Conditions Allow - Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner

Archetune-Up - The Cat that Hits Back

Archetune-Up - A Sliver of Creativity

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/lukacs/">Chuck Lukacs</a>)</h6>
<h1>Prologue</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome to another installment of <em>Lore Seeker, </em>an article series devoted to the legendary creatures to whom <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> forgot to give a story. I’ll guide you through each aspect that makes up a legendary creature and finally give them a little extra background attention. This time around I’ll be highlighting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polukranos, Unchained" href="#" target="_blank">Polukranos, Unchained</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Polukranos, Unchained"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1>Story Circle</h1>
<p>Polukranos, known as the World Eater, fell to Theros from its celestial lair during the battle between Purphoros and Heliod, where he was quickly sealed under the Nessian Forest. Elspeth was tasked by Heliod to defeat the Hydra, who had recently escaped its stasis and was ravaging the land. Polukranos was defeated and, in death, was locked away in the Underworld. As we see in his recent depiction, however, Polukranos is back, freed from his chains and angrier than ever.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heliod, God of the Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Card Analysis</h1>
<hr />
<h2>Name:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosName.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-45677 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosName.jpg" alt="" width="289" height="65" /></a></p>
<p>Polukranos loosely translates from Greek to "many heads." More accurately, it means "many helmets," but I think we know what <em>Wizards</em> was going for. An apt name for a Hydra, and a good direction to go for the deck, but more on that later.</p>
<p>Chains seem to be a large trope in <em>Theros Beyond Death</em>. Looking through the creatures, specifically those with <em>Escape</em>, the majority have some element of chains hanging from them. The imagery of chains, especially in conjunction with their attachment to manacles, gives the underworld a much stronger prison feel than it previously had in my mind.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Mana Cost//Color Identity:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosCost.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-45676 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosCost.jpg" alt="" width="87" height="58" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Black:</strong> Amorality and pragmatism; no waste, no qualms, and no feelings.</p>
<p><strong>Green:</strong> Survival of the fittest, pure and simple. What lives will die.</p>
<p><strong>Golgari (green/black): </strong>The colors of the graveyard, rot, and necromancy. As we explored in <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/lore-seeker-creepy-kraul-y/">my last article</a>, the Golgari are interested in recycling. Specifically, the Golgari necromancers make use of the dead, bringing back others to do their bidding for them. In the case of Polukranos, he is his own necromantic master.</p>
<p>I initially wanted to avoid doing creatures of the same color identity back-to-back in this series, but I made an exception because this black-green deck is going to use the graveyard in a very different way than the previous installment. In order to fuel our commander, this is a self-mill deck, so we're going to see a lot of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stitcher&#039;s Supplier" href="#" target="_blank">Stitcher&#039;s Supplier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that actively put cards in the graveyard, not to revive them like Meren, but to exile them and keep Polukranos around.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hermit Druid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Satyr Wayfinder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nyx Weaver"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Art:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosArt.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-45675 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosArt.jpg" alt="" width="488" height="325" /></a></p>
<p>As we can see, the head that was destroyed in the battle with Elspeth has regenerated in the underworld into two new heads, zombified, discolored, and horrible. It's interesting to me that Polukranos still has faces. <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/lore-seeker-murder-king-fury-road/">When we explored Theros last</a> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tymaret, the Murder King" href="#" target="_blank">Tymaret, the Murder King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we discovered that the Zombies in the underworld lose their faces, adopting clay masks created in the underworld to hide their disfigurement and then replaced with the gold ones forged when they escape and become Returned. We also see Elspeth exempt from this mutation; likely her spark protected her (we also see her with a gold mask presumably still in the underworld, but I'll leave that rant for another day.)</p>
<p>Does this mean Polukranos has the power of a planeswalker, or are the rules just different for beasts of his nature? We will likely never know, but it does seem like a missed opportunity to put some rad gold Hydra masks on him.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Type Line:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosType.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-45679 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosType.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="67" /></a></p>
<p>The Hydra originated from Greek mythology in the tale of Heracles (most commonly known as Hercules, the Roman adaptation). Heracles was tasked with a set of labors to redeem himself for prior actions. The Hydra was destroyed with the help of an ally and, more importantly, a golden sword that the goddess Athena bestowed upon him.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Godsend"></div></div>
