<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ellivere of the Wild Court" href="#" target="_blank">Ellivere of the Wild Court</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://burmak.ru/">Dmitry Burmak</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Light-Paws, Emperor&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Light-Paws, Emperor&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://vargasni.com/">Randy Vargas</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand" href="#" target="_blank">Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by<a href="https://ryanyee.com/"> Ryan Yee</a>)</h6>
<p>Hey friends, Beth, Queen of Cardboard here with another Precon Upgrade article. Today we'll tackle <em>Virtue and Valor</em>, the Selesnya precon from <em>Wilds of Eldraine. </em></p>
<p>As a casual Commander player, I'll be looking for cards that are on theme with the deck, allow for silly plays, and were missed in the original deck list. The biggest issue with this deck was the introduction of a new mechanic, Role tokens, but not using all of the roles available in <em>Wilds of Eldraine. </em>We're going to take a look at what we can include and why these Roles may or may not be the best fit for you.</p>
<p>It's no secret that Enchantress is a popular deck theme. In fact, going through my decks, I have no less than three Enchantress decks, two of them being from the most recent sets, <em>Wilds of Eldraine </em>and <em>Commander Masters. </em>So how do we build this deck in a way that feels fresh and new? Let's get into it.</p>
<h2>Virtuous Anthems</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ellivere of the Wild Court"></div></div>
<p>Taking a look at the given commander in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ellivere of the Wild Court" href="#" target="_blank">Ellivere of the Wild Court</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you'll notice that she has something no other Role-giver has: the ability to give Virtuous Roles.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Royal"></div></div>
<p>If you don't have the ability to flip your phone upside down to read the token, Virturous is a token enchantment - Aura Role that gives the enchanted creature +1/+1 for each enchantment you control. This is an extremely strong enchantment that Ellivere gives to another target creature when she enters the battlefield or attacks. Knowing that we want more enchantments on the battlefield, I'm looking at a go-wide strategy with multiple anthem effects that lean towards pumping our creatures based on the number of enchantments we control. The deck already comes with some great options, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethereal Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Ethereal Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eidolon of Countless Battles" href="#" target="_blank">Eidolon of Countless Battles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Mask" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Mask</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mantle of the Ancients"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All That Glitters"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helm of the Gods"></div></div>
<p>Playing the deck proved to me that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantle of the Ancients" href="#" target="_blank">Mantle of the Ancients</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was not only a perfect fit for this deck, but almost single-handedly won me the game several times. In addition to the great options the deck already included, I added <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All That Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All That Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These two options are perfectly on theme with the deck and add value to anything we've got on the board state. I also found a spot here for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Against Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Against Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, giving us +1/+1 for each creature on board. I kept <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Inheritance" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Inheritance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from the original list because I liked its anthem effect, the ability to give the enchanted creature a Monster Role, and its self-recursion.</p>
<h2>If You Blink You'll Miss It</h2>
<p>Depending on the board state, you may not be interested in using Elliver in combat as often as some of the other creatures, since she can't target herself with her ability. So including a blink package to take advantage of her ability while keeping her on the sidelines is a no-brainer. Enchantment cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teleportation Circle" href="#" target="_blank">Teleportation Circle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skybind" href="#" target="_blank">Skybind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Far Traveler" href="#" target="_blank">Far Traveler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only help the enchantment anthem effects, but also allow you to remove Ellivere from the battlefield and return her for another ETB trigger. Blinking the commander at instant speed with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudshift" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also saves her from targeted removal, giving both value and protection.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lae&#039;zel&#039;s Acrobatics"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ephemerate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudshift"></div></div>
