Too-Specific Top 10 - Double the Mana

<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>


Monomania Takes on Theros – Sneakers and Creepers

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<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> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/morano">Tomaz Jedruszek</a>)</h6>
<h1><strong>A Hands-On Approach</strong></h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to <em>Monomania</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. Today’s featured commander is a rapacious tentacle man, and all he wants to do is poke an opponent once. What's in our hand? Is it an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undertaker" href="#" target="_blank">Undertaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or an <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>? That's the line between life and death.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Volrath the Fallen"></div></div>
<p>Volrath the Fallen and I have a history. I built a budget-friendly version of this deck years ago, played it a few times, and realized that the deck’s fun factor is fairly dependent on cards that cost $10 or more. Some black decks just need <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vesuva" href="#" target="_blank">Vesuva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I dismantled the deck and largely forgot about the commander until recently. In this article, I’m revisiting the first Volrath, entering a shadow dimension of unrestricted budgets, and seeing what I can put together.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shriekmaw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sibsig Muckdraggers"></div></div>
<p>The concept is simple and compelling: we want high-CMC creatures that we can pitch to pump Volrath. First and foremost, we’re hoping to kill our opponents with commander damage. However, this commander also gestures in two other directions as well. First, because we will be discarding big creatures, we might as well reanimate them afterward. This deck wants cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Delver" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Delver</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>. Secondly, because we’re running such expensive creatures, a big mana package is a great contingency plan to cast some of these game-ending monsters from our hand in case Volrath is no longer an option. Our build is creature-focused and loves cheating mana costs. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shriekmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Shriekmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sibsig Muckdraggers" href="#" target="_blank">Sibsig Muckdraggers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Stone Idol" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Stone Idol</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may not be amazing on their own, but they have increased utility here because they work two shifts as big buffs on our commander or utility effects.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Volrath the Fallen" href="#" target="_blank">Volrath the Fallen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only leads 58 decks listed on EDHREC but deserves a more careful eye. Because he can activate his ability more than once in a turn, it will be easy to one-shot a single opponent. Unlike other Voltron strategies, this deck also has the ability to transition into a big-creature build. Let’s get into it and see what cards will most successfully support what Volrath is trying to do.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Wind Up</strong></h2>
<p>I’ve mentioned this before on Monomania, but the big mana package available to mono-black is difficult to exclude. Unless you are pursuing a low-to-the-ground, aggressive strategy, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vesuva" href="#" target="_blank">Vesuva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deserted Temple" href="#" target="_blank">Deserted Temple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are almost always powerful additions. Here, they are imperative. When Volrath is inevitably removed from the board, we want the ability to cast cards that cost 10 mana or more for their sticker price. Big mana is an essential component of our ramp package for this reason.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bog Witch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crypt of Agadeem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oblivion Sower"></div></div>
<p>Above we have three flex inclusions that I have chosen to supplement our other ramp strategies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bog Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bog Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite underrepresented cards to champion. This card fits into more decks than one may think. As is typical of the Spellshaper creature type, we have to discard a card in order to activate its ability, but in any deck that wants a discard outlet, this isn’t a cost as much as it is an extra benefit. In our deck, this creature can both discard a bomb to the graveyard as well as produce mana necessary to cast a reanimation spell. It only sees play in 496 decks listed on EDHREC and I’m positive there are more graveyard-based decks that want this card.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt of Agadeem" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt of Agadeem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perfect for our build as well, since we'll be pitching creatures to the yard with our commander or cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bog Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bog Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another powerful flex creature in our deck. While exiling four cards in the hopes of hitting one or two lands isn’t an amazing rate for six mana, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a few exceptional use cases that push it over the top. First, if you hit three or four lands from the top of your opponent’s deck, this is suddenly an exceptional ramp effect. Second, graveyard hate is very common in certain metas, including my own. In almost every game I play, a graveyard becomes exiled at some point. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn’t care if a land was exiled with its ability or with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. if it’s in exile, we can snag it. Using this card to target the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord Windgrace" href="#" target="_blank">Lord Windgrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player, I've been able to sneak nine lands onto the battlefield.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Reload</strong></h2>
<p>The card advantage package is really where our deck finds some interesting, off-the-wall inclusions. We want to keep the focus on high-cost creatures and the graveyard while also including powerful card advantage effects.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandstone Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baleful Force"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kozilek, the Great Distortion"></div></div>
