<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tithendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axel Sauerwald</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello and welcome to another <em>Avatar</em> deck tech! I grew up watching <em>The Last Airbender</em>, so I've been following this set's spoilers quite closely. Of course, the Gaang's cards have been of particular interest to me, so I'm super excited to write this deck tech about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka, Lateral Strategist"></div></div></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is actually one of four Sokka cards that's been previewed so far, and the strongest option for the command zone too.</span></p>
<h2>What Does Sokka, Lateral Strategist Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This version of Sokka is actually a pretty simple card. For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wu" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wu" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we get a 2/4 Human Warrior Ally with vigilance. That's far from an impressive statline, but Sokka's bigger toughness will help with his main ability: When he and at least one other creature attack, we get to draw a card. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All together, these abilities give us a solid, if basic, game plan. We want to ensure that we've got at least one attacker on the battlefield by the time Sokka's arrived, so that they can attack together to provide us with card advantage right away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Funnily enough, I'm reminded of two <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Equipment commanders when I look at Sokka. He's extremely similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merry, Esquire of Rohan" href="#" target="_blank">Merry, Esquire of Rohan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a two-drop that lets draw cards if he attacks with a buddy. I'm also reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akiri, Fearless Voyager" href="#" target="_blank">Akiri, Fearless Voyager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a three-drop that lets us draw cards when we attack with equipped creatures. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merry, Esquire of Rohan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akiri, Fearless Voyager"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All three of these legends serve similar roles at the helm of a Commander deck. If we meet some simple conditions, we get a little bit of card advantage as a reward. Plus, their commanders' open-endedness lets us fill out the 99 as we see fit.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of, let's talk about the rest of this deck. There's evasive creatures to trigger our commander's ability, hate-bears to ensure that our opponents don't get too far ahead, and even some cool finishers to close out the game in style. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let's see what this Sokka deck's got in store!</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>I've filled the deck with a ton of two-drops - a full 30 of them to be exact. It's extremely important to get an attacker on the board on turn two, so we can cast our commander on turn three and start generating extra card advantage on turn four. This high two-drop count also lets us potentially cast two two-drops on turn four, meaning that we'll almost always have an efficient early-game curve-out.</p>
<p>There's far too many of these creatures for me to talk about all of them, so I'll talk about a few of the best ones from each of the three broad categories that many of these card find themselves in: light stax, card advantage, and protection.</p>
<h3>Light Stax</h3>
<p>This deck's strategy is, inherently, slower. We've got a lot of small creatures, and our opponents could outpace us relatively easily. So, hate-bears like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lavinia, Azorius Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">Lavinia, Azorius Renegade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will hopefully bring everyone down to our level so we've got a fighting chance.</p>
<p>Control pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scheming Fence" href="#" target="_blank">Scheming Fence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dennick, Pious Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Dennick, Pious Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be effective early-game plays too, limiting our opponents from going off too early. There's also creatures that make us tokens when an opponent takes specific game actions (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wizened Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Wizened Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), and even creatures that can slow our opponents' game plans down by a full turn (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imposing Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Imposing Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scheming Fence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wizened Mentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azure Beastbinder"></div></div>
<p>I also wanted to shout out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azure Beastbinder" href="#" target="_blank">Azure Beastbinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It may not be the flashiest card in our deck, but it's an incredibly effective way to lock down a high-impact threat.</p>
<p>There's maybe half a dozen more hate-bears in the 99 of this deck, but I think it's high time we talk about some more exciting cards.</p>
<h3>Card Advantage</h3>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silent Hallcreeper" href="#" target="_blank">Silent Hallcreeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a little bit of everything that this deck wants. It's unblockable - which makes it an ideal attacking partner for Sokka - it gives us an extra card, and it can even become a copy of a more effective creature should we have one on the battlefield.</p>
<p>I'm also a big fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pollywog Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Pollywog Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who will evolve into a 2/4 if our commander enters the battlefield after it. It will, admittedly, likely not evolve beyond that considering the average size of creatures in this list. But, it's still an effective card advantage engine at nonetheless!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Hallcreeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pollywog Prodigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mischievous Mystic"></div></div>
<p>Then, one of our hate-bears from earlier makes a disturbing reappearance. The flip side of Dennick, <span class="edhrecp__link only-back"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dennick, Pious Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Dennick, Pious Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is actually an effective card draw piece too. This creature serves as an effective Clue maker, generating them during combat, and whenever mill and/or aristocrats decks do their thing. I love cards that fill multiple roles in a deck, so I'm thrilled that I get to mention Dennick twice.</p>
<p>As a bonus, with all the cards we'll be drawing, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mischievous Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Mischievous Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an all-star. We'll certainly be making a 1/1 on each of our turns, and there's a good chance we can make additional Faeries on our opponents' turns too!</p>
<h3>Protection</h3>
<p>We've got a few creatures that can protect our gameplan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to keep our board safe, and it's a cheap, evasive attacker to pair with Sokka. Same goes for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gold-Forged Thopteryx" href="#" target="_blank">Gold-Forged Thopteryx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which lends ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to the 16 legendary permanents in our deck. And, with our go-wide plan, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsettled Mariner" href="#" target="_blank">Unsettled Mariner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a lot of protection for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. There's 46 creatures in this deck, and even more ways to make creature tokens, so we'll certainly appreciate the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> tax on all targeted interaction that comes our way.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selfless Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gold-Forged Thopteryx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unsettled Mariner"></div></div>
