<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast &amp; Square Enix</em></p>
<p>As of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set's June 13th release, Wizards Play Network, the entity responsible for maintaining and managing organized <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> play, will introduce "Chocobo Racing" to the events for the set. This augmentation to Limited events will begin after the set officially releases and will last until July 24th.</p>
<h2>But First: What Are Chocobos?</h2>
<p>In the scope of the hit <em>Square Enix</em> video game series, Chocobos are fluffy (usually) yellow bipedal birds. People in the game's universe usually use Chocobos as mounts. They're generally a means to get places much faster than on foot. Occasionally, riders will race with their Chocobo steeds. <em>Final Fantasy VII</em> formally introduced the "<a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Chocobo_racing_(minigame)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chocobo Racing</a>" minigame proper. However, since then it's blown up in a big way. The minigame has even had its own <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Chocobo_Racing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eponymous spin-off game</a> on the Sony PlayStation.</p>
<p>They're also generally viewed as the mascot/face of the series at large, much like the Slime is to <em>Dragon Quest</em>, or Pikachu is to <em>Pokémon</em>.</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy</em> Chocobo Racing In <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p>According to the Wizards Play Network's page on this event:</p>
<blockquote><p>Chocobo Racing Events are the weekly Booster Draft and Sealed event based on the <em>FINAL FANTASY VII</em> mini-game "Chocobo Racing". Whenever players play Draft or Sealed events with <em>Magic: The Gathering—</em>FINAL FANTASY in your store, earning points to reach special rewards just for this event.</p></blockquote>
<p>The site goes on to explain how this minigame works:</p>
<blockquote><p>As players enjoy racing around the track throughout the season, they'll earn a set number of points that build toward rewards.</p>
<p>Award points for the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Players <strong>earn 3 points</strong> for each Draft of Sealed event (excluding Prerelease) they attend.</li>
<li>Players <strong>earn 1 point</strong> for each match they win in a qualifying event.</li>
<li>Existing players that bring in a new player who <a href="http://myaccounts.wizards.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signs up for a Wizards Account</a> and participates in a qualifying event <strong>earn 1 point</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p>When a player reaches 10 cumulative points, they earn a foil Chocobo art print. When a player reaches 20 cumulative points, they earn a Chocobo Pinfinity AR pin!</p></blockquote>
<p>At the very end of the event, store owners are encouraged to give out any unallocated prints or pins to players who didn't make it to 10 or 20 points. WPN suggests stores give them out in order of highest standings at the end of the event's run.</p>
<h2>Run, Chocobo, Run!</h2>
<p><a href="https://wpn.wizards.com/en/event/chocobo-racing-event-series" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This mini-game series</a> runs from June 13th through July 24th at local game stores while supplies last.</p>
<p>And now, let's hear from you. Are you a fan of Chocobos as the mascot of <em>Final Fantasy</em>? Is this set an appealing prospect for you to play within? If you're planning to enter these events and vie for a print or pin, sound off below!</p>


Final Fantasy Adds "Chocobo Racing" To Magic Presents Events

Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Jank Rank Finale

The Best Instant Combos in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aeve, Progenitor Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Aeve, Progenitor Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | by <a href="https://www.andrewkmar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Mar</a>)</em></p>
<p>Hello and welcome back to <em>The Monolith</em>, the series in which we get players building more monocolored decks. Today I'll be continuing my quest to break each archetype out of its regular color pie by building a Storm deck in mono-green!</p>
<p>Storm? In mono-green? It's more likely than you think! And we'll even be storming off with fan-favorite and veritable meme card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slime Against Humanity" href="#" target="_blank">Slime Against Humanity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But how can I win a game without my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archmage Emeritus" href="#" target="_blank">Archmage Emeritus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? What's the point of playing a million spells if there isn't a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grapeshot" href="#" target="_blank">Grapeshot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the end of it? Well that's simple, we just put our storm payoff directly into our command zone, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aeve, Progenitor Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Aeve, Progenitor Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Gooped and Gagged</h2>
<p>Let's take a look at our commander for this build.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aeve, Progenitor Ooze"></div></div>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Aeve is a legendary 2/2 Ooze with storm. If you've not played with one of the most broken keywords in <em>Magic's </em>history before, storm spells copy themselves when cast for each spell you've already cast before it this turn. So if it's the third spell you've cast this turn, for example, you'll get two token copies of Aeve entering the battlefield with it.</p>
<p>Normally that'd be a problem for Aeve seeing as the card is legendary, but its rules text states that token copies of the card won't count as legendary to stop you from having to sacrifice them all to the legend rule as soon as they enter.</p>
<p>As if that wasn't enough, each of them will enter with a +1/+1 counter on it for each other Ooze you control. That means each copy gets bigger and bigger as it enters, seeing all the copies that came before it, not to mention any Oozes you already had on board.</p>
<p>If we can cast enough spells in a single turn before dropping our commander, we could get ourselves a pretty enormous board. And the wider the board gets, the taller it gets as well.</p>
<h2>Slime Time</h2>
<p>So we want to be casting a lot of spells on our turn, but the question remains: what spells will we be casting?</p>
<p>For this deck idea, we'll be committing some crimes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slime Against Humanity" href="#" target="_blank">Slime crimes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slime Against Humanity"></div></div>
<p>You're looking at a three mana green sorcery that creates a 0/0 Ooze token and then puts +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number of same-named cards in your graveyard or in exile (plus two). It's one of those silly "you can have any number in a deck" cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hare Apparent" href="#" target="_blank">Hare Apparent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card also does well in Ooze typal decks as the card will also check for Ooze cards when dishing out its +1/+1 counters.</p>
<p>Importantly for this build, it's a spell we can cast a lot of and one that makes a progressively larger Ooze creature token each time we do so. The plan is to use that Ooze to make mana, draw us cards, and even buff up our Aeve tokens as they enter. So how do we go about doing that? Let's talk about mana first.</p>
<h2>They're Green, They May as Well Be Forests</h2>
<p>This deck was predominantly inspired by my favorite Standard deck in the current meta, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insidious Roots" href="#" target="_blank">Insidious Roots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This Golgari (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-bg" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) enchantment makes a Plant token every time a creature card leaves your graveyard. Then all your Plants get bigger. When combined with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler" href="#" target="_blank">Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can not only trigger the card's effect but also lets your tokens tap for mana on the turn they come down, you can do some pretty crazy comboing!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insidious Roots"></div></div>
