Challenge the Stats - Arcades, the Sneakiest Strategist

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.ericdeschamps.com/">Eric Deschamps</a> )</h6>
<h1>Slip in the Back Door</h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome to <em>Monomania Takes on Theros</em>. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy, challenging staples and misconceptions about the color pie. For the next few weeks, we're diving into <em>Theros Beyond Death</em>. I've been surprised by the number of mono-colored generals that have been packed into this set! Today’s commander is a new version of an old favorite. He's creeping around in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to call in friends and kick down the back door.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded"></div></div>
<p>Purphoros 2.0 is indeed worthy of his namesake. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the most potent game-enders in EDH, Bronze-Blooded fulfills a few different roles and seems to perform them well. Just like the old Purphoros, this new Purphoros is as hard to kill as Steven Seagall. Not only is this commander indestructible, but when our devotion to red is less than five, it isn’t a creature—only liable to enchantment removal. Enchantment removal is, coincidentally, the least common form of removal in our format. In addition to being slippery, Bronze-Blooded combines two highly-desirable effects in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sneak Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar"></div></div>
<p>This general is feigning <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a creature, an effect that is famously powerful and competitive in other formats. While the sticker price and activation costs are higher, Bronze-Blooded in the command zone gives us access to this effect at all times, allowing us to build around it. Outside of his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> impersonation, the new Purphoros also has <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fervor" href="#" target="_blank">Fervor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> stapled on. Even if we choose to hard-cast a hefty creature instead of sneak it in, it'll have haste. This Purphoros reminds me of a supercharged version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar" href="#" target="_blank">Ilharg, the Raze-Boar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of my favorite commander options from last year.</p>
<p>Bronze-Blooded has everything I look for in a mono-colored commander option: he's sticky, opens up a new avenue for a general in his color, and does multiple things well. We should be wary, however, of a few very specific words in his text box. Bronze-Blooded specifies that we may only sneak red or artifact creatures onto the field. That means no Eldrazi. While Kozilek, Ulamog, and Emrakul wouldn’t be superb here either way because their best effects trigger on cast, we will miss <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It That Betrays" href="#" target="_blank">It That Betrays</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artisan of Kozilek" href="#" target="_blank">Artisan of Kozilek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I’m already excited, so let’s jump in and see what we can come up with for this yet-to-be-released commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Surveillance Equipment</h2>
<p>There are two important concerns we must address while designing a ramp package for this deck. First, speed is our greatest ally with Purphoros. If we can power out our commander early, we can make a huge swing early in the game. We want a few low-cost ramp effects to reach five mana early. Second, our deck really wants to have the ability to cast our big creatures when necessary, so we want ramp effects that can help us leap up the mana curve. To fulfill our first need, I have included several mana rocks, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Diamond" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Diamond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coldsteel Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Coldsteel Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Star Compass" href="#" target="_blank">Star Compass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gilded Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nyx Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Extraplanar Lens"></div></div>
<p>To fulfill the second need, cards like the ones featured above will do perfectly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a staple of our format and can provide us with a steep mid-game power spike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extraplanar Lens" href="#" target="_blank">Extraplanar Lens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is my preferred mana-doubling effect, but we could also consider <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caged Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Caged Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gauntlet of Power" href="#" target="_blank">Gauntlet of Power</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here.</p>
<p>The new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyx Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Nyx Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a low floor, potentially only generating zero mana, but it could also potentially produce five or more mana. That kind of mana production will ensure that we can cast anything we may have in our hand under the right circumstances. I'm not overly fond of this card, but in this deck we can construct plays in which it is decent even without much <em>Devotion</em> on the field at the start of our turn. Consider for example, activating Purphoros twice in a turn to drop <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyrant of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Tyrant of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto the field. Suddenly we can tap our Lotus for six mana.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Getting the Gang Together</h2>
<p>To fully take advantage of this commander, we will need a potent card advantage engine to ensure that we actually have creatures in hand to cheat into play. Unlike most mono-red commanders, impulsive draw isn’t particularly powerful in our deck. Because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only abuses cards in our hand, exiling cards from the top of our deck doesn’t advance our overall strategy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandstone Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knollspine Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Mage"></div></div>