<h2>How Does This Sokka Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We'll be putting a lot of small creatures onto the board. But in most EDH games, that won't be enough to win. Luckily, we've got some ways to punch through for victory. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonshaker Cavalry" href="#" target="_blank">Moonshaker Cavalry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>is <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>'s version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and easily one of the most effective game-enders we've got access to. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's also anthems like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flowering of the White Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Flowering of the White Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Invention" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Invention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for smaller, persistent buffs. And, as either an early-game advantage piece or late-game finisher, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery" href="#" target="_blank">Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works fantastically.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonshaker Cavalry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Invention"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery"></div></div></p>
<p>We've even got a few one-sided board wipes to push for the win. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an EDH staple, letting us make tokens, sweep bigger creatures off the board, and even get a sweet emblem if we manage to activate her ultimate ability.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Battle of Bywater" href="#" target="_blank">The Battle of Bywater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dusk // Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Dusk // Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both effective wipes too, clearing (most of) our opponents key pieces while providing us with a bonus for our deck full of small creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Battle of Bywater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dusk // Dawn"></div></div>
<h2>Sokka, Lateral Strategist Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Building a Go-Wide Deck with Sokka, Lateral Strategist" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sokka, Lateral Strategist
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Dusk // Dawn
*1 The Battle of Bywater
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dollmaker&#039;s Shop // Porcelain Gallery
*1 Flowering of the White Tree
*1 Legion&#039;s Landing // Adanto, the First Fort
*1 Skrelv&#039;s Hive
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
*1 Angel of Invention
*1 Aven Interrupter
*1 Azure Beastbinder
*1 Clarion Conqueror
*1 Dauntless Dismantler
*1 Dennick, Pious Apprentice // Dennick, Pious Apparition
*1 Dorothea, Vengeful Victim // Dorothea&#039;s Retribution
*1 Enduring Curiosity
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Floodpits Drowner
*1 Ghostly Pilferer
*1 Giver of Runes
*1 Gold-Forged Thopteryx
*1 Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar
*1 Hope of Ghirapur
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Imposing Sovereign
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
*1 Ledger Shredder
*1 Loyal Warhound
*1 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
*1 Mischievous Mystic
*1 Mockingbird
*1 Moonshaker Cavalry
*1 Mother of Runes
*1 Pippin, Guard of the Citadel
*1 Pollywog Prodigy
*1 Samurai of the Pale Curtain
*1 Sanctifier en-Vec
*1 Scheming Fence
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Serra Ascendant
*1 Shoreline Looter
*1 Silent Hallcreeper
*1 Siren Stormtamer
*1 Skrelv, Defector Mite
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Suture Priest
*1 Tithe Taker
*1 Unsettled Mariner
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
*1 Wizened Mentor
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator
[/Planeswalkers]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Counterspell
*1 Get Lost
*1 Into the Flood Maw
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swan Song
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Diamond City
*1 Faerie Conclave
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*8 Island
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Mystic Gate
*1 Nimbus Maze
*16 Plains
*1 Restless Anchorage
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Skycloud Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>That's all for this week, folks! I think this is a pretty interesting Bracket 2 deck. I like the way that it's got some stax pieces to slow the game down, without putting a hard lock on it. It can be fun to play a game with hate-bears on the field, as it creates a sort of puzzle for the table to deal with.</p>
<p>That's not to say that harder control pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hokori, Dust Drinker" href="#" target="_blank">Hokori, Dust Drinker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are my jam, but that I think stax doesn't need to be as scary as many EDH players think it is.</p>
<p>What do you think? Does stax have a place in casual EDH at all? Let me know your take in the comments below! I'll see you all next week for another deck tech!</p>
<h3>More <em>Avatar</em>:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="KVoHZ0ryVO"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/hei-bai-spirit-of-balance-spirits-and-sacrifices/">Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance - Spirits and Sacrifices</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance - Spirits and Sacrifices&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/hei-bai-spirit-of-balance-spirits-and-sacrifices/embed/#?secret=veSvN7rYVS#?secret=KVoHZ0ryVO" data-secret="KVoHZ0ryVO" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="GlSGU4Yxgc"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/yue-the-moon-spirit/">Yue, The Moon Spirit</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Yue, The Moon Spirit&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/yue-the-moon-spirit/embed/#?secret=otzVpwVXgq#?secret=GlSGU4Yxgc" data-secret="GlSGU4Yxgc" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0Kutt8VJS2"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/top-10-landfall-cards-for-toph-the-first-metalbender-in-cedh/">Top 10 Landfall Cards for Toph, the First Metalbender in cEDH</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Top 10 Landfall Cards for Toph, the First Metalbender in cEDH&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/top-10-landfall-cards-for-toph-the-first-metalbender-in-cedh/embed/#?secret=OVAdlQG6HW#?secret=0Kutt8VJS2" data-secret="0Kutt8VJS2" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Building a Go-Wide Deck With Sokka, Lateral Strategist

SP//dr, Piloted by Peni Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millicent, Restless Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Millicent, Restless Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/denmanrooke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denman Rooke</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spirits have served a variety of roles throughout <em>Magic</em>’s narratives, ranging from ghosts to ancestors to living statues depending on the location. With some flying and some not, and some big and some little, there’s a lot of variation in the depictions of Spirits in <em>Magic</em>, but building a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millicent, Restless Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Millicent, Restless Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck seems to be the best way to honor the varied depictions of the dearly departed.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Millicent, Restless Revenant"></div></div>
<h2>Spirits in <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Early Spirits were few and far between, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blinking Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Blinking Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even serving as a control finisher during <em>Ice Age</em> Block Constructed. Then came Kamigawa, where Spirits became associated with Shinto-esque deities that could reincarnate via the soulshift ability. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Innistrad</em> made Spirits into ghosts, and added typal support and token synergies. More recently, <em>Strixhaven</em> on Arcavios featured larger non-flying Spirit tokens as a subtheme for the Lorehold college. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Millicent most closely resembles and synergizes with the Spirits of <em>Innistrad</em>, which pop in and out of existence without warning, using flash and instant-speed activated abilities to interact on the stack. These unique timing elements enable Spirits to function as a tempo deck. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a way, Spirits in <em>Magic</em> are the Azorius version of Dimir’s Faeries: cheap, evasive threats with distinct timing patterns and relevant abilities for enabling aggression and controlling the board. </span></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millicent, Restless Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Millicent, Restless Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Millicent is a 4/4 flying beatstick, whose cost is reduced for each Spirit we control, which also applies to commander tax, making her aggressive and affordable. She and other nontoken Spirits make a 1/1 flying Spirit token each time they connect or die, such that she’s never far from the battlefield. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spectral Procession"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drogskol Captain"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She's placed solidly in Azorius colors, making powerful token producers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> easy to cast and able to pull double-duty as ramp spells reducing the cost of our commander. We also get to run lord and hexproof-granter <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drogskol Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Drogskol Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being cost-effective and rewarding aggression are two major check marks in Millicent’s favor, making her an ideal commander.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Millicent rides the narrow line between being a Spirit token commander and being a Spirit commander proper. The token creation ability and the cost reduction effect work with the go-wide strategy of Spirit tokens, while the trigger of the token creation ability works well with non-token Spirits that are cheap and evasive. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are better options for either build-around, but Millicent does both. </span></p>
