60 to 100 - Turning Legacy Lands Into a Commander Deck

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zhalfirin Void" href="#" target="_blank">Zhalfirin Void</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://www.chasestoneart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chase Stone</a></em></p>
<p>When playing <em>Magic</em>, there’s a certain separation of powers across the colors you can reasonably expect to see.</p>
<p>If you’re playing against a black deck, you can expect them to destroy your permanents. Some of your creatures may die, but that is a sacrifice they’re willing to make. Literally. They’ll sacrifice their own permanents all the same. Discarding. Direct damage. Graveyard retrieval. Hallmarks of a black deck and something you need to prepare for when facing one.</p>
<p>Except, of course, if you’re following <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-play-black-differently-in-edh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this series</a> and are looking to do something a little different. Then you might encounter a black deck who jealously protects its permanents while never so much as committing a crime.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi’s Protection"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drannith Magistrate"></div></div><br />
<em>Let’s change the game without game changers.</em></p>
<h1>What Is Playing “Out Of Type”?</h1>
<p>While each color or combination of colors in Magic has its strengths, it’s rare for a mechanic to be completely devoid from a color. Certainly, lifegain in a mono-blue deck won’t be as common as white or green. But there are certainly <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lifetap" href="#" target="_blank">options</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venser&#039;s Journal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherflux Reservoir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cosmos Elixir"></div></div><br />
<em>Even if most of those options are synergies with artifacts</em></p>
<p>At its core, playing Out Of Type or “Off-Color” is actively seeking the mechanics that barely have any support and scrounging them together. Like some sort of ramshackle scavenger, greedily scraping the barrel’s bottom for nonsense.</p>
<p>And sometimes, fools find gold.</p>
<h2>A Quick Disclaimer</h2>
<p>This isn't intended to be competitively viable. It’s for EDH, not cEDH after all. Further, the theory-crafting that goes into this follows the assumption you're avoiding leaning into any of the strengths of the color you’re playing.</p>
<p>That isn’t to say you shouldn’t <em>attempt</em> to win, just that you’re actively making it more difficult for yourself. Which to some players is anathema. However, perhaps you want to reexamine your relationship with a deck archetype. Perhaps you simply want to handicap yourself to level the playing field in your pod.</p>
<p>Or maybe you think that white’s lifelinking, indestructible, flying token swarm which exiles your permanents isn’t fun. This, of course, is the correct answer.</p>
<p>No matter what your rationale behind it, put aside whatever staples you have and focus on a theme. What can you cobble together into a deck that should have never been?</p>
<h1>What White Does Well in <em>Magic</em></h1>
<h2>Staying Safe</h2>
<p>When it comes to gaining life, white is king. Lifelink. Gaining life on enter-the-battlefield effects. Instants and sorceries with the intended effect of gaining life.</p>
<p>Further, many of its cards scale or gain additional bonuses when you have more life. Most colors subscribe to the mantra of “the only life that matters is the last,” but white actually cares quite a bit about staying topped off. And so it has protections to boot.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Warden"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daxos, Blessed by the Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani’s Welcome"></div></div><br />
<em>I’ll spare you the neverending list.</em></p>
<p>Which, to be fair, is mostly the fault of its host of Angels. Whether gaining you life directly or gaining bonuses based off of how much life you have, white’s Angels really care about keeping your life total high.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exemplar of Light"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel of Thune"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Valkyrie"></div></div><br />
<em>That’s a lot of Angels.</em></p>
<p>No, really. I thought white had too much lifegain even without Angels, but they don’t mess around. Aside from their lifegain, they also fly and tend to scale off of one another.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Vitality"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Resplendent Angel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valkyrie Harbinger"></div></div><br />
<em>That’s a </em>lot<em> of Angels</em></p>
<p>From cards that give indestructibility to stat bonuses, white really takes offense when its creatures are destroyed. It even goes so far as to hide away from the game when pressured too far, which is comical in a vacuum, yet infuriating on the field.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion Protector"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Auriok Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mother of Runes"></div></div><br />
<em>White knows protection’s important!</em></p>
<h2>Neutralizing Threats</h2>
<p>White is one of the more directly aggressive colors in <em>Magic</em>, only beat out by red and green. That being said, it’s quite good at neutralizing its opponents’ permanents.</p>
<p>The most obvious and perhaps the least bemoaned is its use of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pacifism" href="#" target="_blank">Pacifism</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In short, white has many different cards with the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-commander-deck-around-pacifism-effects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primary effect of preventing a creature from attacking or blocking</a>. This is quite frustrating in something like a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/voltron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voltron deck</a>, where the deck revolves around making one or two superpowered creatures.</p>
<p>But Pacifism isn’t the problem. It doesn’t prevent passive or active abilities and it can only affect creatures. The disrespect arrives when the White player upgrades.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Planar Disruption"></div></div><br />
<em>Note how this is just Pacifism, but better</em></p>
<h2>Exiling</h2>
<p>Then, of course, there’s white's propensity to simply remove things it finds undesirable. Blue returns permanents to your hand while black takes a more permanent solution. White, meanwhile, simply removes them from the game.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Path to Exile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Borrowed Time"></div></div><br />
<em>Regularly and with extreme prejudice</em></p>
<p>With a verified arsenal of enchantments designed entirely around exiling permanents, there are few things white can’t effectively deal with. Coupled with the protections mentioned earlier, white is a necessary color for any deck that wants to bolster its defenses.</p>
<h1>But What If…</h1>
<h2>… You Play a White Deck With a Scorched Earth Policy?</h2>
<p>Much like how the opposite of black’s fast-and-loose grasp of its permanents is to hold them close, white’s opposite is to do exactly that. Your life is a suggestion. Your hand is meaningless. Permanents are anything but.</p>
<p>It is time to invent Sui White.</p>
<h2>Alabaster Host Time</h2>
