<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel|FIN|249" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/pencillien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thanh Tuan</a></em></p>
<p>Friendly greetings and welcome to an Exhibition (Bracket 1) deck tech for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! I'm John Sherwood, and I <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28game%3Apaper%29+legal%3Acommander+is%3Abear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bear</a> tidings of low-power, five-color fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Minstrel|FIN|403"></div></div>
<p>I love set mechanics, and this deck is full of them. Instead of foraging for pieces to support a single set mechanic, I built a deck that snatches the set mechanic picnic basket.</p>
<h2>What Does The Wandering Minstrel Do?</h2>
<p>The Wandering Minstrel hits a trifecta with static, triggered, and activated abilities. First, the static ability causes your lands to enter untapped, which is fantastic for a budget five-color mana base.</p>
<p>Next, the triggered ability makes a token creature as a payoff for controlling five or more Towns. Of the 23 new Town lands, 17 always enter tapped. In other words, The Wandering Minstrel overules the Towns' primary downside, then rewards having the Towns with incremental value.</p>
<p>Then there's the activated ability. The Wandering Minstrel is an <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=%28game%3Apaper%29+legal%3Acommander%28invoker%29&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invoker</a>, with an activation cost of <em>eight</em> mana. Three generic plus WUBRG is a lot for an activation, but the payoff is a hearty +X/+X to the whole team.</p>
<p>Immediately after reading this card, I felt an urge to build a deck that's been simmering on my backburner. Truth be told, Sealed is my favorite way to play <em>Magic</em>, and one pillar of limited play is the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic" href="#" target="_blank">Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bear with Set&#039;s Mechanic"></div></div>
<p>The bears (2/2s for two mana) that inspired my favorite meme card appear in every <em>Magic</em> set to support limited deck archetypes. As a two-drop that cares about a <em>Final Fantasy</em> set mechanic, The Wandering Minstrel is two-thirds of the way to singing the bear necessities. Sadly, the Wandering Minstrel is not a 2/2, so the commander can't fully commit to the bear bit.</p>
<h2>Bear Necessities</h2>
<p>I committed to including every Town in the deck, to capitalize on The Wandering Minstrel's triggered and activated abilities. With the 23 Towns from <em>Final Fantasy</em>, plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thespian&#039;s Stage" href="#" target="_blank">Thespian&#039;s Stage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Planar Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Planar Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, over a quarter of the deck supports the commander just by making land drops. With the bulk of the mana base solved, I moved on to creatures.</p>
<p>There are hundreds of bears to choose from. Of the creatures that made the final cut, these are some of the ones I consider essential to the deck:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conclave Guildmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skarrg Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Two of Ravnica's three Guildmage cycles are in the list, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conclave Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Conclave Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skarrg Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Skarrg Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are key. They grant trample, pairing with The Wandering Minstrel's power/toughness boost for a build-a-bear overrun. Other bears grant evasion, but these are the most efficient.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s activated ability is an odd sort of card advantage in this deck. Conveniently, there's no need to pay anything into Grenzo's X cost because every creature in the deck is power 2. With the number of creatures that made the final cut, Grenzo will hit frequently.</p>
<h2>Picnic Baskets</h2>
<p>Initially, I picked about 80 bears with set mechanics, intending to find synergies and work out a secondary theme for the deck. As I curated that list of creatures, I connected five dots that led me in a new direction.</p>
<ol>
<li>Bears have a mana value of two.</li>
<li>Many bears have different mana symbols in their casting cost.</li>
<li>All bears are creatures.</li>
<li>Two is an even number.</li>
<li>Plenty of bears have activated abilities.</li>
</ol>
<p>Spelled out another way:</p>
<ol>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umori, the Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Umori, the Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ol>
<p>My name might be John, but I'm not cut out to be a ranger. I'm Yogi in this over-played metaphor, and I'm not listening to Boo-Boo.</p>
