*1 Creeping Renaissance 
*1 Cultivate 
*1 Devastation Tide 
*1 Displacement Wave 
*1 Farseek 
*1 Flood of Tears 
*1 Kodama's Reach 
*1 Rampant Growth 
*1 Regrowth 
[/Sorcery] 
[Land] 
*1 Alchemist's Refuge 
*1 Breeding Pool 
*1 Command Tower 
*1 Evolving Wilds 
*11 Forest 
*10 Island 
*1 Karn's Bastion 
*1 Lonely Sandbar 
*1 Misty Rainforest 
*1 Novijen, Heart of Progress 
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 
*1 Opal Palace 
*1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood 
*1 Reliquary Tower 
*1 Rogue's Passage 
*1 Simic Growth Chamber 
*1 Strip Mine 
*1 Terramorphic Expanse 
*1 Tranquil Thicket 
[/Land] 
[/Deck] 

Quick disclaimer: I know that someone taking a quick glance at the numbers for each section is going to make them say, “Wait, why are there only 15 enchantments in this enchantment-based deck?!” but a closer look will show that 12 of the creatures are also enchantments! This means that over a quarter of the deck is enchantments, which I still think is a touch low for this kind of deck, but definitely better than only 15!
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Welcome Back, Uncommonders!</h2>
Let me tell all of you fantastic readers: this one was hard to write. Not because of the Uncommonder, or even because I had been writing Replacement Commanders for so long. Truth be told, things got a little crazy in “The Real World”™, the week I was writing this. Everything going on with the world, kids getting sick, me getting sick, work stuff… But we pulled through! And we made it! However, it did make me think about some things, so I wanted to take this time to just truly say thank you to everyone who continues to read these articles, reply in the comments and motivate myself and the other writers here on EDHREC to keep doing what we’re doing. I hope everyone out there is staying clean and safe and that we see the light at the end of this tunnel soon. I’m looking forward to a few more Uncommonder articles before jumping right back into 2020’s early Commander product, but until then…
Thanks for reading!

Uncommonders - Double the Favoring, Double the Fun!

Replacement Commanders - Reanimator Boros from the Weatherlight's Hero

Replacement Commanders - Mr. Steal Yo Shape!

Replacement Commanders - Time to Troll!

