Rolebuilding - Identity Thief

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tahngarth, First Mate" href="#" target="_blank">Tahngarth, First Mate</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/depingo">Anna Steinbauer</a>)</h6>
<h1>Your Deck... It Needs More Cowbell!</h1>
Hello again, Commander faithful! Welcome back for another installment of Replacement Commanders, the series designed to look at the legendary creatures from the annual Commander precon product that didn't make it onto the face of each deck, and build a precon-like list specifically for them! Each year, we get these amazing commanders that are placed in decks built around a different legendary creature and those abilities and strategies. The series is quickly ending, though I have no idea how soon we'll have even more replacements, what with 2020 being the “Year of Commander” for Wizards of the Coast.
In the last article, we ended with a poll for the remaining two legendary creatures that are missing a color from the decks they were originally printed in. Readers got to vote on which to cover first, and which would be the last of the series. It was close in the end, but most of you wanted to see…
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Tahngarth, First Mate!</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tahngarth, First Mate"></div></div>
Admittedly, Tahngarth was not high on my rankings of legendary creatures from last year’s product. For as much as I enjoy the way his first ability works when we can give him menace, nothing in his second ability prevents the person we loan Tahngarth to from just sacrificing him. As someone who loves to use and abuse sacrifice outlets and strategies, it’s mildly unnerving to see a commander that wants to go under other people's control without having the same kind of protection that an <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assault Suit" href="#" target="_blank">Assault Suit</a> would give. However, looking at the EDHREC page for Tahngarth, we can see that people have gravitated more toward an Equipment-based Voltron strategy. This makes me like the way the deck is bound to turn out, as it means that even if there are sacrifice players at the table, it shouldn’t be hard to suit up Tahngarth and get the work done ourselves.
For those games where there are no sacrifice players at the table, a third archetype that people are using with our Minotaur Warrior is “Forced Combat.” Ironically, I said in the last Replacement Commanders installment that I didn’t think this was a category on EDHREC, and <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/forced-combat">it looks like I was wrong</a>! Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised to see how thorough the site’s themes are. After all, it collects so much data from around the internet, I’m sure we have a snapshot of every kind of archetype in the format!
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Building a Better Beater (or Oooh, Shiny New Toys!)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Embercleave"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hammer of Nazahn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blackblade Reforged"></div></div>
The Equipment and Voltron parts of Tahngarth are interwoven, as one of the best ways to make him hit hard and fast is to pile him up with Equipment that makes him stronger. Whenever I look at a commander that wants to wear a lot of Equipment, I always think that, while there should be some bomb cards that shock and awe the table, it’s just as important to have Equipment that act as support cards. This way we don’t have to make the tough choice between taking up card slots on Equipment vs. taking up slots on ramp, removal, etc.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of the Animist" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of the Animist</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prying Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Prying Blade</a> provide different variations of ramp, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue’s Gloves" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue’s Gloves</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mask of Memory" href="#" target="_blank">Mask of Memory</a> give us some incremental card advantage. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Argentum Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Argentum Armor</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Sinew and Steel" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Sinew and Steel</a> will get rid of a few pesky parts of our opponents’ battlefields. We will need to also include those bombs that will turn our commander into a one-shot machine. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Embercleave" href="#" target="_blank">Embercleave</a> has been tearing up the Standard scene and still has massive value in Commander. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blackblade Reforged" href="#" target="_blank">Blackblade Reforged</a> is another great option, especially given that we’re in green and will have access to many ways to ramp with our lands. This next card is going to surprise some of you to list as a “bomb” card, but <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirsty Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirsty Blade</a> does a surprising amount of work to facilitate Tahngarth's strategy, ensuring the rest of the table joins us in the red zone.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">This Minotaur Brings the War!</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of the Nightly Hunt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Incite War"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vow of Wildness"></div></div>
<a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/replacement-commanders-furballs-of-warfare/">In our last article</a> for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marisi, Breaker of the Coil" href="#" target="_blank">Marisi, Breaker of the Coil</a>, we discussed cards that force combat for the table. This means that it's slightly awkward to have another such theme for this article, especially when the commanders share two colors (out of a possible three from Marisi). I don’t want to focus too much on the cards that we went over in the Marisi article that also appear on Tahngarth’s EDHREC page, so instead I want to focus on some other cool cards that are unique to Tahngarth.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vow of Wildness" href="#" target="_blank">Vow of Wildness</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vow of Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Vow of Lightning</a> are interesting, inspiring enemies to attack each other with some extra damage, while not being a bad fit on Tahngarth as well. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Nightly Hunt" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Nightly Hunt</a> can be tricky, since the enchanted player may point their aggression in our direction. Still, this opens them up for attacks from our other opponents, so there is room to play the political game, making deals about who to give Tahngarth to, depending on who wants to attack us. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Incite War" href="#" target="_blank">Incite War</a> is a unique card for this situation, giving Tahngarth first strike before he runs out to assist someone who suddenly is compelled to do some damage on their turn!
Don’t forget the standard card advantage, ramp, removal, and Wraths! Put together, we might have a list like this:
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div> 
[Commander] 
*1 Tahngarth, First Mate 
[/Commander] 
[Creature] 
*1 Anger 
*1 Beast Whisperer 
*1 Brawn 
*1 Burnished Hart 
*1 Etali, Primal Storm 
*1 Eternal Witness 
*1 Fumiko the Lowblood 
*1 Goblin Diplomats 
*1 Goblin Racketeer 
*1 Goblin Spymaster 
*1 Ogre Battledriver 
*1 Reclamation Sage 
*1 Solemn Simulacrum 
*1 Warmonger Hellkite 
[/Creature] 
[Sorcery] 
*1 Blasphemous Act 
*1 Chandra's Ignition 
*1 Cultivate 
*1 Farseek 
*1 Harmonize 
*1 Kodama's Reach 
*1 Overwhelming Stampede 
*1 Pir's Whim 
*1 Rampant Growth 
*1 Rishkar's Expertise 
*1 Vandalblast 
[/Sorcery] 
[Enchantment] 
*1 Curse of the Nightly Hunt 
*1 Frenzied Rage 
*1 Grand Melee 
*1 Madcap Skills 
*1 Rancor 
*1 Rhythm of the Wild 
*1 Rite of the Raging Storm 
*1 Vow of Lightning 
*1 Vow of Wildness 
[/Enchantment] 
[Instant] 
*1 Beast Within 
*1 Chaos Warp 
*1 Incite War 
*1 Krosan Grip 
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker 
*1 Thrill of Possibility 
[/Instant] 
[Artifact] 
*1 Arcane Signet 
*1 Argentum Armor 
*1 Assault Suit 
*1 Blackblade Reforged 
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe 
*1 Bloodthirsty Blade 
*1 Captain's Hook 
*1 Chitinous Cloak 
*1 Commander's Sphere 
*1 Darksteel Plate 
*1 Embercleave 
*1 Fellwar Stone 
*1 Gruul Signet 
*1 Hammer of Nazahn 
*1 Mask of Memory 
*1 Prying Blade 
*1 Rogue's Gloves 
*1 Sol Ring 
*1 Swiftfoot Boots 
*1 Sword of Sinew and Steel 
*1 Sword of the Animist 
[/Artifact] 
[Land] 
*1 Cinder Glade 
*1 Command Tower 
*1 Evolving Wilds 
*8 Forest 
*1 Forge of Heroes 
*1 Forgotten Cave 
*1 Game Trail 
*1 Ghost Quarter 
*1 Gruul Turf 
*1 Inventors' Fair 
*1 Kazandu Refuge 
*1 Kessig Wolf Run 
*10 Mountain 
*1 Opal Palace 
*1 Rogue's Passage 
*1 Rootbound Crag 
*1 Scavenger Grounds 
*1 Sheltered Thicket 
*1 Stomping Ground 
*1 Temple of Abandon 
*1 Terramorphic Expanse 
*1 Tranquil Thicket 
[/Land] 
[/Deck] 