<p>These three inclusions embody our primary theme. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sndstone Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Sndstone Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a low floor but also a very high ceiling. We have several discard outlets in our deck, which means we will normally be playing with a smaller hand and have a higher chance of drawing three, four, five, or more cards.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baleful Force" href="#" target="_blank">Baleful Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is secretly a decent card. Given a full turn rotation at a four-player pod, you will draw four cards in exchange for four life. The real advantage of this card is actually how unassuming it is. If you play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vilis, Broker of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Vilis, Broker of Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an opponent may get spooked immediately and remove it on sight. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baleful Force" href="#" target="_blank">Baleful Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, however, is just innocuous enough to avoid attention. Finally, the new and old Kozileks can also help us draw through our deck. The Great Distortion could even be another discard outlet for us if necessary.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oversold Cemetery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undead Gladiator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grave Scrabbler"></div></div>
<p>Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oversold Cemetery" href="#" target="_blank">Oversold Cemetery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tortured Existence" href="#" target="_blank">Tortured Existence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fill a particular role in our deck, cycling creatures in and out of our graveyard. These are important pieces because they will help us repeatedly pump Volrath with the same high-cost creatures. Or, if we’re at that stage in the game, we could play a bomb like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Promised End" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Promised End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> every turn and force our opponents to remove it again and again.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undead Gladiator" href="#" target="_blank">Undead Gladiator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Scrabbler" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Scrabbler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> don’t provide us with card advantage directly, but do fulfill that very important role in our deck, once again cycling cards in and out of the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undead Gladiator" href="#" target="_blank">Undead Gladiator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another underrepresented card in our format, only seeing play in 437 decks. This card can help fill in gaps and sculpt bad hands into better ones. You can discard irrelevant cards or a creature you want to reanimate. Whatever you use the Gladiator for, he fits right in with Volrath.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>With all that set and settled, let’s take a look at the deck as a whole. Ramp and draw take up an outsized proportion of slots here because we want to ensure that we play our six-mana commander early and power out beaters as fast as possible. There are still other notable inclusions, however, that we can dive into. As always, season to taste.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emrakul, the Promised End"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Delver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Empty the Catacombs"></div></div>
<p>Emrakul is at the top of her class in this deck. While she doesn’t pump Volrath to lethal, she does everything we want—she provides a significant buff, has a discount effect, and can hose a player out of the game in a pinch. In addition to this, I’ve also included many other Eldrazi such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Void Winnower" href="#" target="_blank">Void Winnower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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="Pathrazer of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Pathrazer of Ulamog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These cards can sneak a win all on their own if necessary. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Delver" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Delver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> leads the team of reanimation effects present here, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entreat the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Entreat the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood for Bones" href="#" target="_blank">Blood for Bones</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Finally, I’m highlighting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empty the Catacombs" href="#" target="_blank">Empty the Catacombs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here to advocate for its inclusion both with our commander and with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Conrad, the Grim" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Conrad, the Grim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card can refill your hand with fodder for Volrath. In a well-tuned Syr Conrad deck it could just end the game on the spot. I can’t believe this only sees play in 185 decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Tentacular Now" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Volrath the Fallen
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Undertaker
*1 Bog Witch
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Fleshbag Marauder
*1 Merciless Executioner
*1 Plaguecrafter
*1 Undead Gladiator
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Dread Presence
*1 Filth
*1 Grave Scrabbler
*1 Ravenous Chupacabra
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Magus of the Coffers
*1 Phyrexian Delver
*1 Shriekmaw
*1 Nirkana Revenant
*1 Oblivion Sower
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
*1 Baleful Force
*1 Razaketh, the Foulblooded
*1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Sibsig Muckdraggers
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Ancient Stone Idol
*1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
*1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
*1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
*1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
*1 It That Betrays
*1 Emrakul, the Promised End
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Dead of Winter
*1 Entreat the Dead
*1 Blood for Bones
*1 Empty the Catacombs
*1 Mutilate
*1 Decree of Pain
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Key to the City
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Thran Dynamo
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Tortured Existence
*1 Animate Dead
*1 Dance of the dead
*1 Oversold Cemetery
*1 Dauthi Embrace
*1 Strands of Night
*1 Whip of Erebos
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Stronghold
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*1 Desert of the Glorified
*1 Deserted Temple
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Polluted Mire
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scrying Sheets
*22 Snow-Covered Swamp
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Vesuva
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<p>What do you think of the old Volrath? Does this style of deck have a chance or is it just too slow? What did I miss? Where have I gone wrong? 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>


extraplanar lens

Too-Specific Top 10 - Double the Mana

Monomania Takes on Theros – Sneakers and Creepers

Monomania – The Tentacular Now

Underdog's Corner - Geth, Lord of the Vault