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grumgully, the Generous" href="#" target="_blank">Grumgully, the Generous</a>| Art by <a href="https://www.mceran-art.com/">Milivoj Ćeran</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is Epic Experiment, 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.
This week we'll be exploring one of the most interesting commanders released in Throne of Eldraine. He's a very generous Goblin whose versatility makes him incredibly fun to build around: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grumgully, the Generous" href="#" target="_blank">Grumgully, the Generous</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grumgully, the Generous"></div></div>
Each other non-Human creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it. 
Observation 1:
While I appreciate the versatility of the card, I feel that there's something wrong with the non-Human cards of Throne of Eldraine. They feel a lot like Changelings, whose support is helpful, but may erode a little bit of a tribe's unique identity.
Observation 2:
Persist creatures come back into play with a -1/-1 counter, which Grumgully's +1/+1 counter would eliminate. With a free sacrifice outlet, that means we have a important combo piece in the command zone, and with red in the color identity, we even have great ways to capitalize on the infinite ETB triggers that result from this combo.
Observation 3:
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grumgully, the Generous" href="#" target="_blank">Grumgully, the Generous</a> puts counters on both nontoken and token creatures entering the battlefield. This opens up quite a few ways to build him, and makes <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animation Module" href="#" target="_blank">Animation Module</a>, in particular, quite strong.
Observation 4:
As a Goblin commander, Grumgully seems great. A <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metallic Mimic" href="#" target="_blank">Metallic Mimic</a> in the command zone is awesome, and access to green creature-based tutors and card draw can really boost the consistency of the tribe.
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Grumgully-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-41175" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Grumgully-Sig.png" alt="" width="546" height="284" /></a>
As we can see, the average Grumgully list tries to utilize the interaction between Grumgully and creatures with Persist to make infinite ETB effects with a sacrifice outlet. There's also a low-key Goblin tribal strategy hidden within those cards, which we can see with cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Matron" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Matron</a>.
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcbound Ravager"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hardened Scales"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Death&#039;s Presence"></div></div></div>
<a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/epic-experiment-olivia-modular/">Back in April</a>, I wrote about an <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Olivia, Mobilized For War" href="#" target="_blank">Olivia, Mobilized For War</a> build that sought to use her as a way to put counters on Modular creatures. When Modern Horizons was released, I saw some great additions to that list. Then Throne of Eldraine was spoiled, and with it came this very strange Goblin, with crazy art and basically the same ability I was using Olivia for. The best part is that Grumgully is a Gruul commander, meaning that we actually get +1/+1 counter support from green, which is something we didn't have when we were in Rakdos!
Grumgully is great as a support for this kind of Affinity aggro, because the robots used in the deck are never Humans that Grumgully would ignore. This, combined with the counter support from green, means that we go tall pretty quickly. Modular creatures are a great way to keep from getting blown out by single-target removal, since the counters can just go to another creature.
Some of the new cards available to us really shift the list into overdrive. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a> is great protection against target-based exile removal and has the powerful upside to Proliferate our counters, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pir, Imaginative Rascal" href="#" target="_blank">Pir, Imaginative Rascal</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hardened Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Hardened Scales</a> are great ways to increase the number of counters that we get, turning even our smaller creatures into giants.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Henge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrap Mastery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return of the Wildspeaker"></div></div>
Not only do we get those amazing enablers, we also get plenty of great support! <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspiring Call" href="#" target="_blank">Inspiring Call</a> is flexible card draw that can be used as the ultimate "Gotcha!" against a control player's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a>. Getting to play <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a> is always a treat, and accruing even more counters while drawing cards is an amazing feeling. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death&#039;s Presence" href="#" target="_blank">Death&#039;s Presence</a> effectively gives all of our creatures Modular, and even stacks with the actual Modular creatures.
Like its Rakdos counterpart, we are also packing a reanimator package to get full advantage of our death triggers. The Goblin trio of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Engineer</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Welder" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Welder</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a> are great source of constant in-and-out-of-the-battlefield triggers. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Mastery</a> is also always a great way to come back into the game. Just be careful about possible enemy artifacts coming back, too.
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Grumgully Affinity" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Animation Module
*Skullclamp
*Sol Ring
*Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*Arcane Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Gruul Signet
*Mind Stone
*Talisman of Impulse
*Throne of Geth
*Sword of Truth and Justice
*Mystic Forge
*Cauldron of Souls
*the Great Henge
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Hangarback Walker
*Stonecoil Serpent
*Walking Ballista
*Arcbound Worker
*Goblin Welder
*Sparring Construct
*Arcbound Ravager
*Arcbound Slith
*Arcbound Stinger
*Goblin Engineer
*Loyal Apprentice
*Myr Retriever
*Steel Overseer
*Chief of the Foundry
*Evolution Sage
*Foundry Inspector
*Iron Bully
*Pir, Imaginative Rascal
*Scrap Trawler
*Shimmer Myr
*Thopter Engineer
*Tuskguard Captain
*Arcbound Crusher
*Arcbound Hybrid
*Arcbound Reclaimer
*Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
*Arcbound Bruiser
*Arcbound Fiend
*Triskelion
*Wurmcoil Engine
*Myr Battlesphere
[/Creature]
[Sorcery]
*Trash For Treasure
*Chain Reaction
*Triumph of the Hordes
*Scrap Mastery
*Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
*Heroic Intervention
*Return to Nature
*Chaos Warp
*Inspiring Call
*Return of the Wildspeaker
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter
*Daretti, Scrap Savant
*Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalker]
[Enchantment]
*Hardened Scales
*Rhythm of the Wild
*Death&#039;s Presence
[/Enchantment]
[Land]
*Command Tower
*Stomping Ground
*Spire Garden
*City of Brass
*Mana Confluence
*Karplusan Forest
*Rootbound Crag
*Temple of Abandon
*Karn&#039;s Bastion
*Inventors&#039; Fair
*Buried Ruin
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*12 Forest
*11 Mountain
[/Land]"></div>
<hr />
The list packs a lot of punch, especially with all the great support that gives our creatures combative keywords. For haste, we have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Engineer</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhythm of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Rhythm of the Wild</a>. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tuskguard Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Tuskguard Captain</a> gives trample to all creatures with +1/+1 counters (which is basically all of them). <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron of Souls</a> also helps us protect ourselves against board destruction.
For standalone threats, we have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traxos, Scourge of Kroog" href="#" target="_blank">Traxos, Scourge of Kroog</a>, which is a nice beater regardless of counters, since we can constantly untap it. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stonecoil Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Stonecoil Serpent</a> is also a great beater that can grow regardless of how much we support it, but we also have plenty of support to give it.
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
For our opening hand, we're looking for easy access to our commander. Even though they won't necessarily allow us to play our commander before turn three, a two-mana rock like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gruul Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Gruul Signet</a> is a great way to accelerate our turns without sacrificing our curve. Also, as an aggressive deck, we need a few creatures to go with our hand. If we happen to find an <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animation Module" href="#" target="_blank">Animation Module</a>, this is an army-in-a-can, and can pretty much carry us all the way if we manage to keep Grumgully alive.
The early game is pretty much divided into two parts: before Grumgully, and after Grumgully. The first part is all setup, which means that we'll be building towards playing our commander, so we're either developing our mana or playing support cards, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hardened Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Hardened Scales</a>. Transitioning to the mid-game involves capitalizing on all the preparations we've made. In other words, curving out on mana is the most important part of our plan.
In the mid-game we should have a strong board presence, with our commander making any creatures we play just a little bigger. This is where we need to find the "bigger guns" and support cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a>, or even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron of Souls</a>. These cards help us survive the point of the game where people start casting Wraths, since sheer brute force won't get us through them alone.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triumph of the Hordes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tuskguard Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Traxos, Scourge of Kroog"></div></div>
In the late game we have all sorts of epic plays, from great draw spells (<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rishkar&#039;s Expertise" href="#" target="_blank">Rishkar&#039;s Expertise</a>), to great finishers (<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triumph of the Hordes" href="#" target="_blank">Triumph of the Hordes</a>), or even comeback tools like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Mastery</a>. We're vulnerable to a removal-heavy opposition since we tend to need a wide board, but since we can go pretty tall pretty fast, it eases the burden of having to close out quickly.
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Domri, Anarch of Bolas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doubling Season"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Forge"></div></div>
For those seeking potential upgrades, planeswalkers are great additions to the list. There are many Gruul planeswalkers that can provide the needed support for our creatures and synergize pretty well with our counters and our Proliferate effects. In that vein, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a> is a great addition to the list if we're adding more planeswalkers.
For faster acceleration in more aggressive metas, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a> can help us get ahead of the opposition. On the other hand, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Forge</a> (and probably some more ways to cheat it into play) can help fight through more control-oriented metas. The list goes pretty deep with artifact creatures, so cutting some of the them to add more streamlined card draw might help balance the deck out.
That’s it for this Epic Experiment! What do you think about this list? Is this a well-oiled machine? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!

