Thriving in Purgatory With an Aerith, Last Ancient Commander Deck

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Today is Thursday, June 5th, and we are already halfway through with our count-up towards the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set release date! This set has so much going for it. For this series, we are looking at the best cards from each individual game in the main series. Yesterday we covered <em>FFVIII</em>, and for today's list, we're looking at <em>Final Fantasy IX</em>!</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Waltz No. 3"></div></div>
<p>We start today's list off with a formidable Black Mage from the set. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Waltz No. 3" href="#" target="_blank">Black Waltz No. 3</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a remarkably powerful legendary creature in this game's subset of cards. It saps opponents of their life totals, it flies, and it kills whatever creature it damages. For an easy four mana, this creature truly is pushed for an uncommon.</p>
<p>However, it could theoretically do more. The simple nature of how this card functions so effortlessly is the reason that Black Waltz No. 3 is only an Honorable Mention here. By no means is it a bad commander, or part of 99, but it's such an easy card to fit both categories that choosing was difficult. Honestly, it could've been Best In Show if not for the stronger alternative that made it there.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div></div>
<p>Players have been clamoring for a dedicated Bird kindred commander for a while now. But, specifically, one that can utilize blue, white, <em>and</em> green. After all, how can you run the ever-iconic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> without green? Enter <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco, Seeker of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Choco, Seeker of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This legendary Chocobo was what Bird player aspirants wanted sorely. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tawnos, the Toymaker" href="#" target="_blank">Tawnos, the Toymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> clearly did not satisfy due to a lack of white. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kastral, the Windcrested" href="#" target="_blank">Kastral, the Windcrested</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, once again, lacked green. Choco is a perfect fit for the needs of these players.</p>
<p>Furthermore, there's an argument here for Choco to be a strong landfall commander as well, although that archetype is quite cramped to begin with. But suffice it to say, Choco wants Birds swinging for the fences to use its triggered ability properly. It'll be one heck of a potent commander upon release.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lindblum, Industrial Regency"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lindblum, Industrial Regency" href="#" target="_blank">Lindblum, Industrial Regency</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a member of a cycle of five lands with Adventures stapled onto them. However, being that Lindblum is the only one from <em>Final Fantasy IX</em>, it seemed fair to put it here, as Best in the 99. The card is very strong; it makes a "Black Mage" body, it triggers any other Black Mages you had on the battlefield already, and it allows you a land drop later on. What's not to love about that?</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kuja, Genome Sorcerer"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kuja, Genome Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Kuja, Genome Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the antagonist of <em>FFIX</em>. He is a pivotal character when it comes to purportedly knowing the secret to creating Black Mages in the context of the video game. As such, when it comes to his <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> card, his story and flavor tie into this exceptionally well.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Trance_Kuja_(cinematic_enemy)">Trance Kuja</a>, the party of <em>FFIX</em> cannot defeat him for cinematic reasons, so it's harder to translate this into card game terms, but it seems to have been adapted pretty well in a fashion.</p>
<p>And that brings us to the <em>Final Fantasy IX</em> Best In Show. You probably can guess which card this is already, but here we go anyhow...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy IX</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone as our Best In Show. A highly beloved character from this game, Vivi has been cleverly adapted for <em>Magic</em>. He's rather pushed, mechanically, even beginning to break into the echelons of cEDH territory before anyone even has the card. Vivi combos rather well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksilver Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksilver Elemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of Sleep" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of Sleep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a variety of other strong cards. My overall assessment of this amazing card is why Vivi is ultimately the Best In Show for the subset of <em>FFIX</em>.</p>
<p>And now, we've reached the end of today's count-up. How are you liking this series so far? Are we missing anything vital? Sound off in the comments! And if you want to read my previous count-up articles for <em>Final Fantasy</em>, the links thus far are all below.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a> |</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii">Day 7: <em>FFVII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/"><em>FFVIII</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Nine: FFIX

Dion, Bahamut's Dominant - Final Fantasy Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midgar, City of Mako|fin|313" href="#" target="_blank">Midgar, City of Mako</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by <a href="https://josusolanoart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josu Solano</a></em></p>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> depicts grand adventures across different locales, time periods, and plotlines. It therefore makes absolute sense that the main land cycle of the new <em>Final Fantasy</em> set is a series of famous towns you adventure in throughout the series.</p>
<p>And, they’re even mechanically adventures! Or technically speaking “cards that have an Adventure” to use specific terminology.</p>
<h2>But What Is an Adventure?</h2>
<p>In <em>Magic</em>, certain cards have two different ways you can cast them. There’s the core spell, which takes up most of the card, and a subtype Adventure spell, located in the bottom left.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murderous Rider"></div></div>
<p>In the example above, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murderous Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Murderous Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a creature that’s a Zombie Knight, has lifelink, and when it dies it gets put on the bottom of its owner’s library. All for three mana. Nothing out of the ordinary.</p>
<p>However, instead of casting this card as the creature Murderous Rider, you can instead cast the instant Swift End. This destroys a creature or planeswalker and you lose two life, also for three mana.</p>
<p>If you cast a card using its Adventure, you put it into exile. You can then play the non-Adventure portion of the card from exile. Which, aside from meaning you can effectively play two spells with a single card, also means that once you cast an Adventure, its associated creature is “safe” from forced discard effects.</p>
<p>Below are a few more examples of Adventures. Note how the mana costs, spell type, and sometimes even colors change.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kellan, the Fae-Blooded"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Persistence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monster Manual"></div></div>
<p>Broadly, Adventures are a very nice way to maximize your value per-card. It gives you the flexibility of having a permanent and non-permanent effect, oftentimes where the Adventure supports its associated spell.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gray Slaad"></div></div>
