Revenant Recon Upgrade Guide

Revenant Recon Precon Review

Brew For Your Buck - Discarding Artifacts

Wombo Combo - Dimir Edition

Singleton Shmingleton - Undying Evil

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"> (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/katemaxpaint">Ekaterina Burmak</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/dopaprime">Livia Prima</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/evynfong">Evyn Fong</a> )</span></h6>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Hello Friends. I'm Beth, Queen of Cardboard, and I'm here to review the new <em>Wilds of Eldraine Commander</em> precon deck, Fae Dominion. This is a Faerie typal deck, and the face commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, not only pumps your Faeries, but rewards you with card draw when your Faeries die, at the cost of one life. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">As one of two precons from <em>Wilds of Eldraine,</em> this deck features a well known creature type and is strong straight of the box, with plenty of flyers and ways to get in for combat damage. It also features over 20 instant and sorcery cards to thwart your opponents, compared to a measly eight in its partner deck, Virtue and Valor.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Glamorous Fae</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a three-cost Dimir (blue/black) 2/3 Faerie Noble. This relatively inexpensive commander is easy to cast, pumps your other Faeries, and with flying and deathtouch he can be difficult for opponents to deal with. Though he's not very large, he can get in early game for several points of commander damage, or if you'd like to build a board state, he's a creature that can protect your own life total by becoming a deterrent to combat by your opponents. In addition, he lends to great card advantage by providing a card draw for every Faerie death. Since most Faeries are rather cheap to cast, this can be a huge help both early and mid-game. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">It's safe to say that this commander does everything you could want in a typical Faerie deck, but if losing life isn't your style, it's an easy swap for the alternate commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'd say my only complaint at this point is that there's not a lot of recursion, so you're going to need to rely on your ability to create Faeries to maintain a board state.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Check out the decklist below:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fae Dominion Precon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Alela, Cunning Conqueror
*1 Archmage of Echoes
*1 Blightwing Bandit
*1 Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft
*1 Cloud of Faeries
*1 Faerie Bladecrafter
*1 Faerie Formation
*1 Faerie Seer
*1 Glen Elendra Archmage
*1 Glen Elendra Liege
*1 Halo Forager
*1 Hullbreaker Horror
*1 Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare
*1 Malleable Impostor
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Nettling Nuisance
*1 Nightveil Sprite
*1 Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster
*1 Obyra, Dreaming Duelist
*1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
*1 Picklock Prankster // Free the Fae
*1 Puppeteer Clique
*1 Quickling
*1 Rankle, Master of Pranks
*1 Scion of Oona
*1 Shadow Puppeteers
*1 Sower of Temptation
*1 Spellscorn Coven // Take It Back
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Consider
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Illusionist&#039;s Gambit
*1 Keep Watch
*1 Opt
*1 Perplexing Test
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Reckless Spite
*1 Repulse
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Snap
*1 Spell Stutter
*1 Theoretical Duplication
*1 Thrilling Encore
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Misleading Signpost
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Kindred Dominance
*1 Nightmare Unmaking
*1 Tegwyll&#039;s Scouring
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
*1 Reflections of Littjara
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Choked Estuary
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darkwater Catacombs
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Faerie Conclave
*13 Island
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Secluded Glen
*1 Sunken Hollow
*12 Swamp
*1 Tainted Isle
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Temple of the False God
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">The deck features many reprints, bringing back several favorites featured in Throne of Eldraine. And new cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spell Stutter" href="#" target="_blank">Spell Stutter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Misleading Signpost" href="#" target="_blank">Misleading Signpost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are just a few fun additions that give you plenty of tricks to overcome your opponents both on the battlefield and off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Let's check out the strengths of this deck together.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Fae Tricksters</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malleable Impostor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nettling Nuisance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightwing Bandit"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">This deck is full of tricksters and attempts to win by surprising your opponents. Most of the creatures aren't terribly big, so playing it well means tricking your opponent into a disadvantageous play.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">If you've been asking for more removal in your Commander precons, this is the deck for you. The deck features one-sided board wipes, counterspells, and other removal. With cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Dominance" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Dominance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nightmare Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Nightmare Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snap" href="#" target="_blank">Snap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you'll always have a way to remove a problem.