<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fact or Fiction" href="#" target="_blank">Fact or Fiction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.originalmagicart.store/collections/matt-cavotta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Cavotta</a></em></p>
<div></p>
<p>As we move into the second half of 2025 it's once more time for another Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest.</p>
<p>This is a monthly contest with a different theme each month. Your goal is to build a Commander-legal deck that fulfills the prompt in a creative or unique fashion. At the end of each month, three finalists will be selected for you to vote on.</p>
<p>Whoever gets the most votes will be crowned the winner, although all three finalists receive a prize.</p>
<p>This month we're asking the age old question: How many lands should you play in Commander?</p>
<p></div>
<div></p>
<h2>What’s the Contest All About?</h2>
<p>Working within the parameters of the prompt provided below, construct a decklist with your own creative spin. Three chosen finalists will be awarded <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">store credit to use on Cardsphere</a>.</p>
<p><strong>For August's deck building contest - </strong>build a Commander-legal deck with fewer than 30 lands, or more than 50. This includes double-faced cards that are lands on one side.</p>
<p>Decks will be judged on their creativity and originality, as well as how important the total land count is to how the deck functions.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Explore"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mind Grind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Severance"></div></div></p>
<p></div>
<p>The question of how many lands to play has plagued players for nearly as long as <em>Magic</em> has existed. Common wisdom says that slightly more than a third of your total deck size is enough, although the math would suggest a number closer to half is better. Many players stick to the low ends of these ranges, because spells are more exciting than lands, but some archetypes encourage you to play even fewer lands.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Charbelcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conjurer&#039;s Bauble"></div></div>
<p>Perhaps the best known archetype to play as few lands as possible is Storm. <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/storm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Storm decks</a> want to chain as many spells together as possible, which a couple of lands on top of your deck can easily interrupt. Whether you're chaining artifacts with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or paying life with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there's no worse feeling than having your turn end thanks to an unlucky land on top of your deck.</p>
<p>Of course, other cards might encourage you to play even fewer lands. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Charbelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Charbelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a famous combo finisher for decks that play no lands, but you could also play only Mountains to still ensure revealing fewer cards in a lethal blast.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flubs, the Fool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lord Windgrace"></div></div>
<p>On the flip side, some decks want to play more lands than usual. <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/landfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Landfall</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lands-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lands Matter</a> decks need plenty of lands to fuel their primary engines, and often to win the game as well.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Rage</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>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all much less impressive when you don't have any lands to play.</p>