<p>Some other creatures in the deck that can also take advantage of blinking are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Armont, the Redeemer" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Armont, the Redeemer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gylwain, Casting Director" href="#" target="_blank">Gylwain, Casting Director</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Courtier" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Courtier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eidolon of Blossoms" href="#" target="_blank">Eidolon of Blossoms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Don't forget about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siona, Captain of the Pyleas" href="#" target="_blank">Siona, Captain of the Pyleas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as her ETB allows for a mini-tutor, looking at the top seven cards of your deck for an Aura. If you're looking to switch out the commander in this deck, this is the pick I'd make.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siona, Captain of the Pyleas"></div></div>
<p>Filtering through your deck for all of your Auras is a quick way to end the game, and it helps that Siona creates a 1/1 Human Soldier token each time an Aura is attached to a creature. Unlike some other cards seen recently, this ability is not limited to once per turn, and there are plenty of ways to take advantage of it. If you're looking to add a two-card infinite combo to this deck, adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shielded by Faith" href="#" target="_blank">Shielded by Faith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will give you infinite ETB and infinite creature tokens.</p>
<h2>Instant Satisfaction</h2>
<p>The <em>Virtue and Valor</em> precon originally came with seven non-permanent spells. This felt incredibly low and something that needed a bit of help. A large amount of the blink package mentioned above will help protect the board state, but I also included cards that added to either our flavor, Roles, or some more interaction with our opponents.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Royal Treatment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return Triumphant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of the Werefox"></div></div>
<p>These new spells might seem a little expensive, but the added value and flavor to the deck are worth it.</p>
<h2>Tough Cuts</h2>
<p>With this deck, there weren't a lot of cards that felt unnecessary, and I went over the list multiple times trying to prune here and adjust there. Even if you choose not to cut all of these cards, I'm confident that the cuts made here helped the deck in the end. There are so many Enchantress cards available that it could be built differently 100 times.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Virtue and Valor Cuts" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Creatures]
*1 Ajani&#039;s Chosen
*1 Aura Gnarlid
*1 Celestial Archon
*1 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
*1 Knickknack Ouphe
*1 Liberated Livestock
*1 Loamcrafter Faun
*1 Ox Drover
*1 Paradise Druid
*1 Setessan Champion
*1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Sylvan Ranger
*1 Tanglespan Lookout
*1 Timber Paladin
*1 Tithe Taker
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Angelic Destiny
*1 Careful Cultivation
*1 Daybreak Coronet
*1 Enchantress&#039;s Presence
*1 Fertile Ground
*1 Pollenbright Wings
*1 Spectral Steel
*1 Timely Ward
*1 Utopia Sprawl
*1 Verdant Embrace
*1 Warbriar Blessing
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>


<h2>Powerful Change</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Light-Paws, Emperor&#039;s Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Calix, Guided by Fate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Light-Paws, Emperor&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Light-Paws, Emperor&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that I've wanted to use in a deck since it was released. It's inexpensive and doubles the value of your Aura casts. With 14 available in the deck aside from the Role tokens, this can get out of control extremely fast. Speaking of out-of-control, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Calix, Guided by Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Calix, Guided by Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going to double the amount of enchantments you have at the ready by copying them when combat damage is dealt by Calix or ANY enchanted creature you control. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand" href="#" target="_blank">Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a staple that I included to replace the non-enchantment card draw the deck included previously.</p>
<p>Check out the updated deck list below.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Virtue and Valor Precon Upgrade" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ellivere of the Wild Court
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Acrobatic Maneuver
*1 Beast Within
*1 Cloudshift
*1 Cosmic Intervention
*1 Eerie Interlude
*1 Ephemerate
*1 Flicker of Fate
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Lae&#039;zel&#039;s Acrobatics
*1 Royal Treatment
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Against All Odds
*1 Austere Command
*1 Curse of the Werefox
*1 Retether
*1 Return Triumphant
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Unfinished Business
*1 Winds of Rath
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 All That Glitters
*1 Ancestral Mask
*1 Armadillo Cloak
*1 Bear Umbra
*1 Ethereal Armor
*1 Far Traveler
*1 Flickerform
*1 Giant Inheritance
*1 Hope Against Hope
*1 Indomitable Might
*1 Karmic Justice
*1 Kenrith&#039;s Transformation
*1 Mantle of the Ancients
*1 Sage&#039;s Reverie
*1 Skybind
*1 Snake Umbra
*1 Songbirds&#039; Blessing
*1 Sterling Grove
*1 Teleportation Circle
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*1 Helm of the Gods
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace
*1 Archon of the Wild Rose
*1 Calix, Guided by Fate
*1 Charmed Clothier
*1 Cursed Courtier
*1 Danitha, New Benalia&#039;s Light
*1 Destiny Spinner
*1 Eidolon of Blossoms
*1 Eidolon of Countless Battles
*1 Gylwain, Casting Director
*1 Jukai Naturalist
*1 Kodama of the West Tree
*1 Light-Paws, Emperor&#039;s Voice
*1 Sanctum Weaver
*1 Siona, Captain of the Pyleas
*1 Spellbook Vendor
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Syr Armont, the Redeemer
*1 Sythis, Harvest&#039;s Hand
*1 Transcendent Envoy
*1 Umbra Mystic
*1 Yenna, Redtooth Regent
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Castle Ardenvale