<p>As a Greek-themed set, we can see a lot of the tropes of this story adapted in to <em>Magic</em>. Elspeth acts as Heracles, having been given a weapon from a God (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Godsend" href="#" target="_blank">Godsend</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and tasked with defeating the Hydra. The biggest difference between <em>MTG</em> Hydras and those in Greek myths is their amphibious nature; the Lernaean Hydra of myth lived in a lake. We see a lot of large beasts in the water, like Leviathans, so I'm guessing they didn't want to add another big creature to blue's roster.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Rules Text:</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosRules.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-45678 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosRules.jpg" alt="" width="461" height="255" /></a></p>
<p>Removing all six heads from the beast kills it, sending it to the underworld once more. We are going to imagine each head as a +1/+1 counter for the remainder our discussion here. Since the Hydra will create a new head for each removed, the fact that Polukranos comes back with twelve heads (counters) is extremely flavorful. This rationale falls apart when we get to his ability when being dealt damage removes counters, but does not regenerate heads on its own.</p>
<p>Let's introduce Polukranos to his new best friend: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The way replacement effects work is beneficial to us in this case, so instead of losing the counters, Polukranos will gain that many heads. Problem solved!</p>
<p>I want Polukranos to recreate that scene in the Disney version of Hercules. I want so many heads on this beast that they take up the entire sky.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hydraHeads.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-45904 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hydraHeads.jpg" alt="" width="488" height="325" /></a></p>
<p>How do we accomplish this? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpsejack Menace" href="#" target="_blank">Corpsejack Menace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the key pieces. With one in play, Polukranos enters with 12 from a normal casting or 24 with <em>Escape</em>. With both on the field, the fun really begins, giving us 24 heads from a normal cast or 48 with <em>Escape</em>. That's more like it!</p>
<p>Now, there are a few other options to add additional counters to creatures, but because these are really only interacting with the commander and not any other cards in the deck, two will be plenty.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doubling Season"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Corpsejack Menace"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Deck</h1>
<hr />
<p><em>Theros Beyond Death</em> introduced a new style of basic land: the Nyx basics (or the Pokelands.) I am not a fan of these, whether for this deck or any other. The only place I think I would consider them is in a deck helmed by one of the Therosian Gods or in an enchantress deck. For this particular deck, I was having a hard time nailing down exactly what type of basic fits, but I decided to take this as an opportunity to talk about some of my favorite basics. These two were both done by my favorite <em>Magic</em> artist, <a href="http://www.johnavonart.com/">John Avon</a>. I love the saturation and depth of these two pieces, and the old border looks more like dirt, perfect to fill our graveyard with.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosBasics.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-46170 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/polukranosBasics.jpg" alt="" width="520" height="311" /></a></p>
<p>This deck is running a shockingly low number of lands, but we have a work around that I learned from the <a href="https://www.commandersbrew.com/">Commanders Brew</a> podcast. The idea in question is to lower the land count and instead run a bunch of those single-mana spells that tutor for a land, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lay of the Land" href="#" target="_blank">Lay of the Land</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traverse the Ulvenwald" href="#" target="_blank">Traverse the Ulvenwald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The reason we want these here is to fill our graveyard with the instants/sorceries that only exist to find the land we need. Because Polukranos doesn't care what type of card is in the graveyard and simply wants a larger number of cards in there, we can use these to both fix our mana and fill the graveyard. It's a neat trick that I have wanted to incorporate in a meaningful way for some time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Second Labor" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Polukranos, Unchained
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Walking Ballista
*1 Deathrite Shaman
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Bloodghast
*1 Glowspore Shaman
*1 Hermit Druid
*1 Lotleth Troll
*1 Millikin
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Satyr Wayfinder
*1 Nyx Weaver
*1 Prowling Serpopard
*1 Splinterfright
*1 Springbloom Druid
*1 Stinkweed Imp
*1 Acolyte of Affliction
*1 Brawn
*1 Corpsejack Menace
*1 Erebos, God of the Dead
*1 Polukranos, World Eater
*1 World Shaper
*1 Cavalier of Thorns
*1 Doom Whisperer
*1 Underrealm Lich
*1 Nemesis of Mortals
*1 Vigor
*1 Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
*1 Ghoultree
*1 Molderhulk
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Horizon Spellbomb
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Altar of Dementia
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Perpetual Timepiece
*1 Talisman of Resilience
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ancient Stirrings
*1 Attune with Aether
*1 Caravan Vigil
*1 Lay of the Land
*1 Traverse the Ulvenwald
*1 Dread Summons
*1 Mulch
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Ransack the Lab
*1 Regrowth
*1 Sylvan Scrying
*1 Winding Way
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Damnation
*1 Increasing Ambition
*1 Traverse the Outlands
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Decree of Pain
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Veil of Summer
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Corpse Churn
*1 Evolution Charm
*1 Grapple with the Past
*1 Grisly Salvage
*1 Beast Within
*1 Harrow
