Breaking Down the Counter Intelligence Precon Battle Fleet

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CDaniel+Ljunggren%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Ljunggren</a></em></p>
<p>It's simple: lands matter. Whether we're on the plane of Dominaria or suddenly finding ourselves in space near the edge of the Blind Eternities, lands matter. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Lucky for us, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> seems to agree with one of the new precons coming in <em>Edge of Eternities</em>.</span> Not only do we have a new creature to talk about, but we also have an entirely new subtype of card that can be used as our commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hearthhull, the Worldseed"></div></div>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">My name's <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/nicholas-lucchesi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick,</a> and today on <em>Tech The Deck</em>, we're being introduced to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. What's in store for a deck helmed by a massive Jund Spacecraft, and how do we maximize all that this card has to offer?</span></p>
<h2>What Does Hearthull, the Worldseed Do?</h2>
<p>The <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">first thing we need to examine with this<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, as well as many new cards from <em>Edge of Eternities,</em></span> is the new Spacecraft subtype</span>. As of right now, there aren't a massive number of <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Aspacecraft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spacecraft</a> in the game, but if I were a betting man, I would say this won't be the last time we see them.</p>
<p>All Spacecraft, and even some other cards, in the set have the Station ability, which is a simple twist on a few different abilities we've seen in the past: Crew and Saddle. For <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> specifically, we have two different numbers that we're trying to hit.</p>
<p>Hearthhull's station ability reads:</p>
<p>Tap another creature you control; Put charge counters equal to its power on this Spacecraft. Station only as a sorcery. It's an artifact creature at 8+.</p>
<p>Once we've reached this threshold, we now have a 6/7 with flying, vigilance, and haste with two separate abilities. But this card has tricks up its sleeve even before we get this far.</p>
<p>Once we get two charge counters on Hearthhull, it gains an ability allowing us to sacrifice a land, draw two cards, and play an additional land this turn. This is a powerful and key feature of our deck.</p>
<p>Once we max out the charge counters on every land we sacrifice, we lose each opponent two life. With the space-faring version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord Windgrace" href="#" target="_blank">Lord Windgrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at our disposal, how does our deck work, and what tricks might we have in deep space?</p>
<h2>Sacrificing for Value</h2>
<p>This deck wants to do one thing above all else, and that is sacrifice lands for value. While the game designers at WOTC might regret the decision, they're still responsible for creating fetch lands and the numerous weaker follow-up versions.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wooded Foothills"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Riveteers Overlook"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza&#039;s Cave"></div></div>
<p>We run plenty of lands in this deck that can put themselves into the graveyard and fix our mana as the game goes on. We also have lands that put themselves into the graveyard not for mana fixing, but for other kinds of value.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenger Grounds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wasteland"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Command Beacon"></div></div>
<p>Graveyard hate, land hate, and a way to deal with the hate that Hearthhull will draw once the other players catch on to us being the problem - the deck might not be flush with any one of these effects, but we hope to be able to use any of our lands multiple times in a game if needed.</p>
<p>Lastly, while not lands themselves, the deck runs some, less-than-popular cards to sacrifice our lands. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squandered Resources" href="#" target="_blank">Squandered Resources</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in just over <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/squandered-resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1% of decks</a>, and is shrouded in infamy thanks to a notorious cheater from the early days of competitive magic. Nevertheless, it's wildly strong by allowing us to double up the mana produced by every land we have.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overlaid Terrain" href="#" target="_blank">Overlaid Terrain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks at the 1% play rate above and laughs. With a whopping <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/overlaid-terrain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">0.05%</a> this card may have been waiting for a chance to break out, and Hearthhull might be the commander to do it. It's possibly the definition of high risk, high reward, and as the flavor text on Jund 60-card staple, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant|RAV|81" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reads, Greatness, at any cost.</p>
<p>Funny quips and percentages aside, most commander players are intimately familiar with what could be considered the best card in the deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zuran Orb"></div></div>
<p>The card costs <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-0" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> mana, can keep us alive, and can put our entire land base into the graveyard without wasting a single resource.</p>
<h2>Now What</h2>
