<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joint Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Joint Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://zezhouchen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zezhou Chen</a></em></p>
<div></p>
<p>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>For this contest, we're looking for a deck that combines two themes you wouldn't expect to see together.</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 September's deck building contest - </strong>build a Commander-legal deck that combines two themes or archetypes you don't normally see together. These could be themes defined by card types, such as artifacts and enchantments, or themes defined by strategy, like aristocrats and spellslinger.</p>
<p>Decks will be judged on their creativity, originality, and how well they combine two unexpected themes.</p>
<p></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Priest of Titania"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diregraf Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krark-Clan Ironworks"></div></div>
<p>There are nearly unlimited ways to play <em>Magic</em>. Whether you like small creatures, big creatures, controlling the game, or racing to its conclusion as fast as possible, there's an archetype that supports what you want to do.</p>
<p>In many cases, these archetypes also overlap, especially in Commander. Elf decks are often also ramp decks, token decks, and sometimes even storm decks. Zombie decks are usually aristocrats, artifact decks usually sacrifice their stuff. But what happens when you try to combine two archetypes that don't normally go together?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Animate Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enchantress&#039;s Presence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Voltaic Key"></div></div>
<p>Building an archetype you know well with an unusual twist is a great way to keep your decks feeling fresh without having to abandon your favorite cards. Enchantress is known for being storm-adjacent, but could also support a reanimator strategy with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s.</p>
<p>Or there are powerful artifacts to support planeswalkers, so what if you added a little more artifact support to your Super-friends deck? Like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voltaic Key" href="#" target="_blank">Voltaic Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to untap <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> and make more mana from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Orrery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mycosynth Lattice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Field of the Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hordewing Skaab"></div></div>
<p>Combining themes is also a great way to experiment with an archetype you're not familiar with yet. Supporting artifacts with another archetype can help determine if you want to invest in some of the expensive artifact synergy cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark-Clan Ironworks" href="#" target="_blank">Krark-Clan Ironworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycosynth Lattice" href="#" target="_blank">Mycosynth Lattice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Alternatively, this can be a fun way to modulate your play experience. If your playgroup is tired of your lands deck comboing off every game, you can replace some of those combo pieces with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death Baron" href="#" target="_blank">Death Baron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hordewing Skaab" href="#" target="_blank">Hordewing Skaab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to win with <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> in a different way.</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>As of last month we've also revamped the submission process. Decks must now be submitted on Archidekt via a button on the <a href="https://archidekt.com/contest/15788219">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, September 10, 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, September 17, 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, September 24, 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 - September 2025