*1 Moonlight Bargain
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Crop Sigil
*1 Vessel of Nascency
*1 Greater Good
*1 Doubling Season
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Blooming Marsh
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*9 Forest
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Nurturing Peatland
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*6 Swamp
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Woodland Cemetery
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h1>Epilogue</h1>
<p>If you're a fan of big creatures and a deck full of two-for-ones, this is the build for you. I'm very intrigued by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polukranos Unchained" href="#" target="_blank">Polukranos Unchained</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That which at first looks like just a big creature leads to some interesting deckbuilding decisions. A big thanks to Tom, EDHREC's resident Greek expert, for giving me some insight into the name of Polukranos and some other general tidbits for this article.</p>
<p>Thank you for reading! As always, let me know which legendary characters you’d like to see get the story spotlight in the future!</p>


Lore Seeker - The Hydra

<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="EDHRECast 095 - Your Deck&#039;s Achilles Heel" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J-ADozDs1mk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Just like Achilles, every Commander deck has a secret weakness. It's not about opponents having the perfect answer to your strategy - sometimes there's a hidden weak point in the deck itself... one the deck brewer may not even know, that can be the deck's downfall. Today the EDHRECast digs through tons of deck archetypes to find out these hidden weaknesses, and how best to cover them up!</p>
<p>Follow the cast on twitter!<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/edhrecast">@EDHRECast</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/JosephMSchultz">@JosephMSchultz</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/danaroach">@danaroach</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/mathimus55">@mathimus55</a></p>
<p>Question, comment, or data insight? Email us at:<br />
edhrecast@gmail.com https://edhrec.com/</p>
<p>If you wanna see any of the decks we play, <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/edhrecast-our-decks/">you can check them out here</a>!</p>


EDHRECast Ep95 - Your Deck's Achilles Heel

Dual Shot - Dynamic Stall

Conditions Allow - Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://ronspearsart.com/">Ron Spears</a>)</h6>
<h1>Let Me Introduce My Brothers</h1>
<p>Welcome back to EDHREC, and to <em>Conditions Allow</em>. This article series focuses on legendary creatures with a drawback, and tries to turn them into a strength. This week, we're taking a look at one creature that really wants to be many. Commander is a singleton format, and that is exactly why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a challenge to build around.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brothers Yamazaki"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a mono-red legend from <em>Kamigawa</em>. There are two different versions of this card, each representing one of the brothers. Both have the same effect: if you control exactly two creatures named <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then the “legend rule” doesn’t apply. Separately, each other creature named <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has haste and get +2/+2. All told, we can get a pair of 4/3’s with haste and <em>Bushido 1.</em> This isn’t much, but the challenge of building around a commander that wants to have multiple copies of itself may lead us down some interesting paths. Let’s see where we end up.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2>Can You Tell Us Apart?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twinflame"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heat Shimmer"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There aren’t many commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so let’s dive right into their EDHREC page. Right at the top of the High Synergy Cards is <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>. This enchantment effectively lets us pay four mana to cast two 4/3s with haste by producing a token copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> whenever it enters the battlefield. Because of the Brothers' own effect, we don’t have to worry about the legend rule destroying the token. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, one copy of an effect is never enough. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heat Shimmer" href="#" target="_blank">Heat Shimmer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both one-shot effects that do the same thing as <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>. To help all these cards have a longer-lasting impact, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundial of the Infinite" href="#" target="_blank">Sundial of the Infinite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to make the tokens stick around.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonus Round"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howl of the Horde"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helm of the Host"></div></div>
<p>The EDHREC page is also cluttered with spells that copy other spells. These could push <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into a much higher-impact spell, since the power buff our commander gives other copies of itself will be compounded with each additional token. However, as soon as we have two or more tokens, the legend rule will kick back into effect, and we'll be left with only a single <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We'll have to dig a little deeper before we start forming a strategy.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You have to look surprisingly far down the EDHREC page before finding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This Equipment doesn't have to worry about the legend rule at all, since the tokens it creates are not legendary. It may seem slow to produce only one token at the beginning of each of our combat phases, but this is more reliable than <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>. To really make reliable use of that enchantment, we need to have our commander enter the field every turn, and red is not a color that easily supports bounce or flicker effects. If we were playing blue, we might rely on bouncing, or use a little <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get multiple combat phases in a row. In red, however, we must rely on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2>The Brothers' War</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relentless Assault"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fury of the Horde"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="World at War"></div></div>
