Plargg, Dean of Chaos - A Love Letter to Shifting Shadow

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.kieranyanner.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kieran Yanner</a></em></p>
<p>Affinity is a timeless archetype in <em>Magic: the Gathering</em>. In every format where <em>Mirrodin</em> is legal, I've had hundreds of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frogmite" href="#" target="_blank">Frogmite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s played against me over the course of my tournament career. What if creatures much more powerful than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frogmite" href="#" target="_blank">Frogmite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Enforcer" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Enforcer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be given affinity for artifacts? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here to answer that very question.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sami, Wildcat Captain"></div></div>
<p>In this deck tech, I'm using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give huge Eldrazi, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog, the Defiler" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog, the Defiler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sire of Seven Deaths" href="#" target="_blank">Sire of Seven Deaths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, affinity for artifacts.</p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a six-mana Human Artificer Rogue with double strike and vigilance that gives affinity for artifacts to all your spells. Sami's mana cost is the only part of the card that gives me pause. For a deck that's going to end up pretty commander focused, six mana is a huge investment.</p>
<p>However, just a couple turns with Sami in play should be sufficient to get a good return on that six mana investment with enough artifacts in play and enough big spells to power out.</p>
<p>The Sami deck I've built for this article is an aggressive ramp deck. My goal is for the turn I cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to feel like an apocalyptic event. Sami hits the board and suddenly all the expensive colorless spells that have been hiding in my hand for the first several turns of the game can be cast for little to no mana.</p>
<p>Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn Liberated" href="#" target="_blank">Karn Liberated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will come down and completely transform the dynamic of the game.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Sami, Wildcat Captain</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Retrofitter Foundry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karn, Living Legacy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Collector&#039;s Vault"></div></div>
<p>The most critical engine pieces for this deck are cards that can put a lot of artifacts into play. It doesn't even really matter what those artifacts are. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Retrofitter Foundry" href="#" target="_blank">Retrofitter Foundry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is likely never going to convert the Servos it produces into Thopters or Constructs. The Powerstone and Treasure tokens that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn, Living Legacy" href="#" target="_blank">Karn, Living Legacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Collector&#039;s Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Collector&#039;s Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> produce are among the more useful trinkets this deck can put into play.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Endstone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chimil, the Inner Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Cruel Captain"></div></div>
<p>It's important to have engines that can keep the deck running smoothly in the games where Sami gets removed several times and decides to go on vacation, a risk that affects six-mana commanders more than most.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Endstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Endstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a new artifact from <em>Edge of Eternities</em> that's performed way above my expectations. In the later stages of the game, an artifact that effectively draws a million cards per turn and resets its controller's life total back up to 20 each turn is staggeringly powerful.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chimil, the Inner Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Chimil, the Inner Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> serves much the same purpose, providing an impressive card advantage engine that just happens to protect spells on the stack.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Cruel Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Cruel Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a peculiar planeswalker that I'm still trying to evaluate. Tezzeret can untap artifacts to make a lot of mana, tutor out key artifacts like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voltaic Key" href="#" target="_blank">Voltaic Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and has an easy to achieve -7 that slowly weaponizes all the otherwise useless artifacts on the board. I don't think any of those modes by themselves would justify his inclusion, but all those features combined turn Tezzeret into a pretty impressive three-mana play.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Void Winnower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Portal to Phyrexia"></div></div>
<p>Another approach this deck can take is slamming big stax pieces, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Void Winnower" href="#" target="_blank">Void Winnower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to shut the door on the opponents as they scramble to answer your threats.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue" href="#" target="_blank">God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards to include in decks that are capable of making enough mana to cast it early in the game. Each opponent's spells costing two additional mana can render many decks totally inert, especially when cast in the early stages of the game. No one wants to pay three mana to cast their <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portal to Phyrexia" href="#" target="_blank">Portal to Phyrexia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an interesting case. I don't consider this artifact to be a stax piece in the traditional sense. However, the tempo swing of each opponent losing three of their creatures early in a game and then being forced to watch as their opponent resurrects their best creatures turn after turn can be both crippling and demoralizing.</p>
<p>That fits perfectly with that I'm trying to accomplish here.</p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog, the Defiler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pathrazer of Ulamog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sire of Seven Deaths"></div></div>
