From the Brim to the Trim - Pinging Budgets and Stinging Opponents Alike

<p style="text-align: right;">(Sliver Gravemother | Art by <a href="http://www.rahnart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Rahn</a>)</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of the Scrap Trawlers Precon Upgrade Guides! I’m Bert and I’m here to help you upgrade the Sliver Swarm precon on a budget. Last time we talked about general strategies that were included in the deck, so now we'll go over some cards that we can change to increase the synergies in the deck. Let’s get into the deck list, shall we?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Silver Swarm" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sliver Gravemother
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Icon of Ancestry
*1 Pillar of Origins
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Blade Sliver
*1 Blur Sliver
*1 Bonescythe Sliver
*1 Bonesplitter Sliver
*1 Brood Sliver
*1 Capricious Sliver
*1 Cleaving Sliver
*1 Clot Sliver
*1 Cloudshredder Sliver
*1 Constricting Sliver
*1 Crypt Sliver
*1 Crystalline Sliver
*1 Diffusion Sliver
*1 Firewake Sliver
*1 Galerider Sliver
*1 Gemhide Sliver
*1 Harmonic Sliver
*1 Hatchery Sliver
*1 Hibernation Sliver
*1 Hollowhead Sliver
*1 Lavabelly Sliver
*1 Lazotep Sliver
*1 Manaweft Sliver
*1 Megantic Sliver
*1 Might Sliver
*1 Necrotic Sliver
*1 Quick Sliver
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Regal Sliver
*1 Rukarumel, Biologist
*1 Sentinel Sliver
*1 Shifting Sliver
*1 Sinew Sliver
*1 Sliver Hivelord
*1 Spiteful Sliver
*1 Striking Sliver
*1 Synapse Sliver
*1 Syphon Sliver
*1 Taunting Sliver
*1 Titan of Littjara
*1 Two-Headed Sliver
*1 Venom Sliver
*1 Winged Sliver
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Crippling Fear
*1 Cultivate
*1 Decimate
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Farseek
*1 Harsh Mercy
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Three Visits
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Descendants&#039; Fury
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 For the Ancestors
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flood Plain
*3 Forest
*1 Frontier Bivouac
*1 Grasslands
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*2 Island
*1 Jungle Shrine
*2 Mountain
*1 Mountain Valley
*1 Mystic Monastery
*1 Nomad Outpost
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Path of Ancestry
*2 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Rocky Tar Pit
*1 Sandsteppe Citadel
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Scattered Groves
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sunken Hollow
*2 Swamp
*1 Unclaimed Territory
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Swarmyard</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sliver Gravemother"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before we get into the upgrades let’s go over our face commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sliver Gravemother" href="#" target="_blank">Sliver Gravemother</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Sliver typal commander that gives us access to all five colors. This gives us a multitude of support cards that we can use and we need to get some of those to aid in our strategy. Sliver Gravemother gives us the option to give the Slivers in our graveyard Encore X. This makes it so we have a backup strategy later in the game where we can make and copy our strongest buff in the yard for the turn. As I stated in the Primer, this deck has a solid creature suite, but the support cards could use a bit of work. Making the deck more consistent is my goal so that we can have an easier time throughout the game. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supporting The Swarm</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are a few cards that I would like to get added to the deck so that we can smooth out the experience. One of the cards that I love for the deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elven Chorus" href="#" target="_blank">Elven Chorus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It’s four mana but it gives us both card advantage and mana fixing, which the deck sorely needs in its current iteration. To further help with the mana of the deck, let’s also add a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> so that we can have access to all our colors and get a bit of ramp out of the exchange. To get a bit more card advantage, I'm also adding in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horn of the Mark" href="#" target="_blank">Horn of the Mark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> so that we get rewarded for being the aggro deck that we want to be.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elven Chorus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Horn of the Mark"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next we're going to add some basic draw spells so that we can more consistently hit our land drops and spells. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chart a Course" href="#" target="_blank">Chart a Course</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Painful Truths" href="#" target="_blank">Painful Truths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shamanic Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Shamanic Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> go a long way to give us some consistent draws and make it so that our deck plays a bit more consistently. Card draw is a vital part of an aggro deck, making it so that we always have gas in the tank to overrun our opponents.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chart a Course"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Painful Truths"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shamanic Revelation"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, there are a couple of cards that I want to add because they're neat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhythm of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Rhythm of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a haste enabler and gives us a way to pump our creatures so that they can have a stronger presence. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Patriarch’s Bidding" href="#" target="_blank">Patriarch’s Bidding</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does an impression of Sliver Gravemother and brings back our Slivers from the graveyard, giving it a high ceiling for us. I also wanted extra ramp and removal, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pir’s Whim" href="#" target="_blank">Pir’s Whim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be both. It gives us any land while getting rid of artifacts or enchantments on our opponents' side of the board.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Swarm Adjacent</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here we’ll go over some of the cards that'll be cut from the deck. First on my list is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crippling Fear" href="#" target="_blank">Crippling Fear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's a subpar board wipe that won’t remove our opponents' creatures if they get too big, so I would rather have a card that would definitely deal with the problem. The next card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decimate" href="#" target="_blank">Decimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has the problem of having to have four different targets. It's a dead card if, for example, there are no enchantments on the board. Or an unfortunate card if you control the only enchantment and really don't want to destroy it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Descendants’ Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Descendants’ Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit lackluster to me. It seems to reward us for being ahead and incentivizes us to give up our board state for a random creature for our deck. This just isn't how I prefer to play the game, so I would like to avoid it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crippling Fear"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Decimate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Descendants’ Fury"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card I'm not exactly happy to see as well. We do have a commander that cares a bit about the graveyard but it isn't the general strategy that we're doing, so I feel this is a wasted slot. I’m also cutting some of the redundant Slivers to make a bit of space for support for the deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonesplitter Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Bonesplitter Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have other cards in the deck that do what they do, but better. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next let's go over what I would do with the deck if there was no budget.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Budget Breaking Swarm</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here at Scrap Trawlers we're a budget focused group, but this deck being five colors means the mana base lends itself to being more expensive. In particular one of the first upgrades you can do here is Shock lands, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Steam Vents" href="#" target="_blank">Steam Vents</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hallowed Fountain" href="#" target="_blank">Hallowed Fountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, etc. Fixing the mana issues in this deck should be your first priority. Even going as far as running the Pain lands that represent our three highest colors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Steam Vents"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hallowed Fountain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Crypt"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We need a couple of protection spells that actually got reprints in the main set. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flawless Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Flawless Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are some amazing spells that can give our board that staying power that it needs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, I am yet again asking for a typal deck that comes with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The draw power is just astounding, so it’s an inclusion that needs to be considered in the deck.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sliver Lineup</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here is our modified list:</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Silver Swarm" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sliver Gravemother