<p>There are quite a few sorceries that grant extra combat steps. In conjunction with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, every additional combat phase will create a new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> token. Each makes the others stronger, until we have an unstoppable army. This strategy also takes advantage of the copy spells I mentioned earlier. Just remember that the untap clause of each of these copied spells will not happen between each extra combat, but occur right when the copied spell resolves, so each new token will probably be attacking alone. Still, this can put a sizable dent in one opponent's life total, while setting us up to quickly run away with the game on subsequent turns.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrill of Possibility"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tormenting Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Past in Flames"></div></div>
<p>The copy spells will also help us put all of these pieces together. As many others have explained before, copying a spell doesn't require you to pay the extra costs again, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tormenting Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Tormenting Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrill of Possibility" href="#" target="_blank">Thrill of Possibility</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> become actual card advantage. Red also has a couple of options for getting instants or sorceries back from the graveyard: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Past in Flames" href="#" target="_blank">Past in Flames</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is quite well-known, but you may not be as familiar with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anarchist" href="#" target="_blank">Anarchist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Including these cards means we don't have to worry as much about discarding our key extra combat cards, or using the copy spells to dig for them.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Family Heirlooms</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gamble"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Godo, Bandit Warlord"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All of this revolves around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There are enough copy spells, extra combat phases, and draw for us to expect to be able to put those pieces together. Trying to draw a single artifact is much harder, however. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gamble" href="#" target="_blank">Gamble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps, but isn’t exactly reliable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Godo, Bandit Warlord" href="#" target="_blank">Godo, Bandit Warlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a much better way of finding our key piece of Equipment, and it also gives us an extra combat phase the first time he attacks in a turn. In conjunction with the high density of draw effects, we should be able to find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fairly regularly.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If we can't put one combo together, though, maybe we can find the pieces for another. So far we’ve found a way to make a lot of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but with the help of <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Echoes" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Echoes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we can create many, many more. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudstone Curio"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Echoes"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us use the tokens created by <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> to return the original <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brothers Yamazaki" href="#" target="_blank">Brothers Yamazaki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> back to our hand. We can then recast it to create another token, and so on. The mana to continually recast our commander and trigger <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> comes from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Echoes" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Echoes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which creates more mana the more tokens we have. Even though the mana it creates is all colorless, we can filter it into red with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prismite" href="#" target="_blank">Prismite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gemstone Array" href="#" target="_blank">Gemstone Array</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This does run us back into the legend rule problem, though. I resisted using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Gallery" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Gallery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in my article about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Linessa, Zephyr Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Linessa, Zephyr Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it's the only card that allows us to do what we want here, so it gets a spot.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zealous Conscripts"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckless Fireweaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anarchist"></div></div>
