Tannuk, Memorial Ensign Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rydia, Summoner of Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Rydia, Summoner of Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/user-5c85a8936304b898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yumi Yaoshida</a></em></p>
<p>Hello everyone, and welcome to my first article in the big leagues! I'm <a href="http://linktr.ee/commandzoe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Command Zoe</a>, and for anyone that doesn't know me yet, I'm a <em>Magic</em> writer and streamer that's been playing since <em>Urza's</em> block. I started playing Commander back when it was still called Elder Dragon Highlander. My chops include winning a junior GP, making a deck that got a card banned, writing an article that got an Alchemy card nerfed out of existence, and hitting #1 on the Arena ladder. I've been writing about <em>Magic</em> since 2020, and have been at <a href="https://cardgamer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cardgamer.com</a> since the beginning of January this year. I started streaming at the beginning of this year, and was recently chosen as a Featured Creator for MagicCon Atlanta. I'm so excited to be given the chance to bring my Commander knowledge here to EDHREC for you all.</p>
<p>Today I'm doing a deck tech on one of my very favorite <em>Final Fantasy</em> characters of all time, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rydia, Summoner of Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Rydia, Summoner of Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. She's a character from <em>Final Fantasy IV</em> who begins the game as the party's white mage. Halfway through the story there's an accident, and it appears Rydia dies being thrown overboard and eaten by Leviathan. However, she's actually taken by the beast to the land of Eidolons (the name for summons in that game) where time moves differently, and she grows up into an adult off screen. When she eventually returns to the party she's a powerful black mage capable of not only calling forth powerful Summons, but also backing up those Summons with an arsenal of powerful spells. Let's take a look at how that translated to the <em>Magic</em> card.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rydia, Summoner of Mist"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>First I play Rydia, then I get rid a' ya'.</em></p>
<h2>What Does Rydia, Summoner of Mist Do?</h2>
<p>The game plan is fairly straight-forward. We play Rydia early enough that we can ramp and use Rydia's <em>landfall</em> ability to fill the graveyard with Saga creatures by discarding them. After setup is complete, we use all that mana from ramping to bring those Saga creatures back with Rydia's <em>Summon</em> ability.</p>
<p>There's a small wrinkle in that it doesn't necessarily need to bring back a creature Saga, but the card clearly wants you to because it also gives the Saga it returns haste; there'd be no need to give it haste if it was exclusively intended to bring back noncreature Sagas. Rydia also puts a finality counter on the Saga in an attempt to keep players from repeatedly cycling the same Saga ad infinitum.</p>
<p>Finally, and quite notably, Rydia is very fragile, having only two toughness and no defensive keywords. If she's viewed as a threat, she's very easy to destroy, so she'll need some help staying alive.</p>
<p>The most exciting thing about Rydia for me is that there has never been a Gruul (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander like her. Red-green reanimation is not something that has been explored a lot in <em>Magic</em>. The closest I can think of is the mono-red card <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>, who brings back creatures as artifact tokens for one turn. However, Feldon neither has an ability to set himself up, nor can he bring back cards for multiple turns. He's also unable to use green cards to help keep card advantage, remove enchantments, or diversify his selection of bombs to reanimate.</p>
<p>The one thing we need to be wary of when crafting a deck like this is that there simply aren't very many Summon cards, so we'll need to be lenient with our bombs and work around them to make the strategy work. It won't be as simple as Reanimator decks in other colors because the card quality of what we're returning is not on the same level as, say, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Cruelty" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Cruelty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Because of that there is an instant and sorcery sub-theme, as several of the summon cards available care about them.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Rydia, Summoner of Mist</h2>
<h3>Summon Sagas</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Kujata"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are your best boys.</em></p>
<p>I started by adding all the available Summon cards that I could, but after some testing I found that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Brynhildr" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Brynhildr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was just not good for our plan. The first chapter on it is decent, but the second two are completely irrelevant when our commander already gives all our Sagas haste. Also, a 2/1 for two mana isn't very good when we'd rather be playing our commander on turn two.</p>
<p>The rest of the Summon creatures we're going to need to find a way to win with, because there are only ten of them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Bahamut" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Bahamut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the obvious juggernaut card that we want to get out as many times as possible; it's definitely the deck's most efficient way of ending the game. All three of the five-mana Summons are decently powerful options for pushing damage through, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in particular you can rely on to help close games. The second chapter ability is usually going to bring a ton of lands back, so the third chapter will let something hit like a truck.</p>
