<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcus, Prince of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Orcus, Prince of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/andrewkmar">Andrew Mar</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Today let's take a look into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcus, Prince of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Orcus, Prince of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a somewhat underpowered commander. Don't get me wrong, it does have its moments, but this commander has a few obstacles in its design that tend to make it hard for it to shine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcus, Prince of Undeath"></div></div>
<h3>Observations:</h3>
<ul>
<li>As a commander, Orcus suffers pretty badly from diminishing returns. Unlike the more streamlined X-cost commanders, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyrus, Waker of Corpses" href="#" target="_blank">Gyrus, Waker of Corpses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which counts <em>all</em> the mana spent to cast it, Orcus only counts the X for its ETB (enters-the-battlefield) ability. This makes Orcus a 4+ mana investment at minimum, and every subsequent cast become less effective, which isn't a good place to be when you're an ETB-based commander.</li>
<li>Orcus' ETB has two different modes and both can be useful in their own right:
<ul>
<li>The first mode is a board wipe for every creature except our commander. With the right support, this can be a huge tempo swing in our favor, clearing the board for a possible Voltron threat. However, given that our commander already costs four mana, we're talking about an investment of at least six to seven mana to clear away some blockers, and again, that's just on Orcus's <em>first </em>cast.</li>
<li>The second mode has the highest potential, a reliable mass reanimation effect in a color combination that has the tools to capitalize on that explosiveness. The biggest challenge is this mode's wording: it limits the number of targets and the available targets that we can choose from. This double restriction makes it hard to go bonkers with it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>So, let's switch up the formula and see what we can make work with Orcus!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Skelemental"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s are effective beaters that have the downside of being sacrificed at end of turn. They're very cheap to cast, and thus are great targets for Orcus' second ETB trigger. This'll be tricky for Orcus, since we'll have only a couple of opportunities to use our commander to bring back these kinds of creatures, but that means we're playing an exciting feast-or-famine strategy. What we lack in consistency we gain in sheer explosive potential, having the ability to dish double digit damage our of absolutely nowhere when our commander comes down and resurrects a pile of cheap, powerful, hasty threats.</p>
<p>Most of our beaters are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variations, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arc Runner" href="#" target="_blank">Arc Runner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Elemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we have some interesting targets that are more noteworthy to discuss. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogis, God of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Mogis, God of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an excellent resilient beater that scales decently in multiplayer. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not synergize at all with our commander (at least not the <em>Escape</em> part), but it's still a cheap threat, and we do tend to build a somewhat decent graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works both as an effective beater and a Treasure creator (more on that later). Its attack restriction isn't all that backbreaking since we're packing a few mana rocks and Treasure tokens, and we're more than happy to leave it on the battlefield giving us value.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Egon, God of Death" href="#" target="_blank">Egon, God of Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a funny card because it actively goes against what our commander is trying to do - load the graveyard. However, all we need is a cheap body that Orcus can revive and haste up! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combat Celebrant" href="#" target="_blank">Combat Celebrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s potential to finish off defenseless players gives this card a tool boxy feature that is great for a recursion-based commander to have.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dictate of the Twin Gods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing"></div></div>
<p>Red gives us access to some very effective support that allows our creatures to shine. While they're a bit on the expensive side and can be tough to find the right timing window to deploy them, they are the real deal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of the Twin Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of the Twin Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a damage doubler that can be flashed in on the end step right before our turn, giving us even <em>more</em> explosive potential and some much-needed unpredictability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserkers&#039; Onslaught" href="#" target="_blank">Berserkers&#039; Onslaught</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is similar to any damage doubler effect, but we shouldn't take for granted its combat trick potential, which can be make blocking even harder for our opponents.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flameshadow Conjuring" href="#" target="_blank">Flameshadow Conjuring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an effective way to get additional value from our creatures. Not only do we get extra damage, we also get more value out of any potential Aristocrat payoffs we use, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! The Flameshadow says to exile the token, but remember, many of the creatures we're copying, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Skelemental" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Skelemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will have their own end-step sacrifice trigger to make sure we <em>do </em>get the death triggers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great control tool for any deck that has the means to actually proc its damage triggers, and with a bunch of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rotting Regisaur" href="#" target="_blank">Rotting Regisaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmic Larva" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmic Larva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it turns out we can make that happen for very little mana!</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Orcuss Lightning Ball" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Orcus, Prince of Undeath
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Rakdos Signet
*Talisman of Indulgence
*Skyclave Relic
*Hedron Archive
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Spark Elemental
*Dockside Extortionist
*Hellspark Elemental
*Kalain, Reclusive Painter
*Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger
*Wily Goblin
*Arc Runner
*Ball Lightning
*Combat Celebrant
*Cosmic Larva
*Egon, God of Death
*Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
*Hell&#039;s Thunder
*Lightning Skelemental
*Phyrexian Soulgorger
*Rotting Regisaur
*Seasoned Pyromancer
*Anger
*Blistering Firecat
*Bloodsworn Steward
*Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
*Fanatic of Mogis
*Impetuous Devils
*Mogis, God of Slaughter
*Pitiless Plunderer
*Purphoros, God of the Forge
*Skizzik
*Treasonous Ogre
*Goldspan Dragon
*Phyrexian Delver
*Thunderblust
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Flameshadow Conjuring
*Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing
*Berserkers&#039; Onslaught
*Dictate of the Twin Gods
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Village Rites
*Deadly Dispute
*Terminate
*Thrill of Possibility
*Chaos Warp
*Hurl Through Hell
*Unexpected Windfall
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Strike it Rich
*Vandalblast
*Feed the Swarm
*Tormenting Voice
*Seize the Spoils
*Toxic Deluge
*Victimize
*Damnation
*Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blightstep Pathway
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Canyon Slough
*Command Beacon
*Command Tower
*Dragonskull Summit
*Foreboding Ruins
*Graven Cairns
*Luxury Suite
*Polluted Delta
*Sulfurous Springs
*Temple of Malice
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Wooded Foothills
*15 Mountain
*7 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div>

<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wily Goblin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldspan Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pirate&#039;s Pillage"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldspan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Goldspan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good beater that doubles the value of our Treasure tokens while also providing extra mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalain, Reclusive Painter" href="#" target="_blank">Kalain, Reclusive Painter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap creature that provides a Treasure token and a nice payoff for using them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pirate&#039;s Pillage" href="#" target="_blank">Pirate&#039;s Pillage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seize the Spoils" href="#" target="_blank">Seize the Spoils</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great mid-game plays that act both as a way to filter our hand and as a possible setup for a future turn.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>In terms of opening hands, we don't want to keep anything too slow. Our goal is to start applying pressure to opponents with our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creatures on turn three. This will set the pace for our early game, keeping up a string of one-turn threats, and restocking our hand with draw spells.</p>