<p>This deck wins games very honestly. No combos, no tricks, just giant Eldrazi turning sideways and triggering annihilator!</p>
<p>This is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, consistency isn't a huge issue as any seven-mana card is just as good as the next. On the other, this deck will struggle against interactive decks that have ways to keep the Eldrazi at bay. I think that's a fine trade-off!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cityscape Leveler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin, Eye of the Storms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger"></div></div>
<p>My favorite aspect of this deck is how versatile all of its threats are. Each large threat doubles as a both a large body and some other type of spell the deck needs.</p>
<p>Many Eldrazi have card draw or removal spells stapled to their cast triggers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, Eye of the Storms" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, Eye of the Storms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> staples a removal spell to every single colorless spell in the deck! This paradigm allows me to skimp on traditional staples, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>That's an incredibly powerful option to have in a deck that needs to have abnormally high densities of artifacts and threats to function.</p>
<h2>Sami, Wildcat Captain Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Boros Eldrazi Winter" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sami, Wildcat Captain
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Kozilek&#039;s Command
*1 Kozilek&#039;s Return
*1 Razorgrass Ambush // Razorgrass Field
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Valakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Brass&#039;s Bounty
*1 Emeria&#039;s Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave
*1 Ondu Inversion // Ondu Skyruins
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Cityscape Leveler
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Giver of Runes
*1 Glaring Fleshraker
*1 Hangarback Walker
*1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
*1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
*1 Mother of Runes
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
*1 Sire of Seven Deaths
*1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
*1 Ulamog, the Defiler
*1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Walking Ballista
*1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Karn Liberated
*1 Karn, Living Legacy
*1 Tezzeret, Cruel Captain
*1 Ugin, Eye of the Storms
*1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
[/Planeswalkers]
[Artifacts]
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Chimil, the Inner Sun
*1 Collector&#039;s Vault
*1 Coveted Jewel
*1 Extinguisher Battleship
*1 Ghost Vacuum
*1 God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Kaldra Compleat
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mana Vault
*1 Manifold Key
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Portable Hole
*1 Portal to Phyrexia
*1 Retrofitter Foundry
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 The Endstone
*1 The Eternity Elevator
*1 The One Ring
*1 Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand
*1 Voltaic Key
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Elegant Parlor
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Inspiring Vantage
*1 Marsh Flats
*3 Mountain
*3 Plains
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Radiant Summit
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sunbaked Canyon
*1 Sunbillow Verge
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Sunscorched Divide
*1 The Mycosynth Gardens
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This is such a bizarre deck. I think there's a lot of room for further optimization that I'm excited to delve into once the set is out and I've had more opportunity to tinker with the deck's engine.</p>
<p>For instance, the number of huge creatures probably needs to come up from around 20 to possibly closer to 30 or even beyond. Similarly, I think the number of artifact token generators may need to come up by a wide margin to make the early game more consistent.</p>
<p>Players looking for a deck that produces explosive turns without creating a cumbersome amount of triggers will feel at home playing this deck. Sami takes short turns where flurries of ridiculously powerful spells hit the stack without creating particularly difficult to parse game states.</p>
<p>In the era of Commander decks that take lots of game actions using cards that have multiple paragraph long abilities, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sami, Wildcat Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sami, Wildcat Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feels like a breath of fresh air.</p>
<h3>More <em>Edge</em>:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="8bYGDRjrKq"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-fun-are-the-edges-of-eternities-commanders/">How Fun Are the Edges of Eternities Commanders?</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ZwfFKHxCJ7"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/build-a-powerful-artifacts-deck-with-mmmenon-the-right-hand/">Build a Powerful Artifacts Deck with Mm'menon, the Right Hand</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Build a Powerful Artifacts Deck with Mm&#039;menon, the Right Hand&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/build-a-powerful-artifacts-deck-with-mmmenon-the-right-hand/embed/#?secret=VHlI2Rj9XZ#?secret=ZwfFKHxCJ7" data-secret="ZwfFKHxCJ7" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="03I3mKJht5"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-1-1-counter-deck-with-haliya-ascendant-cadet/">Building a +1/+1 Counter Deck with Haliya, Ascendant Cadet</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 +1/+1 Counter Deck with Haliya, Ascendant Cadet&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-1-1-counter-deck-with-haliya-ascendant-cadet/embed/#?secret=3J4sHLYHDz#?secret=03I3mKJht5" data-secret="03I3mKJht5" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Sami, Wildcat Captain Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mog, Moogle Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Mog, Moogle Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9COTUMAMI%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OTUMAMI</a></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello everyone, welcome back for another <em>Final Fantasy </em>deck tech. I'm Command Zoe, and I hope you've all been enjoying the newest set as much as I have. I keep finding new commanders I overlooked on my first go-through of the set, or that I just forgot about after they were previewed. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For today I've thrown together a fun, little Reanimator list featuring everyone's favorite <em>Final Fantasy VI </em>character, Mog. He was the first playable Moogle character in <em>Final Fantasy</em>. He was so popular that they made Mog a recurring name for Moogles throughout the rest of the series. He's probably most widely recognized as the tutorial character in many of the games' menus.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mog, Moogle Warrior"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Just like a Moogle, I've been dancin' my whole life...</em></p>