<h3>Other Commander Options</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If we wanted to lean stronger into the token aspect of Spirits, we’d be better served going into Esper, so we can have access to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lingering Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Lingering Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of the best token producers of all time. Unfortunately, there isn’t a great Esper Spirits commander. We can build one, however, using partners. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghost of Ramirez DePietro"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ravos, Soultender"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kykar, Wind&#039;s Fury"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghost of Ramirez DePietro" href="#" target="_blank">Ghost of Ramirez DePietro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Spirit of <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-pirate-typal-deck-with-ramirez-depietro-pillager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Pirate we built a few weeks back</a>, is a card advantage engine that loads up the grave. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravos, Soultender" href="#" target="_blank">Ravos, Soultender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a lord that returns creature cards from the grave to the hand. At this point, we’re building around tokens and the grave more than around Spirits, however. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kykar, Wind&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Kykar, Wind&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another token option, this time in Jeskai, but it cares more about non-creatures, throws off the balance of the deck, and loses <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lingering Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Lingering Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hofri Ghostforge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama of the Center Tree"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lorehold and Kamigawa Spirits provide interesting and relevant commanders, but they work better when they're the build-around, not the creature type. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hofri Ghostforge" href="#" target="_blank">Hofri Ghostforge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Spirit lord and turns nontoken creatures into token copies that are Spirits, but it’s better as a graveyard/reanimation commander. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Kirin cycle from <em>Saviors of Kamigawa</em> trigger when a Spirit or Arcane spell is cast, but they're all monocolored, so it’s tough to find enough creatures to fill out a build. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the Center Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the Center Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, from <em>Betrayers of Kamigawa</em>, is probably the best soulshift commander, as its power and toughness are equal to the number of Spirits and the soulshift is also equal to the number of Spirits. Being in green also gives the Kodama access to ramp, which could make it a fun and resilient take on the creature type.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millicent, Restless Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Millicent, Restless Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spell Queller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mausoleum Wanderer"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the best uses of Spirits’ abilities is to interact with spells on the stack. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spell Queller" href="#" target="_blank">Spell Queller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mausoleum Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">Mausoleum Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> do a decent impression of Faeries’ <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spellstutter Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Spellstutter Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and Merfolk’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursecatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Cursecatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, albeit larger and with flying. We supplement these with true-blue <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s like the titular card and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dovin&#039;s Veto" href="#" target="_blank">Dovin&#039;s Veto</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both typical control cards. These allow us to use instant speed to threaten answers, as well as to protect our board.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selfless Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flawless Maneuver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flare of Fortitude"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of board protection, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great rattlesnake card that beats down until it’s needed, and then it pops itself to make our board indestructible. Being able to do that without paying any mana is a huge boon, especially with as many playable wraths as there are. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With our commander as cheap as it is via the cost reduction, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flawless Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Flawless Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flare of Fortitude" href="#" target="_blank">Flare of Fortitude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pull plenty of weight and do an excellent job of setting up traps for our opponents.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Distant Melody"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ribbons of the Reikai"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Distant Melody" href="#" target="_blank">Distant Melody</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a typical draw spell for blue typal decks, but Spirits get access to their own sneaky functional reprint. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ribbons of the Reikai" href="#" target="_blank">Ribbons of the Reikai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may cost one more mana, but it gives us a second copy of the potent effect, enabling us to jump out ahead of our opponents. After all, there are few things scarier at a Commander table than a blue player with a full hand and mana up!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Tree City"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our nonbasic lands provide bursts of mana, adding to the deck’s surprise potential. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Tree City" href="#" target="_blank">Three Tree City</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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> both do a decent impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, except, instead of enabling explosive starts, we use that mana to bust down the door on an opponent’s turn, using our creatures to add to the board, interact with the stack, or even draw a barrage of cards. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then, we untap with our army of flying ghosts and steal the game!</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millicent, Restless Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Millicent, Restless Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We aim to flood the board with cheap, evasive creatures, protect that board, and draw a lot of cards. We can easily oscillate roles from aggressive to defensive and back again. And that’s precisely what makes this deck so exciting.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Millicent, Restless Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Millicent, Restless Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Millicent, Restless Revenant Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Millicent, Restless Revenant
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Bygone Bishop
*1 Clarion Spirit
*1 Drogskol Captain
*1 Drogskol Reinforcements
*1 Drumbellower
*1 Empyrean Eagle
*1 Ethereal Investigator
*1 Geist of Saint Traft
*1 Ghostly Pilferer
*1 Hanged Executioner
*1 Karmic Guide
*1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
*1 Mausoleum Wanderer
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Moonshaker Cavalry
*1 Nebelgast Herald
*1 Patrician Geist
*1 Priest of the Blessed Graf
*1 Rattlechains
*1 Remorseful Cleric
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Shacklegeist
*1 Sire of the Storm
*1 Skyclave Apparition
*1 Spectral Arcanist
*1 Spectral Sailor
*1 Spectral Shepherd
*1 Spell Queller
*1 Supreme Phantom
*1 Twilight Drover
*1 Windborn Muse
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Breaking Wave
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Ribbons of the Reikai
