<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel|FIN|249" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/pencillien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thanh Tuan</a></em></p>
<p>Friendly greetings and welcome to an Exhibition (Bracket 1) deck tech for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! I'm John Sherwood, and I <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28game%3Apaper%29+legal%3Acommander+is%3Abear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bear</a> tidings of low-power, five-color fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Minstrel|FIN|403"></div></div>
<p>I love set mechanics, and this deck is full of them. Instead of foraging for pieces to support a single set mechanic, I built a deck that snatches the set mechanic picnic basket.</p>
<h2>What Does The Wandering Minstrel Do?</h2>
<p>The Wandering Minstrel hits a trifecta with static, triggered, and activated abilities. First, the static ability causes your lands to enter untapped, which is fantastic for a budget five-color mana base.</p>
<p>Next, the triggered ability makes a token creature as a payoff for controlling five or more Towns. Of the 23 new Town lands, 17 always enter tapped. In other words, The Wandering Minstrel overules the Towns' primary downside, then rewards having the Towns with incremental value.</p>
<p>Then there's the activated ability. The Wandering Minstrel is an <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=%28game%3Apaper%29+legal%3Acommander%28invoker%29&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invoker</a>, with an activation cost of <em>eight</em> mana. Three generic plus WUBRG is a lot for an activation, but the payoff is a hearty +X/+X to the whole team.</p>
<p>Immediately after reading this card, I felt an urge to build a deck that's been simmering on my backburner. Truth be told, Sealed is my favorite way to play <em>Magic</em>, and one pillar of limited play is the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic" href="#" target="_blank">Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic"></div></div>
<p>The bears (2/2s for two mana) that inspired my favorite meme card appear in every <em>Magic</em> set to support limited deck archetypes. As a two-drop that cares about a <em>Final Fantasy</em> set mechanic, The Wandering Minstrel is two-thirds of the way to singing the bear necessities. Sadly, the Wandering Minstrel is not a 2/2, so the commander can't fully commit to the bear bit.</p>
<h2>Bear Necessities</h2>
<p>I committed to including every Town in the deck, to capitalize on The Wandering Minstrel's triggered and activated abilities. With the 23 Towns from <em>Final Fantasy</em>, plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thespian&#039;s Stage" href="#" target="_blank">Thespian&#039;s Stage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Planar Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Planar Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, over a quarter of the deck supports the commander just by making land drops. With the bulk of the mana base solved, I moved on to creatures.</p>
<p>There are hundreds of bears to choose from. Of the creatures that made the final cut, these are some of the ones I consider essential to the deck:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conclave Guildmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skarrg Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Two of Ravnica's three Guildmage cycles are in the list, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conclave Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Conclave Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skarrg Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Skarrg Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are key. They grant trample, pairing with The Wandering Minstrel's power/toughness boost for a build-a-bear overrun. Other bears grant evasion, but these are the most efficient.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s activated ability is an odd sort of card advantage in this deck. Conveniently, there's no need to pay anything into Grenzo's X cost because every creature in the deck is power 2. With the number of creatures that made the final cut, Grenzo will hit frequently.</p>
<h2>Picnic Baskets</h2>
<p>Initially, I picked about 80 bears with set mechanics, intending to find synergies and work out a secondary theme for the deck. As I curated that list of creatures, I connected five dots that led me in a new direction.</p>
<ol>
<li>Bears have a mana value of two.</li>
<li>Many bears have different mana symbols in their casting cost.</li>
<li>All bears are creatures.</li>
<li>Two is an even number.</li>
<li>Plenty of bears have activated abilities.</li>
</ol>
<p>Spelled out another way:</p>
<ol>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umori, the Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Umori, the Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ol>
<p>My name might be John, but I'm not cut out to be a ranger. I'm Yogi in this over-played metaphor, and I'm not listening to Boo-Boo.</p>
<p>When I say I'm getting a picnic basket, I mean the final version of this deck meets the building restrictions for five different <a href="https://edhrec.com/companions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">companions</a>. Paying three mana to put a companion in hand fits neatly into the mana curve of a deck with no three-drops. I think it would be fun to embrace variety and pick a different companion at random every time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zirda, the Dawnwaker"></div></div>