*1 Command Tower
*13 Forest
*1 Fortified Village
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Krosan Verge
*1 Myriad Landscape
*11 Plains
*1 Sungrass Prairie
*1 Temple of Plenty
*1 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<h2>In Conclusion</h2>
<p>When I first looked at this precon, I was tempted to remove the Role mechanic entirely. I wasn't sure I cared for it, especially since my previous Enchantress decks all wanted multiple enchantments. I was intimidated by the amount of triggers I had to keep up with, and it was "new." Playing the deck makes it clear that Roles are useful and the Virtuous Role is complete gas. It leaves me wondering if they'll be used more in the future and how I'll implement their abilities into other decks.</p>
<p>This deck currently comes in around $100 with upgrades, and I think that's pretty perfect for those looking to spice it up a little without breaking the bank.</p>
<p>If you're looking to read more about <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em>, please check out these articles:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edh-jank-center-10-cards-you-missed-from-wilds-of-eldraine/">EDH Jank Center - 10 CARDS YOU MISSED FROM: WILDS OF ELDRAINE</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/fae-dominion-precon-upgrade-guide/">Fae Dominion - Precon Upgrade Guide</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-command-zone-the-best-wilds-of-eldraine-cards-in-the-99-the-command-zone-559-mtg-edh-magic-commander/">The Command Zone - The Best Wilds of Eldraine Cards (In The 99) | The Command Zone 559 | MTG EDH Magic Commander</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Let me know what changes you made to this deck in the comments and I'll see you next time with the <em>Dr. Who x Magic the Gathering</em> precon guides.</p>


Virtue and Valor - Precon Upgrade Guide

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ellivere of the Wild Court" href="#" target="_blank">Ellivere of the Wild Court</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://burmak.ru/">Dmitry Burmak</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gylwain, Casting Director" href="#" target="_blank">Gylwain, Casting Director</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://aurorefolny.com/">Aurore Folny</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Armont, the Redeemer" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Armont, the Redeemer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by<a href="http://www.magali-villeneuve.com/"> Magali Villeneuve</a>)</h6>
<p>Hello readers! My name is Beth, Queen of Cardboard, and this is the Precon Primer for the<em> Wilds of Eldraine Commander</em> deck <em>Virtue and Valor</em>. This deck may seem like just another enchantment deck, especially since it's coming on the heels of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/enduring-enchantments-precon-primer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Enduring Enchantments</em> deck</a> from <em>Commander Masters. </em>But if you look at the face commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ellivere of the Wild Court" href="#" target="_blank">Ellivere of the Wild Court</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you'll note that the deck comes with a brand new Aura token type: Roles. Roles may seem confusing at first, but they're a perfect way to bring your token players and enchantment players together with one deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ellivere of the Wild Court"></div></div>
<p>Ellivere is a four-cost Selesnya (green/white) 4/4 with a powerful ETB and attack trigger, creating a Virtuous Role token attached to another target creature. In addition to this ability, you're awarded a card draw any time an enchanted creature you control deals combat damage to a player. This is quite possibly one of the most synergistic cards I've seen in a while. And if you're a "cute card" lover like me, I want to tell you this one gets a 10/10.</p>
<p>But what's in a Role?</p>
<h2>Role for Value</h2>
<p>This is one of the few decks that I actually went back and played straight off the list, just to get used to this new mechanic.</p>
<p>There are seven Roles in <em>Wilds of Eldraine.</em> The other six roles are Royal, Sorcerer, Monster, Young Hero, Cursed, and Wicked. While you can only get Virtuous from Elliver, other cards in the the deck give you access to Monster, Sorcerer, Royal, and Young Hero.</p>
<p>So what do these roles do?</p>
<ul>
<li>Monster — Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.</li>
<li>Royal — Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has ward 1.</li>
<li>Sorcerer — Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has “Whenever this creature attacks, scry 1.”</li>
<li>Young Hero — Enchanted creature has “Whenever this creature attacks, if its toughness is 3 or less, put a +1/+1 counter on it.”</li>
<li>Virtuous — Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each enchantment you control.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monster // Sorcerer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Royal // Young Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monster|twoc|1"></div></div>
<p>In addition to Ellivere, you have three other cards that grant Roles in the deck, most notably, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gylwain, Casting Director" href="#" target="_blank">Gylwain, Casting Director</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the alternate commander. Unfortunately, for those who like seeing new cards in action, out of the 15 Role-giving cards available in these colors, this deck only included four.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gylwain, Casting Director"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Inheritance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Armont, the Redeemer"></div></div>
<h2>Enchantress Staples</h2>