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Adventure cards are also found here, giving extra value with both a non-permanent and permanent spell in one card. Going on an Adventure might not happen often in this deck, but the four included are full of value, with only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hypnotic Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Hypnotic Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being a fairly vanilla Faerie and providing little to no extra value as a creature. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brazen Borrower" href="#" target="_blank">Brazen Borrower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can come in handy at any time, as its flash ability makes it easy to cast and provides a body on the field in a time of need.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hypnotic Sprite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brazen Borrower"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Picklock Prankster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spellscorn Coven"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">I'll be honest, this deck has a lot going for it. My only complaint is that for a new player, it might have <em>too</em> much going for it. You've got copy spells, combat tricks, life gain, life drain, and a whole lot of cards to play during your opponents' turns. This isn't a bad thing, just something to keep in mind, and when teaching a new player this might not be the deck I reach for. For those who love Faeries or lots of interaction, it's easy to see why this deck has become so popular.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Let's take a look at the other cards that you can use as a commander in this deck.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Cunning Combat</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alela, Cunning Conqueror"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">The alternate commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While she's a little more expensive than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, she rewards you both for casting spells during your opponents' turns and also for dealing combat damage with Faeries. She's a four-cost 2/4 Faerie Warlock that gives you a 1/1 Faerie Rogue for each spell you cast during each opponent's turn <em>and</em> Goads creatures on your opponent's board when your Faeries deal combat damage to them. Supporting her, you have several Faeries with flash, and did I mention the 17 instants in the deck?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quickling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malleable Impostor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scion of Oona"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">This deck is begging you to play cards during your opponents' turns, and the rewards for doing so can completely disrupt any strategy that's thrown your way. If that's not enough, you've got a little surprise in the one non-Fae creature in the list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While I'm not a huge fan of cards showing up just because they're good, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going to give you lots of value for doing what the deck is trying to do, pester your opponents and distract from your tiny pokes along the way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">In addition to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you're provided with three other creatures that you could swap in for the commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oona, Queen of the Fae" href="#" target="_blank">Oona, Queen of the Fae</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In my opinion, the only other good option is Obyra.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Obyra is simple, with the ability to drain your opponents when Faeries enter your battlefield. While there are options outside of the deck for this commander that would be smooth, within the precon there are only five cards that deal with life loss. Most of them make <em>you</em> lose life, not your opponents. Only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Bladecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Bladecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps you gain life and, simply put, this strategy is too slow without upgrading or changing the deck entirely. The other two options, Nymris and Oona, are much more expensive mana wise and don't have as much value as either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Faeries are easily one of the favorite typal decks to play, and this precon's popularity has proven that. It far outsells the other <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em> precon deck, Virtue and Valor, at my local game store.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Having played against the deck, I can say that it presents a threat and has a lot of responses for just about any situation. However, without a solid life-draining strategy, and little recursion, I find this deck to be annoying without an easily defined win condition. Yes, it has counterspells, and yes it has removal, but against a deck that also has those things and large creatures or board wipes, these little guys will be stuck in your graveyard, and there's not much to do after that. I write this knowing full well I'm in the minority here, but that's okay.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">If you like this deck but you'd like it to be a little more synergistic, you can check out my Precon Upgrade guide <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/fae-dominion-precon-upgrade-guide/">here</a>.</span></p>


Fae Dominion - Precon Primer

<h6 style="text-align: right;"> (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/katemaxpaint">Ekaterina Burmak</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/evynfong">Evyn Fong</a> | <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> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/harribo">Harry Conway</a>)</h6>
