From the Brim to the Trim - Sneaky Budgets and Conspiring Opponents

Wombo Combo - Best Gruul Combo Cards in EDH

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/gtc/169/gruul-charm">Gruul Charm</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CZoltan+Boros%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Zoltan Boros</a>)</h6>
<h1>If Not Gruul, Then Why? If Not Gruul, Then You Lie. If Not, Gruul Then DIE!</h1>
<p>The question of planeswalkers as commanders has been brought up in <em>Magic</em> discourse an infinite number of times. People say it would kill EDH as a format, and others say it will do nothing but give more options to an endless pool of commanders. I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. My name is Nick, and the tenth installment of <em>Myth Realized</em> will cover Gruul (red, green) cards and how they would each ruin (or not ruin) your favorite 100-card singleton format.</p>
<p>If you have stuck around with me until this article, you know what cards to look for in this color combination. If not, check out the articles I did in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-red/">red</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-green/">green</a> to see the cards I've shouted out in these colors.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arlinn Kord" href="#" target="_blank">Arlinn Kord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arlinn Kord"></div></div>
<p>It's taken ten articles, but we finally have a flip walker that isn't a legendary creature on the front side. I saw this card opened by my best friend at prerelease for this set (this was the only card he wanted), and it was a house in Limited. This card is easy to flip, as it only cares about what you are doing to flip the card, and the backside of this card is a game-winner in its own right. The downside is that you must wait a turn after flipping this card to use the backside abilities, delaying your ability to win the game. A solid choice for Gruul Werewolves if you want to go that way, and with its offering, this might be the way to go, especially if you do not want to deal with a mentally taxing mechanic like on our next card.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arlinn, the Pack&#039;s Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Arlinn, the Pack&#039;s Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arlinn, the Pack&#039;s Hope"></div></div>
<p>Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn it becomes night next turn) / Nightbound (If a player casts at least two spells during their own turn, it becomes day next turn). The fix for the new-age Werewolves of the game. It's mentally taxing and often ignored in Commander when you're only playing one card with this mechanic, but it's crucial for the sake of this discussion. This card is elegant in dealing with an ability that's sometimes out of your control. Giving creatures flash and a bonus when they enter the battlefield is fantastic for a +1 ability. Making two Wolves for -3 is a bit worse. On the back side, having a +2 that adds mana makes situations more reasonable when you need to cast two spells to flip Arlinn back. The 0 to turn your Commander into a 5/5 with keywords is fine when you need it and ignorable in every other situation. This and the previous version of the card are serviceable and a welcome surprise when looking at some of the past walkers we have seen in the series.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domri, Anarch of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Domri, Anarch of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Domri, Anarch of Bolas"></div></div>
<p>Pop quiz time: What is the rule around 3 mana value planeswalkers? That's right, readers, we <strong>always</strong> pay attention to them. And this might sound wild, but I think this card would be hated in "casual" Commander and not quite strong enough for "competitive" Commander. Individual feelings on the words casual/competitive aside, the ability that matters to this card is the +1 adding colored mana and not allowing creatures to be countered. Lower-powered players/decks and new players often lament an opponent's counterspell, and when it's cast toward one of the giant haymaker creatures they just put in their deck it feels even worse. The card fixes that problem. Higher-powered players/decks and seasoned players often appreciate the ability to interact with cards before they hit the battlefield. This card makes that not an option. Un-counterability from the command zone in colors that prioritize creatures over most other things in the game takes this card from a strong card for playgroups that dislike interaction or have started to embrace the good side of countermagic. It's something that has the potential to be a menace in formats where countermagic is necessary, and losing to combat is often an afterthought.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domri, Chaos Bringer" href="#" target="_blank">Domri, Chaos Bringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Domri, Chaos Bringer"></div></div>
<p>"Solid" might be the best adjective to describe Gruul walkers. Nothing on this card is "bad" outside of the ultimate, but the two abilities you want to use on this card are not so good that you would warp a deck to fit around this card. Making mana to cast a creature and giving that creature a bonus when it comes in solid. Creature selection on a downtick that does not immediately lose this planeswalker is also solid. At 4, say it with me now...solid. This card will never be the worst thing you have, but it might never be the best thing either, and sometimes, that is what you want in a commander.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domri, City Smasher" href="#" target="_blank">Domri, City Smasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 4RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Domri, City Smasher"></div></div>
<p>The first...and thankfully, only time I have to say this in the article. This is a planeswalker-deck walker, and it is not very good. With that out of the way, why is it not very good? Six mana is too much for what you get from this version of Domri. The +2 is legitimately good, giving your entire team a buff, and haste is a way to win or assist in winning. The rest of this card is significantly below the curve. A -3 for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is sad, and for the equivalent of casting the card after resolving <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, -8 for those not keeping track, you get three 1/1 counters and trample on the creature(s) that get those counters. Yuck. I don't think this card is justifiable even with the +2, as there are many, many cards in this color combination that can do some or all of this effect.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domri Rade" href="#" target="_blank">Domri Rade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 1RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Domri Rade"></div></div>
<p>A planeswalker from a somewhat infamous block, we see another three-mana version of Domri. This card has been out for a while and hasn't made any waves, but the fact remains: this card is solid. Domri Rade might be the poster child for how many RG-but-mainly-mono-green planeswalkers operate. A plus ability that gives you a version of card draw/selection. A minus ability that lets you use your, ideally, bigger and better creatures to remove your opponents' creatures, in this case by fighting. And an ultimate that most certainly wins the game. And win the game this does. Double strike, trample, hexproof, and haste are terrifying keywords. And even more so due to this being on an unremovable emblem. Once again, solid.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lukka, Bound to Ruin" href="#" target="_blank">Lukka, Bound to Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2R(R/2 life/G)G</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lukka, Bound to Ruin"></div></div>