<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">A Warrior From the Stars? (Get it? Constellation!)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nylea’s Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bear Umbra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Setessan Champion"></div></div>
Something caught my eye when I was reviewing Tahngarth’s EDHREC page: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bear Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Bear Umbra</a>. It got me wondering how many Totem Armor enchantments there were in both green and red, since I am aware of quite a few in green and white. A quick <a href="https://scryfall.com/">Scryfall</a> search showed me that there are only five Totem Armor cards in our colors. Then I added Constellation into the mix. This added eleven more cards to the idea, and with sixteen total, I decided to go all-in on an enchantment version of Tahngarth!
Some of the Constellation cards I want to draw special attention to are <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nylea’s Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Nylea’s Colossus</a> and the new <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Setessan Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Setessan Champion</a> from Theros Beyond Death. Colossus turns Tahngarth into a massive threat very quickly, while Champion is another Enchantress-style effect, which is going to be a major subtheme for this list. Naturally, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eidolon of Blossoms" href="#" target="_blank">Eidolon of Blossoms</a> is another great Constellation card for card advantage, and we're going to include <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Argothian Enchantress" href="#" target="_blank">Argothian Enchantress</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enchantress’s Presence" href="#" target="_blank">Enchantress’s Presence</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Verduran Enchantress" href="#" target="_blank">Verduran Enchantress</a> as well, so we can draw all the cards! Since this list won’t be running Equipment cards as our bombs, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Runes of the Deus" href="#" target="_blank">Runes of the Deus</a> works similarly to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Embercleave" href="#" target="_blank">Embercleave</a>, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Mask" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Mask</a> might just end games. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Destiny Spinner" href="#" target="_blank">Destiny Spinner</a> seems like a great way to keep control decks from stopping us, while cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Witness</a> and even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Road of Return" href="#" target="_blank">Road of Return</a> give us some recursion.
Wrap the list up with some removal, Wraths, ramp, and a few more bits of card advantage, and the list comes out looking like this:
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div> 
[Commander] 
*1 Tahngarth, First Mate 
[/Commander] 
[Creature] 
*1 Acidic Slime 
*1 Argothian Enchantress 
*1 Burnished Hart 
*1 Destiny Spinner * 
*1 Eidolon of Blossoms 
*1 Eternal Witness 
*1 Eternal Witness 
*1 Humbler of Mortals 
*1 Manglehorn 
*1 Nessian Wanderer * 
*1 Nexus Wardens * 
*1 Nylea's Colossus 
*1 Ohran Frostfang 
*1 Reclamation Sage 
*1 Setessan Champion * 
*1 Skullwinder 
*1 Solemn Simulacrum 
*1 Verduran Enchantress 
*1 Wood Elves 
*1 Xenagos, God of Revels 
[/Creature] 
[Sorcery] 
*1 Blasphemous Act 
*1 Cultivate 
*1 Faithless Looting 
*1 Farseek 
*1 Kodama's Reach 
*1 Rampant Growth 
*1 Regrowth 
*1 Rishkar's Expertise 
*1 Road of Return 
*1 Seasons Past 
*1 Soul's Majesty 
*1 Vandalblast 
[/Sorcery] 
[Artifact] 
*1 Arcane Signet 
*1 Commander's Sphere 
*1 Fellwar Stone 
*1 Sol Ring 
*1 Swiftfoot Boots 
*1 Thran Dynamo 
*1 Worn Powerstone 
[/Artifact] 
[Enchantment] 
*1 Ancestral Mask 
*1 Asceticism 
*1 Bear Umbra 
*1 Boar Umbra 
*1 Colossal Majesty 
*1 Enchantress's Presence 
*1 Frenzied Rage 
*1 Giant Spectacle 
*1 Goblin War Drums 
*1 Gruul War Chant 
*1 Keen Sense 
*1 Madcap Skills 
*1 Rancor 
*1 Runes of the Deus 
*1 Sixth Sense 
*1 Snake Umbra 
*1 Spider Umbra 
*1 Sylvan Library 
[/Enchantment] 
[Instant] 
*1 Beast Within 
*1 Heroic Intervention 
*1 Krosan Grip 
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker 
[/Instant] 
[Land] 
*1 Command Tower 
*1 Evolving Wilds 
*12 Forest 
*1 Forge of Heroes 
*1 Forgotten Cave 
*1 Ghost Quarter 
*1 Kessig Wolf Run 
*9 Mountain 
*1 Opal Palace 
*1 Rogue's Passage 
*1 Rootbound Crag 
*1 Scavenger Grounds 
*1 Stomping Ground 
*1 Strip Mine 
*1 Taiga 
*1 Temple of Abandon 
*1 Terramorphic Expanse 
*1 Tranquil Thicket 
*1 Wooded Foothills 
[/Land] 
[/Deck] 

