Building an Orzhov Scam Commander Deck with Papalymo Totolymo

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barrin, Master Wizard" href="#" target="_blank">Barrin, Master Wizard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.mikesutfin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Sutfin</a></em></p>
<p>As <em>Magic</em> players, we've all been there: the aristocrats player waits for the perfect moment to unleash a long string of sacrifice effects that ends the game. On one hand, it's impressive to watch; it feels like a complex puzzle being assembled before your eyes. On the other hand, it can feel like an unsatisfying way to lose, essentially having your game plan amount to nothing.</p>
<p>Whatever your feelings may be on aristocrats, there's no denying their popularity within <em>Magic</em>, especially in Commander. According to EDHREC data, there are over 100 thousand <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aristocrat decks in their database</a>. This huge amount of popularity means that there are only six deck "themes" or strategies that are more popular than it on EDHREC.</p>
<p>Most aristocrat decks are heavily associated with the color black, as it provides the most support for both sacrifice outlets and cards that benefit from creatures dying. However, there are plenty of great aristocrat cards outside of black, and this mini-series of articles covers the best options for aristocrat players in every color!</p>
<p>We began this series over on <a href="https://commandersherald.com/the-best-aristocrat-cards-in-commander-green-edition/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Commander's Herald with green</a>, and continued our "mini-series" <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-white-aristocrat-cards-in-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here last week with white</a>, which brings us to our 3rd excursion: blue.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geralf, Visionary Stitcher" href="#" target="_blank">Geralf, Visionary Stitcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geralf, Visionary Stitcher"></div></div>
<p>We start off this list with a commander that many people may have overlooked, but one that's very interesting nonetheless. While Geralf is not a "repeatable" effect unless you can untap him, he gives us one of the main things that aristocrat decks are looking for: ways to turn disposable creatures into something more effective. Even if we only have a 1/1 to sacrifice, it turns that 1/1 into a <em>flying</em> 1/1, as well as triggering any death triggers that our deck is bound to have.</p>
<p>Side note: this card is also an amazing include in any <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/defenders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defender-themed deck</a>, as it turns Walls into huge flying attackers.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Homarid Spawning Bed" href="#" target="_blank">Homarid Spawning Bed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Homarid Spawning Bed"></div></div>
<p>This one fits in a weird position in an aristocrat deck, but it can still act as a great way to create disposable bodies. Being able to sacrifice a creature to make an amount of 1/1 creatures equal to its mana value is very strong, especially as a response to targeted or mass removal. The only reason I could see people being hesitant to include this in an aristocrat deck is the fact that it limits the creatures that are created to <em>mana value</em>, which means that sacrificing tokens does nothing.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barrin, Master Wizard" href="#" target="_blank">Barrin, Master Wizard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barrin, Master Wizard"></div></div>
<p>Barrin acted as a popular boogeyman of cEDH when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was still running around, as it could sacrifice a Treasure to bounce Dockside back to your hand, rinse and repeat. Dockside is gone now (RIP), but this card is still a great piece of control at its floor. Sacrificing any permanent to return a creature to its controller's hand is very good, especially in a format where decks are based around a specific creature.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drowned Rusalka" href="#" target="_blank">Drowned Rusalka</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drowned Rusalka"></div></div>
<p>If you read the white edition of this article series, you'll recognize the Rusalka creature cycle making its return. This card is a great way to cycle through cards that we may not want, as long as we have cards in our hand to begin with. A single blue to cycle a card is a great effect, especially if you're just looking for that final piece of the aristocrat puzzle.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jason Bright, Glowing Prophet" href="#" target="_blank">Jason Bright, Glowing Prophet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jason Bright, Glowing Prophet"></div></div>
<p>This card occupies an interesting space, as it can allow us to be aggressive, which is usually not something that aristocrat players are trying to be. Granting a creature a boost in power, as well as temporarily granting flying, may not seem very strong, but all it takes is a few pumps to really make a difference in combat. Also, if we have any Zombies or Mutants, Jason can draw us cards when those creatures die, which is a great bonus!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stitcher&#039;s Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Stitcher&#039;s Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stitcher&#039;s Apprentice"></div></div>
<p>I know you're probably looking at this card and going "Huh?" Well, let me explain. This card does two things well: it creates a disposable body, and it is <em>technically</em> a sacrifice outlet. Since most aristocrat decks have creatures that want to die, Apprentice allows us to trigger those effects while creating a 2/2 creature token.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vodalian Hexcatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Vodalian Hexcatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vodalian Hexcatcher"></div></div>
<p>The next two cards on this list are focused on specific creature types, so they aren't as generically good, but they certainly pack a punch. This one is amazing in Merfolk decks, as it turns each Merfolk we control into a way to potentially counter a game-changing spell. Having your Merfolk tokens become a way to counter something like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems very good.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleaver Skaab" href="#" target="_blank">Cleaver Skaab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleaver Skaab"></div></div>
<p>This card might be the best sacrifice outlet for any Zombie deck, even if we include potential black sacrifice outlets. Creating two token copies of a Zombie we control is a crazy. Even if we turn one 2/2 Zombie token into two 2/2 Zombie tokens, this card is crazy. But copying something like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> twice? Yikes.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Archmage"></div></div>
<p>Similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vodalian Hexcatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Vodalian Hexcatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this creature acts as a repeatable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. The best part about this card? It has persist, which means we can repeatedly use its sacrifice ability to counter any troublesome spells. This card particularly shines in decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marchesa, the Black Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Marchesa, the Black Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cayth, Famed Mechanist" href="#" target="_blank">Cayth, Famed Mechanist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as these commanders allow you to negate the -1/-1 counter with a +1/+1 counter.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jalira, Master Polymorphist" href="#" target="_blank">Jalira, Master Polymorphist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jalira, Master Polymorphist"></div></div>
<p>Our final inclusion comes in the form of a strong <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorph" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effect. While the effect is only usable once each turn (unless we can untap her), it still grants us the ability to turn our plethora of disposable creatures into a potentially game-ending threat. Yes, a four-mana activation cost is a lot, and only flipping into a nonlegendary creature means the ability isn't as strong as it could be, <em>but </em>the amount of times I've seen this flip into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is insane.</p>
<p>That concludes my list for the color blue. I hope all you aristocrat players out there learned something new today. Stay tuned for my exploration into the remaining colors, all while saving the best (black) for last!</p>


aristocrats commander decks

Building an Orzhov Scam Commander Deck with Papalymo Totolymo

The Best Blue Aristocrat Cards in Commander