<p>Hey friends, Beth, Queen of Cardboard here with the Precon Upgrade Guide for Fae Dominion, the Faerie typal deck from <em>Wilds of Eldraine Commander</em>. If you read my <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/fae-dominion-precon-primer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primer</a> on this deck, you already know that I'm not the biggest fan of the precon right out of the box. Now, before you pull out your wings and pitchforks, I have nothing against the Fae themselves. I think Faeries are adorable and the deck has a lot of promise to be very good. Personally, out of the box, while it can be very annoying, the deck feels like it could be pretty easily overcome opponents with a board wipe and some well-placed removal. However, it doesn't have a lot of recursion and seems to be all over the place with its actual win condition.</p>
<h2>With Great Sacrifice</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor"></div></div>
<p>Without replacing our face commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, our deck wants to focus on the death of our creatures, and in doing so we're rewarded with card draw and punished with life loss. Knowing this, I want to replace our life lost and add to our ability to kill our creatures. It won't be long until our opponents figure out our master plan and refuse to kill our creatures for us, or worse; exile our board.</p>
<p>So what do we need in the deck to help murder our board for our benefit? Staying in the deck are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quickling" href="#" target="_blank">Quickling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We also would be remiss if we didn't leave in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Bladecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Bladecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Impostor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Old Flitterfang"></div></div>
<p>For additions, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Impostor" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Impostor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Flitterfang" href="#" target="_blank">Old Flitterfang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help a little bit with the sacrifice goal and stay in our Faerie typal theme. Old Flitterfang is my favorite of these two options, because he's got a sacrifice outlet right on the card and a little pump is never a bad thing. We're also going to get some value from death triggers by adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flitting Guerrilla" href="#" target="_blank">Flitting Guerrilla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ringskipper" href="#" target="_blank">Ringskipper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surveilling Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Surveilling Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But we're still missing some valuable sacrifice outlets. I know I'm going to need to cut some of our other instant and sorcery spells, so I want permanents that give me value while also doing the job I need for my ultimate goal. The following enchantments are a little nasty, just like this deck is going to be when we're done with it. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Pact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> technically isn't a sacrifice outlet, it will give us extra value for our creatures dying. And for more creatures to kill, we're adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterblossom" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterblossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another card I can't believe wasn't put in the precon.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Attrition"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vampiric Rites"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grave Pact"></div></div>
<p>A few other permanent options to kill off our cute little Faeries are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altar of Dementia" href="#" target="_blank">Altar of Dementia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Drawing an Answer</h2>
<p>Card draw is a secondary function of this deck. It's already on our commander and included in the text of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Formation" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Formation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While we've mastered the sacrifice function, we're missing the ability to draw on more than one body. I'm honestly surprised that cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Mastermind" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Mastermind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talion&#039;s Messenger" href="#" target="_blank">Talion&#039;s Messenger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talion, the Kindly Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Talion, the Kindly Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> were missing from this deck. In addition to those cards I also like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surveilling Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Surveilling Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Likeness Looter" href="#" target="_blank">Likeness Looter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Vandal" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Vandal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Surveilling Sprite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Likeness Looter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Vandal"></div></div>
<p>While we're not running any tutors, the ability to draw is going to take some questions out of the deck and allow us to find the cards we need to finish the game. Card draw isn't the win condition, so I haven't included cards that punish our opponents for your card draw, but it would be pretty easy to include some.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Psychosis Crawler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gixian Puppeteer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse"></div></div>
<h2>Turning Loss Into Life</h2>
<p>So at this point we've got sacrifice and a little bit of life loss. We need to turn all these negatives into positives. Life is a resource, but if it's gone you're dead, and we don't want that.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Tithe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consuming Vapors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exsanguinate"></div></div>