<p>But why let the dual colored decks have all the fun? With enough setup (afforded to us by the naturally longer games of Commander) we can do something just as nuts, and have a payoff card ready to roll in our command zone to boot.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enduring Vitality"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptolith Rite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaheira, Friend of the Forest"></div></div>
<p>Our Ooze tokens might not tap for mana on their own, but there's a few different cards in green that will provide us with the same effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enduring Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Enduring Vitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is by far the strongest of the bunch, giving us the rules text we need as well as reanimating itself the first time it gets removed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaheira, Friend of the Forest" href="#" target="_blank">Jaheira, Friend of the Forest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't a bad pick either for a cheap option, as we'll mostly want to be tapping token creatures anyway.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elven Chorus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Citanul Hierophants"></div></div>
<p>The above options cost a little more mana to get on the board, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elven Chorus" href="#" target="_blank">Elven Chorus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does provide us with some potential extra reach if we find ourselves with nothing to cast in hand mid-storm. If there's a creature card on the top of our library, it could get us back up and running just when we need it.</p>
<h3>I Need That Mana Now!</h3>
<p>The other element of the combo we'll need to replicate is Tyvar's bonus effect of giving activated abilities haste, allowing you to effectively replace your spent mana by tapping the token you've just made. As Tyvar himself is out of your color identity, you'll have to get some other options.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Surrak and Goreclaw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Concordant Crossroads"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Memorial"></div></div>
<p>Giving haste to your creatures in mono-green isn't super easy, especially when you need it to be a static effect that'll account for each creature entering the battlefield this turn. That's why colorless cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crashing Drawbridge" href="#" target="_blank">Crashing Drawbridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> unfortunately won't cut it. We do have options, but they're either very expensive to cast, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surrak and Goreclaw" href="#" target="_blank">Surrak and Goreclaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, very expensive to buy, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Concordant Crossroads" href="#" target="_blank">Concordant Crossroads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or both (looking at you, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Memorial" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Memorial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runadi, Behemoth Caller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thousand-Year Elixir"></div></div>
<p>A better fit would be the classic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thousand-Year Elixir" href="#" target="_blank">Thousand-Year Elixir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can find a home in pretty much any deck that cares about creatures tapping. But specifically for this deck, I think you'll struggle to find a better fit for what we want to achieve than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Runadi, Behemoth Caller" href="#" target="_blank">Runadi, Behemoth Caller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This card is an absolute slam dunk in our deck as it not only works as a mana creature itself, it also gives haste to all creatures on our board with three or more +1/+1 counters on them. For the record, that's basically every Ooze we make after the first. Not to mention that it'll give haste to pretty much every copy of Aeve if things are going well.</p>
<h2>Budget Blubber</h2>
<p>The next element we need in our cursed combo is something to reduce the cost of our spells. Much like with the flash-in-the-pan Ruby Storm deck we saw in Modern last year, by reducing the cost of our spells we can potentially make them mana neutral (or perhaps even positive!) to allow us to keep comboing off.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emerald Medallion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud Key"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helm of Awakening"></div></div>
<p>We've actually got a decent amount of options here as well, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emerald Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">the green version</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruby Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Ruby Storm&#039;s medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which will reduce all of our green spells by <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>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Amulet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Semblance Anvil"></div></div>
<p>We're in mono-green, so we shouldn't struggle too much for mana, but ideally we want to drop all the colorless cost from our slime crimes. That way we just need to pay for the green, which our token will be able to do for us from the last copy of the spell we've cast. For that we'll need to get two cost-reducers on board.</p>
<p>But just like with our haste problems, there's actually a fantastic card available to us that'll make our lives much easier. The <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Locket of Yesterdays" href="#" target="_blank">Locket of Yesterdays</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes me feel like someone from the past knew I was going to build this deck one day. Fitting, seeing as it was printed in <em>Time Spiral</em>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Locket of Yesterdays"></div></div>
<p>This card will reduce the cost of all our spells for each other copy of it already in the graveyard. Literally perfect for reducing the price of our slime crimes. From the third one we cast onwards, we'll only be paying <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. And we could even reduce that if we add in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defiler of Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Defiler of Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<h2>Outta Slime, Outta Time</h2>
<p>As with every storm deck, you can assemble the absolute perfect engine with everything you need to pop off. But if you run out of spells, your turn will come to a crashing halt and deflating fizzle. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slime Against Humanity" href="#" target="_blank">Slime Against Humanity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't a cantrip, which means we need to make sure we're drawing enough cards to keep our engine ticking as we cast it over and over again.</p>
<p>Green has a few ways of drawing cards, but most of them are tied to the creatures you control. Which, for the combo we're assembling here, is kinda perfect! A card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will trigger a card draw for every slime crime we make after the first, as well as giving us trample when we finally swing out with all our tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garruk&#039;s Uprising"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Outcaster Trailblazer"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Outcaster Trailblazer" href="#" target="_blank">Outcaster Trailblazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us double effectiveness as it not only gives the same card draw effect as Garruk's Uprising, but we can also plot it. Plotting allows us to cast it for free on a subsequent turn, which will then count towards our storm tally when we need it! He even comes with a free mana of any color when he enters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selvala, Heart of the Wilds"></div></div>