<p>So, what's the point of sacrificing all of our lands outside of our commander? Why are we worrying so much about getting cards into the graveyard? To bring them all back, that's why.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of Worlds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ramunap Excavator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Walk-In Closet // Forgotten Cellar"></div></div>
<p>Once the lands go into the graveyard, we can use them and many other cards in our deck to bring them right back out. Whether they're coming back thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the first station ability, or a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azusa, Lost but Seeking" href="#" target="_blank">Azusa, Lost but Seeking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if this deck hits the point of playing 3-5 lands a turn, we are unstoppable.</p>
<p>There's also a variety of cards in the deck to help us lower life totals thanks to our lands: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tannuk, Memorial Ensign" href="#" target="_blank">Tannuk, Memorial Ensign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tunneling Geopede" href="#" target="_blank">Tunneling Geopede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog Monster" href="#" target="_blank">The Gitrog Monster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> keep our hand nice and full with card draw.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titania, Protector of Argoth" href="#" target="_blank">Titania, Protector of Argoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> find themselves here in yet another Lands Matter deck, but why fix something that isn't broken?</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Retreat to Hagra" href="#" target="_blank">Retreat to Hagra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> bring along additional ways for us to win the game, thanks to the damage they can do.</p>
<h2>All at Once</h2>
<p>While sometimes necessary, what we want to pull off is a massive sacrifice of lands after we charge up Hearthhull. Outside of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuran Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Zuran Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the next best way to toss our lands is the classic card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scapeshift" href="#" target="_blank">Scapeshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Combine this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spelunking" href="#" target="_blank">Spelunking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiller Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Tiller Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amulet of Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Amulet of Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and we don't even have to worry about lands coming in tapped.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spelunking"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tiller Engine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amulet of Vigor"></div></div>
<p>While not as good as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scapeshift" href="#" target="_blank">Scapeshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri&#039;s Lithoforming" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri&#039;s Lithoforming</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do a good impression in a pinch.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Famished Worldsire" href="#" target="_blank">Famished Worldsire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite new cards from <em>Edge of Eternities</em>, not only because it fits perfectly into this strategy, but something about the words "Devour land 3" makes me chuckle.</p>
<p>Finally, playing one land at a time out of the graveyard is excellent, and even doing this multiple times in a turn will keep this deck humming. But thanks to cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Splendid Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Splendid Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lumra, Bellow of the Woods" href="#" target="_blank">Lumra, Bellow of the Woods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will of the Sultai" href="#" target="_blank">Will of the Sultai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can bring all those lands back to cast spells or continue to lower life totals with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iridescent Vinelasher" href="#" target="_blank">Iridescent Vinelasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geode Rager" href="#" target="_blank">Geode Rager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Splendid Reclamation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lumra, Bellow of the Woods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Will of the Sultai"></div></div>
<h2>A Bit of Spice</h2>
<p>Lands Matter decks tend to be pretty cookie-cutter, but that doesn't mean there's nothing special going on. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can allow us to get to the 2+ station ability right away and turbo us along to the 8+ ability thanks to proliferation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hugs, Grisly Guardian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shaman&#039;s Trance"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hugs, Grisly Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Hugs, Grisly Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be surprisingly dangerous with enough mana pumped into him, and is yet another way for us to play additional lands.</p>
<p>But nothing is spicier than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shaman&#039;s Trance" href="#" target="_blank">Shaman&#039;s Trance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, found for this deck by typing the correct sequence of words into Scryfall and thinking that it might be nice to use another player's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glacial Chasm" href="#" target="_blank">Glacial Chasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or to stop a flashbacked <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Past in Flames" href="#" target="_blank">Past in Flames</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I am beyond excited that we seem to have a banger of a "<em>Magic</em>" set coming out soon, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has made me reconsider putting a Lands Matter deck back together. This commander is both fun and frightening, given the strength of the strategy and the power of this card individually. It will draw a lot of hate, so if you're piloting it, be prepared to pick your spots and don't always run the cards out at the earliest opportunity.</span></p>
