Back to Basics - The 10 Most Played Mono-Blue Cards in Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by </span><a href="http://www.tylerjacobsonart.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tyler Jacobson</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></h6>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scry Me a River</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Feel like your deck just is not coming together? Welcome to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Solve the Equation</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, where we take a look at the numbers and see what's making your deck and in-game decision-making fall flat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate</em> is full of interesting new commanders to build around, and the one that's caught my eye sure loves to scry! One of my favorite commanders from the original <em>Commander Legends</em> was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eligeth, Crossroads Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Eligeth, Crossroads Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The deck drew a ton of cards, but it quickly turned stale and struggled to close out the game. Enter <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who looks like a Azorius value engine who also happens to profit from scrying. However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has many more tricks up his sleeve, making this a completely unique deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elminster"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s take a look at how to make the most of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s suite of abilities.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s Take a Look at Our Wizard's Spellbook</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First ability:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whenever you scry, the next instant or sorcery spell you cast this turn costs {X} less to cast, where X is the number of cards looked at while scrying this way.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The best spellslinger decks leverage cost-reducers to cast huge spells. This is how <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzix of the Izmagnus" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzix of the Izmagnus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">decks have been winning games for a while. Even better, scry is often an afterthought on cards, which means many of the cards with the highest scry-rates are under-played and cheap!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Second ability:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">+2: Draw a card, then scry 2.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Draw a card” is always a solid ability on a planeswalker, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will frequently replace itself the turn it comes down. The scry 2 here can set up a huge spell at a discount and even set up our next turn to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s other ability.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Third ability:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">−3: Exile the top card of your library. Create a number of 1/1 blue Faerie Dragon creature tokens with flying equal to that card’s mana value.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are some serious tokens! Flying makes these a real threat and with some high-mana-value spells that we can even leave a few behind to chump block.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Turning Scrying into a Ritual</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Casting huge spells can be a tough task, and one of the most efficient ways of casting them is through ritual spells, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We would not normally have access to these spells in white and blue, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ability allows us to take advantage of scrying as if we are casting a ritual.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desperate Ritual"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The key numbers to compare here are the amount we scry against the card's mana value. We're looking for spells that scry for a greater amount than their mana value. If a spell costs a single mana but has scry 3, then we're effectively going up on mana if we have a bigger spell we plan to cast in our hand. This takes spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which already have incredibly high floors, and super-charges them.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Preordain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can find this effect on creatures as well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Augury Owl" href="#" target="_blank">Augury Owl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both putting us up on mana in comparison to their mana value. Things really get crazy with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Annelid" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Annelid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which not only sets up our next draw wonderfully, but also discounts our next spell by six mana! (Remember, Elminster triggers <em>each </em>time we scry, so he'll reduce the cost of the spell by 1, 2, and 3, for a total of 6.)</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Seer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Augury Owl"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptic Annelid"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Discounts for Days</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These scry-bursts are great for casting big spells, but we also want to be able to scry reliably. Remember, our commander can scry twice a turn on its own, so it will not take too many extra scry effects to generate a huge discount consistently. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Netherese Puzzle-Ward" href="#" target="_blank">Netherese Puzzle-Ward</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a niche card that fits right into this deck, giving us a consistent discount each turn and even occasionally drawing us a card. (Bonus points for this card's <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> flavor!) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace&#039;s Sanctum" href="#" target="_blank">Jace&#039;s Sanctum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a built-in discount, and the scry effect stacks with it effectively making our spells cost two less if we plan on casting a few in the same turn.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Netherese Puzzle-Ward"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jace&#039;s Sanctum"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, some cards fit this deck like a glove. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin&#039;s Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin&#039;s Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will put us at least even on mana while drawing cards and potentially setting up our future draws. The same can be said for cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foresee" href="#" target="_blank">Foresee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diviner&#039;s Portent" href="#" target="_blank">Diviner&#039;s Portent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does double duty by both being a way to scry and an outlet to dump extra mana into from our discount.