<p>In the mid game, we can start to look for opportunities to set up our commander's grand entrance. Extra Treasure tokens here and there will help tremendously with this. There are a few mana milestones that we want to keep track of throughout the game (the 7 mana milestone and 10 mana milestone are crucial ones, to help bring back a decent number of creatures), but it's also useful to know when to adapt that plan according to the game state.</p>
<p>In the late game, after we've deployed Orcus and he's caused some havoc, we can lose a bit of our oomph. We're never completely out of it, though; with so many hasty threats, and so many ways to make them more effective, such as doubling their damage or gleaning rewards from their sacrifices, our opponents always have to stay on guard for any other stockpile of hasty creatures we rush out later on. Given enough time and mana, replaying our commander will always be a big late-game blowout.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Epic Results</h1>
<p>There are many ways to continue expanding and evolving the strategy from this point and I think that they tend to go towards three paths: beaters, payoffs, and subtheme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Immolating Souleater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ogre Battledriver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manabarbs"></div></div>
<p>There are many cost-effective beaters out there to try, and one in particular that got me very intrigued was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immolating Souleater" href="#" target="_blank">Immolating Souleater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The life trade might seem bad, but when considering that we're a very aggressive deck, it's easy to see how losing life for additional damage could really pay off for such a swift strategy.</p>
<p>Evolving the payoffs part of the deck will likely depend on personal flair; one player might prefer the sheer power of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while another might like the low cost of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, a great subtheme for this deck to potentially explore further would be some Group Slug cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabarbs" href="#" target="_blank">Manabarbs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which either slow our opponents down or make them lose a bunch of life. This, of course, accelerates our plans perfectly.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Orcus's Lightning Ball

Deep Analysis - Infect

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valduk, Keeper of the Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Valduk, Keeper of the Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/victoradameart">Victor Adame Minguez</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparation</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>In this article we'll take a look into an aggressive mono-red commander, one that, because of its powerful kit, hasn't been fully explored yet. I'm talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valduk, Keeper of the Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Valduk, Keeper of the Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valduk, Keeper of the Flame"></div></div>
<p><strong>At the beginning of combat on your turn, for each Aura and Equipment attached to Valduk, Keeper of the Flame, create a 3/1 red Elemental creature token with trample and haste. Exile those tokens at the beginning of the next end step.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>Valduk's kit feels a lot like a modern <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kemba, Kha Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Kemba, Kha Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, except it's in a better color, it's more aggressive, and it's more versatile.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>While it's pretty easy to just put Equipment onto Valduk and aggro people out of the game, I think that the consistent flow of enter- and leave-the battlefield triggers, not to mention the number of bodies on the battlefield, can be exploited to our advantage in a less obvious way.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>It's a shame that red lacks a proper Aura support. Valduk's ability also counts Auras, which is a nice added bonus, but it's hard to compete with the support that Equipment gets from red cards. Auras can potentially be more explosive, though, since they almost always will cost less mana to get onto Valduk than an Equipment.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-66078" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Sig-1024x517.png" alt="" width="1024" height="517" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Sig-1024x517.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Sig-300x151.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Sig-768x387.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Sig.png 1219w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Top.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-66079" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Top-1024x516.png" alt="" width="1024" height="516" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Top-1024x516.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Top-300x151.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Top-768x387.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Valduk-Top.png 1226w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<p>Most Valduk lists are heavily invested in enabling both the combat and non-combat aspects of creating a huge token army. It's important to note that this is only one half of Valduk; it only explains the 'why' and not the 'how'.</p>
<p>Additionally, most lists are more heavily biased towards Equipment, which isn't a surprise, since red offers a ton in the way of artifact support.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heart of Kiran"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skysovereign, Consul Flagship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weatherlight"></div></div>
<p>Valduk's ability to put lots of bodies on the field is powerful in a color like red, where we have some great go-wide support. However, we could use the bodies to fuel a completely different archetype: Vehicles. Valduk's kit is great for the archetype because the tokens that we create all have 3 power, which is a very good value to <em>Crew </em>almost all the relevant Vehicles out there. This allows us to tune our Equipment suite to be mostly about protecting our commander, and, as a result, we get some added consistency because we're not as threatened by removal as we would normally be.</p>
<p>Vehicles are cheap threats that, very often, dodge board wipes by being noncreatures on everyone else's turns. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best Vehicles in the deck: it both ramps and provides a threat in a very cheap body. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Copter" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Copter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weatherlight" href="#" target="_blank">Weatherlight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us a much-needed way to dig for new cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzium Tank" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzium Tank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful self-piloting Vehicle that grows even when we're developing a board state. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skysovereign, Consul Flagship" href="#" target="_blank">Skysovereign, Consul Flagship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful "titan-esque" threat that threatens to Bolt something every turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Plate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hammer of Nazahn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Champion&#039;s Helm"></div></div>
<p>Our Equipment suite is mainly there to protect our commander. Making sure our commander is always available to create tokens is crucial for our deck to run smoothly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hammer of Nazahn" href="#" target="_blank">Hammer of Nazahn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great source of indestructibility that not only protects our commander but also makes future Equipment that much more effective. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Shield" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Shield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all help us dodge spot removal, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shield of Kaldra" href="#" target="_blank">Shield of Kaldra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both crucial pieces that let our commander avoid board wipes, just like our Vehicles do.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Valduk Vehicles" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]</p>
<p>*Valduk, Keeper of the Flame</p>
<p>[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Artifact]</p>
<p>*Bone Saw</p>
<p>*Everflowing Chalice</p>
<p>*Cliffhaven Kitesail<br />
*Commander's Plate<br />
*Consulate Dreadnought<br />
