<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eshki Dragonclaw" href="#" target="_blank">Eshki Dragonclaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">| </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Art by </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.mynameistran.com/">Tran Nguyen</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello and welcome back to an in-universe Commander deck tech! With <em>Final Fantasy's</em> release now in our rear view, and <em>Edge of Eternities</em>' release coming up quite quickly, I wanted to take a brief moment to look at a card from a recent set that I think could use some extra love. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'm a huge fan of <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em>, and the Temur in particular, so I'm super excited to take another look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eshki Dragonclaw" href="#" target="_blank">Eshki Dragonclaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eshki Dragonclaw"></div></div></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Does </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eshki</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do?</span></h2>
<p>Eshki's got a few keywords on her that make her an ideal leader for a Voltron deck. First, she's got defensive ability with vigilance, some evasion with trample, and even built-in protection with ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>And, at the beginning of combat on our turn, if we've cast both a creature spell and a noncreature spell, she rewards us with +1/+1 counters and card draw. That's a lot for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, meaning we can get our gameplan online pretty early.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This commander is a fun design, and encourages us to fill our deck with similar amounts of creatures and noncreatures. An interesting push-and-pull, for sure. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is reminiscent of several different commanders, notably the recently released <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hraesvelgr of the First Brood" href="#" target="_blank">Hraesvelgr of the First Brood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both Eshki and Hraesvelgr have similar keywords, and provide some combat-relevant buff to a creature when we cast a noncreature spell. I'm also reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krile Baldesion" href="#" target="_blank">Krile Baldesion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, whose abilities ask us to have high counts of creatures and noncreatures too.<br />
</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hraesvelgr of the First Brood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krile Baldesion"></div></div>
<p>So, Eshki asks us to cast noncreature spells (and fill out our 99 with a strong supporting cast of creatures). But, there's a few categories of noncreature spells that we've got to choose from.</p>
<p>While <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-centric decks may lean well into Spellslinger synergies with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archmage of Runes" href="#" target="_blank">Archmage of Runes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I want to take a slightly more unique approach.</p>
<p>We'll be making use of Auras to make a hybrid Enchantress-Voltron list centered around beating face with our commander! So, let's get right into it!</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Cards for Eshki</span></h2>
<p>There's a full 28 enchantments in this deck, so let's talk about a few of the best ones. My personal favorite is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hadana&#039;s Climb" href="#" target="_blank">Hadana&#039;s Climb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will usually flip into a super powerful land the same turn we cast it.</p>
<p>Its back side can either be a nice multicolor land OR a way to end games quickly, and that flexibility is super valuable here.</p>
<p>I also really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Spider Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in this list. It does everything we want out of an Aura: it's as cheap as an Aura can be, it buffs our commander's blocking abilities, and even protects our commander from the removal our opponents will surely throw at it.</p>
<p>Rounding out the best Auras in this deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strong Back" href="#" target="_blank">Strong Back</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card is a cheaper version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Auramancer&#039;s Guise" href="#" target="_blank">Auramancer&#039;s Guise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which is also here) and reduces the casting cost of pretty much every other Aura we'll cast for the remainder of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hadana&#039;s Climb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider Umbra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strong Back"></div></div>
<p>There's a few more auras that work particularly well in this deck, so let's touch on those briefly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shimmering Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Shimmering Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a relatively innocuous card, but it can trigger our commander and other cards that care about us casting enchantment spells over and over again.</p>
<p>Because Eshki provides so much value when we can cast both a creature and a noncreature spell, it's great to always have a noncreature spell available with this Aura.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whip Silk" href="#" target="_blank">Whip Silk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crown of Flames" href="#" target="_blank">Crown of Flames</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> do pretty much the same thing, but I didn't want to clog the deck's 99 with too many Auras without consequential on-board effects.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bramble Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Bramble Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the same effect on a creature, plus a super useful adventure, so it's found a spot in the deck too. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hydra&#039;s Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Hydra&#039;s Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works wonders with our commander too.</p>
<p>Because Eshki naturally gains +1/+1 counters, this card will typically provide huge power and toughness buffs after just a few turns on the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shimmering Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bramble Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hydra&#039;s Growth"></div></div>