<p>For a wildly good fit in our deck though, check out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selvala, Heart of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Selvala, Heart of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Selvala gives us a card draw whenever a creature enters under our control with more power than any creature on the battlefield. As each Ooze will be one point bigger than the last one, we can chain these draws off one after another.</p>
<p>Then with a huge board we can tap for a massive amount of green mana with Selvala's ability - mana we can then use to cast more spells and even our commander to finish off the turn.</p>
<h2>I Ooze, You Lose</h2>
<p>Now it's time to finish the game. Our perfect board state looks something like this:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garruk&#039;s Uprising"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runadi, Behemoth Caller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Locket of Yesterdays"></div></div>
<p>We'll also want five untapped mana sources, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selvala, Heart of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Selvala, Heart of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in an ideal world, to allow us to cast our commander and also give extra card draw. Then all the slime crimes we already have in hand will give us a head start.</p>
<p>We cast as many of said crimes as possible, effectively paying zero for each one. Our storm count gets bigger and bigger until we tap for five and bring out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aeve, Progenitor Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Aeve, Progenitor Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Let's say we've cast seven copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slime Against Humanity" href="#" target="_blank">Slime Against Humanity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> beforehand.</p>
<p>One by one, eight copies of Aeve will enter the battlefield. They'll have a minimum power and toughness ranging from 9/9 to 16/16. Every single one will have haste from Runadi, and trample from Garruk's Uprising.</p>
<p>Swing. Win.</p>
<p>That's it for this week's edition of <em>The Monolith</em>, let me know in the comments below how you would build a deck like this. Mono-green isn't the standard home of Spellslinger decks, but I think it has some chops. For more monocolored shenanigans, make sure to tune in next week to <em>The</em> Monolith. Until then, happy slinging and happy sliming!</p>


Mono-Green Storm with Aeve, Progenitor Ooze

The Top 10 Most Played Jeskai Cards in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kotis, the Fangkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kotis, the Fangkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://evynfong.square.site/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evyn Fong</a></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em></a> brought so many amazing new cards into the game. A commander that's stood out above the rest is none other than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kotis, the Fangkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kotis, the Fangkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Already totaling over five thousand decks on <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/kotis-the-fangkeeper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC</a>, the community has been infatuated with this character since preview season. Whether it's for his abilities, or because he's a heartthrob, that's for you to decide.</p>
<p>There's plenty of directions to take Kotis, but today I'll be putting a spotlight on the Enchantress architype. To do that, I, Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, will showcase fourteen cards for under $14 you can pick up right now to help get you started on a brand-new deck.</p>
<h2>The Commander - Kotis, the Fangkeeper</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kotis, the Fangkeeper"></div></div>
<p>One of the most beloved cards in the commander format is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Villainous Wealth" href="#" target="_blank">Villainous Wealth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so it should come as no surprise that a creature that can give you that effect turn after turn would become very popular to build around. With this list I'll be highlighting a few things that every <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kotis, the Fangkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kotis, the Fangkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck needs: evasion, buffing, and additional value that'll build up along the way.</p>
<p>So, let's take a look at some amazing budget Auras that you can utilize to steal the best cards from your friends' decks!</p>
<h3>Favor of the Overbeing</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Favor of the Overbeing"></div></div>
<p>A prime example of both buffing and evasion is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Favor of the Overbeing" href="#" target="_blank">Favor of the Overbeing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Giving Kotis plus +2/+2, flying, and vigilance for only two mana is an amazing rate. This card alone can allow you to exile four cards from whoever you hit, all while being able to leave your commander up as a blocker because of that vigilance.</p>
<h3>Canopy Cover</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Canopy Cover"></div></div>
<p>Another great two-mana spell for this deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canopy Cover" href="#" target="_blank">Canopy Cover</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which basically gives your creature flying and hexproof. Your commander will be a lightning rod for removal, and even though that indestructible is a great safety net, you always have to prepare for exile removal, and this Aura ensures no one can touch a hair on Kotis's undead head!</p>
<h3>Fae Flight</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fae Flight"></div></div>
<p>On a similar axis as our last entry is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fae Flight" href="#" target="_blank">Fae Flight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Adding plus one to Kotis’s power and giving him flying is exactly what this deck is looking for. On top of that, this Aura acts almost like a counterspell if your opponents are ready to try to get the Fangkeeper off your board.</p>
<h3>Demonic Embrace</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demonic Embrace"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Embrace" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Embrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds some more flying to the list, as well as a nice power boost, all while having the ability to be cast from your graveyard if it winds up there. That gives it extra utility, since there's a good chance that, against your best efforts, Kotis will end up being removed at some point. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Embrace" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Embrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be there when he returns.</p>
<h3>Rancor</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rancor"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of coming back from the grave, the next card on our list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rancor" href="#" target="_blank">Rancor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, offers that effect for free. It only costs one mana and gives your commander a power buff as well as trample, which isn’t necessarily evasion, but can still help push damage through. The best part of this spell is that it will almost always come back, meaning that you can rely on it to be there as long as the game goes on.</p>
<h3>Aether Tunnel</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aether Tunnel"></div></div>
<p>Say you don’t even want to worry about blockers. Well, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are here to assist you with that! For two mana you can give Kotis unblockable, as well as +1/+0, which will ensure you’ll be hitting someone for three damage each time you attack. On top of that, this pairs well with anything else that buffs your commander’s power, since it clears the way entirely.</p>
<h3>Security Bypass</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Security Bypass"></div></div>