<p>This card is <em>not</em> solid, and this character is not well-liked in the community. Compleated, another mechanic not yet seen due to when I started writing the series, is featured on this card. Compleated allows you to pay the appropriate color or two life (thanks Phyrexia<em>), </em>and if life was paid, this card enters with two fewer loyalty. At five mana and five loyalty, having this card come in with only three counters is a killer. Losing the ability to the -4 if you pay the reduced cost is a bad look for this card, and the other abilities aren't looking so good that I would want this at four mana and two life instead of just five mana. This is also the only Gruul walker that restricts what the mana it produces can be used on. The two other Domri, Arlinn, and a walker to be named later, have either no restrictions or grant a bonus if used on a creature. Mix all this together, and we get a very unimpressive planeswalker.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Samut, the Tested" href="#" target="_blank">Samut, the Tested</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Samut, the Tested"></div></div>
<p>The first appearance of Samut falls somewhere between Lukka and Domri. The +1 is fine, and the -2 is lackluster. The ultimate has game-winning potential, and with another four mana cost in the top right corner, this card can find its place among the masses. The biggest knock against this card is that the creature versions of this card do things just a bit better. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Samut, Vizier of Naktamun" href="#" target="_blank">Samut, Vizier of Naktamun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Samut, Voice of Dissent" href="#" target="_blank">Samut, Voice of Dissent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> push the aggression a bit better than the planeswalker version. However, we can always run those cards as commanders; we cannot in the case of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Samut, the Tested" href="#" target="_blank">Samut, the Tested</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Samut, Tyrant Smasher" href="#" target="_blank">Samut, Tyrant Smasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2RR/2GG/2RG</strong></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Samut, Tyrant Smasher"></div></div>
<p>Another solo appearance of a planeswalker from a particular product, in this case <em>War of the Spark</em> (<em>WAR</em>). And with it, I'll continue to declare another appearance of a four-man Gruul commander being solid. A static ability that gives all your creatures haste is never going to be bad to have access to. A quick Scryfall search gives me 56 cards with this particular combination of words, 55 if you remove <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immediate Action" href="#" target="_blank">Immediate Action</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because it is a conspiracy. So it's not as if this is unheard of, and outside of mono-blue and mono-white, there's an effect in all mono colors, colorless, and a variety of color combinations. This is a wanted effect, even more so in the color combination most likely to turn things sideways. Now, like the uncommon walkers from <em>WAR</em>, we only have one ability, reducing loyalty and limiting the uses. But this can stick around at five starting loyalty and a -1 downtick. For reasons I cannot explain, the downtick gives +2/+1 to a creature, gives you a scry, but for some reason provides the creature with haste. The corner case for using this ability on an opponent's creature to activate its ability on your turn to somehow benefit you makes my head hurt.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan Vol" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan Vol</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan Vol"></div></div>
<p>If a trend hasn't emerged amongst the cards already discussed, it has now. We know the drill here: four mana value and an uptick ability that pumps creatures and gives haste. A way to "remove" your opponent(s) creature on the downtick, but instead of fighting, we get a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Threaten" href="#" target="_blank">Threaten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. However, the ultimate on this card isn't as game-winning as some others in the rundown. A total of 20 power of flying lizards is good, but not coming in with haste is unfortunate. To complete the trend, this card earns another solid grade from me.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrenn and Six" href="#" target="_blank">Wrenn and Six</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrenn and Six"></div></div>
<p>If you thought my earlier statement about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domri, Anarch of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Domri, Anarch of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was outrageous, get ready. This card would do nothing but give you situational ramp out of the command zone. Is that bad? Not at all. Is it good? I am not so sure. For a card banned in Legacy and format-warping in Modern; the landscape is very different when not in a 1v1 setting. One damage to any target won't do much when stapled to a planeswalker. Having a land in your graveyard to reuse is good, but there are many ways to do this in green, often in easier ways. The ultimate has to be built around if that's your plan, and it is an ultimate far-off in the distance, even if this comes down on turn two. A 1v1 menace and, for a point in time, the best card in the format. When taken to a free-for-all though, some things do not stack up.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, the Reveler" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, the Reveler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <strong>- 2RG</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xenagos, the Reveler"></div></div>
<p>There's one big difference between Xenagos, the Reveler, and all the other four mana walkers who can add mana with an uptick. This one goes up exponentially. This card is so much better than it looks, and as a person who learned that after playing it, do<em> not</em> underestimate the Reveler. What makes this even better is this card makes its creatures who happen to have haste as a bonus. Now, the ultimate of this card can win a game, but it will either win you the game randomly or with prior setup. Either way, there should still be some value gained from it, even if it is not game-winning. A card that is more fun than the first look and the final card to be given a solid grade.</p>
<h2><strong>Wrap Up</strong></h2>
<p>What else to say but "solid"? Gruul is <strong>solid</strong>. These walkers are the most medium, good in specific builds, better than they look walkers I've covered up to this point. The only question marks for me would be, is my evaluation of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domri, Anarch of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Domri, Anarch of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> correct, and is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrenn and Six" href="#" target="_blank">Wrenn and Six</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> better than I am giving it credit for? Nothing on here jumps out to me as bannable or dangerous for the health of the format, but I don't think there would be many of these showing up in games anyway. I don't expect to be correct in every evaluation across all the various colors I have covered and will cover. Still, I either have a massive blind spot for the Gruul color combination, or I've found the barometer for the rest of the series.</p>
<p>As stated earlier, if not Gruul, then die. Still, another option for you is to catch my next article focusing on a color combination that is possibly the most opposed in ideologies to this one, Selesnya. Thanks to everyone for reading my tenth article in the tenth month of the year, of all things, and I hope to see you for our halfway point traveling the colors of the guilds.</p>
<h3>Read more:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Uh4MUESYn8"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/do-your-worst-gruul-mill/">Do Your Worst - Gruul Mill</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Do Your Worst - Gruul Mill&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/do-your-worst-gruul-mill/embed/#?secret=iNSsu1V0ha#?secret=Uh4MUESYn8" data-secret="Uh4MUESYn8" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="gsWjFtxBmA"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-red/">Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Red)</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Red)&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-red/embed/#?secret=JnCmVEEV4O#?secret=gsWjFtxBmA" data-secret="gsWjFtxBmA" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Gruul)

