Achievement Unlocked - Building With a Deck Restriction

Ranking Every Mana Rock with EDHREC – Part 8: Two Ramp, or Not Two Ramp?

Mind Bend - The Ghost of Commander Past

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cunning Sparkmage" href="#" target="_blank">Cunning Sparkmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.waynereynolds.com/">Wayne Reynolds</a>)</h6>
<h1><strong>The Last Cookout of Summer</strong></h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to <em>Monomania</em>. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy, and challenge staples and misconceptions about the color pie.</p>
<p>I’ve been impressed by quite a few of the non-white mono-colored commander options from <em>Throne of Eldraine</em>, and I plan on tackling a few of them in the coming months in a subseries: <em>Monomania Takes on Eldraine</em>. Today, let’s fire up the grill. Summer is over, but the weather is still right for a barbecue.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torbran, Thane of Red Fell"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>My experience watching and playing EDH in the last month has revealed an unprecedented proclivity for life total manipulation. Between all of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greven, Predator Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Greven, Predator Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks on the loose, it seems more common than ever for players to sit at 15 life without worry. This is the perfect time for a commander like Torbran to turn up the heat and make these players sweat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyrohemia"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>While burn strategies have never scaled well to EDH, Torbran changes the calculus on previously unplayable damage-based spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyrohemia" href="#" target="_blank">Pyrohemia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is being included in 72% of Torbran lists on EDHREC, and it perfectly illustrates why this commander is appealing: sources that persistently deal small amounts of chip damage are incredible with our commander. Every time we activate Pyrohemia’s ability, we’re tripling the amount of damage that it deals. And because Torbran has four health and only affects our opponents, we can activate Pyrohemia three times every turn without killing him. That adds up to nine damage to each of our opponents and their creatures for three mana every turn. The key to Torbran’s power is how he breaks symmetry: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flamebreak" href="#" target="_blank">Flamebreak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slagstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Slagstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can clear a board while leaving our general on the field. If we cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Electrickery" href="#" target="_blank">Electrickery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with our commander and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Repercussion" href="#" target="_blank">Repercussion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board, not only will Electrickery deal 3 damage to each creature our opponents control, but it will also deal 5 damage to our opponents for each creature dealt damage this way.</p>
<p>There is a multitude of possibilities with Torbran: small goblins suddenly become potent attackers, blockers, and threats to our opponents’ life totals, so we could fill our deck with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogg Fanatic" href="#" target="_blank">Mogg Fanatic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege-Gang Commander" href="#" target="_blank">Siege-Gang Commander</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Bombardment" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Bombardment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There are also a suite of effects in red that tax our opponents with damage such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harsh Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Harsh Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immolation Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Immolation Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zo-zu the Punisher" href="#" target="_blank">Zo-zu the Punisher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I personally decided to make this something of a sequel to my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashling the Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Ashling the Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/monomania-nuclear-codes/">deck</a> previously featured on Monomania. While these decks share a central theme, new cards and Torbran's particular qualities actually make them significantly different. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be slinging spells and putting our opponents on a rotisserie.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Fire Up the Grill</strong></h2>
<p>This deck has a very low curve, topping off at six mana. As such, our ramp package should be focused on small, early-game jumps. Our goal with this ramp strategy is to cast our commander consistently on turn three. We’re running six ramp effects that cost two or less.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coldsteel Heart"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruby Medallion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Star Compass"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here we have three of these ramp effects—each of them cost two mana and will allow us to cast our commander on turn three. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruby Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Ruby Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the clear haymaker in our style of deck. With all of our rummage effects and low-cost spells, we'll be able to cast multiple spells a turn and net the discount on all of them. Once we get our deck’s engine online, this cost reduction will stack and permit us to capitalize on explosive turns.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Amulet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyromancer’s Goggles"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>These cards need no introduction, I'm sure — they're both powerhouses in EDH. Any one-color deck with a high quantity of spells wants these two cards. Both grant some sort of ramp and allow us to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fork" href="#" target="_blank">Fork</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> our spells. This can lead to more burn or enhanced draw with rummaging effects.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Keep the Heat On</h2>
<p>Now let’s examine how we’re going to squeeze card advantage out of this mono-red shell. We’re focused here on wheeling and looting. We aren’t emphasizing overall hand size, we're emphasizing keeping a well-constructed grip.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bag of Holding"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glint-Horn Buccaneer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reforge the Soul"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Up first, we have a set of effects that capitalize on rummaging. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bag of Holding" href="#" target="_blank">Bag of Holding</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has quickly become one of my favorite colorless card advantage effects for mono-colored decks. In this deck in particular, where we will be discarding at a high frequency, we can quickly juice Bag of Holding’s last ability. It is a surprisingly potent draw effect that outclasses most others. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glint-Horn Buccaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Glint-Horn Buccaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will allow us to rummage, and is itself a payoff for rummage effects. If we cast the always stellar <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reforge the Soul" href="#" target="_blank">Reforge the Soul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with the Buccaneer and our commander on the battlefield, we can hit our opponents for nine, twelve, fifteen, or more damage in one go.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrill of Possibility"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cathartic Reunion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magmatic Insight"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As I covered in my article on Ashling, cards that rummage are extremely good in Spellslinger strategies that run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fork" href="#" target="_blank">Fork</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. For anybody who hasn’t yet heard about this particular interaction, if we fork a rummage spell that causes us to discard as an additional cost, the copy will not cause us to discard. Just as we don’t have to pay the mana cost of a copy, we also don’t have to pay any additional costs, we only copy the spell after all costs have been paid.