Commander 2020 Set Review - Timeless Wisdom

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Day of Judgment" href="#" target="_blank">Day of Judgment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.vincentproce.com/">Vincent Proce</a>)</h6>
<h1>Hasta La <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prismatic Vista" href="#" target="_blank">Prismatic Vista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Baby</h1>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Diabolic Intent</em>, where we build decks around iconic villains and their diabolical schemes!</p>
<p>While most villains perform their evil deeds due to some form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corrupted Conscience" href="#" target="_blank">Corrupted Conscience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, our featured guest this week is notable for lacking a conscience, entirely. Everyone say hello to Skynet!</p>
<p>When it comes to the most famous evil computers, Skynet is right at the top of the list, probably only matched by HAL 9000 (but when it comes to body count, HAL falls a wee bit behind). Skynet's fame was derived primarily from its two big plays: nuking humanity, and sending Terminators back in time to kill Sarah/John Connor before John could grow up to defeat Skynet.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Let's Do The Time Warp</h2>
<p>This strategy of "send a killing machine back in time to kill your enemies before they become a threat" should translate well into <em>Magic</em>. The most straightforward time manipulation mechanic is extra turns, but that's really more time <em>stretching </em>than time <em>travel, </em>and that's just not gonna cut it for us. How would we actually go about sending a dangerous creature "back in time"? That would probably mean sending it to the beginning of the game, but that's ridiculous; surely there isn't a card designed for such a specific purpose and intention?</p>
<p>Is there?</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">There Is</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karn Liberated"></div></div>
<p>Well, would you look at that! Turns out <em>Magic</em> lore has its very own "robot built to screw with the past", with a design to back it up. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn Liberated" href="#" target="_blank">Karn Liberated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s first two abilities are most often used on our opponents, but we can just as easily target ourselves with his first ability if we're looking to send back a very specific threat. And speaking of threats, we can't just send any old battlecruiser to deal with our enemies. No, we have to send...</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Terminator</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightsteel Colossus"></div></div>
<p>Robot? Check. Virtually unstoppable? Check. Deadly? CHECK. This deck will, of course, include a few alternative Terminators, but this is by far the best, both in terms of utility and flavor, so if we manage to ult <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn Liberated" href="#" target="_blank">Karn Liberated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after exiling <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with one of his +4 activations, we can hunt down our opponents without "pity, remorse, or fear." But how do we keep Karn alive for two turns after he comes out? If only we had more time. Wait a minute, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCIx3IrKk0A">we've got all the time we want: we've got a time machine!</a></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Janky Combo<span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="e24Kjd">™</span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Chain Veil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Voltaic Key"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Greaves"></div></div>
<p>With the right pieces (and a truckload of mana), it's possible to pull the whole thing off in one turn. If you understandably can't bring yourself to process the sheer non-viability of this combo, here's a quick breakdown:</p>
<p>1) Activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn Liberated" href="#" target="_blank">Karn Liberated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s +4, targeting yourself, exiling <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>2) Activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>3) +4 karn again, exiling <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>.</p>
<p>4) Use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voltaic Key" href="#" target="_blank">Voltaic Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to untap <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>5) Activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>6) Ult <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn Liberated" href="#" target="_blank">Karn Liberated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, go first, equip <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>.</p>
<p>7) Watch your opponents struggle to find answers.</p>
<p>8) Laugh.</p>
<p>9) Terminate.</p>
<p>I'm sure you've noticed the huge flavor win of this whole evil robot combo being <em>completely colorless.</em> As much as I would love to make the whole deck colorless, we'd be limiting our options too much. Plus, maybe we should pick a commander who can help us pay the exorbitant 21 mana that it would cost to pull off this combo in one turn.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Commander - Kykar, Wind's Fury</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kykar, Wind&#039;s Fury"></div></div>
<p>Jeskai will prove to be exactly the colors we need to implement our remaining Skynet schemes. Our final decklist will only run about 15 creatures, which means Kykar will be a big help for pulling off our crazy time travel shenanigans, which we do have a few different (expensive) ways to execute.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Lets Do The Time Warp (Again)</h2>
<p>Another way to effectively "restart the game" is to completely reset the board state. But before we do that, we'll need to send a Terminator on a little journey with one of these.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mistmeadow Witch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi&#039;s Time Twist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jhoira of the Ghitu"></div></div>
<p>With our Terminator safely hurtling through time, we're free to "rewind" to the beginning of the game, ensuring that our Terminator arrives at the right temporal location, that location being the time before our opponents had blockers or lands!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Worldpurge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dimensional Breach"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Apocalypse"></div></div>