<p>While the <em>Enduring Enchantments</em> deck focuses on Sagas and enchantment creatures, this one is all about Auras. Thanks to a commander that passes these out like candy, the Virtuous role is a star in the deck whether you use Gylwain or Ellivere as your main commander. The Totem Armors <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snake Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Snake Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bear Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Bear Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come in extremely useful when these big creatures ultimately are destroyed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umbra Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Umbra Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives Totem Armor to all your Auras, which overcomes board wipes and targeted removal. Constellation also makes a return in this deck, giving you value for each enchantment entering the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eidolon of Blossoms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Setessan Champion"></div></div>
<p>The two all-stars in this deck are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Songbirds&#039; Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Songbirds&#039; Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantle of the Ancients" href="#" target="_blank">Mantle of the Ancients</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If we're being completely honest here, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantle of the Ancients" href="#" target="_blank">Mantle of the Ancients</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is ridiculously good, especially when you bring back all your enchantments that your opponents thought were gone after casting a piece of key removal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Songbirds&#039; Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Songbirds&#039; Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to quickly move through the deck, finding more Auras and enchantment creatures to overcome your opponent with.</p>
<h2>Anthems Abound</h2>
<p>The steady strength of this deck is through anthem effects. The Virtuous Role gives the enchanted creature +1/+1 for each enchantment you control. In addition to this Role, there are the Auras <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethereal Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Ethereal Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantle of the Ancients" href="#" target="_blank">Mantle of the Ancients</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Mask" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Mask</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sage&#039;s Reverie" href="#" target="_blank">Sage&#039;s Reverie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This deck truly is giving you the option to go both wide and tall, quickly creating several big creatures that can be especially hard to defend against.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aura Gnarlid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eidolon of Countless Battles"></div></div>
<p>In addition to your Aura anthem cards, there are two creatures that have anthem effects for themselves. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aura Gnarlid" href="#" target="_blank">Aura Gnarlid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is especially nasty here because it can't be blocked by creatures with lesser power. There's a good chance if you're waiting to put this onto the battlefield that your creatures are also the biggest on the battlefield, giving you a huge, unblockable, killing machine. The Eidolon also pumps itself or can be Bestowed as an Aura to pump another creature. Pair either of these two with flying or trample and you've got two game-ending creatures.</p>
<h2>Interaction, I Barely Know Her</h2>
<p>One weakness of this deck is the lack of instant speed interaction and removal. While the <em>Fae Dominion</em> precon abounds in interaction, this deck has a total of two instants and five sorceries, not including the Adventure card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realm-Cloaked Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Realm-Cloaked Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Of the seven removal cards in the deck, three of them cost more than five mana, making removal seem like an afterthought. We're relying purely on overcoming the opponent by playing enchantment after enchantment as quickly as possible.</p>
<h2>Reprints, Not for the Weak</h2>
<p>This deck contains a LOT of reprints. However, in this list, they work. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transcendent Envoy" href="#" target="_blank">Transcendent Envoy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jukai Naturalist" href="#" target="_blank">Jukai Naturalist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make all your Aura spells cheaper to cast, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starfield Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Starfield Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes all enchantment spells cheaper. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Destiny Spinner" href="#" target="_blank">Destiny Spinner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps with the lack of interaction in the deck, making the majority of your spells uncounterable. And you've got tons of card draw in reprints like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enchantress&#039;s Presence" href="#" target="_blank">Enchantress&#039;s Presence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sage&#039;s Reverie" href="#" target="_blank">Sage&#039;s Reverie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snake Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Snake Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enchantress&#039;s Presence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sage&#039;s Reverie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snake Umbra"></div></div>