<p>Now, let's talk about the creatures that support our gameplan. First, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eutropia the Twice-Favored" href="#" target="_blank">Eutropia the Twice-Favored</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides extra evasion and +1/+1 counters to our commander, making her even more lethal.</p>
<p>Plus, Eutropia can distribute counters to other creatures we control if our commander happens to be out of commission. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei" href="#" target="_blank">Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great haste outlet and mana sink, letting us get some quick attacks in with our commander and make 5/5 flying creatures if we've got extra mana.</p>
<p>Speaking of mana production, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fanatic of Rhonas" href="#" target="_blank">Fanatic of Rhonas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilysian Caryatid" href="#" target="_blank">Ilysian Caryatid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both provide extra mana with our commander on the battlefield. They slot very nicely into our early game curve, and can accelerate us towards the mid/late game with ease.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eutropia the Twice-Favored"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fanatic of Rhonas"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does This Deck Win?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck, as all good Voltron decks do, tries to hit our opponents hard and fast. By buffing our commander with auras like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossification" href="#" target="_blank">Colossification</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and creatrures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nylea&#039;s Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Nylea&#039;s Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we'll try to knock out our opponents in just a few combat steps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Eshki's card draw and self-buffing capabilities only accelerate that plan, and we'll usually end the game after a few big swings with a suited-up commander.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossification"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nylea&#039;s Colossus"></div></div>
<p>But, Eshki's power makes her a prime target for our opponents' removal. We'll sometimes need other creatures to put our Auras onto, so cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea" href="#" target="_blank">Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon&#039;s Rage Channeler" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon&#039;s Rage Channeler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wildsear, Scouring Maw" href="#" target="_blank">Wildsear, Scouring Maw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can turn from role players to star players if need be.</p>
<p>Each of these cards can serve as a nice target for our Auras in the event of our commander's absence, and having them as an alternative makes it easier to recover from unfavorable positions in-game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Rage Channeler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wildsear, Scouring Maw"></div></div>
<h2><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eshki Dragonclaw </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commander Deck List</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Eshki - Finally! A Temur deck that doesn&#039;t suck!" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Eshki Dragonclaw
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Fumble
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Strix Serenade
*1 Swan Song
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
*1 Ezuri&#039;s Predation
*1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Alpha Authority
*1 Amphibian Downpour
*1 Ancestral Mask
*1 Aqueous Form
*1 Auramancer&#039;s Guise
*1 Bear Umbra
*1 Canopy Cover
*1 Colossification
*1 Combat Research
*1 Enchantress&#039;s Presence
*1 Fly
*1 Frog Tongue
*1 Hadana&#039;s Climb // Winged Temple of Orazca
*1 Hydra&#039;s Growth
*1 Kenrith&#039;s Transformation
*1 Lignify
*1 Octopus Umbra
*1 One with Nature
*1 Predatory Hunger
*1 Season of Growth
*1 Shielding Plax
*1 Shimmering Wings
*1 Snake Umbra
*1 Song of the Dryads
*1 Spider Umbra
*1 Sticky Fingers
*1 Strong Back
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Argothian Enchantress
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bloom Tender
*1 Bothersome Quasit
*1 Bramble Familiar // Fetch Quest
*1 Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea
*1 Composer of Spring
*1 Destiny Spinner
*1 Disciple of Freyalise // Garden of Freyalise
*1 Dragon&#039;s Rage Channeler
*1 Eidolon of Blossoms
*1 Entity Tracker
*1 Eutropia the Twice-Favored
*1 Fanatic of Rhonas
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Generous Visitor
*1 Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
*1 Herald of the Pantheon
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Ilysian Caryatid
*1 Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief
*1 Kodama of the West Tree
*1 Livaan, Cultist of Tiamat
*1 Nessian Wanderer
*1 Nylea&#039;s Colossus
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Sanctum Weaver
*1 Setessan Champion
*1 Tanglespan Lookout
*1 Third Path Iconoclast
*1 Verduran Enchantress
*1 Wildsear, Scouring Maw
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Cascade Bluffs
*1 Command Tower
*1 Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Fiery Islet
*1 Fire-Lit Thicket
*1 Flooded Grove
*3 Forest
*1 Grove of the Burnwillows
*3 Island
*1 Karplusan Forest
*2 Mountain
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Training Center
*1 Waterlogged Grove
*1 Yavimaya Coast
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conclusion and Alternative Build Paths</span></h2>
<p>That's all for this week, folks! Before you go, I wanted to talk a little bit about how I'd choose to build a Spellslinger version of this deck.</p>
<p>Our very own <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/start-me-up-tarkir-dragonstorm">Bennie Smith wrote up a cool Adventure-centric Eshki list</a>, but I'd choose to go a little bit more all-in on the Voltron strategy again. Cards like <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invigorating Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Invigorating Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gift of the Viper" href="#" target="_blank">Gift of the Viper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would find a place for sure.</p>
<p>This deck would be focused on buffing our commander using combat tricks, taking out players with temporary bursts of power to our commander that they wouldn't see coming.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invigorating Surge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gift of the Viper"></div></div>
<p>But now I want to hear from you! Would you rather play an Enchantress or spellsinger version of this deck? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll see you next week for an <em>Edge of Eternities </em>deck tech!</p>


dtk

Making a Voltron Deck with Eshki Dragonclaw