<p>Depending on the chosen companion, the deck pivots into very different play patterns. My top picks would be Zirda, Lurrus, or Jegantha, in that order.</p>
<p>The six-mana investment to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will quickly pay for itself with the discount on activated abilities. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice insurance policy, and there are some sacrifice outlets in the deck to develop a reanimator engine.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> practically guarantees enough mana to activate The Wandering Minstrel's pump ability.</p>
<h2>How Does The Wandering Minstrel Win?</h2>
<p>The primary game plan is go wide to go tall. The commander should always be out on turn two, helping to smooth the tempo before producing creature tokens.</p>
<p>Casting other creatures is a priority until there's enough mana to leverage activated abilities in combat. The best-case scenario is overrunning opponents with multiple pumped creatures. However, decks with this many activated abilities can adapt.</p>
<p>An evasionless, one-power creature is not a a realistic commander damage threat. Fortunately, there are enough combat trick abilities in this deck to make The Wandering Minstrel a sneaky combatant. Many of the deck's creatures either make target creature bigger, grant evasion, or both, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korozda Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Korozda Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korozda Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Three mana is a poor rate for a temporary +1/+1; that cost is too high for Voltron to be a primary game plan. However, this deck's curve is really low. There should be plenty of mana available to chain activated abilities together, or play a key ability on repeat.</p>
<p>When the life totals are low and the win is on the line, a little threat of activation makes a big difference.</p>
<p>As much as I love the combat phase, there are some edge cases in the deck to watch out for. Some of the activated abilities may occasionally tip the scales toward victory. There are eight cards in the deck with non-combat methods of reducing opponents' life totals.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rix Maadi Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Rix Maadi Guildmage might be creature or player removal if needed. Eliminating a player with a card like this is a fun achievement to unlock.</p>
<h2>The Wandering Minstrel Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>I'll keep hoping for the bear commander of my dreams, but I could see myself sleeving this up in the mean time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Wandering Minstrel Bears" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Wandering Minstrel
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Arcus Acolyte
*1 Biomancer&#039;s Familiar
*1 Black Market Tycoon
*1 Bonebind Orator
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Butch DeLoria, Tunnel Snake
*1 Cartel Aristocrat
*1 Caustic Bronco
*1 Clan Guildmage
*1 Cliffside Rescuer
*1 Combine Guildmage
*1 Conclave Guildmage
*1 Cult Guildmage
*1 Dawntreader Elk
*1 Dismissive Pyromancer
*1 Duskmantle Guildmage
*1 Goblin Cratermaker
*1 Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
*1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
*1 Heartfire Immolator
*1 House Guildmage
*1 Intrepid Paleontologist
*1 Jenson Carthalion, Druid Exile
*1 Kiora&#039;s Follower
*1 Korozda Guildmage
*1 League Guildmage
*1 Legion Guildmage
*1 Legion Vanguard
*1 New Prahv Guildmage
*1 Nivix Guildmage
*1 Osteomancer Adept
*1 Pippin, Guard of the Citadel
*1 Priest of Fell Rites
*1 Qasali Pridemage
*1 Ragged Playmate
*1 Raucous Entertainer
*1 Rix Maadi Guildmage
*1 Rootcoil Creeper
*1 Saheeli, the Sun&#039;s Brilliance
*1 Senate Guildmage
*1 Skarrg Guildmage
*1 Sprouting Goblin
*1 Sunhome Guildmage
*1 Swarm Guildmage
*1 Syndicate Guildmage
*1 Tender Wildguide
*1 Thraxodemon
*1 Treasure Dredger
*1 Twitching Doll
*1 Undergrowth Leopard
*1 Vermin Gorger
*1 Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
*1 Vizkopa Guildmage
*1 Voracious Varmint
*1 Wight of the Reliquary
*1 Zameck Guildmage
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Adventurer&#039;s Inn
*1 Balamb Garden, SeeD Academy // Balamb Garden, Airborne
*1 Baron, Airship Kingdom
*1 Cactus Preserve
*1 Capital City
*1 Cascading Cataracts
*1 Clive&#039;s Hideaway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crossroads Village
*1 Crystal Quarry
*1 Dark Depths
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Eden, Seat of the Sanctum
*1 Escape Tunnel
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Forest
*1 Gohn, Town of Ruin
*1 Gongaga, Reactor Town
*1 Guadosalam, Farplane Gateway
*1 Insomnia, Crown City
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith &amp; Grief
*1 Island
*1 Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture
*1 Lindblum, Industrial Regency // Mage Siege
*1 Maze of Ith
*1 Midgar, City of Mako // Reactor Raid
*1 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Plains
*1 Planar Nexus
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Rabanastre, Royal City