<p>Entropic Decay allows you to mill four cards before casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Slaad" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Slaad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, meaning you’re much more likely to have a 4/1 with menace and deathtouch. However, if you already have four creature cards in your graveyard, you can skip casting Entropic Decay.</p>
<p>In this case, it’s an optional cost to mill four cards for two mana. Which for black, is never a bad thing.</p>
<h2>Town Cycle</h2>
<p>There’s a specific cycle in the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set that I call the “Adventure Town” cycle. This is because it’s a series of lands, one of each color, each of which has the Town sub-type as well as an associated Adventure.</p>
<p>Also, they all enter the battlefield tapped, as most non-basic lands do.</p>
<p>I’m not a <em>Final Fantasy</em> fan, though I’ve certainly been interested in seeing what all of the hype is about. Though that does mean I won’t have the full lore implications of how the Adventures tie into their associated games.</p>
<p>That being said, let’s go on an adventure!</p>
<h2>Ranking the <em>Final Fantasy </em>Adventure Lands</h2>
<h3>#5 - Faith &amp; Grief (White)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ishgard, the Holy See"></div></div>
<p>First up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ishgard, the Holy See" href="#" target="_blank">Ishgard, the Holy See</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which unfortunately is my pick for the least impactful Adventure. A city-state in <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>, it survives both the harsh snowfalls of winter as well as literal, actual dragons.</p>
<p>Seems to me like one of those is the larger threat, but hey! Snow-land synergy is real. And it’s coming for you.</p>
<p>For five mana, Grief &amp; Return allows you to return up to two artifacts and/or enchantment cards from your graveyard to your hand.</p>
<p>This is nice, but it’s overpriced. When playing a non-basic land, you have to ask yourself “Is this land’s effect worth the inability to access its mana the turn I play it?” Spending five mana to grab up to two artifacts or enchantments and put them in your hand is most certainly not. If it was cheaper? Not constrained to artifacts and enchantments?</p>
<p>Even if it was limited to a single artifact or enchantment but returned directly to the battlefield, it might be worth it. But as it stands, it only half-supports commanders such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Therefore, I’d just pass.</p>
<h3>#4 - Lasting Fayth (Green)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis"></div></div>
<p>Next up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis" href="#" target="_blank">Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which as a green player I was hoping to be able to put higher. Luckily, it isn’t the worst ability, just a bit expensive. This former metropolis is most known for its role in <em>Final Fantasy X</em>, where it occupies an odd double reality of being both a destroyed city as well as a perfect recreation of said city.</p>
<p>For six mana, Lasting Fayth creates a 1/1 colorless Hero creature token. Then you can put a +1/+1 counter on it for every land you have.</p>
<p>This is a lovely effect that absolutely does not work for six mana.</p>
<p>Green doesn’t hurt for mana production, meaning you could reasonably activate this effect earlier than turn six. However… Then you’d be limiting its growth. It needs lands to scale, meaning you need to wait until you can play a fair amount of lands. Which you already want to do, even if you’re not playing a commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa Lockhart" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa Lockhart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>If you wait with this card dead in your hand or you just don’t draw it until later in the game, there are other things you can spend your mana on at that point.</p>
<p>A 7/7 is nice. For six mana it needs to be justified, which with this Hero’s scaling is certainly justifiable. However, it’s holding back the land it’s attached to. And because of that, I can’t say it’s fantastic.</p>
<h3>#3 - Mage Siege (Red)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lindblum, Industrial Regency"></div></div>
<p>Running in the middle is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lindblum, Industrial Regency" href="#" target="_blank">Lindblum, Industrial Regency</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though if you were to bump it up or down a spot on your list, I couldn’t blame you. A sprawling city in <em>Final Fantasy IX</em>, it pushes technological, mercantile, and even logistical boundaries as it advances ever forward.</p>
<p>For three mana, Mage Siege creates an 0/1 black Wizard creature token that deals one damage to each opponent each time you cast a noncreature spell. Something to note, this is also the only instant of the Adventures in this cycle, the rest are sorceries. How often that will come up, I’m not sure. But it’s worth noting!</p>
<p>Ping damage is always nice, though I don’t need to harp on how fragile a 0/1 creature is. The fact it’s a Wizard does actually hold some weight, as Wizard typal is an archetype that does encompass red.</p>
<p>It’s three mana, and with the mana cheating red does so efficiently, having this land enter tapped isn’t as bad as in some of the other colors. So I don’t see any reason to avoid bringing this along, particularly if you’re trying to capitalize off of its synergy with some of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> commanders, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Planet&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Lots of artifact support in this set!</p>
<h3>#2 - Overture (Blue)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital" href="#" target="_blank">Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is home to the wealthiest man in the world, at least in <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>. It’s an economic hub for players to stock up before setting out.</p>
<p>For six mana, Overture forces target opponent to mill half their library, rounded down.</p>
<p>This is probably the most niche of the Adventures, as six mana in blue isn’t cheap. However, any mill deck would love this. Even control decks might flirt with it, since disrupting an opponent’s deck can be quite powerful. Milling half their deck with Overture before clearing their board with a commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Planet&#039;s Heir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is absolutely devious.</p>
<p>And, of course, no color excels at returning cards to their hand like blue does. Lands are certainly trickier to return, but if you can do it? That’s high value, even if at a high cost. Definitely worth including in the right circumstances.</p>
<h3>#1 - Reactor Raid (Black)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Midgar, City of Mako"></div></div>
<p>My pick for the best Adventure of this cycle is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midgar, City of Mako" href="#" target="_blank">Midgar, City of Mako</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And based on the popularity of <em>Final Fantasy VII</em>, where it plays a key role as the oppressive and struggling opening area, I shouldn’t be surprised!</p>
<p>For three mana, Reactor Raid allows you to sacrifice an artifact or creature to draw two cards. It's cheap, it draws you cards, and it sacrifices a permanent. All things black loves.</p>
<p>With all the artifact support this set is seeing, you could burn a disposable artifact. But my mind immediately went to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Again, for only three mana, you draw two cards, you gain a life, an opponent loses a life, and you are 25% of the way to transforming Sephiroth.</p>
<p>Reactor Raid gives you value in the early game, the mid game, even the late game. Card draw is invaluable, and sacrificing will contribute towards other triggers.</p>
<p>Far and above, Midgar is supreme.</p>
<h2>What Do You Think of the Adventure Lands?</h2>
<p>Let me know in the comments! I’m confident Faith &amp; Grief is the worst, even with the artifact support of the set. I’m also set on Reactor Raid, given how flexible it is. I could really shuffle the others around any order, so I’d love to hear what you think!</p>