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Needle Drop"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shake the Foundations"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Finally, we have two cards that cycle themselves when we cast them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Needle Drop" href="#" target="_blank">Needle Drop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card in our deck; for one mana, we can <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> something <em>and</em> draw a card. It’s no secret that Lightning Bolt isn’t very good in EDH, but stapling "draw a card" onto it swings the needle just enough. This card is an innocuous inclusion, but it has such a low opportunity cost that it absolutely deserves a spot in our deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shake the Foundations" href="#" target="_blank">Shake the Foundations</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> scales well here, as well. Dealing three to all of our opponents’ creatures wouldn’t be powerful enough to warrant an inclusion in this list, but because it replaces itself, it should perform well for us clearing not only tokens but early-game creatures as well.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>With all that set and sorted, let’s put the pieces together with a deck list. The name of the game is death by a thousand cuts. We want to keep chipping away at our opponents’ life totals until they’re cooked through evenly. Grab your spatula and, as per usual, season to taste.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sulfuric Vortex"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flame Fusillade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karplusan Minotaur"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Among the other notable inclusions here we have a slew of effects to capitalize on Torbran’s damage amplification. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sulfuric Vortex" href="#" target="_blank">Sulfuric Vortex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a staple in Group Slug strategies, and it's an imperative inclusion here: it will drain our opponents for 1/10th of their starting life total every turn with our commander on the battlefield. What’s more, it'll shut down the lifegain strategies that try to pull out of reach. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flame Fusillade" href="#" target="_blank">Flame Fusillade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the resident sleeper of this deck. Currently, it only sees play in 61 decks registered on EDHREC, but with Torbran it has found its forever home. This card is an absolute house, transmogrifying all of our innocent permanents into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kamahl, Pit Fighter" href="#" target="_blank">Kamahl, Pit Fighter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If the game goes late, this spell will end the game in a flash.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karplusan Minotaur" href="#" target="_blank">Karplusan Minotaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun political tool in this deck. If we win a flip, we get to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> the target of our choice. If we lose a flip, one of our opponents has to decide whether to point 1 damage in our direction, or 3 toward a scarier opponent. Any player that enjoys value will choose the latter. Karplusan Minotaur exemplifies a compelling nuance to this deck: the more we can split up damage, the more value we can squeeze out of Torbran's ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, gives us a choice to deal 5 damage to one target, 4 damage to one target and 2 to another, or 3 damage to three targets. This principle holds for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaws of Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Jaws of Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as well. If we play Jaws with six <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mountain" href="#" target="_blank">Mountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s on the battlefield, we could deal 8 damage to one target, 3 damage to six different targets, or any favorable combination in between. Be democratic—hit all of your friends and enemies equally to most effectively milk Torbran's ability.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cinder Pyromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firebrand Archer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vulshok Sorcerer"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The backbone of this deck is a suite of creatures that slowly ping our opponents to death. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebrand Archer" href="#" target="_blank">Firebrand Archer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are powerful in <em>Storm</em> decks, but the rest of these cards cards are suboptimal when they only deal one damage. With our commander, however, they become much more potent; these cards are our most likely path to victory.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Char Broiled" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Electrostatic Field
*1 Firebrand Archer
*1 Thermo-Alchemist
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Cinder Pyromancer
*1 Cunning Sparkmage
*1 Glint-Horn Buccaneer
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Magus of the Wheel
*1 Rampaging Ferocidon
*1 Sin Prodder
*1 Vulshok Sorcerer
*1 Karplusan Minotaur
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Backdraft Hellkite
*1 Neheb, the Eternal
*1 Inferno Titan
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Chandra, Fire Artisan
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 Elecktrickery
*1 Needle Drop
*1 Increasing Vengeance
*1 Price of Progress
*1 Reverberate
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Arcbond
*1 Shake the Foundations
*1 Volcanic Fallout
*1 Sulfurous Blast
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Wheel of Fate
*1 Magmatic Insight
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Mizzium Mortars
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Wild Guess
*1 Flamebreak
*1 Light Up the Stage
*1 Slagstorm
*1 Flame Fusillade
*1 Ignite the Future
*1 Past in Flames
*1 Reforge the Soul
*1 Jaws of Stone
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bag of Holding
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Star Compass
*1 Primal Amulet
*1 Pyromancer’s Goggles
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aria of Flame
*1 Repercussion
*1 Spellshock
*1 Sulfuric Vortex
*1 Aether Sting
*1 Burning Earth
*1 Manabarbs
*1 Pyrohemia
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Desert of the Fervent
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Ghitu Encampment
*29 Mountain
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Smoldering Crater
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>A quick and important final note: every land in the history of Magic is colorless (the only exception being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dryad Arbor" href="#" target="_blank">Dryad Arbor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). While we are running <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>, Torbran only increases damage from red sources you control, so Valakut will not benefit from this effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shivan Gorge" href="#" target="_blank">Shivan Gorge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is currently in 16% of Torbran decks on EDHREC and it seems underpowered here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghitu Encampment" href="#" target="_blank">Ghitu Encampment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, turns into a potent blocker with Torbran, dealing 4 first strike damage as a red creature.</p>
<p>What do you think of Torbran? In what direction would you have taken this commander? Is Group Slug an appealing strategy to you? Sometimes, after a two-hour game, I know I like to play a live-fast, die-young deck so that everyone can get to bed on time. Let me know in the comments. Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


coldsteel heart

Achievement Unlocked - Building With a Deck Restriction

Ranking Every Mana Rock with EDHREC – Part 8: Two Ramp, or Not Two Ramp?

Mind Bend - The Ghost of Commander Past

Monomania Takes on Eldraine — Char Broiled