The Best Enchantments From Edge of Eternities

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Power Sink - Light Paws Goes To Vegas

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan">Wisnu Tan</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King"></div></div>
<p>By this point, we all know Korvold is a must-answer threat and how easy it is to break his card draw ability. Korvold lets us draw a card for every permanent we sacrifice, whether it be a Treasure token, a fetch land, or cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbridled Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Unbridled Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, giving us two cards for one mana. This flexibility allows him to be the perfect commander for almost every permanent-based Jund strategy. The indiscriminate draw enables him to go over the top and makes it almost impossible to defeat him in an attrition battle.</p>
<p>Given Korvold's power level, it's not that much of a stretch to think that he's going to become the target of removal from the other side of the table. This means that it's important to either get enough value from his arrival (which is easy) or to play in such a deliberately tamed shell that we might convince the table that we're not as much of a threat.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterheart Witch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Disturbance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Opulence"></div></div>
<p>It's a bit of a challenge to find a niche for such a popular commander. Luckily for me, the answer was pretty much in the name: Fae-Cursed. Curses are an interesting archetype to pair with Korvold because they provide a steady flow of tokens and an efficient timing window to sacrifice them with our commander's attack trigger.</p>
<p>One of the best aspects of a Curse-heavy deck is the ability to pinpoint our hate effects, which helps us avoid potential backlash from other players. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Death&#039;s Hold" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Death&#039;s Hold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can hold off tokens and go-wide strategies before they get to their anthems. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cruel Reality" href="#" target="_blank">Cruel Reality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great against decks that are trying to stick a big threat into play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice way to put control decks on a clock, and it's also very good against certain Spellslinger shells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Clinging Webs"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of the Restless Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captive Audience"></div></div>
<p>There are a lot of token-producer Curses that feed our commander rather nicely. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Clinging Webs" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Clinging Webs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to fight recursion-based decks and is very nice to have after a board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Restless Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Restless Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> punishes greedy green players and provides useful self-sacrificing tokens. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Disturbance" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Disturbance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> play nicely with Korvold's sacrifice trigger timing by being able to sacrifice the freshly created token.</p>
<p>While not necessarily Curses, Group Slug cards certainly fit the Curses style of death by a thousand cuts. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred, the Apocalypse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive threat that acts as a global <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arasta of the Endless Web" href="#" target="_blank">Arasta of the Endless Web</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides lots of useful bodies that can be used to either clog our board or feed Korvold. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captive Audience" href="#" target="_blank">Captive Audience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is as close to an Aura as a card can get, and its effects are nasty and should be considered mostly as a way to deal with archenemy scenarios.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Korvold, Curse King" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Birds of Paradise
*Caustic Caterpillar
*Gilded Goose
*Ignoble Hierarch
*Burglar Rat
*Destiny Spinner
*Elderfang Disciple
*Herald of the Pantheon
*Sanctum Weaver
*Tangled Florahedron
*Virus Beetle
*Weaver of Harmony
*Bothersome Quasit
*Demon&#039;s Disciple
*Gloomshrieker
*Plaguecrafter
*Arasta of the Endless Web
*Ravenous Chupacabra
*Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
*Silent Arbiter
*Bitterheart Witch
*Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
*Shriekmaw
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Curse of Opulence
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Wild Growth
*Cindervine
*Curse of Shaken Faith
*Fertile Ground
*Trespasser&#039;s Curse
*Wolfwillow Haven
*Curse of Chaos
*Curse of the Clinging Webs
*Curse of Disturbance
*Curse of Hospitality
*Curse of the Restless Dead
*Descent into Avernus
*Maddening Hex
*Myth Unbound
*Overgrowth
*Vow of Lightning
*Vow of Malice
*Vow of Torment
*Vow of Wildness
*Weirding Woods
*Curse of Oblivion
*Curse of Bloodletting
*Curse of Death&#039;s Hold
*Curse of Misfortune
*Curse of Thirst
*Rite of the Raging Storm
*Curse of Fool&#039;s Wisdom
*Captive Audience
*Cruel Reality
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*Hagra Mauling
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Crawlspace
[/Artifact]
[Sorcery]
*Shatterskull Smashing
*Agadeem&#039;s Awakening
*Bala Ged Recovery
*Toxic Deluge
*Damnation
*Turntimber Symbiosis
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Bojuka Bog
*Command Tower
*Fire-Lit Thicket
