Too-Specific Top 10 - Evolving More

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.stevenbelledin.com/">Steven Belledin</a>)</h6>
<h1>After the Gold Rush</h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to <em>Grapple With the Past</em>, a series in which we look back at the set pages for old releases to discuss the cards that made it and the cards that fell into obscurity in EDH. Once a set releases, Commander players write and read reviews, test out the new cards, and incorporate winners into their EDH repertoire. But with the constant stream of new products, it’s easy for cards to slip through the cracks. I’ve found that by exploring set pages on EDHREC, I frequently stumble upon cards that could easily find a spot in one of my decks. In this series we look for irregularities in the data, try to identify sleeper cards from formats past, and discuss the legacy of particular sets in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unscythe, Killer of Kings"></div></div>
<p>Today we're looking back to <em>Alara Reborn</em>, a set that I return to every few years. This set pitched itself as<em> the</em> definitive multicolor release. Every single card in this set is gold. No lands. No colorless artifacts. While this was and remains a gimmick, it led to intriguing design. Just look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unscythe, Killer of Kings" href="#" target="_blank">Unscythe, Killer of Kings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example. This Equipment is indicative of the bizarre nature of the set as a whole: it's an artifact with four colored pips in its casting cost, split up across three colors. In EDH, this means that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unscythe, Killer of Kings" href="#" target="_blank">Unscythe, Killer of Kings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can only be played in Grixis decks with good mana-fixing. Beyond that, what Grixis deck wants this Equipment, or any Equipment beyond <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><em>Alara Reborn</em> is alluring exactly for the questions that it raises and refuses answer. To me, this set has the same elusive flavor as<em> Future Sight</em>. There are powerful and interesting cards that suggest a world to come that is still unimagined. Even eleven years later, I'm unsure where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unscythe, Killer of Kings" href="#" target="_blank">Unscythe, Killer of Kings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits, or whether it could ever find a home in our format. I feel the same about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fight to the Death" href="#" target="_blank">Fight to the Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and several other cards here. Let's dive in.</p>
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<h2>The Commander Class</h2>
<p>As far as commanders go, this set is actually fairly tame. The most salient common factor here is that the most popular among them are annoying to play against. Even if the commander options presented in this set aren't overpowered, some of them do affect the table in abrasive ways. Who really likes playing against <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sen Triplets" href="#" target="_blank">Sen Triplets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sen Triplets"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Uril, the Miststalker"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sen Triplets" href="#" target="_blank">Sen Triplets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be frustrating both for its ability to strip opponents' hands as well as its pseudo-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Telepathy" href="#" target="_blank">Telepathy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. Then we get to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Uril, the Miststalker" href="#" target="_blank">Uril, the Miststalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Bogle incarnate. Voltron as a strategy may not win games very often, but Uril decks can fairly efficiently remove at least one player on a whim. The other commanders present here are a bit underwhelming: high-costed and not particularly worth it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund" href="#" target="_blank">Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might make it big one day, but it needs a new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect that turns all of your <em>opponents'</em> creatures into Dragons as well. Until then, it'll do as a conventional Dragon tribal commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Top 10</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Pulse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Qasali Pridemage"></div></div>
<p>I am not a fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Pulse" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Pulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I was slightly surprised to see that it's so highly played. It has never been included in a Commander product and is not frequently reprinted. When I first started playing EDH, I arrived with the preconception that versatile, sorcery-speed removal would be the best in the format. I bought a couple copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and traded for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Pulse" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Pulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, neither of which were cheap at the time. Now, years later, I've found that I vastly prefer the versatility of instant-speed to the versatility of hitting more permanent types. Yes, I like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortify" href="#" target="_blank">Mortify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> better than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Putrefy" href="#" target="_blank">Putrefy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> better than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Pulse" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Pulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Nexus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wargate"></div></div>
<p>Also in the top ten, we find cards that illustrate the skew toward cards of three or more colors that exists on EDHREC. By percentage, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wargate" href="#" target="_blank">Wargate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> see play in 7% and 6% of possible decks, respectively, and they're the first and third most-played cards from <em>Alara Reborn</em>, respectively. In total number of decks, however, they only see play in 2,146 and 3,208 decks, respeectively. In between them, the second most-played card from the set is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Qasali Pridemage" href="#" target="_blank">Qasali Pridemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which sees play in 6,102 decks, or 7% of possible decks. Although it sees play in nearly three times as many decks as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Qasali Pridemage" href="#" target="_blank">Qasali Pridemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> it is less represented on EDHREC This isn't a mistake, and is a better way to present this data, but it is a skew to keep in mind when using EDHREC as a resource.</p>
<p>As cards, these are three stellar options in their colors. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is obviously highly restricted by its identity, but it provides an enormously powerful effect. The first spell you play on each turn, including your opponents', you draw and play a spell for free. All for five mana. I would play this in nearly every five-color deck I make. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Qasali Pridemage" href="#" target="_blank">Qasali Pridemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good role-player in creature-based decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wargate" href="#" target="_blank">Wargate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an extremely powerful tutor that could probably find a home in any Bant deck.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Think Twice</h2>