<hr />
NOTE: Just a friendly reminder that this second list is less about that "precon" feel and more just "What would Seth do with this commander?" Therefore, there is less of a budget restriction in the list, hence seeing cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taiga" href="#" target="_blank">Taiga</a>!
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">First Mate, But Not the Last Replacement!</h2>
Phew! I won’t lie, this was not the easiest article of the series to write. As I said in the beginning, in my eyes, Tahngarth was not the most interesting legendary creature to come out of this year’s product. Still, that is obviously down to personal preference, and I recognize that Tahngarth is still a very powerful commander with explosive plays. I'm both very excited and very nervous for this year, since we're getting so many additional precons. Hopefully this means we'll be getting an even wider array of unique abilities and strategies to play with!
There are three more Replacements left to go over for the 2019 product, and they have some spicy, interesting builds to investigate! Of course, if you need some more Commander talk in your life, you can <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">follow me on Twitter</a> or join the <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">public Praetor Magic Discord server</a>. Praetor Magic is the content creation team I run with my wife and some friends, so feel free to check us out throughout the week on <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/praetormagic">Twitch</a> or see our previous content on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">YouTube channel</a>! Until next time…
Thanks for reading!

Replacement Commanders - Tahngarth Goes to War!

Replacement Commanders - Furballs of Warfare

The Knowledge Pool - Karlov of the Ghost Council

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Danitha Capashen, Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.rallisart.com/">Chris Rallis</a>)</h6>
<h1>Dominaria, the Camelot of Magic</h1>
Hello again, Commander faithful! I know that this is a trying time for Magic: the Gathering players, as we seem to be going from set release to preview season to set release to preview season, but fear not! We will prevail and our favorite decks will, inevitably, be all the stronger for it. My name is Seth Cross and welcome back to Uncommonders, the series that explores underappreciated commanders printed at the uncommon level. There don't seem to be any new uncommon legends in the new Core 2020 set, but fear not! Dominaria is still full of amazing legends to explore. This week we are talking about…
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Danitha Capashen, Paragon"></div></div>
It is rare that I say this about a mono-white commander (or a mono white-card in general) but Danitha is actually a pretty good creature: three mana for a 2/2 body with some very relevant keywords, and a unique ability to discount spells that are very prominent in her color. In all, you get a solid option for the command zone.
I realize that her ability mentions both Auras and Equipment, but we did just look at <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/uncommonder-tiana-boros-enchantress/">Boros Auras</a> recently, so I thought for this commander we would focus on the Equipment cards. At first, I just assumed I would make a generic goodstuff white Equipment deck, but then I was struck by an idea, inspired by a couple of cards in the recent set, Modern Horizons, and Danitha’s creature type: she is a Knight!
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Danitha and the Knights of the Round Table!</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Sinew and Steel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Truth and Justice"></div></div>
If your first thought just now was "Oh, just another Knight tribal deck," well, you are partially correct, but there's more to this idea than just the tribal element. After all, what is a Knight without their sword? And it just so happens that we got two more members of the "Sword of X and Y" cycle in Modern Horizons. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Sinew and Steel" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Sinew and Steel</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a> joined the cycle and, for the most part, I am happy with both.
I know some people have expressed concern that these newer Swords are less powerful than the OG cycle, but I personally think these utility abilities are still very good and the colors they protect from (black and red for one, white and blue for the other) are pretty relevant combinations in Commander, from my own personal experience. Like I said, there is a Knight-based theme as well, as I chose six specific Knights to accompany Danitha into the battlefield.
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Who’s Sitting at the Table?</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knight Exemplar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balan, Wandering Knight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Puresteel Paladin"></div></div>
I was surprised when I searched for mono-white Knights on <a href="https://www.scryfall.com">Scryfall</a> and found out there were 147 total; there were even a few “lord” abilities to tie the tribe together! I chose the lucky six based on a few different variables, from my personal preference to simple utility. For example, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balan, Wandering Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Balan, Wandering Knight</a> was not in the top seven of white Knights, but since we are dealing with Equipment, I think she is a solid choice. Meanwhile, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of the White Orchid" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of the White Orchid</a> was the top-rated Knight on Scryfall and was chosen because he does something mono-white normally struggles with: ramping a land if we're behind.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Puresteel Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Puresteel Paladin</a> works well with our Equipment deck by making it free to move the Swords into the hands of our heroes, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalia’s Lancers" href="#" target="_blank">Thalia’s Lancers</a> can tutor up some of our other Knights and other important cards. I chose <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirran Crusader" href="#" target="_blank">Mirran Crusader</a> for the low cost and double protection because if we have a sword that grants protection from white, blue and/or red, we are making Crusader nigh impossible to block. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight Exemplar" href="#" target="_blank">Knight Exemplar</a> is one of the lords that I think the deck will benefit the most from, making our Knights indestructible and slightly stronger.