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Horn of the Mark
*1 Pillar of Origins
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Blade Sliver
*1 Blur Sliver
*1 Bonescythe Sliver
*1 Bonesplitter Sliver
*1 Brood Sliver
*1 Capricious Sliver
*1 Cleaving Sliver
*1 Clot Sliver
*1 Cloudshredder Sliver
*1 Constricting Sliver
*1 Crystalline Sliver
*1 Diffusion Sliver
*1 Firewake Sliver
*1 Galerider Sliver
*1 Gemhide Sliver
*1 Harmonic Sliver
*1 Hatchery Sliver
*1 Hibernation Sliver
*1 Hollowhead Sliver
*1 Lavabelly Sliver
*1 Lazotep Sliver
*1 Manaweft Sliver
*1 Might Sliver
*1 Necrotic Sliver
*1 Quick Sliver
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Regal Sliver
*1 Sentinel Sliver
*1 Shifting Sliver
*1 Sinew Sliver
*1 Sliver Hivelord
*1 Spiteful Sliver
*1 Striking Sliver
*1 Synapse Sliver
*1 Syphon Sliver
*1 Taunting Sliver
*1 Titan of Littjara
*1 Two-Headed Sliver
*1 Venom Sliver
*1 Winged Sliver
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Chart a Course
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Cultivate
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Farseek
*1 Harsh Mercy
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Painful Truths
*1 Patriarch&#039;s Bidding
*1 Pir&#039;s Whim
*1 Shamanic Revelation
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Elven Chorus
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flood Plain
*3 Forest
*1 Frontier Bivouac
*1 Grasslands
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*2 Island
*1 Jungle Shrine
*2 Mountain
*1 Mountain Valley
*1 Mystic Monastery
*1 Nomad Outpost
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Path of Ancestry
*2 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Rocky Tar Pit
*1 Sandsteppe Citadel
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Scattered Groves
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sunken Hollow
*2 Swamp
*1 Unclaimed Territory
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is probably one of the more challenging decks that I've done, so let me know what you think about the upgrades and the deck in general.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure to check back for more precon guides from us Scrap Trawlers. You can also check out our budget content over on </span><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/scraptrawlers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Twitch</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/scraptrawlers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube,</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and follow us on </span><a href="https://twitter.com/scraptrawlers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Don’t forget to upgrade your precon on a budget!</span></p>


Sliver Swarm - Upgrade Guide

<p style="text-align: right;">(Sliver Gravemother | Art by <a href="http://www.rahnart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Rahn</a>)</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello everyone! I’m Bert from the Scrap Trawlers, where we do EDH on a budget. Today we're taking a look at the Sliver Swarm precon from <em>Commander Masters</em>. Our face commander this time around is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sliver Gravemother" href="#" target="_blank">Sliver Gravemother</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes our deck Sliver typal. As always, let’s go over how the deck plays, the strengths and weaknesses, and which new and reprinted cards are worth chasing. Let’s get into it!</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Mother’s Love</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sliver Gravemother"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s give our face commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sliver Gravemother" href="#" target="_blank">Sliver Gravemother</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another glance, shall we? She's a five-mana, five-color commander, and her first line of text is that the “legend rule” doesn't apply to Slivers you control. This has some powerful synergies with Slivers as they have strong legendary creatures at their disposal.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next line of text gives each Sliver in our graveyard </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Encore </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">X, where X is its mana value. This enables some amazing recursion for our deck that already has a dynamic board presence. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, she has Encore herself, allowing you to get an additional use out of her rather than immediately sending her into the command zone. Silver Gravemother wants to be played a bit later in the game so that we can profit off of the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Encore </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">ability and give our Slivers even more effects from one another.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s go ahead and take a look at the list. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Silver Swarm" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sliver Gravemother
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Icon of Ancestry
*1 Pillar of Origins
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Blade Sliver
*1 Blur Sliver
*1 Bonescythe Sliver
*1 Bonesplitter Sliver
*1 Brood Sliver
*1 Capricious Sliver
*1 Cleaving Sliver
*1 Clot Sliver
*1 Cloudshredder Sliver
*1 Constricting Sliver
*1 Crypt Sliver
*1 Crystalline Sliver
*1 Diffusion Sliver
*1 Firewake Sliver
*1 Galerider Sliver
*1 Gemhide Sliver
*1 Harmonic Sliver
*1 Hatchery Sliver
*1 Hibernation Sliver
*1 Hollowhead Sliver
*1 Lavabelly Sliver
*1 Lazotep Sliver
*1 Manaweft Sliver
*1 Megantic Sliver
*1 Might Sliver
*1 Necrotic Sliver
*1 Quick Sliver
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Regal Sliver
*1 Rukarumel, Biologist
*1 Sentinel Sliver
*1 Shifting Sliver
*1 Sinew Sliver
*1 Sliver Hivelord
*1 Spiteful Sliver
*1 Striking Sliver
*1 Synapse Sliver
*1 Syphon Sliver
*1 Taunting Sliver
*1 Titan of Littjara
*1 Two-Headed Sliver
*1 Venom Sliver
*1 Winged Sliver
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Crippling Fear
*1 Cultivate
*1 Decimate
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Farseek
*1 Harsh Mercy
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Three Visits
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Descendants&#039; Fury
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 For the Ancestors
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flood Plain
*3 Forest
*1 Frontier Bivouac
*1 Grasslands
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*2 Island
*1 Jungle Shrine
*2 Mountain
*1 Mountain Valley
*1 Mystic Monastery
*1 Nomad Outpost
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Path of Ancestry
*2 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Rocky Tar Pit
*1 Sandsteppe Citadel
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Scattered Groves
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sunken Hollow
*2 Swamp
*1 Unclaimed Territory
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With this list we have a good setup for a Slivers deck that has the power to swarm the board. Slivers in particular are a creature type that excels with multiple creatures on the board that provide a buff to all of the creatures.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s go ahead and get specific in what our deck's strengths are!</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Slithering Swarm</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harmonic Sliver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Two-headed Sliver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manaweft Sliver"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having an astonishing 43 creatures in the deck, it’s safe to say that we are an aggro deck that aims to spread our creatures around the board so that we can overrun our opponents. The average mana value this time around is 3.13, which is really good out of the box.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So how do the vital parts of the deck fare? Well, let's go ahead and talk about the elephant in the room. The mana base leaves much to be desired. The amount of tap-lands (lands that enter the battlefield tapped) that we have really slows down what is supposed to be an aggressive and low-to-the-ground deck. On that same note, the deck does have a decent bit of ramp, but for a five-color deck, I want to see more. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">We have some of the typical green staples, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature’s Lore" href="#" target="_blank">Nature’s Lore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farseek" href="#" target="_blank">Farseek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so that's a good start.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next, we're missing a consistent form of card draw in the deck. Included is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanquisher’s banner" href="#" target="_blank">Vanquisher’s banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which over the course of the game will draw us a vast amount of cards, but it’s the only recurring card draw that doesn't revolve around combat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald’s Horn" href="#" target="_blank">Herald’s Horn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does its best, but giving us card draw is only half of what we want this card to do for us. Some good board wipes are included that'll see our Slivers live and prosper. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harsh Mercy" href="#" target="_blank">Harsh Mercy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be great unless our opponent is in a typal deck like we are. We also have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crippling Fear" href="#" target="_blank">Crippling Fear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleansing Nova" href="#" target="_blank">Cleansing Nova</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are great options when it comes to board wipes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is probably the first time in a while that I'm a bit disappointed with a precon out of the box. Once again I'm asking for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reprint in a typal deck that is aggressive and cares about specific creature types. The mana base needs a bit of an upgrade, even if that's just including a few more basics and fetches, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terramorphic Expanse" href="#" target="_blank">Terramorphic Expanse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolving Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Evolving Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I will go into more detail into what can be fixed in my Upgrade Guide so be on the lookout for that. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So what <em>am</em> I happy with? Well, the creature suite is solid and our number of board wipes is right. We just need a bit more help in the other departments to make the deck flow a bit more. Enough about the negatives though, let’s take a look at those sweet new Commander cards that were printed in this deck. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">New to the Swarm</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We have ten new cards this time around, including Sliver Gravemother, so let’s go over all of them. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rukarumel, Biologist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Capricious Sliver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lazotep Sliver"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The alternate commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rukarumel, Biologist" href="#" target="_blank">Rukarumel, Biologist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who allows you to create a typal deck for the type of your choice. They make it so that nontoken creatures you control and creature spells that you cast are the selected type, as well as all Slivers you control. I'm interested to see lists for this commander once everyone starts to brew.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Capricious Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Capricious Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a four-mana Sliver that gives our Slivers the ability to impulse draw when they deal combat damage to a player. I'm a huge fan of this Sliver and the potential that it has. I mean, if you </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Encore</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it and get copies, it just provides a massive amount of card advantage. Next is another one of my favorite new cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lazotep Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Lazotep Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card is a powerhouse by itself. Not only does it protect our board against wipes by making it so that we Amass whenever a Sliver dies, but it also gives Slivers we control </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Afflict </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">2</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which disincentivizes our opponents from blocking. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Regal Sliver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titan of Littjara"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hatchery Sliver"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some additional cards that make this deck stand out have to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hatchery Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Hatchery Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titan of Littjara" href="#" target="_blank">Titan of Littjara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. When it comes to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hatchery Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Hatchery Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Replicate is a powerful effect that lets us double up on buffs in the late game. It can come down early, but really shines during later turns where you actually have the mana to replicate your spells. I am a huge fan of the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monarch </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adding it to the game is just what I love to see. It also makes it easier to take the Monarch back, which is not always the case. Next we have our typal titan, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titan of Littjara" href="#" target="_blank">Titan of Littjara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, giving us a bit of card draw on entering the battlefield and attacks. I'm not a huge fan of this, but the amount of cards you can draw off of it in this deck is nothing to scoff at. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Descendants’ Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="For the Ancestors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Taunting Sliver"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Descendants’ Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Descendants’ Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="For the Ancestors" href="#" target="_blank">For the Ancestors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taunting Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Taunting Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taunting Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Taunting Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is strong, as it gives us the ability to Goad our opponents' creatures and open them up from an attack from our buffed up Slivers. If I've learned one thing this year, it’s how powerful G</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">oad</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can be when you have multiple instances of it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="For the Ancestors" href="#" target="_blank">For the Ancestors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fine card, but I would honestly just prefer that it be a card draw spell. It does have the added benefit of having F</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">lashback</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which allows us to use it an additional time. [/el]Descendants’ Fury[/el] is a weird card as it has you give up your board presence for a chance to get something a bit more powerful. If we had a lower number of creatures and knew what we would get off of it, I think it would be a lot better, but with 43 creatures it’s a bit too random for me. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Returned to the Horde</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the new cards also comes the return of some old ones. One I am sure that people are excited to see is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sliver Hivelord" href="#" target="_blank">Sliver Hivelord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's a very powerful card, giving our Sliver creatures some protection in the form of indestructible. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seeing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudshredder Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudshredder Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brings me joy as it's a powerful and efficient card giving our Slivers two notable abilities. I've already talked about the ramp package reprints <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature’s Lore" href="#" target="_blank">Nature’s Lore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farseek" href="#" target="_blank">Farseek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are always welcome to show up in products such as this. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanquisher’s Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Vanquisher’s Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a great card to see included.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sliver Hivelord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudshredder Sliver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vanquisher’s Banner"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Overall, we could have used some more noteworthy reprints, but we definitely have a bunch of Slivers that were included that I haven’t mentioned. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Final Thoughts</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While it’s not my favorite deck, I like what the Sliver Swarm precon is trying to do. The deck has some synergies built in even though it's missing a bit of the gears that make the deck tick. Be sure to let me know what </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">you</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> think about the deck in the comments below. Come back next time so we can go over some upgrades for the deck. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure to check back for more precon guides from us Scrap Trawlers. The other Trawlers are coming up with the guides for the other decks, so be sure to check them out. You can also check out our budget content over on </span><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/scraptrawlers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Twitch</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/scraptrawlers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and follow us on </span><a href="https://twitter.com/scraptrawlers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>


Sliver Swarm - Precon Primer

Enduring Enchantments - Upgrade Guide

From the Brim to the Trim - Flooding Budgets and Wrenching Opponents Alike!