<p>Are you excited to get to your stations? Do you want to explore what the outskirts of the universe have to offer? Or maybe, like me, you're just excited that Tezzeret is back. Let me know over at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nicnax96.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nicnax96</a> and keep an eye out for all the other <em>Edge of Eternities</em> content coming down the pipe. As always, I have been Nick, and this has once again been <em>Tech The Deck</em>. Liftoff in 10...9...8.</p>
<h2>Hearthull, the Worldseed Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck -Hearthhull, the Worldseed" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hearthhull, the Worldseed
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aftermath Analyst
*1 Ancient Greenwarden
*1 Azusa, Lost but Seeking
*1 Baloth Prime
*1 Courser of Kruphix
*1 Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
*1 Evolution Sage
*1 Famished Worldsire
*1 Geode Rager
*1 Hugs, Grisly Guardian
*1 Iridescent Vinelasher
*1 Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
*1 Lotus Cobra
*1 Lumra, Bellow of the Woods
*1 Mayhem Devil
*1 Nissa, Resurgent Animist
*1 Omnath, Locus of Rage
*1 Oracle of Mul Daya
*1 Ramunap Excavator
*1 Tannuk, Memorial Ensign
*1 The Gitrog Monster
*1 Tiller Engine
*1 Tireless Provisioner
*1 Titania, Protector of Argoth
*1 Tunneling Geopede
*1 Wayward Swordtooth
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Amulet of Vigor
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Crucible of Worlds
*1 Exploration Broodship
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Zuran Orb
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Constant Mists
*1 Crop Rotation
*1 Harrow
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Shaman&#039;s Trance
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Awaken the Woods
*1 Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Life from the Loam
*1 Nahiri&#039;s Lithoforming
*1 Pillage the Bog
*1 Scapeshift
*1 Splendid Reclamation
*1 Will of the Sultai
*1 Worldsoul&#039;s Rage
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Case of the Locked Hothouse
*1 Concordant Crossroads
*1 Exploration
*1 Overlaid Terrain
*1 Retreat to Hagra
*1 Spelunking
*1 Squandered Resources
*1 Valakut Exploration
*1 Walk-In Closet // Forgotten Cellar
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Cabaretti Courtyard
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Commercial District
*1 Eumidian Hatchery
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Festering Thicket
*1 Field of the Dead
*2 Forest
*1 Glacial Chasm
*1 Horizon of Progress
*1 Lotus Field
*1 Maestros Theater
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*2 Mountain
*1 Nurturing Peatland
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Raucous Theater
*1 Riveteers Overlook
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Swamp
*1 Underground Mortuary
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Vernal Fen
*1 Wasteland
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]"></span></div>


Hearthhull, the Worldseed Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.matthew-stewart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Stewart</a></em></p>
<p>Lands is one of my favorite strategies in Commander. Something about the idea about taking a pile of the most commonly disregarded card type and weaponizing it against unsuspecting opponents just tickles my fancy. When <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was revealed, from <em>Edge of Eternities</em>, I knew I had to cover it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd"></div></div>
<p>A <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that sits in the command zone and gives you access to Jund (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" 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 class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) cards is simply too sweet for this lands player to resist. In this deck tech, I'll tackle <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and find out if this commander can meet my sky-high expectations.</p>
<h2>What Does Szarel, Genesis Shepherd Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 2/5 Insect Druid for five mana that grants the ability to play lands from the graveyard. That's not all, though! Whenever you sacrifice a nontoken permanent, Szarel puts a number of +1/+1 counters equal to its power onto a creature.</p>
<p>The standout interaction with this card is fetchlands, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wooded Foothills" href="#" target="_blank">Wooded Foothills</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodstained Mire" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodstained Mire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can be sacrificed to trigger Szarel and then played from the graveyard to repeat the process.</p>
<p>Szarel is going to play very similarly to other lands commanders, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Necrobloom" href="#" target="_blank">The Necrobloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azusa, Lost but Seeking" href="#" target="_blank">Azusa, Lost but Seeking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Radha, Heart of Keld" href="#" target="_blank">Radha, Heart of Keld</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/60-to-100-turning-legacy-lands-into-a-commander-deck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote about</a> a while ago!). The combos that these decks look to assemble, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thespian&#039;s Stage" href="#" target="_blank">Thespian&#039;s Stage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the play patterns of using effects that recur lands from the graveyard paired with effects that grant additional land plays each turn are all pretty much the same.</p>