<p>All of the three- and four-mana Summons are much more utility-focused than the higher mana value ones, but cutting any of them would make the deck's threat-density flimsier than it already is. This scarcity of Summons brings up the next type of card that's needed by the deck.</p>
<h3>Dredge and Self-Mill</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malevolent Rumble"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aftermath Analyst"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golgari Grave-Troll"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>My dredge cards put all the cards in the yard.</em></p>
<p>The deck needs to have a way of putting more cards into the graveyard. One per turn isn't consistent enough because it relies too much on drawing one of only ten cards, and hoping it's one that's good enough to win with. So there are several cards added for which the main goal is to get more than one or two cards into the yard per turn.</p>
<p>Dredge cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work great with Rydia's <em>landfall</em> effect, as they're not only a great way to fill the yard, but also will give a consistent way to return them to hand. The sequence is as follows: cast Loam to get three lands, then play one of those lands, discard another, get Loam back with dredge 3.</p>
<p>Another great self-mill card in the list is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wreck and Rebuild" href="#" target="_blank">Wreck and Rebuild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Its versatility really shines in this deck. It can ramp while netting four additional cards into the graveyard, remove a troublesome artifact or enchantment, and can still be useful if it gets milled into the graveyard by another self-mill effect because of flashback.</p>
<p>There are also two self-mill cards that can double as ways to get cards back from the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aftermath Analyst" href="#" target="_blank">Aftermath Analyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make a ton of Rydia triggers at once and help filter down to the Sagas if they aren't coming up early, and the ramp is always good for Rydia's summon ability. The other is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shigeki, Jukai Visionary" href="#" target="_blank">Shigeki, Jukai Visionary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, whose <em>channel</em> effect can be critical for getting key cards that get milled back to hand. There's also a neat interaction between Shigeki and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peerless Recycling" href="#" target="_blank">Peerless Recycling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> where they can keep getting each other back plus another card, and at instant speed!</p>
<h3>Dealing With Finality Counters</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Power Conduit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gemrazer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudstone Curio"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>What do these three cards have in common?</em></p>
<p>The final problem the scarcity of Summons presents is the finality counter that Rydia puts on them. The strategy gets too inconsistent if it keeps losing Summons to exile. It means Rydia would only have 10 total chances with her second ability to close out a win, and not all of those are game-winning targets. So a way is needed around these finality counters.</p>
<p>The most obvious way is to simply remove the counters from them, but the options are limited. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Power Conduit" href="#" target="_blank">Power Conduit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hexavus" href="#" target="_blank">Hexavus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are obvious inclusions, as is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nesting Grounds" href="#" target="_blank">Nesting Grounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has the added villainous-synergy of moving those finality counters onto our opponents' creatures.</p>
<p>Mutate cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gemrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Gemrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Migratory Greathorn" href="#" target="_blank">Migratory Greathorn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sawtusk Demolisher" href="#" target="_blank">Sawtusk Demolisher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have an interesting interaction with the new Saga creatures. If you mutate on top of them, they stop being Saga-type. This means they will stop gaining lore counters, which allows them to not be sacrificed into exile when they reach their final chapter. It unfortunately means they will also stop gaining lore counters, but if they get proliferated to their final chapter they will still retain the textbox, so the final chapter would still trigger, but without the downside of getting sacrificed.</p>
<p>Lastly, using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to return a Summon to hand that has a finality counter on it is another way around the exile effect. It also lets you bounce your own lands back to your hand so you never miss a land drop, and can then discard those returned Summons to reanimate them over and over.</p>