<p>As I alluded to earlier,<em> Alara Reborn</em> is speckled with hidden gems waiting to be found. I feel like every time I visit the set's page, I find more cards that I want to pick up and jam into a deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Manipulation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tainted Sigil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil Captain"></div></div>
<p>Three such cards can be found above. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Manipulation" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Manipulation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the better counterspells that nobody plays. Sure, it costs three mana, and it only counters creatures, but it exists almost in its own category. This is a value spell that trips an opponent while replacing itself in your hand. This card is like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exclude" href="#" target="_blank">Exclude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another underrated counterspell, but better in the right decks, because you can be selective about the card you return to your hand. Nobody likes a three-mana counterspell, but sometimes they aren't bad.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Sigil" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Sigil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, is one of the best lifegain cards that has ever been printed. Lump sum lifegain can be underwhelming in our format because it doesn't scale as well to four-player games. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Sigil" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Sigil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, however, is the exception. This card can be used to deter and negate a big attack on your life total, capitalize on another player being hit hard, or cap off your own drain strategy. I play this card alongside <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it does not disappoint, often gaining twenty or more life.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a powerhouse in my Selesnya tokens decks, and it often reminds me of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathars&#039; Crusade" href="#" target="_blank">Cathars&#039; Crusade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Crusade has a higher ceiling and can spiral your board out of control, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a higher floor and is no slouch in its own right. It can give token strategies a significant kickstart or bolster +1/+1 decks that focus heavily on 1/1 creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flurry of Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil of the Nayan Gods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necromancer&#039;s Covenant"></div></div>
<p>Mitch from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-w5MNByr4SNy3z2232sj0g">Commander's Quarters</a> mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flurry of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Flurry of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy_oS_7e4GI">video</a> last year, but the extra exposure hasn't yet translated into increased popularity on EDHREC. It only sees play in 479 decks, 1% of the possible. This card is the real deal, though, and is one of the better armies in a can in the format. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flurry of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Flurry of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just so versatile: you can use it to produce a squad of chump blockers, or make a board from nothing. You can use it when you attack with your own creatures, or wait for your opponents to attack either you or each other. Combine this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for maximum effect.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of the Nayan Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of the Nayan Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a confusing card that lacks a clear direction. Do you want to go wide or tall? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> your opponents, or knock them out one by one with a single creature? That's part of the beauty of this card, you can do either. And if you don't want to, cycle it for just one mana! Try this out with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shanna, Sisay&#039;s Legacy" href="#" target="_blank">Shanna, Sisay&#039;s Legacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necromancer&#039;s Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Necromancer&#039;s Covenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a garishly expensive form of graveyard hate, and it only exiles creature cards. The true power of this card, though, is what it can do in Zombie decks. Yet another army in a can, this card can build an imposing board without much effort. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Varina, Lich Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Varina, Lich Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in particular, reaps huge benefits from giving your Zombies lifelink, which almost earns the card its slot by itself.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Identity Crisis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sages of the Anima"></div></div>
<p>I imagine people have two aversions to playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Identity Crisis" href="#" target="_blank">Identity Crisis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. First, this card only targets one opponent. Second, it is an undeniably mean card. I had these reservations when I first found a copy in my collection. But, after playing with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Identity Crisis" href="#" target="_blank">Identity Crisis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for several years, I think it has an often misunderstood purpose in our format. This is a punishment card. This is the vinegar to Group Hug's honey. Verbal threats can be a powerful tool in EDH, but they need to be substantive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Identity Crisis" href="#" target="_blank">Identity Crisis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best cards available to back up your threats. Think of it like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="River&#039;s Rebuke" href="#" target="_blank">River&#039;s Rebuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Rebuke has less sheer power in EDH than <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> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crush of Tentacles" href="#" target="_blank">Crush of Tentacles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but these comparisons are slightly facetious because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="River&#039;s Rebuke" href="#" target="_blank">River&#039;s Rebuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should be used more as punishment than removal. If somebody crosses you, it is valuable to punish them specifically.</p>
<p>Switching gears, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sages of the Anima" href="#" target="_blank">Sages of the Anima</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems like it should be very good. I've picked up several copies over the years without any particular deck in mind. I still haven't found the right home for it, but I have faith that one day, I will play it, I will draw three cards two turns in a row, and it will all have been worth it.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Up Next</h2>
<p>That was <em>Alara Reborn</em>, one of the most perplexing and compelling sets to contemplate as a whole. What do you all make of this set? Did I miss any good one? Let me know in the comments below! Next time, we'll be digging into <em>Planar Chaos</em>, a set that broke the barriers of the color pie. In Commander, a format of color identity, how does this expansion of effects available to each color impact our decks? Tune in next week to read my take and chime in. Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


karrthus tyrant of jund

Too-Specific Top 10 - Evolving More

Grapple With the Past - Alara Reborn