*Ghost Quarter
*Grave Cairns
*Grove of the Burnwillows
*Llanowar Wastes
*Luxury Suite
*Nurturing Peatland
*Overgrown Tomb
*Polluted Delta
*Prismatic Vista
*Riveters Outlook
*Savage Lands
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Sulfurous Springs
*Tectonic Edge
*Twilight Mire
*Undergrowth Stadium
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Verdant Catacombs
*Windswept Heath
*Wooded Foothills
*Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
*Zitora&#039;s Proving Ground
*3 Forest
*2 Swamp
*Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<hr />
<p>Our commander is an important tool for this list, which means we need to have a few cheap permanents to get more mileage out of it. Most of our removal suite being creatures can help us with this. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burglar Rat" href="#" target="_blank">Burglar Rat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elderfang Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Elderfang Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virus Beetle" href="#" target="_blank">Virus Beetle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s discard ETBs are very useful for us to slow down the game to get more value out of our Curses. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Chupacabra" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Chupacabra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shriekmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Shriekmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide targeted creature removal, and together with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plaguecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Plaguecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demon&#039;s Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Demon&#039;s Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we get a pretty decent creature removal suite.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rite of the Raging Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vow of Malice"></div></div>
<p>It's important to make sure that everyone tries to get value out of our attack-based Curses, whether they want it or not. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to cover all bases; it provides everyone with another incentive to hit each other with, and the goad on attack is a nice bonus. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bothersome Quasit" href="#" target="_blank">Bothersome Quasit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plays well with our Curses by both providing a forced attack and by clearing the way for potential combatants. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of the Raging Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of the Raging Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives everyone a "why not" attacker, which, together with beneficial Curses like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Hospitality" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Hospitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can provide a nice amount of "incidental" damage.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our early game tends to be a bit slow if we don't know what everyone else is playing. If that's the case, we should consider holding out our Curses so that we can properly gauge each deck and avoid king-making. If we know our opponents' strategies pretty well right off the bat, then we can instead start casting our Curses right away. We need to have a dedicated card to sacrifice when our commander comes down, so as to avoid losing a land. Don't get me wrong, we should still play Korvold even if we need to lose a land, but we don't want to get blown out by removal too badly.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should have our commander online and have a couple of Curses placed, but this is the pivotal point where the game tends to change depending on the harmful Auras we've managed to play. Curses that create tokens, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Restless Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Restless Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tend to accelerate our gameplan, while Curses that punish our opponents, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Death&#039;s Hold" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Death&#039;s Hold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Shaken Faith" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Shaken Faith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tend to slow the game down.</p>
<p>Between our Curses, slugs pieces, and commander, we grind pretty well in the late game, though we do lack a bit in sheer power and instead rely on incremental advantages, which can lose us some top deck wars. The most important thing to do to win the late game is to make sure that, by this point, everyone is weakened by a full game's worth of conflicts!</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Korvold

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleansing Meditation" href="#" target="_blank">Cleansing Meditation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ron.spears.1?_fb_noscript=1">Ron Spears</a>)</h6>
<h1>Inhale</h1>
<p>We find ourselves in a tranquil place, austere and empty. But there is no loneliness in this void. Rather, there's an effortless connection across distance with the purity of all, for, with a bit of transcendental meditation, you can find yourself with an enchantment in the command zone, and without having to resort to any rule-bending, à la <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genju of the Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Genju of the Realm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Welcome to <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we brew two decks at the same time... in one deck. This time we're digging up an early experiment. We don't have to go all the way back to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/dual-shot-the-beginning/">the Beginning</a>, but there will be some reminiscence required.</p>