<p>I would be remiss if I didn’t immediately address that the white-aligned Phyrexian faction is perhaps the least similar to its traditional strengths. While it still involves quite a large amount of token generation and martial supremacy, the Alabaster Host focuses on toxic Mites and Incubator tokens*</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mite Overseer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flensing Raptor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Awakening"></div></div><br />
<em>*As of All Will Be One and March Of The Machine.</em></p>
<p>Despite the fact that Mite or Incubator creation is somewhat aligned with white’s regular strategies, poison tokens are a far cry from “archetypal white.” Artifacts growing over time feels more like a Gruul (red-green) archetype than a white one.</p>
<p>Which, thematically, actually fits quite well for a compleated color.</p>
<p>Allow yourself to suffer the sin of token generation in order to assign those poison counters your opponents so desperately deserve.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Charge of the Mites"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunder the Gateway"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skrelv, Defector Mite"></div></div><br />
<em>Who knew white decks were so toxic?</em></p>
<h2>Removal</h2>
<p>While it’s quite established for a white deck to exile or remove threats it doesn’t want to deal with, properly executing them isn’t really in its wheelhouse. Therefore, this should be one of the first things we look into incorporating into an off-white deck.</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s because I dug too deep or because I misjudged how much removal white really has, but here’s quite the list!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Single Combat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Promise of Loyalty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Celestial Kirin"></div></div><br />
<em>If you’re wondering about board wipes, we’ll discuss those later</em></p>
<p>While there are varying levels of permanency and flexibility, broadly speaking there’s a range of options available to you. You can focus on enchantment, artifact, or creature removal equally well, without relying on the “exile a permanent” enchantments white is so well-known for.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Gift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disenchant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crush Contraband"></div></div><br />
<em>Much more permanent than temporary exile</em></p>
<p>Though it should be noted that most of these options are more expensive or less flexible than other colors’ counterparts. Again, these aren’t ideal mechanics to build a white deck around, but that’s why it’s <em>Commander Unoptimized</em>!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stroke of Midnight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Catapult Master"></div></div><br />
<em>Keep their board clear!</em></p>
<h2>Sacrifice</h2>
<p>Unfortunately for us, self-sacrifice is an extremely “traditionally good” thing to do. That means that thematically, it doesn’t quite align without off-white ideals. However, white doesn’t mechanically engage in self-sacrifice often enough for this to be an issue.</p>
<p>Therefore, allow yourself to cache in on some good ol’ fashioned flagellation! Whether self-inflicted damage, discarding, or sacrificing permanents, all are fair game!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darien, King of Kjeldor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duty Beyond Death"></div></div><br />
<em>Makes the off-white seem “Bone”</em></p>
<h2>Scorched Earth</h2>
<p>Single-target removal simply isn’t enough. Sometimes you need to remove everything, whether permanents or opponents. And that’s why white can share the pain, much in the same way it refuses to share lifegain.</p>
<p>Cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ankh of Mishra" href="#" target="_blank">Ankh of Mishra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> spread pain and give you pinging direct damage. But anyone who has fought a white deck knows its propensity for board wipes.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Final Showdown"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farewell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hour of Reckoning"></div></div><br />
<em>Take them down with you!</em></p>
<p>This is where we run into an issue. If board wipes are so associated with white, is it not counterintuitive to include them?</p>
<p>I challenge this by drawing attention to our complete lack of protection. If you read the above cards, they don’t discriminate between friend and foe. And without white’s built-in safety net of indestructibility, these are legitimate threats that will affect you as well.</p>
<p>Exactly as off-white intended.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heliod&#039;s Intervention"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mass Calcify"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Armageddon"></div></div><br />
<em>Burn their crops, salt their fields!</em></p>
<h1>To Push It Further</h1>
<p>In a similar vein, there are certain effects that have a nested synergy with white but deviate from the norm in key aspects. Are these off-limits?</p>
<p>Not always. Take <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Suture Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Suture Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This gives you life which, gross, lifegain in a white deck! But it also damages opponents for playing creatures, which is exactly the sort of direct-damage taxing that is just odd enough to work.</p>
<p>In a situation like this, the fact it’s a “may” effect means you can set your own difficulty. It's entirely reasonable to take the healing from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Suture Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Suture Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even if you’re avoiding lifegain overall, you’re including it for the damage, so you might as well benefit from it.</p>
<p>But if you really wanted to play off-color? Ignore those healing effects. Life is gross and you want nothing to do with it. The only life that matters is the last and anything else is fluff that needs to be trimmed.</p>
<p>And even then, who needs life? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Unlife" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Unlife</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is much more on-theme.</p>


How To Play White Differently In EDH

Building a Hydra Commander Deck with Felothar, Dawn of the Abzan

Build a Copy-Themed Deck With Saheeli, the Sun's Brilliance

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Baldin, Century Herdmaster | Art by <a href="https://boros-szikszai.com/landing_2/boros/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zoltan Boros</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Bottom of the Barrel</em>, where we pick a theme from EDHREC, look at the least played color combination(s), and pick a commander in that identity to brew a spicy new deck around!</p>
<p>Today's theme is a favorite of The Command Zone's Josh Lee Kwai: card draw. Card draw is something that all decks need in order to function, but what if we focused our strategies specifically on drawing cards? I know what you're thinking; "Okay, so we're playing some blue commander?" Wrong. As a matter of fact, our commander is in a color that, until recently, people would make fun of for its lack of card draw ability: white. Mono-white, specifically.</p>
<p>According to EDHREC, there are only 73 decks in the database in mono-white that fit the "card draw" theme. Enter: Baldin.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baldin, Century Herdmaster"></div></div>
