<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by<a href="https://www.howardlyon.com/"> Howard Lyon</a>)</h6>
<h1>Are You Telling Me That You Built a Time Machine?</h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to <em>Grapple With the Past</em>, a series in which we look back at the set pages for old releases to discuss the cards that made it and the cards that fell into obscurity in EDH. Once a set releases, Commander players write and read reviews, test out the new cards, and incorporate winners into their EDH repertoire. But with the constant stream of new products, it’s easy for cards to slip through the cracks. I’ve found that by exploring set pages on EDHREC, I frequently stumble upon cards that could easily find a spot in one of my decks. In this series we look for irregularities in the data, try to identify sleeper cards from formats past, and discuss the legacy of particular sets in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin, the Spirit Dragon"></div></div>
<p>I really enjoyed the story surrounding the <em>Khans of Tarkir</em> block at the time. I respect that the story fully committed to the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Back to the Future</span> archetype and delivered a well-crafted, three-act story. <em>Fate Reforged</em> was the middle set in that old block structure, and it takes place in the distant past. As such, we will most likely never see some of the beloved characters that appeared here again in the ongoing <em>Magic</em> storyline.</p>
<p>Outside of the story, the set has endured in EDH memory, even five years later. What has impressed me by digging through the cards here is that there is still so much implied design space to explore for EDH. The Siege cycle is perfectly tuned for our format and the idea extends far beyond the plane of Tarkir, as we've seen on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrodin Besieged" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrodin Besieged</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Imagine a white enchantment that asks you to choose Azorius or Orzhov. What about a black-and-white enchantment set on <em>Innistrad</em> with two modes: <em>Angels</em> and <em>Demons</em>? On top of this, <em>Manifest</em> has so much untapped potential. When <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scroll of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Scroll of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was first revealed for <em>Commander 2019</em>, I misread it and thought that it let you <em>Manifest</em> the top card of your library, giving you moderately-costed and restricted card advantage. I was elated. I still want a card like that in the future.</p>
<p><em>Fate Reforged</em> still excites me for its potential applications of these mechanics. But enough thinking of what could be, let's travel into the past to change the decks of the future.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Commander Class</h2>
<p><em>Fate Reforged</em> has a surprising number of well-loved commanders, with the top two leading 2,456 and 1,954 decks. While these numbers don't place these commanders into the top from the past two years, they only just miss it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Marchesa" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Marchesa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who appears at the very bottom of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders">Top Commanders of the Last 2 Years</a>, helms 2,689 decks, only 133 more than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tasigur, the Golden Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Tasigur, the Golden Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. (It is also important to note that this section of the EDHREC page does exhibit a recency bias, with no commander on that list being from before 2016.) The <em>Fate Reforged</em> commanders are doing just fine for themselves.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tasigur, The Golden Fang"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alesha, Who Smiles at Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yasova Dragonclaw"></div></div>
<p>For a long time, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tasigur, the Golden Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Tasigur, the Golden Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was the go-to for my Sultai friends and acquaintances. This card can lead a nasty control deck that manipulates its own graveyard in order to replay the same powerful spells over and over again. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alesha, Who Smiles at Death" href="#" target="_blank">Alesha, Who Smiles at Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible host to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reveillark" href="#" target="_blank">Reveillark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karmic Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Karmic Guide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combo that can be scaled down into a value reanimator deck. Finally, I used to play a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yasova Dragonclaw" href="#" target="_blank">Yasova Dragonclaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, and it was some of the most fun I've had at an EDH pod. It only works in creature-heavy metas, but stealing and sacrificing creatures for value can be a lot of fun. My best find for that deck was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dracoplasm" href="#" target="_blank">Dracoplasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you build a Yasova deck, try it out!</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Top 10</h2>
<p>Do you like sets with a lot of staples? Look no further. While this set isn't as utterly stacked as <em>Planar Chaos</em>, it does have its fair share of EDH all-stars:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reality Shift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shamanic Revelation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crux of Fate"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees play in 13% of all potential decks, a high number for a mono-colored card, and for good reason. This is the best single-target removal in blue that isn't a counterspell, if you count those as removal at all. Blue has no business exiling creatures, but here we are. I'm so happy that this card got a reprint in <em>Commander 2019</em> because I remember finding copies for around $2 a piece. This is an uncommon that only sees play in EDH. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shamanic Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Shamanic Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the best <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Collective Unconscious" href="#" target="_blank">Collective Unconscious</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that we have so far. This is a powerful effect for strategies that like to go wide and that do not underestimate that life gain. Gaining eight or more life off of this card is a significant and powerful swing that can save you a turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the better budget mass removal spells that we have in black. Versatile, splashable, and only five mana.<br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Outpost Siege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Palace Siege"></div></div></p>
<p>Two members of the Siege cycle also make their way into the top 10. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Outpost Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Outpost Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes as no surprise because it's one of the better card advantage engines in red. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Palace Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Palace Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, however, is a card that I wouldn't expect to see in a greatest hits of Commander catalogue. I just don't run into it that often in the wild. That being said, it does seem like it has a home in decks that turn the graveyard into a second library and can turn its <em>Khans</em> mode into a tutor every turn.<br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merciless Executioner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Sabertooth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atarka, World Render"></div></div><br />