Final Fantasy Adventure Lands Ranked

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's Wednesday, June 4th, which means it's time for the next entry in our <em>Final Fantasy</em> count-up series! Each day leading up to <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/final-fantasy">the release of the new <em>Universes Beyond</em> set</a>, I'm denoting my picks for the most powerful and flavorful cards from each game in the main series. Yesterday, we went over <em>FFVII</em>, and today marks Day 8 of our count-up, so naturally, we're covering <em>Final Fantasy VIII</em> today.</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rinoa Heartilly"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rinoa Heartilly" href="#" target="_blank">Rinoa Heartilly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is our Honorable Mention in this list. She has a lot of cool, flavorful applications to her. Namely, Rinoa can create Angelo and then essentially launch him at opponents. This is more of a case for Angelo than Rinoa, as Angelo is <em>the</em> bestest boy in this game. However, as Angelo is a token and linked to Rinoa, we have to give this superlative to her.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Squall, SeeD Mercenary"></div></div>
<p>I've noticed that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squall, SeeD Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Squall, SeeD Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is practically identical to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seifer Almasy" href="#" target="_blank">Seifer Almasy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in many ways. Both are 4-mana 3/4 legendary creatures that can give double strike to a lone attacker. Plus, both have a trigger on dealing combat damage that recurs a card with a mana value of 3 or less. However, with this stiff competition, Squall beats out Seifer here in that Squall doesn't give the creature cards he recurs finality of any sort. Seifer effectively does, since he exiles the instants and sorceries he allows you to cast from your graveyard. Both are very powerful recursion engines, but Squall is a stronger card in this way. To this end, Squall, SeeD Mercenary is my pick for Best as a Commander.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="PuPu UFO"></div></div>
<p>I'm a fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Atlas" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Atlas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. I think they're fantastic and have a lot of useful utility. As such, I will be giving the Best in the 99 superlative to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="PuPu UFO" href="#" target="_blank">PuPu UFO</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an even better Walking Atlas effect than Walking Atlas itself. Sure, Atlas has one more power in any normal situation, but PuPu UFO is a 0/4 flyer that can get huge in Limited. There are even some Commander decks that will synergize well with PuPu UFO, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Obviously, by the strictest definitions, it's not <em>strictly</em> better than Atlas, but it's certainly pushed and power crept.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triple Triad"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/best-final-fantasy-spoilers-from-may-12th-15th">I've covered</a> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triple Triad" href="#" target="_blank">Triple Triad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the past. I truly like the card. Put simply, it's a minigame that is heavily based on the card game minigame from <em>FFVIII</em> and beyond. There are a bunch of layers to this that we can unpack, but at the end of the day, it's just a really fun card that's bursting with flavor.</p>
<p>With that, we've gotten to our Best In Show for <em>Final Fantasy VIII</em>. Which card earned this superlative?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy VIII</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jumbo Cactuar"></div></div>
<p>It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">Jumbo Cactuar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Jumbo Cactuar is a strong card with humorous flavor implications. It's probably the most memetic card in the set right now on social media. Since its reveal, people have been trying to find ways to adequately break the giant cactus monster, and many have succeeded. It's essentially the new "Congratulations, we finally broke _____" card, always funny to a fault.</p>
<p>Additionally, the card itself <em>is</em> disgustingly powerful. Give this thing trample, flying, or even haste against an unsuspecting board, and you have a card that will defeat opponents quickly and easily. 10,000 power is no joke, dear reader, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>ing 10,000 power is itself a power move. And let's not even talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Consumption" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Consumption</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Defeating one opponent and gaining an unreasonably high amount of life is usually a way to end games outright. Plays like that are why Jumbo Cactuar is our Best In Show for this game.</p>
<p>That wraps up our coverage of <em>Final Fantasy VIII</em> for this count-up series! Do you think we missed any important points here? What are your picks for any of these superlatives? Sound off below! And, in the meantime, if you want to look at any of our previous entries, you can find them below as well.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a> |</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii">Day 7: <em>FFVII</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Eight: FFVIII

Final Fantasy: A cEDH Set Review

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adelbert Steiner" href="#" target="_blank">Adelbert Steiner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lorenzomastroianni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lorenzo Mastroianni</a></em></p>
<p>It's very much my job here as the writer of <em>The Monolith</em>, aside from talking about monocolored decks of course, to tempt you in to building decks that aren't your standard fare. Decks that forgo obviousness and power for interesting ideas and fun restrictions. What better time then, as we continue to pick apart the legendary creatures revealed in the upcoming <em>Universes Beyond</em> set <em>Final Fantasy</em>, to talk about Pauper EDH!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adelbert Steiner"></div></div>
<p>Now I'm not the first person to delve into the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/does-shantotto-work-as-a-pauper-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wonderful world of Pauper Commander</a> here on EDHREC.com. But when a set comes out with this many legends, some of them are bound to be non-rares. We had the same thing happen in <em>Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth</em>. And when you've got access to uncommon legends with interesting effects, why not whack together a PEDH deck to fit around them!</p>
<h2>What Is Pauper Commander (PEDH)?</h2>
<p>Much like the absolutely wonderful 60-card format it's based on, Pauper EDH carries all the same rules that Commander does, but with one exception. You can only put a card in your deck if it was printed at common at some point in its history.</p>
<p>That includes cards that have been up-shifted in rarity in later sets, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As long as it was common at some point in <em>Magic</em>'s history, it's legal in PEDH. Otherwise, you can't put it in your 99. As for the commander itself though, you're allowed to push up to the uncommon rarity.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guttersnipe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soulherder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Third Path Iconoclast"></div></div>
<p>The fun thing is, your uncommon commander doesn't even have to be legendary. You can play with regular old uncommons as your leader. That'll give you access to super powerful creatures you wouldn't normally be able to put in your command zone, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soulherder" href="#" target="_blank">Soulherder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<h2>Adelbert's Finer</h2>