*Sai of the Shinobi<br />
*Shuko<br />
*Skullclamp<br />
*Sol Ring<br />
*Arcane Signet<br />
*Fellwar Stone<br />
*Funeral Longboat<br />
*Heart of Kiran<br />
*Lightning Greaves<br />
*Mind Stone<br />
*Mirror Shield<br />
*Sky Skiff<br />
*Smuggler's Copter<br />
*Swiftfoot Boots<br />
*Aethersphere Harvester<br />
*Champion's Helm<br />
*Cultivator's Caravan<br />
*Daredevil Dragster<br />
*Darksteel Plate<br />
*Mizzium Tank<br />
*Raiders' Karve<br />
*Renegade Freighter<br />
*Sword of Fire and Ice<br />
*Sword of Truth and Justice<br />
*Sword of War and Peace<br />
*Whispersilk Cloak<br />
*Bomat Bazaar Barge<br />
*Fleetwheel Cruiser<br />
*Hammer of Nazahn<br />
*Hedron Archive<br />
*Ovalchase Dragster<br />
*Shield of Kaldra<br />
*Thundering Chariot<br />
*Untethered Express<br />
*Weatherlight<br />
*Aradara Express<br />
*Ballista Charger<br />
*Forsaken Monument<br />
*Skysovereign, Consul Flagship<br />
*Demolition Stomper</p>
<p>[/Artifact]</p>
<p>[Creature]</p>
<p>*Brass Squire<br />
*Foundry Inspector<br />
*Thopter Engineer<br />
*Godo, Bandit Warlord</p>
<p>[/Creature]</p>
<p>[Enchantment]</p>
<p>*Epiphany Storm<br />
*Prophetic Ravings<br />
*Invasion Plans<br />
*Bedlam<br />
*Berserkers' Onslaught</p>
<p>[/Enchantment]</p>
<p>[Instant]</p>
<p>*Abrade<br />
*Price of Progress<br />
*Thrill of Possibility<br />
*Chaos Warp<br />
*Valakut Awakening</p>
<p>[/Instant]</p>
<p>[Sorcery]</p>
<p>*Faithless Looting<br />
*Vandalblast<br />
*Shatterskull Smashing<br />
*Seize the Spoils<br />
*Chain Reaction<br />
*Blasphemous Act</p>
<p>[/Sorcery]</p>
<p>[Land]</p>
<p>*Buried Ruin<br />
*Inventors' Fair<br />
*Ghost Quarter<br />
*Tectonic Edge<br />
*30 Mountain</p>
<p>[/Land]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>
<hr />
<p>Aside from the protection suite, we need to run a few more Equipment to give a bit more consistency to our commander. We're running some cheap options that are only there as a way to get more bodies on the field faster. Some, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai of the Shinobi" href="#" target="_blank">Sai of the Shinobi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cliffhaven Kitesail" href="#" target="_blank">Cliffhaven Kitesail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are cheap Equipment that attach when they enter the battlefield, and there are others, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Saw" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Saw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shuko" href="#" target="_blank">Shuko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that are just cheap Equipment with a cheap Equip cost. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Epiphany Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Epiphany Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prophetic Ravings" href="#" target="_blank">Prophetic Ravings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the only Auras in the deck, but they offer a very useful looting ability for our commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we're looking for one or two Vehicles to get things going. We can worry about having Equipment later as our Vehicle army grows.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smuggler&#039;s Copter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bomat Bazaar Barge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consulate Dreadnought"></div></div>
<p>In the early game, we usually have two lines of play: aggressive, playing Vehicles first, or passive, playing mana rocks first. The first line is better when we have a tight curve for turns two, three, and four, which reduces the immediate need for extra mana from mana rocks. The passive line is where we're mostly trying to accelerate to one of our bigger Vehicles, or we're just fishing and betting on a more explosive turn. Sometimes it's efficient because we get to play our commander on curve and then an expensive Equipment plus its Equip cost.</p>
<p>By the mid game, we should have a few Vehicles out and should always be looking to hit someone with our creatures. At this point it starts to show the importance of finding one of our indestructible Equipment because losing our commander is a huge hit in our tempo. This is where we risk running out of steam, but if we can protect our commander, we can reach the point that just our tokens alone are a significant threat.</p>
<p>In the late game, random <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vandalblast" href="#" target="_blank">Vandalblast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s aside, we can dish out some consistent damage. One area we're lacking is big haymakers - between Equipment and Vehicles, finding deck slots without compromising is a hard task - but lucky for us, with the right amount of support, our commander can help us grind through longer games, because we're now attacking on three different axes, so one of them is bound to burst through.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Epic Results</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, God of the Forge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghirapur Aether Grid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Welder"></div></div>
<p>The good thing about our commander is that there are plenty of ways to take advantage of his tokens. Investing in non-combat-related ones, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a good way to help us chip down our opponents, relieving some of the pressure on our Vehicles.</p>
<p>With almost half of our deck as artifacts, there's a lot in the payoff department that we can use. Some recursion, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Welder" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Welder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can go a long way to help us fight against removal, while cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghirapur Aether Grid" href="#" target="_blank">Ghirapur Aether Grid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Fireweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Fireweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are more thematic ways to chip our opponents.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think about this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Valduk Vehicles

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/burmak">Dmitry Burmak</a>)</h6>
<h1>Unlimited Power</h1>
<p>Did you know that EDHREC has an <a href="https://edhwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page">EDH Wiki</a>? Go check it out, if you haven’t already; it’s written by the community for the community, and there’s a lot of cool stuff in there! <em>Deep Analysis</em> is series where we learn about an archetype using its Wiki page, then apply this new knowledge to build a deck.</p>
<p>In this article we'll be covering the Discard archetype.</p>
<blockquote>
<h4>"Discard is a control archetype built around forcing opponents to discard cards from their hand, often gaining additional benefits when opponents discard cards and/or when opponents have no cards in hand."</h4>
</blockquote>
<p>Discard is a proactive control archetype, which means that it deals with threats before they hit the field. Usually, when we think about discard spells, we think of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtseize" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtseize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, having one-for-one trades like this both lacks an overall punch for most of our payoffs and is extremely inefficient when in a multiplayer setting. This means that we need both constant sources of discard, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necrogen Mists" href="#" target="_blank">Necrogen Mists</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and/or high impact, one-shot discard spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Rake" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Rake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Color Identity</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Mono-Black</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tinybones, Trinket Thief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tergrid, God of Fright"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rankle, Master of Pranks"></div></div>
<p>Mono-black is the baseline for Discard-themed decks. It contains all the important pieces and has some interesting commanders to choose from.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Rakdos</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Neheb, the Worthy"></div></div>
<p>Red is a great addition to the archetype. It gives us access to wheel effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reforge the Soul" href="#" target="_blank">Reforge the Soul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and we can complement our strategy with some aggressive hate pieces that allow will allow us to keep constant pressure on our opponents.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Orzhov</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kunoros, Hound of Athreos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liesa, Shroud of Dusk"></div></div>
<p>Orzhov is a bit of an oddball for the strategy, but white gives us access to tax effects can slow down the game enough to buy us enough time for our discard effects to kick in. We do lose a lot in commander quality, with most of our choices being more of a compromise than anything else.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Commander Choice</h2>
