Achievement Unlocked - Building a Literal Elder Dragon Highlander Deck

Too-Specific Top 10 - Historically Chaff

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Batwing Brume" href="#" target="_blank">Batwing Brume</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.mtgpics.com/illus?art=135">Richard Kane Ferguson</a>)</h6>
<h1>Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na</h1>
<p>Hey everyone! We're building a series of decks around DC heroes as a collaboration with Dragon Shield, who are releasing a set of card sleeves featuring the DCCU incarnations of those same characters! I suppose it was inevitable that after making decks for <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/diabolic-intent-one-bad-day/">the Joker</a> and <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/diabolic-intent-batman-rogues-gallery/">the rest of Batman's rogues gallery</a>, I would end up building the decklist for the Dark Knight himself.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BATMAN-SLEEVE-IMAGES.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-50000" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BATMAN-SLEEVE-IMAGES-1024x576.png" alt="" width="782" height="440" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BATMAN-SLEEVE-IMAGES-1024x576.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BATMAN-SLEEVE-IMAGES-300x169.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BATMAN-SLEEVE-IMAGES-768x432.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BATMAN-SLEEVE-IMAGES-1536x864.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BATMAN-SLEEVE-IMAGES.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px" /></a></p>
<p>Full disclosure, this deck has no actual Bats in it, because the only Commander-playable Bat-related card (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Bloodlord" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Bloodlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) ended up being a terrible fit. Anyway, let's get started!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Commander - Chromium, the Mutable</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromium, the Mutable"></div></div>
<p>There are a few Legendary vampires that <em>look </em>like Batman, but the sad truth is that none of them really <em>play</em> like Batman. Fortunately for us, Chrome Dome here is sweetly whispering Batman's catchphrase with every line of his rules text (Batman's catchphrase is "I'm Batman"). After taking in his batlike shape, you'll note that he can appear in a Flash, his combat expertise Can't Be Countered, and he spends a lot of time Flying around with his wings(uit). His final text block is Flavor Fusion Supreme: he disappears in a smoke bomb, and reappears as a mysterious and low statted Bruce Wayne!</p>
<p>Now as you might guess, this deck is going to feature a lot of Equipment, and while that "loses all abilities" clause may be annoying in regards to keywords, it doesn't have any impact on stat buffs. So while most of the time we'll be using Chromium's activated ability to dodge removal, we do have a way to sneak him through a wall of our enemy's fliers to get those last few points of commander damage in.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Toys</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grappling Hook"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cranial Plating"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Argentum Armor"></div></div>
<p>As we know, Batman's primary superpower of "being sad and rich" was a great jumping off point to acquiring his larger suite of superpowers in the form of an impressive suite of Equipment. Here we see the iconic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grappling Hook" href="#" target="_blank">Grappling Hook</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the emblematic cowl with its reinforced <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cranial Plating" href="#" target="_blank">Cranial Plating</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even the DCCU battlesuit in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Argentum Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Argentum Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Worth mentioning that equipping Chromium with the Hook and either of those other two is <em>probably </em>going to end with one of your opponents <del>dead</del> maimed and/or in prison.</p>
<p>Oh that's right<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="e24Kjd">—</span></span>Batman doesn't kill, so no weapons! Well maybe a <em>couple </em>weapons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadowspear" href="#" target="_blank">Shadowspear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a great impression of that Kryptonite spear in Dawn of Justice, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hammer of Nazahn" href="#" target="_blank">Hammer of Nazahn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is... look, it's an Equipment staple alright? Use whatever excuse you want, maybe Alfred's getting into carpentry.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Utility Belt</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigarda&#039;s Aid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonin Shikari"></div></div>
<p>For the true Batman experience, we can't just march into battle with batarangs blazing, we've gotta whip them out with a flick of the wrist at the last possible moment.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Bigger Toys</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daredevil Dragster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Submersible"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smuggler&#039;s Copter"></div></div>
<p>Of course, the Bat-Vehicles! Specifically the Batmobile, Bat-Sub, and Bat-Copter. There's an argument to be made for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleetwheel Cruiser" href="#" target="_blank">Fleetwheel Cruiser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the Batmobile, given its stronger visual resemblance and "remote piloting" feature. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daredevil Dragster" href="#" target="_blank">Daredevil Dragster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a tad more playable, in that it's sort of a delayed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divination" href="#" target="_blank">Divination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that gets to deal some damage. Plus, falling apart into something more useful is exactly what the Bat-Tank thing does in <em>The Dark Knight</em>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Allies</h2>
<p>Of course, Batman would be nothing without all of his good pals, as we learned from <em>The Lego Batman Movie.</em> Side note: <em>The Lego Batman Movie</em> might be my favorite Batman movie, and this comes from a diehard Nolan fanboy.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Robins</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Escape Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relic Runner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cephalid Inkshrouder"></div></div>
<p>This deck already has a pretty heavy Voltron lean, but in the event that Chromium ends up out of commission, any of these Boy Wonder iterations can step in to help. For Dick Grayson, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Escape Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Escape Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who is at least somewhat adjacent to Grayson's circus performer background. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic Runner" href="#" target="_blank">Relic Runner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits Jason Todd's retconned thief-turned-apprentice-vigilante backstory, especially with that flavor text. For Tim Drake, who grew up idolizing and wanting to be Batman, we'll use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cephalid Inkshrouder" href="#" target="_blank">Cephalid Inkshrouder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, whose activated ability basically makes it a mini-Chromium.</p>
<p>These are obviously all chosen for flavor over function, so for redundancy's sake we'll toss in an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invisible Stalker" href="#" target="_blank">Invisible Stalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, plus a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tormented Soul" href="#" target="_blank">Tormented Soul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a little angsty Batman flavor.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcum Dagsson"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kemba, Kha Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stonehewer Giant"></div></div>