<p>To helm our Pauper EDH list we're looking at the brand new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adelbert Steiner" href="#" target="_blank">Adelbert Steiner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> 2/1 Human Knight with an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All That Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All That Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> style effect on him. For each Equipment you control, Adelbert will get +1/+1. That's not Equipment attached to Adelbert either, that's just any Equipment you have on the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adelbert Steiner"></div></div>
<p>Combined with lifelink, we've got ourselves the potential for a really juicy, Equipment focused, Voltron Commander build. For those not in the know, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/voltron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voltron decks</a> attempt to whack as many buffs onto a single creature they control as possible - usually your commander, so you can kill opponents even easier. Once they're big enough, swing in for the win!</p>
<h2>Free Real Estate</h2>
<p>As Adelbert gets a buff just from the Equipment hitting the field, we'll sort of get to have our cake and eat it too. Whereas most Voltrons would either need to pay for the equip cost of their Equipment, or have an ability to get around that, Adelbert can receive a small benefit right away.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All That Glitters"></div></div>
<p>Then later, when we actually get the Equipment attached to him, we'll be double dipping with the buffs it provides. And that's if we even want to equip to him. By having another big threat with all the Equipment attached to them we can also split our attacks as we see fit.</p>
<h2>The Living Weapon</h2>
<p>Seeing as Adelbert doesn't mind where your Equipment cards are when he's checking for his buffs, we can use a certain type of Equipment to give us a bit of an edge in battle.</p>
<p>Equipment cards are great in comparison to Auras, because they won't send themselves to the graveyard when their attached creature leaves the battlefield. We can even use the equip ability to swap our swords and shields round to whichever creature needs them on the fly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flayer Husk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sickleslicer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skinwing"></div></div>
<p>The tradeoff though, is that Auras attach themselves as soon as you cast them. Equipment gets cast, and then needs additional buy-in to attach it to your creature. Enter: living weapon cards. These Equipment cards will enter the battlefield and immediately attach themselves to a token they make when they enter.</p>
<p>There's only so many Pauper legal living weapons, but a few other cards do the same thing. For Mirrodin! was a very similar mechanic from <em>All Will Be One</em>, for example.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirran Bardiche"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancestral Blade"></div></div>
<h3>Leave Something Back</h3>
<p>One of the trickier aspects of playing a Voltron Commander deck is keeping yourself alive after you've swung. It's all well and good having a giant commander, but once they're tapped, who's defending your life total? Vigilance is great for that but so is just having some chump blockers available - especially when your opponents are going wide.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glimmerlight"></div></div>
<p>By using these cards that come with an extra body, we can hold the line after Adelbert attacks. And if we end up getting Adelbert killed so many times that his commander tax is untenable? There's backup options to fight with. Speaking of...</p>
<h2>Forking Your Voltron</h2>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, Adelbert can get a decent amount of pump without actually equipping our weapons. With that in mind, we have the option to fork off our damage between two different creatures. That way we'll get slightly less powerful creatures, but having two means we can swing at multiple players.</p>
<p>This is a four-person format, after all. And targeting down one player can leave our other two opponents a little too much space to build up their game plans.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gingerbrute"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guardian of the Guildpact"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beloved Princess"></div></div>
<p>If we want some solid targets for the wall of weapons we'll be equipping them with, we need to find something that'll get through our opponents' blockers. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian of the Guildpact" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian of the Guildpact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have really solid evasion, with protection from monocolored giving it a good chance of slipping through the cracks of our opponents' defenses. Not to mention dodging a lot of removal!</p>
<p>Likewise, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gingerbrute" href="#" target="_blank">Gingerbrute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can punish players who aren't equipped with hasty creatures by making itself all but unblockable. That'll teach you for not playing mono-red!</p>
<h2>Choosing the Right Gear</h2>
<p>The main consideration for building out Adelbert's arsenal is which Equipment cards we include in our 99. First of all, we're going to need a lot of them! In this deck we're going to favor quantity over quality, so low cost Equipments are best (unless they come with a friend).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Saw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonesplitter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leather Armor"></div></div>
<p>We also want to keep an eye out for any gear that'll give Adelbert some evasion tactics to make it over walls of blockers. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bladed Pinions" href="#" target="_blank">Bladed Pinions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will put in some vital keywords for our Voltron commander, like flying and first strike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haunted Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Haunted Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help as well with trample and vigilance allowing us to hit over and also keep our commander up to block.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bladed Pinions"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haunted Cloak"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whispersilk Cloak"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whispersilk Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Whispersilk Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make our glorious leader unblockable and also give him protection from removal, but remember to equip it last as the shroud will also stop <em>us</em> from targeting him when it comes to attach more Equipment.</p>
<h3>Double Your Benefits</h3>
<p>Whilst it might be banned in regular 60-card Pauper, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All That Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All That Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (from what I can tell, anyway) is perfectly legal in PEDH. Adding this Aura to Adelbert will double his buff from Equipment cards as well as giving some additional power and toughness for any other artifacts or enchantments you control.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All That Glitters"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golem-Skin Gauntlets"></div></div>
<p>And don't sleep on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golem-Skin Gauntlets" href="#" target="_blank">Golem-Skin Gauntlets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> either. It might only affect the power of our commander and not benefit his toughness, but cards that say "for each" on them can get out of hand fast. Why do you think we're building this commander?</p>
<h2>Carry Some Protection</h2>