<h2>What Does Mog, Moogle Warrior Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At first glance, Mog is not a flashy commander. At three mana value, he costs more than his stats provide, even with lifelink. The entire reason to play this card is tied to his second ability, <em>Dance</em>. How it works is each player decides whether they want to discard a card to draw a card. Then if anyone discarded a creature this way, Mog's controller creates Moogle token. Then, if anyone discarded a non-creature this way, Mog's controller puts a +1/+1 counter on each Moogle they own. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It should be noted that each of these effects can only happen one time. If multiple creatures are discarded, only one Moogle token is created; ditto for the +1/+1 counters. In practice, the <em>dance</em> ability turns into a neat, little guessing game where each opponent who goes for a card's trying to throw away the same category of card as Mog's owner in order to keep them from getting any extra buffs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Given its ability to filter through the library while providing a way to go both wide and tall, Mog is quite the versatile commander. There are many Boros commanders that do either one or the other, but Mog is the first that does both. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General Ferrous Rokiric" href="#" target="_blank">General Ferrous Rokiric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quintorius, Field Historian" href="#" target="_blank">Quintorius, Field Historian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival" href="#" target="_blank">Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all popular Boros commanders that can go wide quickly, but lack the ability to make their tokens bigger.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Éomer, King of Rohan" href="#" target="_blank">Éomer, King of Rohan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ash, Party Crasher" href="#" target="_blank">Ash, Party Crasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas" href="#" target="_blank">Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all have the ability to get tall, but lack any support for going wide. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The commander that's most similar to Mog is probably <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who can make herself tall while providing an army of Gnomes to attack with. The key differences between the two are the card filtering and the politics of Mog's ability. Mog also makes all creatures taller rather than just himself.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maskwood Nexus"></div></div></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>What if we made Anim Pakal and all her Gnomes into Moogles...</em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This version of Mog, Moogle Warrior is a Reanimator deck. The deck will use Mog's <em>dance</em> ability to put big threats into the graveyard, then cast reanimation spells to bring them back. The early Moogles can trade with attackers, or they can not block then get that life back by attacking open opponents on the crack-back. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Later the ever-growing Moogle tokens on top of the pressure from the reanimated creatures should be too much for opponents to handle.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for Mog, Moogle Warrior</h2>
<p>The most important part of any Reanimator strategy is the package of cards it targets to get back from the graveyard. This list packs fifteen cards that cost seven mana or more. The Reanimator package's goal is to facilitate and enable the deck's token plan, and it does that in a few different ways.</p>
<p>The first group of cards makes tokens themselves. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overlord of the Mistmoors" href="#" target="_blank">Overlord of the Mistmoors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Triniform" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Triniform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triplicate Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Triplicate Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all create their own tokens in some way.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Gold Dragon"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Just roll good — it's easy.</em></p>
<p>The next group of bombs defends our tokens by protecting them in some way. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra&#039;s Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Serra&#039;s Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are obvious in how they keep our board safe, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of the Ruins" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of the Ruins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Luminate Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Luminate Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are also great for protection. Removing threats to Mog and his board can be crucial.</p>
<p>One powerful interaction the deck can do is to reanimate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Velomachus Lorehold" href="#" target="_blank">Velomachus Lorehold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then use his attack trigger to immediately cast another reanimation spell.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>What? I'm just keeping my Moogles safe from your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood&#039;s End" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood&#039;s End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</em></p>
<p>Another critical part of this deck is the token support. It runs all the token doublers and triplers that it can, as well as a few cards with the populate mechanic, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nesting Dovehawk" href="#" target="_blank">Nesting Dovehawk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rootborn Defenses" href="#" target="_blank">Rootborn Defenses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muster the Departed" href="#" target="_blank">Muster the Departed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warleader&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Warleader&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only helps whittle opponents down, but also will gain life via all the Moogle tokens' lifelink.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Renewed Solidarity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Good King Mog XII"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moogles&#039; Valor"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>You wanna make some Moogles? I wanna make some Moogles.</em></p>
