<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonus, the Saboteur" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonus, the Saboteur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/voltastudio">Volta Creation</a>)</h6>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Epic Preparations</h1>
<p style="text-align: left;">Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This week, let's talk about a Transformers card!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonus, the Saboteur"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Since we're dealing with a double-faced card, let's discuss each side individually.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's creature side is a bit expensive for a flyer that <em>Connives </em>on combat damage, but it has many available synergies: <em>Madness</em>, <em>Flashback</em>, and reanimation are just a few possibilities, and that's without even looking at artifacts and their inherent synergies with counters.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's Vehicle side is very powerful, giving us an entirely new beginning phase (which comes with a new set of untap, upkeep, and draw steps). Getting to untap lands again is great in a color combination that has such powerful instant-speed interaction. Getting a new batch of upkeep triggers can be especially strong if we're building around this effect. Like, you know a card is strong when its 'weaker' effect is card draw. Another interesting side effect of this side being a Vehicle is that we're immune to creature-based board wipes, so if we're able to keep Cyclonus consistently converted, we're immune to board wipes every few turn cycles.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus' main drawback is its slowish nature. To flip to the Vehicle side, we need our commander to have 5 power after the <em>Connive </em>trigger, which, without any support, means that we need to attack three times. Either that or pay a heftier mana cost! With that in mind, I think it's easy to see how Cyclonus tends to be drawn into more aggressive shells where we'd want to actively buff its power and get to that state where we can convert it every turn as soon as possible.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warden of Evos Isle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windreader Sphinx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Cyclonus's kit rewards aggression and aims to get him to flip into his Vehicle form as often as possible. Being a Robot means that we won't get any creature type synergies synergies, but as a flyer, we can still find plenty of <em>other </em>support!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Flying theme decks have a deep pool of possible threats and helpers to choose from. Normally the 'flying matters' strategy is found in blue and white, but blue and black can still make a lot of magic happen in the air! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warden of Evos Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Warden of Evos Isle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> powers out our creatures much more quickly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Donal, Herald of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Donal, Herald of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles our body count and gives us extra ETB and 'Lord' effects for any flying creatures that pump each other up. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siani, Eye of the Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Siani, Eye of the Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not seem like much at first, but it fits right into an aggressive deck that wants to draw exactly the right cards to continue the onslaught. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tide Skimmer" href="#" target="_blank">Tide Skimmer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windreader Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Windreader Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> each give us and impressive body-plus-card-draw-engine combination.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drana, Liberator of Malakir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rankle, Master of Pranks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiler of Dreams"></div></div></p>
<p>A lot of those classic cards are blue, so what does black bring to the table? Tons of stuff!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drana, Liberator of Malakir" href="#" target="_blank">Drana, Liberator of Malakir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can spread counters to the team, and her first strike allows us to get the benefits out of the pump mid-combat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help control the board and even to control peoples' hands, giving us a ton of versatility. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a solid swing in board state by sniping any 1-toughness creatures, and he can make it easier to for us to attack without worrying about enemy blockers. I really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, too. It's just a great card to slot into aggressive shells, allowing us to hurt two enemies at the same time, doubling our combat potential.