<p>A word of warning: whilst it might not have the flashiest removal spells in <em>Magic, </em>Pauper does tend to be quite removal heavy! It's worth padding the deck out with a few options to protect Adelbert from harm when swinging in for big damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blacksmith&#039;s Skill"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Benevolent Bodyguard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani&#039;s Presence"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blacksmith&#039;s Skill" href="#" target="_blank">Blacksmith&#039;s Skill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best instant-speed protection spells in the game, let alone Pauper. But we can also run a few permanent versions to have in our back pocket for when we need them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Bodyguard" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Bodyguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts as a perfect fit, giving us a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Savior" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Savior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> style protection effect we can activate at instant speed. But also allowing us to make Adelbert unblockable by any monocolored boards.</p>
<h2>Adelbert Steiner PEDH Decklist</h2>
<p>If you're interested in joining the PEDH community and giving Adelbert a build, I've included a rough example decklist below that you can build yourself or just jump off from. If you're new to Pauper in general I highly recommend giving either the Commander variant or 60-card competitive format a go. The latter is my absolute favorite way to play <em>Magic;</em> it's a format that just keeps on giving.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Adelbert Steiner Pauper EDH" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Adelbert Steiner
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Beloved Princess
*1 Benevolent Bodyguard
*1 Coalition Honor Guard
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Gingerbrute
*1 Guardian of the Guildpact
*1 Inspiring Overseer
*1 Outlaw Medic
*1 Voyager Quickwelder
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 +2 Mace
*1 Amorphous Axe
*1 Ancestral Blade
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Armory of Iroas
*1 Bladed Pinions
*1 Blight Sickle
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Bone Saw
*1 Bonesplitter
*1 Candy Trail
*1 Ceremonial Knife
*1 Darksteel Axe
*1 Delver&#039;s Torch
*1 Flayer Husk
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Gilded Pinions
*1 Glimmerlight
*1 Gold Pan
*1 Golden Egg
*1 Goldvein Pick
*1 Goldwarden&#039;s Helm
*1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
*1 Greataxe
*1 Haunted Cloak
*1 Jalum Tome
*1 Leather Armor
*1 Mandibular Kite
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirran Bardiche
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Prying Blade
*1 Relic of Progenitus
*1 Sickleslicer
*1 Skinwing
*1 Utility Knife
*1 Vorrac Battlehorns
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 All That Glitters
*1 Benevolent Blessing
*1 Journey to Nowhere
*1 Oblivion Ring
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Afterlife
*1 Ajani&#039;s Presence
*1 Blacksmith&#039;s Skill
*1 Break Ties
*1 Crib Swap
*1 Destroy Evil
*1 Frantic Salvage
*1 Lens Flare
*1 Thraben Charm
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Jolted Awake
*1 Recommission
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Avishkar Raceway
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Desert of the True
*1 Escape Tunnel
*1 Haunted Fengraf
*1 Idyllic Grange
*29 Plains
*1 Secluded Steppe
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Fn8wMpFCKJ"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/does-shantotto-work-as-a-pauper-commander/">Does Shantotto Work as a Pauper Commander?</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Does Shantotto Work as a Pauper Commander?&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/does-shantotto-work-as-a-pauper-commander/embed/#?secret=IyguoXKHMq#?secret=Fn8wMpFCKJ" data-secret="Fn8wMpFCKJ" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="dBILFsWxhN"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brewing-a-pauper-commander-deck-with-kheru-goldkeeper/">Brewing a Pauper Commander Deck With Kheru Goldkeeper</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Brewing a Pauper Commander Deck With Kheru Goldkeeper&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/brewing-a-pauper-commander-deck-with-kheru-goldkeeper/embed/#?secret=VqChDggru9#?secret=dBILFsWxhN" data-secret="dBILFsWxhN" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>

PEDH Voltron With Adelbert Steiner

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Flyquest</h6>
<p>Mark your calendars, <em>Final Fantasy</em> fans! <a href="https://archidekt.com/flyquest">Archidekt is teaming up with Flyquest</a>, a multi-title American esports organization, to host the epic celebrity Duel Land event!</p>
<p>Duel Land is a streaming charity and <em>Final Fantasy</em> prerelease tournament hosted by Flyquest, featuring sixteen well-known names from the <em>Magic</em> and esports worlds.</p>
<p>These titans of their respective gaming universes will clash head-to-head for $5,000 to go to the charity of the winning team's choice.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Introducing Duel Land: A Celebrity Magic: The Gathering Tournament" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2B7-O30WSwI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Who's hosting the event?</h2>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/flyquest">Brought to you by Archidekt</a>, Duel Land will be hosted by <em>Magic</em> personality <strong>Brian Kibler</strong> and esports veteran <strong>Travis Gafford</strong>. The event seeks to put sixteen creators into eight teams of two for this 2-day 2HG competition.</p>
<p>Each team shall consist of a <em>Magic</em> player and an esports player. The format? <em>Final Fantasy</em> 2-Headed Giant Sealed.</p>
<p>Your favorite MTG and esports personalities will also be showcasing some of Archidekt's coolest collection and deckbuilding features to check out on stream as you brew up your own <em>Final Fantasy</em> decks.</p>
<h3>What does the event schedule look like?</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155176" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png" alt="flyquest event schedule" width="512" height="236" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png 512w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule-300x138.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>On Day One</strong>, the competing teams will be put into two groups to compete.</p>
<p>The top two teams from each group will face each other on <strong>Day Two</strong> for the title, and $5,000 to go to the charity of their choice.</p>
<p>You can also<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/EDHRECast"> expect to see the EDHRECast</a> at the event for a Commander Showmatch on Day Two!</p>
<p><strong>Day Three</strong> also promises epic action on the Bracket stage!</p>
<h2>Where can I watch?</h2>
<p>The Duel Land charity event will be streaming LIVE on <strong>June 14th and 15th</strong>!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/FLYQUEST">Be sure to bookmark the Flyquest Twitch page</a> and get notifications for match start times.</p>
<p>For more information on this prestigious for-charity event, you can also visit <a href="https://flyquest.gg/pages/duelland">Flyquest's dedicated event page</a>.</p>
<p>Which celebrities and MTG personalities do you think will head up this epic charity prerelease event?</p>
<p>More information will be available soon, <a href="https://edhrec.com/flyquest">so stay tuned</a>!</p>


Archidekt x Flyquest To Host Celebrity Final Fantasy Prerelease Event June 14-15

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="PuPu UFO" href="#" target="_blank">PuPu UFO</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://linktr.ee/racrufi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Racrufi</a></em></p>
<p>Believe it or not, the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Final Fantasy</em></a> set is almost here. Whether you’re going to a pre-release, a draft, buying packs, or just picking up singles, you’ll be getting tons of playable cards for Commander. Spoiler season has been headlined by some flashy rares and mythics, but today we'll be taking a look at a few great commons and uncommons that might've slipped under your radar.</p>