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Johnny, Combo Player" href="#" target="_blank">Johnny, Combo Player</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.kensukeart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kensuke Okabayashi</a></em></p>
<p>Like many other articles before, what drew me to this topic was a conversation with my partner, discussing something we'd seen on Blue Sky.</p>
<p>Which commanders are viable to build was the topic. There were a lot of <em>Final Fantasy</em> legends that players were really excited to build that surprised both of us. People were building anything. It started to bring up this idea of playable and not playable decks, which brought up motivation for deck building.</p>
<h2>Color First or Mechanic First</h2>
<p>When we sit down to build a Commander deck, what motivates our deck building? For some players it's colors that informs choices. We've all played against players who never cast their commander. Its usually, though not always, a way to further a power seeking desire. You get to play the best cards in a certain color.</p>
<p>cEDH functions this way, sometimes; most decks with certain colors are running a lot of the same cards.</p>
<p>However, sometimes the desire is to play a mechanically specific strategy in certain colors. Perhaps someone wants to play Grixis (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) Reanimator and is struggling to find a good commander that mechanically benefits from this strategy. They might play any Grixis value engine. This allows players to have all the colors they need to pursue the strategy with or without the commander, but the 99 might not be just the best Grixis cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirko, Obsessive Theorist"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, and most commonly, players are motivated by the mechanical uniqueness of a commander. They're seeing a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirko, Obsessive Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Mirko, Obsessive Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and running cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umbral Collar Zealot" href="#" target="_blank">Umbral Collar Zealot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the deck. They want to surveil and make Mirko bigger for better reanimation targets.</p>
<p>It's all synergistic. The mechanic informs the building.</p>
<h2>Which Is the best?</h2>
<p>This is tough, because my instinct is to say mechanic forward has to be the answer. It's a matter of pride for me. There's a reason it's the most popular building type. It's the lifeblood of Commander.</p>
<p>What brings players into this game is seeing something they like, whether it's character or mechanic, and building around that. It's the challenge of trying to creatively include and exclude cards in your deck.</p>
<p>But then I felt really split because I'm a little hypocritical. I don't know necessarily if this is about what's best. Part of what we love about Commander is the freedom to build decks whatever way we want. If we want to play all the best Grixis cards in a deck - while I'd suggest playing Standard or Modern first - then by golly you should be able to.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sauron, the Dark Lord"></div></div>
<p>Even in my explanation of building a mechanic-forward deck, I have to discuss people who build a deck because of their favorite blorbo. This is definitely in the spirit of Commander but results in decks that are more in line with Bracket 1.</p>
<p>I've always had hesitancy with Bracket 1, though it's a legitimate way to the play Commander. I've said as much in previous articles about winning (read that <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-winning-the-most-important-thing-in-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>).</p>
<p>This brings up the duality of what goes into building and playing <em>Magic</em>, which I won't rehash again in this article. The nuts and bolts of it is simply everyone is motivated by different things and it's all valid and important.</p>
<p>However, it wouldn't be me if I didn't throw in a monkey wrench.</p>
<h2>What Are the Pros and Cons of the <em>Magic</em> Player Archetypes</h2>
<p>Most of us are familiar with the various articles written by Mark Rosewater discussing the archetypes of players, but if you're not, there are examples <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/timmy-johnny-and-spike-2013-12-03" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here,</a> <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/timmy-johnny-and-spike-revisited-2006-12-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here,</a> and <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/melvin-and-vorthos-2007-05-07-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a> These different archetypes inform how a player builds their decks and plays it.</p>
<p>Lets discuss how they manifest in a typical game and the pros and cons of these play patterns.</p>
<h3>Dominant Three</h3>
<h4>Spike</h4>
<p>"Spike is the competitive player. Spike plays to win. Spike enjoys winning. To accomplish this, Spike will play whatever the best deck is." This is how Rosewater sees Spike. A Spike is likely to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Blind Mice" href="#" target="_blank">Three Blind Mice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anikthea, Hand of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Anikthea, Hand of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck to make infinite Mice and swing out.</p>
<p>They likely wouldn't really like Commander because of how uncompetitive it is, how it lacks guaranteed plays, and the RNG of it, but for the sake of this article assume they're playing Commander.</p>
<p>The pros to a Spike player is that they'll push through to find the most efficient and meta-intensive way to build a deck. If you're looking for efficiency, they're who you should speak to.</p>
<p>They'll likely always build commanders that draw cards and give value in the command zone. Spike players will have great mana-to-mana cost ratios in their deck, constantly tuning them as new cards come out, fueling some of the most powerful things you can do in the format. They don't build anything but Bracket 4 or 5 (cEDH).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spike, Tournament Grinder"></div></div>
<p>The cons are that they lack flavor. The lines are consistent and repetitive. They're limited by the commanders they'll build. They want to win more than let others go off.</p>
<p>Playing against them will be tough and brutal every time. There's no room for whimsy or fun plays. It's all business all the time. You won't find interesting, but you'll find innovative with a Spike player.</p>
<h4>Tammy/Timmy</h4>
<p>"Timmy likes to win big. He doesn’t want to eke out a last minute victory. Timmy wants to smash his opponents. He likes his cards to be impressive, and he enjoys playing big creatures and big spells." This is how Rosewater sees Tammy.</p>
<p>A Timmy is likely to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Piper" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Piper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to put out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and then every other big stupid creature in their hand. They want value and explosiveness. They don't care the cost.</p>
<p>The pros are that Tammy will always play obvious strategies. There is no bs or politicking or lies, just smash. They'll play flashy big spells that do crazy stuff. They love the spectacle and we can enjoy that as well. Some of the most memorable plays of the game will likely be something a Tammy has done.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Timmy, Power Gamer"></div></div>