<p>Baldin was originally printed as a character from the <em>Street Fighter Secret Lair</em>, but was given the <em>Universes Within</em> treatment. On its face, it seems like it cares about creatures with high toughness, but its second line of text is where we're going to focus. Depending on our hand size, our creatures effectively get that much bigger in combat, which seems crazy.</p>
<p>Put this card in blue and you have a deck that builds itself, but the fact that this effect is mono-white is what drew me to this commander. It feels white, but it explores a design space that is fresh and new.</p>
<p>Let's begin.</p>
<h2>Category #1: Drawing Cards</h2>
<p>While building this deck, Archidekt lovingly told me that I had 25 sources of draw. 25. That's insane for mono-white. The cool thing about this group of cards is that they all help accomplish our goal in very different ways: some draw cards from small creatures entering the battlefield (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mentor of the Meek" href="#" target="_blank">Mentor of the Meek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Welcoming Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Welcoming Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enduring Innocence" href="#" target="_blank">Enduring Innocence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), some draw cards when our opponents meet a certain condition (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mangara, the Diplomat" href="#" target="_blank">Mangara, the Diplomat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trouble in Pairs" href="#" target="_blank">Trouble in Pairs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wedding Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Wedding Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>); and some are creatures that draw cards when they enter play (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helpful Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Helpful Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spirited Companion" href="#" target="_blank">Spirited Companion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyscanner" href="#" target="_blank">Skyscanner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mentor of the Meek"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Welcoming Vampire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enduring Innocence"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mangara, the Diplomat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trouble in Pairs"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wedding Ring"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helpful Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spirited Companion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyscanner"></div></div>
<p>These are only nine cards from the 25 that help us fulfill our gameplan, but we also have a group of mana rocks that can draw us cards as well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throne of Eldraine" href="#" target="_blank">Throne of Eldraine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so good that it's 30 dollars, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedron Archive" href="#" target="_blank">Hedron Archive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander&#039;s Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Commander&#039;s Sphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two rocks that don't get enough love these days.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throne of Eldraine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hedron Archive"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Sphere"></div></div>
<h2>Category #2: Things to Pump</h2>
<p>Drawing cards is only 1 part of our gameplan, as we need to make sure that we have creatures to pump with our commander's ability. The easiest way to reach this goal is to lean into one of white's strengths: token creation. Arguably the best token creator in our deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Charismatic Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Charismatic Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, even though it'll probably annoy everyone and is currently 30 dollars.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Charismatic Conqueror"></div></div>
<p>Outside of Charismatic Conqueror, we have an absolute heater at the top end with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Gold Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Gold Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an underrated uncommon from <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tarkir: Dragonstorm</span></em> in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dalkovan Packbeasts" href="#" target="_blank">Dalkovan Packbeasts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="God-Eternal Oketra" href="#" target="_blank">God-Eternal Oketra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (need I say more?), a literal goat-maker in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Springjack Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Springjack Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and an underrated gem from <em>Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="March of the Canonized" href="#" target="_blank">March of the Canonized</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Gold Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dalkovan Packbeasts"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="God-Eternal Oketra"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Springjack Shepherd"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="March of the Canonized"></div></div>
<h2>Category #3: "Secret Spice" 1 and 2</h2>
<p>Since we spent so much of our deck focusing on the first 2 categories, our remaining cards outside of traditional ramp are our "secret spice." Our first "secret spice" is a pretty popular commander with 4200 decks on EDHREC: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delney, Streetwise Lookout" href="#" target="_blank">Delney, Streetwise Lookout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delney, Streetwise Lookout"></div></div>
<p>Delney works on two axes in our deck:</p>
<ol>
<li>It doubles our commander's attack trigger because he has 0 power; and</li>
<li>It will double any triggers from our other lower power creatures. Spoiler alert: this deck is mostly creatures with power 2 or less.</li>
</ol>
<p>Outside of a generically good card, this next one might be my spiciest include in this series...</p>
<p>Loxodon Lifechanter.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loxodon Lifechanter"></div></div>
<p>If we wait until our second main phase to cast this creature, our life total might just double. Hell, it might even <em>triple. </em>On top of that crazy "enters" trigger, its second ability is pretty nuts too. We can pump it at instant speed equal to our life total, which will no doubt force our opponents to block it, allowing for our other threats to smash in. That's what I call combat value!</p>
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>This series doesn't often explore mono-colored commanders, but I think it should do it more often! Restriction breeds creativity, after all, and this deck is a shining example of that!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for coming with me on this journey with an underrated commander; I hope you're inspired to build your own mono-white card draw deck!</p>
<p>Check out my decklist below!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bottom of the Barrel - Baldin, Century Herdmaster" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Baldin, Century Herdmaster