<p>When I say I'm getting a picnic basket, I mean the final version of this deck meets the building restrictions for five different <a href="https://edhrec.com/companions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">companions</a>. Paying three mana to put a companion in hand fits neatly into the mana curve of a deck with no three-drops. I think it would be fun to embrace variety and pick a different companion at random every time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zirda, the Dawnwaker"></div></div>
<p>Depending on the chosen companion, the deck pivots into very different play patterns. My top picks would be Zirda, Lurrus, or Jegantha, in that order.</p>
<p>The six-mana investment to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will quickly pay for itself with the discount on activated abilities. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice insurance policy, and there are some sacrifice outlets in the deck to develop a reanimator engine.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> practically guarantees enough mana to activate The Wandering Minstrel's pump ability.</p>
<h2>How Does The Wandering Minstrel Win?</h2>
<p>The primary game plan is go wide to go tall. The commander should always be out on turn two, helping to smooth the tempo before producing creature tokens.</p>
<p>Casting other creatures is a priority until there's enough mana to leverage activated abilities in combat. The best-case scenario is overrunning opponents with multiple pumped creatures. However, decks with this many activated abilities can adapt.</p>
<p>An evasionless, one-power creature is not a a realistic commander damage threat. Fortunately, there are enough combat trick abilities in this deck to make The Wandering Minstrel a sneaky combatant. Many of the deck's creatures either make target creature bigger, grant evasion, or both, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korozda Guildmage" href="#" target="_blank">Korozda Guildmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korozda Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Three mana is a poor rate for a temporary +1/+1; that cost is too high for Voltron to be a primary game plan. However, this deck's curve is really low. There should be plenty of mana available to chain activated abilities together, or play a key ability on repeat.</p>
<p>When the life totals are low and the win is on the line, a little threat of activation makes a big difference.</p>
<p>As much as I love the combat phase, there are some edge cases in the deck to watch out for. Some of the activated abilities may occasionally tip the scales toward victory. There are eight cards in the deck with non-combat methods of reducing opponents' life totals.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rix Maadi Guildmage"></div></div>
<p>Rix Maadi Guildmage might be creature or player removal if needed. Eliminating a player with a card like this is a fun achievement to unlock.</p>
<h2>The Wandering Minstrel Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>I'll keep hoping for the bear commander of my dreams, but I could see myself sleeving this up in the mean time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Wandering Minstrel Bears" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Wandering Minstrel
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Arcus Acolyte
*1 Biomancer&#039;s Familiar
*1 Black Market Tycoon
*1 Bonebind Orator
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Butch DeLoria, Tunnel Snake
*1 Cartel Aristocrat
*1 Caustic Bronco
*1 Clan Guildmage
*1 Cliffside Rescuer
*1 Combine Guildmage
*1 Conclave Guildmage
*1 Cult Guildmage
*1 Dawntreader Elk
*1 Dismissive Pyromancer
*1 Duskmantle Guildmage
*1 Goblin Cratermaker
*1 Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
*1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
*1 Heartfire Immolator
*1 House Guildmage
*1 Intrepid Paleontologist
*1 Jenson Carthalion, Druid Exile
*1 Kiora&#039;s Follower
*1 Korozda Guildmage
*1 League Guildmage
*1 Legion Guildmage
*1 Legion Vanguard
*1 New Prahv Guildmage
*1 Nivix Guildmage
*1 Osteomancer Adept
*1 Pippin, Guard of the Citadel
*1 Priest of Fell Rites
*1 Qasali Pridemage
*1 Ragged Playmate
*1 Raucous Entertainer
*1 Rix Maadi Guildmage
*1 Rootcoil Creeper
*1 Saheeli, the Sun&#039;s Brilliance
*1 Senate Guildmage
*1 Skarrg Guildmage
*1 Sprouting Goblin
*1 Sunhome Guildmage
*1 Swarm Guildmage
*1 Syndicate Guildmage
*1 Tender Wildguide
*1 Thraxodemon
*1 Treasure Dredger
*1 Twitching Doll
*1 Undergrowth Leopard
*1 Vermin Gorger
*1 Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
*1 Vizkopa Guildmage
*1 Voracious Varmint
*1 Wight of the Reliquary
*1 Zameck Guildmage
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Adventurer&#039;s Inn
*1 Balamb Garden, SeeD Academy // Balamb Garden, Airborne
*1 Baron, Airship Kingdom
*1 Cactus Preserve
*1 Capital City
*1 Cascading Cataracts
*1 Clive&#039;s Hideaway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crossroads Village
*1 Crystal Quarry
*1 Dark Depths
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Eden, Seat of the Sanctum
*1 Escape Tunnel
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Forest