<p>Decks built around Kotis tend to have one main game plan: attack with Kotis. To help with that, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Security Bypass" href="#" target="_blank">Security Bypass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> giving more of that premium evasion to your commander if it attacks alone. It also lets the creature it’s attached to connive whenever it deals damage to someone, which will help with sculpting your hand while also growing its power.</p>
<h3>Fly</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fly"></div></div>
<p>Another card that adds more value to your attacks is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fly" href="#" target="_blank">Fly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not only does it give flying to your creature (shocking, I know) but whenever you hit a player, you venture into the dungeon. The go-to option out of the three dungeons is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lost Mine of Phandelver" href="#" target="_blank">Lost Mine of Phandelver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I suggest you follow that trend in this deck as well. All the options it offers are generically good, and you can even put some counters on Kotis along the way.</p>
<h3>Sleeper's Robe</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sleeper&#039;s Robe"></div></div>
<p>Next up we have an oldie but a goodie! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sleeper&#039;s Robe" href="#" target="_blank">Sleeper&#039;s Robe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives your commander <a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Fear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fear</a>, even if it doesn’t say that keyword, and draws you a card when it connects. Even though you'll be stealing other people’s spells in this deck, you still want to make sure you have cards in your hand. Your goal should be to throw a new Aura on Kotis as often as you can, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sleeper&#039;s Robe" href="#" target="_blank">Sleeper&#039;s Robe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps with that.</p>
<h3>Combat Research</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combat Research"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combat Research" href="#" target="_blank">Combat Research</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is similar to our last card on the list, drawing you a card whenever Kotis hits a player. However, this time around you also get +1/+1, and 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>, for just a single mana. As I said earlier, your commander will draw a lot of hate from the table, so adding an additional roadblock on top of the indestructible it already has can deter people from sending removal your way.</p>
<h3>Well Rested</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Well Rested"></div></div>
<p>Kotis is surely going to be tired after all of that attacking, so he deserves to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well Rested" href="#" target="_blank">Well Rested</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when the turn gets back to you. Drawing a card and putting counters on your commander will help your game plan move forward for sure. However, the fact that you’re gaining a little bit of life as the game goes on shouldn’t be understated. The table most likely will be attacking you when your defenses are down, so you just need a little bit of extra padding to get you through the rest of the battle.</p>
<h3>Strong Back</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strong Back"></div></div>
<p>Time to pump up your commander’s power even more, with <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>. Making all your Auras cost three less to cast helps you load up Kotis even more than before, but that final ability is the real star of the show. Giving +2/+2 for each Aura attached to your commander means you could be stealing a huge chunk of spells from your opponents each time you connect. This card can truly change things in your favor when it hits the board.</p>
<h3>Giant Inheritance</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Inheritance"></div></div>
<p>Keeping up with the plan of powering up Kotis, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Inheritance" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Inheritance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rancor" href="#" target="_blank">Rancor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s big brother. Once you throw that <a href="https://scryfall.com/card/twoe/15/monster-sorcerer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monster Role</a> on your creature, it’ll end up with +6/+6 and trample! If that draws the ire of the table, like I think it will, you’ll be able to get this Aura back if it ever ends up in your graveyard from the battlefield. That just makes it a constant game ending threat.</p>
<h3>Entity Tracker</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entity Tracker"></div></div>
<p>Closing things out with a generically good card draw engine, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entity Tracker" href="#" target="_blank">Entity Tracker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you go the Aura route, you’ll be drawing each time you load Kotis up for battle. However, the Tracker triggers off of any enchantments hitting your board, which means if you hit an opponent for a ton of damage, you could be casting several enchantments for free and refilling your hand! That flash shouldn't be overlooked either, since you can cast this right before all the spells you steal resolve, to be extra sneaky.</p>
<h2>In Closing</h2>
<p>I hope this list was helpful for you and your journey building around Kotis! As you can tell, these Auras fit perfectly in most builds for this commander. So even if you don't go the full Enchantress direction, you could still grab these singles to power up your own deck.</p>
<p>If you want to see the full list, including the cards that didn't make the main fourteen, <a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/12534594/kotis_the_fangkeeper_enchantress_pillow_fortteen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can check those out on my Archidekt</a>.</p>


Building Kotis, the Fangkeeper Enchantress on a Budget

Building a Commander Deck Around Pacifism Effects

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delina, Wild Mage|AFR|138" href="#" target="_blank">Delina, Wild Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisnu Tan</a>)</em></p>
<p>Friendly greetings and welcome to <em>Bracketeering</em>, the series about sideboards for Commander Brackets. With two announcements on April 22nd, 2025, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> updated the Commander <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-bans-and-restrictions-april-22-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ban List</a> and <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-brackets-beta-update-april-22-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers List</a>. Basically, the Bracket system is still a beta test, and there are no major system changes at this time. A total of twenty-three cards joined the Game Changers list, including five previously banned cards. This is our first Bracketeering article in the updated environment, and I'm excited to put my money where my mouth is.</p>
<p>This week I'm bracketeering my very own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delina, Wild Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Delina, Wild Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, and I'll show a picture of the cards and sleeves to prove it. This deck is my happy place, my touchstone for a fun Commander game. If I'm playing two games of Commander in a session, then one of those games will be with Delina. I want to make sure I have the tools to match this deck with as many pods as possible.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delina, Wild Mage|AFR|317"></div></div>
<h2>Roll the Dice</h2>
<p>Since the advent of Commander Brackets, I've listed my Delina deck as Core (2). Technically this deck fits the criteria for Upgraded (3) since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gamble|SPG|24" href="#" target="_blank">Gamble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> joined the Game Changer list. Gamble is in the deck because I have one, and it matches the flavor of Delina leaving things to chance.</p>