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CharlesUrbachArt">Charles Urbach</a></h6>
<h1>That's a Big Rock</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>, where I bend the singleton rules of Commander by building decks with as many functional reprints of a certain card as possible. This week we're taking on one of the old guards of the format, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There was once a time when you could find this rock in every unsleeved Commander deck, and I've probably tapped it for a hundred mana over the years.</p>
<p>Except maybe I haven't? Looking through my cards, I don't even own a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I think my friends were probably playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Ingot" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Ingot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boros Cluestone" href="#" target="_blank">Boros Cluestone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is a sign that this is a perfect card for this series. It's an iconic card, one of the first ones I think of when I think of Commander, and yet I can't even tell it and its functional reprints apart. This is going to be fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manalith"></div></div>
<p>But first I have to ask: why do stone pillars produce mana? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a pun, but it hearkens back to earlier obelisks, the first being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There's no explanation for why this mound of igneous rock makes so much mana, nor why you have to pay to untap it. Maybe you store your mana in the rock somehow? This design was repeated in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is the same idea, but I guess grim because the costs aren't balanced? You get more than you store once, but then you have to pay extra later. And it has scary art. Very grim.</p>
<p>Anyways, there are a <em>lot</em> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants. Here's a list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*1 Altar of the Pantheon
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Coalition Relic
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cryptolith Fragment
*1 Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Elementalist&#039;s Palette
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Honored Heirloom
*1 Lantern of Revealing
*1 Letter of Acceptance
*1 Mana Geode
*1 Manalith
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Phyrexian Atlas
*1 Relic of Legends
*1 Replicating Ring
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Spectral Searchlight
*1 Spinning Wheel
*1 The Celestus
*1 Ticket Turbotubes
*1 Vessel of Endless Rest
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Wanna See My Rock Collection?</h2>
<p>Most of these have minor upsides, often in the form of a second activated ability or a free bonus somewhere. Before you fight me, I know that <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptolith Fragment" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptolith Fragment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are not pure <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, as the former commits you to one color and the latter makes you lose life, but they're close enough. Also, isn't it weird that out of these thirty cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vessel of Endless Rest" href="#" target="_blank">two</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decanter of Endless Water" href="#" target="_blank">them</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> follow the naming format "[Noun] of Endless [Noun]"?</p>
<p>The two most-played <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, by an enormous margin, are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander&#039;s Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Commander&#039;s Sphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, at 399,900 decks, followed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, at 206,935 decks. These two are staples, they've each seen multiple reprints, and have each appeared in preconstructed decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> itself slots into 9,586 decks, which puts it at twentieth out of these thirty rocks. That's pretty darn respectable, considering that all the cards it's beating out are strictly better! The least played of these rocks is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ticket Turbotubes" href="#" target="_blank">Ticket Turbotubes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which only makes the cut in 304 decks. It's recent, its upside does nothing without support, and many people don't want Un-set cards in their games. Makes sense.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Sphere"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ticket Turbotubes"></div></div>
<p>But I don't know if thirty rocks is enough. If we want to expand our definition to any three-mana artifact that makes one mana, here're a few more of my favorites:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="More Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Orazca Relic
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Serum Powder
*1 Strixhaven Stadium
*1 Unstable Obelisk"></span></div>