Epic Experiment - Grumgully Affinity

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mairsil, the Pretender" href="#" target="_blank">Mairsil, the Pretender</a> | Art by <a href="http://izzymedrano.com/main/">Izzy</a>)</h6>
<h2>What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?</h2>
Once again, it's time for another Forgotten Harvest, the article series where I highlight the most underplayed cards on EDHREC, clocking in at 300 decks or less. And, as has become common practice for me in this series, I'll be taking a commander that isn't supposed to "Voltron" and suiting it up for battle. <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/forgotten-harvest-mono-red-voltron/">We did it</a> with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient</a>, <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/forgotten-harvest-muldrotha-voltron/">and then again</a> with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha, the Gravetide</a>. This time, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mairsil, the Pretender" href="#" target="_blank">Mairsil, the Pretender</a> gets a chance to supersize!
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mairsil, the Pretender"></div></div>
Now, before I get into some of the interesting and hyper-underplayed cards that can help Mairsil get swole, it's important to mention those that have covered the Pretender before me: fellow EDHREC writers <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/commander-showdown-mairsil-vs-experiment-kraj/">Joseph Schultz</a> and <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/ultra-budget-brews-mairsil-the-pretender/">Andrew Cummings</a> both did a great job covering many options for Mairsil. I'm going to be covering a few of the cards that they've mentioned before, but I highly recommend checking those articles out to get the full picture of this commander. I've limited my deck to specifically pumping up Mairsil with +1/+1 counters via his cage counter trick. To do this, we'll be leaning on looting and self-mill effects to ensure a plethora of targets, as well as effects that allow Mairsil to hit the battlefield multiple times, plus a healthy amount of evasion.
There are also a fair number of cards which can function as stand-ins for Mairsil should he find himself <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imprisoned in the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Imprisoned in the Moon</a> or listening to a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of the Dryads" href="#" target="_blank">Song of the Dryads</a>: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necrotic Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Necrotic Ooze</a> is a fantastic alternative, but <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksilver Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksilver Elemental</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Havengul Lich" href="#" target="_blank">Havengul Lich</a> can do more than just copy activated abilities: if Mairsil is on the field, they can borrow his activated abilities.
Alright, let's find those underplayed gems that help make Mairsil a Voltron!
<hr />
<h2>Counter Argument</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Souldrinker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Markov Dreadknight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syndicate Trafficker"></div></div>
First on our list of hyper-underplayed cards is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Souldrinker" href="#" target="_blank">Souldrinker</a>. It sees play in just 58 decks on EDHREC, but putting +1/+1 counters on a creature doesn't get any easier: trading three life for a +1/+1 counter is an easy, systematic way to buff our Voltron. And don't forget that, while Mairsil only allows each activated ability to be used once a turn, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Souldrinker" href="#" target="_blank">Souldrinker</a>'s "free" ability is something you can do each turn: by the time it gets to be your turn again, Mairsil could already be an 8/8.
But, then, if you happen to have the mana, and maybe some extra cards in your hand, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Markov Dreadknight" href="#" target="_blank">Markov Dreadknight</a> can certainly pump up Mairsil faster and with less life lost. Plus, the Dreadknight (263 decks) also has the potential to do some damage on its own, as it has evasion baked right in. The cost of discarding a card is actually a benefit here since it will allow Mairsil to pluck creatures and artifacts with tasty activated abilities right out of the graveyard.
Looking at the decklist below reveals the large number of artifacts in this Grixis build, so it makes sense to include <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syndicate Trafficker" href="#" target="_blank">Syndicate Trafficker</a>, both for the easy +1/+1 counter, but also the protection of indestructibility it can grant to Mairsil when caged. It sees play in 248 decks, but offers some much needed protection in this deck to our critically important commander.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anthroplasm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solarion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consumptive Goo"></div></div>
Adding one or two counters at a time is nice, but what about really cranking Mairsil's stats up to 11? For that we have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anthroplasm" href="#" target="_blank">Anthroplasm</a>, one of the first cards I ever brewed with way back in Urza's Legacy. Only 245 decks have this card right now, but it seems tailor-made for our purposes here. Throw a cage counter on <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anthroplasm" href="#" target="_blank">Anthroplasm</a> when our commander hits the field, and the next turn pump as much mana as possible into growing Mairsil into a beast. Sadly, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anthroplasm" href="#" target="_blank">Anthroplasm</a>'s ability doesn't stack well, as it removes all counters on the card before adding the new ones.
But maybe Mairsil could use Anthroplasm's ability as a start, and then follow it up with the activated ability on <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solarion" href="#" target="_blank">Solarion</a> the next turn. This card, and a couple other Sunburst cards I'll talk about later, seem right at home in this deck, even if they can't be cast for their full potential. But if that option is appealing, I have included cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exotic Orchard" href="#" target="_blank">Exotic Orchard</a> to help turn make this Grixis deck capable of all five colors. As an aside, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solarion" href="#" target="_blank">Solarion</a> sees play in only 101 decks on the site.
While slightly on the expensive side, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consumptive Goo" href="#" target="_blank">Consumptive Goo</a> provides another route for +1/+1 counter amplification, while also removing a weenie in the process. Ideally used as a quick combat trick, the Goo is only found in 101 decks. Honestly, if I were looking at cards to cut, this would probably be high on the list due to the cost of the ability, but for now it helps keep the mana curve in check, and it functions well on its own without our commander.
<hr />