<p>Our first major choice is whether we want an enabler or a payoff to be in the command zone. Having an enabler as a commander guarantees a degree of consistency in executing our plan and allows us to focus a bit more on the payoff elements of our strategy. On the other hand, having a payoff in the command zone is really powerful and, more often than not, can be something to build our deck around, which is always fun. In this case in particular, consistency seems like a key aspect for our strategy, so having a reliable commander, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, seems like a perfect choice for this.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rankle Discard" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]</p>
<p>*Rankle, Master of Pranks</p>
<p>[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Creature]</p>
<p>*Bloodsoaked Champion<br />
*Gutterbones<br />
*Bloodghast<br />
*Burglar Rat<br />
*Elderfang Disciple<br />
*Elvish Doomsayer<br />
*Miasmic Mummy<br />
*Nether Traitor<br />
*Rotting Rats<br />
*Skyclave Shade<br />
*Tinybones, Trinket Thief<br />
*Demon's Disciple<br />
*Haakon, Stromgald Scourge<br />
*Liliana, Heretical Healer<br />
*Murderous Rider<br />
*Plaguecrafter<br />
*Fell Specter<br />
*Sadistic Hypnotist<br />
*Scourge of Nel Toth<br />
[/Creature]</p>
<p>[Enchantment]</p>
<p>*Phyrexian Reclamation</p>
<p>*Quest for the Nihil Stone<br />
*Shrieking Affliction<br />
*Animate Dead<br />
*Liliana's Caress<br />
*Waste Not<br />
*Bottomless Pit<br />
*Megrim<br />
*Necrogen Mists<br />
*Oppression<br />
*Words of Waste<br />
*Raiders' Wake<br />
*Larceny<br />
*Painful Quandary<br />
[/Enchantment]</p>
<p>[Instant]</p>
<p>*Heartless Act</p>
<p>[/Instant]</p>
<p>[Planeswalker]</p>
<p>*Liliana of the Veil<br />
*Ugin, the Ineffable<br />
*Ugin, the Spirit Dragon</p>
<p>[/Planeswalker]</p>
<p>[Artifact]</p>
<p>*Everflowing Chalice<br />
*Skullclamp<br />
*Sol Ring<br />
*The Rack<br />
*Wayfarer's Bauble</p>
<p>*Guardian Idol</p>
<p>*Jet Medallion<br />
*Lightning Greaves<br />
*Mind Stone<br />
*Swiftfoot Boots<br />
*Darksteel Plate<br />
*Phyrexian Totem<br />
*Wheel of Torture<br />
*Geth's Grimoire<br />
*Hedron Archive</p>
<p>[/Artifact]</p>
<p>[Sorcery]</p>
<p>*Reanimate<br />
*Feed the Swarm<br />
*Smallpox<br />
*Dead of Winter<br />
*Mind Rake<br />
*Toxic Deluge<br />
*Damnation<br />
*Syphon Mind<br />
*Command the Dreadhorde<br />
*Tasigur's Cruelty<br />
[/Sorcery]</p>
<p>[Land]</p>
<p>*Cabal Coffers<br />
*Castle Locthwain<br />
*Faceless Haven<br />
*Ghost Quarter<br />
*Mutavault<br />
*Tectonic Edge<br />
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</p>
<p>*30 Snow-Covered Swamp</p>
<p>[/Land]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<h2>Discard</h2>
<p>This is what our deck is all about. We have two types of discard cards: consistent, and one-shot.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Consistent</h3>
<p>These are great for keeping our opponents' options low, but unless we have a few of them out, they can be a bit too slow to really make a difference.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Larceny"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bottomless Pit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oppression"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sadistic Hypnotist" href="#" target="_blank">Sadistic Hypnotist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bottomless Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Bottomless Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Larceny" href="#" target="_blank">Larceny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necrogen Mists" href="#" target="_blank">Necrogen Mists</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oppression" href="#" target="_blank">Oppression</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Painful Quandary" href="#" target="_blank">Painful Quandary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raiders&#039; Wake" href="#" target="_blank">Raiders&#039; Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Words of Waste" href="#" target="_blank">Words of Waste</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana, Heretical Healer // Liliana, Defiant Necromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana, Heretical Healer // Liliana, Defiant Necromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana of the Veil" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana of the Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">One-Shot</h3>
<p>One-shot effects are perfect to get the ball rolling, and they come in all shapes and forms. In this build, we're focusing on bodies that have a discard effect stapled into them. They aren't all that explosive, but they do help us provide some synergy with other cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burglar Rat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smallpox"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tasigur&#039;s Cruelty"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burglar Rat" href="#" target="_blank">Burglar Rat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elderfang Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Elderfang Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Doomsayer" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Doomsayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miasmic Mummy" href="#" target="_blank">Miasmic Mummy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rotting Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Rotting Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Rake" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Rake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smallpox" href="#" target="_blank">Smallpox</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syphon Mind" href="#" target="_blank">Syphon Mind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tasigur&#039;s Cruelty" href="#" target="_blank">Tasigur&#039;s Cruelty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Discard Payoff</h2>
<p>Aside from the obvious benefit of leaving our opponents <em>Hellbent</em>, we have a selection of aggressive payoffs that put the pressure on our opponents once we've established our hand disruption.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Act of Discard</h3>
<p>These cards punish our opponents for discarding their cards. They're not only great for our own discard effects, but also because they can hose some other strategies, like Wheels and <em>Cycling</em>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geth&#039;s Grimoire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liliana&#039;s Caress"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Waste Not"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geth&#039;s Grimoire" href="#" target="_blank">Geth&#039;s Grimoire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fell Specter" href="#" target="_blank">Fell Specter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tinybones, Trinket Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Tinybones, Trinket Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana&#039;s Caress" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana&#039;s Caress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megrim" href="#" target="_blank">Megrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raiders&#039; Wake" href="#" target="_blank">Raiders&#039; Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waste Not" href="#" target="_blank">Waste Not</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Empty Hand Payoff</h3>
<p>These cards help us keep the pressure once we manage to lower our opponents' hand sizes. These effects are usually a bit lacking, but since we have an aggressive shell, they complement our gameplan.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Rack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quest for the Nihil Stone"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Rack" href="#" target="_blank">The Rack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wheel of Torture" href="#" target="_blank">Wheel of Torture</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quest for the Nihil Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Quest for the Nihil Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shrieking Affliction" href="#" target="_blank">Shrieking Affliction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Recursive Creatures</h2>
<p>This is where our build diverges a bit from the usual. There are many sources of discard that are symmetrical, like our commander, so by having a bunch of aggressive recursive creatures allows us to break the parity and get some value from our discards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodghast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodsoaked Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nether Traitor"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodghast" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodghast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodsoaked Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodsoaked Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gutterbones" href="#" target="_blank">Gutterbones</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haakon, Stromgald Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Haakon, Stromgald Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nether Traitor" href="#" target="_blank">Nether Traitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Nel Toth" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Nel Toth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyclave Shade" href="#" target="_blank">Skyclave Shade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<blockquote>
<h4>"If discard decks do not find 'payoff' cards that synergize or deal damage to their enemies after cards have been discarded, the lack of cards in players' hands can stall the game in a way that is not usually enjoyed by most players.</h4>
<h4>"It is very easy for graveyard-based commanders to avoid the negative downsides of discard effects, as discard players may accidentally provide those players with the fuel their decks need to win the game.</h4>