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Knights Need a Kingdom</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quest for the Holy Relic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throne of the High City"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stoneforge Mystic"></div></div>
Of course, fourteen cards do not a deck make, especially when the concept of a tribal deck is based on just seven of those cards. Since the theme of the deck prevented me from simply piling in more value Knights or type-based lords, I decided to go for the theme of “Camelot”-based effects. With Danitha as our head Knight and presumably our Queen, she needed a throne and I found one that gave me access to my favorite mechanic in Commander: the Monarch. Danitha, sit high atop your <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throne of the High City" href="#" target="_blank">Throne of the High City</a>.
Danitha’s personal squire, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion Protector</a> will keep her safe, while <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Squire" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Squire</a> is looking to earn their knighthood by protecting us. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun’s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun’s Champion</a> is a mini army and board wipe effect that keeps some of our faithful Knights on the field (or all of them if <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight Exemplar" href="#" target="_blank">Knight Exemplar</a> is on the battlefield). Any of these squires may need a sword of their own, so <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of the Animist" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of the Animist</a> makes it into the armory. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn of Hope</a> can let us sink our mana into making more Soldiers while also synergizing with Danitha, who has lifelink naturally. While we're on the subject of gaining life, do not forget that two of our Swords of X and Y Equipment also have lifegain baked in!
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-35384 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Swords.png" alt="" width="691" height="481" />
In the lore, Danitha does not seem the type to be looking for a husband, but for the sake of theme and synergy, I like the idea of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darien, King of Kjeldor" href="#" target="_blank">Darien, King of Kjeldor</a> being the “stay at the castle and recruit an army” type of king. Since we are talking about a Camelot-based theme, there was no way I would miss the opportunity to run <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quest for the Holy Relic" href="#" target="_blank">Quest for the Holy Relic</a>.
Of course, every kingdom needs to collect money to fund roads, the army, and everything else, so <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Land Tax" href="#" target="_blank">Land Tax</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a> seemed like natural inclusions. Since the deck is based around creatures, I only ran a few Wrath effects, and I wanted to make them work mostly in our favor. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Austere Command" href="#" target="_blank">Austere Command</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass Calcify" href="#" target="_blank">Mass Calcify</a> have the potential to leave us untouched, while I thought of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi’s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi’s Protection</a> as Merlin’s spell of protection over Camelot, keeping it safe from enemy nations. Lastly, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stonehewer Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Stonehewer Giant</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stoneforge Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Stoneforge Mystic</a> are the blacksmiths of our legendary swords while I chose <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baird, Steward of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Baird, Steward of Argive</a> as the captain of the guard for our kingdom.
We need some more removal, as much draw as we can manage and some more ramp, but overall this is what the decklist looks like:
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Danitha and the Seven Knights of Dominaria" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Auriok Steelshaper
*1 Baird, Steward of Argive
*1 Balan, Wandering Knight
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Captain of the Watch
*1 Darien, King of Kjeldor
*1 Knight Exemplar
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Leonin Shikari
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Mirran Crusader
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Recruiter of the Guard
*1 Selfless Squire
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Stoneforge Mystic
*1 Stonehewer Giant
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lancers
*1 Tithe Taker
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Dawn of Hope
*1 Land Tax
*1 Mobilization
*1 Quest for the Holy Relic
*1 Sigarda&#039;s Aid
*1 Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Dispatch
*1 Lapse of Certainty
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Rebuff the Wicked
*1 Return to Dust
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Unbreakable Formation
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Decree of Justice
*1 Mass Calcify
*1 Remember the Fallen
*1 Steelshaper&#039;s Gift
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Desert of the True
*1 Drifting Meadow
*1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 New Benalia
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Secluded Steppe
*19 Snow-Covered Plains
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Throne of the High City
[/Land]
[Artifact]
*1 Caged Sun
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Hammer of Nazahn
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Oketra&#039;s Monument
*1 Pearl Medallion
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of Body and Mind
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow
*1 Sword of Sinew and Steel
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Sword of Truth and Justice
*1 Sword of War and Peace
[/Artifact]"></div> 