<h2>Counters as a Cost</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spinal Parasite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Suncrusher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Molten Hydra"></div></div>
Since we're putting all these counters on Mairsil, it might be good to put those counters to use. Maybe we can use them to knock down planeswalkers with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spinal Parasite" href="#" target="_blank">Spinal Parasite</a>. In only 14 measly decks on EDHREC, this Sunburst artifact creature is the only creature ever printed to have a negative toughness. And while that's not a very good reason to play it, the versatility in removing generic counters from permanents does come in handy.
Another Sunburst creature, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Suncrusher" href="#" target="_blank">Suncrusher</a> (95 decks), pulls double duty for us: not only can it turn extra +1/+1 counters into creature removal, but it can also give Mairsil the ability to bounce himself, allowing for a recast and another card exiled with a cage counter on it. While nine mana is high, I think there's great versatility here, and the chances that it'll wind up on the battlefield as opposed to just feeding Mairsil are low.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Molten Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Molten Hydra</a>'s abilities allow for both the addition of counters to Mairsil and a mass damage move. After a few turns of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solarion" href="#" target="_blank">Solarion</a>, there may be enough +1/+1 counters on Mairsil for him to go lethal using <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Molten Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Molten Hydra</a>'s second ability. The Hydra sees play in 102 decks, and while I'm sure there are better iterations of both of its abilities, getting them both on a single card is very valuable.
<hr />
<h2>Through the Line</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marchesa&#039;s Smuggler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza&#039;s Avenger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merrow Wavebreakers"></div></div>
Now that we've talked about ways to make Mairsil huge, we should spend some time on just how he's going to connect with opponents. First up, we have an excellent option in <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marchesa&#039;s Smuggler" href="#" target="_blank">Marchesa&#039;s Smuggler</a>. Only seeing play in 282 decks, this has to be one of my favorite Izzet cards! The creature is well-costed, as is its activated ability, and it doesn't need any other card to work thanks to Dethrone. In this deck, it provides the best evasion, as well as some very relevant haste, all thanks to an activated ability that could end up on a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necrotic Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Necrotic Ooze</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Havengul Lich" href="#" target="_blank">Havengul Lich</a>. A perfect fit!
I looked very hard at the series of "Avenger" cards printed throughout Magic. The two I settled on for this deck were <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza&#039;s Avenger" href="#" target="_blank">Urza&#039;s Avenger</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jodah&#039;s Avenger" href="#" target="_blank">Jodah&#039;s Avenger</a>. Played in 27 and 263 decks, respectively, these cards have some great evasion-granting activated abilities, and they're just begging to get "caged" by Mairsil. While it does hurt that you can only use the effect once a turn, having multiple Avengers can help that. Maybe having even a third or fourth version of the card would be beneficial.
While the typical <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mairsil, the Pretender" href="#" target="_blank">Mairsil, the Pretender</a> deck runs untapping cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leech Bonder" href="#" target="_blank">Leech Bonder</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hateflayer" href="#" target="_blank">Hateflayer</a>, I like my untap effects to come with some evasion. Hence, I've included <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merrow Wavebreakers" href="#" target="_blank">Merrow Wavebreakers</a> in the deck. Providing a cheap way to untap Mairsil while also granting evasion fits right in line with this deck's gameplan. Anymore, this kind of effect seems to be found more in white, so I'm glad to see it in blue here. The Wavebreakers are in only 30 decks on the site, which seems low to me for a good Merfork card with a unique ability.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bane Alley Broker"></div></div>
Lastly, I've included a card to help add some chaos to your Mairsil games: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bane Alley Broker" href="#" target="_blank">Bane Alley Broker</a> (99 decks). While it may not seem like a very good card, getting the Broker's ability on Mairsil while you also have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Welder" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Welder</a> in a cage can lead to some very interesting interactions, not to mention what happens if you exile it using <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Impostor" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Impostor</a>'s ability. Let me know in the comments if you pick up on any of the other fun interactions this card can create in the deck.
And speaking of the deck, here it is.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div>
[Commander] 
*1 Mairsil, the Pretender 
[/Commander]
[Creatures] 
*1 Walking Ballista 
*1 Carrion Feeder 
*1 Consumptive Goo 
*1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden 
*1 Marchesa's Smuggler 
*1 Merfolk Looter 
*1 Molten Hydra 
*1 Pili-Pala 
*1 Runaway Steam-Kin 
*1 Sage of Hours 
*1 Syndicate Trafficker 
*1 Bane Alley Broker 
*1 Dark Imposter 
*1 Myr Welder 
*1 Simic Manipulator 
*1 Yahenni, Undying Partisan 
*1 Anthroplasm 
*1 Argent Sphinx 
*1 Crystalline Crawler 
*1 Herald of Secret Streams 
*1 Identity Thief 
*1 Mer-Ek Nightblade 
*1 Necrotic Ooze 
*1 Souldrinker 
*1 Gilded Lotus 
*1 Cinderhaze Wretch 
*1 Havengul Lich 
*1 Markov Dreadknight 
*1 Merrow Wavebreakers 
*1 Spinal Parasite 
*1 Torchling 
*1 Aetherling 
*1 Etherium-Horn Sorcerer 
*1 Jodah's Avenger 
*1 Quicksilver Elemental 
*1 Sphinx of Magosi 
*1 Urza's Avenger 
*1 Hateflayer 
*1 Shauku, Endbringer 
*1 Solarion 
*1 Suncrusher 
[/Creatures]
[Instants] 
*1 Cyclonic Rift 
*1 Rakdos Charm 
*1 Reality Shift 
*1 Bedevil 
*1 Chaos Warp 
*1 Fact or Fiction 
[/Instants]
[Sorceries] 
*1 Vandalblast 
*1 Demonic Tutor 
*1 Grave Strength 
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts] 
*1 Manifold Key 
*1 Retrofitter Foundry 
*1 Sol Ring 
*1 Dimir Signet 
*1 Izzet Signet 
*1 Rakdos Signet 
*1 Chromatic Lantern 
*1 Commander's Sphere 
*1 Crystal Shard 
*1 Mirage Mirror 
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments] 
*1 Phyrexian Scriptures 
[/Enchantments]
[Lands] 
*1 Blood Crypt 
*1 Command Tower 
*1 Crumbling Necropolis 
*1 Dragonskull Summit 
*1 Drowned Catacomb 
*1 Exotic Orchard 
*9 Island 
*6 Mountain 
*1 Opal Palace 
*1 Sanctum of Eternity 
*1 Shivan Reef 
*1 Steam Vents 
*1 Sulfur Falls 
*1 Sulfurous Springs 
*8 Swamp 
*1 Underground River 
*1 Watery Grave 
[/Lands]
[/Deck]