<h4>"Discard decks can be less effective against aggro strategies that already plan to quickly play all the cards in their hand in the first place, leaving them with little to discard. Because so many cards in discard decks affect players' hands, rather than the battlefield, this can leave the discard player vulnerable to on-board threats."</h4>
</blockquote>
<p>Given that we are building a synergy-based deck, where we need to find both enablers and payoff, there'll be games where we might only draw "one half" of our deck. I chose to have access to a consistent discard outlet in the command zone. However, this can lead to games where we don't see enough payoffs for this to be worthwhile. One easy way to circumvent this would be choosing a payoff commander (such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tinybones, Trinket Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Tinybones, Trinket Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) who does not cause the discard itself, but which does reward us when we cause discard to happen.</p>
<p>This is one of our deck's weakness: both Reanimator and Self-Mill can leverage our discard spells. One easy way to avoid such nuisances is to include a few graveyard hate cards. Don't get me wrong, they'll still be a hard match-up, but at least they give us a fighting chance.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reanimate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bojuka Bog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul-Guide Lantern"></div></div>
<p>One of the benefits of taking in an aggressive route is that we have plenty of bodies and damage to try to compete with them. One thing to note is that we won't be winning any friends by playing a discard-heavy strategy, so we'll need to deal with them on our own.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Which Card? Discard</h2>
<p>And that’s it for this article. Now I want to hear from you! Share your thoughts on this list or on Discard-based decks in general. What archetype do you want to see covered next?</p>
<p>While this series will focus on just archetypes, <a href="https://edhwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page">there’s a ton of other cool community-built content in the Wiki</a>. Check it out, and feel free to contribute, if you’d like!</p>


Deep Analysis - Discard

Conditions Allow - Tarox Bladewing

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadowbane" href="#" target="_blank">Shadowbane</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://douglasshuler.com/">Douglas Shuler</a>)</h6>
<h1>Introduction</h1>
<p>Welcome to <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we brew two decks at the same time... in one deck! This typically leaves us with a marriage of themes, sometimes in a neat 80/20 balance, other times in a mess of abstraction, a melding of approaches. Half one way, half the other, with a bridge between.</p>
<p>This time, two partitions will display a unity of focus, but to the exclusion of their peripheral awarenesses. They are alike in purpose, but they are not like-minded, even if they share the same headspace. Although sometimes, if your Voltron commander works, there won't be much left in the way of headspace, not with Zurgo Helmsmasher at the, uh, helm.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zurgo Helmsmasher"></div></div>
<p>(Check the archives! Have we made that joke before? If not, originality! If so, continuity!)</p>
<p>This edition of <em>Dual Shot</em> brings us another combat-centric deck. I know, be patient, I'm sure there'll be a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/wheels">Wheel</a> deck inside a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/stax">Stax</a> deck, or a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/rat-colony">Rat Colony</a> deck inside a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/persistent-petitioners">Persistent Petitioners</a> deck inside a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/shadowborn-apostles">Shadowborn Apostle</a> deck someday.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rat Colony"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shadowborn Apostle"></div></div>
<p>(Oh, write those down!)</p>
<p>But no, for now the duality is a subtle one, one scarcely aware of its own schism, obvious and opaque at once. In one sphere sits the straightforward, the outward, the brash, even the honorable. In the other hides the meandering, the muttering, the surreptitious, the anxious. Day and night aren't so different; they merely color the sky. The sky's purpose is still there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Shadow of Zurgo" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zurgo Helmsmasher
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Adriana, Captain of the Guard
*1 Agent of Stromgald
*1 Augur il-Vec
*1 Azra Oddsmaker
*1 Dauthi Cutthroat
*1 Dauthi Ghoul
*1 Dauthi Jackal
*1 Dauthi Mercenary
*1 Dauthi Mindripper
*1 Dauthi Trapper
*1 Dauthi Warlord
*1 Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
*1 Port Razer
*1 Soltari Champion
*1 Soltari Crusader
*1 Soltari Foot Soldier
*1 Soltari Guerrillas
*1 Soltari Monk
*1 Soltari Priest
*1 Soltari Trooper
*1 Soltari Visionary
*1 Spirit en-Dal
*1 Stronghold Overseer
*1 Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner
*1 Throat Slitter
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Despark
*1 Howl from Beyond
*1 Leave // Chance
*1 Savage Beating
*1 Seething Song
*1 Stir the Pride
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Terminate
*1 Wear // Tear
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bond of Discipline
*1 Dusk // Dawn
*1 Insult // Injury
*1 Read the Bones
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Rakdos Locket
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Cavalcade of Calamity
*1 Curse of Stalked Prey
*1 Dauthi Embrace
*1 Latulla&#039;s Orders
*1 Rage Reflection
*1 Raid Bombardment
*1 Sphere of Safety
*1 Unspeakable Symbol
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Bloodfell Caves
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Castle Ardenvale
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Tower
*1 Concealed Courtyard
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Isolated Chapel
*4 Mountain
*1 Nomad Outpost
*1 Opal Palace
*1 Path of Ancestry
*5 Plains
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Rupture Spire
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Savai Triome
*1 Scoured Barrens
*1 Secluded Steppe
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*5 Swamp
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Reconciling</h2>
<p>Our general wants to smash. His army isn't even on the same battlefield. Reducing it down, this is a win-by-commander-damage deck atop a wide, evasive combat deck. To each end, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rage Reflection" href="#" target="_blank">Rage Reflection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savage Beating" href="#" target="_blank">Savage Beating</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insult // Injury" href="#" target="_blank">Insult // Injury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seem to act as the only channel of communication and compromise. Otherwise, we'll be fighting two different wars. Self and shadow. Conscious and unconscious. Ego and id. Digestible and euphuistic. Dictionary and thesaurus. Something and... someplace.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rage Reflection"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savage Beating"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insult // Injury"></div></div>
<p>Anyway, tangled among all the cards that exist in one camp here (e.g., <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howl from Beyond" href="#" target="_blank">Howl from Beyond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is really only going to benefit your commander, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stir the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Stir the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only exhibits its utility when the shadows are long), there are two tenuous, brittle bridges: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dauthi Embrace" href="#" target="_blank">Dauthi Embrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dauthi Trapper" href="#" target="_blank">Dauthi Trapper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dauthi Embrace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dauthi Trapper"></div></div>
<p>This deck's <em>raison d'être</em>. With these, Zurgo can give into his <em>Shadow</em> archetype, his buried truth. He is no true Khan of the Mardu Horde, not in the sense of acquiescence to the weight of culture, of honorable battle, of vendettas and oaths and ambition. All of that is in service to the chase of the bloodbath. An otherwordly stab in the back will meet that requirement just as well as crossed swords.</p>