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ancient Gold Dragon
*1 Archivist of Oghma
*1 Charismatic Conqueror
*1 Dalkovan Packbeasts
*1 Deep Gnome Terramancer
*1 Delney, Streetwise Lookout
*1 Enduring Innocence
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Flumph
*1 God-Eternal Oketra
*1 Helpful Hunter
*1 Indomitable Ancients
*1 Loran of the Third Path
*1 Loxodon Lifechanter
*1 Mangara, the Diplomat
*1 Master of Ceremonies
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Rasaad yn Bashir
*1 Scrawling Crawler
*1 Skyscanner
*1 Spirited Companion
*1 Springjack Shepherd
*1 Weathered Sentinels
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Zetalpa, Primal Dawn
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Eye of Vecna
*1 Halo Fountain
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Hourglass of the Lost
*1 Howling Mine
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Oketra&#039;s Monument
*1 Pearl Medallion
*1 Rammas Echor, Ancient Shield
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Throne of Eldraine
*1 Wedding Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Chivalric Alliance
*1 Love Song of Night and Day
*1 March of the Canonized
*1 Smile at Death
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Stoneskin
*1 Trouble in Pairs
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Bar the Door
*1 Entrapment Maneuver
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Razorgrass Ambush // Razorgrass Field
*1 Reprieve
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cut a Deal
*1 Farewell
*1 Secret Rendezvous
*1 Slaughter the Strong
*1 Tempt with Bunnies
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Castle Ardenvale
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
*1 Forbidding Watchtower
*1 Fountainport
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Minas Tirith
*1 Myriad Landscape
*26 Plains
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Building a Commander Deck With Baldin, Century Herdmaster

Adapting Your Decks to the Exhibition Bracket (1)

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.lucasgraciano.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lucas Graciano</a></em></p>
<p><em>Murders at Karlov Manor</em>… Anytime that set is mentioned, it will likely be met with some form of criticism. Whether their ire is directed towards its complicated mechanics or Ravnica fatigued, the target of most people's frustration is the theme. A murder mystery set sounded interesting on paper, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem to translate well with the large scale of an entire set.</p>
<p>Even though this set wasn’t a fan favorite, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any hidden gems just laying low in your bulk. Sure, I could highlight cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demand Answers" href="#" target="_blank">Demand Answers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Escape Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Escape Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snarling Gorehound" href="#" target="_blank">Snarling Gorehound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and many other budget singles that have made their way into plenty of decks. However, this rag-tag list of lesser played cards could just be the perfect accomplice for your favorite commander!</p>
<p>My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and on today’s edition of <em>Bulk Up</em> we're taking a look at the much-maligned crime scene known as <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/mkm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Murders at Karlov Manor</em></a>.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage"></div></div>
<p>First up, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that a lot of people thought would take Commander by storm. However, it’s only showing up in 0.65% of possible decks on EDHREC. Here’s a question: when was the last time you saw a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vandalblast" href="#" target="_blank">Vandalblast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cast for only one target? It’s usually played for its overload cost, which is five mana, the same as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. So, if you have a deck where you could benefit from cheating out a big creature, this might be the spell for you!</p>
<p>In terms of a deck I'd suggest you run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in, let’s take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ureni of the Unwritten" href="#" target="_blank">Ureni of the Unwritten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This commander loves cheating big Dragons into play, so their decks are packed full of nasty threats just waiting to hit the battlefield. Since Ureni is a whopping seven mana, you could cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag&#039;s Rampage" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag&#039;s Rampage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a few turns before your Spirit Dragon comes out, setting your opponents behind, while slamming down a big threat. Everything your deck loves to do!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treacherous Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Treacherous Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treacherous Greed"></div></div>
<p>Our next card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treacherous Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Treacherous Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, synergizes perfectly with the new mobilize mechanic from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Dragonstorm</em></a>. Three mana to draw three, gain three, and drain three from your opponents is an amazing rate. When paired with those temporary Warrior tokens you’re making, it can help refill your hand out of nowhere. The fact that it's an instant allows you to cast it at the end of combat, then move into your second main phase with even more options than before!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zurgo Stormrender" href="#" target="_blank">Zurgo Stormrender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of the commanders from the recent <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/mardu-surge-precon-guide-tarkir-dragonstorm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mardu precon</a>, allows you to be even trickier with this spell. If you sacrifice one of your tokens at the end of combat, it's still considered an “attacking” creature in the rules of the game. So Zurgo will also draw you a card on top of the ones you get with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treacherous Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Treacherous Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Three mana draw four sounds like good value to me.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fae Flight"></div></div>
<p>Evasion and protection are two important facets to include in a lot of decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> assists with both. When this Aura enters, the enchanted creature gains hexproof until end of turn, which can catch an opponent off guard after they target your commander with removal. Plus, giving flying and a little power boost will help you chip in for damage more freely as the game goes on.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-kotis-the-fangkeeper-enchantress-on-a-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Last week, I wrote about</a> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kotis, the Fangkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kotis, the Fangkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in that list. That's a perfect example of how useful this spell could be. Even though Kotis has indestructible, giving hexproof for a turn will still save you from getting your commander locked down, halting your game plan in the process. That flying also helps any deck that’s centered around connecting with creatures, especially when that results in stealing your opponent's cards.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Stashed Skeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Stashed Skeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Case of the Stashed Skeleton"></div></div>