<hr />
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pristine Talisman" href="#" target="_blank">Pristine Talisman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just feels so good. I've put it in way too many decks because that free life gain is more fun than winning, and 34,137 people appear to agree with me. Also, more people should play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Powder" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Powder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I know the free mulligan is less useful in multiplayer, where you already get a free mulligan, but if your deck is built around finding one of a select few cards in your deck, this effect is still very useful. I'm not saying it should be a staple, but more than the 649 decks it currently has would be happy with the extra consistency.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Who Will Lead This Army of Stones?</h2>
<p>Usually I build a deck and then choose a general to lead it, but this time there was only ever one choice. There's only one legend with the word Manalith on it, after all.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Svella, Ice Shaper"></div></div>
<p>The womanalith herself! Svella is perfect for this deck. She provides her own rocks if we ever run out, and she acts as a mana sink later on, and we <em>need</em> mana sinks, because this deck has over 40 mana rocks. In fact, there's very little room for anything else. Well, we can't let <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability go to waste, can we? We'll have to add in some ramp payoffs.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artisan of Kozilek"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pathrazer of Ulamog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div></div>
<p>Oh yeah, these cards are so big. I filled out the rest of the deck with some of my favorite baddies. I didn't include any of the Eldrazi Titans, but only because I like the less-played Eldrazi better. You can put in whatever top end you want, since we sacrificed power for theme long ago. My only rule for myself was to make every payoff cost eight or more; otherwise we wouldn't be cheating on cost with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ability!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Manalith Math</h2>
<p>One of the reasons three-mana rocks are so much less desirable than two-mana rocks is that their sequencing is clunkier. If you play an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on turn two, then on turn three you have four mana, which you can tap for two more two-mana rocks, which you can tap for another two-mana rocks. With a hand full of three-mana rocks, the inefficiency multiplies when we try to sequence them. On turn three we get a rock, then on turn four we can play another and tap both and our fourth land to play a third. That's three rocks on turn four instead of four on turn three.</p>
<p>Unless we draw <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>, we won't be able to activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability until at least turn six, and even then it has a 47% chance of not hitting a big creature payoff. Our consolation prize is that we will almost always (85%) hit another <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so at least we won't have to regret using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability rather than her first.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fountain of Ichor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spinning Wheel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Honored Heirloom"></div></div>
<p>Another fun part of the deck is that the abilities tacked onto our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s do come up. If we don't have anything going on, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fountain of Ichor" href="#" target="_blank">Fountain of Ichor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can block just fine, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonder&#039;s Ornament" href="#" target="_blank">Bonder&#039;s Ornament</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can draw into action. We can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spinning Wheel" href="#" target="_blank">Spinning Wheel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> almost as removal, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Honored Heirloom" href="#" target="_blank">Honored Heirloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to annoy graveyard decks. This is a perfect deck to showcase these overcosted abilities since we're running almost exclusively ramp! Filling the deck with air really brings out the subtler aromas.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Couple of Card Spotlights</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metalwork Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Metalwork Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so good in this deck. With three <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s out it costs two, and with four or more it's free. It can keep coming back if we run out of gas, and it's simply huge. It's worth remembering that the Icy Manalith tokens that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes have a mana value of zero even though they cost three to make, so there's no discount there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Metalwork Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seedborn Muse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Aurora"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> untaps <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and all of our rocks every turn. If we have three mana rocks, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> first ability every turn, which will quickly ramp us into using her second ability every turn instead.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Aurora" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Aurora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perfect in this deck because we have a mix of small replaceable permanents and big payoffs. If we have no creatures out, we can cast this and not have to worry about downgrading any of our stuff. We're also running almost only permanents (you could turn this into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck easily if that's your jam), so we'll get to dump more of our hand than most other decks.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Svella and her Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Svella, Ice Shaper
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Altar of the Pantheon
*1 Basalt Monolith
*1 Battlemage&#039;s Bracers
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Coalition Relic
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cryptolith Fragment
*1 Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Firewild Borderpost
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Glittering Stockpile
*1 Gruul Keyrune
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Honored Heirloom
*1 Illusionist&#039;s Bracers
*1 Lantern of Revealing
*1 Letter of Acceptance
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mana Geode
*1 Manalith
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Orazca Relic
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Phyrexian Atlas
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Relic of Legends
*1 Replicating Ring
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Serum Powder
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Spectral Searchlight
*1 Spinning Wheel
*1 Strixhaven Stadium
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 The Celestus
*1 Ticket Turbotubes
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Vessel of Endless Rest
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Apex Devastator
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Darksteel Colossus
*1 Desolation Twin
*1 It That Betrays
*1 Metalwork Colossus
*1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
*1 Seedborn Muse
*1 Spawnsire of Ulamog
*1 Terastodon
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Verdant Force
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Woodfall Primus
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 The Great Aurora
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Blighted Woodland
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*14 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Highland Forest
*12 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Temple of Abandon
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savannah Lions"></div></div>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this truly classic battlecruiser deck. Next time I'll be going lower to the ground with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the headliner of <em>Magic</em>'s original aggro deck. Let's see if a stack of them can hold up against three opponents and 120 life!</p>