<p>I'd like to call out the exceptional flavor of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimensional Breach" href="#" target="_blank">Dimensional Breach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in that it lets our opponents send their own <a href="https://terminator.fandom.com/wiki/Kyle_Reese">Kyle Reese</a> back in time to stop us.</p>
<p>But don't the card names <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apocalypse" href="#" target="_blank">Apocalypse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldpurge" href="#" target="_blank">Worldpurge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hint at another famous Skynet move?</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Judgment Day</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soulscour"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obliterate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jokulhaups"></div></div>
<p>Oh right, the title event of the best Terminator movie. These can serve the same function as our "rewind" cards while still winning us flavor points for playing like Skynet. (Side note: I am legally obligated to include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Day of Judgment" href="#" target="_blank">Day of Judgment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a Skynet decklist.) And since these cards say "destroy", we don't even have to flicker <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>On the subject of Blightsteel, let's introduce the rest of our arsenal:</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Terminators</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serra Avatar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evra, Halcyon Witness"></div></div>
<p>As long as our life total is high enough, these two are perfectly suitable alternatives if we're looking to send back something that can one-shot our opponents. It's worth noting that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evra, Halcyon Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Evra, Halcyon Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does need us to activate her ability before we lose all our lands, but we can mitigate the danger of being at 4 life by swinging with her immediately afterwards. We've also got some other options that aren't instantly lethal but are still dangerous.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Juggernaut"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malignus"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (or a <em>Monstrous</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus of Akros" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus of Akros</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) can survive our "destroy" wipes, and while they can't kill in one hit, being indestructible tramplers means that they might as well be able to, for all your opponents can do about it! On the other hand...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gisela Blade of Goldnight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rush of Blood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Battle Mastery"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malignus" href="#" target="_blank">Malignus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Juggernaut" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Juggernaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> actually <em>can</em> be lethal if we send them back with the right help! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venser, the Sojourner" href="#" target="_blank">Venser, the Sojourner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good way to flicker our non-creature options, especially since he'll survive several of our wipes.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">T-1000</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Metamorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duplicant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mimic Vat"></div></div>
<p>The T-1000 is an icon of the Skynet arsenal, and there are a few artifact cards that represent its MO remarkably well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duplicant" href="#" target="_blank">Duplicant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> follow a similar strategy of killing and copying important targets, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Metamorph" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Metamorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a slap-bang dead ringer for our goopy pal.</p>
<p>Aside from their delicious flavor, these can help us survive the early game by copying the biggest threat.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Infiltration</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thassa, God of the Sea"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aqueous Form"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manifold Key"></div></div>
<p>There may come a time when we find ourselves with a Terminator 2 and no Judgment Day, so these cards will help our Hugbots sneak into our opponents' bedrooms to give them Goodnight Kisses. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manifold Key" href="#" target="_blank">Manifold Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does double duty as a stand-in for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voltaic Key" href="#" target="_blank">Voltaic Key</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our combo. Also, shout out to the guy in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aqueous Form" href="#" target="_blank">Aqueous Form</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for playin' it wiggly like the T-1000.</p>
<p>This also a good place to propose that we run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldslayer" href="#" target="_blank">Worldslayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since these can all help pop it off.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"> The Direct Approach</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra&#039;s Ignition"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gravitic Punch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul&#039;s Fire"></div></div>