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(Zhulodok, Void Gorger | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lasahido" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lius Lasahido</a>)</h6>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello friends! Andy from the Scrap Trawlers here. As always, there’s a new set coming out next week, and that means we’ve got precons to talk about!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/eldrazi-unbound-precon-primer/">last article</a> we looked at the new colorless precon, Eldrazi Unbound, from Commander Masters. We saw that the deck is very slow due to its top-heavy mana curve. Unfortunately, high mana value cards are necessary to make the deck work. So how can we fix it? Spoiler alert: not easily. Dear reader, this is the most difficult precon upgrade I’ve ever done.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the original decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Eldrazi Unbound Precon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zhulodok, Void Gorger
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Abstruse Archaic
*1 Ancient Stone Idol
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Bane of Bala Ged
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Duplicant
*1 Endbringer
*1 Endless One
*1 Flayer of Loyalties
*1 Geode Golem
*1 Hangarback Walker
*1 It That Betrays
*1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
*1 Matter Reshaper
*1 Metalwork Colossus
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Myriad Construct
*1 Oblivion Sower
*1 Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Palladium Myr
*1 Phyrexian Triniform
*1 Scaretiller
*1 Skittering Cicada
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Soul of New Phyrexia
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Stonecoil Serpent
*1 Suspicious Bookcase
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 All Is Dust
*1 Calamity of the Titans
*1 Rise of the Eldrazi
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Darksteel Monolith
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Forsaken Monument
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Investigator&#039;s Journal
*1 Kaldra Compleat
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mazemind Tome
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Mystic Forge
*1 Perilous Vault
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Transmogrifying Wand
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Desecrate Reality
*1 Not of This World
*1 Spatial Contortion
*1 Titan&#039;s Presence
*1 Warping Wail
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Ugin&#039;s Mastery
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Blast Zone
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Eldrazi Temple
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Mage-Ring Network
*1 Mirrorpool
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Ruins of Oran-Rief
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Sea Gate Wreckage
*1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
*1 Tyrite Sanctum
*1 Urza&#039;s Mine
*1 Urza&#039;s Power Plant
*1 Urza&#039;s Tower
*1 War Room
*15 Wastes
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gotta Be Big</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zhulodok, Void Gorger"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This colorless monstrosity is led by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zhulodok, Void Gorger" href="#" target="_blank">Zhulodok, Void Gorger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a 7/4 Eldrazi that gives our big spells Cascade twice. So we’re trying to get value out of casting our big mana spells, which unfortunately means we have to have a lot of them in the deck to function. The precon packs 15 spells with mana value seven or higher, plus a few X spells. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The backup commander doesn’t make things any easier. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate" href="#" target="_blank">Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> costs XX and has power/toughness X, and gets a +1/+1 counters occasionally. Then some other stuff happens when Omarthis dies. But we’re not worrying about that, because we’d have to completely revamp the deck to make Omarthis work as the commander. Which we’re not doing. In fact, let’s just get this out of the way. Omarthis is getting cut. But we’ll talk more about that later.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deck needs to go faster. But to do that, especially without spending a ton of money, we need to lower the mana curve, which means taking out some high-cost spells, which means triggering Zhulodok less often, which means less value. It’s a real tightrope we’re walking on here, reader. But I’m gonna do my best, because I just love you all so much. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gorging</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So let’s talk about the cards we’re adding. One thing the precon was lacking was cheap and efficient card draw. But since we’re colorless, we can’t get cheap and efficient without some kind of drawback. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eye of Vecna" href="#" target="_blank">Eye of Vecna</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can draw us an extra card every turn, but at the cost of life and mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zenith Chronicler" href="#" target="_blank">Zenith Chronicler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will also draw us a bunch of cards (your whole deck if you’re playing against <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aragorn, the Uniter" href="#" target="_blank">Aragorn, the Uniter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), but it’ll draw cards for your opponents as well.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eye of Vecna"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zenith Chronicler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lithoform Engine"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The precon had a bit of a copy sub-theme, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirage Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Mirage Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abstruse Archaic" href="#" target="_blank">Abstruse Archaic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so I thought we’d benefit from playing into that a little more. So in goes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lithoform Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Lithoform Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strionic Resonator" href="#" target="_blank">Strionic Resonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both cards will require extra mana, but with all the triggered abilities in the deck, I think they’re going to be worth it. And for getting value from copying your opponents’ spells, we’re also adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wandering Archaic" href="#" target="_blank">Wandering Archaic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Cuz sometimes we wanna <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> too, you know?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanctum of Ugin" href="#" target="_blank">Sanctum of Ugin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just seems like a no-brainer, and a weird thing to exclude from the precon. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wondrous Crucible" href="#" target="_blank">Wondrous Crucible</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives our stuff some extra protection, while also getting us value out of the graveyard. And in the “I just think it’s neat” category, we’ve got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectrum Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Spectrum Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Why? Cuz he’s gonna gain you a ton of life, and he can block multicolored creatures all day long.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wandering Archaic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wondrous Crucible"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spectrum Sentinel"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s eight cards added, and we only spent about $11.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Purging</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now it’s time to see what we’re cutting. If you read the Primer, you know that I was a bit miffed at the inclusion of X spells in this Cascade deck. So, you know what? They’re all gone. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Endless One" href="#" target="_blank">Endless One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hangarback Walker" href="#" target="_blank">Hangarback Walker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stonecoil Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Stonecoil Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate" href="#" target="_blank">Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All gone. See ya.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Endless One"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hangarback Walker"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exiling everything leads to very unfun games. So <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Calamity of the Titans" href="#" target="_blank">Calamity of the Titans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Perilous Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Perilous Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are getting the axe. And because the removal suite is still overstuffed even after these are taken out, I’m tossing out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duplicant" href="#" target="_blank">Duplicant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as well.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And last up for the purge is one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wastes" href="#" target="_blank">Wastes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to make way for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanctum of Ugin" href="#" target="_blank">Sanctum of Ugin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Calamity of the Titans"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Perilous Vault"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duplicant"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the updated decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Eldrazi Unbound Upgrade" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zhulodok, Void Gorger