<p>The cons are endless. There's likely no removal coming from a Tammy; they're too busy doing their own thing. They might have removal if it's attached to a big blowout spell like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruinous Ultimatum" href="#" target="_blank">Ruinous Ultimatum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Tammy players are often blown out by complicated interactions on the stack that remove their expensive spells. They're often slow going to build up mana for their awesome big spells, but does it matter when you can slam a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<h4>Johnny/Jenny</h4>
<p>"Johnny is the creative gamer to whom <em>Magic</em> is a form of self-expression. Johnny likes to win, but he wants to win with style." I am a humble Jenny myself. What a player like this wants to play are synergistic plays.</p>
<p>Being able to reanimate a bunch of Angels with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar, Sire of Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and then play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thief of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Thief of Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to remove the finality counters is a fun synergy that a Johnny would like.</p>
<p>What are the pros and cons for this kind of player? I'm biased but this is sort of the middle ground between Spike and Tammy. They want a little bit of both worlds. They want big stupid spells that synergize well enough to do something competitive. It's not just about winning; it's about winning with a <em>WOW!</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Johnny, Combo Player"></div></div>
<p>That might be the problem here, though. Johnny players are always struggling with the best of both worlds. They don't have the explosiveness of a Tammy or the efficiency of a Spike.</p>
<p>However, that also inlays its strength. Jenny players also don't struggle with the problems of the other two archetypes. They won't have to wait to do something interesting and exciting when they have all the mana in the world. They're interesting and fun enough to do something exciting when they win.</p>
<h3>Lesser Known Two</h3>
<h4>Vorthos</h4>
<p>"Vorthos ... started collecting cards because he liked the art, then read some <em>Magic</em> novels, then saw his favorite characters appear on some cards and decided to learn to play." They're art over functionality, story over mechanic. They build with a love for the lore. They're likely playing every original pre-mending planeswalker card in a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/planeswalkers/five-color" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five-color Super Friends deck</a>.</p>
<p>The pros of a player like this is that they're always going to play cards with some lore or story you haven't heard. You can listen to them go on and on about cool facts about the games and characters.</p>
<p>They're also someone who knows the art of every card, being able to tell you a ton about how a card got designed. They collect some of the prettiest versions of every card too.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vorthos, Steward of Myth"></div></div>
<p>The cons are likely that all their decks are Bracket 1s. They're not motivated by power but by story. They often become blood bags in games for value and triggers because of their lack of competitiveness. It's not actually a bad thing if that's the vibe. We all have a little of Vorthos in us. We all have pet cards.</p>
<h4>Melanie/Melvin</h4>
<p>"Melvin ... enjoys watching how all the pieces can be skillfully woven together." They're interested in the rules, how the game can get interesting in terms of mechanics.</p>
<p>This is slightly different from a Jenny. Mechanics is more surrounding how a card works with other things, synergistic or not. A Melvin is likely playing a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadpool, Trading Card" href="#" target="_blank">Deadpool, Trading Card</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a commander because it makes for interesting interactions with the mechanics of the game. That or a mutate deck. They want to see how cards work together and how they're ruled.</p>
<p>The pros to players like this is they <em>will</em> know the rules. Weird interactions? They got your back. Melvin will do interesting things in their games like a Johnny without the desire to win holding them back. They'll want to do the interesting thing always.</p>
<p>Melanie will always have a creative way of interacting with cards you see every day. They love to push boundaries of what a card will do. I'm a little biased because I'm a Jenny/Melanie. I love a weird little interaction.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stifle"></div></div>
<p>The cons are that the stacks will be complex. If Melanie has a response, it likely will have everyone taking out their phone to check the rulings on it. They aren't motivated by winning, so their decks might not even have a win-con. It's completely up in the air.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Circling back to the initial conversation with my partner, we disagree a bit about what makes a commander playable. He insists that some commanders have text on them that aren't enough of a value engine to be strong enough to be viable. I'm not sure that's what motivates players, in the end, to pick a commander.</p>
<p>I don't really have a big message here. I just think it's important to explore how each player might build and play. It's good to see the strengths and weaknesses of each type.</p>
<p>If there were some points I neglected, feel free to throw them in the comments or send me a message on <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strixhavendropout.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Sky. I'm @strixhavendropout.</a></p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="nrXx0E6EVh"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/powerful-magic-cards-we-take-for-granted-in-commander/">Powerful Magic Cards We Take for Granted in Commander</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Powerful Magic Cards We Take for Granted in Commander&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/powerful-magic-cards-we-take-for-granted-in-commander/embed/#?secret=hwx1HcgUBs#?secret=nrXx0E6EVh" data-secret="nrXx0E6EVh" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="rD6DmeikYV"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-winning-the-most-important-thing-in-commander/">Is Winning the Most Important Thing in Commander?</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Is Winning the Most Important Thing in Commander?&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-winning-the-most-important-thing-in-commander/embed/#?secret=QnLTUoxxUG#?secret=rD6DmeikYV" data-secret="rD6DmeikYV" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="mIreTFWwL0"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-my-deck-strong-or-just-oppressive/">Is My Deck Strong or Just Oppressive?</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Is My Deck Strong or Just Oppressive?&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-my-deck-strong-or-just-oppressive/embed/#?secret=4dU7aLDTy8#?secret=mIreTFWwL0" data-secret="mIreTFWwL0" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


commander deckbuilding

Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - September 2025

Different Approaches To Building a Commander Deck

The Most Important Commander Deckbuilding Tools

Deckbuilding Contest Finalists - June 2025