<p>The original plan could be summarized like this: make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and fill in the blanks. In those earliest stages, the deck didn't really turn into anything, but some recent additions in the name of frivolity have straightened our spines and set us to breathing with the evenness of deep, ego-defeating thought.</p>
<p>Of course, this still gives us a relatively bad deck. But there are two paths that then revealed themselves. With Rune-Tail's own peculiar defensive theme atop an <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/angels">Angel tribal</a> subtheme - or instead, our perma-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide an awning for "alternate win-condition tribal." Though, before the journey of ascendance can unfold, one must first sit in the incense haze, let the sound of bells carry them to silence, and begin at the waypoint of the self.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Essence of Pure Flavor" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Knight of Dawn
*1 Gold Myr
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lancers
*1 Lieutenants of the Guard
*1 White Knight
*1 Winged Shepherd
*1 Paragon of New Dawn
*1 Felidar Sovereign
*1 Kor Firewalker
*1 Soul of Theros
*1 Binding Souleater
*1 Serra&#039;s Guardian
*1 Kor Cartographer
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
*1 Spirit of the Hearth
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Relic Seeker
*1 Segovian Angel
*1 Walking Atlas
*1 Farfinder
*1 King of the Pride
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Silver Knight
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Diamond Mare
*1 Regal Caracal
*1 Bygone Bishop
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 Daring Archeologist
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Imperial Aerosaur
*1 Adorned Pouncer
*1 Vulpikeet
*1 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
*1 Hushwing Gryff
*1 Sunblade Angel
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Mana Tithe
*1 Divine Offering
*1 Rallying Roar
*1 Riot Control
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Serene Offering
*1 Charge Across the Araba
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Not Forgotten
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Gift of Estates
*1 Triplicate Spirits
*1 Proclamation of Rebirth
*1 Morningtide
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Inquisitor&#039;s Flail
*1 White Mana Battery
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Norn&#039;s Annex
*1 Chaos Wand
*1 Star Compass
*1 Lich&#039;s Mirror
*1 Angel&#039;s Feather
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Farsight Mask
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Angelic Destiny
*1 Stasis Cocoon
*1 Face of Divinity
*1 Noble Stand
*1 Thopter Arrest
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*27 Plains
*1 Zhalfirin Void
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Daru Encampment
*1 Emergence Zone
*1 Encroaching Wastes
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Mantra</h2>
<p>This list is fine, but it needs more duality. A mono-white pilot that requires a certain life total to do its job immediately leads one to <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lifegain">lifegain</a>. Since that felt too on-the-nose (and because lifegain tends to benefit from another color or two), a slight pivot to an adjacent theme of <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/angels">Angel tribal</a> was in order, and it works well to keep us above 30 for Rune-Tail.</p>
<p>As it stands, there's a lot of weird inclusions to excise. The weird <em>Dual Shot</em> beta list here was brought to 99 pretty much by adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vulpikeet" href="#" target="_blank">Vulpikeet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so a lot needs to change to reliably incorporate the angelic subtheme.</p>
<p>That means out with Rune-Tail's vulpine friend, and we'll also make our peace with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="King of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">King of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adorned Pouncer" href="#" target="_blank">Adorned Pouncer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The last thing this list needs is tertiary <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/cats">Cat tribal</a>, although house cats do seem to be in some sort of meditative state most of the time. What we'll lose in cuteness, we'll gain in more sensible slot-fillers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bishop of Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Field Marshal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lyra Dawnbringer"></div></div>
<p>Let's shed some more unwanted thoughts in the pursuit of mindfulness, and attenuation with the divine. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Danitha Capashen, Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Caracal" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Caracal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperial Aerosaur" href="#" target="_blank">Imperial Aerosaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. How'd these even get in here? Well, there they are - let's breathe them out. And if we're hoping to provide a cleaner curve to our angelic host:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starnheim Aspirant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Valkyrie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Resplendent Angel"></div></div>