<p>Here's my deck list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Delina" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Delina, Wild Mage
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cloak of the Bat
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dolmen Gate
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Glittering Stockpile
*1 Key to the City
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Manifold Key
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sonic Screwdriver
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Anzrag&#039;s Rampage
*1 Cosmotronic Wave
*1 Gamble
*1 Hazardous Blast
*1 Ignite the Future
*1 Light Up the Stage
*1 Mizzium Mortars
*1 Reckless Impulse
*1 Seize the Spotlight
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Wrenn&#039;s Resolve
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Ardent Elementalist
*1 Breya&#039;s Apprentice
*1 Caves of Chaos Adventurer
*1 Charming Scoundrel
*1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Ghirapur Gearcrafter
*1 Goblin Welder
*1 Harmonic Prodigy
*1 Imperial Recruiter
*1 Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
*1 Krenko&#039;s Buzzcrusher
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Patron of the Arts
*1 Pia Nalaar
*1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
*1 Plundering Barbarian
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Siege-Gang Commander
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Thopter Engineer
*1 Trumpeting Carnosaur
*1 Wily Goblin
*1 Wyll, Blade of Frontiers
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Barbarian Class
*1 Echoing Assault
*1 Frenzied Fugue
*1 Goblin Bombardment
*1 War Cadence
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Invoke Calamity
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Wild Magic Surge
*1 You Find Some Prisoners
*1 Zoyowa&#039;s Justice
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Barbarian Ring
*1 Castle Embereth
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Den of the Bugbear
*1 Dwarven Mine
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Maze of Ith
*27 Mountain
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Shivan Gorge
*1 Terrain Generator
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>While this version of the deck might technically be an Upgraded (3), I can assure you it rarely performs at that level. There's a wild range of variance baked into this dice-rolling legend.</p>
<p>Delina's attack trigger and lack of evasion require effort to get the game plan up and running. To be honest, playing Delina is an uphill battle, even at Core (2) tables where disposable blockers are plentiful. Although the challenge and variance are part of the fun for me, I do want to play this deck more often in more places. Making a sideboard will help me do that.</p>
<p>By the time my new sideboard is complete, my main deck will be firmly Core (2) and I'll have a tool box for playing comfortably in any pod from Exhibition (1) to Upgraded (3).</p>
<h2>Improving the Odds</h2>
<p>I know from experience that it'll take more than a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gamble" href="#" target="_blank">Gamble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give this deck a fighting chance in Upgraded (3) games. Delina needs to attack more frequently and be unblockable to punch at a higher weight class. I like cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manifold Key" href="#" target="_blank">Manifold Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sonic Screwdriver" href="#" target="_blank">Sonic Screwdriver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but paying mana every turn for those activated abilities is less efficient than one-time investments in quality Equipment. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prowler&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Prowler&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trailblazer&#039;s Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Trailblazer&#039;s Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help keep Delina alive in combat.</p>
<p>Red is the color of extra combat, and I already own copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seize the Day|ODY|220" href="#" target="_blank">Seize the Day</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aggravated Assault|WOT|39" href="#" target="_blank">Aggravated Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Port Razer" href="#" target="_blank">Port Razer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in 59% of Delina decks, because any copies she makes have a chance to chain multiple combat steps together.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Port Razer"></div></div>
<p>If I'm sideboarding for an upgraded game, some of my pet cards will have to side-out. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invoke Calamity|NEO|147" href="#" target="_blank">Invoke Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is dead-in-hand too often for Upgarded (3) gameplay. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manifold Key|TSR|398" href="#" target="_blank">Manifold Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be exchanged for any of those Equipment I mentioned. Sadly, I rarely reach the seven mana to cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Battlesphere|DDU|57" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Battlesphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The rest of the swaps will require some hard choices, but some likely candidates will be four-mana creatures competing to be cast on the same turn as Delina.</p>
<h2>Digging a Hole</h2>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/ytWz0qVvBZ0?si=_ijXrHLVYh-bGVjS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brothers of the mine, rejoice!</a> A playset of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seven Dwarves" href="#" target="_blank">Seven Dwarves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been living rent free in my head and card collection since 2019. I had these cards in very early drafts of my Delina deck, but I cut them for token producers. If I'm being completely honest, I love the flavor of the card, but deep down I know bulk common bears need more upside to dig in for the win in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seven Dwarves"></div></div>
<p>Recently, <a href="https://cardgamer.com/author/stevenseiter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steven Seiter</a> of EDHREC sister site Card Gamer mentioned the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spy Kit" href="#" target="_blank">Spy Kit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I realized it's a pseudo-anthem for Seven Dwarves. Then I remembered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychic Paper" href="#" target="_blank">Psychic Paper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Universes Beyond: Doctor Who</em> also manipulates card names. It all happened so fast; one moment I was casually conversing on Discord, and the next I was adding cards to my <a href="http://www.cardsphere.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cardsphere</a> wants. One thing led to anther and I sleeved up my playset of Seven Dwarves for a Bracketeering sideboard.</p>
<div id="attachment_149923" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-149923" class="wp-image-149923 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-1024x551.jpg" alt="A sleeved deck with Delina, Wild Mage in the Command Zone, and a Seven Dwarves sideboard displayed face up." width="1024" height="551" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-1024x551.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-300x161.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-768x413.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-1536x826.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250429_155256-2048x1102.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-149923" class="wp-caption-text">These bad boys will be looking for games on Spelltable soon.</p></div>
<p>I'm not ready to put down the shovel yet. If I'm going to sideboard for an Exhibition (1) game, I need to know what stays in the deck and what I'm siding out. The bracket guidelines call for few tutors in the lower brackets. In the Exhibition (1) bracket specifically, I believe tutors should narrowly support the theme of the deck. My <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gamble" href="#" target="_blank">Gamble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will stay in the sideboard, because it's a Game Changer and because it's too broad. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperial Recruiter|MH2|281" href="#" target="_blank">Imperial Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in the main deck and it can stay there, because the power limitation narrowly includes my Seven Dwarves. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dwarven Recruiter|ODY|186" href="#" target="_blank">Dwarven Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pattern Matcher" href="#" target="_blank">Pattern Matcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are siding in.</p>