<p>If we do ever manage to get all of these cards on the field at the same time, we will get an infinite number of creatures, all with haste. There are other ways we can use it, however. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zealous Conscripts" href="#" target="_blank">Zealous Conscripts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can steal every creature on the field, or continually untap one of our own. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can easily provide the mana needed to activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aggravated Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Aggravated Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> repeatedly, or to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Endless Atlas" href="#" target="_blank">Endless Atlas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to draw into the final card you need to win. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anarchist" href="#" target="_blank">Anarchist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would let us cast any spell in our deck as many times as we'd like, while <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> simply wins the game.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Fuel for the Clan</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thran Dynamo"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hedron Archive"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div></div>
<p>This is an extremely mana-hungry deck. We need a lot to cast our copy spells and extra combat spells in a single turn, or to keep activating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aggravated Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Aggravated Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Getting up to a critical amount of mana is vital, and we have two ways to do it: traditional mana rocks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thran Dynamo" href="#" target="_blank">Thran Dynamo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> do a lot of work getting us there, and red also has access to a number of rituals that can push us up to enough mana to go off several turns before our opponents are expecting it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Brothers Yamazaki" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Brothers Yamazaki
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Abbot of Keral Keep
*1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
*1 Ghitu Chronicler
*1 Keldon Marauders
*1 Prismite
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Combat Celebrant
*1 Ghitu Journeymage
*1 Kessig Malcontents
*1 Magus of the Wheel
*1 Seasoned Pyromancer
*1 Anarchist
*1 Flamerush Rider
*1 Zealous Conscripts
*1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Cloudstone Curio
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Gemstone Array
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Ur-Golem&#039;s Eye
*1 Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*1 Mirror Gallery
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Tectonic Reformation
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Flameshadow Conjuring
*1 Mana Echoes
*1 Outpost Siege
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Chandra, Flamecaller
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 Battle Hymn
*1 Desperate Ritual
*1 Increasing Vengeance
*1 Pyretic Ritual
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Chaos Warp
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 By Force
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Gamble
*1 Magmatic Insight
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Twinflame
*1 Wild Guess
*1 Bonus Round
*1 Heat Shimmer
*1 Howl of the Horde
*1 Past in Flames
*1 Relentless Assault
*1 Seize the Day
*1 Hour of Devastation
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 World at War
*1 Fury of the Horde
*1 Blasphemous Act
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Smoldering Crater
*29 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>This deck was a lot of fun to put together, and ended up feeling much stronger than I thought would be possible. Extra combats wasn't a direction I thought I would end up going, but it ended up being an exciting direction to pursue. The deck would be stronger if it was focused strictly around that strategy, instead of sharing space with a complicated combo. The two don't share cards, but I wanted to highlight both approaches I thought had some potential.</p>
<p>Let me know which you find more exciting! Do you prefer complicated combos, or more straightforward combat? Let me know in the comments, where you can also tell me about any cards you think would be a good fit that I missed. As always, thank you for reading.</p>


Conditions Allow - Brothers Yamazaki

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive" href="#" target="_blank">Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.vargasni.com/">Randy Vargas</a>)</h6>
<h1>A Quick, Clean Kill</h1>
<p>They cannot keep us apart, beloved Commander faithful! No matter what they do, no matter what they say, I will always come back to you! For our love is not ordinary: it is quite...UNCOMMON!</p>
<p>Bad introductory jokes aside, welcome to this week's edition of <em>Uncommonders</em>, the series that explores underappreciated commanders printed at the uncommon level. I am going to preface this article with a bit of a revelation. Often with this series, I will stare blankly at the <em>Uncommonder</em> I am going to write about and pick up little details, make a list of possible deck ideas or archetypes, and eventually pick one or two for the article and run with it. This week was not that easy. I struggled to find a good, unique way to build this deck. In the end, I decided to buckle down and say that if I could not make it super unique or "out there", I would simply build it to the commander's strength to the best of my ability in an effort to make the deck as mean as possible. Naturally, I expect you to be curious which uncommon legendary creature we are looking at today, so without further ado, today we are talking about...</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive"></div></div></p>