Singleton Shmingleton - Manalith

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jason_engle">Jason A. Engle</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>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>This week, it's all about the Dread Wolf Herald!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an impressive commander. For three mana we get a token-maker that also works as a draw engine. It's also surprisingly easy to create tokens with Faldorn! Exile effects, <em>Suspend</em>, <em>Foretell</em>, and <em>Rebound</em> are just a few ways to create tokens while also getting extra value, and we even get an infinite combo with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squee, the Immortal" href="#" target="_blank">Squee, the Immortal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>/<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Food Chain" href="#" target="_blank">Food Chain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>With that said, the second part of Faldorn's kit, while a good standalone enabler, can be a bit awkward at times, since it's easy to get an uncastable card. Some of those effects, such as <em>Suspend, </em>have alternative costs or abilities that won't work when they themselves wind up in exile from an effect like Faldorn's.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arrogant Wurm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basking Rootwalla"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insatiable Gorgers"></div></div>
<p>The problem with making obvious 'best-in-show' commanders for certain mechanics is that we often stop looking at that archetype for other commanders. <em>Madness</em> is a fun archetype that I feel got sucked into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anje Falkenrath" href="#" target="_blank">Anje Falkenrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s shadow, but Faldorn could make great use of it too! <em>Madness </em>is usually shortcutted to 'you can cast this card when you discard it' but the mechanic actually puts the card into exile, so Faldorn will make tons of Wolf tokens from <em>Madness </em>cards!</p>
<p>Not only that, Faldorn is a great discard outlet! She's perfect for <em>Madness</em> decks that want to be more stompy. How about getting two 2/2 Wolf tokens, one 1/1 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rootwalla" href="#" target="_blank">Rootwalla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, plus the extra card that we get with our commander, for just one mana (plus the exiled card's cost)? This leads to a very aggressive value-based strategy, as we get to put a lot of bodies on the battlefield very fast, and being Gruul means having a great stompy support suite to get maximum value out of them.</p>
<p>The lack of black can be a bit scary when considering a <em>Madness</em> deck, since a lot of the archetype is concentrated between it and red. However, our green cards feel like they were tailored to our needs. Cheap <em>Madness</em> creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basking Rootwalla" href="#" target="_blank">Basking Rootwalla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blazing Rootwalla" href="#" target="_blank">Blazing Rootwalla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are great cards to be discarded with Faldorn's ability since they reduce the chance of not being able to cast the card that we exile. While big creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Incorrigible Youths" href="#" target="_blank">Incorrigible Youths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arrogant Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Arrogant Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, usually aren't really all that relevant in the format, having them come out with up to two extra bodies and a card can really accelerate the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonecrusher Giant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scorn Effigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trumpeting Herd"></div></div>
<p>Besides <em>Madness</em>, there are a few ways of triggering our commander, which is important for making our gameplan more consistent. Our <em>Foretell</em> cards can be efficient "curve fillers", but between our commander's activated ability and the <em>Madness</em> costs that we're paying, we tend to be pretty mana-intensive anyways.</p>
<p>Then, we have plenty of heavy-hitting payoffs. It's a bit hard to find a balance between having enough of them to be able to consistently hit them, but not so many that we get flooded, or even hit them with our commander's activated ability, since they tend to be on the more expensive side of our curve. Damage-multipliers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are an easy way to instantly improve our all-in potential, while <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> is an honorable mention that, while not a true damage multiplier, acts enough like it to be included here. Since we're putting a lot of bodies on the field, effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us a nice amount of reach.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Faldorn Madness" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Basking Rootwalla
*Birds of Paradise
*Blazing Rootwalla
*Boreal Druid
*Elvish Mystic
*Fyndhorn Elves
*Llanowar Elves
*Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*Conspiracy Theorist
*Fauna Shaman
*Anje&#039;s Raveger
*Birgi, God of Storytelling
*Bloodmad Vampire
*Bonecrusher Giant
*Green Slime
*Scorn Effigy
*Skophos Reaver
*Stromkirk Occultist
*Anger
*Insatiable Gorgers
*Purphoros, God of the Forge
*Sarulf&#039;s Packmate
*Arrogant Wurm
*Incorrigible Youths
*Reckless Wurm
*Terror of the Peaks
*Doomskar TItan
[/Creature]