<p>I also suggest the combo of <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> and <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>, as well as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wound Reflection" href="#" target="_blank">Wound Reflection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fraying Omnipotence" href="#" target="_blank">Fraying Omnipotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you're not about infinite combos, then leave these on the side. You do need to consider some life-gain options though, so make sure to check out the cards included.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arguel&#039;s Blood Fast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bubbling Cauldron"></div></div>
<p>The great thing about these tactics is that they go hand in hand, even if you don't include the combos. The cards that I've included benefit each other. At this rate we've got a good engine going and now it's time for the hardest part, removing cards that don't work in the deck now that we've added more streamlined options.</p>
<h2>Cut It Out</h2>
<p>Coming out of the deck are a lot of cards that just don't work for me. I removed several Faerie creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brazen Borrower" href="#" target="_blank">Brazen Borrower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mocking Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Mocking Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nightveil Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Nightveil Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which aren't necessarily bad cards, they just don't work in our deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hullbreaker Horror"></div></div>
<p>I also removed good cards that didn't feel thematic to me. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the biggest problem in the deck, but it just doesn't fit thematically. I excluded this from my list because if I'm building a typal Faerie deck, there are plenty of options. It feels like it was included as an "automatic good card" in the deck, and that didn't work for me.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Misleading Signpost"></div></div>
<p>The one card I wanted to keep but didn't feel I had space for was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Misleading Signpost" href="#" target="_blank">Misleading Signpost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I love this card; it's silly, on theme, and tricksy. Once you've played it, you can use it as a mana rock, which is always useful. Another card you may want to reconsider that I cut is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reconnaissance Mission" href="#" target="_blank">Reconnaissance Mission</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While it gives us card draw, it's a little expensive, and we're not really looking to do combat damage.</p>
<p>Check out the entire cut list below:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fae Dominion Cut List" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Creatures]
*1 Alela, Cunning Conqueror
*1 Blightwing Bandit
*1 Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft
*1 Cloud of Faeries
*1 Glen Elendra Liege
*1 Halo Forager
*1 Hullbreaker Horror
*1 Malleable Impostor
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Nettling Nuisance
*1 Nightveil Sprite
*1 Picklock Prankster // Free the Fae
*1 Scion of Oona
*1 Sower of Temptation
*1 Spellscorn Coven // Take It Back
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Perplexing Test
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Snap
*1 Theoretical Duplication
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Misleading Signpost
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>


<h2>What's Left</h2>
<p>One of the things I think this deck did right was copying the Faerie spells. We don't have a lot of recursion in the deck still, so while it's heavy on sacrifice, we want to make sure that we get the most bang for the buck for our losses. In fact, if you don't want to include those infinite combos listed above, I highly suggest adding some recursion spells to the list. Without them, you're relying on cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archmage of Echoes" href="#" target="_blank">Archmage of Echoes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reflections of Littjara" href="#" target="_blank">Reflections of Littjara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to copy your Faeries so that you've not sacrificed something super important.</p>
<p>When not making copies, token creation is your next best bet. We've got our new additions <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Flitterfang" href="#" target="_blank">Old Flitterfang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterblossom" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterblossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doing some work here, as well as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Formation" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Formation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oona, Queen of the Fae" href="#" target="_blank">Oona, Queen of the Fae</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which were in the deck previously.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fae Dominion Precon Upgrade" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Alhammarret&#039;s Archive
*1 Altar of Dementia
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Bubbling Cauldron
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Phyrexian Altar
*1 Robe of the Archmagi
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Dominance
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Consider
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Illusionist&#039;s Gambit
*1 Keep Watch
*1 Opt
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Reckless Spite
*1 Repulse
*1 Spell Stutter
*1 Thrilling Encore
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archmage of Echoes
*1 Faerie Bladecrafter
*1 Faerie Formation
*1 Faerie Impostor
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Faerie Seer
*1 Faerie Vandal
*1 Flitting Guerrilla
*1 Glen Elendra Archmage
*1 Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare
*1 Likeness Looter
*1 Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster
*1 Obyra, Dreaming Duelist
*1 Old Flitterfang