<hr />
<h2>I Could've Been a Pretender!</h2>
That's about all there is for this Forgotten Harvest. Questions? Suggestions? Snide remarks? Leave them for me below in the comments. I'll be around to talk about how I left <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horseshoe Crab" href="#" target="_blank">Horseshoe Crab</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soliton" href="#" target="_blank">Soliton</a> off of my list, and why I can't seem to stop making Voltron decks in this article series. What are some of the more interesting activated abilities that Mairsil could gain, especially from hyper-underplayed cards? Are there any activated ability interactions in Grixis that need more attention? Let me know, and I'll see you next time!

Forgotten Harvest - Mairsil, Pretending to be a Voltron

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician" href="#" target="_blank">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician</a> | Art by <a href="http://markwintersart.com/">Mark Winters</a>)</h6>
<h1>Commander Horizons</h1>
I know, it's cheeky to call the Modern Horizons set "Commander Horizons" instead, but let's be honest, there are some extremely cool cards coming up in this set that we EDH players should be very excited for! We have returning mechanics, awesome lore characters, and even support for cool tribes.
Today I'm lucky to talk about the very best cards from Modern Horizons. Why are they the very best? Because these are the black cards, and black cards are the best! Let's get digging.
<hr />
<h2>Mythics</h2>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician"></div></div>
Hold on, I am trying to collect my thoughts that do not just jumble together into drool over this card. It's rare to see a card that checks so many boxes. He's powerful, he's a value engine, and he's a Vorthos home-run, right down to the protection from Humans.
As a card in the 99, expect to see him follow a similar trajectory to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yahenni, Undying Partisan" href="#" target="_blank">Yahenni, Undying Partisan</a>. Commanders like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meren of Clan Nel Toth" href="#" target="_blank">Meren of Clan Nel Toth</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a> are always happy to have additional sacrifice outlets, especially when those sacrifice outselts also help draw cards, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons" href="#" target="_blank">Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons</a> couldn't be happier to see all those -1/-1 counters.
At the helm of the 99, look to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder" href="#" target="_blank">Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder</a> and friends for inspiration. Creatures like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophiomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ophiomancer</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pawn of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Pawn of Ulamog</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reassembling Skeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Reassembling Skeleton</a> present excellent choices for sacrifice fodder. Of course, Yawgmoth isn't one to be pigeonholed into a singular strategy. Yawgmoth can turn tokens into card advantage, but with that Proliferate ability, he can also become a home for mono-black superfriends, or a very dastardly Infect commander. I fully expect him and Urza to battle for the #1 spot on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#pastmonth">Top Commanders</a> pages for quite some time.
<hr />
<h2>Rares</h2>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Cabal Therapist</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Therapist"></div></div>
One of the first cards previewed for the set, this card is designed more for Modern than Commander, where it's much more realistic to blindly guess cards your opponents have in hand. It's possible Therapist could find a spot in metas who know each other's decks very well, or in some <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Telepathy" href="#" target="_blank">Telepathy</a>-inclusive <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sen Triplets" href="#" target="_blank">Sen Triplets</a> builds, but it's not really a card for EDH.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Cordial Vampire</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cordial Vampire"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a> sits as the second most popular commander built in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#past2years">past two years</a>, and with new cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cordial Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Cordial Vampire</a>, I can only imagine he'll maintain that popularity. Not only will your army get bigger as enemy creatures die, but Vampires have many sacrifices outlets built into their decks, which makes this a very deadly new addition. Consider him also for decks like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elenda, the Dusk Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Elenda, the Dusk Rose</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yahenni, Undying Partisan" href="#" target="_blank">Yahenni, Undying Partisan</a>.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Dead of Winter</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dead of Winter"></div></div>
Most of us have probably seen snow-covered lands a time or two, especially when someone uses them in conjunction with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extraplanar Lens" href="#" target="_blank">Extraplanar Lens</a> to collect value no one else can take advantage of. Well, now snow decks also have a variant of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutilate" href="#" target="_blank">Mutilate</a>, one that can work in a multicolored deck with lots of snow-covered basic lands.
I want to believe there is a solid snow deck to be made, but the sad truth is that there are only 40 total snow creatures in the game, so there are very few options to run that will withstand your own <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dead of Winter" href="#" target="_blank">Dead of Winter</a>. Regardless, I can still accept this as a cheaper, more splashable <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutilate" href="#" target="_blank">Mutilate</a>.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Endling</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Endling"></div></div>
The end of a cycle! From <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morphling" href="#" target="_blank">Morphling</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torchling" href="#" target="_blank">Torchling</a> to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thornling" href="#" target="_blank">Thornling</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brightling" href="#" target="_blank">Brightling</a> we can rejoice at the tying up of loose threads. This is a solid battering ram against other creatures. With deathtouch and menace, it will be extremely difficult for your enemies to interact with this creature favorably in combat. Add in the Undying and it's even more of a nuisance. Unlike several others in this cycle, Endling isn't just a Shapeshifter, but has a second creature type: Zombie. As such, this may see play in some classic Zombie tribal decks like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gisa and Geralf" href="#" target="_blank">Gisa and Geralf</a> as an efficient beater and an especially irksome blocker.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Force of Despair</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Despair"></div></div>