<p>While it would have been nice to see these functions on new cards, these reprints provide essential value and make the deck incredibly difficult for opponents to deal with. This is a classic case of "If it's not broke, why fix it?" Or in the <em>Magic </em>world, "If there's a card that does it, why make a new one?"</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>While this deck tries to introduce a new mechanic, there are several Roles and cards missing that would have been easy includes in this list. While Ellivere is powerful and a perfect fit for this deck, you could interchange the face commander and alternate commander with ease, as Gylwain provides almost as much value as Ellivere. The Virtuous Role being applied multiple times a turn is insane, and with a flicker package you're going to make and destroy enemies on the board in a succinct manner. It makes sense that this Role is only available via one card in all of <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em>.</p>
<p>If you're looking to upgrade this deck, first look at the weaker enchantment Auras and non-enchantment creatures. I've got more info available in my <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/virtue-and-valor…on-upgrade-guide/">Virtue and Valor Precon Upgrade Guide article</a>.</p>
<p>If you liked this article you might want to read:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wilds-of-eldraine-the-starring-roles/">Wilds of Eldraine: The Starring Roles</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-command-zone-virtue-and-valor-wilds-of-eldraine-precon-upgrade-guide-the-command-zone-556-mtg-edh-magic/">The Command Zone - “Virtue and Valor” Wilds of Eldraine Precon Upgrade Guide | The Command Zone 556 | MTG EDH Magic</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-over-under-predicting-the-popularity-of-wilds-of-eldraine-commanders/">The Over/Under - Predicting the Popularity of Wilds of Eldraine Commanders</a></li>
</ul>


Virtue and Valor - Precon Primer

Brew For Your Buck - Defend this House

Technically Playable - Daryl, Hunter of Walkers

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sapphire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Sapphire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.joeslucher.com/">Joe Slucher</a>)</h6>
<h1>Dracarys</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. For the last <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brew-for-your-buck-stick-em-in-a-stew/">two</a> <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/rebrew-for-your-buck-ratadrabiks-rings/">articles</a>, we've been focused on infinite combos to win immediately upon assembly. We've also been in Orzhov (white, black) both times. With that in mind, I went searching in the Izzet (blue, red) part of the color pie, looking for a commander that lends itself to a more casual, <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/timmy-johnny-and-spike-2013-12-03">Timmy/Tammy-esque playstyle</a>. A good old fashioned Dragons deck just seemed to fit the bill. Fortunately we just had a new commander for this archetype released not too long ago:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan, Soul Aflame"></div></div>
<p>Sarkhan is a great commander for a deck based around a creature type that tends to be higher on the mana curve. He only costs three mana, making him easy to cast early, and then he reduces the cost of all future Dragons. The copying ability is excellent too, especially in conjunction with attack or combat damage triggers since Sarkhan gives the Dragon it's copying "haste" by already existing on the battlefield. We can see that with some of the cards we are going to take out of the $354.53 list.</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="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Copper Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Copper Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($52.35)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($29.73)</li>
<li><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> ($25.07)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza&#039;s Incubator" href="#" target="_blank">Urza&#039;s Incubator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($20.28)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Silver Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Silver Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($18.32)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavern-Hoard Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Cavern-Hoard Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($13.99)</li>
<li><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> ($13.38)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($10.73)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($10.50)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldspan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Goldspan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($9.94)</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<p style="padding-left: 240px;"><strong>Total Value of Cuts: $204.29</strong></p>
<p><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> is our only land that would qualify for a swap, which would bring our total savings to <strong>$217.68.</strong></p>
<h2><strong>Additions</strong></h2>
<p>Thinking about the cards we want to add, I want to be careful about keeping the Dragon count consistent. We need to add back seven Dragons since we took that many out. We'll look for Dragons with attack or combat damage triggers that we get right away once Sarkhan copies the Dragon we cast, but mostly our budget package this week is just looking to make our opponents dead as fast as possible.</p>
<h3><strong>Five-by-Five</strong></h3>
<p>Five drop Dragons are really valuable in this list, because we can curve Sarkhan straight into them. First up, the best curve topper in those <em>Arena</em> <em>Cube</em> red decks: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glorybringer" href="#" target="_blank">Glorybringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.27). We can exert it and Sarkhan to snipe two creatures if needed or just bash for eight damage. Want to gain some political favor? Try out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.53) to make a new friend via Knight tokens, then smack someone else in the face for twelve with Sarkhan and this five mana 6/6 flying haster. Or just smack the person you give the tokens to; those Knights don't fly. For more face-smashing, try out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat&#039;s Fanatics" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat&#039;s Fanatics</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.09). When these guys come down after Sarkhan, you're throwing eight damage at <strong>each</strong> opponent as early as turn four.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glorybringer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tiamat&#039;s Fanatics"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Utility Dragons</strong></h3>
