<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tannuk, Memorial Ensign" href="#" target="_blank">Tannuk, Memorial Ensign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.davidnashart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Auden Nash</a></em></p>
<p>Well, <em>Edge of Eternities</em> just came out, so I oughta build at least one Pauper deck with an EOE uncommon. I'd love to build a few, but honestly, I didn't really see that many options, and the choice has more or less been made for me. There just weren't many creatures that stood out as powerful, and the most unique thing I saw was the option to make Lander tokens, which are just glorified <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s.</p>
<p>However, there was one really strong uncommon, who happens to be the third most played commander from this set. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tannuk, Memorial Ensign" href="#" target="_blank">Tannuk, Memorial Ensign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a commander who demands <em>landfall</em>, like many before him, but he draws cards and deals damage, so he's everything a <em>Magic</em> deck wants.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tannuk, Memorial Ensign"></div></div>
<p>Theoretically, with him on the board, the only thing we have to do is play lands, and that just so happens to be something Pauper excels at. Because mana is such an essential part of <em>Magic</em>, there's plenty of land tech to be found at common.</p>
<p>I've done this before, and I expect absolutely no difficulty when it comes to making a powerful land deck for Tannuk. It's the same for artifacts and spellslinger as well. Those themes are so quintessential to <em>Magic</em> that <em>Wizards</em> has ensured they're printed into every corner of the game.</p>
<p>If you're strategy is fairly basic, you can usually count on being able to make a strong Pauper deck with it.</p>
<h2>Ramping It Up</h2>
<p>But back to Tannuk and lands. There's really not a whole lot to this deck for me to talk about. I mean, what do you expect? We're gonna run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama&#039;s Reach" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama&#039;s Reach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, obviously, along with all the other typical ramp pieces. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Visits" href="#" target="_blank">Three Visits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harrow" href="#" target="_blank">Harrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Explore" href="#" target="_blank">Explore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, blah blah blah. We want lands, and these cards are the best possible ways of getting them onto the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultivate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampant Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Explore"></div></div>
<p>Although... they're actually the best for decks that only care about ramping a little bit. We care about ramping a lot! If we run a bunch of cards that are made to work with each other, I bet we can get some pretty great engines going.</p>
<p>If you've ever played against a Pauper <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tatyova, Benthic Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Tatyova, Benthic Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, you can probably guess what cards I'm hinting at. It's <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>, and all his buddies!</p>
<p>For whatever reason, there's just a ton of these guys. Two-mana creatures who tap to put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield. Isn't that handy? It certainly is for us, and we'll be using all of these guys to ensure that we can get two lands onto the battlefield every single turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Walking Atlas"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyshroud Ranger" href="#" target="_blank">Skyshroud Ranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another land deployer, rivals <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Sure, you can make a valid argument that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is much better because it doesn't die to board wipes, and you can use it the turn you play it, but realistically, does it make that big of a difference?</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is only ever useful for the beginning of the game, when you have lands in hand. Once someone finds a reason to cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damnation" href="#" target="_blank">Damnation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will likely be forgotten about. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyshroud Ranger" href="#" target="_blank">Skyshroud Ranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just the same card, but it costs $20 less! Awesome for us budget players. And of course, it's legal in Pauper.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyshroud Ranger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scaled Herbalist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Llanowar Scout"></div></div>
<p>That card, plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakura-Tribe Scout" href="#" target="_blank">Sakura-Tribe Scout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scaretiller" href="#" target="_blank">Scaretiller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scaled Herbalist" href="#" target="_blank">Scaled Herbalist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Llanowar Scout" href="#" target="_blank">Llanowar Scout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are fantastic here, but only as long as we have lands in hand. Although our commander's card draw will help with that, we still have to put in some work.</p>
<p>Usually, I would just cram card draw spells in here, but I think there's a better solution in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lay of the Land" href="#" target="_blank">Lay of the Land</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Until now, when I've seen that card, I've immediately dismissed it as garbage that they have to print in every set to make limited playable, but now, I see the use.</p>
<p>Fiiiine, I guess one mana to get a land to hand isn't a bad deal, especially if we can immediately put it onto the board for free. Well, it's mostly the cost of a slot in hand that bothers me, but I suppose our commander makes up for that.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lay of the Land"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abundant Harvest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Many Partings"></div></div>