<hr />
Normally, when I sit down to write an article, even if I have the idea already in mind, it can take me a couple of days to research cards and synergies to try to present at least a mid-level deck. I have noticed, however, that when I do these kinds of thematic builds, I tend to almost fall into the decklist. Before I know it, the list is complete, and the article is over, and here we are! I really do think that these kinds of flavorful decks are the most fun for me to brew, and I hope you enjoy them, too!
The last Uncommonders article about <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/uncommonders-sneaking-on-the-high-seas/">Pirates and Ninjas</a> had a comment that stuck out, and per tradition, I'd love to shout it out. It came from /u/UltraWeebMaster on /r/EDH, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EDH/comments/c0lrgi/everyone_says_pirates_vs_ninjas_but_i_say_cant/er650jy?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x">who wrote</a>:
<blockquote>Why stop there? 
Pirate Ninja Knight Warrior Archer tribal!</blockquote>
I have to confess, I have done some odd tribal decks in the past. As a matter of fact, the first episode of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">Praetor Magic YouTube</a> series “Magic Online Commander League” was “<a href="https://youtu.be/Xe_WYe4mVog">tribal jank</a>” where I played Selesnya Knights, helmed by <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa" href="#" target="_blank">Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa</a>, while another player at the table ran Selesnya Archers, helmed by <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karametra, God of Harvests" href="#" target="_blank">Karametra, God of Harvests</a>. It was honestly one of the worst performances I have had on the channel, but it was a fun time brewing the deck - tribes are just so nuanced and cool.
If you want to see more of my content in video form, make sure you check out and subscribe to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">Praetor Magic YouTube channel</a>. We upload videos and stream from there, like our weekly live podcast on Mondays known as Reflections of the Council. We sometimes stream variety games and on Thursdays I stream a budget version of Commander known as “3DH” or “Three Dollar Highlander” where the Magic Online decks are all 3 TIX (which equates to $3) or less. If you are interested in that concept, join the <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">public Praetor Magic server</a> and we have a spreadsheet in the #3DH channel to help you build a deck to play with us! Last, but not least, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">find me on Twitter</a> where you can keep up with my hustle during preview seasons. I am gearing up some more hype as we are quickly approaching the Commander precon preview season and that means Replacement Commanders for 2019 is coming soon!
In the meantime, remember: Keep dropping bombs (and swinging swords)!

