The 5 Most Important Magic Sets for Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sharae of Numbing Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Sharae of Numbing Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://evynfong.square.site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evyn Fong</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Archtypes of Imagination</em>, a series where we bring Commander archetypes found via <a style="cursor: pointer !important; user-select: none !important;" href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Scryfall's tagging system</a> and<a href="https://edhrec.com/tags?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> EDHREC's Tag pages</a> to life. This time around, I'm taking on tapping your opponents' stuff.</p>
<p>Here's the <a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/tags/card/tapper">Scryfall tag page</a> for the theme. Pretty big list, but, we can narrow it down in a few ways.</p>
<p>First off, you can bring the tag into Scryfall's main search with the little box next to the tag's name. From there, I used the string "<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=otag%3Atapper+t%3Alegendary+game%3Apaper&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">otag:tapper t:legendary game:paper</a>" to find a potential commander. EDHREC also has a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/tap-untap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"tap/untap"</a> tag page which will help as well.</p>
<p>It looks like Azorius, Simic and Bant are the three popular color combinations for this archetype. Going back to Scryfall, I wanted to see how much material I have to work with in each color. Using the string "oracle:"<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=checklist&amp;order=color&amp;q=oracle%3A%22tap+target%22+%28game%3Apaper%29+otag%3Atapper+game%3Apaper&amp;unique=cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tap target game:paper otag:tapper </a>," using the checklist view and sorting by color, I can see the vast majority of cards I'd want to play are white and blue.</p>
<p>Stun counters are also a nice new addition to a strategy like this, so "game:paper otag:tapper o:stun" is a string I used to see what options I had with those as well.</p>
<p>My commander decision really came down to two creatures: the very popular <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hylda of the Icy Crown" href="#" target="_blank">Hylda of the Icy Crown</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and her <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em> counterpart, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sharae of Numbing Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Sharae of Numbing Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hylda of the Icy Crown"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sharae of Numbing Depths"></div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>This strategy got a lot better with Wilds of Eldraine!</em></p>
<p>And honestly, I think Sharae might actually be the better choice.</p>
<h2>Why Sharae Over Hylda?</h2>
<p>So before you accuse me of being a contrarian for the sake of it, hear me out. Hylda has a lot going for her. She's a very powerful payoff for a tapping strategy and offers a lot of value. She also lets you run less payoffs and more ways to tap stuff.</p>
<p>But Sharae does a few things better. First, Sharae is a payoff <em>and</em> an enabler. Basically, she gives you something for tapping things down, and also taps things herself!</p>
<p>Second, she provides a few additional deckbuilding avenues, like using blink effects on her. Her ability also wants us to be tapping things each turn, which gives some deckbuilding direction.</p>
<p>Sharae also does something upon entering and doesn't cost any additional mana each turn like Hylda does. So while in raw power Hylda is an obvious choice, Sharae gives us more efficiency, options, and guaranteed benefit. I think she's the right call! And hey, we can (and will) still play Hylda in the 99.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Tips for Building and Playing Sharae of Numbing Depths</h2>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a very flexible deck as it can be built to suit almost any budget, or any level of competitiveness. Such is the nature of playing blue-white sometimes. What’s important to get right is having enough ways to tap things and not </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">just</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> payoffs for tapping things. Sharae can’t control an entire table by herself. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember: Sharae triggers once every turn. If you can find ways to maximize your tapping on other turns, you’ll be drawing a lot of cards. That’s a great place for this deck to be. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Generally speaking, it’s best to save your counterspells and removal like [[Generous Gift]] for noncreature permanents. This deck has plenty of options for taking care of bothersome creatures. The exception to this is token producers like [[Avenger of Zendikar]] or something, as this deck can struggle playing defense against go-wide strategies.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The biggest trick for </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">playing</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Sharae is not getting under the skin of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">everyone </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">at the table. If you’re constantly tapping down everything all the time, people will catch on that you’re a problem quite quickly. Likely the best way to be strategic with your tapping is to set up advantageous attacking situations for others by getting blockers out of the way.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">That said, it’s easy to appear somewhat innocent as this deck doesn’t run many individually-scary creatures (6/6 flyers are about as big as this gets). While Sharae won’t finish a game in a hurry, this is a great deck for outlasting the table as life totals slowly whittle away.</span></li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h2>Important Cards for Sharae of Numbing Depths</h2>
<h3>Tap Effects</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Valefor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Citadel Siege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dreamshackle Geist"></div></div></span></p>
<p>We have no shortage of ways to tap things, so I can't list them all here. But hey, we're going to be a menace, right? Might as well own it.</p>
<p>I'm opting for effects that can tap repeatedly or on ETB (enters the battlefield) to take advantage of blink effects, rather than one-shot instants or sorceries. I'm also leaning more towards effects that place stun counters, as that gives us some options for controlling the board through proliferate effects.</p>