<p>But there is a danger in giving in to the dark. With an army stuck in the shadow, you'll enjoy your evasiveness, sure, but in doing so, each of your opponents are guaranteed the same. You cannot block. And like our psychic shadow, if pressured into a defensive posture, it is a perverted one. Paranoia, carelessness, irrationality. You know, the "always be attacking" type of Jungian psychology. That isn't to say this deck can't work, only that, unlike typical <em>Dual Shot</em> fare, the pivot presented here is rather more like shifting our weight from a fixed stance. Here, despite our brazenness, our brashness, our bravado - our brutality - we do not adapt, we submit.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This is a deck at odds with itself. Running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raid Bombardment" href="#" target="_blank">Raid Bombardment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavalcade of Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Cavalcade of Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is terribly risky, since while we do prioritize effects that grant double strike, rather than simply buffing our power, these do seem like the first cuts to make. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feels like the all-star here, definitely going a long way toward making this list seem fun and not frustrating. But that aggravating antipode is at the very heart of this deck - something honest and something askance. This brew does a good job of illustrating an early glimpse into the goals of <em>Magic</em>. You want to win by dealing damage to your opponents, so dealing unavoidable damage quickly seems like the clearest path to victory. But then caveats begin to pile up, lines of play become visible only after you've closed them off, and someone played <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stasis" href="#" target="_blank">Stasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and somehow there's an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Knight-Errant" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Knight-Errant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that's going to ult and there's nothing you can do about it.</p>
<p>Often, this excavates a salt mine - at first. But it's that same circuity that keeps us coming back, reliving plays in our heads, sharing jank with friends, and turning grim metaphors into decklists at the insistence of the plague-madness.</p>
<p>That's it for this episode! Check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/trent-trombley/">Trent Trombley</a>'s <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/evasive-maneuvers-shadow/"><em>Evasive Maneuvers - Shadow</em></a> for more insight into this tech! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dauthi Embrace" href="#" target="_blank">Dauthi Embrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dauthi Trapper" href="#" target="_blank">Dauthi Trapper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> see a &lt; 1% inclusion rate on EDHREC, and <em>Shadow</em>, in general, is an underappreciated mechanic; it seems that people's enthusiasm for the keyword dwindles once they realize that it means they can't block. But to hell with blocking, I say! Zurgo, smash!</p>
<p>Let us know in the comments below when "always be attacking" worked for you. Or, perhaps more interestingly, tell us about a moment you had in your Commander career when you realized that this game had more going on underneath the hood that you'd first thought. Anyway, stay safe and stay sane. Till next edition.</p>
<p>Try to stay safe and sane after next edition, too.</p>


Dual Shot - Shadow Aspect

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gallia of the Endless Dance" href="#" target="_blank">Gallia of the Endless Dance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Illustrated by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/algenpfleger">Johannes Voss</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment,</em> a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Today we're going to build around a very underrated commander from <em>Theros Beyond Death</em>. Given that part of her kit is dedicated to a underdeveloped tribe, she's become basically a tribal commander. That'll stop today, because today we're building a Gallia deck!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gallia of the Endless Dance"></div></div>
<p><strong>Haste</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other Satyrs you control get +1/+1 and have haste.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Whenever you attack with three or more creatures, you may discard a card at random. If you do, draw two cards.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>Gallia's draw trigger is really powerful. She's in a color combination that has plenty of cheap dorks that can be used to accelerate in the early game and then be used as fodder to her trigger in the late game. The randomness of the discard can easily be mitigated by simply packing our deck with Goodstuff (or even by playing the important stuff in our first main phase)</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>Gallia is an aggressive commander through and through: she's a cheap body with haste that provides card advantage for us. One way to take advantage of this is by playing with <em>Madness</em> cards to get even more bang for our buck.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>Satyr is a tribe that is lacking in terms of card quality. However, given that Gallia also grants haste to other Satyrs, we can experiment with otherwise lackluster creatures in order to help fuel her draw trigger. I would strongly suggest gravitating towards utility-based ones, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Satyr Wayfinder" href="#" target="_blank">Satyr Wayfinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, rather than just going for maximum value.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p><em>Madness</em> works great with Gallia, compensating for some of Aggro's shortcomings. However, <em>Madness</em> cards tend to be less effective in EDH.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gallia-Sig2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-57673 size-full" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gallia-Sig2.png" alt="" width="1402" height="610" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gallia-Sig2.png 1402w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gallia-Sig2-300x131.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gallia-Sig2-1024x446.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gallia-Sig2-768x334.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1402px) 100vw, 1402px" /></a></p>
<p>Like I said in my overview of the commander, Gallia is THE Satyr commander, so it's not surprising to see many Satyr cards in the top slots of the deck. This is a thematic approach, but I think that Satyr tribal fails to take full advantage of Gallia's potential.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golgari Grave-Troll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azra Bladeseeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Splendid Reclamation"></div></div>
<div>From the moment I saw Gallia, I knew I would build around her draw ability. There are basically two main dimensions to build around: the draw, and the discard. <em>Dredge</em> is a good example of a good mechanic to pair with Gallia: when we get dead cards that we want to discard, we can use the draw trigger to <em>Dredge</em> deeper.</div>
<div></div>
<div>To trigger Gallia's triggered ability, we still need a creature suite. Since we're already planning to <em>Dredge</em> around, looters are a perfect fit for this strategy. This leads us into an aggressive deck that invests in creatures with a looting ETB, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azra Bladeseeker" href="#" target="_blank">Azra Bladeseeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bomat Courier" href="#" target="_blank">Bomat Courier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning-Tree Vandal" href="#" target="_blank">Burning-Tree Vandal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Racer" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Racer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be a bit slower than their ETB counterpart, but the possibility of having multiple triggers more than makes up for this especially since two of them have haste.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Now that we've covered the what and how, we need to answer why we're <em>Dredging</em>. Usually when we think of <em>Dredge</em>, we think of Reanimator. Being in Gruul, Gallia has a tough time returning creatures that she's discarded. That being said, you know what kind of permanent Gruul loves to return? Lands! <em>Dredging</em> up lands and then using cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Splendid Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Splendid Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful way to get many <em>Landfall</em> triggers and get ahead in the mana department.</div>
<div></div>
<div><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Field of the Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Depths"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra&#039;s Ignition"></div></div></div>
<div></div>
<div>We're also stacking the deck with win conditions. We're mostly using two-card combos to end the game: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Splendid Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Splendid Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="World Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">World Shaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scapeshift" href="#" target="_blank">Scapeshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great enablers for our more powerful <em>Landfall</em> triggers, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Field of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moraug, Fury of Akoum" href="#" target="_blank">Moraug, Fury of Akoum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (and, by extension, its other combo pieces) provides a fast clock that can be hard for some lists to handle. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to close games where multiple opponents are alive with low life; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Multani, Yavimaya&#039;s Avatar" href="#" target="_blank">Multani, Yavimaya&#039;s Avatar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be used to great effect with Ignition since we can easily get him back to the battlefield, but even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulvenwald Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Ulvenwald Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will do the trick.</div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div>