<h2>Actually Spending the Mana</h2>
<p>With these cheap land fetchers, and our land deployers, we've got a pretty fine engine going that can consistently put two lands down every turn. Excellent! Unfortunately, that won't win us the game by itself.</p>
<p>Our commander does deal a lot of damage, but not a game winning amount. So how do we turn a ridiculous amount of mana into a victory?</p>
<p>I guess that question kind of answers itself. We spend the mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Untamed Might" href="#" target="_blank">Untamed Might</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyxborn Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Nyxborn Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make some pretty tall creatures, and eight-cost monsters like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Crusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are quite effective at being big and scary.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Untamed Might"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Colossus"></div></div>
<p>We can also take advantage of the fact that we have lands at all. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dance of the Tumbleweeds" href="#" target="_blank">Dance of the Tumbleweeds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make us a creature bigger than any we can cast, with power equal to the number of our lands. Then, in the spirit of our commander, we can use <em>landfall</em> triggers on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sporemound" href="#" target="_blank">Sporemound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elfsworn Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Elfsworn Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Those two will summon a swarm, and then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sabotender" href="#" target="_blank">Sabotender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just doubles our commander's ability.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dance of the Tumbleweeds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sporemound"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sabotender"></div></div>
<p>A bit of removal, a bit of card draw and this deck's complete. Nothing complicated here, just lands and payoffs. It's a simple deck that serves itself, the kind that thrives in Pauper.</p>
<p>And to be totally honest, I hate it. When I was putting this thing together, it didn't occur to me that I was building shuffle simulator! I guess it should've been obvious, but 90% of playing this deck is searching your library for a basic land. And if you're gonna follow the rules, you've got to shuffle every single time you do.</p>
<p>Even when goldfishing this deck on a digital platform, it's still an annoying process. And it's all for what? Telling you're opponents to "Take one"? Is this what lands players go through every single day? It's torture! The deck plays fine, it could probably win a game or two, but I'll be damned before I actually play with it.</p>
<h2>Tannuk, Memorial Ensign Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Tannuk, Memorial Ensign" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tannuk, Memorial Ensign
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Akki Scrapchomper
*1 Arboreal Grazer
*1 Circle of the Land Druid
*1 Crash of Rhino Beetles
*1 Elfsworn Giant
*1 Farhaven Elf
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Llanowar Scout
*1 Maelstrom Colossus
*1 Nyxborn Hydra
*1 Sabotender
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Sakura-Tribe Scout
*1 Satyr Wayfinder
*1 Scaled Herbalist
*1 Scaretiller
*1 Seismic Monstrosaur
*1 Skyshroud Ranger
*1 Sporemound
*1 Springbloom Druid
*1 Ulamog&#039;s Crusher
*1 Walking Atlas
*1 Yavimaya Elder
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Abundant Harvest
*1 Broken Bond
*1 Bushwhack
*1 Cultivate
*1 Dance of the Tumbleweeds
*1 Edge of Autumn
*1 Explore
*1 Far Wanderings
*1 Farseek
*1 Ground Assault
*1 Grow from the Ashes
*1 Highway Robbery
*1 Hull Breach
*1 Into the North
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Lay of the Land
*1 Many Partings
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Open the Gates
*1 Primal Growth
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Return from the Wilds
*1 Scale the Heights
*1 Search for Tomorrow
*1 Thirsting Roots
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Big Score
*1 Crop Rotation
*1 Evolution Charm
*1 Go Forth
*1 Grapple with the Past
*1 Harrow
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Untamed Might
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Khalni Heart Expedition
*1 Lignify
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Explorer&#039;s Scope
*1 Heaped Harvest
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Evolving Wilds
*19 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*17 Mountain
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>I Should Probably Learn to Overhand Shuffle</h2>
<p>Well ok, moderate success, I guess. We've got a deck that showcases <em>Edge of Eternities</em>' finest, despite not having a single Lander token in it. It's a deck that's sort of good, if not fun to play. Sooo, same as every other lands deck. Got it.</p>
<p>Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this review of how to make a tutor-shuffle deck in Pauper. Let's tackle something less tedious next time.</p>
<h3>More <em>Edge:</em></h3>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="HOSYRHbbB9"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/sami-wildcat-captain-commander-deck-tech/">Sami, Wildcat Captain Commander Deck Tech</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="CMbfXk8F8t"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/build-a-powerful-artifacts-deck-with-mmmenon-the-right-hand/">Build a Powerful Artifacts Deck with Mm'menon, the Right Hand</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Build a Powerful Artifacts Deck with Mm&#039;menon, the Right Hand&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/build-a-powerful-artifacts-deck-with-mmmenon-the-right-hand/embed/#?secret=MG1uLbwD7J#?secret=CMbfXk8F8t" data-secret="CMbfXk8F8t" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Pauper Commander - Tannuk, Memorial Ensign

<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>


gruul landfall

Pauper Commander - Tannuk, Memorial Ensign

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