*1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
*1 Puppeteer Clique
*1 Quickling
*1 Rankle, Master of Pranks
*1 Ringskipper
*1 Shadow Puppeteers
*1 Surveilling Sprite
*1 Talion&#039;s Messenger
*1 Talion, the Kindly Lord
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Arguel&#039;s Blood Fast // Temple of Aclazotz
*1 Attrition
*1 Bitterblossom
*1 Exquisite Blood
*1 Grave Pact
*1 Reflections of Littjara
*1 Sanguine Bond
*1 Vampiric Rites
*1 Wound Reflection
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blood Tithe
*1 Consuming Vapors
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Exsanguinate
*1 Fraying Omnipotence
*1 Kindred Dominance
*1 Nightmare Unmaking
*1 Tegwyll&#039;s Scouring
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Choked Estuary
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darkwater Catacombs
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Faerie Conclave
*10 Island
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Secluded Glen
*1 Sunken Hollow
*11 Swamp
*1 Tainted Isle
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Temple of the False God
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<h2>In Conclusion</h2>
<p>Fae Dominion has some great cards in it. The legends are all fun and do their own thing. But at the end of the day there were some serious misses in this precon, and with as many reprints as the deck had, it seems silly that it had such huge misses, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterblossom" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterblossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and fan favorite <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Mastermind" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Mastermind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not making the cut. I also feel that you've got several different options to go with this deck. It's definitely a more challenging build for me because Faeries aren't really combat-based, which tends to be my favorite win condition.</p>
<p>If you liked this upgrade guide, please check out the next guide on the other <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em> deck, Virtue and Valor.</p>


Fae Dominion - Precon Upgrade Guide

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/sta/21/tezzerets-gambit">Tezzeret's Gambit</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJason+Felix%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Jason Felix</a>)</h6>
<h1>Di-mind your own business. I did not Ashiok you a question. Do you wanna get Tezzer-wrecked, son?</h1>
<p>The question of planeswalkers as commanders has been brought up in <em>Magic</em> discourse an infinite number of times. People say it would kill EDH as a format, and others say it will do nothing but give more options to an endless pool of commanders. I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. My name is Nick, and the eighth installment of <em>Myth Realized</em> will cover Dimir (blue, black) cards and how they would each ruin (or not ruin) your favorite 100-card singleton format.</p>
<p>If you have stuck around with me until this article, you know what cards to look out for in this color combination. If not, check out the individual articles I did in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-blue-pt-1/">blue</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-black/">black</a> to see the cards I've shouted out in these colors.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Dream Render" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Dream Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1UU</strong>/<strong>1BB</strong>/<strong>1UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Dream Render"></div></div>
<p>One of the best Planeswalkers from <em>War of the Spark</em> and a sideboard staple in various 60-card formats when "deck thinning" is meta. The best part about this card is that all the abilities are beneficial to you and detrimental to your opponents (as cards should be). Graveyard decks want Ashiok, mill decks want Ashiok, control decks want Ashiok, and you should want Ashiok...at the head of your Commander deck.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Nightmare Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Nightmare Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 3UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Nightmare Muse"></div></div>
<p>A few more mana with this interaction of Ashiok and a few more abilities to go along with it. Ashiok looks better now than it did during <em>Theros Beyond Death</em> with the influx of exile-matters cards in this color pair, but during its release Ashiok needed to be answered fast if it hit the board across from you. It's much better in a 1v1 setting, but it would be an exciting commander for a Dimir exile deck as it's less punishing than other options. Five loyalty and the ability to make a 2/3 token allows Ashiok to stay on the board for a time, but your opponents will not let you get the ultimate off.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver"></div></div>
<p>If I made this claim before, there's a big chance I lied. This is almost certainly my favorite planeswalker of all time. The official title might be the Nightmare Weaver, but I will always know them as Splashiok. A card revered as being so good in 1v1 formats that you would "splash" a color (usually black) to play this in your deck. Sadly, this card is laughably bad in multiplayer. If you're a die-hard sicko like me, you'd be the only other person to head up a deck of counterspells, permission, card draw, and removal. For better or worse, I'll always pick this in a cube. Even if I'm mono-green and there's a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> staring me in the face I'll still pause and pick this Nightmare.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 4UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears"></div></div>