Speaking of cycles, the black part of the “Force of” cycle is a doozy. The timing restrictions make it a worse rate than a traditional <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Downfall</a>, which can kill a creature regardless of when it entered the battlefield, but this is certainly an efficient answer to combos like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker</a> + <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pestermite" href="#" target="_blank">Pestermite</a> or a huge influx of tokens. Look out, bursty token decks! Otherwise, though, this is a niche meta call if you're often up against aggressive decks that summon tons of creatures in one turn, but black has many other removal spells that will occupy this slot and be more effective in the majority of traditional games.
<hr />
<h2>Everything Else</h2>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Ninjas</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throatseeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azra Smokeshaper"></div></div>
The community has been hungry for more Ninja cards for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a> decks, and Modern Horizons has delivered! Yuriko is very aggressive, often not able to leave blockers behind, which means she can be targeted pretty easily. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throatseeker" href="#" target="_blank">Throatseeker</a> helps mitigate some of that life loss, a welcome addition. Meanwhile, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azra Smokeshaper" href="#" target="_blank">Azra Smokeshaper</a> is a tricky card that helps protect Yuriko in the combat phase. Yuriko has climbed up to the #3 most-built Dimir commander slot, and with the help of these great new Ninjas, I won't be surprised if she eventually sneaks all the way up to #1.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Zombies</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undead Augur"></div></div>
With a tribe as deep and potent as Zombies, there's always a risk that the tribe is already overcrowded and any new cards won't be able to fight their way into decks. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undead Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Undead Augur</a>, which is basically <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Prophecy" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Prophecy</a> on legs, is potentially amazing but also potentially dangerous. Zombies are always hungry for card advantage, which could easily push this over the top, but lack of control over this ability makes me think there are better options for Zombies.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Goblins</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sling-Gang Lieutenant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warteye Witch"></div></div>
Whenever I see “Goblin” on the type line, I become very interested. Most Goblin synergies wind up in red, but <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wort, Boggart Auntie" href="#" target="_blank">Wort, Boggart Auntie</a> have well-known followings. Grenzo in particular probably represents the best synergies; Grenzo loves to sacrifice creatures, then put them on the bottom of his deck from the graveyard with things like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reito Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Reito Lantern</a>, and cheat them right back into play with his bottom-of-the-library ability. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warteye Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Warteye Witch</a> works amazingly well here too, since she can help scry fun new targets to the bottom of the deck for Grenzo!
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Shapeshifters</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Graveshifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Changeling Outcast"></div></div>
The Shapeshifters of this set pique my interest more than usual. This set has Goblins, Ninjas, Zombies, Vampires, and then some. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Changeling Outcast" href="#" target="_blank">Changeling Outcast</a> work amazingly well to enable Ninjutsu and to trigger Yuriko, a welcome addition. There are probably better options for recursion in black, but it's not impossible that a few tribes would enjoy a tribal <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravedigger" href="#" target="_blank">Gravedigger</a> to recur their fallen soldiers, like sacrifice-happy Vampires or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist" href="#" target="_blank">Inalla, Archmage Ritualist</a>'s ETB-triggering Wizards.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Spells</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mind Rake"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return from Extinction"></div></div>
Of the remaining spells, the three above strike me as the most interesting in EDH. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defile" href="#" target="_blank">Defile</a> has already gotten attention in Pauper, but a single-target version of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutilate" href="#" target="_blank">Mutilate</a> for one black mana at instant speed seems great for most mono-black decks, possibly as a supplement or a replacement for the occasional <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tragic Slip" href="#" target="_blank">Tragic Slip</a>. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Rake" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Rake</a>'s Overload ability is fun in a deck primed to abuse it, such as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nath of the Gilt-Leaf" href="#" target="_blank">Nath of the Gilt-Leaf</a>, though it's notable that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delirium Skeins" href="#" target="_blank">Delirium Skeins</a> only shows up on about 600 total decks on EDHREC. Finally, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return from Extinction" href="#" target="_blank">Return from Extinction</a> is a decent recursion spell in tribal decks thanks to its low mana cost, possibly budging out any decks still playing <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aphetto Dredging" href="#" target="_blank">Aphetto Dredging</a>. For these three cards, I predict the order of popularity, from highest to lowest, is the same order the cards are displayed above.
<hr />
<h2>The Night is Darkest Just Before the Dawn</h2>
What are your favorite black cards from Modern Horizons? What cards are you putting into your decks? Are there any spicy cards I missed above? What cards are on your radar? Let me know in the comments below!