<p>In total, I need to side out 11 cards from the main deck. Conveniently, I have seven creature cards in the main deck that produce creature tokens. Those seven will swap right out for the Seven Dwarves. Of the remaining four swaps, one of these should be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko&#039;s Buzzcrusher|MKM|136" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko&#039;s Buzzcrusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; it's not true Mass Land Denial, but it's MLD-adjacent. I'm also siding out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frenzied Fugue|C16|18" href="#" target="_blank">Frenzied Fugue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar|CMR|188" href="#" target="_blank">Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dire Fleet Daredevil|RIX|99" href="#" target="_blank">Dire Fleet Daredevil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>LFG</h2>
<p>This sideboard is only 18 cards. Eleven of them are specifically for the Exhibition (1) Seven Dwarves theme. There's only seven cards specifically included for Upgraded (3) games. Playtesting will tell if that's enough.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bracketeering Delina Sideboard" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Creatures]
*1 Dwarven Recruiter
*1 Pattern Matcher
*1 Port Razer
*7 Seven Dwarves
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Prowler&#039;s Helm
*1 Psychic Paper
*1 Spy Kit
*1 Trailblazer&#039;s Boots
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Gamble
*1 Seize the Day
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aggravated Assault
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>
<p>I'm more excited than ever to play this deck. There's room to grow, and I'm hoping to eventually fill the Sideboard out to 25 cards.</p>
<p><em>Bracketeering</em> will be back later this month with a sideboard for a recent precon. If you have suggestions for my Delina Sideboard, or a deck you'd like to see in this series, then tell us in the comments below.</p>


Building Delina, Wild Mage for Multiple Commander Brackets

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Ekaterina Burmak</em></p>
<p>A pauper EDH deck built around a commander who cares about high mana values? There's no way that would ever work, right? I've been assuming that's the case for months now, and I've stubbornly avoided this commander. I've built decks that desperately want high mana value cards before, and they've never worked out. Not once. Pauper just doesn't have enough strong, big spells. It doesn't matter if your Pauper deck makes a million mana; if the best thing to spend that mana on is an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Crusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you're not winning. But that's what happens when the big spells are your payoff. What if instead of them being the payoff, they were the strategy? You wouldn't need those spells to win the game, you'd just need them to carry you through it.</p>
<p>That's exactly what <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does. She gives every spell you cast with mana value six or greater cascade, so all you have to do is play big dudes, and you get rewarded. She offers the payoff of card advantage, and merely requires those large spells to create it. And while Pauper may not have game winning monsters, the format certainly has enough big stuff to fuel Imoti's game plan. So this might work out!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty"></div></div>
<h2>Big Spells to Play With Imoti</h2>
<p>We might as well start with the bulk of the deck. Which plus-size cards to use? Imoti requires us to play cards with mana value six, minimum, and since it's always best to keep our mana curve low, you'd think we'd want to play exclusively six-mana cards, and nothing larger. But if we did that, then the maximum mana value of a card we could hit with cascade would be five. And we don't want to play five-mana cards, because they don't trigger Imoti. So instead, our spells are going to cost anywhere from six to nine mana. That way, when we cast a seven-, eight-, or nine-mana spell, the chances of it cascading into another fairly sizeable spell go up significantly. Yeah, this strategy increases our average mana value, but it was gonna be huge anyways, so who cares? Don't worry, we'll have plenty of ramp to make up for it.</p>
<p>But what are the actual cards? How about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Annoyed Altisaur" href="#" target="_blank">Annoyed Altisaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? The more cascade, the better, right? Maybe we'll take the immense <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Crusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for that satisfying annihilator trigger. Perhaps we'll grab a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It of the Horrid Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">It of the Horrid Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because Eldrazi are just kind of menacing in general. There are at least a few big Pauper cards that do cool things, and these are all among them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="It of the Horrid Swarm"></div></div>
<p>But they won't make up the bulk of our horde. Instead, most of our cards are going to be spells that can be cast for six or more mana, but can also be used for much less. Think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorshell Crab" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorshell Crab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Yes, the card itself is a fearsome crab that would trigger Imoti, but earlier in the game, it can be used as a very effective counterspell.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has been printing cards like this left and right. Ever since <em>March of the Machine</em>, there's been a cycle of cards in every set that costs six or seven mana, but can be land-cycled for two. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Timberland Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Timberland Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Ent" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Ent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Topiary Panther" href="#" target="_blank">Topiary Panther</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidal Terror" href="#" target="_blank">Tidal Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all examples of this. And there's more, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword Coast Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Sword Coast Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that can go on an adventure, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krosan Tusker" href="#" target="_blank">Krosan Tusker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can find a basic land and draw a card when cycled.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrorshell Crab"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Timberland Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword Coast Serpent"></div></div>
<p>Then there are cards that will trigger Imoti, but won't actually cost us anything close to six mana. For example, there are the Eldrazi with emerge costs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wretched Gryff" href="#" target="_blank">Wretched Gryff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wretched Gryff" href="#" target="_blank">Wretched Gryff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be cast for it's emerge cost, minus the cost of a creature that you sacrifice. Essentially, what this means is that you can trigger Imoti, and cascade for a mana value of six, while only paying a single mana.</p>