<p>Many Commander players shy away from including tutors in their decks, since it can defeat the singleton nature of the format. However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Stashed Skeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Stashed Skeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has some quirks that will still appeal to those players. In a deck centered around Aristocrats or aggro, this card can slot right in. Making you a token and then allowing you to find any card in your deck once that token disappears feels like the perfect crime.</p>
<p>Another way to ensure “you control no suspected Skeletons” is with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jon Irenicus, Shattered One" href="#" target="_blank">Jon Irenicus, Shattered One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Giving that token away to someone else not only helps you solve the case, but it continues your plan of forcing your opponents to attack each other. What would you go searching for in this deck? If it was me, I'd go find one of my favorites, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abyssal Persecutor" href="#" target="_blank">Abyssal Persecutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Officious Interrogation" href="#" target="_blank">Officious Interrogation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Officious Interrogation"></div></div>
<p>Hear me out; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Officious Interrogation" href="#" target="_blank">Officious Interrogation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not go in every deck, but it can be an absolute bomb with a lot of commanders. There’s plenty of token decks floating around nowadays, so the fact that this spell is at instant speed means that you could stock up on a whole lot of Clues to piggyback off of your opponents' value. Pairing this with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspiring Statuary" href="#" target="_blank">Inspiring Statuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise and Shine" href="#" target="_blank">Rise and Shine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can push your board straight into the late game.</p>
<p>An absolute classic commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breya, Etherium Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Breya, Etherium Shaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and she works perfectly with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Officious Interrogation" href="#" target="_blank">Officious Interrogation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Once you have a board full of Clues, leaving just two mana up means you can crack one of them to draw a card or activate one of Breya’s many abilities at any time. This can throw your foes off their game, especially if you have a big pile of Clues just sitting there… <em>menacingly.</em></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wispdrinker Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Wispdrinker Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wispdrinker Vampire"></div></div>
<p>We’ve gotten so many cards that care about smaller creatures lately, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wispdrinker Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Wispdrinker Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one that's seemed to slip under the radar. Draining the table any time a creature with power two or less enters lets you keep your game plan going, while setting your own life total head and shoulders above the rest. Even though that final ability may be expensive, it could just save the game for you with a big attack, or a surprising block.</p>
<p>Adding the Wispdrinker in a deck helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might just put the table on a clock they can’t outrun. Creating small tokens, draining the table, and then making even more on each end step could push your match into the endgame. Then give all those Spirits lifelink and deathtouch to add insult to injury.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Break Out" href="#" target="_blank">Break Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Break Out"></div></div>
<p>Our next spell is a bit of a head-scratcher. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Break Out" href="#" target="_blank">Break Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a two-mana spell that lets you look at the top six cards of your library, and either put a big creature into your hand, or small creature right into play with haste. Now, two mana to draw one creature, with the possibility of whiffing, is a little risky. However, the fact that you could get something out for free is the real star of the show. On top of that, it can make for a fun story to tell at the end of the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> loves mana creatures, which tend to be on the smaller side. Plus, giving one of them haste would be a great way to follow up with another spell on the same turn. Since your commander buffs your mana creatures when they hit the board, you don’t care if they have power two or less in your library. You know that once they're out, they can become big beaters.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Uneaten Feast" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Uneaten Feast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Case of the Uneaten Feast"></div></div>
<p>Our final card this week is one that most likely suffers from the issue of people giving up on reading the card halfway through. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Uneaten Feast" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Uneaten Feast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only gains you life when creatures enter your board, but once you solve the case, you can cast any creatures in your graveyard for a turn. The value of that effect is incredible, so if this is in a token deck or life gain strategy, you could hit that final ability faster than expected.</p>
<p>It feels like this case and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amalia Benavides Aguirre" href="#" target="_blank">Amalia Benavides Aguirre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are made for each other. Not only will it consistently trigger your commander, but if Amalia wipes the board, you can cast some of the creatures you lost all over again! Also, since Amalia is two mana, and this enchantment is one, they curve perfect for an amazing first couple turns.</p>
<h2>The Wrap Up</h2>
<p>Listen, I know looking at this set again might have brought back too many grisly memories, but I'm proud of you for being brave enough to make it to the end of the article. Who knows, maybe there’s a few of you out there who were morbid enough to love this set, and I for one give all my respect to those players.</p>
<p>So, whether you loved it, hated it, or landed somewhere in between, let me know what you thought of this list in the comments below. Will you be adding any of these cards to your decks, or do you consider this set a closed case? Alright, that’s enough crime puns for one day…</p>


Are There Hidden Gems From Murders at Karlov Manor?