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Gallia Dredgefall" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Gallia of the Endless Dance
[/Commander]

[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Smuggler&#039;s Copter
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Arbor Elf
*Birds of Paradise
*Bomat Courier
*Boreal Druid
*Elvish Mystic
*Elvish Reclaimer
*Fyndhorn Elves
*Insolent Neonate
*Llanowar Elves
*Orcish Lumberjack
*Sylvan Safekeeper
*Fissure Wizard
*Sakura-Tribe Elder
*Satyr Wayfinder
*Azra Bladeseeker
*Burning-Tree Vandal
*Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
*Eternal Witness
*Golgari Brownscale
*Merchant of the Vale
*Radha, Heart of Keld
*Ramunap Excavator
*Reckless Racer
*Seasoned Pyromancer
*Springbloom Druid
*Viashino Racketeer
*Anger
*Greater Mossdog
*Rowdy Crew
*World Shaper
*Cavalier of Flame
*Cavalier of Thorn
*Golgari Grave-Troll
*Ancient Greenwarden
*Moraug, Fury of Akoum
*Multani, Yavimaya&#039;s Avatar
*Ulvenwald Hydra
*Omnath, Locus of Rage
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Mass Hysteria
*Prismatic Omen
*Underworld Breach
*Ayula&#039;s Influence
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Crop Rotation
*Heroic Intervention
*Thrill of Possibility
*Chaos Warp
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Traverse the Ulvenwald
*Cathartic Reunion
*Life From the Loam
*Recoup
*Chain Reaction
*Scapeshift
*Splendid Reclamation
*Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*Creeping Renaissance
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Command Tower
*City of Brass
*Mana Confluence
*Karplusan Forest
*Grove of the Burnwillows
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Cinder Glade
*Copperline Gorge
*Rootbound Crag
*Sheltered Thcket
*Temple of Abandon
*Wooded Foothills
*Prismatic Vista
*Ghitu Encampment
*Mutavault
*Treetop Village
*Forgotten Cave
*Tranquil Thicket
*Blighted Woodland
*Tectonic Edge
*Ghost Quarter
*Dark Depths
*Vesuva
*Thespian&#039;s Stage
*Field of the Dead
*Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
*Snow-Covered Forest
*Snow-Covered Mountain
*4 Forest
*7 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div>

<p>Unlike the usual Lands Matter lists, we're heavily invested in mana dorks. We need to have the three attacking creatures mark as soon as possible, and they provide both a body and the mana acceleration to put more bodies into play.</p>
<p>With all the <em>Dredging</em>, we're likely to mill a relevant piece, so we have some powerful recursion pieces that can act as a pseudo-tutors. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Recoup" href="#" target="_blank">Recoup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great because it targets big sorcery effects, and it's an easy card to find considering that we can <em>Dredge</em> it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Breach" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Breach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is versatile, but it needs some setup, and it only works for a turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another body, which isn't that much for the type of effect that we want to recover from our graveyard, but it's still an upside.</p>
<hr />
<div>
<div id="mtgh_26fd7" class="mtgh">
<div class="header">
<div>
<h2>Methodology</h2>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>For opening hands, we're mostly looking for early creatures to fuel our commander. From there, we can start making a plan according to our draws.</p>
<p>In the early game, our main concern is gathering three bodies to attack. Our commander is usually the third, so it's really more like finding two. While the <em>Dredge</em> suite is nice and all, we don't really need it at this stage of the game. After all, getting to trigger our commander means that we're seeing at least three new cards a turn, which is more than enough to give us a boost.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, between other players building up defenses and playing board wipes, our ability to trigger Gallia significantly diminishes. By this point we hopefully have dug enough to flip the switch and start acting like a more standard Lands Matter deck. This is the stage where we really want to start chaining some of our <em>Dredge</em> cards.</p>
<p>When we get to the late game, our priority is to find any of our win conditions, we have plenty of opportunities to find any of them, especially with our <em>Flashback</em> recursion spells. Finding the most effective winning line is fairly easy, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavalier of Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Cavalier of Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great at bursting people out, while Field of the Dead and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locust of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locust of Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great at grinding.</p>
<hr />
<div>
<div id="mtgh_26fd7" class="mtgh">
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manabond"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra, Flamecaller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harvest Season"></div></div>
<p>The list is basically a Lands Matter with a twist. This twist costs us some precious deck slots that we have to sacrifice in order to fit some of the other cards. One of the biggest problem that I see that this list suffers is that the only way it can effectively "tutor" for lands is to put them in the graveyard, unlike most decks that tend to use ramp effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
</div>
<p>Enablers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabond" href="#" target="_blank">Manabond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can be great in a list like this, as it's a way to consistently drop <em>Dredge</em> cards out of our hand. However, as mentioned before, we lack the land-pulling capabilities to make it that much better than an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.<br />
<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra, Flamecaller" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra, Flamecaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great card to cycle through bad hands and letting us get rid of some <em>Dredgers</em>. It may seem like an expensive investment, but the combination of Gallia and Chandra is a powerful draw engine.</p>
</div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harvest Season" href="#" target="_blank">Harvest Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit of a risky card, but if we are able to play it with two creatures on the field it's more effective than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Gallia Landfall

Collected Company - Zirda

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orchard Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Orchard Elemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/christinechoi_?lang=en">Christine Choi</a>)</h6>
<h1>Introduction</h1>
<p>Welcome to <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we brew two decks at the same time... in one deck.</p>
<p>We find ourselves in the strangest place of all - the sort of place where the paradoxical is true, where the antipodes of the mundane and the extraordinary begin to blur together. The polarity only ever arose from dimmed perspectives and dulled perception.</p>
<p>We're not in some Escheresque interstellar nightmare, nor do we inhabit any psychedelic phantasmagoria. But there is something menacing here, something as threatening as it is inviting. The eldritchness lay here, but it's distant. Distant enough to let curiosity and even serenity overtake caution, at least for a while.</p>
<p>We are in the forest.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Untamed Wilds"></div></div>
<p>The woods, the wilds... from the silence of morning comes the nascent crackling of life: waking birds stir the moss, the meadow rustles, and pollen shakes from the creaking limbs above.</p>
<p>When you're out in it, you're reminded of how strange it is to be anything at all. There's nothing magical about it... and <em>everything</em> magical about it.</p>
<p>Fittingly, that cosmic joke wreathes this experiment, making scarcely scrutable commentary from above in the meta-balconies. This is <em>Dual Shot</em>, that strangest of experiments. So, it shouldn't come as much surprise at this point.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seton, Krosan Protector"></div></div>
<p>But this one seemed a bit heavier on the irony. This time, we'll be brewing <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/druids">Druid tribal</a> with a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/politics">political subtheme</a>. For a mono-green list with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seton, Krosan Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Seton, Krosan Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in charge, the price of politics seems like it might be too steep for humble naturalists. And yet even those who shelter in the trees - ascetics, neutralists, and primitivists all - must sometimes take to the moot and parley with the world. The trees will be their halls, echoing their arguments.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Druids Probably Aren't As Chill As They Let On, Anyway</h2>