Uncommonders - Knights of the Round Table

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.originalmagicart.store/collections/nils-hamm">Nils Hamm</a>)</h6>
<h1>Krakens on Horseback with Swords</h1>
Welcome back, everyone, to another iteration of Forgotten Harvest, the article series where I highlight cards in 300 decks or less on EDHREC. This week will be all about sticking to a challenging deckbuilding restriction, and the underplayed cards that can look great with those restrictions in mind. I'm also super-excited, because this means I can talk about my most favorite deck ever!
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-30586" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/giphy-2.gif" alt="" width="500" height="349" />
Travel back with me to the year 2015. It's a Saturday morning around 10:00 AM. Past-Kyle has popped into his local gaming store, Gabi's Olympic Cards and Comics in Olympia, WA, to take in the goings-on. He has a reputation at the store for adoring the jankiest builds, and for hunting through box after box for a copy of some obscure card that he looked up on Gatherer the other night. Scott, the gentleman tending the Magic counter, brings up his latest Commander build for sale at the store, called Water Polo. The premise of the deck hearkens back to a previous conversation about how much fun it would be to put Equipment on creatures that obviously wouldn't be able to use the item, like putting <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a> on a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stillmoon Cavalier" href="#" target="_blank">Stillmoon Cavalier</a>. This lead to thoughts of an Octopus wielding a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loxodon Warhammer" href="#" target="_blank">Loxodon Warhammer</a> while riding on horseback, and thus the deck was born. After a quick peek at the contents, Kyle decides Water Polo will be coming home with him.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loxodon Warhammer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lorthos, the Tidemaker"></div></div>
I've spent the last 4 years improving, tweaking, and "fancifying" the deck. When Kaladesh introduced Vehicles, they were quickly slotted in. When I finally landed a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, the Mind Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, the Mind Sculptor</a>, it was an immediate add. All the while, I've held true to three rules:
<ol>
<li>Water Polo must be about Krakens on horseback with swords. There must always exist the themes of big sea creatures and Equipment in the deck.</li>
<li>Water Polo isn't a control deck. I can't run a bunch of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a> variants. Some removal is okay, but always keep the deck about Rule #1.</li>
<li>With the exception of it's general, Water Polo can't have anthropomorphic creatures. No Humans, no Merfolk, no Pirates, no Spirits. Every creature in the 99 must look ridiculous when equipped, or on horseback, or crewing a Vehicle.</li>
</ol>
Rule #3 is the big challenge. I've had to make some very interesting design choices in order to keep Merfolk out and still manage a decent mana curve. We'll get more into that later, but first I should get into some of the heavy-hitters in the deck.
<hr />
<h2>Denizens of the Deep</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sun Quan, Lord of Wu"></div></div>
Commanding the Water Polo team is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Quan, Lord of Wu" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Quan, Lord of Wu</a>. I grant him a special exception on the anthropomorphic rule, as he is the only way I can get all my sea creatures on horseback. While this is primarily there for the gimmick, it also greatly affects my choice of which big bubble-blasting beasts to include in the 99. In Commander, Horsemanship essentially keeps my creatures from being blocked in all instances, so already-unblockable creatures like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep-Sea Kraken" href="#" target="_blank">Deep-Sea Kraken</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrapdiver Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Scrapdiver Serpent</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidal Kraken" href="#" target="_blank">Tidal Kraken</a> are no longer necessary. It also makes <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormsurge Kraken" href="#" target="_blank">Stormsurge Kraken</a> far worse than normal, hence its exclusion from the list.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tromokratis" href="#" target="_blank">Tromokratis</a> technically falls into that category as well, but it has proven to be an excellent opportunity to take advantage of opponents' misplays. Those on the other side of the table have been so focused on making sure they have a way to stop this big'un that they avoid the red zone or hold off on activated abilities.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div>
[Creatures] 
*1 Draining Whelk 
*1 Shipbreaker Kraken 
*1 Aethersquall Ancient 
*1 Colossal Whale 
*1 Fleet Swallower 
*1 Scourge of Fleets 
*1 Tromokratis 
*1 Elder Deep-Fiend 
*1 Kederekt Leviathan 
*1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker 