<p>As we see, Ashiok has many talents, from weaving to sculpting to dreams and nightmares. We also see a rare case when the planeswalker deck version of the card might be better when talking about Commander than the standard set release version. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> costs one more mana compared to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Nightmare Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Nightmare Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it also comes with one more loyalty and potentially better abilities. While making tokens is nice, I would almost always want to draw cards, and with this card I can. Any graveyard reanimation effect is nothing to sneeze at, and the ability to steal a player's creatures forever could be a game winning strategy assuming you can keep Ashiok alive that long.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito, Dancing Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito, Dancing Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span><strong> - 2UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaito, Dancing Shadow"></div></div>
<p>One of the newer additions to the pantheon of planeswalkers, Kaito, is clear cut when reading their abilities. I often talk about how planeswalkers have abilities that do not synergize with one another, and we have a bit of that going on here. Still, Kaito's abilities work more like pieces of a larger puzzle rather than individual powerful options. Evasion is the name of the game with everything Kaito can do. The passive, the +1, and in a strange way, the -2 all provide or benefit from having creatures that cannot be blocked or that your opponent(s) don't want to block. This card screams "can lead a Ninja deck", but there's something more interesting just below the surface of this card waiting for someone with a much bigger brain than myself to dredge it up.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito Shizuki" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito Shizuki</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaito Shizuki"></div></div>
<p>This is the only planeswalker that's guaranteed to make it around the table if it resolves. Once again, Kaito works like a magic eye puzzle. You have to squint your eyes and tilt your head to figure out what's happening with this planeswalker. Three-mana walkers are always worth a second look over. Still, compared to their later form (canonically and previously in this article), this would be better inside of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaito, Dancing Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Kaito, Dancing Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck rather than leading one. Though it cannot die the first time out thanks to phasing, it does slow down getting to the ultimate of <span style="color: #000000;">this</span> card. In a deck like Ninjas or a Dimir deck in the style of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the two places I see this card fitting, this card's ultimate doesn't excite me. The other abilities of this card are decent but a bit weak to really get the juices flowing.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nicol Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Nicol Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Aeons Torn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. What do these masterful, mythic, mac daddies of evil have in common? <strong>THEY WILL SOON PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE MIGHT OF TEZZERET</strong>. Excuse me, I'm not sure what came over me there. While it might be a personal hope of mine for Tezzeret to have his day in the sun as an actual evil befitting of <em>Magic</em> lore, at least he got a good card when he was serving Bolas. Card filtering, protection/aggression, and a solid ultimate, Tezzeret looks to be the real deal. The fact that with one point of proliferation this card can ultimate when it comes down is ridiculous, and "twice the number of artifacts you control" makes it much easier to defeat opponents with a very high life total.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Master of Metal" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Master of Metal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 4UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Master of Metal"></div></div>
<p>What happens if we take everything the first Tezzeret was doing and make it a bit worse? We get one of the most rock 'n' roll planeswalker names in <em>Magic</em>. More mana and loyalty go hand in hand regarding planeswalker deck retrains in Dimir colors. One thing Master of Metal guarantees you is an artifact with its +1. Now the odds you would whiff with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, isn't high, but there's no guarantee when you're only seeing five cards. The minus is not as efficient since it's only equal<em> to</em> your artifacts and not double. Finish up with an ultimate reliance on others playing artifacts (who am I kidding, it's Commander; everyone has artifacts. <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>, anyone?), and you get something of a personal choice between which Tezzeret leads your deck.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 4UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge"></div></div>
<p>This is a planeswalker to build a deck around. Everything about this card screams "Make me your commander!" A fantastic passive ability that allows you to go in multiple directions, an ability seen on two other versions of Tezz; but this time, on a plus rather than a minus. A solid -3 and to cap it off, a quick-to-achieve ultimate that can win the game at best and at worst give you a massive field advantage. Of all these cards, this would be my pick for the card I would build around if a rule change were to occur. Sorry, Ashiok.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret the Schemer" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret the Schemer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2UB</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret the Schemer"></div></div>
<p>This Tezzeret looks the most "pirate captain" in comparison to the rest. Other than that, he doesn't do much. He's only four mana, unlike many other planeswalkers in this series, so he's not the worst. But making a single mana artifact and not-guaranteed-removal paired with a relatively bad ultimate makes this schemer lackluster compared to other versions of Tezzeret and other Dimir walkers.</p>
<h2><strong>Wrap Up</strong></h2>