Modern Horizons Set Review - Black

Commander Showdown - Ramos vs Niv-Mizzet Reborn

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Tiger" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Tiger</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/sebmckinnon/">Seb McKinnon</a>)</h6>
<h1>Kyle is a Liar Sometimes!</h1>
Hey everyone! Welcome back to Forgotten Harvest, where we spotlight heavily underplayed cards in the Commander format. This time we're looking at the series of Phantom cards from Judgment. But before getting further into that strategy, I need to come clean on something: I am a dirty, rotten liar.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-32307" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/giphy.gif" alt="" width="320" height="180" />
As hinted at in the last <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/forgotten-harvest-nefarox-enchantress/">Forgotten Harvest</a>, I'm sure many of you were expecting a mono-green deck focused on damage prevention. I built that deck, helmed by <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sekki, Seasons&#039; Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Sekki, Seasons&#039; Guide</a>, and then quickly realized that adding white would make it significantly better! What you'll be reading about here is the result of that change. I'm so terribly sorry, and hopefully we can put this behind us for the rest of the article.
<hr />
<h2>In the Spirit of Truthfulness</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantom Flock"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantom Centaur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantom Wurm"></div></div>
I'll start with the heart of the deck: cards in the Phantom series from Judgment. This series of creatures have zero toughness, but all enter with a number of +1/+1 counters and have the ability "If damage would be dealt to this creature, prevent that damage. Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature." <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Nishoba" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Nishoba</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Nantuko" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Nantuko</a> have both appeared in separate Commander products, but there are five other creatures in the series, along with a handful of creatures with similar abilities that are worth a look.
Less powerful than the two Phantoms already mentioned, this deck can still make good use of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Flock" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Flock</a> (112 decks), <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Tiger" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Tiger</a> (97 decks), <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Centaur" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Centaur</a> (129 decks), <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Nomad" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Nomad</a> (50 decks), and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Wurm</a> (67 decks). Normally, these creatures would be fairly vanilla in an EDH deck. However, this build is going to focus on their damage prevention ability, making them the foundation of the deck's creature base. This is an ability ripe for abuse, and I'm shocked these cards don't see more play in Commander.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantom Tiger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantom Nomad"></div></div>
There's also a handful of other creatures not from the Phantom series that fit into the same strategy. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sekki, Seasons&#039; Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Sekki, Seasons&#039; Guide</a> deals in damage prevention and +1/+1 counters, but provides token production as well. From Dissension, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sprouting Phytohydra" href="#" target="_blank">Sprouting Phytohydra</a> doesn't have the prevention clause, but does replicate when dealt damage. Given some of the ways we're looking to abuse the Phantom ability, this will come in handy. And WotC must be aware of the powerful nature of this ability, as it's been fixed on more recently-printed cards. Case in point, War of the Spark's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin&#039;s Conjurant" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin&#039;s Conjurant</a> and Battle for Zendikar's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undergrowth Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Undergrowth Champion</a> both have a nerfed version of this ability. Given the latter's 2/2 body and Landfall trigger, I've included it in the deck.
<hr />
<h2>Embellishing the Story</h2>
Now that I have my all-star spirits laid out, I should get into how we're going to abuse the Phantom ability. From a careful reading, it's clear that these creatures don't require a +1/+1 counter be removed in order to prevent the damage. So, if I could get their toughness up to even a base value of one, I can score a damage-free army. And the best way to do that would be a commander with an anthem ability.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trostani Discordant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glorious Anthem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leyline of Vitality"></div></div>
Enter <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trostani Discordant" href="#" target="_blank">Trostani Discordant</a>. She'll make sure all our Phantoms survive, regardless of the waves of damage they take. Add to that the anthems themselves: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glorious Anthem" href="#" target="_blank">Glorious Anthem</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Anthem" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Anthem</a>. Not to mention the toughness-boosting powers of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spidersilk Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Spidersilk Armor</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Vitality</a>. These effects are critical to keeping the Phantom team on the battlefield and in combat.
That's great and all, but what's to stop my opponents from overwhelming me with their own battalion?
<hr />
<h2>The Truth Hurts for a Little While, But Lies Hurt Forever</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Splintering Wind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hail Storm"></div></div>
Here we come to the reason I moved into white for this deck. Oddly enough, it was a green card that convinced me to go all-in on the Phantoms, and that card was <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclone" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclone</a>. When our team of creatures can't die, we can just keep pumping more and more green mana into the Cumulative Upkeep of this card, and pretty soon our Spirits are all that's left. And with it only appearing in 44 decks currently, this card could really use some more play! It's such a unique ability for green, potentially resulting in a board wipe if unchecked. Yes, there is the possibility of indestructible creatures to contend with, but <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonds of Mortality" href="#" target="_blank">Bonds of Mortality</a> can help with that.