<p>There are plenty more cards that have the same effect, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has delve, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Siege Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has convoke. Honestly, it's fairly easy to play cards for less than their advertised cost. Delve, convoke, affinity, emerge, and evoke are all ways that <em>Wizards</em> has made it possible to trigger Imoti for less than six mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wretched Gryff"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege Wurm"></div></div>
<h2>Top Deck Manipulation</h2>
<p>So that's pretty much a summary of the big cards we're playing. But there's another aspect of this deck that I think is underexplored: top deck manipulation. Of course, right? Cascade flips cards off the top of your library, so if you can stack the deck, you'll have much more success. So why is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not a staple of this deck? The ability to check what's on top before you cast a big spell is so incredibly handy, because you're optimizing your cascades by a significant percentage when you send an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the bottom of your deck in hopes of an Eldrazi. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does that for free, but I'm willing to pay one or two mana to do that that every turn with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Pendant" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Pendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seer&#039;s Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Seer&#039;s Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>And of course, we can run the classic cantrips, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The top of our deck will never be left to fate.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigiled Starfish"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Pendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<h2>Other Spells for Imoti</h2>
<p>The rest of the deck is some removal in the form of bounce spells and counters, and a heck of a lot of ramp, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama&#039;s Reach" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama&#039;s Reach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and all the mana rocks we can run. We're even playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Aberration" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Aberration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is overkill in almost every situation, but is fairly fitting here. We certainly don't want to be running out of mana when our average mana value is... 4.12?! Damn, that's pretty high. But whatever, this deck can handle it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama&#039;s Reach"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampant Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elvish Aberration"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Counterspell
*1 Eureka Moment
*1 Growth Spiral
*1 Negate
*1 Opt
*1 Scour from Existence
*1 Unsummon
*1 Vapor Snag
*1 You Find the Villains&#039; Lair
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Aethersnipe
*1 Annoyed Altisaur
*1 Coiling Oracle
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Elvish Aberration
*1 Etherium Spinner
*1 Fierce Empath
*1 Gearseeker Serpent
*1 Generous Ent
*1 Greater Sandwurm
*1 Greater Tanuki
*1 It of the Horrid Swarm
*1 Krosan Drover
*1 Krosan Tusker
*1 Llanowar Visionary
*1 Maelstrom Colossus
*1 Mirrorshell Crab
*1 Orchard Strider
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Siege Wurm
*1 Sigiled Starfish
*1 Slavering Branchsnapper
*1 Snapping Voidcraw
*1 Spire Golem
*1 Sword Coast Serpent // Capsizing Wave
*1 Tangle Golem
*1 Thunderhead Squadron
*1 Tidal Terror
*1 Timberland Ancient
*1 Topiary Panther
*1 Ulamog&#039;s Crusher
*1 Walker of the Grove
*1 Will-Forged Golem
*1 Wretched Gryff
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Darksteel Pendant
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Edge of Autumn
*1 Elven Farsight
*1 Energy Tap
*1 Explore
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Preordain
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rush of Knowledge
*1 Serum Visions
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aqueous Form
*1 Utter Insignificance
*1 Witness Protection
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*15 Forest
*16 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Tranquil Thicket
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>What do you think of this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> list? Is this finally a Pauper deck that thrives with high mana values? Or does it fall victim to all the typical problems that an average mana value of four would face? It's a pretty ridiculous deck when you think about it, given that it waits till turn five to do anything really significant. But there's certainly a lot of power in there. What's your opinion?</p>


Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty - Pauper Commander Deck

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest|c17|134" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Willian Murai</em></p>
<p><em>Magic</em> is a complicated game; Commander, as a format, is especially so. When it comes to building decks, one of the easier on-ramps is to appeal to the familiar: start with cards that are designed to work with each other, that reference each other by name, and get a feel for how they play together. That’s the premise of this column; each week we build a deck around a creature type, which delivers on the “feel” of the type. Today, we’re talking about one of the more notorious creature types in all of <em>Magic</em>: Dragons.</p>
<p>According to the EDHREC stats, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/kindred" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dragons are the most popular creature type</a>, with almost 73,000 decks built. They've been part of <em>Magic</em> since the beginning, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shivan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Shivan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as one of the more iconic early game finishers. More recently, there have been a few preconstructed decks providing specific support, as well as two <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> sets, and a new Dragon-focused Tarkir set. It seems like Dragons are all over the multiverse, with each set adding to their ranks. While more than twice as many Dragons are in red as any other color, each color has solid representation, and our deck will highlight the full range of the type.</p>
<h2>Notable Dragons</h2>
<p>As mentioned, there have been a few Dragon-themed Commander decks, one of which supplied the second most-popular commander of all time: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <em>Eminence</em> is one of the strongest abilities in the game, operating from the command zone as long as our commander is there. Thankfully the ability is limited to typal decks, but our commander might just be the strongest of the lot, providing access to all five colors from its color identity and a universal cost reduction from its <em>eminence</em> ability. Even if we never cast it, that is a <em>ton</em> of value.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenger Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atarka, World Render"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silumgar, the Drifting Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dromoka, the Eternal"></div></div></p>