<h2>How Does This Rydia, Summoner of Mist Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p>The win conditions in this deck are straightforward: get out large Summon creatures repeatedly and attack your opponents with them. So despite Reanimator not being typically featured in Gruul, Rydia still manages to pull off the vibes of the color pairing quite well. The go-to win card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Bahamut" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Bahamut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Combine its third chapter effect with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weaver of Harmony" href="#" target="_blank">Weaver of Harmony</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a decent board state, and the game can end on the spot. This can also work with the third chapter on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Kujata" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Kujata</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, depending on what's discarded. Morphing onto an unblockable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ferropede" href="#" target="_blank">Ferropede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also close a game out quickly, especially if you start putting +1/+1 counters on it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weaver of Harmony"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Day of the Moon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monument to Endurance"></div></div>
<p>Alternatively, there are two ways to win that don't involve attacking opponents directly. The first is by using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Day of the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Day of the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with the counter-removers to eventually name every creature on the board. Start with each opponents' commanders, then move on to whatever else is around. It works cumulatively, so eventually every creature in their decks will get named. Just be ready when there's only one opponent left to finish them off.</p>
<p>The other way of winning is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monument to Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Monument to Endurance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Each <em>landfall</em> on your turn triggers it, but so does looping the channel cards in the deck on opponents' turns so that the lose three life option of Monument can be chosen repeatedly in a turn cycle. This can add up incredibly quickly, especially if you copy the Monument with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mycosynth Gardens" href="#" target="_blank">The Mycosynth Gardens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for two triggers per discard.</p>
<h2>Rydia, Summoner of Mist Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Growing Up Fast" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Rydia, Summoner of Mist
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aftermath Analyst
*1 Arbor Elf
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Evolution Witness
*1 Ferropede
*1 Fyndhorn Elves
*1 Gemrazer
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Golgari Grave-Troll
*1 Hexavus
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Migratory Greathorn
*1 Sanctum Weaver
*1 Sawtusk Demolisher
*1 Shigeki, Jukai Visionary
*1 Summon: Bahamut
*1 Summon: Esper Ramuh
*1 Summon: Esper Valigarmanda
*1 Summon: Fat Chocobo
*1 Summon: Fenrir
*1 Summon: G.F. Cerberus
*1 Summon: G.F. Ifrit
*1 Summon: Kujata
*1 Summon: Magus Sisters
*1 Summon: Titan
*1 Timeless Witness
*1 Weaver of Harmony
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Beast Within
*1 Cache Grab
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Guff Rewrites History
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Peerless Recycling
*1 Seed of Hope
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping
*1 Wild Magic Surge
*1 Zoyowa&#039;s Justice
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Explore
*1 Farseek
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Life from the Loam
*1 Magmatic Insight
*1 Malevolent Rumble
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Three Visits
*1 Wreck and Rebuild
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Cloudstone Curio
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Monument to Endurance
*1 Pip-Boy 3000
*1 Power Conduit
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Day of the Moon
*1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
*1 Utopia Sprawl
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Wrenn and Six
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Commercial District
*1 Copperline Gorge
*1 Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fire-Lit Thicket
*6 Forest
*1 Grove of the Burnwillows
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Mossfire Valley
*4 Mountain
*1 Nesting Grounds
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Raging Ravine
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Shifting Woodland
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Sunken Citadel
*1 The Mycosynth Gardens
*1 Thornspire Verge
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Final Thoughts on Finally Fantasizing about Final Fantasy</h2>
<p>This deck is an absolute blast to play. I had so much fun trying to get it to work, and finally getting it to a place where it was able to beat a couple of my friends was very rewarding. The deck can certainly do strong things, though it can struggle with consistency. It works best in a Bracket 2 environment, but if it were going up a step, the Game Changers I'd suggest focusing on are tutors and fast mana. This deck would love both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldly Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Worldly Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance. It's not the most spikey list, but if you love <em>Final Fantasy: IV</em> or are a Johnny/Jenny who loves lots of synergies and landfall, give Rydia a try.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, everyone, for taking the time to read my first article here at EDHREC. I have been Command Zoe. Next time I'll do a deck tech on everyone's favorite little guy, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mog, Moogle Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Mog, Moogle Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>


