<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shao Jun" href="#" target="_blank">Shao Jun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/sstarkm">Stephen Stark</a></em></p>
<p>Despite the set being over a year old now, I hadn't really engaged with the cards from the <em>Assassin's Creed</em> set until recently. Once I did, I discovered an astonishing number of really compelling legends going through the set, and somewhere along the way <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shao Jun" href="#" target="_blank">Shao Jun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ended up becoming my go-to Bracket 4 (Optimized) deck. In this deck tech, I'm going to show off my build of Shao Jun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shao Jun"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Shao Jun Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shao Jun" href="#" target="_blank">Shao Jun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a three-mana 3/3 that has flying and first strike during her controller's turn. She also has an activated ability that taps two artifacts to deal one damage to each opponent. At face value, this is a touch underwhelming. However, Shao Jun is perfectly positioned to take advantage of my favorite blue cards in Commander: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects! With a Curiosity attached, Shao Jun can tap two artifacts to draw three cards. Once set up, this Shao Jun deck is effectively going to be slamming multiple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Recall" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Recall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s every turn cycle!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curiosity"></div></div>
<h2>Key Cards for Shao Jun</h2>
<h3>Curiosities</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curiosity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ophidian Eye"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tandem Lookout"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects are the lifeblood of this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shao Jun" href="#" target="_blank">Shao Jun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. During mulligans and in the early turns, I prioritize finding one of these three cards above all else. Once Shao Jun and a Curiosity effect have been established, the rest of the game tends to sort itself out. The deck's suite of counterspells are primarily used to keep Shao Jun in play and to keep drawing cards.</p>
<p>Not all of the Curiosity effects are built the same: both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophidian Eye" href="#" target="_blank">Ophidian Eye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and Curiosity have optional effects that say "you may draw a card", while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tandem Lookout" href="#" target="_blank">Tandem Lookout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s trigger is not optional. In the later stages of a game where Shao Jun is being activated over and over again or even infinitely, this is important to keep that in mind; no one wants to inadvertently deck out while going off.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unwinding Clock"></div></div>
<p>It's been established that Shao Jun plus Curiosity and two artifacts equals <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Recall" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Recall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is very powerful on its own! But what if that could be pushed a little further?</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unwinding Clock" href="#" target="_blank">Unwinding Clock</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> untaps all artifacts during each opponent's untap step, which changes the equation a little bit. Adding Unwinding Clock takes it from one Ancestral Recall per turn cycle to four; that's twelve cards per turn cycle per group of two artifacts in play. With four artifacts in play, that doubles to 24 cards to draw per turn. With card draw like this, who needs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<h3>Producing Artifacts</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pinnacle Emissary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Third Path Iconoclast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sai, Master Thopterist"></div></div>
<p>Shao Jun needs a lot of artifacts in play to take full advantage of her activated ability. Token-generators, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pinnacle Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Pinnacle Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Third Path Iconoclast" href="#" target="_blank">Third Path Iconoclast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 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>, all provide an additional artifact whenever an artifact or noncreature spell is cast. Shao Jun is really asking for artifacts to come in groups of at least two, and these creatures all make that happen!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Paradise Mantle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeweled Amulet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mox Opal"></div></div>
<p>Alongside token-generators, this deck has a very high density of low-cost artifacts. More often than not, the text on these artifacts winds up being irrelevant: if it can be cast cheaply, it triggers a token-generator, and it can be tapped to activate Shao Jun, it fits! Because of this dynamic, the early turns play out similarly to Modern Affinity decks.</p>
<h3>Slowing Down the Opponents</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Moon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harbinger of the Seas"></div></div>
<p>This is a Bracket 4 (Optimized) deck, which means there's nothing preventing me from including mass mana denial cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Shao Jun is definitely aiming to play at tables where these cards are necessary evils to keep incredibly powerful three-, four-, and five-color decks with greedy mana bases off-balance while Shao Jun is setting up. In order to accommodate Blood Moon and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harbinger of the Seas" href="#" target="_blank">Harbinger of the Seas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I've included a whopping 13 basic lands alongside 8 fetch lands to ensure that these effects only hinder the opponents.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza&#039;s Saga"></div></div>
<p>A fun thing to keep in mind when piloting decks that include both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza&#039;s Saga" href="#" target="_blank">Urza&#039;s Saga</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is that, due to the Sagas rule change that happened ahead of the release of <em>Final Fantasy</em>, Blood Moon no longer sends Urza's Saga to the graveyard. Instead, Urza's Saga will keep the abilities that have been granted to it by its chapter abilities and it will not gain any more lore counters at the beginning of each main phase.</p>
<p>For example, an Urza's Saga that has reached its second chapter and gained the ability to make Construct tokens will retain that ability with Blood Moon in play and won't ever receive its third lore counter. That means the player that controls Urza's Saga will just have a Construct token factory in play until the Blood Moon is removed. Layers are fun!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Winter Orb"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in particular has a very strong synergy with Shao Jun, as Winter Orb can be tapped with Shao Jun's activated ability on the end step before her controller's turn to ensure that each opponent only gets to untap one land per turn and the Shao Jun player is totally unaffected. This is the same trick that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks have been using to create salty opponents since his release in <em>Modern Horizons</em>.</p>