<p>Decks with many expensive spells, like Dragons or Eldrazi, usually also want more lands to ensure they can cast their big spells. You might also play more lands than usual to take advantage of creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavalier of Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Cavalier of Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Multani, Yavimaya&#039;s Avatar" href="#" target="_blank">Multani, Yavimaya&#039;s Avatar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which grow more powerful the more lands you have in play or in your graveyard.</p>
<h2>How To Participate</h2>
<ul>
<li>Brew an EDH/Commander-legal deck on <a href="https://archidekt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archidekt</a> that satisfies the prompt.</li>
<li>Any unreleased cards spoiled during the contest’s duration are allowed.</li>
<li>Silver-bordered and acorn cards, while cool, are not allowed.</li>
<li>Digital-only cards (such as those designed for the Alchemy format on Arena) are not allowed.</li>
<li>Strictly one deck submitted per user.</li>
</ul>
<p>This month we're also revamping the submission process. Decks must now be submitted on Archidekt via a button on the <a href="https://archidekt.com/contest/15112617">newspost</a>. This will make it easier to view all submissions in a single place. Additionally, it will simplify the process of writing a description by sharing the same text on the submission page and the deck page itself.</p>
<p>You can also comment on individual decks directly from the submission, making those discussions easier to find and track later.</p>
<p>To submit a deck, select the orange button labeled "Submit a deck to this contest" and follow the form prompt. Submissions are accepted until <strong>9:00 pm EST</strong> (UTC -4, currently) on <strong>Wednesday, August 13, 2025</strong>.</p>
<p>Only one submission per user! If you change your mind and want to submit a different deck before submissions close, you may do so by first deleting your submission. To edit your description, you can do so from the deck page itself.</p>
<p>From the eligible submissions, we'll select three finalists with lists that we believe best embody the spirit of the prompt. Deck descriptions are not required but certainly may provide valuable context!</p>
<div></p>
<p>On <strong>Wednesday, August 20, 2025</strong>, we’ll announce three finalists via the Archidekt Discord and a brief article on EDHREC highlighting each deck.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Each finalist will be awarded credit to use on Cardsphere</a>. The value of the credit is in US dollars and depends on the finalist's placement in deck upvotes at the end of the week-long polling period:</p>
<ul>
<li>1st Place Prize - $250</li>
<li>2nd Place Prize - $150</li>
<li>3rd Place Prize - $100</li>
</ul>
<p></div>
<p>Finalists will be contacted via email regarding their winnings within roughly 24 hours following the conclusion of voting on <strong>Wednesday, August 27, 2025</strong>.</p>
<p>Please note, you must have a Cardsphere account in order to receive your winnings. It's quick and free - <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/signup?referrer=archidekt_contest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register here</a> if you don't have an account already!</p>
<p>Here are the <a href="https://archidekt.com/contestRules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official contest rules</a>. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here, or join the Archidekt <a href="https://discord.gg/sctEc9Ru36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public Discord server</a>. We look forward to seeing what you all come up with!</p>


Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - August 2025

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dreamtide Whale" href="#" target="_blank">Dreamtide Whale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://ronspearsart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron Spears</a></em></p>
<div></p>
<p>As we move into the second half of 2025 it's once more time for another Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest.</p>
<p>This is a monthly contest with a different theme each month. Your goal is to build a Commander-legal deck that fulfills the prompt in a creative or unique fashion. At the end of each month, three finalists will be selected for you to vote on.</p>
<p>Whoever gets the most votes will be crowned the winner, although all three finalists receive a prize.</p>
<p>This month we're exploring what's possible with a transformational sideboard in commander. Similar in concept to a modular deck, the goal of a transformational sideboard is to add as much variety to your deck in as little space as possible.</p>
<p></div>
<div></p>
<h2>What’s the Contest All About?</h2>
<p>Working within the parameters of the prompt provided below, construct a decklist with your own creative spin. Three chosen finalists will be awarded <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">store credit to use on Cardsphere</a>.</p>
<p><strong>For July's deck building contest - </strong>build a Commander-legal deck with a 20 card transformational "sideboard." This should be 20 cards that you can swap into your deck to change it's theme, power level, or to an entirely different commander.</p>
<p>Decks will be judged on their creativity and originality, as well as how effectively the sideboard transforms the deck. Submissions should also clearly indicate what cards would be swapped out through the use of a custom category.</p>
<p>See this deck, which swaps between creatures and planeswalkers, as an example: <a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/13608220" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://archidekt.com/decks/13608220</a>.</p>
<p></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kenrith, the Returned King"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muldrotha, the Gravetide"></div></div>
<p>Commander decks are large, but somehow never large enough to fit all the cards I want. Especially for commanders that easily support multiple themes, I invariably end up with a pile of 150 cards that all support different strategies.</p>
<p>Instead of having to put all those extra cards away, why not set them aside to swap in later? This let's you easily test different versions of your deck, or just quickly vary the play experience from game to game. Especially for themes that have significant overlap, like Enchantress, Tokens, and Lands, you can also shift the primary focus of your deck from one to another to stop a deck from ever feeling stale.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Underworld Breach"></div></div>
<p>A transformational sideboard could also be used to help match the power level of a given pod. When playing at a local game store or convention it's helpful to be flexible with the strength of your deck. Swapping in or out <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers</a>, or just adjusting some of the more focused cards in the deck to match a more relaxed pod.</p>
<p>This also saves space compared to carrying around multiple decks, and is a great approach for rediscovering the magic in an old favorite by reintroducing old cards you cut for upgrades.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lord Windgrace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yurlok of Scorch Thrash"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King"></div></div>
<p>Taking this concept as far as possible, you could even swap your commander for a different one, along with a set of cards to better support them. This is a great way to get extra mileage out of an expensive mana base, compare how two similar commanders actually play, or get even more variety in your games.</p>
<p>At its most extreme, you could change both the commander and theme of your deck, functionally fitting two decks into 120 cards. How creative can you get with 20 extra cards?</p>
<h2>How to Participate</h2>
<ul>
<li>Brew an EDH/Commander-legal deck on <a href="https://archidekt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archidekt</a> that satisfies the prompt.</li>
<li>Any unreleased cards spoiled during the contest’s duration are allowed.</li>
<li>Silver-bordered and acorn cards, while cool, are not allowed.</li>
<li>Digital-only cards (such as those designed for the Alchemy format on Arena) are not allowed.</li>
<li>Strictly one deck submitted per user.</li>
</ul>
<p>Reply to the Archidekt news post, or submission post on the <a href="https://discord.gg/sctEc9Ru36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archidekt Discord</a> with a link to your deck before <strong>9:00 pm EST</strong> (UTC -4, currently) on <strong>Wednesday, July 9, 2025</strong> (do not submit the same deck in multiple places).</p>
<p>Only one submission per user! From the eligible submissions, we'll select three finalists with lists that we believe best embody the spirit of the prompt. Deck descriptions are not required but certainly may provide valuable context!</p>
<div></p>
<p>On <strong>Wednesday, July 16, 2025</strong>, we’ll announce three finalists via the Archidekt Discord and a brief article on EDHREC highlighting each deck.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Each finalist will be awarded credit to use on Cardsphere</a>. The value of the credit is in US dollars and depends on the finalist's placement in deck upvotes at the end of the week-long polling period:</p>
<ul>
<li>1st Place Prize - $250</li>
<li>2nd Place Prize - $150</li>
<li>3rd Place Prize - $100</li>
</ul>
<p></div>
<p>Finalists will be contacted via email or Discord (depending on where they submitted) regarding their winnings within roughly 24 hours following the conclusion of voting on <strong>Wednesday, July 23, 2025</strong>.</p>
<p>Please note, you must have a Cardsphere account in order to receive your winnings. It's quick and free - <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/signup?referrer=archidekt_contest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register here</a> if you don't have an account already!</p>
<p>Here are the <a href="https://archidekt.com/contestRules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official contest rules</a>. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here, or join the Archidekt <a href="https://discord.gg/sctEc9Ru36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public Discord server</a>. We look forward to seeing what you all come up with!</p>


Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - July 2025

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starting Town" href="#" target="_blank">Starting Town</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/chukov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hristo D. Chukov</a></em></p>
<div></p>
<p>May has come and gone, which means it's time for a brand new round of the Archidekt deckbuilding contest.</p>
<p>This is a monthly contest with a different theme each month. Your goal is to build a Commander-legal deck that fulfills the prompt in a creative or unique fashion. At the end of each month, three finalists will be selected for you to vote on.</p>
<p>Whoever gets the most votes will be crowned the winner, although all three finalists receive a prize.</p>
<p>Even before its upcoming release on June 13, <em>Final Fantasy</em> is the best selling <em>Magic</em> set of all time. We're embracing the hype and trying to find the best Final Fantasy brew for this month's deckbuilding contest.</p>
<p></div>
<div></p>
<h2>What’s the Contest All About?</h2>
<p>Working within the parameters of the prompt provided below, construct a decklist with your own creative spin. Three chosen finalists will be awarded <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">store credit to use on Cardsphere</a>.</p>
<p><strong>For June's deckbuilding contest, build a Commander-legal list around a new card, or set of cards, from <em>Final Fantasy</em>. This could be building a deck with a new commander from the set, or using any card from the set as a central part of your strategy. If you choose not to use a <em>Final Fantasy</em> commander, be sure that your <em>Final Fantasy</em> card(s) are a key part of your deck's game plan. As always, submissions will be judged on creativity and originality.<br />
</strong></p>
<p></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Minstrel"></div></div>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> adds a whopping 162 brand new commanders to <em>Magic</em>. From new commanders for familiar archetypes, to commanders that enable brand new strategies, there are plenty of options to choose from. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco, Seeker of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Choco, Seeker of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fresh option for the burgeoning Bird decks, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freya Crescent" href="#" target="_blank">Freya Crescent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might breath new life into an old Equipment deck. <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> works with a new land sub-type, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zidane, Tantalus Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Zidane, Tantalus Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an effect we've never really seen before.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buster Sword"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ishgard, the Holy See"></div></div>
<p>But new commanders aren't the only thing to be excited about. Powerful new Equipment like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Mage&#039;s Rod" href="#" target="_blank">Black Mage&#039;s Rod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can easily form the centerpiece of a deck. The new Summons lend a lot of support to Historic and Saga decks, especially powerful finishers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Primal Odin" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Primal Odin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <em>Final Fantasy</em> has also introduced lands with Adventure spells, which means you can now recur actual spells with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hope Estheim"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Estinien Varlineau"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jumbo Cactuar"></div></div>
<p>There are also plenty of opportunities to get a little weird. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brings mill and lifegain together, the combination we didn't know we needed. Dragons also got a new commander, in a new color combination, thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Estinien Varlineau" href="#" target="_blank">Estinien Varlineau</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Or you could focus on his other effect, and build an Orzhov spellslinger deck. Finally, there's no shortage of uses for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">Jumbo Cactuar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. What can you do with 10,000 power?</p>
<h2>How to Participate</h2>
<ul>
<li>Brew an EDH/Commander legal deck on <a href="https://archidekt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archidekt</a> that satisfies the prompt.</li>
<li>Any unreleased cards spoiled during the contest’s duration are allowed.</li>
<li>Silver-bordered and acorn cards, while cool, are not allowed.</li>
<li>Digital-only cards (such as those designed for the Alchemy format on Arena) are not allowed.</li>
<li>Strictly one deck submitted per user.</li>
</ul>
<p>Reply to the Archidekt news post, or submission post on the <a href="https://discord.gg/sctEc9Ru36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archidekt Discord</a> with a link to your deck before <strong>9:00 pm EST</strong> (UTC -4, currently) on <strong>Wednesday, June 11, 2025</strong> (do not submit the same deck in multiple places).</p>
<p>Only one submission per user! From the eligible submissions, we'll select three finalists with lists that we believe best embody the spirit of the prompt. Deck descriptions are not required but certainly may provide valuable context!</p>
<div></p>
<p>On <strong>Wednesday, June 18, 2025</strong>, we’ll announce three finalists via the Archidekt Discord and a brief article on EDHREC highlighting each deck.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Each finalist will be awarded credit to use on Cardsphere</a>. The value of the credit is in US dollars and depends on the finalist's placement in deck upvotes at the end of the week-long polling period:</p>
<ul>
<li>1st Place Prize - $250</li>
<li>2nd Place Prize - $150</li>
<li>3rd Place Prize - $100</li>
</ul>
<p></div>
<p>Finalists will be contacted via email or Discord (depending on where they submitted) regarding their winnings within roughly 24 hours following the conclusion of voting on <strong>Wednesday, June 25, 2025</strong>.</p>
<p>Please note, you must have a Cardsphere account in order to receive your winnings. It's quick and free - <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/signup?referrer=archidekt_contest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register here</a> if you don't have an account already!</p>
<p>Here are the <a href="https://archidekt.com/contestRules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official contest rules</a>. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here, or join the Archidekt <a href="https://discord.gg/sctEc9Ru36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public Discord server</a>. We look forward to seeing what you all come up with!</p>


cardsphere

Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - August 2025

Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - July 2025

Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - June 2025

Deckbuilding Contest Finalists - March 2025