<p>One last key card for Mog is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Palantír of Orthanc" href="#" target="_blank">Palantír of Orthanc</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Its floor is scry two plus an extra card draw, but if opponents are foolhardy enough to choose to mill, there are fifteen cards in the deck with a mana value of seven or more. With two or more influence counters, opponents risk taking heavy damage from not allowing the card draw, plus this deck already wants those big creatures in the graveyard anyway.</p>
<h2>How Does This Mog, Moogle Warrior Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most common way for this deck to win is by amassing a huge board of Moogle tokens, then alpha-striking with support from cards like <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Storm Slayer" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Storm Slayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra&#039;s Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Serra&#039;s Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get around blockers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gisela, Blade of Goldnight" href="#" target="_blank">Gisela, Blade of Goldnight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also come out in the right situation to end a game with a big attack. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boros Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Boros Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plays double duty in this deck. Not only is it defending with the indestructible, but giving all Moogle tokens double strike and removing an opponent should give enough life from the lifelink to let you survive any impending repercussions.</span></p>
<p>If attacking isn't an option as a win condition because of some reason or another, there's a backup win condition in group slug cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warleader&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Warleader&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Reach critical mass by stacking token doublers and triplers and pinging everyone else to death with your ever-growing army of Moogle tokens.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>You can always finish them with Mega Flare,<br />
or as I call it, Mountain Dew Baha-mut Blast.</em></p>
<h2>Mog, Moogle Warrior Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Moggin&#039; on &#039;em" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Mog, Moogle Warrior
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ancient Copper Dragon
*1 Ancient Gold Dragon
*1 Angel of the Ruins
*1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
*1 Blazing Archon
*1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
*1 Enduring Innocence
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
*1 Karmic Guide
*1 Luminate Primordial
*1 Mondrak, Glory Dominus
*1 Moonshaker Cavalry
*1 Nesting Dovehawk
*1 Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation // Temple of Civilization
*1 Overlord of the Mistmoors
*1 Phyrexian Triniform
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Reya Dawnbringer
*1 Seasoned Pyromancer
*1 Serra&#039;s Emissary
*1 Summon: Bahamut
*1 Summon: Good King Mog XII
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Velomachus Lorehold
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Anointed Procession
*1 Elspeth Conquers Death
*1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
*1 Impact Tremors
*1 Muster the Departed
*1 Renewed Solidarity
*1 Tocasia&#039;s Welcome
*1 Warleader&#039;s Call
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Monument to Endurance
*1 Palantír of Orthanc
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Get Lost
*1 Legion Leadership // Legion Stronghold
*1 Miraculous Recovery
*1 Moogles&#039; Valor
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Perch Protection
*1 Rootborn Defenses
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unwanted Remake
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Breath of Life
*1 False Defeat
*1 Late to Dinner
*1 Resurrection
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Elspeth, Storm Slayer
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Castle Embereth
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Cori Mountain Monastery
*1 Dalkovan Encampment
*1 Den of the Bugbear
*1 Drownyard Temple
*1 Elegant Parlor
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fountainport
*1 Inspiring Vantage
*1 Minas Tirith
*1 Monumental Henge
*1 Mountain
*1 Needleverge Pathway // Pillarverge Pathway
*3 Plains
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Restless Bivouac
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Starting Town
*1 Sunbaked Canyon
*1 Sunbillow Verge
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Sunken Citadel
*1 Sunscorched Divide
*1 Three Tree City
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mog, Moogle Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Mog, Moogle Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been an absolute delight to tinker with. Any player looking for a Boros list will be able to do something with Mog. He's both powerful and versatile, while allowing for the perfect amount of politicking. Opponents who take the card draw will quickly find themselves struggling to choose between keeping Mog around for the filtering or getting buried under an avalanche of massive Moogle tokens.</span></p>
<p>Thanks so much for taking the time to read the deck tech. I'm <a href="http://linktr.ee/commandzoe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Command Zoe</a>, be sure to follow me across the socials so you don't miss any of content, like last week's <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/growing-up-fast-a-rydia-summoner-of-mist-commander-deck-tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Growing up Fast: A Rydia, Summoner of Mist Commander Deck Tech</a>.</p>
<p>Until next time, hope to catch you slingin' Moogle tokens out there.</p>


Straight Up Moggin' - A Mog, Moogle Warrior Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zidane, Tantalus Thief|fin|405" href="#" target="_blank">Zidane, Tantalus Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/katanacanata/profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canata Katana</a></em></p>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> is already released, but I've still got a lot of awesome cards to look at, so we're checking out one more today. Today's deck is gonna be built around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zidane, Tantalus Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Zidane, Tantalus Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a commander that incentivizes us to steal creatures, but just for a little bit.</p>
