<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Segovian Angel" href="#" target="_blank">Segovian Angel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://simondominic.artstation.com/">Simon Dominic</a>)</h6>
<h1>Spy's Demise</h1>
<blockquote><p>Too flashy to ignore. Too fast to catch.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">—<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kitesail Cleric" href="#" target="_blank">Kitesail Cleric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> flavor text</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When it comes to aggressively attacking at the Commander tables, you would probably expect there to be some red involved, right? Both Boros and Gruul are all about the smashy smash, using combat to end players' days. However, one of the most aggressive decks you can find might just be helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That's why in this <em>Mind Bend</em>, the article series that breaks down the conventional notions of the color pie to forge new ground outside the confines of the already established, we're shifting Edric's Simic game back where it belongs - in red, white, and black.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edric, Spymaster of Trest"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>All Spies on Me</h2>
<p>For those of you wondering why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very aggressive, <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/edric-spymaster-of-trest">one look at his average decklist on EDHREC</a> will sort out your concerns. Let's go over it a little more here in order to make the Mardu conversion.</p>
<h3>Air Force One</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flying Men"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gudul Lurker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spire Tracer"></div></div>
<p>For one, the average <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck plays 26 different versions of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flying Men" href="#" target="_blank">Flying Men</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: tiny one-mana creatures that have flying or are in some way either unblockable, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gudul Lurker" href="#" target="_blank">Gudul Lurker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or have odd blocking conditions, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spire Tracer" href="#" target="_blank">Spire Tracer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The bevy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flying Men" href="#" target="_blank">Flying Men</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> serve a singular purpose: deal combat damage to your opponents so that Edric can draw you cards. The more of these evasive low-cost creatures you can have in play to swing with once Edric hits the battlefield, the more cards you'll have to cast on later turns. The first swing is for replacing those already deployed, the subsequent swings are just sheer value.</p>
<h3>Doing the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Time Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>So what do you do with all that draw? How about... draw more cards? The average <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> list runs six extra turn spells, once again for a singular purpose: to give you more combats, mana, and cards. Digging deep with your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flying Men" href="#" target="_blank">Flying Men</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets better and better when you keep striking extra turn gold. Each <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Time Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Part the Waterveil" href="#" target="_blank">Part the Waterveil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand means a better chance at finding the next.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Time Warp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Part the Waterveil"></div></div>
<h3>Closing Time</h3>
<p>Now, you could draw cards and take turns until your library is empty, but winning the game is a whole 'nuther problem. Poking with a small army of 1/1s is only going to get you so far. Since you'll be speed-running your deck into the ground, you only need a few ways to close out the game.</p>
<p>In the average list on EDHREC, Edric players run about four win conditions, and they include pumping your team via <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beastmaster Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Beastmaster Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, coming out of nowhere with poison from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triumph of the Hordes" href="#" target="_blank">Triumph of the Hordes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or killing players without even attacking them directly via <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throne of the God-Pharaoh" href="#" target="_blank">Throne of the God-Pharaoh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beastmaster Ascension"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triumph of the Hordes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throne of the God-Pharaoh"></div></div>
<p>The rest of the typical <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck is filled with the usual Commander staples, mostly removal, ramp, and answers, plus a few secondary "Edrics" in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reconnaissance Mission" href="#" target="_blank">Reconnaissance Mission</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reconnaissance Mission"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bident of Thassa"></div></div>
<p>The end result is a deck that wants to hit early and often, then steal the game away by never giving anyone the chance to play again.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Tangled Web We Weave</h2>
<p>When changing this deck over to Mardu, the question then becomes "Who can helm the deck on a level similar to Edric?" <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has no direct analogue, but we do have one that gets close: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tymna the Weaver" href="#" target="_blank">Tymna the Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tymna the Weaver"></div></div>
<p>With her in the command zone, we can replicate Edric's early turn strategy and net the same amount of cards. Luckily, both black and white have a plethora of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flying Men" href="#" target="_blank">Flying Men</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of their own to get in on the early aggro-for-cards train. For example, there are bombs like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can come down as a 6/6 flyer at the opening of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serra Ascendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Healer&#039;s Hawk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vampire Cutthroat"></div></div>
<p>We can even recoup that life loss from Tymna's ability with some low-mana evasive creatures: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Healer&#039;s Hawk" href="#" target="_blank">Healer&#039;s Hawk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampire Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Vampire Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vault Skirge" href="#" target="_blank">Vault Skirge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, will give us the life we'll happily pay.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Extra Combative</h3>