<p>Part of why I love doing these articles is finding cards that I didn't know existed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Pillager" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Pillager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.10) is yet another one, but don't you think its name sounds like a black Nightmare instead of a red Dragon? Either way, this guy slots in as a good replacement for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Silver Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Silver Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at a fraction of the price. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sapphire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Sapphire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.18) pulls double duty in the deck, being a useful though over-costed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> early and helping to find the right cards later. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vengeful Ancestor" href="#" target="_blank">Vengeful Ancestor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.29) can repeatedly goad your opponent's creatures, keeping the pressure off you while you're hitting everyone with your big flying monsters. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Siege Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.30) might seem a bit laughable in comparison with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> but it's way cheaper and does a pretty good impression. Plus the one time you absolutely WRECK the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, the Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player in your pod will make for a Commander story you'll be telling for years.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dream Pillager"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sapphire Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege Dragon"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Non-Dragon Dragon Support</strong></h3>
<p>With our required seven Dragons out of the way, let's look at our three supporting slots. My mind went straight to bonuses for creatures with flying, since all but four of our creatures have it. Things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warden of Evos Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Warden of Evos Isle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitational Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitational Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windreader Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Windreader Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lofty Denial" href="#" target="_blank">Lofty Denial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be great (and budget) additions, but it just seemed too generic. We're a Dragon deck after all, let's do Dragon things!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shared Animosity" href="#" target="_blank">Shared Animosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($1.23) seems like an auto-include in a typal deck looking to attack, so I'm glad it's getting a reprint in the <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em> bonus sheet. In magical Christmasland, you could even attack with six 10/3 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat&#039;s Fanatics" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat&#039;s Fanatics</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on turn five. Speaking of attacking creatures, if we need to draw cards look no further than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keep Watch" href="#" target="_blank">Keep Watch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.58). Not only can we use this on our turn if we're swinging out (which we'll be doing a lot of), but this will count for your opponents' creatures too. They don't even need to be attacking you! To bring it all home, we'll throw in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guild Artisan" href="#" target="_blank">Guild Artisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.10). This deck is as mana hungry as they come, so extra ramp is always needed. Since our plan is to be attacking with Sarkhan all the time, this is a small mana and money investment that fits our plan nicely.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shared Animosity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Keep Watch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guild Artisan"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Wrap Up and Savings</strong></h2>
<p>Let's take a look at what we saved:</p>
<table class="aligncenter" style="height: 384px; width: 81.6883%; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;" width="177"><strong>Out</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;" width="69"><strong> Price </strong></td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;" width="152"><strong>In</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;" width="73"><strong> Price </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;" width="177">Ancient Copper Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;" width="69"> $ 52.35</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;" width="152">Glorybringer</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;" width="73"> $ 0.27</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Terror of the Peaks</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 29.73</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Hunted Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.53</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Cyclonic Rift</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 