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Abstruse Archaic
*1 Ancient Stone Idol
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Bane of Bala Ged
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Endbringer
*1 Flayer of Loyalties
*1 Geode Golem
*1 It That Betrays
*1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
*1 Matter Reshaper
*1 Metalwork Colossus
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Myriad Construct
*1 Oblivion Sower
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Palladium Myr
*1 Phyrexian Triniform
*1 Scaretiller
*1 Skittering Cicada
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Soul of New Phyrexia
*1 Spectrum Sentinel
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Suspicious Bookcase
*1 Wandering Archaic // Explore the Vastlands
*1 Zenith Chronicler
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Darksteel Monolith
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Eye of Vecna
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Forsaken Monument
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Investigator&#039;s Journal
*1 Kaldra Compleat
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Lithoform Engine
*1 Mazemind Tome
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Mystic Forge
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Strionic Resonator
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Transmogrifying Wand
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Wondrous Crucible
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 All Is Dust
*1 Rise of the Eldrazi
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Desecrate Reality
*1 Not of This World
*1 Spatial Contortion
*1 Titan&#039;s Presence
*1 Warping Wail
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalkers]
[Enchantments]
*1 Ugin&#039;s Mastery
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Blast Zone
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Eldrazi Temple
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Mage-Ring Network
*1 Mirrorpool
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Ruins of Oran-Rief
*1 Sanctum of Ugin
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Sea Gate Wreckage
*1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
*1 Tyrite Sanctum
*1 Urza&#039;s Mine
*1 Urza&#039;s Power Plant
*1 Urza&#039;s Tower
*1 War Room
*14 Wastes
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Big Spenders</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unsurprisingly, this deck is a lot easier to upgrade without a budget. With no restrictions, we can flesh out the land package with winners like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Tomb" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Tomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Field of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inventors’ Fair" href="#" target="_blank">Inventors’ Fair</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eye of Ugin" href="#" target="_blank">Eye of Ugin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Tomb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Field of the Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eye of Ugin"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can control what we Cascade into with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei’s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei’s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scroll Rack" href="#" target="_blank">Scroll Rack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can protect our commander against pretty much everything with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander’s Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Commander’s Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can make all of our artifacts way cheaper with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycosynth Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Mycosynth Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sensei’s Divining Top"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander’s Plate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mycosynth Golem"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And we can even make a bunch of extra mana with Reserved List all-star <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metalworker" href="#" target="_blank">Metalworker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look Into the Void</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Did we improve this deck? Hard to tell. By taking out the X spells, we actually raised the average mana value up to 4.74. That’s kinda the opposite direction from where we wanted to go, but we did add some more card draw and more ways to copy Zhulodok’s Cascade triggers. So the value is most definitely improved. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this deck, there’s almost no way to make it faster on a budget. But if you wanna throw in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Crypt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and <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>s, be my guest. You do you, my friends.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s it for Eldrazi Unbound! What did you think of this deck? Was I too harsh on it? Is it an overpriced lump of colorless junk? Hit me up in the comments and let me know. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t forget to check out all of our other <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/scrap-trawlers/">precon guides</a>. And remember to budget…before you buy it.</span></p>


Eldrazi Unbound - Upgrade Guide

Planeswalker Party - Precon Primer

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.olivierbernard-art.com/">Olivier Bernard</a></h6>
<h1>Brewing Xcitement</h1>
<p>Hello fellow brewer, and welcome back to <em>Brew for your Buck</em>, where we swap out the top 10 most expensive cards in a deck with 10 budget cards that add a unique twist. This time, I want to take a look at a deck I was toying around with last year but haven't pulled the trigger to build just yet. Gruul is a tough color combination for me to get excited about. Looking at the most popular themes for the color pair, none inspire me much besides <em>Landfall</em>, but I've already sold my soul to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog Monster" href="#" target="_blank">almighty amphibian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I finally found some inspiration though when looking for a non-Izzet spellslinging commander:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wort, the Raidmother"></div></div>
<p>Wort asks for a deck with a balance of creatures and spells (not unlike our <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brew-for-your-buck-tap-down-flashback/">Katilda and Lier deck</a>), which can be difficult to do. Fortunately, her average list is filled with a bunch of spells that make creatures à la <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Fodder" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Fodder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Because of this, we see a lot of token payoff with her, but yet another token deck is not very inspiring (at least not to me). The inspiring part is what those tokens do with Wort on the battlefield: copying our spells with <em>Conspire.</em> There are plenty of generically powerful spells to copy in the deck already, but this is <em>Brew for your Buck</em>! We want a <strong><em>theme</em></strong>, which you may have already guessed from my not-so-subtle title.</p>
<p>That's right, we're copying X spells. There are a few sprinkled in already, but we're going to really lean into them today. Once the X spell is on the stack, copying it means whatever the value of X is, essentially doubling your invested mana. Another bonus with this deck is that the original list only costs $151, so we have an excellent chance of getting it below $100.</p>