[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*The Great Henge
[/Artifact]



[Enchantment]
*Senseless Rage
*Elemental Bond
*Fires of Yaviamaya
*Furnace of Rath
*Parallel Lives
*Gratuitous Violence
*Unnatural Growth
*Fiery Emancipation
*Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Nature&#039;s Claim
*Cathartic Pyre
*Faithless Salvaging
*Thrill of Possibility
*Abandon Reason
*Chaos Warp
*Demon Bolt
*Fiery Temper
*Violent Eruption
*Return of the Wildspeaker
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*Domri, Anarch of Bolas
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Avacyn&#039;s Judgement
*Distemper of the Blood
*Farseek
*Hull Breach
*Nature&#039;s Lore
*Rampant Growth
*Three Visits
*Chain Reaction
*Dwarven Reinforcements
*Malevolent Whispers
*Trumpeting Herd
*Alchemist&#039;s Greeting
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Copperline Gorge
*Cragcrown Pathway
*Exotic Orchard
*Ghost Quarter
*Grove of the Burnwillow
*Karplusan Forest
*Mana Confluence
*Rockfall Vale
*Rootbound Crag
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Abandon
*Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
*10 Forest
*10 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Having a suite of cards that gives us an alternative source of advantage is important because we won't always have our commander available. When we <em>do </em>have them in play with our commander, things get really spicy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fauna Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Fauna Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works both as a <em>Madness</em> discard outlet and as a tutor that allows us to chain multiple creatures a turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is pretty similar to the second half of our commander, and together with her, it turns all of our looting effects into possible Wolf tokens.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our ideal opening hand probably involves having a one-mana dork to be able to cast our commander on turn two. Our gameplan starts once we're able to tap our commander and start playing our <em>Madness</em> threats. We can also opt to delay this a bit if we want to play some of our "slow" effects, like <em>Rebound</em> and <em>Foretell</em>, so that we have a more explosive turn later on.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should be starting to get a sizeable army. At this point we should start looking for one of our bigger payoffs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gratuitous Violence" href="#" target="_blank">Gratuitous Violence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to start enhancing our damage potential. The normal turn structure can be a bit wonky since our commander is a wild card, so that usual pattern of playing lands first or even casting in the main phase #2 can lead to bad results if we start autopiloting the deck.</p>
<p>For an aggro deck, we're surprisingly good at rebuilding our board. It can be a bit draw-dependent, but we do have some ways to quickly rebuild or get back into the game after a setback; any of our looting effects can lead into a moderate board state, and some burn spells can be used to push for that last bit of damage, especially with any of our damage multipliers.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Plate"></div></div>
<p>Faldorn has a ton of directions to upgrade into. Top-deck manipulation might help us avoid bad hits with our commander, for instance. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei&#039;s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Library" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Library</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a good starting point for luxurious upgrades.</p>
<p>Increasing the number of standalone threats could also improve the deck's consistency and allow us to play getting our commander removed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good standalone threat because it's powerful even without Faldorn in play. However, we should consider their mana costs before stuffing too many of these big threats into our deck. Oh, and if removal is something you're worried about, adding in more protective Equipment/Auras might help keep Faldorn alive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Spider Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are ways to avoid board wipes, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are effective against single target removal.</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 Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Faldorn