<p>These three cards play into our general’s particularities quite well, each drawing a significant number of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sandstone Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Sandstone Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible card in mono-red. As the red player, we will almost never be the player with the highest number of cards in hand.</p>
<p>On any given turn, we can activate Purphoros once and drop a terrifying creature, hit an opponent, then sneak in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knollspine Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Knollspine Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to draw a fistful of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also acts as an extremely powerful wheel effect. At seven mana, each of these would be difficult to cast on their own, but with our commander, we can take advantage of these effects for three mana each.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hoarding Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div></div>
<p>In this deck we can circumvent the downsides of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well. When we sacrifice <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the end of turn using Bronze-Blooded's ability, we draw the card we searched out earlier. To summarize, in addition to its flat-rate mode, this Dragon can act as a three-mana tutor that also deals four damage to something. Etali is also exceptional here. Whether we sneak her in or pay in full, we avoid her greatest weakness: the lack of haste. With Purphoros, we're all but guaranteed three cards off the top of our opponents’ decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pilgrim’s Eye"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyscanner"></div></div>
<p>Finally, creatures that can replace themselves fit nicely in this deck, especially as artifacts. Because we're naturally running cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorworks" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this type of effect is a low-risk option that can turn into a decent little engine. Putting one of these under a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a good mid-game option to keep up on cards in red.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>Now that we have strategies for ramping and drawing, let’s put it all together and see how we’ll make this new Purphoros sing and how he’ll compete with his stellar previous iteration. As always, season to taste.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erratic Portal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warstorm Surge"></div></div>
<p>Among the other notable inclusions, we have cards that try to minimize the downside of sacrificing our giant monsters at the end of turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for one, can allow us to return our most powerful Purphoros targets to our hand, allowing us to reuse threats each turn. While only a one-shot effect, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can fill a similar role and help us double up on important creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundial of the Infinite" href="#" target="_blank">Sundial of the Infinite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can keep the creatures in play by ending the urn in response to Purphoros's sacrifice trigger at the end of the turn! Meanwhile, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flameshadow Conjuring" href="#" target="_blank">Flameshadow Conjuring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minion Reflector" href="#" target="_blank">Minion Reflector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are powerhouses here. Whenever we sneak in a big creature, we can duplicate it for a low cost. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of our more powerful game-ending effects in this deck and will help us dome our opponents for large chunks of damage at a time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sneakers and Creepers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Dockside Extortionist
*1 Filigree Familiar
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Skittering Surveyor
*1 Skyscanner
*1 Ancestral Statue
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Cavalier of Flame
*1 Clone Shell
*1 Hoarding Dragon
*1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
*1 Malignus
*1 Mindclaw Shaman
*1 Duplicant
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Fiendish Duo
*1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
*1 Balefire Dragon
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Knollspine Dragon
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Spawn of Thraxes
*1 Terror of Mount Velus
*1 Tyrant of Discord
*1 Avatar of Slaughter
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Arcbond
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Savage Beating
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Chain Reaction
*1 Relentless Assault
*1 World at War
*1 Blasphemous Act
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Star Compass
*1 Thaumatic Compass
*1 Treasure Map
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Victory Chimes
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Erratic Portal
*1 Nyx Lotus
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Minion Reflector
*1 Mirrorworks
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Tectonic Reformation
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Flameshadow Conjuring
*1 Mirror March
*1 Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Desert of the Fervent
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scrying Sheets
*1 Smoldering Crater
*26 Snow-Covered Mountain
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>So what do you all think? Have you built a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck before? Does this Bronze-Blooded God excite you enough to build a deck? What sorts of creatures would you want to abuse? What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below! Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


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Challenge the Stats - Arcades, the Sneakiest Strategist

Monomania Takes on Theros – Sneakers and Creepers