*1 Gohn, Town of Ruin
*1 Gongaga, Reactor Town
*1 Guadosalam, Farplane Gateway
*1 Insomnia, Crown City
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith &amp; Grief
*1 Island
*1 Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture
*1 Lindblum, Industrial Regency // Mage Siege
*1 Maze of Ith
*1 Midgar, City of Mako // Reactor Raid
*1 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Plains
*1 Planar Nexus
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Rabanastre, Royal City
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Sharlayan, Nation of Scholars
*1 Starting Town
*1 Swamp
*1 The Gold Saucer
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Treno, Dark City
*1 Vector, Imperial Capital
*1 Windurst, Federation Center
*1 Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis // Lasting Fayth
[/Lands]
[Companions]
*1 Gyruda, Doom of Depths
*1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
*1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
*1 Umori, the Collector
*1 Zirda, the Dawnwaker
[/Companions]"></span></div>
<h2>The Berenstain Bard</h2>
<p>The moral of this story is versatility. The Wandering Minstrel isn't just another set mechanic commander. The Town mana base takes up a mere quarter of the deck, leaving seventy-five cards that could be anything. The Wandering Minstrel isn't a mainstage headliner like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golos, Tireless Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Golos, Tireless Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (RIP), but they jam to the same music.</p>
<p>If smooth mana production and open ended brewing potential are on your playlist, then give The Wandering Minstrel a chance. Tell us about your Minstrel brews in the comments below.</p>
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The Wandering Minstrel Exhibition Deck Tech

Adapting Your Decks to the Exhibition Bracket (1)

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delina, Wild Mage|AFR|138" href="#" target="_blank">Delina, Wild Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisnu Tan</a>)</em></p>
<p>Friendly greetings and welcome to <em>Bracketeering</em>, the series about sideboards for Commander Brackets. With two announcements on April 22nd, 2025, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> updated the Commander <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-bans-and-restrictions-april-22-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ban List</a> and <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-brackets-beta-update-april-22-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers List</a>. Basically, the Bracket system is still a beta test, and there are no major system changes at this time. A total of twenty-three cards joined the Game Changers list, including five previously banned cards. This is our first Bracketeering article in the updated environment, and I'm excited to put my money where my mouth is.</p>
<p>This week I'm bracketeering my very own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delina, Wild Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Delina, Wild Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, and I'll show a picture of the cards and sleeves to prove it. This deck is my happy place, my touchstone for a fun Commander game. If I'm playing two games of Commander in a session, then one of those games will be with Delina. I want to make sure I have the tools to match this deck with as many pods as possible.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delina, Wild Mage|AFR|317"></div></div>
<h2>Roll the Dice</h2>
<p>Since the advent of Commander Brackets, I've listed my Delina deck as Core (2). Technically this deck fits the criteria for Upgraded (3) since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gamble|SPG|24" href="#" target="_blank">Gamble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> joined the Game Changer list. Gamble is in the deck because I have one, and it matches the flavor of Delina leaving things to chance.</p>
<p>Here's my deck list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Delina" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Delina, Wild Mage
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cloak of the Bat
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dolmen Gate
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Glittering Stockpile
*1 Key to the City
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Manifold Key
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sonic Screwdriver
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Anzrag&#039;s Rampage
*1 Cosmotronic Wave
*1 Gamble
*1 Hazardous Blast
*1 Ignite the Future
*1 Light Up the Stage
*1 Mizzium Mortars
*1 Reckless Impulse
*1 Seize the Spotlight
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Wrenn&#039;s Resolve
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Ardent Elementalist
*1 Breya&#039;s Apprentice
*1 Caves of Chaos Adventurer
*1 Charming Scoundrel
*1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Ghirapur Gearcrafter
*1 Goblin Welder
*1 Harmonic Prodigy
*1 Imperial Recruiter