<p>All right, so that most seraphic of tribes offers a good deal of obvious flexibility in replacing our chakra-clogging chaff. And hark! there are plenty amongst the host that lean into the bridge of high life totals : <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Vitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> most obviously, and some that are more adjacent to the tribe, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Strength of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Strength of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But there are still some cards that don't really belong in the list as is, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Atlas" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Atlas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; the initial brew did have a fairly low curve, but 32 lands is far too risky and makes the Atlas much more useless besides. Some of the early inclusions should be cut, simply to make room for about four more lands. But if we divert our meditations from the Angel strategy, and indeed most combat in general, we can also exclude <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inquisitor&#039;s Flail" href="#" target="_blank">Inquisitor&#039;s Flail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>What then? Inquisitor's Flail especially benefits from Rune-Tail, but rather than relying on Fog to win in combat, our meditative ideal can keep us afloat and gum up the board while we assemble instant wins: sudden realizations achieved after a long, transformative vision quest. That the divine was within us all along, and all our sacred icons, as beautiful as they are, are manifestations of ourselves.</p>
<p>So in addition to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, let's decide what we can do with all the space given to us in the absence of our celestial guides.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel&#039;s Grace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Celestial Convergence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Test of Endurance"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Mindfulness</h2>
<p>Oh, I guess that's it. Sure, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barren Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Barren Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Near-Death Experience" href="#" target="_blank">Near-Death Experience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this isn't the list to enable that level of esoterica. So we can comfortably run about four self-contained alternate win-cons, as well as some flavorful support pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Angel&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon of the Trials" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon of the Trials</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can achieve a modicum of transcendence with this cluttered list, transforming our muddied energy into something more focused. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide a thin layer of protective fog, otherwise obfuscating an Angel supertheme atop an alternate win condition subtheme.</p>
<p>Perhaps one space for white's design to meaningfully expand into could be alternate win conditions, given its purview of the rule-writers. In lieu of that, it does have great means with which to find those forgotten laws. From <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idyllic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Idyllic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, "alternate win-con tribal" is certainly functional, if a little awkward. As for the correlation to Angels, there are two shining examples to act a bridge between themes, and through tempered practice, forge that mind-body connection so necessary to meditation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Platinum Angel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Destiny"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Exhale</h2>
<p>That's it for this meditation session. When have you managed to take one of <em>Magic</em>'s iconic tribes and reframe it alongside a new approach? Angels and Dragons and Demons and the like are all well-suited to focused isolation, but when have they worked in some strange tandem for you? Let us know in the comments below!</p>
<p>It's nice to take a look at these old decks that helped shape the experiment, but going forward will be a trend of explorations more suited to duality. Commanders like the Kirin, for example, all neatly direct a deckbuilder towards divergent themes. And furthermore, in anticipation of the 20th <em>Dual Shot</em>, a deviation from the usual lists and deck techs should avail us of studying some rudiments of synergy - and allow us to take a closer peak at the idea of "bridge" cards - where commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> so obviously invite us to try two (or more) things at once, which cards actually enable such parallel strategies?</p>
<p>Well then, until next time. Namaste.</p>


Dual Shot - Divine Meditation

Commander Legends Set Review - Wedge and Shard Legends

Conditions Allow - Hakim, Loreweaver

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shambling Suit" href="#" target="_blank">Shambling Suit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NicholasGregoryIllustration/">Nicholas Gregory</a>)</h6>
<h1>Introduction</h1>
<p>We find ourselves in a clear, clean space. The air here is pure, the landscape reposed in disciplined geometries. One is inclined to think of stoicism, sculpture. Simplicity. Without nuance, there is duality. This is the latest iteration of the experiment, now perhaps distilled into its crystalline form.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crystalline Crawler"></div></div>
<p>Welcome to <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we brew two decks at the same time… in one deck. This time, the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/artifacts">artifact theme</a> acts as an oversoul to an <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/enchantments">enchantment theme</a>, led by none other than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Of the themes that EDHREC identifies, the artifact theme is the most populous, with 12,742 decks as of this writing. Additionally, there are 5,054 Aura decks and 4,925 enchantment decks. If we were to merge those two themes for the sake of an (arbitrary) metric, which we probably shouldn’t, we get 9,979 decks, making that hypothetical supertheme the second-most popular deck type.</p>