<p>I absolutely love theft decks, especially in Pauper, because they tend to match the power level of your opponents' decks. Of course, right? Because you're playing with their creatures. This means that I can play this deck against non-Pauper decks, because even though those decks are built with stronger cards than mine, I can just snatch them, and boom, my deck is just as powerful.</p>
<p>So this is gonna be a lot of fun.</p>
<h2>What Does Zidane, Tantalus Thief Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zidane, Tantalus Thief"></div></div>
<p>While Zidane is shiny and new, what he's doing isn't particularly fresh. We've had cards that snatch creatures from opponents' boards for years. But Zidane really gives us something to build around, and offers a payoff in the form of Treasure tokens when we give our creatures back.</p>
<p>Though having a big scary creature for a turn is a pretty decent payoff on it's own.</p>
<p>In addition to this, Zidane nearly doubles the amount of theft cards we can run in our deck, just by having that effect on an ETB. How? Because of the color white, which lets us run blink spells. Essentially, we can turn <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudshift" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into a one-mana copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Act of Treason" href="#" target="_blank">Act of Treason</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>And for whatever reason, Zidane also grants lifelink to our stolen creatures, making it even better.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudshift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Act of Treason"></div></div>
<h2>Key Cards for Zidane</h2>
<h3>Blink Spells</h3>
<p>So of course, we're gonna run all the blink spells we can. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrollshift" href="#" target="_blank">Scrollshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, awesome. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flicker of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Flicker of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, even better. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, hell yeah!</p>
<p>There are more than enough great options in Pauper, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Justiciar&#039;s Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Justiciar&#039;s Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Acrobatic Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Acrobatic Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slip On the Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Slip On the Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We should be able to blink Zidane constantly, and reap the rewards of his theft ability.</p>
<p>And the Treasure we get afterwards just fuels further robbery. Unfortunately, some of these spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otherworldly Journey" href="#" target="_blank">Otherworldly Journey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, only return Zidane at the end of the turn, skipping combat. But this doesn't make them totally useless, and you'll see why in a bit.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrollshift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ephemerate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slip On the Ring"></div></div>
<h3>Theft Spells</h3>
<p>First though, let's complete our arsenal of theft spells. Obviously, our supply of blink spells isn't infinite, so we have to dip into actual theft spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hijack" href="#" target="_blank">Hijack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But that's no big worry, because some of these spells are quite decent.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goatnap" href="#" target="_blank">Goatnap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance, gives +3/+0 if what we're stealing is a Goat. Haha, ok, obviously not that one, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traitorous Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Traitorous Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can give trample to something huge. That'll be particularly funny when you hear your opponent muttering that they "could win this game if they only had trample."</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hijack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goatnap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Traitorous Blood"></div></div>
<p>Then there are just some generic ones, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrangle" href="#" target="_blank">Wrangle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Price of Loyalty" href="#" target="_blank">Price of Loyalty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloody Betrayal" href="#" target="_blank">Bloody Betrayal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, etc. Nothing special, but it's not the spells that need to be big and threatening; it's our opponents' cards. And we can usually count on that.</p>
<p>Yes, I did consider running some cards that give our opponents big creatures, but I doubt that'll be necessary</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrangle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Price of Loyalty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloody Betrayal"></div></div>
<h3>Evasion</h3>
<p>Anyways, now that we've got some big creatures on our side of the board, sometimes with lifelink, what are we gonna do with them? Well, we're gonna attack with them, obviously. So let's get some evasion in here.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Drums" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Drums</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a personal favorite of mine. Trust me, the difference between one chump blocker and two is huge. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcish Oriflamme" href="#" target="_blank">Orcish Oriflamme</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a decent anthem that'll give us a boost if all we're doing is trading hits with an opponent.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Drums"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcish Oriflamme"></div></div>
<h3>Sacrifices</h3>
<p>But attacking isn't all we can do. I mean, you can't reduce a creature's worth to just their power and toughness. That'd be so dehumanizing. Don't forget their value as sacrifice fodder!</p>
<p>Yes, if we sacrifice the creature, we don't get Zidane's Treasure token, but it's absolutely worth it to steal a creature for three mana, swing for a ton of damage, and then rob our opponents of a huge creature while gaining some bonus for ourselves.</p>
<p>There's plenty of ways to do this. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, of course, although two mana isn't really that helpful post-combat. We'd rather use something that's useful any time, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Purge" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Purge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tavern Scoundrel" href="#" target="_blank">Tavern Scoundrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark-Dweller Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Dark-Dweller Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are pretty handy as well, sitting around until we need them.</p>