25.07</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Tiamat's Fanatics</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.09</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Urza's Incubator</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 20.28</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Dream Pillager</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.10</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Ancient Silver Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 18.32</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Sapphire Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.18</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Cavern-Hoard Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 13.99</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Vengeful Ancestor</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.29</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Jeska's Will</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 13.38</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Siege Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.30</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Balefire Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 10.73</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Shared Animosity</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 1.23</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Utvara Hellkite</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 10.50</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Keep Watch</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.58</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;">Goldspan Dragon</td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"> $ 9.94</td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;">Guild Artisan</td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"> $ 0.10</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;"><strong>Total</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.6673%; height: 24px;"><strong> $ 204.29</strong></td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;"><strong>Total</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"><strong> $ 3.67</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 22.5958%; height: 24px;" colspan="2" rowspan="4"><strong> </strong></td>
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;" width="152"><strong>Original Deck Price</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;" width="73"><strong> $ 354.53</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;"><strong>New Price</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"><strong> $ 140.52</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;"><strong>Total Savings</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"><strong> $ 214.01</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 24.178%; height: 24px;"><strong>% Savings</strong></td>
<td style="width: 5.31842%; height: 24px;"><strong>60%</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I hope you liked this straightforward, attack and smash Dragon deck. We cut a whopping 60% off the price of the deck, kept some sweet Dragon staples, and made you the scourge of durdle decks everywhere. Here's the final list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Here Are My Dragons" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sarkhan, Soul Aflame
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Astral Dragon
*1 Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
*1 Blast-Furnace Hellkite
*1 Dragonlord&#039;s Servant
*1 Dragonmaster Outcast
*1 Dragonspeaker Shaman
*1 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
*1 Dream Pillager
*1 Firkraag, Cunning Instigator
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Glorybringer
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Hunted Dragon
*1 Iymrith, Desert Doom
*1 Kolaghan Warmonger
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
*1 Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy
*1 Niv-Mizzet, Parun
*1 Renari, Merchant of Marvels
*1 Sapphire Dragon // Psionic Pulse
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Siege Dragon
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Tiamat&#039;s Fanatics
*1 Titan of Littjara
*1 Tyrant&#039;s Familiar
*1 Vengeful Ancestor
*1 Wrathful Red Dragon
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Guild Artisan
*1 Kindred Discovery
*1 Reflections of Littjara
*1 Rising of the Day
*1 Shared Animosity
*1 There and Back Again
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Raise the Palisade
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Counterspell
*1 Draconic Lore
*1 Dragon&#039;s Fire
*1 Keep Watch
*1 Negate
*1 Pongify
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Sarkhan, Fireblood
[/Planeswalkers]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Lapis Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Creativity
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Cascade Bluffs
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crucible of the Spirit Dragon
*1 Frostboil Snarl
*1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
*6 Island
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*14 Mountain
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Temple of Epiphany
*1 Training Center
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<p>As usual, I'd love to hear your take on this deck, the BFYB process, commanders or themes you'd like to see, or anything else! Let me know down below in the comments; I'm usually pretty good about responding. If not 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>
<h3>Read more:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/recross-the-paths-the-scarab-god/">Recross the Paths - The Scarab God</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/nearly-identical-the-ur-dragon-or-tiamat/">Nearly Identical - The Ur-Dragon or Tiamat?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://commandersherald.com/how-to-train-your-dragon-sylvia-khorvath/">How To Train Your Dragon: Sylvia &amp; Khorvath</a></li>
</ul>


Brew For Your Buck - Here Are My Dragons

<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

<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>