*1 Spectral Procession
*1 Winged Words
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Absorb
*1 Aether Shockwave
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 And They Shall Know No Fear
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Cosmic Intervention
*1 Counterspell
*1 Dawn&#039;s Truce
*1 Dovin&#039;s Veto
*1 Flare of Fortitude
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Geistlight Snare
*1 Negate
*1 No More Lies
*1 Occult Epiphany
*1 Render Silent
*1 Swan Song
*1 Your Temple Is Under Attack
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Coastal Piracy
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Skullclamp
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Command Tower
*15 Island
*1 Minas Tirith
*1 Moorland Haunt
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Path of Ancestry
*15 Plains
*1 Three Tree City
*1 War Room
*1 Windbrisk Heights
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spirits represent the past, present, and future. While our Millicent deck is centered mostly on <em>Innistrad</em>, there are distinct nods to those from other planes, all enabling a strong control plan with solid aggression and board presence.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Spirits? And do you think we captured the <em>spirit</em> of the creature type?</span></p>
<h3>More Typal Builds:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="NUpcJ7W7yA"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-assassin-deck-with-lydia-frye/">Building an Assassin Deck with Lydia Frye</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building an Assassin Deck with Lydia Frye&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-assassin-deck-with-lydia-frye/embed/#?secret=GmxY6LCtcQ#?secret=NUpcJ7W7yA" data-secret="NUpcJ7W7yA" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="mmNDm71QT3"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-knight-deck-with-kwende-pride-of-femeref/">Building a Knight Deck with Kwende, Pride of Femeref</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building a Knight Deck with Kwende, Pride of Femeref&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-knight-deck-with-kwende-pride-of-femeref/embed/#?secret=iL5ahLJz4G#?secret=mmNDm71QT3" data-secret="mmNDm71QT3" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="y3N176Wpcw"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-ally-deck-with-katara-the-fearless/">Building an Ally Deck with Katara, the Fearless</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building an Ally Deck with Katara, the Fearless&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-ally-deck-with-katara-the-fearless/embed/#?secret=idO8fDZXMi#?secret=y3N176Wpcw" data-secret="y3N176Wpcw" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Building Spirit Typal With Millicent, Restless Revenant

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lyse Hext" href="#" target="_blank">Lyse Hext</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ramzapsyru/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramza Psyru</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With <em>Edge of Eternities</em> just around the corner, and some awesome cards from the set having been previewed just a week ago in Las Vegas, I wanted to take one last look at a <em>Final Fantasy</em> card that I found super impressive. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's tons of legends in this set with enough text on them to fill a novel, some legends that enable brand new strategies, and some legends that add a nice twist to pre-existing archetypes. Today, I'll be talking about a card that fits squarely in that third category: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lyse Hext" href="#" target="_blank">Lyse Hext</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lyse Hext"></div></div></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This card is sweet, lending a fresh take to Azorius Spellslinger and Voltron decks. We'll be focusing on the Voltron side of things today, but this new commander also fits really well into strategies focused on instants and sorceries. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For now, though, let's talk about how we'll turn this new card into the leader of this week's deck!</span></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lyse Hext" href="#" target="_blank">Lyse Hext</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we get a 2/2 Human Rebel Monk with prowess. She also reduces the cost of our noncreature spells by <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, and gains double strike if we cast two noncreature spells in a single turn. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are relatively simple abilities, but they work so well together. If we string together a few spells, we essentially double the effectiveness of our commander's built-in prowess. Plus, any power/toughness buffs that we give to our commander are supercharged by her double strike!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'm reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruna, Light of Alabaster" href="#" target="_blank">Bruna, Light of Alabaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This commander asks us to suit it up with a ton of Auras, and lets us get those Auras on the battlefield for free during combat. Lyse Hext is a bit stronger than Bruna, because Lyse relies less on our opponents allowing us to go to combat with our commander to get its benefit. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'm also reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Danitha Capashen, Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Much like our commander, Danitha reduces the cost of some relevant spells and has cool combat abilities. I actually almost included Danitha in the 99 of this deck, but cut her for some cards that fit more closely with the theme.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bruna, Light of Alabaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Danitha Capashen, Paragon"></div></div> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is firmly a Voltron deck, full of Auras to buff our commander, ways to make her harder to block, and so much more. Usually, when I think of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks I don't think of Voltron as a primary strategy, so I'm excited to get brewing! </span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for Lyse Hext</h2>
<p>This deck has a whopping 37 enchantments, so let's talk about a few of the best ones.</p>
<p>First up, let's make our commander evasive. She's naturally going to hit quite hard, due to the combination of double strike and prowess, so we've just got to make sure she can punch in for damage.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fly" href="#" target="_blank">Fly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a basic card, but it does everything we want in this deck. It's a cheap Aura that makes our commander hard to block, and it lets us get a little bonus every time she deals combat damage.</p>
<p>Speaking of flying, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great roleplayer in the deck too. This Aura gives flying and a small buff to our commander, but also provides it with protection from a removal spell in a pinch. This card fills multiple slots, serving as protection and evasion, and slots very nicely in our 99.</p>
<p>There's a few other cards that can make our commander difficult to block, and one of my favorites is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Steel of the Godhead" href="#" target="_blank">Steel of the Godhead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. First of all, the art on this card is <em>so</em> cool. Secondly, making our commander completely unblockable <em>and</em> giving it lifelink is super useful. So, for those reasons combined (and definitely not just the Kithkin in the art), this card is great.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fly"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fae Flight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Steel of the Godhead"></div></div>
<p>This deck has a lot of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethereal Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Ethereal Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that scale with the number of enchantments that we've got on the battlefield. So, to that end, a lot of the deck's key pieces are enchantments!</p>
<p>Instead of protection spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giver of Runes" href="#" target="_blank">Giver of Runes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we've got enchantments like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shardmage&#039;s Rescue" href="#" target="_blank">Shardmage&#039;s Rescue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dog Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Dog Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Instead of removal spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pongify" href="#" target="_blank">Pongify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eaten by Piranhas" href="#" target="_blank">Eaten by Piranhas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Mutation" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Mutation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This may seem like it's a downgrade, but there's a lot of super powerful cards that just so happen to be enchantments. I'll show the full deck list later, and I think it's really cool that there's so few cards that you'd find in a typical <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> deck. There's some unique inclusions here, and that's my favorite way to build decks.</p>
