<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Belligerent" href="#" target="_blank">The Belligerent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.brucebrenneise.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruce Brenneise</a></span></h6>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In case you haven't heard, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edge-of-eternities-rules-update-vehicles-can-be-commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all legendary Vehicles are about to be eligible to lead Commander decks starting August 1st</a>. This opens up deckbuilding possibilities for players, letting unique cards like <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parhelion II" href="#" target="_blank">Parhelion II</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grond, the Gatebreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Grond, the Gatebreaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> be at the helm of your next EDH deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> There aren't a ton of new cards that this change applies to (just about 20), but there are some interesting new options. Notably, I'd like to bring your attention to... <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Belligerent" href="#" target="_blank">The Belligerent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Belligerent"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here, I'll be doing a deck tech for this daring pirate ship. Although it was once helmed by Vraska, it'll now be helmed by me! I'd say that's an upgrade, but I'll leave that up to your discretion.</span></p>
<h2>What Does The Belligerent Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, The Belligerent is a 5/5 Vehicle with crew 3. When it attacks, we make a Treasure token and can play cards from the top of our library for the rest of the turn. So essentially, after jumping through a few hoops, we get a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Future Sight" href="#" target="_blank">Future Sight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our command zone. Neat!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'm of course reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Melek, Izzet Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Melek, Izzet Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another Izzet (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander that lets us cast spells from the top of our library, although Melek gives us a benefit for doing so (even if he places a restriction on what sort of spells we can cast). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This commander is also reminiscent of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain Lannery Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Captain Lannery Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and not just because she's a Pirate: she makes a Treasure on attack, too, and even has a slot in the 99 of this deck!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Melek, Izzet Paragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captain Lannery Storm"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being in Izzet gives us access to a lot of cards that synergize with both halves of our commander's attack trigger. We've got cards that care about artifacts <em>and</em> cards that care about casting spells from places other than our hand. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's a lot of cool cards from recent set releases that I'm super excited to talk about, so let's get brewing!</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for The Belligerent</h2>
<p>First, let's talk about the artifact synergies in this deck. Our commander is an artifact, itself, and makes Treasures for us every turn, so we'll have no shortage of them.</p>
<p>No surprise, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magda, Brazen Outlaw" href="#" target="_blank">Magda, Brazen Outlaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits perfectly here. She wants to be tapped to crew our commander, and she can even let us use excess Treasures to fetch up some goodies from our library. Another Dwarf makes the list too, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glóin, Dwarf Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Glóin, Dwarf Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This curves perfectly into our four-drop commander: we play Glóin on turn three, cast our commander and make a Treasure token on turn four, then Glóin has just enough power to crew our big boat for the rest of the game!</p>
<p>There's also the newest version of Chandra: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra, Spark Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra, Spark Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! This planeswalker can automatically crew a Vehicle, provide us with some card selection and even extra Vehicles if we need them. Plus, her ultimate can provide some game-ending damage</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magda, Brazen Outlaw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glóin, Dwarf Emissary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra, Spark Hunter"></div></div>
<p>There's also some sweet payoffs for casting things from the top of our deck. <em>Doctor Who</em> brought some tech with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Twelfth Doctor" href="#" target="_blank">The Twelfth Doctor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Osgood, Operation Double" href="#" target="_blank">Osgood, Operation Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both adding some value when we use our commander's ability to its fullest. Also, if The Doctor wasn't letting us copy our spells enough, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzix, Replica Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzix, Replica Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get a sweet two-for-one discount on spells we cast from our library.</p>
<p>Finally, I love <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Lost and the Damned" href="#" target="_blank">The Lost and the Damned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the 99 of this deck. It can hit the field before our commander and make us a 3/3 when we cast it, then it'll keep making us 3/3s as we progress our gameplan. I know that the <em>Warhammer</em> set had a lot to offer, but this card should be seeing a lot more play than it currently is.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Twelfth Doctor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mizzix, Replica Rider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Lost and the Damned"></div></div>
<p>Aside from our commander, there are a few other Vehicles that I really like here: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reaver Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Reaver Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be extremely challenging for our opponents to answer, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderhawk Gunship" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderhawk Gunship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us break through board stalls, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imposter Mech" href="#" target="_blank">Imposter Mech</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a super cheap clone of an opponent's best threat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reaver Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderhawk Gunship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imposter Mech"></div></div>