<p>As it turns out, a few of these other artifact staples are great flavor fits for Batman Buddies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcum Dagsson" href="#" target="_blank">Arcum Dagsson</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here to ask us, "Why do we fall, Bruce?" He'll take one Vehicle out so he can provide us with another useful tool that we need right now, definitely taking great care of all the junk in the batcave. We have a rather literal interpretation of Catwoman in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kemba, Kha Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Kemba, Kha Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but they <em>do </em>both keep a lot of cats around. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stonehewer Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Stonehewer Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes on the role of Lucius Fox, suiting us up for a night on the town.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadeye Quartermaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sram, Senior Edificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin the Ineffable"></div></div>
<p>Barbara Gordon/Oracle has been known to airdrop Batman appropriate gadgets in a manner very similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadeye Quartermaster" href="#" target="_blank">Deadeye Quartermaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I get intense Commissioner Gordon vibes from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sram, Senior Edificer" href="#" target="_blank">Sram, Senior Edificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and you could kinda stretch the flavor of "drawing cards" to be "giving access to classified police info". Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Ineffable" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Ineffable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great fit for Batman's limited team ups with Ra'as al Ghul. He's willing to take a life, his Planeswalker loyalty shows their tenous partnership, and if you've read any <em>Magic</em> fiction with Ugin in it, you know he talks in funky little aphorisms just like Ra'as.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The One Rule</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arrest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prison Term"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oblivion Ring"></div></div>
<p>We are running black, but we still have to follow the rule<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="e24Kjd">—so </span></span>no kill spells! I will say that given the propensity of certain interpretations of Batman to "accidentally" push people off of tall buildings, I came very close to including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tragic Slip" href="#" target="_blank">Tragic Slip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fatal Push" href="#" target="_blank">Fatal Push</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but they're honestly just not that great outside of Aristocrat strategies. We'll have to settle for lawful alternatives like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arrest" href="#" target="_blank">Arrest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prison Term" href="#" target="_blank">Prison Term</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As for noncreature threats, we'll call in some help from Supes and toss them into the Phantom Zone using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banishing Light" href="#" target="_blank">Banishing Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>World's Greatest Detective</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tamiyo&#039;s Journal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Survive the Night"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bygone Bishop"></div></div>
<p>There isn't an abundance of Commander-playable cards with <em>Investigate</em>, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more detective-like mechanic. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Survive the Night" href="#" target="_blank">Survive the Night</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a flavor standout, given Batman's tendency to put himself in mortal danger every night.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Misc. Bat-Lore</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Command Beacon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Batwing Brume"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tragic Lesson"></div></div>
<p>A literal beacon that summons our seven-mana commander in times of emergency? There's no better stand in for the Bat-Signal than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Beacon" href="#" target="_blank">Command Beacon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And the sweeping walkways of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorworks" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> bear a striking resemblance to the Batcave.</p>
<p>Oh, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Batwing Brume" href="#" target="_blank">Batwing Brume</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems like a <em>perfect</em> fit for Batman's bat-swarms</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tragic Lesson" href="#" target="_blank">Tragic Lesson</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is yet another representation of that one thing that every Batman movie desperately needs to show us for some reason (seriously, the JOKER movie just did it). If I were feeling evil, I would use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as an ironic representation of Bruce's inheritance, but like the kill spells I mentioned earlier, it's just not a great fit for the deck.</p>
<p>We'll pad all that out with a bit more artifact and Equipment synergy, and we're good to go! Here's the decklist:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Holy Low Mana Curve Batman" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Chromium, the Mutable
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Brass Squire
*1 Bygone Bishop
*1 Cephalid Inkshrouder
*1 Deadeye Quartermaster
*1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
*1 Escape Artist
*1 Invisible Stalker
*1 Kemba, Kha Regent
*1 Leonin Shikari
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage
*1 Relic Runner
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Sharuum the Hegemon
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Stonehewer Giant
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Tormented Soul
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Argentum Armor
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Cranial Plating
*1 Daredevil Dragster
*1 Darksteel Plate
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
*1 Grappling Hook
*1 Hammer of Nazahn
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mask of Avacyn
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Mask of Riddles
*1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
*1 Mirrorworks
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Rogue&#039;s Gloves
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Silent Submersible
*1 Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Journal
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Batwing Brume
*1 Survive the Night
*1 Tragic Lesson
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 One with the Machine
*1 Open the Armory
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Single Combat
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Arrest
*1 Banishing Light
*1 Cast Out
*1 Oblivion Ring
*1 One Thousand Lashes
*1 Pillory of the Sleepless
*1 Prison Term
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
*1 Sigarda&#039;s Aid
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Esper Panorama
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*8 Island
*10 Plains
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*6 Swamp
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Temple of Silence
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>So what do you think? Is this the decklist Gotham deserves, or is it not the one it needs right now? If we made cuts, would these cards die as heroes, or live long enough to see themselves become the villains? Let me know!</p>
<p>Also, if you like decks based on pop culture characters, you'll probably get a kick out of my column where I build decks for famous villains like <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/diabolic-intent-horcruxes/">Voldemort</a> and <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/diabolic-intent-terminators/">Skynet</a>. Check it out!</p>


chromium the mutable

Achievement Unlocked - Building a Literal Elder Dragon Highlander Deck

Too-Specific Top 10 - Historically Chaff

Justice League Commander Decks - I'm Batman