<h2>How Does This Lyse Hext Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck intends to suit our commander up with a whole bunch of Auras, give her double strike, and hit our opponents very hard in the face. Enchantments like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All That Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All That Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be super helpful, turning all of our Auras into power and toughness buffs for our commander. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of my favorite win-condition Auras is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Auramancer&#039;s Guise" href="#" target="_blank">Auramancer&#039;s Guise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is an awesome color pie break that provides a huge buff to our commander <em>and</em> gives it vigilance. Given how large our commander is likely to be at any given moment, the ability to use it offensively and defensively can be game-winning. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, I'm a fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="On Serra&#039;s Wings" href="#" target="_blank">On Serra&#039;s Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This gives our commander three fantastic keywords: flying for extra evasion, vigilance for defense, and lifelink to put the game out of our opponents' reach. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, I really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Michiko&#039;s Reign of Truth" href="#" target="_blank">Michiko&#039;s Reign of Truth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This provides a big buff to our commander for two turns, before becoming a huge creature itself. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Auramancer&#039;s Guise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="On Serra&#039;s Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Michiko&#039;s Reign of Truth"></div></div>
<p>Sometimes Lyse is going to be removed from the board and cost too much mana to be reasonably recast. What do we do then? Well, there's a few creatures that do quite well as alternative targets for our Auras.</p>
<p>Among them, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kor Spiritdancer" href="#" target="_blank">Kor Spiritdancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero of Iroas" href="#" target="_blank">Hero of Iroas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr" href="#" target="_blank">Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> each become big threats when we've got enough enchantments on the board. Plus, each of these creatures plays nicely into our game plan when we do manage to keep our commander on the battlefield.</p>
<p>And, one of my favorite new cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riptide Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Riptide Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the some double strike / prowess combo that makes our commander such a dangerous attacker. Plus, it's a removal spell!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kor Spiritdancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Riptide Gearhulk"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lyse Hext" href="#" target="_blank">Lyse Hext</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Building a Lyse Hext Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Lyse Hext
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 All That Glitters
*1 Amphibian Downpour
*1 Aqueous Form
*1 Auramancer&#039;s Guise
*1 Combat Research
*1 Darksteel Mutation
*1 Daybreak Coronet
*1 Dog Umbra
*1 Eaten by Piranhas
*1 Eldrazi Conscription
*1 Ethereal Armor
*1 Fae Flight
*1 Feather of Flight
*1 Flickerform
*1 Fly
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon
*1 Mantle of the Ancients
*1 Michiko&#039;s Reign of Truth
*1 Monologue Tax
*1 Octopus Umbra
*1 On Serra&#039;s Wings
*1 Ossification
*1 Pacifism
*1 Planar Disruption
*1 Sage&#039;s Reverie
*1 Shardmage&#039;s Rescue
*1 Shark Typhoon
*1 Sheltered by Ghosts
*1 Shimmering Wings
*1 Sigarda&#039;s Aid
*1 Smuggler&#039;s Share
*1 Songbirds&#039; Blessing
*1 Spirit Mantle
*1 Staggering Insight
*1 Steel of the Godhead
*1 Tempest Technique
*1 Timely Ward
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Armored Skyhunter
*1 Codsworth, Handy Helper
*1 Eidolon of Countless Battles
*1 Entity Tracker
*1 Gremlin Tamer
*1 Hero of Iroas
*1 Inquisitive Glimmer
*1 Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr
*1 Kor Spiritdancer
*1 Light-Paws, Emperor&#039;s Voice
*1 Mesa Enchantress
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Optimistic Scavenger
*1 Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor
*1 Protean Thaumaturge
*1 Riptide Gearhulk
*1 Slumbering Keepguard
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Transcendent Envoy
*1 Triton Wavebreaker
*1 Umbra Mystic
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Unfinished Business
*1 Winds of Rath
[/Sorceries]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Theros
[/Battles]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Fumble
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See
*13 Island
*1 Mystic Gate
*12 Plains
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Skycloud Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks so much for reading! Before you go, there's a few more cards I wanted to talk about. These cards aren't necessarily the strongest ones in the list, but they do something unique. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shimmering Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Shimmering Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a one-mana Aura that doesn't have a very exciting effect: it just gives enchanted creature flying. But, for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we're able to bounce this enchantment back to our hand to recast it again. The ability to cast this enchantment as many times as we'd like can be super useful in this deck, especially with a 99 full of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monastery Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Monastery Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a commander with prowess.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shimmering Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triton Wavebreaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invasion of Theros"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of prowess, our next card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triton Wavebreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Triton Wavebreaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This can come down as a blocker in a pinch, or provide our commander with an additional instance of prowess. Given that she's got double strike, this is extra useful. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last card I wanted to shoutout is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion of Theros" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion of Theros</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is a relatively cheap tutor on its front half, and a lifelinking card advantage engine on its back half. This card ought to see more play in Enchantress-style decks, and I'm glad it's found a home here.</span></p>
<p>Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you all soon for another deck tech!</p>


Building a Voltron Deck With Lyse Hext

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sharae of Numbing Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Sharae of Numbing Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://evynfong.square.site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evyn Fong</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Archtypes of Imagination</em>, a series where we bring Commander archetypes found via <a style="cursor: pointer !important; user-select: none !important;" href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Scryfall's tagging system</a> and<a href="https://edhrec.com/tags?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> EDHREC's Tag pages</a> to life. This time around, I'm taking on tapping your opponents' stuff.</p>
<p>Here's the <a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/tags/card/tapper">Scryfall tag page</a> for the theme. Pretty big list, but, we can narrow it down in a few ways.</p>
<p>First off, you can bring the tag into Scryfall's main search with the little box next to the tag's name. From there, I used the string "<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=otag%3Atapper+t%3Alegendary+game%3Apaper&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">otag:tapper t:legendary game:paper</a>" to find a potential commander. EDHREC also has a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/tap-untap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"tap/untap"</a> tag page which will help as well.</p>
<p>It looks like Azorius, Simic and Bant are the three popular color combinations for this archetype. Going back to Scryfall, I wanted to see how much material I have to work with in each color. Using the string "oracle:"<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=checklist&amp;order=color&amp;q=oracle%3A%22tap+target%22+%28game%3Apaper%29+otag%3Atapper+game%3Apaper&amp;unique=cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tap target game:paper otag:tapper </a>," using the checklist view and sorting by color, I can see the vast majority of cards I'd want to play are white and blue.</p>