<p>I spotted <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the EDHREC page for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Avatar" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Avatar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which inspired a whole different line of thinking for uniting Terminator with Face: why not remove combat from the equation entirely?</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Cards Are Important</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Padeem, Consul of Innovation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="One with the Machine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mind&#039;s Eye"></div></div>
<p>This deck is still a little bit short on card draw, so we'll toss in a few options that can take advantage of our expensive artifacts (or just are expensive artifacts). Naturally, they come highly recommended on the EDHREC pages for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its high-CMC pals. Also, two out of three Kykar decks recommend <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for all your card-drawing needs.</p>
<p>There we go! Here's the final decklist:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Elon Musk and the Clunky Bunch" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kykar, Wind&#039;s Fury
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Blightsteel Colossus
*1 Colossus of Akros
*1 Darksteel Colossus
*1 Duplicant
*1 Evra, Halcyon Witness
*1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
*1 Jhoira of the Ghitu
*1 Malignus
*1 Mistmeadow Witch
*1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
*1 Phyrexian Juggernaut
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Serra Avatar
*1 Thassa, God of the Sea
*1 Wall of Reverence
&nbsp;
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Eerie Interlude
*1 Long Road Home
*1 Otherworldly Journey
*1 Rush of Blood
*1 Soul&#039;s Fire
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 Turn to Mist
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Apocalypse
*1 Armageddon
*1 Brass&#039;s Bounty
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Day of Judgment
*1 Decree of Annihilation
*1 Devastation
*1 Dimensional Breach
*1 Gravitic Punch
*1 Jokulhaups
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Obliterate
*1 One with the Machine
*1 Soulscour
*1 Worldpurge
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Helvault
*1 Inquisitor&#039;s Flail
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Manifold Key
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Mind&#039;s Eye
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Voltaic Key
*1 Voyager Staff
*1 Worldslayer
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Anointed Procession
*1 Aqueous Form
*1 Battle Mastery
*1 Flickerform
*1 Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Gideon, Champion of Justice
*1 Karn Liberated
*1 Venser, the Sojourner
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*2 Island
*3 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Mystic Monastery
*4 Plains
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sunbaked Canyon
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Wind-Scarred Crag
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>How does it look? </strong>If we rebuilt this deck, would any of these cards be back? Should we come with these cards if we want to live? Let me know!</p>
<p>Thanks for checking out this installment of <em>Diabolic Intent</em>! Next up: The Night King!</p>


Diabolic Intent - Terminators

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pramikon, Sky Rampart" href="#" target="_blank">Pramikon, Sky Rampart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/richardwright">Richard Wright</a>)</h6>
<h1>Pramikon, Forting Up Games Since 2019!</h1>
<p>Hello, Commander faithful! I hope you’ve all enjoyed the holidays, regardless of where you are and whether the weather is frightful or not. Hopefully your snow-covered lands feel a little more on-theme for the season! This is <i>Replacement Commanders</i>, the series where we look at the legendary creatures from the annual precon product from <i>Wizards of the Coast</i> that are not on the front of the package and brew a list or two around their unique abilities! This week we're tackling one of the more difficult commanders from <em>C19...</em></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Pramikon, Sky Rampart</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pramikon, Sky Rampart"></div></div>
<p>To start, I’ve always struggled to find comfort or success with Jeskai decks. My best showing was with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck where I managed to one-shot someone out of the game somewhere around turn seven (only to die immediately from the other two players who didn't want to become the next victim). Scaring the table shouldn’t be a problem with Pramikon, though. At least, not until it’s too late and the game is firmly in our grasp.</p>
<p>I admit, I openly scoffed at Pramikon during the product’s preview season and thought it was more of a niche joke card than anything else. However, every time I have seen the precon deck or decks built with Pramikon in the command zone since, I have been thoroughly impressed, and my mind has been changed. Being able to read the game early and protect yourself from getting attacked by two-thirds of your opponents is a powerful effect. We can use this control effect especially well by setting up some defenses and forcing our opponents to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Let’s break down the important cards and parts of the deck!</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Brick and Mortar</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wall of Denial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="High Alert"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Barrier"></div></div>
<p>The first thing to do is, of course, work on the defenses. Most people won’t expect much when the Pramikon deck is dropping a few early Walls and defenders, so there’s a good chance everyone will look elsewhere for more profitable attacks.</p>
<p>Pramikon gets particularly weird if we somehow manage to get two of them in play, such as with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima the Imposter" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima the Imposter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If one Pramikon chooses left, and the other chooses right... no one can attack at all, leaving us free to potentially find victory through noncombative ways. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Barrier" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Barrier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works as well, since two opposing choices means there is no choice at all!</p>