*1 Stormtide Leviathan 
*1 Inkwell Leviathan 
[/Creatures]
[/Deck]
<hr />
<h2>Swords and Hammers and Boots, Oh My!</h2>
I want to make sure my Water Polo crew has only the best polo equipment, so a good chunk of the deck is filled with the best attachable artifacts I could find. This also serves a second purpose of helping to drop the mana curve. It isn't enough on its own, which is why there are plenty of mana rocks to help.
Equipment generally serve one of three purposes: protect the team, do something great when attacking, or provide help when blocking. There's not much need for additional pump or making my creatures unblockable, but keeping something alive with a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a> is more along the lines of what the deck needs. The same is true of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a> untapping lands. The Vehicles work better with the smaller sea creatures, and potentially offer something on their own, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div>
[Artifacts] 
*1 Basilisk Collar 
*1 Lightning Greaves 
*1 Sword of the Animist 
*1 Umezawa's Jitte 
*1 Cultivator's Caravan 
*1 Darksteel Plate 
*1 Loxodon Warhammer 
*1 Strata Scythe 
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine 
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice 
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow 
*1 Conqueror's Galleon 
*1 Fleetwheel Cruiser 
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship 
[/Artifacts]
[/Deck]
<hr />
<h2>Those in Under 300 Leagues</h2>
The cards mentioned above are classics of the genre, but the deck is also full to brimming with underused cards that show up in less than 300 decks on EDHREC. Let's see what gems lurk beneath the depths.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Oyster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sand Squid"></div></div>
One of the critical pieces this deck struggles with is removal. There's plenty of bounce from the Leviathans above, and from <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whelming Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Whelming Wave</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a>, but repeatable removal is lacking. Offering some support with this, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Oyster" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Oyster</a> (174 decks) can help tap down a problem creature and slowly crush it to death. Another creature tapper is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sand Squid" href="#" target="_blank">Sand Squid</a>, an oft-forgotten gem from Mercadian Masques, only appearing in 105 decks. It fills a similar role, just without the -1/-1 counters, trading them for a 2/2 body capable of crewing a Vehicle, not to mention the very relevant Islandwalk, given the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormtide Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Stormtide Leviathan</a> in the deck.
These creatures not only aid in removal, but they meet the non-anthropomorphic requirement and drop the mana curve slightly. I've found these cards to be just powerful enough to provide removal without drawing the ire of the table. I've never had either removed before getting to use them at least once, and usually they stick around far longer. There's also nothing like throwing some Equipment on either of them and swinging in with a bizarre Jitte-wielding Oyster.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spiny Starfish"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chambered Nautilus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dandan"></div></div>
Talk about weird abilities in blue! <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spiny Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Spiny Starfish</a> from Alliances is one of the hard-to-find aquatic regenerators. Not only that, it also makes baby starfish when the regeneration triggers! What a kooky three-drop that slots perfectly into the sea creatures theme. Found in 121 decks on EDHREC, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spiny Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Spiny Starfish</a> provides some excellent hard-to-remove defense while the deck ramps up to dropping its first Kraken.
Another three-drop helping out in the early game is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chambered Nautilus" href="#" target="_blank">Chambered Nautilus</a>. With its "when blocked" trigger, this mollusk is an excellent target for Equipment. When the Nautilus is holding a sword, it becomes a lot harder to just let it on through. It's only seeing play in 10 decks right now, but I think that number could be much higher.
I expect to get so much grief for including <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dandan" href="#" target="_blank">Dandan</a> in a Commander deck, but hear me out: it's a cheap sea creature, it's a threatening blocker, and it can Crew any Vehicle in the deck. Somehow, it sees play in 42 decks right now. Honestly, I think that number is high, likely due to some Islandhome-themed builds. In this specific instance, I've had trouble finding something as effective as this two-drop, especially since I'm not running any Merfolk or Wizards.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kraken&#039;s Eye"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Decree"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Homarid Spawning Bed"></div></div>