<p>My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and on this edition of <em>Bulk Up</em> we're shining a spotlight on those cards people tend to skip over when opening a booster. With this list, I'll be highlighting new singles that can fit in a broader range of decks, or pair well with popular strategies. So, let’s not waste any more time and jump right into things!</p>
<h2>The Best Commons and Uncommons in <em>Final Fantasy</em></h2>
<h3>PuPu UFO</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="PuPu UFO"></div></div>
<p>Kicking things off this week with not only one of the best bulk cards of the set, but also one of the worst named cards of all time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="PuPu UFO" href="#" target="_blank">PuPu UFO</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great blocker that offers up some amazing ramp capabilities in the right build. If your deck is drawing one to two additional cards each turn rotation, there's a good chance you’ll be able to throw a land down with the UFO while still hitting your land drop for the turn.</p>
<p>As for a deck I'd suggest you add this little Alien to, let’s pair it up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Parun" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Parun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Those decks are already filled with ways to draw cards, which means that from the start of the game you could be throwing down an additional land each turn rotation. Having the right lands to cast your commander is paramount in this deck, so that means you’ll be dropping that egotistical Dragon earlier than anyone is ready for.</p>
<h3>Summon: Fenrir</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Fenrir"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of land ramp, the first Summon card we'll look at today can help with that. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Fenrir" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Fenrir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Saga creature that fetches a basic land on its first chapter, gives a counter to a creature you cast on the second chapter, then draws you a card if you have the biggest creature on the board before sacrificing itself. If you're running a deck that's centered around creatures primarily, this might be more helpful than a normal <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in that deck.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tayam, Luminous Enigma" href="#" target="_blank">Tayam, Luminous Enigma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works perfectly with these new Saga creatures. Feeding into those counter synergies as well as the fact that you can bring them back to your board if they do end up in your graveyard. I recently did an <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/build-a-tayam-luminous-enigma-deck-with-your-dragonstorm-bulk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article about a Tayam deck</a> made primarily out of bulk from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em></a>, and I definitely think you could start throwing some of these Summons in that list to power it up!</p>
<h3 class="m-2">Relm's Sketching</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relm&#039;s Sketching"></div></div>
<p>You know what they say: if you can’t ramp lands, copy them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relm&#039;s Sketching" href="#" target="_blank">Relm&#039;s Sketching</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a sorcery that lets you copy the best land, artifact, or even creature on the board. Four mana is a little steep for getting a copy of something, but since you can grab three different permanent types, that kind of makes up for it if you ask me. Plus, as the years go on, we've been getting more and more ways to go off with tokens. So, as we get more sets, this spell will only continue to grow in value.</p>
<p>A really interesting commander from last year that would work great with this new spell is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eluge, the Shoreless Sea" href="#" target="_blank">Eluge, the Shoreless Sea</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not only does it care about lands, but it can also reduce the blue mana in the casting cost of instant and sorcery spells you cast. If you can copy the best creature, artifact, or land with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relm&#039;s Sketching" href="#" target="_blank">Relm&#039;s Sketching</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for only two mana, you're definitely in a good position to take that game!</p>
<h3>Sidequest: Catch A Fish</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Catch a Fish"></div></div>
<p>Next up, let’s turn an enchantment into a land with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Catch a Fish" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Catch a Fish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. On the front side, this can help you draw a card, make you a Food token, and then flip over into a land. That's already really great, but that activated ability of the land shouldn’t be overlooked. Sacrificing an artifact, like the Food you just made, to put a +1/+1 counter on all your creatures is a really good effect to keep in your back pocket.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a commander that cares both about enchantments as well as artifacts, making it perfect for this Sidequest. Creating a Faerie when you cast the enchantment side, and then again when you cast the artifact you draw off the top is very nice. Once it’s flipped over to that land side, you can wait for the right moment to throw a counter on your board of flyers to help them pack even more of a punch.</p>
<h3>Summon: G.F. Ifrit</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: G.F. Ifrit"></div></div>
<p>Our next entry on this list offers both card rummaging and a little bit of ramp. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: G.F. Ifrit" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: G.F. Ifrit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another Saga creature that gives you the ability to discard a card to draw a card for its first two chapters, and then its final two gives you a red mana on your first main phase. A card like this can help you sculpt a better hand for your late game and then gives you some additional mana to enact those plans.</p>
<p>Let's go back to a classic mono-red commander with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He cares about filling up the graveyard with threats to replace his wife with, so the Summon’s ability to throw cards in the bin that you can make tokens of later is a great pairing. Then it will give you some extra mana that you can use to activate that ability, helping smooth out your later turns.</p>
<h3>Overkill</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overkill"></div></div>
<p>This next card might be in the running for the most aptly named spell of all time: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overkill" href="#" target="_blank">Overkill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you or someone you know is still a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murder" href="#" target="_blank">Murder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> believer (and I know you’re out there) this is just another nail in your favorite kill spell’s coffin. Giving a creature -0/-9999 at instant speed is just a wild ability and can help get you out of some extra tricky situations. Indestructible creatures won’t stand a chance against <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overkill" href="#" target="_blank">Overkill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is especially brutal if someone was holding up a protection spell like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boros Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Boros Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to protect a key piece.</p>
<p>If you’re looking to make your opponents' creatures die with zero toughness, then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Girl, Known Killer" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Girl, Known Killer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the commander for you! Her decks are usually filled with all kinds of ways to lower the board's stats, drawing you a whole bunch of cards all at once. Which is great value, but sometimes you just need to clear one thing off the board. So, three mana to remove a threat, and then draw a card isn’t too bad of a combo.</p>