*1 Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
*1 Krenko&#039;s Buzzcrusher
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Patron of the Arts
*1 Pia Nalaar
*1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
*1 Plundering Barbarian
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Siege-Gang Commander
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Thopter Engineer
*1 Trumpeting Carnosaur
*1 Wily Goblin
*1 Wyll, Blade of Frontiers
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Barbarian Class
*1 Echoing Assault
*1 Frenzied Fugue
*1 Goblin Bombardment
*1 War Cadence
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Invoke Calamity
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Wild Magic Surge
*1 You Find Some Prisoners
*1 Zoyowa&#039;s Justice
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Barbarian Ring
*1 Castle Embereth
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Den of the Bugbear
*1 Dwarven Mine
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Maze of Ith
*27 Mountain
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Shivan Gorge
*1 Terrain Generator
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>While this version of the deck might technically be an Upgraded (3), I can assure you it rarely performs at that level. There's a wild range of variance baked into this dice-rolling legend.</p>
<p>Delina's attack trigger and lack of evasion require effort to get the game plan up and running. To be honest, playing Delina is an uphill battle, even at Core (2) tables where disposable blockers are plentiful. Although the challenge and variance are part of the fun for me, I do want to play this deck more often in more places. Making a sideboard will help me do that.</p>
<p>By the time my new sideboard is complete, my main deck will be firmly Core (2) and I'll have a tool box for playing comfortably in any pod from Exhibition (1) to Upgraded (3).</p>
<h2>Improving the Odds</h2>
<p>I know from experience that it'll take more than a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gamble" href="#" target="_blank">Gamble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give this deck a fighting chance in Upgraded (3) games. Delina needs to attack more frequently and be unblockable to punch at a higher weight class. I like cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manifold Key" href="#" target="_blank">Manifold Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sonic Screwdriver" href="#" target="_blank">Sonic Screwdriver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but paying mana every turn for those activated abilities is less efficient than one-time investments in quality Equipment. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prowler&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Prowler&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trailblazer&#039;s Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Trailblazer&#039;s Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help keep Delina alive in combat.</p>
<p>Red is the color of extra combat, and I already own copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seize the Day|ODY|220" href="#" target="_blank">Seize the Day</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aggravated Assault|WOT|39" href="#" target="_blank">Aggravated Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Port Razer" href="#" target="_blank">Port Razer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in 59% of Delina decks, because any copies she makes have a chance to chain multiple combat steps together.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Port Razer"></div></div>
<p>If I'm sideboarding for an upgraded game, some of my pet cards will have to side-out. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invoke Calamity|NEO|147" href="#" target="_blank">Invoke Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is dead-in-hand too often for Upgarded (3) gameplay. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manifold Key|TSR|398" href="#" target="_blank">Manifold Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be exchanged for any of those Equipment I mentioned. Sadly, I rarely reach the seven mana to cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Battlesphere|DDU|57" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Battlesphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The rest of the swaps will require some hard choices, but some likely candidates will be four-mana creatures competing to be cast on the same turn as Delina.</p>
<h2>Digging a Hole</h2>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/ytWz0qVvBZ0?si=_ijXrHLVYh-bGVjS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brothers of the mine, rejoice!</a> A playset of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seven Dwarves" href="#" target="_blank">Seven Dwarves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been living rent free in my head and card collection since 2019. I had these cards in very early drafts of my Delina deck, but I cut them for token producers. If I'm being completely honest, I love the flavor of the card, but deep down I know bulk common bears need more upside to dig in for the win in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seven Dwarves"></div></div>
