Too-Specific Top 10 - Swamped

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Return" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.sebmckinnon.com/illustration">Seb McKinnon</a>)</h6>
<h1>The One You Send to Kill the Boogeyman</h1>
<p>Greetings everyone, and welcome back to <em>Monomania</em>. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy. In these articles I try to challenge staples and misconceptions about the color pie. Today, we'll be stepping into the shoes of a professional assassin.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toshiro Umezawa"></div></div>
<p>Enter Toshiro Umezawa, a meticulous assassin that uses everything at his disposal to fulfill his contracts. This commander’s effect is essentially card advantage, making our graveyard a well of resources. However, it includes a few important restrictions—most notably that it can only target instants. What’s more, we can only <em>Flashback</em> one instant for each creature that dies. This leads to a very particular strategy and identity inherent to this general. He’s resourceful, precise, and loves his dog.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-35009 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/jwdog2.gif" alt="" width="480" height="200" /></p>
<p>Obviously, we want a critical mass of instants to take full advantage of the effect, but we also want a variety of effects on those instants—from card advantage to removal to haymakers—so that we can respond to the game state appropriately. We also want to lean toward removing creatures one at a time. Board wipes, although necessary, will usually mean wasted triggers for us. One way that we are going to counteract this is by employing targeted removal. Another is that we are going to use the classic black big mana package with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vesuva" href="#" target="_blank">Vesuva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to make enough mana to capitalize on multiple triggers.</p>
<p>The power here is the flexibility of the commander. We can be extremely reactive to the table. We can play with very specific timing. If any creatures die incidentally, we can choose if we have an apt instant for the moment in our graveyard. That being said, be wary. If your meta or playgroup is creature-light, a Toshiro deck can very easily have trouble getting off the ground. Luckily, we're playing a multiplayer format, so we're likely to have a minimum of one creature-based deck at the table.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Guns. Lots of Guns.</h2>
<p>To build <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toshiro Umezawa" href="#" target="_blank">Toshiro Umezawa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, our ramp package is contingent upon how we’re going to draw cards. So first let’s look at how we're going to maintain a full clip.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-35005 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/john-wick-gun.gif" alt="" width="480" height="200" /></p>
<p>We want draw spells that are also instants so we can flash them back later, or spells that can leverage the big mana that black is capable of. I've included a diverse selection of draw spells, some explosive and others piecemeal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diabolic Revelation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dregs of Sorrow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necrologia"></div></div>
<p>These explosive draw spells are cost-prohibitive, but have the potential to excel. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diabolic Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Diabolic Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dregs of Sorrow" href="#" target="_blank">Dregs of Sorrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both sorceries, but take advantage of big mana like very few other card advantage effects in black. If we can find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Stronghold" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Stronghold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, these X-spells become the best cards in our deck.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necrologia" href="#" target="_blank">Necrologia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only sees play in 20% of Toshiro Umezawa decks on EDHREC, but it should be a staple. Although it drains life and can only be played right before our discard phase, this instant is extremely valuable, allowing us to choose exactly how many cards we want to draw without any additional mana cost before discarding down to hand size.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Costly Plunder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insidious Dreams"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonlight Bargain"></div></div>
<p>These instant-speed effects are all powerful with our general, even though they draw a relatively restricted number of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Costly Plunder" href="#" target="_blank">Costly Plunder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, only net one card; however, it's the ability to flash these instants back that makes these cards so valuable. Because our graveyard is like a second hand for us, we don't mind stashing our instants there with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insidious Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Insidious Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonlight Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Moonlight Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Now that we know how we’re going to dig through our deck, let’s see how we’re going to ramp up for some truly spectacular values for X.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Everything’s Got a Price</h2>
<p>Our commander costs one generic and two black mana to cast, meaning without <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it will be nearly impossible to cast him earlier than turn three. As such, our ramp package won't focus on getting to any particular amount quickly, but rather to facilitate our spell-slinging strategy.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-35006 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/knife-fight.gif" alt="" width="480" height="200" /></p>
<p>We don't employ a curve in the traditional sense; we won't be trying to put pressure on the board from turn one. Instead of trying to reach six mana on turn four, we will rather be aiming to reach fifteen or more mana at a pivotal moments a few turns later.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crypt Ghast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magus of the Coffers"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Market"></div></div>
<p>First, we have a suite of big mana effects in black to complement <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Stronghold" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Stronghold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Each of these can help us produce large amounts of mana to search for all of the best cards in our deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diabolic Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Diabolic Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or to reanimate our entire graveyard with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Finale of Eternity" href="#" target="_blank">Finale of Eternity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is especially powerful for us because it benefits from our innately trigger-happy core strategy.</p>