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($19.26)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($12.54)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Awaken the Woods" href="#" target="_blank">Awaken the Woods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($11.71)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptolith Rite" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptolith Rite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($9.93)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Amulet" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Amulet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($8.79)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urabrask" href="#" target="_blank">Urabrask</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($8.38)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Second Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Second Harvest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($6.10)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vexing Shusher" href="#" target="_blank">Vexing Shusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($4.68)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm-Kiln Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Storm-Kiln Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($4.06)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($4.00)</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<p style="padding-left: 200px; text-align: left;"><strong>Total Value of Cuts: $89.45</strong></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stomping Ground" href="#" target="_blank">Stomping Ground</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the only land that would make this list, so swapping that out (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dwarven Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Dwarven Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.23) is a great option since it usually comes with a creature) brings our total savings to <strong>$98.66</strong>.</p>
<h2>Additions</h2>
<p>There are plenty of X spells in the game to add, and we've seen recent inklings of more support for the archetype outside of just <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rosheen Meanderer" href="#" target="_blank">Rosheen Meanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h3>Xtreme Weather</h3>
<p>One thing I quickly noticed about these X spells is that many of them depict natural disasters if not a full on e(x)tinction level event. We already have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Comet Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Comet Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so let's add its friends <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.09) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.28). Copying either with even a little bit invested into the X should kill pretty much any creatures or planeswalkers you need, and the latter can even hit players. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hurricane" href="#" target="_blank">Hurricane</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.20) is a classic, and cheesing out a win with a green burn spell (that you can copy) is even more hilarious. It won't hit any of our creatures or tokens since none of them have flying, but it <em>will</em> hit our life total, so pick your timing carefully unless you want to draw the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meteor Swarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meteor Blast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hurricane"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Xtra Value</h3>
<p>This deck e(x)cels at trading up on resources, generating effective card advantage by copying spells with many targets. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="By Force" href="#" target="_blank">By Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.56) is my favorite budget replacement for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vandalblast" href="#" target="_blank">Vandalblast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it gets even better here. There are always artifacts lying around, and picking off the critical ones can go along way to furthering your gameplan or currying some political favor with the rest of the table. Besides <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Regrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this deck has basically no recursion, something I always want more of in my decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reap the Past" href="#" target="_blank">Reap the Past</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.34) is not ideal for grabbing something specific out of your graveyard, but once copied it does a pretty good impression of drawing you a fresh hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="By Force"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reap the Past"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Xponential Tokens</strong></h3>
<p>While we're focused on X spells for our budget package, we can't ignore the fact that our token generation is also integral to the deck's plan. We already have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arasta of the Endless Web" href="#" target="_blank">Arasta</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so we can add essentially another copy with our "not exactly budget" card: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonlair Spider" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonlair Spider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($3.04). Why make tokens ourselves when our opponents can do the work for us? The Spider is a red AND green creature, which are high value since they don't limit spells we can <em>Conspire</em>. We also get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tears of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Tears of Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.14), a relatively unknown instant that screams alpha strike. Swing with all but two of your creatures, cast and copy it, and kill the table before the end step trigger even happens. It also has an X in the rules text so it kind of counts for the theme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlair Spider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tears of Rage"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Mana Xcceleration</strong></h3>
<p>We'll wrap up with some ways to generate more mana. After all, we have a six mana commander and we want to dump as much value into the X on all of these spells as possible. An obvious addition is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nexos" href="#" target="_blank">Nexos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.33), a creature from the <em>Warhammer 40k</em> decks that goes well with our mana base full of basic lands. In the same vein, Elementalist's Palette ($1.61) is another obvious inclusion here, helping us amplify successive X spells in later turns. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animist&#039;s Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Animist&#039;s Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($1.14) goes perfectly here too, dumping a ton of lands onto the battlefield, and with so many instants and sorceries in the deck, we'll easily turn on <em>Spell Mastery</em> and get to untap them as well.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nexos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elementalist&#039;s Palette"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Animist&#039;s Awakening"></div></div>
<h3></h3>
<h2>Wrap Up and Savings</h2>
<p>Let's e(x)amine what we saved:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Picture1.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-101450 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Picture1.png" alt="" width="413" height="305" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Picture1.png 355w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Picture1-300x221.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 413px) 100vw, 413px" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As e(x)pected, we dropped the deck down to way under $100. One gameplay note: copying the spells with <em>Conspire</em> doesn't cast them, so your <em>Storm</em> cards are not going to get better the more spells you copy in a turn. However, if you use <em>Conspire</em> to copy the original <em>Storm</em> spell, that will work the way you want it to, essentially doubling the <em>Storm</em> count without having to cast anything.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="X Gonna Give it to Ya" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Wort, the Raidmother
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Animist&#039;s Awakening
*1 By Force
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Chatterstorm
*1 Cultivate
*1 Dragon Fodder
*1 Empty the Warrens
*1 Escape to the Wilds
*1 Harmonize
*1 Harvest Season
*1 Hordeling Outburst
*1 Hurricane
*1 Jaya&#039;s Immolating Inferno
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Krenko&#039;s Command
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Meteor Blast
*1 Meteor Swarm
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Open the Way
*1 Ral&#039;s Reinforcements
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Reap the Past
*1 Regrowth
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Shamanic Revelation
*1 Titania&#039;s Command
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Wrenn&#039;s Resolve
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Arasta of the Endless Web
*1 Avenger of Zendikar
*1 Dragonlair Spider
*1 Dualcaster Mage
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Fyndhorn Elves
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Nexos
*1 Siege-Gang Commander
*1 Young Pyromancer
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Elementalist&#039;s Palette