Growing up Fast: A Rydia, Summoner of Mist Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wolverine, Best There Is" href="#" target="_blank">Wolverine, Best There Is</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artofmtg.com/artist/victor-adame-minguez/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victor Adame Minguez</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>. This week we're back in the <em>Marvel</em> universe. But don't worry about <em>Marvel </em>fatigue; this might be the last time until the <em>Spider-Man</em> set drops, as we're currently getting daily doses of <em>Final Fantasy</em> previews (I can barely contain my hype for the set at this point).</p>
<p>In the meantime, let's see what <em>Marvel</em> deck I should tackle next...</p>
<p><em>Snikt!</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wolverine, Best There Is"></div></div>
<p>Oh, right.</p>
<p>Without further ado, let's look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wolverine, Best There Is" href="#" target="_blank">Wolverine, Best There Is</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>The Wolverine of Canada</h2>
<p>Wolverine is an alias of James Howlett (aka Logan) who was born in Alberta, Canada. He was most prominent as a member of the X-Men, and has been one of the Avengers in some continuities. He's portrayed as a gruff loner with a rebellious attitude against authority figures. A deeper look reveals a heavily traumatized life, a struggle to balance between his human and "wild" self (including his "berserker rages"), and a code of honor and morality. He has been known to leave the team(s) for a time to deal with his issues (something we see in the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhythm of the Wild|sld|1740" href="#" target="_blank">Rhythm of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card depicting him.</p>
<p>His card does exactly what it says on the tin: build him up and <em>*snikt* </em>your opponents' life totals. All he wants to do is attack, and attack he will, because we're going to give our opponents a serious case of overkill. Fortunately, the <em>Universes Beyond</em> card pool helps with this, since we have a nice blend of old and new cards that can make Wolverine deadly.</p>
<h2>Going Berserk With Wolverine</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Sabres"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rancor|pip|205"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gimli&#039;s Fury"></div></div>
<p>We'll need ways to power Wolverine up. He starts with a small statline, so we'll need to make him bigger. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Sabres" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Sabres</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (22,152 decks) will give him four +1/+1 counters on attack, making him a lethal threat. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Power Fist" href="#" target="_blank">Power Fist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (44,023 decks) gives him trample, and also gives him a lot of counters whenever he connects to a player (a lovely synergy with his first ability, which I'll get to momentarily). Thirdly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm|fic|337" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (68,400 decks) serves two purposes: it gives Wolverine a smaller buff, and it also shields him from targeted removal.</p>
<p>However, improving Wolverine's statline isn't the only way we can make him into a deadly force. Before I go over that, I need to mention that first ability, <em>Unrivaled Lethality</em>, which doubles the damage that he deals. With this, we can make him deal even more havoc. Crucially, double strike is a major player, allowing Wolverine to devastate your opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Terminator Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Terminator Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6,928 decks) gives it to him each combat. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker|pip|232" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (96,257 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Spear of Leonidas" href="#" target="_blank">The Spear of Leonidas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (21,477 decks) provide double strike, and the Spear comes with additional utility as well, if needed.</p>
<p>In addition, trample is another keyword that works with Wolverine. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rancor" href="#" target="_blank">Rancor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (128,140 decks) gives his power a small buff, but also gives him the trample ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadowspear|sld|1505" href="#" target="_blank">Shadowspear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Totec's Spear; 199,617 decks) bestows the trample, lifelink, and tears down indestructible and hexproof creatures as well. In a similar vein, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loxodon Warhammer|sld|1034" href="#" target="_blank">Loxodon Warhammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Ghal Maraz, the Great Shatterer; 106,676 decks) does this with an even bigger boost to his power. Thirdly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodcrusher of Khorne" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodcrusher of Khorne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (14,807 decks) gives trample to all of our creatures. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6,330 decks) is a one shot that can potentially eliminate opponents with a jump-scare.</p>