<p>Aside from these locking pieces, we want Walls and defenders that give us a touch of value along with just a big butt that gets in the way of our enemies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Omens" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Omens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mnemonic Wall" href="#" target="_blank">Mnemonic Wall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Stolen Identity" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Stolen Identity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all have different kinds of value, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog Bank" href="#" target="_blank">Fog Bank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Frost" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Frost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Denial" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Denial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are fairly resilient blockers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Alert" href="#" target="_blank">High Alert</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provided redundancy for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, the Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades, the Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks, and for Pramikon, it allows us to be offensive as well as defensive. Imagine winning a game by taking someone out with the walls of your fortress instead of the monsters within!</p>
<p>Alright, now we know a few staples. Let's take a look at some different potential strategies for Pramikon.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Feeding the Flames</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disrupt Decorum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Benevolent Offering"></div></div>
<p>Even if we have ways to prevent folks from attacking, that’s not always the way to victory. Reading the other players in the early game can give us an idea of which player we can allow to attack us, and which players we would prefer to attack elsewhere. Once Pramikon is on the battlefield and directing traffic, we can help the battle get a little bloodier. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disrupt Decorum" href="#" target="_blank">Disrupt Decorum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the type of thing we're looking for, forcing everyone to attack in the only direction they can, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Spymaster" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Spymaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a body while forcing aggression. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fumiko the Lowblood" href="#" target="_blank">Fumiko the Lowblood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also does a good job of forcing opponents to attack.</p>
<p>I really enjoy how effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work in this scenario, where we choose one player (who can't attack us) to get creatures and pick a different player (who has almost no creatures) to gain life, while reaping both rewards for ourselves. The Hunted creatures <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Lammasu" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Lammasu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Phantasm" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Phantasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also provide us a means of throwing troops into the fray, while also giving us some beefy bodies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of the Raging Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of the Raging Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides consistent bodies each turn, while protecting you even from the person who may attack you.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Will Kenrith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venser, the Sojourner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan the Masterless"></div></div>
<p>We also need to know what precious cargo we're defending. Unsurprisingly, Jeskai has access to several great Planeswalkers, so we can use Pramikon to stop folks from attacking our awesome Superfriends. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rowan Kenrith" href="#" target="_blank">Rowan Kenrith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will Kenrith" href="#" target="_blank">Will Kenrith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are fantastic, since Will’s minus ability helps make our Planeswalkers cheaper and Rowan’s ultimate doubles our walkers' abilities. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venser, the Sojourner" href="#" target="_blank">Venser, the Sojourner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to reset Pramikon if the flow of combat changes and we'd rather folks attack in a new direction, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra, Awakened Inferno" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra, Awakened Inferno</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> puts the game on a clock even if we're not attacking. Finally, if we <em>do </em>like combat, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan the Masterless" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan the Masterless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a hilarious surprise attack from out of nowhere.</p>
<p>There are a ton of support cards in this list that fit in well, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza’s Ruinous Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Urza’s Ruinous Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Wipe" href="#" target="_blank">Time Wipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as Wraths that keeps our commander safe, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oath of Teferi" href="#" target="_blank">Oath of Teferi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for an additional activation of our Planeswalkers and reset Pramikon if necessary. Put it all together with some of the common ramp and card advantage cards, and I think a Pramikon deck might look something like this:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Another Brick in the Walls" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Pramikon, Sky Rampart
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Fog Bank
*1 Fumiko the Lowblood
*1 Goblin Spymaster
*1 Hunted Dragon
*1 Hunted Lammasu
*1 Hunted Phantasm
*1 Mnemonic Wall
*1 Sakashima the Impostor
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Spark Double
*1 Wall of Denial
*1 Wall of Frost
*1 Wall of Omens
*1 Wall of Stolen Identity
[/Creature]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Chandra, Awakened Inferno
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor
*1 Rowan Kenrith
*1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
*1 Sarkhan the Masterless