<p>And of course, we can't forget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the iconic game ender.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Purge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark-Dweller Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fling"></div></div>
<p>I ultimately decided to go fairly light on the sacrifice outlets, because constantly stealing your opponents creatures and then sacrificing them over and over again is a pretty nasty game plan. And hey, it means Zidane triggers more. But if you really wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult at all to make an extremely powerful, if toxic deck.</p>
<p>The rest of the deck is just some support for the main game plan. A bunch of ramp, and a ton of removal for the things we can't steal. Our whole plan is essentially just to snatch the biggest things on the board and win with that, so there doesn't need to be a whole lot else here. As long as we make sure that we've always got the mana and cards to carry out that game plan, we should be golden.</p>
<p>And just for extra safety, we'll throw in a few protection spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gods Willing" href="#" target="_blank">Gods Willing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apostle&#039;s Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Apostle&#039;s Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to protect Zidane, because he is a five-mana commander and we really don't want to be recasting him too often.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gods Willing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Apostle&#039;s Blessing"></div></div>
<p>Yeah, the blink spells could double as protection, but we'd rather use them on our turn, and not in response to a removal attempt.</p>
<h2>Zidane, Tantalus Thief Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Zidane, Tantalus Thief" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zidane, Tantalus Thief
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Acrobatic Maneuver
*1 Apostle&#039;s Blessing
*1 Big Score
*1 Cloudshift
*1 Crib Swap
*1 Demand Answers
*1 Ephemerate
*1 Flicker of Fate
*1 Fling
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Gods Willing
*1 Justiciar&#039;s Portal
*1 Otherworldly Journey
*1 Scrollshift
*1 Slip On the Ring
*1 Thraben Charm
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Your Temple Is Under Attack
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitter Reunion
*1 Fanatical Devotion
*1 Goblin War Drums
*1 Journey to Nowhere
*1 Makeshift Munitions
*1 Oblivion Ring
*1 Orcish Oriflamme
*1 Shiny Impetus
*1 The Shattered States Era // Nameless Conqueror
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Act of Treason
*1 Angelic Purge
*1 Bloody Betrayal
*1 Coronation of Chaos
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Glimpse the Impossible
*1 Goatnap
*1 Hijack
*1 Involuntary Employment
*1 Mark of Mutiny
*1 Pack&#039;s Betrayal
*1 Price of Loyalty
*1 Settle Beyond Reality
*1 Shackles of Treachery
*1 Traitorous Blood
*1 Witch&#039;s Mark
*1 Wrangle
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Blood Aspirant
*1 Dark-Dweller Oracle
*1 Icewind Stalwart
*1 Pegasus Guardian // Rescue the Foal
*1 Tavern Scoundrel
*1 Vanguard Seraph
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Command Tower
*1 Forgotten Cave
*17 Mountain
*17 Plains
*1 Secluded Steppe
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>Welp, that's the whole deck. To be honest, I'm surprised it never occurred to me to make a theft deck before. I don't really have a Pauper pod, so I often have to hurl my commons at a bunch of rares and mythics. But this way, I can just steal those shiny cards for myself. Awesome!</p>
<p>Just due to the nature of the strategy, this deck is pretty strong, and I'm quite happy with how it came out.</p>


Pauper Commander - Zidane, Tantalus Thief

Building an Edgar, Master Machinist Commander Deck

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artofmtg.com/artist/magali-villeneuve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magali Villeneuve</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>. I'm Owain, and I'm here with a long-awaited article (one of three, in fact), featuring two Commanders. First up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who's all about Equipment. I've done Equipment decks before, but I'm going to make him slightly different from the others. More on that in a moment.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion"></div></div>
<p>On the other side, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who absolutely doesn't have obsessively romantic feelings for Cloud. Not at all. Nothing to see here. Anyway, with Sephi here, we're killing off creatures, with perhaps some minor graveyard shenanigans along the way.</p>
<p>However, there's just one small problem: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerith Gainsborough" href="#" target="_blank">Aerith Gainsborough</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, our third wheel, is in the way. How do we <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eliminate the Competition" href="#" target="_blank">Eliminate the Competition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harmonize|fic|308"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth&#039;s Intervention"></div></div>
<p>Ah, thank you, Sephiroth. With Aerith now excused to be on a forever date with Sephiroth's sword, we can be on our way. Are you ready to rumble?</p>
<h2>Cloud, Planet's Champion Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-Cloud" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Colossus Hammer
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Excalibur, Sword of Eden
*1 Inspiring Statuary
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow
*1 Sword of War and Peace
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 The Spear of Leonidas
*1 Ultima Weapon
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Armory Paladin
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Beatrix, Loyal General
*1 Bureau Headmaster
*1 Cid, Freeflier Pilot
*1 Codsworth, Handy Helper
*1 Freya Crescent
*1 Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms
*1 Gimli of the Glittering Caves
*1 Item Shopkeep
*1 Lightning, Security Sergeant
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Raubahn, Bull of Ala Mhigo
*1 Rosa, Resolute White Mage
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Weapons Vendor
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Battlefield Improvisation
*1 Big Score
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Inventory Management
*1 Judgment Bolt
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Wear // Tear
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Overpowering Attack
*1 Secret Rendezvous
*1 Seize the Day
*1 Single Combat
*1 Unfinished Business
*1 Wake the Past
*1 What Must Be Done