<p>The variations come in the form of different color restrictions and each commander serving a different role in that engine. The thing that makes Szarel, Genesis Shepherd stand out is that its the only commander that plays the role of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from the command zone.</p>
<p>If I had to place <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into a definitive category, I'd call it a land-based aggro deck. This deck's plan is sticking Szarel on the board and stacking up counters on our creatures while playing multiple fetchlands from the graveyard each turn. Then, land-based combos and <em>Landfall</em> payoffs provide solid backup plans.</p>
<p>I'm incredibly excited to delve into this one.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Halana and Alena, Partners"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tifa Lockhart"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scythecat Cub"></div></div>
<p>Since Szarel can't put +1/+1 counters on itself, it'll be critical to build a board of creatures that can maximize the benefit from Szarel's counters.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halana and Alena, Partners" href="#" target="_blank">Halana and Alena, Partners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was the first card that popped into my mind when Szarel was spoiled. It's perfect. You sacrifice a land, put Szarel's counters onto Halana and Alena, then at the beginning of combat Halana and Alena grows Szarel's power so your creatures can receive even more counters next turn.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scythecat Cub" href="#" target="_blank">Scythecat Cub</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Bristly Bill, Spine Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> create a similar engine with Szarel as well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scythecat Cub" href="#" target="_blank">Scythecat Cub</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa Lockhart" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa Lockhart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both creatures with trample that can become lethal threats on a turn that you play multiple fetchlands.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azusa, Lost but Seeking"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Gitrog Monster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Life from the Loam"></div></div>
<p>One of my favorite parts of building around a given lands commander is getting to construct an engine that covers the functions that the commander can't.</p>
<p>Szarel is just the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect, so the 99 will need to cover the other functions, like additional land plays. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azusa, Lost but Seeking" href="#" target="_blank">Azusa, Lost but Seeking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and many cards like her are here to cover that. Recurring one fetchland every turn with Szarel's ability is a decent floor, but recurring two, three, or potentially even more than that each turn is where the real power is.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog Monster" href="#" target="_blank">The Gitrog Monster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides an extra land play, a card draw engine, and a sacrifice outlet for lands that can't sacrifice themselves. That sacrifice outlet is also critical to maximize other forms of recursion, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Channeling a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boseiju, Who Endures" href="#" target="_blank">Boseiju, Who Endures</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or cycling a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheltered Thicket" href="#" target="_blank">Sheltered Thicket</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, replaying it with Szarel's ability, then sacrificing it to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog Monster" href="#" target="_blank">The Gitrog Monster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and picking it back up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to repeat the process is precisely the kind of incremental value I'm looking for in a lands deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Field of the Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boseiju, Who Endures"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza&#039;s Saga"></div></div>
<p>The most important part of every lands deck is the lands! There are so many subtle interactions and tiny details in the mana base that fully explaining everything would take up more than one article, but I'll highlight a few that I think are important.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Field of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can generate an absurd amount of tokens in a single turn when this deck's engine is firing on all cylinders. The Zombie tokens it generates are also excellent targets for Szarel's +1/+1 counters.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza&#039;s Saga" href="#" target="_blank">Urza&#039;s Saga</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another token producer that's also able to tutor zero- and one-mana artifacts. I've included a small suite of targets to grab with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza&#039;s Saga" href="#" target="_blank">Urza&#039;s Saga</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s third chapter ability, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lavaspur Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Lavaspur Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to ensure that the card has enough to do in games where you end up playing it multiple times.</p>
<h2>How Does This Szarel, Genesis Shepherd Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Depths"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska, Thrice Reborn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xenagos, God of Revels"></div></div>