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Twinning Staff
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Artifact Mutation
*1 Battle Hymn
*1 Beast Within
*1 Big Score
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Comet Storm
*1 Display of Power
*1 Harrow
*1 Increasing Vengeance
*1 Manamorphose
*1 Reverberate
*1 Seething Song
*1 Tears of Rage
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 You See a Pair of Goblins
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 City on Fire
*1 Double Vision
*1 Impact Tremors
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Xenagos, the Reveler
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*9 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Khalni Garden
*14 Mountain
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 Wooded Ridgeline
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I'd love to hear from you about the deck! Are there any cool X spells I missed? Should we build a deck based around natural disasters? Any secret spell copying tech we should add? Let me know in the comments, and I'll see you next time when we brew for your buck!</p>
<p>Follow me on Twitter @BrewForYourBuck</p>
<p><em>Please note: card prices listed in this article are accurate at the time of writing, but prices can vary over time and between locations.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Brew For Your Buck - X Gonna Give it to Ya

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commodore Guff" href="#" target="_blank">Commodore Guff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.matthew-stewart.com/">Matt Stewart</a></h6>
<h1><strong>Party Rock Anthem</strong></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Welcome back! This is Lenny from the Scrap Trawlers channel, where we do EDH on a budget. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">It seems like everyday I'm shuffling up a new Commander product. This time it's the Planeswalker Party deck from <em>Commander Masters, </em>and we're going to party harder with an upgrade. Before we get started, let's take a look at the original decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="(CMM) - Planeswalker Party" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Commodore Guff
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Gatewatch Beacon
*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Norn&#039;s Annex
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Cartographer&#039;s Hawk
*1 Deepglow Skate
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Fog Bank
*1 Grateful Apparition
*1 Jaya&#039;s Phoenix
*1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
*1 Leori, Sparktouched Hunter
*1 Mangara, the Diplomat
*1 Narset, Enlightened Master
*1 Onakke Oathkeeper
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Silent Arbiter
*1 Spark Double
*1 Sparkshaper Visionary
*1 Thrummingbird
*1 Wall of Denial
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ajani Steadfast
*1 Chandra, Awakened Inferno
*1 Chandra, Legacy of Fire
*1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Gideon Jura
*1 Jace Beleren
*1 Jace, Architect of Thought
*1 Jace, Mirror Mage
*1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
*1 Narset of the Ancient Way
*1 Narset, Parter of Veils
*1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
*1 Sarkhan the Masterless
*1 Teyo, Geometric Tactician
*1 The Wanderer
*1 Vronos, Masked Inquisitor
[/Planeswalkers]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Deploy the Gatewatch
*1 Promise of Loyalty
*1 Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Guff Rewrites History
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Repeated Reverberation
*1 Semester&#039;s End
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Oath of Gideon
*1 Oath of Jace
*1 Oath of Teferi
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Cascade Bluffs
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Frostboil Snarl
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Interplanar Beacon
*7 Island
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Mobilized District
*4 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Mystic Gate
*1 Mystic Monastery
*7 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Skycloud Expanse
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Temple of Epiphany
*1 Temple of Triumph
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<h2><strong>There's a Party Going on Right Here</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commodore Guff" href="#" target="_blank">Commodore Guff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the host of this precon party, and we'll be keeping it that way for the upgrade. While he may not be able to add loyalty counters like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or keep attackers from beating down your door like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pramikon, Sky Rampart" href="#" target="_blank">Pramikon, Sky Rampart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, he has the power to keep the party going. He puts one loyalty counter on another planeswalker as a passive effect, he can add to his loyalty and make a token that gives you mana to cast planeswalkers, and he can lose three loyalty to draw cards and damage opponents equal to the number of planeswalkers you have. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commodore Guff"></div></div>
<p>The original precon plays much better than it looks on paper, but it could still use some improvement. First of all, I think it could use a few more ways to close out a game. I also want to upgrade some of the planeswalkers and add a few more to the deck. Finally, I've got some cards I want to add because I think they're neat. All these cuts and additions are going to leave the pillowfort strategy of the deck intact, because it's a sound choice for the deck and a good signpost for how to build similar decks from scratch.</p>
<h2><strong>It's My Party</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First of all, I want to add more ways to inflict damage in this deck. We're not trying to win any land speed records here, but we don't want our opponents to sit there for too long while we fiddle with our planeswalkers; it can take just a bit too long to eliminate players.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I usually try to keep the cost of my upgrades to a minimum, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All Will Be One" href="#" target="_blank">All Will Be One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very much worth its price tag here. Every time you land a planeswalker, tick them up, or proliferate their counters, you'll be dealing damage to an opponent or something they control. I wanted some more damage to throw around and I can't think of a better way to get it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Everybody loves the Monarch mechanic, but I was recently turned on to how it can function in a planeswalker deck. Suddenly your opponents have to choose between hitting you to get that card or dealing with your stuff. To that end, we're running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Ire" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Ire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Your opponents will squirm at choosing between dealing with your planeswalkers or letting you throw around seven damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us a way to make additional tokens and it provides a buff to all our creatures when we activate a loyalty ability on the enchanted planeswalker. That buff includes vigilance so those creatures can still be blockers. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All Will Be One"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Court of Ire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth&#039;s Talent"></div></div>
<p>I want to add just a few more planeswalkers to this deck, especially since I plan to cut a few later. 19 might seem low, but you don't need as many of this card type as you would in a deck focused on creatures or artifacts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will Kenrith" href="#" target="_blank">Will Kenrith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great for nullifying problem creatures, and he's got an ability that not only draws cards, but reduces the cost of our planeswalkers. Furthermore, he searches out his sister <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rowan Kenrith" href="#" target="_blank">Rowan Kenrith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Rowan gives us a damage board wipe, and if we trust our pillow fort, we can have her force our least dangerous opponent to attack. What we're really after is her emblem. Doubling up on each activated ability will get out of hand fast in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dovin Baan" href="#" target="_blank">Dovin Baan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can weaken the most problematic creatures out there or draw cards in a pinch. His emblem will likely set off some alarm bells, but if we get there, we have a good chance to just take the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Will Kenrith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rowan Kenrith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dovin Baan"></div></div>