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Sharlayan, Nation of Scholars
*1 Starting Town
*1 Swamp
*1 The Gold Saucer
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Treno, Dark City
*1 Vector, Imperial Capital
*1 Windurst, Federation Center
*1 Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis // Lasting Fayth
[/Lands]
[Companions]
*1 Gyruda, Doom of Depths
*1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
*1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
*1 Umori, the Collector
*1 Zirda, the Dawnwaker
[/Companions]"></span></div>
<h2>The Berenstain Bard</h2>
<p>The moral of this story is versatility. The Wandering Minstrel isn't just another set mechanic commander. The Town mana base takes up a mere quarter of the deck, leaving seventy-five cards that could be anything. The Wandering Minstrel isn't a mainstage headliner like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golos, Tireless Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Golos, Tireless Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (RIP), but they jam to the same music.</p>
<p>If smooth mana production and open ended brewing potential are on your playlist, then give The Wandering Minstrel a chance. Tell us about your Minstrel brews in the comments below.</p>
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The Wandering Minstrel Exhibition Deck Tech

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megatog" href="#" target="_blank">Megatog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://peteventers.tumblr.com/">Pete Venters</a>)</h6>
<h1>Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick</h1>
<p>Hey everyone! Welcome back to another edition of <em>Forgotten Harvest</em>, the article series that features cards used in 300 decks or less on EDHREC. This time, I'll be stepping a little out of my comfort zone to talk about a Voltron deck, and with a commander that doesn't exactly seem like Voltron to boot! I'm talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-30075" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BelatedDistantAmericanratsnake-small.gif" alt="" width="327" height="251" /></p>
<p>Now, I know what you may be thinking: "Kyle, why on Earth would you do something like this?" In fact, some in my playgroup have called this idea downright idiotic. But I'm telling you, this concept has been so very surprising! It's not the most tuned deck in the world, but it can hold its own at the table. It allows for political plays, it has alternate win conditions, and it has versatile removal to help knock down any threats. Better than any of that, it features some great red and colorless cards that aren't seeing nearly enough play. Let's get into them first.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Armaments of Old</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zelyon Sword"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tawnos&#039;s Weaponry"></div></div>
<p>When one thinks of mono-red Voltron, Equipment is naturally the first thing that comes to mind. Kurkesh doesn't benefit from Equipment all that much, though. "I'll pay 2 to equip this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Fire and Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Fire and Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and then pay an extra red to do it again." Yeah, not so effective. However, if you delve into the annuls of artifacts before <em>Mirrodin</em>, you can open up all kinds of new opportunities.</p>
<p>The old 'equip' ability, featured on cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tawnos&#039;s Weaponry" href="#" target="_blank">Tawnos&#039;s Weaponry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (2 decks on EDHREC) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zelyon Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Zelyon Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (7 decks) doesn't seem all that powerful. It costs way too much for the buff your creature gets, even if the effect is "indefinite." With Kurkesh, you can make those buffs a little better. Yes, the cards are still on the weaker side, and the low deck counts for these cards are justified. But that permanent boost is a needed option in a deck like this.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of the Chosen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tooth of Chiss-Goria"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tower of Champions"></div></div>
<p>Other artifacts offer a better (but less permanent) pump. An all-star artifact from <em>Stronghold</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of the Chosen" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of the Chosen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees play in 257 decks, and can get our Kurkesh +4/+4 for a turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tooth of Chiss-Goria" href="#" target="_blank">Tooth of Chiss-Goria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (210 decks) also hands us a small power bump on what's ideally a free artifact.</p>