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Favorable Winds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windstorm Drake"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Anthem effects that give our team +X/+X are a great way to kick a 'go-wide' deck into overdrive, and this deck loves to go wide! Not only that, anthems will also help us get more value out of our commander, because we want to convert Cyclonus to its Vehicle side as much as possible. Keeping Cyclonus above 5 power is key, so the classic flying pumps help us out a ton here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitational Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitational Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive card in both the offensive and defensive departments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Favorable Winds" href="#" target="_blank">Favorable Winds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is expected but well-loved. We can even afford to pay a bit of extra mana for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to pump up most of our creatures by +1/+1, and to give our commander +2/+2!</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Cyclonus Flyers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Cyclonus, the Saboteur
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Faerie Seer
*Signal Pest
*Siren Stormtamer
*Spectral Sailor
*Thousand-Faced Shadow
*Aven Heartstabber
*Baleful Strix
*Containment Construct
*Esior, Wardwing Familiar
*Ledger Shredder
*Thieving Skydiver
*Thrummingbird
*Warkite Marauder
*Aether Channeler
*Bazaar Trademage
*Brazen Borrower
*Drana, Liberator of Malakir
*Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
*Loyal Drake
*Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
*Thief of Sanity
*Warden of Evos Isle
*Donal, Herald of Wings
*Glen Elendra Archmage
*Glen Elendra Liege
*Rankle, Master of Pranks
*Siani, Eye of the Storm
*Sower of Temptation
*Tide Skimmer
*Vanguard Supressor
*Defiler of Dreams
*Iymrith, Desert Doom
*Mulldrifter
*Windstorm Drake
*Archetype of Imagination
*Consecrated Sphinx
*Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*Sower of Discord
*Windreader Sphinx
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Dimir Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Talisman of Dominance
*Hall of Triumph
*Heraldic Banner
*Gilded Lotus
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Bitterblossom
*Favorable Winds
*Drake Haven
*Gravitational Shift
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Countersquall
*Cyclonic Rift
*Infernal Grasp
*Memory Deluge
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Feed the Swarm
*Toxic Deluge
*Winged Words
*Damnation
*Deep Analysis
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Choked Estuary
*Clearwater Pathway
*Command Tower
*Creeping Tar Pit
*Demolition Field
*Drowned Catacomb
*Exotic Orchard
*Faerie Conclave
*Ghost Quarter
*Hall of the Storm Giants
*Morphic Pool
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Sunken Hollow
*Sunken Ruins
*Temple of Deceit
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*13 Island
*6 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">In addition to all the attacking in the air, Cyclonus will hopefully <em>Connive </em>every other turn, and we'd be fools not to extract some value from that effect! <em>Flashback</em> spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are excellent choices to get some card draw stashed under the mattress. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drake Haven" href="#" target="_blank">Drake Haven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help us be more action-oriented, trading mana for more bodies to go wide and to avoid getting blown out by board wipes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Containment Construct" href="#" target="_blank">Containment Construct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will act as a card advantage engine and can be used as a way to completely negate the loss of a card.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Methodology</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">This is an aggressive deck, but we're pretty flexible as far as opening hands go. We aren't as aggressive as, say a Goblin deck, but our threats are all evasive, which gives us a nice amount of extra reach even if the board gets clogged with creatures in the later portions of the game. By the mid-game, we want to dig for any of our support cards and payoffs, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravitational Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Gravitational Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heraldic Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Heraldic Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is the point of the game when we start being able to flip our commander every other turn, which will grant us a huge boon in mana to help us snowball even further.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Our late game is good for an aggressive deck because we have more card velocity than most aggro shells. If the game boils down to a top-deck war, we're better suited to grind out a win. With our commander granting additional untap and draw steps, we can even gain additional threats by animating our creature lands like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Conclave" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Conclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since our mana will untap again anyways! These little tricks all add up to keep us chugging even when enemies expect an aggro deck to stall out, so Cyclonus will truly sabotage our opponents.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Cyclonus