<p>Finally, I'm adding some protection pieces that I like and want to highlight for this deck. With such a high density of noncreature spells, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bothersome Quasit" href="#" target="_blank">Bothersome Quasit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going to Goad a ton of creatures, meaning they'll be after our opponents instead of anywhere else. Even if we're down to one opponent, the Quasit helps out by making Goaded creatures unable to block, hopefully giving us the the space to swing in for the win. I've been singing the praises of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flumph" href="#" target="_blank">Flumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a while now and I think it's sneaky good in a deck like this. As a 0/4 flier it's already a great blocker, but its card draw ability gives you leverage in bargaining with how your opponents attack. You'd be surprised how often people are down to send a creature into it turn after turn at the prospect of sharing a card draw with you. I can't count the number of games I've played it early only for people to realize a few turns later that it's drawn me nine cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bothersome Quasit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flumph"></div></div>
<h2><strong>Dead Man's Party</strong></h2>
<p>While planeswalkers can be pretty expensive in the mana department, this deck largely has it covered with 12 mana rocks, three planeswalkers that can produce mana, and a commander that makes tokens that produce mana. With all that mana production, the conditional ramp or lands to hand from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cartographer&#039;s Hawk" href="#" target="_blank">Cartographer&#039;s Hawk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oreskos Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Oreskos Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seem pretty superfluous. Sure we lose out on blockers, but the cards we're adding will make up for that. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myriad Landscape" href="#" target="_blank">Myriad Landscape</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't my favorite land to have in a three color deck, and let's be honest, cutting lands feels GOOD, so it's out.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cartographer&#039;s Hawk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oreskos Explorer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myriad Landscape"></div></div>
<p>Some of the planeswalkers in the deck aren't quite up to snuff. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Mirror Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, Mirror Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is pretty cool in conjunction with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commodore Guff" href="#" target="_blank">Commodore Guff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s second loyalty ability, but I'm not thrilled with just scrying and maybe getting a card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon Jura" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon Jura</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is alright for directing attacks elsewhere, but this deck is doing well enough in that department, so it's out. While it looks like a good deal, I think the math on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deploy the Gatewatch" href="#" target="_blank">Deploy the Gatewatch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't add up. How likely are you to get two walkers out of the top seven even with the ones we've added? Most likely you're looking at getting one off the top seven which isn't great for six mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jace, Mirror Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gideon Jura"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deploy the Gatewatch"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Narset, Enlightened Master" href="#" target="_blank">Narset, Enlightened Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great card, but even in the 99, I'm concerned about her reputation, and I'm okay with just drawing cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norn&#039;s Annex" href="#" target="_blank">Norn&#039;s Annex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is my last cut. When given the option, your opponents will absolutely pay that life to undo you and I'm just not into paying five for a card that's going to fail me when I need it most.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Narset, Enlightened Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Norn&#039;s Annex"></div></div>
<p>With our cuts and our adds done, we've really got this party going.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Planeswalker Party - Upgrade" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Commodore Guff
[/Commander]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ajani Steadfast
*1 Chandra, Awakened Inferno
*1 Chandra, Legacy of Fire
*1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
*1 Dovin Baan
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Jace Beleren
*1 Jace, Architect of Thought
*1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
*1 Narset of the Ancient Way
*1 Narset, Parter of Veils
*1 Rowan Kenrith
*1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
*1 Sarkhan the Masterless
*1 Teyo, Geometric Tactician
*1 The Wanderer
*1 Vronos, Masked Inquisitor
*1 Will Kenrith
[/Planeswalkers]
[Creatures]
*1 Bothersome Quasit
*1 Deepglow Skate
*1 Flumph
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Fog Bank
*1 Grateful Apparition
*1 Jaya&#039;s Phoenix
*1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
*1 Leori, Sparktouched Hunter
*1 Mangara, the Diplomat
*1 Onakke Oathkeeper
*1 Silent Arbiter
*1 Spark Double
*1 Sparkshaper Visionary
*1 Thrummingbird
*1 Wall of Denial
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Gatewatch Beacon
*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Guff Rewrites History
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Repeated Reverberation
*1 Semester&#039;s End
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 All Will Be One
*1 Court of Ire
*1 Elspeth&#039;s Talent
*1 Oath of Gideon
*1 Oath of Jace
*1 Oath of Teferi
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Promise of Loyalty
*1 Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Cascade Bluffs
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Frostboil Snarl
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Interplanar Beacon
*7 Island
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Mobilized District
*4 Mountain
*1 Mystic Gate
*1 Mystic Monastery
*7 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Skycloud Expanse
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Temple of Epiphany
*1 Temple of Triumph
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<h2><strong>Fight for Your Right</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you hate money and having friends, there are some very expensive cards you can add to take this deck to the next level. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Humility" href="#" target="_blank">Humility</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make all those scary creatures your opponents play pretty much worthless. This is especially backbreaking with with token production from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commodore Guff" href="#" target="_blank">Commodore Guff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Suddenly those 1/1 tokens are trading with your opponents' actual cards. You can ignore attacks from non flyers altogether with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moat" href="#" target="_blank">Moat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. You could also get that effect on the cheap with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magus of the Moat" href="#" target="_blank">Magus of the Moat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you're looking for a high-end Planeswalker, you could always jam in <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></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Humility"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin, the Spirit Dragon"></div></div>
<h2><strong>Party's Over</strong></h2>
<p>As it turns out, this deck needed fewer upgrades than I thought. It plays well enough on its own, but there's plenty of room to season to taste. I left a staggering number of potential additions on the cutting room floor for this one, and while I'm happy with my end result, you might want to consider cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi, Temporal Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi, Temporal Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for that infinite combo with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pramikon, Sky Rampart" href="#" target="_blank">Pramikon, Sky Rampart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ensnaring Bridge" href="#" target="_blank">Ensnaring Bridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for planeswalker protection. Even <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> would be exceptional here to reset planeswalkers or get more use out of your mana rocks. I opted to go for a deck that I hope won't make my opponents so nervous, which is what I think the deck designer was going for, but the possibilities are as endless as the multiverse for this one. Let me know in the comments what you would put into this deck; be sure to check back for the rest of our upgrade guides, and as always, r<span style="font-weight: 400;">emember to budget before you buy it.</span></p>


budget