<p>Dimir is...disappointing. To be fair to one of the most unfair color pairs, it cannot scale well to multiplayer. There isn't much in terms of raw card advantage, be it draw or filtering, it's surprisingly light on removal. I mentioned the greatness that more than a few of these once had in 1v1 formats; even that greatness is a thing of the past. Dimir has always been a color pair feared by those who come against it, but I think that fear is often met with overwhelming force by others at the table. I believe <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashiok, Dream Render" href="#" target="_blank">Ashiok, Dream Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be the strongest of the lot, but not because of its ability to mill and exile a graveyard. Rather its built-in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindlock Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Mindlock Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect from the command zone only affects your opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can grant affinity to your artifact creatures, and this can get out of control, but to maximize this and the six mana it will cost you to cast is a big deck building decision.</p>
<p>When all said and done, Dimir is lackluster when comparing the potential of its planeswalkers to the power of the creatures it already has. When your two-color pair has the number <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/yuriko-the-tigers-shadow">four</a> (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and number <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/wilhelt-the-rotcleaver">five</a> (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver" href="#" target="_blank">Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), commanders of the past two years, according to EDHREC, you don't have to look too far for success. If you liked this, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/joshua-wood/">check out my other monocolor and Azorius articles</a>. Be on the lookout for when we visit the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rakdos Carnarium" href="#" target="_blank">Carnarium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and look at Rakdos.</p>


Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Dimir)

Rally the Ancestors - Grimgrin's Grim Kin

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonus, the Saboteur" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonus, the Saboteur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/voltastudio">Volta Creation</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Epic Preparations</h1>
<p style="text-align: left;">Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This week, let's talk about a Transformers card!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonus, the Saboteur"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Since we're dealing with a double-faced card, let's discuss each side individually.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's creature side is a bit expensive for a flyer that <em>Connives </em>on combat damage, but it has many available synergies: <em>Madness</em>, <em>Flashback</em>, and reanimation are just a few possibilities, and that's without even looking at artifacts and their inherent synergies with counters.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's Vehicle side is very powerful, giving us an entirely new beginning phase (which comes with a new set of untap, upkeep, and draw steps). Getting to untap lands again is great in a color combination that has such powerful instant-speed interaction. Getting a new batch of upkeep triggers can be especially strong if we're building around this effect. Like, you know a card is strong when its 'weaker' effect is card draw. Another interesting side effect of this side being a Vehicle is that we're immune to creature-based board wipes, so if we're able to keep Cyclonus consistently converted, we're immune to board wipes every few turn cycles.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus' main drawback is its slowish nature. To flip to the Vehicle side, we need our commander to have 5 power after the <em>Connive </em>trigger, which, without any support, means that we need to attack three times. Either that or pay a heftier mana cost! With that in mind, I think it's easy to see how Cyclonus tends to be drawn into more aggressive shells where we'd want to actively buff its power and get to that state where we can convert it every turn as soon as possible.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warden of Evos Isle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windreader Sphinx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's kit rewards aggression and aims to get him to flip into his Vehicle form as often as possible. Being a Robot means that we won't get any creature type synergies synergies, but as a flyer, we can still find plenty of <em>other </em>support!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Flying theme decks have a deep pool of possible threats and helpers to choose from. Normally the 'flying matters' strategy is found in blue and white, but blue and black can still make a lot of magic happen in the air! <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> powers out our creatures much more quickly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Donal, Herald of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Donal, Herald of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles our body count and gives us extra ETB and 'Lord' effects for any flying creatures that pump each other up. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siani, Eye of the Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Siani, Eye of the Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not seem like much at first, but it fits right into an aggressive deck that wants to draw exactly the right cards to continue the onslaught. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tide Skimmer" href="#" target="_blank">Tide Skimmer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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> each give us and impressive body-plus-card-draw-engine combination.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drana, Liberator of Malakir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rankle, Master of Pranks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiler of Dreams"></div></div></p>