<p>Before we talk about the deck and the cards in it, I do want to point out some of the ideas I looked into and ultimately was dissatisfied with. First, I wanted to build a more aggressive deck and looked up all the blue and colorless creatures that had a toughness of 1 but a power of 2 or more. This would mean that the creatures would be able to slip by with Tetsuko's ability but deal more damage than creatures with low toughness normally do. Unfortunately, for this idea, the two top cards Scryfall gave me were <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snapcaster Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Snapcaster Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metallic Mimic" href="#" target="_blank">Metallic Mimic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which turned me off the idea almost immediately. While looking at this list, I did notice a number of Faeries, some of which were Wizards and some of which were Rogues, and I considered some kind of tribal theme, either with Faeries or Rogues, but those searches did not inspire me much, either. They were especially lackluster when adding the requirement to have either power or toughness equal to 1, so I toyed around with another couple of ideas (there are sadly not enough Ninjas with power or toughness equal to 1 in mono-blue) and threw up my hands thinking "fine, I will just have to be the meanest person at the table with this!"</p>
<p>When thinking about "what is the meanest thing to do with unblockable, small creatures in mono-blue" I eventually settled on what Tetsuko already does very well:</p>
<p><em>Infect.</em></p>
<p>That may sound crazy, as there are only six creatures with the <em>Infect</em> ability in mono-blue with power or toughness equal to 1. However, four of those creatures are artifacts, and blue is pretty good at making duplicates of their creatures and their artifacts, so I decided to double down on my idea and <em>Infect</em> the table out. Also, blue is one half of the normal color combination that deals with counter manipulation, so <em>Proliferate</em> shenanigans are not hard to come by for the deck. One poison counter can quickly become fatal in most scenarios, so all we need to do is get the party started with these smaller creatures.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">A Pinprick of Poison</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plague Myr"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Viral Drake"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichorclaw Myr"></div></div></p>
<p>In addition to the three cards shown above, the other three main <em>Infect</em> cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blighted Agent" href="#" target="_blank">Blighted Agent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropede" href="#" target="_blank">Necropede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Digester" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Digester</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There are other <em>Infect</em> sources in the deck and some with interesting roles to play (like recursion on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpse Cur" href="#" target="_blank">Corpse Cur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the sometimes-creature <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkmoth Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Inkmoth Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) but I want to focus on some of the other supportive cards for our endgame of infecting the entire table.</p>
<p>With <em>War of the Spark</em>, blue got some interesting new cards for <em>Infect</em> wins with new sources of <em>Proliferate</em>. Naturally, these cards were intended to pump up Standard-legal planeswalkers, but I'll take a win where I can find one! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guildpact Informant" href="#" target="_blank">Guildpact Informant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feels like a variant of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrummingbird" href="#" target="_blank">Thrummingbird</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flux Channeler" href="#" target="_blank">Flux Channeler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can get out of control quickly if we have some card advantage cantrips or just a grip filled with counterspells. Speaking of cantrips, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contentious Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Contentious Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun new inclusion. Finally, the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn&#039;s Bastion" href="#" target="_blank">Karn&#039;s Bastion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a repeatable effect similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viral Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Viral Drake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Of all these new cards, the one I struggled the most with did not come from <em>War of the Spark</em> but from <em>Modern Horizons</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a continuation of the iconic 'Sword of X and Y' cycle and helps get us where we want to be. Unfortunately, there are two major drawbacks to the card with our strategy. For starters, we normally do not want to put +1/+1 counters on our creatures because we need to keep either their power or toughness low enough for Tetsuko to help them remain unblockable. Second, the Sword itself gives the creature holding it +2/+2, meaning even if we put it on a 1/1 body, it definitely is not going to remain unblockable as a 3/3. In the end, I decided to include the Sword because we simply needed more <em>Proliferate</em> abilities, and hopefully the added protection the sword provides can assist with keeping the creature difficult to block. Even if the Sword-wielding creature only hits once or twice, it will also work as a diversionary target, making our opponents want to get rid of it and maybe ignoring some of our other pieces on the table.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Colorless and Deadly</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Contagion Engine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krark-Clan Ironworks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myr Retriever"></div></div></p>