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Forge Anew
*1 Sigarda&#039;s Aid
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Abstergo Entertainment
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Inspiring Vantage
*8 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Opal Palace
*1 Path of Ancestry
*8 Plains
*1 Rabanastre, Royal City
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Rustvale Bridge
*1 Sacred Peaks
*1 Sunbaked Canyon
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Sunscorched Divide
*1 Temple of Triumph
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Rebel With A Cause</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beatrix, Loyal General"></div></div>
<p>We begin with Cloud himself. Boros Equipment decks are nothing new in this series, as this is the third iteration. That said, I'm doing this list a tad differently this time, a small restriction that extends to the Sephiroth list as well: this deck was built with the <em>Final Fantasy Starter Kits</em> in mind. Now, that product isn't made for Commander, but it's a small starting point (Or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starting Town" href="#" target="_blank">Starting Town</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as it were). While, at time of writing, we don't have the lists, the contents were leaked a while ago. With all the rares officially revealed before the lists, the stars aligned, and all of them are in here.</p>
<p>Since the last time, we gained access to some new stuff. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beatrix, Loyal General" href="#" target="_blank">Beatrix, Loyal General</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will let us dump our Equipment on one creature during combat. This, ideally, would be Cloud, since he'll have double strike and indestructible. Moreover, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> compliments her very well, seeing as we can slam any number of Equipment we find from his trigger. Thirdly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Item Shopkeep" href="#" target="_blank">Item Shopkeep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will give an attacking equipped creature menace, making them harder to block.</p>
<p>Thanks to the set's bonus sheet, we now have access to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sram, Senior Edificer|fca|3" href="#" target="_blank">Sram, Senior Edificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (skinned as Firion, Swordmaster), letting us draw cards. Next, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Freeflier Pilot" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Freeflier Pilot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who recurs Equipment, and makes them cost less to cast again.</p>
<h2>Expanding the Armory</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Embercleave"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunforger"></div></div>
<p>If you're looking for some in-universe cards too add, there's plenty to tap into. The rest of the Sword of X and Y cycle (as well as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Wealth and Power" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Wealth and Power</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) becomes available to us. Further, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Embercleave" href="#" target="_blank">Embercleave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is brutal to put onto Cloud, if you can reduce the cost low enough to cast it during combat. Thirdly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaver Cleaver" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaver Cleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will surely give us lots of Treasure tokens to use if the equipped creature connects.</p>
<p>If you want to retool Cloud, and give him a more controlling slant, look no further than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunforger" href="#" target="_blank">Sunforger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There's a lot of amazing spells that meet the criteria within Cloud's colors (including a couple of Game Changers, if that's what you're into). As long as you keep reequipping Cloud with Sunforger, and having mana open, you'd be in a good position to respond to someone who might try and disrupt your board.</p>
<p>Next, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fighter Class" href="#" target="_blank">Fighter Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was made for this kind of deck (an aside: DnD cards aren't <em>Universes Beyond </em>cards, but they're also not in-universe, but they still count for this section). Secondly, a number of the Nahiri planeswalker variants work for the deck. I'd pick <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Lithomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Lithomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because of the utility she provides (be sure to add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as well if you do).</p>
<h2>Play the Victory Tune</h2>
<p>Concluding this half of the article, and looking back, there was a noticeable difference between the past article and this one (besides the Starter Kit restriction): One had you focus on going wide, but Cloud wants you to put all of your eggs into one basket, Voltron-style. The <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kassandra, Eagle Bearer" href="#" target="_blank">Kassandra, Eagle Bearer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck from that article was more about going wide, using as many legendary Equipment as possible (and <em>Final Fantasy </em>has those in spades!).</p>
<p>That said, let's see about his opponent...</p>
<h2>Sephiroth, Planet's Heir Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-Sephiroth" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Gaius van Baelsar
*1 Merciless Executioner
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Summon: Anima
*1 Ultimecia, Temporal Threat
*1 Xande, Dark Mage
*1 Zenos yae Galvus // Shinryu, Transcendent Rival
*1 Zodiark, Umbral God
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blight Grenade
*1 Bone Splinters
*1 Deadly Embrace
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Exsanguinate
*1 Extract from Darkness
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Great Intelligence&#039;s Plan
*1 Languish
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Mutilate
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Quantum Misalignment
*1 Reanimate
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Genesis Chamber
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Magitek Scythe
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 The Masamune
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Black Market
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Propaganda
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Counterspell
*1 Cyber Conversion
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Dismember
*1 Flatline
*1 Orcish Medicine
*1 Overkill
*1 Sephiroth&#039;s Intervention
*1 V.A.T.S.