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin&#039;s Insight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diviner&#039;s Portent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here Come Dragons</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now let's take advantage of that -3 ability! These spells are also serving double duty. They're both cards to cast at a discount and cards to exile to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ability to make Faerie Dragons. We want cards that can win games on their own. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> literally wins the game on its own, and we can dig to the spell easily within a turn with how much scry we have in our deck. Not only is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> an expensive spell, it'll make a ton of creatures either way we use it! Planeswalker commanders also pull damage away from our own life total, potentially making <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even more effective.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Approach of the Second Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm Herd"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone Legion" href="#" target="_blank">Clone Legion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aminatou&#039;s Augury" href="#" target="_blank">Aminatou&#039;s Augury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are guaranteed to generate more than a card’s worth of value. These are total haymakers, especially if we time them right. My favorite, though, has to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devout Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Devout Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devout Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Devout Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can take advantage of the Faerie Dragons our commander has already made to become even more effective. The problem with these cards, of course, is that if we don't have our commander out, they sometimes rot in our hand.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The best way to mitigate this downside is by taking advantage of a variety of abilities that make spells cheaper to cast than their printed mana value. In other words, we've got more tricks up our sleeve!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clone Legion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aminatou&#039;s Augury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Devout Invocation"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prices On These Spells Are Cheaper Than They Appear</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Miracle</em> cards have inflated mana costs but will often be cast cheaper if we can manipulate the top of our library, which this deck does all the time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terminus" href="#" target="_blank">Terminus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a cheap board wipe in a pinch, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Walk" href="#" target="_blank">Time Walk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the top of our library.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terminus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temporal Mastery"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Delve</em> and <em>Convoke</em> also make our spells much cheaper. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Trespass" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Trespass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us access to another extra turn spell that could also make double-digit Faerie Dragons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dig Through Time" href="#" target="_blank">Dig Through Time</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are excellent card draw spells that only get better in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hour of Reckoning" href="#" target="_blank">Hour of Reckoning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not only cheap, but it will also keep our board of tokens and our planeswalker commander unscathed.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hour of Reckoning"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ability works the same as <em>Convoke</em> with our tokens. Modal cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dusk // Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Dusk // Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, get both spells' mana values counted to equal the whole card's mana value, so they're great in this deck! This spell works especially well, as Dusk can be a one-sided board wipe in the right circumstances.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As if MDFCs did not already have enough flexibility, they really shine in this deck. They can be lands, spells, or they can be exiled to make Faerie Dragons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emeria&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Emeria&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sea Gate Restoration" href="#" target="_blank">Sea Gate Restoration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both have huge mana costs, but they can effectively act as an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Island" href="#" target="_blank">Island</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plains" href="#" target="_blank">Plains</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the early game.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sea Gate Restoration"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s take a look at the rest of the deck:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Scry Me A River" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Elminster
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Augury Owl
*1 Charming Prince
*1 Cryptic Annelid
*1 Curiosity Crafter
*1 Empyrean Eagle
*1 Faerie Seer
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sylvia Brightspear
*1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
*1 Thassa, God of the Sea
*1 The Reality Chip
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Archaeomancer&#039;s Map
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sensei&#039;s Divining Top
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Aminatou&#039;s Augury
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Clone Legion
*1 Devout Invocation
*1 Dusk // Dawn
*1 Emeria&#039;s Call
*1 Hour of Reckoning
*1 Interpret the Signs
*1 Mystic Speculation
*1 Preordain
*1 Sea Gate Restoration
*1 Serum Visions
*1 Storm Herd
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany
*1 Temporal Mastery
*1 Temporal Trespass
*1 Terminus
*1 Treasure Cruise
*1 Ugin&#039;s Insight
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Behold the Multiverse
*1 Contact Other Plane
*1 Deliberate
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Diviner&#039;s Portent
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Opt
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Favorable Winds
*1 Jace&#039;s Sanctum
*1 Netherese Puzzle-Ward
*1 Oath of Jace
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jace, Mirror Mage
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Castle Vantress
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Hengegate Pathway 
*10 Island
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Nimbus Maze
*10 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Zhalfirin Void
[/Lands]"></span></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p>
<hr />
<p>Which cards do you like that scry the most at the cheapest rate? How do you plan to build around this commander? Which commander are you most excited about from <em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate</em>? Let me know in the comments below!</p>


jaces sanctum

Back to Basics - The 10 Most Played Mono-Blue Cards in Commander

Solve the Equation – Scrying Your Way to a Discount

Monomania - All Things Considered: Blue