<p>Everyone knows <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While it isn't necessarily at its best in Commander, it does perform well in Toshiro, sometimes allowing us to chain removal spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spoils of Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Spoils of Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, has been largely forgotten and is extremely underrated, seeing play in only 79 decks on EDHREC. Sure, the floor is low—in specific circumstances, it might only gain a few points of life. Graveyard-based decks are extremely popular, though, and if we sit down across from a necromancer, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spoils of Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Spoils of Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will produce a ridiculous amount of mana at some point in the game. On top of that, our strategy relies on filling our opponents’ graveyards, which in turn adds fuel for this card.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spoils of Evil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thought Vessel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jet Medallion"></div></div>
<p>Because we’re playing cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skeletal Scrying" href="#" target="_blank">Skeletal Scrying</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necrologia" href="#" target="_blank">Necrologia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which only allow us to draw big before our discard phase, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thought Vessel" href="#" target="_blank">Thought Vessel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perfect here. We want to avoid discarding cards, and as such, eliminating our maximum hand size is very desirable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jet Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Jet Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also furthers our strategy, discounting our removal spells as well as the instants we recast. Since our deck is built to cast multiple spells in a turn, we will get the discount on each of them and the Medallion will easily outperform any other mana rock available.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Deck</h2>
<p>With a solid foundation for ramp and draw, let’s bring it all together with a decklist. Because this deck plays so aggressively with its life total as well as the cards in its graveyard, it can be fairly difficult to pilot, presenting us with important decision points on any given turn. Toshiro likes to be poised, reposed, and reactive, waiting for specific moments to strike. Among the other notable inclusions here, we have various packages to support our main strategy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Revel in Riches"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sangromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exquisite Blood"></div></div>
<p>To supplement our deck's fun factor, we can try to steal a win with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or stampede over our opponents with their own deceased creatures using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Betrayal" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Betrayal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>With all of the spells in our deck that cause incidental life loss, we need some way to gain it back. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sangromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Sangromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a decent effect that can gradually replenish our life total over the course of the game without appearing too threatening. In addition, we have other ways to incidentally drain life such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pontiff of Blight" href="#" target="_blank">Pontiff of Blight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>While these effects can help put our opponents within killing range, we have no way to abuse them; therefore, we will usually need something else to deliver the final stroke such as a supercharged <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torment of Hailfire" href="#" target="_blank">Torment of Hailfire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If all else fails, we can assemble the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanguine Bond" href="#" target="_blank">Sanguine Bond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combo to finish the job.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="They Call Him Baba Yaga" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Toshiro Umezawa
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Falkenrath Noble
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Chainer, Dementia Master
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Magus of the Coffers
*1 Ogre Slumlord
*1 Harvester of Souls
*1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
*1 Massacre Wurm
*1 Pontiff of Blight
*1 Overseer of the Damned
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Cremate
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Defile
*1 Skeletal Scrying
*1 Tragic Slip
*1 Undying Evil
*1 Altar’s Reap
*1 Cabal Ritual
*1 Costly Plunder
*1 Grasp of Darkness
*1 Without Weakness
*1 Grim Return
*1 Ob Nixilis’s Cruelty
*1 Spoils of Evil
*1 Succumb to Temptation
*1 Sudden Spoiling
*1 Tribute to Hunger
*1 Vona’s Hunger
*1 Dark Bargain
*1 Insidious Dreams
*1 Price of Fame
*1 Tendrils of Corruption
*1 Moonlight Bargain
*1 Necrologia
*1 Thrilling Encore
*1 Wretched Confluence
*1 Fated Return
*1 Scour from Existence
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Exsanguinate
*1 Finale of Eternity
*1 Torment of Hailfire
*1 Mutilate
*1 Diabolic Revelation
*1 Dregs of Sorrow
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer’s Bauble
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Nevinyrral’s Disk
*1 Primal Amulet
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Necropotence
*1 Black Market
*1 Exquisite Blood
*1 Revel in Riches
*1 Sanguine Bond
*1 Grave Betrayal
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Stronghold
*1 Detection Tower
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Reliquary Tower
*26 Swamp
*1 Thespian’s Stage
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Vesuva
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<p>That's all for today. What do you all think of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toshiro Umezawa" href="#" target="_blank">Toshiro Umezawa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Have you seen him in action before? Do you think he shares an uncanny resemblance to Keanu Reeves? As always, please do comment with interactions I missed, your thoughts, and alternative directions for the commander. Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. Take care and I'll see you all on down the road.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-35007 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/keanu-thumb.gif" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></p>


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Too-Specific Top 10 - Swamped

Monomania – They Call Him Baba Yaga