<p>Stun counters are also a nice new addition to a strategy like this, so "game:paper otag:tapper o:stun" is a string I used to see what options I had with those as well.</p>
<p>My commander decision really came down to two creatures: the very popular <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hylda of the Icy Crown" href="#" target="_blank">Hylda of the Icy Crown</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and her <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em> counterpart, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sharae of Numbing Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Sharae of Numbing Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hylda of the Icy Crown"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sharae of Numbing Depths"></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>This strategy got a lot better with Wilds of Eldraine!</em></p>
<p>And honestly, I think Sharae might actually be the better choice.</p>
<h2>Why Sharae Over Hylda?</h2>
<p>So before you accuse me of being a contrarian for the sake of it, hear me out. Hylda has a lot going for her. She's a very powerful payoff for a tapping strategy and offers a lot of value. She also lets you run less payoffs and more ways to tap stuff.</p>
<p>But Sharae does a few things better. First, Sharae is a payoff <em>and</em> an enabler. Basically, she gives you something for tapping things down, and also taps things herself!</p>
<p>Second, she provides a few additional deckbuilding avenues, like using blink effects on her. Her ability also wants us to be tapping things each turn, which gives some deckbuilding direction.</p>
<p>Sharae also does something upon entering and doesn't cost any additional mana each turn like Hylda does. So while in raw power Hylda is an obvious choice, Sharae gives us more efficiency, options, and guaranteed benefit. I think she's the right call! And hey, we can (and will) still play Hylda in the 99.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Tips for Building and Playing Sharae of Numbing Depths</h2>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a very flexible deck as it can be built to suit almost any budget, or any level of competitiveness. Such is the nature of playing blue-white sometimes. What’s important to get right is having enough ways to tap things and not </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">just</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> payoffs for tapping things. Sharae can’t control an entire table by herself. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember: Sharae triggers once every turn. If you can find ways to maximize your tapping on other turns, you’ll be drawing a lot of cards. That’s a great place for this deck to be. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Generally speaking, it’s best to save your counterspells and removal like [[Generous Gift]] for noncreature permanents. This deck has plenty of options for taking care of bothersome creatures. The exception to this is token producers like [[Avenger of Zendikar]] or something, as this deck can struggle playing defense against go-wide strategies.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The biggest trick for </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">playing</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Sharae is not getting under the skin of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">everyone </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">at the table. If you’re constantly tapping down everything all the time, people will catch on that you’re a problem quite quickly. Likely the best way to be strategic with your tapping is to set up advantageous attacking situations for others by getting blockers out of the way.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">That said, it’s easy to appear somewhat innocent as this deck doesn’t run many individually-scary creatures (6/6 flyers are about as big as this gets). While Sharae won’t finish a game in a hurry, this is a great deck for outlasting the table as life totals slowly whittle away.</span></li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h2>Important Cards for Sharae of Numbing Depths</h2>
<h3>Tap Effects</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Valefor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Citadel Siege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dreamshackle Geist"></div></div></span></p>
<p>We have no shortage of ways to tap things, so I can't list them all here. But hey, we're going to be a menace, right? Might as well own it.</p>
<p>I'm opting for effects that can tap repeatedly or on ETB (enters the battlefield) to take advantage of blink effects, rather than one-shot instants or sorceries. I'm also leaning more towards effects that place stun counters, as that gives us some options for controlling the board through proliferate effects.</p>
<h3>Blink Effects</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ephemerate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kykar, Zephyr Awakener"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gossip&#039;s Talent"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since creatures' ETB effects continue to get better, blink spells are a welcome addition to many decks - this one in particular. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displacer Kitten" href="#" target="_blank">Displacer Kitten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the blink MVP, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kykar, Zephyr Awakener" href="#" target="_blank">Kykar, Zephyr Awakener</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does the kitty one better (which I guess makes it the MVP now). It's nice to have some redundancy on such an awesome creature, in any case. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gossip&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Gossip&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is quite good here, providing card selection, evasion, and eventually some repeatable blink as well.</span></p>
<h3>Tapping Payoffs</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hylda of the Icy Crown"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fear of Sleep Paralysis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Verity Circle"></div></div></span></p>
<p>Tapping is cool and all, but let's up the value a bit. As mentioned earlier, we can't leave Hylda of the Icy Crown out! Fear of Sleep Paralysis does it all, but its big payoff is keeping stunned creatures stunned. Being a 6/6 flyer doesn't hurt, either.</p>
<p>Verity Circle is going to draw a <em>lot</em> of cards as well, which never hurts in Commander.</p>
<h3>Interaction</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runic Shot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lulu, Stern Guardian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunfall"></div></div></span></p>
<p>Tapping things means we can play interaction that deals with tapped creatures, which can often be pretty efficient and budget-friendly.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Runic Shot" href="#" target="_blank">Runic Shot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is worth pointing out as it probably doesn't have a home in too many other decks. It's great here, though. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lulu, Stern Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Lulu, Stern Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a brand new addition that doesn't necessarily tap anything, but she will place stun counters if something manages to attack us. More likely than not, she'll cause people to leave us alone which is even better. Oh, she proliferates too.</p>
<p>And if the board ends up flooded with creatures with triggered abilities that we can't handle, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunfall" href="#" target="_blank">Sunfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is about as good of a reset as anything. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud&#039;s Limit Break" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud&#039;s Limit Break</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a solid piece of removal, and hey, its fun trying out new cards.</p>
<h3>Card Draw</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Borrowing 100,000 Arrows"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azor, the Lawbringer"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I already mentioned some card draw in the Payoffs section, but it's worth noting a few other pieces. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic blink target (I'm choosing to run it over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudblazer" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudblazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the cost flexibility as we have a lot of five-drops). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Borrowing 100,000 Arrows" href="#" target="_blank">Borrowing 100,000 Arrows</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is our burst draw effect of choice. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azor, the Lawbringer" href="#" target="_blank">Azor, the Lawbringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be that too, if pricey, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphinx&#039;s Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Sphinx&#039;s Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a 6/6 flying body seems at least trying.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Compliment these with some strong planeswalkers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo, the Moon Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo, the Moon Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Eternal Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">The Eternal Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, some mana rocks, counterspells, and an affordable mana base, and folks, we have ourselves a menace of a deck for less than $100!</span></p>