<p>Additionally, from <em>Mirrodin's</em> Tower cycle (well, one of them waited to show up in <em>Scars of Mirrodin</em>, but better late than never), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tower of Champions" href="#" target="_blank">Tower of Champions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a big spender a whopping +12/+12 for their Ogre spirit, and it sees play in only 34 decks on EDHREC. From that same cycle, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tower of Fortunes" href="#" target="_blank">Tower of Fortunes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can offer some excellent card draw, but sadly was cut from my final list. I'd still encourage you to try it out and let me know if it works for you.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jabari&#039;s Banner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Blood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golem Artisan"></div></div>
<p>We'll also want to grant some abilities to Kurkesh to help in combat. This was somewhat tricky, as many abilities, like first strike, don't do much when they're copied. <em>Flanking, </em>however, does trigger separately for each instance on the creature, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jabari&#039;s Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Jabari&#039;s Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feels like a good choice which sees play in only 46 decks.</p>
<p>Counters are also a great thing to double, as anyone playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vorel of the Hull Clade" href="#" target="_blank">Vorel of the Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> knows. So <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another great addition. I'm honestly surprised this card is in only 220 decks, as +1/+1 counters seem to be more and more relevant with each passing year.</p>
<p>I feel like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golem Artisan" href="#" target="_blank">Golem Artisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits into our 'weaponry' category as well, though it's obvious that it can't buff our commander. In only 235 decks, it's another card I'm shocked doesn't see more play. The abilities can be used on itself, or hopefully <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geode Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Geode Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, offering us an alternate attacker should things start going sideways for our ogre. Or maybe we just start making things into artifacts....</p>
<hr />
<h2>I am Ironman!</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Megatog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aladdin"></div></div>
<p>It's good in a Voltron deck to have a couple of beatsticky options, in case your commander ends up listening to a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of the Dryads" href="#" target="_blank">Song of the Dryads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an obvious pick. Another card in need of more play is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megatog" href="#" target="_blank">Megatog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In 218 decks on EDHREC, this beasty Atog is a fantastic finisher late in the game when resources are used up, and you're flush with artifacts. He can be particularly mean when accompanied by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pia&#039;s Revolution" href="#" target="_blank">Pia&#039;s Revolution</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a free artifact like the aforementioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tooth of Chiss-Goria" href="#" target="_blank">Tooth of Chiss-Goria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is especially true when you and an opponent lock eyes across the table and decide it's time to take out Player #3.</p>
<p>Offering support instead of fangs, we have another great creature to use: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aladdin" href="#" target="_blank">Aladdin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This somehow-not-legendary creature (162 decks) can offer some great removal, but really thrives with a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liquimetal Coating" href="#" target="_blank">Liquimetal Coating</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to open up the available targets to anything your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golem&#039;s Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Golem&#039;s Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> desires. If only we could make <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aladdin" href="#" target="_blank">Aladdin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> an artifact so its ability was Kurkesh-friendly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashnod&#039;s Transmogrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Transmogrifying Licid"></div></div>
<p>These two beauties may be able to help with that! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Transmogrant" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Transmogrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (136 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrifying Licid" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrifying Licid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (36 decks) are both fascinating cards capable of steel-plating the creature of your choice. Maybe you're making <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aladdin" href="#" target="_blank">Aladdin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viashino Heretic" href="#" target="_blank">Viashino Heretic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into androids so Kurkesh can copy their abilities. Or maybe you're just giving them more targets over in other corners of the battlefield. Either way, these cards give you extra iterations of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liquimetal Coating" href="#" target="_blank">Liquimetal Coating</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to help control the board.</p>