<p>I have recently reignited my love for artifact decks, having built a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle" href="#" target="_blank">Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck for my 3DH streams. Noticing that four of our six main <em>Infect</em> cards are artifacts and that some of our main synergy pieces were also artifacts (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contagion Clasp" href="#" target="_blank">Contagion Clasp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contagion Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Contagion Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), I decided to dive into some colorless shenanigans to round out the deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark-Clan Ironworks" href="#" target="_blank">Krark-Clan Ironworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been dropping in price since the Modern ban and is basically a better <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for our deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Ineffable" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Ineffable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes many of our artifacts free. I like the idea of having recursion options for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to strengthen our removal suite for things like artifacts and enchantments. Thopters and Myrs mostly come in the forms of 1/1 bodies, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sharding Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Sharding Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a walking army in the making, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can get that army started just by casting some artifacts.</p>
<p>With all of this synergy, we are going to need to support it with as much ramp as blue can manage, card advantage galore, some Wraths and removal, to ultimately get a list that looks like this:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Tainted Blade of Umezawa" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Blighted Agent
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Core Prowler
*1 Corpse Cur
*1 Eternal of Harsh Truths
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Guildpact Informant
*1 Ichorclaw Myr
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Mist-Syndicate Naga
*1 Mistblade Shinobi
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Necropede
*1 Neurok Commando
*1 Nimble Obstructionist
*1 Phyrexian Digester
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Plague Myr
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Scroll Thief
*1 Sharding Sphinx
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Tandem Lookout
*1 Thrumming Bird
*1 Tribute Mage
*1 Trophy Mage
*1 Viral Drake
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Blinkmoth Urn
*1 Contagion Clasp
*1 Contagion Engine
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirrorworks
*1 Ovalchase Dragster
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Truth and Justice
*1 Throne of Geth
[/Artifact]
[Instant]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Counterspell
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Disallow
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Swan Song
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*1 Contentious Plan
*1 Notorious Throng
*1 Saheeli&#039;s Artistry
*1 Stolen Identity
*1 Tezzeret&#039;s Gambit
[/Sorcery]
[Enchantment]
*1 Coastal Piracy
*1 Inexorable Tide
[/Enchantment]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Tezzeret the Seeker
*1 Ugin the Ineffable
[/Planeswalker]
[Land]
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Desert of the Mindful
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Inkmoth Nexus
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*23 Island
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Remote Isle
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Strip Mine
[/Land]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<hr />
<p>The last article about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boris Devilboon" href="#" target="_blank">Boris Devilboon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was a little on the unorthodox side, even for me. I have to admit, I was slightly worried about how it would be received by you, the readers, breaking so far away from the commander and those printed abilities to do something as janky as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana&#039;s Contract" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana&#039;s Contract</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Still, there were some cool comments, like this one by regular commenter Cyberium! They wrote:</p>
<blockquote><p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choice of Damnations" href="#" target="_blank">Choice of Damnations</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is oddly fitting here. In addition to chaotic effects, I love forcing opponent to make a decision, that's something a demon would do.<br />
Slightly off topic: Given the new expansion is Throne of Eldraine, with a royalty-ish feel, perhaps the Round Table deck could be revisited.</p></blockquote>
<p>I cannot begin to tell you how many of the decks I make for EDHREC articles are listed in the "go back and update now that new, cool cards have come out since writing those articles" mental list I keep! Actually, maybe I can: almost all of them! Honestly, I am the kind of deck brewer that is never truly satisfied with a deck. <em>Wizards of the Coast </em>comes out with so many new awesome cards in each set, I find it impossible to ever stop tweaking and tuning decks, trying to hit that sweet spot where they feel perfect. I even look back at my favorite, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and constantly think about adjustments to make the deck faster, more consistent and meaner.</p>
<p>Of course, if you like how mean I can be when tossing cardboard around a kitchen table (or sometimes online) then make sure you are <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">following me on Twitter</a> to talk about all things <em>Magic: the Gathering</em>! You can also join the public <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">Praetor Magic Discord server</a> to talk to me there daily, not to mention see our awesome gameplay videos on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">YouTube channel</a>! We also have a podcast called Reflections of the Council; new episodes are posted every Thursday after we record them on YouTube at 9 PM EST, so search "Praetor Magic" or "Reflections of the Council" on your favorite podcast platform to find us! And until next time, remember...</p>
<p>Drop bombs and <em>Infect</em> the table!</p>


aggro