<p>A lot of those classic cards are blue, so what does black bring to the table? Tons of stuff!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drana, Liberator of Malakir" href="#" target="_blank">Drana, Liberator of Malakir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can spread counters to the team, and her first strike allows us to get the benefits out of the pump mid-combat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help control the board and even to control peoples' hands, giving us a ton of versatility. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a solid swing in board state by sniping any 1-toughness creatures, and he can make it easier to for us to attack without worrying about enemy blockers. I really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, too. It's just a great card to slot into aggressive shells, allowing us to hurt two enemies at the same time, doubling our combat potential.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Favorable Winds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windstorm Drake"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Anthem effects that give our team +X/+X are a great way to kick a 'go-wide' deck into overdrive, and this deck loves to go wide! Not only that, anthems will also help us get more value out of our commander, because we want to convert Cyclonus to its Vehicle side as much as possible. Keeping Cyclonus above 5 power is key, so the classic flying pumps help us out a ton here. <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> is an impressive card in both the offensive and defensive departments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Favorable Winds" href="#" target="_blank">Favorable Winds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is expected but well-loved. We can even afford to pay a bit of extra mana for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to pump up most of our creatures by +1/+1, and to give our commander +2/+2!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Cyclonus Flyers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Cyclonus, the Saboteur
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Faerie Seer
*Signal Pest
*Siren Stormtamer
*Spectral Sailor
*Thousand-Faced Shadow
*Aven Heartstabber
*Baleful Strix
*Containment Construct
*Esior, Wardwing Familiar
*Ledger Shredder
*Thieving Skydiver
*Thrummingbird
*Warkite Marauder
*Aether Channeler
*Bazaar Trademage
*Brazen Borrower
*Drana, Liberator of Malakir
*Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
*Loyal Drake
*Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
*Thief of Sanity
*Warden of Evos Isle
*Donal, Herald of Wings
*Glen Elendra Archmage
*Glen Elendra Liege
*Rankle, Master of Pranks
*Siani, Eye of the Storm
*Sower of Temptation
*Tide Skimmer
*Vanguard Supressor
*Defiler of Dreams
*Iymrith, Desert Doom
*Mulldrifter
*Windstorm Drake
*Archetype of Imagination
*Consecrated Sphinx
*Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*Sower of Discord
*Windreader Sphinx
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Dimir Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Talisman of Dominance
*Hall of Triumph
*Heraldic Banner
*Gilded Lotus
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Bitterblossom
*Favorable Winds
*Drake Haven
*Gravitational Shift
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Countersquall
*Cyclonic Rift
*Infernal Grasp
*Memory Deluge
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Feed the Swarm
*Toxic Deluge
*Winged Words
*Damnation
*Deep Analysis
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Choked Estuary
*Clearwater Pathway
*Command Tower
*Creeping Tar Pit
*Demolition Field
*Drowned Catacomb
*Exotic Orchard
*Faerie Conclave
*Ghost Quarter
*Hall of the Storm Giants
*Morphic Pool
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Sunken Hollow
*Sunken Ruins
*Temple of Deceit
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*13 Island
*6 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">In addition to all the attacking in the air, Cyclonus will hopefully <em>Connive </em>every other turn, and we'd be fools not to extract some value from that effect! <em>Flashback</em> spells like <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are excellent choices to get some card draw stashed under the mattress. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drake Haven" href="#" target="_blank">Drake Haven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help us be more action-oriented, trading mana for more bodies to go wide and to avoid getting blown out by board wipes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Containment Construct" href="#" target="_blank">Containment Construct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will act as a card advantage engine and can be used as a way to completely negate the loss of a card.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Methodology</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">This is an aggressive deck, but we're pretty flexible as far as opening hands go. We aren't as aggressive as, say a Goblin deck, but our threats are all evasive, which gives us a nice amount of extra reach even if the board gets clogged with creatures in the later portions of the game. By the mid-game, we want to dig for any of our support cards and payoffs, such as <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> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heraldic Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Heraldic Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is the point of the game when we start being able to flip our commander every other turn, which will grant us a huge boon in mana to help us snowball even further.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Our late game is good for an aggressive deck because we have more card velocity than most aggro shells. If the game boils down to a top-deck war, we're better suited to grind out a win. With our commander granting additional untap and draw steps, we can even gain additional threats by animating our creature lands like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Conclave" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Conclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since our mana will untap again anyways! These little tricks all add up to keep us chugging even when enemies expect an aggro deck to stall out, so Cyclonus will truly sabotage our opponents.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


dimir