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl" href="#" target="_blank">Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/campbellwhite">Campbell White</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>In this article, we'll be taking a look at an impressive Bant commander. Its ability to dominate the battlefield with its titanic effects while also providing a solid cover against single target removal allows him to be a force to be reckoned with. It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl" href="#" target="_blank">Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl"></div></div>
<h2>Observations</h2>
<ul>
<li>Storvald is a powerful creature enabler, and as such, can lead a myriad of creature-based strategies. Since most of his damage relies on combat, passing him around with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assault Suit" href="#" target="_blank">Assault Suit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could provide deadly results.</li>
<li>Although his <em>Ward</em>-granting ability is a great deterrent against single-target removal, the multiplayer nature of the format makes this a bit less desirable, given the prevalence of board wipes.</li>
<li>He costs a whopping seven mana just on the first cast. His high mana cost is a huge downside, especially since he's so threatening-looking and will draw attention. This relegates him to more of a support role, offering benefits for a specific strategy, rather than being the main point of a deck.</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emeria Angel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Empyrean Eagle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trygon Predator"></div></div>
<p>When building Storvald, we need to choose which creatures we're trying to buff. Evasive creatures get more bang for our buck, but it's not a must-have, since we also get the debuff effect with the attack trigger. 'Flying Matters' is an archetype that's been gaining some more steam lately, and is a great pseudo-tribal strategy that works pretty decently without our commander's help.</p>
<p>We have plenty of anthem effects to use, which stack pretty quickly with our evasive threats, and also work great with our commander, who doesn't override the buffs, but just changes base power and toughness. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderclap Wyvern" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderclap Wyvern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empyrean Eagle" href="#" target="_blank">Empyrean Eagle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thraben Watcher" href="#" target="_blank">Thraben Watcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are simple buffs, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee, Sky Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee, Sky Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a bit more situational, but also tend to be cheaper. We also have some noncreature helpers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Favorable Winds" href="#" target="_blank">Favorable Winds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They can be a bit less effective than their creature counterparts, since they can't attack, but on the other hand, they're more resilient against board wipes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overcharged Amalgam"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hanged Executioner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glorious Protector"></div></div>
<p>Flying creatures are spread all throughout <em>Magic</em> history, which means we have plenty of powerful utility options for our deck. As we'll soon see, this deck can draws a lot of cards, so having access to a huge amount of threat density is great. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gryffwing Cavalry" href="#" target="_blank">Gryffwing Cavalry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wingcrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Wingcrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow our commander to fly, which, with his 7 power, can get out of hand pretty quickly, opening up a nice secondary win condition. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hanged Executioner" href="#" target="_blank">Hanged Executioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trygon Predator" href="#" target="_blank">Trygon Predator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Remorseful Cleric" href="#" target="_blank">Remorseful Cleric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are removal on a stick, which is a great way to continually apply pressure while making it harder for the game to spiral out of our control.</p>
<p>Being a creature-based go-wide deck, it's important to have a defensive suite of creatures to avoid getting blown out. Our commander gives us a nice buffer against single-target removal, and together with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jubilant Skybonder" href="#" target="_blank">Jubilant Skybonder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Judge&#039;s Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Judge&#039;s Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they make removing our creatures very taxing. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate" href="#" target="_blank">Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glorious Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Glorious Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all, to some degree or another, play a crucial role protecting against board wipes.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Storvald Flying Matters" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Birds of Paradise
*Gilded Goose
*Judge&#039;s Familiar
*Noble Hierarch
*Spectral Sailor
*Wingcrafter
*Cartographer&#039;s Hawk
*Ice-Fang Coatl
*Maraleaf Pixie
*Pride of Clouds
*Remorseful Cleric
*Selfless Spirit
*Skycat Sovereign
*Watcher of the Spheres
*Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
*Empyrean Eagle
*Hanged Executioner
*Jubilant Skybonder
*Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant
*Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
*Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate
*Loyal Drake
*Trygon Predator
*Warden of Evos Isle
*Welcoming Vampire
*Angelic Field Marshal
*Donal, Herald of Wings
*Emeria Angel
*Glorious Protector
*Gryffwing Captain
*Overcharged Amalgam
*Shalai, Voice of Plenty
*Thraben Watcher
*Thunderclap Wyvern
*Tide Skimmer
*Kangee, Sky Warden
*Mulldrifter
*Archetype of Imagination
*Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Bident of Thassa
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Favorable Winds
*Always Watching
*Coastal Piracy