<h3>Phoenix Down</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phoenix Down"></div></div>
<p>One of the most important items in the <em>Final Fantasy</em> franchise is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phoenix Down" href="#" target="_blank">Phoenix Down</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and its ability was perfectly captured with this card. Sure, the ability to snipe a few specific creature types might come up in a game once in a while. However, the main star of the show is that recursion ability. The fact that this can sit on the battlefield gives you the opportunity to activate it when the time is right. Pair this with a commander that loves to fill your graveyard, and your deck just got all the more resilient.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Kayla bin-Kroog" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Kayla bin-Kroog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a commander I’ve considered building around for a while, because it just plays so well with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phoenix Down" href="#" target="_blank">Phoenix Down</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Since Queen Kayla has you discard your hand, and lets you return some of the cards you threw away to the battlefield, you can choose this new artifact to be one of them. Once it’s on your board, you can then use it to bring back something else you discarded, which helps give you even more access to the cards in your bin.</p>
<h3>Self-Destruct</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Self-Destruct"></div></div>
<p>We have a new addition in the long line of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style spells with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Self-Destruct" href="#" target="_blank">Self-Destruct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Two mana for an instant-speed way for one of your creatures to deal a killing blow to a troublesome creature or even an opponent is a great rate. The fact that it deals that damage to itself as well is where things can get tricky. Of course, if your creature’s power is lower than its toughness that's great, but if the creature you choose is indestructible you don’t have to deal with that downside.</p>
<p>I recently did an <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-kuja-genome-sorcerer-on-a-budget-fourteen-cards-under-14" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article covering the new card</a> for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kuja, Genome Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Kuja, Genome Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which was based around Wizards and burn. If you're planning to build that deck, I think you should consider throwing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Self-Destruct" href="#" target="_blank">Self-Destruct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in there. Once Kuja doubles the damage your Wizards do, this new instant could be a way to just take a player out at any point. Sure, you might lose one of your creatures in the process, but that’s a risk Kuja is willing to take.</p>
<h3>Quina, Qu Gourmet</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quina, Qu Gourmet"></div></div>
<p>Token strategies are incredibly popular, especially in green, which is what makes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quina, Qu Gourmet" href="#" target="_blank">Quina, Qu Gourmet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> such a great Legend in the uncommon slot. Whenever you make any type of token, you will also make a 1/1 Frog. That means you can be adding more bodies to a board with other creature tokens or give a bit more punching power to a deck that only makes noncreature tokens, like Treasures, Clues, or Food.</p>
<p>Let’s make our own little <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/blb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomburrow</a></em> party with Quina and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" href="#" target="_blank">Chatterfang, Squirrel General</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With just those two out, anytime you make a token you’ll also make a Frog and a Squirrel. That turns a popular card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Provisioner" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Provisioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into an outlet for getting three tokens anytime a land enters your board. Just think about that interaction for every other token engine in your deck… Now that's what I call value right there!</p>
<h2>The Wrap Up</h2>
<p>There you have it, some of the best commons and uncommons from the new <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fin"><em>Final Fantasy</em></a> set. Which were your favorites? Were there any bulk cards I missed? Let me know in the comments below! I might revisit this set with another Bulk Up in the coming weeks since the power level of these cards keep getting better and better. So, until next time, enjoy forming your team, and slaying your foes!</p>


Amazing Commons &#038; Uncommons from the Final Fantasy Set

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola Rhul" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola Rhul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://immanuelacrovius.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immanuela Crovius</a></em></p>
<p>Mono-blue is a tricky color in Commander, as it usually screams control. I'm not much of a control player, but I do love value, which is something Y'shtola Rhul provides in spades.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola Rhul"></div></div>
<p>Not being well-versed in <em>Final Fantasy</em> didn’t prevent my previous brewing of the mono-red legend, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firion, Wild Rose Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Firion, Wild Rose Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it certainly didn’t prevent me brewing this commander either. Y’shtola has a crazy Esper counterpart from one of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> precons in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I think this iteration feels more fun. If you like “enters” triggers and taking a lot of game actions, this is the deck for you.</p>
<p>The first thing I noticed about this card is the ability to effectively double our end step. I immediately looked for anything and everything in blue that deals with the end step, and the list was, unfortunately, very small. Sure, double triggering a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chimil, the Inner Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Chimil, the Inner Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wondrous Crucible" href="#" target="_blank">Wondrous Crucible</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems like a ton of fun, but the list pretty much ends there, so I leaned hard into the first ability.</p>
<p>The first ability reminded me of an old <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa, Deep-Dwelling" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa, Deep-Dwelling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> build I had, and that was a deck I loved dearly. Two <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conjurer&#039;s Closet" href="#" target="_blank">Conjurer&#039;s Closet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects on every one of our turns? Sign me up! With this kind of deck, especially when most blue "enters" triggers can be pretty mean, I will warn my readers that my build of this commander fits solidly into Bracket 4.</p>
<h2>Category #1: End Step Triggers</h2>