Building a Powerful Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient Commander Deck

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jsraphael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joshua Raphael</a></em></p>
<p>Well, this is about the most up to date I've ever been in terms of new releases. As of the day I'm writing this, May 7th, the commander I'm doing a deck tech for hasn't even made it's way into the EDHREC database. But <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just too interesting to not write about immediately. She's just been spoiled for the new Final Fantasy Set, and while I don't know a single thing about Final Fantasy, I do know a good deckbuilding challenge when I see one. So lets dive right into this weird spellslinger commander.</p>
<h2>Shantotto, Tactician Magician</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shantotto, Tactician Magician"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the amount of mana spent to cast that spell. If X is 4 or greater, draw a card.</em></p>
<p>Ok, so I've done more than a few spellslinger commanders on this series. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adeliz, the Cinder Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Adeliz, the Cinder Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Third Path Iconoclast" href="#" target="_blank">Third Path Iconoclast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they're all blue-red commanders that care about casting noncreature spells. It's a pretty basic formula. All you need for those decks is a bunch of cheap instants and sorceries that can draw cards or buff your team or whatever is helpful. Then you get a bunch of creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that'll ping your opponents whenever you cast one of those spells. It's a pretty tried and true formula, but I've built it a few too many times at this point. I've gotten quite bored of the whole game plan, and I need a challenge.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balmor, Battlemage Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Third Path Iconoclast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kessig Flamebreather"></div></div>
<h2>How Is Shantotto Different From Other Izzet Spellslinger Decks?</h2>
<p>So that's why I was elated when my editor recommended that I check out Shantotto. Yes, at the surface level, it's just another Izzet spellslinger commander. But there's a bit more to it than that. Rather than request the usual one-drop suspects of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and all those other crummy cantrips, Shantotto wants us to play spells with mana value four or greater. That's certainly a big difference from what other commanders want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Preordain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<p>Shanotto doesn't technically require us to play big spells, but we draw a card whenever we do, and I'm certainly not one to turn down card advantage. Other than that, the only thing she does is get bigger when we play spells. But, man does she get a lot bigger. So let's build a deck around big noncreature spells and one big creature. I think that's pretty doable, and even if it's not, I'm sure it'll be interesting.</p>
<p>As with any big mana deck, the question is: how much? How big can our average mana value get before it becomes unmanageable? Well, there's a pretty clear minimum we have to follow. If we want to take advantage of our commander's ability throughout the game, we need to be drawing a four-drop every three cards or so. Because otherwise, our commander's ability is just gonna be a random bonus that occurs every once in a while. It would be like playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and only cloning a Dragon every other turn. We've got a cool commander, let's use it.</p>
<h2>Big Pauper Spells for Shantotto</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, there's a slight problem. I'm not sure if there are enough great four-drops to play in Pauper. Yeah, you've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pirate&#039;s Pillage" href="#" target="_blank">Pirate&#039;s Pillage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Score" href="#" target="_blank">Big Score</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are all fantastic, but I don't think there are 30+ four drops that are worth playing. I certainly don't want to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Airborne Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Airborne Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just to draw a card. There are a decent number of good cards though, so let's check those out first before giving up.</p>
<p>We've got plenty of card draw, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Behold the Multiverse" href="#" target="_blank">Behold the Multiverse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is worthwhile here. Then there's some red aggression in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Party" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Party</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hazardous Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Hazardous Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empty the Warrens" href="#" target="_blank">Empty the Warrens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Are Goblins particularly useful to us? Nah, but every deck needs chump blockers, and we'd rather create them with noncreature spells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unexpected Windfall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Behold the Multiverse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Party"></div></div>
<p>After that, we have to reach into five-mana spells. Luckily, there are a few that are great inclusions even if our commander didn't ask for it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lórien Revealed" href="#" target="_blank">Lórien Revealed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a handy card to have, early and late game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Fissure" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Fissure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can decimate a board state. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just makes a ridiculous amount of mana. Then, even more expensive than those is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Eight Mana? How could that possibly be worth it? Oh, hold up, it's got delve. Basically, it's castable for just a single mana. And it'll still trigger our commander! Right?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lórien Revealed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<h2>This Commander Got Nerfed</h2>