One of this deck's (many) faults is difficulty recovering in the late game. To help keep life totals from dipping too low, I've included <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kraken&#039;s Eye" href="#" target="_blank">Kraken&#039;s Eye</a>. All of these life-gaining artifacts tend not to see much play, with the Eye only included in 245 decklists. As a bonus, I get some life from other players' blue spells as well. The only hard part is remembering the trigger.
Another weakness for this deck is facing down flyers. Luckily, the world enchantment <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Decree" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Decree</a> helps out a bunch! Sure, lots of sea creatures will end up losing their Islandwalk, but the ability isn't very relevant when they already have Horsemanship. I especially like dropping this right after <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormtide Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Stormtide Leviathan</a> hits the battlefield. The break from combat can be a big help, and serves as a political play as well.
Finally, I've found it necessary to prepare for spot removal against the big Leviathans. Blue doesn't offer much in the way of recursion, but <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Homarid Spawning Bed" href="#" target="_blank">Homarid Spawning Bed</a> does offer something before the beastie hits the bin. The Camarid tokens it generates function as great chump blockers, or can be used to Crew vehicles. While it's only in 165 decks, I think this is a great option for most blue/black reanimator builds.
Let's have a look at the full list:
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"></div>
[Commander] 
*1 Sun Quan, Lord of Wu 
[/Commander]
[Creatures] 
*1 Dandan 
*1 Sigiled Starfish 
*1 Chambered Nautilus 
*1 Chasm Skulker 
*1 Guard Gomazoa 
*1 Man-o'-War 
*1 Spiny Starfish 
*1 Giant Oyster 
*1 Reef Worm 
*1 Sand Squid 
*1 Draining Whelk 
*1 Shipbreaker Kraken 
*1 Aethersquall Ancient 
*1 Colossal Whale 
*1 Fleet Swallower 
*1 Scourge of Fleets 
*1 Tromokratis 
*1 Elder Deep-Fiend 
*1 Kederekt Leviathan 
*1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker 
*1 Stormtide Leviathan 
*1 Inkwell Leviathan 
[/Creatures]
[Instants] 
*1 Spell Burst 
*1 Cyclonic Rift 
*1 Reality Shift 
[/Instants]
[Sorceries] 
*1 Whelming Wave 
*1 Inundate 
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts] 
*1 Basilisk Collar 
*1 Bident of Thassa 
*1 Sol Ring 
*1 Kraken's Eye 
*1 Lightning Greaves 
*1 Sky Diamond 
*1 Sword of the Animist 
*1 Umezawa's Jitte 
*1 Crawlspace 
*1 Cultivator's Caravan 
*1 Darksteel Plate 
*1 Extraplanar Lens 
*1 Loxodon Warhammer 
*1 Proteus Staff 
*1 Strata Scythe 
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine 
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice 
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow 
*1 Conqueror's Galleon 
*1 Fleetwheel Cruiser 
*1 Quicksilver Amulet 
*1 Thran Dynamo 
*1 Gilded Lotus 
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship 
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments] 
*1 Quest for Ula's Temple 
*1 Homarid Spawning Bed 
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon 
*1 Propaganda 
*1 Rhystic Study 
*1 Mystic Decree 
*1 Treachery 
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers] 
*1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 
*1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets 
*1 Tezzeret the Seeker 
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands] 
*1 Academy Ruins 
*1 Ancient Tomb 
*1 Coral Atoll 
*1 Darksteel Citadel 
*1 Evolving Wilds 
*1 Halimar Depths 
*1 Haunted Fengraf 
*21 Island 
*1 Lonely Sandbar 
*1 Mage-Ring Network 
*1 Myriad Landscape 
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 
*1 Remote Isle 
*1 Seat of the Synod 
*1 Soldevi Excavations 
*1 Teferi's Isle 
*1 Temple of the False God 
*1 Tolaria West 
[/Lands]
[/Deck]

<hr />
<h2>The Tide's Going Out</h2>
Well, that's about it for this time on Forgotten Harvest. Got a question, comment, or snide remark? Leave it for me in the comments. What are some interesting restrictions you've used when building a deck? Are there any neglected cards in 300 decks or less on EDHREC that you'd like to see featured? Or maybe there's a less-than-popular deck idea that you'd like to see fleshed out, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis" href="#" target="_blank">Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis</a> enchantress or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha, the Gravetide</a> Voltron. Let me hear all about it below!

equipment

Rolebuilding - Identity Thief

Replacement Commanders - Tahngarth Goes to War!

Replacement Commanders - Furballs of Warfare

The Knowledge Pool - Karlov of the Ghost Council

Uncommonders - Knights of the Round Table

Forgotten Harvest – Water Polo

Heart of the Cards – Queen Marchesa

Commander Showdown - Equipment Battle Royale

Underdog's Corner - Valduk, Keeper of the Flame

The Knowledge Pool -- Saskia the Unyielding