<hr />
<h2>Sharae of Numbing Depths Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tap-dancin&#039; with Sharae" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
Sharae of Numbing Depths
[/Commander]
[Planeswalkers]
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 The Eternal Wanderer
[/Planeswalkers]
[Creatures]
1 Gideon&#039;s Lawkeeper
1 Goldmeadow Harrier
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Abuelo, Ancestral Echo
1 Claim Jumper
1 Dreamshackle Geist
1 Faramir, Steward of Gondor
1 Flux Channeler
1 Lulu, Stern Guardian
1 Displacer Kitten
1 Hylda of the Icy Crown
1 Kykar, Zephyr Awakener
1 Niblis of Frost
1 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
1 Mulldrifter
1 Summon: Valefor
1 Timin, Youthful Geist
1 Azor, the Lawbringer
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Fear of Sleep Paralysis
1 Frost Titan
1 Grappling Kraken
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
1 Ghost Vacuum
1 Sol Ring
1 Arcane Signet
1 Azorius Signet
1 Greatsword of Tyr
1 Lodestone Needle // Guidestone Compass
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Hylda&#039;s Crown of Winter
1 Unstable Glyphbridge // Sandswirl Wanderglyph
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
1 Gossip&#039;s Talent
1 Lost in the Maze
1 Curse of Inertia
1 Imprisoned in the Moon
1 Retreat to Coralhelm
1 Solitary Sanctuary
1 Verity Circle
1 Citadel Siege
1 Control Magic
1 Court of Grace
1 Spirit Away
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
1 Blustersquall
1 Ephemerate
1 Cloud&#039;s Limit Break
1 Counterspell
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Negate
1 Cut Short
1 Generous Gift
1 Stroke of Midnight
1 Trap the Trespassers
1 Wizard&#039;s Retort
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
1 Ponder
1 Runic Shot
1 Swallow Whole
1 Borrowing 100,000 Arrows
1 Split Up
1 Sunfall
1 Suppression Ray // Orderly Plaza
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
1 Adarkar Wastes
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Irrigated Farmland
10 Island
1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Mystic Gate
9 Plains
1 Port Town
1 Prairie Stream
1 Restless Anchorage
1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Skycloud Expanse
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<p>Sharae is a powerful and fun budget commander that's a great leader for a tapper deck. She's flexible and offers a controlling game plan that is just oppressive enough without being boring to play. Hopefully your friends understand 🙂</p>
<p>Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more deck archetypes to come.</p>
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Build a "Tapper" Deck with Sharae of Numbing Depths

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CShiyu%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shiyu</a></em></p>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">With only <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/mill/azorius" target="_blank" rel="noopener">708 Azorius mill decks</a> on the site, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brings a fresh look to the archetype by combining it with another, much more popular one: life gain. It's so popular that <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lifegain/azorius" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Azorius has 4.4 thousand</a> decks on the site!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hope Estheim"></div></div>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A fresh take with a fresh-faced commander means only one thing left to do: dive in, and remind you that while I have never finaled a fantasy, I'm always <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nicnax96.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick</a>. And this is <em>Tech The Deck</em>.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for Hope Estheim</h2>
<h3>So Enchanting</h3>
<p>Today, I must go out of order when discussing cards. The reason is to shout out your Commander Mechanic and mine...Commander Mechanic. After seeing a <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/cmdrmechanic.bsky.social/post/3lpxhwh3vlc2q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post about Hope's synergy with two of my favorite cards</a>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delusions of Mediocrity" href="#" target="_blank">Delusions of Mediocrity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it only makes sense that they would inspire this deck.</p>
<p>They also did <a href="https://youtu.be/gT5rKB9CE54?si=w78Hbv50exbIrq1n" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an excellent video</a> on their version of the deck that everyone should watch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Illusions of Grandeur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delusions of Mediocrity"></div></div>
<p>Both cards seem to have too much risk and not enough reward. Most players might not even know these are real cards. Even fewer would believe me when I tell them that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was part of a <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/trix-2008-09-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-tier deck named Trix</a>.</p>
<p>For two cards I think about far too often, I'm ashamed that their synergy with Hope slipped my mind. Now they will only slip inside a sleeve as I put them into this deck.</p>
<p>The ability to gain 10 or 20 life off only one card would typically be worth nothing in the Commander format. But when that turns into the rest of the table getting milled for 10 to 20 cards, we're on to something. What would be even better for us would be finding a way to do it more than once.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Copy Enchantment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrormade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Estrid&#039;s Invocation"></div></div>
<p>One great thing about enchantments is that they love to find ways to make copies of other enchantments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Copy Enchantment" href="#" target="_blank">Copy Enchantment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card whose name tells you exactly what the card does: It copies an enchantment. You can use this to get a copy of an opponent's enchantment, but they won't have anything as good as an Illusion or Delusion.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrormade" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrormade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes with the added benefit of duplicating an artifact, and, like above, the table certainly won't have anything as good as we're working with, but if they do, we get one too.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Estrid&#039;s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Estrid&#039;s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems to be tailor made for this deck. Not only does it copy an enchantment for us, but it can do it every time we get an upkeep - every upkeep, gaining 20 life and milling 60 cards total from the table. Yes please.</p>
<p>We have one last way to get copies of enchantments from our enchantments in this deck: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extravagant Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Extravagant Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. At <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, this card is at the higher end of our mana value, but after just a few turns, it might get us everything we need to win the game.</p>
<p>It will also do a fine job of giving us extra copies of a few of the next set of cards.</p>
<h3>Twice As Much Instead</h3>
<p>Mill decks over the years have been no strangers to powerful artifacts, with possibly the most well-known being the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mesmeric Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Mesmeric Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While the Orb doesn't make the 99 of this deck, some other powerful artifacts do.</p>
<p>The first is a card most people ignore until it's too late: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venser&#039;s Journal" href="#" target="_blank">Venser&#039;s Journal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Giving no maximum hand size as an effect is often a bonus for cards with something better to do. When it comes to the Journal, it's a key part of why the card is good.</p>
<p>If this card capped out at gaining seven life, it might still get some play, but having an upper end defined by how many cards you can draw guarantees it gets in decks.</p>
<p>A newcomer to the lifegain suite of cards comes courtesy of <em>Final Fantasy, </em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wind Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Wind Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span><em>. </em>Cost reduction on white spells, which make up 63% of the deck, doubling up our lifegain and, in turn, our milling, makes it an easy inclusion.</p>