<p>The primary win condition for this deck is getting into the red zone with giant creatures. Going tall is much faster than going wide in a deck that can stack up +1/+1 counters on creatures with trample as much as this deck can.</p>
<p>The token that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes presents a fast clock that can swing in for lethal damage very quickly, especially when paired with additional pump effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska, Thrice Reborn" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska, Thrice Reborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, the real beauty of this deck is that literally any creature can become big enough to kill someone.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titania, Protector of Argoth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scute Swarm"></div></div>
<p>This deck isn't lacking options to go wide either! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scute Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Scute Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in particular is known for getting out of hand quickly. Grindy games where lots of removal gets pointed at my biggest threats will often come down to several thousand Scute Swarm tokens finishing the job. I'm normally reluctant to include cards like Scute Swarm due to the logistical difficulties of representing board states with 3,000 tokens, but in this case I decided the upside was worth the potential inconvenience.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strip Mine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wasteland"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summer Bloom"></div></div>
<p>Finally, if all else fails, there's always the win condition of extinguishing your opponents' will to continue playing.</p>
<p>This deck is better than any other at recurring <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strip Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Strip Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wasteland" href="#" target="_blank">Wasteland</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I freely admit, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strip Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Strip Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> locks are a guilty pleasure of mine and that definitely had an impact on my excitement to build Szarel. It may not be for every play group, but at the "anything goes" types of tables I play at, there is nothing I love more than firing off <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wasteland" href="#" target="_blank">Wasteland</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after Wasteland at my opponents' unsuspecting lands.</p>
<p>Admittedly, I think this deck is likely winning via other means too quickly for this to come up, but the option makes me feel confident about the deck's capacity in longer games.</p>
<h2>Szarel, Genesis Shepherd Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Szaresl" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Szarel, Genesis Shepherd
[/Commander]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Canyon Slough
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Commercial District
*1 Dark Depths
*1 Field of the Dead
*1 Forest
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mountain
*1 Nurturing Peatland
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Raucous Theater
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Shifting Woodland
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Snow-Covered Forest
*1 Snow-Covered Mountain
*1 Snow-Covered Swamp
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Swamp
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Tranquil Thicket
*1 Underground Mortuary
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Wasteland
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
*1 Azusa, Lost but Seeking
*1 Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
*1 Courser of Kruphix
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Dryad Arbor
*1 Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
*1 Elvish Reclaimer
*1 Gladiolus Amicitia
*1 Halana and Alena, Partners
*1 Ignoble Hierarch
*1 Loot, Exuberant Explorer
*1 Mina and Denn, Wildborn
*1 Oracle of Mul Daya
*1 Ramunap Excavator
*1 Scute Swarm
*1 Scythecat Cub
*1 Shigeki, Jukai Visionary
*1 Six
*1 Sowing Mycospawn
*1 Sylvan Safekeeper
*1 Tannuk, Memorial Ensign
*1 The Gitrog Monster
*1 Tifa Lockhart
*1 Titania, Protector of Argoth
*1 Wight of the Reliquary
*1 Xenagos, God of Revels
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrupt Decay
*1 Chord of Calling
*1 Crop Rotation
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Realms Uncharted
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Casualties of War
*1 Culling Ritual
*1 Gamble
*1 Green Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Life from the Loam
*1 Malevolent Rumble
*1 Molten Collapse
*1 Summer Bloom
*1 Sylvan Scrying
*1 Toxic Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Horn of Greed
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Ozolith
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Grist, the Hunger Tide
*1 Jeska, Thrice Reborn
*1 Lord Windgrace
*1 Minsc &amp; Boo, Timeless Heroes
*1 Wrenn and Seven
[/Planeswalkers]
[Enchantments]
*1 Exploration
*1 Roaring Earth
*1 Spelunking
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This deck is an absolute blast. Going forward, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be my automatic recommendation to anyone looking to build a land-centric strategy in Commander. I'd tentatively place this deck in Bracket 3 (Upgraded) with the caveat that cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wasteland" href="#" target="_blank">Wasteland</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strip Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Strip Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not fly at every table and is something I'd recommend discussing with tables ahead of time.</p>
<p>As always, each play group is different.</p>


edge of eternities precon

Breaking Down the Counter Intelligence Precon Battle Fleet

Hearthhull, the Worldseed Commander Deck Tech

Szarel, Genesis Shepherd Deck Tech