<p>Well, actually, there's something unusual about our commander that I've concealed. I said that Shantotto checks the mana value of your cards when deciding what X is, but actually, she checks how much mana is spent. That means that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't give Shantotto +8/+0, it gives Shantotto +1/+0 if you delve away all the generic mana. That's super disappointing, especially considering that Shantotto is one of the first commanders to be worded like this. I'm sure it was a balancing decision, but honestly the result of it is that Shantotto is extremely underpowered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<p>This is the reason that I haven't been including cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Normally, for a commander that checks mana value, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be great because it can be cast for less than its advertised cost, but still trigger an ability. But here, if we don't pay any mana, we don't get any value. This is also the reason that I'm not including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, despite it being one of the best spellslinger staples of all time. If it reduces a four-cost card to three mana, we just don't get the card draw from Shantotto.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meeting of Minds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Electromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mocking Sprite"></div></div>
<p>The most I can do to patch this deck up is add a ton of ramp and some stuff to make Shantotto unblockable, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artful Dodge" href="#" target="_blank">Artful Dodge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Maybe we'll also add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Battle Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Battle Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the mix, because double strike on our commander sounds pretty intimidating. But I think that's about all I can do. Unfortunately, all we have right now is a deck with an absurdly high average mana value, and a pretty lousy payoff for it. I know I made a comparison to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> earlier in this article, but anyone with eyes can see that drawing a card for casting a four-mana spell is not the same as making a copy of a Dragon for two mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firemind Vessel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artful Dodge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div></div>
<h2>Shantotto Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Shantotto, the Radical Lady" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Shantotto, Tactician Magician
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Behold the Multiverse
*1 Big Score
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Choking Tethers
*1 Counterspell
*1 Fling
*1 Foil
*1 Frantic Firebolt
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Into the Roil
*1 Izzet Charm
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Mizzium Skin
*1 Negate
*1 Psychotic Fury
*1 Raking Claws
*1 Resculpt
*1 Rewind
*1 Shadow Rift
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Teach by Example
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Trip Up
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Unfathomable Truths
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Brass Knuckles
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Firemind Vessel
*1 Hulldrifter
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Neurok Stealthsuit
*1 Sisay&#039;s Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Artful Dodge
*1 Assault Strobe
*1 Daring Discovery
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Distortion Strike
*1 Empty the Warrens
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Goblin War Party
*1 Hazardous Blast
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany
*1 Temporal Fissure
*1 Treason of Isengard
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Apprentice Wizard
*1 Goblin Electromancer
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Kiln Fiend
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Nivix Cyclops
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*19 Island
*18 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>I'm not gonna lie, this deck is hilariously bad. A lack of good four-drops wasn't even my biggest problem, because trying to take advantage of the four mana clause was just a terrible idea when the payoff is so bad. I think this deck would be better off if you just played a bunch of one-drops, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But then you should just play Balmor.</p>
<p>The one thing that could've saved this deck would've been <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the wording of Shantotto makes that card actively detrimental. I understand why the card is phrased like that, and it'll probably make some future legend much less abusable. But here, it just makes the commander mediocre.</p>


Does Shantotto Work as a Pauper Commander?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.adamrex.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Rex</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, the series where I give advice to new players, from a new player. If you’re here because you’ve never played <em>Magic</em> before but you saw the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card and now find yourself in the middle of a 15-hour <em>Magic</em> researching fugue state, go get some sleep! For the rest of you, welcome in. Today we're talking about how to cut cards from your Commander deck when you have more than 100.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flubs, the Fool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laboratory Maniac"></div></div>
<hr />
<p>Ok, so, let me start with an anecdote. My friend, very graciously, gave me a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when he found out I was getting into Commander. He was right to do so. I fell in love instantly. All the fun of playing <em>Magic</em> without all the confusion of having to make decisions?? That sort of thing’s perfect for a guy like me.</p>
<p>So I went into my collection that weekend. I have a lot of random bulk from various other dalliances with <em>Magic</em> in my past, including a full collection of the <em>Fallout</em> precons, so I had a lot to work through. Obviously I wanted things that would support <em>landfall</em>, since Flubs let me play extra lands. I also decided I wanted to do +1/+1 counters, since I saw that recommended for Flubs decks somewhere online. And obviously I wanted some things to help play cards from exile, since that synergizes very well with Flubs’ card draw ability.</p>
<p>By the time I got all of my candidates together, I was at over 200 cards. Not including lands. In what was going to be a <em>landfall</em> deck.</p>
<p>At least a couple of these had to go.</p>
<p>But which ones? How could I bear to cut any of my new friends? I had read every single one of these cards and imagined the dream scenario in which they would single-handedly win me the game. Now how could I possibly be expected to relegate some, or even most of them, back into the disorganized maelstrom which roils inside the big white box next to my desk? It’s scary in there. It’s certainly not the kind of place for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma" href="#" target="_blank">Lily Bowen, Raging Grandma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As my elder, she deserves my respect.</p>