*1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
*1 Teferi, Time Raveler
*1 Tezzeret, Artifice Master
*1 The Wanderer
*1 Venser, the Sojourner
*1 Will Kenrith
[/Planeswalker]
[Instant]
*1 Aetherspouts
*1 Benevolent Offering
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Eerie Interlude
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Return to Dust
*1 Swan Song
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Helm of the Host
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 Thran Dynamo
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*1 Ever-Watching Threshold
*1 High Alert
*1 Land Tax
*1 Mystic Barrier
*1 Oath of Teferi
*1 Rite of the Raging Storm
*1 Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Austere Command
*1 Disrupt Decorum
*1 Time Wipe
*1 Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Interplanar Beacon
*7 Island
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Maze of Ith
*6 Mountain
*1 Mystic Monastery
*6 Plains
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Secluded Steppe
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Land]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Seth’s Great Wall of Jeskai</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doorkeeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nesting Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vent Sentinel"></div></div>
<p>I wanna test out one more potential build path for Pramikon. “Wall tribal” was the first thing I heard folks discussing when it was previewed. I scoffed at this at the time, because it seemed like such a silly thing to do, and because I do overall think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, the Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades, the Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the better option for this idea.</p>
<p>Still, Pramikon did present an interesting opportunity to run two cards that I have always been a fan of: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doorkeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Doorkeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vent Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Vent Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <em>Rise of the Eldrazi's </em>defender-matters subtheme is hilarious, and it's the one thing Arcades can't do with Defenders that Pramikon lets us play around with.</p>
<p>On the subjects of defenders, I personally love <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nesting Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Nesting Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a way of making them for a pretty low investment. Since almost all our creatures have Defender, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Alert" href="#" target="_blank">High Alert</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a much more important card in this version of the list. This gives us the inclination to also add in ways to protect it or bring it back, should it wind up in our graveyard. For instance, since it's a three-mana permanent, it gives us a reason to include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which also works great with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Auramancer" href="#" target="_blank">Auramancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Oh, and since we're so defensive... I included <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> as another defensive win condition.</p>
<p>While I struggled slightly with the list to get enough walls that I felt were high enough value, the deck ultimately looks like this:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Seth and his Wall of Jeskai" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Pramikon, Sky Rampart
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Aether Membrane
*1 Aetherflame Wall
*1 Amaranthine Wall
*1 Auramancer
*1 Basilica Guards
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Colossus of Akros
*1 Consulate Skygate
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Doorkeeper
*1 Electrostatic Field
*1 Fog Bank
*1 Geist of the Archives
*1 Golden Guardian
*1 Gomazoa
*1 Guard Gomazoa
*1 Guardian of the Ages
*1 Hover Barrier
*1 Kaijin of the Vanishing Touch
*1 Ludevic&#039;s Test Subject
*1 Mnemonic Wall
*1 Nesting Dragon
*1 Perimeter Captain
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Vent Sentinel
[/Creature]
[Instant]
*1 Aetherspouts
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Eerie Interlude
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Mystical Tutor
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Return to Dust
*1 Settle the Wreckage
*1 Swan Song
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifact]
[Sorcery]
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Austere Command
*1 Time Wipe
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorcery]
[Enchantment]
*1 Ever-Watching Threshold
*1 High Alert
*1 Land Tax
*1 Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantment]
[Land]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Castle Vantress
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*7 Island
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*7 Mountain
*1 Mystic Monastery
*8 Plains
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Land]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Time to Hit the Bricks!</h2>
<p>It’s crazy to think Walls and defenders can make their own viable decks in Commander. I never quite bought into the hype behind <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, the Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades, the Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when he was revealed, though I do credit him with at least providing card advantage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pramikon, Sky Rampart" href="#" target="_blank">Pramikon, Sky Rampart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may not provide that kind of advantage, but the benefits and value are still there with the right build. There are still many more <i>Replacement Commanders</i> left to go, though!</p>
<p>Feel free to <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">follow me on Twitter</a> and check out the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">YouTube channel</a> that I do with my friends called Praetor Magic. We also stream regularly on <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/praetormagic">Twitch</a>, as well as hosting a <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">public Discord server</a> dedicated to talking about Magic of all kinds! Hope to see you there and until next time,</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>


Replacement Commanders - You Can't Break These Walls Down!