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chishiro, the Shattered Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Chishiro, the Shattered Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lasahido">Lius Lasahido</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>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>Let's take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chishiro, the Shattered Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Chishiro, the Shattered Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chishiro, the Shattered Blade"></div></div>
<p>Chishiro is the real deal! A four-mana 4/4 that has two impactful abilities is already pretty good, but when you factor the ways that these abilities complement each other, we see Chishiro's true potential as a commander. Creating a 2/2 token for each Aura/Equipment that enters the battlefield is a pretty good rate, especially since there are many zero-mana Equipment, and Auras are well-known for their sheer versatility. The end-of-turn trigger can also be pretty powerful and can snowball pretty hard if we invest in counters synergies, since +1/+1 counters counts as modifications.</p>
<p>Red is perfect for going wide, and it offers cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for token-centric builds, while green has counter-based support, which we can use to leverage Chishiro's second ability for a more go-tall build.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>Chishiro's kit tends to point towards a go-wide strategy, and leveraging all the extra value from our spells to build a giant board - but what if we instead used our threats to go <em>taller</em>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thundersteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aradara Express"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Esika&#039;s Chariot"></div></div>
<p>Vehicles are cost-effective threats that have an implicit cost of needing other creatures to <em>Crew</em> them (I'll refer to those as 'pilots'). Chishiro provides a constant stream of 2/2s while still allowing us to advance our board by playing Aura-based mana acceleration or removal. It may sound suspicious at first, but the end result is a surprisingly smooth playstyle!</p>
<p>For our Vehicle selection, a good place to start is by looking at <em>Crew</em> costs that come in multiples of 2. For instance, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika&#039;s Chariot" href="#" target="_blank">Esika&#039;s Chariot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an efficient way to make more tokens while maintaining a clock, and we have almost no trouble activating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mighty Servant of Leuk-o" href="#" target="_blank">Mighty Servant of Leuk-o</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s <em>Crew</em> trigger, so it becomes a reliable source of card advantage that also smashes faces. Given that most of our cards are noncreatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzium Tank" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzium Tank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a freebie that also grows, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thundersteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Thundersteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an exciting top-end threat that can easily push through that last bit of damage that we need.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nylea&#039;s Presence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Mantle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kenrith&#039;s Transformation"></div></div>
<p>Our commander doesn't care who or what our Auras are placed on, merely that they enter the battlefield under our control. As such, we can play around with different effects to fill our Aura quota. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overgrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Overgrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects are usually less popular than their traditional ramp counterparts, but they allow us to play a large number of Auras and create lots of 2/2 tokens without sacrificing precious deck space. These Auras come in two different types: the vanilla, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fertile Ground" href="#" target="_blank">Fertile Ground</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are early-to-mid-game-focused and provide more ramp for less mana; and the utility Auras, which come with small benefits attached to them, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith&#039;s Transformation" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith&#039;s Transformation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are good draws all around, and they're even better when they knock down a terrible threat <em>and </em>create a creature for us!</p>
<p>Cheap cantripping Auras, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Mantle" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Mantle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frog Tongue" href="#" target="_blank">Frog Tongue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are the lifeblood of our deck, acting as decent draw effects with excellent upside. One mana to draw a card and create a 2/2 token is dang powerful. We don't even care all that much about any further effects when these cheap enchantments draw cards!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reclamation Sage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Professional Face-Breaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quicksmith Genius"></div></div>
<p>One of the best things about Vehicle decks is that the usual utility creatures become pilots, so there's a lot of space to play around. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of Lambholt" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of Lambholt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card for Chishiro in general and gives evasion to our already beefy threats. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Professional Face-Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Professional Face-Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us an impressive combination of both mana ramp and card draw, which helps us in the early to mid-game, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksmith Genius" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksmith Genius</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great at filtering cards in our hand.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="header"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Chishiro Vehicles" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Chishiro, The Shattered Blade
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Accorder&#039;s Shield