<p>Recently, <a href="https://cardgamer.com/author/stevenseiter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steven Seiter</a> of EDHREC sister site Card Gamer mentioned the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spy Kit" href="#" target="_blank">Spy Kit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I realized it's a pseudo-anthem for Seven Dwarves. Then I remembered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychic Paper" href="#" target="_blank">Psychic Paper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Universes Beyond: Doctor Who</em> also manipulates card names. It all happened so fast; one moment I was casually conversing on Discord, and the next I was adding cards to my <a href="http://www.cardsphere.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cardsphere</a> wants. One thing led to anther and I sleeved up my playset of Seven Dwarves for a Bracketeering sideboard.</p>
<div id="attachment_149923" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-149923" class="wp-image-149923 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-1024x551.jpg" alt="A sleeved deck with Delina, Wild Mage in the Command Zone, and a Seven Dwarves sideboard displayed face up." width="1024" height="551" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-1024x551.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-300x161.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-768x413.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-1536x826.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-2048x1102.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-149923" class="wp-caption-text">These bad boys will be looking for games on Spelltable soon.</p></div>
<p>I'm not ready to put down the shovel yet. If I'm going to sideboard for an Exhibition (1) game, I need to know what stays in the deck and what I'm siding out. The bracket guidelines call for few tutors in the lower brackets. In the Exhibition (1) bracket specifically, I believe tutors should narrowly support the theme of the deck. My <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gamble" href="#" target="_blank">Gamble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will stay in the sideboard, because it's a Game Changer and because it's too broad. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperial Recruiter|MH2|281" href="#" target="_blank">Imperial Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in the main deck and it can stay there, because the power limitation narrowly includes my Seven Dwarves. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dwarven Recruiter|ODY|186" href="#" target="_blank">Dwarven Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pattern Matcher" href="#" target="_blank">Pattern Matcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are siding in.</p>
<p>In total, I need to side out 11 cards from the main deck. Conveniently, I have seven creature cards in the main deck that produce creature tokens. Those seven will swap right out for the Seven Dwarves. Of the remaining four swaps, one of these should be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko&#039;s Buzzcrusher|MKM|136" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko&#039;s Buzzcrusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; it's not true Mass Land Denial, but it's MLD-adjacent. I'm also siding out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frenzied Fugue|C16|18" href="#" target="_blank">Frenzied Fugue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar|CMR|188" href="#" target="_blank">Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dire Fleet Daredevil|RIX|99" href="#" target="_blank">Dire Fleet Daredevil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>LFG</h2>
<p>This sideboard is only 18 cards. Eleven of them are specifically for the Exhibition (1) Seven Dwarves theme. There's only seven cards specifically included for Upgraded (3) games. Playtesting will tell if that's enough.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bracketeering Delina Sideboard" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Creatures]
*1 Dwarven Recruiter
*1 Pattern Matcher
*1 Port Razer
*7 Seven Dwarves
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Prowler&#039;s Helm
*1 Psychic Paper
*1 Spy Kit
*1 Trailblazer&#039;s Boots
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Gamble
*1 Seize the Day
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aggravated Assault
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>
<p>I'm more excited than ever to play this deck. There's room to grow, and I'm hoping to eventually fill the Sideboard out to 25 cards.</p>
<p><em>Bracketeering</em> will be back later this month with a sideboard for a recent precon. If you have suggestions for my Delina Sideboard, or a deck you'd like to see in this series, then tell us in the comments below.</p>


bracket 1

The Wandering Minstrel Exhibition Deck Tech

Adapting Your Decks to the Exhibition Bracket (1)

Building Delina, Wild Mage for Multiple Commander Brackets