Commander Focus — Kykar, Wind's Fury

Replacement Commanders - The Best Jeskai Precon Commander?!

Archetune-Up - An Enchanted Evening with Elsha

Forgotten Harvest - Zedruu Land Grant

60 to 100 - Kykar, the Heir to Shu Yun's Token Throne

Shape Anew - Shu Yun's Flying School

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Narset, Enlightened Master" href="#" target="_blank">Narset, Enlightened Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.magali-villeneuve.com/">Magali Villeneuve</a>)</h6>
<h1>Just a Pinch</h1>
<p>In a <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/edhrecast-ep54-the-saltiest-cards-in-edh-ft-bennie-smith/">recent episode of the EDHRECast</a>, co-hosts Joey, Matt, and Dana sat down with Star City Games writer <a href="http://www.starcitygames.com/articles/tags/BennieSmith">Bennie Smith</a> to discuss... salt. No, not the delicious spice that supplies iodide (a necessary nutrient); I mean <em>salt</em>: the feeling you get when the <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> player combos out a turn before your victory; the emotion inspired by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zur, the Enchanter" href="#" target="_blank">Zur, the Enchanter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pillowfort deck that you just <em>can't</em> get through to; the prickling sensation of a player who just resolved <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>... with no win condition in hand (or in mind).</p>
<p>It's easy for me to recall specific moments where a card made me salty, but it is much more challenging to judge whether a single card is inherently "salty". How do you quantify a card's "salt potential"? The answer, it turns out, is "with lots of help."</p>
<p>This April, we at EDHREC presented a survey to you, our lovely readers, listeners, and users. In the span of 3 days, you contributed over <em>500,000</em> votes on the saltiness of various cards, rated on a scale from 0 (sodium-free) to 4 (drinking a bottle of soy sauce while swimming in the Dead Sea). With all that data, we created a <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/salt">Top 100 list</a> of the most salt-inducing cards in Commander.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-32905 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/salty-cards.png" alt="" width="614" height="362" /></p>
<p>In browsing this list, clear patterns emerge of what cards are most likely to conjure up some good-old NaCl. Sitting pretty at #1 is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stasis" href="#" target="_blank">Stasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a low-effort method of making players skip their untap steps. Stasis is the namesake of an entire genre of decks that prevent you from using your resources, and some of its best friends populate the list: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (#3), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Static Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Static Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (#11), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hokori, Dust Drinker" href="#" target="_blank">Hokori, Dust Drinker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (#26), and so on. Living at the #2 slot is the tried-and-true land destruction spell <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Similar cards that destroy, bounce, exile, or otherwise Do Bad Things to your lands make up a whopping <em>20%</em> of the Top 100 list. Smaller categories represented in the list include: cards that say "can't" (such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iona, Shield of Emeria" href="#" target="_blank">Iona, Shield of Emeria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), spells that result in multiple extra turns (à la <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expropriate" href="#" target="_blank">Expropriate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), notable win-conditions (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), and frightening commanders (e.g. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Narset, Enlightened Master" href="#" target="_blank">Narset, Enlightened Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<hr />
<h2>Saltcrusted Steps to Building Decks</h2>
<p>Empowered with this new salt-flavored knowledge, how can we take advantage of it to reduce or– Keftnet forbid– increase, the saltiness of our decks? The wizards of the EDHREC team have you covered, with what we're calling the Salt Early Warning System*.</p>