*Reconnaissance Mission
*Gravitational Shift
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Nature&#039;s Claim
*Path To Exile
*Swords to Plowshares
*Arcane Denial
*Dovin&#039;s Veto
*Heroic Intervention
*Negate
*Teferi&#039;s Protection
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Farseek
*Nature&#039;s Lore
*Rampant Growth
*Three Visits
*Harvest Season
*Winged Words
*Beck // Call
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Adarkar Wastes
*Barkchannel Pathway
*Bountiful Promenade
*Branchloft Pathway
*Breeding Pool
*Brushland
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Exotic Orchard
*Fabled Passage
*Flooded Strand
*Hallowed Fountain
*Hengegate Pathway
*Mana Confluence
*Polluted Delta
*Prismatic Vista
*Rejuvenation Springs
*Sea of Clouds
*Seaside Citadel
*Temple Garden
*Windswept Heath
*Wooded Foothills
*Yavimaya Coast
*5 Forest
*3 Island
*6 Plains
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Our strategy relies on going wide, so card draw is very, very important. With more cards, we can access more creatures, going even wider, but we also just need more creatures in hand in case we need to recover from an opponent's board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reconnaissance Mission" href="#" target="_blank">Reconnaissance Mission</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are efficient ways to get a consistent flow of cards, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Sailor" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Sailor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beck // Call" href="#" target="_blank">Beck // Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winged Words" href="#" target="_blank">Winged Words</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow us to recover or to develop even when we're not fully online yet. This is important, since we can't count on always having a small army at every point of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birds of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warden of Evos Isle"></div></div>
<p>Having on-theme ways to accelerate our mana is great, especially when we're combining them with our impressive card draw suite. The best part is that they never truly feel like dead cards; in the early game we can use the extra mana to our advantage, while later on they can still attack, either with our Anthems or with our commander pumping them up! A 7/7 <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> is a sight to behold. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Derevi, Empyrial Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible addition to the list, providing a solid burst in mana, like our very own version of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warden of Evos Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Warden of Evos Isle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Watcher of the Spheres" href="#" target="_blank">Watcher of the Spheres</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are impressive pieces of acceleration that not many tribes have access to, and they can get out of hand when combined with our card draw.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we're looking mostly for a solid curve of threats, which isn't that hard, given how many of them we have. With the number of helpful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warden of Evos Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Warden of Evos Isle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, and the number of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee&#039;s Lieutenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects that are ready to buff them, we're pretty fast at building a decent-sized board state, so utilizing this early lead to our advantage is crucial if we want to succeed.</p>
<p>In the early game, we're mostly just poking at our opponents with our creatures. This is an important step because every point of damage pressures our opponents further down the line (especially when considering our commander).</p>
<p>By the mid-game we'll have plenty of powerful draw triggers off our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enchantments that can help us take over the board. Our Anthem effects provide a solid clock, which means our threats will need to be answered quickly, or our opposition will never recover. Don't neglect the importance of tempo! Our commander is a nice catch-up in games where we aren't as fast as we wish.</p>
<p>We have a lot of potential when we reach the late game. On the one hand, our commander allows for a sudden burst of damage even if we're behind, dealing 14 damage with just one other creature. On the other hand, we tend to have ways of building boards that are very hard to answer when we've pulled ahead. One thing that we lack, however, is that big <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-like effect. Don't get me wrong, we do have plenty of powerful draws that gives this type of punch, but it's never of the Hoof magnitude. Our end-of-game plans rely very much on the continual pecking at enemy life totals from the very start of the game.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avacyn, Angel of Hope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thieving Skydiver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigardian Savior"></div></div>
<p>There are a lot of great fliers that we could add to the list if we wanted to keep exploring this experiment! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s additional protection against board wipe comes in handy quite often. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consecrated Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Consecrated Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an EDH staple for a good reason, and adding it to our list will help us keep our grip full. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thieving Skydiver" href="#" target="_blank">Thieving Skydiver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice little addition, stealing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and other useful artifacts while also being a cheap body.</p>
<p>One subtheme that might be worth investing in is recursion. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigardian Savior" href="#" target="_blank">Sigardian Savior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very efficient 3-for-1 that can be played after a board wipe and very easily pay for itself with its ETB.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


flying tribal

Epic Experiment - Cyclonus

Epic Experiment - Storvald

Archetune-Up - Welcome to Tornado Alley

Evasive Maneuvers - Flying

Commander Showdown - Kykar vs Alela