<h2>How Does This Deck Win?</h2>
<p>There are a few other Vehicles and Vehicle synergies that can propel us to a win.</p>
<p>The ever-popular <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> can become a big beater quickly while also keeping graveyard strategies in check. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mu Yanling, Wind Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Mu Yanling, Wind Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides each of our Vehicles evasion, makes a Vehicle token when she enters, and gives us some card advantage. Honestly, I couldn't ask for more out of card for this list.</p>
<p>Finally, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion of Kaladesh" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion of Kaladesh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Vertibird" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Vertibird</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Combined with our 18 Vehicles (not counting Vehicle token-creators) and other artifacts, these cards have the chance to flip over into huge, evasive beaters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unlicensed Hearse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mu Yanling, Wind Rider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invasion of Kaladesh"></div></div>
<p>Failing that, there's a few other ways we can win. We can ping our opponents' life totals down with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keeper of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Keeper of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flaming Tyrannosaurus" href="#" target="_blank">Flaming Tyrannosaurus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can reanimate some scary threats from opponents' graveyards with <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>, and we can even assemble a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> win if the game goes long enough.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Keeper of Secrets"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nautiloid Ship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Tyrant"></div></div>
<h2>The Belligerent Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Building a Vehicle Deck with The Belligerent" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Belligerent
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Manufactor
*1 Captain Lannery Storm
*1 Cosima, God of the Voyage
*1 Fallowsage
*1 Fearless Swashbuckler
*1 Felhide Spiritbinder
*1 Flaming Tyrannosaurus
*1 Ghostly Pilferer
*1 Glóin, Dwarf Emissary
*1 Goldspan Dragon
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Ingenious Artillerist
*1 Iraxxa, Empress of Mars
*1 K-9, Mark I
*1 Keeper of Secrets
*1 Magda, Brazen Outlaw
*1 Mary Read and Anne Bonny
*1 Mizzix, Replica Rider
*1 Mu Yanling, Wind Rider
*1 Osgood, Operation Double
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Sage of the Beyond
*1 Slicer, Hired Muscle
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 The Emperor of Palamecia
*1 The Twelfth Doctor
*1 Unctus, Grand Metatect
*1 Volatile Wanderglyph
*1 Xorn
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Chandra, Spark Hunter
[/Planeswalkers]
[Sorceries]
*1 Impending Flux
*1 Otterball Antics
*1 See the Truth
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Boosted Sloop
*1 Brotherhood Vertibird
*1 Cargo Ship
*1 Imposter Mech
*1 Mindlink Mech
*1 Mobilizer Mech
*1 Nautiloid Ship
*1 Reaver Titan
*1 Reckoner Bankbuster
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*1 Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
*1 The Indomitable
*1 Thunderhawk Gunship
*1 Thundersteel Colossus
*1 Treasure Map
*1 Unlicensed Hearse
*1 Unstable Amulet
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Talent
*1 Fortune Teller&#039;s Talent
*1 Rain of Riches
*1 Storm the Vault
*1 The Lost and the Damned
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Bottle-Cap Blast
*1 Bounce Off
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Resculpt
*1 Surge of Brilliance
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Kaladesh
[/Battles]
[Lands]
*1 Cascade Bluffs
*1 Ferrous Lake
*1 Fiery Islet
*11 Island
*1 Mech Hangar
*11 Mountain
*1 Reef Roads
*1 Restless Spire
*1 Riverpyre Verge
*1 Rocky Roads
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Temple of Epiphany
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Training Center
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck sits pretty firmly in Bracket 2. While it's a ton of fun to slam down a pirate ship and go to combat with it, our commander costs a little bit too much mana to be an effective card advantage or mana generation engine. Plus, as a 5/5 with no natural evasion, it'll occasionally be in danger during the combat step.</span></p>
<p>There are a few more cards that work well in the deck that I wanted to shout out.</p>
<p>First up, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Emperor of Palamecia" href="#" target="_blank">The Emperor of Palamecia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can let us cast our commander on turn three and is immediately large enough to crew it. Between that cool pay pattern and the 33 other noncreature cards in the deck, we'll get a lot of mileage out of this <em>Final Fantasy</em> card.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Emperor of Palamecia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bounce Off"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Felhide Spiritbinder"></div></div>
<p>I also wanted to shout out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bounce Off" href="#" target="_blank">Bounce Off</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a cool <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variant that we can use offensively or defensively. We can, of course, bounce an opponent's creature if needed, but, once The Belligerent's attack trigger has resolved, we can return it to our hand if we're in danger of losing it during combat.</p>
<p>Finally, I wanted to draw some attention to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felhide Spiritbinder" href="#" target="_blank">Felhide Spiritbinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While this may not be the greatest card in <em>Magic</em>, it can do some really unique things. For example, I'd love to use this thing to copy <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xorn" href="#" target="_blank">Xorn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and make extra Treasures with our commander's ability. As a little bonus, this card's base power of three means it can be used to crew our commander all on its own.</p>
<p>Thanks very much for reading, and I'll see you all next week for another deck tech!</p>


izzet commander deck

Building a Vehicle Deck with The Belligerent