<p>* Note: no one is actually calling it the Salt Early Warning System.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-32904 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cyclonic-salt.png" alt="" width="209" height="360" /></p>
<p>If you make a visit to the card page for one of our salty friends like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you'll notice a little salt shaker icon at the bottom-left corner of the card image, warning you that this card is likely to cause salt. This icon will follow the card no matter where you view it on the site. The salt shaker also appears on lists of decks (like the "Recent Decks" section on <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/atraxa-praetors-voice">Atraxa's page</a>.) As exemplified by <a href="https://edhrec.com/listofdecks/scion-of-the-ur-dragon">Scion of the Ur-Dragon's page</a>, you can even sort lists of decks by their salt score, to find the lowest- or highest-sodium ways to play that commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Shake It Till You Make It</h2>
<p>Now that we know saltiest cards on the block, it's only fair that we put our salt where our mouth is. With assistance from the Top 100 list, let's try to make the saltiest deck we can manage. In the spirit of my budget deckbuilding series, <em><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/author/walkingatlas/">Low Market</a>,</em> I'm also going to cap myself at $100.00 – this is notably higher than the average cost of a Low Market deck, but salt doesn't come cheap in this economy.</p>
<p>There are approximately 20 viable commanders in our Top 100, when you exclude banned cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leovold, Emissary of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Leovold, Emissary of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Of these, a scant <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=%28%22Iona%2C+Shield+of+Emeria%22+OR+%22Vorinclex%2C+Voice+of+Hunger%22+OR+%22Jin-Gitaxias%2C+Core+Augur%22+OR+%22Hokori%2C+Dust+Drinker%22+OR+%22Grand+Arbiter+Augustin+IV%22+OR+%22Narset%2C+Enlightened+Master%22+OR+%22Gaddock+Teeg%22+OR+%22Emrakul%2C+the+Promised+End%22+OR+%22Ulamog%2C+the+Ceaseless+Hunger%22+OR+%22Atraxa%2C+Praetors%27+Voice%22+OR+%22Elesh+Norn%2C+Grand+Cenobite%22+OR+%22Ulamog%2C+the+Infinite+Gyre%22+OR+%22Zur+the+Enchanter%22+OR+%22Kozilek%2C+Butcher+of+Truth%22+OR+%22Avacyn%2C+Angel+of+Hope%22+OR+%22Linvala%2C+Keeper+of+Silence%22+OR+%22Derevi%2C+Empyrial+Tactician%22%29+USD%3C10">six Legendary Creatures</a> can be found for under $10.00 USD (at time of writing). Two options immediately jump out at me: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Narset, Enlightened Master" href="#" target="_blank">Narset, Enlightened Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (#36), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Derevi, Empyrial Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both of these commanders offer many colors to work with, and play into at least one major theme we identified in our most salty cards. Narset is focused on free casts of noncreature spells, while also being a great card advantage engine when <em>someone</em>–not going to name any names–has blown up everyone's lands. Derevi, meanwhile, is a means to untap permanents that might, <em>theoretically</em>, be locked down by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stasis" href="#" target="_blank">Stasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. Since I am a bit more familiar with her operation, I've decided to tackle Narset Land Destruction.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Narset, Enlightened Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Global Ruin"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>That makes our gameplan pretty straightforward: stick Narset, cripple our opponents through land destruction, and find some method of killing them. I selected a healthy quantity of land destruction spells from our salt list: note that some of these cards also destroy creatures, so we'll need means of protecting Narset.</p>