<h2>How Does this Shao Jun Deck Win the Game?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dramatic Reversal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Isochron Scepter"></div></div>
<p>The most straightforward way to win a game with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shao Jun" href="#" target="_blank">Shao Jun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is by infinitely untapping artifacts with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dramatic Reversal" href="#" target="_blank">Dramatic Reversal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isochron Scepter" href="#" target="_blank">Isochron Scepter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to deal infinite damage to each opponent with her activated ability. With the deck's high card velocity and robust suite of tutors, this combo isn't very difficult to assemble, and the only other requirement is having at least two other artifacts in play to tap with Shao Jun.</p>
<div id="4821-5261" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
<script id="4821-5261" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Dramatic%20Reversal%22%2C%22Isochron%20Scepter%22%5D&requires=%5B%5D&produces=%5B%22Infinite%20magecraft%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20mana%20nonland%20permanents%20you%20control%20can%20produce%22%2C%22Infinite%20storm%20count%22%2C%22Infinite%20untap%20of%20nonland%20permanents%20you%20control%22%5D&id=4821-5261&color=U&extraRequirementCount=1"></script></div>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adaptive Omnitool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nexus of Fate"></div></div>
<p>Because of Shao Jun's built-in evasion, this deck is also able to pull commander damage wins out of nowhere. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory" href="#" target="_blank">Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adaptive Omnitool" href="#" target="_blank">Adaptive Omnitool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can turn Shao Jun into a lethal threat in an instant. In a four-player game, one combat step isn't quite enough to get a game over with, which is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nexus of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Nexus of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes in. Due to the potent card draw engine of Shao Jun and Curiosity effects, looping Nexus of Fate by simply drawing a million cards on each turn is not an uncommon win condition. This, in addition to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last Chance" href="#" target="_blank">Last Chance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alchemist&#039;s Gambit" href="#" target="_blank">Alchemist&#039;s Gambit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, should provide enough additional combat steps to get the job done.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forensic Gadgeteer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basalt Monolith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Retrofitter Foundry"></div></div>
<p>The last win condition to keep in mind when piloting this deck is making infinite mana with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forensic Gadgeteer" href="#" target="_blank">Forensic Gadgeteer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then using it to make infinite tokens with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Retrofitter Foundry" href="#" target="_blank">Retrofitter Foundry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is a combo ripped right from the Vintage Cube, and I love it! I've yet to pull this one off, as it's the highest effort combo and the deck and the other win conditions often present themselves before this one. However, the best thing about this one is that each of these cards are useful to Shao Jun's game plan by themselves!</p>
<h2>Shao Jun Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Shao Jun" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Shao Jun
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Back to Basics
*1 Ballad of the Black Flag
*1 Blood Moon
*1 Curiosity
*1 Ophidian Eye
*1 Proft&#039;s Eidetic Memory
*1 Weapons Manufacturing
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Adaptive Omnitool
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Basalt Monolith
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Isochron Scepter
*1 Jeweled Amulet
*1 Lotus Petal
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Mox Amber
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Paradise Mantle
*1 Pithing Needle
*1 Retrofitter Foundry
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Journal
*1 Unwinding Clock
*1 Winter Orb
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Drift of Phantasms
*1 Enthusiastic Mechanaut
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Forensic Gadgeteer
*1 Harbinger of the Seas
*1 Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain
*1 K-9, Mark I
*1 Kappa Cannoneer
*1 Loyal Inventor
*1 Magus of the Moon
*1 Malcolm, the Eyes
*1 Pinnacle Emissary
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Tandem Lookout
*1 Third Path Iconoclast
*1 Thought Monitor
*1 Tribute Mage
*1 Urza, Lord High Artificer
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Gambit
*1 Fabricate
*1 Gamble
*1 Last Chance
*1 Thoughtcast
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Dizzy Spell
*1 Dramatic Reversal
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Fire Magic
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Force of Will
*1 Mana Drain
*1 Muddle the Mixture
*1 Nexus of Fate
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Strix Serenade
*1 Swan Song
*1 Untimely Malfunction
*1 Whir of Invention
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Great Furnace
*10 Island
*1 Mistrise Village
*1 Misty Rainforest
*3 Mountain
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Riverpyre Verge
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Secluded Starforge
*1 Spire of Industry
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<h3>The Hardest Question for Shao Jun to Answer</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shao Jun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div></div>
<p>Unfortunately, at the highest power levels of Commander, every Izzet commander has to answer the question: "Why not just play Vivi?" It's true. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do everything that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shao Jun" href="#" target="_blank">Shao Jun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can while also single-handedly generating millions of mana while not being forced to focus on artifacts. However, after playing a few games with Vivi, I can safely say that Vivi is also the least fun Izzet commander I have ever played. He's incredibly high power, but not particularly high fun. I tend to prefer decks where the commander is asking me to solve a problem for them in order to unlock their potential, and Shao Jun asks me more interesting questions than Vivi. That's really the only argument I can make for Shao Jun. It's enough for me, but that's only because winning isn't the only thing I'm optimizing for when approaching Commander as a format.</p>
<p>Any player, like myself, who enjoys drawing lots of cards, utilizing artifact synergies, and navigating long, complicated turns will love this Shao Jun deck. The only caveat is that I'd only recommend my build of Shao Jun to players who can find a Bracket 4 (Optimized) table to play the deck at. Key cards for Shao Jun, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, simply won't be well received at lower power tables, so I'd recommend looking at other approaches to this commander for those tables.</p>


ancestral recall

Shao Jun Commander Deck Tech