<p>While we're on the topic of removal, there are a few other artifacts with copy-able abilities to help with that control. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edifice of Authority" href="#" target="_blank">Edifice of Authority</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (271 decks) is a great card for locking down would-be attackers and/or blockers. The second ability lasts until your next turn, and gets even better when duplicated using Kurkesh. From <em>Nemesis</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Belbe&#039;s Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Belbe&#039;s Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees play in 287 decks, and can be a great way to fog an attacker or two, as well as an emergency buff for Kurkesh, should the need arise.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edifice of Authority"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Belbe&#039;s Armor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amber Prison"></div></div>
<p>Based on the curve, I opted to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ring of Gix" href="#" target="_blank">Ring of Gix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> over the wildly popular <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Icy Manipulator" href="#" target="_blank">Icy Manipulator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Yes, the <em>Echo</em> cost may be a problem in some cases, but it's a card I've been wanting to try for a while. It only sees play in 57 decks right now, so give it a break!</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amber Prison" href="#" target="_blank">Amber Prison</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (67 decks) normally looks a little over-costed, but when combined with Kurkesh's ability, the artifact can pull off a lockdown 2-for-1. It can definitely help wrangle a nasty commander that just keeps coming back, tapping it down instead of allowing your opponent to simply recast it. I'm sure I could keep going, but how about I show how all these pieces come together in the deck already?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Kurkesh Voltron" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Goblin Welder
*1 Suspicious Bookcase
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Transmogrifying Licid
*1 Viashino Heretic
*1 Aladdin
*1 Crenellated Wall
*1 Geode Golem
*1 Golem Artisan
*1 Hoarding Dragon
*1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Megatog
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Welding Sparks
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Scrap Mastery
*1 All is Dust
*1 Blasphemous Act
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Transmogrant
*1 Brittle Effigy
*1 Glaring Spotlight
*1 Pacification Array
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Voltaic Key
*1 Voyager Staff
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Golem&#039;s Heart
*1 Jabari&#039;s Banner
*1 Liquimetal Coating
*1 Scroll of the Masters
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of the Chosen
*1 Tawnos&#039;s Weaponry
*1 Basalt Monolith
*1 Belbe&#039;s Armor
*1 Dragon Blood
*1 Edifice of Authority
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Oblivion Stone
*1 Puppet Strings
*1 Ring of Gix
*1 Tenza, Godo&#039;s Maul
*1 Tooth of Chiss-Goria
*1 Transmogrifying Wand
*1 Zelyon Sword
*1 Amber Prison
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Helm of the Host
*1 Power Matrix
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Tower of Champions
*1 Trading Post
*1 Unwinding Clock
*1 Vedalken Orrery
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Predator, Flagship
*1 Contagion Engine
*1 Darksteel Forge
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Pia&#039;s Revolution
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
*1 Rowan Kenrith
[/Planeswalkers]
[Land]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Blinkmoth Nexus
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Haunted Fengraf
*1 Inkmoth Nexus
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*1 Kher Keep
*1 Mage-Ring Network
*18 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Sea Gate Wreckage
*1 Smoldering Crater
*1 Springjack Pasture
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Terrain Generator
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>With Our Powers Combined...</h2>
<p>Well, now can all see why my playgroup was so concerned about my well-being. But I don't care! It think it's a terribly interesting concept, and makes for a far more plausible deck than first assumed. Please tell me your questions, comments, and snide remarks below. I'll be lurking there to laugh when someone finds the "hidden" wincon I snuck into the deck. Oh, and please let me know if there are any severely underplayed cards or commanders you'd like to see highlighted in this series. Until next time!</p>


activated abilities

The Wandering Minstrel Exhibition Deck Tech

Forgotten Harvest – Mono-Red Voltron

Underdog's Corner - Experiment Kraj