<p>I ran into this constantly when I was beginning my Commander journey. There’s just so many fun <em>Magic</em> cards which can support all kinds of different plans. But you need to sit down at the table with just 100 of them. Here’s how I learned to do that.</p>
<h2>Step 1: Start With a Guide</h2>
<p>There are so many excellent guides out there for how to set up your Commander deck. They’re fantastically helpful when determining how many lands to run, how much removal, how many mana artifacts, etc. So which one should you choose?</p>
<p>There’s an extremely easy answer: any of them. Absolutely any of them will be fine. These are great places to start when building your deck, but will absolutely differ from deck to deck and from player to player. So just find one to look at and start setting your deck up using those numbers. For this guide, we’ll be using this one that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNV6224cHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Command Zone</a> recently put together. Do I agree with every part of it? No. And that’s why it’s a perfect place to start.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-150362" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png" alt="" width="753" height="354" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-300x141.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1024x483.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-768x362.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template-1536x724.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cz-deckbuilding-template.png 1910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px" /></a></p>
<h2>Step 2: Add the Lands</h2>
<p>This guide wants you to run 38 lands. I’ve heard many other players say that's a great target number. It will absolutely ensure that from your opening draw, you should have enough lands to not miss any land drops and be able to do all of the wonderful things you want your deck to do.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Don’t Touch The Lands</h2>
<p>Set those lands far away. Face down. Don’t look at them. Have your partner or roommate hide them from you if need be. Don’t touch those things. Consider them a foundational cornerstone of your deck. Put a post it note on your desk with “38” written on it so you don’t forget the number and move on to the rest of the guide. You’re going to want a good read on how the cards in your deck play together, and in order to do that, you’ll have to actually play them. So just go with a little more mana than you think you might need, at least for your first couple of games.</p>
<h2>Step 4: Fill In the Rest of the Guide</h2>
<p>Go through and, to the best of your collection's ability, follow the guide you’re using to the letter. Do exactly what it instructs you to do. As you’re going through, do you feel like 10 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">mana rocks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are too much for your three-cost commander? Are you building a group hug deck and feel like maybe 18 disruption cards will sort of counteract what you’re trying to do at the table? Good. Those are useful feelings to have. Keep those with you as you fill out the nonland cards in your deck to the specifications in your guide of choice.</p>
<h2>Step 5: One In, One Out</h2>
<p>Now that you’ve got a sense for your whole deck, start to make some of those changes you were leaning towards before. But do it on a one in, one out basis. You can cut one card to swap in one other card. When you start to do this in sweeping moves or go too fast you’ll start to lose count, and soon you’ll find yourself deep in the dregs of everyone’s least favorite deckbuilding activity: counting through a big stack of cards (and then having it come up different when you do it again). Slow and steady wins the race here.</p>
<p>Take into consideration what you want in your deck. Personally, the “Plan Cards,” as they’re listed here, are my favorite part of EDH deckbuilding, and I have a really hard time keeping those down to just 30. So I’ll usually cut some disruption, and possibly some ramp, to fit in some of those cards that bring me joy every time I draw them. And what’s more, at this point, <em>I don't know</em> what’s going to be good yet! So I’m going to include everything I might want to try out and deal with the consequences later.</p>
<h2>Step 6: Cut a Couple Lands, as a Treat</h2>
<p>Look, 38 lands sounds really great, but I almost always go a little lower. If you’re playing, for example, Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) or like to live dangerously (Izzet, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), you can definitely cut a few. You’ve been very good so far, you deserve a little bit of self care. After all, if you draw dry in a game, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself!</p>
<h2>Step 7: Play The Deck</h2>
<p>The <em>most</em> important step in this process is actually going to the game store and trying the deck out! Getting it out on the table is the only way you’ll be able to evaluate which cards should stay or go. It’s sometimes useful even to goldfish it (this is stolen advice from Am I The Bolas, and it means dealing yourself a hand and playing by yourself on your own table, just to see how things might shake out in a real game), maybe even more than once.</p>
<p>One other thing I like to do is take a small sideboard with a few cards you wanted to include but didn’t make the cut. Swap them in between games for some cards which seemed underwhelming in the first game. Continue to tinker like this to your heart’s content and <a href="https://youtu.be/Sr2PlqXw03Y?si=3Jcg5s9i36vT5hbJ&amp;t=11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby, you got a Commander deck going!</a></p>
<hr />
<p>To close the loop, as we fast forward to about six months from the day where I had to cut about 150 cards for my 100 card Flubs deck, I’d wager that maybe seven or eight of those cards are still there. It’s now a deck I call “Doctor Flubsenstein’s Monster” which seeks to reunite Flubs with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">his creator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and win by playing through the rest of the deck. It no longer places +1/+1 counters. It deals some with playing cards from exile. Honestly, even most of the <em>landfall</em> triggers have fallen out. This deck isn't concerned with things like damage or combat. Now it’s a timeless tale about mankind’s yearning for the one thing that cannot be produced in a lab: love.</p>
<p>But you don’t get to tell a whimsical sci-fi tale of tragedy, yearning, and man’s reach exceeding his grasp if you don’t get those 100 cards to the table. So use a guide, try it out, and rework the deck if it isn’t working. Whenever the process gets tiring, start over with a different deck idea.</p>
<p>Congratulations, you’re now a Commander player.</p>