<p>So what about the next step in the Edric game plan: extra turns? Also, what about the red portion of this deck? To both of those I say to you, what about extra combats? Red is tops when it comes to swinging more than once in a turn; just look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relentless Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Relentless Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or, new from <em>Zendikar Rising,</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moraug, Fury of Akoum" href="#" target="_blank">Moraug, Fury of Akoum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relentless Assault"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Waves of Aggression"></div></div>
<p>Since we're in white, we also get the versatile <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Response//Resurgence" href="#" target="_blank">Response//Resurgence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the absolute beating that is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waves of Aggression" href="#" target="_blank">Waves of Aggression</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. An extra combat spell you can cast again and again from the graveyard? Yes, please.</p>
<hr />
<h3>We're Pirates Now!</h3>
<p>But we can't play these extra combat cards with just Tymna in the command zone. It's time to <em>Partner</em> her up! Welcome aboard <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breeches, Brazen Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Breeches, Brazen Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breeches, Brazen Plunderer"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breeches, Brazen Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Breeches, Brazen Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offers another route to "card draw" by stealing the top of our opponent's deck upon damage. If we have additional Pirates, we can aim them at different opponents for full effect. Unfortunately, our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flying Men" href="#" target="_blank">Flying Men</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are not Pirates. Or are they?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conspiracy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maskwood Nexus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Volatile Claws"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has long been a staple for messing with your creature types, and it's perfect with Breeches. Plus, you can't spell "conspiracy" without "piracy", arr! The brand new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maskwood Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maskwood Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us another way to turn our team into Pirates. For a one-shot effect, we can boost our team for extra damage with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Volatile Claws" href="#" target="_blank">Volatile Claws</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h3>End Result</h3>
<p>To mirror the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biomass Mutation" href="#" target="_blank">Biomass Mutation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in Edric's list, why not add a way to make our team all Pirates and turn them huge? For this, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Entity" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Entity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits right at home. Speaking of ending the game with large creatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marton Stromgald" href="#" target="_blank">Marton Stromgald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a wonderful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beastmaster Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Beastmaster Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> impression that's actually stronger with more combat steps. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brutal Hordechief" href="#" target="_blank">Brutal Hordechief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds to the damage and makes it even easier to get a lethal attack through, even on other turns!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirror Entity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marton Stromgald"></div></div>
<p>We even have a few <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects to slot in. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Havoc Raiser" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Havoc Raiser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can play both offense and defense, netting us opponents' cards to cast or sending a large threat elsewhere. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner" href="#" target="_blank">Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can give us a brand new hand whenever we want.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Mardu You Do</h2>
<p>I will admit that this decklist is still a little rough around the edges. I feel that the build will require some heavy in-game testing before the final list is achieved. But the start here is a great one, considering the pedigree it is modeled after. It does run a little slower than Edric, to be sure, but not much slower. Taking advantage of its pace of play would be the first thing to upgrade here.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Edric, but Mardu This Time" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
*1 Tymna the Weaver
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aven Skirmisher
*1 Azra Oddsmaker
*1 Basilica Screecher
*1 Battlefield Raptor
*1 Blight Keeper
*1 Brutal Hordechief
*1 Changeling Outcast
*1 Duskborne Skymarcher
*1 Eye Collector
*1 Faerie Guidemother
*1 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
*1 Healer&#039;s Hawk
*1 Hope of Ghirapur
*1 Kitesail Cleric
*1 Kitesail Scout
*1 Lantern Kami
*1 Mirror Entity
*1 Moraug, Fury of Akoum
*1 Marton Stromgald
*1 Neheb, the Eternal
*1 Nightshade Stinger
*1 Pilfering Imp
*1 Remorseful Cleric
*1 Rustwing Falcon
*1 Segovian Angel
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Serra Ascendant
*1 Soltari Foot Soldier
*1 Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner
*1 Suntail Hawk
*1 Topplegeist
*1 Tormented Soul
*1 Vampire Cutthroat
*1 Vault Skirge
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Despark
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Rakdos Charm
*1 Response // Resurgence
*1 Reverberate
*1 Shields of Velis Vel
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Volatile Claws
*1 Wear // Tear
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Relentless Assault
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Waves of Aggression
*1 World at War
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Maskwood Nexus
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Conspiracy
*1 Fiery Emancipation
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Blightstep Pathway
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Brightclimb Pathway
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Luxury Suite
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Marsh Flats
*2 Mountain
*1 Needleverge Pathway
*4 Plains
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Savai Triome
*1 Silent Clearing
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*1 Sunbaked Canyon
*2 Swamp
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Vault of Champions
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Time to Trest (For Now)</h2>
<p>I feel like this archetype of aggressive creatures barreling into value is still somewhat unexplored. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been around for a long time, but he can't be the only iteration out there. I'd like to see other color combinations and commanders follow suit. Decks like these win fast or die fast, but the will leave their mark before they're gone. So if that sounds like a strategy for you, go all in!</p>
<p>See you all soon for another mind-bending deck!</p>


healers hawk

Mind Bend - Spymaster of Mardu