<p>Alela was a difficult general to ignore. At first glance, especially with more of a lay perspective, it looks like she’s asking to be built two ways. Then it seems clear: those Faerie tokens are the goal, and the artifacts and enchantments that generate them are likely to be conducive to that token strategy, anyway. If the inclusion percentages for decklists are any indicator, then the usual tactics employed are to that end.</p>
<p>But what if we were to shy away from the plan of going wide with evasive threats and instead focused on inverting that last block of text. Rather than artifacts and enchantments that would be good for Faeries (or for Esper, for that matter) by generating incidental value by making more 1/1 flyers, all the better to take advantage of Etchings of the Chosen (~51% inclusion rate for Alela lists), Favorable Winds (48% inclusion rate), and Bitterblossom (41%), what if the tokens. themselves. were the gratuity?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etchings of the Chosen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Favorable Winds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div></div>
<p>It’s generally much easier to produce artifacts en masse than it is to create enchantments, and there are a number of enchantments that repeatedly produce token artifacts. The decision to prioritize the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/artifacts">artifact theme</a> and incorporate an <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/enchantments">enchantment subtheme</a> was made thusly.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Anyone Seen the Bridge?</h2>
<p>In the <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/dual-shot-masks/">inaugural <em>Dual Shot</em></a>, there was an attempt to capitalize on certain “bridge” cards, as it were; in that case, the cycle of Oaths – enchantments that cared about planeswalkers – leading to a utilization of those cards to support both themes. Here, while it’s true that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and cards like it are available and ideal, that most elegant reduction of the so-called bridge is presented to us in the form of only three cards: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spear of Heliod" href="#" target="_blank">Spear of Heliod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whip of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Whip of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There are two more legendary enchantment artifacts outside of Esper, and this cycle represents the totality of such a fusion. In the context of this brew, however, a mere three celestial weapons can still provide a good bit of utility.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spear of Heliod"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bident of Thassa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whip of Erebos"></div></div>
<p>Let’s take a look.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Alela’s Art Collection" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Alela, Artful Provocateur
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Shambling Suit
*1 Darksteel Juggernaut
*1 Tezzeret&#039;s Simulacrum
*1 Arcanist&#039;s Owl
*1 Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator
*1 Cavalier of Dawn
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Broodstar
*1 Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
*1 Sai, Master Thopterist
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*1 Shimmer Dragon
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Ethersworn Canonist
*1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
*1 Ethersworn Adjudicator
*1 Workshop Elders
*1 Magister Sphinx
*1 Marionette Master
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Negate
*1 Confirm Suspicions
*1 Machinate
*1 Banish into Fable
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Hour of Reckoning
*1 Kefnet&#039;s Last Word
*1 Dance of the Manse
*1 Merciless Eviction
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Spear of Heliod
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Whip of Erebos
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Journal
*1 Helm of the Gods
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Scrapheap
*1 Thopter Foundry
*1 Time Sieve
*1 Inspiring Statuary
*1 Treasure Map
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Attrition
*1 Darksteel Mutation
*1 Mechanized Production
*1 Revel in Riches
*1 Thopter Spy Network
*1 Gift of Doom
*1 Anointed Procession
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Sphere of Safety
*1 Mirrormade
*1 All that Glitters
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Teferi, Time Raveler
*1 Tezzeret, Master of Metal
*1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
*1 Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge
*1 Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Thawing Glaciers
*1 Esper Panorama
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Vault of Whispers
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Ghost Quarter
*7 Plains
*6 Island
*5 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Enchantifacts? Artiments? Please come up with something better.</p>
<p>Either way, these two card types work surprisingly well together, and staples from both themes can interplay beautifully with but a gentle push.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arbiter of the Ideal" href="#" target="_blank">Arbiter of the Ideal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was an early cut: although it was our only way to produce a fourth enchantment artifact, it was proved to be fairly unreliable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Argivian Find" href="#" target="_blank">Argivian Find</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was another cut: although I didn't feel too good about this one, you still have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Hanna, Ship&#039;s Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavalier of Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Cavalier of Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to pull something back in a pinch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arbiter of the Ideal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Argivian Find"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud Key" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enlightened Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Enlightened Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would make for powerful inclusions. Even more obviously, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parallel Lives" href="#" target="_blank">Parallel Lives</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make your various routes faster and more oppressive, although together, these cards cost as much as a Nintendo GameBoy Color. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> becomes viable sooner, and your field is more rapidly filled with 1/1 flyers. And speaking of alternate win conditions, enchanting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marionette Master" href="#" target="_blank">Marionette Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All That Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All That Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and then cracking every Treasure and Clue you control is satisfyingly esoteric.</p>
<p>It’s looking more and more like I add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphere of Safety" href="#" target="_blank">Sphere of Safety</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to every list that I possibly can, but at least here it seems to play well with our enchantments subtheme. The <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/pillow-fort">Pillow Fort</a> effect it provides is unlikely to be particularly relevant since it’s really the only instance of such an effect in this build, and we’re going to be rallying plenty of Fae folk to our chump-blocking cause each turn. So, sadly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphere of Safety" href="#" target="_blank">Sphere of Safety</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes for one of the early cuts should you modify the list.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an enchantment that makes artifacts. So are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Spy Network" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Spy Network</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointed Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Anointed Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after a fashion. This generates absurd value to your “Voltron” components – that is, your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All that Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All that Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and to a very real extent, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shambling Suit" href="#" target="_blank">Shambling Suit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Juggernaut" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Juggernaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But it’s not unrealistic to grow a 1/1 lifelinking Faerie or a 1/1 Thopter (possibly an indestructible Thopter if you were to slot <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the deck somewhere) to a meaningful height and then swing for a significant change in life totals.</p>
<p>In a modified brew, there could be a very accessible lane in the shape of symmetrically disrupting nonartifact mana-production. We all know <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/land-destruction">mass land destruction</a> can be seen as unsavory, but if you're feeling a more chaotic alignment one afternoon, well, running that as a tertiary theme is viable. Just do so with caution (both in terms of propagating your win condition and in terms of maintaining your relationships).</p>
<p>Your card draw comes from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mentor of the Meek" href="#" target="_blank">Mentor of the Meek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Machinate" href="#" target="_blank">Machinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcanist’s Owl" href="#" target="_blank">Arcanist’s Owl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Less reliably, you have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Spy Network" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Spy Network</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and Clue tokens. As well, the legendary Artificers on-duty, and the planeswalker suite can provide even further card advantage.</p>
<p>As is <em>Dual Shot</em> tradition, this deck needs a more robust removal package, but we do at least have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Attrition" href="#" target="_blank">Attrition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Mutation" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Mutation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which provides some flexibility insofar as it can, with a little work, turn one of our creatures into an indestructible threat). And speaking of a bit of work, nothing is quite so dramatic as sacrificing a Faerie token to morph <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gift of Doom" href="#" target="_blank">Gift of Doom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto Alela, followed by <em>Convoking</em> a few other Faeries and perhaps a few white creatures to cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hour of Reckoning" href="#" target="_blank">Hour of Reckoning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and then finishing with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Open the Vaults" href="#" target="_blank">Open the Vaults</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to bring any artifact creatures and Auras back to the battlefield. All this for the low, low cost of 7WW and one ticket to Magical Christmasland.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gift of Doom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hour of Reckoning"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Open the Vaults"></div></div>
<p>That's all for this installment. When have you taken two such massively supported themes and mashed them together? Creatures and 'walkers? Spellslinging and stax? Goblins and Merfolk? Let us know in the comments below. Till we meet again.</p>