<p>Finally, some oldie but goodies from Commander games of the past.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Well of Lost Dreams"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well of Lost Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Well of Lost Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a key to this deck turning something like a trigger off of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delusions of Mediocrity" href="#" target="_blank">Delusions of Mediocrity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into possibly ten fresh cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive" href="#" target="_blank">Alhammarret&#039;s Archive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a mainstay in Lifegain decks, so it's a mainstay in this deck. Both cards will be out simultaneously, keeping our cards flowing and our opponents drawing on an empty deck.</p>
<h3>Enchanting</h3>
<p>The core of this deck acts as a typical Enchantress deck. So, the creatures within will look different from those in a typical Lifegain lineup.</p>
<p>The first thing every Enchantress deck needs is the Enchantress creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inquisitive Glimmer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entity Tracker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starfield Mystic"></div></div>
<p>Every Enchantress worth their salt does one of two things: they draw a card whenever we play an enchantment or when one enters, or they reduce how expensive our enchantments are to cast. Sadly, none of these creatures do both.</p>
<p>Our other non-Enchantress creatures in the deck also do their best to help.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will, Scion of Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Will, Scion of Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, helps turn our lifegain into cost reduction on spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides us with an army to keep up the pressure and keep our life high, and giving Pegasus creatures lifelink has never been more relevant than in this deck. This deck runs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and likes it.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, Sun-Crowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, the Radiant Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, the Radiant Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not be the best of friends with one another, but they do love the rest of the characters in this deck.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gogo, Master of Mimicry" href="#" target="_blank">Gogo, Master of Mimicry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be from a different game in the franchise, but they do work great with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Gogo copying Hope's ability multiple times a turn is an easy way to win a game out of nowhere on any turn where we can gain a substantial amount of life.</p>
<h3>Clerical</h3>
<p>One creature in this deck must be highlighted. Not only does it give us life; not only is it cheap to cast; not only does it provide us with a combo angle for the deck; it also has some killer art.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faith Healer"></div></div>
<p>The game doesn't have many ways to sacrifice an enchantment, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faith Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Faith Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does this with no downside. It's not restricted to sorcery speed only, and no mana or life has to be paid to activate it either. The card <em>gains us life</em>.</p>
<p>The combo aspect this card allows us is the primary focus for its inclusion. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will eventually put itself into the yard, not all of our enchantments have that same ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faith Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Faith Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> saves the day.</p>
<p>But why are we putting these cards into the yard? To bring them all back, of course.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dance of the Manse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Open the Vaults"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Second Sunrise"></div></div>
<p>Sending our enchantments to the graveyard looks silly until any of these cards end up in our hands while we do it. While not the most potent combo ever assembled and not the best example of just how powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Second Sunrise" href="#" target="_blank">Second Sunrise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be as a card, this will catch a table off guard.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Resplendent Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Resplendent Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Famished Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Famished Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can combine to mill an entire table out all at once.</p>
<h3>Spice Rack</h3>
<p>No Commander deck is complete without a few spicy inclusions. And this deck is no stranger to spice.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ondu Spiritdancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ondu Spiritdancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets themselves onto the copy train every turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Destiny" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Destiny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to win the game with an alternative plan after opponents catch on to the primary strategy.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Congregate" href="#" target="_blank">Congregate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can gain the most absurd amount of life of any card ever printed, and at the low cost of not blowing up the board. And possible new Lifegain staple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elixir" href="#" target="_blank">Elixir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shuffles back all the good stuff so you can use it again.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>The <em>Final Fantasy</em> set is a strange one for me. I have no connection with the characters, and haven't played any of the games. But at the same time, I'm connected to so many of these cards because of how cool they are for the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> took me a few reads to understand just how cool it is, and I feel that will be happening with many of these cards for years to come.</p>
<p>Thanks to the set, I know that many amazing strategies are coming for the first time, and many more are getting new toys to play with. If you want to see those strategies and the cards that help them, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-commander-deck-techs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of the great content</a> by our fantastic group of writers.</p>
<p>If you want to know my thoughts on more cards, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/nicholas-lucchesi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all my articles here</a>. With <em>Edge of Eternities</em> on the horizon and trips to New York (Spider-Man) and the Fire Nation (Avatar), I'll have no shortage of cool cards to discuss.</p>
<p>As always, I have been Nick. This has been <em>Tech The Deck</em>, and you can find me anywhere you can spell nicnax96 on the internet.</p>
<h2>Hope Estheim Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck - Hope Estheim" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hope Estheim
[/Commander]
[Instant]
*1 Absorb
*1 Beacon of Immortality
*1 Congregate
*1 Faithful Mending
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Heliod&#039;s Intervention
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Restoration Magic
*1 Revitalize
*1 Second Sunrise
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 Thirst for Meaning
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*1 Alhammarret&#039;s Archive
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Elixir
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 The Wind Crystal
*1 Venser&#039;s Journal
*1 Well of Lost Dreams
*1 Zuran Orb
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*1 Angel of Destiny
*1 Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace
*1 Drogskol Reaver
*1 Entity Tracker
*1 Faith Healer
*1 Famished Paladin
*1 Ghostly Dancers
*1 Gogo, Master of Mimicry
*1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
*1 Heliod, the Radiant Dawn // Heliod, the Warped Eclipse
*1 Inquisitive Glimmer
*1 Kwain, Itinerant Meddler
*1 Ondu Spiritdancer
*1 Resplendent Mentor
*1 Rhox Faithmender
*1 Shabraz, the Skyshark
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Will, Scion of Peace
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Copy Enchantment
*1 Delusions of Mediocrity
*1 Estrid&#039;s Invocation
*1 Extravagant Replication
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Grasp of Fate
*1 Illusions of Grandeur
*1 Land Tax
*1 Mirrormade
*1 Propaganda
*1 Sigil of the Empty Throne
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Sphere of Safety
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Dance of the Manse
*1 Fumigate
*1 Idyllic Tutor
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Sanctify
*1 Storm Herd
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Adventurer&#039;s Inn
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith &amp; Grief
*7 Island
*1 Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture
*1 Kabira Crossroads
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Nimbus Maze
*9 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Radiant Fountain
*1 Sea of Clouds
[/Land]"></span></div>


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