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Abstergo Entertainment
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Choked Estuary
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Contaminated Aquifer
*1 Darkwater Catacombs
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Fetid Pools
*7 Island
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 River of Tears
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*1 Sunken Hollow
*1 Sunken Ruins
*7 Swamp
*1 Tainted Isle
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Treno, Dark City
*1 Underground River
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>It's Time To Bring Despair to <em>Magic: The Gathering</em></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER"></div></div>
<p>WARNING: If you love your friends, do <em>not</em> use this deck. You'll lose them by game's end.</p>
<p>In case you haven't figured out why, this is a removal-themed deck. We're blowing up everyone and everything (and stabbing Aeriths along the way) because it helps make our commander bigger and more lethal. That said, all that removal helps clear the way for Sephiroth to get through and impale our opponents with that massively long sword.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blight Grenade" href="#" target="_blank">Blight Grenade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes out a creature, then gives everything else -3/-3, perhaps wiping out an army of tokens. Next, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Depravity" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Depravity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will ensure no one's board gets monstrously huge. However, for a real wipe, cast a kicked <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on our commander (even better if it's a token made from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quantum Misalignment" href="#" target="_blank">Quantum Misalignment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). This will kill our commander, but they all enter, essentially wiping the board.</p>
<p>All this said, I do want to give a paragraph to one card in particular: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card is the lynchpin of the deck. You want to trigger him as much as you possibly can so you can flip him and get the emblem (Am I the only one who thinks the <em>Super Nova</em> ability is a flavor fail? Nothing like in the games to me). That said, you also want to keep him (and/or our commander) around long enough to make them threats. Fortunately, there's a few ways to do so, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcish Medicine" href="#" target="_blank">Orcish Medicine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Looking Beyond <em>Final Fantasy</em></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadeye Navigator"></div></div>
<p>Firstly, I'd retool the deck to be akin to those infamous Scam decks that terrorized Modern in recent years. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be great to keep Sephiroth from perishing while we wipe the board. On the other hand, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Girl" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Girl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> clear the board to make Sephiroth bigger (provided he didn't die in the aftermath).</p>
<p>Secondly, we also gain access to blue's blink effects, abusing our commander's ability to wipe the board, and perhaps soft-lock it. <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadeye Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Deadeye Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> stand among the best of these, repeatedly blinking Sephiroth and making our opponents (perhaps) very salty. While not a blink spell, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drivnod, Carnage Dominus" href="#" target="_blank">Drivnod, Carnage Dominus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will double up on Sephiroth's death triggers, making him huge very quickly. It's an ability very akin to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Masamune" href="#" target="_blank">The Masamune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (aka, Aerith's best friend), which is in the deck's 99 already.</p>
<p>Lastly, while we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flatline" href="#" target="_blank">Flatline</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sudden Spoiling" href="#" target="_blank">Sudden Spoiling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polymorphist&#039;s Jest" href="#" target="_blank">Polymorphist&#039;s Jest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will also make opposing creatures much easier to kill. For an alternate win condition, look no further than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It ramps us with all the creatures hitting the bin, and hitting the critical number of Treasure tokens with this deck should be a breeze.</p>
<h2>I Will Never Be a Memory</h2>
<p>In summary, this deck has to be about the most evil, diabolical deck I've come up with so far. It might be something you play once in a blue moon, then perhaps never again. Your friends won't let you bring it out again, I assure you. Then again, it does its job well.</p>
<p>In any case, both of these decks tackle the archetype in different ways. One with a more traditional approach, the other a more controlling style. That said, this is a non-budget path one could take with the Starter Kit. A budget one would drastically change both decks.</p>
<p>Hopefully you enjoyed my take on both of these commanders (and survived my mischief throughout the article. It really came out in force here. No disrespect to Aerith intended). Perhaps they might guide you in creating your own builds. Tune in next time as we dive into the second of the three long-awaited articles (It won't be like today's).</p>


boros commander

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Sami, Wildcat Captain Commander Deck Tech

Straight Up Moggin' - A Mog, Moogle Warrior Commander Deck Tech

Pauper Commander - Zidane, Tantalus Thief

Building an Edgar, Master Machinist Commander Deck

Beyond the Multiverse-Cloud and Sephiroth