<p>As I previously mentioned, our options are pretty limited in mono-blue when it comes to end step triggers, but that doesn't mean the limited options are bad. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wondrous Crucible" href="#" target="_blank">Wondrous Crucible</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chimil, the Inner Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Chimil, the Inner Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> let us cast spells for free; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Palantír of Orthanc" href="#" target="_blank">Palantír of Orthanc</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a terrific source of card draw or incidental burn, depending on what our opponents choose; and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us manifest creatures that we can flip up later with our commanders first ability (flickering a face down creature makes it return face up; this concept will come up later).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chimil, the Inner Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wondrous Crucible"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Palantír of Orthanc"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primordial Mist"></div></div>
<h2>Category #2: "Enters" Triggers</h2>
<p dir="auto">As mentioned before, this deck is full of creatures with enters triggers, but I’m just going to highlight some of the heavy hitters here. We have creatures that cover anything you may need over the course of a game:</p>
<p dir="auto">Need to "borrow" a creature or spell? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Temptation" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Temptation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agent of Treachery" href="#" target="_blank">Agent of Treachery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diluvian Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Diluvian Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sower of Temptation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Agent of Treachery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diluvian Primordial"></div></div></p>
<p dir="auto">Need to ramp? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrine Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrine Drake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solemn Simulacrum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peregrine Drake"></div></div></p>
<p dir="auto">Need to remove troublesome creatures? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amphin Mutineer" href="#" target="_blank">Amphin Mutineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exclusion Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Exclusion Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amphin Mutineer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meteor Golem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exclusion Mage"></div></div></p>
<p dir="auto">How about drawing some cards? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visionary" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visionary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overlord of the Floodpits" href="#" target="_blank">Overlord of the Floodpits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visionary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overlord of the Floodpits"></div></div></p>
<h2>Category #3: Our Secret Gameplan = Face Down Creatures</h2>
<p>I told you I would come back to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! Manifest creatures, or face down creatures in general, is our secret gameplan. Why? Because, like I said before, if we flicker a face down creature, that card returns to play <em>face up</em>. For this reason, we have some really heavy hitters in the deck in the hopes that we can execute this "cheating of mana cost".</p>
<p>The other ways we have to put things into face down are cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="They Came from the Pipes" href="#" target="_blank">They Came from the Pipes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Coat" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Coat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Windbreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Windbreaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="They Came from the Pipes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptic Coat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cursed Windbreaker"></div></div>
<p>When we have face down creatures, we can turn up crazy game-ending threats, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <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>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightsteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Void Winnower"></div></div>
<p>We also have standard all-star <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abhorrent Oculus" href="#" target="_blank">Abhorrent Oculus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in this deck, as it's another great way to give us face down creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abhorrent Oculus"></div></div>
<h2>Category #4: Infinite Combos</h2>
<p>I would be remiss if I didn't mention the infinite combos that I included in my decklist. The main combo involves an old format boogeyman, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadeye Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Deadeye Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Pairing it with any of our enters creatures is very good, but pairing it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrine Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrine Drake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants us infinite mana. Infinite mana isn't an immediate guaranteed win, but it's certainly a good start.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadeye Navigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peregrine Drake"></div></div>
<p>The other combo in the deck is one that people may find frustrating, so be warned. This combo involves three cards: our commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Time Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>It works like this: we cast Time Warp, giving us an extra turn. During the extra turn, we play Archaeomancer to return Time Warp to our hand and cast it again. If our commander is on the board at this point, we can choose to blink the Archaeomancer, returning Time Warp to our hand again. This generates a loop of infinite turns, which, again, doesn't necessarily win the game, but it's a huge step towards doing so.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola Rhul"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archaeomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Time Warp"></div></div>
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>That will do it for our deck tech on Y'shtola Rhul! I hope this article has persuaded you to brew around this very strong and fun commander!</p>
<p>Check out my decklist below!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Y’shtola Rhul" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Y&#039;shtola Rhul
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chimil, the Inner Sun
*1 Cryptic Coat
*1 Cursed Windbreaker
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Palantír of Orthanc
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Scroll of Fate
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Abhorrent Oculus
*1 Aether Adept
*1 Aether Channeler
*1 Agent of Treachery
*1 Amphin Mutineer
*1 Archaeomancer
*1 Blightsteel Colossus
*1 Circuit Mender
*1 Deadeye Navigator
*1 Diluvian Primordial
*1 Dour Port-Mage
*1 Exclusion Mage
*1 Fblthp, the Lost
*1 Glitch Interpreter
*1 Kozilek, the Broken Reality
*1 Man-o&#039;-War
*1 Master of Waves
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Naga Fleshcrafter
*1 Overlord of the Floodpits
*1 Peregrine Drake
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Serum Visionary
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sower of Temptation
*1 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
*1 Tomb of Horrors Adventurer
*1 Venser, Shaper Savant
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Whirler Rogue
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Become Anonymous
*1 Cyber Conversion
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Candlekeep Sage
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon
*1 Mirror Room // Fractured Realm
*1 Primordial Mist
*1 Propaganda
*1 They Came from the Pipes
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Quantum Misalignment
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Time Warp
*1 Unnerving Grasp
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Archway
*1 Castle Vantress
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Conduit Pylons
*25 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Talon Gates of Madara
[/Lands]"></span></div>


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