<h3>Blink Effects</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ephemerate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kykar, Zephyr Awakener"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gossip&#039;s Talent"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since creatures' ETB effects continue to get better, blink spells are a welcome addition to many decks - this one in particular. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displacer Kitten" href="#" target="_blank">Displacer Kitten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the blink MVP, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kykar, Zephyr Awakener" href="#" target="_blank">Kykar, Zephyr Awakener</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does the kitty one better (which I guess makes it the MVP now). It's nice to have some redundancy on such an awesome creature, in any case. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gossip&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Gossip&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is quite good here, providing card selection, evasion, and eventually some repeatable blink as well.</span></p>
<h3>Tapping Payoffs</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hylda of the Icy Crown"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fear of Sleep Paralysis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Verity Circle"></div></div></span></p>
<p>Tapping is cool and all, but let's up the value a bit. As mentioned earlier, we can't leave Hylda of the Icy Crown out! Fear of Sleep Paralysis does it all, but its big payoff is keeping stunned creatures stunned. Being a 6/6 flyer doesn't hurt, either.</p>
<p>Verity Circle is going to draw a <em>lot</em> of cards as well, which never hurts in Commander.</p>
<h3>Interaction</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runic Shot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lulu, Stern Guardian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunfall"></div></div></span></p>
<p>Tapping things means we can play interaction that deals with tapped creatures, which can often be pretty efficient and budget-friendly.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Runic Shot" href="#" target="_blank">Runic Shot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is worth pointing out as it probably doesn't have a home in too many other decks. It's great here, though. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lulu, Stern Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Lulu, Stern Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a brand new addition that doesn't necessarily tap anything, but she will place stun counters if something manages to attack us. More likely than not, she'll cause people to leave us alone which is even better. Oh, she proliferates too.</p>
<p>And if the board ends up flooded with creatures with triggered abilities that we can't handle, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunfall" href="#" target="_blank">Sunfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is about as good of a reset as anything. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud&#039;s Limit Break" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud&#039;s Limit Break</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a solid piece of removal, and hey, its fun trying out new cards.</p>
<h3>Card Draw</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Borrowing 100,000 Arrows"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azor, the Lawbringer"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I already mentioned some card draw in the Payoffs section, but it's worth noting a few other pieces. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic blink target (I'm choosing to run it over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudblazer" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudblazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the cost flexibility as we have a lot of five-drops). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Borrowing 100,000 Arrows" href="#" target="_blank">Borrowing 100,000 Arrows</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is our burst draw effect of choice. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azor, the Lawbringer" href="#" target="_blank">Azor, the Lawbringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be that too, if pricey, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphinx&#039;s Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Sphinx&#039;s Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a 6/6 flying body seems at least trying.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Compliment these with some strong planeswalkers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo, the Moon Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo, the Moon Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Eternal Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">The Eternal Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, some mana rocks, counterspells, and an affordable mana base, and folks, we have ourselves a menace of a deck for less than $100!</span></p>
<hr />
<h2>Sharae of Numbing Depths Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tap-dancin&#039; with Sharae" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
Sharae of Numbing Depths
[/Commander]
[Planeswalkers]
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 The Eternal Wanderer
[/Planeswalkers]
[Creatures]
1 Gideon&#039;s Lawkeeper
1 Goldmeadow Harrier
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Abuelo, Ancestral Echo
1 Claim Jumper
1 Dreamshackle Geist
1 Faramir, Steward of Gondor
1 Flux Channeler
1 Lulu, Stern Guardian
1 Displacer Kitten
1 Hylda of the Icy Crown
1 Kykar, Zephyr Awakener
1 Niblis of Frost
1 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
1 Mulldrifter
1 Summon: Valefor
1 Timin, Youthful Geist
1 Azor, the Lawbringer
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Fear of Sleep Paralysis
1 Frost Titan
1 Grappling Kraken
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
1 Ghost Vacuum
1 Sol Ring
1 Arcane Signet
1 Azorius Signet
1 Greatsword of Tyr
1 Lodestone Needle // Guidestone Compass
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Hylda&#039;s Crown of Winter
1 Unstable Glyphbridge // Sandswirl Wanderglyph
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
1 Gossip&#039;s Talent
1 Lost in the Maze
1 Curse of Inertia
1 Imprisoned in the Moon
1 Retreat to Coralhelm
1 Solitary Sanctuary
1 Verity Circle
1 Citadel Siege
1 Control Magic
1 Court of Grace
1 Spirit Away
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
1 Blustersquall
1 Ephemerate
1 Cloud&#039;s Limit Break
1 Counterspell
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Negate
1 Cut Short
1 Generous Gift
1 Stroke of Midnight
1 Trap the Trespassers
1 Wizard&#039;s Retort
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
1 Ponder
1 Runic Shot
1 Swallow Whole
1 Borrowing 100,000 Arrows
1 Split Up
1 Sunfall
1 Suppression Ray // Orderly Plaza
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
1 Adarkar Wastes
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Irrigated Farmland
10 Island
1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Mystic Gate
9 Plains
1 Port Town
1 Prairie Stream
1 Restless Anchorage
1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Skycloud Expanse
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<p>Sharae is a powerful and fun budget commander that's a great leader for a tapper deck. She's flexible and offers a controlling game plan that is just oppressive enough without being boring to play. Hopefully your friends understand 🙂</p>
<p>Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more deck archetypes to come.</p>
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Build a "Tapper" Deck with Sharae of Numbing Depths

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


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


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