<p>There's plenty opportunity for politics to turn into Group Hug here, but you'll more likely be playing favorites early. So, much like real politics, you'll be yelling at your debate partners with your fingers stuck in your ears. And just in case your opponents don't feel like playing the game of thrones, most of your political pieces - things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Early Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Early Harvest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and various <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects - will work just fine without consent. Rather oppositely, things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stream of Life" href="#" target="_blank">Stream of Life</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Command" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in some specific situations, could be retooled as gifts for your opponents for the sake of a temporary truce.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Early Harvest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lull"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Command"></div></div>
<p>The canopy to all that is Druid tribal, here taking shape as a wide, aggressive shell. None too stompy, either; most of of your threats are unassuming mana-generators (on their own or thanks to Seton) until an endgame <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overwhelming Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Overwhelming Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or, if you're lucky, a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Advocate" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Advocate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Really, with pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orochi Hatchery" href="#" target="_blank">Orochi Hatchery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hydra Broodmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Hydra Broodmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nut Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Nut Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baru, Fist of Krosa" href="#" target="_blank">Baru, Fist of Krosa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this looks rather more like "green creature tribal," but druidic vows are nothing if not inclusive.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Seton Druids" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Seton, Krosan Protector
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Arbor Elf
*1 Baru, Fist of Krosa
*1 Beast Whisperer
*1 Decimator of the Provinces
*1 Elder Druid
*1 Elvish Archdruid
*1 Elvish Harbinger
*1 Filigree Familiar
*1 Genesis Hydra
*1 Grunn, the Lonely King
*1 Hermit of the Natterknolls
*1 Heroes&#039; Bane
*1 Hydra Broodmaster
*1 Karametra&#039;s Acolyte
*1 Krosan Restorer
*1 Krosan Wayfarer
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Marwyn, the Nurturer
*1 Nantuko Mentor
*1 Nut Collector
*1 Paradise Druid
*1 Paragon of Eternal Wilds
*1 Seedborn Muse
*1 Sylvan Advocate
*1 Thriss, Nantuko Primus
*1 Voyaging Satyr
*1 Wellwisher
*1 Yavimaya Elder
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Choking Vines
*1 Early Harvest
*1 Fog
*1 Harmonic Convergence
*1 Hunting Pack
*1 Lull
*1 Primal Bellow
*1 Scour from Existence
*1 Vitalize
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Animist&#039;s Awakening
*1 Creeping Mold
*1 Gaea&#039;s Blessing
*1 Genesis Storm
*1 Green Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Insist
*1 Mobilize
*1 Multani&#039;s Decree
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Primal Command
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Rude Awakening
*1 Seasons Past
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Stream of Life
*1 Sylvan Awakening
*1 Sylvan Offering
*1 The Great Aurora
*1 Traverse the Outlands
*1 Wildest Dreams
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Emerald Medallion
*1 Lifecrafter&#039;s Bestiary
*1 Loreseeker&#039;s Stone
*1 Mirari
*1 Orochi Hatchery
*1 Seer&#039;s Sundial
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*34 Forest
*1 Slippery Karst
*1 Tranquil Thicket
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>The Distant Landscape</h2>
<p>You'll notice that there's something else going on here. Behind the tangled foreground of trees, some part of you remembers the wider world, even if it's obscured by the forests of proximity. There is truth in nature, but not necessarily honesty.</p>
<p>There is a political subtheme here - if you choose to pilot the list that way - but there is a more immediately visible companion theme of <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lands">lands</a>. And what better ulterior motive for the druidic enclave to pursue than the tending of the earth? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seer&#039;s Sundial" href="#" target="_blank">Seer&#039;s Sundial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an obvious starting point. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yavimaya Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Yavimaya Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyshroud Claim" href="#" target="_blank">Skyshroud Claim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are more than just ramp pieces: with untap effects from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elder Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Elder Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arbor Elf" href="#" target="_blank">Arbor Elf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voyaging Satyr" href="#" target="_blank">Voyaging Satyr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the like, your mana can quickly become weaponized. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Bellow" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Bellow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rude Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Rude Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> demonstrate both sides of this tactic: respectively, going tall into the trees, or going wide into the understory. And your aggressive pieces are largely multitaskers as long as Seton is out, save for a few stompy creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grunn, the Lonely King" href="#" target="_blank">Grunn, the Lonely King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for when setup is proving difficult. Some components that flesh out all these strategies might look like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilderness Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Wilderness Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avoid Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Avoid Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tempt with Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Tempt with Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wilderness Reclamation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avoid Fate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tempt with Discovery"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Closing Argument</h2>
<p><em>Dual Shot</em> has tinkered with tertiary themes <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/dual-shot-rude-awakening/">in the past</a>, incidentally or otherwise, but they were generally as close to quiet as they could be without being inconsequential. Here, <em>three</em> themes play in near balance. The watchers and hecklers in the balcony toss their crumpled literary criticism papers and burning copies of <em>House of Leaves</em> down onto the stage, hoping that the tomatoes of irony strike true. Somewhere, someone rolls a true neutral D&amp;D character, and regret ripples along the strings of the augurs of fate.</p>
<p>Before things get too pompous, just know that leaning into any of the themes is plenty viable. To make things more <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/politics">political</a>, consider <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullwinder" href="#" target="_blank">Skullwinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Troll" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Troll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selvala&#039;s Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Selvala&#039;s Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/druids">Druids</a>, adding some more general tribal tools like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crown of Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Crown of Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanquisher&#039;s Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Vanquisher&#039;s Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Brass Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very feasible approach. And for the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lands">lands theme</a>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampaging Baloths" href="#" target="_blank">Rampaging Baloths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avenger of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Avenger of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can prove to be devastating win conditions, enjoying solid synergy with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baru, Fist of Krosa" href="#" target="_blank">Baru, Fist of Krosa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Troll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crown of Vigor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampaging Baloths"></div></div>
<p>That's it for this episode of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtweft Trio" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtweft Trio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Be sure to tell us below about the decks you've built that tried to do a little bit too much. Were they masterful jacks of all? Or did your opening hands too often look like the contents of a booster pack? Until next we meet!</p>


aggro