<p>The first trip to Tarkir provided a cycle of legendary Dragons that all trigger when a Dragon attacks. These abilities can trigger multiple times and they can stack, causing our flying horde to become deadlier and deadlier the more Dragons we have. This is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> outshines other Dragon commanders: the discount lets us cast multiple spells in a turn, dominating the mid- to late-game.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ojutai, Soul of Winter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teneb, the Harvester"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bladewing the Risen"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrakkus the Butcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Steel Hellkite"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help the deck hit the ground running. Kolaghan provides haste while Scourge deals damage when Dragons enter, so the Dragons can do more than sit there menacingly - although they do that quite well.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of Valkas"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korlessa, Scale Singer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathliss, Dragon Queen"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloomvine Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Bloomvine Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> represents a new type of Dragon introduced in the latest foray into Tarkir: the Omens. With its secondary sorcery side, the Regent is able to be an early-game <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a late-game Dragon, all in one card. Since we want both effects, it’s a natural fit!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunscorch Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rith, Liberated Primeval"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utvara Hellkite"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthquake Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloomvine Regent"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amareth, the Lustrous" href="#" target="_blank">Amareth, the Lustrous</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unassuming but powerful Dragon. Since the deck is mostly permanents, including the Omen Dragons, there’s a strong likelihood of flipping more giant scaly beasties with the ETB effect.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sagu Wildling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord Ojutai"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderbreak Regent"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amareth, the Lustrous"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Broodmate Dragon"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the stronger <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> additions was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy" href="#" target="_blank">Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is one of several other potent Dragon commanders, albeit without the speed or options that The Ur-Dragon provides. As a role-player, however, Lozhan slings damage and domes opponents for huge chunks.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scalelord Reckoner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeskai Shrinekeeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord Dromoka"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wasitora, Nekoru Queen"></div></div></p>
<h2>Dragon Support Cards</h2>
<p>As a popular creature type, there are many cards that specifically reference Dragons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is arguably the most on-the-nose. Making giant scaly monsters slightly giant-er may seem like it’s not doing much, but it’s actually quite solid in a deck that wants permanents and seeks to blot out the skies with flyers before opponents can stabilize.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Encroaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of Fire"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Draconic Muralists"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Dragon tutor, which helps multifaceted decks like this find the piece they need when they need it. While some decks use tutors to find specific answers, we actually use it to find specific threats: haste enablers, direct damage, flying power…all of these are things we can find.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrathful Red Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firespitter Whelp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonologist"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Ascendancy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph"></div></div></p>
<h2>Ramp Spells for Dragons</h2>
<p>Our primary role players are ramp spells. Dragons cost a lot of mana and we need fixing to cast them on time. In particular, the Orbs of Dragonkind provide additional effects when used to cast Dragons, which plan to do kind of a lot.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonstorm Globe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Hoard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jade Orb of Dragonkind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lapis Orb of Dragonkind"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit of a controversial inclusion nowadays, as there are far stronger turn-three plays. Here, however, it’s much more than a three-mana rock; it fixes our mana and lets us use lands of any kind to make mana of any color.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fellwar Stone"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonbroods&#039; Relic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pillar of Origins"></div></div></p>
<h2>Removal Spells</h2>
<p>The other type of role player we need is removal spells: ways to break parity and navigate clogged boards. One of our biggest obstacles is high-toughness, vigilant creatures, such as those created by Voltron decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a one-sided board wipe (choosing non-Dragons to kill, of course), which is a particularly nasty way of leveraging our large flyers for a dominating board.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crux of Fate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disruptive Stormbrood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twinmaw Stormbrood"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spit Flame"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Fire"></div></div></p>
<p>The other major obstacle for us is troublesome noncreature permanents. Our attack with large creatures plan can be stuffed by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or two, and our burn ‘em out plan can be squelched by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Sanctity" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Sanctity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are solid catch-alls, which have the downside of giving the opponent a body. However, that downside is mitigated by the fact that the bodies we give don’t have flying!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Osseous Exhale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Within"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Gift"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Piercing Exhale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonback Assault"></div></div></p>
<h2>The Ur-Dragon Deck List</h2>
<p>The game plan for our deck is fairly straightforward: make big Dragons; turn them sideways; win the game. We have ways, including our commander, to get them out faster, and ways to push them through using removal, until our opponents are buried in the shade of our scaly wings.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Ur-Dragon Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Ur-Dragon
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Amareth, the Lustrous
*1 Atarka, World Render
*1 Bladewing the Risen
*1 Bloomvine Regent // Claim Territory
*1 Broodmate Dragon
*1 Disruptive Stormbrood // Petty Revenge
*1 Draconic Muralists
*1 Dragonlord Dromoka
*1 Dragonlord Ojutai
*1 Dragonologist
*1 Dromoka, the Eternal
*1 Earthquake Dragon
*1 Firespitter Whelp
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Jeskai Shrinekeeper
*1 Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury
*1 Korlessa, Scale Singer
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
*1 Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy
*1 Ojutai, Soul of Winter
*1 Rith, Liberated Primeval
*1 Sagu Wildling // Roost Seek
*1 Scalelord Reckoner
*1 Scavenger Regent // Exude Toxin
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Teneb, the Harvester
*1 Thrakkus the Butcher
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Twinmaw Stormbrood // Charring Bite
*1 Utvara Hellkite
*1 Wasitora, Nekoru Queen
*1 Wrathful Red Dragon
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Breaching Dragonstorm
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Dragonback Assault
*1 Encroaching Dragonstorm
*1 Temur Ascendancy
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Dragon&#039;s Fire
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Osseous Exhale
*1 Piercing Exhale
*1 Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph
*1 Spit Flame
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Dragonbroods&#039; Relic
*1 Dragonstorm Globe
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Jade Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Lapis Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Pillar of Origins
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Crux of Fate
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*8 Forest
*8 Island
*8 Mountain
*8 Plains
*8 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