*Bone Saw
*Cathar&#039;s Shield
*Kite Shield
*Paradise Mantle
*Sigil of Distinction
*Spidersilk Net
*Sol Ring
*Heart of Kiran
*Lightning Greaves
*Reckoner Bankbuster
*Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*Swiftfoot Boots
*Unlicensed Hearse
*Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*Darksteel Plate
*Mighty Servant of Leuk-o
*Mizzium Tank
*Renegade Freighter
*Esika&#039;s Chariot
*Fleetwheel Cruiser
*Hoard Hauler
*Nautiloid Ship
*Smuggler&#039;s Buggy
*Surgehacker Mech
*Untethered Express
*Weatherlight
*Aradara Express
*Ballista Charger
*Enchanted Carriage
*Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*Thundersteel Colossus
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Speedway Fanatic
*Champion of Lambholt
*Eternal Witness
*Foundry Inspector
*Professional Face-Breaker
*Quicksmith Genius
*Reclamation Sage
*Shimmer Myr
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Abundant Growth
*Dragon Mantle
*Frog Tongue
*Rancor
*Spider Umbra
*Unbridled Growth
*Utopia Sprawl
*Wild Growth
*Fertile Ground
*Kenrith&#039;s Transformation
*Lignify
*Nylea&#039;s Presence
*Rune of Might
*Rune of Speed
*Wolfwillow Haven
*Grafted Growth
*Overgrowth
*Song of Dryad
*Weirding Wood
*Market Festival
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Chaos Warp
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Copperline Gorge
*Cragcrown Pathway
*Exotic Orchard
*Game Trail
*Ghost Quarter
*Inventors&#039; Fair
*Karplusan Forest
*Mana Confluence
*Rootbound Crag
*Spire Garden
*Stomping Ground
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Abandon
*12 Forest
*9 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<p>Aside from our ramp Auras pulling a two-for-one when our commander is out, we also get plenty of value from our utility-based Vehicles: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoard Hauler" href="#" target="_blank">Hoard Hauler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are good ways to get ahead in mana, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unlicensed Hearse" href="#" target="_blank">Unlicensed Hearse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nautiloid Ship" href="#" target="_blank">Nautiloid Ship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are "free" sources of graveyard hate, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckoner Bankbuster" href="#" target="_blank">Reckoner Bankbuster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Copter" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Copter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide more card draw, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surgehacker Mech" href="#" target="_blank">Surgehacker Mech</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skysovereign, Consul Flagship" href="#" target="_blank">Skysovereign, Consul Flagship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are solid creature and planeswalker removal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Saw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unlicensed Hearse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Plate"></div></div>
<p>Our Equipment suite is a lot less flashy than our Aura suite, but don't sleep on them. We have two types of Equipment: 'cheerios' and protection pieces. The first type, cheerios, are zero-mana Equipment, which serve as a great way to fill our board with tons of tokens all at once. I recommend sandbagging cheerios, holding them in hand to help rebuild after someone plays a board wipe and we need to reestablish our board. The second type are the usual protection Equipment, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are crucial because they help us keep our commander around, and we need that extra time for Chishiro to spit out all those pilots!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we're mostly looking for some cheap threats and enablers (Auras and Equipment). While it's true that our gameplan starts after we get our commander into play, that doesn't mean we have zero meaningful choices in the prior turns. Setting up our board by playing our Vehicles is one important step, and so is knowing when to commit our commander to the board. Usually, it's better to wait until we can cast him <em>and </em>several Auras on the same turn, to get immediate value out of him.</p>
<p>By the mid game, we should have a couple of Vehicles out and should start pressuring our opponents by activating them and attacking frequently. Usually, this stage of the game is when the board wipes start coming out, but this is why Vehicles work so nicely with Chishiro in the first place - our pilots are destroyable, but our actual threats dodge board wipes extremely well. We only need to care about keeping our commander safe. If he's removed too many times, we may have a rough go of it, but since so many of our Auras are also cantrips, it's hard for this deck to ever run out of steam!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enchantress&#039;s Presence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daretti, Scrap Savant"></div></div>
<p>Chishiro is a versatile commander, and many readers may see the decklist and seek to make some adaptations. There are two main directions I think the list above could take when deciding upon future upgrades and evolutions: artifact/Equipment matters, and enchantments/Aura matters. I went for a more balanced build between the two, but there's plenty of power to be had when streamlining along just one of these themes.</p>
<p>The enchantment route has plenty of draw power, especially with Enchantress cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enchantress&#039;s Presence" href="#" target="_blank">Enchantress&#039;s Presence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Setessan Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Setessan Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes the ramp and removal suite even more effective. Meanwhile, the artifact route feels a bit better against removal-heavy games, since it gets a lot of recursion pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Making tons of 2/2 tokens after a huge <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does sound pretty wild. Enchantment themes lean into green's strengths, while artifact themes lean into red's, so the choice of streamlining the deck may depend upon your favorite color for modifications!</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 Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


gruul

From the Brim to the Trim - Sneaky Budgets and Conspiring Opponents

Wombo Combo - Best Gruul Combo Cards in EDH

Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Gruul)

Singleton Shmingleton - Manalith

Epic Experiment - Faldorn

Epic Experiment - Chishiro

Archetune-Up - Season's Beatings

Archetune-Up - A Hunt Most Dire

Deep Analysis - Tokens

Conditions Allow - Hans Eriksson