Once I found <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclone" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclone</a>, I expanded my search for green cards that damage. I also found <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Splintering Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Splintering Wind</a>, which I'll even admit is a terrible card, and sees play in only 16 decks on EDHREC. To be honest, I'm still testing out this enchantment to see how reliable it'll be. I like the idea of making a bunch of 1/1 fliers in green, and I like it even more when <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Vigor</a>'s on the battlefield. Heck, that's really the only reason this enchantment is still around: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Vigor</a> makes it outstanding!
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hail Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Hail Storm</a> was another terrific find in green, and is currently in only 10 decks. It's a great taunt to only leave green mana open, and then spring this spell in combat when attacked. Few will see that coming! And while they're more well known than the cards I typically talk about, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wave of Reckoning" href="#" target="_blank">Wave of Reckoning</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightmine Field" href="#" target="_blank">Lightmine Field</a> are some great damage sources in white that can be abused here.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hedron-Field Purists"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Candles&#039; Glow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Protective Sphere"></div></div>
With all this damage flying around here, it would be a good idea to have some added protection. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedron-Field Purists" href="#" target="_blank">Hedron-Field Purists</a> from Rise of the Eldrazi is an excellent form of that protection, helping to take the sting out of those Splinter tokens. And it's only seeing play in 290 decks at the moment. Operating as a second, far more limited <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Vigor</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Candles&#039; Glow" href="#" target="_blank">Candles&#039; Glow</a> (60 decks) can help protect some of the non-Phantom creatures in the deck, or help reload a waning spirit low on counters. From only 131 decks on EDHREC, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Protective Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Protective Sphere</a> is an excellent way to minimize the hurt from a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclone" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclone</a> after several turns. I've also included some mana-makers in the deck to give the Sphere more versatility in holding off opponents' volleys (see <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a> among others).
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saltblast"></div></div>
One final card I should mention is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saltblast" href="#" target="_blank">Saltblast</a>. I know it's not on-theme like the rest of the cards I've discussed. But in the wake of War of the Spark, I'm beginning to prep my decks for the wave of people in my playgroup trying out all kinds of new 'walkers. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saltblast" href="#" target="_blank">Saltblast</a> is some excellent white removal that can handle the nonwhite loyalty countered, as well as lands and all other types of problem permanents. It's a real shame it only sees play in 101 decks. Please help me get that number higher!
With that out of the way, onto the deck:
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div>
[Commander] 
*1 Trostani Discordant 
[/Commander] 
[Creatures] 
*1 Permeating Mass 
*1 Phantom Nomad 
*1 Carven Caryatid 
*1 Eternal Witness 
*1 Hedron-Field Purists 
*1 Phantom Nantuko 
*1 Phantom Tiger 
*1 Undergrowth Champion 
*1 Bloodspore Thrinax 
*1 Phantom Centaur 
*1 Angel of Flight Alabaster 
*1 Bellowing Aegisaur 
*1 Phantom Flock 
*1 Seedborn Muse 
*1 Sprouting Phytohydra 
*1 Verdurous Gearhulk 
*1 Phantom Wurm 
*1 Vigor 
*1 Phantom Nishoba 
*1 Sekki, Seasons' Guide 
[/Creatures] 
[Instants] 
*1 Path to Exile 
*1 Candles' Glow 
*1 Heroic Intervention 
*1 Beast Within 
*1 Eerie Interlude 
*1 Hail Storm 
*1 Krosan Grip 
[/Instants] 
[Sorceries] 
*1 Nature's Lore 
*1 Kodama's Reach 
*1 Day of Judgment 
*1 Saltblast 
*1 Wave of Reckoning 
*1 Austere Command 
[/Sorceries] 
[Artifacts] 
*1 Blade of the Bloodchief 
*1 Sol Ring 
*1 Selesnya Signet 
*1 Bow of Nylea 
*1 Chromatic Lantern 
*1 Cloudstone Curio 
*1 Conjuror's Closet 
[/Artifacts] 
[Enchantments] 
*1 Hardened Scales 
*1 Bonds of Mortality 
*1 Mark of Asylum 
*1 Sterling Grove 
*1 Sylvan Library 
*1 Aura Shards 
*1 Beastmaster Ascension 
*1 Cartouche of Strength 
*1 Gaea's Anthem 
*1 Ghostly Prison 
*1 Glorious Anthem 
*1 Protective Sphere 
*1 Song of the Dryads 
*1 Spidersilk Armor 
*1 Cyclone 
*1 Leyline of Vitality 
*1 Lightmine Field 
*1 Primal Vigor 
*1 Splintering Wind 
*1 Cathars' Crusade 
*1 Doubling Season 
[/Enchantments] 
[Planeswalkers] 
*1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride 
*1 Garruk Wildspeaker 
[/Planeswalkers] 
[Land] 
*1 Blighted Woodland 
*1 Bountiful Promenade 
*1 Command Tower 
*1 Evolving Wilds 
*1 Exotic Orchard 
*10 Forest 
*1 Krosan Verge 
*1 Llanowar Reborn 
*1 Mosswort Bridge 
*1 Myriad Landscape 
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 
*7 Plains 
*1 Razorverge Thicket 
*1 Sunpetal Grove 
*1 Temple Garden 
*1 Temple of Plenty 
*1 Temple of the False God 
*1 Terramorphic Expanse 
*1 Windswept Heath 
*1 Wooded Bastion 
*1 Yavimaya Hollow 
[/Land]
[/Deck]

<hr />
<h2>I Think I Need to Lie Down</h2>
Well, that about does it for this iteration of Forgotten Harvest. Any questions, comments, or snide remarks you may have can be left in the comments below. I'll be there in the comments to get into why I played <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama&#039;s Reach" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama&#039;s Reach</a> over <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a> and which God-Eternal is my spirit animal.
What are some of the neglected series of cards like the Phantoms that you'd like to see featured in a deck? Are there any individual cards you've found that are hyper-underplayed and deserve their day in the sun? Let me know below! And I hope you stop by again next time, when I'll be tackling a five-color guild build helmed by <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn, Silver Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Karn, Silver Golem</a>. Or maybe not, you never know...
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-32310" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/tenor.gif" alt="" width="320" height="213" />

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