<h2>Of Immortality and Regeneration</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bombadil&#039;s Song"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhythm of the Wild|sld|1740"></div></div>
<p>Wolverine has the ability to regenerate himself, but we can't always rely on that because it requires two mana open. Worse, you may have to protect him multiple times, as he is a removal magnet. Fortunately we have other ways to protect him. I mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that helps. In addition, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mithril Coat" href="#" target="_blank">Mithril Coat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (257,689 decks) grants him indestructibility, especially at instant speed, and can auto-equip onto Wolverine. Further, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention|sld|1750" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (821,880 decks) protects our board while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bombadil&#039;s Song" href="#" target="_blank">Bombadil&#039;s Song</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (16,261 decks) protects just our commander. Finally, since Wolverine will be subject to counterspells when casting him, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhythm of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Rhythm of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (302,108 decks) ensures that he gets to land while rudely telling those pesky blue players to bother someone else.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Passage|sld|1739" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (15,550 decks) can grow Wolverine with each time he's dealt damage, but be sure to keep him from dying when doing so. Lastly, if Wolverine gets too expensive to cast, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Beacon|sld|1533" href="#" target="_blank">Command Beacon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (269,829 decks) can be sacrificed to get him out of the command zone, so you can cast him again.</p>
<h2>Wolverine, Best There Is Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-SNIKT!" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Wolverine, Best There Is
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bone Sabres
*1 Champion&#039;s Helm
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Excalibur, Sword of Eden
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Gimli&#039;s Axe
*1 Hunter&#039;s Bow
*1 Loxodon Warhammer
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Power Fist
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 The Great Henge
*1 The Ozolith
*1 The Spear of Leonidas
*1 Unlicensed Hearse
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Berserk
*1 Bombadil&#039;s Song
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Entish Restoration
*1 Gimli&#039;s Fury
*1 Harrow
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Inscription of Abundance
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Atalan Jackal
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bloodcrusher of Khorne
*1 Bloodthirster
*1 Cavern-Hoard Dragon
*1 Chaos Terminator Lord
*1 Crimson Caravaneer
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Scourge of the Throne
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Cultivate
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Farseek
*1 Harmonize
*1 Hull Breach
*1 Overpowering Attack
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Seize the Day
*1 Three Visits
*1 Wreck and Rebuild
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Gimli&#039;s Reckless Might
*1 Grim Reaper&#039;s Sprint
*1 Hardened Scales
*1 Rancor
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Rising of the Day
*1 Rite of Passage
*1 Shiny Impetus
*1 Stolen Strategy
*1 Unnatural Growth
*1 Wild Wasteland
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dining Room
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*9 Forest
*1 Game Trail
*9 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Opal Palace
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Thriving Bluff
*1 Thriving Grove
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Using Deadly Force</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Berserk|sld|1738"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of the Throne|ltc|225"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overpowering Attack"></div></div>
<p>If I was using in-universe cards with this list, we'd get a lot more power-doubling cards in here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserk" href="#" target="_blank">Berserk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (24,694 decks) is like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in that it can kill someone out of nowhere. In addition, we can regenerate Wolverine and nullify Berserk's end step trigger, ensuring his survival. In a similar vein, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unnatural Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Unnatural Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (162,583 decks) makes Wolverine's stats double. A high enough statline will make this lethal.</p>
<p>That said, what we also really need are extra combat steps. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seize the Day|sld|480" href="#" target="_blank">Seize the Day</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Round Two; 63,495 decks) only targets Wolverine, but it can be cast again from your graveyard for, befitting its <em>Universes Beyond </em>name, a second round of combat. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirster" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which is also really good with double strike, by the way) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of the Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of the Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (44,711 decks and 70,116 decks, respectively) are two creatures that achieve this, with the former netting us multiple combat steps if the stars align.</p>