The rest of the top ten is a mix of good cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merciless Executioner" href="#" target="_blank">Merciless Executioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleshbag Marauder" href="#" target="_blank">Fleshbag Marauder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plaguecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Plaguecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a good removal tool in a very particular removal package, namely one that likes to play cards akin to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Pact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Sabertooth" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Sabertooth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a combo piece, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great Dragon for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of the Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of the Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Think Twice</h2>
<p>There are still quite a few cards here that I either play with some frequency or have thought about including in several places. It's important to note that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an amazing card in EDH, is only the 20th most-played card from this set, but not for lack of trying. While Ugin only sees play in 3% of potential decks, this is because he is colorless and could see play in every EDH deck every built. He is played in 11,242 decks out of a possible 418,512 decks. By sheer numbers, this would be the third most-played card from this set. With that out of the way, let's look at some lesser-known cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mob Rule"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rally the Ancestors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcbond"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mob Rule" href="#" target="_blank">Mob Rule</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is extremely powerful; don't fault it for not being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insurrection" href="#" target="_blank">Insurrection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I run this in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greven, Predator Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Greven, Predator Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it is among the best cards in that deck. Even if you can't end the game with it, if you have sacrifice outlets, this can double as mass removal.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rally the Ancestors" href="#" target="_blank">Rally the Ancestors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a tragically misunderstood card. While this is good with <em>Allies</em>, it is great with most decks that focus on enters-the-battlefield and death triggers. Rally does show up in a significant 17% of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks, but it also does great work in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle" href="#" target="_blank">Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tayam, Luminous Enigma" href="#" target="_blank">Tayam, Luminous Enigma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephara, God of the Polis" href="#" target="_blank">Ephara, God of the Polis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcbond" href="#" target="_blank">Arcbond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is conditional removal, but it is very efficient. Not only is this card a great board wipe on the same level as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Reaction" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Reaction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it is also a powerhouse in Group Slug strategies and works well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frontier Siege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fruit of the First Tree"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harsh Sustenance"></div></div>
<p>Yes, enchantments are easier to remove than the land fetched by <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>, but the raw power of green enchantment ramp is undeniable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frontier Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Frontier Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a perfect example of this. Four mana for an enchantment that produces four mana on each of your turns. Yes, that mana is parceled out in two-mana increments, and it is restricted to your main phases, but this is a high rate of efficiency. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frontier Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Frontier Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> exists in a class with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Wild Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utopia Sprawl" href="#" target="_blank">Utopia Sprawl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overgrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Overgrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are enchantments that provide a rate of ramp that is unmatched by other green cards, but they still haven't secured a foothold in the format. Play them in enchantress decks first and foremost, but I bet you'll find that you want them in your other green decks as well.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fruit of the First Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Fruit of the First Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is difficult to evaluate. Unlike <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frontier Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Frontier Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this card is much more limited strictly to enchantment archetypes because it's vulnerable on multiple levels. You're sad if an opponent bounces the creature that this is attached to. You're sad if they exile that creature. You're sad if they destroy all enchantments. You're sad if they destroy <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fruit of the First Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Fruit of the First Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, itself. For this card to earn a slot, you really need to be playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Satyr Enchanter" href="#" target="_blank">Satyr Enchanter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Argothian Enchantress" href="#" target="_blank">Argothian Enchantress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or their sisters, or in a deck that runs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greater Good" href="#" target="_blank">Greater Good</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Momentous Fall" href="#" target="_blank">Momentous Fall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. My <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gargos, Vicious Watcher" href="#" target="_blank">Gargos, Vicious Watcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Aura deck is the perfect home.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harsh Sustenance" href="#" target="_blank">Harsh Sustenance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that pops into my head every once in a while. This card seems versatile and powerful with tokens or in decks that stay low-to-the-ground and reanimate their small creatures in bulk. This can be removal, lifegain, or even a finisher. I haven't had the opportunity to try this card yet, but I will as soon as I get the chance.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Up Next</h1>
<p>That's all she wrote on <em>Fate Reforged</em>. What do you guys think? Did you enjoy the time travel storyline of the Khans block? If you were a modal enchantment, would you be more Khans or Dragons? Finally, let's think of another fun cycle of Sieges in the comments!</p>
<p>I'm going to try an experiment with the next article. Instead of looking for a particularly good set, I will be combing through the sets of the last ten years to find the one that is <em>least</em> played. To elaborate, I'm going to find the set in which the top ten cards have the lowest play rate: those that show up in the fewest decks on EDHREC. This could be a disaster, but it'll be a fun exercise, nonetheless.</p>
<p>Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


harsh sustenance

Grapple with the Past - Fate Reforged