<p>Since Narset's main jam is casting noncreature spells, I wanted a noncreature method of closing out the game, and landed on Aura-based Voltron. This choice is, in part, thematically driven: I've killed a few people with Narset after stacking a few Auras on her, and those folks were <em>definitely</em> salty afterwards. Being in white gets us Auras that grant indestructible, addressing our above need, and also gives us several convenient cards that tutor for Auras such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Three Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>With the advent of commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog Monster" href="#" target="_blank">The Gitrog Monster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and more recently <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord Windgrace" href="#" target="_blank">Lord Windgrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there are far too many decks that actively <em>want</em> lands in their graveyard. We're compensating for this strategy with a meaty collection of budget graveyard hate effects: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silent Gravestone" href="#" target="_blank">Silent Gravestone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sentinel Totem" href="#" target="_blank">Sentinel Totem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scavenger Grounds" href="#" target="_blank">Scavenger Grounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Gravestone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sentinel Totem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenger Grounds"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The remainder of our deck is filled out with standard Narset fare. We've stuffed in a dozen mana rocks and reduced our land count a hair, since lands are useless when exiled by our commander. A couple topdeck manipulation spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="" href="#" target="_blank"></a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>Brainstorm<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="" href="#" target="_blank"></a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> prevent high-CMC spells from living in our hand, and lay the foundation for explosive attacks. Finally, we've a handful of straightforward card draw spells for when Narset is unavailable for help with card advantage.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Checking Out</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="High-Salt Narset (By Themes)" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
* Narset, Enlightened Master
[/Commander]
[Land Destruction and Hate]
* Armageddon
* Boom // Bust
* Cataclysm
* Catastrophe
* Decree of Annihilation
* Epicenter
* Global Ruin
* Impending Disaster
* Obliterate
* Rising Waters
* Ruination
* Sunder
[/Land Destruction]
[Aura Subtheme]
* Aqueous Form
* Auramancer&#039;s Guise
* Battle Mastery
* Eldrazi Conscription
* Faith&#039;s Fetters
* Flickerform
* Gift of Immortality
* Indestructibility
* On Serra&#039;s Wings
* Open the Armory
* Overwhelming Splendor
* Plea for Guidance
* Shielded by Faith
* Spirit Mantle
* Three Dreams
* Unquestioned Authority
[/Aura Subtheme]
[Topdeck]
* Contingency Plan
* Dream Cache
* Foresee
* Long-Term Plans
* Mystical Tutor
* Penance
* Taigam&#039;s Scheming
* Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany
[/Topdeck]
[Card Advantage]
* Brainstorm
* Deep Analysis
* Frantic Search
* Precognitive Perception
* Treasure Cruise
* Ugin&#039;s Insight
[/Card Advantage]
[Ramp]
* Azorius Signet
* Boros Signet
* Darksteel Ingot
* Dreamstone Hedron
* Expedition Map
* Firemind Vessel
* Gilded Lotus
* Izzet Signet
* Jeskai Banner
* Mana Geode
* Mind Stone
* Unstable Obelisk
[/Ramp]
[Removal, Hate, Countermagic]
* Arcane Denial
* Divine Reckoning
* Insidious Will
* Oblation
* Sentinel Totem
* Silent Gravestone
* Torpor Orb
* Winds of Rath
* Winter Orb
[/Removal, Hate, Countermagic]
[Recursion]
* Bond of Insight
[/Recursion]
[Lands]
*5 Plains
*5 Island
*5 Mountain
* Desert of the Fervent
* Desert of the Mindful
* Desert of the True
* Desolate Lighthouse
* Evolving Wilds
* Gateway Plaza
* Grixis Panorama
* Irrigated Farmland
* Mystic Monastery
* Rogue&#039;s Passage
* Rupture Spire
* Scavenger Grounds
* Slayers&#039; Stronghold
* Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
* Terramorphic Expanse
* Transguild Promenade
* Vivid Crag
* Vivid Creek
* Vivid Meadow
* Warped Landscape
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>When the Salt Settles</h2>
<p>At the end of the day, our High-Salt Narset Land Destruction deck checks out for approximately $100.00 by TCG Mid pricing, and our oh-so-critical salt score is 115.96. You can also find this decklist on <a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/72300#EDHREC_-_High-Salt_Narset">Archidekt</a>. In a departure from the norm, I sincerely hope that <em>as few of you as possible</em> build this salt-inducing deck. If you'd like to tell me about the saltiest deck you own or have faced, track me down on Twitter, <a>@Walking_Atlas</a>, or leave a comment below. Until next time, here's hoping that our new features get you your daily recommended allowance of sodium.</p>


jeskai