<p>Moreover, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Reaper&#039;s Sprint" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Reaper&#039;s Sprint</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (19,267 decks) gives a small buff to Wolverine as well as the above, but a creature will need to die to cast it cheaply. While it's not in the list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last Night Together" href="#" target="_blank">Last Night Together</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (9,188 decks) has two creatures attack on the next combat. That said, it provides counters and some useful keywords. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overpowering Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Overpowering Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s (40,140 decks) cost can be reduced if Wolverine was able to connect the first time around.</p>
<h2>Other Cards For Wolverine</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra&#039;s Ignition|sld|1594"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ozolith|sld|1741"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rising of the Day"></div></div>
<p>There's a few other noteworthy cards I wanted to mention. First of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Miku's Ignition; 141,494 decks). Wolverine's first ability gives it more reach, letting you remove more creatures than you typically would. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Admantium Bonding Tank; 203,856 decks) will store any +1/+1 counters that Wolverine had, should he be removed. Then, you recast him and move the counters back on him. Next, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (7,820 decks) not only gives our commander a big power boost, but the Equipment grants him evasion as well.</p>
<p>Next, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunter&#039;s Bow" href="#" target="_blank">Hunter&#039;s Bow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Reckless Might" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Reckless Might</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (11,306 and 20,745 decks, respectively) allow Wolverine to pick off opposing creatures (and the latter gives him haste). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inscription of Abundance|ltc|251" href="#" target="_blank">Inscription of Abundance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (51,870 decks) packs a lot of utility: it buoys our life total, buffs Wolverine, and allows him to pick off a pesky creature. Speaking of haste, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rising of the Day" href="#" target="_blank">Rising of the Day</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (138,156 decks) gives our commander a tiny buff, but it more importantly gives him haste. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Excalibur, Sword of Eden" href="#" target="_blank">Excalibur, Sword of Eden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (61,469 decks) is among the most terrifying cards in the deck. Equipping it to our commander means he's automatically in lethal range, whether it'd be commander damage, or ordinary damage.</p>
<p>We also have a couple of creatures that could use a boost to achieve their effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atalan Jackal" href="#" target="_blank">Atalan Jackal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (26,236 decks) ramps us on connecting, and it already has trample and taste. Also, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crimson Caravaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Crimson Caravaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6,082 decks) comes with double strike and trample, plus nets us some treasure tokens when it connects. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavern-Hoard Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Cavern-Hoard Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (70,080 decks) gives us a ton of Treasures when they hit someone relying too much on their precious trinkets. Unlike the other two, the Dragon doesn't need much support, since it's got a decent statline.</p>
<h2>We're Done Here, Bub</h2>
<p>In conclusion, the stars mostly aligned with this build. Using the <em>Universes Beyond</em> card pool, most of the key pieces found their way into the deck, and I'm sure there will be more support for Wolverine in the future (a reskinned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be nice). This deck is one of those where you don't want to do any thinking and help wind down for the night. Simple decks like that are good to have on hand.</p>
<p>Half of the <em>Marvel</em> legends are now covered, and at this point I'm using multiple legends from certain sets. I imagine we could do with a break from the likes of <em>The Lord of the Rings</em>, and find something fresh. Maybe something from the <em>Secret Lair Drops</em>, perhaps (provided, of course, I can assemble the deck with the card pool)?</p>
<p>On a different note, I did receive an idea for an article a little bit ago, and I'll soon get to it. Feel free to let me know in the comments which <em>Universes Beyond </em>commander you'd like me to cover next, especially those from franchises I haven't covered yet. Join me next time when we venture off the beaten path for a change of scenery.</p>


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